TRADEDOUBLER ACQUIRES THE SEARCH WORKS - THE UK's LARGEST SEARCH
ENGINE MARKETING COMPANY - AND SISTER COMPANY THE TECHNOLOGY WORKS
* TradeDoubler has acquired all shares in The IMW Group,
which includes The Search Works and those companies trading as The
Technology Works
* The newly combined entity will confirm TradeDoubler as one
of the largest online marketing companies in Europe
* The acquisition expands TradeDoubler's performance-based
product portfolio into the search market and provides
opportunities for further geographic expansion
TradeDoubler AB (publ) today announced its acquisition on July 25th
of all the issued shares in Interactive Marketing Works Ltd and its
subsidiaries ('The IMW Group'). The purchase price amounts to £56
million and will be paid in cash and bank guaranteed loan notes.
The IMW Group consists of two trading entities, 'The Search Works', a
well established search engine marketing agency and 'The Technology
Works', a technology provider for search engine marketing which is in
an investment phase, whose products include 'BidBuddy®' - a search
management technology.
The IMW Group is a profitable and well managed company which has
built up a significant client base, including such brand names as
Asda, Comet, EasyJet, First Choice, Interflora and The Carphone
Warehouse. The Group has a strong reputation within the industry for
professionalism and driving return on investment for its clients.
The Group was founded in 1999 and currently employs 108 staff.
Turnover for the rolling twelve months preceding June 2007 amounted
to £69 million and gross profit for the same period was £7.8 million.
The acquisition complements and expands TradeDoubler's existing
performance-based product portfolio which includes affiliate
marketing, online advertising campaigns, pay-per-call and an online
tracking and ad-serving technology. The newly combined offering has
great synergies for both TradeDoubler's and The IMW Group's client
bases. Search engine marketing and affiliate marketing are the
largest direct response online marketing channels, with significant
growth forecasted in both areas. Search marketing accounted for 45%
of European online ad spend in 2006 according to the IAB Europe / PWC
and Forrester Research predicts that European Advertisers will spend
almost €3 billion a year on search marketing alone by 2010 (up from €
856 million in 2004).
The Search Works is active in the UK, while The Technology Works has
additional presence in Europe and in Asia. TradeDoubler has an
extensive presence throughout Europe which spans 18 countries."Product expansion and further internationalisation are key
components in TradeDoubler's growth strategy. The acquisition
addresses both these areas by rolling out The Search Works and The
Technology Works throughout Europe and by utilising The Technology
Works' Asian foothold to assess the roll out of TradeDoubler's
product offerings into Asian markets." says William Cooper, CEO,
TradeDoubler.
Nick Hynes, CEO, The IMW Group adds, "There is a natural affinity
between TradeDoubler's products and services and the search
management technology that we offer. We also believe there is a
strong cultural fit between our two organisations. Together we will
be able to offer unprecedented online marketing services and tools to
a range of clients across Europe and beyond."
Both companies will continue to be managed as separate business
entities, while benefiting from joint corporate services where
appropriate. While senior management at The Search Works and The
Technology Works will take an active part in the management of the
combined TradeDoubler Group, there are no plans to make changes to
the management of either company,
TradeDoubler expects significant incremental revenue opportunities
from combining its pan-European organisation with the IMW Group's
search marketing offering. The IMW Group will form part of
TradeDoubler's accounts from August 2007 but will be presented
separately in reporting. Excluding extraordinary transaction costs,
TradeDoubler estimates that The IMW Group will give a neutral
contribution to TradeDoubler during 2007. The impact on
TradeDoubler Earnings per Share for 2007 is expected to be slightly
negative due to one off costs relating to the integration of both
companies. Acquisitions sheets will be presented in the third
quarter report.
TradeDoubler was advised by Keystone Advisers, Baker & McKenzie LLP
and KPMG LLP. The IMW Group was advised by Ingenious Corporate
Finance, Clarity Capital Partners Limited and Berwin Leighton Paisner
LLP.
For additional information, please contact
William Cooper, CEO, +46-8-405 08 00
Casper Seifert, CFO, +46-8-405 08 27
About TradeDoubler
TradeDoubler is a Pan-European digital marketing company offering a
range of performance-based marketing solutions. TradeDoubler's
products and services provide companies with the tools and expertise
to drive results online whether they are looking to generate sales or
drive brand awareness. Headquartered in Sweden, the company boasts a
unique European reach with local offices in 16 countries across
Europe and a presence in a further two countries. With a breadth of
expertise across multiple industry sectors and a network of more than
118,000 website publishers TradeDoubler helps deliver online results
for over 1,200 advertisers across Europe including a mix of local and
international companies such as Apple Store, Dell, Telia Sonera, eBay
and Kelkoo.
Please visit www.tradedoubler.com for further information.
About Interactive Marketing Works Ltd
Interactive Marketing Works Ltd is a private limited company,
registered in England. It is the holding company for The IMW Group,
which includes The Search Works and those companies trading as The
Technology Works.
About The Search Works
Headquartered in London, England, The Search Works is the UK's
leading privately-owned independent specialist search engine
marketing services agency. Founded in 1999, the company provides
pan-European search marketing campaigns using BidBuddy® technology
and the unparalleled knowledge and expertise of its client services
team, enabling clients to achieve higher online visibility whilst
measuring and maximising returns from online marketing spend. The
Search Works continues to build on its success of the past 8 years to
deliver considered and highly-targeted search marketing solution
services, first rate customer service and technological expertise on
behalf of its broad range of blue chip clients including Lastminute,
Eurostar, ASDA and The Carphone Warehouse
In the New Media Age Marketing Services Guide 2007, The Search Works
was named as the UK's top search marketing agency with a turnover of
£50.18m, nearly double that of its nearest rival. And in 2006, The
Search Works was listed as Britain's third fastest growing private
technology company and highest-ranked search marketing company in The
Sunday Times TechTrack Top 100. For more information, please visit
www.thesearchworks.com
About The Technology Works
The Technology Works is a media solutions business offering
technology products that help meet customers' on & offline marketing
needs. Current products include BidBuddy®, the company's pioneering
search marketing technology that controls companies' online
visibility, delivering traffic to websites and increasing sales, and
Diallog®, the revolutionary telephone tracking system designed to
help online advertisers track and automatically calculate the return
on investment (ROI) of purchases completed by phone. Future and
imminent products will all centre around delivering even more
effective marketing campaigns, always with a focus on proven return
on investment for the marketing professional. For more information,
see www.thetechnologyworks.com
TradeDoubler has acquired all shares in The IMW Group
| Source: TradeDoubler AB