J.D. Power Buys Online-Offline Shopping Research Firm

J.D. Power and Associates is buying Korrelate Inc., an Orlando, Fla.-based firm that analyzes the connection between online shopping and offline buying. Terms were not disclosed.

Korrelate uses its own software to match online buying with U.S. Census data, thus helping brand marketers correlate their online ad spending with offline purchasing behavior. The company says its double-blind system generates useful insight without violating online user privacy.

Power intends to combine Korrelate's system with its own Power Information Network, which tracks sales at the dealer level. The result will be a platform that can help carmakers, dealers, third-party auto Web site and ad agencies evaluate their Web sites and online marketing efforts, according to Power.