Cision announces acquisition of Brandwatch

Global public relations software company Cision has announced it will acquire digital consumer intelligence company Brandwatch for US$450 million.

The acquisition brings Brandwatch's intelligence and social media listening capabilities under the Cision umbrella, with its million-strong database of journalists, media outlets and over 75,000 customers. Brandwatch uses AI and machine learning to structure and glean insights about the billions of users of social media worldwide, enabling clients to strategically align their PR efforts in real-time with customer needs and engagement.

"The continued digital shift and widespread adoption of social media is rapidly and fundamentally changing how brands and organisations engage with their customers. This is driving the imperative that PR, marketing, social and customer care teams fully incorporate the unique insights now available into consumer-led strategies. Together, Cision and Brandwatch will help our clients to more deeply understand, connect and engage with their customers at scale across every channel," said Abel Clark, CEO of Cision.

"We have always built Brandwatch with ambition. That was recognised by Forrester, who recently named us as a leader in our space. Now is the time to take the next step – joining a company of significant scale to create a business and a suite of products that can have an important global impact. We are excited to join Abel and the Cision team to supercharge our work and bring even more value to our customers," added Giles Palmer, founder and CEO of Brandwatch.

The deal is expected to officially close in Q2 2021.