REG - YouGov PLC - Acquisition

YouGovAnnouncement

09/12/2021 07:30

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RNS Number : 0361V  YouGov PLC  09 December 2021

 

 

9 December 2021

YouGov plc

("YouGov" or "the Group" or "the Company")

Acquisition of LINK Marketing Services AG

 

YouGov, the international market research and data analytics group, announces
the acquisition of the leading Swiss market and social research agency, LINK
Marketing Services AG ("LINK") based in Zurich.

LINK was founded in 1981 in Lucerne, Switzerland and is a well-regarded player
in the region with a focus on driving innovation in its market and social
research capabilities. In 1984, it was the first Swiss market research company
to internally develop and use software for CATI surveys and started the use of
online surveys in 1998. The company has longstanding relationships with
leading Swiss companies and global blue-chip clients in the financial
services, FMCG, retail industries and government sector. LINK employs around
100 staff and is divided into two main divisions: a full-service market
research business that services clients using its high-quality online panel
and a social research business that delivers opinion and behavioural data
largely for the public sector, including the Swiss Federal Statistical Office,
public institutions and universities.

YouGov has seen good traction in Mainland Europe following the expansion of
its panel into several new European countries and a shift in its approach to
target large-scale, regional tracking projects. Switzerland is a key market
for several of our European clients and the addition of the LINK business will
reinforce YouGov's position in Mainland Europe. Through this acquisition, we
can expand the use of our panels, technology and product suite to create
additional value for our clients and shareholders. This strategic acquisition
opens up several avenues of opportunity for the combined entity such as:

 ·             Enabling the existing LINK sales team to expand their client relationships
               using YouGov's international research capabilities
 ·             Further develop our syndicated data products in Switzerland and leverage
               LINK's strong client relationships to boost subscriptions
 ·             Collaboration with LINK's social research business, which is highly
               complementary to YouGov's existing public data efforts, to expand the offering
               globally using their highly innovative research methodologies
 ·             Utilising the high-quality, online LINK panel consisting of 115,000 members to
               service existing YouGov clients

The total consideration for the acquisition is CHF 26.4 million (£21.7
million)(1) payable upfront in cash. The consideration will be funded through
internal cash reserves. For the twelve months ended 31 December 2020, LINK
reported revenues of CHF 23.0 million and adjusted(2) profit before tax of CHF
2.0 million.

The existing LINK management team will continue to run the acquired business
which will continue to operate under its name for the foreseeable future.

Stephan Shakespeare, CEO and co-founder of YouGov, commented: "LINK is a great
fit for YouGov and we are thrilled to bring it into the YouGov fold as we
continue to invest for growth in line with our strategy. Like us, they have a
highly engaged online panel - the heart of the company providing their gold
standard data - and they are similarly renowned for world class social and
political research. Switzerland is home to a large number of multinational
companies and LINK's data is best-in-class in the market. Through this
acquisition, we can better serve clients both within Switzerland and around
the world as we roll out our world class data products in the country."

Benedikt Lüthi, CEO of LINK, commented: "We are excited to join the YouGov
family, and while it opens up a world of possibilities for our clients, we
will continue to offer them what they have come to expect from us over the
years - the best data drawn from the best panel which provides the most
accurate answers. Our two companies share a strong cultural affinity - we are
both leaders in innovative online research and analytics - and we share the
same vision. As a result of this deal, we can now offer our clients much more.
From the get-go LINK customers will gain access to YouGov's global research
network, panel and suite of innovative insights' products that enable them to
track their own and their competitors' brands globally."

(1)( )Figures based on an exchange rate of GBP £1.00 = CHF 1.22 as of 8
December 2021

(2) Adjusted profit before tax excludes the one-off gain from sale of property

 

Enquiries

 

 YouGov plc

 Stephan Shakespeare / Alex McIntosh / Hannah Jethwani   020 7012 6000
 FTI Consulting

 Charles Palmer / Elena Kalinskaya                                               020 3727 1000
 Numis Securities (NOMAD and Joint Broker)

 Nick Westlake / Hugo Rubinstein / Matt Lewis            020 7260 1000
 Berenberg (Joint Broker)

 Mark Whitmore / Alix Mecklenburg-Solodkoff              020 3207 7800

 

About YouGov

YouGov is an international research and data analytics group.

Our mission is to supply a continuous stream of accurate data into what the
world thinks, so that organisations can better serve the communities that
sustain them.

Our 17 million registered members provide us with a highly engaged proprietary
panel that delivers thousands of data points on consumer opinions, attitudes
and behaviour on a daily basis. We combine this continuous stream of data with
our research expertise to provide insights that enable intelligent
decision-making and informed conversations.

With operations in the UK, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, India and
Asia Pacific, YouGov has one of the world's largest research networks.

YouGov

Best panel

Best data

Best tools

For further information visit yougov.com.

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