Research
July 2010
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A billion strong: the invisible consumers, workers and residents shaping our world
15-Jul-2010
In the first of an exclusive series of articles looking at the consumer trends shaping the world in the next several years, Mary Meehan of Panoramix Global examines the importance of migrants as consumers, entrepreneurs and innovators.
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ABCi and Handmark to develop mobile app usage stats
20-Jul-2010
US— ABCi, the Audit Bureau of Circulation’s interactive arm, and mobile app developer Handmark have struck a partnership to provide publishers and advertisers with audited mobile usage statistics.
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Aegis tables bid for Mitchell Communication Group
29-Jul-2010
AUSTRALIA— Aegis, owner of research agency Synovate, has proposed a deal to buy marketing and communications group Mitchell for A$363m.
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And cinema's best supporting actor goes to... MR
7-Jul-2010
If Oscars were doled out for the best performing advertising medium during a recession, cinema would be in with a shout – and research would be its best supporting actor, as Pearl & Dean’s Anna Cremin explains.
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Anderson loses AMAI speaking gig in fallout from ISO row
23-Jul-2010
US/MEXICO— Former Esomar representative Tom Anderson’s opposition to the ISO research quality standard has cost him another gig – this time, a speaking engagement at Mexico’s annual research industry congress.
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Anderson ousted as Esomar US representative over ISO opposition
13-Jul-2010
US— Anderson Analytics boss Tom Anderson has had his status as Esomar US representative revoked over his vocal opposition to the introduction of the ISO research process quality standard in the US market.
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ARF research chief Rubinson quits to launch consulting practice
29-Jul-2010
US— Joel Rubinson, the chief research officer of the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF), is leaving the organisation to launch his own consulting practice.
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AT&T sponsors connectivity research program
12-Jul-2010
US— Telecom and communications giant AT&T is sponsoring an initiative in Dallas that will see a group of young men form their own agency and carry out a market research study into what ethnically diverse communities need from communications technology.
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B2B International opens Shanghai office
1-Jul-2010
CHINA— B2B International has opened its second Chinese office in Shanghai.
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Bellwether points to 'phase of slower growth' for UK economy
12-Jul-2010
UK— The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising’s Bellwether has swung back into the negative with marketing budgets revised down in the second quarter and a warning that the UK economy is entering “a phase of slower growth”.
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Best Buy and The NPD Group extend data sharing deal
30-Jul-2010
US— Best Buy has extended its data sharing agreement with The NPD Group to run for another three years. The deal covers point-of-sale data for all major consumer electronics and IT purchases, mobile phone purchases and small and major appliance sales.
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Brahm and sister agency Swamp merge to form Brass
12-Jul-2010
UK— Insight and marketing communications agency Brahm has merged with sister digital agency Swamp to form a new firm, Brass.
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Buzzient and Interactive Intelligence link up for social media monitoring
13-Jul-2010
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES— Business communication technology firm Interactive Intelligence and social media analytics agency Buzzient have teamed up to launch a new social media monitoring and reporting service.
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BuzzNumbers unveils Twitter tool for Australian election
27-Jul-2010
AUSTRALIA— Social media monitoring agency BuzzNumbers has launched a tool to track Twitter coverage of Australia’s upcoming general election.
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Canada's chief statistician resigns in protest at government plans for census
23-Jul-2010
CANADA— Chief statistician Munir Sheikh has resigned as opposition mounts over government plans to replace the mandatory long-form census with a voluntary questionnaire.
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Cegedim Strategic Data appoints global research director
1-Jul-2010
FRANCE— Cegedim Strategic Data has appointed Anne-Marie Masquelier as global medical research director where she will oversee the firm’s medical research activities.
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Cello sees return of like-for-like income growth in research business
22-Jul-2010
UK— Cello Group’s research and consulting business has returned to like-for-like income growth in the first half of 2010, according to a trading update.
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Chime nabs Toluna's Squires for group operations role
27-Jul-2010
UK— Mark Squires has been appointed group operations director within Chime Communications’ research and engagement division.
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CIA and Google take stake in web monitor Recorded Future
30-Jul-2010
US— Google Ventures and the Central Intelligence Agency’s investment arm are backing an online technology firm that analyses information across the internet to provide insight and predict how much coverage an event or issue will generate.
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Comer launches venture-backed MR tech firm Jackson Square Group
16-Jul-2010
US— Patrick Comer, a former business development executive at Ipsos-owned OTX, has launched a company selling a new technology platform designed to automate the project management process between research agencies and external sample vendors and data collection firms.
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ComScore buys telecoms analytics business
2-Jul-2010
US— Online audience researcher ComScore has acquired the products division of Nexius, which makes tools for analysing the performance and customer experience of telecoms networks.
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ComScore posts record quarterly revenue, but costs drive profits down
29-Jul-2010
US— ComScore has reported record quarterly revenue for Q2 2010 and raised its expectations for the rest of the year, but has seen a decline in profits because of costs relating to acquisitions and restructuring.
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ComScore upgrades video measurement tool to match TV research
16-Jul-2010
US— ComScore has upgraded its online video measurement service in an effort to “better align” its research with the way TV audiences are counted.
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Consultation set for revised ISO research process quality standard
29-Jul-2010
GLOBAL— Revisions to the international research process quality standard, ISO 20252, are set to be put out to consultation in the next few weeks, reports Efamro – the European Federation of Associations of Market Research Organisations.
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CPG specialist InsightsNow posts 54% rise in annual revenue
13-Jul-2010
US— InsightsNow, a research agency specialising in consumer packaged goods product research, has reported a 54% increase in revenue year-on-year.
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Creston sees first quarter improvement after DLKW disposal
26-Jul-2010
UK— The insight and communications group Creston has reported like-for-like revenue up 11% in the first quarter of its new financial year following the sale of its ad agency DLKW.
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CRG pays back $300k to Canadian government over 'insufficient records'
16-Jul-2010
CANADA— Corporate Research Group (CRG) has voluntarily paid back more than $300,000 to government administrative body Public Works Canada after an audit found that proper records had not been kept for five projects it was commissioned for.
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Crimson Hexagon adds Twitter data to social media monitoring tool
21-Jul-2010
US— Social media monitoring agency Crimson Hexagon has added the Twitter Firehose data feed to its Opinion Analysis Platform.
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Crowd Science names Leibow as president and chief executive
22-Jul-2010
US— Website audience researcher Crowd Science has appointed Corey Leibow as president and chief executive officer. He takes over from co-founder John Martin.
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Daily Kos files promised lawsuit against Research 2000 over 'fabricated' polls
1-Jul-2010
US— Political blog Daily Kos is suing pollster Research 2000, claiming that polling data it supplied was “almost certainly falsified”.
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David Day on industry-wide online quality tools
29-Jul-2010
GfK and Kantar revealed yesterday that they have set up a not-for-profit industry consortium to provide data quality tools for online research.
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Debriefed or deflated?
July 2010
If the debrief is supposed to be a researcher’s crowning moment, how come it’s so often so painful? Jane Shirley shares some tips on how to break the mould.
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Dempster joins MMR Research as research director
23-Jul-2010
UK— MMR Research has hired Paul Dempster as research director with a view to developing its volumetric forecasting business.
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Diary: Boots puss and flag waving
July 2010
Notes on things that have caught our eye in and around the research industry this month.
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Disney Channels Worldwide appoints research VP
8-Jul-2010
US— Kids TV network Disney Channels Worldwide has appointed Jimmy Blackburn as its new vice president of programming research.
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Draftfcb opens Institute of Decision Making
5-Jul-2010
US— Marketing services group Draftfcb has launched the Institute of Decision Making, which the firm says will be used to help apply learnings from fields such as neuroscience and behavioural economics to its marketing communications offering.
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Duke looks to put iPad to work in research methods course
8-Jul-2010
US— Researchers have mulled over the potential of Apple’s iPad as a survey tool since its launch earlier this year. Now academics at the Duke Global Health Institute are looking to put the results into practice.
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EasyInsites scoops WHSmith panel task
13-Jul-2010
UK— Custom panel provider EasyInsites has been appointed to create and manage an online sample for high street retailer WHSmith.
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Ebiquity reports rise in revenue and a raft of international acquisitions
23-Jul-2010
UK— Ebiquity, a media and marketing analytics group, has reported revenue up 15% to £21.2m and underlying operating profit up 8% to £2.6m for the year ended 30 April.
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Economic and Social Research Council gets new chief executive
30-Jul-2010
UK— The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the body responsible for funding research into social and economic issues, has appointed Paul Boyle as its new chief executive and deputy chair.
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Engage Research appoints director for brand and comms work
5-Jul-2010
UK— Engage Research has appointed Alexa Arrowsmith as a director focusing on branding and communications research.
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Esomar chief disputes 'draconian' charge over US rep row
19-Jul-2010
NETHERLANDS— Esomar director general Finn Raben today defended the organisation against charges that it was “draconian” in its decision to remove US representative Tom Anderson from his post following his criticism of attempts to introduce the ISO research quality standard to the US market.
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Esomar representatives asked to sign charter
16-Jul-2010
NETHERLANDS— Esomar is asking its 82 country representatives to sign a charter agreeing to act in the best interests of Esomar, its members and the international interest in the wake of the dismissal of US East Coast representative Tom Anderson.
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EvoPlay aims to sell brands on the utility of social media research
26-Jul-2010
US— Social media may be a big hit with consumers, but brands are not entirely sold yet on the potential of social media research – a state of affairs Conversition is hoping to change with a new data visualisation app.
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Ex-Nielsen Mobile exec takes charge at Sense Networks
27-Jul-2010
US— Mobile location analytics firm Sense Networks has appointed David Petersen as its new chief executive and given him a seat on the company’s board.
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Facebook tests new polling and answers tool
29-Jul-2010
US— Facebook has unveiled a tool that allows users to post polls and questions about the subjects of their choice.
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Fieldbury to acquire market research app developer MobileWave
26-Jul-2010
UK— Shell company Fieldbury has agreed a deal to acquire MobileWave, owner of the market research, social networking platform and mobile phone app PlanetOi’, in a reverse takeover for just over £1m.
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Fieldwork venture for ex-Synovate directors
12-Jul-2010
UK— Peter Boyle and Sarah Flinn have launched a fieldwork agency dedicated to the healthcare research industry, Adept Field Services.
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First-half revenue up 48%, says BrainJuicer trading update
14-Jul-2010
UK— BrainJuicer’s revenue increased 48% year-on-year in the first half of 2010, according to a trading statement, with growth coming primarily from the online research agency’s UK and US businesses.
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For what it's worth
July 2010
In a world of free stuff, how can research help businesses understand how consumers assess the value of digital content? Jon Whiteley investigates.
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ForeSee lands survey task for Nuclear Regulatory Commission
12-Jul-2010
US— ForeSee Results is working with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to implement a user experience questionnaire on the commission’s website.
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Forrester Research celebrates "robust" Q2 and raises full-year expectations
29-Jul-2010
US— Forrester Research has posted a 5% increase in revenue for the second quarter of 2010 and an 11% rise in net income for the period.
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Frost & Sullivan in deal to offer discount to tech startups
7-Jul-2010
US— Frost & Sullivan has teamed up with Startech, a non-profit organisation dedicated to aiding the growth of technology companies, to provide startups in the sector with discounted research and consulting services.
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Frustrated STB data chief Manish Bhatia leaves Nielsen
7-Jul-2010
US— Manish Bhatia, Nielsen’s president of advanced digital services, has left the firm after becoming frustrated with the amount of time the media community was taking to implement set-top box strategies.
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FTC chief says do-not-track idea is still on the table
28-Jul-2010
US— A do-not-track mechanism allowing web users to opt-out of having their online behaviour monitored for the purposes of targeted advertising is under consideration by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), its chairman Jon Leibowitz has revealed.
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General Election 2010: Did the opinion polls flatter to deceive?
6-Jul-2010
In the run-up to the UK general election few people would have predicted a Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition goverment – and fewer still that the Lib Dems would actually lose seats despite their popularity in the polls. Martin Boon and John Curtice examine the ‘systematic bias’ that led pollsters to overestimate the party’s support.
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Geomentum puts former Forrester analyst in president's chair
30-Jul-2010
US— Lisa Bradner has been named president of Mediabrands-owned hyper-local marketing and media agency Geomentum.
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German police investigate product-testing scam
12-Jul-2010
GERMANY — A company offering people the chance to test new products – if they pay a fee upfront – is being investigated by police following dozens of complaints that the promised items never materialised.
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GfK and Kantar launch not-for-profit online quality consortium
28-Jul-2010
US— Research rivals GfK and Kantar have partnered to establish a not-for-profit consortium through which they will offer research buyers and suppliers access to a suite of tools to ensure quality in online research.
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GfK launches Future Buy study to shed light on shopping habits
15-Jul-2010
US— GfK Consumer has launched a mixed methodology survey that will take a close look at the habits of shoppers across North America.
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GfK MRI launches magazine ad planning tool
20-Jul-2010
US— GfK MRI (formerly known as Mediamark Research & Intelligence) has launched a web-based system for planning advertising in print magazines.
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Graduates join Vision Critical intern programme
14-Jul-2010
CANADA— Vision Critical has taken on 12 client services associates as part of its 2010 intern programme.
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Grass Roots promotes three and adds one
6-Jul-2010
UK— Mystery shopping and customer satisfaction agency Grass Roots has announced three promotions and added one new member of staff.
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Gray Television signs Rentrak for Kansas audience measurement
15-Jul-2010
US— Broadcaster Gray Television has signed up to use Rentrak’s audience measurement service for local markets, StationView Essentials.
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Grupo Ibope makes Affinity investment
27-Jul-2010
BRAZIL— Research agency Grupo Ibope has signed a memorandum of understanding to become a partner in US-based syndicated media research specialist Affinity, taking a minority stake in the company as a result.
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Harris lifts lid on consumers' pathways to purchase
2-Jul-2010
UK— Harris Interactive has developed a new framework for analysing the way consumers make purchase decisions.
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Hear me out: Forget about profit and just have fun
July 2010
Ever had an idea that you know is genius but everybody else thinks is crazy? Here is your chance to share it with the world of research. This month Trish Parker, managing director of Discovery, says agency bosses should stop worrying about profit.
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High Beam Global opens in India
16-Jul-2010
INDIA— High Beam Global, a new market research consultancy and data collection agency, has opened for business in India.
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Hotel loyalty club members co-create new credit card
14-Jul-2010
US— Members of an online community run by Communispace on behalf of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) have co-created a credit card aimed at frequent travellers.
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Htec and CFI Group launch consumer behaviour prediction tool
26-Jul-2010
UK— Loyalty technology firm Htec and customer satisfaction measurement agency CFI Group are partnering on a service that aims to help companies predict future customer behaviour based on their buying history.
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Huffington Post buys Pollster.com from YouGov Polimetrix
8-Jul-2010
US— The online newspaper Huffington Post has acquired opinion poll analysis site Pollster.com from owners YouGov Polimetrix, the US arm of the UK online research agency.
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i4cp unveils human resources panel
20-Jul-2010
US— The Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) has launched what it claims to be the first panel made up of human resources professionals.
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IAB Australia 'to issue web ratings tender' – report
27-Jul-2010
AUSTRALIA— The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) is reportedly preparing a tender process to find an agency to supply a hybrid web audience measurement system to produce currency data for ad buying and selling.
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IAB rolls outs social media measurement framework
14-Jul-2010
UK— The Internet Advertising Bureau’s (IAB) Social Media Council has created a framework to help advertisers and agencies measure the success or failings of their social media campaigns.
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ICM Direct launches in-depth phone interviews
13-Jul-2010
UK— Telephone and online data collection specialist ICM direct has launched Tele-depth, a new service offering in-depth telephone interviewing services.
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ICM Direct names new managing director
2-Jul-2010
UK— Telephone survey firm ICM Direct has appointed Gareth Nicol as its new managing director, replacing Patrick Diamond who has left the company after 11 years.
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ICO urges easy opt-out of online tracking, but EU demands opt-in
7-Jul-2010
UK— The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has advised web publishers and advertisers to allow site visitors to easily opt-out of having their behaviour tracked amid concerns about how such data is being used to target advertising.
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Imperium picks up ComScore as RelevantID client
14-Jul-2010
US— Tech firm Imperium has added web audience measurement firm ComScore as a user of its duplicate respondent screening software, RelevantID.
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Incite posts 31% increase in annual turnover to £7.4m
30-Jul-2010
UK— Research consultancy Incite saw turnover rise 31% to £7.4m for the year ended 28 February – more than double where it was two years ago.
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InterMedia appoints Robert Coonrod new chief executive
13-Jul-2010
US— Media and communications research agency InterMedia has appointed Robert Coonrod to fill the newly created role of chief executive officer.
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Investors pump $30m into social business software firm Jive
21-Jul-2010
US— Social business software developer Jive has received $30m in Series C funding from two private equity investment companies.
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Investors pump $6m into Komli Media
15-Jul-2010
INDIA— Digital advertising agency Komli Media has been awarded $6m in private equity funding from a group of existing investors. Komli said investments will be made in its audience measurement platform ViziSense and its performance marketing and branding activities.
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Invoke's Groketeer pulls graphs, charts and insight out of DIY surveys
23-Jul-2010
US— Research technology house Invoke Solutions has launched Groketeer, a tool that generates graphs and insight from raw DIY survey data.
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Ipsos reports growth across the board with first-half revenue up 18%
28-Jul-2010
FRANCE— Ipsos has reported organic growth of 7.7% for the first half of the year, with sales hitting €528.8m. On a reported basis, revenue was up 18.1%, but that includes acquisition-related growth of 5.7% and positive exchange rate effects of 4.7%.
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Itracks rolls out Facebook app to keep panellists connected
15-Jul-2010
CANADA— Online fieldwork firm Itracks has worked with software firm Globalpark to develop a Facebook application that panel members can use to respond to survey opportunities and refer invites to their friends.
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Komli appoints ViziSense MD for Australian push
28-Jul-2010
AUSTRALIA— Komli Media has appointed Andrew Reid as managing director of of its ViziSense hybrid web measurement platform in Australia as it plans to ramp up operations in the country.
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Lawrence F Bailey to shut shop in September
2-Jul-2010
UK— Research agency Lawrence F Bailey and Associates is to close its doors at the end of September, as owner Lawrence Bailey concentrates on his role as a marketing and research lecturer at Leeds Business School.
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LogicLab's search for chief research officer ends at Gugel
23-Jul-2010
US— Analytics firm LogicLab has appointed Craig Gugel as its new chief research officer. Gugel was most recently senior vice president for media analytics at the Advertising Research Foundation.
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Look, engage, drive
July 2010
Jamie Thorpe, head of commercial relations at Grass Roots, explains how Lexus uses customer research to drive performance improvement.
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Market Creative rises to Sayers' bakery challenge
13-Jul-2010
UK— Retail marketing consultancy Market Creative is to analyse shopper behaviour for bakery chain Sayers.
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Market Probe advocates a new approach to customer loyalty measurement
29-Jul-2010
US— The satisfaction of customers of customer satisfaction measurement programmes has taken a bit of hit in recent years, says Market Probe CEO TR Rao. The economic crisis and the resulting pressures on costs within organisations has left many of them “questioning the value of the programmes they operate”, he says.
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Market Probe names US and Middle East vice presidents
12-Jul-2010
US— Two hires for Market Probe: Peter Serron joins the firm from Harris Interactive as US vice president of business development, while Vasu Balakrishnan takes up a VP role for the Middle East and Africa.
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MarketTools to offer West Interactive survey and analytics tool
19-Jul-2010
US— MarketTools is to offer its clients access to West Interactive’s Insight Customer Intelligence survey software after forming a partnership with the customer contact centre technology firm.
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Marketwire acquires social media monitor Sysomos
7-Jul-2010
CANADA— PR distribution agency Marketwire has confirmed its acquisition of social media monitoring and analysis firm Sysomos. CEO Michael Nowlan said the deal was “a critical step in our integrated communication solution strategy”.
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Martini Media and Crowd Science to profile luxury consumers
15-Jul-2010
US— Martini Media and online research agency Crowd Science have teamed up to launch a study to generate audience profile data on 45 million affluent consumers.
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Mattinson and Cooke seek to 'get Britain thinking' with new venture
27-Jul-2010
UK— Deborah Mattinson and Viki Cooke, the founders of Opinion Leader Research and former joint chairs of Chime’s research division, have revealed details of their new business, Britain Thinks, which aims to “get Britain thinking”.
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McCallum Layton wins spot on Findus research roster
19-Jul-2010
UK— Frozen food manufacturer Findus Group UK has appointed McCallum Layton to its roster of agencies for product and concept testing.
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McClatchy Newspapers ends Ipsos relationship with polling cull
9-Jul-2010
US— Publisher McClatchy Newspapers has stopped commissioning political polls across its titles as part of a cost-saving exercise – ending a deal with Ipsos in the process.
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Media audit guide published for Australian advertisers
16-Jul-2010
AUSTRALIA— The Australian Association of National Advertisers has released a guide to help members evaluate the performance of their media agencies.
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Media measurement coalition in talks to fund US Touchpoints survey
26-Jul-2010
US— The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) is in talks to fund the US version of the UK’s Touchpoints survey of consumer multimedia usage.
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Media Monitors sold to investment house Quadrant Private Equity
8-Jul-2010
AUSTRALIA— Investment house Quadrant Private Equity has acquired media intelligence and evaluation agency Media Monitors.
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Medimix International opens in the Philippines
5-Jul-2010
PHILIPPINES— Healthcare research agency Medimix International has opened a back office facility in Bacolod. The firm said it plans to eventually house 25 staff in the centre, including physicians and nurses for medical analysis work, a project management team made up of marketing graduates and a software development team.
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Meet the new market researchers
July 2010
Everyone seems to want to have a go at the stuff that market researchers used to do. And some of them are offering to do it for free. Robert Bain surveys the competition.
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MI Pro Research Studio 5 reviewed
July 2010
Tim Macer reviews a web-based data collection, analysis and reporting suite – now updated with a collaborative twist.
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Millward Brown adds brains to global neuroscience practice
13-Jul-2010
UK— Five executives have been named to provide global representation for Millward Brown’s fledgling neuroscience practice.
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Millward Brown names Alagón as new global innovations head
7-Jul-2010
US— Millward Brown has named Jorge Alagón as head of global innovations, stepping in to the role vacated in March by Graham Page who moved to helm the marketing research agency’s neuroscience practice.
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Mode and Kynetec become wholly owned GfK subsidiaries
8-Jul-2010
GERMANY— GfK has increased its stakes in majority-owned business GfK Mode in India and GfK Kynetec in the UK, taking full ownership of both subsidiaries.
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More local TV broadcasters tap Rentrak for audience measurement
26-Jul-2010
US— Rentrak has clinched two new clients in the shape of London Broadcasting Company and Journal Broadcast Group for its audience measurement service for local markets, StationView Essentials.
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MRA relieved as Congress rejects move to expand FTC powers
19-Jul-2010
US— An attempt to increase the power of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been ditched by Congress – a move welcomed by the Marketing Research Association (MRA), which feared that industry self-regulation would be put at risk.
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MRA weighs in on MR confidentiality as FDA probes Phillip Morris
6-Jul-2010
US— The Marketing Research Association has warned the Food and Drug Administration thats its demands to see the results of research carried out by tobacco giant Phillip Morris could violate confidentiality by identifying survey respondents.
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MRIA warns Canada against ditching mandatory long-form census survey
14-Jul-2010
CANADA— The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA) has written to the government to oppose plans to drop the mandatory long-form census in favour of a voluntary questionnaire, warning it will lead to “skewed” and “biased” data being used to formulate public policy.
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Mystery shopper The Network snaps up Trinity Field Marketing
6-Jul-2010
UK— Mystery shopping and field marketing agency The Network has acquired Trinity Field Marketing for an undisclosed amount.
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Networked Insights looks to deliver insights from Facebook fan pages
16-Jul-2010
US— Social media analytics agency Networked Insights has launched a tool to help brands draw insight from their individual fan pages on Facebook.
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New bosses for Infogroup and ORC
2-Jul-2010
US— CCMP Capital Advisors has completed its $468m takeover of Infogroup and appointed new presidents for the firm and its subsidiary Opinion Research Corporation (ORC).
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New research directors for Munro Global's FDS and Maven
22-Jul-2010
UK— Munro Global has promoted Will Ullstein and Natalie Allen to research directors within group business FDS International and Maven Research.
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Nielsen brings 'live' ratings back to local markets
2-Jul-2010
US— Nielsen has backtracked on its plan to ditch ‘live-only’ TV ratings in local markets, and will reintroduce them in time for the 2010-11 television season.
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Nielsen secures MRC accreditation for local people meters in 25 markets
15-Jul-2010
US— Nielsen’s local people meter (LPM) TV audience measurement system has been accredited by the Media Rating Council in 25 US markets.
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Nielsen working on Mac-compatible meter to monitor online viewing
28-Jul-2010
US— Nielsen has told its clients that it currently has no means of monitoring TV watched through Apple computers, but it does plan to have a meter compatible with Macs up and running by next year.
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Nielsen's Benezra reflects on a Life360 in South Africa
30-Jul-2010
The final whistle of the 2010 World Cup has blown, but for researchers there is still work to do. Like data analysis. Research spoke to Nielsen’s Karen Benezra about the highs and lows of the firm’s South African campaign.
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Nkgadima to head Synovate's African Response
22-Jul-2010
SOUTH AFRICA— Synovate has appointed Mamapudi Nkgadima as managing director of its South African subsidiary African Response, as Beatrice Kubheka moves to the role of chairman.
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NMG buys CATI specialist Dataquest
1-Jul-2010
UK— Financial services research agency NMG has acquired Dataquest Research Consultants for an undisclosed amount.
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Noble returns to Tpoll in MD role
1-Jul-2010
UK— Barry Noble has returned to online research agency Tpoll as managing director after spending three years away from the company.
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NRS hires RSMB to fuse print and online audience data
26-Jul-2010
UK— The National Readership Survey (NRS) has its eye on developing a single-source trading currency database combining print readership and online audience information.
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Nueva Investigacion buys Spanish healthcare specialist Compass
5-Jul-2010
SPAIN— Nueva Investigacion has bought rival healthcare market research agency Compass Research, based in Madrid.
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Opinion Leader adds research director for political sector
15-Jul-2010
UK— Sarah Horack has been appointed research director at Opinion Leader, part of the Chime Communications Group. She joins from PricewaterhouseCoopers where she was a research director in the policy research and economics group.
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Opinionpanel targets public sector with learner panel
2-Jul-2010
UK— Opinionpanel Research has launched a panel of learners in further education, for the specific use of public sector bodies and agencies working on their behalf.
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Orlando Wood named MD of BrainJuicer Labs
19-Jul-2010
UK— BrainJuicer has promoted Orlando Wood to the new role of managing director of its research innovation and testing operation, BrainJuicer Labs.
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Owners close Bristol Group, but staff get new start with m5
28-Jul-2010
CANADA— Research and marketing agency Bristol Group has been shut down by the private equity firm that owns it – but its workforce are now poised to join rival company m5.
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Oxford Management Services taps Nexidia for speech analytics
20-Jul-2010
US— Payment collection agency Oxford Management Services has signed up to use Nexidia’s Enterprise speech analytics software to monitor and analyse performance in its call centres.
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PDI to close TVG healthcare market research business
21-Jul-2010
US— Healthcare marketing services firm PDI is pulling out of the market research business, and plans to close down its TVG Marketing Research & Consulting unit by the end of August.
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People on the move
20-Jul-2010
The latest appointments and promotions in the global research industry. Today, Infegy, SSI, Incite and more
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People on the move
7-Jul-2010
The latest appointments and promotions in the global market research and consumer insight industry. This week: The Leading Edge, ComScore, Netquest, Clean Design, Media Research Users Council, Jigsaw Research and Yankee Group.
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People on the move
29-Jul-2010
This week a bumper crop of personnel changes in the research and insight business. Companies announcing staff changes include Kadence, Pulse Group, Phorm and MarketTools.
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People on the move
2-Jul-2010
The latest appointments and promotions in the global market research industry, including the latest from eDigitalResearch, Innerscope, Australia Online Research and more.
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Phorm reports $30m loss but remains 'optimistic'
2-Jul-2010
UK— Behavioural targeting firm Phorm has said it is “optimistic” following a difficult 2009, in which it made an operating loss of nearly $30m.
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Pitney Bowes buys Portrait Software in £44m deal
12-Jul-2010
UK— Pitney Bowes (PB) has bought customer interaction and consumer analytics software vendor Portrait in a £44m deal.
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Pittsburgh Penguins pick custom PPM data from Arbitron
14-Jul-2010
US— The Pittsburgh Penguins have become the first National Hockey League team to sign up for custom portable people meter-based radio ratings from Arbitron.
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Pollster.com editor 'no fan' of HuffPost's past anti-poll crusades
9-Jul-2010
US— The Huffington Post may have twice run campaigns to make America a “poll-free” country, but that doesn’t make it a bad new owner for Pollster.com, says editor Mark Blumenthal.
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Q1 momentum carries over into Q2 – Nielsen reports revenue up 7%
30-Jul-2010
US— Nielsen finance chief Brian West today reported a “very solid” second quarter for the consumer and media research business, with revenue up 7% to $1.27bn.
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Questar implements Clarabridge text analytics
2-Jul-2010
US— Questar, which provides data collection and processing services for research, is to include text analytics from Clarabridge in its customer experience measurement programmes.
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Questions raised over gov't claims on census complaints
19-Jul-2010
CANADA— The Canadian government says it is abolishing the long-form mandatory census because of privacy concerns raised by citizens – but those claims have been undermined by the country’s privacy commissioner, who says there have been only three complaints in the last decade.
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Quick poll site Opinionaided has designs on brand research budgets
8-Jul-2010
US— A web platform allowing people to poll their friends and family on any topic that takes their fancy is being opened up to brand owners looking for quick feedback from consumers.
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Rajar names new chief executive officer
13-Jul-2010
UK— Radio ratings body Rajar has appointed Jerry Hill as its new CEO, replacing Sally de la Bedoyere who stepped down from the post last month.
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Realia lifts IFF's Burden to lead research division
6-Jul-2010
UK— Marketing and management consultancy Realia has set up a research division headed by Sue Burden, who joins the company after a stint at IFF Research.
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Rentrak adds Experian Simmons purchase data to TV metrics
7-Jul-2010
US— Rentrak has struck a deal with Experian Simmons to give its TV viewing data clients access to local and national consumer purchase information.
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Report points to Apple back-track on app analytics rules
5-Jul-2010
US— The confusion over Apple’s iPhone application developer rules continues – it now seems that the company is not enforcing restrictions on the sharing of app usage data with ad networks owned by major rivals.
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Research 2000 hits back at poll fraud 'lies'
2-Jul-2010
US— The president of Research 2000, which is being sued by political blog Daily Kos for allegedly ‘fabricated’ opinion polls, has said that the accusations against his firm are ‘pure lies’, and accused Daily Kos of owing him a ‘six-figure’ sum of money.
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Research 2000 website goes 'offline' following legal action
8-Jul-2010
US— The website of polling agency Research 2000 appears to have gone offline after political blog The Daily Kos launched legal proceedings against it, alleging that the firm’s work was “almost certainly falsified”.
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Research spend down 7% to £27m at COI
27-Jul-2010
UK— Research spend by the COI, the UK government’s marketing and communications arm, fell 7% to £27.4m in the last financial year – and the organisation is bracing itself for further cuts to come.
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Rights group prepares legal challenge to Turkey's Google ban
5-Jul-2010
TURKEY— An internet rights group is mounting a legal challenge to the Turkish government’s ongoing ban on Google-owned YouTube – and a wider ban on other Google services, including its web analytics package.
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Roy Morgan and Effective Measure partner on web measurement
29-Jul-2010
AUSTRALIA — Media buyers and owners face the prospect of having four different hybrid web measurement services to choose from in the coming months following news of a deal between Roy Morgan Research and Effective Measure International.
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Second quarter revenue and profits improve for Arbitron
21-Jul-2010
US— Arbitron today reported a small rise in second quarter revenue, up 1.8% to $88.3m, but profits were up 8.7% to $3.8m – beating Wall Street expectations.
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Spring Research grows with two new directors
1-Jul-2010
UK— Spring Research has hired two former clientside researchers: research director Toby Collins and account director Anna Wills.
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'Steady' start to 2010 for Datamonitor, says Informa
27-Jul-2010
UK— Business information firm Datamonitor has reported “a steady first half”, with strong performances in the telecoms and healthcare research verticals acting as a counter-balance to areas where business is tougher, like the US and telecoms markets.
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Steven Van Belleghem on the art of conversation
4-Aug-2010
In his new book, Steven Van Belleghem heralds the rise of ‘conversation manager’. But where does that leave research?
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STW and Smollan partner for mystery shopping, field marketing
5-Jul-2010
AUSTRALIA— Marketing group STW Communications and Smollan Group have formed a joint venture to carry out mystery shopping and customer auditing services.
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SurveyMonkey CEO on the joy of DIY
9-Jul-2010
SurveyMonkey, whose DIY online survey tool is used by millions, has joined the likes of Google and Facebook in the elite cohort of companies whose names have become verbs.
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Synovate gives acting head Llewellyn permanent Malaysia role
9-Jul-2010
MALAYSIA— Ben Llewellyn has been confirmed as managing director for Synovate in Malaysia having served as acting head of the firm’s activities in the country since the end of April.
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Sysomos coy on reports of acquisition by Marketwire
6-Jul-2010
CANADA— Social media monitoring and analysis firm Sysomos is keeping tight-lipped over reports that it has been acquired by PR distribution service Marketwire.
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Tetra Tech to acquire PA Consulting's international development practice
8-Jul-2010
US— Engineering consulting firm Tetra Tech has signed a definitive agreement to acquire PA Consulting Group’s US-based international development consulting business practice.
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Thai research market 'to grow 6%' in 2010
20-Jul-2010
THAILAND— Research agency Video Research International is predicting that the Thai marketing and consumer research market will grow by 6% this year, reaching a value of nearly £60m.
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Thanks a billion! ComScore corrects Yahoo page view data
27-Jul-2010
US— ComScore today disclosed an error in previously published data relating to Yahoo’s US page views. The figures were only out by 3% – but given the size of the web portal’s audience, that meant page views were underreported by more than a billion.
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The cold light of morning
July 2010
As I write this column we are hours away from the delivery of the coalition’s emergency budget. I may be goingout on a limb here, but I suspect that it isn’t going to be a giveaway. We aren’t anticipating any fine detail onpublic spending cuts at this point, but the future does not look too rosy for those who are employed by, or sellservices to, government. Welcome to the age of the hairshirt.
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The Futures Company in management reshuffle after CEO, chairman and MD quit
21-Jul-2010
US/UK— Kantar-owned The Futures Company, the trends research agency created through merger of Henley Centre HeadlightVision and Yankelovich, has named a new management team following the resignation of its CEO, chairman and managing director.
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The Sound Research appoints VP to lead new Toronto office
21-Jul-2010
CANADA— Youth research agency The Sound has appointed Barbara Brooks as vice president to lead its newly opened office in Toronto.
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The untapped potential of shopper research
22-Jul-2010
Nunwood’s James Walker on why shopper-focused research remains underused, and what practitioners can do to raise its profile.
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This month we... became a fake respondent
July 2010
Robert Bain goes undercover and signs up to a raft of online panels. He vows to fill in all the surveys. He regrets it.
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TNS names employee research head as global HR director
14-Jul-2010
UK— Margit Huber has spent the past two years running TNS’s global stakeholder management practice, advising clients on issues such as how to improve employee commitment. Now she gets to act on her own advice as the research agency’s new global HR, talent management and culture director.
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Touchpoints wave three published, finds internet use up 38%
22-Jul-2010
UK— The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) released headline stats today from wave three of its Touchpoints hub survey, which catalogues a week in the life of 6,000 UK adults and how media fits in with their day-to-day activities.
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TRA bulks up with three new executive hires
9-Jul-2010
US— Advertising ROI measurement firm TRA has made three executive appointments and added a new member to its advisory board.
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Truck Ads CEO accuses Nielsen of 'harassment' over DMA court case
21-Jul-2010
US— The chief executive of Truck Ads, an outdoor advertising firm currently embroiled in a legal battle with Nielsen, has accused the audience measurement giant of “burdening and harassing” his company.
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Two US clients for Toluna's PanelPortal
20-Jul-2010
US— Two US market research firms have signed up to use Toluna’s PanelPortal product, which allows users to manage research communities and panels and collect data through a single interface.
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UK Ministry of Justice opens data protection consultation
9-Jul-2010
UK— The Ministry of Justice is inviting people and companies to have their say on current data protection law in the UK, as part of a continuing review of the European Union’s data protection directive.
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'Uncertainty' over public sector cuts affecting research, says QA's Bryan
22-Jul-2010
UK— The prospect of government spending cuts and uncertainty over where the axe will fall is leading to delays in commissioning research studies and to some projects being pulled, according to QA Research managing director Richard Bryan.
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Universal McCann rallies social media pros for boutique-style agency
21-Jul-2010
US— Universal McCann has formed a boutique-style social media agency to work with marketers on developing research, ideation and customer relationship management programmes on networks like Twitter and Facebook, and blogs and forums.
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Ups and downs – Greg Clayton
July 2010
We ask research practitioners about the best and worst bits of their careers. This month it’s Greg Clayton, insight director at Kadence International’s Singapore office, on data crunchers and deep-fried tofu.
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Utilisima looks to Rentrak to provide ad buying currency
6-Jul-2010
US— Spanish-language lifestyle channel Utilisima has tapped Rentrak’s TV Essentials service to analyse the viewing habits of its audience.
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Viacom's Gibbs joins Dubit as head of youth media research
14-Jul-2010
UK— Youth research and marketing agency Dubit has appointed Dave Gibbs as head of youth media research.
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Vision Critical unveils ReactionPlus audience testing tool
9-Jul-2010
US— Vision Critical has launched an online service to test audience reaction moment by moment to audio and video content.
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Vodafone Romania introduces SMS-based survey tool
5-Jul-2010
ROMANIA— Vodafone has added an SMS-based research offering to its AdPlus mobile advertising service in Romania, allowing advertisers to poll subscribers of the mobile phone network with an average of six questions per survey.
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Wells Fargo resigns Acxiom for database management
9-Jul-2010
US— Financial services provider Wells Fargo & Company has renewed its contract with Acxiom to manage its customer and prospect database. The deal, which has been running for more than 10 years, will also see Acxiom provide Wells Fargo with “precision” insight about its customers.
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Why we aren't as green as we think we are
13-Jul-2010
Why do so many consumers claim to be concerned about the environment, but so few do anything about it?
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Wiltse taps iPhone audience for Thumbspeak surveys
16-Jul-2010
US— Former Greenfield Online CEO and Vovici chairman Dean Wiltse is heading up a new venture that has developed an iPhone application through which businesses can survey owners of the device.
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Work Research and Ipsos MediaCT in qual joint venture
20-Jul-2010
UK— Ipsos MediaCT and Work Research have teamed up to launch a qualitative joint venture to target clients in the media, content and technology sector.
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Workstreamer scores $3.5m investment for business listening platform
28-Jul-2010
US— Workstreamer, a business listening platform, has secured $3.5m in private equity investment from Austin Partners in a Series A round of funding.
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WPP takes stake in digital ad measurement firm Moment Systems
19-Jul-2010
CHINA— WPP Digital, the WPP group’s digital investment arm, has bought a minority stake in Leading Smart Holdings, which in turn owns a controlling interest in Beijing-based digital ad measurement agency Moment Systems.
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YouGov partners with SMG Insight for sports marketing consulting
23-Jul-2010
UK— YouGov has forged a strategic alliance with SMG Insight, a sports marketing consultancy founded earlier this year by former IFM Sports Marketing Surveys MD Frank Saez.
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ZenithOptimedia ups ad spend growth forecast for 2010
19-Jul-2010
UK— Media services agency ZenithOptimedia has predicted that global advertising spend will grow 3.5% this year to $447.5bn, according to its latest quarterly Advertising Expenditure Forecast.
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Zoomerang adds Facebook and Twitter options
2-Jul-2010
US— MarketTools’ Zoomerang online survey tool will now let users post poll invites directly to their Facebook or Twitter accounts.