Adlucent

Canaccord Genuity Advises Advantage Solutions on the Divestiture of its Performance Media and Marketing Technology Company Adlucent to BarkleyOKRP

Canaccord Genuity has advised Advantage Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: ADV), a leading provider of sales and marketing services to consumer goods manufacturers and retailers, on the divestiture of its digital marketing agency Adlucent.  Adlucent, a performance media and marketing technology business Advantage acquired in 2016, will integrate into BarkleyOKRP, one of the largest independent full-service marketing and consulting firms in the U.S. BarkleyOKRP, which is backed by Chicago investment firm Keystone Capital, was formed in March with the merger of agencies Barkley and OKRP

As Google’s largest shopping ads agency in the U.S., Adlucent’s unique positioning in the industry allows for a tremendous amount of power and scale while retaining the nimbleness of an independent agency. With deep industry expertise in e-commerce, retail, and lead generation, Adlucent creates custom paid media strategies for retail and service companies that deliver business results across search, display, social, and retail media networks. The company excels in full-funnel media services and leverages cutting-edge proprietary technology, which has propelled it to the forefront of digital marketing solutions. As a testament to its expertise, Adlucent is a certified Google Marketing Platform, Google Premier Partner, Google Cloud Partner, Microsoft Advertising Elite Partner, and Meta Business Partner. Based in Austin, Texas, the performance media and marketing technology company works with brands such as Zappos, The Vitamin Shoppe, 1-800-Contacts, Rawlings, and Global Industrial, among others. 

BarkleyOKRP is one of the largest full-service independent marketing firms in the U.S. As an alternative agency model, BarkleyOKRP is independent enough to make bold work that sparks with the modern consumer and big enough to build whole brands with its full spectrum of capabilities. The firm is also one of the largest Certified B Corporation agencies with industry recognition that includes four times on AdAge’s A-List, as well as being named AdAge “Small Agency of the Year - Culture,” Convergence “Fastest Growing Agencies,'' and Adweek “Agency of the Year” shortlist, The 4A’s Foundation “Independent Agency of the Year” for DEI+B practices, and the ANA’s Multicultural Excellence Award. The firm also serves brands such as Burger King, Metro by T-Mobile, Planet Fitness, Motel 6, Corona Premier, AMC Theatres, Winnebago, and more. 

This acquisition of Adlucent supports BarkleyOKRP’s strategic vision to scale integrated media capabilities, expand its technology offering, and grow its media and data team to more than 250 experts, driving consumer engagement and ROI for the agency’s clients.  Post the acquisition of Adlucent, BarkleyOKRP will have offices in Kansas City, Chicago, Denver, New York City, Pittsburgh, and Austin, with more than 800 employees dedicated to creating bold work that resonates with the modern consumer.

Advantage Solutions is a leading provider of outsourced sales, experiential and marketing solutions uniquely positioned at the intersection of brands and retailers. The company’s data- and technology-driven services — which include headquarter sales, retail merchandising, in-store and online sampling, digital commerce, omnichannel marketing, retail media, and others — help brands and retailers of all sizes get products into the hands of consumers, wherever they shop. As a trusted partner and problem solver, Advantage helps its clients sell more while spending less. The company has offices throughout North America and strategic investments in select markets throughout Africa, Asia, Australia, Latin America, and Europe through which Advantage serves the global needs of multinational, regional, and local manufacturers.

While it has direct relationships with large brands and retailers, Adlucent’s clients are largely distinct from Advantage’s core.  This transaction allows Advantage to further prioritize other growth efforts in a more focused way to ensure the company can continue to provide its clients with best-in-class services.  The sale is Advantage’s latest business initiative focused on its broader plan to simplify its portfolio, allowing greater focus on the company’s core capabilities to build a stronger balance sheet and enable growth.