Group Press Releases
Agreement to Acquire a 35% Stake in Ipsos Access Panels Holding SA Extends Our Marketing Research Capabilities
07 March 2000
Aegis Group plc ("Aegis") - the media communications and market research group - announced today that heads of agreement has been signed to acquire a 35% interest in Ipsos Access Panels Holding SA ("Ipsos APH"), subject to certain conditions precedent, for consideration of £2.7 million (Euro 4.5 million) payable in cash on closing.
Ipsos APH is a subsidiary of Ipsos SA ("Ipsos"), a market research company listed on Nouveau Marché of the Paris Bourse, and had revenues of approximately £5.7 million (Euro 9.4 million) in 1999.
Ipsos APH is a marketing research company that currently has marketing subsidiaries in UK, France, Germany and Italy. Its access panel comprise 115,000 continuously maintained group of households and individuals exclusively pre-recruited for research purposes and sampled to be representative of the national population of a particular country or region. The agreement will enable Market Facts (Aegis' North American market research division) to utilise Ipsos APH's panel of 115,000 European households. As part of the agreement, Market Facts will provide Ipsos APH access to its panel in North America comprising 550,000 households in order to service its European clients.
Commenting on the announcement, Douglas Flynn, Chief Executive of Aegis said:
"We are delighted to be working with Ipsos. This agreement will enhance Market Fact's ability to service its clients in Europe and is a step further in realising our strategy for building a global market research network."
Didier Truchot, Co-Chairman of Ipsos SA, said:
"We are pleased to have Market Facts as a partner in the Ipsos Access Panel. We believe we are the leading providers of access panel research in Europe and this agreement allows us to broaden our service offering. Both Ipsos and Market Facts will benefit from this business combination"
Thomas Payne, President and Chief Executive officer of Market Facts, said:
"This investment creates a partnership between Market Facts, one of the largest US-based market research companies, and Ipsos, one of the premier market research firms in Europe. Ipsos has a reputation for providing high quality research services and now Market Facts can provide its clients with access to European panel research capabilities that are among the finest available."
About Aegis Group plc and Market Facts, Inc.
Aegis is listed on the London Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of approximately £2.4 billion and is the holding company for Carat and Market Facts. In 1999, Carat had net billings of approximately US$10.3 billion and Market Facts had annualised revenue of US$160 million. Market Facts is a leading provider of customised research based in North America.
About Ipsos SA
Ipsos is one of the world's leading market research organisations with operations in twenty countries. Founded in 1975, it ranks ninth world-wide in market research revenue with 1999 revenue of $230 million. Ipsos is a global company providing clients with advertising testing, marketing, media, public opinion and social research.
For further information please contact:
Douglas Flynn, Chief Executive Officer
Colin Day, Group Finance Director
Aegis Group plc
Tel: +44 (0)207 470 5000
Tim Spratt, Director/ Charles Palmer
Financial Dynamics
Tel: +44 (0) 207 831 3113
Didier Truchot, Co-Chairman
Christian Lamolinerie, Chief Executive
Officer
Ipsos SA
Tel: +33 153 682 818
Tom Payne, President and Chief Executive
Officer
Market Facts, Inc.
Tel: +1 847 590 7000
