SPA Future Thinking makes Essential purchase

The Chelsea-based firm will retain its identity and be headed by one of its three founding partners, Luca Antilli, as managing director. Of the other two founders, Stuart Knapman has been given the role of senior director within SPA Future Thinking but will retain an interest in Essential, while Alex Charlton will leave the company.

Essential offers a range of qual, quant and hybrid research to clients including the BBC, Microsoft and O2. The deal is the second acquisition SPA Future Thinking has made this year following the purchase of Munro Group, the parent company for research agencies FDS International and Maven Research, in April.

SPA Future Thinking group CEO Jon Priest (pictured) said: “Essential is a respected market research agency known for its complementary thinking and strong personality. It has a wealth of expertise and an impressive client portfolio, and its acquisition represents another milestone in the SPA Future Thinking group strategy.