Research
Robert Bain Editorial
Robert is deputy editor of Research Magazine and Research-Live.com Get in touch if you have ideas for articles or interviews that you'd like to discuss with us. You can find our writing guidelines at http://bit.ly/writeforresearch
Stories by this contributor.
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Forrester revenue and profits up in 2011
10-Feb-2012
US— Forrester Research has reported revenue of $283.6m in 2011, up 13% on the previous year.
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Socialbakers opens US office
10-Feb-2012
US — Social media analytics firm Socialbakers has opened its first US office in San Francisco, to be led by president and COO Martin Huml.
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ShopperTrak's COO to head Europe business
6-Feb-2012
UK— ShopperTrak has appointed its chief operating officer Todd Starcevich as CEO for Europe and the Middle East.
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Horizon Research acquires ShapeNZ panel
3-Feb-2012
NEW ZEALAND— Horizon Research has acquired the ShapeNZ panel from New Zealand’s Sustainable Business Council.
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Macfarlane up against Bell and Sopp for MRS chairmanship
3-Feb-2012
UK— Phyllis Macfarlane will compete against a joint candidature from Nikki Bell and Leslie Sopp for the chairmanship of the Market Research Society.
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Flurry Analytics adds HTML5 support
3-Feb-2012
US— Flurry Analytics, a free analytics tool for mobile app developers, now also supports HTML5.
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Ex-Beiersdorf research boss Björn Held joins Decode
2-Feb-2012
GERMANY— Psychologist Björn Held has joined neuromarketing agency Decode as a partner.
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Arbitron's PPM loses accreditation in five markets
1-Feb-2012
US— The Media Rating Council has withdrawn its accreditation for Arbitron’s Portable People Meter (PPM) radio ratings in five of the country’s largest markets.
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Omniture founder's new BI business bags $20m funding
1-Feb-2012
US— Omniture co-founder Josh James has secured $20m in funding for his new venture, Domo, which supplies SaaS (software as a service) business intelligence systems.
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MRS CEO to meet members to map out ‘new vision’
27-Jan-2012
UK— The Market Research Society’s new CEO Jane Frost is travelling the UK over the next few months to meet members and discuss how the organisation can improve what it does.
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Creston sees ‘good’ third quarter but braces for Q4 decline
27-Jan-2012
UK — ICM owner Creston reported “good” revenue growth at its insight division in the third quarter, following a 3% year-on-year decline in the preceding six months.
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BrainJuicer hires US innovation research leader
26-Jan-2012
US— BrainJuicer has appointed Rene Huey-Lipton to lead innovation and new product development research in the US, as senior VP of juice generation.
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Affinnova launches online collaboration platform
26-Jan-2012
US— Research technology firm Affinnova has launched a new web-based platform for marketing and research teams to collaborate on ideas for products, designs and ad campaigns.
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Efamro welcomes changes to EU data protection proposal
25-Jan-2012
EUROPE— Research federation Efamro has welcomed changes to proposals for a new European data protection law, after an earlier draft raised concerns about the potential impact on research.
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Decode supports neuro lab at German university
23-Jan-2012
GERMANY— Neuromarketing agency Decode has helped set up a neuroscience and experimental psychology laboratory at Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen.
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Neurosense allies with university to open lab in Brazil
23-Jan-2012
BRAZIL— Neuroscience researcher Neurosense has opened a lab in São Paulo, Brazil, through a partnership with the higher education institution the Getulio Vargas Foundation.
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Deutsche Börse acquires Chinese consumer survey
20-Jan-2012
GERMANY— The data and analytics business of the German stock exchange, Deutsche Börse, has acquired the China Consumer Sentiment Survey from the Chinese subsidiary of Japanese researcher Intage.
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Bellwether report shows slump in confidence among UK marketers
19-Jan-2012
UK— The latest Bellwether Report on UK marketing spending makes worrying reading, with budgets only marginally up and confidence down sharply.
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Proposed EU data rules go too far, research bodies say
18-Jan-2012
EUROPE— Industry bodies Esomar and Efamro have raised concerns about possible new European data protection rules, which they say could create obstacles for researchers.
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IMS sells off SDI audit businesses to InVentiv
18-Jan-2012
US— Healthcare consulting firm InVentiv has agreed to buy some of the research products of SDI – which regulators said had to be sold for competition reasons following the acquisition of SDI by IMS Health.
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Sarah Phillips to lead healthcare research at Incite
18-Jan-2012
UK— Incite has appointed Ipsos’s European head of healthcare, Sarah Phillips, to lead its healthcare practice.
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RAS founder Sheila Kemp dies aged 85
18-Jan-2012
UK— Sheila Spittle (née Kemp), founder of Research and Auditing Services, died in hospital on Boxing Day at the age of 85.
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Revenue up 7% for Germany's MR agencies in 2011
17-Jan-2012
GERMANY— Revenue for Germany’s top research agencies increased 6.7% – or 4.4% after inflation – to €2.3bn last year, according to industry publication Context.
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Ruth Flood to lead research at Madano Partnership
17-Jan-2012
UK— Ruth Flood, former head of research and evidence at the Design Council, has joined business communications consultancy the Madano Partnership to lead its research and market intelligence offering.
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Former JRA man goes it alone with Fresh Research
16-Jan-2012
UK— Stuart Green, a former associate director at JRA Research, has set up on his own as Fresh Research.
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Mintel opens Singapore office
16-Jan-2012
UK— Mintel has extended its presence in Asia Pacific with a new office in Singapore.
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Karma Communications buys Crayon Group
13-Jan-2012
UK— Karma Communications, the owner of ad agency Karmarama, has acquired the Crayon Group, which owns research agency Walk a Mile and analytics consultancy Crayon CI.
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The battle of substance and style
11-Jan-2012
Designers and journalists are coming up with some striking ways to tell stories and convey data visually. But a new book suggests there is something missing from the field that researchers could provide.
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IPA backs UK cultural diversity study
10-Jan-2012
UK— A new regular study of how cultural diversity influences consumer behaviour in the UK is being launched with backing from ad agency body the IPA.
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TNS hires Synovate's Sarrazit in brand and comms role
5-Jan-2012
US— Synovate’s Franck Sarrazit has joined TNS as global director in the brand and communications practice.
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The trolley and the IV
Jan 2012
Violence is always a problem in A&E departments, and never more so than at Christmas. Robert Bain meets the ethnographers who went to see for themselves.
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Whatever next?
Jan 2012
Visualising what tomorrow will bring is crucial to what researchers do. But it’s also notoriously difficult. Robert Bain takes a look at the business of prediction.
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Making sense of chaos
21-Dec-2011
We speak to NatCen’s Gareth Morrell about the challenges of researching the August riots.
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InsightExpress gauges ad effectiveness on tablets
7-Dec-2011
US— InsightExpress has launched an ad effectiveness research service specifically for tablet devices.
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VideoHub incorporates Nielsen's online GRPs
7-Dec-2011
US— Online video ad firm Tremor Video has incorporated Nielsen’s online campaign ratings into its analytics product, VideoHub.
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Uninvited guests
7-Dec-2011
Are brands that engage with their customers in social media crashing a party they were never invited to? We speak to TNS UK’s Sam Curtis about the agency’s study of digital behaviour.
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Passenger launches iPhone community app
2-Dec-2011
US— Online community firm Passenger has created an iPhone app so that members can take part in research from their phones.
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ChatCloud MD Shuker resigns
2-Dec-2011
UK— Robin Shuker, co-founder and managing director of online qual research technology firm ChatCloud, has resigned after just over a year.
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Confirmit incorporates Clarabridge text analytics
1-Dec-2011
NORWAY — Research software provider Confirmit has incorporated Clarabridge’s text analytics solution into its platform.
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How was it for you?
Dec 2011
Surveys can be slick, interesting and enjoyable. But we all know how often they actually are. Robert Bain considers the state of respondent experience and whether it’s improving.
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Look what's in store
Dec 2011
Sainsbury’s director of insight and loyalty Andrew Mann tells Robert Bain how insight has helped the retailer through recessionary times.
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Kantar combines brand tracking and purchase data
30-Nov-2011
US— WPP companies Millward Brown and Kantar Shopcom have created a panel to link buying behaviour to people’s attitudes to brands.
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YouTube introduces new analytics capabilities
30-Nov-2011
US— YouTube has upgraded its analytics abilities with a new set of tools for users to understand who is watching their videos.
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Polaris warns of mystery shopping scam
29-Nov-2011
US— Polaris Marketing Research has warned people to watch out for a mystery shopping scam operating under the company’s name.
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GfK partners with Revelation for online qual software
29-Nov-2011
GERMANY— GfK has announced a global partnership with online qual technology firm Revelation, whose software is used for its online qual offering, SocioLog.dx.
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Napkin Labs launches Facebook co-creation app
29-Nov-2011
US— Online co-creation technology firm Napkin Labs has launched a free app for running research projects on Facebook.
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Ex-Harris bosses form new business in Hong Kong
25-Nov-2011
HONG KONG— The team behind Harris Interactive’s defunct Hong Kong operation have formed a new research business to continue serving existing clients.
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BDRC invests in Australia's JDSP
24-Nov-2011
UK/AUSTRALIA— BDRC Group has taken a “strategic stake” in Sydney-based Jones Donald Strategy Partners (JDSP).
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Ipsos chooses country managers for combined business
24-Nov-2011
GLOBAL— Following its merger with Synovate, Ipsos has selected country managers to lead the combined company’s operations from next year.
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George Gallup Jr dies aged 81
23-Nov-2011
US— George Gallup Jr, who served for many years as co-chairman of the polling company founded by his father, has died.
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PR agency Ketchum hires social media research boss
23-Nov-2011
US— Public relations agency Ketchum has hired Don Bartholomew to lead digital and social media research.
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Synovate uses Track & Trace tech to study shopper behaviour
23-Nov-2011
UK— Synovate’s shopper behaviour business has announced a partnership with Track & Trace to use its technology to record customers’ movements.
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Six degrees of separation? On Facebook it's just 4.74
22-Nov-2011
US— The number of steps separating any Facebook user from another via their friends is not six but 4.74.
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Ipsos Loyalty launches mobile panel
22-Nov-2011
US— Ipsos Loyalty has launched a mobile research panel using Survey Analytics’s SurveySwipe platform.
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Healthcare fieldwork firms create online respondent blacklist
22-Nov-2011
UK— Three healthcare fieldwork providers have formed an alliance to build trust in online physician research.
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Forbes Consulting uses images to access emotions
18-Nov-2011
US— Research agency Forbes Consulting has introduced a picture-based technique for capturing emotional responses in online surveys and qual research.
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Immigration minister rapped for release of 'unofficial' drug stats
16-Nov-2011
UK– The statistics watchdog has written to immigration minister Damian Green criticising the release of “highly selective” unofficial figures that appeared to show a rise in the quantity of drugs seized by the UK Border Agency.
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Ipsos bosses keep regional jobs in Synovate merger
15-Nov-2011
Regional managers at Ipsos have kept the top jobs as the company combines its global operations with Synovate, which it acquired last month.
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Mobile researcher Jana opens Singapore office
10-Nov-2011
US— Jana, which provides research and marketing services using text messaging, has opened an office in Singapore.
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MMR brings some sense to early-stage product testing
10-Nov-2011
UK— MMR is seeking to get consumers involved in product development from the very start, with a new technique incorporating sensory research.
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Statistics – lost in translation?
9-Nov-2011
Figures show that crime has been falling in the UK for 15 years. So why do most people still think it’s rising?
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StrategyOne offers daily online media monitoring
8-Nov-2011
US— StrategyOne, the research agency owned by PR firm Edelman, has launched a daily digital media monitoring service, Sunrise.
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Ipsos China and UK bosses keep top jobs in Synovate merger
4-Nov-2011
UK/CHINA— Ipsos has announced some senior appointments as it combines its business with Synovate – with top jobs in the UK and China going to existing Ipsos executives.
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New startup wants to be 'Google Analytics for the real world'
4-Nov-2011
US— A company co-founded by one of the people behind Google Analytics is aiming to bring the capabilities of web analytics to real-world retailers.
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ONS seeks public views on national wellbeing indicators
2-Nov-2011
UK— The Office for National Statistics has published a list of key indicators of national wellbeing, in the latest stage of its consultation.
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The UK market research industry in review
1-Nov-2011
2010 will be remembered as the year that wasn’t as painful as the one before. The UK industry may have been flat – but there were still some growth stories worth talking about.
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Spergel to lead TV insights at Ipsos OTX MediaCT
25-Oct-2011
US— Ipsos has promoted Ben Spergel, manager of its TV Dailies tracking study, to senior vice president of TV insights.
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US gov't agency looks to online data for early warning system
25-Oct-2011
US— A US government intelligence research body is hoping it can predict major events such as disease outbreaks and resource shortages by analysing public data online.
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Diageo's Dawn Henry joins Insight Research Group
25-Oct-2011
US — New York-based Insight Research Group has hired Diageo’s former vice president of consumer planning to lead insights and strategy.
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Vision Critical adds mobile and Facebook capabilities
24-Oct-2011
CANADA— Vision Critical has added mobile and Facebook capabilities to its Sparq online research tool.
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The rules of cool
24-Oct-2011
What makes a brand cool? Robert Bain looks at researchers’ efforts to find out.
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Alterian rejects £50m takeover offer from SDL
24-Oct-2011
UK— Marketing analytics software business Alterian has rejected an informal offer from web content management and translation software maker SDL, which would have valued the business at just under £50m.
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Ex-Toluna manager launches online fieldwork firm in India
20-Oct-2011
INDIA — A former Toluna sales manager is starting his own data collection firm in India.
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Retail traffic counter ShopperTrak readies European expansion
13-Oct-2011
UK— ShopperTrak, whose technology counts and analyses footfall in malls and retail stores, has announced its expansion in Europe following the acquisition of its UK-based licensee.
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Bellwether sees healthy Q3 – but uncertain outlook
13-Oct-2011
UK— There was good news for research in the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising’s (IPA) quarterly Bellwether Report on marketing spending, but uncertainty remains about the future.
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Didier Truchot introduces the new Ipsos
12-Oct-2011
Ipsos has completed its acquisition of Synovate, bringing together around 16,000 employees in 84 countries to create the world’s third-largest research company. Now comes the task of integrating the two businesses.
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Chime buys Gulliford Consulting in deal worth up to £4.75m
11-Oct-2011
UK— Chime Communications has acquired marketing strategy consultancy Gulliford Consulting from its founder, Simon Gulliford, in a deal worth up to £4.75m.
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Twitter analytics startup SocialGrapple joins Google
11-Oct-2011
US— Google has acquired the team behind Twitter analytics tool SocialGrapple.
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US acquisitions help drive YouGov growth
10-Oct-2011
UK — Online researcher YouGov has reported 27% annual revenue growth, with operating profit up 40%. Revenue was £56.1m, up from £44.2m.
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Kantar buys out Sri Lanka's LMRB
7-Oct-2011
SRI LANKA— WPP’s research group Kantar has bought the remainder of Sri Lanka’s LMRB, taking its stake from 49% to 100%.
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Lindstrom brain science claims 'unsupported'
6-Oct-2011
US— A group of dozens of scientists have criticised neuromarketing writer Martin Lindstrom for claiming that brain scans show that people “love” their digital devices.
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Facts International adopts Confirmit Horizons
5-Oct-2011
UK— Facts International has adopted Confirmit’s Horizons software for its research activities.
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Rentrak syndicates Bluefin's 'social TV' data
5-Oct-2011
US— Media measurement firm Rentrak is to incorporate social media data from Bluefin Labs into its TV Essentials service.
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Federated Media to acquire analytics provider Lijit Networks
5-Oct-2011
US— Federated Media Publishing, which provides advertising services to small websites, has acquired Lijit Networks, whose services include online audience analytics.
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AJ Johnson joins BrainJuicer to lead mobile innovation
4-Oct-2011
UK— Ipsos’s mobile guru AJ Johnson has joined BrainJuicer’s research and development arm in the new role of director of innovation technology – with a particular focus on mobile research.
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Redshift opens office in New York
4-Oct-2011
US— Redshift Research, the UK-based agency owned by communications and PR group Next Fifteen, has opened its first overseas office in New York.
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BDRC launches Asia business
4-Oct-2011
SINGAPORE— BDRC has launched an Asian business in Singapore headed by Piers Lee, formerly of Kadence and Synovate.
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German research watchdog accuses US-based firm of sugging
3-Oct-2011
GERMANY— A US-based company has been accused by the German research watchdog of selling under the guise of research.
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New research manager as EasyInsites gears up for expansion
3-Oct-2011
UK — Online researcher EasyInsites has hired Sandra Jehoel as research manager.
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Centre of attention
October 2011
Channel 4’s Big Fat Gypsy Weddings triggered a huge response in terms of viewing figures and word-of-mouth buzz. Robert Bain hears how the broadcaster combined surveys with social media monitoring to dissect the show’s impact.
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Alterian reviews its business but is 'not for sale'
30-Sep-2011
UK— Marketing analytics software firm Alterian has said it is not considering a sale, as it reviews its business in the wake of disappointing results and the resignation of its CEO.
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Google Analytics goes premium
30-Sep-2011
US— A paid-for version of Google Analytics has been made available at $150,000 a year.
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Canadian newspaper body to track print and online readership
29-Sep-2011
CANADA— Nadbank, the body that provides audience research to the Canadian newspaper industry, is teaming up with Nielsen to measure print and online audiences.
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Ipsos completes €200m share issue
29-Sep-2011
FRANCE— Ipsos has completed a €200m share issue which will provide part of the funding for its takeover of Synovate.
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Revenue fall and $7m loss make for 'disappointing' year at Harris
29-Sep-2011
US— Troubled online researcher Harris Interactive has reported a $7m operating loss and a 2% fall in revenue in the year ended 30 June 2011.
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Mobile tech firm TxtEagle becomes Jana
28-Sep-2011
US— TxtEagle, which uses text messaging to gather information for research and marketing services in developing countries, has changed its name to Jana.
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David McCandless on MR and information design
28-Sep-2011
The data visualisation expert behind Information is Beautiful has been hired by Kantar to help advise and train on the presentation of data. We spoke to him about what he hopes to teach researchers, and what he’s learning from them.
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Social media monitor Spredfast gets $12m investment
27-Sep-2011
US— Social media monitoring firm Spredfast has secured $12m in a Series B funding round led by InterWest Partners.
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Kantar Media launches central audience research unit
22-Sep-2011
UK/US— Kantar Media is setting up a new central research unit for its audience research activities.
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Smart meters could be used to spy on TV viewing, say researchers
22-Sep-2011
GERMANY— Smart electricity meters could be used to monitor what appliances are being used in individual homes, and even what programmes are being watched on TV, researchers have warned.
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Twitter acquires social media analytics firm Julpan
22-Sep-2011
US— Twitter has acquired Julpan, a firm whose technology analyses social media activity for search purposes.
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P&G's Lewis calls for shift away from traditional methods
21-Sep-2011
NETHERLANDS— Procter & Gamble’s global consumer and market knowledge leader has warned that the research industry is not moving fast enough away from traditional research methods.
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The illusion and reality of research
19-Sep-2011
Richard Wiseman told Esomar Congress today that asking people to predict their behaviour tends to be a waste of time. We caught up with him after the talk to find out more.
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Spectrum wins Cranfield social media analysis contract
15-Sep-2011
UK— Online and social media analysis firm Spectrum Consulting has won a contract with Cranfield School of Management to evaluate perceptions of its MBA courses.
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Google agrees privacy changes to analytics tool in Germany
15-Sep-2011
GERMANY— Website owners in Germany who use Google Analytics will have to delete their accounts and open new ones in order to comply with data protection rules, regulators said today.
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Watchdog criticises Osborne's stance on stats access
14-Sep-2011
UK— The UK Statistics Authority has hit out at Chancellor George Osborne for resisting calls to reduce the advance access that ministers get to official figures.
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Tremor Video lands $37m funding for analytics buys
13-Sep-2011
US— Online video ad targeting firm Tremor Video has secured $37m funding in an investment round led by W Capital.
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Global MR industry grew 2.8% in 2010, says Esomar
13-Sep-2011
NETHERLANDS— The global research industry returned to growth last year with a 2.8% increase in revenue, according to industry association Esomar.
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Strong US performance drives first-half growth at BrainJuicer
13-Sep-2011
UK— BrainJuicer has reported 26% revenue growth in the first half of the year, driven by a strong performance in the US.
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Vizu adds benchmarking data to online ad research tool
9-Sep-2011
US— Vizu has added benchmarking data to its Ad Catalyst tool so that online advertisers can see how their ad is performing on key brand metrics compared to other similar ads.
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Lightspeed's David Day on merging with GMI
9-Sep-2011
WPP’s research division Kantar announced this week that it had acquired panel provider GMI and would be combining it with Lightspeed Research. We spoke to Lightspeed’s CEO David Day about what it means for the companies, their clients and employees.
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GMI's panels to merge with Lightspeed following Kantar buy
7-Sep-2011
UK— WPP’s research division Kantar has acquired online panel and survey technology provider GMI, with its panel operations becoming part of Lightspeed Research.
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Confirmit embraces mobile with Techneos buy
7-Sep-2011
CANADA— Research software maker Confirmit has acquired mobile survey specialist Techneos Systems.
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Philip Morris seeks raw results from teen smoking study
5-Sep-2011
UK— Tobacco giant Philip Morris International is using freedom of information laws to try to get hold of primary data and researchers’ notes from academic studies on smoking among teenagers.
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International growth fuels 37% revenue rise for Kadence
5-Sep-2011
UK— Kadence International has reported a 37% increase in global revenue, reaching US$17.5m in the year ended June 2011.
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Mystery shoppers reveal public sector procurement problems
2-Sep-2011
UK— The difficulties faced by SMEs bidding for public sector work have been highlighted in a mystery shopping exercise.
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Councils told to cut down on ‘intrusive’ questionnaires
2-Sep-2011
UK— Local authorities have been told they don’t need to conduct “lifestyle or diversity” questionnaires of their residents, after some councils were criticised for asking too many questions about race, religion and sexual orientation.
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Face the music
September 2011
As the way we listen to music changes, record labels are learning to listen back. Robert Bain asks research boss Hanna Chalmers how Universal Music is bringing the customer’s voice into decision-making.
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Shopper researcher PRS in South American partnership
30-Aug-2011
US— Packaging and shopper researcher Perception Research Services (PRS) has announced a strategic partnership with Latin American research agency Provokers.
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Co-operative Group appoints insight director
30-Aug-2011
UK— The Co-operative Group has appointed Neil Carden in the new role of director of insight and planning.
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Time to rewrite the rules of research?
23-Aug-2011
In their efforts to protect research from regulatory straitjackets and public opprobrium, are research associations leading the industry up a dead end?
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German privacy watchdog unlikes Facebook
22-Aug-2011
GERMANY — A regional data protection watchdog in Germany has told website owners to immediately shut down their Facebook pages and remove ‘Like’ buttons from their sites, because the way the social network tracks and profiles users breaches data protection law.
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Ad spend growth expectations lowered
19-Aug-2011
UK— Industry expectations of growth in advertising spending for this year have fallen to 4.4%, according to ad research body Warc.
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Affinnova secures patent for preference prediction
19-Aug-2011
US— Affinnova has secured a sixth patent, for a system “for predicting personal preferences”. The system was invented by Kevin Karty of Affinnova’s innovation team.
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Luth Research partners with Exmovere for emotion detection
18-Aug-2011
US— Luth Research has announced an agreement with biomedical engineering firm Exmovere to incorporate questions designed to gauge emotion into its surveys.
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'Do not track' measures pose risk to research, warns Esomar
17-Aug-2011
NETHERLANDS— Industry association Esomar has warned that research could face unintended consequences from measures to introduce ‘do not track’ lists for online tracking if it doesn’t protect itself.
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TRA secures TV ad targeting patent
17-Aug-2011
US— Advertising ROI researcher TRA has secured a patent for using purchase behaviour to target TV ads.
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Exelate offers ad targeting 'verified by ComScore'
16-Aug-2011
US— Exelate, which provides targeting data to online advertisers, is now offering data segments ‘verified by ComScore’.
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Echo to measure media perceptions of EU
12-Aug-2011
EUROPE— Media and reputation analysis firm Echo Research has been named as the lead contractor to the European Commission for analysing perceptions of the EU in traditional and social media.
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Ecommerce startup implements IBM analytics tools
11-Aug-2011
UK— Technovated, a London-based ecommerce software start-up, is using IBM’s business analytics software to analyse online consumer sentiment and shopping trends.
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Snap Surveys adds Cint sample service
11-Aug-2011
UK— Snap Surveys is integrating Cint’s Direct Sample service into its survey software, giving clients automated access to six million panellists.
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Sean Creamer becomes Arbitron COO
11-Aug-2011
US— Sean Creamer, formerly chief financial officer and head of US media services at radio ratings provider Arbitron, has moved to the newly created role of chief operating officer.
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Ross McLean to lead mobile research efforts at Egg Strategy
10-Aug-2011
US— Marketing research consultancy Egg Strategy has appointed Ross McLean to lead its Over The Shoulder division, which conducts mobile research using an iPhone app.
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NPD Group teams up with Eedar for videogame research
10-Aug-2011
US— The NPD Group is collaborating with videogame researcher Eedar to provide market tracking services for the gaming industry.
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Fieldwork providers Rosslyn and Viewpoint merge
10-Aug-2011
UK— Sister fieldwork providers Viewpoint Field and Rosslyn Research have merged to become Viewpoint Field & Studios.
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German research body accuses mobile game firm of sugging
9-Aug-2011
GERMANY— Internet users in Germany are being warned to steer clear of a mobile game subscription service masquerading as a survey.
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Webtrends buys real-time analytics provider Reinvigorate
8-Aug-2011
US— Webtrends has added real-time web analytics to its portfolio with the purchase of Reinvigorate from Media Temple Ventures.
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UK Bill of Rights consultation to look at privacy protection
5-Aug-2011
UK— The government has launched a consultation to ask the public whether the UK needs a bill of rights, which could include new rights of privacy.
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This month we... browsed a virtual supermarket
5-Aug-2011
Robert Bain explores a simulated supermarket used to research products and store designs.
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Synovate combines analytics units SMA and MMA
4-Aug-2011
US— Synovate Management Analytics, which was launched last year to help clients integrate research with data from other sources, is being combined with sister company Marketing Management Analytics.
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Meltwater merges IceRocket with social media intelligence tool
4-Aug-2011
NORWAY— Media monitoring software company The Meltwater Group has bought social media search engine provider IceRocket.
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Economic fears to flatten 2011 ad spend growth, Warc predicts
4-Aug-2011
UK— Real-terms growth in advertising spend is set to be flat this year as a result of “growing uncertainty about the global economy”, according to ad research body Warc.
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Ipsos must protect Synovate’s ‘golden nuggets’
2-Aug-2011
Adrian Chedore, Synovate’s founding CEO, delivers his verdict on the planned sale of the company to Ipsos. An exclusive interview by Robert Bain.
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Survey software firm QuestBack acquires Globalpark
2-Aug-2011
NORWAY— Survey and feedback management software maker QuestBack has acquired German research software firm Globalpark.
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Matthias Hartmann to replace Wübbenhorst as GfK CEO
1-Aug-2011
GERMANY— Matthias Hartmann, global head of strategy and industries at IBM Business Services, is to replace Klaus Wübbenhorst as CEO of research agency GfK by the end of this year.
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Indian police arrest officials of 'pay to take surveys' firm
1-Aug-2011
INDIA— The chief operating officer of Speak Asia – a company that charges panellists a fee to take surveys with the promise of making big money from their opinions – has been arrested along with several colleagues, according to reports.
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Mum’s the word
August 2011
Carrie Longton, co-founder of Mumsnet, speaks to Robert Bain about how the business is driven by its community, and how brands are tapping into it for insight and engagement.
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Nielsen sees 10% Q2 revenue rise
28-Jul-2011
US— Nielsen has reported a 10% revenue rise in its second quarter to $1.4bn, and a 20% rise in operating income to $218m.
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Mafowerk launches sustainability barometer
28-Jul-2011
GERMANY— Research agency Mafowerk is to track consumers’ views of the sustainability credentials of companies and brands.
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New ComScore tool to measure social media audiences
27-Jul-2011
US— ComScore has launched a new platform for measuring audiences exposed to brand messages in social media.
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Leathwood to join Colmar Brunton as joint MD
27-Jul-2011
UK/AUSTRALIA— Former FreshMinds Research managing director Alistair Leathwood is to join Colmar Brunton as joint MD of the agency’s Sydney office.
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Esomar and Casro plan online sample standard
26-Jul-2011
NETHERLANDS/US— Research associations Esomar and Casro are working on a draft standard for online sample quality.
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Cobalt Sky revenue up 20% in first half
26-Jul-2011
UK— Online research technology firm Cobalt Sky has seen its revenue rise 20% in the first half of its financial year, reaching £857,000.
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Hall & Partners creative chief leaves after seven months
26-Jul-2011
UK— Max Gadney, the ex-BBC designer who was hired by Hall & Partners less than a year ago as chief creative officer, has left the agency.
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Is the social survey an endangered species?
25-Jul-2011
As response rates fall, other ways of collecting data appear, and money dries up, are the days of the social survey numbered?
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SymphonyIRI launches Walmart shopper insight service
25-Jul-2011
US— SymphonyIRI has announced a new panel-based shopper insight service for Walmart suppliers.
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Walmart to share sales data again under Nielsen deal
21-Jul-2011
US— The world’s largest retailer, Walmart, is to share its US sales data with Nielsen for the first time in 10 years.
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MRS launches online privacy consultation
21-Jul-2011
UK— The MRS’s Market Research Standards Board has opened a consultation on online data collection and privacy, with the possibility of changing its code and guidelines.
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Esomar publishes social media research guideline
19-Jul-2011
NETHERLANDS— Esomar has published guidelines on using social media for research, developed in consultation with research association Casro.
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Kantar invests $3m in emotional researcher Affectiva
19-Jul-2011
US— WPP’s Kantar research division has made a $3m minority investment in Affectiva, which develops technology for measuring emotions.
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Don't pay to take surveys, Esomar warns respondents
18-Jul-2011
NETHERLANDS— International research association Esomar has criticised companies that charge respondents an upfront fee for the chance to take part in research.
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Online video ad researcher seeks £35m investment
18-Jul-2011
UK— A company specialising in the delivery and measurement of online video ads is seeking a £35m investment to fund expansion.
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Indian firm offers 'missed call' survey service
15-Jul-2011
INDIA— A Bangalore technology startup has come up with a novel way of polling people by mobile phone at no cost to the respondent.
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Nielsen's blueprint for successful products
11-Jul-2011
Nielsen believes its new approach to product development research can give products a three-in-four chance of success. We spoke to the agency’s North American product innovation chief Vicki Gardner to learn more.
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Dimap ups stake in polling JV with TNS Infratest
11-Jul-2011
GERMANY— Research agency Dimap has increased its stake in Infratest Dimap – the pollster that it co-owns in a joint venture with TNS Infratest – from 26% to 49%.
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Private equity firm Doughty Hanson named as rival Synovate suitor
11-Jul-2011
UK— The private equity owner of the Vue cinema chain has been named as the company behind an approach made to Synovate-owner Aegis about a possible buyout, before Aegis entered exclusive talks with Ipsos.
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Yahoo Maktoob Research boss Tamara Deprez to leave
11-Jul-2011
UAE — Tamara Deprez, general manager of Middle-East focused online research agency Yahoo Maktoob Research, is leaving the company at the end of the month.
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Trendscope brings TravelSat tourism survey to Germany
7-Jul-2011
GERMANY— Research agency Trendscope is to provide the TravelSat Competitive Index in Germany under a partnership with Belgian tourism researcher TCI.
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WPP ad-targeting launch prompts calls for online 'bill of rights'
7-Jul-2011
UK— The launch of WPP’s new Xaxis ad-targeting business has prompted 14 MPs to sign a motion calling for an “internet bill of rights” to protect consumer privacy.
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SSI and Opinionology finalise merger
7-Jul-2011
US— The merger of sample providers SSI and Opinionology under the SSI brand has been finalised, after the deal won the approval of US regulators.
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TRA hits back at Kantar over ad ROI patent
7-Jul-2011
US— TRA has accused WPP’s Kantar research division of stealing trade secrets and infringing a patent in the development of its RapidView service, which competes with TRA’s tool for gauging ad ROI by matching viewing and purchase data.
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German online ads promote research
7-Jul-2011
GERMANY— An industry-backed body in Germany has begun an online ad campaign to promote the value of market research.
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Are social researchers pandering to the Big Society agenda?
6-Jul-2011
The Big Society is one of the UK government’s flagship initiatives. But are researchers doing enough to challenge the government on its rhetoric? Robert Bain reports from a Social Research Association debate.
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IRI founder Gerald Eskin dies aged 76
4-Jul-2011
US— Gerald Eskin, one of the founders of consumer research agency Information Resources (now SymphonyIRI), has died at the age of 76.
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Martin Lambie-Nairn becomes TNS's first creative director
4-Jul-2011
UK— TNS has hired brand design expert Martin Lambie-Nairn as its first creative director, in an effort to put creativity “at the heart of the business”.
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In on the action
July 2011
Product placement is now allowed in British TV programmes. So how do we measure it? Robert Bain investigates.
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Let's stick together
July 2011
Everyone knows what Velcro is – or do they? European marketing director Jurjen Jacobs speaks to Robert Bain about how research is helping the company behind the original hook-and-loop fastening to open up the power of its brand.
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GfK realigns sector structure and management for new strategy
30-Jun-2011
GERMANY— GfK is to introduce a new sector structure bringing together most of its retail, media and technology research into one group, with custom and ad hoc work in a second.
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WPP launches Xaxis audience targeting business
28-Jun-2011
US— WPP has launched an ad-targeting unit backed up by audience data from across its companies to help clients reach specific audiences more effectively through on- and offline media.
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Kantar and GfK's online quality consortium collapses
28-Jun-2011
US— The Promedius Group, an online quality consortium established by Kantar and GfK with the aim of creating “a robust, industry-wide solution” for panel validation, is no more.
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Customer feedback firm Allegiance scores $12m funding
27-Jun-2011
US— Allegiance, a provider of feedback management software, has secured $12m in a second round of funding led by El Dorado Ventures.
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Ipsos partners with Zokem for app-based mobile measurement
27-Jun-2011
UK— Ipsos MediaCT is launching a new service using Zokem’s mobile measurement app to track smartphone and tablet usage.
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Omniture revenue up 26% in Q2
24-Jun-2011
US— Adobe-owned web analytics business Omniture has seen its quarterly revenue rise to $115.9m in Q2, an increase of 26% compared to the same period last year.
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Decision ‘very close’ on Synovate sale
24-Jun-2011
UK/FRANCE— Ipsos and Aegis are “very close to a decision” on a possible sale of Aegis’s research arm Synovate, a source at Ipsos said today.
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Government is warned not to lose research expertise in comms restructure
24-Jun-2011
UK — Agencies are warning the government not to lose research expertise as it prepares to close down the Central Office of Information and reorganise its advertising and communications activities.
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Kantar companies combine pre-testing and ad-skipping data
24-Jun-2011
UK — Kantar agencies Millward Brown and Kantar Media are seeking to optimise TV ad performance by combining results of ad pre-tests with data on whether viewers changed channels during an ad or skipped it using a DVR.
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Supreme Court strikes down Vermont prescription data law
24-Jun-2011
US — The Supreme Court has struck down a Vermont law that banned the use of data on individual doctors’ prescribing habits for marketing purposes.
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Jobs at risk as government confirms COI closure
23-Jun-2011
UK— The Central Office of Information, the government’s communication and advertising arm, is to close, putting more than 400 jobs at risk.
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Sorrell confirms WPP not interested in Synovate bid
23-Jun-2011
UK/FRANCE— WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell has confirmed that his company is not interested in making a bid for Synovate – whose parent company Aegis has been in talks with Ipsos about a possible sale.
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Ace Metrix questions value of programme engagement for advertisers
23-Jun-2011
US— A study by advertising researcher Ace Metrix suggests that ads are equally effective regardless of how engaged viewers are with the shows they appear in.
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Choice and openness win web users round to behavioural ads – study
22-Jun-2011
UK— A study by online ad targeting firm Specific Media suggests consumers are willing to accept behavioural advertising as long as they are given proper information and the chance to opt out.
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Brust takes the helm at Go Research
22-Jun-2011
GERMANY— Frankfurt-based healthcare specialist Go Research has appointed Bettina Brust as managing director, replacing Werner Palancares Hoyer, who is stepping down at the start of July.
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McCann Worldgroup opens marketing sciences practice
21-Jun-2011
US— Marcomms agency McCann Worldgroup has set up a marketing sciences practice, to apply analytics and marketing intelligence to all of its work.
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Ofcom invites bids for new research roster
21-Jun-2011
UK— Communications regulator Ofcom is looking to appoint around 45 agencies to a new market research roster which will come into effect next year.
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Creston insight revenue drops 7%
21-Jun-2011
UK— Creston’s insight companies saw revenue and headline profit fall in the year ended 31 March 2011, while the group as a whole grew.
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Virgin Media hires Payne as strategic insight chief
20-Jun-2011
UK— Virgin Media has appointed Michael Payne as director of strategic customer insights and one-to-one marketing.
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Soine to lead Toluna in Germany
20-Jun-2011
GERMANY— Panel provider Toluna has appointed Stephan Soine as country manager for Germany.
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GfK MRI and ComScore fuse print and online audience data
17-Jun-2011
US— Magazine researcher GfK MRI and online audience measurement specialist ComScore are combining data on print readership, online media habits and product usage in a single database.
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Harris loses third CFO in three years
16-Jun-2011
US— Struggling online researcher Harris Interactive’s chief financial officer Pavan Bhalla has left after just eight months.
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Lawrence to head analytics at Mindshare NA
16-Jun-2011
US— Richard Lawrence has joined Mindshare North America in the new role of leader of business science and marketing analytics.