In this exclusive interview with ExchangeWire, Harmony Murphy, GM Advertising UK at eBay and The Wires Global 2021 judge, outlines the key elements constituting a successful brand partnership, and how these are set to change over 2021-2022 as the coronavirus pandemic continues to ebb and flow. How did the coronavirus pandemic affect the formation of brand partnerships? What will change as restriction measures ease, and what will remain? At their core, brand partnerships are built around a deep mutual understanding of clients [...]

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In today’s ExchangeWire daily news digest: Captify sells majority stake to SFW Capital; Revolut raises USD$800m (£578m); and Alibaba and Tencent mull cooperation. Captify sells majority stake to SFW Capital Search intelligence platform Captify has announced that it has sold a majority stake to US private equity firm SFW Capital Partners for an undisclosed sum. This year London-based Captify celebrates ten years since launch, as well as five years in the US market. The investment will be used to accelerate the firm’s [...]

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In this weekly segment, ExchangeWire sums up key industry updates in media, marketing, and commerce, from around the globe. In this edition: Danish media companies in collective bargaining push; Blackstone backs Simpli.fi; Amazon demanding warrants from partners; System1 to go public via SPAC. Danish media companies in collective bargaining push A near-30-strong collective of Danish media companies has been formed to negotiate with major US tech companies, such as Google and Facebook, over payment for online use of their material. The group, [...]

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In today’s daily news digest from ExchangeWire: System1 to go public via SPAC; Smart acquires DynAdmic; and Dream Games raises USD$155m (£122m). System1 to go public via SPAC Omnichannel customer acquisition platform System1 has announced that it will go public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) via a reverse-merger with the Trebia Acquisition Corp. special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The combination will be financed by USD$400m in debt commitments and a USD$200m equity backstop provided by Cannae Holdings Inc., which will [...]

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In today’s daily news digest from ExchangeWire: Group Black launches with USD$75m (£54m) backing; Amazon demanding warrants from partners; and Retina raises USD$8m (£5.8m). Group Black launches with USD$75m (£54m) backing Group Black Inc., a collective of media companies with the shared goal of advancing opportunity and investment for Black ownership within the global media industry, has launched with USD$75m in backing from WPP’s GroupM unit. The collective will utilise a two-pronged approach when advocating for increased Black ownership within the ecosystem: [...]

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In today’s ExchangeWire daily news digest: Blackstone backs Simpli.fi; Tapcart raises USD$50m (£36m); and ShipBob secures USD$200m (£144m). Blackstone backs Simpli.fi US private equity firm Blackstone has acquired a majority stake in programmatic advertising and agency workflow software provider Simpli.fi, at a valuation of USD$1.5bn (£1.1bn). Fellow PE investor GTCR, which acquired its holdings in Simpli.fi in 2017, will retain a significant stake in the Texas-based firm, with both holding equal representation on the board of directors. As well as continuing the [...]

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In today’s ExchangeWire daily news digest: Danish media companies in collective bargaining push; Amazon acquires Art19; and Voyager raises USD$167m (£120m) Danish media companies in collective bargaining push A near-30-strong collective of Danish media companies has been formed to negotiate with major US tech companies, such as Google and Facebook, over payment for online use of their material. The group, which includes state broadcaster DR; TV2; Berlingske; JP/Politikens Hus; and Zetland, is based upon the EU Copyright Directive which entered into force [...]

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In today’s ExchangeWire daily news digest: Skillz to acquire Aarki; Etsy purchases Depop for USD$1.625bn (£1.148bn); and Accenture Interactive expands to SEA via Entropia acquisition. Skillz to acquire Aarki Mobile gaming and esports platform Skillz has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase demand-side platform (DSP) Aarki for approximately USD$150m (£106m) in cash and share capital. According to statements announcing the merger, the combination of the two brings together Skillz’s comprehensive first-party data holdings with Aarki’s purported reach [...]

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In today’s ExchangeWire daily news digest: Zeta Global targets USD$273m (£192m) in IPO; InMobi in rumoured talks to acquire Shop101; and Tapad exits European market. Zeta Global targets USD$273m (£192m) in IPO Data-driven omnichannel marketing platform Zeta Global has set price terms for its upcoming IPO, with the New York-based firm aiming to raise up to USD$272.7 (£192.2m) at a valuation of USD$2.3bn (£1.6bn) in its upcoming IPO on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker “ZETA”. A total of [...]

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Facebook, Amazon and Google are unbeatable; just go and work for them. This is what the evolved part of your brain tells you on a daily basis. And, to a certain extent, it’s not wrong given how many senior ad tech people are finding refuge with the monopolies. It’s an easy life with free food – a place where you can coast until you are ready for your retirement. Yawn. Now here is the counterpoint. Yes, in display advertising these three [...]

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