Nike Buys Consumer Analytics Firm Zodiac

In the US, sports footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories designer Nike has acquired consumer data firm Zodiac for an undisclosed sum.

New York City and Philadelphia-based Zodiac offers a predictive customer analytics platform that forecasts the behavior and lifetime value of individual customers and customer segments. Founded in 2015 by a team of PhD statisticians and data scientists at the University of Pennsylvania, the firm uses a company's historical transaction logs to predict each customer's future buying habits.

The acquisition is part of Nike's recently launched 'Consumer Direct Offense', a company initiative designed 'to better serve the consumer personally and at scale'. Adam Sussman, NIKE's VP and Chief Digital Officer, says the deal will add world-class data science talent and tools to drive one-to-one relationships with consumers through digital and physical consumer experiences. Artem Mariychin (pictured), Zodiac co-founder and CEO, adds: 'Nike's incredible connection with consumers and its global scale make it a perfect home for Zodiac's team and capabilities. We are excited to become part of Nike to help power the firm's Consumer Direct Offense across the world'.

Web sites: www.nike.com and www.zodiacmetrics.com .