MarketingSherpa Sold to MEC Labs Group
Online marketing researcher and publisher MarketingSherpa has been sold to marketing research firm MEC Labs Group
Terms of the deal, which closes in January, were not disclosed.
“Nothing drastic will change. We’re keeping our same name, our staff, our regular publications, and yes, our Warren, RI, headquarters,” wrote MarketingSherpa founder and president Anne Holland in a letter to readers Thursday. “And our goal remains the same — to conduct new research into what really works in marketing via Case Studies, Benchmark Guides & Summits.”
Holland said she first met MEC Labs’ director, Flint McGlaughlin, four years ago when he spoke at one of MarketingSherpa’s conferences. She said she decided to sell after visiting MEC’s offices recently in Florida.
MEC describes itself on its Web site as an online marketing research lab “dedicated to discovering ‘what really works’ in online advertising.” Clients include the New York Times and Reuters.
MarketingSherpa brings to MEC publishing capabilities it didn’t have, said Holland.
Holland added she is keeping her job as president of MarketingSherpa and has signed an 18-month renewable contract with MEC.
“I’m here for the long haul,” she said. “The Sherpa brand is continuing as the Sherpa brand; the Sherpa offices are remaining Sherpa offices; every single employee is being kept; every single contractor is being kept,” Holland said in an interview with Newsline. “He [McGlaughlin] wants the business to continue to run as is.”
Selling MarketingSherpa frees Holland from having to spend time on administrative issues, such as payroll, so she can spend more of her time doing things she likes to do, such as creating content, she said.
Since Holland launched the company from her home in 2001, MarketingSherpa has grown to 237,000 readers, she said.
