Earned media agency Wire, based in the north, has announced its merger with John Doe. Wire – based in Glasgow and Manchester – has come together with the culture-focused agency to create a ‘production house for stories’ on a single-minded mission to build brands recognised for who they are and why they matter.

Combining disciplines, including PR, advertising, research, digital, planning, experiential and a content studio, the newly formed John Doe Group will focus on getting brands, including its own, talked about in a lasting way,  both across channels and across the country. It plans to challenge irrelevance by better communicating brands’ reasons for being. Making ‘the unknown, known,’ they have promised unwavering honesty, a truthful understanding of people and creativity that goes beyond the obvious.

John Doe Group will be led by three managing partners, Lee Beattie as CEO, Magin Trewhella as CSO and Pam Scobbie as CCO. Each have long careers in the industry. Trewhella was previously the youngest-ever head of marketing for Pernod Ricard and has been at the helm of John Doe for three years, attracting brands including Facebook, Instagram, Red Bull and Jameson, as well as spearheading an investment in diversity and significantly changing the demographic of the agency. Beattie and Scobbie started Wire, named PR Week’s 'Best agency outside' London in 2019, as a channel-neutral PR company.

Rachel Bell, who founded John Doe in 2010 and has been chair of Wire since 2019, will remain in her role as chair, bringing strategic counsel and her management expertise to the team. Trewhella, Bell, Scobbie and Beattie will all be equal partners in the newly formed group.

Following a year of growth in 2020 for both John Doe and Wire, the group is also announcing new business wins with Tesco Mobile and Anglepoise. The agency has been appointed in different capacities, including developing brand purpose and advocacy campaigns, content creation and meaningful share of voice through PR.

Scobbie says, “There’s an amazing energy in the agency that feels like part rebellion, part renewal. It doesn’t just come from the merger; it’s driven by the fact there’s never been a better time to build brands that genuinely matter."

A new platform, described as being ‘powered by people,’ has been developed by the agency for wider rollout later this year. The offer helps brands to get a better read on those they are trying to reach, including under- and misrepresented communities.

As well as the existing roster of clients, which includes Adidas Originals, Instagram, Edinburgh Gin, Magners, Red Bull, DC Thomson Media, Old Pulteney and Absolut, the John Doe Group will also build and introduce its own brands through a ventures arm. The first, Socialeyes, is a virtual venue hosted by known entertainers, with a percentage of all events going to good causes. Other brands are planned for introduction later this year.