• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, December 3, 2024

PubMatic today announced an expansion of its partnership with Western Union to include commerce media.

This expanded partnership will leverage PubMatic’s sell-side platform (SSP) capabilities to improve onsite monetization while using the 173-year-old brand's extensive first-party data.

Putting it all into perspective, Western Union was founded in 1851, prior to the Civil War. Now it is using first-party data online to offset audience extensions via PubMatic's Convert, a self-service platform designed for commerce media networks to manage and monetize online advertising inventory across various formats like sponsored product listings, video, display and connected television (CTV).

Tim Rogers, vice president of commerce media at PubMatic, believes that by merging its top-tier media inventory and SSP technology with Western Union’s audience insights, the companies will create highly customized advertising opportunities to reach a diverse set of multicultural consumers online and offline through electronic media.

Chris Hammer, senior vice president of the Western Union Media Network, said the collaboration will enable brands to engage with the company’s diverse global customers in a more meaningful way. The company knowns digital is crucial to its ability to acquire and retain new customers and reflects the omnichannel experience provided to customers.

U.S. ad spend on financial media networks like Western Union Media Network is expected to more than quadruple during the next two years -- growing from $350 million in 2024 to $1.5 billion in 2026, according to Emarketer data.

Early in November, Western Union launched its media business to offer advertisers a link to diverse and unique multicultural audiences. It’s an interesting channel to advanced targeting options that gives brands this type of channel to personalize customer experiences and engagement through data and access to first-person transactional data and insights, multichannel digital engagement across websites, its mobile app, and a network of digital out-of-home (DOOH) screens.

From Western Union's earliest beginnings, the company has advanced technology to connect people -- always staying focused on bringing people closer to the places and loved ones that matter most, according to the company. As part of its ongoing commitment to serving customers’ evolving needs, it has focused on not only embracing digital services but accelerating its growth.