Dive Brief: 

• Interpublic Group acquired e-commerce retail analytics company Intelligence Node to supplement the audience data and identity information the holding company already gets through Acxiom, according to a release. Terms were not disclosed, though reports indicated the deal was worth nearly $100 million.
• Founded in 2012, Intelligence Node uses artificial intelligence to analyze data across more than 1,900 retail categories in 34 global markets, providing real-time insights into product attributes, media, pricing availability, promotions and consumer sentiment.
• The acquisition comes on the heels of IPG selling off digital agency Huge to private investment firm AEA investors. Under its new ownership, Huge will be partnered with Hero Digital within AEA, according to a release. Terms of that deal were not disclosed.

Dive Insight:

IPG’s acquisition of Intelligence Node demonstrates once again how marketers are looking to provide full-funnel solutions to their clients. Earlier this year, Publicis Groupe acquired Mars United to provide a better end-to-end commerce strategy, and last year Omnicom purchased Flywheel Digital for much the same reason. 

The acquisition of Intelligence Node, which was announced Dec. 5, arrived before the announcement on Dec. 9 that Omnicom plans to acquire IPG. That deal is expected to close during the second half of 2025.

While IPG already has an established consumer marketing and data unit through Acxiom, the addition of Intelligence Node provides the holding company with real-time product and commerce data. Combined, information from the Acxiom and Intelligence Node will create a “comprehensive view of customers and products, offering brands and retailers unmatched capabilities to maximize market share,” according to the release.

Intelligence Node’s capabilities will also offer IPG greater insights across the growing retail media landscape, providing granular data on clients’ competitor advertising for more effective and efficient media investment.

“As commerce and retail media continue their rapid convergence, actionable data is paramount to maximizing brand performance,” said Philippe Krakowsky, CEO of Interpublic, in the release. “Intelligence Node's robust platform provides the real-time market-wide signals that brands need to optimize retail media campaigns, commerce strategies, and ultimately drive performance in today's highly competitive digital landscape.”

IPG has been working to improve its overall performance, which has suffered the past year from a pullback in spending from tech clients, client losses and under performance from its tech agencies. The company said during its October earnings call that it hoped mergers and acquisitions in the commerce space would help drive growth.