Inmar Inc. to Acquire Collective Bias of Rogers

Inmar Inc. of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, announced Thursday that it will acquire Collective Bias of Rogers, an advertising and marketing firm.

Financial terms of the deal between the two privately held companies were not disclosed.

Collective Bias uses proprietary technology to access consumer recommendations and endorsements on websites and social media, helping brands and retailers achieve their goals. Founded in 2009, it now has 145 employees in Chicago, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, New York City, San Francisco and Seattle. 

In 2015, Collective Bias was named Arkansas Business of the Year in the category of companies with between 75 and 300 employees.

“Inmar’s vast experience in technology-enabled marketing services and data sciences will enable our next phase of growth and innovation,” Bill Sussman, Collective Bias’ president and CEO, said in a news release. “Combining our social engagement data with Inmar’s retail promotion and [point-of-sale] data will create combined shopper marketing solutions that are even more compelling for our customers and give us the ability to provide a holistic solution for corporate brand and media buying agencies.”

Inmar has more than 4,000 employees across North America.

“As shopper buying behavior continues to evolve, particularly among the coveted millennial market, smart brands must look beyond more traditional marketing efforts and meet shoppers where they are – which is increasingly on social platforms,” Inmar Chairman and CEO David Mounts said in a news release. “We have shown that great content along with optimized promotions rooted in shopper behavior data is a winning formula for shoppers, brands and retailers. We are impressed with Collective Bias’ strong leadership and the business they have built. With this acquisition, we gain an impressive technology platform, social measurement data, and an elite community of influencers.”

The companies said Collective Bias “will retain its name and operate as its own entity.” Sussman will remain as president of Collective Bias and take on more responsibilities as a senior vice president at Inmar, reporting directly to Mounts.