Marketing communications agency ONE House and the strategic-creative agency OS3 have been collaborating for nearly three years. Consequently, the owners and board members of both agencies decided on a more permanent form of integration – ONE House is acquiring a majority stake in OS3. This transaction will benefit the clients of both agencies, as they will now have access to a full range of services and cost-effective support for their advertising projects. With this step, the ONE House Group will also better cater to marketers’ needs and offer them improved support in their daily work.
With the addition of OS3, the ONE House capital group will number 7 agencies and create one of the largest independent advertising groups in Poland, with annual revenues exceeding PLN 50 million. The group numbers about 100 employees, most of whom are seasoned professionals. The ONE House Group offers services typical of a media house and advertising agency, with a focus on specialized digital marketing. Additionally, the Group includes three companies that focus on communication to consumers aged 50 and over.
Clients of the ONE House Group will continue to enjoy the flexibility to pick and choose the services they need from its diverse, specialized sub-agencies, as well as to decide which one will take the lead on their projects. All of the agencies within the Group are committed to supporting one another and sharing insights, which streamlines the communications creation process for their Clients’ products and services. Additionally, each sub-agency will retain the freedom to operate independently within its own area of specialization.
“In our view, the role of a marketing communications agency is crystal clear, especially now as we face a period of global crisis and uncertainty. Our clients rely on us not only to deliver effective and efficient campaigns that boost their sales, but also to ease their burden, not add to it.
Since 2013, we have honed a model of client collaboration in which, regardless of project complexity or the range of services involved, each client has a single point of contact within the Group – a go-to person. This approach has streamlined our operations and taken a load off our clients, saving them both time and stress. We realize that dealing with agencies isn’t our clients’ only occupation; we’re here to support them, not the other way around.
OS3 is joining the ONE House Group, which has developed unique methods for managing projects across media, creative and all facets of digital marketing, including production. We’re not looking to shake things up, just enhance our Group’s presence and position in the advertising sector. We plan to integrate seamlessly, with no downtime, taking a ‘plug and play’ approach. This is a natural evolution for the Group, not an accident or necessity, as is often the case in our industry. In the last nine years, we have built ONE House from the ground up and have been consistent in our efforts. We started from nothing, but our decision to create a full-service agency has proven to be just what the market wanted and needed.
Yet, we’ve recognized that clients need a high degree of specialization in specific domains, which has led us to grow into a conglomerate of specialized agencies,” comments Marcin Piecewicz, CEO of ONE House.
“The past three years have been a period of dynamic growth for OS3. In order to maintain this momentum, it became vital to expand our agency’s capabilities. This is what prompted us to look for an industry partner whose approach to business mirrors ours – one centered on attentively listening to and understanding clients’ needs. We sought a merger partner that would provide synergies and allow us to build an even more competitive offer. Together, we are better equipped to respond to evolving market challenges. We can not only offer more services, but we can provide them more efficiently and effectively,” says Monika Sokołowska, CEO of OS3.
OS3’s original shareholders will continue to be involved in the company, albeit with reduced stakes. Additionally, key members of OS3’s executive board, CEO Monika Sokołowska and Business Development Director Maciej Hilt, are joining the group of shareholders.
“Over the past three challenging years, Monika Sokołowska and Maciej Hilt have demonstrated that they are highly capable of managing the agency. They have accomplished a great deal. Under their leadership, the company is doing extremely well and OS3’s current results are very impressive compared to those from just a few years ago. Their addition provides a major boost to managerial expertise within the ONE House Group,” explains Marcin Piecewicz.
Prior to initiating the M&A process, the ONE House Group built a strong foundation with its professional Shared Services Center (SSC) that supports all the companies in the group in areas like finance, accounting, HR, legal, IT, and administrative services, in addition to providing a modern office environment. OS3 will gain access to all these resources and services, greatly enhancing its operational efficiency. This will enable the agency to dedicate more attention and energy to client needs.
ONE House was founded in 2013 as one of the first full-service marketing communications agencies in Poland. Since its inception, the agency has been continuously expanding its range of services with a strong emphasis on media house capabilities, advertising expertise, and in-house digital marketing project management. Since 2020, ONE House has been operating as a capital group with the media houses Media SWOT and White Label Hub, as well as agencies specializing in silver marketing: Silver Agency, Silver Models, and Silver Content Hub. Most recently, the Talent Pool Group was launched to focus on recruitment services. ONE House places its clients at the locus of its attention and actively shares knowledge with them. This is why it established the Marcus Academy training platform www.marcusacademy.pl.
The OS3 agency, a pioneer in the digital space, was founded 26 years ago. It quickly garnered a reputation for its daring and innovative approaches, gaining clients who were curious about the possibilities of digital marketing. It was also the first Polish agency to be nominated in Cannes for its achievements in this area. For years, technological savvy was balanced with a knack for communication, which led to the development of the agency’s strategy and concept creation departments. These latter aspects have dominated the agency’s focus since 2010. OS3 specializes in creating extensive communication networks, particularly in above-the-line advertising, and was recognized in 2019 with the “Transformation of the Year” award (MMP) for its high-caliber services. In recent years, the agency has been investing heavily in strategic planning, business consulting and market research, earning it the title of Strategic Partner 2021 (MMP) and achieving the highest ratings in real value of support and understanding of clients’ business.
“Technically, ONE House is acquiring a majority stake in OS3, but this is really about combining our strengths to deliver better projects, improve client service, and cut costs. The looming economic downturn has only hastened the transaction. Many clients will likely tighten their marketing budgets and seek more cost-effective partnerships with independent agencies. We are able to provide top-quality service without the overhead costs typical of networked agencies.
M&A activities are key to ONE House Group’s growth strategy, forming a core part of our development agenda. We’re always monitoring the market for new opportunities, and we would like to invite all interested parties for further discussions,” adds Marcin Piecewicz.
