Dolphin Entertainment Acquires Socialyte and Lytehouse for Undisclosed Amount
Dolphin Entertainment is growing its portfolio of brands.
The independent entertainment marketing and production company has signed a deal to acquire influencer marketing agency Socialyte, along with Lytehouse, Socialyte’s sister agency, for an undisclosed amount. The transaction marks Dolphin’s sixth acquisition.
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“Socialyte’s client roster speaks for itself and we are so thrilled to welcome the company into the Dolphin family,” Dolphin chief executive officer Bill O’Dowd said in a statement. “Led by an absolutely terrific senior management team with deep industry experience, Socialyte enjoys a sterling reputation for white-glove customer service. From Socialyte’s base in New York and Be Social’s base in Los Angeles, we believe we have established the absolute bi-coastal market leader in influencer marketing.
“Influencer marketing is a strong growth area for the industry in general and for Dolphin in particular,” O’Dowd continued. “We now have tremendous scale in this incredibly fast-growing vertical, which provides clients greater choice in influencer partners, unmatched expertise across the fashion, beauty, lifestyle and entertainment industries and the ability to expand quickly into new platforms and influencer groups across a dynamic, evolving marketplace.”
Evan Luzzatto, chairman of Socialyte, added: “The group of marketing companies that Dolphin has under one roof is astonishing, each of which is a leader in their respective vertical. The depth and breadth of their relationships across every major area of lifestyle and entertainment is unparalleled. We ultimately decided to join Dolphin because we know it will unlock the greatest potential for Socialyte and Lytehouse, benefiting the creators we represent, as well as our marquee brand clients. For over a decade, Socialyte’s work has helped shape influencer marketing and the overall creator ecosystem. This partnership will enable us to shape the industry for many, many years to come.”
Representatives from Dolphin declined to share details of the transaction, including the sale price of Socialyte.
In addition to the newest arrivals — Socialyte and Lytehouse — Dolphin’s portfolio includes influencer marketing agency Be Social, creative agency Viewpoint and entertainment public relations firms 42West, Shore Fire Media and The Door.
Socialyte was launched in 2011 and currently has offices in New York; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida, and Nashville, Tennessee. The company represents more than 125 influencers, from digital-only content influencers to celebrity influencers, helping place them in campaigns for brands such as Amazon, American Express, Bose, Cartier, Dyson, Honest, Olay and Target. The list of influencers includes Jana Kramer, Lauren Bushnell Lane, Catt Sadler, Mary Fitzgerald and Wendy Nguyen.
Lytehouse also helps place influencers in campaigns for brands, including Amazon, Ann Taylor, Armani Beauty, Condé Nast, Etsy, Michael Kors, Prada and more.
The strategic partnership will give Socialyte access to more than 1,000 clients that work with the Dolphin companies, in industries ranging from television, music, festivals, e-sports, hotels, consumer products and more.
“I’m beyond excited to be working alongside the incredible businesses at Dolphin Entertainment, including [founder] Ali [Grant] and the team at Be Social as well as the very best PR firms in the entertainment industry,” said Sarah Boyd, Socialyte’s president. “Not only will the synergies between our companies set us and our clients up for continued success, but with the power of the full Dolphin team behind us, we can now best deliver on our talent’s limitless creative ideas and ambition.”
Socialyte will continue to operate as an independent business under the leadership of Boyd. The 40-person team, including the entire leadership team, will continue to operate out of Dolphin’s New York and Los Angeles offices. Luzzatto will remain as an adviser to O’Dowd at Dolphin.
K&L Gates and Rooney Nimmo served as legal counsel to Dolphin Entertainment and Socialyte, respectively. FTI Consulting advised Socialyte on the transaction.
