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S4 Capital rang in 2021 with two major U.S. acquisitions.
- Creative agency Decoded Advertising will combine with S4 content group MediaMonks…
- …while performance agency Metric Theory will merge with S4 programmatic powerhouse MightyHive.
S4 not only splurged because it’s doing relatively well financially (S4 Capital saw 16%–17% growth through September 2020), but also because its acquirees overcame pandemic hardships as well. Decoded outperformed those S4 September numbers, per Adweek.
Another reason for the mergers?
S4 has been scaling up its D&I initiatives to improve on its already better-than-average diversity efforts—40% of its workforce comprises BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) employees. For instance, S4 aims to match local population demographics and has debuted an HBCU internship program.
Decoded in particular seems on board.
- “[DEI] was one of the first two questions I asked Sir Martin about when we met to seriously discuss [the merger],” Decoded founder Matt Rednor told Adweek.
- Decoded also continued its partnership with Girls Who Code this year and cast more diverse characters in its video spots for T-Mobile and Visa.
Looking ahead: S4's acquisitions should give the holding company more opportunity to drive its diversity and inclusion efforts forward—an opportunity we hope it will seize.