Google Buys New Zealander’s Social Media Company

Google has purchased social media marketing company Wildfire Interactive for a reported US$250M. Wildfire Interactive was created by New Zealander Victoria Ransom and Alain Chuard four years ago and has gone on to become a powerful tool in the social media landscape. Based in San Francisco, the company helps marketers manage their presences on leading social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, and is described as an “easy-to-use yet powerful tool to grow, engage and monetize audiences.” Victoria Ransom grew up on a farm in the Manawatu and attended Wanganui Girls College.