Quad/Graphics (NYSE: QUAD) (“Quad”), a leading marketing solutions provider, announced today that it has increased its equity position in Rise Interactive (“Rise”), acquiring a majority ownership stake in the award-winning digital marketing agency. Quad/Graphics has owned a non-controlling interest in Rise since July 2016.
The investment accelerates Quad’s ongoing transformation to leverage its strong print foundation as part of a much larger integrated marketing platform that addresses clients’ increasing need to reduce complexity and improve process efficiencies and marketing spend effectiveness. This industry-differentiating platform allows Quad to fulfill traditional agency functions, such as data and media strategy, while also providing integrated marketing execution across multiple channels – both online and offline.
“We are pleased to strengthen our strategic partnership with Rise, which shares our Quad 3.0 vision for reinventing how clients plan, integrate, execute and measure campaigns more efficiently and effectively across all media channels,” said Joel Quadracci, Chairman, President & CEO of Quad/Graphics. “Today’s marketers and content providers face incredible business disruption from the shifting media landscape that has put consumers in charge of when, where and how they access content. Burdened with the complexity of having to coordinate multiple agency partners, our clients are looking for ideas to streamline and simplify go-to-market strategies while improving consumer response and revenue. Rise specializes in digital media, analytics and customer experience, and through our partnership we are advancing data-driven marketing through the delivery of highly relevant, consistent messages – at scale – to consumers across digital and print channels.”
“Our companies are strategically and culturally aligned, and we are confident in the value we are creating for all stakeholders through this expanded partnership,” said Jon Morris, Founder and CEO of Rise Interactive, whose unique approach to digital marketing includes a proprietary media investment management platform that helps clients see, shape and act on opportunities across the entire digital landscape and drive the greatest business results. “We have an incredible line-up of talent and technology to help our clients make smarter marketing decisions, including real-time visibility into how their programs are performing, allowing them to optimize their overall revenue opportunity.”
Added Quadracci: “This increased investment in Rise complements our recent acquisition of Ivie & Associates, a leading marketing services provider, and supports our long-standing objective to create a better way for our clients. In Quad 3.0, we are focused on addressing our clients’ marketing challenges so they focus on what they do best: sell amazing products, services and content. We are constantly assessing the problems our clients face and proactively offering up solutions centered on our integrated marketing platform.”
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