View source for Criteo

{{Short description|Online display advertisement company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Criteo S.A.
| logo = Criteo logo21.svg
| logo_size = 250
| type = [[Public company|Public]]
| traded_as = {{NASDAQ|CRTO}}
| industry = Online Advertising
| genre =
| foundation = {{start date and age|2005}}
| founder =
| dissolved =
| location = <!-- this parameter modifies "Headquarters" -->
| location_city = Paris
| area_served =
| key_people =
| products =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| owner =
| num_employees = 2700 (2017)
| parent =
| divisions =
| subsid =
| footnotes =
| location_country = France
| company_slogan =
| homepage = {{URL|https://criteo.com/}}
}}
'''Criteo S.A.''' is an advertising company that provides online display advertisements. The company was founded and is headquartered in [[Paris]], [[France]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Criteo Labs: Opening Ceremony|url=http://www.criteo.com/us/criteolabs-opening-ceremony|work=Criteo Website|publisher=Criteo|access-date=24 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123032105/http://www.criteo.com/us/criteolabs-opening-ceremony|archive-date=23 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==History==
Criteo was founded in Paris, France, in 2005 by Jean-Baptiste Rudelle, Franck Le Ouay and Romain Niccoli. Criteo spent the first four years focused on<ref>{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2010/04/09/criteo-brings-its-personalized-banner-ads-to-us-launches-new-pricing-program|title=Criteo brings its personalized banner ads to US, launches new pricing program - VentureBeat - News - by Nadia Majid|work=venturebeat.com|access-date=30 March 2015}}</ref> R&D, and launched its first product in April 2008. In 2010, Criteo opened an office in [[Silicon Valley]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/1708656/french-retargeting-company-descends-silicon-valley|title=French Retargeting Company Descends on Silicon Valley|work=ClickZ|access-date=30 March 2015}}</ref> In 2012, Criteo opened its new headquarters in Paris, France.<ref>{{cite web|title=CriteoLabs: Opening Ceremony|url=http://www.criteo.com/us/criteolabs-opening-ceremony|work=Criteo Website|publisher=Criteo|access-date=24 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123032105/http://www.criteo.com/us/criteolabs-opening-ceremony|archive-date=23 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
On April 7, 2011, Criteo announced that it hired Greg Coleman as president.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kara.allthingsd.com/20110407/former-yahoo-aol-huffpo-sales-dude-greg-coleman-lands-again/|title=Online Ad Exec Greg Coleman Lands at Criteo as President - Kara Swisher - News - AllThingsD|work=AllThingsD|access-date=30 March 2015}}</ref> Previously, Coleman served as president and chief revenue officer of ''[[The Huffington Post]]'' and executive vice president of global sales for [[Yahoo!]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ec2-34-225-151-148.compute-1.amazonaws.com/social/why-greg-coleman-bet-on-retargeting/|title=Why Greg Coleman Bet on Retargeting|date=April 7, 2011}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
In October 2013, the firm completed an initial public offering (IPO), raising US$251 million.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ad tech company Criteo raises $251 million by pricing upsized IPO at $31, above its upwardly revised $27-$29 range |url=https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/ad-tech-company-criteo-raises-251-million-pricing-upsized-ipo-31-above-its-upwardly |access-date=12 November 2020 |work=NASDAQ |date=29 Oct 2013}}</ref>
On 1 January 2016, [[Rudelle]] became the executive chairman, while Eric Eichmann, who was the president and chief operating officer (COO), was promoted to chief executive officer.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Criteo Founder JB Rudelle Becomes Executive Chairman, Eric Eichmann Promoted to CEO|url=https://www.criteo.com/news/press-releases/2015/12/criteo-founder-jb-rudelle-becomes-executive-chairman-eric-eichmann-promoted-to-ceo/|access-date=2020-12-14|website=Criteo|language=en-US}}</ref> In June 2016, Criteo alleged Steelhouse, a rival [[ad tech]] company, that the latter had falsely taken credit for user visits to retailers' web pages in a lawsuit.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=O'Reilly|first=Lara|title=The nasty 'click fraud' legal dispute between ad tech companies Criteo and SteelHouse is over|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/criteo-vs-steelhouse-case-dropped-2016-11|access-date=2020-12-14|website=Business Insider}}</ref> Steelhouse countersued, alleging Criteo of false advertising and unfair competition.<ref>{{Cite web|title=What Marketers Can Learn From The Cautionary Tale Of Criteo Vs. SteelHouse|url=https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/284237/what-marketers-can-learn-from-the-cautionary-tale.html|access-date=2020-12-14|website=www.mediapost.com|language=en}}</ref> After an injunction requested by Criteo was denied in October 2016, both parties chose to mutually dropped their lawsuits in November 2016.<ref name=":0" /> On 4 October 2016, Criteo acquired HookLogic, a retail exchange, ad server and attribution company focused squarely on retailers, strengthening its ecommerce serving capabilities.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Liyakasa|first=Kelly|date=2016-10-04|title=Criteo To Acquire HookLogic For $250M In Push For Full Commerce Stack|url=https://www.adexchanger.com/investment/criteo-acquire-hooklogic-250m-push-full-commerce-stack/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161108153516/http://adexchanger.com/investment/criteo-acquire-hooklogic-250m-push-full-commerce-stack/ |archive-date=2016-11-08 |access-date=2020-12-14|website=AdExchanger|language=en-US}}</ref>
In October 2017, Criteo appointed Mollie Spilman as COO.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://seekingalpha.com/news/3301783-criteo-announces-new-coo|title=Criteo announces new COO|last=Betz|first=SA Editor Brandy|date=2017-10-18|work=Seeking Alpha|access-date=2017-11-16|language=en-US}}</ref>
With the implementation of the Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) feature from [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]'s [[Safari (web browser)#Safari 11|Safari 11]] onwards in September 2017,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-11-04|title=macOS High Sierra: How to turn off website tracking in Safari 11|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/3208026/how-to-turn-off-website-tracking-in-safari-11.html|access-date=2020-12-14|website=Macworld|language=en}}</ref> Criteo's revenue was reduced by $25 million in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|title=What Apple's ITP cookie-blocker did next {{!}} WARC|url=http://origin.warc.com/newsandopinion/news/what-apples-itp-cookie-blocker-did-next/43018|access-date=2020-12-14|website=origin.warc.com|language=en|archive-date=2022-10-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010070043/https://origin.warc.com/newsandopinion/news/what-apples-itp-cookie-blocker-did-next/43018|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, Criteo reportedly was working on a “sustainable solution for the long-term” at the end of 2017, and had redesigned its "platform architecture" since.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|title=Despite Apple's game-changing ITP update, Criteo's revenues have dipped just 1% year-on-year|url=https://www.thedrum.com/news/2018/08/01/despite-apple-s-game-changing-itp-update-criteos-revenues-have-dipped-just-1-year|access-date=2020-12-14|website=The Drum|language=en}}</ref> Criteo was also impacted by the perception that the [[General Data Protection Regulation]] would negatively affect the company.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Andrew Birmingham|date=2018-04-25|title=Updated: Criteo CEO out, founder returns|url=https://which-50.com/criteo-ceo-out-founder-returns/|access-date=2020-12-14|website=Which-50|language=en-AU}}</ref>
In April 2018, Rudelle returned as the CEO, with Eichmann being his advisor.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Criteo founder JB Rudelle back at helm in chief executive swap-out|url=https://www.thedrum.com/news/2018/04/25/criteo-founder-jb-rudelle-back-helm-chief-executive-swap-out|access-date=2020-12-14|website=The Drum|language=en}}</ref> Under Rudelle, Criteo slowly transitioned from a single product (web advertising) to a multi-product platform, which included in-app and email advertising.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-08-02|title=Why Criteo S.A. Dropped Today|url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/why-criteo-s-a-dropped-today|access-date=2020-12-14|website=Motley Fool|language=en-US}}</ref> Criteo's revenue did not grow in 2018, and was down 1%.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Hercher|first=James|date=2019-10-30|title=Criteo Names Megan Clarken As New CEO To Lead A Turnaround Effort|url=https://www.adexchanger.com/online-advertising/criteo-names-megan-clarken-as-new-ceo-to-lead-a-turnaround-effort/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812220235/https://www.adexchanger.com/online-advertising/criteo-names-megan-clarken-as-new-ceo-to-lead-a-turnaround-effort/ |archive-date=2020-08-12 |access-date=2020-12-14|website=AdExchanger|language=en-US}}</ref>
On 19 October 2019, [[Megan Clarken]] was appointed as the new CEO, taking over from Rudelle. Clarken would continue Criteo's transformation plan.<ref name=":1" />
==Product==
Criteo's product is a form of [[display advertising]], which displays interactive [[Web banner|banner advertisements]], generated based on the online browsing preferences and behaviour of each customer. The solution operates on a [[pay per click]]/[[Cost Per Click|cost per click]] (CPC) basis.
In September 2010, Criteo debuted its self-service cost-per-click (CPC) bidding platform that lets advertisers place bids on display [https://mailchimp.com/resources/what-is-retargeting/ retargeting campaigns] and see changes and optimize campaigns in real-time.<ref name="mediapost">{{Cite web |url=http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=136034&nid=118810 |title=MediaPost Publications Criteo Brings AdWords-Like CPC Bidding to Display Retargeting 09/21/2010 |access-date=2010-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101117191854/http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=136034&nid=118810 |archive-date=2010-11-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref> During 2020 Criteo launched a traffic generation product, which allows advertisers to advertise using purchase intent data, and it also introduced a self-service ad platform for its Criteo Retail Media division that allows advertisers to purchase media space on retailers’ websites.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.martechadvisor.com/news/ads/criteo-introduces-new-marketing-solution-for-traffic-generation-and-increasing-customer-engagement/|title=Criteo Introduces New Marketing Solution for Traffic Generation and Increasing Customer Engagement|publisher=MarTech Advisor|access-date=2021-03-26|archive-date=2021-06-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613144345/https://www.martechadvisor.com/news/ads/criteo-introduces-new-marketing-solution-for-traffic-generation-and-increasing-customer-engagement/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adexchanger.com/ecommerce-2/criteo-launches-self-serve-retail-media-platform|title=Criteo Launches Self-Serve Retail Media Platform|date=27 May 2020 |publisher=Weissbrot, Alison-AdExchanger}}</ref>
==Funding==
Criteo secured a total of $17 million in funding, with €3 million in a first institutional round in March 2006 coming from French private equity firm [[AGF (company)|AGF]] and [https://www.elaia.com/ Elaia Partners], and €9 million in a second round in January 2008 led by [[Index Ventures]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2008/01/15/criteo-raises-10-million-from-index-ventures/|title=Criteo Raises $10 Million From Index Ventures|publisher=AOL|work=TechCrunch|date=15 January 2008 |access-date=30 March 2015}}</ref>
In May 2010, Criteo raised a further $7 million of funding from [[Bessemer Venture Partners]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/05/06/criteo-bessemer-7-million/|title=Here Comes The French Invasion: Bessemer Puts $7 Million Into Ad Retargeting Startup Criteo|publisher=AOL|work=TechCrunch|date=6 May 2010 |access-date=30 March 2015}}</ref>
==Privacy==
In September 2010, Criteo began a campaign<ref name="adexchanger">{{cite web|url=http://www.adexchanger.com/online-advertising/criteo-ceo-rudelle/|title=Criteo CEO Rudelle Responds To Recent Concerns Over Retargeting And Consumer Privacy|work=AdExchanger: News and Views on Data-Driven Digital Advertising|date=14 September 2010 |access-date=30 March 2015}}</ref> regarding the use of popular retargeting and its impact on [[consumer privacy]]. The campaign aimed to reassure consumers about [[personalized retargeting]] and data-driven marketing tactics.
The company denies it relies on [[personally identifiable information]] (PII) and doesn't track identifiable information, no data is shared with advertisers or publishers and no third-party data is used for targeting purposes. Retargeting only uses anonymous information from the merchant's site.<ref name="adexchanger"/>
In 2019, [[Privacy International]] filed a complaint against Criteo, citing that it wouldn't respect the European [[GDPR]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://privacyinternational.org/advocacy/2426/our-complaints-against-acxiom-criteo-equifax-experian-oracle-quantcast-tapad|title=Our complaints against Acxiom, Criteo, Equifax, Experian, Oracle, Quantcast, Tapad|website=Privacy International}}</ref>  Complaints by [[NOYB]] were also made.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-19 |title=Criteo Faces €60m Fine for GDPR Violations in France |url=https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=cb604fc9-2421-446a-a4ce-fc75e6637af4 |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=Lexology |language=en}}</ref> In June 2023, the French data protection authority [[Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés|National Commission on Informatics and Liberty]] pronounced a sanction of 40 million euros against Criteo, notably for failing to check that the people whose data it processes have given their consent.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-22 |title=Délibération de la formation restreinte n°SAN-2023-009 du 15 juin 2023 concernant la société CRITEO |url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/cnil/id/CNILTEXT000047707063 |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=www.legifrance.gouv.fr}}</ref>
==See also==
*[[Ad Tracking]]
*[[Website visitor tracking]]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
29. [https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/digital/tyroo-announces-partnership-with-criteo/107085352 Tyroo announces partnership with Criteo]
==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last1=Rudelle|first1=J.B.|title=They Told Me It Was Impossible: The Manifesto of the Founder of Criteo|date=2016|publisher=[[Lulu Press]]|location=Morrisville, North Carolina|isbn=978-1-4834-5777-2}}
== External links ==
* {{Official website}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Criteo}}
[[Category:Online advertising]]
[[Category:Marketing companies established in 2005]]
[[Category:Companies based in Paris]]
[[Category:Companies listed on the Nasdaq]]
[[Category:2005 establishments in France]]