Crossmark Acquires Shopper Engagement Firm

PLANO, Texas -- Sales and marketing services company Crossmark acquired PromoWorks, a provider of insights-driven shopper marketing solutions. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

According to the Plano-based acquirer, the transaction will result in Crossmark being the preferred product sampling and demonstration agency for 10 of the top 20 food retailers in North America, and the exclusive event marketing planning agency for many of the top consumer brands.

"Through intense focus and execution, we have become the North American leader in in-store marketing for brands," said Crossmark CEO Joe Crafton. "Not only does PromoWorks add to Crossmark’s scale and coverage, but we also are excited about the company’s ability to create integrated and innovative omni-channel campaigns."

This is Crossmark’s second recent acquisition of an engagement-focused marketing firm. In August, it acquired Marketing Werks, an out-of-store consumer engagement firm based in Chicago.

"There is no more powerful marketing tactic than someone telling you face to face about a product benefit or giving you a sample of the product to taste or touch when you’re on the path to purchase," said Jim Rose, president of Crossmark Marketing Services. "That is experiential marketing that leads to conversion and loyalty. And it’s why we’re so excited about making investments in this growing segment."

PromoWorks offers strategies that aim to enhance the retail experience through customized shopper engagement and product sampling/demonstration events. Since 1999, PromoWorks has partnered with manufacturers and retailers to transform the in-store demonstration experience, performing more than 5 million events and engaging more than 1.5 billion people with shopper buying decisions.

PromoWorks will be led by industry veteran Julie Beck. Prior to joining PromoWorks in 2011, Beck held various leadership positions at Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft Foods Group and The Partnering Group.