Sunday, 12 February 2012

Research
June 2009

  • '2008 was Year Zero for consumer trends'

    15-Jun-2009

    Paul Flatters is a forecaster – but one who is still smiling. He wouldn’t be, he admits, were he one of the countless numbers of economic forecasters who failed to spot the recession as it loomed.

  • 60 Second Soapbox – Vanella Jackson

    June 2009

    The product I’m most excited about…My new MBT trainers. They promise to tone my calves, exercise my thighs and give me a flat tum and a tight butt, all without a visit to the gym. The miracle of science.

  • Ace Metrix launches TV ad measurement tool

    17-Jun-2009

    US— Ad measurement agency Ace Metrix has launched a new service to evaluate the performance of TV advertisements.

  • Ad targeting firm Phorm posts £30m loss for 2008

    18-Jun-2009

    UK— Online targeted advertising firm Phorm slipped deeper into the red last year, with an operating loss of £30.6m compared to £20.1m in 2007.

  • AGB Nielsen to investigate Turkish TV tampering

    26-Jun-2009

    TURKEY— AGB Nielsen and Turkey’s TV audience measurement body, TÍAK, have launched a legal investigation after some members of Nielsen’s TV panel reported being offered money to change their viewing habits.

  • Analysing the state of analytics

    19-Jun-2009

    Andrew Hood takes us through the key findings of a new report into the state of the UK web analytics market – highlighting the need for more human resources to unearth the insights in the mass of behavioural data.

  • AnswerLab hires Claudia Haase as director of research

    19-Jun-2009

    US— Usability researcher AnswerLab has hired Claudia Haase as director of research.

  • Arbitron plans out-of-home TV measurement

    23-Jun-2009

    US— Radio ratings firm Arbitron is to use its portable people meter technology to measure out-of-home TV viewing in the US.

  • Arbitron to reissue Tampa ratings

    15-Jun-2009

    US— Arbitron is having to reissue radio ratings data for Spring Phase 1 in the Tampa/St Petersburg/Clearwater market after seven diaries were returned from one household.

  • ARF announces five new board members

    30-Jun-2009

    US— The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has elected five new members to its board for a three-year term.

  • ARF's Rubinson quashes panel myths

    11-Jun-2009

    We spoke to the Advertising Research Foundation’s Joel Rubinson about new findings from a major study into duplication and overlap of respondents in online panels.

  • Bad respondents: a Promethean myth

    29-Jun-2009

    Online survey research is widely considered to have a data quality problem. Conventional wisdom says ‘bad’ respondent behaviour is to blame. But pointing the finger in their direction ignores the industry’s culpability in conditioning respondents to behave in this way, says Patrick Comer, senior vice president of OTX Research.

  • BBC targets cross-media ratings with new tool

    18-Jun-2009

    UK— The BBC is working on a new audience measurement tool that aims to measure viewing across all platforms from the viewer’s perspective.

  • Blueview makes double acquistion

    25-Jun-2009

    UK— Strategic marketing group Blueview acquires digital agency Glass and lead generation and research firm Logicall Results.

  • Blu-Ray Association disputes Harris Poll findings

    29-Jun-2009

    US— The Blu-Ray Disc Association (BDA) is disputing the findings of a Harris Interactive survey claiming that consumers have been slow to adopt Blu-Ray despite the withdrawal of the rival HD DVD format.

  • Call for tougher polling rules in Indonesia

    22-Jun-2009

    INDONESIA— A member of the Indonesian Public Opinion Survey Association’s newly-formed ethics council has called for new rules that would prevent polls paid for by political parties from being released to the public.

  • Cambiar launches Research Transformation Consulting Practice

    25-Jun-2009

    US— MR consulting firm Cambiar has opened a new practice to help major corporations improve the effectiveness of their research efforts.

  • Canadian man found guilty in $1m mystery shopping scam

    17-Jun-2009

    CANADA— A 33-year-old man has been found guilty of fraud and other offences tied to the running of a mystery shopping scam. Lookman Temidayo conned people out of money by telling them they had been hired to evaluate an international money transfer service.

  • Chequered past of Iranian polls leaves much in doubt

    11-Jun-2009

    Mixed messages from Iranian opinion polls are a sobering reminder of the challenges that frequently leave experts guessing up to the very last minute which way the country’s electorate will lean in key elections. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Ron Synovitz reports.

  • Cint makes double appointment

    10-Jun-2009

    CANADA/US— Research software and services firm Cint has appointed Lindsay Veling as senior sales director in Toronto and Marc McDonough as sales director at its new Indiana office.

  • Clarity Strategic Research launched in Australia

    1-Jun-2009

    AUSTRALIA— Alex Sweeney and Alasdair Johnston have formed Clarity Strategic Research, a new agency that will offer qual and quant research services to the financial, B2B, telecoms, retail, FMCG and media sectors.

  • CMW appoints Mesh's Blackden to planning role

    23-Jun-2009

    UK— Erminia Blackden has been appointed senior account planner at marketing communications agency CMW.

  • COI picks ABCe for government web audit task

    15-Jun-2009

    UK— The Central Office of Information has hired web auditor ABCe as part of a “comprehensive” assessment of how much government websites are used and whether they provide value for money.

  • COI promotes six in research department

    22-Jun-2009

    UK— Six staff receive promotions in the research department at the Central Office of Information, the UK government’s marketing arm.

  • ComScore expands Asia-Pac deal with GroupM

    29-Jun-2009

    US— ComScore has won an expanded brief to provide online measurement data to digital media specialist GroupM Interaction across the Asia Pacific region.

  • ComScore touts ‘panel-centric hybrid’ for web measurement

    1-Jun-2009

    US— ComScore is launching what it describes as a ‘panel-centric hybrid’ approach to audience measurement.

  • Congress mulls over online privacy laws

    19-Jun-2009

    US— Online publishers, advertisers and consumer campaigners testified before Congress yesterday, as lawmakers consider privacy laws to control behavioural advertising.

  • Congressional committee probes Arbitron's PPM

    30-Jun-2009

    US— A Congressional committee is investigating Arbitron’s portable people meter (PPM) ratings system over allegations that it underrepresents minority groups.

  • Console giants collaborate on in-game ad standards

    16-Jun-2009

    US— Console manufacturers Microsoft and Sony have collaborated with the Interactive Advertising Bureau to produce a draft set of guidelines on the measurement of in-game advertising.

  • Control is key to consumer concerns over ad targeting

    5-Jun-2009

    US— Research by graduate students at UC Berkeley’s School of Information suggests that critics of online tracking and ad targeting could be silenced by giving consumers more control over how their data is collected and used.

  • Cookie threat delayed as EU talks continue

    23-Jun-2009

    BELGIUM— Marketers have won a temporary reprieve from European Union rule changes that would force them to get express consent before dropping a cookie on a persons’ computer.

  • Cost cutting raises profits for Media Square

    2-Jun-2009

    UK— Marketing communications group Media Square, which owns MR agency Illuminas, has reported a 44% rise in its operating profit for the year ended 28 February 2009, to £2.3m.

  • Court date set for Nielsen and Sunbeam

    1-Jun-2009

    US— Nielsen and Sunbeam Television will square up in court in December over claims that the ratings giant has an illegal monopoly.

  • CTR probes audience for China's mobile digital displays

    25-Jun-2009

    CHINA— Digital out-of-home media owner VisionChina is working with CTR Market Research on a study of audiences for digital TV screens installed on public transport systems.

  • Dan Ariely on predictable irrationality

    6-Jun-2009

    We’re always on the lookout for illuminating videos from the web. Dan Ariely, chosen as one of our big thinkers in May, talks at a recent TED conference on why we sometimes choose to behave less than honourably.

  • Datamonitor founder inks deal to take control at TMN

    5-Jun-2009

    UK— Michael Danson, the founder of market intelligence agency Datamonitor, is set to take control of research and direct marketing group TMN after a reverse acquisition was agreed.

  • Depth – not breadth – is now the watchword

    10-Jun-2009

    Those agencies that will survive, and even thrive in the recession need to demonstrate the unique value they can add to their clients, says Alistair Leathwood, managing director of FreshMinds Research. Not only must work be insightful – it must also be actionable.

  • Deputy CEO of Lanka MR Bureau retires

    17-Jun-2009

    SRI LANKA— Nihal de Silva, deputy chief executive of the Lanka Market Research Bureau (LMRB), has retired.

  • Discovery Channel appoints new SVP of research

    19-Jun-2009

    US— The Discovery Channel has appointed former Nielsen executive Steve McGowan as senior vice president of research, where he will be responsible for planning and directing all broadcast, digital media, marketing and ancillary research.

  • Do politicians ‘get’ research?

    15-Jun-2009

    A data protection bill that threatened to place a ban on market research in Germany has stalled. That’s a relief for researchers – but the whole saga raises worrying questions about the dialogue between the industry and government.

  • Doctors' union calls for patient survey to be scrapped

    30-Jun-2009

    UK— The British Medical Association (BMA) is calling on the government to scrap its national patient survey, warning that local doctors stand to lose millions in funding “unfairly” based on the results.

  • Don't even go there

    June 2009

    What’s the best way to get information you need about touchy personal subjects? Robert Bain investigates how researchers deal with the most taboo topics.

  • Double lives – Robert Stock

    June 2009

    Researchers reveal how their out-of-hours pursuits impact on the 9 to 5. This month we meet Robert Stock, independent qual researcher and pre-primary teacher in a South African township

  • Double win for Conquest Research

    8-Jun-2009

    UK— Conquest Research has won major brand and advertising tracking contracts from Heinz and Scottish Power. Conquest will use its online, avatar-based research tool, Metaphorix, for both contracts. The product measures how consumers connect with brands, such as whether they feel ‘warmth’ or ‘intimacy’, through a range of online scenarios.

  • EasyInsites appoints advisory board

    8-Jun-2009

    UK— Online research agency EasyInsites, which was formed earlier this year by former Research Now executive Charles Pearson, has formed a three-strong advisory board.

  • Echo opens Singapore office

    2-Jun-2009

    SINGAPORE— Reputation and communications specialist Echo Research has opened its first Asian office in Singapore.

  • Echo Research launches online global media monitor

    18-Jun-2009

    UK— Echo Research has launched EchoSonar, an online media monitoring and evaluation service.

  • Emap Data and Insight chief steps down

    19-Jun-2009

    UK— Neil Bradford has resigned from his position as co-chief executive of the Data and Insight group at publisher Emap after a year in the role.

  • E-Rewards Europe appoints business development SVP

    9-Jun-2009

    UK— E-Rewards has appointed Alki Manias, former YouGovCentaur MD, as senior vice president of sales and business development for Europe.

  • E-Rewards names ex-Googler as German MD

    2-Jun-2009

    GERMANY— Online panel provider E-Rewards has hired ex-Google salesman Alexander Hagmeister as managing director for the German region.

  • ESPN Radio signs up for Nielsen’s new ratings

    4-Jun-2009

    US— Sports broadcaster ESPN Radio has signed up to use Nielsen ratings data in 51 small and medium-sized markets, but not at the expense of Arbitron’s system.

  • Essex Uni offers MsC in survey methods

    11-Jun-2009

    UK— The University of Essex is offering the UK’s first masters degree in survey methods.

  • EU proposal 'threatens web analytics'

    12-Jun-2009

    BELGIUM— Digital marketing agency Bigmouthmedia has sounded the alarm over an amendment to European law that threatens to derail the web analytics industry.

  • Everett named global HR director for Ipsos

    10-Jun-2009

    UK— Mike Everett is to take on the role of global HR director for Ipsos, moving up from CEO of Ipsos Mori, the group’s UK business.

  • Facing the music: Research and the digital revolution

    10-Jun-2009

    As the music industry struggles to deal with falling revenues amid the digital revolution, Gareth Deere asks whether better use of research could have stemmed the tide, and how it could help the industry face the future.

  • Former Gallup chairman Alec Gallup dies aged 81

    25-Jun-2009

    US— Alec Gallup, the former co-chairman of the Gallup Organisation, died of a heart ailment on Monday (22 June) aged 81.

  • Four men held over Klaas Jonkheid murder

    2-Jun-2009

    SOUTH AFRICA— Four men will appear in court on Thursday charged with the murder of market researcher Klaas Jonkheid.

  • Four new faces boost Incite ranks

    29-Jun-2009

    UK— Incite has hired four new members of staff across its operation.

  • FoxSports.com picks Unica for web analytics task

    22-Jun-2009

    US— FoxSports.com has signed a deal with marketing management software firm Unica to use its NetInsight OnDemand tool.

  • FTC raps Sears over website tracking software

    5-Jun-2009

    US— Retail group Sears Holding Management, which owns Sears and K-Mart, has fallen foul of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) after failing to properly notify customers who signed up to a research community that it was installing tracking software on their computers.

  • German data protection bill on hold

    2-Jun-2009

    GERMANY— A decision on amendments to Germany’s data protection bill, which researchers fear could put massive restrictions on their use of personal data, is now not expected until after this autumn’s federal election.

  • GfK tests facial expression analysis system

    3-Jun-2009

    GERMANY— GfK is testing a new technology designed to record and analyse facial muscle movements in order to determine people’s emotions.

  • Globalpark updates Enterprise Feedback Suite

    29-Jun-2009

    US— Globalpark has released version 7 of its Enterprise Feedback Suite, which incorporates many new features intended to help transform research panels into communities.

  • GM owes marketing agencies almost $200m

    2-Jun-2009

    US— Five marketing service agencies are owed almost $200m between them after financially stricken car and truck manufacturer General Motors (GM) filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection yesterday.

  • Google corners web analytics market, says study

    19-Jun-2009

    UK— Eighty per cent of companies are using Google Analytics to track website performance, compared to 66% last year, according to the new Online Measurement and Strategy Report.

  • Harper government doesn’t ‘fully appreciate value’ of research

    4-Jun-2009

    CANADA— A change in political leadership in Canada is the only way to stop the current round of government cuts to public opinion research spend, according to the new president of the country’s Marketing Research & Intelligence Association (MRIA).

  • HCD Research makes business development hire

    22-Jun-2009

    US— James O’Hara has been appointed executive vice president of the business development division at HCD Research.

  • Hooven signs up for new role at Crowd Science

    16-Jun-2009

    US— Ex-Comscore man Robert Hooven has joined web audience profiling firm Crowd Science as vice president of sales.

  • Humayun Rashid leaves Citigroup for DSGi

    26-Jun-2009

    UK— Citigroup research manager Humayun Rashid is leaving to join DSG International – owner of electronics retailers Currys, Dixons Online and PC World.

  • ICT calls for dismissal of ex-employees' claims

    11-Jun-2009

    US— ICT Group denies that former employees of a market research call centre in Pennsylvania are entitled to compensation for the short-notice closure of the facility last year.

  • Ideas Rush: Orlando Wood on We Research

    9-Jun-2009

    We challenged researchers to present one big idea, in five minutes and with aid of only one slide at Research 2009. In this first presentation Brainjuicer’s Orlando Wood posits the idea of We Research.

  • If there's one thing I've learnt... Doug Edmonds

    June 2009

    Careers advice from research practitioners. This month: Doug Edmonds, UK managing director, 2CV Research.

  • IFM Sports Marketing Surveys looks East

    1-Jun-2009

    JAPAN— IFM Sports Marketing Surveys has opened new offices in South Korea and Japan.

  • Illuminas names Fong associate director for Asia Pacific

    16-Jun-2009

    HONG KONG— Former HSBC executive Pat Fong has joined research agency Illuminas as associate director for the Asia Pacific region, reporting in to MD Matthew Carr.

  • In search of the dawn

    June 2009

    We’ve got the first half of the year out of the way and it’s been a bruising ride. What’s next for the research business? Analyst Stuart Butler-Smith chews over the numbers.

  • Indonesian survey associations to audit pollsters

    18-Jun-2009

    INDONESIA— MR associations have vowed to scrutinise the methodology used by their members to produce voting intention surveys ahead of the country’s presidential election, amid claims of “inaccurate and biased” polls.

  • Innerscope Research adds two to advisory board

    24-Jun-2009

    US— Biometric and neuroscience agency Innerscope Research has appointed Joseph Plummer and Sandy Pentland (pictured) to its advisory board.

  • Insight revenue down at Creston

    23-Jun-2009

    UK— Billings declined for Creston’s insight businesses in the year ended 31 March, but the group insists research is helping to drive its “robust performance”.

  • InSites Consulting to examine digital media marketing challenges

    12-Jun-2009

    BELGIUM— Research agency InSites Consulting has teamed up with IAB Europe to create a report into 17 challenges facing digital media marketers.

  • InSites Consulting to open in UK and Switzerland

    17-Jun-2009

    BELGIUM— Research agency InSites Consulting is to open new offices in London and Geneva.

  • Interbrand's Rita Clifton on the marketing economy

    16-Jun-2009

    Marc Brenner talks research and the recession with the newly-appointed president of the Market Research Society.

  • IntrinsiQ acquires healthcare MR firm WWMR

    10-Jun-2009

    US— Oncology information supplier IntrinsiQ has acquired healthcare research agency WWMR for an undisclosed amount.

  • Ipsos analytics boss joins ThinkVine

    9-Jun-2009

    US— Curt Stenger, former VP of analytics in Ipsos’s consumer products division, has joined ThinkVine, which produces marketing simulation and planning software.

  • Ipsos Mori partners with Trajectory for trends study

    15-Jun-2009

    UK— Ipsos Mori is teaming up with trends consultancy Trajectory Partnership for the latest wave of their Real Trends insight monitor.

  • Ipsos replaces TNS on IPA's Touchpoints survey

    16-Jun-2009

    UK— The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising has ditched TNS in favour of Ipsos Mori to run the third wave of its Touchpoints survey of multimedia usage in the UK.

  • IQ Holdings reports £300,000 first half loss

    30-Jun-2009

    UK— The owner of IQ Research, Viewpoint Field & Studios and Rossyln Research made a loss for the first six months of its financial year but expects to be profitable in the second half.

  • IQ promotes Viewpoint director to board

    24-Jun-2009

    UK— IQ Holdings, the parent company of research businesses IQ and Viewpoint Field & Studios, has appointed Gale Blears to the board of directors.

  • ISBA's Twinn calls for clarity on EU cookie restrictions

    29-Jun-2009

    FRANCE— British advertising representatives are pushing for clarification on proposed European rules that threaten to restrict the use of cookies for online advertising and ad tracking purposes.

  • Jameson made MD, Macfarlane named chair at GfK NOP

    23-Jun-2009

    UK— Richard Jameson has been promoted to managing director of GfK NOP, replacing Phyllis Macfarlane, who moves to the new role of chairman.

  • Jeeran Research launched in Middle East

    30-Jun-2009

    JORDAN— Former Ipsos and Maktoob researcher Nisreen Akkawi has launched a new online agency, Jeeran Research, to focus on the Middle East and North Africa region.

  • Jigsaw's Totman takes to the Spotlight

    26-Jun-2009

    In the third of our Spotlight interviews Jigsaw Research’s qual man Peter Totman reveals his professional passions and frustrations

  • Jonah Lehrer gets the Stephen Colbert treatment

    5-Jun-2009

    Neuroscience populist Jonah Lehrer, author of How We Decide, braved the slings and arrows of an interview slot on the Comedy Channel’s The Colbert Report. Host Stephen Colbert gives him the once over.

  • Julian Bond leaves Research International after 27 years

    9-Jun-2009

    UK— Julian Bond has left Research International (RI) after a 27-year career with the WPP-owned agency.

  • Julian Bond takes Incite role post-RI departure

    10-Jun-2009

    UK— Former Research International UK chairman Julian Bond will join research consultancy Incite as a director next week.

  • Kim Dedeker on online research quality

    26-Jun-2009

    Kim Dedeker has had to look at the question of online research quality from every angle.

  • Kimberly Till on the way ahead for Harris Interactive

    21-Sep-2009

    Turning a troubled company around amid the worst recession for decades is a daunting challenge. But Harris Interactive’s CEO Kimberly Till remains confident the firm is well placed for the future.

  • Lawyers cry foul over demise of behavioural targeting firm NebuAd

    3-Jun-2009

    US— Lawyers for a group of consumers suing defunct behavioural targeting firm NebuAd are refusing to accept reports of its demise – claiming it is all an illusion.

  • Life in the middle ground

    June 2009

    MR firms obsess about their position in the marketing food chain. Talk of the quest for the boardroom is the conversational equivalent of Mogadon.

  • Livek named Rentrak CEO, Rosenbaum remains chairman

    17-Jun-2009

    US— Media research veteran Bill Livek has been appointed CEO of digital audience measurement company Rentrak, replacing Paul Rosenbaum who remains chairman of the board.

  • London 2012 appoints Nielsen as official MR provider

    16-Jun-2009

    US— The Nielsen Company has been appointed as the official provider of market research services to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

  • Making online measurement count

    10-Jun-2009

    A survey last month by the Measurement of Interactive Audience Project found that less than a quarter of advertisers, ad agencies and media publishers were satisfied with the consistency of online audience measurement metrics. Stewart Atkins, director of digital at Communique360, says it’s time to raise the game.

  • Maktoob Research appoints biz dev director

    8-Jun-2009

    UAE— Middle East-focused research agency Maktoob Research has appointed Sameh Lutfi as business development director in its Dubai office.

  • Marketing guru Jim Stengel takes UCLA post

    19-Jun-2009

    US— Proctor & Gamble’s former chief marketing officer Jim Stengel has been appointed an adjunct marketing professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

  • MarketTools promises 'fraud-free' IT panel

    29-Jun-2009

    US— MarketTools has launched a panel of IT professionals, called ZoomPanel Tech, which it claims is ‘completely fraud-free’.

  • Massachusetts: surveys not subject to physician disclosure rules

    1-Jun-2009

    US— Massachusetts has exempted research from regulations requiring the disclosure of payments to physicians - rules that threatened to derail much survey research in the state.

  • Mediamark publishes first print ad ratings for magazines

    16-Jun-2009

    US— Time Inc and Starcom USA become the first clients of Mediamark Research’s print ad ratings service, which has been in development since last July.

  • Meteor Solutions appoints former ARF man as COO

    15-Jun-2009

    US— Word-of-mouth measurement agency Meteor Solutions has hired Taddy Hall, the Advertising Research Foundation’s (ARF) former chief strategy officer, as its new chief operating officer.

  • Microsoft backs research into search brand power

    24-Jun-2009

    US— Fresh from the launch of Bing, Microsoft is collaborating on research to explore the potential brand-building benefits of search engine marketing.

  • Millward Brown restructures European operations

    12-Jun-2009

    EUROPE— Kantar-owned Millward Brown has restructured its European business, merging the UK and Ireland regions with continental Europe.

  • More marketers see gloom of recession lifting

    3-Jun-2009

    UK— Marketers increasingly believe that the worst of the recession is over, but most still expect a tough 2009 according to the results of the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s latest Marketing Trends survey.

  • Motally secures financing for analytics platform

    9-Jun-2009

    US— Mobile data collection and analytics agency Motally has completed a Series A financing round, securing backing from venture capitalist house BlueRun and an angel investor.

  • Moving the online quality debate forward

    29-Jun-2009

    We speak to Kim Dedeker of Kantar, Joel Rubinson of the ARF, Andrew Cooper of Verve and Amy Millard of MarketTools about what the future holds for online research quality.

  • MP Binley says his 'conscience is clear' over flat rental

    22-Jun-2009

    UK— Brian Binley MP says his “conscience is clear” after it was revealed that taxpayers’ money was used to pay the rent on a flat owned by his marketing and research firm BCC Marketing Services.

  • MP rented flat from his own marketing services firm

    17-Jun-2009

    UK— MP Brian Binley claimed more than £50,000 in expenses over three years to rent a London flat owned by the marketing services company he founded.

  • MPs rap Diageo marketing boss over research into pub culture

    9-Jul-2009

    UK— Diageo’s chief marketing officer Andy Fennell faced a grilling from MPs today over research his company had commissioned into male pub drinking.

  • Multiple panel membership ‘doesn't affect quality’

    10-Jun-2009

    US— Respondents who are members of multiple panels are not necessarily a threat to data quality, according to results of a new study by the Advertising Research Foundation.

  • MySpace cuts US workforce by 30%

    17-Jun-2009

    US— MySpace said today it was axing 30% of its workforce in a restructure affecting all its US divisions.

  • NatCen appoints new CEO following death of Norman Glass

    17-Jun-2009

    UK— The National Centre for Social Research has appointed Penny Young as chief executive, following the death of Norman Glass.

  • NBA signs up for TiVo’s television ratings

    5-Jun-2009

    US— The NBA has signed up as the latest client of TiVo’s second-by-second TV ratings, which track live and time-shifted viewing among thousands of subscribers, to evaluate the 2008-09 season.

  • New agency shines light on online consumers

    26-Jun-2009

    GERMANY— A new research agency is aiming to help companies understand and make the most of their online customers.

  • New beginning for Research Live

    9-Jun-2009

    The Research team spends most of its time writing about radical change within the market research business. We felt that it was about time that we implemented some change of our own. We’re proud to unveil the new-look, high-functionality, multimedia-enabled Research Live website.

  • New CFO and US client services boss at Harris Interactive

    3-Jun-2009

    US— Harris Interactive has appointed two new senior executives. Bob Cox joins as chief financial officer and treasurer, and Frank Forkin joins as president of client services for North America.

  • New chairman at ESRC

    12-Jun-2009

    UK— Veteran banker Alan Gillespie has been appointed chairman of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) by Business Secretary Lord Mandelson.

  • New chairman for Nielsen supervisory board

    16-Jun-2009

    US— James Kilts, a former vice chairman of Procter & Gamble, has been appointed chairman of Nielsen’s supervisory board of directors, succeeding Dudlay Eustace.

  • New Day dawns at Lightspeed Research as Anne Hedde departs

    9-Jun-2009

    US/UK— David Day is to take over as CEO of Kantar-owned online panel company Lightspeed Research, following the departure of incumbent Anne Hedde.

  • New director of intelligence at ID Media

    9-Jun-2009

    US— Media investment management firm ID Media has appointed Fiona Lam to the new role of director of media intelligence.

  • New MRIA president interviewed

    8-Jun-2009

    James Verrinder talks to David Stark of Canada’s Marketing Research & Intelligence Association about government spending, sugging and online privacy.

  • New tools track buzz among TV and music fans

    25-Jun-2009

    US— Wetpaint, which provides software for online communities, has launched a tool for measuring fans’ engagement with popular TV shows online.

  • News in brief

    2-Jun-2009

    The latest from Ipsos Understanding, Nationwide Surveys, ESPN and more

  • News site lets users Digg or bury ads

    5-Jun-2009

    US— Digg, the website that provides ratings for online news articles by letting users vote to ‘digg’ or ‘bury’ them, is introducing an unusual new system to let its users vote on ads too.

  • Nielsen and Digimarc form mobile video tracking JVs

    16-Jun-2009

    US— Nielsen and technology firm Digimarc Corporation are to launch two joint ventures to track mobile video viewing.

  • Nielsen files to dismiss Sunbeam case

    11-Jun-2009

    US— Nielsen has moved to dismiss Sunbeam Television’s anti-trust case against it, claiming the broadcaster’s allegations are not sufficient to warrant a trial.

  • Nielsen Online promises 'leap' in web measurement

    15-Jun-2009

    US— Nielsen Online is boosting the size of its NetView panel from 28,000 to 200,000 members as part of a major overhaul of its web audience measurement services in the US.

  • Nielsen to reissue ABC data

    17-Jun-2009

    US— Nielsen is reissuing TV ratings for broadcaster ABC after an error meant that viewing figures were undercounted during the country’s switch to digital transmission last week.

  • Nielsen's Hurst becomes CEO of US wine house

    18-Jun-2009

    US— Richard Hurst, senior vice president of Nielsen’s Beverage Alcohol division, has left the research business to become CEO of US wine merchant The Saint James Company.

  • Omniture to provide web analytics for Clear Channel Radio

    8-Jun-2009

    US— Clear Channel Radio is to use Omniture’s SiteCatalyst web analytics solution to measure the performance of ads on its websites.

  • One small step: MRC signs investment bank

    4-Jun-2009

    US— Market & Research Corporation (MRC) has put pen to paper with an unnamed investment bank to help it finance the acquisitions of two research agencies and a marketing firm, it was revealed today.

  • Ontario university to open survey research centre

    10-Jul-2009

    CANADA— The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) is setting up a Centre for Evaluation and Survey Research.

  • Opinium and LSE scoop European identity survey

    30-Jun-2009

    UK— Online agency Opinium Research and the London School of Economics have been awarded a contract by the Economic and Social Research Council to conduct a study into the meaning of ‘the European identity’.

  • Optimisa reports £4.5m loss for 2008 and sells off overseas units

    19-Jun-2009

    UK— Research agency owner Optimisa has revealed it is selling off its international subsidiaries as it reports a £4.46m loss for 2008.

  • Outdoor advertising survey debuts in India

    18-Jun-2009

    INDIA— The Media Research Users Council (MRUC) has launched the first Indian Outdoor Survey in Mumbai.

  • 'Outside the box and inside the budget'

    24-Jun-2009

    UK— Richard Jameson takes over as managing director of GfK NOP on 1 July. We speak to him about his plans for the company and how he sees the industry coping with the recession.

  • Oxford Research Agency launches qual unit

    26-Jun-2009

    UK— The Oxford Research Agency (TORA) has launched a new qualitative business, Mimosa.

  • PASW Text Analytics for Surveys (SPSS) reviewed

    June 2009

    One of the greatest logistical issues with online research is handling the deluge of open-ended responses that often arrive. While much of the rest of the survey process can be automated, analysing verbatim responses to open questions remains laborious and costly. If anything, the problem gets worse with Web 2.0-style research. A lot of good data gets wasted simply because it takes too long and costs too much to analyse - which is where this ingenious software comes in.

  • People on the move

    3-Jun-2009

    Appointments and promotions in the global research and insight industry

  • Phorm bags £15m to fund rollout of ad targeting system

    10-Jun-2009

    UK— Online behavioural advertising firm Phorm has raised £15m to fund the continued implementation of its services in the UK and Korea.

  • Phorm CEO slams ad targeting critics as vociferous ‘minority’

    3-Jun-2009

    UK— Phorm CEO Kent Ertugrul today hit back at UK critics of his firm’s targeted advertising technology, claiming that it has not met the same level of hostility from other countries.

  • Polaris appoints project manager

    22-Jun-2009

    US— Kristopher Bober has been hired by full service agency Polaris Marketing Research as a project manager.

  • Police seize lab forging Opinion Research Corp payroll cheques

    8-Jun-2009

    US— Police in Reno, Nevada, have closed down a counterfeiting operation that was forging payroll cheques from Opinion Research Corporation.

  • Polish researchers most trusted, GfK survey finds

    5-Jun-2009

    GERMANY— Polish market researchers are the most trusted in Europe, according to the results of GfK’s latest Trust Index Survey, which rates the most ‘trustworthy’ professions.

  • Porter Novelli strikes social media monitoring partnership

    18-Jun-2009

    US— Public relations agency Porter Novelli and social media monitoring firm Crimson Hexagon have formed a strategic alliance to analyse online conversations about brands.

  • Power to PowerPoint

    6-Jun-2009

    PowerPoint is a nightmare. It constrains creativity and inhibits presenters. Right? Wrong says Kantar’s social media knolwedge leader Tom Ewing. He explains why PowerPoint still has a research future.

  • Premier Foods' Garlick takes his place in the Spotlight

    6-Jun-2009

    In our new Spotlight series researchers give you the lowdown on their professional outlook. To kick things off we talk to Jeremy Garlick, insight chief at Premier Foods, who discusses inspiration, frustration and cricket.

  • Privacy controls 'not working' says consumer protection chief

    24-Jun-2009

    US— The new head of the Bureau of Consumer Protection has called for a rethink in the way it approaches privacy, as current approaches are “not working”.

  • Privacy laws could 'cost US economy billions'

    12-Jun-2009

    US— The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has warned US lawmakers that new online privacy laws risk damaging a sector of the economy that contributes $300bn.

  • PSL Research appoints UK managing director

    15-Jun-2009

    UK— Christine Corner, the former head of client services at TNS Healthcare, has been appointed managing director of healthcare agency PSL Research’s UK operations.

  • Purchase behaviour in need of a rethink, says McKinsey

    26-Jun-2009

    US— Traditional models of how people choose and purchase products are out of date, say McKinsey researchers.

  • QSR inks reseller agreement with Malaysia's StatWorks

    18-Jun-2009

    AUSTRALIA— QSR International has struck a deal with Malaysian firm StatWorks to manage the reseller network for its qualitative data analysis software in Malaysia and Singapore.

  • Rainbow Media hires ex-Nielsen man as research SVP

    24-Jun-2009

    US— Long-time Nielsen executive Thomas Ziangas has joined TV producer Rainbow Media as senior vice president of research.

  • Real Opinions brings Effective Measure to UK

    9-Jun-2009

    UK— Dubai-based research agency Real Opinions is opening an office in London to bring the Effective Measure web audience research tool to the UK.

  • Republicans stall on confirmation of Census boss

    10-Jun-2009

    US— Republicans in the US Senate have blocked the confirmation of Robert Groves as the next director of the Census Bureau.

  • Research 2009: Time to enter Room 101

    17-Jun-2009

    It was the conference session that everyone was talking about. What would the research business consign to the dustbin of history?

  • Research Now builds Momentum for mobile surveys

    22-Jun-2009

    UK— Research Now is launching a three-pronged assault on the mobile phone survey market under the banner of ‘Momentum’.

  • RG+A appoints client strategies SVP

    11-Jun-2009

    US— Healthcare market research agency Roger Green and Associates (RG+A) has appointed Steve Fleischmann as senior vice president of client strategies.

  • Richard Thaler on the ideas behind Nudge

    9-Jun-2009

    Richard Thaler was chosen as one of our big thinkers in May. In this speech he talks about some of the beliefs behind his besteller Nudge.

  • ROI firm appoints Arbitron veteran Guyther

    16-Jun-2009

    US— Jay Guyther has joined media consultancy ROI Media Solutions (ROIMS) as a partner after a 25-year spell at Arbitron.

  • Royal Mail probes claims of 'rigged' research

    24-Jun-2009

    UK— Postal services regulator Postcomm and Royal Mail are looking into allegations that research to assess the quality of Glasgow’s postal service was rigged.

  • Satmetrix appoints new chief operating officer

    18-Jun-2009

    US— Customer loyalty agency Satmetrix has appointed David Cooper as chief operating officer and chief financial officer.

  • Satyam in talks over Caterpillar MR buy

    10-Jun-2009

    INDIA— Scandal-hit outsourcing firm Satyam is in negotiations with Caterpillar over $40m which it still has not paid for the acquisition of the construction equipment firm’s MR and analytics division.

  • Shelf life

    June 2009

    Michael Warren presents the latest in our regular roundups of must-read books for market research and consumer insight professionals.

  • Sky News revamps consumer panel

    23-Jun-2009

    UK— Sky News is relaunching its online research panel with a redesigned website and several new features.

  • SmartRevenue hires global retail strategy chief

    16-Jun-2009

    US— Shopper-focused research agency SmartRevenue has appointed Candace Adams, Wal-Mart’s former director of customer in-store experience insights, as its president of global retail strategy.

  • South African police probe murder of Klaas Jonkheid

    1-Jun-2009

    SOUTH AFRICA— Police are investigating the suspected robbery and murder of Klaas Jonkheid, a noted market researcher and owner of The Consumer Psychology Lab.

  • SPA co-founder given Tpoll non-exec role

    11-Jun-2009

    UK—  Online research agency Tpoll has appointed SPA’s executive chairman Jon Priest as a non-executive director.

  • Spotlight: Sense CEO Jeremy Brown

    19-Jun-2009

    Think you’ve seen a lot of change on the world of MR? Sense Worldwide CEO Jeremy Brown begs to differ as he takes to the Spotlight. He discusses research’s role in the value chain, the recession and a weakness for Martinis.

  • Spring Creek Group names web analytics leader

    8-Jun-2009

    US— Xavier Jiménez has been appointed principle and practice lead for web analytics and measurement at social media marketing agency Spring Creek Group.

  • Stage directions

    June 2009

    Let’s be honest, how many of us have given a dull presentation? Ray Poynter reveals the results of a survey that maps out a sure path to a compelling presentation.

  • Still on hold

    June 2009

    Market researchers have been trying for a decade to harness mobile phones to obtain better data. Forays are now being made into this field as appreciation of the potential of mobile data collection grows.

  • Stimulating World wins qual task for 2011 UK Census

    17-Jun-2009

    UK— The Office for National Statistics has hired qual agency Stimulating World to test advertising concepts and designs, messages and final materials for the 2011 Census.

  • Subscribe to Research Magazine

    June 2009

    This is an exciting time for the market research and customer insight industry. Social media, mobile, behavioural economics and neuroscience have sparked a wave of new ideas, innovation and debate about the future of research. Research is the home of that debate – offering competing visions from the biggest names and the brightest thinkers in the industry.Like ...

  • Supreme Court rejects review of prescription data law

    30-Jun-2009

    US— Justices deny request for judicial review of a New Hampshire law that blocks the use of physicians’ prescribing information for marketing purposes.

  • TAB’s ‘Eyes on’ outdoor ad ratings go live

    3-Jun-2009

    US— The Traffic Audit Bureau for Media Measurement (TAB) has released the first data from its ‘Eyes on’ ratings for outdoor advertising.

  • Telmar Peaktime names MD for Netherlands and Germany

    30-Jun-2009

    NETHERLANDS— Gerard van der Werf has been promoted to regional manager of the Netherlands and Germany at media planning software and analytics firm Telmar Peaktime.

  • Thanks for sharing

    17-Jun-2009

    Ex-Amazon boffin Andreas Weigend on how to get your customers to share information about themselves, and what’s in it for you – and them – if you succeed.

  • The changing face of the Asian consumer

    23-Jun-2009

    Grey Group’s ‘Eye on Asia’ study looks at consumer trends in 16 countries. We spoke to Simon Rich, director of planning at Grey Australia, about the changing face of the Asian consumer.

  • The Diary

    June 2009

    Big dippers, comfy kippers and nul point for Norway.

  • The 'procurement paradox' facing research

    11-Jun-2009

    Research is recession-proof, right? Not this time round, says Andrew Wiseman, CEO of Quaestor. The squeeze on marketing budgets is putting pressure on research spend and bringing agencies face-to-face with procurement departments like never before. But can insight be treated in the same way as manufactured widgets?

  • The Research X Factor

    9-Jun-2009

    Three researchers take to the stage to test their presentation skills with three clientside judges. It was one of the highlights of this year’s Research 2009 conference in London. It clocks in at about half an hour.

  • TiVo and Quantcast partner for TV and web measurement

    23-Jun-2009

    US— Audience measurement upstarts TiVo and Quantcast are partnering on an initiative to evaluate the correlation between TV viewing and online activity.

  • TMN investors approve Danson takeover

    24-Jun-2009

    UK— Shareholders at research and direct marketing group TMN have approved a reverse acquisition deal that will see Datamonitor founder Mike Danson take control of the firm.

  • TNS to lead DfT study on climate change

    8-Jun-2009

    UK— A TNS-led consortium has scooped a contract from the Department for Transport (DfT) to investigate whether people’s attitudes towards climate change are affecting their travel preferences.

  • Toluna buys Greenfield Online survey business for $40m

    26-Jun-2009

    US— Online panel firm Toluna has agreed a deal to acquire Greenfield Online’s internet survey business from Microsoft for $40m – one third of what Microsoft originally wanted for it.

  • Tracking online word-of-mouth: The people vs machines debate

    10-Jun-2009

    Who’s best at sifting through online chatter to find the insights that businesses need? People or computers? Mark Westaby and Mike Daniels go head to head.

  • TrendSource makes mystery shopper buy

    4-Jun-2009

    US— Consumer research and intelligence agency Trendsource has acquired healthcare mystery shopping firm Examine Your Practice for an undisclosed amount.

  • Two more tune in to Nielsen radio ratings

    12-Jun-2009

    US— Broadcaster Maverick Media and media agency TargetCast tcm have signed up to use Nielsen’s radio ratings, and the former is planning to ditch Arbitron’s service next year.

  • UK body examines US in-game ad guidelines

    26-Jun-2009

    UK— The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has formed a council to evaluate the suitability of the in-game measurement standards developed by its US counterpart for the UK market.

  • UK cord-cutters to overtake landliners

    4-Jun-2009

    UK— The rising number of cellphone-only households is often flagged as a major issue for US researchers - but what about their counterparts in the UK?

  • UK firms 'ignoring customer data' – study

    29-Jun-2009

    UK— Fewer than half of financial directors and managers see companies in their field using customer data in marketing, according to a survey by database marketing firm KDB.

  • UK MR business grew by 6.2% in 2008, says MRS

    11-Jun-2009

    UK— Market research spend grew by just over six per cent in 2008, according to the Market Research Society’s annual survey. The figure represents a significant increase on the 2.3 per cent growth recorded in 2007.

  • Uncertainty is a 'great thing'

    8-Jun-2009

    Bob Johansen of the Institute for the Future casts an eye over the next ten years for research in a presentation to the ARF’s annual conference. Growing uncertainty, he argues, is ‘great news’.

  • United Minds probes Sweden's political divides

    29-Jun-2009

    SWEDEN— Business intelligence firm United Minds has launched a new poll monitoring public attitudes towards Sweden’s main politicial parties.

  • US research revenue up 1.6% in 2008, says Honomichl

    18-Jun-2009

    US— Research agencies in the US saw domestic revenue grow just 1.6% last year to $8.9bn, according to the latest estimates from industry commentator Jack Honomichl.

  • VoloMedia adds Google Analytics plug-in for iTunes

    15-Jun-2009

    US— VoloMedia, which provides advertising and analytics tools for downloadable media, has launched a free plug-in for iTunes that collects data on what podcasts are being downloaded and played, and lets publishers analyse the results using Google Analytics.

  • Voodoo puts Vice-like grip on youth trend watchers

    25-Jun-2009

    UK— A reader research project for trends bible Vice Magazine has handed London-based qual ageny Voodoo Research a ready-made panel of what they describe as “future-focused” individuals.

  • Voters need more than a walk-on part every five years

    2-Jun-2009

    Simon Burall looks at what the recent expenses scandal in the UK says about the need for public engagement in decision-making, and how it can be achieved.

  • Western Wats upgrades Data Express tool

    22-Jun-2009

    US— Western Wats has released Version 3 of its Data Express survey data reporting tool.

  • When the cookie crumbles

    4-Jun-2009

    Web measurement firm Effective Measure claims to be setting “a new benchmark in visitor privacy” with a system that would allow consumers to permanently opt out of having their online activity tracked. Brian Tarran speaks to chief privacy officer Roger Kermode.

  • Why EU cookie proposal takes the biscuit

    12-Jun-2009

    Andrew Girdwood, head of search for digital marketing agency Bigmouthmedia, makes the case for why a proposed amendment to an EU directive on privacy and electronic communications poses a threat to the entire digital economy – including marketing, bid management and web analytics.

  • WPP shareholders pass executive bonus plan

    2-Jun-2009

    UK— An executive bonus plan that threatened to divide WPP shareholders last week was passed at the firm’s AGM today.

  • YouGov and Markit launch Household Finance Index

    19-Jun-2009

    UK— Financial information services firm Markit has teamed up with YouGov to launch the Household Finance Index (HFI), a monthly survey tracking the changing levels of household spending.

  • Young Market Research launched for energy technologies

    11-Jun-2009

    US— Father and son team Barry and Ross Young form new agency focused on technologies affecting consumer electrical consumption.

  • Zogby and 463 Communications form JV

    9-Jun-2009

    US— Pollster Zogby International and 463 Communications have combined forces to launch a joint venture, Zogby463.

  • Zussi in the Zone with community launch

    3-Jun-2009

    UK — Zussi Research has launched a new online research community, Zussi Zone, that will go live at the end of June.

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