Icon Marketing of Covington acquires Spaceshop and aims to become a go-to commerce agency in the Midwest

Marketing Communication Icon a fast-growing Greater Cincinnati-based omnichannel commerce agency, announces the acquisition of Toledo-based e-commerce agency Spaceshop, adding certified expertise from Amazon, Shopify and Adobe Commerce to Icon’s services.

“Since we opened our doors 25 years ago, we’ve been helping brands excel in the lower to middle parts of the purchase funnel by converting buyers into buyers,” said Shawn Murdock, Founder and CEO of ‘Icon. “Our agency’s growth strategy is to align with clients’ long-term goals by investing heavily in commerce expertise and technology that enhances our ability to influence omnichannel shoppers. As consumers’ buying journeys become increasingly complex, the acquisition of Spaceshop allows us to better navigate these complexities by becoming the go-to Midwest-based commerce agency.

The deal, finalized in April, provides Icon with additional web development and market channel capabilities, while strengthening internal strategy, creative, content, digital media and project management capability.

“Spaceshop offers clients the attention of a small agency, the agility of a production studio, and the innovation of a technology platform,” said Josh Baltzell, co-founder of Spaceshop and senior director of Icon technology. “Joining the incredibly talented team at Icon will allow us to do this on a much larger scale. retail, social media and beyond.

Shawn Murdock

Co-founders Brandy Alexander-Wimberly and Baltzell will remain with the company and join Icon’s leadership team. Alexander-Wimberly will lead Icon’s e-commerce strategy and Baltzell will lead the web development practice for the agency.

“This is a unique time for the agency world – many small agencies are being swallowed up by large holding companies with lots of investment capital,” Alexander-Wimberly said. “Shawn and his team are dedicated to building a great independent agency in a way that honors the skills and core values ​​of the teams involved. We are excited to be a part of this future growth.

Currently, Icon has over 100 team members. In addition to the acquisition, the agency plans to add several new employees in the coming months to accommodate the anticipated growth of the Ohio and Kentucky teams.

This is the second of several planned acquisitions to accelerate Icon’s growth and capabilities. In November 2020, Icon acquired Seattle-based agency Marketplace Clicks. Earlier in 2020, the agency moved from a 6,000 square foot space in Fort. Mitchell in a restored 26,000 square foot warehouse in Covington. to accommodate an increase in staff.

“We’re just getting started,” Murdock said. “As Icon continues to grow and evolve, we will have more exciting news to share later this summer. Our goal is to provide a one-stop-shop for Fortune 1000 brands dedicated to accelerating their path to the future of trade.

Icon is one of the fastest growing marketing and advertising agencies in the Greater Cincinnati area and the state of Kentucky. Icon has served customers nationwide, including Tempur-Pedic, The Gorilla Glue Company, and Deckorators. The organization specializes in growing brands and their sales across retail, e-commerce and DTC channels. It is one of the largest independent omnichannel marketing and advertising agencies in the Midwest.