WPP's Lightspeed Research acquires US-based agency

by Alex Donohue, Brand Republic 30-Mar-07, 15:00

LONDON - Lightspeed Research, the WPP market research company, has acquired US specialist survey consultancy firm, Foresight International, for an undisclosed sum.

Foresight International, which was founded in 1994, has a client list that includes Citigroup, UTC and Enterprise, and employs 37 people. The business returned gross assets for 2006 of $5.9m.

The company, which is co-directed by Richard Slaughter and Laurie Wheldon, specialises in developing market information across a range of sectors, including business, government, education and third sector.

The acquisition, which WPP said was part of its continuing growth in fast-moving sectors, follows the recent additions of a majority stake in DataCore Marketing, and GroupM, which secured a 75% stake in German digital marketing agency Quisma.

In October, Lightspeed Research acquired Forrester Research's Ultimate Consumer Panel, which it said would allow it to boost its consumer behaviour knowledge for clients.