What’s the future of data collaboration platforms?

Two deals stood out during the Q1 wave of consolidation in the ad tech and martech landscape, with activity from agency holding companies piquing interest: Publicis Groupe bought Lotame, while WPP acquired InfoSum.

These deals were notable as they represented holding companies writing big checks for ad tech or martech assets — let’s put the pending InterPublic Group (read Acxiom) merger with Omnicom to one side for now — rare occurrences in recent years, compared to similar M&A in the 2010s. 

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In both cases, the Madison Avenue stalwarts bought close bedfellows (see below), in quick succession. As one source, who requested anonymity as they were not cleared to speak with the press, said, “You usually see holdcos [sic] copy holdcos with acquisitions.”

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WTF is the digital services tax?

As President Donald Trump leans on tariffs as a global bargaining chip in trade negotiations, the digital services tax (DST) is back in the spotlight — this time as politicians across Europe weigh it as a potential point of leverage.

Below we break down what the DST is, how the U.S. has responded to it so far and what it could mean for the advertising industry.

What is the digital services tax?

The DST is a levy that’s been imposed by certain countries on revenue generated by digital services like social media platforms, search engines or even online marketplaces.

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