Research
Nov 2009
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100 jobs to go at Omniture following buyout
11-Nov-2009
US— Omniture is to cut 9% of its workforce, or around 108 positions, following its acquisition last month by software company Adobe.
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60 Second Soapbox – Craig Johnson
Nov 2009
AGB Nielsen Media Research’s managing director for Turkey, Craig Johnson, wants brand owners to get more involved with audience measurement and is looking forward to more RPD usage
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AAAA attacks Nielsen over new DVR metric
20-Nov-2009
US— Nielsen is facing a protest over plans to replace its ‘live’ viewing metric as the main ratings currency in local people meter markets with a new ‘live plus same day’ metric.
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Amex launches business insights division
19-Nov-2009
US— American Express has launched a new analytics and consulting business that will identify strategic opportunities based on credit card sales data from 90 million cards.
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Arbitron to defend PPM at House committee hearing
25-Nov-2009
US— Arbitron is to appear before a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to defend its portable people meter-based (PPM) ratings against claims they are damaging to radio stations targeting ethnic minorities.
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Attentio wins funding for global expansion
26-Nov-2009
BELGIUM— Social media analytics agency Attentio has been awarded €525,000 in funding from the Brussels Regional Investment Company (SRIB/GIMB).
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Barb says all systems go for new TV ratings in January 2010
25-Nov-2009
UK— The Broadcaster’s Audience Research Board (Barb) today confirmed 1 January 2010 as the go-live data for its new TV audience measurement service.
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BBC invites pitches for 'next gen' analytics tool
26-Nov-2009
UK— The BBC is on the hunt for a “next generation web analytics tool” for which it is willing to spend up to £6.9m over three years. The broadcaster is expecting to invite a minimum of five agencies to tender.
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Bloosky Interactive acquires Tracking202
25-Nov-2009
US— Online advertising and direct marketing agency Bloosky Interactive has acquired pay-per-click analytics business Tracking202 for an undisclosed amount.
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Blue chips failing in use of insight, says study
23-Nov-2009
US— It’s a familiar refrain at conferences, but a new survey from Boston Consulting Group adds stats to back up the claim that even the biggest companies in the world fail to make the most of their market research.
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Blurring the boundaries between MR and consulting
17-Nov-2009
Earlier this month Nunwood CEO Clare Bruce hailed a “major coup” as her firm appointed former Accenture Marketing Sciences global president James Walker as its new chief strategy and development officer.
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British Gas embarks on 'listening' exercise
24-Nov-2009
UK— British Gas has mounted a major newspaper ad campaign to recruit a panel of customers who will be invited to share views and suggestions with the energy company’s managers.
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Business mission sparks Wildfire deal for DDB China
27-Nov-2009
SINGAPORE— Word-of-mouth agency Wildfire has signed a deal with ad agency DDB China to add influencer marketing campaigns to its offering.
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Business services tops Insolvency Index again
23-Nov-2009
UK— The business services sector has once again seen the highest number of company failures, according to Experian’s latest Insolvency Index.
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Casro readies US push for ISO quality standard
9-Nov-2009
US— The Council of American Survey Research Organisations is to make a big push next year for US agencies to get ISO certified, following uptake by their counterparts in Europe and Australia, among other places.
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CBS tool tracks UK videogames market buzz
27-Nov-2009
UK— Web publisher CBS Interactive is bringing its videogames customer analytics tool GameSpot Trax to the UK, six years on from its launch in the US.
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CEO leaves GuestMetrics as new owner is unveiled
12-Nov-2009
US— Tech industry veteran David Lovatt has taken over as president and CEO of GuestMetrics after acquiring a controlling interest in the company, which specialises in customer insight solutions for the hospitality industry.
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Cespedes named MD for Synovate Chile
23-Nov-2009
CHILE— Rafael Cespedes has been appointed managing director at Synovate in Chile, having previously headed the agency’s operations in Peru and Ecuador.
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Charitable survey campaign to crowdsource ads
16-Nov-2009
US— The Chief Marketing Officer Council has announced plans to crowdsource ideas for public service announcements to promote its Pause to Support a Cause initiative, which aims to attract hard-to-reach respondents by making charity donations on their behalf.
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CIMM to meet set-top box measurement specialists
3-Nov-2009
US— The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement has scheduled a meeting with five research agencies to discuss how to develop more innovative ways of measuring set-top box viewing data.
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CMOR rallies for reform of Universal Service Fund
18-Nov-2009
US— MR industry lobbyist CMOR has added its voice to calls to reform the Universal Service Fund, claiming the ever-changing fees levied on telephone users amount to a tax on phone surveys.
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COI recruits roster to build behaviour change expertise
30-Nov-2009
UK— The Central Office of Information, the UK government’s marketing department, is putting together a roster of experts in behaviour change theory and models in a bid to make its communications campaigns more effective.
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Coke and McDonald's sign up to new Twitter analytics platform
9-Nov-2009
US— Twitter has been toying with the idea of making money from its users by offering them paid-for analytics tools – but another company, San Francisco-based CoTweet, has beaten them to it.
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Compete and Cannondale probe retail impact of online ads
13-Nov-2009
US— Kantar companies Compete and Cannondale are fusing their respective datasets in an effort to understand how online activities and exposure to web advertising impacts on in-store purchase behaviour.
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ComScore makes Massive breakthrough with in-game ads
12-Nov-2009
US— Microsoft’s in-game ad network Massive has been working with ComScore to develop a way of measuring whether the adverts gamers see influence their online behaviours.
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Confirmit reveals 'app store' ambitions for Flex
12-Nov-2009
UK— Confirmit is setting out to build the market research industry’s version of Apple’s iPhone App Store with its new ‘Flex’ offering that will allow for the development of plug-in functionality for its flagship survey software platform.
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Conquest unveils viral ad testing tool
20-Nov-2009
UK— Conquest has launched AdSpark, an online tool to test the viral potential of new adverts, which is based on the firm’s Metaphorix system of using avatars to measure how respondents feel about brands.
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Conversition adds subs option to Twitter monitor
5-Nov-2009
CANADA— Social media research agency Conversition has released a subscription version of its Tweetfeel Twitter monitoring website.
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Coremetrics makes play for Omniture customers
19-Nov-2009
US— Coremetrics is making a hard play to snatch customers away from rival web analytics firm Omniture, following the latter’s acquisition by Adobe.
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Cosmos teases higher bid in Cossette takeover battle
24-Nov-2009
CANADA— Cosmos Capital is reportedly prepared to up its takeover bid for marketing services group Cossette to C$8.10 per share providing it is granted access to the company’s books and likes what it sees.
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Council for merged Indian print studies gets a name
9-Nov-2009
INDIA— Plans to merge India’s rival print media studies appear to be progressing with a report out today that says a name has been agreed for the body that will conduct the study.
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CPS rules out private prosecution over BT's Phorm trials
8-Apr-2011
UK— The Crown Prosecution Service has ruled out a private prosecution of internet service provider BT and ad technology firm Phorm over secret trials of targeted advertising software.
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Creston posts insight revenue drop, but CEO upbeat
30-Nov-2009
UK— Research and marketing services group Creston has reported an 8% decline in revenue to £7.8m in its research business for the six months ending 30 September.
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D&B and Carlyle named as possible InfoGroup bidders
11-Nov-2009
US— Information business Dun & Bradstreet and private equity firm Carlyle have been named as possible bidders for InfoGroup, the database marketing and MR company.
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Defining trust in an age of sceptical consumerism
12-Nov-2009
Redundancies, pay cuts and big-name retailers hitting the wall – this recession has placed consumers well and truly outside their comfort zones. With all this upheaval, trust is now more important than ever in consumer decision-making, says Shoppercentric managing director Danielle Pinnington. But has the nature of trust changed with the times?
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Dentsu and Intage team for marketing intelligence offers
6-Nov-2009
JAPAN— Ad agency Dentsu has agreed a tie-up with research firm Intage with the aim of developing new marketing intelligence offers.
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Dettol tops list of 'most effective' adverts
4-Nov-2009
UK— TNS has released a list of the 10 most motivating TV adverts of 2009, based on its Mercury online ad testing tool, which measures ad recognition, message take-out, branding and viewer involvement.
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Dexterity MR Anywhere reviewed
Nov 2009
Tim Macer reviews a multi-user online project management, workflow and collaboration tool. Will it smooth out your MR process?
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Disney pulls out of Family Panel partnership
11-Nov-2009
UK— Disney Interactive Media Group has ended its Family Panel partnership with research agency Opinion Matters following the closure of its family-orientated UK websites Raisingkids.co.uk and UKfamily.co.uk.
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Duffar ups Cossette bid to challenge Mill Road offer
19-Nov-2009
CANADA— A bidding war is looming over marketing services group Cossette after former vice-chairman François Duffar upped his takeover bid to match a competing offer from a private equity group.
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Dunnhumby in Canadian JV with Metro
19-Nov-2009
CANADA— Retailer Metro has entered a joint venture with UK-based agency Dunnhumby to analyse customer data and improve loyalty and sales.
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DVR metric row heats up as Nielsen hits back at AAAA
24-Nov-2009
US— Nielsen has hit back at the the American Association of Advertising Agencies over criticism of its plan to introduce a new ‘live plus same day’ audience measurement metric next year for local TV markets.
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Emak fights second lawsuit from former CEO
3-Nov-2009
US— Marketing services group Emak Worldwide is facing a fresh lawsuit from former CEO Donald Kurz – this time over the right of preferred stockholder Crown Investments to vote in the election of new board directors.
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Emap taps Doctors.net for joint research and comms projects
6-Nov-2009
UK— Publisher Emap has forged an alliance with Doctors.net.uk to develop and run communications and market research programmes with key healthcare decision makers.
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EmSense scores $9m in Series C funding
4-Nov-2009
US— Neuromarketing agency EmSense Corporation has secured $9m in Series C private equity funding.
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ESPN Sports Poll kicks off in Europe
23-Nov-2009
UK— TNS and sports broadcaster ESPN have launched a European version of the Sports Poll, a joint venture that measures the attitudes and behaviours of sports fans.
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EU cookie rule passes, but ad impact still unclear
11-Nov-2009
BELGIUM— The European Union has agreed a package of telecoms reforms which includes new opt-in requirements for the use of online cookies.
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Experian compiles picture of German consumers
30-Nov-2009
GERMANY— Data firm Experian has introduced a German version of its Mosaic consumer segmentation system.
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Experian rolls out marketing concept testing tool
19-Nov-2009
HONG KONG— Experian has launched a new technology service to test proofs of concepts for data-driven marketing initiatives, called the Customer Lab.
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Ex-Research International USA chief launches new agency
10-Nov-2009
US— Industry veteran Doss Struse and a group of executives have launched a new research and consulting agency, Definitive Insights.
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Face names ex-Flamingo man as research director
9-Nov-2009
UK— Co-creation agency Face has appointed Saul Parker as a research director. He joins the agency from Flamingo where he was an associate director and headed the firm’s digital and ethnographic initiatives.
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Fine launches Australia Online Research post-STW
18-Nov-2009
AUSTRALIA— Brian Fine, the former chairman of The Online Research Unit (ORU), has set up a new online panel company called Australia Online Research (AOR).
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Firms probe digital media's influence on doctors
3-Nov-2009
US— ComScore and ImpactRx have gone to market with a new tool tying doctors’ online and mobile media habits to their prescription writing activities.
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Foreman departs Opinium with new role under wraps
27-Nov-2009
UK— Dan Foreman is leaving online research agency Opinium – 14 months after joining the firm in a strategic development role.
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Former BBC insight and strategy manager joins Kadence
24-Nov-2009
UK— Kadence International has appointed former BBC researcher Marie Laver as insight director, with responsibility for delivering projects across the agency’s client base.
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Former Harris CFO takes new role
20-Nov-2009
US— Robert Cox has been appointed chief financial officer at credit card payment services firm Planet Payment following his resignation from Harris Interactive.
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Former Harris exec named COO at The Modellers
4-Nov-2009
US— Research and analytics agency The Modellers has hired Mark Wirthlin as its new president and chief operating officer.
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Former TNS consultant joins Opinium as associate director
9-Nov-2009
UK— Online research specialist Opinium has hired former TNS consultant Matthew Webster as associate director.
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Former Viewpoint exec gets all Zen with new fieldwork business
26-Nov-2009
UK— Former Viewpoint Field executive Al Anderson has launched a fieldwork agency called Zen Research, based in Surrey.
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Fox Audience Network signs data-sharing deal with WPP
5-Nov-2009
US— News Corporation’s Fox Audience Network (FAN) has struck a data-sharing deal with WPP designed to bolster both parties’ understanding of online audiences.
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FTO seeks 'openness' in offshore MR practices
20-Nov-2009
US— Offshoring is big business and many research agencies are seeing it as a way to make costs savings – but a new organisation claims many offshorers are failing to be upfront about the practice.
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Gartner Q3 sales down but key metrics improve, says CEO
2-Nov-2009
US— IT analyst Gartner has reported a second consecutive quarter of double-digit declines in revenue and operating income – but key business metrics have improved, said CEO Gene Hall.
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GfK looks to gauge sales impact of ad campaigns with new panel
30-Nov-2009
UK— GfK is launching a panel in the UK that combines household purchase data with information on online and offline media consumption in order to gauge the sales impact of ad campaigns.
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Google Analytics 'illegal' say German regulators
26-Nov-2009
GERMANY— Data protection officials in Germany are warning that the use of Google Analytics to track people’s online behaviour is against the law, the national newspaper Die Zeit reports.
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Google inks Tivo deal for TV Ad viewing data
24-Nov-2009
US— Google has sought to bolster measurement capabilities for its TV ad-buying platform by licencing second-by-second set-top box data from DVR firm Tivo.
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Google to buy mobile ad and analytics firm in $750m deal
10-Nov-2009
US— Google has signed a definitive agreement to acquire mobile advertising technology provider AdMob.
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Google TV Ads gets Prizm segmentation
6-Nov-2009
US— Google has incorporated Nielsen’s Prizm segmentation tool into its TV ad service, categorising households into 66 ‘clusters’ based on life stage, income, social group and other attributes.
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GuestMetrics now says management to stay in place
13-Nov-2009
US— CEO Brian Barrett and COO Tammy Posten have not left GuestMetrics, despite a statement issued by the company earlier this week in which they were said to have resigned.
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GuestTek acquires Enable Software in $1m share deal
17-Nov-2009
US— GuestTek, the owner of hospitality industry insight solutions provider GuestMetrics, has acquired email management firm Enable Software in a $1m all-share deal.
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GuestTek latest: GuestMetrics sold for $5m
19-Nov-2009
UK— GuestTek has sold its consumer insight technology subsidiary GuestMetrics to drinks company Shot Spirits in a share deal worth $5m, a week after it took control of the firm.
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Half-year revenue down at Media Square but Illuminas 'optimistic'
24-Nov-2009
UK— Media Square has reported an £8.3m drop in revenue for the six-month period ending 31 August but its Illuminas research business is “on course to have a good year”, according to group director Mike Roderick.
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Harris bids to advance Asia ambitions with ASL debut
30-Nov-2009
HONG KONG— Harris Interactive is introducing its online qualitative research offering Advanced Strategy Lab (ASL) in Asia – beginning with a client meeting in Hong Kong earlier today.
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Harris Interactive parts company with CFO after five months
18-Nov-2009
US— Robert Cox has resigned from his position as chief financial officer at Harris Interactive after only five months.
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Harris strikes South Korea partnership
16-Nov-2009
KOREA— Consumer and political research agency GH Korea has become the thirteenth company to sign up to Harris Interactive’s global partner network scheme.
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How the recession is reshaping research
25-Nov-2009
With clients demanding more for less, new players entering the market and technology advancing apace, Vision Critical CEO Angus Reid says we will look back on the current recession as the spark that ignited a revolution.
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IAB Europe says nothing to fear from EU cookie rules
25-Nov-2009
BELGIUM— Advertisers have nothing to fear from new European Union rules requiring consumers to opt-in to accept cookies, says the IAB Europe – pointing to a preamble to the directive that says browser settings can be taken as a form of consent.
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IAB study highlights need for online brand research standards
16-Nov-2009
US— Measurement remains one of the key factors inhibiting growth in online advertising, according to a new study from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Bain & Company.
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IBM opens analytics support centre in India
6-Nov-2009
INDIA— IBM has opened a Business Analytics Centre of Competency in Bangalore to provide clients with support for information-based challenges.
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ICF wins $140m Census Bureau contract to develop survey methods
2-Nov-2009
US— ICF International has won a five-year contract worth up to $140m with the US Census Bureau to develop survey research methods, technologies and approaches.
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Iconoculture appoints former GfK execs to lead European expansion
12-Nov-2009
US— Trendspotting research agency Iconoculture has appointed a new director and senior adviser to oversee its expansion into Europe.
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If there's one thing I've learnt... Ashe Deleuil
Nov 2009
Career tips from research practitioners. This month: Ashe Deleuil, research director at Electric:Electric
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Illuminas chairman appointed Media Square CEO
6-Nov-2009
UK— Marketing services group Media Square, owner of research agency Illuminas, has appointed Peter Reid as its new chief executive officer.
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IMS Research acquires Young Market Research
10-Nov-2009
US— Electronics market research agency IMS Research has acquired Young Market Research (YMR) for an undisclosed amount.
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Industry trends study finds hope mixed with apprehension
2-Nov-2009
US— Researchers are hopeful that the industry will soon see a return to better times – but concerns persist that the downturn has created problems for the business that will prove hard to fix.
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InfoGroup sees further decline in MR revenue
3-Nov-2009
US— InfoGroup’s marketing research revenue fell 16% to $24m for the third quarter of 2009, with an operating loss of $700,000 for the division compared to operating income last year of $1.4m.
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Insitas and Sodexo launch employee engagement survey
23-Nov-2009
UK— Sodexo Motivation Solutions and consumer research agency Insitas have joined forces on a new employee engagement survey, SayEngage.
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Intermarketing launches Intervue insight arm
27-Nov-2009
UK— Peter Simpson, a co-founder of First Direct Bank, has joined forces with full-service creative agency Intermarketing Group to launch a new consumer insight and planning consultancy, Intervue.
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In-Touch Survey Systems reports Q3 revenue drop
18-Nov-2009
CANADA— Data collection agency In-Touch Survey Systems has reported a 22% drop in revenue for the third quarter of 2009, but the firm still managed to achieve a modest profit.
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Investment funds to buy IMS Health in $5.2bn deal
5-Nov-2009
US— Investment funds TPG Capital and the CPP Investment Board have agreed a $5.2bn deal to acquire healthcare researcher IMS Health.
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Investors pump $15m into Manthan Systems
20-Nov-2009
INDIA— Retail analytics and intelligence firm Manthan Systems has scooped $15m in Series B funding from a group of private equity investors.
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iPerceptions unveils integrated web data dashboard
18-Nov-2009
CANADA— IPerceptions is claiming a ‘first ever’ with the launch of a dashboard that allows website owners to match attitudinal data with behavioural data on the same site visitors.
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IQ considers sell-off amid tough trading conditions
20-Nov-2009
UK— IQ Holdings is considering putting its IQ Research, Viewpoint Field and Rosslyn Research subsidiaries up for sale amid “difficult” trading conditions.
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Itracks patent is valid, says Patent Office
10-Nov-2009
US— An online focus group patent held by data collection firm Itracks is valid, according to the US Patent and Trademark Office – undermining claims made by rival company Artafact.
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Kadence MD elected president of Singapore association
2-Nov-2009
SINGAPORE— Piers Lee has been elected the new president of the Market Research Society of Singapore with plans to create new certifications for data collection.
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KeyQuest Health appoints project director
27-Nov-2009
UK— Healthcare research fieldwork agency KeyQuest Health has appointed Leticia Del Gaudio as a project director.
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KPO firm Integreon acquires Grail Research
11-Nov-2009
US— Knowledge process outsourcing company Integreon has acquired strategic research agency Grail Research from its parent company Monitor Group.
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LeGo, MyResearch and Perceptor form ‘knowledge partnership’
2-Nov-2009
EUROPE— Three research agencies from Germany, Denmark and Norway have formed a ‘knowledge partnership’ to share complementary sector expertise and local knowledge.
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Life's no lottery for Clear Channel's Emma Jones
27-Nov-2009
Emma Jones is research and insight manager at Clear Channel Outdoor and the latest of our Spotlight interviewees.
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Listen carefully
5-Nov-2009
‘Don’t just ask, listen’ was the message of yesterday’s IJMR Forum in London. But the call to action was tempered with a note of caution that some new offerings may not be all they seem, writes Robert Bain.
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Lloyds Banking Group man moves to McCallum Layton
3-Nov-2009
UK— Lloyds Banking Group researcher Andy Plunkett has joined McCallum Layton as a research manager in the agency’s quant practice.
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Maktoob Research opens Arab Eye community
5-Nov-2009
UAE— Maktoob Research has launched an online community called Arab Eye which rewards members for taking part in surveys.
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Market Probe appoints three to pharma division
16-Nov-2009
US— Research agency Market Probe has strengthened its pharma division with a trio of senior appointments.
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Market research catches up with Web 2.0
16-Nov-2009
Forrester analyst Tamara Barber says it’s time for the industry to embrace online communities as a research tool – and defends the increasingly unfashionable term ‘Web 2.0’
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Marketing softco Unica wins web analytics task for IBM
13-Nov-2009
US— Marketing software firm Unica has signed a multi-year agreement to serve as IBM’s standard web analytics platform following a “highly competitive evaluation”.
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Masmi names ex-Asda researcher as Saudi MD
3-Nov-2009
SAUDI ARABIA— Former Asda marketing research manager Nigel Clarkson has joined research group Masmi as MD for Saudi Arabia.
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MBO at Research and Marketing Plus in Cardiff
18-Nov-2009
UK— Chief executive Phil Evans has led a management buy-out at Cardiff-based full-service agency Research and Marketing Plus.
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Media measurement coalition updates request for information
17-Nov-2009
US— The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement has issued a revised request for information on set-top box measurement following a meeting with leading data suppliers earlier this month.
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Media Square shareholders plot to oust chairman
2-Nov-2009
UK— Three companies that own a slice of marketing services group Media Square have requested a general meeting to vote on removing chairman Roger Parry from the company’s board.
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Mediamark bags GroupM as third AdMeasure client
23-Nov-2009
US— Mediamark has bagged GroupM as the third client of its AdMeasure service, which the research agency is looking to establish as the ad measurement currency for major consumer magazines.
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Merkle launches MR practice, hires Baskin as VP
12-Nov-2009
US— Database marketing agency Merkle has launched a market research practice, with the aim of discovering “how consumer beliefs and attitudes shape purchasing and engagement decisions”.
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Merkle names Hennessy and Berry co-presidents
20-Nov-2009
US— Database marketing and analytics firm Merkle has promoted executive vice presidents Patrick Hennessy and Tim Berry to co-presidents.
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Microsoft looks to deliver metrics for 1 vs. 100 advertisers
20-Nov-2009
US— Microsoft is commencing a pilot test with Nielsen to provide metrics on who saw what adverts featured in its Xbox Live quiz game 1 vs. 100. The test goes live following tonight’s launch of the second season of the game.
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Millennial Media awarded $16m funding
16-Nov-2009
US— Mobile advertising agency Millennial Media has scooped $16m in a Series C round of funding from private equity investors.
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MMA and Kinesis launch mobile marketers panel
18-Nov-2009
US— The Mobile Marketing Association and Kinesis Survey Technologies have formed a panel of mobile marketers who have agreed to take part in mobile surveys.
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Mob4Hire and Flurry team up for mobile app tracking
13-Nov-2009
CANADA— Crowd-sourced mobile application testing agency Mob4Hire has struck a deal with Flurry Analytics to analyse the behaviour of people using mobile apps.
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Moxie and OpenAmplify plan online sentiment measurement tools
9-Nov-2009
US— Strategic marketing agency Moxie Interactive has struck a deal with language processing technology firm OpenAmplify to develop tools to measure the sentiment of online conversations between consumers and brands.
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MRA chief executive Larry Brownell resigns
13-Nov-2009
US— The Marketing Research Association is preparing a search for a new CEO to replace Larry Brownell, who has resigned from the position.
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MRIA seeks to banish 'chill' around research in government
5-Nov-2009
CANADA— A symposium could be held next year as part of MR industry efforts to convince the government of the value of research, following a collapse in survey spend.
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Nesta's Roland Harwood on opening up innovation
24-Nov-2009
The director of open innovation from the UK’s innovation investment body speaks to us about how companies can innovate together with their suppliers and customers
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New CEO at MR software firm Techneos
4-Nov-2009
US— Mobile survey software firm Techneos Systems has appointed Dave King as its new CEO, replacing co-founder Mark Cameron.
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Newspaper Society launches integrated print and online currency
26-Nov-2009
UK— The Newspaper Society has launched a new currency, “Locally Connected”, which combines print and online readership data for local papers.
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Nielsen names financial services head for South Asia
24-Nov-2009
INDIA— Nielsen has appointed Shubhranshu Das as regional head for the South Asian arm of its new global financial services practice. Das joined the firm in 2008 and has served as director of client solutions, based in Mumbai.
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Nielsen Online promotes Matt Bruce to Australian MD
23-Nov-2009
AUSTRALIA— Nielsen Online has promoted Matt Bruce to managing director for Australia from his previous role as sales director.
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Nielsen to add same-day DVR data to ratings in January
10-Nov-2009
US— Nielsen will introduce a new Live + Same Day TV measurement metric in January next year to provide ratings for shows that are recorded and watched on the same day.
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No decision on sale, says InfoGroup amid bid talk
2-Nov-2009
US— A sale might be on the cards for InfoGroup, the database marketing and market research group – but no decision has yet been made, the company’s board said this weekend.
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Non-exec chairman David Marshall to step down at Creston
26-Nov-2009
UK— David Marshall is to step down next year from his position as non-executive chairman at research and marketing services group Creston.
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NPD Group names new boss for Asia Pacific business
11-Nov-2009
US— Ex-Ipsos ASI man Mark Turim has been appointed president of the NPD Group’s Asia Pacific operations.
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Nunwood hires former Accenture man in strategy role
6-Nov-2009
UK— Research and consulting firm Nunwood has appointed the former global president of Accenture Marketing Sciences as its new chief strategy and development officer – a hire billed by CEO Clare Bruce as a “major coup”.
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Nunwood plans new offices in Asia Pacific, Europe and the US
17-Nov-2009
UK— Nunwood is opening four new international offices during the first quarter of next year as part of its global expansion plans.
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Nunwood's Clare Bruce on why 'cash is king'
26-Nov-2009
As the CEO of Nunwood Consulting Clare Bruce has a passion for financial detail, scarcity and the idea that young researchers should try untraditional routes to entering the business.
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Ofcom tweaks two-second rule on silent calls
4-Nov-2009
UK— Ofcom has tweaked its rules around silent calls to give businesses more time to present homeowners with a recorded information message if an operator is not available when a cold call is made.
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Offshore transparency debate ignores quality issue, says Annik chief
26-Nov-2009
INDIA— A leading player in offshore market research has raised concerns that the recently-launched Foundation for Transparency in Offshoring (FTO) risks diverting the debate around outsourcing away from the issue of quality.
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OMD and CBS team for Las Vegas media research lab
9-Nov-2009
US— Media communications agency OMD has struck a deal with CBS Vision, the research arm of CBS Corporation, to create a ‘media effectiveness communication lab’ at the broadcaster’s Television City in Las Vegas.
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OnePoll looks for international growth ahead of AIM listing
2-Nov-2009
UK— Online survey firm OnePoll is looking to boost its international research capabilities ahead of a planned initial public offering next year.
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Only words?
11-Nov-2009
A lot of new terminology is flying around in research discussions at the moment, but we don’t seem to have quite decided what it all means, writes Robert Bain.
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Opinionpanel scoops LSC panel contract
13-Nov-2009
UK— Student-focused research agency Opinionpanel has been commissioned by the Learning & Skills Council to build and recruit a 10,000-strong panel of learners aged 14 and over.
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Opt-out needed for web analytics tools, say German authorities
27-Nov-2009
GERMANY— Websites that use analytics tools including Google Analytics must give users the chance to opt out, and must not use IP addresses to build usage profiles, say German data protection officials.
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ORC International wins Yo! Sushi contract
3-Nov-2009
UK— ORC International is to conduct guest satisfaction research in the UK and overseas for restaurant chain Yo! Sushi.
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Peering through the gloom to brighter times ahead
9-Nov-2009
Results season has just passed and for many US agencies, things are looking up. Certainly the gloom of recession appears to be lifting, so we asked Casro’s 2010 chairman Kevin Menk to give us his take on what next year has in store.
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Pensions Regulator looking for agency ahead of 2012 reforms
4-Nov-2009
UK— The Pensions Regulator is looking for a research agency to help develop its communications strategy to employers ahead of changes in pension regulations.
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People on the move
25-Nov-2009
The latest appointments and promotions in global market research and consumer insight industry. This week: Ipsos, Comscore, Opinion Leader, Purdie Pascoe, Biz360, Ace Metrix and GMI.
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People on the move
19-Nov-2009
The latest moves in the international market research industry, including the latest from Forrester Research, the IAB, GMC Analytics and more.
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People on the move
4-Nov-2009
A roundup of the latest appointments and promotions in the global market research and consumer insight business. This week: ActusMR, CMI, ImpreMedia, Harris Interactive, Cognosis, E-Tabs, Illuminas, R/GA London, Conversion Associates and Merkle.
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People on the move
13-Nov-2009
A roundup of the latest appointments and promotions in the global market research and consumer insight business. This week: Market Force Information, Voxco, Targetbase Claydon Heeley, Toluna, iPerceptions, RDSi, Insitas, I-Level, MarketShare Partners, Peer Group Media, Double Helix, The Optimization Group and Flow.
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Phorm's UK managing director departs
18-Nov-2009
UK— Nick Barnett has left his position as managing director of targeted advertising technology company Phorm.
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Portrait Software celebrates revenue rise
27-Nov-2009
UK— Portrait Software, a developer of customer interaction technologies, has reported a 9% rise in revenue for the six months ending 30 September.
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Pragmatism trumps hype in social media debate
10-Nov-2009
The MRA’s First Outlook Conference aims to showcase ‘the research world of tomorrow’. Jeffrey Henning spotted hints of pragmatism amid the social media hype.
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Private equity trumps Cosmos bid for Cossette
11-Nov-2009
CANADA— Marketing services group Cossette has agreed to be bought out by a US private equity firm in a deal worth C$131m – trumping a C$88m hostile bid from the company’s former vice-chairman François Duffar.
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Prizm makes online debut through DataLogix tie-up
2-Nov-2009
US— Nielsen’s lifestyle segmentation Prizm is making its online debut through a partnership with DataLogix’s Affiniti Data Platform.
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Publicis Dialog invites consumers to 'Join the Conversation'
11-Nov-2009
UK— CRM agency Publicis Dialog is looking to forge stronger customer relationships for its clients through a new online panel and community called ‘Join the Conversation’.
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Pulse sees revenue rise, but IPO costs leave firm at a loss
30-Nov-2009
MALAYSIA— Research outsourcing firm Pulse Group has booked revenue growth of 7% for the financial year ended 31 May in spite of the “difficult economic environment”.
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Rentrak reports 63% growth in media information business
10-Nov-2009
US— Rentrak’s media information business has reported growth of 63% for the three months ended 30 September, with revenue rising to $5m off the back of its Essentials multimedia measurement services.
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Research 'not fulfilling innovation potential'
17-Nov-2009
GERMANY— Market research is not fulfilling its potential to fuel innovation, according to a new study by academics at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences.
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Revenue drop eases for Datascension in third quarter
17-Nov-2009
US— Data collection firm Datascension continued to see revenues fall in the third quarter of 2009, but the rate of decline has eased from a 29% year-on-year decrease in Q1 to a drop of 10.7% for the three months ended 30 September.
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Roger Green & Associates hires client strategies EVP
17-Nov-2009
US— Healthcare market research agency Roger Green & Associates has appointed Ajit Baid as executive vice president of client strategies.
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Round one goes to Gartner in libel battle
5-Nov-2009
US— Gartner has succeeded in dismissing a libel complaint brought by a software company angry at being described as a ‘niche’ player – though the vendor has been granted leave to file an amended complaint.
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'Satisfactory' performance at GfK as sales stabilise in Q3
16-Nov-2009
GERMANY— GfK has reported slight sales declines for both the third quarter and first nine months of the year but said its performance had been “robust”. Q3 sales were down 3.9% to €282.7m, while nine-month sales were €840.2m, down 4.9%.
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SDI Health secures private equity backer
10-Nov-2009
US— Healthcare data and analytics firm SDI has a new backer – private equity group Tailwind Capital, which has invested an undisclosed amount in the business.
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Segmentation – the devil is in the detail
3-Nov-2009
Michael Martin of Insight Inside says there are good reasons for the increasing use of segmentation studies, but that agencies need to balance complex models with simple communication to ensure their work has an impact.
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Shareholders approve e-Rewards acquisition of Research Now
25-Nov-2009
UK— Research Now investors today overwhelmingly approved e-Rewards’ takeover bid for the online fieldwork provider at a general meeting in London.
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Simpio Marketing acquires keyword researcher Wordze
16-Nov-2009
US— Keyword research technology provider Wordze has been acquired by Texas-based Simpio Marketing for an undisclosed amount.
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Site Intelligence named Thomas Cook analytics supplier
26-Nov-2009
UK— Travel agent Thomas Cook Group has contracted Site Intelligence to supply e-commerce analytics and business intelligence services.
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Social media studies find pros and cons for buzz trackers
13-Nov-2009
US— Social media savvy businesses have been quick to tap new communications channels to monitor what people are saying about their brands, according to a Business.com survey. But now for the bad news – most aren’t paying for the tools they use to track mentions of their companies.
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Solomon resigns as head of Media Research Users Council
24-Nov-2009
INDIA— The general manager of the Media Research Users Council has resigned amid plans to merge the organisation’s print readership survey with a rival offering produced by the National Readership Studies Council.
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Sony Pictures moves research EVP to marketing role
6-Nov-2009
US— Sony Pictures Entertainment has moved research chief David Kaminow to the newly created role of president of worldwide strategic marketing.
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Springfield mayor calls for end to poll probe
4-Nov-2009
US— The mayor at the centre of an investigation over a $2,000 payment made to a research firm run by his mother has asked officials to drop the probe and decide on a penalty.
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Springfield mayor fined over phantom poll
17-Nov-2009
US— The Oregon Elections Division has fined Springfield mayor Sid Leiken after finding him guilty of violating campaign finance laws over a payment he supposedly made to his mother’s market research agency to conduct a poll about a new gas tax.
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'Stability' the watchword as Nielsen posts 1% Q3 revenue drop
12-Nov-2009
US— Nielsen’s chief financial officer Brian West hailed “another quarter of stability” today as the ratings giant posted its results for Q3 and the first nine months of the year.
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Strategy Refresh for former Cancer Research insights man
17-Nov-2009
UK— A former head of strategy and consumer insight for Cancer Research UK, Bryan Miller has launched a marketing and fundraising consultancy called Strategy Refresh.
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Study points to pitfalls of linking doctors' pay with surveys
19-Nov-2009
UK— A study in the British Medical Journal has highlighted the limitations of using patient surveys as part of ‘pay for performance’ schemes for doctors.
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Synovate adds associate director to comms team
6-Nov-2009
UK— Synovate has appointed Martha Hague-Moss as an associate director in its communications specialist research team.
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Synovate appoints Jessica Liu to China media role
3-Nov-2009
CHINA— Jessica Liu has been appointed research director of Synovate’s media business in Beijing. She was most recently the research director of Ipsos MediaCT Greater China.
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Synovate names new CEO for Censydiam arm
2-Nov-2009
UK— Synovate has promoted Sue Phillips to chief executive of its Censydiam consumer motivational research practice. She previously led training and development for the firm’s global qual practice.
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Synovate sees positive signs amid Q3 revenue decline
19-Nov-2009
UK— Synovate’s organic revenue fell 11.5% during the first nine months of the year, its parent company Aegis said in an interim management statement today.
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T3i Group names new chief executive
5-Nov-2009
US— Telecoms research agency T3i Group has appointed Jim Flinton as its new chief executive officer. He joins the company from call centre technology firm Avaya.
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Tangent reports first-half revenue drop
27-Nov-2009
UK— Marketing strategy group Tangent Communications has reported a slight drop in revenue for the half year ending 31 August.
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Telco names Pulse Group preferred research vendor
12-Nov-2009
MALAYSIA— Outsourcing firm Pulse Group has been handed preferred research vendor status by Telekom Malaysia.
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Tesco retains Leapfrog for Customer Question Time programme
17-Nov-2009
UK— Tesco has retained research agency Leapfrog to manage all research services for its Customer Question Time programme.
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TGI gets a boost from TNS acquisition
4-Nov-2009
UK— Kantar’s international network of brand purchase, consumer attitude and media use surveys has expanded to 67 countries following parent company WPP’s acquisition of TNS last year.
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The appliance of science
Nov 2009
What should researchers make of the proliferation of high-tech methods for measuring people’s thoughts and feelings? Are the really smart researchers the ones sticking with the low-tech approach? Tim Phillips investigates
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The good old days
Nov 2009
You might feel a tad nostalgic as you leaf through our UK Research Industry League Tables. The revenues posted were for that bygoneage when the recession had yet to bite into the balance sheet. It was a happier, sunnier age. It was an optimistic age. It was 2008.
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The Oxford Research Agency promotes and appoints
26-Nov-2009
UK— The Oxford Research Agency has promoted Emma Bearpark to associate director of its Mimosa qualitative division and hired Jonathan Hughes as a trainee research executive in the FMCG team.
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Things I know (and don't know) about brand research
Nov 2009
Nigel Hollis, chief global analyst at Millward Brown, shares his beliefs and airs his doubts about the future of brand research
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Third-quarter revenue down at Ipsos but firm confident for 2010
11-Nov-2009
FRANCE— Ipsos has reported a drop in revenue for both the third quarter of 2009 and the first nine months of the year.
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Ticking outside the box
12-Nov-2009
Some of the hoops that research suppliers are being asked to jump through in clientside procurement processes are time-consuming, pointless or just plain weird, says McCallum Layton’s head of b2b Kate Thompson.
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TNS Media Research wins new five-year BSkyB deal
30-Nov-2009
UK— Broadcaster BSkyB has awarded TNS Media Research a new five-year contract to run its SkyView audience measurement panel.
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TNS Telegal renews Israeli TAM contract
25-Nov-2009
ISRAEL— The Israeli Audience Research Board (IARB) has renewed TNS Telegal’s contract to run the country’s television audience measurement service.
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Turkish Competition Board decides against AGB Nielsen probe
11-Nov-2009
TURKEY— The Turkish Competition Board (RK) will not be investigating AGB Nielsen over allegations that the firm exploited its position as the country’s dominant TV ratings provider.
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Two new client service directors join Verve
3-Nov-2009
UK— Verve has appointed two new client service directors, Jeremy Hollow and Nina Treny.
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Update: Cossette rejects Cosmos takeover bid
25-Nov-2009
CANADA— Cossette’s board of directors has rejected a takeover offer of $7.87 per share from Cosmos Capital, the group headed by former Cossette vice-chairman François Duffar.
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US launch for Toluna's QuickSurveys
20-Nov-2009
US— Toluna has launched its on-demand survey platform QuickSurveys in the US. The tool, which was launched in Europe in late 2008, allows users to create surveys of up to five questions in length.
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Visible Measures chosen for People's Choice Awards task
2-Nov-2009
US— Web video measurement firm Visible Measures has been chosen to provide online viewing information for the People’s Choice Awards 2010.
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Vision Critical hires ex-GfK MD to lead consumer practice
10-Nov-2009
US— Former GfK Custom Research managing director Patricia Hughes has been appointed executive vice president of the consumer division at Vision Critical.
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Voxco in licensing deal with Gillian Kenny Associates
12-Nov-2009
UK— Survey software company Voxco has signed a licencing agreement with Gillian Kenny Associates (GKA) for its Command Center Software as a Service platform.
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Webtrends to launch iPhone analytics app
16-Nov-2009
US— Webtrends is planning to release an iPhone app to allow mobile access to data for customers of its Analytics platform.
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What can market researchers learn from...?
Nov 2009
Sick of hearing the same old voices from the same old constituencies? Perhaps the research industry should look a little wider in its quest for inspiration and insight
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Will the ends justify the means in offshoring transparency?
23-Nov-2009
The Foundation for Transparency in Offshoring should be welcomed for its efforts to educate clients about the extent of offshoring in the research industry. But the way it seeks to do so risks tapping into heightened post-recession protectionist sentiment.
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YouGov Siraj launches Middle East jobs index
9-Nov-2009
UAE— YouGov Siraj and online Middle East jobs website Bayt.com have launched a jobs index to gauge perception of employment availability in the region and across north Africa.
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YouGov unveils 24-hour omnibus
5-Nov-2009
UK— YouGov has launched a 24-hour omnibus service to provide clients with reaction to major news stories and key issues.
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Zoomerang makes Salesforce AppExchange debut
18-Nov-2009
US— MarketTools has released its Zoomerang Survey software as an application add-on for the Salesforce CRM system.