Médiamétrie takes 50% stake in African media research outfit Omedia

French audience ratings agency Médiamétrie has taken a 50% stake in Omedia, a media and marketing research company based in Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon as part of its drive into sub-Saharan Africa.

Following Médiamétrie’s acquisition of a half share in the company, Christophe Gondry, Omedia’s founder and associate director, and Karim Konaté and Arnaud Moisan, associate directors, remain 50% shareholders.

Christophe Gondry

Omedia was created in 2005 and carries out quantitative and qualitative studies in the media, telecommunications and agri-food sectors, in 16 Sub-Saharan African countries. Omedia is also active in the advertising market via its investment monitoring and analysis activities and media planning advisory service.

Médiamétrie is already active in North Africa through its Moroccan subsidiary Marocmétrie.

Gondry said: “The media and communication market is undergoing great change in Africa, in particular with the deployment of digital TV and, consequently, new prospects for advertising. It has become essential to offer players in this sector – media, agencies and advertisers – all the tools needed to accompany these changes. We have been producing declarative Television and Radio audience measurements with Médiamétrie since 2011 in Senegal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and since 2012 in Côte d’Ivoire. This merger will allow us to go even further thanks to Médiamétrie’s internationally recognised scientific expertise.”

Benoît Cassaigne, executive director of Médiamétrie said: ”We are taking a new step with our partner Omedia. The arrival of digital in Africa, combined with the increased presence of media and communications groups in the continent offers the opportunity of even richer and more reliable services delivered frequently and regularly. We feel that combining the know-how of local experts such as Omedia, in particular in terms of data collection, with our own statistical, methodological and technological expertise is the best solution for meeting market needs.”