• by Larissa Faw , September 10, 2018

Deloitte Digital is acquiring AI marketing specialist Magnetic Media Online to bolster the digital agency's personalized content and customer engagement expertise. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

Founded in 2008, Magnetic analyzes the attributes of over 350 million live user profiles alongside real-time inventory supply and bid opportunities to determine the optimal channel, timing, message and content for each consumer interaction. 

“We’re helping our clients make the shift from siloed advertising and marketing to real-time cross-channel experiences that are consistent across media, web, mobile, social and in the call center, with a store associate, or at the register," says Scott Mager, principal, Deloitte Consulting and leader of Deloitte Digital’s advertising, marketing and commerce practice. 

For now, Magnetic will retain its brand name and its offices will remain open and operate business as usual. Future plans, however, include incorporating Magnetic employees into Deloitte Digital offices around the country. For example, Magnetic Ann Arbor employees will join the Deloitte Digital Detroit office, San Francisco employees will join the Deloitte Digital San Francisco office, and NYC employees will join Deloitte Digital’s 330 Hudson office in Manhattan.  

Magnetic leaders will now work under Deloitte Consulting, specifically the Marketing & Experience Services group led by Angel Vaccaro. Magnetic's Paul Phillips (XSP chief technology officer), Sam Nunez (XSP chief platform officer), and Alex Kelleher (sales/marketing) will become part of Vaccaro’s team and most of the existing Magnetic team will continue to report into these leaders.

This acquisition is the result of Deloitte "deepening its investment in AI, machine learning and audience data analytics to deliver smarter, personalized, and more effective customer experiences on behalf of clients," says Vaccaro. "Based on our extensive market research, a sizeable and prime addressable market exists and is growing for these types of end-to-end CX services in order to create move value for our clients."