ONE Great Studio (1GS) is trading short-term profit for long-term scale, as its “house of brands” strategy reshapes the business into a multi-agency powerhouse. After snapping up HVSEO and PR agency DRT Communications, the company has restructured operations to build out a shared service model.

That shift required new investments, which weighed on revenues and profits for the year. Revenues declined to $342.3 million for the year ended 2024, down from $461.1 million in 2023, while net profit slipped to $35.7 million from $79.1 million in the prior year.

“This year was all about investing and reshaping the business,” said CEO Djuvane Browne, during the company’s annual general meeting on Wednesday. “These changes impacted top-line growth, but they position us in the long and medium term to deliver more sustainable, higher-quality revenue going forward.”

The company, which began as a design and brand strategy agency, has steadily evolved into a diversified operation. Its expansion included the acquisition of HVSEO, the launch of its “quick start” product line, and, in 2025, the addition of DRT Communications. Browne explained that operating multiple niche brands enhances the client experience by allowing teams to bring deeper expertise to their work. To balance that specialisation with efficiency, the group is implementing a shared services model as part of its broader house of brands strategy. This structure centralises HR, finance, and creative operations into a single back-office hub that supports all the brands. The approach allows each brand to focus on its core offering while keeping operational costs under control, creating a platform to grow revenues more sustainably. One Great Studio returned to operating profitability in 2025, reversing an $8.5-million operating loss in the first quarter to post an operating profit of $1.6 million in the second quarter, supported by stronger project delivery and disciplined cost management. Looking at its quarterly performance, the company delivered its highest revenues in five quarters during the second quarter (Q2) of 2025, supported by its new revenue mix. Revenues climbed to $105 million, a 37.9 per cent increase over the $85 million recorded in the first quarter (Q1). The company said the strong revenue performance was driven by growth in web & app development and the first full-quarter contribution from DRT Communications, which expanded the group’s offerings in media monitoring and marketing communications.

“The three brands we have right now, 1GS, HVSEO, and DRT, all contributed between 30 and 38 per cent of our total revenue in Q2. That’s a more balanced revenue mix and a big part of what we’ve been working towards here at 1GS,” Browne shared.

Speaking for the first time to shareholders about the DRT Communications acquisition, Browne disclosed that the deal represented a total investment of $115 million. This was structured as $80 million in cash and $35 million in performance-based earn-out, meaning if the business outperforms expectations, 1GS will pay more, and if it underperforms, the final payout will be lower. The acquisition added two new business lines, public relations and media monitoring, along with 20 new clients, and contributed 34 per cent of total revenue in Q2.

“We will also be selectively adding new brands as the quarters unfold. We have ideas, we have areas that we’re going into, and we can’t wait to share more with you about that,” he revealed.

In Q2 2025, 1GS served 93 clients with an average client spend of $1.13 million, a significant increase quarter-over-quarter. For the quarter, 67 per cent of its revenues came from the Caribbean, 28 per cent from North America, and the remaining 5 per cent from Europe, Asia & Oceania.

BROWNE… the three brands we have right now, 1GS, HVSEO, and DRT, all contributed between 30 and 38 per cent of our total revenue in Q2. That’s a more balanced revenue mix and a big part of what we’ve been working towards here at 1