Toronto-based mobile marketing agency and platform developer Juice Mobile announced today that it has acquired Gauge Mobile, a Vancouver startup specializing in proximity marketing through its own proprietary software.
Gauge’s technology enables clients to communicate with consumers using near field communication (NFC), iBeacon and QR codes in packaging, out-of-home and in-store marketing campaigns.
Anton Vassiliev, Gauge co-founder and CEO, will join Juice effective immediately, and Gauge will become Juice’s third product offering alongside Nectar (a platform for buying mobile advertising) and Swarm (a demand-side platform connecting brands and agencies in real time).
The combined 40-person team will be filling 2-3 new positions on both the sales and back-end/support sides of the business.
Although the two firms have not worked together in the past, Juice president and CEO Neil Sweeney described the acquisition as an “obvious opportunity.”
“We’ve been marketing to the consumer on various mobile devices for the past number of years, but there were areas where we could not communicate with them specifically—in store [for example],” Sweeney said. “We felt the guys at Gauge could bring the expertise in that area, and combine it with what we have for a more holistic conversation with the consumer.”
Juice has done work for big brands such as Unilever, Chevrolet and Future Shop, as well as publishers like Condé Nast, Meredith and Corus Entertainment.
Gauge has collaborated with both agencies and brands, including BlackBerry and General Motors, and will bring to the table its current partnerships with Newad and Astral.
