Advertising agency WPP said today its wholly owned operating company, Millward Brown, has acquired 86.6 per cent of Irish Marketing Surveys Group Ltd and entered into put and call options over the remaining equity.
Founded in 1963, the IMS Group is the largest full service market research organisation in Ireland, comprising three major companies: Irish Marketing Surveys (to be rebranded Millward Brown IMS) Lansdowne Market Research based in Dublin and Ulster Marketing Surveys (to be rebranded Millward Brown Ulster), based in Belfast.
The IMS Group employs 130 people in Dublin and Belfast and had revenues of €17 million in 2001 and net assets of €1.4 million for the year ended December 31st, 2001.
Clients include a wide range of leading public and private companies, government departments and semi-state bodies. The IMS Group also works extensively with most of the major multi-national businesses with interests in Ireland.
