Marketing & Advertising Acquisitions in North Carolina

An Imaginuity subsidiary has acquired the Adwerx digital advertising automation platform and supporting team (≈40 employees) from Adwerx. The platform — used by more than 12,000 users across real estate, mortgage and distributed organizations — will be integrated with Imaginuity’s Pylot CMS and AdScience performance intelligence engine to expand product-led growth and always-on, personalized ad automation for franchise and multi-location clients.

Adams Outdoor Advertising has acquired Scotty Outdoor, adding 132 static billboard faces and 3 digital faces across North and South Carolina. The acquisition expands Adams' out-of-home footprint across key Carolina markets (from Boone and Charlotte to Emerald Isle and Columbia), strengthening its regional advertising coverage.

Publicis Groupe has acquired experiential marketing agency Bespoke Sports & Entertainment and will integrate the firm into Publicis Sports within Publicis Connected Media. Bespoke — founded in 2014 and based in Charlotte — will retain its leadership team and name and is expected to expand its sports and experiential capabilities leveraging Publicis' scale; financial terms were not disclosed.

MERGE, a marketing and technology agency, has acquired Blazer (formerly Brooks Bell), a strategic consulting firm, to expand its consulting, data analytics, and early-stage strategy capabilities. The acquisition enables MERGE to offer integrated, insight-led solutions across consumer, health, and financial services clients; terms were not disclosed.

Adams Outdoor Advertising has acquired Riley (Patriot) Outdoor, adding 201 billboard faces and 7 digital displays across 12 counties in eastern North Carolina and establishing a new Triad market covering Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point. Riley Outdoor, founded in 2005 by Robert Moore, expands Adams' out-of-home footprint and strengthens its local advertising inventory in the Piedmont Triad region.

Gladius Communications has acquired Marcoux Strategies, a woman- and minority-owned strategic communications firm focused on federal-civilian and defense/aerospace clients. Founder Sandra Pérez will join Gladius as Vice President to lead the combined firm's defense and aerospace practice, expanding Gladius’s capabilities and client footprint in the aerospace & defense sector.

Barbarian, a New York–based digital experience agency in the Cheil Worldwide Network, has acquired g-Innovations, a digital transformation and Adobe Experience Manager specialist headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, with an offshore presence in Hyderabad, India. The deal brings approximately 90 employees and key clients (including Samsung and large healthcare and financial services firms) into Barbarian and integrates g-Innovations' AEM, AWS and front-end development capabilities into Barbarian's creative and strategic offerings.

ClinicalMind, LLC (CM) has acquired Sensified, an insight-driven healthcare communications company, to expand CM's medical communications, content development, and patient engagement capabilities across commercial, medical and patient advocacy clients. The deal (announced June 6, 2024) brings Sensified's strategy and engagement expertise into CM's broader healthcare communications and training platform; Excel Partners acted as exclusive financial advisor to Sensified.

Quad (NYSE: QUAD) has acquired North Carolina–based DART Innovation, an in‑store digital media solutions provider that builds hardware and software to deliver targeted ads on screens at the store shelf. The purchase expands Quad’s retail media and in‑store advertising capabilities, enabling deeper engagement between CPG brands, retailers and shoppers across physical store environments.

Agital has acquired Go Fish Digital, a Raleigh-based digital marketing agency known for SEO and AI-enabled marketing solutions. The acquisition integrates Go Fish Digital's AI and SEO capabilities into Agital's service offering while retaining Go Fish Digital's leadership and staff to continue serving existing clients.

RLF Communications, a Greensboro-based full-service public relations agency, acquired Raleigh-based public affairs and PR firm GBW Strategies on January 10, 2024. GBW co-founder Billy Warden will become RLF chief strategy officer and co-founder Greg Behr will serve as a strategic advisor; the deal strengthens RLF's public affairs capabilities and expands its regional capacity.

CentralBDC announced the acquisition of AutoAwards, a 30-year provider of loyalty and rewards programs for automotive and marine dealerships. The deal is the third add-on to CentralBDC's portfolio and will be folded into the company's rebranded operating platform, Better Car People (BCP), to expand its dealer-facing customer engagement and loyalty capabilities.

Granite Creek Capital Partners has made a platform investment in Salem One, a Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based provider of direct marketing, packaging, and logistics services, with Baltimore-based Patriot Capital co-investing alongside management. The transaction includes roll-over investments from Salem One management and will support expansion of product offerings, geographic footprint, and pursuit of organic growth and acquisition opportunities.

Marketing Print Mail, an Allegra Marketing • Print • Mail franchisee, acquired the Daniels Graphics printing division from The Daniels Group in a transaction completed in June. The Daniels Group sold the printing unit following Covid-related declines in its offset printing business to focus on its customer-service and digital offerings.

The Integritus Group, part of SEMM Holdings, has acquired LPM Media Group, a communications and e-learning provider for retail loss prevention and law enforcement. The acquisition adds custom digital, mobile, and print communication and training solutions to Integritus’s loss prevention and regulatory compliance services.

Valtech, a global business transformation company, has acquired Union, a Charlotte-based performance marketing and creative agency. 7 Mile Advisors served as Union's exclusive sellside advisor; the deal expands Valtech's end-to-end creative and performance marketing capabilities across North America.

The Brandon Agency, via its holding company TBA Worldwide, has acquired Eight Oh Two Marketing, a paid-search and SEO specialist serving eCommerce retailers. Eight Oh Two will continue operating as a standalone performance marketing firm from its Wilmington, North Carolina office while leveraging TBA Worldwide's expanded service offerings, leadership and capital to accelerate growth.

Qualfon, a full-service BPO and customer lifecycle provider, has acquired LeadVision Media to add digital demand generation, affiliate network capabilities and owned media (RevenueAds, MyDegree.com) to its service offering. The deal expands Qualfon's lead generation and digital marketing solutions for education, insurance and consumer financial-services clients.

London-based talent management agency Turopium has acquired U.S.-based Crusader Talent in a deal for Crusader's assets; terms were not disclosed. The acquisition expands Turopium's influencer and gaming capabilities—Crusader's founders will join Turopium's U.S. leadership and the Crusader brand will be sunset as operations continue across London, Manchester, Los Angeles and North Carolina.

Fingerpaint, a full-service health and wellness marketing agency, executed a strategic investment in Leaderboard Branding, a Charlotte-based global naming and branding firm, to expand its portfolio and healthcare commercialization capabilities. Financial terms were not disclosed; as part of the deal Brannon Cashion of Leaderboard Branding will join Fingerpaint's operating board. Knox Lane, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, is a strategic investor in Fingerpaint and supported the transaction.

Greens Farms Capital and Landon Capital Partners have acquired a majority stake in 919 Marketing, a data-driven content marketing agency headquartered near Raleigh, North Carolina. The investment will provide capital and strategic support to accelerate growth and serve as a platform for add-on acquisitions in the fragmented marketing services industry.

CORE Industrial Partners completed a platform investment in TCG Legacy, Inc., a Raleigh-based marketing solutions provider specializing in printing and packaging for pharmaceutical, consumer products, technology and higher education clients. CORE said it will augment TCG Legacy's capabilities and geographic reach and use the company as a platform for complementary acquisitions to build a national organization.

MBO Partners has acquired MindSumo, an open innovation and crowdsourcing platform based in Durham, North Carolina. The acquisition adds MindSumo's community and crowdsourced innovation capabilities to MBO's independent-workforce platform, enabling expanded services for enterprise clients focused on product development, market research and co-creation.

Parthenon Capital has sold its position in ScentAir Holdings, Inc., with the private equity arm of CITIC Capital leading the new investment. ScentAir, a Charlotte-based provider of scent marketing solutions servicing over 45,000 placements in 119 countries, will continue to be led by CEO Dan Connors and the existing management team.

VisionPoint Marketing, a Raleigh-based integrated marketing agency serving colleges and universities, completed a recapitalization with Capitala Group and Cascadily. The transaction provides liquidity and strategic capital to support the company's growth and operations; Berkery Noyes served as VisionPoint's exclusive financial advisor.

Mandalay Digital Group, through its Digital Turbine business, agreed to acquire Appia, a leading independent mobile app install and user-acquisition network, in a stock-and-debt transaction announced November 13, 2014. The deal issues Appia stockholders equity in Mandalay (at $4.50 per share implied) and is intended to create a unified mobile app and advertising ecosystem, delivering revenue synergies and cost savings; Mandalay plans to change its name to Digital Turbine.

SAS, the leader in business analytics and integrated marketing management, has acquired aiMatch, a cloud-based ad server technology company. The acquisition integrates aiMatch's ad-serving and yield-management capabilities into SAS' Customer Intelligence suite to provide publishers and advertisers with end-to-end ad inventory management, forecasting, optimization and measurement.