Ipsos completes acquisition of Synovate

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, 13 October 2011

Ipsos announces the successful completion of the acquisition of Synovate, creating the third largest global market research company

Ipsos announces that it successfully completed yesterday the acquisition of the Synovate business for an enterprise value of £525 million*. Following this transaction, Ipsos becomes the third largest global market research company. The acquisition was announced on 27 July 2011 and was conditional upon various approvals, which have been obtained since then: the transaction was approved by Aegis’ ordinary shareholders on 16 August 2011 and obtained the mandatory anti-trust clearances thereafter.

The completion of the transaction occurs following the successful capital increase with preferential subscription rights of €200 million launched by Ipsos on 8 September 2011, to fund part of the acquisition price, and completed on 30 September 2011.

Didier Truchot, Ipsos Co-President, says: “We are delighted to have completed the acquisition of Synovate which is transformational for our company. With Synovate, Ipsos strengthens its leadership position in its chosen areas of specialization and enhances its intellectual and commercial offer to bring enriched and improved solutions to our clients. We are working quickly and jointly with the Synovate team and are delighted to welcome them within Ipsos. We are confident in our ability to achieve the objectives of the combination identified at the announcement of the transaction.”

Synovate has been operating in New Zealand since 2007 when the company bought Research Solutions Ltd. Since then the company has continued to grow its share and maintained its unparalleled record in the biannual NZ Market Research Effectiveness Awards.

Until now there has not been a New Zealand branch of Ipsos, so New Zealand Managing Director Ian Mills feels especially confident about the changes afoot: “The sale to Ipsos is all good news for our staff and clients alike, and we expect a smooth transition. It primarily means a re-branding and a significant increase in research capability and the deliverables we can offer our clients. The range of new options, techniques and experience we will be able to offer New Zealand businesses will be substantially increased – it’s good news for all concerned.”
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