Sports Marketing Research Co's Join Forces

RSMG Insights has announced that it will acquire international sports research agency, IFM Group. The transaction includes IFM comprising German-based IFM Sports and UK-headquartered Sports Marketing Surveys.

“We see this as another significant step towards strategic consolidation on a global basis as well as elevating the sports research industry,” Paul Smith, CEO of RSMG Insights, said. “Our goal is to create a transparent, comparable global platform for sponsorship valuation and research. With this merger, we are firmly on course to achieving that.”

RSMG Insights, which also comprises sports research companies REPUCOM International and SPORT+MARKT, was formed in November 2010 through the merger of these two companies along with additional backing from New York-based investment partners GF Capital Private Equity Fund.

“The sports business is a beacon in difficult economic times and, as such, brands and rights holders are more aware than ever of the importance of reliable analytics,” Erik Baker, Managing Director of GF Capital Private Equity Fund, added. “This acquisition is another signal of the ambition of RSMG Insights to set a new benchmark in the sports research industry.”

IFM's signature report, the Annual Sponsorship Business Survey 2012, recently uncovered some of the following findings:

- 63% report a growing acknowledgement that sponsorship needs to sit centrally within the marketing strategy and 58% feel that this will result in better quality sponsorships.

- 71% believe that it is essential to have independent evaluation of the effectiveness of sponsorships.

- 72% believe that community projects are becoming increasingly important to a brand’s corporate value.

To access the full report, click here.

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