DUBAI — Hotwire has struck an exclusive co-brand partnership with Dubai PR firm Active, in a bid to strengthen its offering in the Middle East.

Active becomes the second of Hotwire's global network of affiliates to join its exclusive co-branded partnership scheme, after Amsterdam's Yellow Communications. In the process, the move takes Hotwire's network of offices around the world to 12.

The agreement sees Active add the Hotwire logo to its existing brand identity and deepens the operational relationship between the two companies. The partnership gives Active access to Hotwire's global sales, marketing and HR resources while Hotwire will benefit from Active's experience and network across the Middle East.

Current Active clients across the Gulf and Levant region include Revlon, Xerox, Parrot and JP Morgan Private Bank. The independent agency has worked with Hotwire on a non-exclusive basis for the past ten years for clients such as Ruckus Wireless, Seagate and Ciena. 

Hotwire chief development officer Andy West explained neither his firm, nor parent company Enero, necessarily "have the resources to go on a global expansion and also I don’t that that’s the best approach either."

"You need to work with partners that share similar values," said West. "So this is the next best thing. Working together, we can tap into a wider talent pool while offering our staff the sort of international opportunities that today's PR professionals are looking for."