Granite, billed as Ireland’s largest independent digital agency has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire performance marketing agency Creative Media. Terms weren’t disclosed, but Granite said the pending deal puts it a position to accelerate expansion plans in North America.   

The combined entity will bring together a staff of 200. Creative Media was founded by Marcus Isherwood in 2000 in Northern Ireland. 65% of its current revenue is derived from clients in the US and Canada.   

Isherwood, will join Granite as Chief Revenue Officer, working alongside Rob Carpenter, Granite's US-based Chief Commercial Officer. The combined entity is positioning itself as an alternative to holding company agencies for US clients seeking digital transformation, performance marketing and AI-powered solutions.  

With the agreement, Granite says it is targeting revenues of $40 million by 2027, with North America accounting for half of the total.  

Clients include Intel, Pepsi, Sysco, Iron Mountain, Concentrix, Aer Lingus, Tesco and Dalata Hotel Group.  

The deal follows a $10 million investment in the agency by Ireland investment firm BGF.  

"North America has always been central to our growth strategy,” stated Conor Buckley, CEO of Granite. The deal represents Granite’s most significant step into the North America market to date. 

The firm recently appointed Joy Marcus as Non-Executive Chair. She brings more than two decades of leadership experience across digital media, technology, and venture capital and has held executive roles at Condé Nast, Time Warner and MTV Networks. 

Pictured above (l to r): Isherwood, Buckley, Carpenter, Peter Burke, Ireland's Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, and Marcus.