reInvention and Authentic Response to Merge

In the US, global sampling and data collection provider reInvention has acquired New York-based competitor Authentic Response for an undisclosed sum.

Authentic Response, which was founded in 1998, offers the MyView global panel of consumers, B2B professionals and other hard-to-reach respondents. The firm has a team of 30+ market research sample professionals who have full-service research backgrounds and expertise in multiple survey research methodologies.

Launched last February by Greenfield Online veterans Hugh Davis and Keith Price, reInvention provides a survey-taking platform called the OneOpinion panel, which gives panellists multiple options for survey participation, including online, off-line and mobile. At the end of last year, the company announced it had bought software technology company Critical Mix, with the aim of developing an integrated data collection, analysis and reporting solution for researchers.

Price (pictured) says the latest acquisition will extend reInvention's ability to reach all types of survey respondents. 'Our similar cultures and shared values for delivering the highest-quality data supported by the best and brightest market researchers and sampling practitioners make Authentic Response and reInvention an ideal combination,' he adds.

Over the coming months, Authentic Response will continue to be led by CEO Jim Follett and operate independently, with the goal of becoming a unified brand by the end of the year.

Web sites: www.reinvention.com and www.authenticresponse.com .