ITG has been appointed to handle print procurement and marketing resource management for Intu, a FTSE 100 company that owns and operates 15 UK shopping centres including the Intu Trafford Centre, Intu Metro Centre and Intu Lakeside.
Under the terms of the contract, Intu will have access to ITG's support services, subject matter experts and round-the-clock studio at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham, while ITG will use its resource management platform, Media Centre, to coordinate campaigns, data and assets across Intu's retail portfolio.
ITG said that it would also leverage its print-buying power and supply chain to "secure substantial cost efficiencies for the company".
Simon Ward, founder and chief executive of ITG, said: "Intu is a company that understands the importance of a single, national brand. Using Media Centre, we can provide significant cost-efficiencies and workflow benefits for Intu giving more for the same investment."
Trevor Pereira, commercial and digital director of Intu, added: "Working with ITG will ensure consistently high quality that our customers and retailers expect from intu, combined with efficient work and economies that make our marketing spend go further."
Meanwhile, ITG's Chris Heath and Lisa Elrod step up from director roles to focus on customer service to clients including Audi, M&S, Heineken, Renault, Puma, Sainsbury’s, KFC and Skoda.
ITG is a £60m operation enjoying double-digit annual growth as enterprises shift to outsourcing marketing operations. Most of its 300 staff are based at Fort Dunlop, Birmingham.
Head of marketing Ian Reid said: "Our success centres on combining technology in terms of marketing automation wrapped around good marketing services to deliver efficiencies for clients.”
Reid said the company would refine its proprietary resource management platform, Media Centre, to coordinate campaigns to help clients streamline processes.
The platform gives retailers and brands control over their marketing data and assets. It automates entire marketing workflows and gives real-time visibility of jobs, campaigns, orders and budgets.
"The future will see fewer new products but a continuing of what we are doing already, helping retailers and brands become more efficient and make cost savings."
Elrod joined the marketing services and technology group as customer service director in 2013, after 14 years as client director at print and marketing specialist Bezier.
Heath has been a director at ITG since it formed in 2009, having previously worked alongside Simon Ward as client services director at St Ives’ SP Group.
He said: “It has been a busy few years at ITG. We’ve created a compelling suite of services for the marketplace and delivered them using the best client services team in the business.”
The company said it had experienced "phenomenal" growth since its formation five years ago and the promotions of Heath and Elrod would would free up founder and chief executive Simon Ward to focus on further growth, acquisitions and the expansion of ITG’s US operation.
