Prospect Swetenhams ‘At the Heart of Europe’ following Bisnode acquisition of Wegner DM International

Prospect Swetenhams has warmly welcomed news of the purchase by its parent Bisnode of Wegener Direct Marketing International. The deal brings one of Europe’s leading consumer marketing and CRM firms, with offices in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Scandinavia, into Bisnode’s expanding Pan-European marketing services network. Bisnode operates in 19 countries, including Prospect Swetenhams in the UK, and expects revenues of 175 million euros in 2007.

Says Annette Holmes, managing director, Prospect Swetenhams: “For a long time we have had one of the UK’s leading international broking divisions – but this now takes us right to the heart of Europe, giving us a capability to deliver a new level of service for our clients – not only in terms of our data, but also the ability to access Europe’s leading CRM systems. The acquisition coincides with the imminent launch of an innovative new suite of B2B and B2C products, so the timing couldn’t be better. We can now deliver not just excellent European data, but also help our clients to create, analyse and manage high quality B2C and B2B campaigns.”

Commenting for Bisnode, Geir Feltstykket, business area manager for Bisnode’s CRM and DM interests, says: “The acquisition of WDM International further strengthens our position as a major supplier of marketing services. The CRM division has experienced tremendous growth in the last three years, with Bisnode companies dominating in the Nordic countries. WDM’s position as a leading player in the Netherlands, Belgium and France further consolidates our presence in these locations.”

Prospect Swetenhams is one of the UK’s best known data services companies, providing both UK and international broking and list management services, with over 150 million names traded in 2006. Recent investments in data acquisition, database analytics and bureau services has further strengthened the company’s position as a true full service supplier and strategic partner in developing customer acquisition and retention strategies.