Ipsos Buys in Peru; Reports Good Growth for 2006

Ipsos has acquired most of Peruvian agency, Apoyo Opinión y Mercado S.A., which commands a 30% market share of the country's MR and public opinion polling business. The global group has also announced preliminary results for 2006 with organic growth of 6.5% and revenues of 857.1m Euros.

Apoyo, which counts the major food, beverages home care, telecom, banking, retail and media brands among its clients, was established in 1984 and is the research arm of 30-year old communications and information consultancy, Apoyo Group.

With a presence in Peru's 25 major cities, additional operations in Bolivia and Ecuador, revenues of more than US$10 million and around 200 permanent employees, Apoyo Opinión y Mercado S.A. is the largest MR agency in the Andean region. The company is headed by CEO Alfredo Torres, who says he is 'very proud to become part of the Ipsos group.'

Commenting on the acquisition, Carlos Harding, Ipsos Deputy CEO, responsible for international development, said: 'Apoyo Opinión y Mercado S.A. is a company recognised in the region for its rigorousness and quality of service; and this strategic alliance was the missing piece needed to consolidate Ipsos' leadership in Latin America.'

Since 1997, Ipsos has been strengthening its foothold in the region, with investments in firms such as Mexican-based Bimsa, Chilean Search Marketing, Argentinean Mora y Araujo, Brazilian Marplan, Puerto Rican Hispania Research Corporation and Colombian-based Napoleón Franco S.A. In the past year, the Group achieved a turnover of 85.1 million Euros in Latin America, around 10% of its global sales.

Apoyo is on the web at www.apoyo.com .


Headline results for the year show that Ipsos grew revenues 19.4% in 2006, its strongest annual growth rate since 2001 with the purchases of in the UK in October 2005 and Understanding UnLtd in the US in November 2005 kay factors.

Revenues for Europe, North America and Latin America are all up by 20% or more but, unusually, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East show growth of only 7% to 79.8m Euros – Latin America leapfrogs it into third place with the biggest percentage growth - 22.5%, to 85.1m Euros. Asia Pac growth was held back by slow progress in Japan. European revenue was up 21% to 400.8m Euros and north American up 20% to 291.4m.

In Europe, the firm says the main growth engine was the positive impact of the integration of MORI and the creation of Ipsos Mori in the UK and Ireland. 'Organic growth, in contrast, was weak due to a sluggish fourth quarter in Western Europe (excluding the UK).'

Ipsos notes that its Opinion and Social Research activity has doubled in size, and is quickly becoming one of its 'most important and promising' lines of business. Whilst largely thanks to the MORI acquisition, this also reflects 'remarkable' organic growth.

Full-year results will be published on 20 March, at which point Ipsos will also outline its targets and plans for growth in 2007 and beyond. The group's web site is at www.ipsos.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.