Fors Marsh Acquires BARU Advertising, Establishing California Presence | GrowthLab Advises

ARLINGTON, Va., and LOS ANGELES, Ca. Fors Marsh has announced the acquisition of BARÚ Advertising, a California-based multicultural marketing agency known for cross-cultural work that helps organizations connect with audiences in ways that are relevant, grounded, and rooted in storytelling.  

The acquisition establishes a meaningful Fors Marsh presence in California, the second-largest state buyer of its services in the country, and strengthens the company’s ability to reach and move communities across the state.  

BARÚ’s client portfolio spans some of California’s most significant public-facing programs, including the California Department of Public Health, the California Department of Child Support Services, Covered California, First 5 California, CalKIDS, and most recently the CalHOPE crisis counseling campaign, alongside the entertainment space.  

“For years, BARÚ has driven transformational statewide campaigns by ensuring the real voices of California are at the center of our work,” said Elizabeth Barrutia, founder and president of BARÚ Advertising. “We are incredibly excited to join Fors Marsh. With this partnership, we deepen our dedication to creating highly impactful work, moving beyond awareness and education to truly shaping resilient communities.”  

“BARÚ has built something rare: a California agency with deep community roots, a strong creative voice, and a track record of moving people," said Ben Garthwaite, CEO of Fors Marsh. "With this, we enter the California market decisively and with intention. We now have a sharpened ability to move people and drive real change in one of the largest states in our country.”  

GrowthLab advised on the transaction and connected the two firms.  

“This was a strong strategic match—pairing Fors Marsh’s deep federal and communications expertise with BARÚ’s California presence to accelerate growth in a critical, well-funded market.” said Mike Kapetanovic, Founder of GrowthLab.    

Fors Marsh also announced the acquisition of the Wandersman Center, a leader in implementation science, known for methods that help organizations plan, implement, and continuously improve programs so they deliver results in practice. Its work has supported clients such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO), South Carolina, and the U.S. Air Force. These acquisitions give Fors Marsh a stronger platform to connect with communities, move people to action, and ensure programs deliver results in practice.  

About Fors Marsh  

At Fors Marsh, we take on issues that matter. We are a team of researchers, strategists, and communicators working together to drive lasting change. We look at human behavior from all angles with a deep understanding of people and context to design solutions that influence decision-making and move people to action. Our work promotes health and well-being, shapes resilient communities, and builds effective and accountable institutions.  

About GrowthLab  

GrowthLab is a specialized business development and M&A advisory firm operating at the intersection of marketing communications and the public sector. The firm partners with agencies and consultancies to drive growth in government markets, secure high-value contracts, and navigate complex transactions. Leveraging deep domain expertise, proprietary market intelligence, and strong C-suite relationships across the industry, GrowthLab helps clients position, differentiate, and win in an increasingly competitive federal and state landscape.