{"id":542957,"date":"2026-01-26T00:51:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T00:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/542957\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T00:51:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T00:51:11","slug":"san-diegos-mindgruve-eyes-europe-with-german-acquisition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/542957\/","title":{"rendered":"San Diego’s Mindgruve eyes Europe with German acquisition"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"S\u00f6nke<\/a>S\u00f6nke Hansen of Ameo, recently acquired by MindGruve. (Photo courtesy Rick Griffin\/Marketink)<\/p>\n

Mindgruve, a San Diego marketing and data technology agency, is expanding its footprint into Europe with the just-announced acquisition of Ameo, a commerce agency based in Hamburg, Germany.<\/p>\n

Ameo<\/a>, specializing in the Amazon Marketing Cloud<\/a>, advanced analytics and retail media optimization, has served brands across major European markets, including Germany and the U.K., with advanced retail media and ad tech capabilities, a statement said.<\/p>\n

\"MarketInk<\/a><\/p>\n

Mindgruve said the deal will enhance its ability to help U.S. brands scale retail media performance across international markets. It also solidifies the agency\u2019s position as a global leader in media, commerce and data technology, and positions Mindgruve as one of the world\u2019s the fastest-growing independent agencies.<\/p>\n

Terms of the acquisition and a purchase price were not disclosed, a Mindgruve spokesperson told Times of San Diego.<\/p>\n

The spokesperson also said as Mindgruve assessed opportunities for international expansion, Germany emerged as a key priority given its position as Europe\u2019s largest economy and the world\u2019s second-largest Amazon marketplace.<\/p>\n

Ameo offered local credibility, sophisticated analytics capabilities and long-standing Amazon expertise, having been one of the first agencies in Germany to focus exclusively on the Amazon ecosystem, the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

For Ameo, founded in 2015, the decision to join Mindgruve was rooted in the opportunity to scale globally, extending its advanced advertising and ad technology capabilities across the EU while continuing to support brands navigating international markets, the spokesperson said to Times of San Diego.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe relationship developed organically through mutual discussions centered on building a global, integrated platform that brings best-in-class services together under one roof,\u201d the Mindgruve spokesperson said via email.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re seeing a growing number of U.S. brands look to Germany as the gateway to European commerce, it\u2019s the region\u2019s largest market and the second-largest Amazon market globally, which also makes it one of the most complex to navigate,\u201d said Chad Robley, chief executive officer of Mindgruve. <\/p>\n

\u201cTo meet that demand, Ameo\u2019s team brings deep local and regional expertise with boots on the ground. Together, we\u2019re establishing a scalable European platform that helps U.S. and global brands expand and perform more consistently across the region.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat stood out to us about Mindgruve was the strength of its analytics and technology, capabilities that are difficult to find at scale in the German market,\u201d said S\u00f6nke Hansen, founder of Ameo, who will serve as Mindgruve\u2019s senior VP of commerce, Europe. <\/p>\n

\u201cMindgruve brings an advanced measurement and agentic commerce approach that complements our Amazon and retail media expertise. Together we can offer European brands, and U.S. brands entering Europe, a level of transparency, automation, and performance intelligence that simply hasn\u2019t existed here before.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the addition of Ameo\u2019s 35 employees at its single office in Hamburg, San Diego-based Mindgruve now has more than 500 staff members across all offices, including New York, Denver, Nashville, Cincinnati, Charleston, Mexico City and S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil. <\/p>\n

No layoffs are planned as a result of the Ameo acquisition, the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

The Ameo acquisition is the fourth deal in less than two years for Robley, who founded Mindgruve in 2001.<\/p>\n

In June 2025, Mindgruve completed a merger with Levelwing, a marketing and data technology company based in Charleston, South Carolina.<\/p>\n

In September 2024, Mindgruve announced a merger with Icon Commerce, an independent commerce marketing agency based in Cincinnati.<\/p>\n

In June 2024, Mindgruve merged with Macarta, based in Denver, and the agency\u2019s name changed from Mindgruve to MindgruveMacarta, which lasted for a brief time until the Levelwing merger when Mindgruve reverted back to its Mindgruve name.<\/p>\n

Radio personality\u2019s daughter, 4, draws threats as NFL predictions falter<\/strong><\/p>\n

It started as an innocent, father-daughter bonding ritual and attention-getter by a Riverside radio personality. <\/p>\n

Then came the harassment and death threats.<\/p>\n

Anthony Donatelli, co-host of \u201cKelli & Anthony in the Morning\u201d on country music station KFRG 95.1-FM and KXFG 92.9-FM \u201cK-Frog,\u201d thought it would be cute to have his daughter, Reese Donatelli, 4, predict the outcomes of National Football League games in a social media video series called \u201cTrust the Toddler.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Riverside<\/a>Riverside radio personality Anthony Donatelli and his toddler daughter. (Photo courtesy Rick Griffin\/MarketInk)<\/p>\n

In the videos, Reese became an internet sensation by choosing winners and losers based on colors, geography or personal preferences using miniature football helmets. She enthusiastically chose winners by grabbing the helmet of the team she thought would triumph.<\/p>\n

The ritual began as a way for her father, a lifelong Steelers fan, to teach her about colors and geography. The lighthearted series drew millions of views and thousands of comments on social media platforms.<\/p>\n

Then, the tone shifted dark and nasty near the end of the NFL season when gamblers started trusting in the preschooler\u2019s random selections and blaming her for their losses. Some gamblers even demanded money.<\/p>\n

When Reese picked the wrong winning team, the comments on social media grew toxic and the family received explicit death threats, as reported by Inside Radio, New York Post and Los Angeles Times. Following a string of 0\u20136 predictions, some followers began viewing her picks as a \u201creverse jinx\u201d or a curse for the teams she selected.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nuts. She\u2019s obviously not an NFL analyst,\u201d Anthony Donatelli told the news outlets. \u201cShe\u2019s picking teams based on the color of her dress, or she\u2019ll pick the Packers because she likes cheese. She just relates these silly little things as reasons why she picks certain teams.\u201d<\/p>\n

The family has reportedly switched their social media accounts to private status as a result of the harassment.<\/p>\n

Super Bowl TV ads will include Christian \u2018He Gets Us\u2019 marketing campaign<\/strong><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Super Bowl LX telecast on NBC network will include a 60-second TV commercial promoting Jesus Christ as someone people today can relate to. It will be the fourth consecutive year for a spot to air during the Big Game from the ongoing \u201cHe Gets Us\u201d campaign.<\/p>\n

Previous campaign spots have included \u201cWhy is being human so hard<\/a>\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t do this, don\u2019t do that<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n

The \u201chuman\u201d spot with 56 million views shows a cinematic montage of everyday life alongside a series of short phrases, including \u201cBe popular, Be a team player, Be alpha, Why can\u2019t you be enough, Be relevant, Be beautiful, Be productive.\u201d <\/p>\n

Then the question is posed: \u201cWhat if Jesus shows us a new way?\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cdon\u2019t\u201d spot with 66 million views features a newborn baby and a narrator saying, \u201cDon\u2019t cry, but don\u2019t be silent. Don\u2019t mess up, but don\u2019t make a scene. Don\u2019t try to be a hero. Don\u2019t get your hopes us. Don\u2019t make problems. Don\u2019t forget to plan. Don\u2019t get carried away. And don\u2019t you dare let us down.\u201d <\/p>\n

The concluding takeaway message on the screen says, \u201cWhat if the only expectation was love?\u201d<\/p>\n

The campaign is led by the religious nonprofit Come Near<\/a> and Dallas-based agency Lerma<\/a>. A spokesperson told Advertising Age the Super Bowl spot during the second half will focus on personal pressures people face daily.<\/p>\n

A Lerma spokesperson told Ad Age that respondents to consumer research and social listening kept mentioning one word: Chaos. \u201cPeople are really trying to figure out how to manage loud it is outside,\u201d said Feleceia Wilson, a brand strategy principal at Lerma. \u201cThey\u2019re trying to figure out how to find peace in the midst of all the noise and chaos that feels like it\u2019s surrounding them every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

The He Gets Us advertising campaign was launched in December 2021. The website has drawn more than 60 million unique visitors over four years.<\/p>\n

Rick Griffin<\/a>\u00a0is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly in Times of San Diego.<\/p>\n

READ NEXT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"S\u00f6nke Hansen of Ameo, recently acquired by MindGruve. (Photo courtesy Rick Griffin\/Marketink) Mindgruve, a San Diego marketing and…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":542958,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5134],"tags":[239274,5229,239275,1582,276,8571,117,239276,239277,8318,422,27607,3549,7264,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-542957","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-ameo","9":"tag-america","10":"tag-anthony-donatelli","11":"tag-ca","12":"tag-california","13":"tag-christianity","14":"tag-germany","15":"tag-he-gets-us","16":"tag-k-frog","17":"tag-mindgruve","18":"tag-radio","19":"tag-riverside","20":"tag-san-diego","21":"tag-sandiego","22":"tag-united-states","23":"tag-united-states-of-america","24":"tag-unitedstates","25":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","26":"tag-us","27":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115958663539233746","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542957","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=542957"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542957\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/542958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=542957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=542957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=542957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}