Nielsen Co. has acquired NeuroFocus, with the deal expected to be announced soon, winning out over rival WPP's bid, reports MediaPost.
Nielsen
had originally bought a 30% stake in the company back in February 2008,
but execs familiar with the deal said late last year WPP made an
unsolicited offer which triggered a buyout option for Nielsen.
NeuroFocus,
one of the leading companies that uses neuroscience and applies it to
advertising, is becoming a hot commodity among marketers and agencies.
The company boasts new technology (Mynd) that it states can literally
read people's minds. Mynd utilizes a lightweight cap that reads
electrical signals sent by the human brain, and is fitted with Bluetooth
technology so it can interact with media devices in the near vicinity.
It
is not yet known what Nielsen plans to do with NeuroFocus now that its
the majority stakeholder, or why WPP even wanted to purchase it in the
first place.
