MDC Partners Buys Majority Stake in Luntz Global

Marcoms network MDC Partners has acquired a majority partnership interest in language and communications research specialist Luntz Global, thereby extending its own Consumer Insights and Analytics practice. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Luntz Global was founded by political pollster, Republican party strategist, and Fox News commentator Frank Luntz (pictured), who previously sold his MR and strategic consulting firm Luntz Research to the Omnicom Group in 2005. Luntz is best known for helping change political language in the US, for example, using research to convert the term 'estate tax' into the 'death tax', and 'drilling for oil' into 'exploring for energy'. In addition to political polling, the firm also conducts corporate research to provide communication guidance for clients across a broad range of industries.

The new partnership will help extend MDC Partners' Consumer Insights division, which develops data and analytics capabilities for use by MDC companies wishing to analyze clients' integrated digital and multi-channel media campaigns. As part of the deal, Frank Luntz joins the company in the newly created role of Chief Language Strategist, while remaining as CEO of Luntz Global, in which he and his management team will retain a 'significant equity interest'.

MDC Partners CEO Miles Nadal welcomes the Luntz team's 'unique marriage of research and creative solutions' and their 'proven ability to enhance messaging, creative storytelling, and consumer impact based on their proprietary 'Instant Response' approach to quantitative and qualitative analytics.'

Web sites: www.mdc-partners.com and www.luntzglobal.com .