Gannett acquires location and reputation management software company

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Gannett Co., Inc. has acquired SweetIQ Analytics Corp., expanding the ReachLocal digital marketing suite of products.  SweetIQ is a leading provider of location and reputation management Software-as-a-Service 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, Calif.

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.

Gannett, SweetIQ
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