Foursquare vs InMarket

AdExchanger Podcast: Infillion-Foursquare, Taboola-Dianomi, WarnerMount Merger

This AdExchanger podcast episode discusses two ad tech acquisitions from last Friday: Infillion's acquisition of Foursquare, adding location data to its ad tech stack, and Taboola's acquisition of Dianomi, targeting the finance vertical. Editor-in-Chief Allison Schiff provides rationale and potential synergies. The episode also covers the Warner Bros.-Paramount merger, now dubbed 'WarnerMount', as the major antitrust hurdle was resolved when California and 11 other states settled their lawsuit. Paramount had threatened to leave California, which pressured the settlement. A new legal challenge emerged but is seen as less formidable. The discussion highlights the strategic moves in ad tech consolidation and the significant regulatory scrutiny on major media mergers.

• Infillion acquired Foursquare, adding location data to its ad tech stack.
• Taboola made an offer to acquire ad network Dianomi to target the finance vertical.
• California and 11 other states settled an antitrust lawsuit against the Warner Bros.-Paramount merger.

Infillion Acquires Foursquare; McCann Merges FP7 & MullenLowe in MENA

This digest covers two major advertising industry developments. First, Infillion, an advertising technology company, has acquired Foursquare, the location data and technology platform. This acquisition will combine Infillion's ad delivery capabilities with Foursquare's location intelligence to enhance cross-channel advertising, particularly for CTV and in-store attribution. Second, McCann Worldgroup has merged its agencies FP7 McCann and MullenLowe in the MENA region to create a unified agency brand, McCann. This consolidation aims to streamline operations and enhance McCann's integrated marketing offerings across the Middle East and North Africa.

• Infillion acquires Foursquare, combining ad tech with location data and attribution.
• The acquisition of Foursquare is aimed at enhancing connected TV and cross-channel advertising capabilities.
• McCann Worldgroup merges FP7 McCann and MullenLowe in the MENA region.

Infillion Acquires Foursquare to Bolster Location Data

Infillion, a rapidly expanding ad tech company, has acquired Foursquare, a location intelligence company, to enhance its omnichannel platform. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Foursquare, known for its consumer check-in app, pivoted to B2B location data, covering over 100 million points of interest and serving clients like Apple Maps and Uber. Infillion's CEO, Rob Emrich, stated the company will remain an active acquirer as clients prefer omnichannel solutions. This acquisition follows Infillion's purchase of Catalina in February and MediaMath in 2023, reflecting its strategy to combine physical world data for better attribution.

• Infillion acquires Foursquare, adding location data to its ad tech stack.
• Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
• Foursquare covers 100 million points of interest and 250 million US devices.

Why SChain Validation Deserves More Attention in Programmatic

This article from IAB Tech Lab discusses the importance of the SupplyChain object (schain) in programmatic advertising for ensuring supply path transparency. It explains how schain records every entity that handled a bid request, but emphasizes that declaring a chain is not the same as validating it. Validation involves cross-checking each node against the public ads.txt and sellers.json files. The article highlights common issues like fabricated hops, duplicate seller IDs, and obfuscated bundle IDs. It urges exchanges, SSPs, and DSPs to implement and continuously validate schain to combat ad fraud, build trust, and protect revenue. The piece also mentions IAB Tech Lab's automated validation service and a proposed 1.1 update to the spec.

• The SupplyChain object (schain) records every entity that handled a bid request, starting from the original publisher.
• Validation of schain involves checking each node against public ads.txt and sellers.json files.
• A reseller must insert their own node into the chain when taking custody of a bid request, or the object becomes invalid.

Attentive VP Jema Birkmeyer Discusses AI's Role in Lifecycle Marketing

In a MarTech Series interview, Jema Birkmeyer, VP of Strategic Accounts at Attentive, discusses the evolving landscape of lifecycle marketing as AI and agentic AI take on more campaign decisions. She highlights a shift from rule-based marketing to direction-setting, where AI handles millions of real-time decisions about audience, messaging, timing, and channel, allowing marketers to focus on strategy and creativity. Birkmeyer emphasizes the need to balance short-term conversions with long-term customer value, noting that 65% of shoppers are open to more relevant messages, while 80% ignore irrelevant ones. She discusses the changing role of segmentation, the importance of deliberate testing for creative and strategy, and the risk of brands losing relevance through over-automation. The interview underscores that AI enhances but does not replace the need for human insight and creativity in building lasting customer relationships.

• Jema Birkmeyer is VP of Strategic Accounts at Attentive.
• Attentive is an omnichannel marketing platform for SMS, email, RCS, and push.
• 65% of shoppers are open to more messages if relevant; 80% ignore irrelevant messages.

InMarket Blog: New Posts on Pinterest, TikTok, Madhive Partnership, and Measurement Insights

InMarket published new blog posts covering Pinterest campaign analysis, interviews with CPG Guys and TikTok's Ann Nguyen, a Madhive partnership announcement, foot traffic measurement 101, and Cannes insights.