Toronto creative agency No Fixed Address has rapidly expanded its multicultural marketing capabilities by acquiring an ownership stake in Ethnicity Matters.

Co-founded by Howard Lichtman and Bobby Sahni, the eight-year old multicultural marketing agency, has earned a reputation as one of the agencies connecting with a fast-growing ethnic consumer base that is often overlooked by mass brands focused on mainstream media.

Specifics about the size of the NFA’s stake were not provided. However, Ethnicity Matters, which has 30 employees, remains an independent agency and will continue to work out of its existing office.

The deal was motivated in part by “a growing need in the marketplace for greater diversity in thinking and in creative storytelling,” said NFA CEO and co-founder Serge Rancourt in a release.

“NFA has always valued Ethnicity Matter’s expertise in the multicultural marketing space, and this deal allows for more collaboration across the grid in all aspects of ideation and execution,” Rancourt told The Message. ”Working together allows for both agencies to grow while using existing resources, and allows for both networks to lean into expansion plans across North America.”

The genesis of the new partnership dates back a couple of years, when Rancourt joined the Ethnicity Matters Advisory Board. The bond grew stronger last year, when former NFA business lead Rebecca Ho joined the multicultural marketing agency as chief operating officer.

“NFA has understood the importance of multicultural lens and being ‘at the table’ from the start of campaigns,” said Lichtman in the release. “We are looking forward to working with them more collaboratively on diversity-led national campaigns.”

“Ethnicity Matters and NFA will be able to collaborate on campaigns and service their clients in a more holistic way,” Sahni told The Message. “By having these expanded capabilities, both agencies are able to tap into NFA’s larger network and create far-reaching campaigns that focus on diverse representation for consumers.”