Since its foundation in 2014, Manchester-based social media and influencer marketing agency Social Chain has made waves in the industry, with Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Steven Bartlett leading the way. The agency's strength is about to level up as Brave Bison – a media, marketing, and technology company ‘built for the new era’ – acquires Social Chain for over $20m.
Although already delivering stand-out social media and advertising campaigns for global brands including Amazon, TikTok, Arla, KFC, and Apple Beats, the power now lies in the hands of the digitally native as two talented teams join together combining complementary skills to deliver sustainable growth for clients.
Brave Bison will preserve the renowned Social Chain brand and Social Chain CEO, Pete Metcalfe, will join the Brave Bison leadership team, overseeing both Social Chain and the current Brave Bison Social and Influencer team.
A new generation of social leaders
This acquisition is not only beneficial to the marketing industry financially, but it is important to celebrate that the make-up of Social Chain and Brave Bison’s respective teams is similarly young and digitally native. Approximately half of Social Chain’s team are 27 and under, as are over a quarter at Brave Bison, embracing young leaders in the world of business.
There will be more opportunities for career development within the combined company thanks to brothers Oli and Theo Green (31 and 28, in keeping with the youth and dynamism of the company), who have taken the company from strength to strength, completing four acquisitions, spanning digital agencies, consultancies and social channels.
Oliver Green, Chairman of Brave Bison, has long admired the work of Social Chain as the world’s best-regarded social media and influencer marketing brands, he says: “We’re excited by the highly relevant clients it brings into our business. Social Chain has huge potential for growth within Brave Bison, taking the momentum Pete and the team have built up using Steven Bartlett’s platform. We’re delighted to be taking this big step forward as we continue to build a media, marketing and technology company for the new era”.
Steven Bartlett, Co-founder of Social Chain, has since moved on from the business, focussing on new ventures such as his position on the BBC’s Dragons Den, and his chart-topping podcast, Diary of a CEO. He lends his support to the deal, saying: “Social Chain was my first big success in business. It’s great to see two young entrepreneurial brothers building Brave Bison with the same energy Social Chain brings to the table. They should be a great fit”.
