Transaction combines complementary services to empower media sellers, brands, and agencies with broad market intelligence for confident decision-making
New York, NY (November 2, 2023) – MediaRadar, the award-winning advertising intelligence and sales enablement platform backed by Thompson Street Capital Partners and Endicott Capital, today announced the acquisition of Kantar Group’s (“Kantar”) North American Advertising Intelligence unit, Vivvix (the “Transaction”). Vivvix offers competitive advertising intelligence across both digital and traditional media channels, such as mobile apps, streaming services, and social media. This transformative deal positions MediaRadar as the definitive source of advertising data and insights, serving the entire industry ecosystem from media owners to agencies and brands.
“By combining Vivvix and MediaRadar, we offer a complete view of the entire advertising industry,” said Todd Krizelman, CEO and co-founder of MediaRadar. “Together, our unparalleled market intelligence will enable strategic decision-making, allowing media sellers, brands, and agencies to navigate the dynamic advertising landscape with even greater confidence.”
As the ad industry continues to innovate and evolve with new formats across traditional channels and emerging platforms, the need for transparent, trusted, and high-quality data has never been more critical. These insights allow media companies, brands, and agencies to navigate the growing fragmentation and complexity, informing decisions in ad sales, brand strategy, and media planning and buying. The acquisition of Vivvix, with its complementary channel coverage, bolsters MediaRadar’s data capabilities, introducing new areas such as local TV, radio, and search, while also extending its reach into out of home advertising and the Canadian market. Unified as one platform, MediaRadar will deliver the most comprehensive near real-time advertising intelligence available.
“When we launched Vivvix earlier this year, our mission was to become the world’s leading ad intelligence company,” said Andrew Feigenson, CEO of Vivvix. “In joining forces with MediaRadar, we take a significant step toward that goal. We are incredibly excited to work with Todd and his team to achieve a common vision and deliver a complete view of the market to media companies, marketers, and agencies.”
“Today’s transaction brings Vivvix together with a highly complementary business that goes a long way to delivering on their vision of building the most future-facing advertising intelligence business in North America,” added Chris Jansen, Chief Executive, Kantar. “We’re excited about the possibilities that emerge from the combined entity and wish the Vivvix and MediaRadar team well on the next phase of their growth journey.”
Today, more than 20,000 users rely on MediaRadar’s extensive database that tracks more than $200 billion of annual media spend across more than four million brands. Vivvix’s advertising intelligence footprint spans $250 billion-plus in media spend. Together these platforms are relied on by brands, agencies, and media sellers to provide advertising intelligence integral to their core business decisions.
MediaRadar and Vivvix are both AI-powered platforms, with AI used to track and collect advertising insights across media channels, as well as to power sales recommendations and prospecting tools. Following the Transaction, MediaRadar’s expanded resources and capital will allow it to further invest in cutting-edge data and tech capabilities, building next-gen solutions that drive maximum value for its customers and cementing its position as the industry’s analytics leader.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett served as legal advisor and Solomon Partners served as financial advisor to MediaRadar.
Weil, Gotshal & Manges served as legal advisor and Barclays Bank PLC, acting through its Investment Bank (“Barclays”) served as financial advisor to Kantar.
About MediaRadar
MediaRadar offers a suite of tools that provide sales intelligence and enablement directly to media and ad tech sales personnel, as well as new business development executives at agencies. The company tailors its products to support broadcasters, dotcoms, ad tech companies, magazines, newspapers, mobile media companies, and events.
The platform’s intelligence capabilities are powered by a proprietary combination of AI and machine learning. Through its technology, MediaRadar distills multi-channel campaign intelligence into actionable competitive insights, brand analysis, and prospecting reports, all in one easy-to-use platform. Ad sales teams leverage these insights to identify the best prospects, build and nurture stronger relationships with clients, and close more business. For more information about MediaRadar, visit http://mediaradar.com.
About Vivvix
Vivvix delivers winning clarity to brand marketers, advertising agencies, and media owners, by providing a greater understanding of their competitive landscape, which empowers clients to effectively invest their advertising budgets and gain market share from their competition. Vivvix, formed in 2023, offers the most comprehensive advertising intelligence footprint available, including the largest creative library and estimates of advertising market shares across media types. For more information about Vivvix, visit http://www.vivvix.com.
About Kantar
Kantar is the world’s leading marketing data and analytics business and an indispensable brand partner to the world’s top companies, including 96 of the world’s 100 biggest advertisers. We combine the most meaningful attitudinal and behavioral data with deep expertise and technology platforms to track how people think and act. We help clients develop the marketing strategies that shape their future and deliver sustainable growth.
Barclays, which is authorized by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, is acting exclusively for Kantar and no one else in connection with the Transaction and will not be responsible to anyone other than Kantar for providing the protections afforded to clients of Barclays nor for providing advice in relation to the Transaction or any other matter referred to in this document.
