Richardson, TX, April 2, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KBM Group, the global leader in data-driven, insight-based customer engagement, is creating a new Data Services business unit to more rapidly expand data assets in global markets, including Europe and Latin America where the company already has begun developing assets and establishing partnerships. The move supports the global growth of Wunderman's Data & Insights operations, which KBM Group powers, providing data services in local country markets as part of its integrated IMPACT® Customer Engagement Platform. The IMPACT CEP links data, analytical insights, and measurement across various kinds of marketing implementations and all consumer touch points, including digital, social, email and direct, in-store, mobile, and emerging channels. 

The new Data Services business is headed by Dave DeMarsh, previously CEO of KBM Group's I-Behavior, in the new capacity of president.  DeMarsh will directly oversee KBM Group's data companies and third-party partners in Europe and Latin America as he continues to pursue new partnerships worldwide.  He remains in his role as COO of the Data Alliance, WPP's cross-company organization for data collaboration, of which KBM Group is a founding and sustaining member.

For the North American market, the new organization further integrates KBM Group's flagship data asset, AmeriLink, with subsidiary I-Behavior's online data management platform.  The reorganization ensures close coordination across data acquisition and management, sales and marketing and client development services to align capabilities and decision-making and support rapid product development.  The I-Behavior brand is being retained as the product name for the cooperative database of more than 2,750 merchant members.

Gary S. Laben, CEO of KBM Group and President of Wunderman Data & Insights, notes, "KBM Group's ability to harness and link all kinds of data to enhance consumer experiences with brands and to optimize marketers and publishers ability to deliver relevant customer interactions will be reinforced by melding together all our data expertise, assets and management into one organization.  I-Behavior, acquired in 2010, has played a major role in provisioning digital data as part of our data assets, and has complemented the work of our analytics group in acquiring social insights.  Bringing our offline and online data assets and services more closely together gives us a nimble common base from which to build our global data capabilities." 

About KBM Group

KBM Group transforms marketing efforts into mutually beneficial customer conversations through data-driven insights. Based on a strategic approach to optimize business outcomes, KBM Group's world-class marketing solutions integrate offline and online marketing channels and allow companies to achieve high-performance B2B and B2C customer engagement and marketing ROI from a spectrum of services including consulting, data integration and database management, analytics, digital services, marketing management and outsourcing, creative services, and response services. The company has 36 offices in 22 countries serving global, enterprise and B2B2C-focused companies. KBM Group's parent company, Wunderman, is part of the Young & Rubicam Group and a member of WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY). www.kbmg.com.

CONTACT: Peggy Garner
         KBM Group 
         713.995.2358 or 281.865.1412
         Peggy.garner@kbmg.com

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