Online Sapling for Tree

London-based marcoms group Cagney plans to launch an offshoot of its consumer behaviour consultancy Tree, in the new year, focusing on analysis of user-generated web content.

Cagney acquired Tree in January from Co-Founders Steve Mattey and Matthew Bayfield, who set up the firm in 2001 to combine consumer market research with data analysis (www.mrweb.com/drno/news6356.htm ). The pair will head the new venture - to be known as AGL ('a good listener') - and will be joined by former Ogilvy CEO and Cagney Founder Paul Simons, who confirmed they are already in discussion with two 'significant' clients.

AGL will search user-generated online sites to spot product references and then by using semantics software, will rate key words to ascertain their contextual significance.

The company also intends to create relationships with social networks and chat rooms, to enable its clients to survey the members of those forums where their brands are being discussed.

Earlier this week, Cagney reported a half year gross profit increase of 63% to £3.7m and said it anticipates full year gross profit of at least £7.6m.

Web sites are at www.cagneyplc.com and www.treelondon.co.uk.

Earlier in the week, new firm Wisconsin-based Networked Insights launched with the aim of connecting businesses with customer-to-customer conversations taking place on social networking platforms (www.mrweb.com/drno/news7549.htm ).

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