Cognizant buys 49% stake in consulting firm ReD Associates

COIMBATORE: IT major Cognizant on Thursday said it has bought a 49% stake in consulting firm ReD Associates, but did not disclose the terms of the investment.
Based in Copenhagen and New York, ReD Associates has worked with global majors, including Ford, Adidas, Intel, Samsung, Novo Nordisk, Pernod Ricard and many others.
As part of this exclusive relationship, strategy experts, behavioural economists, anthropologists, sociologists, and ethnographers from ReD Associates will work with digital strategists, designers, technologists, and data scientists from Cognizant Digital Works to help businesses connect more closely to real-world consumer behaviours and experiences.

ReD Associates will retain its management team, clients, and projects, and operate independently.
“By joining forces with Cognizant, we are able to expand our business and believe that we can create an entirely new model for how digital strategy is conceived,” Christian Madsbjerg, co-founder, ReD Associates said.

“While it may sound counter-intuitive, ‘being digital’ also means being more human. A richer understanding of human behaviour can unlock new opportunities for our customers,” he said. “Based on a deep understanding of what people really want and need, we can use technology to provide more meaningful and engaging experiences,” said Gajen Kandiah, executive vice president, Cognizant Digital Works.