Founded in 2008 by Joel Hopwood and Matthew Lee, formerly of Dunnhumby, Shopper Media Group specialises in commerce marketing activation. The company’s clients include The Co-op Group, Deliveroo and The Very Group. 

Hopwood and Lee will continue in their roles following the acquisition, with Sam Knights continuing to run the business as chief executive. The business will operate as an independent brand within Next 15.

The initial consideration for the acquisition is approximately £15.7m – around £11.8m in cash and the rest in new ordinary shares in Next 15.

The deal includes Shopper Media Group subsidiaries Capture Marketing, Lobster Agency and Threefold Agency.

Tim Dyson, chief executive, Next 15 (pictured), said: “Shopper Media Group has developed an innovative set of predictive, data-driven tools that enable customers to optimise their spend to drive the strongest levels of growth.”

Dyson added: “We see a range of opportunities for them to collaborate with other parts of the group.”

Next 15’s portfolio includes insights business Savanta, innovation agency Brandwidth and advertising agency Odd.

Sam Knights, chief executive, Shopper Media Group, said joining Next 15 would allow the business to “further develop” its service for current clients and “expand SMG’s successful model globally”.