• Mere PR to bring 20 years of experience to BJL’s award winning integrated offer
• "Mere PR @BJL" to combine sector expertise, staff and client rosters to create engaging new proposition for the North West PR scene

BJL, the award-winning integrated marketing, advertising and communications agency, is today pleased to announce the acquisition of highly regarded Manchester based consultancy Mere PR, as part of a move to consolidate and strengthen BJL’s integrated PR and engagement offer. The deal will see Mere PR become part of the BJL group, with BJL’s existing PR department merging with the incoming agency to create a newly unified team bringing together the skills and expertise of both groups to meet evolving client requirements and market trends.

Mere PR’s sector expertise in travel and tourism, sport and leisure will add to BJL’s consumer PR credentials in home interest and fashion, to create a single entity able to draw on and benefit from both agencies’ wide range of complementary creative disciplines and sector insights.

The newly formed PR agency, to be named ‘Mere PR @BJL’, will continue to function as a fully joined up part of BJL’s integrated proposition, providing a strategic PR and social media dimension to brand campaigns, while also owning and operating independent PR accounts. As well as benefitting from their combined knowledge, expertise and reputations, together both agencies will create a powerful new business driver, accelerating PR growth potential by appealing to a broad range of regional and national prospective new clients.

Mere PR founder and Chairman Tony Tighe will remain on board as a consultant, while BJL CEO Nicky Unsworth will assume overall control and strategic direction of the new agency. Staff from both agencies will come together to work from the central Manchester office space in Spinningfields.

BJL CEO Nicky Unsworth said of the deal: “This is an exciting step for BJL, serving to strengthen our PR and engagement function while strategically enhancing our ability to offer clients all-encompassing creative communications solutions, as PR becomes increasingly important to the overall marketing mix. Bringing together both teams under one roof will have a fantastic impact on the services we provide and we’re looking forward to passing those benefits onto our existing clients, as well as introducing our newly combined skills to prospective new clients keen to capitalise on our fresh offer.”

Tony Tighe, Founder of Mere PR, added: “After 20 years of hard work and success, I’m delighted to be merging my team at Mere PR with the talented team at BJL, in what is bound to be an exciting next stage in the agency’s development and growth. Both agency brands boast a proud heritage and impeccable reputation. I firmly believe BJL to be the perfect partner to help continue the Mere PR success story, while opening up exciting new avenues to explore.”

ENDS

For further information please contact Lee Robson at BJL on 0161 831 7141 or email lee.robson@bjl.co.uk

Notes to Editors:
About BJL
BJL is an independent marketing agency in Manchester offering fully integrated advertising, marketing, digital and PR. Log on to www.bjl.co.uk for more information. BJL was recently crowned the ‘Most Awarded Agency outside of London’ by an independent body.

In January 2012, BJL launched a new international network called Tribe Global. The network has been founded by 13 independent, owner-run and managed agencies from around the world. For more information about Tribe Global and its member agencies please visit the new website at www.wearetribeglobal.com

About Mere PR
Mere PR, currently celebrating its 20th Anniversary, enjoys an enviable reputation for delivering award winning campaigns for clients in both the B2C and B2B sectors. Log on to www.merepr.co.uk to view the agency’s history and awards.