Publicis Groupe has acquired one of the largest independent commerce marketing companies, Mars United Commerce, for an undisclosed fee.
Mars United Commerce helps guide marketers reach consumers in online and offline shopper ecosystems with solutions in shopper conversion, retail intelligence and technology.
The business, which reportedly books $800 million in annual revenue, has about 1,000 employees in 14 offices worldwide, including a presence in Australia, New Zealand, the US Canada, UK, German and across Asia-Pacific.
Its clients in Australia include Woolworths, Bega, Nestle, Mars, KraftHeinz, the Australian Open and Kathmandu.
Mars United is the latest addition to Publicis Groupe’s retail media and e-commerce division, which it says now offers clients end-to-end commerce solutions. The acquisition also follows Publicis Groupe’s purchase of creator marketing platform Influential a few months ago.
“Their innovative spirit and proprietary platforms will further connect and complement our existing capabilities, to deliver industry-leading, end-to-end commerce solutions for our clients, both online and offline,” Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun said.
“With the acquisition of Influential this summer, and now Mars, Publicis is uniquely positioned to help our clients understand both existing consumers and future prospects, and connect that knowledge at an individual level to the new media channels that work hardest for their business: Connected TV, Commerce and Creators.
“All of this, in clients’ own ecosystems, giving them control over their customer relationships and transparency in their investments and outcomes.”
Rob Rivenburgh, Global CEO of Mars United, said: “Joining Publicis Groupe will help Mars realise our vision of being the preeminent global commerce company faster and more completely. We’re excited to have the support of Publicis to bring new opportunities to our existing clients and also to share our connected commerce solution with new clients around the globe. We look forward to writing the next chapter of commerce together.”
Publicis Groupe said the addition of Mars United Commerce complements and builds upon its current services in three primary ways.
Strategy and insights: Epsilon’s first-person identity data with Mars United’s proprietary data on shoppers and shopping behaviour will give clients 360-degree insight into purchase journeys and new opportunities to motivate shopper behaviour change.
Media and Activation: Combining the scale of Publicis Media with Mars United’s comprehensive understanding of retail organisations – including media, marketing, merchandising and operations – will help clients win the last mile of purchase in physical and digital locations with more efficient and effective campaigns.
Performance and Measurement: Merging insights into ecommerce sales and operations from Publicis’ digital shelf platform Profitero, with Mars United’s data set on commerce media performance will give clients a complete view of their commerce marketing performance – online and offline – and an unmatched ability to drive brand growth.
