Cognizant buys US-based digital marketing agency

Acquisition comes close on the heels of TriZetto buy; aims at bolstering healthcare practice

Nasdaq-listed information technology services company Cognizant has acquired Pennsylvania-based Cadient Group for an undisclosed sum. Cadient Group, a full-service digital marketing agency focused on pharmaceutical, biotechnology, consumer health and medical device industries, will come to the Cognizant fold with around 100 digital specialists, the company said.

The acquisition is expected to bolster Cognizant’s presence in the healthcare segment. Last month, Cognizant had announced to buy US-based healthcare IT solutions company TriZetto for $2.7 billion (Rs 16,510 crore). “The life sciences industry is undergoing structural disruption as marketing services enable new digital ways for companies to engage with patients and providers and create compelling user experiences,” said Shankar Narayanan, vice-president and global markets leader of life sciences practice at Cognizant. Healthcare accounts for 26 per cent of Cognizant’s revenue. Cognizant said the acquisition of Cadient Group would further strengthen and expands its digital marketing capabilities, enabling brand marketing leaders to transform the way they position their offerings in the digital landscape. The acquisition would also bring to Cognizant digital assets and intellectual property including Reveal, an insights and analytics platform; Immerse, an experiential marketing platform; and OneVoice, an advocacy campaign management platform.

"The combined capabilities and digital assets will help both life sciences and broader healthcare companies gain a competitive advantage by managing the information that surrounds organizations, processes, products and people-what we call Code Halos," added Narayanan.