The new group will comprise 44 offices and around 800 staff. Grayling has offices in the UK, continental Europe and the US in addition to Asia; Trimedia operates in the UK and western Europe; and MMD is active in central and eastern Europe.
“We have clients that want us to support them outside Asia,” Davies said. “Clients that need programmes focused across Europe now have another option.”
Davies added that the merger was a positive development for staff, noting that it would increase the talent pool and options for mobility. “Staff can easily see the broader horizon that this gives them,” he said.
Observers have also indicated that the increased stature will provide Grayling with “more muscle” to explore further expansion in Asia. The agency currently has offices in Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand, with a satellite operation in Shanghai.
In Singapore, the agency was chosen as PR partner for the World Design Congress, scheduled to take place in Singapore for the first time in November.