Live Gamer acquires gamerDNA Media and BrandPort

July 19, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Live Gamer has acquired New York-based video game ad network gamerDNA Media, and engagement advertising platform BrandPort. The two additions will form Live Gamer Media, a new business unit complementing Live Gamer’s microtransaction offerings.

The pairing of gamerDNA Media and BrandPort offers advertisers a single source for targeting gamers, including both hardcore gamers, and casual/social gamers.

“Launching Live Gamer Media through the acquisitions of two impressive companies — gamerDNA and BrandPort — offers advertisers a one-stop partner for connecting with gamers in a whole new way,” said Andrew Schneider, president and co-founder of Live Gamer, “We’ve brought together the reach of display with the innovation and high-engagement levels of virtual goods incentive video — both gamers and advertisers win.”

USA, New York, NY

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FriendFinder Networks acquires PerfectMatch.com

July 19, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

FriendFinder Networks has acquired PerfectMatch.com from Matrima, Inc. PerfectMatch.com is an online relationship service helping adults seeking successful, lasting connections.

“This is an exciting opportunity for FriendFinder Networks as it expands our presence in the general audience social networking arena,” says Marc Bell, Chief Executive Officer of FriendFinder Networks Inc. “This is the first step in an acquisition strategy that will strengthen our business and continue our growth.”

PerfectMatch.com founder Duane Dahl will join FriendFinder Networks as General Manager of the Company’s general audience dating websites group.

USA, Sunnyvale, CA

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Half Year M&A Trends Report for the Financial Technology and Information Industry

July 19, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Berkery Noyes has released its Half Year Mergers and Acquisitions Trends Report for the Financial Technology and Information Industry.

The report analyses merger and acquisition activity in the Financial Technology and Information market over the first half of 2011 and compares it with activity in the four previous sixth-month periods. This market includes information and technology companies in capital markets, payments, banking, insurance and other related professional financial services.

Berkery Noyes data shows that while total transaction volume for the period remained largely unchanged, transaction value nearly tripled, jumping from $7.0 billion in 2nd Half 2010 to $19.5 billion this period. The 187 percent increase can be attributed primarily to Deutsche Borse Group’s announced merger with NYSE Euronext for $12.4 billion.

Fiserv, Inc., a leading provider of financial technology solutions, was the most active acquirer in 1st Half 2011, with four purchases: CashEdge, Inc., Credit Union On-Line, Inc., Mobile Commerce Ltd, and Maverick Network Solutions.

For the full two-and-a-half period covered by the report, Morningstar, Inc., was the sector’s most active acquirer. The investment research and financial news provider made nine acquisitions.

A copy of the First Half 2011 Financial Technology and Information Industry M&A Report is available here.

USA, New York

 

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Move acquires social search platform SocialBios

July 19, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Move, Inc., an online real estate firm, has acquired SocialBios, a social search platform. SocialBios allows individuals and companies to create one social hub for their  online profiles through interactive ‘About Us’ pages that simplify the discovery of shared connections on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Foursquare and Google without sacrificing their privacy. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Real estate is inherently a social business. Today’s search experience is highly interactive and instant with the explosion of mobile in real estate. We’re uniquely positioned to lead our industry and connect people naturally through their social graph,” said Scott Boecker, chief product officer at Move, Inc.  “This acquisition brings a new element of discovery and creativity to our online real estate marketplace as we evolve our web, mobile and social search experiences.”

As part of the acquisition, SocialBios founder Ernie Graham and co-founders Ira McMahon and Andrew Van Tassel have joined the product development team at Move, Inc. Graham, who will head up Move’s social product strategy and development team, will work with the Move’s franchise and broker customers to develop social graphing strategies that help them facilitate more connections between their agents and brokers with consumers.

The SocialBios office and team of social experts will be based in Denver, Colorado. The SocialBios website, products and brand will remain in production and available to real estate professionals.

USA, Cambpell, CA & Denver, CO

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USA: Publicis acquires an equity stake in social media agency Big Fuel

July 19, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Publicis Groupe has acquired an equity stake in Big Fuel, the New York-based social media agency. According to the terms of the agreement, Publicis Groupe immediately acquires 51% of the new agency, and has the possibility of increasing its participation to 100% from 2014. Big Fuel will be aligned under the VivaKi organization and serve as a strategic social media “center” for the VivaKi agencies Digitas, Razorfish, Starcom MediaVest Group and Zenith Optimedia, complementing their existing teams.

With more than 170 employees, Big Fuel is a pure-play social media agency, with all employees dedicated to providing clients with social media services including strategic, creative, distribution, management and analytics. The company has grown from 30 employees in early 2010, and its 2011 revenue is expected to reach nearly $30M, a 500% increase year-on-year. It has been named social media agency of record for some major marketers, including GM and T-Mobile. Big Fuel also works with Colgate-Palmolive, Microsoft, Clorox, Children’s Place, Gore-Tex and Philips.

Big Fuel is headed by Jon Bond, CEO, who assumed the role in January of 2011. Bond runs the agency in partnership with Avi Savar, founding partner and Chief Creative Officer, and Mike McGraw, managing partner and COO.  Big Fuel will report into the VivaKi organization through Laura Lang, global CEO of Digitas and member of the VivaKi Board of Directors.

“Big Fuel is a dynamic social media agency with a scalable model that encompasses social tools, process, a content studio and a distribution network. As a result, it will extend the creative and content resourcing of Digitas and Razorfish,”said Laura Lang.  “They specialize in taking brands from content to commerce, and their social media operating system has earned them Social AOR status with some of the world’s most powerful marketers.  Sitting inside VivaKi, with its powerful media and digital agency networks, Big Fuel gives us unprecedented Paid, Owned and Earned capabilities, further enhancing the social media strategies of its sister agencies.”

Jon Bond, CEO of Big Fuel, says the deal will help support Big Fuel’s rapid organic growth. “Big Fuel’s founder Avi Savar had the vision to create one of the first full-service social media agencies,” said Bond.  “Now that social is revolutionising global marketing, this partnership gives the agency and its clients scale, impact, and a network around the world.”

France, Paris & USA, New York, NY

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Sandow to acquire branding agency Seesaw

July 19, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Sandow is to acquire Seesaw, a leading full-service digital strategy and media agency built on brand development and product innovation, graphic and industrial design and full-service web, design and development. Seesaw will be re-branded as Wonder. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Wonder strengthens and extends the marketing platform Sandow, coming shortly after the recent acquisitions of Materials Connexion and Culture & Commerce. While Wonder will remain primarily externally focused, it will also provide a range of marketing services to support and enhance the Sandow brands.

“Wonder is a unique company that understands the value of innovation, which is why they will be a core asset to Sandow,” saidAdam I. Sandow, Chairman and CEO of Sandow Media. “This acquisition shows our commitment to expanding our presence within the branding, design and digital industry, and our integrated resources will lead to substantial agency growth under the leadership of Randy Herbertson and Chris Dowling.”

USA, New York, NY

 

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Zondervan acquires The Beginner’s Bible

July 19, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

The Beginner’s Bible has been acquired from Mission City Press by Christian children’s publisher Zonderkidz, a division of Zondervan.

The concept for the product was first developed in 1985 and The Beginner’s Bible was introduced in 1989 as a complete storybook Bible.  Zondervan entered into a distribution agreement with Mission City Press in 1997 and has served as the exclusive publisher of The Beginner’s Bible since 2004 with Zondervan’s children’s group, Zonderkidz, managing the publishing program.  To date, over six million copies of The Beginner’s Bible have sold in all editions and it is available in more than 20 languages worldwide.

“Zondervan has enjoyed a great partnership with Mission City Press as both organizations have long shared a common vision to bring God’s Word to life to the youngest generation,” said Scott Macdonald, President and CEO of Zondervan.  “We are honored that Mission City Press trusts us to carry forward this wonderful brand and we intend to continue to enhance and develop it to impact more young hearts for Christ.”

USA, Grand Rapids, MI

 

 

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WeddingWire acquires ProjectWedding.com

July 19, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

WeddingWire, a wedding technology company, has acquired ProjectWedding.com. Project Wedding, formerly a wedding property of eHarmony, Inc. and network partner of WeddingWire, provides wedding ideas, inspiration and advice for engaged couples.

“The WeddingWire team is thrilled to welcome Project Wedding to the WeddingWire family of brands,” says Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire.  “This acquisition joins together two of the largest online wedding properties.  For our local and national advertisers, we now offer significantly greater reach and scale.  For our engaged couples, we will continue to invest in the unique and thriving communities on both properties.”

Over 1 million brides and grooms visit Project Wedding each month to interact with the supportive community, read curated editorial content and find the best local wedding professionals.  The acquisition of Project Wedding continues the rapid growth of WeddingWire’s digital footprint, which includes leading wedding planning sites, social media applications and mobile offerings.

“WeddingWire is an innovative leader in the wedding category and will continue to make Project Wedding a valuable resource for brides who want to find the best local vendors to make their wedding days memorable,” says Greg Steiner, eHarmony’s President and Chief Operating Officer.

USA, Bethesda, MD

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The Reader’s Digest puts itself up for sale

July 19, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that The Reader’s Digest Association has put itself up for sale and hopes to fetch around $1bn, “according to people familiar with the matter”. The Reader’s Digest Association has refused to comment. The process may result in the sale or spinoff of some Reader’s Digest properties rather than the sale of the entire company, two of the people told the newspaper.

The Readers Digest has been loss-making sine 2005. In 2007, an investment group led by private-equity firm Ripplewood Holdings bought The Reader’s Digest Association in a deal worth $1.6bn. However, they loaded the company with debt and the company struggled to pay the interest charges. In 2009 The Readers Digest Association filed for bankruptcy. Ripplewood gave up its ownership of the company loosing their initial £600m investment. The creditors, led by JP Morgan took ownership and replaced the $2.2bn of debt with a much more manageable $550m.

During the process, Reader’s Digest UK was placed in administration, because of complications with its pension fund. In 2010 private equity firm Better Capital bought Reader’s Digest UK from administration for £13m.

The Reader’s Digest Association was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace. For many years, Reader’s Digest was the best-selling consumer magazine in the United States. In 2009 they were overtaken by Better Homes and Gardens. Global editions of Reader’s Digest reach an additional 40 million people in more than 70 countries, with 50 editions in 21 languages. It has a global circulation of 17 million, making it the largest paid circulation magazine in the world.

USA, New York

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TripAdvisor acquires Where I’ve Been

July 18, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

TripAdvisor has acquired Where I’ve Been, a leading travel website and social platform with a detailed interactive world map that lets users share where they’ve been, lived, and want to go. Where I’ve Been is based in Chicago, Illinois and was founded by Michael Dalesandro and Craig Ulliott. Terms of the deal were not disclosed

Where I’ve Been allows users to share their world map on social networks and interact with like-minded users. Its Facebook application has allowed 10 million people to create color coded travel maps, “pinning off” close to half a billion places. Members can also upload stories and photos, source the community for answers to travel questions, and browse the “Travel Guide” which displays socially relevant information first. This acquisition underscores TripAdvisor’s continued focus and growth in social travel.

The entire product team at Where I’ve Been will join TripAdvisor.

USA, Newton, MA & Chicago, IL

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