Group Press Releases
Aegis Acquires Censydiam Group
15 September 2003
Aegis Group plc (“Aegis”) - the media communications and market research group - announced today that it has executed an agreement for the acquisition of the Censydiam Group, a Belgium research business with subsidiaries in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, UK, US and Hong Kong, subject to customary conditions precedent including approval from competition authorities.
The purchase price is composed of initial consideration of 6.5m Euros payable in cash on completion and deferred consideration payable in 3 years and subject to certain conditions of up to a further 2.25m Euros payable in cash. Censydiam had revenues of approximately 15.7m Euros for the year ended 31 December 2002.
Censydiam was founded in 1987 and has become a leader in diagnostic qualitative research with a suite of world-class solutions that are recognised internationally for their unique style and depth of reporting. The company has an established base of consumer packaged goods clients including Coca-Cola, Heineken, Volvo, Nokia, Interbrew and Unilever.
The company specialises in understanding how consumers attempt maximise their satisfaction by buying products and services. Censydiam believes that it is critical for marketers to understand why consumers feel and act the way they do about products and it applies psychodynamic modelling and analytical techniques to achieve an in-depth understanding of consumer motivation.
Commenting on the announcement, Doug Flynn, Chief Executive of Aegis said:
“The acquisition of Censydiam not only strengthens further Synovate’s position in Europe but also brings with it a deep expertise of the consumer packaged goods sector and a number of world-class tools that will be rolled-out throughout Synovate’s international research network. Censydiam’s tools and techniques help marketers understand psychology of consumers and ultimately the reasons why they select one product in preference to another. These are skills that will be of enormous benefit to both our research and media clients alike.”
For further information contact:
Richard Walters
Aegis Group plc
+44 (0) 20 7070 7700
Charles Palmer
Financial Dynamics
+44 (0) 20 7831 3113
Notes to Editors
About Aegis Group plc.
Aegis Group plc is the holding company for Carat, its media strategy, planning and buying business and Synovate, its market research business. These two operating groups provide clients with a range of services across, media communication services, marketing consultancy and market research. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, Aegis is capitalised at around £1.3 billion and operates in 64 countries. More information is available at www.aegisplc.com.
About Synovate
Synovate generates consumer insights that drive competitive marketing solutions. The network provides clients with cohesive global support and a comprehensive suite of leading research products.
About Censydiam
Censydiam was founded in 1987 by Jan Callebaut and Hendrik Hendrickx. Since then it has grown into an international business with offices in Belgium (Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent), The Netherlands, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Greece, Hong Kong, and the USA. There are also a number of specialised divisions: E-Motion, Future Watch, Health, Intercultural, Kids & Teens, and Retail Compass.
