Michael Roth
Michael Roth

Interpublic is acquiring Acxiom Corp.'s data management unit for $2.3B, a transaction designed to enable the ad/PR giant to compete against Google and Facebook.

CEO Michael Roth said Acxiom Marketing Solutions "offers the deepest set of capabilities for helping companies navigate the complexity of creating personalized brand experiences across every consumer touchpoint."

Its 2,100 staffers have played a "foundational role in the marketing ecosystem," he added.

AMS co-presidents Dennis Self and Rick Erwin will remain in their posts, working in a stand-alone division aligned with IPG Mediabrands,

They will report to Arun Kumar, IPG's chief data/ marketing technology.