Research Live’s most-read news stories of 2019: Kantar, Dynata and Savanta

The following 10 news articles received the most page views on the Research Live website during the past 12 months.

1. Kantar ditches all sub-brands

In March, Kantar announced it would operate all its businesses under the single brand name of Kantar. WPP later sold 60% of Kantar to private equity firm Bain Capital.

2. Dynata up for sale 

In July, Reuters reported that data services business Dynata had been put up for sale by its private equity owners, Court Square Capital Management and HGGC. Six months on, there has been no further update on reports.

3. MIG Global launches merged agencies as Savanta

Communications group Next 15’s MIG Global combined its data businesses Morar HPI, Viga, Charterhouse and Circle into a new company, Savanta.

4. Research Now SSI rebrands to Dynata

At the start of 2019, Research Now SSI changed its name to Dynata a year after the merger between Research Now and SSI.

5. Telegraph Brexit ComRes poll provokes criticism

The Telegraph faced criticism from the research industry during the summer for claiming that the prime minister had the support of ‘more than half of the public’ to ‘deliver Brexit by any means’, in its reporting of an opinion poll conducted by ComRes.

6. Eric Salama stable after stabbing

Kantar’s CEO Eric Salama was attacked in an apparent carjacking in January. After leading Kantar through the sale process, the firm later announced he will be stepping down in 2020.

7. Kantar bidders reportedly shortlisted

In another of the year’s top stories on Kantar, we reported on WPP putting multiple companies through to a second round of bids for a stake in the company.

8. Comscore COO leaves after a month 

Global measurement firm Comscore’s chief operating officer, Kathryn Bachmann, resigned one month after taking on the role, during a tumultuous period of senior management churn for the company.

9. Kantar auction ‘energising’ 

In June, Salama described the company as "excited" by the opportunities its impending partial sale could bring.

10. Kantar launches research platform 

Kantar also launched a DIY insights platform, Kantar Marketplace, in 2019.