Global Prairie Merging With Cleveland Firm

Kansas City marketing consultancy Global Prairie announced today that it was merging with Cleveland-based Hileman Group, a fast-growing marketing technology firm, a move that executives say will better serve clients by adding data-driven strategies and cutting-edge marketing technology.

The merged entity will continue to operate under the Global Prairie brand, and senior executives will remain in place, including co-founder Anne St. Peter and Mike Kanaley, managing director of operations.  The firm is 100 percent employee-owned, and has been a leader in promoting corporate citizenship as a Public Benefit Corporation, or B-Corp., meaning it meets rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency; only about 6,000 of them exist worldwide.

The merger with Hileman Group, officials said, will extend Global Prairie’s reach into health care, life sciences, higher education, consumer packaged goods, manufacturing, and FinTech organizations.

“This merger will catalyze next-level innovation and growth for our clients and for Global Prairie,” said St. Peter, who founded the company in 2008 with Douglas Bell. “The digital marketing team at Hileman Group built an incredible business advising clients on how best to grow and drive impact in this fast-changing, digitally-connected world. Hileman Group’s understanding of emerging technology and artificial