Dare, Rocket XL to merge
By Adnews Staff
Branding agency Dare and social media marketing agency Rocket XL are merging their Toronto operations. Both firms are part of the EDC group of companies, which is owned by Vision7 International. The merged entity will be called Dare and will be headed by senior vice-president and managing partner Peter Bolt. Ian Barr, vice-president and general manager of Rocket XL, will become the new company's social and innovation vice-president. Additional new staff include executive creative director Paul Little, formerly of Sid Lee Montreal, as well as head of strategic planning Andre Louis, previously of Taxi. "While Rocket XL Canada started in social media in 2009, it's evolved into a full-service digital agency capable of translating deep social media insights into strong creative solutions that have had a proven impact on its clients' bottom line," said Bolt. "Social media marketing has transitioned beyond fans and followers to add tremendous business value for brands. By combining Rocket XL's skill set with Dare's brand building, digital and mobile strengths, it puts us in a position to solve our client's business challenges in today's environment."