This week brought significant news from the Revenue Performance Management (RPM) sector, as a prominent provider announced its intention to go public. The company filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), signaling its move to offer common stock to the public through an Initial Public Offering (IPO).
The proposed IPO aims to raise an estimated $100 million. These funds are earmarked for debt repayment, bolstering working capital, and supporting other general corporate purposes. While the specific number of shares and their price range are yet to be determined, a successful launch would allow the public to invest in this RPM leader. This isn’t the first instance of an Email Service Provider (ESP) with a substantial email marketing portfolio entering the public market; Responsys, for example, joined the NASDAQ Global Select Market earlier in 2011 after its own successful IPO.
Email Service Providers That Have Gone Public
Many email marketing platforms and their parent companies have found their way to the public stock market, offering investors a stake in the evolving digital marketing landscape. Below is a comprehensive list of these companies:
- Acxiom (includes the old Digital Impact) trades as ACXM on NASDAQ.
- Blue Hornet, operating as part of Digital River, trades as DRIV on NASDAQ.
- CheetahMail, a division of Experian, has been listed since October 2006 as EXPN on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
- Campaigner, part of J2 Global, trades as JCOM on NASDAQ.
- Constant Contact has been publicly traded since October 2007 as CTCT on NASDAQ.
- E-Dialog, acquired by GSI/eBay, is represented by EBAY on NASDAQ.
- Eloqua is anticipated to trade as ELOQ on NASDAQ.
- Emailvision trades as ALEMV on the Paris Exchange PA.
- Epsilon, a component of Alliance Data, trades as ADS on NYSE.
- Exact Target trades as ET on NYSE.
- dotMailer, part of the dotDigitalgroup, trades as DOTD on LSE.
- iContact, under Vocus, trades as VOCS on Nasdaq.
- Lyris trades as LYRI on OTCBB.
- Responsys trades as MKTG on NASDAQ.
- YesMail, formerly part of Infogroup and listed as IUSA on NASDAQ, was taken private in March 2010 following a buyout by CCMP Capital Partners.
For most email marketers, the decision to choose an Email Service Provider is typically not swayed by whether the company is publicly or privately owned. However, publicly traded companies operate under additional regulations and face increased revenue reporting obligations. This public status can certainly influence “bigger boardroom” decisions, though the ultimate impact can vary.
Eloqua boasts an impressive client roster, including industry giants such as Adobe, AON, Dow Jones, ADP, Fidelity, Polycom, and National Instruments. Headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, Eloqua maintains a global presence with offices in Toronto, London, Singapore, and various locations across North America.