In Sync Plus

In Sync Acquires Bemis Balkind to create a 360º marketing solution

In Sync Advertising’s acquisition of Bemis Balkind creates a 360º marketing solution for its clients. In Sync is a leader in audio visual motion picture advertising having created campaigns for such movies as Silver Linings Playbook, Ted, Home Alone, Midnight in Paris and many others over the past 20 plus years. Smitty, as he is commonly known, the owner of In Sync asked his investment bankers, including Robert T. Smith, to advise him on the purchase of Bemis Balkind – a firm specializing in print, digital and web advertising. Although the owners of the two companies knew and respected each other (having previously worked together) Smitty realized the potential difficulty of structuring a favorable deal while maintaining the trust for a future working relationship. Smitty needed the enthusiasm of the Bemis Balkind owners to make combined entities work.

In this transaction, unlike most others, the investment bankers were not just an advocate for one side, but played the role of trusted advisor to both parties. In many instances the owners of Bemis Balkind looked to In Sync's investment bankers for suggestions on deal structure. This dynamic was especially important when the working capital decreased during the negotiations. The solution was to assure the sellers that the deal would close and allow them to earn back any working capital shortfall.