Stagwell Group buys Harris Poll

Stagwell is run by Mark Penn, pollster to President Bill Clinton, and under its ownership, Harris will focus on brand management, corporate reputation, consumer packaged goods, public opinion and consumer experience research.

Mark Penn, managing partner and president of The Stagwell Group, said: “We are pleased to bring into the group one of the truly great brands in public opinion research. We are excited to relaunch the Harris brand and to bring deep research insights and 21^stcentury analytics to our clients’ biggest challenges.”

Harris was founded by Lou Harris, pollster to President John F. Kennedy, in 1963. It later acquired Wirthlin Worldwide, founded by Richard Wirthlin who was pollster to President Ronald Reagan.

This is Stagwell’s fifth majority-owned acquisition in the marketing services industry with key disciplines in digital marketing. Harris will join strategic communications firm SKDKnickerbocker, entertainment research firm National Research Group (NRG), creative digital firm Code and Theory, and integrated performance-driven global marketing firm PMX Agency.