Buy for Shopper Data Firm Quotient

California-based Quotient Technology Inc. is to acquire influencer marketing specialist Ahalogy for between $20m and $50m, enhancing its performance media solutions for CPGs and retailers.

Quotient, which was founded in 1998 and has offices across the US and in Bangalore, Paris and London, offers a proprietary measurement solution and exclusive shopper data to deliver personalized digital coupons and ads to millions of shoppers each day based on online behavior and engagement data. Its Retailer iQ platform connects to a retailer's point-of-sale system and provides targeting and analytics. A year ago it bought Crisp Mobile, which offers time-specific targeting of shoppers with personalised creative, for around $33m; and in January this year it helped US retailer Albertsons to launch a targeting service based on point-of-sale data from more than 2,300 of its stores.

Ahalogy brings 'a roster of proven influencers' from its work across social media channels for CPG brands. The firm's proprietary 'Muse' software picks out trending themes such as recipes or types of food, of high interest for brands, and matches influencers verified on the quality of their followers and content.

Quotient will pay c.$20m in cash up-front, subject to adjustments at closing; and a further sum of up to $30m in cash dependent on the achievement of certain financial metrics from closing through Q4 2019. The deal should close this month.

Bob Gilbreath, who cofounded Ahalogy in 2012 and is its CEO, is a veteran of Procter & Gamble and WPP, and will continue to run the Ahalogy team after the buy. He comments: 'We couldn't be more thrilled to join Quotient. This is a great opportunity to bring our influencer marketing capabilities to the more than 2,000 brands within Quotient's network, giving CPG brands and retailers a single company to manage much of their digital marketing'.

Mir Aamir, President and CEO of Quotient, says Ahalogy is 'a perfect fit for Quotient' and gives it 'another capability to deliver efficient digital media campaigns that reach valuable shoppers, including our 100 million verified buyer audience, using our proprietary shopper data to drive sales and measure performance'. The buy also expands Quotient commitment to the city of Cincinnati, where it already employs more than 120 people.

Web site: www.quotient.com .