AEGIS confirms Synovate deal

Synovate, which has offices in 64 countries and employs 5,900 staff, has also attracted interest from several other potential buyers, according to media reports, although the business is not officially up for sale.

It is understood that French group Ipsos, which also owns the Ipsos Mori polling company, only expressed an interest in Synovate in recent days and that talks are at an early stage. Aegis said there was no certainty that a deal would be reached.

The companies have held preliminary talks in the past week and both sides have appointed advisers as they prepare for formal negotiations, it has been reported.

Other companies also likely to be considering a bid include market research company Gfk and Nielsen.

Advertising firms Publicis and WPP both tried to buy Aegis outright six years and could also show an interest.

Aegis is one of the world’s leading marketing communications and market research groups. Aegis Media is made up of Carat, Vizeum, Posterscope, Isobar and digital marketing agency iProspect.

Aegis is reported to believe that Synovate, which is is run as a separate business to advertising and communications arm Aegis Media, has few synergies with the rest of the group.

Some 26.5 per cent of the shares in Aegis are owned by French billionaire Vincent Bollore, the chairman of communications group Havas.

Mr Bollore recently said he would keep an open mind about selling his stake, leading to speculation that a rival such as Publicis would make an offer as a prelude to a full takeover bid for Aegis.