Now one of the largest shopper marketing agencies in the UK, with over 140 employees, the company will offer a range of retail marketing services and expertise, including sustainable print production through print partners.

All staff will be retained from the merged agencies, Northampton’s Altavia HRG and Sheffield’s Altavia UK.

Joe Ward, co-managing director at Altavia UK and previous head of Altavia HRG, said: “We’re on a mission to help our clients to make a difference in retail with their brand activations and believe that bringing a combined 50 years of expertise together will do exactly that.”

Altavia HRG specialised in creative work, with the pre-merger Altavia UK covering marketing execution for retail clients around the world. Post-merger, the agency will create a new brand identity and website.

Ward added: “We understand the rules of retail marketing and how to break them. Our innovative work helps clients to get results and create peak campaign performance. Retail today isn’t just about transactions, it’s about creating meaningful connections, whether that’s in store or online, in a supermarket, pharmacy, a pub or an airport. 

“We’ve integrated our teams to give clients the best service and look forward to an exciting future for the business.”

Nick White, who shares the directorship with Ward, having headed up the pre-merger Altavia UK, added: “Retailers and brands are under pressure to deliver increasingly sustainable marketing campaigns. Altavia UK has championed sustainable sourcing practices for our clients since 2009. 

“We employ carbon-balanced materials and technologies to measure and help reduce their carbon impact. We also work with social enterprises to fulfil some client projects. Our work in this area has underpinned our EcoVadis Platinum accreditation.”

The wider Altavia Group spans 45 countries with a total of 65 businesses.