We have advised Gruppo SAE S.p.A. (Gruppo SAE) and the management of the two target companies, which reinvested in the transaction, as debt advisers in securing the financial resources needed to complete the acquisition of Next14 S.p.A. (Next14) and Different S.p.A. (Different), thus leading to the formation of the Next Different group.
Gruppo SAE is an Italian company active in the publishing and communication sector, primarily focused on local and regional media. The company owns and manages local news outlets in various Italian regions, supporting high-quality local journalism and promoting communication that is close to the community, utilising both traditional and digital channels.
Founded in 2014 by Marco Ferrari and other partners, Next14 is an Italian integrated marketing and communication agency dedicated to supporting brands throughout their communication journey and helping clients achieve their growth objectives.
Established in 2020 from the merger of three companies (Acqua Group, True Company, and Young Digital), Different is a communication company dedicated to supporting brands in their market presence and communication strategies. It holds 81% of the capital of EMG, a company active in market research.
Both the shareholders of Next14 and those of Different (Davide Arduini and Andrea Cimenti) reinvested alongside Gruppo SAE in the ownership of the new group, renamed “Next Different.”
Next Different emerges as a large, integrated communication entity that incorporates a wide range of expertise and services, from creativity to media planning, events to retail media, PR to digital, as well as data, loyalty, and production and post-production services. Thanks to data collected from the proprietary technology platform One, and market research by EMG, the group’s research institute led by Fabrizio Masia, Next Different can support clients throughout the entire communication journey: from strategic definition to creative development, from execution to media planning, and on to result analysis, providing high-quality support at every stage.
