TMCnet News
Interbrand acquires international retail design company: HMKM [Bizcommunity (South Africa)](Bizcommunity (South Africa) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Leading brand consultancy Interbrand has acquired one of the UK's leading international retail design consultancies, HMKM. In today's competitive marketplace, it is crucial for retailers to consider their brand position and ensure it is brought to life in a relevant, differentiated and consistent manner. The move, which recognises the importance of brand experience in an increasing digital and omnichannel retail environment, brings together two highly complementary companies, uniquely prepared to meet the challenges of the current retail landscape. HMKM specialises in creating high-end, multidimensional retail environments for clients such as Selfridges, Galeries Lafayette, Nike, Breuninger and Bloomingdale's. The integration of London-headquartered HMKM will allow it to benefit from Interbrand's global presence as well as from the breadth and depth of its strategic and creative offerings and services. "Retail brand experiences continue to evolve at a rapid pace," said Jez Frampton, global CEO of Interbrand. "While physical stores will remain an essential point of access for the brand, those retailers that strategically integrate digital touchpoints will have the potential to revolutionise the brand experience. HMKM's expertise in delivering holistic retail concepts, combined with Interbrand's creative and strategic thinking, will bring tremendous value to our clients, creating richer and more engaging experiences seamlessly across channels and environments." The acquisition further strengthens Interbrand's position in the retail sector. Interbrand has developed branded retail environments for clients such as Starbucks, Honda, Piaget, Sephora, and Volcom. Interbrand's retail work has been instrumental in driving higher profit margins and brand loyalty, in addition to receiving Red Dot Awards, Rebrand 100, and the Transform awards. "Retail in all of its expressions is constantly evolving," said Alison Cardy, MD of HMKM. "In this omnichannel era, it is vital for brands to continuously review their physical, virtual and emotional expressions in order to remain relevant to an increasingly sophisticated, intelligent and brand savvy consumer. The combined creative expertise of HMKM and Interbrand makes for an exciting future for all of us and for existing and future clients." Adds Doug de Villiers, CEO of Johannesburg division, Interbrand Sampson de Villiers: "We will continually bring global best practice to Africa, as the continent continues to develop and grow economically faster than any other."The 2014 Best Global Retail Brands will be announced for the fourth time on 8 April.About Interbrand Founded in 1974, Interbrand is the world's leading brand consultancy. With nearly 40 offices in 27 countries, Interbrand's combination of rigorous strategy, analytics, and world-class design enables it to assist clients in creating and managing brand value effectively, across all touchpoints, in all market dynamics. Interbrand is widely recognised for its annual Best Global Brands report, the definitive guide to the world's most valuable brands, as well as its Best Global Green Brands report, which identifies the gap between customer perception and a brand's performance relative to sustainability. It is also known for having created brandchannel.com, a Webby-award winning resource about brand marketing and branding. For more information on Interbrand, please visit us at www.interbrand.com and follow us on Twitter and Facebook. About HMKM Established in 1990, HMKM is an award winning and internationally acclaimed multi-disciplined design consultancy based in London's Soho. HMKM is globally recognised for creating unique and highly compelling retail brand experiences for clients including Selfridges, Galeries Lafayette, Harrods, Breuninger, The Mall Group, Furla and Lulu Guinness to name just a few. About Interbrand Sampson de Villiers: Based in Johannesburg, with offices in Lagos, Nairobi and Port Louis, we act as a hub for Africa. Working in close partnership with our clients we combine the rigorous strategy and analysis of brand consulting with world-class design and creativity. This reach enables us to conduct global research, investigate emerging trends, introduce brands across markets, and better service our clients where they want to dobusiness. Interbrand Sampson de Villiers has won FinWeek's AdReview 'Best Branding and Design Agency' in 2009 and 2010. Interbrand is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Omnicom Group, the global leader in marketing and corporate communications.For more information, please contact:Interbrand:Lindsay Beltzer Senior Associate, Global Marketing & Communications Tel: +1-212-798-7786 Email: [email protected]:Alison Cardy Managing Director Tel: +44 (0) 20 7494 4949 Email: [email protected] Sampson De Villiers:Doug de Villiers Group CEO Tel: +27 11 783 9595 Email: [email protected] All rights reserved. (c) 2014 Bizcommunity.com Provided by Syndigate.info, an Albawaba.com company |