MARC USA Acquires Results:Digital

PITTSBURGH, BOSTON and CHICAGO, Sept. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In a strategic move to accelerate its growing digital media offering and meet client needs for performance-driven media solutions, MARC USA announced the acquisition of Results:Digital, a Boston-based digital media agency with annual media billings under management of $35 million.

The new entity will be named MARC USA|Results:Digital and will be fully-integrated within MARC USA's media capabilities. Recognizing the growing opportunities to leverage digital media strategy and buying to create consumer connections online and drive sales, MARC USA began working with Results:Digital in 2012 to deliver new solutions for agency clients such as Payless ShoeSource, Rite Aid and True Value.

"Results:Digital is hyper-focused on driving results – whether it's sales, leads or strong relationships," explained Tony Bucci, chairman of MARC USA.  "This value is 100% in line with our own deep heritage of generating results.  This acquisition adds a full complement of best-in-class digital media pros to augment our existing strong practice. We could never hire this many people this fast.  And, we're getting people we know and with whom we have worked closely."

Results:Digital's expertise lies in developing insight-driven digital marketing solutions for large-scale B2C and B2B clients.  They focus on understanding customer behavior in order to uncover unique insights on how to best connect with and influence consumers.  They leverage digital media to make meaningful connections between audiences and brands in ways that drive business results. They deliver messages through digital media, social and mobile channels that are designed to further engage consumers based on their digital consumption patterns. Their full-service offering encompasses digital strategy, media planning, analytics and conversion rate optimization.

"The partnership we have had with MARC USA and its clients has enabled us to further develop our services and help deliver significant return on investment to these clients," explained Jason Russo, founder and president of Results:Digital. "Being part of a like-minded independent agency with the resources to help us build out our offering will be of great benefit to both organizations.  For example, we see an opportunity to take our online insights into traditional media – helping clients be ahead of trends as traditional media becomes more interactive."

MARC USA brought Results:Digital in to work on its Payless ShoeSource account at the start of the relationship nearly two years ago.  Mr. Bucci credits the success of the digital program with Payless as a key element in the agency's win of the Payless Media AOR account and its expanded digital role with the client.

"This acquisition gives us both expanded expertise in the fast-growing digital space as well as a new regional base in Boston, a city we believe has great potential for our combined agency," said Mr. Bucci.

MARC USA's expanded full-service media offering now includes a team of over 60 media professionals, including 30 digital media specialists, managing over $220 million in spending, with more than $60 million in digital media.  It includes an in-house programmatic buying operation as well as full-service planning, buying and analytics.

About MARC USA

MARC USA is a national full-service integrated marketing communications firm known for uncovering radical insights that incite powerful reactions through a deeper understanding of whole-brain behavior. With offices in Boston, Chicago, Miami and Pittsburgh, 270 employees and more than $370 million in annual capitalized billings, it is one of the largest independent agencies in the country. Services include advertising, strategic planning, research, public relations, social marketing, media planning and buying, interactive marketing, direct and customer relationship marketing and sales promotion. 

SOURCE MARC USA