Croud Expands US Footprint With Acquisition of Full-Service Digital Agency Vert Digital

Croud, a full-service marketing partner, has acquired Vert Digital, a digital marketing and advertising agency based in Atlanta.

Vert Digital’s expertise in paid media, creative, CRM and analytics will complement Croud’s current offerings, further deepening and expanding the international agency’s stateside operations. Croud’s distinct “Croudie” network of over 2,900 on-demand, in-market digital marketing specialists, will be seamlessly integrated into the Vert business, offering clients global scale and expertise.

Vert Digital has been a mobile-first digital agency since 2009, with a focus on improving the customer journey and driving measurable business impact for its clients. Led by co-founders Kevin Planovsky and Michael Lentz, the agency has evolved with the industry. Vert’s client roster consists of growing, mid-market enterprise brands including American Honda Motor Company, First Watch Restaurants and Barco.

“The U.S. is Croud’s most important strategic growth area over the coming years; our recent organic success highlights that. We are always looking at ways to supplement that growth with acquisitions that enhance that strategy, and in Kevin, Michael and the fabulous team at Vert we found just that,” said Luke Smith, co-founder and global CEO at Croud.

Smith added that Croud took time to find the right partner, working with Vert for over a year.

“We’re also delighted to expand our footprint in the U.S. Atlanta is a welcoming city, super well connected and has a great talent pool and client base for us to expand into,” said Smith

Croud has been a key partner in the expansion of Vert’s digital marketing efforts in Europe and Asia-Pacific over the last year. Vert looked to scale its business both domestically and internationally, and Croud proved to be the right partner.

“Our strong client portfolio and complementary services, combined with Atlanta’s high concentration of Fortune 1000 Enterprise companies presents an incredible growth opportunity for all” said Kevin Planovsky, co-founder and principal, account strategy, Vert Digital. “Michael, myself and the entire Vert team are really excited about the global opportunities that this acquisition brings, particularly in enabling our clients to tap into world-class expertise through the Croudie network.”

2024 has seen a strong period of double-digit growth for Croud, with big wins in the US and UK, including Frasers Group and Nespresso. The agency appointed Dani Jordan as its first chief marketing and integration officer last month, responsible for defining and implementing its business vision. This follows a string of significant acquisitions including Born Social, Croud Luxe (previously known as Verb Brands) and impakt Advisors, and most recently Metageni.