Conversant

Conversant, currently the digital media arm of Epsilon, has a rich history rooted in the evolution of digital advertising. The company's journey began as ValueClick, founded in July 1997 by Brian Coryat, a notable pioneer in internet marketing. Coryat, who also founded early internet ventures like AAA Internet Promotions and Web-Ignite, introduced a performance-based cost-per-click (CPC) model in 1998, a significant shift from the industry-standard cost-per-impression (CPM) model. This allowed online advertisers to pay only when a user clicked on their ad. James Zarley joined as chairman in 1998 and took over as CEO in May 1999, leading the company through its IPO in 2000 and subsequent growth.

Operating in the ad technology and digital marketing space, Conversant provides data-driven marketing solutions to businesses, brands, and retailers seeking to personalize their engagement with consumers. The firm's business model revolves around leveraging extensive consumer data and technology to create and deliver targeted digital advertising in real-time. This is accomplished through a suite of services that includes affiliate marketing, display and video advertising, and cross-device targeting. Revenue is generated by providing these personalized marketing campaigns and analytics services to its clients.

In February 2014, ValueClick rebranded to Conversant to better reflect its strategic focus on providing personalized marketing at scale. This move consolidated its various business units, including ValueClick Media, Mediaplex, and CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction), into a single, integrated platform. This platform combines data from various channels to create a unified view of the consumer, enabling highly targeted and individualized marketing messages. A significant milestone occurred in September 2014, when Alliance Data Systems acquired Conversant for approximately $2.3 billion, aiming to bolster its digital marketing capabilities. Conversant was then merged with Epsilon, another Alliance Data acquisition. Subsequently, in 2019, Publicis Groupe acquired the entire Epsilon business, including Conversant, from Alliance Data for $4.4 billion, integrating it into one of the world's largest marketing and communications conglomerates.

Keywords: digital media, personalized marketing, ad technology, affiliate marketing, data-driven advertising, cost-per-click, consumer engagement, Epsilon, Publicis Groupe, ValueClick, CJ Affiliate, digital advertising, cross-channel marketing, real-time bidding, marketing analytics, customer relationship management, performance marketing, display advertising, lead generation, online advertising network