This week’s round-up of the latest mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, and account moves includes Amazon Ads, LinkedIn, Omnicom, Version 1 and CreateFuture.
Deal Desk is a new series from Affiliate Leaders, which rounds-up the latest moves across the global affiliate and digital marketing industry and why it matters.
This week, Amazon Ads expands its partnership with LinkedIn; Version 1 acquires CreateFuture; and Omnicom quietly moves Flywheel under its media division.
Amazon Ads partners with LinkedIn to reach B2B audiences via CTV
Amazon Ads latest collaboration with LinkedIn will enable advertisers to reach professional audiences through the social platform’s connected TV (CTV) ads via Amazon DSP.
The partnership will see LinkedIn’s first-party audience signals from more than one billion members – including job titles, industries, and seniority – brought into streaming TV inventory through Microsoft Monetise.
Advertisers can buy this inventory through Amazon DSP in the US to reach B2B audiences at scale across streaming TV channels.
Chris Conetta, director of omnichannel supply at Amazon Ads, said: “Advertisers are building full-funnel strategies on Amazon DSP, and they want more ways to reach the audiences that matter most for their brands.
“By combining LinkedIn’s audiences with the scale and impact of streaming TV, advertisers now have the opportunity to reach B2B audiences alongside Amazon audiences through their Amazon DSP buys.”
David Roter, senior director, head of global agencies and video solutions at LinkedIn, added: “B2B marketers want to reach decision‑makers where they’re spending time – and streaming TV is an essential part of that mix.
“This collaboration with Amazon DSP expands how advertisers can buy LinkedIn CTV ads, while still reaching the buyers that matter most to deliver measurable business outcomes at scale.”
Leaders take
This collaboration builds on Amazon Ad’s partnership with Microsoft and utilises first-party data for B2B audiences. Marketers can already plan, buy and optimise full-funnel campaigns across CTV, display, online video and audio using Amazon DSP’s. Now they have the ability to activate LinkedIn audiences alongside Amazon audiences within the same campaign.
This not only helps solve some of the fragmentation around media buying for B2B and B2C audiences, but also allows marketers to tap into an audience group they were previously unable to, which could improve business outcomes. As a result, Amazon is positioning itself as a one-stop shop for advertisers.
Version 1 acquires iGaming marketing consultancy CreateFuture
AI and digital marketing consultancy Version 1 has agreed to acquire CreateFuture for an undisclosed amount.
CreateFuture, an AI-focused marketing tech firm, works with clients in highly regulated industries including igaming, financial services, and utilities.
Roop Singh, chief executive at Version 1, said: “This acquisition is a strong strategic fit for Version 1, strengthening our capabilities and expanding the markets we serve.
“CreateFuture is an exceptional business, with high-calibre talent, deep client relationships and sector expertise that directly complements our own. They have built something genuinely impressive for clients, leveraging AI-driven capabilities with a flexible and agile approach, and have delivered sustained growth ahead of the market.
“This is a growth acquisition and reflects exactly where we are as a business, confident in our people, clear on our strategy and ready for what comes next.”
Euan Andrews, founder of CreateFuture, added: “We started CreateFuture 16 years ago with a simple belief that the best work happens when great people are trusted to do great work for clients who care about the outcome.
“That belief has not changed, and this partnership accelerates our ambition for CreateFuture with a highly culturally aligned partner in Version 1. It enables us to better serve our clients with enhanced capability and scale whilst unlocking significant opportunities for our team members.”
The CreateFuture leadership team will continue to manage existing teams and client engagement.
The acquisition is subject to regulator approval.
Leaders take
CreateFuture has worked with large enterprise companies within igaming and other sectors where technical precision and regulatory compliance is critical. The company has used AI to drive digital transformation at scale and now, combined with Version 1, it can offer its expertise to clients across a wider range of industries.
Omnicom merges Flywheel and Omni into media group
Omnicom’s data and commerce media unit Flywheel has been quietly moved under the Omnicom Media Group (OMG) global arm, headed up by Florian Adamski.
Omni, the holding company’s operating system that connects all its agencies to its data and intelligence gathering platform, has also moved back into OMG.
The move was confirmed when the firm announced Christine Gambino’s promotion to oversee Omni; and Alex McCord’s (the former Flywheel chief exec) to head of commerce at Omnicom.
This news follows the network agency launching its first AI-powered creative intelligence system, in partnership with Google, in the Middle East.
Leaders take
Flywheel has always worked in close proximity to OMG since the holdco acquired it in 2023. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that Omnicom has quietly moved it under its media division now the Omnicom-Interpublic Group merger has completed. Its operating system, Omni, has benefitted from the data fed by Flywheel and is set to gain even more traction with IPG’s Axicom data being fed in.
By moving the pair under OMG, the group appears to be focusing on its ability to tap into signals across commerce, purchase, and sales to create more robust transactional data which can be used to optimise campaigns across the full-funnel.
Other key deals
Smartly completes the acquisition of adtech firm INCRMNTAL. The move will see the firms combine measurement with real-time creative and media optimisation to give advertisers greater clarity, control and confidence.
Luxury marketing collective The Independents, is holding talks with investors over selling more than a $1bn stake in the businesses. The firm operates 20 creative agencies across Europe, US and Asia.
Teads expands its partnership with Lumen Research to introduce attention measurement across CTV. The agreement gives Teads access to Lumen’s CTV attention measurement data for homescreen placements across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.
InMobi has acquired MobileAction, an AI-powered app growth and analytics platform. The acquisition looks to strengthen InMobi’s advertising arm by expanding its marketing capabilities.
Slice Digital, New Zealand-based affiliate marketing network, is closing its doors at the end of May. The company confirmed tracking and campaign activity will cease from 15 May, with the platform shutting down entirely on 31 May.
