Epsilon could, for example, beam a Disney Plus ad to parents who have bought a Lion King costume for their toddler, according to Jay Pattisall, an analyst with Forrester.
“They have the capacity to really understand who is a likely prospect for the streaming service and where that person resides online, and they can send messages in the appropriate media to that individual,” he said.
Publicis’ larger rival Omnicom won the contract for Disney channels like ABC and FX in the United States, as well as the North American account for studios like Marvel and Pixar. Omnicom also retained its regional contract for the recent Disney acquisitions 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight and Fox Entertainment Group.
On Tuesday, Omnicom reported healthier financial results than Publicis did in its recent quarterly report. John D. Wren, Omnicom’s chief executive, told analysts in a conference call that he was “a little bit shocked” to see weakness in Publicis’ media business. He also said that “the Disney win is very important, but part of that win was business we already had.”
As part of its bid, Publicis proposed the creation of a new agency, Publicis Imagine, that will handle its Disney business. Omnicom also pitched a specialty agency, OMG23, a reference to the creation of Disney in 1923.
The Disney contract is a boost to Publicis. The company’s recent financial report was “alarming,” wrote Michael Nathanson, an analyst with the MoffettNathanson research firm, in a note to clients last week.
But most of the advertising industry is struggling to compete against Facebook and Google, analysts said. The platforms dominate the business of buying and selling digital ads, leaving the agencies little room to negotiate. Facebook and Google have also started working directly with many advertising clients, luring them away from traditional ad companies.