News16 February 2012

London Underground insight bosses leave as TfL merges teams

UK— London Underground’s two joint insight bosses have left the organisation as the insight function is merged with Transport for London’s group customer research team.

News4 January 2012

Coppa proposals ruffle MRA

US— Proposed changes to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act ( Coppa), including plans to revoke the “email plus” option of obtaining parental consent, have raised concerns within the Marketing Research Association ( MRA).

Opinion29 December 2011

Gone in a Flash

Adobe’s decision to halt development of the mobile Flash plugin will shape the course of rich content development in online surveys, says Jason Cazes of Kinesis Survey Technologies.

News28 December 2011

Ipsos invests in tech firm AdMaster

CHINA— Ipsos has made a strategic investment in technology firm AdMaster to collaborate on the development of a monitoring and assessment system to measure the effects of digital marketing.

News23 December 2011

Merry Christmas everyone

As the Research team heads off for its annual Christmas break, we wanted to thank all our readers for their continued support this year and to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

News23 December 2011

People on the move

A roundup of the latest appointments and promotions in the global market research and consumer insight industry. This week: Phoenix Marketing, Pyramid Research, the IAB and Live Nation.

News23 December 2011

Tealeaf acquires user analytics firm Overstat

US— Online customer experience management firm Tealeaf has acquired cloud-based website usability analytics company Overstat, which is headquartered in San Francisco.

Feature23 December 2011

'I didn't expect Twitter to have such a great influence on our profession'

Research Tweeter of the Year Tom De Ruyck on all things Twitter: its evolution from curiosity to content curation tool, how it helps in his career and what we’ll all be talking about on the #MRX hashtag in 2012.

News22 December 2011

FTC approves ScanScout Flash cookie settlement

US— The Federal Trade Commission ( FTC) has finalised a settlement with online advertising firm ScanScout over its use of Flash ‘cookies’ to track online consumer behaviour.

News22 December 2011

Belgian JIC signs Nielsen for broadcast monitoring

BELGIUM— The Belgian Joint Industry Committee for media audience measurement, CIM, has signed up to use Nielsen’s TV Events broadcast monitoring system for four years, starting in 2013.

News22 December 2011

Irish data commissioner reports on Facebook privacy audit

IRELAND— Facebook has agreed a series of new measures to improve transparency and control around user data with the Irish Office of the Data Protection Commissioner ( ODPC).

News22 December 2011

Networked Insights and IPG partner for social TV analysis

US— Networked Insights and IPG Mediabrands have partnered to launch a service that identifies which TV shows a brand’s audience is watching by analysing real-time social media data.

Feature22 December 2011

Research in 2012: new methods, stronger structures and less PowerPoint

Forrester’s Reineke Reitsma looks back on 2011 and sets out what researchers should watch out for in 2012.

News21 December 2011

Nielsen and ComScore settle patent dispute

US— ComScore and Nielsen have settled their disputes over online measurement patents, with ComScore acquiring four of Nielsen’s families of patents and Nielsen acquiring $19m-worth of ComScore stock.

Feature21 December 2011

Making sense of chaos

We speak to NatCen’s Gareth Morrell about the challenges of researching the August riots.

News21 December 2011

Invision adds Nielsen's online campain ratings to TV planning tool

US— Advertising technology firm Invision has struck a partnership with Nielsen to incorporate the latter’s online campaign ratings into its advertising planning and sales platforms.

News21 December 2011

AskYourTargetMarket launches free service

US— Self-service online research provider AskYourTargetMarket has launched a free service where users can carry out surveys with friends, colleagues, clients or social media contacts.

News21 December 2011

Police raid throws Turkish TV ratings into chaos

TURKEY— The Turkish TV ratings industry is in a state of confusion after police raided the offices of ratings provider AGB Nielsen and two TV production companies amid claims that panel members’ details were leaked to third parties who sought to bribe them.

News21 December 2011

Value Engineers founder Walton to retire from Cello board

UK— Paul Walton, a founding partner of brand consultancy The Value Engineers and a board director of Cello, is retiring at the end of this month.

News21 December 2011

SMG taps Bluefin to pinpoint most talked-about TV

US— Starcom MediaVest Group ( SMG) has signed a deal with Bluefin Labs to analyse social chatter around TV shows to help guide media planning and buying decisions.

News21 December 2011

EmSense's Moses takes neuroscience role at Ipsos

US— Former EmSense strategy and analytics chief Elissa Moses is joining Ipsos next year as executive vice president of neuroscience and emotion.

News20 December 2011

ICM adds crisis management service

UK— ICM Research has launched a new crisis management service to help clients deal with events that can affect both the brand and its bottom line.

News20 December 2011

Cebr predicts 11% growth in ad and MR spend to 2016

UK— The UK advertising and market research sector is set to grow 11.6% over the next five years, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research ( Cebr).

Opinion20 December 2011

Behavioural economics: a call to action

Kristin Hickey of Ruby Cha Cha says the current focus on behavioural economics offers great opportunities for research providers to change the way they work – if clients are willing to take the plunge with them.

News20 December 2011

Post-Newsweek commits to Rentrak as local TV currency

US— The broadcasting division of The Washington Post Company is adopting Rentrak’s local market ratings as the trading currency for ad space on its TV stations.

News20 December 2011

Harris Interactive faces Nasdaq de-listing

US— Harris Interactive is facing being de-listed from the Nasdaq stock exchange after failing to keep its stock price above $1 for 180 calendar days.

News20 December 2011

Which? insight director Mirpuri to join Sky

UK— Sky has appointed Which? Magazine’s Harry Mirpuri as research director within its marketing strategy team, replacing Julian Dobinson who is moving to the new role of insight director for content and media.

News19 December 2011

Nielsen names vice chair and chief operating officer

US— Nielsen has appointed Rick Kash as vice chairman and Mitchell Habib as chief operating officer, effective 1 January 2012.

News19 December 2011

ICM Group fills director spots with promotion and appointment

UK— ICM has promoted Neil Sykes to the role of operations director and hired Ipsos Mori’s Rebekah Joseph ( pictured) as field director of its FieldWork UK business.

News19 December 2011

Job swap for Gemius president and VP

POLAND— Online media measurement firm Gemius has named Piotr Ejdys as president, replacing Artur Zawadzki ( pictured) who becomes vice president.

News19 December 2011

Italian TV ratings body fined €1.8m by anti-trust authority

ITALY— Auditel, the joint industry committee for TV measurement in Italy, has been fined €1.8m by the country’s anti-trust authority for practices that favoured broadcasters Mediaset and RAI.

News19 December 2011

MRIA receives complaints over Canadian pollster

CANADA— The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association is looking into complaints over a survey that referenced rumours of an MP’s possible resignation.

News19 December 2011

InsightExpress strikes another Ignite deal

US— InsightExpress has expanded its Ignite CPG offering through a partnership with Kantar Shopcom, similar to a deal agreed with SymphonyIRI last week.

News16 December 2011

NetCen wins spot on housing survey consortium

UK— NatCen Social Research has been given a role in the new English Housing Survey by the Department for Communities and Local Government ( DCLG).

News16 December 2011

Ipsos opens full service office in Pakistan

PAKISTAN— Ipsos has launched a full service office in Pakistan to be led by Abdul Sattar Babar.

News16 December 2011

Media Monitors makes another Asian buy

MALAYSIA— Media Monitors has acquired another media monitoring and analysis business in Asia, MediaBanc, just days after inking a deal to take over China Clipping.

News16 December 2011

SPA's Handford launches Resound Digital

UK— SPA Future Thinking’s former research and innovations director Chris Handford has launched Resound Digital, a new business focused on digital market and user research.

News16 December 2011

InsightExpress, SymphonyIRI partner on ad impact

US— InsightExpress has partnered with SymphonyIRI to launch a new service that reveals that impact of online advertising on shopper behaviour.

News16 December 2011

Sunshine rules for doctors keep survey exemption

US— Rules requiring doctors to disclose payments made by drug companies have been published – maintaining an exemption for survey-related incentives.

News15 December 2011

Management buyout at Bunnyfoot Scotland

UK— The Scottish arm of behavioural research agency Bunnyfoot will be rebranded as Nile in January next year after a management buyout led by MD Sarah Ronald.

News15 December 2011

MR pushes for exclusion from Singapore Do Not Call list

SINGAPORE— The Market Research Society of Singapore has pressed the country’s Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts ( MICA) to exclude market research from Singapore’s proposed Do Not Call list.

News15 December 2011

WPP takes majority share of Qais Consulting, ups Chime stake

SINGAPORE— WPP-owned digital agency VML has taken a majority stake in Singapore-based digital marketing agency Qais Consulting.

News15 December 2011

TNS appoints Rebecca Wynberg as global qual CEO

UK— TNS has appointed Sadek Wynberg founder Rebecca Wynberg as global CEO of its qualitative business, a newly created position at the company.

Feature15 December 2011

And the #MRX Tweeter of the Year is...

InSites Consulting’s Tom De Ruyck tops the public vote, but who was the Most Retweeted of the Year and what were the community’s most talked-about buzzwords? Announcing the winners of the #MRX Tweet Awards 2011.

News15 December 2011

Live Nation acquires BigChampagne Media Measurement

US— Live Nation, owner of Ticketmaster, has acquired music audience measurement firm BigChampagne Media Measurement which tracks online listening and song downloading habits across social networks and music sites.

News14 December 2011

People on the move

The latest promotions and appointments in the global market research industry and consumer insight industry. This week: Peryman & Kroll, BDRC, Pulse Group, Radius Global, Gongos, YouGov, Zeldis, NewBrandAnalytics, MarketVision, Kadence and Prophet.

News14 December 2011

uSamp appoints Wheeler to lead SurveyBuilder

US— Online sample provider uSamp has named Justin Wheeler as vice president and general manager for its DIY survey tool SurveyBuilder.

News14 December 2011

SurveyMonkey gets Zoomerang, TrueSample in MarketTools takeover

US— DIY survey software supplier SurveyMonkey is to take over MarketTools’ Zoomerang, ZoomPanel and TrueSample businesses as part of deal with investment firm TPG Capital.

News14 December 2011

AdStaff Media snaps up Media Research Planning and Placement

US— Media buying firm AdStaff Media has acquired Media Research Planning and Placement ( MRPP), a media agency offering market research and media planning and buying services.

News14 December 2011

Media Monitors Group acquires China Clipping

CHINA— Media Monitors Group has acquired China Clipping, a Beijing-based firm offering media monitoring and quantitative media analysis.

News14 December 2011

PR software firm Augure buys blog watcher iMente Global

FRANCE— PR software company Augure has acquired Spanish social media and online news monitoring firm iMente Global.

News13 December 2011

Client turns supplier as Ritchie joins eDigital

UK— Virgin Media’s former head of customer experience insight Anna Ritchie has joined eDigitalResearch as research director.

News13 December 2011

MarketView selects iMotions for eye-tracking software

US— CPG and pharma research agency MarketView Research has signed up to use iMotions’ eye-tracking software platform in order to test ad effectiveness, product packaging and in-store shopping behaviour studies with Fortune 500 clients.

News13 December 2011

Ipsos's Fredrickson takes group ops role at Toluna

US— Jim Fredrickson, president of Ipsos Interactive Services North America, has joined Toluna as group chief operations officer.

News13 December 2011

Quadrangle adds trio of directors

UK— Quadrangle has added three new directors to its team, including Stephen Ashford, the former director of strategy and performance at Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs ( HMRC).

News13 December 2011

UK web analytics to top £100m, says Econsultancy

UK— The UK web analytics market is set to grow by 12% in 2011, taking its value to more than £100m, according to a new report from Econsultancy.

News13 December 2011

Carrier IQ publishes report to fight privacy fears

US— Mobile intelligence firm Carrier IQ has published a 19-page report to reassure consumers that its software is not the threat to privacy that some have claimed.

News13 December 2011

Centaur acquires Venture Business Research

UK— Business information and events group Centaur Media has acquired Venture Business Research in a deal that could eventually be worth £7.5m, depending on future performance.

News13 December 2011

Sparkler and The Co-operative take top prizes at Research Awards

UK— Sparkler last night clinched Research magazine’s Best Agency prize at the Research Awards 2011, while The Co-operative Group was crowned Best In-house Research Team.

News12 December 2011

Indian body puts out RFI ahead of print survey relaunch

INDIA— The Readership Studies Council of India ( RSCI) has issued a global request for information to gauge the state-of-the-art in readership research ahead of the launch of the country’s new print media survey.

News12 December 2011

Kantar snatches Swiss TV contract from GfK

SWITZERLAND— Kantar Media won a six-year contract to measure television viewing in Switzerland from industry committee Mediapulse following a three-way pitch.

News12 December 2011

Philips resigns as Photon chief executive

US— Jeremy Philips has resigned as Photon CEO after a precarious 18 months for the marketing services group, which owns research firms Auspoll, Jigsaw and The Leading Edge.

News12 December 2011

SAP becomes NetBase social analytics reseller

US— SAP, a business management software firm, is to become a reseller of NetBase’s social media insight and analytics platform.

News12 December 2011

Facts taps Snap for mobile data uploads

UK— Facts International has partnered with technology firm Snap to enable mobile uploads of fieldwork data from tablet devices and smartphones.

News12 December 2011

Nielsen scraps Tasmanian radio survey

AUSTRALIA— Nielsen has cancelled its radio audience measurement survey in Tasmania after discovering that its sample over-represented older listeners and under-represented the younger demographic.

News12 December 2011

Kooyman to become GfK Custom COO after KN buy

US— Simon Kooyman, CEO of Knowledge Networks ( KN), is to become chief operating officer of GfK Custom Research North America once GfK completes its acquisition of KN.

News9 December 2011

ICM appoints head of analytics and two research directors

UK— ICM Research has appointed Tom Bailey as its new head of analytics and Ruth Moyer and Matt Draper as research directors.

News9 December 2011

Metametrics adds new directors for business relaunch

UK— Metametrics, the business founded by former Kraft Foods market research manager Tom Lloyd, has relaunched with two new directors on board.

News9 December 2011

GfK in deal to buy Knowledge Networks

US— GfK is acquiring digital research specialist Knowledge Networks and its probability-based online panel, Knowledge Panel, which it expects to help strengthen its media measurement offering.

News9 December 2011

ComScore names Bert Miklosi as consumer goods VP

US— ComScore has appointed Bert Miklosi as vice president of marketing solutions for the consumer packaged goods industry.

News9 December 2011

'No return' for shareholders from Media Square MBO

UK— Media Square shareholders won’t see a penny from the sale of the group’s ten agencies for a reported price of between £10m and £15m.

News9 December 2011

IBM agrees another analytics acquisition

US— IBM is continuing its spending spree on analytics companies, agreeing a deal to buy DemandTec in an all-cash transaction worth approximately $440m.

News8 December 2011

Real money for virtual store creator InContext

US— InContext Solutions, which creates virtual retail environments for research purposes, has received $1.5m in funding from a consortium of investors.

News8 December 2011

NRG founder Joseph Farrell dies aged 76

US— Entertainment researcher and film producer Joseph Farrell, the founder of the National Research Group, had died in Los Angeles aged 76.

News8 December 2011

Aegis Media signs on for Rentrak's commercial ratings

US— Aegis Media agencies, including Carat, will get access to viewership metrics for individual ad spots under a deal announced this week with media measurement firm Rentrak.

News8 December 2011

Merger for Ireland's Red C and OI Research

IRELAND— Red C Research and OI Research ( formerly Outsourced Insight) have merged to create one of the largest independent research companies in Ireland.

News8 December 2011

Media Square chairman and CEO lead management buyout

UK— Media Square chairman Roger Parry and CEO Peter Reid today executed a surprise management buyout of all the agencies that made up the marketing communications group.

News8 December 2011

South Africa adding time-shifted data to TV figures

SOUTH AFRICA— The South African Advertising Research Foundation ( Saarf) is to introduce a TV metric that combines existing live audience data with time-shifted data collected from personal video recorders ( PVR).

News8 December 2011

Leger Marketing acquires Isopublic

CANADA— Leger Marketing has become the majority shareholder in Swiss polling and market research agency Isopublic and its subsidiary Gallup Switzerland.

News7 December 2011

Buddy Media partners ComScore for social metrics

US— WPP-backed social marketing management platform Buddy Media is partnering with ComScore to add its social media metrics to Buddy Media’s product suite.

News7 December 2011

InsightExpress gauges ad effectiveness on tablets

US— InsightExpress has launched an ad effectiveness research service specifically for tablet devices.

News7 December 2011

Web user drops complaint over Google tracking error

US— A web user who sued Google over a software glitch that allowed the company’s Toolbar browser add-on to keep tracking browsing habits after it had been disabled has dropped his case.

News7 December 2011

VideoHub incorporates Nielsen's online GRPs

US— Online video ad firm Tremor Video has incorporated Nielsen’s online campaign ratings into its analytics product, VideoHub.

News7 December 2011

GfK wins five new measurement contracts

GERMANY— GfK has been awarded five new media research contracts, in Romania, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

News7 December 2011

Ipsos acquires Vietnam's Consumer Behavior & Insight

SINGAPORE— Ipsos has acquired Vietnamese MR agency Consumer Behavior & Insight for an undisclosed amount as part of its plan to grow across the Asia Pacific region.

News7 December 2011

uSamp fills corporate strategy and development role

US— Online sample provider uSamp has appointed Joshua Pink to the newly created role of senior vice president for corporate strategy and global development.

News7 December 2011

Heart+Mind Strategies appoints senior solutions consultant

US— Annabel Kelly has joined strategic research and consulting agency Heart + Mind Strategies as a senior solutions consultant, where she will support growth in client services and expand the firm’s strategic offerings.

Feature7 December 2011

Introducing the 2011 #MRX Tweet Awards

We love Twitter, especially the #MRX community. Here’s your chance to show your love and vote for your favourite market research tweeter.

Feature7 December 2011

Uninvited guests

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.

News6 December 2011

Say Media and Quantcast target 'live-TV avoiders'

US— Digital publisher Say Media is working with web measurement firm Quantcast on an online platform called Off The Grid to target advertising at television viewers who try to avoid ad breaks.

News6 December 2011

Dapresy says GfK software deal is biggest ever

GERMANY/SWEDEN— Dapresy today announced the biggest-ever contract win for its dashboard reporting software with the signing of a global agreement with the GfK Group.

News6 December 2011

MRC reviewing Nielsen data in Nickelodeon dispute

US— The Media Rating Council is working with Nielsen on a review of its TV audience data after Viacom queried a surprise fall in ratings for its Nickelodeon channel.

News6 December 2011

Tech firm hacks Kinect for shopper analytics

ARGENTINA— Software developer Agile Route has hacked Microsoft’s motion-sensing videogame technology Kinect to make it fit for tracking shopper behaviour in retail environments.

News6 December 2011

Opinion Leader nets women's sports project

UK— The Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation ( WSFF) has appointed Opinion Leader to investigate the role of coaches in recreational sport.

Feature6 December 2011

Waste not, want not

Brian Tarran meets John Dick, the CEO of CivicScience, a company on a mission to tease the value out of the millions of online polls people take part in each day.

News6 December 2011

Insight Research Group becomes Insight Strategy Group

US— New York-based Insight Research Group has changed its name to Insight Strategy Group.

News5 December 2011

WiTH Collective and Shoutlet team up in Australia

AUSTRALIA— Digital marketing and analytics agency WiTH Collective has signed a partnership and distribution deal with US-based social media technology firm Shoutlet.

News5 December 2011

Greenberg Quinlan Rosner adds digital practice

US— Opinion research and strategy group Greenberg Quinlan Rosner has launched a digital division specialising in social media analytics, micro-targeting and online strategic consulting.

News5 December 2011

Arbitron sues former customer Magic Broadcasting

US— Arbitron is suing a former client, Magic Broadcasting, for allegedly using its radio ratings reports without a licence.

News5 December 2011

Carrier IQ hits back at 'surveillence' claims

US— Under-fire mobile intelligence firm Carrier IQ broke its silence late last week to defend its technology and “vigorously disagree” with those speculating that the firm may have violated federal wiretap laws.

News5 December 2011

Ipsos Mori finalises senior leadership team

UK— Ipsos Mori CEO Ben Page has finalised his senior leadership team following the company’s merger with Synovate.

News5 December 2011

NewsLifeMedia looks to The Future Lab

AUSTRALIA/UK— NewsLifeMedia ( previously News Magazines) has formed a strategic partnership with London-based trends forecasting and research agency The Future Laboratory.

Feature5 December 2011

Q&A: Rentrak's Exact Commercial Ratings

Chief research officer Bruce Goerlich responds to reader questions about the company’s new measure of commercial viewing.

News2 December 2011

People on the move

The latest appointments and promotions in the global market research and consumer insight industry. This week: Pulse Group, DDB UK, SCB Partners, Peryam & Kroll, Spanish Broadcasting Systems, The Marketing Workshop, Mesh Planning, TNS, iKnowtion and Questor.

Opinion2 December 2011

Get in with the crowd

Social media has made it easier for people to find like-minded groups, but these crowds can be tough for brands to penetrate. Pete Comley offers some advice.

News2 December 2011

Passenger launches iPhone community app

US— Online community firm Passenger has created an iPhone app so that members can take part in research from their phones.

News2 December 2011

Awe.sm investment for Groupon analytics partner

US— Groupon’s social media analytics partner Awe.sm has raised $4m in a series A financing round to help expand its team and add features to its performance tracking platform.

News2 December 2011

Alterian and SDL reach agreement on £68m takeover

UK— Alterian’s directors have reached agreement with SDL on the terms of an acquisition that values the marketing analytics firm at £68.4m.

News2 December 2011

ChatCloud MD Shuker resigns

UK— Robin Shuker, co-founder and managing director of online qual research technology firm ChatCloud, has resigned after just over a year.

News2 December 2011

Nielsen still exploring 'opt-in only' services with Carrier IQ

US— Nielsen is continuing to work with Carrier IQ to explore opportunities for joint measurement of mobile services, networks and devices despite the privacy storm engulfing the mobile intelligence company.

News1 December 2011

Insight names senior management for eVillage

UK— Healthcare specialist Insight Research Group has hired former Verve operations director Dave Bostock as research operations director.

News1 December 2011

Carrier IQ warned of lawsuit risk

US— First it was Carrier IQ threatening legal action, now the mobile intelligence firm is being warned it could be open to lawsuits from consumers whose phones are installed with its software.

News1 December 2011

Rentrak to count viewers for individual commercials

US— Rentrak today boasted that it had jumped ahead of rival Nielsen with a new TV metric that can tell advertisers how many viewers were exposed to specific commercials in a national campaign.

News1 December 2011

Hartmann takes over as GfK chief executive

GERMANY— Matthias Hartmann steps into the role of GfK chief executive today, replacing Klaus Wübbenhorst who has lead the company for the past 13 years.

News1 December 2011

Confirmit incorporates Clarabridge text analytics

NORWAY — Research software provider Confirmit has incorporated Clarabridge’s text analytics solution into its platform.

Feature1 December 2011

The personal information economy

The internet is littered with personal details. James Kennedy of The Future Laboratory looks at how people are wresting back control of their information.

Feature1 December 2011

How was it for you?

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.

Feature1 December 2011

Look what's in store

Sainsbury’s director of insight and loyalty Andrew Mann tells Robert Bain how insight has helped the retailer through recessionary times.

Feature1 December 2011

Game the system

What gameplay mechanics can we apply to research? Erin Leedy and Erica Ruyle of Market Strategies International pick out some of the most promising and explain how they might work.

Feature1 December 2011

Game the system

What gameplay mechanics can we apply to research? Erin Leedy and Erica Ruyle of Market Strategies International pick out some of the most promising and explain how they might work.

Feature1 December 2011

Words to live by in 2012

As 2011 draws to a close, we asked research industry figures to sum up their hopes and expectations for the year ahead in a single word.

Feature1 December 2011

My double life – Jared Huizenga

We meet Jared Huizenga, a field services manager who also leads a competitive barbecue team.

Opinion1 December 2011

Learning the lessons of 2011

Feature1 December 2011

Ups and downs – Colin Auton

Ci Research’s Colin Auton knows good research is part art, part science. His school careers adviser didn’t.

Feature1 December 2011

Diary: Targeting, trends and tooth-whitening

A roundup of things that caught our eye in and around the research industry this month.