Analyst and insight firm eMarketer expects to ramp up European and Asian expansion whilst seeking synergies with its new owner’s media properties, following its recent acquisition by Axel Springer, says co-founder Geoff Ramsey.
“(Springer) has the resources and wherewithal to help us from a content coverage standpoint and, probably more importantly, from a sales perspective,” Ramsey tells Beet.TV in this video interview.
“The Axel Springer deal for us is very much about global expansion and the fact that they have a number of stakes in companies where there might be synergies.”
Of all the analyst and insights firms out there, veteran eMarketer is known for triangulating a holistic view of multiple market metrics, topped off with its own brand of straight-up report writing.
Started in 1996, the company has carefully built its reputation in North America and, after taking investment in 2012, later opened up a UK office. But it wants to accelerate expansion. Axel Springer acquired 93% of the company in June for $242m.
“After 20-odd years of running a profitable and exciting growing business, you get to a point where you realize, if you want to take it to the next level, particularly internationally,” adds Ramsey, who is known for his charismatic and info-packed presentations.
“We’re very well known in the US, Canada and the UK, where we also have an office. But when you’re looking at the rest of the global world, Western Europe and Asia, in particular, it helps to have a partner that is already there.”
Axel Springer is the German newspaper and magazine publisher that, in recent years, has diversified in to online classified ads, lifestyle portals, business news and more, in hard pursuit of digital growth.
Months before eMarketer, it bought Business Insider and took shares in NowThis, Mic, Ozy and virtual reality business Jaunt.
Ramsey said his company’s new owner wanted to quicken its own US expansion, drive up its digital revenue and continue diversifying in to paid content.
