News Group International acquires Report International and KDPaine and Partners

Both will become part of Salience Insight, NGI's measurement company. Each organization will continue to operate with its existing brand.

Mazen Nahawi, President of NGI, said:

"The market needs an integrated global measurement company that can provide seamless delivery of metrics from monitoring to insight and recommendations. The new entity brings together three highly respected brands known for their rigorous and sophisticated approach to delivering business-critical insight to its clients. With all this talent, we'll plan to be the leading international partner of choice for clients seeking accuracy, scalability and value in their communications measurement."

Giselle Bodie will become CEO of the new combined company. Giselle has a 20 year track record of leadership in the media evaluation industry and has previously held the posts of COO Europe, Kantar Media Intelligence, Managing Director, Cision UK and Managing Director, Echo Research. "It's very exciting to be asked to lead this great new company at a time of continuing change and opportunity in the media research market. The globalisation of media and communication combined with the unstoppable momentum of social media mean clients require a new approach. We can now combine the energy and growth of the emerging markets with the experience and skills of the more mature markets to provide a unique approach to supporting clients and their communication challenges," Bodie said.

Katie Delahaye Paine, founder of KDPaine & Partners agreed. "We'll be the only company who can measure what matters in any media, in any form of communications and on any continent," she said. Adding, "this merger brings together more than just three companies. It will offer a whole new approach to measurement by its solutions to the silos that have plagued our business for decades. We can now declare the end of barriers between geographies, between social and traditional media, between measurement of outputs and outcomes, between qualitative and quantitative metrics, between marketing & PR, and between internal and external communications," Paine said.

Paine will become the Chief Marketing Officer of News Group International, reporting to Nahawi, while retaining her position as Chairman of the US Company, KDPaine & Partners, Inc.