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Marcoms group Stagwell has announced revenue of $670m for the first quarter of 2024, up 8% on a reported basis. Adjusted EBITDA was up 25% to $90m. More
In the UK,strategic insight agency Opinium has named ten more staff members as equity partners,as it aims for eventual 50% employee ownership. More
In Louisville, Colorado, experience management and enterprise feedback tech firm Alchemer has launched a full service MR team, Alchemer Research Solutions, led by recently-appointed VP Brian Henley, which it says will help its clients quickly expand and scale their research capabilities. More
Gartner has announced results for the first quarter of 2024, with revenue up 4.6% (FX neutral) to $1.473bn, and adjusted EBITDA of $382m, up 1.7% on the same basis. More
Insight-driven marcoms agency The Bliss Group has expanded its operations to the UK, opening a London office to serve its professional and financial services, healthcare, tech and 'impact' clients. More
Tech consulting and research firm Forrester has reported first quarter revenues down around 12% to $100.1m, and adjusted net income of $2.8m, down from $5.1m a year earlier. More
British firm STRAT7 Jigsaw has promoted Sarah McKee to the role of Managing Director, taking over the day-to-day running of the business from founders Ann Morgan and Sue Van Meeteren, who will move to focus on key accounts and improving collaboration between Jigsaw and other STRAT7 Group companies. More
UK-based brand and communications research agency The Nursery has appointed former 2CV exec Rob Hartley as Head of Social Research. More
Berlin-based experience research software platform Brainstork is entering the UK market, and has hired Ben Leet as UK Partnership Lead on a freelance or 'fractional' basis. More
Purchase transaction insights firm Behaviorally has partnered with China-based eCommerce giant Alibaba to offer the former's pack testing products on the latter's TMIC (Tmall Innovation Center) platform, allowing users to assess the impact of packaging design and eCommerce visuals in the country. More
Ipsos has reported continued solid growth in the first quarter of the year, with revenue up 4.5% in organic terms, to EUR 557.5m. The EMEA and Asia Pacific regions led the way with revenue up more than 9% in each case (organic) while the Americas saw a 3.2% decline. More
UK insight agency Simpson Carpenter has appointed Alexander Holmes as Senior Research Director with expertise in Automotive, Digital Entertainment and Tech, while Martyn Turze joins as Research Director heading up a new specialist sector, Sports. More
Panel company Intra Research has appointed Helle Raun Oddershede as its new CEO, taking over from Marina Moshenska who moves into the role of Chief Operating Officer. More
Insights technology and panel provider Toluna has appointed Lucia Moir as Chief Operations Officer and promoted Priyanka Sarkar to Chief Research Officer. More
AI-based consumer research platform Bounce Insights has brought in Aaron Peck as Regional Commercial Director, North America, as it expands into the US. The company has also added Ian Kiernan to its board as Non-Executive Director. More
New York- and Austin, Texas-based b2b restech company Emporia Research has secured $4.7m in a seed round of funding, to expand its platform's capabilities. This will include further investment in AI, engineering, sales and data partnerships. More
Customer insights firm DMR has announced the appointment of nine new staff, having completed a successful first institutional funding round at the end of 2023. More
HfS Research has announced a strategic alliance with HEX Advisory Group, aiming to enhance their industry analysis offer, in particular around contract price benchmarking. More
In New York, UX research ops specialist Rally has raised $8.8m in funding, to help promote it to a wider audience and further develop its technology. More
In the UK, MR industry veterans and Firefish execs Jem Fawcus and Richard Owen have launched a new company, QualifyAI, with a mission 'to automate qualitative research without stripping it of its humanity'. The partners say this is possible for the first time thanks to AI. More
Recently-merged B2B purchase intent specialists MRP and CONTENTgine have rebranded as pharosIQ, and launched a number of proprietary first party permission-based, down-funnel targeting capabilities. Chris Rack leads the new company as CEO. More
Global consumer health company Haleon, the firm behind brands such as Sensodyne and Centrum, has appointed Geoff Painter as Global Head of Consumer Business Insights and Analytics. More
US-based international data collection and research tech company Sago has launched a formal specialist Health offering, building on longstanding expertise in the sector and fronted by EVP of Healthcare Shannon Childs. More
Manchester, UK-based product intelligence platform Vypr has appointed Glenn Porter as Chief Commercial Officer. More
Ipsos has announced senior role extensions for five employees in its qualitative division Ipsos UU, in India, as it gears up for product launches and 'ambitious growth targets'. The five are Sapna Parmar, Neha Dutta, Shelly Jain, Geetika Singh and Ashwini Sirsikar. More
Technology research and advisory firm Information Services Group has announced the launch of a new AI software research practice, via its software insights division Ventana Research. The launch complements that of the Group's Enterprise AI Advisory business, launched in January. More
Australian owned agency TKW Research Group has launched a new call centre in Suva, Fiji, promising 'CATI-quality data at online survey prices'. More
Insights and experience tech company PG Forsta has appointed Mike Thompson as Chief Analytics Officer, and says he will drive the development of new AI-driven capabilities and products, following the company's commitment to invest $500 million in the area over five years. More
Mishcon de Reya (MDR Group), a business services group with a focus on legal advice, has launched a market insights and analytics business called MDRi, providing strategic advisory services to businesses worldwide. Simon Tye will lead the new division as Chief Executive Officer. More
US firm Decision Analyst has promoted Bonnie Janzen to President, taking over the role from founder Jerry W. Thomas, who continues to serve as CEO More
This month sees the launch in London of a new agency, Wren Insight, focused on customer closeness and led by qual researchers Jude Terry and Hannah Beech. More
Market Research charity the MRBA has three days to run on its 2024 auction. Bidding for two tickets to Taylor Swift's sold-out Eras tour (Wembley Stadium concert, August) currently stands at £1,500, but those with more modest budgets can bid for bottles, days / meals out and other items. More
Birmingham, UK-based qual insights platform Voxpopme has a new CEO. Andy Barraclough is a co-founder of the firm and until now served as its CTO. He succeeds Lonnie Mayne, who moves to the role of Chairman of the Board. More
Former ORC and Join the Dots / InSites Consulting exec Edward Wheeler has joined BVA BDRC as Head of Business Development. More
Consumer and B2B research agency 2CV has promoted Sabine Cronick to the role of CEO of UK/EU, and James Redden to CEO of US and APAC. More
Attention measurement specialist Amplified Intelligence has teamed up with photo sharing app Snapchat and media agency OMD to assess how audiences engage with Snapchat's augmented reality (AR) Lenses. More
In West Palm Beach, Florida, MR industry veterans Hugh Davis and Keith Price have launched ACKWEST Group, a holding company which will focus on buying and developing emerging tech-driven enterprises in the consumer insights and marketing services sector. More
In Toronto, Canada, survey software firm Q-Fi Solutions has been acquired by co-founder and CTO Rafael Mangra, who is relaunching the company with a range of branded solutions. Mangra was previously a minority shareholder while the majority of shares were owned by The Logit Group. More
Australia marketing advisory, strategy and analytics company Forethought has appointed Diane Shelton and Andrew Slot as Joint Managing Directors, effective immediately. Shelton is a former CEO returning to the firm, while ten-year company veteran Slot has been serving as Interim MD for the past year. More
In London, Verve has announced the promotion of its former Joint Head of Insight Richard Preedy to the newly created role of Executive Director and Head of Artificial Intelligence. The firm is 'relaunching' itself to emphasize its focus on 'three intelligences': Artificial, Human and Cultural. More
Technology research and advisory firm Information Services Group (ISG) has reported revenue for the full year 2023 of $291m, up 1.7% despite a very slow fourth quarter in which revenue dropped 11% to $66.2m. More
US firm PeakMetrics has raised $3m in funding to expand its market and further develop its 'narrative intelligence' technology, which helps governments, companies and other organisations deal with online risks from misinformation and media manipulation. More
In the US, consumer insights firm C+R Research has partnered with Nexxt Intelligence to offer clients 'deeper and more insightful responses' from survey participants using AI. More
London-based analytics / business intelligence start-up Fluent has secured $7.5m in seed funding for its mission to democratize insights using conversational AI. More
Global MR and data group YouGov has announced the rebranding of its Swiss subsidiary LINK, acquired in December 2021, as YouGov Switzerland. More
EMEA communications firm Instinctif Partners Group has appointed Julian Walker as CEO; having recently added Jim Donaldson as Non-Executive Chair, and Dr Matilda Andersson as MD of its subsidiary, British-based insight firm Truth. More
London-based APL Media is integrating the technology of US-based feedback software firm Social Asking, aiming to 'bring cutting-edge AI to audience engagement' and allow brands to understand their audience in real time. A new division of APL will serve as Social Asking's lead (UK) sales agent. More
Ipsos has launched InnoExplorer, which uses generative and analytical AI to help clients accelerate innovation cycles 'from months to days' and improve success rates. More
In the US, former Ipsos execs Dana Keilman and Nicole Munsey have launched Morning Light Strategy, which will provide insights and strategic guidance for clients looking to drive growth in the 50+ market. More
Marcoms group Stagwell has reported full year 2023 revenue of $2.53bn, down 6% year on year, and adjusted EBITDA of $360m, down 20%. However the company reports strong new business, good growth in EMEA and for its Marketing Cloud suite, and is forecasting a return to growth in 2024. More
London-based Humankind Research, which specialises in research for positive social impact, is adding a team offering standalone quantitative projects, and has hired Laura Moore and Amy Watson to lead it as Head of Quant and Quant Research Director, respectively. More
Insights platform mTab has secured $15 million in growth credit financing, from Kayne Anderson Growth Capital, with which to accelerate its global expansion, add customers in new industries and continue enhancing its technology. More
In the US, Allison Wilt and Steve Ingledew have launched ContextualY, a specialist B2B research agency whose four founding Principals between them boast more than a hundred years of experience supporting technology clients and stakeholders. More
In Antwerp, Belgium, design-tech company iVisual has launched AI-based branding and packaging intelligence technology which it says will 'transform the way companies develop branding and packaging'. The new firm has appointed Julie Dumoulin as its CEO. More
Ipsos has reported organic, constant currency revenue growth of 8.8% for the fourth quarter of 2023, and 3% for the full year, with operating profit stable at an all-time high of 13.1%. More
In San Francisco, consumer insights, marketing strategy and training firm Ignite 360 has announced that founder and Chairman Rob Volpe will resume his role as CEO from next week, as current Chief Lisa Osborne leaves for an insights leadership role at a healthcare nonprofit. More
Packaging, NPD and shopper specialist PRS IN VIVO has appointed Richard Bordenave as global Chief Behavioral Officer. More
Kantar has announced a partnership with computer vision and attention measurement specialist Realeyes, integrating the latter's Verify identity recognition software into the former's anti-fraud software QubedAI. More
Sydney-based CRNRSTONE, the research and data division of comms agency Bastion, has appointed Nathan Saville, formerly COO of Pollinate, as General Manager. More
Copenhagen, Denmark-based offshore wind data specialist Aegir Insights has secured EUR 8.5m in Series A funds from climate tech investors - to be used in upgrading its web platform, including investment decision software and data products. More
succeet, one of the world's largest MR trade shows and the biggest in the DACH region, is to move from its traditional October slot to February, with 'succeet24/25' due to finish a year from today. The organisers say the move is in response to requests from long-standing exhibitors and associations. More
In the US, technology researcher Forrester has reported full year 2023 revenue of $480.8m, down 11% on 2022. Adjusted net income was $36.6m, down from $47.2m a year earlier. More
Canada-based sister firms Rival Technologies and Reach3 Insights have appointed Kristine Steuart as Chairperson and two new members for the Board, Ipsos veteran Gary Bennewies and serial entrepreneur Brian Craig. Meanwhile Paula Catoira, who in a previous employment was Steuart's Chief of Staff, is promoted to CMO. More
Technology consulting firm Gartner has reported full year revenue of $5.9bn, up 8%, and adjusted EBITDA of $1.5bn, up 2% after allowing for currency changes. Revenue growth slowed again and EBITDA fell slightly in the fourth quarter. More
Ipsos has appointed Ziad Issa as the new Media CEO in the MENA region, succeeding Elie Aoun who has decided to step down after 32 years at the company. More
Food, facilities and hospitality services provider Sodexo has announced the global launch of an Accelerator Programme with categories for entrepreneurs in data analytics and customer experience. More
In California, full service marketing and PR firm Creativ Strategies has launched a new division called Creativ Insights, bringing together the marketing consultancy expertise of the parent firm with the skills and tech of data science firm talkAItive, whose founders Vibhu Bhan and Joe Lai join to lead the new unit. More
Former Ugam Solutions and Discuss exec Vinay Raj Rao has launched BioBrain, a platform which claims to 'seamlessly connect the entire research ecosystem' for improved efficiency and deeper insights. More
MR operations company OpinionRoute has announced three senior appointments: Kayla Cousineau has been promoted to COO, Mary Herzak hired as SVP, Growth, and Richard Ratcliff promoted to the new role of Chief Trust Officer. More
Agile and automated market research platform Zappi has appointed Nataly Kelly as Chief Marketing Officer and promoted Babita Earle from EVP of Global Enterprise Partnerships to International MD. The firm also recently hired Melissa Clucas as CFO. More
Automated in-home product testing platform Highlight has announced changes to its leadership team, with the appointments of Priyanka Carr as COO and President, and Deirdre Norris as VP of Product. More
In an apparent volte face after refreshing and reinforcing the brand of its communications agency Hill & Knowlton as recently as November, WPP has announced the company will be merged with the group's other major PR firm BCW, with the combined entity renamed Burson. More
Manchester-based kids, parents and family specialist The Insights Family has secured a £5.6m investment, with which to continue and accelerate its rapid global growth. More
Chicago-based full service custom qual and quant firm C+R Research has appointed Erin Barber as President and Chief Client Officer, and Paul Metz as CEO. Former President and CEO Robbin Jaklin has retired after 36 years at the company. More
In the US, healthcare MR firm Klein & Partners has announced a strategic alliance with recently-formed brand optimization and corporate strategy specialist thinqinsights. Their stated long-term goal is to merge the two organizations. More
Mainz, Germany-based consumer insights and research tech firm Horizon has partnered with London's Bolt Insight, promising to provide clients with 'dynamic, conversational and behavior-driven consumer data in the pre-market phase'. More
London-based Firefish Group has rebranded its quant and data analytics business the numbers lab as 'Firefish Data', reflecting its evolution into an agency delivering 'fully connected, integrated and agile human insights consulting, driven by AI, connected data and new technologies'. More
A new consulting and advisory firm focused on Net Zero and corporate sustainability has been launched in Denver, Colorado. Canopy Edge's offer will include measurement and strategy for science-based targets, ESG reporting and program management, and advice on messaging. More
Insights tech and panel provider Toluna has promoted Scott Axcell, formerly Head of Marketing for North America, to Chief Marketing Officer. He also joins the executive leadership team. More
New York-based strategic research and polling firm Benenson Strategy Group (BSG) has promoted Lindsay Vermeyen and Patrick Toomey to Partner, and appointed Michael Kulisheck to Managing Director. More
WPP is examining a possible sale of its remaining stake in Kantar, according to sources quoted by Bloomberg. More
Community-centered CX and insights firm Alida has a new CEO: Efrem Ainsley is promoted from COO to succeed Ross Wainwright, who recently stepped down from the role. More
Kantar Media may be up for sale in 2024 for 'as much as £1bn', according to reports on Sky News. More
New York-based consumer insights firm Buzzback has launched a new qualitative research platform called Studio, aiming to make custom qual a 'dynamic, agile and easy experience' without sacrificing quality. More
US-based insights firm Echo MR has rebranded as '10K Humans', a name it says reflects 'the incredible community of individuals who make us who we are', rather than simply products and services. A number of new solutions have also been added to the portfolio. More
Multicultural marketing agency Sensis has launched a specialist transportation division, SensisConnect, with a focus on public engagement / consultation and optimising communications. More
Insights group Human8 has announced a change of leadership at its cultural and creative consultancy Space Doctors. Co-founder and MD Fiona McNae will leave the company at the end of this year, after 22 years, to be replaced by Gareth Lewis and Cato Hunt. More
In Minnesota, USA, Stephen Griffiths has joined Post Consumer Brands as Director, Insights & Strategy. More
Consumer data and analytics firm NIQ has announced the launch of NIQ Labs, an innovation center which it says will 'harness the collective power of top-tier talent and capabilities acquired through strategic M&As'. More
DRNO's News Editor of seventeen years Mel Crowther passed away last week after a battle with cancer. Mel has been a wonderful colleague and the driving force in making this publication what it is today, as well as a well-loved figure in the industry, and I'm sorry I know her loss will come as a shock to a lot of you. More
In Chicago, fast-growing agency QualSights has appointed Tod Johnson and Karyn Schoenbart to its Board of Directors. More
UK-based pharma researcher Purdie Pascoe has launched a US office and appointed Sabera Hyderally as Head of MedTech. More
Consumer research platform GWI has appointed former OAG tech leader Nick Dearden as CTO, based in its UK headquarters in London. More
Marcoms group Stagwell, the owner of the Harris Poll and Harris X brands as well as Maru Group, has announced European expansion plans with the launch of a 'global hub' office in London next month, and the promotion of James Townsend to serve as its first CEO of EMEA. More
Veteran UK commercial broadcaster ITV has created a new team, The ITV Insights Group, bringing together its experts in market and media research, analytics and data science. The team will be led by Neil Mortensen, previously Director of Audiences. More
'In The Moment' emotive analytics firm Blue Yonder Research has been granted a patent in the US, UK and Europe for its Clickscape technology, which links measured emotions to specific moments in real time. More
Ipsos has appointed Eleni Nicholas as Chief Client Officer, with seats on the firm's Executive Committee and Group Management Committee. More
The Board of Washington, DC-based opinion researcher American Directions Research Group (ADRG) has appointed Kevin M. Kelly as its new Chief Executive, effective immediately. More
In Vancouver, BC, Canada AI-based engagement and survey platform ThoughtExchange has secured $13.5m in equity financing, with which to expand its operations and footprint. More
London-based renewable energy assets analytics firm Modo has announced $15m in Series A funding, which it will use to build new features for its energy data 'super-app', and expand into further global markets. More
We are 25! On 29th Nov 1998 the first job ad appeared on mrweb.com. We're celebrating with the relaunch of our directories, under a new brand and with an ambitious new approach; and with Thank You's to our regular advertisers and some special offers for new ones. More
Kantar Australia has promoted Mark Kennedy and Colin MacArthur to the joint role of Managing Partner, Consulting, replacing Dennis Wong who is leaving the company after fifteen years to pursue his own freelance consulting business. More
Consumer insights platform Getwizer has appointed veteran media and entertainment researcher Bruce Friend as its new CEO, replacing Gilad Gans who has held the role for the last three years. More
Stockholm-based affluent and HNWI fieldwork specialist Altiant has appointed Lyndsey Denyer as VP of Client Services, and promoted Meryam Schneider to Chief Marketing Officer. More
Public policy research, evidence, evaluation and comms agency Verian, until recently known as Kantar Public, has partnered with 'human-first AI solutions' provider Faculty, to support decision-making in government across the public sector. More
Jude Olinger, CEO of US research firm the Olinger Group has announced that after three decades he will step down from his role to 'pursue a new opportunity' outside the MR industry. Michael Vasquez, who joined in 2022 as EVP of Client Solutions, is taking over the CEO role. More
Catherine Herkovic, Nielsen's EVP/MD for Local Television and Audio has announced she will be retiring at the end of the year. Richard Tunkel, a 24-year company exec, will take on leadership of Nielsen Audio Client Services. More
UK-based cross-party thinktank Demos has merged with non-profit Engage Britain, which focused on policy-making and research spanning citizens assemblies, community conversations, and democratic tech tools such as Pol.is. The Engage Britain brand has now ceased to operate. More
Ipsos has promoted Kirstopher Hull to the new role of Executive Vice President and Senior Client Officer of its North America Consumer Products Segment. More
British-based reputation specialist Echo Research has partnered with UAE-based branding and creative comms consultancy All About Brands to provide on the ground support to its clients based in the region, supported by its existing teams in both the UK and USA. More
Manchester, UK-based full-service pharmaceutical insight agency Blueprint Partnership has been re-named 'Beyond Blue'. More
Ben Marks, the founder and former CEO of London-based youth insight and panel business YouthSight, has set up a new MR agency called Electrify Research, aiming to improve understanding of home-owner decisions on heat pumps, EVs, rooftop solar and other green home options. More
US-based family entertainment and dining group CEC Entertainment has hired Mark Kupferman as Chief Insights and Marketing Officer for its flagship brand, Chuck E. Cheese and its virtual kitchen brands. He also takes overall responsibility for all insights and research. More
Tiburon, California-based company Jon Peddie Research has launched a consulting division to be known as JPRi. The new unit will provide strategic advice on product pipeline, marketing roadmap, M&A opportunities, and internal efficiency for clients in the Game Tech market. More
Toluna has confirmed its senior team following the June acquisition of MetrixLab. The firm's Chief Sales, Research, Technology and Financial Officers will remain in role while former MetrixLab Global HR Director Hans Verhulst becomes Chief People Officer and Jolique Weelink Chief Insight Officer. More
In Canada, online community platform Recollective has hired long-time tech sector sales exec Costa Constantakis as Chief Revenue Officer, responsible for driving returns while developing and executing strategies to support the firm's next phase of growth. More
In the US, full-service user and customer experience agency Key Lime Interactive (KLI) has promoted Eugenio Santiago to the role of company President. Founder Ania Rodriguez has stepped down as CEO, but remains Chairwoman of the Board. More
Tech research and consulting group Gartner has announced third quarter revenue of $1.4bn, up 5.8% or 4.9% at constant currency. Profits were flat with adjusted EBITDA of $333m. More
Marcoms group Stagwell, which owns the Harris Poll and Harris X brands as well as Maru Group, has announced a revenue decline of 7% to $618m, for the third quarter of 2023. It has also announced the acquisition of social media marketing solutions provider Movers and Shakers LLC, for c.$15m in cash. More
In the US, former TNS and Lynx Research Consulting exec Chris Hauck has launched a new agency, SCORE Metrics, which aims to improve on traditional NPS methods by setting responses in a competitive context. More
UK-based Ascential, the information and analytics company once known as EMAP, has announced it will sell its digital commerce and consumer research units for around £1.4bn, so as to focus on its events business. More
US research firm SMARI has moved into a new location in the First Internet Bank Building in Downtown Fishers, Indiana. The company is returning to office-based work after a few years 'completely virtual'. More
Tech consultancy Forrester Research has announced third quarter revenue of $113.4m, down 11.2% from $127.7m a year earlier. The Consulting division reported the biggest fall, down 24.5% to $28.2m. More
Ipsos has reported third quarter revenue of EUR 588m, representing organic growth of 4.3% and restoring year-to-date organic growth after shrinkage in the first half. All the group's global regions shared in the Q3 growth, with EMEA leading the way. More
Video understanding company Twelve Labs has raised $10m in a funding round, with which to expand its operations and business reach. More
London-based consultancy Thinks Insight & Strategy has reshaped its leadership structure with co-fonder Ben Shimson stepping into the CEO role; and promoted Richenda Devereux to Operations Partner. More
Kantar has announced a 'broad expansion' of AI capabilities within its brand strategy and creative development portfolio. They include Link subscriptions, to help stretch ad testing budgets; celebrity recognition in Link AI testing; predictive eye tracking; big data for threat detection; and help with 'sonic branding'. More
Toluna has promoted Dixit Chanana to the role of MD for India, including MetrixLab India and with full responsibility for the development of the Indian business of both brands. More
Divested government policy and comms advisory business Kantar Public will be rebranding globally as 'Verian' from November. More
Kantar Public has teamed up with AI-based performance consultancy Faculty AI to launch a tool to improve the data synthesis stage of qualitative research studies. More
Today sees the launch of Ipsos RISE, which combines the group's corporate reputation and public affairs expertise with AI to provide 'a ground-breaking platform for modern brand, risk and reputation management'. More
Research tech firm SightX has moved its VP Global Commercialization Daryl Maloney McCall to focus on regional growth in Europe and APAC, as its offering and client base in these regions expands. More
In the UK, STRAT7-owned cultural insight and strategy consultancy Crowd DNA has appointed Elliot Pigram as its new Global MD. Pigram will take the reins on 1st January next year from founder and CEO Andy Crysell, who will move to the position of non-executive Chair. More
Needham, Massachusetts-based in4mation insights (i4i) has promoted John Nicholson to be its first Chief Technology Officer. The firm offers marketing performance measurement and optimization solutions with a focus on Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM). More
New Jersey-based research and education publishing company Wiley has announced that its President and CEO Brian Napack is stepping down from the roles, to be replaced immediately as Chief Exec on an interim basis by Matthew Kissner, who has taken the interim role once before. More
In New York, healthcare research veterans Jerry Arbittier and Chris Lee have launched Fusion Healthcare Fielding, offering 'full service fielding solutions' for the sector. More
In Los Angeles, brain decoding software platform Arctop has announced a $10m Series A funding round, which it will use to accelerate the commercialization of its tech translating brain activity into real-time information for third party applications. More
Rewards and payment solutions provider Virtual Incentives has appointed former Ipsos, Kantar and Nielsen exec Frank Kelly as Market Research Practice Lead, based in Boston, Massachusetts. More
Research platform Fastuna has announced the departure of its MD of five years Maria Soroka, and the appointment of Ipsos veteran Rimantas (Rimas) Remontas to replace her. More
Insights consultancy Verve and full service agency Basis have formed a global partnership to develop an initiative called 'CoLab' - to address the 'growing respondent quality problem'. More
Panels and behavioral data specialist Netquest has appointed Jordi Guix as Client Solutions Director, signalling 'a new era of strategic growth and innovation', according to the firm. More
In France, former Cint COO JD Deitch has launched Passaggio, a company helping insight and analytics firms among others to achieve operational excellence. More
London-based Thinks Insight & Strategy continues to grow its team with eleven hires in the last quarter. Nick Downes rejoins as Research Director while Ella Jenkins and Chloe Juliette join in AD roles, and Alex Beard as Senior Client Lead. The firm has also promoted eleven. More
Global insights consultancy Human8 has announced that co-founder Kristof De Wulf is to step down from the CEO role, with Camille Nicita taking over from next Monday. Katherine Ephlin, currently North America Head of Operations, will replace Nicita as MD North America. More
In the US, consumer and employee feedback platform Canvs AI has raised $15m in funding, which it will use to accelerate product development and go-to-market expansion. More
Barcelona-based qual fieldwork specialist Q2Q Global has appointed MR industry veteran Tim Kunkel as Vice President of Client Solutions, based in New York state. More
US-based research logistics company Communications for Research (CFR) has been renamed Qlarity Access. More
In Sorbiers, France, former QualWorld and SODA International employee Karolina Jasek has launched Conwalia, a full service boutique MR agency focused on on the health and wellness sector. More
Texas-based data collection firm Veridata Insights has officially opened an office in Bulgaria, where it has employed remote team members for some time. More
Human insight business One Minute to Midnight has launched a dedicated global quantitative unit called 'One Minute to Midnight & Counting'. More
Ipsos North America has launched an industry-wide initiative called 'The Path', a forum for insights and analytics leaders to share details about their careers and advice to inspire the 'next generation of professionals'. More
Canada-headquartered opinion researcher the Angus Reid Group has appointed long-time Toluna exec Patricia Chapin-Bayley as President, United States. She is based in New York. More
Full service research agency mindline has appointed five former execs from consultancy Happy Thinking People, for its new Berlin-based qual unit mindline explore. More
Kantar Australia has promoted Allan Breiland and Sharon Hilton to serve as Joint Heads of Media Effectiveness. They replace Straford Rodrigues, who is leaving the business at the end of September after more than fourteen years in Australia, the US, the UK and Singapore. More
In New York, former Medefield and Dynata exec Brendan Egan has set up a healthcare fieldwork and sampling firm called Brightside Research Solutions, with targets including patients, healthcare professionals and healthcare B2B stakeholders. More
London-based charity the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) has begun its search for a new Chief Executive Officer, following current CEO Guy Goodwin's announcement that he will be stepping down from his post next May. More
In the US, AI-enhanced knowledge management platform Pryon has raised $100m in a Series B round of investment, which it will use to accelerate company growth, develop its team, and expand into international markets. More
In Idaho, USA, a new proprietary healthcare MR panel has launched. Enos Answers is led by CEO Jason Freeman, former COO of SurveyHealthcare. More
In the UK, healthcare insights company Research Partnership has promoted Andrew Stokes to the newly created role of Chief Commercial Officer. More
Ipsos has appointed former Bureau Veritas Director Caroline Ponsi Khider as Chief Communications and Brand Officer; and Dr Bonnie Bain as Global Head of Healthcare. Bain replaces Michael Spedding, who retires at the end of the year. More
Tugce Bulut and Oliver May, the co-founders of London-based mobile intelligence platform Streetbees, have left the business. The company is now led former Chief Commercial Officer, Vidisha Gaglani, and previous Chief Technology Officer Sean O'Connell. More
Insights-based consulting firm SKIM has opened an office in Paris, France - its fourth location in Europe and tenth worldwide. More
US-based analytics and advisory firm Escalent, formerly Market Strategies International-Morpace, has promoted Arundhati Mehrotra to the role of Executive Vice President of Global Delivery. She is based in India. More
In France, qual healthcare fieldwork specialist QualWorld has launched a new venture called Experts Advice, focused on the recruitment of established healthcare subject-matter experts on behalf of clients including financial institutions and startups. More
The US market for insights and analytics has increased 14.3% in the past year to $71bn, after 16.6% growth last year, according to the 2023 Top 50 report by professional body the Insight Association. More
Leeds, UK-based consumer intelligence firm STRAT7 Researchbods has opened a business unit dedicated to ensuring the integrity of respondents taking part in online quant surveys. More
London MR and CX firm Watermelon Research has spun out a technology-focused operations agency called Calico, billed as a 'one-stop shop' for the operational needs of other insight firms. More
Alchemer, the experience management and enterprise feedback tech company once known as SurveyGizmo, has appointed former Qualtrics and Oracle exec Brandon Hodges as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). More
In the UK, operations support MR business Omnisis has launched a brand called WeThink for its public opinion polling work. More
TRA Labs, the ventures arm of Australian insights firm TRA, has partnered with innovation studio Previously Unavailable to launch Ideally, a platform promising 'fast, affordable and accessible customer insights to help bring great ideas to life'. More
Data, analytics, and insight consultancy MESH Experience has appointed media veteran Brian Jacobs as a Non-Executive Director focused on managing investor relations, as it looks to scale. More
Former MarketCast and Netflix researcher Zoë Friend has joined broadcaster NBCUniversal as EVP of Consumer Insights. More
Consumer purchasing analyst Behaviorally has appointed Brent Snider as Managing Director, Global Business Development. He joins from Maru where he was President & Chief Revenue Officer. More
Corrected: contrary to initial statements by their agents, marcoms network Stagwell has not merged its experience and insights platform Maru into the Harris Poll. The two sister firms are merely collaborating on new tools which will go to market under The Harris Poll brand. More
Automated physical product testing platform Highlight has raised $18m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to accelerate its product roadmap, expand its community of 'Highlighters', and grow its team. More
CX and insights firm Alida and insights platform Discuss have deepened their partnership to extend the former's qualitative research solutions, adding Discuss's moderator capabilities to Alida's managed service offering in its Video Discussions product. More
US market research firm SMARI has appointed former Research Now and Precision Sample Vice President Pat Goodnight as VP of Business Development, a step change for the 40-year-old company which had previously focused on referrals. More
YouGov has fully integrated Australian insights consultancy Faster Horses, and brought it under the YouGov corporate brand, two years after it acquired the business. More
US research and training company Burke Inc. has promoted Tara Marotti to the role of company President, while John Thomas moves into her previous role as Chief Client Officer (CCO). More
In the UK, a group of AI sector specialists are launching a qualitative research analysis chatbot called CoLoop, through which researchers can upload interviews, ask questions and receive referenced answers which instantly link back to verbatim and audio / video evidence. More
Tech analyst Gartner has reported second quarter revenue growth of 10.0%, once adjusted for currency effects. Total revenue hit $1.503 billion, with profits stable (adjusted EBITDA of $384m, down 0.3%). More
Ipsos India has promoted Neha Munshi to the role of Country Lead, Ipsos Digital, with immediate effect. She joined the company as a Research Executive as recently as 2017. More
In the UK, long-time Illuminas exec Julian Adams has launched an agency called De Novo Research, which will aim to 'understand people through the summation of their experiences'. More
In the US, nonpartisan public opinion polling, MR and analytics firm Noble Predictive Insights has appointed election analysis specialist David Byler as Chief of Research. More
UK-based healthcare insights company Research Partnership has appointed Sue Wild as President, US Pharma, while Tom Donnelly joins as a Director in the US MedTech division. Both will be based in the firm's Fort Washington, PA offices. More
In the US, four former execs of new product advisory service Top Box Associates have launched a research agency called Innovate Wisely, focused on new product development. More
UK insight agency Walnut UNLIMITED has named Jane Rudling as its new Managing Director, succeeding Chris Bland. The firm has also appointed two Research Directors - Vanessa Henry to lead its shopper proposition, and Raluca Usery in the Qualitative team. More
In Australia, B2B full-service MR consultancy ACA Research has changed its name to Fifth Quadrant, signifying its commitment to delivering 'genuine insights, contextual understanding, and expert analysis across a broad range of industries and product categories'. More
Tech research and consulting firm Forrester has announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30th, showing total revenue down 8.5% to $135.6m, and for the first half down 8.8% to $249.3m. More
Australia-based research agency Mobile Digital Insights (MDI) has hired former Behaviorally exec Inna Merenkova as Managing Director for Europe, charged with building a standalone MDI Europe business. She is based in London. More
Ipsos has announced results for the second quarter of 2023, returning to very modest organic revenue growth thanks to a strong performance in emerging markets. The group says its business is 'returning to a more usual pattern' after Covid and is on course for a good year. More
Sweden-based eye tracking tech firm Tobii has announced results for the second quarter of the year, with organic revenue growth of 5% to SEK 185m ($US 17.8m), but EBIT still negative and little changed at SEK -48m (-50m a year earlier). More
Total UK marketing budgets appear to be rising again, according to the IPA's quarterly Bellwether Report, but the authors say the rise is driven by record investment in short-term focused sales promotion activity. Views of MR budgets were little changed with slightly more respondents (2.9%) reporting decline than growth. More
UK-based strategic insight and customer analytics group STRAT7 has announced a number of key promotions to support its FY2024 growth strategy and serve global clients: including the promotion of Peter Kneale, currently Group MD of STRAT7 Incite, to a group level role, Strategy Director, STRAT7. More
Rewards and payment solutions specialist Virtual Incentives has partnered with panel management software company Sample Ninja, promising 'effortless' delivery of payouts to panels and communities. More
Asia Pacific-based reputation and policy management specialist Sandpiper Group has launched a Research & Insights company, focused on supporting communications and public affairs practitioners and led by Craig Young as interim Managing Director. More
Ipsos has named Claire Hanlon as ESG Lead (Environmental, Social and corporate Governance) in the US, which it says will reinforce the company's commitment to insights framed by social and environmental considerations. More
London-based insight and analytics group STRAT7 has reported a 48% increase in revenues to $76m for the fiscal year 2023, ended 30th June. This follows US office openings and acquisitions, with US-based clients now accounting for almost half of the group's global revenue. More
Next15's data, MR and advisory company Savanta has expanded to Mexico, where it has appointed recent JD Power exec Erika Alfaro as a Director. The firm has also hired Casey Ford, Carolyn Beschner and Jiachen (Jackie) Zhang as Research Analysts in the USA. More
Brand and marketing insights company Shapiro+Raj has opened a dedicated Technology practice, headed by long-time tech industry researcher Scott Swigart, with support from a team of eight tech-domain researchers. More
Leeds, UK-based consumer intelligence firm STRAT7 Researchbods has opened an office in New York, its first in the US. Former Echo-MR exec Steve Becker joins to help expand the firm's US operations. More
Toronto, Canada-based Dig Insights has appointed former GutCheck CRO Jessica ('Jess') Gaedeke as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO).| More
GfK has entered into an agreement to sell its European Consumer Panel (CP) business to YouGov, as part of its deal to merge with NielsenIQ (NIQ). Terms of the CP sale have not been disclosed. More
In London, Kantar has hired former eBay / Amazon exec Bérengère Chaintreau-Fuchs for the newly created role of Global Panel Director in its Profiles division. More
In London, marketing group MSQ has appointed long-time Kantar exec Eleanor Lloyd-Malcolm as co-Managing Director of its data-driven consultancy, Freemavens. More
UK-based marcoms group UNLIMITED has launched a division called Unlimited B2B, bringing together the specialist strengths of its comms and marketing agencies Nelson Bostock and TMW Business, to helps clients improve conversion through every stage of the buying journey. More
Business support body the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has announced the launch of an Insights Unit, bringing together its existing research portfolio and aiming to develop 'a broader range of polling and analysis services'. More
Brian Gosschalk, former CEO of MORI and Head of the President's Office for Ipsos in Paris, is stepping down after nearly 44 years with the business. He will be consulting for Ipsos during the next six months, after which he plans to get involved with the not-for-profit sector. More
In Australia, professional membership body The Research Society has announced that Julie Regan is retiring from her position as QPR Manager and Managing Editor of the industry body's publication, Research News Live. After nearly twenty years with the organisation, her final day will be July 5th. More
FundMiner, which helps fundraising organizations measure impact, has raised $1.725m with which to fuel company growth. More
Digital transformation consultancy Kin + Carta is launching an innovation hub in Chicago, focused on collaboration and data-driven idea generation. More
US broadcaster Fox Corporation has appointed long-time FOX Sports executive Mike Mulvihill, as President, Insights and Analytics, a new role overseeing the research, analytics and strategic planning teams across FOX Sports, FOX Entertainment and Tubi. More
Ghent, Belgium-based insight consultancy Human8 has announced the appointment of eleven new partners - it now has 36 worldwide. Meanwhile the founders / co-founders of three companies it previously acquired - Join The Dots, Columinate and Direction First - are stepping down. More
In London, citizen engagement platform Commonplace has received an investment of £2.1m from investors led by transatlantic VC firm Beringea, and will use the funds for continued expansion including growth of its client base. More
MrWeb has partnered with insight sector organisation GreenBook, publisher of the GRIT Report and the GreenBook Directory, and organiser of IIEX events, to further expand the reach and appeal of its job board, currently in its 25th year. WIRe (Women in Research) and ESOMAR are already partners. More
Consumer insight consultancy BVA BDRC has promoted Lucy Watts, James Myring and James Bland to MD roles, overseeing the Financial and B2B, Media, and 'On the Move' divisions, respectively. The firm has also promoted Richard Stevenson and Kiran Kuttappa-Gold to its Board. More
Portugal-based media measurement platform Mediaprobe (previously known as MindProber) has appointed former Kynetec exec AJ Johnson as Chief Operating Officer, based in London. More
In the UK, Blue Yonder Research has expanded its Leeds-based R&D insight and product testing facility Sense:Lab, with the addition of three new rooms for qual interviews / focus groups. Sense:Lab can now be booked directly by clients as a standalone facility. More
In India, analytics and insights company Course5 Intelligence has raised a further $53m in funding, which will be added to a mergers and acquisitions (M&A) 'war chest' of around $80m. More
Local marketing solutions company Rio SEO, which is in the process of integrating with MR software firm Forsta, has launched the Local Experience (LX) Platform, an integrated suite of local marketing and customer experience solutions. More
In the US, long-time MR sector exec Andrew Postell and his wife Lisa have launched a company called The Qual Recruiter, specializing in providing both B2B and consumer respondents for qualitative research studies. More
In the US, linguist Fernando Castro has launched a company called New England Language Services, to help market research agencies and strategy consultancies interview and understand multicultural audiences for the brands they serve. More
Nigeria-based MR and strategy firm Pierrine Consulting has officially opened offices in Kenya and Ghana, to support clients in the East and West African regions. More
Portugal-based consumer neuroscience platform MindProber has been renamed Mediaprobe, reflecting what it says are breakthroughs in 'next-gen measurement' across all media. More
In the US, unstructured customer data analysis platform Beehive AI has emerged from stealth mode with a $5.1m seed round of funding, which it will use to 'support rapid growth'. More
Research software and solutions firm Forsta has announced a partnership with automated insight-gathering and sample management platform Cint, to fight survey fraud and improve data quality and security for the MR industry. More
Canada-based holding company Rival Group has promoted Jennifer Reid to the position of co-CEO, alongside her brother Andrew Reid. More
Ghent, Belgium-based consumer insight provider Human8, until recently known as InSites Consulting, has partnered with Japan-based SevenSeas Marketing Research, to help the latter develop communities for its clients in Japan. More
German trade show Succeet is moving from Munich to a new location: the RMCC (RheinMain Congress Center) in Wiesbaden, located in the greater Frankfurt area. The event will take place on 25 and 26 October. More
In the UK, Aspect Viewing Facilities is returning to the centre of Manchester with the opening of a new facility next month. The company has run just one facility, in Stockport, for the past two years but says the 'time is right' for a city centre presence again. More
US-based Groopit, which helps clients crowdsource insights from employees, has raised $3.5m in a seed funding round, which it will use for continued product innovation. More
In India, analytics and insights company Course5 Intelligence has raised $28m in a round of funding, which it will use to ramp up its investments in innovation and advanced AI technology including deep learning, computer vision, natural language and generative AI. More
Former Illuminas MD Frank Ma has launched a qualitative research business called One16 in Singapore, focusing on market / user exploratory studies, concept testing, post-launch tracking and UX research. More
Global trade association ESOMAR is to lose the services of CEO Parves Khan, who has announced she will leave at the end of June, and will focus on charitable and non-exec work before taking up a new as-yet unannounced role. She will also join a new ESOMAR AI Taskforce. More
In London, long-time Kantar marketer Ralph Risk has launched a consultancy called R.R. Marketing, offering expertise in marketing strategy, digital, events promotion, public relations and marketing communications. More
Africa-based MR and strategy firm Pierrine Consulting has launched a Development Studies division in Lagos, Nigeria, to help clients understand the social, economic and political dynamics that shape communities and impact development outcomes. More
Ghent, Belgium-based behavioural research specialist EyeSee has promoted Joris De Bruyne to the position of Chief Executive Officer, succeeding founder Olivier Tilleuil who has moved to a Board position. More
US research and training company Burke Inc. has promoted Ken Strunk to the role of COO, responsible for all research operations, ensuring the talent and resources across the organization are aligned to match client and business needs. More
SurveyMonkey parent Momentive has reported a GAAP loss of $23.8m in its first quarter, improving on a loss of $35.0m in the same period last year. Revenue was up 2% to $118.8m, from $116.9m in 2022 Q1. More
In the US, AI-based employee experience (EX) platform Simpplr has raised $70m in a Series D round of funding, which will be invested in company growth and platform expansion. More
US-based tech research and consulting firm Gartner has reported an 11.6% increase in first quarter revenues to $1.4 billion, up 14.3% excluding the impact of foreign exchange. In the key Research division, revenue rose 7.1% on a reported basis to $1.2 billion (or 9.5% FX neutral). More
In the UK, data collection provider Prevision Research has launched an omnibus service called Trade Tracker, offering access to data on tradespeople such as builders, decorators, electricians, plumbers, handymen and roofers. More
Kantar has launched an 'always-on' brand performance tracker called BrandNow, delivering daily benchmarks and short-term forecasts for 25 product and service categories. The solution is initially available for tracking US and UK markets. More
US-based panel and sample firm Full Circle Research has hired long-time Dynata exec Gabe Dworet as its first Chief Revenue Officer. More
Munich-based UX software crowdtesting firm Testbirds has received an undisclosed seven-figure amount of revenue-based loan investment from Round2 Capital, and will use the money to expand its customer base. More
Sky Group's Chief Business Officer Patrick Béhar is joining Kantar Media in September as Global Chief Executive. He will take over from Chris Allen, who has led the exec team since 2022 and will now focus exclusively on his role as Global CFO. More
In the US, AI-powered B2B insights agency NewtonX has appointed tech industry exec Tim Bruno as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). More
In London, research and strategy consultancy MTM has appointed Jonathan Stone as Director and Head of its Technology & Telco practice; Becky Ferguson as Director and Head of the Media & Advertising practice; and Michael Thompson for the newly created role of Head of UX Research. More
UK-based consumer intelligence platform QuMind has appointed Ian Ralph as Head of Research, with responsibility for building a Centre of Excellence for MR and insight techniques. More
System1 shareholders have voted to keep Non-Executive Chairman Rupert Howell and founder and Executive President John Kearon in their existing roles, following demands for change by two former company execs. More
Following the news that it filed for bankruptcy in February, US-based ad tech and data company Big Village has sold its Insights and Agency business units to holding company Bright Mountain Media for approximately $20m. More
Independent UK organisation The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) has appointed Kris Hicks to serve as its new Executive Director for Diversification and Development, starting in May. More
Ipsos has reported a 2.9% drop in Q1 revenues to EUR 532m, with organic decline of 2.8%. The firm had said when presenting its 2022 annual results that it anticipated a 'tougher first quarter'. The total is still 26% up on the figure for Q1 2019, pre-Covid, and Ipsos says it expects annual growth of c.5%. More
In the UK, social impact measurement and monitoring platform Social Value Portal (SVP), has raised £8.5m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to launch a Social Value Academy to help educate business leaders and embed social value into business decision making and delivery. More
Consumer insight provider Human8, until recently known as InSites Consulting, has expanded its services to the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region, where Senior Business Director Kurt Thompson will lead activies from Dubai, UAE. More
MR and analytics company FactWorks has promoted Anchal Chhabra to the role of co-Chief Executive Officer at its office in San Francisco. She will work alongside current CEO and company owner Axel Bichler. More
YouGov has appointed Meta Platforms exec Steve Hatch as Chief Executive Officer from 1st August. He will take over from co-founder Stephan Shakespeare, who will become Non-Executive Chair, replacing Roger Parry. More
Market intelligence platform AlphaSense has raised $100m as an add-on to its 2022 $225m Series D financing round, which it will use for continued deployment of advanced AI capabilities that speed up the research process for business and financial professionals; and for acquisitions. More
Apollo Intelligence, which provides data and insights to the healthcare and life science industries, has appointed Kelley Schudy as Chief Global Commercial Officer, while Chris Mars joins as EVP of Sales for its InCrowd subsidiary. More
New York-based market intelligence platform Native AI has raised $3.5m in a seed funding round, to expand its services helping brands to digitally clone their target customers into test groups, ask them questions and instantly get actionable recommendations. More
In New York, membership association the PR Council (PRC) has signed a deal with real-time insights provider Glimpse, allowing members to create and run general population studies using the firm's self-service platform. More
In Australia, insight-driven marketing group Illuminera has sold its financial services (FS) behaviour profiles dataset DBM Atlas to FS sector insights specialist RFI Global, for an undisclosed sum. Following the sale, Illuminera is bringing together its DBM Social and 3arc divisions. More
Ipsos is planning to add two new members to its Board of Directors - Àngels Martín Muñoz, currently General Manager for Olympics at Atos; and Florence Parly, former Minister of the French Army. Their appointment is subject to a vote at the firm's AGM on 15th May. More
Ben Leet has stepped down as CEO of UK-based insights and data firm Delineate, with former CEO and company founder James 'JT' Turner resuming the role. More
Marketing and communications agency Allison+Partners has launched a multicultural marketing offering called M365, comprising a team with expertise in 'ensuring diverse consumer groups are seen, heard and valued every day of the year'. More
In the US, Ipsos has partnered with video feedback platform Discuss to enhance its offering in live virtual feedback and fast online qual, among other areas. More
Canadian polling, MR and strategy firm Leger has promoted Dave Scholz to the role of Chief Strategy Officer, Sandie Sparkman to Chief Growth Officer, and Steve Perrone to Chief Technology Officer. The three now sit on the company's executive Board. More
Market and customer research company Vision One has launched an Advanced Research Unit (ARU), staffed by neuromarketing and insight specialists. The new team will focus on understanding the conscious and unconscious decisions and motivations driving consumer purchasing behaviour. More
In New York, marketing intelligence and analysis firm Advertiser Perceptions has appointed long-time Thomsons Reuters exec Josh Becker as Chief Financial Officer. More
Global insight and data membership organisation ESOMAR has elected Ray Poynter as its 2023-2024 Council President, replacing Kristin Luck of ScaleHouse, who has completed her two-year term. More
In New York, data-led creative agency Formerly Knowns As (FKA) has appointed Linsey Loy as Chief Growth Officer. More
Consumer and B2B agency 2CV has promoted Karine Pepin to SVP and Head of Quant, and Amy Spencer to SVP and Head of Qual. The pair are based in San Francisco, and now jointly lead the firm's US offices. More
Consumer insight provider InSites Consulting has changed its name to Human8, defining itself as a 'human-driven consultancy, connecting brands with people and culture to drive positive change'. More
Armenian product testing and validation platform Prelaunch.com has secured $1.5 million in seed funding, and says it will use the funds to expand in the US and elsewhere, and to develop its product. More
Online panel provider Intra Research has expanded into eighteen new territories, bringing the total number of European countries it covers to 34. More
Bidding is open now for the annual auction run by UK industry charity the Market Research Benevolent Association (MRBA). The event will run until 9pm on Thursday 23rd March. More
In New York, Ipsos' brand and marketing advisory unit Strategy3 has promoted Philip Ryan to the role of US Managing Partner, and Service Line Head. More
Global agency Ipsos has appointed Richie Jones as its new Chief Client Officer in the UK. More
Qual data collection software firm itracks has partnered with Lumivero, the developers of qual data analysis software NVivo, aimed at streamlining the qual research process and bringing the two parts more seamlessly together. More
In New York, former Qualtrics exec Kimberly Bastoni has joined consumer insights tech firm Suzy as its first Chief Revenue Officer. More
China-based fieldwork and research agency Holden Healthcare has established a partnership alliance called the Asia Physician Panel Association (APPA), aiming to enhance physician panel access across APAC, inclusive of difficult to access markets. More
Jon Priest, SPA co-founder and former CEO of Future Thinking, has joined the Board of full service social and market research agency IFF Research, in the role of Non-Executive Chair. More
US-based International data collection and research tech company Schlesinger Group has been re-branded as 'Sago', which Executive Chairman Steve Schlesinger says is not merely a name change, but also a commitment to an 'inspiring new chapter' in optimizing the firm's offerings. More
In London, creative and technology company MSQ has hired Anna-Lee Bridgstock - formerly Director of Data, Intelligence and Planning at social media publisher LADbible - for the new role of Partner of Analytics & Insight in its Freemavens division. More
MrWeb's RAIDAR real-time ranking of top companies operating in analytics, insight and data is now fully operational, and you'll see financial results, CEO changes and other items from tonight's Daily Research News reflected in tomorrow's top 40. More
Customer and employee experience specialist Medallia has appointed Joe Tyrrell as CEO, replacing Leslie Stretch who is retiring and transitioning into an advisory role at the company. More
Savanta has promoted Danielle Rodriguez to Chief Commercial Officer and Mark Martins to Chief Services Officer, both with seats on the firm's global Board and both retaining existing roles and responsibilities in addition. More
In Toronto, Canada, opinion researcher the Angus Reid Group has appointed Andrew Grenville as Executive Vice President of Research. More
Verve, which focuses on culture, communities and 'smart digital research', has launched a 'hub' in Melbourne, Australia and appointed Christina Tonkes to lead it as Senior Director. Meanwhile Mirjam Grari joins the team in Sydney. More
Toronto, Canada-based custom MR provider Research Strategy Group (RSG) has appointed former MRS and AURA Chairman and veteran client-side researcher Danny Russell as its first Non-Executive Director, helping MDs Anne Coulter and Jim Peterson grow the business. More
BritainThinks and its subsidiary WorldThinks have combined under a single brand, Thinks Insight & Strategy, which the firm says better reflects the global nature of its business and that of its clients. More
Tim Urmston, the founder and President of US-based qualitative insights and innovation consultancy SEEK Company, is to retire at the end of March, when Courtney PeGan will take over the role. More
Non-profit organization Women In Research (WIRe) has appointed four members to its 2023 Advisory Board - Jo Brockhurst, Shazia Ginai, Damon Jones and Cherie Leonard. More
US research and training company Burke, Inc. has promoted Mike Webster for the newly created position of Chief Technology Officer, after more than 28 years with the business. More
BVA BDRC subsidiary Alligator Digital has named Paul Russell Managing Director. He is already MD of sister company Perspective Research Services. More
Communities specialist InSites Consulting has announced an expansion of its Executive Committee and the appointment of a first Chief Growth Officer - Managing Partner Tom De Ruyck. More
Consumer and sensory research agency MMR Research Worldwide has announced the opening of a facility in Wokingham, Berkshire, designed to help FMCG firms improve their pack and product experience. More
SurveyMonkey parent Momentive has reported revenue up 8% to $480.9m for full year 2022. The rise is the net effect of rapid growth in the 'sales-assisted' segment - up 27% to $181.3m - while self-serve business remained flat at $299.6m. However the firm says it will also cut 14% of its workforce. More
MR consultancy Reach3 Insights has teamed up with The Keller Advisory Group on a new solution offering marketers early-stage consumer feedback on the potential impact of experiential brand activations. More
Ipsos has reported 2022 annual revenue up 12% to EUR 2.4 bn, representing organic growth of 5.6%. In the final quarter of the year, the business grew by 8.8%, including nearly 4% organic growth. More
In the US, data collection company Rep Data has promoted Ryan Rothe to the role of Chief Revenue Officer, to lead revenue-generating activities including new business development, client relations, marketing, and RevOps. More
Netherlands-based full-service agency MWM2 has appointed former GfK and Nielsen exec Andy Hut as Managing Director, replacing Govert van den Bos who will now focus on growing the MWM2 group. The Group also includes PR agency Hibou, Crowdtech and Innervoice. More
In the US, research and advisory firm Forrester Research has reported a loss of $1.6m for the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to a profit of $8.0m for the same period a year earlier. Q4 revenue rose 2.4% to $136.9m, and over the whole of 2022 revenue was up 9% to $537.8m. More
In Bangkok, qual research and cultural insights specialist FUEL Research & Consulting has been renamed FUEL Asia, reflecting its growing presence and workload across the continent. More
In the US, three former execs of Hall & Partners and Basis Health - Nicola Harte, Scott Kressner and Soumya Roy - have opened a healthcare-focused insights business called Integro. More
Media conglomerate News Corp Australia has launched a research and intelligence service called The Growth D_Stillery, offering consumer insights to help marketers meet brand challenges, anticipate consumer trends and understand where best to invest. More
In the US, experience platform Discuss has appointed former Pollfish CFO Jeff Tagliabue as Chief Financial Officer. More
In the US, Kristin Masoud has returned to online community specialist C Space as Vice President, Managing Director of its Health division. She replaces Corey Schwartz, who had held the role for the past nine years. More
US-based tech research and consulting firm Gartner has reported Q4 2022 revenue of $1.5 bn - up 15% reported, or 20% on a constant currency basis. The largest division, Research, saw revenues up 9% on a reported basis to $1.18 bn, up 13% at constant currency. More
London-based immersive product shopping platform Situ Live has raised £1m in an investment round, which it will use to further develop its technology and increase sales and marketing activity. More
India-based emotion AI tech firm Entropik has raised $25m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to expand its footprint across the US, Europe and Asian markets. More
Portuguese consumer neuroscience-based media research platform MindProber has appointed former Oracle Moat Product Head Irina Dzyubinsky as Chief Product Officer. More
London-based strategic insight consultancy Firefish has appointed Richard Owen as Group Head of Innovation, with a seat on its Board. More
Enterprise tech company Syncfusion has added its business data analysis tool Bold BI to the SurveyMonkey App Directory, enabling users to import data from SurveyMonkey to create, customize and share business dashboards. More
In London, agencies See Research and Sherbert Research have partnered to combine See's global MR operations with Sherbert's specialism in kids, youth and family research. More
In the US, Ipsos has named long-time company exec Lindsay Franke as President and Service Line Cluster Lead for North America. More
Australian market research technology platform Glow has opened an office in the US, where Chrissy Brogan has been hired for the newly created role of Director of Market Development. The firm has also made appointments and promotions at its headquarters. More
In the UK two former employees of qual firm The Sound, James McLintock and Stuart Knapman, have founded a network called the Future Studio, comprising nine independent insight, strategy and innovation specialists who are already working with agencies and clients in the UK, US and LATAM. More
In Australia, omnichannel attention measurement company Amplified Intelligence has opened an office in Sydney, where it has named Daniel Lyas Vice President, Customer Success. More
London-based insight and strategy consultancy BritainThinks has appointed former Kantar exec Max Mawby, to establish a Behavioural Science team that complements its existing insight, communications and engagement offering. More
Behavioural science research and consulting agency PRS IN VIVO, in collaboration with sister agency BVA BDRC, is expanding its services in the APAC region, through the opening of a new office in Australia. More
Manchester, UK-based mobile device data firm RealityMine has announced a formal partnership with a long-time collaborator, panel recruitment and data sourcing specialist Amplify MR, offering clients global private community and panel access. More
New York-based Cypris, a market intelligence platform built for R&D and innovation teams, has raised $4m in a Series A round of funding, which it will invest in AI applications designed to help decrease 'time to insights' for users, and to create new opportunities for innovation discovery. More
Portugal-based media research platform MindProber has appointed former Formula E media exec Sebastian Tiffert as Vice President of Client Development, charged with driving its expansion in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. He is based in London. More
In the UK, consumer insight consultancy BVA BDRC has appointed Matt Costin as Chief Executive Officer, replacing co-founder Cris Tarrant who takes the position of Chairman. Meanwhile Caroline Ahmed has been named Chief Commercial Officer. More
In the US, behavioral science and MR consultancy Protobrand has appointed former employee Pal Marton Afzelius to Chief Executive Officer, taking over from founder and Chairman Anders Bengtsson. More
US-based MR industry change management consultancy Cambiar has appointed Kahren Kersten as an Equity Partner, thereby expanding its offer to include UX, design and innovation agencies and functions. More
UK market research budgets continued to contract during the final three months of last year, according to the latest IPA Bellwether Report. Total marketing budgets grew during the period however, despite expectations that the economy had entered a recession. More
Southeast Asia-based qual and quant marketing intelligence and online panel service provider Divergent Insights has opened an office in Vietnam, where it has appointed Nguyen Cong Nhu Thuong as Head of Business Development and Operations. More
In Melbourne, purpose-driven communications agency Think HQ has appointed former Bank of Australia strategy leader Fiona Nixon as Head of Strategy and Research. More
As of today, you can filter MrWeb's recently-launched real-time ranking of top companies providing MR, insights, data and analytics activities, to include just one type (eg Full Service) or one headquarters country. Another ten firms have been assessed and added, making it a top 40. More
Gary Maag, CEO of market intelligence company Proactive Worldwide (PWW), has retired from the company he co-founded 27 years ago with David Kalinowski. More
Kantar has appointed Cheong Tai Leung as Chief Executive Officer of its Insights Asia Pacific business. She is based in Singapore and takes over from Wayne Levings, who will now focus exclusively on his role as Kantar's Chief Client Officer. More
UK-based healthcare insights company Research Partnership has appointed Gareth Phillips as its new CEO, as co-founding Directors Mary Assimakopoulos and Mark Jeffery step back from the day-to-day operation of the business. They remain on the senior team as advisors. More
Ipsos has announced two appointments to its global Executive Committee: Valerie Vezinhet as Chief People Officer and Michel Guidi as Chief Operating Officer. More
A judge in Amsterdam has ruled that ESOMAR's election misconduct allegations against its former CEO found 'no support in the facts whatsoever', and the organisation has written to members to say as much. More
Purchasing behavior specialist Behaviorally has hired Gustavo Alvarez to launch a Latin American hub in Mexico City. More
That's it for another year from DRNO - our next issue will be for January 3rd 2023. Our very best wishes for a Merry Christmas to all those of you celebrating it, a Happy New Year to all readers, and a big Thank You as ever for your support and feedback in 2022. More
Today we're launching RAIDAR. Like an industry top 30 companies list, but instead of publishing it once a year, we'll update it every day based on yesterday's DRNO stories and other company data; show our workings; include companies never before considered; and allow sorting by a long list of criteria. More
In the US, survey participant recruitment firm User Interviews has raised $27.5m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to continue building targeted solutions. More
Toronto-based physician insights and engagement platform KeyOps has raised CAD $4m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to fuel expansion in the US, while growing its physician network across North America. More
Automated consumer insights platform Zappi has raised $170m in growth capital, which it will use to expand data sets across new markets, verticals and categories; power its platform innovation with emerging technologies; and continue expanding its team globally. More
Melbourne, Australia-based in-the-moment researcher Mobile Digital Insights (MDI) has opened a new office in Kenya, and has appointed Agnes Odongo as Research Consultant East Africa. More
London-based customer insights and analytics platform Chattermill has raised $26m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to support its expansion in the US and Europe, and develop its partner network worldwide. More
In the US, full service shopper behavior specialist Alter Agents has appointed Heather O'Shea as Chief Research Officer, and Casey Willard as Chief Analytics Officer, while promoting Eddie Francis to the role of Chief Operating Officer. More
In the UK, the Market Research Society (MRS) has given both its new Sustainability Research Award and this year's Liz Nelson Grand Prix Award to The Behavioural Architects and New South Wales Department of Planning & Environment, for work which resulted in an increase in tree planting in Sydney. More
Insights and CX platform DISQO has appointed Scott Henderson, a Salesforce veteran of more than twenty years, as its new Chief Financial Officer. More
Next15's data, MR and advisory group Savanta has merged four previously acquired companies - ComRes, MSI, YouthSight and MindSpark - under the Savanta brand name. More
Insight firm MetrixLab has opened an office in the Philippines, and has appointed Bernadette Verde as Senior Client Director, based in it. More
Continuing our month-long focus on Data Visualization Sandro Kaulartz, Chief Innovation and Product Development Officer at Ipsos Social Intelligence, talks to MrWeb's Nick Thomas about Topic Modelling, data hybridization and the democratization of data science. Available to read or watch. More
UK insight agency Walnut Unlimited has launched a division called Walnut Social Research, bringing together public sector and social researchers previously operating under the ICM Unlimited brand name, which has now been retired. More
Kids, teens, parents and family market intelligence provider The Insights Family has appointed Clive Maudsley as Managing Director, replacing Will Pearce, who had held the position for less than a year. Meanwhile founder Nick Richardson is stepping down from as CEO to focus on specific areas. More
Culture, community panels and smart digital research specialist Verve has opened a Social Intelligence hub in Brighton, on the south coast of the UK, and a Communities hub in Toronto, Canada. More
Stagwell Group's global insights and strategy firm National Research Group (NRG) has appointed Sushma Panchawati as Senior Vice President, Content & Strategy, overseeing the firm's presence in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. She is based in Singapore. More
Global online communities specialist InSites Consulting has appointed Els De Paepe as Chief People Officer (CPO). She succeeds former Join the Dots CEO Quentin Ashby, who has moved to the role of Global Head of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance). More
Netherlands-based full service agency DVJ Insights has opened an office in Helsingborg, Sweden, servicing global and local clients in the Nordic region and led by Client Consultants Pontus Egnér and Henrik Dieden. More
Chicago-based QualSights has raised $7.7m in Series A funding, earmarked for recruitment, expansion of sales and marketing functions, and investment in R&D. The Board of the rapidly-growing company now includes Mitch Barns and Gian Fulgoni. More
In Australia, former Kantar and Hall & Partners exec Steven Howlett has joined independent marketing and communications agency Bastion as MD of its Bastion Insights division, based in Melbourne. More
Consumer sensory insights specialist MMR Research has opened a new 'ASEAN sensory hub' facility in the Pasir Panjang area of Singapore. More
In New Orleans, full-service data collection firm Rep Data has announced the closing of a $6.25m Series A round of funding, and says it will continue the rapid expansion of its team. More
US-based company Vizit, which captures consumers' interactions with online commercial imagery to generate models of their visual preferences, has raised $10m in a Series A round of funding. More
Ed Keller, co-founder of consumer conversation specialist Keller Fay Group, is joining non-profit MR educational institute the MRII (Market Research Institute International) as Executive Director, effective from Monday (November 14th). More
International data collection and research tech company Schlesinger Group has hired former Kantar Americas CEO Reed Cundiff as Chief Executive Officer, following Steve Schlesinger's move into the role of Executive Chairman. Meanwhile Isaac Rogers becomes company President. More
In Australia, research and brand strategy consultancy Pollinate has launched a Sustainability division, to help organisations understand society's expectations in the area, and adjust business goals to meet shifting demand. More
Insights provider MetrixLab says it is trialling a methodology allowing respondents to answer survey questionnaires using voice recordings. More
Analytics firm Escalent has acquired commercial vehicle and off-highway powertrain data provider Rhein Associates, for an undisclosed sum. Together with a partnership with Work Truck Solutions, Escalent will expand its existing Commercial Vehicle and Fleet Research practice. More
Online community specialist C Space has appointed Iraisa Jones as Global Chief People Officer (CPO), replacing Phil Burgess who has left after eleven years to start a new venture. More
SurveyMonkey owner Momentive has reported a net loss of $20.3m during the third quarter, down from $22.9m a year earlier, while revenue rose 6% to $121.4m. More
In Australia, research and brand strategy consultancy Pollinate has opened new offices in two state capitals, Brisbane and Adelaide. More
In the US, Suffolk University's Sawyer Business School has integrated iMotions' biosensor research platform to launch an on-campus human behavior lab called X-Lab, which is dedicated to advancing academic research and integrating it into the school's curriculum. More
ESOMAR has announced the election of Nikki Lavoie as its 2023-2024 Council President, replacing Kristin Luck who has completed her two-year term and will now serve an additional two years in an ex-officio capacity. MindSpark founder Lavoie is currently Council Vice President. More
Kantar has hired Barbara Yacuzzi as Chief Financial Officer, Americas, while for North America, Paul Evers has been named Chief Client Officer; Henry Tam, EVP Sales; David Boyd COO; and James Potter, Chief Brand Solutions Officer. More
Manchester, UK-based consumer insights business Vypr has raised an additional £3.4m, which it will use to scale its product intelligence platform and consumer app, and invest in its commercial and product teams. More
Neuro-Insight Chief Executive Shazia Ginai is moving on from the role next month to become Chief Growth Officer at fast-expanding research platform Catalyx More
Dynata has appointed a new Chief Executive: former Dodge Data and Analytics head Mike Petrullo replaces longstanding leader Gary S. Laben. More
Community engagement platform OpenWeb has announced $170m in Series F funding, valuing the company at around $1.5 billion. More
Ipsos has reported a 14.3% increase in reported third quarter revenue, to EUR 601.5m from EUR 526.3m a year earlier. Organic revenue growth was 5.3%, while 8.0% resulted from currency effects. More
In the UK, Ipsos has appointed Nathan Bransden as Director of Strategy and Advisory, a new policy consultancy within the group's Public Affairs division. More
Ipsos has moved Hamish Munro into the position of APAC Chief Executive Officer, replacing Christophe Cambournac who will move into a global role with the business. Additionally, South East Asia CEO Suresh Ramalingam has been named Chief Client Officer for the APAC region. More
In the US, game analytics platform ByteBrew has raised $4m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to create new technologies for developers, and to expand its team. More
Digital Technology Advisory Group (DTAG), the former Cello Health unit recently sold to a private equity firm, has announced an investment in brand sustainability insights specialist Citizen Good Consulting. More
London-based strategic insight consultancy Rainmakers CSI has announced new hires including Megan Bateman as a Consultant, and Diellza Osmanaj and Sonny Dewhurst as Associate Consultants; and has promoted George Randell and Chris Tough to Senior Consultant roles. More
SurveyMonkey owner Momentive Global Inc has been approached regarding a possible sale and is discussing its options with advisors, according to Bloomberg. More
Ipsos has promoted twenty-year company veteran Lauren Demar to Chief Sustainability Officer and Global Head of ESG. More
SurveyMonkey parent company Momentive has made 11% of its workforce redundant, as part of what it calls a restructuring plan to improve operating margins and improve efficiency. More
The shareholders of northern European research firms RAIT, Dive and Intra have agreed to move the companies under a new holding company called STATCO. Ownership and branding of the individual businesses will remain unchanged. More
Insights group MetrixLab is opening a second UK office, in Manchester, and appointed three people to work in it: Cecily Crawley joins as a Team Lead and Richard Lomax as an AD, while recent joiner Sam Smith will move from remote working. Three more positions are being recruited. More
Kantar has launched its Sustainable Transformation Practice in New Zealand, led by Executive Director Jason Cate. More
London-based in-product research platform Ribbon has raised £2.6m in a seed round of funding, for use in continuing to build out its technology and grow its team. More
US-based Notably, which helps teams collect, analyze and share qualitative research, has raised $1.5m in an investment round. Funds will boost engineering, machine learning capabilities and overall company growth. More
Canadian polling, MR and strategy firm Leger has acquired a minority stake in Cube, which specializes in user experience (UX) and consumer neuroscience. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Kantar has appointed Steve Silvers to lead its newly combined Creative & Media Solutions business, with responsibility for growth strategy and product innovation for the division. He is based in the US. More
London-based design research agency The Big Picture (TBP) has promoted Chris Aukett and Laura Pereira to serve as Joint Managing Directors. Former MD John Cassidy becomes company Chairman. More
US entrepreneurs Alex Shamir, Jordan Shamir and Andrew Stetsenko have launched a platform called Yofi, to help brands and retailers understand their 'actual' customers, their motivations, and the best way to interact with them. The team has raised $1.5m in a pre-seed round of funding. More
In the US, consumer research and strategy consultancy Bastion Insights has appointed long-time Hall & Partners' exec Joanna Fanuele as Chief Executive Officer. She replaces outgoing CEO Chris Hubble, who founded the agency in 2009. More
Stockholm, Sweden-based brand tracking and consumer science specialist Nepa has announced that its Chief Financial Officer, Ann-Christine Fick, has resigned for 'personal reasons'. Fick will remain at the company until December, and a search for her replacement has commenced. More
US-headquartered shopper and digital marketing consultancy Behaviorally has opened a hub in Dubai, where it has appointed former Nielsen MD Abhik Gupta as a Consultant. More
In the US, shopper experience consultancy Searchspring has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from equity firm PSG, which it will use to expand its product innovation and for go-to-market expansion - both across the US and internationally. More
Cultural insights and strategy consultancy Crowd DNA has opened an office in Los Angeles, headed by recently appointed David Stewart. The firm has also hired Hina Hussain as Head of Agency in New York, and Radha Patel as a Director in Singapore. More
In the US, HR analytics dashboard Employee Cycle has closed a $2.5m seed round of financing, which it will use to support the development and launch of its Employee Data Platform (EDP), and to hire for its sales, marketing and engineering departments. More
Long-time Kantar group CEO Eric Salama has been appointed as Global Chair of recently divested unit Kantar Public. More
Ipsos has appointed 24-year company veteran Jean-Michel Mabon in the role of Head of Mergers and Acquisitions, responsible for overseeing buys in connection with a growth plan the group announced in June. More
In San Francisco, user experience (UX) research firm AnswerLab has raised an undisclosed sum of funding from media, entertainment and comms investor Shamrock Capital. The investment will drive the continued growth and expansion of AnswerLab's service and team. More
Dublin, Ireland-based research agency Behaviour & Attitudes (B&A) has hired former RDSi director Davina O'Donoghue as a full-time Board Director. More
In the US, marcoms network Stagwell has launched a Risk and Reputation business unit, to help business leaders audit the issues most important to their stakeholders, develop proactive and reactive strategies, and monitor and measure the impact of positions on business reputation. More
Automated insights platform Zappi has hired MRS Board Chair Sinéad Jefferies for a newly created role with a global remit, Senior Vice President of Customer Transformation. More
In New York, crypto market intelligence provider Messari has raised $35m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to expand its team and continue to develop offerings such as its newly launched Protocol Metrics and Data Apps. More
In New York, people analytics platform Knoetic has raised $36m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to hire for its Product, Engineering, and go-to-market teams. More
UK-based text analytics software firm Relative Insight has opened an office in Philadelphia - its second location in the US. More
In the UK, full-service agency IFF Research has appointed Hilary Burkitt, Sarah Cheesbrough, Daniel Pearmain and Jagjit Dosanjh-Elton as Directors in its London office. Dosanjh-Elton has been named the company's first Chief Financial Officer. More
In Canada, spatial analytics platform Cognitive3D has raised $2.5m in a seed funding round, and says it will double headcount during the next eighteen months. More
Nielsen has partnered with healthcare audiences provider Swoop, auto insights specialist Polk, and ad and MarTech company Epsilon to expand its audiences portfolio, which includes its Audience Planner and Advanced Audience Posting tools. More
Shopper and digital marketing consultancy Behaviorally has opened an office in Hanoi, Vietnam, and appointed Tomas Emmers there as Vice President. More
Online survey and research services firm QuestionPro has expanded to Japan with the opening of a Tokyo office, and appointed MR veteran Satoshi Komatsuzaki to lead it as Country Director. More
Agriculture and animal health specialist Kynetec has appointed a CTO, Vadim Dolt, based in Dallas, Texas. More
Analytics and insight company MESH Experience has announced the launch of a global center of best practice, to be known as MESHtopia, and led by Global MD Dana DiGregorio and Data Quality Manager Martin Daniel. More
In London, B2B marketing specialist alan. has announced the launch of a research division called Integrated Intelligence, which it says aims 'to fundamentally change how B2B marketers understand their industries'. Josh Cohen and Emilie Pirson will lead the new unit. More
London-based full service consumer and B2B MR agency Sapio Research is moving to its fourth new home in just six years, this time in Borough, near London Bridge. More
Melbourne, Australia-based specialist market research employment agency Flow Recruitment has expanded to Sydney, where it has appointed Amanda Cotesworth as Associate Director. More
Australia-based consumer data company Pureprofile has moved its London office to a larger space in Shoreditch, after making 21 new hires and promoting ten members of its UK team. More
Full-service business-to-business research provider B2B International has launched a new team in Frankfurt, where it has appointed long-time Kantar exec Bernd Büchner as 'Head of Germany'. More
Fieldwork recruiting services provider Field Scope International has opened an office in South Africa, its second base on the continent. More
Kantar has announced unaudited results for the first half of 2022, with 'gross revenue' up 5% (at constant currency rates) to $1.832bn and adjusted EBITDA up 6% to $310m. Unadjusted, revenue was down 1.8% to $1.566bn, while one-off events contributed to an operating loss of $88m. More
Purple Strategies, a corporate reputation firm based in Alexandria, Virginia, has completed a growth recapitalization with Boston-based private equity firm WestView Capital Partners. Purple combines full-service research capabilities with political / campaign strategy and execution. More
Gary Bennewies, CEO of Ipsos Canada, has announced his retirement after nearly four decades with the company. From September 1st Cynthia Pachovski, President, Market Strategy and Understanding (MSU) for Canada, will replace Bennewies on an interim basis while a new CEO is selected. More
New York-based ad agency XenoPsi and London-based behavioral science-led marketing agency Astroten have launched the Consumer Behavior Lab (CBL), promising to improve the effectiveness of clients' marketing messages and the channels where they are placed. More
In the US, personalized video content creation platform VidMob has raised $110m in a Series D round, which will fund continued investment in sales and marketing, accelerated platform development, and expansion of the firm's global footprint. More
In the UK, parcel delivery giant Evri, which was previously known as Hermes, has hired MoneySuperMarket's former Chief Data Scientist Harvinder Atwal for a newly created role, Chief Data Officer. He is based in London. More
Agriculture and animal health specialist Kynetec has promoted Colin Siren to the role of Chief Operating Officer for Animal Health. He replaces Jeff Gaidos, who is taking a step back from the business, but will continue on a part-time consultancy basis. More
In the UK, fast fashion retailer Primark has hired former Tesco brand leader Michelle McEttrick for the newly created role of Chief Customer Officer, with overall responsibility for marketing and customer communications, customer insight, and sustainability strategy. She will join on 19th September. More
Germany and US-based MR tech provider quantilope has moved its London office to a larger space, following a one third growth in its UK-based headcount during the past six months. More
A group of five consultancies have come together to launch an initiative called Diversity Unlimited, aiming to encourage corporates to buy research, analytics and insight solutions from diverse-owned businesses. More
US-based automated employee experience and customer experience platform Aisera has raised $90m in a Series D round of funding, which it will use to accelerate expansion and its global growth and go-to-market strategy.` More
In the UK, long-time healthcare sector researcher Hannah Osborn has launched an agency called Pure Healthcare Strategy, providing clients with bespoke life sciences marketing intelligence and strategic advice. More
Growing Bath / Bristol-based market and social research agency Blue Marble has promoted Tom Clarkson to be its first Managing Director. More
Almost two thirds (64%) of MR and social research agencies across Europe participating in trade body federation EFAMRO's 'Moodindicator' survey believe research revenues will increase in the next year. More
Australian insight consultancy Fiftyfive5 has appointed former Kadence MD Phil Steggals as Head of Consulting for the APAC region. He is based in Singapore. More
Raymond Lo, the co-founder of boutique MR consultancy Picnic Customer Intelligence, is relocating from Singapore to set up an office in Sydney, Australia later this month. More
In India, strategy consulting firm Oncofocus Solutions has spun off its primary market research unit into a separate business within the group, called decodeMR. More
London-based strategic insight agency Truth Consulting has launched an office in South Africa, where it has appointed former Kantar exec Lee Appleton as Director to drive the growth of the business. More
Australian market research technology platform Glow has rolled out its ESG (environmental, social and governance) / sustainability brand tracker, the Social Responsibility Score (SRS), in the US and UK. More
San Francisco-based remote worker experience platform Kona (previously known as Sike Insights) has raised $4m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to continue to build out its solution. More
Nielsen has reported a 2.4% increase in second quarter revenues to $882m - equivalent to 4.5% organic growth on a constant currency basis - as the group prepares for acquisition by a group of investors. More
Enterprise insights platform Stravito has partnered with search-based survey analysis specialist KnowledgeHound, to help clients centralize all insights and survey data in a single platform. More
Kantar has launched a fast-turnaround solution called Brand Equity Evaluation, to help users quickly answer questions about brand equity strength in a competitive environment, and how to improve it. More
Ipsos has reported second quarter revenue of EUR 574.0m, representing organic growth of 2.1% (reported growth 8.9%). After exceptional results in Q1, the group cited global events and the end of Covid measurement contracts - as well as strong comparatives from Q2 2021 - for the lower figures. More
Global association ESOMAR has released its annual ranking of the Global Top 50 Insights Companies, with an ever broader definition of the term giving an unfamiliar look to parts of the list. More
Data and research tech solutions company Schlesinger Group has partnered with CX and insights software and advisory services company Maru, to launch 'Quantitative Insights Communities', giving its clients access to qual, quant and advanced research methodologies in one platform. More
New York-based language and tech solutions provider TransPerfect has opened an office in Bologna - its third in Italy, adding to the company's existing presence in Milan and Rome. More
In India, ad agency joint venture R K SWAMY BBDO is to split into two businesses after 37 years, with the R K SWAMY HANSA group set to bring its various companies - including Hansa Research Group - together. More
Insight group STRAT7 has announced organic growth of 30% for the financial year just ended; along with 5 appointments. Among them, former Bonamy Finch MD Paul Carney becomes a Partner in the Consultancy practice, with former Head of Advanced Analytics Paul Jackson filling his previous role. More
AdTech and data company ENGINE has been re-named Big Village in the US, continental Europe and Australia. The rebrand does not include ENGINE Group UK, which was acquired by Next 15 earlier this year. More
In the UK, customer experience marketing agency Gekko has partnered with behavioural insight specialist CloudArmy to offer a neuroscience research service helping brands understand customer thinking. More
In the US, cultural intelligence company Collage Group has raised $25m in an inaugural round of growth capital, which it will use for investments in sales and marketing, and for continued development of its data science and technology platform. More
Ipsos has launched a user experience (UX) facility called the Ipsos Experience Lab in the Franklin Center in downtown Chicago, providing space for focus groups, interviews, device tests and simulations. More
In the US, the Market Research Council has appointed MESH Experience founder Fiona Blades as this year's President. More
Biopharma product and portfolio consultancy Prescient has opened an office in Barcelona, Spain, where it has appointed Dr Olga Fidalgo González and Claudio Jouanneau as leaders in its Advisory business. More
London-based insight consultancy Basis has announced record results, with annual revenue up 20% to £27.4m for the year ended March 2022. More
In the UK two former executives of research firm Trinity McQueen, Chris Handford and Daniel Eddy, have launched a new full-service product consultancy, Waveform Insight Studio. More
Research firm MetrixLab has opened an office in Warsaw, Poland, its first in Eastern Europe. More
Mobile-based Indonesian consumer insights platform Populix has won a further US$7.7m in a Series A round of financing, for use in continuing to optimize its existing products and to release new services. More
UK-based data collection firm RONIN International has added an office in Lancaster, serving as a desk research, CATI and digital recruitment hub. With space for around thirty people, the location is part of the offices of RONIN's parent, digital marketer Rippleffect Group. More
Melbourne-based Mobile Digital Insights (MDI) has announced 'exponential' growth over the last twelve months, hiring Christine Laurenssen as Business Director Africa, David Somers as COO, Hellen Sillis as Global Head of Qual, Sam Stelitano as CFO and Sarah Gill-Kildea as Insights Director. More
In Los Angeles, insights, strategy and design agency Hypothesis has promoted Maria Vallis to the role of Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Jeff Seltzer, who will join founder Maria Stark as an Executive Board Member. More
London-based rapid research firm Bolt Insight has received £1.275m investment from B2B tech venture capital company 212, to be used for development of new products, staff recruitment in its research and commercial teams, and expansion into new markets. More
Independent British-based insight consultancy Trinity McQueen has announced sales of £7.4m in the year ending March 2022; some ten per cent up on the pre-pandemic figure (year ending March 2020). More
In the US, AI-powered conversation intelligence provider Invoca has raised $83m in a Series F round of equity financing, at a valuation of $1.1 billion. The firm will use the funds to expand internationally and pursue acquisitions. More
First-party data platform Dynata has appointed former employee Arun Kumar as Vice President, Southeast Asia and India, leading the business and teams across the region. More
Kantar has hired long-time Merkle exec Will Bordelon as Chief Executive Officer of its Insights business in the Americas. He will join on July 11th. More
In the UK, the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) says it will officially launch its Centre for Children and Families - first announced more than a year ago - on Monday 27th June. More
Matt Britton started digital research platform Suzy in 2018, named it after a favourite song, worked with other non-researchers to build it, and got to $25 million annual recurring revenue 'faster than Salesforce and Qualtrics'. An interview with MrWeb's Nick Thomas - available as video or in print. More
Washington, DC-based research-led consulting firm Heart+Mind Strategies has opened a MENA headquarters in the city of Riyadh, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). More
Business sustainability ratings provider EcoVadis has raised $500m in a Series C round of funding, valuing the company at $1bn. The firm will use these funds to accelerate its global expansion, deepen its artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, and make strategic acquisitions. More
Ipsos has unveiled a four-year plan to accelerate growth and shareholder value. This will include the group spending between EUR 100m and EUR 200m per year on 'smart acquisitions', while doubling its investments in data analytics, technology and 'knowledge panels'. More
UK-based agency group UNLIMITED and ad agency group Pablo have jointly won a £22m Cabinet Office contract, which will combine the former's Human Understanding Lab with the latter's creative expertise, to help deliver public service communications. More
Product testing platform Maze has raised $40m in a Series B round of funding, for use in developing new solutions, including further investment in its new participant management solution Reach. More
New York-based language and tech solutions provider TransPerfect has opened a contact center in El Paso, Texas, which will act as the hub for the firm's Connect division. More
In Paris, Ipsos has appointed Dan Lévy as Group Chief Financial Officer, from June 10th, replacing Laurence Stoclet who has been with the business for nearly 24 years. More
Digital research firm MetrixLab has opened its first office on the African continent, in Johannesburg, South Africa, appointing Nanzala Mwaura as Managing Director and Rentia Kraucamp as Research Director. More
UK-based customer insights and communities platform developer Researchbods has appointed fourteen new team members since the beginning of April, including Chris Manko as Head of Engineering. The firm has also made nine internal promotions. More
In the US, MR tech firm GroupSolver has raised $2.5m in a new funding round, which it will use to continue to expand its survey platform and accelerate its go-to-market strategy. More
Kantar has announced unaudited results for the first quarter of calendar 2022, including pro forma, currency-adjusted gross revenue up 6% to $911m, and adjusted EBITDA of $144m, up 16% from a year earlier and almost twice the pre-Covid Q1 2019 figure. More
In Australia, communications consultancy SenateSHJ has acquired Di Marzio Research, whose Director Paul Di Marzio joins the acquiring firm as Head of Research, based in Melbourne and leading a new practice, SenateSHJ Insights. More
Touchstone Research has made five recent appointments: Patricia Lopez and Michelle Richard as Senior Qualitative Analysts, Jack Keelan and Erik Erwin as Senior Project Directors, and Michael Kozloski as a Senior Quantitative Analyst. More
In the UK, full-service agency BMG Research has opened an office in the London Bridge-based News UK Building, having closed its previous London base during the pandemic due to working from home. More
Lang.ai, which helps CX teams draw insights from conversations, has raised $10.5m in a Series A round of funding. The money will help improve software to understand what each customer is saying at any point in their buying journey, and correlate this data with their purchase history. More
Oxfordshire, UK-based brand, NPD, category and shopper consultancy Touchstone Shoppercentric is moving all its staff to a four-day working week - with full-time salary - from 6th June. More
Kantar Australia has formally combined its Insights and Consulting divisions, a move it says will 'turbocharge' its innovation and brand strategy offerings. More
Comscore's revenue rose 4% to $94.0m in the first quarter, while profitability improved: adjusted EBITDA was up 22% to $6.8m. CEO Bill Livek described the performance as 'solid'. More
Canada-based customer intelligence specialist Alida is opening an office in Edmonton, Alberta next month, where it plans to hire more than 100 employees by 2025. More
Tech researcher and consultancy Forrester Research has announced results for the first quarter ended March 31st, with revenue up 10% to $125.0 million. More
Independent social and market research agency IFF Research has made two dozen promotions - equivalent to 20% of its team - following 18% revenue growth in 2021-2. More
US-based consumer panel firm Full Circle has appointed long-time TNS researcher Jamie Stehlin as its newest Business Unit Leader, to establish an office in Ohio. More
In London, Kantar Public has appointed Alex Hurrell as Head of Evaluation, leading the continuing growth of its evaluation offer with UK government and public sector clients. More
In the US, branded payments specialist Blackhawk Network has integrated its incentives and rewards platform Rybbon with the services of MR developer Q ONE Tech, to provide customized multi-country reward experiences for panel members while improving engagement. More
Consumer insights provider Toluna has expanded to Thailand, where it has hired former Nielsen exec Chumphol (Marc) Sivawettakul as Business Development Director, Southeast Asia. He is based in Bangkok. More
UK-based customer insights and communities platform developer Researchbods has launched a dedicated creative division called 'Studio', which will work with all teams across the business to enhance its creative offering. More
In Australia, culture, community panels and smart digital insight specialist Verve has appointed Rikki Pearce as Managing Director and Head of its new 'Global Advanced Quant and Analytics' practice. More
New York City-based B2B marketing research agency Adience has opened an office in London, where it has appointed James Keeling as Vice President. More
UK-based consumer and sensory research agency PPL Insights and France-based consumer and shopper research specialist Strategir have formed a joint venture, to provide a broad range of research services linking all elements of the consumer journey. More
In London, all-in-one research operations platform Ayda has appointed former Cint exec Richard Thornton as Chairman and Advisor, following a successful investment round. More
London-based insights agency Opinium has hired music economist Chris Carey to lead its newly launched Music, Media and Entertainment division. More
Ipsos has reported 12.3% first quarter organic revenue growth and a 17.5% reported increase to EUR 547.8m. The firm says it is planning an 'exciting range' of potential acquisitions in key sectors and territories, especially in the USA. More
In Manchester, UK, corporate reputation specialist Steve Leigh has opened a research, measurement and evaluation consultancy called Sensu. The firm promises to help clients understand their audience; track reputation, profile and influence; and improve the quality of communications. More
Shopper marketing consultancy Behaviorally has expanded to France, opening a Paris hub and appointing Damien Arrouas as Vice President, Customer Success to lead the local team. More
Ipsos has opened an offshore Data Services Centre in Mumbai, to handle offshore production work initially for North America, and later for other global markets. Haribabu Rajendran takes the reins as Managing Director. More
US insight communities firm Fuel Cycle has integrated with customer insights platform UserTesting to help users to reach and manage networks of their own customers. More
London-based predictive visual analytics platform Dragonfly AI has raised £3m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to target growth across Europe and North America, scale up its sales engine, and invest in product development and R&D. More
Marcoms group Stagwell, owner of the Harris and Harris Poll brands, has opened an office in Brazil. The new venture will be led by Vinicius Reis as President, alongside Andre Kassu, CCO & Partner at Stagwell agency CPB Brazil, and Marcos Medeiros, CCO & Partner CPB Brazil. More
TV ad measurement specialist EDO has raised $80m from media and comms sector investor Shamrock Capital. EDO will use the funds to grow its team, enhance its Ad EnGage convergent TV analytics platform, and expand its partner network and data sources. More
In San Francisco, self-service product analytics specialist Kubit has raised $18m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to accelerate company growth. More
Digital user experience insights specialist UserZoom has received an unspecified amount of strategic growth funding from investment firm Thoma Bravo, the owner of CX management firm Medallia. The funding values UserZoom at $800m. More
Behavioural science consultancy The Behavioural Architects (TBA) has hired 29 new members of staff across its global offices - twelve in China, seven in Australia, and ten in the UK. More
Trend analysis specialist Stylus has promoted former COO Victoria Rennie to Chief Executive, succeeding founder Marc Worth who moves to the role of Executive Chairman. More
Shopper insights firm Behaviorally has expanded to Germany, appointing Christian Dössel as Senior Vice President based in Hamburg. More
In the US, Ipsos has appointed former Kantar exec Whitney Krause James as a President of the US organization, leading several lines of business. She joins on April 4th and will be based in New York. More
Text analytics platform Relative Insight has secured a £5m investment, for use in expanding its operations in the US and for new product development. More
In the UK, insights platform QuMind has promoted Alan Hargreaves to the role of Managing Director, with Board level responsibility for the entire operation and co-responsibility for innovation. More
Andy Cumming, co-founder of Curiosity Research and European MD at InSites Consulting, died of sudden heart failure at his home on 12th January. More
In the US, the Olinger Group has announced it is now focusing on three markets - health and wellness, luxury brands, and luxury travel. More
Ipsos has merged its business in Bolivia with MR and public opinion firm CIESMORI. More
Shopper insight specialist Behaviorally has opened an office in New York, where it has appointed former InSites Consulting exec Jeff Haselum as Senior Vice President, leading the practice. More
New York-based language and tech solutions provider TransPerfect has moved its Manchester, UK office to a larger facility, where it has created a number of new jobs across technology, media and project management. More
Ipsos has launched its self-service, end-to-end online market research platform Ipsos.Digital in fourteen markets in Asia. More
Kantar Public, the global group's evidence and advisory business for governments and the public sector, has appointed current WPP exec Kathryn Cooper in the new role of Global Head of Behavioural and Communications Advisory. More
In the US, research platform dscout has raised $70m in a Series C round of funding, for use in market expansion, continued technology and product development, and hiring initiatives. At the same time the firm has announced the appointment to its Board of former Lucid President Brett Schnittlich. More
Despite suspending its business in Ukraine, Kantar has decided to continue paying salaries to employees there until the end of the war. More
Private equity firm Arsenal Capital has merged Cello Health and four of its other firms to launch Lumanity, offering medical sector product development, market access and commercialization services. Former Cello Health Insight CEO Nicola Cowland becomes the new firm's Global President, Insight. More
New Zealand-based insights agency TRA Group (The Research Agency) has opened an office in Sydney, Australia, and is transferring Terri Hall to it in the role of Managing Partner. She takes up the post on 1st April, and reports to MD and founder Andrew Lewis. More
In the US, employee feedback management specialist WorkHound has raised $12m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to expand its headcount and product offerings, and grow its presence in additional markets. More
Stamford, CT-based tech research and advisory firm Information Services Group (ISG) has reported fourth quarter revenue of $69.6m, up 6% at constant currency; and adjusted EBITDA of $10.2m, up 11%. Full year revenues were $277.8 m, up 9%, and full year adjusted EBITDA rose 37% to $38.8m. More
In the US, mystery shopping agency A Closer Look has launched a specialist division covering the senior living sector. More
In New York, in-home product testing platform Highlight has raised $7m in a seed round of investment, including money from Momentive CEO Zander Lurie; Richard Thornton, former CEO of Cint; Tom Bernthal, CEO of Kelton; and Max Mullen, founder of Instacart. More
In the US, employee experience platform Whistle has raised $3.2m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to accelerate the adoption of its technology, grow its portfolio of products and expand its engineering and operating teams. More
In the US, custom MR firm AMC Global has promoted seven employees, including Erin Russeck for the newly created role of Chief Research Officer. Kelly Jasper moves into Russeck's previous position, EVP of Corporate Strategy & Innovation. More
Barcelona-based feedback platform Typeform has received $135m in Series C funding, for continued expansion of its team, product development and extension of strategic partnerships. More
Dutch-based agency DVJ Insights has announced three more senior hires: Ashley Endenburg joins the management team as Finance Manager, Matthias Hallmann as Senior Business Partner in Germany, and James Robinson as Client Consultant in the UK. More
Community panels and smart digital research firm Verve is to open a Global Centre of Research Innovation in Sydney, Australia, and has appointed Dan Alexander-Head to lead it. More
Agriculture and Animal Health specialist Kynetec has appointed Nielsen veteran Paul Walker as COO for Crop Market and Customer Insights, replacing Richard Jameson, who is taking a step back but will support specific projects on a part-time consultancy basis. More
US data collection and fieldwork services firm Opinions LTD has opened a CLT and viewing facility in Seattle, and appointed Nik Kocher to manage it. More
Cultural insights and strategy consultancy Crowd DNA has named Dave Power Head of Agency for London, replacing Laura Warby, who moves into a part-time role. Additionally, the firm is planning to open a second US office, located in Los Angeles. More
In New York, trend spotting agency sparks & honey is to launch two new practices: Youth Culture and Policy & Philanthropy, to be headed up respectively by newly promoted VP Hannah Hickman and SVP Robb Henzi. More
In the US, audio intelligence platform AssemblyAI has raised $28m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to further develop its AI models for automatic speech recognition, speech understanding, sentiment analysis and natural language processing. More
Momentive - formerly SurveyMonkey - has announced a $200m share repurchase program and plans for a renewed focus on delivering stockholder value. The firm has also promoted Priyanka (Pri) Carr from General Manager of its MR business, to COO. More
In the US, sensory evaluation and consumer product research firm Curion Holdings has opened a Consumer Center in Natick, Massachusetts, to expand its innovation insights services in the New England area. More
MrWeb's special issue on 'Measuring Brains and Bodies' is launched today: viewing and downloading the 72-page pdf supplement is free: click the cover or the link below; or read on for the second part of Michelle Niedziela's article, which offers a guide to Best Practice in consumer neuroscience projects. More
Manchester, UK-based Acumen Fieldwork has launched a B2B and Social Research department, which will focus primarily on hard-to-reach groups - ranging from those who are disenfranchised from society to key decision-makers in named occupations. More
Emotion analytics specialist Realeyes and media quality measurement agency Adelaide have partnered to help advertisers uncover the value of attention insights across both creative and media. More
Ipsos has reported a 16.8% increase in annual revenue to EUR 2.14bn for 2021, with overall organic growth of 17.9%. Perhaps more significantly, the figures represent impressive organic growth of 10.4% when compared with 2019. More
Continuing our focus on 'Measuring Brains and Bodies', HCD Research's Michelle Niedziela runs through the key techniques in 'neuro', with advice on where to use them. The second part of the article, looking at Best Practices, will appear in DRNO when the pdf special issue is published early next week. More
In India, digital media agency Kinnect has launched a Customer Experience practice, and appointed Bharatesh Salian to lead it as SVP - Marketing Science and CX. More
GfK CEO Peter Feld has decided not to seek an extension to his contract, and will leave the company on March 14th. CFO Lars Nordmark will step into the Chief Exec role on an interim basis, while COO Joshua Hubbert has been added to the Management Board. More
Auckland, NZ-based customer intelligence agency Perceptive is to open an office in the country's capital, Wellington, and has appointed former NielsenIQ manager Roman Konopka there as Research Director. More
Kantar is doubling the frequency of its Republic of Ireland TGI survey data release, which will now be issued twice a year. More
London-based, not-for-profits MR specialist nfpSynergy has changed its name to nfpResearch. In addition to a commitment to becoming carbon neutral in 2022, nfpResearch is also launching an annual fund of £10,000 to allow smaller charities and organisations to bid for free research. More
US-based behavioral insights consultancy Behaviorally has expanded its APAC presence to Australia, where it has appointed Liam Gilbert as Vice President to lead its efforts in the country. More
Century City, CA-based research firm Screen Engine/ASI (SE/ASI) has hired former LRW Group exec Syed Hasan for the newly created position of Chief Technology Officer. More
Four insights companies - Ipsos, IVP Research Labs, Schlesinger Group and Shimmer Research - are partnering to provide live biometric monitoring and analysis for this year's Super Bowl. More
Automated insights platform Zappi has reported $50 million in sales in 2021, representing more than 30 percent growth in twelve months; and the hiring of more than 100 new employees during the year. More
Continuing our focus on 'Measuring Brains & Bodies', HCD's VP of Research & Innovation talks about a career in 'neuro' (with a rat allergy); quantifying the stress of bad audio on a Zoom call; whether any perfume can live up to one of those weird ads; and much more besides. Available to watch or read. More
n the UK, communications group M&C Saatchi has launched a digital business innovation consultancy called Thread, to help clients develop digital products and services. More
Continuing our focus on 'Measuring Brains and Bodies', MindProber's Pedro Moreira looks at the company's use of electrodermal activity (EDA) to analyse the extraordinary success of the hit TV show. What worked best, and why? [Spoiler Alert: this makes reference to surprise scenes etc.] More
In the US, long-time Google exec Misty Muscatel Davis has joined consumer data giant and predictive analytics specialist IRI as Global Chief Marketing Officer. More
STG's newly formed media monitoring and measurement business Onclusive has appointed Manuel Moerbach as Chief Executive Officer. More
Data collection and research services company Schlesinger Group has appointed Troy Anderson as Chief Product & Technology Officer and Ellie Ahmadi as CMO; and promoted Rob Ramirez to Chief Client Officer and Sue Maldonado to Chief of Staff to the CEO. More
Texas-based data collection firm Veridata Insights has reported 150% year-over-year revenue growth and fifteen recent hires, having opened offices in Canada, Bulgaria, India and the UK. More
In the UK, East Anglia-based participant recruitment agencies Creative Medical Recruit (CMR) and Healthcare Fieldwork have merged to form a new company, MediVoice Recruit. The firm will offer recruitment for Human Factors and usability studies as well as general healthcare MR. More
Omnicom Health subsidiary Adelphi Research has promoted Ratna Wynn from EVP, Head of Research, Operations and Innovation to the position of President, US, overseeing all Stateside research, operations and finance. More
China-based data collection firm Holden Healthcare and Japanese healthcare researcher Seed Planning have announced a partnership enhancing physician panel access across hard-to-reach markets in the Asia Pacific region. More
New York-based full service agency Radius Global Market Research (Radius GMR) has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from Star Mountain Capital. More
In Australia, customer research platform Dovetail has raised $63m in a Series A round of funding, for use in continuing to build its core platform and expanding its product portfolio. More
Data-driven experience management company Merkle has fully integrated two of its B2B divisions - creative agency gyro and media agency Merkle | DWA - into its Merkle B2B business, and retired their brand names. More
US data collection and fieldwork services firm Opinions LTD has expanded to Germany by opening a research and testing facility in Frankfurt, led by former PRS INVIVO execs Matthias Trojnar and Jovana Kokir. More
In the US, knowledge management platform Bloomfire has appointed Ben Little as Chief Executive Officer, as Mark Hammer moves to an advisory role, for personal reasons. More
Ipsos has brought together its existing UK advisory units into one practice, employing more than 50 specialists. Murat Demiral will lead the practice as Head of Advisory, and joins the UK Management Committee. More
Former Phoenix Marketing International President Marjette Stark has been named President of non-profit MR educational institute the MRII (Market Research Institute International), having served on its Board of Directors since 2015. More
This is the last edition of DRNO for 2021 - we'll be back on Tuesday 4th January. From all of us at MrWeb to all those of you celebrating it, a very Merry Christmas; and to all of you, thanks for reading this year and best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2022. Here we look backwards and forwards briefly... More
In New York, career development platform Ivy Exec has launched a dedicated B2B market research division called Ivy Insights. More
John Robson and Magnus Willis, the founders of London-based consumer insight and brand strategy specialist Sparkler, have left the business to take time out for a 'rest and reset'. More
Forsta, the company formed through the merger of Confirmit, FocusVision and Dapresy, has announced a global partnership with London-based Phebi.AI, allowing clients to make use of Phebi's advanced voice analysis technology for qual and quant research on Forsta's end-to-end platform. More
In the US, marketers Shane George and Tom Cherrey have launched a platform called BrandTruth, which uses artificial intelligence and 'proven psychology' to help organisations understand their 'brand essence' and drive the brand development process. More
Swedish eye tracking developer Tobii has confirmed that Anand Srivatsa will take up the position of Chief Executive Officer from this Thursday, 9th December. He replaces co-founder Henrik Eskilsson, who announced his intention to step down in April. More
Australian market research technology platform Glow has received a seven-figure amount of financing from tech funding business Tractor Ventures, which it will use to further develop its products and platform and to accelerate its international expansion. More
In the UK, the Market Research Society (MRS) has given this year's Agency of the Year Award to London-based insight firm Opinium, which had previously been shortlisted eight times in nine years. More
In Edinburgh, Ipsos MORI has appointed Lisa Sutherland as Head of Behavioural Science in Public Affairs. More
Kantar has reported revenue of $2,681m for the first three quarters of 2021, up 11% at constant currency although still down 5% from 2019 figures; and EBITDA of $445m, up 52% on 2020 and 39% (organic growth 33%) versus the same period in 2019. More
Crispin Beale, former Chime I&E CEO, has joined US-based Behaviorally in the newly created role of company President, overseeing all client service and business development efforts across Europe, Asia and North America. More
Ian Forrester, former Insight Head at video tracking platform Unruly, has launched an AI-powered ad research platform called DAIVID, which automates ad testing by using facial coding, eye tracking and computer vision data to predict human attention levels and emotions. More
Sports sponsorship measurement specialist FanAI has raised $3m in a Series A extension round, which it will use to expand its attribution services for marketers. More
Global online communities specialist InSites Consulting has launched a 'Solutions Office', responsible for the agency's full solution portfolio. Company co-founder Niels Schillewaert will run the new arm. More
Next15's data and insights group Savanta has renamed recently acquired full-service agency MSI International 'Savanta MSI'. More
Greater Washington DC-based Full Circle Research has launched a Political division - in anticipation of 'an explosive 2022 election cycle' - and appointed Khary (KJ) Jones to lead it. More
US company Paradigm says it is on course to 'double its highest revenue year', having appointed four new members for its Go-To-Market team. AJ Keirans and Aaron Walton were hired earlier in the year, and are now joined by Matt Freitag and Adam Dietrich. More
Marketing and consumer insights platform Prodege has secured an undisclosed 'major' investment from private equity firm Great Hill Partners, for use in rapid organic expansion and for targeted acquisitions. More
In Manchester, UK, a new employee insight platform has launched. 'New Possible' promises a '360-degree solution' which helps clients understand their people and measures, assesses and benchmarks the culture of an organisation. SMEs are a particular target. More
Consumer insights provider Toluna has promoted Susan Vidler to the newly created position of Global Chief Research Officer, leading the group's global research team and responsible for developing, defining and implementing best practices across the research function. More
In the UK, the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and a consortium of partners have been awarded a £215m contract to evaluate a programme focused on promoting good early childhood development called 'A Better Start', financed by The National Lottery Community Fund. More
San Francisco-based UserTesting has launched an Initial Public Offering (IPO) of 14.2 million shares, through which it plans to raise $227m. More
Stagwell Group, owner of the Harris and Harris Poll brands has announced organic revenue growth of 22.8% for the third quarter, and adjusted EBITDA of $100m, up 12.4%. Revenue was $466.6m - representing reported growth of 104.6% following the MDC merger. More
ESOMAR and Austria's insight association VMÖ have responded to a scandal involving skewed polls allegedly conducted for former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz - stressing a policy of zero tolerance for unethical practices in an industry reliant on public trust. More
Technology researcher Forrester has announced third quarter revenue of $118.1m, up around 8.7% when compared either with Q3 2020 or 2019. More
London-based full service agency IFF Research has launched an Energy & Environment team, providing insight to help inform environmental policy decisions and support sustainable business across the UK. Director Andrew Skone James will lead it. More
Gordon Heald, the social and political researcher who ran Gallup Poll in the UK from 1979-1994 and ORB International from 1994-2009, talked with popes and presidents, and came as near as anyone ever does to founding an MR dynasty, has died peacefully at his home aged 80. More
Community panels pioneer Verve is opening a Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) next month in Johannesburg, South Africa, and has appointed Heather Tluczek and Meryl Dovey to lead it, as MD and Head of New Business Development respectively. More
European data collection provider Norstat has entered the Austrian market by opening an office in Vienna, to be headed up by Country Manager Matthias Höbarth. More
Australian insight consultancy Fiftyfive5 has made 33 new hires since July, boosting its teams in Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and Singapore. They include Clare Bradshaw as COO and Helen Brocklehurst as NZ-based Head of CX. More
In the US, online sample specialist Full Circle Research has appointed industry veteran Thomas Pampinella as Director, Programming & IT, while adding a new office in Florida, the firm's ninth US city. More
Tech consultancy Gartner has announced results for the third quarter of 2021, with revenues up 15.0% at constant currency to $1.16bn, and EBITDA of $305m, up 79.9% on the same basis. More
Conversation analytics specialist Spiketrap has teamed up with mobile phone chat survey firm Rival Technologies to offer researchers 'deeper quantitative insights from qualitative datasets'. More
CX and research technology company Forsta is partnering with AI-powered insight platform Lumoa, whose software has been integrated with Forsta's to offer clients advanced AI-driven analytics. More
Eyetracking hardware and solutions firm Tobii has announced third quarter organic revenue growth of 26%, the acquisition of Belgian company Acapela Group, and the issue of SEK 250m ($US29.1m) worth of shares to help fund this and the earlier acquisition of Phasya. More
Online customer service and CX firm Zendesk is to acquire Momentive, parent of SurveyMonkey, in an all-share deal which values the DIY survey brand and its associated companies at around $4bn. More
In a trading update, marcoms giant WPP has reported 'very strong' third quarter performance, with revenue minus pass-through costs of £2.64bn, up 6.9% LFL on pre-pandemic levels (Q3 2019). More
Kantar Health has been renamed Cerner Enviza, combining real-world healthcare data and technology from parent company Cerner with Kantar Health's decades of life sciences expertise. More
Long-time Kantar exec Tim Wragg has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of brand insights analytics and consulting agency Hall & Partners, succeeding Vanella Jackson who moves to the role of company Chairperson. More
Global data collection and research services company Schlesinger has appointed former Maru/Blue MD Rob Berger as Executive Vice President, Global Quantitative Solutions. More
Real-time market research platform Suzy has announced plans to add 40 new jobs over the next three years as it establishes a technology hub in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. More
Ipsos has posted third quarter revenue of EUR 526.3m, up 12.3% versus Q3 2020 and 5.4% - or 8.5% in organic growth terms - compared with Q3 2019. The firm says profitability is 'in line with the objectives for the year announced in July', with a slight improvement predicted in operating margin. More
Toluna has appointed former Verint, Nielsen and Affinnova exec Kevin Daly in the new role of Chief Sales Officer. More
London-based mobile intelligence platform Streetbees has appointed Charlotte Forsyth as VP People, and Anthony Brew as VP Artificial Intelligence. The firm also recently brought in Sean O'Connell as VP Product. More
Video attention measurement and emotion analytics specialist Realeyes has appointed former Brand Networks CEO Dave Fall as Chief Product Officer. More
UK-based insights company MindMover Group has changed its name to QuMind, already the name of its fast-growing self-serve MR platform. More
New York and Israel-headquartered consumer insights platform getWizer has partnered with emotion and behavior analysis specialist Canvs AI, to automatically extract insights from open-ended questions contained within surveys. More
London-based community panels specialist Verve is planning to open an office in Manchester, which will initially be led by founder and CEO Andrew Cooper, who has relocated to the north of England; and Joint Head of Insight Richard Preedy. The firm has also hired three new execs. More
In the US, customer data platform mParticle has raised $150m in a Series E round of funding, which it will use to support global go-to-market expansion, as well as for R&D investment. More
Industry association ESOMAR and survey analysis software provider mTab have partnered to expand on the 'Insight250' awards, set up earlier this year to recognise MR industry 'leaders, visionaries and pioneers'. More
Marcoms giant Havas has appointed Lindsay Stein as its first Chief of Social Impact, tasked with partnering with marketers and client firms to help them create research-based social impact solutions. More
US-based mCube, which senses, captures and analyzes all types of movement data with a focus on the entertainment, sports, health and industrial sectors, has been renamed Movella. The change reflects the integration of two recent buys. More
Ipsos has announced that Nathalie Roos will no longer be taking over as CEO, following the emergence of 'deep discrepancies' in her discussions with Didier Truchot. Instead, Ipsos MORI CEO Ben Page will take the top job, from November 15th. More
In the US, data observability platform Bigeye has raised $45m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to scale its team. More
In the UK, the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) has appointed Gillian Prior as Deputy Chief Executive. More
UK-based FlexMR has announced a 'Stakeholder Alignment programme', helping client companies to closely connect their insight and business teams, and to integrate research outputs into key internal working practices. More
Hamburg, Germany-based insights automation platform quantilope has appointed Joe Henriques as its new US President, leading its American Business Unit. More
In the US, research and education publishing company Wiley has promoted Jay Flynn to Executive Vice President of its Wiley Research division. He replaces Judy Verses, who joined in 2015 and is leaving the organization for personal reasons. More
Digital Insights platform Heap has appointed Steve Love as CFO, joining recent C-Suite additions Sean Andrew - Chief Revenue Officer - and Chief Customer Officer Ahmed Quadri. More
CX and research tech company Forsta has appointed Brian Bhuta as Chief Product Officer, overseeing product development, leading innovation and evolving the architecture of the product suite. More
Research services and software company Schlesinger Group has announced the full integration of three of its acquisitions - Market Cube, 20|20 Research and Addison Research - under the Schlesinger Group brand. More
Kirsty Fuller, CEO of video intelligence platform Big Sofa Technologies, is stepping down from the role and will become a Non-Executive Director from next January. She will be succeeded by Sam Curtis, current Head of Client Partnerships and Business Development, in a planned transition. More
In the US, online communities and co-creation specialist KLC has appointed Dan Womack as company President. He will work alongside founder Kevin Lonnie, who will remain the company's CEO. More
Cultural insights and strategy consultancy Crowd DNA has opened an office in Stockholm, Sweden, headed by Associate Director Sofie Brodén, who previously worked for brand development consultancy Grow as Manger Insight & Foresight. The firm has also made eighteen hires. More
New York-based multivariate ad creative testing specialist Marpipe has raised $8m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to build out its platform, double its team by the end of the year and triple it in 2022. More
Savanta has reported the addition of a dozen new members to its US and Canadian teams in the second quarter, including Chuck Woelfel as VP in Research, Insight and Consulting; Patrick Byck as Director of Operations; and Marc Matthews as Director of Research. More
Pierre Le Manh, Ipsos' CEO in North America, has left the company to pursue 'other opportunities', and been replaced by former Gartner exec Lorenzo Larini. More
UK-based research and data business Delineate has announced senior management changes, with founder James (JT) Turner moving from the CEO role to that of President; COO Ben Leet stepping up to CEO; and former employee Chris Bunyan returning as Product Director. More
UK-based consumer and sensory researcher MMR Group has opened an office in Amsterdam, where it has appointed former Flavors & Fragrances exec James Gater as Regional Head, Netherlands. More
In the US, work insights platform Fin has raised $20m in a Series A round of funding, for use in sales, marketing and R&D. The company has also appointed former Twilio exec Evan Cummack as Chief Executive Officer. More
In London, full-service agency IFF Research has made eleven new hires in the last quarter, including Catherine O'Driscoll who re-joined in June as Associate Director after eighteen months at charity GambleAware. More
Consumer and shopper insights agency PRS IN VIVO has appointed Nicole Duckworth as Managing Director in the UK and Clément Dargent as Managing Director in France, while promoting Olivier Bardin to the position of Head of Switzerland, VP Client Development. More
UK television marketing body Thinkbox has appointed Anthony Jones as Head of Research, replacing Oliver Robertson who has moved to a role at Amazon Advertising. More
Newcastle, UK-based research consultancy Differentology has been acquired from marcoms group e>erything d.fferent, by its management team. Terms of the deal involve the other co-founders stepping aside to pursue other business ventures. More
Research revenue for the Top 50 US-based insights and data analytics companies rose 4% to $48 billion in 2020, even as overall US GDP contracted 3.5% during the global Covid pandemic, according to the Insights Association's Top 50 Report. More
AI-driven 'knowledge-as-a-service' platform Lynk has extended its previous Series B round of funding with an investment from UBS's Investment Bank business division. The amount is undisclosed but brings total funding to date to $35m. More
Business-to-business research provider B2B International has promoted Tom Percival to the role of Managing Director, leading its London-based team. More
In Australia, Taverner Research Group has announced that its three brands - Taverner, Jetty and IRIS - are being combined under the parent company's name, with a new logo and identity. More
B2B research technology platform Atheneum has raised $150m in a round of funding, to be used for market expansion (including in the US), continued technology and product development, and recruitment. More
In the US, Faulkner Strategic Consulting has been renamed Faulkner Insights, to better reflect its core offer - providing 'consumer and market insights that drive innovation to grow brands'. More
Australia-based Enero Group, the parent of research firms The Leading Edge and The Digital Edge, has reported an 18.3% rise in revenue to $160.6m for the full year ending 30th June 2021. More
In South Africa, full-service agency BMi Research has promoted Jenni-Ruth Coggin to Chief Executive Officer and Cindi Collett to Chief Operating Officer. More
US-based customer experience (CX) specialist SeeLevel HX has partnered with Shop'n Chek Latin America to develop a new range of services. More
Consumer and fashion trend analysis and forecasting specialist WGSN has launched a Consumer Tech division, led by Silicon Valley-based Director Lisa Yong. More
In the US, online qual research platform Aha! Insights Technology has announced an integration with Experience Management (XM) provider Qualtrics, augmenting its suite of strategic qual / quant activities and tools. More
In the US, product assessment platform Statsig has raised $10.4m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to recruit for design, product, data science, sales and marketing. More
Global research and advisory company Gartner has reported a 20% increase in second quarter revenue to $1.2 billion, from $973.1m a year earlier. Research revenues rose 14.6% to $1,003.2m, while the Conferences division recovered half its Q2 2019 revenue for a total of $58.2m. More
Atlanta, US-based digital experience intelligence firm FullStory has raised $100m in a Series D round of funding, which it will use to expand its business internationally. The latest round values the company at $1.8 billion. More
Momentive (formerly SurveyMonkey) has reported a 20% increase in second quarter revenue to $109.4m, from $90.9m a year earlier; with a 33% rise in Enterprise sales to $33.9m and self-service revenue up 15% to $75.5m. More
Community panels pioneer Verve has appointed Tesco veteran Simon Taylor as a Research Director leading its grocery specialism, supporting key client the John Lewis Partnership; and has announced seven promotions. More
Manhattan, NY-based sampling, field management and data collection firm Gazelle Global has announced the retirement of one of its co-founders, Harriet Naidus, and the full acquisition of the company by the other, Anne Tancredi Brown. More
Fast-rising Manchester, UK-based researcher The Insights Family has announced a move to larger offices on the city's central King Street, and the opening of a satellite office in Mayfair, London, as well a roll-out in Poland and a number of hires. More
Aromyx, which has developed technology to digitize and quantify the information from sensory receptors in the human nose and tongue, has raised $10m in a Series A round. Funds will help increase capacity and automation capabilities, improve AI algorithms, and expand its lab and software teams. More
Tech-enabled MR and customer insights firm Maru Group has promoted two senior execs at its communities specialist Maru/Matchbox - Daniel Finder to the newly created role of President, Client Relationships; and Brent Snider to President, Chief Revenue Officer. More
Customer experience (CX) and research tech company Forsta has announced a partnership with CX and insights specialist Watermelon, to deliver CX expertise, methods and technology via Forsta's CX platform. More
US-based technology specialist Forrester Research has reported second quarter revenue of $128.7m, up 13.4% on last year. Revenue from its Research division climbed to $81.0m from $75.0m in Q2 2020. More
London-based online specialist DigitalMR has been renamed DMR after expanding its artificial intelligence capabilities beyond 'digital' to include customer experience management, customer journey optimisation, alternative data for funds and other use cases. More
In the US, Market Decisions Research (MDR) has promoted Patrick Madden to the role of President, after more than seventeen years with the business. He takes over from owner Curtis Mildner, who will take a new position as advisor to the management team. More
Scott Muller has returned to Australian media company Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) in the newly created role of Head of Content Insights. More
Ipsos has reported a 26.4% increase in first half year revenue to EUR 993.3m, compared with EUR 786.0m in the prior year period and well up on the EUR 903.4m recorded in H1 2019. Organic growth from H1 2020 was 31.5%. More
Harris Interactive has announced that Thomas Rodenhausen, CEO for Germany, is leaving at the end of this month. He will continue advising the leadership of parent company Toluna Group on strategic growth initiatives. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's digital advertising and marketing services investment vehicle S4Capital has secured new loan and debt facilities, to refinance existing borrowing and for future acquisitions. More
Kantar Americas CEO Reed Cundiff has made the decision to leave his role, after 're-evaluating his personal priorities'. More
Continuing our focus on communities Dan Fleetwood, President, Research & Insights at QuestionPro, looks at how the firm's community management platform has helped battery giant Energizer gather rapid and regular feedback in a fragmented market where loyalty is low. More
UK market research budgets were revised down in the latest quarter, according to the latest IPA Bellwether Report - extending the negative trend seen since the third quarter of 2015. However, the latest MR budget reduction was the 'softest' in two years. More
Jerry Arbittier, co-founder of SurveyHealthcareGlobus (SHG), has set up a new consulting business called Arbittier Opinion Panel Systems (AOPS), supporting healthcare market research firms and panel operators. More
In New York, mergers and acquisitions advisory firm JEGI CLARITY has appointed Chris Karl as Chief Business Development Officer. The firm has advised on many of the insight sector's key takeovers in recent years. More
Sample marketplace PureSpectrum has added an Australian office, and appointed Anthony O'Brien to lead it as Vice President, ANZ. Daniel Soh also joins the firm in Singapore as Senior Account Director. More
Online communities specialist InSites Consulting has announced 10% revenue growth for the fiscal year 2020-2021, adding 'up to EUR 66m worldwide'. More
Netherlands-based group Effective Media & Marketing (EMM) has launched an FMCG-focused agency called ASK-Opinions, which will combine online panel research with shopper and purchase data from more than 1.5 million brand and category buyers. More
In the UK, insight industry language specialist Empower Translate has set up a new department focused on response data localisation needs. More
From our special issue published this week, KL Communications founder Kevin Lonnie talks about what's changed and what hasn't in twenty years running a communities business; about getting customers to solve clients' business problems; and getting space men to talk to each other. More
Our 2021 Online Communities supplement is published today. In this article, Richard Preedy from title sponsor Verve looks at the role the company's community panels have played in the customer-focused transformation of retailer John Lewis. More
Hamburg, Germany-based insights automation platform quantilope is expanding to the UK with the opening of an office in London. More
In Australia, market research and customer experience consultancy Bastion Insights has appointed former Potentiate CEO Peter Harris as Chief Exec in Sydney, driving growth and expansion in both the NSW market and nationally. More
In Canada, online community platform Tribe has raised $7.5m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to hire across all departments, including product, engineering, customer success and marketing; and to continue building its technology. More
MR and healthcare-focused translation & language services company GlobaLexicon has increased its headcount to 120, while growing its revenue 45% in the first half of the year. The firm has also doubled the capacity of its Translation Operations Centre in Spain. More
Kantar has chosen a new Chief Executive - Chris Jansen, currently CEO of global schools group Cognita, starts in the role on 1st November. More
Twenty years to the day from its launch, North of England firm DJS Research has announced it is now an employee-owned business. More
Civic engagement tech provider Zencity has secured $30m in funds, which it says will allow it to 'double down' on product development and pursue its dream of 'allowing governments to 'run' on community input data'. More
Kantar has announced the formal integration of New Zealand's Colmar Brunton into its business, with the Colmar Brunton name to be phased out by the end of this year. All 121 staff in the country will join one of two new NZ divisions, Kantar or Kantar Public. More
KPMG Australia has shuffled the leadership team for its customer, brand and marketing advisory (CBMA) business, promoting Carmen Bekker to lead the expanded business. More
Germany has *something* to cheer about tonight, anyway, as does the market research industry: the October face-to-face Munich event often regarded as the global industry's biggest is confirmed as back on, under its new brand of succeed21, and new owners. More
Continuing our focus on insight communities, Verve's Joint Head of Research talks about setting up the world's largest community panel; the boom in exploratory digital qual; and why he's seeing research better represented in board meetings than ever before. Available in print or as a video podcast. More
CXM & insights platform provider Alida has secured a US$10m debt facility, which the firm says will fuel its 'aggressive growth strategy and ambitious roadmap'. More
Digital research firm MetrixLab has expanded its DACH business with a new office in Frankfurt and four senior appointments, following what it calls 'years of growing demand from local and global clients' in the region. More
LA-based insights firm Echo MR has expanded its partnership with CXM and Insights platform Alida to Europe, just a few months after joining its partner network. More
San Francisco-based UserLeap, an AI-powered platform giving product development teams continuous and rapid qualitative user feedback, has raised $38m in a Series B funding round led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. More
US-based D3, known for its research in conflict regions and other challenging environments, has announced eight new hires, in line with 'the new research opportunities that have emerged this year'. More
Australia-based consulting business Fiftyfive5 says it has made 45 new hires in the last twelve months, 'across all geographies and levels', bringing its headcount to 147. More
Ipsos MORI has announced the launch of a Qualitative Research and Engagement Centre, bringing together its qual methods team, dialogue and engagement specialists and led by Director Michelle Mackie. The Centre will aim to 'bring the public voice into policy making'. More
In the UK, the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) is launching a Centre for Deliberative Research, which will officially open next Wednesday with an online event. More
Momentive (formerly known as SurveyMonkey) has promoted Justin Coulombe to the role of Chief Financial Officer. More
The directors of MR agency MM-Eye have launched a sustainability business change practice called The Say Do Company, promising to help clients drive profit through a combination of customer insight, business change management and sustainability expertise. More
In the US, healthcare sector MR platform Thrivable has closed a $1.7m round of funding, which it will use to expand its team across technology, research, data science, sales and marketing. More
Belgian companies One Inch Whale and Color Navigator have launched a joint venture, Research & Visual Nudging, which will combine insight techniques with the patented Color Navigator system to enhance services including predictive intelligence and neuromarketing. More
In the second article from our forthcoming special issue, Toluna's Director, Digital Solutions Jack Lee sets out why communities are an ideal way for a brand to get closer to its consumers; and how to make the most of what they can offer. More
As the insight world emerges from the shadow of Covid, 'only around 50% of formerly face to face activity will revert to type', says Verve's Andy Dexter, introducing a month of features focused on Online Communities, for our forthcoming special issue. More
Mark Inskip, the CEO of Kantar's UK and Ireland Media Division, has left the business to join staffing procurement firm Matrix SCM as Chief Executive Officer. He will be replaced on a temporary basis by EMEA MD Louise Ainsworth. More
Toluna has launched what it describes as 'the industry's first and only Enterprise Insights Subscription', giving clients 'limitless access' to its Toluna Start platform, expert personnel and insights from its global panel community. More
Kids, parents and family research specialist The Insights Family and US experiential youth marketing agency InspiredConsumer have partnered to produce research solutions for clients in the US. More
In the UK, commercial radio industry body Radiocentre has hired former Kinetic exec Tara Wilkinson for the newly created role of Head of Insight. More
Business-to-business research provider B2B International has promoted its London MD Matthew Powell to the role of Vice President and Executive Director, North America, leading its Los Angeles Office. More
Kantar's first quarter revenue was up 3% to $896m, with six of its seven divisions delivering growth. This includes double digit increases from the group's consumer and shopper behavior specialist Worldpanel, and public policy services provider Kantar Public. More
In San Francisco, web site and app testing platform LambdaTest has raised $16m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to scale its technology and broaden its reach with the tester community, as it launches a new suite of products. More
In the US, market research and analytics company GutCheck has appointed Dave Sibley as Chief Financial Officer, while promoting Jessica Gaedeke to the role of Chief Revenue Officer. More
Ad and innovation testing platform Zappi has appointed Melanie LoBue as Executive Vice President of Global Marketing, based in the US. More
Kantar Public, the global group's government and public sector practice, has hired research scientist Rhoune Ochako for a new role, Country Director of its Development Practice in Kenya. More
NY-based research firm KJT Group has promoted Michaela C. Gascon to be its new CEO and President, as founder Kenneth J. Tomaszewski steps back but retains his role as Chairman. More
Middle East and Africa-based full service agency 4SiGHT is to acquire an undisclosed stake in Dubai-based analytics and technology consultancy Anavizio, forming a partnership which will integrate market research and social media intelligence capabilities for 'holistic audience insights'. More
Ad and innovation testing platform Zappi has made three hires to support growth across the EMEA and APAC regions. The firm says its international sales team has doubled in size, and is planned to triple by the end of the year. More
Broadcaster Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has promoted staff for three new roles: John Musgrove to Head of Research and Measurement; Abi Wallis to Head of Sales Insights and Campaign Strategy; and Jasmine Beech to Client Insights and Effectiveness Director. More
Cultural insights and strategy consultancy Crowd DNA has promoted Laura Warby to Head of Agency for London/Amsterdam; Hollie Jones to the same role in New York City; and Dave Power to Senior Director of the firm's Crowd Numbers quant team. More
Online community and survey tech provider Toluna has promoted Susan Vidler to the role of European Chief Research Officer, from her most recent role as UK MD for Harris. The firm has also promoted Olivia Senneville to Executive Vice President, Finance. More
Kantar Public, the global group's government and public sector practice, has launched a data science platform and toolkit, 'PUBLIC Evidential', which promises advanced data blending and analytics to help 'build and enrich' the evidence base for public policy decisions. More
London and US-based Incite, part of the Kin + Carta group of companies, is restructuring its offer into three core practices: Research, led by Director Stefan Schafer; Planning, led by Deputy MD Pranay Jeyachandran; and Strategy, led by Director Helene Mills. More
Britain's MRS has awarded the Gold Medal, its most prestigious honour, to former NOP MD Phyllis Macfarlane; and announced new fellows including research tech writer Tim Macer and two inspirational former Chairs of B2B research group BIG, Claire Labrum and Trevor Wilkinson. More
New York-based consumer emotion analytics platform Truthify has been granted a US patent for its 'emotion-optimized' advertising technology. More
Tokyo-based online specialist Macromill has launched a Life Science Business, which will conduct research and acquire biochemical data relating to healthcare, and use panels for human clinical trials concerning health promotion and disease prevention. More
US-based verbatim analysis specialist Ascribe has expanded in the EU, through the launch of a GDPR-compliant data centre in Germany. More
Northumberland, UK-based online research supplier Panelbase is opening an office in central London, where it has appointed Monica Kaur and James Ward to grow the business. More
In the US, Jamin Brazil and Bill Bloom have partnered to integrate their HubUX and FastFocus solutions, creating a DIY platform which they say will deliver 'fast, quality consumer insights'. More
In Australia, comms agency Think HQ has brought its research department in-house, and appointed recent recruit Pauline Ho to lead it, in the role of Strategy and Insights Manager. More
Technology consulting firm Forrester Research has reported revenue up 7% to $113.8m for the first quarter of 2021. The company has also launched Forrester Decisions, described as a 'premium portfolio' of 15 new research services. More
London-based content marketing platform ContentCal has raised $6.2m in a Series A round of investment, which it will use to develop a proprietary content intelligence platform, make new hires, open a US base and expand its UK headquarters. More
Global industry association ESOMAR has teamed up with NewMR, Confirmit and more than twenty other organisations for the next wave of its survey among buyers and users of insights, measuring how usage and purchasing patterns are evolving. More
First quarter revenues at global research and advisory firm Gartner rose 8.4% to $1.1 billion, with reported profit more than doubling to $164.1m (vs $75m in Q1 2020). Adjusted EBITDA rose 50% to $320m, from $214m a year before. More
New Zealand-based specialist product development and sensory evaluation business Futurescape has been renamed Imagine Research. More
Community specialists Tribes Research and Syno International have agreed a partnership whereby Tribes will migrate all its communities to Syno's platform. The latter includes a survey tool, data lake and research automation products. More
Eye tracker developer Tobii is preparing to spin off its Dynavox arm, which develops speech generating devices, eye trackers and eye gaze/eye-controlled devices for people with disabilities and special needs. Along with the spin-off, Group CEO Henrik Eskilsson says he intends to step down. More
Kantar Chief Executive Alexis Nasard has stepped down after just four months in the role. Deputy CEO Ian Griffiths will lead the company until a new appointment is made. More
The recently merged business of research software firms Confirmit and FocusVision has a new name, Forsta. Both the original companies will continue to operate as usual while the organisation continues its integration plans and brand strategy roll out. More
Ipsos has posted revenue of EUR 466.3m in the first quarter of 2021, up 8.8% from Q1 2020 and up 10.5% from Q1 2019. Like-for-like, the increase was 14.1%, driven by a very strong performance in EMEA. More
NBCUniversal has hired former Nielsen exec Kelly Abcarian as Executive Vice President, Measurement & Impact, tasked with pushing forward measurement solutions that reflect the 'all-screen future', while providing advertisers with new ad targeting opportunities. More
Immersive research firm Further&Further has added four new members of staff to its North American team, including former Synovate CFO Richard McQuarrie as Finance Director; and says it plans to double in size. More
In the UK, former Savanta and Charterhouse execs Julie Irwin and Kate Turner have launched a specialist financial and business services MR agency called Citrine Research, with expertise in new proposition development, comms testing and thought leadership. More
Long-time Cint executive Richard Thornton has departed from the company for some 'planned time off with the family'. More
Central European research firms Integral, Sinus and Opinion have merged to form ISO, described as 'a medium-sized group, owner-managed and independent'. More
Shopper insights specialist Behaviorally (previously known as PRS IN VIVO USA) has expanded into Asia, opening hubs in both Singapore and Shanghai. Former PRS IN VIVO execs Nichole Gu and Melvin Ng join as Managing Director, Asia and Vice President, Market Development respectively. More
Digital research firm Alligator has teamed up with rural qual recruitment expert FieldMouse to launch a panel of farmers and farm workers, Opinion Harvester. More
Four research firms based in Cincinnati, Ohio - Burke, Inc., Directions Research, EMI Research Solutions and MarketVision Research - have combined to launch an internship program aimed at widening the talent pool for the sector. More
Four specialists from different marketing disciplines have launched a collective called Crater Lake & Co, bringing together marketing analytics, creative strategy, media planning and market research to provide answers to questions around clients' marketing decisions. More
New York-based enterprise-level employee and customer experience management (XM) company Questback has been renamed Tivian, and says it aims to 'reinvent the XM category'. More
In the US, full-service pharma market research and consultancy firm ThinkGen has appointed former GfK Healthcare exec Brian Hull as Chief Operating Officer. More
Online sample marketplace PureSpectrum has expanded to the Asia Pacific region, where it has appointed former Cint exec James Rogers as Managing Director. More
In the US, online community software platform Vesta has partnered with applied consumer neuroscience company HCD Research, to create a suite of emotional and psychological research tools to capture non-conscious feelings. More
Kantar and Ipsos have been awarded contracts to deliver what they say is the 'world's first true cross-media total audience measurement solution', in the Netherlands. The contracts combine measurement of viewing, listening, browsing and reading in a single, integrated system. More
In London, the BBC's commercial subsidiary BBC Studios has hired Penny Brough for a newly created SVP role, leading the Brand Marketing and Audience Insight team. She takes up the position on 7th June. More
UK-based insight industry language specialist Empower Translate has launched an Unstructured Data unit, providing localisation services for high volumes of participant data derived from large-scale surveys and product testing. More
In the US, AI-based qualitative research provider Emozo Labs has partnered with data collection firm Global Survey to use artificial intelligence to better understand customers' conscious and unconscious responses. More
Melissa Baker has joined Ipsos as CEO for Public Affairs, Sub-Saharan Africa and MENA, based in Nairobi More
Recently merged Confirmit and FocusVision have appointed Christopher Nagy and Giles Whiting to their leadership team as Global President / CFO and COO, respectively. More
San Francisco-based iMAD Research has appointed former Greenfield, Toluna and SSI exec Andy Pfau as President. More
Ipsos MORI has launched what it says is the UK's 'largest and highest quality' online random probability panel, with more than 15,000 participants. The mix of online and off-line respondents promises 'total understanding of the UK public for businesses and organisations'. More
In Germany, Smart News Fachverlag (SNFV), the publisher of market research portal marktforschung.de, and industry trade fair organiser succeet have partnered to create what they describe as a 'new powerhouse' for the insights industry. More
In New York, consumer insights provider Feedback Loop has raised $14m in an add-on Series A round of funding, which it will use to accelerate product development and drive adoption of its platform. More
The Insight Climate Collective (ICC), a group calling on the industry to come together and play its part in tackling the environmental crisis, has appointed a Steering Committee to help put its strategy into action. More
Wearable insights tech firm Shimmer Research has partnered with mobile MR specialist IVP Research Labs and data collection firm Schlesinger Group, to launch an at-home biometric neuromarketing research service. More
Trade association ESOMAR has named ScaleHouse Consulting founder Kristin Luck as President of its Council, replacing Joaquim Bretcha of Netquest who has completed his two-year term. MindSpark founder Nikki Lavoie is the new Vice President, and five of the remaining eight members are also women. More
London-based and family-focused insight and creative marketing agency Kids Industries (KI) has partnered with similar agencies in France, Germany and Spain to create a European industry network called The League. More
In the UK, the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) has appointed Tina Haux as Director and Gayle Munro as Deputy Director of its Centre for Children and Families. More
Former Kantar TNS East Africa CEO Aggrey Maposa died last Tuesday, after battling a long-term illness. More
WPP has reported a 9.3% fall in revenue to £12bn in 2020 from £13.2bn the previous year, while turning a 2019 profit of £1.3bn into a 2020 loss of £2.3bn. Despite this, the group says it has cut debt to its lowest level in sixteen years. More
US-based analytics and healthcare marcoms network W2O has been re-named Real Chemistry, and is re-positioning itself as a 'unified health innovation company'. More
UK-headquartered kids, parents and family panels firm The Insights People is expanding to Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines and South Korea, surveying around 410 kids and around 205 parents of children in each country. More
Survey tech and data collection business Global Survey has opened an office In London, to support clients based across Europe. More
In Melbourne, Kantar has promoted Jon Foged to the newly created role of Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, Insights arm - he was previously CEO of the division in Australia. Jason Shoebridge, CEO of Kantar New Zealand, will leave the business in April. More
StreamPulse, the in-home division of Texas-based neuromarketing researcher MediaScience has teamed up with neurometric equipment manufacturer Shimmer to develop StreamPulse Neuro, a system for measuring consumers' emotional response in a natural viewing environment. More
In London, Kantar has hired former Neustar exec Ted Prince for a newly created role, Chief Product Officer, responsible for defining and delivering new offerings and real-time platforms. More
Online survey software provider QuestionPro has hired employee understanding specialist Sanja Licina as President of its Workforce Experience division, with overall responsibility for driving growth, product development and client satisfaction. More
Consumer insights platform DISQO and research tech provider Research Results have announced a managed services partnership, giving the latter's clients access to DISQO's consumer panel, while Research Results will support project design, coding and data processing. More
In Los Angeles, entertainment insights business MarketCast has appointed Regina Johnson as its first Chief Human Resources Officer. More
Charles Foster, CEO of Kantar's Insights division in the Middle East and Africa region, is retiring in April after 35 years in the research industry. He is succeeded by Adeola Tejumola, who has most recently been responsible for Kantar Insights units in West, East and Central Africa. More
Ipsos has hired former New York Times insights exec Dan Wong-Chi-Man for a newly created role, Head of Global Marketing and Business Development. He will be based in London. More
Emotion analytics specialist Realeyes has received a US patent for the core technology of its flagship PreView product, described as a 'computer-implemented system and method for determining attentiveness of users'. More
Australian researcher Lewers has appointed Katie Altmann and Lisa Tropeano, and promoted company veteran Phil Guarisco to Partner. The firm says on the back of 'another year of strong growth' it will continued to both promote from within and hire new talent in 2021. More
UK industry charity the Market Research Benevolent Association (MRBA) is launching its annual fundraising auction on the International Day of Happiness on 20th March. This year's event will be known as the 'Donate a Smile' auction. More
Debbie Clifford, Chief Financial Officer of SurveyMonkey, is leaving to become CFO of her previous employer Autodesk. SurveyMonkey has already initiated a search to find her replacement, with CEO Zander Lurie taking over the role until one is named. More
In the UK, Blue Yonder Research has launched an R&D insight and product testing facility called Sense:Lab. More
Ipsos has reported Covid-hit full-year revenue of EUR 1.8bn, down 6.5% on a like-for-like basis, but managed organic growth of 1.4% in Q4 (vs Q4 2019). Negative currency effects dented reported figures for both periods. More
Behavioural research specialist EyeSee has opened a new sales office in Singapore and an operations office in Mexico City, following a year of record growth in 2020. More
Manchester, UK-based consumer insights business Vypr has appointed Cint exec Richard Thornton to its board, following a £2.5m investment last month by YFM Equity Partners. More
Caroline Connolly has joined Kantar Public, the insights group's public policy evidence and advisory division, to take up the role of CEO, Development Practice, based in the Washington D.C. office. More
In the US, Ipsos has appointed Christie Kawada as Head of Media Development and Audience Measurement. She takes over from Manny Flores, who moves to the position of Executive Vice President in the Client Organization. More
Next15's data and insights group Savanta has promoted four and hired three new employees as part of its expansion in the US. The promotees include thinqonline co-founder Mark Martins, who is now Americas EVP as well as Asia Pacific General Manager. More
Behavioural insights platform Veylinx, headquartered in Amsterdam, has raised $2m in a pre-Series A round of funding. The money will be used to expand its teams across Europe and the US, accelerate product development, and launch a new platform. More
Kantar Public has appointed Gaurav Sabharwa as Chief Executive Officer of India and South Asia, based in New Delhi. He takes over from Surya AV, who left in October after nearly two decades with Kantar. More
Following its management buyout last month, French research and consulting firm BVA Group says it will reposition itself as an 'experience champion', and will take a more international and more 'participative' approach. More
In the US Kevin Kruper and Rocky Prozeller, former directors of British-based MR firm Incite, have launched a boutique insights consultancy called Old Salt. More
London-based survey platform Phebi has partnered with voice-enabled data capture specialist Analytical Factory, which will provide it with support services across the UK and other parts of Europe. Analytical Factory will also develop new apps based on Phebi's technology. More
Tech consulting and research group Gartner has reported Q4 revenue of $1.11bn, down 9% in the quarter and down 3% in the full year 2020, but the firm's double figure profit growth (full year adjusted EBITDA +20% FX neutral, and Q4 + 10%) supports CEO Gene Hall's bullish appraisal. More
US-based tech specialist Forrester Research has reported a 3.02% drop in fourth quarter revenue to $120.5m. For the full-year, total revenues were $449.0m, down from $461.7m in 2019. More
James David 'Dave' Power III, the founder and retired Chairman of automotive industry research specialist J.D. Power, died on January 23rd after a long-term illness. He was 89. More
The second of our new video podcasts is with Eugene Murphy of indeemo and includes discussion of mobile ethnography, the future of shopping, the impact of the pandemic on research methods and budgets, and the potential for qualitative in the post-Covid world. More
Ad and innovation testing platform Zappi has set up an Enterprise Team to help large organisations drive global business impact through insights. The new team is led by Babita Earle, with the title of EVP of Global Enterprise Customers and Partnerships. More
Mobile MR specialist IVP Research Labs has partnered with wearable insights tech firm Shimmer Research to launch a new biometrics solution, NeuroLynQ, using GSR and ECG readings to measure participant engagement and attention levels during in-person research. More
Australian insights consultancy Fiftyfive5 has brought in six new graduates in its Sydney office and one in Auckland. They are joined by Caelan Bistram who started as an intern last year. More
Today we kick off our video podcast series with a closer look at how luxury markets are faring in time of Covid, and the challenges of researching this sector. MrWeb's Nick Thomas talks to Lars Long, Chief Executive of Altiant. More
Healthcare data collection specialist SurveyHealthcareGlobus (SHG) has appointed former M3 and Medefield executive Dan Lockwood as EVP of its European division, based in London. More
From this week, Daily Research News will feature video interviews of around 20-25 minutes with leading figures in the insights and analytics world, giving you more depth on some of the stories in the news, and talking about themselves, their companies and their views. More
London-based health sector consultancy Branding Science has expanded to Berlin, Germany, where it has hired Anne-Sophie Lenoir to lead the new office. More
UK-based community panels specialist Verve has announced a 23% increase in revenues for the year ending 31st December 2020, to £8.1m. It has also hired Lucy Wetherhill, Claire Andrzejewski, Parker Mincey and six other new faces, and made eleven promotions. More
Research and data firm Savanta has promoted Caroline Hawkings as UK Managing Director, and Barbara Gurhan to CFO, while CTO Bart Read also joins the Board. More
In Belgium, interim MR sector recruitment agency Insights Wizards has hired long-time insights exec Dirk Van Kemseke as its first Managing Director. More
Canadian data collection firm Delvinia has promoted Raj Manocha to the role of Chief Executive of its Methodify platform, which it has redesigned as an 'operating system for market research'. More
Dynata has expanded its loyalty panel in Asia Pacific, through partnerships with global hospitality group Accor, and Big Loyalty, a subsidiary of Air Asia. Further expansion is planned in the coming months in Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. More
In the US, qual technology-led research services provider 20|20 Research has spun out its insights consulting practice into a new agency called Aspen Finn, which will use cognitive psychology to deliver 'authentic consumer stories to help clients grow'. More
In the US, experience management company Qualtrics has raised the expected price for its initial public offering (IPO) to between $27 and $29 per share, the second increase from an original forecast price of $20 to $24. More
In the UK, Gail Balfour, co-founder of consumer research and brand consulting business Tangible Branding, has launched a new company called Research Human, promising to understand the consumer by 'connecting with the human'. More
Online community specialist C Space has promoted Jessica DeVlieger to the role of Global Chief Executive, replacing Charles Trevail, who will continue to lead parent company Omnicom's Interbrand Group around the world. DeVlieger is based in Boston. More
In Los Angeles, entertainment insights business MarketCast has hired long-time Kelton Global exec Martin Eichholz for a newly created role, Corporate SVP and General Manager of its Technology and Games division. More
Shopper insights agency PRS IN VIVO USA has been renamed Behaviorally, following its sale to new majority shareholder Alcentra. More
Online community and survey tech provider Toluna has partnered with customer insights specialist Canvs, whose AI-driven emotion and behavior platform will add further on-demand capabilities to the end-to-end, real-time solution, Toluna Start. More
In the UK, behavioural science specialist Chris Harvey has launched a new company called Activate Research, promising to help research agencies and end clients better understand, predict and change behaviour. More
London-based Opinium has hired former Hall & Partners exec Tom McEnery as Research Director, and made six further appointments. More
Cultural insights and strategy consultancy Crowd DNA has moved founder Andy Crysell to the position of Chief Executive Officer, while Matilda Andersson has been promoted to Group MD, and Elyse Pigram moves up to MD for APAC. The firm has also made several new hires. More
Online community provider InSites Consulting has partnered with Latin American-based qual and quant insights and consulting agency Provokers, expanding its offer in the region. More
In the UK, sandwich shop franchise Pret A Manger has hired Dan Burdett as Chief Customer & Growth Officer, responsible for setting the group's global direction across food innovation, coffee and packaging, brand and insight, sustainability, technical, quality and commercial growth. More
In the US, Polly MacIsaac has returned to online community specialist C Space as Chief Operating Officer, allowing Phil Burgess to relinquish his operations responsibilities and focus on his role as Chief People Officer. More
Financial data technology company SRAX has appointed angel investor and cryptocurrency analyst Lou Kerner as CEO of its BIGtoken subsidiary - a consumer-managed data marketplace. More
Basis Research, headquartered in London and with three offices in the US, has launched a social research practice, geared to helping clients shape public policy, communications and services. Former Kantar execs Darren Bhattachary and Dan Clay join to head up the new unit. More
Technology and services analyst HFS Research has launched a cloud research practice and appointed Joel Martin as Research Vice President for Cloud Strategies. More
A management team at full service division Kynetec b2 has bought the company from its parent, Kynetec Group, establishing it as an independent firm and changing its name to b2sense. More
UK-based research firm Field Scope International (FSI) has opened an office in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, serving increased demand for research in Sub-Saharan Africa. More
Chief Operating Officer Carla Lindemann has retired from Virgina Beach, US-based full service firm Issues & Answers after 32 years. The firm has also promoted Mohit Gour to EVP. More
DRNO is taking a break now until 4th January. It's been a strange old 12 months, but we're looking forward greatly to 2021. We wish those of you doing it a fantastic Christmas, and everyone a great New Year. More
The Stagwell Group, owner of the Harris and Harris Poll brands, has reached an agreement with marcoms group MDC Partners, to combine their companies and create a business they say aims for more than $3bn in revenue by 2025. More
Consumer insights platform DISQO has expanded its Marketing team with the addition of former Kantar exec Anne Hunter as VP of Product Marketing; David Grabert as VP of Brand & Communications; and Karin Odell as Head of Demand Generation. More
Marcoms giant WPP has set out a plan to return to sustainable growth by 2022. This includes initiatives to make £600m in savings by 2025, with around £400m of those savings reinvested in technology to drive future growth. More
Australian Radio Network (ARN) has launched a neuroscience-based media research initiative, aiming to deliver a better understanding of consumer behaviour and provide new insights about audio. More
Communities specialists Verve and Potentiate have merged in the UK, as part of a global strategic partnership between the two firms. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the UK, software development company The Green Room has launched a digital market research company called The Green Room - Insights, focused on helping pharmaceutical companies conduct research with their stakeholders. More
Kids, tweens and teens market intelligence specialist The Insights People has appointed four new team members and moved to a new 2,000 square foot office on Manchester's Portland Street. More
In the US, programmatic sample platform Lucid has promoted Stephanie Comardelle to the new role of Chief of Staff, tasked with helping develop corporate strategy, improve processes, and facilitate greater effectiveness across the organization. She will also lead the office of the CEO. More
Two Cello Health-owned sister agencies, B2B specialist Breaking Blue Research and consumer specialist 2CV Research, are to merge under the latter's brand name. More
In the US, continuous product research platform UserLeap has raised $16m in a Series A round of funding, for use in scaling the business. More
In London, mobile-based customer insights platform Streetbees has added $6.7m to its $40m Series B round of funding, which it says will provide its founders, early employees and angel investors with liquid assets. More
In the US, entrepreneur and marketing consultant Kristin Luck and her former business partner Jamin Brazil have linked up to launch an initiative called 'The Consortium', for which they will lead quarterly executive coaching forums for business leaders and marketers. More
London-based qual-led insight and strategy specialist BritainThinks has been named 2020 Agency of the Year in this year's MRS Awards ceremony, conducted online last night. More
Online communities specialist InSites Consulting has brought its seven offices in Asia under its own name, retiring that of ABN Impact, which it acquired a year ago. More
Marketing analytics company DataTile has hired former Ipsos MediaCT Asia Pacific exec Steve Garton and former Telmar Communications MD Alex Maddox, as Senior Partners. More
CX and voice-of-the-customer software firm Alchemer has announced a partnership with UK-based Voxpopme, allowing the former's clients to capture customer-recorded video feedback. More
Michael Halberstam, Chairman of data collection group ISA, is to leave at the end of the year after nearly 40 years with the business. He told DRNO that he will be looking for a new 'MR/insights adventure' in the very near future. More
In the UK, workplace pension scheme the National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) has hired former National Trust exec Christina Finlay for a new role, Director of Data and Analytics. More
In the US, DIY research software firm SurveyMonkey has hired former Neustar and IBM exec Ken Ewell for the newly created role of Chief Customer Officer, charged with leading and expanding the firm's customer success, professional services and support teams. More
In London, Dennis Publishing has promoted Seema Hope to serve as its first Global Customer Insight Director. More
In London, British charity executive and former social worker Sir Stuart Etherington has been appointed Chair of Trustees for not-for-profit organisation NatCen Social Research. He will take up the role next February when Sir Robert Burgess retires at the end of his term in the post. More
Recently launched copywriting analysis tool Copytesting has changed its name to Wynter, effective immediately. The firm says it is evolving, and has 'enhanced its focus on helping B2B enterprises gather and use data for product messaging'. More
In London, retail scenario testing firm Virtual Store Trials (VST) has appointed long-time industry execs Helen Davis and Charlotte Kiddle as Account Directors, to lead partnerships with FMCG retailers and CPG brands. The company is also planning to open a US office next year. More
San Francisco, CA-based data visualization solutions firm Observable has formally launched with $10.5m in Series A funding. More
New Jersey-based MR and applied consumer neuroscience company HCD Research has launched a division focused on health and wellness research relating to the cannabis market. More
UK-based brand communications and experience research agency The Nursery has become employee-owned, with rights transferred to a trust set up for the benefit of all staff. More
YouGov has acquired Turkish online-focused MR firm Wizsight for an undisclosed sum. The company will be renamed YouGov Turkey. More
Customer experience management (CXM) and insights platform Alida - previously known as Vision Critical - has announced a partnership with video insights provider Voxpopme. More
In the UK, food and drink sector research and support organisation Campden BRI has announced that current COO Pete Headridge will become Chief Executive on 1st January 2021, following the retirement of Chris Huscroft. More
Enterprise data exchange Harbr has raised $38.5m in Series A funding, and will use the money to scale up its team and accelerate onboarding of new customers. The firm doubled headcount in 2020 and says it plans to triple in 2021. More
Mobile app A/B testing service Taplytics has received an undisclosed amount of growth capital financing from CIBC Innovation Banking, for use in fuelling customer acquisition and growth plans across North America and Europe. More
Nielsen Global Connect and management consultancy Bain & Company have partnered to help clients in the consumer packaged goods industry improve capabilities across pricing, promotions, assortment optimization and customer planning. More
In the UK, customer insights and communities platform developer STRAT7 ResearchBods has opened a Customer Success division, which will focus on delivering 'first-class' client experience and providing resources and support throughout the customer journey. More
UK-based video intelligence platform Big Sofa Technologies has secured an undisclosed 'seven-figure' amount of funding, which it will use to drive the continued development of its platform and to make hires in the UK and US. More
Consumer intelligence platform Toluna has appointed former Nielsen MD Bruce Haymes as Non-Executive Chairman of its Board of Directors. More
Panel provider Intra Research has appointed Marina Moshenska as its new CEO, with incumbent Kaspar Jänes moving to the Chairman's role. More
UK-based branding and innovation agency Brand Potential has partnered with structural and sustainable design consultancy Touch to launch HALO, a joint venture focused on insight and innovation and promising to help clients with sustainable pack and product innovation. More
From the Data Visualization special issue published last week: Ipsos.Digital CEO Andrei Postoaca talks about the challenges involved in developing a DIY research platform for one of the world's biggest and best known insight groups. More
Technology consultancy Gartner has reported results for the third quarter, with revenue down just 1% (constant currency) at $995m, and adjusted EBITDA up 19.4% on the same basis to $168m. Excluding the Conferences segment, revenue rose by around 5%. More
Former Unilever and Kraft marketer Roger Jackson has launched SenseCheck, an online platform allowing b2b small businesses to give and receive anonymised, honest feedback about each other's marketing plans and campaigns. More
Forrester Research has reported third quarter revenue of $108.6m, a fraction down on last year's figure in like-for-like terms. However, CEO George Colony says demand for services increased during the pandemic. More
Consumer intelligence platform Toluna has secured a 'significant' round of financing, which it will use to fund planned global growth initiatives. More
Our Data Visualization special issue is published today. Here, in his Introduction, Ipsos co-founder & CEO Didier Truchot talks about clients' need for clarity, AI's potential to change our industry, and why insight professionals should be confident about the future. More
In London, mobile-based customer insights firm Streetbees has raised $40m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to accelerate development of its platform, and increase headcount from 100 to 230 during the next twelve months. More
Clear Channel Airports (CCA), the Americas-based airports business of advertising group Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings is rolling out a new audience impressions methodology, pioneered by independent OOH ad currency organisation Geopath. More
Martina Vojtkova has been promoted to Director of the Policy Research Centre at the UK's National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), replacing Nancy Kelley who left earlier this year to become CEO at Stonewall. More
In Los Angeles, full service MR firm Alter Agents has appointed five new members of staff, including Lauren DeWitt Thompson as Research Director; Ryan Palmer, Adrienne Scotti and Roxanne Benoun as Research Managers, and Taryn Akiyoshi as a Senior Research Analyst. More
Ipsos has posted revenue of EUR 468.6m in the third quarter of 2020, down 6.2% on a reported basis but just 3.3% on a like-for-like, constant currency basis despite the impact of the pandemic. The group says this reflects 'a renewed stability since June', with recovery month by month. More
Australian employee research firm Blue Provident is merging with its UK partner Feedback Works, and will take the British company's name. More
US and Canada-based recruitment specialist Rare Patient Voice (RPV) has partnered with voice response technology provider inVibe Labs, to launch a platform accessing the opinions of patients and caregivers. More
UK market research budgets experienced another 'marked decline' in the third quarter - the second sharpest since data collection for this category started in the final quarter of 2012 - according to the latest IPA Bellwether Report. More
Medallia's Senior Director of Product Management Vache Moroyan and his team are tasked with building dashboards that are a pleasure for research professionals to work with. Continuing our focus on Data Visualization - interview by Nick Thomas on September 22nd. More
US firm Escalent has appointed TrueSample co-founder Dyna Boen as Managing Director of the Consumer, Tech and Telecom divisions. She takes over the role from Paul Hartley, who has moved into the newly created position of Executive Vice President of Sales. More
San Francisco-based 'conversation intelligence' platform Chorus.ai has partnered with video calls firm Zoom to launch an app called Zoom Zapp, promising to deliver real-time 'relationship intelligence' in meetings. More
In London, Kantar has appointed long-time Procter & Gamble exec Alexis Nasard as Chief Executive Officer, effective 30th December. He replaces Eric Salama, who left the business in February. More
In the UK, Omnicom Health subsidiary Adelphi Research has promoted Elizabeth Kehler to the role of Managing Director. She replaces Rachel Medcalf who has left after twenty years with the company. More
In Los Angeles, insights design and strategy agency Hypothesis has appointed former Millward Brown North America CEO Mary Ann Packo as a Senior Partner, leading client growth, research innovation and talent acquisition. More
Alida, which until recently was known as Vision Critical, has agreed a partnership with analytics firm Stratifyd, giving clients access to a wider range of data sources for understanding their customers. More
Mobile survey software and analysis solutions provider Dooblo has received an undisclosed amount of funding from private equity firm Anacapa Partners, with participation from Trail Mark Partners. More
Research software firm SurveyMonkey has extended its integration with Zoom, to improve virtual employee feedback experiences. The firm has also officially launched its GetFeedback customer experience (CX) solution. More
Marcoms group Havas Creative has launched an international customer experience (CX) network, dedicated to delivering brand experiences across the entire customer journey. More
Continuing our focus on Data Visualization, the LivingLens co-founder talks in-depth with MrWeb's Nick Thomas about family influences; starting, financing, building and selling the business; the huge potential for video and the importance of good data viz. Video version also available. More
Heinrich Fischer, one of the founders of recently closed MR trade show Research & Results, has announced the launch of his new event 'succeet21', which will take place next April. More
Continuing our focus on Data Visualization, Debbie Senior, Toluna's VP Product Automation, looks at the 'need for speed', and other factors driving changes in the way we process, share and display data. More
New York-based consumer insights platform Morning Consult has announced that co-founder Kyle Dropp has become President; while Libby Isenstein, Jeff Cartwright and Tyler Sinclair have been named Chief Product Officer, Chief Growth Officer and Chief Research Officer respectively. More
B2B survey marketplace InsightzClub has expanded to Bangladesh, through a partnership with local data and artificial intelligence company ADA. More
US-based Service Management Group (SMG) has partnered with video insight platform Voxpopme, to offer a combination of video feedback and experience management data. More
In the US, software engineers Mitchell Catoen and David Ferris have launched a product called Phonic, allowing respondents to answer survey questions with their voice instead of their keyboard. More
Last year, research revenue for the Top 50 US-based market research and data analytics companies rose 4.8% to $14.8bn - comprising an almost equal split of domestic (50.2%) and international (49.8%) business - according to the latest annual Top 50 Report. More
US and Canada-based patient-focused recruitment specialist Rare Patient Voice (RPV) is expanding to Europe through a partnership with research software firm Q One Tech. More
New York-based 'agile' research platform Alpha has changed its name to Feedback Loop, effective immediately. More
Kantar is planning to cut around ten percent of its US staff due to the impact of the pandemic, according to online reports. More
Market research and healthcare translation specialist GlobaLexicon has reported strong growth in the first half of the year, with revenue up 30% and 21 new hires. More
European data collection company Norstat has hired Evelin Pae as MD for its Estonia business, replacing Kaspar Küünarpuu who has left the company. More
Customer insights firm Vision Critical has changed its name to Alida, and aims to disrupt the global customer experience (CX) industry, taking on the likes of Qualtrics and Medallia. More
In the UK, the MRS (Market Research Society) has launched a new designation, 'International Affiliate', intended as a sign of research excellence and standards observance for research businesses and client side research teams operating outside the UK. More
YouGov has created two new senior roles - Global Sector Heads for Travel & Tourism, and Leisure & Entertainment - and has a new South African affiliate, MR agency KLA. More
UK professional body the MRS has noted a slight positive shift in the expectations of companies in the post-Covid world; and has downgraded its earlier call on the government to 'save the sector' to a more modest appeal for investment in infrastructure and innovation. More
London-based data company TeakOrigin has partnered with mobile intelligence platform Streetbees to launch a study to understand the link between nutritional value and consumption of fresh produce. More
UK-based full-service agency Market Measures has launched a Customer Experience (CX) practice called Market Measures 360CX, to be headed by CX specialist Tobin Sparrow. More
From an interview with Paul Twite, Toluna's MD EMEA and LatAm, looking at the company's recent big announcements - rebranding and the launch of Toluna Start. For the podcast, and a fuller write-up including more personal reflections and detail, see the forthcoming Data Viz supplement. More
YouGov has expanded in the Asia Pacific region through a partnership with Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam-based behavioural science specialist Decision Lab. More
Survey tech and data collection business Global Survey is transferring its headquarters to the US, with new offices in Orlando, Florida; and has appointed Maria Figueras as Senior Director for Client Development. More
Consumer intelligence platform Toluna has launched an end-to-end solution called 'Toluna Start', which will now form the core of its business. Users can access the firm's panel of more than 30 million members, uncover and share real-time insights to help fully understand the consumer journey. More
International data collection and research services provider Schlesinger Group has re-branded all its European businesses, to bring them in line with the group name. More
Data collection specialist Norstat has appointed Romain Barbet as Managing Director in its Paris office. He will replace Norstat France co-founder Marc-Antoine Jacoud, who is staying with the firm for the next couple of months to assist with the handover. More
In the UK, full service agency Vision One Research has relocated its northern office to Mann Island, which overlooks the Albert Dock, situated on Liverpool's historic waterfront. More
In the UK, medical fieldwork business Medicys has launched a division called MediLAB, which will provide linguistics and analysis services for both the company's fieldwork and non-fieldwork-based clients, across all sectors and countries. More
In the UK, specialist MR recruiters Sarah Penny and Inger Christensen have launched 'Daughters of Sailors' a new firm offering insight agencies flexible in-house freelance support with their recruitment. More
In the US, marketing and consumer sciences firm HCD Research has partnered with neuroscience and consumer research specialist Dr Martha Bajec to launch a new unit focused on consumer health and wellness products. More
Marcoms giant WPP has reported a first half loss before tax of £2.58bn, compared to a profit of £409m a year earlier; and reported revenue down 12.3% to £5.58bn, from £6.37bn. Like-for-like (LFL) revenue declined 11.5%. More
Canadian polling, MR and strategy firm Leger has launched a customer experience consulting service called Leger MetriCX, supporting organizations that want to become more customer centric. More
An overwhelming majority of UK market researchers (96%) say they want to work from home to some extent in the future following the Covid-19 crisis, according to findings from the 2020 Mental Wellbeing in Research Survey. More
Eye tracking hardware and software firm Tobii AB has announced results for the second quarter of 2020, with revenue down to SEK 332 million (US $37.75m) - an organic decline of 6%. More
In the US, data quality and anti-fraud software platform SampleChain has raised $1.5m in a new round of funding, which it will use to drive company growth, increase capacity and add additional technologies to its product suite. More
Research software and solutions company Confirmit has appointed Giles Whiting as its new COO and Rebecca Wright as Head of Legal. More
MR platform Attest has announced four senior appointments in its London headquarters - Andrew Wray, Patrick Hussain, Nia Barnabie and Andy Davis - following 'recent revenue growth of more than 160%'. The firm is also recruiting a number of staff for its New York office. More
Open source data visualization specialist Grafana Labs has raised $50m in Series B funding, and says it will 'aggressively accelerate its product roadmap' in key areas. The firm has also launched an Accelerator Program providing finance and developer access to those building with its software. More
In New York, consumer insights platform Suzy has hired five new team members, including former Cint / Toluna exec Katie Gross as Chief Customer Officer, responsible for overseeing all customer relationships and spearheading the firm's customer advocacy program. More
In South Africa, communities specialist InSites Consulting has promoted Heather Tluczek to Managing Director. She replaces Henk Pretorius, who moves up to Head of Consumer Connections, a global role leading consumer network strategy for the group. More
In the US, market research and analytics company GutCheck has named former long-time Nielsen exec Rob Wengel as its new Chief Exec, replacing co-founder Matt Warta who has left the business. More
Australian insights specialist Faster Horses Consulting has hired Mark Hutchinson to set up an office in Melbourne, and Chris Pyria to establish a presence in Brisbane. Paul Croci also joins the firm in Perth and Ann-Louise Brockelsby in Sydney. More
London-based human insight consultancy One Minute To Midnight is opening an Americas office in New York City, to better serve its growing US client base. More
In London, former Ipsos MORI, Universal Music and BBC exec Hanna Chalmers has launched a research and strategy collective called culturestudio. More
UK-based kids, parents and family specialist The Insights People has raised £500k in investment funding, which it will use for international expansion, and to create eight new jobs at its Manchester headquarters. The firm has also appointed Stefan Lampinen as Chairman. More
In London, mobile-based customer insights platform Streetbees has hired former Foursquare MD Omid Ashtari as Chief Operating Officer, as the company plans an expansion and recruitment drive following 110% growth in the first six months of 2020. More
Century City, California-based TV, film and video research firm Screen Engine/ASI (SE/ASI) has appointed Steve Ridge as Executive Vice President of its recently formed Television News Group. More
Heinrich Fischer, one of the founders of recently closed MR trade show Research & Results, has announced that he is setting up a new event which will take place next April in Munich. More
Tech industry consultancy Gartner has reported a 6% rise in second quarter revenue for its Research division - from $826.1m in Q2 2019 to $875.3m a year later. With currency effects removed, the rise was 8%. Events revenue was wiped out, but the firm says the division will bounce back. More
Ad and innovation testing platform Zappi has divided its executive team into two: the Futures team, which will set the company direction, and manage its vision and values; and the Leadership team, which will focus on day-to-day operations covering revenue, resourcing and efficiency. More
The Market Research Society of India (MRSI) has set up a relief fund, which it says has already helped 3,600 freelance interviewers faced with economic hardship as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. More
In the UK, not-for-profit body NatCen (the National Centre for Social Research) has announced that Professor Sir Robert Burgess will step down next year as Chair of its Board of Trustees, after fulfilling the full nine-year tenure recommended for charities. More
Research and analytics group YouGov has signalled its intent to increase market share in the media sector by bringing in US and European 'heavy-hitters' Tamara Alesi and Julian Newby. More
The UK division of Future Thinking has taken its new parent Savanta's name, following its acquisition earlier this year. More
Start-up Advertima, which uses AI to customize in-store experiences, has closed a EUR 15m ($17.3m) funding round, earmarked for further development of its tracking platform. More
Technology specialist Forrester Research has announced a 3.5% drop in Research division revenues to $73.6m, in the second quarter. Chairman and CEO George Colony said the company had performed better than expected during a challenging quarter. More
Insight-led healthcare branding and communications consultancy THE PLANNING SHOP has appointed Rebecca Rehder as Global President, to lead the organization across the UK and US. She takes up the position next Monday, and will be based in New York. More
In the US, Omnicom Health subsidiary Adelphi Research has promoted Ratna Wynn to the position of EVP, Head of Research, Operations and Innovation, with responsibility for all research functions and operations. More
Research & Results, the organiser of the annual Munich, Germany-based trade show for market research, data and insights professionals, has decided to close its whole business because of the impact of the Covid-19 crisis. More
In San Francisco, 'conversation intelligence' platform Chorus.ai has raised $45m in a Series C round of funding, which will be used to expand the firm's go-to-market team and invest further in product innovation. More
UK-based kids, parents and family specialist The Insights People has expanded to Canada and Australia, to meet international demand for its market intelligence solutions. More
In the US, brand and marketing insights company Shapiro+Raj has appointed Cindy Tran as company President. The position has been vacant for the past two years, since the departure of Margaret Mueller, who now serves as CEO of the Executives' Club of Chicago. More
Global shopper insights agency PRS IN VIVO has hired long-time Ipsos exec Karen Gombault for a newly created role, EU Managing Director, based in its Paris office. More
UK-based consumer research agency MMR and Paris, France-based research and marketing intelligence institute Repères have signed a partnership agreement, giving each access to a combined methodological toolkit and increased geographical footprint. More
In the US, 'cognitive insights' platform WhizAI has raised $4m in seed funding, which it will use to expand its team across the globe and invest in sales and marketing. More
Naomi Gooblar, the founder of London-based qual and quant fieldwork services firm Field Sauce, has set up a dedicated team called Field Sauce Kidz, working with young people aged from 0 to 20, as well as their parents and educators. More
The UK government is to upgrade its 'Research Marketplace', a 'Dynamic Purchasing System' for public sector buyers to find and commission research agencies. The new c.£300m contract will start in February 2022 and run for four years. More
MR agency quantilope has raised $28m in a Series B found of funding, which it will use to further expand its offering in Europe, and particularly in the US. More
A new study conducted by industry trade association ESOMAR has highlighted that 7 in 10 people are concerned about sharing their personal data with businesses, while two thirds say they don't like the current privacy practices employed by data collectors. More
Ipsos has posted revenue of EUR 786m for the first half of the year, down 13% from last year's EUR 903.4m. The firm says that after a close to flat performance in the first quarter, the second was heavily affected by the 'havoc' wreaked by Covid-19. More
UK TV audience measurement body BARB has announced a year-long extension of the tender process for two of its main research contracts, as a result of the pandemic. The organisation has also begun investigating remote data collection alternatives. More
Toronto, Canada-based customer insight solution provider Vision Critical has received US$20m in debt investment, which it will use to fund its growth strategy and roadmap centered on delivering a customer experience management (CXM) and insights platform. More
In the US, B2B nonprofit CAPS Research has appointed former Mastercard exec Bryan Fuller as Executive Director, replacing Deborah Stanton who retired in July. More
In the US, investment firm Saroras Private Capital has launched a new company called Apollo Intelligence Corporation, focused on tech-driven data and insights solutions for the life sciences and healthcare sectors; and has acquired data collection company SHG as part of it. More
The holding company of Toluna, Harris Interactive Europe and KuRunData is adopting the Toluna name as its principal brand, replacing ITWP which will be phased out. Toluna is celebrating this change and its twenty years in business with a new corporate identity. More
Innovation insights firm Clarivate Analytics has announced the launch of a Global Business Center in Penang, Malaysia, to be led by VP Shankar Nagalingam. Two more such centres are planned, for London and Chandler, Arizona. More
US-based insight-led marketing services firm LRW Group has been renamed 'Material', bringing its ten companies into one unified offering. More
UK-based kids, parents and family specialist The Insights People has hired seven new members of staff, increasing the team to 31. The company is now looking for a new 3,000 sq ft Manchester city centre office to accommodate this expansion. More
UK market research budgets appear to have fallen sharply during the second quarter of the year, with a net balance of -42.2% of marketing execs recording a drop in spending, according to the latest IPA Bellwether Report. More
In the UK, television marketing body Thinkbox has announced that its founding CEO and current non-executive Chair Tess Alps has decided to retire at the end of the year. More
Digital research agency MetrixLab has opened an office in Zug, Switzerland, and appointed former Nielsen exec Hassan Mouheb to lead it as Managing Director. More
In the UK, former journalist Mimi Turner has joined political party the Liberal Democrats as Director of Strategy, Messaging and Research. More
San Francisco-based employee engagement insight specialist Lattice has raised $45m in a Series D round of funding, for use in expanding its offerings to better serve global clients, and scaling its engineering and product teams. More
London-based crowdsourcing, idea management and 'open innovation' platform Wazoku has raised £1.25m in a new funding round. The company has also acquired US-based innovation firm InnoCentive. More
In the US, market research and analytics company GutCheck has appointed two Executive Vice Presidents: Jessica Gaedeke for Sales and Brian Harmon for Client Service and Delivery. More
Nielsen Sports has closed its office in Singapore, as part of its parent's recently announced measures to drive 'operational efficiencies' and optimise Nielsen's global footprint. More
Former Central Fieldwork exec Theo Francis has launched a new business, GuineaPig Fieldwork, based in London. More
Canada-based online sample and research technology specialist WiseWorks has launched a private equity vehicle called Hygiia Ventures, which will invest in artificial intelligence, big data, analytics and machine learning firms. Separately, Ryan Kagan has joined WiseWorks as CFO. More
LA-based 'Neuroscience as a Service' (NaaS) platform Kernel has raised $35m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to develop new technology for recording brain activity, and for 'customer success' initiatives. More
Middle East-based full service agency 4SiGHT Research & Analytics has hired long-time Kantar exec Sukhdev Singh to launch its 4SiGHT Consulting practice in Dubai. Former Kantar researcher Siva Sankar has also joined the new division. More
Former Dapresy director Rahul Jerome has launched a private membership community called The Insight Network, exclusively for practitioners and professionals in the research and insights sector. More
Experience management (XM) company Qualtrics and consulting firm Korn Ferry have ramped up their partnership, to meet the 'evolving employee listening needs' of their clients. More
UK-based Ipsos-MORI announced on Friday it was restarting large-scale face-to-face fieldwork, after a successful trial of a Covid-19 safe approach. More
In the UK, marcoms group Unlimited has opened a 'Human Understanding Lab', with a focus on the use of behaviour-led science in driving client performance. The lab supports Unlimited's four divisions: Marketing, Communications, Insight & Analytics and Digital. More
Experience management company Qualtrics has expanded its partnership with video analytics firm Voxpopme, to help clients access quant and qual feedback side-by-side on one system and obtain a 'more complete' view of their customers. More
In the UK Bob Qureshi, co-founder of i-view, has set up a Viewing Facilities Action Group, offering support and guidance to facility owners who have been forced to pay local authority rent and business rates during the Covid-19 crisis. More
Boston, MA-based behavioral science and MR consultancy Protobrand has promoted Irina Zilberman to the role of company President. More
In the US, programmatic sample platform Lucid has appointed Pauline Wen as General Counsel, Chief Privacy Officer and Corporate Secretary; leading the firm's legal efforts, including privacy and cybersecurity, transactions, compliance and risk management processes. More
In the US, long-time Lieberman Research Worldwide (LRW) execs Susie Ribnik and Linda Hobson have launched a new data collection agency called Ribnik Research, to meet the needs of small to mid-sized companies. Their new firm is based in Burbank, CA. More
Kantar has added the newly created role of Deputy Chief Executive to the role of Chief Financial Officer Ian Griffiths. More
DefinedCrowd, which provides data to support the development of artificial intelligence (AI) products, has raised $50.5m in a Series B round of funding. As a result the firm aims to expand its existing solutions, launch new offerings, double its headcount, and open more R&D offices around the world. More
Nine researchers with 'various ethnic backgrounds and industry experience' have joined forces to launch Colour of Research (CORe), a non-profit organisation that will champion ethnic diversity in the MR and insights industry. More
Respondent access specialist Maru/Blue has hired former Ipsos Reid pollster John Wright to lead its newly launched Public Opinion Research division. More
Former Circle Research exec Chris Wells has launched a B2B market research consultancy called Adience, based in New York City. More
In the US, economic research and forecasting specialist Cliff Waldman has launched a consulting and research firm called New World Economics, to help clients understand the impact of government policies and other market forces on manufacturing companies. More
Insight marketplace and MR tech provider Cint has expanded its APAC presence with the opening of an office in Singapore. More
In New York, skin care and makeup products manufacturer The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) has moved billionaire heiress Jane Lauder into the new role of EVP, Enterprise Marketing and Chief Data Officer. She will take up the position on July 1st. More
Gordon Brown, the co-founder of Millward Brown, died peacefully at his home in the UK on Saturday 6th June, after a short battle with dementia. He was 76 years old. More
Nicole Pike, former MD of Nielsen's video gaming analysis business Esports, has joined YouGov in the newly created role of Global Sector Head of Esports & Gaming. More
Paris-based OpinionWay Group has announced the opening of a new strategic regional hub in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, to be led by Florence de Bigault, who joins the Group as MD of Sub-Saharan Africa. More
Melbourne, Australia-based Telmy has expanded to New Zealand, where it has launched its tech-based platform for qual and UX respondent recruitment. Long-time industry exec Winifred Henderson joins in New Zealand as Managing Director. More
The Market Research Society of India (MRSI) has appointed long-time industry exec Mitali Chowhan as Deputy Director General in its Secretariat team. More
Nielsen Global Connect has launched a suite of shopper research solutions which use 'extreme' reality and gaming technology for virtual retail shelf and planogram testing, and to uncover in-store shopping behavior. More
Fashion publisher Vogue Business has launched an index measuring the performance of the world's top 50 luxury brands, produced in partnership with research firm Phronesis Partners. More
UK-based insights and data firm delineate has boosted its leadership with the appointment of Wayne Evans in the new role of Chief Information Officer, and the promotions of Product Director James Stewart to CTO and Chief Customer Officer Ben Leet to COO. More
Insight exchange and sample management platform Cint and online survey platform Survey2Connect (S2C) have partnered to launch a new solution called Survey2Connect Audience. Cint has also been selected to automate GfK's sampling operations. More
In the US, former System1 Research exec Will Leach has launched a new company called Mindstate Group, which offers a proprietary behavioral psychology model to help marketers create influential marketing strategies. More
DIY survey software company SurveyMonkey is combining its customer experience (CX) solutions from two recent acquisitions into one umbrella brand, known as the GetFeedback Suite. More
In the UK, former Specsavers customer insights leader Eddie O'Brien has left to set up a support network called Destination 5.0> which will provide interim insight solutions to clients. More
In Australia, full-service public sector consultancy ORIMA Research has launched a specialist Disability Services Research division (DSR), led by former National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) exec Tamara Reinisch. More
Ipsos has named Maria Perez as Head of its self-service research platform Ipsos.Digital in North America. More
In the US, data quality monitoring solution provider Toro Data Labs has raised $4m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to accelerate product development and bring the product to a larger audience. More
Brookfield, WI-based full service provider the Dieringer Research Group, Inc. (The DRG) has formalized its partnership with Illinois healthcare sector research and brand consulting firm Klein & Partners. A DRG client for 15 years, Klein is now an affiliate. More
Boston, MA behavioral science-based market research consultancy Protobrand has appointed Veylinx co-founder Rainier van Rietschoten as VP, Client Services, starting today. More
US-based recruitment marketing services company HireClix has launched a 'Human Experience Lab' (HX Lab), which uses neuroscience techniques to help potential employers understand how candidates engage with their brand during the recruitment cycle. More
Concluding our DRNO coverage of the Mobile Insights special edition, an interview with the inspirational founder and CEO of app-based feedback business Streetbees. The second half of this, along with lots more mobile-focused content, can be found in the supplement itself. More
Netherlands-based data collection firm GDCC has consolidated its US-based call centers into an entirely work-from-home enterprise, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The firm has also promoted Lisa Mancini to the role of Vice President of Operations, North America. More
UK sector specialist consultancy Cambridge Healthcare Research (CHR) has appointed Chris Stevenson as Chief Executive Officer. More
New York-based qualitative research platform Sympler is expanding to Australia, where it has hired Karen Dwyer as a Partner. More
Milan, Italy-based crowd testing platform AppQuality has raised EUR 3.5m in a new round of funding, some of which will be used for expansion into new European markets. More
London-based research platform Attest has raised $15m from an unnamed investor. This new round of funding will be used to further expand in the US, where it has hired Marc Schraer and Tamer Abouleinein. More
Australian research and marcoms group Enero - which owns MR agencies The Leading Edge (TLE) and The Digital Edge - has appointed former Nike exec Brent Scrimshaw as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Matthew Melhuish who left the company in March. More
In the UK, out-of-home (OOH) audience research body Route has appointed Robert Ray as Chief Executive Officer, replacing James Whitmore who has led the organisation since 2005. More
Ken Østreng, CEO of research software firm Confirmit, has left the company following its sale to Nordic private equity fund Verdane. Tech sector exec Kyle Ferguson has now taken over his role. More
In Vietnam, Kantar has transferred David Anjoubault from Worldpanel to take up the role of CEO of its Insights division. He replaces Nitin Nishandar, who has been named Chairman of the Insights division in Vietnam and Chief Client Officer. More
The insights sector is in line for an $18.7 billion loss in value due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new report released by industry body ESOMAR and based on a survey of 2,889 professionals from 127 countries. More
In India, full-service agency Karvy Insights has partnered with online survey platform Survey2Connect (S2C), to create a range of UI/UX (user interface/user experience) and ad testing solutions for clients worldwide. More
Research software company SurveyMonkey has reported a 29% increase in first quarter revenue to $88.3m, driven primarily by enterprise sales which increased 128% during the period. More
Julian Green, former MD of Kantar's B2B practice, is launching a B2B insight and opinion leader communities firm called Nostradamus Consulting. The company has brought in two former oil and gas industry execs to advise on the development of its first initiative, an energy-focused community. More
Technology researcher Forrester Research has reported a 5.4% rise in first quarter revenue to $106.3m, equivalent to a 2% rise pro forma. Reported revenue for the research division increased 6% to $72.7m, and for advisory services and events 5% to $33.5m. More
Technology advisory firm Gartner has announced first quarter revenue up 6.1% (at constant currency) to $1.02bn. Adjusted EBITDA jumped 52.8% on the same basis, to $214m. Results would have looked still better but for a pandemic-related slump in its small Conferences division. More
UK-based digital marcoms group Next Fifteen Communicationshas named Penny Ladkin-Brand as Chair of the Board, effective 1st February 2021. She will replace Richard Eyre, who remains in the post until the end of the current financial year. More
Research and insight training company the Research Academy has brought forward the start date for its MRS Advanced Certificate online course, allowing workers on the UK government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) to use the time to gain a professional qualification. More
Keypoint Intelligence, which provides data and market analysis for the digital imaging industry, has appointed former Forrester Research exec Mack Brothers as President and Chief Executive Officer. More
Marcoms giant WPP has reported a 4.9% fall in first quarter revenue, reflecting the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and has introduced further cost-saving measures. The group has also applied for a £600m government-backed loan. More
British-based full service insight consultancy Basis Research has opened an office in Chicago, where it has appointed brand insights and strategy specialist Katie Buckley as Managing Partner. More
Insight exchange and sample management platform Cint has completed its platform integration with P2Sample, which it acquired last year. The combination enables Cint to offer access to more than 100 million respondents. More
Continuing our focus on 'Insights in the Mobile Age' Mario Paic, Global Head of Data Science, looks at the rise of the smartphone and discusses its central role today at Ipsos Audience Measurement. More
Ipsos has posted first quarter revenue of EUR 428.7m, up 1.6% from the same period last year; but says its order book in the three weeks from March 30th has seen a significant fall. More
Swedish eye tracking developer Tobii AB has announced that Chief Financial Officer Johan Wilsby has decided to leave his position to move to a new company. Wilsby has a six-month notice period and will leave Tobii in the autumn. More
In the US, international data collection business Schlesinger Group has acquired qualitative technology-led research services provider 20|20 Research for an undisclosed sum. Jim Bryson, founder and former Chair at 20|20, is retiring from the business. More
US agency Horowitz Research has launched a consultancy called Green Horizons, dedicated to delivering consumer insights for the cannabis and 'holistic health' industries. More
UK-based kids, parents and family market intelligence provider The Insights People has promoted two of its team, including Richard Craig who moves into the newly created position of Chief Data & Information Officer. The firm has also appointed seven new members of staff. More
Behavioural research specialist EyeSee has raised EUR 300m in a round of funding, which it will use for futher international business expansion and technical innovation. More
South West of England-based digital specialist Caffeine Marketing, which also owns Caffeine Market Research, is opening an office in Bristol. More
Angus Webb, the founder and Managing Director of online research supplier Panelbase, died last Wednesday evening from the COVID-19 virus, at a hospital in Spain. He was 45 years old. More
Asia Pacific-based data-led marketing and strategy consulting group Illuminera has partnered with marketing insights professional Ashok Sethi, to launch a specialist marketing and behavior change division called 'Behave!' More
A number of the team behind Australia's Lewers Research have launched a voice and chat bot agency called 'Research by Bot', promising clients ready-to-launch or custom qualitative research at scale. More
Marketing and MR Agency System 1 has announced that its Chief Financial Officer James Geddes is stepping down on April 20th, after seventeen years with the firm. He will be succeeded by former British Airways exec Chris Willford. More
Research platform and interactive community Pulse has raised $6.5m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to scale its platform, expand the engineering and content teams, and accelerate product innovation. The firm has also launched a product recommendation engine called Product IQ. More
In London, live video streaming technology specialist HighTech Development has partnered with online video meeting software developer Whereby, to develop a suite of new products. The first of these tools is a platform for market research focus groups called HT FACE. More
London and New York-based natural language processing (NLP) specialist Eigen Technologies has completed a $5m Series B follow-on round of investment. More
UK-based kids, tweens and teens specialist Kids Insights has launched in Mexico, where it will survey a total of 21,000 children each year. More
Global association ESOMAR is teaming up with MrWeb and its existing partner Women In Research to give data and insights professionals access to the world's largest specialist index of job opportunities, with new packages and offers also launched. More
Jane Frost, Chief Executive of Britain's MRS, has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak warning of the 'immediate and potentially catastrophic impact' of the Covid-19 crisis on the industry, and asking for further help in protecting it. More
Australian research and marcoms group Enero, the owner of MR agencies The Leading Edge (TLE) and Jigsaw Research, has appointed CFO Brendan York and Chief People and Culture Officer Fiona Chilcott as acting co-CEOs, while it seeks a permanent replacement for Matthew Melhuish. More
Customer insights platform UserTesting has raised $100m in new funding, which it will use to increase market share and accelerate investment. The firm has also acquired Norway-based multilingual experience testing specialist Teston, for an undisclosed sum. More
In Canada, online customer community solution provider Vanilla Forums has secured an undisclosed amount of investment, which it will use to expand into new markets. More
Gale Metzger (pictured), co-founder of Statistical Research, Inc. (SRI), died on March 16, 2020 in New Jersey at the age of 83. More
Daniel Wirth has been appointed as CEO of Kynetec and the Kleffmann Group, following the recent announcement that the two agricultural and animal health research specialists are merging. More
With the Covid-19 pandemic now sweeping the world, research charity the MRBA has issued a statement reminding UK employers that it is here to help, including in cases where the industry's casual workers get into severe financial hardship due to the impact of the virus. More
MR software firm Remesh has raised $25m in a Series A2 round of funding, which will be used to drive expansion of the company and its platform. More
US research and training company Burke, Inc. has promoted Jamie Baker-Prewitt for a newly created role, Chief Research Officer. More
Cint has added Helene Stafferöd Westerlund as Chief Technology Officer, heading up its global technology objectives as part of its executive team. More
Online community specialist CMNTY corporation has announced a partnership with first-party data and insights platform Dynata, promising to help brands improve audience engagement via a more complete picture of customers. More
UK industry charity the Market Research Benevolent Association (MRBA) is asking for donations for its annual auction, which provides funds to research industry execs and their families who have fallen on hard times. More
In the US, focus group facilities and recruiting services company L&E Research has expanded with the acquisition of the midtown Manhattan office of Consumer Center. More
London-based full-service agency Opinium has officially launched its NYC office on legendary US advertising strip Madison Avenue. The firm has also appointed former Weber Shandwick Strategy Director Giulia Prati as Vice President of Research US. More
Ipsos has reported a 14.5% increase in full-year revenue to slightly more than EUR 2 billion; with organic, constant currency growth of 3.8%, the firm's best annual performance since 2011. More
In Rotterdam, Netherlands, global consumer agency InSites Consulting has appointed former Haystack Consulting exec Kjell Massen as Business Director; and moved Margot Schuil to the role of Global Client Partner. Niels Schillewaert takes over Schuil's former role as country MD. More
Stockholm, Sweden-based brand tracking and consumer science specialist Nepa has promoted Ann-Christine Fick to the position of Chief Financial Officer, while Michael Wallin joins in the newly created role of Head of Investor Relations. More
In the UK, the Centre for Homelessness Impact and the Office for National Statistics have jointly developed a tool to provide insight into the conditions required to tackle homelessness. More
Adam Crozier, former CEO of broadcaster ITV, the Football Association and Royal Mail, has been named Non-Executive Chairman of Kantar. More
In the UK, three former employees of 2CV Research - Adam Short, Ollie Willis and Alex Nketiah - have launched a global full-service insight agency called The Point, promising clients in the tech, entertainment and sport sectors 'better understanding'. More
In London, research and strategy consultancy MTM has promoted co-founder Caroline Wren to the new role of Managing Director, while fellow co-founders James Bryson and Richard Ellis will lead the Research and Commercial Strategy Consultancy teams, respectively. More
Ipsos has announced the acquisition of a majority stake in survey technology provider Askia, and says it will tap the firm's expertise and technology to develop the 'survey platform of the future'. More
Next15's data and insights group Savanta has announced the acquisition of the UK business of Future Thinking, which has 61 staff in offices in Oxford and London. Future Thinking France and the Gemseek division, which employ most of the Group's c.350 staff, are not part of the deal. More
Research, media and events provider Informa Tech is bringing together its analysis and research units into a single entity. Ovum, Heavy Reading, Tractica and most of what was previously IHS Markit's TMT research business will be unified under the new brand, Omdia. More
Consulting group Gartner has reported fourth quarter adjusted revenue up 11% at constant currency, to $1.2bn, with profits also increased. Full year revenue was up 11% on the same basis to $4.2bn. More
Following its acquisition of WPP AUNZ's Data Investment Management (DIM) division, Kantar has announced a number of steps which it says will help drive growth for its clients in Australia, including the retirement of the Colmar Brunton brand in the country. More
French healthcare sector fieldwork agency QualWorld has expanded its presence to twelve countries including Sweden, Poland and India. More
British broadcaster ITV has appointed rival Channel 4's Head of Data Science Sanjeevan Bala as Group Chief Data & AI Officer. He will take up his new position in May. More
In Australia, financial services insights and consulting firm DBM has appointed former National Australia Bank exec Kipling Zubevich as its new CEO. Co-founder Dhruba Gupta will continue to focus on business development and promoting the firm's DBM Atlas survey. More
Colorado-based Egg Strategy is moving its corporate headquarters within the state, from Boulder to Denver - where more than 40 percent of its nearly 70 employees live. More
P-O Westerlund has been named CEO of Sweden-based brand tracking and consumer science firm Nepa AB, replacing Fredrik Östgren who leaves the company with immediate effect. More
One-year-old immersive research firm Further&Further has added a fourth office in Chicago, to existing locations in Montreal, New York and London. Eve Ejsmont and Brian Flannery join the new office as Directors while Matthew Pemberton joins the Montreal office as a Film Director. More
Century City, CA-based TV, film and video research firm Screen Engine/ASI (SE/ASI) has announced a strategic partnership with insight community company My-Take, to offer clients recruitment of fans and customers into private advisory or VIP consumer panels of 1,000 to 100,000 members. More
In the US, media and entertainment conglomerate WarnerMedia has appointed former Nielsen exec Cheryl Idell as Executive Vice President, Chief Research Officer of its Entertainment & Direct-to-Consumer divisions. More
In London, voice technology firm Phebi has introduced a new product, which it claims makes it easy to 'voice-enable' any survey. More
US-based customer experience platform AskNicely has opened its first European office in Amsterdam, where the firm's expansion will be led by Kyle Bolster, Vice President and General Manager for Europe. More
London-based full-service agency Opinium is to open an office in Brussels, under the leadership of Director Emily Dickinson. More
Kenneth Tomaszewski has stepped down from his role as President of NY-based healthcare research specialist KJT Group, and will be replaced by Michaela Gascon, who adds the title of President to her existing one of Chief Operating Officer. More
Memories are short (well ours are anyway) and when we started our summary of 'the MR world in 2002' we expected to find an industry deeply affected by the global downturn of that year. Only when we got reading did we remember that of course, until 2009, research used to be recession-proof! More
In Newcastle-upon-Tyne, full-service agency Explain Market Research has undergone a management buyout, with founder David Shiel selling his controlling 75% stake. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Dutch full service agency DVJ Insights has opened an office in Hamburg, and appointed GfK veterans Erk Maassen and Stephan Knäble as Managing Partners, to lead and develop it. More
Adam Crozier, former CEO of broadcaster ITV, the Football Association and Royal Mail, is said to be discussing the role of Chairman at Kantar. More
Research and data group YouGov has completed its acquisition of SMG Insight earlier than scheduled, after the sports specialist outperformed its revenue targets. The company has been rebranded as YouGov Sport and fully integrated into the wider Group. More
Tech and consumer specialist Breaking Blue Research is formally joining sister agency Cello Health Insight, in a move which the firms say will add specialist expertise to strengthen the overall business insights and analytics offer. More
Researchers at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications are collaborating with Comscore, to identify the causes of advertising avoidance and audience drop-off during commercial airings. More
Full-service pharma market research and consultancy firm ThinkGen has hired former GfK Healthcare COO Bart Weiner as President, joining two ex-colleagues and replacing founder Noah Pines who moves to the role of Chief Executive. More
Snacks company pladis has brought in former PepsiCo Asia Pacific Insights & Analytics Lead Geoff Painter as Chief Insights Officer, starting today. More
The Stagwell Group, owner of the Harris and Harris Poll brands, has created a central marketing team with several new hires and promotions, including the appointment of former Kantar exec Anas Ghazi as Managing Director and Chief Strategy Officer. More
In Germany, three former employees of survey software developer Netigate have set up an experience management (XM) company called digitell.me, based in Cologne. More
A new firm called Oasis Intelligence has been launched in Los Angeles, offering access to consumer insights at scale, for marketers in the cannabis and hemp industry, as well as related sectors. More
In New York, management consulting firm Sales Benchmark Index (SBI) has received an undisclosed amount of investment from private equity firm CIP Capital, which it will use to accelerate growth and double its headcount during the next 12-18 months. More
Kantar has appointed former ITV plc COO and CFO Ian Griffiths as its new Chief Financial Officer. He will join the company on January 16th. More
In the UK, Cambridge Market Research (CMR) has hired former Future Thinking UK MD Adele Gritten as its first Chief Executive Officer. More
London-based qual-led insight and strategy specialist BritainThinks is handing the majority ownership of its business to an employee trust, set up on behalf of its team. More
This is 2019's last edition of Daily Research News. We wish a very Merry Christmas to all those celebrating it, and a Happy New Year and a great holiday to all readers, clients, contributors, partners and friends around the world. DRNO resumes in the first week of 2020. More
In Longmont, Colorado, researcher Chris Hauck has announced the launch of a new consultancy, HauckEye, focusing on the observation of subjects in real life situations. More
Canada-based online qual technology and service provider itracks has received $1.1m in growth financing, from Western Economic Diversification's Business Scale-up and Productivity program (BSP). More
Automotive industry research specialist J.D. Power is to merge with sister company Autodata Solutions, a provider of data and software solutions for the sector. More
Manhattan-based qual facility The Focus Room has opened a center in Westminster, California - a few minutes from Huntington Beach, the border of Los Angeles County. More
Australian consultancies Fiftyfive5 and GalKal, which merged a year ago, are to integrate under the Fiftyfive5 name, and co-locate Sydney staff in a newly extended office. More
Kantar has hired Pete Rumpel as Chief Executive Officer of its Media Division in North America. He succeeds Manish Bhatia, who has moved into the position of Chief Product Officer for the division. More
2001, like 1984, was a year for which fiction had given us very specific expectations, and while disappointingly little coasted through the heavens to the strains of the 'Blue Danube', some MR industry giants certainly soared. Here's our review of the year on DRNO. More
Kantar Chief Executive Eric Salama has decided to step down from his role at some point in 2020, after which he will serve as a non-executive Director and Consultant at the company. Kantar has already begun the process of recruiting a successor. More
US market research directory publisher and blogger GreenBook has taken on production of the former Honomichl / AMA Gold Top 50 Report. The 2019 edition, just published, reveals a good year for the industry with the 269 companies covered growing revenue by 3.7% in real terms to $29.43bn. More
Harriet Kozak, President of the Philadelphia office of healthcare specialist Research Partnership, is to retire at the end of the year. She is replaced from January 2nd 2020 by Sabera Hyderally, who currently serves as Director of MedTech, North America. More
Digital research firm MetrixLab has opened an office in Delhi, India, from where it will serve existing global clients, and support new clients across the region. More
Facebook Retail team head Maureen McDonagh is to join newspaper publisher Reach, formerly Trinity Mirror, in the new role of Chief Customer Officer. More
US professional body The Insights Association has named former Dynata EVP Melanie Courtright as its Chief Executive Officer, beginning January 1st and succeeding David Almy. More
WPP has announced that Michelle Harrison will move from CEO to non-executive Chair of its Government Practice - which she has led since its inception in 2012 - so as to focus on her role as Global CEO of Kantar's Public division. Global MD Sean Howard steps up to the vacant CEO role. More
Toluna has been awarded a U.S. patent for a new routing algorithm allowing dynamic profiling. The system pre-qualifies respondents on demographics such as country, age, income and education, and cross-references them with other data to establish qualification for a survey. More
Ipsos,60318, Population Services International and Matchboxology won the inaugural Liz Nelson Award for Social Impact, at last night's annual MRS Awards ceremony in London; while Kantar Profiles Division won the overall Grand Prix Award for Greatest Impact. More
UK-based insight industry language specialist RP Translate has been re-named EMPOWER Translate (Global). More
Today it's exactly 21 years since MrWeb was officially launched - a traditional coming-of-age here in the UK. In Internet terms, 21 is ancient really, and we'll do a bit of looking backward over the next few weeks, but we also have major plans for the coming year. Details here - and your feedback wanted! More
Facebook has launched a market research app called Viewpoints, paying users to take part in surveys. The company says it won't sell or share the resulting data with third parties. More
Hamburg, Germany-based market research platform Appinion has re-launched its consumer panel app, and is preparing to roll it out globally. More
Australian firm Stable Research has appointed Mitch Gross as Chief Executive Officer, and long-time IRI exec Katie Ferro as General Manager. This follows the recent retirement of co-founder Karen Johnston, and the transfer of Pip Hooper to a new role. More
In Canada, consumer insight platform Potloc has closed a $13m Series A round of funding, which it will use to develop AI capabilities, recruit new staff and enter new markets - including the US and UK. More
Cincinnati, OH-based verbatim analysis software company Ascribe has opened a new office in Hamburg, Germany, where it has appointed former ASKi‐Data exec Gustav Jaeckel as European Director of Services. More
In the UK, Matt Kirby, co-founder of creative insight agency bob's your uncle, has joined the Insight Leaders research collective. More
Research tech provider Interactive Video Productions has rebranded as IVP Research Labs, reflecting its broader range of services including neuroscience and biometric offerings. More
In London, Westminster-based agency ComRes has been renamed 'Savanta ComRes', following its recent acquisition by Savanta, the insights and intelligence division of Next Fifteen Communications. More
In Belgium, former Haystack execs Wim Hamaekers and Jasper Scheir have launched an insights consultancy called One Inch Whale, which promises to help people and brands to be 'relevant and sustainable'. More
DIY research firm SurveyMonkey has reported results for the quarter ended September 30th, with revenue up 22% to $79.3m. Net loss was $16.3m, slashed from $102.4m a year earlier with operating costs falling sharply, although adjusted EBITDA fell from $17.0m to $11.5m. More
Leuven, Belgium-based multisensory researcher Haystack International is changing its name to Haystack Consulting, stressing its focus on evidence-based consulting, as opposed to 'pure data delivery'. The move follows 'a thorough reflection and transformation process' over the past few months. More
Ipsos has launched a self-service research platform called Ipsos.Digital, offering clients simplified access to global research capabilities and insights. More
US-based data collection and custom survey solutions provider SurveyHealthcare has changed its name to SurveyHealthcareGlobus (SHG), following an acquisition and underlining its continuing global reach. More
In the US, Sony Pictures has promoted Chris Liberge and Kate Donnelly, both taking the title of Senior Vice President of Global Strategic Marketing and Research. The pair will co-run Sony's new group of film-specific 'strategy pods'. More
In California, former JWT Intelligence director Lucie Greene has launched a futures, research and brand strategy consultancy called Light Years. More
US-based research agency Gongos has opened a Strategy & Implementation practice, to help BtoC and BtoB organizations develop and embed customer-centric strategies into their organizations. The new division will be led by Amy Perifanos in the role of Vice President, Strategy & Implementation. More
London-based boutique insights agency 2CV has promoted Sabine Cronick - previously Head of Quant - to Managing Director, UK; and Jennifer Axen, previously Head of Qual, to MD North America. More
Ipsos has reported organic growth of 3% in the third quarter of the year. Reported revenue rose fully 16.7% to EUR 499.4m, driven by the acquisition of units of GfK since last year, and to a lesser extent by that of Synthesio and by currency effects. More
In a trading update for the third quarter, WPP has reported its first like-for-like (LFL) revenue increase of the year - with insight division Kantar sharing in the improvement. Group reported revenue rose 1.9% LFL to £3.29bn. More
YouGov has appointed Laura Robbie as General Manager of its Australian operations, based in the Sydney HQ and reporting to APAC CEO Julien Chevignon. She replaces David Briggs, who is stepping down two years after his firm Galaxy Research was acquired by YouGov. More
Technology researcher Forrester has announced results for the third quarter, with total revenue up 28% to $108.6m, reflecting the acquisition of SiriusDecisions. More
UK-based specialist insight translation agency RP Translate has closed a £150,000 ($195,000) round of funding, earmarked for the creation of bespoke translation technology for global market research projects. More
In the UK, person-based, blockchain-powered data marketplace Measure Protocol has added community functionality into its MSR App, initially in partnership with global consumer insights agency Interpret, which will use it for a new video gaming community. More
Former HBO Domestic Television President Scott Carlin has joined US-based custom researcher and strategy adviser Magid as EVP, Global Media & Entertainment, based in Los Angeles. More
Online communities specialist InSites Consulting has renamed its Australian company Direction First in line with the group branding. Founder Erica Van Lieven remains at the helm of what is now InSites Consulting Australia, with the title of MD. More
London-based strategic insights firm Firefish has promoted Daniel Rose to the position of Managing Director of its qualitative, cultural insight and human strategy business, Firefish UK. He replaces Lisa Hill. More
Business research provider B2B International has opened an office in Boston, Massachusetts. More
Cultural insights and strategy consultancy Crowd DNA has recruited RDSi director David Power to manage its quant and analytics offer, which is being rebranded as 'Crowd Numbers'. Power will join the firm in November. More
US researcher David Butler has launched a consultancy called Birch Healthcare Insights, to help payers, providers and practices understand what is important to patients and consumers. More
San Francisco-based employee engagement insight specialist Lattice has raised $25m in a Series C round of funding, which it will invest in product development. More
In the US, online community and survey tech provider Toluna has launched a specialized practice focused on the needs of the Media & Entertainment industry, led by long-time company exec Patricia Chapin-Bayley. More
Continuing our month-long in-depth look at online communities, Nick Thomas talks to InSites Consulting co-founder and CEO Kristof De Wulf about buying UK online research pioneer Join the Dots, its fourth acquisition in 18 months; and about plans for the future. More
YouGov has reported a 17% increase in revenue to £136.5m for the full year ended 31st July. The UK led the way with revenue growing by 31%, while the US also fared well with a 17% rise. More
In London, former Save the Children insight leads Tom Skilbeck and Matt Williams have launched a consultancy called Chemistry Insight, dedicated exclusively to charities, movements and brands that 'seek to do good'. More
Dallas-based RKD Group, which provides marketing and fundraising solutions for non-profit organizations, has acquired Boston-based Data Best Practices, after six months in which the latter's founder and President Cathy Folkes has served as the former's Acting Chief Data Officer. More
UK-based Brandwatch has transformed its leadership team with the addition of Guy Berruyer as Chairman of its Board, Fergus Gloster as an NED, Eva Klein as Chief Customer Officer, Dan Freund as Chief Sales Officer, and Ian Collins as CFO. More
Continuing our month-long focus on online communities Stephen Cribbett, CEO and founder of Further looks at projects where communities excel, offering huge benefits over other formats - with case studies of work for Bupa, VouchForMe, Condé Nast and Keyhouse software. More
Market insight consultancy Skopos has made a 'sizeable' investment in UK tech firm HearMe Scientific (HMSL), with the two firms forming a joint venture to focus on the development of apps and platforms for digital engagement and analytics. More
London-based research technology firm Liveminds has officially expanded to the US with the opening of an office in Chicago. More
London-based market research and healthcare translation specialist GlobaLexicon has doubled its European Operations Centre capacity in Seville, Spain. More
Full-service agency Sapio Research is moving offices in the City of London, to make space for two new members of staff: Office Manager Sheila Duke and neuropsychologist Sinead McIntyre. More
Our month-long focus on online communities continues with another podcast. Samsung's Director of European Countries CMI on work-life and other kinds of balance; the extremes of 'agile'; working on communities with Verve; backing up insights; and why brands should 'get out more'. More
Richard Millington of FeverBee lives and breathes online communities and has helped build them for everyone from Apple to Lego to the UN, but he's not first and foremost an insights professional. Communities have many other uses - so where do we sit in the bigger picture? More
Washington, DC-based research and consulting firm Luntz Global Partners has rebranded as Storyline Strategies, as it repositions itself with a wider offer and a focus on innovative methods. More
Shopper and product experience specialist PRS IN VIVO has expanded its global Luxury Practice, and added the concept of 'Happiness Science' to its behavioral science offering. More
Continuing our month-long focus on Online Communities, Andy Buckley, Head of Client Solutions at Join the Dots / InSites Consulting argues that communities need to 'step up their game' by giving clients access to a much wider range of methodologies and tools. Includes 3 case study summaries. More
New Jersey-based MR and applied consumer neuroscience company HCD Research has been awarded a patent for a new approach to mapping mood, product marketability and promotion, through physiological measures. More
The first of a dozen articles from our 21st birthday celebration feature looking at Online Communities. The inspirational Isaac Rogers, CEO of 20|20 Research talks about blockchain patents; running a cattle ranch; heroes, villains... and mom. Read excerpts here and click through for the full Happy MR podcast. More
US-based consumer psychology expert Strategic Vision is opening its first office in India, located in Hyderabad and led by Ravindra 'Ravi' Kondagunta, in partnership with his company Traction Labs. More
Recently-formed Texas-based data collection firm Veridata Insights has launched an automated project platform covering the research process from sampling through to dashboards and analytics. More
Consumer insights platform DISQO has appointed former MarketShare and Neustar executive Jean-Philippe Durrios as CFO and COO, based in its Los Angeles headquarters and charged with leading its plans for rapid growth. More
Schmiedl Marktforschung, the German subsidiary of data collection and research services provider Schlesinger Group, has opened a fully furnished research home in Berlin called 'The Apartment', allowing respondents to test and interact with brands and products in a relaxed, comfortable, home-like environment. More
London-based research and analytics company YouGov has added a new partner in Japan, long-established agency Nippon Research Centre (NRC). The move extends its new affiliate Global Partnerships Programme across APAC. More
Paris-based qual and UX specialist MindSpark Research International is moving offices to make space for new two members of staff, design anthropologists Alicia Dornadic and Elvin Tuygan. More
On 29th November 1998 MrWeb - publisher of DRNO - officially launched with the appearance of its first job ad. To celebrate our twenty-first birthday we're publishing special supplements on five major growth areas in the sector, beginning this month with online communities. More
UK-based brand research agency The Nursery has merged with recently acquired Arkenford, and moved to refurbished offices in Rathbone Place, London W1. More
US-based qual insights and technology firm 20|20 Research has won a patent for methods using virtual environments in behavioral research, including the ability to instantly manipulate the environment based on a user's vision patterns and demographics. More
In Washington D.C., former Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) EVP Jason Boxt has launched a consultancy called 3W Insights, helping clients with their branding, messaging and communications strategy. More
Cello Health-owned audience intelligence specialist Pulsar has enhanced its TRAC social media listening tool with data drawn from 5.5 million medical conversations taking place on online physician community SERMO. More
Escalent (formerly Market Strategies International-Morpace) has announced that Chief Information Officer Sharna Morelli has decided to retire, while John Sivak has been promoted to Senior Vice President, leading the firm's IT division from its Livonia, MI headquarters. More
Maru/Blue has announced a dozen appointments, including the promotion of Tara Caughlin to Senior Director of Operations in New York; and in Canada Angela Tang to Senior Director on the Sample and Feasibilty team and Lauren McHoul to Sampling and Feasibility Manager. More
Birmingham, UK-based video feedback, insights and analytics company Voxpopme has closed a £7.5m ($9m) Series A1 round of equity financing, which it will use to fund further investment in its platform and add to its global team. More
Recently formed group STRAT7 has launched a specialist business strategy offering called STRAT7+, based in Stockholm. Martin Hörnqvist, former CEO of toymaker BRIO, joins to lead it. More
The insight sector around the world including traditional and new areas turned over around $80bn in 2018, according to ESOMAR's annual Global MR report - up from $76bn in 2017. New areas such as data analytics accounted for most but not all of the growth, rising around 10% year-on-year. More
Sample provider P2Sample has partnered with not-for-profit organization Women in Research (WIRe), to launch a study which evaluates the percentage of women in MR executive roles. Across 133 firms analysed, only a third (36%) of exec roles were occupied by women. More
Seoul, South Korea-based video research and targeting company methinks has hired Aaron Burcell as Chief Executive Officer. More
Long-time Kantar exec Graham Page has joined US emotion measurement specialist Affectiva as Global MD of Media Analytics, leading a unit focused on the application of emotion analytics to content, media testing and the customer experience. More
Melbourne, Australia-based mobile researcher MDI has expanded its footprint to London, with the appointment of former GfK NOP leader Arno Hummerston as Director - Europe. More
US-based Further&Further, which combines qual research methods with immersive documentary film-making, has opened a European office, based in London. Former CrowdDNA director Kelvin Amos joins the office as European Managing Director. More
In the US, sensory and consumer product research specialist Curion says it has appointed thirty-five new employees this year, supporting rapid growth and the launch of three new services. More
Marcoms giant WPP is to open a new campus in San Francisco, in the heart of the US tech industry, where it will house more than 1,000 people from its companies around the city. More
Australian insights consultancy Fiftyfive5 has expanded its teams in Sydney and Melbourne over the past six months, with the appointment of fourteen new members of staff. More
In London, online community specialist C Space has launched a suite of solutions called 'Customer as a Service' (CaaS), which combines multiple sources of data, technology and commercial consultancy to understand the customer and place them at the heart of the organisation. More
Independent fieldwork agency Nordic Viewpoint has opened a new viewing facility in Stockholm, Sweden, adding to its existing base in Gothenburg. More
In the UK, the management team of specialist medical device MR consultancy Creative Medical Research (CMR), led by CEO George Ashford, has completed a 'multi-million pound' buyout of the company. More
Marcoms network WPP is to launch two co-location campuses in India, with more than 3,800 people due to move into a new Mumbai Campus later this month, and the establishment of a Gurugram Campus next year. More
In the US, software platform SurveySparrow has partnered with online gifting platform Rybbon in a deal which allows users to create mobile-first surveys and automate the process of respondent incentive delivery. More
Eye tracking hardware and software pioneer Tobii AB must fully divest recently acquired Smartbox Assistive Technology Ltd, after a ruling by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). More
In the US, data collection and fieldwork services firm Opinions Ltd has opened its newest testing center, in Staten Island, New York. More
Marcoms group WPP AUNZ has agreed to sell its entire stake in insight and analytics arm Kantar in Australia and New Zealand, as part of the global sale of Kantar shares to Bain Capital. The deal values the ANZ business at $AUD 168m. More
In San Francisco, consumer health and wellness publisher Healthline Media has hired Laurie Dewan as Vice President of Consumer Insights, responsible for building a new Customer Insights and Analytics function and recruiting a team of researchers. More
In London, media researcher RSMB has appointed Chris Mundy as Chief Executive, following Steve Wilcox's decision to step aside from a full-time role at the company. More
In Australia, MR start-up Qualie.com has closed a $1m seed round as it rolls out a beta version of its video insights platform. More
Next15's data and insights group Savanta has hired five new US employees while announcing a move to a larger office in New York City. More
In Australia, political pollster Jim Reed has set up his own communications research agency, Resolve, based in Glebe, on the outskirts of Sydney. More
Research software company SurveyMonkey has reported a 20% increase in second quarter revenue to $75.1m, driven by a 12% rise in the number of paying users and higher average revenue per user. Net loss was up almost 50% to $18.48m, although adjusted EBITDA was positive at $10.3m. More
Not-for-profit sector specialist Pursuant Group has launched a division called Pursuant Insights, offering analytics solutions for marketers and fundraisers. More
In Africa, marketing services network WPP ScanGroup is to meet an obligation to sell two of its subsidiaries, following parent company WPP's decision to sell 60% of Kantar to private equity firm Bain Capital. More
Tech markets consultancy Gartner has posted a 7% increase in second quarter revenue to $1.1bn (up 9% on a foreign currency-neutral basis). CEO Gene Hall says the company is well-positioned for sustained long-term, double digit growth. More
Los Angeles-based consumer insights business MarketCast Group has appointed long-time media and entertainment exec John Batter as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Henry Shapiro who has moved into the position of Chairman. More
London-based qual-led insight and strategy specialist BritainThinks has promoted both Cordelia Hay and Anastasia Knox to the newly created position of Associate Partner. Also promoted are Holly Wicks, Michael Allard, Hettie Hill and Katharine Allen. More
Ipsos has generated revenue of EUR 903.4m in the first half of 2019, up 14.9% compared with the first six months of 2018. Organic growth for the half year was 3.0%. More
Ipsos has acquired a 10% stake in Oslo, Norway-based employee and customer experience management company Questback. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
US-based customer insights platform UserTesting has opened its first international office, in Edinburgh, Scotland, where it has appointed Bruce Hunter as European Regional Vice President. More
In the US, research and strategy consultancy LRWGreenberg has announced the formation of LRWGreenberg Gaming, a team led by Vice President Collin Leirvik and focused on what the firm says is 'now the dominant force in global entertainment'. More
Kantar has completed the integration of societal impact consultancy InterMedia into its Public division, thus expanding its Washington D.C. office and strengthening the division's growing Development Practice. More
In the US, the Marketing Research Education Foundation (MREF) has hired Andra Davidson as Executive Director, effective immediately. More
Buyout firms Court Square Capital Management LP and HGGC LLC are said to be working with investment bank Evercore Inc. to explore the sale of digital data collection specialist Dynata, with reports suggesting the price tag could exceed $3bn, including debt. More
Data collection and research services provider Schlesinger Group has partnered with private equity firm Gauge Capital to help fund acquisitions to grow its geographical scope and service capabilities. More
Escalent, formerly Market Strategies International-Morpace, has promoted Mark Carpenter from Research Director to Joint MD of its European office based in Surrey, UK. More
Following Friday's announcement that WPP is to sell 60% of Kantar to private equity firm Bain Capital, more details are emerging of the firm's plans, including possible eCommerce acquisitions and expansion of services like Kantar Marketplace. More
Indonesia-based research and neuroscience start-up Neurosensum has followed up a recent $1.8m funding win with the launch of a new research tool, SurveySensum, and says it aims to double its size to around 90 employees by the end of the year. More
Rival Technologies, the insight tech business headed up by Vision Critical founder Andrew Reid, has raised more than $CAD 8.5m from Canadian investors, for use in continued platform development and to expand sister company Reach3 Insights. More
Automated MR platform Zappi and insight marketplace and MR tech provider Cint have announced a partnership to provide 'an integrated technology solution' giving Zappi customers results 'even faster than before, within hours', at much-reduced cost and with 'total control of their data'. More
WPP has agreed to sell 60% of its data, research, consulting and analytics business Kantar to private equity firm Bain Capital, in a deal which values the whole of Kantar at around £3.2bn ($4.0bn). More
US research and MR training company Burke Inc. has promoted Tara Marotti to the role of Chief Client Officer (CCO), succeeding Diane Surette, Burke's President and CEO-designee. More
London-based market research and healthcare translation specialist GlobaLexicon has hired fifteen new team members in the first half of the year, and announced 20% growth in revenue. More
Digital research and marketing analytics firm MetrixLab has promoted Thijs Elias to the role of Chief Executive Officer, replacing co-founder Jan Willem Gerritsen, who left the company in January. The position has since been held on an interim basis by Scott Ernst, Global CEO of parent company Macromill. More
UK-based advisory group Cello Health has opened an office in Berlin, where it has appointed Heike Tombrink as Regional Director, Head of Cello Health Insight Germany; and Matthias Heurich as Regional Director, supporting Digital Innovation. More
Insight exchange and tech platform Cint has announced a strategic partnership with data platform company Syno International, adding to the former's presence in APAC and EMEA, and to the survey audience available for clients of both firms. More
In the UK, communications agency Influential has appointed consumer insight specialist Duncan Swan as Head of Research. More
WPP has confirmed this evening it is now in exclusive talks with private equity firm Bain Capital, over the sale of a majority stake in Kantar. More
WPP has sold its 25 percent stake in comms group Chime, the owner of insight firm Watermelon, to Chime's majority shareholder Providence Equity Partners, for £54.4m plus potential future payments. More
In the US, automated consumer insights platform Zappi has appointed Zontziry 'Z' Johnson as Vice President of Customer Transformation. More
In New York, language and tech solutions provider TransPerfect has acquired a minority stake in market research sector language specialist G3 Translate. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Raymond Cyr, the founder of research software firm Voxco, has sold the business to private investment firm Pivoton Capital for an undisclosed sum. Pivoton's Managing Partner Sumit Aneja becomes Chief Executive Officer and Cyr will remain as an advisor during the handover period. More
Alison Lewis is leaving her post as Chief Marketing Officer of consumer manufacturing giant Johnson & Johnson, as part of a business shake-up which will see the role scrapped altogether. More
Verbatim analysis software company Ascribe has teamed up with Hamburg, Germany-based market and social research firm ASKi-Data to launch a new text analytics tool, ASKi-Data CX Snapshot. More
In London, the management team at agribusiness pricing, media, data and intelligence company AgriBriefing has bought the company for an undisclosed sum. More
WPP media agency network Mindshare has launched a 'NeuroLab' in its New York office, using EEG and Galvanic Skin Response technology to measure second-by-second, non-conscious neurological responses to brand stories and media. More
UK-based Insights People has created eight new jobs, after receiving backing from business support agency, GC Business Growth Hub. The company is also seeking to finalise another round of investment to further scale its US and European businesses, and to launch into Asia. More
John Batter, the former CEO of media and entertainment data provider Gracenote, has joined the Board of Directors of Los Angeles-based consumer insights firm MarketCast Group. More
In the US, long-time entertainment industry exec Bruce Friend has joined Century City, CA-based TV, film and video research firm Screen Engine/ASI (SE/ASI) in the newly created role of Chief Product and Innovation Officer. More
London-based data sharing software firm Privitar has closed a $40m Series B funding round, for use in accelerating the development of its compliance and privacy-focused products, and scaling rapidly in response to global demand. More
In the US, Facebook-owned photo and video-sharing service Instagram has promoted Tamar Shapiro to the role of Head of Analytics, leading a team of more than 150 data scientists and data engineers. More
Marketing and MR Agency System 1 has reported flat constant currency revenue of £26.90m for the twelve month period ended 31st March 2019, and says it continues to invest heavily in its new AdRatings product. More
UK-based emotion analytics specialist Realeyes has raised $12.4m in a new round of investment, which it will use to fund expansion to Japan. More
In the US, global strategy and consumer insights company db5 has announced the return of Chris Hubble as Chief Executive Officer, after a three year stint developing and managing DIY research platform PopResearch (Pop). More
Kantar has set up an International Election Team, to provide forecasting, research and commentary for elections across the world. More
UK research and data firm Delineate has appointed former TNS UK and Hall & Partners UK CEO Paul Edwards as Chairman. More
In Paris, MR firm OpinionWay has appointed long-time Kantar TNS exec Thierry Millon as Deputy Managing Director, in charge of its qualitative and co-creation activities. More
In the US, life sciences specialist Beghou Consulting has opened a Marketing Research practice, and hired pharma researcher Esin Izat to lead it. More
In Australia, Kantar has promoted Leigh Mander and Jacqui Brandt to MD roles, leading the Sydney and Melbourne offices respectively. Meanwhile James Brown moves into the newly created position of National Head of Shopper. More
Co-founder Julian Hadfield has left UK- and Australia-based specialist MR recruiter Resources Group, and retired from recruitment after nearly thirty years. More
Vista Equity Partners, a firm co-founded by Robert F. Smith, the richest African-American in the United States, has joined the list of bidders competing to buy a majority stake in WPP's insight and analytics arm Kantar. More
London-based behavioural insights consultancy Irrational Agency has announced that co-founder Elina Halonen is leaving the firm, to pursue independent work in the MR and consumer insights space alongside her academic research. Her co-founder Leigh Caldwell continues at the helm of Irrational. More
Information and analytics firm IHS Markit has exchanged its Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) intelligence business for the Agribusiness Intelligence group which was previously part of publishing, information and events group Informa. More
Marcoms agency group WPP is to create a new campus for its agencies in Paris, France, which will open in 2021. More
Neuromarketing and analytics company Neuro-Insight has promoted Shazia Ginai to the role of UK Chief Executive Officer, replacing Heather Andrew who will continue to serve on the Group Board as a Non-Executive Director. Ginai takes up her new position on 1st June. More
Independently-owned Sydney research and brand strategy consultancy Pollinate has opened a new office in Canberra, where it has promoted Garrett Tyler Parker to the role of Managing Director. More
New York-based neuroanalytics specialist SPARK Neuro is opening an office in Washington, DC next month, and is also planning an opening in Europe. More
Reports from several sources suggest that WPP has shortlisted private equity investors Bain Capital, Apollo, Platinum and a fourth undisclosed company to submit bids to buy a majority stake in its insight and analytics arm Kantar. More
In the US, Market Strategies International-Morpace has rebranded as 'Escalent'. The new name comes from the word 'escalate', which the firm says reflects its mission to help organizations accelerate, develop and grow. More
In the UK, five independent consultants have come together to launch a new research group called Insight Leaders. More
Business intelligence, research and events group Informa plc has formally launched a new division, Informa Tech, bringing together research, media, training and events brands from across the group to serve the global Technology community. Gary Nugent serves as the new unit's CEO. More
Technology research and advisory firm ISG (Information Services Group) has announced a decline in revenue for the quarter ended March 31st to $64.8m - down 6%, or 3% at constant currency. The profit measure adjusted EBITDA declined from $5.8m to $3.6m. More
In Canada, survey, marketing research and analytics firm Leger has appointed Luc Brousseau as Vice President of Leger Digital, which oversees divisions for Metrics and Communities. More
Newcastle and London-based research consultancy Differentology has promoted Mark James to the position of Chief Executive Officer, while Lizzie Gilthorpe takes over his previous role as Managing Director. Head of Research James Dickie and Head of Insight Dan Brilot complete the senior team. More
Tech research and advisory firm Gartner has reported an 8% increase in revenue in its Research segment, to $825m for the three months ended March 31st - equivalent to an 11% rise on a constant currency basis. More
Behavioural research specialist EyeSee has opened an office in London, to be run by former Nielsen exec Payal Patel who joins in the role of Director of Business Development. More
US-based fieldwork firm ISA (Interviewing Services of America) has opened a 110-station call center in Las Vegas, Nevada, bringing its nationwide dialing capacity to 310. More
In New Zealand, Kantar has named Simon Munro Business Development Director, while Ian Wentworth moves to the post of Business Delivery Director and Stu Eagle is promoted to Technical Solutions Director. More
In the UK, full-service agency ABA Research has been renamed 'Kokoro', the Japanese word for heart. The firm has also hired former Chime CIE Board Director Caroline Bates as Insight Consultancy Director in its leadership team. More
US-based Forrester Research has reported a 33% increase in first quarter Research Services revenue to $72.4m, reflecting the acquisition of b2b researcher SiriusDecisions. More
In Edinburgh, newly formed agency 56 Degree Insight has partnered with Kantar's omnibus team, to provide the local knowledge needed to ensure Kantar's Scottish Opinion Survey can continue. The new firm will also support Kantar's OnlineBus Scotland omnibus. More
Australia-based insight and strategy consultancy The Leading Edge has closed its London office, citing 'Brexit uncertainty-related issues' which it says have made clients reluctant to commit to budgets. The firm will now run most client accounts from its Sydney headquarters. More
In the UK, marcoms group Unlimited has confirmed that CEO Michael Richards has left the business, just twelve months into the role. More
Leeds, UK-based full service agency Boxclever has opened an office in London; and has appointed former Relish exec Rebecca Huntley as Qualitative Director, based in Leeds. Also joining in Leeds, in the Quant team are Lauren Hall and Chrissie Tarbotton. More
Automated research platform operator Methodify has announced a partnership with survey bot CRIS (Conversational Research Insight System), and the appointments of digital tech expert Jonathan Hyde-Barnes and former Coca Cola Shopper Insights lead Melissa Hugh. More
Specialist business-to-business researcher B2B International is launching an office in Edinburgh, to be headed up by RM Imogen Williams, who moves from the firm's office in Manchester. More
Cultural insights and strategy consultancy Crowd DNA is to open an office in Sydney in July 2019, to be headed up by Elyse Pigram, who moves from the firm's London headquarters. Meanwhile the London office has added former Flamingo execs Dunstan Kornicki and Yuka Uchijima. More
Atlanta, Georgia-based software company FullStory has raised $32m series C funding, which it will use to further develop its analytics suite for digital customer experiences. More
Eye-tracking hardware and software firm Tobii AB has reported results for the first quarter of 2019, with net sales up 20% in constant currency terms, to SEK 393m ($US 41.3m). With continuing high investment in R&D division Tobii Tech, operating loss was SEK -37m ($US 3.9m). More
Ipsos has reported organic growth of 2.4% for the first quarter of 2019, which coupled with acquisitions including Synthesio and parts of GfK drove reported revenue up an impressive 15.0% to EUR 422.1m. More
First quarter revenue less pass-through costs in WPP's Kantar (DIM) division was flat (up 0.1% like-for-like), while the rest of the marcoms group saw declines. Kantar, whose sale process is said to be 'progressing well', saw particularly strong growth in Asia Pacific, LatAm and the Middle East. More
Automated consumer insights platform Zappi has opened a new office in Hamburg, Germany to support clients across Central Europe. More
In India, former Kantar IMRB exec Praveen Nijhara has joined Hansa Research as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Ashok Das who will continue as a senior advisor for the group. More
In the US, College Pulse has raised $1.5m in a seed round of funding, as it launches a real-time analytics platform to track and predict the opinions, interests and buying behaviour of US college students. More
Cultural insights and strategy consultancy Crowd DNA is opening an office in Sydney, in July. The business will be led by Elyse Pigram, who is transferring back to her native Australia after more than a year in the firm's London office. More
In the US, focus group facilities and recruiting services company L&E Research is to open an office in Austin, Texas on May 6th. More
Next15's data and insights group Savanta has announced a new Americas team, covering the US and Canada. More
In London, Omnicom-owned brand and communications research consultancy Hall & Partners has promoted Sue Klinck to the newly created role of Global Head of People and Culture. More
London-based System1 Group plc has released a trading update for the 12 months ending 31st March 2019, showing a 1% annual decline in its key gross profit measure, to £22m, but a much improved second half performance (up 4%). More
In the US, consumer understanding specialist Curion has appointed Michael Garibaldi for a dual role, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. More
US research and training company Burke, Inc. has announced that CEO Jeff Miller is to retire after 31 years with the firm. He will be replaced by Diane Surette, who will take up the position of President and Chief Executive on 1st October. More
David Burrows, former Board Director at consumer and cultural insight agency Flamingo, has set up his own consultancy, Zoetrope, offering cross-cultural human insight, to guide brand strategy, innovation and communications development. More
Kristin Luck, former President and CMO of US-based quant MR tech firm Decipher and founder of not-for-profit organization Women In Research (WIRe), has set up a management consultancy called ScaleHouse, to guide marketing and analytics firms through all stages of growth. More
YouGov has announced an 18% rise in revenue to £66.5m for the half year period ending 31st January 2019, compared with £56.3m in the prior year period. The firm says US demand for data products and services has enabled it to withstand the political uncertainty hitting business in Europe. More
Digital marcoms group Next Fifteen Communications has reported net revenue of £224m for the year ended 31st January 2019, with organic growth of 6.4% on a constant currency basis, and pre-tax profit up 23% to £36m. Research division Savanta stood out with organic growth of 30.6%. More
London-based insights agency Network Research has changed its name to 'Motif', and launched a new 'Loyalty Landscape Framework', designed to understand what drives customer loyalty and how it impacts purchasing behaviour. More
Nielsen has launched a Behavioral Sciences Institute, with the aim of educating leaders across industries on 'the power of conscious and nonconscious decision making'. The Institute will sit within, and tap the data library of the company's Consumer Neuroscience division. More
Japan-based research and marketing group INTAGE has merged its healthcare MR provider ANTERIO Inc. with customer relations specialist ASKLEP, under the new name of INTAGE Healthcare Inc. The new company is led by former ANTERIO CEO Yoshiya Nishi. More
Potomac, Maryland-based Full Circle Research has appointed Olivia Trujillo to lead its expansion into California, in the role of Business Unit Leader. More
In London, out-of-home and location marketing specialist Posterscope has promoted Nick Halas to the position of Global Head of Strategy, while Russell Smither has been named Head of Research & Insight, with an international remit. More
In the US, direct to consumer marijuana platform NorCal Cannabis (NorCal) has appointed former Twitter researcher Jeffrey Graham as Vice President Business Intelligence, to lead its data strategy and customer insight. More
Australian insights consultancy Faster Horses has opened an office in Canberra, adding to existing locations in Perth and Sydney; and has appointed James Wunsch to lead it as Director of Social & Government research. More
UK-based brand research agency The Nursery has launched a new division called The Nursery Health, building on its experience working across the Rx, OTC and wellness sectors. More
In New York, WPP-owned market research and political polling specialist Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates (PSB) has appointed Susan Ochs as Senior Vice President and Global Head, Financial Services. More
Tech-enabled MR company Maru Group is renaming its Latin American business, previously Maru/Moto, to Maru/Matchbox, in line with its North American companies. More
Kantar is dispensing with brands including TNS, Millward Brown, Lightspeed, Worldpanel and IMRB, and from 2nd April will deliver 'all services and offerings under the Kantar brand name'. More
In London, former Flamingo director Hadley Coull has launched an insight and strategy 'collective' called Headz, consisting of a network of independent researchers, strategists and consultants who will work with clients across the tech, media, and gaming sectors. More
WPP founder Sir Martin Sorrell is to receive shares worth around £2.1m from the group's executive performance bonus scheme, nearly a year after leaving the company amid claims of possible misuse of company assets and 'personal misconduct'. More
In the UK, automotive and transport customer insight specialist APD Global Research has promoted Kathryn Courtenay-Evans to the position of UK Managing Director, as Rob Whalley steps down as CEO. Additionally, Karl Fisher moves up to the role of Client Services Director. More
In London, PR group Newgate Communications has set up a Market and Social Research practice, led by Kantar's former Head of Qual, Dan Clay. More
London-based agency Basis has appointed former Hall & Partners Health CEO Soumya Roy as Chief Executive of its rapidly-growing New York office. More
Confirmit may be headed for new ownership, following a court ruling that shares in the research software firm can be forcibly sold. The ruling is an attempt to recover $320m which the company's Norwegian billionaire owner Alexander Vik owes to Deutsche Bank. More
The Stagwell Group, owner of the Harris and Harris Poll brands, is in talks to buy a $100m minority stake in marcoms group MDC Partners, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). More
Another partnership for Qualtrics: today the experience management solutions firm has announced it is teaming up with executive search and management consulting firm Korn Ferry, to build a global service for companies seeking to improve employee experiences. More
In London, full-service agency Critical Research has hired former RED exec Sam Day as Director, Face-to-Face. More
Kantar is preparing to close its TNS office in Edinburgh by the end of the month, as part of its review of 'strategic priorities'; but two of its former directors, Jim Eccleston and Duncan Stewart, have announced they will launch their own agency, 56 Degree Insight. More
Ad and brand research firm Hall & Partners has promoted Joanna Fanuele to Managing Partner in its New York office, leading its consumer division. More
In the US, Boston-based market research and strategy firm Chadwick Martin Bailey (CMB) has relocated its headquarters to the financial district, with larger offices providing space for future growth. More
WPP expects to announce a deal selling a majority stake in Kantar to an investor by the middle of the year, according to Chief Executive Mark Read. More
WPP has reported a 4.5% decline (1.8% in constant currency terms) in revenue for its Kantar data investment management (DIM) division, for the year 2018. Reported revenue was down from £2.7bn in 2017 to £2.56bn in 2018. More
Dentsu Aegis Network has launched its dentsu X media business in Canada. The agency uses an insight-driven media planning approach which goes beyond consumers' claimed behaviour and aims to understand audiences based on their motivations. More
Kathryn Cooper has left her role as Executive Director of WPP's Government & Public Sector practice in Australia, to return to the US. She has been replaced by Michael Harris, former Client Lead at WPP's content division Wavemaker. More
Ipsos has reported organic growth of just 0.7% for 2018, with currency fluctuations reducing reported revenue to EUR 1.7bn, 1.7% down on the previous year. Q4 revenue was up 4.5% to EUR 535.6m, as the firm consolidates recent acquisitions. More
In the UK, Healthcare Research Worldwide (HRW) has announced that Global MD Caroline Jameson has decided to step down from her role after nearly eighteen years with the company. On 1st April, Jameson will hand over to Christine Dalzell, HRW's current EVP, US Research. More
Former Kelton Global exec Amy Snow is launching a full-service research and strategy agency called Periscope, based in Los Angeles, California. More
Ian Pierpoint, founder of youth research specialist The Sound, has launched a new agency called Further&Further, which combines qual research methodologies with immersive documentary film-making. More
Hugh Davis and Keith Price, the founders of consumer insights and marketing services umbrella group Reimagine Holdings, are to assume executive leadership positions at Dynata, following its acquisition of their firm. More
In the US, two of the co-founders of full-service shopper behavior specialist Alter Agents have left the company for their 'next big ventures', leaving Rebecca Brooks with sole ownership of the business. Terms of any deal have not been disclosed. More
DIY survey specialist SurveyMonkey has partnered with Microsoft, to help users integrate and visualize business survey feedback and uncover insights, within the tools they are already using. More
Canadian pollster Angus Reid has launched a new opinion and market research agency called Angus Reid Global, led by his former colleague Ed Morawski, who has been appointed President and COO. More
US-based research and advisory firm Forrester has reported an 11% rise in research revenues to $62.0m for the fourth quarter of 2018, compared with $56.9m in the prior year period. Full year research revenues were up 6% to $228.3m. More
SurveyMonkey's parent company SVMK has reported a 19% increase in fourth quarter and full-year revenue to $68m and $254m respectively. Meanwhile CFO Tim Maly plans to retire, to pursue his passion for 'climbing, skiing and adventure in the mountains'. More
US research provider Westat has appointed Jeri Mulrow as Vice President and Director of Statistical Sciences, leading more than 80 statisticians. She replaces David Morganstein who is retiring from the role after 35 years. More
In the US, healthcare MR firm inVibe Labs has hired former Cello Health Insight exec Kathryn Ticknor for the new created role of Head of Research. In addition, Mariana Posada joins as Research Manager, and Zach Rigotti as Software Engineer - both new positions. More
Independently-owned Sydney-based research and brand strategy consultancy Pollinate has expanded to Melbourne, where it has appointed former GfK, Nielsen Online and LRW exec Allan Dib as Managing Director. More
In New York, former ORC International Americas CEO Tom Markert has joined DIY consumer insights platform Perksy as Chief Operating Officer. More
Next15's MIG Global data and insights group has combined its research agencies Morar HPI, VIGA, Charterhouse and Circle into one new brand, Savanta. More
Tech industry consultancy Gartner has reported a 7% rise in revenues to $1.1bn for the fourth quarter of 2018 (+12% in constant currency terms), while EBITDA, excluding divested operations, rose 6% to $211m. More
In Brussels, WPP's government and public sector advisory business Kantar Public has appointed long-time Ecorys leader Roelof-Jan Molemaker as Chief Executive Officer Benelux. He will take up his role in March 2019. More
In Australia, marcoms group WPP AUNZ has merged its research consultancies AMR and Colmar Brunton. The AMR brand name will go and the newly combined entity will be known as Colmar Brunton. More
London-based full-service agency Opinium is opening an office in Manhattan later this year, to support its US client base. More
In the US, research software and advanced analysis provider Corus has added new features to its insights marketplace, allowing users to hire analyst support for their custom market research needs, and to buy and sell reports. More
London-based data collection, analysis and advisory services specialist Kudos Research is expanding into mainland Europe with the opening of a new office in Berlin. This new operation will be led by Divisional Director Volker Balk. More
Kantar has appointed Katie McClintock as Chief Executive Officer of its Insights division in Singapore - comprising Kantar TNS and Kantar Millward Brown. She will take up the position in January, replacing Nichola Rastrick who is leaving the business. More
In New York City, veteran marketers David Dixon and Sebastian Shapiro have launched a marketing analytics company called Truesight Consulting, offering a combination of technology, data modeling and business intelligence solutions. More
Los Angeles-based MR and community intelligence platform FUEL CYCLE has expanded its leadership team with the appointment of Mary Lou Barney, Sean Bradley, Matt Worden and Travis Crosby. More
In the UK, former ORC International exec Sam Dawson has launched a business called The Engaged Culture Company, which will focus on building employee engagement strategies, helping clients source engagement survey platforms, and measuring 'what matters' through pulse surveys. More
The UK's top 100 individual market research agencies reported 'strong but slowing' growth of 2.8% in 2016, according to the latest League Tables from the MRS (Market Research Society). More
US-based experience management solutions firm Qualtrics has appointed Microsoft veteran Julie Larson-Green as Chief Experience Officer (CXO), advising clients on how to develop their experience management strategies. More
In Australia, behavioural economics specialist The Behavioural Architects (TBA) has hired former Kantar TNS exec Sam Paul as Managing Partner to open its new Melbourne office; while in Sydney, Melissa Gill has been promoted to the role of Head of Behavioural Strategy. More
British luxury car and aero engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce has launched a system of innovation hubs called R2 Data Labs, which will use analytics, AI and machine learning technologies to drive design, manufacturing and operational efficiencies. More
In Los Angeles, research and analytics firm LRW has appointed Joseph (Jp) Prindle as CTO, to help drive its innovation strategy. More
US-based Hispanic media firm Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) has promoted Liz Sanderson to the role of Senior Vice President, Strategy & Insights, leading the team in a newly formed Research, Insights & Analytics division. More
UK-based online research specialist FlexMR has opened an office in South Carolina, where it has appointed industry exec Lindsay Smith in the role of Client Development, US. More
In London, last night's Market Research Society (MRS) awards ceremony saw The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) take home both the coveted 'Grand Prix for Greatest Impact' and the 'Innovation in Research Methods' prizes. More
ESOMAR has taken the relatively rare step of warning its members about the activities of a company, following multiple complaints about the late payment practices of Mumbai-based FieldGlobal Market Research Pvt Ltd. More
Marshalled by the Insights Association, twenty-one US business associations have written to Congress urging accommodation of the Secretary of Commerce's request for an additional $187m to support the 2020 Census. More
US company Branded Research has changed the name of its proprietary panel management platform from MintVine to Branded Surveys, while rolling out a number of improvements for panelists. More
In the UK, marcoms network the Unlimited Group has combined four of its existing insight businesses to form Walnut Unlimited, which it describes as a 'human understanding' agency. More
In London, consumer and cultural insight agency Flamingo has made three senior hires: Lucas Galan as Head of Digital Forensics, Hazel Wilkinson as Head of Client Services, and Morten Jensen as Innovation Strategist in the Future Trends and Innovation team. More
Spanish language broadcast network NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and tech and communities business Maru/Matchbox have hooked up to launch what the firms describe as the largest insight community of its kind. More
Cint is adding its audience data, covering more than 40 million consumers across 100 countries, to the data marketplace and analytics platform of Sydney, Aus-based Data Republic, offering clients improved customer insight and targeting. More
Today we are launching a survey of the UK market research industry, in partnership with B2B specialist Circle Research. If you're a UK insights or analytics professional, we want your input! More
UK-based video insight specialist Voxpopme has received a seven-figure Series A round of investment from Mercia Fund Managers, for use in global expansion. More
London-based healthcare sector MR and marketing platform nuaxia has closed a £0.5m Series A round of funding, to accelerate product development at its technology centre in Budapest, Hungary. The firm has also upgraded its platform, and launched a 'Video Discussion Group' capability. More
KPMG Australia has launched a new Advisory team for Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs), within its Customer, Brand & Marketing Advisory business - and appointed Carmen Bekker as a Partner, heading it up. More
MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) has launched an urban research and innovation program, which aims to advance city life in China through a range of academic and entrepreneurial activities. More
Dun & Bradstreet's former UK CEO Christian Erlandson is joining GfK as Chief Customer Officer next Monday. He will take over responsibility for sales and business activities across all regions from CEO Peter Feld. More
UK business Barnett Waddingham - which provides actuarial, administration and consultancy services - has appointed former John Lewis Partnership HR insights leader Peter Meyler as Head of it new Workplace Consultancy team. More
In New York, marcoms giant Havas US has partnered with former Flamingo/Omnicom Managing Partner Sam Hornsby to launch a brand insight and culture consultancy called TRIPTK. More
In the UK, MR technology company QuenchTec has promoted Simon Vaarning to Chief Technology Officer, replacing Bjørn Grønli who is taking on the newly created role of Head of Solutions. More
In the UK, full service agency ICM Unlimited has confirmed that MD Andy Wiseman has left the business after five years in the role. At present no information has been given as to the reasons, or his next move. More
Scientific and medical communications network Porterhouse Medical Group has launched a research division, Porterhouse Insights. Fabrice Allum, previously of Double Helix Discovery and McCann Health, joins to lead it as Managing Director. More
UK-based behavioural economics specialist The Behavioural Architects has announced 'four new significant hires' and says it has 'big plans for further expansion in 2018'. More
Leeds, UK-based agency ResearchBods has announced ten recent hires, including half a dozen additions to its in-house development and operations team as it looks to meet increased demand for its insight and behavioural tracking tools. More
US data firm Verisk Analytics, Inc. has appointed former Nasdaq CFO Lee M. Shavel as EVP and Chief Financial Officer. SVP Eva Huston will depart 'to pursue opportunities outside the company' after a three-month handover period. More
In India, full-service agency Majestic Research Services and Solutions (MRSS) has reported a net profit of Rs 4.51 crore ($US 693k) for the half year ended September 30th 2017, up from 1.69 crore ($US 260k) a year earlier. Results exclude acquisition effects, and revenue also rose sharply. More
In the US, Hispanic media giant Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) has promoted Roberto Ruiz to the role of Executive Vice President, leading its newly-formed Research Insights & Analytics group from its offices in New York. More
Boston-based retail intelligence specialist Survey.com has opened a new office in Charlotte, North Carolina, where it plans to hire 25 full-time employees in the next six months. More
In the US, ad industry strategists Megan Kent and Betsy Liegey have set up a brand and customer experience design consultancy called THE GO LAB, with an offer including consumer research, VOC data analysis, competitive audits and UX journey mapping. More
Harris Interactive has launched a product called PackTest Express, the latest tool in its digital new product development research suite. More
US-based MR and community intelligence platform provider FUEL CYCLE has launched a research sampling capability called Panels, giving clients access to a wider target audience to verify or augment insights derived from their own communities and customer base. More
In the UK, former BrainJuicer and System1 Group COO Alex Batchelor has joined behavioural research agency Watch Me Think as Non-Executive Chair. More
UK-based research software firm Askia has appointed former FocusVision EMEA MD Richard Collins as its first Chief Customer Officer, managing and developing the company's international client base, and taking overall responsibility for the UK office. More
Prague-based response:now, which provides AI-powered market research, has launched in the USA and appointed Dr. Frederick Barber as Managing Director of North America. More
Shropshire, UK-based virtual reality (VR) company Igloo Vision has opened operations in both the New York and Los Angeles areas, where it will offer access to its '360 degree projection dome' environments. More
Toluna has announced its intention to define and lead a new business concept and market category, 'Insights on Demand', and says it is collaborating with industry thought leaders and creating educational resources to advance its vision. More
YouGov Group Chief Strategy Officer Alex McIntosh has been promoted to the role of Chief Financial Officer, replacing Alan Newman who is leaving the company at the end of the year. Both McIntosh and COO Sundip Chahal will be given seats on the Board. More
UK-based agency Future Thinking has appointed former Joint UK MD Adele Gritten as (sole) UK Managing Director, following the recent departure of Claudia Strauss. The firm has also restructured and split its client teams. More
Edinburgh-based agricultural intelligence firm Agbioinvestor has partnered with agricultural and animal health MR firm Kynetec to develop and market a new market strategy software platform, sigma Select. More
Schlesinger Associates affiliate The Insight Lab has opened a new research facility in Downtown St. Louis, MO, USA, boasting 'two uber-contemporary and unique suites for researchers'. More
Ipsos grew its Q3 revenue to EUR 434.0m, equivalent to organic growth of 4.9% and representing 'solid recovery'. Due to currency effects - a fall in the value of the US dollar and pound sterling against the euro - the reported figure was up only 0.5%. More
Technology research and advisory company Gartner has reported Research revenue of $653.4m for the third quarter of 2017, a rise of 38% at constant currencies - reflecting its acquisition of CEB. For the group, Gartner reported a Q3 loss of $48.2m, compared with a profit a year earlier. More
In the US, digital research data firm Research Now has partnered with US Hispanic membership platform SABEResPODER (SEP), to launch a platform giving researchers access to more than 750,000 Hispanic consumers across 50 US markets. More
WPP's Data Investment Management (DIM) arm has seen third quarter like-for-like revenue fall 2.9%. CEO Sir Martin Sorrell admitted to investors that it had been a 'tough quarter' as the group predicts a 'broadly flat' 2017. More
In the UK, specialist MR agency YouthSight has partnered with video data mining and analysis specialist LivingLens, to capture and analyse video from projects such as its OpinionPanel Community youth research panel. More
Technology specialist Forrester Research has reported third quarter revenue up 3% for its Research division and 6% in its Advisory Services and Events wing, for a total of $80.4m (Q3 2016 $77.4m). Pro forma net income fell slightly to $5.6m on substantially increased operating expenses. More
B2B research specialist Circle Research has hired Amanda Boote for the newly created role of Engagement Director, including responsibility for driving global growth and client relationships. More
London-based agency Network Research has appointed Chris Hall as its new Commercial Director. Starting next Monday, he takes overall responsibility for sales and marketing, and for the custom research team. More
In New Zealand, sister agencies Colmar Brunton and Kantar TNS have moved into newly built premises on Sale Street in the Auckland central business district (CBD). The agencies will remain separate, but will come together to collaborate when required. More
Insights exchange operator Cint has partnered with Latin American online panel and digital MR specialist eCGlobal Research Solutions, to expand its presence in the market. More
In the US, technology-driven sample provider P2Sample has hired former Ipsos and NPD Group exec JD Deitch as Chief Revenue Officer. More
US-based MR and community intelligence platform provider FUEL CYCLE has teamed up with UK-based video insight specialist Voxpopme to launch a video capture and analysis capability. The partners say this reduces the amount of time required to analyze videos from days to minutes. More
Eye tracking solutions provider Tobii Pro and motion capture specialist Qualisys have integrated their technologies to provide combined analysis of eye and body movements. More
Edinburgh-based agrochemical and crop protection specialist Agbioinvestor has expanded its team with four appointments; and enhanced its range of services, launching detailed reports about the crop protection and seed industries. More
Omnicom has moved its online community specialist C Space into its Interbrand Group, and at the same time named C Space CEO Charles Trevail as the new Chief Exec of Interbrand. He succeeds Jez Frampton who is retiring at the end of the year. More
Finbarr O'Neill, CEO and President of California-based auto research specialist JD Power, is to retire from the company next spring. More
UK-based full-service agency DJS Research has opened an office in Leeds, Yorkshire, where Simon Driver will lead the research division and Matthew Coulling will oversee operations. More
Perth, Australia and Bristol, UK-based Painted Dog Research has launched a Data Technology division, led by Director Matt Gibbs, who is based in the UK. Meanwhile former ThinkField exec Andrew Lim has recently joined the company's Data Tech team in Australia. More
Democratic party pollster Stan Greenberg, Founding Partner of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (GQR), is stepping down from his leadership role, with day-to-day management now passing to Managing Partners Anna Greenberg and Jeremy Rosner. More
In the UK, Ipsos MORI has partnered with publisher Atlantic Books to produce a range of new titles, using the firm's insight on how people think, feel and behave to explore global beliefs and attitudes. More
YouGov has released preliminary results for the year ended 31st July 2017, with revenue up 9% on a constant currency basis to £107.0m, and adjusted profit before tax up 24% to £16.4m. More
Manchester, UK-based consumer insight agency Join the Dots is to open an office in New York, led by Jeff Haselum who has been promoted to Head of US Research. More
Toronto-based Data collection company Delvinia has hired former Verve and Research Now employee Suzanne Costa as Executive Director of its AskingCanadians business. More
Tech consultancy Gartner is 'exploring and evaluating strategic alternatives', including a possible sale, for its CEB Talent Assessment business, formerly SHL. More
In the US, four former Altimeter Group analysts have launched Kaleido Insights, a new boutique research and advisory firm focused on helping companies 'transform the 'kaleidoscope' of technological disruption into clear, actionable strategies'. More
UK-based online communities expert Verve has expanded its North American offer, with the appointments of Marlene Kohn as VP Business Development and Kristin Render as Senior Research Manager. Bogdan Bucur, Director of Operations in London, also joins the Verve Chicago team. More
SurveyGizmo's enterprise-level self-serve research solutions can now be launched directly from FUEL CYCLE's mobile-first MR and community intelligence platform, following a partnership between the two firms. More
UK consultancy Simpson Carpenter is expanding its pharma and biotech operation with a new office in Manchester's MediaCity. Alex Martin and Shaan Bassi join the company and will be based in the new location. More
Insights and marketing services holding company Reimagine has appointed Dan Fitzgerald, previously Chief Client and Marketing Officer at Lightspeed, to its leadership team as Managing Partner. More
Canadian-based sample tech and research solutions agency WiseSample has rebranded as WiseWorks, and launched a number of new products. More
Recently formed research software firm QuenchTec has announced that Chief Executive Allan Shaw is stepping down from his position at the end of December, for health reasons; and that Mark Van Walwyk will replace him as CEO. In addition, Nick Southwood joins as Sales Director for the UK. More
Nielsen Sports has shuffled and strengthened its leadership team. Middle East leader Jon Long will move to London in January as MD, UK and Ireland, to be joined by Richard Brinkman, former Global head of KantarSport. Long replaces Jon Stainer who has moved to an expanded MD Americas role. More
In Stamford, CT, research veteran John Gilfeather is re-opening his own consultancy after six years, and will offer corporate reputation and brand measurement, B2B audiences, and public opinion, as well as training and mentoring. More
US-based consumer research tech firm GroupSolver has completed a $1 million financing round, which will be used to expand the company's platform and increase its sales and marketing capabilities. More
UK-based research provider B2B International has relocated its Asian headquarters in Beijing, to expand its in-house fieldwork capacity. More
Marcoms group Next15 has reported a 16% rise in half-year revenue to £93.5m (with organic growth accounting for 2%). The firm's data and insights division now accounts for 6% of group revenue, compared to less than 2% two years ago. More
The founders of four market research agencies in Europe and the US - Kerry Hecht Labsuirs, Naomi Gooblar, Martha Llobet and Nikki Lavoie - have formed a collaborative group called The Ignite Collective, offering a range of services to MR buyers. More
Cint has relocated Deputy CEO Richard Thornton from San Francisco back to London, taking the new role of Chief Operating Officer; while Oscar Carlsson has been appointed Chief Innovation Officer, based in San Francisco. Greg Dunbar and James Rogers are also promoted to new EVP roles. More
Montreal, Canada-based research software firm Voxco has hired Askia veteran John Rousay as a member of its global sales team, responsible for expanding the firm's presence in the UK market, while contributing to its growth in North America. More
Last year saw the MR industry experience its highest level of growth since 2010, according to the latest study by international association ESOMAR. More
Agricultural market research firm Kleffman Group has restructured its market trend information and consulting unit amisAgriGlobe, creating two new teams: the Analytical team and the Team of Excellence (ToE). More
Hardened cynic Nick Thomas headed to Amsterdam for last week's ESOMAR Congress, in search of inspiration. The 70-year-old (that's the Congress, not Nick) seems in Ruud good health, as we say in Holland. Part 1 of 4. More
UK-based pharmaceutical and consumer insight / marketing group Cello has reported a £2.1m fall in revenue to £78.7m for the six months to 30th June 2017. Like-for-like, constant currency gross profit increased 9.3% in the Health division but fell by 5.0% in Cello Signal. More
In the UK, recently launched digital product consultancy Pivot has merged with full-service digital user experience (UX) agency MadeByPi. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, marketing technology start-up firm WEVO has raised $1.6m in seed funding, which it will use to launch its platform for testing and improving web site conversion. More
In London, Kantar Public has appointed Grant Fitzner as UK Chief Executive Officer and Michael Davis as Global Chief Operating Officer. More
Viga, the data collection agency within the Next15 group, has tripled its staff numbers in the last six months, to 35, and is opening a third US office, in Dallas, Texas. More
Online survey pioneer Confirmit has announced a partnership with mobile messaging firm Infobip, offering enhanced international SMS capabilities and coverage to those engaged in research, customer experience and employee engagement programmes. More
In Canada, former Verve/Research Now exec Vlad Plouts and long-time Advantage director Mel Fernandes have launched a boutique market research services, analytics and data integration firm called Sprylytics in Toronto. More
The Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) has elected Jill Spencer, Director of UK-based customer experience research specialist ReactCX, as its President for the next two years. She replaces Yvonne Kinzel of German CEM firm Multi-Value. More
Research data solutions firm SSI has launched a self-service suite of tools, for use by experts and novices. The tools cover everything from sampling and survey building to reporting of results. More
In Australia, marcoms group WPP AUNZ has named industry veteran Rob McLachlan as Chief Executive Officer of its Data Investment Management group (DIM) - a position previously held by Ben Dixon. More
UK online market research provider FlexMR has partnered with Madrid-based Idea Strategic Research Solutions, to support 'growing demand' from its Spanish clients. The firm has also hired two full-time Spanish speaking staff in the UK. More
Microsoft veteran Dave Coplin has left to set up a consultancy called The Envisioners, aiming to help organisations and individuals see the full potential of technology, with a focus on the humans who use it. More
GfK has appointed Cheong Tai to lead its Asia Pacific business, while promoting Margret Schuit to oversee activities in Southern Europe. They will both report to CEO Peter Feld. More
In an interim report, Stockholm-based research firm Nepa has announced net sales up 9.4% in the second quarter to SEK 55.0m (US$6.91m) and up 16.7% in the first half of 2017 to SEK 106.1m (US$13.33m). Planned investment dragged on profitability as the company seeks rapid growth. More
US public opinion specialist ALG Research has opened an office in Boston, MA - its sixth location - led by existing Partner Matt Hogan. More
GfK has announced a transformation and investment programme, aimed at sharpening its focus on customer needs, accelerating digitization and getting the company 'back on a sustainable growth path'. Plans include a 'one office per country' strategy. More
Former Jaguar Land Rover exec Ana Ramirez has joined insights consultancy Simpson Carpenter as International Head of Automotive Research, starting in early September. More
US research agency Phoenix Marketing International (PMI) has appointed former MaritzCX exec Andrew Grant as President of its European Operations. More
Kantar has named Karin Du Chenne as CEO of Insights in South Africa; Stephany Brewer as Chief Client Officer of Insights in Africa and the Middle East; Noeraan Hendricks as Transformation Director; and Gisela Seeley as Country Leader for Kantar Media South Africa. More
In London, online travel retailer lastminute.com group has launched a consumer insights tool, to enable brands to target customers with gamified surveys embedded in ads. More
COO Alessandra Cama is leaving GfK, resigning with immediate effect after around two years as a member of the company's Management Board. More
Recently-formed research software firm QuenchTec says it has finished integrating the platforms of MARSC and MI-Pro, from whose merger it was born ten months ago; and launched Q_Suite, an end-to-end research platform. More
WPP has slashed its full-year growth forecast for revenues and net sales to between zero and 1%, as clients cut their marketing budgets. For the second quarter, like-for-like revenue in the Data Investment Management (DIM) division fell 4.6% to £669m. More
Venture capital fund Meritus Ventures has sold failing print and imaging industry research and consulting firm Photizo Group to newly-formed Virtulytix, a predictive analytics company set up by Photizo founder Ed Crowley and several of his former colleagues. More
UK-based market research and ad company System1 Group is expecting a decline in profit for the year ending 31st March 2018. Full year profit before tax is set to fall by between 10% and 15% from the £6.3m achieved last year. More
UK-based marcoms group Creston Ltd will now be known as 'The Unlimited Group' - following the theme of its earlier rebranding of operating companies using the 'Unlimited' suffix. More
In the US, Nielsen Sports' Global Co-MD Danny Townsend has left the firm to become CEO of Sydney Football Club. Glenn Lovett, who previously shared the title, has been promoted to sole Global Managing Director, leading all aspects of the global sports business. More
Nielsen has launched a new video gaming analysis business called Nielsen Esports, which will provide sponsorship valuation, fan insights, custom industry research and consulting services to rights holders, media platforms and brands. More
GfK has appointed Jutta Suchanek as Chief Human Resources Officer and Benjamin Jones as Chief Technology Officer. Both take on newly created roles, and will become members of the firm's Executive Leadership team. More
Kantar has announced that Richard Ingleton will take over the role of Chief Executive Officer of its Insights Division, from Travyn Rhall who will be leaving the business in November. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment about Rhall's next career move. More
Lightspeed has launched the 'Gravity Network', a partnership arrangement between selected data companies to provide 'a vastly larger pool than traditionally sourced Double Opt-In (DOI) research panels alone'. Partners in the network include Cint, Lucid, Tap Research, P2Sample and Dalia. More
'Enterprise-grade' online survey platform SurveyGizmo has a new Canadian offering, making use of Amazon's new Montreal data center to ensure compliance with Canadian data and privacy laws. More
US-based market research and management consulting firm Geo Strategy Partners has opened an office in Managua, Nicaragua, expanding its B2B / Industrial market research offer and growth strategy capabilities. More
UK-based healthcare fieldwork agency Just Worldwide has opened an office in Malaysia, where it has appointed KarHui Tan. The firm has also hired Carrie Skinner as Director of Global Fieldwork in its Newtown, Pennsylvania office. More
CEO Jamin Brazil and Chief Product Officer Jayme Plunkett, the co-founders of MR tech firm Decipher, have left research technology and services group FocusVision, according to industry sources. More
US organisation GreenBook has beta launched Savio, a platform inspired by the 'gig economy' and allowing users to buy in research expertise to use with online research tools or as a standalone service. Features include ratings and reviews, project management tools and payment processing. More
US in-app survey technology specialist MFour Mobile Research has taken the entire seventh floor of its current Newport Beach Gateway office, increasing its floor space from 14,000 to 22,000 square feet. In addition, the firm will be opening its first satellite branch in Scottsdale, Arizona next month. More
US research and advisory company Gartner has reported a 34% rise in second quarter Research division revenue (33% at constant currencies), to $613.7m. The result follows the acquisition of talent management insights firm CEB. More
Toluna has added to its real-time insights platform QuickSurveys with the launch of QuickCommunities, a DIY product for building, creating and recruiting target consumers into a custom community. More
In Sydney, Australia, Telstra's Muru-D incubator program has given its backing to start-ups including mystery shopping app Snooper and online ad campaign planning service Flobox. More
US-based CEM specialist Market Force Information has been acquired by its management, in partnership with investment firm Main Street Capital. More
In Australia, insights consultancy Fiftyfive5 has launched a Social and Government offer, and appointed Mathew Densten as its Director. More
Surrey, UK-based agency Bonamy Finch has hired three new members of staff, including former PepsiCo exec Louise Hanlon, following a 31 percent increase in turnover for the financial year ending June 30th 2017. More
In London, brand performance measurement specialist Morar HPI has launched a creative services division called ARGO, offering evidence-based brand development work as well as stand-alone brand and creative services. More
UK-based mobile video MR specialist Voxpopme is integrating IBM Watson's machine learning and natural language processing capabilities into its platform, to provide brands with advanced analysis of customers' feelings. More
US-based research body the Insights Association has formed an International Chapter, to provide member companies and individuals operating outside the country with enhanced service and support. This is the association's twelfth chapter, and its first outside the US. More
After eleven years leading Angus Reid Strategies, Vision Critical, and Maru/Matchbox, Ed Morawski is stepping down as President and Chief Operating Officer. More
Ipsos has reported what it has described as an 'uneventful' first-half year, with revenue of EUR 833.8m, almost unchanged from a year before, and organic growth of just 1 percent. More
The management of UK-based telecoms and IT sector market research agency Rhetorik have bought the firm in a deal supported by a team of UK and North American data tech-focused investors. Terms were not disclosed. More
The Stagwell Group has signed a 13-year lease for two floors in One World Trade Center, where it says it will bring together its portfolio of companies including Harris Insights & Analytics and former Nielsen company National Research Group. More
Former RED C Joint Managing Director David Cullen has left the Dublin-based firm after five years, to set up a strategic consulting firm for insight and analytics called Bayes & Becker. More
Cint has opened a sixth US office, in Chicago, and appointed former SSI exec Joseph Jordan who will work from it as SVP of Supply. More
In Germany, crowd-sourced shopper insights provider POSpulse has raised EUR 3m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to roll out its products to additional international markets. More
UK-based video insight specialist Voxpopme has partnered with Kantar to provide the latter's clients with access to its video feedback tools. More
UK-based online communities specialist Verve has launched a dedicated Innovation practice, for businesses seeking customer feedback on product and service design. More
Market research language and translation specialist Globalexicon has announced its fourth consecutive year of more than 50% growth, after winning several North American and European-based MR, healthcare and consumer clients. More
Global MR groups The Research Club, Women In Research (WIRe) and MrWeb have teamed up to put the world's biggest listing of research job opportunities in front of a hugely expanded audience of potential candidates. The search is also in a new more mobile-friendly format. More
In the UK, customer experience specialist Maru/edr has appointed Damian Miller and Ross Durston as Managing Directors for its Retail and Financial Services divisions, respectively. More
UK-based agency Future Thinking has appointed Mohamed Muhsin as Head of Pharma UK, while Véronique Bonrepaux-Caux joins as Head of Healthcare France. More
DIY research giant SurveyMonkey has unveiled a rebrand and a major upgrade of its products, including a refreshed logo; a new platform, 'People Powered Data'; tools for customer experience data and employee surveys; an integrated version of its Audience product; and a 'Genius' survey design coach. More
MARU Group has promoted Maru/Matchbox executives Sarah Redford and Carlos Palacio to Group Chief People Officer and Group CIO, respectively, supporting its continued expansion across the UK and North America, and its recent acquisition of SynGro. More
In the US, former Tesco exec Thomas Nielsen has joined health and wellness consumer insights agency SPINS as Strategic Advisor. More
In the UK, MR and insight company d.fferento/ogy has promoted Mark James to the role of Managing Director, with responsibility for three divisional heads. Meanwhile former YouGov researcher Paul Marshall joins the firm as Insight Director. More
Senior GfK Leader Dr. Gerhard Hausruckinger has resigned from the company after seven years on the Management Board. Meanwhile Christoph D. Erbenich has been appointed as Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer. More
Toluna's healthcare division has partnered with healthcare-focused digital platform Treato, to gain access to the latter's users for survey research purposes. More
UK-based full-service consultancy DJS Research has reported an 11% increase in annual turnover to £4.7m for 2016/17, and says is aiming for £5.2m next year. More
British Airways has named Carolina Martinoli as its new Director of Brand and Customer Experience. She will take up the role in August. More
UK-based consumer insight agency Join the Dots has launched a dedicated qualitative research unit under the new brand name of Spirit. More
Georgia, US-based VR shopping specialist Advanced Simulations has partnered with research firm Azure Knowledge to launch two new virtual reality research products. More
Companies' intangible assets - including the value of their brands, reputation and employee skills - should be included on balance sheets in financial reporting, according to a growing lobby of experts from both multinationals and consultancies. More
Agile MR firm GutCheck has made three senior hires as it looks to grow the business. Keith Johnson joins as Chief Product Officer, Shawn Vaughn as EVP of Sales & Client Services and Josh Ashton as VP of People Operations. More
UK-based CIE Group (Chime Insight & Engagement) has announced eight new hires, following a string of major client wins in the first half of 2017. The new arrivals include Alexis Goodson,Jennifer Peat and Jacob Barker. More
Consumer panels firm Netquest has appointed Johnny Caldwell as MD of a new company, Netquest UK. More
Hall & Partners has launched a new specialist consultancy dedicated to brand invention, under its OpenMind brand. Jen Drexler joins as Managing Partner to lead the company, which promises 'a radical new collaborative approach focused on rapid innovation'. More
Data collection firm Field Scope International has opened a new office in Sofia, Bulgaria, expanding its presence in Central and Eastern Europe. More
UK-based Informa Group has appointed oncology specialist Richard S. Veal as Global Director of its Pharma Consulting division. More
In the UK, AQR board member and former Razor Research and TNS exec Lydia Fuller has formed a new full service qual and quant agency, Full Colour Research, based in Manchester. More
Italian confectioner Ferrero has opened its first Asian Innovation Centre in Singapore, where it will focus on consumer food science, biotechnology, health and nutrition, consumer insight and design. More
WPP-owned PR consultancy Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K) has launched a service called 'The Shanghai Addition', promising a new way to connect Chinese brands with audiences, cultures and markets around the world. More
Croydon, South London-based healthcare MR and fieldwork firm FieldBox has opened a new viewing facility. More
London-based insight and strategy agency Flamingo has promoted MD Andy Davidson to become its first Chief Strategy Officer. More
AI-based MR software company Remesh has opened a new headquarters office in NYC; and hired Gabe McElwaine as Director of Sales for the eastern US and Canada. More
Informa subsidiary Agribusiness intelligence has launched an agricultural insight platform, IEG Vu, focused on the processed food and soft commodity markets; and has recently added more than twenty new analysts to its team. More
The US research industry maintained a strong annual growth rate in 2016, despite 'tepid' overall economic growth, according to this year's AMA Gold Top 50 Report. Total revenue generated for the 202 companies surveyed was $11.584bn, up 5.7%. More
Professional services firm KPMG Australia has launched a specialist Customer, Brand & Marketing advisory business, which has already acquired Sydney-based market research firm Acuity Research and Insights. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Toronto, Canada-based employee-owned research firm Hotspex has promoted Michael Dorr to the position of MD of its UK business, responsible for establishing an office and building the company's brand in the UK and Europe. He takes up the new role next month. More
In the US, business news provider CNBC has partnered with DIY online research firm SurveyMonkey to launch a quarterly survey of small business owners, which measures confidence nationwide while uncovering trends among specific types of companies and key geographic regions. More
WPP-owned digital data collection specialist Lightspeed has partnered with youth media and broadcast company VICE Media to launch a panel called VICE Voices, through which to capture the opinions of US millennials and understand what drives their attitudes and behavior. More
Cross-screen data management platform (DMP) Lotame has partnered with insights exchange operator Cint, to enable publishers and advertisers to create custom research panels. More
In the US, marketing technology company Gauge Insights has partnered with data collection firm Focus Pointe Global, to launch a mobile app through which brands can create customized MR campaigns, and get feedback from hundreds of targets within minutes. More
Washington, DC-based public opinion research and polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (GQR) has appointed former Democratic National Committee COO Lindsey Reynolds as Chief Operating Officer. More
In the UK, cable and satellite TV news channel CNN's commercial operations division has set up an Audiences and Data unit, which will invest in artificial intelligence and data science to replace the firm's existing research function. The new initiative is led by data scientist Mark Sear. More
Seattle-based online qual firm Discuss.io has opened an office in London, where it has appointed former Kinesis Survey Technologies MD Tariq Mirza as Managing Director, Europe. More
Online insights exchange Cint has opened an office in Hong Kong, where it has appointed Ronald Leung as APAC Regional VP of Supply and Heather Hughes as APAC Regional VP of Partnerships and Alliances. The firm has also made hires in the US and UK. More
London and Leeds-based Trinity McQueen has announced year-on-year growth of around ten percent, with sales up to £4.92m in the 12 months ending September 2016. More
In the UK, data collection agency Populus Data Solutions has launched what it says is the research industry's first virtual reality online panel, PopulusLive VR. More
US consultancy Reputation Institute has appointed Rajendra Joshi as Chief Technology Officer, with a remit including the launch of 'the world's first Reputation as a Service knowledge platform'. The firm has also secured 'a significant investment' to fuel its growth. More
US tennis superstar Serena Williams has joined the Board of DIY online research platform SurveyMonkey, as has Brad Smith, the CEO and Chairman of software company Intuit. More
In the US, online qual firm Discuss.io has raised just over $5m in a Series A round of funding, led by Unilever Ventures and Pereg Ventures. The investment will be used to further develop the firm's platform and expand its engineering and sales teams. More
In the US, Kantar Health has partnered with tech giant Nokia to develop a longitudinal cohort study, to improve understanding of the impact of 'lifestyle therapy' on diabetes treatment and patient outcomes. More
In London, consumer specialist Razor Research has set up a kids-focused business unit called Razor Kids, and appointed Leslie Salem to lead it. The firm has also hired Kenny Fox as Associate Director. More
Kantar's digital data collection arm Lightspeed is opening an office in Bangkok, Thailand, and has appointed Benchawan (Best) Phumphuengsri and Anis The as Client Development Managers in the region. More
Managed analytics firm Ugam has opened a new office in Chicago, which it says follows rapid growth and will allow it to better serve clients in the area. More
UK-based firm Sample Answers has announced that Managing Director Phil Bird will be leaving the business on 30th June 2017, eighteen months after joining. He moves to ITWP, the holding company of Toluna and Harris Interactive. More
Healthcare MR agency AplusA has added an office in Munich, Germany to existing locations in France, the UK and the US; and has brought in Director Alexander Edte to head it up. More
In New York, Ipsos Marketing has appointed Alison Chaltas, the co-founder of shopper marketing consultancy Interscope, as Global President, Path to Purchase. More
Kantar TNS has promoted James Brown to the role of Executive Director, responsible for leading the business in Melbourne, Australia. More
London-based insights and planning agency kubi kalloo has outgrown its former premises in Old Street and relocated to a larger space, a stone's throw away in Scrutton Street. More
WPP-owned growth and business strategy consulting firm Kantar Futures is launching a programme focusing all its analytical efforts on the topic of 'the future of consumption'. More
In the US, Harris Insights & Analytics (formerly Harris Interactive) has appointed long-time WPP execs John Gerzema and Will Johnson as co-CEOs, while Jonathan Gardner joins as Chief Operating Officer. More
GfK has reported a 2.4% drop in first quarter group sales to EUR 352m, while the profit measure EBITDA fell 34.3% to EUR 29.4m. More
Less than two months after joining UK-based consumer and cultural insight agency Flamingo, Desirée Lopez has been named Chief Executive Officer, replacing co-founder Kirsty Fuller who is leaving the business. Seven of the company's eight global offices are being closed by parent Omnicom. More
Mumbai-based researcher MRSS India has reported a 146% increase in consolidated net profit to Rs46.3m ($720k) for the twelve months ended 31st March 2017. More
Digital data collection specialist Research Now has launched an automated research solution called SmartAR, promising completed surveys in a matter of days. More
Newly merged US trade body the Insights Association has called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to recognise and clarify the distinction between market research and advertising, in comments relating to a TCPA class action against member company M3 USA. More
In the US, MR consulting and training provider CourtLynn Enterprises has launched a customer behavior insights division called Griffin Wilds. More
Omnicom-owned brand and communications research consultancy Hall & Partners has promoted Soumya Roy to Chief Executive Officer of its New York operation. More
Creston's Unlimited Group has combined its customer journey specialist EMO and customer relationship marketing agency The Real Adventure, to form a new Bristol-based business called Prophecy Unlimited. More
Ken and Trish Parker, the founders of qual specialist the Discovery Group, have retired after selling the business to four company directors. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell's pay for 2017 will fall by around £22m in 2017, with further drops scheduled for 2018 and 2021. The firm, whose high-paying 'Leap' scheme had in any case expired this year, notes that it 'understands share owners' increasing discomfort' with levels of 'reward opportunities'. More
Healthcare specialist Research Partnership has expanded its US capabilities, with the opening of new offices in San Francisco and New York. More
M&C Saatchi's qual/quant research agency The Source has opened a first Australian office, in Melbourne, to be led by former London MD Matt Swinson. More
Ipsos has recorded first quarter revenue of EUR 390.1m, representing organic growth of 1%, and says sales activity indicates this will increase in subsequent quarters. The group plans to announce a new programme of transformation at its June 6th Investor Day. More
WPP has reported a flat quarter, with group like-for-like revenue up 0.2%. In the Data Investment Management division, Kantar, like-for-like revenue once again trailed the rest of the group, down 3.4%, despite strong growth in net sales in the UK, Latin America and Africa. More
Philadelphia-based branding agency Finch brands has launched a communities division, FinchSight Research Communities, to be led by Chief Innovation Officer Tom Finkle, former CEO of Passenger. More
US-based research firm Gongos, Inc. has partnered with customer experience (CX) tech specialist Customerville to create 'turnkey' CX solutions for major companies. More
Sweden-based eye-tracking technology firm Tobii AB has reported a slight real terms decline in revenue for the first quarter of 2017. More
US technology specialist Forrester Research has reported a 3% drop in its first quarter Research revenues, to $51.7m. Overall first quarter group revenues were down slightly from $77.4m to $77.2m. More
GfK's global Health practice has appointed Pankaj Thapar as Industry Lead for North America, while Jan Güse will move to a similar leadership role in the Germany / Switzerland region. More
Non-profit organization Women In Research (WIRe) has added four new members to its Advisory Board - MBC's Laura Chaibi, CitiGroup Insight chief Tony Michelini, Nike exec Vanessa Oshima and MESH Experience leader Fiona Blades. More
The Research Industry Council of Australia (RICA) is fighting the terms of a recent government decision to abolish a visa program for overseas workers, which it claims will have a detrimental impact on the country's market and social research industry. More
In the US, healthcare MR consultancy Adelphi Research Global has appointed Paul Teta as Chief Methodologist and Ted Noga as Director of Advanced Analytics. The firm has also hired three new project team members and promoted five existing employees. More
The management of mobile survey specialist Lumi Technologies have spun off its virtual AGM (annual general meeting) app into a separate business, with backing from Vespa Capital. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, mobile-first research tech company MFour has received $680k in tax credits from California's state government, contingent on the firm creating at least 77 full-time staff positions in the region over the next five years. More
In the US, sister agencies MarketSight and Critical Mix have partnered, to integrate the latter's CMIX collaborative survey programming tool into the former's data visualization and analytics platform. More
In the UK, Nielsen has launched an employee resource group (ERG) called MOSAIC (Multinational Organization Supporting an Inclusive Culture) at its office in Oxford, where the firm says its employees identify with 57 different nationalities. More
Digital data collection specialist Research Now has hired former WPP / Kantar exec George Pappachen for a newly created position, EVP Corporate Development & Strategy. More
Omnicom is closing seven of the eight global offices of its consumer and cultural insight agency Flamingo, citing 'underperformance' and its need to now focus on growth opportunities in London. More
Ipsos has promoted Frank Forkin to the role of President of its RDA division, which provides motor industry quality tracking and customer satisfaction measurement. More
US-based sampling automation provider Lucid has raised $60m in a minority investment round led by private equity firm North Bridge Growth Equity. The funds will be used for further product development and to expand the team. More
US healthcare marketing research firm RG+A has hired Joan Lorgus as Vice President for Client Development; Alex Graber as Senior Manager, Marketing Science; and Lindsay Hoover as a Research Analyst. The firm has also promoted three existing members of staff. More
In the US, MFour Mobile Research has received $5m in funding, which it will use to expand its business, products and staff numbers. More
In the US, Kantar Public has appointed Susan Gigli as Global Director for International Development, based in its Washington DC office. She has also been appointed to the Kantar Public Global Board. More
Global media giant Viacom has promoted Colleen Fahey Rush to EVP, Insights & Audience Science, and Chief Research Officer of its Viacom Media Networks subsidiary, effective immediately. More
GfK has appointed three new members to its Supervisory Board: Thomas Ebeling, Johannes P. Huth and Philipp Freise, following its agreement with investment group KKR which is now its partner in running the global group. They replace Peter Goldschmidt, Aliza Knox and Bruno Piace. More
Leeds, UK-based agency ResearchBods has added ten new 'Bods' to its staff so far in 2017, growing all departments in response to new contract wins. It has also promoted Tabita Razalia to Head of Project Management. More
In Australia, former Bain consultant Nik Samoylov and academic Prof. Ujwal Kayande have launched a technology company called Conjoint.ly, which automates conjoint analysis and discrete choice experiments to provide rapid concept testing, price optimisation and forecasting. More
In the UK, former GfK director Andy Stillwell has launched a specialist business-to-business market research agency called InsightB2B, which will integrate market data with analysis of buyer behaviour. More
Kathryn Gallant has been promoted to the role of Chief Executive of Cello Health Insight US, and Angie Wheeler to that of President USA. In addition Justine Trinidad, Ed Geiselhart and Kaity Arctander have joined the firm's client facing team. More
Research technology and panel exchange operator Cint has hired former Nasdaq director Johanna Isander for a newly created position, Chief Human Resources Officer, supporting its global growth and talent management initiatives. More
In the UK, iCube Marketing founders Chris Horne and Mike Heisig have launched an online self-service MR platform called researchengine.org, offering users access to 'ready to use' products which deliver insights at speed. More
The BBC's international development charity BBC Media Action has launched an online data resource, offering feedback from research conducted with more than 100,000 people in thirteen countries across Africa, Asia and the Middle East over the last five years. More
In the UK, former FreshMinds Head of Digital Innovation Chris Leo has launched a digital product consultancy, Pivot. More
In an interim report, Sweden-based Voice of the Customer specialist Nepa AB has announced a 'fantastic year', including net sales growth of 25.3% in Q4. Full year 2016 net sales increased 19.4% SEK 184.4m ($US 20.6m). The firm has also recently acquired the outstanding 20% of shares in its sales subsidiary Nepa India. More
After twelve years at marcoms holding company Creston, Barrie Brien has decided to step down from his role as Group CEO, to seek 'new challenges'. The Board will continue to be chaired by former Havas CEO Iain Ferguson. More
In the UK, former YouGov Head of Research Michael Wagstaff is joining full service agency Cambridge Market Research as Managing Director on 1st April. He will replace Paul Beresford, who becomes company Chairman. More
In Germany, social research group infas Holding AG has set up a full-service agency called infas quo, offering strategic management consulting based on market research. The business will be led by former GfK exec Karsten John, who is also a previous infas employee. More
London-based polling and research specialist ComRes has launched a new division, which will focus exclusively on supporting organisations following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. More
Online community and survey tech provider Toluna has hired Jay Rampuria to lead global business development for both itself and parent company ITWP. More
YouGov has reported a revenue rise of 24% to £51.4m for the six months to 31st January 2017 - equivalent to 8% on a constant currency basis. The rise was driven by 'strong growth' in the firm's subscription-based Data Products and Services business. More
Insight agency Firefish has reported a 15% increase in GBP group revenue, from £10.1m in 2016, to £11.7m last year. More
UK-based pharmaceutical and consumer insight and marketing group Cello has reported a 5.4% rise in group revenue to £165.3m for the year ended 31st December 2016 (2015: £156.7m), driven by increases in both its Health and Signal divisions. More
UK-based consumer and cultural insight agency Flamingo has hired former TNS BMRB Chief Exec Desirée Lopez for a newly created role, Head of Behavioural and Social Strategy, leading its behavioural science offer and its Social Purpose specialist unit. More
UK-based video analytics firm Big Sofa has expanded to the US with the official opening of an office in Philadelphia, PA. More
UK-based online community specialist LRWTonic has appointed five new members of staff at its offices in London. More
UK-based research industry software firms E-Tabs and Askia have announced a strategic partnership which will offer a revolutionary dashboard designer application for market research. More
In New York, Kantar has appointed former Affectiva CEO Nick Langeveld as EVP, Strategic Alliances, responsible for identifying, structuring and managing partnerships across the US. More
In Australia, The Lab Insight & Strategy has opened an office in Brisbane, where it has appointed Amanda Windus as Strategy Planner. More
London-based online community specialist Verve has relocated its Romanian office to larger premises, to accommodate its growing team. More
WPP-owned digital data collection specialist Lightspeed has promoted Caroline Frankum to Chief Executive Officer, replacing David Day who is leaving for a role in the UK Foreign Office. Nick Nyhan becomes Chairman. More
In the UK, the Market Research Society (MRS) has appointed Aviva Global Inclusion Director Jan Gooding as its new President. More
Sir Martin Sorrell has cemented his place as comfortably the highest paid exec in the UK's FTSE 100 companies, securing just under £41.6m in this year's pay award under the now-expiring performance-related 'Leap' scheme. Then again, what's a pound worth nowadays? More
GfK has appointed consumer goods industry exec Peter Feld as its new Chief Executive Officer. His predecessor Matthias Hartmann resigned last August due to 'differing views' on the long-term direction of the business between himself and majority shareholder GfK Verein. More
New York-based agency SIS International has opened an office in Tokyo, which will be led by Andrew Edsall, responsible for client servicing across the Asia Pacific region. More
In London, idea sharing platform Wazoku has received £2.3m in a new funding round, which it will use for corporate and team expansion, and further product development. More
In the US, not-for-profit organization Women In Research (WIRe) has appointed former FocusVision exec Michelle Andre as its first Managing Director, responsible for organizational development and oversight, fundraising, marketing, and assisting with long-term planning. More
In the UK, brand building specialist Andrew Marsden has launched a brand activation agency called Pilgrim Marketing, offering clients business strategy and brand positioning services combined with creativity and access to in-house research. More
Ipsos has officially launched its Public Affairs division in India, under the leadership of Parijat Chakraborty, who joined the group in January. More
After ten years as an independent entity, BDRC South Africa has been renamed BDRC Africa and moved back into closer alignment with the group. More
Cincinnati-based full service agency MarketVision Research has relocated its corporate headquarters to a larger office to support a growing workforce. More
Manchester, UK-based Join the Dots has reported revenue growth of 26%, to £9.8m for 2016, matching its growth rate for each of the two previous years. More
Chartered Accountant and investor Sarah Butler has opened a viewing facility, The Buzz Rooms, in Greater Manchester, UK. The new set-up is housed in the headquarters of Infinity Asset Management, of which she is a co-founder and partner. More
Ewing, NJ-based custom research firm Zeldis Research Associates has made four promotions, including two new Executive Vice Presidents - former VPs Amy Rey and Kristina Witzling. Meanwhile Christine DiMeola becomes a VP and Monique Corchado is now Director, Finance & Administration. More
Marcoms giant WPP has reported like-for-like falls in revenue for its Data Investment Management (DIM) arm Kantar, of 1.6% in the fourth quarter and 0.9% for the full year. However like-for-like net sales, which WPP has long said are a better indicator, rose 1.5% and 0.9% respectively. More
Vancouver, Canada-based research community and survey technology specialist Vision Critical has sold a 'significant portion' of its shares to private equity firm W Capital Partners and existing shareholder Georgian Partners, for $76m. Reports say Angus Reid's share of the sale was $44m. More
Industry exec Padmanabhan Ramaswamy has set up a B2B marketplace called InsightzClub, to connect buyers and sellers of market research through programmatic technology. The initiative will launch in Malaysia and Singapore, with plans to roll out elsewhere at a later stage. More
WPP-owned digital data collection firm Lightspeed has partnered with emotion measurement specialist Affectiva, to analyse its panellists' reactions to ads via their facial expressions. More
In New York, health marketing group Evoke has launched a multicultural insight agency called Fabric, which will help clients use insights to help create more 'culturally inspired' brands, and will be led by Managing Director Roger Salazar. More
Andy Dexter, the founder of Truth Consulting and Principal at innovation agency Neon & Vine, has set up a collaborative initiative called Culturise, to help businesses and brands re-establish trust, authenticity, and social and cultural relevance. More
UK firm OnePoint Global is making the source code for its mobile survey platform available on a Software as a Service (SaaS) basis, allowing clients to build their own survey solutions, integrate survey modules into their existing platforms, or take a 'white label' approach. More
US-based MR industry management consultancy Cambiar has announced a strategic alliance with London's Keen as Mustard, which advises MR firms on their marketing strategy. The alliance will focus on clients in the UK, US and EMEA. More
Ravi Radhakrishnan has joined digital research agency MetrixLab as Managing Director of its first commercial office in India. More
Link, the long-established ad copy testing solution developed by Kantar Millward Brown, has completed an audit by the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB), recognised in the industry for assessing connections between marketing activities, metrics and financial performance. More
Ipsos has reported 2016 revenue of EUR 1,782.7m, virtually the same as in 2015 but representing 3 percent organic growth - currency effects cancelled out the growth in the Euros figure. More
UK-based insight agency BrainJuicer aims to rebrand as System1 Research, forming System1 Group together with its recently-launched creative house, System1 Agency. More
Australian boutique MR and strategic planning consultancy Ruby Cha Cha has relocated from its central Sydney office to the city's affluent inner city suburb, Surry Hills. More
The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), set up by the UK government and often referred to as the 'Nudge Unit', has launched a new division called BI Ventures, which will use behavioural science to build products to help solve real-world problems. More
In London, WPP insight arm Kantar has appointed former SABMiller Global Insights Director Julie Kollman as Chief Research Officer. She takes up her new post on 27th February. More
Animal health and agriculture researcher Kynetec has appointed Richard Jameson to its leadership team as Executive Director of Global Custom Research. More
Eye-tracking tech firm Tobii AB has reported results for the fourth quarter and full year 2016, with SEK 1,053m ($119m) in annual sales, and increasing cash reserves for investment in VR and smartphones. More
In the US, qualitative researcher Frank Hines has launched a new company called RealLife Research, which will offer services built around video-centric mobile ethnography methods. More
GfK shareholders have accepted an offer from US-based private equity firm KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) for 18.54 percent of the business. The buy is part of an agreement with majority shareholder GfK Verein to support the group's long-term growth strategy. More
New York-based agency SIS International has relocated its London office from the Strand to Southwark, in order to expand its team and fieldwork capabilities. More
UK-based BrainJuicer says it will rebrand, unifying its MR business with its recently-launched ad agency and sharpening its focus on behavioural science. The new name, 'though it may not be hard to fathom, has not yet been officially revealed. More
Entertainment, media and tech specialist Interpret LLC has promoted Michael Cai to President, overseeing all company divisions; hired Grant Robb as SVP / GM of a newly created Brand Consulting Group; and appointed Diane LightWaight as VP of Sales / Client Service. More
Ipsos has made changes to its Asia Pacific operations, with the news that its business in China will operate as a separate region, led by Lifeng Liu as Chairman and Chief Executive. More
Brand strategy and insight agency BrainJuicer has reported a 24% rise in revenue to £31.24m for the twelve months of 2016, compared with £25.18m in 2015. The firm says this growth - equivalent to 15 percent on a constant currency basis, is 'testament to the strength of its System1 approach'. More
Brand strategy and insight agency BrainJuicer has promoted Alex Hunt to the role of President, Research Business, in charge of running its market research offering worldwide, and with a seat on the company's Board of Directors. More
WPP's government and public sector advisory business Kantar Public has opened an office in Singapore, where it has appointed Sandra Lim as Executive Director. More
Former RDSi and Nunwood exec Hannah Downs has joined UK consultancy Brand Potential as Client Director, with a remit to build its newly launched Leeds team. Emily Taylor also joins the firm. More
Technology research and advisory company Gartner has reported a 9% increase in fourth quarter 2016 group revenue, to $703.2m, driven by Research revenue which was up 15% at constant currencies, to $478.8m. More
In New York, full service agency ORC International has hired former Nielsen marketer Ana Mackay-Sim as Chief Marketing Officer, responsible for overseeing brand and revenue-building marketing initiatives globally. More
MR presentation and reporting specialist Dapresy has promoted Fredrik Osterberg to the role of Managing Director, Europe, while appointing former Cambiar exec Beth Rounds as its Chief Marketing Officer. More
In the US, Toluna has hired Marco Pasqualina as VP of Sales, and Mark Daniel as VP of Digital Solutions. In addition, Stephen Walker and Filippo Sablchiero have relocated from the UK, to take up business development roles in the Australia/New Zealand market. More
GfK has launched a unit called Supercrunch, which will offer clients a new type of automated, user-defined analysis to support marketing decisions. The division will be led by Norbert Wirth, who previously served as the group's Global Head of Data and Science. More
Research software firm Confirmit has promoted CFO Ken Østreng to the role of President and Chief Executive Officer. He replaces Henning Hansen who, in his own words, has resigned to focus on other priorities, spend more time with his family, and 'start a new chapter'. More
Polling and research specialist ComRes has opened a practice dedicated to helping organisations evaluate and develop internal comms and employee engagement strategies. The firm will also launch a Faith Research Centre later in the year, to improve understanding of religion and belief. More
Chime Insight & Engagement Group has appointed nine new members of staff, including former Northstar Research exec Jack Miles as Insight Director, heading qual and quant projects across a range of sectors. More
In a trading statement issued today, GfK said that both sales and adjusted income had fallen in 2016, in part as a result of negative currency effects. More
Ipsos has appointed Nielsen's former Buy strategy leader Amy Fenton as Chief Marketing Officer in North America, overseeing all marketing, strategy, and communications in the US and Canada. She succeeds Jim Meyer, who was the firm's first ever CMO. More
WPP's Warren, New Jersey-based healthcare data company Lightspeed All Global has been renamed Lightspeed Health. More
WPP-owned marcoms network Ogilvy is setting up a Center for Behavioral Science, aiming to establish a new system for defining how audiences think, feel and behave; and to help clients improve their marketing and communications. More
US custom research provider Zogby Analytics has set up a division called the Small Communities Institute, to support towns and villages dealing with issues such as urban economic development planning and securing grants. More
Ipsos has appointed former TNS director Parijat Chakraborty as Head of its Public Affairs business in India. He will be based out of the Gurgaon office and will report to Amit Adarkar, CEO for India. More
Cello has made a 'significant investment' in its audience intelligence division Pulsar, and merged it with its qual specialist agency FACE. Further details about the investment have not been disclosed. More
nuaxia, the new venture from former Synovate UK CEO Peter Chopra, has officially rolled out of stealth with the launch of a short multimedia survey platform for healthcare professionals. More
UK consumer and MR consultancy Incite has relocated Principals Jenni Forbes and John Tearle from its London HQ to its office in San Francisco. The firm has also hired Caroline Aulis in its New York office, which will move to larger premises by the end of the first quarter. More
Research and advisory services provider MARU Group has promoted Steve Brockway to the new position of Managing Director of MARU Operations Group UK, as Board member Liz Boffey moves into his old role as MD for Maru/edr. More
In Detroit, full service agency Market Strategies International (MSI) has promoted Paul Hartley to SVP, MD of the Technology and Telecommunications division, replacing Jean Malarkey who recently announced her retirement. Separately, Leigh Admirand has joined the team at SVP level. More
UK-based BrainJuicer has announced gross profits up 27% to £25.6m for the calendar year 2016 - equivalent to 15 percent at constant currencies. The rise was driven primarily by the continued 'strong progress' of its US business and an 'encouraging recovery' in Continental Europe. More
WPP-owned digital data collection specialist Lightspeed has partnered with mobile video MR specialist Voxpopme to launch a service called 'Video Answers', which captures and analyses open-ended video comment during the survey process. More
Online data collection agency AskingCanadians has partnered with student and youth network yconic, to give clients access to the latter's youth-focused consumer insights panel. More
Nashville, Tennessee-based MR technology and services firm 20|20 Research has appointed former iModerate exec Michael Steinberg to lead global sales. More
London-based opinion and behaviour research specialist BritainThinks has promoted Anastasia Knox, Cordelia Hay and Lucy Bush to Research Director roles, while Raphael Malek moves up to Associate Director. More
After more than 39 years at NOP and GfK, almost all of them spent running the Social Research department, Nick Moon has left the global group and will offer his services as a consultant, under the name of Moonlight Research. More
Paragon Partnerships, a body set up by a group including major corporates, research firms and MR associations, has announced a joint initiative with worldwide research network GRBN, to help provide quality data and insights to governments and others who work towards the UN's 17 'Global Goals'. More
French fieldwork company Made in Surveys has opened new viewing facilities in Birmingham, UK, adding to its existing resources in the French cities of Paris, Lille and Lyon. More
In the US, NBCUniversal's Alan Wurtzel is stepping down from his role as President of Research and Media Development, to become a senior advisor to the company. More
Sapio Research, the agency launched last September by Redshift Research founders Jane Hales and Guy Washer, has opened a physical office in the City of London, based in King William Street near Monument tube station. More
UK-based mobile video MR specialist Voxpopme has partnered with US emotion measurement specialist Affectiva to enable clients to analyse facial expressions in new and existing video feedback. More
Westminster, London-based agency ComRes has appointed former Fujitsu executive Simon Carter as CEO, and says it will announce the launch of two new business practices later this month, a Faith Research Consultancy and an Internal Communications Practice. More
US market research associations CASRO and MRA have completed their merger, forming the Insights Association. More
Founder Richard Sheldrake is leaving Perspective Research Services and its parent, BDRC Group, for 'personal lifestyle reasons'. More
US-based online community specialist Passenger has changed its name to FUEL CYCLE, reflecting its desire 'to capture customer intelligence and infuse it throughout your organization'. More
Morgan Investors, the holding company for Quick Test/Heakin, Discovery Research Group and 3Q Global, has announced leadership changes affecting all three research firms. More
UK agency McCallum Layton has changed its name to Allto Consulting, to reflect the expansion of its offer beyond research into the delivery of integrated solutions. More
This is the last edition of Daily Research News for 2016. We wish all our readers, clients, contributors and friends around the world a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. More
Former comScore exec Manish Bhatia has joined Kantar Media as Chief Executive Officer of its North American business. More
DIY survey firm SurveyMonkey is to downsize its Australian sales team, reports suggest, with six staff set to leave by March 2017. Meanwhile its base in Ottawa, Canada, is expected to adds dozens of new recruits during the year. More
US-based MR and consulting firm Decision Analyst has launched a new company called Symmetric, selling sample from its various consumer and b2b panels to both MR firms and end clients. More
Shareholders of UK-based marcoms group Creston have voted to accept the acquisition offer of fund manager DBAY Advisors. More
Full service agency ORC International has hired Nielsen veteran Tom Markert as Chief Executive Officer and Global Product Development Lead, based in its New York office. More
MR language and translation specialist GlobaLexicon has opened an office in Chicago, to extend coverage across all North American time zones and increase the capacity of its team following a number of client wins. More
Carlos Harding, the Deputy CEO of Ipsos, died suddenly of a heart attack last Friday morning. He was 69 years old. More
New Jersey-based HCD Research has set up an Applied Neuroscience Laboratory Services unit, to help companies develop and install their own in-house neuroscience testing capabilities. More
Swedish eye tracking technology firm Smart Eye has begun listing its shares on the Nasdaq First North stock exchange in Stockholm. More
US private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) is launching an offer for a substantial minority stake in GfK, and has entered an agreement with its majority shareholder GfK Verein to support the group's long-term growth strategy. More
Anders Bengtsson, the CEO of US-based boutique insights and strategy consultancy Protobrand, has acquired a majority stake in the company, after recently buying out co-founder Phil Granof's share. The firm has also secured new investors and strengthened its management team. More
In the UK, retail sector specialist ABA Research has appointed former Camelot Head of Insight Nick Bonney as Managing Director. He will take up the post next February, replacing founder Alison Bainbridge who will remain active in the business. More
Maryland and Connecticut-based online consumer sample provider Full Circle Research has partnered with marijuana MR and tracking firm Cannabiz Consumer Group (C2G), to launch an omnibus called CannaBus. More
Kantar TNS was one of the big winners at last night's MRS Awards, taking home the Grand Prix for Greatest Impact; the MRS/BIG Award for B2B Research, alongside digital data collection arm Lightspeed; and the awards for New Consumer Insights and Social Media Research (the latter with Unilever). More
MRSS India has added a Social Research Practice, and appointed former IMRB International Director Dr.Srikant Patel to lead it. More
Fairfield, NJ-based Buyers Laboratory, LLC (BLI) and InfoTrends - which it acquired last year - are uniting under a new name, Keypoint Intelligence, providing market intelligence and tools for the digital imaging industry. More
Online community specialist Vision Critical has partnered with business intelligence and digital media provider RFi Group, to service the financial services sector in Australia and New Zealand. More
Sydney, Australia-based video survey and research platform Verbate has expanded to Europe with the opening of an office in London. More
Recently-formed London-based communications insight and strategy firm delineate has appointed Erica Buckley as Insight and Digital Director and Helen Bennie as a Senior Consultant. More
In London, full service researcher BDRC has appointed Andrew Lea as Experience Design Director, to launch and lead its new Digital User Experience (UX) and Usability division. More
Barbara Katz, President of US-based health and nutrition trends MR company HealthFocus International (HFI), is stepping down from the role at the end of the year, to be succeeded by General Manager Steve Walton. More
Qual consumer insights consulting firm RealityCheck has opened an office in Miami, from where it will support clients in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Peru. More
In the Netherlands, Blauw Research's new product development agency SPRINT has opened an office in the Groothandelsgebouw building, in the centre of Rotterdam. More
Former BBC Sport Digital Development Editor Chris Hurst is joining Nielsen Sports as Head of Digital for the UK. More
Kantar Retail is partnering with Peopleway, a firm specialising in helping clients to measure and continuously improve the business impact of their people development activities. More
In New York, a group of seventeen agencies have come together to launch a 'certified-diverse' collective called Titanium Worldwide, offering a range of media, marketing, analytics, market research, focus group and communications services. More
Andrew Reid, the founder of Canadian research tech firm Vision Critical, has launched a company called VC LABS, to develop software which will extend the value of insight communities. He will be leaving Vision Critical's exec team, but will remain as a shareholder with a seat on its Board. More
IBM Watson has launched a new Internet of Things (IoT) consulting service, staffed by 1,500 consultants, data scientists and design and security experts at its IoT headquarters in Munich, Germany and in eight other IoT centres in Asia, Europe and the Americas. More
Quadrangle has undergone a restructure involving the promotion of Adrian Ward and Jenny Betteridge to Director roles, creating two client-facing teams, and re-defining the role of the partners with a focus on mentoring directors and supporting the teams. More
German-based product, pricing and marketing strategy specialist Simon Kucher & Partners has named sixteen new partners, who will take up their new roles on January 1st. More
US firm HCD Research has formed a new market research practice dedicated to chain and fast food restaurants, employing a mix of traditional and applied neuroscience methods. More
Chicago-based research portal KnowledgeHound has raised $2.7m in Series A funding, and says it will use the money to recruit for sales and technology roles. More
Israel-based technology firm Wizer, which is backed by investment firm Nielsen Innovate, has unveiled a consumer research solution combining machine learning technology with supervision by research professionals and promising results delivered within 48 hours. More
Ipsos has announced changes in its ownership structure, designed to simplify it and ensure the company's independence over the long term - following the death in December 2014 of co-founder Jean-Marc Lech. More
A sharp fall in income for GfK's Consumer Experiences segment (-7.4%) more than balanced growth in Consumer Choices (+5.4%) in the first nine months of 2016, giving GfK as a whole a 1.7% organic decline in sales. Third quarter sales fell to EUR 355.3m while EBITDA dropped by around a quarter to EUR 43.3m. More
UK-based online communities specialist Verve has appointed Marie Patenio as leader of its Chicago office, as Tim Martin returns to London from his secondment. The firm has also announced five further appointments in Chicago and Toronto. More
In the US, market research, events and publishing company Light Reading has partnered with Informa's Broadband World Forum to launch an online community called UBB2020, which will track and analyse developments in the global ultra-broadband (UBB) tech and services sector. More
In London, independent agency Firefish has launched a specialist insight communications and activation agency called Insider, headed by John Sayers who previously led Firefilms, the firm's in-house insight film unit. More
Research software firm Confirmit has partnered with video-based insight specialist LivingLens, to offer video capture and analysis within its Horizons platform, for use in market research studies, voice of the customer (VoC) and voice of the employee (VoE) programmes. More
Technology analyst Gartner has reported a 16% rise in third quarter Research division revenue to $461.5m - or a 17% increase excluding the impact of foreign exchange. More
WPP's Data Investment Management arm has reported a 12.1% increase in third quarter revenue to £655m, reflecting the lower value of the pound. On a like-for-like basis, DIM revenue fell 2%, while other divisions averaged more than 4% growth. More
US full service agency Market Strategies International (MSI) has promoted Melissa Sauter to the role of President, while Christopher Barnes becomes MD of the Financial Services division, Todd Mundorf moves to the post of COO, and Katy Palmer takes on a new role, Chief Solutions Officer. More
Manchester, UK-based researcher Amy Middleton has launched a company called BEAM Fieldwork, providing a bespoke approach to fieldwork for research projects across the country. More
Netherlands-based customer and employee feedback specialist Mopinion has expanded its Sales and Marketing teams with the appointment of seven new employees. More
Video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly and social media news agency Storyful have set up a 'Future Media Lab' in Sydney, which they say will help brands and agencies create better ads that people want to watch and engage with. More
Ipsos has reported a 0.9% increase in third quarter revenue to EUR 431.7m, with organic growth a 'satisfactory' 3.2% during the period. More
Technology specialist Forrester Research has reported a 4% rise in third quarter group revenue to $77.4m (compared with $74.8m in the prior year period). Within its Research division the increase was only 1%, to $52.7m. More
Online communities specialist Krealinks has partnered with video insight firm Voxpopme, to add consumer recorded video feedback to its range of community platforms and panels. More
Survey tech firm Qualtrics has teamed up with emotion measurement specialist Affectiva, adding its emotion recognition technology to the Qualtrics Insight Platform, which combines customer experience management, employee engagement and market research. More
Innovation business Delvinia, which owns a group of companies focused on data collection, has launched a division called DCS, which will create new ways to help marketers, researchers and business leaders collect, visualize and enable data. More
Research software firms MARSC and MI Pro have announced a merger, forming QuenchTec. The new company promises 'next generation insight tools' to give researchers more agile and automated insight processes. More
Automated MR platform ZappiStore has raised £12m from Amsterdam-based venture capital firm Prime Ventures, which specialises in European tech companies. More
Research technology and services company FocusVision has partnered with data collection group Schlesinger Associates to pilot a new focus group video system, using 360 degree cameras to pick up participants' facial expressions and non-verbal cues. More
In the US, Nielsen Sports has appointed former Repucom execs Danny Townsend and Glenn Lovett as Co-Managing Directors, following its acquisition of the business earlier in the year. In addition, Repucom founder Paul Smith has announced he will leave the business at the end of the year. More
From today, DRNO will be adding a new section focusing on more news of actual surveys - from project wins to interesting fieldwork and results. See the link above for 'Survey Briefs'. We're also, for the first time, offering advertisers a chance to sit at the very top of the news email, for one day. More
US-based survey technology firm Qualtrics has appointed Microsoft veteran Zig Serafin as Chief Operating Officer, leading operations in the run up to a planned IPO. More
In Australia, The Lab Insight & Strategy has opened an office in Sydney, where it has hired former GfK director Andrew Therkelsen as Managing Director. More
In the US, research and insights firm Shapiro+Raj has promoted social scientist Margaret Mueller to the role of President. More
In London, former Kadence execs Paul Donnelly and Colm Russell have set up an international data collection agency called Dynamic Fieldwork. More
UK-based market research translation and language services provider GlobaLexicon has expanded its internship programme, which has already brought no fewer than 50 interns to the company over three years. More
Leeds-based agency Trinity McQueen has completed its MBO with the help of a £2.5m funding package from Santander Corporate & Commercial. The money will also help with the company's 'ambitious plans for further growth and international expansion'. More
Insight and brand strategy consultancy Flamingo has launched a new division dedicated to healthcare and pharmaceutical clients, and appointed former Hall and Partners exec Lee Gazey to lead it. More
In Westlake Village, California, former Cint US MD Michael McCrary has launched PureSpectrum, a new global marketplace for buyers and sellers of online sample. The company is backed by strategic investments from Research Now and Critical Mix. More
YouGov has announced strong preliminary results for the year ended 31st July, with group revenue up 12% on a constant currency basis to £88.2m, and adjusted profit before tax up 46% to £13.3m. More
US media firm Hearst Television has promoted Kevin Stuart to the new position of Vice President, Research. More
Paris-based customer service consultancy Academie du Service has opened an office in London, led by co-founder and Partner Claire Bonniol. More
In New York, fashion trend analysis and forecasting specialist WGSN has launched a dedicated resource for trends across consumer insights, retail strategy, marketing, and innovation; supported by a global editorial team which will focus on building content and expertise for the product. More
Elizabeth Granahan and Meghan Surdenas, who previously worked at MR recruitment specialist Focus Forward, have set up their own language services agency SyncScripts, offering translations and transcription from an office in Philadelphia. More
In London, digital marcoms group Next15 has launched a data collection agency called Viga, led by former Research Now exec Lewis Reeves. More
Recently unveiled Kantar Public has launched a new research centre, bringing together a pan-European team of researchers with expertise in political and opinion polling, social and economic trends, and migration. More
US media conglomerate Viacom has promoted Christian Kurz to the new global role of SVP, Global Consumer Insights, overseeing corporate and consumer research, with a focus on exploring new technologies and consumer behavior. More
UK-based Chime Insight & Engagement has made more than two dozen new appointments across the business, including former Sainsbury's Customer Insight Manager Simon Rawlinson as Insight Director. More
US consultancy Phoenix Marketing International (PMI) has appointed industry veteran Bob Ferguson as Executive Vice President, to help continue the expansion of its Qualitative Practice. More
Newly announced Kantar Public is to open a Behaviour Change Academy in Sydney early next year, and in Amsterdam in the spring. The new venture will be led by long-time TNS exec Kathy O'Donoghue. More
Life science intelligence firm Zitter Health Insights has announced that founder and CEO Mark Zitter will step down from the role and become Chairman, with current President John Monahan promoted to CEO from January 1st 2017. More
Cincinnati, Ohio-based Ascribe, best known for its text analysis expertise, has linked with Google Consumer Surveys for a new solution offering clients custom market research with a 'massive' consumer sample. More
WPP's Kantar has unveiled a new global operating brand, pooling expertise to offer advice on the delivery of public policy, services and communications. More
Redshift Research founders Jane Hales and Guy Washer have partnered with former colleagues Jessica Bunce and Andrew White, to set up a new London-based agency called Sapio Research. More
Thoroughbred Research Group President Steve Alsbury and his wife Nancy, the firm's VP of Operational Resources, have retired after fourteen years with the business. More
In London, Chime Insight & Engagement Group (CIE) has hired long-time GfK exec Pam Armstrong for the newly created role of Managing Director of its Opinion Leader and Chime Insight & Engagement businesses. More
India-based market research agency MarketsandMarkets has launched a North American headquarters in Seattle, Washington, where it has hired a number of execs including Gartner veterans Dan Holmes and Frank Capovilla. More
Marcoms giant WPP has launched its Government & Public Sector Practice in Singapore, to be led by Executive Director Cecilia Wong. More
Publicis comms division MSLGROUP has launched a platform called Conversation2Commerce, which identifies influences, creates content and ideas, and offers targeting, amplification and measurement services. More
Northumberland, UK-based success story Dipsticks Research has rebranded, bringing together no fewer than seven group companies under the new umbrella brand of DRG. More
Viewing facility firm i-view London has moved to a new, larger purpose-built location on The Strand, where it has promoted Belma Lugic to the newly created role of Studio Director, and Sam Grey to Studio Manager. The firm has also made four new hires. More
Technology and communities business MARU/VCR&C has launched a new Qualitative Insights arm, which will make use of a broad range of online technologies to probe deeper into consumer behavior. More
In the UK, insight and innovation consultancy FreshMinds has appointed Jason de Klerk as Head of Quantitative Research, Maeve O'Dwyer as a Senior Consultant, and James Wallis as a Consultant. The firm has also hired a number of Associates. More
New Jersey-based HCD Research has set up a User Experience division, integrating applied neuroscience and traditional market research methods to understand UX and user behavior. More
International data collection group Schlesinger Associates has opened a new focus group space on the fifth floor of its building in Phoenix, Arizona. More
WPP's data investment management division Kantar has re-branded its twelve operating businesses with a unifying prefix, for example 'Kantar TNS' and 'Kantar Millward Brown'. The exception is digital data collection specialist Lightspeed GMI, which now reverts to its original name Lightspeed. More
Brand strategy and research agency BrainJuicer has launched a specialist unit called 'System1 Politics', which will use the behavioural science principle behind its 3Fs model (Fame, Feeling & Fluency) to forecast the results of elections. More
A new, free app, 'Kriddik', has been launched through which consumers can provide direct, private feedback to businesses without their information being shared publicly. More
Consumer and cultural insight agency Flamingo has promoted Sam Gomez to the role of London co-CEO, alongside current agency head Ednyfed Tappy. The firm has also hired former Kantar exec Robert Nagadowski as its first Group Chief Operating Officer. More
London-based emotion analysis specialist Realeyes has appointed industry veteran David Bilicic as Head of Global Sales and Strategic Partnerships, based in New York. He is joined by former Quantifind exec John Tomchek, who takes up the US-based position of Commercial Director. More
MR language and translation specialist GlobaLexicon has reported its third consecutive year of over 50 percent revenue growth, and says it has increased its headcount from 39 to 61 in the past twelve months. More
London-based Video data tech company Big Sofa has appointed former FocusVision EMEA MD Richard Collins to the newly created position of Chief Customer Officer, responsible for managing its global client base. More
In Sydney, Australia, former 3 mobile and Yahoo!7 Insights specialist Sharon Keating has launched a company dedicated to improving the wellbeing and performance of execs, particularly in the market research industry. More
Family-owned agricultural and industrial commodities giant Cargill has appointed CPG veteran Chuck Gitkin in the newly created role of CMO of its North America protein business - with a remit to help shift its focus to a customer-centric, insight-based strategy. More
Research technology and panel exchange operator Cint has opened an office in San Francisco; its fifth location in the US and second on the west coast. Deputy CEO Richard Thornton is relocating from London to head up the new office and build the team. More
Digital data collection specialist Research Now has opened a new office in India, based in the Cyber City business hub in Gurgaon, near New Delhi. More
Tel Aviv, Israel-based emotion analytics specialist Beyond Verbal has raised $3m in a Series A round of funding. Money will be invested in future research projects, the recruitment of additional data scientists, and development of new emotional features. More
Colorado-based cannabis industry data and insight provider BDS Analytics has launched a consumer research division, dedicated to conducting studies to help better understand the range of people who buy and consume marijuana. More
GfK's majority owner GfK Verein has dismissed a report published in German weekly magazine WirtschaftsWoche, which claimed the company may be considering putting itself up for sale. More
GfK may be considering putting itself up for sale, alongside other options, according to reports in German weekly magazine, WirtschaftsWoche. More
Seattle-based Discuss.io has raised $880k from Unilever Ventures and other existing investors, to expand its video conferencing and crowdsourcing-based group discussion solution. Cash will be used to recruit engineers, sales and marketing staff. More
The Supervisory Board of GfK has elected Ralf Klein-Bölting as its new Chairman - he succeeds Dr. Arno Mahlert on September 13th. More
Newly rebranded US agency AMC Global has appointed former MarketQuest Global CEO Mary Beth Lake as EVP, Corporate Strategy & Innovation, leading the product design and development practice. More
In New York, AI-based market research software firm Remesh has closed a $1m angel investment round, with backers including Schlesinger Associates CEO Steve Schlesinger; and has appointed Matt Gershner as EVP of Sales & Marketing. More
Software giant SAP has invested in Vivanda, which provides a context-sensitive personalization platform for the food and beverage industry based on a digitized 'food and flavor genome'. More
WPP has reported Q2 revenue of £3.46bn, up 3.5% in like-for-like (LFL) terms. Net sales, the group's preferred measure, rose 4.3% on the same basis. As in previous quarters data investment management (DIM) lagged other divisions, with LFL revenue down -0.4% and net sales up 2.0%. More
In the US, retail information firm the NPD Group is combining its luxury tracking services with its 'Softlines' unit, following the departure of luxury tracking President Fred Levin. More
US trade association the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has appointed former media research veteran Daniel McDonald as Head of its Research division. More
Emerging technology specialist Lux Research has appointed former Verisk Health CEO Mike Coyne as President and Chief Executive, based in its Boston headquarters. He succeeds Dennis Philbin, who has served in the role for more than eight years. More
Marketing group Enero - the parent of insight agencies Jigsaw and The Leading Edge (TLE), has followed strong 2016 results with an announcement that it is back in the mood for acquisitions - following a seven-year period in which it battled for survival. More
WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell has once again topped the High Pay Centre index of FTSE 100 chief executives, after his remuneration package soared from £43m in 2014 to £70.4m. More
GfK has announced that its results for the first six months of the year are 'below prior year's financials for the same reporting period', and warns it is no longer likely that group sales growth will outperform the market. More
Online MR software company Confirmit and predictive dialing specialist Sytel have jointly developed a series of new CATI features (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing), promising improved productivity and flexibility. More
Global management consultancy Accenture has launched an ideation and innovation studio in Washington DC, where it can collaborate and co-create with government clients. More
US-based IT industry analyst Gartner has reported a 17% constant currency increase in second quarter revenue for its Research division, to $449.2m. More
Accommodation rental marketplace Airbnb has launched an innovation and design studio called Samara, tasked with developing new ideas and services to support its community. More
Stockholm-based eyetracking technology firm Tobii has reported first half 2016 sales of SEK 493m ($US 57.5m), up 11 percent at constant currency. Continuing high investment in the Tobii Tech division outweighed profits elsewhere to leave an operating loss of SEK -46m. More
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has appointed former Kraft Foods insight exec Jen Acerra as Vice President, Global Brand Research and Insights, leading the group's global MR team. More
In the US, B2B customer experience consulting firm Walker Information is spending $11m on building a new, 54,000-square-foot headquarters in Indianapolis, where it plans to hire additional staff and deliver an expanded range of services. The firm expects to complete the move by the end of 2017. More
Brand identity and media relations firm PUBLIC NYC has spun off its PANIC Brand Metrics perception measurement solution into a separate consulting practice with the same name. More
In the UK, full service agency DJS Research has reported a 17% increase in annual turnover from £3.6m to £4.2m for 2015/16. More
IT industry specialist Forrester Research has reported a 5% increase in second quarter Research division revenues to $55.0m from $52.6m in the prior year period, while revenue rose by 9% from $30.2m to $32.8m in its Advisory Services and Events arm. More
In the US, research technology firm FocusVision has integrated the Survox IVR (interactive voice response) multi-mode survey tool into its platform, to enable users of its Decipher survey software to add automated phone interviewing to any online study. More
Ipsos has reported first half 2016 revenue of EUR 833.6m, equivalent to 3 percent organic growth once currency effects are excluded. The result is an improvement after a flat 2015. More
Recently-acquired Repucom has rebranded as Nielsen Sports. Leaders and staff will remain in place, the firm says, working from the same location. More
DIY online survey platform SurveyMonkey has appointed former HomeAway COO Tom Hale as President, overseeing engineering, product, product marketing, user experience and growth. More
YouGov has opened an office in Washington D.C., with a focus on custom, academic, public affairs and public opinion research. Amy Emmatty joins as Managing Director of the new operation. More
The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), set up by the UK government and often known as the 'Nudge Unit' is expanding with the opening of new offices in Singapore and Manchester, and additions to its existing team in Sydney. More
A new marijuana market research and tracking firm called Cannabiz Consumer Group has launched in the US, where it has hired Kinesis Survey Technologies co-founder Leslie Townsend as Chief Executive Officer. More
Mystery shopping and performance improvement firm Grass Roots has teamed up with Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) specialist QuestBack to launch a packaged survey solution called Tune, to enable brands to listen to and act on customer feedback. More
German-based product, pricing and marketing consultancy Simon-Kucher & Partners has announced first half revenue of EUR 116 million, up nineteen percent versus the first half of 2015. More
UK-based agency BrainJuicer has reported revenue up 13 percent, or 9 percent at constant currencies, in a trading update for the first half of the year. Gross profit growth was in double figures, with the Americas and Continental Europe leading the way. More
Kantar Health is expanding its presence in Israel, where it has named Kobi Sharon as Vice President, Client Consulting. The move reflects rapid growth in the country's hi-tech life sciences industry. More
The Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) division of broadcaster Turner has hired Channel 4 insight exec Pedro Cosa for a newly created role, Vice President Insights & Analytics. He will join the firm in September. More
London-based full service agency MESH Experience has appointed former Millward Brown MD Julian Green as Global Client Experience Director, with an initial focus on driving a new multi-brand proposition. More
In Michigan, USA, DIY online qual platform Aha! has relocated to the historic Ford Valve Plant building in Northville. More
Kantar has expanded to Iran through a partnership with Tehran-based full service agency Rahbar Bazaar. More
US-based MR training provider Research Rockstar has claimed a first by launching a 24/7 training 'portal' for market research professionals, giving access to courses, media content and expert instructors. More
UK-based medical MR firm Field Scope International has opened an office in New York, adding the US to its existing broad coverage of Western and Eastern European markets. More
The founders of wealth intelligence specialist Wealth-X are to step down in September 2016 from their roles as CEO and President. Chief Commercial Officer Marc Cohen and CFO Richard Green become Co-Presidents, while Prasanth Ramanand and Christine Noh join in senior roles. More
With the UK's 'Brexit' referendum vote looming tomorrow, TNS has revealed details of an Election Day Voter Panel of 200 people intending to vote. The Panel aims to investigate the reasons for the much-discussed phenomenon of 'last minute swing', apparently common in referenda and elections. More
Professional services and consulting giant KPMG is to open an Innovation Lab in Sydney, Australia, and two clients Insight Centres in Sydney and Melbourne, starting in September this year. More
MR tech company FocusVision had appointed former Coca-Cola researcher Dave Singleton to its Board, and promoted Revelation founder Steve August to CMO and Decipher exec Braden Johnstone to SVP of Operations. More
GfK and MR facilities operator Fieldwork have teamed up to launch a new user experience (UX) research studio in Boston's MetroWest area. More
US polling legend and author John Zogby has joined his sons Benjamin and Jeremy to form a new strategic planning and consulting firm, John Zogby Strategies, based in Utica, NY. More
A team of researchers at MIT and the University of Georgia have developed software which will allow ordinary smartphones to be used for eyetracking research More
BrainJuicer has officially launched its 'System1 - Feel More: Buy More' creative agency, which taps the group's work in behavioural science and its belief that the emotional, instinctive 'System 1' brain trumps the rational, evaluative 'System 2' brain when consumers make brand choices. More
London-based Shift*Base Research has appointed former Forrester Research veteran Christine Overby as Chief Executive Officer. More
Research software firm Confirmit and facial analysis specialist Affectiva have partnered to help clients understand the role of emotion in driving consumer spending and loyalty. More
In a trading update, WPP says its Data Investment Management division Kantar returned to like-for-like growth in April, after a flat first quarter. Net sales were up 5.8 percent at constant currency, or 0.3 percent like-for-like. For the Group as a whole, the comparable figure was 3.1 percent. More
Around a third of WPP shareholders voted against CEO Sir Martin Sorrell's proposed £70m pay package at yesterday's annual general meeting in London. More
Publishing group Time Inc. has appointed Leslie Dukker Doty as EVP, Consumer Marketing and Revenue, in charge of using consumer data and analytics to reach new customers. More
Marcoms group Creston's Communications & Insight team has reported a 12% revenue increase in revenue to £62.9m for the year ending 31st March 2016, with like-for-like revenue up 2% to £57.5 million and an acquisition accounting for much of the rest. More
Australian brand and communications research agency Luma has opened a new office in Sydney, where it has appointed ad and brand researcher Kate Platter as Client Service Director. The firm has also expanded its team in Melbourne. More
Kinesis' European MD Tariq Mirza has left the business, following its recent takeover by US research technology and services group FocusVision. He is now looking for his next challenge. More
Global airline alliance SkyTeam has launched a customer feedback tool called the SkyPriority Audit App, through which passengers can rate their travel experience. More
ComRes MD Katharine Peacock has left the business to join the Brunswick Group as Director of Insight. Separately, ComRes has promoted Tom Mludzinski to the role of Research Director, overseeing the firm's political, media, sport, charity and government work. More
Netherlands-based data collection firm GDCC has appointed Simon Glanville as Managing Director of its newly established 60-seat CATI facility in London. More
After three - relatively - quiet years, City of London analysts believe WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell will face increased shareholder opposition to his £70m salary and shares package at next Wednesday's Annual General Meeting. More
US-based MR agency Savitz Research has set up a new company called SavitzConsulting, which will match specialist freelance consultants with clients looking for help with research projects. More
In New York, full service ad agency AKA has launched a research business called Show & Tell Broadway, using online surveys, in-person focus groups, and other tools to provide insights into how theatergoers interact with brands. More
UK agency Future Thinking has launched a new approach called Skin Deep, using the technique of galvanic skin response to gauge consumer emotions. More
London-based opinion and behaviour specialist BritainThinks has appointed former Ipsos MORI Head of Environment Research Edward Langley as Research Director, to expand its own environmental practice. More
Online specialist BrainJuicer has opened an office in Australia, led by company veteran Ed Harrison as Managing Director. More
In Sydney, WPP AUNZ has appointed former Kantar Australia/New Zealand CEO Ben Dixon for the newly created role of CEO Data Investment Management. The business has also moved former Ogilvy PR Australia CEO Kieran Moore to CEO Public Relations and Public Affairs. More
In the UK, two veteran sports researchers have set up a new full service agency focused on the sector. Jack Murray was most recently Head of MR at Kantar Sport, while Michael Stone led research at Sports Marketing Surveys. More
Four months after buying out the Southeast Asian business of global research firm Epinion, the management team have rebranded their company as Decision Lab. More
WPP has moved strategic consulting company Benenson Strategy Group (BSG) into the Burson-Marsteller PR and communications network. More
London-based 'high-volume' MR and consumer insights platform Attest has launched out of beta. The firm has also appointed former WPP executive Justin Cooke and former Which? Chairman Paddy Barwise to its Advisory Board. More
London-based consultancy FreshMinds has promoted Catherine Crump to the position of Chief Executive Officer, replacing co-founder Caroline Plumb who moves into the role of Executive Chair. More
Not-for-profit networking organization Women in Research (WIRe) has appointed Market Research Society CEO Jane Frost and Kantar Group CEO Eric Salama as new members of its Advisory Board. More
The new Chief Executive of British high street legend Marks & Spencer has promoted head of marketing Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne and halved the size of the company's operating committee as the retailer looks to speed up decision-making and put the customer 'at the heart of everything it does'. More
Two agencies have given updates on their (potentially rather different) accounting headaches. comScore says its internal investigation into accounting irregularities should be completed next month; while separately, Cello Group has settled a VAT dispute with an agreement to pay a total of £5.3m. More
GfK has achieved 'moderate' organic growth of 0.9% during the first quarter of the year. Currency effects meant the reported sales figure declined 0.6% to EUR 360.5m versus Q1 2015. The firm's Consumer Choices sector grew strongly while 'Consumer Experiences' revenue fell. More
Research data solutions and technology firm SSI has launched a service called Smart Cell Sample, centred on a cell phone database of 480 million numbers, through which researchers can target US participants by geographic and demographic variables. More
In the UK, customer experience management specialist KPMG Nunwood has promoted Tim Knight to the position of Managing Director, replacing co-founder Phil Rushfirth, who has left to 'pursue new interests'. More
London-based boutique qual research agency Spinach has restructured, shedding four positions, and increasing its focus on qualitative research, with an emphasis on strategy and communications work. More
Wyzerr, which creates customer feedback surveys and analytics tools that look like games, has raised $1.5m for use in further product development - including the hiring of more developers. More
Proximity marketing analytics specialist ShopAdvisor has partnered with location behavior analytics and targeting firm Gravy, to deliver enhanced event attendance verification services to retailers, brands, media and consumers. More
Research technology provider Interactive Video Productions (IVP) has unveiled a 'Neuro Omnibus for Video Testing', allowing researchers to put their video in front of an audience of consumers and track their subconscious response. The Omnibus is supported by HCD Research. More
Kantar has entered into a partnership with Google Consumer Surveys, whose panels it will 'validate' by monitoring their accuracy, responsiveness and representativeness. More
Online marketplace provider Cint has launched a real-time insights tool, Cint Connect, which it says offers 'the world's first self-serve eco-system for audience and ad effectiveness measurement'. More
There may be no timescale set, but WPP has confirmed that it is beginning to think about who may eventually replace CEO Sir Martin Sorrell, including internal and external candidates. More
In London, research veterans Paul Laver and Douglas Dunn have opened a new consultancy, One Minute to Midnight, focusing on what it calls 'the 4 Dimensions of being Human'. More
In the US, Software development co-operative Vulk has partnered with custom research agency Sentier Strategic Resources to offer a new approach to research-driven user experience and user interface design. More
WPP has reported first quarter revenue of £3.076bn, up 5.1% in like-for-like terms. Net sales - its preferred measure - rose 3.2%. As in recent quarters however, insight division Kantar performed less well than other units, with like-for-like revenue and net sales figures flat (up 0.5% and down 0.1% respectively). More
Technology-focused Forrester Research has announced first quarter revenue of $77.4m, up 3 percent on Q1 2015. More
Ipsos has announced organic growth of 3.7 percent for the first quarter of 2016, with revenue rising to EUR 386.9m, its best result for some time. The rise 'concerns all regions', with revenue up 4.6% in emerging economies and up 3.3% in developed markets. More
Dublin based agency RED C Research & Marketing Ltd has opened a UK office, in Soho, London. RED C Research UK Ltd is a joint venture between the agency and Richard Barton and Charlotte Butterworth, both of whom left MD roles at Future Thinking in February. More
US researcher Gongos has formed a strategic partnership with Minneapolis-based consumer trends specialist Panoramix Global. The firms aim to provide corporate clients with a holistic understanding of the forces shaping their business including cultural context, business environment and consumer insights. More
B2B research and advisory firm SiriusDecisions has opened a first office in Latin America, located in Mexico City, and appointed Paulo Kalapis as Mexico Country Manager. More
Translation service provider GlobaLexicon has hired ten new staff to strengthen its offer in market research and other sectors. The firm has also completed a rebrand. More
Research consultancy Kadence International is relocating Singapore MD Greg Clayton back to the UK in May, to take up the role of Managing Director for UK/Europe. Replacing him in Singapore is Insight Director Phil Steggals, whose current position will be taken by Patrick Young. More
In the US, employee and workforce specialist Kenneth Matos has joined consulting firm Life Meets Work, to lead the development of a range of new custom research services. More
US-based data collection agency Azure Knowledge Corporation continues to expand with the launch of offices in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Moscow, Russia; and has appointed Danielle Ribeiro de Souza and Ernest Khodzhaev, respectively, to lead them. More
London-based full service agency Basis Research has opened its first US office, in Los Angeles, led by former Hall & Partners exec Kate Hartzell. More
DIY research software firm Qualtrics and MR technology developer iModerate have announced a partnership. Clients of the two can now use the latter's moderated one-on-one conversations to expand on feedback from a Qualtrics survey. More
Dublin, Ireland-based research agency Behaviour & Attitudes has promoted Luke Reaper to the position of Managing Director, replacing Ian McShane, who becomes Executive Chairman. More
GfK has announced a number of Supervisory Board member changes, which will come into effect at this year's Annual General Meeting on May 20th. More
UK-based research company Join the Dots has announced 2015 revenue of £7.75m, an annual increase of 27%. More
In the US, online pregnancy and parenting resource BabyCenter, a division of Johnson & Johnson, has appointed Laurie Dewan as Vice President of Research, Insights and Data. More
US data collection and fieldwork services firm Opinions Ltd has opened a new facility at the Coral Square Mall in Miami, led by Matt Wilson. More
Global panel marketplace provider Cint has promoted Richard Thornton to the position of Deputy Chief Executive Officer. His remit includes driving corporate business development in future markets. More
Four former Hall & Partners execs have launched a new London-based qualitative agency called Compton+Dean, focusing on brand and communications research. More
US public policy research firm Abt Associates has named former Nielsen data scientist Michael Link as President and CEO of its survey, opinion, and public policy research business Abt SRBI. More
Canada-based research software firm Voxco has released a manual dialing solution called 'TCPA Connect', to help US call centers address recent regulations prohibiting the use of autodialers to call cellphones without the respondent's express prior consent. More
UK-based BrainJuicer is planning to commence a share buy-back, using existing cash resources to purchase up to one million of its ordinary shares. More
Online specialist InSites Consulting has reported a 20% increase in revenues so far in this fiscal year, and says it is anticipating revenues of EUR 23m - representing 30% organic growth - by the year end on 30th June. More
US full service agency Resolution Research has opened a new focus group facility in Denver, including facilities for one-on-one interviews, product tests and training. More
Winchester-based Marketing Sciences Unlimited has opened a London office, at the HQ of parent company Creston, in Soho. More
Strategy and innovation agency The Sound has launched a dedicated content division called The Sound Media, which will harness the firm's anthropological and filmmaking expertise to produce documentaries and culture-focused content. More
UK research and TV production company Vox Pops International (VPI) has relocated to larger premises in Ewell, Surrey, and will provide a number of new services to existing and potential clients. More
Microsoft has launched a service called Video Pulse, to help market researchers, political campaigners, brands and movie studios measure the recorded reactions of audiences and customers to ads, political campaigns or other digital content. More
UK-based online research agency YouGov plc has announced interim results for the six months ended 31st January 2016, showing revenue of £41.5m, up 13% at constant currencies, and adjusted profit before tax up by 42% to £5.0m. More
UK-based BrainJuicer Group has announced 'modest' revenue growth of 3% (constant currency) in the calendar year 2015, to £25.18m. This is the second year of slower growth for the pioneering company, which nevertheless increased profits and cash at hand. More
UK-based pharmaceutical and strategic marketing group Cello has announced a 7.4% fall in revenue to £157.3m for the calendar year 2015. However, profits and earnings per share rose and the Group says it has made a good start to 2016. More
DIY online survey platform SurveyMonkey has opened an APAC office in Sydney, Australia, with an initial staff of fifteen. More
Hollywood movie research veteran Richard Del Belso has died at the age of 76, after a year-long battle with lung cancer. More
Digital data collection specialist Research Now has appointed former WPP exec Gary Laben as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Kurt Knapton who resigned last October. Meanwhile John Rothwell has added the title of President to his existing role as Chief Operating Officer. More
The UK's 'professional research and evidence market' has grown massively in the last three and a half years to an annual turnover of £4.8bn - up 62% - and a workforce of 73,000 professionals, according to a report by PwC for the MRS. More
WPP Chief Executive Sir Martin Sorrell has received shares worth £60m, according to reports. With salary and annual bonuses the figure is 'likely to approach £70m'. The share award is triggered by the group's success in outperforming both its peers and the FTSE 100 over five years. More
Former YouGov UK CEO Tim Britton is joining consultancy PwC to lead strategy and transformation in its r2i research and insight centre of excellence. More
In London, news publisher the Financial Times has appointed Sacha Bunatyan as Global B2C Marketing Director, responsible for expanding audience reach, reader engagement and paid-for readership numbers. More
Research process outsourcing specialist Azure Knowledge Corporation has added an office in London, and says it plans further openings in Moscow, Sao Paulo and Shanghai. More
US-based research technology and services group FocusVision has appointed Decipher US co-founder Jamin Brazil as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Eric Grosgogeat who has stepped down to 'pursue other opportunities' after eight years in the role. More
In the US, neuroscience research specialist HCD Research has partnered with testing lab provider IVP to offer integrated sensory research and user experience (UX) services. More
WPP has reported total 2015 revenue up 5.3% on a like-for-like basis, with headline EBITDA of £2.002bn, up 7.7% at constant currency. Revenue in pounds was up 6.1% to £12.235 bn. The insight-focused 'data investment management' division (DIM) remained flat for the year, although slightly improved in Q4. More
London-based not for profit organisation NatCen Social Research has found its new Chief Executive. Guy Goodwin joins on 3rd May from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) where he is the Director of Social and Analysis; and is also UK Director of Social Statistics at the European Union. More
UK-based 2CV has promoted Sabine Cronick to Head of Quant, and Nicola Godfrey to Head of Qual. More
Sagaci Research has opened an office in Luanda, Angola - its second base in Portuguese speaking Africa after the opening of the Maputo, Mozambique office in 2014. More
GfK is bringing its Consumer Choices and Consumer Experiences divisions closer together in North America, and has appointed Gary Cofer as Managing Director responsible for both sectors in the region. More
Millward Brown has partnered with on-demand online community specialist GutCheck to launch a qualitative tool called Pre-LinkNow, which offers a copy-testing framework to help marketers better understand ad performance. More
DIY online research software firm SurveyMonkey has added TechValidate co-founders Steve Norall and Brad O'Neill to its leadership team, effective immediately. Norall becomes SVP, SurveyMonkey for Business Product, and O'Neill SVP of Global Sales. More
In the US, consumer technology-driven market research firm Touchstone Research has launched a new division called Touchstone VR, to provide MR services to the virtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR) industries. More
Technology specialist Forrester has reported revenue of $313.7m for the full year 2015, $81m of it in the fourth quarter. In constant currency terms Research revenues rose 5 percent while advisory services and events were up 2 percent. More
Mystery shopping firm Jancyn has relocated to new office space in San Jose, California, as part of its ongoing growth and expansion plans. More
In London, former Hall & Partners and Research Now exec Ashley Walker has launched a consulting firm, Culture Engineers, which will help clients develop their organisational culture as a principle source of competitive advantage. More
Brand insight agency BrandHook has open an office in Sydney and appointed Leading Edge co-founder Tim Biddlecombe as Head of Strategy. More
Manchester-based agency Join the Dots has opened an office in Singapore, its first outside the UK. Karen Schofield, previously the company's Innovations Director, will head it up as MD, Singapore. More
Frank Møllerop, CEO of Enterprise Feedback Management specialist Questback is moving to work in the company's New York office this month, reflecting an increased focus on expansion in the US market. The firm says its enterprise revenues rose 40% in 2015. More
UK-based full service research agency Trinity McQueen has announced another year of double-digit growth, with turnover up 13 percent to £4.48m in the 12 months ending September 2015. The firm also has eight new recruits. More
Kantar has moved Adrian Gonzalez into a broader group role in charge of its Consumer Insights businesses - he was previously CEO of Millward Brown's Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific (AMAP) region. TNS APAC CEO Chris Riquier is among those leaving the business in the restructure. More
IT industry research and analysis specialist Gartner has reported a 10% rise in fourth quarter revenue to $643.8m, driven by a 13% revenue increase in its Research division to $420.5m. For the full year 2015, Research revenue was up 10% to $1.58bn. More
US-based online specialist Invoke Solutions has launched a Media & Entertainment practice, under the leadership of media industry veteran Kathy Alexander. More
New Delhi-based MR project management company NextON Services has opened an office in Ras al-Khaimah, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). More
International data collection group Schlesinger Associates has merged its Advisors division with MedQuery, the Chicago-based medical recruitment business it acquired in October. Chris Lee will lead the new unit as EVP. More
GfK returned to organic growth (up 1.1%) during the 2015 financial year, after a decline of 2.0% the previous year. Reported sales increased by 6.3% to EUR 1.54bn (from EUR 1.45bn). More
The management team of UK-based Illuminas has completed a management buyout (MBO) from former parent company MSQ Partners. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In London, independent agency Firefish has appointed branding specialist Lisa Hill as UK Qualitative Managing Director, responsible for leading the firm's core qual business. More
In the US, research technology and services company, 20|20 Research has promoted Chief Innovation Officer Isaac Rogers to the CEO role in its tech subsidiary 20|20 Technology. More
Ipsos InnoQuest has appointed former Mondelez exec Linda Lee as President, Global Solutions, based in New York. More
UK-based online communities specialist Verve has announced twelve promotions, and the appointment of Jodie Chamberlain as Research Manager in its recently-opened northern office. Existing staff Warren Lister, Olly Robinson and Ana Garcia all become Director / RDs. More
African agency Sagaci Research has expanded with the opening of three new offices, in Ivory Coast, Chad and Algeria. More
In the UK, eDigitalResearch has doubled its office space by relocating to a fully refurbished 18,500 square foot location in The Hub, at Berrywood Business Village, in Southampton - the place where the business first started back in 1999. More
In the US, survey tech firms Qualtrics and Dialsmith have partnered to allow clients to add dial testing of all forms of recorded media to their online surveys. More
UK-based consumer and cultural insight agency Flamingo is opening its eight office next month, this time in Jakarta, Indonesia. The new operation will be headed by Adri Reksodipoetro, who was previously MD of the firm's APAC hub in Singapore. More
US data collection firm Focus Pointe Global (FPG) has promoted Laura Livers to the role of Chief Executive Officer. She replaces Noel Sitzmann, who will assume the role of Executive Chairman, working with the Board, investors, lenders, and guiding the firm's growth strategy. More
US-based SIS International Research has launched an 'Integrated Research' unit, pulling together traditional methods, sensory research techniques such as biometrics and eye tracking, and access to the company's big data platform. Joe Messina joins the unit as Research Director. More
Palo Alto, CA-based DIY online survey platform SurveyMonkey has appointed Zander Lurie as its new Chief Executive Officer, less than six months after hiring former HP exec Bill Veghte to replace CEO Dave Goldberg, who died suddenly last May. More
Market research budgets fell for many companies in the final three months of 2015, according to the most recent IPA Bellwether Report of UK marketing expenditure. Respondents reporting a fall in MR budgets outnumbered those reporting a rise by an even bigger margin than in Q3. More
US-based data collection specialist Azure Knowledge Corporation has appointed former MRops MD and Ronin General Manager Rafal Gajdamowicz as Managing Director of its European business, based in London. More
Healthcare fieldwork firm M3 Global Research has officially opened its first US research facility in Philadelphia, where it will offer access to a wide range of custom AV technology, along with MR recruiting services. More
In Germany, Kantar-owned media research specialist TNS Infratest has moved former MD Dirk Steffen to the newly created position of Chief Digital Officer, and promoted company veteran Oliver Ecke to replace him. More
UK-based sampling agency Sample Answers has appointed Phil Bird, previously DP Director and Head of Data Development and Delivery at GfK NOP, as its new Managing Director. More
US-based full service agency Market Strategies International (MSI) has hired former J.D. Power execs Melissa Sauter - as EVP and MD of Financial Services - and Todd Mundorf as SVP Research Operations. More
GfK has announced that based on its financial performance for the first eleven months of this year, it is no longer likely to achieve its predicted annual guidance for AOI margin (adjusted operating income based on sales). More
In the US, research software firm Kinesis and phone survey specialist Survox have launched a multi-mode solution enabling panel managers to collect data through both self-administered and interviewer-assisted phone-based sessions. More
Microsoft has relaunched its MR tool, dropping the name of its Bing search engine to reflect the tool's integration with a number of other Microsoft products including Skype and Yammer. The new version also includes enhancements to visuals and functionality. More
The management of research tech solutions firm FocusVision is buying out the company with the assistance of private equity group EQT - terms were not disclosed. More
In Australia, Ipsos has announced a partnership with indigenous communications and research company Winangali, aimed at increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander economic participation and providing employment opportunities and business partnerships. More
Online MR software company Confirmit has embedded technology from facial expression analysis firm Emotient into its survey platform, to enable researchers to add emotion detection to any online or mobile research project. More
Just weeks after Nielsen's entertainment research subsidiary NRG was acquired by Mark Penn's investment company Stagwell, former PSB leader Jon Penn has been named as NRG's new Chief Executive. More
In Palo Alto, mobile video company Vidlet has emerged from 'stealth' mode, offering researchers new tools for soliciting and collecting video feedback, as well as an analysis and reporting portal. More
This year's MRS Awards saw UK charity StreetInvest carry off the President's Medal for its 'Growing up on the Streets' project, which has recruited street children in three African cities to provide observations on their experiences and those of other young people in their network. More
London-based agency IFF Research has announced eight appointments and says it is gearing up for more recruitment in the New Year, to meet 'ambitious growth plans for 2016'. More
More than one-third of insights providers agree with the statement that '50% of full-service market research suppliers will be out of business within five years', according to findings from the latest GreenBook Research Industry Trends Report (GRIT) *. More
In the UK, the Market Research Society (MRS) has published its Annual League Table, with data drawn from 86 eligible organisations generating a combined turnover of more than £2.7 billion. The figure represents overall year-on-year growth of 4%. More
UK-based healthcare market research specialist Narrative Health has opened a US office in New York, which will be established and led by former Cello Health Insight exec Avanti Ananthram. More
Manchester, UK-based research agency Join the Dots has taken on eight new graduates, the third wave of its annual Graduate Development Programme. It has also hired former TBWA exec Hollie Clark, who will design creative strategies for global brands. More
This item was posted twice in error! See the original story from last Thursday... More
In the UK, full service agency Boxclever has launched a Marketing Effectiveness business, and hired former Nunwood Board Director Colin Bunn to lead it. More
Former Millward Brown Ireland CEO Richard Waring and marketer Dan McGuiness have launched an online marketplace called the Research Exchange, to connect buyers and suppliers of market research. More
Marcoms group Creston has reported an 8% increase in revenue to £40.3m for the six months ended 30th September 2015, while its Communications & Insight division saw revenue rise 14% to £30.6m and headline PBIT increase by 24% to £4.0m. More
Brand and comms researcher Hall & Partners has hired three staff for its mobile-focused division, Tempo, running since February and formally launched just last month. Simon Walker joins as 'Director of Crowds' and Kimberly Webb as Director, while Gedas Tamutis takes the role of 'Project Engager'. More
Mobile video feedback specialist Voxpopme has announced a partnership with US-based customer experience optimisation firm InMoment, adding the former's video capture and analytics capabilities to the latter's Voice of Customer (VoC) platform. More
MR software provider Dapresy has named Alexander Skorka as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO), adding to his responsibilities as MD for its DACH Region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). More
UK-based InsightBee, a service which gives access to the desk and primary research skills of a network of consultants via an online interface, has announced a partnership with independent consultant network MBA & Company. More
UK-based research agency B2B International has launched an advice and consultancy division, and says it is looking to accelerate its expansion. More
MFour Mobile Research, creator of the Surveys On The Go app, has moved into its new headquarters in Newport Beach, California, and continued its rapid growth with appointments including former Ipsos exec Irene Manahan and Andrea Han from Added Value. More
Dennis Gillings, the founder of US-based healthcare consultancy Quintiles is retiring as Executive Chairman of Quintiles Transnational Holdings at the end of this year, upon which former McDonald's Chairman Jack Greenberg will take over as Chairman of the Board. More
GfK has reported 0.7% organic growth for the third quarter, with sales in Euros up 4% to EUR 371.4m. For the first nine months of the year, the group saw sales rise 6.0% to EUR 1.118bn - up just 0.4% in organic terms. More
London School of Economics Professor Ronny Razin and designer Piers Aitman have launched a qualitative insight tool called Voxter, which they say can be used for market research, opinion polling, brand engagement, change management and crowd sourcing. More
In Pakistan, Kantar agency TNS and qual and quant agency Aftab Associates will be ending their partnership at the end of March 2016, when the regional franchise agreement will move to sister agency MRB Pakistan. More
US-based full service agency Market Probe has appointed former Maritz Research CEO Michael Brereton as a Senior Consultant, to advise the firm on new CEM products and technology platforms and participate in business development activities. More
US agencies Mystery Researchers, Insula Research and Beyond Hello have merged under the new name SeeLevel HX. More
UK-based research / business intelligence firm Future Thinking has streamlined its company structure with a simplified offer. More
Product research and sensory testing company Contract Testing Inc. (CTI) is moving to a new location in Grand Rapids, Michigan. More
In a London museum, cultural and semiotic insight specialist Space Doctors has launched an installation called Choco-Phonica, consisting of a series of booths which explore consumers' relationship with chocolate through sound and taste. More
In London, BDRC's telephone and online research agency Perspective Research Services (PRS) has split its qualitative and quantitative offerings to create two new divisions, and promoted Ger-Jan van der Maten and Tom Stacey to lead them. More
Canadian qualitative software provider itracks has announced a new version of its IDI online qual product; and a partnership with Research Now offering 'on-demand recruitment' for online and mobile qual studies. More
Hyper-local micro data platform Findyr has announced a partnership with First Mile Geo, a company offering location-focused data sharing tools. The combination will offer clients 'on-demand, real-world, in-context insights and business analytics from across the globe'. More
US-based full service agency MarketVision Research has opened an office in Dubai, to support the business needs of clients in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. More
Technology consulting specialist Forrester Research has reported a 3% increase in Research revenue to $52.2m for the third quarter, compared with $50.6m in Q3 2014. However, on a constant currency basis, Research revenue rose 7%. More
Research and branding consultancy The Sound has appointed nine new members of staff across its offices on three continents. More
WPP has reported like-for-like revenue up 4.6% for Q3 2015. The insight division, known as 'Data Investment Management', was among those 'improving versus the second quarter' but once again was the only one to report a slight decline in revenue. More
Qual and quant full-service US agency Illumination Research is opening an office in San Francisco, and has appointed Brad Weiss to lead the expansion of its West Coast Operations. More
London-based viewing facility firm i-view has opened a new operation in the centre of Warsaw, Poland through a partnership with full service local agency Stratega Research. More
Ipsos has reported a 3.7% increase in revenue to EUR 428m for the period from July to September, but at constant scope and exchange rates this equates to a fall of 2.2%. The decline cancels out a small real-terms rise in the first half of the year. More
In Seattle, former Microsoft Director Jessica Jobes has launched a new marketing agency, OnTheGrid, LLC, which will offer inbound marketing services based on an understanding of customers derived from interviews. More
In the UK, market research recruitment consultant Sarah Penny has set up her own company, Penny Cross Recruitment Ltd. More
UK fieldwork services company People for Research has combined its user testing lab and focus group facility under a new name, User Viewing, and moved the facility to a central Bristol office space, just off Queen Square. More
In London, Kantar public sector division TNS BMRB has appointed Hazel Wilkinson and Sally Panayiotou as Directors in its Policy and Communications practices respectively. More
London-based brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners has formally launched a mobile-focused division called Tempo, which uses technology to gather 'in the moment' feedback in the form of data, pictures, video and stories. More
WPP has increased its holding in struggling Australian group STW Communications, owner of a number of data and MR agencies. More
WPP has appointed the UK government's Deputy Director of Communications Sean Larkins as Director of Consulting and Capability, leading a new consultancy offer within its Government & Public Sector Practice. More
In the UK, online communities specialist Verve has opened a Northern office in Leeds, and appointed Bryony Hughes to lead it. Ten more staff have also joined the company in its offices in London, Chicago and Iasi (Romania). More
In the UK, Research Now co-founder Andrew Cooper and the firm's former Chairman Geoff Westmore have led a $1.5m investment in mobile video MR specialist Voxpopme. More
UK-based MR staffing specialist CSA Recruitment has closed its doors for the last time after nearly twenty years serving the industry. Proprietors Caroline and Clive Warren will pursue business interests outside recruitment and the market research industry. More
Cello-owned co-creation agency FACE has appointed six new consultants in New York and London, following several new clients wins in the digital sector. More
Full service agency Relish Research has appointed former TNS director Rebecca Harrison as Head of Qualitative. The firm has also hired Yimen Lee as an Account Director, Ute Wenkemann as Qualitative Research Manager, and Matt O'Brien as an SRE. More
London-based opinion research specialist BritainThinks has appointed former Shelter exec Julia Pitman as Associate Director, tasked with building the firm's Charity practice. More
Kantar has moved Efrain Ribeiro into the role of company-wide Chief Research Officer, replacing Renee Smith who is leaving to join Colorado-based research company GutCheck (see today's DRNO). Ribeiro will take up the new role on November 1st. More
Former Kantar CRO Renee Smith has joined on-demand online community specialist GutCheck as Chief Research Officer. She will take up the role on October 19th. More
Healthcare fieldwork specialist M3 Global Research is opening its first studio in Philadelphia next January. The studio will provide a full-service research service for the healthcare community and the consumer goods sector. More
Asia / Pacific Managing Director Greg Wayman is to leave ORC International at the end of the year, and will be replaced by former Nielsen exec Oliver Rust, who joins on November 10th. More
Los Angeles-based media and entertainment company AwesomenessTV has launched a new firm called Wildness, offering research and strategy services for brands engaging with youth culture. More
WPP's Government & Public Sector practice has launched a 'hub' in Sydney, Australia, offering communications and research services for public sector clients in the ANZ region. More
GfK has announced that Debbie Pruent will retire at the end of December, and will be replaced by David Krajicek as Chief Commercial Officer for the Consumer Experiences sector. In addition, Alessandra Cama will take up the new role of Chief Operations Officer. More
London-based online community specialist Verve has opened an office in Chicago, supporting a new Fortune 50 client in the area; and has moved Tim Martin, VP Research & Consulting there with a remit to rapidly build a team. More
Colorado-based cannabis industry data and insight provider BDS Analytics has officially launched with a $1.5m round of investment funding. More
YouGov-owned sports and sponsorship specialist SMG Insight has appointed Richard Brinkman as Director of Strategy and Growth in the UK; Tracy Schoenadel as Senior Vice President, North America; and Joseph Eapen as Senior Vice President, India. More
UK-based health and consumer marketing group Cello has reported a 50% drop in pre-tax profit to £1.7m for the six months to the end of June, driven by investment in its US operations and a £1.1m provision made for an ongoing case with the UK tax authorities. More
Online community and survey tech provider Toluna has received a $10m investment from its holding company ITWP Acquisitions, for use in promoting its QuickSurveys DIY online consumer insights platform. More
Two former eBay researchers, Nicolas Bulois and Barbara Langer, have set up a new agency, Insight Angels, offering 'flexible freelance support' to clients and agencies. More
DIY online survey firm SurveyMonkey has added Meg Whitman, currently Chairman, President and CEO of computer giant HP, to a Board of Directors which already includes Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. More
Swedish-based affluent sample Provider Red Carpet Research now has a presence in Switzerland, following the appointment of former OnePoint and Annik exec Gary Stocks. More
Research software firm Confirmit has developed a location and beacon triggering solution, to help clients understand 'in-the-moment' customer behaviour. The company has also ammounced its official launch in Australia. More
Online research company Lightspeed GMI has announced a global roll-out for its survey programming platform, QuestionArts, backed by a newly strengthened leadership team. More
US-based facial analysis specialist Affectiva has launched a solution it calls 'Emotion as a Service', to provide clients with access to emotion data on demand. More
Survey technology firm CFMC has changed its name to that of its existing major brand, Survox, in line it says with the evolution of the industry and of its own go-to-market strategy. More
UK-based business intelligence specialist Future Thinking has appointed Dan Young as Research Director and Head of its Quantum Lab in London. More
In the UK, specialist MR staff recruiters Bridget Barry and Stephanie Fairbank have set up a new agency, Pollen Recruitment, which launches today. They are immediately joined by James Handley, formerly of Kantar and Australia's Hudson Global Resources. More
Louisville, Kentucky-based Thoroughbred Research Group (TRG) is opening a new 65-seat call center in Phoenix, Arizona next month, and has hired Tim Wirtz as Director of Field Operations, to lead it. More
WPP has reported that revenue in its Data Investment Management (DIM) arm fell slightly (0.3%) to £1.173bn during the first half of the year, from £1.176bn in last year's first six months; while DIM headline profit before tax rose 11.7% to £100.6m from £88.1m a year earlier. More
Brand tracking researcher Nepa UK has partnered with qualitative social media intelligence specialist Bakamo Social, promising their shared clients a holistic understanding of consumer behaviour. More
In the UK, eDigitalResearch has appointed Angie Coombe as Research Manager and David Jeans as Senior Researcher Manager in its Insight team, while Darryl Sherborne joins the Strategic Technical team as Project Manager. The firm has also appointed four others, and promoted two. More
Seattle, USA-based insights platform Spare5 has raised $10m in a Series A round of funding, which it will spend on expansion in engineering, design, marketing, community management and customer relationships. More
In California, online DIY research specialist SurveyMonkey is planning to relocate its headquarters from Silicon Valley's Palo Alto to the new Bay Meadows development in San Mateo. More
UK-based marcoms group Chime has announced revenues down 7% to £184.5m, with profit before tax slumping from £9.57m in H1 2014 to just £1.41m. Much of the drop hinged however on difficult comparatives and the effect of cyclical sporting events, and the insight division CIE was solid. More
In London, DIY survey software firm Qualtrics has appointed Ian McVey as Head of Enterprise Sales for Northern Europe, responsible for setting up and staffing the business in the UK. More
GfK has reported organic growth of just 0.3% in the first half of 2015. Reported sales climbed 7.1% to EUR 747.2m, but almost all this increase resulted from the weak Euro. Adjusted operating income rose 3.7% to EUR 71.2m, and CEO Matthias Hartmann sales should pick up in the second half. More
Further evidence of the increasing recognition given to User Experience skills: ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty has promoted its own Head of UX Adam Powers to be the company's first Chief Experience Officer. More
European EFM solutions provider Questback has announced it is raising some £12m in capital from existing investors, in order to support an ambitious programme of expansion. More
Three months on from announcing that it would embark on a 'bruising' restructure, Australia-based STW Communications Group has reported 'disappointing' results, with organic revenue down 4.2% and underlying net profit after tax sliding 22.5% to $15.1m. More
Ipsos MORI has appointed former Kantar Health MD Jim Needell as Managing Director, Marketing. More
Mobile event technology company DoubleDutch has announced a $45m round of growth financing, for use in global expansion, sales and marketing, and targeted acquisitions. More
UK-based full service researcher Incite has opened an office in San Francisco and appointed Kevin Waters as its Managing Director. More
Findyr, a technology platform allowing companies rapid access to 'hyper-local micro data and content' from around the world, has launched out of beta. More
UK-based LivingLens is integrating its video data mining and analytics platform with advanced cognitive services from German firm Market Logic, to help extract meaning from its video content, and combine it with other consumer-facing data sources such as survey and social media data. More
In the UK, video data mining and analysis specialist LivingLens has raised £1m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to expand its client servicing function, and to develop additional video technology. More
London-based consumer agency Firefish has expanded to South East Asia with the opening of a Singapore office. The venture will be led by former ABN Impact Director Angela Cross, while company Board Director Bob Cook becomes Regional MD to help kick-start the business. More
Malaysian boutique MR agency Green Zebras has moved to larger premises in Oasis Square, Kuala Lumpur, and made three appointments there. Simon Wong joins as Chief Financial Officer, Cheong Tien Weng as Qualitative Research Specialist, and Fazril Jamal as Research Associate. More
In the US, data collection and fieldwork services firm Opinions Ltd has opened a new facility in the Northeast Mall in Hurst, Texas - its 28th mall-based facility to date. More
Hertfordshire, UK-based data collection agency QRS Market Research is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a move to larger offices in Welwyn Garden City, on Friday this week. More
London-based IFF Research has announced five new hires - Sara Dobie and Sam Morris as SREs, graduate trainees Conor Healy and Jeffy Henderson, and Mark Lynch as Marketing Executive. Three employees are also promoted. More
Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) software firm Questback has appointed Edward Chatham to lead the company's growth in the UK market research sector. More
Polling firm Gallup has agreed a $12m dollar settlement fund for a class action lawsuit claiming it called cell phones using an autodialer without consent. Gallup says it has never auto-dialled a respondent on a cell phone. As DRNO understands it, US law now doesn't care if that's true or not. More
Ipsos has reported half-year revenues up 10.2% in Euros to EUR 832.9m. Given that the Euro has lost around 20% of its value against the dollar and 10% against the pound in the last 12 months, this equates to a real-terms decline of -0.4%. Profit measures showed a slight improvement. More
Microsoft has launched Pulse for Market Research, part of its Bing Pulse audience engagement division and billed as 'a [free] self-service solution for surveys, live content rating, and moderated response groups of any size'. More
UK-based online researcher BrainJuicer has issued a half-year trading update, in advance of formal results due on September 24th. Revenue rose four percent but pre-tax profits will be around 25% down on last year with overheads growing faster than revenues. More
Research solutions and outsourcing firm Markelytics has expanded into the Middle East with the opening of an office in Dubai, and appointed Vinod Rao to lead it as Director - Research & Business Development. More
Welsh agency Beaufort Research has been bought by its management, with the help of a £220,000 loan from Finance Wales and funding from Bibby Financial Services. Directors and new owners Fiona McAllister and Chris Timmins have run the company since founder Peter Stolle retired in 2007. More
Piers Leonard, Research Manager at social media research specialist FACE, has died after a battle with leukaemia. More
German-based product, pricing and marketing consultancy Simon-Kucher & Partners has announced further rapid growth in the first half of 2015. At £72m, revenue was 17 percent up on the same period last year. More
US-based marketing and communications specialist HCD Research has struck an agreement with sensory research specialist SENSANALYSIS, to co-develop and market products and services integrating neuroscience methods and qualitative 'multi-sensorial' research tools. More
Two months after its launch, global alliance The Digital Insight Network has announced five new partner firms, based in the USA, Russia, Italy, Poland and Austria. More
Chiswick, London-based full service agency Relish Research has promoted two members of its Leeds team, Carol Wale and Lisbeth Chilcott, to Account Director; appointed Gemma Langley as an SRE; and says it will move the northern office to larger premises at the end of the month following 22% annual growth. More
WPP-owned Kantar is consolidating its activities in Israel by transferring Millward Brown's country license to TNS. The group says this will help it expand its presence in the market and provide better service both for local and global clients. More
Online DIY research specialist SurveyMonkey has hired former HP exec Bill Veghte as Chief Executive Officer, following the sudden death of Dave Goldberg in May. The firm has also appointed Goldberg's widow, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, to its Board of Directors. More
Yorkshire-based full service research and marketing insight consultancy McCallum Layton plans to recruit at least twenty new members of staff for its CATI unit, following a major client win. More
US-based full service market research and analytics firm LRW (Lieberman Research Worldwide) has raised what it describes as 'significant growth capital', with which it plans to develop and expand its suite of tools. More
Jim Meyer, former Ipsos ASI Chief Executive in North America, has moved into the newly created role of Ipsos' Chief Marketing Officer, responsible for developing and implementing marketing strategy across the US and Canada. More
WPP has taken steps to become the first international marcoms group to conduct business on the island of Cuba. More
UK-based RS Consulting, part of the Cello Group, has rebranded as Bright Blue. The new brand unites and replaces the four separate identities which have until now made up the RS Group - Consensus Research, Leapfrog, mruk and RS Consulting. More
Ipsos is promoting Canada President and CEO Gary Bennewies to the newly created role of Chief Talent Officer, from the beginning of next month. More
London-based research and planning agency ruby cha cha UK has been renamed kubi kalloo; and has moved into new offices in Shoreditch. More
Recently formed London agency Red Dot Research has rebranded as 3GEM Research and Insights, aligning itself with a sister company, 3GEM Media, specialising in PR. More
Mark Penn, co-founder of Penn Schoen Berland and currently a senior exec at Microsoft, is leaving to found an investment company, Stagwell Group LLC, focused on digital marketing services. More
In New York, former Harris Poll head Regina Corso has launched her own full service research company, focused on research specifically designed for public release. More
Boston-based consumer collaboration specialist Communispace has changed its name to C Space. With a new focus on 'Customer Inspired Growth', the firm says it has expanded its consulting and innovation teams, and its capability in storytelling and creative services. More
Wealth-X, which provides intelligence and insight on the 'ultra-wealthy', has completed the integration of Mayfair, London-based wealth intelligence specialist Ledbury Research, which will now be known as Wealth-X Custom Research. More
Stockholm-based brand tracking researcher Nepa has expanded its services to include online qualitative research. More
The American Marketing Association has teamed up with research body CASRO to produce this year's AMA Gold Top 50 report, ranking US research suppliers. The report suggests total US research revenue for 192 surveyed firms grew in real terms by 1.6% in 2014. Four companies grew revenue by more than 40 percent. More
TNS has appointed David Lansanah as Global Head of Innovation and Product Development. He will initially be based in London, before relocating to Singapore later this year. More
Marcoms group Creston has reported a 5% increase in annual revenue for its Communications & Insight businesses, to £56.2m. However, headline profits before interest fell slightly to £8.1m from £8.3m last year, due in part to the weakening Euro. More
In Germany, mobile survey specialist Dalia Research has received a seven-figure seed (sic) round of funding, which it will use to expand its Data Science and Engineering team, analytics capacities and geographical reach. More
US polling and data analytics company 1World Online has raised $2.5m in an A2 round of funding, adding to the $1.5m in Series A financing it secured at the beginning of last year. More
Full service agency Northstar Research Partners has opened an office in Jakarta, Indonesia, and plans further locations in China and India. Meity Rahtomo will lead the new hub as Managing Director ASEAN. More
Netherlands-based community research software provider CMNTY has opened an office in New York City, which will be managed by digital marketing specialist Zach Katagiri. More
New York City-based full service agency SIS International Research has opened an office in Frankfurt, Germany. The office is led by Federica Sacchi, who has been promoted to the role of Managing Director of EMEA. More
Nielsen has acquired neuromarketing firm Innerscope Research, which it will merge with its brain specialist company NeuroFocus under the Nielsen Consumer Neuroscience brand name. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based DIY survey software firm Qualtrics is to create an additional 100 jobs at its European HQ in the centre of Dublin, where it will employ up to 250 staff by the end of 2016. More
Marcoms network MDC Partners and its digital strategy agency Doner have launched a specialist multicultural business called Cultura United Agency, offering full-service ad and PR expertise driven by insights across Hispanic, African American and Asian audiences. More
US-based consumer insights and innovation consultancy scenarioDNA has been issued with a patent for its proprietary method for online and offline 'culture mapping', developed to understand the relationship between culture and brands. More
London-based mobile survey tech firm Lumi has announced a strategic partnership with panel marketplace platform provider Cint, combining technologies to create 'the largest mobile-first panel'. More
Market research language and translation service provider GlobaLexicon has opened an office in Antwerp, Belgium, to service a growing client base in the Benelux region. More
UK-based Voice of the Customer specialist eDigitalResearch has announced record 25% growth in its annual turnover, to 'just shy of £10m' for the 2014/2015 financial year. More
SSI has launched a geo-location product, SSI Proximity Sample, which integrates with its mobile data collection app QuickThoughts and survey quality tool QuestTest to provide an end-to-end mobile survey solution. More
London-based MR recruitment agency Sparkle Recruitment has announced a partnership with veteran Australian market research recruiter Andy McLellan of AML Resources. More
US-based Directions Research Inc. (DRI) has announced that company founder Randy Brooks is to step down from the role of President after 27 years, with current CMO Jim Lane adding the title of President. Brooks will become Chairman of the Board. More
A number of research organisations have come together to lead a new industry initiative called 'Insights 2020 - Driving Customer-Centric Growth', with the aim of studying the future of market research, insights and analytics strategy, structure and capability. More
GfK has reported first quarter sales of EUR 362.5m, an 8.2% rise of which 6.8% is the result of currency effects, and just 1.3% is organic growth. However, operating income and margins were up. More
UK-based Creston Unlimited has announced a partnership with The Digital Consultancy, which helps clients analyse and understand the difference between digital consumers' expectations and their actual experience. More
Technology specialist Gartner has reported a 5% increase in first quarter revenue to $471.2m, with the profit measure normalized EBITDA falling 5% to $80.7m. Separately, the Board has authorized $1.2bn for share repurchase. More
An anonymous $10m donation has been given to Princeton University, to help it establish a new faculty called the 'Daniel Kahneman and Anne Treisman Center for Behavioral Science and Public Policy'. More
In the UK, MR training and consultancy organisation the Insight Management Academy has appointed former Barclays Bank customer analysis specialist James Wycherley as Chief Executive Officer. More
TNS has announced a number of leadership changes in Asia, including the promotion of former CEO Greater China Chris Bonsi to the newly created role of Chief Client and Insights Officer for the APAC region. Grace Liu, MC Lai and Jon Foged also earn promotions while Narelle Burke joins as HR Director. More
SurveyMonkey CEO Dave Goldberg died on Friday whilst on holiday in Mexico with his family, apparently as a result of an accident in the gym. He was 47. More
WPP-owned marcoms network J.Walter Thompson has launched a global business intelligence practice, offering a combination of research, innovation and data analytics across its global network. More
Tech specialist Forrester Research has reported first quarter revenue up to $75.2m from $73.1m in Q1 2014. Revenues from the Research division were up 2% to $51.9m from $50.8m, while Advisory Services and Events revenues rose 5% to $23.3m from $22.2m a year earlier. More
UK-based companies Creston Group and Future Foundation have partnered to combine the former's market research and neuroscience services from its ICM Unlimited, Marketing Sciences Unlimited, and Walnut Unlimited companies, with the latter's consumer trends and insight offer. More
A group of six independent research companies have set up an international association called The Digital Insight Network, focusing purely on digital methodologies. Members will share best practice and innovations, and assist each other with global research projects. More
Specialist MR recruiter Felice Mockford has launched a new employment agency, Ignite Talent Asia, based in Singapore. More
UK-based Chime has announced eight new appointments in its Insight & Engagement Group (CIE), spanning its Facts International, CIE Commercial, Watermelon, Cherry Picked and Opinion Leader businesses. More
In the UK, former Future Thinking co-owner Andrew Tharme has set up a new venture called AJT Bizdev Consulting, to help insights, analytics and research technology agencies grow their businesses. More
In the UK, full service agency DJS Research has reported a 26% increase in turnover to £3.6m for the financial year 2014/15. More
WPP has reported like-for-like first quarter revenue growth across all its business sectors except for the Data Investment Management (DIM) division, where revenue fell 1.4% to £558m from £566m in the prior year period. More
Ipsos has reported 0.8% organic growth in revenue for the first quarter of 2015 - though measured in Euros revenue was up 10.6% to EUR 379.6m. More
Digital research consultancy Mavens of London is opening a US headquarters in San Diego, California, and a Latin American base in Sao Paulo, Brazil. More
US-based online survey and analysis tool provider SurveyGizmo has opened a support office in London, as part of its plan to extend its services to international markets. More
GfK has named Ben van der Werf to succeed company veteran Richard Jameson as head of its Consumer Experiences business in the UK, plus the Nordics and Baltics. Jameson leaves in mid-May after more than 25 years at the firm, to pursue as yet unspecified 'new opportunities'. More
US-based HCD Research has launched a video game research division, combining neuroscience tools and traditional research methods to probe consumers' subconscious and cognitive response to video game concepts; andh as hired game development exec Josh Drescher to lead it. More
Research and technology firm Instantly is to build a research panel focused on South Asian audiences in the UK, on behalf of ethnic audience research specialist Quant Edge Ltd and known as Multi Cultural Britain Think. More
US publisher Progressive Business Media, which owns eight titles in the home furniture, furnishings and gift markets, has launched a new research division. The unit, Progressive Market Research, will be headed by Director of Research Dana French. More
The IPA's latest Bellwether survey of marketing executives indicates a further upward revision to UK marketing budgets during the first quarter of 2015, but says spend on market research fell by 1.3%, having risen 0.6% in the previous quarter. More
In the US, consumer video poll platform Glimpzlt is launching out of beta with a $1.1m seed funding round. More
In the UK, consumer and sensory research specialist Product Perceptions has changed its name to PPL Insights. More
MR presentation and reporting specialist Dapresy has opened an office in Toronto, led by former Vision Critical exec Jonathon Ware as Vice President, Business Development, Canada. More
UK-based agency SPA Future Thinking has dropped the first part of its name, as it prepares for 'aggressive' expansion. More
UK-based research group RS Consulting has announced seven promotions, including Lorena Arrospide, Rhiannon Jones and Danielle Rodgerson who all move from Senior Research Consultant to Research Manager. More
Ahead of May's general election, London-based opinion research specialist BritainThinks has partnered with The Guardian newspaper on an initiative called 'Battleground Britain', which will examine undecided voters' opinions in five key constituencies across the UK. More
In the UK, Chime's Insight & Engagement Group (CIE) has restored its revenues to the record 2012 level of £13.6m, after a substantial drop to £11.0m in 2013. More
Manchester, UK-based agency Join the Dots has reported a 25% rise in annual revenue to £6.1m, driven by both existing clients and a number of new community contracts. More
Research software company Confirmit has partnered with translation specialist Language Connect to develop a solution called Connect Survey. The tool promises to save time and money for those co-ordinating MR and VoC programmes in multiple languages. More
Bristol, UK-based People for Research has relocated its Usability and MR Participant Recruitment team to larger premises in the city, following a second consecutive year of business growth. More
Susan Shaw, the co-MD of GIM Suisse, has been elected as President of the Swiss Association of Market and Social Research (Verbands der Schweizer Markt- und Sozialforschung, or vsms). More
Customer and employee research specialist ORC International has appointed brand and innovation specialist Kevin Ford, previously Director of Research at NatCen, in the newly created role of Head of Markets and Products Research in Europe. More
UK-based MR agency Trinity McQueen grew its turnover 17% to £3.98m in the year to 30th September 2014. The rise follows a very impressive year in 2012-13, in which turnover was up 39%. More
UK-based online specialist BrainJuicer has decided to close its office in Italy, which has made a 'significant' loss. The group as a whole published its formal results yesterday, confirming it had grown revenue just 1% in 2014, to £24.65m. More
UK-based health and consumer marketing group Cello has reported a 9.9% rise in 2014 headline operating profit before tax to £81.0m, on revenues up 6.4% to £169.9m. The group has also appointed a new COO. More
China-based brand consultancy Labbrand is expanding into Europe with the launch of an office in Paris. More
In London four former employees of Screen Digest have launched Ampere Analysis, a new company backed by a panel of investors. The firm aims to shake up the information sector with a combination of new methodologies and techniques based around big data. More
MR entrepreneur Kristin Luck, previously President and CMO of US-based quant MR tech firm Decipher, has formally launched a consulting practice with a focus on strategic assistance for marketing measurement and tech businesses moving from one stage of growth to the next. More
Omnicom-owned brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners is moving its global headquarters across the Thames to Bankside, making room for further growth. More
London-based online community specialist Verve has received an undisclosed amount of series A funding in a round led by investment firm Subito Partners, whose founders Geoff Westmore and Neil Brown join the Verve Board. More
TNS has promoted Andy Turton to the position of Head of Automotive for the Americas, based in Los Angeles. More
WPP has announced preliminary results for 2014 including like-for-like revenue up 8.2%, like-for-like net sales up 3.3%, and good profits - EBITDA grew 7.5% at constant currency. However like-for-like revenue in the firm's insight or 'Data Investment Management' division (DIM) was up just 0.6%. More
UK-based BDRC Group has reported a 17.8% increase in turnover to £24.5m for the twelve months ended 30th September 2014, compared with £20.8m the previous year. Gross profits climbed 19.4%. More
In London, Kantar public sector division TNS BMRB has promoted Ben Toombs to the role of Head of Qualitative and Communications Research, while making Caitlin Connors his deputy. More
Research community and survey tech firm Vision Critical has expanded in Australia, with the opening of a new office in Melbourne and a move to a new location in Sydney. More
In London, Kantar public sector division TNS BMRB has promoted Mark Peters to the position of Managing Director, and Sarah Cheesbrough to Head of Policy. More
Vancouver-based research and brand consultancy The Sound has opened an office in Mumbai, India as a base for further expansion in Asia. More
MR agency B2B International has expanded its UK headquarters in Bramhall, Manchester and revealed a five-year plan to double its annual turnover to £15m. More
This month sees the return of the annual auction to help researchers who have fallen on hard times, run by the UK's Market Research Benevolent Association (MRBA). Prizes include MR conference and football tickets, as well as access to the culinary skills of one of the industry's best known salespeople. More
MR language and translation specialist GlobaLexicon has taken an additional floor at its Camden High Street, London headquarters, in preparation for an increase in headcount. More
Ipsos has brought together its brand communication, advertising and media businesses under a new division called Ipsos Connect, which has replaced legacy brands Ipsos ASI and Ipsos MediaCT. More
Ipsos has reported a 2.2% increase in fourth quarter revenue to EUR 500.7m - a rise it describes as a 'timid return to growth' reflecting more favourable foreign exchange trends - and 'slight' organic growth of 0.8%. More
Cheshire-based full service agency DJS Research has appointed seven new members of staff, and promoted six of its existing team. More
UK-headquartered youth research and marketing strategist Dubit has opened an office in Melbourne, Australia, where it has appointed kids brand specialist Adam Schoff to lead its expansion across the AsiaPac region. More
London-based BDRC Group has launched BDRC Americas, a joint venture with Washington, DC-based full service researcher Fusion Analytics, which merges into the new company. More
In London, Basis Research has appointed Dr Sarah Jenkins, formerly Head of Qualitative in Ipsos MORI's MediaCT division, as a Senior Director to lead and develop its media, content and technology offer. More
The Enero Group, parent of Australian-based MR agencies The Leading Edge and Jigsaw Research, has reported net revenue down 9 percent to $AUD 56.2m for the half year to December 31st 2014; and profits down also with EBITDA falling 8 percent to $AUD 4.6m. More
LA-based research technology company Instantly (formerly uSamp) has opened an office in central Manhattan, New York City, adding to its existing US location in Los Angeles. More
Language Connect, a specialist in language translation and communication services for the market research industry, has opened an office in Singapore, where it has appointed Baxter Tan as Executive Director. More
WPP's global Government & Public Sector practice has introduced a team tasked with driving excellence in communications and research for European Union institutional clients. More
In Chicago, Ipsos Loyalty has opened a Customer Experience practice, and transferred John Carroll to head it up. More
In Boulder, Colorado, former ABI Research leader and Pike Research founder Clint Wheelock has launched a new MR and consulting company called Tractica, which focuses on the understanding of human interaction with technology. More
LA-based research technology company Instantly (formerly known as uSamp) has introduced a new crowd-sourced insights tool called Product Watch, which alerts brands about newly launched consumer products and tracks their performance across key metrics nationwide. More
UK-based Kadence International has reported a 14% increase in gross global half year revenues to $16m, driven by growth in its US and Indian operations. More
Oslo, Norway-based fieldwork group Norstat has appointed Knut Aasrud as Chief Executive Officer. He replaces Are Strøm, who has left the company after four years to take up a new role in the construction industry. More
In Australia, behavioural insights firm Beyond Analysis has appointed ad agency veteran Jeff Sanders as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Neil Boulton who is leaving the company this month. More
UK agency Opinion Matters has hired former Market Research Society (MRS) director Jennifer Sproul for the newly created position of Head of Client Services. More
Public sector research specialist Richard Abraham has relocated from the UK to Sydney, Australia, to take up the role of Director - Social & Government at TNS. More
In the US, full service agency Morpace has appointed Opinion Research Corporation veteran Gerard Miodus as a Vice President. More
LA-based research technology company uSamp is changing its name to Instantly, Inc. While planning substantial investment in its sample business, the firm says the new name will allow it to grow this in tandem with its burgeoning insights platform. More
GfK has reported a 2.9% drop in annual sales to EUR 1.451 billion from EUR 1.495 billion the previous year. Currency effects accounted for a 0.9% reduction: in organic terms, sales were down by 2.1%. More
European firm Stratégir has invested an undisclosed sum in Paris-based qual consumer agency WSA, which will now become Stratégir-WSA. The new company will be 70% owned by Stratégir and 30% by WSA's current managers Pascal Bluteau, Dominique Suire and Jean-Pierre Michel. More
In the UK, industry body the Market Research Society (MRS) is marking Data Privacy Day by reporting nineteen organisations to the Information Commissioner's Office for 'selling under the guise of research'. More
Berlin-based qual research specialist Point-Blank International (PBI) has developed a new methodology which uses LEGO to help participants communicate during creative group discussions. More
Former Infotools MD Ian Murray and Conquest Research Director Catherine Heaney have launched a new agency called house51, which will offer brand, communications and social research through a network of senior consultants. More
In Sydney, The Leading Edge (TLE) MD Lee Naylor is taking over the role of Chairman from Nigel Marsh, who is leaving the firm to become a Partner at strategy consultancy Growth Mantra. More
Global energy market analyst PIRA Energy Group has promoted COO Gemma Postlethwaite to be its new Chief Executive, allowing founder Dr. Gary N. Ross to move to the role of Executive Chairman. Ross will also continue to lead the company's oil group. More
Sports marketing research group Repucom has commenced a restructure of its business operations in Europe, including the departure by mutual consent of President Europe Marcel Cordes. Meanwhile Alexandre Callay has joined as Global Director Media Research and Content. More
In the US, Ipsos MarketQuest President Matt McNerney has left the group to pursue other opportunities. McNerney joined Ipsos seven years ago as President of its Loyalty Division. More
British Airways has restructured its marketing team, according to reports, giving the new role of Head of Customer - including research and insight, customer service transformation, innovation and brand proposition - to former Head of Marketing Abigail Comber. More
UK-based health and consumer marketing group Cello has reported 'strong trading' in an update for the year to 31st December 2014. The Health division reports double digit revenue growth and a strong business pipeline for 2015, while growth in the Signal consumer division is slower. More
TNS has promoted Anjali Puri to the position of Global Head of its Qualitative practice, replacing Rebecca Wynberg who will move to a non-executive position as Chair of TNS Qualitative. More
Asian market research consultancy ABN Impact has appointed Kurt Thompson to launch operations in Indonesia. More
MR tech provider Dapresy has opened a new office in Brisbane, Australia, led by former Sprout Research MD Heath Adams. The firm has also hired former TNS director Alexander Skorka to lead its office in Germany. More
UK-based research innovator BrainJuicer has announced a 1% increase in revenue to £24.6m in 2014. However, the firm said it had performed well in the US, where revenue increased by some 5%-6% on a constant currency basis. More
In the UK, mobile MR technology and consumer analytics specialist RealityMine has secured $2.5m of new investment funding, which it will use to recruit additional technical, sales and client support staff at its Manchester headquarters. More
In India, Kantar-owned IMRB International has announced that SVP Preeti Reddy will take over as President from Thomas Puliyel, when he retires in August. The firm has also announced a number of other changes to its management team. More
UK-based behavioural economics specialist The Behavioural Architects (TBA) has appointed Nikii Dahlgren in Sydney, Natasha Xue and Lynette Xu in Shanghai, and Andreea Balica and George Deane in London. More
SPA Future Thinking's French subsidiary has launched a pharmaceutical healthcare division called Future Thinking Pharma, in Paris, which will be led by Béatrice Chemla, the founder and CEO of healthcare MR agency Listening Pharma. More
UK-based business-to-business agency B2B International has opened an office in Singapore - its third location in the Asia Pacific region. More
Desiree Lopez has been promoted to the position of Chief Executive Officer of public sector specialist TNS BMRB, along with a seat on the TNS UK Board. More
US-based marketing and communications specialist HCD Research is introducing its integrated cognitive and applied neuroscience market research services across China. More
Virgin Media has appointed former Unilever and British Airways marketer Kerris Bright as Chief Marketing Officer, with an expanded remit that includes data, insight and analytics. She will join the company on 19th January. More
UK-based research innovator BrainJuicer Group has announced senior internal promotions in the Americas and Europe and the opening soon of an office in Miami. More
Global research tech and services company 20|20 Research has opened a UK office from which it will service its online qual offerings throughout EMEA. FocusVision veteran David Chandler will head up the new location in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. More
Research technology and panel exchange operator Cint has appointed Morten Strand as its new CEO, replacing Bo Mattsson who it says will 'remain on the board and continue to be a strong influence in the company'. The company plans 'rapid growth' in 2015, led by US expansion. More
London-based online communities specialist Verve has announced rapid growth in the final quarter of 2014 - detailing no fewer than 22 appointments - and ambitious plans for 2015. More
London-based online research software and services provider Dub is relocating to new offices off City Road at the beginning of January, in preparation for an increase in headcount. More
In the US, digital data marketer Peter Brooke has set up a new firm called Travel Tech Strategies, to help clients in the sector mine their existing big data to uncover trends in customer behavior, demographics and social media relationships. More
In Chicago, former McDonald's brand marketer Tania Haigh has launched an agency called Magnolia Insights, specializing in marketing to women. More
US full service MR and technology consultancy 20|20 Research has moved its headquarters to larger premises in the center of Nashville, in order to accommodate future growth. More
WPP has appointed Smith & Nephew Chairman Roberto Quarta as a non-executive Director and Chairman-designate, succeeding Philip Lader. He will join the Board on 1st January 2015 and offer himself for re-election at the group's AGM in June. More
Simpson Carpenter co-founder and automotive research veteran Derek Carpenter is to retire at the end of the year, the company has announced. More
Kantar has announced that Mark Inskip, will take the role of Global CEO of its consulting business The Futures Company, from February. He replaces Will Galgey who is moving to the role of CEO of TNS UK. More
US research organisation CASRO has launched a Safe Harbor Program to help research companies comply with US-EU privacy regulations. More
According to the Market Research Society's latest Annual League Table, the UK MR industry grew 2.5% in the past year. The society says this demonstrates that the research industry is now recovering from the impacts of the recession. More
In Edinburgh, Queen Margaret University (QMU) has opened the Scottish Centre for Food Development and Innovation, which will use a range of nutritional analysis, shelf life testing, consumer focus groups and taste panels to help businesses develop healthier products. More
Customer, employee, and market strategy research specialist ORC International has launched an online communities division, and appointed former Communispace exec Jennifer Adams to lead it. More
Netherlands-based customer insights agency SKIM is to open an office in Singapore in January, led by Director Robin de Rooij. More
Panel exchange operator Cint has added 100,000 UK panellists to its OpinionHUB marketplace, through a partnership with London-based online agency Aurora Market Research. More
Attendees at last night's MRS Awards ceremony in London saw Ipsos MORI and biopharma client Amgen scoop both 'The Grand Prix Award for Greatest Impact' and the 'Healthcare Research' prizes for their work highlighting patient experience for Psoriasis sufferers. More
The MR industry in the US has now recovered from the recession, according to professional association the MRA - whose Research Industry Index (RII) score has remained above 100 for the fifth consecutive quarter. More
UK-based mobile video MR specialist VoxPopMe has expanded to Singapore with the appointment of Robert Fry as Managing Director, Asia Pacific. The firm has also launched an app for iPhone, with an Android version available early in 2015. More
Ipsos has announced that its Co-President Jean-Marc Lech died this morning in Paris, after suffering from a 'serious health issue' since the summer. More
Trade association The British Marine Federation (BMF) has appointed Alastair Wilson to head its Statistics and Market Research service. More
Deepak Singh has returned to Ipsos in the newly created role of Executive Director and Head of Ipsos Marketing in India. More
Marcoms holding group Creston has reported a 5% increase in half year revenue to £37.3m, and announced an international partnership with German-owned Serviceplan Group. More
In the UK, healthcare researchers Martin Schlaeppi and Craig Scott have launched Greensand, a new agency focused on the medical device market. More
In the UK, River Research co-founder and Partner Julian Kenway has left the company after six years to join SPA Future Thinking as its new Commercial Director, leading business development across all areas of the company. More
MMR Research Worldwide (MMR) has launched a new Sensory Science Centre in Singapore, with a panel of thirteen sensory assessors led by newly appointed Sensory Director Antonella Scarabelli. More
TNS has announced the appointment of Will Galgey, formerly of The Futures Company (TFC) as UK CEO from mid-January 2015, following the departure of Maureen Duffy earlier in the week. Separately, Michelle Harrison will become Global Head of Political and Social at the beginning of the year. More
UK-based Kadence International has officially opened a Middle East office, in Dubai, which will be staffed by local quant and qual researchers. The company is also planning to open a second office in the region, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. More
Survey technology firms Qualtrics and CFMC have partnered to enable users to conduct online and phone surveys concurrently or consecutively. More
Online DIY research specialist SurveyMonkey has made its second investment in as many months - this time in workplace performance assessment firm The Marcus Buckingham Company (TMBC), with whom it will partner to find new ways to measure 'the pulse' of the workforce. More
Cinema research expert and AIMRI Company Secretary Richard Chilton died suddenly on Tuesday 4th November, at the age of 83. More
In the UK, MD Maureen Duffy has left TNS after less than three years in the role. Reasons for the departure are not yet known. Global CEO Richard Ingleton is stepping into the role until a UK replacement is found. More
London-based insight consultancy Firefish has appointed Lyn McGregor as Qualitative Managing Director in its UK office, and as a member of its Management Board. More
GfK has unveiled a new concept it calls the 'Emotional Imprint', to help clients address the gap between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. More
London-based online research specialist DigitalMR has partnered with MRB Hellas to roll out its 'listening247' and 'communities247' services to companies in Greece. More
US start-up agency Mizzouri has hired Procter & Gamble veteran Kim Dedeker as Principal and Chief Research Officer. More
MR language and translation specialist GlobaLexicon has opened a new office in Nuremberg, Germany, and says it plans to expand to Asia next year. More
Research technology and panel exchange operator Cint has announced a new strategic global relationship with DIY online research firm SurveyMonkey. More
Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) software firm QuestBack has parted company 'by mutual consent' with Hilarius Dressen, CEO of its operations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. More
Technology research and analysis specialist Gartner has reported a 15% increase in third quarter revenue to $470.9m. For the Research division specifically, revenue was also up 15%, to $365.3m. More
In the US, social media prediction specialist Consensus Point has hired Brad Marsh as President and Chief Executive Officer, freeing up Linda Rebrovick's time to focus on her campaign to become the next mayor of Nashville, TN. More
UK-based MR support agency Research Runner has partnered with marketing services consultancy Magnificent Stuff, in order to provide its clients with a full range of digital and print marketing services. More
Marketing services network WPP has reported a slower than expected 3.1% rise in third quarter revenue to £2.76bn. Reported revenue in its Data Investment Management division fell 4.7% to £588m, but allowing for currency effects and acquisitions, like-for-like revenue growth was 0.5%. More
Industry association ESOMAR has elected Laurent Flores as its new President for the two-year term from January 2015 to December 2016. He will be supported by newly elected Vice President David Smith. More
UK-based mobile video MR specialist VoxPopMe has expanded to the US with the appointment of former Qualvu exec Dean Macko as Managing Director, North America. More
Australian-based custom research firm The Leading Edge (TLE) has appointed Katharine Milner as Director of Qualitative Insights and Florencia Tarelli as Director of Strategy. Separately, Head of Brand Strategy Chrissy Blackburn left the company last month. More
The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) has partnered with eye tracking and biometric sensor software provider iMotions to open a neuromarketing-focused research facility, for use by scholars studying human responses to online advertising messages. More
Denmark's VIA University College has partnered with Canadian crowdsourcing firm Chaordix, to build an innovation community called VIA Connect, through which businesses can hook up with thousands of students, as well as researchers and tutors. More
UK television marketing body Thinkbox has appointed Channel 5's insight leader Matt Hill as Research and Planning Director. He will join in early 2015, replacing Neil Mortensen who is leaving to become Director of Planning and Research at ITV. More
Ipsos has reported third quarter revenue of EUR 412.7m, representing marginal organic growth (0.2%) year-on-year. The decline in reported figures slowed to 1.4%. More
UK-based medical fieldwork specialist KeyQuest Health (KQH) has opened an office in New Jersey, US. The new operation is led by Miina Rafinski, who previously served as Client Services Director at Olson Research. More
New York-based SIS International Research has expanded its Asia Pacific team with the appointment of four senior executives, while promoting Mandy Pan to the role of General Manager of the APAC Region and China. More
French tycoon Vincent Bolloré is aiming to use a share exchange offer to increase his stake in advertising group Havas to more than 50 percent. More
UK-based agency RSM has released results from its six-monthly survey of research professionals. Among the findings, the agency notes strong support for the value of, and confidence in the continuing use of, 'traditional' methods of data collection. More
In the UK, marketing budgets were revised up for the eighth consecutive quarter, reflecting continued confidence in the business outlook, according to the Q3 2014 Bellwether report from ad association the IPA. More
In Washington, veteran survey researcher and political scientist Michael Dimock has been promoted to President of the Pew Research Center, effective today. More
London-based brand communications agency PrettyGreen has launched a sister company, Pretty Black&White, combining research, planning and creative functions. More
Kantar public sector division TNS BMRB has made two senior appointments, Keith Bolling as Head of National and Official Statistics Surveys and Gillian Prior as Head of Longitudinal Studies - on the back of strong growth in the two areas. More
Amsterdam-based games market specialist Newzoo has opened its first international office, in Shanghai, China; and announced the launch of new research covering six SE Asian countries. More
Ipsos Marketing has made two appointments to its US leadership team. Elys Roberts is promoted to President, while Steve Girling - most recently SVP and General Manager at strategic healthcare consultancy Campbell Alliance - succeeds him as President of Ipsos Healthcare in the region. More
DIY online research firm SurveyMonkey has announced a new app, allowing users to send and analyze surveys from within the widely used Salesforce platform. More
In the US, survey and panel management software specialist Kinesis Survey Technologies has announced a new technology partnership with mobile panel firm Paradigm Sample. More
Emerging markets panel specialist Borderless Access has become the latest company to appoint current ESOMAR President Dan Foreman as a Non-Executive Director. More
UK group St. Ives Plc has reported a 3% annual increase in revenue to £327.6m, providing what it calls 'clear evidence' of the success its strategy to move into marketing services through a major M&A push. More
Tokyo-based Research Panel Asia (RPA) has launched an East Coast US office in Avenue of the Americas, New York - its seventh office worldwide. More
Facebook has introduced strict research guidelines, in response to a recent revelation that the firm had conducted a psychological experiment in which it manipulated users' news feeds to assess the impact on the mood of their subsequent posts. More
US firm Federated Sample has spun off its Fulcrum sample management and exchange platform as an independent division. More
WPP-owned brand development and insight consultancy Added Value has appointed Lynne Gordon as Managing Director, based in its office in Johannesburg. More
Digital analytics consultancy Pointmarc has moved into new headquarters in downtown Bellevue, Seattle, in anticipation of further growth across its client base. More
Survey technology firm Qualtrics has closed a $150m Series B financing round, giving it the means to expand rapidly into new geographic and vertical markets, develop new products and consider acquisitions of appropriate technology solutions. More
London-based online communities specialist Verve has opened an office in Toronto, and has appointed former Research Now exec Suzanne Costa to lead it. More
US-based consumer and retail tracking provider The NPD Group has launched a new wearables advisory service, led by Eddie Hold, Vice President of the firm's Connected Intelligence division. More
Tel Aviv, Israel-based emotion analytics specialist Beyond Verbal has raised $3.3m in new funding, simultaneously launching the Beyond Wellness API, which will enable app developers and wearable device makers to add emotion sensing capabilities to their offerings. More
TNS is to move into the Mongolian market in partnership with sister WPP agency Y&R Advertising, with the latter acquiring a majority stake in the Creative and Research Agency (CRA) from conglomerate MCS Holding LLC. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Online research specialist BrainJuicer has reported a 'relatively flat' first half year, with a 4% rise in revenue to £11.2m (H1 2013: £10.8m). A decline in US and UK turnover was more than compensated by strong performances in Asia, continental Europe and Brazil. More
In the US, former Synovate exec Steve Wolf has launched a new multi-country research agency called Wisdom, Insight and Mojo, which aims to deliver contextual insight merged with cultural understanding and novel thinking. More
In the UK, not-for-profit body NatCen Social Research has appointed former Kantar Head of Field Sophie Ainsby to lead its 1,200 strong field force. More
Insight and marketing services group Cello has had what it describes as 'an excellent half year', with revenue up 9.4% to £78.3m, and a 14.8% rise in gross profits to £39.5m. More
UK data collection agency QRS Market Research has completed a management-led buyout of retiring MD and shareholder Sam Adby. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US Gongos, Inc. has launched a third business unit, Arti|fact, to sit alongside primary research division Gongos Research and data sciences division O2 Integrated. The firm has appointed Amy Perifanos to lead the new unit and re-hired Brett Bridges as a Director. More
London-based online communities specialist Verve has announced seven more hires, including former GfK execs Rich Preedy and Olly Robinson who will help drive the expansion of its International service. More
MRSS India has partnered with computer vision technology developer SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI) to integrate the latter's eye tracking solutions with its full service offer. More
Larry Gold, the publisher of market research industry journal Inside Research, has discontinued operations after twenty four years in business, following distribution of the journal's final edition last week. More
TNS has added three senior members of staff to its Qualitative practice, including former Opinion Leader exec Sarah Morris (nee Houghton), who joins as Head of TNS Qualitative. More
Incite has appointed former TNS Chief Development Officer Matthew Froggatt as Global Head, replacing Group MD Roger Banks who will retire from the business in February 2015 after 8 years in charge. More
The global research industry grew faster than inflation in 2013, with turnover for 'traditionally defined MR' passing the $40bn mark, according to ESOMAR's annual report, just released. More
UK-based agency SPA Future Thinking has restructured its senior management team, promoting Richard Barton to Group Managing Director, with four new divisional MDs - Steve King, Neil Aulton, Chris Bland and Claudia Strauss - working under him. More
Oslo, Norway-based fieldwork group Norstat has promoted Matt Reynolds to the position of Managing Director for the UK market. The firm has also appointed Elisabeth Sampaio as Senior Project Manager in the UK. More
In London, Millward Brown has appointed consumer brand specialist Robin Wood as Chief Solutions and Marketing Officer. More
In the US, online qual specialist 20|20 Research has added a fifth focus group room and client suite to its existing facilities in Charlotte, Tennessee; and has recently appointed four new employees. More
Technology specialist ABI Research has appointed robotics industry analyst Dan Kara as Practice Director, with a focus on robotics innovation across a variety of sectors such as consumer, construction, healthcare, education and agriculture. More
UK-based full service research provider BDRC has opened an office in Jakarta, Indonesia, and expanded Piers Lee's role to include oversight of the new operation. The firm has also added two new members of staff to its senior management team in Asia. More
Recently formed strategic consultancy Millward Brown Vermeer has launched in Australia, and appointed Caspar Wright as Managing Partner there. More
Palo Alto, CA-based online DIY research specialist SurveyMonkey has set up a 'Survey Advisory Committee', tasked with advising the firm on topics such as survey design, quality and innovation. More
In Sydney, Australia, former Ipsos execs Peter Fairbrother and Veronica Mayne have launched an insights consultancy called Faster Horses, which will cover both the east and west coasts of Australia, while also reaching clients in the Asia Pacific region. More
CIE, the Insight & Engagement Group within UK firm Chime, has reported first half operating profit up 22% to £1.4m, and a 5% increase in operating income to £4.2m. However, revenue was flat at £5.37m compared with £5.35m in the prior year period. More
WPP's data investment management division (DIM) has reported Q2 net sales of £436m and revenue of £611m, the latter up 2.6% in like-for-like terms but well below the overall group growth of 10.2%. More
Eye tracking specialist Tobii Technology has raised $15m (SEK 100m) to support its continued expansion in existing and new markets, and specifically its acquisition of speech-generating tech firm DynaVox Systems. More
Darleen Lee is to leave her role as MD of Ipsos in Hong Kong and relocate back to New York City. She will be succeeded by Mick Gordon, who currently serves as MD of Ipsos India. More
London-based online research 'app store' platform ZappiStore has officially opened an office in Boston with the appointment of former GMI exec Ryan Barry as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, North America. More
San Mateo, California-based mobile ad platform Opera Mediaworks has opened an Innovation Lab, with the aim of understanding how consumers will interact with their mobile devices in the future. More
Visual analytics specialist iCharts has closed a $4.3m venture funding round, which it says will help it capitalize on recent growth. More
Former Ipsos and TNS MDs Steve Murphy and Yazid Jamian have launched a new agency called Green Zebras, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. More
In Texas, Tim Glowa and Garry Spinks have launched a full service MR and analytics firm called Bug Insights, offering a range of research methodologies such as focus groups, A/B testing, data mining and trade-off analysis. More
GfK has reported a 1.6% organic decline in sales for the first half of 2014, to EUR 697.9m, magnified to 4.2% by currency effects - but says that it is now seeing the positive effects of the 'strategic realignment' plan it has been pursuing. More
In the US, recently launched full service agency Mizzouri has selected Franklin, Tennessee, south of Nashville, as the location for its new headquarters. More
In Singapore, Bharad Ramesh, formerly SE Asian Head of Trading and Partnerships at Publicis digital intelligence network VivaKi, has left to form his own company. eMVC aims to help marketers get more from digital media. More
Hollywood-based entertainment research start-up C4 has completed the acquisition of the assets of Motion Picture Group (MPG), which was shut down in controversial circumstances in June. C4 says it now has 20 staff and will grow to 45 in the next couple of months. More
UK based consultancy The Futures Company is opening an office in Shanghai, its second Asia-Pacific location after Singapore - and appointed former Ogilvy & Mather exec Kunal Sinha to lead it. More
UK-based research firm Incite is moving its US operations to larger premises just one year after launching them, and has appointed two execs to boost the team. More
IT research and consulting firm Gartner has reported second quarter revenue of $519.8m, up 17% year on year, or 16% excluding currency effects. Profits jumped likewise: normalized EBITDA also rose 17%, to $105.0m. More
Resurgent UK firm Nunwood has reported 23 percent growth in first half sales to £5.3m, from a disappointing £4.3m in H1 2013. A list of big client wins has been matched by a £1m investment in its Fizz: Experience Management reporting technology and £330,000 in its Customer Experience Excellence Centre. More
ORC International is to join two partner firms in 'a next generation marketing services company' with annual revenues of c.$400m, following the acquisition of marcoms group Engine by ORC's Chicago-based backers Lake Capital. Partner firms will keep their separate identity. More
In Cold Spring, KY, USA, former Procter and Gamble exec Sarah Faulkner has launched her own consultancy providing insight-driven innovation and brand building services for consumer goods and services companies. More
Sony Music Entertainment has launched a survey called the 'Music India Segmentation Study', to help artists, marketers and brands understand the music consumption habits of consumers. More
In New Zealand, MR tools and software provider Infotools has appointed co-founder Ant Franklin as its first ever Chief Executive Officer, with a remit to grow the company internationally. More
UK-based online community specialist Verve has appointed former GfK exec Ryan Garner to head up its Personal Information Economy proposition, while recruiting six other new members of staff. More
Research community and survey tech specialist Vision Critical has secured a $16m round of funding, led by a new investor, growth equity firm Georgian Partners. More
US-based emotion measurement specialist Affectiva has appointed former Merkle and Nielsen exec Tom Butler as Chief Revenue Officer. More
UK-based full service provider BDRC has officially launched a digital research agency called Alligator Research, led by former Toluna director Suzy Hassan. More
In London, Kantar has invested an undisclosed amount in self-service online research 'app store' platform ZappiStore. More
Ipsos has reported a 5.9% drop in first half revenue to EUR 756m, with currency effects responsible for most of the fall (5.1%). In organic terms, second quarter decline all but wiped out the modest gains of the first quarter, giving overall H1 organic growth of 0.1%. More
In the US, global non-profit research-based consultancy InterMedia has appointed former GfK SVP Christopher Fleury as President and CEO. More
Ipsos Co-Chairman Jean-Marc Lech has temporarily stepped down from his role following what has been described by the company as a 'serious health issue'. More
Ogilvy & Mather has opened a third office for its behavioural sciences practice #ogilvychange, this time in Singapore. More
London-based insight consultancy Firefish has revealed impressive revenue figures for the first year of operation of its US office - $1.9m - and says it will be further expanding its team 'in the coming months' to cope with demand. More
Millward Brown has launched its new Vermeer brand and business strategy consultancy in South Africa, servicing clients across Africa and the Middle East and with Nicki Cunliffe at the helm. More
US-based fieldwork group Schlesinger Associates has relocated its Chicago office to a newly upgraded research space on the 26th floor of its existing address at North Michigan Avenue. More
In Germany, four former senior GfK execs have founded Exevia, a new healthcare market research agency based in Nuremberg. The four are Norbert Schell, Ulrik Scheuermann, Andrea Gock and Roland Herterich. More
Online research specialist BrainJuicer has issued a pre-close trading update for the six months to 30th June, announcing revenue up 10% in constant currency terms, or 4% reported. More
In London, the BBC has appointed GfK's Head of Innovation Nick North to lead its Audiences teams. He will take up the role on 15th September. More
Non-profit educational body the Marketing Research Institute International (MRII) has named research industry veteran Reg Baker as Executive Director. He will take up the new post on October 1st, following the retirement of Don Marek the previous month. More
UK-based agency SPA Future Thinking has launched a Financial Services practice comprising a team of ten staff, led by Research Director Annabelle Truscott. More
Omnicom-owned brand and comms research firm Hall & Partners has opened an office in Tokyo, Japan, where it has recruited qual specialist Buntari (Tari) Martosudirjo as Research Director. More
Brighton, UK-based global insight consultancy Space Doctors has appointed former Added Value semiotics specialist Cato Hunt to lead its London office. The firm has also announced plans to establish teams in Asia Pacific and the Americas. More
UK-based Intellection Software has appointed Wojtek Kokoszka as Commercial Director and Charlotte Atkins as COO, plus ESOMAR President Dan Foreman as a Non-Executive Director. More
In India, online customer feedback platform Akosha has raised $5m, which it plans to use to improve its technology and expand its OneDirect suite of enterprise solutions. More
UK-based online community specialist Verve has partnered with MR agency InsightAsia to meet client demand for full service quant and qual community panel research across Asia. More
ITWP, the parent company of online community and survey technology provider Toluna, has acquired Harris Interactive's European arm from Nielsen. As part of the deal, Nielsen will take a minority share in ITWP. More
UK firm Product Perceptions has been acquired by one of its Directors, Yvonne Taylor. Founders Dominic Buck and Keith Greenhoff will retain a financial interest in the business following the buy-out, but have also set up a new firm called Sensometrica. More
In Sydney, Australia, ethnography and qual specialist Charlie Cochrane has set up a new research consultancy called Jump the Fence, which he says will 'challenge the notion' that consumer psychology determines brand and buying motivation. More
In the UK, two former Lancaster University researchers have launched a language analysis service for marketers, called Relative Insight. Their technology was originally developed to help catch criminals through the analysis of the language they used in their online conversations. More
North of England-based online panel firm ResearchBods has opened its first overseas office near Melbourne, Australia; and appointed David Gibbs to lead it. More
Washington, DC-based polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (GQR) has partnered with Canadian public affairs strategist Don Guy to open an office in Toronto. More
Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble is to restructure its marketing function under the name 'brand management', with marketing directors worldwide becoming 'brand directors' with 'single-point responsibility for the strategies, plans and results for the brands'. More
Former Ipsos Country Manager Enrique Domingo has set up a new agency in Madrid called Dialogs&Beyond. The firm's offer will include mobile research, applied neuroscience techniques, marketing and innovation services, and ad effectiveness understanding. More
Netherlands-based community research software provider CMNTY has opened an office in London, and has appointed Alastair Macmillan to lead it. More
UK-based agency business intelligence firm SPA Future Thinking has appointed Tom Meyritz, formerly of QuestBack, Lightspeed and Ciao, as Commercial Director, responsible for leading business development across all areas of the company. More
Customer and employee research specialist ORC International has opened an office in Sevres, south west of Paris, where it has appointed former Ipsos exec Anne Lavielle to head up the new operation. More
The partners of Detroit, Michigan-based DIY online research platform RealityLive have renamed the firm Aha! and at the same time, introduced a range of new mobile-friendly features. More
Global business research agency B2B International has opened an office in Düsseldorf, citing Germany as its largest market outside the UK and the US. More
In Hollywood, former OTX and MPG Chief Executive Vincent Bruzzese is heading up a new entertainment research firm, C4, with the backing of three film producers. The move closely follows the closure of MPG, many of whose staff are joining the new company. More
UK-based Trinity McQueen (formerly Brass Insights) has appointed former Illuminas exec Mike Roderick as Research Director, tasked with expanding the agency's activities in the financial services, utilities and B2B sectors. More
UK research firm Cello Health Insight has launched a continuous staff development programme called BUILD, and promoted Leyla Itani and Helen Porter to lead the initiative. More
Community panel specialist Verve has opened a dedicated survey programming office in Iași, Romania, headed by Senior Survey Programmer Eugen Tuchendria. More
US-based Lieberman Research Worldwide has integrated Beyond Verbal's emotion analytics technology with the services of its Pragmatic Brain Science Institute, which fuses traditional research techniques and new approaches to provide a holistic understanding of consumers. More
In Sydney, Australia, BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand (ANZ) has appointed former Nunwood/TLE researcher Joe Lynch as Head of Research and Consumer Insights, starting in August. More
Millward Brown has acquired global marketing strategy consultancy EffectiveBrands, and will merge it with its Optimor brand strategy division to form a new business called Millward Brown Vermeer. More
The UK's research industry returned to growth in 2013 after four years of contraction, according to results from the annual survey of agencies by the Market Research Society (MRS). More
Employee-owned MR provider Illuminas has reported a 27% revenue rise to £10m for the year ended February 2014. The firm has also appointed Steven Maskell as Senior Vice President in its New York office. More
Canadian pollster Angus Reid, most recently the co-founder of research community and survey tech specialist Vision Critical, is retiring as the firm's Executive Chair, in order to set up an independent public opinion research organization he will call the Angus Reid Institute. More
UK-based Brass Insight has changed its name to Trinity McQueen, as part of a management buyout by its Joint MDs Anna Cliffe and Robin Horsfield. The rebrand will move it away from its former parent firm, marcoms agency Brass. More
Creston's insight division - which comprises Marketing Sciences and ICM - has reported a 7% increase in annual revenue to £12.9m. The remainder of the Group by contrast saw a slight decline in revenue and profit. More
Ipsos and Warsaw-based consumer neuroscience specialist NEUROHM have announced an upgrade of the IRT system, which probes unconscious consumer associations and perceptions, and assesses their impact. NEUROHM will also now act as Ipsos' primary partner for IRT roll out. More
US-based full service agency Radius Global Market Research has expanded operations to the Middle East and Africa by opening an office in Dubai, led by Research Director Nitin Ladva. More
Nielsen is once again the 'official market research supplier' for an Olympic Games, adding Rio 2016 to London 2012 and Beijing 2008. More
UK-based insurance specialist Litmus Analysis has recruited Robin Dicks as a Partner for a new market research and analysis venture, Litmus Research Associates. More
mruk, the social research firm within RS Consulting group, is returning to Scotland with the opening of a new office in the centre of Glasgow, to support a growing number of Scottish clients. More
Consumer products specialist MMR Research Worldwide has appointed Suzanne Hernandez as US Head of Business, based in New York and overseeing its Stateside strategy development and expansion. More
In India, BPO and KPO firm Navigant Technologies says it will more than double its headcount in the current financial year, adding 1,000 staff; and will add a third call centre, in Delhi or Gurgaon. More
In the US, analysis provider WCG and the Health Data Consortium (HDC) have announced a partnership to track and analyse health data conversations on digital media. The deal will offer the latter's members and users greater understanding of current perceptions and trends, using real-time data. More
UK firm The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has partnered with Dutch consulting engineer Fugro, integrating its own survey and consultancy services with Fugro's data on highway condition and construction for the benefit of global clients. More
In New York, brand influencer network Crowdtap has appointed marketer Sean Foster as Chief Executive Officer, replacing founder Brandon Evans who has left the firm. More
Former Stopgap recruiters Kathy King and Janet Chambers have launched their own recruitment agency, Sparkle, which will work on permanent and freelance market research and insight roles at all levels. More
Agricultural market research firm Kleffmann Group has appointed Dr Bob Fairclough as Team Leader of its recently established agricultural market trend information and consulting unit amis AgriGlobe. More
London-based B2B specialist BDRC Group has promoted Richard Sheldrake to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer. More
Global online sample aggregator EMI Research Solutions has opened its first European office, in London. More
Social media and text analytics specialist Texifter has entered a strategic partnership with DIY research firm SurveyMonkey, helping the latter's users get to grips with verbatim-heavy survey responses. More
Latin American fieldwork specialist Brasil Global Research has rebranded as Kampo Brasil Research. More
US marketing and communications specialist HCD Research has partnered with kids and families research, brand and product innovation firm PlayCollective, to provide a specialist service for clients targeting flavour and fragrance products at children and parents. More
US-based fieldwork group Schlesinger Associates has appointed former Nielsen Global Panel Leader Jade Landfried as Chief Technology Officer. More
Singapore-based rewards platform YOYO Holdings has raised $1.3m, which it will use to drive business growth, strengthen its management team and staffing levels and boost its marketing efforts. More
Optimism among marketing execs remains high, according to the May wave of the Warc Global Marketing Index (GMI), with respondents generally upping their forecasts for marketing budgets and positive about trading conditions. More
In the UK, Jim Easton, former CEO of customer and market insight specialist AMR International, has launched a new consulting firm, Plural Strategy Group, focusing on media, events, agribusiness and software markets. More
DIY research specialist SurveyMonkey is opening an office in Sydney, Australia - its first in the Asia Pacific region - and says it will hire around 25 people there over the next few years. More
UK-based Voice of the Customer specialist eDigitalResearch has reported a 20 percent rise in annual turnover to £7.5m, and says it has employed an additional 30 new members of staff over the past twelve months. More
US-based fieldwork group Schlesinger Associates has integrated Affectiva's Affdex Discovery facial coding tool into its portfolio of qualitative services, having itself helped to adapt the tool for moderator use in focus groups. More
Cello-owned consumer specialist 2CV has relocated to new premises in Singapore, double the size of its previous office. More
GfK has announced results for the first quarter, with an organic decline of 0.7% in sales, reported as EUR 334.9m, a decline of 3.5% due to currency effects. However the Group said it achieved 'a significant increase in all profit indicators', and has confirmed its forecast for the year. More
Asian market research consultancy ABN Impact is launching an office in Shanghai, China, and has appointed Stephane Courqueux as its Managing Director. The company says it aims to set up offices 'throughout Asia in the near future'. More
A ruling this week from the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) places requirements on search engines with offices in the EU to consider requests from individuals for the removal of links to certain information about them. More
Digital data collection specialist Research Now has announced that MD, Americas Craig Stevens is to leave the business after a decade to pursue new opportunities, and that John Rothwell will step into his shoes. More
Ipsos Public Affairs has made three senior management changes in its US team: Clifford Young has been promoted to President and John Vidmar to Chairman of the division in the US, while Julia Clark takes on additional responsibilities as VP leading the team in Chicago. More
US researcher Michael Kassab has announced the launch of a new MR firm, ConsumerDNA, following the acquisition of the assets of Savitz Research Solutions, the firm he has led for sixteen of the last 30 years. Savitz' office in Richardson, Texas will form the headquarters of the new company. More
The Pineapple Lounge (TPL), youth and family division of London-based Firefish, has added five new members of staff to its existing team of seven, to meet fast-growing demand for its services. More
Kantar has completed its upgrade of the Indian MarketPulse consumer panel, first announced last year, and have rebranded it as Kantar Worldpanel. The panel is operated jointly by the Kantar Worldpanel division and sister agency IMRB International. More
Online research innovator BrainJuicer has warned in an AGM statement today of an increase in its costs, resulting from increased share based payment charges and the expansion of its account management teams to support long-term growth. Shares were down 21% as of Monday morning. More
Global recruitment firm Aspire Global Network is bringing all its companies - including UK-based MR specialist RP Cushing - under the single brand of Aspire. More
Full service provider Radius Global Market Research has announced the opening of an office in Beijing, China, and appointed Cindy Han to lead it as Managing Director, Radius Asia. More
UK-based consumer and cultural insight agency Flamingo is opening an office in São Paulo, in September, to serve as a hub for research throughout Brazil and the wider Latam region. More
Pretoria-based full service agency Ask Afrika has appointed former Nielsen MD Ken McArthur as company Chairperson. More
In the US, former Ford Motor Co. Market Research Analyst Mark Fields is to become the company's ninth President and Chief Executive Officer, when Alan Mulally retires in July. More
Tech sector researcher and analyst Gartner has reported a 12% increase in its first quarter Research revenue to $348.1m, compared with Q1 2013. More
Former Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit has been named Chairman of TGG Group, a consulting firm focused on behavioral economics and big data, whose co-founders include Freakonomics author Steven Levitt and economist Daniel Kahneman. More
In the US, full service consumer product testing agency Q Research Solutions (QRS) has appointed four new members of staff at its Old Bridge, New Jersey office. Each has two decades or more of research experience. More
WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell saw his annual pay package rise by nearly two-thirds to £29.8m in 2013, from £17.5m the previous year, boosted by a plan linked to the company's share price and performance. More
In the UK, youth brand and marketing specialist Steve Reece has launched a consumer research agency called Kids Brand Insight, offering qualitative research for the toy, gaming and children's entertainment sectors. More
The MRA's quarterly Research Industry Index (RII) confidence measure has celebrated its 25th wave with a good result: a third consecutive three figure score, for the first time since 2008. More
WPP's Data Investment Management (DIM) division saw revenues fall 3.8% to £566m in the first quarter of 2014, while net sales dropped 4.5% to £406m. More
Ipsos has reported a 4.5% drop in revenue to EUR 343.3m in the first quarter of 2014, compared with EUR 359.6m a year previously. However organic growth - at constant scope and exchange rates - was 1.5%, in line with the performances recorded in the third and fourth quarters of 2013. More
Ben Werzinger, the co-founder of online research community specialist PluggedIN, has launched a new full-service research firm called MoveMR, which will specialize in mobile qualitative approaches including digital focus groups, mobile interviews and mobile ethnography. More
In Melbourne, Australia, former GfK Blue Moon exec Mark George has set up a new insights consultancy called Quirk. More
UK insight and communications group Creston says it is expecting a drop in revenue to £74.8m for the year ended 31st March 2014, compared with £75.2m a year earlier. More
IPA's Bellwether Report for the first quarter of 2014 shows a record number of UK firms reporting rising marketing budgets, completing a year of sustained improvement for the sector. More
Online community and survey technology provider Toluna is integrating BrainJuicer's proprietary emotion measure FaceTrace into its global survey platform. The upgrade will allow clients to gauge emotional reactions to stimuli such as products, web sites, packaging and ads. More
In the UK, the BBC is looking for qual, quant and specialist agencies for its new research roster. Successful agencies will be appointed for a four-year term. More
ForeSee Results founder Larry Freed and a number of his former exec team have launched a new company called 2nd Stage Partners, advising recently launched companies on how to grow. More
Creston-owned full service agency ICM has promoted Head of Qualitative Research Iain Carruthers to its Board, and given existing Director Alex Knight a wider remit as Insight Division COO and CFO. More
Omnicom-owned customer intelligence specialist Targetbase has partnered with advisory firm Customer Helix to launch a new consultancy called 'Targetbase Element', with the aim of helping clients put customers at the center of their businesses. More
Online panel specialist Research Now has appointed BlueKai co-founder Michael Bigby as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and a member of its Executive Leadership team. More
Firefish's specialist children and families research consultancy The Pineapple Lounge (TPL) has launched in the US, where it has appointed children's industry expert Cheryl Gotthelf as Managing Director. More
Palo Alto, CA-based DIY research specialist SurveyMonkey is moving its European headquarters to Dublin, where corporation taxes are far lower than in the UK. The firm will hire 50 new members of staff in Ireland, and relocate its international team there from its office in Lisbon. More
London-based emotional analytics specialist Realeyes has signed an agreement to provide Ipsos with facial coding and body gesture response metrics, to help measure how people feel while they view advertising and communications content. More
In Mumbai, full service agency MRSS India and Frankfurt-based Scent Analysis have formed a joint venture called SA#M, which will provide a multi-sensory research platform for projects in all areas of product and concept development. More
In the US, product intelligence firm Wizeline has launched out of beta, with a self-serve platform enabling companies to collect and process disparate sources of data to understand the market potential of proposed new products. More
Marcoms giant WPP has launched a global Government & Public Sector Practice to drive 'excellence' in government communications. The new initiative is led by Dr Michelle Harrison, who is also CEO of the group's TNS BMRB agency. More
European online specialist InSites Consulting is extending its moderator network in Asia Pacific and has agreed a long-term strategic partnership with Sydney-based boutique agency Direction First. More
TNS has promoted Ignacio Galceran to the newly created role of Chief Client & Offer Officer - Americas, while also promoting five staff to become 'Americas Practice Leaders'. More
US data collection firm Focus Pointe Global has expanded its online division Focus Pointe Online, led by MD of Online Research Wally Balden. More
Mark Lasbury and Sarah Jones, former employees of Nottingham-based JRA Research, have launched a new agency called ampersand research. More
TNS has promoted James Conrad to the role of Managing Director, Brazil; and filled his previous post as Executive Vice President, West Region Lead through the appointment of former GfK exec Rogerio Monteiro. More
UK-based medical market research agency Purdie Pascoe has expanded to the US, appointing former Ipsos Healthcare exec Muhammad Asim as Senior Vice President in Chicago, and Josina 'Hector' Habegger as an Associate Director in San Francisco. More
In Sweden, a team of former Spotify engineers has raised $2.2m in seed funding for their Lookback platform, used for mobile app user experience testing. More
Pharma research giant IMS Health is preparing to launch an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in the next fortnight, which could value the company at around $7 billion. More
Despite a drop in annual revenue from £13.6m to £11.0m, Chime's Insight and Engagement (CIE) division has reported a 19% rise in operating income to £9.1m for the year 2013, while operating profit increased 29% to £2.8m. More
In the US, online research community builder Communispace has launched a new business unit dedicated to healthcare clients; and has named VP Corey Schwartz as its Managing Director. The firm says more such 'sub-brand' launches may be in the pipeline. More
Online community and survey technology provider Toluna has opened an office in Seoul, Korea, where it has promoted Kayne Park to the position of Country Director. More
Nielsen has set up a new Multicultural Growth and Strategy team, to provide market understanding of, and deliver strategies to reach multicultural consumers. Mónica Gil has been promoted to lead it, as Senior Vice President and General Manager. More
uSamp co-founders Matt Dusig and Gregg Lavin have launched a new firm called Innovate, which they say will 'pinpoint' global panelists on demand and deliver sample via connected APIs. More
NYC-based Hispanic media group Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) has appointed Marshall Cohen as Executive Vice President of Corporate Research. More
Toronto, Canada-based online and telephone data collection agency The Logit Group has expanded to the US, where it has appointed industry veteran Marcus Turner as US Vice President. More
Manchester-based consumer research agency Join the Dots has announced a 23% increase in annual revenue to £4.9m in 2013, driven by a mix of existing and new clients, and 35% growth in international revenues. More
UK-based insight and marketing services group Cello has reported an 18.2% increase in revenue to £159.7m for the year to 31st December 2013. More
In India, market research and business consulting firm Unspun Consulting Group has raised $250k in a first round of funding, which it will use to roll out a proprietary 'market discovery tool' called Act. More
UK-based independent agency firefish has announced an annual revenue increase of 18%, to £9.55m in its full financial year 2014. More
Roger Banks, the UK MD of consumer specialist Incite, has been promoted to the role of Group Managing Director, following growth in the firm's international business. Director Peter Kneale has taken over Banks' previous role in the UK. More
In the UK, the Market Research Benevolent Organisation (MRBA) is hosting its annual online charity auction, to raise funds for industry personnel who are in need of financial help. More
Former Ipsos Poland CEO Dinko Svetopetric has joined insight communities specialist MRevolution as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, replacing Matyas Bauer who has moved into the role of Client Service Manager. More
OfficeReports, a data analysis and reporting overlay within Microsoft Office, has now been extended to integrate directly with DIY platform SurveyMonkey. More
WPP Chief Exec Sir Martin Sorrell has received 1.78m shares, worth around £22.7m, under the company's now-discontinued long-term incentive plan, LEAP. More
Millward Brown has appointed Nichola Rastrick as its new MD of Southeast Asia, succeeding the recently promoted Gonzalo Fuentes. Rastrick's current role as MD Singapore is filled by Priti Mehra who steps up from the role of Chief Client Officer, Southeast Asia. More
San Diego-based facial analysis firm Emotient has announced a $6 million Series B round of funding, along with the launch of new 'glassware', using the camera of Google Glass to measure wearers' emotions. More
US marketing and communications specialist HCD Research has introduced a cognitive and neuromarketing metrics solution, which links tools such as facial electromyography and galvanic skin response with eye tracking and qual and quant research. More
Netherlands-based online research and marketing analytics firm MetrixLab has reported a 22% increase in annual revenue to EUR 49m ($67m), with revenues up 25% in the UK. More
Former Ipsos MORI CEO Mike Everett has moved to business psychology consultancy YSC as Global Chief Operating Officer. More
In the US, marcoms agency Pavone has spun off its 'Food Trends' report into a separate food and beverage industry business called quench, focused on changes in consumer preferences, shopper marketing insights, and developments in technology and media consumption. More
US-based data collection agency MRops has moved to a purpose-built office in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, to make space for its twenty full-time staff, and its 'Executive Interviewing Center' which houses 50 interviewers. The company has also made several new hires in the city. More
Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (GQR) has announced the opening of an office in New York City; and the appointment of Graeme Trayner, formerly a Partner at Brunswick Group in London, as VP leading the office and the firm's corporate consulting practice worldwide. More
In London, community panels specialist Verve has reported a strong start to 2014, including the arrival of twelve new team members. More
Customer experience MR and services provider TARP Worldwide has rebranded as CX Act Inc.; and has announced a series of corporate strategic and leadership changes, including the appointed of Maritz Veteran Jim Stone in the newly created position of Chief Customer Officer (CCO). More
UK-based marketing services group Cello has unified its health-oriented agencies under the Cello Health brand, bringing together five existing businesses. More
ORC International has re-located its Singapore office to bigger premises in preparation for the launch of its new Strategy Research practice, which will focus on helping businesses drive organizational growth across the Asia Pacific region. More
UK-based mobile market research technology developer Sumo Insight has raised an undisclosed amount of venture capital from B2B start-up accelerator Collider. More
WPP's Data Investment Management Division (DIM) has reported a 3.6% increase in annual revenue for 2013. More
Ipsos has reported a 4.3% decline in annual revenue to EUR 1.71bn, from EUR 1.79bn in 2012. The company blames the fall on exchange rates, its partial withdrawal from Eurozone countries like Greece and Portugal, and the sale of its Los Angeles-based film testing arm. Organic growth was 0.8%. More
London-based mobile research technology specialist Lumi Mobile and its audience response and voting systems business IML Worldwide are now to be known simply as Lumi, following their recent merger. More
Brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners has promoted Grant Bird to the role of Managing Partner, London, replacing Caroline Frankum whose promotion to European Consumer CEO was announced yesterday. More
In the US, Ipsos MediaCT and comScore have introduced a new cross-media planning tool which combines the Ipsos Affluent Survey with comScore Media Metrix data, in order to understand how affluent audiences access media across channels. More
Leeds-based MR agency Swift Research has partnered with Amarach Research in Dublin, to launch a low-cost omnibus-type service called 'Ten-4-Ten'. The package allows clients to add ten 'key' questions to a nationwide consumer survey and also run four focus groups. More
In Chennai, India, former Krea exec Arindam Bhattacharya has set up a new firm called ResearchSuite Technologies, offering survey programming, translations and data analytics solutions. More
London-based brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners has named Caroline Frankum Chief Executive Officer of its European Consumer business. More
Kantar has promoted Hidehiko Otake to the role of Chief Executive of its wholly-owned subsidiary Kantar Japan, replacing Masanori Miyajima who is leaving the business. More
UK-based consultancy FreshMinds has appointed former Interbrand exec Andy Maher as Chief Operating Officer; Su Gill as Finance Manager; and Natasha Wallace and Catherine Caporn to senior roles in its insight and strategy teams. More
UK-based researchers in RSM's 6-monthly survey are increasingly optimistic about research spend and about the economy in general; and are increasingly likely to have worked with at least one emerging technique, in an industry seen as changing rapidly. More
In the US, marketing and research expert Kimberly Bonniksen and finance and consulting veteran David Grzan have teamed up to launch KlarosKonsulting, whose services will include market research, branding, sales optimisation and digital marketing. More
UK-based researcher Vision One has opened an office in Willenhall, near Birmingham - its third location, for use as 'a platform to grow its market share in the Midlands'. More
GfK has extended CEO Matthias Hartmann's contract by a further five years, to 30th November 2019. More
US-based online community specialist Passenger has expanded to China through a partnership with Asia Market Development (AMD). More
US marketing and communications specialist HCD Research has set up a business unit which will use integrated psychophysiology and traditional cognitive research tools to tailor campaign messages to the needs of professionals in political, policy and advocacy roles. More
In London, research and strategy consultancy Quadrangle has promoted former MD Dr Nick Baker to the role of Group Chief Executive. More
WPP digital agency Possible has appointed Mikhail Goldgaber as Head of Experience, with a remit to build the firm's User Experience (UX) team in London, and introduce UX, digital psychology and consumer neuroscience techniques across all departments. More
UK-based, consumer-focused Spring Research has announced it is 'merging' with its online communities specialist, Tuned In Research, under a new brand, Tonic Insight. More
Technology specialist Forrester Research has reported a 3% rise in Q4 revenue to $77.5m, despite a 1% revenue drop in its biggest division, Research, to $51.4m. The latter was driven by an 'expected' contraction in the firm's syndicated data business. More
UK-headquartered youth research and marketing strategist Dubit has opened its first US office in Los Angeles, led by Brad Schultz, the former Head of Moshi TV. More
UK insight and communications group Creston plc has issued an interim management statement for the last quarter of 2013, reporting an increase in headline profit (PBIT) and a levelling out of its revenue, which had dropped four percent in results for the previous six months. More
GfK's sales have dipped back below the EUR 1.5 billion mark, not helped by a strengthening of the currency: the 2013 figure fell by 1.3%, from EUR 1.514bn in 2012 to EUR 1.495bn in 2013 despite modest organic growth of 0.8%. Adjusted operating income crept up by 1.5% to EUR 190m. More
Market research firms Fieldwork Network, i-view London, Viewpoint Europe, and Estudio Silvia Roca have joined forces to create an international alliance called FIVE Research, which aims to provide MR services across 'any city, any methodology, anywhere in the world'. More
Healthcare market research, market access and brand planning specialist OPEN Plan, which is part of Chime Communication's Insight and Engagement arm, has appointed Neil Rees as Head of Research and Catherine Swanson as an SRE. More
In the US, The Marketing Research Institute International (MRII), which provides MR training and education, is looking for a new Executive Director to replace Don Marek when he retires in September. More
US research provider Gongos has reported a 12% rise in gross revenue to $22.5m in 2013, from $20.1m in 2012. More
US-based multicultural research specialists Michele Cordoba, Brenda Lee and Iris Yim have set up a new full service research and strategic consulting firm called Vision Strategy and Insights (VSI), with a focus on Hispanic, African American and Asian consumers. More
In the US, on-demand online community specialist GutCheck has secured an 'unsolicited' $4m in new investment, which it will use to expand its sales, marketing and product development teams. More
In London, online panel specialist Research Now has promoted Ben Hogg to the position of Managing Director of EMEA, Portfolio Companies. More
US-based fieldwork firm Schlesinger Associates has launched its online service Schlesinger Interactive in Europe, led by James Sallows, who joined the company in September. More
Cecil 'Bud' Phillips, the founder of Irving, Texas-based M/A/R/C Research, died on Tuesday at the age of 89. More
UK-based research firm SPA Future Thinking has launched a new division called 'Playground', to provide businesses with an understanding of the way children and families think and behave. More
Millward Brown has signed a multi-year deal with emotion measurement specialist Affectiva to integrate the latter's Affdex automated facial coding as a standard feature in all MB's 'Link' ad copy testing services. More
US-based SIS International Research has opened an office in Manila, to offer fieldwork and data collection services in South East Asia while expanding its Market Intelligence Unit. More
Insight and marketing group Cello has recorded double-digit 2013 revenue growth in its Health and Consumer divisions, according to a trading update. More
London-based research firm YouthSight has relocated its offices from Highbury and Islington to a Shoreditch site close to Tech City. More
Angus Reid, the Executive Chairman of research community and survey tech firm Vision Critical, sold $10.5m worth of company shares last month, in a move which one analyst is claiming 'clears the deck' for a potential IPO. More
UK pregnancy, baby and parenting club Bounty has extended its partnership with custom panel provider EasyInsites to launch the 'Word of Family' panel; building on its existing 39,000-strong 'Word of Mum' opinion panel to provide insights into the rest of the family. More
Pharma researcher Thomas Gleissner has set up a new agency called Research Excellence, in Frankfurt, offering customized market research services to clients in the pharmaceutical, medical technology, and medical device sectors. More
In Germany, TNS Infratest CEO Andreas Kösters has left the company to focus on business interests outside the market research sector. While the company seeks a replacement, his role will be managed by Winfried Hagenhoff and Hartmut Scheffler. More
German eye tracking technology provider SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI) has opened an office in San Francisco, California, from where it will serve customers on the US West Coast. More
Research company nQuire Services has opened an office in Shanghai, to handle an increasing volume of work in China. Company President Tom Fuller has moved to the country to head up the new business. More
Expanding UK-based agency BDRC Continental has created two new divisions, Commercial and On the Move, and promoted Ian Stevens and Matt Costin, respectively, to lead them as Managing Directors. Five other promotions include Richard Smith, who becomes a Director and joins the Board. More
UK-based online specialist BrainJuicer has reported a 17% increase in revenue to £24m for the year ended 31st December 2013. Pre-tax profit for the period will be around £3.5m, compared to £1.5m in 2012 and £2.8m in 2011. More
SMG Insight, the sport and sponsorship arm of YouGov, has opened an office in Edinburgh to support Scottish events clients. More
Chris Sinclair, the former co-owner of UK agency TORA, has been appointed Regional Director for Ipsos Marketing in Europe and Africa. More
Diane Hessan, President and CEO of online community specialist Communispace, is to move into the role of Chairman, and has named co-creation expert Charles Trevail as her successor. More
Research community and survey technology specialist Vision Critical has secured a $3.5m share investment from Difference Capital Financial. The firm has also appointed former OMERS Ventures MD Derek Smyth as its first ever Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). More
UK-based insight and communications group Creston has hired former TNS CEO Pedro Ros for the newly created role of Head of Strategic Insight. More
Manchester, UK-based consumer insight agency Join the Dots has promoted Research Operations Director Paul Child to the role of Talent Director, responsible for the management, promotion and direction of its newly established in-house learning centre, the 'dotacademy'. More
Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) and SPINS LLC have expanded their existing relationship to provide enhanced data and solutions for the natural / organic and specialty products market. More
UK-based insight and communications group Creston Plc has announced the retirement of CEO and founder Don Elgie, with effect from 31st March 2014. Elgie will 'pursue a career of non-executive roles', and will be succeeded by current COO and CFO Barrie Brien, who has been with the Group since 2004. More
In Nice, France, four pharma research colleagues from WorldOne have launched a new independent fieldwork agency, QualWorld, specializing in qual market research for the healthcare industry. More
Ipsos has realigned its resources in Western Canada and the US Pacific Northwest, aiming to bring staff closer together and boost collaboration. To support the move, Mike Rodenburgh will now lead the company's business operations across the regions. More
Former Paddy Power Insight Director Danny Russell has joined mobile phone giant Telefónica O2 as General Manager of Business Intelligence. The firm has also made two other senior appointments in its marketing team, which is led by Marketing & Consumer Director Nina Bibby. More
In the US, the Research Industry Index (RII) compiled by the Marketing Research Association (MRA) has increased from 100 to 102, reflecting management's growing confidence in the health of research firms. More
TNS South Africa CEO Karin Du Chenne is handing over her role to Rob Powell, and relocating to Istanbul where she will take up the position of Regional Director Business Development for AMME (Africa, Mediterranean and Middle East). More
GfK has reported that a EUR 112.5m adjustment to goodwill on acquisitions is likely to result in a 'significant impact' on its consolidated income. More
Full service agency FieldGlobal has opened a research facility in London, where it has appointed Illitch Real as Associate Vice President - Business Development. More
WPP-owned Kantar is to combine the resources of Kantar Retail with its TNS Retailer & Shopper practice, to form a new organisation offering a single source of retail and shopper expertise. More
David Pemsel, Guardian News and Media's former Chief Commercial Officer, has been promoted to Deputy CEO, tasked with expanding UK services including marketing and audience insight, advertising and sales. More
UK-based insight and communications group Creston plc has announced that Keith Bates is to step down from the role of Head of Creston Insight, seeking 'new challenges' outside the Group. More
Sports marketing researcher Repucom has appointed media measurement and consumer behaviour expert Joseph Eapen as Senior Vice President, South Asia, based in Mumbai, India. More
Brand and media specialist Millward Brown has opened an office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to support local, regional and global clients operating in the country. Piotr Chodakowski joins to lead the new operation, with a team of ten. More
Nielsen has appointed Ipsos ad research veteran David Brandt as Executive Vice President, Advertising Effectiveness Strategy, with a focus on leading the development of the firm's 'Nielsen NeuroFocus' neuroscience-based copy testing solutions. More
In the UK, Katariina Hannelius has left specialist recruiters RPCushing after almost nine years, to set up her own consultancy, Hannelius Recruitment, focused on the market research sector. Former colleague Inger Christensen joins her. More
Former Ipsos MORI Operations MD Yusuf Ramadan has opened a consultancy called INOSEER, based in central London, to provide ops expertise to market research companies across the UK. More
Panel and sample provider Offerwise is expanding throughout Central and South America, including the Caribbean. More
UK-based Marketing Sciences has hired Andy Grout, former European Head of Quantitative Research at The Leading Edge, as a board member; and has also promoted Laura Ablett to its board. The company also reports strong first-half results. More
Ipsos Healthcare has appointed Tom Nolte as Global Head of Innovation, based in the US, to drive the creation and delivery of solutions addressing emerging issues across the industry. More
WPP brand development and insight consultancy Added Value has appointed Kenneth Lee as Managing Director for China. More
Former GfK exec Serra Bozkurt has launched Plus Research Solutions (PRS), a healthcare market research agency based in Istanbul and serving both pharmaceutical and consumer health clients and international research agencies. More
Former Millward Brown Ireland CEO Richard Waring has joined customer satisfaction and mystery shopping firm Catalyst Marketing Research as a Partner and Director. More
UK-based insight and comms group Creston has reported results for the six months ending 30th September. Overall revenue fell 4.0% year-on-year to £35.7m, and headline EBITDA from £5.4m to £4.6m, but the Insight division grew revenue by ten percent to £6.1m and improved profitability. More
In New Delhi, former uSamp India Director Naim ul Qadar has launched a project management company, NextON Services, offering research and panel companies sampling expertise, vendor management and other help. More
Hard to believe, but on Friday 29th November, DRNO's publisher MrWeb is celebrating 15 years in business. More
London-based research firm YouthSight continues to expand with the appointment of Josephine Hansom as Head of Brand, Policy and Professional research, plus other appointments and an office move. More
Marketers around the world are growing in confidence, according to Warc's latest Global Marketing Index (GMI). The overall index hit a two year high - climbing three points to 57.8 from 54.8 in October, on a scale where values above 50 indicate a positive trend. More
Millward Brown has appointed Gonzalo Fuentes as Chief Executive Officer of its Latin American business, succeeding Fabian Hernandez who will retire in early 2014. More
Industry veteran Jon Harding has left US data collection agency MRops after just seven months, to lead the sales team for Harris Interactive's Custom Solutions. More
In India, healthcare panel specialist Krea has opened a 5,000sq ft focus group facility in Chennai called the Qhub. More
Online DIY survey specialist SurveyMonkey has launched Enterprise, an enhanced version of its survey product promising organisations the ability to bring individual users into a centrally managed system. More
Digital marketing agency XM Asia Pacific, a part of WPP, has announced the launch of a Behavioural Sciences practice, building on the expertise in the Consumer Experience Lab it established last year. More
GfK has reported a 4% drop in sales to EUR 361.4m during the third quarter 2013, from EUR 376.7m in Q3 2012, driven by what the firm describes as the 'considerable impact' of negative currency exchange effects. Like-for-like, sales were down by around 1.5%. More
Harris Interactive has reported 'flat' first quarter fiscal 2014 results, with revenue down 1.9% to $32.4m, from $33m in the prior year period, driven by declines in the US and German operations, offset by results in Canada, France and the UK. More
Full service agency Northstar Research Partners has opened a new Insights practice in London, and hired Noah Roychowdhury as Principal, with a remit to broaden the firm's range of market research and brand consultancy services. More
UK-based IT and telecoms industry research specialist The Business Advantage Group has opened an office in San Francisco, where it has appointed Bill Gordon as Vice President of Business Development. More
In the UK, GfK has appointed former TNS mystery shopping leader Oli Bailey as Business Development Director for its own Mystery Shopping division. More
Pharma and CPG giant Johnson & Johnson is moving to a more global approach to market research for some of its major brands. More
Global research consultancy The Behavioural Architects (TBA) has hired five new members of staff at its offices in London, Shanghai and Sydney. More
Echo Research founder and former CEO Sandra Macleod has joined corporate reputation and brand research consultancy Reputation Dividend as a Partner and Director. More
Technology research and analysis specialist Gartner has reported an 11% Q3 revenue rise in its Research arm - to $316.5m. For the group as a whole, revenue increased 10% year-on-year to $410.7m. More
Former Research Now and Verve execs Jo Winning and Kevin Goldberg have set up a full service online research agency called Tribes Research, based in Guildford, Surrey. More
Online MR software company Confirmit has partnered with customer-centric consulting firm Futurelab, allowing both companies to offer an enhanced portfolio of customer experience management (CEM) services and solutions to businesses across Europe. More
In the US, customer and employee research specialist ORC International has appointed Natasha Kennedy as Senior Vice President, in charge of its Strategy Research Solutions team. More
Manchester-based consumer research agency Join the Dots has moved to a new head office in the city, reporting £1 million of new client business and 20% growth in 2013. More
Dubai-based research consultancy AMRB has opened an office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in order to provide local support to clients across the region. More
Ipsos has continued the restoration of the Fieldwork International name, dropping the Ipsos Healthcare Field Services brand from its data collection businesses in Hong Kong and Spain. More
Global business research agency B2B International has introduced a new positioning statement, 'beyond knowledge', to define its ability to offer market intelligence gleaned from research, combined with 'opinions, actionable recommendations, and strategic direction'. More
WPP has reported third quarter revenue growth of 3.2% in its 'Data Investment Management' (DIM) businesses, to £617m, and growth of 2.6% to £1.8 billion for the first nine months of the year. More
Full service agency FieldGlobal has opened an office in Manhattan, New York, where it has appointed former Harris Interactive exec Bob Romano as Vice President - Business Development. The company has also announced plans to open offices in Chicago, and in the UK, Japan and Brazil. More
Ipsos has announced a 5% drop in third quarter revenues to EUR 418m (Q2 2012: EUR 440m) - the result of a 6.8% negative currency effect. The decline was partly offset by 1.8% organic growth during the period. More
Mobile research technology firm OnePoint Global has appointed Rob Huijboom as Chief Commercial Officer, to build and lead the firm's global sales team, and open eight new offices around the globe. More
Millward Brown has appointed Roger Li as Chief Talent Officer for the Africa, Middle-East and Asia-Pacific region, reporting to Adrian Gonzalez, the region's CEO and with a seat on its executive board. More
UK-based fieldwork agency Field Initiatives has moved from its Barnet, Herts home of twenty-five years to new offices in Central London. More
Millward Brown has officially launched its qualitative practice, Firefly Millward Brown, in Canada. More
In the US, full-service online research specialist Infosurv has launched a new company called Intengo, which uses crowdsourcing techniques to help clients develop new ideas and go-to-market strategies. More
US qual firm iModerate Research Technologies has appointed Umbria co-founder David Howlett as Senior Vice President, Innovation, while former Nielsen exec Chris Smith joins as Vice President of Sales. More
London-based research technology firm Lumi Mobile has been selected as one of the first tech companies to join the government and private sector-backed 'Future Fifty' scheme, set up to support high growth companies in the UK. More
In the US, multi-platform music network REVOLT TV has appointed youth culture specialist Jake Katz as Vice President of Audience Insights and Strategy, with a remit to help brands focus on understanding the millennial generation. More
Management consultancy McKinsey & Company has launched the Asia Consumer Insights Centre (ACIC) in Singapore, as part of its 'Innovation Campus' partnership with the country's Economic Development Board. More
Consumer specialist The NPD Group is to acquire the retail sales tracking and consumer research business of Boulder, Colorado-based sports and recreation researcher Leisure Trends. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based online community provider CrowdGather has raised the final $400k of a $1m Series B round of financing, and will use the proceeds as working capital and to launch a forum-based ad network in early 2014. The firm has also settled pending litigation. More
London-based brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners has launched a Global Brand and Marketing team, to help client-facing staff translate big data insights into 'visually interesting' ways to share a client's story. More
In the UK, Carole Oag is to retire as Group Managing Director of MR agency Progressive Partnership after thirty years with the company. More
Australia-based custom research firm The Leading Edge (TLE) has appointed Nigel Marsh as Chairman, following the departure of Global CEO Andy Bateman, who is joining telecoms giant Telstra in the newly created position of Director of Segment Marketing. More
In the UK, oil and gas production and power generation company Centrica Energy has appointed former IoD Senior Economic Advisor Corin Taylor as Head of Communications Research. More
The Research Industry Index (RII) - the Marketing Research Association's indicator of business activity in the profession in the US - has reached 100 for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2010, signalling growing optimism across the sector. More
US-based market research and market intelligence agency SIS International Research has opened an office in Berlin, Germany, and appointed Christoph Bodden-Brux as its Managing Director. More
Mobile research technology firm OnePoint Global has initiated a recruitment drive to fill 45 new positions in its Development and Innovation teams. The firm is also launching the OnePoint Global Innovation Centre (OPIC). More
Andrew Cooper, Founding Director of UK research & strategy consultancy Populus, is returning to the company after a two-year leave of absence in which he served as Director of Strategy for PM David Cameron. More
US-based Qualtrics, which provides software for DIY data collection and analysis, has expanded to Europe with the opening of an office in Dublin, Ireland. The firm has also confirmed plans to create 150 new jobs in the EMEA region within the next 36 months. More
Millward Brown has appointed two Regional Managing Directors in Europe: Benoît Tranzer takes responsibility for France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands; and Jean-Michel Janoueix for Central / Eastern Europe and the Nordics. More
UK-based research consultancy Incite has announced a number of appointments in its recently opened New York and Singapore offices. More
In the UK, MR training and consultancy organisation Insight Management Academy has launched the 'Agency Group', an initiative offering members workshops, assessments and the chance to 'work closely with major clients'. More
Stockholm-based presentation software specialist Dapresy has opened two US offices, in Boston and San Francisco. More
MR industry marketing and sales consultancy Harpeth has launched the M|R Marketing Workshop, an online educational program for agency owners, senior execs and independent research consultants. More
TNS BMRB, the division of Kantar providing specialist social research and insight on public policy for government and not-for-profit clients, has expanded its qualitative practice with a number of recent senior level appointments, following a year of growth. More
US-based in-store analytics firm ShopperTrak Corporation has appointed Bill McCarthy, previously CTO at the company's Chicago headquarters, as CEO of its EMEA operations. Current EMEA head Todd Starcevich returns to Chicago for the newly created role of head of the global mall division. More
Panel exchange operator Cint and research software specialist Nebu have announced a partnership, integrating Cint's Link system with Nebu's offering to give the latter's clients automatic access to the former's 10 million double opt-in OpinionHUB respondents, in 57 countries. More
Leading edge UK-based agency BrainJuicer has announced Interim Results for the six months ended 30th June, with revenue up 4% to £10.8m, and operating profit up 81% to £1.3m. More
UK MR agencies Engage Research and Bonamy Finch have partnered to introduce a proprietary approach called 'EvolveScope', through which brands can evaluate new ideas, claims or packs prior to launch. More
Insight and marketing group Cello has reported a 14.3% revenue rise to £71.5m for the six months to 30th June 2013, up from £62.6m in the prior year period. Gross profit increased 7.9% to £34.4m. More
UK broadcaster ITV has appointed former Google UK and Ireland Strategic Marketing Director Sarah Speake as Director of Commercial Marketing and Research. She will replace Paul Gilshan who left earlier in the year to join Freesat. More
Customer experience management consultancy Nunwood has appointed twelve new members of staff at its London and Sydney offices, on the back of several new business wins from clients including British Airways and the Post Office in the UK and Suncorp Bank & Insurance in Australia. More
IMS Health has partnered with the Life Sciences division of BroadReach Healthcare, to offer advisory services, commercial solutions and market measurement for life sciences clients operating in Africa. More
David Jones, a former Head of Communications at First Direct, has launched a new UK-based market research agency called Habit5, which will focus on providing mutual understanding between brands and their customers. More
Former Nielsen colleagues Jeff Stewart and Christophe Cazes have launched a new firm called Asia Market Development (AMD), offering alternative approaches to the larger global firms which they say offer 'inflexible solutions' not designed for the Asian market. More
Australian firm QSR International has combined its flagship qual research software NVivo with SurveyMonkey's DIY research tool, which it says will make it easier for individuals to collect, organize, understand and report on open-ended survey responses. More
In Germany, qual specialist The Psyma Group has set up a new 'Energy & Infrastructure' research division, led by former GfK leader Marion Krämer-Bongartz. More
US-based fieldwork group Schlesinger Associates has created two new senior roles in Europe: Eric Nalpas becomes overall Managing Director, and James Sallows Managing Director of its online data collection arm Schlesinger Interactive. More
European consumer and luxury goods research specialist Stratégir has appointed Jackie Tarran as Managing Director in its UK office, replacing Dorte Torpe Hansen, who is moving into the role of International Business Development Director. More
TNS has been retained for The European Commission's $85m framework contract to deliver the Standard Eurobarometer studies for the next four years, seeing off competition from Ipsos, Gallup and GfK. More
Anna Noonan, formerly Qualitative Field Manager at ICM Direct, has launched her own face-to-face field agency called Strawberry Field, named after the London suburb where she lives. More
UK youth marketing specialist The Beans Group has spun off its market research arm into a separate agency called Voxburner. More
Former Hall & Partners New York Managing Partner Mark Stapylton has launched his own firm, BrandPanorama Research & Consulting. More
In London, ad and brand research specialist Hall & Partners has transferred its European CEO Paul Edwards to the position of Chief Strategic Officer. More
Steven Deketelaere, the founder of online qual and quant research firm iVOX, has returned to the company's Belgium headquarters as Chief Executive Officer, after a two-year stint in the US. More
Marcoms giant WPP has reported a 2.1% increase in second quarter revenue in its 'Data Investment Management' (DIM) arm, previously known as the Consumer Insight division. The total figure of £651m reflects growth in all regions except the UK and Western Europe. More
Marcoms group Chime has reported a 'strong' half year for its CIE (Insight & Engagement) arm, with operating profit up 33% to £1.2m, compared with £0.7m in the first six months of 2012. Reported revenue of £5.35m for the division is almost unchanged from H1 2012. More
In Australia, MR and public opinion polling firm Roy Morgan Research has appointed industry specialist Tim Martin for the newly created role of Digital Director, Client Services. More
Harris Interactive has reported a 5% drop in revenue for the year ended June 30th, to $140.3m; but adjusted EBITDA growth of 25% to $15.3m, leading CEO Al Angrisani to describe fiscal 2013 as a 'pivotal year' in the firm's turnaround process. More
Revenue at Sydney-based research and marcoms group Enero plunged in the last financial year, with the total figure dropping from $AUD 225.2m to $AUD 127.3m. Revenue from continuing operations was down from $AUD 174m last year; and the group's reported loss was $AUD 83m. More
US-based online community specialist Passenger has promoted Thomas Finkle to the position of Chief Executive Officer, replacing former Chairman and CEO Bahram Nour-Omid who will remain Executive Chairman and continue to be involved in a strategic role. More
In the UK, insight and innovation consultancy The Futures Company has promoted Deputy MD Henry Tucker to the role of EMEA Managing Director, replacing Sarah King who is transferring to a new position at Kantar. More
Australian industry body The Readership Works has announced that its new 'emma' newspaper and magazine readership survey will roll out monthly from November. More
GfK has announced organic revenue growth of 1.7% in the first half of 2013, with sales totalling EUR 728.6m, and a 'particularly profitable' Q2, with adjusted operating income up 15.7 percent. More
WPP is to accelerate its move towards digital sources and fast-growth markets, raising longstanding targets for the proportion of business from each, according to a LinkedIn post by CEO Sir Martin Sorrell. He also appears to be phasing out the words 'research' and 'insight' in favour of a catchy new expression... More
DIY online research platform ZappiStore is expanding to France and Germany, just four months after launching. More
Japanese research giant INTAGE Inc. has signed a strategic alliance agreement with New Delhi-based R.S. Market Research Solutions, through its subsidiary INTAGE India. More
The world's 25 largest research firms reported a 'better than expected' 2012, thanks in large part to syndicated services and global acquisitions, according to industry authority Jack Honomichl. More
Bob Carrigan, the CEO of media, events and research group IDG Communications Worldwide, is stepping down from his position at the end of September, when he will be replaced by company veterans Michael Friedenberg and David Hill. More
Patient insights and healthcare analytics specialist the National Research Corporation (NRC) has reported an 8% increase in second quarter revenue to $22.4m. More
London-based full service agency IFF Research has launched a Health & Wellbeing (H&W) division, to provide a range of services from patient satisfaction tracking surveys and health and lifestyle studies, to more niche studies involving hard-to-reach audiences. More
London-based research firm YouthSight has spun off its co-creation tool Bright Young Minds into a separate business, to help brands and creative agencies collaborate with the 'top 25%' of skilled young people via its OpinionPanel Community. More
In New York, GfK Consumer Experiences has named Justin Edge as Managing Director of Health, and Tom Neri as EVP of Financial Services, to head the respective North American client teams. More
Technology specialist Gartner has reported a 12% rise in second quarter revenue for its Research division, which brought in $311.2m. More
In India, WPP-owned IMRB has expanded its household consumer panel to reflect changes taking place across the country. More
TLE has restructured its Sydney office, with the promotion of Lee Naylor to Managing Director, as Tim Riches moves to a new role in the design sector. The firm has also expanded Chrissy Blackburn's position to include leadership of the Qual team. More
The private-equity backers of e-Rewards - owner of Research Now and Peanut Labs - are said to be in discussions to find a buyer, according to sources quoted on Bloomberg, with a price tag of 'at least $600m' according to one contact. More
UK-based online database FieldShare, which details market research interviewers and recruiters, has been 'spring-cleaned' to refresh and revalidate its listings for a new era of research. More
Caleb Elston, one of the men behind a mobile chat app called Yobongo, has set up a new company in California called Delighted, with the aim of helping businesses connect with their customers. More
Family-run research business Survey Marketing Services (SMS), based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK, is being handed over to the next generation, as its two founders Joy Maxwell and Judith Scrivener retire. More
London-based full service agency Basis Research has reported a 26% increase in revenues to £6.1m for the financial year ending 31 March 2013, reflecting a sustained period of organic growth. More
UK researchers are feeling more positive, possibly because of an increase in their budgets and revenues, suggests RSM in its latest Research Professionals' survey. More
In London, marcoms group Chime Communications has launched a dedicated qualitative recruitment agency called Cherry Picked, which will offer bespoke respondent recruitment services to businesses in the UK and internationally. More
In the UK, NatCen Social Research has promoted Kirby Swales to head up its Income and Work team, leading sixteen methodological researchers who specialise in employment, skills and income studies. More
Insurance industry Veteran Wendy Aarons-Corman has launched a new company called UX Game Changers, which offers a range of evaluation techniques to help clients deliver ideal user experiences across both web and mobile devices. More
Insight and comms group Creston is expecting revenue for the three months to 30 June 2013 (Q1) to be 'slightly lower' than for the same period in 2012 - down 5% in like-for-like terms. However, the firm's Insight division expects to report an increase in revenue during the period. More
Chicago-based full service agency Peryam & Kroll Research (P&K) has promoted Richard Popper to the position of Chief Executive Officer, replacing Beverley Kroll, who will continue in the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors. Eric Maddux meanwhile becomes President. More
US-based market research and market intelligence agency SIS International Research has opened an office in Los Angeles, and appointed Michael Stanat Managing Director for the West Coast region. More
Following a 2.7% fall in first quarter revenue, Ipsos has reported a 0.4% rise in its second quarter figures. However, negative currency effects meant that total first half 2013 revenues fell by 4% to EUR 803.7m. More
UK-based business-to-business agency B2B International has reported its 'best ever' half year, with revenue up 70% to £3.1m during the period. More
UK-based consumer agency Firefish has opened an office in New York, headed by former The Leading Edge (TLE) partner Liam Daley. More
Forrester Research CEO George Colony has described the firm's recovery as a 'work in progress', while reporting a fall in second quarter revenue to $78.2m, from $79.1m a year previously. More
Omnicom-owned brand and communications researcher Hall & Partners has promoted four execs to Partner status - Dale Wilson in Los Angeles, Karim Ahmed in New York, and Lucy Burnham and Martin Dewhurst in London. More
Japanese IT solutions and consulting services provider Nomura Research Institute (NRI) has bought a 25% stake in Indian research company Market Xcel Data Matrix (MX), in order to strengthen its own research and consulting services offer. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Israel-based start-up Beyond Verbal, which offers software which can gauge human emotions by listening to the tone of a voice, has raised a further $1m in a second seed round of funding, and says it will use it for R&D and to market its services. More
New Zealand-based full service quant and qual agency Cinta Research is looking for a buyer, as founder and MD Fiona Hudson looks to focus her attention on her daughter's career as New Zealand's top alpine skier. More
Jon Cohen, who has led the Washington Post's (WaPo) polling operation Capital Insight for the past seven years, is leaving to join the Pew Research Center in the newly created role of Vice President of Research. More
Seattle-based innovation and idea management software company IdeaScale has expanded to the east by opening an office in Washington D.C., through which it will support its federal clients. More
In the US, travel industry research firm PhoCusWright has appointed United Airlines veteran Tony D'Astolfo to lead it as Managing Director. His remit includes building the firm's research and events services and expanding its global reach. More
Gallup has agreed to pay $10.5m to settle charges that it overbilled the US Mint and State Department by overstating billable hours. Former Gallup exec turned whistle-blower Michael Lindley is to receive $1.9m for his part in the case. More
New York-based MR consultancy Open Mind Strategy has added quantitative research to its portfolio of services, while appointing youth culture expert Allison O'Keefe Wright as SVP, MD of Research and Strategy. More
Ipsos has filed a lawsuit in London's High Court against Aegis, claiming that the marcoms giant failed to disclose tax and fraud probes at Synovate, before it sold the company for £525m ($792m). As a result, Ipsos is seeking up to £65.8m ($100m) in compensation from Aegis. More
UK-based insight and marketing group Cello has reported 'robust trading' for the first six months to 30 June 2013, and says its Consumer arm returned to revenue growth in the period while its Health division continued its expansion. More
Kadence International has reported a 35% year-on-year increase in net revenues to $27m for the year ending 30th June 2013. Business in Indonesia, the US and Singapore was particularly brisk. More
Chris Eynon has retired as Head of TNS BMRB Scotland after an MR career spanning more than thirty years. He has been replaced by Katherine McIsaac in the firm's Edinburgh office. More
Foviance co-founder Paul Blunden has set up a firm called Usability247, to provide 24-7 multi-platform user experience research and usability testing services to clients around the world. More
Former Toluna exec William Yattah has launched France's first specialist MR recruitment consultancy, Market Research People. More
Marketing budgets in many British firms were revised upwards in the second quarter of 2013, giving the most optimistic picture in six years according to one measure in the latest IPA Bellwether survey, published today. Market research budgets however appear little changed. More
In the US, business intelligence technology firm Geoscape has opened a new division to provide multicultural market research, integrated with its existing data resources and analytics expertise. More
Online specialist BrainJuicer is predicting a 4% increase in half year sales (vs H1 2012) and gross profit up approximately 6%, after what the firm describes as a 'difficult end' to 2012. More
In the UK, Surrey-based full service agency Impact Research has reported turnover of £1.3m for the year to April 2013, almost doubling last year's figure of £716k. For the year, gross margin was £637m, or 48% of turnover. More
Watermelon Research, the specialist digital company within Chime's CIE division, has announced the opening of an office in Sydney, its first in the Asia Pacific region. Company MD Mark Squires will oversee the setup and management of the new office. More
Full service agency FieldGlobal has opened new offices in the UAE, China and Indonesia, as well as a second India-based office in Delhi. More
While turnover in the UK market research industry is still 'fragile', the sector has reported a slower decline in the past twelve months according to research conducted by the Market Research Society (MRS). A majority of firms expect growth in 2013. More
IT services specialist the dotH Group has opened a survey programming and data analysis firm in Toronto, dotH Research, offering a wide range of qual and quant tools to clients across North America. More
Online community specialist Vision Critical has partnered with Sao Paulo-based market research agency Nox4Think, which will resell its insight community technologies to clients and prospects across Brazil. More
In the UK, specialist social research agency TNS BMRB has won a £17m contract to deliver the next three waves of the 'Understanding Society' household study, which is claimed to be the largest social research programme of its kind in the world. More
UK-based consumer and cultural insight agency Flamingo is opening a sixth international office next month in Mumbai, adding to bases in London, New York, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. More
Data collection specialist Ipsos Healthcare Field Services has returned to its former name, Fieldwork International, in Italy. More
Not-for-profit bodies NatCen Social Research and RTI International have signed a three-year agreement through which they will aim to share knowledge and expertise and build their research capacity and capabilities. More
UK-based Kadence International has launched in Vietnam - the fifth Asian country in which it now has a presence - with offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi; and has appointed Ivy Trang as Country Head, leading a team of nine. More
Market research agency support consultancy Actus Sales Intelligence - formerly known as ActusMR - has opened a division dedicated to recruiting professional sales executives for the MR sector. More
Television production firm Shine America has appointed former NBCUniversal researcher Kevin Ivey to set up and lead a new research department in Los Angeles. More
UK-based consumer specialist Incite has opened full service offices in New York and Singapore, strengthening its service for global clients. More
Ipsos has launched a social media research and communities division called Ipsos SMX (Social Media Exchange), to provide clients with new approaches to market research into consumer engagement and interaction. More
The founders of photo sharing site TweetPhoto have set up a DIY mobile survey platform called SlimSurveys, in a bid to take on companies like Survey Monkey which they claim provide a 'terrible experience' for survey takers. More
Cello-owned Insight Health US has opened an office in Chicago, where it has appointed former Hall & Partners exec Angela Wheeler as CEO. More
In London, former YouthSight AD Mia Lorenz has opened her own training consultancy called the Research Academy, which will offer face-to-face and distance learning courses for the MRS Advanced Certificate and the MRS Diploma in Market & Social Research. More
US research provider Kelton has reported revenue up by 15% to more than $18million, and headcount up by a quarter. It has also announced a new office and a rebrand. More
Analysis conducted by industry authority Jack Honomichl points to a 'weak downward trend' in the research sector in 2012. A total of $9.5 billion was spent in the US on the sector, which is defined as including marketing, advertising and public opinion research services. More
AOL's branded video content and analytics business Be On has partnered with emotional testing platform Realeyes to develop a biometric tracking service which reveals subconscious reactions to any piece of video content. More
Lakewood, CO-based qualitative and sensory testing specialist Ingather Research has opened new facilities in downtown Denver. More
Chinese PC manufacturer Lenovo is to launch a global analytics hub in Singapore, through which it will tap into and analyse online and off-line data to support its marketing intelligence and social media teams. More
The partners of UK-based brand consultancy Purpose have teamed up with neuroscientist Dr Beau Lotto to launch a lab called Beautiful Mind, offering a combination of neuroscience, behavioural science and 'design thinking' for examining customer and client behaviour. More
Biometric measurement specialist Innerscope Research has appointed former Nielsen media researcher Bill Moult as Chief Executive Officer, according to US press reports. More
San Francisco-based online consumer survey specialist Survata (formerly known as NomoPay) has completed a seed funding round, raising $1.5m for product development and expansion of its sales efforts. More
Facial expression analysis specialist Emotient and eye tracking software solutions firm iMotions have teamed up to create a platform that combines their key offerings, along with EEG and GSR technologies. More
UK-based consumer agency Firefish has appointed former Flamingo director Liz Seok as Group Qualitative Director. More
Thomas Turey, the former Controller at market research agency Rothstein-Tauber (RTi), has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $3.4m from the company. He faces a maximum prison sentence of up to twenty years when sentenced in August. More
Millward Brown has appointed Adrian Gonzalez as CEO of its Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific (AMAP) region, effective July 15th. He succeeds Travyn Rhall, recently promoted to Global CEO. More
Tel Aviv, Israel-based start-up Beyond Verbal claims to have software which can gauge human emotions by listening to the tone of a voice, regardless of language. The company has recently raised $2.8m in a round of seed funding. More
The American Marketing Association (AMA) has opened its first overseas office, in Shanghai, China, and will offer a marketing training and certification program for Chinese marketers, developed by agreement with Chinese authorities. More
In Chicago, Hyatt Hotels Corporation has promoted Heather Briggs to the newly created position of Vice President of Consumer Insights and Market Research; and has announced three other VP appointments in branding and digital roles. More
Vision Critical has announced a partnership with Shanghai-based agency N Dynamic Market Research and Consultancy, which will offer its insight community technologies to clients across China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. More
Brand and communications researcher Hall & Partners has appointed Jim Forrest as Global Partner, Digital Innovations, based in New York, with a remit to drive digital strategy and the creation, global roll-out and integration of digital capabilities across the company. More
UK-based market research recruiter RP Cushing is to open an office in Hong Kong in the summer, two years after the launch of its Singapore branch. More
London-based social and consumer trend forecasting firm the Trajectory Partnership is moving to larger offices, to meet the demands of its growing list of clients. More
April Jeffries has been promoted to the role of President of Ipsos UU, Ipsos Marketing's qualitative research arm in the US. She is based in the firm's office in Mahwah, NJ. More
Millward Brown has appointed Travyn Rhall as Global CEO, succeeding Eileen Campbell who is stepping down in mid-July for personal reasons. More
In the US, the Marketing Research Association (MRA) has appointed Nestle Purina PetCare insights exec Jill Donahue as its 2013-2014 Chairman. More
In the UK, fieldwork division ICM Direct has expanded its Bedford Call Centre by 20 percent, responding to 'increased client demand for fieldwork services'. More
Ipsos has made several key appointments in its North American leadership team, naming Jeff Cail as Chief Operating Officer, David Parma as President of Ipsos Marketing, and Jim Meyer as CEO of Ipsos ASI. More
WPP brand and media specialist Millward Brown has opened an office in Dhaka, Bangladesh, headed by Samina Afrin, who recently joined the company from Nielsen. More
Emanuel Maxl, the Chairman of Austrian MR body VMÖ, has set up a new consultancy called Context Research, based in Vienna. More
Healthcare consultancy Double Helix has opened an office in Munich, where it has appointed Thomas Becker as 'Head of Germany for Global Market Research'. More
Healthcare consultancy Double Helix has put together an APAC market research team, which will be led by former IMS Health exec Diana Tan and will work out of its Singapore offices. More
Former Ipsos MORI Scotland exec Margaret Frazer has opened a new agency called 9 Dots Insights, with bases in Edinburgh and London and offering market, brand and communications research as well as strategic marketing consultancy. More
US ad agency veteran Sheree Johnson has launched a firm called SJ Insights, which will offer market intelligence and analysis, proprietary market research, media planning and buying, along with marketing and advertising related consultancy services. More
GfK has issued an ad hoc statement on preliminary figures for the first quarter, showing organic sales growth of only 0.6 percent, and adjusted operating income and margin down on Q1 2012. However the global group says order levels are good and it should meet annual forecasts of 3-4 percent sales growth. More
GfK has announced the acquisition of Australia-based agricultural insights firm Paterson Consulting, and the opening of new offices in Sydney and Melbourne for its Animal and Crop Health team. More
Minneapolis-based custom qual provider Gordon Weiss Research has rebranded as Sivo Insights with immediate effect. More
London-based research panel and online community specialist Verve has moved to a new loft space in The Leather Market near Tower Bridge, in preparation for substantial growth during the year. The firm has also appointed Georgina Botting and Sali Turner as Directors. More
Research Now has joined online community specialist Vision Critical's Global Partner Program, in order to offer the latter's insight community technologies to its own clients and prospects around the world. More
Bart Michels, UK MD of WPP's brand development and insight consultancy Added Value, will take on the role of Global Chief Executive Officer from 1st July, replacing Janine Hawkins who is leaving the company. More
Specialist healthcare fieldwork consultancy Ipsos Healthcare Field Services has returned to its former name, Fieldwork International, in the UK. More
TNS has appointed Doug Maclay as Head of its Qualitative practice in the Middle East, based in its Dubai office, from 19th May. More
US company MarketVision Research has appointed Frank Gutowski as Research Director, Jennifer Hall as Manager of Quant Field Operations, Scott Hanson as VP of Client Services, and Ashley Ice as a Programmer. The firm has also promoted Tom Donnelly and Renu Dalal to VP roles. More
Harris Interactive has reported third quarter revenue down 2% to $33.6m, and bookings down 13% to $34.4m. However, profits climbed and operating income was $1.1m, compared with a loss of $371k a year previously. More
Millward Brown has appointed Surekha Poddar as Managing Director in charge of its Mumbai operation - the firm's largest in South Asia. She replaces Muder Chiba, who is leaving 'to pursue other interests'. More
Online research community specialist Vision Critical and full service agency SKOPOS in Germany have hooked up to offer their respective services to clients. More
Technology research specialist Gartner has reported a 10% increase in first quarter total group revenue to $406.8m - with the Research division posting an impressive 13% increase to $310.3m. More
GfK has acquired the remainder of subsidiaries GfK Etilize in the US, media control GfK International in Germany, and GfK UK Entertainments in the UK. More
UK-based business-to-business agency B2B International has posted what it describes as its 'best ever' start-of-year figures, with first quarter revenue of £1.7m, up 108% from Q1 2012. More
In London, Kate Anderson has been promoted to the position of Joint MD of Cello-owned RS Consulting Group. She replaces Phil Stubington, who will now focus on developing the group's key accounts, while leading its innovation development programme. More
Ipsos Healthcare has announced the launch of SEES, a range of disease-specific syndicated ethnographic studies, examining patients' experience and views. Initially available in the UK, France, Italy, Spain and the USA, the firm says the studies will 'bring to life the day-to-day challenges of living with a chronic disease'. More
Healthcare research specialist the Research Partnership has expanded its US operations with new offices in Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco; to be led respectively by Claire Richardson and new arrivals Christine Naegle and Birgit Eschmann. More
In Liverpool, UK, MR agency Curiosity Insight and social networking site AllJoinOn.com have launched CrowdZoo, described as the country's 'first' MR solution combining 'a feature-packed, easy to use online bulletin board' and 'the research participants to use it'. More
WPP's Consumer Insight division has reported a 3.2% increase in revenue from £569m to £588m for the first quarter. Like-for-like - allowing for currency changes and the effect of acquisitions - the rise was only 1%. More
Online insight community specialist Tuned In has opened an office in New York City, where it has relocated AD Matthew Ayers and Research Manager Katie O'Driscoll. More
Ipsos has reported a 5.3% drop in first quarter revenues to EUR 359.6m, which equates to a 2.7% drop at constant scope and exchange rates. The firm says these figures reflect a decrease in commercial activity in the final quarter of 2012. More
Technology specialist Forrester Research has announced a slight increase in first quarter revenues to $71.5m, compared with $70.3m in the prior year period. Net income meanwhile fell from $2.3m to $0.9m. More
London-based qualitative insight consultancy Sundance has opened an office in Singapore, led by Account Director Jessica Bower. More
UK-based consumer insight and strategic consulting firm Future Foundation has expanded its international operations to Stockholm, Sweden, with the opening of a new office led by former GfK leader Anders Brogren. More
Howard Briskin, the COO of Washington, DC-based polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (GQR), is stepping down from his position at the end of the month. CFO Ismael Savadogo will take over the COO responsibilities while continuing in his existing role. More
UK-based insight group Creston plc has issued a trading update covering the year ended 31st March 2013, ahead of full year results which are due on 12th June. Group revenue was flat at £75m, but Creston said the recovery in its Insight division continued during the second half. More
Reports in the UK press suggest that Andrew Cooper, co-founder of polling firm Populus, is leaving his position as an advisor to PM David Cameron, possibly as a result of differences with Australian election specialist Lynton Crosby. More
Emotional response measurement specialist Forbes Consulting Group has announced a partnership with Arab research boutique iQual, to bring 'cutting-edge applied neuroscience and emotional insight to businesses throughout the Middle East'. More
US information and analytics provider IHS has announced that current President and COO Scott Key will assume the role of President and Chief Executive Officer on June 1, when Chairman and CEO Jerre Stead will move into the role of Executive Chairman. More
UK-based consumer insight and strategic consulting firm The Future Foundation has expanded to the US with the opening of an office in New York, where it has relocated Heather Corker in the role of VP, Consumer Trends, North America. More
US online research specialist InsightExpress is adding Affectiva's Affdex facial expression analysis technology to its CreativeImpact copy testing solution, to enable brands to optimize their TV ad campaigns using quant neuromarketing techniques. More
Online research community specialist Vision Critical has announced an agreement with Dentsu Marketing Insight Inc., a subsidiary of the Japanese advertising giant, which will develop communities in Japan. More
London-based brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners (H&P) has made two senior hires in its European healthcare team: ex-Kantar Health exec Chris McPartland and former medeConnect Research Director Lucy Ireland. More
Sydney, Aus-based Q Research Software is to open an office in New York later this month, and has appointed former Illuminas SRE Steven Kawalek to lead it. More
Healthcare research specialist WorldOne has secured $35m in funding, most of which it will use to expand its Sermo online physician community. More
Ipsos has sold its theatrical research division the Motion Picture Group (MPG) to a private investment company led by former MPG President Vincent Bruzzese. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based ActiveGroup, which provides video streaming to the market research industry, is reportedly to cease operations on April 5 after fourteen years in business. The firm is part of MVL Group, which also owns companies including PhoneBase and QuickTest/Heakin. More
US-based healthcare and government researcher Abt Associates has promoted Scott Royal to the new position of President and CEO of its survey research and data collection arm, Abt SRBI. More
UK custom panel and community specialist EasyInsites has reported a 40% year-on-year increase in first quarter revenue to more than £300k. The firm has also promoted two members of staff and hired Martin Levett as Web and Survey Programmer. More
SPA Future Thinking Group Managing Director Richard Hepburn is to leave the company to become Divisional MD at engineering and environmental testing business ALcontrol Laboratories. More
Online research and polling firm YouGov has reported strong results for the 6 months ending January 31st, the first half of its financial year, with like-for-like revenue growth of 5% and adjusted profit before tax up by 16% to £2.6m. More
Millward Brown has announced changes to its AMAP (Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific) Executive Board, including changed roles for Shishir Varma and Deepender Rana, and the addition of newly promoted South Asia MD Prasun Basu. More
London-based Realeyes, which measures facial expressions and quantifies people's emotional reactions through standard video devices such as webcams and in-store cameras, has completed a $3.2m round of investment. More
M&C Saatchi-owned brand research specialist Clear has reported a 'very tough year', with revenues slowing as nine of their top ten clients cut spending by 50%, resulting in a headline operating profit drop from £2m to £0.3m. More
Australia and UK-based digital consumer insights specialist Watch Me Think has expanded to the US, where it has appointed Kevin Gould as President. More
Canadian marcoms agency Donovan Creative has opened a focus group testing facility at its offices in Edmonton, Alberta. More
For the first time since it was founded in 2000, online specialist BrainJuicer has reported a 'poor year', citing a combination of flat sales and cost increases for a 45% drop in operating profit to £1.5m from £2.7m in 2011. Revenues increased very slightly to £20.8m. More
Juniper Consulting Group (Junicon) has appointed Michael LoPresti as Managing Director of its Tokyo-based healthcare marketing research and consulting company Junicon K.K. More
eCGlobal Solutions - which provides online communities and panels across Latin America - has partnered with social software company Ramius, owner of the online qual marketing research platform Recollective. More
UK-based telephone research specialist Facts International has expanded into the APAC region, with the opening of an office in Sydney, Australia. More
US-based online community specialist Passenger has appointed former GfK exec Thomas Finkle as President and Chief Operations Officer, with a remit to help expand its domestic and global client base. More
GfK has launched its Brand and Customer Experience practice (BaCE) in the UK, and promoted Iain Stanfield to lead it. More
Panel firm Research Now has announced an international deal with Experian Marketing Services, the data giant's insight and targeting wing, combining online behavioural data with the ability to survey the same individuals. More
Facial imaging specialist nViso and US-based neuroscience firm Sands Research are to combine their software on a single platform and service offering. Terms of the partnership were not disclosed. More
TNS will run the Eurobarometer Qualitative studies for the EC and European Parliament for another four years. 'Believed to be the world's largest qualitative research programme', the EUR 18m win saw TNS beat competition from Ipsos, GfK and Gallup. More
Healthcare fieldwork firm M3 Global Research has hired eight former employees of Epocrates, following the latter's acquisition by electronic health record provider athenahealth, and the subsequently closure of its QuickRecruit service. M3 has also made ten further appointments and three promotions. More
TNS has officially opened an office in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma), claiming to be the first international consumer insights consultancy to secure a licence to officially conduct business in the country. More
Ipsos has set up a new Employee Relationship Management (ERM) practice in APAC, helping clients with talent attraction, employer branding, leadership development and staff retention strategies. More
UK-based insight and marketing group Cello has reported 'solid overall performance' in 2012, with revenues of £135.1m, up 5.8%, and headline profit before tax flat at £7.0m (2011: £7.1m). The firm's Health division outperformed Consumer, but the latter enjoyed a good second half. More
GfK has confirmed a 10.2% increase in 2012 sales to EUR 1.5 billion, exceeding its target of 9%. 'Strong' organic growth of 3.1% is cited as a key reason for beating the target. More
US research provider Gongos has formed a new division, O2 Integrated, dedicated to 'fusing enterprise data and primary research to reshape customer-centric decision making for Global 1000 companies'; and has appointed Jason Raguso to lead it. More
WPP's media investment management group GroupM has opened a new Consulting Services division, whose offer will include marketing and media analytics, as well as business forecasting. More
TNS has appointed former Ernst & Young Partner Richard Ingleton as its new Global Chief Executive Officer, replacing Eric Salama who previously combined the role with his leadership of Kantar. More
Revenue at Chime's Insight and Engagement division rose more than 50% to £13.6m in 2012. Operating income was up 53% to £7.6m and operating profit more than tripled to £2.2m from £0.7m. More
Media and ad research exec Lauren Bronchtein has been named SVP, Research and Insights at MPA - the Association of Magazine Media, replacing Wayne Eadie who is retiring after 40 years in the magazine sector. More
Millward Brown has promoted Soumya Saklani to the position of Managing Director, Sub Saharan Africa and Chris Githaiga to support him as Managing Director of the East Africa region. More
In Australia, former GfK Blue Moon execs Claire Duffy and Craig Smith have set up a new qualitative market and social research agency called Snapcracker Research + Strategy, in Willoughby, north of Sydney. More
Ipsos Marketing has announced a strategic partnership with Bounty, the UK's largest parenting club. The deal gives Ipsos clients access to Bounty's 37,000 strong Word of Mum Panel, comprising mums-to-be, new mums and those with pre-school age children. More
DIY online survey firm SurveyMonkey has announced the launch of a developer portal and a new set of data APIs, powered by software firm Mashery, which it says will help users integrate its products into mobile and web applications. More
WPP has announced preliminary results for 2012. Group revenues rose 3.5% to around £10.4bn, and headline EBITDA rose 7% to £1.76bn; but in the Consumer Insight division, like-for-like revenues rose just 0.8%, with gross margin down 1.1%. More
Jennifer Otto, formerly Vice President of Consumer & Market Knowledge at P&G, has joined expert solutions provider YourEncore, to lead its new consumer insights program. More
Ipsos has reported 2012 revenues of EUR 1.8bn, up from EUR 1.4bn in 2011, but disappointing given the addition of Synovate. Accustomed to rapid growth, the group blamed the stall on politicians, the integration process and competitor poaching of senior staff. Profits however remained solid. More
Lauren Demar has been promoted to the role of Deputy Chief Executive Officer, with responsibility for two Ipsos Marketing divisions: InnoQuest and MarketQuest. More
Automotive customer feedback specialist Vital Insights has opened two new regional offices near Paris and London, complementing its existing offices in Germany and the Czech Republic. More
GfK has integrated its 'EMO Scan' facial expression measure into its existing ad testing system, to help clients understand consumers' spontaneous emotional response to advertising. More
Swedish eye tracking technology firm Smart Eye has secured a SEK 25m investment (c.EUR 2.9m), which it will use for further product development and market expansion. More
US branding agency ParkerWhite Brand Interactive has opened an insight and social media analysis business, Immersive Youth Marketing, in partnership with youth marketer Gregg Witt. More
The Leading Edge (TLE) has expanded in Asia with a number of new hires, including Justin Garrett as Managing Director in its Singapore office. The firm has also opened a new office in New Delhi, India. More
Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical and full service agency Morpace have extended their partnership, to add insight community technology to the latter's mainland China offer. More
Ipsos has appointed former TNS exec Marie Lee as Managing Director of its operations in the Philippines. More
Chris Paxton has left the Sydney office of Australian custom researcher The Leading Edge, to return to his native UK as Managing Director of the London office. More
Central London-based qual/quant agency Vision One has opened an office in Liverpool from which it will service clients in northern England and Scotland. More
Online charity fundraising site Goodsearch has partnered with social media sampling firm Peanut Labs to launch an initiative called Goodsurveys, through which participants can take short surveys while earning funds to support their favorite cause. More
Here are the best set of mean salary stats for the UK MR industry you're ever likely to see. Best as in good, solid bases and careful compilation; and the average rise is not bad either. But there's one shocker, and it doesn't take a great analyst to spot it. MrWeb's Nick Thomas continues our celebrations for job no. 100,000. More
GfK is believed to be planning a move from current New York premises in Chelsea Market to a 75,000 square foot office in the World Financial Center. More
Millward Brown has developed a model which it claims 'cracks the code' for how brands drive financial growth for their organisations. More
Is it possible to talk about the mass of new skills and techniques bombarding the profession without feeling depressed about the traditional skills of the market researcher? Most definitely, says MrWeb co-founder Nick Thomas, continuing our celebration of 100,000 MR job ads. More
Market research was once said to be 'recession-proof', but we don't hear that quite so often these days. Are we in a 'double-dip'? And in our new, more cautious mode, who are we recruiting and how many of them? Nick Thomas looks at the stats for 2005-12 as we celebrate our 100,000th job ad this week. More
Kadence International has reported gross revenues up 48% to $14.5m for the first six months of its financial year from July to December 2012 – up from $9.8m in the previous year. UK and US offices both played a key role in the impressive performance. More
Pierre Le Manh has stepped up to the role of CEO of Ipsos in North America, replacing Jim Smith, who becomes Special Advisor to co-Presidents Jean-Marc Lech and Didier Truchot. More
Curiosity Research founder Andy Cumming and his former employee Sally Lewis have joined UK-based consumer insight agency Join the Dots, in Manchester, as Research Director and Senior Research Manager respectively. More
Today we reach the milestone of 100,000 job ads on MrWeb. It's taken just over fourteen years and 1,806 different advertisers, and in that time we've seen many changes in the way researchers are recruited, and the skills in demand. Co-founder Nick Thomas starts an in-depth review today. More
UK-based BDRC Group has added a China office to its existing overseas locations in Singapore and Sydney. Based in Beijing, the new office will be led by former B2B International China Deputy GM Siew Wong. More
New York-based Radius Global Market Research has opened three new offices, in Detroit, Chicago and Princeton, NJ, focusing respectively on work in the automotive, Rx-pharma and financial services industries and led by newly appointed VPs Jeff Zboril, Kathleen Relias and Glenn Staada. More
US-based research technology firm Decipher has opened a new office in the central region of Oregon, on the back of what it describes as a 'year of record growth'. The firm says it has recruited 22 new members of staff across its network of locations. More
Omnicom-owned Hall & Partners Health, which focuses on healthcare and pharma brand marketing and comms research, has promoted Soumya Roy to the role of Managing Partner, in charge of the US team based in New York City and Chicago. More
Technology specialist Gartner saw revenues in its Research division rise 14% to $300.2m in the three months ended December 31, 2012, while for the full year, they climbed 12% to $1.13 billion. More
Harris Interactive has once again reported a drop in revenue and a rise in profit. Fourth quarter revenue fell 5% to $37.1m, but 18 months into its 'business turnaround' initiative, company profits have risen 81% to $2.9m. More
Serco-owned game usability testing firm PlayableGames has changed its name to 'ExperienceLab', reflecting the convergence of mobile, gaming and web and the multi-platform environment in which its clients now operate. More
GfK has named four senior leaders for its operations in the CEE-META (Central and Eastern Europe Middle East, Turkey and Africa) and APAC (Asia and the Pacific) regions. More
Bob Shullman, the former President of affluent consumer measurement business Ipsos Mendelsohn, has set up his own consultancy called the Shullman Research Center, which offers a 'Luxury and Affluence Monthly Pulse' of future purchasing intentions of the US marketplace. More
The Access Partnership has made key appointments on both sides of the Atlantic. Kevin Mayo joins as EVP of its US office in Philadelphia, and Pascal King as Global Director at its London HQ. Thalia Nikoglou and Ahmed Edathodu have also joined as Consultants. More
UK-based business research specialist B2B International has reported its best ever year, with 2012 turnover up 28% to £5.1m. North America and Europe led the way. More
Millward Brown (MB) has announced plans to open a new office in Myanmar (Burma) during the first quarter of 2013, subject to the approval of the local authorities. The new office will be led by Compass Research co-founder Lyndal Pearce. More
Preliminary results indicate that GfK's full-year revenue rose 10.2% in 2012, to approximately EUR 1.5bn, with organic growth of 3.1%. More
London-based Purple Market Research has announced a partnership with US consumer insights specialist Kelton, as part of the latter's Global Group alliance of international partner firms. More
GfK has 'reconfigured' its North American Brand, Customer Experience and Innovation teams, and appointed Eric Villain as Managing Director of the US Brand and Customer Experience (BaCE) division, which now incorporates Customer Loyalty and Brand & Communications. More
UK pharma researcher and communications consultancy Mash Health Limited and its US business Mash Health, Inc have been acquired by the UK's Cello Group plc, for an initial consideration of c.£0.6m. Separately, Cello has reported 'solid full year performance' for 2012. More
UK-based consumer insight agency Join the Dots has appointed former TNS director Mark Walton and former Buzzback manager Ed Wheeler to drive new business across all areas of the company, from its newly established office in London. More
German product, pricing and marketing strategy specialist Simon-Kucher is moving to larger premises in London, after reporting 20% growth in 2012 global revenue to EUR 145m. More
London-based book publisher HarperCollins has appointed former EMI Music SVP of Insight David Boyle, to bring consumer insight to 'every aspect of the publishing process', from acquisition and content development to sales and marketing. More
In Paris, Ipsos has appointed former EDS VP Mary Dupont-Madinier as an Independent Director on its Board of Directors, replacing Wladimir Mollof who has stepped down from the role. In a statement, the firm said the move will bring a 'greater diversity' to the Board. More
Heineken UK is restructuring its London/Edinburgh-based marketing team to reflect what it describes as the increasing importance of 'innovation, media, and digital communications'. DRNO sources say that up to 60 posts will be affected by the changes, including some in the Insights team. More
Ipsos Healthcare's Gareth Phillips has relocated from Singapore to London, to take up the position of Managing Director UK & Head of Western Europe. More
Healthcare specialist The Research Partnership and its recently launched market access consultancy The Access Partnership are moving to a new UK headquarters in Fulham, London on Monday. More
Online specialist BrainJuicer has made 9% of its workforce redundant, saving £0.8m in costs following 'disappointing' trading in the final months of 2012. More
Millward Brown has announced a major expansion of its Link and Facial Coding technology, and says two of its biggest clients, Unilever and The Coca-Cola Company, will use the technique for all their ad testing in 2013. More
Japan-based GMO Research has announced an ambitious Chinese JV with Internet research specialist Horizon E-lab Ltd. A new company, GMO E-Lab Marketing Research (Shanghai) is scheduled to open in April and aims to be 'number one' in the region 'within three years.' More
US-based Market Strategies International has hired former Kantar Operations EVP Kevin Orians as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the company's research services, quality, analytics and research management functions. He reports to company President George Wilkerson. More
US-based fieldwork group Schlesinger Associates is to provide recruiting and management for a new qual research facility, The Insight Lab, in downtown St. Louis. More
In the UK, mobile network O2 has lost its Marketing and Consumer Director Sally Cowdry to National Lottery operator Camelot, where she will take the same title, with a role including consumer insight. She joins her new employer in 'a few months' after helping O2 with the transition. More
Dubai-based researcher POINT Consultancy has launched a specialist FMCG division, Ignite, which will focus on the MENA region and offer a number of proprietary tools and approaches. More
Consumer insights specialists Cristina de Balanzó, Siemon Scamell-Katz and Rafal Ohme have set up a new London-based neuroscience consultancy called The Walnut Group. More
Miami-based sales performance agency The Retail Outsource Companies has launched a new sister company called 'The Consumer Insight' (TCI), which will offer a range of mystery shopping, customer surveys, compliance audits and competitive intelligence services. More
In Canada, panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical and research-based marketing consultancy Academica Group have teamed up to launch a new panel called StudentVu, which offers clients access to the opinions of university and college students. More
The publisher of the Washington Post newspaper has spun off its polling operation as a separate company called Capital Insight, which will offer polling and qual/quant research services to external clients while continuing to conduct studies for the paper. More
UK-based market research agency ICM is relocating to parent company Creston's new Soho headquarters, along with the group's two other London-based agencies TMW and Nelson Bostock. More
Full service agency Market Strategies International (MSI) has opened an office in Singapore, led by David Ying Hon Ho, currently the company's Research Director and International Research Specialist. More
US-based InsightExpress has promoted Drew Lipner and Marc Ryan to the role of Co-Chief Executive Officer, succeeding William Lipner who is retiring from active management of the company. More
In California, gaming industry exec Todd Eilers has launched a company offering market research, equity research and advisory services to casino operators, equipment suppliers, gaming regulators and investors. More
Qual specialist The Sound Research has reported its most profitable year so far, with 2012 revenue up 25% to $7.4m. More
Steve Garton, the former MD of Ipsos MediaCT Asia Pacific, has left to set up his own consultancy. The new firm will base its services around 'holistic communication' and ROI measures, supported by technology 'not previously available in Asia'. More
UK researchers' confidence for the year ahead has dipped, with more predicting a deterioration in the sector's financial health than an improvement, according to RSM's latest Research Professionals' survey. More
Concept testing and forecasting software specialist Affinnova has opened an office in the Willis Building (formerly the Sears Tower) in Chicago, for which it plans to hire additional personnel over the coming months. More
UK supermarket chain Morrisons has promoted Marketing and Operations Director Nick Collard to the new role of Group Marketing and Customer Director. He will join the management board in June. More
Data collection group Schlesinger Associates has launched new viewing facilities at Passerelles Bastille in Paris. More
Japanese researcher INTAGE Inc. and Cairo-based ConField MENA have announced a non-exclusive alliance agreement to provide customized research services in their respective regions. More
Publicis-owned branding agency Digitas has teamed up with New York University's Movement Lab to open a 3D 'motion capture' unit in its Digitas Lab in NYC, through which the agency will research and develop new apps for digital marketing and advertising. More
New York-based media services company Horizon Media has appointed former Ipsos exec Kirk Olson as Director of TrendSights, to create, develop and manage a global trendspotting team with its new division, The WHY Group. More
Research industry staff recruitment firm Asia Talent has opened an office in Hong Kong, where it has appointed Ying Tong-Perrett as Partner for Greater China, with a remit to further develop the company's portfolio of clients in the region. More
Research consultancy and STW Group subsidiary AMR Australia has promoted Oliver Freedman to the role of Managing Director, following the departure of Gary Wilkinson, who has left to set up his own agency, Bliss Point Research. More
Media, events and research company IDG has promoted Matthew Yorke to CEO of its services division IDG Global Solutions (IGS). More
Kadence International has opened a second office in the US, in Boston's Downtown Crossing area, complementing its existing facility in Framingham. The firm has also announced plans to increase US headcount by 100% by 2014, beginning with a 'significant graduate intake' in early 2013. More
GfK NOP, ABA and Research Bods scooped three of the major categories at this year's MRS Awards ceremony held in London last night, while mobile crowdsourcing innovator Nathan Eagle received the inaugural MRS President's Medal. More
YouGov's UK Managing Director Phil Rance is to join research consultancy Quadrangle early next year, as Corporate Development Director. More
Alan Gould, the co-founder of ad effectiveness measurement firm IAG Research, has stepped down from the Board of Harris Interactive, citing increased responsibilities at venture capital firm Greycroft Partners. More
Global wine and spirit brand Pernod Ricard has launched an internal social network called Chatter, through which employees will be encouraged to generate and share new ideas for the business. More
Panel exchange operator Cint has partnered with Delta Marketing Dynamics (DMD) and extended its existing collaboration with ImpactRx, in order to expand its access to the opinions of US healthcare professionals. More
Bob Barocci, the President and CEO of the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF), is to retire at the end of the year and move to a senior advisory role after his successor is named. More
US provider Healthcare Research & Analytics (HRA) has appointed Oleh Denysyk as President, replacing John Maglione who is moving to an undisclosed 'new role' in the company. More
German consultancy Simon-Kucher, which advises on product, pricing and marketing strategy, has announced the appointment of six new partners, all based outside its home country. The firm has recently opened offices in Dubai and Istanbul, and will soon add Sao Paulo and Santiago de Chile. More
London-based agency MESH Planning has made two senior appointments, reflecting a year of expansion for the company. Jo Rigby joins as Managing Director, EMEA and Nicki Boswell as Senior Experience Director. More
Ipsos has appointed Harald Hasselmann as Country Manager of its South African operation, succeeding Jake Orpen who is leaving the company. More
UK-based researcher Neil Cary has launched a new business, Asia Opinions Ltd, offering research services to British and Asian companies, including access to consumer panels, and its own online survey tool, Surveygoo.com. More
London-based consumer agency Firefish has expanded its quant team with four new appointments, including Paul Harvey as a Director, plus Jen Culby, Tom Birch and Louise Dinesen. More
Chicago-based Insights in Marketing (IIM) has launched a new division called 'i on Women', dedicated to understanding female consumers. More
TNS has appointed former Ipsos MORI CEO Mike Everett as Global Head of Stakeholder Management, based in London. More
UK-based agency MMR Research Worldwide, which focuses on the food, drink, personal and household care sectors, has announced seven new appointments including Client Services Director Janine Gamon and ADs Dan Hibbs, Tim Button and Tom Pile. More
Research software firm Kinesis Survey Technologies LLC has announced a strategic partnership with its client StartSampling, which will offer users end-to-end in-home product testing services. More
UK store group The John Lewis Partnership has announced that current Lloyds Banking Group Customer Value chief Paul de Laat will move to the retailer in January to become its first Customer Insight Director. More
Facial recognition in a retail environment, previously conducted by digital signage and kiosks, has just received a slightly scary makeover courtesy of Italian company Almax, whose EyeSee mannequin videos shoppers and categorises them for marketing purposes. More
In the UK, former AQR Chair Peter Lovett has announced the closure of Consumer Profile Ltd, the Oxfordshire based full-service agency he founded in 1986. He will remain in the industry via a new consultancy, Bespoke Qualitative Research. More
Former Nielsen NeuroFocus MD for Europe Thom Noble has set up as an independent consultant with the establishment of a new firm, NeuroStrata, focusing on the application of neuromarketing and biosensory techniques. More
Canadian crowdsourcing tech firm Chaordix has appointed Carey Houston as Chief Operating Officer, replacing Jim Gibson who has moved into the revenue-generating role of Executive Vice President, Global Markets. More
Marketers are growing more pessimistic following cuts to their budgets across Asia Pacific and Europe and stagnant figures in the US, according to Warc's latest Global Marketing Index (GMI) report. More
In London, specialist social research division TNS BMRB has opened a 'Centre for International Development Research', which will draw on methodological expertise from across the group in order to help clients bring about policy change on an international level. More
In the US, mystery shopping app provider Mobee has launched out of private beta, with $1.1m in seed funding. More
Trading in the final months of 2012 is proving 'disappointing' for online specialist BrainJuicer, according to the firm's interim statement issued earlier today. Revenue during the last quarter is likely to fall 'significantly below' 2011 levels. More
UK agency Ci Research has been renamed Mustard Research as part of an overhaul of its brand identity. More
UK consumer insight and sensory specialist MMR Research Worldwide has partnered with consumer-generated video insights firm 'Watch Me Think', which offers panellists financial rewards in exchange for submitting smartphone videos containing their feedback on specific topics. More
UK Group Chime Communications Plc has issued an interim management statement and announced the appointment of Mervyn Davies, Lord Davies of Abersoch, as its new Chairman. More
Former Nunwood MD Sarah Houghton has joined Chime's Insight and Engagement group (CIE) as a Board Director. More
Former mruk MD Jim Law has launched a new agency in Glasgow, Scotland, called Wild Heather Digital Research, which aims to combine a technological focus with sound research methods. More
GfK has reported 'a significant sales increase' of 9.8% to EUR 1,096.8m in the first nine months of 2012, with much of the rise however due to currency effects and acquisitions. Q3 revenue was up 11.3% to EUR 376.7m. EBITDA fell 18.5% to EUR 50.6m. More
Millward Brown is boosting its support for clients in North Africa via a Cairo office, its third new location in the Africa and Middle East region this year, and led by Praveen Abraham. More
GfK has announced the formation of a new global Market Opportunities and Innovations practice, which will promise marketing professionals 'the critical foresight needed to successfully tap into future markets'. Marilyn Raymond will lead the new division. More
WPP has announced further details of its proposal to return its headquarters from Ireland to the UK, including a timetable which sees shares in 'New WPP' trading on the LSE at the start of 2013. More
New Zealand company Key Research is to create fifty jobs in a new call centre, opened this week in its home city of Tauranga. More
In the UK, Lloyds Banking Group Head of Retail Strategy Alex Owens is leaving to take up the role of Head of Insight at supermarket chain Sainsbury's. He starts the new job in January. More
Third quarter revenue at US-based Information Services Group (ISG) has fallen to $46.5m, down 2% in constant currency terms. A good performance in the US was more than off-set by a 15% fall in Europe and 17% in Asia Pacific. More
Online data collection specialist Schlesinger Interactive has teamed up with usability and testing technology provider Interactive Video Productions (IVP) to launch a network of Biometric Research Labs across the US. More
Andera Gadeib, the CEO of co-creation and branding specialist Dialego, has set up a new company to offer her firm's existing SmartMunk qual and quant online tool for use in co-creation projects. More
UK research provider BDRC Continental has launched a Sports & Sponsorship division and appointed Director Mark Long to lead it. More
Harris Interactive has reported a 12% drop in revenue to $33m for the first quarter of fiscal 2013, from $37.8m in the prior year period; but has turned loss into profit as it continues its 'turnaround' and 'rightsizing' activities. More
US-based healthcare specialist MedSpan Research has appointed Michael Epstein as Director, Research Services. His duties will include opening and leading the company's second office, in Rochester, NY. More
The Merlien Institute - which runs conferences and events for market research professionals - has appointed Jens Cornelissen as Managing Director Europe and North America. More
Data collection specialist Interviewing Service of America (ISA) has launched a standalone online sampling company called SoapBoxSample, offering a combination of resources such as opt-in panels, routing techniques, social media and live sample. More
Marcoms group Chime has hired Lord Coe as Chairman of its sports marketing arm, CSM Sport & Entertainment. The firm has also entered into an 'option agreement' to buy Coe's 93% interest in CLG, a firm which acts as a vehicle for his earnings from speeches and appearances. More
WPP has reported third quarter consumer insight revenue of £591m, down from £593m in the prior year period and up just a fraction ( 0.8%) on a like-for-like basis. More
European online specialist InSites Consulting has unveiled a network of more than 150 experienced qual moderators across 30 countries, to help run its market research online communities (MROCs). More
US technology specialist Forrester Research has reported a 2% rise in revenue in its Research arm to $50.3m from $49.2m in the prior year period. However, the firm's total revenues dropped to $68.5m from $69.8m as a result of an 11% decline in its Advisory Services division. More
Ipsos has reported 9-month revenues of just under EUR 1.28bn, up 45.1% on a constant currency basis since gobbling up Synovate a year ago. The firm says now that the integration is complete, it will 'resume its focus on growth' and on meeting its service quality and profitability targets. More
US-based video analytics firm Visible Measures has opened a research center specifically to analyze the impact of choice-based video campaigns - those where a person has to press the 'play' button to watch - against those on mainstream media such as television or online video. More
Ipsos MORI and King's College London are to bring together some of their researchers to develop new studies and maximise learnings from existing research. More
US-based crowdsourced competitive intelligence provider InfoArmy has raised $17.3m in Series B funding, which it will use to expand its global community of researchers. More
Aegis-owned digital creative agency Visual Jazz Isobar (VJI) has extended its NowLab innovation unit network to Melbourne. The lab will help the firm to identify, research and prototype new technologies and platforms for clients across Australia. More
'Holistic' web-based MR firm DigitalMR is moving into a larger London office, reflecting UK headcount more than doubled in the last twelve months. More
In the US, Brain Surgery Worldwide, which specialises in what it calls describes as 'emotion based behavior insight', has made three key appointments in its senior management team. More
In San Francisco, Adam French and Anne Lacey - who previously worked at M&C Saatchi-owned brand consultancy Clear - have joined forces with former Unilever insights leader Dr Nick Anderson to launch an innovation and insight company called Antedote. More
Ipsos has launched a qualitative practice called Fusiona within its Ipsos UU business, promising to help clients connect with Hispanic consumers at a 'deeper level'. More
Lieberman Research founder Seymour 'Sy' Lieberman, died on October 1, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. More
German product, pricing and marketing strategy specialist Simon-Kucher has reported a 24% increase in revenues to EUR 107.4m for the third quarter, and is anticipating revenues of EUR 140m for the full year 2012. More
London-based researcher and music aficionado Dave Beal died suddenly on Monday 27 August at the age of 60, after a long illness. More
Pearl.com - an online Q&A platform providing access to business professionals - has raised $25.7m in Series B funding, which it says will be used to extend its software for use on mobile applications. More
UK-based Behavioural Economics specialist The Behavioural Architects (TBA) is opening an office in Sydney, Australia, adding to existing bases in Shanghai, London and Oxford. Ad planner Mike Daniels is appointed to run the new business. More
UK mobile phone retailer The Carphone Warehouse used misleading research-based claims in an ad on its web site for a child-safe network, Bemilo, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled. More
Little Bird, a US-based firm which helps clients identify influencers in social media and blogs, has launched a private beta version of its service, backed by $1 million in angel funding. More
In London, Optimisa Research has moved into larger offices south of the Thames after just two years, reflecting the growth of the business. More
UK-based agency 2CV has promoted Mark Bagnall to Managing Director of its UK office, following Doug Edmonds' relocation to San Francisco, where he now serves as Group CEO. More
Twitter has partnered with Nielsen to launch a service which will enable brands to create surveys directly within the social networking site, in order to gather data on users' purchase intent and brand awareness. More
Online insight community specialist Tuned In has moved into larger office space at its premises in Camden Town, London, to house a number of new staff including former FreshMinds director Richie Jones and Circus strategist Natasha Wallace. More
A year after returning to TNS Jan Hofmeyr has refined his ConversionModel, to help clients identify how people feel about their brand and determine how external barriers like price and availability affect consumer spending. More
Research consultancy Kadence International has recorded 'dramatic growth' in Indonesia, where revenue rose 120% to $5m for the year 2011-12. Overall, company revenue has increased for the tenth consecutive year, with sales up 15%, and net revenue has doubled in the last four years to $20.1m. More
Paul E. Green, Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and market research specialist, died recently at the age of 86, surrounded by his family. More
US-based healthcare marketing agency MicroMass Communications has formed a new behavioral science practice, focusing on identifying ways to motivate patients and other audiences to adopt behaviors that lead to better health outcomes. More
Crowdscoured media specialist Against All Odds Productions is to release data from a new global study, the 'Human Face of Big Data', for general consumption. Currently underway, the project aims to combine passive and contributed data from 'millions' of individuals worldwide. More
UK-based data collection agency Perspective Research Services (PRS) has opened a new call centre in St Albans, Hertfordshire, following the closure of its operations in Acton, west London. More
GfK has appointed seven leaders in China, Korea, Malaysia and Japan, as part of a strategy to expand its global research solutions across the Asia Pacific region. More
Qureshi Market Research MD Bob Qureshi has opened a new facility in London's West End, offering eye tracking, dial testing and NeuroFocus services. The five-studio facility also provides access to a bar for use in drinks research projects. More
Online specialist BrainJuicer has reported a 14% increase in revenue to £10.37m for the first half of the year, and operating profit also up 14% from £628k to £716k. More
UK-based insight and marketing group Cello has reported a 2.8% increase in revenue to £63.3m for the first half of the year, but has noted a 'marked slow-down' in qual and quant client research activity across its Consumer division. More
In the US, Harris Interactive is partnering with Google to launch a new service allowing users to compare themselves to industry benchmarks. More
Online specialist BrainJuicer has opened a 'client-facing' practice in India, where it has appointed Pooja Haldea as Managing Director – India, based in New Delhi, and Sarah Cowell-Thomas as Head of Juice Generation – India, based in Mumbai. More
London-based communications research agency MESH Planning has expanded to the US with the opening of an office in Manhattan, New York, led by Experience Director Nathan Evans. More
Michael Berland has left WPP-owned MR and political polling specialist Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) to join PR giant Edelman as CEO of a newly-named research and analytics business, Edelman Berland, into which the group's existing research firm StrategyOne will be integrated. More
Global data collection specialist Cido has opened a new operation in Shanghai, where it has appointed former Nielsen exec Linda Ho as General Manager. More
According to reports in the UK press, WPP is planning to 'refresh' its Board of Directors, after shareholders voted against a proposed 60% increase in CEO Sir Martin Sorrell's pay package back in June. More
In the UK, research industry veterans Andrew Smith and Andy Booth have set up a full service agency called Firebrand Insight, which will tap into the sector and technique specialisms of a core team drawn from membership of the Independent Consultants Group (ICG) network. More
Survey software firm Voxco has partnered with panel access provider Cint, whose OpinionHUB insight platform will give Voxco clients access to more than seven million individuals worldwide. More
Panel and research technology provider Vision Critical has appointed Jim Cravens as Executive Vice President, Global Human Resources, to help further its plans for global growth. More
WPP has reported revenue up just 1.2% to £1.19bn in its consumer insight division in the first half of the year, while headline operating profit fell slightly to £84m. The group has also confirmed that following tax changes, it plans to move its HQ back to the UK from Ireland. More
In the US, video and media market analytics specialist Multimedia Research Group (MRG) has partnered with the magazine ScreenPlays Information Marketplace to offers clients of both firms additional industry and market intelligence, and thought leadership. More
Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has secured a $20m investment, which it says will be used to expand its product lines and support infrastructure, and further execute its global growth plans. More
WPP-owned market research and political polling specialist Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) has opened its second Indian office, in Mumbai, following its launch in Gurgaon last year. More
Digital research agency MobileMeasure Consultancy has expanded to Singapore through a partnership with Anila Shrivastava, the founder of eye tracking and semiotics specialist idStats. More
David Gaines, the former CEO of media agency Maxus, has joined Australian consumer insights specialist Edentify as Managing Partner, tasked with helping the firm evolve from a focus on research and data solutions to a 'more comprehensive' data-led planning approach. More
Music and media writer, researcher and analyst Jeff Green is launching a new Nashville-based firm called Stone Door Media Lab, which will provide ratings research, digital media consumption analytics, market analysis and business intelligence for the entertainment sector. More
UK-based user experience consultancy Foviance has announced it is to merge with service design agency Seren Partners. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, Camille Nicita has taken the role of CEO of Gongos Research, following the death of the firm's founder John Gongos last month. More
In the UK, data collection agency Peak Answers has reported sales of more than £1m during its first year of trading. More
Irish sports betting chain Paddy Power has appointed former BskyB exec Danny Russell as its first Insight Director, and former Domino's Pizza director Robin Auld as Brand Director. Both commence their new roles in mid-October. More
Consumer research agency rdsi has promoted ten members of staff, including Research Directors Emma O'Connell and Tim Gowing (pictured) who join the Senior Management team. More
Harris Interactive has reported an 8.2% decline in revenue to $147.5m for the full year fiscal 2012 - a majority of which the firm says was part of a 'right-sizing' plan. More
UK government social scientist Barbara Adams OBE, a pioneer of public consultation research, has died in London at the age of 89. More
Car manufacturer Volvo has launched a global crowdsourcing study via Facebook, through which it hopes to generate new ideas that will help it design more personalized vehicles. More
Eric McDowell, the founder of Alaska-based research and consulting firm McDowell Group, died on Monday in hospital in Seattle, following a brief illness. He was 69 years old. More
Asian agency ABN Research has opened an office in Hong Kong, from which it plans to expand beyond the FMCG and white good sectors to supporting service industries such as finance and telecoms. The firm has also been re-named as 'ABN Impact'. More
In New York, Ipsos has moved David Lansanah to the position of Global Managing Director of its product research and development arm MarketQuest. More
Digital agency XM Asia Pacific has opened a Consumer Experience Lab in Singapore. The facility will use Tobii eye-tracking technology, heuristic techniques and usability metrics to examine how Asian consumers absorb the information they see in digital ads and traditional media. More
GfK has reported a 9.1% increase in sales to EUR 720.1m for the first half of 2012, most of which comes from currency effects and acquisitions. Organic growth of just 1.7% results from a healthy 4.2% rise in the Consumer Choices business combined with flat performance from Consumer Experiences. More
In the US, former MarketQuest CEO Mary Beth Lake and Chief Research Officer Paul Holtzman have joined Chicago-based full service marketing and sensory research firm Peryam & Kroll Research (P&K) as Senior Vice Presidents. More
Brand and communications specialist Hall & Partners has promoted Caroline Dukes to Managing Partner in its London office, and Joann Schaumann to Managing Partner in New York. More
UK charitable trust The Nuffield Foundation has appointed Ministry of Justice Chief Researcher Teresa Williams as Director of Social Research and Policy. She takes up her new position on 29th October. More
Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has appointed former Ipsos OTX MediaCT President Bruce Friend to lead its Media and Entertainment division. More
US-based emotion measurement specialist Affectiva has raised $12m in Series C financing, which it plans to use to accelerate development of its Affdex facial expression analysis technology for use across all forms of online video content. More
In South Africa, marketer John Laurence and radiologist Dr Gary Sudwarts have set up a new agency called HeadSpace Neuromarketing, using EEG technology to provide biometric markers of consumer response to advertising. More
In the UK, global marketing and technology agency LBi has appointed Michele Chang-McGrath as Head of Research. Her role includes launching a series of initiatives to understand emerging digital behaviour in mobile, eCommerce and online content. More
Technology specialist ABI Research has opened a new UK-based research and forecasting facility in Wellingborough, Northants, to house its growing team of analysts and to support local clients. More
In the UK, researcher Gemma Stokes has set up an agency called Podengo, to recruit consumers for qualitative research studies. More
French ad network Havas has increased its stake in UK-based insight and communications group Creston to more than 6%, just days after buying a 5% share of the business. More
YouGov has recorded a 'solid trading performance' for the year ended 31 July 2012 in an update issued by the London Stock Exchange. More
Qual/quant agency MM-Eye has reorganised the management team at its London office, promoting Damien Field to Managing Director responsible for the overall performance of the business. Field will work alongside Anne Bolingbroke, who becomes Chairman. More
In the US, the ongoing Apple vs. Samsung patent lawsuit is throwing some interesting light on the business style of the iPhone and iPad giant - including the fact that it's not so averse to market research as it has sometimes claimed. More
Eye tracking software solutions firm iMotions has struck a deal with emotion measurement specialist Affectiva, to integrate the latter's wireless Q Sensor into its Attention Tool platform. More
US-based consulting firm North Highland has announced the launch of a new business intelligence (BI) and analytics solutions division, Enfathom; and has promoted Craig Sanders to lead it. More
Technology specialist Gartner has reported second quarter revenues up 9% to $397.5m - equivalent to growth of 12% at constant currencies. A very good quarter for the group's Research division was only slightly dented by a flat performance from the smaller Consulting wing. More
In South Africa two former employees of RI and GlobalEDGE Marketing Consultants, Andrew Johnson and Catherine Read-Fletcher, have set up a new agency, Beyond Insights. More
GfK has combined two recent acquisitions, KN Dimestore and nurago, to create a new global practice, Digital Market Intelligence (DMI), which promises clients a complete picture of their digital marketing and advertising ROI. More
In Australia, Emelia Millward has left public broadcaster SBS after eight years to take on the same title - Head of Research and Insights - at Seven. More
Pharma market access consultancy WG Consulting has opened its first US office, in New York, and appointed Charlotta Norgaard to lead it. More
WPP-owned brand, media and comms research specialist Millward Brown is implementing a new 'service delivery' model across its North America operations, which involves centralizing a number of back office positions, resulting in the loss of around sixty non-research staff. More
Swedish eye tracking solutions firm EyeTrackShop has partnered with Asian research agency Majestic MRSS, to distribute its services across Asia and the Middle East. More
London-based research panel and online community specialist Verve has closed a £0.75m round of funding, which it will use for product development and recruitment purposes. More
UK-based insight and communications group Creston has reported slow revenue growth of 1% for the second quarter of the year, impacted by a poor performance from its research agency ICM. More
UK-based market research agency Firefish has reported a 23% increase in turnover to £7.7m for the past 12 months, and has appointed former Hall & Partners exec Majbritt Rijs as Head of Quantitative. More
In New York, Nielsen/McKinsey joint venture NM Incite has appointed former McKinsey Principal Andrew Somosi as Chief Executive Officer. More
Specialist face-to-face agency UK Fieldwork Services (UKFS) has changed its name to PeoplePeople UK, and opened a viewing studio called 'The People Place', at a new location in Leamington Spa, to cater for 'outside London' demand. More
US-based research and measurement consultancy StrategyOne - which is part of the Edelman PR network - has appointed Fergus Clarke as Head of its Middle East and North Africa division. More
In the US, technology specialist Forrester Research has reported a 7% increase in second quarter revenues to $79.1m from $73.5m a year previously. More
John Gongos, the founder and CEO of Gongos Research, died yesterday at the age of 51, after having been diagnosed with metastatic melanoma last week. More
Customer loyalty specialist Maritz has set up a Business Services division, to focus on the changes being experienced by service industries as a result of the current economic climate, technological breakthroughs, and changing consumer behaviour. More
Ipsos has reported a 53.4% increase in first half revenues to EUR 837.0m, reflecting the integration of Synovate into its financial statements. More
Online sampling and technology company uSamp has joined NBCUniversal's Olympics Lab research initiative, to help the media network track consumers' real-time reactions and behavior during the London 2012 Games. More
In London, specialist social research division TNS BMRB has hired former NatCen director Carli Lessof as Director of Development, and former EdComs Research Director Desiree Lopez as Head of Qualitative Research. More
Yorkshire-based Swift Research has added four wet rooms to its Innervisions viewing and testing facility, through which clients can observe how consumers use and interact with personal care and hair care products. More
Canadian crowdsourcing technology firm Chaordix has secured an undisclosed amount of Series A funding, which it will use to expand its business globally and further invest in its Crowd Intelligence products. More
YouGov co-founder and CEO Stephan Shakespeare has been named as chair of the Data Strategy Board for the UK government's Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) More
ORC International veteran Warren Frankel has taken up the post of President of specialist data and delivery business Ipsos Observer in America, responsible for overseeing domestic teams while working closely with the rest of the Ipsos network. More
Global PR agency Weber Shandwick has partnered with behavioural insights agency Canvas8 and a group of neuroscience, psychology and anthropology academics to study the drivers of audience engagement. More
Online sampling and data collection firm Research Now has completed its rebrand and integration of mobile research specialist iPinion, which has been renamed 'Research Now Mobile'. More
In the US, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) has partnered with Symphony Advanced Media (SAM) to test new approaches to measuring cross-platform ad effectivness, directly linking figures from passive measurement of actual ad exposure to consumer response data. More
UK field agency Face Facts Research has re-located to larger premises in Leeds, where it has appointed former Quaestor field exec Julie Gaughan as Operations Manager. More
In the US, Georgetown University has established a new Institute for Consumer Research, centred around technology-focused consumers and how to market to them. More
US-based agency Food Insights has been re-named 'Research Between the Lines' (RBTL), reflecting a shift in the company towards more integrated qual/quant methodologies. More
After more than six years in its office in Charing Cross Road, London-based brand and communications research agency Hall & Partners has returned to its Soho, where it was founded more than twenty years ago. More
Research group Cello has revealed that it has spent £600k in the last year on consolidating operations and reducing headcount in its Research and Consulting division; and is now splitting its business into two new divisions. More
Harris Interactive has closed its Princeton, New Jersey office, as part of an ongoing review of its leased office space needs. More
Austrian market research company Klufamily has gone into receivership after twenty years in business. More
Brand and ad research specialist Hall & Partners has hired Andy Chappin, previously CFO of TNS UK, as its new Global CFO - its fourth major hire so far this year. More
In Canada, multi-cultural marketing specialist Monsoon Communications has opened an MR agency called Third Eye, to deliver insights into the ethnic audience it defines as 'Zero2Five New Canadians'. The firm will be led by former TNS leader Gautam Nath. More
WPP-owned market research and political polling network Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) has appointed government bureaucrat Ashok Kapur as Head of its Policy Group for South Asia operations. More
Shareholders in Australian research and marcoms group Photon - which owns MR agencies The Leading Edge (TLE) and Jigsaw Research - have voted in favour of renaming the troubled company Enero, the Spanish word for 'January'. More
In the US, telephone fieldwork company Issues & Answers has acquired Eastern Research Service's (ERS) 78-seat call center in Florida, following the latter's closure earlier in the year. Terms of the deal were undisclosed. More
In the UK, Manchester-based sister agencies Acumen Fieldwork, Aspect Viewing Facilities and Research Opinion have hooked up to form a new umbrella organisation called Fuller Research Group, offering a complete range of recruitment, fieldwork and viewing facilities. More
In the UK, former Nielsen Online MD (EMEA) Louise Ainsworth has taken up the post of Chief Executive Officer of online intelligence service and marketing and research publisher Warc. More
Canada-based online data collection specialist itracks and rival firm Artafact have reached a 'mutually agreeable' settlement on the patent infringement lawsuit the former filed against the latter in 2008 - but have not disclosed its terms. More
Business advisory firm Stratlink Global LLC is opening an African regional office in Nairobi, Kenya, from which it plans to expand to other locations on the continent. More
US-based research, strategy and design consultancy Kelton has appointed Ashish Verma as Managing Director in New York, leading the consulting offer for the firm's East Coast clients. More
Behavioural research consultancy SimpleUsability has provided UK reality TV show Big Brother with its eye tracking technology, which was used in last night's coverage as part of a challenge given to housemates. More
In the UK, Kantar Media Audiences CEO Richard Marks is leaving the firm in August to set up his own consultancy business. He will be replaced by Richard Asquith, who currently leads the firm's TGI and Custom division. More
UK Market Research Society (MRS) President Rita Clifton is leaving her role as Chairman of branding consultancy Interbrand London, to set up her own private office and to take on additional non-executive roles. More
In the UK, media group Future Publishing has recruited former T-Mobile insights leader Simon Wainwright for the newly created role of Market Research Director, with responsibility for driving its consumer insight strategy. More
The fifty largest research firms reported a 5.1% increase in US-based aggregated revenues to $9.2 billion in 2011, according to the 39th annual report by industry authority Jack Honomichl. More
Interpublic Group-owned media agency Initiative has appointed former Microsoft Advertising exec Marc Bresseel as 'G14 President', responsible for its highest performing markets outside the US. He takes up the London-based role in September. More
TNS has opened its first office in Cambodia, through a partnership with local market and social research firm MSD, which has a network of locations across the country. More
US-based charity-focused panel specialist Op4G (Opinions For Good) has appointed Frank Nappo as President and CEO, and Chris Stearns as CTO; and hired former Toluna execs Frank Hayden - as COO - and Archie Ignacio, as North American VP of Client Services. More
In the UK, consumer specialist Leapfrog Research has closed its Windsor-based headquarters and moved into sister agency RS Consulting's offices in London. Parent company Cello says the move follows an agreement between the two agencies to form an 'alliance'. More
Stockholm-based information exchange Mancx has secured $1.65m in financing, which it will use to expand its paid business Q&A community through social networks such as LinkedIn and Viadeo. The firm has also opened US headquarters in San Francisco, CA. More
London-based research technology firm Cobalt Sky has taken a 25% stake in Discovery Group's online qual research tool The Thinking Shed, which has now been spun off into a separate limited company. More
WPP shareholders have voted against a proposed 60% increase in CEO Sir Martin Sorrell's pay package. Separately, WPP says its Consumer Insight arm has been 'stable' in the first four months of 2012, with a 3.3% revenue rise adding to the group's £3.2 billion turnover. More
The Insight division of UK-based Creston has reported a 7% drop in revenue to £13.8m for the year ended 31 March 2012, compared with £14.8m in 2011. During the period, headline pre-tax profit was almost halved from a year ago at £2.1m, down from £4.1m. More
The US Congress is considering a bill to ensure federal agencies treat paid research respondents as at most independent contractors, and not as employees of research companies. More
Bruce Friend has resigned from his role as President of Ipsos OTX MediaCT and will leave the company after ten years, to return to the client side or work in a smaller provider company. More
UK-based researcher SPA Future Thinking is in 'final negotiations' to form a joint venture with French customer relationship specialist Groupe Acticall. The JV will be launched as Future Thinking France and be led by Stéphane Marder, previously Managing Director of French agency LH2. More
The UK's Optimisa Research has moved its Leeds team to new offices in the city centre, reflecting ongoing expansion. More
In the US, full service agency Delve Marketing Research has announced plans to expand its online data collection and panel capabilities and has recruited Wally Balden as Managing Director of the online division. He joins from CPG specialist InsightsNow. More
Research consultancy Kadence India has appointed former Hansa Research General Manager Maninder Khurana as Vice President - Consumer Insights. More
Thomson Reuters has completed the $1.25 billion sale of its healthcare data, analytics and performance benchmarking arm to private equity firm Veritas Capital, which has renamed the business Truven Health Analytics. More
Ipsos MORI has transferred Rob Myers from his role as President of Marketing in the US, to the post of Managing Director for Ipsos Marketing in the UK. He replaces Susan Malcolm who is relocating to Australia for personal reasons. More
Asia Pacific-based marketing and brand research consultancy Cimigo has promoted Winnie Yeung to the role of Managing Director in Hong Kong, responsible for overseeing strategy and business development while leading the regional team. More
Nunwood has re-launched its UK, US, Australian and New Zealand businesses with a new model which focuses on 'insight-powered customer experience management' (CEM). More
In New York, Kantar Health has partnered with online physician community provider Sermo to offer research services to life sciences companies. More
Britain's market researchers are forecasting higher revenues for the next 12 months, according to the latest RSM 'State of the Industry' survey. More
US-based data collection firm Focus Pointe Global (FPG) has received an undisclosed amount of funding, while appointing Noel Sitzmann as its new CEO, guiding future expansion. More
Researchers Dorothy and Ray Parker have set up a new marketing research and competitor intelligence company called 4insight in St Helier, Jersey, which offers what they claim to be the Channel Islands' first professional viewing studios. More
In the US, the Missouri School of Journalism has partnered with HCD Research to conduct studies combining biometric and eye tracking measures to further understanding of consumer choices. More
Brand development and insight consultancy Added Value has appointed Richard Prévost as a Business Director in its office in Johannesburg, South Africa, and says it has plans to extend its offering 'further into the African continent'. More
In the UK, leading edge research firm BrainJuicer has announced that Simon Godfrey intends to retire from the company's board of directors at the end of September this year. He will be replaced by Graham Blashill, who joins from a career with Imperial Tobacco. More
In the UK, MR veterans Hashim Emadi and Steve Elliott have launched a new company, RSVP Research, which will use a 'virtual office' setup to offer clients fast turnaround and low cost work. More
Public sector specialist Dods Group Plc has announced preliminary results for 2011, with revenue down to £15.3m from £16.1m in 2010, and profit margin and adjusted earnings steady. The group is still waiting on clearance for its takeover of intelligence provider DeHavilland. More
Facebook has bought out San Francisco-based user experience research and design firm Bolt Peters (BP). Survey intercept provider Ethnio will step out from under the BP wing as an independent company, while some or all the remaining BP staff will join the social media giant's own design team. More
Yahoo! has launched a new search app and browser plug-in, Axis, geared to use on mobile devices and delivering results as a scrollable string of web page preview thumbnails or text boxes. More
GfK has announced two senior marketing science appointments which it says 'sharpen its focus on rigorous yet innovative analytics'. Knowledge Networks' Ellen Veccia become Chief Marketing Science Officer while Mike Conklin has rejoined from MarketTools as EVP of Marketing Science. More
GfK is integrating elements of its brand, communication, satisfaction and loyalty research into a new global practice, Brand and Customer Experience, and has appointed Helen Zeitoun to head it up. More
South Africa's professional research body SAMRA has appointed a new CEO, Leonie Vorster. In addition to serving as MD of Evolutions Research Solutions, she is a former SAMRA chair and council member. More
In the UK, brand engagement and communications company Hall & Partners has announced a series of promotions in its specialist Health division, including Lee Gazey to Managing Partner. More
Valient Market Research has opened a new regional office in Williamsville, New York to support a growing client base in the Buffalo-Niagara region. More
In Australia, marketer Jonah Cacioppe and software engineer Mike Kruger have launched a DIY survey app called Floq, which enables users to gather feedback from web-based surveys and benchmark results against companies in similar sectors. More
Swedish firm EyeTrackShop has closed a $3m funding round, which it will use to accelerate its international expansion plans. More
GfK has reported an 11.3% increase in sales to EUR 345.1m for the first three months of 2012, with organic growth of 4.9%. Adjusted operating income rose 10.2% to EUR 33.5m. The firm says its new 'Own the Future' corporate strategy has contributed to the healthy figures. More
Private equity firm Symphony Technology Group (STG) has acquired patient and physician data provider Source Healthcare Analytics; and will combine it with its existing pharma offer to form a new division called Symphony Health Solutions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based sports broadcast measurement specialist Repucom has hooked up with Grupo IBOPE and Kantar Media joint venture IBOPE Media, to launch a sports research business in Latin America, excluding Brazil. More
UK-based reputation analysis specialist Echo Research has promoted Ben Lloyd and Sam Knowles to Joint MDs, allowing CEO and founder Sandra Macleod to focus on growing global client relationships and operations across parent company Ebiquity. More
Berlin-based Moviepilot, which gathers information and online 'buzz' for early-stage input to movie promotion, has raised $7m in a Series B funding round. More
In Mumbai, consumer goods giant Unilever has set up its first Indian Customer Insight and Innovation Centre to study how consumers shop for FMCG products. More
Zodiak Kids, the children's division at Zodiak Media, has created an international research department, 'The Research Lab', and promoted François Vallerian, Research Manager at Marathon Media, to lead it. More
Online research software provider Confirmit has reported a buoyant first quarter for the year with more than $15m in revenues, and strong growth in mobile solutions following its acquisition of Techneos. More
In the UK, Discovery Group has promoted Alan Hathaway, who joined the firm as its first graduate trainee, to the newly created position of Managing Director of its research division. More
In Singapore, Nielsen has launched an Asian 'innovation hub' incorporating divisions for neuroscience (NeuroLAB), virtual, mobile and eye-tracking technologies (ShopperLAB) and market measurement and consumer information (MSciLAB). More
Microsoft Research - which focuses on the application of advanced computing tools to the social sciences - is opening a new lab in Manhattan, where it has employed fourteen former Yahoo! researchers. More
UK-based qual and quant agency Marketing Sciences has promoted Jane Rudling to the position of Managing Director, replacing Keith Bates who takes on the role of Executive Chairman. More
Harris Interactive CEO Al Angrisani has reiterated his confidence in the firm's turnaround program, after reporting a drop in net loss to $300k for the three months ending 31st March, from $2.3m a year earlier. However, during the period, revenue fell 8% to $34.1m from $37.0m last year. More
Technology researcher Gartner has reported a 12% increase in first quarter revenue to $369.2m, from $329.5m a year earlier, while net income rose 17% to $71.2m. More
In the US, full service food testing company Northland Laboratories has launched a sensory insights division, to offer sensory research services to manufacturers, developers and marketers of food and beverage products. More
Canadian digital marketing agency BAM Strategy has opened its own UX (user experience) Lab in Montreal, through which it will monitor and analyze users' reactions, expressions and behaviors while visiting web sites on a computer or mobile device. More
Canadian sources are suggesting that almost half the c.5,000 people working at the country's national information office, Statistics Canada, may be at risk of redundancy. More
UK-based group Creston plc has issued a trading update for the year ended 31 March 2012. Like-for-like revenue increase is only 'marginal', although the reported figure is up 11% to £75m and the group says it has completed its programme of reducing operating costs. More
WPP has reported first quarter revenues up 7.4% at constant currencies, to £2.39 bn. Organic revenue growth was 4.0%. However the consumer insight division once again lagged behind with revenues up 3.3% on a constant currency basis, or 1.3% excluding acquisitions. More
Ipsos has announced a number of senior qual appointments in Asia Pacific, including that of Gordon Milne as leader of its Ipsos UU qual business across the region. More
In the UK, behavioural research and usability consultancy SimpleUsability has announced the addition of a new laboratory and observation room to its Leeds office, and the appointment of Steven Lilley as Head of Technology. More
Las Vegas-based Precision Opinion has announced the addition of a hundred new CATI stations - its fourth expansion in four years. More
In the UK, market intelligence consultancy PFA Research has relocated within Cornwall from its original offices in Bodmin to the Tremough Innovation Centre (TIC) in Penryn. The company cites advances in technology which allow a more decentralized business model. More
Ipsos has reported a 46% increase in first quarter revenues to EUR 379.9m, reflecting the addition of Synovate's business. However, it admits the need to integrate the two businesses has slowed expansion: volume of sales was down slightly on Q1 2011, and organic growth of just 2% is expected this year. More
National Research Group (NRG) co-founder Catherine Paura has set up a new firm called Capstone Global Marketing and Research Group, with the aim of 'interpreting the tastes and behaviors of the 21st century entertainment consumer'. She is joined by her sister Angela, former NRG COO, in the new venture. More
Technology specialist Forrester Research has reported a 7 percent revenue increase to $70.3m for the first quarter of 2012, compared with $65.7m for the prior year period; and net income of $3.2m, up from $2.9m. More
Web-based consumer researcher BuzzBack has partnered with Swedish eye tracking solutions firm MRC international, to offer new ways for marketers to evaluate their packaging and communications. More
US-based data collection firm Schlesinger Associates has appointed Ipsos ASI's former Global President Anne Hedde as Managing Director of its online data collection arm, Schlesinger Interactive. More
Steve Henke, the President of online qual specialist 20|20 Research, has resigned to set up a consulting firm called Harpeth Marketing, which will help MR companies to market themselves effectively. More
North of England MR agency DJS Research has reported a 26% increase in turnover to £1.9m for the year 2011, compared with £1.5m in the previous year. The company is also moving to larger offices at the end of April, to accommodate its short and long-term growth plans. More
In the UK, book publisher Harper Collins has appointed the BBC's Head of Digital Insight Rufus Weston as Customer Insight Director. More
Quratulain Ibrahim has been promoted from COO to Chief Executive Officer of full service agency TNS-Aftab, the global agency's affiliate company in Pakistan and Afghanistan. More
In Australia, Photon-owned insights and strategy consultancy The Leading Edge (TLE) has appointed Chrissy Blackburn as Global Strategy Partner, Head of Brand Strategy. She will be based in the firm's Sydney office, while also working with its Asian, European and US operations. More
US-based user experience firm AnswerLab has opened of an office in New York, from which it will serve clients on the East Coast. More
US radio ratings giant Arbitron has introduced a mobile measurement service called the Arbitron Mobile Trends Panel, with a meter using proprietary software to examine how consumers use their phones to surf the web, engage with social media and act on mobile advertising. More
DIY research firm SurveyMonkey has opened a new operation in Brazil, where it has appointed Monster's former Director of Sales Rodolfo Ohl as Country Manager. More
In the US, WPP-owned brand development specialist Added Value has changed the name of its consumer insights-based innovation consultancy Cheskin Added Value to 'Added Value Cheskin', to underline the firm's integration into the group. More
In New York, global media agency McCann has appointed Lynn Teo to the new position of Chief Experience Officer (CXO), to build the firm's first Experience Design department. More
UK television broadcaster ITV has commissioned custom panels specialist EasyInsites to expand its 'Viewback' panel to cover all its daytime shows, including Daybreak, Lorraine, Loose Women and This Morning. More
In Canada, research firm Hotspex has partnered with strategy specialist LEVEL5 to design BrandMap, an online tool that quantifies and links the emotional and rational drivers of brand usage. More
Asia Pacific-based marketing and brand research consultancy Cimigo has opened new offices in Jakarta and Singapore, to enhance local support for its clients. More
Following the acquisition of Synovate, Frank Guo has been promoted to the position of Director, Healthcare China for Ipsos Healthcare, in charge of the division's business across the country. More
In the US, communications consultancy Brunswick Group has appointed former StrategyOne President Robert Moran as a Partner, to lead the expansion of its Insights and Opinion Research practice in the Americas. More
Creston-owned face-to-face specialist Fieldwork UK has been integrated with sister agency ICM Direct, in a bid to further strengthen its data collection offering. More
In the UK, broadcaster Channel 4 has appointed former Red Bee Media exec Clare Phillips for the new role of Head of Audience Research and Insight, leading a team which provides support to the programming, marketing and strategy teams. More
Ipsos has expanded in the Middle East through a joint venture with family-owned business group Darwish Holding, which is headquartered in Qatar. The new Doha-based initiative is led by Ipsos Qatar Managing Director Elie Nawar. More
Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has appointed former Synovate North America CEO Scott Miller as President and COO of International Business. More
Online research firm YouGov plc has announced interim results for the six months ended 31 January 2012, with organic revenue growth of 12% and adjusted profit before tax of £2.2m. YouGov expects to pay its first dividend, when full year results are out. More
In the UK, a new agency has launched, dedicated to the investigation, collection, interpretation and marketing of geoscience data. Mantle Research & Consulting starts with a management team of three boasting a 'passion for geology' - Cathrene Rowell, Mark Biswell and Dr Kirti Sharma. More
Two Omnicom Group companies, PR firm Ketchum and MR agency The Modellers, are linking up to offer a service analysing ROI from PR campaigns. More
New Jersey-based Bowker, which provides information for the publishing industry, has merged its US-based PubTrack Consumer and UK-based Book Marketing Limited (BML) under a new global brand, named Bowker Market Research. More
In London, Creston Group company ICM has finalised a series of senior appointments and a major re-organization with the promotion of Operations Director Neil Sykes to the Board and the appointment of David Reeves as Production Director. More
Harris Interactive has been told it can continue trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange, after achieving the necessary share price of $1+ for more than ten consecutive days. More
In the UK, comms group Karmarama is extending its youth capabilities with the launch of a youth insights agency called KID, founded and led by Senior Planner Jono Holt. More
Consumer specialist The NPD Group has appointed Mike Leahy President in Canada, overseeing all aspects of its technology, home, fashion, food and custom market research business in the country. More
Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has opened an office in Hong Kong, which will form its Asian headquarters. The new office - the firm's eleventh in all worldwide - will be led by Bruce Wells, who joined earlier in the month from Synovate. More
Chip maker Intel has invested $21m in technology firm Tobii, to help the company move its eye tracking and gaze interaction solutions to 'mass-market' applications such as mainstream computers, cars, games and other consumer products. More
European MR industry body efamro has elected TNS-Gallup EVP Andrew Cannon as the new President of its Executive Board, for the period 2012 to 2015. More
London-based insight consultancy Truth has celebrated its fifth birthday with annual revenues of £9m, up 25% from the previous year. More
US market research consultancy RDA Group has reported a 16% increase in revenue to $17.5m for 2011. More
US-based research and consulting firm The Pert Group has promoted Doug Guion to the position of President, responsible for the firm's day-to-day operations. He takes on these duties from CEO Dale Lersch, who will continue in her current role with a specific focus on international development. More
In the US, Hispanic telephone fieldwork company Eastern Research Services (ERS) has been closed down by parent firm Hispania Capital Partners (HCP), leaving an undisclosed number of staff out of work. More
In New York, Ipsos MediaCT and biometric measurement specialist Innerscope Research have designed a new methodology, emoTV, which measures both the conscious and unconscious responses of audiences to TV shows. More
In the UK, TNS has promoted Joseph Webb - who joined the company as a graduate trainee as recently as 2007 - to the position of Head of Digital. More
Online specialist BrainJuicer has reported results for the 12 months ended 31 December 2011, confirming 27% revenue growth to £20.71m and profit after tax up 25% to £1.85m. More
Online sampling and panel exchange firm Cint has announced a new partnership with UK online parenting community Netmums Ltd, giving its clients access to an 'unrivalled' number of individuals in the 'Mothers of Babies' category in the UK. More
In the US, client side research veteran Steve Babcock has turned provider with the launch of INSIGHTS Market Research, a full service firm with an emphasis on helping clients to succeed through innovation. More
Entertainment giant Twentieth Century Fox has boosted its marketing and research team with the appointments of former Warner Bros and CBS Films exec Debbie Miller, and former MarketCast MD Kevin Yoder. More
Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has appointed former Synovate exec Bruce Wells as Managing Director and President of its operations in Asia, based in Hong Kong. More
Ipsos has announced the appointment of Synovate veteran Jenny Broughton as a Global Talent Management Partner, and separately has given more details of the structure of its new InnoQuest Practice. More
In Germany, co-creation and branding specialist Dialego has announced the launch of an Innovation Consulting division, due to open on 1st April, and the appointment of Detlef Happel to head it up. More
In the US, Audience Insights founder Kevin O'Neill and creative veteran Christopher Korody have announced the formation of a new partnership, Audience Metrix LLC, dedicated to measuring and analysing marketers' ROI from customer events. More
In the UK, the Market Research Society (MRS) has announced that former GfK NOP Head Phyllis Macfarlane will become its new Chairman in April, following the completion of Vanella Jackson's two-year term. More
Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has announced revenue growth of 17% to $CAN 72m in 2011. More
UK firm Progressive Digital Media (PDM) has reported 'disappointing' 2011 results in its B2C division, revenues falling to £6.2m from £8.5m and contribution from £2.3m to £1.4m. However, the group said research agencies The iD Factor and ICD Research, which sit within the division, stood up well. More
Marketing services group Omnicom has opened a new agency called sparks & honey, in New York City, to identify emerging trends in popular culture. More
A suit filed in the US by Tom Robinson and Marianne Grogan, the founders of recently closed media measurement specialist Affinity, claims GfK Mediamark Research & Intelligence (GfK MRI) stole trade secrets while in the midst of acquisition talks, and proceeded to drive their firm out of business. More
For the year 2011, UK-based research group Cello has reported 'continuing strong performance' with revenue up 7.2% to £133m and a 6.6% increase in gross profit to £64.3m, driven by its Research and Consulting division. More
Ipsos, continuing its integration of Synovate, has reorganised its largest global business line, Ipsos Marketing - which accounted for nearly half the group's revenues in 2011 - forming four distinct practices. More
In London, Freud Communications founder Matthew Freud has bought a 3.23% share in online polling specialist YouGov for approximately £2.26m. More
In the UK, user experience (UX) design specialist Foolproof has appointed Leslie Fountain to the post of Managing Director. Fountain has served as Experience Design Director with the company since last year. More
In the US, the Board of Harris Interactive has authorized a share repurchase program of up to $3m of the firm's common stock over the next 24 months, funded with cash generated from operations. The firm's share price passed the $1 mark this week for the first time in 10 months. More
In London, Ipsos MORI has hooked up with the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, to 'transform' the way it visually represents its client data in presentations and other communications. More
London-based OpinionPanel - which specialises in the youth, student and young professionals sectors - has been re-named YouthSight, which it says reflects a broadening of its range of services from its original student panel focus. More
UK-based mobile data collection specialist OnePoint Global has appointed former Synovate Global CEO Robert Philpott as Global Managing Director, based in the US with a remit to position the company for 'aggressive growth and scale'. More
UK-based group Chime PLC has partnered with two current leaders of its Insight and Engagement Division (CIE), Chairman Nick Lamb and CEO Crispin Beale, and its former Group Operations Director Mark Squires to launch a new digital MR agency, Watermelon Research. More
UK Group Chime Communications has reported a 17% revenue hike for its Insight and Engagement division (CIE), to £12.1m for the year 2011. Operating income rose 8% to £7.9m. More
UK consultancy Foviance, which offers usability, user experience and web analytics consultancy, has appointed Ben Langdon as its new President. Current Executive Chairman Philip Hunt moves to a Non-Executive position.
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Louise Fraser, the former MD of full-service agency Progressive, has set up her own consultancy, Jump Research, in Edinburgh. More
US-based online survey and analysis tool provider SurveyGizmo has partnered with customer experience analytics specialist ClickTale to add survey heatmaps, mouse tracking and respondent recordings to its solutions. More
Former Truth director Richard Hall has relocated from London to New Zealand to join the new Auckland-based office of boutique consumer insights agency Fiftyfive5. The firm has also appointed former AMR Interactive exec Tom Nagy as an Account Manager in Sydney. More
US qual and quant agency Market Strategies International (MSI) has announced new responsibilities for its leadership team, including the promotion of Dr Rob Stone to the post of CEO, replacing co-founder Dr. Andrew Morrison who will continue as Chairman of the company. More
Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has brought together all its search and optimization agencies under its Resolution Media brand, to offer integrated services across areas including SEO, digital behavior analysis, behavioral targeting, social media and mobile. More
Manchester, UK-based B2B International is gearing up for the April launch of a new consumer-focused agency called 'deep see', which aims to 'get to the bottom of what customers really think'. More
WPP-owned ad agency Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) has launched a practice called Social@Ogilvy, through which the agency's global network of social media strategists will deliver solutions for areas including social media commerce, online listening and impact analysis. More
In the UK, insight and communications group Creston has scrapped the role of ICM Group Chairman, held by Justin Sampson, in a bid to reduce operating costs following 'lower than expected sales'. ICM Group will now be run by its Board of Directors. More
In the UK, Dipsticks Research's data collection arm Field and Fab has expanded its in-house CATI unit from 20 to 50 seats, in response to what it describes as increasing demand from its national and international client base. More
Ad and brand research specialist Hall & Partners has appointed former Synovate leader Andy Waller as Global Chief Operating Officer. More
Technology specialist Forrester Research has reported an 11% jump in 2011 fourth quarter revenue to $74.7m, up from $67.1m in the prior year period. For the full year, revenue increased 13% to $283.6m from $250.7m in 2010. More
In South Africa, Adrian Hewlett, the CEO and founder of media and marketing business Habari has combined the group's below-the-line (BTL), market research, digital, and social media businesses to launch a new integrated ad agency called Machine. More
According to reports in the press, the BBC's Director of Marketing & Audiences Helen Normoyle is leaving the broadcaster in May, to become Chief Marketing Officer at furniture retailer DFS. More
Quadrant Private Equity has renamed its Asia Pacific-based media intelligence company Media Monitors Group as Sentia Media. Media Monitors remains the name of one of Sentia's companies, which also include 360m, China Clipping and Brandtology. More
The co-founder and President of Asian agency Majestic MRSS Raj Sharma has partnered with former Nielsen MD Sarang Panchal to launch a new full service agency called MRSS India. More
US technology specialist Gartner has reported the 'highest ever' rise in contract value for its Research segment, whose revenues climbed 14% to $1.012bn for the full year 2011. Overall Group revenue jumped despite a slight decline in the smaller Consulting division. More
In the US, Greenfield Online veterans Hugh Davis and Keith Price have officially launched reInvention, a global sampling and data collection services firm founded last summer and promising 'a more human-to-human' approach to sample acquisition. A London office is planned soon. More
Ad and brand research specialist Hall & Partners has appointed Kevin Ford as Global Head of Research Solutions, based in London and reporting to Global CEO Vanella Jackson. More
Troubled agency Harris Interactive has announced second quarter results, with net income rising to $1.6m from $0.3m in the prior year period; but revenues falling 13% to $39.1m from $44.9m. More
North of England-based Dipsticks Research has opened two new divisions - travel and tourism specialist 'explore research', and bespoke consumer solutions unit 'fmcg insights'; and appointed Katie Bryan-Brown and John Vincent to lead them. More
Following its acquisition of Synovate, Ipsos has appointed a new management team in Poland, led by Kurt Thompson, Synovate's former CEO for Central/Eastern Europe & the Middle East. More
Manchester, UK-based B2B International is to open an office in Chicago, adding to its New York business opened in 2008 and helping the business research specialist service clients in the mid-west and beyond. More
GfK has announced revenue up 6.2% to EUR 1.374 billion in 2011, in preliminary figures released today. Almost all (5.8%) was organic growth. Operating income grew relatively little due to specific items including write-downs and recruitment of a new CEO. More
Crowdsourced market intelligence specialists Chaordix and crowdsourcing platform providers Genius Crowds have today announced the launch of a new service which allows consumers, product experts and marketers to collaborate on new product ideas. More
Belgian agency InSites Consulting has announced revenue growth of around 28% to more than 16 million Euros; office openings in Timisoara, Romania and in New York; expansion to 120 employees; and a number of senior appointments. More
Millward Brown has partnered with emotional measurement company Affectiva to offer clients deeper insight into the emotional impact of their TV advertising. Affectiva's facial expression analysis technology Affdex will be integrated with MB's LINK copy testing and optimization solution. More
Creston has reported 'good' third quarter revenue growth in its Insight division, following the addition of new clients in the first half of the year. However, the Board says it anticipates a decline in Q4 and will make changes to reduce operating costs accordingly. More
US firms HealthLink Dimensions and Billian's HealthDATA have formed a strategic alliance, which will combine the former's hospital-affiliated physician information with the latter's data on the inpatient, outpatient and long-term-care markets. More
Amsterdam-based Olery, a specialist in online reputation monitoring for the leisure sector, has raised $1m (EUR 750k) in a funding round from an undisclosed source, which it will use to build its presence in the US, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific, and improve and launch products. More
In Germany, Bernd Wachter has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer of qual specialist The Psyma Group, succeeding Fargel Matthias who is retiring after ten years in the role. More
Media and entertainment giant Time Warner has opened a media lab in New York, aiming to provide a 360 degree view of consumer behavior. The Lab features biometric monitoring and eye tracking, a 50-seat screening room, in-home living room simulation, and a live broadcast capability. More
WPP-owned international communications consultancy Hill+Knowlton Strategies has launched a new unit called Research+Data Insights (R+D Insights), offering both data analytics and primary research. More
Murray Hardie has re-joined brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners as US Chief Executive Officer, after a 10-year break spent working in comms planning positions. He assumes overall responsibility for US operations from Global CEO Vanella Jackson. More
German research software firm Globalpark has promoted its MD Frank Michael to the position of Chief Executive Officer, replacing founder Lorenz Gräf who has stepped down following the acquisition by survey software firm QuestBack. More
UK supermarket Sainsbury's has finally filled the vacant role of Marketing Director, appointing Heineken's UK Marketing Director and former Innovation Director Sarah Warby. More
In an interim trading statement, research group Cello has announced a 'solid' full year performance for 2011 and says its growing focus on the resilient pharmaceuticals sector is 'paying off'. More
WPP-owned healthcare panel and data collection agency All Global has appointed Hilary Fischer as Chief Operating Officer, US, and Kerry Haynes as Director of Operations, Europe. More
London-based consumer insights specialist Incite has appointed former Ipsos leader Sarah Phillips as Head of its healthcare practice. More
International online specialist BrainJuicer has reported a 26% increase in full year revenue to £20m, for the 12 months ended 31 December 2011. In a trading update, the firm says this increase was primarily fuelled by continued growth in the US. More
Cint has re-branded its product names to reflect its twin focus on sample access and panel management solutions - and also has a new logo. Separately, the firm has appointed former SSI exec Anita Haddu as Director of Panel Development, Europe. More
Colin Yee, Research International's Managing Director in New Zealand, is leaving at the end of January after sixteen years with the firm. More
US healthcare consultancy Quintiles has launched a business process outsourcing (BPO) and project management center in Dalain in the northeast of China, with a multilingual workforce to serve clients in the Japanese, Chinese and South Korean biopharmaceutical markets. More
Multimedia entertainment group Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) has promoted Christian Kurz to the post of Vice President of Research, Insights & Reporting, expanding his current management of Nickelodeon's international research to cover all VIMN brands. More
UK-based custom panel solutions specialist EasyInsites has reported a 37% increase in annual revenue to £750,000 for 2011. The firm has also moved into new office space and doubled the size of its team with the appointment of four new members of staff. More
In the UK, full service consultancy FreshMinds Research has expanded its senior management team with the appointment of Rosaleen Goldrick as head of its Consumer Goods and Gaming team, and Ross Antrobus as head of the Retail and Automotive team. More
Australian research and marcoms group Photon - which owns MR agencies The Leading Edge (TLE) and Jigsaw Research - has promoted Matthew Melhuish to the position of Chief Executive Officer, replacing Jeremy Philips who left in December. More
US-based word-of-mouth specialist Bazaarvoice has relocated Chief Client Officer Mark Riggs to London, where he has taken up the post of General Manager for Europe, tasked with raising the profile of the company's solutions across the continent. More
In the UK, former JRA Research Associate Director Stuart Green has launched a new consultancy, fresh research. The company will specialize in integrated qual-quant projects. More
UK-based Research Runner - the MR support agency set up by former Opinion Health sales specialist Julian Haste - is expanding to new premises today, after just a year in business. More
In the US, online survey and analysis tool provider SurveyGizmo has reported a 54% increase in revenues to $5.2m in 2011. More
UK-based market research agency Firefish is planning to expand to Amsterdam next month, with the opening of its first international office headed by former Synovate Qual Insights Director Kees Van Duyn. More
US-based video research solutions provider Qualvu has closed a $1.85m Series B round of funding, which it plans to use to support and expand its European client base, as well as its global operations and processes. More
UK-based insight and research consultancy The Behavioural Architects (TBA) has expanded into China by merging with Shanghai-based agency Research Essentials, which will now be known as The Behavioural Architects, China. More
US-based firm InCrowd - which offers market research to the life sciences sector - has secured an undisclosed amount of Series A seed funding, which it will use to expand its real-time research platform for the healthcare sector. More
Hong Kong-based Radar Global has extended its reach into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) with the launch of an Arabic language division. The firm is also planning to launch a Spanish language operation in the middle of the year. More
Consumer and sensory specialist MMR Research is expanding into Asia, with the opening of an office in Singapore, where it has appointed former TNS sector CEO Clive Little to lead the operation; and a Sensory Science Centre in Shanghai. More
European industry body efamro has appointed former Millward Brown CEO Jan Oostveen as Director General, replacing Lex Olivier who stepped down in 2011 after six years in the role. More
Every month Daily Research News publishes over 150 stories from the market research industry and 2011's grand total of items was 1,886. So which of them grabbed you? Features Editor Teresa Lynch looks at the most read stories. More
US energy and environment intelligence specialist IHS Inc. has reported a 27% increase in revenue for the fourth quarter, to $371m, with organic growth of 9.4 percent; and a 25% rise (8.7% organic) in revenue for the year ended November 30, 2011, to $1.326 billion. More
In Chicago, web based 3-D virtual store research specialist InContext Solutions has received $1.5m in venture capital investment from a consortium co-led by newly launched Hyde Park Venture Partners (HPVP) and Hyde Park Angels, and including graphics and computing company AMD. More
US-based CETRA Language Solutions - which specialises in providing translation and interpretation services to the market research sector - has opened a new European Service Centre in Limerick, Ireland with plans to hire a staff of 20 linguists. More
In the US, insurance and investment management business Lincoln Financial Group has set up a new Consumer Insights division, with a team of six qual and quant researchers headed by Emily Pachuta. More
In the US, research veterans Sanjay Vrudhula, Lyle Durbin and Tod Higginbotham have set up a new firm, Reconnaissance Market Research (ReconMR), targeting Texas-based companies with $1 billion or more in revenue. More
UK-based market research recruitment specialist Hasson Associates has continued its expansion with the appointment of former Major Players insight team leader Joel Naftal as Senior Associate. More
Social statistician and NatCen co-founder Professor Sir Roger Jowell died on Christmas Day after a heart attack, at the age of 69. More
In New York, Kantar Health has appointed Debbie Warner as Vice President in charge of its Oncology Commercial Strategies team, which provides information and analysis on the influence of sector stakeholders. More
London-based social and consumer trend forecasting firm the Trajectory Partnership has appointed former Henley Centre Chairman Bob Tyrrell, as a Director specialising in analysing and interpreting social change. More
The team at MrWeb would like to wish all our readers and friends around the world a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. More
After more than seventeen years at ORC International, Martin Grimwood has left to head the financial services team at TNS-RI. More
Former Opinion Leader researcher Rebecca Addis has become joint owner of Community Research - the specialist public sector agency founded by former ORC International Director Rachel Lopata. Addis takes up her new role in January. More
Paul Walton, the co-founder and CEO of Cello-owned brand development consultancy The Value Engineers (TVE), is to retire at the end of the year. More
Harris Interactive is to request a hearing to avoid delisting from the Nasdaq Stock Market, after its shares failed to repass the market's $1 threshold in 180 days since its last warning. More
In the US, EmSense's Chief Analytics Officer Elissa Moses has left the company to join Ipsos as EVP for Neuroscience and Emotion. She starts her new job on January 3rd. More
Dr Alex Gofman, VP and CTO of US brand research and consulting firm Moskowitz Jacobs, has died at the age of 54, after a long battle with cancer. More
TNS Global Chairman Jamie Hall is to retire next week, after nearly 30 years in the market research industry. More
Ipsos has set up a new operation in Pakistan, led by former MEMRB Country Head Abdul Sattar Babar, who is supported by a team of 30 full-time marketing and media researchers based in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. More
In the UK, TNS has appointed Rebecca Wynberg as CEO of its qualitative business. She returns to Kantar to take up her new role in January. More
SPA Future Thinking's Research & Innovations Director Chris Handford has left to set up a digital research consultancy called Resound Digital. More
Marcoms giant WPP has increased its stake in Chime Communications to 17.17%, with the acquisition of around 13.9m shares at £0.25 each, or nearly £3.5m. More
Following last week's management buyout (MBO) of UK marcoms group Media Square - the parent of market research agency Illuminas - former shareholder Bob Morton has accused the firm's Board of Directors of breaching its fiduciary duties. More
Jeremy Philips has resigned as CEO of the Photon Group, the parent company of insight firms The Leading Edge and Jigsaw Research. Philips was brought in to save the debt-laden group 18 months ago, and 'though challenges remain, leaves with a sense of 'mission accomplished'. More
In the UK, Creston-owned ICM Research has hired former Synovate exec Tom Bailey as Head of Analytics, while Ruth Moyer joins the Technology team and Matt Draper the Financial Services team, both as Research Directors. More
Healthcare panel and data collection agency All Global has partnered with patient community host Inspire.com, to provide its clients with access to 'difficult to reach patients' across a number of therapeutic areas. More
UK marcoms group Media Square - the parent of market research agency Illuminas - has been acquired through a management buyout (MBO), following an earlier announcement that its bank had refused further funding. More
WPP Chief Exec Sir Martin Sorrrell has told the UK government that its proposed tax reforms do not go far enough to lure his business back from Ireland to its original UK headquarters. More
Digital broadcaster UKTV has appointed former Kantar Retail director Simon Michaelides as Head of Marketing for its 10-channel network, which includes Dave, Gold, and Good Food. He will take up his new post in early 2012. More
Ipsos has announced its new senior leadership line-up for the UK, following the Synovate acquisition. Former Synovate senior execs Dave Hannay, Hilary Worton, Paul Stamper, Deborah McCrudden and Yusuf Ramadan are all included in CEO Ben Page's team. More
New York-based Insight Research Group has changed its name to Insight Strategy Group, reflecting its 'evolution and expanding scope of services'. More
Following its acquisition of Synovate, Ipsos has promoted Grant Bertoli to the position of CEO for South East Asia (SEA), and confirmed the appointment of Synovate's Singapore MD Miranda Cheung as MD of Ipsos in Singapore and SEA. Senior European and US roles have also been finalised. More
IBM veteran Matthias Hartmann has officially taken up the post of Chief Executive Officer of GfK, replacing Professor Dr. Klaus L. Wübbenhorst who has stepped down. More
Robin Shuker, one of the founders of UK-based online qual research tools provider ChatCloud has resigned as MD to 'pursue other interests', just a year after co-founding the company. More
UK-based group Creston Plc has announced results for the six-month period to 30 September 2011. While the group as a whole prospered, the Insight division - which includes the firms Marketing Sciences and ICM - saw year-on-year revenue decline 3% to £7.5m. More
Concept testing and forecasting software specialist Affinnova says it is re-evaluating its staffing needs following 'rapid growth' and is set to hire 70 new employees in 2012. More
In Canada, In-Touch Insight Systems has reported a 63% increase in revenue to $2.76m in the third quarter, up from $1.69m a year previously. More
US healthcare specialist G & S Research has moved to new headquarters not far from the old, on the north side of Indianapolis. More
In London, Kantar has announced a deal with app software firm Lumi Mobile, whose mobile phone-based consumer insight technology it will help to commercialise. Kantar also takes a minority equity stake in the business. More
In the UK, full service consultancy FreshMinds Research has expanded in London with ten new staff appointments. More
Six former employees of Harris Interactive in Hong Kong have set up Anovation Asia, a new full service agency which is majority owned by data specialist Anovation. More
In the UK, full service agency Boxclever, which is owned by three former Nunwood Board directors, has moved to new premises in Leeds, following several new contract wins. More
In the US, global PR agency Ketchum has appointed research veteran Don Bartholomew as Senior Vice President of Social Media Research, tasked with managing its Global Research Network's operations in the South and Midwest. More
In Italy, sports research specialist Immagine & Sport has re-organised, with Nevio Devidè assuming the role of CEO, replacing Marco Nazzari who becomes Managing Director. More
In the US, Ipsos Loyalty has partnered with research software specialist Survey Analytics, to offer clients mobile panel capabilities. More
In the UK, full service agency SPA Future Thinking has made five top level appointments, including Kimberley-Clark's Shelley Watson as Research Director, plus heads of business development, field operations, HR and finance. More
Online healthcare fieldwork firms All Global, M3 USA and Medefield have partnered to launch 'The Trust Alliance', which will promote trust in online physician research through advanced industry standards and the development of best practices. More
In New York, trade organization the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau (CAB) has partnered with BigInsight parent firm Prosper Business Development, to launch a new resource to provide advertisers and publishers with insights on African-American consumers. More
In the US Scott Koenig, the co-founder of market research agency TripleScoop, has spun off the firm's Social Marketology division as a separate agency, with a focus on tapping social media conversations to drive brand engagement. More
In the US, Horsham, PA-based pharma and biotech consultancy Healogix has announced the appointment of Tim Edbrooke as President and Chief Operating Officer. Company Founder Harris Kaplan will remain as CEO and work in a strategic capacity. More
London-based insight agency Matt & John has been re-named - or renumbered - 7bn, reflecting the recently passed global population milestone. More
Millward Brown has opened a new office in Munich, Germany, adding to its existing presence in Frankfurt and Hamburg. More
US media and entertainment company NBCUniversal has appointed former Nielsen exec Jonathan Gibs for the new position of Head of Digital Research, within its Entertainment & Digital Networks and Integrated Media division (E&DN/IM). More
In the US, start-up healthcare information firm Real Endpoints (RE) has announced plans to acquire a majority stake in New Jersey-based market research agency Reimbursement Intelligence. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Synovate CEO Robert Philpott has left his job as part of a management restructure, following Ipsos' recent acquisition of the firm. It is not yet known what his next career move will be. More
In Poland, opinion and social research specialist TNS OBOP is to merge with ad hoc research provider TNS Pentor in early 2012. More
GfK has reported a good performance for the third quarter and first nine months of 2011. Q3 organic sales growth was 5.2% and the adjusted margin was up slightly on Q3 the previous year to 15.7%. Sales in the first 9 months of the year totalled EUR 999m - up 7.1% (7.0% organic). More
TNS has announced that Maureen Duffy, until this month CEO of the Newspaper Marketing Agency, will take over from Andrew Czarnowski as UK CEO from January next year. More
Voice of Customer (VoC) analytics specialist iPerceptions Inc. has announced results for the third quarter of 2011. Revenue is up 11% to $CAN 1.41m while operating loss is less than half the Q3 figure for the previous year, at $CAN 53,526. More
Sensory and consumer specialist product perceptions has announced a partnership with qual brand developer Deep Blue Research, promising clients richer concept insights and FMCG brand development. More
Eyetracking technology firm Tobii has launched a plug-in which combines eye-gaze data with the metrics measured by TechSmith's Morae usability testing platform, to provide psychological analysis of user behavior during usability testing. More
In the US, social media analytics specialist newBrandAnalytics (nBA) - whose clients are in the hotel, casino, restaurant and retail sectors - has raised $26m in Series B financing. More
Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical and its Russian Partner CreaMetrix have signed a deal to create what the firms describe as the country's first community panel. More
GfK Healthcare is rolling out its syndicated TCD physician studies, until now focused on the US and Europe, to Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC). The studies will offer local market treatment perspectives across cardiovascular, psychiatry, respiratory and rheumatology/pain specialisms. More
In the US, Interpublic's media innovation arm IPG Mediabrands has opened an 'immersion and exploration center', where clients and IPG staff can collaborate on technology-enabled marketing programs and data systems. More
GfK Custom Research North America has appointed former GfK Brazil researcher Rogerio Monteiro as Managing Director of its Business & Technology division, based in New York. More
In the UK, marcoms group Chime Communications has reported continuing recovery in its Research & Engagement division, which includes Opinion Leader Research, Facts International, acefieldwork, CaucusWorld, Naked Eye, Brand Democracy and Tree. More
Mobile giant O2 is creating a Business Intelligence team as a focus for data from across the business, according to press reports. Andy Day, Head of CRM since 2008, will head up the new division. More
In the US, a team including Google Analytics co-founder Scott Crosby has launched a new analytics platform called Euclid Elements, with a $5.8m Series A round of financing. More
Following its recent acquisition of Synovate and in line with plans to withdraw the Synovate brand in January, Ipsos has restructured its team in China. Five 'Combined Country Managers' will ready the businesses for integration while ensuring they run separately until the end of the year. More
Former Harris Interactive managers Amrita Banta and Asha Choksi have opened their own full service agency, Agility Research & Strategy, in Singapore. The firm will focus on research across Asia using online and digital data collection tools. More
Australian research and marcoms group Photon - which owns MR agencies The Leading Edge and Jigsaw Research - has cleared its debts through the sale of its field marketing and retail agencies to equity firm Navis Capital Partners for the sum of $AUD 146.5m. More
Brand and communications research specialist Hall & Partners has opened a mobile market research lab in the back of a London taxi cab. More
London-based full service agency Opinium Research has launched a new division focusing on the healthcare sector. More
Brand specialist Oracle Added Value has named ex-Illuminas MD Matthew Carr Deputy Managing Director of its Hong Kong office; and promoted Arthur Tam to the new role of Head of Talent Development, Greater China. More
In the US, Gartner's research division has reported record contract value - up 14% to $1,036m in Q3 2011. Revenue rose 17% to $345.8m compared with last year's Q3, while net income climbed 52% to $30.5m. More
In the US, pharma market research firm ImpactRx has appointed former IMS Health VP David Gascoigne, to lead the development of its Consulting and Analytics practice as EVP Consulting Analytics, Innovation and Alliances. More
In the US, Qessential Medical Market Research has acquired an 1890's farmhouse in the historic town of Exeter, New Hampshire, where it has re-located its growing team. More
Harris Interactive has reported a 3.5% increase in first-quarter revenue to $38.3m. Bookings however were down 11% for the quarter and CEO Al Angrisani says the firm is still facing 'major challenges' with sales. More
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission says the parent company of IMS Health must sell two product lines if it is to proceed with its acquisition of rival data provider SDI. More
WPP has reported third quarter revenue of £2.46bn, representing like-for-like growth of 4.7%, but says its insight division grew much slower than any other, revenues rising less than 1%. More
In the US, gamification company BunchBall has announced substantial growth in Q3, and has appointed Lori Macias as VP of Market Solutions and Barry Kirk as VP of Channel Management. More
Technology specialist Forrester Research has announced third quarter results, with a substantial rise in revenues to $69.8m from $59.8m in Q3 2010. More
Ipsos - now the world's third largest market research company - has reported organic growth of 6.0% for the first nine months of the year, with revenue rising to EUR 845.8m. Growth slowed slightly in the third quarter and the firm is hunkering down for tough economic times ahead. More
California-based web analytics and online research specialist Crowd Science is moving to larger offices in San Jose, as it continues to expand its team. More
Boutique MR firm Axen Research has appointed Giovanni Riggioni - previously Executive Director of Global Research at Warner Home Entertainment - as Managing Director. More
In the UK, telephone research specialist Facts International has expanded the capacity of its Ashford, Kent-based CATI call centre, increasing the number of seats to around 200 and introducing round-the-clock operations for large-scale international projects. More
German product, pricing and marketing strategy specialist Simon-Kucher has seen a 19% increase in revenue for the first three quarters of 2011, to EUR 86.5m. More
Opinion specialist BritainThinks has launched an international division called WorldThinks, which will have a specific focus on reputation research. More
In the US, Ipsos' digital and media specialist arm, OTX MediaCT has appointed Robert Lightner as EVP in charge of its video game research business. He will be based in San Francisco, where he will also serve as local company lead. More
US-based qual/quant agency Insight Research Group has appointed branding specialist Perry Baldwin for its newly created post of 'Chief Possibility Officer', responsible for communicating both the firm's external and internal 'strategic vision'. More
TNS has today announced the appointment of Kristin Sharp as global COO of its qualitative business, starting immediately. She joins from Ipsos' US qual division Understanding UnLtd, of which she was CEO and President. More
Maritz Research has moved into its new offices in High Wycombe, UK, making room as it continues rapid European growth. More
Full service agency and fieldwork provider Focus-Suites Asia (FSPL Asia) has opened a new operation in Sri Lanka, offering one-way-mirrors, usability testing labs, online panels, eye tracking services and mystery shopping. More
Fast-growing UK-based consultancy Truth and its start-up investor The College Group have announced a 'major new investment' - thought to be between £20m and £25m - from venture capital fund Vitruvian Partners LLP. More
In Sao Paulo, Brazil, former senior execs of Ipsos and Synovate have launched a new research consultancy, Animux, along with an immediate strategic alliance with consumer behaviour and emotion assessment specialist Hotspex. More
Sun Microsystems co-founder Scott McNealy has formally launched his new company WayIn, which he describes as 'a little bit of Facebook, a little bit of Twitter, and a big chunk of SurveyMonkey.' More
Danish toy manufacturer LEGO has rolled out an online 'open innovation' and crowd sourcing platform, through which consumers can submit and vote for their favourite new product ideas. Consumers who have their ideas chosen will earn 1% of the total net sales of the product. More
YouGov has appointed technology research specialist Steve Ingledew as Managing Director, San Francisco, in its US custom division YouGov Definitive Insights. More
Global pharma data collection specialist WorldOne has appointed former Medefield MD Gerald Wackert as MD for its recently opened German operation. More
London-based BDRC Group - which in the UK includes BDRC Continental and Perspective Research Services - has opened an office in Singapore, headed by former employee Piers Lee who recently left his role as MD of Kadence Asia Pacific. More
TNS has appointed Research International veteran Mark Kingsbury as Global Head of Marketing Sciences, based in the UK and responsible for building the firm's existing technical capabilities and developing new solutions. More
UK agencies Ci Research and Brand Vista have launched the Brand Alignment Monitor (BAM), a tool promising a 360 degree analysis of how well a brand measures up to its vision and values. More
Japanese consulting services specialist Nomura Research Institute (NRI) has acquired a 25.1% stake in New Delhi-based Market Xcel Data Matrix, through which it plans to expand its research and consulting business activities to India. More
California-based Democrat pollster André Pineda died last Tuesday at the age of 46, reportedly jumping to his death from Pasadena's Colorado Street Bridge. More
Research agency BrainJuicer has moved its Dutch office from Rotterdam to Amsterdam in order to be closer to existing clients. More
Harris Interactive's results for the fourth quarter and full year fiscal 2011 show a further decline in revenues in real terms, and a significant rise in operating loss. Recently appointed Interim CEO Al Angrisani says there is 'not going to be a quick or easy fix' for the company's problems. More
Ipsos has successfully completed the EUR 200 million rights issue it announced three weeks ago, reporting strong demand for the shares. The money will be used to part-fund the company's acquisition of Synovate, alongside existing cash and credit, and a EUR 250m loan. More
In New York, pharma data collection specialist WorldOne has appointed Mergemarket co-founder Richard Hall as Chief Operating Officer, focused on managing and expanding the firm's operations. More
Fast-growing agency Nunwood has relocated its London HQ to premises in King's Cross, to accommodate growing staff numbers following a number of new contract wins. More
In the UK, Ipsos MORI has appointed former Nielsen BASES EMEA MD Susan Malcolm as Managing Director for its Ipsos Marketing division. More
Research consultancy Kadence International has promoted Greg Clayton to MD for Singapore, replacing the departing Piers Lee; and is gearing up to expand in the region with the relocation of Phil Steggals from the UK, the hiring of Natalie Sew Hoy and a major office refurbishment. More
Family, friends and colleagues have paid tribute to former Millward Brown MD Tony Copeland, who died recently aged 66 after a short illness. Copeland is credited with leading the development of the agency's international network of offices in the late 1980s and 1990s. More
WPP's salary body is to consider a fifty percent rise in the basic salary of CEO Sir Martin Sorrell, who in November 2008 rejected a scheduled review as 'inappropriate' for the economic climate. Sorrell's £1m basic, unchanged since January 2007, is a smallish part of his total income from the firm. More
York, UK-based agency Qa Research is opening a new office in Glasgow, to enhance its service for potential new clients in Scotland More
Kantar Media has announced the promotion of Antonio Carvalho to Chief Research Officer, heading up a new London-based Audiences Central Research Unit. He reports to Global Head of Products and Services, John Gill. More
In the US, Thinkspeed, a crowd sourcing platform for the IT industry, has announced its receipt of seed funding from private equity firm Virgo Capital. More
Fast-growing innovation technology firm Affinnova has announced three senior promotions. Lang Leonard adds the title of COO to that of CFO; Amit Dhand becomes EVP heading the Global Client Services team; and Kevin Karty becomes VP of Analytics. More
In the US, industry analyst and report publisher IBISWorld is planning to up its headcount by 60 in the next 6 months, with the addition of business development managers, industry research analysts and editorial and layout assistants. More
In the US, six shopper research specialists have formed an alliance to offer marketers an integrated resource for shopper insights. The new organization will be called Mindtap Insight Network. More
US-based neuromarketing firm Innerscope Research has closed the final tranche of a $9.4million round of Series A funding. More
Neuromarketing specialist EmSense may be sold and/or broken up, according to reports in the press and comments by one of its senior execs. The firm is said not to be taking any new project work, pending the results of sales negotiations. More
Gloucestershire-based medical data collection specialist Gillian Kenny Associates (GKA) has branched into consumer and b2b research with the launch of a new company, Angelfish. More
WPP firm Added Value has restructured its Australian management, creating the new role of Client Development Director for current MD Melissa Carey and moving Deputy MD James Pike into her MD role. The firm's Sydney staff are also relocating across the city. More
Kadence International has appointed Andy Grout and Neil Rees as Insight Directors, both based at the company's headquarters in London. More
In the US, healthcare research group P\S\L has appointed Michael Spedding to the newly created role of Domain CEO, Market Research. A former CEO, Geographies at Synovate, Spedding recently founded investment firm PharmaGems. More
Mike Moran, EVP of Audit Services at the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), is about to retire after more than 30 years with the organization. He will be replaced by colleague Scott Hanson, who currently serves as SVP, Electronic and Centralized Auditing. More
Online sample provider uSamp has hired eight new members of staff to support the growth of its recently opened London office. More
US-based data collection agency Metro Research Services has moved its focus group facility across town in Alexandria, VA, to larger premises. More
In Australia, STW Group's research consultancy AMR has opened a new office in Brisbane, and expanded its teams in Sydney and Melbourne with a number of new appointments. More
UK polling firm Populus has appointed ICM founder Nick Sparrow as a Special Advisor, providing guidance on business growth and methodological innovation. More
The market research industry has returned to growth following two 'very challenging years', according to ESOMAR's Global Market Research 2011 report. Global turnover rose to US $31.2 billion in 2010, representing a total year-on-year growth of 5.2%, or 2.8% allowing for inflation. More
International online specialist BrainJuicer has reported a 26% increase in revenue to £9.09m for the six months ended 30 June 2011 (H1 2010 £7.21m), driven by 'strong growth' in the US, which accounted for 33% of total revenues. More
The Research & Consulting division at UK insight and marketing group Cello has seen a 6.0% increase in gross profit to £19.6m and a 16% rise in headline operating profit to £3.7m for the first six months of the year, despite a 1.3% drop in revenue to £31m. More
Survey reporting and distribution company Dapresy has formed a new global support operation, headed by former Kantar exec Raymond van Loon as Senior After Sales Manager. More
Edinburgh-based George Street Research has entered liquidation after more than two decades as a significant player in Scottish MR. More
Tokyo-based firms AIP Corporation and M3, Inc. have announced an alliance - including a share transfer - to deliver global healthcare research centred in rapidly growing Southeast Asian countries. More
Australian-based agency The Leading Edge has moved Andrew Povolny, formerly MD of its Sydney-based Digital Edge division, to New York in the role of Managing Partner. He will also serve as the firm's first 'Global Client Partner' for a key client, in this case KFC-owner Yum! Restaurants. More
Nielsen has formed a strategic alliance with India-based Informate Mobile Intelligence, which uses on-device metering technology installed on panellists' handsets. More
The son of movie director Oliver Stone has co-founded a new firm which provides TV and film producers with access to a database of 60 million moviegoers willing to participate in pre-launch film and TV test research. More
In the UK, online pollster YouGov has teamed up with Cambridge University to launch a not-for-profit thinktank, through which 'world-class thinkers' can connect with public opinion research. More
Ipsos is planning to issue around EUR 200m worth of new shares, to part-fund its acquisition of Synovate. More
Healthcare data collection agency WorldOne has secured a $25m investment, which it plans to use to accelerate global expansion and fund development of new business lines. More
In a move bound to raise a few eyebrows, the Cabinet Office has commissioned The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) to study the motives behind those involved in the recent UK riots. More
WPP-owned ad agency network Grey Group has partnered with Eastern Advertising in Taiwan, to offer full service capabilities including market research, strategic planning, PR and a range of advertising and marketing options across the country. More
Usability and user experience consultancy SirValUse - majority owned by GfK - has opened a new office in Cologne, Germany, adding to its existing operations in Hamburg, Munich and Berlin. More
In the UK, b2b media group Emap International has appointed Duncan Painter as its new CEO, replacing David Gilbertson, who stepped down in May. Painter is currently MD of customer intelligence provider Sky IQ and previously led consulting group ClarityBlue. More
YouGov has significantly strengthened its senior team with the hiring of Phil Rance and Andreas Sperling, formerly in leadership roles at Research Now and Millward Brown respectively; and the promotion of Tim Britton from CEO, UK to CEO, EMEA. More
Privately-owned MR agency Kadence International has reported a 37% year-on-year increase in its global revenues to $US 17.5 million for the year ending June 2011, from $12.8m in 2010. More
Former Major Players insight team leader Joel Naftal is helping to build a new London-based staff recruitment consultancy, Trace, whose specialist areas including marketing, branding and insight. More
In the US, the Associated Press (AP) and the National Opinion Research Centre (NORC) at the University of Chicago have joined forces to launch The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. More
In the UK, specialist research consultancy B2B International has expanded its London presence by moving to new offices on the Euston Road. More
Technology analyst IDC has promoted Matt Oostveen to the role of Chief of Research for Australia. He replaces Tim Dillon who takes an expanded Asia Pacific role. More
The UK's largest mutual retailer, the Co-operative Group, has appointed former MasterCard Advisors chief Neil Carden to the new role of Director of Insight and Planning. More
Santa Ana, CA-based CoreLogic, Inc., which provides information and analytics for the real estate and mortgage sectors, is receiving advice about a possible sale or merger, as a result of the 'challenging economic environment and current market conditions'. More
Synovate has reported an 8.4% rise in revenue to £269.7m for the first half of the year, ahead of its forthcoming sale to Ipsos for an agreed £525m. Organic gross revenue growth was 6.6% and operating profit rose 14.9% to £5.4m despite a ten percent rise in headcount. More
Brand and communications research specialist Hall & Partners has entered the South African market through a partnership with Cape Town and Johannesburg-based marketing consultancy Yellowwood. More
Jan Hofmeyr, formerly Synovate's International Director of Innovation, has joined TNS in a 'global thought leadership role', responsible for building the firm's approach to behaviour change and embedding this across the group. More
Huntington, NY-based AMS Market Research has appointed Added Value veteran David Saul as President. More
WPP's Consumer Insight division has reported a meagre 2.3% rise in like-for-like revenue (1.3% actual) for the first half of the year, following slower growth in the US, the UK and Japan in the second quarter. However, pre-tax profits rose 37% to £334.3m. More
In the UK, former Vivid Interface data and customer research execs Lisa Holt, Jo Walther and Paul Kemp have formed a new quant and qual agency called Zing Insights. More
Canada-based online data collection specialist itracks has set up a digital insights consultancy headed by Jim Longo and offering new full-service options, including an ad and logo design feedback tool and in-depth social media capabilities. More
UK marcoms group Chime Communications has reported a 20% rise in revenue for the first six months of the year, but has warned that while its quant business maintained a 'good performance', its qual business is unlikely to return to profit until the fourth quarter. More
In the UK, Tangent Communications has merged its insight agency Snowball with its digital creative agency Tangent One under the Tangent Snowball brand, in order to provide clients with a range of 'insight to influence' services. More
Synovate-owned Marketing Management Analytics (MMA) has opened an operation in Bangalore, India from which it plans to develop advanced predictive and optimization techniques for use with behavioural and attitudinal data. More
In the UK, international specialist River Research has reported a £1m increase in sales to c.£2.5m for the last 12 months. The firm says it is also considering expanding overseas, with the US being the most likely location. More
US-based ethnography specialist Luth Research has partnered with biomedical engineering firm Exmovere, to understand respondents' emotions when they participate in research studies. More
The world's 25 largest research firms had revenues of $18.8 billion in 2010, up 4.9% on the previous 'dismal' year - a 'very healthy turnaround' according to industry authority Jack Honomichl. However, 'real' revenues were not quite back to their 2008 levels, and some companies continued to shrink. More
David Nelems, the founder of market research video streaming specialist ActiveGroup Ventures, has returned to the company as Chief Executive Officer. He left the firm in 2007 following its sale to the MVL Group. More
In the UK, Robin Hilton and Jonathan Clough - who previously worked at youth research and marketing strategist Dubit - have formed a new online panel firm. ResearchBods offers specialist panels for consumer; online qual; and research among youth, kids and families. More
Specialist research firm eyetracker has announced a deal with Royal Mail's Mail Media Centre to create what it calls 'Europe's first omnibus eye tracking research service for the Direct Mail industry'. More
UK success story FreshMinds has appointed Annette Müller as its new Managing Director, following the departure of Alistair Leathwood, announced last month. More
GfK has reported sales of EUR 660.1m in sales for the first half of 2011, reflecting 8.0% organic growth year-on-year. Adjusted operating income rose 16.8% (organic 18.0%) to EUR 83.9m. The Group has also announced the acquisition of a 25% stake in US firm MBI. More
WPP agency MediaCom Worldwide has launched a new division focused on global sports sponsorship, MediaCom Sport, and appointed former IMG Consulting exec Marcus John to lead it. More
Concept testing and forecasting software specialist Affinnova, Inc. has announced sales growth of 44% for the twelve months ending June 2011. More
Nunwood has relocated its New York operation to larger premises in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, to accommodate 'significant staff growth'. More
Embattled Photon Group - which owns MR agencies The Leading Edge and Jigsaw Research - has received a vote of confidence of a kind, investment fund Intelligent Investor buying five percent of its depressed shares. More
US firm Kurani Interactive has secured another $4.3m in Series A funding for its Opinionaided iPhone market research app and Q&A community; and has released version 3.1 of the iOS app. More
Echo Research has been appointed as the lead contractor for the provision of EU-related media analysis for the European Commission (EC). The four year contract is valued between EUR 4 million and EUR 7 million. More
Online specialist YouGov has moved its US CEO Doug Rivers to the role of Chief Innovations Officer, with a seat on the plc Board. The firm has also promoted Definitive Insights co-founder Doss Struse to the position of President of YouGov America. More
In the UK, Viewpoint Field Services and Rosslyn Research have merged and been re-branded as Viewpoint Field & Studios under the leadership of Gale Blears, following the departure of former Rosslyn CEO Julian Green. More
Panel and research technology firm Vision Critical has appointed industry veteran Ray Poynter as Executive Vice President and Managing Director of its London office, responsible for development of the UK business. More
In the US, online community platform Get Satisfaction has raised $10m in Series B funding, which it plans to invest in product innovation, distribution partnerships and the expansion of its service for global use. More
Aegis Media has launched its specialist econometric and research consultancy ævolve in the APAC region, following its growth in the UK over the past ten years. The new arm will be led by former Nielsen exec Adam Hodgson. More
Information Services Group (ISG), the acquisition vehicle set up by former VNU boss Michael Connors, has reported its 'second best revenue quarter', fuelled by 51% growth versus the same period in 2010. More
US oil and gas management consultancy Decision Strategies has promoted Patrick Leach to the post of Chief Executive Officer, replacing Chris Reinsvold who has resigned to 'pursue other interests'. The firm has also promoted Steve Jacobs to the role of Chief Operating Officer. More
In New York, brand influencer network Crowdtap has partnered with former Millward Brown Optimor CEO Joanna Seddon, to introduce a new metric for measuring the impact of marketing programs. More
US technology researcher Gartner has reported a 16% revenue increase to $365.5m for the second quarter of 2011, while net income has leapt 60% to $32.2m, compared with Q2 2010. More
The co-founders of North of England-based Dipsticks Research, John and Fiona Raglan, have announced they are stepping back from the day-to-day management of the business, which will now be run by their former Operations Director Ivor Knox. More
In the US, following last year's imprisonment of Youth Research President Karen Forcade for falsifying data in connection with child safety tests on cigarette lighters, her colleague Joyce Serventi and two of the firm's former contractors have also been convicted. More
GfK has named a successor for Professor Dr. Klaus L. Wübbenhorst, who announced his decision to step down as CEO earlier in the year. Matthias Hartmann, 45, is currently Global Head of Strategy and Industries in the consulting division of IBM Global Business Services. More
Police in Mumbai, India have reportedly arrested the COO of Singapore-based online survey company Speak Asia, along with three other employees, on charges of defrauding investors of $US 294m. More
Healthcare communications agency OPEN Health, a subsidiary of UK-based Chime Communications, has announced the opening of a new market research and brand planning arm, OPEN Plan. Cory Inglis will lead the new division as MD. More
Insight and communications group Creston has reported year-on-year revenue growth in the quarter ending 30th June of over 12%: however like-for-like revenue growth was just 2%. Creston made positive noises about the progress of its Insight division but did not release figures. More
US technology specialist Forrester Research has reported a 13.6% increase in second quarter revenue to $73.5m, compared with $64.7m in the prior year period. However, net income dropped 20% to $5.5m from $6.9m in Q2 2010. More
US neuroscience specialist Sands Research Inc (SRI) has partnered with Chinese neuromarketing firm Brain Intelligence Neuro-Consultancy (BI) to provide their services to businesses in China and on a global basis. More
Fresh from announcing its deal to buy Synovate, Ipsos has achieved organic growth of 6.3% in the first half of the year, reporting a 5.6% increase in revenues to EUR 558.2m. More
FreshMinds Research MD Alistair Leathwood has confirmed he is moving to Australian market research agency Colmar Brunton as Joint Managing Director. More
In New York, brand influencer network Crowdtap has secured $7m in Series A funding, which will be used to expand its sales force, scale the engineering team, and fill several other operational and product positions. More
US-based agency Zpryme Research & Consulting has opened a China Insights Practice, a market research division focused on the Chinese consumer and business market. More
Ipsos has agreed to acquire Synovate for £525m (EUR 595m), creating the world's third largest market research company. The deal is to be funded with cash, new debt financing, and a rights offering to Ipsos shareholders. More
According to reports in the UK press, Publicis and WPP are both planning to make bids for the remainder of marcoms group Aegis, once it has completed the sale of its market research arm Synovate. More
In New York, Jeff Cail has returned to Ipsos to head US operations as President and Chief Executive Officer. More
In the UK, FreshMinds Research has announced that current MD Alistair Leathwood is leaving the business to re-locate to Australia. It is not known what his next career move will be. More
In the US, Decision Resources has acquired consulting and MR firm PharmaStrat, a specialist in reimbursement and organized customer segments for biopharma manufacturers; and has also announced a change of name. More
US tech-based qual researcher Quester and mobile survey software provider iPinion have integrated their systems to enhance their mobile research offering. More
TNS has been awarded the Flash Eurobarometer contract by the European Commission and European Parliament, beating four rival bidders. The four-year contract could be worth up to EUR 60 million. More
German product, pricing and marketing strategy specialist Simon-Kucher has reported a 20% year-on-year increase in first-half revenue to EUR 58 million. CEO Georg Tacke said it was the best first half-year in the firm's history. More
In London, GfK NOP has appointed former YouGov director Neil Thorington as Deputy MD, GfK Financial, with a particular focus on implementing new digital research tools and techniques. More
Following the recent uprising in Egypt, a human rights charity is calling for help to establish eight public opinion polling centres across the country, from which it will gauge citizens' reactions to topics such as the role of the police in the new Egyptian state, and the place of religion in politics. More
Anzalone Liszt Research (ALR) - which specializes in Democratic Party polling - is opening a third office in New York City, in order to expand the business' growing non-political work. The new operation will be led by Partner Jeff Liszt. More
French co-creation agency eYeka has consolidated its business into three practices, in a bid to better serve its clients and its communities worldwide. More
In the UK, consumer research specialist Firefish has reported a 59% increase in turnover to £6.3m for the past year. The firm has also been on a recruitment drive, resulting in the need to move to larger premises in the City of London. More
Research consultancy Kadence International has opened 55 fieldwork offices across India, staffed by 225 new permanent members of staff supported by more than 700 telephone and face-to-face interviewers and supervisors. More
In London, Synovate has brought together a team of methodologists to investigate the value of non-verbal response techniques, and apply their findings to custom research projects. More
In the Middle East, GfK has promoted Praveen Madawala to the post of CEO, leading the Custom Research business across the region. More
TNS has appointed ad agency veteran and former Lowe and Partners Chief Strategy Officer Abhijeet Dutta Ray as Managing Director of Thailand. More
In Sri Lanka, Kantar-owned LMRB (Lanka Market Research Bureau) has promoted Himalee Madurasinghe to the post of Chief Executive Officer, after 14 years with the firm. More
In the United Arab Emirates, Tamara Deprez is to leave her post as Head of online agency Yahoo! Maktoob Research at the end of July. She has not yet decided what her next career move will be. More
In the UK, former Nebu exec Betty Adamou has launched a new consultancy called Research Through Gaming (R.T.G.), which converts surveys into computer research games through which to collect 'Playspondent' feedback and boost response rates. More
In the UK, it has been revealed that Doughty Hanson - which owns the Vue cinema chain - is the mystery company interested in buying Aegis' market research arm Synovate. More
Harris Interactive is planning to sub-let excess space in its US premises in Norwalk, Connecticut and Portland, Oregon, as well as in its UK offices in Brentford, Middlesex, in order to reduce costs. More
Whisky producer William Grant & Sons has appointed Damien Heary as Global Planning and Innovation Director in its Dublin office, with responsibility for generating and applying consumer insights to drive brand marketing activity for the firm's entire portfolio. More
Kantar Health has promoted Werner Guminski to the position of CEO, Commercial Strategy, a role including responsibility for innovation. He most recently served as the firm's CEO, Global Practices. More
UK insight and marketing group Cello has reported that its research and consulting division has continued to 'show good like-for-like revenue growth' despite the loss of two significant retail research contracts, but has meanwhile made a number of staff redundancies. More
US-based research and consulting firm The Pert Group has opened an office in London, to support existing clients and serve as an international base for planned growth. The new office is led by former Synovate director Chris Bromham. More
Database giant Infogroup has sold off its global market research arm ORC International to a group of the firm's senior managers, backed by Chicago-based private equity firm Lake Capital Management. Terms were not disclosed. More
Jennifer (Jenny) Bowen, co-founder of the MRBA (Market Research Benevolent Association) and a former Chair of the MRS, died suddenly earlier this year at the age of 78. More
In London, Asif Mirza has set up his own firm, Mobile Fieldwork, to offer mobile research and data collection services to market research, marketing, media and PR agencies, as well as end clients. More
ORC parent Infogroup has begun a programme of staff redundancies across a number of its US offices. While a report in one publication suggested 140 employees would lose their jobs, CEO Clare Hart has denied that this is accurate. More
Oxfordshire-based consumer insight and sensory specialist MMR Research Worldwide is planning to open a new office in London in September. More
In Switzerland, facial imaging specialist nViso has partnered with Gordon & McCallum - a consultancy offering specialist services to the market research industry - to accelerate the industry's take-up of its emotional response assessment technology. More
TNS has hired Martin Lambie-Nairn as Creative Director, a new position with a remit to improve the look and feel of the company's deliverables and work with local and global management to develop their creative capabilities. More
European physician community Networks in Health has announced an alliance with Australian counterpart e-healthspace.com.au , expanding its medical research resource by 9,000 doctors. More
GfK is to restructure its business following a major review, and from next January will operate through two new divisions, 'Consumer Choices' and 'Customer Experiences', under the new tagline: 'Own the Future'. More
In Melbourne, Australia, insight strategist BrandHook and full service online agency Melon Research have joined forces and will now trade under the BrandHook name. More
GfK has strengthened its worldwide presence, buying Thai MR firm MarketWise and completing the buying of GfK-MEMRB Marketing Services in Cyprus. It has also upped its stake in US company Etilize and launched a retail panel in Belarus. More
Kantar is to roll out MarketTools' TrueSample quality solution across its network, following the breakdown of the Promedius Group, the not-for-profit quality consortium it launched with GfK and Ipsos less than a year ago. More
Global research association ESOMAR has issued a warning to its members about an online research firm called The Research Express, following complaints about the firm's sub-standard levels of service and its refusal to return deposits. More
In the UK, former Nielsen colleagues Tony Meacock and David Timberlake have launched their own agency, The Marketing Information Company, to measure the effectiveness of market research agencies and help clients link payment to supplier performance. More
In the US, Millward Brown has appointed Susan Steele as Global Chief Human Resources Officer, responsible for leading the firm's human resources and talent strategy worldwide. More
In Hong Kong, former Synovate directors Brendan Shair and Ivy Cheung have launched ShairViews Research, an agency promising clear thinking and 'daring brevity'. More
In the UK, Ipsos MediaCT has partnered with Finnish mobile measurement firm Zokem to launch the M3 solution; a new app that combines the collection of smartphone and tablet usage data combined with event-based survey polls. More
Stockholm-based information exchange platform Mancx.com has completed a Series B funding round, bringing the total amount received since its launch in April to $1.1m. The new funds will be used to further develop the platform and drive an 'aggressive marketing push'. More
In the UK, legal sector market research specialist Acritas has reported a 'record' 60% rise in turnover to £1.6m for the year 2010. The firm is now planning to secure work in China as part of its worldwide expansion. More
In the US, the Supreme Court has overturned a Vermont law which banned the use of physician prescription information for marketing purposes. The reform had been driven by IMS Health, SDI, Source Healthcare Analytics and a US pharma research association. More
In New York, a group of executives has formed The Co-Creation Forum, an industry initiative to promote best practice among co-creation practitioners and communities. More
In London, GfK HealthCare has appointed former Adelphi International Research MD David Mackenzie as Global Head of Country Strategic Development, liaising with local teams across the firm to develop new and existing clients. More
In the UK, the government has confirmed it will scrap the 65-year-old Central Office of Information (COI), and in the meantime has cut its annual marketing and advertising budget by nearly 70% to £170m. More
In the US, WPP-owned brand and marketing insight consultancy Added Value has made four new executive management appointments across its technology, intercultural, futures and qualitative practices. More
UK-based Creston has reported a 7.5% decline in its Insight Division revenue to £14.8m for the year ended 31 March 2011 from £16m last year, while headline profit before interest and tax dropped from £4.9m to £4.1m. However, other divisions helped the group as a whole to grow. More
Electronics market specialist IMS Research has opened an office in Tokyo, Japan, which President Ian Weightman describes as a 'key component' in the firm's growth strategy in Asia Pacific. The new office is headed by former comScore manager Masanori Wakabayashi. More
Harris Interactive's former President and CEO Kimberly Till is to receive a $900k severance payment, while former CFO Pavan Bhalla gets $127k. More
US-based innovation consulting firm Cheskin Added Value has appointed Martin Cerda, the founder of Hispanic research firm Encuesta, as Strategic Director in its Quantitative/Business Consulting division. More
In the UK, three former leaders of The Futures Company (TFC) - Crawford Hollingworth, Sian Davies and Sarah Davies - have launched a global insight and research consultancy called The Behavioural Architects. The trio are also planning to open a second office in China later this year. More
Healthcare data collection agency WorldOne has opened an office in Bern, Switzerland - its twelfth location worldwide. The firm has also promoted Corinne Dulles to lead the new operation as Managing Director. More
Marketing services network McCann Worldgroup has hired Marc Schwartz as Global Director of Performance Analytics and moved Laura Simpson from London to become Global IQ Director, heading up a new NYC-based Marketing Sciences practice. More
IBM has announced an expansion of its social media business services including 'Connections', which it claims is 'the industry's first social networking platform that provides organisations with the ability to track and monitor social data in real-time'. More
In the UK, media research agency Other Lines of Enquiry has announced the launch of otherlines.tv, a division dedicated to television research - and appointed sector specialist Penny Browell (nee Rudd) to head it up. More
UK-based co-creation and planning agency Face is opening an office in New York later this month, and has relocated its most senior Research Director Philip McNaughton to lead and develop US operations. More
The UK market research industry all but halted the decline in its revenues in 2010, according to research carried out by the MRS (Market Research Society). Following a fall of 4.7% the previous year, revenues eased off just 0.2% in 2010 to £2.06 billion. More
In the US, the Nasdaq Stock Market has given Harris Interactive another notice of a possible delisting, following a drop in its share price below $1. This news follows last week's shake-up in the firm's leadership, and the departure of Chief Finance Officer Pavan Bhalla. More
In the US, market research consultancy ACG Research has acquired business modeling firm Network Strategy Partners (NSP). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based product innovation technology firm Affinnova is opening offices in France and Germany, adding to its existing European presence in the UK and Switzerland. In addition, it has hired former Nielsen and Ipsos exec Jerome Simulin to lead its extended European operations. More
US full service agency R/GA has expanded in Europe with the opening of an office in Stockholm. Former Digitas Sweden execs Anders Erlandsson and Kay Höök have been appointed to lead the new business, as MD and Executive Creative Director respectively. More
After two years of revenue declines, income from the purchase of marketing, advertising and public opinion research services in the US was up 4.7% from 2009 to 2010, according to industry authority Jack Honomichl's 38th annual report. More
In Amsterdam, user experience specialist Harald Lamberts has founded an innovation agency called Essense, which aims to help clients use consumer insights to design products aligned with their business strategy and brand identity. More
Consumer specialist Knowledge Networks (KN) has set up a new practice outside Washington DC, offering solutions to PR firms, non-profits and trade associations; and hired Christopher Moessner to lead it. More
Synovate has opened an office in Vietnam, where it has appointed Rodolphe Jounot as Managing Director. More
London-based co-creation agency Promise Group has appointed former FreshMinds Head of Consumer Research Phil Burgess as Consultancy Director for its Promise Communities division. More
Publicis-owned agency MediaVest has opened a 'Human Experience' practice in New York, through which it will aim to explore the drivers of human behavior to create 'greater consumer experiences' for clients' brands. More
In the US, Texas Tech University has received an anonymous $1.2m donation to enable it to establish a free market research institute. More
Brand equity management and research-based consultancy Icon Added Value (IAV), part of WPP's Kantar division, has opened a second German office near Hamburg. Its German headquarters are in Nuremberg. More
WPP Chief Exec Sir Martin Sorrell has suggested that the group may double the amount available for acquisitions this year, as it looks to invest in new media and emerging markets and take advantage of better conditions in the ad industry. More
UK research agency Incite has reported a 'record year', with turnover increasing to £8.1m from £7.4m, following a period of expansion. More
In the UK, online research specialist YouGov has issued a number of new shares as part payment for the acquisition of the remaining 49% of YouGovStone, the opinion leader panels joint venture it established in 2007 with networking guru Carole Stone. More
UK-based agency Virtual Surveys has re-branded under the name 'Join the Dots', which it says reflects its growth and development, as well as its evolving business focus. More
US-based online research community builder Communispace has appointed Sally O'Rourke as Managing Director of Europe. More
London-based consumer research agency Firefish has appointed ten new members of staff - including three execs from Rosenblatt Research - bringing the total number of employees to 48. More
Synovate has hired Nielsen veteran Gary Martin as Managing Director of its Australian operations, based in Sydney. More
After ten years in Shoreditch, research agency Illuminas is to move its London team to larger premises close to Mornington Crescent tube station. More
ADmantX - a semantic technology firm which offers cookie-free tracking - has completed a $2.8m round of growth funding, which it will use to expand its sales and marketing teams. More
Neuromarketing firm EmSense has partnered with store-based shopper research specialist Fifth Dimension, to measure shoppers' emotional and cognitive engagement when making buying decisions. More
TNS has appointed former Harris exec Stephan Sigaud as Head of its North American Customer Experience Management practice. The firm has also hired former GfK HR strategist Paul Fiolek as Head of Human Resources. More
In New York, Kantar Health has promoted Jade Cusick to lead its US Marketing Insights practice, of which he was previously COO. More
Telecoms industry analyst Greg Collins has founded Exact Ventures, a consultancy providing technology market intelligence and advisory services, along with benchmarks for understanding and quantifying market opportunities. More
UK-based online research specialist BrainJuicer has appointed Matte Wicklin to oversee its activities in the American south and southeast regions. More
Physician-patient feedback firm InfoMedics has expanded with the opening of an office in Paris and appointments to boost its European, Latin America and Asia Pacific regions. More
In Australia Auspoll, the social research company which is part of The Photon Group, has promoted David Stolper and Darry Nelson to Senior Research Partners, on the back of a series of new business wins. More
Healthcare data collection firm WorldOne has opened an office in Hamburg; and announced the appointment of Rhona Himmelmann as Business Development Manager in Germany. More
Perfume and cosmetics giant Estée Lauder has opened an Innovation Center in Shanghai, China, from which it plans to develop products tailored to the specific needs of Chinese and Asian consumers. More
The BIG Conference Committee is not known for its lack of confidence, and it didn't shy away from the challenge of organizing a stimulating morning after the night before on Friday 13th of May. Teresa Lynch, Features Editor was in her seat when many were not. More
ruby cha cha - the Sydney-based research-based planning agency which was founded in 2008 by three former directors of The Leading Edge (TLE) - has opened an office in London from which to service UK and global clients. More
In the UK, foods giant Nestlé has opened a £1m extension to its Insight and Learning Centre in York, featuring an Imax cinema, replica living room and working kitchen, full size convenience store, and digital media area. More
London-based qual agency Firefish has launched a specialist children and families research consultancy, 'The Pineapple Lounge'. The service will be led by Emma Worrollo, who specialises in kids, teens and mother-and-baby research. More
Customer loyalty and brand communications specialist GfK Research Dynamics has promoted Angelo Pierro and Joseph Schiappa to Joint Managing Directors, overseeing the further development of GfK's Custom Research business across Canada. More
US-based web site analytics specialist Mixpanel has raised $1.25m from new investors, and plans to use the money to hire more engineers. More
In the UK, international healthcare data collection agency Adept Field Solutions has moved to larger offices in Kingston-upon-Thames, where it has appointed former QUIT and Synovate Healthcare exec Andrew Stripp as Senior Project Manager. More
Synovate has announced the global launch of mobile research capabilities including SMS / text and mobile online surveys, as well as app development. Thomas Edwards has been promoted to lead the initiative. More
In Germany, Heiko Leipold and Peter Mahn have set up a new agency called mafowerk, based in Nuremberg, which will offer on-demand market research services, trend studies and consumer behavioural analysis. Both men have worked for GfK and for Information Resources (IRI). More
Synovate Business Consulting (BC) has expanded in the Middle East / North Africa (MENA) region with the promotion of Karthik Ramamurthy to oversee the MENA and India regions, and the appointment of Rashid Al Banna to lead the UAE and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia markets. More
In Canada, fieldwork firm Delvinia Data Collection has changed its name to AskingCanadians. It remains part of the Delvinia Group, which also includes customer experience design firm Delvinia Interactive. More
The Research & Engagement Division of UK-based marcoms group Chime has announced the launch of the Trust Accelerator, a new tool which allows businesses to identify their trust ratings. The division is also rebranding as CIE. More
UK retail stalwart Marks & Spencer is reportedly working on a radical redesign of stores based on analysis of its customer base in each locality, including affluence and demographics. More
GfK has partnered with its part-owned usability research specialist nurago to launch 'Connected Life.dx', a tool tying in browsing and consumer purchasing behaviour across fixed and mobile platforms. More
Belgian-based research agency InSites Consulting has announced four new hires for its London office. They include two new Business Directors: former senior GfK exec Aaron Rattue, and Simon McDonald, until now a Managing Partner at Australian-based agency The Leading Edge. More
UK-based consumer understanding specialist Spring Research has hired John Griffiths as Creative Director and Catalina Cernica as Managing Director. More
UK-based marcomms group Media Square plc, which owns research agency Illuminas, has reported a 15% revenue increase year-on-year, and all but wiped out the loss it made in 2009-10. More
In the north of England, MR agency DJS Research Ltd has reported annual turnover of around £1.5m, another rapid rise after exceptional results the previous year. The company has added eight new members of staff so far in 2011 and recently announced two promotions. More
medeConnect Healthcare Insight, the MR division of doctors.net.uk, is the leading force in a new alliance, Networks in Health, billed as the largest alliance of professional physician communities in Europe. The firm has also hired Nicola Miles in a senior Business Development role. More
The European branch of The Mystery Shopper Providers Association (MSPA Europe) has appointed Nigel Cover of Grass Roots as its President for the next two years. More
Gaming market researcher Newzoo and app store analyst Distimo have announced a partnership to provide unique monthly data on game sales and downloads across all Apple App Stores, covering the US and six European nations. More
In the US, Steve Lombardo has returned to public opinion specialist StrategyOne as Global Chief Executive Officer, following the acquisition of his company Lombardo Consulting Group (LCG) by his new employer. The firm has also appointed Matt Norquist to lead its New York office. More
Eye tracking specialist Tobii Technology has launched a new testing solution, which it claims is the first to be specifically designed for usability studies on mobile devices and mobile applications. More
Ipsos has moved its New York HQ from Broadway to the Time-Life Building in Avenue of the Americas, occupying the entire 15th floor of the 48-story building. More
Speech technology specialist VoxGen has been awarded a grant from Germany's Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, to develop tools and processes to help clients design and manage cross-channel customer service strategies. More
Art, antiques and collectibles data provider WorthPoint has partnered with eBay data specialist Advanced Ecommerce Research Systems (AERS), to create what the firms describe as 'the most extensive Internet resource' for antiques and collectibles. More
In the US, Ipsos OTX MediaCT has appointed Lorraine Hadfield as President of its Audience Measurement practice. The role includes overseeing the management and direction of the Ipsos Mendelsohn affluent consumer measurement business. More
GfK has reported a strong first quarter in its 2011 financial year, with consolidated sales up 10.4% to EUR 310.2 million and organic growth of 8.0%. More
Kantar has today announced a partnership with online facilities company ActiveGroup Ventures, giving the research giant worldwide access to facility based research via video streaming. More
In London, market research agency BrainJuicer has appointed Federico Trovato, former Head of Consumer and Market Intelligence at Philips - as Chief Client Satisfaction Officer. He will also join the Executive Management Team and will start in August. More
Brand and marketing insight consultancy Added Value has announced four senior promotions, consisting of two newly created Offer Development roles and two moves from Europe to the US. More
Lisabeth Couturier has rejoined Las Vegas-based research services firm Precision Opinion as a Vice President, and will lead the re-opening of a major focus group facility in the city, complete with gaming laboratory. More
Synovate has reported 'strong growth' in North America and other regions during quarter one, but says 'difficult market conditions' continue to impact the businesses in Southern Europe while the UK market remains 'challenging'. More
In the UK, full service agency FreshMinds has made nine new appointments on the back of what it describes as 'record results' with turnover growing by more than 20% in the past six months. More
Australian research and marcoms group Photon - which owns agencies The Leading Edge and Jigsaw Strategic Research - has reported a 6% decline in revenue to $AUD 289.4m for the 10 months to April 2011, compared with last year's 4% drop. More
Asia Pacific-based marketing and brand research consultancy Cimigo has opened an office in Shanghai, where it has appointed former Synovate executives Daisy Sam as General Manager and Marcos Leung as Director. More
Kantar Chairman and CEO Eric Salama has taken on the additional role of CEO of TNS from Pedro Ros, who now becomes TNS non-executive Chairman. Ros replaces Jamie Hall, who will leave the business 'as planned' at some point in 2011. More
In Australia, Researchwise founder Julie Houston has launched Nitty Gritty, a consultancy focused on 'social marketing' - campaigns which effect behaviour and attitude change in society. The firm will help clients develop their ideas and approach using research, evaluation and training. More
In the US, Information Services Group (ISG), the acquisition vehicle set up by former VNU boss Michael Connors, has reported an operating loss of $5.2m. Two recent acquisitions added $2.1m to the loss but also helped first quarter revenues to climb 17% to $40.7m (2010: $34.8m). More
In Australia, Photon-owned insights and strategy consultancy The Leading Edge (TLE) has created three new senior roles as part of the expansion of its global network; moved Tim Riches to the role of MD of its Sydney office; and announced three further senior hires. More
Healthcare specialist M3 Global Research has relocated its UK focus group facility to Hammersmith, London, and opened an office in Princeton, New Jersey. More
Nunwood has appointed Alan Bergstrom as its new Head of Brand & Comms Strategy, dividing his time between Madison, Wisconsin and New York. More
Electronics market specialist IMS Research has set up a Touch Market Research & Consulting practice in the US, and appointed touch technology specialist Geoff Walker to lead it as Principal Analyst. More
Strategic communications specialist KRC Research - part of the Interpublic Group of Companies - has appointed Bradley Honan as its new CEO, effective immediately. He was most recently an SVP at Edelman's research company StrategyOne. More
US technology researcher Gartner has reported an 11% increase in first quarter revenue to $329.6m, with a 50% rise in net income to $29.2m, compared with $19.4m in Q1 2010. The company has now seen net income rise in the last four quarters. More
Mark Stevens, formerly Research Director at Australian agency SensoMetrics, has set up his own sensory research agency, Sensory Insights, based in New South Wales. More
Full-service healthcare agency Evolution Marketing Research has reported an 11% increase in 2010 sales revenue to $12.5m. More
In the UK, customer experience measurement specialist Maritz Research has reported a revenue increase of £1.07m, from £8.4m in the fiscal year 2009 to £9.4m in 2010. In the last 12 months, the firm has also recruited 80 new researchers in Europe and Asia. More
In the US, Apple is recruiting for a new online community of product users called the 'Apple Customer Pulse', through which it will conduct regular product-related surveys to gather market research data. More
BrainJuicer CEO John Kearon has sold 700,000 company shares and CFO James Geddes 75,000, in response to 'institutional demand' from investors wanting to take a stake in the company. More
Investment firm Robaco International has launched an online sample marketplace called ex-sample.com, through which panel providers can bid to win projects from market research agencies. More
In the US, Harris Interactive has brought back its former Chief Operating Officer Al Angrisani to advise it on turnaround strategy, following a 9% revenue drop in quarterly revenue. More
US-based online qual specialist Invoke Solutions has raised $3.8m in a new round of funding led by a group of existing investors. More
Consumer insight revenues at WPP have risen 3.4% on a constant currency basis, to £552.8m in the first quarter of 2011, compared with £542.5m in the prior year period. More
In the US, technology specialist Forrester Research has reported an11% increase in revenue to $65.7m for the first three months of the year, compared with $59.2m last year. More
Ipsos has reported first quarter 2011 revenues up 9.8% to EUR 260.1m, from EUR 236.9m in the prior year period - equivalent to 6.2% organic growth. More
DIY survey tool developer SurveyMonkey has acquired Infinity Box, the makers of the Wufoo web application, which is used for creating online forms. Sources value the cash and stock deal at $35m. More
UK-based full service agency SPA Future Thinking has acquired the Munro Group, the parent of research agencies FDS International, Maven Research, M-Lab, and 3000ft Strategic Insight. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Insights agency Nunwood has reported an 18% rise in first quarter revenue to £2.8m, compared like-for-like with sales in the prior year period. More
Darren Smith has been promoted to the newly created post of Operations Director for Synovate Pan-Africa, based in Kenya. More
Unilever has sold its remaining 13.5% stake in online research specialist BrainJuicer, offloading c.1.68m BrainJuicer shares for £2.35 each, and raising around £3.9m in the process. More
In the UK, insight and marketing group Cello has promoted Insight Research Joint MD Jane Shirley and John Rowley, the CEO of its comms division, to the posts of Joint Group Managing Directors, reporting to the main Board. More
Australian market research and polling company Roy Morgan Research is to open an operation in India, following the roll out of its Single Source survey across the country. More
In the UK, herb and spice firm McCormick has invested £1.5m in a new Technical Innovation Centre (TIC), which will feature a sensory lab for product evaluation. More
TNS has opened an office in Miami to serve regional clients across Latin America. The operation will be led by industry veteran Gustavo Alvarez, who joins as Regional Accounts Director, Latin America. More
US-based cleantech market research and consulting firm Pike Research has opened an AsiaPac regional headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, which will serve a hub for the growth of its market intelligence and client service teams in the region. More
In the US, technology industry research giant Gartner has extended CEO Gene Hall's contract of employment by a further five years, to December 31, 2016. More
GfK Custom Research North America has partnered with social media insight and analysis firm NetBase to provide an enhanced online conversation tracking and sentiment analysis service to GfK's clients. More
In the UK, consumer goods giant Reckitt Benckiser has promoted SVP of Category Development Rakesh Kapoor to Chief Executive Officer, following the retirement of Bart Becht. The firm's Board of Directors described Kapoor as its 'unanimous choice'. More
US neuromarketing firm EmSense has launched what it describes as the world's first 'in-home' research panel employing neuroscience technology, using its EmBand headset device to measure positive/negative emotional response and cognitive engagement. More
Synovate has appointed former TNS researcher Matthew Chang as Executive Director, serving as head of its operations in Taiwan. More
In the US, former ARF leader Joel Rubinson has partnered with product development specialist InsightsNow to develop research tools to help consumer packaged goods (CPG) clients with product innovation. More
Media research specialist Vivien Marles has joined global research-based consultancy InterMedia as Managing Director of its new Kenya office, which will open at the beginning of May. Her previous roles include Head of Research and Planning at the BBC. More
In the UK, broadcaster ITV has hired Channel 4 marketer Rufus Radcliffe for the newly created role of Group Marketing and Research Director, with overall responsibility for marketing strategy, brand development, research and customer insight. More
Agricultural market research specialist Kleffmann Group has expanded in Asia with a new office in Beijing, China, and has announced plans to open an operation in India later in the year. More
GfK has issued EUR 200m of bonds to institutional and private investors in Europe, the proceeds of which will be used primarily to replace existing short-term liabilities. More
ORC International has launched a new practice within its Healthcare and Pharmaceutical division, focusing on FDA and Regulatory practice for the sector, and headed by Chief Research Officer Dr. Morris S. Whitcup. More
In the US, Ipsos OTX MediaCT has appointed Eric Villain to the newly created role of President, Media & Technology, to lead a team unifying these previously separate specialisms. More
UK-based global agency Kadence International has launched what it describes as the first Hong Kong viewing facility located within easy reach of the central business district (CBD). More
Full service agency Market Probe has promoted Saji Kumar to the position of Managing Director for Asia Pacific, to consolidate the firm's presence in the region, replacing Roger Thomas who has left the company. More
In the US, the KJT Group has launched a market research and consulting service for organizations that focus all or part of their business on energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. More
Panel and survey technology provider Toluna has launched an iPhone app to facilitate survey response from its four million panellists. More
Margaret Feit, who as Margaret Hicks owned and ran US fieldwork firm Jackson Associates, died peacefully on Monday at the age of 66. More
In the US, crowdsourcing specialist txteagle has raised $8.5m in Series A funding, which it will use to roll out a market research and advertising platform designed to reach consumers in less developed countries via text message. More
In the UK, Facts International Chairman Nick Lamb is selling his 25% stake in the business to the firm's parent company Chime Communications for £1.7m. More
In the UK, Leapfrog Research & Planning has hired former GlaxoSmithKline marketer Tim Brooks for the new role of Managing Director, with responsibility for helping drive the firm through a period of anticipated growth and expansion. More
In the US, online research community builder Communispace has partnered with media network Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) to launch a joint consumer insight community focusing on the Hispanic market. More
In the UK, medical market research agency Purdie Pascoe has re-located its office within London SW11, and appointed Debbie Higham as Research Director. More
UK-based pollster and online MR firm YouGov plc has agreed to acquire Portland, Oregon-based Definitive Insights (DI), for an initial consideration of $1m and further performance-related payments adding to an anticipated $4.8m. YouGov also announced half-year revenue up 26.8% with an improved profit margin of 8.1%. More
For the financial year 2010, GfK has reported an 11.1% rise in income to a record EUR 1.29 billion. Adjusted operating income climbed from EUR 147.2m to EUR 185.0m with operating margin also at a historical high, 14.3%. More
Synovate has promoted Jon Harper to the post of Global Head of Brand & Communications in London, and John Carroll to Global Head of Customer Experience in Chicago. More
In the UK, Holden Pearmain co-founder David Pearmain has returned to agency life after a year as a consultant, joining Impact Research, a company started by two of his former employees. More
In the US, Synovate has appointed former Nielsen exec Howard Ballon as Managing Director of its new Media and Entertainment practice, based in the Los Angeles office. More
French financier Vincent Bolloré has indicated that he may be willing to sell his 26.5% stake in Synovate's parent firm Aegis, according to a report in the UK's Guardian newspaper. More
In the UK, consumer insight and sensory specialist MMR Research Worldwide has promoted Mark Sismey to the newly created role of Innovation Director, tasked with identifying, evaluating and delivering the latest technology and data collection tools. More
US-based DIY survey firm SurveyMonkey has partnered with online loyalty program specialist ePrize, to enable survey creators to provide their respondents with a variety of incentives such as coupons and sweepstakes in exchange for participating in studies. More
Online research specialist BrainJuicer has reported a 38% revenue rise to £16.36m for the 12 months ended 31 December 2010 (2009: £11.81m), with growth driven primarily by its UK and North America teams which represent 48% and 25% of business respectively. More
Three advertising technology companies have combined to found the Council for Accountable Advertising, aimed at setting standards and 'making it easier for marketers and publishers to manage and measure their resources'. More
Research provider Majestic MRSS has announced the expansion of its presence in greater China, where it commenced operations in 2008. More
New York-based Insight Research Group has added two new directors, Steve Becker and James Streit, to its management team, and promoted four current team members: Sarah Chumsky, David Dyte, Sarah McLoughlin and Supriya Sanyal. More
Insight-focused Havas agency MPG Media Contacts is reorganising its Strategy Department into two distinct functions, and strengthening it with a number of promotions and hires. More
In the UK, a review undertaken to decide the future of the COI has called for the department to be axed and replaced with a Government Communications Centre (GCC), responsible for keeping a tighter rein on advertising and marketing spend. More
Australian consumer insights specialist Edentify has opened a new office in Auckland, New Zealand to work with existing clients based in the country. More
Aegis has reported a return to full year growth in its research arm Synovate, where takings rose 9.8% to £572.6m and operating profit (at constant currencies) increased 19.4% to £45.6m. More
In the US, Ipsos and biometric measurement specialist Innerscope Research have partnered to integrate measures of unconscious emotional engagement into Ipsos' products. More
Global business-to-business market research and intelligence specialist B2B International has opened a sales office in Brussels. The firm has also added new recruits in the UK, US and China. More
In the US, client-side researchers have reported a 13% increase in the number of suppliers they worked with in the last quarter of 2010, according to the MRA's Research Industry Index (RII). This, says the MRA, is perhaps an indication of 'good things to come' for suppliers in 2011. More
In Germany, former K & A Brand Research execs Manfred Zerzer and Karen Döring have set up PsychoLogik, a full-service market research agency which applies the science of psychology to the analysis and logical understanding of consumer behaviour. More
In New York, youth specialist The Sound Research has opened a new Diversity Unit to provide research and consultancy on diversity and the 'Millennial generation'. The Unit will be led by qual/quant researcher Dr Vanessa Anderson. More
UK-based insight and marketing group Cello has reported flat revenue for the year 2010 (£59.9m), but also a return to operating profit of £5.5m from a 2009 loss of £1.5m. Cello has also announced it will buy US healthcare communications company MedErgy HealthGroup from its owner DVC Worldwide. More
In the US, Survey Sampling International (SSI) has launched a new healthcare sampling business to support health-related market research projects. Company veteran Chris DeAngelis has been appointed to head the new division. More
In New York, WPP-owned youth marketing agency Geppetto Group has launched G-Nome Research, a full service quant division which the firm claims offers a 'different approach to decoding the consumer opportunity'. More
UK-based digital user experience (Ux) consultancy HeathWallace has established a new team in Melbourne, with the aim of expanding across Australia. More
Research technology firm Vision Critical has reported continuing rapid organic growth in 2010: total revenues rose 36% from 2009 levels, on a constant currency basis. The year also saw the launch of three new web-based products and the hiring of 185 new employees. More
Panel and survey technology provider Toluna is planning the launch of a Tunisian site, 'in support of the country's nascent democracy'. More
Sample exchange operator Cint has announced two partnerships this week, integrating its CPX exchange with DIY online tool SurveyGizmo and with the advanced questionnaire design and data collection services of Action Dialog Partner (ADP). More
London-based online co-creation platform The Sense Network is relaunching after a decade, with a new site architecture facilitating collaboration with other agencies and allowing its 2,000 members to take a more active role, launching and managing their own collaborative projects. More
Brazilian research agency IBOPE Group has rebranded public opinion polling and market research firm Zogby International in preparation for entering the US market, following its acquisition of 51% of the company from pollster John Zogby last year. More
UK-based Verve has appointed two former Vision Critical execs - Steevan Glover as Director of Commercial Development and Andrew Reid as Managing Director. Reid replaces Jeannie Arthur who is leaving to set up a new business. More
UK marcoms group Chime has reported that its research arm is back in profit and growing again, with 2010 revenue up 18% to £10.3m and operating income climbing 26% to £7.3m in the past 12 months. More
Former TNS exec Gigi Wang has re-joined technology consultancy Yankee Group as Chief Research Officer, in charge of the company's growing research team. More
French media network Havas has appointed former Euro RSCG head David Jones as its new CEO, in advance of a EUR 750m spending spree it has planned for the next three years. More
In the UK, Millward Brown has appointed company veteran Duncan Southgate as Global Brand Director for Digital - the third of five such newly created roles planned across the company. More
In the UK, Jim Law, the former Managing Director of Cello-owned social research agency mruk, has opened a new research consultancy in Glasgow, offering a full range of qual and quant services to clients in both the private and public sectors. More
UK-based medical professionals' network doctors.net.uk has partnered with coliquio, a firm which runs online physician communities for the German speaking countries of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. More
Marcoms giant WPP has recorded a 4.4% increase in 2010 revenues to £2.43 billion in its Consumer Insight division. Meanwhile operating margins improved by 1.1 points to 9.7%. More
US-based facial recognition technology firm Affectiva has been awarded a grant to develop an online version of its software, which enables computers to recognize human expressions and deduce emotional and cognitive states. More
In the US, consumer research specialist Jason Kramer has officially launched a new full-service market research agency named Vital Findings, offering expertise in quant, qual and design research, as well as advanced analytics. More
In the US, market research consultancy Jerry Henry & Associates and theme park corporation Herschend Family Entertainment (HFE) have partnered to launch a new agency called H2R Market Research, which will focus on the travel, tourism and leisure sectors. More
Paris-based marketing and sales consultancy SalesLab has opened a customer and market research division called SalesLab Insights, which will offer in-depth data based on the work of a network of 2,500 analysts worldwide. More
In London, former Hall & Partners researcher Richard Owen has founded CrowdLab, which offers a mobile sampling and research platform as well as full qual/quant agency services. More
B2B International has reported 2010 revenue up to £3.8m from £3.5m in 2009, driven by its US subsidiary which saw 58% year-on-year growth during the period. The company's UK/mainland Europe operation grew 8%. More
Pharma services group P\S\L has appointed former Synovate M&A leader Peter Chopra to a newly created position, Chief Strategy Officer. Research companies are likely to be among its initial acquisition targets. More
San Diego-based data collection, analysis and ethnography firm Luth Research has announced a 50% increase in revenues in 2010 and, in the same period, an additional 47 full time staff. More
In Germany, full service agency and polling specialist Forsa Society for Social Research and Statistical Analysis (Forsa) has acquired certain parts of market research agency Marplan, which filed for bankruptcy last year. The purchase price was not disclosed. More
In the US, Sermo has secured a $3.5m investment which it will use to continue expanding its physician community, while serving a growing roster of more than 300 clients. More
UK-based insight consultancy Truth has hired Claire Parham to head its new office in Singapore, prior to its opening in May. The firm has also appointed Michael Carlon and Sharon Walsh as directors of its New York offshoot Strategic Truth Inc. More
In the UK Jonathan Francis, the founder of forecasting specialist Market Dynamics, has set up a new consultancy called Tresell, focused on improving clients' return on marketing investment. More
Manhattan-based quant market research specialist Eric Marder Associates (EMA) is to close after more than 50 years in business. Founder Eric Marder, who is now in his 80s, has decided it's time to 'pursue other interests'. More
In the UK, media research veteran Roger Gane is to retire from his post as Research Director at RSMB in March, after a 40-year career in the market and media research sectors. More
MR outsourcing firm Ugam Research Solutions has partnered with mobile survey technology provider Techneos, to deliver access to new audiences and behavioural data through mobile phones. More
TNS Chairman Paul Edwards has left to join Omnicom-owned brand and communication research specialist Hall & Partners as European Chief Executive Officer, with a focus on leading the London office. More
UK agency HPI Research has launched a new division called Mobilocity, to conduct market research via mobile phones. More
Ipsos has opened an office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which will be led by Country Manager Steve Murphy. More
In the UK, three former directors of brand and communications specialist Hall & Partners have set up a new research agency called Monkey See, which specialises in the use of behavioural economics. More
US retail giant Wal-Mart Stores has promoted Cindy Davis to the position of Executive Vice President of Global Consumer Insights, leading a newly created team which will analyze broad consumer trends and provide insight into customer needs. More
In the US, Gartner shareholder ValueAct Capital Master Fund is offering 8,000,000 shares of Gartner common stock in a registered public offering, which will reduce its stake in the firm from 17.5% to 8.7%. Gartner will not receive any proceeds from the sale. More
Online panel and research technology firm Toluna is to be taken private, in a deal valuing the company at £161m ($259m). Toluna's third-largest shareholder, family-owned Belgian company Verlinvest will fund the acquisition from its own assets and has formed a company called ITWP to complete it. More
Harris Interactive, which is in the process of restructuring its UK business following a major contract loss, today announced the appointment of Steve Reiman, an expert in managing online communities and usability trials, as Head of Qualitative Research. More
Technology specialist Forrester Research has announced results for the fourth quarter and the full calendar year 2010. Net income fell versus the previous year but was still respectable, while full year revenue rose 7.4% to $250.7m. More
Market Probe has announced a major push into key developing countries with the launch of strategic partnerships around the globe; a new office in Hong Kong; senior hires for brand equity and customer research; and development of a new customer advocacy model. More
UK-based Ipsos MORI has appointed Dr. Denise Fairhurst as Head of Employee Relationship Management, while parent company Ipsos has appointed Sonia Pall as its new Country Manager and CEO in India. More
Cambiar, the management consultancy dedicated to the MR industry, yesterday reported revenues up by 120% on the previous year. During 2010 the firm launched a series of successful consulting programmes including a sales training and mentoring program called 'GUTS'. More
Property sales and marketing consultancy The Marketing Group of New England (TMG) has branched out with the launch of a focus group product for residential developers. The service aims to help them design and build the right product for the current market. More
GfK CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) has expanded its use of shopper specific technology by investing in Tobii Technology's entire range of eye tracking tools to perform projection, on-screen and real world studies in lab and shopping environments. More
Pharma and biotech researcher AlphaDetail, based in San Mateo, California, has announced 2010 revenues up 30% to more than $18.5m. More
In the UK, citizen engagement specialists Jonathan MacDonald and Tayo Medupin have set up a marketing platform called Human Dialogue, which offers panellist feedback and consultancy advice to help companies optimize their mobile marketing campaigns. More
US neuromarketing firm EmSense has appointed industry veterans Meinhard Hausleitner, Andrew Kennelly, Lynn Sarnoff and Valerie Gauthier to its market research team, which is led by Chief Analytics Officer Elissa Moses. The firm has also outlined a number of new product initiatives. More
Online research specialist YouGov has hooked up with digital marketing agency Adform to offer a service which tests how one or more banner ads are received by a target group prior to a campaign being launched. More
Technology research firm Gartner has reported a 17% increase in fourth quarter revenue to $382.3m, and full year 2010 revenue up 13% to $1,288.5m. More
In the UK, game industry specialist Chris Wright has launched a company helping online game publishers with data mining and monetisation. Services include real-time behavioural analytics, predictive modelling and individual targeted in-game marketing. More
Kantar Media has launched an Irish sponsorship division, complementing existing offerings in the UK, France, Spain and China. More
In Australia, non-profit body The Readership Works has appointed media specialist Mal Dale for the newly created position of General Manager, responsible for developing, launching, and managing the country's new print readership metric. More
In the US, GfK has added cell phone sampling to its Super OmniTel telephone omnibus. More
UK-based insight and communications group Creston has reported like-for-like revenue growth of more than 6% for the nine months to 31 December 2010. More
French co-creation agency eYeka is expanding to the States, where it has already appointed full teams covering both the West and East coasts, based in New York and San Francisco. More
In the US, research technology specialist Decipher has partnered with public opinion consulting firm DHM Research to develop custom online panels to help public sector organizations, nonprofits, foundations and universities engage with their communities. More
Consumer insight and sensory specialist MMR Research Worldwide has appointed nine new recruits for its UK and US operations, since the start of the year. More
In France, WPP's brand development and marketing insight consultancy Added Value has appointed Thomas Fratacci Managing Director, as CEO Jonathan Hall leaves to become Executive Vice President, Managing Director of Cheskin Added Value (USA). More
In London, Language Connect - a specialist in language services for market research - is relocating its head office from Borough to larger premises near Bermondsey Square, in preparation for the expansion of its UK team to 50 staff by the end of the year. More
GfK Custom Research North America has moved John Wittenbraker to the newly created post of Managing Director of its Corporate Innovation division, and appointed James Conrad to replace him in the role of Managing Director of its Brand & Communications team. More
In the UK, London Underground Ltd (LUL) has been criticised for spending nearly £1m on the recruitment of 'fake' passengers by GfK to mystery shop its service. More
The US office of market research and insight agency Kadence International has reported a 98% increase in insight-driven revenues to $1.4m for the last six months of 2010, compared with the same period in 2009. More
Millward Brown has announced the appointment of Ronald D. Markham as Chief Information Officer; and the setting up of a Client Advisory Board to keep the company truly customer-focused. More
Harris Interactive has announced revenue up 2% at constant currencies to $44.9m, along with a small profit, for the second quarter of its fiscal year 2011. More
Harris Interactive has appointed Nathalie Perrio-Combeaux and Patrick Van Bloeme as co-CEOs of its UK operations, replacing Robert Salvoni whose position as President, International has been eliminated as part of a 'shake-up' of the UK business. More
In the US, fast food giant McDonald's has promoted Kevin Newell to the new position of Executive Vice President - Global Chief Brand Officer, responsible for marketing, consumer insights, menu innovation and restaurant design. More
US-based operations specialist Gazelle Global Research has opened a qualitative viewing facility in its Manhattan, NY headquarters. More
Manufacturing giant Kraft Foods has partnered with chip maker Intel to develop a self-service kiosk housing digital signage, which scans shoppers' faces and then (wait for it...) recommends what they should cook for dinner. More
Global media network Havas is launching a social media division at the end of the month, to offer central support for teams of more than 40 dedicated specialists based in its UK agencies. Former IAB exec Amy Kean joins as Director of Social Media. More
TNS has expanded in Hungary, through the formation of a new joint venture with former RI affiliate Hoffmann Research International, now rebranded as TNS Hoffmann. More
In New York, Millward Brown has appointed Rob Hernandez for the newly created post of Global Brand Director of its qual research network Firefly - the first of five such roles planned across the company. More
After joining the Millward Brown Group last year, Athens-based Research International Greece is to rebrand as Millward Brown RI - offering consultancy and advice in branding and communications research. More
Kantar-owned global trend research consultancy The Futures Company (TFC) has partnered with sister firm TNS to serve multinational and local clients in India. More
Leeds-based marketing and insight comms agency Brass has opened an office in London to service clients in South East England. More
Synovate has opened an office in Geneva, Switzerland to house a team of twelve. They include existing sales and account management staff based in the city, as well as staff who have relocated from the firm's offices in France and the Netherlands. More
Survey reporting and distribution company Dapresy has opened a German office, in Berlin, and appointed Mats Flodin to it as Sales Manager. More
In California, uSamp has teamed up with online qual researcher GutCheck to provide automated delivery of screened and qualified participants for moderated, online qualitative research studies. More
Database marketing solutions firm MBS, a subsidiary of GSI Commerce, is partnering with luxury market research and consulting group the Luxury Institute to help clients with enterprise-wide cultural CRM initiatives in the sector. More
In the US, customer satisfaction specialist The Center For Client Retention (TCFCR) is to open a Small Business Division, to provide research for small and medium-sized companies. More
Synovate has appointed Amaury de Condé as CEO of Southern Europe and Managing Director of Synovate in France, to oversee all aspects of its business in France, Italy, Belgium and Greece, with the MDs of the last three countries reporting to him. More
US-based full service agency The Dieringer Research Group (DRG) has opened a new 4,000+ square foot 'Focus Center' in its headquarters in the Milwaukee suburbs. More
Unilever has sold a further 89,686 shares in UK-based online market research specialist BrainJuicer, reducing its stake in the firm to 13.5%. More
In the UK, Chime Communications' Research & Engagement Division has hired Rosy Goodrick, Winston Chesterfield and Laurence Palfreyman for Opinion Leader in London, and Caroline Holman and David Winstone at Facts International in Kent. More
UK-based insight consultancy Truth has promoted Senior Partners Neil Coburn to the position of Head of Global and Leanne Tomasevic to Head of UK, in advance of further overseas expansion planned for later in the year. More
Qual specialist Firefly Millward Brown has appointed Cécile Conaré as CEO of the UK business and Director of Europe. More
In the UK, newly formed full service MR agency Samson Research has appointed media research veteran Richard Windle to lead its Digital Communications practice. More
In the UK, branding specialists Simon Coker and Nick Burrows have launched Brand Spirit - a new agency which will connect internal and external brand building, while profiling customers' attitudes, motivations and behaviours. More
UK TV broadcaster Channel 4 has promoted Gill Pritchard to the new post of Director of Audience Technologies and Insight, to lead all activities relating to research, data capture, database management and analytics, and their dissemination and use. More
London-based BrainJuicer has released an update for the financial year ending 31st December 2010, with a revenue increase of more than 35% to £16m. Final results will be announced on 24th March this year. More
InsightExpress has announced the launch of the Ignite Network, which integrates access to sample from a series of online panel provider partners. The firm says it will also improve data integration and methodological rigor in online ad effectiveness and cross media research. More
Innerscope Research has launched a dedicated biometrics and neuroscience media lab in Boston, New England, USA. More
In the UK, user experience design agencies Foolproof and Flow Interactive have merged, to create what they describe as 'Europe's largest specialist UX agency' with 70 staff and initial turnover in excess of £5.5m. More
US confectionery giant Hershey's is joining forces with the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology to develop a sensory science and consumer research program including a consumer taste test laboratory. More
Ipsos MORI has appointed Lindsay Cowan, formerly TNS Research International's Global Director of Shopper Insight, as Head of UK Retail and Shopper. More
In the US, PluggedIN, which specializes in building online research communities, has reported 43% revenue growth in 2010, while profitability was 'up substantially' year-on-year. More
In the UK, sponsorship research specialist IFM Sports Marketing Surveys has sold its sports goods business to one of its directors - John Bushell - and the firm's original founder Stephen Proctor. Terms were not disclosed. More
Brand and communications research specialist Hall & Partners has appointed Mark Stapylton as Managing Partner in its New York office. More
UK consultancy Simpson Carpenter has launched a new healthcare and pharmaceutical research division, headed by Anna Sawka who joins from Aequus Research. Further appointments are planned for early 2011. More
Evolution - the new joint venture between DVL Smith and DGL Consulting - has partnered with Research Now to conduct a syndicated insurance study among UK SMEs. The study will probe small firms' insurance needs, beliefs and purchasing patterns. More
Ipsos has appointed David Richardson as Managing Director of Asia Pacific, to help lead businesses across the India, Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan, Korea and Greater China regions. More
Ipsos has named a new management team in Asia Pacific, led by Lifeng Liu who was formerly CEO of Greater China. More
In the UK, a group of CEOs led by Paul Lindley, the founder of ethical children's food firm Ella's Kitchen, has called for tax relief on investment in consumer insight aimed at developing new products and services. More
In the US, technology benchmarking firm Gleanster has secured a second round of funding, which will be used to scale its operations, make several strategic hires, and carry out various marketing and brand-building activities. More
In the UK, former Opinion Health sales specialist Julian Haste has launched Research Runner - a business development consultancy for MR firms. More
US translation and transcription tech firm Language Logic is to establish a presence in the European market, to focus on sales of its Ascribe products and services and its soon-to-be-launched text analytics solution. More
Consumer specialist Knowledge Networks (KN) is to more than double the number of young adults (ages 18 to 24) on its online KnowledgePanel, and increase its representation of Hispanics by more than 40% during the year. More
UK-based agency Nunwood has recorded double digit growth in 2010, with a 10% rise in revenues to more than £11m ($17.6m). The firm has also announced two senior management changes. More
TNS has kicked off the new year with a new 'global positioning' known as DISCOVER, which it says reflects its commitment to 'leading the way in research into new frontiers and making discoveries that help clients to develop opportunities'. More
In the US, Synovate has partnered with Duke University to create the 'Duke/Synovate Shopper Insights Center for Leadership and Innovation', which will focus on advancing research into shopper insights and marketing. More
TNS has acquired a majority stake in the Research and Marketing Services (RMS) group of companies in West and Central Africa. More
In the UK, former Ipsos directors Sam McGuire and Alison Bigsby have founded a full service market research agency, Samson Research. More
In the UK Graham Farrant, formerly Operations Director at NatCen, has set up Your Site Check, a firm which applies cognitive methodologies to test and evaluate web sites. More
In the US, biometrics and emotion measurement specialist Innerscope Research claims to have conducted the first ever biometric monitoring of an audience at an industry conference in real-time, at last week's ANA Creativity Conference. More
In the UK, the National Magazine Company (NatMag) has recruited Asos exec Aida Muirhead for its newly created role of Research and Insight Director, responsible for creating, developing and managing its centralised insight team. More
GfK has appointed Joe Staton as Director and General Manager for its Roper Consulting business, responsible for the day-to-day running of the London office, and for innovation in its global consumer trends and insight offer. More
TNS has restructured its operations in Asia Pacific (APAC) to reflect the differing needs of the region's diverse markets, and named its Singapore office as its new APAC regional headquarters. More
US-based cleantech market research and consulting firm Pike Research has opened a European HQ in London, where it has recruited a number of industry analysts and business development staff. More
Canada-based online data collection specialist Itracks has partnered with a number of panel operators to provide access to a group of more than 1.7 million US and Canadian panelists. More
Andy Dexter's agency Truth scooped the blue riband Best Agency award at last night's annual MRS bash in London. A noisy crowd at the capital's Lancaster London Hotel saw Verve take the Best Newcomer, while innovative agencies Firefish and BrainJuicer took three and two awards respectively. More
In the US, auto research and information specialist Polk has completed the move of its corporate headquarters and 450 employees to a smaller location in Southfield, Michigan, which it says is more efficiently designed to accommodate the same number of staff. More
In the US, consumer specialist Knowledge Networks (KN) has partnered with mobile survey technology provider Techneos to roll out a solution that uses smartphones both for traditional information gathering and for 'on the go' and 'in the moment' research. More
Vision Critical has hired Mike Stevens, formerly a divisional head at Simpson Carpenter, as Senior Vice President of UK Research. More
UK research agency FreshMinds has hired former JRA exec Niall Smith as Head of Research Expertise and Development, responsible for providing methodological expertise to its 40 researchers and working across its diverse client portfolio. More
US customer satisfaction measurement firm ForeSee Results has opened a London office, appointed Mansoor Malik as UK Managing Director, and hired a number of sales, customer service and analysis personnel. More
GfK Custom Research North America has promoted Thomas Finkle and David Krajicek to the role of Co-President, responsible for providing strategic leadership and day-to-day management. More
In the US, Cheskin Added Value has appointed Added Value France Chief Exec Jonathan Hall as EVP, Managing Director, while announcing that CEO and co-founder Darrel Rhea is leaving to 'pursue his passion for organizational consulting'. More
In the US, cleantech market intelligence firm Pike Research has opened an office in Washington DC, from where it plans to 'get closer' to players in the energy industry and in government. The firm is also planning to open an office in London in the near future. More
WPP-owned Millward Brown has partnered with semantic web service OpenAmplify to provide clients with a deeper understanding of what respondents actually mean in their answers to surveys. More
In the US, Insight Research Group has re-located its Insight Health US team to new offices in Midtown Manhattan, where it has made four appointments. More
US agency Radius Global Market Research has opened a new London office, dedicated to serving clients in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The venture is being led by former Ipsos Director Michael Fodor. More
Synovate has appointed former Nielsen head Bruce Paul as Senior Vice President in its New York office, to oversee account management and new business development for its east coast consumer offer. More
In the UK, semiotics expert Ginny Valentine died yesterday, following a lengthy illness. More
UK-based marcoms group Creston has reported a 2% decline in first half revenue for its Insight division - which it describes as a 'resilient performance' against a backdrop of government cuts which have affected both its research agencies, ICM and Marketing Sciences. More
WPP has raised its 2011 growth forecast, with Martin Sorrell suggesting the group will also be able to raise its dividend. Separately, the group has reportedly invested in a new consultancy venture launched by former Business Secretary Lord Mandelson. More
In the US, technology firm Kurani Interactive - developer of the Opinionaided iPhone market research app - has secured another $275k in funding. More
Synovate has launched a dedicated Mystery Shopping business unit in South Africa, led by its former Operations Director Samantha Lloyd. More
Former Sky News journalist and Arsenal Football Club aficionado Jem Maidment has joined the London office of insight agency Nunwood as Head of Communications, responsible for all internal and external comms globally. More
In Australia, Photon Group CEO Jeremy Philips has criticized the company's former management team and company culture, in a statement delivered at the marcoms giant's AGM. More
In the US, research firm Heart+Mind Strategies has opened 'The Richard B. Wirthlin Center for Applied Values-Research in Marketing and Communications' - in honor of President Reagan's former pollster Dr Richard Wirthlin, who is a member of its Advisory Board. More
UK-based insight consultancy Truth is anticipating a 40% year-on-year sales increase to £7m for 2010, mostly as a result of an increase in international assignments. More
IT analyst IDC is boosting its Australian presence with an office in Melbourne, in order to provide more locally based analyst expertise and support. The firm will also add to its Sydney headcount. More
Nunwood has promoted Andy Moore to the position of Global Managing Director, with responsibility for the firm's operations across the European, US and APAC regions. He takes over from Phil Rushfirth, who is moving to Los Angeles to drive the US business. More
Kadence International has reported a 59% increase in global revenues to $4.2m for the first quarter of its new financial year - the period between July and September of 2010 - compared with the same period in 2009. More
In the US, WPP-owned PR giant Burson-Marsteller has launched a new subsidiary called PivotRED, to deliver communications advice based on research and data. More
In the US, industry researchers Tracy Downing, Mike Lokowich and Lisa Myers have launched Infrared Partners, a new consultancy offering marketing, research and customer experience solutions. More
In the UK, Cello-owned agencies RS Consulting and mruk are to work in closer partnership, creating what they describe as a 'research powerhouse' for the public sector. Both brands will continue to operate separately. More
In Leeds, UK, three former Nunwood Board directors have founded full service agency Boxclever. More
US qual and quant data collection agency Quick Test/Heakin has relocated its West Oaks Mall facility in Houston to new premises, where it has appointed Denise Bryant as Manager. The firm has also announced a number of promotions and appointments. More
WPP is merging its business advisory and public opinion research firm Public Strategies with its international communications agency Hill and Knowlton (H&K), to offer joint capabilities in public affairs, research, digital and financial services. More
In Sri Lanka, consulting firm MTI has spun off its research practice as a separate entity called MTI Market Research. More
In the UK, TNS has moved James Fergusson to the post of Global Technology Head, responsible for leading the sector team and strengthening its presence across all markets. More
In the UK, Chime's Research and Engagement division - which includes Facts International, Opinion Leader Research, CaucusWorld, acefieldwork, Naked Eye and Brand Democracy - says it is expecting increased profit in the second half year. More
In the US, online research community builder Communispace is relocating its headquarters from the current 40,000 square foot location in Watertown, Massachusetts, to an office twice the size, based across two floors of the Atlantic Wharf Building in Boston. More
Restructuring Australian-based marketing services group Photon has issued a trading update showing earnings 'in line with last year'. It also confirmed that market research firm Auspoll has been merged with The Leading Edge (TLE). More
A new Netherlands-based research firm is targeting the 'hard to reach' consumers of the GCC region. VNDLGY (pronounced 'Vondology') uses a network of carefully recruited 'TrendSpotters' to provide qual feedback on trends and innovations in the region. More
GfK has announced third quarter organic sales growth of 9.2%, up from an already strong 8.0% in the second quarter and 5.3% in the first quarter; and adjusted operating income up 27% to EUR 48.5m. More
Synovate parent Aegis Group has reported organic revenue growth of 9.7% in the third quarter, and 5.2% for the nine month period, but has warned of slower growth in the fourth quarter. Synovate outperformed the media division with revenue up 11.5% for the quarter and 5.7% over 9 months. More
Australian-based custom research firm The Leading Edge has opened its first in North American office, in New York, and hired former Interbrand and McCann exec Daniel Binns as CEO and Founding Partner. More
In Evanston, IL, USA, former Aberdeen Group Vice President Jeff Zabin has formed a new firm, Gleanster, focused on research that benchmarks best practices in technology-enabled business initiatives. More
UK research veteran David Smith has teamed up with management consultants Adam Riley and Jennifer Del Carlo to form Evolution Research, which will offer syndicated sector reports combined with consultancy services. More
In the US, former Forrester analyst R 'Ray' Wang has launched a new firm, Constellation Research Group, which claims to introduces 'a new, simpler process' to replace the old model of technology research. The group launches with ten analysts and a board of five advisors. More
Synovate has launched a global analytics consulting practice, Synovate Management Analytics (SMA), promising clients the ability to make holistic, strategic decisions by integrating research, analytics and data sources for each project. More
Caroline Plumb, co-founder of UK research agency FreshMinds, has been named in the UK government's new line-up of Business Ambassadors. More
The BBC has announced it will re-tender its market research framework contract, compiling a roster of providers for use over a term of two years beginning with the third quarter of 2011. More
In the UK, experienced social and market researchers Jon Batterham and Tom Levesley have launched a new agency - Chrysalis Research - specialising in education, employment and skills, and health. More
In Windsor, UK, Leapfrog Research & Planning has announced 11% revenue growth over the past year, and says it aims for another ten percent over the next 12 months by extending its research programmes in the UK, the US and across Europe and Asia Pacific. More
Technology consultancy Yankee Group has announced the appointment of information industry veteran and former Gartner CMO Terry Waters as its new President and CEO. More
Research and measurement consultancy StrategyOne (S1), part of the Edelman group, has opened a Brussels office to focus on public affairs work at the EU and national levels. Antoine Harary, Director for Continental Europe, will head it up. More
US custom research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey has announced the launch of a sister company, South Street Strategy Group. The new firm will combine 'state-of-the-art marketing science' with the experience of 'veteran consultants' to provide strategic consulting services. More
Electronics industry specialist IMS Research has opened an office in Seoul, South Korea, to be led by Harry (Sung Dong) Cho and with newly appointed Dkins (Dae Kwon) Cho as Senior Analyst for LEDs and Displays. A Tokyo office will follow shortly. More
In the UK, home products giant Unilever has sold a further 720,000 shares in online market research specialist BrainJuicer, reducing its stake in the firm to 14.2%. More
Ahead of its official financial report which will be published on 15th November, GfK has announced a 10.8% revenue increase to EUR 931m for the first nine months of 2010 (prior year: EUR 840.2m), of which 7.4% is attributable to organic sales growth. More
In Canada, pharma market research firm IntrinsiQ Tendler has promoted Anthony Aversano to the post of President, with responsibility for day-to-day operations. More
Omnicom-owned insight-led marketing services group Adelphi Worldwide has invested in Cologne-based healthcare communications agency Face to Face GmbH, to extend the latter's capabilities into market research. Terms were not disclosed. More
In Australia, customer experience research firm Strativity has opened an office in Sydney, from which it will offer its services to clients in both Australia and New Zealand. More
In the UK, consumer insight and market research specialist Engage Research has doubled its sales for the year ending 31 March 2010, with turnover up from £1.2m in 2008 to £2.5m in 2009. More
In the US, JD Power and Associates has partnered with online sample firm uSamp to develop an online panel expanding its existing survey-based customer satisfaction and product quality research. More
The BBC has axed the role of Director of Marketing, Communications and Audiences (MC&A) held by Sharon Baylay, and integrated her team into an expanded division led by COO Caroline Thompson. More
In New York, Ipsos Loyalty has promoted Ken Peterson to the position of Chief Operating Officer, where he will focus on maximising efficiency and optimising client service. More
Three Australian research and technology businesses have pooled their skills to launch a new company, Potentiate, with offices in Australia and Japan. The three are software firm Infotools Australia, panel management and survey deployment specialist Plenari and online sample firm Sampleworx. More
Japanese electronics giant Panasonic is planning a massive expansion of its R&D centre in Gurgaon, India, as part of its ongoing heavy investment in growing its Indian operation. More
YouGov has announced preliminary results for the year ended 31 July 2010, with a good second half performance bringing full year results in line with expectations after a fall in late 2009. One-off items led to a substantial reported operating loss of £9.6m (2009: £0.7m). More
Clothing retailer Gap has initiated a crowdsourcing project following a backlash from customers posting on social media sites, about its newly re-designed logo. More
In the UK, online marketing research specialist OnePoll has appointed consumer trend authority William Higham as Managing Director. More
Research and business intelligence firm Majestic MRSS (MMRSS) has opened a qualitative research centre in Singapore, and appointed Fatima Binti Abdul Hakim as its Facilities Manager. More
Online data collection specialist Itracks has released a new qualitative research solution that simulates in-person focus groups, using streaming video technology. More
Nunwood has opened an office in Sydney, Australia, headed by former BBC researcher Anna Thomas who joins the company as Joint Managing Director, APAC. Meanwhile Ann Thompson is promoted to Joint MD based in Auckland, NZ. More
Insight firm RONIN has expanded its medical panel offering to Latin America, through the recruitment of medical professionals in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Mexico and Venezuela. More
MR outsourcing firm Ugam Research Solutions has partnered with medical information provider Physicians Interactive Holdings (PIH), combining its own data collection services with PIH's panel of 170,000 US physicians. More
Synovate has named Peter Huijboom as its second CEO of Geographies, following last week's news that former Synovate Healthcare CEO Michael Spedding had rejoined the firm to take up a position with the same title. More
Newly merged agencies SPA and Future Thinking have expanded in Europe with the appointment of Adeline Baret to head a new Paris office. More
In the US, a group of 33 crowdsourcing companies has joined forces to create a trade organization to serve as a resource for practitioners, customers, researchers and - eventually - the 'crowd'. More
TNS has re-organised its operations in Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa (APMEA) into two separate regions - TNS Africa and Middle East (AME) led by Kim Macilwaine and TNS Asia Pacific (APAC) headed by Chris Riquier. More
US-based social community software provider Passenger has secured a $7.5m investment, which will be used to support new product development, marketing efforts and sales. More
In the UK, full service agency JRA Research has appointed Andy Grout and Matt Coggan as Joint Managing Partners, joining Terry Wagstaff and Paul Summers on the Board. More
In the US, Harris Interactive has named Pavan Bhalla as its new Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, replacing Robert Cox who left the firm last year. More
US-based online video research solutions provider Qualvu has opened an office in Dublin, from which to serve its European clients. The new operation is led by former ad agency account planner and research consultant Anne-Marie O'Sullivan. More
TNS has formed a new central division called Corporate Development, incorporating a number of current areas of marketing and strategy expertise. Matthew Froggatt, until now Technology Sector Head, has been appointed to lead the new unit as Chief Development Officer. More
In the UK, home products giant Unilever has sold nearly half its shares in online market research specialist BrainJuicer - equivalent to around 16% of the company - raising around £4.1m in the process. More
In the UK, CSA Recruitment - which specialises in market and social research staff recruitment - has appointed former Aquent consultant Bridget Barry as an Associate Partner. More
Former Synovate Healthcare CEO Michael Spedding has returned to the company with the title of 'CEO, Geographies'. More
In London, Opinion Leader Research (OLR) has appointed GfK NOP director Michael Thompson as Research Director, and DSGi customer experience specialist Shaendel Hallett as Client Services Director. Both will take up their roles within the next couple of months. More
US-based NeuroFocus is to publish 'NeuroStandards', a set of principles for conducting EEG-based, full-brain measurements as part of market research studies. More
TNS veteran Klaus Paur has been appointed as Managing Director of Synovate Automotive in Korea and Greater China. He will take up his new post next January. More
In the US, Ipsos is consolidating its Cincinnati operations into one large office, based in the city's historic Columbia-Tusculum neighborhood. More
GfK is restructuring its healthcare management team under a single brand with the appointment of Stephen Hearn to the newly created post of Global Head of GfK HealthCare, and the transition of Richard Vanderveer from CEO of the division to a consulting role. More
Kantar has linked its Worldpanel scanned FMCG household purchase data with data from Kantar Media's TGI consumer insight survey. The resulting service, TGI Worldpanel, promises clients a detailed understanding of the link between media consumption, consumer attitudes and UK purchasing. More
Chime company Facts International has announced the acquisition of London-based acefieldwork, part of Munro Global, for an undisclosed sum. The companies will continue to trade separately under their existing brand names until next year when they will merge. More
Panel firm e-Rewards, Inc. has announced that it is adopting the name of its recent acquisition, Research Now, on a worldwide basis with immediate effect; and is introducing a new corporate identity. More
UK-based supermarket Tesco is Thailand's biggest grocery chain and is now one of four companies bidding for the Thai assets of Carrefour, after the French giant took the tough decision to pull out of a number of Asian markets. In part, Tesco's success is a victory for market research. More
UK-based data collection agency Perspective is to merge with Continental Direct, a subsidiary of the former Continental Research, creating a new firm, Perspective Research Services, which will launch officially on 1st October 2010. More
Minneapolis, USA-based consumer research and consultancy firm Iconoculture has launched an Indian advisory service. More
London-based financial services MR firm Lafferty Group has launched an office in India, and appointed Arvind Agrawal to head it up. More
UK-based agency BrainJuicer has formally announced 49% revenue growth to £7.2m for the first half of 2010. Operating profit was up 119%, and profit before tax 108%. More
Biometrics and emotion measurement specialist Innerscope Research has opened a West Coast office in Los Angeles in response to increasing demand, and announced three appointments in support of the opening. More
Electronics publications and events firm EE Times Group, a subsidiary of UBM, has partnered with semiconductor MR specialist Merrill Research & Associates to launch EE Intelligence, a robust online research panel focused on electronics research. More
London-based online agency Opinium Research has announced four appointments. The arrival of Jeremy Marshall, Paul Crooke, Gregory Absalom and Ross Leibbrandt will help the firm to expand following strong results in the summer. More
Vision Critical has promoted Monique Morden to the role of President of its Global Partner Program and Chief Operating Officer for National Panels, and says it aims to expand the Program rapidly. More
Synovate has today announced major organisational changes in China and in Scandinavia, with a number of senior moves and appointments. More
George Terhanian, Harris Interactive's long-time European chief and more recently in charge of its US Centers of Excellence, is to leave the firm at the end of the month 'to pursue another career opportunity'. More
US-based customer relationship marketing agency Merkle has announced the opening of its first international office in Shanghai, China, and has promoted Raymond Wu to head it up. More
London-based qualitative specialist Firefish has launched a quantitative practice led by former RS Consulting MD, Neil Swan. The agency has also reported sales growth of 69% to £3.3m for the first half of the year. More
In the UK, global data collection agency Field Facts Worldwide has been put up for sale by administrator and business recovery specialist Leonard Curtis. Sources suggest that overseas facilities belonging to the firm have closed. More
Market research and consulting group Cello has reported good overall growth, but says a slowdown in public sector work for its Research and Consulting division will mean redundancies there. More
Business makeover specialist Irene Jeremic has launched The Tableau, a market intelligence, business research and strategic consulting firm based in Ontario, with a focus on voice-of-consumer studies for safer consumer goods. More
Media executives Jeffrey Erb and Harold Hambrose have set up Clarity Labs, to provide eye tracking and other usability research services from facilities on both sides of the Atlantic, in Philadelphia and London. More
Harris Interactive has introduced the Body Mass Index (BMI) Speciality Panel, to provide clients with information about underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese US adults. More
WPP-owned Millward Brown has brought all its global qualitative agencies together under a single brand, Firefly Millward Brown. More
Three former TNS execs - Evette Cordy, Penny Darbyshire and James Redden - have teamed up to launch a new firm based in Melbourne, Australia and rejoicing in the name of Raspberry Innovation Research + Strategy. More
UK-based consultancy Nunwood has hired former Asda consumer specialist Craig Ryder as Global Head of Shopper Insight, Analytics and Activation. More
In the US, MarketSight - a provider of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) market research solutions - has posted a 49% increase in revenue for the first half of 2010. More
US branding consultancy Siegel+Gale has partnered with neuroscience specialist NeuroCompass to pilot the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging technology (fMRI), to uncover consumer feelings about brands. More
US-based online research agency Infosurv has promoted Carl Fusco to the post of Managing Director, responsible for P&L, managing all company operations and leading growth. The firm has also promoted Kyle Burnam, and hired John Barrett and Chet Bertolli. More
In the UK, full service agency SPA has been acquired by private equity firm Next Wave Partners as part of a plan to merge it with Future Thinking, in which Next Wave holds a 60% stake. More
In the UK, media communications specialist Elizabeth Filippouli has launched Global Thinkers - a branding, media intelligence and PR agency designed to help clients manage and analyse their online reputation. More
UK-based specialist recruiter Resources Group has hired Rowan Haylett to lead and expand its Market Research & Insight offering in Australia and Asia, working from new offices in George Street, Sydney. More
German user and brand research specialist Eye Square has opened a new office in Tokyo, Japan, as a base from which to support its Asian clients. More
ESOMAR has released its annual report on the global market research industry, painting a sobering picture of the first decline in MR turnover since it began measuring in 1988, but also striking a positive note. More
The Board of Directors of marcoms group Media Square plc - which owns market research agency Illuminas - has issued a statement announcing a solid start to the financial year with a return to operating profit in the first half of 2010. More
Dubai-based research firm YouGov Siraj and pan-Arab broadcaster Al Aan will work together to develop a groundbreaking survey examining the socio-economic outlook of Arab consumers via weekly and monthly polls. More
The world's Top 25 research organizations had a 'dismal' year for revenue in 2009, according to market research industry authority Jack Honomichl. During the year, total revenues for the 25 firms who made this year's list were down by 3.1% to $17.4bn. More
Interactive research and technology firm Vision Critical has appointed former Synovate CEO Adrian Chedore to its Board of Directors. More
TNS has hired Synovate's former CEO Iberia and Latin America Ignacio Galceran as Regional CEO Latin America, and a member of its Global Executive Committee. He joins the firm in October and takes up his new post next January. More
UK-based magazine New Scientist has reported a 12% increase in newsstand sales for its issue featuring a cover tested by neuromarketing agency NeuroFocus. More
London-based MR recruiter Sinead Hasson has expanded her consultancy Hasson Associates with a move to larger premises in the West End. More
Synovate has promoted Enrique Domingo to the position of CEO for Iberia and Latin America: he was previously MD for Iberia. He replaces Ignacio Galceran, who is leaving the firm at the end of this month. More
US-based online and mobile qual software provider Revelation has reported a 300% year-on-year increase in sales for the twelve-month period ending June 30 2010. More
In the UK, TV audience measurement body BARB (Broadcasters' Audience Research Board), has appointed former GfK NOP Media AD Joe Lewis as Research Manager. More
Marketing scientist and consumer behaviour specialist Andrew Ehrenberg died last week at the age of 84. More
In the UK, Discovery Group has reported a 28% increase in half year profit to £175k, and a 6.5% rise in turnover; taking the group's revenues to £1.46m in the first half of 2010. More
In India, Sunil Saxena has rejoined Synovate as Director of Field Operations, overseeing 14 fieldwork centres across the country. More
Ipsos Observer has restructured its US team into three geographical regions, and promoted Allison Gunn, John Ward and Dennis Barbelet to lead each of the teams. More
Aegis Group plc has announced a significant improvement in its 2010 interim results. Total revenue rose 4.2% to £663.3m, representing organic growth of 3.2%. The upturn in large part reflects a rebound at MR arm Synovate. More
US-based online qual specialist Invoke Solutions Inc. has closed a $1.75m mixed-securities offering, with six investors subscribing, according to an SEC filing. More
In the UK, market research consultancy Touchstone Partners has reported 47% organic growth in the last financial year, with pre-tax profit rising by 55%. To support this growth, the firm is moving to new offices in central Oxford. More
In the UK, brand research specialist Millward Brown has hired former Yahoo! HR leader Kerstin von der Brelie for its newly created post of Chief Talent Officer - Europe. More
In the UK, marcoms group Chime has reported a 10.9% increase in its Research and Engagement Division's half year adjusted operating profit to £379k. Operating income rose to £3.5m from £3m in the prior year period. More
Insight consultancy Nunwood has expanded its analytics practice with the appointment of Frank Hedler as European Analytics Director and Stephanie Young-Helou as US Analytics Director. More
Revenue and profits in WPP's Consumer Insight division rose in the first six months of 2010: the former slowly, up 2.4% on a like-for-like basis from a low comparative, but the latter more rapidly with headline profit before interest and tax (PBIT) up 22% to £83.7m. More
Fast food giant McDonald's has promoted UK President and CEO Steve Easterbrook to the newly-created position of Executive Vice President and Global Chief Brand Officer, responsible for marketing, menu innovation, consumer insights and other global brand assets. More
Australian marcoms and research group Photon has posted a 10% fall in revenue to $AUD 587.3m, and an $AUD 87.5m loss for the year ending 30 June 2010. Earnings in its Strategic Intelligence Division, which includes TLE and Jigsaw, fell 8% to $AUD 11.1m. More
Knowledge Networks media research veteran Dr Maura Clancey died on Monday at the age of 50. More
The Futures Company has hired two Senior Vice Presidents in the US: Steve Levine as SVP, Future-Facing Research & Consultancy and Christine Baskin as SVP, Research & Consulting. More
WPP's insight division Kantar has appointed panel specialist Renee Smith as Chief Research Officer in the US, and has moved Tim Kelsall to the role of SVP, Client Strategy, Innovation and Delivery at its brand research division Millward Brown, in the UK. More
In New York, media giant Hearst Magazines is planning to open a mobile media development center called The App Lab, where staff will examine consumer usage of mobile devices and related platforms and applications. More
UK-based Verve, specialist in customer advisory panels and online brand communities, has expanded its Sydney-based team with the appointment of Betty Mai as Partner, Australia and New Zealand; and Chantal Brady as Online Community Manager. More
Harris Interactive has announced fourth quarter and full-year fiscal 2010 results. In the latter, revenue fell fully nine per cent, showing the scale of problems, but operating loss of $56.4m in fiscal 2009 was all but wiped out following moves to restructure and stabilize the business. More
B2B International is about to open an office in Regent's Place, London, from where it will focus on sales and project delivery in the South East of the UK and mainland Europe. More
New York-based SourceMedia - which publishes The American Banker magazine - has opened a syndicated research and data unit, to operate in tandem with its existing news and analysis, events and custom media operations. More
Communispace - which creates online customer insight communities - has reported a 29% increase in revenue for the first half of 2010, with sales up to $22.5m from $17.4m in the prior year period. The company has also added several new tools to its product portfolio. More
Mark Pitts has re-joined Synovate Business Consulting as Head of Consulting for the Americas, after three years with a start-up marketing strategy consultancy based in Asia. More
In the UK, Opinium Research has partnered with video production firm Fovea to enable clients to test responses to corporate videos. More
Troubled Australian marcoms and research group Photon has been re-instated on the ASX (Australian Stock Exchange), and has already completed the first stage of its recapitalization plan by raising $AUD 76m through a $AUD 102.5m share placement. More
In the US, web usability specialists Brian Krausz and Joe Gershenson have launched GazeHawk, a new technology firm which aims to make eye-tracking 'affordable for everyone'. More
Pharma market research giant IMS Health has appointed Ari Bousbib as its new Chief Executive Officer, replacing David Carlucci who will continue to serve in his other role as Chairman for a transition period. More
GfK has raised its 2010 sales and income expectations following a 12.3% rise in second quarter sales to EUR 328.7m, and a 9.4% rise in first half sales to EUR 609.6m. The firm now expects a 6% rise in sales for the year, which is double its original projection. More
Market research services firm Majestic MRSS has announced plans to expand its footprint in Japan and South Korea in the next two years. More
Australian market research consultancy Fiftyfive5 has appointed semiotics specialist Dr Rob Engels as a Qualitative Consultant, to help shape the firm's qual offer using semiotics, cultural trends and ethnography. More
GfK Custom Research North America has rebranded its GfK Technology division as GfK Business & Technology, and has opened a new office in San Francisco, California led by technology specialist Tilman Rotberg. More
In the US, market research agency Echo Stats has opened a new office in Miami where it plans to establish a division specializing in multicultural marketing research. More
Online specialist Michalis Michael has opened DigitalMR, an agency focusing on web-based market research, with headquarters in London, UK and Nicosia, Cyprus. More
Tim Hughes, the founder of Australian marcoms and research group Photon, has left the company as it continues its attempts to recapitalise. More
New Scientist is a publication full of scientific scepticism and not particularly renowned for its love of marketing or market research. So if it says, 'I'm convinced this time there's something in it', we should perhaps listen. MrWeb's Nick Thomas interviews the magazine's Deputy Editor, Graham Lawton. More
Technology research firm Gartner has posted a 16% increase in second quarter revenue to $314.2m and a 17% rise in net revenue to $20.1m. More
In the US, Ipsos has moved former OTX COO David Shanker to lead its specialist data and delivery division Ipsos Observer as Global President. More
Recent Australian research start-up Fiftyfive5 has appointed former TLE Chief Executive Mark Sundquist as a Partner. He joins his erstwhile colleagues, company founders Karen Phillips and Darren Kemp. More
In the US, Cambiar, the management consulting company dedicated to the market research industry, has added Monica Wood as a Partner. She will join the firm's Research Impact Consulting practice, headed by Ian Lewis. More
Professional research bodies across South America, Canada and the US have come together to establish a new pan-American research alliance, with the aim of supporting and improving the 'business and integrity' of market, opinion and social research. More
In the UK, Kantar-owned TNS-BMRB, which offers insight for government and not-for-profit clients, has launched a mixed mode research programme to prompt new thinking and best practice for tracking social trends across multiple modes of research. More
In New York, MTV Networks has promoted Hispanic consumer expert Nancy Tellet to the position of Senior Vice President of Research and Consumer Insights for Latin America, Canada, and the US Hispanic market. More
US pharma marketing and sales group PDI has reported that second quarter revenue has more than doubled to $33.5m. However, revenue in its TVG market research unit, slated for closure or sell-off, declined because of a decrease in the number of projects. More
Two former employees of UK agency Holden Pearmain have launched their own company, Impact Research. Darryl Swift and Michael Brainch will focus initially on clients in the utilities, retail and FMCG sectors. More
WPP insight division Kantar has appointed former Yahoo! EMEA VP of Human Resources Helen Russell as its new Global Talent Director, reporting to Chief Executive Eric Salama. More
WPP agency Mindshare North America has appointed media research veteran Doron Wesly to head up a new unit as Leader of Business Science and Planning. More
The UK's Central Office of Information (COI) has announced a reduction in staff numbers from 737 to 450, as a result of the government's freeze on non-essential advertising and marketing spend, and the consequent reduction in its workload. More
Gary Langer, the veteran Polling Director of US broadcaster ABC, has left to run his own firm, Langer Research Associates, which will take over management of the media giant's ABC News/Washington Poll from its own News Polling Unit. More
UK-based firm The Oxford Research Agency (TORA) has changed its name to Future Thinking and opened its first office in the US under the leadership of George Ciardi, who becomes US President and Global Head of Volumetric Forecasting. More
In the US, Information Services Group, which owns outsourcing consultancy TPI, has announced second quarter revenues of $33.4m, up 6% on weak 2009 figures, thanks to double-digit growth in the Americas and Asia Pacific; and adjusted EBITDA of $4.2m. More
Kadence International has reported a ten percent increase in revenue to $12.8m for the financial year 2009-10, which it says has been fuelled by a rise in demand for its services across all seven offices. More
UK-based online researcher YouGov has announced that operating profit for the year ended 31 July 2010 was 'significantly ahead' of the prior year period. The firm has also appointed Camilla Parker Bowles' nephew Ben Elliot as a non-executive Director. More
UK research agency Incite has moved to larger premises in central London, from its Covent Garden base where the agency has been located since it was founded 10 years ago. More
Technology researcher Forrester has announced results for the second quarter, ended June 30. Revenues rose 5% to $64.7m, and pro forma net income was $8.2m, down only slightly from $8.8m a year previously. More
US companies continue to demand more accountability from their senior marketing executives and marketing departments, according to a survey conducted by MarketShare Partners (MSP) for Forbes Insights. More
Two of the research industry's top four firms, Kantar and GfK, have announced an initiative aimed at promoting and assuring online data quality. The firms will seek 'broad industry participation' in their not-for-profit consortium, the Promedius Group. More
Global research group Ipsos has reported a very strong performance for the first six months of 2010, with revenue up 18.1% to EUR 528.8m (organic growth 7.7%) and adjusted net profit up 33.7% to EUR 32.0m. More
Newly announced agency BritainThinks has already hired two further team members and is looking for two more. 'Though currently working for a number of clients, the company is planning a full launch in two months' time, including product announcements, web site and central London offices. More
Embattled Australian group Photon has given its first formal market update in almost a month, confirming press reports that it is struggling to refinance. However, CEO Jeremy Philips is said to have succeeded in renegotiating earn-out agreements with execs at most of its key subsidiaries. More
In Canada, marketing firm the Bristol Group has entered voluntary receivership and been bought out of it by rival firm M5. Bristol's research company Omnifacts is to merge with M5's MarketQuest. More
In the UK, the Central Office of Information (COI) has reported a fall in spending on advertising, marketing and research in the past year, and has warned of more substantial cuts to come. More
UK group Chime Communications plc has appointed Toluna exec Mark Squires as Group Operations Director for its Research & Engagement Division. Meanwhile the Division's former bosses Viki Cooke and Deborah Mattinson are to launch a new consultancy called Britain Thinks. More
Dollars continue to chase firms launching software to measure social media and facilitate advertising on it, while MR firms in growing sectors are also targets for investment. More
YouGov has taken a minority stake in SMG Insight, a sports marketing consultancy, and announced an alliance aimed at delivering higher value added services for the global sports marketing industry. More
Synovate has appointed Mamapudi Nkgadima to lead its South African subsidiary African Response - she becomes Managing Director next week. Current MD Beatrice Kubheka moves to the position of Chairperson and will remain closely involved with the business. More
Qual research video specialist FocusVision has announced the opening of FocusVision Asia, located in Singapore, and the appointment of Patricia Poo as Regional Director, Asia. More
UK-based healthcare research specialist Adelphi Group and German healthcare comms consultancy 'face to face GmbH' have partnered to launch a new qual and quant agency - Adelphi Germany - offering healthcare and pharma research from its base in Cologne. More
Pharma market research giant IMS Health has expanded its IMS Oncology Analyzer market measurement tool to provide anonymized patient-level information across several additional cities in China. More
In the UK, Cello's Research and Consulting division has returned like-for-like income growth for the first half of the year, driven by 'continued robustness' in client activity levels, most notably in pharma and health-related sectors, as well as international work. More
US pharma marketing and sales group PDI is to cease conducting market research through its TVG Marketing Research & Consulting arm, citing a decrease in the demand for marketing research. More
WPP-owned global trend research consultancy The Futures Company (TFC) has appointed a new management team following the resignation of its CEO Sian Davies, Executive Chairman Crawford Hollingworth, and Global MD Sarah Davies. More
Vancouver-based youth specialist The Sound Research has opened an office in Toronto, headed by former Youthography Director of Research and Strategy, Barbara Brooks. More
In the UK, professional and financial services research specialist Acritas has reported a 104% increase in sales for the last six months, while revenue doubled. The firm has also announced its plan to become a 'global knowledge hub' for the legal profession. More
In the UK, media and communications research provider Ipsos MediaCT has partnered with qualitative media specialist Work Research to launch a qual joint venture called 'Work with Ipsos'. More
WPP's digital investment arm has acquired an interest in Chinese digital ad measurement company Moment Systems, founded in 2006 in Beijing and currently employing 90 people. Reports suggest the marcoms giant is also eyeing the possible sale of Photon companies in Australia. More
BrainJuicer has appointed Orlando Wood as Managing Director of its methodological unit BrainJuicer Labs, and appointed him to the Company's Management Team. More
Online healthcare and pharma market research specialist OmniPanel has expanded its operations in Latin America, with the opening of an office in São Paulo, Brazil. More
In the US, former OTX Research executive Patrick Comer has launched a market research technology firm, Jackson Square Group (JSG). Seed financing from investment company Voodoo Ventures will be used to support growth and add new personnel. More
In India, a team of entrepreneurs have launched High Beam Global - a market research data collection and marketing consulting firm specialising in the healthcare, FMCG and technology sectors. More
Australian marcoms and research group Photon is struggling to raise the necessary finance to recapitalise, and faces going out of business if it fails to renegotiate $AUD 176m worth of earn-out payments due to owners of some of its 50 agencies. More
In the US, Vovici's former Chairman and CEO Dean Wiltse has set up a mobile measurement agency called Thumbspeak, to enable businesses to reach mobile audiences and gain insights from hard-to-reach consumers. More
London-based marcoms agency Engine has launched a new insight and research unit to provide clients with an analysis of why and how consumers make choices. More
TNS has promoted Margit Huber to the position of Global HR, Talent Manager & Culture Director, with a remit to create an 'inspirational culture' across the group. More
Online market research specialist BrainJuicer has reported growth of 48% for the first half of 2010, primarily driven by its business in the UK and US. More
In the US, data giant Infogroup has appointed Marc Litvinoff as President of its research division, Opinion Research Corporation (ORC). More
Millward Brown has added five team members to its Neuroscience Research Practice, formed in March to extend the services offered by its existing advertising and brand research unit. More
In the UK, online custom panels specialist EasyInsites is to build and maintain a research panel consisting of members of retailer WHSmith's 'Privilege Club'. More
In London, former Synovate Healthcare Directors Peter Boyle and Sarah Flinn have launched a new qual and quant international healthcare data collection agency, Adept Field Solutions. More
Harris Interactive has announced a new financing plan reducing its lenders from five to one and extending its revolving line of credit by three more years to 2013. Separately, marketing services firm SPAR Group has secured a $6.5m revolving credit facility for growth and possible acquisitions. More
US-based data collection agency Universal Survey and its partner Survey Healthcare have established physician and healthcare professional panels across the major European, Asian, and Russian markets, in addition to their existing US and Canadian panels. More
In the US, research and market intelligence agency the Aberdeen Group has established a research partnership with the American Marketing Association (AMA) to offer members access to its twelve practices and research library 'The Vault'. More
GfK has become the first foreign market research company to be granted a license to open a subsidiary in Saudi Arabia. The firm has also opened a branch in Kenya, acquired the outstanding shares of GfK Mode in India and GfK Kynetec in the UK, and increased its stake in Shopping Brasil. More
In the US, technology analyst Forrester Research has stepped up its recruitment drive with the appointment of seven analysts in its Marketing & Strategy, Technology Industry, and Information Technology divisions. More
US-based neuromarketing agency NeuroFocus has developed the Luxury Perceptual Framework (LPF), to detect consumers' perception of what constitutes 'luxury' in terms of clients' brands, products, packaging, in-store marketing, advertising and customer service. More
In the US, knowledge marketplace Maven Research has completed a $1m seed financing round, which it will use to expand its 'real time' research and micro-consulting platform. More
Marketing group STW Communications has formed a joint venture with field marketing specialist Smollan Group to conduct mystery shopping and customer auditing activities in Australia and New Zealand. More
In South Africa, Ipsos Markinor has brought together its field and tab work into a specialist business unit called Observer. In addition to omnibus and international research teams, the unit includes a team conducting client projects for which only data is required as a deliverable. More
In the UK, Eventus Software Directors Cathrene Rowell and Kevin Simpson have set up a new company, CaKe Research, to offer both platform-only and full-service online qualitative research services. More
In the US, Ipsos has launched the Open Thinking Exchange - a new organization dedicated to 'opening the exchange of ideas and information between marketers and their consumers'. More
In the US, The Planning Shop International (TPSi) has launched a new Oncology Business Unit (OBU), staffed by a team of market research professionals who are specialists in both the oncology therapeutic area and its associated brands. More
UK-based B2B International has expanded its China operations with the opening of a new office in Shanghai, to meet its growing requirement for market research among Chinese and international companies with headquarters in the city. More
In the US, employee assessment firm Profiles International has launched a new division to gather insight and opinions from staff, and gain a picture of what businesses need to do to solve their 'people problems'. More
Kantar-owner WPP has reported improved results for the first five months of the year. Both Group revenues and those for the Insight division rose around 2% worldwide on a like-for-like basis while growth in May was well over 5%. More
In the US, Qmarkets.net, a provider of prediction markets software, has received government funding for the development of its second generation collective forecasting platform, due for release in August. More
Horsham, PA-based Verilogue has announced an upbeat start to 2010. The healthcare insights and analysis firm now employs more than 35 specialists. More
UK-based marketing and communications group Creston has announced revenue down 4% to £80.5m and pre-tax profit down just 3% (at £13.8m), raising its dividend and simultaneously announcing the sale of its ad agency DLKW Group to Interpublic for £28m. More
Mediabrands, part of marketing services giant Interpublic Group, is launching a specialist shopper marketing agency, ShelfLife, to be headed by John Ross, currently President of the IPG Emerging Media Lab. More
In the US, a new consultancy is offering a range of help for entrepreneurs from market assessment through development expertise to investment. Vydrogen will focus on leading-edge business ventures with high growth potential. More
Are mobile surveys more intrusive? Will ICE change the face of online panels? Why don't we entirely trust Neuroscience? And should we now be a bit less worried about Google? From today, join the debate on the big issues in our MRT section. More
Two US-based supply chain consultancies, Armstrong & Associates, Inc. and Chainalytics LLC, have announced a multi-year collaboration to develop Model-Based Benchmarking (MBBC) services for third-party logistics providers (3PLs). More
Derbyshire, UK-based agency DJS Research has bucked the downturn with an exceptional year of growth in 2009-10. Turnover is close to the £1m mark and four new permanent staff in two months bring the total to sixteen. More
Following the recent appointment of new CEO Basil Bennett, online qual specialist Invoke Solutions is dividing its business into two units - the first specializing in concept analysis and the second focusing on analytics capabilities. More
UK FMCG and customer experience researcher The Oxford Research Agency (TORA) has moved to larger premises in the city, while appointing former Ipsos MORI AD Emma Baret and promoting three of its team to the UK Board. More
Market research software provider Confirmit has partnered with technology specialist Annik to embed Flash components into its survey software. More
Eyetracking pioneer Tobii Technology has announced the launch of Tobii Glassesâ„¢, which the firm says look and feel like modern eyewear, allowing subjects to walk around freely collect eyetracking data in 'mobile, natural settings'. More
US-based InsightExpress has partnered with earned media measurement and monetization specialist Meteor Solutions, to offer insights into online advertising performance among influential brand advocates. More
US investment firm Cardinal Value Equity Partners has sold nearly 2 million Infogroup shares, in advance of a shareholder vote at the end of this month which will determine whether the firm should be sold to CCMP Capital Advisors. More
Online market research specialist BrainJuicer has appointed FMCG specialist Han Zantingh as Managing Director for its new consultancy in Shanghai. More
According to a study conducted in the US by Forbes Insight and marketing agency George P Johnson (GPJ), just 59% of Chief Marketing Officers are measuring customer engagement, despite it being regarded as an essential metric for brand marketers. More
Florida-based market research consultancy Echo Stats has created a new product development division, led by Elizabeth Wallings who has been promoted to the position of Director of New Product Development. More
America's top 50 research firms saw domestic revenues fall 3.5% to $8.61bn in 2009, according to the latest annual report compiled by Jack Honomichl. This compares with a 1.6% increase to $8.98bn in 2008. More
Synovate has launched a new research system offering clients a better understanding of customer experiences, attitudes and behaviours. More
Ipsos OTX MediaCT has teamed up with media firm Future US to create a microsite which offers marketers and consumers insight into the purchasing behaviour and gameplay habits of gamers across the US. More
In Germany, GfK has appointed Dr Gerhard Hausruckinger to lead its Retail & Technology sector, replacing Dr Gérard Hermet who is stepping down from the role to retire after 26 years with the firm. More
A modest 38% of England fans will throw World Cup 'sickies' this month, costing the UK c.£1bn in lost work - but not in vain, as it can be scientifically proven that England are going to win. Yes, predictably, we are inundated with stats, and our Features Editor Teresa Lynch will bottle only the finest for you. More
US flat panel technology specialist DisplaySearch has relocated its corporate headquarters from Austin, Texas to Santa Clara, California, where a number of its market research analysts and clients are located. The firm has also expanded its presence in Asia with two new hires. More
In the US, the Marketing Research Association (MRA) has appointed David Almy as its new Chief Executive Officer, following the departure in January of Larry Brownell who returned to his Los Angeles home. More
US-based neuromarketing research specialist EmSense has opened a European headquarters in central London, where it has recruited Sue Nosworthy as SVP, European Research Director and Maria Domoslawska as VP, Digital and Media Research. More
Millward Brown has moved Tim Wragg into the new position of CEO - Europe, following last year's integration of its UK and Ireland business with mainland European operations, and the formation of a pan-European Board. More
Sony Computer Science Laboratories (Sony CSL) has developed a prototype eye tracking and recording device which can capture everything a user sees. More
In the UK, the MRS has revealed a positive outlook for the sector, with lower-than-expected decline during 2009. Meanwhile, in the US, the MRA's Research Industry Index (RII) has reported the highest index score since the fourth quarter of 2007. More
In the US and UK, Aegis Media has launched a sports sponsorship and lifestyle marketing agency called Team Epic, which combines its Velocity Sports & Entertainment and Vivid Marketing agencies, with the research capabilities of Sponsorship Research International (SRi). More
In a move sure to delight creative purists, entertainment research specialist Ipsos OTX MediaCT has opened a 'Script Evaluation Division' within its Worldwide Motion Picture Group, to assess the potential playability and marketability of films at the script stage. More
Nielsen is to track South African consumers' lifestyle habits and engagement during the imminent World Cup, using BlackBerry devices. Participants will compile mobile diaries including photos and captions, giving a detailed picture of their movements and interaction with the tournament. More
Database giant and ORC parent Infogroup has sent a letter to shareholders recommending that they vote in favour of the firm's sale to private equity firm CCMP Capital Advisors, at a special meeting to be held on June 29. More
Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) has partnered with eye tracking technology firm Tobii Technology to collaborate on product innovations and conduct package and shelf testing on a global basis. More
Babette van der Kloet and Vandi Hill have launched a full service qual and quant market research firm called Ricochet Research, based in Nairobi, Kenya, which will offer services across the entire African continent. More
In Canada, youth-focused full service market research and insights agency Youthography has closed down, after a decade in business. More
In the UK, relationship marketing firm HS&P Group has merged its various divisions - Crayon, HS&P, Legends and the Loyalty Practice - into one agency which will focus on consumer insights, creativity and accountability. More
Australian insights consultancy The Leading Edge has made five senior appointments in Sydney, after winning several major new clients. More
In London, Synovate has revealed more information about the launch of its 'Digital Centre of Excellence' which will specialise in understanding and measuring the effectiveness of brands' advertising and communications through digital media. More
Hampshire, UK-based online MR firm eDigitalResearch has announced the launch of HUB, a new insight and analysis tool. In addition, the firm reports six new appointments, expanded office premises and a 25% growth in sales. More
Business media and information company Red 7 Media has launched a research and consulting practice for the global event, trade show and media industries, and appointed Michael Hughes, former VP of Research and Consulting at Tradeshow Week, to head it up. More
Online research firm InSites Consulting has announced rapid growth and the opening of new offices in the Netherlands, UK and Switzerland. Four senior hires will help to support and consolidate the expansion. More
Online medical network Doctors.net.uk has today announced a strategic alliance with Medcenter Holdings Inc., an online healthcare marketing company in Latin/Central America and Iberia, for cross-selling and co-marketing. More
In California, renewable energy consultancy SolarVision Co. has announced the broadening of its practice areas to cover more emerging technologies and markets. More
By dint of starting on a Wednesday night, the conference of BIG, the UK's b2b research group, is the only one on the circuit which manages two out of two mornings-after-the-night-before. Our Features Editor Teresa Lynch waits for skies and heads to clear, and reports. More
Synovate has established a Qualitative Business Unit in South Africa, headed by newly appointed Qualitative Director, Maree Fouché. More
India has a new specialist mystery shopping company, Startex India, formed by partners Market Xcel Data Matrix Pvt. Ltd. and Emirates-based Startex Marketing Services. More
Researchers at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem have devised an algorithm that recognises sarcasm in text - potentially vital to companies analysing online sentiment in social media and other sources. More
Millward Brown has announced plans to extend its collaboration with Scangroup Limited and open a West African hub office in Accra, Ghana, in June. More
WPP Group is gearing up to restart its acquisition strategy across the Asia-Pacific region, according to CEO Sir Martin Sorrell, speaking at The Financial Times and Marketing magazine event in Singapore on Tuesday. More
US market research association CASRO has formed a subsidiary called the CASRO Institute for Research Quality (CIRQ) to provide assessment and certification services to North American research firms looking for international MR standards ISO 20252 and ISO 26362. More
Kantar Health has announced the expansion of its Treatment Value Practice into Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and appointed Dr. Pali Kolláth as Regional Director, CEE and Treatment Value Practice, based in Budapest, Hungary. More
Missouri-based agribusiness consultancy AgriThority has announced the extension of its services into India via a strategic alliance with the SCS Group, whose services include agriculture marketing research and test marketing. More
Aegis' research arm Synovate has reported a 1.9% organic decline in first quarter revenue, compared with 10.1% and 5.5% declines respectively in the third and fourth quarters of 2009. Separately, Synovate has launched a 'Digital Centre of Excellence', based in London. More
Online market research specialist BrainJuicer has opened an office in São Paulo, Brazil, headed by former Philips Director Gabriel Aleixo. More
Custom panels and research technology firm Vision Critical has appointed Bala Rajan to lead the firm's qual business in Australia and New Zealand, and Daniel Alexander-Head as Engagement Strategy Director. Both will be based in the firm's Sydney office. More
UK research and consulting group Cello has made what it describes as a 'solid recovery' in its profitability for the first quarter of the year. More
In the US, Sands Research claims to have made a 'neuromarketing breakthrough', which will enable it to use high-density EEG sensors to capture brainwave activity across the full brain at 10,000 times a second per sensor. More
UK researchers James Lovett and Mark Pugh have launched Immerse, an agency promising a 'refreshing & rejuvenated approach to the traditional client-agency relationship'. More
GfK claims to be back on track with an increase in both Q1 sales and income. During the first quarter of 2010, the global group reported a 6.1% sales increase to EUR 280.9m from Q1 2009, up 5.2% in organic terms. Income rose 71.2% to EUR 25.3m during the period. More
Marketing Sciences has joined forces with sister agency ICM to launch a new qualitative research service called 'Inspired'. More
UK-based agency 2CV has launched a new team called 'Bloke', to analyze the 30-50 year old male demographic group of what it describes as 'powerful decision-makers'. More
The Research and Engagement Division of UK-based Chime Communications has returned to profit in the first half of 2010, following a restructure initiated by recently appointed CEO Crispin Beale. More
Ipsos says it is confident in its ability to return to 'significant and profitable growth' in 2010, after reporting a 14% rise in first quarter revenue to EUR 236.9m, compared with EUR 207.3m in the prior year period. More
Canadian-based online data collection specialist Itracks has filed a lawsuit against US-based Artafact, which it claims has infringed one of its patents for an online focus group product. More
In Sydney, two former Directors of The Leading Edge have set up Fiftyfive5, a market research consultancy focused on helping clients' to deliver growth from their investment in insights. More
A dissatisfied investor has claimed Infogroup is making corporate filings using 'selective financial data that may not present an accurate picture of the value of the company' to justify its sale to CCMP Capital Advisors. More
In Canada Tony Chapman, founder and head of creative agency Capital C, is to launch a 'one-stop global market research and product development firm'. Launch Labs will merge private, public and academic sector expertise to strengthen the country's place in the digital revolution. More
Custom panels and research technology firm Vision Critical has relocated its French headquarters to accommodate staff numbers, which have quadrupled in the last 12 months and are set to expand further. More
In Germany, GfK is expanding its digital strategy by taking a 40% stake in user experience firm SirValUse Consulting and in usability research specialist nurago. More
In the UK, market research industry veteran Chris Brookes has set up a new consultancy, specialising in conducting research for start-up businesses. More
Out-of-home (OoH) media agency Kinetic has formed a new think tank which will explore the impact of changing consumer behaviour, technology and data on the future of communications and commerce. More
US-based online qual specialist Invoke Solutions has appointed Basil Bennett as its new CEO, replacing Ben Cesare who left in March to work as a technology consultant in New England. More
In the US, travel industry research specialist PhoCusWright Inc has initiated its largest expansion since the company was formed in 1994 - with the launch of an education and training division, and a new research subscription service, as well as the appointment of 12 new staff. More
London-based market research agency BDRC has rebranded as BDRC Continental to mark its merger with Continental Research, which it acquired from US ratings giant Arbitron two years ago. More
UK-based insight consultancy Truth has opened its first overseas office, in New York, and appointed brand strategy expert Gayle Moberg to head the operation. More
Former Forrester exec Bruce Temkin has left to set up his own consultancy, the Temkin Group, which aims to help companies become more customer-centric. More
WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell says the figure reported in the press for Nielsen's possible valuation is 'out of the ballpark' and 'doesn't work in any way, shape or form'. Both companies reported encouraging results today, WPP forecasting growth for the year and Nielsen seeing 4% real revenue growth over Q1 2009. More
Harris Interactive has announced improved results for the third quarter of its fiscal 2010, with bookings well up on 2009 and operating loss cut from $7.3m to $0.9m year-on-year. However, President and CEO Kimberly Till says the company 'still has more work to do' to complete its recovery. More
US-based provider Gongos Research has added a fourth team to its Research Group. The eight-strong 'Financial & Diversified' team will be led by Katherine Ephlin will focus on a number of clients in the banking and financial services industries, including U.S. Bank and Visa. More
UK field and facility provider Viewpoint Field Services Ltd has opened new focus group studio facilities on London's South Bank. More
Indian marketing research firm IMRS Advisory has partnered with market research agency BMI Research of Southeast Asia to launch a new firm called AZ Research Partners, which will offer a wide range of research related services across the region. More
In the UK, Optimsa has completed the re-brand of its research companies - Quaestor, Buckingham Research and AiA Research - as Optimisa Research. More
In Hong Kong, two former TNS Directors have launched Radar Global, a new 'services only' agency which provides multi-country project management and data collection services across Asia Pacific and beyond. More
London-based Opinion Leader Research (OLR) has appointed Royal Mail's Head of Business Intelligence Sinã©ad Jefferies, to lead its research and insight business. She will take up the newly created post in early summer. More
Berlin-based jovoto - which has developed an online community providing creative ideas and insight - has opened its first US office, in New York. More
Opinion Research-owner Infogroup is proposing to secure a $365m secured credit facility, which it will use to part-fund its $635m takeover by affiliates of CCMP Capital Advisors. More
In the US, data collection and online panel firm Focus Pointe Global (FPG) has partnered with drug safety service iGuard.org to launch the FPG Patient Panel, which will provide access to consumers for research specific to particular medications and chronic conditions. More
In the US, media and entertainment research veteran Bruce Friend has been named President of the newly formed Ipsos OTX MediaCT business unit. More
Sports broadcasting network Eurosport has launched a new TV audience measurement system, while claiming to be the first media owner to offer a pan-European audience panel. The firm has also introduced a new system to measure mobile Internet and mobile consumption. More
Kantar Media has merged its media measurement and evaluation agency Millward Brown Precis Europe/UK into its Intelligence Sector. The merger will be effective 1 May 2010. More
In the UK, BrainJuicer CEO John Kearon and investor Unilever have sold 650,000 shares back to the company, in order to set up an equity-based incentive scheme for its employees and management, and support the firm's growth strategy. More
Individuals' exposure to media matching their unconscious 'visual desires' triggers something akin to love at first sight and stirs a 'buying instinct' within them, according to results published by specialist consultancy Visual Targeting. More
In London, FreshMinds has reported revenues of £3.17m in 2009 - more than three times the previous year's figure - and profits of £374k. More
UK-based insight and communications group Creston has reported a 4% decline in revenues for the year ended 31 March 2010, which it says is 'marginally ahead' of the Board's expectations. More
James R. Beniger, a former President of AAPOR and author of the acclaimed study 'The Control Revolution', has died aged 63 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. More
WPP's CEO Sir Martin Sorrell says the firm may return its tax domicile status back to the UK if a new government guarantees it will not subject overseas profits to UK tax. Since relocating 18 months ago, the firm has saved around £50m by avoiding tax on its 'foreign profits'. More
In the UK, the Optimisa group of research companies has moved to new London offices, ahead of the rebrand of its MR agencies Quaestor, Buckingham Research and AiA under the new name of Optimisa Research. More
The founders of US-based market research agency Iconoculture have left to launch a new firm which will study consumer trends in those countries that make up the G-20. More
In the US, auto giant Ford has launched an interactive portal, which it claims 'goes beyond traditional consumer market research, studies and focus groups'. More
Synovate has promoted Scott Miller to the post of North America CEO, responsible for its US and Canada business units, replacing Robert Skolnick who takes up the post of President of Industry Sectors North America. More
Following street protests in Thailand that left 21 people dead at the weekend, ESOMAR has moved its forthcoming Asia Pacific conference from the InterContinental in Bangkok, to the JW Marriott Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. The event will still go ahead from 25-27 April. More
A UK research company founder is stepping into the limelight as the papers fill up with election news. Firefish's Jem Fawcus is to marry Clare Cameron, younger sister of the Tory leader, ten days before the election. More
More work for the lawyers of recently acquired leading edge agency OTX: now co-founder Kristin Luck is suing the firm for money she claims she is owed relating to its sale to Ipsos earlier this year. More
Just a year after joining Aegis-owned media agency Carat, media research veteran Theresa LaMontagne has moved to WPP-owned rival Mediaedge:cia (MEC), to launch an integrated Analytics and Insight practice in North America. More
Online physician data collection specialist Medefield has appointed Anne-Beatrice Clidassou as Managing Director for its office in Lyon, France, and Gerald Wackert as MD in Hamburg, Germany. More
Ipsos Poland has promoted Jacek Otffinowski to the position of CEO, succeeding Dinko Svetopetriæ who has left the firm to 'pursue alternative career plans' after just 9 months in the role. The firm has also promoted Steven Vogt to the role of Director. More
In the US, OTX is suing former employee Kevin Goetz, who left the firm earlier in the year to set up his own consultancy. In an initial ruling* on an application to stop Goetz from using OTX norms data, Judge James Chalfant has accepted assurances it will not be used while the case proceeds. More
Canadian-based custom panel and technology firm Vision Critical plans to double its investment in technology this year with the launch of five new products, and says it will be hiring another 55 product-based employees to support the move. More
In the US, social media consultancy Converseon and word-of-mouth analytics firm ChatThreads have partnered to create CHORUS - a tool which fuses social media listening and analysis with offline word-of-mouth tracking. More
In Washington, DC, former leaders of Wirthlin Worldwide have today officially launched full-service research firm Heart+Mind Strategies. More
TNS and Research and Marketing Services (RMS) have formed an agreement to provide customized research in West Africa. More
In the UK, Millward Brown (MB) has set up a neuroscience division, to extend the services offered by its existing advertising and brand research unit. More
Brainwave measurement specialist EmSense Corporation has launched a new neuromarketing measurement device, the EmBand 24â„¢, which it claims 'overcomes many limitations of using medical EEG for market research'. More
Eye tracking software company iMotions has struck a reseller deal with Objective Digital, bringing local customer service and support for the former's Attention Tool in Australia and New Zealand. More
Aegis, Synovate's parent company, is raising funds through the issue of a convertible bond for c.£190m, which it plans to use to make acquisitions in the US and China. More
Synovate has reported a 13.7% fall in net revenue on an organic basis during 2009, while describing the research sector as 'much weaker than expected from historical precedent'. More
In the UK, qual specialist Discovery Research has reported a 10% increase in revenues for 2009, and a 40% year-on-year rise in profits to £2.8m. The firm has also announced plans to merge its three businesses under one brand. More
Brand and communications research consultancy Hall & Partners has opened a new pharmaceutical division in Paris, headed by Clarissa Guengant Del Pup, who joins from Synovate Healthcare. More
UK research and consulting group Cello has described 2009 as a 'solid year', despite posting slight declines in headline operating profit (£5.6m, from £6.5m in 2008) and operating income (£36.3m, from £37.9m in 2008). More
In the UK, the Market Research Benevolent Association (MRBA) has opened its annual online auction, raising funds for those who work or have worked in the market research industry and are currently experiencing financial difficulties: a group which grew substantially in 2009. More
medeConnect Healthcare Insight, the market research division of Doctors.net.uk, has upgraded its GP Omnibus research service, reducing delivery times to two weeks. The service taps the opinions of a regionally and nationally representative sample of 1,000 GPs once a month. More
Data warehousing and business intelligence company 1010data has secured $35m in funding from venture capital firm Norwest Venture Partners (NVP). More
Swedish researchers have started a fund to assist market researchers in poor countries, at the country's Market Research Day in Stockholm. More
UK-based marketing services group Chime Communications Plc has reported its 'best results ever', with full-year profit up 14% to £18.8m; despite a continued 'very disappointing' performance by its research division, where only Facts International is said to have done well. More
Arab world researcher YouGovSiraj has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Jordanian custom MR firm Analyseize, to co-operate on conducting joint research projects, exchanging data and expertise, and developing new projects serving the Arab world, and specifically the Jordanian market. More
Blaise Barrelet, founder of analytics pioneer WebSideStory, has announced the launch of a new business analytics company, Anametrix. Delivered as SaaS (Software as a Service), the firm's technology promises to enable client corporations to aggregate online, off-line, and external databases. More
Online market researcher BrainJuicer has reported rapid growth in 2009, with full year pre-tax profit up 21% to £1.66m; revenues up 27% to £11.8m; and operating profit up the same percentage to £1.65m. More
In Turkey, three former Synovate Directors have formed strategic market research consultancy Sia Insight, based in Istanbul. More
UK-based agency Truth has reported growth of 31% for the year ending March 2010, with turnover up to just over £5 million. The company says it expects to add at least ten to its headcount in 2010, and to launch a New York venture. More
Global group Millward Brown has announced plans to open a new office in Vietnam during the second half of 2010, with a team led by Phil Worthington and Pham Chau Linh. More
In the US, global research firm ORC has helped develop a program to offer jobs to people with disabilities looking to work from home. More
Infogroup, the parent of researcher ORC, has agreed to be acquired by affiliates of CCMP Capital Advisors, LLC for a total of around $635 million, including refinanced debt. More
In London, Howdo Research, a new consultancy established in the autumn by former NOP and JRA exec Simon Cheshire, is reporting a buoyant start to business. More
Marcoms giant WPP saw revenues in its insights division fall 9.5% on a like-for-like basis during 2009, whilst on the same basis gross margin fell by 7.7%. More
UK-based B2B International has reported a 10% increase in turnover to nearly £3.5m in 2009, despite seeing clients move towards more 'defensive' research, and delaying projects because of economic uncertainty. More
In the UK, recently acquired sister companies Rosslyn Research and Viewpoint Field Services are moving to shared premises on London's Southbank next month. More
In the UK, Reed Business Information has merged its data services unit Mardev and its list management and online research division DM2-DecisionMaker. The two form a new company, serving the marketing, data and analysis needs of B2B marketers globally. More
In the US, marketer Penny Redlin has launched Insights Discovered, a consulting company focusing exclusively on the children's products market. More
Two former Directors of automotive specialist JD Power & Associates have launched brownsauce Group, a full-service UK agency which offers research design, brand interpretation and project management services to clients in the automotive industry. More
In the UK, Viki Cooke and Deborah Mattinson, the founders of Opinion Leader Research (OLR), have left parent company Chime to set up their own agency. More
In the US, CBS and Sony Electronics have hooked up to launch 'The Sony 3D Experience' research center, which will focus on consumer preferences and perceptions towards 3D programming, as well as how broadcasters and studios can best deliver 3D content. More
In the UK, Synovate Healthcare's former CEO Michael Spedding and CFO Peter Chopra have launched a healthcare marketing services firm, which will invest in and partner with individuals and independent businesses to drive growth in profits and capital value. More
In New York, marketing services firm Omnicom Group has launched a new agency to offer strategy, activation and metrics services to retail marketers at a local level. More
In the US, GfK-owned MRI and the Media Behavior Institute (MBI) plan to deliver a syndicated, consumer-centric multi-media database using the TouchPoints methodology developed by the IPA in the UK. More
US-based MDLinx has secured exclusive access to a panel of more than 350,000 verified Chinese physicians, operated by the DXY physician portal. More
ORC owner Infogroup is in final negotiations to be acquired by CCMP Capital Advisors, according to reports in the Omaha World-Herald. More
Kevin Goetz has quit OTX, where he was President of the Worldwide Motion Picture Research Group, to start his own research, marketing and consulting firm, Screen Engine LLC. Vincent Bruzzese fills his place at OTX, which says it is planning expansion. More
Insight consultancy Nunwood is reporting a 50% increase in international revenue in the last year. Four new members have been added to its New York team in the past few months, to help support the 25 new clients and £2.6 million of new business the agency says it won in 2009. More
Green technology consultancy The Cleantech Group has secured $3.2m in third round funding, for use in expanding its reach and portfolio of services. Meanwhile a new player has joined the sector with the launch of AltaTerra Advisors Inc. More
GfK has reported a 4.6% decline in 2009 sales to EUR 1,164m, taking into account acquisitions and currency effects. However, for the fourth quarter, the group recorded sales of EUR 324m, compared with EUR 282m in Q3. More
Despite a 3.6% decline in revenues to EUR 943.7m, Ipsos says it is 'ready for battle' in 2010, with plans to simplify management structures, increase effort in innovation, and extend its presence among a larger number of clients. More
US market research data collection agency MRops has opened a new office in Minneapolis, headed by former TNS executives Joe Mann and Shannon Hazlett. More
US trade body CASRO has reported in its 'Year-end State of the Business Survey' that 77% of its members are forecasting increased revenues in 2010; with just 1% believing that revenues will decrease during the year. More
In London, a collective of agencies, organisations, academics and individuals have joined to launch The Co-Creation Hub; a platform through which participants can co-create new products and services. More
iPOWOW! – which provides tools for gathering opinion through online video – has partnered with digital signage producer MediaTile to develop a new interactive audience measurement system for digital touch screen systems. More
In the US, innovation and trend forecasting specialist Tim Andren has launched Guideas; a marketing consultancy which conducts research to support product development and business modeling. More
British polling and research specialist ComRes has appointed former Barclays Bank India CEO Peter Harlock as its new Chief Executive Officer, and moved founder Andrew Hawkins to the position of Executive Chairman to enable him to focus on client growth. More
In London, pharma specialist The Research Partnership has appointed TNS Healthcare veteran David White as Director of Syndicated Services, to oversee the development and positioning of the firm's expanding portfolio of solutions. More
In the UK, marketing agency GyroHSR has launched a new data practice, to meet clients' needs for greater alignment between data and analytics expertise, and campaign and creative planning. More
Emerging markets financier Actis has invested $50m in outsourcing specialist Integreon, which the firm will use to support its growth plans, make 'strategic' acquisitions, and expand its delivery centers in the US, UK, India, China, South Africa and the Philippines. More
US qual tools provider Revelation has reported a 240% year-on-year growth in sales in 2009. The firm says the increase was driven by demand for both its online qual research platform and online field support services. More
TNS has formalised its partnership with qual and quant agency Aftab Associates, to offer services in Pakistan and Afghanistan under the brand name of TNS-Aftab. More
Global research firm Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) has teamed up with social media software specialist Mzinga to create online market research communities for customer and employee research. More
Global eye tracking software firm iMotions has partnered with Chilean eye tracking services company EyeOnMedia to deliver its Attention Tool solution to clients in Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina and Columbia. More
In the UK, children's newspaper First News has joined forces with research agency Opinion Matters to launch a new panel of 7-14 year olds, First News Research. More
Two former global agency execs have founded abn Research, a consultancy focused on market research among Asian consumers and based in Bangkok, Thailand. More
In the US, the Marketing Research Association (MRA) has launched an interactive discussion and networking forum exclusively for C-level executives working in the industry. More
Analytics firm Metrics Marketing has opened a 'one-of-a-kind' 2,100 square-foot research lab in Ohio, providing observers with a variety of hidden camera angles, real-time audiovisual monitoring and camera views on projected and flat-screen displays. More
US research giant IMS Health has reported a 3% increase in fourth quarter revenues to $599.2m. The firm has also received shareholder approval for its sale to TPG Capital and the CPP Investment Board. More
Technology research giant Gartner has reported a 5% fourth quarter 2009 drop in total revenue to $328.8m, while rival Forrester Research posted a revenue decline of 2% to $61.5m, compared with the same period in 2008. More
US-based Cambiar and Asia Pacific's Gordon & McCallum - consultancies dedicated to the market research industry - have agreed to develop joint services and partner to provide 'on-the-ground' presence to support clients' geographical expansion plans. More
Neuromarketing firm NeuroFocus has formed a joint venture partnership with Nielsen to roll out its services in Australia. More
Database giant Infogroup has reported a 13% drop in fourth quarter revenue to $24.7m for its market research arm, with an operating loss of $7.7m owing to a goodwill impairment charge. More
US advertising and marketing company Bark Group is to acquire a 10% stake in UK-based Mindmetic, a firm that develops neuromarketing research tools. More
In the US, Frank N Magid, the television 'news doctor' whose research helped to shape US broadcasting, has died of Lymphoma at the age of 78. More
US qual and quant agency Quick Test/Heakin has opened a new 'kiosk' data collection center in the Queens Center Shopping Mall in Elmhurst, New York; and has hired Salvatore Brucculeri to run it. More
ACNielsen HCI - a firm researching pharmaceutical promotions which was transferred to WPP in a 2008 regulatory asset swap - has been added to Kantar Health's Marketing Insight practice. More
In London, business information provider Progressive Digital Media (PDM) - which owns research firms The iD Factor and ICD Research - has reported group revenues of £18.3m for the six months to 31 October 2009, and says that over the calendar year 2009, it made a profit. More
UK-based insight and communications group Creston has announced respectable results: like-for-like revenue for the third quarter is in line with the same period last year and an improvement on the second quarter. More
Database giant and ORC parent Infogroup has made 40 employees redundant as part of a companywide restructuring plan. More
Web analytics firm Webtrends has released a new tool to measure and quantify how customers are engaging with both mobile web sites and mobile applications. More
In the UK, Harris Interactive has been awarded the Film Audience Measurement and Evaluation (FAME) and Film Monitor research contracts by the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA). The contracts were previous managed by TNS and BMRB. More
A new online research business has been launched by six agencies, offering online services across 15 European countries with access to more than 1.4 million European panellists. More
US neuromarketing research specialist Sands Research Inc (SRI) has partnered with Israeli market research and public opinion polling firm Market Watch, to provide its specialized services to companies in Israel. More
US-headquartered mobile and online testing specialist Keynote Systems has reported revenue of $20.7m for the first quarter of fiscal year 2010 (2009: $20.6m), and net income of $981k (2009: $886k). More
Fast growing UK-based online agency BrainJuicer has hired Alex Batchelor as Chief Operating Officer. Batchelor held brand and marketing leadership roles at Interbrand, Orange and Royal Mail and is the current Chairman of the Marketing Society. More
UK researcher Andrew Irving has launched a new qual-focused agency, AIMR, three years after selling his last company to Optimisa. More
In Australia, public sector specialist and former TNS exec Paul Vittles is launching The Vittles Organisation, centred around training and development, and with the particular goal of working with small and medium-sized research firms. More
US broadcaster NBC Universal (NBCU) is planning to conduct research into consumer cross-platform behaviour during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. More
WPP communications agency MediaCom Worldwide has strengthened its consumer insight division, with the promotion of Robert Fry and Gast=n Betoled to the positions of Regional Head of Insight for Asia Pacific and Latin America respectively. More
US consultancy Gongos Research has moved Bob Yazbeck to the new role of Vice President, Community Methodologies, and appointed Sarah Corp to fill his former role as Director, Transportation & Technology. More
TNS has integrated its US-based employee and customer behavioral research division The Foresight Group into its Global Stakeholder Management division. More
US organisation Digital College Network (DCN) has partnered with iPOWOW! - which gathers viewer opinion through online video - to collect real-time data and feedback from advertising signage in colleges. More
After eighteen months of losses, Harris Interactive has posted net income of $1.3m on revenue of $44.6m for the quarter ending December 31. More
In the US, Millward Brown and its digital unit Dynamic Logic have partnered with Kantar sister-firm Cymfony, to integrate analysis of discussions on social media sites, blogs and message forums into their suite of digital, media and marketing solutions. More
In the US, broadcasting network VELOCITY has launched a suite of audience insight tools, which it claims will enable its clients to tap directly into the mindset of audiences, while allowing viewers to question experts live on the air. More
WPP-owned insight consultancy Kantar has re-branded the media assets of TNS, KMR Group and BMRB Media as Kantar Media. More
Canadian-based custom panel and technology specialist Vision Critical has relocated its London office to accommodate its UK team, which has tripled in size in the last year. More
Infogroup-owned employee, customer and stakeholder market research consultancy ORC International has expanded to Scotland with the opening of a dedicated public services office in Edinburgh. More
Former Infogroup CFO Stormy Dean is suing the ORC parent for about $1.15m for severance and bonuses he says the company refuses to pay him. More
Boston, US-based Chadwick Martin Bailey (CMB) has launched a Global Certified Network of data collection companies which it says extends to over 90 countries worldwide. More
Ipsos has completed the acquisition of polling and research firm The Market Research Bureau of Ireland (MRBI) from WPP, and branded the firm Ipsos MRBI. More
In the US, online customer satisfaction metrics firm ForeSee Results has reported a 32% revenue increase in 2009. Over two years, revenues have almost doubled. More
Ipsos has appointed Yannick Carriou as Managing Director, France, replacing Giorgio Caporusso who has joined confectionery manufacturer Ferrero in Italy. More
Former Research International (RI) CEO Marc Papanicola has been appointed Managing Director of Synovate France, based in Paris. More
In the US, Harris Interactive has hired industry veteran Jeni Lee Chapman as Executive Vice President, Global Brand and Communication Consulting. More
In the US, Dr Michael Baumgardner, the President & CEO of full service marketing research firm Burke, Inc., is to retire from the firm in October, after more than 28 years of service. He will be replaced by current President Jeff Miller. More
In London, Krish Kara, Bob Dance and Carol Ashby have joined forces to open KDA Insights; a new consumer research agency. More
In the UK, the BBC is conducting a 20 week review of its marketing strategy across its TV, radio and digital services, but would not comment on whether job cuts would be made as a result. More
Online market research specialist BrainJuicer is anticipating revenue growth of around 26% to £11.7m (2008: £9.3m) for the year ended 31 December 2009, when it announces its full results on 9 March. More
UK market research and consulting group Cello has reported a 'marked pick up' in its MR activity, for the year ended 31 December 2009. More
In the UK, John Charnock, formerly Technical Director at print company St Ives, has set up his own firm to offer business analysis and consultancy to print and media clients. More
A new US-based pharmaceutical specialist, MedTera, has announced its official launch. The company provides integrated marketing solutions for the healthcare, life sciences and pharma industries, using analytical metrics including ROI models. More
In the UK, the Market Research Society (MRS) has published a revised Code of Conduct, to cover non-research activities. They include preventing the use of clients' goods as incentives in research projects. More
US pharma and healthcare research firm Decision Resources has restructured into two segments - Biopharma and Medical Technology - and made a number of promotions accordingly. More
Firefly Research founder Simon McDonald has joined Australian agency The Leading Edge (TLE) as Managing Partner of its UK office. More
In London, a new innovation agency has been opened by Calum Watson, Marco-Pierre White's former Executive Head Chef and Director of Operations; and marcoms specialist Greg Wixted. The Food Nursery will provide NPD and new ideas research to the food industry. More
US neuromarketing research specialist Sands Research Inc (SRI) has opened its first European office in Surrey, England, and appointed retail specialist Joe Oliver to its Board of Directors. More
In New York, former Harris Interactive exec Kyle Karnes has set up a consultancy to help market research agencies with their growth strategies, and advise them on merger and acquisition activity. More
US online healthcare market research firm Panel Intelligence has reverted to its original name, MedPanel, following its management buyout (MBO) in 2009. The owners say the move reflects the firm's 'singular focus' on the health care sector. More
In the UK, TNS-BMRB has launched another new division, the Social & Political Attitudes Unit (SPA), which will focus on tracking social and political trends. More
Four former Drummond Madell and GfK researchers have launched a specialist brand strategy, innovation and communications research agency in central London. More
Nigel Jackson - Group Head of both the Qualitative and Public Sector, Charities & Transport teams at Synovate in the UK - was tragically killed in an accident while skiing in the French Alps on Christmas Day. More
US professional body MRA (the Marketing Research Association) has announced the nominations for its 2010-2011 Board of Directors, and confirmed Elisa Galloway of Galloway Research Service as President for the year. More
Struggling UK-based firm IQ Holdings is selling two of its remaining research subsidiaries to PLUS-quoted media and financial services group Rivington Street Holdings (RSH). Rosslyn Research and Viewpoint Field Services should join RSH by the end of this month. More
In the US, former Millard Group researcher Barbara Jackson has set up her own full service agency, offering clients help in understanding their customers, patients and employees. More
TNS Gallup shareholders have decided to liquidate the company in Lithuania following 'very poor' financial results. Its former employees have already launched a new market research firm, with a focus on economic, demographic and social changes in Lithuanian society. More
TNS-BMRB has announced the launch of its first new division, 'The Communications Research Centre', a UK-based specialist team dedicated to communications research for the public sector. More
Dutch market research agency SKIM is expanding with the opening of an office in London, in order to better serve its clients' UK qualitative research needs. More
Two projects aimed at protecting the public were among those taking the trophies at the Market Research Society (MRS) Research Awards 2009, held in London last night. More
In the UK, full service research agency Crowd DNA is gearing up to launch an effectiveness research division in January 2010. More
Australian firm iPOWOW! - which provides tools for gathering opinion through online video - is to expand to the US with the opening of new headquarters in Silicon Valley and the appointment of two new members of its management team. More
Danny Russell, Marketing Strategy Director at BskyB, is the new Chair of UK research client organisation AURA. More
Synovate has announced a new leadership structure for its Indian-based Business Consulting (BC) arm, which will now be headed up by Karthik Ramamurthy, previously responsible for the Mumbai business. More
Ipsos has launched a specialist gaming research practice, 3D. The unit integrates new tools and various existing skills from within the group to focus on the needs of game developers, marketers and console manufacturers. More
WPP Chief Martin Sorrell has told a Reuters summit that with 'vicious' price activity in the market, he expects the group's 2010 revenues to be flat. Sorrell says new business activity in his media businesses is strong, but in MR and creative functions there is less cheer. More
Outsourced mobile development and testing firm InfoStretch has partnered with Canadian-based crowd-sourced testing and MR firm Mob4Hire to offer enhanced handset and application testing solutions for enterprise mobile developers. More
Harris Interactive has regained its compliance with the Nasdaq Stock Market listing standards, which require listed firms' stock to be valued at a minimum of a dollar per share. More
B2B specialist Kadence International has reported a 20% rise in revenue for its insight division, and overall growth of 9% to $11.3m during the financial year 2008-2009. More
US healthcare marketing services firm Cadient Interactive has launched a new practice, HATCH Consulting, to provide clients with services including market and user experience research to support their interactive campaigns. More
UK-based insight and communications group Creston has reported an 8% drop in first half revenues for its Insight division, partly attributable to the underperformance of market research agencies CML and MSTS, now merged into other companies. More
In the US, non-profit trade association The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has launched a mobile-enabled research panel, designed to provide brands and agencies with insights into marketers' integrated mobile campaigns, objectives and outcomes. More
UK-headquartered global insight consultancy Nunwood has announced plans to open four new offices early next year, starting with New Zealand and Australia and following up with launches in both The Netherlands and California later in the first quarter of 2010. More
The recently launched Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) is to make digital set-top-box data (STB) its first priority, following a recent meeting held with audience measurement leaders. More
Market research and consulting firm GH Korea (formerly Global Research Institute) has become the newest member of the Harris Interactive Global Partner Network. More
Nielsen's group revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2009 were down 1% to $1.25bn from the same period last year. CFO Brian West described the quarter as having been 'steady'. More
Consumer research firm Iconoculture has appointed former GfK Roper Consulting executives Nick Chiarelli in London and Anders Brogren in Sweden, to lead its expansion into Western Europe. More
A new quant/qual research and consultancy services firm called Definitive Insights has been founded by a group of executives who previously worked together at agencies such as Nielsen, RI, SPSS, Knowledge Networks, Hall and Partners and Martin-Hamblin-GfK. More
UK-based global insight consultancy Nunwood has appointed James Walker, former global President of Accenture Marketing Sciences as Chief Strategy and Development Officer. More
Pharmaceutical research giant IMS Health has agreed to be sold to private equity firm TPG Capital and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) for $5.2bn. More
comScore has partnered with non-profit organization the Wikimedia Foundation to improve understanding of the reach and impact of free knowledge on the web. More
Brainwave measurement technology firm EmSense has raised $9m in Series C funding, which it will use to continue its global expansion in support of its many market research partners, and develop a bio-sensory in-home panel - which it claims will be the first of its kind. More
New York-based neuroscience firm Buyology has shifted its approach to help marketers tap into consumer's non-conscious decision making process. More
Data giant infoGroup has reported revenue for its MR firms down 16% to $24m in quarter three, with an operating loss of $700k compared with operating income of $1.4m for the prior year period. More
In Ireland, a group of former ad agency executives have set up 'Boys and Girls', a new marcoms agency which offers clients 'simple, effective ideas' via creative services such as brand positioning, market research and consumer insight planning. More
Newly founded LeGo Research, which specialises in customer management, brand and communications, and price and product projects, has partnered with Danish firm MyResearch and Norwegian agency Perceptor to offer clients a broader portfolio and deliver deeper insights. More
ORC parent and database giant infoGroup has responded to a press report that it is taking bids to sell the company, by stating that it is evaluating its operations and prospects to determine what is in the best interests of all shareholders. More
Technology research rivals Forrester Research and Gartner have both posted significant declines - of nine and ten per cent respectively - in their third quarter revenues. More
In the UK, Synovate's consumer psychology research specialist Synovate Censydiam has promoted Sue Phillips to the role of Chief Executive Officer. More
Ad research specialist Ipsos ASI has promoted Alex Gronberger to the post of Chief Executive Officer, based in its Chicago office. More
Piers Lee, Managing Director of Kadence International in Singapore, has been elected as the new President of the Market Research Society of Singapore (MRSS). More
WPP has reported a like-for-like revenue decline of 8.7% for the third quarter - a smaller drop than was seen in the second quarter. Consumer insight revenues stayed depressed although margin was better. The firm also pointed to strong regional differences and predicted a 'LUV' shaped recession. More
Harris Interactive has announced its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2010, with revenue of $38.9m, down $11.3m or 23% on the previous period, but operating loss almost eliminated due to cost-cutting measures. More
Japanese Internet service company EC Navi has announced the opening of a new subsidiary, Research Panel Asia Inc. (RPA), offering online survey panels in Asia. The first RPA panel, 91wenwen.com, launches in China today. More
French-owned media group Havas has issued a $519m bond offer, giving rise to renewed rumours that it may bid for UK-based rival and Synovate parent Aegis. More
KantarHealth is expanding its CardioMonitor service into Japan and China, a major step towards its goal of providing a globally consistent cardiovascular and diabetes patient database. More
Online sample company Peanut Labs has posted third quarter revenue growth of 52.3% from the prior year period. More
Synovate has promoted Mike Cassidy to the position of Managing Director of its Australian business, and Brent Stewart to the newly created global role of CEO Strategic Units. More
US-based multi-screen tracking firm Rentrak has rolled out its Box Office Essentials ticket sales data tool in Russia. The firm has also opened a Moscow field office to support the expansion. More
Harris Interactive has partnered with innovation consultancy Ideas To Go (ITG) to enable clients to explore, create concepts for, and test new products. More
ORC parent and database giant InfoGroup has fired one of its top executives, EVP and General Manager Stormy Dean, a fourteen year veteran of the company. More
Nielsen veterans David McCallum and Alastair Gordon have launched a new consultancy in Sydney, Australia and Wellington, New Zealand, to help agencies maximize their performance and clients optimise their research spend. More
Online panel specialist Research Now has opened its seventh European office in Madrid, to provide a local service for Spanish clients. More
In South Africa, former Synovate Director Ian Jeffrey has joined Ipsos Markinor as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Shirley Benney who has taken up the post of Chief Operating Officer. More
Nielsen is to give its client think tank, the Council For Research Excellence (CRE), an additional $2.5m, bringing its total four-year investment to $10m. More
Harris Interactive's Asia President Anthony Venus has decided to leave the firm in mid-November. He will re-locate from Hong Kong to Sydney, where he plans to pursue a career in private equity. More
In the UK, co-creation consultancy Sense Worldwide and innovation body NESTA have teamed up to launch a platform through which third-party brands can come together to create new products and joint ventures. More
Pharma market research giant IMS Health has reported a 6% drop in third-quarter revenue to $540.8m, compared with $573.7m a year earlier. The news follows reports earlier in the week that the Board of Directors is considering selling the company. More
Consumer Health Sciences (CHS) has added more than 13,300 Chinese consumers to the database for its 'National Health and Wellness Survey' (NHWS). Plans are also in place to roll out the service further across Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. More
US consumer specialist MSW Research (previously McCollum Spielman Worldwide) has announced a partnership with biometric communications measurement firm LABoratory & Co. The two will develop a set of tools to gauge the full spectrum of consumer response to advertising. More
According to reports, pharma market research giant IMS Health is in talks with several private equity firms regarding selling the company. More
In-Q-Tel, the US Government's investment arm, has commissioned social media monitoring firm Visible Technologies to provide the CIA with tools to monitor the millions of posts and conversations on social media such as blogs, YouTube, FaceBook and Twitter. More
US-based Sometrics - which combines social analytics with targeted ad serving capabilities - has closed a Series B round of funding led by Walt Disney company Steamboat Ventures, which takes its name from the classic early cartoon. More
In the UK, research agency EasyInsites is to partner with online parenting club Bounty to build a young family panel with which to conduct bi-monthly research. More
Research software provider Confirmit and text analytics specialist Clarabridge have formed a partnership aimed at refining the value of open-ended customer responses. More
In Sweden, market research technology firm Dapresy has partnered with research software provider Action Dialog Partner, to integrate the latter's survey tool into its own Research Management service. More
In Canada, custom panel and technology specialist Vision Critical is to merge with sister firm, public opinion and MR agency Angus Reid Strategies, DRNO has learned. The combined firm will be known as Vision Critical and Angus Reid Strategies will operate as its public opinion practice. More
Today sees the official merger of TNS' UK Custom Division and Research International UK to become TNS Research International UK; and the merger of TNS Custom's UK Social sector with BMRB's social research team to become TNS-BMRB. More
UK marketing spend fell for the eighth quarter running in Q3, but the fall is still slowing and marketers are more optimistic, according to the latest quarterly IPA/BDO Bellwether survey, which is published today. More
YouGov has reported results for the year ended 31st July, with turnover up 10% to £44.3m, but down after allowing for currency effects. Normalised operating profit fell from £8.7m to £3.1m but markets reacted favourably to the figures. More
In The Netherlands, online market research agency MetrixLab has appointed former Research International VP Alexander Kleijngeld to spearhead the international expansion of its NPD & Innovation unit. More
In Australia, former Galaxy Research Director Chris Lonergan has launched his own full service market research agency, which he says will 'marry old school rigour' with new technology and a thorough understanding of business issues. More
In Germany, former Synovate Director Lenard Goedeke is about to open LeGo Research, a new consultancy which will supply customer management, brand and communications, and price and product research, primarily to clients in the financial services sector. More
US healthcare specialist Panel Intelligence has expanded its access to patients, to provide cancer therapeutics companies with direct access to the end users of their products. More
The biggest new MrWeb section in nine years opens today with launch articles from five research luminaries. 'MRT' is an online home for custom panel builders, mobile researchers, data miners, neuromarketers and many others at the leading edge of what we broadly define as 'MR'. More
In the US, Forrester Research is planning to develop new corporate headquarters about four miles from its existing offices in Technology Square, Cambridge, MA. More
US reseacher Nicole Wyrembeck has set up a new agency, Decision Point, which promises a combination of social science research and marketing expertise. She is joined by Senior Research Strategist Donna Cangelosi. More
Former Ipsos operations head Efrain Ribeiro has joined online panel specialist Lightspeed Research as Chief Operating Officer, based in the US and responsible for global online operations. More
Marketing services group Optimisa has appointed former Synovate UK boss Michelle Norman as CEO of its market research businesses, which include Quaestor, Andrew Irving Associates and Buckingham Research. More
Andrew Wiseman is leaving UK-based group Optimisa Research to join customer panel specialist Verve, and will establish a Leeds office for the company. More
Three agencies, Acrobat Research, Cimigo and EuroInterview are combining to create a new global operations business called Cido Research. More
Pharma market research giant IMS Health has appointed Gilles Pajot in the new position of Vice Chairman. Previously the company's COO, he continues to report to Chairman and CEO David R. Carlucci. More
Mumbai, India-based KPO (Knowledge Process Outsourcing) firm Adventity, Inc. and Canadian firm Revanalytics are joining forces to set up a new Sri Lankan-based company, whose services will include market research and BPO solutions. More
In the US, sports entertainment firm ESPN has teamed with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, to examine media challenges such as cross-media measurement and analysis. More
In Australia, SampleWorx has launched an online sample marketplace where potential buyers can log on and post details about their projects, and suppliers can place bids to win these contracts. More
GfK has expanded its custom research network with the launch of a joint venture in Japan and the acquisition of a majority stake of Conecta Asociados S.A.C. in Peru. More
UK retail giant Asda plans to 'empower' consumers by enabling them to get involved in every aspect of the business - from product development to the look and feel of packaging. More
UK agency Leapfrog Research & Planning has restructured to create three distinct business areas and reorganised its senior management team to oversee the changes, which are designed to optimize growth and client service. More
In the US, MindSign Neuromarketing - which measures consumer brain responses to ads - has been tasked by film producer Peter Katz with determining the degree of fear caused by certain scenes in his latest horror movie, 'Pop Skull'. More
London-based b2b agency IFF Research has announced sales of just over £8.7m for the financial year to 31st March 2009, an increase of 40% year on year. More
In the US, SIS International Research and online intelligence firm Brandtology have partnered to track and analyze online chatter and sentiment in blogs and social networks, to help clients encourage positive feedback, track competitors and combat negativity from stakeholders. More
Vancouver and New York-based youth research specialist The Sound has moved into the European market with the opening of an office in London. More
UK-based online research specialist BrainJuicer has confirmed 22% revenue growth to £4.85m (H1 2008: £3.97m) for the six months ended 30 June 2009. More
News publisher USA TODAY has launched a research and marketing unit, Buzz Bureau, to help clients find non-traditional ways to engage with their customers and identify new trends and market information. More
In London, Synovate has hired Marc Chester for the newly created role of Community Panels Director. More
In Australia, Mark Sundquist is standing down from his post as Chief Executive Officer of consumer insight consultancy The Leading Edge (TLE), after 14 years with the company. More
In the US, the Nasdaq Stock Market has given Harris Interactive 180 days to increase its share price, as this has now fallen below the $1 per share requirement for the previous 30 consecutive business days. More
Arbitron has announced the formation of a task force of radio and advertising industry leaders to develop an ongoing measure of 'affinity', designed to 'reflect the advertising value of the unique relationship listeners have with their stations'. More
Synovate will close its call center operation in Ottumwa, Iowa, USA in November, with the loss of 80 part-time jobs and one full-time. More
MR and consulting group Cello has appointed a new senior management team to lead its subsidiary RS Consulting. Jane Shirley adds the role of Chairwoman of RS to her existing responsibilities as CEO of Cello Research and joint MD of Insight, while RS's Group MD Neil Swann is leaving. More
Panel and online research software provider Toluna has reported strong revenue and profit growth and increased market share in all European territories in the first half of 2009. Revenue grew 67% to £13.7m and first-half operating profits were up 21% to £1.6m. More
UK-based marketing services group Cello has announced half-yearly results. Overall group revenues were down 12%, a post-tax loss of £4.2m reflecting the write-down of recent acquisitions, but the Research and Consulting division performed respectably with operating income of £18.2m on turnover of £30m. More
FreshMinds Research has announced the formation of a distinct Research Communities and Panels division, and the arrival of James Turner, formerly Head of Research at BT, to lead it. More
In the US, professional association the CMO Council has announced the launch of 'Pause for a Cause', a program which aims to direct millions of dollars in funds to good causes in exchange for survey responses. Major charities and corporations are among those backing the initiative. More
High profile UK-based start-up Verve is already opening its first overseas offices, in Sydney, Australia - and will launch customer advisory panels and online brand communities in Australia and New Zealand. More
A group of 14 companies has formally announced the founding of the Council for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM), a consortium that will create a new TV audience measurement system, designed to challenge Nielsen's control over the marketplace. More
Digital marketing agency Critical Mass has launched a multi-channel measurement group which will focus on gathering insights to improve marketing and user experience. More
Ipsos Public Affairs has opened a new research center to provide market research and insight into the lives of Hispanic citizens living in the US. More
After more than six years at Unilever Australasia - most recently as Director of Consumer Insight and Marketing Operations - Tiina Raikko has launched a consultancy of her own, called Fuel. More
In the UK, online gambling firm Devilfish Gaming - named after its poker playing ambassador David 'Devilfish' Ulliott - has diversified by launching a consultancy which will provide market research and market and competitor analysis to the gaming industry. More
US-based Communispace - which creates online customer insight communities - has partnered with Australian ad hoc market research agency Colmar Brunton to develop private online communities in the Asia Pacific region. More
New York-headquartered MSW - previously McCollum Spielman Worldwide - has partnered with UK-based Insight Engineers to introduce its brand and communications research approaches across Europe. More
Synovate parent Aegis has reported an 86% drop in first half pre-tax profits to £6.6m despite growing revenues by 4.8%. The research agency itself made an underlying operating loss of £3.2m in the first half, compared with a £7.9m profit a year earlier. More
Online panels specialist Research Now has teamed up with Reed Business Information's (RBI) 'Computer Weekly' magazine to create a purpose built panel of IT professionals across the UK. More
In the US, marketing agency Hoffman York (HY) has established a division dedicated to helping clients drive demand and awareness of green products and services. More
London-based specialist MR recruiter Soho Search has been bought out by Frankie Wootton-Kelly, formerly an Associate Director of the company, for an undisclosed sum. More
Ipsos has reported a 3.2% decline in first half revenues to €447.8m, compared with the same period in 2008. The firm says it would be unrealistic to hope for the second half of 2009 to be much better. More
Shopper behaviour consultancy TNS Magasin has combined EEG (electroencephalography) and eye tracking technologies to capture shoppers' emotional and cognitive responses at what it describes as 'an unprecedented level of detail'. More
Revenue in the Research Division of UK marcoms group Chime Communications fell to £4.58m from £7.41m in the prior year period, while operating income dropped 26% to £3m. More
Analysts expect ad giant and Kantar owner WPP to cut its sales forecast again this week. However the firm's debt position and strategic focus are considered solid, while buoyant reports in the UK press suggest business confidence in general has turned the corner. More
UK researchers' association the ICG (Independent Consultants Group) has grown its membership with sixty new members in the last ten months bringing the total to 340, a net gain of 8% allowing for departing members. More
Harris Interactive has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year fiscal 2009, showing a 23% decline in annual revenue. More
In the US, qual and quant data collection firm Delve has partnered with focus group specialist The Focus Room to provide clients with a 'one-stop' approach to conducting qual research nationwide. More
In the US, American Express Business Travel has opened a dedicated research practice to help companies cut the cost of their business trips. More
In the US, Lnx Research has launched a new market research division called LnxPharma, dedicated to using social network analysis (SNA) tools and techniques to help pharma, biotech and government clients better understand how communities function. More
A New York firm has launched a new online mystery shopper exchange, to provide a 'one-stop shop' for recruiters and job seekers. Inpulse Shopper aims to help researchers in the US and Canada find mystery shoppers, while also connecting job seekers with legitimate firms. More
In Australia, marketing services group Photon - which owns MR firms The Leading Edge and Jigsaw Strategic Research - is attempting to raise AUS$114.6m through a share offering. The money is for debt reduction and to ensure the firm can fund future earn-outs. More
GfK has reported a decline in sales and operating income during the first half of the year despite an improvement in the second quarter. In organic terms, first half sales were down 8.5%. More
In the UK, full service agency Opinium Research has reported a 350% increase in sales for the trading year 2008/2009. More
WPP's insight arm Kantar has appointed Marita Carballo as President for Latam (Latin America) and Fiona Keyte as Global Account Director for client, Procter & Gamble (P&G), in a move designed to strengthen the firm's client relationships and regional capability in Latin and South America. More
Revenues for the top 25 global research firms increased 3.9% last year, to $18.9bn, according to the new Honomichl Global Top 25 ranking, to be published in the AMA's 'Marketing News' this month. Allowing for inflation, the figure equates to a tiny real increase of 0.6%. More
Datamonitor is integrating its three technology research brands - Butler Group, Datamonitor Technology and Ovum - under the Ovum name from September 1st. On the same day it wll launch two new research services. More
Daily Research News has today launched a page for short summaries of breaking news items. Readers interested in items appearing can register their email address to receive a link to the full story if and when it is published at the end of the day in the main DRNO bulletin. More
London-based business intelligence firm StrategyEye has announced a strategic partnership with specialist MR, events and advisory firm Cleantech Group, LLC, to deliver tracking services to monitor news in the clean technology sector. More
In the US, business analytics firm SAS has launched a social media analysis tool which it says will help understand customer sentiment and detect fraud. More
In the US, custom research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey (CMB) has joined with specialist marketing firm AgencySacks to provide insights to companies that target the affluent consumer. More
Despite reporting a 22% fall in revenue to $270m for the second quarter, US technology research firm Gartner is reiterating its full-year outlook. More
UK marketing services group Cagney - which owns consumer behaviour consultancy Tree - is urging its shareholders to approve plans to de-list from the UK's AIM exchange, so that it can focus on its market research and data analysis capabilities. More
In the US, communications firm Manning Selvage & Lee (MS&L) has launched a new approach, which combines proprietary healthcare consulting tools with a team of senior advisors in healthcare, and other key areas. More
In the UK, ad-supported mobile phone network Blyk - which launched a research service for its users in December - is to close at the end of August. More
ORC parent and database giant infoGroup has named Roger Siboni as its new Chairman of the Board, replacing Bernard Reznicek who took up the position last year. More
Online research agency YouGov has announced that its full-year trading is in line with current market expectations, but says it is expecting 'tough market conditions' to continue at least until the end of 2009. More
Technology research and consulting firm Forrester has announced second quarter results. Revenues are down c.3% year-on-year but pro forma net income is stable at $8.8m and the company says it is 'on target' for the year. More
In the US, former Common Knowledge exec Paul Kirch has launched ActusMR, Inc., a consultancy promising to help market research firms improve or create a successful sales infrastructure. More
In the UK, Ipsos-MORI has sounded out employees about the possibility of taking two weeks of voluntary unpaid leave later in the year. More
Hi-tech entertainment research specialist OTX has formed a new research practice focusing on youth and families, and appointed Donna Sabino to lead it as Senior Vice President of Kids and Family Insights. More
MR services provider Precision Opinion has announced the expansion of its Las Vegas CATI center from 100 to 200 stations, citing two years of record growth. More
Pharma market research giant IMS Health has reported a 19% drop in Q2 profit to $62.9m from $77.7m a year earlier. Accordingly, the firm is planning to shed a total of 850 staff, or 11% of its global workforce. More
MrWeb's first detailed job and salary stats for three years show an industry interrupted in the midst of growth: client side numbers falling but salaries staying strong; struggles for SREs; and rude awakenings for Directors - but not yet ADs. More
B2B specialist Kadence International has reported a 40% climb in UK revenue to £4m during the financial year 2008-09. More
In the US, consumer specialist Perception Research Services International (PRS) and neuroscience firm EmSense have partnered to offer bio-sensory measures within quant packaging research studies. More
In the UK, the government's marketing and communications unit the Central Office of Information (COI) has published its annual report and accounts for 2008/9, showing an increase in spending on market research of almost 30% from £22.7m to £29.4m. In four years, spend has more than doubled from £13.2m. More
WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell has extolled the virtues of organic growth; of helping ad budgets to follow consumers online; and of a balance between local and multinational clients, as he looks five years into the future of WPP. More
Preeti Reddy will replace Tissa de Alwis at the head of the Kantar-owned Lanka Market Research Bureau (LMRB) at the end of July. More
US-based healthcare and government researcher Abt Associates has promoted Kathleen Flanagan to the position of President and CEO, succeeding Wendell Knox who is to retire from the post he has held for the past 17 years. More
UK-based market research group Optimisa has agreed to cease trading on the AIM (Alternative Investment Market) stock exchange in London, following a vote from shareholders at its AGM earlier today. More
Having passed its ten thousandth news story in May, MrWeb registered its 10,000th jobseeker at the beginning of this month. More
UK agency Nunwood has reported a 14.9% rise in sales for the first half of the year, compared with the same period last year. The agency's turnover increased £640k to more than £5m. More
In Canada, data collection specialist Itracks has launched an online forum where moderators can learn, discuss and generate ideas about qualitative research. More
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has outlined plans to bolster the media sector, which include the launch of a research center where media companies, universities and others will be able to collaborate on research and share findings. More
In Mumbai, Nielsen has launched a specialist Business Consulting Services group, which will combine qualitative consulting with fact-based analytic-driven recommendations. The group will be led by Asitava Sen, who joined Nielsen as Director, Retail Consulting last year. More
The Open University (OU) has been awarded €1.49m by the European Commission to co-ordinate a new research project to examine the link between the financial sector and the real economy across Europe. More
Kantar Health has hired Scott Davies as General Manager of China, to direct the group's growth strategy in the region. Kelly Wong has also been appointed as Business Leader and Head of Research, China. More
The IPA's latest Bellwether survey has found that for the second quarter in a row, the rate of decline in marketing spend has eased, with one in three companies now reporting that their financial prospects have improved compared to one in four reporting a deterioration. More
US healthcare information and research firm SK&A has opened a new division to meet the needs of health care and pharmaceutical agencies. Account Manager Andrew Stanton and newly hired Account Executive Monica Browka will head up the division. More
In Germany, the TNS Infratest Group - which includes TNS Emnid - has announced that it is to shed 35 staff positions at its Bielefeld site. While 20 employees have been made redundant, 15 others have been offered jobs in the firm's Hamburg office. More
Ipsos Marketing in Poland has launched a pair of quant research tools - MARKETLandscape and BRANDStretch - for use at early stages of brand development. More
UK-based online research specialist BrainJuicer has reported revenue growth of around 22%, in its trading update for the first six months of 2009. More
User experience consultancy Bunnyfoot and ad agency OgilvyOne have partnered in Hong Kong to provide a range of services to measure ad response and increase understanding and recall. More
In the UK, TNS has told 'a small number of employees' in its Custom division that their jobs are at risk, and has made a more general request to employees to take a fortnight's unpaid leave during the second half of 2009, as it tries to avoid further cuts. More
UK digital marketing specialist Digital Marketing Group plc (DMG) has announced the launch of new agency DemographDMG, which it says will provide 'digital research with a human touch'. More
In the UK, Ipsos MORI has opened the Research Methods Centre (RMC), billed as a hub of expertise in sampling, survey methodology and advanced data analysis. More
UK market research and consulting group Cello has warned that gross profits are likely to be down by around 10% for the first half of the year, and says it has cut costs by around 7% to offset the effects of the economic downturn. More
From next Monday, Millward Brown IMS and Lansdowne Market Research will combine into a single company named Millward Brown Lansdowne. The new firm will be part of Millward Brown Ireland, along with Millward Brown Ulster. More
WPP's insight division Kantar is to merge Lightspeed Research's online panel business with the TNS 6th Dimension network of online managed access panels. More
UK Government stats unit the Central Office of Information (COI), has overhauled its market research roster to create a 'framework' including 108 agencies from across the UK. Half of these firms are new to the roster. More
Following the merger of TNS and RI earlier in the year, the company has announced that TNS Infratest will now be known in Germany as TNS Infratest RI. More
In the UK, The Oxford Research Agency (TORA) has launched a qual operation called Mimosa, which it says will address clients' needs for joined-up qual/quant thinking in the FMCG, retail and shopper insight, customer satisfaction and OTC sectors. More
Loss-making AIM-quoted B2B research specialist IQ Holdings Plc has announced interim results for the period ended 31 March 2009. The Board says it has taken 'decisive actions... in line with bringing IQH into profitability in the shortest possible timeframe'. More
The UK's registered MR charity, the Market Research Benevolent Association (MRBA), is launching a 'Become a Friend' campaign at this week's Insight Show in London. The move aims to increase the number of its regular donors at a time when requests for help are growing fast. More
French-based advertising company Publicis Groupe is feeling acquisitive, according to remarks made to Dow Jones Newswires at Cannes last week by CEO Maurice Levy. Market research companies may be targets. More
UK-based fieldwork specialist John Mackay has launched his own international B2B and consumer sampling agency, Mr Sample. More
Peterborough, UK-based marketing and PR consultancy Smye Holland Associates has opened an office in The Netherlands, with the aim of helping clients with their export marketing. More
Microsoft has sold the survey division of Greenfield Online to panels specialist ToLuna for a cash consideration of $40m (just over £24m). The french-based company will use a placing and subscription to raise c.£26m net for the acquisition and other investment. More
Alec Gallup, who previously served as Co-Chairman of the Gallup Organization, has died at home of a heart ailment at the age of 81. More
US-based Cambiar - the management consultancy dedicated to the market research industry - has opened a new practice dedicated to helping research departments in major organizations achieve relevance and impact. More
In the UK, former Opinion Leader and ORC International Director Rachel Lopata has set up a new consultancy to help public sector clients engage in more effective dialogue with their communities and stakeholders. More
Following the recent launch of Bing, Microsoft is linking up with marcoms giant WPP to conduct research which will explore the dynamics between search engine marketing and brand building. More
Library and information specialist Sue Hill Recruitment has moved formally into market research with the launch of a new business area and the appointment of Damon Thomas to lead it as Recruitment Manager. More
In the UK, managers at Royal Mail have been accused of manipulating a mystery shopping programme being undertaken by Research International, to artificially boost the organisation's performance and generate big bonuses for themselves. More
In the UK, Phyllis Macfarlane has taken on the new role of Chairman of GfK NOP, while Richard Jameson steps up to her previous position as Managing Director, and joins the global Board of GfK Custom Research. More
In the US, market researcher Rob Hahn has launched his own agency - Strategic Market Solutions Group (SMSG) - to provide market research and sales management services focusing on the senior living and health care industries. More
Creston, the marcoms group which owns market research firms ICM and Marketing Sciences, has reported a revenue increase of 4% to £83.8m for the year ended 31 March - 'though figures for its Insight Division were less buoyant. The firm has also appointed a new operational Executive Board. More
London-based MR recruitment specialist Hasson Associates has announced a partnership with recently launched Asia Research Recruitment (ARR). More
Market research group Optimisa has reported a loss of £4.5m (2007: £5.5m) for 2008. The firm is also asking shareholders to vote on de-listing the company from the AIM stock exchange, to save the £100k associated admin costs. More
Online market research agency InSites Consulting, headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, will be opening offices in London, UK and Geneva, Switzerland in July. More
In the UK, Norman Glass, the CEO of social and academic institute the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), died at home last Saturday, following several months of illness. He is survived by his wife Marie-Anne and their two children Jerome and Sophie. More
Technology giant IBM has announced plans to invest $100m in a five-year program to conduct research into mobile communications. More
In the UK, former BBC Head of Audiences Penny Young has become Chief Executive of the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen). She replaces Norman Glass, who died at home on Saturday at the age of 63 following some months of illness More
Nielsen has been selected by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (Locog) to provide market research services for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. More
Millward Brown has announced the launch of a new structure for its Europe business, merging the UK/Ireland and Continental Europe regions. Seven Directors are named for a new European Board. More
The UK market research industry grew 6.22% to an estimated £2.16bn in 2008, while revenue from international research increased by 12.5%, according to the Market Research Society's (MRS) annual report on the state of the sector. More
In the US, father and son team Barry and Ross Young have set up Young Market Research (YMR), which will provide marketing intelligence and consulting in the solar, solid-state lighting and display industries. The two are the founders of DisplaySearch and the OLED Association. More
Mike Everett, formally CEO of Ipsos MORI in the UK, is to become Global HR Director for the Ipsos Group in July. More
Nielsen has re-organised its consumer research group into a global practice, and appointed practice expert teams across its five geographic regions. More
GfK-Nnrnberg e.V - GfK's non-profit market research promotion arm - is developing a process that records and analyzes human emotions via the software-based detection of facial expressions. More
The Research Pacific Group has opened a Consumer Insights studio in Tokyo and moved its Korean operation to new offices in Seoul. The firm has also created a new Language Services Unit at its HQ in Singapore. More
Reputation analysis and comms research specialist Echo Research has opened Asian headquarters in Singapore, managed by Regional Manager Michelle Allen. More
In the US, the MRA (Marketing Research Association) has won protection for health care researchers in the state of Massachusetts, in the form of an official exemption for research from the Massachusetts Department of Health. More
International business development consultancy Mercator XXI, launched only last month in the US, has appointed Hesham Wahby to expand its operations into the Middle East, from a base in Cairo. More
Walt Disney World and Disney's cable TV sports network ESPN are building a media research lab at the company's Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando. More
Qual and quant agency GIM Russia has outgrown its existing offices and moved to new premises in Moscow's Suschewsky Business Center, near Red Square. More
In the UK, Telegraph Media Group (TMG) has created a new research department, to identify opportunities in existing and emerging markets, as well as analyse the challenges facing the business and industry as a whole. More
In the US, Coca-Cola veteran Stan Sthanunathan is to lead the Online Research Quality Council (ORQC) established by the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF). He takes over from Kim Dedeker, who recently left Procter & Gamble to join Kantar. More
In the UK, a group of entrepreneurs has launched a research agency, Innovate Solutions. The founders believe observational data in increasingly important to pharmaceutical companies, as well as to patients as consumers of healthcare. More
In Germany, seven Directors and Partners at qual/quant agency Produkt + Markt have bought the firm, following the retirement of co-founder Dr Paul Pottebaum. More
Shareholders at marcoms giant WPP are opposing a scheme which could result in CEO Sir Martin Sorrell receiving up to £59.7m ($95m) worth of free shares during the next five years. More
Arbitron's company spokesman Thom Mocarsky is to leave at the end of June, after nearly 27 years with the firm. More
In Germany, BVM Chairman Wolfgang Dittrich has opened a media consulting and market research agency called d.core. More
Negotiations between PR and research group Next Fifteen Communications Group plc and two potential buyers, Chime Communications and Huntsworth, have been terminated. More
UK-based data integration agency Cognicient has launched a dashboard to help customers identify which survey questions have the greatest impact on their business, and weed out those questions that are unproductive and redundant. More
Ben Page is set to become the new Chief Executive of Ipsos MORI in the UK and Ireland, replacing Mike Everett who takes on a new global role on the Group Management Board. More
The Nielsen Company has agreed to acquire GfK's FMCG Retail Measurement and Consumer Panel business in Switzerland. Nielsen will take over assets related to two continuous FMCG panels: GfK's Retail Store Panel and GfK's Household Consumer Panel. More
UK-based media group Aegis has announced organic decline in revenues for the first quarter for both its main divisions. With currency and acquisition effects revenue rose 4.8% for Aegis Media and 9.6% for MR division Synovate; without them it fell 13.1% and 9.1% respectively. More
MR industry supplier companies from three countries have combined to create a global VideoDiary(TM) research panel. QualVu, EasyInsites and Cint, of Denver, Stockholm and London respectively, say the panel will give brands instant access to screened participants for qual research. More
For the first three months of the year, GfK's sales slipped 1.3% from €268.1m in Q1 2008 to €264.7m. In order to absorb further 'crisis-related losses' the firm has announced measures to reduce personnel costs including short-time work, hiring freezes, salary cuts and redundancies. More
Swedish eye tracking firm Tobii Technology has raised another $16m in investment funding, which it plans to use to roll out its existing technology into new markets as well as for developing new applications. More
US web analytics firm Omniture and WPP's insight and consultancy division Kantar have created a new platform, which enables clients to see how their online and offline activities impact on one another. More
Nielsen has reported revenues for the three months to the end of March down 7% to $1.1bn from $1.2bn for the same period last year. Excluding the impact of currency fluctuations however, revenues increased 1%. More
In London, YouGovStone's MD Carole Stone is about to launch a monthly invitation-only club, where like-minded people can exchange ideas and build both business and social partnerships. Ideas generated by the StoneClub will come from, and feed back into, the firm's research. More
Ipsos has reported global revenues down 4.6% in Q1 2009 to €207.3m compared with the same period in 2008, with negative organic growth of 5.1% and a negative currency effect of 2.3%. The firm says it has held up well in an exceptionally difficult environment. More
UK-based business intelligence specialist MDL Research Group is to go into voluntary liquidation at the end of this month, after 30 years of trading. More
WPP-owned healthcare data collection agency All Global has integrated the TNS JStreet panel into its online physician panel across the US and Europe, thus boosting its number of active physician participants by 50% across key specialities. More
Pert Survey Research has announced the acquisition of two companies, customer experience and public policy consultancy Pulsar Research and brand and strategy consulting firm Market Directions; and the changing of its corporate name to the Pert Group. More
In the UK, 2CV has appointed Doug Edmonds, former Head of Numbers, to the position of UK MD, and Tim Blandford as Global Chief Operating Officer. More
In New York City, Joseph Craig from Nielsen Entertainment's NRGi and Gary Faber from The Weinstein Company have launched an entertainment research and marketing consulting firm. More
In the UK, out-of-home media firm Titan Outdoor has launched a new unit to bring together its strategy and insight functions, and provide audience-focused solutions for clients. More
In the UK, PR and research groups Chime Communications and Huntsworth have both confirmed their interest in making a potential offer for PR and research group Next Fifteen - which owns Context Analytics and Redshift Research. More
Global PR agency Edelman and online intelligence firm Brandtology have partnered to develop a range of analytics aimed at helping Asian marketers engage with people and communities online. More
Simon Dannatt, CEO of UK market research group Optimisa, has stepped down from his role to focus on key consulting clients and on business in the US. He is replaced by Non-Executive Chairman Ron Littleboy, and will remain an Executive Director until the end of October. More
In the UK, Harris Interactive has appointed Robert Salvoni as UK and European Managing Director, replacing George Terhanian who took up the post of President of Global Solutions earlier this year. More
Harris Interactive has reported a 30.4% fall in revenue for the third quarter of 2009; from $57.3m in 2008 to $39.9m this year. The revenue decline impacted nearly all the firm's geographic regions, including the US, where revenue was down 33% for the quarter. More
In the UK, FreshMinds Research has announced the most profitable quarter in its nine year history. For Q1 2009, revenues increased 24% to £1.08m from the same period last year, and were up 51% on those recorded in Q4 2008. EBIT increased ninefold compared with Q1 2008. More
Harris Interactive has amended its credit agreement in a move which President and CEO Kimberly Till says will provide it with 'the financial stability and flexibility needed' as the firm continues to implement its strategic plan. More
In the US, IBM veteran Christopher Caine has launched Mercator XXI, which will help clients export their success globally. As well as market access and market research, the new firm offers advice on government relations and public policy. More
Procter & Gamble veteran Kim Dedeker is joining WPP's insight and consultancy division Kantar in a new role as Chair, Americas, where she will focus on the group's global research quality initiatives. More
US opinion research and strategic advice firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research (GQRR) has opened an office in Buenos Aires, Argentina. More
UK marketing services group Chime Communications is enjoying a strong first quarter with operating income up 13% from the same period last year, pre-tax profits 18% higher than 2008 at £4.8m, and operating profit margin rising 17.2%. More
In South Africa, Havas Sports and Entertainment and eye tracking firm Prompt Research Insights have developed a tool to assess whether brands are looked at and registered by TV viewers during sports broadcasting. More
Marcoms giant WPP, which eliminated 3,600 positions in Q1, is planning to make 6% of its global workforce redundant resulting in the loss of 7,200 posts in all this year. More
Nearly a third (31%) of marketers say they have decreased their use of market research as a result of the recession, compared with 14% who have upped their investment in this area, according to an online survey conducted by B2B International. A number of positive trends also emerge. More
US translation and transcription technology firm Language Logic has appointed Dean Kotchka as President and CEO. He succeeds Richard Thoman, who takes up the post of Chairman of the Operating Committee. More
Ipsos' shareholders have approved the appointment of five new Board Directors, including Pierre Le Manh who is Global CEO of Ipsos Marketing and Chairman of the CEEA and MENA regions. More
US firm TodobebT, which runs a portal and social networking site for Spanish-speaking parents, is to offer access to proprietary research conducted through its panel of Hispanic Moms. More
In Dubai, market research consultant Dipen Mehta has launched Unboxed Consulting, to provide specialised research services for clients in the region. More
TNS Travel & Tourism is planning a May launch for 'the world's first activities-based research panel', which promises to help clients reach groups based on their participation in niche sports and leisure activities. More
UK marcoms giant WPP has reported a 5.8% fall in Q1 revenues, excluding the impact of acquisitions and currency fluctuations. The firm says this reflects a cut in client spending in reaction to the global financial and economic crisis. More
In New York, Jodange, a firm which extracts opinions from online content to understand sentiment, has secured a $1.2m investment which it plans to use to extend its reach in the media, legal, energy and technology sectors. More
In the US, Harris Interactive has created a text analytics solution that combines text mining technology from software supplier Clarabridge with proprietary advanced analytics, to help firms map market trends. More
Media and online sentiment analyst Spectrum has launched a tool which gauges online sentiment regarding FTSE 100 companies and plots it against share prices and other financial data. The service, called Fin-buzz(TM), also allows comparison against the category as a whole. More
In the US, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has formed a new industry solutions committee tasked with increasing transparency and improving understanding of online research quality issues. More
US pharma research giant IMS Health has seen total first quarter revenue fall 8% to $526.9m from $574.2m as the strong dollar impacts on overseas sales. Nevertheless, the quarter saw a sharp rise in net income. More
Japanese marketing services agency Hakuhodo has bought an undisclosed stake in Buyology, a consultancy which uses neuroscience data collected by founder and neuromarketing specialist Martin Lindstrom. More
In the UK, new technology, telecoms and media research provider Verve has expanded its London team with three senior appointments. More
Former market researcher and specialist MR recruiter Fiona Warren has launched Snapdragon Research Recruitment, a new consultancy focusing on social and market research roles, both client and agency side. More
In the US, Psydex, a provider of services that analyze the world's news sources, has received $3.5m in funding. The money will be used to launch a news service portal that scours newswires, Internet feeds, TV, blogs and other sources of 'chatter' in real-time. More
The BBC is cutting £20m from the budget of its £100m Marketing, Communications and Audiences (MC&A) division, according to reports in the Guardian newspaper. More
Hi-tech researcher OTX (Online Testing eXchange) has hired Howard Ballon as EVP Managing Director OTX West and Jim Nyce as EVP Managing Director OTX East. Both will report to Bruce Friend, President Client Development. More
Three former analysts from Deutsche Bank, Bill Lerner, Rich Moriarty and Grant Govertsen, have launched a new boutique research and advisory firm for the gaming sector, based in Las Vegas. More
In the US, Media Research Planning and Placement, Inc. (MRPP) has launched an in-house interactive department, led by Amy Boaz, to offer strategic planning and research for interactive media. More
New Zealand's Unite union has published the Memorandum of Understanding it agreed with Synovate earlier in the week. This includes the terms relating to pay rises for call centre workers which were interpreted in different fashions by the two parties yesterday. More
In New Zealand, Synovate has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the union Unite which ends the lockout of workers. The company says the MOU establishes a working party which has six weeks from 14th April to reach a deal over a performance pay scheme for interviewing staff. More
Panel firm ToLuna Plc has reported results for the year ended 31 December 2008, another year of strong growth with revenue up 74% to £21.7m (35% excluding the effect of acquisitions), and profit before tax up 48% to £4.7m. More
Twitter co-founder Biz Stone has confirmed that his firm has no official links with Twitter Partners, a newly launched London-based agency which allows clients to receive feedback on their brands and products by monitoring the microblogging leader. More
More than 30 call centre workers at Synovate in Auckland, NZ, were notified by text on Good Friday that they were locked out of the office, after turning down a pay increase of 20 cents per hour. More
In the UK, B2B research specialist IQ Holdings has announced a net loss of £440k for the year ended 30 September 2008, with its liabilities exceeding its assets by £677k. In a statement, the firm says this casts doubt on its ability to continue as a going concern. More
UK online performance researcher eDigitalResearch has opened a new London office, managed by Head of Business Development Dominic Bean. More
Traffic analysis firm WebTrends has partnered with social media monitoring analysis service Radian6, to help clients marry their onsite customer data with deeper insights into brand conversations and trends in social media. More
TNS has beaten IPSOS, Gallup and Synovate in a pitch to win what it describes as 'one of the largest market research contracts ever commissioned' - a four year €65m EU project to provide a measure of public opinion in Europe. More
MR software giant SPSS has created a new and distinct brand for its predictive analytics products, PASW (Predictive Analytics Software). More
In the US, industry veteran Kathryn Korostoff has launched Research Rockstar; a company which delivers training to buyers and users of market research seeking to get the most for their investment. More
In the UK, online agency Fly Research has bought Q Research, which specialises in using the mobile phone to conduct large scale MR with young people. Through the acquisition, the firm plans to develop the UK's first nationally representative mobile panel. More
Rumours that up to 50% of YouGov's UK staff are to be made redundant have been strongly denied by UK CEO Tim Britton. Britton says a review announced this week is intended to 'cut the firm's cloth' to match current conditions and will probably mean 'a small number' of job cuts. More
The field operations division of Market Probe India has been spun off as a separate unit called MP Global Link India. The company will offer fieldwork solutions for market research companies, consultancies and corporate clients. More
In the UK, Bob Douglas has been promoted from Head of Synovate Healthcare's global custom business to overall Global Head of Synovate Healthcare. More
In the US, research supplier PeopleMetrics has opened a stand-alone subsidiary called Feedback Partners, to provide online research bureau services for tracking studies and focus groups. More
In the US, entertainment production and talent management firm Generate has opened its own market research division to help companies engage with the 'Millennial' demographic (those born between 1982 and 2001) and support projects across the company. More
Mayfair, London-based recruitment consultancy Prime Insight is adding a specific Market Research arm to its established Analytics recruitment business; and has recruited Matt Terry to lead the launch. More
Harris Interactive has announced that up to 30 UK jobs could go, as part of its plans to streamline the business. Meanwhile, continuing its US restructure, the firm has appointed former TNS Chief Information Officer Enzo Micali as Global EVP of Technology and Operations. More
GfK has reported an increase in income of €58.4m to €1,220.4m for the year 2008, reflecting organic growth of 5.5%. More
In London, former Research Now Director Charles Pearson has today announced the launch of a new research agency, EasyInsites, focusing on custom panel solutions and using technology from Cint AB. Research Now's former Client Development Director Jo Winning joins him in the venture. More
In Auckland, New Zealand, the Unite union says it has reached a settlement with the Oceania Customer Interaction Service (OCIS) over staff conditions, following emergency talks on Saturday morning. More
In New Zealand, 59 call centre staff at Oceania Customer Interaction Service (OCIS) have been locked out by their employer, after going on strike in protest over wages. More
In the US, bio-sensor equipment firm NeuroSky has launched brainwave-reading (EEG) and mental state assessment technology for a wireless Bluetooth headset that operates with most PCs. More
In the US, employee-owned market research agency Thoroughbred Research Group has opened a new operations and call center in Paducah, Kentucky. The firm has also launched a family of online research products. More
Marcoms giant WPP is preparing to make thousands of staff redundant this year, in response to declining revenues and its £1.1bn debt-financed acquisition of TNS. Credit agencies S&P and Moody have downgraded the firm's rating from stable to negative. More
In Canada, Ipsos Reid has announced a deal with Tell Us About Us Inc. (TUAU) to better serve clients in the retail, restaurant, service and hospitality sectors. The deal adds TUAU's data collection and reporting engine the OnlineKMC(TM) to Ipsos' consulting expertise. More
The UK's MR charity MRBA reports 'a marked increase in the number of worthy cases' as it begins its annual Online Auction to raise money for researchers and ex-researchers in difficulties. More
TNS has announced further changes to its senior management team, following its recent merger with Research International. The latest appointments cover global roles, North America and Europe. More
Cello Group has announced a new board for its Cello Research division, with Vincent Nolan, founder of its subsidiary 2CV, as Chairman, and Jane Shirley as CEO. More
Online video research solutions provider QualVu has teamed up with Knowledge Networks (KN) to deliver its qual research technology VideoSurvey(TM) as part of KN's KnowledgePanel® quant surveys. More
BrainJuicer Group has appointed Alex Hunt as VP of Client Service in the USA. He will be based in New York until the autumn, when he will open up the firm's Chicago office. More
TNS has appointed a new Regional Operating Board for the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa (ALM) region, led by former TNS Regional MD Jamie Hall, who assumes overall responsibility for the region as ALM CEO. More
Polling firm Ipsos Reid is to close its call center in Ottawa, Canada in June, citing client demands for cheaper research. Around 40 full and part-time staff will lose their jobs. More
After more than 14 years with UK public sector specialist Andrew Irving Associates (AIA), Nicky Spicer has been promoted to the position of Managing Director. More
British marcoms group Aegis - which owns market research firm Synovate - has announced plans to cut around 780 jobs across its global operations as part of a cost-saving plan to beat the downturn. Meanwhile CEO John Napier denied reports he has held merger talks with competitor Havas. More
UK-based online research specialist BrainJuicer Group has reported a 2008 organic revenue increase of 42% to £9.3m for 2008, while pre-tax profits rose 56% to £1.37m. More
In response to what it describes as 'shifting trends in market research', Kantar Operations will be shutting a telephone centre in Warwick, UK, in June. Local reports say that up to 137 people could lose their jobs as a result of the closure. More
Ipsos has posted organic growth of 7.8% and operating margin up 8.2% for 2008, despite a financial crisis which it describes as 'unprecedented in its scale since the modern economy took shape'. More
In the US, former ABI Research leader Clint Wheelock has opened Pike Research, which will provide market research and industry analysis for the global clean technology markets. More
Eleven universities are to receive funds from the initial round of WPP and Google three-year Marketing Research Awards Program. The money will enable them to conduct studies into how online media influences consumer behavior, attitudes and decision making. More
Speech analytics software provider CallMiner has secured millions of dollars in venture capital, which it says it will use to grow its market share in the speech analytics industry. More
Online media and data analysis firm Theorem has expanded its UK operations by moving to larger offices in Soho, London, and hiring Philip Stromeyer for the new position of Manager, Client Services. More
UK-based specialist business-to-business market research agency B2B International has recorded its twelfth consecutive year of growth, reporting an annual turnover of £3.3m ($4.7m) in 2008 which it attributes to its expansion in the US and Chinese markets. More
The Research and Consulting arm of UK-based Cello has delivered a headline operating profit of £6.1m (2007: £6.2m) for the year to 31 December 2008, from operating income of £39.1m (2007: £32.m) and revenue of £66.4m, up 30% on the year. The group describes this as a 'good year' given the economic context. More
Martin Sorrell has talked of 'big, big opportunities' and 'a tsunami of funds... waiting for the recovery' in an interview with the BBC. The WPP chief also discussed his views on headcount reduction in a recession, on Google, and the future market share of different advertising media. More
Harris Interactive has made a further 90 staff redundant - 16% of its US full-time workforce - in a bid to make $10m in cost savings. The firm saved $9.5m through headcount reduction in October and December last year. More
London-based market research agency MM-Eye has appointed three former Simpson Carpenter executives: Damien Field as Automotive Research Director, Deborah Fitzpatrick as Services Director, and Alison Phillips as Research Director. More
In the US, Millward Brown-owned digital ad effectiveness specialist Dynamic Logic and online data collection firm Safecount have partnered to provide an overview of the brand impact of ads running on publishers' sites. More
UK marcoms group Chime Communications has seen a continued decline in the performance of its research division, with operating profits dropping by 73% to £400,000, and operating income falling from £7.7m to £7.0m. Results in other divisions carried the group to healthy revenue and profit growth. More
Ipsos MORI's Reputation Centre has set up a Reputation Council, made up of more than 50 senior corporate communicators drawn from a cross section of major organisations across Europe. More
UK-based agency 2CV, part of Cello Group, has announced the opening of an office in San Francisco. The office is its first in North America and the beginning of an international expansion plan. More
Market strategist Barry Fischer is leaving Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting unit after twelve years, prompting a reorganisation of the group's research, marketing and media buying organization. More
US research software firm Vovici and high-profile London-based start-up Verve have announced a strategic partnership to provide fully serviced customer communities and advisory panels for corporate clients in Europe. More
WPP has reported healthy results for the full year 2008. Like-for-like revenue growth of 2.7% came from a combination of a strong first half and slower second half. Insight division Kantar provided 17.1% of all WPP revenue and 12.8% of operating profit. More
Rita Clifton, Chairman of Interbrand, is to take over from Jeremy Bullmore as President of the UK's Market Research Society (MRS), when he completes his five-year term in April. More
Research and marketing job losses at ITV appear a strong possibility as the UK broadcasting group cuts 600 staff in response to 'unprecedented conditions' in the sector. More
Saskatoon, Canada-based online data collection specialist Itracks has sold its call center to market research firm Advanis. The two companies have also formed a partnership that will allow Itracks access to a network of over 250 call stations. More
Consumer strategist, author, and InsightFarm Principal Kelley Styring has teamed up with MR firm C&R Research to offer the InsightFarm Innovation HotHouse, billed as a more cost-effective method for marketers to determine the potential success of their latest innovations. More
Survey Sampling International (SSI) is launching a US Small Business Owner Omnibus, the first of several b2b omnibuses planned based on its proprietary OpinionWorld Business Community. The firm has also issued an industry-wide call to action with its Respondent Preservation Initiative. More
Brand research specialist Evo has closed its UK office, and eight of its personnel including three directors have moved to Clerkenwell, London-based Prescient, part of Loewy Group. More
In the US, pharma specialist Cutting Edge Information has launched a customized survey offering, adding to its existing proprietary databases of market data, industry executives and physicians. More
Shares in AIM-listed market research group Optimisa jumped by around 80% to 45p by 5pm today, following the purchase of a 17% stake last Thursday by Norwegian group Gimle Finans AS. More
According to preliminary figures, GfK has achieved organic revenue growth of 5.5% to €1,220m for the financial year 2008. The firm has also implemented a new efficiency programme which it says should save €30m between now and 2012. More
Revenues at sample provider Peanut Labs grew by 300% in 2007, which according to the firm, makes it the 'fastest growing sample source in North America'. The company has also launched a new platform to deliver surveys to respondents within social networks. More
Specialist MR recruiter Elizabeth Norman International (ENI) has promoted Emy Rumble-Mettle to MD of its UK operation, and has announced a partnership with US-based Morgan Search International, as it expands its international presence. More
In California, Alliant International University has opened an on-campus laboratory to conduct product testing for new research service Sample U. Consumers are invited to sample products and groceries in exchange for their feedback, and leave the laboratory with a bag of free goods. More
UK b2b research specialist IQ has closed its telephone and online data collection firm The Wire, just three weeks after acquiring it from global agency Illuminas. More
US public opinion polling firm Gallup is opening an office in Nairobi, Kenya to focus on media, market and social research. More
In New Zealand, up to 20 market researchers at Synovate's east Auckland call centre will begin a 24-hour hunger strike today in protest at what they describe as 'poverty wages, inadequate breaks and no job security'. More
In the US, e-learning veterans Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele have launched Tagoras, a market research and consulting firm specializing in the design, marketing and management of digital learning and knowledge. More
Australian marcoms group Photon, which owns MR firms The Leading Edge and Jigsaw Strategic Research, has made 5% of its staff redundant - a total of 129 jobs of which 17 are in its research arm. More
US market research data collection agency MRops has opened a division to help clients build and manage online communities, and appointed Jeff Berg as Head of the new practice. More
The Kantar Group is streamlining its businesses after buying TNS. The TNS Custom business will merge with Research International and will be generally known as TNS. A new social research force for the UK is established in TNS-BMRB, while Kantar has four new vertical sector operating units: Media, Health, Retail and Worldpanel. More
YouGov executives have considered taking the company private following its share price tumble this month, according to private equity sources quoted in the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper. More
Tesco's pre-launch market research for its US 'Fresh & Easy' stores missed vital clues about purchasing decisions Stateside, its boss has told UK paper The Sunday Times. More
US data collection firm Schlesinger Associates has launched an online patient health and wellness community, built and managed by partner firm Inspire; and has promoted Amber Leila Jones to the position of Executive Vice President to lead the initiative. More
In the US, the Marketing Research Association (MRA) has helped fend off attempts to cut budget for the decennial census, by convincing the US Congress to provide $1bn census funding as part of its economic stimulus package. More
Marcoms agency Prompt Communications has launched a market research service to provide quant and qual insights into market conditions, demands and opportunities for B2B firms. Its focus at present is on technology companies across Europe, the US and Asia Pacific. More
New London-based technology, telecoms and media research provider Verve has hired former Synovate CEO/CFO Peter Chopra as Partner, Strategic Finance and International Development. More
Indian MR outsourcing firm Ugam Solutions has opened new offices in Rochester, New York and Dallas, Texas, and appointed Jim Frederickson as its President in North America and Russell Britt as Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing. More
In New York, All Global's former President Jerry Arbittier has launched a new healthcare data collection firm to provide both panel and off-panel sampling methodologies to healthcare market research agencies. More
Mobile industry trade association the GSMA is planning to launch an audience measurement system which it says will enable media and ad agencies, brands and publishers to deliver better mobile ad campaigns. More
Dutch market research agency DervalResearch has claimed it has found a link between the perception of taste and an individual's job and hobbies, which it is calling the Hormonal Fingerprint. More
Former Ciao Europe MD Richard Thornton has joined Sweden-based panels firm Cint as UK MD, managing its expansion into the UK market. He will start by opening an office in London and recruiting sales and support staff. More
The BBC has appointed Sharon Baylay as Director of its Marketing, Communications and Audiences division. Formerly General Manager of Microsoft Online Services Division UK, she replaces Tim Davie who was promoted from the role last year. More
Industrial products manufacturer H.B. Fuller Company is to open a regional technical center in Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, China. The center will provide market research, development and testing for its range of adhesives, sealants, paints and specialty chemical products. More
Core Strategies and Wise Window, Inc. have announced a partnership to offer clients insights from consumer generated media. More
Ipsos has reported full-year organic growth of 7.8% with revenues up 5.6% to €979.3m from 2007. The group says that in 2009 it intends to deliver further growth, while maintaining margins - at the very least - at their 2008 level. More
In the UK, marcoms group Media Square is to reduce its global headcount by around 9%, as part of a cost saving programme in response to a significant reduction in client spend. More
Panels and technology firm Toluna has reported a revenue increase of more than 70% to £21m for 2008, from £12.5m in 2007. Excluding the effect of acquisitions, revenue rose by just over a third. More
B2B research specialist Kadence has reported revenue of US$7.8m in the six months to December 2008 - 40% up on the same period a year before. More
Text mining software supplier Clarabridge has announced that it trebled its revenue in 2008. In addition to growth in its core sectors of retail, consumer goods and hospitality, the company says it has expanded into new areas with big name deals in telecoms, financial services, technology and entertainment. More
Harris Interactive has announced a steep decline in revenue for the second quarter of its fiscal 2009, to $50.7m from $62.7m a year previously. An already substantial operating loss for the quarter looked a lot worse after a write-down of $40.3m for goodwill impairment. More
Pharma research leader IMS Health has announced full-year 2008 revenue up 3% at constant currencies to $2,329.5m. Income grew slightly (2%) and EPS respectably (11%) in real terms. Chairman and CEO David R. Carlucci said the firm was 'positioned to perform well in a slower growth environment'. More
In the US, employee-owned market research agency Wilkerson & Associates has changed its name to Thoroughbred Research Group and moved its corporate HQ to new offices in Louisville, Kentucky. More
In the US, the market for independent online panel suppliers grew 16.7% to $1.2bn in 2008, according to estimates contained in a recent study conducted by research and advisory firm Outsell. More
Harris Interactive's US-based President of North American and Global Operations, David Vaden, is set to leave the firm on Friday. The company has also agreed adjusted terms for its purchase of Canadian research provider Decima. More
Kantar Operations - the internal operations division for WPP's insight arm the Kantar Group - is to close its call center in Corpus Christi, Texas in June, resulting in 87 redundancies. More
UK-based B2B International has taken on additional floorspace for its Bramhall, Manchester Head Office, and says it will also move its China office, established only in December 2006, to larger premises in the spring. More
Marcoms giant WPP has announced a partnership with US web analytics firm Omniture to provide clients with 'more effective insights' across both digital and traditional media channels. The deal involves WPP investing $25m in Omniture stock. More
Omnicom-owned brand and communications research specialist Hall & Partners has appointed Deborah Mills as CEO of its Europe business, based in the London office. More
US-based NeuroFocus has appointed cognitive neurophysiologist Dr John Polich as its Director of Global NeuroLab Operations. More
In Germany, the GfK Association – GfK's main shareholder – has passed a resolution to ensure that any future bids to buy the group must first be authorised by its new Members' Council. It has also appointed four new members to its Executive Board. More
Swedish eye tracking firm Tobii Technology has signed a global agreement with Ipsos Marketing for its Eye Tracking hardware and software to be integrated into Ipsos' Pack Evaluation packaged testing system and other Ipsos solutions. More
In the US, Nielsen has announced the indefinite suspension of its P.R.I.S.M. initiative, which it set up with the In-Store Marketing Institute in 2006. P.R.I.S.M. aimed to establish a common industry metric to measure audiences and gauge the effectiveness of in-store marketing. More
In London, full-service research agency SPA has restructured its business into three divisions, each with its own Managing Director. It has also promoted Jo Lockett from Marketing Director to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer to oversee non-research functions. More
In the UK, technology, telecoms and media research provider Verve has hired former FreshMinds COO/MD Jeannie Arthur as Partner and UK MD. More
In the US, media research firm Innerscope Research will be using biometric measurement to track the physical responses of people watching ads during next weekend's Super Bowl game. More
In the US, business consultant Paul Trout has launched a new consulting firm, Shift Worldwide, to provide customized research, team facilitation, training and coaching services to executives and their teams. More
Global communications group WPP is planning to move away from its role as a traditional media and advertising supplier, to concentrate on becoming a more insight-led organisation, says CEO Sir Martin Sorrell. More
In the UK, confectionery giant Nestlé has opened an Insight and Learning Centre, to help its retail clients understand how the layout of shelves in their stores can be tailored to shoppers' needs. More
In the UK Ed Mayo, the CEO of government watchdog Consumer Focus, has co-authored a book which criticizes firms that use young children to conduct market research into their products. Mayo describes the system as 'insidious and downright creepy'. More
Despite the global downturn, GfK has booked nearly a quarter of its expected revenue for the year, says CEO Klaus Wübbenhorst – almost precisely in line wth figures for this time last year. More
UK marcoms group Chime Communications has appointed Paul Tredwell as Chief Executive of its Research and Engagement division. More
In the UK, The Direct Marketing Group (TDMG) has transformed its Millennium 'mature consumer' marketing agency into a specialist market research and consultancy firm. More
Dinko Svetopetrić has joined Ipsos Poland, eventually to assume full management of the company. Current leader Aleksandra Leis will leave in the next few months after a handover period. More
Healthcare research consultancy Double Helix (DH) has opened a division which will conduct strategic pricing, reimbursement and market access studies. The team will be led by industry veteran Andrew (Drew) Baker. More
In the US, full service marketing research firm Burke Inc has acquired a seven acre property in downtown Cincinnati, which will become the future site of its new corporate headquarters. More
AIM-listed Cello Group plc has issued a trading update for the calendar year 2008, indicating that its results for the full year will be at the lower end of market expectations, but reporting a number of positives concerned with finance and operations. More
In the UK, relationship marketing group Hicklin Slade & Partners (HS&P) has launched Legends; a multi-channel word-of-mouth (WOM) agency which aims to 'create on- and offline consumer conversations' for brands. More
In the US, GfK has consolidated its three healthcare market research operations – GfK Market Measures, GfK Strategic Marketing and GfK V2 – into one entity called GfK Healthcare, which will provide health care manufacturers with access to a global single resource. More
Knowledge Networks (KN) has strengthened its team with the addition of media research veteran Henry Laura as Vice President, Media in its New York City office. More
After almost exactly two years at the helm of SSI, Jim Follett has departed the company and is replaced by Bloomerce founder Kees de Jong. Dennis J. Beckingham meanwhile joins the firm as President and CFO. More
Sheila Jones has handed over the reins at Cardiff-based market research agency Research and Marketing Plus, after leading the company for twenty years. New arrival Phil Evans takes on the role of Chief Executive Officer. More
In the US, Nielsen has partnered with broadcast measurement firm Repucom to analyze content and measure viewers' exposure to sponsored media during televised sporting events. The new service will replace Nielsen's current Scorecard offering. More
GfK and venture capital group Apax Partners could be possible buyers for Synovate, while Havas Chairman Vincent Bolloré nets the remainder of Aegis, according to reports in the UK press. More
WPP's insight and consultancy division The Kantar Group has made what it claims is an industry first appointment, with the naming of George Pappachen in the newly-created role of Chief Privacy Officer. More
UK-based agency Nunwood, fresh from its MRS Agency of the Year award, is recruiting to cope with record new business of £3.4m, and 45% growth in international sales. More
In the UK, Kantar-owned agency BMRB has appointed former Futures Company executive Dr Michelle Harrison as Managing Director for Government and Public Affairs. More
In the US, marketer Bob Bulik has set up a company offering access to a panel of 100 specialists in market research, sales, product development and revenue growth. More
B2B specialist Kadence has promoted Kieron Mathews to the position of Managing Director of London-based Kadence UK, giving Group Chairman Simon Everard more time to guide the firm's strong international growth. More
In the US, IT sector market intelligence supplier TheInfoPro (TIP) has raised $7.25m in investment funding which it plans to use to expand sales, marketing and development. More
ESOMAR, the global association for market and opinion research, has appointed US-based Gunilla Broadbent as its President for the period 2009-2010. She is the second woman to hold the position and the first President who resides outside Europe. More
In the US, competitive and market intelligence firm Strategy Analytics has launched a user experience research capability, which will explore purchase motivations, product satisfaction and barriers to the use and consumption of digital media. More
British marcoms group Aegis has commissioned a review of the business which could result in the spin-off of its market research arm Synovate, according to a report in UK newspaper The Sunday Times. More
In the UK, stakeholder engagement consultancy Engage Group has launched a Research and Analytics unit, and appointed former YouGov Directors Andy Brown and Sarah Jordan to head the new offering. More
In the US, Vin Gupta – the founder and former CEO and Chairman of ORC parent and database giant infoGROUP – claims he is exploring a proposal to acquire all the firm's outstanding shares and take the company private. More
In the US, PR veteran Don Bartholomew has launched a new social media and public relations measurement consultancy to help clients develop research and evaluation programs. More
Some of the world's biggest advertising groups have this week announced thousands of job cuts. However, their MR firms seem to be relatively little affected so far, as do PR subsidiaries, while ad agencies themselves bear the brunt. More
Cello has announced that Group Executive Chairman Kevin Steeds died last night, after a four month battle with cancer. More
Harris Interactive's new President and CEO Kimberly Till has implemented a series of restructuring initiatives, including a net loss of 51 US jobs, c.8% of the total US full-time workforce; the formation of new vertical teams; and changes in senior management. More
GfK has acquired a 74% majority stake in Egyptian consumer research company Market Insight; and has formed a joint venture with the Median Group under the name of GfK Custom Research Middle East Holding, in which GfK holds a 51% share. More
In the UK, insight consultancy Truth has announced that turnover for 2008 – the firm's first full year of trading – will be close to £4m. More
Business process outsourcing (BPO) firm Motif has opened a new 450-seat delivery centre in Quezon City in the Philippines, to provide back office support, and research and analytics to firms in the region as well as in the US. More
France Telecom-owned mobile and broadband provider Orange has launched a 'Technocentre' in Britain, where 'twenty-first century' services will be developed for its customers. More
US-based text analytics firm Clarabridge has announced a partnership with data warehousing and enterprise analytics company Teradata Corporation. The deal aims to help clients integrate structured and unstructured information. More
In New Zealand, MR agency Surveytalk has responded to statements made earlier in the week by the trade union, Unite, whose members are striking over pay and conditions in its telephone unit; and has underlined the need for the country's CATI services to remain competitive in the global economy. More
In the UK, youth mobile phone network Blyk has launched a research service for its target group of around 200,000 16 to 24-year-olds who use the free service. More
Employee-owned marketing research firm Hotspex is establishing a new team in Soho, London to serve its existing and new European clients. Paul Acerbi will head the new team, and has relocated from the firm's headquarters in Toronto. More
In the UK, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has awarded £1.1m to establish the Survey Resources Network (SRN), a body which will promote best practice in survey research, provide online information resources for researchers and link academics, policy-makers and survey practitioners. More
Two UK business schools have set up the UK Innovation Research Centre to analyse how innovation can make businesses more competitive, and help meet social, environmental and economic challenges. More
Global engineering and management consultancy Mott MacDonald has established a new market research and stakeholder team in central London, to serve both public and private sector clients. Former Benchmark Research Director Dennis de Cala will lead the division. More
Nunwood took the prize for Best Agency at last night's MRS Research Awards in London, the second time it has done so. It beat off competition from FreshMinds, which has won for the past two years. More
Custom online panel firm Vision Critical has announced a new branch in Sydney, Australia, extending its presence into the Asia Pacific region. Kris Hartvigsen will lead the operation as MD, Australia. Last week, the firm announced the release of its newest online research platform, Sparq. More
In the UK, commercial radio trade body RadioCentre is cutting seven of its thirty-five staff, in response to the economic climate. Departures include members of the organsiation's recently formed Insight Team. More
The Australian Federal Government is to shake up the way it selects ad agencies and market research companies, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner promised an end to the 'closed shop' operated under the previous government. More
Lexington, Kentucky-based Preston-Osborne Marketing Communications & Research is launching a strategic solutions division. More
Online research specialist MarketTools has conducted research which it says conclusively demonstrates the connection between fraudulent survey respondents and skewed survey data. More
In the US, Ipsos Mendelsohn has formed an advisory council – made up of representatives from ad agencies, publications, cable TV networks and digital media worlds – to expand the scope and size of its annual Affluent Survey. More
In London, the founders of Research Now, Hall & Partners and the iD Factor – Andrew Cooper, Mike Hall and Jon Gumbrell – have launched Verve, a new technology, telecoms and media-focused research provider. More senior personnel are set to join in the next two months. More
Former Synovate Hungary Researcher Brúnó Bitter has set up a market research and brand consultancy called Next Wave Research, which uses a technique he dubs 'visual ethnography' to view consumers' actual in-store behaviour. More
In the UK, Carrot Pharma Recruitment has moved into premises in Wilmslow, Cheshire which are three times the size of its current office in Didsbury. More
India-based outsourcing company Annik has opened an operation in Shanghai, to service clients in Japan, China and Korea – with local language support capabilities. More
Havas' Vincent Bolloré is more confident of securing his two boardroom seats at rival Aegis, after a recent meeting with interim CEO John Napier, according to sources quoted in the Sunday Telegraph newspaper. More
Synovate has promoted Jon Salters to CEO of Synovate South Africa. He has been MD for the past four years. Former CEO Albert McLean has decided to take an extended break from work. More
Analysts are watching Aegis closely following yesterday's surprise departure of CEO Robert Lerwill. Initial speculation about easing conditions for a Havas merger has given way to caution, and the share price has not continued its rise after a brief morning surge. More
Robert Lerwill is to stand down as group CEO of Synovate parent Aegis, at the end of this month. Chairman John Napier will take on his responsibilities on an interim basis. Aegis shares leapt 17% today as rumours linked the move to a possible merger. More
Marketing services group Creston has announced good interim results for the six months to September 2008, with revenue up 5% to £41.3m. The Insight Division saw revenues fall from £9.0m a year ago to £8.5m with smaller MR firms suffering, although its margins remain good. More
TNS has beaten Ipsos, GfK and others in a major qual competitive tender from the European Commission and the European Parliament. TNS says the deal covers all the body's qualitative studies and is 'believed to be the world's largest qual research programme', valued at some 15m Euros over four years. More
Marketers are 'gloomier than ever' about the UK's economic outlook according to the latest Marketing Trends Survey published today by the Chartered Institute of Marketing. More
UK research pioneer Harry Henry, the last survivor of the 23 founders of the Market Research Society (MRS), has died aged 92 after a stroke. More
UK agency Virtual Surveys has hired former Harris researcher Andy Buckley to head up its rapidly expanding work in the online communities area. He leads a specialist team formed only in the summer and already boasting nine people. More
MR software provider Confirmit says it will integrate its new platform more closely with the Ascribe software of partner firm Language Logic, which provides simple coding of open-ended responses. The platform is due for release in early 2009. More
In New York, former Golf Digest Publications VP Jon Last has launched his own marketing research and strategy consultancy, Sports and Leisure Research Group. Last is the current President of the Marketing Research Association (MRA), and will be joined in the new venture by two former holders of the office. More
In the UK, market research exhibition The Insight Show is to be integrated into a cross-discipline event called 'Marketing Week Live', which will be held at Olympia in London next summer. More
In the US, automotive specialist JD Power and Associates has named Finbarr O'Neill as its new President, succeeding Stephen Goodhall who is retiring after 30 years with the company. More
The UK government has been warned by lawyers that it could face further delays to its plans for new nuclear power stations, in the form of legal challenges. The advice follows Greenpeace's success in challenging 'flawed' market research by Opinion Leader during the consultation process. More
In the US, research firm Cambridge Focus (CF) has announced a strategic partnership with business education provider Bentley University, to whose Center for Marketing Technology (CMT) it will transfer the running of its groups. More
In Hudson, Ohio, USA, three health care experts have launched onPoint Oncology, LLC, which will provide cancer specialists with customized provider data reporting, targeted market research, and 'reimbursement consulting' to streamline payment processes. More
Synovate has announced four new appointments including former Opinion Leader exec Liz Owen as Research Director of its UK Qualitative specialist team. Wai Tang, Daoud Fakhri and Victoria Mansell also join the firm. More
London-based agency SPA is diversifying into the B2B, public and transport/travel sectors with the appointment of Janet Wright as Research Director, responsible for developing new revenue streams and building up a specialist team. More
Despite painting a grim picture of an unfolding 'financial, economic and ideological crisis' around the globe, Ipsos has reported Q3 revenues of Euros 234.2m, a 5.9% increase compared with Q3 2007. Organic revenue growth was 8.2%. More
UK marcoms group Chime Communications has described the performance of its Research division – which includes Opinion Leader, Facts International, Ledbury and Naked Eye – as 'disappointing', with profits for the first ten months of the year below the same period in 2007. More
Nielsen's alliance with US ad and brand measurement firm NeuroFocus has been extended into Japan, where the pair will use respondents' brain waves, eye movements and other physical features to study the impact of commercial messages or products on potential customers. More
In the UK, behavioural research consultancy Bunnyfoot is opening a new office in Sheffield and has appointed Alison Rawlings as its Managing Director. More
Thwarted in its TNS marriage plans, GfK appears to be enjoying the single life. Revenue for the first nine months of the year rose to €883.8m, representing organic growth of 7.2% (up from 5.5% the previous year); and adjusted operating income up 1.7% to €104.3m. The firm described the results as 'satisfactory' in the current economic climate. More
In the US, web analytics unit TNS Compete, now part of Kantar, has launched a Retail and Consumer Products practice to provide retailers with insights into shoppers' online activities across rival sites, portals, search engines and aggregators. More
Business improvement company Grass Roots Group, whose services include mystery shopping, has reported strong financial results for its year ending June 08. Turnover is up 20% to £284.3m and pre-tax profit up 24% to £10.3m. More
In the US, industry associations the MRA (Marketing Research Association) and CMOR (the Council for Marketing and Opinion Research) have merged. The new body will be known as MRA. More
Sony BMG is launching a broad-ranging communications and artist agency, SBX, as a pan-European joint venture with communications company Exposure. Marcel Engh will lead the agency as MD. More
Mobile phone giant Nokia has announced it will cut around 600 jobs – 450 are to go in its Market unit and 130 in its Nokia Research Centers. The firm's Turku research facility in Finland will close. More
UK television broadcaster ITV is to close its innovation unit ITV Imagine as part of a cost-cutting exercise which will reduce headcount by around 1,000 in the next six months. More
Pharmaceutical research giant IMS Health has reported third-quarter revenue of $574m, up 6%, or a modest 3% year-on-year on a constant dollar basis. However, net income and EPS grew 33% and 41% respectively in the quarter. More
Business networking site LinkedIn has launched a service to help market researchers and professional investors conduct research among its database of more than 30 million members. More
UK-based Nunwood has developed Bioshopping, a new way of combining traditional shopper research with biometric technology to probe the emotions behind what engages/disengages consumers and what prompts them to buy. More
US cable TV firm and Internet service provider Comcast has promoted Ramon Ramos to the newly created post of Vice President of Research and Marketing Solutions. More
Harris Interactive has announced that President & CEO Greg Novak is leaving the firm, to be replaced by former TNS North American CEO Kimberley Till. The company has also announced today that it will make around 30 US staff redundant. More
Yorkshire, UK-based qual specialist 6S is celebrating its second year in business with a 100% increase in turnover, partly attributed to business wins in the financial services sector. More
The venture capital company run by the founder of Big Brother and Deal or No Deal producer Endemol has taken a 30% stake in European online MR agency MetrixLab. More
Social networking site 'Hey! Nielsen' is to close. The research giant says it is 'working on a new consumer site' but has not yet given details of the reason for the closure or the nature of the new offering. More
Emerging technologies specialist Lux Research has launched the 'Lux Water Intelligence service', combining global innovation scouting with comprehensive reports and analyst access to uncover new technologies and business models in water. More
Finnish research provider Global Intelligence Alliance (GIA) is merging with three of the companies in its GIA Network: East Asian-based Fusion Consulting, Gayer Consulting in Germany, and DeskResearch Nederland. More
In the UK, the Market Research Standards Board (MRSB) has found Opinion Leader in breach of the MRS Code of Conduct for the part it played in a Whitehall consultation on nuclear energy. Opinion Leader rejects the finding and says the MRS is 'not competent to assess' the new techniques involved. More
In the UK, qual agency the Nursery has launched a new approach which aims to get closer to emotional and intuitive responses to brands. More
In the US, a new guide has been launched offering MR buyers metrics and recommendations to improve online survey data quality. The work of more than forty consumer research agencies and online sample providers, it also includes input from researchers in fifty leading client firms. More
Survey Sampling International (SSI) has launched a new strategy for expanding the availability and diversity of panel members worldwide and improving the quality of sample provided to clients. More
In the UK, Spring Research's youth division Tuned In is to launch a monthly cultural report to cover new developments within music, fashion, digital and sports, as well as key movements driving attitudinal and behavioural changes amongst the 16-34 market. More
GfK has received a break fee of around €13m (£10.6m) from TNS as compensation for the abandoned 'merger of equals' deal planned earlier in the year. The German firm has also reported a bulging order book. More
TNS Cymfony – which analyses market influence in social and traditional media – has introduced a model to help PR and communications professionals measure the impact of their work. More
Frances Grubb, President of marketing and sensory research firm J. Reckner Associates (JRA), will be stepping down from her role next January after sixteen years in the role. She will be replaced by SVP Steve Aukers who joined the firm last October from TNS. More
Research International (RI) has announced an alliance with STAT'COM to launch a new simulated test market product named MicroTest Nouveau, integrating state of the art modelling of market conditions with a global database of over 40,000 records in order to put results into context. More
US-based online market research panel operator e-Rewards has attracted a $60m minority investment from private equity and buyout firm TA Associates. More
In the US, media and market intelligence solutions firm Biz360 has launched a tool to monitor consumer opinion as expressed on thousands of shopping, consumer product and expert review web sites. More
Following WPP's announcement on Friday that around 61% of TNS shareholders had accepted its bid, the TNS Board has recommended that shareholders accept, to avoid the risk of being left with a minority interest in an unlisted company. More
In the UK, Buckingham Research Associates founder Maggie Drye has launched a new company, Insitas. Former Buckingham execs Sandra Halstead and Duncan Fergusson join the start-up team, along with Acritas CEO Lisa Hart who becomes a Non-Executive Director. More
WPP has again extended the deadline for acceptance of its TNS bid to next Wednesday, October 8th, with 61% of shareholders accepting. However, major TNS shareholder Cedar Rock has taken its holding past the 10% mark, which may impact the ad giant's options. More
WPP says its current offer for TNS is final and will not be increased unless a rival bidder emerges. The ad group has also sent TNS shareholders information clarifying its intention to create a new UK-listed but offshore-based parent company. More
In the US, Decipher, Inc. has opened an office in downtown Portland, to serve the Pacific Northwest. More
Ipsos MORI is campaigning to replace 'any negative and outdated preconceptions graduates may have about a career in research' with the prospect of a role which 'can influence both society and business'. The agency has also announced a partnership with loyalty specialist The Logic Group. More
WPP has announced that its bid for TNS had been accepted by around 43% of the latter's shareholders as of 2.30pm Monday – up from just 34% on Friday. The acquisitive ad group also says it will move its 'domicile' to Ireland due to the current 'complexity' of the UK tax system. More
UK-based professional services research specialist Acritas has announced rapid expansion, with fourteen appointments taking its total staff to more than forty. More
With political polls currently ubiquitous in the US media, the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA) has formed a Political Special Interest Group (SIG). More
WPP has again extended its deadline for TNS shareholders to decide on its £1.2bn bid - to this Friday, October 3rd - but has now received acceptances from 33.8% of them - up from just 11% two weeks previously. More
GfK has appointed Dr. Arno Mahlert to replace Hajo Riesenbeck as Chairman. Stefan Pfander replaces him as Deputy Chairman. More
Cambiar partner and former NOP leader Simon Chadwick has accepted the role of CEO at online sample company Peanut Labs. Chadwick, Chair of the firm's advisory board since May, says the new role is 'on a part time basis and for a limited period', and that he will continue with Cambiar. More
Knowledge process outsourcing firm Mu Sigma has received a $30m boost from investor FTVentures, which will support expansion of the firm's analytics capabilities delivered from its centre in Bangalore, India. More
In the US, investment firm Intel Capital has acquired a $20m stake in Telligent System, a Californian-based firm which designs solutions for online communities and social networks, along with business intelligence tools. More
Canadian-based Angus Reid Strategies has appointed Ipsos veteran Tim Olafson as Executive Vice President, in charge of its national public affairs group. More
TNS has today issued its shareholders with a new statement urging them to reject WPP's offer for the firm, underlining its strength as a standalone group. More
In the UK, Clive Gibbins, a 19 year veteran of NOP, has died of cancer just weeks before his 50th birthday. More
TNS has appointed David Kieselstein as CEO for North America, responsible for the US and Canada Custom Research businesses. He joins from D&B where he was General Manager of the Small Business Credit Division. More
In the US, a Greenfield Online stockholder has filed a class action lawsuit, alleging that the firm's acquisition by Microsoft for $486m undervalues the company. More
In the UK, research and recruitment firm FreshMinds has won the London regional final of the Bank of Scotland Corporate Challenge, and with it up to £5m of interest-free funding. More
Launch only in January, market research recruitment firm Hasson Associates has already outgrown its London offices and is moving to larger premises in Soho. More
TPI, the outsourcing data and advisory firm owned by Information Services Group (ISG), has launched a new business unit with an independent management team which will provide information and insights to outsourcing and offshoring service providers. More
Online fieldwork provider Research Now has established a joint venture in Shanghai and opened an office in Singapore, while launching eight new Asian panels. More
TM Forum – a trade body focused on the online information, communications and entertainment industries – has launched a new market research division to offer global market analysis of trends in the telecoms, cable, media and Internet sectors. More
UK marketing services group Optimisa has seen its pretax profits tumble in the first half of the year, with 2nd quarter performance well below budget in all three of its major operating units. More
204 weeks separate the Beijing Olympics and the start of the next games in London – precisely one week for each country that took part in the events in China. MrWeb will be following a trail across the world for the next four years, each week profiling one country and its research industry, linking also to news, jobs and suppliers. More
After 12 years with the firm, Giorgio Caporusso has been named General Manager of Ipsos in France, following the departure of Joint MDs Pierre Giacometti and Stéphane Truchi at the end of last year. More
In the UK, online fieldwork provider Research Now has signed an agreement to create specialist business-to-business panels with online and offline publisher Reed Business Information (RBI). More
In the UK, user experience consultancy User Vision has launched what it describes as the first fully comprehensive multi-media testing lab with eye tracking, offering insights to broadcasters, set top box manufacturers, advertisers and content producers. More
Hajo Riesenbeck is to resign from the Supervisory Board Chairmanship and Presidency of GfK Nürnberg e.V. Riesenbeck was closely associated with the TNS bid, while CEO Klaus Wübbenhorst is said to have been more convinced of the firm's ability to grow on its own. More
WPP said today it would extend its offer for TNS shares to September 26th. Only 11% of shareholders had accepted the offer by today's 3pm London deadline, already an extension. More
Wales has a new centralised social research body, WISERD, established with £9m in joint funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) and the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Initially the Centre pulls together expertise from five Welsh universities. More
In the USA, Research International (RI) has appointed Brian Singer as Senior Vice President and General Manager of its Stamford office. He moves from fellow WPP firm Millward Brown. More
MMR Research Worldwide has announced a new suite of research methods for clients in the food, drink and CPG sectors; and has rebranded, and relaunched its web site. More
Microsoft has revealed that it is selling the Greenfield Online Internet Survey Solutions (ISS) business to ZM Surveys, a 'shell' organization affiliated with media-focused private equity firm ZM Capital. Terms were not disclosed. More
A number of US research associations have come together to establish guidelines and metrics to promote high quality online panel research. More
UK researcher Matthew Lawrence has set up his own agency in Cyprus, offering all aspects of qual data collection and project management. More
In Singapore, Pauline Chia and Andrew Wood have opened Asia Talent – a market research recruitment consultancy, serving the needs of the industry across Asia. More
In the UK, The University of Reading and MMR Research Worldwide have opened a Sensory Science Centre, which will provide sensory evaluation data for MMR's food, drink and healthcare clients, as well as for the University's research and teaching programmes. More
UK-based online market research agency BrainJuicer has confirmed significant organic growth for the first half of the year, with revenue up by 37% from £2.9m to £3.9m. For the six months ended 30 June 2008, operating profit increased 33% to £196,000. More
The European Commission has extended by ten working days its investigation into the potential effect on competition of communication group WPP's takeover bid for global agency TNS. More
In London, the Newspaper Marketing Agency (NMA) has made a number of appointments in marketing and insight roles, responding to demand for more campaign assessment and audience research. More
In the UK, Milorad Ajder has been appointed as MD of Ipsos MORI's Reputation Centre (RC), replacing Stewart Lewis who will retire at the end of the year after more than 30 years with the firm. More
Magazine trade association the PPA (Periodical Publishers Association) is to consolidate its various research departments into a single research unit, following a review by incoming CEO Jonathan Shephard. More
WPP has extended its offer to buy shares in TNS to 3pm London time on September 12th. The company's original deadline passed on Friday with only 8.61% of TNS shareholders accepting its offer. TNS continues to recommend rejection. More
Greenfield Online has revealed the identity of its new potential buyer - Microsoft. Having offered $486m to clinch the deal, the software giant intends to sell Greenfield's online survey arm and just keep the Ciao comparison shopping web sites. More
In the UK, employee-owned investment firm Cedar Rock Capital – the largest shareholder in TNS - is understood to have rejected ad giant WPP's latest £1.1bn offer. More
Following yesterday's news that it had shelved plans to acquire UK rival TNS, GfK has bounced back by announcing its highest rate of sales growth since the firm's IPO in 1999. Organic sales were up 11.4% for the quarter, and 8.4% for the first six months of the year. More
UK marcoms group Aegis has posted overall organic revenue growth of 8.2% for the first half of 2008. Research arm Synovate reports healthy revenue and profit rises but has reduced expectations for 2008 organic market growth to 4.1% from 5.1%, in the light of tough trading conditions. More
In New York, kids' entertainment firm Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group has promoted Jane Gould to the post of VP of Consumer Insights, responsible for coordinating consumer research and helping understand the attitudes, lifestyles and behaviors of target audiences. More
WPP has announced its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30th June 2008, showing good revenue and profit figures in all regions and for all divisions including insight. While his own firm may be healthy however, CEO Sir Martin Sorrell says the current merger process is 'not doing [TNS] much good'. More
Company founder Vin Gupta is to receive $10m as part of a severance agreement from ORC-owner infoGroup. The company filed its delayed second-quarter earnings report with the SEC yesterday, revealing that soaring costs reduced quarterly net income by almost 32% to $4.3m despite a 17% increase in revenue to $187.2m. More
Lieberman Research Worldwide (LRW) has appointed two senior consultants, Mark Hartstone and Soumya Roy, PhD, to their European HQ in London. More
Less than a month after removing Vin Gupta from his role as Chairman of database giant and ORC parent infoGroup, the firm's Board has announced his resignation as CEO. More
Central London-based Jigsaw Research has opened a new office in Amsterdam, to support its growing international client base and to develop relationships with companies headquartered in the Netherlands. More
In the UK, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has commissioned the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) to conduct a major new household survey to uncover the long-term effects of social and economic change on the general well-being of the UK population. More
In the USA, former Sigma Director Joe Kiefer has launched a consumer agency, Culture Current. The firm aims to use innovative image association techniques to provide strategic thinking about customer behaviour and attitudes to products and services. More
GfK will use the time available to it before making any offer for TNS, according to CEO Klaus Wuebbenhorst. This is likely to mean September, while WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell will see TNS shareholders vote on his proposals on 29th August. More
UK-based pharma consulting specialist J&D Associates has announced a licensing deal in Europe for ADSAM®, a proprietary technique for measuring emotional response. More
In the US, professional body the MRA (Marketing Research Association) has announced the resignation of Director of Development, Lucy Haydu and the appointment of a new VP of Development, Ruth Freedman. More
Word-of-mouth (WOM) media network BzzAgent has announced a partnership with text analytics software firm Attensity, aimed at further exploiting the mass of consumer conversations it captures and storess for the use of its branding and marketing clients. More
Ipsos has posted a 4.5% increase in revenue to Euros 462.8m for the first half of 2008, and organic growth of 8.4%. Four of the firm's business lines reported double-digit organic growth during the period. More
UK-based global recruitment group Prime People plc has launched a research, insight and analysis division, Prime Insight, and has appointed Alice Glover, co-founder of recruiters NicholsonGlover Consulting, to head it up. More
WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell says GfK is misleading the market about being able to pull together the resources to buy British rival TNS, and about having access to an 'unidentified but substantial source of capital'. More
GlobalNR, a multi-country consortium of independent research agencies, has extended its reach across 21 countries with the addition of seven new members to its network. More
Former ACNielsen Exec Terilyn Reber has established an international coalition of data collection agencies, to offer CATI/WebCATI and online research to clients around the world. More
GfK is reportedly in talks with private equity house Apax Partners about funding a cash bid for TNS, which last night outlined in a shareholder document why its Board had rejected WPP's most recent hostile bid. More
In the UK, TV marketing body Thinkbox has commissioned consumer agency Work Research to conduct an in-depth qual and quant research study to uncover online TV's value to advertisers. More
WPP has posted TNS shareholders a formal offer for the company, valuing it at $2.28bn. It includes news of an option to sell TNS' television monitoring arm TAM to Ipsos, if required to meet EU competition law. More
UK-based agency SPA has established a dedicated team to focus on Internet and Web research, and appointed Chris Handford to head it up. More
GfK's discussions regarding a possible offer for TNS are 'progressing positively' the company said today, as it announced a strong order book from the first half of 2008 and a two-week delay in financial reporting. However, TNS has reportedly been talking to Sir Martin Sorrell and scouting for other possible buyers. More
Edinburgh-based full-service agency Market Research Partners (MRP) has re-named its Northern Ireland-based CATI unit MRP Voice, and opened a new research office in Bangor, NI under the same banner. More
IMS Health has announced second-quarter revenue up 12% (4% at constant currencies) to $600.7m. Operating income rose 11% (1% at constant currencies) to $131.4m. Net income on a GAAP basis was $77.7m, compared with $73.4m in the year-earlier quarter, an increase of 6%. More
Two US researchers, Rich Woller and Nancy Stoll, have founded a new research firm focused on helping non-profit organizations better understand how they perform in their local marketplaces. Plum Market Research is based in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. More
GfK is understood to have had talks with European private equity firm Cinven about finance for its bid for TNS. Such a partnership is likely to be treated with caution by major shareholder the GfK-Verein. More
UK research and marketing insight consultancy McCallum Layton has expanded its services to include sensory testing, through a bespoke Sensory Testing Unit and panel in Leeds. More
GfK will not take 'unreasonable' financial risks in bidding for TNS, according to Klaus Wuebbenhorst. The CEO has played down the pressure on his firm, which is said to be in talks with 'other wealthy German families' in addition to the Herz family. More
Online research applications provider Itracks has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Artafact, LLC of Fremont, California, in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts. More
GfK is said to be discussing financial backing for its counter offer for TNS with Mayfair, the Hamburg investment vehicle owned by billionaire siblings Günter and Daniela Herz, who inherited their wealth from their coffee magnate father. More
In Canada, the University of Waterloo (UW) has been awarded a $1.9m grant to conduct research into 'born global' start-ups – new ventures that enter markets around the world soon after being founded. More
Danish firm iMotions, which develops emotional response and eye-tracking software, has raised $2m (DKK 9.5m) in funding, which it plans to use to accelerate sales. The company has also appointed Peter Schmidt as Director of the Copenhagen office and COO of European Operations. More
In the UK, insight agency Nunwood has expanded its London team by appointing Chris Webster as Client Consultant and Kristina Baumgarten to the Market Analytics team; and relocating two of its Leeds staff, Kim Walker and Ester Petrie. More
GfK, backed by an as-yet unnamed investor, is preparing to make a counter-offer for TNS in response to WPP's £1.08bn ($2.1bn) hostile bid announced this morning. More
In the UK, sensory panel company MSTS is being integrated with product development specialists Marketing Sciences. Both are part of the Insight Division of UK marketing services group Creston. More
2007 was a mixed bag for US research providers, some reporting impressive growth and others struggling, according to figures in the latest Honomichl 50, just out. Overall, growth was a respectable 6%, the mean of the two previous years, achieved despite a US workforce reduction of c.1,300 among the top 50 firms. More
Rob Stevens, co-founder of UK-based behavioural research consultancy Bunnyfoot, has moved the firm's established eye-tracking expertise into a new, separate consultancy, which will test consumers' behavioural response to offline media including TV, print and outdoor, as well as packaging. More
Despite approval from the Board of the GfK Verein, the 'merger of equals' with TNS continues to face pressure from two sides: Sir Martin Sorrell, who has one more day to decide for or against a 'hostile' bid; and workers and a former Chairman at the German firm he describes as 'very traditional'. More
NBC Universal (NBCU) is to use the forthcoming Beijing Olympics as a unique testing environment for a more rounded measurement of media consumption, covering a wide variety of media. More
The Administrative Board of GfK-Nürnberg e.V. has approved the firm's merger with TNS, leaving the vote of Verein members on 21st July technically unnecessary, 'though 'important'. Meanwhile, the bosses of TNS and WPP have been exchanging increasingly hostile comments. More
Mid-level salaries for British market researchers are continuing their rise despite fears of recession and talk of an impending slump. Figures for the first half of 2008, based on 3,500 advertised salaries on MrWeb, show higher means for SREs, Project and Research Managers, and ADs. More
In the UK, the Panel Executive, an independent body which administers the City Code on takeovers and mergers, has ruled that marketing firm WPP must clarify whether it intends to make a firm offer for TNS by 9 July. More
In the US, media research veteran Tonya Deniz has set up her own consultancy to offer 'creative design research' which she says combines people-based observations and data with lateral thinking. More
US-based industry body the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA) has formed an Ethnography Special Interest Group (SIG) for its members to share their expertise and ideas. More
In the UK, Harris Interactive plans to make between fifteen and twenty full-time employees redundant. The firm says the move will help align the cost structure of its UK operations with the evolving needs of the business. More
Nationwide Insurance has partnered with the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University (OSU) to create The Nationwide Center for Advanced Customer Insights, dedicated to researching and evaluating consumer behavior in the United States. More
The proposed 'merger of equals' of GfK and TNS faces political opposition in Germany, reports suggest, with some German local authorities represented in the company's majority shareholding 'Verein' saying they will oppose the deal at next Friday's key meeting. More
Both TNS and WPP have reported healthy revenue growth in the first five months of 2008 - the former doing particularly well in the UK, balancing a slight decline in the US. Meanwhile Martin Sorrell has again asked TNS for more financial information. More
Insight and communications group Creston, which owns market research agencies ICM and CML, has reported a 25% rise in profits for the year ending 31 March 2008, and says it has yet to feel the impact of the economic downturn. More
In Paris, Research International (RI) has promoted Douwe Rademaker to the newly created position of Worldwide Director of Marketing. He was previously MD of Continental Europe. More
European-based ad metrics testing firm MediaAnalyzer has partnered with Acrobat Research in Toronto, Canada to offer the former's eye-tracking analysis services to the latter's manufacturing, publishing and media research clients in the country. More
Ratings giant Nielsen Media has told clients it will drop its landline-based random digit dialling (RDD) telephone sampling method for recruiting paper diarists, from November, in favour of one using the addresses of prospective panel households. More
TNS Chief David Lowden has today met with WPP's Sir Martin Sorrell to present him with the data his firm has already disclosed to GfK as part of the nil premium merger announced in April. More
In the UK, marketers remain upbeat about their own organisation's prospects even if they feel less positive about the UK's economic outlook, according to research conducted by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). More
Synovate has launched a division which will offer an integrated approach to clients across the company's different service areas, to help them develop more profitable relationships with their customers. More
WPP has refuted TNS's claim to have provided it with the same information given to GfK as part of the recent merger agreement. Sir Martin Sorrell's firm says it has only been given access to a subset of the information provided to GfK Verein, GfK's controlling shareholder. More
TNS has agreed to open its books and give WPP the same information it gave to GfK as part of their recent merger agreement. Meanwhile, reports suggest that the GfK-TNS merger may face an EU competition probe; and may be 'sweetened' by a cash bonus for TNS shareholders. More
In the UK, newspaper publisher Mirror Group has launched an online research community, Mirror Mouthpiece, on the back of its 5,000-strong reader panel, operating since 2003. More
GfK and TNS have agreed the terms for their 'merger of equals' to create GfK-TNS plc. Aside from 'significant opportunities' for revenue growth, the firms say the move will bring annual pre-tax benefits through cost reduction of at least Euros 97m (£76m) by the end of the third full year following completion. More
Online focus group specialist Itracks has announced a partnership with GroupNet, a network of 29 independently owned discussion facilities across the US. More
Munro Global, owner of a number of UK-based MR agencies, is to launch a new consultancy division, 3000ft Strategic Insight, and has appointed former Future Foundation and CSMTC exec William Nelson to lead it. More
Full service healthcare consultancy Double Helix Development has announced the launch of Web Sthealth(TM), a tool for data-capture and analysis of patients in online forums. More
UK-based agency Nunwood has announced ten recent appointments, plus the promotion of two of its directors to the Board. More
B2B specialist Kadence has officially launched in China with the opening of a Hong Kong office, and says it will launch a Shanghai office before the end of the year. More
Harris Interactive has announced the UK launch of two solutions, the Customer Commitment Model and Employee Ambassadorship, at a seminar in County Hall, London. More
Research International's New Zealand MD Colin Yee has been appointed as Chairman of AMRO New Zealand, the country's Association of Market Research Organisations. Yee has been Deputy Chairman for the past two years. More
UK-based research and consultancy group Optimisa has reduced its revenue projections for the year by more than 15% following what it calls 'extremely disappointing' trading conditions in the last month and a half. Shares in the group have lost almost a third of their value since Wednesday. More
At its 2008 AGM, shareholders of Synovate parent Aegis Group plc have rejected the appointment of the nominees of Havas Group Chairman Vincent Bollore for the fifth time in two years. It's another win on points, but it may not be the last in the franchise. More
MrWeb, the world's busiest daily news and jobs service for market researchers, has expanded with the appointment of Chris Jensen as Marketing Executive. Initially, his focus will be on building the site's Asian and US job listings, and its UK and international audience. More
In the US, former Research International (RI) executives Diane Frederick, Alice Fawver and Shaikat Sen have launched a new market research consultancy which they say delivers a 'fresh approach' to business decision-making. More
US consultancy Gongos Research has hired 11 new staff on the back of 2007 revenue and project growth. To support the recruitment process, the firm implemented a strategy which included fostering university relationships and offering referral incentives. More
Ipsos first quarter revenues rose 6.2% to €217.3m from Q1 2007. Despite slow going in North America, global organic growth reached 9.6%, which the firm said exceeded its full-year targets. More
GfK has described its Q1 results as 'sound', with organic growth in sales up 5.1% to €268.1m and consolidated total income rising almost 21% to €12.5m. More
Media giant Disney is planning to open a laboratory in Austin, Texas which will conduct year-round research to test the biometric reactions of consumers to emerging media and interactive advertising. More
GfK CEO Klaus Wübbenhorst has told employees of the German-based global agency that the proposed merger with TNS would mean more jobs, not fewer. Prof. Wübbenhorst said comments suggesting the contrary from WPP's Martin Sorrell were 'morally reprehensible'. More
US-based media and market intelligence agency Biz360 has secured $10m in funding which it will use to develop social media analysis tools, extend its existing suite of business intelligence products and hire new sales and marketing personnel. More
UK research agency Conquest has launched an online tool to measure unconscious emotional reactions to brands by tapping into the metaphors consumers use to describe and express their feelings. More
In the US, word of mouth (WoM) measurement and analytics firm ChatThreads has launched Conversation Value, a new tool that quantifies the revenue impact of every conversation about a client's product or service. More
Former Nielsen Analytics SVP – General Manager Larry Gerbrandt has left to set up a new consultancy with partner Seth Shapiro. The firm will offer research and analysis in media and entertainment, with an emphasis on the movement of traditional media to digital. More
Harris Interactive has reported third quarter fiscal 2008 results showing consolidated revenue up 11% to $57.3m, with a very good performance from newly acquired companies in Asia, France, Canada and Germany. However, due to declines in the US and UK, consolidated pro forma organic revenue dropped 4%. More
RAND Europe has opened an office in Brussels to support the not-for-profit research organisation's growing portfolio of work with policy institutions in the city. Constantijn van Oranje-Nassau heads up the new office. More
UK-based B2B International has opened an office in New York, and transferred Julia Cupman stateside to take on the role of US Business Development Manager. More
For the first quarter of 2008, Synovate has seen organic revenue growth of 5% and total revenue growth at constant currency of 9.1%. More
UK full-service agency Market Research Partners (MRP) has launched a monthly qualitative omnibus. The new Qualbus format allows clients to buy 30-minute sections on any of the firm's four different monthly focus groups. More
Top five global MR firms TNS and GfK are in discussions about a possible 'merger of equals', which would create the world's second-largest market and information group. More
In the US, pharma research giant IMS Health has joined with ten academic researchers to establish the Health Services Research Network (HSRN), to conduct detailed, national-level studies of key health services and their outcomes. More
In the US, NielsenHealth has launched a series of 32 'Ailment Panels' to provide manufacturers and retailers with insights into consumer related attitudes and behaviours of patients suffering from diseases and medical conditions. More
In the UK, former Synovate Healthcare Execs Marianne Purdie and Guy Pascoe have set up a new primary market research agency focused on the medical device and diagnostics industries. More
US membership organisation MRA (Marketing Research Association) has launched a portal where clients, agencies and sub-contractors can evaluate and comment on each other's services online. More
WPP has announced first quarter like-for-like revenue growth of just under 5%. Reported revenues were up 14.1% to £1.56bn for the group and up 11.3% to £227.1m for Kantar, the group's information, insight and consultancy arm. More
In the UK, consumer research agency rdsi is bringing together its qualitative and quantitative research teams at its headquarters in Islington, Central London. More
Cincinnati-based Empower Mediamarketing has launched a new proprietary tool to measure and analyze consumer-generated media. More
As planned, global agency Synovate has brought its London-based teams into a single flagship location in Minerva House, London Bridge, SE1. More
Insight and communications group Creston plc performed in line with expectations in the 2008 financial year, delivering revenue growth of c.16% year-on-year, or 8% on a like-for-like basis, according to a pre-close Trading Statement. More
Kantar Operations – the internal operations division for the Kantar Group – has ditched its dedicated consumer interviewer panel due to the continuing advance of online data collection. More
In New York City, marketer and academic Christine Janssen has launched denken Research & Consulting, which aims to help entrepreneurs transform ideas into viable businesses via in-depth research. More
In the US, Forrester Consulting has been commissioned by a consortium of virtual world companies to help define standard marketing and engagement measures for the virtual space. More
New York-headquartered Millward Brown Optimor – the consulting unit dedicated to brand strategy and marketing investment – has formed a strategic partnership with Brazilian brand consultancy BrandAnalytics. More
GfK has confirmed a record year of trading in 2007 with organic sales up 5.8% to EUR1,162m. Adjusted operating income rose 4.7% to EUR157.6m and margin crept up to 13.6%. The firm has also announced plans to change its legal form to an SE, or Societas Europaea. More
Gallup has announced the official launch of its 'World Poll', an annual global survey of opinions and behaviours via interviews in 140 countries representing 95% of the world's adult population. The firm says it has has committed to conducting the study for the next 100 years. More
In Germany, Colibri Research will be launching a new qualitative omnibus study in June, enabling clients to ask questions in a focus group setting. More
Luc Rens, Research International's (RI) Regional Director of Qualitative Asia Pacific, has been given an expanded role as Lead Co-ordinator and Spokesperson for the firm's worldwide qualitative team. More
In the UK, public sector specialist BMG Research is celebrating the official opening of its new London office with a 150 mile sponsored cycle ride along the Grand Union Canal, from the firm's Birmingham headquarters to its Westminster office. More
In the UK, The Royal Opera House's CEO Tony Hall has been charged with dumbing down the Covent Garden programme, by using research firm dunnhumby to help bring in younger audiences. More
In the UK, B2B marketing and research firm Quadriga Consulting and MR agency Blauw Research have joined forces to offer a global research resource for IT and telecoms assignments. More
'No seminal papers headed for a learned journal, nothing on methodology or media (except of course the Internet), and no ball or cocktail party. Instead, interaction, debate, discussion...' DRNO's Special Correspondent Phyllis Vangelder pinches herself but it's no dream, it's Conference 2008. More
Media and market research groups Aegis and Cello, and global MR agency Ipsos have all beaten industry analyst predictions and recorded healthy profits for 2007. More
TNS's CEO for North America Kimberley Till is to leave, as the firm merges its North American and Latin American custom business to create one region, 'The Americas'. More
In the Middle East, TNS has launched a study to uncover trends among 16 to 25 year olds in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait. More
Full-service advertising and PR firm Tuerff-Davis EnviroMedia Inc. has launched a new subsidiary company, Green Canary Sustainability Consulting, to advise businesses on remaining credible, minimizing risk and reaching their goals in the booming green market. More
In the US, former Synovate SVP Joel Rubinson has joined the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) as Chief Research Officer. More
In the US, wine industry market analyst Barbara Insel has launched a new consultancy, Stonebridge Research, to provide data, analysis and advisory services to the wine industry. More
Ipsos has announced the launch of a new proprietary online panel of Canadian farmers. Producers' Perspectives – The Ipsos Canadian AgriForum currently has more than 1,500 members, with plans to grow to over 3,000 in the coming months. More
Ipsos MORI has appointed Johanna Shapira as Head of Ethnographic Research at its UK-based Qualitative Hothouse. More
In the UK, BBC Worldwide has promoted Stella Creasey to the newly created role of VP of Research for Global TV Sales. More
TNS has announced an agreement to acquire online behaviour measurement company Compete, Inc. for US$75m in cash, doubling if targets are met over two years. The company also reported full year results for 2007, with revenue of UK£1,067.7m, representing underlying growth of 5.4%. More
The US research industry showed robust growth in the last part of of 2007, according to the Research Industry Index (RII), the quarterly study by the Marketing Research Association (MRA). More
US media giant NBC Universal has announced expanded roles for several of its key executives including Mike Pilot, President, Sales & Marketing, who will add executive responsibility for the company's Research department, including all audience, program and marketing research. More
The shift from offline to online research should drastically improve the validity of findings of surveys of Chinese respondents, according to a recent study by Survey Sampling International (SSI). More
In the final quarter of 2007 GfK achieved organic growth of 6.5% and a margin of 16.8% – a figure the firm says is the most successful in its history. Based on preliminary data, the group also reported an organic sales increase of 5.8% to Euros 1,162m for the full year. More
A Conference with lots of clients? It may just happen. The b2b research association BIG is changing the focus for this year's annual gathering, to concentrate on the wider business issues affecting clients, and boasts speakers from many of the main b2b research buyers. More
Ipsos Australia's public affairs division has joined with Eureka Strategic Research to found the Ipsos-Eureka Social Research Institute (IESRI); bringing together a team of 30 staff focused on issues affecting government and society. More
In the UK, Leeds-based research agency Quaestor is to open a new central London office next week, headed by Associate Director Claire Whelan and supported by Liliana Mardirossian. More
UK-based consumer insight agency Nunwood has made four new appointments since the beginning of 2008, following organic growth of 'more than 12 times the industry average' during the last year. More
Nielsen Media Research is funding a $3.5m year-long study to observe how people actually consume media on both traditional and emerging video platforms inside and outside their homes. More
Ipsos has posted full year revenue of Euros 927.2m, up 8.2% on the back of organic growth of 9.1%. Strong performances in Asia Pacific, Latin America and Europe more than offset a slight decline in the group's North American revenue. More
The management of Rotterdam-based Global Data Collection Company (GDCC) has established a majority shareholding in the company. The team increased its holding from 33 to 75% with an acquisition from BBI Group, for an undisclosed sum. More
Global b2b research specialist Kadence has reported revenue growth of 18% in 2007, reaching $9.3 million. The group says all its established international offices performed strongly while new locations were launched in Malaysia and Indonesia. More
Danish firm iMotions, whose Emotion Tool(TM) measures emotional response to visual stimuli, has partnered with Edinburgh-based user experience consultancy User Vision to launch its software in the UK. More
London-based marketing consultancy kae: marketing intelligence has expanded into Asia and appointed former Synovate Asia-Pac MD Damien Duhamel to head its two new offices in Shanghai and Singapore. More
Colorado-based technology start-up firm QualVu has closed a $750,000 deal to fund development of its web-based video platform, which is used for conducting qualitative research. More
Aegis Media has launched Ævolve, a new unit bringing together the firm's forty data and insight specialists from the UK and Ireland. More
YouGov has appointed Tim Britton as Managing Director of its UK operation. He assumes responsibility for all aspects of YouGov UK's core business from Group CEO Nadhim Zahawi, who has doubled up in the role since Panos Manolopoulos moved to head international operations. More
Synovate has announced the formal integration of its business in Belgium, combining research operations in Ghent with the local Synovate Censydiam practice in Antwerp. More
Nielsen has formed an alliance with neuromarketing research firm NeuroFocus to develop new measurement techniques based on the latest advances in neuroscience. Nielsen CEO David Calhoun becomes a member of the NeuroFocus Board. Details of the investment were not disclosed. More
UK survey design and data processing agency IDA has ditched its central London offices in favour of a 'virtual company' structure. MD Peter Jackling is the only remaining IDA employee, with the other seven former members of staff now working independently and directly with the firm's clients. More
US-based media research consultancy Interpret has opened an office in London and appointed Christina Costa as European Research Director. More
Global agency Millward Brown (MB) and fellow Kantar company IMRB are launching a Joint Venture. MB will take a majority share of the new business, to be known as Millward Brown India, which will start with offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. More
Harris Interactive has released results for its second quarter and first half of fiscal 2008, ending December 31. Acquisitions drove the overall Q2 revenue figure up 13% on the year, but pro forma organic revenue dropped 2%, mainly due to a 5% decline in North America. More
Opinion Research Corporation's parent firm infoUSA has released results for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2007 ending on December 31. Record Q4 revenue of $185.8m includes $67.0m for the Marketing Research Group established in December 2006. More
Following a recent raft of changes to its senior management team, Research International has now appointed industry veteran Bridget Armstrong as CEO RI-USA and as a member of its Worldwide Board of Directors. More
London-headquartered BDRC (Business Development Research Consultants) has been appointed as the UK representative of international research network, Associated Global Market Research (AGMR). More
UK telecoms giant BT has selected WPP-owned Kantar Group to manage its consumer brand and customer tracking projects. More
Research International (RI) is continuing its leadership re-shuffle with the appointments of Kirk Ward to the newly created position of Global Product Development Leader, Andrew Wish to the new title of Worldwide Infrastructure and Operations Director and John McHarry to Chief Information Officer. More
In the US, Prince Market Research (PMR) has launched a healthcare unit, Catalyst Healthcare Research. The new unit will specialise in brand strategy and communications research, as well as customer satisfaction, and new product and service studies. More
Research International's UK Chairman Paul Edwards has swapped places with UK CEO Julian Bond, taking on the day-to-day running of the agency. More
Text analysis software firm Clarabridge has reported revenue growth of 500% and a tripling of its customer base in 2007, its second full year of operation. More
TNS is to offer its researchers across the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region the opportunity to study for the MRS Advanced Certificate in Market & Social Research Practice – the first time the UK-based Society's qualification has been taught across the region. More
Information services provider The McGraw-Hill Companies has given details of restructuring carried out in the fourth quarter of 2007, with the loss of 600 jobs, c.3% of its workforce. Research company J.D. Power and Associates, a subsidiary, lost around the same proportion of its staff. More
UK customer insights agency directexcellence has announced the launch of a mystery shopping service for the insurance sector. The service is pitched as a solution to the detection of mystery shoppers by 'increasingly sophisticated' providers. More
UK MR and consulting group Cello has reported a strong trading year and says its board is anticipating results in line with market expectations. Net debt is likely to fall to £6m, reflecting much improved operating cash conversion in the second half of the year. More
In the US, healthcare MR specialist DSS Research has launched a Senior Health Risk Assessment (SrHRA) tool, which provides health risk stratification measures for the over 65 age group. Meanwhile in the UK, two Yorkshire councils are using Digital Pen and Paper (DPP) technology to assess older residents' care needs. More
TNS says it expects revenue growth of more than 5% for 2007, based on strong performance in Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions. Also this week, TNS Media Intelligence has acquired Irish media analysis firm MediaMarket for an undisclosed sum. More
In the UK, Ipsos MORI MD Mike Everett has taken over the position of CEO from Brian Gosschalk, who has been promoted to CEO of Ipsos Western Europe and joins the group's Management Board with responsibility for Global Public Affairs. More
US data collection firm Schlesinger Associates has expanded its New York focus group facility and will be opening a new facility in Houston, Texas next week. Schlesinger has also partnered with Canadian data collection firm Itracks to enable it to offer clients online focus groups and bulletin board discussions. More
Market research recruiter Sinead Hasson has launched her own consultancy, Hasson Associates Recruitment Ltd. Based in Soho, London, Hasson will draw on her experience from leading teams at Pricejamieson and RP Cushing Recruitment. More
Global pharma research firm IMS Health has announced plans to cut staff numbers by 10% during 2008 in an effort to save money and improve efficiency. More
The Newspaper Society (NS) has commissioned Millward Brown (MB) to conduct research into community life, to provide advertisers and agencies with a benchmark of life in the UK. More
The U.S. District Court for the District of Maine has granted the preliminary injunction sought by three research and information firms to block enforcement of Maine's Prescription Restraint Law, LD-4. More
Following TNS' major contract win with UK audience measurement body BARB earlier this week, Ipsos MORI has agreed a new six-year deal with the organisation, to provide its Establishment Survey. More
UK-based ORC International is to launch two new syndicated studies for the life insurance sector, measuring IFA feedback for the corporate protection and annuity markets. Both research studies will use face to face interviews with a range of intermediaries. More
From January, GfK will replace its existing five business divisions with three sectors in order to exploit synergies in the cross-divisional use of technology, data collection and the application of methods. The firm has also appointed Debra Pruent to its Management Board. More
The MrWeb site has had its first major overhaul and redesign in several years, including a new logo and frame-free html. More
US-based health, wellness and sustainability researcher the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) has hired Patti Marshman-Goldblatt as SVP, and Diane Ray as VP Strategic Consulting. Kurt Wagner, Dave Montgomery, La-Vie Borde-Perry, Gail Sayer and Deb Morang have also joined, as Project Directors. More
Qual specialist the Consumer Insight Agency (c.i.a.) has teamed up with Synovate in a groundbreaking study of sociographic and psychographic trends in South Africa. More
In the US, online research specialist MarketTools has applied to patent its Survey Fraud Detection System, which automatically identifies and removes fraudulent responses from data sets. More
FreshMinds was again named Agency of the Year at the MRS Research Excellence and Effectiveness Awards, the second biggest event in London last night. Essential, TNS and Firefish scooped other key awards and Nick Sparrow received the association's Silver Medal. More
Times are good for independent research consultants in the UK. Representative body the ICG has been growing rapidly and this week announced the appointment of its first Professional Administrator, (Ms.) Andy Laing. More
Synovate India has promoted Paru Minocha to Executive Director with responsibility for overall management of its India business. Former MD Alok Shanker will be on leave until next April, and then hopes to take up a new role within the group. More
In the US, the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA) has announced its new board roster and appointed clinical psychologist Dr Sharon Livingston as its President. More
US translation and transcription technology firm Language Logic is to integrate the Verbatim Coding System (VCS) and text categorisation software developed by Italian body ISTI into its own verbatim management system, Ascribe(TM). More
Forrester Research claims to have identified a three-step process that will help companies create successful corporate blogs. However, it acknowledges that assessment is tricky, and the area will remain 'nebulous'. More
One time world-leading PC-maker Dell has announced a new agency agreement with WPP valued at $4.5 billion in billings over three years. The deal envisages a very close partnership within the framework of a new global integrated marketing and communications agency. More
Recovering Publicis ad agency Hal Riney has announced a strategic partnership with market intelligence firm, Peacock Nine, giving it access to the latter's BuzzSponge online community of more than 30,000 US consumers. More
In the US, GfK Mystery Shopping has issued another warning to consumers following a 'countrywide wave of scams' targeting would-be shoppers. The past twelve months have already seen warnings from both GfK and the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA). More
WPP's insight division the Kantar Group is restructuring its media businesses, in response to 'a rapidly changing media environment'. A newly formed Kantar Media Research (KMR) unit will bring together the media audience measurement assets and talent from across Kantar. More
The BBC will look for 'willingness to innovate and adapt' in both survey methodology and the debriefing of its own employees, as it seeks agencies for its qual research roster covering radio, online and future media. More
In the US, J. Reckner Associates, Inc. (JRA) has added two Senior Vice Presidents, Cindy Ward and Steven M. Aukers, to lead the development of its global sensory and market research practices. Former Kraft researcher Beth Logan also joins, as an Account Director. More
Ipsos has reported revenues of Euros 664.2m for the first nine months of 2007, and says it is expecting full-year growth of at least 9%. More
In New York, market research firm Peep has been launched by trends and innovation agency PSFK. The new venture is headed by cultural research and trend specialist Maria Vrachnos. More
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been accused of cronyism over contracts awarded to his 'personal pollster', Opinion Leader Research (OLR) founder Deborah Mattison. £1.4m of public money has been spent on citizens' juries conducted by OLR since June. More
Digital marketing group One to One Interactive has launched a new media research division to offer neuromarketing research for brands, agencies and publishers. More
GfK has announced organic sales growth of 6.7%., and a sales increase of 5.5% to €833.9m for the first nine months of the year. Meanwhile Dr Derek Allen is joining the group in the US as EVP of the GfK Research Center for Excellence. More
M:Metrics and BMRB have partnered to deliver a new set of metrics which will enable companies to evaluate mobile media consumption. The UK launch will take place in the first quarter of 2008 and a roll out in Europe is planned for later in the year. More
In the UK, Swift Research has recruited a select team of Yorkshire women to help manufacturers assess the most attractive fragrances for their products. More
London-based marcoms group Cagney plans to launch an offshoot of its consumer behaviour consultancy Tree, in the new year, focusing on analysis of user-generated web content. More
Global advertising and communications agency Publicis has redefined its strategic planning department with the appointment of seven Strategy Directors based in New York. More
Networked Insights, a company aiming to connect businesses with real-time customer-to-customer interactions, has launched after securing $4 million in venture capital funding. More
Opinion Research Corporation ORC and US public relations firm The Hastings Group (THG) have announced PR PLUS(TM), which is described as 'a PR friendly survey in a box'. More
Harris Interactive has reported fiscal first-quarter revenue up 17% to $55.2m, mostly due to the inclusion of $6.1m from acquisitions made earlier in the year. Organic growth year-on-year was 4%. More
Microsoft has begun beta testing its new Google Analytics competitor, intended to offer web publishers and adCenter advertisers advanced tools for measuring how people found their sites, and their behaviour once there. More
Former EQ Chief Executive Bob Bond is planning to kick off the new year with the launch of a new consultancy Ganbatte Capital, providing investment and consultancy services to media, technology and marketing services firms both in the UK and US. More
Global agency Fieldwork International Healthcare has launched an online panel in Japan, providing access to more than 150,000 physicians. More
Speech analytics software provider CallMiner and text analysis software firm Clarabridge are to offer a service combining their expertise to give a rounded analysis of customer communications. More
America's National Football League (NFL) has underlined its commitment to understanding consumers, hiring former ESPN insight leader Alicia Rankin to head up its Research Department and help grow its 170 million-strong fan base. More
WPP has reported third quarter revenues up 4.9% to £1.48 billion – a rise of 8.1% in constant currencies. The Information, Insight and Consultancy division underperformed the group as a whole but grew a respectable 4.8% at constant currencies, to £218.5m. More
Millward Brown (MB) has formed a joint venture with Kenya-based marketing services firm Scangroup, and will merge its Kenya office into the newly formed operation. More
US-based Survey Sampling International (SSI) has expanded its Respondent Experience (REX) function to become a worldwide group overseeing online projects and aiming to ensure both positive respondent experience and robust survey data. More
B2b specialist Kadence has made ten new appointments, reflecting significant business growth across its worldwide operations. Two people join the firm's UK headquarters in London and eight more are added to offices in Boston, Malaysia and India. More
US life sciences specialist AlphaDetail is to open a new office in Horsham, Pennsylvania on November 1, and has appointed three directors - Eileen Henne, Mike Nestler and John Freeman - to lead it. More
In the UK, three former employees of Fieldwork International / FI Healthcare have launched a new medical MR fieldwork agency, KeyQuest Health Ltd (KQH). Directors Carol Faverger, Ruby Nanda and Rosalyn Twite have between them over 35 years' experience in international healthcare data collection. More
Software developer Noldus Information Technology has launched FaceReader(TM), a product billed as 'the first automated software system capable of automatically detecting and analyzing human facial expressions'. More
GfK Starch® Communications, a division of GfK Custom Research North America, has launched the eStarch Ad Readership service, which uses new metrics to measure a print ad's impact on motivating consumer purchase behavior. More
Top ten global research agencies IMS Health and Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) have announced a global, multi-year alliance to provide intelligence, analytics and consulting for the consumer health marketplace. More
YouGov has announced results for the financial year ended 31 July, with group turnover up 51% to £14.3m, profit before tax and goodwill up 39% to £5.7m and both global acquisitions and launches in new sectors promising another buoyant year to come. More
Synovate Healthcare has launched a new syndicated service which it says will provide clients with a holistic view of pharma companies' relationships with their key stakeholders. More
Synovate Censydiam co-founder and former CEO Jan Callebaut has left his part-time consultancy post with Synovate after just four months. More
Mike Page, who left his role as Synovate's Director of Operations for Western Europe last year, is about to re-launch his firm Cognicient in New York. More
Kantar-owned pharma / biotech consultancy Mattson Jack Group has released a new syndicated study to help with decisions surrounding commercial opportunities in the field of oncology. More
Recruitment consultancy Pricejamieson, whose specialist teams cover marketing and digital communications in addition to MR, is expanding its research services to Asia Pacific. Senior Consultant Rowan Haylett moves from the London office to parent company Aquent in Australia. More
In the UK the Market Research Society (MRS) has incorporated coverage of Social Networking and Web 2.0 into its training programme, to offer practitioners at all levels an understanding of the research potential of interactive online media. More
Kantar firm AMRB has launched a new business-to-business and industrial research division (BIRD) in a move to strengthen its presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. More
MD Tim Britton is to leave London-based b2b and public policy research experts IFF, in November, and says he is 'considering options' for his next move in the industry. Two current Directors, Jan Shury and Mark Speed, will become Joint MDs. More
Joseph Plummer has resigned his post as Chief Research Officer at US professional body, the ARF. In a separate recent announcement, the association named nine new members for its Board of Directors. More
US network NBC Universal has taken the first steps towards establishing a new council of ad agency research, strategy and media buying executives commissioning primary research of mutual benefit. More
Retail info giant IRI has appointed John Freeland, an Accenture veteran most recently President-Worldwide Operations for salesforce.com, as its new President and CEO. He succeeds Scott W. Klein, in the roles since January 2004, who moves up to IRI's parent, Symphony Technology Group. More
Nielsen and its partners have announced 'substantial progress' in their P.R.I.S.M. project, which aims to establish a global metric for evaluating the in-store environment. Initial results shed light on the relationship between traffic and purchases, and the level of in-store communuications with shoppers. More
In the US, blog and social network tracker Visible Technologies has received a $12 million boost to its coffers in a second round of funding from WPP and venture capital company Ignition Partners. More
TNS will be merging its Media Intelligence and Media Research (iTRAM) units into one, in an effort to further develop its TV and online audience measurement services. More
In the US, Greentech Media and non-profit think tank The Prometheus Institute for Sustainable Development have announced a partnership which will deliver research into alternative energy markets, as well as publications and events. More
Nielsen Media Research has informed its TV network and syndication clients that its Monitor-Plus tracking system is struggling to identify some new forms of 'live' TV advertising; and asked them to work with it to solve the problem. More
Environmental campaigner Greenpeace has challenged the UK government's nuclear power consultation process, claiming it is 'being fixed' by Gordon Brown's 'favourite market research company', Opinion Leader Research (OLR). The group has also formally complained to the MR industry standards body. More
UK-based holding company Cello has acquired The Richmark Group, Inc., a Chicago-based marketing consultant. Richmark will be rebranded as a business unit within Cello's RS Consulting Group. More
Brazilian agency CNP Global has joined the Harris Interactive Global Network as its newest affiliate member. CNP works as a data collection agency for MR firms as well as a full service provider for client firms and government institutions. More
At the second day of the ESOMAR Congress in Berlin, two UK research veterans talked about the changing skill sets and training needs of research professionals. David Smith predicted a boom in online learning; while Phyllis MacFarlane gave some ideas about new ways of training graduates. More
Deniz Ozerdil, formerly of GfK Turkey, has resigned and set up her own agency, Istanbul Research. The firm will focus on offering local field and tab services for international clients. More
Research provider Dmrkynetec, formed from the merger of UK and US companies in February, has employed Jim Herman as its new Vice President of Research. The firm recently opened an office in Poznañ, Poland. More
Ziment has announced the worldwide launch of 'Benchmark Discrete Choice', its system for determining the market potential of pharmaceuticals compounds in early- and late-stage development. More
Swedish company Simstore International AB has received $2m in venture capital to develop SIMSTORE360®, an Internet based tool for the analysis of consumer decision-making at the point of purchase, using virtual store environments. More
TNS has unveiled BriefScape, a research product for the early stages of brand communications development. The global agency says its range of offerings in the area now constitute 'a research solution for the complete brand communications lifecycle'. More
Papers at today's ESOMAR Congress looked at 60 years of the development of research within electronics manfacturer Philips; and at the successful repositioning of the sagging SlimFast brand. More
Global fieldwork agency Fieldwork International Healthcare has opened a new office in Paris to house its qualitative unit. Anne Peyretout has been appointed as Senior Project Manager in charge of the new division. More
In the US, financial trading intelligence firm Alphacution has teamed up with sports marketing firm rEvolution. The pair have adapted Alphacution's financial sector marketing intelligence platform into a solution for optimising marketing and sponsorship spend. More
European agency SKOPOS Market Insight has seen its turnover increase by 72% in the first half of 2007. The company says an extended high-end analysis offer, including the launch of 'Ultra-Analysis' and a new Kwal(TM) department, has contributed. More
Kent-based b2b specialist Westcombe Business Research has ceased trading. Administrators were called on 22rd August and the firm's employees have left: three of them have now set up a new fieldwork firm along with a former supplier. More
Web-based US consumer researcher BuzzBack has opened in Europe, appointing Martin Oxley, formerly of Ipsos and TNS, as Managing Director for the region. More
In the UK, former Voxco and Pulse Group salesman Nigel Legg has formed Katugas Research Services Ltd, offering multi-lingual coding services. More
Synovate parent, The Aegis Group has posted an 8.7% increase in first-half pre-tax profits, while confirming that Synovate continues to outperform expectations, having grown almost twice as fast as its market. More
Harris Interactive has announced the rebranding of its German and French subsidiaries, MediaTransfer and Novatris, as of September 1 – both will now operate under the Harris Interactive name. More
Bra brand Playtex is to launch a multimillion-dollar ad campaign and relaunch a microsite encouraging online consumer discussion, on the back of a two year research programme. More
TNS has today released unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2007. The firm says underlying revenue growth of 5.9% and operating profit up 8.9% to £45.4m show the successful implementation of a strategy commenced last year. More
Clear Seas Research, the MR company within family owned US b-to-b group BNP Media, is expanding into the food, beverage and packaging sectors, as well as the gaming market. The move follows BMP's acquisition of part of publisher and conference organiser Ascend Media. More
Kraft Foods European Analytics Director Tom Lloyd has left to found what he describes as 'a new type of analytical consultancy' to help clients gain maximum value from the data they already buy. More
In South Africa, market intelligence agency Infusion has made five appointments in a move which the firm says will strengthen its knowledge base. They include Refiloe Mataboge, previously Executive Director at TNS Research Surveys, who becomes CEO. More
In the US, BIGresearch has partnered with retail marketing consultancy The Gluskin Townley Group (GTG) to develop a series of reports on purchasing trends, consumer intentions and actions for the sporting goods, specialty outdoor and specialty bicycle sectors. More
Harris Interactive has announced results for the fourth quarter and its full fiscal year 2007, ending 30th June. Fourth quarter revenue declined to $57.1m – down 3% from the same period a year ago – and full year revenue was $211.8m, similar to figures a year ago and well down on forecasts made then, of $230-240m. More
UK-based GfK NOP has appointed Gordon Blunt and Andy Thwaites to extend the scope of its Financial Research Survey (FRS), adding expertise in areas including forecasting, segmentation and data matching. More
MrWeb has announced a partnership with the US-based association MRA (Marketing Research Association). The deal aims to give MRA members access to daily updates of global news and job vacancies while promoting MRA's services and programs to readers of Daily Research News. More
UK-based marketing services firm EQ Group Plc – which owns MR firms Buckingham Research Associates and Quaestor, as well as viewing facility Summit Studios – has posted a 95% rise in pretax profit to £598,000 for the first half of the year. More
Emotional intelligence technology developer EmSense is using a high-tech brain-scanner to measure the brain waves, heart rates, and sweat responses of a test group playing an online military-themed game. More
Danish firm iMotions, whose software measures emotional response, has raised $2.7 million towards expanding its sales in the US and supporting the organisation worldwide. More
Harris Interactive has rehired Justin Greeves to lead its Public Affairs Research Practice, co-located in Reston, Virginia and New York City. He joined the firm with Wirthlin when it was bought in 2004, and left the following year to lead GfK's Washington, DC office. More
Online research is cheaper but more profitable, says WPP, and that's why its research division's revenues are stagnant while its margins are buoyant. The Group's information, insight and consultancy firms saw organic growth of only 1.3% in Q2, but gross margin improved 5.9%. More
Ipsos and Nielsen have reported results for the first half of the year. Ipsos increased revenue by 8.7% over the year earlier period to €443.1m, while Nielsen's grew from $2,019m to $2,241m. More
In the UK, the Market Research Society (MRS) has joined with six other associations to create the B2B Best Practice Alliance and raise the profile and standard of B2B marketing communications. More
German fragrance and flavourings manufacturer Symrise has opened a Sensory and Consumer Science Centre in Singapore, which includes rooms for focus groups, panel-training rooms and individual sensory-test booths. More
US-based news site WhatTheyThink.com has launched a consulting division to offer advisory services and custom research to the printing and publishing industry. The team will be headed by Vince Naselli who joins with a 20 year background gained in research positions in the graphics arts industry. More
Former Synovate and Greenfield Online man Dave Plunkett is heading up a new specialist research provider, Precision Healthcare Marketing Intelligence (Precision-HMI), based in Toronto. More
GfK has reported first half results which are 'moderate compared with the highly successful prior year'. Business in two divisions, Custom Research and HealthCare, fell short of expectations, although others forged ahead giving respectable overall organic growth of 4.9%. More
Sales and Marketing consultancy MarketBridge has joined forces with research software and predictive analytics giant SPSS, to develop solutions including marketing mix optimization and improvement of b2b pipeline performance. It also aims to help clients make better use of 'passive' MR techniques. More
Mark Cranmer, who replaced Roger Banks as Global CEO of Research International only last year, will himself be leaving the post by the end of 2007. Bob Meyers, currently completing his term as CEO of Millward Brown, will replace him. More
B2b specialist Kadence is boosting its Asia Pacific presence with the launch of new offices in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. More
The Nielsen Company has launched NielsenHealth, offering clients 'consumer centric' analytical tools to more effectively understand and address the attitudes, behaviors and needs of patients and physicians. Matthew Dumas becomes its MD. More
In the same week as Nielsen, Canadian agency Angus Reid Strategies has also announced the formation of a new health practice. The new wing will be led by Senior VP Yola Zdanowicz who, like many of the firm's senior team, joins from Ipsos. More
MR outsourcing specialist and panel provider Pulse Group is launching a new qualitative division, including state-of-the-art viewing facilities for focus groups. Qual veteran Chan Choy Ping, previously of NFO and Synovate, will lead the division. More
In the US, the Advertising Research Federation (ARF) has announced the formation of The Online Research Quality Council, a body tasked with developing a set of standards for buyers of online research and led by a steering committee of senior figures from the industry. More
The world's pharmaceutical companies have been hiring market researchers at a rapid rate in the last year, according to a report from sector specialist Cutting Edge Information. Overall MR headcount is reportedly up an average of 21%. More
YouGov has announced a major expansion of its international presence, completing its buy of US-based Polimetrix and also acquiring Nordic agency Zapera, while raising around £27m by means of an institutional share placing. More
Select Research, the UK agency working on a replacement for the 200-year old Body Mass Index, has set up a specialist division for user testing of Patient Information Leaflets. More
The UK research industry's turnover grew just 2.4% during 2006, roughly the rate of inflation, to £1.353 billion. Figures come from the Annual MRS Survey, which continues the series formerly conducted by the BMRA. More
After 15 years with Research International (RI), the firm's Worldwide Director of Learning & Development (L&D) Daniel Wain is leaving to set up his own UK-based training consultancy, Daniel Wain Consulting. More
US-owned shell company Cable & Co. Worldwide, Inc. has announced the forthcoming acquisition of 'several marketing and opinion research companies' under the new name of Marketing & Research Corp. At present, its only operating company focuses on development of OTC dental care products. More
UK-based consultancy Nunwood has reported more explosive growth, with first half revenues at £4.6m, up 58% versus the same period last year. More
TNS has issued a trading update, ahead of reporting interim results on 3 September. The group says its previously troubled US custom business has returned to growth and expects underlying organic revenue growth of over 5% for the first six months of 2007. More
North of England-based Dipsticks Research will move to new offices in the Autumn to accommodate rapid growth; and has launched Radar, a new travel and tourism consultancy to track travellers' perceptions both before and during their holidays. More
Sister UK agencies BMRB and BPRI are to link two regular surveys, BMRB's face-to-face Omnibus survey and BPRI's Political Opinion Panel, to give clients the chance to put the same questions to MPs and the general public. More
GfK NOP has launched a new brand, 'beyond', in response to client calls for greater ROI from insight. 'beyond' aims to use the experience of people who have 'been there and done it as clients' to ensure research is turned into actionable solutions. More
MR specialist RPCushing Recruitment is launching an executive search and selection division, headed up by newly appointed Estelle Shepherd, former European Director of Recruitment at the Kantar Group. More
UK-based consultancy Illuminas has announced quadrupled profits for the year ending February 2007, despite problems at its owner Media Square. Global fees rose to c.£9m in the year ending February 2007 from £8.5m a year earlier, while profits rose from £0.3m in 2006 to £1.3m in 2007. More
Panels provider Research Now has launched a multi-country online qual focus group facility, offering clients online groups in a chat-room-style environment similar to that seen in online communication tools such as MSN Messenger and Skype. More
In the USA, MarketTools, Inc. has announced the availability of a research solution for marketers targeting mothers, the 'Moms Insight Network'. The system combines input from the online conversations of millions of 'moms', an online community and a quarterly survey of 500 respondents. More
Harris Interactive has launched its Advanced Strategy Lab (ASL) in Europe to provide simultaneous anonymous input from participants at any location. More
The Interactive Marketing Research Organization (IMRO) is planning to re-launch its Journal of Online Research (JOR) this Autumn, and is inviting submission of original articles relating to the use and application of online research. More
Following a two-year research programme which has seen Tesco's US CEO Tim Mason and his team invest thousands of hours investigating the needs of the American consumer, the supermarket giant will be launching its Fresh & Easy stores in the US by the autumn. More
Denmark-based Anis Panduro Zouzou has been appointed Nielsen's European In-Store Manager, charged with leading the roll-out of its In-Store initiative across Europe. More
UK-based agency Nunwood has added in-store video observation to its shopper insight offer, with the aim of more effectively evaluating subconscious behaviour traits. More
In the US, MRA (the Marketing Research Association) has installed Colleen Moore-Mezler as President for the 2007-2008 term. More
CMP Technology publication EE Times has established an Intelligence Unit, which it describes as 'part of a commitment to deeper analysis of industry issues'. Senior Analyst Loring Wirbel will work closely with group publication Heavy Reading to set up and lead the unit. More
Risdall Marketing Group (RMG) has announced the creation of three new divisions, including Risdall Marketing Research (RMR) led by President Frank Grubbs; plus units devoted to branding and strategy. More
Advertising industry pioneers George Wiedemann and Kenneth Lomasney have established Wiedemann & Lomasney (W&L), a holding company aimed at creating a 'customer centric marketing services firm'. The partners plan to announce a first buy before the end of the month. More
MR firm Synovate has appointed Thierry Pailleux and Georges Guelfand as co-Managing Directors of Synovate France. The firm aims to become as 'powerful in the French research sector as its sister [company] Carat is in French media.' More
UK marketing services group Creston has announced a 60% growth in revenue to £69.7 million, in its preliminary financial results for the year ended 31 March. More
London-based online research firm BrainJuicer has launched a test that measures creativity, and used it to compile a panel of 'brainstormers' who generate new product ideas. More
Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) has rolled out its Out-of-Box-Experience (OoBE) research service in the States to allow clients to view firsthand how their customers react to a new or existing product from the moment that they receive and open the box. More
UK not-for-profit organisation Patient Opinion has launched a new web site for patients to share their experiences of healthcare and feed back comments and improvement ideas to the NHS. More
A new laboratory opened this week in Maryland, USA by a subsidiary of the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) is to offer market research services including roundtable discussions, focus groups, and interviews, alongside engineering tests and trade certification. More
US MR provider Gongos Research has announced further rapid growth with nine new appointments since the beginning of the year. More
Synovate UK has launched a media research offering based on the consumer motivation model developed by the global group's Censydiam practice. The company plans to roll out the offer across Europe and Asia. More
The membership of US professional body CASRO has overwhelmingly approved a revision to the Internet Research section of the organization's Code of Standards and Ethics for Survey Research. More
Synovate has introduced a suite of market potential models and simulators known as MVP – Market Value Potential; and has renamed its specialist Product Design & Development division 'MarketQuest'. More
US professional body MRA (Marketing Research Association) has launched an online rating system, the Exchange Evaluation Program (EEP), allowing researchers and client companies to rate their experiences with suppliers, products and services. More
The Nielsen Company has reported revenues for the first quarter of 2007 up 5% over the same period last year, helped by a strong performance (up 7%) from its Media Research division. More
TNS has launched Complete, a bureau based service offering an outsourced fieldwork solution for other market research agencies. More
Aegis investors today rejected Vincent Bolloré's fourth attempt to seek representation on the firm's board, as the group reported first quarter 2007 revenues up 4.6% (10.8% at constant currencies), led by market research arm Synovate. More
LRA Worldwide, a customer experience management firm which conducts mystery shopping exercises in the hospitality sector, has promoted seven staff to the post of Senior Consultant or Account Manager. More
Fort Worth-based customer analytics specialist Buxton is following a doubling of its headcount in 2006 by moving to new offices which have room to double it again, with a further 100+ new research and technical staff. More
Researcher and management consultancy Kline & Company has opened a new office in Dubai, focused on serving its Middle Eastern energy and petrochemical industry clients; and has hired Vineet Chattree as Director to lead it. More
Synovate is to relocate all its UK research teams to a single location, Minerva House in London Bridge, SE1. The move is expected to take place late this year or early next. More
Custom business research provider Guideline has published quarterly results confirming the reassurance it gave three weeks ago, and completing its first twelve month period of net gain in more than 4 years. Organic revenue rose 13.6% to $12.8m for the quarter. More
Ipsos has announced a strong first quarter with revenues up 8.9% to Euros 204.7m. Organic growth was 10.3%, the highest for a first quarter since Ipsos' IPO in 1999. More
The GfK Group has announced healthy first quarter results with sales up 5.2% to Euros 261.3m, with organic growth of 6.8%. Margin was up from 8.5% a year previously to 9.5%, and adjusted operating income rose by 17.3% to Euros 24.8m. More
Harris Interactive CEO Greg Novak has apologised to shareholders as the company reduced its earnings projections and reported a mere 1% rise in Q3 revenue totals. However, he told DRNO this afternoon that 'Our strategy is working' and outlined the well-targeted acquisitions he believes will help. More
Consultancy firm Strategic Vision has added a Canadian unit to its existing teams in the USA and Russia. StrategicVision Canada will be led by new hire Margo Jay, whose association with the firm began more than 15 years ago as a client. More
Technology consultancy Gartner has reported results for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, with revenue up 12% at constant currencies versus Q1 2006, to $264.2m. Revenue from the Research division was $159m, up 14% on the same basis, while Consulting revenue was flat at $76m. More
US-based online tips and advice publisher Modern Mom has formed an Insights & Action division to delve into the key drivers of the 'mom market'. Its products have been developed with the help of MR consultancy, Noesis. More
Offshore MR services agency Markelytics has announced plans for expansion into Europe. Former ESOMAR and Nestle research chief Fredrik Nauckhoff joins to lead the expansion as Head of Sales in France. More
In the UK, Kantar has announced the launch of the 'Institute for Insight in the Public Services', a joint initiative between two of its companies, BMRB Social Research and Henley Centre HeadlightVision (HCHLV). More
In the USA, Guideline, Inc. has announced preliminary, summarized first quarter results highlighting organic growth and a record performance from the firm's custom MR business. The unusually early announcement is intended to allay concerns about a recent decline in the company's share price. More
UK recruitment consultant pricejamieson is to be acquired by Boston-based Aquent. The combined firm will be a global force in the marketing and communications staffing arena and plans to grow its already substantial MR division. More
Marketing giant WPP has reported first quarter revenue growth of 4.3% on a like-for-like basis, excluding acquisitions and currency. Due to an 11% decline in the US dollar against sterling, group revenue fell 0.7% to £1.366bn and that for the Information, Insight & Consultancy division fell c.5% to £204m. More
Arbitron, Confirmit and IMS Health have all reported buoyant first quarters, with revenues up 7.9%, 14% and 35% respectively. More
Consumer products giant Unilever plans to increase the use of the Internet as an MR tool in the UK, following the success of its web-based research programmes in the States. More
In the US, Alloy Media and Marketing has launched a multicultural operation called Alloy Access, which will use customer knowledge to design marketing and media strategies across Hispanic, African American and urban consumers. More
YouGov has announced interim results for the six months ended 31 January 2007, with turnover up 61% to £6.1m year-on-year, mainly through organic growth, and operating profit up 57% to £2.2m. It also announced a JV with networking guru Carole Stone. More
UK marketing services group, Creston plc, has moved Stateside with the opening of a New York Office and the appointment of agency veteran Steve Blamer as CEO in charge of the new operation. More
Leeds-based agency Quaestor is to launch a branded qualitative panel of 50 to 65 year olds, 'Think 50', combining a focus group format with an omnibus approach to client buy-in. Two sessions of two hours each will be held on the first Tuesday of each month, beginning on 1st May. More
Kimberly-Clark Corporation has today unveiled a new global marketing structure, with three new senior roles filled from outside the firm, all reporting to CMO Tony Palmer. They include former Mars exec Roger Chacko in the position of Vice President, Global Marketing Knowledge and Intelligence. More
Optimisa has announced an increase in revenue from £2.26m in 2005 to £5.89m last year, helped by its 2006 acquisitions of US firm nxtMOVE in March and the UK's Andrew Irving Associates in October. The results provide a strong platform for making further additions to the group. More
The UK's Association for Qualitative Research has delivered findings from its enquiry into qualitative excellence, announced in the autumn. The Association says analysis of the study revealed a common set of values and beliefs and identified three distinct skill sets. More
US research body CMOR has launched the 'State Capitol Network', a new volunteer committee created to monitor and respond to state legislative issues affecting the survey research profession. More
Swedish eye tracking firm, Tobii Technology, has received a $14m injection from venture capital firm, Investor Growth Capital. The investment will be used to aid the company's growth, enhance product development and expand global sales and marketing. More
The UK's eq group plc, parent of MR firms Quaestor and Buckingham Research, has reported on 'a difficult year'. Preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2006 show turnover down 8% to £10.50m and adjusted operating profit down 21% to £1.30m. More
Researchers are always worrying about the client / agency relationship, an old Conference chestnut if ever there were one; but they're only just getting to grips with Web 2.0 and 'Research 2.0'. Our conference correspondent Phyllis Vangelder reports on these two key sessions from Brighton. More
In our third and final article reviewing the Golden Jubilee MRS Conference in Brighton, Phyllis Vangelder reviews papers looking forward at the future of research, and the future of the planet. More
US MR associations CMOR and the MRA have opened an additional office in Washington, D.C. The move will enhance collaboration between the two to promote training, education, government relations and the image and reputation of the industry. More
Global group Ipsos has published results for the full year 2006 showing organic growth of 6.5%, above the industry average but below its own high expectations. Revenue increased 19.4% to Euros 857.3m, with the majority of the rise due to acquisitions. More
London-based MR and consulting organisation, the Cello Group, has posted a 40% increase in pre-tax profits to £5.9m in the year to December 31 2006, with turnover rising 43% to £74.7m from £52.1m. More
UK-based research consultancy Nunwood claims to be enjoying its 'most successful year yet' with first quarter 2007 revenues up a massive 78% vs a year previously. More
Aegis Group Plc has announced strong results for 2006, including rapid organic and other growth for its MR arm Synovate which grew its share of Aegis' total revenue from 38 to 40%. Synovate revenues were £401.2m and operating profit £30.8m, both up more than 20%. Group CFO Jeremy Hicks is leaving on this high note, to be replaced by Alicja Lesniak. More
In an exclusive interview with DRNO, Mike Connors admits the quarter billion dollars raised last month for his new acquisition company is 'burning a hole in our pockets' and that ISG will base its strategy on buying one information services firm worth $200-700m, within eighteen months tops. More
US-based MR industry change management consulting firm Cambiar LLC has added a Sales Performance Consulting practice. Bill Guerin joins from TNS to lead it. More
Bateleur Research Solutions has sold half its shares to the directors of Khanya Research Solutions. Bateleur helped establish Khanya only two years ago with the express intent of making the 50% transfer of ownership to a black shareholder, in line with the country's BEE initiative. More
Vodafone marketing leader David Wheldon has used a conference speech to question the relevance of current copy-testing techniques in the 'multi-platform age', singling out Millward Brown. Bob Meyers, the agency's Group CEO, told DRNO he thinks the remarks have 'to some extent' been taken out of context. More
Online polling firm YouGov has launched two new healthcare research initiatives: online survey system NHSOpinions, which draws on a panel of 350,000 NHS staff; and PatientsOnline, which enables patient polling from their hospital beds. More
TNS has released full year results for 2006, showing revenue almost flat at £1,004.2m (up 0.5% from £999m in 2005). However the firm, whose US custom business has been restructuring since reporting problems a year ago, said results in other divisions were good. More
Truth, Andy Dexter's new insight consultancy, has opened for business, with 'significant backing' from a private investment partner, College Group. Truth has an initial team of four partners including Leanne Tomasevic and Toby Matthewson who joined in February. More
Austin, Texas-based word of mouth research and promotion specialist Bazaarvoice is opening a London office, its first venture outside the USA, and has appointed Shareen Campbell to lead the office as Sales Director. More
GfK Custom Research North America has announced a new structure based on five industry-specific sectors and six practice areas. The move completes the integration of its companies in the US and Canada. More
TNS has launched TNSInsightTvLive(TM), an interactive online platform which allows respondents to see a survey moderator via a real-time video link, and enables him or her to demonstrate visual material while at the same time, analysing survey responses. More
In the US, the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA) has formed a Latino Special Interest Group (SIG), dedicated to serving QRCA members who work with Latino and Spanish-speaking markets and a response to what it calls 'the growing global influence and buying power of Latinos'. More
WPP, parent of MR agencies including Millward Brown and Research International, has announced preliminary results for 2006. Reported revenue is up almost 10% to £5.9bn and like-for-like revenue up 5.4%, while profit before tax is up more than 15% to £682m. More
Simon Vangelder, a former Head of Qualitative Research at Infratest Burke, has joined new UK qual agency TwoMinds Research as Managing Director. He replaces Cliff McGregor who helped start the agency last year. More
Market intelligence agency the DVL Smith Group has officially re-launched, backed by Australian marketing group, Photon - owner of MR agency The Leading Edge. More
In the US, Kraft Foods Inc. will invest $300-400 million on 'marketing, research and development' this year in a plan to turn around a series of disappointing results. The consumer giant aims to make its product categories 'more relevant to consumers'. More
Ipsos has acquired most of Peruvian agency, Apoyo Opinión y Mercado S.A., which commands a 30% market share of the country's MR and public opinion polling business. The global group has also announced preliminary results for 2006 with organic growth of 6.5% and revenues of 857.1m Euros. More
Forrester Research says the internal probe it launched in December has found irregularities in its stock options grants between 1997 and 2003. The statement notes the involvement of some of its current board in approval of grants at the time, but finds no evidence that they knew of wrongdoing. More
GfK Market Measures has established a dedicated business unit to provide insight for the rapidly growing oncology market, and appointed Bill Bowman, J.D., to lead it. More
Synovate has announced a deal to provide 24-hour news and information channel BBC World with global surveys based around aspects of the global news agenda. The firm will conduct six opinion surveys across 21 markets in 2007. More
UK research publisher Mintel is to spice up its reports with video from MR specialist Vox Pops International. The new partners say the clips will 'illustrate selected trends identified in the report' and allow subscribers 'to see the consumer perspective for themselves'. More
Eight firms have been selected from more than 380 applicants for the UK government's 'Catalist' shortlist of suppliers in the marketing and MR consultancy category. They include agencies ORC International, Ci Research and Quadrant / BMG Research. More
Harris Interactive has announced the retirement of Dr. Richard B. Wirthlin, Reagan campaign strategist and founder of Wirthlin Worldwide, which Harris acquired in 2004. Harris also announced quarterly results showing strong growth in European business balancing a dip in US revenues. More
Christopher Lee has resigned as Director of Government Affairs and Counsel for CMOR, the US industry body, saying that 'the call to return to public service and the Federal government was too strong to resist'. The news comes as the organisation launches its 'Your Opinion Counts' (YOC) initiative to improve public perceptions of research. More
In the UK, two former employees of Jupiter MMXI and Nielsen//NetRatings have launched a PR and marketing consultancy, GutjahrGreen Communications, with a focus on services for the market research industry. More
Chicago-based channel marketing specialist Frank Lynn & Associates has launched a research division, Insight Research, to be led by its Principal, Jeanne Fec and Director Roxanne Lenny. More
Kantar has announced the merging of its Japanese businesses into a single unit. The Japanese offices of Research International, Millward Brown, ICM/Added Value and Lightspeed Research will henceforth function as Japan Kantar Research (JKR). Kantar says it has no plans to replicate this approach elsewhere in the world. More
VNU today continued its radical overhaul following its return to the private sector, by changing its name to 'The Nielsen Company'. The firm says the move 'emphasizes its best-known brand name and underscores its commitment to create an integrated, streamlined global organization'. More
YouGov has hired Dr. Andy Brown as Director leading a new Organisational Consulting offer. Meanwhile its Middle Eastern subsidiary YouGovSiraj has announced an online Omnibus Service covering the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Morocco and Egypt. More
Consumer research and consulting firm, OTX (Online Testing eXchange), has hired Dave Kaye from Flamingo International, to head its newly launched qualitative arm in Europe and Asia. More
The MRS is agency dominated and will work hard to get research clients more involved, according to Chairman Simon Lidington. The UK association must also broaden its base to include emerging professions and techniques on the edge of the sector – 'if we don't represent them, somebody else will'. More
MRS Chairman Simon Lidington talks to DRNO about the challenges facing the organisation and the industry, and about the recent decision to join the international association of MR associations, EFAMRO. Today, the prospects for international co-operation; tomorrow a look at the MRS' domestic plans. More
Online survey professionals need to choose the right day and time to send invitations to potential respondents, according to a study by Lightspeed Research. Invites sent on a Monday afternoon got the best response rates (up to 39%) while for Friday afternoon mailings the rate fell to 28%. More
Changes at the top for UK qual agency Sadek Wynberg Millward Brown. Nadim Sadek leaves for a senior global role at Research International; co-founder Rebecca Wynberg stays but assumes the role of Chairman while Andy Truslove becomes MD with a new senior team. More
UK research guru David Smith has revived his old company name and is back in business just days after vacating the Chairman's seat at Illuminas. The new DVL Smith Group already has offices in London Docklands and, thanks to a partnership with Australian financial specialist John Marinopoulos, in Melbourne. More
The UK government has boosted the profile and potential influence of its social research professionals by including them for the first time in the civil service Fast Stream programme. More
US publisher BNP Media has formed a business-to-business MR company, Clear Seas Research. Benefiting from access to BNP's circulation lists, the firm's services include online panels in four of the group's key industries: plumbing, adhesives, coatings and finishings, and safety and flooring. More
Yankee Group and Chinese technology advisor Analysys International have announced a partnership agreement. The exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed today, commits the firms to working together on research reports, consulting projects and the hosting of industry events. More
Trade body the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) has alerted consumers to a number of new scams across the US, offering a quick profit in return for evaluating service received when cashing checks and wiring funds. More
Hi-tech agency Metrixlab has announced 'sensational' results for an 'online eye tracking' tool which uses mouse movements to measure the attention paid to a web page by users. The firm says large scale validation of the method at Groningen University shows a 0.9 correlation with 'traditional' eye tracking. More
UK agency SKOPOS Market Insight has been chosen as the official partner of Research Conferences and will provide research services for all 2007 and 2008 MRS conferences including the 2007 Jubilee Conference in Brighton. More
Business to business specialist Kadence says it will double its turnover to $8m in 2006. UK business has leapt by 70% year-on-year and turnover in the US has grown by 66%, while the firm's newer Asian offices also report good growth. More
The UK's Association for Qualitative Research (AQR) is to conduct a study designed to pin down what constitutes excellent qualitative research. The 'Excellence Project' will use Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) to study the work of six highly rated qualitative practitioners. More
Ipsos has announced a successful first nine months of 2006 with organic revenue growth of 8% over the year earlier period, and overall growth of 24.9% to Euros 613.2m. Third quarter growth was slightly slower at 22% (organic 7%). More
GfK Group has this week announced a successful third quarter of 2006 with revenue up 27.5% to Euros 800.4m and adjusted operating income up 34.2% to Euros 100.2m. Organic revenue growth was 5.7%. Central and Eastern Europe saw especially strong organic growth. More
Pioneering Australian agency The Leading Edge (TLE) has launched a new strategy called '20/10 Vision', and hinted at expansion in 'Northern Europe, the US and North Asia' in the coming months. More
Telephone or hybrid surveys can offer greater convenience, relax respondents more and elicit longer open-ended answers than pure online methodology, according to a comparison by US provider Anderson Analytics, working with automated phone survey firm Big Ears. More
Two agencies tied for the top award at last night's 'Research Excellence and Effectiveness Awards', hosted by the MRS in London. Judges could not choose between FreshMinds and Flamingo International as Best Research Agency 2006. More
David Smith, current Chairman and CEO of UK-based Illuminas Global, has announced he will leave the company at the end of 2006 to focus on training and personal development interests. John Connaughton will become CEO. More
Three former Accounts Directors at BPRI have set up Circle Research, a new UK-based B2B research agency. Circle will offer both qual and quant with all employees skilled in both. More
Pioneering UK consultancy FreshMinds has launched its own viewing facility in Central London. '1view' is located near Holborn tube. More
Andy Dexter, former CEO of Incepta Marketing Intelligence, has announced the forthcoming launch of a new strategic insight-based consultancy, named Truth. The agency, with the guiding principle 'maximum insight, minimum data', will provide 'a complement to mainstream marketing research'. More
Delhi is the latest new location for fast-growing b2b research specialist Kadence, which already has companies in Boston, London, Singapore and Sydney. Kadence Research India launches with a senior team of three directors, headed up by Aman Makkar, who becomes MD. More
Leeds-based RBA Research is in administration and will cease trading at the end of October. The public sector specialist has seen margins eroded by aggressive competition from larger agencies. More
In the UK, Royal Mail has extended the closing date for its 4-year research roster tender, worth up to £20 million, to Monday 23rd October. More
UK agency HPI Research has been bought by its management from communications group Interpublic, for an undisclosed sum. More
New product development consultant ACNielsen BASES has this week launched introSCAPE(TM), described by President Mitch Barns as 'the most significant improvement we've made to our core services in years.' The analytical framework is based on a proprietary model that describes the process by which consumers adopt new products. More
A total of 173 people gathered in Chicago last week for The Research Industry Summit: Improving Respondent Cooperation. Among the key messages emerging: the need for clients to play their part in promoting the benefits of research; and support for the idea that one MR organisation should take ownership of the problem. More
Two leading US media analysts have this week announced the formation of a new non-profit institute, iFOCOS, the Institute for the Connected Society. iFOCOS aims to bring thought leaders together to better 'understand and use the new expanding media and to create better-informed global citizens'. More
UK-based TMN plc has announced the formation of a new online research company, ICD Research. The new division will sit alongside panels specialist The iD Factor one of whose Directors, Paul Dixon, leaves to head up ICD. More
UK agency B2B International, which plans to open a Beijing office in January 2007, has produced a detailed analysis of the Chinese MR industry. The White Paper identifies the main characteristics of the Chinese market for market research and highlights the great potential for research buyers. More
Qual recruitment and fieldwork agency Criteria chose the occasion of its tenth birthday party at the London Aquarium last Friday to announce its independence from former parent Discovery Research. MD and founder Elaine Francis has bought Discovery's 50% stake with the aim of sharing ownership with others at Criteria. More
GfK Mystery Shopping and disability consulting firm Butler New Media this week announced a joint venture giving GfK clients access to Butler's ABILITY Mystery Shopping Panel. The result is claimed to be 'America's first national panel for individuals with disabilities'. More
Our review of this week's ESOMAR Conference continues with Phyllis Vangelder's look at Tuesday's papers. They include suggestions for reconstructing research for the 21st Century, and a review of the challenges of opinion polling in Iraq. More
Two global agencies have this week released latest results from elite surveys. Ipsos Media reveals that European business leaders are compensating for increased time away from home with gadgets, cars and holidays; while hybrid methodology is helping Synovate's Media Atlas get past the security gates to chart the rise of AsiaPac's urban affluent. More
It may be another six years before London hosts the Olympics, but we've limbered up with this year's ESOMAR Congress... The annual flagship event of the worldwide association of research professionals has just concluded, sampled by our correspondent Phyllis Vangelder. More
Online health information provider MDLinx has announced the expansion of its market research panel to 240,000 global healthcare experts. Following its recent merger with Sony Group company So-net M3, MDLinx says it has 'exceptional reach into the Japanese and Korean physician markets' with 50%+ and 86% respectively. More
QSR International has announced that it is the first qualitative research software developer in the world to become a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. More
Data Collection specialist Schlesinger Associates, operator of a dozen US facilities and purchasers earlier this year of The Research House in London, has added new group venues in Phoenix, AZ and Rosemont, IL, near Chicago O'Hare. More
Synovate parent Aegis Plc has announced impressive half year results to 30th June 2006, with both research and media businesses strong contributors. Synovate saw worldwide revenue up 25.9%, with rapid expansion in EMEA (excluding Western Europe) and in Asia Pacific. More
TNS has announced its unaudited interim results for the six months to 30 June. Unspectacular overall revenue growth of 4.5% (underlying growth 3.0%) reflects a decline in US custom business, while the rest of the group achieved organic revenue growth of almost 6%. More
JupiterResearch has launched a new 'Social Marketing research' service which will specialise in online social networking and user-generated media, otherwise known as consumer-generated media or CGM. More
Carmaker Audi AG has announced the funding of a new research centre at the University of St Gallen in Switzerland. The 'Audi Lab for Market Research' will be headed by leading MR and marketing academic Prof. Dr. Andreas Herrmann, who will work with a core team of six scientists. More
Major UK agency BMRB is establishing a network for the hundreds of alumni of its graduate training programme. More
In late September an industry summit bringing together around 30 of the most influential people in US research will attempt to break new ground on the perennial issue of respondent co-operation. Have we been here before? MrWeb's Michael Kenyon asks the event's convenor Bob Lederer what makes it special. More
Harris Interactive has released its financial results for the fiscal fourth quarter (Q4) and fiscal year ended June 30, 2006. Revenue for Q4 was up 11% year-on-year to a record $60.0m and for the fiscal year up 10% to $216m. Net earnings leapt almost 500% to $9.5m or $0.15 per share. More
WPP Group has reported half yearly results. Headline profit before tax rose over 24% to $566m (£316m) and like-for-like revenue was up a respectable 5% year-on-year. The Group's Information, Insight and Consultancy companies performed well although slightly behind other sectors on some key measures. More
West London-based research provider EMS has recently opened three new viewing studios, including what is claimed to be 'the largest in England, capable of housing two cars or seating up to one hundred respondents.' More
Ipsos has reported an excellent first half for 2006. Revenues are up 26.7% to Euros 407.7m, due mostly to organic growth of 8.6%, while the acquisition and integration of MORI, Understanding Unlimited and Camelford Graham contributed most of a 'scope of consolidation' rise of 14.1%. More
GfK's first half sales rose 54.6% to Euros 534.4m and adjusted operating income was up 76.3% to Euros 63.8m. Organic sales growth was a healthy 6.2%, ahead of the industry as a whole. The company has also extended the contract of its CEO Professor Dr. Klaus L. Wübbenhorst to 2012, ahead of schedule. More
Synovate has announced a restructure to reflect its recent growth. Smaller business unit groupings will replace the current regional structure; functions such as IT, HR and Operations will work more globally; and senior management will be grouped in more focused leadership teams. More
Greenfield Online Inc. and its European subsidiary Ciao have announced the establishment of an Indian panel. 24,000 panellists are already recruited and is planned to reach a target of 75,000 respondents by the end of the year. More
ESOMAR has revealed top line results from its 2005 Global Market Research Report, showing global MR turnover up 4.3% to $23 billion in 2005, with Europe cornering 45% of the global market. Meanwhile, online research's share of data collection revenue has grown from 11% in 2004 to a staggering 20% in 2005. More
ACNielsen announced yesterday that it has formed a new global unit, ACNielsen Loyalty. The unit will be headed by Tom Markert, currently Senior VP and CMO of VNU MI and ACNielsen; and Laurence Michael, currently Senior VP, Global Retailer Services Marketing. More
Mandy Pooler and Lucy Gill have joined Rosi Ware in charge of developing WPP's research division, Kantar. The two new arrivals replace Fiona McAnena, who has joined PepsiCo in a senior innovation role. More
Google's second-quarter results, published yesterday, have beaten analyst expectations, with ad revenue and market share continuing to rise. Meanwhile its share of searches in the US rose to around 50% in May, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. More
Rich media presentations specialist Brainshark, Inc. has announced a tie-in with online survey firm Zoomerang to deliver voice-enabled, feature-rich surveys. 'Brainshark Express for Zoomerang' promises users the ability to easily embed a survey within a presentation or online course. More
Research International is to move its London office south of the Thames from its long-established home in Grosvenor Place SW1. The new location is off Tooley Street, near London Bridge. More
Ipsos MORI has become the first agency to be awarded the new international process Standard ISO 20252, within two months of the standard's launch. More
Synovate has announced an expansion of its media research services and the promotion of Asia Pacific boss Steve Garton to lead a new global group, based in London. In addition, Craig Harvey joins from Publicis as Director, Media Research - Asia Pacific. More
TNS' UK share price looks more stable today after a dramatic fall on Thursday and Friday last week. The drop followed a warning on full year operating margin and comments by Chief Executive David Lowden, who blamed problems on the 'unacceptable' performance of the American custom business. More
FDS has joined the International Research InstituteS (IriS), a worldwide network of independent research suppliers, as its UK member, replacing MORI. IriS members have a turnover of €200 million and are in more than 30 countries worldwide. More
One year after the acquisition of NOP World, GfK held its AGM today and reported healthy business growth in the first quarter of 2006. Dividend payments increased once again and revenue rose sharply as have orders for 2006 to date. More
Research International has appointed Logic Market Research as its Associate in Egypt, with the aim of strengthening its network in Africa. More
Online agency RSM is once again running its annual 'State of the Industry' survey of UK research professionals, with fieldwork for the fifth wave underway. More
The Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) has followed up the appointment of its first Board, at the end of May, with the launch of a research-focused section for its web site. The site features a blog and email newsletter. More
Who says researchers don't practice what they preach? Global agency Research International has won one of 'the business world's own Oscars' for 2006 for its Innovation Journey Suitcase, voted the 'Best Marketing or Sales Brochure or Kit'. More
Another milestone for Google, according to Nielsen//NetRatings – the search engine passed fifty per cent of all US Internet searches for the first time in April. Yahoo! and MSN searches made up 22 and 11% of the total, respectively. More
The Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) has elected its first Board of Directors, with researchers well-represented. They include Laurent Flores, CEO of crmmetrix; Ed Keller, CEO of The Keller Fay Group; and Pete Blackshaw, CMO of Nielsen BuzzMetrics. More
RAJAR has awarded contracts to Ipsos MORI, RSMB and TNS covering radio audience measurement for two years starting January 2007. Ipsos MORI will continue to operate the core survey with a redesigned diary, while TNS will trial a PPM-based electronic measurement panel in London, providing both radio data for RAJAR and TV for co-sponsor BARB. More
Last week's BIG Conference on the Welsh border once again provided b2b researchers from the UK and abroad with a memorable couple of days, from papers on the ethnography of financial advisers and business research as quantum physics, to tennis ankle deep in water. More
Synovate is planning further acquisitions, with Internet panel companies and analytics & modelling specialists among the possible targets. Global CEO Adrian Chedore talks exclusively to DRNO about buying companies, keeping people, and how a fast-growing top ten agency can stay 'small'. More
Nielsen Entertainment has announced the building of a mobile phone panel, as well as an agreement with two other firms to launch a mobile phone-based consumer opinion survey service. More
Ipsos has announced revenues of Euros 188 million for the first quarter of 2006, a 31% increase on the first quarter of 2005. This represents the company's strongest quarterly growth in the past five years – and it includes organic growth of just over 9%. More
The final year's figures from the outgoing British Market Research Association (BMRA) reveal that overall industry revenues grew by just 2.5% in 2005 to a value of £1.32 billion, delivering at best a flat year against inflation. More
US technology specialist IDC says it has added 51 new director- and vice president-level employees in recent months in research and advisory roles. The hires are part of an ongoing strategy to expand vertical industry and technology market coverage as well as geographic coverage. More
Online researcher InsightExpress is to link its quantitative survey platform with the one-on-one interview tool of fellow US provider iModerate. The partnership promises 'a one stop solution for gauging both quantitative and qualitative consumer feedback'. More
Over 50 research specialists and consumer insight managers from top agencies and retailers recently met at the IPA headquarters in London to discuss how using video can modernise market research methodologies and make data more easily accessible. More
Ethnographer and MR columnist Hy Mariampolski and his co-MD Sharon Wolf, of QualiData Research Inc., are featured in a book of 'Unusual Occupations' just published in the US. A taxidermist and an expert in dinosaur dung also feature. More
WPP has published its first quarter trading update showing total group revenues up by over 23% and by 18% in constant currency terms. Revenue for the group's Information, Insight & Consultancy operations grew less than for other divisions, by just under 10%, but showed good organic growth and reached £214m. More
Pharmaceutical information giant IMS Health has announced a strong start to the year reporting first-quarter 2006 revenues of US$446.2 million, up 9% on the previous year. More
UK-based research buyers want agencies to understand and help ease the pressures they are under from internal clients, according to a survey for the latest MRWho. Many are still making scant use of online data collection, and those that are face new challenges finding time to be thoughtful in much-reduced project timetables. More
UK-based consultancy Nunwood has announced the addition of two new specialized services, Consulting and Film Production. The Consulting department is headed up by Claire Boorman, while Richard Walker is Head of Film Production. More
Incepta Marketing Intelligence, the MR group which includes Citigate DVL Smith and Hauck Research, has been rebranded as Illuminas. The company was bought by Media Square Group from Huntsworth Plc last November. More
US-based technology and telecommunications research company PriMetrica has announced the commercial launch of a new Analytical Service Group. More
Custom business research specialist FIND/SVP, Inc. is changing its name to Guideline. The change reflects a shift of emphasis, integrating the secondary research in which it made its name with a growing portfolio of primary research services. More
Surprise - researchers at the drinks 'n' donuts giant are not obsessed with coffee wars and dietary health. They set their own agenda, and it's creative to say the least. Paying loyal customers not to use your stores? Regina Lewis, Ph.D, VP of the Consumer and Brand Insights Group, talks in the latest MRWho. More
Forget e-bay (just for a while?) - this year's auction for the UK research workers' charity, the MRBA, is being held online. Lots range from a new Apple iPod nano and a 'framed painting of a nude torso' to a week in a holiday home in Port Charles Coromandel, New Zealand. Bidding stays open until 2pm on Friday 24th March. More
VNU, parent of ACNielsen and Nielsen Media Research, has announced that it has agreed to a public offer from a private-equity consortium including AlpInvest Partners, valuing the company's equity at approximately EUR 7.5 bn in cash, or EUR 28.75 per common share. The option of breaking the company up has been rejected. More
VNU has announced 'better-than-expected results' for 2005. The Media Measurement & Information division (MMI) showed 11% organic growth, led by a strong Nielsen Media Research (NMR). Group-wide, organic growth was only 5%. VNU says favourable settlement of tax audits 'more than offset' the $55m cost of the recent IRI settlement. More
MR software company FIRM has announced plans to launch Confirmit Kiosk, a new module of Confirmit which it says will 'revolutionize market research activities such as mall interviewing and onsite product testing'. More
TNS has announced results for the year ended 31 December 2005. Revenue is up 5.7% (adjusted 4.1%) to £999.0m and adjusted operating profit up 9.5% to £112.6m. Strong growth across syndicated services and in custom business in continental Europe and emerging markets contrasted with 'challenging conditions' in the US and UK. More
GfK's preliminary results, published today, confirm the company's upbeat forecast from a week ago and reveal what the group calls 'a year of extraordinary success'. Total sales of 935.4m euros, up 39%, include 198.0m euros for NOP World companies and 737.4m euros for the rest of the group. Organic growth was 6.5%. More
UK research and TV production company Vox Pops International is to broadcast a series of three research video programmes on television, in association with Information TV Ltd. The programmes, aimed at bringing video MR to a wider audience, include interviews about finance with Over 50s and Young Professionals. More
Online consumer-generated media tracker BuzzMetrics, Inc. has completed its acquisition of Intelliseek, and appointed around a dozen key executives. The integration of the two firms is backed by BuzzMetrics owner VNU, and results in the launch of Nielsen BuzzMetrics. More
The membership of the British Market Research Association (BMRA) has voted in favour of proposals to integrate its services into the Market Research Society (MRS), with effect from April 2006. The BMRA will cease to exist as of April Fools' Day. More
GfK has expanded its presence in South America by acquiring a majority stake in MR companies Merc in Mexico and KleimanSygnos in Argentina. The group plans to extend its services in the area further to include healthcare, retail and technology research in addition to the current custom research offerings. More
The UK's Market Research Society (MRS) has announced the signing of the seventieth member for its Company Partner Service. The scheme is a variation on corporate membership for an association which previously allowed only individual members, and is likely to have underscored the forthcoming merger with the BMRA. More
Two of the UK's top client side research and insight professionals who left their jobs earlier in the year have resurfaced as independent consultants. John Markham was until recently Director of Global Business Insights at Nokia and Gaye Myatt spent nine years as Director of Consumer Insight at GlaxoSmithKline. More
VNU's CEO Rob van den Bergh is stepping down, following the announcement that the company's planned takeover of IMS Health has been terminated due to strong resistance from VNU shareholders. Under the termination agreement, VNU will reimburse IMS $15 million for out-of-pocket costs. More
UK-based agency Holden Pearmain Research has announced the opening of its third office in Surrey. The expansion follows the recent appointment of a dedicated Director for the Customer Loyalty sector, and the launch of a Qualitative Research division. More
The GfK Group has announced results for the third quarter of 2005. The integration of NOP World is said to be proceeding according to plan, and the group has already achieved 95.6% of its order volume forecast for 2005. Sales for the first 9 months are up 28.8% vs Q1-3 2004 to EUR 627.5m. More
The UK's CreationVideo is producing a DVD resource for BBC World, based on qualitative research with viewers from across the globe. The DVD, which includes video footage of depth interviews with viewers, will be used to introduce staff and advertisers to BBC World and its audience. More
A thousand members of the UK public took part in 100 facilitated group discussions about the future of health and social care at the National Citizens' Summit in Birmingham on Saturday. Opinion Leader Research ran the unprecedented MR exercise as part of the Department of Health's 'Your Health, Your Care, Your Say' public consultation. More
UK retail research firm ESA is teaming up with MR software provider Pulse Train to conduct the on-site research at this week's Insight show. The show, designed for buyers and users of market research, is taking place tomorrow and Wednesday at Earls Court in London. More
UK web site specialist Virtual Surveys has relaunched its brand. The launch includes a new look and feel for the company's own web site, along with plans to expand its offices, and a renewed commitment to being 'the UK's leading experts in web site research'. More
Dan Foreman, formerly Planning Director at ad agency WFCA, has been poached to spearhead the launch of FocusVision Europe. The US-based company, which specialises in video recording technologies for market research, opened its first European office in London in July. More
US-based CorporateSurvey.com has entered into a partnership with XToolsCRM, a Chinese provider of customer relationship management technology to provide its ZipSurvey application to XTools' 1,000+ clients in China and Taiwan. In addition, both companies will join each other's alliance and partnership programs. More
Informed Medical Communications (IMC) has launched MRxHealth, a new MR and consulting firm focused on non-traditional, personalised pharmaceutical marketing. The company will be led by Nancy Adams, formerly President of The Peer Group, which joined with disease information provider HealthTalk earlier this year to form IMC. More
MrWeb formally launches its US career clinic today. Two of the States' specialist MR recruiters, Karen Morgan of Morgan Search and Phil Reeve of Reeve & Associates, are available to answer readers' questions about careers in marketing research, and answers to ten commonly asked questions are already online. More
UK-based agency Holden Pearmain Research has launched a new Qualitative Division, headed by new Director Amanda Simpson. Over the last year, qualitative research has grown to account for 20% of the company's turnover. More
GfK has opened an Academy, based in Nürnberg, Germany, to provide training and development to managers in marketing, market research and corporate planning. The training programme comprises eight modules, which can be taken on their own, or as part of a two-year certificated course. More
A spate of new media research projects include a US firm providing behavioural targeting technology for the Guardian web site; the use of a research panel to examine the effects of newspaper advertising; qualitative analysis to shape ITV's new kids' channel; and brand-tracking for the BBC. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has become the first online audience measurement provider to apply for Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its methods - throwing down the gauntlet for others in the industry. The Council currently accredits measurement systems for all other major media, including TV, radio and print. More
Ipsos has extended its network in Asia with the launch of Ipsos Thailand in Bangkok - a joint venture between Ipsos and three former staff of Research International Thailand. Over the last year, Ipsos has acquired companies in China and Japan, and launched offices in Hong Kong and the Philippines. More
Harris Interactive is dropping the separate identity of its European subsidiary, which will no longer be known as HI Europe but will share the parent's name. The company says the alignment will achieve 'considerable synergies in its marketing, data collection and client management programmes'. More
TNS has announced a commitment to raise US$387,000 by the end of 2007 to fund a pre-school educational project in Cambodia, supported by UNICEF, the United Nation's Children's Fund. The 'Imagine...' initiative kicked off today with a 'Walk to Work' day. More
The US Marketing Research Association (MRA) has launched a Researcher-to-Researcher Relief Assistance Blog to help marketing and research professionals affected by Hurricane Katrina. The blog allows research professionals to exchange information online about what they need, or can provide for colleagues in need. More
September's relaunch issue of our MRWho supplement will be looking at changes in the UK MR jobs market, and in salary levels, in the last 12 months. This excerpt looks at the jobs market and the growth of new functions such as Panel Managers, Account Managers and pure 'Bus Dev' roles; next week, we'll examine salary levels. More
Ian Rowlands and Damien Flannagan, former employees of the UK's Quaestor Research, have launched a new consumer agency, Gusto Research, based in Leeds. Gusto will provide qual and online quant surveys, and aims to help clients drive their action plans by offering free post-debrief workshops. More
The GfK Association is to donate 190,000 Euros a year to fund a professorship in Marketing Intelligence at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. It will also fund a scientific position and several scholarships for an initial period of five years. More
The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF), the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), and the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) are working to develop an industry-wide measurement of how well consumers engage with adverts. More
Russian company Nextep Promotion is the latest addition to the International Mystery Shopping Alliance (IMSA). Nextep's field force includes more than 1,000 mystery shoppers covering the whole of Russia, as well as the Ukraine and Kazakhstan. More
Euro PQN, the readership research organisation for French newspapers, is merging with the magazine readership body AEPM, to form a new association, Audipresse. More
Millward Brown has appointed MR company Customer Insights (CI) as its licensee in Vietnam, having worked with its fieldwork team for the last 18 months. The new agreement will allow CI to benefit from Millward Brown's tools and knowledge, and will give Millward Brown access to an increased market in Asia Pacific. More
The US-based Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) has released a Terminology Framework to specify reliable ways of tracking and quantifying the effects of word of mouth (WOM) marketing. The Framework will be discussed at WOMMA's conference in Chicago tomorrow – an event that managed to sell out entirely by word of mouth. More
The MR landscape is to undergo a seismic shift as VNU, the world's biggest research provider, buys IMS Health, the next biggest in the US, in a transaction valued at 5.8 billion Euros ($7.0 billion). VNU's CEO is confident that the deal will quickly lead to major cost savings and new revenues. More
TNS today announced 'weaker than anticipated' growth in UK and US custom research. It expects overall revenue growth for this year to be line with the market at about 4% - a more cautious prediction than earlier in the year, when the company said it hoped to outpace rivals. More
US agency Cymfony has secured $7 million venture capital to expand its business intelligence products. In particular, it hopes to focus on tracking brands and businesses across 'consumer-created' online media such as blogs and message boards. More
Aegis Group Plc, owner of Synovate, has announced that the company is on course to meet its 2005 targets despite a 'patchy' spend on advertising, and an uncertain outlook for the global economy. More
Millward Brown has become a licensed member of the Walker Global Network in Asia Pacific. Under the licensing arrangement Millward Brown will offer stakeholder relationship measurement and management products developed and provided by stakeholder research specialist Walker. More
Caroline Plumb, 26-year-old founder of research and graduate recruitment company Fresh Minds appears for the second time in Management Today's '35 Under 35' list of Britain's highest-flying young businesswomen. More
Australia's Association of Market Research Organisations (AMRO) has changed its name to reflect its broadening role. The country's professional (individual) membership organisation the AMSRS added the word 'Social' to its name last year, and AMRO has followed suit, becoming AMSRO. More
GfK has acquired the remaining shares in US pharmaceutical specialist GfK V2, of which it bought 51% in summer 2003; and is integrating its US activities in the healthcare sector into one unit. The group says recent purchases make it world no.1 for custom research in the sector. More
US agency SIS International has opened a new operations center in the heart of New York City, including a global call center and expanded focus group facilities. More
Daily Research News has appointed a full-time News Editor, who will start in June. Tessa Russell joins from Which? magazine where she has worked for the last eight years, most recently as an Assistant Editor leading the food and health team. More
Yet more activity involving a major research group in Latin America: El Salvador's Jabes Market Research is the latest company to join the Harris Interactive® Global Network. Jabes was established only in September 2002 but is already planning to spread its operations to Guatemala and Honduras in the next few years. More
UK agency Quaestor has launched a separate fieldwork company, Field Direct, to be led by Senior Field Executive, Julie Gibson. More
'We would like to knit our automotive quality studies together as a global study... the auto companies weren't ready for it yet. Maybe they were products before their time. Actually, some other companies have tried and have bent their pick a little bit'. CEO Steve Goodall on J.D. Power's global future with McGraw-Hill – the concluding part of our exclusive interview. More
'I think the industry is ultimately making a bet on hydrogen' 'The US will move like the European or Western European markets... where c.50% are diesel engines' 'Asia ... will drive more and more future product development' - J.D.Power CEO Steve Goodall on what's in store for automotive, in part 2 of our exclusive interview. More
J.D. Power and Associates, perhaps the world's best known name in automotive research, was recently acquired by publisher McGraw-Hill. In April, CEO Steve Goodall talked in-depth to MrWeb's Michael Kenyon about the new owners, the road ahead for the company and the future of the automotive industry worldwide. [first of three parts] More
Millward Brown has promoted Eileen Campbell to the newly created position of President, Global Development, effective June 1st – she also becomes Chairman of MB North America. Mary Ann Packo steps into her shoes in North America while Fabian Hernandez also take on additional responsibilities. More
US-based Opinion Research Corporation and Sweden's Observer Group have announced financial results for the first quarter of 2005. ORC's rising revenues from social research offset a slight decline in market research and a bigger fall in teleservices, while Observer reports continued positive development in the US but a weak quarter in Europe. More
The BMRA has published its league table of UK research agencies for 2004. Whilst we remain cautious given problems in previous years with interpretation, there are some notable highlights. Total turnover for the sector was just under £1.3bn (up 5.4%), with international business in particular recovering strongly. More
Ipsos is launching a new Global Public Affairs unit, consolidating the Group's offering in the sector. The move follows similar global consolidation for the ASI (advertising) and Loyalty business streams in 2001 and 2004 respectively. More
United Business Media (UBM) will offer exclusive talks to one of the three remaining bidders for NOP World, according to the UK's Financial Times. The three are GfK, Ipsos and the WPP Group - Aegis and TNS were recently eliminated from the bidding. More
GfK has announced 'a year of extraordinary success' with sales up 12.8% to EUR 671.7m and a margin of 13.6%, putting the Group 'top of the market research sector in terms of profitability'. EBIT including income from participations increased by 31.2% to EUR 91.1m and the dividend by around 43% to EUR 0.30. More
Greenfield Online has announced the completed acquisition of fellow online survey specialist Ciao AG for cash plus shares to a total value of c.$150 million. The move creates a major new global force in Internet panel research. More
Ethnic investment specialist Hispania Capital Partners has acquired a controlling interest in US telephone fieldwork company Eastern Research Services, Inc, for an undisclosed sum. Hispania says Eastern provides a platform for development and its aims include the development of a major full service offering, among others. More
Three UK-based Directors of Research International are leaving to found a new agency, Engage Research. Deborah Sleep, Marie Sutton and Lyndsay Peck all held senior roles in what was the Consumer Division until the restructuring of Dec 2004. All three have a focus on consumer & market strategy and innovation research. More
The UK's MRS has elected Eamonn Santry of Network Research as its new Chairman and Raz Khan of IT services firm Cobalt Sky as Deputy Chairman, following an Extraordinary General Meeting. The meeting was required because – for the first time in the Society's history – no nominations were received for the post. More
Aegis Group plc has announced strong preliminary results for 2004, acknowledging a good contribution from its market research arm, Synovate, which almost doubled revenues in the EMEA region and added 24.4% to turnover worldwide. Organic growth at 8.3% is well above the estimated industry average of 4.25%. More
Nielsen parent VNU has released its full year financial statements for 2004, showing 'solid' growth in 2004. Strong results from the Media Measurement & Information (MMI) group and most of the Marketing Information (MI) group were offset by ACNielsen Europe's protracted move to a new data factory. More
TNS has announced its results for the year ended 31 December 2004, the first full year since the acquisition of NFO WorldGroup, Inc. (NFO) in July 2003. Revenue increased 17.4% to £945.3m and underlying revenue up 4.1%. Operating profit is up 28% to £102.0m while operating margin increased 0.9% to 10.8%. More
The Australian Market & Social Research Society (AMSRS) will celebrate its 50th anniversary with its 2005 National Conference at Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour from 9 - 11 October. 'Impact 2005' will examine the effect the profession has had on Australian communities, government and the private sector. More
MrWeb posted its 20,000th vacancy ad on Tuesday this week. The site, which was launched in 1998, has been the UK's busiest medium for MR recruitment since the year 2000, but the rapid recent rise in the number of postings is evident from the fact that ad number 10,000 went up in mid-2003. More
Restructuring TNS has announced the merging of its existing Telecoms and IT research divisions into a single technology 'sector'. The move reflects increased client demand for expertise bridging the two markets, and the rise of wireless comms in general. More
The TRBI brand, for a decade one of the UK's best known names, has disappeared with the New Year as the agency continues its integration into Synovate, which acquired it in January 2004. More
Another big success story for a medium-sized agency. UK firm Holden Pearmain Research has announced a doubling of its turnover in the last year, to around £4.5m. The company was founded in 2000 and international work accounts for the majority of its revenue. More
DRNO has learned that Ivor Stocker has narrowly defeated Peter Hodgson in the first ever contested election for Chairman of the British Market Research Association (BMRA). Stocker was Chair in 2001-2, handing over the reins to IDA's Peter Jackling from whom he now resumes the title, thus completing a neat one-two. More
Canada's three industry associations for market intelligence and survey research have announced a merger, creating a new national association to be called the Marketing Research & Intelligence Association (MRIA) and due to operate from 1st Jan 2005. More
Nielsen Media Research and NBC Universal have announced the signing of a seven-year contract for audience measurement services covering all of NBC Universal's national and local television businesses, the largest ever of its kind. More
Independent healthcare data collection agency All Global has launched a 5-room viewing facility in Central London. All Global Viewing offers leading edge technology and a full range of office services. More
'We are a research and consulting organization first. The Internet and telephone are a means to an end'. Gregory Novak, President and COO Harris Interactive talks in depth to MrWeb's Michael Kenyon about Internet research, Sesame Street strategy and 'the perfect acquisition'. More
UK agency Strategic Research has ceased trading as of Monday 1st November. Despite rapid recent growth and a high profile in the industry, the company says it was unable to recover from the loss of one very large client. More
It's party time for UK researchers, many of whom went straight from the Insight Show in London's Earl's Court to the MRS Awards Dinner at the Café Royal last night. The Show looked better, if still fairly quiet; the Awards were a shade off last year's success, but still pretty good. Does our opinion count? Well here it is anyway. More
A very enjoyable Awards dinner at the Café Royal last night saw some familiar and some new faces carrying off the major gongs. Two were carried off to a noisy Nunwood table, including the 'Best Agency' Award for which they were pipped last year by Flamingo – and two went to the team of Robert Heath at the Value Creation Company and Pam Hyder from Standard Life. More
The UK's Market Research Society (MRS) has formally launched its new introductory qualification in market and social research, in partnership with City & Guilds, the UK's leading awarding body for work-based qualifications. More
MASMI Research Group is merging its two Russian subsidiaries, MASMI Moscow and MASMI Mart, to create one of the country's largest marketing research agencies. The new board is headed by Alexander S. Novikov as Director General. More
UK research associations the MRS and BMRA have announced another attempt to establish closer, more formal links, this time including the client side organisation AURA. The three councils are preparing detailed proposals for the creation of 'a single federated structure reflecting the needs of the whole MR sector'. More
Chris Wood, formerly Director of Qualitative Services at Perspective Research, has launched a new fieldwork company, Raw Research. The company specialises in telephone, web and field based data collection, from recruitment and interviewing to first stage data analysis. More
Nearly half the UK's sixty-five biggest agencies showed double-digit growth last year, according to league tables published by Marketing magazine in association with the BMRA. More
The USA's Marketing Research Association has announced a new President, Joe Ottaviani. Already strongly involved in MRA's Partnership initiative with other MR associations, Ottaviani sees progress towards 'a single voice representing the profession' as a key objective. More
Research firm MRCGroup Research Institute has announced an expansion in one of MR's more glamorous locations. The company's national research test facility, located in the Grand Canal Shoppes of The Venetian Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, has added a 36-station screening room test theater, confounding some early sceptics. More
Finding the right kind of people is the biggest challenge facing fast-growing research agencies of all sizes, according to the next edition of MRWho, out shortly. The issue looks in detail at 6 UK-based success stories with turnovers from £1 million to £50 million, and finds most in buoyant mood. More
Saatchi & Saatchi has announced an exclusive supplier agreement with market research firm QiQ International for a transformative brand research methodology based around its 'Lovemarks' concept. More
From this week, MrWeb is offering free advertising of vacancies for interviewers and coders for agencies with full entries in its directory. The service will be trialled in the UK before rollout to Australia, the US and elsewhere. More
Australian research consultancy The Leading Edge has relocated to a new purpose built work space in Millers Point, New South Wales. In keeping with the company's name and culture, the new offices are state-of-the-art with group rooms featuring simulated supermarket shelves and 360 degree CCTV for observation from anywhere in the building. More
The MRS Awards Dinner continues to gain momentum as an annual event - it's posh, it's popular and it now has more sponsors than Elton John doing a charity marathon. DRNO's reporter was privileged to sit only 27 tables from the front and watch Flamingo International carry off the BMRA's Best Agency Award. More
Jon Wilkinson, Chairman and CEO of Research International, has announced his intention to retire in June 2004. Roger Banks, currently CEO Mainland Europe, will become Group CEO and report in to Kantar CEO Eric Salama. Colin Buckingham moves to the new role of CEO, Global Business while Mark Penn, once President Clinton's pollster, becomes Non-Executive Chairman of the Group. More
UK agency MORI has announced that it is bringing together the different strands of its reputation work to create a new body, The MORI Reputation Centre. The Centre is a joint initiative of its private and public sector divisions and will cover stakeholder audits, branding & identity, image tracking, corporate social responsibility, communications evaluation and employer brand. More
Seven European providers have this week announced the formation of The International Mystery Shopping Alliance (IMSA). The IMSA offers mystery shopping and related services in 15 European countries, including the UK, and aims to expand quickly to offer worldwide coverage. More
MrWeb has today launched the first four of its new 'Sector Focus' pages. Each page brings together the site's news, desk research links (UK-based) and listings of suppliers for researchers working in a particular vertical sector. More
The UK's Association for Qualitative Research (AQR) has announced the launch of a comprehensive benefits package for its members, including dedicated employment insurance cover, preferential hotel rates, and a health insurance scheme. Members can pick and choose from the benefits on offer. More
UK market research salaries have remained fairly flat in the past 12 months, according to the first statistics from MrWeb vacancies for Jan to June '03. Full details will be in this month's MRWho. The number of jobs posted (and specifying salaries) has risen by 27% in the last 6 months. More
The MrWeb site, combining news, jobs, directories, diary and link libraries for market researchers, enjoyed a busiest-ever month in May with record numbers of jobs posted, pages viewed, recruiters advertising and subscribers signed up. On three occasions in the past four weeks, more than 10,000 site pages have been viewed in one day. More
The Board of MORI, the UK's largest independent MR agency, is entering discussions with a number of potential buyers. The company was the subject of an MBO 3-4 years ago and the decision to invite bids is reportedly in line with the original plan under the venture capital model. A price tag of £100m has been mentioned by the FT, but has not, according to MORI, come from anyone within the company. More
Reflecting its growing success across Asia Pacific, Millward Brown Firefly has announced that with immediate effect, Regional Managing Director Mark Ryan has assumed control of Millward Brown Firefly in Shanghai while Chaniya Nakalugshana (better known as 'Apple') becomes Qualitative Managing Director, Millward Brown Firefly, Thailand. More
At a time when many multi-national companies are relocating their Asia Pacific headquarters to Hong Kong and China, Millward Brown has chosen Singapore as the hub of its operations in this region. More
MrWeb, the publisher of Daily Research News and MRWho, has appointed Michael Kenyon to the new post of Director, US Operations. The move follows a successful year in which the company has consolidated its no.1 position in the UK research job ads market and broadened out into new areas. More
Leapfrog Research and Planning, one of the UK's leading qualitative research agencies, has this week announced the launch of its new International research division - Leapfrog Further. More
Millward Brown has today announced the acquisition of Paris-based MFR, one of France's leading qualitative research consultancies. More
After over 20 years as managing director of UK agency MSS, company founder Neil McPhee is to sell his shareholding and has accepted a position as Director of Qualitative Research at MORPACE International. More
The Aegis media communications and market research group has just acquired an effective 25% interest in The Filter Group, a marketing consultancy operating in Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok. More
Global agency Ipsos has reported consolidated revenues of Euros 480.1 million for the year ending December 31, 2001, an increase of 46% over 2000 turnover. On a like for like basis growth came in at 8% for the year, confirming the ability of Ipsos to maintain a growth rate higher than that of the research market overall. More
Taylor Nelson Sofres/Gallup Media has stated that it is looking to expand outside of its media ratings stronghold in its Russian operations. The company now intends to build a general market research operation and capability in the region within the next two years. More
Netusability has been appointed by iVillage UK, the UK's leading women's website, to undertake a usability testing project to analyse customer opinion of its newly-redesigned website. More
Global agency Taylor Nelson Sofres has issued a trading update ahead of its preliminary results announcement on March 18 this year. The group expects its underlying improvement in 2001 to be slightly ahead of market growth, which is generally estimated to be 5%. More
In the first nine months of 2001, the GfK Group increased its total revenue by 8.3% up from Euro 352.2 million to Euro 381.5 million, whilst earnings before interest and tax rose by Euro 4.9 million to Euro 32.7 million. More
FDS International has been commissioned by the London Transport Users Committee to carry out a comprehensive study into the ways in which different train operators present timetable information, in a bid to identify which are the most intelligible and effective among rail users. More
UK research agency Hauck Research Services has been acquired this week by Incepta Group plc, the international marketing and communications group. More
The Annual Research Industry Angling Competition will take place at the Willinghurst Estate Fishery near Cranleigh, Surrey on Friday 2nd November. Once again, the day will be generously sponsored by the New Fieldwork Company with tackle prizes and trophies being presented to the winners. More
French agency Ipsos is growing once more through the acquisition of a 40% stake in the Swedish company, IMRI. In addition, the Ipsos group will hold 51% of a new company to be set up in partnership with IMRI. Known as Ipsos-Imri, this new company will be entirely dedicated to marketing and communication research. More
French agency Ipsos has reported strong first half results with revenues up 64% and net income up a considerable 106% as well as an improvement in operational profitability. More
In a bid to revolutionise the delivery of data, ActiveGroup, a leader in delivering streaming media solutions for marketing research, is partnering with AcuPOLL(r) Research, Inc. More
Habbo Hotel (www.habbohotel.com), the growing teenage community website, was recently commissioned by the online youth market research company, the Fat Group to supply a large sample of UK teenagers for a new product development task for a major food and drink client. More
The GfK Group increased total revenues by 13.4% from Euro 223.9 million to Euro 253.8 million in the first six months of the year, confirming its target growth of 15% to Euro 550 million, for the year as a whole. At the same time, GfK has topped up its minority stake of 49% in the Swiss Telecontrol Group to a 100% stake. More
Leading research agency Millward Brown has extended its presence in Europe, through the acquisition of Delfo, one of Italy's best known qualitative research companies. More
First Great Eastern Railways (FGER) is currently expanding its continuous customer satisfaction programme through use of advanced regression analysis techniques to discover how it can best improve customer satisfaction by managing those elements of the FGER passenger's journey which are directly under the company's control. ORC International, has been conducting FGER's customer satisfaction programme since January 2000, and has now been commissioned to design the "FGER Customer Satisfaction Predictive Model." More
London-based research agency RDSi have announced the opening of a new northern office and a viewing facility in Leeds city centre, plus the completion of a programme of research seminars. More
Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) has launched a range of new and extended research services focusing on the UK baby market. The aim of the new package is to comprehensively measure attitudes, behaviour and consumption within the marketplace. More
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