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Machine wars
Katie McQuater
Publication Index
Find stories by year and month.
News4 November 2013
Karyn Hall joins uSamp
Bronwen Morgan
Hall joins as VP of Instant.ly, uSamp’s on-demand consumer insights engine.
Feature4 November 2013
Change of gear
Lucy Fisher
Auto Trader has gone digital-only. Group consumer marketing director Jonathan Williams tells Lucy Fisher why data is set to fuel the brand’s future growth.
Insight Exchange becomes Big Sofa
Rebrand comes as Big Sofa looks to expand into other markets.
Edwards joins MarketVision Research
Marc Edwards has joined the firm as research manager.
TNS hires Vishy Rajagopal as regional director
Rajagopal will re-join TNS Asia Pacific from Nielsen.
Ipsos Healthcare re-launches Fieldwork International in Asia
Follows successful re-launches in UK, Italy and Spain.
AMAA introduces new technology partners
Datalicious and ObservePoint will help deliver the Australian audited website measurement service announced last month.
Opinion1 November 2013
Profit through patriotism
Danni Findlay
Brand UK is going strong, and many marketing campaigns are looking to capitalise on the resurgence of British patriotism. But it’s not a guaranteed win, argues Danni Findlay.
News1 November 2013
Leeds University Union launches segmentation study
The student charity has hired RDSI to conduct the study with 4,000 of its student members.
DJS Research secures place on Electoral Commission framework
The company is now an approved supplier to the independent watchdog and regulator.
CBS and Nielsen announce first ever cross-media measurement trial
The media company has announced it will participate in Nielsen’s trial to measure cross-media campaigns on local television and radio.
News31 October 2013
Game rolls out customer feedback programme with SMG
Brian Tarran
‘How’s Our Game’ programme covers all 340 retail outlets in the UK and asks shoppers to report on in-store experience.
Feature31 October 2013
Headline grabbers
A creative director explains how brands can turn current events to their advantage – with a little help from social media data.
Ad spend forecasts reined in on lowered Eurozone, US and China expectations
2013 ad spend is now forecast to rise 2.2% this year, down from 3% – although after inflation, growth is expected to be just 0.1%.
Neustar acquires Aggregate Knowledge
Real-time information and analysis provider Neustar acquires campaign and predictive analytics platform.
Kantar Media and Twitter partnership extends to Spain
TV planning and analytics tool to cover Spanish TV industry from 2014.
Cashback site Quidco adds opinion panel
20,000 shoppers already signed up as Quidco looks to develop a deeper understanding of its 3.75m members.
News30 October 2013
ComRes names Katharine Peacock as managing director
Promotion “recognises the role she has played in the growth of our business since 2008”, says chairman Andrew Hawkins.
Arena Media's intelligence chief joins Channel 4 in ad research role
Martin Greenbank to take up the role of head of advertising research and development by the end of the year.
Opinion30 October 2013
Get ready for automated research
George Terhanian
Marketers are relying increasingly on automated systems, and research is ripe for automation too, says George Terhanian.
Nathaniel Payne joins Cardinal Path as senior data architect
The growing independent analytics firm welcomes Payne from OverInteractive Media.
Big data equals big payoff, says IBM
According to an IBM analytics study, almost 40% of companies see a rapid ROI within the first six months of analytics adoption.
Ipsos Healthcare relaunches Fieldwork International in Spain
Fieldwork International replaces Field Services following its “continued success” in the UK
Mathew Francis joins Zaicom Research Plus as research director
Francis rejoins the team from his position as global director of consultancy at E-Tabs.
Brands on Instagram see 350% increase in engagement
As the photo-sharing service approaches 200 million users, brands using it are enjoying record levels of engagement.
News29 October 2013
SurveyMonkey sues MarketTools for alleged non-payment of invoices
DIY survey software provider claims it’s owed money for sample provision and survey verification software subscription.
ComScore posts 11% growth in third-quarter revenue
US — ComScore’s third-quarter revenue grew 11% to $71.6m, while net losses shrank from $3.1m a year ago to just $82,000, the company said today.
Nielsen to release software for mobile TV measurement in November
TV ratings giant says ‘unified coding approach’ will allow it to follow content across screens and ad models.
Opinion29 October 2013
Big data vs. emotional drivers: collision or synergy?
David Forbes
Two major trends in research – harnessing big data and understanding the emotional drivers of behaviour – are seemingly at odds: one takes a broad view and the other focuses on detail. But they can work together, argues David Forbes.
Lumi hires Roger Lovegrove as CFO
New finance chief to run enlarged finance function, created following the recent acquisition of IML Worldwide.
Former SPSS exec named president at healthcare data firm SHP
Alex Kormushoff established the enterprise predictive analytics business at SPSS prior to the company’s 2009 sale to IBM.
Cristian Ilie joins QualMetrix
Co-founder of Visual Intelligence joins the healthcare analytics company as chief technology officer.
Forrester pokes Facebook; Facebook doesn't 'like' it
Forrester says Facebook is failing marketers, but the social network criticises analyst’s “at times illogical and… irresponsible” report.
Prognoz appoints Wendy Mak as US MD
Newly created position increases company’s focus on development and growth in US market.
AAP to sell media monitoring service to iSentia
AUSTRALIA — iSentia - previously known as Media Monitors - has announced that it is to buy out AAP’s media monitoring business.
News28 October 2013
Orchidea Research launches services through CATI and online
India-based research company offers first online services to a limited market, with further expansion planned for coming months.
ODC rebrands as Norstat
Name change comes nearly 18 months on from Norstat’s acquisition of a majority stake.
Opinion28 October 2013
No, Twitter is not more important to teens than Facebook
Ray Poynter
A recent Pipar Jaffray study on the importance of social media has been misinterpreted by the mainstream press. But the headline was retweeted by researchers who should know better, argues Ray Poynter.
Spinach announces eight new hires
Beth Broughton joins as director of impact alongside seven other new joiners.
Atanasova joins The Marketing Workshop
Lena Atanasova joins the research and consulting firm as marketing science analyst.
Crimson Hexagon partners with public sector organisations
Provider of social media analytics software announces partnership with public sector organisations under its social research grant program.
Privacy concerns delay sale of personal data on Kickstarter
Federico Zannier says project delivery was held up when he realised he might be sharing other people’s personal data along with his own.
Feature25 October 2013
The art of consumer understanding
Jane Bainbridge
Marc Sands tells Jane Bainbridge how research and insight is helping the Tate achieve its goal of bringing modern art to the masses.
News25 October 2013
HootSuite in Brandwatch tie-up to add new social data to dashboard
Social media posts that are collected and analysed by Brandwatch can now be automatically filtered into individual channel monitoring streams within HootSuite.
Market Track buys competitive ad intelligence firm
Competitrack product integration will provide “a more comprehensive view of what’s hitting the market”, says Market Track CEO Wayne Mincey.
Romano joins FieldGlobal amid expansion plans
Bob Romano joins as the firm announces the opening of its New York office.
DataSift names Attensity's Beth Beld as chief marketing officer
New hire seeks to position social data company as leader in ‘powering the new big data economy’.
Levy joins GfK US
Eric Levy has joined GfK’s north American financial services team.
News24 October 2013
Location tracking players commit to privacy code of conduct
Retail analytics firm Euclid is among the companies pledging to provide notice to people when tracking is taking place, and to give them information on how to opt out.
Forrester revenues inch up as 'recovery' process continues
Revenue guidance met and operating margin exceeded expectations in the third-quarter, says CEO George Colony.
Research by Design welcomes four new recruits
New joiners at Birmingham-based business include a new associate director.
US gov't shutdown causes dip in GMI for Americas
Improvements in GMI for Asia Pacific and Europe ensures confidence in global marketers remains steady overall.
WPP reports 3.2% rise in data investment management revenue
“Even more significantly,” the company said, “gross margin was up 4.2% like-for-like, a reversal of the trend seen during 2012.”
Feature24 October 2013
The name of the game has changed
‘Consumer insight’ has become ‘data investment management’ within Martin Sorrell’s WPP. He explains why in an interview with Brian Tarran.
Nepa hires David Brennan and launches new programme concept testing
Media guru joins Nepa as shareholder and partner.
News23 October 2013
Ipsos reports 5% decline in Q3 revenues, but organic growth improves
FRANCE — Ipsos’s revenue declined 5% to €418.6m in the third quarter, the company said today. However, it recorded its fastest organic growth rate – 1.8% – since the fourth quarter of 2011.
Third-quarter revenue up 2.7% to $1.39bn at Nielsen
CEO David Calhoun reports consumer research revenue up 2.2% to $871m, and media measurement revenue up 3.4% to $516m.
CoolaData closes $7.5m series A funding round
Big data analytics provider has announced the closing of its series A funding from Greylock IL and Carmel Ventures.
Prism Skylabs announces $15m series B funding round
Intel Capital leads second round of funding for visual analytics company.
Opinion23 October 2013
Working relationships
Mark Ingwer
Companies understand the meaning of “relationships”, but rarely consider what it takes to make their audiences’ needs a priority, says Insight Consulting Group founder Mark Ingwer.
Mindshare appoints Dr. Gary Edwards as chief customer officer
Former Empathica chief customer officer joins as expansion of marketing insights team also announced.
9% of US population account for 46% of natural/ organic product sales
“True believers” and “enlightened environmentalists” provide best opportunities for manufacturers and retailers, according to IRI and SPINS.
News22 October 2013
InfoScout dashboard turns receipts into brand data
US — InfoScout, a retail market research firm backed by Dunnhumby Ventures, has launched a free public beta of its analytics dashboard, InfoScout.co.
Nielsen and Experian to beta test 'enhancements' to online campaign ratings
Nielsen looking to use Experian’s consumer data to up the demographic detail it provides in its ratings reports.
EU Civil Liberties Committee backs 'right to erasure' of data
MEPs vote in favour of giving everyone “the right to have their personal data erased if he/she requests it”.
Over half of digital advertising impressions ineffective, says InsightExpress
Analytics provider claims that the average digital campaign wastes 53% of impressions due to oversaturation.
Simulmedia adds Nielsen purchase data to its TV viewing database
The targeted television advertising company will add Nielsen Buyer Insights ( NBI) to its database of TV viewing habits.
OnePoint Global appoints new CCO and opens two new offices
Rob Huijboom joins the mobile researchers as new offices open in Bremen and Cairo.
Vision Critical releases new co-creation tool
IdeaHub uses members of existing insight communities for innovation and new product development.
Global CMO appointment to kickstart Effective Measure expansion
Six new market launches will take place before year-end – including Kenya, Morocco, Zimbabwe and Nigeria.
News21 October 2013
MRS strengthens code of conduct and issues new mobile research guidelines
Researchers asked to closely consult new “future-proof” rules and offer feedback during consultation process.
Feature21 October 2013
Millennial appeal
Viacom’s Christian Kurz discusses the media giant’s efforts to understand the millennial generation, and how those insights are shaping the company’s content.
New video mining tool adds app for directing film tasks
LivingLens, founded by Curiosity director Carl Wong, promises to save time and release more value from research-related video – including respondent-created content.
Verve launches AllDevice tools
New JavaScript tools designed to work across all mobile devices, including Apple.
Google turns Consumer Survey question limit up to 10
“Our research customers tell us that… they often find our two-question constraint too limiting.”
YouGov expands Dubai team
YouGov MENA has broadened its Dubai team with the addition of five new team members.
19% of online surveys taken on a mobile device, says new report
GreenBook’s Consumer Participation in Research report says iOS most popular mobile platform, ahead of Android and BlackBerry.
ComScore wins AMAA measurement contract
Digital Analytix selected as the analytics platform behind the Audited Media Association of Australia ( AMAA)’s new audited website measurement service.
News18 October 2013
Judge reverses decision on tossing TRA's claims against Kantar
US — A district court judge, who earlier this month dismissed patent and trade secrets claims in a dispute between TRA and Kantar, has moved to withdraw her previous order and to strike it from the record.
HP Autonomy unveils multichannel Digital Marketing Hub
New solution from HP is designed to help businesses use big data to increase engagement, conversions and revenue.
Consumers on the phone, laptop or tablet 34 times a day, says IAB
More than two out of every 24 hours are spent using an internet-connected device, according to new research mixing interviews and lifelogging.
Lumi Mobile selected for government's 'Future Fifty'
Audience insight and engagement specialist selected for first wave of technology companies to join government-backed fast-track programme.
NPD Group to acquire sports specialists Leisure Trends
The global information company will acquire the retail sales tracking and consumer research businesses of the Boulder-based sports and recreation research agency.
Updated Research Now mobile service facilitates sampling of mobile respondents
Latest version of the Research Now mobile service allows controlled mixing of mobile and online respondents and enhanced location-based targeting.
Richard Collins appointed MD of Decrypt
Former director of client development to oversee business operations and client services at UK-based branch of Decipher.
Feature18 October 2013
Why big data is the new cocaine
It makes people feel smart and sexy – and it makes them talk a lot of rubbish. Marketers are hooked on big data, but it won’t solve all their problems, said Exponential’s Bryan Melmed, at yesterday’s IAB Engage conference.
News17 October 2013
Sharp rise in subscriptions to SVOD services has 'little impact on pay TV'
1 in 10 UK internet users now have a Netflix account, but Decipher’s MediaBug tracker shows little impact of subscription video on demand ( SVOD) use on pay TV subscriptions.
IPA finds MR budgets down as marketing spend bounces back to near 13-year high
UK — A net 3% of companies have revised their market research budgets down in the third quarter of 2013, according to the latest Institute of Practitioners in Advertising ( IPA) Bellwether report.
Opinion17 October 2013
Divided attentions
Issue 3 of Impact Magazine, out now, takes an in-depth look at how media owners and advertisers are adapting to the multi-screen world.
Online trackers not optimised for mobile could 'compromise data quality'
Excluding the 30% of panellists who now register to online panels through tablets or smartphones could lead to a drop in data quality, says online research company GMI.
TNS rolls ConversionModel 'app' on to ZappiStore platform
‘Express’ version of brand equity tool is “not ConversionModel Lite” says founder Jan Hofmeyr ( pictured).
Feature17 October 2013
Automatic for the people
As TNS launches an automated, app-based version of ConversionModel, Jan Hofmeyr explains why this isn’t the death of conventional research as we know it, but an expansion of opportunities.
Further adoption of 'critical' analytics may be restricted by shortage of talent
Urgent need for maths, stats and quant skills are cited by 48% of respondents to a Lavastorm Analytics survey.
Specialist LGBT agency requests withdrawal of 'misleading' ONS data
Out Now claims poor methodology in the Integrated Household Survey has led to ‘dangerously’ inaccurate data on the prevalence of homosexuality and bisexuality in the UK.
News16 October 2013
46% of Americans foresee financial strain due to gov't shutdown
US — Results from a new IRI MarketPulse survey suggest that American consumers’ financial outlook is being affected by the government shutdown and looming debt ceiling crisis.
Feature16 October 2013
What we learned at the IPA's Eff Fest
Why jelly is like advertising, that the web is not IT, and why we should never underestimate the creativity of others.
Focus Pointe Global acquires Delve
US — Data collection firm Focus Pointe Global ( FPG) has acquired St. Louis-based marketing research firm Delve.
Hall & Partners names new global brand and marketing team
UK — Hall & Partners has established a new global brand and marketing team, under the leadership of global marketing and communications director Ashley Walker ( pictured).
uSamp hires Zumbox exec for marketing role
US — Online sample supplier uSamp has appointed Andy Jolls ( pictured) as senior vice-president of marketing.
Nepa promotes Johnny Caldwell to UK managing director
UK — Nepa UK has promoted business development director Johnny Caldwell to managing director while former Cint statistician Kalle Backlund joins the firm as senior market analyst.
Stanford researcher says accelerometer defects could ID phone users
US — A Standford University researcher has discovered a method by which websites – and potentially advertisers – could track online behaviour using a unique fingerprint created by mobile device accelerometers.
Opinion16 October 2013
A connection is made
Colin Strong
Mobile phones collect a lot of useful data about their owners. By engaging with consumers about how they can use this data for their own direct benefit, Colin Strong believes that researchers will get closer to solving the value exchange conundrum at the heart of the industry.
Murray upped to MD at Infotools Europe
UK — Data visualisation services company Infotools has promoted director Ian Murray to managing director for Europe.
Cross-platform ratings launch, Nielsen sees variance in incremental reach
UK — Nielsen has officially launched its Cross-Platform Campaign Ratings system in the UK, following several months of trials backed by Unilever and Mondelez, among others.
News15 October 2013
Hispanic specialist ThinkNow appoints new head of qual division
US — Hispanic market research firm ThinkNow Research has appointed Lara Fordis, formerly director of operations at Q-Insights, as head of its qualitative research division.
Global ad spend up 2.8% in first half, but Europe is down 6%
Latin America and Asia Pacific are leading the world in terms of ad spend growth, according to Nielsen’s latest Global AdView Pulse report.
Cint makes spate of hires across European and US offices
SWEDEN — Research technology provider Cint has made a number of hires across its UK, Spain and US offices.
Feature15 October 2013
Consumers on board?
As an IBM study of C-suite executives demonstrates the growing importance of involving consumers in strategic decision-making, Kristof De Wulf of InSites Consulting shares his thoughts on how to ride the wave of consumer empowerment.
SPA Future Thinking nabs former Kantar biz dev head
UK — SPA Future Thinking has appointed Dagmar Moreside as a key account director to its sales and marketing team.
Progressive group MD Carole Oag retires today
UK — Progressive group managing director Carole Oag is to retire today after 30 years with the Edinburgh-based market and social research agency.
GSK opens high-tech consumer insights lab
UK — GSK has opened a new high-tech consumer insights facility in Brentwood that aims to help the company develop an in-depth understanding of what influences consumer decision-making.
Annual revenue up 8% to £62.6m at YouGov
UK — YouGov has posted an 8% improvement in revenue for the 12 months to 31 July 2013 to £62.6m, while adjusted operating profit improved 7% to £6m.
News14 October 2013
Media thinker, consultant Erwin Ephron dead at 79
US — Erwin Ephron, a noted media consultant who began his career working in PR for Nielsen, has died at the age of 79.
Markey takes aim at cross-device tracking's 'privacy implications'
US — Cross-device tracking is in the crosshairs of Senator Ed Markey ( pictured), who has written to the Federal Trade Commission’s chairwoman Edith Ramirez to request an investigation.
Facebook buys mobile analytics startup Onavo
Facebook has acquired a mobile analytics firm – Onavo, based in Israel.
Korea's T Store links up with Flurry for Android app analytics
KOREA — App analytics company Flurry has inked an agreement with SK Planet’s T Store – billed as Korea’s largest Android app market – to integrate Flurry’s analytics into the T Store developer centre.
Guavus founder Anukool Lakhina hands CEO role to Manish Goel
US — Guavus, a big data analytics provider that counts mobile network operators among its clients, has appointed Manish Goel as chief executive, taking over from founder Anukool Lakhina ( pictured).
Feature14 October 2013
Global thirst, local flavour
Jane Simms
Building strong local brands is a cornerstone of SAB Miller’s success in the global beer market – and insight plays a crucial role, says marketing director Nick Fell. By Jane Simms.
IBM buys telecoms customer insight firm The Now Factory
IRELAND — IBM has signed a deal to acquire The Now Factory, a Dublin-based developer of software that allows telecoms providers to analyse customer behaviour based on network usage.
News11 October 2013
SurveyMonkey sells TrueSample to investor group
US — DIY online survey company SurveyMonkey has sold its TrueSample business to a group of investors led by Five Peaks Capital Management.
Rentrak enters StationView contract with Media Solutions
US — Audience research firm Rentrak has signed a multi-year StationView Essentials contract with advertising agency Media Solutions.
Opinion11 October 2013
Attention please
Peter Shreeve
Looking to make an impact on the conference stage or in the boardroom? Then take a leaf out of the Toastmasters’ playbook, says independent research consultant ( and Toastmasters member) Peter Shreeve.
Centrica Energy appoints head of comms research
UK — Centrica Energy, an oil and gas production, power generation and energy trading firm, has appointed Corin Taylor as head of communications research.
Judge dismisses claims against Google, WPP in Safari cookie workaround case
US — A class-action lawsuit brought against Google, WPP and others, seeking damages from the companies for allegedly circumventing the privacy settings of Safari browser users, has been dismissed by a federal judge.
Looking for a better experience, Nunwood spends £1m on Fizz
UK — Nunwood has completed a ground-up rebuild of its Fizz knowledge management platform, eight years on from its original launch.
News10 October 2013
US research index hits highest point since Q4 2010 – MRA
A quarterly index tracking the health of the US marketing research industry has reached its highest point since the fourth quarter 2010, thanks to across-the-board increases in staffing levels, projects and proposals.
National Readership Survey chief to step down next year
UK — National Readership Survey ( NRS) CEO Mike Ironside is to step down in June 2014 after five-and-a-half years in the role.
Opinion10 October 2013
Stuck on repeat
Helen Donald
Habits make life easier; transforming activities and decisions from effortful thought-processes into effortless behaviours we can repeat over and over again. But understanding how people form habits is key to breaking them.
Bodden-Brux appointed MD of newly-opened SIS Berlin offices
GERMANY — SIS International Research have announced the opening of offices in Berlin and the appointment of Christoph Bodden-Brux as MD of the German subsidiary.
Kantar Worldpanel and IMRB in expanded consumer panel deal
INDIA — Kantar Worldpanel and IMRB have formed a strategic partnership to run a joint consumer panel service across India.
Marsh takes over at The Leading Edge as Bateman joins Telstra
AUSTRALIA — Marketing services group Enero has announced that Nigel Marsh will take over as chairman of its strategy and research agency The Leading Edge ( TLE), following former CEO Andy Bateman’s ( pictured) departure to Telstra.
Maritz veteran Schulte earns promotion to senior director
US — Maritz Research has promoted John Schulte from account manager to senior director for sales and marketing in the company’s financial services research group.
Research Panel Asia sets 100,000 target for new Taiwan panel
JAPAN — Research Panel Asia ( RPA) has launched a consumer panel in Taiwan, with a target of recruiting 100,000 consumers within the coming months.
News9 October 2013
New technology introduced as demand for mobile surveys grows
US — Federate Sample launches mobile router for sample exchange platform as Kinesis reports a rise in survey participation on mobile devices.
Opinion9 October 2013
Customer first, without compromise
Steven van Belleghem
Steven Van Belleghem and Peter Hinssen share the learnings from their recent ‘inspiration journey’ around Silicon Valley.
Peter Hinssen
Kantar launches television audience measurement service
US – Kantar Media has launched a TV audience measurement service to provide information on viewing behaviour, including programme engagement and commercial ratings.
Cido adds director of projects to Hong Kong office
HONG KONG — Cido has appointed Ayaz Akhtar ( pictured) as director of projects in its Hong Kong office.
Bronwen Morgan joins Research-live.com
We’re delighted to announce a new edition to the Research-live.com editorial team. Bronwen Morgan joins us this week as senior writer and deputy editor.
Sharrocks, ex-Aegis Media, named Barb chairman
UK — TV rating body Barb – the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board – has appointed Nigel Sharrocks, the former CEO of Aegis Media Global Brands, as chairman.
Annik chief relocates to US as economy bounces back
INDIA — Annik Technology Services CEO Rahul Sahgal is to relocate to New York as the company looks to drive further growth in the market.
Tweet returns: Twitter reveals data licencing revenue
$47.5m. That’s how much Twitter made last year from selling access to its ‘firehose’ of billions of tweets, with the data then sold on to brand owners, media planners and researchers for further analysis and insight.
News8 October 2013
Business leaders anticipate 'more extensive collaboration with customers'
US – Results of a new study by IBM indicate that senior business leaders have made an unprecedented commitment to allowing direct customer influence on their business decisions and operations.
Gazelle brings in ex-Globalpark exec for insights and strategy role
US — Gazelle Global, a global market research operations, sample and data management company, has appointed Jim Whaley as general manager of insights and strategy, a new position.
Omni retail group names eDigital as research partner
UK — eDigitalResearch has been appointed as global research partners for the new retailing organisation IORMA, the International Omni Retailing Members Association.
AskingCanadians taps RFG for extra sample
CANADA — AskingCanadians has partnered with Research For Good ( RFG) to boost its sample reach to a combined 600,000-plus Canadians.
Ipsos puts Nicholls in charge of UK employee research
UK — Ipsos has appointed Jonathan Nicholls, a veteran of the company, as head of employee research for Ipsos Loyalty UK.
Feature8 October 2013
Meeting the Makers
Technologies such as 3D printing are putting the means of production into the hands of the individual. So, asks Colin Strong: What might the rise of the Maker Movement mean for market research?
Competition invites UK students to redesign iconic brands for the future
UK – A nationwide competition run by design research agency The Big Picture calls for university design students to combine research and design to re-imagine a selection of iconic brands.
FreshMinds melds research and social arms to form new consultancy
UK — FreshMinds Research has merged with sister company FreshNetworks, a social business consultancy, to form a new “growth and innovation consultancy”, called FreshMinds.
News7 October 2013
Twitter TV ratings good for Breaking Bad – advertisers too?
US — Nielsen has officially launched its long-awaited Twitter TV Ratings service, which measures the total activity and reach of TV-related conversations on the micro-blogging service.
TRA has patent and trade secrets claims dismissed in Kantar court row
US — A district court judge has dismissed claims brought by TRA against WPP’s Kantar, that the latter misappropriated trade secrets and infringed on TRA’s patents.
InsightExpress looks to connect with Facebook users for AdInsights
US — Ad research specialist InsightExpress has struck up a partnership with SocialQ to add Facebook profile to its ad effectiveness measurement tool, AdInsights.
Former Kantar ops head to lead f2f work at ICM Direct
UK — ICM has appointed Gina Moore as head of face-to-face project management within the ICM Direct fieldwork business.
Feature7 October 2013
Don't ask, won't tell
Are consumers hiding their most important desires and motivations from marketers – and maybe even from themselves? Y&R’s Chip Walker considers the evidence and the implications.
Publicis/Omnicom merger pushes 2013 M&A deal value above 2012's total – JEGI
US — Mergers and acquisitions in the media, information, marketing and related technology sectors during the first three quarters of 2013 saw 1,057 transactions announced at a total value of $67.5 billion, according to investment bank The Jordan Edmiston Group ( JEGI).
From 10 Downing St to 10 Northburgh St: Cooper returns to Populus
UK — Andrew Cooper, the former director of strategy to Prime Minister David Cameron, is returning to the research and strategy consultancy he helped co-found.
News4 October 2013
Simulmedia to use TiVo data to predict viewing behaviour
Simon Miller
US — Targeted television advertising company Simulmedia is to use TiVo Research and Analytics’ purchase data to predict viewing behaviour for likely auto and grocery consumers.
Adobe hit by cyber attack
US — Software maker Adobe has warned customers that the company has been the victim of cyber attacks.
Treato signs two for management team
ISRAEL — Healthcare intelligence firm Treato has appointed healthcare industry veterans Ezra Ernst and Gerhard Gallwitz to its management team.
Mopinion launches online customers analytics tool
UK — Customer feedback management software specialist Mopinion has launched a programme to help businesses examine customers’ online activities.
Deloitte partners Wharton over customer analytics program
US — Deloitte Analytics has begun a collaboration with the Customer Analytics Initiative at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania ( WCAI) to expand the knowledge base around customer analytics and business problems.
ForeSee appoints Scott as CMO
US — Customer experience analytics company ForeSee has appointed Dave Scott as chief marketing officer.
Majority of data and analytics industry saw pay rise in 2012
UK — Over half of UK data and analytics professionals saw their salary increase by more than double the rate of inflation last year according to a salary survey from recruiter Harnham.
News3 October 2013
FourthWall Media teams up with WPP firms
US — Cable set-top box viewing data provider FourthWall Media is to work with WPP agencies to deliver cross-channel advertising campaigns and extend the reach and frequency of client campaigns.
Opinion3 October 2013
Protecting the science
Market research is currently awash with new ideas – and with it, pseudoscientific claims. In moving research forward, there are some basic tenets that need to be respected, says Ray Poynter.
Mintel appoints Omer
US — Consumer, product and media intelligence provider Mintel has appointed Mohamed Omer as global personal care analyst.
Quri raises $10m and launches store tool for brands
US — Retail analytics and intelligence company Quri has completed $10m in Series B funding.
Exponential partners I-Behavior in targeting the online consumer
UK — Digital advertising intelligence firm Exponential has partnered with database marketing and behavioural targeting services provider I-Behavior to offer the targeting of consumers online based on their high-street purchasing habits.
Sam Davis joins 2CV
UK - Research agency 2CV UK has hired Sam Davis as joint head of its social practice.
News2 October 2013
AMAA calls time on Nielsen
AUSTRALIA — The Audited Media Association of Australia ( AMAA) has finally called time on its relationship with Nielsen.
Marshall Advertising picks Rentrak for TV data
US — Rentrak has won a contract to supply TV audience data to Marshall Advertising.
Opinion2 October 2013
Insight to action: Twitter Alerts service
Twitter has launched an Alerts service to allow verified sources to push out and draw users’ attentions to tweets that detail warnings of imminent dangers or emergency situations.
Boxclever hires Barnett
UK — Boxclever has appointed Maite Barnett as research director.
Making sense of the census proposals
Barry Leventhal
The Office for National Statistics ( ONS) has recently launched a consultation on approaches for providing census information and population estimates. Barry Leventhal weighs the pros and cons of the two options on the table.
Research Now launches diabetes panel
US — Digital data collection company Research Now’s healthcare segment has launched a diabetes panel in North America.
And the nominees are...
UK — Forty companies have made the cut as finalists for this year’s Research-live.com Awards, with winners to be announced at the MRS Awards 2013 dinner on 9 December.
Millward Brown appoints European MDs
UK — Brand, media and communications research firm Millward Brown has appointed Benoît Tranzer and Jean-Michel Janoueix as regional managing directors for Europe.
News1 October 2013
AnswerTap makes way for Discuss.IO, new online qual service
US — Research technology company AnswerTap has emerged from beta with a new name – Discuss.IO – and a new real-time qual market research service.
WhichSocial wins place on ecommerce incubator
UK — Social media measurement firm WhichSocial.com is one of the three companies to have won a ‘residency’ at affiliate marketing network Tradedoubler’s London office.
Nielsen veteran Whiting to retire
US — Vice-chair of Nielsen Susan Whiting is to retire at the end of the year after a 35-year career with the company.
Wisconsin U to track flu with Survey Analytics app
US — The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Population Health Sciences Department has partnered with Survey Analytics to develop an app to track flu on campus.
Feature1 October 2013
The behavioural insight hothouse
Jonathan Knott
How the Cabinet Office’s ‘Nudge Unit’ has grown to influence policy and strategy development across government – and beyond. By Jonathan Knott.
Incite makes New York and Singapore appointments
UK — International market research consultancy Incite has made a series of appointments to its recently opened offices in New York and Singapore.
Flurry appoints Burnett as COO
US — App measurement and advertising platform Flurry has appointed Grady Burnett as chief operating officer.
St Ives' marketing services hit 2012 targets
UK — St Ives’ marketing services segment hit its target of contributing more than 30% of group operating profit for the year according to the group’s annual results.
Verve hires three for qualitative team
UK — Online communities specialist Verve has expanded its specialist qualitative team with three more senior hires.
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RT @fairdata: ‘Prepare for ICO to utilise its wider powers’: UK regulator issues warning to adtech https://t.co/atY0ZiWXHt via @thedrum
The post-demographic consumerism trend means segments such age are often outdated, from @trendwatching #TrendSemLON
