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St. Pete, Asheville companies merge amid storms

Mark Parker

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From left: Dzuy Nguyen, Chief Operating Officer of St. Petersburg-based Big Sea, President Adriana Generallo and Chief Executive Officer Andi Graham. The digital marketing firm acquired an Asheville, North Carolina headquartered agency amid two hurricanes. Photo provided.

A local digital marketing agency acquired a philanthropically focused counterpart headquartered in Asheville as Hurricane Helene cut a destructive path from Florida’s Gulf Coast to Western North Carolina.

Hurricane Milton further tested the combined company’s resolve less than two weeks later. Andi Graham, CEO of St. Petersburg-based Big Sea, said overcoming two natural disasters in rapid succession affirmed the decision to merge.

“It has been a tough three weeks,” Graham said. “If we can weather this storm – physically, and metaphorically – there’s not a lot that we can’t do.”

Big Sea planned to complete its acquisition of JB Media Group Oct. 1 – four days after Helene’s storm surge inundated low-lying areas around St. Petersburg and three days after flash flooding and mudslides killed nearly 100 people in Western North Carolina.

Graham, who recently relocated to Asheville, said the St. Petersburg team emerged from Helene relatively unscathed. Big Sea’s leadership was caught off guard by the storm’s widespread destruction hundreds of miles north.

“Everything literally changed overnight,” Graham added. “We didn’t have any access to our Asheville team at all.”

Flooding near Asheville, North Carolina. Photo: Blue Ridge Radio.

Despite little connectivity, Big Sea officials ensured the Asheville team was alive and safe in Helene’s aftermath. They postponed scheduled onboarding and training sessions.

Graham said Big Sea’s six new hires received paid time off through their first week with the agency. She believes that helped highlight the local company’s culture.

“And that was making sure everybody had the space and time to come back online when they felt like it was time, or when they were ready,” Graham elaborated. “Some of our team members had more access to resources than others.”

Big Sea’s new employees would soon return the favor. Graham returned to St. Petersburg to assist the local team when Milton forced her to “escape again and come back north.”

Most of St. Pete lost power and internet for several days. Big Sea needed Asheville employees to assist unfamiliar clients as they returned to work.

Graham called their collaborative efforts “awesome.” She noted the merged company is now resetting in its third week.

“We’re doing all of the things we should have done in week one,” Graham said. “But everybody already knows each other and has been working together a little bit. People had to do each other’s jobs right from the start.”

She said the similarities that led Big Sea to acquire JB Media aided those efforts. Graham found the immediate comfortability level “refreshing.”

Big Sea has specialized in helping purpose-driven organizations, like nonprofits and healthcare providers, increase their impact since 2005. JB Media serves the same demographic as a B Corp Certified digital marketing agency.

Companies that voluntarily meet strict social and environmental performance standards can receive B Corp certification. The acquisition will bolster Big Sea’s efforts to provide nonprofits with comprehensive, data-driven marketing solutions that combine strategy and storytelling.

Graham said marketing can be “very gross” as it’s typically “intended to sort of prey on psychological weaknesses.” However, she called it “very fulfilling” to support organizations “trying to do good in this world.”

Big Sea plans to apply for B Corp certification Jan. 1. Graham said JB Media’s owner provided pertinent information related to the process, and she believes that expertise provides an additional acquisition benefit.

“The truth is, both of us have such great reputations in our markets that we were getting leads from local organizations who were also affected by the storm,” Graham said. “I think it’s just a testament to the fact that we gave everybody grace, we gave everybody space.

“So, it just reaffirmed that this was a good move.”

 

 

 

 

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