The return of confidence and opportunity | Issue #10 | The M&A Insider

Dear readers

I hope you all had a well deserved break with loved ones, and you are having a good start to the year.

2023 was a tough year for businesses and the economy, but 2024 brings renewed confidence and optimism.

We’re seeing a positive shift in mood towards broader growth in the agency space and a very active M&A market.

In a recent LinkedIn post, I wrote about how agencies are adapting to the changing needs of their clients and the market, and the profile of those that are seeing the strongest growth and demand.

Agencies adept at harnessing AI/tech, data-driven optimization (with the backdrop of third-party cookies being phased out), and crafting stellar creative experiences (BX,CX) will prevail.

There are still sectors and major companies that are having challenges (e.g. luxury, retail, smaller tech/software), and also SMEs that are close to going into administration, so it won’t be an easy year for all.?

We have an exciting program of events in store for 2024 which I'll be sharing in the What's Happening section below and hopefully, we'll see you at one soon.

Industry News

Mergers & Acquisitions

• Brainlabs acquires Australian agency Sparro
• Power Digital acquires CRO shop Endrock
• Next15 acquires conversational/voice AI agency Vixen Labs
• Revolt, UK purpose marketing agency, merged into Anthesis Group
• Paragon DCX acquires activation agency Twelve

News

• Will 2024 mark the end of the digital agency?
• Benedict Evans - ‘AI, and everything else’
• 10 Predictions for Media, Entertainment and Tech in 2024
• The Future of Content and Experience by Instrument
• 2024 Gartner Top Strategic Technology Trends

Cactus News

• Joanne Reid, Managing Partner - Delivery, shares her top 9 signs you are ready to recruit a PM
• Congratulations to Dan Archer, Managing Partner - Marketing, on being included in The BD100 for 2024
• Alfie Wenegieme, Managing Partner - Consulting, talks about why in the pursuit of growth, agency founders and leaders need to pay attention to cash
• Joanne Reid launched the first episode in her new podcast series Deliverology, a podcast dedicated to Agency Project Managers

What's Happening

28th February - Agency Marketing Roundtable

For the first Agency Marketing Roundtable of 2024 ??Dan Archer will focus on Lead Gen for agencies. These events are open to Agency Founders and Marketing Managers and are invite only.

To receive an invite to this and future agency marketing events, join the list here

7th - 13th March - SXSW

Pete Hoole and Spencer Gallagher are heading to Austin for SXSW this year - will you be there? We're exploring opportunities to host an Agency Founders networking reception whilst we're there.

If you're going and would like to connect let Rain Crowson know

20th March - The Inside Track

We're excited to launch a new event for 2024, an evolution of our popular "Meet" events, The Inside Track is an exclusive event for founders and owners of agencies with a turnover of ￡2M or more.

For our inaugural event, we will be exploring how you can start to prepare your agency for acquisition long before you go to market and sharing our key learnings from SXSW.

If you would like to be added to the invite list and be first in the know when tickets go on sale, apply here.

Recommendations

Book: Infectious Generosity by Chris Anderson

App: Step - app for finding, saving & sharing all your favourite places

Podcast: Jobs of the Future - a16z

Playlist: Energy Boost - an upbeat playlist to power you through your day