Advantage Solutions acquired digital retail marketing agency Brand Connections from Veronis Suhler Stevenson. Marketing and advertising agencies that have developed technology to leverage the new ways of shopping are in high demand.

Brand connections, based in New York, helps consumer companies increase brand awareness across digital media. The company has previously worked with Juicy Juice and VO5 hair care products. VSS invested in the target in 2008. Petsky Prunier advised Brand Connections on the sale to Advantage.

Advantage, located in Irvine California, is a sales and marketing firm. The company assists retailers with sales data, inventory and space management, as well as digital marketing.

As consumers continue to buy more online, marketing firms that have the resources to appeal to shoppers on the web have become attractive targets. In 2017, Bain Capital Private Equity acquired a majority stake in firm Daymon Worldwide; In 2016, Trans World Entertainment Corp. (Nasdaq: TWMC) bought Etailz; and Xaxis, the operating company of communications and digital marketing firm WPP plc, bought Triad Retail Media.