Gannett Acquires SweetIQ to Expand the Scope of ReachLocal

Gannett, the leading media and digital marketing company, announced today that it has acquired SweetIQ Analytics Corp. The acquisition will help Gannett in expanding the ReachLocal digital Gannett Acquires SweetIQ to Expand the Scope of ReachLocal marketing suite of products. SweetIQ is a leading provider of location and reputation management Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) solutions that enable businesses to manage their location data and measure consumer engagement.

Interview with “Mo” El-Barachi, Co-Founder & CEO – SweetIQ

By acquiring SweetIQ, Gannett aims to accelerate its product roadmap and enhance its ability to help businesses measure results of their digital marketing investments. The acquisition marks an important milestone in Gannett’s digital transformation. This milestone follows Gannett’s announcement earlier this year that it has launched a phased rollout of ReachLocal to its 109 local markets.

“We are thrilled to join the Gannett and ReachLocal team,” said Mohannad “Mo” El-Barachi, Chief Executive Officer of SweetIQ.

“SweetIQ’s advanced technology, analytical expertise, and experienced team will deliver significant value to our local and national clients,” said Bob Dickey, Chief Executive Officer of Gannett.

Dickey adds, “As we roll out ReachLocal’s digital marketing services across the USA TODAY NETWORK, SweetIQ will play a pivotal role in helping our clients achieve superior returns on their digital marketing investments.”

“Businesses want to work with one company that they can trust to help them with all of their digital marketing efforts,” said Sharon Rowlands, Chief Executive Officer of ReachLocal.

“This acquisition adds strong product offerings in local listings and reputation management to our suite of digital marketing solutions and strengthens our value proposition with multi-location and national brands. By adding SweetIQ to our portfolio, we can further provide our customers with data-driven insights that drive real-world results.”

Mo says, “Since inception, we have had an unwavering commitment to solve online-to-offline attribution and help businesses better connect with hyper-local consumers. By leveraging Gannett’s and ReachLocal’s large salesforces and their deep relationships, we will be able to quickly expedite reaching these goals and further propel our rapid growth, cementing our position as a market leader in location and reputation management.”