Insight | 07.25.24
Press Release | 08.31.21
Atlanta Marketing Agency Yalo! Acquires Creative Brand Agency My Friend’s Nephew
ATLANTA — August 31, 2021 — Award-winning, full-service marketing agency Yalo! announces its acquisition of creative brand agency, My Friend’s Nephew.
This is the second acquisition in Yalo!’s growth strategy to gain new services and skills, building on the existing capabilities for the agency, over the next 24 to 36 months.
Since 2015, Atlanta-based, My Friend’s Nephew has delivered successful marketing solutions for clients such as Cortland Partners, Zaxby’s and Mizuno, and also partnering with small to mid-market sized companies in the southeast. My Friend’s Nephew’s strategic process and method are a powerful approach to level-up a brand’s position and image in the marketplace and was a key driver in the acquisition. The agency has earned dozens of awards for their creativity, including, the W3 Awards, the Daveys and the Atlanta Addys, while their team has garnered recognition from the One Show, Communication Arts, the New York Advertising Festival and the United Nations.
The acquisition of My Friend’s Nephew solidifies Yalo!’s three pillar marketing offerings of strategy, digital and advertising, while strengthening its existing creative chops. In addition to expanding services and skills, the acquisition broadens Yalo!’s client footprint in the Georgia market while adding new expertise in the Real Estate, Sports, Non-Profit and Retail sectors. The agency will immediately begin offering the expanded services to current and future clients.
“My Friend’s Nephew have built an excellent program for developing marketing strategies for their clients using their proprietary strategic approach. They leverage audience-driven insights to improve brand positioning and to execute well-articulated, integrated campaigns across digital and traditional channels. Their approach combined with our mission to elevate our clients’ brands creates a wonderful blend of our two agencies,” says Arnold Huffman, CEO of Yalo!. “I am really excited about the possibilities of what we will deliver for and on behalf of our clients, going forward.”
“This was about finding ways to better serve our clients,” says Chad Thrasher, former CEO of My Friend’s Nephew and new COO of Yalo!. “The merge with Yalo! is a great fit for us and our clients in many respects, including the opportunity to utilize Yalo!’s development, content and UX/UI capabilities to the benefit of the brands we steward.”
“We are excited to create the integrated agency that our clients need and deserve. Not by following an operational template but by partnering with another culture that views service and creative from the same lens. Yalo’s excellence in digital also gives this group the capability to guide customers through our client’s entire brand experience from awareness all the way to loyalty. A connected story from beginning to buy.” says former Chief Creative Officer of My Friend’s Nephew and new CCO of Yalo!, Josh Robinson.
As with the first acquisition of Ninja Multimedia, Yalo! continues to partner with Cedric Thomas of SPX, LTD to drive the acquisition sourcing, strategy and execution. Mr. Thomas drove the acquisition forward through its eight month journey, bringing the transaction to closure on July 31, 2021.
This acquisition further demonstrates Yalo!’s commitment to its clients by adding new services and capabilities to solve complex marketing challenges for more clients, while delivering the same level of quality, creativity and excellence going forward.
About Yalo!
Since 2013, Yalo! has been transforming brands by injecting soul and passion into their digital presence. We are a full-service agency that draws from film, art, music, and sports to create unique customer experiences. Our team of strategists, creatives, technologists and account executives has the chops to develop the best solutions for our clients and their customers across a variety of traditional and new media formats and platforms. Yalo! is based in Atlanta, Ga. and Cleveland, Oh., with outposts everywhere you are.
Contact: Arnold Huffman, CEO, Yalo!
ahuffman@digitalyalo.com | 216.533.5840