Inmar to Acquire AKI Technologies

Inmar Intelligence, a data and tech-enabled services company, has agreed to acquire San Francisco-based Aki Technologies, a digital marketing company specializing in personalized advertising and digital circulars. The acquisition will add Aki Technologies’ ability to deliver personalization at scale to Inmar’s existing retail media offerings that are driven by first-party consumer data.

Consumers increasingly expect above-and-beyond convenience and relevance from retailers and brands with whom they engage, says the Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Inmar. “The booming retail media category boasts superior consumer data as one of its foundational advantages. But most offerings lack the technology required to create personalized experiences at scale, especially when it comes to digital engagements like paid media and offers,” the company adds.

Through the acquisition, Inmar seeks to enhance its retail data media solution with the addition of patented personalization technology to create more relevant experiences, including high-performing personalized contextual advertising, personalized virtual circulars featuring digital coupons and price promotions, and personalized offer-based advertising, says Inmar, which adds that real-time measurement of these tactics and their impact on in-store and online sales will also be available.

“Retailers need technology to scale and meet consumers’ growing expectations, especially when it comes to relevant engagement,” said Aaron Kechley, general manager, media and data for Inmar Intelligence, in a statement. “The combination of Aki with Inmar’s ShopperSync customer data offerings, will uniquely enable retailers to more powerfully use data to create impactful, personalized consumer experiences at scale. Aki’s moments methodology helps retailers to effectively connect with consumers by identifying when consumers are most receptive to advertising and then using multi-patented personalization technology to serve up the best deals and promotions that will resonate with them at a particular moment.”

“Early on, we set out for Aki to become the company that would help great businesses grow by building more powerful interactions between brands and their audiences. This vision drove us to create a methodology that would be future-proof for the years to come,” said Scott Swanson, CEO of Aki Technologies. “With the capabilities and assets Inmar Intelligence offers, we couldn’t think of a more inspiring alliance to help accelerate the growth of Aki’s technology to its full potential and deliver further value to our customers and their consumers.”

Inmar Intelligence was named a “leader” in the Forrester Wave: Sell-Side Retail Media Solutions Q3 2021 Report. “Inmar’s longstanding loyalty and in-store media solutions paved the way for its modern sell-side retail media solution that aims to enhance retailers’ digital transformation, loyalty and profitability goals,” wrote Forrester Senior Analyst Collin Colburn in the report.

Aki holds four personalization technology patents and does not rely on personally identifiable information. As such, Aki will arm Inmar Intelligence with additional contextual advertising solutions for a privacy-compliant world, adds the company.

The acquisition is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions, including expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and is expected to close in the fourth quarter.