C

ClickSquared

Marketing · Boston, United States · Founded 1999

Founded in 1999 by Jeff Walters, ClickSquared established itself as a provider of cloud-based, cross-channel marketing software and services. The company's core offering was the Cross-Channel Marketing Hub, a SaaS platform designed to help business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers automate and manage customer communications across a variety of channels including email, direct mail, social media, mobile, and the web. This platform integrated enterprise-class data management, analytics, and campaign execution, enabling clients to deliver personalized marketing messages and improve customer lifetime value. ClickSquared's business model was centered on providing its software as a service, which offered an alternative to on-premise marketing automation software. The company served a diverse client base that included well-known brands in sectors such as financial services, travel and hospitality, retail, and education. Notable clients included The Boston Celtics, Greyhound, Lenovo, and Santander. The company's revenue was generated through its comprehensive marketing solutions that ranged from self-service campaign management to fully managed customer loyalty programs. Throughout its history, ClickSquared achieved several milestones, including raising a total of over $60 million in funding from investors like ABS Ventures, JMI Equity, and Flybridge Capital Partners. A significant event in the company's trajectory was its acquisition by Zeta Interactive (now Zeta Global) on January 22, 2014. This acquisition was a strategic move by Zeta to integrate ClickSquared's platform and capabilities into its own Big Data-driven marketing and CRM offerings, ultimately creating a more comprehensive customer lifecycle marketing system. At the time of the acquisition, Sam Zales was the CEO of ClickSquared and subsequently became an Executive Vice President at Zeta. Keywords: cross-channel marketing, campaign management, marketing automation, B2C marketing, SaaS, customer relationship management, CRM, email marketing, direct mail marketing, social media marketing, mobile marketing, web marketing, customer analytics, data integration, customer lifetime value, lead management, Zeta Global, customer engagement, loyalty programs, marketing technology, AdTech