A week is a long time at UTV HQ

IT’S BEEN a busy week for the inkwells at UTV Media HQ, with news of its acquisition of Dublin-based social media agency Simply Zesty coming 24 hours after its television division signed a new network arrangement with ITV.

Simply Zesty is now a sister company to UTV Media’s existing digital agency Tibus, which specialises in web design, hosting and creative campaigns. Indeed, the two agencies are “already working on a number of joint partnerships”, says Tibus.

Both companies will co-exist as separate entities, says UTV Media group commercial director Nigel Robbins. “This was just a very timely acquisition for us because we felt we wanted to raise our game for clients who wanted us to be across all platforms,” he says.

Some 15 per cent of Simply Zesty’s business is in international markets, which have been identified as an area for expansion.

It seems there is no such thing as having too many new media cooks in your portfolio, as even before Simply Zesty’s arrival in its stable, UTV Media had been no stranger to the joys of social media. UK radio station talkSPORT, which UTV owns, already has a team of 10 people in London working on social media campaigns in a bid to build and maintain a strong digital presence.