What made me change my mind after 25 years…also known as the day pigs flew!

By Barbara Bates

By now the news is out. Eastwick has been acquired by Hotwire PR. Not quite as big of news as the presidential race but in our world it’s huge news. I’ve spent a good part of the past 25 years bragging about (and actually relishing in) our independence as a top tech agency. Many of my midsize agency peers have been gobbled up…some of them years ago. So what finally made me make the jump? Simply put. We finally met our match. One that shares our vision, culture, innovative spirit, commitment to putting people first, our reputation for being pretty damn good communicators and partners to our clients. It sounds cliché but it would take 1+1=3 formula for us to make the move. And that’s what we think we’ve found with Hotwire.

Hotwire’s global footprint includes nine dedicated offices around the world plus a wide network of affiliates. For a full list go here.

And while you’re at it…check out their many successes here.

The combination of Eastwick’s strong presence and connections in the US tech scene and Hotwire’s equally impressive position in EMEA brings the global market a new offering. One that is an alternative to the behemoth multinationals. One that will be appreciated not only by our current clients but prospective clients looking for an alternative that won’t require them to compromise between global reach and personalized service. One that continues to make us special…different.

The cool thing about becoming part of Hotwire is that we’ve been partners (and sometimes friendly rivals) for years. We know each other well and have had a bit of a mutual admiration club going since we both started winning agency of the year honors in our respective regions. Take a peek of me and Global CEO of Hotwire, Brendon Craigie, sharing why we are so excited about today’s news and what this means for our industry.

As we’ve gotten to know each other even more, it’s uncanny how many similarities and how much shared thinking we have…a few things that stood out:

• People first commitment
• Culture trumps everything
• Spirit of innovation
• Quality reputations
• A willingness to “play big”
• Strong leadership bench

I know how different and special this opportunity is because we’ve been pursued by many interested parties over the years — even though it wasn’t ever our goal to get acquired. Potential suitors all said pretty much the same thing. Eastwick has had a long history of quality work and a strong reputation in the tech industry. It’s mid size and full service capabilities give it unmatched differentiation. Our award winning work and above all our people are above the rest.

Under the Hotwire brand, we expect our work and our people to continue to be world class. What a great way to put a cherry on top of our year long 25th anniversary celebration! Hope you come along for the ride as together we continue to build the best agency you’ll ever work with.