The integrated offering provides end-to-end marketing consulting services that – in addition to Rival’s strategy, media, and data expertise – now includes world-class creative and production offerings.
The move reunites HeyLet’sGo Founder/CCO Tim Cawley and Rival Co-Founder Eric Fulwiler who worked together at the Boston office of Mullen Lowe over a decade ago.
Says Fulwiler, “Tim was one of the few creative directors I worked with in my big agency career who was just as passionate about challenging and changing the traditional creative agency model as I was. And as he knows now, but didn’t for the last 10 years, he was always someone I had on my list to try to work with again in some capacity.”
“When Eric reached out about the possibility of joining forces – before talking about logistics or synergies – he talked about wanting to be great. All the practical stuff came later, of course. But the ambition expressed in that first conversation stuck with me. You look at this boutique consultancy working with huge brands all over the world – these folks are swinging for the fences. We wanted to be a part of that.” says Tim Cawley, Rival’s new Chief Creative Officer/Managing Partner.
“Our vision for Rival from day one has been the same: to build a modern marketing consultancy for challenger brands.” Fulwiler continues. “But any strategic business initiative is only as good as the execution that follows. The team at HeyLet’sGo solves that part of the equation. The quality of their work can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the industry, as proven by their portfolio and the case full of awards in their office. But more important to me is the passion and drive they bring to not just each project, but also to challenging the traditional model for what a creative agency should be, do, and deliver.”
Rival’s newly combined forces have already added two new pieces of business, soon to be announced, in addition to HLG’s existing creative pipeline and Rival’s stable of global accounts including Unilever, Reebok, JP Morgan, Old Mutual Insurance, and Jumeirah Hotels.
Strategic acquisition of SKY empowers F2 Strategy to enrich its solutions for financial services firms
CHICAGO, March 05, 2024–(BUSINESS WIRE)–F2 Strategy (“F2”), a leading wealth management technology services company, today announced the acquisition of a full-service, boutique marketing consultancy, SKY Marketing Consultants (“SKY”), which specializes in providing branding and marketing advisor services for wealth management firms and their advisors. With the acquisition of SKY, F2 pairs its technology implementation and strategic consulting services with high-touch marketing strategies and solutions fit to serve firms across the wealth management industry.
As a result of this acquisition, which closed in early February, SKY’s co-founder Jeremy Jackson will become F2’s chief marketing officer, while co-founder Liz Fritz will remain actively involved with strategic growth initiatives as a board officer. Doug Fritz, CEO and co-founder at F2 Strategy, will lead the unified teams under the F2 brand.
“Welcoming the talented team at SKY to F2 Strategy is a key milestone in the expansion of our business,” said Doug Fritz. “From day one, it was clear that our two companies were aligned in our vision for the marketing and technology solutions necessary in today’s wealth management industry. We’re looking forward to bringing our two businesses together to drive growth for our clients.”
Co-founded in 2014 by Jackson and Josh Roesslein, SKY is a full-service marketing consultancy that distinguishes itself from competitors through its financial services expertise and steadfast dedication to excellence in growth marketing initiatives. The firm provides strategic positioning and marketing services, client marketing and messaging, and a suite of digital marketing solutions that are designed for national and regional broker-dealers, independent registered investment advisors (RIAs) and asset managers.
“Growth-minded financial services firms are quickly realizing the importance of bridging the gap between marketing and technology,” said Jackson, who held Series 7 and Series 66 licenses in his leadership roles at major wealth management firms prior to founding SKY. “By joining forces with the team at F2, we have found the right partner to facilitate the integration of marketing and technology within our shared client base.”
The acquisition of SKY represents F2’s second acquisition in less than a year. In June 2023, F2 acquired consulting and services provider Oakbrook Solutions, which was facilitated by a majority investment from private equity firm Renovus Capital. Shortly thereafter, F2 appointed industry veteran Laura Korbel as the firm’s president to drive sustainable expansion and growth in this increasingly competitive landscape.
“F2 Strategy continues to lead the way in meeting the needs of growth-minded wealth managers, helping them implement the necessary technology to recruit and retain advisors and clients alike,” said Lee Minkoff, Managing Director at Renovus Capital. “The addition of SKY is a significant step in expanding the services F2 can deliver to its leading client base.”
F2 also recently established its new headquarters in Chicago, and maintains additional offices in New York and St. Louis. With an organizational headcount of over 100 employees and a network of 3600 consultants globally, the firm now services a client base collectively representing more than $3.8 trillion in AUM. For more information about F2 Strategy’s new combined technology and marketing consulting services, visit f2strategy.com.
About F2 Strategy
F2 Strategy is a leading wealth management technology and marketing services firm helping complex RIA, wealth, bank/trust and family office firms improve their technical capabilities to build exceptional client and advisor experiences. Led by former executives of a wide range of top-rated wealth firms and family offices, F2 Strategy combines their results-driven management strategy with industry-leading, proprietary research to create customized high-tech solutions. A diverse, creative, and people-centric company, F2 Strategy believes the right technology has the power to support, elevate, and empower us all to reach the highest level of fulfillment. F2 Strategy was founded in 2016 in San Francisco, and is now headquartered in Chicago. F2 Strategy also maintains offices in New York and St. Louis.
About SKY Marketing Consultants
SKY Marketing Consultants, LLC is based in St. Louis, MO and offers consulting services, marketing solutions and creative development for various types of businesses and business professionals. Learn more by visiting skymcs.com or emailing solutions@skymcs.com
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240305779586/en/
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