Update: July 29, 2020 – The acquisition has closed and 4C is now a part of Mediaocean.
New York and Chicago, July 13, 2020 – Mediaocean, the leading global system of record for the advertising world, and 4C Insights Inc. (4C), a global data science and marketing technology company, announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement whereby Mediaocean will acquire 4C. Infusing 4C’s intelligence and optimization into Mediaocean’s foundational platform for end-to-end media management will establish a modern system of record for omnichannel advertising.
“The COVID crisis will be remembered as a tipping point in the digital disruption of many industries including advertising,” said Bill Wise, CEO of Mediaocean. “Mediaocean and 4C together will lead the evolution of modern omnichannel advertising by addressing the needs of global marketers and agencies – transparency, neutrality, intelligence and accountability. I couldn’t be more excited to lead this transformation for the company and the industry.”
“Joining Mediaocean is a game-changer for our clients and the industry, fulfilling the promise of true cross-channel advertising,” said Lance Neuhauser, CEO and Co-Founder of 4C. “Marketers need to market the way consumers consume efficiently across all devices and screens. Mediaocean and 4C’s combined solution will be the independent, self-serve platform to anchor marketers, agencies, publishers, and broadcasters across converged media.”
“Consumer behavior is changing drastically, and we need to be able to reach people where and how they want,” said Deborah Wahl, Global CMO of General Motors. “I am excited to see how this combination can help marketers understand how to deliver people-based experiences more effectively.”
Dr. Alok Choudhary, Chairman, Chief Scientist, and Founder of 4C, added, “When we started the company in 2011, our goal was to harness the power of data science and AI to help brands reach their goals. As we integrate our intelligence into Mediaocean’s system of record, we will revolutionize the marketing landscape.”
The global advertising industry is a $700 billion market1 undergoing major transformation. In a fragmented media landscape, marketers and agencies have struggled to execute on marketing investment across geographies, media channels, devices, and audiences. Buyers and sellers alike are calling for a more integrated, automated, and data-driven marketplace. Mediaocean’s acquisition of 4C will solve these challenges, adding intelligence and optimization to its system of record for omnichannel advertising.
Scope by 4C™ is the leading closed ecosystems platform (CEP) for marketers to drive business outcomes across linear and connected television as well as digital commerce and social media. Mediaocean and 4C first announced a partnership and integration in September of 2017. In Q3 2019, 4C was named a Leader in “The Forrester New Wave™: Cross-Channel Video Advertising Platforms.” 4C was also selected as a Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice for AdTech 20202 and is ranked first in customer satisfaction for Enterprise Cross-Channel Advertising Software on G2 Crowd.
The terms of the deal were not disclosed and is expected to close in July 2020. GCA Advisors, LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor to 4C in connection with the transaction and Cooley LLP acted as 4C’s legal advisor. Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal counsel to Mediaocean.
About Mediaocean
Mediaocean is the global system of record for the advertising world, bringing together brands, agencies, media owners, technology, and data partners. A platform to control critical data related to marketing investments, Mediaocean enables end-to-end management of campaigns from planning, buying, and selling to analyzing, optimizing, invoicing, and payments. Mediaocean processes $150 billion in annual media spend, employs 950 people, and is part of the Vista Equity Partners portfolio of software companies. Visit www.mediaocean.com for more information.
About 4C Insights
4C has built the leading self-service intelligence platform for marketers to drive business outcomes across closed ecosystems. Brands, agencies, and media companies around the world trust the Scope CEP (closed ecosystems platform) to surface insights about their most valuable consumers and creatives and activate them across screens. With over $2 billion in annualized advertising spend running through Scope, 4C bridges linear television, streaming video, digital commerce, and social media. Based in Chicago, 4C has staff in 15 worldwide locations throughout the United States, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, and the Philippines. The company was founded in 2011 and is backed by Jump Capital, Prime Ventures, and Kayne Partners. Visit www.4Cinsights.com for more information.
1 Source: eMarketer Worldwide Total Media Advertising Spending, 2021
2 Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice constitute the subjective opinions of individual end-user reviews, ratings, and data applied against a documented methodology; they neither represent the views of, nor constitute an endorsement by, Gartner or its affiliates. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
