Merger of marketing firms aimed at offering more services
The merger of two southwest Ohio firms is aimed at “creating a powerhouse of digital marketing innovation.”
Digital marketing company Lion + Panda and design and motion graphics and video company Hard Media Group had been partner agencies since 2021, working jointly on projects.
Founded in 2013 in West Chester Twp., Lion + Panda has been building websites and providing cutting-edge SEO and other digital marketing solutions. Founded in 2018 in downtown Dayton by Justin Rankin and Derrick Humphrey, Hard Media Group has been providing clients with graphic design, motion graphics and video production.
“We found that by merging we were able to provide clients with more cost savings then when we operated independently,” CEO Philip Roestamadji told Dayton Daily News. “Additionally, with both of our teams operating together, we were able to provide a deeper level of service for our clients, as well as being able to invest more into the development of internal technical tools and applications that would provide a deeper connection between our services and the clients.”
Among the firms more prominent clients are Dewey’s Pizza and the Ohio Renaissance Festival. Combined under the Lion + Panda name and brand imagery, the two firms will retain both Kettering and West Chester Twp. offices.
“As we are continuing to grow, we believe that maintaining both offices will help us stay better connect to regionally focused clients,” Roestamadji said. “Each office also provides a more focused environment for our team, as the Dayton office is setup more as a studio that focused on providing a better environment for our creative team members to work and collaborate. The West Chester Twp. office is set up to provide better resources for our technical and strategy team members.”
Both locations help ensure that Lion + Panda is able to provide its team with the best environments for collaboration on specific tasks, he said. That, in turn, also provides a better experiences and outcomes for its clients, Roestamadji said.
Following the merger, Lion + Panda has nine full time employees and five 1099 contractors.
Leadership at both firms believe the transition will be easy not only for internal staff, but for clients as well, and “most clients won’t even notice the change,” Roestamadji said.
“Our teams together have already setup more streamlined internal processes and better define internal roles allowing each of us to better focus on core competencies and reduce the number of hats each person needs to wear throughout a typical workday,” he said. “We’re also removing much of the duplication caused be running two independent companies, which allows us to spend more time on delivering for our clients and less time managing the overall business.”
“Finally, we can eliminate more time waste on the client’s side as they do not need to manage multiple relationships, contracts, etc. They can just work with directly with one member of our united team to ensure all their objectives and goals are achieved.”
By combining talent, clients can look forward to new and enhanced in-house services, such as a new, AI-powered analytics tracking platform custom-developed by Lion + Panda, officials said. The platform will enable clients to better understand the digital data behind their screenbased marketing activities, the company said.
Analyzing the collected data will arm teams with a more complete analytics picture, aiding in the strategic planning of future marketing campaigns, officials said.
“The new digital tool will bring real-time dynamic data to our clients,” Chief Marketing Officer Justin Rankin said in a statement.