Greater Cincinnati firm acquires Toledo-based Ecommerce Agency, adding Amazon, Walmart, Adobe Commerce and Shopify services to expertise.
Icon Marketing Communications (“Icon”), a fast-growing omnichannel commerce agency based in Greater Cincinnati, announces the acquisition of Toledo-based ecommerce agency Spaceshop, adding certified Amazon, Shopify and Adobe Commerce expertise to Icon’s services.
“Since we opened our doors 25 years ago, we have been helping brands excel in the lower- to mid-parts of the purchase funnel by converting shoppers to buyers,” said Shawn Murdock, Icon founder and CEO. “Our agency growth strategy is to align with clients’ long-term goals by investing heavily in commerce expertise and technology that strengthens our ability to influence omnichannel shoppers. With the consumer shopping journey becoming more complex, the acquisition of Spaceshop enables us to better navigate those complexities by becoming the go-to commerce agency based in the Midwest.”
The deal, finalized in April 2022, provides Icon additional web development and marketplace channel capabilities, while also bolstering in-house strategy, creative, content, digital media and project management capacity.
"Spaceshop offers clients the attentiveness of a small agency, the agility of a production studio and the innovation of a technology platform," said Josh Baltzell, Spaceshop co-founder and Icon senior director of technology. "Joining the incredibly talented team at Icon will allow us to do that on a significantly larger scale. We'll continue to help our clients boost their brand and sales from DTC to marketplace channels to retail, social and beyond."
Co-founders Brandy Alexander-Wimberly and Baltzell will stay with the company and join Icon’s leadership team. Alexander-Wimberly will lead Icon's ecommerce strategy and Baltzell will lead the web development practice for the agency.
“It’s a unique time for the agency world – many small agencies are being swallowed up by large holding companies with a lot of private equity,” said Alexander-Wimberly. “Shawn and his team are dedicated to building a large, independent agency in a way that honors the core competencies and values of the teams involved. We’re excited to be part of this future growth.”
Currently, Icon has over 100 team members. In addition to the acquisition, the agency plans to add several new employees in the coming months to accommodate anticipated growth for the Ohio and Kentucky teams.
This is the second of several acquisitions planned to accelerate Icon’s growth and capabilities. In November 2020, Icon acquired Seattle-based agency Marketplace Clicks. Earlier in 2020, the agency relocated from a 6,000-square-foot space in Ft. Mitchell, Ky., to a 26,000-square-foot restored warehouse in Covington, Ky. to accommodate an increase in staffing.
“We’re really just getting started,” said Murdock. “As Icon continues to grow and evolve, we’ll have more exciting news to share later this summer. Our goal is to provide a one-stop-shop for Fortune 1000 brands dedicated to accelerating their path to the future of commerce.”
Committed to its clients since its founding in 1997, Icon believes the goal of an agency is to help clients grow. From planning and executing high-level strategy to concepting designs and coordinating production, Icon is a marketing agency focused on creating compelling content and strategic execution at all stages of the B2C, B2B and DTC buyer journey.
Spaceshop offers brands complete end-to-end ecommerce services, support and a proprietary process proven to drive results. With expertise in Amazon, Shopify and Adobe Commerce, the agency has served hundreds of clients and managed several million dollars of ecommerce channel revenue since launch in 2016. To learn more, visit www.spaceshopcommerce.com.
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