The performance marketing space has seen a lot of action lately.  In the past year or two Commission Junction (and all its subsidiaries) was acquired by digital marketing firm Conversant (formerly known as ValueClick) which was then acquired by data marketer Alliance Data for $2.3 billion; Ebates was acquired by Japanese ecommerce firm Rakuten for $1 billion and most recently, eBay Enterprise Marketing Solutions acquired AffiliateTraction which, collectively, was then acquired by investment firms Banneker Partners and Permira Funds for $985 million. And now... PM Digital and NetBooster have created a strategic partnership. Together, the agencies will focus on data-driven SEM, SEO, …

The Gunn Report is out with its Cases for Creativity 2015, a round-up of campaigns that have won both a Cannes Gold Lion for creativity and a Gold Effie award for effectiveness.

In partnership with Adobe, Publicis Groupe has launched a training program called VivaKi IQ Academy. The program is said to be the first of its kind and is designed to better equip Publicis Groupe agencies with the necessary expertise and skills to better serve today's campaigns -- which, unlike the past, are heavily reliant on data, technology and automation. The Academy will be served up via Adobe's self-serve learning management platform, Captivate Prime. The initial interactive curriculum will focus on programmatic media -- and upon completion, Publicis employees can receive what is nicely dubbed the VivaKi Programmatic Certification. Of the …

Social media spending is expected to increase to 20.9% of marketing budgets in five years. But currently just 11.5% of marketers can prove positive ROI on their social efforts.

Over at Publicis' MRY, Chief Creative Officer David Weinstock and Executive Creative Director Leo Leone are leaving the agency. Neither knew the other was leaving until they each gave notice to the other. That's gotta be weird. Of the two executives exiting the agency, MRY Chief Marketing Officer David Berkowitz said: “We’re all really fortunate to have worked with them during their long tenure here and we will be drawing on our deep creative bench for leading the team going forward notably James Wood, who joined us two years ago and will be taking the helm of the group.” Weinstock …

The cards are adorned with awkward-looking monsters and strange characters along with witty text developed for those who don't mince words.

Want to travel to Miami every once in a while on your potential client's dime? Then you best get in on the action down in Miami. The Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau is looking for a new ad agency. Or two.  The Bureau seeks an agency to handle creative, media planning, omnichannel marketing, mobile and social. It also seeks a shop to handle Web development and digital including apps and the management of its MiamiandBeaches.com site. Currently, Critical Mass handles digital and Turkel Brands handles advertising. Turkel will take part in the review and Turkel CEO Bruce Turkel said: "We …

Of the decision, Kruskopf Founder Sue Kruskopf said: "We always say 'Where does all the truth happen? It's not at the meeting; it's after the meeting.'"

London-based agency Garage is hiring, and they have placed a recruitment ad that's a bit different from the usual kind.

It's almost like the run-up to Christmas when every agency gets to show off its creativity without the hindrance of those pesky clients.