Andrew Girdwood notes that Compete.com was purchased by Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) for $75 million.

TNS’s release reports that Compete.com’s 2007 revenue was “$14.9 million, over 50 per cent higher than in the previous year.” TNS will pay in deferred cash payments throughout now and 2010, up to a maximum of $75 million.

David Lowden, Chief Executive of TNS, said:

This acquisition is an important move for TNS that builds on our ability to help clients understand consumer behaviour in the new and highly complex digital world. Compete has built a world-class digital intelligence capability that delivers multiple perspectives on how consumers engage with brands online. Its strength lies in its ability to provide competitive analysis of individuals’ online behaviour, a rapidly growing section of the market that has enormous potential.

TNS will enhance this offering by putting it together with the understanding of consumer attitudes and behaviour that we gain from our access panels. We will use our network to offer this powerful combination to clients across the globe. In the longer term, we will look at the opportunities to add further value by using our Worldpanel, Retail & Shopper and audience measurement capabilities to integrate data on purchasing and viewing behaviour with internet search and shopping behaviour. We believe this will allow TNS to develop new syndicated and custom products, unique in our industry.

Postscript: The news is now also on the Compete.com blog.

Related Topics: Business Issues: Acquisitions & Investments | Stats: Compete

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