Crossmark acquires PromoWorks

Crossmark continues to expand the breadth and reach of its services to retailers and suppliers recently acquiring Schaumburg, Ill.-based PromoWorks.
 Terms of this deal were not disclosed by either party.

Crossmark said the acquisition will help it become the preferred product sampling and demonstration agency for 10 of the top 20 food retailers in North America.

Since 1999, PromoWorks has partnered with manufacturers and retailers to transform the in-store demonstration experience, performing more than five million events and engaging more than 1.5 billion people with shopper buying decisions.

“Through intense focus and execution, we have become the North American leader in in-store marketing for brands,” said Crossmark CEO Joe Crafton. “Not only does PromoWorks add to Crossmark’s scale and coverage, but we also are excited about the company’s ability to create integrated and innovative omni-channel campaigns.”

This is Crossmark’s second recent acquisition of an engagement-focused marketing firm. In August, the firm acquired Marketing Werks, an out-of-store consumer-engagement firm based in Chicago.

“The PromoWorks and Marketing Werks transactions create solutions for our clients that are unrivaled. As traditional advertising continues to lose relevance in many categories, we are experiencing an explosion in utilizing people as media to engage with consumers on-the-go,” Crafton said.

He believes experiential marketing will see robust growth over the next decade.

“There is no more powerful marketing tactic than someone telling you face-to-face about a product benefit or giving you a sample of the product to taste or touch when you’re on the path-to-purchase,” said Jim Rose, President of Crossmark Marketing Services.

“That is experiential marketing that leads to conversion and loyalty. And it’s why we’re so excited about making investments in this growing segment.”

PromoWorks will be led by industry veteran Julie Beck. Prior to joining PromoWorks in 2011, Beck held a variety of leadership positions at Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft and The Partnering Group.