ArcTouch Joins Grey

Today is an exciting day in the history of ArcTouch. We are joining Grey, the “famously effective” global marketing and advertising agency for top brands like the NFL, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, and Marriott Hotels. Among its accolades, Grey was recently awarded global agency of the year by AdWeek for the second time in three years. You can read the official press release about the acquisition here and learn more about Grey from this “3-Minute Grey” video:

We also want to share a little more context with our community of customers, business partners and blog readers as to why we’ve decided to join forces with Grey and the WPP family of world-class companies. And to explain what will and what won’t change as a result of this.

Speaking of change

If there’s one thing our industry is great at, it’s adapting to change. Here at ArcTouch, we think we’re pretty good at it, too. Nearly eight years ago, my business partner and longtime friend Eric and I saw the introduction of the iPhone and the subsequent opening of the App Store as a business opportunity. It was like a light bulb switched on for us: Ideas for apps started flowing. And ArcTouch was formed shortly thereafter with the mission of helping businesses reach customers in this new way.

What started as a revolution in mobile phones has grown into tablets, watches, and wearables, along with connected homes, TVs and cars. Mobile is no longer mobile, and ArcTouch has evolved with it.

This opportunity is enormous. There are 2 billion smartphones in the world today. But there will be 20 billion connected “things” by 2020, according to industry analyst firm Gartner. All of them need great apps to reach their potential. 

An integrated approach: Connecting with customers in every way

Beyond a growing category of connected devices, ArcTouch has seen another change emerge in the past year. More of our clients are asking for other kinds of marketing services that extend beyond mobile and connected devices. In parallel, more of Grey’s clients have been asking for the brand experiences that we craft.

What’s driving this is that brands and businesses are looking to engage with their customers across a wide spectrum of mediums. But it’s not just that businesses want to reach customers in different ways — they want to reach them in every way with integrated marketing campaigns that span print, TV, the web, and now, mobile and connected devices.

Together, Grey and ArcTouch can offer this full array of services under one roof. As businesses define their integrated marketing strategies, mobile and connected devices can now be considered up front along with the other mediums.

Still the same ArcTouch in many ways

We’re growing, the mobile industry is shifting, and we have a new parent company. But our customers won’t notice a change in how we do business. Our entire team of nearly 100 people remain with ArcTouch. Eric and I, and the full leadership team continue to lead the business, and the ArcTouch brand remains. And most importantly, we will continue working directly with new and existing clients to build great apps for mobile and connected devices.

From our account services team to our product managers, designers and engineers, our approach won’t change. Our processes will evolve and improve over time, just as they always have — but our singular commitment to providing great service and delivering innovative experiences continues. If you want a premium app for mobile or connected devices, you’ve come to the right place. You get the best of both worlds – the expertise of a boutique technology and design specialist, with the stability and support of a billion dollar global company.

It’s been eight amazing years since we started ArcTouch. In that time, we’ve served more than 150 companies and completed hundreds of custom app projects. We are so grateful for the trust you have placed in us over the years — we can’t thank you enough.

We’re also incredibly proud of our talented team members who have lived up to that trust at every step. Together, we’ve built something special here, and the fact that a company the caliber of Grey wants us to join them is a truly amazing compliment for all of us.

We couldn’t be more excited as we start this next chapter in ArcTouch’s history.