Digital agency Kagool, one of the UK’s only independent Sitecore Platinum Partners, today announces its acquisition of Delete, a multi-award-winning digital experience agency, as part of Kagool’s growth strategy to become the leader in marketing technology and digital experience.
Kagool is combining its strong engineering and technical heritage with Delete’s strategy, creative and UX expertise, in a deal that will strengthen both agencies’ offers while laying the foundations for scale and focused specialisms. The acquisition will grow Kagool’s experience design and performance marketing capabilities whilst also adding consultancy as a key service to underpin clients’ digital strategies and platform solutions.
The deal gives the joint group a headcount of over 160 people working across multiple offices, including London, Leeds, Manchester and Cardiff. CEO Dan Berry will lead the overall group, while Tom Dougherty and Andy Ferries will lead the Delete and Kagool teams respectively as MD. Both brands will operate together seamlessly to provide their clients the very best in strategy, design and experience technology.
This acquisition is the first of many planned by Kagool, which has a dynamic growth strategy backed by a recent £6 million investment by BGF. Its growth is intended to give clients scale and specialisms across a range of services and digital experience platforms, whilst continuing to put first the transparency and customer intimacy often associated with smaller, more traditional independent agencies.
Kagool offers digital design and build specialism in the Sitecore DXP platform, as well as extensive services across CX, digital strategy, performance marketing and CRO. Their clients include some of the UK’s biggest brands, such as Barratt Developments, Parkdean Resorts and Welsh Water. Delete helps clients with digital transformation, and works with the likes of The Open, Guinness Pro14 Rugby, Biffa and Southampton Football Club. They recently won the 2020 Sitecore Experience Award for the Most Sophisticated Implementation in EMEA for their work with McCarthy & Stone, ‘Agency of the Year’ Sports Technology Awards 2020, and ‘Best Agency’ and ‘Best Specialist eCommerce’ at this year’s eCommerce Awards for their work with leading sports and utility brands.
Dan Berry, CEO of Kagool, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have completed the acquisition of Delete and to welcome them to the team. The coming together of these two great companies will give our clients and prospects the very best in innovation, experience design and technical capability second to none. I’m also passionate about maintaining our customer focus and by acquiring Delete we are providing a market-leading offer for our clients’ ever-evolving CX and DXP needs. It also gives us the best possible platform, people and partnerships as the foundation of our exciting growth plans.”
Mark Walton, Founder of Delete, said: “Delete has provided for me what I can only describe as an amazing and highly rewarding journey. I will always be grateful to the loyal individuals and their incredible talent that have made this great adventure possible. There comes a time as a leader where you must decide on what is right for the business commercially and what the future should look like for the people that define why the business exists. It is not an easy responsibility to have. I have known Dan professionally for many years; in February we began discussions by chance and what became clear very quickly was his vision very much aligned with my own personal aspirations. Fundamentally, bringing both Kagool and Delete together ticked every box. At a challenging time, Delete is one of the most highly awarded agencies this year – we have continued to provide full employment, supported and delivered great results to our current clients and enjoyed fantastic aspirational new client wins. What a position and what a time to create this new opportunity for everyone. I can now rest with confidence that Delete’s new Managing Director Tom Dougherty with the Kagool Group support will take the business from strength to strength.
Tom Dougherty, MD at Delete said: “This moment represents a key milestone in Delete’s evolution. For the last twenty years we have built and run an agency that has always, at its core, had an unwavering focus on delivering first-class digital products and services to our clients. To become part of an agency group that shares that philosophy and enables the growth of our joint capability is an exciting prospect for all. For many years Kagool has been an agency we have admired in the market for it’s leading technical offer, so to now have the chance to fuse that with Delete’s CX, Experience Design and Marketing services ensures we are primed and ready to kick-on into our next exciting era. I’m personally very much looking forward to leading Delete alongside our new team at Kagool. Watch this space!”
About Kagool:
Kagool is an award-winning digital agency and top tier, Sitecore Platinum Partner, with over 300 Sitecore projects under our belt. Beyond our core offering of design and build, we provide extensive services across Customer Experience (CX), digital strategy, search marketing, CRO and more. With over 65 people and offices in London, Cardiff and Manchester, we help our clients reach their target audiences and convert more customers across a variety of sectors.
For more information visit: https://www.bekagool.com/
About Delete:
A digital creative agency working with intelligence, craft and love to invent the things you need – wherever your audience is. We have been creating digital experiences since 2000, and the quality of our work has attracted some of the world’s most forward-thinking brands including The R&A, McCarthy & Stone and Roquette, to name a few.
Core to the success of what we achieve for our clients is our understanding of the fluid relationship between attracting customers and engaging them through a well defined digital relationship model. Our specialities lie in digital platform creation, digital-first marketing and B2B product creation. It’s through this blend of expertise that we are able to affect positive change.
For more information visit: https://www.deleteagency.com/