Jacksonville-based The Dalton Agency completed a merger with the Bradford Group, a Nashville, Tennessee-based public relations, social media and content marketing agency.
“One thing that particularly attracted me to this opportunity is that it is a merger of two firms whose services are complementary, not duplicative, so no staff reductions are planned,” said Dalton CEO Jim Dalton in a news release.
With the merger, clients of both agencies have access to services comprising advertising creative and campaign development, media planning and buying, digital media and production, branding, website design and programming, and video and animation production.
Dalton also recently merged with Nashville-based Anode, which added technology services to Dalton’s services. That merger added experiential design and interactive exhibits, corporate show and live event creation and management, and advanced marketing technology, including virtual reality, augmented reality, motion graphics and touch-screen interaction.
Jeff Bradford will lead the Nashville office of the merged firm as president, sharing leadership with his business partner, Gina Gallup, who will be senior vice president.
The Bradford Group will maintain its name and will operate from its offices at the Fifth & Main Building in East Nashville. The firm’s offices in Jacksonville and Atlanta will maintain the Dalton Agency brand.
The Dalton Agency has a staff of 93 in its offices. The Bradford Group’s staff will almost double with the merger, expanding from 11 to 21 people in Nashville. Total annual income of the combined firms is more than $12 million, according to the release.
Before the merger, Dalton represented Nashville companies including Opryland Hotel and Soundwaves Water Experience, Change Healthcare, CarePayment, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Bridgestone and the Nashville Public Library.
The merger with Bradford adds First Horizon Bank, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Ascend Federal Credit Union, Turner Construction and Advance Financial to the client roster.