Influential, the world’s largest influencer marketing company — which recently collaborated with Us Weekly for celeb-packed events at Cannes Lions in June — has been acquired by Publicis Group for $500 million.
“I am thrilled for Influential to join Publicis Groupe – the world’s highest performing and most innovative holding company,” Influential CEO Ryan Detert said in a press release. “We look forward to combining our complementary capabilities and technology to deliver unparalleled influencer identification, content creation, amplification, and measurement for our clients – and to defining the next era of influencer marketing together.”
“Our acquisition by Publicis Groupe is truly a dream come true for us. We cannot wait to roll up our sleeves and get to work with our new partners,” Chris Detert, Chief Communications Officer of Influential, exclusively told Us Weekly of the monumental deal.
Influential is the largest influencer marketing company and platform in the world. It boasts a network of over 3.5 million creators, including 90% of global influencers with one million or more followers. Along with its vast network of influencers, Influential’s AI-powered technology platform services more than 300 brands around the world.
“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, Publicis Groupe CEO, said in a press release.
“By combining our Epsilon data, which allow us to see 2.3 billion people around the world, with Connected TV, Commerce, and now Creators, we can enable our clients to truly know and understand their customers and prospects, and engage with them on a one-to-one basis, wherever they are, both online and offline,” he continued. “It’s how we are putting power back into the hands of brands in a fragmented media landscape, and driving marketing transformation that delivers real business outcomes.”
According to the press release, the transaction is set to close in late August.
The acquisition comes after Influential teamed with TikTok to host the TikTok Influential Awards at 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival in June, for which Us Weekly was present.
In addition to hosting the TikTok Influential Awards, Influential partnered with Brand Innovators to host a five-day lineup of programming that attracted top executives and celebrities alike (including Ludacris, Anthony Anderson and Shaboozey) for the second year in a row.
“Our lineup of CMOs, executives and agencies heads at Influential Beach was second to none,” Ryan told Us at the time. “The speakers, influencers, and celebrity content that we curated, alongside Brand Innovators, truly rivaled that of the official Cannes Lions Palais stage.”
