Recent Marketing & Advertising Acquisitions
Acquisition Volume in Marketing & Advertising by Year
Last 5 years
This page highlights recent acquisitions in Marketing & Advertising where strategic and private‑equity‑backed buyers are expanding capabilities across paid media, ecommerce, experiential and production services. Transactions range from add‑ons that deepen retail‑media and DSP expertise to deals that broaden experiential, print and direct‑marketing capacity.
Buyers include specialist platforms and PE‑backed agencies — for example, OneMagnify (backed by Crestview Partners), Podean with Mountaingate Capital, and Impact XM (a Riverside portfolio company). Deal locations span U.S. hubs such as California, New York, Texas and the District of Columbia, with activity also noted in British Columbia and Estonia.
What Stands Out
- Private equity‑backed platforms are active: examples include OneMagnify/Crestview Partners, Podean/Mountaingate Capital, and Impact XM/The Riverside Company.
- Capability add‑ons focus on performance and retail media (programmatic, CTV, paid search/social, DSPs), ecommerce/Shopify development, and experiential/live events.
- Strategic buyers are also expanding production and fulfillment: print, installation, promotional products and direct‑mail capacity feature in several deals.
- Geographic spread centers on U.S. markets (CA, NY, TX, DC, FL, MN, IL, VA) with cross‑border and niche market plays in British Columbia and Estonia.
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- Buyer
- EagleTree Capital
- Target
- The Opus Group
- Seller
- Growth Catalyst Partners
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- New York, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital acquired The Opus Group, a global experiential, event and brand marketing agency network, from Growth Catalyst Partners. Terms were not disclosed, and EagleTree plans to accelerate global, client-centric growth through organic initiatives and strategic acquisitions.
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April 1, 2026
- Buyer
- Mountaingate Capital
- Target
- UpSwell Marketing
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Mountaingate Capital, a Denver-based private equity firm, acquired UpSwell Marketing, a vertically focused, technology-enabled direct response marketing platform. The deal is Mountaingate Fund III’s fourth platform investment and will support UpSwell’s growth through continued investment in people, technology, and additional vertical expansion, including strategic acquisitions.
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- Buyer
- Locality
- Target
- Deben
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- United Kingdom
- Type
- Buyout
Locality, a local TV advertising platform, announced it acquired Deben, a media planning software company focused on cross-channel planning and optimization. The deal is intended to strengthen Locality’s data-driven broadcast advertising capabilities by integrating Deben’s planning tools and AI systems with Locality’s Audience Engine, Darwin broadcast planning, and LocalX streaming activation.
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April 1, 2026
- Buyer
- Swipe Savvy
- Target
- GiftAMeal
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- United States
- Type
- Addon
Swipe Savvy, a customer engagement and rewards platform for restaurants, announced it has acquired GiftAMeal, a restaurant marketing platform that lets diners trigger meal donations to local food banks via a QR/photo-sharing experience. GiftAMeal will continue operating as a standalone product and as part of Swipe Savvy’s broader Points for Purpose program, with founder Andrew Glantz joining Swipe Savvy as VP of Strategic Partnerships. Financial terms were not disclosed.
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March 23, 2026
- Buyer
- Ruder Finn
- Target
- The Equity Group
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- New York, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Ruder Finn has acquired The Equity Group, a New York-based investor relations agency, to expand its investor communications capabilities. The combined offering is designed to integrate The Equity Group’s long-standing investor and analyst relationships with Ruder Finn’s data analytics and AI-driven communications tools.
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March 23, 2026
- Buyer
- Continuum
- Target
- Teldon
- Seller
- Cardon Group
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- British Columbia, Canada
- Type
- Buyout
Continuum, a marketing execution and creative services partner, has acquired Teldon, a print marketing company known for personalized promotional print materials. The deal expands Continuum’s service footprint across the United States and Canada and broadens Continuum’s offerings for retail and franchise organizations.
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- Buyer
- Super League Enterprise
- Target
- Misfits Gaming Group (advertising division / Misfits Ads Division)
- Seller
- Misfits Gaming Group
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Type
- Buyout
Super League Enterprise has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Misfits Gaming Group advertising division for $1.5 million in cash, plus a 19.99% equity stake in Super League and potential additional milestone-based consideration over 24 months. The deal also includes a preferred commercial brand partnership agreement enabling Super League to run brand integrations across Misfits’ game portfolio reaching more than 100 million monthly active users.
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March 13, 2026
- Buyer
- Publicis Groupe
- Target
- AdgeAI
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Israel
- Type
- Buyout
Publicis Groupe has acquired creative analytics company AdgeAI to integrate its predictive analytics technology into Publicis’ global production infrastructure. The acquisition combines AdgeAI’s measurement tools with Publicis’ AI-driven production platform to deliver forward-looking, real-time creative performance insights aimed at improving ROI.
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March 13, 2026
- Buyer
- Blue Butterfly LLC
- Target
- IndERA (formerly Crystal Media)
- Seller
- Crystal Vilkaitis (IndERA founder)
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- United States
- Type
- Buyout
Blue Butterfly announced it has acquired IndERA, a digital marketing, education, and events platform serving independent retailers across the United States. The acquisition combines IndERA’s marketing and training offerings (including Facebook and Instagram ads management) with Blue Butterfly’s retail operations, profitability strategy, and retail real estate advisory expertise.
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March 12, 2026
- Buyer
- Verndale
- Target
- Homestead Studio
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- United States
- Type
- Buyout
Verndale announced the acquisition of Homestead Studio, a D2C acquisition and retention agency and a Klaviyo Master Elite Partner. Homestead will operate within Verndale’s DTC and commerce practice, strengthening full-funnel lifecycle marketing and performance optimization capabilities.
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- Buyer
- Precision Strategies LLC
- Target
- Firehouse Strategies LLC
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- District of Columbia, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Precision Strategies LLC has acquired Firehouse Strategies LLC to create a larger, integrated public affairs and strategic communications agency with 125 professionals. The combined firm will expand capabilities across AI/data and insights, digital engagement, paid media, creative production, crisis communications, and Firehouse’s nationwide “grasstops” influencer mobilization network.
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- Buyer
- Community Capital
- Target
- Creator's Corner
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Florida, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Community Capital, a creator-focused investment firm, has acquired Miami-based Creator's Corner in a multi-million dollar deal. The acquisition is intended to accelerate growth for TikTok Shop affiliates and brands, with the Creator's Corner team remaining in place and Community Capital planning to reinvest more than $1 million over the next 12 months.
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March 3, 2026
- Buyer
- Levy
- Target
- The iLUKA Collective
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- United Kingdom
- Type
- Buyout
Levy, a hospitality and venue-services provider, has acquired The iLUKA Collective to build a combined powerhouse focused on strategy, design, and live event execution. The partnership is positioned to unite Levy’s venue partnerships with iLUKA’s expertise in global sporting-event sponsorship and hospitality programming.
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March 1, 2026
- Buyer
- Brand Revolution
- Target
- fresh id
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Germany
- Type
- Buyout
Global marketing agency Brand Revolution has acquired custom merchandise provider fresh id. The deal expands Brand Revolution’s reach in Germany and strengthens its custom products and sustainability-focused merchandising capabilities, with fresh id remaining based in Germany as a division.
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- Buyer
- OneMagnify, Crestview Partners
- Target
- Optimal's Performance Marketing business
- Seller
- Optimal
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Michigan, United States
- Type
- Addon
OneMagnify, backed by private equity firm Crestview Partners, acquired the Performance Marketing business of Optimal. The deal integrates Optimal’s performance media expertise and proprietary audience data into OneMagnify’s AI-enabled platform and analytics to expand its paid media offering across channels including programmatic, CTV, paid search, paid social, and marketplace advertising. Financial terms were not disclosed.
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February 26, 2026
- Buyer
- Tonka Bay Equity Partners LLC
- Target
- CAMP Digital
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Minnesota, United States
- Type
- Growth capital
Tonka Bay Equity Partners LLC made a strategic investment in CAMP Digital, a tech-enabled marketing platform for the home services industry. The funding is intended to fuel CAMP’s next phase of aggressive expansion while maintaining founder-led operational continuity.
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February 25, 2026
- Buyer
- Shamrock Capital
- Target
- Mutiny
- Seller
- Trailer Park Group
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- California, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Shamrock Capital, through its Clover Fund I, acquired Mutiny, a Los Angeles-based creative agency focused exclusively on gaming audiences. The investment is intended to accelerate Mutiny’s growth while strengthening its position as a leading gaming-focused creative agency, operating as a standalone business.
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February 24, 2026
- Buyer
- Vertoz
- Target
- WebiMax
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- New Jersey, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Vertoz has completed the acquisition of an 80% stake in WebiMax, a New Jersey-headquartered digital marketing and performance firm, on February 18, 2026. WebiMax will operate as an independent unit under the Vertoz Group while aligning with Vertoz’s global AI-led media execution framework and governance.
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February 20, 2026
- Buyer
- ThriveCart
- Target
- VBOUT
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- United States
- Type
- Buyout
ThriveCart, an all-in-one creator commerce and learning platform, announced it has acquired VBOUT, an AI-enriched marketing automation, CRM, and customer journey platform. The integration is intended to bring AI lifecycle automation and behavioral segmentation directly into ThriveCart’s course, membership, and revenue workflows.
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February 19, 2026
- Buyer
- Podean, Mountaingate Capital
- Target
- Ad Advance
- Seller
- Permanent Equity
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Minnesota, United States
- Type
- Addon
Marketplace-focused agency Podean has acquired Ad Advance, a Duluth, Minnesota–based retail media agency, from Permanent Equity. The deal—facilitated by Podean's private equity partner Mountaingate Capital—adds Ad Advance’s Streamline technology and retail-media/DSP capabilities to Podean’s global marketplaces platform and was announced as creating a combined business with ~260 staff across 17 countries.
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February 19, 2026
- Buyer
- Avenue Z
- Target
- Varfaj
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Florida, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Avenue Z, a Miami-based hybrid marketing and PR agency, has acquired Varfaj, a Shopify design and development premier partner, to build a full‑funnel growth platform for direct‑to‑consumer brands. Varfaj will be rebranded as Avenue Z, its founder David Conforti will join as Chief Growth Officer, and its Shopify development, CRO and proprietary frameworks will integrate into Avenue Z’s Miami headquarters to expand ecommerce and AI‑led commerce capabilities.
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February 19, 2026
- Buyer
- Impact XM, The Riverside Company
- Target
- Jack Morton
- Seller
- Omnicom
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- United States
- Type
- Addon
Impact XM, a Riverside portfolio company, has acquired Jack Morton from Omnicom in an experiential marketing agency merger. The combined agency will operate under the Jack Morton name, leveraging global brand recognition and expanding end-to-end capabilities and scale.
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February 18, 2026
- Buyer
- Custom Logos
- Target
- Builder Promotions
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- California, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Custom Logos, a San Diego-based promotional products distributor, has acquired Builder Promotions, a Del Mar marketing and promotional-products distributor serving the homebuilding and homebuying market. Builder Promotions will operate as "Builder Promotions Powered by Custom Logos," expanding Custom Logos' capabilities and presence in the homebuilder marketing sector; financial terms were not disclosed.
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February 17, 2026
- Buyer
- Komerz Ltd.
- Target
- Pathformance
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- United States
- Type
- Buyout
Komerz Ltd. has announced the acquisition of Pathformance, a marketing measurement and attribution firm. The deal is positioned as bringing Komerz’s global commerce operating platform together with Pathformance’s unified measurement capabilities to help brands link marketing investment to revenue impact across digital, retail, and marketplace channels.
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February 16, 2026
- Buyer
- EWR Digital
- Target
- Modalpoint
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Texas, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Houston-based EWR Digital has acquired Modalpoint, an oil and gas market-insight and commercialization-strategy brand founded by Mark LaCour. The acquisition expands EWR Digital's advisory and marketing capabilities for oil & gas and other industrial B2B markets, with Modalpoint operating as an energy market insight and research platform under EWR ownership.
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February 16, 2026
- Buyer
- Spotlight AR, LLC, Stone-Goff Partners, Spotlight (Spotlight AR)
- Target
- Captivate Collective
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Canada
- Type
- Addon
Stone-Goff Partners’ portfolio company Spotlight AR, LLC acquired Captivate Collective, a customer marketing and advocacy consultancy. The deal marks Spotlight’s first strategic add-on investment and expands its “Influence Orchestration” platform by combining analyst relations, customer advocacy, and AI-driven discovery into an end-to-end offering.
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February 14, 2026
- Buyer
- Direct Marketing Solutions
- Target
- Johnson & Quin
- Seller
- Johnson & Quin family owners (Henkel family / company leadership)
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Illinois, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Direct Marketing Solutions (DMS) has acquired Johnson & Quin, a 150-year-old, family-owned direct mail production and marketing firm, combining complementary capabilities to form a larger national direct-marketing platform. The deal expands DMS's production capacity and Midwest footprint, preserves leadership continuity (Andrew Henkel becomes President of DMS; David Henkel joins the DMS board) and aims to deepen end-to-end, data-driven omnichannel direct marketing services.
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February 13, 2026
- Buyer
- Boonuspart.ee
- Target
- Kasiino-boonus.ee
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Estonia
- Type
- Buyout
Estonian casino-portal Boonuspart.ee has acquired Kasiino-boonus.ee to consolidate its position in the Estonian iGaming affiliate market. The deal combines Kasiino-boonus.ee's strong search visibility around bonus terms with Boonuspart.ee's broader editorial and comparison content to expand content depth, SEO strength and user experience; no player data is being transferred as part of the transaction.
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February 13, 2026
- Buyer
- Front Row
- Target
- Socium Media
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- New York, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Front Row, a New York–based e-commerce and Amazon marketplace agency, has acquired Socium Media, a performance marketing and digital growth agency. Socium will merge into Front Row's integrated agency business to deepen performance marketing capabilities and expand Front Row's Connected Commerce platform, with Socium operating initially as "Socium, Powered by Front Row."
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February 11, 2026
- Buyer
- Main Street Capital Corporation, MSC Income Fund, Inc., DMS Holdco LLC
- Target
- Johnson & Quin, Inc., DMS Holdco LLC
- Seller
- owners of Johnson & Quin, Inc.
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Illinois, United States
- Type
- Addon
Main Street Capital Corporation (NYSE: MAIN) and its co-investor MSC Income Fund, Inc. (NYSE: MSIF) completed a follow-on investment totaling $25.6 million in their existing portfolio company, DMS Holdco LLC. The new financing supports DMS’s strategic acquisition of Johnson & Quin, Inc. (J&Q), an omni-channel/direct marketing services business located in Chicago, Illinois.
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February 10, 2026
- Buyer
- Supreme Group, Trinity Hunt Partners
- Target
- Broth
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- United States
- Type
- Addon
Supreme Group, a healthcare and life sciences marketing and communications platform backed by Trinity Hunt Partners, acquired science-first creative agency Broth. The acquisition strengthens Supreme Group’s Brand + Creative vertical by adding evidence-driven strategy and scientific rigor for complex healthcare commercialization.
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February 9, 2026
- Buyer
- Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
- Target
- Beanstalk
- Seller
- JPE Capital, Beach Point Capital Management, Family office of Lance Hirt, Family office of Brian Cooper
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- New York, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has acquired Beanstalk, a global brand licensing and management agency, and will integrate it into CAA Brand Management to expand its licensing and consumer-products capabilities. Sellers include JPE Capital, Beach Point Capital Management and the family offices of Lance Hirt and Brian Cooper; financial terms were not disclosed.
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February 9, 2026
- Buyer
- Mubadala Capital, TWG Global, Apollo-managed funds (Apollo Funds)
- Target
- Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc.
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Texas, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCO) has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Mubadala Capital, in partnership with TWG Global, in an all-cash transaction valued at an enterprise value of $6.2 billion. Under the terms, Clear Channel shareholders will receive $2.43 per share in cash, representing a 71% premium to the unaffected share price, and the deal is expected to close by the end of Q3 2026 subject to regulatory approvals and shareholder approval.
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February 7, 2026
- Buyer
- SourceCode Communications
- Target
- Rally Point Public Relations
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- New York, United States
- Type
- Buyout
SourceCode Communications has acquired Rally Point Public Relations to deepen its media strategy capabilities and combine Rally Point's editorial storytelling with SourceCode's Storyhub AI-informed insight platform. Rally Point's team will join SourceCode immediately, with co-founder John Cook leading media strategy and fintech teams while co-founder Dorian Langlais departs to start a new consultancy.
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February 7, 2026
- Buyer
- XR (Extreme Reach)
- Target
- Telly Traffic
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Greater London, United Kingdom
- Type
- Addon
XR, an advertising-operations platform, has acquired UK-based business affairs specialist Telly Traffic to strengthen its UK advertising operations and compliance capabilities. Telly Traffic's London-based team will join XR and continue operating from its London office as part of XR's expanded business affairs offering to support advertisers and agencies across linear TV and connected TV.
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February 5, 2026
- Buyer
- SKDK, Wavelength Strategy
- Target
- Wavelength Strategy
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- United States
- Type
- Addon
SKDK, a public affairs and political consulting firm, and Wavelength Strategy, a digital advertising firm, announced they are combining forces. The combination is intended to expand integrated, multi-platform creative and unify media planning and buying across linear TV, OTT/CTV, programmatic digital, and social media.
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February 4, 2026
- Buyer
- Alloy
- Target
- Look Listen
- Seller
- Kit Hues (Founder of Look Listen)
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Georgia, United States
- Type
- Addon
Alloy, a marketing and technology partner, announced its acquisition of Look Listen, an Emmy-nominated creative and digital agency. The deal is intended to strengthen Alloy’s integrated capabilities across strategy, PR, creative, media, and digital experience, adding storytelling, in-house production, and a dedicated studio.
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February 3, 2026
- Buyer
- FMG
- Target
- Testimonial iQ
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Buyout
FMG, a marketing platform for wealth management enterprises, financial advisors, and insurance professionals, has acquired Testimonial iQ, an online reputation management platform built for the wealth management industry. Testimonial iQ’s compliant testimonials, reviews, referrals, and client feedback tools will be integrated into FMG and the acquired business will be rebranded as FMG Testimonials. The company says the transaction was finalized in December, though financial terms were not disclosed.
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February 2, 2026
- Buyer
- Hakuhodo
- Target
- BCM Venture Integrated Co. Ltd.
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Type
- Buyout
Hakuhodo has acquired a majority stake in BCM Venture Integrated Co. Ltd., a Ho Chi Minh City–based integrated digital marketing agency, making BCM a consolidated subsidiary of the Hakuhodo Group. The deal is intended to strengthen Hakuhodo's digital and e-commerce capabilities in Vietnam and support its New One Vietnam network to deliver full-funnel marketing and DX services to Japanese and local clients across the region.
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February 2, 2026
- Buyer
- Athena Global Advisors
- Target
- Ceisler Media & Issue Advocacy
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Pennsylvania, United States
- Type
- Addon
Athena Global Advisors announced a merger with Ceisler Media & Issue Advocacy to expand and integrate their in-house client service capabilities. Ceisler Media will become an Athena company while continuing to operate under the Ceisler Media brand with leadership and staff remaining in place.
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February 2, 2026
- Buyer
- Privy
- Target
- Sendlane
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Type
- Buyout
Privy, an email and SMS marketing platform for growing ecommerce brands, announced it has acquired Sendlane, an email and SMS marketing platform known for a hands-on, service-first customer experience. The deal brings together two ecommerce-focused platforms to accelerate Privy’s unified roadmap for deeper automation, connected reporting, and dedicated human support.
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January 29, 2026
- Buyer
- Ruder Finn
- Target
- Missouri Creative
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- England, United Kingdom
- Type
- Buyout
Ruder Finn has acquired Missouri Creative, a London-based creative agency specializing in visual storytelling, immersive 2D/3D design, animation and experiential brand activation. The acquisition strengthens Ruder Finn’s RF Studio53 creative platform, expands its capability to deliver image-first, AI-enabled brand experiences globally, and will see Missouri Creative continue operating from its UK office with founders Paul Brennan and Stuart Wood leading the team.
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January 28, 2026
- Buyer
- Residence, Gemspring Capital
- Target
- OK COOL
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- England, United Kingdom
- Type
- Addon
Residence, a Gemspring Capital-backed global creative network, acquired OK COOL, a social-native creative agency with teams in London, New York and Sydney. The add-on expands Residence’s social strategy, creator partnerships, always-on content and measurement capabilities while allowing OK COOL to operate under its existing brand and leadership.
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January 28, 2026
- Buyer
- AEA Elevate
- Target
- 829 Studios
- Seller
- CIVC Partners
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Massachusetts, United States
- Type
- Buyout
AEA Elevate, the growth buyout strategy of AEA Investors, acquired 829 Studios, an integrated technology-enabled digital marketing firm based in Boston. The deal was funded through AEA Elevate, with 829’s founder, management, and employees reinvesting; terms were not disclosed.
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- Buyer
- Parkour3
- Target
- ThinkFuel
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
- Type
- Buyout
Montreal-based HubSpot agency Parkour3 has acquired ThinkFuel, a remote HubSpot consulting agency, in a deal effective December 1. The combination brings together ThinkFuel's technical CRM architecture expertise and Parkour3's marketing automation capabilities to expand capabilities and better serve B2B clients across Canada and the United States.
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- Buyer
- Verndale
- Target
- Product Experience Division of Amp
- Seller
- Advantage Solutions
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Massachusetts, United States
- Type
- Divestiture
Verndale, a Boston-based digital experience and technology company, has acquired the Product Experience Division of Amp (part of Advantage Solutions). The deal brings product design, UX, engineering, and digital marketing capabilities into Verndale to enable end-to-end digital product development and broaden its reach into tech, CPG, and healthcare verticals. Canaccord Genuity advised Advantage Solutions; financial terms were not disclosed.
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- Buyer
- Fixated
- Target
- Ellify
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Canada
- Type
- Buyout
Fixated, a content creator representation company, acquired Ellify, another creator representation firm with a strong presence in gaming and youth culture. The deal expands Fixated’s reach in gaming-focused creator communities (notably Roblox) and adds Ellify’s creator roster and brand partnership capabilities to Fixated’s creator monetization platform.
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January 22, 2026
- Buyer
- OuterBox, LLC, WILsquare Capital
- Target
- GRO Marketing, LLC
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Alabama, United States
- Type
- Addon
OuterBox, a portfolio company of WILsquare Capital, has acquired GRO Marketing, a Tuscaloosa-based digital performance marketing agency specializing in multifamily, student housing and senior living clients. The add-on strengthens OuterBox's vertical capabilities and performance marketing expertise to better serve residential community property management companies and ownership groups.
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January 22, 2026
- Buyer
- 617 Collective
- Target
- Nominee Design
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- Oklahoma, United States
- Type
- Addon
New York-based holding company 617 Collective has acquired Nominee Design, an Oklahoma City-based strategic brand and creative studio. The deal adds Nominee to 617 Collective's founder-led agency platform; Nominee will continue operating under its existing name and leadership with no anticipated staffing or client changes. Terms were not disclosed.
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January 22, 2026
- Buyer
- Toptal
- Target
- No Single Individual (NSI)
- Industry
- Marketing & Advertising
- Location
- United States
- Type
- Buyout
Toptal has acquired No Single Individual (NSI), a curated talent platform connecting agencies with vetted independent experts in advertising, marketing, branding and social media. The acquisition expands Toptal’s advertising and brand capabilities and brings key NSI leadership into Toptal to ensure continuity and strengthen its professional services offering.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What types of buyers are active in these deals?
Both strategic agencies and private‑equity‑backed platforms are active. Examples from recent transactions include strategic buyers like Avenue Z, Duggal Visual Solutions, and Front Row, alongside PE‑backed platforms such as Crestview Partners (supporting OneMagnify), Mountaingate Capital (supporting Podean), and The Riverside Company (supporting Impact XM).
Which capabilities are buyers most often acquiring?
Recurring themes are performance media and retail media/DSP capabilities, ecommerce and Shopify development, experiential and live‑event services, and production/fulfillment (print, promotional products, direct mail).
Where are these marketing and advertising deals occurring?
Recent transactions are concentrated in U.S. markets — notably California, New York, Texas, the District of Columbia, Florida, Minnesota, Illinois and Virginia — with additional activity in British Columbia, Canada and Estonia.
Are add‑ons being used to scale global or specialized offerings?
Yes. Some add‑ons are explicitly used to broaden global scale or specialized services — for example, the Impact XM acquisition of Jack Morton combines experiential networks and capabilities across multiple offices, while other deals integrate niche tech or geographic presence (e.g., retail‑media DSPs, Shopify development, or regional production capacity).