Repucom and IBOPE Launch LatAm Sports Research Arm

US-based sports broadcast measurement specialist Repucom has hooked up with Grupo IBOPE and Kantar Media joint venture IBOPE Media, to launch a sports research business in Latin America, excluding Brazil.

Repucom - which is part of the RSMG Insights group - offers sports sponsorship evaluation to gauge brand activity at events or measure the performance of rival brands across the sponsorship inventory. In March, RSMG acquired competitor agency IFM Group in a deal which includes German-based IFM Sports and UK-based IFM Sports Marketing Surveys.

Through the latest agreement, Repucom and IBOPE Media will operate under the name IBOPE/Repucom Sports in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with plans to roll out additional services across the region's Spanish-speaking countries later in the year.

Paul Smith, CEO of Repucom, explains: 'We have followed the growth of the sports sector in Latin America and have considered various means of entry; however an appropriate partner was key to a successful rollout of services. IBOPE Media is the logical fit in this regard.'

Carlos Augusto Montenegro, Grupo IBOPE's President, agrees that linking with Repucom provides the 'ideal platform' from which his firm can expand into the sports sector.

Last month, Repucom opened an office in Vancouver, Canada, led by Derek Mager who joins with more than nineteen years' involvement in sport, events, sponsorship and research, gained at both IFM and IMG.

Web sites: www.repucom.net and visit www.ibope.com .