Adobe To Acquire Digital Marketing Agency Efficient Frontier

Adobe has agreed to acquire digital marketing agency Efficient Frontier, which has a strong search marketing practice and technology to manage Facebook advertising. The companies didn’t disclose the terms of the deal.

The companies said Efficient Frontier would become a part of Adobe’s Digital Marketing suite, which includes technologies and services it acquired with web analytics and optimization firm Omniture in 2009.

Adobe has long been building up its capabilities in the digital marketing space, largely through acquisition. Earlier this month, it bought Auditude, a video ad management and monetization technology firm. In January, 2011, it purchased Demdex, a data management and audience optimization company. In July of 2010 the company got into web content management with the acquisition of Day Software.

Efficient Frontier began operations as a search marketing company helping large enterprise clients utilize algorithmic technology — using financial trading as a model — to maximize their investments in the space. Since its start, the company has expanded into other digital marketing arenas, notably including Facebook and display advertising.

Adobe says the Facebook and Search-related capabilities will be integrated into its existing Adobe SearchCenter+ offering, and the related analytics will be built into Adobe SocialAnalytics. Efficient Frontier also uses search-like optimization technologies in the display arena via ad exchanges. Adobe says these capabilities will work with the Digital Marketing Suite and its Dynamic Ad Targeting solution.

Efficient Frontier itself last month acquired Australia-based Downstream Marketing, which it called the largest provider of digital marketing technology and services in Australia. Efficient Frontier’s clients include BabyCenter, The Motley Fool, Bankrate, Ask.com, and Home Away/Holiday Rentals.

The acquisition will have to go through the usual government and board-of-director approvals, but Adobe expects it to close early in 2012.