Edelman's StrategyOne Acquires PluggedIN

In the US, research and measurement consultancy StrategyOne, which is part of the Edelman PR network, has acquired online research communities specialist PluggedIN. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 2006, PluggedIN integrates aspects of social networking and community features with qual and quant market research. For 2010, the firm reported 43% revenue growth, with profitability 'up substantially' year-on-year.

StrategyOne says the acquisition will not only strengthen its MROC (market research online communities) offering, but also its commitment to further developing its research and insights portfolio.

'Insights communities are a cornerstone of market research's future as the industry shifts from an emphasis on asking to an emphasis on listening and collaborating,' states StrategyOne US President Robert Moran. 'We feel strongly that community based research is only beginning to achieve its true potential and that this research approach will continue to see explosive growth in the years ahead.'

PluggedIN co-founder Ben Werzinger adds that the benefits of the partnership are the ability to offer a community approach alongside a full-service market research offering.

The firm will operate as StrategyOne, and the PluggedIN Communities team, led by Werzinger, Matt Foley and Lail Brown, will continue to be based in Rochester, NY.

Web sites: www.strategyone.com , www.edelman.com and www.pluggedinco.com .