Yes, that’s right – we’re joining an amazing, independent tech comms firm with over 300 employees across Europe, Asia and the U.S., and creating a London team that is 50+ strong.
Grab a coffee, take a seat and let me tell you all about it (and why I used the word ‘excited’):
12 years ago, Paul and I took a deep breath and led the management buyout of CCGroup. Sure, we were pretty much running the day-to-day already. But it was terrifying, going to bed and realising 30-40 peoples’ mortgage and rent payments depended on you not messing up.
It hasn’t all gone to plan (thank you COVID and global tech downturn), but over that time we’ve grown well, won a ton of awards and expanded our offering. The CCGroup of 2025 is very different to the one we acquired in 2013. On occasion, we’ve even allowed ourselves to feel proud of our achievements. But not for long, obviously. That’s not us.
We knew that, one day, we’d consider selling CCGroup. But only to a buyer that we liked and we trusted. We knew that, in reality, something like 75% of deals in our sector fail in some way. So you really have to be sure before taking the plunge.
We’d even (and I realise this sounds quite entitled) made a ‘wish list’ of what we wanted in an acquirer:
- An independent agency
- A strong international footprint
- An appreciation and understanding of the power of sector specialism
- A long-term belief in an integrated approach to marketing communications
- A strong cultural fit
- A great reputation as a place to work and build careers
Still, actually selling CCGroup? That was something for the future…maybe in another two, three years.
So what changed? We ‘met’ Lou. And he and The Hoffman Agency offered everything we wanted in an acquirer and so much more.
Back in 2023, Paul and I recorded a podcast to mark the 10 year anniversary of our buy-out, and CCGroup winning PRovoke’s coveted 2023 EMEA Tech Agency of the Year accolade (sorry, couldn’t resist but it’s the truth).
Lou heard it, we talked. He connected with us after and we stayed in touch, speaking every few months (you can learn a lot from global agency heads like Lou). At one point, he broached the subject of CCGroup’s sale, but we told him we weren’t ready. He respected us for that.
In the autumn (not sure if I have to say ‘fall’ now?!), Lou outlined his long-term ambitions for The Hoffman Agency. He felt CCGroup could be an important part of his firm’s future. We were flattered, intrigued – and interested. Cue five months of discussions, negotiations, meetings, due diligence, disclosures, warranties etc, and here we are: CCGroup is now, officially, a Hoffman agency.
This will, of course, bring change. But it’s *good* change.
One thing I love is that Paul and I are letting go of our former titles and ‘hierarchy’. We’re now co-MDs of the bigger, combined CCGroup and Hoffman UK business. We’ve ignored the ‘traditional’ marcomms M&A playbook, taking a non-conventional approach to accelerate our integration and form a single, cohesive team from the get-go. It starts with us. That’s really important for our team and our clients.
One of the many things we loved about the Hoffman Agency is its firm, unshakable belief in specialism. CCGroup has built unrivalled expertise the in mobile & telecoms, cybersecurity, fintech and enterprise technology sectors. Hoffman has an impressive, broader set of deep sector expertise: semiconductors, HR tech, consumer tech, quantum, AI, data centres, SaaS, DevOps – in addition to established strengths in telco, cybersecurity and enterprise.
Beyond sector specialism, we’ve built successful industry analyst relations and integrated marketing capabilities. Hoffman brings additional strengths in corporate communications, crisis communications, brand, design, employee communications and employee branding and recruitment marketing.
So now we can offer our clients increased sector expertise and a broader service set on a truly global basis. That’s another reason to use the word ‘excited’.
The Hoffman Agency’s aspiration is to be the best in the world at multi-market campaigns that help tech organizations build their reputations, fortify their brands and sell stuff. CCGroup has an important role to play in the realisation of that – indeed, our – strategy in the UK and beyond.
Here’s to an exciting new chapter!
