Merger creates US branding giant

A US brand consultancy with an annual fee income of more than $25m (£15.5m) is to be created in New York next week, with the merger of FRCH Design Worldwide and Lyons Marketing Communications. The companies will trade as the Waypoint Group.

The group will have 230 employees, spread across offices in New York, Cincinnati and Wilmington. It will offer an integrated menu of design, branding and marketing services. “The merger is a response to the market forces which are transforming the communications landscape,” says Waypoint Group president Douglas Tibbetts.

FRCH has previously worked on retail design, graphic communications and architecture projects, while LMC’s expertise lies in graphic design, advertising and interactive technology. The new group will offer all of these design disciplines.

“We think the Waypoint Group is in the forefront of a new breed of brand consultancies that have the ability to assist their clients with all aspects of brand positioning and implementation,” says Waypoint chief executive Kevin Roche.

The two consultancies have been developing a relationship since they worked jointly on the development of a retail identity for Bostonian Shoes in 1991. They have since collaborated on a number of identity projects.