Creative digital agency Amorphous New Media announced its move out of the Times Media Group (TMG) and a return to independent ownership. The company has been part of TMG since 2007 and while its time with TMG was fruitful, both partners saw the value of releasing Amorphous to pursue a wider range of creative ventures beyond the TMG paddock.
Amorphous will have a greater degree of creative independence to offer its clients and its nimbler operational context will allow for more personalised client interactions, greater flexibility, and increased innovation and personalisation of solutions for its clients. As an independent entity, the agency will also be able to take on other media clients that were previously restricted by its association with TMG, and will allow it to work on increasingly profitable business.
The move became effective on 31 March 2015 and all of Amorphous’ staff were retained by the agency. Amorphous CEO Grant Shippey says, “We were pleased that there was no need for retrenchments and believe that this shows what a sturdy position the agency is in going forward.”
Amorphous is a strong brand in the local digital advertising industry, with projects such as the Cell C website and mobi-site to its name, and its operational independence from TMG has not had any significant negative impact on its existing clients. Clients’ support has been positive and has reaffirmed the timing and value of the move.
With Amorphous’ experience on projects for international brands, including Pepsico and British Airways, Shippey and his team intend to maintain the company’s growth momentum by developing its digital publishing and native advertising offering.
Amorphous has worked with clients from a variety of sectors and its creativity and strategy execution have produced impressive pieces of work. In the banking sector, Amorphous worked on South Africa’s first no-branch digital bank for Pick n Pay’s go Banking and Nedbank’s design for their African internet banking offering.
Company history and sale
Shippey started Amorphous in 1999 and sold 50% of the company to TMG (at the time called Johnnic, then Avusa, and then Times Media) in 2007. After three years and a shareholding consolidation, TMG owned 75% of the business, with Shippey retaining the remaining 25%. In 2013 Amorphous acquired a digital media and social monitoring agency, Acceleration Media, which functioned as an independent entity and was renamed 25AM.
As part of the agreement with TMG, Shippey is now the sole shareholder of Amorphous and TMG owns 50% of 25AM with Lagardare.
Another Amorphous subsidiary, Hudlr, an audience-mapping and geo-targeting tool, works in partnership with 3 Way Marketing, and this will continue, with new distribution partners cultivated going forward.
The agency will be moving into new premises in Dunkeld and, along with its new home, plans to refresh its branding.
Through its digital publishing division, Amorphous will offer clients a fully outsourced, end-to-end digital publishing solution. The company has also reintroduced media sales to its portfolio.
Its digital publishing division has already produced a number of significant projects, including the development and execution of South Africa’s first interactive lifestyle magazine app for Edgars Club, and the development and distribution of apps for Sunday Times, Business Day Wanted magazine and Financial Mail.
The opportunities in South Africa for an experienced, small and dynamic agency are immense and Shippey believes Amorphous is well positioned to continue winning over the hearts and minds of its clients and, most importantly, their target audiences with impressive, relevant and high-quality content and marketing.
