Brunner Acquires AdSkate to Expand AI Marketing Analytics and Creative Intelligence

Brunner has acquired Pittsburgh-based AdSkate, adding artificial intelligence-powered creative analytics technology to its integrated marketing platform as the independent agency expands its data, media and AI capabilities for enterprise clients.

The acquisition strengthens Brunner’s ability to help brands measure and improve advertising performance by combining AdSkate’s proprietary AI platform with the agency’s creative, media and marketing strategy services. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

AdSkate developed an AI-driven marketing intelligence platform that analyzes creative assets across images, video, messaging and audience segments to identify the factors influencing campaign performance. The technology is designed to help marketers move beyond traditional reporting by providing insights into why advertisements perform as they do, supporting faster optimization and more informed investment decisions.

The transaction reflects increasing demand from marketers for AI-enabled tools that improve campaign effectiveness while helping justify marketing spending. As brands seek stronger returns from advertising investments, agencies are increasingly integrating artificial intelligence into creative development, audience targeting and media optimization.

Brunner plans to incorporate AdSkate’s technology, engineering talent and product expertise into its growing marketing intelligence platform. The combined offering will provide clients with AI-powered creative analysis, predictive performance modeling, audience insights and campaign optimization tools designed to improve decision-making throughout the marketing lifecycle.

Kevin Amos, partner and chief media and data officer at Brunner, said marketers are increasingly looking for actionable intelligence rather than larger volumes of data. He said AdSkate’s platform helps explain not only which campaigns are performing but also the creative factors driving those results, enabling brands to make faster and more confident marketing decisions.

The acquisition also broadens Brunner’s service offerings for its portfolio of national brands, which includes clients such as Aerie, Church’s Texas Chicken, Fred Rogers Institute and Mitsubishi North America. AdSkate will continue supporting its existing customers, including organizations such as Infosys, Abbott Laboratories and the Illinois Lottery, while serving as the foundation for new AI-enabled products Brunner plans to introduce.

Founded in Pittsburgh, AdSkate emerged from the region’s technology ecosystem, with leadership and technical roots connected to Carnegie Mellon University. Its platform applies artificial intelligence and machine learning to evaluate advertising performance across multiple creative formats, helping brands identify the elements that drive engagement, conversions and return on advertising spend.

As part of the transaction, AdSkate co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Akaash Ramakrishnan will join Brunner as senior director of AI and innovation. Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Shreyas Venugopalan will serve as an AI and technology consultant, while Creative Technology Specialist Max Rosen will become a creative technologist at the agency.

Ramakrishnan said AdSkate was founded on the belief that artificial intelligence could help marketers make better creative and business decisions. He said joining Brunner provides the opportunity to scale the platform, accelerate product development and deliver expanded capabilities to brands operating in an increasingly data-driven marketing environment.

The acquisition also underscores Pittsburgh’s growing role as a center for artificial intelligence and marketing technology. By combining Brunner’s more than four decades of agency experience with AdSkate’s AI capabilities, the company is positioning itself to compete in a market where clients increasingly expect agencies to deliver measurable business outcomes supported by advanced analytics and machine learning.

Headquartered in Pittsburgh with an additional office in Atlanta, Brunner provides integrated marketing services spanning strategy, creative, media, analytics and technology. The addition of AdSkate advances the agency’s long-term strategy of expanding AI-powered marketing intelligence while helping clients optimize creative performance, improve campaign efficiency and generate stronger returns on advertising investments.