Genpact to acquire EmPower Research

NEW DELHI: BPO major Genpact today said it will acquire media and business research firm EmPower Research for an undisclosed amount.

Genpact has signed a definitive agreement to acquire EmPower Research, which has strong capabilities in social media research, media monitoring and measurement, Genpact said in a statement.

This acquisition will add significant expertise and intellectual property to Genpact's Smart Decision Services business, comprising analytics, research, re-engineering and risk management services, it added.

The deal is expected to close by the end of the month, subject to the satisfaction of certain customary conditions, it said.

"EmPower Research, a front-runner in social media with a uniquely process-driven culture, strong domain expertise and high-calibre senior management team, is a fantastic fit for our business, with numerous cross-sell opportunities, particularly in the pharmaceutical and CPG industries," Genpact President and CEO N V 'Tiger' Tyagarajan said.

With the explosion of activity on social media platforms, companies increasingly feel the need to keep apace with current trends to understand consumer preferences and perceptions toward their products and services.

EmPower Research provides a comprehensive range of services including social and traditional media monitoring and measurement, event impact research, brand tracking and data management.

EmPower Research serves some of the largest pharmaceutical companies, PR agencies, technology firms, and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies in the world, the statement said.

"We are seeing a significant increase in demand for our Smart Decision Services and EmPower Research adds tremendous capabilities in extracting insights from social media, a fast emerging source of data about consumer behavior," Tyagarajan said.

EmPower Research has about 360 employees based in New York, Bangalore, Cincinnati, New Jersey, San Francisco and London.

"We are incredibly excited to become part of the Genpact team," EmPower Research Co-Founder and managing partner Debjani Deb said.

EmPower Research was jointly represented by Jordan Edmiston Group, Inc (JEGI), and Veda Corporate Advisors on the transaction. While Veda is an India-based mid-market investment bank, JEGI is a New York City-based investment bank serving the media and information industries.