Cavendish Corporate Finance, the UK’s leading sell-side mid-market M&A firm, has advised on the sale of The Planning Shop international, a specialist healthcare brand strategy agency, to Adelphi Worldwide, a leading pharmaceutical marketing services group, part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc., one of the world’s largest corporate communication groups.

The Planning Shop international, founded by Kim Hughes in 1987, specialises in producing insightful market research and tailored marketing solutions for the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector. The company’s clients include an array of blue chip companies, such as Pfizer, BD Biosciences, Genzyme, Abbot International, Sanofi-Aventis and J&J.

The Planning Shop international, based in London with offices in the US and Europe, has a strong reputation and an established presence in a number of therapeutic categories across the sector, which has resulted in consistent profitability and double-digit growth in turnover over recent years.
Adelphi Worldwide provides strategic marketing services for pharmaceutical brands across the globe, with corporate offerings that span the lifecycle of pharmaceutical development and include a comprehensive range of services.

The Planning Shop international’s market research driven product innovation and expertise in specialist therapies offers unique synergies with Adelphi’s experience in developing and launching pharmaceutical brands.

The transaction offers both companies considerable scope for increased growth and the potential for further geographic expansion underpinned by Omnicom’s leading position in the marketing and communications sector.

Cavendish, which advised The Planning Shop international on the transaction, has now completed ten deals in 2014. Its previous high-profile media deals include the sale of: Hawkeye, The Profile Group, Primal Pictures, Double Helix, World Trade Group, Opta Sports Data and The Communications Agency.

Stuart Cooper, CEO at Adelphi Worldwide, commented:

“We are delighted to welcome TPSi to the Adelphi Group. I have admired their creative skills in developing a unique agency and branded solution-based offer in the global space. They complement superbly our research presence across the spectrum, from molecule idea development to tangible brand – delivering the right solution and communication for patients and healthcare professionals. This really strengthens even further our top flight presence as a group in this sector. They will complement also our DAS and Omnicom partners, dedicated to effective creative communication solutions, some of whom they already work with.”

Kim Hughes, CEO at The Planning Shop International, commented:

“The fit between Adelphi’s product development focus with the brand focus of TPSi provides numerous synergy opportunities. Partnering this real world, market access and communications expertise will create value for our clients. We are confident we have found the ideal home for our business.”

Linda Sullivan, Partner and Head of Media and Digital at Cavendish, commented:

“This is an interesting transaction showing the increasing convergence between healthcare and media.

With the growth in healthcare spending internationally, and a new generation of drugs, products, services and businesses, global marketing and advertising agencies are committing more resources to this area. They are increasingly looking to bolster their capability and expertise by buying specialist agencies that have the market knowledge and insight to enhance their services and increase their competitiveness.

Kim Hughes, the founder of TPSi used his knowledge of branding in the consumer goods industry to develop proprietary branding techniques for the pharmaceutical sector. This resulted in a successful business which now has the capacity to grow further under the ownership of Adelphi Worldwide, part of Omnicom Group Inc.

The M&A market in media and healthcare is very buoyant. We have completed ten deals to date this year with several in the media space and several more media deals expected to close before the year end.