Further cementing Bastion’s objectives to expand globally, Bastion Amplify USA has merged with leading California-based PR and Digital company, IMW Agency.
IMW has been operating in the US market for the past 15 years and will be merged into Bastion Amplify’s existing US operations. Bastion Amplify now has 35 staff in the USA delivering PR, Social and Digital services for clients, in addition to Bastion Amplify’s 45 staff across Australia and New Zealand.
Bastion Amplify US will be headed by CEO Chris Bretschger, the former president of IMW Agency. Former Bastion Amplify US CEO, Shana Starr, will serve as president of Bastion Amplify. In Australia, Bastion Amplify is led by Richard Chapman.
Bastion Founder and Group CEO Jack Watts said: “It is fantastic to continue our growth in the US market with the acquisition of IMW Agency. We now have 50+ staff across the group in America to take our global total well over 300. We believe we have built the agency model for the new world, and we are incredibly pleased to see that continuing to gain traction in the USA, the biggest marketing services market globally.
“For me personally, it is a joy to spend time with our people and clients in the States and walk through a Bastion yellow door into one of our now 3 offices there. It truly is the land of opportunity, and we see continued exponential growth, both organically and through further acquisitions in the USA. Watch this space!”
Bretschger, who had held leadership roles for national advertising companies such as Doner Advertising as well as major brands such as Mazda, added: “It is a tremendous honor to take the helm of such a talented enterprise. When my parents founded IMW decades ago, we strove for growth and impeccable customer service. This evolution continues that mission with a forward-thinking model that is fully equipped to meet the needs of the modern economy.”
The continued growth of Bastion Amplify in the US and Australia, allows Bastion Amplify to offer a unique mix of PR, Digital, Social and Influencer services to clients across both markets, with a particular focus on implementing Bastion’s ‘follow the sun’ model of Social Media Community Management and Influencer Engagement to provide holistic Social Media Services to clients 24/7.
The acquisition positions Bastion USA on an imminent trajectory to become the largest full-service independent marketing Agency on the West Coast of America, said CEO of Bastion USA Dax Cornelius.
“We’ve executed a disciplined M&A strategy that captures and nurtures synergies by combining operations that do not compete with each other. The result is a superior client experience unencumbered by friction within the consultancy or an overreliance on third-party outsourcing that typically comes with mark-ups in price.”
