Valueclick

In the late 1990s, as the internet was just starting to become a commercial force, a new model for online advertising emerged. In July 1997, Brian Coryat founded ValueClick, a company that would go on to pioneer the cost-per-click, or CPC, model. Instead of paying for the number of times an ad was shown, advertisers only paid when a user actually clicked on their ad. This performance-based approach was a novel idea and helped to establish a new floor for internet advertising rates. The company grew quickly, and by early 2000, it caught the eye of online advertising giant DoubleClick Inc., which invested $85 million for a significant stake in the company. This investment provided ValueClick with the capital to expand its operations, including opening a European sales office. Just a few months later, in March 2000, ValueClick went public on the NASDAQ. The company's growth continued through strategic acquisitions, including Mediaplex in 2001 and Be Free in 2002. By 2014, ValueClick had transformed significantly, having made numerous acquisitions and expanded its services. The company rebranded to Conversant to reflect its broader focus on personalized digital marketing. This move unified its various businesses, including the well-known affiliate marketing network Commission Junction. The final chapter of its independent story was written later that year when Alliance Data Systems acquired Conversant for $2.3 billion in a cash and stock deal, marking a major exit for the dot-com era pioneer.