Madison Alley acted as exclusive strategic M&A advisor to MSQ on the transaction.

MSQ, a next generation independent creative, technology and media company, has announced its landmark strategic acquisition of SPCSHP, an independent creative agency famous for its innovative digital marketing strategies and solutions.

Madison Alley acted as exclusive strategic M&A advisor to MSQ on the transaction.

MSQ Acquires New York-Based Creative Agency SPCSHP – Madison Alley Global Ventures, the preeminent strategic Corporate Development, M&A and capital advisory firm for disruptive marketing, advertising, and commerce companies, today announced that it served as the exclusive strategic M&A advisor to MSQ on its landmark strategic acquisition of SPCSHP.

London-headquartered MSQ, a next generation independent creative, technology and media company, has a global team of 1,200. This latest acquisition is part of its international investment strategy to grow organically and through acquisition to create hubs of scale in North America, the UK and Europe – where entrepreneurial agencies can thrive, collaborate and provide joined up thinking to their clients.

SPCSHP is an independent creative agency famous for its innovative digital marketing strategies and solutions. The team at Madison Alley worked closely with Peter Reid, MSQ’s Global Chief Executive Officer, and Dan Yardley, Global Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer.

Peter Reid commented: “The acquisition of SPCSHP more than doubles our presence in the U.S., increasing annual revenues in North America to $100MM and accelerating our ability to deliver agile, multi-disciplinary solutions that fuses together data, tech and creativity to build effective brand momentum for our clients. The advice and consultation we received from the team at Madison Alley was invaluable in seeing the deal through to fruition.

“It has been a great experience working with the Madison Alley team on this transaction. From our first interactions, they have provided strong strategic advice and worked tirelessly to help us get this key strategic acquisition over the line,” added Dan Yardley.

Madison Alley’s deal team included Robert Pickering, Strategic Operating Partner, Marketing & Technology Services; Veersen Ghatge, Managing Director; Lena Li, Senior Associate; and Jessica Qian, Senior Analyst.

Robert Pickering commented, “It has been our pleasure to work beside the MSQ senior management team and their private equity sponsor, One Equity Partners, on the strategic acquisition of SPCSHP. With this acquisition, MSQ significantly elevated its position as one of the leading worldwide full-service marketing and technology agencies.”

Veersen Ghatge added, “It was a great pleasure to work extensively with Peter, Dan, and the leadership team. We’re thrilled to have helped MSQ Partners considerably develop its presence in the United States by acquiring SPCSHP, a world-class digital strategic creative agency with an iconic reputation.”

MSQ issued the following press release: MSQ Acquires New York-Based Creative Agency SPCSHP as it Continues Stateside Expansion.

Madison Alley was founded over 20 years ago as the world’s first strategic Corporate Development, M&A and Capital advisory firm to develop and realize premium value for digital marketing, advertising, commerce and technology companies. Notable deals include advising on the sale of social creative agency Movers+Shakers to Stagwell, the merger of custom software development consultancy TheoremOne and Monks (S4 Capital), the sale of data-driven digital performance marketing agency Jump450 to Omnicom Group (OMD); and the strategic investment by a leading media broadcast company in Digital Remedy, a CTV media buying and attribution platform provider.

Led by former global CEOs, strategic M&A buyers and investors, Madison Alley advises clients with seasoned industry executives who bring strategic Corporate Development experience, leading clients to realize Strategic Premium Value (SPV) transactions.

MadisonAlley.tv broadcasts exclusive interviews and insights from Global CEOs, CMOs, and Distinguished Founders across the digital marketing, media, advertising and commerce sector.

To learn more, visit MadisonAlley.com and MadisonAlley.tv.

MSQ is a next generation creative, technology and media company, helping create brand momentum. It’s one of the world’s fastest growing marketing groups, offering flexibility, choice and transparency to clients. Clients include Unilever, Vodafone, Vitality, Diageo and Booking.com.

MSQ’s agencies incorporate Brave Spark (creative production studio), Elmwood (branding & design), Freemavens (research & insights), MMT (Web & Digital Product Development), Smarts (PR and creative), Miri Growth (mobile marketing), MSQ Sport + Entertainment (sport and entertainment marketing), Stein IAS (B2B marketing), The Gate (creative and CRM), Walk-In Media (full-service media) and, 26PMX (Performance Marketing) and 26DX (Digital Experience). Clients can work with an MSQ agency on an individual basis, or with a joined-up team designed specifically around their needs.

Over 1,200 people work at MSQ across 13 global offices. Unique to an international group of its scale and reach, almost 100 senior employees are shareholders in the group. In 2023, MSQ became a certified B Corp, meaning the group meets a number of social and environmental standards covering five key impact areas of governance, environment, workers, community and customers.

Founded in 2000, SPCSHP consists of a collective of creative specialists exploring new ways to engage and connect with people. We put human connection at the heart of growing business, going beyond creating content to craft human-centric stories that stay with you. We leverage a range of proprietary offerings and tools, from newsletter Internet Brunch to research tool Reveal, to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to all aspects of culture and human behavior. Our comfort with change has shaped our growth and resilience, enabling us to build multi-year relationships with brands like Starbucks, Chase, and PepsiCo.