Toronto-based digital firm Ideon Media acquired online media sales agency Cue Digital, effectively doubling the size of its audience and reach in Canada.

In a release announcing the move this week, Ideon stated that the aquisition will create “one of the largest independent digital media sales organizations” in the country, with a reach of 30 million monthly unique visitors.

Cue will merge its talent, operations and influencer technology Tagger with Ideon to create a single entity, according to David U.K., CEO of Cue Digital.

Ideon – which owns and operates SavvyMom and 29Secrets, as well as represents U.S. publishers like IGN, Mashable and Bustle – will now also have access to publishers like Group Nine Media and Activision, as well as agencies like Group M, through Cue Digital.

Kevin Bartus, president and CEO of Ideon, tells MiC that the companies complement each other, as both work in the influencer marketing and branded content space.

He says the company chose to acquire Cue Digital because of the credibility it has with media agencies. These already-established relationships are that much more important now that there are fewer open meetings thanks to COVID, he says.

“Buyers for all the major brands get inundated with calls and emails,” says Bartus. “[But] the only calls they’ve ever taken are from people that they’ve already met. It’s always been hard to kind of break in – during the pandemic, it’s impossible to break in.”

The aquisition “not only doubles the footprint with the Canadian audience, [it also] doubles our footprint with agencies.”