Acxiom Corporation

In 1969, a company called Demographics, Inc. was founded in Conway, Arkansas, by Charles D. Ward. Its initial purpose was straightforward: use phonebooks and other public records to create mailing lists for political campaigns. The business soon expanded into payroll processing and serving local companies. Leadership changed hands in 1975 to Charles D. Morgan, who began to shape the company's future in the nascent direct mail industry. A series of name changes reflected its evolving business, but a key moment came in 1983 when the company, then called CCX Network, Inc., went public. In 1988, it adopted its modern name: Acxiom Corporation. Throughout the 1990s, Acxiom grew significantly by securing large, long-term contracts with major corporations in finance, insurance, and retail. The company became a powerhouse in collecting, analyzing, and selling consumer and business information for targeted advertising. In 2014, Acxiom acquired data onboarding company LiveRamp for $310 million, enhancing its ability to connect digital data with offline identities. A pivotal shift occurred in 2018 when the global advertising network Interpublic Group (IPG) acquired Acxiom's core Marketing Solutions division for $2.3 billion in cash. The remaining part of the company was spun off and rebranded as LiveRamp. Acxiom now operates as a standalone division within IPG, continuing its work in data management and marketing services.