Azerion and Captify Partner to Boost Search Intelligence in France and Italy

Azerion and Captify yesterday announced a strategic partnership aimed at expanding the reach of search-powered, cookieless audience solutions in France and Italy. This collaboration, unveiled just one day ago, will enable advertisers in these markets to access advanced targeting capabilities based on open web search data, addressing the growing need for privacy-compliant advertising solutions. The partnership not only combines Azerion's vast user base with Captify's sophisticated search data analysis but also involves the transfer of Captify's sales operations in France and Italy to Azerion.

The digital advertising landscape has been undergoing significant changes in recent years, driven by increasing privacy concerns and regulatory pressures. The impending deprecation of third-party cookies has forced advertisers and ad tech companies to seek alternative targeting methods that respect user privacy while maintaining advertising effectiveness. This partnership between Azerion and Captify represents a strategic move to address these challenges head-on.

Azerion, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Amsterdam, has established itself as one of Europe's largest digital advertising platforms. The company boasts an impressive reach of over 500 million average monthly users, providing advertisers with a vast audience across various digital channels. Azerion's platform strategy focuses on connecting advertisers with their target audiences while helping European publishers create and monetize engaging content.

Captify, on the other hand, brings to the table its expertise in Search Intelligence. Founded in the UK in 2011, Captify has expanded its operations to several markets, including France in 2015 and Italy in 2019. The company's unique selling point is its access to the largest onsite search dataset outside of walled gardens like Google and Facebook. This dataset allows Captify to provide real-time insights into consumer interests, mindsets, attitudes, and intent without relying on traditional cookie-based tracking methods.

The partnership will see Captify's search-powered, cookieless audience solutions integrated into Azerion's existing offerings. This integration will add depth to Azerion's already extensive user base, providing advertisers in France and Italy with more sophisticated targeting options. Buyers in these markets will be able to access Captify's audiences through curated deals in their preferred demand-side platforms (DSPs) and through Azerion's managed service offering.

One of the most significant aspects of this partnership is the transfer of Captify's existing sales operations in France and Italy to Azerion. This move includes the responsibility for existing customers and the transition of Captify's commercial operations and sales teams in these countries to Azerion. The goal of this transition is to support the growth of the business with both new and existing client relationships and operational functions.

Mickael Ferreira, Azerion's VP of Operations, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating that Captify's Search Intelligence product aligns well with Azerion's suite of cookieless solutions across various channels, including web, audio, connected TV (CTV), and digital out-of-home (DOOH). This integration is expected to add significant value to the experience Azerion offers its customers.

Mike Welch, CEO of Captify, highlighted the potential of this partnership to accelerate access to their unique Search Intelligence capabilities in France and Italy. By leveraging Azerion's scaled commercial footprint in these markets, more buyers will be able to take advantage of Captify's cookieless, real-time audiences across multiple channels. This timing is particularly crucial as cookie-based signals are set to be deprecated in the near future.

The collaboration between Azerion and Captify comes at a critical juncture in the digital advertising industry. As privacy regulations tighten and major browsers phase out third-party cookies, advertisers and publishers are scrambling to find effective alternatives for audience targeting and measurement. Search Intelligence, as offered by Captify, presents a compelling solution to this challenge.

Captify's approach to audience targeting relies on analyzing search behavior across more than 3 million websites globally. This vast dataset provides insights into consumer intent that are not dependent on personal identifiers or tracking cookies. Instead, the company uses machine learning technology to make these search behaviors actionable for advertisers. This method allows for the creation of flexible, cookieless, omnichannel solutions that can bring brands new, real-time audiences while providing publishers with greater yield and consumers with more relevant digital experiences.

The integration of Captify's technology into Azerion's platform is expected to have several significant impacts on the digital advertising ecosystem in France and Italy. Firstly, it will provide advertisers in these markets with access to more sophisticated, privacy-compliant targeting options. This is particularly important as both countries have implemented strict data protection regulations in line with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Secondly, the partnership is likely to strengthen Azerion's position in the French and Italian markets. By acquiring Captify's sales operations and integrating its technology, Azerion can offer a more comprehensive suite of services to advertisers and publishers in these countries. This move aligns with Azerion's strategy of expanding its European footprint and enhancing its technological capabilities.

For Captify, the partnership allows the company to focus its resources on growing its core markets of the US, UK, and Australia, while still maintaining a presence in France and Italy through its technology integration with Azerion. This strategic decision reflects the competitive nature of the European digital advertising market and the need for companies to allocate resources efficiently.

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