SMG acquires Bulbshare to expand its experience management capabilities

Service Management Group (SMG), a customer, employee, and brand experience management partner, is acquiring Bulbshare, an AI-powered platform that connects companies with customers to gather real-time insights and feedback.

According to SMG, this strategic move enables the company to further elevate its industry-leading experience management capabilities while supporting Bulbshare's continued growth. 

The acquisition enables SMG to offer clients a single source for the best of CX and BX management—enablement of continuous optimization of customer experience in combination with customer-driven collaboration and co-creation that fuels innovation and growth.  

Unlike traditional market research methods, Bulbshare’s platform leverages advanced AI capabilities from OpenAI and Microsoft to rapidly analyze vast, real-time data from engaged communities.

These capabilities deliver transformational impact to traditional brand experience (BX) management, by enabling customer communities to actively collaborate and co-create within key brand, product and market initiatives. 

SMG powers transformative customer experiences by driving actionable insights that turn customer feedback into financial gains. With unmatched expertise at the intersection of data science and customer experience optimization, SMG strives to improve every customer interaction. It provides frontline teams with targeted actions to deliver improvements—amplified by the industry’s only software with a service (SwaS) strategic consultancy—to accelerate customer experience (CX) impact and ROI. 

“The combination of SMG and Bulbshare creates a uniquely powerful, holistic experience management model for customer and brand experience management,” said Jonathan Berkowitz, SMG’s chief executive officer. “Together, we will empower our clients with portfolio solutions that drive continuous improvement, breakthrough business outcomes, and deeper, more loyal customer relationships.” 

Through the acquisition, SMG gains access to Bulbshare’s notable client roster of leading consumer brands, expanding its reach into consumer-packaged goods (CPG) markets. Bulbshare’s success with always-on, custom-built communities offer significant opportunities for enhanced customer engagement and innovation, according to the companies.

“We're excited and energized about the opportunities that lie ahead,” said Matt Hay, founder and CEO of Bulbshare. “By joining forces with SMG, we are entering a new era where customer experience is driven by participation and co-creation. Together, our CX and BX solutions will deliver unparalleled value to our clients, while our EX offerings will foster stronger employee relationships, contributing to our collective growth and success.” 
 
As part of SMG, Bulbshare will benefit from SMG’s decades of experience and deep customer relationships. While both teams will continue delivering their unique offerings, they will collaborate on future product developments and expanded client benefits. 

Berkowitz will lead the combined company, majority-owned by growth-oriented private equity firms Brentwood Associates and LLR Partners, as CEO. Hay will join SMG’s Executive Leadership Team as Senior Vice President of Innovation and General Manager of Bulbshare. 

For more information about this news, visit www.smg.com.