Cavalry &FRIENDS Come Together To Bring The Future For Brands And Agencies
Cavalry Freelancing, APAC’s leading talent platform for advertising and digital professionals, today announced a merger and rebrand in the next stage of its evolution.
The Sydney-based platform has merged with global content production and technology powerhouse &FRIENDS, heralding a new era in creative talent management and content production.
In contrast to other industry platform players, &FRIENDS is more than just a talent marketplace or production house platform. It enables agencies and businesses to tap into a global community of world-class makers, creating on-the-ground teams in any market – while blending existing talent pools and in-house resources – all in one place.
The move from Cavalry to &FRIENDS harnesses the impressive heritage of both brands. Combining global plug-and-play production teams with a technology solution that enables companies to instantly manage talent. Future-proofing creative resource planning, at a time when the industry desperately is desperately seeking talent
innovation.
Powered by community, connected by technology, it’s an approach that &FRIENDS has dubbed ‘FlexSourcing’– blending the best of in-housing, outsourcing and agency servicing. Shaped around real business needs, &FRIENDS has already sparked interest from a roster of impressive clients – not to mention investors.
Having already secured an impressive $1.8 million AUD in funding, the new platform officially launches across APAC, EMEA and the US at the end of April. Current Cavalry gm, Rich Barlow, will continue to lead the APAC operations, while CEO Dave Bentley moves into a global role as co-CEO.
The move by Cavalry comes at a time of huge change in the creative industry, with almost all industry sectors experiencing a crippling shortage of global talent. This, at a time when market conditions are forcing companies to become more agile to achieve more output, to the same standard, with the same or fewer resources.
&FRIENDS is a simple solution to this complex problem. A sophisticated SaaS offering using the power of community, connected and managed using technology – overseen and supported by experienced industry people. Custom-built, from the ground up, the TEAM+ (Team Expansion And Management +) platform supports both current and future creative talent needs, with one simple tool.
Discussing the move, Cavalry co-founder and &FRIENDS co-CEO Dave Bentley said that while the concept started as a marketplace, the team quickly realised this was only part of the solution.
“We realised that a great marketplace was only one piece of the talent puzzle for companies, the talent challenge is far broader, and requires a more holistic approach.
“The fact is that 90% of companies know they need to build a more agile and adaptive workforce, but less than 80% are actually able to find the solution to tackling this, by doing anything about it.
“This inertia is because the problem has traditionally been hard to solve, getting filed under ‘too hard’.
“The merge with &FRIENDS enables us to give our clients the holistic solution they need – binding every stage of the talent journey – including sourcing, onboarding, managing and payment – into a frictionless customer experience that takes away the pain, time and cost.”
&FRIENDS CCO, Matt Carroll, said “Right now the demands being placed on the creative industry are unprecedented – with businesses being challenged to produce more output than ever – faster and more cost-efficiently. The traditional response to this is that it’s ‘not possible’. So we challenged ourselves to create a tool that makes it possible. By combining the expertise and experience of Cavalry and &FRIENDS, we believe we’ve done that.
Creating an engaged, global community of world class makers, helps our industry solve the chronic shortage of quality talent being experienced across the board. Indeed this is a talent shortage that ALL industries are facing.
“What excites me about the synergy between Cavalry and &FRIENDS is that it allows us to solve a fundamental, complex problem, very simply – while enabling clients and partners to create premium quality content faster, and at previously unthinkable costs. ”
Latest News
History Has Arrived: It’s The Cairns Crocodiles Inaugural Shortlist
Pen the acceptance speech and ready your best thongs and muumuu, because the Cairns Crocodiles shortlist has arrived.
IAS Launches First-To-Market Integration With Roblox To Provide 3D Immersive Measurement
Integral Ad Science, a global media measurement and optimization platform, today announced a market integration with Roblox, a global immersive platform for connection and communication. Available for advertising campaigns on Roblox later this year, IAS’s Viewability and Invalid Traffic (IVT) Measurement products will provide advertisers increased transparency into the quality of their Immersive Ads within […]
Fast And Furious: Top Gear Australia Launch Thrilled Motorheads, Car Entusiasts And Guests
B&T is still no closer to knowing who the new Stig is, except that she is a woman and a ridiculously fast.
TV Ratings (02/05/2024): Seven’s The 1% Club Wins The Night
The 1% club did not live up to its name when it comes to TV ratings last night.
TRA Welcomes Raft Of New Hires; Bolstering Expertise Across Markets
Insights and research agency TRA announces slew of new hires. Still no news on the return of marble wash denim, however.
CX Lavender Hires Boston Consulting Group’s Kim Verbrugghe as Chief Strategy Officer
CX Lavender announces new strategy hire and channels 'acoustic folk act at local RSL' for the publicity pic.
Opinion: Community standards, will they be the death of us?
This columnist is talking community standards. Sadly not those people who put dogs in trolleys in supermarkets.
Tegel gets heads bobbing with new free-range chicken platform
Sure, there's a lot of moral considerations when buying a chook. Yet, not as baffling as buying eggs or canned tuna.
Study: 66% of Aussie men believe masculinity is under attack
Two-thirds of Aussie blokes say masculinity's under attack. That said, sales of Solo lemon drink appear robust.
‘Equal Writes’: Canyon reveals new campaign and refreshed brand for women and non-binary writers
As this brand redesign again proves, nothing beats black on white. Well, white on black in this instance.
Icon Agency bolsters consumer and integrated offer with major hires
Icon Agency unveils new recruits. As press photo confirms office moustache competition now a lay-down misère.
Clemenger launches agricultural graduate program
Has Farmer Wants A Wife triggered an interest in dagging & hay balers? This grads program may resonate.
Levi’s Appoint UM As Global Media Agency For $217m Account
Levi's are the jeans for rockstars, models & the cool kids. Although that's not stopped dads from ruining their image.
QMS Nabs Sean Rigby From oOh!media
Things set to get spicy at the next Outdoor Media Association dinner and dance as a rival gets poached.
Bumble Reveals New Brand Identity To Usher In New Era Of Dating
It's ironic that all the dating apps market themselves as having no weirdos, freaks or mummy's boys like their rivals.
Stay In The House From Up! Airbnb Introduces Icons
Airbnb is now letting people stay in "iconic" places that sadly doesn't include the house from Silence Of The Lambs.
Changing The Conversation: The Role Of Media In Ending Violence Against Women
Governments are finally waking up to the DV crisis. Here, B&T chats with Jasmin Bedir on the role media can play.
“If You Want To Listen To Something Else, Go For It”: Fifi Box On Blocking Out The Noise & Focussing On What Works
No one is at the coal face of Melbourne radio like Fifi Box. Here, she chats with B&T without coughing up a lung.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Ferrari Signs Landmark New Title Sponsor
B&T continuing our series on sports sponsorships. And, yet again, there's little good news for the ten pin bowlers.
Choose A Path Less Trodden This Cannes In Cairns
Not since Wonka opened the factory has there been such a hot ticket in town. Here's how to make the most of Cairns.
Cannes In Cairns MC Keeva Stratton Shares Her Top Session Picks
Quip boss calls out her highlights of the Cannes agenda. We're assuming B&T staff b-boy demonstration was an oversight.
Here Are The Agencies That Made AFR’s Best Places To Work List And What The Industry Can Learn From Them
Did your office not make the list? Make sure your boss shouts at least two schooners at office drinks come Friday.
Get Ready, B&T’s Best Of The Best Is Back With The Top Holding Company Executive Leaders – Creative!
Want to know who the Grandest of the Grand Poobahs in the industry are? Look no further than this exhaustive list.
How A Glittering Campaign Helped The Australian Museum Sell 400,000 Tickets
B&T thoroughly enjoyed the Ramses exhibition at The Australian Museum, despite thinking we were going to the Archibald.
TV Ratings (30/04/2024): A “Shoey” Straight From A Fish’s Mouth Launches The Cheap Seats Into 2024
Last night's TV saw horny farmers beat Lego nerds, who beat fame-obsessed home cooks, who beat a chap with a large fish.
Spotlight Extends Partnership With Starlight Children’s Foundation
B&T always happy to promote the excellent work of the Starlight Foundation. Less so the Starfish Fanciers Foundation.
Amazon’s Advertising Quarterly Revenue Soars To $11.8bn
There are so many Amazon couriers visiting B&T headquarters at the moment our office dog doesn't know who to maul first.
VML Wellington Welcomes Jacob McGregor As Pou Ārahi Māori
McGregor set to lead cultural competency and safety at VML Wellington in important new gig.
“They Grow Up So Fast”: Simon Fowler On Five Years Of ABEL
Abel's CEO talks lessons learned from the agency's first five years. Including staff nicking all the Nespresso capsules.
Kyle & Jackie O Urge Melbourne To Pick A Side
Who can stop Kyle & Jackie O's indelible march into Melbourne radio? Is Peter 'Moony' Moon waiting by the phone?
Future & Taika Waititi Feature In Striking New Global Belvedere Campaign
Not only does drinking vodka make you cool like these dudes, it also has great weight loss properties for the bone idle.
The Fall Of Bonza: A Case Study In How To, And Not To, React In A Crisis
Does the collapse of yet another budget airline hark back to a gentler time of 17 hours spent on a Greyhound bus?
Opinion: Agencies, Be Unique – Stop Using The Word “Unique!”
Trinity P3's Ellie Angell says agencies are overusing the word unique. You could add omnichannel & holisitic to that.
Ex Marketing & Advertising Exec Releases Melanoma Memoir
Ex-adlander Anne Gately has penned a tome to skin cancer. Which is a handy reminder to check your moles, people.
Mamamia Appoint Danni Wright As New Head Of Strategy
Danni Wright takes up Mamamia's strategy reins with a feng shui expert called over positioning of office chaise lounge.
From The Bureau: Championing Competency & Cross-Industry Collaboration
The IAB's Jonas Jaanimagi calls for more specialisation in adtech. Meaning you'll understand it less than you already do.