- Publicis Groupe has acquired the marketing agency Bespoke Sports & Entertainment, based on news shared with Marketing Dive. Financial terms of the transaction weren’t disclosed.
- Founded in 2014, Bespoke consults with brands on the design, execution and measurement of sports marketing programs. Co-founders Mike Boykin and Greg Busch will proceed to steer the group under Publicis Sports, a part of the Publicis Connected Media umbrella.
- Publicis is aligning Bespoke with a “bolt-on” acquisition strategy that saw the group snap up the sports and culture agency Adopt within the spring. Agencies broadly sense greater revenue opportunities in a diversifying sports media landscape that’s growing more fragmented.
At a time when sports sponsorship investments are growing at the same time as marketers struggle with ROI, Publicis is seeking to further refine its services in sports through Bespoke, its second sports marketing agency acquisition to date in 2025. Charlotte, North Carolina-based Bespoke helps brands discover partnership opportunities, maximize sponsorship value and assist within the execution of marketing experiences.
Industry connections to leagues, teams and sports properties seems to have added to Bespoke’s appeal to Publicis. The roughly decade-old firm has been enlisted by brands including Duke’s Mayonnaise, Sprouts Farmers Market, Bush’s Beans and Sonic Drive-In, based on its website.
In joining Publicis, Bespoke will gain access to a richer data set and find a way to lean on other agencies within the network, including those specializing in influencer marketing and the creator economy. Publicis has worked with Bespoke for the past yr on activations around major sports events, laying the groundwork for the acquisition.
“The partnership has exceeded expectations due to strong cultural alignment and outstanding collaboration with our teams, with a shared client-first approach focused on driving outcomes across all of sports and media,” said Jon Tuck, president of Publicis Sports, in a press release across the deal.
Bespoke Co-founders Busch and Boykin are veterans of Publicis rival Omnicom, where they built the network’s dedicated sports marketing practice, called GMR. In a press release, Boykin said Bespoke will find a way to deliver “higher brand integrations, experiences, and optimized investments” with Publicis’ backing and infrastructure.
The move extends a dealmaking hot streak for Publicis, which in April acquired Adopt, a sports and culture upstart established by a pair of former Nike executives and sports agent Rich Paul. In February, the ad-holding company introduced Women’s Sports Connect, an investment group dedicated to the booming women’s sports category.
Publicis has kept up momentum at the same time as macroeconomic uncertainty creates unease amongst Madison Avenue firms. Organic growth, a key measure of agency health, increased 5.9% in Q2, with connected media cited as some extent of strength.
Read the total article here
