The benchmark independent agency in MENA
Create. is a leading strategic digital communications agency to the MENA region with a team of 150+ regional nationals across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Blending an unrivalled depth of local knowledge with agility at scale, Create. boasts long standing senior relationships with the region’s most influential governmental and sovereign trailblazers, and partners with these nation builders to drive positive cultural and economic transformation.
The start of a long-term strategic partnership
Waypoint has collaborated closely with Create. since early in 2021 during the COVID pandemic, at a time when the business was scaling rapidly but faced the challenge of continuing to fuel a strong upward trajectory whilst building out a robust operational structure to ensure long term success.
We immediately gelled as a partnership from our first meeting and an initial business plan review started a journey which developed into a four-year integrated advisory relationship across sales, finance and operations.
Our combined role placed Waypoint at the heart of the business and a true extension of the leadership team. A closeness and commitment that gave Create. a clear advantage over the competition through access to the expertise, market knowledge and contacts of an industry specialist every step of the way.
Developing a regional powerhouse
Whilst continuing to nurture growth in the business, where we really added value was in guiding and challenging the leadership team to focus and develop the areas that would build a highly resilient trading model and drive shareholder value. Alongside close on-going coaching and mentorship across the full C-suite, we delivered programmes which included the following results:
- Significant key client growth which saw a doubling in average net revenue by client and an optimal client contribution spread
- Enhanced revenue mix and diversification fuelled by double-digit growth of digital and production practices
- Strengthened leadership team by supporting in the onboarding of senior appointments and the implementation of an executive incentive scheme
- Robust operational infrastructure and streamlined management reporting geared to support delivery of the growth plan
The result
Campaign, Digital Agency of the Year – 2022, 2023, 2024
Campaign, Independent Agency of the Year – 2023
Adweek, Top 100 Fastest Growing Agencies – 2022, 2023
Adweek, 10th Fastest Growing Digital Agency Worldwide – 2023
Unlocking the global opportunity
Having established itself as MENA’s most respected and scaled independent digital and social agency, Create. was now in the big leagues and beating global agencies for the most exciting and lucrative projects spearheading nation building economic agendas and giga-projects across the region.
The Create. leadership team saw a huge opportunity to significantly accelerate growth and truly dominate the region in the years to come by combining with a strategic partner that could:
- Add global reach to Create’s deep regional insight
- Allow access to a wider network of world-class talent
- Expand client base of top tier global brands
Delivering the outcome
The best deals work when an adviser really understands the ambitions, culture and magic within an agency. Through our close long-term relationship, we were brilliantly positioned to be able to articulate Create’s uniqueness and find exactly the right partner that would help Create. dominate the region in the years to come.
We kicked off with a tightly curated group of well-qualified potential partners that could all deliver against Create’s ambitions and each bring their own slant on what a post-deal world could look like.
Our process was carefully designed to allow the leadership team to continue focusing on the business with minimal disruption and by managing the process from London, this placed us at the heart of the buyer landscape, strategically centered between MENA, Europe and the US.
Despite compelling interest from many parties, Stagwell’s Code and Theory quickly emerged as the clear favourite.
The next chapter
Joining the Code and Theory and wider Stagwell network allows Create. to access world-class talent, cutting-edge technology and a truly global footprint.
The opportunities in the region are vast and from Create’s position at the centre of a market going through significant digital transformation, this combination brings a market-leading engineering capability to the region in Code and Theory that will help leading brands and nation building sovereign trailblazers navigate the complexity of changing consumer behaviours, emerging technologies and AI.
A stellar deal for MENA’s leading strategic digital communications agency, born from a four-year partnership with Waypoint driving and delivering shareholder value.
“The Waypoint team has been instrumental in guiding and facilitating our growth as we expanded regionally across the Middle East. We see the Waypoint team as an extension of our leadership team, and would recommend them to any organisation that is looking to navigate the next step of their journey.”
Tom Otton, Founder and CEO of Create. Group
