SWNS Media is being renamed as Attention Industries. The group will now operate under the Attention Industries masterbrand, while SWNS will continue as a core brand, maintaining its long-standing position in the UK news ecosystem and beyond.
According to the group, the new name “reflects what the group has always done best: earning attention through trusted stories, original content, insight and distribution”.
Founded in Bristol in the mid-1970s, SWNS (originally South West News Service) has grown into a nationwide and international operation with offices across the UK and US, becoming one of the UK’s leading suppliers of original news stories, pictures and video to publishers.
Over time, the business has also evolved into a multi-specialist group supporting its clients from insight and storytelling to production and distribution.
Under the Attention Industries banner, the group brings together:
- SWNS: News and content distribution
- 72Point: PR & Creative
- Creatorville: Original formats and video
- OnePoll: Consumer insight and intelligence
- PinPep: Photography
- Oath: Design
Sam Barcroft, CEO, Attention Industries (pictured), said: “Over the last 25 years, the boundaries between news, media, marketing and entertainment have fundamentally changed. Trusted journalism matters more than ever but attention now moves fluidly across publishers, creators, platforms and communities. That’s why today we’re launching Attention Industries: a modern media group built to create trusted stories, original formats and meaningful attention across today’s media landscape.”
The rebrand will roll out across digital platforms and group communications in the coming weeks. Clients and partners will continue working with the same teams and brands, with the new name “providing a clearer, client-facing umbrella for the group’s capabilities”.
