 Arthur Sadoun |
Publicis Groupe is acquiring Alliance Data’s Epsilon unit for $4.4B as part of its drive to become “a leader in the data-led, digital-first world.”
CEO Arthur Sadoun said with the mainstreaming of direct-to-consumer brands and new data regulations, the Epsilon deal will enable Publicis to “deliver personalized experiences at scale.”
Epsilon recorded 97 percent of its $1.9B 2018 revenues from clients in the US. It employs 9,000 staffers, of which 3,700 are data scientists and 2,000 are technology delivery experts in Bangalore.
Publicis will forge a strategic partnership with Alliance Data’s remaining businesses.
The Epsilon deal is expected to close during the third quarter.
Publicis also reported a 1.7 percent rise to Q1 revenues to $2.7B. Organic growth dipped 1.8 percent.
The flagship North America unit, which generates 53.8 percent of revenues, was flat, though down 4.6 percent on an organic basis.
Sadoun blames advertising and media losses for the lackluster NA performance.
Public Policy Holding Company grew 27.5 percent to $50.1M during Q1, powered by the accelerating contribution from recent acquisitions and a 5.1 percent hike in organic revenues across its three operating segments.
Institutional Shareholder Services advises investors to vote "no" on a compensation package for WPP chief Cindy Rose at the May 8 annual meeting.
FTI Consulting chalked up a 9.5 percent rise in Q1 revenues to $983.3M, powered by gains in its PR, corporate finance and technology segments.
Stagwell reports 4 percent growth in Q1 net revenues to $585M and a record $141M in net new business wins.
WPP reported a 6.7 percent drop to $3.1B in Q1 like-like revenues less pass-through costs. CEO Cindy Rose says 'it will take time to outpace historical losses."
