New England agencies Cronin and Co. Inc. and Wallwork & Curry have merged, yet another sign that independent shops are finding it increasingly difficult to operate on a solo basis and without scale.
The agency will operate under the Cronin and Co. name in the agency's Glastonbury, CT, office and as Cronin/Wallwork Curry in Boston, Wallwork & Curry's base. Cronin and Co. is the lead agency in the merger.
“Agencies need to be bigger and they need to broaden their disciplines, so when we go to our clients, we can say we can help you with more services,” said Bill Cronin, president of Cronin and Co.
Terms were not disclosed.
A key benefit of this merger is the agency's increased emphasis on direct marketing to serve clients or prospects out of the Boston office.
“What we would like to add is build on what we already have,” Cronin said. “We would like to step up our efforts on direct, public relations and digital [marketing].”
Combined, the agency's billings are $70 million — $50 million from Cronin and Co. and $20 million from Wallwork & Curry. Direct marketing accounts for a sizable chunk of the billings after print and broadcast media.
The agency will have 68 employees in Boston and Glastonbury, which is outside Hartford.
Founded in 1947, Cronin has clients such as the Connecticut Lottery, Northeast Utilities, Vytra Health Plans, TriZetto and the Connecticut and Western Massachusetts McDonald's Owner/Operators Association.
Clients brought by Wallwork & Curry include Steinway & Co., Ecora Software, Salesnet, Century Bank, Domain Home Furnishings and Sun Life of Canada.
“We've been fortunate to be here for eight years and have a lot of clients, but we have a lot of aspirations to be bigger, not just here but also in the country,” Jack Wallwork, managing director/executive creative director at Cronin/Wallwork Curry, said of his decision to merge Wallwork & Curry.
