Research
May 2010
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2009 Globalpark MR software survey results
May 2010
Tim Macer and Sheila Wilson present the findings from the industry’s most comprehensive survey covering research software usage.
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2CV gets Bloke to investigate 30-50 year old male demographic
12-May-2010
UK— Chris Bates, a founding director of youth research agency Vegas, has joined 2CV Research to lead a new team called Bloke, focused on the “often overlooked” 30-50 year old male demographic.
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3M signs up for Webtrends Facebook Analytics
28-May-2010
US— Technology firm 3M has signed up to use Webtrends’ Facebook Analytics service to track and measure comments on the fan page for its Post-It range of products.
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60 Second Soapbox – Eleanor Thornton-Firkin
May 2010
Eleanor Thornton-Firkin, head of the technology group at Synovate, wants to see more long-term commitment between client and agency and a lot less of the Go Compare man.
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A&E Television Networks orders NeuroLab
19-May-2010
US— Cable and satellite network A&E Television has commissioned NeuroFocus to build it an on-site neuromarketing lab to test its viewers’ subconscious responses to programme content, advertising and promotions.
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Ace Metrix eyes 'next level of growth' with ex-Yahoo man at the helm
5-May-2010
US— TV ad analytics firm Ace Metrix has hired former Yahoo insights chief Peter Daboll as CEO, replacing co-founder Steve Goldman who remains with the business.
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Added Value bolsters brand development division
24-May-2010
US— Marketing insight agency Added Value has made three senior appointments within its brand development and innovation team.
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AGB Nielsen renews TAM contracts in South Africa and Australia
4-May-2010
SWITZERLAND— AGB Nielsen has renewed TV audience measurement contracts in South Africa and Australia, with the contracts running for seven and six years respectively.
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Anglican Church of Canada conducts major online qual study
13-May-2010
CANADA— The Anglican Church of Canada has been using online qualitative research to find out how it can remain relevant to Anglicans over the next decade.
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AnswerLab hires former Nielsen Mobile Insights director
13-May-2010
US— Online user experience research agency AnswerLab has appointed Kate Taplin as director of research.
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Antitrust enforcers eye changes to Apple app development rules
6-May-2010
US— Apple’s changes to its iPhone developer agreement, which includes a ban on the sharing of device data with third party analytics companies, could face scrutiny from antitrust enforcers.
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AOL names Joslin as UK director of research and business intelligence
14-May-2010
UK— AOL has appointed Scott Joslin as director of research and business intelligence – one of three key appointments to its UK marketing team.
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Automated sentiment analysis gives poor showing in accuracy test
2-Jun-2010
UK— Automated sentiment analysis is less accurate then flipping a coin when it comes to determining whether brand mentions in social media are positive or negative, according to a white paper from FreshMinds.
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Back to the future
24-May-2010
Much has changed during Sarah Buckle’s 25 years in research and marketing, but whatever new tools appear, a researcher’s real skill is still based on the quality of insights, conclusions and recommendations they draw, she argues.
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Beta release for Google's Analytics opt-out add-on
26-May-2010
US— Google has introduced its previously announced browser add-on that prevents web users from having their internet activity tracked by the search giant’s free-to-use web analytics tool.
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Big whoop! Researchers develop online sarcasm detector
20-May-2010
ISRAEL— Researchers at Hebrew University have developed a machine algorithim that can recognise sarcasm in online postings – but does it have the potential to add a new layer to social media sentiment analysis?
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Bradford takes client role at Nielsen Online post-AOL Europe
5-May-2010
UK— Andrew Bradford, AOL Europe’s former director of insight and strategy, has joined Nielsen Online in the role of vice president of media client consulting for the EMEA region.
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BrainJuicer hails 'juicy' win from Ocean Spray
5-May-2010
US— Juice drink company Ocean Spray has named BrainJuicer as its preferred supplier for new product concept testing – representing a third global mandate for the online research agency’s ‘Juicy’ products.
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BrainJuicer in Brazilian launch
18-May-2010
BRAZIL— BrainJuicer has opened an office in Brazil and appointed Gabriel Aleixo as managing director for the country. Aleixo was most recently a marketing services director for Philips.
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Casro companies report year-on-year improvements in Q1 sales
6-May-2010
US— Three-quarters of research companies surveyed by Casro (the Council for American Survey Research Organisations) have reported year-over-year increases in revenue during the first quarter of 2010.
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Casro's ISO push begins with launch of certification body
19-May-2010
US— The Council of American Survey Research Organisations (Casro) has formed an independent subsidiary to audit and certify US research companies wishing to comply with the international market research standards ISO 20252 and 26362.
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CBC in the clear over complaints of potential polling bias
20-May-2010
CANADA— Public broadcaster CBC is in the clear over allegations of potential bias in its opinion polling process after one of the research firms it employs was wrongly accused of acting as an adviser to a political party.
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Cello reports 'strong' performance in first quarter
17-May-2010
UK— Marketing services group Cello has reported a “solid recovery” in profitability in the first quarter of 2010, as client research activity settles.
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Chime's research business sees return to profit in first half
12-May-2010
UK— Chime Communication’s research division has returned to profit in the first half of this year thanks to “substantial cost savings” made by new CEO Crispin Beale, shareholders were told today.
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Chirpy chirpy tweet tweet
May 2010
Cliché has it that music hall performers who outstayed their welcome would get yanked off the stage with a shepherd’s crook. Research 2010 presenters who overran faced a somewhat less violent, though no less public, humiliation.
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CIMM publishes new set-top box data lexicon
12-May-2010
US— The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement has published a set of common terms for use in the analysis and processing of set-top box data for audience measurement.
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Cint and Krea partner for panels in India
7-May-2010
INDIA— Research software and services firm Cint has formed a strategic alliance with local panel company Krea to service clients in India.
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Cisco to acquire product design consultancy MOTO
19-May-2010
US— Communications technology firm Cisco Systems has inked a deal to acquire product design, development and strategy consultancy MOTO Development Group for an undisclosed amount.
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Clear Channel Radio names Bob Michaels as research chief
30-Apr-2010
US— Bob Michaels, a veteran of the TV and radio business, has been appointed to the newly created role of executive vice president of research at Clear Channel Radio.
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ComScore debuts Smart Control ad effectiveness tool
26-May-2010
US— ComScore has introduced a new way of measuring the effectiveness of online advertising without using ‘test and control’.
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ComScore waives $5k setup fee for Media Metrix 360
27-May-2010
US— ComScore is waiving the set-up fee associated with its hybrid panel and census-based web measurement platform Media Metrix 360, beginning with the US but going global in the summer.
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Constant Contact to acquire social media monitor NutshellMail
25-May-2010
US— Email marketing agency Constant Contact has acquired social media monitoring firm NutshellMail for an undisclosed amount.
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Corporate Executive Board to buy trends researcher Iconoculture
6-May-2010
US— Consumer trends researcher Iconoculture is set to be acquired by the Corporate Executive Board (CEB), an executive research and advisory firm, for upwards of $15m.
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CozyCot appoints Nielsen for web analytics and audience measurement
6-May-2010
SINGAPORE— Women’s website CozyCot has signed Nielsen to carry out web analytics and audience measurement services.
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Diary: Orwell, Geordies and the Dunkirk spirit
May 2010
Stuff that caught our eye in and around the research industry this month.
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Do House to offer virtual focus groups through 3Di deal
20-May-2010
JAPAN— Marketing and research agency Do House is to offer online “virtual group interviews” after striking a deal with technology firm 3Di.
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Doctors.net.uk invests in MedUniverse and links with Medcenter
24-May-2010
UK— Online medical network Doctors.net.uk has struck two deals in recent weeks that should pave the way for more international research briefs for its dedicated market research business MedeConnect.
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Drye is homeward bound with Insitas office move
20-May-2010
UK— Maggie Drye, the founder of Insitas, is moving her consumer research agency into offices recently vacated by her former business Buckingham Research.
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E1 Entertainment signs Rentrak for on-demand measurement
24-May-2010
US— TV, film and music distributor E1 Entertainment has signed up to use Rentrak’s OnDemand Essentials service to provide on-demand audience figures.
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EasyInsites adds GMTV to Cint Panel Exchange
24-May-2010
UK— The GMTV Viewback panel run by EasyInsites has been added to the Cint Panel Exchange, which gives third parties access to online panels around the world.
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Editor's note: No news on Monday
28-May-2010
The Research office will be closed on Monday 31 May for a UK public holiday.
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EphMRA commissions study of web-connected doctors in BRIC countries
10-May-2010
SWITZERLAND— The European Pharmaceutical Market Research Association (EphMRA) has hired three agencies to conduct research into the internet usage and attitudes of doctors in Brazil, Russia, India and China.
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Esomar mobile guidelines 'address legal, ethical and practical issues'
7-May-2010
NETHERLANDS— Esomar has published official guidelines for conducting telephone and text message-based research via mobile phones following a consultation.
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Existing customers are top priority, says IBM's SPSS boss
17-May-2010
Deepak Advani, who was brought in by IBM to head survey and analytics software maker SPSS after its $1bn purchase last year, has said that serving the firm’s existing customers, including many research agencies, is its number one priority.
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Ex-Leading Edge directors launch Fiftyfive5
10-May-2010
AUSTRALIA— Karen Phillips and Darren Kemp, former directors of The Leading Edge, have launched a research agency called Fiftyfive5.
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Ex-MTV and Coca-Cola researcher takes TNS youth role
17-May-2010
HONG KONG— TNS has appointed Ian Stewart as regional director for youth in the Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa region.
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Experian and BSkyB launch insight and database JV
13-May-2010
UK— Information services company Experian has struck a deal with British Sky Broadcasting to form a consumer and media insight and database marketing agency.
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Experian and Invidi in addressable advertising partnership
28-May-2010
US— Invidi Technologies is to use audience segmentation data from Experian Marketing Services to help target addressable advertising.
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Ex-YouGov qualitative head takes Engage role
11-May-2010
UK— Engage Research has appointed Andy Barker, YouGov’s former head of qualitative research, as a director. Barker had been with YouGov since 2008 and was responsible for building the firm’s qual offering from scratch.
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Fabrizio Giordano leaves Synovate to head TNS Portugal
4-May-2010
PORTUGAL— TNS has hired Fabrizio Giordano as managing director for Portugal. He has spent that past three years with Synovate as managing director of the firm’s Milan office.
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'Final impediment' to pharma surveys lifted in Minnesota
21-May-2010
US— The “final impediment” to the re-emergence of pharmaceutical market research in Minnesota has been removed, according to research associations Casro, PMRG and MRA.
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First Ipsos, now GfK posts improved first quarter sales
12-May-2010
GERMANY— GfK has reported a “strong” first quarter of 2010 with increases in sales, gross income and operating income. The firm posted a revenue drop of 4.6% for 2009, but saw signs of a recovery in the final quarter of the year that have carried over into the first three months of 2010.
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Former Capital One insight manager joins Nunwood
19-May-2010
UK— Nunwood has appointed former Capital One researcher David Blackburn as an account director within its European Insight division.
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Former researchers Zahawi and Danczuk win seats in UK parliament
7-May-2010
UK— The results of yesterday’s general election have mostly been declared and among the winners are two former bosses of market research agencies.
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Forward thinking
May 2010
Duncan Stuart and Alastair Gordon pick out ten trends that are shaking up the way research is conducted.
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Fox and Innerscope expand research partnership
13-May-2010
US— Neuromarketing agency Innerscope has designed a new service for Fox Broadcasting to test advertising and content effectiveness.
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FT develops new model for measuring average daily audience
14-May-2010
UK— The Financial Times has introduced a new model for measuring its average daily global audience (ADGA) across print and online.
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FT follows Times in withdrawing from public ABCe audits
21-May-2010
UK— The publisher of the Financial Times has followed rival News International in withdrawing its web traffic information from the public release of ABCe-audited data.
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Gallup International Association and WIN Network strike merger deal
12-May-2010
CANADA— The Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research (WIN) is set to merge with global research and opinion polling body the Gallup International Association (GIA).
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Game on for Gold and Losen's pure-play online omnibus business
12-May-2010
US— Former Harris Interactive executives Peter Gold and Jordan Losen have launched a pure-play online omnibus research and consulting company called VeraQuest.
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Gartner toasts double-digit growth in research revenue
6-May-2010
US— IT researcher Gartner has posted an 8% increase in revenue to $295.8m for the first quarter of 2010, compared to $273.5m in the same period last year.
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Gayle Moberg to head New York office for Truth
4-May-2010
US— British insight consultancy Truth has opened its first overseas office in New York. The agency has hired innovation and brand strategy expert Gayle Moberg to head the US operation.
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GfK makes investment in web tracking technology partner Nurago
6-May-2010
GERMANY— GfK has bought a 40% stake in Nurago, the web tracking technology partner for its Media Efficiency Panels in Germany and the UK.
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Google puts analytics apps on display in online gallery
10-May-2010
US— Google has unveiled its analytics application gallery, putting on display a host of apps developed to extend the functionality of its free web analytics package.
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Government committee to probe TV ratings setup in India
12-May-2010
INDIA— A government committee has been formed to review the current TV ratings setup in India, and to suggest ways of improving the “accuracy, accountability, transparency and objectivity” in the measurement of television audiences.
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Growth in online and mobile video ad spend spurs Kantar unveilings
12-May-2010
US— Kantar has formed a new division and announced new video measurement and tracking tools in response to what it sees as the speedy growth in global ad spend in online and mobile video.
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Hall & Partners in Singapore expansion
20-May-2010
SINGAPORE— Brand and communications research agency Hall & Partners has appointed Hilary Lee as managing partner to lead its new office in Singapore.
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Harris looks to tap the social media 'lifestream' of survey respondents
5-May-2010
US— Sometimes in social media research it is hard to discern the person behind the username. Harris Interactive hopes to have found a solution to this problem by recruiting its online panellists to a new ‘lifestreaming’ platform.
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Hear me out: Let's invite customers into the boardroom
May 2010
Ever had an idea that you know is genius, but everyone else thinks is crazy? Here is your chance to share it with the world of research.
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IAB appoints mobile manager to lead research efforts
20-May-2010
UK— The Internet Advertising Bureau has appointed Alex Kozloff as mobile manager to drive research and education efforts in the sector.
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IAB goes multicultural as new council replaces Hispanic committee
25-May-2010
US— The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has established a Multicultural Council to focus on issues, including research, that affect marketing and advertising.
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IFF Research scoops Employer Perspectives study
18-May-2010
UK— The Commission for Employment and Skills (CES) has contracted IFF Research to conduct a major study designed to help bridge the gap between employers’ needs and the country’s skills provision.
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Infogroup first-quarter sales down, profits up
4-May-2010
US— Infogroup has reported falling revenue but higher profits in the first quarter of 2010, dampening some of the optimism expressed earlier this year by CEO Bill Fairfield when he said the database marketing and research group was on course for single-digit organic growth.
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Infogroup sale: Opposition mounts as investor buys more shares
27-May-2010
US— Hotchkis & Wiley, a leading opponent of the private equity takeover of database marketing and research firm Infogroup, has again increased its position in the company – this time taking its shareholding to 8.5%.
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Insight is dead
2-Jun-2010
Nick Johnson is so over insight. He wishes researchers would stop going on about it and start thinking instead about what businesses actually do with it.
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Insight Marketing Systems appoints NA client director
13-May-2010
US— Insight Marketing Systems, which produces the Research Reporter research management software, has appointed Leslie Crist as client director for North America.
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InSites strengthens research team with four senior hires
26-May-2010
BELGIUM— InSites Consulting has made four senior research appointments at its offices in Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK.
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Intel leads Arbitron and WPP in $18.2m TRA funding
26-May-2010
US— Intel Capital, Intel Corporation’s global investment arm, has invested $10m in TRA, which runs a combined TV viewing and purchase database to measure ROI for advertising spend.
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Invoke Solutions appoints new chief executive
6-May-2010
US— Invoke Solutions, a provider of online and mobile research technology and services, has appointed Basil Bennett as its new chief executive officer.
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Ipsos sees return to growth in first quarter with revenue up 14%
11-May-2010
FRANCE— Ipsos has reported double-digit revenue growth and a return to organic growth for the first quarter of 2010, with sales increasing across all its operating regions and business lines.
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Itracks and Artafact head back to court over online focus group patent
11-May-2010
US— Itracks and Artafact are heading back to court after failing to agree settlement terms in their patent dispute. Itracks accuses Artafact of infringing its patent for a system and method of conducting online focus groups using remotely located participants.
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Judge dismisses libel complaint over Gartner's Magic Quadrant report
4-May-2010
US— A district court judge has thrown out a claim for libel damages brought by an email software company angry at being described as a “niche” vendor in a Gartner research report.
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Kinetic looks to the future through new think tank
6-May-2010
US— Kinetic Worldwide, the GroupM-owned outdoor advertising agency, has launched a new global group to focus on the long-term future of the media and marketing business.
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Landlines – don't get too attached
24-May-2010
BT’s latest ad tells us that if a conversation’s worth having, you should have it on a landline. If only survey respondents felt that way, writes Robert Bain.
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Latin America: Breaking the barriers
May 2010
Thomas Rideg of Global Intelligence Alliance on the challenges of gathering market intelligence in Latin America – and some tips on getting things right.
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Learning how to listen
13-May-2010
Social media data can be enormously valuable, says Thompson Morrison of i-OP Inc. But he urges companies to be cautious in applying it.
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Li named China boss for Kantar Health
17-May-2011
CHINA— Kantar Health has appointed Simon Li as its general manager for China, where he will oversee the firm’s growth strategy in the country.
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Lightspeed Research testing iPhone survey app
18-May-2010
UK— WPP-owned Lightspeed Research is working on an app that will allow panel members to take part in surveys through their iPhone.
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Lithium buys Scout Labs to add social media monitoring to CRM platform
12-May-2010
US— Scout Labs, a social media monitoring firm which launched publicly less than two years ago, has been acquired by online community builder Lithium Technologies.
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Llewellyn takes over as acting MD of Synovate Malaysia
4-May-2010
MALAYSIA— Ben Llewellyn has been appointed acting managing director in Malaysia, taking over from Steve Murphy who left the firm at the end of April.
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Lovett and Pugh Immerse themselves in new venture
14-May-2010
UK— James Lovett and Mark Pugh have launched a new research and consulting agency, Immerse, which aims to work with clients in the retail, telecoms, financial and professional services sectors.
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Mag ad researcher Mediamark rebrands as GfK MRI
18-May-2010
US— Magazine measurement agency Mediamark Research & Intelligence is rebranding as GfK MRI in a move that acknowledges its ownership by the GfK Group, headquartered in Germany.
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Marketing Workshop signs Sentiment360 for social media measurement
21-May-2010
US— Research agency the Marketing Workshop has appointed Sentiment360 as its preferred social media measurement provider.
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MarketRx co-founders embark on new analytics venture, Axtria
7-May-2010
US— MarketRx co-founder Jaswinder Chadha is back in the analytics business with Axtria, a new company supported by venture capital and private investors, that aims to provide analytics technology and consultancy for sales and marketing management.
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MDC Partners takes majority stake in Integrated Media Solutions
12-May-2010
US— Marketing and communications group MDC Partners has acquired a majority stake in direct response media and analytics agency Integrated Media Solutions (IMS). Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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Media Square posts loss while Illuminas shines
27-May-2010
UK— Media Square has posted a 23% drop in revenue for the full year period ending February 28 2010, but its research agency, Illuminas, has seen an increase in both revenue and profits.
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Members approve merger of WIN Network and GIA
19-May-2010
CANADA— Members of opinion polling body the Gallup International Association (GIA) and the Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research (WIN) have voted in favour of merging the two organisations.
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Millward Brown and Scangroup establish new West Africa hub
19-May-2010
GHANA— Millward Brown and marketing services firm Scangroup have opened a hub office in Accra to serve the West African market through a joint venture arrangement.
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Millward Brown partners with Tivo to probe TV habits of consumer segments
11-May-2010
US— Tivo has struck a deal with Millward Brown, giving the advertising research agency the ability to run custom segmentations of its TV audience measurement panel to help advertisers understand the viewing habits of their target customer groups.
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Mobile app analytics firm launches privacy initiative
17-May-2010
US— Flurry, which provides analytics sevices for mobile app developers, has launched an initiative to promote consumer privacy.
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More funding for mobile ad and analytics firm Medialets
27-May-2010
US— Medialets, a mobile advertising and analytics agency, has bagged $5.9m in new funding, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Mountain Dew co-creates media planning
26-May-2010
US— Consumers are influencing the media planning and buying process in the final phase of a co-creation project by drinks manufacturer Mountain Dew.
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Netigate posts 33% rise in online survey revenue
4-May-2010
SWEDEN— Online survey company Netigate has reported a 33% rise in revenue for 2009 to SEK 21.5m (£1.9m), helped by the addition of 230 new customers.
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New IAB mobile manager sets out research plan
26-May-2010
Last week the Internet Advertising Bureau appointed Alex Kozloff as mobile manager. We caught up with her to find out what sort of information the mobile ad industry needs and how she plans to provide them with it.
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New SPSS boss navigates a sea of data
18-May-2010
We speak to Deepak Advani, the new CEO of SPSS, about what the future holds for the firm’s predictive analytics and data mining services.
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News bodies seek $224,000 costs over Minnesota exit poll dispute
17-May-2010
US— A group of news organisations is seeking nearly a quarter of a million dollars in legal fees from the state of Minnesota following a successful challenge to restrictions on exit polls.
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Nielsen buys video analytics partner GlanceGuide
4-May-2010
US— Nielsen has acquired its video analytics technology partner GlanceGuide in a move that ties in with its ‘extended screen’ TV measurement plan.
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Nielsen Online's UK managing director departs in restructure
28-May-2010
UK— Nielsen Online’s UK managing director Stephen Brooks has left the company as part of a restructure.
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Nielsen reshuffles European leadership
18-May-2010
GERMANY— Nielsen has reshuffled its European management team, with Denmark’s Ivar Michaelsen taking responsibility for the German-speaking countries and UK managing director Justin Sargent becoming group MD for the UK and Ireland.
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Nielsen rolls out Australian mobile internet measurement service
11-May-2010
AUSTRALIA— Nielsen has added mobile internet audience measurement to its Australian market intelligence service.
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NPD buys jewellery sales data specialist LGI Network
28-May-2010
US— The NPD Group has acquired jewellery sales information firm LGI Network for an undisclosed amount.
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Nunwood studies consumer engagement for CMO Club
11-May-2010
UK—The Chief Marketing Officers’ Club has teamed up with Nunwood to research how brands can better engage with their customers.
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Obama nominates pollster for USAID administration role
14-May-2010
US— President Barack Obama has nominated pollster Mark Feierstein for the position of assistant administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean, USAID (United States Agency for International Development).
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OFT urges for targeted advertising transparency
25-May-2010
UK— The Office of Fair Trading has published the results of its market study into online targeted advertising and decided that “more could be done” to let the public know what is happening with their data.
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Ofwat hires McCallum Layton for c-sat survey task
20-May-2010
UK— Water industry regulator Ofwat has commissioned McCallum Layton to run its regulatory customer experience survey, which tracks customer satisfaction levels across all 21 water companies in England and Wales.
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Omniture finds web analytics tools fall short in measuring ROI
25-May-2010
UK— The web may be the most measurable of all media but still marketers are struggling to gauge the return on investment of their online marketing activities, according to initial results from Omniture’s online analytics benchmark survey.
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One in four US homes now cell-only
17-May-2010
US— One in four US homes is now cellphone-only, according to figures for the second half of 2009.
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OnePoll unveils iPhone survey app
17-May-2010
UK— Online survey firm OnePoll has launched a free iPhone app that allows users to take part in surveys and receive rewards.
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Online qual specialist Revelation launches iPhone app
20-May-2010
US— Revelation, an agency specialising in online qual software and services, has developed an iPhone app that can be used to capture and record consumer behaviour in real time.
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Online unplugged
May 2010
As online research comes of age, have we faced up to questions about representivity? We brought together four industry figures to thrash out the issues.
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Opponent of Infogroup sale ups shareholding
18-May-2010
US— Infogroup investor Hotchkis & Wiley has upped its stake in the firm, having earlier voiced opposition to the planned sale of the database marketing and research company.
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Orange picks Verve to run 'Better Together' customer panel
28-May-2010
UK— Mobile phone network Orange has hired Verve to build, manage and run an online panel of its customers, called ‘Better Together’.
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Orlando CVB picks Tree for tourism research task
10-May-2010
UK— The Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau (Orlando CVB) has appointed research agency Tree to investigate what makes consumers decide to holiday in Orlando.
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OTX hits back at co-founder Luck's claims for acquisition payout
5-May-2010
US— OTX is demanding a jury trial over co-founder Kirstin Luck’s claim that she is owed money in connection with OTX’s recent sale to Ipsos for $71m – claims the company denies.
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OTX sues Luck for breach of contract and unfair business practices
10-May-2010
US— OTX has filed a counterclaim against former executive Kristin Luck. She is accused of breach of contract and unfair business practices.
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Paddy Power bets on Unica for web analytics solution
7-May-2010
UK— Bookmaker Paddy Power has signed up marketing software firm Unica’s NetInsight OnDemand technology to measure user interaction with its online gambling services.
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Panasonic looks to boost emerging market knowledge through research
7-May-2010
JAPAN— Electronics firm Panasonic is looking to become less “Japan-centric” and more “globally-oriented” through the creation of lifestyle research centres in key emerging markets such as India and Brazil.
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Panel provider Netquest in Brazilian launch
5-May-2010
BRAZIL— Online panel and fieldwork agency Netquest has opened a new office in São Paulo. The firm, which already operates panels in its native Spanish market, Portugal and Mexico, says the new office positions it to offer “quality panels and advanced survey tools” to researchers in Brazil.
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Peanut Labs and Conversition Strategies offer a SocialVoice for researchers
12-May-2010
US— SocialVoice, a social media research tool, has been launched by sample firm Peanut Labs and research firm Conversition Strategies.
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Peanut Labs rolls out social media sample in France
21-May-2010
US— Peanut Labs has introduced its social media sample in France, which allows marketers and researchers to survey profiled users from the country’s online population of three million individuals.
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People on the move
5-May-2010
The latest appointments and promotions from the global market research and consumer insight industry. This week: Ci Research, Synovate Healthcare, InMobi, Jovoto, River Research, ComScore, FD, MarketTools, Service Monitor Group and Saatchi & Saatchi X.
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People on the move
14-May-2010
The latest appointments and promotions in the global market research and consumer insight industry. This week: Compete, Intersperience, TNS RI Brazil, Burger King, JD Power, Askia UK, Vision Critical, Digital Radio UK, ORC International, Bellomy Research, MarketShare Partners and the Web Analytics Association.
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People on the move
21-May-2010
The latest appointments and promotions in the global market research and consumer insight industry. This week: uSamp, Directions, Market Probe, Synovate, SCB Partners, InsightExpress, Vision Critical, MarketTools and the Advertising Association.
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People on the move
28-May-2010
The latest appointments and promotions in the global market research industry, including the latest from MarketTools, Arbitron, RDSI and more.
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Pew finds regular non-coverage bias in landline-only phone samples
21-May-2010
US— With one in four American homes cell-only, Pew Research warns that “non-coverage bias is now appearing regularly in landline telephone samples”.
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Poll transparency top priority in AAPOR code revision
19-May-2010
US— Tougher rules on transparency and disclosure feature in a revised code of ethics and practices published this week by the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR).
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Publisher Red 7 Media launches research practice
27-May-2010
US— Business information publisher and event organiser Red 7 Media has launched a research and consulting division aimed at clients in the trade show and media sectors.
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Q1 revenue down, losses increase at iPerceptions
19-May-2010
CANADA— Web analytics firm iPerceptions has posted a drop in revenue and worsening losses for the first quarter of 2010.
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QualVu adds Russian option to video research tool
28-May-2010
US— Video research technology firm QualVu has added a Russian language translation option to its qualitative offering.
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Radio buttons are a real turn off
27-May-2010
Radio buttons get a bad press. For a reason. Let’s ban them.
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RadioGauge to get the measure of South African ad effectiveness
11-May-2010
SOUTH AFRICA— RadioGauge, the radio ad effectiveness study launched by the UK’s Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), is to go international from this month with RAB South Africa signing up as a licensee.
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Ratings-hungry Gannett appoints two for TV audience measurement
18-May-2010
US— News broadcaster Gannett has signed up for local TV audience measurement from both Nielsen and Rentrak. The deal with Nielsen is a renewal of long-standing arrangement, but the Rentrak agreement is new and encompasses the latter’s StationView Essentials service.
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Recession bites hard for Marketing Intelligence
24-May-2010
US— Arizona-based full-service research agency Marketing Intelligence will reportedly close its doors at the end of the month after just over a decade in business.
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Rentrak adds another two TV audience measurement clients
11-May-2010
US— Rentrak has won two new TV audience measurement clients in the shape of Spanish-language education network HITN and Canadian private broadcaster CTV.
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Research book club to help launch Faber & Faber's big summer hope
20-May-2010
UK— Youth research agency The Lounge Group has been picked to work with publisher Faber & Faber on research to inform the launch strategy of one of its major summer releases.
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Research innovation: How far and how fast?
10-May-2010
Anna Thomas reports from the Danish Market Research Day in Copenhagen, where delegates pondered the risks and benefits of adopting online methodologies.
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Rocket Fuel signs up for Nielsen purchase data
25-May-2010
US— Online display advertising agency Rocket Fuel has struck a deal with Nielsen to use the latter’s aggregated consumer purchase data to help marketers reach their intended audiences via the web.
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Sands Research promises faster brain scanning
17-May-2010
US— Neuromarketing agency Sands Research is claiming a ‘breakthrough’ in the field with technology that enables sensors to capture brainwave activity 10,000 times per second.
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SAP to acquire database software firm Sybase for $5.8bn
17-May-2010
US— Business software firm SAP has acquired mobile database software specialist Sybase in an all-cash deal worth $5.8bn, or $65 per share.
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Satisfied with customer satisfaction?
27-May-2010
We speak to Vincent Golding of Kadence International about how to use customer satisfaction research properly, and why it’s sometimes more useful to focus on dissatisfaction.
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Second Nebraska call centre closed by Western Wats
10-May-2010
US— Fieldwork agency Western Wats has closed its call centre in Wayne, Nebraska, axing around 50 part-time jobs in the process.
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Simmons and Affinity challenge for magazine measurement supremacy
7-May-2010
US— Research agencies Simmons and Affinity are looking to steal some thunder from Mediamark Research, the dominant player in magazine audience measurement, with a new syndicated print planning tool.
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Simpson Carpenter appoints new head of qual
25-May-2010
UK— Simpson Carpenter has appointed Abi Markey as head of qualitative research, where she will take charge of qual work across the consumer, retail, automotive and TMT sectors.
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Skopos unveils online buzz-tracking tool
13-May-2010
UK— Skopos has launched a new tool to help clients track online buzz and monitor what is being said about them on social media sites.
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Social researchers ready themselves for the 'age of austerity'
26-May-2010
Social researchers gathered in London today to discuss innovative approaches to charting social change, engaging respondents and creating effective communications – but between sessions, talk was of what the £6.2bn in UK government spending cuts would mean for the sector.
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SponsorMap to sponsor Canadian Formula 3 racing
7-May-2010
CANADA— Sports sponsorship measurement agency SponsorMap has struck a deal to be one of the sponsors of the Formula 3 motor racing championship in Canada.
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Spring develops consumer-focused advocacy model
26-May-2010
UK— Spring Research has developed a new consumer-focused model for understanding what drives word-of-mouth recommendations.
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SPSS analyses smiley faces
13-May-2010
US— The latest version of SPSS’s Modeler data mining and text analytics software allows users to analyse the emoticons used in consumer-generated online content.
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Starch research database to catalogue print ad variables
24-May-2010
US— Print ad researcher Starch is retroactively cataloguing all the ads it has measured in the past two-and-a-half years in an effort to help marketers understand which components of an ad are most successful in generating readership and response.
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Startex and Market Xcel partner for Indian mystery shopping venture
21-May-2010
INDIA— Startex Marketing Services (SMS) and data collection firm Market Xcel Data Metrix have launched a mystery shopping agency.
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Survey finds DIY tools popular for social media monitoring
19-May-2010
UK— A significant number of marcoms professionals in the UK seem content with taking a DIY approach to online brand monitoring, according to the second wave of McCann Erickson’s Social Media Index study.
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Synovate hires Dave Hannay as head of brand equity
21-May-2010
UK— Synovate has appointed Dave Hannay to the role of global commercial head of brand equity. Hannay will work closely with innovation director Jan Hofmeyr and the Synovate Laboratories team.
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Synovate sees signs of improvement in Q1, says Aegis
18-May-2010
UK— Organic revenue growth is within sight for Synovate with the first quarter down just 1.9% year on year, compared to a decline of 5.5% in the fourth quarter of 2009, parent company Aegis said in an interim management statement today.
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The Leading Edge in Sydney hiring spree
27-May-2010
AUSTRALIA— Strategic research consultancy The Leading Edge has recruited five new members of staff after winning work from several major new clients including Tabcorp, Kraft and Wrigley.
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The research behind the research
20-May-2010
Commercial researchers can learn a lot from the research-on-research on display at AAPOR’s annual public opinion research conference, says Vovici’s Jeffrey Henning.
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Toluna chief hails 'excellent' first quarter
26-May-2010
UK— Online panel provider Toluna has beaten its projected figures for revenue and profits for the first quarter of 2010, CEO Frederic-Charles Petit told shareholders at its AGM today.
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TORA appoints director for FMCG shopping and retail research
24-May-2010
UK— The Oxford Research Agency has appointed Jamie Rayner as research director for FMCG shopper and retail research.
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TORA takes slice of social media agency Simply Zesty
12-May-2010
UK— The Oxford Research Agency (TORA) has paid €500,000 for a “significant minority stake” in Irish social media research and communications firm Simply Zesty.
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Twitter data mirrors opinion poll results, study finds
13-May-2010
US— A study from Carnegie Mellon University has found that an analysis of messages posted on Twitter yielded similar results to opinion polls.
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UK government to halve ad spend this year
25-May-2010
UK— More than £6bn in spending cuts were announced by the UK government yesterday, with £160m set to come from a freeze on all new advertising and marketing spend.
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University researchers warn of response substitution in surveys
27-May-2010
US— Consumers will use surveys to vent their frustrations about a brand or product if they are not given adequate opportunity to express themselves, according to academics.
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Using your loaf
May 2010
Phil Burgess of FreshMinds on how Warburtons got its staff to contribute to new product development and reinvigorate its innovation process.
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Visible Technologies to make European push with UK office
19-May-2010
UK— Social media monitoring firm Visible Technologies has opened a new office in London to spearhead its expansion into Europe.
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Western Wats recruiting in call centre expansion
14-May-2010
US— Fieldwork agency Western Wats is expanding its call centre operations in three states and creating 170 jobs in the process.
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Why graduates aren't making the grade
7-May-2010
Bryan Urbick, founder and CEO of the Consumer Knowledge Centre, explains why his company has given up looking for graduate recruits.
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WPP 'ahead of budget' so far this year
29-Jun-2010
UK— WPP has reported revenue and profits ahead of budget for the year so far in a trading update on the first five months of the year given at its AGM today.
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WPP takes $5m slice of data analyst nPario
17-May-2011
US— WPP has formed a strategic alliance with consumer data analysis firm nPario and paid $5m for a minority stake in the company.
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Yahoo man to lead Quantcast expansion into Europe
18-May-2010
UK— Web measurement firm Quantcast has appointed Philip Macauley as UK managing director to lead the company’s expansion into Europe.
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YouTube adds Moderator tool for user feedback and debate
28-May-2010
US— YouTube this week rolled out new functionality to allow users to create and house online discussions within their own channels – effectively adding crowdsource capabilities to the online video site.