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Haymarket Media Group has expanded its footprint in marketing communications by acquiring key titles from Centaur Media, signalling a significant move to strengthen its influence and resources in the sector amid ongoing industry consolidation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Haymarket Media Group has strengthened its foothold in the marketing communications sector with the acquisition of Marketing Week, Creative Review, and the Festival of Marketing from Centaur Media. This move bolsters the company\u2019s already prominent portfolio, which includes established titles such as Campaign, PRWeek, and Performance Marketing World, alongside its recent launch, In.Comms.<\/p>\n
Founded in 1978, Marketing Week is a well-regarded publication delivering news, analysis, and insights tailored to senior marketing professionals. Its sister titles, Creative Review \u2014 established in 1980 \u2014 and the Festival of Marketing, launched in 2013, bring complementary creative and event platforms to Haymarket\u2019s expanding marcomms landscape. According to Haymarket CEO Kevin Costello, these brands are \u201chighly respected\u201d and align seamlessly with the group\u2019s commitment to serving specialist audiences. He expressed enthusiasm about the future, highlighting the combined strength and influence the acquisition brings to their sector presence.<\/p>\n
The acquired brands will operate under Haymarket\u2019s Business Media division, where they will initially remain as separate business units. Claire Rance, managing director of Marketing Week, Creative Review, and the Festival of Marketing, will continue in her leadership role, reporting to Donna Murphy, deputy managing director of Haymarket Business Media. Murphy remarked that the acquisition underscores Haymarket\u2019s ambition within marcomms and their commitment to building on the strong heritage of these brands. She anticipates creating \u201cexciting content and game-changing events\u201d that will benefit clients and audiences alike.<\/p>\n
Haymarket, with a history spanning more than six decades, has long been a staple in the sector, launching Campaign in 1968 and acquiring PRWeek in 1988. The company presently oversees more than 70 brands across diverse sectors including medical, energy, and environment, with global offices spanning the UK, US, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Singapore, and India.<\/p>\n
This acquisition comes as part of Centaur Media\u2019s broader strategic review initiated at the end of 2024, which has seen the sale of several assets. These include Mark Ritson\u2019s MiniMBA to Brave Bison, Oystercatchers to management, and The Lawyer to Legal Benchmarking. The sale of MWCR Limited\u2014the operating entity for Marketing Week, Festival of Marketing, and Creative Review\u2014to Haymarket is reported to be valued at approximately \u00a33.9 million.<\/p>\n
For the acquired titles, this transition offers an opportunity to harness Haymarket\u2019s resources and scale, promising expanded editorial offerings and wider industry impact. Creative Review\u2019s editor, Eliza Williams, welcomed the change, expressing optimism about strengthening and growing the brand under new ownership.<\/p>\n
Overall, this transaction reinforces Haymarket Media Group\u2019s position as a leader in specialist media serving marketing and creative professionals. It is set to enhance the company\u2019s capacity to deliver unparalleled insights, remarkable content, and noteworthy events, thereby supporting the evolving needs of the marcomms community on a global scale.<\/p>\n