Publicis to acquire influencer marketing firm Influential, terms not disclosed

Publicis Groupe has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Influential, a preeminent influencer marketing company and platform, authentically connecting brands to audiences by developing, deploying, and optimizing creator-driven digital campaigns. The largest influencer marketing company in the world by revenue, Influential’s proprietary AI-powered technology platform with over 100 billion data points, coupled with its network of over 3.5M creators, including access to and data on 90% of global influencers with 1M+ followers, currently serves more than 300 brands around the world. Influential’s differentiated offering enables brands to source high-quality digital creators, curate impactful creative strategy, and activate, amplify and optimize digital media to drive real-world outcomes. Now, by combining those capabilities with the unique data and identity assets of Epsilon, and scale of Publicis Groupe, the company will put the leadership of ID-driven influencer marketing in the hands of all our clients through: A Premium Creator Network: A brand-safe, premium marketplace to directly connect the world’s leading brands with preferred access to millions of diverse creators and their audiences; Revolutionized Influencer Planning: Bringing our leading understanding of consumers via Epsilon to better identify creators that meaningfully connect brands to their target customers and find their audiences across the entire internet; Maximized Cross-Channel Outcomes: Unifying, extending, and measuring the reach and impact of social campaigns to digital and affiliate channels in a singular, AI-powered platform with connected creative and sequential messaging that enhances customer experience and drives better business outcomes. Led by Founder and CEO Ryan Detert, Influential will be positioned centrally within Publicis Groupe, empowering all Publicis clients and teams with leading technology, expertise, and delivery of influencer marketing services. The transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions including regulatory approvals and is expected to close in late August 2024.