FREE DM Review Site Registration!
Sign-up today and access DM Review on the Web!

Your FREE registration entitles you to:
FREE email newsletters

FREE access to all DM Review content

FREE access to web seminars, resource portals, our white paper library and more!

   
BI Review content and features are now in DMReview.com!

One brand, one Web site! DM Review is now the home of all the content you're used to at BIReview.com and much more. If you are registered at BIReview.com, you're already registered at DM Review. If not, take just a moment to sign up for all the free services we have for you at the new DMReview.com.

Experian Group Limited Acquires of Hitwise

Experian, the global information solutions company, announced that it has acquired Hitwise, a leading Internet marketing intelligence company which helps clients monitor the performance of their Web sites and target their online advertising spend more effectively. The purchase price is approximately $240 million and will be funded from Experian's existing cash resources. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

Don Robert, chief executive officer of Experian, commented, "We have been successfully repositioning our marketing solutions business to meet our clients' needs as they continue to switch more of their advertising spend online.  Hitwise, which is a rapidly growing, successful business, brings new, unique data to Experian and complements the existing data, tools and expertise that we already offer to clients in other areas such as research services and email distribution."

Andrew Walsh, chief executive officer of Hitwise, said, "Over the last 10 years, Hitwise has developed a truly unique digital intelligence service that helps inform the online marketing strategies of 1,200 clients around the world every day.  We are excited to become part of Experian, having worked with them for over four years.  We will now be able to accelerate Hitwise's growth and profitability through access to Experian's wider pool of data, tools and clients, while more quickly expanding our global footprint."

Founded in 1998, Hitwise collects and aggregates information from Internet service providers (ISPs) on how more than 25 million consumers use and search the Internet in the U.S., UK, Australia and other countries in Asia Pacific. Using proprietary technology, Hitwise reports on nearly a million Web sites each day and sells this information to companies who market their services online. The data allows companies to benchmark their Web sites against competitors in terms of visitor market share, visitor profiles and time spent on sites.  It also helps companies to determine which are the best Web sites on which to advertise, which search engines drive traffic to their sites and which key words are most effective.

To safeguard consumer privacy, the data excludes personally identifiable information and is aggregated into socio-demographic marketing segments. Hitwise owns this data once it has been processed.

The acquisition of Hitwise continues the repositioning of Experian's Marketing Solutions activities. Companies are increasingly shifting from mass marketing through established media, such as direct mail, to more targeted marketing through many more channels, including email, Internet and mobile devices. Through its expertise in Web site monitoring, Hitwise extends the range of marketing services that Experian can offer its clients. 

Hitwise strengthens Experian's position in market research by bringing new, unique data to Experian on how consumers behave online, to complement our existing knowledge of how they behave offline. Hitwise's services are also complementary to other Experian products. For example, Hitwise will leverage the sales and distribution network of CheetahMail, our email delivery and analytics company.

Hitwise operates in high growth markets.  It is estimated that total US online advertising spend, for example, will grow by about 20 percent CAGR between 2005 and 2010 to $32 billion as Internet usage by both consumers and businesses grows (source: Interactive Advertising Bureau).  This growth in Internet advertising is fuelling demand from companies to target better their advertising spend (be it for search marketing, local search or banner advertising) and to measure its effectiveness.  Hitwise helps companies achieve both these objectives.

Hitwise, which has been acquired from its original backers and management, will form part of Experian Marketing Solutions.  Hitwise has over 200 employees based mainly in Melbourne, New York and London.  The acquisition is expected to close in May 2007.


This piece is brought to you by the DM Review editorial staff.

For more information on related topics, visit the following channels:



Industry Vendors