Millward Brown Accelerates Digital Strategy with Acquisition of InsightExpress

Enables Marketers to Optimize Cross-Platform Advertising with Increased Speed and Precision

NEW YORK--()--Millward Brown, a global leader in brand, media and communications research today announced the acquisition of InsightExpress, a leading provider of media analytics and marketing accountability solutions for brand marketers. InsightExpress will be combined with Millward Brown Digital, to help marketers achieve new levels of marketing effectiveness and grow great brands.

“Both InsightExpress and Millward Brown Digital have a history of innovating and delivering high impact digital and cross media effectiveness solutions,” said Mary Ann Packo CEO, Millward Brown North America. “By bringing together these two pioneers, we’re building on our strategy to expand our digital offer and accelerate innovation, supported by the strength of Millward Brown’s global footprint and the broader Kantar network. We are thrilled to welcome the InsightExpress team to Millward Brown as we work together to connect digital and media to brand building.”

Millward Brown Digital delivers a unique combination of digital solutions and brand knowledge for marketers including:

  • Marketing and media effectiveness solutions to improve brand and business performance across digital and media platforms.
  • Consumer and industry intelligence solutions that provide insight into path-to-purchase behaviors, digital share and competitive benchmarking.
  • Brand performance programs to optimize and drive total brand performance through integrated behavioral, brand and media insights.

InsightExpress, founded in 1999, has 100 employees and counts more than 200 leading media companies, ad agencies and marketers as clients. Co-CEOs Drew Lipner and Marc Ryan will join the Millward Brown Digital leadership team led by Stephen DiMarco, who, separately today, was appointed the unit’s President.

Lipner, joining as Chief Client Officer, Media and Agency Group, commented, “We are tremendously proud of the InsightExpress team and its success in creating a truly transformative company, well recognized for leadership in innovation. By bringing together leaders in brand performance solutions, innovation and media analytics, we’re delivering a unique set of resources to the market and creating a real step change for clients.”

Ryan, who joins as Chief Research & Development Officer commented, “We’re excited to join Millward Brown Digital. With award-winning technology and the largest attitudinal and behavioral consumer dataset of its kind, we look forward to continuing to innovate measurement by introducing new and unique solutions to help brand marketers with planning, targeting, attribution and ROI accountability. The breadth of our data and analytics, the depth of our digital, media and brand insights, and our global reach are unmatched in the industry.”

DiMarco commented, “With the formation of Millward Brown Digital last year, clients benefited from more holistic insight into media and its impact on consumers’ path to purchase. With the addition of InsightExpress, we are taking another step in helping marketers ‘get digital right’ by providing faster, more granular analysis of cross-platform advertising effectiveness. We are delighted to welcome Marc, Drew and their team to Millward Brown.”

About Millward Brown

Millward Brown, which in 2013 had revenues exceeding $1 billion, is a leading global research agency specializing in advertising effectiveness, strategic communication, media and brand equity research. Millward Brown helps clients grow great brands through comprehensive research-based qualitative and quantitative solutions. Specialist global practices include Millward Brown Digital (a leader in digital effectiveness and intelligence), Firefly Millward Brown (a global qualitative network), a neuroscience practice (using neuroscience to optimize the value of traditional research techniques), and Millward Brown Vermeer (a strategy consultancy helping companies maximize financial returns on brand and marketing investments). Millward Brown operates in more than 55 countries and is part of Kantar, WPP’s data investment management division. Learn more at www.millwardbrown.com.

About Millward Brown Digital

Millward Brown Digital is the world’s leading digital expert in helping clients grow great brands. Millward Brown Digital delivers comprehensive digital solutions to help advertisers, agencies and publishers increase marketing effectiveness and drive brand growth. Integrated behavioral and attitudinal solutions help marketers identify, understand and engage consumers, plan and optimize media and increase total brand performance. Millward Brown Digital operates within Millward Brown North America and is part of Kantar, WPP’s data investment management division. Learn more at www.millwardbrown.com/digital.

Contacts

Media:
Millward Brown
Susan Hickey, 1-212-548-4680
susan.hickey@millwardbrown.com

Contacts

Media:
Millward Brown
Susan Hickey, 1-212-548-4680
susan.hickey@millwardbrown.com