Springbok acquires Rise + Shine to boost its marketing automation services

MECHELEN, 10th OF SEPTEMBER 2019 — Digital communications and service agency Springbok continues its ambitious growth plans at an impressive pace with the acquisition of Brussels-based marketing automation specialist Rise + Shine. This acquisition brings Springbok one step closer to its ultimate goal: to help shape the future of digital marketing as a top-three player.

Rise + Shine is one of the leading marketing automation agencies in Belgium and has reported impressive growth in the past few years. Marketing automation has become indispensable in digital communications as it becomes more and more important for organisations to connect every aspect of their digital ecosystems. By doing so, they can address target groups consistently in each channel as consumers have come to expect hyper-personal and consistent omnichannel marketing.

“With the acquisition of Rise + Shine, the Springbok Group gains a huge amount of strategic and technologic marketing automation expertise,” Kim Verhaegen explains. “This will allow us to build fully integrated digital ecosystems for our clients, all the way from strategy to execution. Rise + Shine will continue to operate using its original name.”

For Michel Demoor, Rise + Shine founder and strategic director, joining the Springbok Group is a logical next step. “We clicked immediately because, just like Rise + Shine, Springbok is very data-driven. Data are the basis if we want to build relationships between brands and people and if we want to make digital communication more personal.” Kim Verhaeghen emphasises that Springbok’s AI expertise could also shed a new light on marketing automation. “The future of marketing automation will be driven by predictive analytics via AI.”

Rise + Shine was founded in 2015. In just three years, the agency achieved a turnover of € 1.8 million per year and expanded its employee base to twenty people. Rise + Shine’s portfolio includes projects for top companies such as Burger King, Quick, D’Ieteren, Brico, Tom&Co, Brantano, Siemens, Edenred, AXA, vacature.com, Accent Jobs and Brussels South Charleroi Airport. “It’s reassuring to these clients that Michel and I will remain on board for the long term,” says Jean Durand, technologic mastermind at Rise + Shine. “Joining Springbok provides us with a stronger position in the market and fits into the growth scenario we envisioned from the very start.”

With the arrival of Rise + Shine, Springbok is also expanding its Selligent and Salesforce capabilities. Rise + Shine offers marketing automation support for all kinds of platforms, but for Selligent and Salesforce, the agency is a certified specialist. Among other awards, Rise + Shine has won the Benelux Gold Selligent Award for its vacature.be case study.

With Rise + Shine, the Springbok Group is also gaining a foothold in Brussels. Rise + Shine will continue to operate from its offices at Brussels’ South Station. “The Brussels hub is the perfect base for us to become a leading player, even south of the language border,” says Alexander Cha’ban. Vincent Van Lingen continues: “Following the opening of Springbok Paris and the investment in AI start-up AddRelevance, this acquisition is another big step for Springbok. We look forward to even more acquisitions in the Netherlands and France to fulfil our international ambitions.”