Hawke Media Acquires Rocket55 to Expand Midwest Operations

Acquisition expands Hawke Media’s footprint across the Midwest

Los Angeles-headquartered Hawke Media, a marketing agency for growth-stage brands, has announced the acquisition of Rocket55, one of Minneapolis’ leading digital marketing agencies. The deal combines Rocket55’s 18 years of market expertise with Hawke Media’s national scale, infrastructure and full-service marketing capabilities.

Founded in 2008, Rocket55 has built a longstanding reputation in Minneapolis and throughout the Midwest, with deep expertise across search engine optimization, paid media, web development, RevOps, content and digital strategy. The agency has evolved alongside major shifts in digital marketing, most recently expanding its work in AI visibility while maintaining a human-led approach to strategy and client relationships.

“This is the largest acquisition we’ve ever made, and that’s a reflection of what Rocket55 has built,” said Erik Huberman, founder and CEO of Hawke Media. “They have an incredible reputation throughout the Midwest, a strong team and deep relationships in the market. Bringing that together with Hawke’s national infrastructure and full-service capabilities gives us the horsepower to serve more brands, take on bigger opportunities and support companies at every stage of growth.”

For clients, the acquisition brings together Rocket55’s digital expertise with Hawke Media’s broader network of specialized talent, technology and full-service marketing capabilities. The combined organization can support everything from individual marketing channels to integrated, cross-functional programs, giving growth-stage and mid-market companies access to expertise that would otherwise require building larger internal teams.

“I deliberately sought out the right organization to acquire Rocket55,” said Steven Ayres, founder of Rocket55. “It was important to me to find a company that shared our entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to creative thinking and belief in the future of technology. Erik Huberman and Hawke Media stood out for their vision, ambition and investments in innovation. I’m proud of what we’ve built and excited to see Rocket55 enter its next chapter under Hawke Media’s leadership.”

The combination also gives Hawke Media an immediate base in Minneapolis and access to the region’s marketing talent.

“Rocket55 has spent 18 years proving that an agency can, and should, keep evolving without losing what clients value most: a team that knows their business and is accountable for results,” said Kristen Findley, COO of Rocket55. “I’m most excited that our clients get to keep those relationships and our team gains access to a national network of specialists and technology to keep pace with how fast marketing is changing.”

Rocket55 marks Hawke Media’s 26th acquisition to date, joining strategic acquisitions including Normal Bear, PRP Group, SimplyBe., We Are Unicorns and Blue Light Media as the company continues to expand its capabilities and national footprint.

Information for this article was sourced from Hawke Media.