Mergers & Acquisitions
Truth invests in creative partnership with Socio Design
UK— Strategic insight consultancy Truth has acquired a stake in creative agency Socio Design, and the two companies plan to integrate their offers over the next 12 months.
Progressive Digital Media buys beverage researcher Canadean
UK— Progressive Digital Media (PDM) has acquired Canadean, a market research business specialising in the beverage industry, for £9m in cash and the issue of 6.9m new PDM shares.
Alterian inks $11m deal to buy social media analytics firm Intrepid
UK— Alterian, a marketing software and services firm, has acquired market research and social media analytics consultancy Intrepid in a cash and shares deal worth up to $11.5m.
Dieringer Research acquires Lein/Spiegelhoff customer base
US— Wisconsin-based full service agency The Dieringer Research Group has acquired field service agency Lein/Spiegelhoff’s customer base after the latter company closed down.
Deutsche Post takes delivery of online targeting platform
GERMANY— Nugg.ad, a self-styled predictive behavioural targeting firm, has been bought by mail services company Deutsche Post.
IBM agrees $480m deal to acquire marketing software firm Unica
US— IBM looks set to acquire its web analytics supplier, the marketing software firm Unica, in a deal worth $480m. The software giant has bid $21 per share for the business and expects to complete the takeover in the fourth quarter.
Canadian Primedia buys Kubas Consultants
CANADA— Newspaper and online advertising rep house Canadian Primedia has acquired research and consulting firm Kubas Consultants.
Webtrends acquires online and mobile app developer Transpond
US— WebTrends has bought online and mobile app developer Transpond in a move that marks the web analytics firm’s first major foray outside the measurement space.
IBM wraps up Coremetrics takeover
US— IBM has completed the purchase of web analytics software firm Coremetrics.
Maximiles to acquire German panel provider Panelbiz
UK— Online panel provider and customer loyalty firm Maximiles has agreed a deal to acquire German online sample provider Panelbiz.
Aegis tables bid for Mitchell Communication Group
AUSTRALIA— Aegis, owner of research agency Synovate, has proposed a deal to buy marketing and communications group Mitchell for A$363m.
Online analytics firm Nedstat sold to ComScore in €29m deal
US— ComScore has acquired Dutch online analytics firm Nedstat in a deal worth €29.2m ($36.7m), boosting its European presence and potentially adding census-level data from thousands of sites to its Unified Digital Measurement (UDM) platform.
Harte-Hanks acquires data specialist Information Arts
US— Direct and targeted marketing agency Harte-Hanks has acquired UK-based database marketing and analytics firm Information Arts.
MarketShare Partners snaps up JovianData
US— Marketing analytics agency MarketShare Partners has acquired business intelligence and data analytics firm JovianData.
Euro RSCG 4D Discovery beefs up behavioral marketing with Congruent deal
US— Data analytics and CRM agency Euro RSCG 4D Discovery has acquired online marketing agency Congruent Media for an undisclosed amount.
Healthcare researcher InforMed acquired for £11.4m
UK— United Drug, a group specialising in providing outsourced services to healthcare manufacturers, has acquired healthcare market research and consulting agency InforMed for £11.4m.
YouGov continues US expansion with Harrison acquisition
US— YouGov has agreed a deal to buy strategic research and marketing consultancy Harrison Group for an initial consideration of $6m, with a further $7m tied to performance targets.
SSI names Helen Ryan as Singapore country manager
SINGAPORE— Helen Ryan, a senior account manager from Survey Sampling International’s London office, has been chosen as the firm’s new country manager for Singapore.
Open Mind merges with Hall & Partners in Australia
AUSTRALIA— Open Mind Research Group has merged with Hall & Partners in Australia, having run a joint venture with the UK-headquartered agency since October last year.
Tech investor Silver Lake takes majority stake in China's Allyes
CHINA— Technology investment firm Silver Lake has agreed a deal to become the majority stakeholder in digital marketing services agency Allyes Online Media Holding.
Owners close Bristol Group, but staff get new start with m5
CANADA— Research and marketing agency Bristol Group has been shut down by the private equity firm that owns it – but its workforce are now poised to join rival company m5.
-
Grupo Ibope makes Affinity investment
-
Work Research and Ipsos MediaCT in qual joint venture
-
Pitney Bowes buys Portrait Software in £44m deal
-
Pollster.com editor 'no fan' of HuffPost's past anti-poll crusades
-
Mode and Kynetec become wholly owned GfK subsidiaries
-
Tetra Tech to acquire PA Consulting's international development practice
-
Mystery shopper The Network snaps up Trinity Field Marketing
-
STW and Smollan partner for mystery shopping, field marketing
-
Fieldbury to acquire market research app developer MobileWave
-
WPP takes stake in digital ad measurement firm Moment Systems
-
Brahm and sister agency Swamp merge to form Brass
-
Huffington Post buys Pollster.com from YouGov Polimetrix
-
Media Monitors sold to investment house Quadrant Private Equity
-
Marketwire acquires social media monitor Sysomos
-
Sysomos coy on reports of acquisition by Marketwire
-
Nueva Investigacion buys Spanish healthcare specialist Compass