Aegis Calls Ipsos Talks 'Exclusive,' Synovate Deal Seen As Iminent

In a curt statement released early this morning, Aegis Group confirmed that it is in "exclusive discussions" with French marketing and media researcher Ipsos about selling Synovate. It wasn't clear at presstime why Aegis issued the statement, after previously confirming earlier this month that it had entered talks with Ipsos, except that the emphasis on exclusivity might have been intended to dash speculation that others might enter the fray.

The divestiture of Synovate, the division of Aegis Group that holds all of its marketing and media research services, however, has already fueled speculation that it could be a prelude to the sale of a streamlined, media-focused Aegis Group.

Aegis Media is the parent of media services networks such as Carat, Isobar, Posterscope and Vizeum, and has long been rumored to be a potential takeover candidate for an organization looking to expand its share of the media services marketplace.

Most of the speculation has been on a pairing of Aegis and Paris-based Havas, because both companies have a common dominant shareholder, French financier Vincent Bollore. But Bollore has sent recent signals that he's no longer as interested about taking a controlling role in Aegis.

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