Unilever Ventures buys BrainJuicer

by TANIA MASON, Marketing 30-Jan-03

Unilever Ventures (UV), the venture capital arm of Unilever, is taking a 40% share in online market research business BrainJuicer, of which Unilever is a client. The deal is part of UV's strategy of investing in businesses with growth potential.

BrianJuicer, established in January 2000, claims to provide qualitative as well as quantitative research much faster and cheaper than conventional market research.

According to company founder John Kearon, the software uses word-association technology to gauge panellists' opinions on subjects, and then asks 'intelligent' questions based on the reply. It then delivers an automated PowerPoint analysis.

BrainJuicer sits on a desktop for instant access. The company says its 'drag-and-drop' technique is user-friendly enough for marketers to use themselves, or they can engage BrainJuicer to manage the research for them.

BrainJuicer operates in 25 countries and questions can be translated into various languages. Its client list includes Nike, Renault, Allied Domecq, Publicis and Diageo.

UV chief executive John Coombes said it has been using BrainJuicer to research its own potential investments.

Unilever has used BrainJuicer for research around Peperami, Lipton and Omo, as well as several new products. But UV's 40% share in the business will not see Unilever brands getting discounts or special treatment.

BrainJuicer is the seventh enterprise to get backing from UV since the formation of the arm last year. The others are: Rocket instant meal kits; Fariba hot chicken wrap counters; the Pond's Institute health spa in Madrid; Persil Services laundry counter within Sainsbury's; Insense, which is currently testing a new active wound dressing based on honey and enzymes; and the Bio-technology Application Centre in the Netherlands, which improves the purification process for bio-pharmaceuticals.