Accenture Boosts Business With Media Audits Acquisition

Global management consultancy Accenture has announced plans to expand its business through the acquisition of Media Audits, a leader in the measurement of return on advertising investment, ending months of speculation over a possible deal between the two companies.

The acquisition is expected to be completed in around 60 days, subject to regulatory approval.

Under the deal, Media Audits will join Accenture’s global Marketing Sciences practice, boosting its staff to more than 200, providing clients with a broad range of services for measurement, evaluation and optimisation of marketing and media investments world-wide.

The newly expanded division will be headed by Jeffery Merrihue, current head of Accenture’s Marketing Sciences practice, with the new position of chief executive officer over the business.

Julian Spooner, currently CEO of Media Audits, will assume the newly created role of chief operating officer within Accenture Marketing Sciences.

“With the addition of Media Audits’ people, assets and methodologies, Accenture will be even better positioned to help clients more effectively manage their marketing spend,” explained Merrihue. “The fragmentation of communication channels has made it harder and more expensive to reach elusive target audiences. Our expanded Marketing Sciences practice will offer an ‘industrial strength’ service globally to clients who want to accelerate growth and ensure greater transparency of their marketing investments.”

Media Audits’ clients include many top advertisers within the automotive, leisure, telecommunications and consumer goods sectors. The company’s consolidation into Accenture will enable the firm’s Marketing Sciences division to offer marketing and media optimisation for easy tracking of clients’ investments, as well as those of their competitors, on a monthly basis.

Spooner explained: “Under increasing pressure to generate demonstrable results from their marketing investments, chief marketing officers around the world need tools that help them evaluate their progress globally. By joining Accenture, we will give clients access to more of the services they require to plan and evaluate the effectiveness of their media buys throughout the world.”

Rumours of Accenture’s interest in Media Audits first surfaced in September, with Accenture believed to have been in exclusive talks with the company (see NewsLine). Media Audits’ sale follows hot on the heels of rival consulting and auditing company Billetts sale to Thomson Intermedia, which was completed in early August (see Thomson Intermedia Scoops Billetts For £13.1 Million).

Accenture: 020 7844 4000 www.accenture.com Media Audits: 020 7734 4080 www.mediaaudits.com