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Publicis Bid for Criteo Back On?
Paris-based ad technology firm Criteo is once again a target for Publicis Groupe, according to unconfirmed rumours last week from sources including French financial daily Les Echos.
 The companies first entered discussions before the proposed mega-merger between Publicis and US rival Omnicom, called off in May this year. Both Publicis and Criteo have thus far refused to confirm or deny that talks have resumed, and an unnamed source told Reuters on Friday that the reports were 'unfounded.'
Criteo combines predictive software with insights into consumer intent and purchasing habits, to deliver targeted ads in real time. Last month, it expanded the role of COO Eric Eichmann (pictured) to include that of President, succeeding Greg Coleman who left to join online news aggregator BuzzFeed; and in July, it enhanced its platform to enable advertisers to target consumers with individually personalized ads in 'more than 130 countries.'
Last week's rumours sparked a sharp rise in the share price of Criteo, which went public last October and has a market capitalization of around $1.8bn.
The firm has fifteen offices across the US, Europe and Asia and more than 1,000 employees, and is online at www.criteo.com .
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