Venture-backed SweetIQ Analytics acquired by Gannett

SweetIQ Analytics Corp, a Montréal location-based marketing analytics and automation company, has been acquired by Gannett Co Inc (NYSE: GCI), a U.S. media business and publisher of such journals as USA Today. No financial terms were disclosed. Gannett said the acquisition enhances its digital marketing suite for local businesses and national brands. Founded in 2010 by CEO Mohannad El-Barachi and CRO Michael Mire, SweetIQ was seeded in 2011 in a round led by Real Ventures. The company’s other investors include Desjardins-Innovatech, Otimo Retail Group, Plaza Ventures and Rothenberg Ventures. Plaza led its Series A round in 2015.

Photo: Mohannad El-Barachi, co-founder and CEO of SweetIQ Analytics Corp.

PRESS RELEASE

Gannett Acquires Location and Reputation Management Software Company SweetIQ Analytics Corp.

Deal Enhances Gannett’s Digital Marketing Suite for Local Businesses and National Brands

April 20, 2017

MCLEAN, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Gannett Co., Inc. (“Gannett” or “company”) (NYSE: GCI), announced today that it has acquired SweetIQ Analytics Corp. (“SweetIQ”), expanding the ReachLocal digital marketing suite of products. SweetIQ is a leading provider of location and reputation management Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) solutions that enable businesses to manage their location data and measure consumer engagement. The acquisition accelerates the company’s product roadmap and enhances its ability to help businesses measure results of their digital marketing investments. SweetIQ is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec and has a sales office in Irvine, California.

The acquisition marks an important milestone in Gannett’s digital transformation, and follows Gannett’s announcement earlier this year that it has launched a phased rollout of ReachLocal to its 109 local markets. “SweetIQ’s advanced technology, analytical expertise and experienced team will deliver significant value to our local and national clients,” said Bob Dickey, chief executive officer of Gannett. “As we roll out ReachLocal’s digital marketing services across the USA TODAY NETWORK, SweetIQ will play a pivotal role in helping our clients achieve superior returns on their digital marketing investments.”

“Businesses want to work with one company that they can trust to help them with all of their digital marketing efforts,” said Sharon Rowlands, chief executive officer of ReachLocal. “This acquisition adds strong product offerings in local listings and reputation management to our suite of digital marketing solutions and strengthens our value proposition with multi-location and national brands. By adding SweetIQ to our portfolio, we can further provide our customers with data-driven insights that drive real-world results.”

“We are thrilled to join the Gannett and ReachLocal team,” said Mohannad El-Barachi, chief executive officer of SweetIQ. “Since inception, we have had an unwavering commitment to solve online-to-offline attribution and help businesses better connect with hyper-local consumers. By leveraging Gannett’s and ReachLocal’s large salesforces and their deep relationships, we will be able to quickly expedite reaching these goals and further propel our rapid growth, cementing our position as a market leader in location and reputation management.”

SweetIQ’s customers include hundreds of Fortune 500 brands and local businesses across the United States and Canada. Its technology integrates with all major online directories to help customers manage addresses, hours of operation for their store locations and other information, as well as consumer reviews in a single place through the SweetIQ dashboard.

About SweetIQ

SweetIQ is an industry leading location-based marketing analytics and automation company. The company delivers software for multi-location brands, marketing agencies, and SMB resellers, enabling them to launch and execute marketing campaigns to convert online searches to in-store foot traffic. SweetIQ was co-founded in 2010 by Mohannad El-Barachi and Michael Mire.

About ReachLocal

ReachLocal helps local businesses grow and operate their business better with leading technology and expert service for our clients’ lead generation and conversion. A subsidiary of Gannett Company, Inc. (NYSE: GCI), ReachLocal is headquartered in Woodland Hills, Calif. and operates in four regions: Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America.

About Gannett

Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a next-generation media company committed to strengthening communities across our network. Through trusted, compelling content and unmatched local-to-national reach, Gannett touches the lives of more than 110 million people monthly. With more than 120 markets internationally, it is known for Pulitzer Prize-winning newsrooms, powerhouse brands such as USA TODAY and specialized media properties. To connect with us, visit www.gannett.com.

Contacts
Gannett Co., Inc.
Investor Contact:
Michael Dickerson
Vice President, Investor Relations & Real Estate
(703) 854-6185
mdickerson@gannett.com
or
Media Contact:
Amber Allman
Vice President, Corporate Events & Communications
(703) 854-5358
aallman@gannett.com

Photo courtesy of SweetIQ Analytics Corp

Source:

https://www.pehub.com/canada/2017/4/3449243/#