PALAZZO served as exclusive financial advisor to Exverus Media, a highly decorated Los Angeles-based media agency recognized as Adweek’s 2024 Breakthrough Media Agency of the Year, in its strategic acquisition by Brainlabs, an independent, full-service, media agency. Exverus Media, which manages $100M+ annual media spend, has earned industry-wide recognition for pioneering data-driven media planning across traditional, programmatic advertising, retail media, e-commerce, paid search, paid social, and analytics. The move significantly enhances Brainlabs’ full-funnel media capabilities in the U.S. which, combined with its existing team and products, will allow it to operate as a single agency of record for all media channels. It also marks Brainlabs’ expansion into the West Coast market complementing its existing strong East Coast and Midwest presence.
Transaction Category: Marketing Services
Common Thread Collective Received an Investment from The Acacia Group
PALAZZO served as exclusive financial advisor to Common Thread Collective, a top growth agency for direct-to-consumer e-commerce brands, in securing an investment from The Acacia Group, investors in transformative technology and services companies. This alliance brings together CTC’s creative and data-driven marketing engine with Acacia’s investment capital and deep expertise in scaling digital-first businesses. CTC, founded in 2012 by CEO Taylor Holiday in Costa Mesa, California, has built a distinctive reputation for helping e-commerce brands to grow profitably. The company combines proprietary data tools, financial planning, creative strategy, and performance marketing to empower e-commerce brands generating $10 million to $100 million in revenue to scale their bottom line profit.
Lockard & Wechsler Direct Acquired by McKinney, Part of Cheil Worldwide
PALAZZO served as the exclusive financial advisor to Lockard & Wechsler Direct (LWD), a performance video agency on its sale to McKinney, a full-service marketing agency and part of the publicly-traded communications network, Cheil Worldwide. Founded in 1991, LWD has a decades-long reputation as a leader in performance video tactics, blending science, art, and culture to drive ROI for video marketing across the linear and connected TV (CTV) landscapes. LWD’s acquisition will allow McKinney to extend its competencies in the fast-growing CTV and video space, increasing client’s reach and ability to meet end-customers across all stages of the media mix, from digital and social to linear and CTV content, all supported by best-in-class direct and programmatic execution.
Donut Digital Acquired by New Engen, a Portfolio Company of Insignia Capital Group
PALAZZO served as the exclusive financial advisor to Donut Digital, a creative-led performance marketing agency based in Manhattan Beach, California, on its sale to New Engen, a leading digital marketing agency. Founded in 2021, Donut Digital has established a reputation as one of the most innovative and fastest growing performance agencies through a highly differentiated creative-centric approach and efficient in-house production capabilities. Donut Digital’s acquisition will allow New Engen to create a full-service content studio, meeting client needs across all stages of the customer journey, from short form video and user generated content, to premium CTV/OTT content.
True Independent Holdings Acquired by Meet The People, a Portfolio Company of Innovatus Capital Partners
PALAZZO served as exclusive financial advisor to True Independent Holdings, parent company of True Media, True Media Canada, Coegi, and RADaR, on its sale to Meet The People, the innovative alternative to the big advertising holding company model and a portfolio company of Innovatus Capital Partners. Founded in 2005, True Media quickly built a reputation for strong strategically-based planning and aggressive client advocacy in media negotiations. With more than 200 employees and offices in both the US and Canada, along with capabilities that include media planning and buying, a programmatic trading desk, and a data and analytics unit, TIH represents a significant addition to the growing MTP roster.
GUT Acquired by Globant
PALAZZO served as exclusive financial advisor to GUT, Cannes Lions 2023’s Independent Network of the Year, on its sale to Globant, a digitally native company focused on reinventing businesses through innovative technology solutions. GUT has employees across seven offices in Miami, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Toronto, Mexico City, Los Angeles, and Amsterdam. The acquisition will boost Globant’s technology and creative offering, taking it to a new level, and support GUT’s expansion to new markets and industries while leading the inception of technology into advertising.
Ampush Acquired by Tinuiti, a Portfolio Company of New Mountain Capital
PALAZZO served as exclusive financial advisor to Ampush, a leading growth marketing agency with a core focus across social platforms that provides end-to-end performance creative and customer acquisition capabilities, on its sale to Tinuiti, a portfolio company of New Mountain Capital. Ampush partners with fast-growing e-commerce and subscription commerce brands including Instacart, Blenders Eyewear, and STARZ. The acquisition of Ampush expands and complements Tinuiti’s already industry award-winning paid social capabilities, in addition to now providing clients access to distinctive end-to-end social, creative, and measurement capabilities that leverage data through industry-differentiated technology.
Evolution Road Acquired by Inizio
PALAZZO served as exclusive financial advisor to Evolution Road, a digital innovation company in life science omnichannel, digital marketing and digital health strategy, on its sale to Inizio. Evolution Road offers a range of strategic marketing services which help clients make data-driven strategic decisions to plan, execute and measure highly effective digital and omnichannel marketing programs, meet their brand objectives and improve real-world outcomes. As a result of the transaction, Evolution Road will become part of Inizio’s MarComms business unit, Evoke. Evolution Road will enhance Evoke’s commercial innovation offering, digital health solutions, and end-to-end omnichannel suite of services.
Outloud Media Acquired by BBTV
PALAZZO served as exclusive financial advisor to Outloud Media, a Detroit-based creator economy business with expertise distributing and monetizing creator content across multiple social media platforms like Facebook, on its sale to BBTV. The acquisition bolsters BBTV’s Multi-Platform Partnership solution, which provides content creators additional revenue across multiple social platforms. With a substantial and growing roster of prominent creators, Outloud Media has a strong reputation for proven distribution and revenue generation. Outloud Media’s existing operations and expertise will help drive incremental higher margin Base Solutions revenue for BBTV and its content creators.
ERGO Acquired by Shift Paradigm, a Portfolio Company of Growth Catalyst Partners
PALAZZO served as exclusive financial advisor to ERGO, a world-class email marketing company, on its sale to Shift Paradigm, a portfolio company of Growth Catalyst Partners. ERGO enhances advanced digital marketing personalization at scale, helping marketers leverage data and insights to auto-generate dynamic content email modules for a truly individualized one-to-one customer experience. By deepening its expertise in the areas of channel, campaign, and customer engagement, Shift Paradigm continues to pursue its vision of accelerating value creation through digital transformations that change how companies grow and engage with customers.