March 16, 2026 — Cork, Ireland Granite Digital, Ireland’s largest independent digital agency, announced an agreement to acquire Creative Media, a performance marketing specialist founded in Northern Ireland in 2000. The deal marks Granite’s ninth acquisition since 2020 and aims to boost its North American presence, targeting $40 million in revenue by 2027 with half from the region.
The Cork-based agency, backed by $10 million growth capital from BGF, reported a 400% year-on-year increase in organic North American revenue over the past 12 months. Post-acquisition, Granite’s workforce will exceed 200 specialists across strategy, engineering, design, data, and marketing, serving clients including Intel, Pepsi, Tesco, Workvivo by Zoom, Sysco, Iron Mountain, Concentrix, Aer Lingus, and Dalata Hotel Group.
Strategic Expansion
The acquisition supports Granite’s US growth strategy, positioning it as an independent alternative to holding company agencies. According to the Irish Times, prior deals include Zesty, Coalface, Continuum, and Armour. Financial terms were not disclosed.
RTE reported the deal emphasizes Granite’s acceleration of major US expansion
RTE.
Leadership Appointments
Marcus Isherwood, Creative Media’s founder and CEO, will join as Granite’s Chief Revenue Officer alongside US-based Chief Commercial Officer Rob Carpenter. Joy Marcus, with experience at Condé Nast, Time Warner, and MTV Networks, was appointed Non-Executive Chair.
Executive Quotes
“I’ve spent 25 years building client relationships in North America with a simple philosophy: every dollar spent on marketing has to deliver a measurable return. That’s exactly how Granite operates, but at enterprise scale and with technical depth I haven’t seen in an independent agency.”
— Marcus Isherwood, outgoing CEO of Creative Media“North America has always been central to our growth strategy. The Creative Media agreed acquisition, Marcus’s appointment, and the team we’re building in the US are all part of a deliberate plan to bring Granite’s model to the world’s largest digital market.”
— Conor Buckley, CEO of Granite Digital“The US market is ready for a different kind of agency… The agreed acquisition of Creative Media, the leadership appointments and Joy joining our board are not incremental moves.”
— Rob Carpenter, Global Chief Commercial Officer, Granite Digital
Background
Creative Media, based in Omagh, Co Tyrone, grew to more than 40 employees serving over 30 clients primarily in the US and Canada. Granite, founded in 2009, operates across four continents with a Net Promoter Score of 71 and 87% of business from repeat customers and referrals. Coverage appeared in Irish Examiner, The Irish News, and TechCentral.ie. The Irish News shared the story on X.