In a significant move within the UK creative communications industry, Inkling Culture has merged with its sister agency eight&four, bringing together two complementary forces in PR, social, and digital communications. As part of the merger, the Inkling Culture brand will be retired, and the unified business will continue under the eight&four name.
The consolidation combines the strengths of both agencies: eight&four, known for its social and content expertise, and Inkling Culture, respected for its work in PR, brand experiences, and digital campaigns. The new integrated agency will bring together a team of 80 people, including 18 from Inkling Culture, to deliver end-to-end services in strategy, design, production, PR, experiential, influencer and performance marketing.
The merged entity will continue to serve a diverse client base, including HSBC, Sandals, DHL, Hitachi, Cancer Research UK, Screwfix, and Beavertown.
Co-founder of Inkling Culture, Will Parkinson, will join the eight&four leadership team, focusing on commercial growth and evolving the agency’s client offerings. Meanwhile, eight&four co-founders Kate Ross and Amy McCulloch will continue in their roles as group CEOs.
Commenting on the merger, Amy said:
“Inkling Culture has an outstanding client offering, delivering in areas that both complement and build on the work we do here at eight&four. That experience is what drew us to bring them into the eight&four Group.”
She added that the move:
“Marks the next chapter for the founders and teams of both companies as we become an unparalleled force in every aspect of below-the-line communications.”
Will echoed this sentiment, stating:
“By uniting both agencies to expand our collective marketing capabilities and expertise, we believe that we can better satisfy communities’ increasing demand for authentic digital content as well as real-world connections.”
Inkling Culture was founded in 2011 by Will Parkinson, David Proudlock, and Nicola Rutledge. eight&four was established in 2008 by Kate Ross and Amy McCulloch, who later created the eight&four Group—formerly known as Cubo Group. The group's wider portfolio also includes the creative production house Feed Films.
This merger signals a bold step forward for the Group, aiming to deliver a fully integrated and future-focused approach to modern brand communications.
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