Costa Mesa, Calif., 3 March 2004 – Experian®, a global information solutions company, today announced it has acquired CheetahMail, a leading email marketing and customer intelligence solutions firm.
By combining CheetahMail technology with Experian’s broad range of marketing solutions, the acquisition empowers Experian clients to send highly targeted and relevant emails to their permission-based subscriber lists. Through this acquisition, Experian will help companies leverage the power of the web as a means of cutting costs and strengthening customer relationships.
“CheetahMail is the fastest growing email marketing company in the US and Europe with a strong focus on customer retention and loyalty programs,” said Deborah Zuccarini, president, Experian Marketing Services. “We are confidant that CheetahMail’s cutting edge technology and expanded professional services offerings will ensure successful campaigns for our clients who are increasingly turning to the Internet as a key component of their marketing mix.”
Recently ranked by Jupiter Research as one of the top three leading email service providers, CheetahMail’s technology and professional services offerings are designed for companies that want to increase their brand equity through acquisition and retention of their customer base. According to Forrester Research, US digital marketing is expected to grow from $7 billion in 2003 to $16 billion by 2008.
“CheetahMail’s clients will benefit from Experian’s proven success and expertise in multi-channel marketing solutions,” said Irene Pedraza, CEO, CheetahMail. “In return, CheetahMail’s sophisticated email delivery platform will reach a broader customer base and market. We are excited to be joining the Experian family.”
Industry experts note that retention and development of customer relationships is dependent on timely and relevant communications. Companies like CheetahMail and Experian encourage deeper customer relationships between clients and their customers across multiple channels. This results in higher retention rates, lower campaign costs and increased customer satisfaction.
CheetahMail will operate out of its New York headquarters as a stand-alone entity within Experian Marketing Services and will be called CheetahMail, an Experian Company. CheetahMail’s extensive client list includes Neiman Marcus, Starbucks, Discovery Channel and Bloomingdale’s.
“Email marketing is an essential and growing element of our clients’ marketing strategies,” added Zuccarini. “CheetahMail strengthens our ability to quickly deliver highly integrated, multi-channel campaigns and will immediately contribute to Experian’s earnings.”
The acquisition is consistent with Experian’s stated global strategy of acquiring complementary businesses that expand distribution channels, broaden product offerings, expand into new regions or vertical markets while leveraging the core assets of Experian.
CheetahMail, Inc, an email marketing and customer intelligence solutions firm, serves over 140 category-leading clients in many industries including retail, technology, financial, entertainment, B2B and not-for-profit. CheetahMail’s technology and service offerings are designed for companies that want to increase their brand equity through customer retention and acquisition management. A profitable and privately held firm, CheetahMail is located in New York City and Long Beach, California and was founded in 1998. CheetahMail’s UK subsidiary CheetahMail UK is located in Surrey, England.
Experian®, is a global leader in providing information solutions to organizations and consumers. It helps organizations find, develop and manage profitable customer relationships by providing information, decision-making solutions and processing services. It empowers consumers to understand, manage and protect their personal information and assets. Experian works with more than 40,000 clients across diverse industries, including financial services, telecommunications, health care, insurance, retail and catalog, automotive, manufacturing, leisure, utilities, property, e-commerce and government. Experian is a subsidiary of GUS plc and has headquarters in Nottingham, UK, and Costa Mesa, Calif. Its 13,000 people support clients in more than 60 countries. Annual sales exceed $2.2 billion.
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.experian.com.