Publicis Groupe acquires influencer marketing platform Captiv8

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Publicis Groupe has acquired influencer marketing platform Captiv8 as it looks to supercharge its global creator marketing capabilities and bolster its position in social commerce.

The acquisition will see Captiv8 integrated into Publicis Connected Media and paired with Influential, another Publicis-owned influencer agency, to create what the group claims is the largest creator network in the world.

The combined Captiv8 and Influential will offer access to more than 15 million creators globally, covering 95% of influencers with over 5,000 followers. Some 90% of those have more than one million followers. This combined scale, powered by Captiv8’s AI-driven tech stack and Epsilon’s identity and activation data, positions Publicis to deliver unified creator strategies across social platforms, media channels and markets, Publicis said in a statement.

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Arthur Sadoun (pictured), global CEO of Publicis Groupe, said the deal strengthens the group’s “Category of One” positioning by connecting the scale and services of Influential with Captiv8’s technology and Epsilon’s data infrastructure.

“This platform is a one-stop-shop for our clients’ influencer marketing initiatives. They can uniquely unite, plan and optimise creator strategies that are brand fit, brand safe, with fully transparent measurement,” Sadoun said.

“With what is now the largest influencer community, underpinned by the most advanced tech platform, we can ignite earned-first programmes on behalf of brands, to supercharge campaigns with authentic virality and connect directly to commerce."

Captiv8 brings a comprehensive social commerce suite, branded storefronts, and a proprietary AI platform ranked as the top enterprise influencer solution by G2. The company supports clients in 120 countries and processes over 2.5 billion social posts annually.

“Captiv8 was built to unify the fragmented creator economy - turning influence into a commerce engine that drives real ROI," Krishna Subramanian, co-founder and CEO, said. "Publicis shares that vision for a fully connected, data-powered future. Together, we’re not just scaling creator marketing, we're transforming it into a global growth channel that delivers measurable impact from first impression to final purchase.”

The move also deepens Publicis’ capabilities in full-funnel influencer marketing, combining identity data, content and transactions to offer real-time measurement and business impact tracking.

“We look forward to combining the power of Captiv8’s award-winning platform with Influential and providing best-in-class capabilities to our clients. We’re excited to collaborate with Krishna and Sunil to co-author the future of global influencer marketing at Publicis," Ryan Detert, CEO of Influential, said.

The acquisition of Captiv8 also comes on the heels of Publicis Group's recent acquisition of identity and data solutions firm Lotame in March this year. The acquisition aims to expand the capabilities of its targeted marketing unit Epsilon. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025. Led by founder and CEO Andy Monfried, Lotame will be positioned as part of Epsilon, accessible to all Publicis clients and teams to enhance their ability to deliver personalised marketing services at scale.

Meanwhile, Publicis Groupe's acquisition of Influential was first announced in July last year. Under the partnership, Influential’s offering enables brands to source high-quality digital creators, curate impactful creative strategy, and activate, amplify and optimise digital media to drive real-world outcomes. Meanwhile, Publicis Groupe brings its understanding of consumers via Epsilon to better identify creators that meaningfully connect brands to their target customers and find their audiences across the entire internet.