Publicis Groupe to acquire creator marketing agency Influential

Publicis Groupe has agreed to acquire creator marketing agency Influential, the holding company announced on Thursday, marking its most significant move into the creator marketing space yet.

Influential will bring Publicis access to more than 3.5 million creators through its AI-powered platform, which also contains data on 90% of global creators with more than 1 million followers, according to a press release. 

For Influential, access to data from Epsilon, which Publicis acquired in 2019, will enable brands to better identify creators that resonate with their targeted audiences, the press release said.

Publicis and Influential also plan to operate an AI-powered platform that allows clients to “holistically plan, manage and measure investment across social, digital, and affiliate marketing” while extending the reach and impact of social media campaigns to digital and affiliate channels, according to the release. 

The offering will be led by Ryan Detert, CEO of Influential, and will sit centrally within Publicis Groupe to support all of its agencies.

Both companies declined to comment on the deal, which is expected to close in late August. Financial details weren’t disclosed.

For Publicis, the acquisition adds significant heft in the creator economy, which is poised to reach half a trillion dollars by 2025, according to an estimate from Goldman Sachs. Brands expect to increase their influencer marketing budgets by nearly 46% year-over-year in 2024, bringing influencer marketing spend to $24 billion, according to a survey from Influencer Marketing Hub.

Influential grew estimated revenue to $150 million in 2023, up from $100 million the year before, AdAge reported. The agency works with 300 brands globally, according to a press release, including Hilton to make the first-ever 10-minute TikTok, as well as McDonald’s. 

“Not only does this acquisition mean we will take the leadership of Influencer marketing, it also uniquely positions us at the center of the new media ecosystem,” Arthur Sadoun, CEO of Publicis Groupe, said in the release.

The acquisition comes as Publicis Groupe continues to outperform its peers in the market. Earlier this month, Publicis reported Q2 organic revenue growth of 5.6%, compared to Interpublic Group’s 1.7% organic revenue growth for the same quarter. Publicis increased its full-year forecast for 2024 from 4% to 5% organic growth to 5% to 6%.