07/06/2010

Baronsmead funds support Inspired Thinking Group 

ISIS Equity Partners ("ISIS"), investing funds from the Baronsmead VCTs, has completed a £3.2m investment in Inspired Thinking Group ("ITG" or "the Group"), supporting Management in its acquisition of Total Marketing Service LLP ("TMS").

Birmingham based ITG provide services that help marketing departments operate more efficiently. This includes outsourced print management services to major retailers and branded businesses including M&S, Punch Taverns and KFC. The business was formed in 2009 by CEO Simon Ward, formerly Commercial CEO of St Ives plc, following his acquisition and integration of three independent Birmingham based marketing businesses. Ward and his team have used their 15+ years of experience to grow ITG within 12 months into a business with projected revenues for 2010 of over £15m.

Within its print management services ITG does more than just manage the print supply chain, it works with customers to re-specify what really needs to be printed to save cost at source. ITG also provides highly efficient artwork services and in-store marketing such as events and visual merchandising. All these services combined are already saving some major retailers considerable sums within their marketing departments - enabling them to get more effectiveness out of fixed budgets.

The acquisition by ITG of TMS enables the business to enter the fast growing market of workflow management systems. TMS's proprietary "MediaCentre" software allows marketing departments to significantly improve their campaign planning, content control and print management and is currently being used by clients that include BT and Morrisons. ITG identified TMS as an acquisition target after using MediaCentre software on behalf of its existing clients.

Management will use the combined ITG and TMS as a platform to introduce additional innovative services to their customers with the aim of improving efficiency and effectiveness across all areas of a marketing department.

For ISIS, ITG represents an opportunity to back a proven team and draw on its sector experience in both Business Services and IT to support future growth.

Simon Ward commented: "ITG is a dynamic, ambitious business that is pushing back the boundaries of traditional marketing. To do this we need an agile business culture and ISIS have supported this culture superbly. Together, we will grow ITG into a market leader."