Type Subsidiary Area served Worldwide Founded January 1998 | Industry Internet
Media Company Founder Brian Coryat Parent organization Alliance Data | |
Website www.conversantmedia.com Headquarters Plano, Texas, United States Subsidiaries Commission Junction, Greystripe, Mediaplex, Inc Profiles | ||
Conversant (known as ValueClick before 2014) is an online advertising company. It provides online advertising campaigns and programs for advertisers and advertising agency customers in the United States and internationally. The company was founded by Brian Coryat in 1998 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.
Contents
- Doing more online with less through better attribution elliott clayton conversant
- Segments
- Acquisitions
- Controversy
- References
Conversant’s customers include advertisers, advertising agencies, and traffic distribution partners.
In February 2015, the company was named number three on the Top 20 Ad Networks/Buy Side Networks by comScore.
Doing more online with less through better attribution elliott clayton conversant
Segments
Conversant operates in five segments: Media, Affiliate Marketing, Online Publishing, Mobile, and Technology.
Acquisitions
In 2000, ValueClick absorbed a number of smaller companies, including the San Francisco Bay Area-based ClickAgents, onResponse, and ZMedia. Other companies that were acquired by ValueClick include Mediaplex, Be Free, Commission Junction, Hi-Speed Media, E-Babylon, and Webclients.
In 2004, ValueClick acquired two search properties, Search123 and Simpli, and the price comparison web site PriceRunner.
In August 2005, ValueClick agreed to acquire rival ad network Fastclick.
In December 2006 they announced the purchase of Shopping.net, an online shopping directory, for $13.3 million.
In July 2007, ValueClick paid up to $352 million to acquire MeziMedia, operator of the Smarter and Coupon Mountain comparison shopping web sites. MeziMedia was later renamed to ValueClick Brands in January 2010.
In August 2010, ValueClick paid $42 million to acquire Investopedia, a leading financial information website from Forbes.
In April 2011, ValueClick paid $75 million in cash to acquire Greystripe, a leading mobile advertising network serves rich media advertising to over 30 million users of smartphones and other touch-screen devices across all major mobile platforms.
In August 2011, ValueClick acquired Dotomi, a dynamic display ad optimization firm for $295 million.
In November 2013, ValueClick sold its media properties (Investopedia, PriceRunner) to IAC.
In February 2014, ValueClick changed its name to Conversant.
In 2014, Alliance Data acquired Conversant.
Controversy
In March 2008, ValueClick paid $2.9 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceived consumers with offers of prizes such as laptops and iPods to complete surveys, by means of tempting invitations such as ‘Free PS3 for survey’.