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The recent acquisition of Search Engine Land by Semrush has sparked a lot of conversation around brands merging with publications – specifically, how these mergers influence their perspective industries.
Clearly, Search Engine Land isn’t the only editorial site that’s been bought out by a company, nor is it the only one Semrush has bought over the years. Here are a few other publications that have been bought by companies over the years:
Semrush and Search Engine Land/Third Door Media
- Semrush: A leading all-in-one digital marketing toolkit offering SEO, content marketing, PPC, and social media tools.
- Third Door Media: A digital media company specializing in content marketing and event management, known for publications like Search Engine Land, MarTech.org, and the SMX conference.
- Acquisition Rationale: Semrush aimed to expand its content marketing offerings and establish itself as a thought leader in the digital marketing industry.
- Date: 2021
- Cost: Undisclosed
HubSpot and Hustle
- HubSpot: HubSpot is a leading customer relationship management (CRM) platform that helps businesses attract, engage, and delight customers.
- Hustle: HubSpot is a leading customer relationship management (CRM) platform that helps businesses attract, engage, and delight customers.
- Acquisition Rationale: HubSpot and Hustle offer complementary products that can enhance the overall value proposition for customers. HubSpot's CRM and marketing automation tools could be integrated with Hustle's sales engagement platform to provide a more comprehensive solution.
- Date: February 2021
- Cost: $27 million
Salesforce and Marketing Cloud (Formerly ExactTarget)
- Salesforce: A customer relationship management (CRM) platform.
- Marketing Cloud: A suite of marketing automation and analytics tools.
- Acquisition Rationale: Salesforce aimed to provide a comprehensive marketing platform to its customers, integrating marketing and sales activities.
- Date: 2013
- Cost: $6.5 billion
Salesforce and Pardot
- Pardot: A marketing automation platform specifically designed for B2B businesses.
- Acquisition Rationale: Salesforce sought to expand its marketing automation capabilities and cater to the needs of B2B marketers.
- Date: 2013
- Cost: $2.5 billion
BuzzFeed and The Huffington Post
- BuzzFeed: A digital media company known for its viral content and quizzes.
- The Huffington Post: A news and opinion website.
- Acquisition Rationale: BuzzFeed aimed to expand its reach and audience, particularly in news and opinion.
- Date: 2020
- Cost: Not disclosed
BuzzFeed and Complex
- Complex: A media company focused on pop culture, streetwear, and music.
- Acquisition Rationale: BuzzFeed sought to diversify its content offerings and cater to a younger, more urban audience.
- Date: 2021
- Cost: $300 million:
Vox Media and Eater
- Vox Media: A digital media company known for its vertical websites and podcasts.
- Eater: A food and restaurant website.
- Acquisition Rationale: Vox Media aimed to expand its food and beverage coverage and cater to a growing interest in food culture.
- Date: 2013
- Cost: Undisclosed
Vox Media and Racked
- Racked: A fashion and retail website.
- Acquisition Rationale: Vox Media sought to strengthen its fashion and retail coverage and cater to a fashion-conscious audience.
- Date: 2013
- Cost: Undisclosed
Axel Springer and Politico
- Axel Springer: A German media conglomerate.
- Politico: A news and information website focused on politics.
- Acquisition Rationale: Axel Springer aimed to expand its presence in the U.S. and strengthen its political news coverage.
- Date: 2021
- Cost: $1 billion
Axel Springer and Business Insider
- The Atlantic: A long-established magazine and website focused on politics, culture, and ideas.
- Business Insider: Business Insider is a leading global business news and media company.
- Acquisition Rationale: Springer already owned 9% of Business Insider, so the acquisition increased their stake to approximately 97% It was part of Springer’s strategy to expand their global reach, diversify their English-language offerings, and expand their commitment to digital journalism.
- Date: 2015
- Cost: Acquired 88% of Business Insider for $343 million
Amazon and Whole Foods Market
- Amazon: An e-commerce giant.
- Whole Foods Market: A grocery store chain known for its organic and natural products.
- Acquisition Rationale: Amazon aimed to expand its grocery business and offer fresh, high-quality products to its customers.
- Date: 2017
- Cost: $13.7 billion
Walt Disney Company and Marvel Comics
- Walt Disney Company: An entertainment conglomerate.
- Marvel Comics: A comic book publisher.
- Acquisition Rationale: Disney aimed to strengthen its superhero franchise and expand its content offerings.
- Date: 2009
- Cost: $4 billion
Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm
- Lucasfilm: The production company behind the Star Wars franchise.
- Acquisition Rationale: Disney aimed to acquire one of the most popular and valuable franchises in the entertainment industry.
- Date: 2012
- Cost: $4 billion
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