Up Communications and Home Office PR to merge

Up Communications has announced that it will be merging with Home Office PR (HOPR) as it seeks to broaden its strategic focus.

The technology-focused agency, which was founded last year, has been working with HOPR since last autumn. The merged agency will retain the Up name and will continue to be located at Up's current London office, reports PRWeek.

It will specialise in three key sectors for internal and external comms – mobile and technology; media and entertainment; and brand and business.

Up's current chief executive officer and co-founder Stuart Jackson will become non-executive director of the new-look company, with HOPR heads James Saville and Lara Gould becoming publicity director and press director, respectively.

Meanwhile, Up's other co-founder Lynne Arrowsmith will become brand and comms director, with Up chairman Steven Day remaining in this role.

Mr Jackson said: "We started focusing on the area I felt comfortable with when I began the company, which is technology, but having had Lara and James on board, we were able to extend that."