FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Atlanta, June 4th 2007 – Trend Core Group announced today that it has sold a majority stake to Northstar Research Partners (a member of the MDC Partners Network) headquartered in Toronto Canada.
Trend Core Group, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, operates under three inter-related brands:
Trend Influence, a brand strategy and product innovation agency grounded in primary anthropological and ethnographic research techniques. Clients include Coca-Cola, Absolut Vodka, Volkswagen, International Truck and Engine and SunTrust Bank.
AppTheory, a development shop dedicated to the creation of marketing, research, community and collaborative toolsets for clients such as the United Nations and Symantec.
TrendCRM, a technology centric marketing agency that specializes in the creation, deployment and management of brand involved communities and online research communities, clients include Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, Srixon Golf and Universal Technical Institute.
Founding partners Richard Leslie and Bryan Andrews will continue the management and operations of the company and retain a significant equity stake in the firm.
“We believe that Trend Core Group is a fantastic addition to Northstar Research Partners,” said Stephen Tile, Northstar President and CEO. “Trend’s unique expertise and specialized brand strategy, new product innovation and collaboration skills are a perfect complement to Northstar’s service offering.”
“Northstar Research Partners’ global footprint will support Trend Core’s focused growth objectives and our combined expertise is truly best-in-class. We are thrilled to be part of this network.”
– Richard Leslie, Founding Partner and Division President.
“We are proud to be recognized as a peer of such insightful and creative entities as Northstar Research Partners, The Zyman Group, Fuse Project, Bruce Mau Design, KBP and Crispin Porter + Bogusky (just to name a few).”
– Bryan Andrews, Founding Partner and Division President.
About Northstar Research Partners
Founded in 1998, Northstar Research Partners is a leading market research consultancy with offices in Toronto, London, New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Detroit. Employing a multi-disciplined team of consultants equipped with not only best-in-class research skills but also the latest concepts in marketing theory and brand development, Northstar designs, executes and delivers customized and compelling market and customer interpretations for its clients around the globe. Northstar Research Partners is a member of the MDC Partners Network.
About MDC Partners
MDC Partners (www.mdc-partners.com) is a leading provider of marketing communications services to clients in North America, Europe and Latin America. Through its partnership of entrepreneurial firms it provides advertising, specialized communications and consulting services to leading brands. MDC Partners’ philosophy emphasizes the utilization of strategy and creativity to drive growth for its clients. MDC Partners is the network where great talent lives. MDC Partners Class A shares are publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol “MDCA” and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “MDZ.A”.
For further information:
Stephen Tile
President & CEO
Northstar Research Partners
416 907 7100
www.nsresearch.com
Richard Leslie
Founder and Division President
Trend Core Group
404 523 8649
www.trendcore.com
Bryan Andrews
Founder and Division President
Trend Core Group
404 593 2100
www.trendcore.com