Sarasota-area marketing firms announce merger

By Jim DeLa
| 4:30 p.m. April 3, 2024
| 2 Free Articles Remaining!

Rex Raymond, owner of Demand Exposure, and Allison Imre of Grapevine Communications have merged their companies.

Manatee-Sarasota

Sarasota integrated marketing agencies Grapevine Communications and Demand Exposure are merging under the Grapevine banner, the companies announced Tuesday.

Grapevine Communications, headquartered in Lakewood Ranch, has been offering marketing, advertising and public relations services for 22 years. With the merger, it will incorporate the 12-year-old Demand Exposure’s expertise in video production, paid digital media, and social media management to its brand, according to a statement.

"We are thrilled to come together with Grapevine to create an agency that combines our strengths and expertise,” Rex Raymond, owner of Demand Exposure, says in the statement. “We are poised to continue our legacy of innovative solutions and exceptional attention to detail, driving success for our clients across Florida, Georgia and beyond."

Grapevine will continue to staff Demand Exposure’s Main Street office in downtown Sarasota. No layoffs of the combined staff of 27 are expected, Grapevine spokeswoman Meredith Dropkin says.

Grapevine Communications has a diverse clientele, including Lee Wetherington Homes, Florida Digestive Health Specialists, Easterseals SWFL, Sarasota Jungle Gardens, Commercial Residential Aluminum and TreeUmph!

“We're a natural fit, fusing creativity, innovation and dedication to elevate brands and inspire our clients,” says Allison Imre, Grapevine’s owner and operator, in the release.

author

Jim DeLa

Jim DeLa is the digital content producer for the Observer. He has served in a variety of roles over the past four decades, working in television, radio and newspapers in Florida, Colorado and Hawaii. He was most recently a reporter with the Community News Collaborative, producing journalism on a variety of topics in Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties; and as a digital producer for ABC7 in Sarasota.