Metadata.io calls itself “the operating system for B2B marketers”, which is a bit grandiose. But what they do, which is use AI to automate and optimize paid ad campaigns, including lead enrichment, is still pretty impressive. They just raised a $40 million Series B to do more of it.
LinkedIn has purchased advertising analytics startup Oribi, which helps companies to measure website conversions. The move will support LinkedIn’s burgeoning “marketing solutions” business, which the company said grew 43% year-on-year. I think “marketing solutions” means advertising.
Salesforce announced a deal to buy Traction on Demand, a consultancy specializing in building solutions on Salesforce platforms. They’re reportedly the largest in the industry, with about 1,500 people if LinkedIn has it right. We don’t usually report on consultancy acquisitions, but this does give an idea of what Salesforce thinks will drive more sales.
Procrastinators of the world can throw a party whenever they get around to it: Google has once more pushed back complete third-party cookie deprecation. The new target is “early next year.” Reasons for the delay include concerns expressed by U.K. data regulator Information Commissioner’s Office, an ongoing inquiry by the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority, and widespread discontent in the advertising ecosystem.