Germany's SAZ Marketing AG's Maryland subsidiary has bought Creative Direct Marketing International, making it the largest direct marketing fundraising agency in Europe.
The deal comes six months after both agencies inked a joint marketing agreement to expand into new European markets. Crofton, MD-based Creative Direct did not disclose terms of the deal.
Both agencies only have overlapping operations in Germany. Creative Direct manages fundraising programs for nonprofits in Britain, the Netherlands, Germany and France. SAZ has operations in its home market as well as Austria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Italy and Switzerland.
Creative Direct will remain an independent member of the Hanover, Germany-based SAZ Group. But both agencies will leverage their respective strengths in data processing, management and mining, research and access to new lists.
