Dubai Firm Buys Report International and KDPaine

Dubai-based News Group International (NGI) has acquired UK-based Report International and US PR and social media research specialist KDPaine & Partners, and will add them to its measurement company, Salience Insight, while maintaining them as distinct brands.

Report International, whose acquisition from Optimisa plc was completed last month, was founded in 1987 in Brussels, and has been headquartered in London since 1999. KDPaine is based in Berlin, New Hampshire, USA. NGI says it wants to create a global presence in media measurement.

NGI itself was founded in 2002 and its seven subsidiaries now employ over 300 people, operating in 30 countries across the Middle East & North Africa.

Giselle Bodie (pictured) becomes CEO of the newly-combined entity. She joins from Kantar Media Intelligence, where she spent two years as European COO, after three years as Consultancy Services Director and then MD of PR and communications firm Cision UK Ltd, and two years running her own consultancy firm. Earlier she spent a dozen years at Echo Research, of which she was Managing Director.

KDPaine boss Katie Delahaye Paine now becomes NGI's CMO, reporting to company President Mazen Nahawi, while retaining her position as Chairman of the firm she founded a decade ago. Paine says the new company will address the 'barriers between geographies, between social and traditional media, between measurement of outputs and outcomes, between qualitative and quantitative metrics, between marketing & PR, and between internal and external communications.'

According to Nazhawi, the new entity 'brings together three highly respected brands known for their rigorous and sophisticated approach to delivering business-critical insight to its clients. With all this talent, we'll plan to be the leading international partner of choice for clients seeking accuracy, scalability and value in their communications measurement.'

Web sites: www.newsgroup.ae , www.reportinternational.com and www.kdpaine.com .