Cision acquires Falcon.io

Copenhagen based startup Falcon.io makes social media marketing easy, managing comprehensive social media marketing campaigns for brands through publishing, engagement, listening, advertising and measurement. The company has just been acquired by Chicago-based Cision, a public relations and media software company.

Founded in 2010, Falcon.io offers an integrated SaaS platform for digital marketing, which allows companies to create paid and organic posts for all of their social networks in one collaborative content calendar, and manage channels, teams, workflows and campaigns. With offices in New York, Copenhagen, Sofia, Berlin, Melbourne and Budapest, Falcon counts many major companies as clients including Carlsberg, Toyota, William Grant & Sons, Momondo, Panasonic, and Coca-Cola.

Cision’s software allows users to identify key influencers, craft and distribute strategic content, and measure the impact of their campaigns. The company has over 4,000 employees with offices in 15 countries throughout the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. The acquisition of Falcon.io will solidify Cision’s market leadership in media management, moving beyond the tactical nature of PR solutions. While Falcon.io will continue to function as a stand-alone social media platform for marketers, it will also be integrated with the Cision Communications Cloud® to expand social media capabilities to media and communications professionals.

Panasonic buys Hussmann

Japanese electronics maker Panasonic Corp. is buying Bridgeton based refrigeration firm Hussmann for $1.5 Billion in a deal. It will leverage Panasonic technology and help it break into the US food distribution industry.

Panasonic like several Japanese peers has been moving away from unprofitable smartphones and plasma television sets, focusing instead on higher margin products, such as high end cold storage, LED lighting and remote monitoring. Panasonic will buy full control of Hussmann from private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and industrial group Ingersoll Rand.

Panasonic has said it is targeting 2.5 trillion yen of sales from its offerings for businesses rather than consumers, in 2018, 300 Billion of which will come from food distribution. To date, it has mostly been present in Asia, and has sought ways to break into the United States, the industry largest market. Hussmann, which will become a fully owned subsidiary of Panasonic, has a leading share in the US market, manufacturing and maintaining refrigerated and freezer display cases.