Optimistic Outlook for 2023

We spent months interviewing professionals in the digital marketing services sector on what they think is in store for Marketing Services M&A in 2023. Our sample includes many who are currently invested in a digital advertising agency or marketing services platform, thinking of investing, or run full-service agencies or leading companies within the sector.

Key Takeaways

  1. BIG YEAR FOR ACQUISITIONS50% of buyers expect to be more acquisitive in 2023 than they were in 2022
  2. RECORD AD-SPENDING56% of respondents expect that budgets will stay the same or increase
  3. 2023 VALUATION EXPECTATIONS DIFFER36% of buyers expect marketing services valuations to decrease in 2023, while 35% of sellers indicate that they think valuations will remain unchanged

Who We Surveyed

M&A Expectations Vs. Reality

With the first quarter of 2023 behind us, we recently invited industry experts to share their reactions to our survey on MadisonAlley.TV. This thoughtful conversation expanded on their real-world experiences and present-day approach to M&A and also included their top tips for buyers and sellers in today’s market.