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BY RICK GRIFFIN BASIC, a San Diego-based branding and digital design marketing agency with 120 employees, has been acquired by Dept, a large European digital marketing agency based in
Amsterdam. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. A spokesman said no layoffs at BASIC are expected as a result of the acquisition. Matt Faulk, founder and CEO at BASIC, said
in a statement, “BASIC exists to solve challenges for brands we believe in. In a digital-led world, our expertise in customer experience strategy, digital products, and eCommerce has helped
these brands to thrive and move fast. Now, as more people rely more on digital platforms in the face of the pandemic, they have greater potential than ever to shift perceptions and drive
cultural conversations. Joining Dept greatly strengthens this positioning by bringing data and technology into the mix. We see our agency as a place for our shared values to collide. In
Dept, we’ve found a partner that boosts our entrepreneurial spirit with the global scale and service expansion that both our clients and people are looking for in the world of today.”
Founded 10 years ago, BASIC operates offices in San Diego, San Francisco and St. Louis. The agency has been the Webby Awards’ most recognized independent agency for the past four years. Its
clients have included Coach, Google, KFC, Herman Miller, Patagonia and Airbnb. A statement on the BASIC website said, “As we looked toward our next 10 years, we let our ambitions guide us.
We dreamed about extending our influence with global scale. We dreamed about having not only the presence and capacity to solve our clients’ complex problems, but also the network and
infrastructure to build solutions and experiences better than anyone else. We decided to seek out a partner with the same ambitions and an aligned focus on technical, strategic, artful
craftsmanship. To realize this dream, we’re excited to announce that BASIC has joined Dept, Europe’s leading digital agency with 28 offices and over 1,500 employees across the globe.” Going
forward, BASIC will operate under its current leadership, including Faulk, Ashley Reichel as VP of operations, Steve Denekas as VP of Creative and Ryan Parkhurst as VP of Strategy, a
spokesman said. Dept’s employees work in 13 countries across Europe and the Americas. Its clients have included Samsung, Bose, Bugaboo, Indigo Ag, Triumph Motorcycles, Ganni, Mizuno, Netflix
and Formula E. In the past four years, Dept’s revenue reportedly has risen tenfold to more than 150 million Euros. AdWeek, an industry trade publication, named Dept as the second,
fastest-growing large agencies in the world in 2019. Dept’s acquisition of BASIC caps a series of acquisitions by Dept in 2020. In late 2019, global investment firm The Carlyle Group
purchased a majority stake in Dept. Over the past year, Dept also has acquired U.S.-based Rocket Insights, Danish strategic design agency Sorthvid and Swedish agency Hinderling Volkart. Dimi
Albers, CEO of Dept, said in a statement, “Our goal is to build the best agency in the world. One of the key steps in achieving that goal is to build a leading agency in the U.S. that helps
our clients further build and accelerate their digital business. After making a strong start in technology with our Rocket Insights team, we were looking for the best digital experience and
eCommerce design agency out there to join us on our journey and form the heart of Dept in the U.S. BASIC is rapidly growing while working for some of the biggest brands in the world, and
shares our cultural values when it comes to running a people business. Simply put, it’s a perfect match.” J PUBLIC RELATIONS ADDS LIONFISH SAN DIEGO TO CLIENT LIST San Diego-based J Public
Relations, specializing in travel and hospitality clients, has announced it is representing Lionfish San Diego, a restaurant located inside the Pendry Hotel in the Gaslamp District. The
agency said executive chief JoJo Ruiz offers a modern coastal cuisine that features fresh-catch cooking and seasonal ingredients with innovative twists. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, take
out and delivery is available but indoor dining is unavailable. Patio and street dining has a 90-minute dining time limit. Founded in 2005, JPR operates offices in San Diego, New York City,
Los Angeles and London. MADAFFER ENTERPRISES ADDS KYLE ALDERMAN AS COORDINATOR Madaffer Enterprises, a San Diego public affairs firm headed by former San Diego City Council member Jim
Madaffer, has named Kyle Alderman as a public affairs coordinator. Alderman will assist in various projects and collaborate with a wide range of clients, the firm said. Alderman, who has
experience in photo and video editing, has studied broadcast journalism at Arizona State University and earned a degree in communications from Cuyamaca College. He’s also pursuing a
journalism degree at Point Loma Nazarene University. Madaffer Enterprises offers clients strategic planning and consulting solutions in California and beyond. Strategic planning services
include political consulting, government relations public relations, coalition building and digital advocacy, as well as environmental reviews and land use, entitlements and permitting. IABC
SAN DIEGO HOSTS VIRTUAL HOLIDAY MIXER The International Association of Business Communicators San Diego chapter will host a free virtual holiday mixer over Zoom from 5 to 6 p.m., Thursday,
Dec. 10. Attendees are encouraged to wear an ugly Christmas sweater and be prepared to share personal or professional highs and lows from 2020. In addition, IABC/San Diego is hosting an
online food drive fundraiser benefiting the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. For every dollar donated on the IABC website through Dec. 31, the chapter will match the donation up to
$1,000. The chapter said one dollar will provide five meals provided by the San Diego Food Bank. _Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk
column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego._