Direct marketing services consolidation heats up

摘要

Acquisitions in the marketing services industry cost money-lots of it. From 2001 through the beginning of last year, client belt-tightening left few extra dollars for intra-industry purchases. But now, with the industry on the rebound, the number of acquisitions is on the rise. In the first half of this year, there were 275 transactions in direct marketing and marketing services, with an estimated total value of $14.1 billion, according to investment banker Petsky Prunier. The number of deals was up 10% from the first half of 2003.