McGraw-Hill announced today that it will acquire consumer quality and satisfaction ratings provider J.D. Power and Associates. J.D. Power has been one of the most-courted information properties on the market. As we noted last year when it first came into play, acquisition by a major media firm was a distinct possibility; it's a sign of the ongoing convergence between the ad/media/marketing and the market research industries.
Scott Marden, president of The McGraw-Hill Companies' Information and Media Services, says in the release that "The addition ... will significantly strengthen our core business information platform by providing a new direct link to consumers, while also providing new collaborative opportunities with our leading franchises including BusinessWeek, Platts, McGraw-Hill Construction, Aviation Week and our healthcare group."
Stay tuned for more on what that "new direct link to consumers" might entail...
