Founded by Josh Rubin in 2010 in Sacramento, Post Modern Marketing (PMM) is a full-service digital marketing agency specializing in lead generation for B2B businesses. With their innovative hands-on approach to digital marketing services, PMM focused on growing California-based and nationwide businesses like Bay Alarm, Penhall Company, PATRA, and the University of California. Their experienced team boasted extensive knowledge of web design, search engine optimization (SEO), pay per click advertising (PPC) and social media marketing – all to help clients make digital their number one customer acquisition channel.

Tapping Into PMM’s Unmatched Potential 

Josh knew there was much more potential in PMM for the right buyer than he was able to tap into, and he was interested in exiting to pursue growing his niche PPC company. He grew PMM into a thriving agency, but his vision was never to run an agency. Knowing he was much happier doing projects, consulting, or other non-marketing pursuits, he felt like he was hampering the agency’s growth by staying. With a new strategic buyer, PMM could get to the next level.

He knew it was time to step away, so he reached out to us at Barney to make it happen. The last thing he wanted was to screw over his employees and clients by leaving, so it was important to him to find a strategic, hands-on buyer with industry expertise and a great culture fit. At Barney, that’s what we do. We know the right buyer isn’t just about the dollar amount – although that’s important, too. It’s also about finding a culture fit and a strategic match with the founder’s goals, whatever they may be. 

Growing Their Client’s Bottom Lines 

At Barney, we love an agency that’s good at what they do and delivers on a clear promise – and we found that in PMM. Everything they did was with the goal of growing their client’s bottom lines, and they delivered over and over again.

Many agencies don’t take a tailored, bespoke approach to client needs like PMM, but their clients loved them for it and we could see the proof in their strong retainer clients and long term relationships. With a steady stream of cash flow through premium retainers making up 85% of their revenue, a high-quality client base willing to pay a premium for their services, a targeted focus on lead generation for B2B clients, an agile staff with solid skills and big results, a bespoke approach to client needs and a motivated management team, PMM was a perfect target for acquisition.

Of course, we don’t just look at where an agency has been. We always look at where they can go, too – because yes, you should get paid for that. PMM had opportunities to grow through increasing business development resources, increasing retainers in older clients paying lower than market rate fees, expanding services in current clients, adding a creative agency to cross-sell and upsell the current client base, and filling the high demand for segmented services rather than just all-or-nothing offerings.

With a growth plan driven by a desire to expand retainer-based client partnerships with culture-fit B2B companies, the future was bright for PMM. We set out to find a buyer who could see that and was excited to make it all happen for them.

A Buyer With Industry Expertise And Culture Fit  

Josh wanted to find a buyer who could step in with industry expertise to continue to grow the company, or a larger agency interested in expanding their reach into new markets and retaining the existing staff and relationships. For a larger agency to work, they would need to have systems and processes, and a culture that matched PMM’s.

He knew a hands-off buyer who just wanted an investment likely wouldn’t be a fit and neither would an agency that offshores all their labor. It was important to him to do right by his employees and clients, and leave the agency in good hands so it could continue to grow and reach its potential without him.

Communicating PMM’s Value With Potential Buyers 

Helping entrepreneurs like Josh sell their amazing businesses is what we do best at Barney. Since 2015 we’ve guided over 150 media, marketing & tech companies through acquisitions, and we were excited to help PMM find their dream buyer, too.

We started by getting to know PMM inside and out – their financials, their team, their culture, their offerings, their clients, their growth opportunities, and more. We wanted to figure out exactly what made PMM special and calculate its worth to buyers in today’s market. Then, we put together amazing marketing materials to communicate PMM’s value and shared them with highly qualified potential buyers in our network. Five different buyers made offers for PMM, and we helped Josh choose the perfect buyer for his goals: Nowspeed.

A Large, Culture-Fit Agency With Aligned Goals 

A Boston-based internet marketing agency that drives leads from click to customer, Nowspeed’s goal to help their clients acquire customers from digital was deeply aligned with PMM’s. Nowspeed focused on delivering complete end-to-end solutions for their clients, offering a blend of search engine marketing, website design, social media, lead nurture and marketing analytics. 

They were the perfect fit for an agency that needed support to tap into its unlimited potential. With Nowspeed’s industry expertise, systems and processes, and matching culture, PMM could truly thrive. In return, Nowspeed got to partner with a highly-rated digital agency with a great team, great clients, and great reputation in a solid, growing market.

Closing The Deal Within Two Months  

In 2 months, Josh was out the door with cash in the bank on his way to pursue his next great idea. He walked away happy knowing his employees and clients were all taken care of – because in the end, it wasn’t enough for a buyer to be solely a financial fit. They needed to be a cultural fit, too. PMM gained a partner to support their growth for years to come, and Nowspeed got to expand into a solid, growing market with a highly-rated digital agency.

At Barney, Josh is just one of the many founders we’ve helped get the exit they deserve. His story and his business were incredibly unique, but his happy ending wasn’t. As the largest acquisition firm for agencies in the US, that’s what we do all day long. Reach out to us if you want your agency to be next!