Publicis gets Influential

INFLUENCER

Publicis Groupe acquires influencer marketing leader Influential

Publicis Groupe is set to acquire Influential, a leading influencer marketing company, enhancing its AI capabilities and expanding its reach in the creator economy.

Here’s what you need to know

• Publicis’s acquisition is to bolster its AI-powered marketing capabilities

• The acquisition will integrate Influential's technology with Publicis’ Epsilon data, offering clients enhanced influencer marketing services

• The deal is expected to close in late August, with Publicis forecasting significant growth

Enhancing AI and data capabilities

Publicis Groupe’s acquisition of Influential aims to strengthen its AI and data-driven marketing strategies. Influential’s platform, powered by proprietary AI technology with over 100 billion data points, will be combined with Publicis’ Epsilon data to offer clients advanced influencer marketing solutions.

Market leadership

Arthur Sadoun, CEO of Publicis Groupe, highlighted the strategic importance of this acquisition, positioning Publicis at the forefront of influencer marketing. The integration will enable better consumer engagement through targeted digital campaigns, leveraging Influential’s network of over 3.5 million creators.

Influential’s role and impact

Founded in 2013, Influential has grown to serve over 300 brands, including major names like McDonald’s and Google. The company’s innovative use of AI, initially built with IBM Watson, has established it as a leader in the influencer space. CEO Ryan Detert expressed excitement about joining Publicis, aiming to redefine influencer marketing together.

Growth and future projections

The acquisition aligns with Publicis’ recent successes and growth projections. By combining capabilities, Publicis expects to enhance influencer identification, content creation, and campaign measurement, delivering unparalleled value to clients. The transaction, set to complete in late August, marks another step in Publicis’ ongoing expansion and innovation streak.

The digest

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Kamala Harris joins TikTok highlighting the app’s importance for this year’s US elections: VP Kamala Harris, now a 2024 presidential candidate, launched her TikTok account, quickly gaining over 1.6 million followers, as she capitalises on the platform's viral memes about her. This move follows President Biden’s announcement of not seeking re-election and contrasts with earlier discussions on TikTok's potential ban in the U.S. due to security concerns, with Harris previously stating there was no intention to ban the app.

Using persuasion to spur lasting organisational change: Leaders implementing change often struggle to sustain long-term success, as shown by behavioural scientists' experiences with the UK's NHS and Vietnamese farming communities. Effective strategies for lasting impact include proactively offering compromises, fostering a sense of unity, and appointing a system steward, as demonstrated by significant reductions in no-shows at the NHS and greenhouse gas emissions in Vietnam over four years.

Report looks at how top brands are winning at TikTok: CreatorIQ's report reveals that the top brands on TikTok by earned media value are Amazon, NBA, NFL, Sephora, and Fortnite. The analysis emphasises the importance of long-term partnerships with creators and highlights the dominance of beauty and fashion sectors on the platform.

A fictional peak behind the scenes of the AI discussions in PR offices: The FT has published a rather funny account featuring Rutherford Hall, a “critical communications strategist”, and his humorous exchanges about diving into AI without a clear plan. Hall’s candid and somewhat clueless approach to AI development provides a light-hearted behind-the-scenes look at the often overhyped world of tech innovation.

PODCAST

Stuart Bruce - Purposeful Relations

This week’s podcast guest is Stuart Bruce of Purposeful Relations, a consultancy that helps businesses integrate Generative AI to enhance their operations.

Stuart is a public relations innovator. He has 30+ years experience across all aspects of public relations, communications and corporate affairs. Today he specialises on advising communications teams and agencies on improving performance using AI, technology, data and analytics, measurement and evaluation, culture change, learning and professional development.

In the podcast, we cover:

• How has the industry changed due to technology

• The golden age of social media

• The Global CommsTech report Stuart published

• Budget issues when it comes to using tech in comms

• The trends Stuart is seeing in CommsTech

• Stuart's comms analysis of the 2024 UK General Election

• How comms teams are currently using AI

• More disruption is coming

• Stuart's advice to young people in 2024

Listen: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

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