Fifty-six transactions involving marketing services firms accounted for 52% of total direct marketing mergers and acquisitions activity in the first quarter, according to reported released by the Wall Street investment banking firm Petsky Prunier LLC.
Total industry transaction volume reached an estimated $6.6 billion, with the marketing services sector accounting for $3.2 billion of the total, while the marketing technology sector totaled $2.2 billion and marketing firms accounted for $1.2 billion in deals.
The pace of deals during the first quarter mirrored the rapid pace and scope of deals experienced throughout all of 2004, based on Petsky Prunier’s analysis.
The largest transactions in the first quarter included Acxiom’s acquisition of Digital Impact, the acquisition of AskJeeves by InterActiveCorp., and Transcontinental Direct’s acquisition of Jetson Direct Mail Services.
