Sard Verbinnen Acquires ARC Research

---

---

Sard Verbinnen & Co, a leading strategic, financial, and crisis communications consultancy, today announced the acquisition of ARC Research (“ARC”). Founded in 1995 and based in New York, ARC offers a unique brand of research-based consulting centered around a results-driven analytical approach that enables clients to better understand relationships with key constituencies. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Led by Chris Bumcrot and Andy Tuck, ARC’s professionals draw from diverse backgrounds in social science and business to serve a range of clients spanning healthcare and pharma/biotech; technology, information services and telecom; media; financial services; and consumer products and retail. ARC employs both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies that include focus groups, 1:1 interviews, ethnographic research, surveys, polls and statistical analysis and modeling.

The ARC acquisition will enhance SVC’s ability to deliver a variety of research services to its clients, including message testing, reputation research and tracking, merger integration benchmarking, and peer and competitor analysis. ARC will operate as an SVC company but maintain its well-established brand, leadership and client base.

George Sard, Chairman and CEO of Sard Verbinnen, and Paul Verbinnen, President, said, “We are delighted to welcome Chris Bumcrot, Andy Tuck and the rest of the ARC team to SVC. ARC brings sophisticated and powerful research tools and capabilities that will help us continue to enhance our overall offering to clients.”
Chris Bumcrot and Andy Tuck, co-founders of ARC Research, said, “We are excited to join forces with SVC, a firm we have worked with and respected for many years. SVC’s client-first approach is a great fit with our culture, and we believe there will be many opportunities to bring our research insights to clients of SVC and their range of services to our clients.”

About Sard Verbinnen

Sard Verbinnen & Co. is a leading strategic communications consultancy, which works on some of the highest profile and most challenging communications engagements. Among its recent assignments, SVC advised Alibaba on the biggest IPO in history, United Airlines in its defense against a threatened proxy contest, Herbalife in its defense against an activist shareholder short-selling campaign, eBay with its split into two public companies, Starwood with its contested sale to Marriott, Royal Philips with the separation of its lighting unit, Takata with its product recall, and PIMCO with management changes. SVC is consistently ranked among the top M&A communications advisory firms and was named “PR firm of the Year” in 2014 and 2015 by M&A Advisor. The firm has full-service offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and London.
About ARC Research

Since 1995, ARC Research, formerly Applied Research & Consulting, has helped its clients understand and communicate with their key constituencies: customers, consumers, influencers, media audiences, employees, members, voters, citizens and investors. ARC’s services include public opinion research, brand positioning, marketing strategy, strategic communications and issue management, organizational communications and data analytics. ARC has worked with a broad range of clients across various sectors, including government agencies, industry associations, non-profits, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, telecommunications, media, financial services, consumer products, retail, automotive and airlines. For more information on ARC, please see their website, arcllc.com.