Ziment will form the base of a new global healthcare practice to further improve the service Kantar offers its pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device clients. The acquisition helps broaden WPP’s services to this important sector. WPP’s current offerings include CommonHealth, the world's largest pharmaceutical marketing and communications business; Sudler & Hennessey in marketing and communications; and Feinstein Kean in public relations.

According to Howard Ziment, CEO, "The idea today is to form true global partnerships with our clients. By combining Ziment’s healthcare market knowledge with Kantar’s global research infrastructure that spans across 80 offices in 56 countries, we will truly be able to fulfil this promise. We are proud to join forces with WPP—they are the most progressive of the large global marketing services companies. The move will allow us to set-up operations around the globe, serving our clients wherever they are selling and marketing their products."

The Kantar Group is the largest custom research organization in the world incorporating the well-known names of Research International, Millward Brown and Kantar Media Research. In 2000 Kantar’s revenues were just under US$1 billion worldwide, with over three-quarters of that revenue originating from outside the United States.

Founded in 1976 and headquartered in New York, Ziment employs 350 full and part time staff in its five operating units across 12 offices.