• by Masha Geller , December 3, 2002

In the midst of other interactive shops being swallowed by traditional conglomerates only to become value-add items in their “services offered” lists, one of the top ten interactive agencies in the country is staying the digital course. With a little help from its Philadelphia friends, that is.

Seattle-based digital marketing services and technology company Avenue A, Inc. today announced the acquisition of i-FRONTIER, Corp., a full-service interactive advertising agency based in Philadelphia, in a cash transaction.

The purchase amount was not disclosed, but company officials said i-FRONTIER will retain its brand identity and operate as a subsidiary of Avenue A, Inc., along with the company’s other interactive agency business units, Seattle-based Avenue A and Avenue A/NYC whose clients include MSN, AT&T Wireless, Best Buy and AstraZeneca.

Founded in February 1996 by Brad Aronson, who will continue leading the division as well as join Avenue A’s management team, privately held i-FRONTIER specializes in website and ad creative development, email and relationship marketing for AT&T, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Wyeth, and Aventis, among others.

Brian McAndrews, Avenue A, Inc. president and CEO, said the acquisition rounds out Avenue A’s technology and media offerings with the creative services capabilities i-FRONTIER is well respected for. In a recent Forrester Research report, i-FRONTIER was named one of the leading agencies serving pharmaceutical companies due to its broad marketing-technology expertise and deep pharmaceutical consumer-marketing focus.

McAndrews said he does not expect to see any major changes in the structure of the two agencies, except the added benefits of sharing best practices and i-FRONTIER’s creative expertise.

The combined billings of the two companies are expected to be in the $165-170 million range this year.

Is a traditional agency partner in the works? “Not in the near future,” says McAndrews, adding, “We’re going to remain focused on the digital space, that’s what we’re really good at.”

Aronson agrees: “The opportunity is that the interactive space is very fragmented, and together we can be the leading company in the interactive space.”