A PYMNTS Company

France: Publicis to buy Epsilon for US$4.4B

By  |  April 15, 2019

Publicis is set to buy data-driven marketing agency Epsilon in the French ad giant’s biggest acquisition to date.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    The deal with Alliance Data Systems Corporation will entail Publicis acquiring its Epsilon business for a net purchase price of US$3.95 billion after a tax step-up, with a total cash consideration of US$4.4 billion. Publicis will form a strategic partnership with Alliance Data’s remaining business.

    The deal comes as the advertising industry reckons with the huge growth of digital advertising and the emergence of players like Facebook and Google. Digital ad spending was expected to surpass traditional ad spending in the US for the first time this year, according to eMarketer, which also expects digital to account for more than two-thirds of all media spending by 2023.

    The acquisition gives Publicis access to Epsilon’s data capabilities. The company reports, for example, it has more than 250 million unique consumers identified in the US. The company states says it can build on top of a client’s first-party data with its own assets, like behavioral and transactional data.

    Full Content: CNBC

    Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.