Spectrum Science is snapping up longtime partner and U.K.-based healthcare marketing and communications agency Aurora Healthcare Communications as it looks to boost its presence in Europe.
U.S.-based Spectrum and Aurora have worked together for more than a decade. The two firms will now both sit under the Global Health Marketing & Communications network, which is made up of independent healthcare agencies across the world and led by Spectrum.
Aurora will continue to operate under the Aurora brand with ongoing leadership from co-founders Claire Eldridge and Neil Crump. There will be “no change in day-to-day operations,” according to the release announcing deals, financial details for which were not disclosed.
Crump will also become the chief growth officer for GHMC to help “drive an expansion of capabilities, geographic presence and new business,” according to the release.
Eldridge, meanwhile, will continue in her role as chief of Aurora and will focus on leading the integration with Spectrum as well as “setting the strategic direction for the agency to unlock its growth potential.”
The Aurora deal comes amid a mini M&A spree for Spectrum, which also recently bought out the Seismic Collaborative and SONIC Health.
The buyout also comes in the midst of a flurry of similar agency deals. Earlier this month, OPEN Health snapped up The CM Group, while in late July, the Deerfield Agency bought out Verge Scientific to deepen its earlier offerings in the healthcare communications cycle.
Commenting on Spectrum's Aurora purchase, Jonathan Wilson, owner and CEO of Spectrum and chairman and CEO of GHMC, said in the press release: “After 14 years of close, trusted and successful collaboration, we are thrilled to formalize our partnership with Aurora, building upon our existing global business and expanding capabilities to best meet client needs.
“As the logical next step in this exciting journey, we're looking forward to bringing our model to even more clients across Europe, further expanding our global work while supporting Aurora's evolution along a similar path.”