Acquisitions/transactions
Dublin-based Accenture has entered into an agreement to acquire Analytics8, an Australian big data and analytics consultancy. Analytics8’s Melbourne and Sydney-based team will join Accenture Applied Intelligence, which uses artificial intelligence-powered data, automation and analytics.
Whitby, Ontario-based information tech company 360Insights acquired The Ohana Companies, a promotional marketing firm headquartered in Wilmington, Del.
Toronto-based Datametrex AI Limited has entered into an agreement to acquire Semeon Analytics Inc., a Montreal-based AI company specializing in the voice of customer. Pursuant to the terms of the letter of intent, Datametrex will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Semeon.
According to Reuters, Britain’s Daily Mail and General Trust has agreed to sell its energy information business Genscape to data analytics provider Verisk Analytics for $364 million. Genscape will become part of Verisk’s Wood Mackenzie business.
Customer engagement company Airship acquired Apptimize, a user experience testing company based in San Francisco. The acquisition is intended to provide marketers and developers with a single solution to optimize the user experience across messaging channels and digital properties.
Tech conglomerate Cisco announced that it intends to acquire analytics startup CloudCherry to enhance its Contact Center portfolio. CloudCherry provides predictive analytics, customer journey-mapping and survey capabilities for customers operating contact centers in the cloud or on-premises.
Research and analytics firm Leger acquired National Research Group, a market research company in Vancouver, British Columbia.
London-based Savanta acquired HSR Associates, a marketing research consultancy headquartered in Lawrenceville, N.J.
Research firm Clarivate Analytics acquired SequenceBase, a company providing patent sequence information and search technology to the biotech, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. The acquisition is intended to complement Clarivate company Derwent’s GENESEQ database and patent research platform Derwent Innovation, allowing users to search, analyze and find context in sequence data within patents.
Alliances/strategic partnerships
RingLead, an end-to-end data management company, announced its strategic partnership with G2, a peer-to-peer review site headquartered in Chicago. The partnership will enable RingLead and G2 customers to mobilize their G2 Buyer Intent data into verified accounts and contacts optimized for higher conversion rates through the RingLead platform.
Experience management company Qualtrics announced that Urban Outfitters has selected Qualtrics CustomerXM to optimize the retailer’s customer experience program across its physical stores and digital channels. Urban Outfitters will use Qualtrics CustomerXM to enable leadership to understand customer sentiments by collecting feedback beyond surveys and running text and sentiment analysis on their X-data.
Vividata, a consumer and audience insights company, has joined forces with Manchester-based researcher RealityMine, opinion research specialist Ipsos and digital data collection firm Delvinia. The companies will form a passive panel to collect mobile behavioral data from Canadian consumers with their informed consent. Using RealityMine’s passive metering technology, RealityMeter, the panel will provide mobile activity such as search, browsing, app use, ecommerce and audio/video streaming with real-world location data.
Boston-headquartered Duck Creek Technologies announced that Saxon Insurance has chosen to implement Duck Creek Insights to gain access to and intelligence on data from internal and external sources. This implementation will enable Saxon to further utilize data to work as a strategic asset.
HubSpot has partnered with Supermetrics to enable users to analyze and report data across HubSpot portals in Google Sheets, Google Data Studio and Excel. Additionally, users will now be able to consolidate HubSpot data with other marketing data for cross-channel analysis and reporting.
Nielsen and Morris Network Inc. have reached a long-term agreement for local TV measurement in all RPD+ markets including Chattanooga, Tenn.; Columbus-Tupelo, Miss.; Wilmington, N.C.; Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss.; Lexington, Ky.; and Macon, Ga.
Comscore has joined with Adobe, Google and Oracle Data Cloud to introduce privacy-focused connected TV audience segments that align with Interactive Advertising Bureau Tech Lab guidelines. By utilizing Comscore’s demographic segments, media buyers can reach users, manage frequency and deliver relevant ad experiences across connected TV.
E-sports audience analytics firm FanAI has partnered with Interpret, a consumer insights agency, to provide streaming audit and valuation services for e-sports leagues, publishers and events. As part of the deal, FanAI and Interpret will begin a partnership on research and data enrichment projects for brands and rights holders.
Audience solutions company 180byTwo has partnered with Snowflake, a data warehouse built for the cloud, to join the Snowflake Data Exchange. 180byTwo will make its eCHO solution available, providing information to Snowflake customers in various industries through the Snowflake Data Exchange.
Researcher Lieberman Inc. renewed its partnership with Confirmit.
Nielsen has entered into a strategic alliance with OpenSlate, a provider of brand safety and content suitability measurement. Nielsen will bring together OpenSlate’s technology with its Digital Ad Ratings.
Association/organization news
The BioHealth Informatics Research Center, which applies data analytics for health care solutions, has been officially recognized by Indiana University as a school center.
The Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC) launched the CRIC Research Verification Service. This service is designed to help Canadians confirm the legitimacy of market research projects in which they are invited to participate. The CRIC Research Verification Service will also serve as a tool to allow the public to share their feedback. Feedback can be provided directly to all companies to help address public concerns and allow for continuous improvement in interactions with respondents.
Awards/rankings
The Marketing Research and Insight Excellence Awards, powered by Quirk’s Media, have announced the award finalists. The Awards recognize the researchers, vendors and products and services that are adding value and impact to marketing research. Finalists are selected by a panel of judges made up of a combination of end-client researchers, supplier partners and Quirk’s editorial staff. The awards will be given out at a red-carpet, black-tie gala on November 18 at the Edison Ballroom in New York City. A full list of the finalists is available at quirksawards.com/categories.
Delvinia, a market researcher based in Toronto, has been named among the winners for the 2019 Sales and Technology Marketing Awards program, also known as The Sammys. Presented annually by the Business Intelligence Group, The Sammys are awarded to technologies and organizations that are helping to solve the challenges organizations have connecting and collaborating with prospects and customers. Delvinia’s automated research platform Methodify is being recognized for the award.
Women in Research announced the winner of the Best Places to Work award, naming Opinium Research in first place and acknowledging Breaking Blue as runner-up. The Best Places to Work Award celebrates companies in the market research industry who put the lives and livelihoods of their employees at the center of all they do.
Illuminas, a research consultancy based in Austin, Texas, has been awarded a 2019 Confirmit AIR (Achievement in Insight and Innovation) Award in the Project and Innovation category. The AIR Awards were created to recognize Confirmit clients who demonstrate innovation and excellence in delivering insight.
New accounts/projects
Insight agency FlexMR launched a research project titled The Consumer Postcard Project, which translates qualitative research into artworks that capture consumer sentiment. To launch the project, FlexMR has created representations of the retail, food production, food service, hotel, travel and financial service industries, and both style and subject matter reflect consumer opinion.
Nielsen signed on as a sponsor for AI4ALL, a nonprofit working to increase diversity and inclusion in artificial intelligence through education and mentorship.
New companies/new division/relocations/expansions
Researcher Opinions LTD opened a new testing center in Staten Island, N.Y.
Axtria, an analytics and cloud software partner to life sciences companies, opened its new Boston office in Waltham, Mass.
Research firm Rakuten Insight Global Inc. opened a branch in Bucharest, Romania.
Insights and data firm delineate has opened an operations center in Newcastle Emlyn, Wales.
Ruths Analytics and Innovation Inc., a Houston-based petroleum analytics firm, changed its name to Petro.ai. As part of this announcement, Exchange.ai, a library of analytics, was renamed Petro.ai Exchange and DataShopTalk, a resource for the engineering and data science community, became Petro.ai ShopTalk. petro.ai
Research company earnings/financial news
According to news site Broadcasting & Cable, analytics firm Comscore is cutting 8% of its workforce in the process of reordering its technology, product and sales organization. Comscore reported that the reorganization will cost $1.5-2.5 million, but the reduction in staff will decrease annual operating costs by $20 million. Most employees being let go will be leaving the company in the third quarter.
Insight translation agency RP Translate has reported 25% organic revenue growth in 2019, making it the fifth consecutive year of 15%+ annual growth.
Neura, a mobile app engagement analytics startup, has raised $16 million in Series B funding. The round was led by returning investors Pitango Venture Capital and Liberty Technology Venture. Other participants included Moneta Capital, Amdocs and AXA Ventures.
KJT Group is now a 100% employee-owned company through sale to the employee stock ownership plan and trust (ESOP). As a 100% ESOP-owned company, all of KJT Group stock is now held in trust by the ESOP exclusively for the benefit of KJT Group employees.