Nielsen Sells Canadian Assets to Market Track

Media monitoring firm Market Track has acquired assets of Nielsen Canada's Ad Intelligence Service (AIS), allowing it 'to offer the most comprehensive view of the media landscape to Canadian clients', for purposes of ROI and campaign optimization. Terms were not disclosed.

The firm is headquartered in Chicago, and provides advertising, eCommerce, brand protection and promotional intelligence solutions based on cross-channel media analysis. Users can track how competing retailers, products and brands are being advertised, priced and promoted both in-store and online.

Market Track says the latest buy will provide clients with best-in-class, actionable data to compare activity across media categories, including analysis of historical data by company, category, brand and media.

Nielsen, which also announced today it had sold its US book tracking business to The NPD Group, appears to be sharpening its focus on key Watch and Buy activities. For Market Track, the buy is 'just one of many investments to expand its global footprint and provide clients with actionable market intelligence that translates into tangible business results', according to recently appointed CEO Dennis Moore, himself a twelve-year Nielsen veteran. He adds: 'We have a long-standing relationship with Nielsen, and we look forward to a seamless transfer of services'.

The buy will allow Moore's company to offer detailed information on creative executions, and the trending of ad dollars by market - additionally, AIS data will be combined with and enhance Market Track's existing Canadian promotional advertising business, Ad Dynamics.

The companies are on the web at www.markettrack.com and www.nielsen.com .