I have big news today coming from San Francisco, New York, and Utah. It's not Enes Kanter eating a trillion cheesburgers and getting sick, though everyone should become familiar with that story. It's not the after shock of Donovan Mitchell dunking on poor JaVale McGee, nor is it another nasty spat between Draymond and Durant. No, today's news is of the all-business, no-basketball variety: Codeword is being acquired by WE Communications.
So, a little about both parties. Codeword is the agency formerly known as Knock Twice, operating out of two coastal locations (SF and NY) and one mountain (SLC). They have deep roots in tech and have carved out a niche in the content marketing world, emphasizing creativity with a staff of former journalists, publishers, and media members. They also love talking basketball with any stray passerbys, which is an added bonus. WE Communications is the artist formerly known as Waggener Edstrom and an agency that also has deep roots in tech. Under the leadership of CEO/co-founder Melissa Waggener Zorkin, WE has spent the last 35 years growing into one of the world's largest independent communication agencies: 20 offices worldwide, nearly 1,000 employees. Today's acquisition of Codeword will mark WE's first foray into Utah, so give Melissa a warm handshake and hearty congrats if you pass her on the way to Sodalicious.
Codeword will now be known as WE Codeword and operate as a separate entity, maintaining its own client portfolio while partnering with WE on new business and joint client opportunities. I'm assuming they will continue to talk basketball with stray passerbys, though that is pending confirmation. Until then, here's a statement from Waggener Zorkin expressing her excitement for the acquisition.
“Like us, Codeword has a client-first focus, is deeply connected to technology, driven by purpose and acts as a leader in the evolving influence landscape. While much of the news on M&A in our industry over the last year has been about holding companies consolidating their assets, we are proud that this move represents growth and diversification for both of our independent, people-focused, high-performing, financially strong firms.”
