Dive Brief: 

• Starcom MediaVest, part of Publicis Groupe, has entered a multi-year deal with data giant Acxiom, which has never in 40 years had a deal with an agency.  
• According to the deal, Starcom now has access to Acxiom's Audience Operating System -- a system that allows for audience segmentation and targeting across media online and offline. 
• The goal of the deal is for Starcom and Acxiom to develop new applications for the system, like TV ad targeting. 

Dive Insight: 

Because Starcom is part of Publicis Groupe, Publicis now has the option to expand access to Acxiom's system to their other agencies. This will give Publicis yet another advantage heading into the mega-merger with Omnicom. The fact that Acxiom has avoided any agency deals in 40 years suggests a shift in the industry as a whole, as Acxiom must see value in the ability to target on a large scale with an agency like Starcom.