The Carlyle Group Completes Acquisition of Claritas from Nielsen

NEW YORK, Jan. 05, 2017 -- Global alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ:CG), in partnership with the Indian Hill Group, has acquired Claritas from Nielsen (NYSE:NLSN). The Indian Hill Group is a small team led by Mike Nazzaro and comprises some of the former leadership team of Nielsen Catalina Solutions. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Claritas is focused on consumer segmentation insights. It provides marketers with a comprehensive view into consumer behavior patterns through proprietary segmentation analysis powered by broad access to data sources. Claritas’ segmentation methodology and core product, PRIZM®, is relied on by marketers, academics, media organizations and other marketing data providers.

Claritas and Nielsen have a Reseller Agreement that maintains Claritas’ proprietary data feeds and will help ensure a seamless customer experience going forward.

The company is led by Chief Executive Officer Mike Nazzaro. This transaction is a result of Mr. Nazzaro’s team and Carlyle working collaboratively to identify high-potential businesses in the marketing information space. Mr. Nazzaro’s team includes Dr. Karthik Iyer, Chief Operating Officer; Jay Stockwell, Chief Revenue Officer; and R. Chase Miller, who will focus on strategy and corporate development. This group will complement and work alongside the existing team at Claritas.

Mr. Nazzaro is a marketing industry veteran, most recently serving as founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nielsen Catalina Solutions, which combines Catalina’s in-store purchase datasets focusing on the CPG industry with Nielsen’s gold-standard TV currency. He began his career with Procter & Gamble, one of the world’s largest advertisers.

Mr. Nazzaro and his incoming team have together built and managed some of the world’s most well-known strategic brands and most enduring, high-growth businesses in the marketing industry, as demonstrated by Nielsen Catalina Solutions. Prior to this, they built and established several other companies in the marketing information space.

Mr. Nazzaro said, “We have long shared a belief with the Carlyle team in the growth potential of data-driven marketing and have long sought the best platform to capture this market opportunity. Claritas’ heritage, powerful products and talented team are the perfect platform to lead the innovation of this space. We are excited to work with Carlyle and believe Claritas will be well-positioned as a standalone company to invest in people, products and partnerships to drive innovative enhancements for clients. As a standalone organization, we will drive enhancements to marquee products like PRIZM® and power broad innovations with behavioral data and predictive analytics.”

Adam Glucksman and David Stonehill, Managing Directors with The Carlyle Group, said, “Claritas is the gold standard in consumer segmentation and activation. The big data revolution has created rising demand for consumer insights and Claritas is benefitting from that trend. We are confident Claritas will thrive as an independent company, continuing to innovate and provide best-in-class service to its current and future customers. Mike and his team have a long track record of driving cutting-edge solutions for marketers, and we expect this to continue through Claritas.”

Karthik Rao, President of Expanded Verticals at Nielsen, said, “We are proud of Claritas’ accomplishments as a leading provider of consumer segmentation insights over the past eight years, and value our continued relationship with the team. With the support of Carlyle and the Indian Hill Group, we believe Claritas is well-positioned to capitalize on future growth opportunities. We are excited for Mike and the rest of the Claritas team as they embark on the next chapter of its mission to continue innovating and providing premier products and services to customers.” 

Equity for this investment came from Carlyle Equity Opportunity Fund II, a $2.4 billion fund that invests in middle-market companies in North America. Morrison Cohen LLP acted as legal advisor to Carlyle and PricewaterhouseCoopers provided transaction advisory services to Carlyle on this transaction. Foros acted as financial advisor to Nielsen on this transaction.

About Claritas

Founded in 1971, Claritas is a provider of consumer segmentation analysis for marketers. Claritas’ proprietary segmentation algorithm and differentiated access to data sources provide unique insights to businesses regarding their marketplace and consumers.  Through Claritas’ core product, PRIZM® Premier Segmentation, clients are able to better understand where their consumers live, work, play, and shop for more effective and efficient marketing. For more information, please visit www.claritas.com or www.mybestsegments.com.

About The Carlyle Group

The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ:CG) is a global alternative asset manager with $169 billion of assets under management across 125 funds and 177 fund of funds vehicles as of September 30, 2016. Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, many of whom are public pensions. Carlyle invests across four segments – Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Market Strategies and Investment Solutions – in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America. Carlyle has expertise in various industries, including: aerospace, defense & government services, consumer & retail, energy, financial services, healthcare, industrial, real estate, technology & business services, telecommunications & media and transportation. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,625 people in 35 offices across six continents.

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Contact:

For The Carlyle Group:
Elizabeth Gill
+1-202-729-5385
[email protected]

For Claritas:
Emily Ward
Abernathy MacGregor
212-371-5999
[email protected]