Consolidation among media agencies large and small has been widely expected since Omnicom proposed acquiring Interpublic Group last December. To a large extent, the industry hasn’t disappointed, with Indies merging to form bigger Indies, and holdcos continuing to acquire different specialty shops to grow even bigger.
The latest merger comes in a massive corner of the marketing world, of e-commerce and retail and full-funnel strategy that goes beyond media investment — they’re known as “marketplace” agencies. They serve brands that are plying their sales on Amazon, Walmart, eBay, TikTok Shop and other commerce sites, which collective represent some $525 billion in sales in the U.S. alone.
Digiday has learned that Podean, which bills itself as a marketplace agency, is acquiring once-competitor now partner Commerce Canal to form what it’s calling the largest independent marketplace agency, strategizing with clients including Mattel, Danone, Colgate-Palmolive, Luxottica, Steve Madden and AB InBev, among others. It will operate under the Podean name.
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