Publicis Groupe to acquire influencer marketing platform Influential

Publicis Groupe will acquire Influential, a global influencer marketing company and platform, authentically connecting brands to audiences by developing, deploying, and optimising creator-driven digital campaigns. 

Influential’s proprietary AI-powered technology platform has 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 over a million followers, currently serves more than 300 brands around the world, according to the release.  

This comes as influencer marketing is revolutionising the media and advertising industry and has become a ubiquitous growth driver for brands due to the channel’s unique ability to meaningfully connect with their customers.  

By 2025, social media spend is expected to reach US$186 billion, exceeding global linear TV ad spend for the first time, with influencer marketing as its fastest growing segment, according to Publicis.  

Under the partnership, Influential’s offering enables brands to source high-quality digital creators, curate impactful creative strategy, and activate, amplify and optimise digital media to drive real-world outcomes. 

The transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions including regulatory approvals and is expected to close in late August 2024. 

By combining those capabilities with the unique data and identity assets of Epsilon, Publicis Groupe will put the leadership of ID-driven influencer marketing in the hands of all its clients through a brand-safe, premium marketplace to directly connect brands with preferred access to millions of diverse creators and their audiences. 

Publicis Groupe will also bring its 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. 

As part of the partnership, Publicis Groupe will also unify, extend, and measure 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 (pictured right), Influential will be positioned centrally within Publicis Groupe, empowering all Publicis clients and teams with leading technology, expertise, and delivery of influencer marketing services. 

Detert said: “I am thrilled for Influential to join Publicis Groupe – the world’s highest performing and most innovative holding company. We look forward to combining our complementary capabilities and technology to deliver unparalleled influencer identification, content creation, amplification, and measurement for our clients – and to define the next era of influencer marketing together.” 

Arthur Sadoun (pictured left), Publicis Groupe CEO, said: “It is a great pleasure to be welcoming Influential to the Publicis family. Beyond its proprietary AI-powered platform, 100 billion data points, unrivalled network of over three million creators and access and data on 90% of influencers with 1M+ followers, Influential is above all an outstanding team of talent at the very cutting edge of their sector. With the new creator economy set to exceed linear tv on adspend in the next year, thanks to Influential we are able to fully embrace its outsized influence and put it at the service of all of our clients.” 

“Not only does this acquisition mean we will take the leadership of Influencer marketing. It also uniquely positions us at the centre of the new media ecosystem. By combining our Epsilon data, which allow us to see 2.3 billion people around the world, with connected TV, commerce, and now creators, we can enable our clients to truly know and understand their customers and prospects, and engage with them on a one-to-one basis, wherever they are, both online and offline,” he added. 

“It’s how we are putting power back into the hands of brands in a fragmented media landscape, and driving marketing transformation that delivers real business outcomes.” 

Related articles:

Publicis Groupe's creative and media agency opens in Singapore
Publicis Groupe drops senior exec for controversial COVID-19 related tweets