Sixteen:Nine Now Part of Spectrio
From Sixteen:Nine 9/14/2021
In Brief
- Not unexpected. Haynes is 64 and eventually, the exit path becomes the goal
- Looks like a good marriage though Sales VPs are usually headstrong
- Strong SEO — search traffic 3900/mo, 334K backlinks, Authority score = 46, Top Keywords 8600
- Terms not disclosed
Excerpt:
Sixteen:Nine is now an online publication and podcast owned by Spectrio, a customer engagement platform based in the Tampa, FL area, and one of the fast-rising companies in this industry.
The deal closed last week and we’re now doing the work to transition things.
Readers may be particularly excited about this because they may think, “Oh good, I like Sixteen:Nine, but that snarky old guy Dave will maybe go away.”
Alas, no. Very little changes with this. I’m still the editor and primary writer. I’m still going to publish at the same kind of cadence. My point of view remains independent. And I will continue to be a smart-ass when it is warranted.
So why sell Sixteen:Nine?
The main reason is quite simple – my daughter is pregnant with her first child and she needed a good stroller. If you are a parent or grandparent, you know the good ones cost roughly the same as a BMW. So I had to find that money somewhere.
Also, it made sense on several fronts.
First, I’m going to be humming The Beatles tune “When I’m 64” come January. I genuinely enjoy what I do, but not so much that I want to do it until I drop. We’d like to travel. I’d like to stop staring outside from my office when the weather’s nice, and go outside without guilt. Plus … grandson!
Second, I have been thinking for some time that I had built up something pretty good with this – with almost 8,200 posts – and I really wasn’t in love with the idea of just typing in a last post one day, saying I’m done, and shutting it down. This gives me the opportunity to keep it going through new owners and supporters, and mentor some poor soul as my Mini Me. The goal is to eventually have someone in place who is capably doing what I do now.
Finally, and the big one, is that I saw the opportunity with Spectrio to both tap into its considerable resources and help raise the company’s profile and brand among the signage community and beyond. Backed by a private equity firm, Spectrio has been on a tear acquiring digital signage CMS software companies, and has very quietly – almost in stealth mode – built up a BIG footprint in the industry via acquisition and organic growth.
Spectrio Release
Spectrio, one of the nation’s leading providers of comprehensive digital signage solutions, announced that it has acquired Sixteen:Nine, a digital signage blog produced by industry veteran, David Haynes.
Sixteen:Nine has been covering the digital signage industry since 2006, and is well-known for Haynes’ unique take on news and analysis for an industry audience. Business owners and network managers also follow Sixteen:Nine for in-depth insight, recommendations, and other digital signage commentary.
As Spectrio continues to expand its presence across more than 150,000 client locations, the acquisition will allow the Company to further develop innovative digital solutions for enterprise clients, while contributing to the growth and enrichment of the digital signage industry as a whole. Through the acquisition, Spectrio will also gain a holistic view of the digital signage landscape, including trends and opportunities that will benefit its clients.
“As one of the largest digital signage providers in the U.S., we know the industry is perpetually growing and evolving. Spectrio is proud to support that growth by investing in innovation and the overall enrichment and improvement of the industry,” said Staisey Divorski, vice president of marketing at Spectrio. “The unique voice of David Haynes has always been at the leading edge in digital signage, and we are excited to bring his knowledge and expertise to the team so we can continue to propel the industry to new heights together.”