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London-based consumer research company GWI has launched its Respondent Level Data (RLD) on the Snowflake Marketplace, giving users access to anonymised, unaggregated consumer data for advanced analytics. More
Austin, TX-based research tech firm MediaScience has launched MediaPET (Platform Emulation Technology), which enables researchers, media planners and marketers to create simulations that mimic the key digital and social media platforms. More
In New York, media measurement and optimization platform Integral Ad Science (IAS) has earned MRC accreditation for its sophisticated invalid traffic (SIVT) filtration for the Connected TV (CTV) environment. More
Kantar Media has promoted Rachel Macey to serve as Managing Director, TGI & Insight, UK and Ireland, replacing Sarah Sanderson who is stepping down. The firm has also promoted Trevor Vagg to Director, Insight, leading Kantar Media's Insight and Sport teams. More
In Toronto, Canada, consumer insights and cross-platform audience measurement provider Vividata has announced a strategic partnership with data solutions and data science company Consumer Orbit. A new company and two new products are the immediate results of this collaboration. More
WPP has issued a first quarter trading update, with like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs down 1.6% to £2.69bn. CEO Mark Read said the results were in line with expectations, reflecting tough comparatives, and that the firm 'remains on track to return to growth in the balance of the year'. More
London-based retail testing tech firm Virtual Store Trials (VST) has appointed Jenny Hall as Research Director. More
Adwanted UK has launched AudioLab, a solution offering real-time tracking and measurement of impressions and listen-through rate on digital audio platforms, including streaming and podcast. More
Strategic insight consultancy Firefish has hired Ajibola Bolarinwa as a Director in its US business, based in Los Angeles. More
Digital media measurement specialist DoubleVerify has been awarded MRC accreditation for Video Viewable Impressions and related viewability metrics in the Connected TV (CTV) environment. More
In the US, Dylan Mabin is leaving out of home (OOH) audience measurement body Geopath, after sixteen years with the organisation and three as its President. He will stay until a replacement has been recruited and onboarded. More
London-based marketing intel and programmatic media specialist MiQ has launched its services in the Republic of Ireland, appointing Niall Murtagh to lead its expansion there in the role of Sales Director. More
Digital music pioneer Spotify has relinquished its membership of the IAB, according to reports. The company with the largest global audio ad-supported revenue is therefore no longer certified for podcast audience measurement, but says it is 'taking a pause' and 'remains committed to the IAB mission'. More
In Washington, DC, WPP-owned research and analytics consultancy PSB Insights has appointed Christopher Frank as its new Chief Client Officer. More
In New York, audio research and analytics platform Veritonic has announced an integration with mobile marketing analytics and attribution platform AppsFlyer, giving the former's audio attribution solution seamless access to real-time data on in-app conversion actions across mobile devices. More
Ipsos, working with Google and UK online audience measurement standards body UKOM, has integrated YouTube viewing data into its iris platform. More
London-based Streetbees, whose platform captures and analyses in-the-moment feedback via mobile from 3.5 million 'bees' around the world, has integrated photo and video capture capabilities into its AI-powered market research tool, SBX. More
Legislation in the US state of Nebraska which would have taxed 'advertising', explicitly including ad measurement and effectiveness research, has been pulled from the slate before a vote, according to the Insights Association, which was part of a coalition opposing it. More
Purchase transaction specialist Behaviorally has announced two appointments in its expanding Chicago office: Morgan McClure joins as VP Business Development and Quinn Russell as Business Development Manager. More
In Helsinki, employee experience data firm HappySignals has announced a EUR 12m funding round to help its global expansion, boosting its sales, marketing and product development efforts. More
US-based customer experience software firm Sprinklr has appointed former Walt Disney exec Venke Sharma to a lead role driving its Sprinklr Insights product, which provides real-time consumer, competitor and market insights. He is based in Mumbai. 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
Marcoms network Stagwell, which owns the Harris Poll and Harris X brands as well as Maru Group, has opened its new EMEA headquarters in London's Blue Fin Building on the South Bank. More
California-based Dataplor, which collates data on business locations worldwide, has raised $10.6m in a Series A funding round, with which to accelerate its ongoing expansion and make a number of strategic hires. More
In the US, ad intelligence software firm AdImpact has partnered with Yahoo, enabling the latter's DSP to offer improved targeting and political audience segmentation for activation across local and national campaigns as elections approach. 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
NIQ's digital product content division Brandbank has launched a new product data optimisation solution, Content Health+, providing insights into category comparison and content benchmarking. More
Texas-based tech advisory, intelligence and research firm The Futurum Group is to acquire Techstrong Group, a publisher of tech community sites and provider of services such as buyer intent analytics, demand generation, IT buyer journey development and overall B2B buyer insights. 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
Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of legendary ad agency Ogilvy UK, has joined creative effectiveness platform DAIVID in the capacity of Strategic Advisor. More
DIY online survey pioneer SurveyMonkey has promoted Priya Gill to Global Head of Marketing, leading its marketing strategy and execution across all markets. More
Canadian-owned market research and analytics firm Leger has appointed four new members for its US team, including sales and research functions. Ben Piper and Matthew Luff join as VPs Business Development, Wayne Link as VP Client Development and Heather Hart as Associate VP, Research. More
UK marketing budgets grew strongly in Q1, although slightly less rapidly than in the previous, record-breaking quarter, according to the IPA's Bellwether report. Slightly more respondents reported rising market research budgets than falling, reversing the trend of the previous quarter. More
Comscore has partnered with consumer engagement specialist Thece to track viewers' attention to livestreaming ads, and with marketing automation platform iZooto to deliver precise traffic and revenue insights to its publisher clients. More
Digital media measurement and analytics firm DoubleVerify (DV) has apologised to X, formerly known as Twitter, for an error which over a recent four-month period gave the microblogging site brand safety ratings as low as 70%, when actual scores were as high as 99.99%, according to reports. More
Austin, Texas-based firm The Next Practices Group (NPG) is launching a proprietary service for B2B tech and health tech brands, using AI and data science to sift actionable intelligence on ideas and trends from technology leader communities. More
Consumer insight and behavioural data technology company RealityMine has appointed former Google and YouTube advertising leader Phil Miles as a Non-Executive Director, effective immediately. 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
Marcoms group Stagwell has agreed to acquire São-Paulo, Brazil-based PROS Agency, a brand and marketing consultancy specializing in digital PR, creative planning and production, influencer marketing and brand development. More
British-based insight agency Opinium has promoted Wez Eathorne to the new role of Global Head of Brand, Comms & Product Research. More
In the US, ARF subsidiary CIMM has partnered with local broadcast television industry trade association TVB, in a new initiative designed to showcase innovations in measurement and currency development across the local TV and video marketplace. More
British online audience measurement body UKOM has appointed 25-year Nielsen exec Sarah Miller as its Technical Consultant. More
In California, marketing firm Power Digital has enhanced its nova Intelligence platform with the launch of Creative Affinity, an ad creative analysis module designed with support from Meta engineers. More
Snap Inc, parent of photo sharing app Snapchat, has announced a partnership and integration with app marketplace Snowflake, promising its advertisers encrypted, privacy-safe and effective ad solutions and signal measurement. Snap also has a new measurement partnership with AppsFlyer. More
Marketing tech group Access Intelligence Plc has appointed Tom Ritchie as President of PR & Comms EMEA. More
London-based marketing group Unlimited, parent of insight agency Walnut, is to join Accenture Song, the business services behemoth's 'tech-powered creative group'. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. More
Nordic and DACH-focused small and medium-sized business specialist Nalka Invest is to acquire European data collection firm Norstat from its current parent, Triton, for an undisclosed sum. More
London-based Truth Consulting has announced five promotions: Catherine Anstead, Victor Reynoso and Kate Stratton become Directors, while Taiye Akin-Akinyosoye and Tom Sweeney are now Senior Consultants. More
Atlanta, GA-based predictive analytics firm AnalyticsIQ has launched ChannelIQ, promising 'reliable and actionable insight' into consumer marketing channel preferences, for use in targeting and ad optimisation. More
Purchase transaction analytics specialist Behaviorally has announced a number of recent promotions, including Ethel Klein and Mavis Tong to VP Customer Success, Stephen Omogbehin to Vice President, IT, Coraline Petipas to Director, Customer Success and Natasha Gonzalez to Director, Behavioral Qualitative. 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
Washington, DC-based research consultancy PSB Insights has promoted Colleen McCauley to SVP of Marketing, serving on the firm's Executive Team and working directly with CEO Dave Gordon. More
Custom market research firm AMC Global has appointed Jennifer Binelli as Senior Research Director, Strategy & Insights, and made a number of promotions including Ashley D'Annunzio to VP of Qualitative Insights and Reene Kalola to Senior Research Director, Strategy & Insights. More
Marketing intel and programmatic media specialist MiQ has announced the launch of its TV Intelligence platform in the UK, US, Canada and Australia, promising users a complete view of audience, campaign and competitor intelligence across linear TV, CTV and YouTube in one place. More
Social media management software firm Hootsuite is to acquire listening specialist Talkwalker, for an undisclosed sum. More
Danish neuroscience solutions firm Neurons Inc has launched an AI Copilot, promising its clients the ability to make faster creative decisions, optimise visuals and receive 'crystal-clear recommendations on what to do next'. More
Manchester, UK-based product intelligence platform Vypr has appointed Glenn Porter as Chief Commercial Officer. More
Australia-based Out-of-Home tracking and measurement specialist Veridooh has appointed Nick Parker, formerly Global COO of WPP agency Kinetic, as its Global President, charged with driving the firm's expansion info new markets. More
Customer lifecycle analytics platform Quantum Metric has released a new version of its platform, focused on simplifying how organizations listen to and act on the needs of their customers. It includes Felix AI, a new session summarization feature powered by Google Cloud's Gemini Pro. More
UK video ad currency body Barb has appointed former TNS and RSMB exec Sara Cheeseman as Finance Director. She replaces long-time FD Nigel McLachlan, who is retiring. More
Web and app digital experience analytics firm Glassbox has appointed former Instructure exec Michelle Suzuki as Chief Marketing Officer. More
Florida-based immersive advertising technology firm Trivver has unveiled technology which it says is the first to allow brands and organizations to measure viewability metrics in Extended Reality (XR) environments. More
Marketing intelligence software company Proxima has closed a $12m Series A round of funding. Money will be used to further develop its technology platform, including AI-powered feature development, as well as recruitment for its tech and commercial teams. More
Mumbai, India-based digital tech and customer experience solutions provider Datamatics has announced the acquisition of Salesforce services firm Dextara Digital. More
In the US, the 'Joint Industry Committee' (JIC) formed in January 2023 to provide more rapid accreditation of ad currency providers than the MRC has awarded full certification to Comscore and VideoAmp, but delayed a final decision on iSpot until June. 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
Consumer information and credit reporting company TransUnion has partnered with researcher MRI-Simmons, promising clients 'improved actionability across the addressable marketing ecosystem'. More
In the US, cultural intelligence specialist Collage Group has added new features to its fleun.ci SaaS application: a Head-to-Head Dashboard, providing competitive insights; an Industry Dashboard giving a category-level view of brand-specific consumer sentiment; and an enhanced Audience Insights offer. More
Experience Management (XM) company Qualtrics has appointed Juan Rodriguez as Chief Information Officer and Assaf Keren joins Qualtrics as Chief Security Officer. More
Converged TV advertising solutions firm Cadent has agreed the acquisition of measurable programmatic advertising company AdTheorent, for around $324m in cash, or $3.21 per share. More
Unified customer experience management platform Sprinklr has appointed Amitabh Misra as Chief Technology Officer, starting this week. Misra will lead all R&D teams worldwide including product and engineering, and also joins the Executive Leadership Team. More
In Birmingham, UK, full service social research agency M.E.L Research has appointed Ayesha Lynn-Birkett as a Senior Research Executive, and promoted Angela Parton to Telephone Unit Manager. More
Kantar has promoted Amanjit Singh to Regional Marketing Director - APAC, after more than thirteen years at the company. More
Consumer intelligence provider NIQ has partnered with burger giant McDonald's USA to develop a new module called Cultural Resonance, part of its BASES ad testing portfolio. More
In the US, unified customer experience management platform Sprinklr has announced fourth quarter and full year results for the period ended January 31st 2024. Q4 revenue was up 17% to $194.2m, while non-GAAP operating income more than doubled to $32.4m. Full year revenue was $732.4m, up 18%. More
Personalized video content creation platform VidMob has brought in Matt Young as Chief Revenue Officer, promoted Erin Arnett to VP Client Solutions and Global Brands, and moved interim CRO JP Maheu into the role of strategic advisor. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) as issued a joint statement with the 'JIC' set up at the beginning of last year by OpenAP, the Video Advertising Bureau and a group of TV broadcasters - to clarify the distinct roles and approaches of the two bodies. More
In New York, digital audio and broadcast radio tech and services firm Triton Digital has acquired audio intelligence platform Sounder. More
Austin, Texas-based Measured has launched a platform promising marketers the ability to view incremental ad performance across all paid media platforms, in one place, without the need to track users across the web. More
Comscore has announced the resignation of Pierre-Andre Liduena from its Board of Directors, effective next week. Liduena had joined following the investment of Charter Communications in 2021. More
Anil Goel has joined Nielsen as Chief Engineering Officer, leading its technology and engineering teams to drive product innovation and advanced technology adoption. He is based in Bengaluru, India and will report to CEO Karthik Rao. More
Eponymous online survey firm SurveyMonkey has promoted Jing Huang to VP, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Katie Miserany to SVP and Chief Communications Officer, and Craik Pyke to VP, Infrastructure and Security Engineering. The firm now boasts gender equality at both the C-Suite and VP levels. More
Media measurement and optimisation platform Integral Ad Science (IAS) has announced a partnership with photo sharing pioneer Snap Inc., promising advertisers increased transparency, brand safety and suitability across their Snapchat campaigns. More
Advertising Resource Management (ARM) software company MINT has appointed Christoph Kruse as Global Marketing Director. He was previously Director of Regional Marketing in Europe at Outbrain. More
In London, Havas Media Network UK has joined cross-media measurement initiative Origin, completing the representation of the global marcoms networks within the programme. There are now 51 funding stakeholders in total including advertisers, media owners and advertising agencies. More
Comscore has announced that its Directors will now support the addition of Matthew F. McLaughlin to the Board at the forthcoming 2024 annual meeting of stockholders. Former DoubleVerify exec McLaughlin was put forward by activist shareholder 180 Degree Capital Corp in January. More
Comcast subsidiary AudienceXpress is collaborating with viewing measurement company iSpot, to evaluate how the latter's syndicated national TV ratings can be incorporated into the AudienceXpress platform and enhance its syndicated measurement currency. More
WPP-owned ad agency VML is to upgrade its proprietary digital commerce tech and retailer intelligence suite via a partnership with retail ecommerce management platform CommerceIQ. The latter's generative and predictive AI will help VML to optimize clients' digital shelf performance. More
B2B research firm NewtonX has appointed former American Express employee Kavita Anand as Vice President of Product, leading strategy, design and development for products including the firm's Knowledge Graph and its expert intelligence platform NewtonX Prime. More
London-based audience researcher RSMB has appointed Alison Finch as Client Account Lead with responsibility for radio audience currency RAJAR, replacing Anne Robshaw who is leaving the company after seventeen years. RSMB is an independent company jointly owned by Kantar and Havas. More
Nielsen has announced an agreement with ridesharing network Lyft, to measure the audience for the latter's in-app advertisements delivered through Lyft Media. More
In New York, transaction insights specialist Behaviorally has announced the appointment of Richard Bell as Managing Director, Global Client Capabilities. More
London-based global media measurement and optimisation platform Integral Ad Science (IAS) has won MRC accreditation for its integrated third-party calculation and reporting of YouTube video viewability, which is based on audited data from Google's ADH-MP. More
In the US, Comscore has been granted accreditation by the Media Rating Council (MRC) for the Total Household Rating and Average Audience estimates in both its national and local TV Time Based Grid reports. The award means Comscore is currently the only company accredited for its local TV measurement. More
Ipsos has launched an Out of Home (OOH) advertising solution promising to help users assess and optimise OOH creative in as little as 24 hours. More
In the US, cultural intelligence specialist Collage Group has appointed Elizabeth Jackson as its first Chief Marketing Officer. She brings to the role more than thirty years of experience in marketing, strategy, insights and new product innovation. More
In New York, AI-powered ad tech company Smartly has launched Brand Pulse, which taps data from Comscore and GWI (Global Web Index) as well as its own sources to give users a holistic view of the customer journey, including ad impact. More
In Australia, video-based insight consultancy Qualie has appointed Lena Kelly as Senior Researcher and Strategist. 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
Comscore has launch its Social Incremental audiences service, part of its MMX Platform suite, in the UK. The solution measures incremental traffic across social media platforms, with deduplicated, person-level reach and a unified view across desktop, mobile and social. More
British-based ad impact measurement and forecasting specialist System1 Group Plc has appointed Mike Perlman as Chief Commercial Officer and Alex Banks as SVP of business development for The Americas. More
In Vancouver, BC, Canada, 'creator commerce' platform Trnd has launched a service called Advanced Brand Analytics, allowing users to evaluate their influencer marketing strategies with the help of data on creator performance, audience engagement and conversion. More
In California, eCommerce solutions and consumer analytics provider PriceSpider has announced a number of upgrades to help brands build seamless omnichannel experiences. They include new data sharing and integration tools. More
US-based mobile app market intelligence and insights provider Sensor Tower has announced the acquisition of mobile marketing firm data.ai, formerly known as App Annie. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, neuro- and behavioral science specialist HCD Research has appointed Rachel Czapla as Senior Director of Global Research and Consulting. 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
European research agency Bilendi has appointed Cecilia Glauser as the Country Manager for Sweden, replacing Björn Söderlin. More
Customer journey management and insights firm TheyDo, based in Amsterdam, has secured $34m in funding, with which to increase R&D - focused on AI and data ingestion - and build out its customer-facing team in the US. More
California-based CX solutions firm Five9 has appointed former Gartner exec Steve Blood as Vice President of Market Intelligence and Evangelism, based in Europe. More
New York-based Adelaide, which provides attention-based media quality measurement, has added coverage of CTV to its Attention Leaderboard service. More
Personalized shopping experience company Fermat, based in San Francisco, has more than doubled its funding to date with a $17m raise. The firm's software allows users to launch, test and optimize web pages based on individual customer journeys and the preferences and intentions they reveal. More
San Diego-based omnichannel consumer data and analytics platform Daasity has acquired Red Fox Analytics, which provides analytics for for retail-focused CPG brands, for an undisclosed sum. The combination promises merchants online and off-line sales, distribution and marketing data in one place. More
In the UK, Samsung's advertising division has become the first CTV backer of Origin, the ISBA's cross-media measurement programme. More
In Dallas, 'Creator Commerce' company LTK has launched LTK 360, a full-funnel influencer marketing measurement and analysis platform, while adding CTV to the list of media for which users can create, launch and measure advertising. 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
Multichannel eCommerce enablement and analytics platform MikMak has enhanced its insights offering with the launch of a Custom Report Builder function, as well as a CX optimization tool, 'Headless Commerce API'. More
Digital media measurement specialist DoubleVerify (DV) has expanded its partnership with media giant NBCUniversal, to provide program-level measurement solutions across OTT devices, including CTV. More
San Francisco-based predictive intelligence firm 6sense has appointed Jerome Levadoux as its first Chief Product Officer. More
US measurement standards organisation The Media Rating Council (MRC) has appointed Hannah Bolcar as Director, Measurement Audit Operations. More
Comscore's programmatic ad targeting division Proximic has partnered with advertising and martech group Epsilon, providing contextual classification of sites to help the latter's clients monitor issues like brand suitability and inventory quality. 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
Former Dynata Chief Gary Laben has joined retail and consumer goods analytics and inventory optimisation firm Trax, as CEO. More
UK television and video ad currency provider Barb has announced a major upgrade to its CFlight cross-media campaign reporting service. The tool now promises advertisers and agencies comprehensive campaign performance data against fourteen key traded audience groups. More
Canadian-owned market research and analytics firm Leger has upped its stake in remote, AI-driven advertising test platform CUBE AI to 51%, having been a minority shareholder since 2022. More
In the US, media measurement and optimization firm Prescient AI has secured $10m in Series A funding, with which to further develop its product, expand sales and add new media channel integrations. It has also enhanced its attribution model to measure the halo effects of campaigns on sales in the Amazon marketplace. 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
Customer and employee experience firm Medallia has appointed Ben Brewer as Chief Revenue Officer. 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
Australia's Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) is to expand its regional audience surveys, conducted by Xtra Insights, to include more markets this year, while for the first time CATI surveys will be supplemented by the launch of online survey sampling in eight markets. More
Global non-profit organization Women in Research (WIRe) has added Meta's Jackie Chan, Alex Owens of Unilever and Reckitt's Dr. Elaine Rodrigo to its advisory board, as well as System1's Chief People Officer Emma Cooper representing the supply side. More
In Boston, US, streaming technology company Brightcove has launched 'Publisher Insights', part of its Media Studio Premium solution, which provides real-time analytics specifically for news organizations and other organizations focused on rapidly and constantly updated content. 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
Audience engagement veteran Josh Chasin is to advise digital marketing analytics platform FutureSight as it widens its focus to serve 'midmarket' customers. Chasin previously held senior roles at VideoAmp, Comscore, Arbitron and SMRB. More
Miami-based PR platform Muck Rack has enhanced its measurement and reporting capabilities with new features for areas including media impact analysis, brand reputation insights and competitive analysis. More
UK audience measurement authority Barb has promoted Caroline Baxter to Chief Operating Officer, with a remit to work alongside CEO Justin Sampson on driving the organisation's move towards cross-device measurement and total campaign performance reporting. More
Comscore has reported full year 2023 revenue of $371.3m, down 1.4%, but with FX-neutral adjusted EBITDA up 29% to $46.9m. CEO Jon Carpenter pointed to growth in local TV measurement and in the CCR and Proximic offerings as strong indicators for the future. More
Similarweb has announced the acquisition of ad intelligence specialist Admetricks, whose software will now form the core of a new Similarweb Ad Intelligence product. More
In the UK, business-to-business insights forum The Business Intelligence Group (BIG) is to be reintegrated as a network of the Market Research Society (MRS), a status it held in the 1990s before moving to independent operation. More
Customer data science pioneer dunnhumby has partnered with location analytics specialist Placer.ai in the US to provide retailers and CPG companies with a combination of on-and off-line customer insights and personalize customer communications and experiences. More
In London, brand lift measurement company ThisThat has secured an unspecified amount of funding from four founders of unicorn companies, in addition to other funds and angel investors. More
Global MR and data group YouGov has announced the rebranding of its Swiss subsidiary LINK, acquired in December 2021, as YouGov Switzerland. More
In the USA, integrated ad intelligence and viewing data provider AdImpact has appointed Laia Pescetto as Vice President of Marketing, following 400% growth in its industry-wide ad solutions client base in 2023, Its core political ad business has also grown rapidly. More
Madrid-based digital marketing group Samy Alliance, the parent of British-based research firm Capture Intelligence, has acquired Helsinki-based social media agency Kurio, giving it a presence in the Nordic countries. More
Singapore-based customer experience solutions firm TDCX is to be acquired and taken private by a team led by its CEO and founder Laurent Junique, via a merger valuing the nearly 18,000-strong company at around $1.037bn. More
Adelaide, Australia-based attention measurement specialist Amplified Intelligence has appointed Anthony Capano as EVP Global Head of SaaS. More
Business services colossus Accenture has acquired Melbourne-based marketing tech consultancy The Lumery, adding expertise in areas including personalization, CRM and loyalty, testing and experimentation, and automation to its Accenture Song division Down Under. More
Comcast Advertising, the ad division of Comcast Cable, has launched a new solution called the Signal Authentication Service, which it says will improve the accuracy of cross-screen reach and frequency analysis. More
US-based audience measurement company VideoAmp has unveiled a big data and technology 'engine' called VALID, which measures and targets cross-platform audiences and promises more efficient media spending, higher conversion rates and more accurate data for publishers. More
Insight and customer analytics group STRAT7 has announced twenty-one appointments / promotions, including four senior promotions at Crowd DNA, and the creation of eight new roles. More
Streaming data insights provider PlumResearch has appointed Jonathan Broughton as Research Director, tasked with advancing its analytics and insights capabilities in the entertainment industry. More
Hamburg-based Heyflow, whose no-code platform helps marketers create, optimise and analyse web site experiences, has closed a EUR 14.7m Series A funding round. The money will be used to accelerate product development and integrations, and for geographical expansion of its customer base. More
NIQ, the consumer intelligence company previously part of Nielsen and now combined with GfK, has launched a Global Media Division, which it says is 'designed to enhance the value advertisers derive from their marketing efforts' - and has appointed Lana Busignani to lead it. More
PAMCo, the company which oversees audience figures for British newspapers and magazines, has appointed Emma Holden as Acting MD after the departure of CEO of ten years Simon Redican. More
Behavioural understanding specialist iMotions has unveiled EduLabs, a platform integrating biometric technology solutions for use by academic institutions, departments and students. 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
Digital ads trade body IAB Europe has published a first set of European recommendation for metrics and measurement standards covering Retail Media digital advertising. 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
Brand tracking specialist Tracksuit has raised $13.5m in Series A funding, which it will use for its official launch in the US and UK markets, and to expand its research and platform capabilities. 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
Kantar Media is to provide Netflix with a cross-platform view of its performance in Spain, according to reports. The data will allow the streaming service to compare its audience with those for linear and on-demand networks and platforms. More
In a deal described as 'a world-first industry collaboration between media industry measurement bodies', OzTAM audience data for BVOD - the streaming and catch-up services offered by TV broadcasters - is to be integrated into Ipsos iris, the approved currency of IAB Australia. More
Marcoms group Stagwell has agreed to acquire What's Next Partners (WNP), a French digital brand and marketing consultancy whose offer includes consumer intelligence, CRM and data analytics as well as strategic planning, ad creative and digital content production. 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
GenAI-based consumer emotion and sentiment specialist Glimpse has appointed former Cint and Dynata researcher Mike Steinberg as Vice President of Business Development. More
Marcoms group Stagwell has acquired London-based Sidekick, an agency collective with skills in experiential marketing, digital storytelling and branded content - and will combine it with its San Francisco-based global marketing and comms consultancy Allison. More
WPP has reported preliminary results for the full year 2023, with revenue (less pass-through costs) of £11.86bn, up 0.9% on a like-for-like basis, and operating profit down more than 60% to £531m. More
Comscore has upgraded its Campaign Ratings (CCR) service to extend deduplicated audience measurement to the local market level, and says that for the first time CCR will integrate national and local linear TV, digital, streaming and social channels. More
In Canada, qual research tech firm Recollective has launched two new services, Recollective Connect and the Recollective Qualtrics Integration, helping research agencies and brands to engage their research participants 'seamlessly and efficiently'. More
Cross-media ad delivery and measurement platform Innovid has announced the availability of publisher-level outcomes analysis for all DSP and SSP campaigns, allowing brands and agencies to 'understand, assess and compare' performance in detail and 'without bias' across all their media buys. 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 Glasgow, Scotland, former RBS and YouGov Sport exec Bruce Cook has launched SponsorLab, a new sponsorship measurement tool for sponsors, agencies and rights holders. More
Transaction data specialist Behaviorally has expanded its business development team in New York with the appointment of Director Peter Cloutier, and in Chicago where Shane Schultz joins as a Manager. More
Business services behemoth Accenture has agreed to acquire CX analytics provider GemSeek, for an undisclosed sum. More
Atlanta-based call tracking, marketing and lead intelligence platform CallRail has added AI-driven, self-reported attribution capabilities to its CallRail Labs innovation program, promising visibility into the impact on sales of branding, word of mouth, social media and other channels. More
New York-based audio analytics and research platform Veritonic has partnered with computer vision and attention AI company Realeyes to launch the Audio Attention Report, putting data behind the untapped potential of radio and podcast audio advertising. More
Yahoo has launched a rapid insights solution called PurpleLab, based on Qualtrics technology - initially in Australia and Southeast Asia. More
Tel Aviv-based digital market intelligence company Similarweb has announced 2023 revenue up 13% to $218.0m, with adjusted operating loss slashed from $63.8m to just $4.8m, including a profit in the fourth quarter. More
In New York, audio analytics and research platform Veritonic has launched Brand Lift Pulse, an addition to its established Brand Lift solution which it says brings its data to those running campaigns of any size. More
Digital media measurement and analytics firm DoubleVerify (DV) has enhanced its solutions for measuring and protecting clients against 'Made For Advertising' (MFA) content online, promising them the ability to 'optimize media investments, by carefully balancing brand protection and campaign scale'. More
Longtime Ipsos exec and current Global Head of Audience Measurement Liz Landy is to leave the company at the end of this month. Daniel Wong-Chi-Man will step up to Lead the Audience Measurement Service Line globally, while Ipsos iris leader James Oates will add responsibility for the business in the UK. More
Nielsen has announced that its Pacific Broadcaster & Publisher Lead Tony Boyte will be stepping down in April, to be replaced by eighteen-year company veteran Scott Gillham. More
In the US, enterprise marketing attribution platform Alembic has raised $14m in series A funding, which it will use to enhance its engineering capabilities, broaden its product range and accelerate client acquisition. Backers include Jeffrey Katzenberg and Joe Montana. More
Toronto, Canada-based gaming industry analytics and infrastructure provider Helika has completed an $8m Series A funding round, for use in accelerating the launch of its AI-powered Game Management products. More
Stamford, CT-based technology research and advisory firm Information Services Group (ISG) has launched a new product providing market intelligence for the buy- and sell-side dynamics of the IT and business services industry. More
Reputation and risk intelligence provider Signal AI has acquired Social 360, which monitors and analyses online comment influencing the reputation of clients around the globe. More
In the US, broadcasting and publishing network Nexstar Media Group has appointed Stacey Lynn Schulman as its first EVP, Platform Marketing and Intelligence. More
GroupM's new data / audience planning agency EssenceMediacom has formed a dedicated data, technology and analytics function to 'deliver business solutions to clients in the post-cookie era'. Poorani Adewole transfers in from Mindshare to lead the unit as Chief of Data, Technology and Analytics. More
UK-based agency Firefish Group has announced five promotions and seven new hires across the business. Fenella Twohig, Ciara Larkin, Rebekah Smith, Karen Chong, Chloe Lee, Jamie Robertson and Jonathan Dance all join the company. 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
European consulting and digital services firm Sopra Steria has announced a partnership with media insights firm TRP Research to help broadcasters, advertisers and others understand the way television and VOD services are consumed across different devices and platforms by UK audiences. More
UK-based agency davies+mckerr has appointed former Crowd DNA Director David Power as Head of Quant. More
B2B purchase intent data specialist TechTarget has announced a partnership with software review and assessment site G2, to help B2B enterprise technology buyers through the purchase cycle. More
Publisher Gannett / USA TODAY Network has appointed a dedicated Chief Data Privacy Officer, Marci Moss, with a remit to safeguard the information entrusted to its publications by clients, partners, users and employees. More
In the UK, audience measurement body Barb has awarded the contract for a new piece of research, the CFlight Landscape Study, to insights consultancy BVA BDRC. The work will help barb to estimate TV audience size and profile for various platforms and to understand the dynamics of household VOD consumption. More
Online sample marketplace and research tech company PureSpectrum has appointed former Ipsos, Nebu and Bilendi exec Ian Roberts as Business Development Director for EMEA, based in London. More
AI-based ad optimisation and measurement firm LoopMe has announced the recruitment of more than fifty new employees, growing its workforce by some 20%. This includes the appointments of Slava Taraskin as VP Business Development, and Adam Parker as VP of Corporate Development & Strategy More
Nielsen is expanding its Connected TV (CTV) measurement of YouTube ads into eleven additional global markets, including Germany, India, Japan and the UK. 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
PureSpectrum has appointed former Qualtrics and Dynata employee Mani Padmanabhan as Senior Client Director for Asia, based in Singapore. More
Consumer research platform GWI has partnered with Dynata to launch a solution called GWI Audience Activation, offering end-to-end marketing including segmentation, profiling, planning and activation, for pre-built or bespoke segments using the firms' global audience data. More
Customer and employee experience firm Medallia has announced four AI-based innovations - Ask Athena, Intelligent Summaries, Smart Response and Themes - geared to personalising customer and employee experience; and has launched a fully self-service MR tool, Medallia Agile Research. More
Consumer behavioral data firm Circana has launched Liquid Data Engage, which allows retailers to manage market performance, category management, loyalty, supply chain, and retail media data assets in one solution, and identify opportunities for growth. More
London-based brand measurement company On Device Research has appointed Gulshan Mahay in the new role of Account Director, in its commercial team in the UK. More
In the US, insights-driven marketing communications agency The Bliss Group has appointed Emily Porro as SVP and co-leader of its Impact practice. 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
Ipsos has appointed former Kantar and Mintel exec Dale Beaton as head of its Brand Health Tracking (BHT) Service Line in the UK. More
Tel Aviv-based Octup, which provides an operational AI-driven ecommerce insights platform, has raised $4m in a Pre-Seed funding round, with which to roll out its end-to-end discovery platform for ecommerce, add talent and expand to new markets. More
Sweden-based eye tracking and attention computing specialist Tobii has announced revenue of SEK 758m ($US 71.5m) for the full year 2023 - a decline in organic terms of 6%. The company has also completed its acquisition of vehicle interior sensing firm AutoSense, and announced new financial targets. More
Media measurement and optimisation platform Integral Ad Science (IAS) has rolled out an AI-driven Total Media Quality (TMQ) Brand Safety and Suitability Measurement product, across Facebook and Instagram Feed and Reels. More
Digital consulting, marketing and tech business Emtec is unifying its businesses and rebranding as Bridgenext. Its services include data, analytics and AI, as well as the creation and measurement of digital experiences. More
Consumer data giant Circana has announced changes to its commercial organisation including the appointment of former CPG sector President Jeremy Allen as Chief Commercial Officer. Tim Bush, currently President, General Merchandise, will retire by the end of the year after two decades at Circana and NPD. More
In New York, Nielsen has announced it will expand coverage of its National TV out-of-home (OOH) panel this year, in order to 'fully represent all US TV households'. More
Nielsen is suing rival TV audience measurement firm VideoAmp for alleged infringement of two recently-issued patents concerned with the correction of viewing data skewed by 'phantom' or 'zombie' viewing. More
In the US, innovation and experience consultancy Bounteous is to merge with digital engineering, data and AI services provider Accolite Digital, creating a new end-to-end digital transformation services consultancy with a focus on 'co-innovation'. 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
Comscore has promoted Alejandro Fosk, previously SVP for Latin America, to EVP International, overseeing its EMEA, APAC and LATAM regions. More
Berlin, Germany-based enterprise customer data solutions provider Zeotap has appointed former Deutsche Bank Group CEO Western Europe Frank Krings as a Strategic Advisor, supporting its growth in the EU banking, insurance and asset management industry. Krings has also invested in the company. 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
Software automation veteran Francis Carden has joined analyst firm HFS Research as Chief Technology Evangelist. More
Comscore's audience and content targeting solutions division Proximic has been awarded a patent for its livestream contextual intelligence technology, which it says will help publishers monetize their livestream video inventory and increase advertiser confidence in buying it. More
Brand measurement company On Device Research has appointed Allan Breiland in the new role of Research Director ANZ, tasked with expanding and tailoring its brand measurement solutions across the region. 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
French audience metrics company Médiamétrie has announced that its UK subsidiary TAPE Consultancy will be rebranded to operate as part of Glance, its international division. More
In the US. customer experience company Harte Hanks has made permanent the previously Interim CFO role of David Garrison, and appointed David Fisher as Chief Transformation Officer. More
Australia-based insights and data business Pureprofile has announced revenue up 8% to $AUD 24m for the half year ended 31st December, and EBITDA of $AUD 2.4m, up 6% or 21% on a like-for-like basis. More
UK-based 'human understanding' agency Walnut Unlimited has announced eleven recent promotions, including that of Becky McGee to Research Director and Yaasir Aslam, Alex Baines, Rachel Ellis and Adam Gilbert to AD roles. More
Australian independent media agency Kaimera has appointed former GroupM exec Brett Camilleri as its first Chief Data Officer. More
Origin, a cross-media measurement initiative led by the UK's advertising trade group ISBA has added six more advertiser stakeholders, and says its platform is now 'up and running'. More
Toluna has appointed Lucie Claire Vincent Ortiz to its Board of Directors. As a senior operating executive in multinational consumer product companies, including Colgate-Palmolive Co. and Philip Morris International, she will advise the Board with a particular focus on the needs of this sector. More
In the US, personalized content and viewer insights provider ThinkAnalytics has appointed former Comscore exec Andrew Read as VP Sales, EMEA; and Roger Sherwood, formerly of AWS, as SVP Professional Services for the Americas. More
In New York, data collaboration platform InfoSum has inked a deal with DIRECTV Advertising, to create a first party data-matching solution for advertisers. More
Cross-platform viewing analytics company datafuelX has partnered with US consumer insights veteran MRI-Simmons, to enhance the former's device-level TV viewing data sets with the latter's demographic attributes. 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
Menlo park, California-based social media video insights and analytics provider ViralMoment has secured $2.5m in a seed round of investment, with which to widen the scope of its video-reading AI. More
In the US, Connected TV ad management and measurement solution MNTN has announced a full integration with marketing analytics platform Rockerbox, promising clients enhanced cross-device measurement and accurate attribution of MNTN's proprietary Verified Visits and business outcomes. 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
Former Ipsos and Gartner senior exec Lorenzo Larini has joined Advertising Resource Management (ARM) software firm MINT, headquartered in Milan, as Global CEO. He replaces founder Andrea Pezzi, who moves to a new role as Chairman. More
Insight agency Opinum has hired Matthew Barton as Senior Consultant, based in Amsterdam, supporting continued 'rapid growth' in Europe. More
Healthcare specialist Research Partnership has launched a new Alzheimer's Disease tracker in Germany, Japan and the US, as part of of its syndicated Therapy Watch series. The firm plans to expand the service to other key European markets this year. More
Purchase transaction insight provider Behaviorally has announced the launch of GLADYS, a platform collating and analysing data extracted from the moment of purchase to give clients real-time insights to launch effective packaging designs. More
London-based ad measurement and impact optimisation firm DAIVID has promoted its EMEA MD Barney Worfolk-Smith to the role of Chief Growth Officer. More
In London, data-driven CXM company Merkle has launched a dedicated UK and Ireland Salesforce practice, promising clients the tools to optimise their use of data to enhance the customer experience. More
Comscore has announced a comprehensive multi-year agreement with Nexstar Media Group, for cross-platform audience measurement including metrics for Nexstar's local TV, broadcast, network and digital businesses. More
Audience intelligence platform Pulsar has launched a product called SEARCH, promising instant, search engine-style discovery of news coverage on any topic, across media types and languages. More
Digital media measurement company DoubleVerify (DV) has promoted Jack Smith to Chief Innovation Officer, and brought in Alex Valle to fill Smith's previous role as Chief Product Officer. More
Swiss-German-based Customer Experience Management consultancy ISC-CX has promoted Adino Baumann to serve as its authorized representative in Germany, and Sandra Nippraschk to the role of Country Operations Manager for DACH. More
Data and analytics strategy consultancy Cynozure has appointed Louise Hutchins to head up the development of its literacy and culture change services, for clients wanting to make the most of data and of AI. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's digital marketing group S4 Capital has issued a trading update following a 'difficult year' in which revenue declined around 4%, and says it does not expect any improvement in macro-economic conditions this year. More
Insights consultancy Nature has appointed Gareth Joe, formerly Associate Strategy Director at branding agency Principals, as Brand Strategist. More
Veteran digital marketing firm Razorfish, a subsidiary of Publicis, has promoted Sisi Zhang to serve as its Chief Data and Analytics Officer, and hired Matt Lefever as COO. More
Data-driven TV advertising solutions firm Simulmedia, headquartered in New York, has appointed Ken Rona as its new Chief Scientist. More
In San Francisco, marketing attribution platform Safary has secured $2.4m in a seed round of funding, to help it develop its 'web3 alternative to Google Analytics' and build its team. More
Ipsos India has appointed Shrutika More as Country Service Line Leader for the Creative Excellence vertical, with immediate effect. She joins from pharma firm Abbott Healthcare. More
MR and analytics group YouGov has promoted Tom Fisher to Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), aiming to deepen its relationships with blue-chip clients. More
Media measurement and ad currency giant Nielsen has appointed former Buzzfeed exec Carole Robinson as Chief Communications Officer. More
Nearly two years after US-based Mavrck bought fellow social media marketing company Later, the two companies have united under the acquired firm's brand name. More
Marketing budgets in UK companies are moving upwards more strongly than at any time in the last nine years, according to the latest 'Bellwether' report by advertising body the IPA. Breaking down results however reveals that market research is the one sector still in negative territory. More
Consumer intelligence specialist NIQ has announced a deal with TruAudience, the marketing solutions division of global information and insights company TransUnion, combining FMCG purchase data with identity graph software to offer robust audience modelling. More
Dynata has appointed three senior directors: Derek Brown as VP Australia and New Zealand, based in Sydney; Michael Fegan as VP North Asia, based in Hong Kong; and Russell Carter as Country Manager in Singapore. 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
New York-based customer engagement and CXM platform Emplifi, which grew out of the merger of Astute and Socialbakers, has appointed Ohad Hecht as its new CEO. More
Product and behavioral research specialist InsightsNow has appointed Michael Clark as Senior Director of Client Partnerships. 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
Shanghai-based fieldwork and research services provider Holden Healthcare has welcomed a partner in Korea to its Asia Physician Panel Alliance (APPA). Seoul agency Nownfuture joins existing partners Seed Planning in Japan and The Owl Consulting Company in Taiwan. More
Insight and communities firm Verve has announced eighteen promotions across its locations in London, Manchester, Sydney, Iasi (Romania) and Johannesburg, including the appointment of Kim Howard as Semiotics Research Director. More
Australia-based data and insights company Pureprofile is opening new offices in Germany and Portugal, its twelfth and thirteenth worldwide; and has appointed Thorsten Hardtke as Business Development Manager for DACH and Ricardo Cordova for Portugal and Spain. More
In the US, TV measurement company iSpot has launched a dedicated streaming measurement offering, with metrics for tracking audience consumption of CTV advertising, as part of its Unified Measurement platform. More
GroupM, WPP's media investment group, has announced it will integrate behavioral data into its Choreograph insights platform via Google's Audience Insights API. More
Brand and market research agency Savanta has appointed Richard Brooks as External Communications Director, strengthening its PR team with a UK General Election to be called this year. More
UK-based b2b services group Informa Plc is combining part of its business with US-based b2b purchase intent specialist TechTarget to create a new company in which Informa will hold a majority stake. The British firm will also pay $350m in cash. More
British-based behavioural intelligence platform NumberEight, which provides privacy-focused solutions for advertising, has secured $2.7m in Pre-Series A funding. The money will be used to drive commercial growth, enhance product development and expand in the US. More
Insights and CX platform DISQO has promoted David Karp from VP of Customer Success to Chief Customer Officer. More
WPP is examining a possible sale of its remaining stake in Kantar, according to sources quoted by Bloomberg. More
Video campaign delivery and analysis firm Simulmedia has reinforced its top management with a new structure. Founder and CEO Dave Morgan moves to the role of Executive Chairman, while COO Jon Werther becomes CEO, with greater oversight of operations and day-to-day direction. More
Data collaboration platform InfoSum has launched a new solution called Private Path, aiming to help client organizations securely maximize the value of first-party data outside the clean room environment. More
GfK has completed the sale of its European Consumer Panel Services business (CPS GfK) to YouGov, a divestment required under competition law as part of the German-based global group's merger with retail data giant NIQ. The deal has been valued at around EUR 315m. 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
Customer engagement platform Twilio has appointed a new Chief Executive. Co-founder Jeff Lawson is stepping down from the role and from the Board, and Khozema Shipchandler, formerly President of the Twilio Communications division, succeeds him in both capacities. More
Marketing decision-making platform Extreme Reach has appointed former TVSquared President Jo Kinsella as Global President of its storytelling platform SourceXR - simultaneously rebranding to 'XR'. More
Audience data and omniscreen measurement tech firm SambaTV has announced a partnership with independent cross-media dataset HyphaMetrics, combining data from the former's opted-in devices and the latter's panel. More
Real-time brand tracking and campaign evaluation firm Delineate has appointed former Publicis Sapient exec James Betteley ('JB') as its new Chief Technology Officer. Former CTO James Stewart transitions to a newly created Chief Operating Officer role. More
San Francisco-based Stagwell subsidiary Allison has announced that Global CEO Scott Allison will step down from the role to focus on company expansion through acquisitions. Co-founder and Global COO Jonathan Heit steps up to replace him, as part of a wider senior shuffle. More
Kantar Media may be up for sale in 2024 for 'as much as £1bn', according to reports on Sky News. More
Founder Ross McCray is stepping down as CEO of VideoAmp, with former Discovery and Fox exec Peter Liguori joining as Executive Chairman and ex-Nielsen man Peter Bradbury as Chief Commercial and Growth Officer. The company will also cut almost 20% of its staff, according to reports. More
In Pittsburg, USA, retail sector VoC specialist First Insight, Inc. has launched an app called My INSIGHT, promising merchants, designers and planners better understanding of their consumers for purposes including assortment building and rationalization. More
Consumer data giant Experian has announced new partnerships with media marketplace Sonobi and first party commerce data firm Attain. More
New York-based Out-of-Home (OOH) ad services agency Billups, which offers a patented media analytics and measurement platform, is acquiring Brussels-based independent OOH agency Outsight. More
French TV measurement company Médiamétrie has expanded its services to measure viewing across four screens as well as Out-of-Home, as of this month. More
In London, media measurement and optimisation platform Integral Ad Science (IAS) has rolled out Quality Attention, a new product combining media quality, eye tracking and machine learning. The firm says the resulting transparent metrics will help advertisers increase ROI and boost conversions. More
Omniscreen audience measurement tech firm Samba TV has entered a strategic partnership with Snapchat parent Snap Inc., providing ad impact data for the entertainment vertical. More
San Francisco-based conversational search firm Perplexity has raised $73.6m in a Series B round of funding, valuing it at around $520m. money will be used to expand operations and business reach. More
The Insights Family, which provides intelligence focused on kids, parents and families, has relocated its Manchester headquarters to a larger space in the city centre, and has launched in the Republic of Ireland - described as its first 'Tier 2' market. More
Consulting giant Accenture has agreed to acquire the business of media and marketing tech company Jixie, and will integrate it into the tech-powered creative division Accenture Song. Jixie is based in Singapore but focuses on clients in Indonesia. More
Comscore has announced that its Lead Director, Brent Rosenthal, non-executive Chairman until 2022, will retire from the Board and not stand for re-election this year. The firm plans to nominate CEO Jon Carpenter to join the Board in 2024. More
Manchester, UK-based RealityMine, which monitors consumer use of digital devices for behavioural insights, has promoted Graham Dean to serve as its first Chief AI Officer and Ewan Leith to replace him as Chief Technology Officer. 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 the US, TV ad measurement company EDO and sports-first live TV streaming platform Fubo have announced a partnership to measure consumer behavior across Fubo's premium sports, news and entertainment content. More
In New York, MSI (The Marketing Science Institute), has announced the appointment of Dr. Tulin Erdem as its next Academic Executive Director for a two-year term beginning on July 1st 2024 - succeeding John G. Lynch Jr. The Institute is a division of the ARF. More
Social media intelligence and analytics group Meltwater will benefit from a $65m investment from Norwegian private equity firm Verdane, which takes an 11% stake in the company as a result - valuing Meltwater at around $592m. More
Digital measurement veteran Comscore is to proceed with a 1-for-20 reverse split of its issued and outstanding common stock, from this Wednesday, December 20th. The split is required because Comscore's share price has remained below Nasdaq's minimum $1 requirement. More
New York-based digital video ad and analytics platform Innovid has appointed Dani Cushion as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). She is based in Atlanta and will report to Chief Commercial Officer Dave Helmreich. More
YouTuber MrBeast - real name Jimmy Donaldson - has beta launched ViewStats, an analytics tool for fans and creators on the video sharing and social media platform, showing subscribers, views and estimated earnings for popular channels. More
Marcoms group Stagwell has promoted Elspeth Rollert to become the first CEO of its Stagwell Marketing Cloud (SMC) division. She was previously its CMO. More
Ipsos India has appointed former Nielsen exec Unni Hariharan as Executive Director leading its Tech and Ecommerce business. More
Communications analytics and insights firm PublicRelay has appointed Anu George as COO and Ryan Smith as Senior Vice President of Insights. More
Tech markets insight firm Counterpoint Research has completed the acquisition of display industry specialist Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC). 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
London-based Arcane, which provides an AI 'co-pilot for modern marketers', has announced $5m in seed funding, which it will use to grow its engineering and data teams, and to enhance its platform's AI functionality. More
TV ad measurement company EDO is to enrich its CTV ad outcomes data via a partnership with Experian, whose demographic attributes data will allow more granular measurement across the major TV platforms and manufacturers. More
London-based digital customer experience agency Great State has promoted Jinny Mitchell-Kent and David Chandler to serve as Joint Managing Directors, effective immediately. They replace and will report to Stuart Avery who steps back into the role of Non-Executive Chairman. More
Digital transformation consultancy Kin + Carta has hired Nick Curran as Director of Business Development, charged with driving expansion of the firm's offer for financial services organisations into new regions. 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
TV measurement company iSpot has appointed industry veteran David Coletti as Vice President of Sports Research & Insights. More
Consumer insights firm Big Village has launched a platform called Audience Intelligence, promising to help clients understand, target and evaluate consumer and b2b segments. More
In Chicago, fast-growing agency QualSights has appointed Tod Johnson and Karyn Schoenbart to its Board of Directors. More
In New York, commerce intelligence platform MikMak has announced a product upgrade and a partnership with consumer data giant Circana, promising clients data on off-line sales lift from digital marketing, along with help preventing cart abandonment and converting shoppers. More
UK-based B2B, healthcare and tech sector researcher RONIN International has appointed Venu Bendapudi as Vice President of US Sales. More
In the US Signum.AI, which provides tools for automating B2B customer research, has closed an unspecified Seed round of funding. The money will be used to support growth including market expansion and technology development. More
In Pasadena, California, behavioral and location insights specialist Near Intelligence, Inc. has announced it has entered Chapter 11 proceedings in a US Bankruptcy Court, which will supervise the attempted sale of its assets. More
In Australia, Nielsen has rolled out a reporting platform for the country's new 'VOZ' cross-media audience measurement solution, based on the company's established eTAM software. More
New York-based CPG industry customer insight platform Yogi has announced a $10m Series A round of funding, with which to accelerate growth including product development and the expansion of client support. More
WPP's consumer data specialist Wavemaker has appointed Irin Rahman as Chief Data and Technology Officer in the UK. More
Qortex, a New York firm providing Intelligent Video Analytics (IVA) has raised $10m in funding, with which to expand its headcount and technology, and launch in new vertical markets. 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
US-based tech insight provider Discuss has enhanced its capabilities for scaling qual research with the latest release of its People Experience Platform, featuring expanded 'Genie' generative AI tools and advanced global asynchronous research features. More
US-based media measurement, data and software solutions provider VideoAmp has a new Identity solution, integrating ID data from multiple providers in one system to help ensure advertisers and content owners their audience targeting is hitting the mark. More
Marketing measurement, attribution and analytics provider AppsFlyer has acquired oolo, a user acquisition and monetization decision-making platform. More
Australian TV audience measurement body OzTAM says its Virtual Australia (VOZ) measurement solution is on track for launch in 2024, with media agencies set to begin embedding the VOZ database in their systems in the coming months. More
In the US ThinkAnalytics, which provides TV content discovery, viewer data insights and cross-platform ad targeting services, has appointed former Cisco and AWS exec Marc Aldrich as Worldwide CEO, starting in the new year. More
Customer and employee experience solutions provider Medallia has appointed Nick Martin as SVP International. More
US-based self-service commerce solutions provides Cantaloupe Inc. has released two new analytics tools as part of its Seed Pro software platform: Seed Analytics and Seed Intelligence. More
Consumer analytics and market intelligence provider NIQ has promoted Elizabeth Buchanan to serve as President of its North American business, based in Chicago. She replaces Jeanne Danubio, who is retiring after 38 years with the business. More
Nielsen-owned entertainment data business Gracenote is launching an automotive data platform, giving easy access to its entertainment datasets for manufacturers looking to optimise in-car media experiences. 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
In Manchester, UK, customer experience tech news and insights provider CX Today has announced the acquisition of community and content platform MyCustomer, for an undisclosed sum. More
Savanta has announced the acquisition of North American-based shopper insights agency Explorer Research. More
UK ad currency provider Barb has awarded three contracts for audience measurement services: MetaBroadcast retains the metadata contract and adds the provision of interim overnight programme logs, while Clearcast will provide interim overnight commercial spot logs. More
Insights technology and panel provider Toluna has confirmed key leadership positions including regional Managing Directors, following its summer acquisition of MetrixLab. More
In Kansas City, MO, consumer behavior analyst Consumer Orbit has launched a platform called Political Orbits, to help political planners and buyers, station sellers and political consultancies to target campaigns on local linear TV and digital media. 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
In Washington DC, decision intelligence company Morning Consult has hired Noah Rosenberg as Chief Financial Officer, responsible for the company's financial, HR and operations functions. More
In New York, TV ad marketplace FreeWheel has partnered with OrkaTV to provide marketers with a way to buy advertising in the free ad-supported streaming television sector (FAST). More
Co-innovation and experience strategy consultancy Bounteous has expanded its leadership team with the addition of two new Senior Vice Presidents. More
New York-based Out-of-Home ad services agency Billups has launched an analytics platform specifically for the tracking and measurement of OOH campaign performance; and the formation of Billups Labs, which will work on research and development for the firm. More
ThinkAnalytics, which provides TV content discovery, viewer data insights and cross-platform ad targeting services, has appointed former Nielsen exec Matt Pagen as SVP in its ThinkAdvertising team. More
Social media intelligence specialist Bakamo has appointed Ipsita Bandyopadhyay, formerly Head of Research and Strategy at Mumbai's Quipper Research, as its new Research Director. 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
New York-based big data predictive insights provider Dataminr is to cut c.20% of its workforce as part of a restructuring exercise. More
In Austria, web tracking and data protection technologies firm JENTIS has raise EUR 11m in a Series A funding round, to fuel product development and accelerate market expansion. More
Search intelligence platform Captify has appointed John Piontkowski as President of North America, based in New York; and James Jones as Chief Marketing Officer, based in London. More
In Bangok,, Accenture is to acquire digital customer experience agency Rabbit's Tale for an undisclosed sum. The move is designed to strengthen the brand and data capabilities of Accenture Song, the former's Interactive customer experience and analytics business. More
US-based, AI-powered sponsorship analytics platform Relo Metrics has expanded its broadcast viewing and valuation data into the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, as well as Asia Pacific. More
Kantar has announced the launch in Spain of its Campaign Audience Validation solution, which helps guide strategic decision-making for ad campaigns. More
In Tokyo, Nielsen has appointed Naobumi Otaki as Sales Director for Japan, leading the Advertiser and Agency team in the country, driving sales, and developing long term strategic partnerships within the industry. More
Toronto-based eCommerce analytics platform Birdseye has raised $3m, which it will use to 'significantly bolster' its hiring efforts. More
US firm Aha Insights Technology has launched Aha Moments, a rapid response video capture solution, including a tool for making video highlights reels as well as AI-powered analysis features. More
Real-time brand and campaign tracking firm Delineate has announced the expansion of its team in Latin America with the appointments of Netzica Reyes as a Client Insight Director and Andy Davies as Associate Client Director. More
In the US, marketing consultancy Fusion92 has acquired data modeling platform TRAK Data - its fourth buy in the last two years. More
UK-based ThisThat, a data company focused on influencer marketing measurement, has appointed Lucy Schofield as Finance Director and Joe Adsett as Growth Director, as it gears up for growth in 2024. More
Retargeting technology provider RTB House has launched generative AI technology which it says provides 'more precise' audience insights. More
European omnichannel advertising company Hawk was announced a strategic partnership with audience data company Samba TV, promising more effective targeting for clients. More
Media auditing, management and analytics firm MediaSense has appointed former Britbox International exec Matthew Gardner as COO, supporting plans for international growth. He replaces co-founder Andy Pearch, who moves to an NED role, with immediate effect. More
Audiencerate, which supplies data management and activation solutions for advertising and marketing, has announced a new CEO, Marco del Tongo. He will also lead the firm's new Italian business, as Interim MD, as it opens an office in Milan. More
Mobile survey tech company Livepanel has appointed former Delineate Chief Ben Leet as a Strategic Advisor. More
UK-based broadcaster ITV has launched two measurement solutions, Addressable Lift and TV Auction Boost, allowing clients to measure TV ad business outcomes including web traffic, sales and profit. More
Data-fuelled digital marketing agency Brainlabs has appointed Agnieszka Kosik as Chief Executive Officer for its business in Poland. More
UK firm Edit Agency has acquired customer engagement and data strategy company CustomerKIND, for an undisclosed sum. More
The Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AiMCO) has launched a specialist guide on the key topic of metrics and measurement, offering a guide to measurement and metrics best practice in influencer marketing. More
UK TV audience measurement and ad currency body Barb has outlined a timetable for its upgrade to unified TV advertising metric CFlight. The organisation has also hired Luca Vannini for the newly created role of Head of Campaign Audiences, leading delivery of total campaign reporting. More
In Brisbane, data-driven media and ad services agency Audience Group has added three new members to its team. More
WPP has launched a campus in Brussels, bringing together around 600 people and nine of its agencies in the country. More
UK regulator the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has warned top web sites to make cookie changes to comply with data protection law, or face enforcement action. More
San Francisco-based predictive intelligence firm 6sense has launched a tool called Campaigns for LinkedIn, allowing clients to launch hyper-targeted LinkedIn account-based marketing (ABM) campaigns directly within the 6sense Revenue AI platform. More
Consumer testing platform Stickybeak, which recruits respondents for testing and research through social media platforms, has partnered with online sample marketplace PureSpectrum to ensure clients can reach 'any consumer niche anywhere in the world'. More
In New York, audio analytics and research platform Veritonic has extended its 'long-form content analysis' solution to video. 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
Canada-based conversational AI company Nexxt Intelligence | inca has added four to its Client Support and Development functions. More
In the US AudienceXpress, which delivers targeted multiscreen TV advertising with a total reach of more than 300 million viewers, has partnered with Publicis-owned data firm Epsilon to enhance audience-based, convergent television buying. More
Manchester, UK-based data gatherer RealityMine has announced a partnership with US research veteran Bruce Friend, boosting the Stateside push for its recently launched product 'Connect'. More
Digital insights provider Heap has announced new out-of-the-box dashboard features which it says 'guide users to actionable insights', specifically identifying friction points across the customer journey. More
Austin, Texas-based video advertising firm KERV Interactive has launched the Active Attention Index (AAI), billed as 'a breakthrough in attention measurement', which measures the quality and quantity of its user actions as they engage with its platform. More
Digital media measurement company DoubleVerify (DV) has announced key hires in Europe as it expands across the EMEA region. Lisa Mahfud joins as Business Director in the Netherlands, Daniele Maccarrona in Italy and Kenny Spangberg in Sweden. More
In the US digital marketing agency Marketwake has acquired Punchlist, a no-code visual-first feedback management and collaboration tool - for an undisclosed sum. 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
British Out-Of-Home (OOH) measurement body Route has hired Eda Incekara as its first Marketing and Insight Manager, while Aidan West joins from CCData in the new role of Data Engineer, to help automate, 'wrangle' and surface Route's audience data. More
US-based agency Kepler has incorporated YouGov's Profiles and BrandIndex solutions into its service, to provide clients with market intelligence on a range of categories, for use in media planning and buying decisions. 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
In the US, AI-based B2B customer insights solution provider BlastPoint has received more than $8m in funding, which it will use for product enhancements, research and market expansion. More
Consumer behaviour specialist ViewersLogic has launched a cross-platform media planning tool, fed by single-source data collected 24/7 from the firm's panel of consumers and using behaviour-based filters to identify target audiences. More
Kantar has launched a proprietary attention framework, which uses facial coding and new gaze monitoring components to give advertisers measures of both active and passive attention, and uncover how well ad content captures the attention of viewers on a second-by-second basis. More
Digital media measurement and analytics platform DoubleVerify (DV) has launched its DV Publisher Suite in Japan, promising publishers and brands the tools and insights to improve ad delivery, enhance inventory quality and drive performance. More
US-based cookieless targeting specialist Semcasting has received a new patent for an ad targeting system based on 'IP Media Zones', which integrate contextual audience preference with marketers' identify graphs. More
Communications specialist MHP Group has launched a brand strategy offer called 'Reverb', building on its expertise in behavioural science to bring together strategy, creative, design and employee engagement. More
UK-based digital transformation, marketing automation and CRM consultancy Fuelius is opening an office in the US. More
Australia-based data and insights company Pureprofile has announced strong results for the third quarter of 2023, with revenue up 16% to $AUD 12.3m and continuing adjusted EBITDA of $AUD 1.5m, up 36%. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's S4 Capital has reported on a difficult third quarter, with net revenue down 15.4% (10% like-for-like) reflecting lower activity in its Content and Data&Digital media businesses. More
Behavioral science consultancy Protobrand has appointed former Nielsen and MarketCast employee Andrew McDonough as Director of Research, based in its Boston office. More
In San Francisco, digital experience optimization and personalization platform EVOLV AI has announced $13.3m in new funding. Money will be used to boost its go-to-market capabilities, reach more customers, and accelerate the development of its platform. More
Digital media measurement, data and analytics platform DoubleVerify has announced third quarter results, with revenue up 28% to $144.0m, and adjusted EBITDA of $45.7m. More
Media and entertainment giant NBCU has made EVP of Measurement and Impact Kelly Abcarian redundant, according to a report in industry publication Ad Age. Chief Data Officer John Lee takes over her previous responsibilities relating to measurement and research. More
Mobile app measurement platform AppsFlyer has acquired devtodev, which helps developers analyze their games and apps, helping them to optimize user retention, maximize conversions and create personalized experiences. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Not-for-profit industry organisation Audited Media Association of Australia (AMAA) has announced that long-standing CEO Josanne Ryan is leaving the organisation in mid-November. It has also appointed one of its Directors, Patrick Whitnall, to the newly created role of Managing Director of AiMCO. More
UK-based strategic insight and customer analytics group STRAT7 has launched a generative AI tool called strat7GPT, which ingests and analyses unstructured data uploaded from any text-based source, including verbatim survey responses, transcripts, PDFs, presentations and call logs. More
In New York, TV ad marketplace FreeWheel has launched a tool called Audience Manager, promising publishers faster audience activation across screens. More
In the US, AI-powered sponsorship analytics platform Relo Metrics has launched a solution called 'Relo Census', allowing stakeholders to benchmark performance, identify market trends, and gather real-time competitive intelligence. More
Ipsos has made a number of senior changes, including moving Balaji Pandiaraj to lead Customer Experience for its business in India. Apeksha Jain moves up to Pandiaraj's previous role as Country Service Line Leader, Automotive and Mobility Development (AMD). More
London-based insights and analytics growth consultancy Freemavens has appointed former Black Swan Data exec Lauren Warnock as Analytics Director, while former Kantar Consulting exec Stephanie Holt joins as Senior Consultant. More
Comscore has reported a 1.9% drop in third quarter revenue to $91.0m; but also improved EBITDA, and net income of $2.6m, compared with a net loss of $52.4m in Q3 2022. More
Marketing analytics platform Piwik PRO has merged with consent management platform (CMP) Cookie Information, promising clients 'complete insight' into the customer journey alongside compliance with regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In Boston, US, customer data collection and modeling specialist Snowplow has appointed Brian Cohen as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, while Alex Lee joins as Senior Vice President of Global Sales. More
Marketing intel and programmatic media specialist MiQ has acquired French media governance MarTech company Grasp, promising to help agencies and brands save 'millions' in potential digital ad revenue losses through improved data integrity. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Poland-based data-as-a-service platform Justtag Group has acquired Relevant Audience, which provides segmented data to advertisers through programmatic buying. Terms of the deal, which will see Justtag enter the Scandinavian market, were not disclosed. 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
Netherlands-based full service agency DVJ Insights has appointed Dijana Justic as Global Director, Marketing Communications. Eline Witteveen, Peter van Drunen and Romeo Ramaekers have also joined the company with the title of Research Expert. More
European data collection group Norstat has handed over management of its research panel in the Republic of Ireland to its newly acquired UK subsidiary Panelbase. More
In the US, data clean room software developer Habu has partnered with ad performance analyst NCSolutions (NCS), to use the latter's consumer purchase data to help brands uncover and accelerate new insights. 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
Tech research and advisory firm Information Services Group (ISG) has announced third quarter revenue up 4.2% to $71.8m (about half of this organic) and adjusted EBITDA flat at $10.6m. It has also announced the acquisition of Ventana Research, expanding its coverage into the software industry. More
Consumer data giant Circana has announced an agreement to give clients of marketing tech company The Trade Desk access to its Media Lift solution, providing authenticated audience targeting and multi-retailer measurement. More
Dallas-based personalization platform Monetate has launched a Journey Analytics tool, allowing users to view and evaluate customer experiences and behavior, including comparison of different promotional or operational variants under consideration. More
UK-based real-time brand and campaign tracking firm Delineate has announced a round of promotions, including Steffan Evans who becomes Production Director in the firm's new Technology and Operations Centre, opened in Wales last month. More
Less than a year after setting up its ad intelligence unit Vivvix, Kantar has sold it to US-based MediaRadar, which now aims to become 'the definitive source of advertising data and insights'. More
In the US, CRM platform HubSpot has agreed to acquire B2B data provider Clearbit. HubSpot says the buy will allow it to bring rich third-party company data into its system. 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
US-based search intelligence platform Captify has launched TV Search Lift, a proprietary study which evaluates the success and outcomes of CTV campaigns using on-site search data. More
Independent advertising and personalization platform Innovid has hired Alex Rowe as SVP of Enterprise Sales, based in Seattle and reporting to EVP of Global Sales Tim Braz. More
Strategy consultancy The Forge has appointed Laura Halliday as a Director in its Brand Strategy practice, based in London. 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
Nielsen has partnered with consumer research platform GWI to launch 'the Nielsen GWI Fusion', promising clients 'more comprehensive insights' into US TV audiences, cross-media behavior and its drivers. More
US tech analyst and research firm The Futurum Group has acquired San Francisco-based media company the Business Podcast Network (BPN). 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
Cadent, a provider of advanced TV advertising solutions, has announced a partnership with Comscore's programmatic unit Proximic, integrating two of the latter's services into the Cadent Aperture platform. More
In Australia, official television audience measurement body OzTAM has responded to Foxtel's launch last week of its own ad currency service, saying it 'poses the risk of confusion in the market' and that 'the industry has clearly stated that it wants one service to measure Total TV'. More
Cultural intelligence specialist Collage Group has launched an AI-based solution called fluen.ci which it says gives clients 'instant access to culture-centric, brand-specific insights'. More
US shopper insights firm Behaviorally has announced a number of recent promotions, including Sheryl Brie to SVP of Behavioral Qualitative and Paul Markovic to VP of Behavioral Qualitative. Zoe Williams becomes a Desktop Support Engineer, and Cody Fry and Kevin Garcia Insights Analysts. More
Independent ad platform Equativ has announced a partnership with video data platform IRIS.TV, integrating the latter's smart content identifier the IRIS_ID into a new marketplace for online video and CTV advertising. More
Digital media measurement and analytics provider DoubleVerify (DV) has announced a partnership with grocery tech company Instacart, allowing advertisers to verify media and optimize performance across the platform. More
PR group Hill+Knowlton Strategies has announced the formation of a global Intelligence + Technology capability; a partnership with Pendulum Intelligence; and the launch of a proactive analytics tool, H+K Sonar, which helps firms detect, predict and mitigate harmful narratives online. 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
UK-based marketing intelligence and programmatic media specialist MiQ has announced a number of senior appointments: Canada CEO Alfie Atkinson adds the role of 'CEO of UK', while Suzanne Strasser Grant, Danny Hopwood and Mauricio Leon join the company in EVP / C-Suite roles. More
In Miami, experience management platform JourneyTrack has been boosted by a $1m investment led by Elevate Capital, to be used to accelerate its product roadmap and scale the business. 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
Comscore has added social media metrics to its Media Metrix Multi-Platform suite, which already provides a deduplicated view of audiences across desktop and mobile. More
Global data and insights company Pureprofile has announced two appointments to strengthen its UK operations. Samantha Cooke joins as Senior Partnerships Manager UK, and Tyrone S'ng as Client Development Manager. More
Decision intellligence company Morning Consult has two new Senior Vice Presidents: Taylor Ashy joins the company in New York as SVP, SaaS Solutions, while in Chicago Brian James has been promoted to SVP Custom Solutions. More
WPP has reported third quarter revenue less pass-through costs of $2.837bn, down 0.6% on a like-for-like basis and 5.0% on a reported basis. Declines in North America and China offset growth in the UK, Western Continental Europe and the firm's 'Rest of World' region. More
Insights consultancy Verve has announced six promotions across its European team, including Lydia Martin to Research Director. More
DIY online survey synonym SurveyMonkey has launched Build with AI, a survey creation feature powered by OpenAI's GPT-3 software. More
AI-based creative performance platform VidMob has appointed former OMD and Aegis Media CEO Mainardo de Nardis as Executive Chairman, supporting its growth strategy and strategic agency relationships. More
Inight platform and sample exchange Cint has enhanced its attitudinal measurement product, Lucid Impact Measurement, with the integration of social media platform measurement. More
AI-powered ad creative effectiveness research platform DAIVID has appointed Dan Best as Strategic Advisor, Clients. More
Video understanding company Twelve Labs has raised $10m in a funding round, with which to expand its operations and business reach. More
Anil Hari has joined Code and Theory, the creative digital firm within Stagwell Group, as Head of Data, Analytics and AI. He joins from analytics and cloud solutions company DataFactZ, where he was a VP. More
Ipsos has acquired Ireland's Behaviour & Attitudes (B&A), which provides opinion and social research studies, as well as market studies - and will combine it with its own operations in the country to become 'the market research leader in Ireland'. The firm will be known as Ipsos B&A. 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
Social media analyst Social Standards has launched a solution called Brand Maps which identifies fast-growing brands - including new entrants to a market which have not yet realised their potential in stores - and profiles their audiences. More
Comscore has announced the integration of Roku - which it says is the number 1 TV streaming platform in the US, Canada and Mexico - into its flagship Campaign Ratings (CCR) cross-platform solution. More
Cross-media audience measurement solution Beatgrid has announced a partnership with marcoms firm PHD Australia, a part of Omnicom. More
US trade body the Insights Association (IA) is urging the District of Columbia to reject a proposal described as putting a tax on consumer data. More
In the US, AI-powered sponsorship analytics platform Relo Metrics has announced a strategic partnership with SponsorPulse to offer asset-level validation of sponsorship performance for the National Hockey League (NHL). More
UK TV audience measurement and ad currency body Barb has issued an invitation to tender for its Establishment Survey and panel recruitment contract. The panel will be expanded next year to include 7,000 homes. More
Data and analytics firms in the US and Europe continue to attract substantial investments. This week saw funding for Sweden's Mediatool, French community builder Hivebrite and US companies Hayden AI, cross-device iD specialist Fingerprint and sports intelligence pioneer Zelus Analytics. 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
Streaming service Netflix has made ad measurement a 'top priority', and will build on a recent partnership with Nielsen in the US to offer similar capabilities to partners in other countries, according to co-CEO Greg Peters. More
Customer and employee experience specialist Medallia has appointed Simonetta Turek as Chief Product Officer and a member of the executive leadership team. More
Users of consumer research platform Attest can now enhance surveys with video responses, adding a qual element to the firm's existing quant offer and bringing them together in its dashboard. More
Nielsen has launched its ONE Content cross-media measurement solution in a first country, Denmark, with plans to roll out around the world over the coming months. Sister product Neilsen ONE Ads is already available in twenty markets. More
Australia-based data and insights company Pureprofile has appointed former Brandwatch Chairman Mark Heeley as a Non-Executive Director. More
In the US, NIQ - once Nielsen's consumer data division - has launched a service measuring sales on social media eCommerce platform TikTok Shop, offering users data on sales volume, value and market share at the brand level. More
Neighborhood networking service Nextdoor has launched new solutions to help users measure and optimize ad performance, both on- and off-line. More
Stockholm, Sweden-based market intelligence and search specialist MyTelescope has released an AI-based platform using search data to spot opportunities, identify market trends, analyse purchase intent and forecast future sales and market share. More
Audio analytics and research platform Veritonic has announced that clients can now measure the performance of embedded or 'baked-in' audio ads via pixel-based brand lift measurement on listener ad exposure. More
In New York, digital video ad and analytics tech firm Innovid has appointed Anthony Callini as CFO, effective today, replacing Tanya Andreev-Kaspin who will 'pursue other opportunities' after a six month transition period. The firm also reported unaudited Q3 revenue of c. $36m, beating forecasts. More
British, tech-based insights and data firm Delineate is moving its headquarters to Ceredigion, on the west coast of Wales, and says it will build its team there to some 50 employees. More
In Sydney, Nielsen has partnered with audience tech firm Eyeota and synthetic population modeler RDA Research to offer Australian advertisers and marketers enhanced access to its CMV dataset (Consumer and Media View). More
dentsu has announced agreements with seven media partners who will use the global marcoms group's own proprietary system for ad buying and placement. The system taps subsidiary firm Merkle's Merkury database and M1 audience profiles, and gets its audience estimates from VideoAmp. More
The government of California has passed the 'Delete Act', allowing consumers to remove their personal data from the records of multiple companies with a single request on a single web page. More
Cloud-based marketing platform Zeta Global has announced new AI-enabled features for marketers looking to improve results and upgrade the consumer experience. The new additions include forecasting, modeling and attribution capabilities, and a customer intelligence app. More
In the US, Mediabase, which provides data on radio airplay, charts and audience listening trends, has acquired the All Access music distribution business unit from publisher Joel Denver. More
Nielsen has announced that CFO Warren Jenson, who joined the ratings giant just five months ago, will add the role of company President to his existing responsibilities. He will oversee the modernisation of operations and manage Nielsen's IT, Corporate Development and Global Strategy functions. 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
Marcoms group Stagwell has announced details of a suite of integrated, AI-based research products on which its Harris Poll and Maru agencies are working together. To be known as 'Harris Quest', this will include AI-enabled self-service polling and other 'instant information' SaaS solutions. 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
Australian TV measurement body OzTam has appointed Karen Halligan, most recently a Partner at KPMG, as its new Chief Executive. More
Origin, the cross-media measurement initiative of the UK's advertising trade group ISBA, is to work with US-based cross-screen analytics provider Samba TV, to test television data from the latter's proprietary automated content recognition (ACR) technology. More
DIY online research pioneer and enterprise feedback platform SurveyMonkey has added MaxDiff Analysis features, using industry standard Best-Worst scaling methodology to assess respondent's preferences. Existing customers on Advantage or higher plans get the tools for free. More
Stockholm-based enterprise insights platform Stravito has appointed former Adyen and Surfly exec My Truong as its Vice President of Marketing. More
Unified customer experience management platform Sprinklr has expanded its dashboard coverage to include Google and YouTube's new AI-powered ad solution Demand Gen Campaigns. More
Media and streaming group Paramount Global has announced a deal with TV audience measurement company iSpot.tv, whose Unified Measurement service will serve as an ad buying currency for the broadcaster's linear and streaming TV in the US. More
Eye tracking hardware and software specialist Tobii has launched a product called UX Explore, allowing researchers to conduct eye tracking and attention measurement studies and tests at scale via mobile phones. More
In London, audience measurement solutions firm AudienceProject has appointed former Nielsen exec Paul Barnard as Managing Director for the UK. 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
Adelaide, Australia-based omnichannel attention measurement company Amplified Intelligence has partnered with AI firm Chalice Custom Algorithms to combine its attention data with smart bidding technology. 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
NPAW, which offers analytics solutions for online media companes and has offices in Barcelona and New York, has launched a content optimization tool called Publisher Analytics. Features include real-time A/B testing for content elements. More
Aampe, a user engagement platform with locations in Raleigh, NC and Singapore, has announced a Pre-Series A funding round totalling $7.5m, with which to support product development and fuel continued global expansion. More
Personalized video content creation platform VidMob has appointed former Google exec Robert Wollner as its first VP of Agency Partnerships, responsible for nurturing and advancing its collaborations with global agencies. More
Nielsen has rolled out its Nielsen Media Impact (NMI) solution in South Korea, offering clients there deduplicated media consumption metrics across multiple platforms, via a single planning interface. More
In the US, data collection company Rep Data has acquired data quality and anti-fraud software platform Research Defender. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, digital experience analyst Contentsquare is to acquire product analytics specialist Heap, for an undisclosed sum. More
Kantar Media has signed an agreement with Romanian industry TV measurement body ARMA, to continue providing broadcast TV ratings to the market until the end of 2027. More
Canada-based opinion researcher the Angus Reid Group has appointed long-time Maru exec Michelle Walkey as Senior Vice President, leading the company's efforts across the financial services sector. More
Digital tech and CX services company Movate has acquired TSD Global, an international provider of outsourced sales and CX services. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In New York, audience measurement specialist Beatgrid has appointed long-time Nielsen exec Terrie Brennan as Chief Commercial Officer. More
In New Zealand, insights platform Yabble has launched a product which offers real-time interaction with virtual audiences that emulate real customers. More
London firm Unitary has raised $15m in series A funding, for use in scaling its AI video classification technology which 'understands video the same way that humans can'. More
Boutique agency Intuit Research has partnered with Kantar's Profiles division to launch a syndicated survey called Media DOTS (Media Data on Target Segments), tracking the profile, mindset, media habits and product consumption of the general population (aged 12 to 64) in Hong Kong. More
New York-based Ipsos MMA has appointed former DDB and Kantar exec and complex analytics expert Roopa Choodamani as Vice President, Analytic Consulting. More
In New York, retargeting technology provider RTB House, has appointed former PayPal exec and [x+1] co-founder Michael Lamb as Chief Commercial Officer. More
Consumer and media intelligence specialist Cision has integrated Dow Jones titles - including The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, MarketWatch, Investor's Business Daily and Dow Jones Newswires - into its intelligence platforms. 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
UK-based insights and data firm Delineate has promoted Simon Sketchley to the role of Chief Client Officer, covering all aspects of client delivery including insight functions, data services and quality. More
Malta-based B2B iGaming software provider EveryMatrix has acquired Queensland, Australia-based data-driven betting and gaming optimisation service DeepCI. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
New York-based market intelligence platform AlphaSense has raised $150m in a Series E round of funding, which it will use to expand its enterprise solution, and deploy its AI search capabilities, purpose-built market intelligence and financial LLMs, and GenAI capabilities. More
Self-serve programmatic ad platform StackAdapt has partnered with B2B web site visitor identification software developer Lead Forensics, to expand its ABM (account based marketing) Targeting and Measurement solution in the EMEA and Canada. More
In the US, podcast database Podchaser has launched a predictive language modeling capability, allowing advertisers to refine their podcast audience targeting initiatives. More
Dentsu has launched a cookieless solution called Contextual Intelligence for Connected Television (CI for CTV), allowing advertisers to understand where their ads are being placed within CTV inventory, and offering keyword targeting at the video level. More
Audience measurement division Kantar Media has launched its Campaign Audience Validation product in Chile. More
CTV and cross-screen advertising company LG Ad Solutions has developed a targeting and measurement solution called LoopIQ, in partnership with consumer purchase insights firm Affinity Solutions. More
In Johannesburg, pan-African data and analytics firm Sagaci Research has announced the launch of SagaCube, a dataset based on regular questioning of consumers in 26 countries across the African continent. More
In Jackson, Wyoming, b2b customer voice platform UserEvidence has secured $9m in Series A funding, to be used in further developing its platform with generative AI capabilities and scaling its Go-To-Market operations. More
Insights consultancy Verve has appointed former Hall & Partners exec Deidre Sullivan as Senior Vice President, North America. She is based in New York. More
The Board of not-for-profit the Media Research Users Council India (MRUCI) has elected Shailesh Gupta as Chairperson and Shashank Srivastava as Vice Chair. More
In Australia, full service media agency This is Flow has appointed long-time Kantar exec Straford Rodrigues as Chief Data Officer. More
Comscore's dedicated programmatic targeting division, 'Proximic by Comscore', has launched three new and expanded contextual solutions, to deliver access to ID-free audiences across platforms. More
New York City-based customer experience management (CXM) platform Sprinklr has appointed Scott Harvey as Executive Vice President of Customer Operations. More
In the US, real-time television ad measurement firm iSpot has received its first Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation, for its ability to identify, verify and track national TV ad occurrences across 178 linear and broadcast networks. More
US-based 'ethical data exchange' 360ofme has raised seed funding, which it will use for product development, hiring, and to facilitate the commercial launch of its product. It has also appointed Kara Grasso as Head of Strategy and Revenue, and Philippe Le Berre as Chief Technology Officer. More
Connectivity giant Cisco is to splash out $28bn in cash to acquire Splunk, which focuses on cybersecurity, data analytics and observability. More
In Needham, Massachusetts, data modeling and analytics provider in4mation insights (i4i) has launched Optimetry, described as an 'always-on' SaaS optimization tool giving clients access to 'marketing mix model data for dynamic scenario planning over the life of marketing campaigns'. More
In New York, Horizon Media has appointed Scott Lukas as Senior Vice President of Human Intelligence in its WHY Group, which analyzes culture, people and brands. More
Human insight business One Minute to Midnight has launched a dedicated global quantitative unit called 'One Minute to Midnight & Counting'. More
In India, enterprise data observability specialist Acceldata has acquired artificial intelligence platform Bewgle, which gathers insights from user-generated content like reviews, social media, videos and images. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, programmatic advertising and media automation solutions provider Basis Technologies has announced an integration allowing marketers to measure Snapchat ad performance from a demand-side platform (DSP). More
Cross-media measurement initiative the US Joint Industry Committee (JIC) has announced that following a 'rigorous RFI scoring process' it has granted conditional certification to Comscore, iSpot and VideoAmp. 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
In the US, customer intelligence company Acxiom has hired long-time Merkle exec John Watkins as its first Chief Operating Officer. More
WPP-owned marcoms network Wunderman Thompson has launched an AI-powered creative testing tool called 'Reveal', which measures the attention and the emotional connections that people have with brand content. 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
The UK's TV audience measurement body Barb has upgraded its API to include non-linear viewing on broadcaster video-on-demand (BVOD); subscription video-on-demand (SVOD); video sharing services and viewing on PCs, tablets and smartphones. More
US-based customer intelligence platform InMoment and digital experience analyst Contentsquare have partnered to help marketing CX teams visualize customer experiences and understand web site and mobile app visitor behavior. More
In the US, consumer purchase insights company Affinity Solutions has appointed Kalyan Lanka as Chief Product Officer. More
In London, custom MR agency Tapestry Research has appointed former Firefish Numbers Lab exec Sam Elphinstone as Research & Strategy Director. More
Los Angeles-based research company MarketCast has launched a brand tracking solution combining consumer data, ad performance data, and a 'brand fandom' framework, to help marketers understand how their brand's performance is shifting. More
London and New York-based customer data and experience specialist Ometria has raised £8m in growth capital, for use in further developing the retail-specific AI capabilities of its platform. More
DIY online survey pioneer SurveyMonkey has appointed former Cloudflare and AWS exec Amit Prakash as Chief Marketing Officer. More
Retail media analytics platform mimbi has raised EUR 1.5m in a funding round, and says the money will help accelerate its commercial development in Europe. The firm has also added former Cdiscount CEO Emmanuel Grenier and investor Marc Menasé to its board of Directors. More
Infillion, the ad tech company which acquired global MR company Phonic earlier this year, has announced the completion of its acquisition of the assets of MediaMath, and given an upbeat assessment of the worth and future potential of those assets. More
In the US, media measurement, data and software solutions provider VideoAmp has raised $150m in a Series G round of growth funding. At the same time, the firm has laid off about 10% of its workforce. More
US firm Infuse Reviews has launched out of stealth mode, offering an 'all-in-one' platform to help businesses manage their online reputation, gather customer feedback and enhance customer experiences. More
AI-powered sponsorship analytics platform Relo Metrics has formed an Advisory Board, comprising Bayer's former Global Media Director Samuel Rueff; Sky Media UK's former MD Jamie West; and Dana Venino, who is currently Relo Metrics' Chief Customer Advisor. More
Ipsos India has appointed Shalini Sinha to lead two of its verticals: Brand Health Tracking (BHT) and Creative Excellence (CRE). She reports to Amit Adarkar, CEO, Ipsos India More
Digital media measurement and analytics platform DoubleVerify (DV) has expanded its brand safety and suitability solution, allowing advertisers to monitor and avoid MFA (Made for Advertising) sites, and identify MFA content. More
Long-time Nielsen exec Karthik Rao has been named as the company's new Chief Executive Officer, replacing David Kenny who moves to the role of Executive Chairman. More
First-party insights data company Dynata has appointed Brad Brockhaug for the newly created role of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). He is based in New York. More
In the US, consumer segmentation firm Claritas has acquired AI-based ad tech company ArtsAI, for an undisclosed sum. More
In New York, Empower Media has appointed Yating Sun as EVP Head of Marketing Science, and Art Zambianchi as Chief Operating Officer. More
In the US, real-time television ad measurement firm iSpot has acquired TV ad impact measurement company 605. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Consumer behaviour specialist ViewersLogic has launched its Single-Source Panel app on iOS. The panel was previously only available for Android users, and the firm says the expansion makes the panel more representative of the UK population. More
Digital analytics specialist Heap has expanded its data analysis tools, to enable enterprises to understand actions users take across all platforms, at speed. More
Nielsen's entertainment data provider Gracenote has launched a program to help content publishers and broadcasters get their 'Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV' (FAST) channels and programming distributed by major streaming platforms. More
Joint industry cross-media measurement programme Origin is partnering with media research specialist Differentology, to deliver its quarterly UK Media Landscape and Enumeration Survey. More
In the US, decision intelligence company Morning Consult has appointed Joseph DeVeny as Head of Research Solutions; Ryan Bien as Head of Analytics & Data Operations; and Alex Menendez as Head of Customer Success. All are based in the firm's Commercial division. More
US-based facial analysis tech firm Affectiva has launched a new metric within its Emotion AI offering, measuring attention signals such as gazing away, speaking and drowsiness, on behalf of brands, advertisers, entertainment companies, and their market researchers. More
US and Canada-based consultancy Vista Grande has appointed Adam Portner as Senior Vice President, Business Development. More
Transatlantic quant and qual insights firm Illuminas has announced a merger with Rockbridge Associates, pooling expertise in sectors including technology, financial services, travel and education. More
Washington-based political and commercial consulting firm GQR has appointed Natalie Jackson, an expert on how public opinion is formed, as a Vice President. More
US marketing analysis and digital marketing optimization specialist Marin Software has integrated with CRM platform HubSpot, allowing marketers to target audiences at the right moment with personalized experiences. More
Nielsen is planning to lay off 9% of its global workforce, in order to cut costs and 'realign revenue'. Employees received the news in a statement issued on Wednesday, and the cuts are expected to affect around 1,000 members of staff. More
First-party data platform Dynata has signed an agreement with American multinational telecoms and media conglomerate Comcast, whose data will be licensed and integrated into Dynata's advertising solutions product suite. More
US-based firm 'Engage3 powered by Dexi' which helps retailers and brands track and optimize their 'Price Image', has promoted Adi Gulati to the role of Chief Financial Officer. More
In London, eCommerce software provider Shop Circle has raised $120m in a Series A round of funding, through a combination of equity and debt. The investment will be used by the firm to continue building and expanding its suite of eCommerce tools. More
Personalized customer engagement AI tech provider BEN has agreed to go public through a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), named DHC. The deal will provide BEN with $40m in gross proceeds, and will see the combined company being listed on Nasdaq under the symbol 'BNAI'. 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
From next January, the UK's TV audience measurement body Barb is to assume responsibility for post-campaign validation tool CFlight, which provides the total reach and frequency of ad campaigns across all viewing platforms; including those aired on both linear and BVOD services. More
In the US, connected TV and cross-screen advertising specialist LG Ad Solutions has appointed Michael Hudes as President and Chief Executive Officer. He replaces co-founder and CEO Raghu Kodige, who left last December and was replaced by Adam Sexton as acting CEO. More
Nielsen is to make the 'Big Data' element of its Nielsen ONE hybrid service 'available for measurement' this month. Although this has yet to gain accreditation, the MRC's George Ivie says he is not looking to block a move which appears to promise substantial benefits for smaller networks. More
Automated insight-gathering and sample management platform Cint has appointed former Kantar, Dynata and TikTok researcher Bella Tao as Head of Sales in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), based in Sydney. More
US-based qualitative and rapid research software developer EthOS has added a screen-recording tool, backed up with features including verbal commentary by subjects; automated transcriptions; and AI-powered analysis. More
Baltic States-based full-service MR firm RAIT has acquired a 70% stake in Danish research firm Wilke, creating what the firms call a 'truly Northern European network'. More
UK commercial radio industry body Radiocentre has launched a free online tool called 'Audio Need-states Navigator', to provide media decision-makers with audience insight based on data from its Generation Audio study of listeners. More
Manchester, UK-based mobile device data firm RealityMine has enhanced its video measurement offering with a tool called Connect, allowing for analysis of content consumption across major streaming platforms and all connected devices. More
London-based DMR (previously known as DigitalMR) has launched an AI 'theme identification' feature for social media listening, allowing users not just to listen to what their customers are saying, but also to predict what they will say next. More
In the US Circana, the company formed from the merger of IRI and the NPD Group, has launched what it describes as its first 'guided survey solution'. Fast Feedback Guided Surveys taps the consumer insights platform of partner firm Zappi and targets 'small to midsize CPG brands'. More
In the UK, operations support MR business Omnisis has launched a brand called WeThink for its public opinion polling work. More
Indonesia-based music data analytics service Songstats has launched a digital marketing and audience engagement platform called Songshare, which automatically aggregates all music links across streaming services and social media platforms. More
In the US, cross-device targeting specialist Dstillery has received its nineteenth patent for its ID-free ad targeting technology. More
European MR and analytics agency DVJ Insights has appointed three consultants: Pavi Chandrasekaran in the UK, Joyce Pakkert in the Netherlands, and Dominik Ebbers in Germany. More
Sky Media has launched an ad targeting tool called Viewing Passions, which uses the group's first party data to create and target audiences based on viewing of a particular show or channel / genre. More
Kantar has promoted Mary George Parayil to the position of Principal of Kantar Analytics, India. She is based in Bengaluru. More
US-based podcasting company Libsyn has launched a feature called Predictive Contextual Targeting, to enhance ad targeting abilities for podcast advertisers without relying on cookies. More
In the US, AdTech platform AudienceLab has launched a proprietary audience graph, called XactMatch, providing a solution to match web site traffic to online profiles, without the use of cookies. More
Ad tech company Infillion picked up the assets of bankrupt DSP MediaMath for the bargain price of $22m at an auction this week. More
In the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has published draft guidance concerning the gathering and use of biometric data, offered for public comment and consultation between now and 20th October. More
In the US, the Census Bureau has announced it will establish a new federal Advisory Committee to consult on meeting the challenges posed by the next decennial count in 2030. More
Marcoms giant Omnicom has announced an expansion of its partnership with corporate comms group Criteo to encompass digital shelf and other retail data; and a new deal between its OMG media services division and customer data science pioneer dunnhumby. More
US-based online news aggregation, content rating and discussion web site Reddit has launched two new tools to help advertisers measure campaign performance: Reddit Brand Lift and Reddit Conversion Lift. More
Los Angeles-based research firm MarketCast has appointed Marisa McMahon as Head of Client Service for Technology and Platforms, responsible for relationships with major clients including video games publishers, software and hardware makers, and tech platforms. 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
British-based behavioural intelligence platform NumberEight has unveiled an ID-less ad targeting product, Euclid Lite, allowing users to pitch ads based on age and gender without the use of any kind of personally identifiable information. More
Chicago-based product information tech company 1WorldSync has acquired PowerReviews, which helps clients gather and analyse user-generated ratings, reviews and other content. More
Former MarketCast and Netflix researcher Zoë Friend has joined broadcaster NBCUniversal as EVP of Consumer Insights. More
In Australia, outdoor digital media company QMS Media has launched Performance+, billed as the first audience based post-campaign analysis tool for the country's out of home advertising sector. More
In the US, Comscore has partnered with the ANA's SeeHer movement and announced the launch of GEM Audiences, a digital planning tool providing advertisers with insights into the significance of gender equality for their target groups. More
New York-based audio analytics and research platform Veritonic has agreed a strategic partnership with Jon Gibs, former Global Director and Principal Data Scientist at Spotify, who will now serve as a strategic advisor to the company. More
Ireland-based publisher and RED C Research owner The Business Post Group has acquired research-based consultancy services provider Relish Research, for an undisclosed sum. More
Mobile app measurement and attribution platform AppsFlyer is launching new features allowing marketers and users, with or without SQL expertise, to query data in its Clean Room. More
Customer experience management (CXM) company Merkle has launched a Google Technology Practice, which it says will fulfil marketers' demands for customer experience solutions and privacy-centric measurement. More
UK radio measurement body RAJAR has announced that two people will fill the role of long-time Research Director Paul Kennedy, when he steps down after 22 years of service: John Carroll as Director of Research and Audiences, and Charles Lawrie as Research Operations Director. More
US firm Quotient has launched a digital out-of-home (DOOH) offering, through which retailers can integrate their first-party data with its location-based intelligence and media measurement to identify the digital screens most likely to reach target consumers and increase store visits and sales. More
In New York, consumer data company Caden has raised $15m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to accelerate product development, enhance market activation and bolster its team. More
In New York, luxury brand retailer Macy's Inc. has appointed long-time McKinsey exec Massimo (Max) Magni as Chief Customer and Digital Officer, to focus on data-driven initiatives across the company's eCommerce, mobile apps, loyalty, and more. More
New York-based CTV, traditional TV, and digital ad audience targeting specialist Cadent has been acquired by private equity firm Novacap for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, AI-powered customer intelligence platform Dialpad has launched a large language model (LLM) called DialpadGPT, offering features that automate tasks for enterprises to help them improve customer service, sales, and recruiting experiences. More
Stagwell-portfolio media agency Assembly, has launched its European Retail Media division, to deliver connected commerce solutions designed to help retail and direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands scale, automate and improve margins at all stages of the consumer journey. More
In the US, experience management (XM) specialist Qualtrics has launched new purpose-built video feedback solutions, which use generative AI, real-time analytics and predictive insights to help organizations conduct 'smarter, faster research', and respond faster to customer needs. More
In New York, shopper and digital marketing consultancy Behaviorally has hired Thibault Cousot in the new role of SVP Head of Product, leading continual improvement and expansion of the existing product stack. More
In New York, eCommerce enablement and analytics software provider MikMak has acquired ChannelAdvisor's Shoppable Media and Brand Analytics products and team from transaction network CommerceHub. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the UK, recently launched research and consultancy firm Pegasus Insight has appointed former Verve / BVA BDRC exec Chris Whitmore as Director, to help drive business growth. He is the third member of the new team. More
Social media intelligence and analytics specialist Meltwater has appointed Huixian Yang as Customer Experience Director (APAC), based in Singapore, while Sydney-based Jeff Piniros has been named Sales Development Director (APAC). More
In the UK, WPP's consumer data specialist Wavemaker has promoted Sian Runnacles to the role of Chief Growth Officer, responsible for 'unlocking' growth for new and existing clients as well as growing the agency's specialist services including commerce, addressable, SEO and 'applied innovation'. More
In the US, sponsorship analytics platform Relo Metrics is integrating viewing data from TV software and data platform VideoAmp, allowing clients to measure the value of on-camera sponsorships and brand exposure during a live event. 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
Data collaboration specialist LiveRamp has expanded its partnership with social media platform Pinterest to help advertisers target audiences on the latter's global platform. 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
Israel-based ad optimization company Nexxen has partnered with UK-based attention measurement platform Lumen Research, to deliver the latter's 'first' omnichannel solution to advertisers across CTV, online video and display. More
Podcast analytics and audience insights platform CoHost has launched a feature called 'Advanced Audience Demographics', to provide an analysis of who listeners are - with data including age, gender, household income, interests, hobbies and social media consumption habits. More
New York City and London-based data intelligence platform Tracer has closed an oversubscribed $18.1m Series A round of funding. More
In the US, customer experience (CX) platform Five9 is acquiring real-time contact center analytics solution provider Aceyus. Terms of the deal, which is expected to close by the end of Q3, have not been disclosed. More
WPP has partnered with DXP provider Optimizely, to help clients offer the best digital experience to each customer. More
Comscore has reported a 2.5% increase in second quarter revenue to $93.7m. The firm reported a net loss of $44.9m but said this came almost entirely from a goodwill impairment charge, and adjusted EBITDA was up to $8.8m from $6.5m a year earlier. More
Social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) has announced that digital media measurement and verification firm Integral Ad Science (IAS) is its first pre-bid brand safety and suitability partner for X advertisers. More
In the US, video game retailer Xsolla has partnered with mobile app measurement platform AppsFlyer, to enable game developers to gather and analyze user behavior and interactions on the web and inside the game, then compare metrics and gain insights. More
NYC-based Simon Data has raised $54m in a Series D round of funding, which it will use for further product development - specifically connected apps with other cloud data warehouses - and to provide customers with a fully-connected CDP. More
GfK has become a 'Brand Lift' partner on Meta Partners Inc., with the addition of a solution called Campaign Amplifier which measures the lift from brand advertising on Facebook and Instagram. More
Netherlands research-based consultancy IR-Insights has appointed long-time media, advertising and insights specialist Paul van der Veer as a Research Consultant. More
In the US, SEO and marketing solutions company Moz has launched a metric called 'Brand Authority', allowing marketers and public relations professionals to measure online brand strength on a scale of 1 to 100, and analyse the competitive landscape with an 'all new' brand comparison visualization. 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
US-based continuous testing specialist Tricentis has added a solution called Tricentis Device Cloud (TDC) to its portfolio of mobile testing products, allowing companies to produce, manage and analyze apps on mobile devices, at all stages of the development lifecycle. More
Digital experience platform CoreMedia has acquired two companies: customer journey, engagement and personalization solutions firm BySide; and Smarkio, which provides chatbot solutions to B2C brands. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Experience management platform Qualtrics has launched a solution called Digital Experience Analytics (DXA), allowing client organisations to create visual replays of consumers' behavior on the web. This includes frustration signals like error clicks, 'rage clicks' and 'mouse thrashes'. More
In the UK, direct-to-consumer customer engagement platform Odore has raised $5m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to expand its team and business globally, and launch new tools. More
Marcoms network Dentsu and its data-driven customer experience management (CXM) firm Merkle have partnered with CRM firm Salesforce to help brands use generative AI to deliver, manage and optimize connected customer experiences. More
In the UK, former Lifestream CEO Sam Curtis has returned to Kantar as Head of the Digital Analytics practice. More
In the US, boutique insights consultancy Old Salt has appointed long-time industry exec Matt Knoeck as Principal, to further support its operating structure and senior staffing model. The firm has also hired Davis Taske as an Analyst. More
Israel-based digital market intelligence company Similarweb has announced the beta launch of its 'SimilarAsk' AI assistant, through which clients can uncover insights from the firm's digital data using natural language queries. More
Publicis Groupe's eCommerce analytics platform Profitero has launched a chat-based AI assistant called 'Ask Profitero', which uses generative AI and commerce analytics to enable brands to optimize the digital shelf at scale. 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 the US, digital media measurement software and analytics firm DoubleVerify (DV) has agreed to acquire AI-powered digital campaign optimization specialist Scibids Technology, in a cash and stock transaction valued at $125m. More
San Diego-based full-service digital marketing firm Ignite Visibility has appointed Simon Poulton as Chief Data Officer, tasked with driving the launch of the firm's data services. 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
Audience targeting solution Covatic has appointed Frans Vermeulen as Strategic Advisor, to strengthen the company's presence in the US market. More
Australia-based global data and insights organisation Pureprofile has reported a 23% rise in full year revenue to $43.7m - with revenue for the ANZ market up 16% to $26.9m and for rest of the world up 35% to $16.8m. More
Omnicom's media services division OMG has acquired Brazil-based commerce and retail media agencies Outpromo and Global Shopper, each for an undisclosed sum. More
WPP's consumer data specialist Wavemaker has announced that its Consultancy, Fast Growth and B2B Practices will be led by the three of its Global Client Presidents - Anna Hickey, Alastair Bannerman and Alex Altman, respectively. More
Media measurement and optimisation platform Integral Ad Science (IAS) has launched ad measurement tools for YouTube Shorts, through which users create short-form videos that are up to 60 seconds long. 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
TV ad measurement firm iSpot.tv has appointed 'industry legend' Leslie Wood as Chief Research Officer (CRO), overseeing the Data Science department responsible for TV and video measurement products, and finding new approaches to cross-platform measurement and currency. More
In New York, ad sector predictive analytics specialist datafuelX has appointed former TVSquared President Jo Kinsella and HyphaMetrics co-founder and President Joanna Drews to its Board of Directors. More
In the US, media agency Horizon has added Precisely PlaceIQ movement and location data to its marketing platform 'blu.', allowing brands to connect online and off-line activity and understand what is driving consumers in the physical world. More
US-based digital media measurement and analytics platform DoubleVerify (DV) has expanded its media quantity authentication service to YouTube Shorts, Masthead and In-feed Video formats. More
US-based online video ad and analytics tech firm Innovid has launched a cookieless cross-device solution called Innovid Key, which maps consumer behavior without resorting to methods like browser fingerprinting. 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
Media measurement and optimisation platform Integral Ad Science (IAS) has announced an integration with PR and media company Criteo, offering a product for measuring onsite quality metrics for retail media. More
Sports marketing agency Wasserman has reached a deal to acquire London-based marketing and brand experience agency CSM Sport & Entertainment from marketing services group Chime. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Online survey specialist SurveyMonkey is expanding its Dublin office, as it lays out plans to invest in artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics. The moves follow its recent acquisition by a consortium led by insights sector investment firm Symphony Technology Group (STG). More
iGaming industry lead generation and performance marketing firm ENV Media has partnered with Ken Research, to conduct surveys and deliver case studies around Indian gambling behavior. More
Ipsos has added an early-stage creative development solution to its platform - 'Creative|Spark Early' - to enable users to screen creative ideas, visuals, storyboards" and videoboards for advertisers in as little as 24 hours. More
First-party data company Dynata has appointed former SSI MD Mark Lepine to lead its APAC business. He is based in Hong Kong. More
Online retail behemoth Amazon is to pay a $25m civil penalty as part settlement of charges of violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), relating to its recording of the voices of under-13s using its Alexa home assistant. More
Media measurement and optimization platform Integral Ad Science (IAS) has appointed Sam Cox as SVP of Product Management, based in New York City. More
Ipsos has announced the acquisition of West African MR agency Omedia, from French audience measurement company Mediametrie. More
Nielsen has announced a multi-year renewal of its agreement to license Comcast's return path data for its de-duplicated audience measurement solution Nielsen One. The new deal also broadens usage to include local TV measurement across all the 94 media markets the two companies share. 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
In New York, business intelligence platform Polar Analytics has raised $9m in Series A funding, and says it will continue hiring engineers and product designers with the aim of doubling its current headcount of 30 people, in the next eighteen months. More
In Niwot, Colorado, marketing data firm Wiland, Inc, has launched a suite of products based on analysis of spending / intent signals, promising to help clients predict who will buy from 'any brand' across multiple sectors. More
Search intelligence platform Captify has appointed former Xandr EVP and GM Mike Welch as its next CEO, succeeding co-founder Dominic Joseph, who will remain on the Board of Directors. More
In the UK, consumer behaviour data company ViewersLogic is partnering with media investment analysis specialist Ebiquity, integrating the data from its Single-Source Data Panel (SSD Panel) with Ebiquity's media optimisation platform. More
In London, Measure Protocol has announced the launch of a new consumer behavioral data platform, which integrates fully permissioned behavioral, demographic and psychographic data from multiple sources. More
Specialist B2B marketing consultancy Gravity Global has announced the acquisition of 9thWonder, a full-service marketing agency working in media, data analytics and creative execution. More
WPP's consumer data specialist Wavemaker has promoted Premjeet Sodhi, currently its Chief Strategy Officer for India, to Global Head of Measurement and Analytics, based in New York. More
US venture equity firm Scaleworks has acquired b2b marketing optimisation specialist Full Circle Insights - not to be confused with panel and sample firm Full Circle Research. Go-to-market strategy expert Jason Ferrara will join Full Circle Insights as CEO. More
US firm Precision Sample has added Pete Aitkin and Jason Silver to its sales team as VP Client Development and Senior Director, Client Development respectively. More
In Tampa, Florida, digital signage company Spectrio has paid an undisclosed sum to acquire InReality, which uses radar-based sensing technology to measure and analyse shopper behaviour. More
Early-stage startup customer data platform Lantern has announced a $6.8m seed funding round, to continue building its B2B customer data platform which pulls in information from more than fifty tools and popular data warehouses. 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
UK-based consumer intelligence technology company Measure Protocol has appointed Christie Hartbarger as its first Chief Revenue Officer. She is based in Chicago. More
Video data platform IRIS.TV has promoted Rohan Castelino to CMO and appointed Jim Heinzen as Vice President of Finance and Operations. Both men will report directly to CEO and co-founder Field Garthwaite. More
London-based media measurement and optimisation platform Integral Ad Science (IAS) has expanded its Total Media Quality for Google Video Partners (GVP) service to provide measurement of brand safety and suitability measurement. More
Media bias intelligence specialist Ad Fontes Media has closed a $4.2m funding round, which it will use to fuel innovation in its solutions, and expand its team to 15 full-time core team members and 65 analysts. It has also appointed former IAB Editor-in-Chief Brad Berens as Head of Insights. More
In-game ad solution Anzu and media measurement and optimization platform Integral Ad Science (IAS) have launched a solution to measure viewability and invalid traffic (IVT) across 2D and 3D gaming environments, and track them within the IAS Signal reporting platform. More
In India, customer lifecycle and user retention platform CleverTap has appointed Sidharth Pisharoti as Chief Revenue Officer, tasked with driving growth across India, META and Asia Pacific. More
Manchester, UK-based mobile device data firm RealityMine has made nine new appointments, including former BBC exec Mark Owen as Product Manager for its media content solutions. More
Marcoms firm Omnicom Media Group has acquired UK-based financial services agency Ptarmigan Media, whose range of services includes fully integrated media planning and buying, market research, search and social media, and content and creative. Terms were not disclosed. More
Dentsu's venture capital fund Dentsu Ventures has made an undisclosed investment in AI monitoring specialist Fiddler Labs, which offers capabilities for examining predictive and generative models. More
US-based continuous testing specialist Tricentis has acquired no-code mobile test automation platform Waldo for an undisclosed sum. 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
In the US, video feedback platform Discuss has appointed former Qualtrics exec Jesse Thomson as Vice President of Engineering, responsible for continuing development of its People Experience Platform. More
Global membership association ESOMAR has launched a task force to address the use of artificial intelligence in the research, insights and analytics sector. More
Shopper promotions and insights platform Sampler has acquired AdMass, an AI-powered platform that enables brands and their agencies to create promotions based on analysis of user generated content (UGC). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, consumer intelligence solutions provider Speedeon Data has added 'life event data' to its AudienceMaker platform, including information on moving home, marriage, divorce, parenthood and change in income. 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
Amsterdam-based big data and advisory services provider Metyis has opened an eCommerce, advanced business analytics, and technology and data hub in Gondomar, Portugal, and extended its partnership with German luxury clothing brand HUGO BOSS. More
In the US, marketing and advertising business intelligence software developer Basis Technologies has launched a solution called BasisConnect+, to support marketers' first-party data activation, audience optimization, and cookieless media buying. More
In the US, behavioral research and strategy firm InsightsNow has appointed Stephen McIngvale as Senior Research Director, Shannon Benson as Research Director, and Joshua Lim as Insights Analyst; while Angel Requena rejoins the company as Project Director. More
In Australia, the founders of media agency AdUnion have launched a streaming TV measurement and optimisation business called AdMatch. More
WPP has opened its first UK campus outside London, bringing together staff from its agencies in Manchester - including EssenceMediacom, formed from the merger of data and measurement-driven media agency Essence and media network MediaCom; and its consumer data specialist Wavemaker. 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
Global marcoms group Havas has acquired Mumbai-based digital marketing agency PivotRoots, which lists audience research and web and app analytics among its services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Social community magazine platform Flipboard has launched a solution called Interest Collectives, to help brands reach millions of people based on their specific interests - starting with travel and technology. More
In the US, digital transformation services firm Grid Dynamics has launched the 'AI Focus Groups Starter Kit', to enable clients to create focus groups composed of virtual personas that match the behavior of a brand's real-world target audience, and analyze user-generated content and events. 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
Israel-based in-game ad platform Anzu has raised $48m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to continue to expand its leadership team, and grow its US footprint by developing teams across the country. 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
US-based ad tech firm MediaMath has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a Delaware district court, with 300 redundancies resulting and more than $100m owed to creditors. More
Australia-based mobile insights consultancy MDI has acquired a majority stake in Moroccan based research agency Insightek, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the UK, insight consultancy Bryter has hired Robert Downer as Senior Insight Consultant and Charlie Wood as Associate Insight Director, both in its Technology and Gaming team; along with four promotions in its healthcare team. More
In the UK, research and strategy consultancy Redblue has appointed Chloe Finnegan as a Director in its qualitative team. More
dentsu has completed the $516m acquisition of digital marketing business Tag Group from previous owner Advent International. The buy was first announced in March and among things should boost the global marcoms group's CX and personalisation offerings. More
Experience management platform Qualtrics has received a $500m investment from venture capital firm Accel. More
CRM software giant Salesforce has partnered with consulting division Deloitte Digital to offer business clients help in deploying AI in CRM functions. More
Australian broadcaster Nine has appointed former News Corp and Foxtel exec Suzie Cardwell as Chief Data Officer. More
In New York, healthcare AdTech company DeepIntent has launched a solution which gives connected TV (CTV) publishers and platforms access to a suite of audience measurement and optimization solutions for pharma campaigns. More
In the US, customer journey development and management specialist The Allant Group has appointed Ed Kuderna as Senior Vice President and General Manager, Client Success; and Eli Ontiveros as Senior Vice President, Technology. More
UK-based business, healthcare and tech sector researcher RONIN International has appointed Terry Sweeney as Head of North America. More
Tesco-owned data firm dunnhumby has appointed Josh Bottomley as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Dan Olley who had been in the post only since January 2022. More
In the US, sponsorship measurement specialist MVP Index has raised $20m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to fuel expansion plans, accelerate product innovation, and strengthen its sales and marketing efforts. More
In the UK, retail intelligence platform Upp. has raised $10m in a seed funding round, which it will use to continue improving its technology, accelerate the growth of its sales and marketing function, expand geographically, and launch new AI/ML-driven automation solutions for retailers. More
Merkle's Global CEO Michael Komasinski is moving to the role of Chief Executive Officer of Merkle's parent company Dentsu, in the Americas. He succeeds Jacki Kelley, who has left to rejoin Interpublic in the newly created role of EVP / Chief Client Officer. More
Brand and marketing insights company Shapiro+Raj has appointed Herminder Bains as Vice President, Head of Global Client Services. She is based in London. More
New York-based audio analytics and research platform Veritonic has launched a feature measuring the impact of traffic originating from YouTube, as well as podcast and streaming audio channels. More
TV software and data platform VideoAmp has been awarded a ten-year contract by Allen Media Group (AMG), to become its primary and preferred currency provider. More
In North America, Havas Media has partnered with attention measurement specialist Adelaide to build a proprietary advertising attention measurement metric called the 'Meaningful Ad Unit' (MAU). More
TV ad industry tech platform FreeWheel has partnered with ad research and tech firm MediaScience to launch The Viewer Experience (VX) Lab, which will conduct research to help advertising buyers and sellers understand the impact of ads on viewer experience and performance. More
In the US, marketing data aggregation and reporting platform Tracer has raised an undisclosed amount of Series A funding, with participation from Sir Martin Sorrell's S4S Ventures. The company has also hired Obele Brown-West as its first President. More
In the US, retail marketing company Neptune Retail Solutions is to acquire and merge with digital promotions and media tech firm Quotient. The transaction has an aggregate equity value of approximately $430m. More
In Singapore, Kantar has hired long-time Nielsen exec Kartikeya (Kartik) Varma for the dual role of Head of Creative and Media, Singapore, and Head of Media, APAC. More
In the US, tech research and advisory firm Information Services Group (ISG) has announced that CFO Humberto 'Bert' Alfonso is to retire in August to devote more time to family matters. He will be succeeded by Michael Sherrick. More
Digital media measurement, data and analytics platform DoubleVerify (DV) has extended its partnership with Meta, to enable media measurement and help maximize advertiser performance on Meta's Facebook and Instagram Reels. More
Austin, Texas-based MR software and services firm QuestionPro has acquired PathosAI, which analyses consumer emotions and motivations. 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
Audio broadcasting data and measurement tech specialist Triton Digital has announced the acquisition of Paris-based Manadge, an ad intelligence platform focused on the performance of programmatic advertising. More
Redwood City, California-based CX platform provider Cyara has announced the acquisition of CentraCX, an SaaS-based Voice of the Customer solution designed specifically for contact centers. Terms were not disclosed. More
Research panels and services company Bilendi & respondi has relaunched its Discuss tool with new qual research features based on ChatGPT. More
Nielsen has announced a partnership with TV ad impact measurement firm EDO, with measurement data from each available through both platforms for mutual clients. More
Digital media measurement, data and analytics platform DoubleVerify (DV) is launching business operations in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, promising more local support for a growing client base across Southeast Asia. More
Ad tech company Outbrain has launched a platform called Onyx which promises to help clients optimise digital display and video ads for user attention. More
Media measurement and optimization platform Integral Ad Science (IAS) has launched ad measurement tools for Meta's Facebook and Instagram Reels videos, including viewability and invalid traffic measurement. 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
Music video hosting and streaming service Vevo has appointed former Warner Bros. Discovery exec Julie Triolo in the new role of VP of Research and Marketing, based in New York. More
Australian media group Are Media has expanded its partnership with MR firm Roy Morgan to gather exclusive worldwide audience insights from its network of social media channels. More
WPP's consumer data specialist Wavemaker has expanded its Global Growth team with the appointment of Natalie Yorke as Global Growth Partner based in London; Lynne Reilly as Chief Growth Officer in the Americas, and Natalia Lopez as Head of Growth for Latin America. More
In the US, customer behavior data specialist Snowplow has received an undisclosed amount of funding from Databricks Ventures, the investment arm of data and AI company Databricks. More
WPP's media investment company GroupM has launched a service called Total TV Measurement, which it says will help its clients in the UK understand the value of addressable TV. More
In the US, audience data and ad tech firm DrivenIQ has appointed Samantha Lee as COO, TJ Ceballos as Chief Commercial Officer, and James Dunay as Chief Technology Officer. In addition, Jamie Solis has been named Head of Content. More
Havas Media Network (HMN) has rolled out its CSA consumer behavior specialist business across its global network, promising clients improved understanding of customer data and higher ROI through analytics and machine learning solutions. More
In the US, Yahoo Advertising has partnered with attention-based measurement specialist Adelaide to introduce high-attention, pre-bid segments through its Yahoo DSP platform, which includes tools for data analysis, automated bidding and ad campaign optimization. More
Nielsen has launched a cloud-based platform called Media Data Room (MDR), which provides a means to access and share respondent level analytics from big data sets. The firm says MDR will ultimately replace all its previous forms of data distribution, including FTP and custom apps. 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
London-based customer interaction analysis specialist Glyphic AI has launched out of stealth with $5.5m in a pre-seed funding round. More
Interpublic Group's digital design and innovation division Huge has launched an AI-powered creative asset analysis tool called Living Intelligence Value Engine (LIVE). The tool analyzes billions of data points from numerous sources to uncover hidden trends and insights in real time. More
Australian television audience measurement body OzTAM has announced that CEO Doug Peiffer has decided to step down from his role. He will leave on 1 July and the Board says it has begun a search for a new CEO. More
Automated insight-gathering and sample management platform Cint has partnered with direct-to-consumer portal Publishers Clearing House (PCH), to increase its access to respondents. More
In the US, communications giant Edelman has announced the global launch of a unit called Edelman Business Marketing (EBM), offering B2B marketers audience research, thought leadership strategy, content and account-based marketing, demand generation, and earned communications. More
Former Savanta AD Norbert Sari has launched a remote-first branding and marketing agency called Rodeo13, to serve clients in the insights industry. More
UK commercial radio industry body Radiocentre has re-appointed Donna Burns - this time as Head of Insight - after a four-year break from the organisation. More
Data and tech-enabled marcoms group MSQ Partners has been acquired by private equity firm One Equity Partners for an undisclosed sum. More
In London, Thinks Insight & Strategy (previously known as BritainThinks) has made four appointments, including Gabrielle Ferdinand as Research Lead. The firm has also promoted five members of its team. More
Israel-based ad optimization company Tremor International is changing its name to Nexxen, with its Amobee, Tremor Video, Unruly and Spearad brands all to be replaced. More
Audience measurement solutions provider RSMB has announced a partnership with analytics and activation tech company Streamhub, promising a 'unique' service for cross-platform measurement of linear and streamed TV viewing. Both firms are UK-based but Japan will be an initial focus. More
TV multi-currency analytics and tech solutions provider datafuelX has announced the launch of M3, a full-service SaaS platform allowing customers to optimize advertising by audience GRPs, impression, eCPMs, index and reach. More
Australian-based omnichannel attention measurement company Amplified Intelligence has upgraded its attentionPLAN tool to add what it calls Attention-Adjusted Reach Curve (AARC) functionality - filtering out non-attentive impressions. 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
US-based tech research and advisory firm Forrester has announced two new research services within its Forrester Decisions suite, covering Revenue Operations and B2B Sales. More
Marcoms network Publicis Groupe has launched a service called PX, combining its global audience data, media capabilities, marketing transformation expertise and studio network with Adobe products, to deliver omnichannel content production and personalisation at scale. More
Nielsen has launched a series of quarterly reports called the 'Local Streaming Insights Quarterly Solution', providing metrics on TV app usage for more than twenty major streaming apps at the local market level. More
Tokyo's GMO Research has partnered with playtesting and games user research platform PlaytestCloud, to offer online user testing services for mobile games on GMO's ASIA Cloud Panel. More
US CRM giant Salesforce is launching two tools - Marketing GPT and Commerce GPT - to help users personalize every campaign and shopping experience with generative AI. More
Kantar has launched an ad creative testing solution called LINK+, built on its LINK normative advertising database and integrating the firm's ad testing capabilities into one solution, with results available in as little as six hours. More
Ipsos has promoted Jyoti Malladi to the role of Managing Director, Research, in India, where she is responsible for business management, driving audience measurement business strategy. She will also oversee the setting up of a media analytics hub supporting the entire APAC region. More
In the US, online video platform Brightcove has launched a solution called 'Ad Insights', to help media companies understand the correlation between ad intensity, viewer engagement and tolerance across dimensions, including players, devices, regions and content. More
In the US, AI-powered sponsorship analytics platform Relo Metrics has appointed former Nielsen exec Paul Shortely as Chief Revenue Officer. More
First-party data platform Dynata has rolled out its proprietary inBrain survey-based monetization platform to the Asia Pacific region - specifically in Australia, India, Japan and New Zealand, with other Asian markets scheduled this year and next. More
Marcoms network Publicis Groupe has acquired eCommerce agency Corra, which helps clients to serve personalized experiences designed to convert traffic into revenue, especially on mobile. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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 Australia, industry body Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) is to launch its audience measurement system 'Radio 360' tomorrow, 6th June, with the release of the third GfK metropolitan radio survey of the year. More
Ad agency network Interpublic Group (IPG) and Canadian quantum computing company D-Wave Quantum have announced they will be collaborating on the research and development of quantum-hybrid applications for customer targeting. More
In the US, digital media measurement, data and analytics platform DoubleVerify (DV) has launched a toolkit to enable supply-side and demand-side platforms, marketplaces, ad exchanges, and retail media networks to implement brand safety, fraud, viewability and contextual controls. More
In the US, VideoAmp's TV software and data platform has been integrated with TransUnion's TruAudience marketing solutions business, to create an analytics solution for cross-platform media measurement and optimization. More
In the UK, B2B and B2C billing solutions provider MDS Global has launched a marketing decision intelligence platform called MDS DecisionAI, providing insight to mobile network operators (MNOs), mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) and sub-brands, as well as fixed line operators. More
Marcoms group Stagwell has announced that its PR sector predictive AI platform Prophet has partnered with media intelligence platform PeakMetrics to enable clients to counter the threat of online 'disinformation' and 'misinformation'. More
In New York, Hearst Magazines has named Amazon exec Jennifer Dorre Senior Vice President of Ad Product and Data. She takes up the position on June 5. More
In the UK, audience targeting solution Covatic has given its Board Chair, Sarah Lawson Johnston the role of Chief Revenue Officer. In addition, Sarah Whitfield joins the company as Chief Marketing Officer. More
WPP and graphics technology provider NVIDIA are developing an engine through which the former's artists and designers can create large volumes of more tailored and immersive 3D ad content, such as images or videos; and experiences such as 3D product configurators. More
UK broadcasting group ITV has launched a free measurement consultancy for its advertisers, called Geo-X, providing tools for them to run 'geo experiments' to prove the effectiveness of their campaigns. More
Brighton, UK-based social media listening and content marketing analytics firm Brandwatch has expanded its MR offering with the addition of Reddit Social Panels, tapping the consumer discussion site's communities and posts for fast, in-depth audience analysis. More
Customer experience management platform Sprinklr has launched a new offering combining its existing, proprietary AI capabilities with technology from OpenAI. More
Digital transformation consultancy Kin + Carta has issued a trading update for its full year 2023, which will end in July, reporting reduced expectations and a market 'even more cautious than it expected' at the time of interim results in March. More
In the US, tech analyst and research firm The Futurum Group has acquired B2B insight and data-backed marketing services company Visible Impact, for an undisclosed sum. More
Canada-based holding company Rival Group has promoted Jennifer Reid to the position of co-CEO, alongside her brother Andrew Reid. More
In the US, mobile app measurement and attribution platform AppsFlyer has expanded its cross-platform capabilities to include PCs and consoles, enabling game developers, marketers and studios to optimize their campaign measurement. More
Digital transformation consulting company Publicis Sapient has acquired a full stake in research and development joint venture Publicis Sapient AI Labs (PS AI Labs), whose data scientists and AI specialists are experienced in tackling complex business challenges with predictive analytics. More
In the UK, Edinburgh and Manchester-based ad agency Leith has launched a standalone full-service market research capability, led by Paul Drawbridge in the newly created role of Research Director. More
Comscore has partnered with brand growth platform Adlook, promising to help clients 'unlock' the way they measure advertising effectiveness across multiple devices and types of media. More
TV audience rating body BARC India has appointed former Nielsen exec Dolly Jha as Chief of Product and Research. More
In the US, real-time product pricing, promotions and assortment data provider Datasembly has raised $16m in funding, which it will use to bring new tools to the market. More
Social media intelligence and analytics specialist Meltwater has launched three AI-powered tools for video analysis, consumer and market insights, and writing assistance. More
London-based advertising effectiveness specialist System1 has launched a new service called Test Your Ad Digital, which it says will predict and improve the commercial impact of digital advertising. More
Customer lifecycle management platform Successeve, which provides scoring and analytics for each stage of the customer journey and has bases in Paris and in Boston, MA, has raised $2m in Seed funding. More
New York print and digital publisher Dotdash Meredith (DDM) has launched an ad targeting tool called D/Cipher, facilitating intent-based targeting at scale without cookies. 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
In the US, ad measurement, planning and optimization platform VideoAmp has announced it can now measure audience reach and frequency for YouTube campaigns across CTV, desktop and mobile. The integration will be available from the end of the second quarter. More
B2B tech purchase intent data firm TechTarget has announced that its Enterprise Strategy Group has expanded to EMEA and APAC, welcoming Brian McKenna and Aaron Tan as Regional Directors of Analyst Services for the two territories, respectively. More
In the US, dital media measurement and verification firm Integral Ad Science has received the industry's first Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for Connected TV (CTV) video viewable impressions. More
Video insights provider Voxpopme has launched what it claims is the first AI-powered video survey - Smart SurvAI - allowing insights professionals to create survey questions with the help of OpenAI's ChatGPT. More
In the US, customer data specialist Snowplow has launched a dynamic solution called Attribution Modeling on the self-managed Snowflake Data Cloud, to give clients real-time insights into advertising performance, and enable campaign optimization in near-real time. More
Brighton, UK-headquartered social media listening and content marketing analytics firm Brandwatch has expanded Iris, its AI-based in-app analytics tool, to enable brands to tap into recent advances in GPT technology. More
In the US, ad tech firm MediaMath has integrated GumGum's contextual intelligence solution, Verity, into its demand-side platform, as MediaMath's first Media Rating Council (MRC) content-level accredited partner. More
In the US, insights and strategy consulting firm M/A/R/C Research has acquired Horowitz Research, for an undisclosed sum. 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
Customer and employee experience specialist Medallia has appointed Dan Madden as Chief Financial Officer and Robert Baca as Chief Technology Officer. More
Digital experience analyst Contentsquare has appointed Benoit Fouilland as Chief Financial Officer, based in Geneva, Switzerland. More
Nielsen has said it will phase out the last paper diaries for radio listening by 2025, replacing them with mobile diaries allowing data collection via mobile phones, tablets and laptops. More
Media group NBCUniversal has extended its partnerships with measurement firms Comscore and InnovidXP, allowing advertisers to transact in local markets using the former's data, and analyse impact in more depth via the latter. More
Andrew Edwards has announced his resignation as Chair of data and insights provider Pureprofile, effective immediately, and will be replaced by five-time company-founder and pioneering NASDAQ woman CEO Linda Jenkinson. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's S4Capital has reported first quarter revenue up 26.5% to £262m, representing like-for-like growth of 6.1%. Growth came mainly from the new Technology Services division and entirely from the Americas. More
Media and entertainment giant Warner Bros. Discovery has announced new measurement and attribution partnerships with 605, ABCS Insights, DISQO, EDO, LoopMe and Pilotyly, to demonstrate the impact of ad campaigns across its portfolio. More
In the US, customer experience specialist Zendesk has launched a solution called 'Conversational Commerce', to connect brands with shoppers and their experiences throughout their digital journeys. More
Comscore has reported a 2.6% drop in Q1 revenue to $91.6m, from $94.0m a year ago, as well as a fall in profit: adjusted EBITDA declined to $5.2m from $6.8m in Q1 2022. More
In London, ad agency AMV BBDO has appointed Robyn D'Arcy as Head of Data, responsible for growing the firm's data offering and expanding its areas of expertise. More
Research software and solutions firm Forsta has added a self-serve visualization and data storytelling solution called Forsta Studio Canvas to its Human Experience (HX) Platform, combining data with imagery to illustrate the journey of customers and employees. More
Digital transformation consultancy Kin + Carta has acquired Edinburgh-based Forecast Data, whose AI and machine learning tools help businesses understand, predict and optimise their performance. The deal is valued at an initial consideration of £3m, with a total capped at £13.1m. More
Customer experience management (CXM) platform Sprinklr has expanded its presence in India, with the opening of an office in Gurgaon's business district. The firm plans to hire 400 new engineers for the new office by the end of the summer, and add more than 200 interns this month. More
Marketing intelligence provider MiQ has launched a shopper intelligence solution called Consumer Link, combining transaction, media consumption, geo-contextual and behavioral data in a single platform, allowing the creation of personalized campaigns throughout the shopper journey. 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
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 US, media intelligence specialist Cision has promoted Antony Cousins to the newly created role of Executive Director of AI Strategy. More
Digital media measurement and data platform DoubleVerify (DV) has added programmatic pre-bid attention optimization segments to its performance solutions, enabling brands and agencies to identify inventory by 'high attention'. More
In the US, technology intelligence firm HG Insights has added a LinkedIn integration to its platform, allowing users to target prospects based on ideal customer profiles. 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
Former TVSquared President Jo Kinsella has joined personalized content and viewer insights provider ThinkAnalytics as Strategic Advisor, Advertising. 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
Australia agency Inlight has launched a service called the Digital Experience Benchmark, to help companies evaluate user experience of a digital product or service against best practice guidelines and heuristics. More
Nielsen has launched a cross-platform solution called Nielsen ONE Content Alpha, to deliver measurement of content viewing across all device types. The solution will continue to evolve with new features and enhancements ahead of its full market availability in the US at the end of 2024. More
Digital advertising, marketing and technology services company S4 Capital is working on a succession plan for its founder and Executive Chairman Sir Martin Sorrell. 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
Digital media measurement and verification firm Integral Ad Science (IAS) has partnered with attention measurement platform Lumen Research, to provide clients with an improved way to track which ad impressions have captured attention and are likely to lead to a business result. More
Automated consumer insights platform Zappi has expanded its Amplify ad development system, co-developed by consumer brands including PepsiCo, McDonald's and Reckitt, to help marketers optimize and validate their digital and TV advertisements at every stage of the creation process. More
Former Behaviorally exec Francesca Sussman has rejoined the company as Vice President of TransactionPath Consultancy, which helps clarify the path-to-purchase and decision drivers in a category to understand the moments that influence consumer choice. More
In Slovakia, social media analytics startup CulturePulse has secured $1m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to expand its team and into new markets. More
In the US, comms agencies Kivit and Subject Matter have joined forced to create a new national agency that combines strategic communications, analytics and insights, government relations, digital strategy, creative content and advertising services. Terms have not been disclosed. More
Ipsos exec Tasneem Ali has joined the group's AI-enabled social media intelligence business Ipsos Synthesio as its Head in the UK. More
San Francisco-based eCommerce revenue optimization firm Luca has raised $2.5m in seed funding, which it will use to scale up its data science and engineering teams, and support more retailers on its platform. More
In London, programmatic media platform Dataseat has appointed former Facebook data scientist Matina Thomaidou as Vice President, Head of Data Science. More
In the UK, full-service social and MR agency IFF Research has promoted eleven of its employees, including Marc Cranney to Research Director. 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
Acast has expanded its self-serve podcast ad platform, to enable advertisers to target listeners based on Nielsen audience segments across Acast's more than 92,000 podcasts. The new Audience Segments service is available in the US, Canada and Australia. 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
Experience management firm Alida has enhanced its Total Experience Management (TXM) platform, with the addition of a mobile feedback app to help organizations build 'stronger connections with hard-to-reach customers'. More
Kantar has appointed long-time Merkle exec Erin Hutchinson as Chief Marketing Officer, Insights, North America. More
In Israel, content discovery and personalisation platform Outbrain has promoted Yonatan Maman to the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Andraz Tori to the newly created position of Chief Product Officer. More
In New York, social media analyst Measure Studio has closed a $1.5m round of seed funding, which it will use to further develop its content intelligence platform, ramp up its sales efforts, and accelerate its go-to-market strategy. More
Havas Media Group (HMG) has appointed George Papandreopoulos as Global Managing Director of Measurement, based in Madrid; while promoting Jamie Seltzer to the role of Global Managing Director of the new Media Experience (Mx) Analytics practice, based in Boston. More
In the US, Nielsen says it will not be participating in the 'JIC' formed by a number of broadcasters earlier this year to certify audience measurement providers, unless the new body addresses concerns in areas including methodology, missing platforms, Nielsen IP, and the JIC's relationship to the MRC. More
In New York, zero party data platform Pulse Insights has launched an automated feedback module called AI Tuner, enabling deployment, integration and optimization of AI models and applications powered by them. 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
Marketing measurement provider Objective Platforrm has appointed long-time industry exec Roy Patel as UK Managing Director, based in London, while Marc Lücke joins as an Account Executive, based in Düsseldorf. More
Mobile app measurement and attribution platform AppsFlyer has launched its first Country Index Report, ranking mobile app campaign performance across geographical markets. More
Google has merged its artificial intelligence research units, DeepMind and Brain, to form a new unit called Google DeepMind. More
Publicis-owned data company Epsilon is integrating Samba TV's OTT and linear television viewing data into its PeopleCloud, which measures the connection between digital ads and consumer events such as purchases. More
London-based voice analytics firm Phebi, which already uses AI to identify nonconscious emotion, has added generative AI to summarize research results and enable additional interaction with them. More
In London, specialist B2B marketing consultancy Gravity Global has hired brand strategist Stephen Cheliotis for a newly created role, Global Brand Insights Director. More
Digital media measurement, data and analytics platform DoubleVerify (DV) has appointed Daniel Slotwiner as Senior Vice President of Attention, overseeing product innovation, go-to-market strategy and commercialization activities, and the development of industry research and performance insights. More
In the US, social media engagement and analytics specialist Sprout Social is launching a series of artificial intelligence features, combining its proprietary machine learning (ML) and automation capabilities with OpenAI's GPT model. 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
US-based cross-screen television insights and analytics provider Samba TV has partnered with European TV analytics provider Admo.tv, to bring a new measurement and attribution solution to the French market. More
Marcoms agency network Wunderman Thompson has expanded its global B2B offering with the launch of an initiative called 'Inspired B2B', bringing together its expertise in creative, business transformation, content, experience, loyalty and personalisation, and commerce. More
Companies in the UK are more likely to be seeing MR budget cuts than increases, according to data from the latest Bellwether report from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA). In the first quarter of 2023, a net 3.2% of firms reported declining spend. More
In the US, consumer purchase insights company Affinity Solutions has launched an intelligence platform called Comet, which uses consumer purchase signals to help marketers plan, activate and measure media. More
UK-based insights and data firm Delineate has announced the return of its former Business Development Director Tony Pelham to the company as Commercial Director. More
WPP has acquired 'sonic branding' agency amp, which employs a 'Sonic DNA' design approach and 'Sonic Hub' creative platform to analyse, create and manage clients' music and sound assets. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Research software and solutions firm Forsta has launched a qual research tool called Forsta Discussions, allowing clients to plan, conduct and monitor video focus groups within its 'Human Experience' (HX) platform. More
Sir Martin Sorrell, founder and Executive Chairman of digital advertising, marketing and technology services company S4 Capital, is undergoing 'further preventative treatment' following keyhole surgery in February to remove a tumour. More
Social media intelligence and analytics specialist Meltwater has launched its Enterprise Intelligence suite of tools in the APAC region. The firm has also hired two senior execs as part of its 'enterprise push'. 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
Ad network McCann Worldgroup is hiring Nathan Brown in the new role of Global Chief Audience Architect, responsible for building an Audience Planning Global Practice, providing an understanding of people and their behavior across devices, content and platforms. More
In New York, consumer digital identity, consent and data platform lockr has raised $2.5m in a pre-seed round of funding, which it will use to expand its six-person team and publisher network, and to build new consumer tools. More
US-based cookieless targeting specialist Semcasting has hired Dan Green as its first Chief Revenue Officer; Justin Thompson as General Manager of Identity and Healthcare Services; and Ryan Calabrese as Vice President of Business Development - Healthcare, Pharma and Financial Services. More
In New York, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has reinstated accreditation for Nielsen's National Television Audience Measurement (TAM) service, which it suspended in September 2021. The move comes just in time for the start of the 2023-24 upfront ad planning and buying season. More
Brand and marketing insights company Shapiro+Raj has appointed Carrie McDowell as Director, Quant Operations; Adam Weil as Director, Life Sciences; Samantha DuBois as Director, Strategy; and Jaspal Singh as Director of People. Meanwhile Carol Tobler is promoted to Senor Director, Marcoms. More
Paris-based social media-sampled insights firm Episto has opened an office in London, and appointed former Nielsen and Lucid employee Julie Tebeka to lead it. More
Luxury markets specialist Altiant has expanded its Millionaire Media Consumption Subscription service to Hong Kong and Singapore. More
In Adelaide, Australia, attention measurement firm Amplified Intelligence has launched a tag-based system for measuring the attention paid to ad campaigns, allowing for their real-time, in-flight optimisation. 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
Dubai-based ad and marketing intelligence provider Re-Bid has launched a GPT-based AI assistant to analyze past campaign data from more than twenty AdTech platforms. More
Momentive has rolled out three recently launched survey creation features for SurveyMonkey Enterprise and paid customers in the UK and Ireland. More
US Hispanic and multicultural markets research specialist ThinkNow has launched proprietary panel management software called ThinkNow Base. More
Finnish competitive intelligence provider M-Brain has launched trend detection tools, allowing users to pull insights from news, trade articles and industry databases, regardless of topic or industry. More
Kantar Media has been commissioned by the Association of Philippine Broadcasters (KBP) to conduct a series of radio surveys which will serve as the country's currency for radio audience measurement. More
Nielsen has launched an audio measurement service called Market-Wide Total Line Reporting (TLR) to enable clients in PPM (Portable People Meter) markets to gain a market-wide view of streaming audio consumption. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has 'formally revoked' accreditation of Comscore's Media Metrix (MMX) desktop digital audience measurement service, a year after putting it on 'hiatus'. More
Ipsos has promoted Pedr Howard to the newly created role of Executive Vice President and Head of its Creative Excellence team in the US. More
Ipsos-owned B2B researcher Xperiti has launched a solution called Vepp, which it says will flag fraudulent profiles and ensure that only genuine respondents can participate in online surveys and panels. 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
Customer experience (CX) platform Emplifi has added 'unified analytics' to its platform, bringing together paid, earned and owned social media, competitive analysis and voice of customer (VoC) tools. More
Novi, Michigan-based, AI-driven automotive data services provider CerebrumX Labs has received an undisclosed strategic investment from mobile tech veteran BlackBerry, which it will use to ramp up the delivery of data-driven in-vehicle products and services. More
In the US, AI-powered mobile gaming platform Skillprint has launched a new ratings service for games, based on a combination of neuroscience research and machine learning. More
Kantar has announced a new growth strategy for the APAC region; launched a tailored platform in China; and plans to quadruple the size of its Indian panel. More
Text analyst Canvs AI has launched a solution called AI Story Assist, which promises more efficient delivery of insights from unstructured feedback, and instant transformation of open-ended text from surveys, social media and online reviews into a natural language summary. More
Nielsen has launched a local TV measurement service for OTT and streaming apps, delivered through connected TV devices, apps and / or web sites, and viewed on the TV screen. 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
British big data-based decision intelligence firm Quantexa has announced a $129m Series E round of funding, which values the company at $1.8 billion. More
PR and comms monitoring group Onclusive has launched a CEO Index, analysing media coverage of the leaders of the US and Europe's biggest listed companies. BP's Bernard Looney has been named top ranking CEO in the UK, based on an overall impact score. More
Swiss firm beaconsmind, a developer of location-based marketing software, has acquired German guest data and marketing service provider Socialwave for EUR 10m. More
In New York, Kantar's recently formed ad intelligence business Vivvix has appointed Matt Young as Chief Commercial Officer, responsible for all global revenue, customer success and commercial operations. More
Global insight and customer analytics group STRAT7 has acquired UK-based strategy, insight and planning consultancy Rainmakers CSI for an undisclosed sum. The company will be integrated into Incite, which STRAT7 acquired in 2021. More
In the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued a £12.7m fine to short-form video hosting service TikTok for a number of breaches of data protection law, including failing to use children's personal data lawfully. More
Video-based insight provider UserTesting and user experience (UX) specialist UserZoom have merged under the former's brand name. The merger follows the separate acquisitions of the two companies by private equity firm Thoma Bravo. More
European sales intelligence provider Echobot and web visitor intelligence tool Leadfeeder will now operate under the name Dealfront, following the merger of the two firms' teams and products last year. 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 Amsterdam, international branding agency The BaaS Company has appointed Sonja Keerl as Associate Partner and Director of a new go-to-market practice (GTM). This will help B2B tech scale-ups with their product value proposition, target audience definition and competitive analysis. More
British-based Mediatel is to rebrand with the name of its parent group Adwanted, two years on from its acquisition by the US- and France-focused company. The firm tracks trends across digital and traditional media. More
Data science and real-world testing provider HeadSpin has announced a strategic investment from Atlassian Ventures. Funds will drive its development of tools for DevOps teams, as well as 'synthetic observability' features, promising clients faster time to market and better product quality. More
Mindshare UK has appointed Alexis Faulkner as Chief Transformation Officer, leading the group's Insights, Technology and Analytics and Digital Planning teams; and Richard Kelly as Chief Solutions Officer. Both are new roles. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's S4 Capital has reported full-year revenues of £1.07bn, representing like-for-like organic growth of 25.8%. Operational EBITDA was £124m, up sharply in H2 to over £90m versus £30m in H1. More
In New York, CXM platform Sprinklr has launched a self-service version of its social media management solution Sprinklr Social, including publishing, engagement and reporting tools integrated with OpenAI's generative AI models. More
Dublin and London-based researcher RED C has added Ciara Reilly and Bryan Cox to its Group Management Team. More
Consumer intelligence provider Converseon has released a new version of its Conversus no code NLP (natural language processing) platform, integrating large language models (LLMs) and fine-tuned task specific models built with GPT assistance to make sense of unstructured conversation data. More
Toronto-based eCommerce analytics platform Birdseye has raised $500k in a pre-seed round of funding, which it will use to expand its engineering team and continue developing its AI-powered technology. More
Behavioural science-based marketing and MR consultancy System1 has added an audio-only element to its 'Test Your Ad' tool, allowing advertisers to optimise their audio ads for different audiences. More
Data-driven customer experience management (CXM) company Merkle has promoted Steve Yurisich to the role of Chief Executive Officer for Australia and New Zealand, as John Riccio moves to the position of APAC CEO. More
In the US, eCommerce returns data specialist Two Boxes has emerged from stealth with a $4.5m seed round of funding. Money will be used to grow the firm's engineering team, expand its product offering and presence across North America, and further develop its analytics capabilities. More
In the US the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) has launched a study evaluating opportunities to improve the use of Smart TV data in measuring advertising and programming. More
Comscore has expanded the 'Pulse' feature within its TV measurement solution, to provide clients with 48-hour TV measurement nationally, as well as in all 210 US media markets. More
Digital advertising, analytics and eCommerce firm Making Science has appointed former Head of Google Analytics 360 Toby McAra as Chief Revenue Officer, based in London. More
In Australia, survey platform Conjointly is offering an AUD 20k research grant, open to researchers from any field who are interested in applying market research techniques to the problem of AI safety. The grant is open to both individuals and teams. More
WPP has partnered with New York-based customer engagement platform Braze, promising brands the ability to deliver personalized interactions to consumers across multiple channels. More
The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has issued a call for a change to the way the industry defines the basis of television audience measurement - away from 'TV households' to 'TV-accessible' households (TVA), covering those that do not own a set, but view content through other devices. More
Marcoms group WPP has acquired tech-led social media influencer marketing agency Obviously, which offers enhanced data to deliver real-time campaign and audience insights. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Advertising and marketing network DDB Group Singapore has partnered with Temasek Polytechnic to launch the Behavioural Intelligence Group (BIG), which applies behavioural science to marketing, to examine an audience's abilities, motivations, and contextual influences on actions. More
In London, consumer behaviour data company ViewersLogic has hired Shahnawaz Ahmed to head up its new Single-Source Data (SSD) Panel. More
Kelly Sims has returned to GfK in the newly created role of Senior Vice President, Marketing Effectiveness, serving clients across various industries, but with a specialty in tech. He is based in San Jose, California. More
Data firm Near Intelligence, Inc. has completed its merger with special purpose acquisition company KludeIn, and commenced trading on the Nasdaq. The firm's SaaS platform provides intelligence on people, places and products. More
US-based emerging market intelligence platform Rwazi has raised $4m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to continue expanding its network of local consumers, with a focus on Africa, South Asia and LATAM. More
Social media video analytics firm Tubular Labs has been acquired by content analytics specialist Chartbeat, and has added a new feature measuring how content performs depending on the time of day it is posted. More
US-based customer intelligence platform InMoment has added new features including 'Smart Summary Generator', based on AI technology ChatGPT, into its Experience Improvement (XI) Platform. More
In the US, audio, imaging and sensing technology provider DTS has launched a solution called 'DTS AutoStage Broadcaster Portal', offering radio broadcasters insights into how listeners are engaging with their content from their cars. More
Los Angeles-based consumer insights and analytics business MarketCast has expanded its Brand Effect ad measurement platform, to provide advertisers with a 'holistic view' of how ad creative is resonating with audiences across CTV, steaming and social media. More
In the UK, marcoms group WPP has acquired data-driven influencer marketing agency Goat for an undisclosed sum. More
In New York, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has begun the process of mapping the pool of attention measurement providers, to create an 'Attention Atlas' as part of its ARF Attention Validation Initiative. More
In the US, marketing attribution platform Prescient AI has raised $4.5m in a seed funding round, which it will use to deploy new AI capabilities that enable marketers to optimize ad spend. More
UK audience measurement body UKOM has extended its endorsement of Ipsos' iris solution to 2027, following what the global agency describes as a 'series of successes'. In addition, Ipsos has added online video data insights to the iris platform. More
Two former senior execs of marketing and MR consultancy System1, former CEO Stefan Barden and ex-CFO James Geddes, are calling for board changes including the retirement of Rupert Howell as Chairman and NED, and the moving of founder John Kearon into an NED role. 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
Entertainment industry data science and MR company BB Media has opened an office in Los Angeles, led by Laura Ghisiglieri, Global Development & Marketing Director. More
Comscore has launched a dedicated programmatic targeting division called 'Proximic by Comscore', which will provide end users with access to more than 2,600 predictive, ID-less audiences and content-level solutions across CTV, linear, digital, DOOH and audio. More
British Out-Of-Home (OOH) measurement body Route has issued an invitation for partners to design a measurement system for out-of-home advertising on posters and screens across Great Britain. More
UK-based insight and foresight platform Signoi has expanded its analytics toolkit to include automated video analysis, with a specific focus on TikTok. More
Five years after its acquisition, social media intelligence and AI-enabled consumer listening platform Synthesio has changed its brand name to Ipsos Synthesio. More
Channel 4 will be the first UK broadcaster to offer brands the option of using Microsoft's advertising and analytics division Xandr to deliver campaigns to viewers. The agreement covers ads on its All 4 free-to-view video on demand service. More
Predictive analytics startup Nexoya has raised $5m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to accelerate growth in Switzerland and Germany, while expanding into new markets such as Italy and the UK. It will also further develop its AI platform, and work to integrate additional advertising channels. More
Mobile app measurement and attribution platform AppsFlyer has launched a return-on-investment (ROI) measurement suite called 'ROI360', which offers a unified platform for both cost aggregation and revenue measurement. More
In New York, data-led creative agency Formerly Knowns As (FKA) has appointed Linsey Loy as Chief Growth Officer. More
Paris-based social media monitoring and competitive intelligence firm Digimind has launched a 'Social Listening Solution', promising users a 'comprehensive understanding of their online presence'. More
Digital media measurement, data and analytics platform DoubleVerify (DV) has appointed long-time Ebiquity exec Laetitia Zinetti as Regional Vice President for Southern Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece), leading the company's growth across the region. More
SurveyMonkey parent Momentive has agreed to be acquired by a consortium led by insights sector investment firm Symphony Technology Group (STG), for approximately $1.5bn. More
Paris-based AI-driven predictive marketing platform Tinyclues has been acquired by customer relationship management (CRM) specialist Splio, for an undisclosed sum. More
Mobile app measurement and attribution platform AppsFlyer has hired mobile ad anti-fraud specialist Andreas Naumann, to help it continue fighting fraud and to aid further development of its Protect360 product suite. He is based in Berlin, Germany. More
Digital analytics provider Heap has launched mobile software development kits (SDKs) to provide new development frameworks for Android and iOS, allowing teams to understand and optimize cross-platform customer experiences. More
Experience management firm Qualtrics is to be acquired by tech investor Silver Lake, in partnership with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), for around $12.5bn in cash; and will become an independent, privately held company. 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
Kantar has launched an advanced analytics solution called Digital Mirror, using NLP and advanced graph and correspondence analysis to spot trends and map them to off-line consumer and product segmentations. More
Canadian polling, MR and strategy provider Leger has launched a research-driven digital performance agency called Leger DGTL, integrating its performance measurement agency Ressac in the process. More
New York-based customer lifecycle marketing company Zeta Global has added new features to its Zeta Marketing Platform (ZMP), to predict the results of an individual ad or series of campaigns across all paid and owned channels, and to recommend target audiences based on intent. More
In Australia, strategic consultancy The Influence Group has appointed Shannon Kenna as Managing Director of the Canberra offices of both its research and brand strategy business Pollinate and the group as a whole. 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
Experience management specialist Qualtrics and customer engagement platform Twilio are introducing a 'no-code connector', promising clients the ability to deliver more personalized customer experiences by combining operational and CX data in a unified view. More
Consumer research and neuromarketing platform CoolTool has launched an automated approach for testing video ads, with multiple non-conscious measurement tools working simultaneously to evaluate visual attention, emotional engagement, implicit and explicit impact. More
In the US, product content solutions firm 1WorldSync has acquired eCommerce tech and analytics company Webáta, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, B2B revenue analytics platform Houseware has launched out of stealth with $2.1m in seed funding, which it will use to accelerate sales of its data and insight platform, grow its customer base, and expand its team. More
Monnai, which provides consumer insights infrastructure for financial institutions, has raised $6.5m in a Series A round of funding, for uses including further development of its proprietary analytics and data ingestion capabilities. More
Online panel provider Intra Research has expanded into eighteen new territories, bringing the total number of European countries it covers to 34. More
Mobile research specialist MFour has added a solution called Journeys Marketplace to its Studio platform, providing users with access to 650 million rolling quarterly behavioral events such as app usage, web browsing history, and location visitation - for instant analysis. More
In the US, radio broadcast company Saga Communications has hired long-time Nielsen / Arbitron exec Mario Christino for the newly created position of Corporate Director of Research. More
Digital marcoms tech firm The Spotler Group has acquired Netherlands-based Sooqr, whose technology helps online retailers target product at appropriate consumers at the right time. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In New York, mass media company Fox Corporation has hired Nielsen's former Chief Data and Research Officer Mainak Mazumdar as its first Executive Vice President, Chief Advertising Research and Analytics Officer. More
In the US, marcoms group dentsu has acquired B2B digital customer experience and commerce agency Shift7 for an undisclosed sum. The business will join Merkle, dentsu's technology-enabled, data-driven customer experience management company. More
In Finland, AI-based TikTok analytics and insights solution Exolyt has raised EUR 450k in a pre-seed funding round, which it will use to scale its analytics features for business end-users and expand its sales and marketing initiatives. More
SOCi, a data-connected marketing platform for multi-location brands, has raised $120m in a round of funding, which it will use to develop a new line of artificial intelligence marketing products, and to expand into new markets. More
In the US, recently merged consumer data and insights firms Information Resources Inc. (IRI) and The NPD Group have named the combined company 'Circana', which CEO Kirk Perry says conveys the business's 360-degree, full-circle understanding of the consumer and market. 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
In the UK, subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) insight and data specialist Digital i has promoted Matt Ross to the role of Managing Director. He takes over from interim MD Emma Shelton, who is stepping back from daily operations to concentrate on chairing the firm's Board of Directors. More
In San Francisco, digital engagement platform ON24 has launched an AI engine helping enterprises to analyze audience behavior, generate content, scale personalized experiences and uncover buying intent data. More
In the US, customer relationship management platform HubSpot has launched two artificial intelligence-based tools, to help users create 'better connections' with their audiences. More
In London, dentsu-owned customer experience management (CXM) company Merkle has promoted three execs for newly-created UK and Ireland executive leadership roles. Among them, Clare Morgan is promoted to Chief Client Officer. 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 Canada, Web3 gaming and NFT analytics platform Helika has raised $4m in a seed funding round, which it will use to expand its operations and further develop its platform. More
In New York, former Qualtrics exec Kimberly Bastoni has joined consumer insights tech firm Suzy as its first Chief Revenue Officer. More
In the US, media group Hearst has hired long-time Nielsen exec Jessica Hogue as its first Chief Data Officer, Consumer Media. She takes up the new position on Monday. More
UK-based behaviour forecasting firm Ramp has raised $5m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to support the onboarding of new clients. More
New York-based behavoral marketing sofware firm Wunderkind has raised $76m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use for company and workforce expansion, and to further develop its products. 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
UK-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform Attio has raised $23.5m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to accelerate engineering and product development, and expand its go-to-market presence globally. More
In the UK, personalised beauty shopping marketplace Sourcerie has raised £1.8m in a pre-seed round of funding, which it will use to continue to build its tech platform and personalisation software for consumer skin, hair and body care consumers and brands. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council has extended accreditation for ad buying and data platform Mediaocean, reflecting the fact that its Flashtalking ad serving unit and Protected Media ad fraud service now incorporate verification metrics across all channels, including CTV. 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
Comscore has reported financial results for the fourth quarter and calendar year 2022, with annual revenue up 2.7% to $376.4m, and adjusted EBITDA up 16% to $37.0m. More
British big data-based decision intelligence firm Quantexa has acquired Dublin's Aylien, which taps natural language processing to empower its customers to collect and analyze unstructured text data. More
Shopper insights firm Behaviorally has extended its TransactionPath suite with the launch of two new services, ShelfPath and DecisionPath, designed to understand 'New Retail' consumers shopping seamlessly across physical, social and other digital channels. More
Omnicom-owned data and analytics firm Annalect has lost its ANZ CEO Clement Tsang and COO Matthew Nolan: both roles were reportedly cut as part of wider restructuring of the business. More
Experience management firm Alida has appointed Tanya Jarrett as Chief People Officer, leading its global people strategy and strengthening its initiatives for employee experience and DE&I. More
UK-based ad optimisation and measurement company LoopMe has appointed Alberico de Nardis as Head of South East Asia, and moved Bernard Fung to the role of Head of North APAC. Simon Stone expands his role and becomes GM International, while Amazon exec Lisa Coffey joins as Global CRO. More
Sydney-based marketing investment analytics firm Mutinex has extended its seed round of funding by $5m, valuing the firm at $AUD 37m. More
Helsinki, Finland-based eCommerce personalization platform Nosto has raised $16m in a new round of funding, which it will use to continue developing its technology and make new acquisitions. More
UK television audience measurement body Barb has appointed Khaled Serafy as its first Head of Data Science, charged with reviewing, verifying and developing the organisation's complex methods and models. 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
New York-based eCommerce marketing analytics specialist MikMak is to acquire eCommerce enablement and customer journey analytics platform Swaven, which works across the EMEA, APAC and LATAM regions. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the UK, kids, teens, parents and family market intelligence specialist The Insights Family has made eight new hires across its Technology, Research, Customer Success and Support divisions - as well as four promotions. More
Media behavior analyst HyphaMetrics has appointed former Comscore Chief Commercial Officer Chris Wilson as its new Chief Executive, to lead the next phase of the company's growth and expansion strategy. He replaces co-founder Joanna Drews, who is now company President. More
Next15's data, MR and advisory company Savanta has launched its first European Consumer Confidence survey, which will be run quarterly to understand a range of factors, including awareness of brands' sustainability and data privacy actions. More
Behavioral research firm InsightsNow has hired Brian Briskey for the newly created role of Senior Director of Strategic Consulting, supporting the company's work setting strategic direction for innovation, brand and product development teams. More
In the US, real-time targeting specialist Fanplayr has launched an enterprise-grade customer data platform (CDP) called Fanplayr 360, which brings all customer data from multiple sources into a unified view to drive personalized journeys based on real-time insights. More
US company Analytic Partners has appointed Dave Rodrigues as Senior Vice President for Customer Engagement, based in Miami. More
In the UK, consumer insights provider dunnhumby has launched a tool called Revenue Growth Planner, to enable consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands to forecast the sales impact of changes to a product's pricing and promotional strategy. More
In the US, former MarketShare COO Ivan Markman has joined the Board of media optimization platform Measured. The firm has also appointed Isaac Weber as SVP of Customer Success, Mahesh Jeswani as SVP of Product, and Kelli Negro as SVP of Marketing. More
'Data creation' platform Walr has appointed former Savanta EVP Peter Flower as Chief Operating Officer, while Tariq Badar joins as Chief Financial Officer. Meanwhile co-founder Patrick Fraser is stepping back from the day-to-day running of the firm, but will remain a Non-Executive Director. More
Canadian marketing services and data firm Environics Analytics (EA) has partnered with consumer and audience insights company Vividata to launch a database called Opticks Digital, designed to provide a multi-channel view of the online Canadian consumer. More
BARB, the UK's television audience measurement body, has announced a commitment to expand its measurement of audiences to include 'fit-for-TV' content on video-sharing platforms. At the same time the organisation has changed its company name to Barb Audiences Ltd. More
Marcoms giant Dentsu has acquired Madrid-based customer relationship management specialist Omega CRM Consulting, which it will add to its own CXM division Merkle. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Manchester, UK-based full service MR agency Mustard has promoted Molly Hilton and Joe Stanley to Research Manager roles, while hiring Emma France as Senior Research Executive, and adding Izzy Tooze and Nadja Moncolova to its graduate scheme. More
US-based customer and employee experience specialist Medallia has launched a platform to help companies use omnichannel customer insights to detect intent based on customer experience data, and drive more tailored experiences across channels. More
Ipsos and IAB Australia have announced that the new Ipsos iris digital audience measurement currency will be launched in early March, following its official endorsement by the association's Board and Measurement Council. More
A European Parliament Committee has expressed serious doubts about the proposed 'adequacy decision' giving the green light to the latest rules for the transfer of data to and from the US. LIBE says the US commitments lack the robust safeguards and redress mechanisms required by GDPR. 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
UK-based Verve, whose expertise includes community panels and culture, has announced the promotion of marketing and comms head Vicki Britton and the appointment of former Streetbees and Kantar exec Jadwiga Kozubek as a Director; as well as a raft of other promotions and hires. More
Dublin's RED C Research has strengthened its UK business with the appointment of Ettie Etela as Director and Genie Barton as Project Manager. 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
German-based pricing analyst Simon-Kucher has announced revenue of EUR 534.9m for 2022, up 21% year-on-year. The company has also unveiled a new brand identity based around 'Unlocking better growth'. More
UK Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising trade body Outsmart has announced the forthcoming launch of an industry-wide tool which will bring OOH media-owner data - both 'classic' and digital - into a single interface for buyers. More
In Stockholm, audience measurement body MMS (Mediamätning / Skandinavien AB) has announced the expansion of its 'total measurement' cross-media ad currency service, operated by Nielsen. More
Dublin and London-based researcher RED C has launched an online platform called RED C Direct, allowing clients to test their own ad creative, backed by the firm's survey design, sampling expertise, effectiveness model and norms. 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
Danish broadcasters DR, Bauer Media, Danske Medier and Radio 4 have renewed their agreement with Kantar for the measurement of radio audiences in the country, until at least 2028. More
US-headquartered shopper and digital marketing consultancy Behaviorally has appointed long-time Nielsen exec Delphine Ferrazzi as a Consultant, based in its Paris office. More
In Poland, customer engagement platform SALESmanago has launched what it calls the 'CUPID Score', to evaluate how marketers measure customer engagement and experience. More
In the US, customer intelligence platform InMoment has added self-serve reputation management capabilities to its Experience Improvement (XI) platform, following last year's acquisition of ReviewTrackers. 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 New York, research-based business intelligence firm Advertiser Perceptions has received a 'significant investment' from Eureka Equity Partners, which it will use to expand its business. More
Omni-channel measurement and attribution solutions provider Kochava has acquired London-based Machine Advertising, which uses analytics and machine learning techniques to help clients build products in the app marketing space. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Predictive media monitoring company NewsWhip has raised $13m in a funding round, which will be used to further develop its technology. More
In the US, enterprise engagement platform Augeo has acquired social media marketing agency Brand Networks, which develops AI-powered tools to help monetize first-party data and audiences across social media platforms. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
WPP's consumer data specialist Wavemaker has announced that France CEO Jean Philippe Bertaux is leaving the agency after thirteen years, to be replaced by leadership duo Julien Boyer and Roch Osenda. Bertaux's next career move is not yet known. More
Global technology comms consultancy Hotwire has launched a suite of data intelligence solutions, covering 'every aspect of the marketing journey'. 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 the US, global media group Entravision has launched a service called Entravision Plus, which uses performance-based data to help companies connect with individuals as they consume content from premium Spanish-language publishers. More
Digital media measurement, data and analytics platform DoubleVerify (DV) has launched what it claims is the 'first ever' scalable solution to verify viewability on Connected TV (CTV). More
GroupM's new data / audience planning agency EssenceMediacom has appointed Silas Ho as MD in Hong Kong and Anthony Lau as Managing Partner there, with a focus on formulating the agency's business development strategy. More
Brian O'Kelley, the co-founder of ad targeting tech specialist AppNexus, has been appointed to the Board of data collaboration platform LiveRamp. 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
Former Lightspeed, Ipsos and Schlesinger exec Matthew Seabrook has joined agile research solutions and panels firm Borderless Access, as its sales representative in the UK. More
Conversation AI and automation specialist Uniphore has acquired Hexagone, which combines various voice, visual and text-based data to provide insights into human behavior. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the UK, The Insights Family has hired Voxpopme co-founder Tom Williams as Chief Growth Officer, while moving Clive Maudsley to the role of COO. Founder Nick Richardson moves to Chief Strategy Officer, following the appointment of Rachel Bardill to lead the Marketing and Partnerships team. More
Consumer behaviour specialist ViewersLogic has launched a panel to measure individuals' media consumption, TV and digital ad exposure, online and off-line purchases, and location data over time, 24/7. More
In Edinburgh, Scotland, fan experience and data platform Fanbase has raised £1m in a new round of funding, which it will use to expand its operations and marketing in North America. 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
AdTech company Infillion has acquired global MR company Phonic, which helps build voice and video surveys, and records and analyzes consumer interaction with technology and web sites. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
British tabloid newspaper The Sun has made its consumer insight tool 'Sun Polls' available as a commercial service for brands and educational institutions. More
Ad targeting and retargeting specialist Criteo has appointed former dunnhumby exec Marc Fischli as Executive Managing Director, EMEA, while HookLogic UK founder Nicole Kivel rejoins the company as Managing Director, Northern Europe. More
Digital marketing agency Croud has appointed former Google Analytics exec Avinash Kaushik as Chief Strategy Officer. More
In the US, contextual ad intelligence platform GumGum has been granted Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for brand safety and contextual targeting for Connected TV (CTV). More
US-based conversational artificial intelligence and automation specialist Uniphore has acquired UK firm Red Box, which offers a platform for capturing voice and screen metadata from conversations. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, customer experience automation platform Ushur has raised $50m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to expand its portfolio, develop new innovations in AI, and move into new regions and industry verticals. More
Palo Alto, CA-based all-in-one digital customer experience platform Birdeye has announced the acquisition of Australian firm Cube Online, whose own CX platform 'mirrors' that of its new parent. Terms were not disclosed. More
Portuguese consumer neuroscience-based media research platform MindProber has appointed former Oracle Moat Product Head Irina Dzyubinsky as Chief Product Officer. More
Manchester, UK-based mobile data specialist RealityMine has launched a 'Data Marketplace', allowing clients to access digital behaviour data from real people via global, privacy-compliant datasets - including consumers' mobile search behaviour, web page visits, app usage, and ad and media exposure. More
London-based strategic insight consultancy Firefish has appointed Richard Owen as Group Head of Innovation, with a seat on its Board. More
US-based growth marketing firm Power Digital has acquired marketing agency Sproutward, which is headquartered in Boston and Columbus, OH and combines 'creativity with robust analytics' for clients going through digital transformation. More
In the US, data quality and anti-fraud software platform Research Defender has promoted Teal Canady to Vice President of Technology, and Dan Fletcher to Vice President of Operations. The company has also appointed Josh Roberts as an Operations Analyst. More
Online community specialist C Space has promoted Kisha Payton to the newly created role of Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Officer, while Claire Kennard, Andy Fitzgibbons and Neha Mittal join the company's Senior Consultancy EMEA team. More
In the US, Nielsen has announced it is to market Edison Research's 'Share of Ear' and 'Podcast Metrics' services to ad agencies. 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
Triple Whale, which provides a smart data platform for eCommerce brands, has raised $25m in a Series B round of funding. The money will support customer demand for its proprietary attribution solutions, and allow it to double-down on its investment into AI and automation. More
In the US, customer engagement platform OneSignal has extended its September 2022 $50m Series C round of investment, with new funding which it will use to drive its go-to-market initiatives. 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 Lithuania, reputation analysis company Repsense has raised EUR 0.5m in a funding round, which it will use to further develop its automated measurement model and for international expansion. More
In the Netherlands, the Board of Directors of social media intelligence and analytics specialist Meltwater has voted unanimously to accept an acquisition offer from private equity vehicle MW Investment BV. 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
Australian media intelligence company Truescope has acquired US-based competitor Universal Information Services (UIS), for an undisclosed sum. More
WPP's media investment wing GroupM has announced the long-awaited launch of its new agency EssenceMediacom, comprised of 10,000 people across 120 offices globally. More
In the US, social media management software provider Sprout Social has acquired sentiment analysis and natural language processing business Repustate. Terms were not disclosed. More
UK television audience measurement body BARB has launched the beta of an API which it says will give clients more flexibility into how they access its viewing data. More
German-based software giant SAP has announced plans to cut up to 3,000 jobs, and says it will explore the possible sale of its 71% stake in experience management firm Qualtrics. 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
In Sydney, online sample marketplace PureSpectrum has appointed online research veteran Chris Mawn as ANZ Director of Clients. More
Community engagement platform OpenWeb has acquired proprietary audience management platform Jeeng, for around $100m, strengthening its offer helping brands to connect with online audience across channels and devices. More
In New York, shopper and digital marketing consultancy Behaviorally has launched PackPath, a qualitative suite which taps 'the world's largest behavioral pack design database' to predict the potential of pack designs to grow clients' in-market sales. More
Agile research solutions and panels firm Borderless Access has appointed Matthew Worden, formerly of firms including Dynata, Vision Critical and Fuel Cycle, as Vice President - Sales (Americas). More
Shopper behaviour specialist Kantar Worldpanel has promoted Francisco Luna to Country Manager, leading the division in Mexico. More
Digital media and analytics consultancy Adswerve has appointed Roger Berdusco as Chief Executive Officer, replacing founder Clint Tasset, who will remain on the company's Board of Directors. More
Kantar has promoted Jane Ng and Paromeeta (Paro) Mathur Banerjee to General Managers of its Insights division in Singapore and Malaysia, respectively. More
Digital media measurement, data and analytics platform DoubleVerify (DV) has expanded its partnership with Twitter, to enable advertisers to verify and analyse the quality of their US-based advertising campaigns on Twitter's home timeline. More
Singapore-based digital customer experience solutions provider TDCX has launched its first Digital CX Center of Excellence, which will pilot and validate new CX models. To support the center, TDCX has also set up a Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) arm to invest in CX technologies. More
UK-based ITV has increased its investment in data tech company InfoSum by 50% of its original amount, following the launch of the TV broadcaster's updated Planet V premium ad platform, and the recent launch of the Matchmaker VOD targeting product. Terms have not been disclosed. More
Finnish commercial broadcasters MTV Oy and Sanoma Media Finland have signed a contract with data integration and research consultancy services provider dataBreeders to develop Total TV advertising measurement and currency, which will launch in 2023. More
Customer experience (CX) platform Emplifi has announced an integration with visual messaging app Snapchat, to enable clients using Emplifi's Social Marketing Cloud to measure and manage their organic Snapchat content from within this cloud. More
Global sampling and research tech firm InnovateMR has acquired Ivy Exec, which offers access to a network of more than 2.5 million B2B professionals for qualitative research. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Employee-owned user experience (UX) research and design company ReSight Global has acquired a controlling interest in India-based competitor PeepalDesign, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, customer journey development and management specialist The Allant Group has appointed Michael Fisher as President and Chief Executive Officer. More
In the UK, personalization platform Fresh Relevance has launched a module helping B2B eCommerce companies engage with prospects and convert them to repeat customers. More
BARB, the UK's television audience measurement body, has awarded its panel expansion recruitment contract to Ipsos, which will grow the nationally representative panel of households from 5,150 to 7,000 homes. More
Israel-based in-game ad platform Anzu.io has been granted a patent for its ad tracking technology, which measures viewing in 3D environments. More
In the UK, marketing intelligence and programmatic media specialist MiQ has appointed former Quantcast exec John Thomson as Chief Revenue Officer, while Clare Beddow joins as Head of Commercial Strategy. More
WPP's investment arm GroupM has appointed former MediaMonks exec Tom Braybrook as Managing Director, Australia & New Zealand, leading the local launch of its data and tech consulting business 'Acceleration'. More
In the US, web data extraction and integration provider Import.io has been acquired by venture equity firm Scaleworks, for an undisclosed sum. 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
Sydney-based media consultancy and tech business Audience Precision has promoted James Allerton to the role of Head of Research and Insights. 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
Kantar has brought together syndicated media coverage from Kantar Media with the ad creative intelligence platform from its Numerator division to form an independent brand called Vivvix, led by former Nielsen CRO Andrew Feigenson as CEO. More
Streaming service Netflix has expanded its measurement deal with Nielsen, with a multi-year agreement to provide linear and streaming audience data across the US, Mexico and Poland. More
New York-based real-time media attention measurement specialist Adelaide has opened an office in London, to support brands and agencies across the UK and EMEA regions. The office will be led by former Oracle Advertising exec, Ed Bristow. More
Global online communities specialist InSites Consulting has acquired Munich-based MR and innovation consultancy Happy Thinking People, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, mobile survey platform GeoPoll has hired long-time RTI International exec Charles Lau as its first Chief Research Officer. More
In the UK, long-time BBC Children's exec Rachel Bardill has joined kids, teens, parents and family market intelligence provider The Insights Family, to lead its Marketing and Partnerships team. She is based in Manchester. 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
UK-based insights and data firm Delineate has announced two senior hires, Arun Mylavarapu as VP of Client Success and Simon Sketchley as Head of Data Services. More
New York-based firm Blackbird.AI has released a major upgrade of its Constellation risk analytics platform for conversational and social data. More
Structured and unstructured data and text analytics firm Lexalytics has expanded its capabilities for eleven of the languages it supports, to help global organizations better understand their customers. More
Following last month's news that Nielsen is restructuring its business into three global units, and the departure of five of the firm's senior managers, the company has confirmed it is reducing total headcount to 'roughly in line with where it was a year ago'. More
In the US, President Joe Biden has called for legislation to protect users' privacy by limiting targeted advertising, and banning it completely for children. More
US-based cross-screen television insights and analytics provider Samba TV is to sell its US managed media services division to UK-based marketing intelligence and programmatic media specialist MiQ, allowing Samba to focus on its data and measurement services. Terms have not been disclosed. More
In the US, real-time AI company DataStax has acquired machine learning company Kaskada, which enables practitioners to train behavioral models directly from event-based data. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Long-time Unilever insights leader BV Pradeep has joined the global advisory team of digital MR products and solutions company Borderless Access, with a remit to help the company design strategies for acquiring and expanding its client base. 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
In New York, self-service, real-time insights platform Glimpse has appointed long-time Lucid exec Jay Popovich as Chief Revenue Officer; Adam Bai as Chief Strategy and Client Service Officer and Karen Strauss as a part-time Strategic Consultant. More
Consumer data giant IRI has appointed former Amazon exec Florian Clemens as Vice President of Advertisers & Agencies EMEA, tasked with growing the company's media business across Europe. He is based in London. More
In the US, wearable tech data provider DashLX has raised $2.5m in a seed round of investment. More
US media ratings consortium OpenAP and TV ad trade group the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) have teamed up with a group of TV broadcasters to form a joint industry committee (JIC) and create a certification process for emerging cross-platform measurement solutions. 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
AdTech company The Trade Desk has launched Galileo, which will help advertisers activate their first-party customer data, to optimize digital media buys and measure business outcomes. More
Car manufacturing conglomerate and mobility provider Stellantis, whose brands include Citroën, Fiat, Chrysler and Maserati, has announced the launch of a unit dedicated to B2B products, applications and services based on its massive data sets. More
Former MRS President and ad industry leading light Jeremy Bullmore has died aged 93, shortly after retiring from WPP after 67 years at the group and its predecessor companies. More
LiveRamp has announced a partnership with 'visual discovery engine' Pinterest, for whom it will pilot data clean rooms, allowing Pinterest advertising partners to view aggregated insights into the performance of their campaigns. More
The ARF's Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement has appointed former GroupM and MediaPost journalist and marketer Tameka Kee as Deputy Managing Director. More
Groupe Publicis has announced the acquisition of London-based Yieldify, which will form part of the global marcoms giant's advertising and marketing technology division Epsilon. More
Mobile marketing and ad tech platform InMobi has appointed three advertising industry veterans to its Global Ad Monetization team: Brian Slitt and Pamela Ibarra in VP roles and Christopher Damski as Director of Product Development for its Meson brand. More
Alchemer, the experience management and enterprise feedback tech company once known as SurveyGizmo, has announced the acquisition of mobile CX specialist Apptentive. More
In between paying nine-figure fines and settlements, Meta has found time to strike a deal with IRI which will allow the consumer data giant to link ad campaigns on Instagram and Facebook to US retail sales at the brand and product level. 'Ansa' also allows for campaign targeting and optimization. More
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined Facebook parent Meta EUR 390m for breaking EU privacy rules, following the $725m settlement revealed in a US lawsuit this week and with a UK case looming at the end of the month. More
Year-old New York-based personal data exchange Caden has raised a further $6m in seed funding, which it will use to formally launch its platform and grow its team. More
More than two years after first announcing its Nielsen One cross-platform measurement solution, and a year after the start of 'Alpha' testing, Nielsen says it is ready for a full launch of the first elements next week. More
Investment firm BC Partners is to acquire a majority stake in New York and London-based Account Based Marketing (ABM) specialist Madison Logic, from private equity firm Clarion Capital Partners. Others including the firm's CEO and co-founders will retain their minority shareholdings. More
In the US, Meta, the parent of Facebook, has agreed to settle a lawsuit relating to the Cambridge Analytica data breach, and will pay $725m, reportedly the largest sum in a privacy-based class action. More
Fairfield, NJ-based digital imaging industry product testing and analytics firm Keypoint Intelligence has appointed Nancy Byrne as Vice President of Marketing. More
In the US, digital media measurement firm DoubleVerify has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its DV Authentic Attention analytics and performance solution. More
Ad measurement, planning and optimization platform VideoAmp has announced a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to measure cross-screen campaigns across the latter's portfolio of news and entertainment brands. Following a test with Omnicom, the service will offer a transaction currency for ads. More
Purchasing behavior specialist Behaviorally has hired Gustavo Alvarez to launch a Latin American hub in Mexico City. More
In the US, B2B technology purchasing intent data provider TechTarget has promoted EVP Rebecca Kitchens to the role of President, while Steve Niemiec has added the title of COO to his existing role as Chief Revenue Officer. 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
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ Group) has agreed to acquire analytics and data viz specialist DOT Loves Data, for an undisclosed sum. More
In India, telecoms services company Bharti Airtel has acquired an 8% stake in Lemnisk, which offers a real-time marketing automation and customer data platform (CDP) for one-to-one personalization and cross-channel customer journey management at scale. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, online video ad and analytics tech firm Innovid has appointed David Helmreich as Chief Commercial Officer. More
In the US, marcoms agency Allison+Partners has combined existing and new capabilities into one centralized unit called the Performance+Intelligence Group, offering cross-channel analytics and insights, data science, measurement and research. More
WPP is opening a Campus in Atlanta, GA, bringing together more than 400 of its employees and housing ten of its agencies which are already based in the city. This is WPP's sixth Campus in North America and the first to be unveiled in the US this year. 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
Nielsen Audio Managing Director Brad Kelly is leaving the firm as part of the company's 'executive shake-up', according to radio industry trade publication Radio Ink. More
In the US, video technology provider and measurement specialist Qumu is to be acquired by enterprise software firm Enghouse Systems, for approximately $18m. More
Nielsen is restructuring its business into three global business units, according to online publication AdAge: Nielsen Audience Measurement, Nielsen Analytics and Gracenote. Current COO Karthik Rao will become CEO of the first of these. More
Paris-based macroeconomic, corporate and environmental intelligence provider QuantCube Technology has raised an undisclosed amount of funding in a Series B round, for use in continued global expansion. More
Business Process Management (BPM) solutions provider WNS has acquired platform-based research and analytics firm The Smart Cube for $125m. WNS has also bought procurement platform consultancy OptiBuy for EUR 30m. More
NowVertical Group (NOW), which combines human expertise and big data analytics, is to acquire two UK-based data analytics specialists - Smartlytics Consultancy and Acrotrend Solutions - for a total of $6.45m. More
In New York, programmatic targeting specialist Reset Digital has hired Nate Rackiewicz for the newly created role of Chief Data Officer. More
In the US, consulting firm Protiviti has acquired digital experience agency R2integrated (R2i), for an undisclosed sum. More
InnovidXP President Jo Kinsella has announced she is leaving the company 'to explore new adventures'. She joined in March when ad tech firm Innovid paid $160m to acquire measurement and optimization firm TVSquared. More
Text analytics specialist Canvs AI has added translation capabilities to Canvs MRX, allowing users to analyze open-ended text from multiple languages, directly on the platform. More
Mountain View, CA-based customer lifecycle and user retention platform CleverTap has appointed Satyadeep Mishra as its new Chief Human Resources Officer. More
Monterrey, Mexico-based promotion and pricing optimization specialist Kuona has raised $6m in seed funding, which it will use to expand its presence in key locations including Latin America, Europe and the US. More
In New York, automated marketing data science platform Recast has raised $3.4m in a follow-on seed funding round, which it will use to scale its software engineering and data science teams. More
In the US, the Boards of Directors of not-for-profit audience audit organizations the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) and BPA Worldwide have approved a plan for the two to merge. The aim is to increase trust across media channels through 'innovative service development'. More
Experience management platform Qualtrics has added new XM Platform features, including an enhanced Experience iD (XiD) dashboard experience and automated workflows, combining operational customer data and experience data to understand key customer trends. More
Andrew Frawley, the former CEO of database marketing firm Epsilon, has been named of Chairman of customer engagement technology specialist Alterian. More
Amsterdam-based customer journey management platform TheyDo has raised EUR 12m in a Series A round of funding, which it will invest in enhanced tools, co-creation, and adding community content to its product. More
Kantar has launched a team called Global Connected Data Solutions, within its audience network Profiles division, to help advertisers maximise the value of their first-party data. More
In Australia, marcoms group dentsu has acquired data and analytics provider Aware Services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has appointed Jack Koch as SVP Research and Insights and Pam Zucker as SVP, Chief Strategy Officer. Additionally, Chris Bruderle's role has been expanded and he now has the title VP, Industry Insights and Content Strategy. More
In the US, ad tech firm tvScientific has appointed Michael Bilow as its first Head of Data Science, while launching a Data Science Advisory Board tasked with providing guidance on television attribution and optimization. More
Simon Redlich, Chief Executive of UK media ad currency body and auditor ABC, has been re-elected as Global President of the International Federation of Audit Bureaux of Certification (IFABC) for a second term. 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
CEO Jami talks to MrWeb's Nick Thomas about how she came to be co-founding and growing a data collection business for the 21st century; embracing the tech, but keeping customer service front and center. Taken from the 'Data Visualization' special issue, out now. Available either to read or watch. More
Audience intelligence platform Audiense has acquired SOPRISM, a tool that helps agencies and brands develop their understanding of their social media audience. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Former Kantar / Nielsen exec Amy Fenton has joined Los Angeles-based consumer insights and analytics business MarketCast, as Head of Ad Solutions. More
Australia-based attention measurement company Amplified Intelligence has acquired ad verification company AttentvAds, for an undisclosed sum. More
AI-powered customer lifecycle and user retention platform CleverTap has launched a tool called RenderMax, which the firm claims can increase mobile push notification render rates by up to 90% on low-end Android devices. 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
SurveyMonkey and GetFeedback parent Momentive has brought in Rich Sullivan as CFO, overseeing all aspects of its finance function. More
Austin, TX-based employee experience platform provider LumApps has acquired French chatbot specialist Vizir, for an undisclosed amount. More
Online retail giant Amazon has announced the launch by its Web Services division of AWS Clean Rooms, which will help client companies easily and securely analyze and collaborate on their combined datasets, without sharing or revealing underlying data. More
Disney's Advertising division has announced an advanced integration with ad measurement, planning and optimization platform VideoAmp, using 'Clean Room' technology to offer clients ad metrics and privacy-compliant first-party data usage in the post-cookie world. More
Predictive ad analytics firm datafuelX has announced three senior hires for new roles: Steve Popper as VP of Technology, Guanghui Lui as VP of Data Science, and Caitlin Barter as Director of Partnership Success. More
US-based media metrics body the CIMM is to launch five new Working Groups to support its mission promoting innovation in media measurement, metrics and data. They are Cross-Media, Multi-Currency, Content, TV Data and CTV / Streaming / Programmatic. More
Comscore has extended its partnership with independent ad platform AdForm, making the former's Predictive Audiences solution available to the latter's clients worldwide. More
Brighton, UK-based insight and foresight platform Signoi has unveiled a new service analysing videos from any source, and including the use of higher-order semiotic frameworks which it says can 'pinpoint significant shifts in motifs within a video, and ultimately capture the whole narrative in its essence'. More
WPP has acquired full-service eCommerce agency Diff, whose offer includes site optimisation and user testing. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
New York-based data activation, curation and identity platform Audigent has integrated audience segments from consumer credit data agency Equifax into its platform, to provide anonymized insights including how much consumers earn and the type of cars they own. More
US-based digital experience platform (DXP) Crownpeak has acquired product discovery specialist Attraqt for an undisclosed sum. 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, data protection specialist Protopia AI has raised $6m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to further build its engineering teams, go-to-market efforts and product features. More
In the US, YouTube ad platform Channel Factory has hired three execs to inform global product strategy - Tanya Kolosova as Director of Analytics and Data Science; James Rooney as Senior Vice President, Global Head of Product; and David Silva as Director of Product Design. More
Chicago-based QualSights has launched a platform called 'Product Consumption Intelligence', to passively measure behavior in the home. 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
In San Francisco, video analytics company Twelve Labs has closed a $12m seed extension funding round, for use in adding product features, continuing R&D, and for further development of its foundation model for video understanding. More
Consumer research platform Catalyx has appointed Jenny Kieras, formerly of The Insights Family, as Global Head of Accounts. More
Australian customer insights and advisory consultancy Fiftyfive5 has been acquired by professional services giant Accenture for an undisclosed sum. More
Long-time Kantar CFO Olivier Lefranc has joined automated insight-gathering and sample management platform Cint, as Chief Financial Officer, based in Paris. More
Marketing insights and analytics solutions provider ScanmarQED has acquired marketing attribution and digital data integration platform Roivenue. Terms were not disclosed. More
UK-based consumer intelligence platform QuMind has launched a solution called Dynamic StoryBoards, to help clients bring context-rich insights into 'one clear visual'. More
AI-driven customer intelligence platform Frame AI has raised $7.6m in a funding round, which it will use to boost sales, and expand its offer combining natural language and event data to understand customer journeys. In addition, Media6Degrees co-founder David Honig has joined the firm. 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
Cologne, Germany-based media intelligence provider UNICEPTA has acquired British-based digital and media intelligence specialist Marble Global, for an undisclosed sum. More
Social media monitoring platform Talkwalker has added 'large language models' to the Blue Silk artificial intelligence engine at the core of its consumer intelligence platform. 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
In the US, computer graphics marketing and management consulting firm Jon Peddie Research (JPR) has acquired Babel TechReviews, a benchmarking site for performance analysis, XR reviews, and insights. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Former Spotify / Meta exec Khurrum Malik has joined digital media measurement and verification firm Integral Ad Science as Chief Marketing Officer, based in New York. More
Audio and podcast data and measurement tech firm Triton Digital has appointed former Xaxis exec Josh Yamuder as Director of Partnerships, Programmatic Marketplace. More
In the US, analytics and intelligence platform Babel Street has acquired AI-powered multilingual text analytics platform Rosette for an undisclosed sum. More
US-based Netail, which helps retailers identify and track competitors online, has raised $5m in a seed round. The funds will be used to expand into new markets, enhance its product offerings, and open an office in Hong Kong. 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
Conversational intelligence firm Deepgram has raised $47m in a Series B add-on, bringing the total funding round to $72m. More
Our 2022 Data Visualization special issue is published today. In this featured article, Forsta's VP Global Sales Manny Rodriguez outlines a strategy for designing and implementing visualizations that 'reach audiences, tap into their mindset and encourage them to make a move'. More
Ecommerce enablement platform AppHub has acquired Reviews.io, whose software facilitates customer reviews, loyalty programs, surveys and the management of user-generated content. Reports suggest the buyer paid around $72m in cash and shares. More
In the US, machine learning-based retail database Luz, built for market research, competitor tracking and product development, has been renamed Particl. The firm has also raised $8.5m in a Series A round of investment, which it says it will use to 'disrupt' the MR sector. More
Buynomics, which uses simulation technologies to digitize and predict customer purchasing behaviour, has raised EUR 13m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to grow its product and commercial teams, and expand to the US market. More
US-based online video ad and analytics tech firm Innovid has partnered with ad performance analyst NCSolutions (NCS), to enable CPG organizations to create and deliver 'more effective ads' with purchase-based audiences and sales measurement solutions. More
Sponsorship intel company SponsorPulse has partnered with first-party data platform Dynata and programmatic media firm MiQ to launch its Audience Network in North America, enabling advertisers to reach target audiences across sport, music, entertainment and charities. More
Santa Monica, California-based contextual ad intelligence platform GumGum is to add attention measurement metrics to all display creative campaigns running on its platform next year. More
AdLiven, which offers app marketing creative for mobile gaming, has launched a solution called AdLiven Insights, providing data about how and when a user engages with playable ads, for use by advertisers, brands and marketers. More
New York-based TV ad targeting specialist Simulmedia has partnered with Comscore, to integrate the latter's audience segments into its TV+ platform and help clients drive tune-in promotion wherever audiences are watching. More
In the US, no-code app usage data platform MadKudu has raised $18m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to triple the size of its team in 2023, investing in product and engineering to increase the breadth of users it serves. More
In the US, broadcast and Connected TV technology provider Amagi has acquired Streamwise, provider of a data aggregation and reporting platform for content distributors. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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
Ipsos has appointed former GfK/Nielsen exec Istvan Hajnal to lead its new dedicated Audience Measurement Data team, in the Netherlands. 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
Global tech consulting and outsourcing giant Capgemini has acquired behaviour change specialist 23red for an undisclosed sum. More
Former Market Research Society (MRS) President Jeremy Bullmore is retiring from his role as a non-executive director of WPP, at the age of 93. To celebrate his work over nearly seven decades, friends and colleagues have launched a portal called 'Best of Bullmore,' showcasing details about his career. More
In New York, digital asset management (DAM) platform Tenovos has secured a $10m Series B round of funding, co-led by Stanhope Capital Group, Bertelsmann investment fund BDMI and S4S Ventures, which is backed by shareowners of Sir Martin Sorrell's S4Capital. 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 Canada, privacy-preserving machine learning and natural language processing tech firm Private AI has raised $8m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to expand operations across Europe and enhance its products, including the launch of a self-service tool. More
US-based digital media measurement and analytics firm DoubleVerify (DV) and video hosting service TikTok have expanded their partnership, to offer advertisers post-campaign brand safety and suitability measurement. More
In the US, global comms intelligence company Cision has acquired social media and news media monitoring and analytics product Factmata, which uses AI to identify and track 'fake news' across articles, blogs, tweets and other social media conversations. Terms were not disclosed. More
US-based B2B targeting specialist Primer has raised $12m in a Series A round of funding, which the firm says it will use to continue making its product more intuitive, and to increase the breadth and depth of its data sources. More
In the US, cross-media data specialist Advocado has launched an integrated data platform called Guac, to deliver spot attribution reports with context - such as in-market weather data and detailed search keyword insights. More
UK TV broadcaster Channel 4 has announced a data partnership with Sainsbury's loyalty card initiative, Nectar360, to support advertiser targeting on Channel 4's streaming platform, All 4. More
Digital media measurement and verification firm Integral Ad Science (IAS) has appointed former Interpublic exec Tania Secor as Chief Financial Officer, leading the Global Finance Team. She will join on December 5th. More
US-based super{set}, which founds and builds data-driven software companies, has appointed former Salesforce exec Jon Suarez-Davis (JSD) as Chief Commercial Officer, leading market strategy and development for the group's portfolio of companies. More
In the US, AI-driven advertising personalization platform Omneky has raised more than $7m in a seed round extension, bringing the seed round total to $10m and earmarked for updates to its platform. More
Beginning a month-long focus on data visualization, the Forsta CEO talks to MrWeb's Nick Thomas about empathy, athletes, M&A, investing in tech, and 'seeing the future through mountains of data'. Available to read or watch. More
UK commercial television broadcaster ITV has partnered with TV insights company Adalyser, to launch a 'Share of Voice' tool, through which advertisers can benchmark their TV presence. The broadcaster has also launched a retail matching tool called Matchmaker. More
In the US, human resources solution HR Acuity has acquired Speakfully, which provides a platform for employees to voice workplace concerns. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Digital analytics provider Heap has released a tool called Journeys, which visually maps the paths users take when using a digital product, enabling clients to understand everything users do on their site or with their product. The firm has also launched several new privacy features. More
Cross-platform audience measurement company iSpot.tv has made a strategic investment in television and CTV viewer engagement specialist TVision, as part of a $16m round. More
UK-based attention measurement platform Lumen has merged with media-buying platform Avocet, with the combined business taking the Lumen company name - and announcing a £3m funding round. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
London firm FlexMR has enhanced its suite of analysis and reporting tools with the launch of ActivateMR - using a variety of in-platform data collection sources to help researchers build collaborative, real-time dashboards. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's S4 Capital has reported 26.5% like-for-like revenue growth, in a third quarter trading update. Reported revenue was up 68.2% to £300.1m, and the firm says operational EBITDA for 2022 is in line with a revised target of c.£120m. More
Event-driven data engineering platform Quix has raised $12.9m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to grow its team, and accelerate investments in product, partnerships, community and open-source initiatives. More
Consumer insights provider Toluna has acquired the qualitative research technology platform developed by online MR specialist Further, for an undisclosed sum. This technology will be integrated into the end-to-end solution Toluna Start, to launch a new service called 'Toluna Start Qual'. More
In the US, the audit committee of the Media Rating Council (MRC) has voted to continue its suspension of Nielsen's National TV Ratings service, but says that reinstatement could occur 'relatively soon' following 'significant progress' by the company on most issues. More
In the US, consumer data analytics company Lytics has appointed long-time Webtrends exec Jeff Seacrist as Senior Vice President, Product & Product Marketing. 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
Behavioral and location insights specialist Near has raised $100m in a new round of funding, as it prepares to become a publicly traded company. More
Customer experience management specialist Sprinklr has extended its partnership with Salesforce, promising clients a more complete view of their customers. More
Digital advertising body IAB Tech Lab has launched an initiative aiming to provide structure and standards for ad buying across all TV formats / platforms, including the development of video watermark technology and open-source, auditable measurability for tracking ad creative. More
Inex One, operator of an 'Expert Network Marketplace', has launched a platform allowing users to connect and chat with survey vendors, send requests for quotes, receive bids, select providers and run projects all in one place. More
UK television broadcaster ITV has launched a tool called Automated Contextutal Targeting (ACT), to provide advertisers with insights into 'moods, objects and moments' in programmes that they can use to 'fine-tune' their campaigns. More
Comscore has reported a third quarter revenue rise of just 0.3% - to $92.8m from $92.5m in last year's Q3. Adjusted EBITDA was little changed at $11.7m (up 3.5%) while one-off costs turned net income of $2m a year ago into a net loss of $52.4m. 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
Insights provider MetrixLab says it is trialling a methodology allowing respondents to answer survey questionnaires using voice recordings. More
In the US, customer experience (CX) intelligence platform DISQO has released its first 'Brand and Outcomes Lift Industry Benchmarks' report, offering normative data on the full-funnel effectiveness of ad campaigns. More
Mobile research and sample specialist On Device Research (ODR) has launched a solution called Omnichannel Brand Impact, to provide brands, ad agencies and media owners with single source measurement for multi-media campaigns. More
BARB, the UK's television audience measurement service, has issued an invitation to tender for a contract to run its content ID system, from January 2025. More
Australia-based consumer data company Pureprofile has promoted Anna Meiler to the newly created role of Managing Director, APAC Data & Insights, while former Dynata exec Martin Tomlinson joins as Country Manager for New Zealand. More
Marcoms giant WPP has announced that John Rogers has decided to step down as Chief Financial Officer, and will be succeeded by former dunnhumby CFO Joanne Wilson. More
In the US, cross-screen television insights and analytics provider Samba TV has acquired Disruptel, whose AI technology 'deconstructs' on-screen content /ads in real-time, identifying the people, brands and products that appear. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, research and advisory firm Forrester has reported third quarter revenue of $127.7m, up 8.1%, led by the Research division which saw growth of 10.3% to $87.0m. More
Australian omnichannel attention measurement company Amplified Intelligence has expanded to the US, opening an office in New York and hiring former Unruly exec Alex Khan for the newly created role of EVP Global Partnerships. More
In the US, data clean room software developer Habu has partnered with location intelligence specialist Reveal Mobile, to introduce a clean room for privacy-compliant location data. 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 the UK, marketing intelligence and programmatic media specialist MiQ has acquired privacy-focused audience platform AirGrid, for an undisclosed sum. More
Israel-based near real-time consumer insights provider Revuze has raised $12m in a round of growth investment, supported by NPD Group's former CEO and Chair. Proceeds will be used for expansion into the US, to scale technology, and to continue to innovate. More
In the US, decision intelligence company Morning Consult has expanded its Economic Research division with the appointment of two former Federal Reserve Board analysts, Sofia Baig and Akber Khan, who join as Economic Research Analysts. More
US data company Epsilon has expanded to the LatAm region through the acquisition of Buenos Aires-based Retargetly, which provides audience insights and measurement capabilities to clients across Latin America. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Customer experience (CX) platform Emplifi has appointed Ken Smith as Chief Revenue Officer, while Vijayanta Gupta joins in the newly created role of Chief Growth Officer. 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
London-based strategic insight agency Truth Consulting has appointed former Yonder director Hamish Asser as Senior Director, to help grow the company's quant offer and capabilities. More
In the US, video feedback platform Discuss has added a number of privacy and security capabilities to its 'Made for Pharma' solution, enabling experiences to be shared while mitigating the risks associated with so doing. More
Raleigh, NC-based location intelligence specialist Reveal Mobile has enhanced two of the attribution reports available in its geofencing platform VISIT Local, to enable marketers to estimate in-store sales and return on ad spend. More
Social media monitoring platform Talkwalker has promoted Lokdeep Singh to the role of Chief Executive Officer, replacing Tod Nielsen, who has been with the company for just over a year. Singh is based in Luxembourg. More
Customer experience (CX) platform Emplifi has acquired ratings and reviews site Pixlee TurnTo, which also provides user-generated content (UGC), and influencer marketing solutions. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In New York, Kantar has partnered with data-driven TV ad firm Blockgraph, to advance convergent TV measurement capabilities through privacy-first technology. More
US tech platform Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has received accreditation from the Media Rating Council (MRC) for its content-level Brand Safety on Facebook. More
Nielsen has expanded its Total Ad Ratings (TAR) in Taiwan, with the incorporation of YouTube measurement for desktop and mobile, following its launch in three additional APAC markets two weeks ago. 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
Digital intelligence provider Similarweb has partnered with EDO - a predictive platform that measures behavior driven by Convergent TV advertising - to produce a scaled solution for CTV measurement. More
Cologne, Germany-based media intelligence provider UNICEPTA has acquired Swiss media analysis firm Adwired; and has announced the launch of a new media review service called Executive News Briefing. More
Ad agency network M&C Saatchi looks set to remain independent, after a court session failed to get sufficient shareholder approval for Next 15's bid. The move was effectively blocked by investment vehicle ADV, whose own rival bid had earlier failed to find favour with the Saatchi Directors. More
In Romania, media monitoring and analysis agency Klarmedia has announced the acquisition of competitor firm Media Image Group, for an undisclosed sum. More
Sydney-based marketing investment analytics start-up Mutiny has rebranded as Mutinex; given its co-founders new titles; and appointed Adam Beaupeurt, Don Li, Alex Kosheliev and Claire Bertolus in senior roles. More
Dynata has appointed a new Chief Executive: former Dodge Data and Analytics head Mike Petrullo replaces longstanding leader Gary S. Laben. More
Video-based insight specialist UserTesting, Inc. is to be acquired by private equity firms Thoma Bravo - the owner of Medallia and J.D. Power - and Sunstone Partners, for around $1.3 billion in cash. The investors both have shares in UserZoom, and say they will combine the two companies. More
Australian broadcast industry body Commercial Radio & Audio will introduce a new hybrid audience measurement system for its GfK metropolitan radio surveys, from March next year, and describes it as 'the most significant investment and change to [radio measurement] in Australia since ratings began'. More
Community engagement platform OpenWeb has announced $170m in Series F funding, valuing the company at around $1.5 billion. More
Digital promotions and media tech company Quotient has rolled out its European grocery savings app Shopmium in the US, promising clients the ability to increase brand trial and loyalty while measuring online and off-line shopper interactions. More
In Germany, digital customer experience API provider Ninetailed has raised EUR 5m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to expand its team, add new technology and solution partners to its network, and continue developing its architecture. 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 US, behavioral analytics and advisory firm Escalent has launched a solution called Tech TrustBuilder, to help understand how brands can build on consumer trust in the technology that drives products, services and experiences. More
Havas Media Group (HMG) North America is adding OTT and linear television viewing data from cross-screen television insight and analytics provider Samba TV to its 'Converged' proprietary audience and data management platform. More
British-based video feedback and analytics company Voxpopme is to acquire US company HubUX, which provides a platform and service for quick turnaround qualitative and user experience (UX) research. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Culture, community panels and smart digital research specialist Verve has appointed seven new graduates at its office in Manchester and headquarters in London. More
In the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is warning organisations to assess the public risks of using emotion analysis technologies, before implementing these systems. The regulator says those firms which do not 'act responsibly' will be investigated. More
Digital publishing execs Nana B. Nyantekyi, Shannon Terry and Andrew Johnson have launched Spiny.ai - a content analytics, publisher intelligence and ad revenue generation business. The launch has been supported by a $2.5m venture capital funding round. More
Mobile phone data firm RealityMine and app-based data firm Qrious Insight have partnered, to offer behavioural custom panel building and community management along with behavioural targeted surveys for brands and their agencies. More
US-based DISQO has appointed former Google exec Nicholas Weaver as VP of Engineering, leading development of the firm's B2B SaaS product portfolio, as well as its consumer-facing mobile and desktop applications. More
In London, personal data business CitizenMe has launched a self-service platform called the Ethical Human Data Marketplace, which it says will help marketers understand the changes in citizens' behaviour resulting from the use of smart devices, web3 and the metaverse. More
In the US, billing and payments platform PayNearMe has launched a suite of analytics solutions called PayNearMe Insights, providing payments and consumer behavior data to help clients understand the health of their business, predict outcomes, and adapt payments strategies. More
Experience management specialist Alida has added a product called 'Conversational Surveys' to its Total Experience Management (TXM) platform, to drive higher engagement with customers through interactive feedback. 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
In Texas, audience insights provider StoryFit has raised $5.5m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to expand client solutions and hire for machine learning, marketing and sales roles. The company has also appointed Andy Terrel as Chief Technology Officer. More
In the US, B2B marketing intelligence provider Clearbit has launched a solution called Capture, to provide marketing teams with access to high-intent buyers. More
Australia-based consumer data company Pureprofile has announced record revenue of $12m (up 17%) and EBITDA of $1.0m for the quarter ending September 30th - despite a decision to shutter its Pure.amplify Media business in the UK. More
Video-based insights provider UserTesting has upgraded its 'Human Insight Platform' to help clients observe and understand how their customers feel and why. They include what the firm says is the virtual environment equivalent of a one-way mirror for focus group observation. More
US firm The Next Practices Group (NPG) has acquired Atlanta, GA-based content intelligence and strategy company Content Science. Terms were not disclosed. More
In Galway, Ireland, investigative intelligence analytics specialist Siren has appointed Dr Ryan Clarke as Managing Director of a new strategic and applied projects division, Siren Consulting. More
New York-based end-to-end consumer insights platform Suzy has announced a number of product enhancements including the addition of video open-ends, Max Diff choice rankings, and an integrated data visualisation tool, Data Explorer. 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
In the UK, more firms continue to report growth in marketing budgets than decline, despite the country's soaring cost of living and economic / political uncertainty, according to the IPA Bellwether Report. However, the net positive balance was at its lowest for 18 months. More
SurveyMonkey owner Momentive Global Inc has been approached regarding a possible sale and is discussing its options with advisors, according to Bloomberg. More
Marketing group Stagwell has acquired Epicenter Experience, a software company using mobile and location data to map and sequence complex patterns of consumer behavior. Terms were not disclosed. More
Brand measurement firm On Device Research has appointed Syutra Permatasari as Account Director for Dubai and the MENA region, charged with growing its advertising effectiveness solutions and other offers in UAE and beyond. More
Technology and business services analyst and advisory firm HFS has appointed three Practice Leaders: Murali Thata for Banking, Financial Services and Insurance, Mike Finn for Employee Experience and Sustainability, and Ashish Chaturvedi for Supply chain, Retail, and Disruptive Tech. More
Nielsen has announced the addition of YouTube measurement for desktop and mobile to its Total Ad Ratings (TAR) cross-media measurement solution in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. More
Nielsen will report viewing figures for streaming pioneer Netflix in the US, via the former's Digital Ad Ratings (DAR) product, beginning early next year. Verification services DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science will also be on hand to ensure the streamer's new ads are delivered appropriately. More
Paris-based experience optimization company AB Tasty has acquired Epoq internet services GmbH, an AI-driven recommendation and smart search solution headquartered in Ettlingen, Germany. More
In the US SmartCommerce, a provider of data-centric, AI-assisted solutions for CPG and related industries, has paid an undisclosed sum to acquire eCommerce optimization and category/channel insights specialist Basketful. More
In the US, customer engagement software and services specialist Khoros and social media listening company Talkwalker have announced a partnership promising clients 'insight to action' media and communications tools. 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
Netflix has joined Disney+ in signing up with BARB, the UK's audience measurement body - a major move forward in measurement of streaming services and the first time Netflix has joined an industry-owned audience currency. 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
Canada-based holding company Rival Group has appointed long-time Mintel exec Shawn Vaughn as Chief Growth Officer, leading Go-To-Market teams across both its mobile-first insight community platform Rival Technologies and its experiential insight specialist Reach3 Insights. More
Ad tech firm The Trade Desk has appointed Dataxu co-founder Willard (Bill) Simmons as Vice President of Product, responsible for driving innovations and data science applications across its media buying platform. 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
In the US, online survey and research services provider QuestionPro has acquired customer experience, journey mapping and analytics platform provider SuiteCX for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, predictive modeling and marketing analytics platform Keen Decision Systems has secured an undisclosed amount of add-on Series B financing, which it will use to further develop its decision optimization engine, rooted in predictive analytics. More
Data solutions business Sagacity has acquired London-based marketing and insight agency REaD Group, for an undisclosed sum. More
Marcoms group Dentsu has launched new gaming data and insights capabilities across 21 markets globally, bringing together research panel data from its Consumer Connection System (CCS) with specialist gaming data from Global Web Index (GWI). More
IronVest, whose technology is designed to protect personal accounts and personal data from fraud, has emerged from stealth mode with a $23m seed round of funding. The investment will be used to further expand the team and accelerate go-to-market efforts. More
In the US, music sector software developer Cipolla Analytics has appointed long-time media researcher Ed Cohen as Chief Research Officer, overseeing the expansion of its SpotGPS intelligence software for radio. More
In the US, marketing platform Okendo has launched a customer intelligence solution called Connect, allowing eCommerce brands to collect consumer insights at scale and deliver more personalized commerce experiences. More
Portugal-based consumer neuroscience platform MindProber has expanded to the US, following its closure of a $5.5m Series A round of investment; and has appointed former Toluna / MetrixLab exec Marco Pasqualina as Chief Revenue Officer. More
Experience management (XM) platform Qualtrics has launched a 'Government Web Experience' solution, asking public sector site users about their experiences and helping with web design, content and performance optimization. More
Marcoms company group WPP has opened a Campus in Toronto, bringing together 2,000 people from across its agencies. More
Nielsen has announced the completion of its previously announced sale to a private equity consortium in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $16 billion, including the assumption of debt. More
Australia-based strategic insights consultancy Nature has hired Aliya Hasan for the newly created role of Strategy Director, based in Melbourne. More
Text analytics specialist Canvs AI has launched a connector for the Forsta Survey platform, enabling users to import responses to open-ended questions, along with relevant cross-tab data, directly into Canvs for analysis. More
Hello Ara, which conducts research through conversations rather than surveys, has officially launched a 360 degree AI-based methodology called #Explore, to help brands engage 'future users'. A discussion of the approach won best paper at ESOMAR Congress 2022, held in Toronto last month. More
Singapore-based digital customer experience solutions provider TDCX has expanded to Turkey, where its new campus will offer capabilities in Turkish and Arabic, in addition to European languages. The firm also plans to expand to Brazil, Indonesia and Vietnam in the next twelve months. More
Kantar has added three new brand metrics to its Link AI for Digital predictive tool - Aided Awareness, Consideration and Purchase Intent - which it says 'make it possible to forecast digital ad effectiveness and brand consideration in as little as 15 minutes'. More
President Joe Biden has signed an executive order outlining US commitments to safeguarding personal data in transfers between the States and the EU. The rules slot into the new Privacy Framework agreed in principle in March this year, intended to replace the fallen Privacy Shield arrangement. More
UK-based insights and data firm Delineate has brought in Sandra Garbuno Alcantra as Head of LATAM. She worked for more than twenty years at Kantar, latterly as a Senior Client Lead. More
Australia-based real-time media monitoring company Streem has enhanced Engage social intelligence tool with the launch of a number of new performance metrics. More
Marketing tech business PC Dreamscape had added four to its leadership team: Dmitri Zolotkovsky as CFO, Dave Hogan as CTO, Rose Zory as CHRO and Harmon Lyons as EVP and General Manager. More
UK television audience measurement body BARB is looking for suppliers to recruit for an expanded panel. Submissions are due by 7th November 2022, with work beginning in January. More
In the US, ad measurement and optimization platform VideoAmp has released a solution called 'Second-by-Second Ads Viewership', offering actualized results with inputs from both Smart TV ACR and STB viewing data across more than 39 million homes. More
US-based media optimisation platform Measured has launched a new benchmark comparison tool, and announced its official launch in the UK. More
New York-based qualitative research platform Sympler has appointed long-time Phoenix Marketing International (PMI) execs John Schiela as Chief Client Officer and Kristin Jutton as Head of Marketing. More
US-based digital media measurement and analytics firm DoubleVerify (DV) has launched the DV Attention Lab, to help advertisers optimize campaign performance using data on ad engagement and ad exposure. More
In the US, holding company Buffalo Groupe has acquired full-service specialist research company Sports Marketing Surveys (SMS) USA, and its ActionWatch subsidiary, for an undisclosed sum. 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
In the UK, Omnicom-owned data-driven marketing agency network Hearts & Science has promoted Amy Matthews for the newly created role of Chief Experience Officer (CXO). More
Marcoms group WPP has acquired insights-led branding agency Passport Brand Design, which conducts consumer research to help establish how a brand can best serve its audience. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
4Sales, the advertising arm of UK TV broadcaster Channel 4, has partnered with media consumer behaviour measurement firm ViewersLogic to develop a platform which measures an individual consumer's journey to purchase, rather than just the media they consume. 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
London-based digital transformation consultancy Kin + Carta has promoted Adam Hasemeyer to the role of Group Chief Executive Officer for the Americas region. He replaces Kelly Manthey, who moved into the position of Global CEO in July. More
Google has announced that its Surveys and Surveys 360 solutions will no longer be available after November 1st, as it believes in their current form they are no longer the best way to help businesses of all sizes run custom market research. More
Kantar's TGI consumer data team has partnered with location intelligence company Adsquare to help brands build targeted, cookieless and ID-free localised ad campaigns in Great Britain and France. More
Customer experience management specialist Sprinklr has announced plans to more than quadruple the size of its Singapore-based Research and Development (R&D) Center to up to 100 professionals, during the next 36 months. More
Nielsen has announced that its 'always on' Digital Ad Ratings (DAR) will now include measurement of YouTube video ad campaigns, simplifying campaign measurement by eliminating the need for advertisers and agencies to manually tag or enable campaigns. More
In the US, comms agency Vox Global has opened a Behavioral Insights practice, led by SVP and company Partner James Baril, with support from Partner Jessica Abensour. 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
Yahoo! and audience data and targeting specialist Adsquare have partnered to help advertisers in EMEA markets develop their digital out-of-home (DOOH) campaigns, using Adsquare's footfall measurement and audience scoring segments. More
In the US, B2B tech purchase intent data and services provider TechTarget has launched a solution called 'Priority Engine for Healthcare', to deliver customized insights for B2B organizations targeting the healthcare sector. More
Omnicom-owned data and analytics firm Annalect has named Marie Clayton UK Managing Director, and part of the firm's senior EMEA leadership team. More
Research agency 2CV has added Matt Haydock as Research Director in its UK Qualitative team; Jonathan Smetherham in its Singapore team as Research Director; and Heath Gregory in the US as an Associate Director. More
Nielsen has appointed long-time Amway exec Deepak Mann as Director, Marketing Effectiveness, based in Mumbai, India. More
In the US, marcoms network Stagwell has appointed Mansoor Basha as the first Chief Technology Officer for its Marketing Cloud (SMC). More
In the US, Comscore has set out a cost-cutting restructuring plan, which will see an undisclosed number of employees lose their jobs. More
In the US, online survey and research services provider QuestionPro has launched a tool called CX Reputation, which monitors and analyzes public ratings from reviews sites and other sources about a company's brands or products, and provides insights based on this feedback. More
Monnai, a consumer insight infrastructure for fintech businesses, has raised $3.15m in a seed round of funding, for use in further developing its platform, for new hires, and continued global expansion. The solution is used by clients in India, Asia and Latin America, with plans to expand into North America. 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
SurveyMonkey parent company Momentive has added AI-based solutions to capture brand and market insights and improve product experience; enable customers to survey multiple audiences at once; and to reach niche or specialized audiences. More
In the US, media intelligence and analysis provider Muck Rack has raised $180m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use for continued company growth and to enhance its offerings. More
New York-based consumer trend insights business Cassandra has hired Claire Richland as Manager of its syndicated young consumer study, the Cassandra Report. More
Digital promotions and media tech company Quotient has added a feature allowing marketers to measure the impact of shopper promotions and couponing on media such as digital out-of-home, sponsored search, and on- and off-site display. 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
Sampling and ResTech company InnovateMR has expanded its senior supply team with the appointment of Gaurav Sharma as Vice President of Global Sample in India, and Mark Rasmussen as Senior Director of Global Supply, based in the US. More
Singapore-based digital customer experience solutions provider TDCX has expanded in the Philippines, with the opening of an office in Iloilo. More
In the US, private equity firm Thompson Street Capital Partners (TSCP) and investment fund Endicott Capital have acquired a major stake in cross-media advertising intelligence provider MediaRadar from Frontier Growth, which will remain a minority shareholder. Terms have not been disclosed. More
EssenceMediacom, which will combine digital strategy, data-driven creative, analytics, and tech capabilities with multichannel, audience planning and strategic media expertise, has appointed Benjamin Wei as China Chief Executive Officer. More
Digital experience analytics firm Contentsquare has launched a new capability, called Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM), which allows businesses to better understand the impact of web site speed on customer experience and conversions, and improve web site performance. 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
London-based mobile research and sample specialist On Device Research has appointed M:Metrics co-founder Seamus McAteer as an independent Director, to help build the business in North America and advise on overall product and corporate strategy. More
In Washington DC, decision intelligence company Morning Consult has appointed long-time Ipsos exec Jessica Schneider as Global Head of Client Services. More
Hong Kong-based DOOH (digital out-of-home) performance marketing automatization tool Displayforce has raised EUR 500k in a pre-seed round of financing, which it will use to expand further into Europe and enhance its sales and marketing. More
Long-time Kantar group CEO Eric Salama has been appointed as Global Chair of recently divested unit Kantar Public. More
Marcoms agency Dentsu International will shift its local TV buying to a Comscore-based currency, supporting transactions on advanced audiences in all 210 US local markets, through a new partnership just announced. More
Research and customer / employee experience technology provider Forsta has announced upgrades to its online focus group solution InterVu, integrating high quality video and audio for virtual experiences, enhancing sharing features, and adding quick polls and other features. More
Media intelligence and data science holding company LiiV Group has hired Vito Covalucci as its first Group Chief Product and Technology Officer. More
Mobile app ad insights and analytics platform Appsumer has launched a free cross-channel dashboard and reporting solution called Appsumer Starter, to help 'scaling' smaller app advertisers gain automated performance insights for the channels they most commonly use, including Meta, Google and TikTok. More
YouGov has launched free 'Lite' versions of its BrandIndex and Profiles tools, allowing users to analyse their target audiences and track brand performance for no charge. More
US television measurement and analytics company 605 has announced a data and tech collaboration agreement with streaming TV measurement and intelligence platform Conviva, to provide a de-duplicated view of media consumption in US households. More
Indian-owned consumer insights company Hansa Research has partnered with experience management platform Qualtrics, to help organizations monitor their brand health performance and build their brands in the country. More
Text analytics software firm Relative Insight, headquartered in the UK, has appointed long-time IBM exec Kimberly Shernoff to lead its US-based sales team from the firm's new Philadelphia office. 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
Kantar has expanded its YouTube measurement services, allowing marketers to assess ad effectiveness in both single channel and multi-channel campaigns. 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
Marcoms agency Allison+Partners has launched a methodology called Brandgeist IQ (BGIQ), to measure the real-time cultural relevance of brands. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has released the final version of its standards for measuring the outcomes of advertising and media buys, as well as the data used to do that. More
Experience management platform Qualtrics has launched a solution called Video Feedback, to help organizations capture qualitative video feedback from their customers, analyze both words and emotions, and use that data to make business decisions. More
In the US, full service shopper behavior specialist Alter Agents has appointed former Hall & Partners US CEO Michelle Castle as Chief Innovation Officer. More
In the US, digital ad tech company PubMatic has acquired media measurement and reporting platform Martin for an undisclosed sum. More
Global media agency network Mindshare has appointed former Kantar EVP Mausami Prasad as National Head of Strategy & Insights, based in Mumbai, India. More
In Australia, PR platform Medianet has renamed its Mediaverse research business 'Medianet Insights', and says it will provide analysis to subscribers of the parent company's PR plans without the need for a separate media monitoring service. More
In the US, former Microsoft exec Malli Vangala has joined newly merged consumer data and insights providers IRI and The NPD Group as Chief Strategy Officer. He succeeds Wei Lin Wong, who will now focus on his role as President of Retail. More
Act-On Software, which uses customer behavior, preferences and data to guide engagement strategies, has hired former SurveyMonkey exec Jeffrey Coleman for the newly created role of Chief Customer Officer. He is based in Portland, Oregon. More
In New York, content creation and personalization platform FindMine has received a new round of venture capital funding, which supplements a previous seed round and brings the total raised to date to $9.9m. More
TV ad measurement firm iSpot has appointed Jodie McAfee as Senior Vice President of Agency Partnerships, to expand and deepen cooperation with agencies and lead initiatives aimed at helping those firms to integrate iSpot's products for buying, planning and optimization. More
Amazon has added new features to three tools, 'Manage Your Experiments' (for product content optimization), Search Analytics Dashboard and Product Opportunity Explorer - giving sellers customer insights and analytics data to launch new products and increase sales. 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
Culture, community panels and smart digital research specialist Verve has appointed Kylie Fitzpatrick as a Director in its Manchester Hub. Additionally, the company has made hires in Sydney and London, along with six London promotions. More
Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM), the retail media business of supermarket giant Kroger, which is powered by the chain's loyalty card data business 84.51 degrees, has expanded its private programmatic marketplace to include video and CTV inventory. More
In London, media intelligence provider Onclusive has appointed former Escalent exec Rob Stone as Chief Executive Officer, following the resignation of Manuel Moerbach, who has returned to New York. 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
Comscore has appointed Geet Lulla as VP Sales for Asia Pacific, Atul Nandoskar as Sales Director in Mumbai, and Madan Acharya to manage client insights across APAC. Meanwhile Visakh Vijayakumar has been promoted to Sales Director in Bangalore. More
Marketing intelligence and programmatic media specialist MiQ has sold a majority stake to private equity firm Bridgepoint, in a deal said to value the company at up to $1 billion. More
Automotive giant General Motors will be the first advertiser to integrate its own first-party data with media group NBCUniversal's identity platform, NBCUnified. More
In New York, automated consumer research firm quantilope has appointed Elizabeth Carducci, a founding member of CX platform Medallia, to its Board of Directors. More
Web data platform Bright Data has announced the acquisition of eCommerce insights provider Market Beyond, adding digital shelf analytics to its range of services. On the back of this buy, the firm is launching a new division, Bright Insights. More
On-demand insights provider Toluna has appointed Jeff Claypoole as General Manager, Americas, responsible for sales and revenue growth in the region. More
In New York, trade body the Advertising Research Foundation has launched a new initiative called the ARF Attention Validation Project, which aims to 'inform the market' about the workings of different attention measurement solutions and the extent of their replicability and 'convergent validity'. More
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit against attribution and measurement solutions company Kochava, claiming its sells sensitive geolocation data from mobile devices. Kochava says it's fully compliant and is now suing the FTC in return. More
Digital experience analytics firm Contentsquare has extended its partnership and integration with customer journey analyst Namogoo, adding detailed contextual information to its customer behavior data, with particular benefits in understanding first-time and unknown site visitors. More
Manchester, UK-based mobile device monitoring specialist RealityMine has announced three promotions to support client growth and ongoing product development: Craig Parker becomes Product Manager, Sarah Davis Head of Operational Excellence, and Richard Stewart Delivery Manager. More
Viewer engagement metrics firm TVision and attention measurement specialist Lumen Research have announced a formal partnership promising cross-platform attention measurement for US and UK customers; with TVision developing a new UK-based, opt-in panel. More
US-based customer experience management specialist Sprinklr continues its rapid growth, this week announcing a revenue rise of 27% in the second quarter, ending July 31st, to $150.6m. The firm will also have a new CRO, Paul Ohls, as Luca Lazzaron steps down on October 1st. More
Berlin-based, AI-powered brand tracking and consumer insights platform Latana has raised EUR 36 million in a Series B round of equity and debt financing. Funds will be used to scale Latana's marketing and sales operations, grow its consumer-facing product teams, and for R&D. More
In North Carolina, US. media research firm Coleman Insights has appointed Scott Musgrave as the newest member of its executive team, focused on sales and starting on Monday 12th September. More
Private equity firm Beringer Capital has spent an undisclosed sum to acquire a majority stake in Toronto, Canada-based Dig Insights. 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
US- and UK-based ReedPop, known for its pop-culture events and journalism, has launched an audience targeting platform called ENGAGE, promising in-depth user insights across its community of digital and in-person customers and accurate targeting of pop-culture fans worldwide. More
In San Francisco, custom MR company Logica Research has appointed Brian Sheil as a Senior Research Manager; Malini Hari as Research Lead; Sumi Duttaray as Market Sizing and Analytics Lead; and Julia Buffolino as Marketing Research Analyst and Operations Support. More
AdTech and data company Big Village has added new features to its Audience Intelligence platform, allowing clients to bring in-depth first-party data into audience targeting, plan media and reach audiences in real time. The firm was formerly known as ENGINE, outside the UK. More
Next15's data and insights division Savanta has acquired London-based research firm Motif, a 40-strong consumer and b2b agency providing expertise in customer experience, brand strategy and proposition development. Terms were not disclosed. More
Community panels pioneer and culture expert Verve has launched ignite@VERVE, a new offer combining its heritage in communities and smart digital research with a range of proprietary tools including AI, a global network of 'cultural and creative individuals', and a new cultural values framework. More
St Louis, MO-based cross-screen advertising data platform Advocado has appointed ad industry data and tech expert Harold Geller as VP of Strategic Development. More
BARB, the UK's television audience measurement service, has announced an industry consultation on the extension of its reporting to include all television and 'television-like' content on video-sharing platforms; and appointed former Vodafone exec Paul Evans as an independent adviser to lead it. More
US-based panel and sample firm Full Circle Research has appointed former Ipsos exec Alexandrine de Montera to its leadership team as Chief Product Officer. More
Seven weeks on from launching, app-based data firm Qrious insight has added Craig Stevens to its leadership team as Chief Commercial Officer. More
US-based marketing consultancy R3 has launched a suite of four digital tracking services, allowing marketers to benchmark their social, influencer, search and e-commerce marketing against competitors. More
In Singapore, government and public sector research and advisory business Kantar Public has appointed Cheryl Chung to lead its policy advisory business in Singapore. More
California-based grocery technology company Instacart has acquired Eversight, an AI-powered platform for CPG brands and retailers, which among other features allows clients to continuously test customized pricing and promotions directly with customers, at scale. 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
In the US, consumer data provider IRI and ad and marketing tech company Epsilon have connected the latter's identity solution CORE ID with IRI's CPG transaction data, through Epsilon's clean room, PeopleCloud Prospect. More
Digital media and analytics consultancy Adswerve has acquired Metric Partners Consulting, which offers Adobe platform implementation, integration and managed services, and says the buy will enhance its analytics, data activation and personalization services. More
In the US, real-time enterprise analytics platform StarTree has raised $47m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to accelerate product development, expand sales and marketing, and continue to drive adoption of its platform. More
Retargeting technology provider RTB House, headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, has appointed Jaysen Gillespie as Head of Analytics and Data Science. More
London-based media monitoring and market intelligence firm Signal AI has acquired US corporate reputation platform KELP. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In New York, influencer marketing platform Smartfluence has raised $2.15m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to enhance its proprietary influencer automation software, and accelerate customer expansion. More
Real-time television ad measurement firm iSpot.tv has appointed former US Census Bureau and Nielsen exec Will Waldron as Vice President of Research, overseeing the statistical quality standards and methodological practices of its television ratings and ad measurement products. More
Consumer data giant IRI and connectivity and analytics platform LiveRamp have extended their existing partnership, offering access to purchase-based audiences from 45 million households in IRI ProScore within the LiveRamp Safe Haven data collaboration platform. More
Personalized content and viewer insights provider ThinkAnalytics has appointed former Comcast exec Greg Riker as Chief Revenue Officer, leading US business development, sales and customer success teams for the Think360 viewer engagement platform. More
Pogo, which helps consumers earn money from their data, has raised $14.8m in a round of funding for use in accelerating user growth, hiring new talent and developing new features. More
Independent publisher site CafeMedia has acquired audience engagement specialist Slickstream from its former parent company, Hivepoint. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In China, omnichannel marketing platform Yoyi Tech has acquired customer data and marketing automation platform LinkFlow for an undisclosed sum. Separately, Yoyi Tech has raised $20m in a Series D round of funding, which it will use to increase investment in R&D. 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
Nielsen has written to clients to inform them that the set-top box and Smart TV 'big data', to be added into its National TV reporting next month, will not yet be used for transaction / ad currency purposes as previously planned, due to the need to address 'variability' and 'stability' issues. More
In the US, movie theater ad network National CineMedia (NCM) has announced a deal with real-time TV measurement company iSpot, using the latter's ad catalog and verification of ad plays for 40m US Smart TVs to calculate and report on incremental reach from NCM ads over linear TV. 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
Online survey and research services provider QuestionPro has announced the acquisition of Madison, WI-based Digsite, which provides qualitative research capabilities and a collaborative insights platform. More
US-based cloud-based subscription management platform provider Zuora has announced plans to acquire London-based Zephr, which allows digital publishers to test, optimize and monetize their subscription products. Zuora will pay $44m in cash at close, plus up to $6m earn-out. More
In the US, consumer taste insight platform Qloo has raised $15m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to expand its technology and build on its sales channels. More
Comscore has moved David Algranati into the role of Chief Innovation Officer, while former Shareablee execs Greg Dale and Jon Lieberman have been named Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer respectively. Meanwhile Chief Commercial Officer Chris Wilson is leaving the firm. More
In the US, marketing software giant Adobe has launched a service called Primetime Account IQ, to enable video streaming services to identify and understand illegal account sharing activity ('credential sharing'), measure the impact of applying actions, and monetize subscriber behavior. More
Emerging markets business and point-of-interest (POI) data provider dataPlor has announced plans to extend its coverage from 100 to 150 countries by the end of 2022. More
London-based mobile research and sample specialist On Device Research has hired former Nielsen exec Simon Clarke for the newly created role of Commercial Lead for Singapore and the APAC region. More
London-based media agency the7stars has launched a solution called 'Bridge', which promises to bring together UK media, data, and technology partners to help clients 'unlock the potential' of addressable data. More
In Australia, branding agency Host/Havas has hired Charles Rallings for a newly created role, Managing Director for its customer experience arm Host/Havas CX. More
Accenture's interactive customer experience and analytics business Accenture Song has hired former R/GA exec Tuomas Peltoniemi as Managing Director, Go-to-Market & Client Service, for Southeast Asia. More
In New York, omnichannel ad platform Mediaocean has acquired Imposium, whose software allows users to create personalized marketing videos for 'in the moment' consumer targeting. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, location intelligence software provider Kalibrate has launched an online platform called 'Competitive Insights', through which retailers can obtain a real-time view of consumer footfall traffic patterns at a given location. More
Dynata has announced the formation of a Global Research and Data Sciences Center of Excellence (COE), led by Steven Millman and bringing together the expertise and methods of its Research Delivery, Panel Sciences and Data Sciences teams. More
Experience management platform Qualtrics has given Robin Manherz, SAP Chief Operating Officer for Customer Success, a seat on its Board of Directors. She replaces retiring member DJ Paoni, who is currently SAP's President, North America. More
Apple has launched two rankings of the top podcasts on its network: Top Subscriber Shows, which allows listeners to browse the top 100 shows individual included within a subscription; and Top Subscriber Channels, featuring the top 100 channels with a subscription and two or more shows. More
US-based direct marketing company Publishers Clearing House (PCH) has launched a platform called PCH Consumer Insight, which offers access to market feedback and intelligence on new products, packaging, pricing and marketing messages. 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
Zurich-based mobility analysis platform Teralytics has acquired the Streetlytics mobility data business from location infrastructure software firm Bentley Systems. Bentley is investing in Teralytics, but financial details have not been disclosed. More
In the US, media monitoring and intelligence service Fullintel has appointed Angela Dwyer as Head of Insights, tasked with continuing to develop its suite of media analysis, measurement and research services. More
Solsten, which uses artificial intelligence to understand human behavior in the digital world, has raised $22m in a Series B round of funding. More
Comscore has added connected TV (CTV) measurement, including YouTube traffic sharing data, to its Video Metrix Multi-Platform product in Indonesia and Malaysia. More
Accenture has acquired data-driven commerce agency The Stable, which focuses on helping consumer brands build and operate their own digital commerce channels and manage their brand and sales performance. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Nielsen is enhancing its Digital Content Ratings solution (DCR) in Australia through its Identity System, which connects digital ad impressions from the open web to Australian demographic data from both its own and third-party sources. More
In New York, GfK has named former MRI-Simmons exec Ishan Bhaumik Global Account Director (GAD) for Amazon and other digital accounts. More
Game and content creation platform Unity Software has rejected an unsolicited '$20 billion' bid from AppLovin, the parent of measurement company Adjust; and says it will continue with its own bid to buy ad tech and analytics firm ironSource. More
Nielsen has set out a timetable for the provision of cross-media audience measurement in Thailand, following its selection by broadcasting industry body ADTEB last year. The firm says it will deliver its full Cross-Platform Ratings service in the country in the first quarter of 2023. More
YouGov has promoted Laura Robbie, previously MD Australia, to the role of CEO of the Asia Pacific region, replacing Julien Chevignon who becomes CEO for Western Europe. More
Northbeam, a San Francisco-based marketing measurement platform for DTC and eCommerce brands, has closed $15n in Series A funding, to be used for further product development, including expanding its machine learning capabilities. More
Google has agreed to pay around $AUD 60m ($US 40m) to settle claims that it misled consumers about use of their location data, back in 2017-18. More
eCommerce customer service platform Gorgias has announced a $30m series C round of funding, valuing the firm at $710m. As well as bringing customer questions from different channels together in one place, the platform detects customer intent and targets accordingly. More
Australia-based consumer data company Pureprofile has continued its summer of senior appointments with the hiring of Juliana Tan as a Senior Account Director. More
TV tech and all-screen ads and analytics company Samba TV has entered the Spanish market via a partnership with ad tech platform Smartclip. More
San Francisco-based social media and 'web 3' tracking company Coinfeeds has raised $2m in seed funding, which it says will be used to accelerate growth and expand operations. More
UK-based Mediatel Connected, which aggregates media research data from a variety of sources to track trends across digital and traditional media, has launched Performance, an app allowing users to channel digital marketing spend based on trends, performance scores and modelling. More
US trade body the Insights Association has filed comments with California's CPPA aiming to limit the negative impact of the state's privacy rules in the insights industry. Separately, the FTC has begun the process of drafting new privacy rules which are likely to restrict online data collection. More
Retail data and research firm VST (Virtual Store Trials) has promoted Charlotte Kiddle to the newly created position of Chief Research & Partnership Officer. More
VC funding continues to flow for data firms in the US. Collaborative data platform Dropbase has raised $1.75m, no-code data exploration platform Datawisp $3.6m, and crypto intell specialist Merkle Science $19m; while marketing and analytics platform NinjaCat has acquired Shape.io. More
In the US, digital marketing agency Gathr has launched a service called the 1st Party Database, to enable consumer brands to define their 'perfect audience' for targeted communications, ads and new product reviews. More
US-based customer engagement software and services firm Khoros has promoted Chris Tranquill to the role of Chief Executive, succeeding Jack Blaha, who now serves as a Senior Advisor to the company. More
In the US, digital experimentation and AI company Conductrics has integrated customer survey capabilities into its A/B testing, experimentation and optimization platform, to enable customer experience (CX) professionals to use direct customer feedback as a part of their processes. More
Jon Werther has returned to NYC-based television ad targeting company Simulmedia after ten years away, to take up the newly created role of EVP Operations and Business Development. He was previously the firm's President and CRO. More
Comscore has reported a drop in second quarter net loss from $18.5m in Q2 2021 to $5.1m in the latest period. Revenue was up 4.3% to $91.4m, while adjusted EBITDA rose to $6.5m, from $2.6m a year earlier. More
Kantar has appointed Erinn Taylor as Senior Vice President, leading Media Product Management & Strategy for the firm's North America Insights business. More
In the US, TV ad tech firm tvScientific has appointed Matthew Koontz as its first Head of Product. More
Research software firm Forsta has acquired crowdsourcing and innovation platform HelloIgnite, which helps companies collect, share and manage innovation ideas from employees in order to improve experiences for customers. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Baltic States-based research firm RAIT has acquired a 51% stake in CX research technology firm Synopticom. The business will now be led by long-time Synopticom MD and founder Liutauras Daugirdas (pictured). More
In London, insight consultancy Firefish has appointed former Flamingo exec Joella Vera Bril as a Director, combing human insight and cultural strategy to help clients answer business and brand challenges. More
Professional services giant Accenture is to acquire Indonesia-based brand and experience agency Romp, for an undisclosed sum. More
WPP has reported interim results for the first half of 2022, with reported revenue up 10.2% to £6.755bn, equivalent to 8.7% growth like-for-like (LFL); and profit before tax up just over 6% to £419m. More
In the US, customer app data platform mParticle has acquired personalization platform Vidora, for an undisclosed sum. The latter's Cortex software promised brands the ability to predict future user behaviour, and market accordingly. More
EU regulators are proposing a EUR 60m fine on French ad tech company Criteo for consumer tracking, profiling and targeting activities said to breach GDPR. The company 'strongly disagrees' with the findings, has time to respond in detail, and a final decision is likely to be taken in 2023. More
London-based entertainment research and consulting firm Ampere Analysis has opened its first international office, in Culver City, Los Angeles; and appointed a team of four there, led by Executive Director Guy Bisson. More
Media and marcoms group Dentsu is to acquire a majority stake in global tech firm Extentia, whose services include user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Ipsos Hong Kong has expanded its dedicated insights-based brand and marketing advisory unit Strategy3 with the appointment of Reza Nobar as a Partner. More
The Media Rating Council (MRC) has continued its accreditation of Media Monitors' US radio spot and US TV spot data. More
In Australia, Interpublic's marketing intell company Kinesso has promoted Clay Gill to the role of Chief Executive Officer, responsible for the firm's data and technology solutions. In addition to his new post, Gill will retain his existing position as CEO of activation intelligence company Matterkind. More
Glasgow, Scotland-based pharma sector social media intelligence company Talking Medicines has hired Mike Strassberg as its first US-based employee, based in New York. In his role as Chief Customer Officer, Strassberg is tasked with driving the firm's continued growth in the US. More
In the US, customer experience (CX) intelligence platform DISQO has launched a product called Outcomes Lift, to enable advertisers to measure the incremental impact of cross-platform ad campaigns on marketing funnel outcomes. More
Australian ad tech firm Veridooh has launched in the UK, as part of a wider plan to expand its digital out-of-home (DOOH) verification solution to new markets. More
First-party data platform Dynata has expanded its partnership with Google, to enable brands and agencies to compare ad performance across all channels, including YouTube. More
Online research, data and analytics tech firm YouGov has expanded in Latin America with the opening of an office in Mexico City, serving the research needs of brands and agencies in the region and providing operational support for the firm's work across the Americas. More
Digital advertising and tech services group S4Capital has named Colin Day Chair of its Audit and Risk Committee, as part of plans to tighten its financial control, risk and governance processes; and Chris Martin as its first Chief Operating Officer. More
Former Kantar and RealEyes exec Joseph Zahtila has joined Upwave (formerly known as Survata) as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), to lead global sales and customer success. More
Danish firm Infomedia has acquired a 23% stake in media monitoring tech specialist MediaCatch, gaining access to both a Nordic and international market. More
Interpublic-owned data-driven PR agency network Golin has launched 'The Executive Impact Matrix', to measure the business effect of 'thought leadership'. The matrix will be rolled out globally after a pilot period in Asia Pacific. More
Real-time information and analysis firm Neustar has partnered with marketing analytics platform Adverity, to help marketers simplify the data ingestion, management and optimization process. More
Nielsen has received the necessary government regulatory approvals for its proposed acquisition by a consortium of private investment funds. Nielsen's shareholders are next to vote on the deal. More
Ed Harrison, the CEO of Australia-based media intelligence and measurement firm Isentia, left the business this week, according to online publication Mumbrella. His next career move has not yet been announced. More
US-based ad network and targeting specialist Vibrant Media has launched a solution through which publishers can offer advanced contextual targeting tied to timely content - such as an event or specific content related to a product that has either a positive or negative tone. More
Kantar and China-based consumption and media research company Sinomonitor have announced a data sharing partnership, to improve access to the former firm's TGI consumer insight data and help their respective clients better understand their growth markets. 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
Israel-based video, data and connected TV (CTV) ad company Tremor International has agreed to acquire US-based mobile ad targeting specialist Amobee from Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel), for a total consideration of $239m. More
Research software firm Forsta and local marketing platform Rio SEO, which are both owned by Press Ganey, are combining. Both will continue to serve current clients under their existing brands, while Forsta has welcomed all Rio SEO employees to its sales, ops, product and engineering teams. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Out of home audience measurement body Geopath has partnered with in-store audio advertising network Stingray, to measure retail-based, digital audio out-of-home (AOOH) advertising impressions in the US. More
In the US, cross-channel marketing and data management platform Cordial has raised $50m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to bolster its product offerings and expand its global presence. More
In the US, online sampling technology firm InnovateMR has hired Ross Green as its first Chief Financial Officer. More
In New York, full-service agency E2E Research has launched a digital signature tool called Inscribee, which facilitates the collection of electronic signatures from participants at any stage of the online or off-line research process. 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
In the US, analytics provider Verisk Marketing Solutions has appointed long-time Experian exec Christine Frohlich as Head of Data Governance, both for its consumer behavioral data and intelligence agency Jornaya, and its consumer identity management and resolution firm Infutor. More
In the UK, customer experience measurement platform Uncrowd has added former dunnhumby CEO Simon Hay to its Advisory Board. More
In the US, first party customer data consultancy Actable has hired long-time Merkle exec Craig Howard for the newly created position of Chief Solutions Officer. More
Paris-based user experience analytics firm Contentsquare has closed a $600m growth investment round, doubling its valuation to around $5.6 billion. Money will be used for geographical and product expansion, M&A, and to support long-term growth in key markets. More
Nielsen has announced the launch of the methodology it will use to give media buyers reach metrics for YouTube comparable to those provided for linear TV. The measurement spans computer, mobile and connected TV devices. More
Consumer data company Pureprofile has issued a business update for the period ended 30th June 2022, with full year revenue up 39% to $AUD 41.7m, and EBITDA up 28% to $AUD 4.0m. More
London-based intelligence platform Scuba Analytics has appointed Pete Caputo as Chief Customer Officer and Meno Schnapauff as Customer Solution Architect; and says it plans to expand into the EMEA region. More
Video-based insights provider UserTesting has added advanced features to its Instant Insights post-test analysis solution, promising to further speed up the process of uncovering key customer perspectives. More
In the US, web site analytics firm Umami has raised $1.5m in a pre-seed round of funding, which it will use to speed up staff recruitment. 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
John Musgrove, currently Head of Insights and Research at broadcaster Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has been appointed in the new role of Head of Research for industry body Commercial Radio Australia. More
Total UK marketing budgets continued to grow at a solid pace in the second quarter of 2022, according to the latest Bellwether Report from ad association the IPA; but market research was not among the gainers, with budgets falling for a net 6.5% of companies. More
Digital experience consultancy Bounteous has brought in former Merkle executive Michael McLaren to serve as President, North America. More
Performance marketing solutions firm Stirista has acquired ZDI, a New York-based branding firm with a focus on data-driven creative solutions. More
PR and comms monitoring group Onclusive has acquired AI-powered social media listening and intelligence platform Digimind. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Media and marcoms group Dentsu International has hired former Nielsen exec Robert 'Rob' Gilby as Chief Executive Officer, APAC based in Singapore. He will take up the post on September 5th. More
London-based digital transformation consultancy Kin + Carta has announced that CEO J Schwan is retiring from his role at the end of this month, and will be succeeded by Kelly Manthey, currently the Group's CEO for the Americas. More
Digital services group Informa is to acquire multi-market B2B audience development and digital content specialist Industry Dive, from private equity firm Falfurrias Capital Partners. Terms have not been disclosed. 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
Ukraine-based social media listening and image recognition platform YouScan has raised $2m in a follow-on round of funding, which it will use to accelerate company growth and further develop its platform. The firm has also named co-founder Leonid Lytvynenko as CEO. More
UK TV audience measurement body BARB has hired former InSites Consulting exec Matt Laycock for a newly created position, Audiences Director. He joins on 26th September. More
In the US, audio intelligence specialist AssemblyAI has raised $30m in a Series B funding round, which it will use to continue to research and train AI models for tasks such as speech recognition and language identification. More
In the US, marcoms group Stagwell, owner of the Harris and Harris Poll brands, has acquired AI-powered platform Apollo Program, which taps digital data including in-app behaviour to uncover consumer, creative and contextual insights for use in marketing initiatives. Terms were not disclosed. More
Marcoms giant WPP has acquired eCommerce agency Corebiz, headquartered in Brazil, for an undisclosed sum. More
UK-based mobile phone data firm RealityMine has made three new hires at its 'Centre of Excellence in Data Science' in Manchester. More
UK-based customer insights and communities platform developer Researchbods has launched 'Expert Lab', providing clients with training and support for its proprietary insight community platform, ex-plor. More
In the US, online sample provider EMI Research Solutions has launched a measure of sample quality called SQOR (Sample Quality Optimization Rating), which combines assessments of pre-study traffic health, in-study participant behavior and post-study data validity consistency. More
Long-time Nielsen and Univision audience researcher Ceril Shagrin, described as 'a fierce champion of transparent and inclusive measurement', died peacefully in Miami on July 3rd, at the age of 89. More
US and Australia-based FMCG customer review platform Okendo has raised $26m in a Series A round of funding which it will use to scale go-to-market activities, accelerate product development, and increase headcount from 80 to more than 130 by the end of the year. More
London-based Future Anthem, which provides data science services to businesses in the gambling industry, has raised an undisclosed amount of Series A funding, earmarked for company growth, product investment, and to launch in North America with a focus on sports betting. More
S4 Capital-owned digital transformation specialist TheoremOne has appointed Will Kelly as Chief Growth Officer, to help scale its cross-functional, go-to-market capabilities. Three further C-Suite appointments and two new VPs have also been announced. More
Austin, Texas-based data platform Sumatra has raised $1.5m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to expand its operations and business reach. More
Pureprofile has promoted Joris Schellekens to Head of Data & Insights for mainland Europe, as well as promoting three APAC execs: Keith Ang to Head of Sales, D&I Asia; and Katiemay Gardner and Peta Kernan to Senior Account Director. More
In New York, TV and cross-platform measurement and attribution specialist 605 has appointed Sam Abiad as Executive Vice President and Head of Sales. More
US and Israel-based app measurement and attribution platform AppsFlyer has appointed Yevgeny Peres as EVP of Product Strategy. More
In Australia, omnichannel attention measurement company Amplified Intelligence has appointed Anneliese Urquhart as Chief Product Officer (CPO). More
Digital ad tech company PubMatic has partnered with AlikeAudience in Australia, Japan and Indonesia, to give advertisers access to supply side audience data. More
In London, insight-led integrated agency group UNLIMITED has appointed Elinor Jones as Managing Partner, to cover all government accounts, with a seat on TMW UNLIMITED's leadership team. More
US-based customer experience management specialist Medallia has agreed to acquire callback automation company Mindful, from private equity firm Alpine Investors, for an undisclosed sum. More
In LA, predictive consumer insights company Vault AI has appointed former National Research Group (NRG) execs Ethan Titelman as President of Client Solutions, and AJ Giovannetti as SVP of Product Strategy. More
US-based SKUx, which helps brands and retailers deliver digital promotional offers, has launched a tool called Buyer (X)ccelerator, enabling the capture of first-party data based on how consumers engage with those offers. More
In New York, Universal Music Group for Brands (UMGB), the partnerships division of Universal Music Group (UMG), has launched a media and data solution called UMusic Media Network, to connect brands and partners with media from UMG. More
In the US, connected TV performance ad platform tvScientific has partnered with incrementality measurement specialist MetricWorks, to enable marketers to measure CTV performance in their omnichannel strategies and correct last-touch attribution. More
US and UK-based API infrastructure platform Kevel, which is used to build custom ad platforms, has acquired Portuguese audience segmentation and customer data platform Velocidi. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Consumer intelligence company Talkwalker has made available to third parties the benchmarking solution developed for its annual Brand Love report - offering marketers measurement of what it calls the drivers of brand love: passion, trust and customer satisfaction. More
Video insights provider Voxpopme has launched Project Templates, providing a library of ready-made video surveys for running qual research and helping scale customer conversations. More
In the US, digital experience agency Wheroware has acquired user experience consultancy LookThink for an undisclosed sum. More
US-based digital media measurement and analytics firm DoubleVerify (DV) has appointed former Quantcast exec Carolyn Watt as Vice President of Global Client Partnerships, based in London. 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
In the US, out of home (OOH) audience measurement body Geopath has appointed former Comscore exec Chris Luken as Senior Vice President of Product, with a focus on expanding its suite of solutions. More
Comscore has promoted Chief Financial Officer Jon Carpenter to the role of CEO, replacing Bill Livek who in March announced his plans to retire. The firm has also named a new Chairman and CFO. More
In the UK, advertiser association the ISBA has named Tom George the first Chief Executive Officer of Origin, its joint industry, cross-media measurement programme. He will take up his role in September. More
Forsta, the company formed last year through the merger of research software firms Confirmit and FocusVision, has launched Digital Diaries, a mobile ethnography app designed to obtain qualitative insights at scale. More
In the US, digital optimization specialist Amplitude has appointed Thomas Hansen as its first President, overseeing all aspects of its go-to-marketing organization including revenue, operations, customer success, partnerships and marketing. More
San Francisco-based eCommerce buyer and seller matching platform Promoted has raised $6m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to further develop its platform and hire additional engineers. More
Nielsen has continued the roll-out of its Identity System for Digital Ad Ratings, launching in seven new Asian markets, seven in Europe and in Mexico, South Africa and New Zealand. More
In the US, audience measurement and digital advertising firm Quantcast has launched a suite of brand measurement and optimization solutions to help digital marketers plan, activate and measure video, native and display brand campaigns across the web and on connected TV (CTV). More
London-based Snowplow Analytics, which helps businesses collect and manage their customer behavioural data, has raised $40m in a Series B round of funding. The money will be used to grow its team, build support for new data types, and scale internationally. More
Sydney-based media consultancy and tech business Audience Precision has announced an end-to-end platform called Precise360, tapping consumer behavioural data to create a 'full media strategy guidance system' which it says enhances the entire marketing process. More
In London, CXM company Merkle has announced the senior team for its recently launched UK Experience & Commerce (E&C) practice, led by Paul Lynch. More
Australian marcoms group Enero has acquired APAC-based B2B marketing agency GetIT, which offers a range of consulting and insights services including the DataLab data science initiative; and digital marketing services firm ROI DNA. Terms of the deals were not disclosed. More
New York-based consumer insights platform Suzy has launched a service called Suzy Live Focus Groups, allowing researchers and marketers to run qual and quant research in one connected platform. More
In the US, location intelligence specialist Reveal Mobile has added new targeting and sales attribution features to its geofencing platform, VISIT Local. More
Marcoms giant WPP is to acquire Australian marketing tech services agency Bower House Digital, whose services include personalisation, segmentation, and solutions for a single customer view. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
NielsenIQ and GfK have announced an agreement through which the two firms will be 'combined', with NielsenIQ's owner Advent International being the majority shareholder. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Canadian trend tracking and prediction tech firm RIWI has agreed to acquire Paris and Istanbul-based business Research on Mobile (ROM). Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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 London, data science and consumer behaviour prediction specialist Black Swan Data has raised $18.5m in a growth funding round, part of which it will use to expand further into the US market. More
British-based automated speech recognition platform Speechmatics has raised $62m in a Series B round of funding which it will use to support expansion across the US and Asia-Pacific, and to improve infrastructure - particularly the capacity of it data centre. More
Global analytics and insight company MESH Experience has appointed former Kantar exec Siham Chowdhury as Director of Data Science. More
In New York, audio analytics and research platform Veritonic has raised $7.5m in an add-on Series A round of funding, which it will use to support the hiring of 'top talent', and for further development of its audio insight and measurement capabilities. 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 US, out-of-home (OOH) ad platform AdQuick.com has launched an 'analytics as a service' solution, allowing OOH marketers, agencies and media owners to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns with near real-time data. More
In the US, customer intelligence and automation platform SturdyAI has raised $3.1m in a new round of funding, which it will use to broaden market awareness and strengthen its platform. 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 the US, shopper intelligence specialist Catalina has partnered with sponsorship data platform FanAI, to help CPG brands better understand and measure how their sponsorship investments directly drive sales for their products. More
US-based customer experience (CX) specialist Zendesk has agreed to be acquired by a group of investors, in an all-cash deal which values it at approximately $10.2 billion. The transaction has been approved by Zendesk's Board of Directors and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year. More
Paris-based MR data and tech firm Bilendi has expanded to the Netherlands with the opening of an office in Amsterdam, appointing Luigi Casula as Country Manager. The company has also created a new Dutch panel with more than 30,000 members. More
Customer experience products and solutions company Sitel Group has agreed the acquisition for an undisclosed sum of Luxembourg-based competitor Majorel Group. The merger would form a combined entity with over 240,000 employees across 55 countries. More
WPP-owned data and measurement-driven agency Essence has promoted Barbara Blanzat Henao to the role of Senior Vice President, Analytics, EMEA, while Kate Mann has been promoted to SVP Agency Solutions and Operations, EMEA. More
Cross-platform audience-targeting specialist OpenAP has partnered with data cloud company Snowflake to develop a cross-platform 'data clean room' solution for the television industry. More
In the US, e-mail marketing platform Klaviyo has launched an enterprise solution called Klaviyo One, helping large brands bring all their customer data together to drive personalized experiences at scale. More
Brazil-based digital marketing specialist Stefanini Group has acquired eCGlobal, developer of a collaborative platform for online insights communities and branded social media networks. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In New York, media services agency Horizon Media is testing Comscore's local TV measurement solution as an alternate currency for 2023 planning and buying. The firm currently uses Nielsen. More
Consumer data company Pureprofile has hired former Maru Group exec Shelley Barber as Business Development Director in the UK. More
Insight exchange and sample management platform Cint has added Tina Daniels, MD at Google, and long-time IBM exec Liselotte Engstam to its Board of Directors. The pair bring experience in tech, media measurement, engineering and international management. More
In London, Tesco-owned customer data science specialist dunnhumby has appointed Stacy Gratz as Regional Managing Director for Media, to lead strategic media planning and sales for the Tesco Media & Insight Platform. More
Boston, MA-based digital experience analytics specialist LogRocket has raised $25m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to further enhance its machine learning capabilities and digital platform, and to grow its headcount. More
London-based location data ad technology and targeting firm Blis has secured a 'significant' but undisclosed amount of investment from private equity firm LDC, which it will use to grow and expand the business and double its headcount in the next few years. More
Kantar has launched a cross-category search prediction tool called Emerging Trends; added a suite of products and enhancements to its creative testing portfolio on Kantar Marketplace; and opened the iLab innovation centre. More
In the US, consumer data giant IRI has launched the OmniConsumer Receipt Panel, which will source shopping receipt data from 120,000 active households to provide insights into how consumers are shopping across channels. More
European sales intelligence provider Echobot and web visitor intelligence platform Leadfeeder have agreed to merge, using a EUR 180m investment from equity firm Great Hill Partners to support the deal. More
Melbourne, Australia-based tech-driven research agency Cubery has rolled out its platform in Canada, Singapore and Ireland. More
In Canada, research tech firm Potloc has raised CAD$35m in a Series B round comprising new equity funding and debt financing. The investment will be used to accelerate go-to-market strategy in North America and Europe, including recruitment of 120 more staff in Montreal, New York and Paris. More
US-based marketing consultancy R3 has acquired ad intelligence platform Adbrands, for an undisclosed sum. More
In New York, personalized video content creation platform VidMob has launched an SaaS version of its Intelligence Creative platform, helping marketers to optimise their creative with help from its suite of analytics, creative automation, production workflows and creative talent network. More
The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has appointed academic Colin Campbell as the Editor in Chief for its Journal of Advertising Research (JAR). His term begins in September, when John Ford steps down after eight years. More
Tokyo-based MR sample provider GMO Research is expanding to North America with the opening of a subsidiary in New York City, headed up by Christa Arite. 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
Strategic insight agency Truth Consulting has appointed Kamaljit Kaur as a Director to support the growth of its office in Frankfurt, Germany. More
Manchester, UK-based mobile device monitoring specialist RealityMine is to launch a 'Centre of Excellence in Data Science', and has announced three new hires: Joel Ansbro in the Data Engineering team; Louis Ruston in the Apps team; and Mason Chee in the Data Products team. More
Israeli AI-driven sales intelligence solution Amy has raised a $6 million Seed round of funding, which it will use to further enhance its natural language processing and machine learning capabilities, and to launch its 'B2P' solution. More
New York-based market intelligence platform AlphaSense has raised $225m in a Series D round of funding, valuing the company at $1.7 billion - nearly double the figure after its $180m Series C round just nine months ago. 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, B2B data specialists Bombora and ZoomInfo have settled a lawsuit over a terminated revenue-sharing agreement and various privacy issues; exchanged compliments; and suggested they are likely to work together again in the near future. More
The Directors of M&C Saatchi have issued recommendations to shareholders ahead of votes on two bids for the company, advising rejection of the Next 15 offer purely on account of a drop in its share price, but preferring it to that of rival ADV, if the company is considered unable to continue as an independent. 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
Marketing technology company The Brandtech Group has acquired a majority stake in Acorn-i, whose self-service Ignite platform provides a suite of eCommerce analytics and insights products combined with AI-powered retail media capabilities. Terms were not disclosed. More
CTV advertising delivery and measurement platform Innovid has launched InnovidXP, building on its acquisition of measurement and attribution specialist TVSquared and described as 'the first unified cross-platform solution directly integrated with ad serving data and creative personalization'. More
Israel-based digital market intelligence company Similarweb has launched an App Intelligence module, which combines mobile app data from the firm's partnership with data.ai (previously known as App Annie) with its own desktop and mobile web measurement and engagement metrics. More
In New York, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has announced a five-year extension to the contract of Executive Director and CEO George Ivie. More
US-based customer intelligence platform InMoment has acquired customer review management software company ReviewTrackers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
US-based agency group ACC (Acceleration Community of Companies) has acquired full-service influencer marketing consultancy Pixly for an undisclosed sum. 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
Nielsen has launched the next phase of its cross-platform measurement platform, Nielsen ONE Alpha, bringing together audience measurement with 'audience and outcomes' measurement, to enable end-to-end ad campaign assessment. More
Cross-screen television insight and analytics provider Samba TV has expanded its Australian operation with the appointment of Tom Parsons as Head of Client & Data Partnerships, Damien Tang as Data Solutions Director, and Simeon Swain as Commercial Lead - Programmatic & Audience. More
US-based online survey software provider QuestionPro and experience-led transformation specialist Acquis Cortico-X have joined forces with the aim of creating up to three new customer experience products in the coming year. More
Comscore has launched a platform called 'Total Digital', which combines the firm's digital and social media measurement tool and user experience (UX) data into a single dashboard. Users get a cross-platform view of how consumers are engaging with content and advertising. More
Investment vehicle AdvancedAdvT [ADV] has increased its offer for ad agency network M&C Saatchi to 209.4p per share, beating the 'final' offer of 198.3p per share made by marcoms consultancy Next 15, the owner of data and insights group Savanta. More
Tech research and advisory firm Information Services Group (ISG) has launched an advisory business to help clients understand the technology and business implications of the next phase of the Internet's evolution, Web3 and the metaverse. More
London-based insight consultancy Basis has appointed former Hall & Partners exec Laurie Visee as Head of its US Quantitative Offering. More
Marcoms giant WPP has promoted Michael Houston to the role of President of its business in the US, the group's largest market. 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
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
London-based voice analysis technology firm Phebi has partnered with Toronto-based insights tech firm Ignite Connexion, which will provide Phebi with marketing, sales, implementation and customer support services across Canada. More
Consumer data company Pureprofile has appointed long-time Kantar exec Ashish Pandey as Head of Sales - Data & Insights, US and India. More
In India, Omnicom-owned media agency network OMD has appointed former Nielsen / Millward Brown exec Charul Tomar as Head of Strategy, tasked with helping to drive the next stage of the company's growth in the region. More
US and Israel-based mobile app measurement and attribution platform AppsFlyer has launched a Data Clean Room solution, where app developers can store all their data in one place, and securely produce insights based on their first-party data combined with their marketing conversion data. More
US-based customer experience specialist Zendesk has announced the completion of a strategic review and will not seek a sale but continue as an independent public company. The review followed the rejection of a takeover bid and its own unsuccessful attempt to buy Momentive. More
Kantar has announced an industry-wide cross-media planning initiative for Brazil, bringing together representatives from the country's media groups and platforms to help design an upgraded measurement solution. Kantar then plans to launch the solution before the end of the year. More
In New York, consumer insights platform Getwizer has promoted Jennifer Allison to the position of Chief Commercial Officer. 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
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has issued a draft version of its Outcomes and Data Quality Standards - the next phase of an ongoing project to standardize the measurement of outcomes resulting from advertising exposure. There will now be a 60-day public comment period. More
Upp, which connects Google Ads data with product performance data, has received an undisclosed amount of follow-on investment from Downing Ventures. More
In London, WPP consumer data specialist Wavemaker has appointed Radhika Radhakrishnan as Global Chief Financial Officer, and a member of the Global Leadership team. She will take up the role from mid-June. More
In the US, first-party data platform Dynata has acquired online panel and audience technology company Branded Research for an undisclosed sum. More
In Sweden, gaming influencer marketing platform Lurkit has raised $2.7m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to expand operations and its business reach. More
UK TV audience measurement body BARB has hired Caroline Baxter for the newly created role of Research Operations Director, and will recruit an Audiences Director to work with her. The creation of these two roles follows the resignation of Research Director Simon Bolus. More
Customer experience management firm Merkle has appointed former Accenture exec Hawk Liu as its Chief Executive in China, leading growth, performance and greater integration across its CX consulting, data science, digital transformation, loyalty marketing and B2B services. More
Online sampling technology firm InnovateMR has appointed Chris Kosar as Director, Client Development; Veeraj Keshwala as Manager, Client Development; and Kristen Vance as Senior Programmer. More
Insights and research agency TRA and industry body ThinkTV are partnering to provide insights for New Zealand-based marketers, about the country's favourite TV ads. More
Customer lifecycle and user retention platform CleverTap has launched a database tool called TesseractDB, promising to deliver in-context, timely, personalized messaging and recommendations across all user touchpoints. More
In the US, content intelligence specialist PathFactory has appointed former Forrester analyst Christine Polewarczyk as Senior Vice President, Product Marketing and Research. 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 mobile phone data firm RealityMine has added a solution called 'Embedded Browsing' to its reporting, allowing clients to measure the web browsing activity of users within social media apps. More
US-based insights software firm Heap Analytics has announced the acquisition of digital experience firm Auryc, to create what it says is 'the market's only comprehensive quantitative and qualitative analytics in a single solution'. More
Customer analytics platform MoEngage has raised $77 Million in Series E funding, for use in expanding to Latin America and Australia, increasing its footprint elsewhere in the world, and to explore strategic acquisitions. More
Private equity firm GTCR has made a 'strategic investment' in ad intelligence company Standard Media Index (SMI) through its portfolio company Dreamscape, which GTCR formed with marketing tech execs Scott Knoll, David Hahn and Michael Iantosca. Knoll has been named SMI CEO. More
Comscore has added CTV measurement to its Video Metrix Multi-Platform product, including YouTube traffic sharing measurement, for Spain and the UK; and says Italy, France and Germany will follow in July 2022. Meanwhile CEO Bill Livek has acquired another $1.15m of shares in the firm. More
In the US, ad intelligence data company AdImpact has partnered with CTV ad delivery and measurement platform Innovid, to measure political TV advertising across linear and CTV platforms. More
London-based culture, communities and 'smart digital insight' firm Verve has strengthened its strategic insight offer with the appointment of former Hall & Partners and Breaking Blue exec Dr Adele James as Behavioural Scientist. Digital anthropologist Lily Echanis also joins the firm. More
Performance marketing agency NP Digital has acquired Brighton, UK-based AnswerThePublic, which taps autocomplete data from search engines to analyse the phrases and questions people are asking around a client's keywords. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Media and marketing intelligence provider UNICEPTA Group has acquired Berlin-based corporate data analyst Giance Technologies for an undisclosed sum. More
Havas Media Group has partnered with eye tracking specialist Lumen Research to create bespoke tools to plan, measure, buy and optimise attention. More
Nielsen's entertainment data provider Gracenote has launched two new syndicated datasets - Distribution Dynamics and Program Availability Archive - to understand the characteristics of content that drives viewing and the historical placement of content. More
Nielsen has expanded its Nielsen Impact Score service (NIS) to cover the most popular North American professional sports leagues. First up is the New York Mets baseball team, which will use the new 'NIS Pro' to guide its local and national sponsorship sales strategy. More
In the US, digital ad tech company PubMatic has launched a platform called Connect, allowing media buyers to connect with their target audiences across the open Internet. More
Swiss/German in-store and omnichannel customer experience analysis specialist ISC-CX is opening an office in Brazil, to support LatAm businesses and brands. More
WPP's media investment business GroupM has launched its Finecast addressable TV targeting company in Spain, at its headquarters in La Matriz. More
In the UK, former Eyeota Chief Operating Officer Jill Orr has joined purchase data and ad targeting firm Criteo as Retail Media Head for EMEA. More
Digital advertising and marketing services company S4 Capital has released results for the first quarter of 2022 in a trading update, with reported revenue up 70.1% to £206.8m, a rise of 40.6% on a like-for-like, pro forma basis. More
Ipsos has appointed Dr Jessica Ozan as the new Head of Education, Children and Families (ECF) within its Public Affairs division. More
In the US, Twitter is to pay a settlement of $150m after giving consumers inadequate notice that their data would be used for ad targeting. The company agreed to implement further checks and disclosures whilst stressing that the problem had been addressed as long ago as 2019. 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
Set-top box and multiscreen entertainment software firm 3 Screen Solutions (3SS) has partnered with NPAW, a provider of video business intelligence and predictive analytics, to create a new customer intelligence platform promising clients reduced churn and higher revenue per user. More
UK watchdog the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced a further investigation into Google's use of ad tech in three areas - demand-side platform, ad exchange and publisher ad server - due to concerns it may undermine competition. More
Online communities expert InSites Consulting has made seven new hires for its Johannesburg office, including three senior appointments: Research Directors Simone Kakana and Heike Viviers, and Business Development Manager Danie Botha. More
Recently-formed PR and comms monitoring group Onclusive has announced the acquisition of US-based media monitoring platform Critical Mention, for an undisclosed sum. More
Global marcoms group Omnicom has appointed former Conduent exec Brian Clayton as its first Chief Data Privacy Officer, responsible for driving its 'privacy-first' approach and ensuring compliance with global privacy regulation. More
Digital optimization software firm Amplitude, Inc. has launched an insights-driven customer data platform (CDP), which collects and analyzes event data with a built-in product analytics solution, avoiding the need for third-party analytics. More
dentsu-owned CX Management company Merkle has promoted Mark Atkinson, formerly VP for its Adobe EMEA alliance and enterprise sales lead, to the role of UK Chief Sales Officer. More
Connected TV (CTV) and OTT ad measurement platform TVDataNow has launched a new CTV-focused attribution solution for marketers, publishers and ad tech companies. More
In Dubai the Advertising Business Group, a non-profit organisation advocating for responsible advertising and communication in the MENA region, has appointed Ipsos as its partner for its ad currency UAE Cross Media Measurement project. More
Interpublic's marketing intell company Kinesso has appointed four new Regional CEOs, Matt Ware, Andy Butters, Jorge Chavez and Sean Muzzy, all of whom are currently leaders in the group's Matterkind activation division and who will retain these roles alongside their new ones. 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
AI-based consumer insights platform Birdie.ai has appointed former fintech product leader Alexandre Spengler as Head of Product. More
Automated insight-gathering and sample management platform Cint has announced further leadership changes following its December acquisition of Lucid. CFO Joakim Andersson and COO Andy Ellis are stepping down, replaced respectively by Britta Mittler (interim) and Jake Wolff. More
In Australia, consumer data giant NielsenIQ is to offer clients access to 'one of the biggest receipt panels in Australia', promising new understanding of 'the most important retail consumer group - the omnishopper'. More
Text analytics software firm Relative Insight has added ESOMAR President and WIRe founder Kristin Luck to its Advisory Board and former Cint leader Richard Thornton to its Board of Directors. More
Silicon Valley-based streaming insights provider Conviva has added technology from computer vision specialist VISUA, giving clients access to brand impression data across their social media campaigns. More
Marketing firm What's Possible Group has appointed former WPP exec Patrick Mazzotta in the new role of Managing Director of Data, charged with building a centre of excellence for data, analytics and insight within the company. More
In the US, video feedback platform Discuss has appointed Josh Martin as Senior Vice President, Global Head of Sales. More
Real-time personalization specialist Fulcrum has raised $5m in funding, which it will use to further develop its customer data platform (CDP) technology roadmap, and scale its business operations. More
British-based marcoms consultancy Next 15, which owns data and insights group Savanta, has agreed to acquire ad agency network M&C Saatchi Plc in a £310m cash and share deal. More
In the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has fined facial recognition firm Clearview AI more than £7.5m for using images of people in the UK, and elsewhere, collected from the web and social media to create a global online database. More
In the US, several social media companies have come together to launch the My Friends My Data Coalition (MFMD), which is calling for an industry-wide standard to make 'friend data' portable, through one-click privacy-safe API protocols. More
UK-based mobile phone data firm RealityMine has launched a solution called RealLife Events, through which clients can deliver surveys to users, triggered by digital behaviour such as using a specific app, web site or making specific search queries. More
In the US, ad tech firm tvScientific has launched a CTV (Connected TV) performance advertising solution for the games industry. More
Xandr, the advertising and analytics division of AT&T, has promoted three execs to its senior APAC team, under recently appointed ANZ Managing Director Nicole Prior. More
Retail tech provider Virtual Store Trials (VST) has launched a solution called 'E-commerce Fixture Testing', which offers a virtual simulation of eCommerce sites and apps through which CPG brands can conduct tests. More
Fox Entertainment's ad-supported streaming service Tubi is working on an expansion of its current integration with Nielsen, allowing for 'enhanced and comprehensive measurement' through Nielsen's Digital Ad Ratings (DAR) product. More
Momentive has announced two new integrations for its SurveyMonkey and SurveyMonkey Enterprise solutions, with the addition of Microsoft Power Automate, which automates workflows and apps in the Teams communication platform. More
US-based private equity firm KKR has acquired a majority of survey software firm Alchemer, with an investment of undisclosed size funding '[accelerated] growth through marketing, product innovation, industry partnerships and strategic mergers and acquisitions'. More
US-based digital UX insights firm UserZoom has acquired its French opposite number Testapic, expanding its footprint in the European market. More
Ipsos has appointed Mark Polyak as its President of Analytics in North America, with a key role in integrating 'multisource, real-time, data-driven and actionable insights' into the group's core operations. He was previously Ipsos' Chief Analytics and Data Officer in Public Affairs. More
Customer lifecycle and user retention platform CleverTap has agreed to acquire San Francisco-based Leanplum, a multi-channel customer engagement platform, for an undisclosed amount. CleverTap says the move makes it 'a truly global company'. More
As Nielsen rolls out a new solution for measuring media consumption in Saudi Arabia, mena.tv, a B2B marketplace for TV Content in the Middle East and North Africa, has launched a platform providing daily audience data for around five million UAE-based viewers. More
US-based sampling tech firm InnovateMR has strengthened its focus on data quality and survey fraud mitigation by appointing Sarah Adkins, a former client, as VP of Quality & Research. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's S4 Capital is back on the acquisition trail despite its accounting troubles. TheoremOne, which provides software engineering and design for digital transformation, is merging into the company to form the hub of a new Technology Services offering. More
In the UK, insight business Walnut Unlimited has appointed four new Research Directors and two Associate Directors. More
Silicon Valley-based streaming insights firm Conviva has announced it will launch an audience measurement standard, in partnership with streaming providers using its real-time cloud 'sessionization' technology. It has also opened an office in Japan, to be led by Takeshi Torii. More
Australia-based research and marketing solutions company Pureprofile has appointed former MediaCom HR leader Michelle Mowle as Global Head of Talent and Culture. More
Marketing intelligence and programmatic media specialist MiQ has rolled out its cross-channel YouTube and TV campaign analytics and measurement capability in the UK. More
Kantar has launched Link AI for Digital, an artificial intelligence-powered ad testing solution designed specifically for digital ad formats. More
Consumer intel giant NielsenIQ has launched a solution called NielsenIQ Activate, allowing retailers to engage shoppers with personalized promotional offers. More
Consumer intelligence tech and insights firm Converseon has expanded its Predictive Reputation Intelligence Solution (PRIS) to include near real-time assessment of reputation, including the impact of reputation management decisions on business outcomes. 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
Digital media measurement firm Integral Ad Science (IAS) has launched a suite of reporting and planning tools called Control Panel, to enable clients to understand the value and return on investment (ROI) provided by its Context Control contextual targeting solution. More
In the US, no-code marketing data aggregation platform Improvado has raised $22m in a Series A round of funding. The cash will support continued development of its Revenue Data Platform, which helps marketers understand how their budget is performing and where to invest next. More
Blockchain data platform Chainalysis has raised $170m in a Series F round of funding, which brings its valuation to $8.6 billion. New funds will be invested in product innovation and to scale global operations. More
Insight exchange and sample management platform Cint has expanded its Lucid Impact Measurement service into linear TV, giving marketers a combined view of their campaigns while delivering daily cross-screen reporting for brand lift insights. More
Netherlands-based full service agency DVJ Insights has expanded its consultancy team with the appointment of Ben van der Werf and Sonja van den Berg, based in Utrecht. More
WPP's consumer data specialist Wavemaker has promoted Phil Mumford to the role of Managing Director of its Adelaide office, replacing Matt Hofmeyer who is now MD in Hong Kong. More
In San Francisco, web site personalization platform Mutiny has raised $50m in a Series B round of growth funding. More
Kantar has agreed to acquire Reading, UK-based app survey platform and fraud prevention technology provider Qmee, majority owned by private equity firm capital D. Qmee will become a part of Kantar's primary research division Profiles. More
Location intelligence and marketing software company Reveal Mobile has launched a self-service platform for out of home (OOH) campaign measurement, known as Mira. More
Nielsen has announced the end of its 45-day 'go-shop' period, in which the Board has investigated the potential for alternatives to its recently-announced acquisition by a consortium of private investors; and says no proposals have been submitted. More
US intelligence gathering specialist Fuel Cycle has enhanced its self-service Ignition Research & Insights Solutions (Ignition Solutions), to enable users to generate 'fast and actionable insights' for 'almost all possible use cases'. More
Digital marketing agency Brainlabs has acquired social media influencer marketing agency Fanbytes, for an undisclosed sum. More
WPP has announced a leadership team for the new body formed by its recent merger of data and measurement-driven media agency Essence and media network MediaCom. It includes Richard Mooney as Global Chief Data Officer. More
AdTech company smartclip has acquired TV analyst Realytics, to help measure the impact of TV campaigns on web sites. More
In the US, insight-driven digital experience consultancy Bounteous has appointed futurist and trend forecaster Jon Reily to lead its Commerce Thought Leadership and Strategy team. More
Data-driven marketing solutions provider Stirista has appointed former Integral Ad Science CTO Anthony Lucia as Chief Technology Officer. More
US-based ad solutions provider Digital Media Solutions (DMS) has acquired Traverse Data, which uses data and technology to generate new customers for advertisers through an audience activation, re-engagement and retargeting platform. More
In the US, Dentsu Health has appointed Olympia Mantsios as Global Vice President, Data & Analytics, while Lynda Gordon joins as SVP Product Development, charged with building new data products. 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
In Canada, digital out-of-home (DOOH) ad tech company Hivestack has launched a research division, which will explore in-store, programmatic media activation in the metaverse. Former Microsoft Research MD, P Anandan, has joined as a special advisor to the initiative. More
Digital marketing agency Brainlabs has acquired India-based data services specialist Nabler, for an undisclosed sum. 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
SurveyMonkey parent Momentive has launched a new solution for concept and creative testing, Idea Screening. The tool promises 'quick, AI-powered insights on early-stage ideas, claims or concepts'. More
Experience management company Qualtrics has announced the integration of its XM Discover AI and machine learning capabilities into parent company SAP's Service Cloud, to help users resolve customer issues, increase resolution rate and improve customer satisfaction. More
Kantar has sold its Kantar Public business to private equity firm Trilantic Europe for an undisclosed sum. Following the sale Kantar Public will establish itself as an independent evidence and advisory company for government and public sector organisations. More
After multiple delays, Sir Martin Sorrell's S4Capital has at last published its full year results for 2021, showing revenue up 100.4% to £686.6m, equivalent to a 52.4% increase on a like-for-like basis. Operating EBITDA increased 62.4% to £101.0m (up 11.9% like-for-like). More
Nielsen has expanded its Asia Pacific team with the appointment of long-time Ipsos exec Arnaud Frade as Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Growth. More
In the US, consumer data firm Neustar and digital out-of-home (DOOH) video network Captivate have partnered to help improve and expand the latter's audience segmentation and targeting capabilities. More
In the US, analytics company Upwave has expanded its ad measurement platform with the addition of a module called Brand Effects, using longitudinal metrics to help marketers measure the long-term, lasting effect of a brand in the marketplace. More
US-based Measured, which helps brands identify media's incremental contribution to business outcomes, has raised $21m in a new round of investment. The firm plans to use the funds to support further innovation, as user-level tracking restrictions increase. More
In New York, ad sector predictive analytics specialist datafuelX has appointed long-time WarnerMedia exec Brad Imbach as Vice President of Product Engineering and Development. More
London-based machine learning start-up Quin AI has raised £582k in seed funding, which it will use to scale the business across the UK and Germany and build out its business offering. More
In Australia, Publicis Media Exchange (PMX), the marcoms group's investment arm, has hired Rowena Newman in the new role of Head of Media Intelligence, overseeing a team of auditors and research analysts. More
Kyoko Matsushita, the Global CEO of WPP's data-driven full service media agency Essence Global, has been named Chief Executive Officer of WPP in Japan. 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
London-based data science-led communications management and measurement company Onclusive has hired Matthew Piercy for the newly created role of Chief Financial Officer. More
Marcoms network Publicis Groupe has acquired eCommerce analytics platform Profitero, for an undisclosed sum. More
Online sample marketplace PureSpectrum has acquired programmatic sampling technology assets from Dalia Research, for use in further expanding its PureSpectrum Marketplace. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
UK-based management consultancy Analysys Mason has acquired US specialist satellite and space market research and consulting services provider Northern Sky Research (NSR) for an undisclosed sum. 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
Sho Pogoni has returned to Auckland, NZ-based customer intelligence agency Perceptive as Data Science Team Lead, tasked with providing data science as a supplementary service for other teams (CX and Research), and as a standalone service for bespoke client projects. More
In the UK, personalisation platform Cooee has raised £300k in a pre-seed funding round, which it will use for further product development, to increase eCommerce store reach, and to launch an augmented reality (AR) version of its product. More
In the US, consumer data giant IRI has partnered with video-focused social media giant TikTok, to deliver custom marketing and media mix effectiveness insights to retailers and manufacturers advertising on the platform. More
Cincinnati, OH-based full-service firm MarketVision Research has hired licensed attorney Benjamin de Seingalt as its first Director of Compliance and Privacy. More
Experience management platform Qualtrics has launched a solution called Qualtrics Social Connect, to enable contact center, marketing and CX teams to capture, analyze and respond to the millions of customer service requests they receive through chat, e-mail and social media. More
Cryptocurrency-focused media and research company Cryptonary has acquired the shares of its original co-founders, who became silent partners in the company after its re-brand in 2019. The valuation and specifics of the buyout have not been disclosed. More
Nielsen has reported first quarter revenue of $877m - a rise of 1.6%, but with organic real-terms growth of 3.4%. Adjusted EBITDA fell around 4% to $372m. More
Investment bank Goldman Sachs has acquired a $325m minority stake in real-time television ad measurement firm iSpot.tv. Funds will be used for the development of 'alternative currencies', cross-screen measurement capabilities, and to expand iSpot's customer success and sales footprint. 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 Manchester, UK, culture, community panels and smart digital research specialist Verve has appointed former InSites Consulting exec Gav Holt as Executive Director in its senior team. More
Marcoms giant WPP has launched an end-to-end eCommerce service called Everymile, which will look after the entire process from the minute a customer visits a brand's web site - having first helped the target audience to find that site - and clicks to order, through to the delivery of their purchase. More
Influencer marketing platform Mavrck has acquired social media marketing and commerce platform Later, using a $135m investment from equity investor Summit Partners. More
MrWeb and its job board partners ESOMAR and WIRe have launched a section dedicated to supporting Ukrainian insights and analytics professionals, whether refugees or those remaining in the war-torn country. This includes free job board postings and candidate registration services. More
WPP's consumer data specialist Wavemaker has named Ryan Webber as Chief Executive Officer in Canada. He replaces Kristie Painting, who is now Country Manager for Pinterest. More
Paris-based eCommerce automation platform Lengow has acquired Barcelona-based price and market intelligence software firm netRivals, which it says will help it shape the 'next generation of digital shelf analytics'. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen and VIZIO have signed a multi-year agreement that provides Nielsen with data from the latter's smart TV viewing data provider Inscape. The deal gives Nielsen the rights to use Inscape's ACR data from around 20 million VIZIO Smart TVs. More
In London, online sample marketplace PureSpectrum has appointed long-time Kantar Profiles exec Andy Cayton as Executive Vice President, tasked with developing and implementing solutions for clients across the firm's product suite. More
In the US, location intelligence provider Foursquare has appointed Marjorie Janiewicz as Chief Revenue Officer, leading its global go-to-market strategy and sales force. More
Data and research tech company Schlesinger Group has promoted Chawntae Applegate to the role of Executive Vice President of Global Client Solutions. More
Dublin-based eCommerce analytics platform Conjura has raised EUR 15m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to expand its solutions, broaden its UK and Ireland operations, and move into 'several' new international markets. More
The WindAcre Partnership LLC, now comfortably the largest Nielsen shareholder with 27.3%, says the share price could triple in the next three years and will host a webcast tomorrow arguing for a rejection of the Consortium bid. Meanwhile reports suggest the ratings firm could regain its MRC accreditation soon. More
Kantar has agreed to acquire Copenhagen, Denmark-based marketing measurement and optimisation company Blackwood Seven, for an undisclosed sum. 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
Online community specialist C Space has promoted three team members, while appointing former Kantar Consulting exec Ella Majava as Practice Director for Innovation and Consulting, and Risham Nadeem as a Business Director. More
User experience (UX) platform WEVO has added an AI tool which it says helps user researchers go from 'experience test' to 'ready insights' in minutes. It has also updated its platform with a new dashboard and enhanced diagnostics. More
In the US, consumer data exchange platform BDEX has launched a 'freemium' tool called Omni IQ, to help companies use first-party data about current and potential customers to improve targeting and reach potential consumers. More
US-based customer experience (CX) specialist Zendesk has reportedly appointed an advisor to explore a potential sale, just two months after rejecting a takeover bid from a private equity company. More
Marcoms group Stagwell, owner of the Harris and Harris Poll brands, has acquired data-driven eCommerce specialist Brand New Galaxy (BNG), which offers a range of business intelligence and data engineering, analytics and strategy services. Terms were not disclosed. More
London-based insights agency Opinium has hired music economist Chris Carey to lead its newly launched Music, Media and Entertainment division. More
Consumer intelligence provider Converseon has launched a suite of 'Decision Intelligence' solutions, connecting real-time conversation data to 'tangible' business outcomes such as sales, shareholder value and customer loyalty, and quantifying the likely impact of specific actions before they are taken. More
US-based customer experience solutions provider VHT has taken the name of its Mindful suite of solutions, claiming this 'aligns it with its philosophy of how enterprise brands should treat people'. More
US-based ad targeting specialist tvScientific has raised $20m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to grow its customer base; hire for key roles in engineering, product, data science, marketing, sales and other departments; and continue developing its product. 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
In New York, personalized snack box provider SnackMagic has launched a data platform called CPGpulse, to provide consumer insights for CPG brands. More
B2B information, analytics and eCommerce optimisation specialist Ascential (previously known as EMAP) is to acquire Sellics, which offers AI-powered B2B solutions to help sellers, vendors and agencies optimize their Amazon strategies. Terms have not been disclosed. More
Digital media analytics provider DoubleVerify (DV) is the first company to receive Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for third-party calculation and reporting of YouTube video viewing, for desktop and mobile using Google's Ads Data Hub (ADH). More
In Seoul, digital media measurement firm Integral Ad Science (IAS) has appointed Inwon Park as Head of Korea Market, charged with leading sales operations and working with brands, agencies, publishers and platforms in the region. More
In New York, data science-enabled consumer products platform Aterian has appointed Anton von Rueden as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing global supply chain operations. He takes over from Pramod K C, who has been named COO and General Manager of Aterian's Asia operations. More
Consumer intel giant NielsenIQ has made an undisclosed amount of investment in mobile consumer rewards app Fetch Rewards, whose thirteen million monthly US active users have submitted more than two billion receipts. The deal allows NielsenIQ to enhance its Omnishopper panel. More
Measure Protocol, a blockchain-based marketplace for consumer behavioural data, has raised an undisclosed amount of funding, which it will use to further develop its technology and ramp up its marketing and sales efforts. More
In the US, TV software and data platform VideoAmp has acquired New York-based media investment optimization specialist Elsy. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Online sample marketplace PureSpectrum has appointed long-time industry exec Ron Franscella as Executive Vice President, tasked with developing and implementing new client solutions across the firm's product suite. More
Rival Group Inc., owner of Rival Technologies and Reach3 Insights, has given current ESOMAR President Kristin Luck a seat on its Board of Directors. More
Palo Alto-based verified product review specialist Experify has raised $4m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to increase headcount, specifically in the sales and product engineering teams; expand its customer base; and further develop its platform. More
In the US, consumer data and insights firm Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) and eCommerce intelligence platform Profitero have partnered to help clients measure and optimize CPG digital shelf presence based on actual item-level sales. 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
Audience relationship platform OpenWeb has acquired Paris, France-based programmatic ad platform ADYOULIKE for $100m, in a mix of cash and stock. 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
NielsenIQ exec Yuneeb Khan is to join digital media analytics specialist Quotient in July as CFO, Principal Accounting Officer and Treasurer. Chief Account Officer John Kellerman will serve in an interim capacity until then. 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
Insight-driven digital experience consultancy Bounteous has launched an India-based delivery arm, led by Vasan Sampath. The firm says it is planning to add thousands of new jobs in digital engineering, commerce, marketing, data and analytics over the next five years. More
India-based martech firm Wondrlab has acquired influencer marketing platform Opportune, for an undisclosed sum. More
More than a third (38%) of consumers incorrectly recall their digital shopping journey behavior, according to the findings of a new study conducted by consumer insights platform DISQO. 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
Global IT, consulting and business process services company Wipro has appointed former Capgemini Chief Exec Anis Chenchah as its new CEO for APMEA (Asia Pacific, India, Middle East and Africa). He replaces N S Bala, who has resigned for 'personal reasons'. More
Crypto finance intelligence provider Coin Metrics has raised $35m in Series C financing, boosting its new product innovation and supporting international expansion. More
US agency Horizon Media has partnered with Nielsen to develop eMbrace, a new communications and media planning platform designed to help companies engage multicultural audiences. More
Digital media measurement and verification firm Integral Ad Science has announced reporting enhancements which it says give advertisers 'a unified view of their global campaigns'. More
Nielsen shareholder WindAcre said this week it would block the ratings giant's latest sale agreement, requesting a $1.1bn 'sweetener' for its support, according to sources quoted by Bloomberg. SEC filings suggest WindAcre has secured millions more shares in Nielsen this week at a cost of around $0.9bn. 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
Toronto, Canada-based CPG research specialist Hotspex has appointed former Procter & Gamble insights leader Luis Ladd as SVP, Product Innovation and ResTech. More
Omnicom is bringing the Indian staff and technology of digital design and marketing specialist Hangar into its data and analytics division Annalect, allowing the latter to provide 'holistic solutions in the fields of technology, media services, marketing science and creative services'. More
Canada-based research tech specialist Torfac has appointed former Branded researcher Vishal Yadav as Senior Director, Client Development, leading the expansion of its Sales team in the EU and APAC. More
Intrinsic in-game advertising pioneer Frameplay has launched a solution for measuring attention in the gaming sector. Intrinsic Time-in-View builds on the firm's proprietary viewability measures and has been validated by agencies Lumen and eye square, and endorsed by marcoms group dentsu. More
In the US, consumer data firm Neustar has partnered with shopping behavior insights provider Catalina to enable consumer packaged goods brand advertisers to optimize their marketing mix, campaign tactics and audience targets on-the-fly based on real time purchase behavior. 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
Cross-screen television insight and analytics provider Samba TV has partnered with media marketplace MediaSquare to provide ad retargeting and targeting for OTT (over-the-top) viewers and gamers in France. More
Major league consumer data and insights firms IRI and The NPD Group have announced they are to merge, promising clients 'a view of total retail purchasing and consumption trends powered by advanced, predictive analytics' on IRI's Liquid Data technology platform. More
YouGov has launched a dataset called Global Profiles, to help brands, agencies and media planners understand their global audience. Data comes 43 markets, with five more to be added in August. More
Video streaming specialist 24i has acquired UK data company The Filter, which was co-founded by musician Peter Gabriel and uses data science and machine learning tech to help consumers find and watch more of their preferred video content. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In London, Kantar Public has hired former Alan Turing Institute exec Christine Foster for the newly created role of Global Chief Product Officer, Data Science. More
Canadian survey software provider Voxco has launched a no-code data analytics platform called Voxco Intelligence, promising to unlock users' customer data using predictive analytics, AI and machine learning models. More
Consumer data company Pureprofile has appointed former Ipsos and maru exec Rachel Knowles as Head of Data & Insight UK. More
Automated customer experience (CX) solutions specialist Cyara has acquired Botium, which provides a platform for testing and monitoring the performance of chatbots and conversational artificial intelligence. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, digital customer experience (CX) solutions provider Alorica has promoted COO Greg Haller to Chief Executive, as founder and former CEO Andy Lee moves to the position of Executive Chairman. The firm says the moves are part of its 'future-ready' expansion plans. More
Global communications intelligence company Cision has completed the acquisition of real-time media monitoring company Streem. More
Facebook parent company Meta has suffered two reverses at the hands of a US District Court, granting class action status to advertisers claiming the company inflated its audience metrics; and allowing to proceed a suit by non-users of Facebook in Illinois over storage of images of their faces. More
Shopper insights firm Behaviorally has expanded to Germany, appointing Christian Dössel as Senior Vice President based in Hamburg. More
Advertising analytics platform Upwave has added new features allowing brands to measure the impact of their campaigns on Facebook and YouTube without using their person-level ad exposure data. More
New York-based television measurement and analytics company 605 has appointed Frank Deo as Executive Vice President of Engineering, supporting its product innovation. More
Media investment analyst Ebiquity has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire Sweden's MediaPath, and a definitive agreement to buy US firn Media Management Inc (MMi). Terms of the deals have not been disclosed. More
Shares in Sir Martin Sorrell's digital advertising group S4 Capital have slumped after its auditors PwC this week delayed the release of its preliminary statement of results for the second time in a month. The stock remained down 1/3 tonight even after a slight Friday recovery. More
US-based B2B analytics and performance marketing solutions provider MeritB2B has rebranded as Anteriad, which it says indicates 'getting in front', and 'represents its leading approach to B2B marketing'. 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
US-based mobile app market intelligence and insights provider Sensor Tower has expanded to Australia, following its 2021 acquisition of ad intelligence platform Pathmatics, which was rolled out in Australia last summer. More
In the US, fashion, luxury and beauty (FLB) brand performance measurement specialist Launchmetrics has acquired its main competitor, luxury market media monitoring and analysis firm DMR. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
US-based consumer data privacy start-up Cloaked has raised $25m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to continue to improve its technology and exit beta, scale its team, and establish partnerships within the industry. More
Media insights and business intelligence firm Truescope has raised $6.2m in funding, to support its expansion plans which include its launch in the US market and the further development of its platform. More
Ipsos-owned social media intelligence and listening platform Synthesio has joined Twitter's Official Partner Program, with the goal of creating new insight services and jointly building new relationships with client marketing and insights teams. More
In London, programme audience analyst TAPE Consultancy has promoted Beatrice Rossmanith to the role of Managing Director, as existing MDs Paul Youngbluth and John Peek prepare to leave the company in the summer. More
In Los Angeles, data collection specialist Interviewing Service of America (ISA) has launched a Web3-focused division, and added cryptocurrency specialists Garry Liu as a Project Manager and Garrett Hand as a Consultant in the new team. More
Los Angeles-based Whip Media Group has launched the Whip Media Exchange, a global licensing and research platform for film and TV content. More
In New York, TV ad marketplace FreeWheel has launched self-service capabilities to provide TV ad buyers with unified audience-based planning on Connected TV (CTV) inventory, and build and create custom audience segments to activate CTV campaigns. More
In the US, technology intelligence firm HG Insights has acquired Intricately, which provides data on cloud product adoption, usage and spend. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
British video-based insight company Vox Pops International has become employee-owned through an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). More
New York-based post-purchase consumer survey data firm EnquireLabs has raised $4.5m in a seed funding round, as it releases its flagship Question Stream product and software development kit. More
In New York, customer engagement platform Braze has launched a portfolio of new products called Braze for Commerce, through which retail and eCommerce marketers can personalize campaigns driven by first-party data. More
Nielsen has entered an agreement to be acquired by a private equity consortium led by Evergreen Coast Capital Corporation and Brookfield Business Partners, together with institutional partners, for $28 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $16bn. More
The United States government and the European Commission have trailered a new Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework, addressing concerns which led to the demise of the last one in mid-2020, and allowing data to flow more freely again between the two. Critics are already clearing their diaries for 'Schrems III'. More
India's Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has named IPG Mediabrands India CEO Shashi Sinha as President, succeeding Punit Goenka, MD & CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises. More
In Australia, ThinkTV has launched a free planning tool called the Media Engine which draws on sales and campaign data from 60 Australian brands across ten categories, to help demonstrate media return on investment. More
French digital experience monitoring company Kadiska has raised an undisclosed amount of seed funding and says it will open an office in Boston, USA, this month. More
California-based digital media analytics specialist Quotient has announced that Chief Technology Officer and former long-time Nielsen exec Matthew Krepsik will become Chief Executive Officer when founder Steven Boal retires from the role at the end of this year. 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
In the US, experience platform Survey Dynamix has been renamed Mindful Feedback, following its recent acquisition by CX software developer VHT. More
Customer insights platform UserTesting has added Internet of Things (IoT) test templates for its 'Human Insight Platform', to gain user feedback and help understand how IoT and digitally connected devices perform. More
In New York, artificial intelligence marketing company Cognitiv has launched a solution using algorithms built for individual advertisers, which evaluate each impression in real time and label those most likely to drive a conversion. More
In the US, entertainment insights business MarketCast has acquired ad and brand measurement specialist Phoenix Marketing International, for an undisclosed sum. More
British multi-platform media group Future plc has acquired Waive, which uses machine learning to identify social media trends. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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
M&C Saatchi Group's specialist growth and data consultancies Clear and Fluency have launched an AI-based intelligence platform called the Brand Desire Engine. More
In Israel, app monetization software developer ironSource has launched a testing tool for mobile gaming apps called Marketability, which matches the game to the audience to help developers decide which titles to invest in and launch. More
In India, WPP's data and measurement-driven media agency Essence has appointed Bharati Joshi as Vice President, Product; Kunal Danda as VP, Client Services, heading the agency's Mumbai office; and Vinish Mathews as VP, Client Services, leading the agency's partnership with Google. More
Long-time Toluna exec Mark Simon has joined Portugal-based media research platform MindProber as a Strategic Advisor. More
Digital research specialist MetrixLab has appointed Ed Harrison as Managing Director of Australia and New Zealand. He replaces Vincent Blaney, who is returning to the UK in June to take up a position at the firm's London office. More
Consumer intelligence business NielsenIQ has acquired Israel-based ciValue, whose AI platform offers retailers insights into what consumers want, and helps deliver personalized offers and ads. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has announced the recruitment in Sydney of the first panel participants to wear electronic watch meters to capture their radio listening. This is part of the roll out of GfK Radio360, which moves the industry from paper-based surveys to the majority use of e-diaries. More
New York-based customer lifecycle marketing company Zeta Global has acquired ArcaMax, which develops and distributes interest-based newsletters to millions of subscribers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Netherlands-based audience measurement specialist Beatgrid has emerged from stealth mode, adding to its Board of Directors former Nielsen Catalina Solutions CEO Matthew O'Grady and oOh! Media founder Brendon Cook. More
Nielsen's Board of Directors has opted 'not to proceed' with the unsolicited acquisition proposal reported last week from a private equity consortium, valuing the company at around $15bn. The decision follows major shareholder WindAcre's announcement that it would fight the deal. More
Ipsos has launched its self-service, end-to-end online market research platform Ipsos.Digital in fourteen markets in Asia. More
UK-based mobile phone data pioneer RealityMine has announced the addition of a feature called RealLife Checkout to its product offering, enabling passive receipt scanning for digital transactions. Clients can now track, directly, what products are bought and how much is paid for them. More
Media giant NBCUniversal has announced that marcoms network dentsu international is the first agency partner for its first-party data and identify platform, NBCUnified. More
Comscore has partnered with ad intelligence specialist Standard Media Index (SMI) to offer what it describes as the 'industry's first' advanced Effective Cost-per-Thousand Metric (eCPM) for linear TV advertising. More
US-based digital experience consultancy Bounteous has appointed Katy Allen as Managing Director, Healthcare; and also promoted Jen Spofford and Jesse Dundon to Managing Director roles. More
Experience management platform Qualtrics has launched a framework measuring how a customer's digital experience across an organization's web site, mobile apps, digital marketing and social media channels impacts how much they spend. More
In Washington DC, decision intelligence company Morning Consult is expanding its Geopolitical Risk Analysis division with the appointment of Sonnet Frisbie as Managing Director, Geopolitical Risk Analyst for EMEA. More
In the US, online qual research platform Aha! Insights Technology has launched a range of new features, including moderating, analytic and dashboard tools. More
UK-based customer experience platform Amplience has raised $100m in a Series D round of funding, which it will use for continued expansion in the US and globally, and to support the development and roll-out of its technology. More
In New York, digital ad standard-setting body the IAB Tech Lab has appointed Jason Jed Raqueno as Senior Director, Privacy, Identity & Data Protection. More
In the US, digital media and promotions tech firm Quotient has launched an impression-based multi-touch media measurement methodology, for use across on- and offsite display, digital out-of-home, and sponsored search channels. More
In the UK, Kantar has appointed Michael Uzielli as Group Chief Financial Officer, succeeding Ian Griffiths, who is stepping down to take a new role as a Senior Advisor with private equity firm Bain Capital, Kantar's majority shareholder. Uzielli will take up his new post in June. More
US-based customer experience management specialist Medallia has launched a solution called Athena Studio, allowing organizations to create custom AI models and analytics for unstructured data, without any coding. More
US-based B2B data and software firm ZoomInfo is to relocate its Israeli operations to a 180,000-square-foot office space in Ra'anana, a northern suburb of Tel Aviv. More
In the US, product experience management (PXM) company Akeneo has raised $135m in a Series D round of financing, which it will use to accelerate its product development roadmap, make executive appointments, and expand strategic partnerships. More
In London, IPG-owned experience design and digital marketing agency Huge has appointed Frisco Chau as Global Head of Data and Insights. More
In the UK, real-time, contextual advertising exchange Yieldmo has appointed John Tigg as General Manager, International, and Guy Jackson as UK Commercial Director. More
Nielsen's shares soared by around 30% to $22.85 yesterday, after it was reported in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that the firm is in talks to be acquired by a group of investors in a $15bn deal. More
Customer experience platform Emplifi, formed from the merger of VoC platform Astute and social media specialist Socialbakers, has announced a growth equity investment led by Sixth Street Growth and valuing the company at more than $1 billion. 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
US-based CX platform Birdeye has closed a $60m Series C funding round led by tech-focused investment firm Accel-KKR, and says it will use the money to accelerate development of a full experience suite for local businesses; and to expand into Australia and the UK. More
Nielsen is suing measurement and attribution specialist TVSquared, claiming that it infringed a patent entitled: 'Methods and Apparatus to Collect Distributed User Information for Media Impressions and Search Terms'. The ratings giant's claim includes lost profits. More
Analytics and personalization platform Piano has acquired social media conversation management and analysis platform SocialFlow, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, enterprise co-creation platform Vurvey has launched a tool to help brands gather feedback from customers scanning QR codes. More
In the US, Civicom Marketing Research Services has launched MyQual, a DIY research package for independent researchers offering an all-in-one tool for depth interviews and focus groups. More
In the US, user experience (UX) and insights platform WEVO has hired Dustin Garvey as Chief Data Officer, Crystal Jones as VP of Marketing and Allie Hagerty as Head of People. The firm says it tripled its sales in 2021. 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 Canada, software provider WeCommerce has acquired survey and insights platform KnoCommerce, for an undisclosed sum - adding to its range of eCommerce enablement solutions. 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
Harris Poll owner Stagwell Group has reported on a year of rapid growth, with a pro forma net revenue rise of 11.3% in Q4 of 2021 and 14.5% over the full 12 months. More
Nielsen is to launch its Identity System in Australia, Germany, India and Japan, in April, with six other economies to follow later in the year. More
In New Zealand, insights platform Yabble has added a feature called Count to its Hey Yabble product, to help analyze unstructured text data for theme and sub-theme counts, and then add sentiment analysis to provide an understanding of audiences. More
Media and marketing services company ENGINE has rolled out its cookieless 'Attitude-Based Audience' capability in Australia, allowing marketers to target online audiences across auto, financial services, health / pharma, lifestyle and tech sectors. More
Boston and Mumbai-based consumer behavior analyses platform Infinite Analytics has raised an undisclosed sum of investment from a syndicate of investors, which includes marketing execs from Coca-Cola. Funds will be used to scale operations in the US and India and to expand its team. More
In the US, the head of TV advertising trade group the VAB has written to Nielsen CEO David Kenny 'seeking the immediate cessation' of the firm's new 'Big Data' monthly impact releases. Nielsen says the VAB does not represent the overall video marketplace and has not raised the questions with it previously. 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
Pureprofile has announced a partnership with Southeast Asian content and community platform theAsianparent. More
In New York, Omnicom's data and analytics division Annalect has signed a multi-year agreement with consumer spending data provider Affinity Solutions, to integrate retailer purchase transactions into the group's people-based marketing and insights platform, Omni. More
US-based data modeling and analytics provider in4mation insights (i4i) has launched an approach called i4iFASTMIX, which claims to deliver metrics for media planning at a lower cost and 'much faster' than typical analytics solutions. More
AI-based consumer insights platform Birdie.ai has appointed former Kantar exec Cadu Chiba as Director of Consumer Insights and former Ipsos exec Andrea Hiranaka as Director of Insights Products, based in Sao Paulo, Brazil. More
US-based Disco - which comprises a network of brands that work together to learn more about their customers - has raised $20m in a Series A round of funding. The money will be used to expand the firm's network and products, and to grow its team. More
Comscore and ad management platform WideOrbit have extended their partnership to create a solution called Comscore TV, powering automated TV ad buying and audience targeting across markets and demographics at scale. 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, consumer intent analysis platform System1 has acquired NextGen Shopping's CouponFollow, which has millions of subscribers to its e-mail newsletter and works with over 5,000 brand partners. System1 is paying up to $115m, in a combination of cash and stock, over three years. More
Omnicom-owned MR and language strategy firm maslansky + partners (m+p) has hired Jaime Hodges for a newly created role, SVP and Head of Quantitative Research. 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
In the US, digital media measurement and analytics provider DoubleVerify (DV) has received accreditation from the Media Rating Council (MRC) across its suite of programmatic targeting services. More
Indonesia-based customer analytics platform MoEngage, fresh from a $30m Series D funding, has announced the appointment of Jason Smith as VP of Sales for Europe, and plans to open dedicated offices in France, Spain and Italy as it doubles its team in the region. More
The Board of marcoms giant WPP has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and announced it is discontinuing operations in Russia, where it employs nearly 1,400 people. More
LinkedIn has acquired Israel-based marketing analytics company Oribi for an undisclosed sum. 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 Canada, customer intelligence specialist Alida has appointed Mary Kay Evans as Chief Marketing Officer, to drive the company's overall marketing strategy and partner with the exec team to steer the company's next phase of growth. More
New York-based firm Helixa has launched Discovery, a new data-driven audience intelligence platform incorporating customer feedback to promise users rapid, granular insights for US and global audiences. More
In New York, a trio of long-time media industry execs has launched a firm called datafuelX, which uses predictive analytics solutions to forecast and optimize advertising audiences and outcomes. More
Data-driven marketing agency network Hearts & Science has extended Jane Stanley's role to that of CEO of both Australia and New Zealand. Jeremy Bolt will step down from his position as CEO, Australia to focus on male longevity start-up firm, Old Bull Health. More
US-based digital media and marketing services firm Goodway Group is acquiring growth marketing agency Tuff - founded in 2016 by former Nielsen marketer Ellen Jantsch - for an undisclosed sum. More
US-based advertising and brand specialist Phoenix Marketing International (PMI) has appointed Brigette Lytle as Senior Vice President - Client Services. More
In Barcelona, retail customer data platform (CDP) Loyal Guru has raised EUR 8m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use for expansion across Europe and the Americas, and to further develop its product. More
Continuing our focus on 'Measuring Brains & Bodies', Pedro talks about sweat, motor racing, suppliers who always say Yes, investors who always said No, banning the bull and embracing the (one-trick) pony, and how EDA (electrodermal activity) can grow into a currency for media engagement. More
In the US, online survey and research services firm QuestionPro has launched a practice called Positive People Science, to help companies use data more effectively when building an employee experience strategy. More
In the US, Omnicom Group has acquired digital experience consultancy TA Digital for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, consumer behavior analyst NielsenIQ has promoted Parm Singh to the role of Global Head of Retail Analytics, and Xavier Facon to Global Head of Retail Media. More
In the US, real-time television ad measurement company iSpot.tv has acquired TV viewing solutions and analytics company Tunity, which measures viewing behavior in bars, restaurants, gyms, transportation hubs and other public spaces. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
British-based consultancy Next Fifteen Communications (Next 15) has agreed to acquire media and marketing services company Engine UK for £77.5m. More
Brighton, UK-based social media listening and content marketing analytics firm Brandwatch has acquired US and Poland-based influencer marketing platform Paladin, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the UK, Interpublic-owned marketing and advertising group McCann has promoted former Kantar exec Gideon Wilkins to the role of Group Head of Research. 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
Comscore CEO Bill Livek has announced plans to retire and move to the position of Non-Executive Vice Chairman after a successor has been found. As the news broke, the firm reported positive net income of $29m for the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to a net loss of $13.2m a year earlier. More
In the US, online visibility management platform Semrush has announced plans to acquire competitive intelligence automation specialist Kompyte. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Online sample marketplace PureSpectrum has appointed long-time Ipsos exec Elena Speer to lead its sales team in the Northern European region. She is based in London. More
Long-time Kantar exec Richard McLeod is re-joining the business as Head of Media, leading its work for brands and agencies looking at how consumers engage with media and advertising. More
In the US, video feedback platform Discuss has added a solution called Self Captures to its platform, to enable companies to gather in-depth, short form experiences from target audiences, whenever convenient for them to take a video or photo related to a task or video survey. More
Nielsen has reported results for the 4th quarter and full year 2021, with annual reported revenue up 4.1% to $3.5bn (up 4.9% like-for-like), and full year adjusted EBITDA up 5.4% (constant currency) to $1.49bn. More
US broadcasting group NBCUniversal has announced a partnership with in-game ad platform Anzu.io, in which it has also made a 'small' investment. More
Nielsen has announced an expanded relationship with consumer data giant Experian, aimed at advancing person-based, cross-device measurement. Experian's marketing data will enhance the Nielsen Identity System by providing persistent IDs for analysis of behaviour on the 'open web'. More
In the US, mobile app TextNow has appointed former Walmart exec Ed Woo as Vice President, Data and Analytics, overseeing the analytics function, which includes business analytics, data science, data engineering and data strategy. More
Shareholders of customer experience (CX) specialist Zendesk have this evening rejected the proposed acquisition of Momentive, parent of SurveyMonkey. Despite Momentive shareholders giving majority support, the acquisition agreement will now be ditched. More
Comscore is partnering with digital media measurement, data and analytics provider DoubleVerify (DV) to develop a cross-platform media quality verification and audience measurement solution. More
Cross-screen television insights and analytics provider Samba TV has launched an advertising currency called 'incremental cost per thousand impressions' (iCPM), to help marketers only pay for ad impressions served within households previously unexposed to their linear TV campaigns. More
Experience relationship management (ERM) specialist AnyRoad has raised $47m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use for product development, integrations and go-to-market strategy, and to hire talent in areas including data science, engineering and machine learning. 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
In New York, Interpublic-owned marcoms agency network Weber Shandwick has appointed Ridhi Malhotra as Global Head of Analytics and Intelligence. More
In Australia, media research specialist Xtra Insights has named Colleen Rolleston Coordinator of its Regional Radio Audience Measurement Survey (RRAMS), in charge of its radio audience measurement team. 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 the US, television conglomerate Discovery and Omnicom Media Group have commenced a trial exercise with Comscore and VideoAmp, aiming to offer new currencies to advertisers in the 2022-23 Upfront season. 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
UK-based agency group UNLIMITED has launched an insights platform called LUCA, which it says automates the gathering and analysis of digital data sources to deliver human understanding for brands. More
Nielsen is expanding the coverage offered by its Nielsen Media Impact (NMI) media planning and optimization solution, to include streaming data from connected television sets (CTV). More
San Francisco-based enterprise data connectivity and analytics platform LiveRamp has partnered with marketing software giant Adobe, to enable omnichannel, cookieless people-based targeting and measurement. More
Packaged food manufacturing giant Kraft Heinz has announced a far-reaching partnership with Google, with the aim of improving its understanding of consumers, and tailoring products and experience to them. More
Marcoms group Havas has acquired UK-based digital experience agency Inviqa in what it describes as a 'substantial' eight-figure deal. More
Marcoms giant WPP has acquired North America-based influencer marketing agency Village Marketing, for an undisclosed sum. The company will now join the Wunderman Thompson network. More
On-demand insights firm UserTesting has added 'social media commerce' templates to its platform, allowing companies which are building products to obtain opt-in feedback from shoppers on platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and WhatsApp. More
Publishing and data group IDG Communications has rebranded as Foundry, reflecting its 'transformation from legacy media network to integrated marketing technology and data provider'. More
Music streaming service Spotify has acquired two podcast data firms: advertising measurement service Podsights and analytics platform Chartable. Terms of the deals have not been disclosed. More
Ad targeting and retargeting specialist Criteo has appointed former Xaxis Global CEO Brian Gleason as Chief Revenue Officer, leading a global team of more than 1,500 associates. He takes up the post on April 1st. More
US-based B2B insights solutions provider OvationMR has appointed Joseph Jordan as Senior Vice President of CX and Innovation. More
Kantar has announced senior appointments to strengthen its team in Australia. Straford Rodrigues returns from NA as Head of Media and Marketing Effectiveness; Lee Catlin joins as Senior Director, CX; and Head of Creative Irene Joshy has moved back to Melbourne from Singapore. More
In the US, marketing intelligence provider Clearbit has launched a data activation platform which combines its B2B data with real-time intelligence for audience targeting and funnel optimization. More
Audio intelligence platform Sounder has announced Series A funding of $7.7m, after more than doubling revenue in 2021. The company will expand its R&D team, and says it plans to build 'a complete ad system that supports publishers and advertisers of all sizes'. More
In the US, AI-powered, in-location experience management (XM) platform Raydiant has raised $30m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to further develop its products through acquisitions and hire new team members. More
Mobile data and analytics company App Annie has changed its name to data.ai, claiming that it is now the first company to combine consumer and market data to fuel digital insights, powered by artificial intelligence. More
Data-driven customer experience management (CXM) specialist Merkle Americas has named Pete Stein President, following Michael Komasinski's promotion to the position of Global Chief Executive Officer. More
WPP's media investment company GroupM has rolled out its AI-powered influencer and content marketing platform INCA in Australia. More
The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has launched two podcast series: CultureConnect led by the ARF Cultural Effectiveness Council, and FutureHealth which is an ARF Pharma Council initiative. More
Tel Aviv, Israel-based AI-driven data analytics platform Blyp has raised $4m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to scale its US operations and add new functionality to its platform. More
Los Angeles-based entertainment research and content testing platform MarketCast has appointed Jenna Lauer as Head of Research and Insights, while promoting Zoë Friend to the role of Head of New Content Insights Group. More
Kantar is doubling the frequency of its Republic of Ireland TGI survey data release, which will now be issued twice a year. More
Information services group Informa has sold its Pharma Intelligence business to private equity firm Warburg Pincus for £1.9bn. Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Investment Company joined Warburg Pincus in the deal, which sees Informa retain a 15% stake in the business. More
Branch, which offers solutions that unify user experience (UX) and measurement across devices and channels, has raised $300m in a new round of funding, which values the business at $4bn. More
London-based child and family research specialist The Pineapple Lounge (TPL) has appointed former Truth Consulting exec Tim Spencer as Senior Strategy Director. More
Manchester-based kids, parents, and family researcher The Insights Family has hired Will Pearce for its newly created role of Managing Director, while appointing an additional ten new employees across all departments. More
Omnicom-owned data-driven marketing agency network Hearts & Science has promoted UK MD Garrett O'Reilly to the role of UK Chief Executive Officer. More
In the US, digital advertising technical standard-setting body the IAB Tech Lab has launched a Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) Working Group, in response to the industry's need to develop alternatives to third-party cookies and other identifiers. More
In Australia, WPP-owned global data and measurement-driven media agency Essence has appointed Simon Pugh as Managing Director for Brisbane. More
In the US, product development and optimization insights specialist Birdie has raised $7m in an additional round of seed funding, which it will use to expand its team, increase its coverage to fifteen countries, and deliver new NPD capabilities based on spontaneous user opinions. More
In Poland, martech platform SALESmanago has relaunched its no-code, AI driven customer data platform (CDP) with a set of features to help businesses collect, manage and utilize zero-party data - that which has been 'willingly and intentionally' shared by consumers. More
Tech publisher and marketing services firm IDG Communications has acquired marketing platform Selling Simplified, which provides lead generation products, data services, and analytics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In Brazil, Kantar has launched its new Video Streaming Report service, through which subscribers can access daily viewing data across all broadcast TV and video on demand (VOD) platforms including Globoplay, Netflix and YouTube. More
Long-time ad agency exec Tom Ward has joined Australian cultural insights and strategy company The Lab as Executive Director. More
In the US, zero-party data platform Jebbit has raised $70m in funding, which it will use to scale the company across all departments. More
Strategic insight consultancy Firefish has hired Elisa Dominguez as Vice President of Qualitative & Multicultural Insights, based in Los Angeles, CA. More
London-based mobile advertising platform Ogury has appointed former Criteo exec Geoffroy Martin as Chief Operating Officer, to lead the company's international expansion and oversee revenue, operations, product, technology and marketing. He is based in Paris. More
Nielsen has launched a Diverse Media Equity program, to help develop a consistent framework and metrics which will demonstrate the value of diverse-owned media. More
Connected TV (CTV) advertising delivery and measurement platform Innovid has agreed to acquire measurement and attribution specialist TVSquared for $100m in cash and approximately $60m in stock. 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
Next15's data and insights group Savanta has acquired French-based qual and user experience specialist MindSpark Research International, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, social media video intelligence and measurement specialist Tubular Labs has launched a tool to link social media video viewing to eCommerce. More
In London, marketing intelligence and programmatic media specialist MiQ has promoted Pierre de Lannoy to the role of Strategy Director, responsible for driving its UK product development and commercial solutions across performance, identity and advanced TV. More
Less than a year after its formation from software firms Confirmit and FocusVision, research tech pioneer Forsta has been acquired by healthcare experience specialist Press Ganey, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, market research and analytics company GutCheck has launched an online qualitative co-creation solution called Agile Creative Think Tank (ACTT), to integrate the voice of customer (VOC) into exploration, innovation and creative development projects. More
In New York, marketing technology company Bluecore has partnered with ad targeting and retargeting specialist Criteo to help brands use their owned first-party data to predict what new and existing shoppers will buy next on major ad channels. More
In the US, financial services, fintech and tech specialist Logica Research has promoted Carole Herpin as Vice President, Client Success, while Kerol Guaqueta has joined as Market Research Manager and Denise Squicciarini as Research Director. More
In Israel, app monetization software developer ironSource has launched a tool called App Analytics, to provide developers of apps and games with insights on user engagement and live operations. 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
In the US, online video platform Brightcove has acquired audience insights company Wicket Labs, which provides users with content and subscriber analytics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Online panel provider Intra Research has launched four new panels, covering Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. 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
AI-powered customer data and marketing platform Contlo has raised $800k in a pre-seed round of funding, which it will use to expand its team and product, and drive its go-to-market strategy. More
US agency Horizon Media has appointed trend analyst Maxine Gurevich as SVP of Cultural Intelligence in its WHY Group, which analyzes culture, people and brands. 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
London-based GWI, whose software platform provides data about consumers' demographics, preferences and behavioural attitudes across 48 countries, has raised more than $180m in Series B funding, valuing the company at over $850 million. More
STG's newly formed media monitoring and measurement business Onclusive has appointed Manuel Moerbach as Chief Executive Officer. More
Personal data management specialist Swash has hired Arbitron Mobile founder Hannu Verkasalo and research analyst Seth Ulinski to build the business and connect it with their networks of market research contacts. The firm has also raised $19m in an oversubscribed round of funding. More
Media and marketing analytics firm Ebiquity has acquired Canada-based media auditing company Forde and Semple MediaWorks, for an undisclosed sum. More
Data and marketing services company Acxiom has announced that it is extending the same privacy rights provided to California residents under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) to all US residents. More
US broadcasting company SiriusXM has announced that its SXM Media arm has launched a listener identity solution called AudioID, offering marketers a way to reach, target and connect with consumers at scale. More
Consumer intent analysis platform System1 has become a publicly listed company through a merger with 'blank check company' Trebia Acquisition Corp, set up by D&B investor Cannae Holdings. The deal values System1 at $1.4 billion. More
In the UK, newly appointed Information Commissioner John Edwards has launched a 'major listening exercise', inviting businesses, organisations and individuals to provide details about their experiences of working with regulatory body the ICO. More
Consumer insights platform DISQO has hired former Red Bull Global Head of Intellectual Property David Squellati as General Counsel, leading the firm's legal department. More
Advertising intelligence specialist Integral Ad Science (IAS) has launched what it claims is the first live media quality measurement for CTV. More
Ad targeting technology firm Simpli.fi has acquired CoreMedia Systems, which provides direct response and brand response analytics, attribution and media management software to advertising agencies and marketers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In Canada, eCommerce analytics specialist Trellis has raised $1.5m in a seed funding round, which it will use to continue development of new eCommerce platform integrations. More
Los Angeles-based entertainment research and content testing platform MarketCast has acquired audience research firm Invoke for an undisclosed sum. More
Data collection company Norstat has acquired Nordic online data supplier Userneeds, for an undisclosed sum. The deal adds approximately 130,000 panelists to Norstat's existing consumer panels across the region. More
Kantar has made its Link AI ad testing solution available on the Kantar Marketplace on-demand research platform. 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 New York, former Salesforce exec John Roa has launched a zero-party data platform called Caden, with a $3.4m round of pre-seed funding. More
Insights and CX firm Alida has added new features to its Total Experience Management (TXM) Platform, including the ability to ingest indirect customer feedback by monitoring social media reviews. More
UK-based group Cello Health has sold its Digital Technology Advisory Group Ltd (DTAG), which includes 2CV, The Value Engineers (TVE) & Signal Agency, to private equity firm Vespa Capital. More
In the US Congress, three Democrats have launched a privacy bill imposing a blanket ban on 'surveillance advertising', including the most common current forms of ad targeting. More
Online sampling technology firm InnovateMR has received an undisclosed amount of funding from private equity firm CIVC Partners and a 'significant investment' from Innovate founders Matt Dusig, Gregg Lavin, George Llorens and former President Michael Anderson, as well as from current shareholders. More
Influencer marketing platform Open Influence has launched a social media intelligence platform called Go Prism, whose cross-channel data sets and analytics provide users with influencer marketing trends and social media insights. More
Creative media agency Empower has appointed Brett Mowry as Senior Vice President of Intelligence, leading the firm's Research, Advanced Analytics, Digital Media Analytics, and Data Solutions divisions. More
Marcoms agency network Wunderman Thompson has promoted Tony Weber to the newly created role of Chief Data Officer, North America. More
In the US, market intelligence solution provider TapResearch has launched a tool called Player Insights, to provide mobile game developers with access to player feedback in real time. More
In the US, digital media measurement and analytics firm DoubleVerify (DV) has announced that Chief Operating Officer Matt McLaughlin plans to step down in the summer, after more than a decade in the role, to 'start a new phase in life'. More
UK branding specialist Yonder Consulting has appointed Kate Langford as Recruitment Manager, responsible for acquisition of talent across the whole business. More
London-based customer advocacy platform Mention Me has raised $25m in a Series B round of funding, for use in international expansion - specifically to the US; for product development; and to make senior hires. More
US-based customer and employee experience management specialist Medallia is to acquire the UK's Thunderhead, which develops enterprise technology for real-time customer journey 'orchestration' and analytics. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
GfK and cross-device targeting specialist Dstillery have expanded their partnership with the development of 32 new audience segments, through which digital marketers can target CPG shoppers. More
In Germany, online sample marketplace PureSpectrum has appointed former Bilendi exec Sebastian Wezel as Sales Director, Central Europe. 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-based brand analytics platform Upwave has launched a feature called Customer Forecast, to understand which paid brand media tactics are likely to drive future customer growth and identify long-term media efficiencies. More
Tel Aviv, Israel-based Personetics, which offer personalization and customer engagement solutions for the financial sector, has raised $85m in growth funding from software investment firm Thoma Bravo. The money will be used to expand and develop its range of tools. More
In the US, digital customer experience company Acquia has added a 'market basket analytics' solution to its Customer Data Platform (CDP), to help retailers pair products and price packages, and gain a deeper understanding of their own customers' buying preferences. More
NOBL Media, which provides a 'credibility targeting solution' for programmatic advertising, has integrated with marketing and advertising business intelligence software developer Basis Technologies, to help brands avoid placing their ads alongside inappropriate content. More
London-based community panels and digital research specialist Verve has announced growth of 28% for the financial year ending 31st December 2021, taking turnover to £10.4m, following 23% growth in the prior year. The firm has also promoted eleven members of its team. More
In London, full-service digital creative agency AnalogFolk Group (AFG) has launched a business called MindWorks Consulting, which will apply behavioural economics to identify and influence changing customer behaviour. More
In the US, in-app user engagement and personalization platform Appcues has raised $32.1m in an oversubscribed Series B round of funding, which it will use for product innovation and to scale its operations globally. More
Wearable tech is everywhere, and offers great potential for collecting data, but how useful is it right now for answering specific research questions? Kathryn Ambroze, Manager of Behavioral and Marketing Sciences at HCD Research continues our month-long focus on 'Measuring Brains & Bodies'. More
US-based behavioral insights consultancy Behaviorally has launched a division called eFluence, to help brands drive sales at the digital shelf level, and influence the omnichannel shopper journey. Former Chief Commercial Officer Scott Brill will lead the new division as MD. More
Tesco-owned retail data science business dunnhumby has launched a platform called Sphere, for use in audience targeting, media booking, forecasting and measurement across a range of retail media channels. More
Sir Martin Sorrell has teamed up with Stanhope Capital Group founder Daniel Pinto to launch a venture capital fund called S4S Ventures, which will raise £110m from investors to fund early-stage 'Martech, Adtech, data tech, creative tech and emerging digital media / content firms'. More
London-based mobile research and sample specialist On Device Research has hired Jonathan Clark for a newly created role, Chief Growth Officer. Clark is tasked with increasing membership of the firm's proprietary consumer panel, Curious Cat App. More
In the US, consumer data privacy start-up Cloaked has raised $4m in a seed round of funding, for use in continuing to build out its product and scale its team. More
Florida-based data collection firm Global Survey has acquired a minority stake in Canadian artificial intelligence-based DIY MR platform Emozo Labs, for an undisclosed sum. More
Harris Poll owner Stagwell Group has invested an undisclosed amount in venture capital company Hannah Grey VC, which itself invests in digital marketing services, including data and software products, digital media and digital transformation. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's digital advertising group S4 Capital has completed the acquisition of Santa Cruz, CA-based developer and data analytics firm 4 Mile Analytics, for an undisclosed sum. More
Funds advised by Mayfair Equity Partners have invested $120m to acquire a majority stake in mobile ad platform LoopMe, which will be used to help the company expand internationally and bring new products to market. More
Canadian conversation intelligence platform Unbounce has acquired US marketing analytics platform LeadsRx for an undisclosed sum. More
Kantar Public has hired long-time YouGov exec Tom Burgess for the newly created role of Global Panels Director, supporting its probability-based citizen panel, PUBLIC Voice. More
In the US, digital agency Dept has acquired data science and software engineering consulting firm Raybeam, which develops custom data-driven apps and tools. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Ad targeting and retargeting specialist Criteo has appointed Ryan Cook as Managing Director, UK. He is based in London. More
Origin, a joint industry initiative led by UK advertiser trade body ISBA, has completed the first stage of its cross-media measurement proof of concept (POC) evaluation. More
In the first feature from our forthcoming special issue on neuroscience techniques, Michelle Niedziela and Glenn Kessler from title sponsor HCD Research give an introduction to the progress and potential of the field, and cut through some of the hype and misconceptions surrounding it. More
US television conglomerate Discovery has acquired a minority stake in cross-platform audience-targeting specialist OpenAP, which recently launched a TV measurement framework called XPm. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
UK-based research and data business Delineate has hired Debbie Stephens for the newly created position of Product Research Director, overseeing the execution and launch of the firm's research products roadmap. More
Digital media measurement firm Integral Ad Science (IAS) has appointed former Yahoo! exec Csaba Szabo as Managing Director, EMEA, based in London. More
In Oslo, Norway, the country's MOC audience measurement body has extended Nielsen's contract for radio measurement, which was due to expire in twelve months' time. More
Streaming media measurement and engagement platform Conviva has teamed up with information services group Experian to provide segmentation data for streaming video publishers and their ecosystem partners. More
Marcoms group Dentsu International has appointed Keith Camoosa as 'Chief Addressability Officer', tasked with bringing together and developing its addressable media practice. More
Media and entertainment company WarnerMedia has selected Comscore, iSpot and VideoAmp as measurement partners, tasked with building a new suite of technologies to count viewers across linear, digital and connected television. More
Shopper intelligence specialist Catalina has partnered with location intelligence firm PlaceIQ to offer location-driven planning, measurement and attribution services to CPG retailers. More
Competitor analysis and market insights specialist Klue has raised $62m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to accelerate product and machine learning development, and to expand into new verticals and markets. More
Comscore has launched a single-source cross-platform measurement solution - 'Comscore Everywhere' - promising a deduplicated view of media consumption and audience intelligence across media and screens. More
In the US, eCommerce analytics company Zeenk has launched a tool called Time Query Language (TQL), which in combination with its existing Causmos open-source library aims to provide marketers with predictive and incremental value analytics for their Shopify and Amazon programs. More
Media conglomerate ZEE Entertainment has appointed long-time Diageo CMO Amrit Thomas as Chief Data Officer, based out of its Technology & Innovation Centre in Bengaluru. He replaces Ujjyaini Mitra, who since leaving in September has founded data solutions company theDeltacube.ai. More
Advertising intelligence company Integral Ad Science (IAS) has acquired Paris-based content classification company Context. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Nielsen Sports has expanded its Nielsen Impact Score (NIS) database, originally launched for men's college basketball, with the addition of data from more than 100 college football programs. More
Nielsen has launched a solution called Streaming Signals, to help connected TV (CTV) operators and advertisers better understand who is watching a show within households. More
Harris Poll owner Stagwell Group has acquired UK-based media agency Goodstuff Communications, which as well as providing media planning and buying services offers analytics, audience research and insight, and digital audits. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Cross-screen television insights and analytics provider Samba TV has appointed long-time Amazon exec Robert Coon as Chief Revenue Officer. More
India-based emotion AI specialist Entropik Tech has launched a multi-platform eye tracking platform, which works on both web and mobile devices. More
In Canada, tech company ATW has announced it has signed a letter of intent to acquire an unnamed customer experience management (CXM) business for c.$8m. For 'commercial and confidentiality reasons' ATW will not identify the target company until an agreement has been reached. More
US-based mobile segmentation and analytics specialist Swrve has partnered with Shanghai and Beijing-based mobile game publisher MyGamez to enter the China market. More
In the US, market and competitive intelligence provider Crayon has appointed former Meltwater exec Erica Jenkins as Chief Product Officer, to lead the company's Product team and use her experience to further develop its platform. More
In New York, audience data solutions provider ArcSpan Technologies has raised $6m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to further develop its tech platform and AI-based data solutions, and to recruit new team members. More
Nielsen has launched a deduplicate ad measurement platform called Nielsen ONE Alpha, as the first stage in its initiative to develop a single cross-platform measurement solution called Nielsen ONE, which will launch this time next year. More
Advertising and media computer vision specialist GumGum has acquired Sydney, Australia-based ad attention measurement platform Playground xyz for an undisclosed sum. More
AT&T has agreed to sell its advertising and analytics division Xandr to Microsoft. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
US-based consumer insight specialist Numerator has acquired Canada-based mobile qual survey platform HatchTank. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
IPG-owned marketing intelligence company Kinesso has officially launched 'Kanvas', a developer community through which end-users can address various ad and marketing technology challenges including defining audiences, creating insights, and running and optimizing campaigns. More
In the UK, full service social research and behavioural insights specialist M.E.L Research has appointed Kate Owen as Research Director and Claire Bennett as Associate Director in its Qualitative team. More
Technology publisher and B2B intelligence and targeting firm IDG Communications has announced the acquisition of Canada-based B2B sales and marketing intelligence platform LeadSift. More
Location-based marketing specialist Cloud4Wi has acquired France-based location technology and data provider GeoUniq. More
Klover, a financial services platform whose users share data voluntarily in exchange for financial services and products, has appointed former Google, Facebook and Pinterest executive Meredith Guerriero as COO. More
Programmatic sampling and research tech firm Lucid, headquartered in the US, has announced a multi-year agreement with UK-based consumer research platform Attest. More
Comscore has acquired social media marketing analytics and measurement company Shareablee, for an undisclosed sum. More
Boston-based influencer marketing platform Mavrck has raised $120m, which it will use to accelerate product expansion. More
In New York, location intelligence platform CARTO has raised $61m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to expand into verticals such as consumer packaged goods, retail, logistics and telecoms. More
US television measurement and analytics company 605 has appointed former Adscribe exec Tom Keaveney as company President, with direct oversight of its Sales, Marketing and Strategy divisions. More
New York-based consumer insights platform Suzy has acquired beauty sector-focused research platform Poshly.com (also known as Lucky Analytics). Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, accreditation body the Media Rating Council (MRC) says it has commenced a new audit of Nielsen's Digital Ad Ratings (DAR) service, including for the first time the firm's measurement of mobile devices and connected TV (CTV). More
Cross-screen advertising data platform Advocado, which recently acquired Kantar BVS, has announced $10m in new capital, including $7.5m from institutional investment firm Crescent Cove Advisors. It has also appointed Michael Beer as a Board Director. More
US television measurement and analytics company 605 has launched a media trading currency it calls 605 EXCHAN6E, which it claims offers an alternative to Nielsen and is designed to underpin advertising transactions between buy and sell side partners. More
AI-powered customer lifecycle and user retention platform CleverTap has appointed former Freshworks CRO Sidharth Malik as Global Chief Executive Officer, as it readies for an IPO. More
In the US, consumer insights platform DISQO has appointed long-time Walmart exec Yannis Pavlidis as Vice President of Data Science and Analytics. More
Following its recent $6.4 billion takeover by software investment firm Thoma Bravo, customer experience management specialist Medallia has received an undisclosed amount of minority funding from UAE-based Mubadala Investment Company. More
Samsung Ads, the electronics giant's TV advertising company, has partnered with data management platforms (DMPs) Acxiom, Adobe, Experian, LiveRamp, Merkle and Oracle, to help advertisers plan and activate TV campaigns through the use of first-party data. More
First-party data platform Dynata has acquired AI and machine learning company 0ptimus Analytics, whose platform connects, models and transforms insights into activation in real time. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
YouGov has given Özge Akçizmeci Üstün a newly created role of Strategic Account Lead for the Benelux region, aiming to increase its presence in the area. More
Ad targeting and retargeting specialist Criteo is to acquire programmatic ad tech firm IPONWEB for $380m in a combination of cash and shares. Criteo says the deal allows it to position itself as the 'commerce media partner of choice for the post third-party cookie and identifier world'. More
Experience management firm Qualtrics is to create 400 new jobs with a $15.9 million investment in a new office in Reston, VA, USA. More
Saudi Arabian ad currency body MRC (Media Rating Company) has announced a schedule for the roll-out of its television and video audience measure, in partnership with Nielsen. More
NielsenIQ has acquired Paris-based Foxintelligence (Foxintel), which tracks and measures eCommerce activity based on anonymized transaction data collected from consumers through dedicated apps. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Data-driven CXM and marketing firm Merkle has appointed Floris Oranje as UK Salesforce Practice Lead, and head of parent company dentsu's CXM Service Line in the country. More
Alexandria, VA-based marketing agency Yes& has acquired competitor Beyond Definition, based in Silver Spring, MD, thus 'enhancing the depth and breadth of its capabilities in research, brand strategy, design and digital'. Terms were not disclosed. More
Research and analytics group YouGov has acquired Zurich, Switzerland-based market and social research agency LINK Marketing Services AG. Terms were not disclosed. More
In California, independent creative agency Duncan Channon has formed a Data + Tech practice, to be led by Madelaine Robinson; and is rolling out a proprietary analytics tool called the Table, promising rapid campaign performance insight and help with optimising creative. More
Nielsen's entertainment data provider Gracenote has launched a content analytics tool called Audience Predict, which forecasts the potential of future programming performance. 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
Analytics and digital ID firms Tethr, Passbase and Datasembly have announced VC wins of between $7m and $15m this week; while Twilio will invest $50m in customer engagement start-ups via a new fund of its own. 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
Customer experience (CX) specialist and call center software provider Genesys has raised $580m in a new round of funding, which values the company at $21 billion. More
Greater Washington DC-based Full Circle Research has promoted four members of its team. Dee Boyd becomes Director of Operations, Jenn Philips Vice President of Sales - East, Rob Tryson Vice President of Finance, and Christina Cox Director, HR. More
In New York, media insights firm Telmar has acquired social media audience intelligence platform Helixa, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, streaming TV measurement specialist Conviva has partnered with information services giant Experian to provide streaming publishers and their partners with what the company claims is 'the industry's most advanced audience segmentation data'. More
First-party data platform Dynata has acquired brand and advertising research consultancy Ameritest, for an undisclosed sum. More
US-based insight automation specialist Heap has raised $110m in a Series D round of funding, which values the company at $960m. The investment will be used to scale the firm's global operations, and accelerate R&D for its digital analytics platform. More
Kantar has been awarded a contract by the Azerbaijani television industry, to supply technology for the launch of a new TV audience measurement currency in the country. 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
New York-based YipitData, which describes itself as a 'market research firm for the disruptive economy', has raised $475m in a Series E round of funding, which it will use for product innovation and expansion into new markets. More
In Sweden, customer experience platform Voyado has acquired Apptus, which offers retailers and eCommerce companies a way to personalize their product discovery offer with 'automated relevance' across all channels. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Data-driven customer experience management (CXM) company Merkle has appointed long time PwC Australia exec John Riccio as Chief Executive Officer in the ANZ region, succeeding Erik Hallander who is leaving to 'pursue other opportunities'. More
San Francisco-based digital experience platform (DXP) Uniform has raised $28m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to expand its global team, deepen relationships with tech vendors, expand support for digital agencies, and increase the capabilities of its core platform. 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 Canada, insights and CX firm Alida has appointed Gaurav Bhide as Vice President of Corporate Development, with a remit which includes driving M&A strategy. More
In New York, brand research consultancy Brand Keys is launching what it claims will be the world's largest and most continuous database of predictive brand loyalty metrics. More
Immensitas Private Limited, which owns the Lemnisk customer data platform, has raised $2.3m in a pre-series A1 round of funding, which it will use to strengthen the capabilities of the platform and for market expansion. 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
In Toronto, Harris Poll owner Stagwell Group has brought together two units of its recently merged business MDC Partners to form a new agency, DonerNorth. The two are creative, digital and media experts UNION and shopper innovation and insights firm 6 Degrees. More
Dentsu International has launched its data-driven customer experience management (CXM) company Merkle in Taiwan. Current iProspect Taiwan CEO Carrie Tsai will now serve as Chief Exec of both businesses. More
In New York, research-on-research body the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) has announced that it is developing a guide to Converged TV Measurement Providers across the US. More
Former hotel sector marketer Daniel Diosi has launched an MR software firm called Market Sampler, offering a self-service tool which uses an AI-based programmatic survey delivery method to reach a potential global audience of more than 1.9 billion via over four million public web sites and mobile apps. More
Spanish language media company Univision and IPG-owned agency Mediahub have announced they will be using third-party performance data as a 'currency' for ad buys. More
In the UK, former Kantar / Hall & Partners exec Jane Bloomfield has joined WPP-owned brand transformation specialist Landor & Fitch as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). More
In the US, influencer marketing and social media listening platform Tagger has raised an additional $15m in a Series A round of funding, for use in product development and global expansion initiatives. More
US cross-screen advertising data platform Advocado has acquired Kantar's ad verification solution BVS. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Tesco has launched a closed loop platform, powered by its data science firm dunnhumby, to help suppliers and agencies engage with customers, and provide those customers with a more personalised and relevant shopping experience. More
In the US, B2B data, analytics and performance marketing solutions provider MeritB2B has acquired data-driven marketing technology company True Influence for an undisclosed sum. More
Los Angeles-based consumer insights and analytics business MarketCast has hired former NBCUniversal exec Carmen Palmer for its newly created role of Chief Product Officer. More
Media and marketing agency Talent Corp has partnered with research agency Lewers and survey firm Pureprofile to launch a new survey called The Australian Talent Index, which measures the popularity of the country's celebrities. More
Comscore has promoted Brian Pugh to the role of Chief Information Officer, responsible for developing new tech tools, for ensuring that data is secure, and for MRC and ISO accreditation of the firm's services. More
Customer data and CX platform SALESmanago has been acquired by private equity and growth capital investor Perwyn and SilverTree Equity. The buy is described as a 'nine-digit euro deal', but otherwise terms have not been disclosed. More
In the US, the ARF and the NYU School of Professional Studies have launched a new program, the 'ARF Certificate in Marketing Optimization and Insights', teaching methods of diagnosing marketing problems and evaluating the effectiveness of campaigns. More
Tech intelligence and events firm IDC has partnered with the Global Technology Distribution Council (GTDC) to launch the North American Distributor Tracker, providing a view of technology distribution data and market trends in the US and Canada. More
The Stagwell Group, owner of the Harris and Harris Poll brands, has opened a regional headquarters in Singapore, where it has appointed Randy Duax as Managing Director, Asia Pacific. More
In the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) says it plans to impose a potential fine of just over £17m on facial recognition start-up Clearview AI, and has also issued a notice to stop the company further processing UK citizens' personal data. More
In the US, Internet of Things (IoT) data provider Samsara has filed a registration for an initial public offering (IPO) with the SEC, aiming to raise $100 million for future expansion initiatives. More
Nielsen is suing panel-based TV audience measurement firms HyphaMetrics and TVision, claiming separate patent infringements. More
Consumer and brand researcher 4Sight has partnered with CHN Analytics, which provides predictive analytics for the US Department of Defense, to offer services for commercial clients identifying potential risks in product ingredients and opportunities from new technology. More
WPP agency MediaCom is launching a capability called Creative Analytics, to provide insight into future creative performance across programmatic display, search, social media and video. More
B2B intent data aggregator Bombora is rolling out an analytics and data visualization suite, Company Surge Insights for Publishers, for use by non-specialists. The company has also signed a five-year lease on new offices in New York City. More
Experience management company Merkle has added four senior staff to the creative leadership team of its global B2B marketing organisation: former McCann ops director Jonathan Turner; Rob Crilley, formerly at The&Partnership; dentsu's Laura Jennings; and former Momentum leader Gary O'Donnell. More
In Australia and New Zealand, Nielsen has launched a client engagement platform called STADIUM, offering a solution for media evaluation, advertising intelligence and consumer behavioural data all in one place. More
UK audience currency body BARB has announced it will add viewing figures for SVoD (Streaming Video On Demand) and video-sharing platforms into its daily reporting, with the upgrade completed next Monday. More
Momentive investor Legion Partners Asset Management says it will fight the SurveyMonkey owner's planned sale to online customer service and CX firm Zendesk. Legion says the price tag - originally c.$4bn but after share price falls now equivalent to around $3.4bn - undervalues the business. More
Marcoms giant WPP has opened a campus in the Czech capital Prague, where twelve of the group's agencies and 1,000 marketing, advertising, media, PR, data and research professional are now housed. 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
UK broadcaster ITV has launched an initiative called ITV AdLabs, through which it plans to develop offers including contextual targeting of ads based on factors such as moods and mealtimes. More
Data and analytics company Fifty-five has expanded to Singapore, where it has appointed long-time WPP exec Ben Poole as Head of Office. More
In Canada, data science platform OutPoint, which helps marketers allocate media budgets through automated media mix modeling (MMM), has raised $1.2m in a pre-seed round of funding. The money will use to expand its team, especially across the Research and Engineering functions. More
Comscore is rolling out its cookie-free audience targeting solution Predictive Audiences in 'the UK and EMEA', through a deal with Xandr, the advertising analytics division of AT&T. More
Ipsos has launched an early stage creative development solution called Instant|Labs, providing clients with an understanding of the potential of creative and ideas within just one day. More
New Delhi, India-based online quant research and respondent engagement specialist Internet Research Bureau (IRB) has appointed long-time Nielsen exec Sarah Hillis as Sales Director, based in its London office. More
Comscore has appointed former United International Pictures VP Han Seng Lim to lead its Client Services team in Southeast Asia. More
In the UK, marketing automation platform Spotler has acquired Pure360, whose products include tools for web site personalisation and behavioural targeting. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Influencer marketing platform Mavrck has added three to its executive leadership team, including former Adobe exec Natasha Mooney Walton as Vice President of Product. More
Paris-based MR and research tech firm Bilendi is to acquire German sample and panel provider respondi Group for an undisclosed sum. More
Nielsen has enhanced its Individual Commercial Metrics service with the addition of television viewing audience estimates based on individual ads rather than commercial minutes. The change is intended to aid comparison of digital and linear TV commercials. More
In Canada, mobile experience platform Judo has raised $3m in a seed funding round; and has brought in M:Metrics co-founder Seamus McAteer as Chief Operating Officer. More
London firm Redblue has appointed Tim Coughlan as Associate Director, while Lydia McDonald joins as Senior Research Executive. More
In Berlin, performance-based marketing platform Swaarm has added three new features to its platform, allowing advertisers to set offers dynamically, receive attribution insights, and proactively mitigate fraudulent clicks. More
US-based Behaviorally has appointed Peter Divers as Vice President of its Qualitative team in London, supporting clients across the UK and in Europe. More
San Diego, CA-based global performance marketing agency NP Digital has appointed Luisa Bernardes as Chief Media & Data Officer in the Brazilian region, based in São Paulo. She previously held the same role at dentsu. More
Customer experience consultancy Envoy has appointed Jeff Brecker as Managing Director of its Chicago office. More
Los Angeles-based entertainment MR firm Screen Engine/ASI (SE/ASI) has acquired London-based custom MR agency Tapestry Research. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
US-based cross-screen audience insights and analytics provider Samba TV has filed for an IPO. The number of shares to be offered and the price range have not yet been determined. More
AI tech provider Media Distillery and Nielsen's music, video and sports tech company Gracenote have combined their technologies and data sets to create a solution helping pay-TV operators to improve their Electronic Programme Guides (EPGs) for viewers. More
Kantar has appointed Duncan Houldsworth to lead its Brand & Marketing ROI Analytics practice in North America. More
Connected TV ad delivery and measurement platform Innovid has expanded to China, where it has appointed former Google/Publicis exec David Chen as Executive Director. More
In Canada, marketing services and data firm Environics Analytics (EA) has launched the EA FuturesLab, with a team of more than 30 programmers and data scientists who will help advertisers, agencies and platforms craft and target messages. 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
Marcoms agency Allison+Partners has launched a service called Connected Thought Leadership (CTL), which uses research, 'narrative discovery' and messaging sessions, and communications to help CEOs and other leaders 'stand out in competitive environments'. More
AI-based analytics company ThoughtSpot has raised $100m in a Series F round of funding, which more than doubles its previous valuation to around $4.2 billion. More
Product analytics firm Mixpanel has raised $200m in a Series C round of funding, valuing the company at $1.05 billion. The firm will use the investment to accelerate product development and scale its team in North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific over the next 12 to 18 months. More
Comscore has expanded its Consumer Intelligence solution to cover all 210 US local markets, providing local TV stations, digital publishers and media buyers with insight to connect consumer behavior with local television and digital consumption down to the ZIP code level. More
Global data and measurement-driven media agency Essence has promoted Anna Berry to the role of UK Managing Director, replacing Ali Reed who has been appointed CEO of Omnicom-owned media and marcoms firm PHD. More
Nielsen's digital product content creation and publishing solution Brandbank has launched new capabilities to understand how complete clients' product content is, and how to optimise it to improve the shopper experience. 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
Dutch marcoms agency group Candid has agreed to acquire UK firm Brand Potential, for an undisclosed sum. More
Digital transformation consultancy Kin + Carta has sold its Edit customer data business to data driven marketing services provider The Salocin Group for £13.35m in cash. Salocin says it plans further acquisitions as it builds a data powered marketing services group. More
Southeast Asian consumer research and analytics firm Milieu Insight has raised $5m in funding, for use in development of new products and geographical expansion. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's S4Capital has boosted its presence in Italy with the acquisition of creative content marketing agency Miyagi. Separately, the firm has a new CFO, Mary Basterfield. More
In the US, marcoms agency Hahn Public has acquired data science and analytics firm Statistical Vision, for an undisclosed sum. The latter company has now been renamed Hahn Stats. More
Japanese holding company Dentsu Group has announced that Toshihiro Yamamoto will retire from his role as President and CEO, to be succeeded by Hiroshi Igarashi from next January. Management of dentsu international (DI) will remain under the leadership of Wendy Clark. More
In Turkey, local industry committee TIAK has awarded Kantar a new contract to provide TV audience measurement in the country until at least 2027. More
Data intelligence company Collibra has raised $250m in a Series G round of funding, which values the company at $5.25 billion, more than double the $2.35 billion announced just eighteen months ago. More
Australian media company Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has made a minority investment in US company Frequency, which uses data signals to create multiple personalised versions of audio ads in real time. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
UK-based advanced analytics firm Marketscience has launched a marketing mix modelling approach called BaseDynamics, to quantify the short and long-term market effects of campaigns and strategies. More
In New York, customer data and marketing platform Ometria has raised $40m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to triple the size of its Product and Engineering team. More
Digital market intelligence company Similarweb, headquartered in Israel, has acquired San Francisco-based mobile measurement specialist Embee Mobile for an undisclosed sum. 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
Data and research services company Schlesinger Group has acquired Delvinia's automated research platform Methodify, and its online consumer panel AskingCanadians, for an undisclosed sum. The announcement coincides with the launch of 'Methodify Reimagined'. More
Audience relationship platform OpenWeb has raised $150m in a Series E round of funding, giving a company valuation of more than $1 billion. The investment will be used to provide publishers and brands with tools to build first-party data relationships with their audiences. More
In the UK, personalized content and viewer insights provider ThinkAnalytics has hired Samuel Sweet for the newly created role of Chief Executive Officer of EMEA and AP. More
In London, data-driven customer experience management (CXM) company Merkle has promoted Toby Benjamin for the new role of Managing Director of its Media practice. His remit includes driving collaboration between the practice and the firm's CXM experts. More
In New York, research-on-research body the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) has appointed MTM co-founder Jon Watts as Managing Director, succeeding Jane Clarke who is retiring. Watts will take on the role in mid-Q1, 2022. More
WPP's brand and customer experience agency VMLY&R has appointed Symon Hammacott as Chief Experience Officer for Asia, based in Singapore. More
New York-based consumer insights platform Suzy has launched dynamic segmentation capabilities, allowing brands to identify and target their audiences across the full lifecycle. More
Connected TV ad delivery and measurement platform Innovid and digital media measurement and analytics firm DoubleVerify (DV) have expanded their partnership, to offer advertisers an automated way to maximize their video investments across all screens, including CTV. 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
US-based customer and employee experience management firm Medallia has appointed Denise Miura as Vice President leading growth in Japan and elsewhere in Asia Pacific. She is based in Tokyo. More
In Canada, Vertu Capital has acquired a majority stake in content intelligence specialist PathFactory. Previous investors including Edison Partners and Hyde Park Venture Partners will continue to hold a minority stake in the company. More
US-based real-time targeting specialist Fanplayr has appointed David Ticconi as Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand; Jack Hallahan as Vice President of Sales for the USA; and promoted Mariano Tripiciano to MD of the Americas. More
Washington DC-headquartered consumer insights platform Morning Consult has expanded its daily tracking survey on brands, economic conditions and geopolitical risk from fifteen to more than 40 countries. More
Comscore has reported revenue up 5% to $92.5m and adjusted EBITDA of $11.3m, up 55%, for the third quarter of 2021. Net income was $2.0m, compared with a net loss of $11.1m a year earlier. More
Shopper and product experience consultancy PRS IN VIVO has launched of AI Pack Screener 2, an early-stage packaging design screening and optimization tool combining AI and human input from the firm's experts. More
European data collection company Norstat has appointed Graciella Garmann in the new role of Chief Commercial Officer, based in Oslo, Norway. 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
Tech research and consulting firm Forrester has added a new predictive capability to its FeedbackNow solution, which it says enables businesses to 'proactively anticipate customer experience (CX) issues before they occur'. More
Following the recent decision of Facebook / Meta to delete its facial analysis data, a joint probe by the UK Information Commissioner's Office and its Australian counterpart the OAIC has found facial recognition provider Clearview AI in breach of privacy regulations. More
Analytics and data sharing companies continue to attract serious VC funding. This week in the US and Canada, A/B Testing firm MarketDial, data sharing / management firms Reltio and Yellowbrick Data, data exchange Trufan and CDP Treasure Data between them won in excess of $430m. More
Stamford, CT-based tech research and advisory firm Information Services Group has announced revenue of $71m for the third quarter, up 14% (constant currency) on Q3 2020; and adjusted EBITDA of $10.2 million, up 24%. More
US-based firm Engage3, which helps retailers and brands track and optimize their 'Price Image', has promoted Helena Cisneros to the new role of SVP of Data Operations & Mentorship, launched new features and says it expects to double its team over the next eighteen months. More
In the US, Spanish-language media and content company Univision Communications Inc. is to use Comscore's data to provide its exclusive local audience currency for its new stations in the Orlando and Tampa, FL markets as well as in Washington, D.C. More
Business data and analytics veteran Dun & Bradstreet has agreed to acquire data onboarding and audience intelligence provider Eyeota and B2B data firm NetWise - strengthening its fast-growing Audience Solutions business and its capabilities in online B2B marketing. 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
US-based business services and marketing solutions firm R.R. Donnelley & Sons (RRD) has announced it will be acquired by affiliates of global manufacturing and distribution group Atlas Holdings LLC, in an all-cash transaction valued at around $2.1bn. 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
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
US-based CallMiner has announced upgrades to its Conversation Analytics Platform, including automatic capture and analysis of conversations from meeting platforms Microsoft Teams and Zoom. More
New York-based digital media measurement firm Integral Ad Science (IAS) has achieved MRC accreditation for impression and viewability measurement and the reporting of display and video ads across Facebook and Instagram. More
US-based customer and employee experience management firm Medallia has launched a platform combining actionable user feedback metrics with 'complete' behavioural data for real-time optimisation of digital experiences. The firm's $6.4bn acquisition by Thoma Bravo was completed last week. 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 $305m, up 79.9% on the same basis. More
Data onboarding and audience intelligence provider Eyeota has expanded its partnership with Comscore, to provide cookie-free contextual targeting for a broad range of verticals, across the key global markets. More
Converged TV ad measurement and attribution specialist TVSquared has appointed Debbie Wogan as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and Jessica Hindlian as SVP of Identity and Partnerships. More
Nielsen has launched an enhanced version of its Ad Intel Digital product in Singapore, allowing clients to monitor competitors' media expenditure by product across screens and formats including social, video and general display. More
Austin, Texas-based online survey and research services firm QuestionPro has acquired customer brand engagement analyst Bryght AI, and says it will incorporate the technology across all its survey and research platforms. More
In the USA, ad industry association the ANA has announced it will conduct a pilot test with Los Angeles-based VideoAmp, continuing its search for a privacy-compliant Cross-Media Measurement solution. More
Conversation analytics specialist Spiketrap has teamed up with mobile phone chat survey firm Rival Technologies to offer researchers 'deeper quantitative insights from qualitative datasets'. More
Consumer insights platform DISQO has added TikTok ad performance analysis to its offer; and has released findings from an initial survey of users in a report. More
Eyetracking hardware and solutions firm Tobii has announced third quarter organic revenue growth of 26%, the acquisition of Belgian company Acapela Group, and the issue of SEK 250m ($US29.1m) worth of shares to help fund this and the earlier acquisition of Phasya. More
Cross-platform TV ad measurement specialist TVSquared has rolled out its fully automated cookie-less solution Advantage XP in the UK and Germany. More
In a new-style public briefing this week, the MRC discussed its plans for upgrading and overhauling standards, including its move into the area of outcome-based measurement; and specifically highlighted problems developing standardised measurement for podcast audiences. More
Intelligent creative platform VidMob is acquiring ad technology company Chiligum, which automates aspects of creative production to deliver personalised and dynamic advertising at scale. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the UK, Ipsos has appointed former Advertising Association exec Karen Fraser as Senior Director, with responsibility for sustainability, creativity, trust and growth. 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
Nielsen has reported a 5.5% increase in third quarter revenue to $882m (up 6.6% in organic terms). The figure is about 1% ahead of 2019 Q3 revenues for Nielsen Global Media, although comparisons are difficult after the company split and the sale of the Connect / NielsenIQ business. 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
In the US, insight automation specialist Heap has launched a tool called Journey Maps, which it says automatically uncovers unseen user behavior and then suggests actions to improve the digital experience. More
Comscore has rolled out its cookie-free targeting capability 'Predictive Audiences' in Canada, enabling advertisers to reach the country's audiences based on their behavior through privacy-friendly contextual signals. More
Nielsen and mobile audience data and targeting specialist Adsquare have expanded their data partnership to Australia, combining consumer data with location-based targeting capabilities so clients can reach 'hyper-relevant audiences at the right mobile moments'. More
Insight exchange and sample management platform Cint is to acquire rival firm Lucid for approximately $1.1 billion, of which c.$470m will be payable in newly issued Cint shares and c.$580m in cash. The deal should close by the end of the year. More
Canadian polling, MR and strategy provider Leger has acquired digital activation and performance measurement agency Ressac, which specializes in media strategy and branded content activation. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Former Nielsen exec Jon Carpenter will join Comscore at the end of next month in the role of Chief Financial Officer, based in New York. He will replace Greg Fink, who left at the end of August to 'pursue new interests'. More
UK-headquartered behavioural insights agency Canvas8 has appointed brand strategist and semiotics specialist Marian St Laurent as its first US-based Insights Director, as it prepares to double both the size of its North American team and NA revenues next year. More
Dutch marcoms network UmbrellaBrand Group has acquired DIY data collection platform CMNTY Corporation, for an undisclosed sum. UmbrellaBrand's CEO Jorgen Botermans says the deal provides the group with a stepping-stone to the North American market. More
Nielsen Sports has launched a solution to help universities demonstrate the marketing impact a collegiate sports team can deliver to potential 'student-athletes'. More
Swedish eye tracking technology firm Smart Eye has acquired Danish emotional response software measurement developer iMotions for $46.6m. More
Australian insights consultancy Nature has appointed Arletta Turnbull as Director in its Melbourne office, with responsibility for several major accounts and for helping drive the firm's business strategy. The company has also made three other appointments in the city. More
London-based personal data firm CitizenMe has raised $2m (£1.5m) which it will use to expand its position as a supplier of zero-party data, a term coined by Forrester Research to define 'data that a customer intentionally and proactively shares with a brand'. 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
Location data specialist Digital Envoy has acquired the analytics business of London-based Location Sciences. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, streaming TV measurement specialist Conviva has promoted Keith Zubchevich to the role of President and Chief Executive Officer. 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
eCommerce giant Amazon is launching a tool to help sellers derive insights from the search performance of their products. The service will be available in the US early next year. More
In New York, connected TV ad delivery and measurement platform Innovid, and special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) ION have announced an additional $50m private placement of common stock from a group of PIPE investors. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 of 2021. 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
Australia-based digital research platform Pureprofile has announced unaudited revenue of $10.2m for the first quarter of its new financial year, up 61% year on year; and EBITDA of $1.1m, up 29%. More
US-based TV software and data platform VideoAmp has raised $275m in Series F funding, valuing the company at $1.4bn. The firm's software helps clients with cross-platform media measurement and optimization. More
US-based real-time targeting specialist Fanplayr has appointed Jack Hallahan as VP of Sales for the US, and David Ticconi as MD for Australia and New Zealand; and has promoted Mariano Tripiciano to MD of the Americas. More
Mobile-focused UX and 'observability' platform Embrace has raised $45m in funds, and launched a new product, Data Intelligence, which it says 'makes 100% of an organization's mobile user experience data accessible and actionable to its BI and data science teams'. 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
Data collection and research services company Schlesinger Group has announced the acquisition of Australian qual research platform Telmy, for an undisclosed sum. More
In Chicago, a team of agency, tech and consulting execs including Bryan Specht and Tricia Ewald have launched Salient Global, a new agency focused on creating 'data-driven human experiences'. An ambitious growth plan involves acquisitions, and nine Managing Partners are already on board. More
UK marketing budget growth is at its strongest in more than four years, according to the 2021 IPA Bellwether Report. Narrowly positive results for market research spend ended six years of downward movement for the sector. More
GfK has expanded its partnership with social media analytics company BrandTotal beyond the US, to offer clients in Mexico real-time market intelligence for paid social media. More
Real-time omni-channel attribution and measurement solutions company Kochava has appointed Arthur Novarina as Regional Vice President EMEA More
Nielsen's SVP Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer Christopher Taft is leaving the company after two years. CFO Linda Zukauckas will take the Principal Accounting Officer role on an interim basis while a successor is found. More
Research and analytics group YouGov has brought its recent Canadian sports research acquisition Charlton Insights under the main corporate brand. More
US-based real-time TV ad measurement company iSpot.tv has appointed Vijoy Gopalakrishnan as Chief Research Officer, managing the Data Science and Advanced Analytics departments. More
YouGov has reported revenue of £169.0m for the year to July 31st, up 18% in like-for-like terms and 11% reported. Reported pre-tax profit rose 24% to £18.9m, and adjusted operating profit rose 32% like-for-like (21% reported) to £31.2m. More
Toluna has appointed former Verint, Nielsen and Affinnova exec Kevin Daly in the new role of Chief Sales Officer. More
Cint has teamed up with audience profiling and targeting firm StatSocial to help clients target niche market research audiences, quickly and at scale. 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
PureSpectrum has appointed former System 1 Research MD Lester Sualog to lead client development in Asia. More
Nielsen has unveiled a new logo, which it says reflects the transformation of its culture and a redefined strategy focused solely on the global future of media. The outgoing logo had been served for the combined Nielsen entity before the sale of Global Connect (now Nielsen IQ). More
UK radio listening currency provider RAJAR has confirmed that after an eighteen month gap, new audience figures will be published on Thursday 28th October; with an enhanced set of methodologies including the first use of panellists and MediaCell technology. More
Raleigh, NC-based qual firm L&E Research has upgraded its 'Virtual Facility' HD Video Streaming solution, using Zoom technology on Amazon's AWS, and allowing researchers to log in to observe, chat, and record clips and highlights. More
Customer insights platform UserTesting has announced new features aimed at giving users 'a deeper understanding of diverse customer perspectives'. They include matching behavioral patterns with common pre-identified types, plus customization and preview options. More
Video attention measurement and emotion analytics specialist Realeyes has appointed former Brand Networks CEO Dave Fall as Chief Product Officer. More
UK-based media and marketing analytics firm Ebiquity has opened a new office in Gurgaon, India, where it has appointed Sandeep Srivastava as Managing Director. More
Video feedback platform Discuss.io has launched new capabilities called CX Collections, through which users can upload, organize, analyze and share insights from any owned video content from apps like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. More
In New York, data-driven customer experience management (CXM) company Merkle is promoting Michael Komasinski to the role of Chief Executive Officer. He will succeed Craig Dempster who is retiring after fifteen years with Merkle and four with parent company Dentsu. More
In the US, former Geopath President Kym Frank has joined location data platform provider Intermx in the newly created role of Global Chief Experience Officer (CxO). More
Nielsen has hired former Disney exec Robert (Rob) Gilby as President of Asia Pacific (APAC), tasked with driving new business opportunities and relationships and developing new media opportunities in the APAC region. He takes up the position next Monday and is based in Singapore. More
Mobile marketing and ad platform InMobi has agreed to acquire Appsumer, an insights and analytics platform for mobile app advertisers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
YouGov has acquired tech business Rezonence, in a move which it says will allow data collection at 'unprecedented scale', turning hundreds of millions of consumers across the world into potential zero-party virtual YouGov panellists. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
US-based iSpot.tv, which measures the brand impact of cross-platform television advertising, has acquired real-time TV ad measurement company DRMetrix for an undisclosed sum. More
Manchester United football club has hired Dominic Jordan for the newly created position of Director of Data Science, tasked with driving forward the club's use of data to help players and staff 'deliver success on the pitch'. More
In the US, eCommerce analytics platform Zeenk has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from Amazon brands aggregator Thrasio, which it will use to officially launch with technology and staff from its legacy brand, Nanigans. More
In the US, shopper intelligence specialist Catalina has hired former Epsilon data chief Stacey Hawes as US Chief Revenue Officer, Direct & Channel Sales. More
Ipsos has announced the appointment of twenty-year Confirmit exec Wale Omiyale, as Global Head of Sales for Observer and Ipsos.Digital. More
Manchester, UK-based mobile research tech firm RealityMine has launched a qualitative licence programme, promising agencies and their clients the 'true picture of the real digital consumer and their lives'. More
Real-time information and analysis firm Neustar has launched 'Optimizer', a consumer insights platform allowing marketers to measure all consumer activity and optimize marketing activities, media budget allocation, campaign and creative tactics, and audience segments. More
In New York, location data firm Unacast has raised $16m in a new round of funding, which it will use to expand its offering for international clients outside the US, and to build a data buying platform. More
Nielsen has brought its streaming solutions together in a single measurement suite, encompassing ad-supported and subscription-based service models across content, ads and platforms. 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
Investment company Legion Partners Asset Management is calling for a potential sale of Momentive (previously known as SurveyMonkey) and is threatening a 'boardroom battle' if the company doesn't 'engage in a meaningful way', according to financial news source Bloomberg. 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
WPP-owned data and measurement-driven media agency Essence has named Kota Murakami Managing Director for Japan, responsible for leading innovation in data, analytics and technology, as well as business growth in the market. More
Geofencing marketing company Reveal Mobile has acquired out-of-home (OOH) focused location intelligence company Mira Analytics. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Data collection company Norstat has agreed to acquire Zurich-based TestingTime, which supplies test users and other study participants through a self-service platform. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, former Nielsen execs Tom Markert and Doug Pierce have launched a research and analytics company called TailWind Activation, offering real world and real-time feedback on television programming. More
New York-based customer lifecycle marketing company Zeta has acquired digital survey platform Apptness for $41m. More
Sweden's audience measurement body has extended and expanded the cross-media measurement services provided by Nielsen, which it has endorsed as the country's total measurement provider for TV and digital video from next April. More
In the US, eCommerce specialist David Weissman has launched a company called Humankind, allowing retailers to connect their product experts with online shoppers through one-to-one SMS conversations. More
Kantar has launched a creative measurement tool called Digital Video AI, which can be used to predict the performance of online video ads in under fifteen minutes. More
OpenVault, which provides data and insights on worldwide broadband consumption patterns, has received an undisclosed amount of funding from three clients. Funds will be used to fuel company growth both domestically and internationally, specifically in Europe and Latin America. More
New York-based 'brandtech' group You & Mr Jones has acquired a majority stake in Latin American martech and data company DP6. More
Toluna has appointed Cate Rubenstein as SVP of Global Marketing, responsible for 'expanding and elevating' its brand. More
Marketing tech group Access Intelligence Plc has appointed Jay Krall as Global VP of Data, and Lisa Gilbert as a Non-Executive Director with immediate effect. More
US-based youth and family researcher Smarty Pants has appointed former Kantar director Jennifer Mellett as Research Manager, responsible for designing and leading custom research for the company's entertainment and toy and game clients. More
Market intelligence platform AlphaSense has raised $180m in a Series C round of funding. The money will be invested in product development and content expansion, in growing customer service teams in North America and Europe, and engineering teams in Finland, India and New York. More
In the US, customer experience (CX) optimization and personalization platform Evolv AI has launched a solution called Flows, offering insight into digital customer behavior and enabling clients to visualize where there are issues by specific element on any given web page. More
Sister firms Rival Technologies and Reach3 Insights have launched a mobile messaging-based customer insight solution called 'New Customer Experience', promising to help brands monitor the needs and expectations of customers they gained during the pandemic. More
In the US, behavioral data capture and predictive analytics platform ForMotiv has raised $6m in a Seed+ round of funding, which it will use to make senior hires across tech, product and sales. More
Interpublic's marketing intelligence company Kinesso has launched a solution called Kinesso Intelligence Identy (Kii - pronounced 'key') to help marketers reach and connect with relevant audiences. More
In New York, data-driven audience intelligence platform Helixa and audience insight company GlobalWebIndex (GWI) have partnered to integrate predictive insights with 'expressed consumer intent' data. More
WPP and Snap Inc. (the camera company behind messaging app Snapchat) have partnered to help brands engage with more than 200 million 'Snapchatters' and deliver immersive experiences using augmented reality (AR). More
Ethically-sourced data and insights specialist BIGtoken has merged with BritePool, which provides verified identities for advertisers. In the all-stock transaction, terms of which were not disclosed, BIGtoken will issues shares to purchase the outstanding stock of privately held BritePool. More
In the US, out-of-home (OOH) data specialist Accretive Media has launched a suite of automated measurement products called Accretive Outcomes, which it claims is the first set of effectiveness measurement tools built specifically for the OOH market. More
In Australia, media research specialist Xtra Insights has named Bethaney Lawler General Manager, in addition to her existing role as Head of Radio Audience Measurement. More
In London, programme viewing trend analyst Tape Consulting has appointed Beatrice Rossmanith as Client Service Director, tasked with looking after and developing the firm's broadcasting, content distribution and platform clients. More
London-based holding company STRAT7 has acquired Kin + Carta's strategic consultancy Incite, in a deal valued at £18m. More
In New York, PR consultancy firm Edelman has promoted Taj Reid to the newly created role of Global Chief Experience Officer. More
US-based sample solutions provider InnovateMR has appointed former Nielsen exec Bryant Leech as Vice President, Agile Insights & Platform Solutions. He will focus on the firm's Vision Suite, which includes products for survey design, sample procurement and reporting. More
London-based gaming sector ad technology and targeting platform Venatus has received an undisclosed amount of funding from private equity investor Livingbridge. The money will be used to fuel growth in the US and for expansion to new geographies. 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
WPP has agreed to pay more than $19m to settle charges that it violated several provisions of the USA's Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The SEC accused the marcoms giant of breaches of protocols including anti-bribery, books and records, and internal accounting. More
Data-driven audience tech company Civis Analytics has announced a $30.7m Series B round of financing. The firm was founded by Dan Wagner, leader of the team that created President Obama's voter targeting model. More
Behavioral science-based consumer insights firm Sentient Decision Science has appointed former System1 researcher Simon Wyld as SVP of Sales in its Sentient Insights division. More
Kantar has added creative and digital testing, concept and innovation testing solutions for users of its Marketplace platform in India. More
Programmatic advertising platform StackAdapt has integrated Oracle Moat Measurement into its offering for retail and CPG advertisers, providing real-time measurement and attribution metrics which the firm says were previously unavailable to the sector. More
US television measurement and analytics company 605 and location intelligence firm PlaceIQ have extended their existing partnership, to bring 'always on' planning, measurement and attribution to the TV marketplace. More
Insight-driven digital experience consultancy Bounteous has acquired Lister Digital, a full-service digital transformation consultancy with offices in Chennai, India and San Mateo, California. More
Australia broadcaster Seven West Media has appointed former Nielsen Head of Research Solutions for APAC Craig Johnson as Head of Research and Insights, replacing Emelia Millward who is leaving the company and the country. More
Hamburg, Germany-based insights automation platform quantilope has appointed Joe Henriques as its new US President, leading its American Business Unit. More
Audience engagement platform provider GMO Research has appointed former WiseWorks and Critical Mix exec Pratik Sharma as EVP of US and EMEA. More
Kantar has announced a partnership combining its TGI consumer data with insights from out-of-home (OOH) audience measurement business Route, to launch a new ad buying platform promising highly targeted campaigns. More
Twitter has agreed a settlement in a case accusing it of misleading investors with overly-bullish predictions of user growth. The company officially admits no wrongdoing but will shell out $809m if the deal is approved by an Oakland, CA judge. More
Influencer marketing firm CreatorIQ has acquired Tribe Dynamics, which provides an advanced analytics and benchmarking platform for the sector. More
Programmatic research tech platform Lucid has appointed Eric Denker as Vice President heading up its Corporate Development and Strategy. More
CX and customer intelligence platform InMoment has appointed Eric Weight as VP solutions consulting, supporting its rapid expansion across Southeast Asia and Japan. More
Business services behemoth Accenture is to acquire Brazilian CX and commerce solutions business Experity, for an undisclosed sum. More
Kantar has been selected by Origin, a joint industry initiative led by UK advertiser trade body ISBA, to supply a single source panel for cross-media measurement; adding to the recent launch of a 'Cross Media Performance' solution in Latin America, with Unilever among the early adopters. More
Nielsen has today announced an 'Impressions First Initiative', supporting what it calls an 'industry-wide move' to impressions-based buying and selling in local markets across the country. This will accompany the integration of broadband only homes (BBO) into its local metrics in January 2022. More
Canada-based holding company Reid Campbell Group (RCG), parent firm of Rival Technologies and Reach3 Insights, has rebranded as the Rival Group Inc. More
B2B information, analytics and eCommerce optimisation specialist Ascential (previously known as EMAP) has acquired digital shelf optimization company OneSpace. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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
In the US, recently launched audience identification and segmentation platform Tunnl has appointed Vinita Srivastava as Chief Product Officer. More
Insights and CX firm Alida has a new partner in Europe. Möbius Business Redesign, which helps design and implement CX solutions, will work with Alida's platform for clients in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. More
TV audience rating body BARC India has appointed former Publicis CEO Nakul Chopra as Chief Executive Officer. He replaces Sunil Lulla, who left last month to pursue 'entrepreneurial ambitions'. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's digital advertising and marketing services company S4 Capital plc has begun the growth of a third main practice area with the acquisition of tech services company Zemoga. 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
In the US, consumer data giant IRI has unveiled a new solution to enable CPG manufacturers and retailers to measure the off-line sales impact of their social media ad campaigns across Facebook and Instagram. More
Online consumer researcher Invoke has launched Vis-a-Vis, a solution allowing clients to conduct face-to-face online focus groups using a range of rich, interactive elements. More
In San Francisco, artificial intelligence-based analytics start-up Viable has raised $3.9m in pre-seed and seed funding rounds, which it will use to roll out its qualitative feedback tool. Craft Ventures and Javelin Venture Partners led the funding rounds respectively. More
Audience technology platform Eyeota has promoted Marc Fanelli to the role of Chief Operating Officer, and Rob Armstrong to Senior Vice President of Product. More
Ad agency division Wunderman Thompson Intelligence has launched a new report called 'Into the Metaverse', which covers everything brand owners and their agencies need to know about the 'shared online worlds in which physical, augmented, and virtual reality converge'. 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
German MR tech provider quantilope has acquired UK-based qual video research company Plotto; and has announced the launch of inColor, which extends its existing Insights Automation platform as a standalone product for automated online qual. 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
Comscore says it has developed 'the next generation of personification methodology', which will bring person-level measurement to its video products, expanding on its existing household-level information. More
In Sydney, media agency Universal McCann (UM) Australia has appointed Adam Krass as Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer, replacing Maria Grivas who was named CEO of IPG-owned media agency Reprise earlier this year. 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
In an open letter to the industry, Nielsen CEO David Kenny has responded to recent criticisms of the ratings giant's Covid era policies, but also conceded that the firm 'needs to move faster in advancing its measurement', was 'slow to explain' panel adjustments and generally 'hasn't been perfect'. More
Industry body Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has partnered with GfK to roll out a system called Radio360, which will move the industry from paper-based surveys to the majority use of e-diaries and the integration of live streaming data. More
UK-based ad and innovation testing platform Zappi has acquired the business and assets of Chicago-based start-up Data Quorum, including its library of statistical tools. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's S4Capital has reported a 'very strong' first half, with like-for-like gross profit (net revenue) up 49%, and pro forma EBITDA up 36% - results described as 'more in line with the fast-growing digital platforms' than the more traditional major media groups. 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
Professional associations ESOMAR and the Global Research Business Network (GRBN) have released two sets of guidelines - Primary Data Collection and Duty of Care - intended to strengthen the ethical standards framework available to their respective memberships. More
Havas Media Group has added six execs to its Decision Sciences, Analytics and MarTech group (DA&M), all reporting to Mike Bregman, Chief Data Officer North America, who joined the agency from Accenture in May. More
In the US, data-driven product quality platform unitQ has raised $30m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to expand operations and its business reach. More
Consumer data and credit reporting agency TransUnion has agreed to acquire data firm Neustar for $3.1 billion, from an investment group led by Golden Gate Capital, with minority participation by GIC. Neustar's security business is excluded from the transaction. More
Berlin-based customer data platform Zeotap has raised $11m in a Series C extension round, bringing total funds so far to $90m. More
US-based company Killi has been renamed Reklaim, reflecting the company's goal to provide every consumer on the planet with access to their data. More
In the US, Connected TV data and measurement company LG Ads has launched a TV operating system called River OS, which enables personalized search, discovery, recommendations and viewing across live linear and on-demand sources. More
In the US, recent Nielsen critic the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) has launched the Measurement Innovation Task Force, comprising a group of research, analytics and insights execs who it says will design and deliver best practices and standards for the national TV ad industry. More
In the UK, media company Future plc has launched an audience data platform called Aperture, providing advertisers with access to the company's intent-based first-party data. More
In San Francisco, mobile app measurement and attribution platform AppsFlyer has launched a solution called Conversion Studio, to enable marketers to understand the long-term value of their acquired users within the Apple iOS SKAN (SKAdNetwork) campaign measurement framework. More
In the US, customer intelligence platform InMoment has acquired structured and unstructured data and text analytics firm Lexalytics, for an undisclosed sum. More
Nielsen has enhanced its Total Ad Ratings (TAR) cross-media ad measurement methodology in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan. The changes will allow more market coverage and reduce reliance on any one external source of data. More
UK-based mobile research tech firm RealityMine has launched gaming behavioural data capabilities, allowing it to capture and report on content that opted-in panellists have played across all mobile devices. 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
Xandr, the advertising and analytics division of AT&T, has appointed Masatsune Shironishi as Managing Director, Japan, and Nicole Prior as Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand. More
Audience and gamer insights firm GWI has launched a platform to provide an in-depth view of global or local audiences. Tom Smith, company CEO and founder, says the platform enables businesses to access 'impactful audience insights' at a fraction of the cost of traditional MR. 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
In the UK, media and audience insight specialist Access Intelligence Group has appointed former Deliveroo exec Jake Steadman as Global Vice President of Insights. More
Accenture is to acquire South African data-driven brand strategy, creativity and digital marketing services provider King James Group, owner of a majority stake in Cedar, which combines audience insight and commercial data to reach customers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Singapore-based customer loyalty and engagement solutions provider Capillary Technologies has acquired US-based full-service CX agency Persuade, for an undisclosed sum. More
Former dunnhumby CEO Guillaume Bacuvier has been hired as Global Chief Executive Officer of Kantar's consumer panel division Worldpanel. He succeeds Josep Montserrat, who takes on the role of Non-Executive Chairman. More
US company Advantage Solutions, which combines sales, marketing and digital commerce services, has acquired machine learning and data science services provider Strong Analytics for an undisclosed sum. More
AI-based entertainment industry insights firm StoryFit has appointed former 20th Century Fox researcher Marina Kosten as Head of Research & Strategy. 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
In the US, consumer intelligence business NielsenIQ and experience management platform Qualtrics have partnered, to create 'comprehensive' brand experience solutions, offering clients a real-time, '360-degree view' of their brand health based on consumer feedback. More
Berlin, Germany-based SEO and analytics software firm Searchmetrics has opened an office in Chicago, where newly promoted Chief Marketing Officer Lillian Haase has relocated to oversee global marketing. More
Social media ad automation platform Smartly.io has launched a capability called Ad Ranking within its insights offering, enabling advertisers to identify both top and bottom-performing ads, with a visual analysis to help inform future creative direction and optimize performance. More
Experience management (XM) specialist Qualtrics has launched a framework called EX25. The firm says it has uncovered 25 key drivers through which employers can understand and respond to employees' changing expectations and take action to improve their engagement and retention. More
Business-to-business research provider B2B International has promoted Tom Percival to the role of Managing Director, leading its London-based team. More
News distribution, targeting and monitoring firm PR Newswire has rolled out its Cision Social Listening solutions in the Asia Pacific region, where users can now access its database of online conversations and analysis. More
US-based podcast data analytics specialist Backtracks has received certification by non-profit research, development and standard-setting consortium IAB Tech Lab. More
Digital experience analyst Contentsquare has acquired product experience insights provider Hotjar for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has suspended accreditation of Nielsen's National TV ratings service, and also cancelled an agreed hiatus for support of the company's Local Market efforts. The changes will take effect in mid-September. More
In Australia, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has appointed Ipsos as its preferred supplier for digital audience data for a three-year term, commencing in the second quarter of 2022. Nielsen previously held the contract for nearly a decade. More
Digital media measurement platform DoubleVerify is to acquire European ad visibility analyst Meetrics in an all-cash transaction, amount unspecified, expected to close this quarter. More
In Canada, customer experience management (CXM) specialist Alida has appointed Amit Gupta as Chief Architect, to strengthen the technology of its TXM (Total Experience Management) platform. More
In the UK, Leeds-based full-service agency Blue Yonder has appointed former Black Swan exec Mat Sloan as Head of its comms specialist Brand:Lab, taking over from MD Richard Heath. More
In the US, real-time targeting specialist Fanplayr has launched an anonymised user identification solution called PrivacyID, to address both new privacy laws and the impending ban on third-party cookies. More
Ad platform LoopMe has received a patent for its PurchaseLoop advertising campaign measurement solution. The firm has also appointed former Nielsen exec Rob Cukierman as General Manager of Measurement and Product Partnerships, based in New York. More
In New York, media and entertainment giant NBCUniversal has promoted Will Gonzalez to the role of EVP and Chief Data Officer of Direct-to-Consumer, responsible for the global data strategy of its video streaming service Peacock. More
In the US, social media listening and analytics specialist Talkwalker has acquired review management platform Reviewbox for an undisclosed sum. More
In San Francisco, API user behavior insights and analytics firm Moesif has raised $12m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to hire across engineering, sales, developer relations and customer success roles. More
In New York, business transformation researcher Insider Intelligence has created a new vertical focused on retail and eCommerce, sitting alongside its existing coverage for marketing and advertising (eMarketer), financial services and health. More
In the US, media holding company Gannett has hired Nate Rackiewicz for the newly created role of Chief Data Officer. More
Consumer data firm Neustar has launched a process called the Fabrick Impact Assessment, to help marketers diagnose and mitigate the impact of third-party cookie deprecation and device ID loss across their media and measurement investments. More
Sports data tech company Genius Sports has acquired Spirable, which helps clients create and optimize personalized video content across social media, CRM, messenger and display channels. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
In New York, customer experience and analytics specialist Accenture Interactive has appointed David Droga, founder of ad agency Droga5, as Chief Executive Officer and Creative Chairman, effective September 1st. He replaces Brian Whipple, who is retiring. More
First-party data and insights platform Dynata has appointed Dilip Nagaraja as Chief Technology Officer, driving the continued development of the firm's platform and automating the processing, access and distribution of its products. More
UK TV station Channel 4 has launched the Producers Performance Report, giving individual producers data on how their new programmes have performed on All 4 and the broadcaster's linear channels. More
In the US, Verisk-owned transaction data provider Commerce Signals has launched the SVOD Trends Report, which tracks and analyzes consumer behavior across Netflix, Amazon Video, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Paramount+ and Peacock. More
In London, data-driven customer experience management (CXM) company Merkle has opened a dedicated Technology Consulting practice, and appointed its Senior Director of Solutions Andy Ankrah to lead it. More
Omnicom-owned data and analytics firm Annalect has appointed Matt Nolan as Chief Operating Officer, based in Sydney, Australia from September. Separately, Dimitris Tsioutsias has recently been named SVP Measurement & Optimization Solutions, based in the US. More
New York-based consortium the TV Data Initiative (TVDI) has set up an Expert Advisory Group (EAG), comprising execs from across the industry who will work with the founding members to help advertisers, programmers and distributors 'unlock the potential of the data-driven TV ecosystem'. More
In the US, user experience (UX) platform WEVO has added a Custom Questions feature to its WEVO Journey tests, enabling customers to add their own UX questions. More
New York-based youth research specialist YPulse is adding Western European data to its youth insights platform, providing data and insights on Gen Z and Millennial consumers aged 13 to 39 in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain from next month. More
US-based programmatic advertising company MOLOCO has raised $150m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to fast-track its product and engineering roadmap, expand into new geographies and markets, and hire for key positions. More
Kantar Chairman Adam Crozier is to add the Chairmanship of BT Group plc. He will join the Board in November and take up the role from 1st December, following the retirement of Jan du Plessis. More
London-based audience and gamer insights firm GWI is opening its first APAC office in Singapore in October, staffed by a combination of relocated European team members and locally sourced talent. More
Digital research firm MetrixLab has appointed Jayanth Narasimha as Regional Director of Qualitative Research for the AMEA region. In this role, he will integrate early-stage qual solutions with MetrixLab's existing quant offerings for packaging, communications and creative testing. 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, Johannes Waldstein and Dieter Neujahr have officially launched a platform called FanAI, which helps marketers measure, optimize and monetize sports sponsorships. More
Next15's data and insights group Savanta has acquired Pennsylvania, US-based full-service agency MSI International. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In Pittsburgh, USA, market intelligence company CivicScience is launching an advertising company tapping data from its 100m plus survey respondents. The new firm starts with $15m seed funding from investors including the NPD Group, and is led by CEO Doug Lauretano. More
Vienna, Austria-based marketing analytics platform Adverity has closed a $120 million Series D financing round. More
In the US, Google has banned foot traffic insights firm SafeGraph from its Playstore, for collecting and selling smartphone users' location data. More
US-based analytics and customer engagement business Verint has announced the acquisition of personalized social messaging provider Conversocial for $50 million in cash. More
In Bengaluru, India, digital MR product and solutions company Borderless Access has appointed Vittesh Kalambi as Vice President - Panel Solutions. More
New York-based customer intelligence platform Lifesight has partnered with audience technology platform Eyeota to roll out its customer identification data in eight new global markets. More
In London, Uncommon Creative Studio has launched a Customer Experience (CX) division called the Practice, led by former Lida CEO Jonathan Goodman. More
Nielsen has asked the Media Rating Council (MRC) to pause accreditation of its national TV rating service, after claims it had underreported data during the pandemic. If approved, Nielsen will operate without the MRC seal of approval in a 'hiatus' period which could last for up to six months. More
Private equity firm Apiary Capital has acquired a 'significant stake' in London-based MediaSense, whose Analytics practice manages more than $15 billion of media expenditure on behalf of clients. More
Digital media measurement and analytics specialist DoubleVerify has identified and 'neutralized' an advertising fraud scheme called 'SmokeScreen', which causes screensavers to hijack CTV (Connected TV) devices to generate impressions, even when screens are off. More
US-based revenue intelligence platform People.ai has raised $100m in a Series D round of funding, which it will invest in its SmartData platform, and in new industry segments and geographies. More
Retargeting tech company RTB House has updated its Deep Learning AI Engine, to provide brands with an enhanced view of consumers throughout their path to purchase. More
Australia's total television measurement system VOZ has gone public, with reports now available on the Virtual Oz web site of operator OzTam, alongside the latter's Total TV reach reports and BVOD-specific reports. More
Tokyo-based Macromill has announced the launch of a digital advertising business, Macromill Ads, tapping the data from its 1.3m proprietary consumer panelists to provide a one-stop service from ad planning and distribution to the measurement of effectiveness. 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
Data collection and research services provider Schlesinger Group has launched QuantText, a chat solution used to add a qualitative phase to quant research. More
Comscore has reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30th, with revenue down 1% to $87.7m, and adjusted EBITDA of $2.6m, dropping sharply from $9.2m a year earlier. The firm says the positive results of recent partnerships and agreements will show up later in the year. More
Digital ad verification firm Integral Ad Science (IAS) has announced the acquisition of CTV advertising platform Publica, in a 75% cash and 25% stock transaction valued at $220m. More
Momentive, until recently known as SurveyMonkey, has announced an expansion of its MR targeting capabilities to meet growing demand from b2b customers, and tapping the resources of Dynata and Schlesinger Group. More
UK-based integrated agency group Unlimited has promoted its CFO Ed Guest to the role of Chief Operating Officer. More
Consumer insights platform Toluna has added a range of new product development methodologies to its Start platform, including needs identification, ideation, and claims testing solutions. More
London-based youth insight and panel business YouthSight has hired six researchers, plus two new members for its Project Management team. This includes the appointment of former Yonder Consulting/Ipsos MORI exec Ralph Robinson as Senior Research Manager. More
In Canada, customer intelligence specialist Alida has launched an approach it calls Total Experience Management (TXM), promising to help organizations combine the voice of their customers and employees with the ability to deliver 'extraordinary' experiences. 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
In the UK, insight business Walnut Unlimited has promoted Chris Bland to the role of Managing Director, overseeing the day-to-day running of the agency. He takes over from Jane Rudling, who will continue in her role as Head of Unlimited's Insights & Analytics division. More
In the US, Publicis-owned integrated media, digital and communications agency Team One has hired Prachi Priya for the newly created role of Chief Data Officer. More
In the UK, Ol Janus has returned to customer engagement and data agency Havas helia in the newly created role of Group Head of Data. 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
Comscore has announced an expanded, multi-year agreement with broadcaster Fox Corp., to include national TV measurement; and separately that it will incorporate YouTube and YouTube TV measurement - including CTV - into its signature Campaign Ratings cross-platform service. More
UK audience measurement body BARB has launched metrics for 'total four-screen viewing', adding smartphones to its existing coverage of unduplicated reach and time spent viewing across TV sets, tablets and PCs. More
In interim results, WPP has reported a 'strong' first half, with revenue returning to 2019 levels 'a year ahead of plan'. H1 2021 revenue of £6.13bn was up 9.8% on last year's Covid-hit figure, and the group returned to a profit before tax (£394m) after losses of £3.18bn a year earlier. 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
US-based ad serving, measurement and technology company Flashtalking has partnered with cross-platform TV measurement specialist TVSquared, to provide real-time, household-level insights to advertisers globally. More
New York-based Xandr, the advertising and analytics division of AT&T, has launched an audience-based platform called Monetize TV, allowing buyers to reach target audiences at scale. More
Comscore and Verisk-owned transaction data provider Commerce Signals have partnered to develop contextual audiences for cookieless ad targeting across digital mobile, and CTV inventory, for the retail industry. 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
In the US, Kantar has appointed former SurveyMonkey exec Chuck Brinker as Brand Guidance Product team Lead, starting next month; and Christoph Haschka as Group Director of Mergers and Acquisitions. More
In the US, insights-driven digital experience consultancy Bounteous has raised an undisclosed amount of investment from New Mountain Capital, for use in expanding headcount, launching new services and developing further co-innovation methods. More
In India, data collection and MR services firm Aeon Market Research has appointed Preeta Sanjith as Executive Director, heading up the Research division. More
Survey2Connect has integrated its platform with WhatsApp, allowing clients to share survey links with respondents via the instant messaging program. More
New York-based location data specialist GroundTruth has been granted Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its location, place and visitation data sets. More
From September, Nielsen will begin placing approximately 3,000 newly designed Portable People Meter (PPM) wearable audience measurement devices with a subset of its nearly 60,000 active PPM panelists, as part of plans to modernize its panels and improve panelist experience. More
In the US, advertising and brand specialist Phoenix Marketing International (Phoenix MI) has acquired research-based consultancy Communicus, which provides insights into how ad campaigns build brands and motivate purchasing. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, consumer data giant IRI has launched a network called IRI Marketplace, bringing together the firm's technology, data, and analytical partners on a single platform. More
In the US, IT sector specialist Forrester Research has appointed Chris Finn as Chief Financial Officer. Finn will join on September 13th, and replaces Michael Doyle who leaves to become CFO of biomarker analysis specialist Quanterix. More
In London, Beehive Research has appointed Tim Kerr as Senior Researcher and Charles Ray as Research Manager, supporting its expansion into the media and publishing arena. More
In the US, customer success intelligence specialist CompleteCSM has closed a $500k round of seed funding, which it will use to deepen partnerships with pilot customers, integrate with tech partners, and read its biometric, emotion and sentiment data. More
In the US, market research and social media platform ThoughtWorld has closed a $2m angel investor round from unnamed sources, which it will use to continue building infrastructure, add to its stream of art using the company's patent-pending 3D technology, and establish an active user base. More
In the US, digital ad automation tech provider Centro has launched a cookieless targeting feature which automatically recommends contextual categories based on a marketer's best performing audiences. More
In the US, Media Monitors has launched a Podcast Monitoring Service, analyzing all episodes of thousands of the most popular national audio files. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's S4Capital has merged its digital content production company MediaMonks and digital media solutions provider MightyHive into a single data, digital media and tech brand called Media.Monks. More
In the US, first-party data company Dynata has acquired consumer engagement and survey platform inBrain.ai, for an undisclosed sum. More
In New York, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has issued an analysis of the current state of the identity resolution industry, to help 'demystify' solutions and practices and provide the ad and marketing sectors with information about providers. More
In Indonesia, customer analytics platform MoEngage has raised $32.5m in a Series C1 add-on round of funding, which it will use to accelerate global growth and strengthen its product's AI and predictive capabilities. More
Next15's data and insights group Savanta has expanded its Essentials suits of tools with the addition of creative testing, employee experience and stakeholder perceptions modules. More
Hollywood research firm Screen Engine/ASI (SE/ASI) has teamed up with custom audience solutions company Dstillery to launch Audience Engine, a new research-based audience targeting solution for media, ents and ad tech clients; and hired film and television media veteran Melanie Jones to lead it. 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
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
In the US, consumer insights platform Morning Consult has appointed five new senior members of staff, four at Managing Director level, and including former Kantar execs Ben Mansell and Sara VanTassel. 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
Experience Management giant Qualtrics has announced a definitive agreement to acquire conversational analytics firm Clarabridge, in a stock transaction valued at $1.125bn. More
Nielsen has announced a 6.2% increase in second quarter revenues to $861m on both a reported and organic basis (4.5% in constant currency terms), up from $811m in the prior year period, and similar to revenue for the Global Media half of the business in Q2 2019. More
Data science and machine learning-based ad platform AdTheorent is to list on the NASDAQ via an MCAP merger. The deal values the company at approximately $775m. More
Sydney-based TEG, which offers ticketing, live entertainment and data analytics, has merged its Analytics, Digital and Insights divisions to create a marketing and technology solution called Ovation. More
Customer data platform BlueConic has launched a 'clean room solution', allowing clients to facilitate second-party data sharing in a privacy-safe environment. More
In New York, customer intelligence software platform AdPredictive has appointed Travis Rhoades as EVP of Data Analytics and Intelligence. More
New York-based real-time MR software platform Suzy has closed a $50 million Series D funding round, more than doubling the total is has raised to date. More
Shareholders in marcoms conglomerate MDC Partners Inc. have voted more than three to one in favour of its merger with Mark Penn's Stagwell Group, owner of the Harris and Harris Poll brands. More
Content discovery and personalisation platform Outbrain has become a public company, via an IPO of 8m shares of common stock. The firm began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol OB, on Friday. More
Shopper insight specialist Behaviorally has launched a platform called Flash PDP, powered by visual recognition AI and allowing brands to optimize visual content on eCommerce product detail pages. More
Forsta, the recently merged business of research software firms Confirmit and FocusVision, has appointed former Adobe / OpinionLab exec Jim Reitz as Head of Sales for the Americas, Voice of Customer and Employee (VOC/VOE). More
In New York, facial recognition start-up Clearview AI has raised $30m in a Series B round of funding, which values the company at $130m. More
Merkle, the CXM business of marcoms giant dentsu, has appointed Dan Wigley to lead its combined UK analytics practice. More
Nielsen has launched an approach to measure authenticated and unauthenticated web traffic and validate first-party server data with real consumer behavior. More
Comscore is to begin incorporating first-party data into its cookie-free audience targeting solution, Predictive Audiences, in collaboration with Experian, InfoSum and LiveRamp. More
US-based mobile app analytics and attribution specialist Kochava has appointed Bryce Kliewer as Chief Operating Officer, while Nicolas Beraudo joins as Chief Revenue Officer. More
In the UK, GroupM-owned media agency Essence has announced that its EMEA Consulting division will now offer the group's data, media and technology expertise as a standalone service. More
Scott Muller has returned to Australian media company Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) in the newly created role of Head of Content Insights. More
US-based customer experience management specialist Medallia has agreed terms of a sale to software investment firm Thoma Bravo, in an all-cash transaction valuing the company at $6.4 billion. Bids from other potential buyers will also be considered over the next 40 days. More
Comscore Chief Financial Officer Greg Fink will be leaving the company at the end of August, 'to pursue new interests'. More
Mobile ad targeting firm Amobee has appointed former Dentsu leader Nick Brien as Chief Executive Officer. He replaces Samba Natarajan, who will now focus on his role as CEO of Strategic Portfolio at parent company Singtel Group, and will continue as an Amobee Board member. More
Australian media company Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has invested an undisclosed amount in artificial intelligence and machine learning company SourseAI, which will provide content recommendations to SCA's listeners. More
Cross-screen television insights and analytics provider Samba TV has launched an interactive dashboard featuring geographic and demographic analysis of viewing in real time across the world, starting with the US, UK, Germany and Australia. More
In New York, digital media measurement software and analytics specialist DoubleVerify (DV) has received MRC accreditation for its video filtering, benchmarks, and connected TV (CTV) fully on-screen and completion metrics. More
In Australia, digital AdTech industry exec Trent Silins has launched a contextual data and technology firm called Kopa, to help marketers improve their video campaigns with contextual targeting, reporting and insights. More
In the US, media and entertainment giant NBCUniversal has hired long-time Merkle exec John Lee for its newly created position of Chief Data Officer, tasked with leading a new enterprise-wide Consumer Identity and Data Strategy unit. 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
Personalized content and viewer insights provider ThinkAnalytics and Nielsen's entertainment metadata specialist Gracenote have partnered to launch a solution through which TV providers can improve image-based personalized video search and recommendations. More
Australia-based multinational mobile marketing research and consulting firm MDI (Mobile Digital Insights) has appointed Kim Albert as MD of its Australian operations, and Marsha Montebello in the newly created role of Commercial Director. More
In the UK, language and research services provider Mission Translate has appointed David Lamont as Global Sales Director and Steven Prior as Business Development Manager. More
California-based digital media analytics specialist Quotient has added 'multi-touch' media measurement and self-serve capabilities to its Analytics Platform, to enable users to evaluate the performance of their omnichannel campaigns run on the platform in near real time. More
App user acquisition and ad retargeting specialist Adikteev has launched a predictive analytics platform to help those app publishers without data science resources - or who do not have the necessary data - to build data models. More
Media and marketing services company ENGINE has launched a platform called Audience Intelligence, offering first-party data and integrations to enable advertisers to target audience profiles and develop media plans. More
In the US, video feedback platform Discuss.io has launched a suite of intelligence tools called Augmented Insights, to help brands and agencies access and mine large amounts of unstructured data. More
In the US, customer experience management (CXM) specialist Medallia has appointed former Freddie Mac CX specialist Bill Staikos as Senior Vice President of Industry Solutions. More
Marcoms giant Publicis Groupe has acquired Australia-based self-service retail ad-serving and targeting platform CitrusAd, which provides brands with access to customer intelligence based on first-party data from retailers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Data company fifty-five has promoted Robin Clayton to the role of Managing Director in New York, and appointed Alicia Arnold as Managing Director in Boston. More
In the US, R&D and standard-setting consortium the IAB Tech Lab has appointed Anthony Katsur as Chief Executive Officer, beginning August 2nd. He takes over from Dennis Buchheim, who has moved to Facebook as VP, Advertising Ecosystem. More
First-party data platform Dynata has hired former Verto Analytics CEO Pat Brennan as VP, Panel Development; while Nancy Brigham joins as VP, Research Science; John Talierco as Product Owner; and Naveen Goel as VP, India Operations. 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
In New York, marketing intelligence and programmatic media specialist MiQ has appointed former GroupM exec Katherine Strieder as Global Chief Product Officer. More
In the US, shopper intelligence specialist Catalina has appointed Sean Murphy as Chief Data & Analytics Officer. He replaces Wes Chaar, who has taken the same job title at compliance software and services firm Fyllo. More
In the US, shopper behavior specialist Alter Agents has launched a tool called the Shopper Influence Research program, which uses a proprietary methodology to uncover shopper insights and help brands better understand consumers. More
US insights and content strategy firm The SmithGeiger Group has appointed Aaron Paquette to head and launch its new AccelerateSG brand, content and creative insights division, designed to address emerging trends in media and television broadcasting. More
TV data and measurement company LG Ads has named co-founder and Chief Product Officer Raghu Kodige as Chief Executive, replacing co-founder Ashish Chordia who will move into the role of Executive Chairman. The firm has also named former Comscore CEO Serge Matta as President. More
US-based business data firm ZoomInfo is to acquire 'conversation intelligence' platform Chorus.ai for $575m in cash. More
In the US, behavioral research firm InsightsNow has hired long-time Coca-Cola exec Kristin Wright to manage its Research and Insights team. More
Competitor price tracking and monitoring specialist Prisync, headquartered in Istanbul, has acquired Lithuania-based competitor Marguard. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, data collection firm Rep Data has appointed former SurveyMonkey / Lucid exec Mark Tzatzaris as a Partner. More
OMG's analytics, data and tech agency Annalect has hired GroupM's Liesa Newland for the new role of Head of Data Infrastructure and Integration, covering Australia and New Zealand and starting on September 1st. More
In New York, Omnicom's cultural intelligence and trendsetting consultancy sparks & honey has appointed Davianne Harris in the dual role of Chief Client Officer and Head of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practice. More
In New York, consumer insights platform Morning Consult has added seven former Kantar executives and three from Ipsos to its Commercial team. 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
Kantar Public, the group's government and public sector practice, has announced a three-part investment strategy for its business in Germany. This includes the launch of a new Public Data Innovation Hub to support German data science, digital start-ups and micro businesses. More
Online communities specialist InSites Consulting has announced 10% revenue growth for the fiscal year 2020-2021, adding 'up to EUR 66m worldwide'. More
In Australia, M&C Saatchi has launched a marketing sciences practice called Precision, which will work with clients and support a group-wide learning and development program to increase 'data fluency' among the group's employees. More
Nielsen has acquired Paris, France-based TV ad measurement and monitoring company TVTY. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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
Kantar has promoted Ilana Sanborn to the newly created role of Head of Kantar Marketplace, Asia Pacific. More
In New York, marcoms giant the Interpublic Group (IPG) has launched a new agency called Performance Art, which combines the group's data, technology and CRM expertise with creative talent. More
In the US, word-of-mouth specialist Bazaarvoice has appointed Tom Addis as President, to focus on positioning the teams, processes, and methodologies for further company growth. More
Comscore has rolled out its Plan Metrix Multi-Platform service in India through its partnership with Kantar. The deal combines data on consumers' desktop and mobile behavior with information about their lifestyles, interests, attitudes and demographics. 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
Telecoms company Orange has acquired a small stake in French audience measurement agency Médiamétrie, and will now be represented on its Board. More
Mobile research tech firm RealityMine has launched a suite of data solutions specifically for researchers working in the entertainment sector. More
In Stockholm, Sweden, sample management platform Cint has appointed Marie-Louise Howett as Chief Human Resources Officer, responsible for guiding the company's global people, culture and workplace strategies. She replaces Johanna Isander, who left the firm in April. More
In the UK, consumer data company Pureprofile has hired former Dynata / Kantar Profiles exec Jon Wadsworth for a newly created role, Business Development Director, working across the UK and mainland Europe. 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 India, consumer insights specialist Hansa Research has appointed Ashish Karnad as Executive Vice President and Head, Media and Digital Business. He joins from Nielsen, where he oversaw the firm's work on the Indian Readership Survey (IRS). More
Shopper insights specialist Behaviorally has appointed Nisha Yadav as Senior Vice President, Omni Shopper, based in New York. 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
Enero Group, the parent of research firms The Leading Edge and The Digital Edge, has appointed Nick Burton as Group Strategy and M&A Director, based in its HQ in Sydney. More
NYC-based customer lifecycle marketing company Zeta Global has elected former NBA international marketing leader Jene Elzie to its Board of Directors. 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
Audience measurement firm Comscore has appointed Nielsen veteran Brian McLoughlin to lead its commercial relationship with one of its key partners, Publicis Groupe. He will be based in New York. 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
Santa Monica, California-based ad intelligence company Pathmatics is expanding to Australia and New Zealand, appointing Eugene Du Plessis to lead the new division as Regional Director. 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
Canada-based Dig Insights has added a new feature called Idea Split to its innovation insights platform Upsiide. Users can now assess a handful of validated ideas against critical business metrics, gathering quant and qual feedback. More
In the MENA region, Kantar has promoted Amol Ghate to Managing Director, MENAP and Nermeen Bedeir to Managing Director, Insights Division, Egypt. More
Ad and innovation testing platform Zappi has appointed former Nielsen CMO and We Work exec Marcy Shinder to its board of directors. More
Comscore has partnered with LatAm intelligence platform Retargetly to deliver what it says is the first cookieless targeting solution specifically tailored for the region. More
Video software and insights platform JW Player has raised $100m in Series E funding from tech and healthcare private equity firm LLR Partners; and says it will accelerate product innovation, expand its global footprint, and continue building its team. More
In New York, the ARF (Advertising Research Foundation) is teaming up with seven data and insights firm on a study intended to establish unbiased measures for defining digital device and account sharing and usage. 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
US-based retail data giant IRI has appointed former JP Morgan Chase Co. exec Cecilia Ogude as SVP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. More
Google's phasing out of third-party cookies is no longer imminent. After sending the marketing community into a frenzy with its decision 18 months ago to drop cookie support from Chrome, the firm this week put the deadline back to at least mid-2023, linking the move to pressure from UK regulators. More
US-based online video ad and analytics tech firm Innovid is to go public via a merger with ION - a SPAC, or special-purpose acquisition company, in a deal valuing Innovid at around $1.3bn. More
US ad industry association the ANA is partnering with Comscore on a preliminary test as it seeks to develop a 'privacy-preserving cross-media measurement solution' for marketers. More
The UK government has asked Netflix, Amazon and other streaming services to disclose top-line viewing data for the shows they get from public service broadcasters the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. 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
Ad and innovation testing platform Zappi has hired former IBM exec Lauren Palmer as Senior Product Manager guiding its advertising research product strategy. 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
In Berlin, performance-based marketing platform Swaarm has secured a new seven-figure round of funding, which it will use to drive product development and increase its presence in new and existing markets. 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
Media intelligence and social analytics group Meltwater B.V. has agreed the acquisition of ten-year-old Silicon Valley-based business information crowd-sourcing company Owler for $18.9m in cash and $5.6m shares. More
In Los Angeles, TV software and data platform VideoAmp has appointed former Comscore COO Cameron Meierhoefer in the new role of Chief Product Officer. More
Canada-based Rival Technologies has announced a range of updates to its research platform aimed at streamlining and simplifying the gathering of consumer insights. More
Mobile app measurement and attribution platform AppsFlyer has appointed Chad Greenleaf as SVP Client Success, with a remit to expand its North America client success organization 'across the entire customer journey'. More
Experience Management (XM) company Qualtrics has partnered with cloud customer experience and contact center solutions firm Genesys, adding the latter's customer engagement and activity data to the former's feedback for a single, actionable view of customer satisfaction. More
San Francisco, CA-based Cross-channel CX platform Iterable has raised $200m in Series E funding, valuing the company at $2 billion; and says it will use the funds to continue to develop its platform and expand its reach. More
Nine months on from a funding round which valued it at $2.7bn, US-based customer experience management specialist Sprinklr could be valued at nearly twice that, as it heads for an IPO. More
Dentsu Group is folding its Isobar subsidiary in Australia into two other divisions, BWM Dentsu and Merkle: the former will become BWM Isobar and take Isobar's creative staff, while the latter becomes the group's leading CXM brand in the region and welcomes its CX specialists. 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
US-based software and solutions provider QuestionPro has launched a knowledge management (KM) system called the Insights Hub, which offers an indexable and searchable platform for corporate research. More
Analytics, AI and insight firm Course5 Intelligence has spun off a new business, Incivus, which uses 'computer perception' and machine learning to help optimize ad creative for a higher return. More
The European Union has formally approved the 'adequacy' of the UK's data protection protocols for the transfer of personal data between the two. More
Targeted ad solutions firm AcuityAds has announced the closing of its US and Canadian Initial Public Offering, announced earlier this month. More
Canadian research tech and data collection company Delvinia has adapted its CRIS (Conversational Research Insight System), adding 'chat capabilities' for users of the group's Methodify fast turnaround research automation platform. More
In the UK, mobile research tech firm RealityMine and transaction measurement services firm Rippll have partnered to allow clients single source access to digital behavioural capture and transaction data from Rippll's Open Banking technology. More
In New York, research-on-research body the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) has partnered with media metrics technology company HyphaMetrics to launch the 'Passive TV Measurement Study', aiming to understand how time is spent across all TV platforms. More
In Canada, self-serve programmatic advertising platform StackAdapt has released a tool called Forecasting, to enable advertisers to see the estimated audience size, unique users, and daily impressions they could reach with their allotted budget. More
New Delhi, India-based consumer intelligence platform Affle has acquired programmatic marketing company Jampp, which specialises in retargeting mobile app customers. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Comscore is to integrate its contextual Activation suite into ad tech company Viant's cross-channel programmatic ad platform, Adelphic, allowing Viant's advertisers to use Comscore's cookie-free targeting solutions. More
In New York, ad agency TBWA has hired Alyson Stevens as Global Head of Connected Intelligence and Michael Horn as Global Head of Data Product, both newly created roles. More
Consumer insights platform DISQO has acquired New York and Helsinki-based cross-device measurement specialist Verto Analytics, for an undisclosed sum. More
Media intelligence and analysis firm Isentia has been sold to comms software firm Access Intelligence for $AUD 35.6m (£19.4m). More
In the US, B2B buyer intelligence specialist Slintel has raised $20m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to expand globally. More
Kantar has partnered with data collaboration platform InfoSum to help advertisers ad TGI consumer insights to their own first-party data, improving targeting. 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 New York, marcoms company McCann Worldgroup (MW) has promoted Laura Simpson to the roles of President of its global intelligence unit 'Truth Central', and Global Chief Information Officer. More
In the US, go-to-market intelligence provider ZoomInfo has acquired conversational marketing platform Insent, which identifies web site visitors in real time, and uses AI and lead routing rules to identify prospects. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Web and mobile app analytics platform Glassbox has raised $100m through an initial public offering (IPO), and will use the funds to expand its global presence and reach - both organically and through acquisition, and to invest in new staff and technology. More
Experience management (XM) provider Qualtrics has launched four solutions using consumer feedback about online interactions, along with digital analytics such as page views, to help users design web and in-app experiences that attract new customers and engage existing ones. More
In New York, social media analytics provider ListenFirst has launched a feature called Instant Insights, which uses machine learning to show how brands perform across social media and benchmark that performance. More
Customer data platform Twilio Segment has launched a tool called Journeys, allowing marketers to build customer journeys and deliver cross-channel personalization at scale. 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
In New York, consumer insights platform Morning Consult has raised $60m in a Series B round of funding, which values the company at $1.01 billion. Funds will be used for development of its data collection technology and expansion into the EMEA and APAC regions. 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
In the US, data collection firm Rep Data has hired former Research Now ops exec Jeremy Antoniuk as Chief Operations Officer. More
Israeli marketing intelligence and measurement technology provider Kenshoo has been renamed Skai, following its investments in eCommerce, retail and data intelligence and recent acquisition of AI-powered consumer and market intelligence firm Signal Analytics. More
Tobii Pro, which provides eye tracking solutions and services to understand human behaviour, has launched a mobile capability for marketing and advertising research conducted through its Sticky self-service online platform. More
In Australia, WPP-owned marcoms agency Ogilvy has appointed Torque Data founding partner Mark Albert as Chief Data and Analytics Officer, leading data execution across the Ogilvy ANZ Network. More
Digital ad verification firm Integral Ad Science (IAS) has today announced the filing of a registration statement with the U.S. SEC, for a proposed IPO of its common stock. 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
Target audience insights firm GWI has appointed former Brandwatch Chief Product Officer Bex Campbell, to lead its own product development efforts. 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
Cross-platform television ad measurement specialist TVSquared has added Foursquare's location data to its ADvantage platform, enabling users to connect linear and OTT/CTV ads to physical outcomes such as store visits and foot traffic, and understand how campaigns impact off-line consumer behavior. More
In London, data-driven marketing agency Merkle has promoted Stephen Derbyshire for a newly created role, Adobe Experience Platform Practice Lead for EMEA, also heading up parent company dentsu's CXM Service Line. More
US-based media, events and research company International Data Group (IDG) is to be acquired by investment firm Blackstone for $1.3 billion. More
In the US, cross-media data and TV ad insights platform Advocado has launched a three-year plan to add more than 100 technology jobs in its base in downtown St Louis, MO. More
In New York, advertising intelligence company Standard Media Index (SMI) has appointed Rick Bruner as Head of Insights & Analytics. More
In New York, location data specialist GroundTruth has launched OTT/CTV advertising solutions using geo-contextual targeting, providing digital video advertisers with consumer insights based on off-line behavioral data. More
In the US, competitive ad intelligence company AdImpact has appointed former Nielsen exec Dwight Green as Chief Business Officer, tasked with helping guide the company's leadership team. More
QYOU Media, which distributes content created by social media stars and digital content creators, has acquired India-based influencer marketing specialist Chtrbox for an undisclosed sum. More
Comscore has partnered with conversation analytics specialist Spiketrap, to expand its Predictive Audiences cookieless targeting solution specifically for gamers. 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
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
US-based digital media measurement and analytics firm DoubleVerify (DV) has hired former LiveRamp exec Mimi Wotring for a newly created role, SVP Publisher Sales & Client Services. More
Mobile-first marketing platform Skydeo is expanding its ShoppingGraph data solution across more than 1,000 brands and products and over 3,000 unique audience segments, providing advertisers with consumer purchase history for programmatic and social media audience targeting. More
UK television audience measurement body BARB has awarded long-term contracts to Kantar and RSMB, beginning in January 2024. These include a deal for Kantar to increase BARB's panel from 5,150 to 7,000 homes - the largest increase in sample since BARB's launch in 1981. More
Kantar has acquired Amsterdam-based cross-media effectiveness tracking specialist MeMo2 for an undisclosed sum. More
Recently merged Voice of the Customer (VoC) platform Astute and social media monitoring and marketing specialist Socialbakers have announced their new brand name, Emplifi. 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
Experience management platform Qualtrics has launched a tool called Spotlight Insights, offering HR teams automated real-time collection and analysis of feedback from employees. More
In San Francisco, data science and AI-based predictive personalization platform Breinify has raised $11m in a seed round of funding, which it will use for go-to-market execution, to support customer growth and expand product features. More
Kym Frank has resigned as President of out of home (OOH) audience measurement body Geopath. According to Mediapost, her decision relates to complaints from Board members following the launch of several industry standards by the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA). More
Consumer data company Pureprofile has expanded its media business Pure.amplify into the UK, where it will be led by Pureprofile's current Head of Performance Marketing, Catherine Jones. More
Ad and innovation testing platform Zappi has appointed Melanie LoBue as Executive Vice President of Global Marketing, based in the US. More
Upwave (formerly known as Survata) has launched a tool called 'Customer Lift', designed to enable marketers to measure campaign impact at every stage across Connected TV (CTV), as well as brand campaigns on other channels. More
London-based ad fraud intelligence and marketing compliance platform Pixalate has launched the 'Publisher Trust Index', which provides a global approach to measurement and monthly rankings of mobile and Connected TV apps, based on traffic quality. More
US-based B2B buyer intent data platform True Influence has appointed Ken Lordy as Senior Vice President, Product Management. More
Australia-based TV data and analytics provider Adgile has added a solution called 'Long Term Effects Attribution' to its TV ad impact measurement platform. More
M&C Saatchi Group AUNZ has promoted James Collier to the newly created role of Chief Data Officer, based in Sydney. He retains his existing role as Head of Performance at the group's full-service media agency Bohemia Group. More
User experience (UX) analytics platform Contentsquare has raised half a billion dollars in a Series E round of funding, which it will use to expand its leadership team in Europe and the US, and move into new markets across Asia. The round values the company at $2.8 billion. More
London-based marketing intelligence and programmatic media specialist MiQ has launched US Hispanic and Multicultural practices, while appointing LATAM market specialist Amanda Abrarpour to lead its Miami office. More
In the US, analytics automation firm Alteryx has launched a $50m investment vehicle, which will be used to invest in companies with technology and services that complement its own analytics and data science products. More
In London, WPP's audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has promoted Silvia Sparry for its newly created role of Global Chief Operating Officer (COO) from her former position as VP of Global Operations and Platforms. More
Nielsen has announced a $1.25 billion debt refinancing initiative, and says it is allocating funds to drive its new TV ratings platform Nielsen One. More
In New York, location intelligence provider Foursquare has acquired geospatial analytics and visualization platform Unfolded. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, competitive intelligence provider Apptopia has raised $20m in a new financing round, which it plans to invest in 'ethically sourced' data outside of mobile apps, to provide clients with a 360-degree view of consumer engagement with their competition. More
In the US, mobile app market intelligence and insights provider Sensor Tower has acquired Santa Monica, California-based advertising intelligence company Pathmatics, for an undisclosed sum. More
In New York, WPP's media investment company GroupM has promoted Krystal Olivieri to the newly created role of Global Innovation Officer, tasked with elevating, enhancing and streamlining its data products and solutions. More
In Sweden, audience measurement group MMS has published the first figures on online video viewing using GfK's new reach model, Audience Ascription Model (AAM), and describes this as 'a major step toward providing total video ratings' for the country. 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
Entertainment sector software and data firm Whip Media has appointed former CBS Television SVP Research Eric Steinberg in the new role of Media Research and Insights Lead, overseeing its television and film research and analysis. More
In the US, mobile app analytics specialist Kochava has acquired DigiCenter, which delivers identity and cross-device graph data on recent or in-the-moment interests, for real-time targeting of customers and prospects. More
In the US, customer data and marketing automation platform Klaviyo has raised $320m in a Series D round of funding, bringing the company's valuation to more than $9 billion. The round will be used for product development, increased marketing and sales, recruitment and international expansion. More
In the US, online qual research platform Aha! has launched a tool called ClientStream, through which brand and corporate insights teams can observe live focus groups and IDIs without having to download Zoom or other software on to their desktops. More
In the US, audience insights platform DISQO has partnered with former ARF CRO Joel Rubinson to launch the first report in a series called New Foundations of Ad Effectiveness, entitled 'X-Ray Specs for Path to Purchase Attribution'. More
In the US, focus group and recruiting services company L&E Research has launched an online solution called Virtual Facility, which provides an option to host, record and live stream research without the need for a physical location or in-person participation. 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
The Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) has launched guidelines recommending a move toward an impressions-based measurement system, providing both forecast and reconciled-as-delivered daily impressions. 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
In the US, global analytics, personalization and subscription platform Piano has raised $88m in a new round of funding, which it will use to expand its platform, enhance product capabilities and scale its global footprint. More
Social media advertising automation platform Smartly.io has acquired US-based artificial intelligence-driven ad creative insights specialist Viralspace.ai, for an undisclosed sum. More
Sweden's audience measurement body MMS and GfK have released figures from the first stage of their Audience Ascription Model (AAM), which they describe as a 'major step' toward providing total video rating for Sweden. More
In the US, TV software and data platform VideoAmp has appointed Paul Ross as Chief Financial Officer. He replaces Robert Leff, who has been promoted to the role of Chief Investment Officer. 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
In the US, business intelligence provider ZoomInfo has appointed Chetna Mahajan as Chief Information Officer. More
In the US, TV software and data platform VideoAmp has raised $75m in 'committed financing' from investment fund Capital IP. The money will be used to hire executives and 'massively expand' the sales, client success and engineering teams. More
TV analytics specialist FourthWall Media has appointed Paul Haddad as Executive Chairman of its Board of Directors. More
Data and marketing services company Acxiom has launched a suite of real-time solutions allowing marketers to deliver personalized messages to their customers and prospects. 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
NYC-based real-time MR company Suzy has appointed Katrina Engelman as Chief Marketing Officer, responsible for building out the marketing function, driving marketing strategy and continuing to grow the brand. More
Video ad targeting firm Tremor Video is rolling out its UnrulyEQ suite of audience and psychographic intelligence solutions to clients in the US and Canada. The suite uses facial coding and survey-based techniques to help advertisers across CTV and video reach and engage audiences. More
New York-based consumer emotion analytics platform Truthify has been granted a US patent for its 'emotion-optimized' advertising technology. More
Switzerland-based sports data collection and analysis provider Sportradar has acquired Australian insights and technology company InteractSport, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, shopper intelligence and media solutions provider Catalina has formed a partnership with audio broadcaster and podcast publisher iHeartMedia, to measure and attribute the impact of podcast advertising on physical store sales. More
In London, start-up Quix has raised $3.2m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to launch a real-time streaming analytics platform. More
Israel, Tel Aviv-based data analytics firm SimilarWeb is aiming to raise around $180m in a New York IPO (initial public offering), offering 8m ordinary shares at a price of $22.00 each. More
News aggregation, web content rating and discussion site Reddit has formed its creative strategy team into a distinct agency, KarmaLab, offering 'creative solutions, inspiration and insights' to clients targeting its 52m daily active users. The offer includes social media listening and trends reports. More
Social media video analytics platform Tubular Labs has appointed long-time Kantar exec Stephen DiMarco as Chief Strategy Officer. More
In London, marketing intelligence and programmatic media specialist MiQ has appointed Candice Odhams as EVP Global Clients. In addition, Mike Gray has been promoted to Director of Client Partnerships, EMEA, and Rob Linton to Commercial Director of MiQ North. More
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has ruled that an 'invention' developed by cross-screen television insights and analytics provider Samba TV - regarding the use of audience data for targeting TV viewers on digital devices - cannot be patented. More
Software giant Oracle has launched what it claims is the world's first ad measurement technology for 3D in-game environments. More
UK-based insights firm Walnut Unlimited has taken on five new recruits, including Elisha Temminck and Alex Banks as Associate Directors. More
US data analytics company Epsilon is the first company to receive Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for a service measuring the connection between a consumer event - such as a purchase - and a digital ad served. More
Digital customer experience (CX) platform Airkit has raised an additional $40m in a Series B round of investment, which it will use to accelerate its go-to-market and product development initiatives. More
Marcoms group dentsu has partnered with digital ad verification specialist Integral Ad Science (IAS) to bring the latter's Total Visibility product to local advertisers in the Australian and New Zealand markets. More
Nielsen has appointed Alicia Olson-Keating as Australian Managing Director for Television Audience Measurement (TAM), starting next month. In her new role, she will support the new Total TV reporting and planning database, Virtual Australia (VOZ). More
Sports data technology company Genius Sports has acquired AI-powered sports data tracking and visualization solutions provider Second Spectrum, for $200m. More
Digital experience management software firm Sitecore has acquired marketing automation and campaign management platform Moosend, and says it aims to create a 'personalization powerhouse'. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
The Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) has released a guide intended to standardize methods for capturing mobile advertising IDs which represent consumers exposed to digital out of home (DOOH) media. More
Comscore has earned Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its integrated viewing product for video on Facebook. More
Comscore has reported results for the first quarter, with revenue up fractionally from $89.5m to $90.3m. Adjusted EBITDA was down 12.5% to $5.6m, but remains much stronger than in 2019. 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
Manchester, UK-based mobile data and survey tech company RealityMine has added a competitor intelligence tool, Experience SDK, to its product offering. More
Location data ad technology firm Blis has entered the Japanese market through a partnership with digital transformation specialist Innovator Japan. The firm has also announced a Hong Kong franchise, which also covers Taiwan, and signed a reseller agreement in North America. More
Hamburg-based research platform provider Appinio has appointed former Cint Vice President Jan Gerspach as VP Strategic Partnerships. More
US-based customer intelligence platform InMoment has appointed Nicolas Herz as Country Sales Director, to lead its expansion into France, and to strengthen its position in Benelux and across Europe. 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
Nielsen has reported a 2.5% increase in first quarter revenue to $863m, with EBITDA climbing strongly (up 18.3%). More
US-based go-to-market specialist Demandbase has made two acquisitions: sales and marketing intelligence firm InsideView, and technographic data and intelligence provider DemandMatrix. Terms of the deals were not disclosed. More
Consumer engagement specialist Higher Logic has acquired Canadian online customer community platform Vanilla, for an undisclosed sum. 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
In Australia, media business the Seven Network has appointed former Nine Network / Axciom exec Dean La Rosa as Head of Commercial Data. The firm has also partnered with Adobe for its 7REDiQ audience intelligence platform. More
London-based youth insight and panel business YouthSight has been acquired by Next15's data and insights group Savanta. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Online sample marketplace PureSpectrum has acquired Upwave's consumer research business Instant Insights, for an undisclosed sum; and has rebranded it as the PureSpectrum Insights platform. More
In Canada, research tech business Rival Technologies and sister company Reach3 Insights have launched a solution using mobile messaging and conversational research design principles to uncover insights from gamers. More
In New York, Kantar's Insights Division has hired former Ebiquity North America MD Jed Meyer and long-time Nielsen exec Susan Lauinger as 'Domain Leaders' in North America, for the Media and Content teams respectively. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's S4Capital has acquired Brazil-based digital performance agency Raccoon Group, to expand its data and digital media practice in Latin America. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
California-based digital media analytics specialist Quotient has hired long-time Nielsen exec Matthew Krepsik for the newly created role of Chief Analytics Officer. More
US-based global technology research and advisory firm Information Services Group (ISG) has announced that EVP and Chief Financial Officer David Berger is to retire after twelve years with the business. He will be succeeded by Humberto 'Bert' Alfonso on June 7th. 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
US-based programmatic advertising company MOLOCO has raised an undisclosed amount of funding, which it says values the business at $1 billion. 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 has launched what it says is South Africa's biggest ever consumer panel, measuring the FMCG purchasing behaviour of more than 6,500 local households at launch. More
Marcoms giant WPP has withdrawn around £200,000 in share awards from founder and former CEO Sir Martin Sorrell, who it claims leaked confidential information to a journalist following his departure in 2018. More
In China, mobile ad platform Mobvista is to acquire third-party mobile measurement and marketing tech firm Reyun for around 1.5 billion RMB (c.$232m). More
SurveyMonkey has added several new listening, analysis and automation features to its customer experience management platform GetFeedback, capturing customer feedback in secure environments such as ATMs and offering AI-powered sentiment analysis. More
Location data provider Geoscape Australia has appointed former Axciom / LiveRamp MD Dean Capobianco as Chief Executive Officer. He takes over from Dan Paull, who left in February after more than 22 years with the business. More
In the US, customer engagement (CE) agency Inte Q has opened a new office in Milwaukee, staffed by former Kohl's Corporation brand marketing and analytics execs Jeremy Griffith, Adam Nenning, Nick Ratelis and Jessica Stemper. More
In New York, marcoms group Edelman has appointed Karima Zmerli as Head of Performance and Predictive Intelligence for its Edelman Data & Intelligence (DxI) multidisciplinary research, analytics and data consultancy. 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
WPP has launched a global data company called Choreograph, which brings the specialist data units of GroupM and Wunderman Thompson into a single business, accessible to all WPP clients and companies. More
Chicago-based consumer and market intelligence company Numerator has launched an omnichannel market share measurement system called TruView, for use by CPG brands and retailers. More
Xandr, the advertising analytics division of AT&T, has launched a platform called Curate, allowing data owners to 'layer' their assets with data from other sources and package it for sale via Xandr's marketplace. More
Shares in WPP AUNZ have been suspended from the ASX (Australian Securities Exchange), following last week's shareholder vote in favour of a buyout of the business by British parent company WPP plc. More
Comscore has expanded its digital audience measurement capabilities in Italy, increasing granularity in age reporting. More
YouGov has announced the acquisition of open banking start-up Lean App, adding financial transaction data to its panel, profiling and other products and services. More
Video game commerce company Xsolla has announced the acquisition of Slemma, which provides an analytics and visualization platform, for an undisclosed sum. More
Digital ad trade body IAB Australia has says it will not at this point endorse the methodology for Nielsen's new-look Digital Media Ratings. The measurement giant announced a 'soft-release' of the new system last week, for clients only. More
In New York, video ad platform SpotX has launched a suite of tools allowing media owners and advertisers to target audiences using first-party, third-party or subscriber data for connected TV (CTV). More
In the US, online survey software firm Intellisurvey has appointed long-time industry exec Barry Kiernan as Vice President, tasked with building and strengthening the firm's partnerships and infrastructure. More
A rift in the Australian readership measurement industry which opened a dozen years ago appears to be healing this week, as media alliance Think News Brands shutters its publisher-funded 'EMMA' measurement platform and resumes support for long-time currency provider Roy Morgan. 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
Mobile app measurement and marketing company Adjust is to be acquired by Palo Alto, California-based tech platform AppLovin. Terms were not disclosed. More
Experience Management (XM) pioneer Qualtrics has reported first quarter revenue up 36% to $238.6m, and also says it turned an operating loss into a small (non-GAAP) profit during the period. 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
Insights and data firm Pureprofile has reported revenues up 25% to $7.1m in the first three months of 2021; and says it plans to launch new partnerships, plus panels in Europe and Asia. More
Consumer intelligence platform Toluna has announced two senior appointments: Kelly Albada Jelgersma joins the company as Vice President Global Head of Sales Operations, and Houston Itzen as Global Head of Pricing. More
Tech buyer and seller marketplace Spiceworks Ziff Davis (SWZD) has launched a division called Aberdeen Strategy & Research, delivering insights into the business technology market. Robin Peto will lead it as Managing Director. More
Kantar has been commissioned by the Association of Philippine Broadcasters (KBP - Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas) to conduct a series of radio surveys which will serve as currency for radio audience measurement in 2021. More
Nielsen has launched a syndicated service called Nielsen Streaming Video Ratings, providing total viewing and audience demographic insights by streaming platform, alongside linear TV ratings. More
In the US, customer experience automation (CXA) firm ActiveCampaign has raised $240m in a Series C round of financing, which it will use for further investment in product development, ongoing global expansion, and acceleration of partner initiatives. More
YouGov has launched a service called YouGov Safe, offering a fully opt-in, GDPR and CCPA compliant, cross-device tracker and data marketplace, which incentivises participants to choose who they share their data with. More
Israel-based customer intelligence platform Affogata has raised $5.5m in seed funding, which it will use both to expand and to step up R&D. More
In the US, online sample company PureSpectrum has raised $17m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to continue building its team and to expand its product offering. More
Personalization platform Folloze and predictive intelligence firm 6sense have announced a technology partnership using real-time data to understand buyer behavior, identify target accounts and deliver 'contextual buying journeys'. More
Kantar has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Chicago-based consumer and market intelligence company Numerator from investment firm Vista Equity Partners. Sources suggest the deal is worth about $1.5 billion. 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
TV advertising trade group VAB has written to Nielsen CEO David Kenny asking the ratings giant to submit to an immediate audit of its practices, as a result of what it says are 'under-counting' of viewing and lack of 'maintenance' of Nielsen panel homes during the pandemic. More
Marcoms network dentsu has launched a Canadian business for its customer experience management (CXM) company Merkle, to be led by Walter Flaat. More
San Jose, CA-based UserZoom, whose 'Experience Insights Management (XIM) platform' helps businesses gather and integrate UX and CX data and develop strategies accordingly, has raised $100m in a funding round; and has acquired 'experience insights hub' EnjoyHQ. More
In New York, advertising and marcoms network DDB North America has appointed Jatinder Singh as Chief Data Officer. More
Scott Brown, former General Manager, Audience Measurement at Nielsen, is leaving to join information giant Experian. More
Austin, Texas-based customer engagement software developer Khoros has appointed April Downing as Chief Financial Officer, replacing Samuel Monti; while Sejal Amin joins as Chief Technology Officer, replacing Dan Doman. More
LARVOL, which provides data and intelligence solutions for the pharma and biotech industry, has launched a cancer-focused social media listening and sentiment analysis platform called VIEW. More
Australian data intelligence company Potentiate has promoted Melissa Riley to Head of Client Services, Ante Grabovac to Solutions Engineer, and Amanda Roach to Growth Hacker. More
Kantar has partnered with video audience targeting and analytics platform Streamhub in a deal which the firms say offers new capabilities for the analysis and activation of online streaming audiences. More
Ipsos has acquired UK-based audio recognition technology firm Intrasonics for an undisclosed amount. More
Twitter has expanded the integration of Nielsen's cross-media audience measurement solutions into its video ad platform, to help advertisers with pre- and post-campaign planning and maximize their ad inventory. More
UK-based marcoms group Next Fifteen Communications has acquired predictive data-led business Shopper Media Group (SMG) and its subsidiaries - Capture Marketing, Lobster Agency, and Threefold Agency - for £15.7m. More
US-based digital media measurement and analytics firm DoubleVerify (DV) has appointed former Nielsen SVP Doug Campbell as Chief Strategy Officer. More
Video data platform IRIS.TV has raised $18m in a Series B funding round, which it will use to accelerate the growth of its platform and API tools allowing video-level data targeting for Connected TV (CTV) and online video. More
Consumer intelligence platform NielsenIQ has launched an 'Omnishopper' solution, helping clients to understand a variety of consumer behavior across the US marketplace. 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
UK-based ad and innovation testing platform Zappi has appointed Alice Saje as Executive Vice President of Operations, to lead its Global Operations team across support, market expansion, fulfilment and business operations. More
In the US, TV ad tech firm tvScientific has launched an ad buying, measurement and attribution platform for Connected TV (CTV). More
In New York, social media monitoring platform Talkwalker has added a tool called Speech Analytics, allowing brands and agencies to sift conversations taking place in podcasts. More
Online video research firm Discuss.io has launched a solution called 'Mobile Screen Share', through which research teams and consumers can share their mobile screens inside a meeting room and access a respondent's mobile screen and real-time movements on their device. More
Data science-powered app store optimization platform AppTweak has raised $22m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to expand its global presence, especially in the APAC and EMEA regions, develop its platform, and diversify its advisory services. 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, Comscore has promoted analytics leader Michael Vinson to the position of Chief Research Officer. More
Cross-screen television analytics provider Samba TV has partnered with TV measurement company 605, giving Samba exclusive access to 605's subset of TV viewing data and allowing ad targeting across over-the-top streaming and linear audiences. More
In San Francisco, 'human intelligence hiring' firm Crosschq has raised $13m to enhance its analytics services, used to help companies track and measure the quality of their recruitment processes. More
Media and entertainment company Australian Radio Network (ARN) has launched an audience and commercial insights series called Australia Unplugged, promising to 'dig deep' to answer the questions about what's really on audio consumers' minds. 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
International data collection and research services provider Schlesinger Group has acquired Canadian firm Addison Research for an undisclosed sum. More
YouGov has launched a templated suite of brand research approaches called Consumer Journey Diagnostics, which it says 'blends the depth of custom research with the cost-effectiveness and speed of syndicated data'. More
For the third of our new video podcasts, we're Zooming In on Gary Drenik, co-founder and CEO of Prosper. If you're interested in the collection and modeling of consumer data (USA and China) this is a must. 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
San Francisco-based predictive intelligence firm 6sense has raised $125m in a Series D round of funding, which increases the company's valuation to $2.1 billion. The new funds will be used to expand the firm's solutions for delivering ideal customer journeys based on data and insights. 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
Kantar has launched a new practice, Dx Analytics, focused on the analysis of unstructured data to provide clients with deeper insight, and help them measure and boost their digital marketing performance. More
Global group GfK has unveiled a new version of its gfknewron solution which gives clients instant access to the company's independent, predictive analytics for tech consumer goods across 27 countries. New features include AI-driven rolling, short-term forecasts; and price optimization tools. More
Brand researcher and consultancy Hall & Partners has launched A(i)LIVE, which incorporates behavioural and survey data from Dynata and technology from consumer intelligence tool Powr of You in what it calls 'the world's first 'living' market segmentation tool'. 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
Video ad distribution platform GlassView has launched Ecko, an optimisation tool based on analysis of Customer Lifetime Value (LTV). More
Sir Martin Sorrell's digital ad group S4Capital has announced a 15.2% like-for-like increase in revenue, in unaudited preliminary results for the full year 2020. EBITDA rose 18.3% on the same basis. Reported revenue, including acquisitions, was up 59.3% to £342.7m. More
Real-time targeting specialist Fanplayr has opened UK offices in London and Manchester, and has made three senior appointments for its new UK team. More
Trade association IAB Australia is to conduct an independent review into requirements for a digital audience measurement currency, to form the basis for a tender for online measurement services, published in May. More
Cultural insights agency and Hispanic sample provider ThinkNow has upgraded its ConneKt audience planning and segmentation tool, promising a more robust platform with enhanced user experience. In addition, adtech professional Jonathan Saquicili has been hired as ConneKt Product Manager. More
In the US, behavior-based preventative health software firm Pandemic Insights has raised $5m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to accelerate the development and go-to-market release of its platform. More
In San Francisco, experience management firm AnyRoad has raised $10m in an oversubscribed Series A-1 financing round, which it will invest in R&D to advance its data, insights, and machine learning products, and double its headcount in engineering and sales. 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
In the US, behavioral research specialist EyeSee has appointed long-time PRS exec Heather Graham as Business Development Director. More
New York-based enterprise customer data platform ActionIQ has extended its Series C round of funding, bringing the total raised to $100m. The new investment will be used for further research and development to increase the platform's enterprise capabilities. More
In the US, digital experience specialist Optimizely has acquired customer data platform Zaius for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, B2B marketing intelligence engine Clearbit has appointed former SurveyMonkey exec Ross Moser as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding acting CEO and co-founder Matt Sornson. 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
Nielsen has moved Sandra Sims-Williams to the role of Chief Diversity Officer, taking over from CEO David Kenny, who has held both roles since February 2019. More
Full-service agency DVJ Insights has appointed Jemma Toynebee-Smith as Client Consultant in its UK team, based in London. More
Customer experience management (CXM) company Merkle has appointed long-time Deloitte exec Tracie Kambies as Global Head of Analytics, while Shirli Zelcer has been promoted to Head of Analytics and Data, Merkle Americas. More
In Finland, AI-powered marketing optimization platform Sellforte has raised EUR 4m in a funding round, which it will use to hire specialists to scale R&D, and continue its European expansion, with plans to open new offices in Germany soon. 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
Mobile research tech firm RealityMine has appointed Clare McHatton as Client Development Director, while Toby Lee joins the team as Data Products Engineer and Matthew Pemberton as Project Manager. More
In the US, cloud-based marketing solutions provider Captello has launched new tools for clients to capture survey and lead data from people using social media messaging and payment app WeChat. More
Online MR and technology company Further has appointed Gemma Stephenson as Operations Director. More
Social media analyst Meltwater is to acquire French company Linkfluence, which uses artificial intelligence to mine social media for consumer insights. The agreed price of EUR 50m comprises a combination of cash, equity and earn-out. More
Former Sample Central Group CEO Anthony J James has launched what he claims is the 'world's first' business influencer marketplace, offering access to 'highly networked' B2B and B2C leaders across fifteen countries in the US, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Europe. More
In the US, social media analytics platform ListenFirst has launched competitive tracking and industry benchmarks for video-sharing site TikTok. More
In the US, expense management specialist Emburse has acquired travel spend behavior analyst DVI (Data Visualization Intelligence). Terms were not disclosed. More
In London, speech analysis tech firm Phebi has launched an Emotional Resonance Score (ERS), tracking emotional responses to a set of items or concepts, automatically comparing positive and negative responses and presenting the results in rank order. More
US-based geospatial data provider SafeGraph has raised $45m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to offer new ways for customers to buy data, and to roll out its model in the UK in April. More
In Australia, outdoor advertising and media company oOh!media has launched an online data resource called the Audience Intelligence Hub, to provide clients with insights for engaging Out of Home (OoH) audiences. More
Former Kantar TNS East Africa CEO Aggrey Maposa died last Tuesday, after battling a long-term illness. More
Experience management firm Qualtrics has announced a 29% increase in revenue for the full year 2020, to $763.5m, with a fourth quarter increase of 24% to $213.6m. Non-GAAP Q4 net loss was $8.1m, improved from $20.3m a year earlier, while for the full year the figure was $46m ($59.3m in 2019). More
Newly merged research tech businesses Confirmit and FocusVision have appointed three female staff to the leadership team: Qual Business MD Zhana Baleva, Chief People Officer Sara Cohen and Chief Legal Officer Rebecca Wright. More
In the US, software developer Plannuh has launched an index allowing marketers to analyse, score and benchmark the operational marketing performance of their department. More
In Canada, comms solutions provider DATA Communications Management (DCM) has hired Richard Kellam as President and CEO, replacing Gregory Cochrane who has been named Vice Chairman. 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
In the US, data-driven marketing solutions provider Stirista has acquired data marketplace VDC (Venture Development Center), for an undisclosed sum. More
In the UK, MR services provider Protel Fieldwork has added WATI (web-assisted telephone interviewing) to its portfolio. 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
Comscore has partnered with enterprise AI solutions provider Hive, to expand the integration of artificial intelligence across its product portfolio. More
New York-based consumer insights platform Suzy has launched an audience-powered research solution called Suzy Solutions, through which large enterprises and brands can customize their market research and gather rapid consumer insights. More
Customer experience management specialist Sprinklr has expanded its presence in Singapore, with the opening of a new R&D center. More
In London, marketing intelligence and programmatic media specialist MiQ has promoted Giles Ivey to the position of EMEA Chief Executive Officer, while Van Sideras has been named EMEA Chief Operations Officer and Freddie Turner takes Sideras' previous role as UK Managing Director. 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
Allganize, which uses natural language processing (NLP) to deliver answers to users' questions, has raised $10m in a round of funding. Funds will be used for R&D, global expansion, and to increase headcount. More
In New York, data and insights firm Netscribes has launched a solution called 'On-Demand Research', to help clients meet unplanned insight demands at speed. More
San Francisco-based Heap has named Ken Fine as its new CEO, replacing co-founder Matin Movassate who is moving to the full-time role of Chairman of the Board. The firm has also expanded its product portfolio and added two VPs to the team. More
Singapore and Malaysia-based B2B survey marketplace InsightzClub has added a proprietary data discovery tool which brings real-time automation to its dashboard. More
Kantar Media's former Global CEO Andy Brown has joined cross-platform TV ad measurement specialist TVSquared as an Executive Advisor. More
Customer experience management specialist Medallia is to acquire digital experience analytics firm Decibel, headquartered in London, for approximately $160m in cash. More
Comscore has reported preliminary financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2020. Q4 revenue fell some 5.5% to $90.0m, but profits rose - adjusted EBITDA was up around 70% in Q4 to $9.4m, and for the year as a whole rose dramatically. More
GfK has announced the launch of Brand Architect, a new framework which it says bridges the gap between consumer attitudes and actual behavior, to measure the strength of brands. 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 New York, civic engagement tech provider Zencity has acquired analytics and community polling company Elucd, which helps clients understand resident needs and trends in sentiment around public policies and initiatives, in real time. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Panel provider Intra Research has announced the launch of panels in Germany, Poland and India, with expansion to the Nordic countries coming 'in the near future'. More
In the US, video technology provider and measurement specialist Qumu has appointed Lauren Goldstein as Chief Revenue Officer, leading its global sales division. More
In the US, full-service MR agency The Dieringer Research Group has made three senior promotions: Shelley Ahrens to Chief Customer Officer, Ron Rawski to Chief Information Officer, and Nikki Riggleman to VP of Business Development. More
Canada-based online sample and research technology specialist WiseWorks has hired former Echo MR exec JR Venza as AVP - Client Development in the US, while in India former Nielsen exec Prerna Jha joins as Research Manager. The firm has also promoted several members of its team. More
Nielsen has completed the previously announced sale of its consumer intelligence business NielsenIQ (formerly Nielsen Global Connect) for $2.7bn to affiliates of Advent Interrnational, in partnership with former TransUnion CEO James 'Jim' Peck. More
YouGov has acquired Toronto, Canada-based sports research firm Charlton Insights, for an undisclosed sum. More
Partho Dasgupta, former CEO of India's Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), has been granted bail, following his arrest on charges of 'manipulating' the country's ratings data. More
US-based social media listening agency SOCIALHOSE.IO has launched a suite of enterprise-level tools to help businesses analyze sentiment, trends and reputation. 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
Google has announced that it won't build alternative identifiers to track individuals as they browse the web once third-party cookies are phased out; nor use them in other Google products. More
In the US, audience measurement and digital advertising firm Quantcast has launched an insight and ad optimisation platform which it says will help publisher and advertiser clients compete more evenly with the Internet's 'walled gardens'. More
Nielsen's music, video and sports tech company Gracenote has launched a solution called 'Personalized Imagery', to help video services present the most appealing program images to viewers through their user interfaces, content carousels and program guides. 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
Hamburg, Germany-based market research platform Appinio has hired former YouGov exec Jens Brümmer-Jerkovic for the newly created role of Head of Account Management for the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). More
In Los Angeles, entertainment insights business MarketCast has appointed Regina Johnson as its first Chief Human Resources Officer. More
In New York, emotion and behavior insights specialist Canvs AI has released a cross-platform feature for its Canvs TV solution, offering users a quant and qual overview of how their program is performing across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube TV. More
Nielsen is selling its Advanced Video Advertising (AVA) business to TV streaming platform Roku, in a deal which includes Nielsen's video automatic content recognition (ACR) and dynamic ad insertion (DAI) technologies. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. More
US-headquartered mobile ad platform Vungle has acquired Finland-based mobile gaming analytics company GameRefinery for an undisclosed sum. More
Data from Kantar's Great Britain TGI consumer survey will now be updated and released on a monthly basis, in response to what the firm says are evolving demands for consumer insight. More
Data collection and research services company Schlesinger Group has launched a qual technology solution called 'Moderate Anywhere', allowing researchers who are unable to travel to conduct in-facility research from anywhere they have a computer, webcam and the Internet. More
Outdoor advertising company JCDecaux Australia & New Zealand has launched a tool called OPTIX, giving advertisers an understanding of which elements of their creative are driving the most audience engagement and viewer attention. More
Paris-based MR data and tech firm Bilendi has announced the acquisition of HumanizeeSAS, the company that owns the Discussnow platform. More
In Illinois, USA, a federal judge has approved settlement of the 2015 lawsuit alleging that Facebook tagged the faces of users and used other biometric data without their permission. The social network will pay $650m, including 'at least' $345 for each of the class action's c.1.6m plaintiffs. More
Comscore has expanded its data agreement with marcoms giant Omnicom Group, to provide privacy-safe e-commerce and audience behavioral data for its Omni media planning and personalization platform. More
UK-based kids, parents & family panels firm The Insights People has added eight new team members since the start of the year, taking its headcount to 54, with a further 16 hires planned. The firm says that so far in 2021 it has added one new client every week. More
In Denmark, human behavior analyst iMotions has launched a data collection module using a browser interface and a participant's own webcam to collect data from facial expression analysis and eye tracking, for integration with self-reported surveys. 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
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
Global PR and marketing company Cision has agreed to acquire Brighton, UK-based social media listening and content marketing analytics firm Brandwatch, for $450 million. More
US-based digital ad automation platform Centro has acquried predictive ad technology firm QuanticMind, for an undisclosed sum; and plans add 150 new staff elsewhere. 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
The UK Statistics Authority has set up a Centre for Applied Data Ethics, to provide practical guidance and support for researchers and statisticians; and to keep them abreast of new methods, technologies and data sources. More
Comscore has rolled out its cookie-free targeting capability 'Predictive Audiences' to France, Spain and Italy - it already operates in the UK and Germany. The firm has also partnered with audience technology platform Eyeota to offer access to cookie-less B2B audiences. More
US-based sample solutions provider InnovateMR has appointed former Dynata execs Divesh Mahajan as Account Director, APAC and Kanishka Baisoya as Associate Director, Global Bidding. Both are based in India. More
In the US, retailer and consumer data platform SoundCommerce has raised $15m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to expand its team and platform capabilities. 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
Nielsen has reported fourth quarter 2020 net income of $35m, compared to a loss of $109m in the prior year period. Revenue for the period fell just 1.1% to $1.67bn, while adjusted EBITDA was $560m, up 13.8%. For the full year, the company almost broke even, on revenues down 3.2%. More
Comscore has expanded its TV measurement footprint to Australia through a partnership with cross-screen television insights and analytics provider Samba TV; and says it plans to add further regions throughout 2021. More
YouGov has hired Hideyuki (Andy) Hata for a newly created role, Senior Strategic Advisor, YouGov Sport, tasked with establishing the business's commercial operations in Tokyo. More
In the US, MR data quality and anti-fraud solutions specialist Imperium has launched an automated tool called QualityScore, designed to improve data quality while reducing reliance on manual checks. More
In San Francisco, AI-powered customer data platform Blueshift has raised $30m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to scale its SmartHub platform and accelerate its global growth. More
Ad management and data-driven creative platform Flashtalking has acquired MRC accredited ad fraud specialist Protected Media for an undisclosed sum. More
Communities specialist InSites Consulting has expanded its Asian footprint with the acquisition of Taipei, Taiwan-based Answer. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Nielsen has launched new scoring metrics allowing brands to compare the impact of their sports sponsorship activities to other marketing and advertising initiatives. More
Digital MR products and solutions company Borderless Access has launched its proprietary MR panel community in two new Latin American and two European markets: Ecuador, Peru, France and Italy. More
Strategic insights firm Firefish USA has appointed long-time Kantar exec Sylvain Molinier as 'Senior Director of Futures', based in its Brooklyn, NY team. More
In New York, personalized video content creation platform VidMob has raised $50m in a Series C round of financing, which it will use to support global expansion and invest in technology and data science. More
Comscore has been awarded a US patent for its 'System and Method for Analyzing the Effectiveness of Content Advertisements'. 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
CX and marketing company Merkle is retiring its Aquila analytics brand, marking the final step in the integration of a firm acquired in 2017. 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
In India, Comscore has added 'state clusters' to its measurement suite, allowing users to segment digital audiences based on their location in sixteen states across India. The firm says this allows media buyers and sellers to understand multi-platform audiences beyond country level. More
Adgile Media, an Australian firm measuring TV ad impact, has launched a cloud-based platform called Catalyst, designed to help users understand, optimise and extend their TV planning and buying in real time. More
The European Commission has published its draft UK 'adequacy decisions', which if adopted will allow for the continued free flow of personal data from the EU into the UK. More
Oslo-headquartered data collection specialist Norstat has promoted Chief Operating Officer Erling Eriksen to CEO, replacing Knut Aasrud, who has decided to retire. 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
In London, ad group M&C Saatchi has launched a data consultancy called Fluency, promising to bring greater access to data and insights across organisations. It will be led by CEO Frisco Chau, who is also the wider group's Chief Data Officer. More
Shares in insight exchange and sample management platform Cint rose 30% to SEK 92.5 (EUR 9.2) per share from the original offer price of SEK 72 (EUR 7.2), after the firm placed its initial public offering (IPO) on the Nasdaq Stockholm this morning. The listing values Cint at more than EUR 1bn. More
Kantar is to begin offering media monitoring services in Sri Lanka, following an agreement to acquire Nielsen's local media monitoring business in the country. The service will complement Kantar's existing TV audience measurement services. More
UK-based mobile research tech firm RealityMine has launched a product called RealLife Audio, to capture and report on the streamed audio content that panellists have listened to across a range of music, radio, podcast and audiobook streaming services. 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
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 New York, insights provider Consumer Edge (CE) has acquired web data firm Savvr for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, eCommerce software platform Inxeption has partnered with digital tech firm Infostretch to provide its clients with new ways to understand their customers' preferences, buying habits, purchasing frequency and brand affinities. 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
SurveyMonkey has announced that its CX solution GetFeedback will integrate with cross-channel shopper personalisation platform Salesforce Commerce Cloud. More
Video feedback platform Discuss.io has promoted co-founder Jim Longo to the role of Chief Strategy Officer, while Jeremy Radcliffe has been named Vice President - Global Head of Sales. More
SurveyMonkey has reported a 20% increase in total revenue to $101.0m for the fourth quarter, ended December 31st 2020. Full-year 2020 revenue was up 22% year-on-year to $375.6m. More
UK broadcaster ITV has created new data roles - promoting Lara Izlan to Director of Data Strategy, while Clemence Burnichon joins as Director of Data Innovation, Mike Leverington will join next month as Director of Data Experimentation, and Kat Holmes becomes Director of Data Governance. More
In the US, podcast management and advertising platform Backtracks has launched a solution combining real-time behavioral analytics with engagement and retention data, to help publishers understand which sections of content capture an audience's attention. More
In San Francisco, customer relationship management (CRM) specialist Copper has acquired engagement analytics platform Sherlock, for an undisclosed sum. More
In Belgium, Pieter Goossens has returned to Kantar as Senior Director, Technology and Digital Lead. More
In the US, customer relationship management (CRM) platform HubSpot has signed an agreement to acquire media company The Hustle, which produces a newsletter, podcast, and research and tech trend content. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
In the UK, customer feedback software company Customer Thermometer has been acquired by e-mail signature software and solutions provider Exclaimer Group. 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
Crispin Beale, former Group CEO of Chime Insight & Engagement, has been appointed as an Advisor to the management team of shopper insights specialist Behaviorally (previously known as PRS IN VIVO USA); supporting the company's growth strategy in the UK and across Europe. More
In the UK, the co-founders of outdoor advertising company Primesight have launched a tag-based mobile location verification platform called GeoProve. More
In Sydney, Nielsen has appointed former Hearts & Science exec Jonathan Betts as Executive Director, Commercial Growth and Product Strategy, Nielsen Media Australia. He takes up the new role next Monday. More
US-based cross-screen television insights and analytics provider Samba TV has launched a service called The Smart TV Privacy Manager, giving consumers control over their household's personal data through privacy regulations on Smart TVs. More
In London, communications software and market intelligence firm Access Intelligence Group has hired former Accuity Exec Tom Golding as its first Chief Operating Officer. More
Online attention tracking and content analytics specialist Parse.ly has been acquired by WordPress VIP (WPVIP), the enterprise content blogging site owned by publishing platform provider Automattic. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
US-based experience management company Qualtrics has appointed Jason Laufer as Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand. More
In the US, Paradigm Sample has appointed former SurveyMonkey exec Adam Jolley as EVP and General Manager for the Americas, and a member of the firm's Executive Leadership team. More
In London, language and behavioural science agency Schwa has launched an online process called The Tone Test, to help measure a company's 'tone of voice'. More
Real-time customer data specialist Tealium has raised $96m in a Series G round of funding, which it will use to drive product innovation and expand its global footprint. More
Social media intelligence firm Bakamo has expanded to the Middle East via a partnership with Kuwait-based AlFikra Co, formalizing an existing working arrangement which it says has 'significantly increased through the pandemic'. 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
Programmatic sampling and research tech company Lucid has appointed Deborah Elam as its newest board member, with a remit to help the company prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion; and expand its impact on the New Orleans community. More
Customer experience (CX) and DIY survey firm Alchemer, formerly known as SurveyGizmo, has appointed former SAP exec Mary Beth Addison as SVP of Sales. More
Retail data science company PreciseTarget has launched ConsumerInsights, a new service promising apparel and fashion brands in-depth knowledge of their existing customers and their best acquisition targets. More
US-based purchase intent insight provider V12 has launched a consumer targeting solution called Vistas Lifestyle and Shopping Segmentation, based on in-market store shopping behavior rather than self-reported feedback. More
New York-based location intelligence firm PlaceIQ has acquired the Geospatial Insights business from location tech firm Skyhook Wireless. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Iteratively, which offers tools to help clients verify their product analytics, has raised $5.4m in funding. The money will be used to accelerate development of its own products countering 'poor data quality', and to hire across marketing, sales and customer success. More
Bot attack and fraud prevention specialist White Ops has announced it is the first company to receive Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for end-to-end coverage against Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT) for desktop, mobile web, mobile in-app and Connected TV (CTV). More
US and Israel-based B2B customer data platform (CDP) Leadspace has raised $46m in a growth funding round, which it will use to expand its team in both countries. The firm has also appointed former Webtrends CEO Alex Yoder as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Doug Bewsher. More
Comscore has rolled out its cookie-free targeting capability 'Predictive Audiences' in the UK and Germany. More
Kantar has joined Google's Ads Data Hub (ADH), enabling marketers to assess YouTube ad performance across all devices and platforms without the use of pixels. More
New York-based clickstream data provider Datos has named co-founder Eli Goodman as Chief Executive Officer as the firm launches out of stealth mode. More
Erin Matts, the former CEO of Omnicom-owned data and analytics firm Annalect, has joined Omnicom Precision Marketing Group (OPMG) as Chief Experience Officer, Head of Omnichannel. More
Media agency Mindshare USA has appointed Sean Clayton as Executive Director, Solutions Officer, with a remit which includes integrating data, technology and analytics capabilities across Mindshare, GroupM and the wider WPP group. 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
In the US, global consultancy Accenture has agreed to acquire product development and user testing company Imaginea, for an undisclosed sum. More
Cross-platform TV ad measurement specialist TVSquared has launched a fully-automated cookie-less solution called ADvantage XP, to measure the effectiveness of TV advertising for linear television, addressable and OTT/CTV. More
In New York, predictive AI platform NWO.ai has launched out of stealth mode with a $3.5m seed funding round. More
In the US, TV ad measurement specialist EDO has hired John Cripps as Senior Vice President of Convergent Measurement, Peter Foley as Head of Data Science, Diane Staffan as Head of Product Strategy, and Gowtham Prakash as Manager of Data Engineering. More
Online audience measurement body UKOM (UK Online Measurement) and Ipsos have announced the official launch of Ipsos iris, the new UK industry standard for online audience measurement. 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
GfK has been commissioned by Asian media group Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) to develop a new measure of the state's local media consumption, combining survey data with digitally collected data in a single-source approach. 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
US-based MMR LIVE Experience Design has added Shelly Bouren to its team as VP of Strategy and Consulting. Bouren was formerly Head of Research for NBA team the Detroit Pistons. More
UK-based media and marketing analytics firm Ebiquity has appointed Paul Williamson as Managing Director of its North America business, while Stewart Li joins as Managing Director of China. More
Data-driven marketing and CX management company Merkle has promoted Sam Taverner to the role of EMEA Chief Growth Officer of the Merkle and dentsu CXM Service Line, and Liz Rutgersson to Chief Media Officer, Merkle Americas. More
In the US, real-time targeting specialist Fanplayr has added 'Personalized SMS' to its suite of products, for targeting lead generation and online shoppers. More
In the US, experience management company Qualtrics has confirmed the pricing of its initial public offering (IPO) of 51,695,568 shares at a price to the public of $30.00 per share. More
London-based customer data and experience platform ('CDXP') Exponea has been acquired by digital and commerce experience specialist Bloomreach for $150m, funded by investment company Sixth Street Growth. More
Australia-based digital research platform Pureprofile has appointed former Kantar exec Young Ham as Head of Data, Innovation and Product; plus Kate Richards as Interim Head of Sales, Data & Insights ANZ, and Tom Hamilton as Senior Account Director. More
DIY survey software platform SurveyMonkey has appointed Antoine Andrews with the title of Chief Diversity & Social Impact Officer (CDIO). He is based in the San Francisco Bay area. More
Online qual research specialist Aha! has promoted Paula Kramer to the role of Vice President of Project Management and Sach Joshi to Senior Project Manager, while Lexi Lear and Adam Phillips join as Project Managers. More
In the US, experience management company Qualtrics has appointed Julia Anas as Chief People Officer, Edward Chen as Head of Corporate Development and Strategy, and Gina Sheibley as Chief Communications Officer. 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
Kantar has hired former Mindshare exec Paul Sturgeon for a newly created role, leading its Brand and Marketing ROI offer in the UK. More
In San Mateo, DIY research survey platform SurveyMonkey has appointed former Kantar exec Dana Herstein and former Dynata exec Helen D'Abreo to lead cross-disciplinary market research sales teams. More
Google is trialling a new approach called FLoC (Federated Learning Cohorts), as part of its commitment to eliminate third-party cookies and replace them with 'privacy-first' alternatives through which publishers and advertisers can target and measure ads. More
Ipsos has acquired a majority stake in Czech Republic-based company MGE Data, which specialises in Out-of-Home (OOH) measurement, with capabilities in consulting, data analytics, application development and technical solutions. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Australia-based digital research platform Pureprofile has announced a record 26% increase in revenue for the quarter ending 31st December 2020. The total of $8.2m was driven by strong performance in all business units, and was 'well ahead of expectations', according to the firm. More
In London, consumer privacy-focused ad data platform Glimpse Protocol has raised EUR 1.4m in a seed round of funding, with investors including former Kantar CEO Eric Salama. More
In the UK, marketing and customer analytics consultancy STRAT7 has appointed former Kantar exec Giles Darby as Group Commercial Director; Richard Morland as Group Marketing Director; and Oliver Gwynne as Content & Digital Marketing Manager. More
Comscore has announced the launch of Movies Everywhere, which promises daily reporting of box office movie performance across all platforms. More
Digital experience management software firm Sitecore has announced a $1.2bn investment, in support of a major growth plan. More
In the UK, data science and analytics consultancy Realise Unlimited has launched a method to help develop a deeper understanding of customers through their social media data. More
In the US, video technology provider and measurement specialist Qumu has closed a $10m revolving credit facility from Wells Fargo Bank, which it will use to invest in growth opportunities and manage working capital. More
In the US, marcoms group Ogilvy has hired digital transformation specialist Steve Soechtig for a newly created role, Global Chief Executive Officer of its Experience business. More
In the US, purchase intent data firm V12 has been acquired by home services sector software company Porch Group for an undisclosed sum. 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 New York, Omnicom Public Relations Group (OPRG) has launched a patent-pending comms analytics platform called omniearnedID, to understand the impact of earned media on brand sales. More
Tesco-owned customer data firm dunnhumby is preparing to launch an enterprise edition of its Model Lab machine learning automation tool for data scientists, built on cloud computing service Microsoft Azure. The tool will initially be available in the US. More
In the US, Kantar has sold its paid search intelligence unit - formerly known as AdGooroo - to AI-powered search intelligence specialist Adthena. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. More
In the UK, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has announced plans to publish credit and debit card transaction data from the Bank of England, to help analyse how individuals have been spending their money during the past twelve months. 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
UK market research budgets fell in the fourth quarter of 2020, with 34% of firms reporting a decrease and only 11.4% a rise - according to the latest IPA Bellwether Report. More
Chicago, US-based digital agency Bounteous has hired long-term Publicis Sapient exec Jaspreet Singh for the newly created role of Chief Strategy & Insights Officer, tasked with overseeing the company's teams of strategists, researchers and analysts. More
UK-based insight and foresight platform Signoi has launched a set of AI-driven quant semiotic methods called Imagysis, to analyse images on social media and understand what people are posting about a brand or category. More
According to reports in UK media, Paris-headquartered marketing group Publicis has been holding talks with a private equity firm regarding the possible sale of all or a part of the group. More
In London, former Sky exec Phil Halliwell has joined full-service insight consultancy Relish as Insight Director. More
In the US, Directions Research has launched a suite of technology-driven omnibus survey solutions called Xcelerant, which it says will enable teams to get answers to their questions from real people worldwide, with results available in as little as 24 hours. More
Marketing company Power Digital has acquired US and Israel-based data-driven digital media buying and creative agency Social Method. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
London-based Opinium has hired former Hall & Partners exec Tom McEnery as Research Director, and made six further appointments. More
Ipsos has announced the acquisition of Croatian firm Fistnet d.o.o., developer of the Dotmetrics digital audience measurement platform. More
Google has taken the unusual step of pronouncing its $2.1bn acquisition of wearable tech firm Fitbit a done deal, while regulatory investigations including that of the U.S. Department of Justice are still ongoing. Meanwhile Facebook's WhatsApp is mired in controversy over user data. More
Data-driven marketing and CX management company Merkle has appointed Simon Esland in the new role of VP Practice Lead, Marketing Decisioning, overseeing its partnership with Pegasystems. Esland was previously Group Head of Marketing Technology Strategy at Vodafone. More
Retail mobile app platform Poq has beta launched an integration with mobile analytics and attribution provider AppsFlyer, promising the former's clients the ability to rapidly scale their app commerce marketing, and drive more effective customer acquisition and retention. More
In the US, market intelligence platform Premise Data has raised $85m in a Series E round of funding, which it will use to expand its platform capabilities and global network. More
Automated ad and innovation testing platform Zappi has hired Alison Scott as Senior Director, Customer Transformation, and Mary Lou Barney as Vice President, Strategic Accounts. The firm has also promoted Patricia Montesdeoca, Michelle Wu and Zontziry Johnson. More
Advertising intelligence company Integral Ad Science (IAS) has acquired Philadelphia-based Amino Payments, a specialist in programmatic advertising transparency. More
Paris, France-based MR firm OpinionWay has appointed long-time Kantar exec Maurice Benguigui as Deputy Director FMCG, in its Consumer Marketing Department. The firm has also made a number of other senior appointments and promotions. More
Data-driven marketing and CXM agency Merkle has promoted Erin Hutchinson to Global Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, tasked with driving growth for its CXM service line by aligning regional marketing and comms teams. More
Location intelligence firm Ubimo has partnered with OOH ad marketplace VIOOH to allow clients to access, analyse and target advertising across key outdoor sites in the US. More
In the US, real-time TV ad measurement company iSpot has acquired TV and video ad measurement specialist Ace Metrix for an undisclosed sum. The pair say the deal will provide a cross-screen platform for tracking the business outcomes and brand impact of both TV and video advertising. More
In Australia, the Outdoor Media Association (OMA) has commissioned Ipsos to update its audience measurement system MOVE, to deliver a national model that covers all formats and environments, including Digital Out of Home (DOOH) signs. 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 appointed former Nielsen / Synovate exec Eddie Au as Executive Director in its Hong Kong office. More
US firm HG Insights has launched a technology product market intelligence solution, based on insights from millions of verified technology installations worldwide. More
Nielsen has launched a measurement service called Theatrical Video On-Demand (TVOD), to capture viewing of movie releases that are directly available to consumers to rent or buy on demand through streaming/MVPD (multichannel video programming distributor) platforms. More
IT and business process consultancy Cognizant has acquired Sydney, Australia-based enterprise data and analytics consulting firm Servian. Terms were not disclosed. More
In Israel, in-app monetization measurement specialist SOOMLA has been acquired by app developer platform ironSource. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
UK industry charity the Market Research Benevolent Association (MRBA) has issued a statement reminding those suffering from financial difficulties or other personal problems as a result of the pandemic and the new lockdown, that it is able to provide support. More
In New York, audience tech platform Eyeota has appointed Bombora co-founder Rob Armstrong as Vice President of Product. More
Comscore has launched what it describes as the industry's first cookie-free targeting capability. 'Predictive Audiences' promises advertisers the ability to reach consumers based on their behavior across digital, mobile and connected TV (CTV) campaigns. More
Data quality and anti-fraud software platform SampleChain has hired long-time industry exec Matt Gershner for a new role, Chief Strategy & Revenue Officer. He is based in New York. More
UK-based firm The Insights People has rolled out its Parents Insights service across thirteen countries, surveying 130,000 parents of children between the age of one and sixteen. Also new is a trend prediction service called 'Parents Insights Future Forecast'. More
In the US, customer intelligence company Retina has rolled out a customer lifetime value (CLV) enrichment platform, to identify high-value customers before they make their first purchase. More
In the US, experience management company Qualtrics has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), valuing the firm between $12bn and $14.4bn. More
Comscore has agreed to an investment deal which it will use to pay off its debt through the issuance of new shares. As part of the deal, the firm will also receive consumer-level data sets and rights from new investor, broadband and cable company Charter Communications. More
Research software firms Confirmit and FocusVision have announced plans to merge. The deal is dependent on receipt of regulatory approvals and expected to complete in the second quarter. Terms have not been disclosed. 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
US-based customer intelligence platform InMoment has announced the acquisition of digital feedback solutions provider Wootric. More
Boston, MA-based 'analytics anywhere' firm Starburst has announced $100m in Series C funding, giving the three-year-old company a valuation of around $1.2 billion. More
Ad industry bible Campaign has launched its first 'truly global product', in the form of a tool monitoring the business performance of the world's top advertising and media agencies. More
Contextual ad targeting company Semasio has appointed Miguel Araujo in the new role of Director of Data Science, responsible for leading the data science department from R&D to finished product. 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
Technology and services analyst HFS Research has launched a cloud research practice and appointed Joel Martin as Research Vice President for Cloud Strategies. More
Kantar has announced an exclusive partnership AI-powered search intelligence company Adthena, whose worldwide search data will be integrated into the insights giant's Ad Intelligence platform. More
London-based, employee owned insight and strategy consultancy BritainThinks has promoted Julia Ridpath to Research Director, Richenda Devereux to Director of Operations, and Helen Mason-Belshaw to Director of Finance; along with nine other promotions to Research Lead and SRE roles. More
Santa Barbara, California-based technology intelligence firm HG Insights has announced a 'significant growth investment' from growth equity firm Riverwood Capital. More
Austin, Texas-based customer engagement software developer Khoros has acquired CX analytics software firm Topbox, and announced further equity funding from its existing investors. More
Analytics firm Absolutdata has been acquired by Infogain, a tech solutions provider - both are headquartered in the Bay Area of San Francisco. More
Mumbai Police have arrested Partho Dasgupta, former CEO of India's Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), along with fourteen others, on charges of 'manipulating' the country's ratings data. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's S4Capital has announced two 'combinations', expanding both its MediaMonks content practice, with the addition of independent marketing firm Decoded Advertising; and its MightyHive data and digital media practice with the acquisition of San Francisco firm Metric Theory. 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
New York and Tel Aviv-based data protection and privacy software company BigID has raised $70m in a Series D round of funding, on a company valuation of $1 billion. Funds will be used to further expand sales and marketing and deliver new 'data actioning' apps. More
US-based entertainment insights business MarketCast and real-time TV data specialist Kinetiq have partnered to provide TV networks with competitive benchmarking, through which to understand tune-in campaign effectiveness. 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
In the US, full-service firm MarketVision Research has hired Ngan Gilkison as Research Manager and Alexandra Lindner as Research Associate in its Qualitative team; and Alexander Lanson as Research Assistant in the Online Communities team. The firm has also promoted five people. More
Cross-channel CX platform Iterable has launched a personalization solution called Brand Affinity, to help marketers measure sentiment and create more 'meaningful' customer experiences. More
In the US, real-time targeting specialist Fanplayr has added a feature called Product Recommendations to its offer, through which to analyze customers' online eCommerce activity and recommend other relevant products and services. More
Canadian customer experience management (CEM) and insights platform Alida (formerly Vision Critical) has hired Scott Barkley as SVP Product Management; Paul Hagen as Principal Director, CXM; and Manuel Zahariev as Vice President of Engineering (AI & Analytics). More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has accredited marketing measurement software and analytics firm DoubleVerify (DV) for its measurement and reporting of impressions and viewing for display / video ads on Facebook and Instagram. More
WPP AUNZ has accepted an increased offer from its majority shareholder WPP, for the remainder of the company. The cash price of 70 cents per share means the total payable would be approximately $AUD 230m. More
Mobile data-powered CTV platform Sabio has spun off its CTV insights dashboard App Science into a standalone SaaS business, through which users can audit, plan and measure campaigns using insights from its graph of 300 million mobile devices and 100 million connected TV households. 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
Research software firm Confirmit, which merged with reporting software provider Dapresy earlier this year, has paid an undisclosed sum for the latter's licensed regional distributor Dapresy Asia. More
In the US, AI-focused big data analytics provider Tredence has raised $30m in a round of funding, which it will use to expand into the healthcare sector; hire both in the US and abroad; and expand into Europe and China. More
In the US, media intelligence specialist Cision has expanded its attribution intelligence solution Cision Impact, to help communicators better align PR metrics with business results. More
CXM and insights platform Alida has upgraded its flagship Sparq digital insights platform with twenty new or enhanced features, based on feedback from its own clients. More
In London, comms software and market intelligence firm Access Intelligence Group has appointed Phillip Palmer as Head of Corporate Strategy & Planning, and Michelle Goodall as Chief Marketing Officer. 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
New York-based Surfside, which provides advertising and data solutions for the cannabis industry, has added an out-of-home (OOH) measurement tool to its Motion Signals platform, tying OOH ad exposure to eCommerce sales. More
In New York, data-driven PR business MWWPR has acquired social media and influencer marketing agency Everywhere Agency. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Behavioural data tech provider Neuro-ID has raised $7m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use for development of its 'Behavior-as-a-Service (BaaS)' offering, and to expand into new markets. More
Australia-based digital research platform Pureprofile has completed an $18.8m recapitalisation. Most of the proceeds will be used to reduce its debt, with $3.5m earmarked to provide additional capital to fuel future growth and investments. More
In the US, B2B tech purchase intent data provider TechTarget is to acquire BrightTALK, which provides a platform for webinar hosting and virtual events. The $150m cash deal will help TechTarget expand its own data set. 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
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
Palo Alto-based privacy specialist Skyflow has raised $17.5m in a Series A round of funding, following a $7.5m seed round back in May. The new funding will be used to build vertical-specific variations of its product, and to hire new staff. 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
London-based customer data collaboration platform InfoSum has appointed its Chairman Brian Lesser as Chief Executive Officer. Company founder Nicholas Halstead will partner with Lesser as CTO, focusing on engineering, customer relationships and the 'future vision' of customer data. More
In New York, Cassandra, the young consumer trendsetting insights specialist within ENGINE Group, has appointed former NBCUniversal exec Chanon Cook to lead the development of Gen Z and Millennial research and insights, strategy, and client relationships. More
Former Oracle exec Graham Douglas has joined SurveyMonkey as Vice President of CX Sales in EMEA, tasked with expanding adoption of its GetFeedback platform across the region. He is based in Dublin. More
Tokyo-based marcoms giant dentsu is planning to cut 6,000 jobs - around 12.5 per cent of its 46,560-strong workforce based outside Japan - in the next twelve months, as a result of the downturn in global spending caused by Covid-19. The group says it will also eliminate 154 of its brands. More
Nielsen has announced plans to launch its single, cross-media solution Nielsen ONE in Q4 2022, phasing it in fully by the Fall 2024 season. The system provides a comparable metric for TV and digital video consumption across all platforms, services and devices. More
Customer experience management (CXM) and insights platform Alida (formerly Vision Critical) has expanded its Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) team with the appointment of six new members, including Phillip Walsh as General Manager for Australia, New Zealand and Pacific. More
In the UK, customer insights and communities platform developer STRAT7 ResearchBods has appointed Karen Lewis as Customer Success Lead, while Gordon Sherratt joins as Head of IT. Paul Wilson, Kelsey Cathchpole and Caitlin Fletcher also join the team. More
Digital research firm MetrixLab has extended its ACT Instant advertising pre-test tool worldwide, and across multiple ad formats including TV and banner ads. More
In New York, the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) has launched the Influencer Marketing Advisory Board, comprising senior marketers who will establish industry-wide standardized measurement definitions and guidelines for the sector. More
Ad targeting and retargeting specialist Criteo has hired Brendan McCarthy - most recently SVP and Head of Communications and Product Marketing for Nielsen Global Media - as its new CMO. 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
Comscore and ad tech company MediaMath have partnered to launch a connected TV (CTV) and video contextual targeting solution for programmatic ad exchanges. More
UK-based Walnut Unlimited has appointed former Kantar Head of Shopper Ivan Browne to lead its own, newly enhanced shopper research offer. 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
In the US, TV intelligence platform Kinetiq has launched a video monitoring solution for watermarked content, to track where, when, and how video content is displayed across digital platforms. More
Retail and consumer goods analytics firm Trax has rolled out its Retail Watch store intelligence solution in China, where it has developed a shelf monitoring robot using shelf-edge and ceiling cameras to provide retailers with 'eyes in the store'. More
In New York, media buying and data software platform Mediaocean has added audience intelligence tools to its Scope media buying platform, to enable deduplicated measurement of audiences across both CTV and streaming platforms. More
In the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau's non-profit research, development and standard-setting consortium, the IAB Tech Lab, has released Podcast Measurement Technical Guidelines 2.1 for public comment until December 31st. More
Former Nielsen Chief Executive Mitch Barns has joined the Board of automated ad and innovation testing platform Zappi. 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
ANTENNA, which provides analytics for media subscription businesses, has raised $4.2m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to launch online client tools, expand its coverage into new subscription categories, and launch content and ad analysis solutions. More
German company Admetrics has launched a 'freemium' version of its Quantify marketing testing and experimentation tool, offering a Bayesian stats engine with analytical capabilities which the firm says have until now been available only to enterprise clients. More
In the US, Facebook has acquired customer relationship management platform Kustomer, which focuses on omnichannel enterprise customer service. The deal was valued at $1 billion according to a report in The Wall Street Journal which cited 'people familiar with the matter'. More
In London, real-time digital customer engagement, location and communications technology provider Localz has raised £2m in a venture round of funding, for further development of its product portfolio. More
UK-based Walnut Unlimited has expanded its shopper research toolkit, adding behavioural science, neuroscience and advanced analytics. More
Ipsos has made its InnoTest idea and concept testing solution available on the Ipsos.Digital DIY platform in seven countries - Brazil and the US plus Europe's 'big 5' - with eight more due to follow shortly. More
Nielsen has appointed Jamie Moldafsky, formerly CMO at Wells Fargo Bank, as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, effective immediately. More
Canadian polling, MR and strategy firm Leger has acquired SmartPoint Research, a Toronto-based firm specializing in the consumer and healthcare sectors. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, shopper intelligence specialist Catalina has partnered with TV platform Cadent to add linear TV, advanced TV and OTT programming data to its BuyerVision managed service, which also includes digital and in-store activation data. More
Luxury markets specialist Altiant has launched the 'Millionaire Media Consumption Subscription', which analyses the habits of a thousand individuals with investible assets of at least $US 1 million, spread over four markets. 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
Xandr, the advertising and analytics division of AT&T, has partnered with European ad visibility analyst Meetrics to help advertisers check the validity of their metrics and fight ad fraud. More
Next15's data and insights group Savanta has launched a suite of tools called 'Savanta Essentials', promising a low-cost, fast turnaround approach to help businesses research key issues and engage with consumers. More
Sainsbury's loyalty and insights business Nectar360 has partnered with tech CitrusAd to launch a retail media platform allowing targeted sponsored product offers, banner advertising and analytics across the Sainsburys.co.uk web site. More
Online survey software firm Intellisurvey has hired four new members of staff, including former Dynata exec William Singleton as Director of Client Engagement, based in London. 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
In Europe, data-driven digital signage provider Intuiface and face analysis specialist Sightcorp have integrated their solutions to create a no-code approach to running and measuring digital out-of-home ad placements, delivering individually targeted content at the right time and place. More
Apple has confirmed plans to introduce a feature known as 'App Tracking Transparency' (ATT) next year, which will prevent apps and web sites from monitoring the way a user behaves online. More
Israel-based consumer journey analytics platform Konnecto has raised $3.5m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to increase its Data Science team and expand into new verticals and geographies. More
In New York, mobile user data specialist Zeotap has hired long-time martech exec Matt Barash for a newly created role, SVP Global Publishing + Platform Partnerships, leading commercial development of the firm's recently launched ID+ solution. More
In the US, ad tech company Viant has been granted a US patent for technology allowing the identification of an Internet connected household (ICH). More
In the US, social media content analyst Socialeads has raised $1.75m in a new round of funding, which it will use to expand its sales and marketing teams, both domestically and internationally. More
Stockholm, Sweden-based ad platform Adverty has been granted a US patent for its in-game ad viewing technology BrainImpression, used to determine viewing and impressions within gaming environments. More
Continuing our focus on Data Visualization: Richard Thomas, CEO & founder of network monitoring firm Highlight, on the challenges of turning a mass of chaotic traffic and performance information into neat, colourful one-page panoramic views for use by non-technical clients. More
Swedish brand tracking and consumer science firm Nepa has reported its 'strongest operating profit ever', SEK 5.9m for the third quarter of calendar 2021, compared with a loss of SEK -13.9m a year earlier, on the back of reductions in personnel costs and other expenses. More
Global consulting group Accenture has made a 'strategic investment' of undisclosed size in data privacy solution provider TripleBlind. More
Australia-based digital research platform Pureprofile has appointed long-time industry exec Johnny Caldwell for its newly created role of Senior Business Development Director in the UK. More
In London, advanced analytics consultancy Realise Unlimited has introduced a lifetime value (LTV) modelling capability, to help identify the 'moments that matter' in a marketing campaign, including those that have the most impact on future customer value. More
In Sydney, Australia, 'Human Experience' agency Potentiate has hired Daniel Alexander-Head as Director of Innovation. More
UK-based marketing and customer analytics consultancy STRAT7 has acquired cultural insights and strategy consultancy Crowd DNA for an undisclosed sum. More
In New Zealand, global out-of-home media company JCDecaux has agreed to sell half its Calibre audience measurement solution to ANZ-based rival oOh!media. The firms say the move will 'cement Calibre's position as the industry-wide [OOH] audience measurement solution'. More
Comscore has reached an agreement to provide global in-game advertising leader Anzu with its Validated Campaign Essentials (VCE) and Brand Survey Lift solutions for mobile campaigns. More
San Francisco, CA-based data visualization solutions firm Observable has formally launched with $10.5m in Series A funding. More
Mobile data marketing firm Kochava Collective and location data platform Foursquare have partnered, to enable marketers and publishers to enhance their first-party intelligence with 'real-world' location data. More
In the US, TV software and data platform VideoAmp has launched a cross-channel campaign attribution solution for measurement, planning and audience activation, called Campaign Optimizer. The launch follows the acquisition of Conversion Logic earlier in the year. More
Behavioral data intelligence company Jornaya has updated its flagship Activate solution, with the addition of consumer behavioral data and insights to help marketers identify who is activity shopping, at what time of day, and how frequently they are spending. More
Berlin, Germany-based tracking and optimization platform Swaarm has raised EUR 800k in a seed funding round, and will use it to drive company growth. More
Comscore has received a US patent covering its process for detecting fraudulent or invalid traffic (IVT) based on analysis of known fraudulent traffic in a control group. More
User experience (UX) analytics platform Contentsquare has launched an incubator-accelerator program called Atomic Labs, to help companies turn ideas into products and develop existing products for market. Live now in Paris, it will be rolled out in other countries next year. More
Nielsen is launching its own ID resolution system, which it says will support cross-media measurement in a cookieless world. More
Boston, US-based customer data targeting platform Klaviyo has raised $200m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to drive product development, double headcount, and for customer support and international expansion. 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
New York-based fashion, luxury and beauty (FLB) sector marketing and analytics platform Launchmetrics has acquired influencer analytics platform PARKLU, headquartered in Shanghai, for an undisclosed sum. More
Nielsen has expanded its advertising intelligence solution Ad Intel to Canada, adding social media and in-app media spend data to its cross-channel data on advertiser-level impressions and creative. More
In the US, customer feedback solutions specialist SureCritic has been awarded a patent for the methodology behind its ReScore solution, which applies 'post concern resolution' to measuring customer satisfaction. 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
Measure Protocol, a blockchain marketplace for person-based data, has launched a tool called Retro, which uses proprietary methodology to gather consumer data which the firm says has previously been almost impossible to access. 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
China-based online marketing technology and enterprise data solutions provider iClick has acquired consulting group CMRS, which specialises in social media insight and monitoring, for an undisclosed sum. 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
Experience management company Medallia has announced an integration with Oracle CX Service, delivering real-time feedback on what customers think and feel about their interactions with a brand. More
Cross-screen data management platform (DMP) Lotame has launched a tool called Panorama ID, which connects all types of device identifiers, associated individual behavior and privacy choices into a single view, without dependence on cookies. More
In New York, global marcoms group dentsu has partnered with personalized video content creation platform VidMob, to launch a new solution tracking the effectiveness of creative across digital channels. More
Berlin-based customer intelligence platform (CIP) Zeotap has added another $18.5m in funding, which it says will boost investment in its customer data platform (CDP) and ID+ universal marketing identity products, and help it push further into its fourteen existing markets. More
Stockholm-based research data storage and collaboration system Stravito has launched a 'smart' information discovery feature, predicting what information individual users will be interested in. More
In New York, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has announced plans to acquire non-profit member organization the Marketing Science Institute (MSI). According to ARF, the deal will help it to continue expanding its member base, bringing in B2B and DTC (direct to consumer) marketers. More
New York-based social media listening and analytics specialist Talkwalker has opened an office in Tokyo. More
In London, communities specialist Maru/Matchbox has promoted Sarah Beams for the newly created role of UK Managing Director, overseeing the delivery of the firm's UK strategy. More
In the US, data-driven CXM company Merkle has promoted Kirt Morris into a newly created role, Global Chief Equity Office - he will also take the same role for parent company dentsu's CXM line of business. More
In Israel, SimilarWeb has added new features to its Digital Marketing Intelligence and Research Intelligence solutions, including modules to enable faster onboarding, and an interface to deliver 'instant insights'. More
In the US, news and sport radio broadcaster Entercom has acquired consumer sports data platform QL Gaming Group (QLGG) in an all cash deal valued at approximately $32m. More
In the UK, film industry researcher Stephen Follows has launched a web site called VOD Clickstream, providing analysis of the subscription video on demand (SVOD) sector. More
In San Francisco, customer relationship management (CRM) specialist Insightly has added a number of features to its Insightly Marketing platform, including tools for list segmentation, A/B and multivariate testing, and marketing analytics. More
In the Netherlands, consumer neuroscience company Alpha.One has hired former Facebook/Nielsen exec Ingrid Nieuwenhuis as Head of Science, responsible for its product roadmap. More
Location data ad technology firm Blis has launched a tool called Prospect Targeting, which combines its location data with customer characteristics and online behaviour data to help brands find and target new and lapsed customers without reliance on personal data. More
Nielsen is adding measurement of 55 million addressable devices, including smart TV and set-top box return-path data, to its National TV currency ratings. More
Toronto, Canada-based customer experience management (CXM) and insights platform Alida (previously known as Vision Critical) has hired enterprise tech industry exec David O'Malley for the newly created role of Chief Revenue Officer. 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
In the US, data solutions company Kochava has acquired Thalamus, a research database of ad vendors, which has now been re-branded Kochava Media Index. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Consumer intelligence platform Toluna has appointed former Nielsen MD Bruce Haymes as Non-Executive Chairman of its Board of Directors. More
Data-driven marketing agency Merkle has promoted Anne Stagg to the newly created role of UK Chief Executive Officer, and CEO of its Customer Experience Management Line of Business (CXM). More
In the US, business intelligence provider AdDaptive Intelligence has launched a B2B Connected TV (CTV) solution, allowing brands to expand their targeting to an audience that is already engaged, through any Internet connected device using television as a display. More
Comscore has reported lower revenue - down 6.7% to $88.0m - but adjusted EBITDA up around 14% to $7.3m, in the third quarter. The company also announced that as a result of its strategic review it will look to recapitalize with an anchor investor, lowering debt and enhancing liquidity. More
Panel provider Intra Research has appointed Marina Moshenska as its new CEO, with incumbent Kaspar Jänes moving to the Chairman's role. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's digital advertising and marketing services company S4 Capital has issued a trading update for the third quarter, with like-for-like revenue up almost 13% and profit also up 'very strongly'. More
UK-based Walnut Unlimited have launched adMIRE, a new comms, media and ad testing approach using a single bespoke online survey and combining facial coding, implicit reaction time testing and explicit measurement. More
Mobile ad and in-app monetisation platform Vungle has promoted COO Jeremy Bondy to CEO, replacing Rick Tallman who remains as a strategic advisor. More
The state of California has passed Proposition 24, a law expanding and reinforcing its CCPA privacy act - leading to calls from the country's advertising industry for legislation at the federal level. More
Kantar has promoted Chris Petranto to Global Head of Analytics, after sixteen years at the company. He replaces Gonzalo Fuentes who has moved to the role of COO of the group's Insights division. More
DIY survey pioneer SurveyMonkey has reported third quarter financial results for the period ended September 30th, with total revenue up 20% to $95.4m. More
Austin, Texas-based online survey and research services firm QuestionPro has announced new features and tools including Zoom-integrated focus groups; data mining and collaboration features; and a churn analysis tool on its CX platform. More
New York-based, person-level TV viewing measurement firm TVision has won $16m in new funding, to support rapid growth via investments in sales, marketing, and R&D to expand its range of services. 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
Sample marketplace Lucid has partnered with digital identity resolution specialist Tapad to give users access to its Tapad Graph privacy-safe global cross-device solution. 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 employees of GroupM and Comscore, Michael Bologna and Joanna Drews, have launched HyphaMetrics, which will use a proprietary panel of 5,000 homes to track viewing across devices. More
Digital MR products and solutions company Borderless Access has launched a sub-brand, BA Health, combining a range of technology and analytics-driven research capabilities for clients in healthcare, life-sciences and diagnostics, with a team strengthened by 24 recent appointments. More
Australia-based TV measurement firm Adgile Media has appointed its first worldwide CEO, former Vodafone Global Head of Media Paul Evans, as it gears up for expansion of its services into North America and Europe. More
Nielsen has found a buyer for its Global Connect business, in the shape of affiliates of private equity investor Advent and with a price tag of $2.7bn. More
Nielsen has announced revenues of $1,563m for the third quarter of 2020, down 3.3% year-on-year on a reported basis, and 3.0% at constant currency. Adjusted EBITDA was $501m, equivalent to a 6.1% rise at constant currency. More
Marketing tech firm CM Group has acquired US-based relationship marketing solutions specialist Selligent, from investment firm HGGC. 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
'Human Experience' agency Potentiate has brought in Voxpopme APAC leader Jem Wallis in the role of 'Head of Agile Qual'. More
Australian insights consultancy Fiftyfive5 is launching a creative evaluation framework, Ad Optimi5er, after a year of internal development in partnership with key clients. More
Consumer intelligence platform Toluna has secured a 'significant' round of financing, which it will use to fund planned global growth initiatives. More
In New York, digital media measurement software and analytics specialist DoubleVerify (DV) has raised $350m in a new investment round, which it will use to purchase shares from existing shareholders and to support growth in the business. More
Former ESOMAR President Dan Foreman has made an undisclosed amount of investment in retail tech provider Virtual Store Trials (VST), which offers AI solutions for shelf and pack testing, macro-space optimization, planogram visualization, and automated planogram builds. More
In the US, online video ad and analytics tech firm Innovid has hired former Integral Ad Science exec Dale Older as its first Chief Product Officer. Separately, Yuval Pemper has been promoted from SVP Engineering to Chief Engineering Officer. More
New York-based attention measurement company TVision has launched a CTV ad measurement platform, through which advertisers can measure and optimize campaigns across streaming applications without tags, and also track their competitors' campaigns. More
In Australia, Publicis-owned marcoms agency Zenith has promoted Joshua Lee to the role of National Head of Digital & Data. 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
Nielsen has announced that is consumer business will be renamed NielsenIQ, once it becomes a standalone company. Separately, a report in the Financial Times suggests that private equity group Advent International is in talks to buy the division in a deal valuing it at about $2.9bn. More
In the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has ordered information giant Experian to make 'fundamental changes' to the way it handles people's personal data for marketing services purposes. Experian CEO Brian Cassin says his company will appeal the decision. More
In New York, consumer insights platform Suzy has launched a qualitative research platform called 'Suzy Live' for video-based consumer interviews. More
MR data quality and anti-fraud solutions specialist Imperium has upgraded its validation tool RelevantID, to help MR and panel organizations combat the rise of synthetic identity fraud, which it says is becoming increasingly difficult to spot using conventional methods. More
Marcoms giant WPP has appointed former Baidu President and Microsoft China Chairman Dr. Ya-Qin Zhang as a Non-Executive Director on its Board, with effect from 1st January 2021. 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
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
Data-driven performance marketing agency Merkle, which is part of dentsu, has appointed Warwick Beresford-Jones to lead its combined customer and digital analytics business. More
Comscore has reveal plans for a number of launches and upgrades in 2021, including the first independently-measured national addressable advertising service for TV, plus further developments in local and national cross-platform ad measurement. 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
Penske Media Corporation (PMC), with publishes titles such as Variety and Rolling Stone, has agreed a 50/50 joint venture with Billboard charts operator MRC, bringing together their data businesses. More
Comscore has announced the global roll-out of its advanced brand safety and contextual categorization segments for Connected TV (CTV) and premium video. 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
Following the merger of anti-fraud and brand safety organizations the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) and the Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards (JICWEBS), industry-owned media auditor ABC is to manage the UK's Viewability and AV (Audio Visual) Standards. More
DX Marketing (DXM), a marketing agency providing access to enterprise-level data and analytics, has been acquired by Vision Integrated Graphics Group, which focuses on data-driven, omni-channel marketing solutions. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, eCommerce giant Amazon has launched an invite-only panel through which participants can earn monthly rewards by sharing receipts from purchases made outside of Amazon.com, and by completing short surveys. More
Communications giant Edelman has launched a Data & Intelligence (DxI) multidisciplinary agency, which will house the group's research, analytics and machine learning capabilities. More
Communities and research tech firm Further has appointed former Kantar Consulting Head of Global Qual Research Operations Sarah Taylor as an advisor. In addition, Claire Marshall joins as Finance Director, Clare Warren as Marketing Director, and Maria Colarusso as Client Support Executive. 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
US-based user experience (UX) analytics platform Contentsquare has acquired accessibility software company Adapt My Web (AMW), which helps make digital content accessible to those with reading issues including visual impairment and dyslexia. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, creative advertising agency The Many has appointed Vanessa Shanahan as Group Director, Analytics, leading data science and measurement solutions. More
London and New York-based eCommerce financing and marketing analytics platform Wayflyer has raised $10.2m (£7.8m) in a seed capital round of investment, which it will use to fund up to one thousand more eCommerce stores, while further developing its proprietary technology. 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
Tesco-owned customer data firm dunnhumby and retail media platform CitrusAd have announced a partnership. The resulting solution uses historical data from a customer's off- and online purchasing behaviour to help retailers showcase relevant products to shoppers using non-interruptive native ads. More
In the UK, full-service agency Research Strategy Group has appointed Michael Dorr as Senior Vice President, heading its London office. More
Berlin-based business Swaarm has launched a platform helping agencies, advertisers and networks to manage, track, analyze and optimize their marketing campaigns at scale. More
Customer insights platform UserTesting has announced the acquisition of the technology assets of usabiliTEST, a provider of information architecture testing solutions; alongside product innovations promising to speed up clients' 'discovery of the moments that matter'. More
US-based Teikametrics, Inc., which helps clients optimise their Amazon and Walmart sales and profitability, has acquired Israeli ecommerce market intelligence solution Adjusti.co, thereby adding marketplace insights and competitive intelligence to its SaaS platform. 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
Data-driven customer experience management (CXM) company Merkle has promoted Michael Komasinski from EMEA President to President, Merkle Americas; while his previous role is to be taken by Margaret Wagner. These appointments will take effect January 1st, 2021. More
Simon Redlich, Chief Executive of UK media ad currency body and auditor ABC, has been appointed as as the new global President of the International Federation of Audit Bureaux of Certification (IFABC). More
US-based Paradigm Sample has acquired assets from Canadian online panel and survey programming company Tellwut, for an undisclosed sum. More
Kantar has launched its Kantar Reputation intelligence platform in the UK. The platform which helps communications and PR professionals manage and analyse brand reputation across all media channels, is already available in France, Spain, Germany, Italy and Ireland. 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
In the US, Ipsos-owned MMA (Marketing Management Analytics) has announced one relocation and two senior leadership appointments in the EMEA and APAC regions. More
Video advertising platform SpotX has launched its cross-platform measurement solution SpotX MetriX in the UK. 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
In the US, research and data services company ENGINE Insights has promoted three members of staff: Matthew Conrad to SVP Client Solutions; Dave Stewart to SVP and a leader in the Financial Services and Healthcare practices; and David Feick, already leader of the Technology team, also to SVP. More
UK-based customer feedback specialist Platform One has combined its insight community and experience management tools into a single application called 'Vision', to help clients identify and recruit community members based on experience touchpoints. More
Hungary and UK-based social media listening specialist Bakamo has opened an office in Washington DC, which will be led by founder and CEO Daniel Fazekas. 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 audio intelligence platform Veritonic has raised $3.2m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to bring its approach to audio marketing, and hire new staff with a focus on data science and sales. More
In the US, digital experience design and digital marketing specialist Filter has appointed Todd Paris as Chief Executive Officer; replacing Joe Melanson, who recently retired. More
Customer modeling platform Genus AI has launched a new artificial intelligence solution for eCommerce and direct-to-consumer brands. More
In London, insights and planning agency kubi kalloo has appointed Oscar Runeland as Director of Brand, leading its consultancy offer. More
US-based shopper targeting firm Valassis has launched an influencer marketing solution, promising to reach and engage consumers through programmatic paid social media ads. More
Kicking off a week and a half of articles from our forthcoming Data Visualization special issue, Ipsos.Digital CEO Andrei Postoaca backs AI to unlock its full potential behind the scenes within ten years, allowing business needs to return to centre stage. More
In Canada, communities specialist Maru/Matchbox has appointed Kasia Galka as Senior Vice President of Maru Operations Group. More
Marketing and CX management company Merkle has promoted Sam Taverner to lead its newly created EMEA Technology Services division. Ben Gott takes over Taverner's previous position as SVP Marketing Solutions Europe. More
US-based marketing consultancy 444ignite has launched a tool called Ignite Consumer Intelligence Engine, to help marketers enhance both their consumer intelligence and the performance of their ad campaigns. More
In the US, enterprise software giant Oracle has added several new features to its Unity customer data platform (CDP), promising B2B and B2C marketers a single solution that unifies all customer data and allows it to be activated within existing business processes. More
In the US, not-for-profit body the Radio Research Consortium (RRC), which provides audience estimate data to non-commercial radio stations, has renewed a multi-year agreement with Nielsen, licensing its syndicated products to hundreds of subscribers. 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
Australian media company Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has launched two digital audio attribution products - SCA Footsteps, which attributes footfall to digital audio campaigns; and SCA Soundcheck, which provides campaign and brand effectiveness studies for digital audio. 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
The Stagwell Group, owner of the Harris and Harris Poll brands, has reached a non-binding agreement to merge with marcoms group MDC Partners. 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
In Canada, Alida - the customer intelligence specialist previously known as Vision Critical - is set to launch the Alida CXM platform, which it claims will transform its previous solution into the 'world's first' combined customer experience management (CXM) and insights platform. More
Germany-based user, brand and shopper research specialist Eye Square has launched the Amazon Ad Testing Platform, which allows advertisers to evaluate the design, content and placement of ads on the online retail giant, in their natural environment. More
In the US, analytics-driven marcoms specialist W20 has acquired entertainment and influencer marketing agency starpower. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, digital transformation and business processing specialist Genpact has expanded its customer experience (CX) business, Rightpoint, with the acquisition of interactive agency Something Digital, whose services include user experience analysis and design. Terms have not been disclosed. More
In London, online qual research platform VisionsLive has appointed long-time Askia exec Nick Southwood as Senior Business Development Manager. 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
Kantar has reversed the decision to close its Philippines Media Division, made just a month ago. Its key client, TV and new media network ABS-CBN, had been set to close down but has now signed a new TAM contract with the agency. More
Comscore and LiveRamp have partnered on a new version of the latter's TV measurement solution. Now known as 'Data Plus Math powered by Comscore', the solution integrates the latter's established TV and digital ad exposure data with LiveRamp's identity and data connectivity solutions. More
Los Angeles-based Whip Media Group has launched a real-time movie analytics solution called CVM Insights, offering consumer intelligence to media companies as releases are switched from cinemas to on-demand platforms. More
New York-based 'agile' research platform Alpha has changed its name to Feedback Loop, effective immediately. More
In the US, secure data management platform Fluree PBC has raised $6.5m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to accelerate product development efforts for building applications that use W3C verifiable credentials and decentralized identifiers (DID). More
UK-based marketing and media consultancy Ebiquity has promoted Leela Nair to the role of Managing Director, Asia Pacific. More
In the US, consumer data and credit reporting agency TransUnion has agreed to acquire TV audience measurement firm Tru Optik, in which it was already an investor. Terms of the buy have not been disclosed. More
Nielsen has expanded the US digital capabilities of its Ad Intel advertising intelligence solution, adding search data as a new media type, and offering more digital advertising data for mobile, desktop, display and video placements. More
In the US, media and advertising-focused management consultancy ID Comms has acquired audit specialist PJL Media. Terms are not being released, but as part of the deal PJL Media founder PJ Leary becomes a minority shareholder in ID Comms, and joins its Board. More
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has launched a public consultation on draft Statutory Guidance outlining how it will regulate and enforce data protection legislation in the UK. The consultation will remain open until 5pm on Thursday 12th November. More
Yorkshire, UK-based behavioural research and user experience consultancy SimpleUsability has been acquired by communications agency CDS for an undisclosed sum. More
Facebook has promoted data analyst Alex Schultz to the role of Chief Marketing Officer, replacing Antonio Lucio who stepped down last month. More
Northumberland-based insights firm DRG has confirmed the appointment of Paul Wealleans as Managing Director of its online research supplier Panelbase. More
French audience measurement agency Médiamétrie has promoted Estelle Duval to the position of Director of Strategy, in a new department created to support the analysis of media markets and content consumption. She will also oversee the company's overall strategic plan. More
In the US, online sample marketplace PureSpectrum has acquired market research services firm Inteligx, adding support and full service solutions to its offering. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Digital consultancy Appnovation has raised £6.8m in a follow-on equity round of financing, which it will use for global expansion and company growth - including scaling its teams in the UK and across Europe - as well as for potential acquisitions. More
US-based marcoms group MDC Partners has formed a new division called the Global Technology Group, to drive company strategy across security, systems design and cloud architecture. More
In Stockholm, insight exchange and sample management platform Cint has appointed Joakim Andersson as Chief Financial Officer, replacing Lottie Saks, who left the company in May to join commercial vehicle business Haldex. More
In Hong Kong, online marketing and enterprise data solutions provider iClick has launched a market analysis tool called iNsights, to provide insights about consumer behavior relevant to cross-channel campaigns covering China and overseas markets. More
Marcoms group Dentsu Aegis Network is to change its name to Dentsu International Limited, dropping a name it acquired with the purchase in 2012 of British-owned Aegis Group. More
Kantar is to launch its BrandZ index in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, ranking the top 30 most valuable brands across the two countries combined in terms of dollar value. More
Mobile engagement platform Gimbal has bought ad tech company TrueX from the Walt Disney Company, which acquired it as part of 21st Century Fox last year. More
Social listening consultancy Bakamo has appointed Katalin Moor as EVP responsible for clients, sales, marketing and operations. More
Digital ad verification company Integral Ad Science has expanded its operations into Indonesia, and appointed Arfitrianto Zulnaini as Sales Director, leading the business from Jakarta. 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
Television measurement, attribution and analytics company 605 has signed an agreement with retail giant Walmart, to provide ad impact and audience analysis via its PLATF0RM solution. More
New York-based Influ2, which offers account-based advertising solutions for B2B marketers, has announced an initial round of seed funding totalling $3.4m. Funds are earmarked for expand its services, bringing in senior sales hires and growing its client base in healthcare and IT. More
Data firm Infogroup is today being rebranded as Data Axle, the name of a portal service it launched in 2012; and has announced five senior 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
Data-driven customer experience management (CXM) company Merkle has promoted Azlan Raj for the new role of CMO for the EMEA region. 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
Los Angeles-based consumer insights and analytics business MarketCast Group has acquired Deductive (formerly Dativa), a data science team focused on clients in the media and consumer electronics sectors. More
UK television audience measurement body BARB has issued a refreshed invitation to tender, covering five research contracts, as it looks to keep pace with changes in television viewing including the ongoing development of SVOD services and the roll-out of 5G mobile networks. More
Toluna has appointed former Lightspeed and YouGov exec Sej Patel as Head of Business for Australia and New Zealand. More
Comscore has appointed Chris Johnson as SVP, Measurement Standards Compliance (MSC), effective immediately. Johnson will work with outgoing MSC team leader Larry Goldstein until the latter's retirement in March 2021. More
Marketing analytics company Survata has a new name, Upwave, and has announced the integration of its ad server with Google Campaign Manager. More
Edinburgh-based cross-platform measurement specialist TVSquared has former Comscore and Comcast exec appointed Bob Ivins as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO). More
Australian digital research platform Pureprofile has appointed Keith Ang in the new role of Client Solutions Director. Ang worked most recently as Client Development Manager at Kantar Profiles. More
In the UK, digital ad trade body the IAB has updated its 'Gold Standard' certification, which aims to increase cross-industry transparency and standardise firms' use of consumer data. 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
Continuing our focus on Data Visualization this month and next, here are six key considerations for creating clear and engaging visuals, from the team at E-Tabs. More
Comscore has announced a partnership with cross-screen television data and analytics provider Samba TV, expanding its TV measurement footprint in Europe. 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
In the US, media intelligence specialist Cision has appointed former Truesight CEO Abel Clark as Chief Executive Officer. He replaces Kevin Akeroyd who left the business in February, and now serves as CEO of workforce management solutions firm PRO Unlimited. More
Nielsen's music, video and sports tech company Gracenote has launched a new service called 'Streaming Sports Catalogs', allowing TV providers to connect fans to live games and related content available across different over-the-top (OTT) sources. More
In the US, audience engagement and earned data solutions specialist 3radical has appointed former Alterian exec Michael Fisher as Chief Executive Officer; taking over from Alterian founder David Eldridge who becomes Chairman. More
Australian digital research platform Pureprofile has re-launched its media business under the name 'Pure.amplify', led by media industry specialist Tasneem Ali. More
US-based consumer insights firm Touchstone Research has launched a watermarking solution called Secure Content Testing (SCT), to protect client content used in marketing research and consumer insights studies. More
Comscore has been awarded a US Patent for 'Device Identification System and Methods', covering the use of household router meters to anonymously identify individuals within a household. More
First-party data and insights platform Dynata has acquired UK-based digital ethnography solution CrowdLab, which captures in-the-moment consumer opinions, attitudes and trends. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Nielsen has launched a database called Compass, which taps into the company's global scale to establish syndicated normative standards for campaign outcome measurement. 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
In the US, data-driven marketing solutions provider Stirista has acquired location-based data measurement and attribution platform Nikaza. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
US online survey software provider QuestionPro has set up a reseller and distributor program, to make it easier for partners to integrate the firm's solutions directly into their own. More
The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) has unveiled a framework for cross-media measurement, alongside a proposed technical approach meeting the principles outlined in it. 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
Brand marketing analytics company BrandTotal has raised $12m in a Series B round of investment, which will be used to develop and launch a new product offering, expand into new markets, and scale its data science, sales and marketing teams. More
US-based strategy and custom research firm Magid has hired Tiffany Vasilchik as Senior Vice President of Growth Strategy in its Consumer & Commercial Brands practice. She will be based in New York City. More
US company Stream Engine has launched an artificial intelligence service to measure and analyze real-time brand recognition and sentiment across streaming and OTT platforms, and determine the 'true value' that brands derive from advertising and on-screen exposure. 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
Data collection software developer Nebu has launched a '360-degree' application called Nebu Panel Manager, covering all aspects of panel operations - including multiple recruitment channels, member management functionalities, flexible sampling, and a rewards platform. More
In New York, consumer emotion analytics platform Truthify has appointed Justin Wisz as Chief Executive Officer, replacing co-founder Kevin Knull who now serves as Executive Chairman. The firm has also closed a $1.3m private funding round, with participation from Wisz. More
TV measurement and analytics company 605 has announced new data partnerships with Catalina, PlaceIQ and Polk Automotive Solutions by IHS Markit, combining ad exposure and content viewership with consumer behavior and business outcomes on a 'massive scale'. More
In the US, customer experience management (CEM) specialist Sprinklr has raised $200m at a $2.7 billion valuation from private equity firm Hellman & Friedman, and an additional $150m in convertible securities from growth investment specialist Sixth Street Growth. More
In the US, 360° consumer intelligence and location analytics provider InMarket has acquired location data-led customer growth platform NinthDecimal, for an undisclosed sum. More
Australian television audience measurement body OzTAM has added connected TV (CTV) co-viewing data to its Video Player Measurement (VPM) report. More
In the US, AI-based insights platform Birdie has appointed long-time industry exec Ted Clark as Chief Operating Officer, charged with overseeing operations, leading the Client Services team, and driving the firm's growth and business 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
US-based customer engagement software and Voice of the Customer (VoC) platform Astute has acquired social media monitoring and marketing specialist Socialbakers, for an undisclosed sum. More
For the first half of 2020, Sir Martin Sorrell's marketing services investment vehicle S4Capital has reported pre-tax profit of £118k, compared with a loss of £8.5m last year. More
Comscore has received a US patent for its 'System and Methods for Transmitting Content Based on Co-Location', covering the firm's proprietary device graph system through which devices co-located within a household are tagged and identified. 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
Taiwan-based digital signage developer CAYIN Technology has added facial detection software to its platform, in order to deliver personalized ads based on age and gender. More
French audience measurement agency Médiamétrie has acquired the daily SVoD barometer, previously operated by NPA Conseil in partnership with Harris Interactive. More
In Flemington, New Jersey, consumer sciences specialist HCD Research has released a DIY online research platform called 'Emcode Implicit', promising 'low cost and high throughput' design and launch of implicit and marketing research studies. More
App marketing platform Adjust has appointed three senior leaders: Melissa Dickman as Regional VP of Sales, US East and LATAM; Doug Grounds, VP of Global Solutions Consulting; and Guy Sheffer, VP R&D for its cybersecurity product, Unbotify. More
Middle East agency 4SiGHT has appointed former Ipsos UAE Chief Client Officer Arup Bose as Partner - Insights & Strategy, starting last week. More
Hall & Partners has teamed up with first-party data and insights platform Dynata, whose connected data capabilities and technology will power the ad and brand research specialist's data visualization and storytelling platform, The Hub. More
Digital experience management software firm Sitecore has appointed Steve Tzikakis as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Mark Frost, who will continue as an advisor to the business. Tzikakis will be based in the firm's London office. More
In the US, digital experience platform Episerver is to acquire Optimizely, whose offer includes AI-powered personalization and experimentation encompassing A/B, multivariate, and server-side testing. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Toronto, Canada-based customer insights solution provider Vision Critical has appointed Steven Medeiros as General Manager, Asia Pacific and Japan, based in Hong Kong. More
San Francisco-based 'conversation intelligence' platform Chorus.ai has launched new analytics capabilities, providing insights into clients' customer relationships. More
Kantar is shutting down its Philippines TV ratings service at the end of the year, following the closure of its biggest client, commercial television and new media network ABS-CBN. The move will result in Kantar having to lay off around 50 employees. More
Brighton, UK-based social media analyst Brandwatch has added a feature called Social Panels to its consumer research platform, to enable researchers to build panels and focus groups from authors on the most frequently used social media platforms. More
US-based research agency Gongos has partnered with audience insights platform DISQO, to offer organizations an 'agnostic digital consumer view' of brands and their categories. More
Video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly has appointed former IPG Mediabrands Singapore CEO David Haddad as Australia and New Zealand Managing Director, based in the firm's Sydney office. More
In London, comms specialist The Creative Engagement Group (TCEG) has launched a Behavioural Science unit, headed up by Guy Champniss. More
Digital marcoms group Next15 has acquired Silicon Valley-based growth incubator Mach49, which it will use as the cornerstone of its previously announced plans to create a $100m innovation business, working alongside its data, tech and brand marketing firms. Terms were not disclosed. More
Great visuals and wide-ranging automation are a powerful combination for market researchers looking to justify budgets in the Covid era, says Confirmit Chief Product Officer Torbjörn (Tobi) Andersson. This is the first article from our forthcoming MrWeb 21 Years 'Data Visualization' special issue. More
London-based identity infrastructure provider InfoSum has raised $15.1m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use for expansion across North America and Europe. The firm has also named Brian Lesser, the founder of analytics business Xandr, as its new Executive Chairman. More
Audience technology platform Eyeota has achieved certification from the IAB's Tech Lab industry standards body for the latter's recently launched 'Data Transparency Standard Compliance Program'. More
Sample, survey and quantitative research specialist Market Cube has joined the FocusVision Sample Marketplace, which gives researchers access to sample providers directly from the FocusVision Decipher survey platform. More
Brighton, UK-based social media analyst Brandwatch has partnered with Philadelphia, PA-based real-time TV data specialist Kinetiq to provide cross-channel marketing intelligence. More
Data acquisition and distribution software company Narrative has raised $8.5m in Series A funding, to support the launch of 'a new category: Data Streaming', replacing the data broker industry model. As part of this the firm has launched a Data Streams Marketplace. More
Canada-based communities specialist Maru/Matchbox has launched a consumer panel called the Technology Advisory Council, developed to help clients understand how 'tech-savvy' consumers feel, behave and think towards new trends, concepts and innovation. More
Research and analytics company MESH Experience has partnered with insights software and services agency Cambrian Analytics to build an interactive dashboard providing insights on brand performance. More
New York-based ENGINE Media Exchange (EMX) has launched a Connected TV (CTV) 'Incremental Reach Measurement' product, allowing advertisers to assess the impact of their TV media buy. 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
Digital advertising and marketing services investment vehicle S4Capital has acquired London-based analytics and measurement provider Brightblue Consulting, which it will merge with data and digital media consultancy MightyHive. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Experience management company Qualtrics has added advanced analytics capabilities to its BrandXM solution, helps organizations take control of how consumers experience their brand. More
In the US, WPP-owned marcoms agency GTB has hired Marc Sanford for the newly created role of Global Chief Data Science Officer, overseeing a data and analytics team that spans six continents and more than 50 offices worldwide. He takes up the position on September 1st. More
Nielsen has promoted Scott Brown to the role of General Manager, Audience Measurement, to lead the company's cross-media strategy. More
Video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly has promoted its UK MD Alex Khan to the position of Group Managing Director, International, heading up the company's commercial activity across the APAC region, while continuing to oversee all UK operations. More
In the US, 'time-aware' customer experience specialist SugarCRM has acquired AI platform Node, which uses customer relationship management (CRM) data and external sources to predict business use cases. More
In the UK, broadcaster ITV has entered a data partnership with identity infrastructure provider InfoSum, to give advertisers access to 30 million ITV Hub users without the need to exchange first-party data sets. More
In San Francisco, experience management specialist Medallia has updated its Action Intelligence platform - adding the ability to identify customers at risk of churn, and prioritize actions needed to maintain customer loyalty and drive new revenue streams. More
In the US, full service marketing research and insight training agency Burke has appointed former Kantar exec James Sorensen as Senior Vice President in Client Services, with a specialization in retail and shopper insights. More
In the US, shopper targeting firm Valassis has launched a solution called Connected Analytics, which combines proprietary data and sales insights to drive omnichannel marketing strategies. More
California-based data management specialist Informatica has acquired GreenBay Technologies Inc., adding the latter's AI and machine learning capabilities to its own 'CLAIRE' engine for managing and analysing corporate data. 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
San Francisco and London-based data science firm Dativa has changed its name to Deductive, reflecting a shift away from its origins as a generalist company, to one with a focus on offering a range of TV measurement and data services. More
North American rewards-based online community Tellwut is launching a DIY research platform, Tellwut Insights, which will use a proprietary survey and panel member management application alongside this community for crowdsourcing and online MR. More
London-based digital experience analytics firm Decibel has appointed Jason Lund as Chief Operating Officer (COO). More
The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is re-opening its 'regulatory sandbox' service, this time with a focus on supporting organisations using children's personal data to develop products and services. More
Digital marketing services group Kin + Carta Europe has announced a number of promotions, including that of Matthew Froggatt, who adds the newly-created role of Global Chief Strategy Officer for the group to his existing responsibilities as CEO of its Incite research division. More
Swedish eye tracking hardware and software developer Tobii AB has appointed Magdalena Rodell Andersson as Chief Financial Officer. She starts in January and replaces Johan Wilsby, who announced earlier this year that he would be stepping down. More
Cross-screen television insights and analytics provider Samba TV, headquartered in the US, has hired Yasmin Sanders for a newly created role, Managing Director in Australia, based in Sydney. More
In the US, B2B customer data platform and marketing intelligence software provider CaliberMind has raised $2.0m in a seed extension round, which it will invest in product development and scaling up go-to-market functions. More
Customer experience management (CEM) specialist Medallia has opened a Data Centre in Singapore, adding to its existing hubs in Santa Clara, Seattle, Denver, Toronto, Montreal, Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam and Sydney. 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
New York-based creative personalization specialist Movable Ink has raised $30m in a Series C round of funding, which it says will boost its platform, partnerships and people. More
Australian-based media intelligence and data technology company Isentia has appointed Kylie Dunstan as Head of Government Business, based in Canberra. 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
Audience profiling firm Eyeota has expanded its data onboarding partnership with GfK to New Zealand and Switzerland, adding to fifteen countries already covered by the deal. More
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has announced that the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) has approved the final regulations for the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), designed to enhance the privacy rights of the state's residents. 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 Sydney, Australia, customer experience management specialist Medallia has appointed Heather Paterson as ANZ Country Manager, to lead the existing Australia team and the launch of operations in New Zealand. More
In the US, neurotechnology specialist Arctop has launched an on-demand web platform called Neuos Eureka, which uses brain decoding technology to provide professionals in the entertainment and media sectors with insights about their audiences. More
US-based digital media measurement software and analytics specialist DoubleVerify (DV) has hired former GroupM exec Jack Smith for the newly created role of Chief Product Officer, Demand Solutions. More
Online advertising trade association IAB Australia has launched the 'MeasureUp' Awards, which aim to showcase Australia's media research sector. 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
US and Israel-based business data as a service (DaaS) platform K2View has raised $28m in a new funding round, which it will use to accelerate its growth and expansion in the 'DataOps' market. More
US-based TV audience measurement firm Tru Optik has launched a self-service data marketplace to power Connected TV (CTV), streaming audio, and gaming advertising, and expand cookie-less audience targeting across 80 million connected homes in the US. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has granted Foursquare 'Visits' its first accreditation for location data. The Council's Location-Based Advertising Measurement Guidelines were issued in 2017. More
In Canada, data management platform ThinkData Works has partnered with consumer intent data provider Prosper Insights & Analytics, to provide clients with a better understanding of spending patterns, consumer happiness and impulsivity, while gaining insights into intent over time. 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
Rob Stevens, co-founder of user experience and behavioural research consultancy Bunnyfoot, and later Ipsos MORI's Group Head of UX, died suddenly on 25th July 2020 as a result of coronary heart disease. He was 49 years old. More
US and Israel-based revenue intelligence platform Gong has raised $200m in a Series D round of funding, which it will use to meet 'strong market demand' for its technology, and invest in its product, engineering and go-to-market teams. More
In Australia, recently formed ad and marcoms holding group RyanCap has acquired Melbourne-based digital agency JBZ Digital for an undisclosed sum. More
In New York, media company Meredith Corporation has launched a suite of ad solutions it calls the Meredith Data Studio, using the company's proprietary first-party data and predictive insights capabilities to help inform marketing, product and business strategies. More
Comscore has reported an 8% drop in second quarter revenue to $88.6m, but also a strong move towards profitability. Net loss was $10.4m, compared to a $279m loss in Q2 2019; while adjusted EBITDA was $9.2m, against a loss of $3.2m a year ago. More
Panels and first-party data firm Dynata has acquired Salt Lake City and Chicago-based searchable insights platform Sharpr, for an undisclosed sum. More
In London, former Ipsos MORI, Universal Music and BBC exec Hanna Chalmers has launched a research and strategy collective called culturestudio. More
Data and insight industry association ESOMAR has launched the Insights Festival 2020, taking place online from 14th to 17th September. The event replaces the previously planned ESOMAR Congress 2020, due to take place in Toronto in October, and now postponed to 2021 because of the pandemic. More
Research software firm Confirmit has appointed former Dapresy CEO Tobi Andersson as Chief Product Officer, leading its product strategy and vision. More
Audience measurement firm Comscore has teamed up with behaviour-based data science company Consumer Orbit to launch Comscore Consumer Intelligence, offering the local market advertising sector the ability to link media consumption and shopping behaviour. More
Consumer intelligence company Survata has launched an enhanced suite of CTV measurement capabilities, including new Targeting Verification technology and an expansion of its Digital Network. More
New York-based emotion and behavior insights specialist Canvs AI has made its full range of solutions available for integration into other applications via an API; and has appointed Erinn Taylor, formerly of Dynata, CriticalMix and FocusVision, as EVP, Product & Platform. More
A consortium of ad industry associations and companies have launched a new initiative, the Partnership for Responsible Addressable Media, which aims to 'advance and protect' areas like digital media customization and analytics, while 'safeguarding privacy and improving consumer experience'. More
SurveyMonkey has reported a 21% increase in second quarter revenue to $90.9m; alongside a net loss of $22.9m, compared with a loss of $18.5m in Q2 2019. More
Mobile app testing company HeadSpin is to return up to $95m in funding to investors after an internal review of irregularities forced it to restate its financials. In addition, the company has replaced CEO and co-founder Manish Lachwani with a new Chief Executive, Rajeev Butani. More
In San Francisco, collaborative analytics platform Mode Analytics has raised $33m in a Series D round of funding, for use in further developing its services in business intelligence, data science and machine learning. More
Global research technology and data collection company Delvinia has appointed Bethany Moffett as Executive Director, responsible for building out the US client development team for the firm's automated research platform Methodify. Delvinia has also appointed a further eight new employees. More
Comscore has launched a further range of brand safety services, to help prevent brand and political campaign ads appearing alongside potentially misleading and inaccurate information on news sites. More
Regional digital ad industry association IAB Europe and the global organisation's R&D and standard-setting consortium IAB Tech Lab have extended their partnership to launch the IAB Privacy Lab, which will help members develop standards for privacy, data protection and compliance. More
Global marketing group Publicis has appointed Adrian Farouk as ANZ Chief Executive Officer of its data company Epsilon, in addition to his existing position as ANZ CEO of marketing and technology agency Digitas. More
Manchester, UK-based creative collective Inc & Co has acquired Bath-based sports performance analysis and data management (PADM) firm Insight Analysis for an undisclosed sum. More
In Australia, Nielsen has launched a sponsorship data platform called Sponsorlab, using its existing data sets to help assess the performance of key sponsorship properties, and understand the market value of sponsorship rights. More
Australian media group Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has brought together its Research & Insights and Strategy & Insights divisions to form a media research and insights unit called SCA iQ. More
Analytics software provider FICO (formerly the Fair Isaac Corporation) has promoted Louise Lunn to the role of Head of EMEA Analytics, leading its newly created Global Analytics Delivery organisation and overseeing the firm's teams of data scientists worldwide. More
In the US, eCommerce personalization and analytics specialist Searchspring has acquired 4-Tell, the company behind AI-driven personalization platform Smart Commerce. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Nielsen has reported an 8.1% drop in second quarter revenue (-5.9% on a constant currency basis) to $1.49 billion compared with $1.63bn in the prior year period; while net loss was $30m, compared with net income of $123m in Q2 2019. More
Kantar has launched a survey solution called Accelerated Answers, which promises to deliver 'real insights from real consumers' in as little as six hours. 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
Online MR and technology company Further has launched two tools on its Together platform, one for analysing unstructured data and the other for concept testing. 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
Behavioural research agency Watch Me Think has launched a qual-based evaluation approach for new consumer products, called the Post Launch Consumer Review (PLCR). 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 City Council of Washington, DC voted last week to reject a proposal which would have placed a three percent tax on the sale of data. The decision followed interventions by the Insights Association and a coalition of other firms and associations. More
IBM and data-based influencer marketing platform Influential have teamed up to launch a solution using AI to help brands identify those influencers who best align with their brand values. 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
In Helsinki, Finland, behavioral analytics data company Verto Analytics has hired Surath Chatterji for a newly created role, Vice President of Technology; the first exec at Verto to directly control and oversee all R&D. The firm has also added two new members to its Board. More
Anti-fraud and brand safety organizations the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) and the Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards (JICWEBS) are to merge under the TAG brand name. More
US-based data-driven marketing firm MediaMath has hired long-time Nielsen exec Eleni Nicholas for a newly created role, Chief Client Officer. In addition, Guillermo Abud joins as SVP of Business Development for Latin America and US Multicultural. More
In the US, purchase intent specialist V12 has launched a solution called Active Shopper Attributes, to help brands reach consumers who have a high propensity to purchase their products and services within the next 90 days. More
Research participant recruiter Liveminds has hired former Nielsen exec Kate Domingo to head its APAC regional office in Manila, in the Philippines; where it has also appointed Tristan Chong and John Paul Ocat as Behavioral Recruitment Executives. More
US-based digital ad personalization specialist Jivox has launched a patented purchase prediction engine called Kairos, helping brands to increase the performance of their eCommerce marketing campaigns. More
In the US, media company NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises has promoted Mónica Gil to the position of EVP, Chief Administrative and Marketing Officer, overseeing operations, growth marketing, and strategy and insights. 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
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
US-based strategy and custom research company Magid has appointed Rob Hernandez as Senior Vice President of Qualitative Research, Consumer & Commercial Brands. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's digital advertising and marketing services company S4 Capital has acquired Orca Pacific, a full-service marketing agency which manages consumer brands' relationships with online retail giant Amazon. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Henry Cheang, founder and Chairman of Australia-based data company Potentiate, has launched a business called AdClarity Pty Ltd, which will serve as the local distributor for digital MR firm BIScience's flagship digital ad intelligence tool, also called AdClarity. More
Comscore has received a US patent for: 'Protecting User Privacy During Collection of Demographics Census Data'. More
In New York, IPG Mediabrands global media agency network UM has promoted Arielle Garcia for the newly created role of Chief Privacy Officer. More
Business software giant SAP is to sell shares in its Qualtrics experience management business on the public market in the USA - but will remain its largest shareholder. 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
Edinburgh, Scotland-based ad measurement and optimization firm TVSquared has partnered with Sky's ad sales arm Sky Media, to launch a web attribution tool across linear, on-demand, and addressable TV ad campaigns. More
Nielsen has sold its social media TV measurement and audience insights software provider Nielsen Social to Talkwalker, a specialist in social media listening and analytics. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In Australia, Nielsen has been hit by a suspected ransomware attack on its servers, resulting in delays to its release of daily television ratings. 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
In the US, marketing and consumer research firm HCD Research has partnered with artificial intelligence and sensory research agency Aigora, to launch a tool designed to help clients understand the relationship between consumers and brands. 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 UK, the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) is leading an initiative to establish industry-wide professional standards for data science. The move aims to give the public confidence in how their data is being used ethically, stored safely and analysed robustly. 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
Kantar has announced the launch of 'Project Moonshot', described as 'a major milestone' on the road to an advanced independent platform for measuring ad effectiveness. The initiative includes deals with Google, Pandora, in-game ad platform Anzu, Dish, Pinterest, Roku, Snap, Spotify and Twitter. More
Location-based predictive analytics firm Intalytics has appointed Justin Tischler as its new President, succeeding co-founder and Principal Bob Buckner. More
Consumer insight platform aytm (Ask Your Target Market) has appointed Sarah Snudden as VP, Digital Transformation and Dale Gilliam as Director of Product Strategy, both new roles. More
Dentsu Aegis Network is to expand its business transformation specialist Isobar Consulting to India. The launch builds on existing consulting capabilities at agencies Fractal Ink and Isobar India; and the agency will be led by Priyanka Agrawal as Country Head. 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
Customer data pioneer dunnhumby has expanded its India leadership team, adding three industry veterans: Finance Director Dipti Bhatia, Director of Media Products Sourabh Sharma and Director of Technology and Operations Sai Prakash Dilipkumar. More
Audience research body MRUC India has reportedly paused production and publication of its IRS 2020 readership survey, and has told subscribers it will refund their payments, due in large part to the economic impact of Covid-19. More
Nielsen says it is making 'sweeping changes' to its digital measurement methodology, focused on future-proof, privacy-centric, comparable, cross-platform measurement. Separately, US ad body the 4A's has criticised the firm's plans to combine in-home and OOH TV ratings. More
Marketing tech firm Kenshoo has partnered with CPG and retail competitive intelligence service DataWeave to offer real-time aggregate data on digital shoppers. More
Mobile data and analytics company App Annie has launched a new suite of tools called Ascend, combining app market data with advertising analytics. More
San Francisco-based digital media consultancy MightyHive has launched a global data practice, promising client organizations better understanding of how their customers make business decisions. More
In the UK, marcoms group Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) has appointed Merkle exec Nick McCarthy to lead its new EMEA Global Technology Alliances team. More
US-based digital media measurement software and analytics specialist DoubleVerify (DV) has expanded to India, where it has appointed Nachiket Deole, to lead business operations in the region. More
Data and marketing services company Acxiom has launched a portfolio of 'digital transformation solutions' called ConneCXions, combining its expertise in martech (including customer data platforms, identity and ethnical data use), with adtech applications. More
In Australia, online automotive, motorcycle and marine classifieds business Carsales has hired former Tesco exec Mark Cripsey for a newly created role, Chief Product and Data Officer. More
US-based eCommerce intelligence specialist Fanplayr has made two appointments at its recently opened New York City office, in order to service and support its client base in North America. More
US-based insight-led marketing services firm LRW Group has been renamed 'Material', bringing its ten companies into one unified offering. More
In Canada, research tech business Rival Technologies and sister company Reach3 Insights have launched a mobile message-based platform, through which brands can access 'focus groups on demand' at scale. More
Former Kantar CEO Eric Salama has joined the Board of New York-based consumer insights platform Morning Consult, along with Karen van Bergen, former CEO of Omnicom Public Relations Group. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's digital advertising and marketing services investment vehicle S4Capital has raised £116m through the issue of 36.8 million shares at 315 pence each. Proceeds from the sale will be used to fund further acquisitions. More
SaaS-based customer intelligence platform (CIP) Zeotap has raised $42m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to continue invest in its platform, and in its recently launched universal marketing identity solution, ID+. 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
Online communities specialist InSites Consulting has transferred Daniel Teixeira to Singapore, where he has taken up the role of Managing Director of its Asia brand, ABN Impact | InSites Consulting. 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 US, advertising services and software company Mediaocean is to acquire multi-screen data science and marketing technology company 4C Insights for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, audio entertainment company SiriusXM has acquired podcast management, measurement and analytics platform Simplecast for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, TV content demand measurement platform Parrot Analytics has launched a platform called TV360 which it says makes global demand data available for tens of thousands of TV shows, across all TV networks and OTT platforms worldwide, at a relatively low price. 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 New York, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has launched a collaborative research initiative designed to establish methods for applying randomized control testing (RCT) to cross-platform ad impact analysis. More
US-based consumer insight specialist Numerator has launched Canadian Insights, a platform providing on-demand access to a view of the country's consumers based on an analysis of 30,000 panelists. More
The New York Stock Exchange has begun the process of delisting multi-channel marketing solutions firm Harte Hanks after the latter firm failed to stay above required thresholds for stockholders' equity and/or market equity. The firm will not appeal the decision, and will trade on the OTCQX instead. More
Former Lightspeed GMI and Research Now exec Martin Filz has been appointed CEO at Australia-based digital research platform Pureprofile Ltd, effective 3rd August; while John Griffin is promoted to Chief Technology Officer. 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
Experience management (XM) company Qualtrics has launched the XM Institute; a community and resource for XM professionals, practitioners and leaders. More
In California, contextual ad solutions provider GumGum has partnered with video intelligence platform IRIS.TV, to provide advertisers with a new tool for reaching video audiences at scale without encroaching on their data privacy. More
Marcoms group MDC Partners has hired former Deloitte exec Julia Hammond as President of a new division launched to service larger, integrated accounts across the entire firm. 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
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) have opened a joint investigation into Clearview AI, whose surveillance activities have been described as a 'threat to privacy, safety, and security'. 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
In the US, word-of-mouth specialist Bazaarvoice has acquired visual commerce and analytics platform Curalate. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Nielsen has launched an audience planning tool allowing marketers to reach their most important consumers by performing blind matches between their first-party data and Nielsen's own panel data. More
Panel provider Borderless Access has appointed long-time Dynata exec Kasia Churchill as Director, Sales - UK, based in London. More
London-based publisher data platform Permutive has raised $18.5m in a Series B round of funding, earmarked for international expansion. The firm has also added two new execs to its senior team. More
In the US, media and entertainment data provide Nielsen Gracenote has appointed Emmy Award-winning David Faulknor as SVP Product Management. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's programmatic media practice MightyHive has appointed former Google Analytics leader Toby McAra as Head of Enterprise Data Solutions, EMEA. 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
In New York, marcoms agency Peppercomm has launched a sentiment mapping tool called Mindset.AI, to help organizations understand how to best communicate with their audiences. More
Nielsen is carrying out an 'optimization plan' to drive permanent cost savings and 'operational efficiencies', which will result in the loss of around 3,500 of its c.46,000 employees. The firm also plans to exit several smaller, underperforming markets and non-core businesses in H2 2020. More
Ben Tatta, co-founder of TV analytics firm 605, has joined New York-based advertising pricing and spend data specialist Standard Media Index (SMI) as President for the US Market. More
London firm Measure Protocol, a person-based data marketplace using blockchain technology, has hired long-time industry exec John McLaren for a newly created role, Vice President of Sales. More
In the UK, the government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has launched an Instagram-based tool running opinion polls, through which 13-25 year olds can share their views on issues relating to policy-making. 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
Asia Pacific media intelligence business Isentia is expanding its coverage to monitor non-English language publications across Australia. The move comes a week after the company 'streamlined' by shuttering its North Asian operations, handing clients off to a partner firm. More
Palantir Technologies, the secretive US-based big data firm which helps predict and track events for intelligence agencies and governments, as well as private clients, is raising around $961m in equity funding, with around $550m already sold. More
In the UK, a Durham-based digital entrepreneur has developed an app which collects data and provides local shoppers with up-to-date offers. More
Social media management software firm Hootsuite has appointed Tom Keiser as Chief Executive Officer, replacing founder Ryan Holmes who will remain Chairman of the company's Board. More
In New York, digital media measurement software and analytics specialist DoubleVerify (DV) has appointed former Nielsen exec Mark Zagorski as Chief Executive Officer. He will join on July 21st, and replaces Wayne Gattinella who left in March to become CEO of R&D start-up DeBogy Molecular. 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 US, behavioral and cognitive analytics technology company OSG has launched an employee engagement survey app called PxidaTX, to help HR professionals better understand what matters most to their employees and how their organization is performing across those areas. More
Real-time customer data specialist Tealium has launched a machine learning feature helping marketers predict and react to future customer behavior. More
Qual-led insight and strategy specialist BritainThinks has promoted one-time interns Raphael Malek and Lucy Morrell to the role of Research Director; while Teresa Kuhn and Phoebe Ward - who joined the company as interns last year - have been promoted to SRE. More
San Francisco-based Bluedot, whose technology provides location insights on mobile apps, has raised $9.1m in a Series B round of funding. This will be used to extend the firm's technology and launch a new predictive time-of-arrival targeting service called Tempo. More
San Francisco-based email management company cloudHQ has launched a product allowing users of Gmail to embed a poll or a survey directly into an email message. 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 UK, Andrew Mitchell has returned to consumer data firm IRI as EVP of Regional Client Growth Delivery, responsible for leading and supporting the firm's commercial efforts. More
In the US, AI-powered consumer intelligence platform Spiketrap has raised $3m in a seed round of funding, and plans to expand beyond the video game sector to additional verticals such as movies and streaming television. More
Kantar has added the newly created role of Deputy Chief Executive to the role of Chief Financial Officer Ian Griffiths. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's digital ad and marketing services group S4Capital is to acquire Australian digital strategy and analytics consultancy Lens10 for an undisclosed sum. More
In the UK, data-driven performance marketing agency Merkle has promoted Niyi Duro-Emanuel for the newly created and expanded role of Vice President, Solutions, with a remit to help clients bring their adtech, martech and data capabilities together for a more contextually targeted approach. More
In Canada, marketing analytics company StrategyBox has raised $2m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to support more than 50 additional platforms, and add radio attribution as a service. More
Tech publisher and marketing services firm IDG Communications has acquired account-based marketing (ABM) platform Triblio, for an undisclosed sum. More
Reach3 Insights has appointed Bala Rajan as SVP based in Sydney, Australia, with a remit to help develop new hybrid quant and qual methodologies focused on its core 'conversational research' technologies and techniques. More
San Diego-based online customer insights technology provider GroupSolver has raised $2m in its third round of fund raising. More
On-demand insights firm UserTesting has appointed Nextdoor's Chief Product Officer Tatyana Mamut to its Board of Directors. More
In the US, customer experience (CX) and data platform Arena has raised $2.3m in a seed round of funding, for use in expanding its sales and marketing team and growing its footprint in additional global markets. More
Kantar has rolled out a suite of innovation and product development solutions on its Marketplace automated research platform. More
The Stagwell Group, owner of the Harris and Harris Poll brands, has proposed a merger with marcoms group MDC Partners, to create a single entity which it says would have generated more than $2 billion in net revenue last year. More
In the US, consumer data management tech company SRAX has raised $13m in debt funding, which it will use to finance the expansion of its investor intelligence and data analytics platform Sequire, and its consumer data platform BIGtoken. More
In New York, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has updated its Invalid Traffic (IVT) Detection and Filtration Standards, to better reflect the range of ad fraud threats and related issues in today's online environment. More
New York-based marketing tech company Zeta Global has launched a real-time analytics and insights solution called Opportunity Explorer, designed to help marketers identify, segment and act on business growth opportunities arising post-Covid. More
Kantar has launched Link AI, a fully-automated, artificial intelligence-powered tool to measure and predict the impact of creative. More
Former Circle Research exec Chris Wells has launched a B2B market research consultancy called Adience, based in New York City. More
Marcoms group Havas has launched a B2B agency called Langoor Havas Enterprise in South East Asia, to help clients with digital transformation, strategy and execution. More
Singapore-based tech company AnyMind Group has launched a tool allowing marketers on the CastingAsia influencer marketing platform to analyze and track their brand's social media profiles. More
In the US, programmatic sample platform Lucid has launched a real time advertising insights and analytics product called the Impact Measurement Dashboard, whose self-service features can be used to measure brand lift and optimize media performance for digital campaigns. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's programmatic media practice MightyHive has appointed Sayf Sharif as Senior Director of Data for North America. More
In Hong Kong, brand strategy, design and content specialist Spectra Partnership has hired former Nielsen exec Simon Chung for the newly created position of Insights Director, charged with driving its Spectra Focus consumer insights practice. More
Nielsen has been granted Media Rating Council (MRC) re-accreditation for its Local People Meter (LPM) service and Set Meter measurement services in 19 of 31 mid-size US TV markets; as well as for its National People Meter (NPM) service. More
Insight marketplace and MR tech provider Cint has expanded its APAC presence with the opening of an office in Singapore. More
San Francisco-based Streamlit, which offers a framework for creating machine learning and data science apps, has raised $21m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to further develop its software and launch its paid-for offer, Streamlit for Teams. More
Marketing tech firm Kenshoo and eCommerce analytics platform Profitero have announced a strategic partnership, promising to help clients use multi-retailer analytics to dynamically optimize their ad and media campaigns on retailers including Amazon and Walmart. More
Nashville, TN-based digital qual expert 20|20 Research has promoted Julia Eisenberg to Senior Vice President, leading a team of strategic insights consultants and analysts. More
Shopper insights agency PRS IN VIVO has enhanced its path-to-purchase measurement tool OmniPath, with enhanced single source data, social media listening and staged qualitative behavioral analysis, tracking the same consumers in context to influence their shopping behavior. More
Bubo.AI, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to predict the optimum price consumers are willing to pay for a product, has raised £650k funding to help scale its operations across Europe and North America. More
Nielsen Brandbank - which provides digital product content for eCommerce web sites, mobile shopping apps, merchandising and marketing - has expanded its partnership with rich content agency SKU Ninja + WhyteSpyder, allowing clients to add rich media to product pages. More
In San Francisco, customer identity specialist Unum ID has closed a $2m seed round of financing, which it will use to 'aggressively' accelerate its sales and product development efforts. More
The contracting authority representing the main Danish TV broadcasters has given Nielsen a five-year contract to provide 'cross-media video measurement' data in the country from 1st January 2022. More
Scott Ernst, Global CEO of online specialist Macromill, is to step down after the group's annual shareholders meeting in September. Toru Sasaki, Representative Executive Officer for the group's Japan Operation, will take over the role. More
Toronto-based not-for-profit consumer and audience insights company Vividata has extended its partnership with Ipsos, to roll out the latter's iris online audience measurement solution in Canada. More
US-based data company Clickagy has launched 'Privacy Clusters', a solution for targeting micro-groupings of individuals, which it says will help address the approaching end of third-party cookies in a privacy-compliant manner. 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
UK television audience measurement body BARB has launched the beta version of a BVOD planner (broadcast video-on-demand), to help agencies and advertisers plan campaigns across BARB-reported commercial broadcasters' linear channels and VOD platforms. More
Helsinki and New York-based behavioral and market research platform Verto Analytics has promoted Pat Brennan to CEO, replacing founder Hannu Verkasalo who moves to focus on strategic partners, customers, vendors, marketing and public image. More
In New York, the ARF (Advertising Research Foundation) has set up a charitable program called 'ARF WIDE: Workforce Initiative for Diversity and Excellence', aiming to improve the diversity of the workforce across the research/analytics, media and advertising industries. More
John Croll, former CEO of media monitoring firm Isentia, has teamed up with ex-colleague Michael Bade to launch a media intelligence platform called Truescope. The firm aims to inform clients about breaking news across all media types and identify issues, fake news and trends in real time. More
In the US, account-based marketing (ABM) agency Demandbase has acquired B2B marketing specialist Engagio, whose customer data platform includes proprietary IP matching data, first party customer data, and third party data from multiple sources. Terms were not disclosed. More
In Mumbai, data-driven and tech-enabled marketing consultancy Hansa Cequity has promoted Neeraj Pratap Sangani to the role of Chief Operating Officer. 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
Ipsos Interactive Services' (IIS) has extended its MENA online panel with a launch in Iraq. The new panel boasts 8,000 members and is fully operational in all the state's major cities, in both Arabic and Kurdish languages. More
In the US, project management, survey fieldwork and tech provider Research for Good (RFG) has launched a suite of data acquisition and research tools called DataForce. More
Mobile marketing and ad platform InMobi has expanded its product offerings, leadership team and local footprint in Southeast Asia. More
In the US, online fraud prevention company NS8 has raised $123m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to accelerate product development and expand its global reach with an increased focus on growing its partner network. More
In the US, customer behavior measurement specialist Bloom Intelligence has acquired WiFi marketing and customer intelligence platform SuperFi, for an undisclosed sum. More
Microsoft has joined IBM and Amazon to limit US police use of facial recognition technology, which critics claim is racially biased. More
Broadcaster Channel 4 has appointed Khalid Hayat in the newly created role of Director of Strategy and Consumer Insight. More
In the US, custom research specialist StandPoint has launched Chooseology, an alternative to traditional concept test products and purchase intent surveys which will help model the familiar online shopping experience and measure respondent behavior. More
US television measurement and analytics company 605 has launched a self-service, web-based application called 605 IMP4CT, using audience attribution to quantify the impact of TV advertising on consumer behavior. More
Tech-enabled market and customer insights company Maru Group has launched an unstructured data engine, 'Maru/HUB Topic Modelling', which uses AI and machine learning to automatically group relevant comments together, without the need for user-defined rules and human biases. More
In Australia, magazine publisher Bauer Media has partnered with MR agency The Lab to launch a study called OFFSCRIPT, to understand the thoughts, feelings and social media behaviour of Gen Z, as well as how advertisers can target this generation. More
Hamburg, Germany-based Splendid Research is expanding its panel offering with the launch of an online access panel in Serbia. More
Retail and consumer goods image recognition and analytics firm Trax has partnered with in-store data and shopper insights platform Snooper, to provide brands in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) with a new store auditing solution which combines image recognition and crowdsourcing. More
Mobile user data specialist zeotap has launched an initiative called ID+, promising to help counter the challenges posed by the phase-out of third-party cookies and other platform identifiers, as well as the regulatory landscape, by establishing a 'universal identity'. More
In the US, mobile research specialist MFour has appointed former Corelogic exec Aaron Wepler as Chief Technology Officer. He replaces Wendell Hicken, who left in October to take up the post of CTO at MR business Sense360. More
London-based insights agency Opinium has promoted Alexa Nightingale to its management board after eight years at the company. More
In the US, smart TV viewing data provider Inscape has partnered with consultancy Dativa to launch a panel providing representative TV viewing data for all US households, demographics and geographies, built on Inscape's base of 15 million ACR-enabled Smart TVs. 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
In the US, TV streaming platform Roku has launched a shopper data program promising to make ads 'more precise and measurable' for CPG marketers. Grocery store giant Kroger says its shopper personalization platform KPM will join the program as its launch partner. More
UK-based data, insights and analytics consultancy STRAT7 has brought together its three agencies - ResearchBods, Bonamy Finch and LiFE - whose names will now all be prefixed with the STRAT7 brand. More
French audience measurement agency Médiamétrie has promoted Julien Rosanvallon to the position of Executive Vice President - Audience Measurements, replacing Benoît Cassaigne, who is retiring but will continue as an advisor. More
Eye tracking solutions provider Tobii has released a new wearable device, Tobii Pro Glasses 3, which it says will provide unbiased insights into human behaviour for both commercial and scientific use despite being 'exactly like putting on and wearing a standard pair of eyeglasses'. More
In the US, Google has moved former Yahoo! Labs research head Prabhakar Raghavan into the senior role of 'Head of Search and Assistant', reporting directly to Google CEO Sundar Pichai. 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
Indian data collection and MR services firm Aeon Market Research has appointed Ankur Sinha as VP Online Panels, as it expands into online research. He joins after almost seven years at analytics and research company Absolutdata. More
Montreal, Canada-based research software firm Voxco has launched a 'no charge' web site satisfaction survey tool, allowing businesses of all sizes to measure customer experience online. The tool is available in English, with more languages to follow shortly. 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
In Switzerland, customer experience management specialist SANDSIV has launched an AI-based customer intelligence app called VOC CI, as an add-on for its sandsiv+ CX measurement platform. More
In the US, technology research and advisory firm ISG (Information Services Group) has launched a multi-country study examining the market for digital workplace services, including technologies used to support remote working during the pandemic. 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
Ipsos has named Maria Perez as Head of its self-service research platform Ipsos.Digital in North America. More
Andy Waller, formerly Global COO of Hall & Partners, has joined consulting, big data and business process management specialist Datamatics as Head - Strategic Partnerships for its Research & Analytics Solutions division. More
Personal data discovery, analytics, privacy and security platform 1touch.io has raised $14m in a Series A round of funding, for use in platform development and customer acquisition. More
Data-driven marketing agency Merkle has launched a 'Performance Marketing Lab', helping clients incorporate a range of site behavior attributes into predictive models in order to optimise marketing spend. More
Former Nielsen exec Scott McKinley has founded data intelligence company Truth{set}, which will focus on validating the accuracy and compliance of consumer data. The company has already raised $4.75m in seed funding from a variety of investors. More
Shopper data and insights business Nielsen Global Connect has appointed Tribune Media veteran Chandler Bigelow as its first Chief Financial Officer. More
In the US, personalization business MessageGears has raised $12m in a round of financing, for use in expanding resources in engineering, customer support, sales and marketing. More
In the US, online consumer research and rewards platform Prodege has acquired college education-savings rewards business Upromise for an undisclosed sum, and will use it to expand its own proprietary market research panels. More
Ipsos has launched an online solution called CreativeSpark, through which clients can evaluate video creative in the US and UK, in as little as 24 hours. The tool will be rolled out in sixteen additional markets throughout the year. More
Full-service data-driven marketing agency Cheil Worldwide has acquired Chinese social media big data analyst ColourData for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, data quality monitoring solution provider Toro Data Labs has raised $4m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to accelerate product development and bring the product to a larger audience. More
TV analytics specialist FourthWall Media has unveiled a new tool called Adapt, allowing users to onboard linear, addressable and digital campaign data; and has added Nielsen's Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) data from Smart TVs to the cable STB data in its Reveal analytics platform. More
Networking tech giant Cisco is planning to acquire ThousandEyes, whose Internet and cloud intelligence platform delivers insights into the digital delivery of apps and online services. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Stockholm-based brand tracking and consumer science firm Nepa has announced net sales up 3.8% (constant currency) in the first quarter to MSEK 69.4m ($US 7.4m), with EBIT loss slashed from MSEK -3.3m to just -0.3m. The company has also moved quickly to off-set possible damage from the pandemic. More
In the US, media and ad tech firm Comcast Corporation has partnered with cabling and connectivity giant Charter Communications, Inc. and broadcaster ViacomCBS in ownership of Blockgraph, a software platform promising more secure use and sharing of aggregated and anonymized data. 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 customer data platform (CDP) RudderStack has raised $5m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to accelerate product development and roll out to larger enterprises. The company has also acquired data integration firm Blendo for an undisclosed sum. More
Cultural insights and strategy consultancy Crowd DNA has expanded the role of its London Managing Director Matilda Andersson to include management of the business in Amsterdam. More
London-based digital experience analytics specialist Decibel has raised an additional $23m in Series B funding, which it will use to 'double down' on product innovation as North American and European demand grows. More
Kantar and Comscore have announced the renewal of their partnership with Italian TV audience measurement body Auditel. The contract, ongoing since August 2017, will now run until December 31st 2023. More
London-based community panel specialist Verve has introduced a 'fast-build' community panel service called Verve-Lite, giving access to an always-on group of customers and launched in as little as three days. More
In the US, community intelligence specialist Fuel Cycle has launched a platform called Ignition, which it says speeds up the gathering of customer and employee insights, simplifying and automating the research process. More
New York-based retail behaviour and product data specialist Bluecore has raised $50m in a Series D round of funding, which it will use to launch a new AI application through which to learn and predict which product is most likely to drive a purchase by a specific individual. 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
Kantar Media's Global CEO Andy Brown has left the business, less than a year after WPP agreed to sell 60% of Kantar to private equity firm Bain Capital. Brown's next career move is not yet known, and his previous role has been filled on an interim basis by former Bain exec Serge Lupas. More
Online sample marketplace PureSpectrum has appointed former Cint Germany MD Norman Behrend in a newly created role, Managing Director Central Europe. More
In the US, sports data analyst Hudl has received an undisclosed amount of investment from Bain Capital Tech Opportunities, along with existing investors, which it will use to support further global growth. More
Southeast Asia-based qual and quant marketing intelligence company Divergent Insights has launched a cloud-based, fully automated survey management tool called OSM. More
In Zurich, Switzerland, AI-based digital identify fraud prevention company PXL Vision has raised CHF 4.6m ($4.7m) in a seed round of finance, which it will use to expand its product portfolio and enter new markets. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's marcoms business S4Capital has acquired Latin American data and analytics consultancy Digodat and merged it with its programmatic media practice MightyHive. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Former QuenchTec CEO and Syno UK MD Allan Shaw has joined market research software development company Q One Tech as a Consultant, working with the team on business development, product expansion and strategy. More
In Shanghai, AI-powered text analysis software company DataGrand has raised $38m (CNY 270m) in a Series B+ round of funding, which it will use to 'scale up' the business. 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
In the US, predictive intelligence firm 6sense has launched an integration with online professional network LinkedIn, allowing mutual clients to use the former's account data and insights to drive their LinkedIn ads. More
In the US, brand and marketing insights company Shapiro+Raj has promoted Senior Director Lisa La Brooy to the role of Vice President, in charge of its New York Office. More
In the US, Paradigm Sample has promoted Steve Danziger to the role of Vice President of its Innovation Labs, while Kathleen Egge moves into the position of Vice President of Strategic Accounts. More
Britain's Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has agreed that publishers will no longer have to make their circulation figures public. In addition, ABC will no longer publish its public monthly report, though the figures will still be available to advertisers. More
Continuing our excerpts from the recently published 'Mobile Age' special issue, Reach3 Insights CEO & founder Matt Kleinschmit looks at the rise of the mobile messaging-based Survey - with case studies from work for Jagermeister, Hyundai and Kimberly-Clark. More
Hamburg, Germany-based Splendid Research has launched new online access panels in Japan and Israel. 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
In the UK, the Market Research Society (MRS) and Next15's data and insights group Savanta have officially launched a framework to guide businesses in building competitive advantage through market and social research. More
Jamin Brazil and Christy Luquire have joined the Board of Directors of data quality and anti-fraud software platform SampleChain. More
India and Australia-based online panel and technology provider Orchidea Research has hired Patrick Callaghan as Director, Business Development for the North America region. More
Sports betting data and analytics provider QL Gaming Group (QLGG) has raised $1.1m in new funding, and acquired Finnish sports forecasting service Accuscore. 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
Global shopper insights agency PRS IN VIVO has expanded its LAB suite of qualitative services (Leverage Authentic Behavior) with the addition of two new modules - LivingLAB and ListenLAB. More
In the US, media intelligence and communications specialist Cision has launched new 'article-level' data capabilities, helping users to understand how audiences consume earned media. More
User experience (UX) analytics platform Contentsquare has raised $190m in a Series D round of funding, which it will invest in artificial intelligence-based and predictive analytics initiatives, and to expand its business across the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. 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
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has expressed concerns over Hungary's decision to suspend General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) obligations, as part of new emergency powers passed following the outbreak of coronavirus in the country. More
Cross-screen data management platform (DMP) Lotame has launched Panorama - a suite of data enrichment solutions that use first- second- and third-party data to create and analyze audiences in cookie-free environments across desktops, mobile devices and over-the-top devices. More
Global consulting group Accenture has acquired Ahmedabad, India-based Byte Prophecy, described as an automated insights and big data analytics company, for an undisclosed sum. The buy adds nearly 50 data science and data engineering staff to its Applied Intelligence division. 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
Mansour Fahimi Ph.D., formerly Chief Statistician at Ipsos, has rejoined US-based sampling and tech solutions provider Marketing Systems Group [MSG] as EVP and Chief Data Scientist of its Advanced Analytics and Methods department. More
AI-driven analytics firm Hypersonix has raised $11.5m in a Series A round of funding, for use in expansion and for deployment of its platform to a number of consumer sectors. 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
DIY survey software provider SurveyMonkey has enhanced its app integration with the Microsoft Teams communication platform, to make it easier for team leaders and employees to generate surveys and collect feedback from one another in the 'new era' of home working. More
Digital media measurement software and analytics provider DoubleVerify (DV) has opened an office in Japan, and appointed former Google director Takashi Takeda to launch and lead the business. More
Nielsen Global Connect has launched Retail Pricing Analytics, an app which use artificial intelligence modules to help retailers set up, adjust and track pricing and promotion strategies. 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
Measure Protocol, a blockchain-based marketplace for person-based data, has launched a rapid insights tool, 'Measure QuickAnswers'. The solution taps the company's community of Gen Z and Millennial mobile-only app users based in the US, Canada and the UK. More
Nielsen Media has rolled out its VisualDNA tool for the Hong Kong market, promising help to companies, brands and marketers in understanding the 'human personality'. More
In the US, cable channel Newsmax TV has hired former Fox News research chief Jason Villar as Vice President of Research and Analysis. More
In New York, consumer insights platform Morning Consult has raised $31m in a Series A round of funding, which it says it will use to 'further accelerate its transformation of the market research industry'. More
Full-service data-driven marketing agency Cheil UK has promoted David Coombs to the role of Chief Executive Officer, following Peter Zillig's resignation in February to take up a new client-side opportunity. Coombs will take over the position on 1st July. More
Ipsos has partnered with mobile research tech firm RealityMine to create a cross-device panel measuring digital behaviour on smartphones, tablets and desktop computers. The panel will form part of Ipsos' contract to supply the UK's online audience measurement standard. More
In the US, former Nielsen CEO Mitch Barns has joined the Board of consumer brand agency The Stable. 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
In New York, patient behavior change company Wellth has raised $10m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to expand the business. More
Audience measurement firm Comscore has reported results for the quarter ended March 31st, including a 12.5% decline in revenue to $89.5m. However, the firm also turned a $2.5m adjusted EBITDA loss into a $6.4m profit. More
US trade body the Insight Association (IA) has issued guidelines to help companies throughout the insights and data analytics space 'prepare for business in a post-COVID world' despite a confusing picture where some states are extending lockdowns and others lifting them. 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
Peep Laja, co-founder of data-driven marketing training firm the CXL Institute, has rolled out an audience research tool for web site copy, called Copytesting. More
In the US, media intelligence firm Burrelles has promoted Cathy Del Colle to the role of President, after 33 years with the firm. More
In Barcelona, Spain, online opinion and behavioral data specialist Netquest has launched an Online Focus Group solution. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's marcoms business S4 Capital has reported a 17% like-for-like increase in first quarter revenue to £71m, while on the same basis gross profit was up 19% to £60.7m. More
US-based MR data and tech firm Numerator has launched an omnichannel consumer insights panel for Canada, focusing on consumer shopping and brand behaviour across fifteen retail channels - including online - for individual panelists. More
In the UK, customer data and intelligence provider ResearchBods has launched a pop-up community platform called 'ex-plor lite', providing the same features as its 'ex-plor' platform, but specifically designed as a short-term, self-serve solution that can be launched in just 24 hours. More
New York-based AI-driven ad personalization platform Clinch has announced expansion to Europe, where it is opening offices in Barcelona and Hamburg. More
Brand tracking and consumer science firm Nepa has partnered with mobile research tech firm RealityMine, to provide behavioural data technology for the former's Omnichannel Path to Purchase and Digital Pulse solutions. More
Measure Protocol, a blockchain-based marketplace for person-based data, has launched a solution to help data buyers and market researchers gain a more 'holistic view' of their consumer audiences through passive mobile device data collection. More
In the US, online qual research platform Aha! has launched QuickSprint Studies, which helps researchers accelerate their innovation initiatives and concept testing; and provides 'mini-digital ethnographies' for brand strategy as well as 'pulse checks' for cultural events. More
In Australia, branding consultancy Principals has appointed Mary Winter as Insights Director, working on client projects across the firm's three offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland. 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
US-based online survey software provider QuestionPro has launched a trivia, quiz and polling platform called LivePolls, to both 'engage and excite' audiences and help understand their preferences. One aim is to allow firms to check in with currently home working employees on a regular basis. More
Continuing our focus on mobile insights, Brandwatch founder & CEO Giles Palmer talks sifting through 1.5 trillion pages of data; pulling apart the Model-T Ford; and why our industry could grow fivefold in 5 years. Excerpts from a podcast interview by Jamin Brazil of Happy Market Research. 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
US provider Strategy Analytics has expanded its Media and Intelligent Home Practice through the launch of a TV Streaming Platforms (TSP) research initiative; and the appointment of Edouard Bouffenie as Senior Analyst, based in London. More
In the US, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) has launched a study to understand how Smart TV and set-top box (STB) data can be combined to create datasets that measure all types of TV viewing. More
Pharma and healthcare data giant IQVIA has reported Q1 revenue up 3.7% at constant currency, to $2.754bn, and adjusted EBITDA down slightly to $562m from $587m a year earlier. The firm says the pandemic has affected business but it expects 'a strong recovery' by the end of 2020. More
Australia's professional insights association the AMSRS has rebranded as 'The Research Society', aiming to reflect its evolution into 'a more contemporary community association... providing benefits and services to research professionals throughout their career'. More
Cincinnati, Ohio-based firm EMI Research Solutions has launched a new DIY sample platform called CONNECTOR, promising online sample from a large network of providers sourced via a single, simple dashboard. More
In Australia, media agency Audience Group has appointed Ron Ramaiya as Director of Analytics, Research and Insights, charged with further developing the firm's audience analytics capabilities for both marketers and publishers. More
Sports tech data and AI business Stats Perform has appointed long-time IBM exec Nancy Hensley as Chief Product and Marketing Officer. More
Nielsen has announced information sharing and 'cooperation' agreements with one of its largest shareholders, hedge fund Elliott Management Corporation, which now owns a 13% stake in the group. It will also set up a Finance Committee and add IPG exec Jonathan Miller to its Board. More
In South Africa, non-profit industry body the Marketing Research Foundation (MRF) has appointed Johann Koster as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Greg Garden, who held the role for nearly three years. More
Nielsen has reported a 0.3% drop in first quarter revenues to $1.56 billion, equivalent to a 1.5% rise on a constant currency basis. It also turned a net profit of $43m in Q1 2019 into a net loss of $18m a year later, although adjusted EBITDA remained positive. More
Long-time Nielsen / Kantar exec Terrance Kent has been appointed CEO of SRDS (Standard Rate & Data Service), which Kantar recently sold to French ad tech company Adwanted Group. More
In the US, ad fraud intelligence and marketing compliance platform Pixalate has earned accreditations for multiple metrics from the Media Rating Council (MRC), across over-the-top (OTT) / Connected TV (CTV) ad environments, including server-side ad insertion (SSAI) measurement metrics. More
Data and marketing solutions provider Infogroup has launched a service using intent data to pinpoint prospective B2B customers' interest in a specific product or service. Data comes from customer actions collected from multiple sources and channels. 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
Nordic MR specialist Userneeds has partnered with mobile research tech firm RealityMine, aiming to provide a more holistic view of the digital behaviour of Nordic consumers. More
In Tokyo, Kantar has appointed former Dynata exec Justin He to lead its Profiles division, and manage the already established Japanese team. More
BBC Global News, a member of the broadcaster's commercial group of companies, has partnered with communities specialist Maru/Matchbox to uncover implicit, emotional reactions to its news coverage relating to the Covid-19 virus. More
In London, marcoms group Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) has promoted Neil Gissler to the newly created role of Global Chief Operating Officer. More
Al (Albert) Angrisani, turnaround specialist and former President and CEO of Harris Interactive, died as a result of complications from COVID-19 at the Princeton Medical Center in Plainsboro on Thursday, April 23rd, at the age of 70. More
Toronto, Canada-based customer insight solution provider Vision Critical has launched a cloud-based app called Touchpoint, to help brands create faster interactions with a wider customer base. 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
Data firm Acxion has promoted Mike Menzer to the role of Executive Vice President and General Manager of its international business. He has relocated to London from New Jersey to take up the position. More
California-based customer experience management specialist Medallia has agreed to acquire real-time speech-to-text platform Voci Technologies for around $59m in cash. More
The Board of Northumberland-based insights firm DRG has invited Paul Wealleans, Client Services Director at Panelbase, to take on the leadership of its online research supplier following the sudden death of its founder Angus Webb. More
Audience tech platform Eyeota and research and data firm YouGov have expanded their existing partnership, allowing activation of audiences based on the latter's data in seven new markets. More
In Germany, former McKinsey execs Ingo Lange and Tobias Roelen-Blasberg have joined with researcher Maximilian Lüders to launch a company called MARA | Market Research Automation with a EUR 147k pre-seed funding round of investment. More
Nielsen has promoted Andrea Borelli to the role of Managing Director for Nielsen Hong Kong and Macau. More
In New York, Voice-of-Customer (VoC) platform Frame AI has raised $6.3m in a Series A round of funding, for use in strengthening its enterprise offer. More
Peak, which uses artificial intelligence to understand customers and automatically predict what they want, has raised $12m in an extended Series A round of investment. Funds will be used to support growth, for commercial expansion, and to ramp up investment in R&D. 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
Automated consumer insights platform Zappi has appointed two new client leaders: former Nielsen exec Elena Protopapas as Standard Account Manager in London, and former Ipsos exec Marek Slodyczka as Vice President, Global Accounts in New York. More
In London, voice technology firm Phebi has launched an SaaS product called Phebi Detect, which the firm claims makes it easier to process audio files collected during online or phone studies. More
Customer feedback analyst Mopinion has announced a software integration with UX analytics platform ContentSquare, combining digital experience analytics and customer feedback to provide context from the customer experience (CX) journey. 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
David Williams, CEO of Merkle for more than 32 years, has stepped down from the role, and has been succeeded by long-time company exec Craig Dempster. Williams will continue as Merkle's Chairman, while remaining CEO, Global CRM Group for parent company Dentsu Aegis Network. More
In the US, digital marketing and performance analytics specialist TapClicks has acquired marketing and advertising intelligence solutions provider AdStage, for an undisclosed sum. More
Online community specialist CMNTY has added a real-time video chat functionality called Focus to its platform, to help researchers host video sessions as part of in-depth interviews, virtual focus groups and live brainstorming exercises. More
TV ad impact measurement company 605 has made a 'strategic' but unspecified investment' in London and Dublin-based advertising technology, measurement and services business Adscribe. More
YouGov has reported a 16% increase in revenue to £76.9m in its half-year (HY) results for the six months to 31st January, compared with HY 2019, when revenue increased 18% to £66.5m. The firm also says it has not yet seen any 'material impact' to the business from the Covid-19 pandemic. More
Continuing this week's focus on 'Insights in the Mobile Age' Andy Chandler, General Manager, UK & Ireland at mobile measurement and fraud prevention specialist Adjust, debunks three fashionable but misplaced ideas from this booming market. More
Market research has been listed as the worst-performing category in the latest IPA Bellwether Report, as UK marketing budgets decline at the fastest rate since the global financial crisis of 2009. More
Former Comscore CEO Bryan Wiener and President Sarah Hofstetter have both joined eCommerce analytics platform Profitero with the same job titles, while Sandor Palfy, former CTO of LogMeIn, has joined as CTO. The firm has also raised $20m in a Series B round of investment. More
UK-based media and marketing analytics firm Ebiquity has appointed Nick Waters as Group Chief Executive Officer, following the resignation of Michael Karg last year. More
AI-powered data integration and marketing intelligence platform Adverity has raised $30m in a Series C financing round, which it will invest in research and development, and use to advance its product offerings. 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
'You've Missed the Boat - but they're Every 30 Minutes'. The concluding part of RealityMine CEO Chris Havemann's upbeat look at the impact of mobile tech on market research. Today: Why MR firms are 'fundamentally well-positioned', and where the immediate opportunities lie. More
Data-driven performance marketing agency Merkle is retiring its Periscopix brand as part of a drive towards an 'enhanced operating model'; and its media agency will now be known simply as Merkle. More
... but they're Every 30 Minutes. Kicking off a week of coverage from our 'Insight in the Mobile Age' supplement, RealityMine CEO Chris Havemann looks at the continuing opportunity for market researchers in a world of consumers and media changed almost out of recognition by the mobile revolution. Part 1 of 2. More
In the US, chat marketing platform ManyChat has acquired eCommerce tracking firm Converlytics, a specialist in attribution analytics connecting Facebook Messenger to Shopify. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
British engineering legend Rolls-Royce has announced the launch of Emer²gent, an alliance of data experts aiming to support global businesses and governments recovering from the economic impacts of Covid-19. Members include IBM and Google Cloud. More
Canada-based communities specialist Maru/Matchbox has launched a branded tool called 'Pop-up Communities', which it says can be deployed in just fourteen days. More
In Brussels, ad industry association IAB Europe has launched the first version of a framework of definitions and standards to support those who invest in digital media research. More
In the US, personalized mobile messaging platform Attentive has extended its Series C round of funding to $110m, with the proceeds used to expand headcount and develop new product functionalities. More
Marcoms group Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) has brought forward the acquisition of the remaining shares in US-based data-driven performance marketing agency Merkle. According to reports, DAN has paid about $108m (£86.4m) to buy those shares from Merkle's staff and shareholders. More
Healthcare marcoms specialist W20 has acquired social media analytics platform Symplur, which also operates exclusively in the healthcare sector. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In London, Omnicom's communications planning and media buying network PHD has appointed former Wavemaker Head of Quant Louise Twycross-Lewis as Head of Insight. 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
Online community and survey tech provider Toluna has launched an online data collection solution in China, to analyze cross-device consumer behavioral data in real time. More
Comscore has launched a new series of weekly custom reporting options, aimed at understanding rapid changes in consumer behavior due to social distancing. 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
Following concerns over the safety of videoconferencing app Zoom, the firm has appointed former Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos as an Advisor and has set up a CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) Council to advise on privacy, security and technology issues and best practices. More
Web site and mobile app analytics platform Glassbox has raised $40m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to expand its teams globally, as well as invest in further enhancing its products. More
Location data providers Factual and Foursquare are merging, to create what the former's founder and CEO Gil Elbaz says is the number one independent leader in location-based technology and data. Terms have not been disclosed. 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
Kantar has launched its Audiences service in Europe, with an initial roll-out in the UK, France and Germany. More
In the US, consumer data provider Neustar has sold its Internet domain name registry services business to domain registrar and web site hosting company GoDaddy, allowing it to focus on its identity intelligence platform, OneID. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Audience measurement firm Comscore has launched QuickScore, a TV ratings report giving viewing data to local media within 48 hours of broadcast. More
In San Francisco, mobile app measurement and attribution platform AppsFlyer has appointed long-time Experian exec Mar Brandt as Senior Vice President and Head of Sales. More
In San Francisco, mobile marketing and ad platform InMobi has appointed former Criteo exec Greg Archibald as SVP Media, North America. More
In the US, TV software and data platform VideoAmp has launched a 'commingled' dataset, boasting 26 million households on 37 million devices, and creating what the firm describes as the 'largest and most robust' linear television and OTT dataset in the advanced television market. More
In the US, B2B tech purchase intent data and services provider TechTarget has launched an SaaS-based platform to help companies identify verified managed service providers (MSPs) who are actively evaluating IT products to purchase and resell. More
Silicon Valley customer experience management specialist Medallia has launched a suite of tools using video communication and crowdsourcing to speed up the innovation process. 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
Chris Chapo, formerly SVP of Data and Analytics at clothing retailer GAP, has joined AI-customer data platform (CDP) Amperity as Vice President of Customer Success, responsible for expanding the analytics and customer intelligence offering. 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
Senior marketer network the CMO Council has launched a new report called 'Measuring Marketing in the Moment', with initial findings demonstrating that most marketers lack the necessary data, analytics and real-time systems needed to respond quickly to consumer behavior and intent. More
Private equity firm Bain Capital has sold Kantar's SRDS (Standard Rate & Data Service) to French ad tech company Adwanted Group. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Anagog, which provides on-device solutions for understanding 'phone users' real-world behavior, has raised an initial $10m in Series C funding. The investment will be used to expand the firm's global sales and delivery capabilities, and support its core R&D team. More
Marcoms giant WPP has launched plans to make around £2bn in savings, as the impact of the Covid-19 shutdown hits its business. More
Britain's official statistics service, the ONS, is introducing new surveys and data sources reflecting 'widespread disruption to the UK and constraints on its operations'. More
DIY research software firm SurveyMonkey has launched a suite of tools called Expert Solutions, through which customers can test product and marketing concepts with a global audience. More
In the US, purchase intent insight provider V12 has launched a solution which uses ID graph technology and the firm's range of consumer data assets to pinpoint 'purchase intenders' visiting their web sites. More
As more people work from home because of the Covid-19 pandemic, a number of privacy experts have raised concerns over the safety of videoconferencing app Zoom. More
DIY online research software company SurveyMonkey has appointed Amit Sethi as Vice President of Data, Karen Budell as VP of Brand Marketing and Gary Fuges as VP of Investor Relations. More
In Australia, management consultancy Deloitte has acquired local data analytics specialist Bistech, whose co-owners Shane Morgan, Justin Hoareau and Brad Culbert will be joining Deloitte's Analytics & Cognitive consulting practice in leadership positions. Terms have not been disclosed. More
Social media monitoring and marketing platform Socialbakers has opened up its platform to help non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around the world communicate, and inform and educate the public through social media channels during the Coronavirus pandemic. More
UK-based social media listening specialist Bakamo has appointed former Kantar director James MacGregor as Managing Director of its Public division. More
In the US, Arianne Larimer has returned to online sample marketplace PureSpectrum as VP Client Development, in charge of the East Sales team, after a stint at video analytics firm Voxpopme. More
In the US, social media analytics specialist StatSocial has launched an audience research service called Crisis Insights, as a direct response to the Covid-19 pandemic. 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
US and Israel-based customer analysis software firm Revuze has raised $5.1m in a Series A round of financing, which it will use to expand its sales and marketing efforts, and hire for its R&D department. More
Tech research and advisory firm Information Services Group (ISG) is launching a study to examine the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) market supporting digital business functions, including human resources and procurement. More
Last year, Facebook agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit over the alleged inflation of its video audience metrics by anything up to 900%. An amended filing now claims the firm's execs were aware of its overestimating the number of people advertisers could reach, as far back as 2015. 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
Resuming our series looking in depth at mobile data and insights, QuenchTec Survey Designer Dennis Sewberath highlights seven ways to turn a survey into a 'beautiful conversation', for the sake of better feedback and higher completion rates. More
Stockholm, Sweden-based brand tracking and consumer science specialist Nepa has reported net sales up 10.7% (constant currency) in the fourth quarter of 2019 and 7.5% in the full year; but also an increased loss (EBIT) for both periods - a statistic its new CEO is determined to change. More
Governments in many countries are using or examining the use of location intelligence from mobile phones to track the spread of Coronavirus and the behaviour of their populations - leading some to worry about privacy; while private data from mobile analyst OnAudience compares the willingness of Poles, Italians and Brits to curtail their movements. 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 New York, former Comscore Chief Research Officer Josh Chasin has joined TV software and data platform VideoAmp as Chief Measurability Officer. More
In the US, thought leader publisher coalition Maven has acquired user experience (UX) personalization specialist LiftIgniter 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
In Israel, product and user journey behavior analyst Convizit has closed a $5m seed round of funding, which will be used to double the size of its team, accelerate product research and development, and launch sales and marketing initiatives. More
Comscore has launched an 'Epidemic' brand safety segment, providing brands with contextual targeting filters to ensure that their advertising does not appear in content relating to the health crisis created by Covid-19. More
In the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and its non-profit research, development and standard-setting consortium the IAB Tech Lab have hired Angelina Eng for the newly created role of Vice President of Measurement and Attribution. More
Tech-based market research company AudienceProject has replaced Comscore as the official measurement partner for Media Metrics Finland, the measurement body for the country's web sites and apps. More
In the US, the Insights Association (IA) has joined 33 other industry groups to 'implore' the California Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, to delay enforcing California's new privacy law until January 2nd, 2021, because of the 'havoc' being caused by the coronavirus outbreak. More
Consumer intelligence platform Toluna has appointed Ron Ruffinott as a Senior Research Solutions Consultant based in the company's US headquarters in Connecticut; while Dixit Chanana joins as Country Director in India, based in the Gurgaon office. More
In New York, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has hired Brad Berens for a newly created role, Editor-in-Chief and Senior Vice President, in charge of its research team and thought leadership activities. More
Industry body MRUC (Media Research Users Council) has changed its name to MRUC India, a move intended to 'capture its national stature'. More
In the US, product intelligence specialist Amplitude has acquired predictive analytics firm ClearBrain, for an undisclosed sum. More
Lehi, Utah-based social media 'listening' platform Nuvi has added a suite of collaboration and engagement solutions to its analytics platform. More
In Washington state, western USA, a bill that would have given residents new rights over data collection and use, including the right to opt out of targeted advertising, has been dropped by deputies apparently worried by the prospect of multiple prosecutions by consumers. More
Comscore has completed a second round of discussions with potential buyers including Symphony Technology, according to reports. More
Asia Pacific-based group Illuminera has announced the acquisition of Singapore-based digital and shopper marketing boutique DASS. More
Trade association the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has appointed David Cohen as President, focusing on strategy, growth and operational excellence and starting on April 1st. He reports to CEO Randall Rothenberg. More
Technology research and advisory firm Information Services Group has reported a 3.6% decline in revenue for the full year to December 31st 2020, to $265.8m. Profit, in the form of adjusted EBITDA, eased off 4.6% to $31.5m for the year, but hit record levels in the last two quarters. More
UK-based emotion analytics specialist Realeyes has appointed Kyoko Tanaka to lead its Tokyo office. More
Audience measurement firm Comscore has announced a partnership with multiplayer entertainment platform Twitch, adding tagless audience reporting of the latter's livestreaming, including gaming and esports insights, to the former's digital audience solutions. More
Retail and consumer goods analytics firm Trax has acquired on-demand retail services platform Survey.com, which provides full-service research solutions, survey programming, data management and analysis, and reporting services. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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
In the UK, out-of-home (OOH) audience research body Route has launched a measurement system which offers 'spot level' audience measurement at 15-minute levels for ads shown on any digital poster or screen, in order to pinpoint who is exposed to ads and for how long. More
In the US, mobile measurement and fraud prevention specialist Adjust has appointed Kelly Mullins as Global Director, Agency Partnerships; while Bill Gerber takes on the post of Head of Enterprise Sales, US. Both previously worked at cross-platform measurement specialist Branch Metrics. More
In the US, shopper targeting firm Valassis has launched a solution to help brands and advertisers reach the streaming TV audience with personalized advertising, using analysis of their interests, in-market signals and location. More
UK television audience measurement body BARB has combined its daily audience data with the IPA's TouchPoints survey, to help media owners, clients and agencies understand more about viewers through a wider range of behavioural definitions. More
Paris-based ad targeting and retargeting specialist Criteo is being investigated by French data protection watchdog the CNIL, following a complaint made by campaigning group Privacy International. More
In Vancouver, Canada, Reid Campbell Group, the parent company of Reach3 Insights and Rival Technologies has appointed Ivan Chan as Chief Financial Officer. More
Australia-based media intelligence group Isentia has appointed Brigitte Guerin as Head of Client Solutions (North East). More
Social media management software firm Hootsuite has partnered with UK-based analyst and insights firm Brandwatch to offer a new 'listening' solution allowing clients to find and analyse key conversations relevant to their brand. 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
Digital experience management software firm Sitecore has named Tom De Ridder as Chief Technology Officer. More
Marcoms holding company WPP has acquired London-based data science company Sandtable, which uses an approach called Agent Based Modelling (ABM) for behavioural analytics and advanced simulations. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Resuming our series of articles on Insights in the Mobile Age, Ross McLean, Vice President, Mobile Qualitative at 20|20 Research details his four crucial tips for great mobile qual. More
In Australia, digital business transformation company Publicis Sapient has acquired management consultancy Third Horizon, which helps organisations with business transformation, and identifies trends to help them prioritise growth opportunities. More
In the US, competitive intelligence and user experience research specialist Corporate Insight has expanded its suite of healthcare research tools with the launch of a service called Medicare Monitor. More
In the US, Kantar has launched a service called 'Entertainment On Demand', to help the music industry and investors understand the consumer journey for digital video and music subscription services. The service will be rolled out in the UK, Germany, Australia and Japan in H2 2020. More
New Delhi, India-based consumer intelligence platform Affle has expanded to Europe, with the acquisition of mobile programmatic and proximity measurement firm Mediasmart, which is headquartered in Spain. More
International data collection group Schlesinger Associates has acquired tech-led sample, survey and quantitative research specialist Market Cube, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, customer data platform mParticle has raised $45m in a Series D round of funding, for use in expanding its platform. More
Data-driven marketing agency Merkle has opened an office in Aberdeen, as a direct result of what it describes as the growing requirement for people-based marketing and performance media expertise in northern Scotland. More
Edinburgh-based ad measurement and optimization firm TVSquared has promoted Jo Kinsella to the role of President, leading the firm's global commercial portfolio including client relations and strategic partnerships. She is based in the New York office. More
In Australia, Omnicom's communications planning and media buying network PHD has hired former OzTAM exec Lillian Zrim for the newly created role of Head of Research. More
Comscore has reported financial results for the quarter and full year ended December 31st 2019, with revenue and EBITDA declining but some indications in Q4 that a cost-cutting turnaround strategy is taking effect. The firm has also announced a data deal with Comcast. More
WPP has reported results for the fourth quarter and full year 2019. Improvements from Q3 were not maintained to the end of the year and shares tumbled around 14% on the news. Nevertheless CEO Mark Read said 'substantial progress' was made in the year the group sold a majority stake in Kantar. More
In Cincinnati, online sample provider EMI Research Solutions has brought in former Abt Associates and Kantar executive Beth Teehan as its new Chief Operating Officer. She reports to CEO Michael Holmes. More
Nielsen Holdings plc has appointed Sean Cohan as Chief Growth Officer and President, International; and promoted Peter Bradbury to Chief Commercial Officer, U.S. and Karthik Rao to COO of its Media division. 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
Nielsen Holdings has announced 2019 revenues of $6.498bn, equivalent to a 1.7% rise at constant currency, although a fall of 0.3% as reported. Q4 revenues were $1.69bn, up 2.0% on a reported basis and 2.7% in constant currency terms. More
In the US, media intelligence and communications specialist Cision has expanded its partnership with broadcast monitoring firm TVEyes, to allow clients to monitor podcast mentions of their brands, competitors, products and people. 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
OzTAM and Nielsen have rolled out the first phase of their Virtual Australia ('VOZ') Total TV database, which brings together broadcast viewing on TV sets and connected devices, to provide all-screen, cross-platform planning and reporting for Australia's television industry. More
In London, kids entertainment company Beano Studios has launched a kids and youth omnibus service through its insight consultancy, the Beano Brain. 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 US, business data and analytics provider Dun & Bradstreet has launched a tool called D&B Buyer Intent, allowing B2B marketing and sales teams to identify early-stage buying signals from companies which are in the market to buy. More
In the US, Staten Island-based PR and digital marketing firm The Von Agency has added surveys and digital fundraising to its portfolio of services, for clients in the political and non-profit sectors. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's media consultancy MightyHive has appointed Julien Coquet as Director of Analytics for Europe, Middle East and Africa. He is based in Paris, France. More
Oslo, Norway-based data collection specialist Norstat has appointed Mats Beck as Head of its newly established Strategy and M&A unit. More
WPP's media investment management unit GroupM has rolled out its influencer marketing solution INCA in India. More
The New York-based Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has released a glossary of commonly used creative testing terms, aiming to 'bridge the gap' between creatives and researchers. More
Mobile measurement and fraud prevention specialist Adjust has launched a new dashboard product called Control Center, through which marketers can view data across all their apps and campaigns and then act on it. More
The Ministry of Information Technology and Communications of Colombia (MINTIC) has commissioned Kantar subsidiary Kantar IBOPE to measure digital audiences of eight regional TV channels, with initial data to be reported during the first half of 2020. More
Nielsen has appointed media industry exec Sean Cohan as Chief Growth Officer and President, International; while Peter Bradbury has been promoted to the role of Chief Commercial Officer US, and Karthik Rao becomes Chief Operating Officer, Nielsen Global Media. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) Board of Directors has voted in favor of granting continued accreditation to MRI's Survey of the American Consumer. More
Cross-screen data management platform (DMP) Lotame has appointed former Comscore exec Amy Yeung as General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer. More
Marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) has acquired data-driven audience planning and targeting agency Media Storm from its founders Craig Woerz and Tim Williams, as well as private equity firm TZP Group. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Nielsen has added media industry exec Tom Castro and former Walt Disney Company veteran Janice Marinelli to its Board of Directors. More
In the US, media intelligence and communications specialist Cision has announced that CEO Kevin Akeroyd has left the business 'to pursue other opportunities', just two weeks after the firm was acquired by an affiliate of global investment firm Platinum Equity. More
In the US, video ad insights specialist Pixability has launched a solution called BrandTrack, to help marketers measure brand performance on YouTube, understand what is driving it and shift strategies to maximize results. 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
In the US, mobile engagement platform Localytics has been acquired by work management solutions firm Upland Software for $67.7m in cash. 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
Audience intelligence and consent management company Quantcast has partnered with mobile data solutions firm Kochava to help clients comply with the new CCPA legislation (California Consumer Privacy Act). More
Digital marketing agency Croud has appointed former Dentsu Aegis Network CEO Jerry Buhlmann as Non-Executive Chairman. More
Silicon Valley customer experience management specialist Medallia has agreed to pay around $26m in cash to acquire video feedback platform LivingLens, which it says will help it 'bring the voice of the customer and employee to life'. More
UK-based agency Trinity McQueen has announced the acquisition of Blinc Partnership, which specialises in research for content and creative development. 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
New York-based data science, market research and analytics firm Schireson Associates has acquired two agencies, Blackbird and Stun Creative, to form a new company called 'Known'. Terms of the deals have not been disclosed. More
US television measurement and analytics company 605 has launched a new platform allowing TV networks, advertisers and agencies to combine its TV viewing data with their own. More
UK-based group Cello Health has agreed to pay £1.6m to comms software firm Access Intelligence (AI), after net assets of the former firm's social media analysis software business Pulsar fell below an agreed target following completion of its sale. More
In the US, customer lifetime value modeling company Retina has raised $5m in a new round of funding, for use in expanding its services. More
Global consulting group Accenture is to close its media auditing arm, Accenture Media Management, by the end of August, amid claims of a potential conflict of interest with the group's digital advertising business, Accenture Interactive. More
In the UK, customer data and intelligence provider ResearchBods has hired Frances Revel for its newly created role of Head of Media Research. More
In the US, MR data quality and anti-fraud solutions specialist Imperium has released a tool called 'Fraudience', which taps into billions of digital patterns created by fraudsters and uses machine learning, NLP and neural networks to combat threats to data quality. More
In Australia, data-driven marcoms agency Keep Left has extended its Impact Score solution to enable clients to measure and communicate the value of their earned media. More
In the US, media intelligence and communications specialist Cision has been acquired by an affiliate of global investment firm Platinum Equity, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $2.7bn. 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
UK-based media and marketing analytics firm Ebiquity has acquired the remaining 49% stake it its Italian subsidiary Ebiquity Italy Media Advisorys, with the total consideration expected to be EUR 3.4m. More
Dentsu Aegis has acquired people-based identification and data tech company 4Cite Marketing, and will add it to the fast-growing Merkle data-driven marketing business. More
Nielsen has launched an enhanced cross-platform version of its Voter Ratings syndicated solution, which helps ad buyers and sellers understand the media preferences of potential voters. More
Research-on-research body the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) has announced it is working on a TV Attribution study, aiming to define best practices for better representation of television in attribution models. More
In Australia, KPMG has added four people to its customer, brand and marketing advisory (CBMA) team, including Jenny Roche as a Partner, Amrita Bhattacharyya and Jingly McLay as Directors, and Samantha Clark. More
Dentsu Aegis has moved Peter Vandre, previously SVP, Global Data Science Leader at Merkle, across to its ad agency Carat in the new role of Chief Analytics Officer. Meanwhile DAN's CEO Tim Andree is taking a break for health reasons. More
Lab-based research specialist MediaScience, which uses traditional, biometric and neuroscience tools to study conscious and emotional reactions to media and ads, has opened a tech-focused qual division, HARK Connect. Former Ipsos exec Elissa Moses will lead the new team as Managing Partner. More
Audience data platform Eyeota has appointed Marc Fanelli as SVP of Strategic Partnerships and Development, based in New York and reporting to CEO Kristina Prokop. More
Geospatial data and insights company Unacast has announced a partnership with location analytics firm Mapidea, with the aim of expanding in the international retail market and focused around Unacast's flagship product, The Real World Graph. More
Mobile measurement, fraud prevention and cybersecurity specialist Adjust has added two senior salespeople, Bill Kiriakis in San Francisco and Silvia Buermann in Berlin. More
Marcoms group Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired full-service B2B marketing agency Digital Pi, which it will add to its data-driven performance marketing agency, Merkle. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
US-based sample solutions provider InnovateMR has appointed former Greenfield Online SVP John Tan as Chief Operations Officer; Aakash Bhasin as Managing Director of India; and Joe DiGregorio as Global Director of Programming. More
Philippines-based digital marketing agency Xiklab Digital has expanded in Southeast Asia, with the launch of operations in Myanmar and Singapore. 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
Online sampling and customizable research tool provider SoapBoxSample has launched Customer Boardroom (CBR), which it says offers 'an alternative to traditional online bulletin boards, digital ethnographies, in-depth interviews and customer advisory boards'. More
Ad tech company MediaMath has appointed Milena Alberti-Perez as CFO, based in New York and reporting to company President, Konrad Gerszke. 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 the US, media intelligence firm Burrelles has partnered with broadcast monitoring specialist TVEyes, aiming to create a single global platform to evaluate media content from more than 150 countries and territories. More
In the US, data science services provider Pinpoint Predictive has launched a trial of Thinkalike Targeting, a program allowing Facebook advertisers to test how best to reach audience segments with similar psychological traits through lookalike campaigns. More
Continuing our special features on Insight in the Mobile Age Abraham Muller, CTO at Brandwatch Qriously, looks at how mobile methods can make election polling easier to implement and more accurate. More
London-based full-service agency Opinium is to open an office in Brussels, under the leadership of Director Emily Dickinson. More
Comscore has promoted Carol Hinnant to the position of Chief Revenue Officer, after fifteen years with the business. More
Stockholm and Boston-based tech start-up Funnel, which helps businesses make their marketing data 'business-ready', has raised $47m in a Series B round of investment. The firm will use these new funds to continue to fulfil market demand for its platform, particularly in the US. More
AI-powered audience intelligence platform and social media analysis software firm Pulsar has hired consumer psychologist Nisa Bayindir for a newly created role, EVP Behavioural Science. More
Israeli AI-based 'data ownership' platform Mine has launched from stealth mode with a $3m seed round of funding. 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
Mobile app measurement and attribution platform AppsFlyer has raised $210m in a Series D round of funding, bringing the company's total funding to $294m since it launched in 2011. More
In New York, social media monitoring and analytics platform Talkwalker has launched a data visualization tool called Conversation Clusters, to enable marketers, PR professionals and consumer insight analysts to uncover, understand and visualize the context around any topic. More
In the UK, broadcaster the BBC has appointed Microsoft's Consumer Marketing Director Paul Davies as Director of Marketing and Audiences for Content, Radio and Education. More
New York and Helsinki-based cross-media measurement specialist Verto Analytics has completed a $16m round of funding, which it will use to fuel the commercial roll out of its behavioral analytics research platform in the US and Europe. More
In the UK, television audience measurement body BARB has begun reporting of unduplicated programme reach and time spent viewing figures across multiple screens. More
Nielsen has launched what it claims is the world's first passive in-car measurement system, using a combination of proprietary algorithms and the 'accelerometer' built into its Portable People Meter, which can identify and report when a panellist is inside a vehicle. More
In New York, global ad agency Momentum Worldwide has promoted Elena Klau to fill the newly created role of Chief Strategy & Analytics Officer, Research Management. More
In California, advertising and media computer vision specialist GumGum has launched a tool called Verity, which analyses the full publisher content of web pages, including images. More
Telegraph Media Group (TMG), publisher of UK papers the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, has announced it will withdraw from the country's ABC circulation audits, as it continues to focus its strategy on building digital circulation. 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
Qual research, innovation and strategy agency The Sound has appointed Elizabeth Lockwood, a former Head of Europe for Ipsos Strategy3, to lead its UK office. She is tasked with expanding the firm's offer into new markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. 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
Digital advertising industry body IAB UK has hired Elizabeth Lane for the newly created role of Head of Research and Measurement; Dominic Tillson as Head of Industry Relationships and Initiatives; and Antonio Forte as Industry Initiatives Executive. More
Marcoms group Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired US-based analytics consultancy E-Nor, to boost its data and marketing analytics arm, Cardinal Path. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Google's decision to block third-party cookies in Chrome could have major competitive impacts for digital firms, consumer services and tech innovation, according to industry bodies the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's). More
Los Angeles-based AUDIENCEX - which offers creative, tech, targeted media buying, and data-driven analysis services to help clients acquire customers throughout the entire purchase funnel - has hired digital tech executive Brian Ko as Chief Commercial Officer. More
Online sample marketplace PureSpectrum has launched PureScore, an advanced machine learning-driven respondent scoring system designed to block 'low-quality' respondents from taking surveys. More
In the US, insights process management firm OpinionRoute has partnered with device identification and fraud detection/prevention specialist DeviceForensIQ to launch an online solution called CleanID, which aims to combat survey respondent fraud and duplication. More
Provo, Utah-based digital experience data management specialist Claravine has opened an office in New York, where it has hired E.J. Freni as Chief Revenue Officer. More
In the UK, neuroscientist Annette Thomas has been named Chief Executive Officer of Guardian Media Group (GMG), publisher of the Guardian newspaper. She will take up her new role on 2 March, at which point interim CEO Anna Bateson will return to her role as Chief Customer Officer. More
US-based usability testing specialist Userlytics has added a card sorting and tree testing capability to its existing user testing platform, enabling clients to analyze the 'mental map models' their users and customers employ when searching for products and services. More
US-based Internet radio service provider Pandora has beta launched a suite of in-campaign measurement capabilities called Test & Tune, to better understand the relationship between creative and its impact on ad effectiveness, and develop signals for advertisers to inform creative decisions. More
Nielsen has appointed David Rawlinson as Chief Executive Officer of its Global Connect business, while Linda Zukauckas will take up the position of Chief Financial Officer of the Global Media business. Both will join on February 3rd. More
Comscore's interim Chief Executive Dale Fuller has resigned as a Director of the company to 'pursue other ventures', following the recent promotion of Bill Livek to the CEO role. More
London firm Measure Protocol, a blockchain-based marketplace for person-based data, has hired ZappiStore's former Head of Operations Guy Wates for a newly created position, Director of Operations and Programmatic. More
Escalent, formerly Market Strategies International-Morpace, has appointed Nancy Arter as SVP in its Technology & Telecommunications divisions, while Keir Lococo joins as a Vice President in the Health division. More
Youth media network and marketing services company Fullscreen has launched a study called 'The Next Gen Family', focused on the 'Parennial' demographic, comprising 36 million Americans between the ages of 25 and 37 with at least one child at home. More
'Accuracy and Authenticity - How Smartphones Revolutionised Research', by Verve's Richard Preedy. This is the first article in a series over the next 6 weeks focusing on mobile apps and surveys, mobile usage tracking and more. More
Consumer data firm IRI has teamed up with AI technology firm Influential to launch a new product, using IRI's Campaign Conversion Feed (CCF) to link weekly purchase data and off-line conversion to ad exposures and optimise influencer marketing campaigns. More
Panel firm Bilendi has announced four senior hires for its UK sales team: Ian Roberts joins as Sales Director, Sarah Hillis as Senior Sales Manager, Daniel Paraschiv as Senior Business Development Manager and Charlene Adamah as Senior Key Accounts Manager. More
Tesco-owned customer data firm dunnhumby is moving its customer insights products across to Microsoft's cloud platform Azure, in order to give more retailers and suppliers instant access to shopper and business insights. More
In London, research and strategy consultancy Redblue has appointed former Clear Strategy and Kantar Consulting exec Allison James as a Director. More
US location data and technology platform HERE Technologies has partnered with out of home (OOH) audience measurement body Geopath and location infrastructure software firm Bentley Systems, to provide greater context around the best locations and times to place ads. 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
Kantar has appointed long-time Nielsen exec Chris Morley as Managing Director, UK, Ireland and USA for its Worldpanel division; while former Publicis behavioural economist and CX practitioner Dom Boyd joins as Managing Director, Offer for the UK Insights division. More
WPP founder Sir Martin Sorrell's marcoms business S4Capital has merged its content practice with Mexico City-based data-driven digital agency Circus Marketing. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, long-time Rentrak exec Amir Yazdani has joined Comscore in the role of Strategic Adviser to the CEO. More
UK-based media and marketing analytics firm Ebiquity has acquired digital media monitoring and optimisation service Digital Decisions, for an initial consideration of EUR 0.7m. More
Former Cambridge Analytica CMO Jean Pierre van Tiel has been promoted to the position of Chief Executive Officer at behavioural science and data science-led targeting specialist DPL, after the company secured £1.3m in an investment round. More
UKOM, the body which defines and governs Britain's online audience measurement standard, has appointed Ipsos as its new supplier from January 2021. It replaces Comscore, which has held the contract since 2012. More
Rupert Murdoch's media group News Corp has agreed to sell its video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly to video ad technology business Tremor International. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Advanced TV ad platform company Cadent has acquired identity and media convergence solutions company 4INFO, allowing it to offer cross-screen advanced audience targeting, and OTT / connected TV video buying capabilities for national advertisers. More
Top-level US MR body the Insights Association is to feature long-time WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell as a speaker at its CEO Summit later this month. More
Retail data giant IRI is joining Facebook's Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) Program, which recognises it as a trusted third party which can leverage the social network's performance metrics to measure clients' marketing. More
Nielsen's entertainment data subsidiary Gracenote is expanding its Electronic Program Guide services into Europe - including Unique IDs and Deep Descriptive Metadata. More
Tech-driven insight firm Matchbox has appointed Andrew Hawn as MD, Technology, based in Los Angeles. He rejoins the firm after two years at insight companies MetaForesight and Sparks & Honey, where he was Head of Cultural Strategy. 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
Hong Kong-based brand protection agency The Reputation House has launched a reputation management app called ION, through which corporate clients can analyze public opinion online. More
Netherlands-based full service agency DVJ Insights has brought in long-time GfK exec Michèle van Waterschoot to support the integration of its International Consulting teams, which operate in the Netherlands and the UK. More
In New York, technology-driven, Out-of-Home (OOH) media agency Project X has released an interactive analytics suite through which advertisers can monitor the performance of their OOH ad campaigns. More
In Ireland, AI-powered news intelligence platform Aylien has raised $5.54m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to drive company growth globally. More
Entertainment technology and TV data provider TiVo is to merge with audio, imaging and computing technology products firm Xperi Corp., in an all-stock deal with an enterprise value of $3bn. The TiVo name will remain on its products but the combined company will be known as Xperi. More
Nielsen has named Laurie Lovett as its new Chief Human Resources Officer, starting January 13th; and Christopher Taft as SVP Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. In addition, former Microsoft and CBS exec Nancy Tellem joins the Board. 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
Mobile measurement and fraud prevention specialist Adjust has expanded its operations in Latin America, with the opening of an office in Mexico City. More
In India, Kantar has launched a study called #PlanetY, with the aim of providing an understanding of the attitudes, values and behaviour of the country's youth. More
In New York, video intelligence and programming solutions company IRIS.TV has announced an integration with Oracle Data Cloud (ODC) to deploy its contextual ad targeting for video solution at scale across specific video content verticals including politics, sports and travel. More
American telecoms conglomerate Comcast has hired James Rooke to lead its Effectv business, which combines the targeting and measurement of digital, with the reach and impact of TV. He will oversee a 3,500-person team across data innovation and insights, sales, ops, tech, product, and CX. More
In the US, mobile ad analytics specialist Marchex has appointed former Criteo exec John Roswech as Chief Revenue Officer, leading the firm's Sales and Customer Success divisions. More
In the US, Nielsen has sold its music data and insights product suite Nielsen Music to TV and film content creation and monetization specialist Valence Media, which owns the Billboard music charts. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Ipsos has partnered with recently formed marketing agency Alchemy-RX in a deal which will bring each company's expertise to existing and potential clients, and expand client access to experts. More
TV software and data platform VideoAmp is partnering with DVR and TV tech and audience insights provider TiVo, to expand its viewing panel to cover 25 million devices in nineteen million US households. More
Mobile audience data and targeting specialist adsquare has launched a tool called the 'Programmatic Out of Home Planner', through which brands can plan, activate and measure the effectiveness of their digital out of home (DOOH) campaigns. More
San Francisco-based mobile marketing platform YouAppi has launched a user retention solution called ReAppi, a purpose-built retargeting system tapping three years of retention campaign best practices. More
Venture capital backed sports marketing firm Bruin Sports Capital has agreed to acquire the majority of consumer data analytics, sports marketing and technology practice Two Circles from WPP. Terms were not disclosed. More
Global consulting group Accenture has agreed to acquire Chicago-based data consultancy Clarity Insights, whose expertise spans data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning expertise. More
Behavioral and market research platform Verto Analytics has announced a partnership with location data and strategic insights company Unacast. More
Deloitte Digital has launched a program in partnership with Adobe, bringing together customer and audience data in real-time, to help clients gain a single customer view and personalize their offers and experiences. More
US-based digital marketing and performance analytics specialist TapClicks has appointed Michael Rosner as SVP of Global Sales. 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
Nielsen demographics, used to plan and buy TV advertising, are to be applied to smart TV viewing and ad exposure data from its music, video and sports tech subsidiary Gracenote, to deliver demographically-verified measurement across 'all four' screens. More
Marcoms giant Havas has acquired specialist digital and transformation consultancy Gate One, for an undisclosed sum. More
London-based marketing personalization company Qubit has hired Tracey Ryan O'Connor as VP of North America and Julia Fearn-Muller as VP of Customer Success, while Robin Trickett has been promoted to VP of Strategy. More
In Washington, DC, economic and quantitative consulting firm Edgeworth Economics has opened a business called Edgeworth Analytics, which will provide clients with training and consulting on data and statistical concepts. 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
In the US, digital experience consultancy Acquia has agreed to acquire customer data platform (CDP) AgilOne for an undisclosed sum. More
Audience technology platform Eyeota has promoted co-founder Kristina Prokop to the position of Chief Executive Officer, as co-founder Kevin Tan steps down from the role. More
Experience management company Qualtrics has added new capabilities to its platform, to provide a 'holistic' view of the experiences being delivered across any organization. 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
Non-profit organization the Israeli Audience Research Board (IARB) has awarded WPP's insight arm Kantar a seven-year contract to continue operating the country's TV trading currency, with the option of an extension until 2030. More
Audience measurement and analytics body BARC India has appointed Mindshare India's former Head of Data & Technology, Mahendra Upadhyay, as Chief Information Officer. More
US-based TV audience measurement firm Tru Optik has partnered with streaming TV and video ad buying platform JamLoop, to offer audience-based targeting capabilities built specifically for over-the-top (OTT) and connected TV (CTV). 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
Global consumer agency InSites Consulting has acquired Asia-based insight community specialist ABN Impact for an undisclosed sum. More
Kantar and consumer data giant IRI have launched a solution to help CPG clients measure and optimize marketing programs against the drivers of long-term brand health and short-term sales. More
Australia-based start-up Qualie has rolled out its video-driven survey platform in the UK market, through a partnership with consumer and sensory specialist MMR Research Worldwide. 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
In the US, location intelligence provider Foursquare has named David Shim its new Chief Executive Officer, replacing Jeff Glueck, who will be leaving at the end of this year to 'explore new opportunities'. More
In the US, qual MR and technology specialist 20|20 Research is to acquire Chicago-based mobile qual provider Over the Shoulder, for an undisclosed sum. More
Credit rating and analytics firm S&P Global has acquired 451 Research, LLC, which provides intelligence, expertise and data covering high-growth emerging technology segments. The transaction was signed and closed today and terms were not disclosed. 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
Nielsen has appointed Sandra Sims-Williams as SVP of Diversity & Inclusion, beginning next month. She will lead strategy in the area for both Media and Connect sides of the business as the firm splits into two independent, publicly traded companies. More
London-based customer experience solutions specialist Sabio Group has appointed Jonathan Gale as CEO. Former Chief Exec Andy Roberts will move to the role of Vice-Chairman, with a continuing focus on inorganic growth. More
WPP says it has completed the sale of 60% of Kantar to Bain Capital Private Equity, 'with respect to approximately 90% of the Kantar business', with the proceeds received; and says it will complete the remainder in the first half of 2020. 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
MDC Partners has announced the formation of a new agency network combining Doner, one of its largest US ad agencies, with six specialist agencies whose expertise includes data-driven strategy and agile production facilities. More
Ipsos has rolled out its behavioral science-based Duel screening solution in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, through its Ipsos.Digital self-service research platform. More
In the UK, data science company Black Swan Data has appointed Rupert Day, former Global CEO of WPP media agency tenthavenue. In his new role, Day is responsible for applying the firm's Social Prediction technology to the retail, content and advertising industry sectors. More
Enterprise data and analytics provider LiveRamp has launched a preference and consent management platform (CMP) called Privacy Manager, to help clients comply with laws such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and CCPA (the California Consumer Privacy Act). More
In New York, enterprise customer information platform Simon Data has appointed former AppNexus exec Doina Harris as Chief Product Officer. More
US social media analytics firm Sprinklr has acquired the social media ad business from marketing software vendor Nanigans for an undisclosed sum. The deal does not include Nanigans ad effectiveness measurement business. More
Canadian data collection firm Delvinia has agreed to acquire interview automation specialist CRIS (Conversational Research Insight System) for an undisclosed sum; and has become a key investor in PersonaPanels. More
Cross-media measurement specialist Verto Analytics has relocated its Seattle office; and has promoted Vinayak Nair to the US Market team leadership role. Meanwhile in Finland, Antti Riikonen has been named VP of Product and Methods and Tero Lindberg is now responsible for the Platform team. More
In the first of 21 articles to celebrate our anniversary, we look at the events of a year in the life of the MR industry, as seen through articles in Daily Research News. Quanties among you will work out that the last article will involve a bit of speculation, but we start with a look way back, at the Millennium year. More
In New York, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has announced that its President, Patrick Dolan, will depart in June 2020 to pursue an undisclosed 'entrepreneurial opportunity'. More
California-based eCommerce targeting solutions provider Fanplayr has opened a 'corporate hub' in Mexico City, led by Mariano Tripiciano in the role of MD, Latin America. More
New York-based market intelligence platform CB Insights has partnered with Chinese media, events and content company DeepTech, to gain an understanding of the emerging tech sector in China. More
Kantar has expanded the portfolio of quick turnaround research available through its Marketplace, with the roll-out of a service called Express Surveys, initially in the US. More
Canadian consumer and audience insights company Vividata has announced a partnership with consumer segmentation specialist Manifold Data Mining, applying the latter's Polaris Intelligence platform to the former's large-scale, established research studies. More
San Francisco-based mobile segmentation and analytics specialist Swrve has launched a 'churn propensity' score, to help businesses increase retention rates, and maximize customer life time value and revenue. More
New York-based entertainment, sports and lifestyle sector data management platform (DMP) Audigent has completed a $6.7m Series A round of financing, which it will use to 'aggressively' expand its sales and marketing efforts. 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
Marketing and image software giant Adobe has hired long-time IBM exec Nanda Kambhatla to lead its Research team in India, based in Bengaluru. More
In New York, consumer behavior tracking specialist wappier has raised $4m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to continue building and growing its AI-powered revenue management and data visualization platform; and to strengthen its team in the US and Europe. More
UK-based marketing automation and audience understanding specialist BlueVenn has partnered with French database marketing agency Avanci, to deliver its customer data platform (CDP) across France, Switzerland and Belgium. More
A global 'hub' called OKRE has been launched, to support collaboration between the research sector and entertainment industries and help audiences better engage with the ideas that shape society. More
In the US, software business ASG has acquired GatherUp, which helps businesses and brands deliver a better customer experience through customer feedback, net promoter scores and online reviews. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Audience data specialist Eyeota has formed a partnership with digital media company Ziff Davis, allowing clients to use its Eyeota Audience Marketplace to access subscribers of the publisher's owned and operated gaming properties and partner sites across AsiaPac. More
In New York, analytical intelligence and consumer transaction specialist 1010data has launched two new products to help businesses better understand the consumer purchase journey, while expanding its existing Comparison Shopping report. More
Taiwanese artificial intelligence-led ad targeting company Appier has raised $80m in a Series D round of funding, which it plans to use for product innovation and to fuel plans for global expansion. More
In the US, shopping and rewards platform Honey Science Corporation is to be acquired by PayPal for $4 billion. The deal will enable PayPal's network of 24 million merchants to offer targeted and more personalized promotions to consumers. More
Canadian data firm AggregateIQ (AIQ) has been found to have broken privacy laws with some of the work it carried out for pro-Brexit campaign group Vote Leave and several US political campaigns. More
US location data company Factual has extended its Audience product with the addition of two new solutions, which use machine-learned predictive insights and visitation pattern analysis to help build segments based on real-world consumer behavior. More
In the US, media intelligence firm Burrelles has partnered with social media listening and analytics company Talkwalker, to help clients gain insights into complex media trends. More
WPP is to open a campus in the listed Marquette Building in downtown Detroit, where it will bring together a number of its agencies and locate up to 1,000 staff. 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
The Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), a coalition of US media and marketing trade associations, has launched an icon to help companies comply with California's new privacy law, the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act). More
Data firm Acxiom has launched a dual-segmentation system called Personicx Prime, which provides individual consumer insights for different members of a household. In addition, the company has rolled out two location-based services: Geospatial Audience Insights and Acxiom Market Signals. More
Data collection company Norstat has a new owner, investment firm Triton having completed its acquisition today from former owners Foinco and Verdane. More
Nielsen TV data is to be integrated into YouTube's audience planning tool, Google Reach Planner. Roll-out is initially in the US, with plans to go global next year. More
Marcoms group Interpublic has created a new practice focused on 'digital responsibility', within its recently formed Kinesso targeting and optimisation company. Acxiom / LiveRamp executive Sheila Colclasure has been hired to head it up. More
Consumer engagement and insights platform Glow has announced the appointment of Daniel Calo as Head of Partnerships, based in Melbourne, Australia. More
London-based company Kin and Carta plc has agreed to acquire US-based Spire Digital, Inc. Both are specialists in digital transformation consulting. More
In the US, ad industry bodies have urged Congress to pass a national privacy law overriding state laws such as California's recent Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The group complain that the nation's policy in the area 'is being shaped by Europe and a single state'. More
In France, audience research leader Médiamétrie has launched measures for catch-up radio (content listened to after the broadcast) and native podcasts (those with original audio content). More
South African cross-platform audience measure the Establishment Survey will produce its final data next month, after a review by operator Kantar TNS and industry bodies the PRC and BRC. More
London-based Decibel, which provides real-time intelligence allowing businesses to measure and improve online customer experiences, has raised $17m in a Series B investment round. Funds will be used to further develop its technology and for expansion across Europe and North America. More
US-based custom research and strategy firm Magid has promoted long-time employee Jaime Spencer to EVP, Head of Local Media. He joins the Executive Leadership Team, and replaces Steve Ridge, who moves to the role of Senior Advisor. More
US-based experience management specialist Qualtrics has appointed former Salesforce exec Brigid Archibald as Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand. More
US-based personalized search, content and recommendations specialist RichRelevance has announced plans to consolidate its business with Indian retail analytics solutions provider Manthan Systems. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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
The Malaysian Digital Association (MDA), the country's representative body for online publishers, ad agencies and digital service providers, has renewed its partnership with Comscore to provide audience currency data, while appointing SimilarWeb as its partner for market insight. More
In the US, advertising intelligence specialist Integral Ad Science (IAS) has acquired ADmantX - a semantic technology firm which offers cookie-free tracking. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Social media intelligence and fan engagement platform Trufan has agreed to acquire audience segmentation tool SocialRank, which helps brands understand, organize and activate audiences on social media. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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
In the US, Santa Monica-based esports audience monetization and data analytics firm FanAI has raised $8m in a Series A round of funding, and says it will expand its team from 20 to 30 employees, and grow its UK and European business. More
US software company Episerver is to acquire content personalization and analytics platform Idio, for an undisclosed sum. More
Consumer intelligence platform Toluna has added advanced scripting capabilities to its flagship QuickSurveys on-demand plaform, helping users to create and launch complex studies. More
In the UK, data regulator the ICO (Information Commissioner's Office) has appointed Ellis Parry as its first Data Ethics Adviser, as the organisation considers the practical implications of the growing use of personal data. More
Kantar has partnered with media consumption measurement specialist VTION, to roll out what the companies are calling 'India's first continuous OTT audience measurement solution'. More
WPP founder Sir Martin Sorrell has allegedly been involved in an 'explosive confrontation' with former colleague Jim Prior, over critical remarks he made about Sorrell to Campaign magazine. According to one eyewitness quoted in the FT, the bust-up led to Sorrell slapping Prior in the face. More
India's MRUC (Media Research Users Council) has invited agency partners to pitch for the contract to conduct its Indian Readership Survey (IRS), as the council's three-year contract with Nielsen comes to an end. More
WPP is once again considering acquisitions, in 'faster growing segments such as technology and commerce', according to CEO Mark Read in a call with investors on Thursday. More
Content ratings provider and brand safety specialist OpenSlate, part owned by Nielsen, has appointed Poppy Hill as Managing Director for APAC, as it expands in the region. She is based in Sydney. More
Social media specialist ListenFirst has launched a new solution combining analysis of earned and owned activity, designed to help marketers cope with changes in social media metrics and legislation, and gain a more accurate picture of audience relationships. More
Marketing analytics firms Marketscience Consulting and Truesight Consulting have announced a merger, forming a single entity to be known as Marketscience. The two, based in the UK and US respectively, have worked in an exclusive partnership for the last two years. More
US data protection organisations have written to the Federal Trade Commission to advise that Google's proposed $2.1 billion acquisition of health data company Fitbit will lead to 'a dramatic erosion of consumer privacy'. More
MRI-Simmons has partnered with cultural profiling firm EthniFacts to launch Cultural Suite, a tool for targeting different cultural groups. More
Canada-based researcher Hotspex has appointed Joe Amati as Senior Vice President of Research. He joins after eight years on the client side at Kellogg's Canada and apparel brand Canada Goose. More
In Madrid, WPP Chief Exec Mark Read has opened the marcoms group's latest co-location campus, La Matriz, which is its largest in Europe to date. More
World Wide Web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee has completed an investment round for his start-up company Inrupt, which aims to prevent big tech giants such as Facebook and Google from tracking people online. More
Michael Karg, the Group CEO of UK-based media and marketing analytics firm Ebiquity, has stepped down from his role. He will be replaced by former YouGov CFO Alan Newman on an interim basis, while the search for a permanent CEO is undertaken. More
In the UK, online research supplier Panelbase has hired research veteran Johnny Caldwell in the newly created role of Innovation Consultant. He is based in London More
US TV, film and video research firm Screen Engine/ASI has appointed long-time NRG exec Jason Bubenicek as SVP Data Intelligence, working with the Marketing Science team to develop a data warehouse that will be used to identify new product opportunities. More
Expanding Australian television audience measurement body OzTAM has hired Alan Heng as its first Technical Services Manager; while Mitchell Woods joins in the newly created position of Product Manager. In addition, two members of the team have been promoted. More
The Indian MR industry is getting its 'first ever' awards for excellence, the MRSI Golden Key Awards, courtesy of trade association The Market Research Society of India. More
Tech-enabled research firm Maru Group has launched a direct access end-to-end insights platform, Maru/HUB, allowing users to create, view and analyze research projects 'on demand'. More
Australian-based media measurement group Isentia has promoted Russ Horell to the role of Chief Commercial Officer replacing Sean Smith whose departure was announced two weeks ago. More
Irish Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon has confirmed her office is working on 21 major investigations, of which no fewer than eleven concern Facebook or its subsidiaries WhatsApp and Instagram. More
Fast-growing UK-based MR and consumer insights platform Attest has brought in Freddie Beesley, formerly Head of Product at DIY research firm Typeform, as Product Director. 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
Audience insights firm GlobalWebIndex has launched 'TV Reach & Frequency', offering media planners the ability to plan TV campaigns across 44 international channels in 42 markets, and target niche micro-audiences using over 40,000 attributes on each Internet user. More
Tech research and advisory firm Information Services Group has announced moderate revenue growth of 2 percent in constant currency terms, to $68.1m in the third quarter. More
Consumer identity management firm Infutor has acquired New York-based Dunn Data Company, which provides market intelligence including consumer identity, demographic, lifestyle, and affinity attribute solutions. More
Consumer data giant Experian has announced a strategic investment in smart mobile marketing data platform Vserv. Details of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has completed its strategic review, and announced plans to spin off its Global Connect business (similar, but not identical to the former 'Buy' segment), creating two independent publicly traded companies. The company also posted a respectable 2.4% constant currency revenue rise for Q3. More
Digital media analytics specialist Quotient has agreed to acquire Israel-based location intelligence platform Ubimo. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
UK-based social media monitoring specialist Bakamo has relocated its London office to a new, larger location in Shoreditch. As part of the expansion, Research Director Dávid Gáspár has relocated from the firm's Budapest-based operations centre to lead the team in London. More
Omni-channel TV advertising and analytics platform Innovid has appointed former IgnitionOne MD Wolfgang Kirschner to head its expansion efforts across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The firm has also hired Jeremy Straight as SVP of Business Development, based out of New York. More
Australian ad targeting and research platform Pureprofile has hired former Mintel / Toluna exec Anna Meiler for a newly created position, Head of Sales and Marketing. More
Comscore Vice Chairman Bill Livek has been promoted to the role of Chief Executive Officer, replacing interim CEO Dale Fuller. The firm has also reported an 8% drop in third quarter revenue to $94.3m, from $102.9m in the prior-year quarter. More
Nielsen has launched its Influencer Brand Effect measurement solution, to help advertisers evaluate the effectiveness of influencer marketing. More
In the US, AI-powered customer data platform Amperity has acquired customer intelligence and analytics platform Custora. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
WPP founder Sir Martin Sorrell's recently launched marcoms business S4Capital has reported third quarter revenue up almost 54% to £56.6m, with a nearly 50% increase in gross profit to £42.1m during the period. The figures reflect rapid organic growth as well as M&A. More
In the UK, industry-owned media auditor ABC has launched an online 'Data Hub' through which users can access current and historic audited data. More
In New York, customer experience company Hero Digital has hired Arun Kumar as Senior Vice President, Data & Insights. More
In the US, advertising intelligence specialist Integral Ad Science (IAS) has hired Adrian D'Souza for the newly created role of Chief Customer Officer, overseeing global operations and with responsibility for delivering a customer-centric growth strategy. More
Leeds and London-based agency Trinity McQueen has acquired product testing and healthcare specialist Allto Market Research (previously known as McCallum Layton). Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, customer insights platform UserTesting has acquired TruthLab, a provider of video analysis backed by machine learning. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Digital research agency MetrixLab has launched a tool called 'ACT Instant', which uses machine and deep learning elements of artificial intelligence (AI) to predict advertising performance, without the need for surveys or respondents. More
Google has acquired wearable fitness / wellness tracker Fitbit in a deal valued at approximately $2.1 billion. Fitbit has issued an assurance that it will continue to put users in control of their data and that its health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads. More
US-based consumer insights and strategy consultancy db5 has been acquired by Australian marketing and communications group Bastion Collective, for an undisclosed sum. More
In California, former JWT Intelligence director Lucie Greene has launched a futures, research and brand strategy consultancy called Light Years. More
Australian insights consultancy Fiftyfive5 has hired former Edelman Intelligence exec Nick Williams, who relocates from the US to Australia to lead the firm's Performance Monitoring team. More
In London, qual-quant research and strategy consultancy Redblue has appointed Tom Scrimgour in the new role of Managing Director. More
US-based online MR community specialist KL Communications has opened a new division called KL Co-LABoration, which will focus on customer co-creation using the company's proprietary CrowdWeaving methodology. More
Mobile data intelligence and verification specialist Location Sciences has expanded to Australia, where it will be led by digital marketer Rupert Pay as the company's local representative. More
In the US, hyper-personalization platform Folloze has raised $11m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to continue to expand operations and its business reach. More
In the US, digital marketing and performance analytics specialist TapClicks has acquired Megalytic, which provides client reporting and dashboard solutions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Mobile measurement and fraud prevention specialist Adjust has expanded its UK team with the appointment of Andy Chandler as General Manager UK & Ireland, and Isabel Ferreira as Sales Director. Both will be based in the firm's London office. More
Los Angeles-based consumer insights and analytics business MarketCast Group has hired former Nielsen exec Graham McKenna as Chief Marketing Officer, leading its brand, product marketing and communications efforts. More
Singapore-based market research and data platform Milieu Insight has raised $2.4m in a pre-A round of funding, which it will use for product development and to expand to Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. More
Research software firm Confirmit has appointed Howard Lax as Principal Director, CX Consulting, supporting clients in their efforts to design, develop and implement customer experience strategies. More
In New York City, Merkle-owned digital marketing solutions company HelloWorld has appointed James Riess as SVP, Head of Strategy & Insights for Promotions and Loyalty Solutions. More
Long-time Nielsen exec Megan Clarken is joining ad targeting and retargeting specialist Criteo as Chief Executive Officer on November 25th. She replaces founding Chairman and CEO JB Rudelle, who will remain as company Chairman. More
Media intelligence specialist Cision has announced that its social media management division Falcon.io has acquired Unmetric, which delivers insights from social media benchmarking, audience engagement and content performance. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Research solutions and outsourcing firm Markelytics has launched a range of DIY market research platforms. More
London-based mobile research and sample specialist On Device Research has partnered with Data Stories Consulting to launch a new report called the 'State of Digital Brand Measurement'. More
In the US, data-driven performance marketing agency Merkle has launched a solution called Archie, providing users with cross-channel media and marketing insights. More
User experience and technology solutions firm Credera has opened an office in New York City. More
New York-based cross-channel media analytics specialist C3 Metrics has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation, for measurement of desktop and mobile web display ad viewable impressions and related viewing metrics. More
Audience measurement firm Comscore has made two major announcements: a five-year deal with global film exhibitor Cinemex to provide an enterprise data platform and analytics software solutions; and an expansion of its partnership with global entertainment network Discovery, Inc. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's S4Capital plc has brought in two new businesses via a merger with its existing MightyHive programmatic media practice. ConversionWorks, based in London, and Datalicious Korea will be integrated into and rebranded as part of MightyHive, strengthening its analytics skills and offer. More
US-based sample solutions provider InnovateMR has opened a new headquarters in Calabasas, California - adding to existing locations in Connecticut, London, Ahmedabad and New Delhi. The firm says its headcount has doubled during 2019. More
Market research technology and survey programming company Jibunu has released a video response capture tool, allowing researchers to collect 'user-generated qual feedback at quant scale'. 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
Knowledge management platform provider Northern Light has launched a Twitter analysis tool using AI to help enterprises plan their social media marketing, track competitors and enhance their market research. More
In the US, full-service performance marketing agency Target Data has acquired social media agency Social Fulcrum, which uses data to identify key messages and audiences for Facebook and Instagram advertising. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Mobile research tech firm RealityMine has launched a feature called 'RealLife Social', giving researchers a window on the ads and sponsored content that opted-in users are exposed to on social media. More
Data-driven performance marketing agency Merkle has promoted Ben Gott to the position of SVP Digital Analytics for the EMEA region, overseeing a team combining the analytics team from its performance marketing agency Periscopix with its existing customer analytics business. More
In the US, streaming platform and device specialist Roku is to acquire customer analytics firm dataxu, which allows marketers to plan and buy video ad campaigns. The deal is valued at $150m in cash and shares of Roku common stock. More
In the US, Mastercard has acquired customer engagement and loyalty platform SessionM, enhancing its own ability to help brands deliver personalized, real-time offers and campaign measurement based on data-driven insights. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Data-driven services company Inmar has acquired ownerIQ, a provider of 1st and 2nd party data solutions to brands, retailers and manufacturers. 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
TV audience measurement body BARC India has announced that founding CEO Partho Dasgupta is leaving the position, and will be replaced by Sunil Lulla. More
Nielsen has added syndicated measurement of Amazon Prime Video to its Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) Content Ratings solution. More
Harris Interactive has launch two new products, hi brands Express and ad post-test Express, which it says deliver 'faster, more cost-effective brand and communications insights' for FMCG, financial services, technology, media and entertainment sectors. More
AI-powered business intelligence and media monitoring company Signal AI has completed a Series C funding round of $25m, which it says will be used to add new use cases, accelerate rapid growth in the US and cement its recent launch in the APAC market. More
Tokyo-based panels and technology company dataSpring has been acquired by marketing research and consulting services business Intage Holdings. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the UK, former Cambridge MR Managing Director Mark Bagnall has set up his own agency ESP Live, which will focus on two areas of consumer research - development of products and techniques to re-shape the way research is conducted, and measurement of experiential marketing campaigns. More
London and Edinburgh-based eCommerce analytics and insights business e.fundamentals has raised £5.3m, which it will use to drive international expansion. More
In China, marcoms group Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired eCommerce consultancy EBP, which helps clients with their go-to-market strategies, marketing campaigns, online store operation, user experience optimization and brand data bank solutions. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, Publicis Media-owned full service, data-driven marketing agency Rauxa has hired Alberto Botero as Senior Vice President, Data Intelligence. 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
Xandr, the advertising and analytics division of AT&T, has acquired audience-based TV ad sales platform Clypd. Terms were not disclosed. More
For the first time in seven years, more UK marketers told the IPA's Bellwether survey their budgets decreased than increased during the third quarter of 2019 - although the change from the previous quarter was small. Figures for MR were the worst of any sub-sector and the worst in seven years. 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
Digital audio ad tech firm AdsWizz has formally launched PodScribe, a contextual targeting solution for podcasts - backed by a brand safety agreement with Comscore. More
Atlanta-based location data firm Gathr Lab has launched an audience management platform (AMP) called Living Audience, allowing audience tracking and targeting across devices. More
In Australia, mobile customer experience specialist Geronimo has acquired data science and analytics company Data Hatch. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Retail data specialist The NPD Group has launched its 'Toys E-commerce Tracking Service' in China, covering online sales of toy products. More
In the US, mobile analytics and marketing platform CleverTap has completed a $35m Series C funding round, which it will use to grow its new US-based engineering hub, add enhanced predictive capabilities, and drive a global market expansion strategy. More
Havas Health & You, the marcoms group's healthcare and wellness arm, has partnered with personalized video content creation platform VidMob to launch a Data Science practice. More
In Australia, outdoor advertising company JCDecaux has added facial emotion analysis technology to a panel advertising Yoplait Yoghurt Smoothies, in order to determine whether passers-by have happy or 'hangry' expressions, and dispense vouchers to enable them to sample the product. More
In Australia, marketing intelligence company MiQ has appointed Jason Scott as Chief Executive Officer, overseeing growth in the ANZ region and across media, analytics and technology. More
Dynata has launched a platform integrating market research, advertising and marketing solutions which it promises will simplify 'every step in the insights lifecycle' - from audience selection and survey creation to analytics and reporting. More
In the US, enterprise analytics specialist ThoughtSpot has partnered with Nielsen to launch a search and artificial intelligence-driven platform called Retail Insights, designed to help organizations understand and respond to changing consumer expectations. More
Continuing a month of articles from our 21st birthday celebration feature looking at Online Communities, Julia Eisenberg and Isaac Rogers of US firm 20|20 Research look at the rise of the ' smaller, more tactical insights community', and the need to get that 'pit lane' running smoothly. More
Turkish radio industry body RIAK has commissioned Kantar to deliver the Turkish radio audience ratings service for the next five years. More
Taiwanese cross-screen ad tech company Appier has acquired Tokyo-based emotion intelligence firm Emin, which analyses and predicts online consumer purchasing behaviour. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Kantar has named Doreen Wang Country Leader in China. She will return from New York to Beijing in January to take up her new appointment. More
UK-based language analysis and comparative text analytics platform Relative Insight has raised $5m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to open its first US office, in New York City. More
Digital research company MetrixLab has opened an office in Sydney, Australia, where it has promoted Vincent Blaney for the newly created role of Managing Director. 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
In the US, shopper targeting firm Valassis has promoted Cali Tran to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer, replacing CEO Dan Singleton who will move into a senior advisory role for parent company Harland Clarke Holdings. More
Customer experience and analytics specialist Accenture Interactive is planning to acquire French marketing analytics and consultancy firm Sutter Mills. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
San Francisco-based local audience data specialist Eyeota has hired PubMatic co-founder Anand Das as CTO, and his former PubMatic colleague Vasu Cherlopalle as Vice President of Engineering. More
In New York, holding company LiiV has acquired media insights firm Telmar, which it will combine with its existing media subsidiary, Splashlight. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Retail personalization specialist Kibo is to acquire software provider Monetate for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, full-service ad and brand research specialist Phoenix Marketing International (Phoenix MI) has appointed long-time Ipsos exec Caryn Brouwer as Senior Vice President of Client Services, based in its NYC office. More
In the US, video ad effectiveness measurement specialist Ace Metrix has launched a 'Cultural Perception' scoring system, allowing clients to quantify both the positive and negative impact their advertising has on culture. More
US-based TV audience intelligence and data-management platform Tru Optik is to launch a free compliance solution called Privacy.TV, to help CTV advertisers ready for the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which comes into effect next January. More
Social media listening and analytics specialist Talkwalker has launched a new product called Customer Data +, which allows enterprises to analyze customer conversations from their own first-party data sources. 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
Kantar has been awarded the contract to deliver national radio ratings currency in Sweden for the four years commencing on 1st August 2020. More
Mobile measurement and fraud prevention specialist Adjust has acquired the Force Operation X (F.O.X) smartphone advertising effectiveness measurement tool from its creator, Japanese marketing agency CyberZ. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Full service agency Opinium Research has rolled out the results of the second '100 Most Connected UK Brands' survey, whilst launching the service in the US. More
Kantar has expanded its audience activation offer to a broader range of verticals, helping marketers identify and engage the right consumers and deliver improved ROI for data-driven ad campaigns. More
GroupM's data and measurement-driven media agency Essence has announced the expansion of its services across China. More
In India, Kantar and artificial intelligence platform Frrole have partnered to launch a service called 'TGI Social+', which combines consumer profiles from Kantar's consumer survey TGI with social media analytics to provide a 'holistic' understanding of online consumers. 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
US-based insight firm LRW Group has acquired full-service agency Salt Branding, which helps clients make brands more focused and relevant to the needs of both business and consumers. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
British retailer M&S has hired former GroupM exec Mehdi Hosseini for a newly created role, Head of Data Science, including responsibility for recruiting for up to twenty new roles in the near future. More
In the UK Mediatel, which provides media data, market insight, news and events, has hired former Kantar Media exec Rob Laurence to lead its data analysis platform, Mediatel Connected. More
Australian insights consultancy Fiftyfive5 has announced that Kristy Richards and Matt Pearce will lead its Melbourne business. More
North American full service agency Reach3 Insights has appointed bilingual researcher Diego Rodriguez as Senior Vice President, Media & Entertainment, based in its Southern California office. More
In the US, television data and audience analytics company Samba TV has acquired data integration platform Wove for an undisclosed sum. 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
Sir Martin Sorrell's marcoms group S4Capital has acquired Silicon Valley-based digital marketing agency Firewood, and is merging it with its digital global content practice MediaMonks. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Research software firm CMNTY has launched a new version of its community software platform, to help brand and insights professionals wanting to build short or long term online customer communities with 'minimal effort and maximum effects'. More
Comcast Spotlight, the advertising sales division of TV and telecoms firm Comcast Cable, has promoted Andrea Zapata to Vice President of Data Innovation and Insights, overseeing a newly formed Data Innovation and Insights team. More
Edinburgh-based ad measurement and optimization firm TVSquared has partnered with video ad campaign tech platform Extreme Reach (ER), to allow advertisers to measure the performance of impressions served across all ad-supported OTT streaming services. More
In London, community panel specialist Verve has completed its fourth graduate intake, bringing the total number of graduate recruits to twelve. The firm recently appointed long-time MR recruitment specialist Sarah Penny as Talent Manager. More
Marcoms giant Interpublic Group has formed a new division, Kinesso, building on its recent acquisition of Acxiom to create data-based marketing applications focused on trust and security, campaign optimization and precision audiences. 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
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
A group of advertisers including EA, Mastercard, P&G and Unilever has launched a global initiative called the Cross Media Working Group, designed to ensure the advertiser's voice is heard in decisions on cross-media measurement. More
In Washington DC, former NBC colleagues Allan Horlick and Bob Okun have launched an online survey tool called TalkBackTime, which delivers qualitative feedback through user-recorded video clips. More
New York-based technology specialist 451 Research has expanded its reach and coverage to the Middle East and Africa. More
In the UK, full service agency Relish has appointed Neil Stevenson as Research Director in its Qualitative team, with a focus on building the company's Technology, Media and Gaming sectors. More
Nielsen Sports has launched an online platform to provide a view of fans' interests, media consumption, brand attitudes and purchasing habits from around the world. More
In the US, out of home (OOH) audience measurement body Geopath has announced that its 'Insights' platform has been approved and launched as the industry currency for OOH measurement. More
Panel provider Borderless Access has appointed former Dynata exec Max Czycholl as Vice President - Europe. He is based in Hamburg, Germany. More
Cazoo, an online used car sales platform, has hired former dunnhumby / MoneySuperMarket data chief Piers Stobbs as Chief Data Officer, ahead of its launch later this month. More
Greg Leibon, the co-founder of marketing personalization specialist Coherent Path, has obtained a patent for the firm's mathematical infrastructure, which can be used to map each customer's journey through a 'product space', and guide customers towards product 'discoveries'. 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
UK-based advisory group Cello Health has sold its social media analysis software business Pulsar to comms software firm Access Intelligence for £4.5m. Cello Health says the sale will enable it to focus on its higher growth/margin healthcare business and its core 'Signal' business. More
Eurodata TV Worldwide, the international division of French audience measurement firm Médiamétrie, has changed its name to 'Glance', in a bid to more accurately define the expanse of its marketplace. More
London-based research technology firm Liveminds has officially expanded to the US with the opening of an office in Chicago. More
European digital MR services firm Bilendi Group has updated its 'Bilendi Sample Management' platform, with the integration of new functionalities using artificial intelligence. More
In Canada, communities specialist Maru/Matchbox has appointed Sudhanshu Gaur as Vice President, Analytics, based in its Toronto office. More
UK-based marcoms giant WPP has appointed Argos CEO John Rogers as Chief Financial Officer, replacing Paul Richardson who is retiring from the company. Rogers will join the group and its Board in early 2020. More
Sweden-based holding company Modern Times Group MTG AB (MTG) has announced a partnership with Nielsen, providing sponsorship valuation and media measurement for its esports portfolio companies ESL Gaming GmbH and DreamHack. More
There are lots of options for those wishing to join this successful sector (see job listings in the publication) but how do you find the treasure and minimise the risk? Nick Thomas taps the experience of four of the sector's recruitment specialists to help you pick all the right cards and avoid the blues. More
Kantar has appointed Dolly DeNyse and Amy Fenton to its North American leadership team as Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Client Officer respectively. 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
App metrics specialist App Annie has acquired mobile analytics firm Libring, for an undisclosed sum, allowing it to provide its mobile publisher and brand clients with market data and advertising analytics side by side. More
Comscore has promoted Arturo Guillén to the role of SVP & Global Managing Director of its movie division, taking the reins from SVPs Steve Buck and Jim Zak. More
UK-based insights agency Kokoro (formerly ABA Research) has appointed former Virgin Media exec Martha Knight as Director of Digital Activation, leading its Digital Customer Experience programmes and UX research. More
Omnicom's digital and CRM division OPMG has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Smart Digital GmbH, a consulting and marketing tech company with a proprietary AI platform and a focus on data-driven real-time customer experiences. 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
Insights partnership RealityCheck Consulting has launched HXi, a new service for CX and decision journey mapping More
UK-based marketing and media Plc Ebiquity has announced flat revenue (£35.3m) and profits (PBIT £2.9m) in Interim Results for the six months ended 30th June, citing a 'transitional period'. More
Data firm Acxiom has combined with Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) to launch an omnichannel insight and targeting service, 'Work-Life Audiences', promising holistic audience insights and expanded data attributes for more than 30 million consumers. More
Off-line media measurement firm Freckle has announced its integration with newly established Out of Home ad buying and planning specialist Quan Media Group, promising brands detailed advertising attribution for outdoor campaigns. More
Our month-long focus on online communities goes client-side today. Hannah Downs, Head of Insight at UK agency ResearchBods, explains how the firm uses a community to help British broadcasting group ITV get closer to viewers. More
GfK has teamed up with digital measurement firm BrandTotal to allow marketers to track social campaigns that target custom segments. GfK says this includes 'dark marketing', highly targeted campaigns invisible to the general public but making up 88% of social media spend. More
Oracle is streamlining its Data Cloud (ODC) unit, with job cuts totalling 10 to 15% of its staff, according to reports. More
US programmatic ad tech and footfall insights provider Mobiquity Technologies has announced a successful recapitalization, cleared the way for a Nasdaq application, and extended the contracts of two key execs from recently acquired Advangelists, who it says will play a key role in its future. More
... Not Just Talking About It. In the next in our month-long series focused on communities, Verve Executive Director Paul Lawson casts an expert eye over the many great uses of a community panel. More
Audience measurement firm Comscore has paid $5m to finalize a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, resolving its investigation into accounting and disclosure practices in the two years to February 2016. Former CEO Serge Matta has also made payments to both Comscore and the SEC. More
Audience-based TV advertising firm Simulmedia has partnered with mobile attribution platform and data marketplace host Kochava, allowing clients to target mobile consumer audiences based on the networks, dayparts and programs they watch. More
Nielsen has announced a strategic alliance with brand safety and content suitability measurement firm OpenSlate, acquiring a minority stake as part of the deal. More
In India, WPP audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has announced a digital audience measurement partnership with Nielsen Media, to provide industry-wide third-party verification for its Xaxis View, Video Premium and Audio campaigns. More
New York-based Grail Insights has announced the acquisition of Oakland, CA business tech researcher ConStat. More
Facebook has announced the suspension of 'tens of thousands' of apps, created by around 400 different developers, as it continues an eighteen-month investigation following the Cambridge Analytica scandal. More
Streaming platform and device specialist Roku has expanded its partnership with omni-channel TV advertising and analytics platform Innovid for a new solution to measure daily demographic reach and frequency on TV campaigns run across both Roku's platform and Linear TV. More
Real-time 3D development platform Unity Technologies has acquired deltaDNA, whose offer includes big data game analytics and marketing. 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
Credit scoring and consumer analytics company Equifax has announced a global partnership with utility data aggregator Urjanet, allowing consumers and businesses to share payment data from thousands of utility, telecom and cable providers worldwide. More
US-based video streaming guide Reelgood is launching a measurement division for OTT (over-the-top TV), and brought in former Nielsen SVP of Global Measurement, Mark Green to lead it. More
With elections pending in Canada, professional industry body CRIC has issued standards, specific to the country, for the conduct and release of public opinion research. 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
Kantar has appointed Chloe Woolger as Commercial Director in its Customer Experience (CX) team, based in its London headquarters and reporting to Tim Pritchard, MD of CX at Kantar UK. More
In the US, trade association the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) has announced that it will lead a drive to move local broadcast measurement from a ratings-based to an impressions-based system. 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
Omni-channel TV advertising and analytics platform Innovid has announced the acquisition of ad creative optimization software firm Herolens. 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
Programmatic sample firm Lucid has appointed Allen Lovett to lead its North America sales team. More
Brighton, UK-based digital consumer intelligence company Brandwatch has unveiled new flagship product, Consumer Research, representing a '$50m investment' and integrating technology from social media analyst Crimson Hexagon, which it acquired last autumn. 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
Maru/Matchbox has added an influencer social listening tool, Maru/Lissted, to its proprietary technology platform Maru/HUB, promising to help clients locate the 'true influencers' in communities, and not just 'the ones who create the most noise online'. More
North American full service agency Reach3 Insights has appointed Steven Spencer-Steigner as SVP Qualitative Strategy, charged with leading delivery of strategic qual work as well as expanding the company's range of solutions. 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
Eurodata TV Worldwide, the international division of French audience measurement firm Médiamétrie has promoted François Lhomme to the role of Sales Director for the EMEA and APAC regions; and Kunal de Souza to an equivalent Americas role. More
Video research and targeting company methinks has appointed Kris Jacob as Chief Revenue Officer for North America and EMEA, while Eung Soo Lee joins as Vice President of Business Development, Asia-Pacific. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's recently formed marcoms business S4Capital has reported revenue of £87.97m for the first six months of 2019 - up an estimated 42%, or 38% in constant currency terms. According to the firm, it is on track to double in size organically by 2021. 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
Comscore is extending its audience targeting solution to include connected TV (CTV), by licensing its data through Adobe Audience Manager, Google Display and Video 360, and Oracle Data Cloud. More
New York-based Semantic ad technology specialist Peer39 has opened an office in London, where it has appointed Andrew Morsy as Managing Director, International. The firm has also hired Alec Greenberg as Vice President of Partnerships in its NYC office. More
Survey software firm Confirmit has appointed customer experience practitioner Andrew Farries as Director of CX Consulting, based in it Sydney, Australia office. More
In the US, the non-profit Association of National Advertisers (ANA) has launched a division called 'Measurement for Marketers' (MFM), with the aim of ensuring uniformity across the industry's measurement systems. 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
In New York, communities specialist Maru/Matchbox has appointed former System1 Research exec Brent Snider as Chief Revenue Officer. More
UK-based insights and data firm Delineate has launched an audience planning tool called 'bertie', to help both agencies and in-house teams understand and engage with their B2B audiences. More
Social media monitoring and marketing specialist Socialbakers has added a feature called 'Paid Analytics' to its platform, to provide paid social media insights across multiple ad accounts. More
In the US, digital advertising specialist Goodway Group has opened a Data Science and Analytics division which is run by new hires Lluis Canet, Vice President of Data Science and Analytics; and Benjamin Diesbach, Lead Data Insights Analyst. 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
Market research and analytics company Leger has acquired public sector and B2B research specialist National Research Group (NRG). Both firms are based in Canada, with NRG focused on the West of the country. More
Steve Buck, Comscore's SVP of Business Relations and Jim Zak, SVP of International Theatrical are among those to depart the company as it cuts 8% of its workforce, according to reports. More
Business performance management software company Anaplan has acquired AI-powered B2B customer intelligence platform Mintigo for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, Kantar has partnered with voice app testing platform Pulse Labs, to understand the motivation behind consumers' usage of voice assistant technology. More
Seoul, South Korea-based video research and targeting company methinks has hired Aaron Burcell as Chief Executive Officer. More
Neura, which provides developers with analysis of how users engage with their apps, has raised $16m in a Series B round of funding. Funds will be used to expand its headcount, develop its business in the US and EU, and launch new products. 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
In New York, SIS International Research has launched a blockchain consulting division, offering strategy consulting and market research for clients working with the technology. More
In New York, AI-powered consumer intelligence platform SightX has appointed long-time FocusVision / Decipher exec Mark Levy as Vice President of Business Development. More
In Canada, communities specialist Maru/Matchbox has appointed former Kantar TNS exec Mona Makhijani as Senior Vice President, Client Activation, based in its Vancouver office. More
The Media Rating Council (MRC) has issued the final version of its 'Cross-Media Audience Measurement Standards', relating to the video consumption environment. More
Dan Hess, former Comscore Chief Product Officer, has joined retail data specialist The NPD Group to lead its global product development and management. More
Consumer data giant IRI has partnered with Vistar Media, which provides programmatic technology for digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising. The partners will deliver what they describe as a 'breakthrough offering' to measure the direct sales impact of exposure to DOOH ads. More
US-based online ad intelligence firm Pathmatics has rolled out its flagship 'Pathmatics Explorer' product to the UK and Germany, giving publishers and agencies access to previously unavailable panel-based Facebook advertising data. More
London-based audience insights company GlobalWebIndex has hired former Groupon exec James Scott for a newly created position, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). More
Not-for-profit industry body the Audited Media Association of Australia (AMAA) has launched a council for the Australian influencer marketing community called AIMCo. More
Australia-based media intelligence group Isentia has reported revenue down 10.7% to $AUD 122.47m, and adjusted EBITDA falling 30.4% to $ AUD 23.06m. However the firm, which is in turnaround mode, described the results as 'acceptable progress'. More
Former Flamingo and TNS exec Lyn McGregor has been appointed as Head of Qualitative Research at Walnut Unlimited. More
Global CEM Software firm Sitecore has laid off around 70 employees, c.5% of its workforce, according to reports. 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
Mobile measurement and fraud prevention specialist Adjust has appointed Moshi Blum as General Manager in Israel, responsible for accelerating growth and building the team in Tel Aviv. More
In Australia Nic Jones, CEO and MD of online research and digital ad targeting platform Pureprofile has resigned, after the company posted a $10.7m full-year net loss after tax in its statutory results and announced it had renegotiated its debt facilities. More
In the US, word-of-mouth specialist Bazaarvoice has acquired New York-based product discovery and reviews platform Influenster, which has nearly six million community members worldwide. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Consumer and audience insights company Vividata has partnered with mobile research technology firm RealityMine, digital data collection specialist Delvinia, and Ipsos, to launch what it calls the first passive panel of its kind in Canada. More
In Dallas, DIY research and ad measurement company Survata has hired long-time industry exec Matt Valle as Head of Sales for its Plan Suite of applications, designed to help marketers track their brands. More
In New York, ad personalization specialist MediaMath has hired former Nielsen exec Konrad Gerszke as President, leading all its day-to-day operations. More
Cambridge Analytica's former Lead Psychologist Patrick Fagan has teamed up with former ad agency execs Dan Thwaites and James Cragg to launch an audience behavioural change business called Capuchin. More
In Australia, Publicis Media-owned Zenith has appointed Kim Xavier as National Head of Insights. Her appointment follows the departure of Tim Beveridge, who spent the previous four and a half years as Chief Strategy, Data & Insights Officer. More
Global information services company Experian has made an undisclosed 'strategic investment' in location intelligence firm PlaceIQ. More
US firms LoopMe and Numerator have partnered to offer 'traditional' retailers ad campaign attribution and in-flight optimisation, using off-line purchase data. More
Online community and customer advocacy software provider Influitive Corporation has appointed Dan Cote as CMO and Rob Merklinger SVP of Sales. More
Interactive content specialist Insticator has enhanced its platform with the addition of audience analytics to support publishers' engagement and revenue strategies. More
Comscore has disclosed plans to cut a further 8% of its workforce, adding to around 10% made redundant in the second quarter. More
Television data and audience analytics company Samba TV has acquired media exposure analyst Axwave. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In Sydney, Australia, data-driven marketing agency network Hearts & Science has promoted Luke Hutchinson to the role of Chief Investment Officer. More
In the US, digital marketing and performance analytics specialist TapClicks has raised $10m in an equity funding round. Part of the investment is earmarked for future acquisitions. 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, Boston-based influencer marketing platform Mavrck has acquired GroupHigh, which is used to identify bloggers and social media profiles, and manage the outreach marketing process. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Newspaper and magazine platform PressReader has acquired content personalization and publisher analytics specialist News360, whose technology will be used to provide publishing partners with insights about their readers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Online qual research specialist Aha! has integrated Zoom video conference call technology into its MR solution, enabling users to conduct live webcam conversations with consumers and gain insight into the behavior that drives buying decisions and product usage. 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
In Australia, Omnicom analytics division Annalect has appointed Schalk van der Sandt as Head of its Melbourne operations. More
In the US, global marketing group Publicis has acquired full-service data-driven strategy and design agency Rauxa, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, consumer data specialist Data Decisions Group (DDG) has promoted Dino Fire to the role of President of Market Research and Data Sciences. He replaces President of Data Science Bruno Delahaye. 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
Comscore Board member Paul J. Reilly has resigned, citing a lack of confidence in its operating strategy and innovation. In the last few days, the company's share price has dropped further to record lows around the $US 1.50 mark. More
Kantar is launching the 'Great British Podcast Tracker', billed as the country's 'first longitudinal service' measuring consumer behaviour and attitudes to podcasts and providing a continuous, representative, single source of insight, from September. More
Enterprise data and analytics provider LiveRamp has appointed Clark Kokich as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, replacing Jerry Gramaglia, who announced his intention not to seek re-election in February. More
Digital research firm MetrixLab has appointed four Regional Managing Directors: Angela Morgans for Europe, Rebeca Dreicon for LATAM, Rob Valsler for AMEA, and Kevin Moran for North America. Meanwhile two new teams will focus on innovation in the company's product portfolio. 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
Global management consultancy Accenture is to acquire Australian big data and analytics consultancy Analytics8 for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, the developers of campus safety app Drunk Mode have launched a location data company called X-Mode. More
In the US, TV, film and video research firm ScreenEngine/ASI has hired Tony Calfo as Senior Vice President of its TV News Group, which provides both national and local TV news divisions with insights to help them reach and retain viewers. More
US marketing and data tech company SRAX has signed a joint venture agreement with Mumbai-based professional service and workforce outsourcing provider Melstar Information Technologies, through which SRAX will launch its BIGtoken consumer data platform in India. 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
Australian digital research platform Pureprofile has released unaudited financials showing full year 2019 revenue up 7% to $27.3m. However, last year's EBITDA $0.7m turned into a loss of $0.6m. 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
Cincinnati, OH-based full service firm MarketVision Research has launched a proprietary survey solution to meet the needs of the blind and visually impaired. More
Canadian polling, MR and strategy provider Leger has named Steve Perrone, co-founder of its Leger Metrics division, as its Chief Technology Officer. He will now oversee tech development for the group's three digital divisions: Leger Opinion, Leger Metrics and Leger Community. More
US-based TV attention measurement company TVision has launched a solution to capture and measure second-by-second, person-level viewing behavior from streaming activity. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's investment vehicle S4Capital has merged its content arm MediaMonks with Amsterdam-headquartered influencer marketing company IMA. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
The ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations) has confirmed that Comscore's validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) solution is the first product to receive certification for mobile web viewability, including for both display and video. More
In Mumbai, audience measurement and analytics body BARC India, has launched an online service which provides access to a range of TV viewing and audience analytics reports. More
Comscore has reported a 4.4% drop in second quarter revenues to $96.9m from $101.4m in the prior year period. During Q2, the company cut 10% of its workforce, saving $20m in the process, and it is now looking at 'strategic options' which could lead to the sale of all or part of the business. 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
Digital research agency MetrixLab has promoted Kevin Moran to the role of US President/Managing Director. He was previously CEO of research agency Acturus, acquired by MetrixLab in 2017. More
Social media marketing agency Social Chain has launched a market research consultancy, Social Chain Data, which will tap into the parent company's expertise to help clients analyse their audiences and markets. More
Consumer analytics technology firm PriceSpider has acquired pricing data specialist ORIS Intelligence for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, measurement and analytics company StreamMetrics has launched what it describes as a 'first' in esports audience measurement. More
Insight exchange and sample management platform Cint has acquired US-based P2Sample. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Nielsen has reported a 1.2% drop in second quarter revenues to $1.63bn - although excluding currency effects it would have risen by the same amount. Adjusted EBITDA increased 0.4% to $470m - a rise of 2% at constant currency. More
In the US, Microsoft has acquired data privacy and security specialist BlueTalon for an undisclosed sum. More
Mobile research technology firm RealityMine has added five new members of staff to its Manchester team. More
In the US, DIY research software company SurveyMonkey has appointed Eric Johnson as Chief Information Officer, overseeing its IT vision and roadmap. More
Ipsos Bengaluru Branch Head Geeta Lobo has taken on the role of India Ambassador for the Global Science Organization, alongside the position of Social Intelligence Analytics (SIA) Head, for Ipsos India. Meanwhile Research Manager Sasha Francis has moved across to the SIA team. More
Digital media analytics specialist Quotient has launched a solution giving consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands consumer purchase history and intent data, from which to build targetable shopper segments for use in digital advertising. 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
DIY research software company SurveyMonkey has expanded its executive team with the appointment of Lara Sasken Lindenbaum as Vice President of Communications; DuVal Hicks as Vice President of Sales Operations; and Dennis Scott as Vice President of Growth Marketing. More
US-based strategy and custom research company Magid has hired former CMI Research exec Steve Flynn as Senior Vice President, based in Atlanta. More
Nielsen has entered a partnership with digital media analytics specialist Quotient Technology, whose purchase intelligence will be integrated into Nielsen's own audience and performance measurement solutions, creating a new industry omni-channel data set. More
In New York, ad tech and fraud prevention platform Kubient has appointed serial entrepreneur Peter Bordes as Chief Executive Officer, while former Ogilvy exec Chris Andrews joins as Chief Digital Officer. More
UK data regulator the ICO has announced ten projects chosen for the beta phase of its 'Sandbox' service, which supports companies and public sector organisations looking to develop innovative and compliant data-based products and services. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's digital advertising and marketing services company S4 Capital plc has published a trading update for the first half of 2019, with like-for-like revenues and gross profit up around 40%, well ahead of its target. More
Maru/Matchbox has hired former Hall & Partners Group Strategy Director Abigail Aufgang as VP, Innovations & Solutions, based in New York. More
Kantar has expanded its Worldpanel ComTech smart speaker consumer panel, to measure purchasing and usage trends in the Australian market. 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
San Francisco-based ad retargeting platform AdRoll is expanding its presence in Salt Lake City with the opening of a new, 16,000-square-foot office and plans to expand headcount in the city from 58 to 100 employees by the end of the year. More
In the US, TV content demand measurement platform Parrot Analytics has partnered with Spanish television-industry consultancy GECA to gauge content demand and trends across emerging markets, particularly those in Asia. 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
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, ad technology company Jinglz is launching an artificial intelligence-driven audience insights platform called CampaignTester, allowing marketers to test and measure the emotional reactions of audiences at scale. More
Microsoft has tapped its experience of helping business to test the impact of IT changes, to develop a campaign testing service called Experiments, to be offered shortly to users of its ad platform. 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
New York-based firm Dstillery has shut down its Demand Side Platform, to focus the business entirely on selling custom cross-device audience segments, citing commoditisation in the DSP business, and disproportionate basic costs for smaller players. More
Online behavioral data firm Jumpshot has announced a strategic partnership with information company Ascential plc, giving the latter a 35 percent equity stake in Jumpshot, valued at $60.8m. More
In Nashville, TN, qual insights and technology business 20|20 Research has launched QualLink 4.0, a proprietary API technology which integrates quant surveys and other online data resources programmatically with its QualBoard 4.0 solution. More
Location and transaction intelligence platform Near has raised $US 100m (£80.1m) in new funding, and says it will launch new products and expand into new markets. More
Florida-based shopper intelligence and personalized digital firm Catalina Marketing has partnered with LiveRamp to develop new audience segments and measurement offerings for US CPG marketers, for launch this quarter. More
Silicon Valley customer experience feedback specialist Medallia has made a successful debut on the New York Stock Exchange, raising $326m from its IPO and then opening $34 a share, a 62% premium for investors. More
New York-based social media tracker Unmetric has added new 'outlier detection' capabilities to its 'Analyze' package, allowing digital marketers to identify and analyse particularly high-engagement content on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. More
Marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) is planning to drop the 'Aegis' part of its name and is continuing to streamline its Asia Pacific operations, reports suggest. More
M&A activity in the marketing sector in the first half of 2019 was largely driven by private equity (PE) investment, with most of the major marcoms networks absent from the list of the most active buyers, according to a report. More
Analyst firm HFS Research, which serves clients in technology and business operations, has acquired digital marketing agency Quigley Media, whose founder Tom Quigley become HFS' Chief Marketing Officer. More
Media and analytics firm Crossmedia Inc. has announced a partnership with former MDC Partners CMO Bob Kantor to launch a collaborative marketing services network called Dawn, with four members agencies already included and more to be added soon. More
ITWP, the parent company of Toluna, Harris Interactive Europe and KuRunData, has hired Michele Morelli as SVP of Global Marketing Strategy; promoted Tsahi Ben-Yosef to SVP of Product Innovation; and promoted Mathilde Lelievre to EVP of Global Operations. More
Southern California-based data firm Giant Partners has acquired marketing agency Worxstudio, with the aim of creating a data-driven digital marketing offering. More
Digital transformation and eCommerce services firm transcosmos inc. has partnered with Tokyo-based software provider SOOTH Inc. to launch a video ad analysis and optimisation product, 'GAZE HACK', based on eyetracking. 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
Australia-based media intelligence group Isentia has appointed James Merritt, currently Head of APAC at dunnhumby, as Chief Executive for Asia, starting 4th November. More
Amsterdam-based image analysis tech company Dashmote has secured $2.8m in expansion funding from a combination of American and Chinese investors. 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
Results from the Bellwether survey conducted by ad industry body the IPA suggest a cautious mood among the UK's marketers, with budgets unchanged. As usual more respondents reported decreases than increases in their MR budgets. More
London-based agency The Big Picture (TBP) has appointed longtime Basis Research Director Laura Pereira as Head of Quant, with a focus on innovative techniques in design research. More
Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has launched a new reach and frequency tool allowing advertisers to target the 36% of consumers who do not live in the country's major metropolitan areas. 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
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
Nielsen has moved the processing of its core National Television Audience Measurement data from traditional on-premise server processing to a cloud-based infrastructure provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). More
The marketing software business sold in April by IBM has a new name, Acoustic, following the completion last week of its acquisition by private equity firm Centerbridge. More
Facebook is to pay US regulators a record $5bn fine to settle the privacy breach investigation following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, according to US media. Meanwhile Google is in trouble for allowing contractors to listen to snippets recorded by its 'Home' voice assistant. 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
Dallas-based full-service agency Beanstalk Digital has expanded its offering with the launch of a new data arm, Beanstalk Predictive, led by Chief Strategy Officer Matt Murphy and fuelled by a partnership with London-based AI-driven social media analyst Buzz Radar. More
A change that might have helped ad targeting firms skate round California's privacy laws has failed to win a majority in the state's Senate Judiciary Committee. More
Jumia, a pan-African e-commerce platform, has announced a link-up with UK-based analytics specialist Contentsquare, aiming to help clients provide seamless on-site experiences to customers and rapidly identify potential problems. 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
WPP-owned Kantar has launched a number of services to help marketers directly integrate their own datasets with data from its TGI consumer survey, to give enhanced audience profiling for campaign planning and digital media activation. More
In the US, digital marketing and performance analytics specialist TapClicks has acquired SaaS-based competitive intelligence solutions provider iSpionage, for an undisclosed sum. More
In Canada, communities specialist Maru/Matchbox has appointed customer insights strategist Jonathan Stinnett as President, Consumer Technology, Media & Entertainment. More
Online community and survey tech provider Toluna has partnered with digital rewards company NeoCurrency to enable its 'influencers' to receive the latter's bitcoin gift cards in exchange for sharing their opinion on brands, products and services through the Toluna Community. More
UK agency Walnut Unlimited has appointed former GfK exec Tijen Enver as Research Director, tasked with expanding its media research offering, building on its brand and comms work in the media space and across sectors. More
In the US, Emeryville, California-based research consultancy Greenberg Strategy has been acquired by the Lieberman Research Worldwide Group (LRW). Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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
In Canada, respondent access specialist Maru/Blue has hired Cornelia Haack as Senior Vice President, Panels and Communities. More
Comscore has announced the Malaysian roll-out of its Video Metrix Multi-Platform service, which provides a single, unduplicated measure of digital video consumption across smartphone, tablet and desktop devices. 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
UK data regulator the ICO has published guidelines on the use of cookies, reflecting changes in the light of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), in force now for just over a year. More
Spotify's Sydney-based APAC Head of Automation and Data Dan Robins, whose role included overseeing insights across the region - has left the firm. More
WPP has acquired a majority stake in Italian digital creative agency AQuest, whose services include user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design, production and activations. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Sky Media, the ad sales arm of communications company and broadcaster Sky, has launched a solution to enable media agencies and advertisers to plan, report and evaluate elements of their TV campaigns. More
German-based panel solutions and passive metering provider respondi has moved its London office to larger premises in the city. In addition, it has appointed Olga Yakovleva as Account Executive and Amar Sudra as Project Manager. More
In Sydney, Australia, data-driven marketing agency network Hearts & Science has promoted Jonathan Betts to the newly created role of Chief Experience Officer, starting on 1st August. More
Automated consumer insights platform Zappi has launched a tool called Optimize Reach, which uses TURF analysis to understand the combined reach of text-based stimuli, eliminating the need to manually re-run possible scenarios. More
Non-profit consortium the IAB Tech Lab has completed the first version of its Data Transparency Standard, supporting companies that collect audience data for targeting, personalization or measurement of digital ads. More
User experience insights and analysis platform Contentsquare has acquired Israel-based experience analytics company Clicktale, for an undisclosed sum. More
Consumer data giant IRI has launched an automated, on-demand platform called the Media Profilers Application, to help FMCG brands, their media agencies and media owners isolate and measure the effects of their media campaigns in the market. More
In the UK, communications agency Influential has appointed consumer insight specialist Duncan Swan as Head of Research. More
Management consultancy Deloitte has announced that its creative agency Heat has launched a division called Heat AI, using machine learning to uncover online social media trends and conversations. More
Mollie Spilman, Chief Operating Officer of ad targeting and retargeting specialist Criteo, is leaving the company on Friday to 'pursue a new career opportunity'. From next week, founder and CEO JB Rudelle will directly manage the Sales and Operations teams. More
Silicon Valley-based predictive analytics software firm FICO - formerly known as the Fair Isaac Corporation - has appointed Michael McLaughlin as Chief Financial Officer, replacing Mike Pung who is retiring. More
Global consumer agency InSites Consulting has acquired UK-based insight community specialist Join the Dots, for an undisclosed sum. 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
National audience currency provider BARC India has announced the launch of 'PrimaVU', a product designed to measure viewing in 'premium homes' and offered as a separate product from the ad currency service. 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
US customer experience management specialist Medallia is to acquire Tel Aviv-based behavioral analytics platform Cooladata, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, automated consumer insights platform Zappi has appointed Zontziry 'Z' Johnson as Vice President of Customer Transformation. More
Consumer intelligence and measurement company Cuebiq has launched a solution allowing clients to provide verifiable proof of their compliance with the EU's GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in their use of its products and services. More
Digital data collection specialist Dynata has launched a multi-supplier, automated research platform called Dynata Marketplace, through which researchers can combine the firm's first-party consumer data with that of multiple third-party providers. More
Outdoor ad company JCDecaux's Singapore subsidiary has launched a mobile intelligence-based metric called Streetside Audience Measurement (SAM), which the business claims delivers more accurate and recent data than existing out-of-home (OOH) measurement systems. More
Mobile measurement and fraud prevention specialist Adjust has raised $227m in a new round of funding, which it will use to further develop its product suite and to expand its presence in new and existing regions. More
Singapore-based consumer intelligence technology specialist Affle has acquired US mobile marketing and re-targeting platform RevX. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, technology intelligence firm HG Insights has signed an agreement with professional networking site LinkedIn to help digital marketers better target prospective customers and increase response rates with more relevant ads on the LinkedIn platform. More
Industry body the Broadcast Research Council (BRC) of South Africa has appointed Gary Whitaker as Chief Executive Officer, following the departure of Clare O'Neil at the end of last year. More
Marketing and innovation consulting specialist TD Reply has developed a business intelligence solution called China Beats, promising companies an in-depth understanding of the Chinese market and its players. More
Online video ad and analytics tech firm Innovid has opened an office in Tokyo, where it has appointed Toichiro Watanabe as Regional Director, Japan. More
Comscore and consumer media research lab MediaScience have announced a partnership to examine how and why cross-platform advertising works, while providing measurement of audience size, behavior, engagement and effect. More
Social media monitoring firm Brandwatch claims to have launched a new category called 'Digital Consumer Intelligence', which combines social media, (other) digital, survey and first-party data and applies artificial intelligence and data science techniques to generate new customer insights. More
Enterprise data and analytics provider LiveRamp has agreed to acquire Boston, MA-based media measurement company Data Plus Math. The deal promises clients 'a more effective way to buy, sell and measure data-driven television'. More
Silicon Valley customer experience feedback specialist Medallia has filed for an IPO, seeking flexibility, working capital and options for acquisitions and investments. More
Comscore has secured funds from an institutional investor to the tune of around $20m, with potential to grow to $50m. The investor will buy Comscore common stock at just $7.33 per share, close to its current ten-year low valuation, but the funds should strengthen the firm as it continues to 'refocus'. More
Ad tech companies are 'immature in their understanding of data protection requirements', according to a new report from UK regulator the ICO, and appear to be breaching Europe's privacy rules'. More
In the US, user experience (UX) insights company UserZoom has acquired NYC-based user research technology company Validately. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's recently launched marcoms group S4Capital has acquired Melbourne, Australia-based Adobe-led digital transformation and customer experience company BizTech. Terms were not disclosed. More
Mobile marketing and ad tech firm Sinch has launched a new division combining data-driven insights, creative services and technology to help brands strengthen customer relationships through personalized videos and other content delivered to their mobile devices. More
Consumer insight specialist Numerator has expanded its Premium People Groups to include new categories including LGBTQ+; 'unique groups' such as caregivers and military families; category specific insight like social drinkers; and smaller subsets such as sports fans by team. More
Nielsen-owned media and entertainment data provider Gracenote has launched a service helping entertainment providers understand the TV shows and movies that viewers want to watch, so that they can promote them from within their catalogs. More
Consumer data giant IRI has expanded its collaboration with marketing tech company 4C, to help advertisers better target cross-channel video planning and buying. More
Brand tracking and consumer science firm Nepa has named Esha Nagar Managing Director of Sales for India, based in Mumbai and overseeing its research and client development efforts across a range of vertical industries. More
In New York, advertising research, analytics and media planning software firm SQAD has appointed Mark D'Andrea as Chief Revenue Officer. He takes over from Debra Meyer, who is leaving to 'pursue new opportunities' after four years in the role. More
Targeting firm AcuityAds has expanded its east coast Canadian team with the promotion of Sophie Denault to Head of Sales for the region, and the appointment of Geneviève Landry as Account Director. More
US-based strategy and custom research company Magid has hired former GfK exec Tim Spenny as Senior Vice President, with a focus on emerging technology and research and consulting for innovation. More
Belgium-based marketing automation firm ACTITO has acquired UK customer intelligence software provider SmartFocus for an undisclosed sum. More
Comscore has been appointed by India's Bureau of Outreach and Communication (BOC) as digital partner in setting ad rates for the country's desktop and mobile advertising. More
US-based Numerator has appointed Eric Belcher as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Dennis Moore who becomes President, Panel Solutions. The firm was formed last year through the merger of omnichannel market intelligence firm Market Track and its consumer panel provider InfoScout. More
Mobile research firms RealityMine and MFour have partnered to launch a solution called 'Connected Consumer Data', providing clients with a single-source continuous data set that combines observed digital and location behavior with validated surveys. More
Leuven, Belgium-based multisensory research firm Haystack International has announced the acquisition of shopper intelligence specialist Shopting, for an undisclosed sum. More
Facebook has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit over the alleged inflation of its video audience metrics by anything up to 900%. Terms of the deal, which has yet to be approved by a judge, are not known at this point. More
US-based web personalization software provider Monetate has appointed a CMO; and strengthened its collaboration with digital experience insights platform Contentsquare, promising global brands 'better personalisation, stronger ROI and improved lifetime value of customers. More
In the US, commercial data giant Dun & Bradstreet is to acquire artificial intelligence-powered B2B customer data platform (CDP) Lattice Engines. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
German digital publishing house Axel Springer has announced plans to merge its US businesses - market research subsidiary eMarketer and business news provider Insider Inc. - to provide a combined perspective on digital transformation for clients across a number of sectors. 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
New York-based TV ad targeting specialist Simulmedia has raised $29m in a Series E round of funding, which it will use for further research and development. In addition, former Turner Broadcasting President David Levy has re-joined the firm's Board of Directors. More
In New York, personalized video content creation platform VidMob has closed a $25m Series B financing round, which it will use to further develop its technology. More
New York-based cross-device audience targeting specialist Dstillery has raised $5.9m in a funding round. The money will be used to invest in sales and marketing activity, extend the firm's portfolio of audience solutions, expand partnerships and enhance its team. More
In the UK, global insights provider Maru/Matchbox has appointed former GfK exec Peter Jenkins as Chief Client Officer, based in the Southampton office. More
London-based agency DigitalMR has launched a monthly social media intelligence report for the banking sector. More
In the US, sports intelligence specialist STATS has promoted Brian Orefice to the role of Vice President of Global Operations, while Dennis Dougherty has been named VP of Marketing. More
US-based data-driven marketing firm MediaMath has launched a solution which targets video campaigns based on viewer context, reaching audiences who are watching correlated and relevant programming. More
Facebook has launched a reward-based market research app called 'Study from Facebook', through which users can sell data on how they use competitors' apps. More
BARB, the UK television audience measurement currency, has commissioned Kantar to install its 'Focal Meters' technology into the BARB panel of homes. More
Former Edelman CEO David Brain has co-founded a market research firm called Stickybeak in New Zealand, in partnership with pollster David Talbot, designer Kyle Hickey, and technology specialist Brody Nelson. More
In New York, programmatic ad tech provider Mobiquity Technologies has launched a measurement tool called AdTribute, to help marketers identify in-store, bricks-and-mortar footfall as a result of exposure to digital advertising. More
Boston, MA-based media measurement company Data Plus Math has appointed Joran Lawrence as Vice President of Product. More
CRM giant Salesforce has agreed to acquire analytics platform Tableau Software, in an all-stock transaction valued at around $15.7 billion, net of cash. More
Ycor, a French company owned by Publicis chairman Maurice Lévy, says it has put in its own bid for the Ad Server and DCO units of struggling tech firm Sizmek, higher than that of retail giant Amazon, and with the aim of maintaining an independent option for the industry. More
Audience technology platform Eyeota has appointed former Dentsu Aegis exec Phoebe Ang as its new CFO, based in Singapore. More
UK-based digital marketing group Be Heard has bought a 20% stake in transformation consultancy Digital Delivery Consulting Limited, which trades as 3pointsDigital (3PD). More
Google is to acquire business intelligence, data applications and embedded analytics provider Looker, in a deal valued at $2.6 billion in cash. 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
UK broadcaster Channel 4 is developing a data product - currently codenamed 'Project Agora' - allowing advertisers to match their own custom audience segments across the channel's twenty million active registered viewer base, in a cookie-less, GDPR compliant way. More
New York-based consumer insights specialist MRI-Simmons has announced a partnership with New Jersey social media metrics and off-line word-of-mouth specialist Engagement Labs, helping marketers to activate their off-line brand advocates and influencers and 'seed' new conversations. More
Media and entertainment insights provider MIDiA Research is launching a tracking platform called MIDiA Index, bringing together audience insights, trends and other data to help networks and agencies understand the impact of TV programmes. More
Nielsen has added Nielsen Scarborough USA advanced audience segments to the national version of its cross-media planning solution Nielsen Media Impact (NMI), to help marketers and media companies connect with their best consumers and maximize their cross-media buys. 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
Comscore has rolled out its Brand Survey Lift ad impact evaluation solution to six international markets - Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, Spain and the UK. More
In New York, online news and entertainment company BuzFeed has appointed Shari Cleary as Senior Vice President of Research and Insights. 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
Australian television audience measurement body OzTAM is searching for a new Head of Digital, following the departure of Digital Strategy Director Padraig O'Donovan to start his own consultancy business. More
Ipsos has promoted Jason McGrath to the role of Head of Corporate Reputation in the US, based in New York. More
Digital ad industry body IAB Australia has endorsed Nielsen for its introduction of video audiences for tagged content within its Nielsen Digital Content Ratings (DCR) service; enabling users to understand reach and engagement through two second and 30 second minimum video view-time filters. More
In the US, Comscore's recently appointed Chief Operating Officer Kathryn Bachmann has resigned a month after taking up the position. More
In China, third party marketing data and tech provider Miaozhen Systems has acquired audio advertising measurement platform and audio recognition technology specialist RadioBuy, for an undisclosed sum. More
Shopper intelligence specialist Catalina Marketing has partnered with TV data provider Samba TV, to integrate shopper behavioral data and video viewing insights at 'massive scale', encompassing tens of millions of households and billions of data points. More
In Australia, Nielsen has combined its Consumer & Media View (CMV) and SportsLink products to launch a tool called FANLINKS, linking sports fan engagement insights with profiling data across the retail, media and sports industries. More
In the US, DIY research software company SurveyMonkey has hired former Autodesk exec Debbie Clifford as Chief Financial Officer, replacing Timothy Maly who resigned in February. More
Location intelligence provider Foursquare is acquiring rival technology Placed from Snapchat owner Snap Inc. Funding for the deal will come from a $150m investment in Foursquare by merchant bank The Raine Group. More
Amazon has agreed to acquire the Ad Server and DCO personalization tools of bankrupt ad tech company Sizmek. The buy, whose terms were not disclosed, boosts the online retail giant's rapidly growing advertising business. More
Nielsen is extending its Digital Ad Ratings for YouTube's mobile app to 26 more countries, bringing the total to 34. More
Independent NED Mike Rogers has been appointed Chairman of consumer data giant Experian plc, effective 24th July. More
In San Francisco, brand intelligence and ad measurement company Survata has hired former Boost Media CEO Tim Krozek for a newly created role, President of Ad Measurement. 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
New York-based social media intelligence firm Unmetric has launched image analytics capabilities that enable digital marketers to identify the most engaging objects and colors in images that they, or other brands, post on social media. More
US podcast analytics firm Backtracks has raised $2.1m in a seed funding round, which it will use for further product development and staff recruitment to drive growth. More
Research organization Reputation Institute has acquired Toronto-based media measurement and analysis specialist Cormex Research. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, self-service marketing analytics company Origami Logic has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by business and financial software company Intuit. More
Retail data specialist The NPD Group has appointed Hal Danziger as Head of Next Gen Platforms, working on the design and development of a new data processing and delivery platform which will support new data sets and analytics. More
In the US, post-click digital ad intelligence platform VuPulse has raised $1.025m in a Series A round of funding. More
In the US, professional networking site LinkedIn is to acquire San Francisco-based Drawbridge, which uses large-scale AI and machine learning technologies combined with advanced graph theory to build identity solutions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
In Australia, market research and media buying group WPP AUNZ has appointed former BMW Group exec Jens Monsees as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director. He will take up his new role on October 1st, 2019. More
Kantar has promoted Irvinder Kaur to the position of India Analytics Practice Lead, overseeing the delivery of analytics offerings. More
In Australia, newspaper group Nine News has ended its contract with Ipsos after it failed - in common with all the other pollsters in the country - to predict the election victory of Prime Minister Scott Morrison. More
Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) is to investigate the functioning of Google's Ad Exchange across the European Union, and whether it complies with privacy rules including GDPR. More
New York-based ad agency SS+K has strengthened its strategy and research practice by bringing in Emily Viola, former Head of cultural strategy at agency sparks & honey; and Patrick Buckley, previously VP of Research strategy at Maslansky & Partners. More
France-based data marketplace operator Dawex has completed a funding round of EUR 5m, supporting global expansion and its ambition to become the 'reference' data exchange. 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
Research software company SurveyMonkey has launched a cloud-based European data centre for new enterprise customers, allowing it to host data for customers located or doing business in the region. More
Veriglif, a New York-based company which promises to 'unlock value for buyers, sellers & creators of personal data', is emerging from 'stealth' mode and beginning a rapid push towards full commercialization. More
In Australia, professional services firm KPMG has acquired user experience (UX), web and mobile app technology firm, Love Agency. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, consumer intelligence company Quester has launched a service using Amazon's virtual assistant Alexa to conduct one-on-one interviews with consumers in households with smart speakers. More
In the US, mobile ad targeting specialist 4INFO has integrated Inscape's viewing data from more than eleven million smart TVs into its platform, to help marketers match it with other online and off-line data. More
In Paris, France, ad targeting and retargeting specialist Criteo has appointed Geoffroy Martin as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Retail Media. More
US-based Qualtrics has launched an on-demand learning platform called Experience Basecamp, to help organizations develop experience management (XM) skills. More
Shareholders in US-based customer experience (CX) intelligence platform InMoment have sold a majority stake in the business to private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners (MDP), with shareholder Peterson Partners retaining minority ownership. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US online ad targeting firm TruSignal has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by consumer credit reporting agency TransUnion. 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
Kantar has appointed Gregory Aston as Global Head of Research, Digital Advertising Intelligence, based in New York; while Petra Mašínová joins as Global Director for Reputation Intelligence, based in Paris. More
Insight exchange and sample management platform Cint has hired long-time GMO Research exec Nicholas Antram as Senior Vice President for the Asia region, based in the firm's Tokyo office. More
Nielsen has expanded Desmond Wang's role to include that of Managing Director for Hong Kong & Macau, alongside his existing position as MD of Taiwan. More
US marketing and advertising agency Mediagistic has launched a suite of advertising solutions called AdFluence, using real-time data from weather, airlines, live television and sports to launch ad campaigns when conditions are 'perfect' for targeted audiences. 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
Mobile research tech firm RealityMine has rolled out a service called RealLife Data Feeds, offering measurement for Walmart's US web site and app, alongside more extensive Amazon shopper data. More
In London, respondent access specialist Maru/Blue has hired long-time industry exec Nathan Pereira as Business Development Director on its Agency and Enterprise team, tasked with helping grow the company's presence in the UK. More
In the US, media conglomerate NBCUniversal has promoted Jeff Bader to the position of Chief Research Officer, expanding his existing role to include oversight of the firm's television portfolio and leading its new Corporate Research and Strategy group. More
US-based panel and digital MR specialist eCGlobal Research Solutions has partnered with audience research systems developer Immetrica to launch a solution called 'Alldience', measuring consumption of multiplatform media content. More
US-based strategy and custom research company Magid has appointed Brian Katz as Senior Vice President, Product and Data Strategy, in New York; while qualitative researcher Jason Rice has joined its Gaming and Esports practice in Salt Lake City, Utah. More
US firm TABS Analytics has acquired virtual shopper marketing research and analytics business Decision Insight. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
WPP's data, insights and consulting company Kantar has launched the 'Profiles Network', offering permission-based, GDPR compliant access to around 88 million people in 70 countries. The launch combines panel information from Kantar Profiles Division (formerly known as Lightspeed) with that from 28 additional organizations. 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
Nielsen is rolling out its Local Nielsen Media Impact (Local NMI) solution to nineteen additional markets. More
In San Francisco, management consultancy Bain & Company has opened a Media Lab, and launched an AI-driven analytics platform called Mensio, to analyze TV advertising and sponsorships. More
Organisations from India, Japan, France and Canada have teamed up to launch GAMMA, the Global Alliance for the Measurement of Media Audiences. The new body, headed by Global MD Brad Bedford, aims to align operational processes and technical standards in the sector. More
San Francisco has become the first US city to ban the use of facial recognition by local agencies, including the city's transport authority and law enforcement officers. More
Santa Monica, California-based analytics firm Measured has launched out of stealth mode, after two years of development and testing of its platform, which helps clients optimise their marketing mix using always-on A/B experimentation. More
The IAB's Randall Rothenberg and Dave Grimaldi have called on Congress to rethink privacy laws and enact a bold new approach to data security which amounts to 'Do-Not-Track-Plus'. More
Location intelligence tech company Ubimo has partnered with WPP's digital OOH ad network Kinetic, to provide real-time audience data for out-of-home campaigns. More
Comscore has promoted to fill the gaps left by the recent resignations of Will Hodgman and Joe Nguyen. Guido Fambach becomes EVP, EMEA & APAC, while Kedar Gavane moves up to the role of SVP, APAC, reporting to Fambach. More
Audience measurement firm Comscore has announced a long-term contract with Virginia-based broadcaster Lockwood; but also faces a number of shareholder class actions after 100 days in which its share price rose and fell abruptly. More
i76 Solutions, a marketing agency based in a suburb of Philadelphia, is moving to a new office where client campaigns will be monitored in real-time on screens throughout the building - including the employee lounge and the kitchen. More
Sample management platform Cint has opened a second German office, in Munich, and hired former Dynata exec Oliver Tjarks to lead it as SVP Sales, Cint Deutschland GmbH. Senior Sales Director Patrycja Reinhart and Sales Director Marc Sörgel also join the office. 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
Facebook has commenced action against a South Korean firm, Rankwave, which it says sold its data unlawfully for marketing and advertising purposes. More
Social media intelligence firm Brandwatch has unveiled a new flagship Consumer Research product, bringing together its original intuitive front-end with the machine learning techniques and historical data archive of Crimson Hexagon, with which it merged last autumn. 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
Comscore SVP of Asia Pacific Joe Nguyen has left the company after nearly a decade, as news breaks of an imminent 10% cut in workforce and a possible sale of the business. More
Troubled direct marketing and targeting firm Harte Hanks has announced that CEO Bant Breen has resigned from his role, to 'focus on other interests and professional pursuits'. President and COO Andrew Harrison will now take the title of Principal Executive Officer. More
Dynata has partnered with local audience data specialist Eyeota to offer access to hard-to-reach global B2B and consumer audiences at scale. More
Marcoms giant Havas Group has acquired India-based user experience (UX) consultancy Think Design. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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
Marketing and media consultancy Ebiquity has hired Jed Meyer as MD of its North American offices, while promoting Nick Pugh to MD, UK & Ireland; Laetitia Zinetti to MD of Continental Europe; and Christian Zimmer to MD for its German, Austrian and Swiss (DACH) business. More
In the US, online video ad and analytics tech firm Innovid has hired former Nielsen exec Jessica Hogue as General Manager, Measurement and Analytics. More
Comscore has commenced a strategic review which aims for an initial $20m in cost savings, following a 3.4% fall in first quarter revenue to $102.3m; and an adjusted EBITDA loss of $2.5m, compared with a gain of $3.6m in the prior year period. More
US-based SurveyMonkey has reported a 17% increase in first quarter revenue to $68.6m. In terms of profitability, GAAP net loss was ($17.8m) but adjusted EBITDA was $8.5m. More
In New York, consumer insights specialist MRI-Simmons has launched an audience analysis tool called Sales Catalyst, to provide researchers with data visualizations through which to quantify the value of their audience. 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
In the US, full-service ad and brand research specialist Phoenix Marketing International has appointed long-time Nielsen exec Michele Orlick as SVP, Networks & Media. She will be based in the firm's recently opened NYC office. 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
In New York, Ipsos has appointed Peter Mackey as Executive Vice President and Head of its User Experience (UX) and Human Factors (HF) practice. More
London-based digital consumer insight company GlobalWebIndex has appointed former Comscore exec Hugh McGoran as Senior Vice President of Revenue, North America, based in New York. More
US-headquartered digital marketing solutions provider Mapp is to acquire German software developer Webtrekk. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's recently launched marcoms business S4 Capital has reported a 38% increase in revenue to £40.9m for the three-month period ending 31st March, with gross profit up more than 37% to £32.8m. More
In the US, TV software and data platform VideoAmp has raised $70m in a new round of funding, which it will use to continue building its position in the marketplace. More
In the US, Ipsos-owned MMA (Marketing Management Analytics) has welcomed Michael Bertie back to the company as Senior Vice President of Analytic Consulting. More
Melbourne, Australia-based tech-driven research agency Cubery has rolled out its platform in the US and UK. More
Comscore has expanded its box office measurement service to west and southern Africa, providing data for nine African countries including South Africa, and Nigeria where the film industry is known as 'Nollywood'. 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 the US, enterprise survey software company SurveyGizmo has partnered with digital incentives and rewards platform Rybbon to help users increase response rates to surveys. More
Nielsen has reported a 2.9% fall in first quarter revenue (+0.4% on constant currency terms), to $1.6bn, with net income down 40% to $43m from $72m a year ago, but adjusted EBITDA up slightly (+0.5%) at $415m. More
In the US, Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) has appointed Nielsen's former SVP, Client Solutions Linda Dupree as Chief Executive Officer. She replaces Matt O'Grady, who has returned to Nielsen as MD, International Media, based in London. More
WPP founder Sir Martin Sorrell's recently launched marcoms business S4 Capital paid him £140k in salary, bonus and pension contribution, for just over six months' work last year, the firm's annual report reveals. More
Kantar and content discovery platform Flipboard have partnered to offer brands a view into consumer engagement patterns across thousands of publishers and content creators. More
Bain Capital and Apollo Global Management LLC are among those moving into the next stage of bidding for Kantar, according to sources, quoted on Bloomberg; while private equity firms CVC Capital Partners and Apax Partners have dropped out. 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
Customer experience platform AskNicely has raised $10m in a Series A round of funding, as it shifts its HQ from New Zealand to the US. More
Automated consumer insights platform Zappi has opened a new office in Hamburg, Germany to support clients across Central Europe. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's recently formed marcoms business S4 Capital has expanded its digital content and programmatic capabilities with the acquisition of Amsterdam and Miami-based film production studio Caramel Pictures and São Paulo-based programmatic consultancy ProgMedia. More
In the US, consumer data provider Neustar has integrated TiVo TV viewing data into its Multi-Touch Attribution and Unified Marketing Analytics solutions, to provide brands with household-level TV viewing analysis. More
TV audience rating body BARC India has appointed Aaditya Pathak as EVP-Partnerships & Growth, while promoting Elbert D'silva to lead its Product Leadership & Excellence team. More
In Canada, insight tech business Rival Technologies is launching a mobile and messaging insights and engagement platform called Chat Lab. More
San Francisco-based ad targeting specialist Blueshift has raised $15m in a Series B round of funding, for use in a planned expansion to North Carolina, the UK and India. More
In Singapore, WPP-owned data-driven media agency Essence has launched an innovation, research and development hub called Essence Global Ventures (EGV), to help develop its 'product proposition'. 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
French audience measurement agency Médiamétrie has launched a solution called Data Profiling, using AI to allow targeting of ad campaigns on catch-up TV through a box or online. More
In the UK, location planning specialist CACI has teamed up with behavioural measurement data provider Huq Industries to add new on-demand geo-behavioural insight capabilities to ifs offer. More
In the US, DIY research and ad measurement company Survata has combined attention data from Oracle Data Cloud's Moat Analytics ad-viewability solution to its own ad measurement platform, in order to understand how advertising attention correlates with brand impact. More
Consumer data giant IRI has launched a tool called the In-Flight Measurement Optimization solution, giving CPG manufacturers and retailers real-time, purchase-based insights into ongoing digital marketing campaign performance. More
In the US, customer experience analytics platform OdinText has changed its name to OdinAnswers, reflecting its mission to find 'the right answers contained within the rapidly expanding pools of customer data'. More
In the US, consumer data provider Neustar has appointed Gregg Galletta as Vice President of Data Strategy, to lead the overall strategy behind its Identity Resolution solutions, including the OneID platform. More
In the US, marketing measurement and analytics software firm DoubleVerify (DV) has been granted continued accreditation by the Media Rating Council (MRC) for its desktop, mobile web and mobile in-app measurement across a number of areas. More
US-based consumer insight specialist Numerator has added psychographic and media consumption data to its platform, to provide brands and retailers with an understanding of their target consumers and where best to reach them. More
London-based YouGov has expanded its Global Partnerships Programme with the addition of new members in Russia, Poland, Pakistan and Egypt. Additional partners are in development across the EMEA and APAC regions. More
US-based digital advertising personalization specialist Jivox has raised $9m in a new round of funding, which it will use to enhance its 'dynamic creative optimization' platform and to better serve large multinational and direct-to-consumer brand customers. More
In New York, TV ad impact measurement company 605 has appointed Noah Levine as Chief Revenue Officer, while Caroline Horner has joined as Senior Vice President of Product Management. More
In the US, mobile research specialist MFour has launched a tool called ExperienceCheck, to help retail and restaurant brands understand what needs to be improved or optimized - from product placement to staff performance, store ambiance and checkout experience. 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
TV performance measurement company TVision has launched its Performance Metrics Platform, adding second-by-second viewing and attention data to make campaign and ad-level metrics available for brand marketers. 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
Enterprise data and analytics provider LiveRamp has acquired Amsterdam-based privacy and consent management platform (CMP) Faktor for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, software-as-a-service marketing measurement, analytics and optimization platform Keen Decision Systems has raised an undisclosed amount of Series A funding, which it will use to accelerate product development. 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-based insights and analytics firm J.D. Power has partnered with digital intelligence specialist Centric Digital, to develop new digital experience measurement solutions. More
Audience insights and measurement platform Quantcast has appointed Rueben Vijaratnam as Regional Head, Malaysia. More
In the US, mobile engagement platform Localytics has launched a 'Personalization Performance Calculator', to help brands understand the level and impact of their mobile personalization efforts. More
In the US, big data and social media analytics company 4C has acquired an undisclosed stake in media intelligence and monitoring specialist iQ Media; and through the deal, the pair have merged to launch TV intelligence network, Kinetiq. More
Paris, France-headquartered TV and radio analytics platform Admo.tv has raised EUR 6m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to add 70 new employees at its London office and open new offices in Spain and Germany. More
In the US, advertising intelligence specialist Integral Ad Science (IAS) has promoted Laura Quigley to the role of Managing Director of Southeast Asia, replacing Niall Hogan, who left the company in February. Quigley will be based in Singapore, where the company has just relocated to larger offices. More
In the US, Ipsos has acquired GfK's probability-based online panel, for an undisclosed sum, and added it to the Ipsos Public Affairs division. More
In the UK, television audience measurement body BARB has issued an invitation to tender for two of its main research contracts: the first for its audience measurement panel and data publication, and the second for survey design and methodology. More
UK-based video intelligence platform LivingLens has released a 'blurring' option, developed to overcome a number of privacy and permission issues, such as when an end brand can't be revealed during the fieldwork phase of a project. More
US-based TV audience measurement firm Tru Optik has raised $10m in a venture round, which it will use to increase its sales and marketing activity, accelerate international growth, and expand its proprietary OTT Household Graph - which comprises more than 80 million households. More
Kantar has partnered with eCommerce performance analytics firm Profitero to create a suite of services to help clients manage their eCommerce and omnichannel investments. 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
Marcoms giant Publicis has announced that it is considering the potential acquisition of data intelligence and customer insights provider Epsilon. More
Panel provider Borderless Access has appointed Horia Hateg-Codrut as Client Servicing Manager for Germany/Eastern Europe, while Bev Tigar joins as Client Development Lead for South Africa. More
In North America, consumer intelligence firm Maru/Matchbox has launched a Digital Media Measurement solution, to help clients evaluate campaigns and understand how content, channels and brands interact to deliver effective communication. More
San Francisco-based consumer research and neuromarketing platform CoolTool has launched an app called UXReailty, to help clients create their own 'universe' of insights while users interact with mobile sites and apps. More
New York-based cross-channel media analytics specialist C3 Metrics and data and digital CRM agency Havas helia have partnered, to develop what they claim is the industry's first CRM attribution product. More
In Massachusetts, enterprise software market intelligence firm Wellesley Information Services (WIS) has acquired the Service Council, a community and information platform, boosting its Insider communities offering. More
MRC-accredited buy-side advertising platform Sizmek has initiated voluntary proceedings under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, as it looks for capital and reviews options to cope with debt. More
Chief Executive Bryan Wiener and President Sarah Hofstetter are leaving audience measurement company Comscore due to 'irreconcilable differences over how to execute the company's strategy'. More
Tokyo-based online specialist Macromill has acquired an additional 41% stake in Southeast Asian marketing research firm W&S Holdings, which from July will be known as Macromill South East Asia. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen CEO David Kenny has signed the LEAD (Leading Executives Advancing Diversity) Network CEO Pledge, committing the company to increasing the number of women in senior leadership roles globally. More
In Australia, the Association of Market & Social Research Organisations (AMSRO) has launched new data privacy initiatives, as part of its promotion of the responsible use of customer data in research and analytics. More
In the US, media analytics and brand measurement tech firm Zignal Labs has hired Jennifer Granston for the newly created role of Head of Strategy & Insights. More
In the US, youth and family research specialist Smarty Pants has hired former Forrester Research exec Blake Morin as 'Insights Guru', responsible for all stages of custom quant and qual research for key media, food and beverage, and toy and game clients. More
Social media-based marketing agency Social Chain has appointed McVal Osborne as its first Head of Data and Insights, based in its London office. More
In China, Nielsen and eCommerce giant JD have signed a data-sharing agreement, and launched a big data product called Online Pricing Optimizer (OPO), to help brands evaluate their pricing on the JD platform. More
Business intelligence, research and events group Informa Plc has launched a corporate venture capital fund, which will make early-stage investments in the 'knowledge and information economy'. More
In the US, TV ad impact measurement company 605 has expanded its national dataset to include more than 20 million households across all 210 designated market areas nationwide, through the addition of viewing data from TV intelligence company Inscape. More
The UK's cross-industry measurement standards body JICWEBS has appointed former IAB CEO Guy Phillipson as its new Chairman. He replaces Richard Foan who set up the organisation in 1999 with trade bodies ISBA, the IPA, the IAB and the AOP. More
US and Israel-based B2B customer data platform Leadspace has teamed up with enterprise data and analytics provider LiveRamp to launch a persona level ad targeting service. More
Ipsos has announced the Asia Pacific launch of its Creative|Labs, which use early communication research to encourage and guide 'bold and effective' creativity in advertising. More
In Mumbai, audience measurement and analytics body BARC India has announced it will integrate an expanded Out of Home (OOH) TV viewing measurement service with in-home TV viewing data on its Media Workstation (BMW) software. More
UK-based marketing and media consultancy Ebiquity Plc has announced results for the calendar year 2018, with an effective like-for-like revenue increase of 7% for its continuing business, but underlying profit before tax down £2.7m to £5.2m. More
Marketing automation platform ClickDimensions has acquired dashboard provider Sweetspot, giving its clients easy, on-demand access to campaign analysis and optimisation tools, plus channel and revenue impact performance data. More
In Canada, communities specialist Maru/Matchbox has launched a solution called Creative Insights, combining measurement of implicit and explicit advertising response with benchmarks, for a complete picture of ad impact. More
In Australia, Seven West Media-owned (SWM) Pacific Magazines has merged its Strategy and Insights teams as part of a larger restructure, to create a new division called Pacific Insights (Pi). More
In Australia, Nielsen has partnered with geospatial expert RDA Research to launch a solution called GeoCMV Explorer, which promises to help clients create stronger responses to advertising briefs based on rich audience profiles. More
In the US, online sample marketplace PureSpectrum has promoted David Butler to the role of Chief Client Officer. More
Place data verification specialist Location Sciences has appointed former Havas exec Warren Zenna as President, Americas, based in New York. More
In New York, adaptive modeling firm Analytic Partners has hired Clare-Marie Panno for the newly created position of Vice President, Product, tasked with engaging clients in the product development process to identify needs and inform new offerings. More
In the US, user experience analytics platform Contentsquare has launched the Digital Happiness Index (DHI), to help measure the quality of experience brands deliver across their web sites and apps. More
Influencer marketing specialist ACTIVATE has added several new features to its platform, including a sentiment analysis tool for social media comments. More
US-based data-driven media strategy agency MayoSeitz Media has promoted Adam Yansick to the role of Senior Vice President, Director Media & Analytics. More
News UK, the publisher of British newspapers The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times, has launched an influencer marketing agency called The Fifth, which will combine verified audience data with storytelling creativity, studio production and trend forecasting. More
In New York, social media monitoring and analytics platform Talkwalker has introduced an AI-powered video analytics service, which it claims can help brands track those social media mentions and conversations that they would otherwise have missed. More
The Stagwell Group, owner of the Harris and Harris Poll brands, has confirmed its $100m investment in marcoms group MDC Partners, with Stagwell founder Mark Penn named as MDC's Chief Executive. More
In the US, ad tech and data platform Kiip has appointed former Kantar exec Jason Lapp as Chief Executive Officer, based in its San Francisco office. He replaces founder Brian Wong, who left in February 'to focus on a personal, legal matter'. More
In New York, measurement and optimization specialist Marketing Evolution has secured a $26.1m round of growth financing, for use in expanding to new geographies and markets. More
Respondent access specialist Maru/Blue has promoted Katie Gawlik, Waleed Nesyif, Mellissa Hill and Amanda Naismith; the first three from Director to VP of Strategy & Development, and Naismith to VP of Profiling and Analytics. More
The Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe (IAB Europe) has appointed Daniel Knapp as its first Chief Economist, to strengthen the market analysis and economic research offering for its corporate members and network of National IABs. More
In Cheshire, UK, insight and comms agency Tribe Communications has merged with media analysis specialist Crescendo. The merged agency will be known as Tribe and will launch a new specialist PR and marketing measurement unit called Qualimetrics. More
Technology research and advisory firm ISG (Information Services Group) has announced Q4 revenues up 4% at constant currencies to $67.9m and full-year 2018 revenues up 1% on the same basis to $275.8m. Full year adjusted EBITDA fell 1.4% to $33.0m. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's new group S4 Capital has presented its inaugural results for the period ending 31st December 2018. Pro forma revenue for the company and predecessors was £135.9m, up 58% on 2017; while pro-forma operational EBITDA was £22.4m, up 99%. More
Oracle is phasing out its offer of AddThis audience data in Europe, as a result of the post-GDPR regulatory environment. 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
Management consultancy Accenture has acquired Amsterdam-based data-driven digital marketing agency Storm Digital, which will become part of its Accenture Interactive business. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
New York-based ad targeting tech specialist AppNexus has announced plans to hire 60 new employees for its services, commercial and other functional teams across Europe, including the big five economies. More
YouGov media planning and audience segmentation tool Profiles has been combined with the IPA's TouchPoints survey, which provides an annual view of where, when and in what mood people consume media in Britain. More
Online video analytics tech developer Innovid has hired Seamus Whittingham to lead its EMEA team as Managing Director, based in London. More
US influencer marketing company Linqia has teamed up with measurement and attribution specialists Dynata, IRI, Foursquare, Placed and Samba TV to launch an 'Intelligence Suite', assessing the ROI and ad effectiveness of influencer campaigns. More
US-based TV audience measurement firm Tru Optik has hired Jonathan Bokor for the newly created role of Chief Privacy and Business Affairs Officer. 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
In the US, technology intelligence firm HG Data has rebranded to 'HG Insights', while launching a platform with the same name. The latter uses a segmentation process called 'technographics' to deliver technology installation information, IT spend data and contract intelligence. More
In the US, digital media company Vox Media has appointed former BuzzFeed researcher Edwin Wong as SVP of Media Insights and Innovation. More
UK-based marketing services firm The Unlimited Group has acquired advanced analytics company Model Citizens, and rebranded it as Realise Unlimited. The Group has also announced a major contract for Ford in the UK. More
The Communications Committee of the UK's House of Lords has called for the establishment of a new regulatory framework for services in the digital world, and set out ten guiding principles it thinks should form its basis. 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
Havas Media Group has reappointed former employee Thomas Minc as Managing Director, Global Strategy, and hired former Nike Director of Consumer Knowledge Ellen Zaleski as Managing Director, Global Insights. More
Nielsen's music, video and sports tech company Gracenote is launching its Global Video Data offering in the Middle East. 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
In the US, B2B marketing agency Yesler has acquired marketing strategy firm Emphatic Thinking, which uses academic research and market analysis to develop positioning and comms for clients. Terms were not disclosed. More
Dimitrios Casdas, former General Manager of Australian panel provider Quality Online Research (QOR), has avoided a prison sentence after being found guilty of embezzling more than $AUD 300,000 from his previous employer. More
Management consultancy Deloitte Digital has announced a partnership with business software giant SAP and experience management solutions firm Qualtrics, to provide personalized customer and employee experiences at scale. More
In the US, full-service ad and brand research specialist Phoenix Marketing International has appointed former Nielsen exec Tamilselvan Gurusamy as Chief Technology Officer. More
Enterprise data and analytics provider LiveRamp has extended its IdentityLink omnichannel identity graph for the business-to-business market. More
In the US, television insights provider Samba TV has launched an integration which enables broadcasters, networks and media companies to measure TV tune-in based on ads across the Google Marketing Platform. More
Kantar has officially launched its 'Marketplace' on-demand research store, which combines a sample reaching 80 million consumers worldwide with the ability to deliver quick turnaround self-serve custom surveys, insight solutions and expert consulting. Will Galgey will lead it as CEO. More
Insight exchange and sample management platform Cint has created a global enterprise solutions team, focusing on clients with 'advanced, high value and technology-led requirements'. Greg Dunbar will lead it, as EVP of Enterprise, joined by Mike Misel as SVP of Enterprise for the Americas. 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
DIY research software company SurveyMonkey is to acquire Voice of the Customer (VoC) tech provider Usabilla, aiming to expand its own enterprise suite of customer feedback solutions. The mixed cash and stock deal is valued at approximately $80m. More
Consumer insight firm Join the Dots has hired former System 1 exec Maria Spinelli as Head of Asia, based in Singapore and replacing Karen Schofield who is to leaving at the end of the month to 'pursue other interests'. 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
In Australia, financial data specialist DBM Consultants has partnered with ad currency initiative emma (Enhanced Media Metrics Australia) to create a product combining the financial attitudes, intentions and actual behaviours of consumers with demography, lifestyle and media consumption data. More
Omnicom subsidiary The Integer Group has launched Sky Bench, a 'retail experience design consultancy' combining online and off-line expertise, with services including shopper journey tracking and planning, retail CX audits and mapping, and venue and space analytics. More
Israeli start-up Aspectiva, whose software analyses consumer product reviews, has been acquired by US retail giant Walmart, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, customer insights platform UserTesting has launched 'Live Conversation Mobile', a feature allowing users to interview customers on their mobile devices. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has accredited Moat Analytics - now part of the Oracle Data Cloud - for detection and exclusion of sophisticated invalid traffic (SIVT) in mobile apps, including bot ad fraud. More
Audience measurement firm Comscore has reduced its net loss to $27.2m on a GAAP basis, compared with $71.9m a year earlier, while reporting a 6.2% increase in fourth quarter revenue to $109.3m. For the full year 2018, revenue was up 3.9% to $419.5m. 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
In Tokyo, online research firm Rakuten Insight Global has appointed Takahiro 'Tack' Yamaya as company President, replacing Hidefumi Watanabe who is being promoted to a broader director role within the Rakuten Group. 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
TV software and data platform VideoAmp has been granted four patents for the planning, execution and measurement of advanced TV marketing. More
Beth Ann Kaminkow, CEO of Kantar Consulting Americas, is moving across to WPP-owned sister agency Geometry as Global Chief Executive. She joins at the beginning of next month and replaces Steve Harding, who has decided to leave the business. More
In London, former Unilever exec Clare Salter has joined independent digital creative agency AnalogFolk as Managing Partner - Data Intelligence. More
Nielsen has reported a 0.9% decrease in full year 2018 revenue to $6.5bn. The company will now restructure into two new segments, Nielsen Global Media and Nielsen Global Connect, and CEO David Kenny says its 2019 focus is to transform into a 'product-driven technology organization'. 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
Dynata - until recently known as Research Now SSI - has received a US patent for its automated graphing system, which will improve both the accuracy of profiling data and the quality of the respondent experience. More
Australian television audience measurement body OzTAM has added demographic profiles to its Video Player Measurement (VPM) service, enabling age and gender reporting for all content consumed on participating broadcasters' video on demand services (BVOD). More
In Australia, News Corp-owned TV station Foxtel has appointed Jane Eastgate as Chief Data and Analytics Officer. More
WPP has hired Walmart exec Jacqui Canney as EVP, Global Chief People Officer, responsible for all aspects of employee strategy, including recruitment, talent management, leadership development and learning. She joins on June 1st and succeeds Mark Linaugh. More
Data-driven performance marketing agency Merkle has launched a dedicated 'northern hub' in Edinburgh, to service clients in Scotland and the north of England. More
Global MR association ESOMAR has welcomed news of a preliminary agreement by EU bodies on a new copyright directive which includes exemptions for text and data mining (TDM). More
AI-based influencer marketing and social media engagement platform Sideqik has raised $5m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to add more than 60 employees in the US and Europe. More
Bengaluru-based mobile marketing and ad platform InMobi Group is investing $100m over the next three years in its newly launched data management unit, TruFactor. More
Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired South East Asia-based agency Happy Marketer Group, which will become part of Dentsu Aegis' existing data-driven performance marketing agency Merkle. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Global MR association ESOMAR has announced a strategic partnership with the newly formed Canadian Research and Insights Council (CRIC), which will adopt a localised version of the ICC/ESOMAR Code of Conduct, and take a seat on its Professional Standards Committee. More
Global ad and brand researcher Phoenix Marketing International has opened new offices in Florida and New York. The company is growing its team following the recent acquisition of Nielsen's Brand Effect solution in early 2018. More
Digital research agency MetrixLab has continued a recent spate of launches with the announcement of Campaign Monitor, a 'fast, focused and detailed' multi-media campaign effectiveness solution analyzing the impact of individual campaign channels. More
Digital Knowledge Management specialist Yext has expanded its Paris sales and marketing teams, doubling its workforce in the region. The firm has promoted Tarik Aitakkaouali to Regional VP and Hélène Draoulec to Marketing Director, while Selwa Hussain joins as EMEA CFO. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's new company S4 Capital is to open for business in India, with offices in Mumbai and Bangalore, and has brought in former Ogilvy India WW President Poran Malani to lead them. More
Facebook must answer questions from Congress about failures over the data security of users of its 'closed' health groups; and has also withdrawn its controversial Onavo VPN app. Rival Google is under fire over a hidden microphone in its 'Nest' security devices. More
Shopper intelligence and personalization firm Catalina Marketing has emerged from Chapter 11 status after financial restructuring and a change of ownership. Michael Bailey joins as CTO, and the company has also reaffirmed its commitment to its Nielsen Catalina Solutions JV (NCS), as has Nielsen. More
Australia-based media intelligence group Isentia has reported a $22m operating loss for the first half of the 2019 financial year, worsening from -$4.0m in H1 2018; with EBITDA moving from a profit of $11.4m last year to a $12.8m loss this year. More
Marketing measurement software and analytics firm DoubleVerify has acquired digital video tech company Zentrick, which it says will help scale its solution for advertisers and publishers. More
In the US, audience measurement and digital advertising firm Quantcast has appointed Ari Levenfeld as Chief Privacy Officer (CPO), while Guinevere Jobson joins as Senior Corporate Counsel. More
Cross-media measurement specialist Verto Analytics has hired three former Comscore execs: Tony Perucca as VP of Sales, Jenni Hartwig as VP of Client Services, and Vinayak Nair as VP of Custom Research. In addition, Paul Stenback joins as VP of Finance. More
Nielsen has rolled out its Smartstore virtual reality (VR) tool in Hong Kong, to help retailers measure and optimise concepts based on how target shoppers react, in any store format. More
Kantar Media has partnered with media management software provider PRgloo, to provide access to the latter's cloud-based CRM platform and enable in-house communication teams to manage, record and analyse all aspects of their relations with journalists and influencers. More
US-based mobile marketing firm Vibes has launched a tool called Conversational Analytics, which uses natural language processing (NLP) to extract consumer insights from unstructured messaging content. 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
Data-driven marketing agency network Hearts & Science has named Erin Matts US Chief Executive Officer. She replaces Scott Hagedorn who has been promoted to North America CEO of parent firm Omnicom Media Group (OMG). More
Mobile research specialist MFour has launched a service called DisplayCheck, to locate consumers who are in-store while a campaign is in flight and obtain their feedback on whether displays, signage and endcaps are being seen and driving product awareness, perception and purchases. More
Digital research and ad targeting platform Pureprofile has sold the Australia and New Zealand divisions of its Cohort lead generation business to call centre tech firm Unit4, for $500k. The sale does not include the Performance business operating in the UK. More
Apple has acquired London-based big data analysis firm DataTiger, according to a report published by Bloomberg. As usual with its buys, Apple has not disclosed the terms. More
In London, automated online MR platform Fastuna has hired corporate researcher Maria Soroka as Managing Director for Europe. More
Edinburgh-based ad performance specialist TVSquared has partnered with DVR and TV tech provider TiVo, to add deterministic TV viewing data to its ADvantage performance measurement and optimization platform. More
In New York, media group Hearst Magazines has transferred Mike Smith to the newly created position of Chief Data Officer. 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
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
In Israel, former Google CMO Alon Chen and techie Eyal Gaon have launched a food intelligence platform called Tastewise, to offer industry insights and predictions based on the analysis of billions of social media posts and photos, restaurant menus, reviews and recipes. 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
In the US, consumer insights specialists GfK MRI and Simmons Research have formed a joint venture called MRI-Simmons, jointly owned by respective parent companies GfK and SymphonyAI Group, with GfK as the majority partner. More
Online sampling and digital data collection firm Dynata - which until recently was known as Research Now SSI - has partnered with online ad targeting specialist TruSignal, to help brands drive more precisely targeted marketing campaigns. More
In the US, consumer data provide Neustar has appointed Hyune Hand as General Manager of Customer Intelligence, Marketing Solutions. More
Marketing personalisation tech firm Qubit has appointed Marco Vergani as Chief Operating Officer, based in its London headquarters. More
Digital MR services firm Bilendi Group has signed an agreement to acquire Italy's online panel provider Via! for an undisclosed sum. Former Research Now-SSI Italy CEO Patrizia Elli joins Via! to accelerate development of the Italian market. More
Online sample marketplace PureSpectrum has launched a DIY eCommerce insights platform called Storefront. More
In the UK, online food ordering and delivery service Just Eat has hired easyJet exec Alberto Rey Villaverde as Chief Data Officer, starting on 11th March. More
US-based sampling firm InnovateMR has promoted Amanda Keller-Grill to VP of Product Strategy and Jake Leal to Director of Platform Solutions, and has launched new features for its Pegasus self-serve platform. More
Kantar company Lightspeed has promoted Jackie Blackler and Simon Buckley to serve as Co-Managing Directors, leading the firm's EMEA business from its offices in London. More
New York-based online sampling and research services firm OvationMR has appointed Andrew Ribner as its first Chief Research Officer. More
London-based marketing personalisation specialist DataSine has raised £4m ($5.2m) in a Series A round of funding. The investment will be used to expand and roll out its Pomegranate SaaS marketing platform, through which brands can personalise their content for different audiences. More
In London, Strive Insight has added four new members to its team: Sofia Savage as Associate Director, Alice Cappelli and Benjamin Darnell as Research Managers, and Kulay Labitigan as Narrative Designer. More
In New York, WPP's media investment arm GroupM has appointed research analyst Brian Wieser as Global President, Business Intelligence (BI). More
In New York, Dentsu Aegis Network-owned digital marketing specialist iProspect has hired Doug O'Reilly for a newly created SVP position, Head of Data and Insights. More
Mobile app measurement platform AppsFlyer has hired former App Annie exec Brian Quinn as US President and General Manager, with a remit to drive the company's expansion across North America. 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
Digital ad industry body IAB Australia has appointed former News Corp exec Natalie Stanbury as Research Director to work on a new initiative called the Future of Measurement, which aims to provide a full review of audience measurement across media and platforms. More
In the US, social media influence measurement specialist Mavrck has added forecasting capabilities to its platform, to help predict the results of influencer marketing campaigns before they kick off. More
US-based P2Sample has launched a fully-automated DIY solution to enable users to manage their own panels, sample suppliers and fieldwork. 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
DIY research software firm SurveyMonkey has launched new features to offer respondents a more engaging survey experience, including the addition of branding elements such as new layouts and colors. More
Ipsos has launched a tracking study called the Global Citizens and Data Privacy Survey, in partnership with not-for-profit organization the World Economic Forum. The survey aims to shed light on the lack of knowledge and trust around the use of personal data by companies and governments. More
Israel-based digital ad platform Taptica has acquired RhythmOne in a $US 176m all-stock deal, creating a powerful combination with another recent acquisition, Tremor Video DSP. Tremor Executive Chairman Ofer Druker will become CEO of the enlarged group. More
In the US, sampling firm InnovateMR has expanded its sales and client service teams with five appointments: Joe Regan, Marie O'Malley, Alyssa Witwer, Josh Mankiewicz and Will Luckey. More
Consumer intelligence platform Frontier7 has appointed Daryl Maloney McCall as VP of Global Commercialization, responsible for global acceleration of its 'go to market' strategy. More
PR and media intelligence firm Cision has appointed Precise Media Group co-founders Peter Low and Keir Fawcus to head up its EMEA team, as MD and SVP of Sales respectively. The two both worked at Kantar Media after the WPP division acquired Precise in 2014. More
Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) has added a solution to its Sales Effect platform, to measure in-store sales driven by advertising delivered on YouTube. More
Consumer data giant IRI has partnered with MFour Mobile Research to launch a new tool called IRI OnSights, which uses MFour's first-party GPS location data to analyse visits to US bars and restaurants by hundreds of thousands of panellists. More
Content discovery and personalisation platform Outbrain has re-organised its UK management team, with Stephanie Himoff, former MD of Northern Europe, taking on the corporate role of Vice President of Global Publishers and Platforms. More
In Canada, insight tech business Rival Technologies has hired three former Vision Critical execs: Michael Janczak and Dan Fergusson as Vice Presidents of Sales and Business Development, and Kelvin Claveria as Marketing Programs Manager. More
Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie has joined Swedish fashion group Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) as a Consulting Director of Research, to help the company use data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to better understand its customers. More
Audience measurement agency Médiamétrie has launched a study called 'Global Audio', looking at the development and consumption of audio services in France. More
In the US, media measurement and analytics company EDO has hired former Kantar Millward Brown exec Scott Grunther as Executive Vice President of its Media Analytics business. More
In New York, cross-device targeting specialist Dstillery has launched a platform called the Audience Studio, to help agencies create, explore and activate custom audiences. More
Data-driven performance marketing agency Merkle has named Ted Bray Growth Officer for the Asia Pacific region. More
Content intelligence platform Knotch has raised $20m through a Series B round of funding, which it will use to grow its presence across North America and kick-start global expansion. The investment will also be used to accelerate the firm's product roadmap. More
In the UK, digital marcoms group Next15 has announced plans to bring all its data businesses under one brand - MIG data and insights - so as to offer customers 'a more tightly integrated set of services in Europe and the US'. More
Former WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell has repaid the company £170k of personal expenses for items such as ski trips, travel for his wife and child, and objects for his home in New York, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. More
TV audience rating body BARC India has elected Zee Entertainment's MD & CEO Punit Goenka as its new Chairman. He takes over from Nakul Chopra who has completed his one year tenure with the organisation. More
User experience (UX) analysis platform Contentsquare has raised $60m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to increase research and development focused on AI and predictive analytics, and to expand across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Middle East. More
Grassroots advocacy software firm Phone2Action has launched a set of web and mobile app-based stakeholder insight and engagement tools, allowing organizations to identify, track and cultivate relationships with influencers. More
In the US, data-driven marketing firm SIGMA Marketing Insights has promoted Gregg Sullivan to COO, overseeing day-to-day activities and guiding the senior leadership team. More
WPP-owned media agency network Mindshare has appointed former Merkle exec Shane McAndrew as Chief Data Strategy Officer for the US. More
UK company The Student Room has acquired market research firm Vincent Consulting, for an undisclosed sum, and will use it as the base for a new research division, TSR Insight. More
In Australia, digital research and ad targeting platform Pureprofile has reported a 16% fall in revenue to $23.8m for the second half of 2018, along with a 50 percent drop in EBITDA to $AUD 0.6m. More
Data collection firm Schlesinger Group has partnered with video analytics specialist Voxpopme for a new service, Schlesinger OnDemand Plus, offering fast access to video data, fast human transcription, video analytics and management, and secure storage of analyzed data for easy future access. More
Restaurant sector marketing and analytics firm Fishbowl has appointed restaurant tech sector veteran Mike Dodson as its new CEO. More
In the US, customer insights platform UserTesting has acquired market research and user experience (UX) test panel provider UserMuse. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has appointed former European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx as a non-executive Director. More
Business software giant SAP has completed its acquisition of 'experience management' (XM) software specialist Qualtrics. More
MasterCard's philanthropic arm The MasterCard Centre for Inclusive Growth has teamed up with The Rockefeller Foundation charity to help non-profit, civic and government organizations uncover new insights and trends from their data. More
Digital media measurement firm Verto Analytics has named former Ipsos CEO Liz Musch as the new Chair of its Board of Directors. More
Mobile ad company Adsmovil has launched an audience data platform called 'Adsmovil Personas', to enable brands and agencies to target US Hispanic audiences through decoupled data from their preferred demand-side platforms (DSPs). The platform contains more than 25 million profiles. More
US publisher TechTarget has launched a service to help B2B technology organizations use purchase intent data to engage and convert individuals who are directly interacting with their advertising. More
Nielsen has begun the process for a possible sale of the business following interest from private equity firm Blackstone Group, according to an article in the New York Post. Blackstone may make a bid for Nielsen tomorrow, in a deal which could value the business at around $10 billion. More
Media intelligence and communications specialist Cision has acquired PR analytics provider TrendKite for $225m. At the same time, Cision announced it has sold its email marketing assets to a 'strategic buyer' for $49m. More
UK broadcaster Channel 4 has launched an ad solution called Dynamic TV, to enable potentially thousands of variations of data-driven creative to be served across big screen devices such as smart TVs, as well as on mobile and desktop VoD platforms. More
Dynata - which until last week was known as Research Now SSI - has hired former Zappistore exec Tiama Hanson-Drury as Executive Vice President, Product Development; and announced five further changes to the company's executive leadership. More
Customer engagement solutions company NGDATA has appointed Doug Gross as Chief Executive Officer, replacing co-founder Luc Burgelman who is leaving the business. More
In Dublin, Ireland, DIY survey software firm SurveyMonkey has hired former Facebook / Google exec Joe Cummiskey as Senior Director of Enterprise Sales in EMEA. More
WPP's Kantar is launching an on-demand research and insights store called Kantar Marketplace, providing access to the company's portfolio of quick turnaround solutions. More
Intra Research, which operates panels in the former Soviet Union and the middle east, has appointed Kaspar Jänes as Chief Executive Officer. More
In the US, Waltham MA-based B2B data intelligence platform ZoomInfo has relocated to new headquarters in the city, which provide capacity for up to 450 people. More
Insight and strategy consultancy The Leading Edge has promoted Gillian O'Sullivan to the role of Global Chief Executive Officer, leading the business from Sydney. The position was last held by Andy Bateman, who left the company in 2013. More
In New York, the Media Rating Council (MRC) Board of Directors has voted for continued accreditation of consumer and media research specialist MRI's national syndicated measurement service. More
Dynata - which until last week was known as Research Now SSI - has acquired consumer insights and marketing services umbrella Reimagine Holdings Group. More
France's data regulator CNIL has fined Google EUR 50m (£44m / $57m) for breaching European Union online data privacy rules. More
In the US, online sample marketplace PureSpectrum has acquired boutique marketing agency and podcaster Happy Market Research, formed last year by Jamin Brazil, co-founder of MR tech firm Decipher. Brazil joins with his team of three, and becomes President of PureSpectrum. More
Shopper behaviour specialist Kantar Worldpanel has expanded its laptop and tablet consumer panel, to measure purchase and usage trends in the UK. More
Big data analytics platform Teradata has appointed its former COO Oliver Ratzesberger as President and CEO, with immediate effec More
Kantar CEO Eric Salama is said to be recovering well in hospital, his injuries 'neither life-changing nor life-threatening', after being stabbed 'near the heart' with an 'enormous knife' by a man attempting to steal his car in Kew, London on Sunday. More
TV audience rating body BARC India has elected AAAI President Nakul Chopra as its third Chairman. More
Mobile data platform Ogury has launched a solution called Lituus, which combines human intelligence and machine learning to help brands target specific audiences. More
US-based research firm Advertiser Perceptions has named co-founder Randy Cohen Chief Executive Officer from January 1st 2018. He replaces his co-founder Ken Pearl, who moves into the role of Executive Chairman. More
Research Now and SSI have completed their merger, with the joint business now known as 'Research Now SSI' and led by former Research Now CEO Gary Laben. 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
In the US, online community specialist C Space has hired former FutureBrand Global Chairman Chris Nurko for a newly created position, Chief Growth & Innovation Officer, starting at the beginning of next month. More
Belgium-based customer data platform NGDATA has raised just over $19m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to accelerate global growth. 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, research and insights firm delineate has appointed Tracy 'Tarcey' Hubbard as Senior Director, to build its Custom Research practice; Susann Jerry as a Partner heading the Media and Content arm; and Steffan Evans as Digital Research Executive. More
In New York, MarketCast subsidiary Insight Strategy Group (ISG) has hired Ruth Ingram as SVP Research and Strategy, while Michelle O'Neill joins as Vice President, Client Services. More
In Canada, ad targeting firm AcuityAds has completed a private placement, raising $2.1m in the process. More
Data-driven performance marketing agency Merkle has appointed Julia Crawley-Boevey as Head of Mergers and Acquisitions for EMEA, and says next year will see its M&A activity in the region 'increasing significantly'. More
YouGov has given Ben Glanville the task of replicating the growth of its UK Data Services offering - including its omnibus - across a number of key markets, including Germany, France and the Nordics. More
WPP company Ogilvy & Mather has acquired a majority stake in Hong Kong-based digital consultancy ARBA, whose design and software engineering services focus on sales acceleration and customer experience. More
US-based programmatic advertising and social media influencer marketing specialist engage:BDR has been listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), following its recent IPO. More
US and Israel-based B2B audience management platform Leadspace has raised $21m in a Series C funding round, which it will use to support client growth and continue development of its data and predictive intelligence solution. More
Internet giant eBay has acquired Canadian eCommerce research specialist Terapeak for an undisclosed sum. More
comScore CFO Gregory Fink has been appointed as the company's Principal Accounting Officer Elect, replacing Michelle Spencer, who had only served in the role since last January. No explanation has yet been given. More
The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) has appointed Sharon Friedlander as Vice President of Insights in its New York office. She will take up her new role next month, replacing Annette Malave who is leaving after twelve years to pursue other interests. More
In the US, Hispanicize Media Group (HMG) has acquired a 'significant stake' in Megan Media, whose Athena Prime AI platform uses machine learning to target relevant Latino audiences. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In London, full service global media agency Initiative UK has appointed Charlotte Eagland as Head of Consumer Insight & Analytics. She will take up her new position in February. More
New location-based information business GeoSpark Analytics has launched its flagship platform BlueGlass, which aggregates millions of data points to report on trends and events in user-defined geographic areas. The launch is supported by an additional $2m investment. More
In the US, app data platform mParticle has launched a software development kit (SDK) allowing brands to collect data from their Xbox games and apps and combine it with customer data drawn from other platforms. More
US-based consumer data giant IRI has partnered with video analytics and audience measurement specialist Limbik, offering help to marketers in creating more effective video advertising content. More
comScore has launched a tool called Plan Metrix Multi-Platform, which combines data on consumers' desktop and mobile behavior with information about their lifestyles, interests, attitudes and demographics. More
In China, marketing data and technology provider Miaozhen Systems is to invest an undisclosed amount in tech-based consulting firm MaLogic, as part of a partnership deal through which the firms will jointly develop video analysis and image recognition technologies. 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
Tesco-owned customer data business dunnhumby has launched an online documentary series focusing on innovation in North America's food retail industry, with the first episode airing today. More
Digital data collection specialist Research Now has announced a social media data partnership with customer intelligence platform FullContact, to deliver '360-degree' person, customer, and relationship insights. More
London-based Human, which develops technology to interpret subconscious emotional traits and predict human behaviour, has launched software which it claims can read consumers' subliminal facial expressions and reactions to products and campaigns in real-time. More
Netherlands-based influencer marketing platform Join has raised an undisclosed amount of funding, which it will use to expand across Europe, while continuing to develop its AI-based software. More
Former TubeMogul exec Daniel Schotland has joined influencer marketing specialist Linqia as Chief Operating Officer. More
Cross-channel marcoms specialist Yes Lifecycle Marketing has launched a 'people-based data exchange' called Yesmail360i Enhanced Customer Profile, to deliver improved customer targeting via e-mail, Facebook Ads and display campaigns. More
Arbitron veteran Scott Musgrave has joined Nielsen Music as US Head of Radio Client Solutions, while Paul Shaver, Vice President and Head of Nielsen Music, takes on an expanded role leading the radio business in the Canadian market. More
Technology, media and marketing services company IDG (International Data Group) has promoted Charles Lee to President, US of IDG Communications, while York von Heimburg becomes the division's President International. More
Havas Group-owned mobile strategy, design and analytics business Mobext has hired Kaoutar Benazzi to lead its French operations. More
Location data marketing platform NinthDecimal has launched a new feature for its off-line attribution platform, the Location Conversion Index (LCI), enabling retailers to link their web site initiatives to in-store foot traffic. More
In the US, Time Inc. subsidiary MNI Targeted Media has launched a tool called DataMatch Attribution Insights, promising clients an 'end-to-end' profile of the individual users who make up their best audience. More
Audience measurement firm comScore says it plans to cut 175 jobs, and that COO Cameron Meierhoefer has stepped down. More
YouGov has announced the acquisition of Sydney-based MR firm and opinion pollster Galaxy Research Pty Ltd, which will be combined with YouGov's existing Australian business under the leadership of Galaxy founder and MD David Briggs. More
Following rapid expansion of its total reader base, the New York Times is to add three senior positions, including a Newsroom Audience Director, to 'ensure its audience is at the core of its work'. More
Publisher News Corp Australia has withdrawn its newspapers from the audit of the country's AMAA and will instead advise advertisers to use EMMA, which is based on readership numbers rather than circulation. More
Online ad verification firm DoubleVerify (DV) has extended its 'Authentic Impression' tool to cover ads on Facebook and Instagram, giving users third party transparency into the levels of viewability and the potential fraudulent delivery of video and display ads on both services. More
Harris parent company The Stagwell Group has acquired London-based marketing agency Forward3D Group, for an undisclosed sum. Forward3D runs campaigns across digital media formats using technology based on linguistics and data science. More
Online ad intelligence firm Pathmatics has added social media ad tracking to its platform, powered by data continuously collected from an opt-in panel of mobile users. More
In the US, social media tracking specialist Sprinklr has partnered with news aggregation, web content rating and discussion web site Reddit, to help clients listen to what their customers are saying and analyze trending topics. More
Social media listening software provider Digimind has launched a data visualization tool called Social Wall, to help track campaign performance, product feedback, industry trends and competitor performance in real time. More
Customer lifecycle marketing tech firm Zeta Global has acquired audience engagement platform Disqus, for an undisclosed sum. More
Communications group Weber Shandwick has expanded its data science, analytics, search and performance marketing capabilities with the acquisitions of digital marketing and tech firm Resolute Digital and data science and BI provider Bomoda. Terms were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has launched a video performance evaluation solution, which uses both active and passive techniques to understand IP-based video content delivery. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has released new standards for digital cross-media audience-based measurement, built on its prior work on viewable impression measurement and invalid traffic filtration requirements. 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
Global bank Citi has appointed former eBay exec Zoher Karu as Head of Asia Pacific Data and Analytics, within its Consumer Banking business in the region. More
In the US, shopper targeting firm Valassis has promoted former COO Wayne Powers to the new role of President; and moved Greg Green to the expanded role of Chief Data and Analytics Officer at parent company Harland Clarke Holdings. More
Chicago-based social media management, advocacy and analytics specialist Sprout Social has acquired Seattle-based analytics provider Simply Measured for an undisclosed sum. More
Rupert Murdoch's media group News Corp has launched an audience targeting platform called News IQ, combining first-party data from across its media properties, with data science tools. More
Automated MR company ZappiStore has expanded to Latin America with the appointment of former GfK exec Gabriel Velez, who will lead its operations across the region. More
US-based online sample marketplace PureSpectrum has appointed former TrueSample CEO Mark Menig as Chief Operating Officer. 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 the UK, tech market research company DigitalMR has added a feature called 'Intercept Surveys' to its existing listening247 and communities247 products, promising real-time feedback from site visitors, and improved completion rates. More
In San Francisco, marketing identity company IDify has hired former Nielsen exec Scott McKinley as Chief Executive Officer. The firm is also considering offers from investors, in a bid to raise $15m in venture capital. More
Nielsen Sports has acquired sports broadcast measurement business Repucom Africa for an undisclosed sum. More
Research Now has announced a partnership with Asian MR and data business Rakuten AIP. The firms will get access to each other's panel data, and work together to develop digital research products and services. More
Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired Indonesia-based performance marketing agency Valuklik and its analytics subsidiary Pinnacle, for an undisclosed sum. More
Online ad verification specialist DoubleVerify has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for technology detecting and blocking sophisticated invalid traffic (SIVT) for video and display ads in mobile apps. More
Czech Republic-based social media analytics firm Socialbakers has announced what it says are the 'world's first video performance benchmarks for social media networks', allowing marketers to understand how their videos perform in a competitive context. More
Digital research agency MetrixLab has appointed Nick Langeveld as President of its US business, a new position based in its office in Norwalk CT. More
comScore has achieved MRC accreditation for its Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT) detection and filtration of mobile in-app traffic, completing its set of SIVT awards. More
Seattle-based online qual firm Discuss.io has appointed long-time Ipsos exec Frank Jellinek as Growth Director for the UK and Europe. More
Online video analytics tech developer Innovid is to acquire real-time data company Taykey, allowing it to offer new insights into the impact of contextual relevance on video engagement. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Local audience data provider Eyeota has appointed Peter Hunter as General Manager, ANZ, to lead business in the region and expand the firm's demand and supply side teams. More
Facebook has selected European ad visibility analyst Meetrics as its first viewability measurement partner based outside the US. More
In the US, enterprise data and analytics company Axciom has partnered with mobile ad targeting specialist 4INFO, to provide location-based audience segments for use in targeted digital campaigns. 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
Nielsen has announced the roll-out in the Asia Pacific region of its Marketing Cloud platform, which integrates the firm's consumer and media data with marketing activation and analytics applications. More
In London, data-driven performance marketing agency Merkle has promoted Michael Komasinski to the role of President of EMEA, tasked with driving the firm's growth strategy across the region. He replaces Tim Berry, who has returned to the US. More
London-based online community specialist Verve has launched a multi-country 'pop-up communities' approach for qual studies. Local language moderation combined with captioned video allows head office staff to 'hear and feel the customer emotion' firsthand, while understanding it in English. 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
Former Nielsen COO Steve Hasker is joining American entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) as Chief Executive Officer of its recently restructured investment arm, CAA Global. 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
UK-based mobile survey solutions provider OnePoint Global has promoted Mark Procter, Head of Global Operations, to its Senior Management Team. The firm has also hired Collette Taylor and Sian Bentley-Magee as Marketing Managers of its SME and Enterprise markets. 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
Local audience data provider Eyeota has appointed early investor Andrew Tu as Managing Director, Asia Pacific. He succeeds co-founder Trent Lloyd, who moves into a global role as EVP Global Publisher Strategy and Products. More
Pakistan's recently established Broadcasters and Advertisers Council (BAC) has extended its official TV ratings deal with Medialogic until at least December 2021. Working with Kantar Media, the firm will expand its panel to cover urban and semi-urban Pakistan with 1,800 households in more than 40 cities. More
US research body the Insights Association, responding to a petition from the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), has urged the FCC to legalise all non-telemarketing calls to a cell phone using an autodialer, where an existing business relationship exists or where calls are free to the recipient. More
Sampling and data collection provider Critical Mix has appointed Margit Kittridge in the new role of VP, Digital Products, tasked with leading product development and go-to-market strategy. 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
UK-based capture and analytics provider LivingLens has added industry names Leonard Murphy and Gregg Archibald to its advisory board. More
European online specialist InSites Consulting has acquired Sydney, Australia-based Direction First, adding to its existing facilities in Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, the US and Germany. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the UK, mobile intelligence company Location Sciences has partnered with mobile MR and sample specialist On Device Research, to help brands and agencies measure media effectiveness and store visit uplift. 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
In the UK, grocery shopping comparison web site mySupermarket has made its premium purchase intent data segments available through local audience data firm Eyeota's Private Data Marketplace (PDMP). More
Amsterdam-based software company Upinion has added a feature to its platform, allowing market research through Facebook Messenger's chat facility. 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
Marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network has agreed to buy Netherlands and Dubai-based performance marketing agency Oxyma Group, which will subsequently be integrated into its Merkle subsidiary. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, big data ad targeting firm Gravity4 has promoted Kamal Kaur to the role of Chief Executive and Chair, replacing Gurbaksh Chahal, who will now focus 100% of his time on philanthropic goals set through his not-for-profit Chahal Foundation. More
Quality Online Research (QOR) has acquired the right to transfer the 100,000 respondents of Australia Post's 'Australian Lifestyle Survey' (ALS) to its own panel, before the ALS closes on 1st December. More
Helsinki, Finland-based marketing analytics company Supermetrics has raised EUR 3.5m (£3.1m) in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to further develop its technology. More
French media research agency Médiamétrie is to launch a service to measure and understand the impact TV programmes are having on social media activity across the country. More
Social network analyst Engager has partnered with TAM Ireland to measure how the country's TV audiences engage with social media. More
In Chicago, people-based marketing services firm Target Data has appointed Joseph Lavan as Vice President of Digital Strategy, leading the activation of client data in real-time. More
Twitter has partnered with online video analytics tech developer Innovid, to support delivery and measurement for its In-Stream Video Ads. More
US-based word-of-mouth specialist Bazaarvoice has opened a new office in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where it plans to hire more than 100 sales and customer service employees over the next three years. The firm has also hired Sophie Light-Wilkinson as Vice President Marketing EMEA. More
In the US, artificial intelligence and machine learning specialist Element Data has acquired the assets of BehaviorMatrix, which uses technology to understand human emotions and behavioral cues from digital communications. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, WPP-owned digital data collection specialist Lightspeed has promoted Shaun Hawley to the role of SVP Global Supply, leading strategy for the firm's double opt-in panels and member services, while retaining her current healthcare role. More
Crowdsourced in-store data provider BeMyEye has raised $10.5m in a Series C round of financing, which it will use to accelerate its European expansion and scale the business globally. More
UK-based behavioural economics specialist The Behavioural Architects has announced 'four new significant hires' and says it has 'big plans for further expansion in 2018'. More
In India, full-service agency Majestic Research Services and Solutions (MRSS) has reported a net profit of Rs 4.51 crore ($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
Former GfK, Nielsen Online and LRW exec Allan Dib has joined public relations agency PPR as its first Director of Planning and Insights. More
Marketing budgets in North America have fallen back to 2015 levels in 2017 after three years of growth, according to a survey by Gartner. The proportion of budget spent on marketing technology is also well down on last year. More
Business software firm Freshworks has launched Freshmarketer, a suite of tools focused on optimizing web site conversions and including capabilities for A/B testing, heatmaps, polling / feedback and personalization. More
UK political information provider Dods Group has acquired a 30% stake in social media monitoring and analysis services provider Social360, for £1.65m in cash. More
In the US, motion-based analytics specialist Velocity has partnered with programmatic platform provider Beeswax, to help advertisers gauge receptivity to an ad based on how an actual person physically holds and moves their mobile device. 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
In the US, content discovery and personalization platform Outbrain has appointed David Kostman as Co-Chief Executive Officer, sharing management responsibility with co-founder and CEO Yaron Galai. More
In New York, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has appointed Orchid Richardson as Vice President and Managing Director of its Data Center of Excellence. She replaces Dennis Buchheim, who is now General Manager of the IAB Tech Lab. More
US-based mobile-first research tech company MFour has hired former Instantly director Carl Nielson as Senior Solutions Executive. In addition, Ayelet Germanski joins as Senior Project Manager, and Nicole Phan as User Experience Designer. 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
London-based personal data firm CitizenMe has added access to an 'Expert Network' to its platform, to connect companies to professionals in the insight industry. More
New York-based VICE Media is rolling out its 'VICE Voices' youth insights platform and portal in the UK, to capture the opinions of UK millennials and understand what drives their attitudes and behaviour. More
comScore co-founder Gian Fulgoni has brought forward his retirement date, originally planned for the end of next January, and stepped down as CEO. No reason has been given for this change. More
In the US, a team of former consumer goods and retail marketing execs have launched a 'cognitive marketing' agency, AIQ, which will use shopper engagement data and artificial intelligence (AI) to help brands and retailers communicate with consumers and enhance ROI. More
In the US, digital marketing and data management platform SRAX has expanded into the sports marketing sector with the launch of a suite of tools called SRAXfan, designed to help identify and target sports enthusiasts. More
US-based survey sample firm ProdegeMR has added mobile phone verification to its global proprietary online panels. More
Manchester, UK-based text and big data analytics firm Hello Soda has raised £5.5m in a round of funding, which it will use to continue its global growth plans. More
Denver, Colorado-based programmatic ad platform Choozle has raised $6m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to drive general company growth, while continuing to enhance its data-powered products and expand adoption of its platform. More
Edinburgh-based ad measurement and optimization firm TVSquared has acquired German television ad tracking specialist wywy. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
New York-based influence marketing company WHOSAY has integrated predictive personality characteristics data to analyze millions of posts across social media platforms, and match influencers to brands. More
Influencer marketplace Octoly has raised $10m in a Series A round of funding, from marcoms giant Havas Group, venture capital firm Otium Venture, marketing business Twin Partners, and the EU's SME Instrument programme. More
US-based Information Services Group has announced results for the third quarter of 2017. Revenue rose 30 percent at constant currency to $68.3m, in part due to the acquisition of Alsbridge Holdings in December. 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
Experience management solutions firm Qualtrics has appointed David Faugno as its new CFO, based at the company's Provo, UT headquarters. More
Telecoms giant AT&T has named Kirk McDonald as CMO of its (still unnamed) advertising and analytics company, announced in August and led by former GroupM North American CEO Brian Lesser. More
US-based 20|20 Research has announced an upgrade to the QualBoard digital data collection platform, one of its flagship solutions. More
Nielsen has rolled out a web-based forecasting solution called Marketing Budget Explorer, helping marketers evaluate thousands of combinations of marketing allocations and budget options to make better media planning decisions. 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
US-based Out-of-Home (OOH) ad analytics specialist LiveReach Media is expanding to Europe through the acquisition of a majority stake in Belgian digital signage ad targeting specialist NewFusion. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Sweden's audience measurement body MMS has extended its digital ad ratings, produced by GfK, to a 'Total Video' service designed to measure the ROI of cross-platform video ads. This includes linear TV, smart TV, PC, smartphone and tablet devices. More
Former Simmons Research CEO Pat Pellegrini has joined not-for-profit multi-media and consumer behaviour specialist Vividata as President and Chief Executive. He will join in early December, working closely with the existing team and outgoing President and CEO, Sara Hill. More
San Francisco-based ad retargeting platform AdRoll has promoted Toby Gabriner to CEO, replacing co-founder Aaron Bell who is moving to the full-time post of Chief Product Officer. More
In the US, data, insight and 'action services' provider datadecisions Group has promoted Dino Fire to the role of President of Research and Analytics. More
Joe Lewis, Head of Insight at the UK's Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB), is leaving at the end of the year to set up his own audience measurement business, Measured Media Consulting (MMC). More
SKO, the industry body responsible for the reporting and monitoring of viewing behaviour in the Netherlands, has renewed GfK's television audience measurement (TAM) contract until 31st December 2018. More
Nielsen is to integrate set-top box (STB) data from broadcasting and cable television company Comcast into its local TV measurement service. More
App store analytics firm App Annie has appointed Cindy Deng as Managing Director, Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong. More
In the US, comScore has partnered with non-partisan political data provider L2, whose voter and commercial targeting information will be integrated with comScore's TV ratings measurement. 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
DIY research company SurveyMonkey has partnered with insights exchange operator Cint, to provide its users with access to the latter firm's 40 million respondents in 100 countries. More
Digital video ad solutions firm YuMe has launched a People-Based Marketing Suite, allowing cross-screen audience targeting, sequential messaging and attribution for US audiences. More
Australia-based media measurement firm Isentia is to cut thirty jobs in the country, moving its news monitoring services to Asia. More
MARU Group's tech and communities business Maru/Matchbox has appointed three industry veterans for its Qualitative Center of Excellence. More
Ad visibility analyst Meetrics has been granted full accreditation by the US-based Media Rating Council (MRC), across both anti-fraud and viewability, including in-app environments. The firm says it is the first in Europe with this combination of awards. More
In New York, iHeartMedia has appointed former Yahoo! insights leader Michele Madansky as EVP of Insights, Research and Data Analytics. 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 New York, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has released the final version of its Mobile In-App Measurement and Mobile Web Measurement Guidelines. A draft version of the Digital Video Ad equivalent has also been released for comment. More
Australian media monitoring and intelligence group Isentia has made more than half its Singapore-based content marketing staff redundant, following the recent closure of its King Content business. More
Digital data collection specialist Research Now has enhanced its DIY Samplify platform with the addition of a survey authoring tool, designed for individuals with no special research expertise. More
Social media analytics firm Socialbakers has launched an AI-powered performance prediction and optimization tool for Instagram, enabling marketers to identify and monitor their top-performing content, and understand how their competitors are investing their ad budget on the platform. More
In New York, consumer insights firm Simmons Research has appointed former Nielsen exec Andrew Feigenson as Chief Executive Officer, replacing President and Chief Research Officer Pat Pellegrini, who will be leaving the company. More
Online panel and behavioral data specialist Netquest has promoted long-time company exec Enric Cid to the role of Managing Director, North America, leading its expansion into the US. More
In the US, insights and marketing services holding company Reimagine has given former Millward Brown CEO Eileen Campbell a seat on its Advisory Board. More
In the US, digital ad management platform Sizmek has partnered with DoubleVerify, comScore and Integral Ad Science, to help advertisers measure HTML5 video. 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
Nielsen is using real-time smart TV data from its media and entertainment data firm Gracenote, to enhance the audience targeting, consumer analytics and measurement capabilities of its Marketing Cloud data management platform. More
WPP marcoms agency J. Walter Thompson has acquired a majority stake in Brazilian eCommerce and iCloud specialist E-Next Consultoria e Serviįos de Internet (Enext). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Israel-based mobile ad platform Taptica has appointed Matomy co-founder Ofer Druker as Executive Chairman of Tremor Video DSP, its wholly-owned subsidiary for video advertising optimisation and attribution. He will join the company next year. More
New York-based BAV Group, the insight division of marcoms firm Y&R, has launched a proprietary model called BAVSocial to measure the influence social media has on long-term brand performance. 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
With Halloween on the way, ad targeting company Turn will be looking nervously over its shoulder again after judges overturned an earlier decision regarding 'zombie cookies', and allowed a class action to proceed. The dispute looked to have been settled in January. More
In Paris, Havas-owned social media unit Socialyse, which combines technology and monitoring tools with the skills of analysts, has appointed Philippe Torloting as Chief Operating Officer. More
comScore co-founder and CEO Gian Fulgoni is to retire at the end of January, shortly after his 70th birthday. Following this will resume his previous Chairman Emeritus role, and provide the firm with advisory services for a further twelve months. More
London-based Adbrain has been acquired by ad tech platform The Trade Desk, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, Twitter has formally agreed to submit a set of key metrics for accreditation by the Media Rating Council (MRC), which has begun the first phase of the process. More
Online competitive intelligence provider Hitwise has partnered with Kantar Media to enable marketers to combine data on their audiences' opinions and attitudes with their search and web site visiting behaviour. More
In the US, enterprise-grade customer insights platform UserTesting has launched a self-service solution called My Recruit, to enable firms to run studies on web or mobile sites with their own customers, partners, employees, or a niche demographic. 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
Location intelligence tech company Ubimo has launched an AI-powered enterprise platform called Polaris, to help clients understand customer journeys and assess their location-based marketing strategy and ad campaigns. More
In the UK, Out-of-Home (OoH) advertising business Exterion Media has added digital signage on London buses, to display geo-targeted messages relevant to their location, including nearby landmarks and shops. More
Netherlands-based online research and marketing analytics specialist MetrixLab has appointed former Nielsen exec Brady Ni as Managing Director for Greater China, replacing Edwin Song. More
Research and advisory services provider MARU Group has promoted Demitry Estrin to the role of Chief Operating Officer of its tech and communities business Maru/Matchbox. More
Czech Republic-based social media analyst Socialbakers has launched what it describes as the first advertising performance benchmark for social media networks. More
TV and movie streaming service Netflix has said Nielsen's new 'Subscription Video On Demand' (SVOD) content ratings' are 'not even close' to accurate, because they do not measure viewing on mobile devices. Nielsen says it is confident in the data it has. More
Social media intelligence firm Brandwatch has launched an enterprise-level solution called Quick Search, to help users instantly segment all social media data. More
London-based company Attest has launched two new tools - Brand Intelligence Essentials and 360° - to help brands understand their position in the market. More
In New York, ad targeting and retargeting specialist Criteo has promoted HookLogic co-founder Jonathan Opdyke to the role of Chief Strategy Officer. More
Customer feedback specialist Medallia has launched a solution to help companies get a 360-degree view of customers across digital touchpoints. More
US and Canadian professional bodies the Insights Association and MRIA have written an open letter to Apple, claiming that its new Safari browser poses 'a severe and almost insuperable problem for online marketing research and analytics'. More
Chadwick Martin Bailey has officially launched a solution called AffinID, allowing brands to assess and develop their 'customer image' - ie what kind of people consumers perceive to be the customers of that brand. More
Tech veteran Andreas Sautter has joined MFour in the new position of Director of Client Services. More
Nielsen has launched a syndicated solution called 'Nielsen Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) Content Ratings', providing an independent measure for subscription-based streaming content. More
WPP has partnered with customer experience management software company Sitecore, which offers tools for collecting customer data and real-time insights using machine learning. More
UK market research budgets appear to have fallen for the ninth successive quarter - but at a much slower rate than previously, according to the latest 2017 IPA Bellwether Report. Meanwhile marketing budgets have risen for a net 10% of companies. More
In the US, image performance software company Adhark has launched a platform called Ava (Analytical Visual Assessment), which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to understand the visual preferences of consumer audiences. More
Local audience data provider Eyeota has appointed Michael Tuohy as Director, Data Supply, based in the US and overseeing the Data Partner and Publisher Acquisition teams. More
Data-driven CRM and performance marketing agency Merkle has appointed Anne-Marie Schaffer as General Manager of its Travel, Media & Entertainment practice. More
Shopper intelligence firm Catalina has appointed Kraft Foods veteran Tom Corley as Global Chief Retail Officer and President of US Retail. More
In the US, social media monitoring and analysis firm Crimson Hexagon has extended its executive leadership team with the appointments of Lou Jordano and Bud McGann, and the promotion of Dana Miller. More
In Australia, Roy Morgan Research has teamed up with Adshel to help advertisers profile and precisely target locations where commuters work and shop - 'not only where they live'. The new service is based on the Helix geo-digital psychographic segmentation tool. More
Marcoms giant Havas Group has acquired a 49% stake in two Algerian-based agencies including HVS, which offers media consultancy and planning using its own tool for the measurement of ROI; and creative and communications agency GANFOOD. More
Digital business analyst HfS Research has expanded its team of industry analysts. Saurabh Gupta joins as Chief Strategy Officer, overseeing the firm's global research function; while Elena Christopher, John O'Brien, Suvradeep Bhattacharjee and Ollie O'Donoghue also join. More
Middle Eastern agency 4SiGHT has appointed former Evo Research and TNS researcher Prachi Dixit as Director, Consumer and Market Insights, Middle East and Africa. More
Chicago-based analytics firm Clarity Insights has promoted Neil Huse, currently Managing Partner overseeing the healthcare practice, to President. Tom Thimot will step down as CEO, but will continue to advise the Board. 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
Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has extended GfK's radio audience measurement contract by a further five years. The new deal includes investigation of a new multi-million-dollar Measurement Innovation Program (MIP), to explore the potential for a hybrid future for radio measurement. More
In the US, consumer data provider 84.51 degrees has launched a cross-channel personalization solution called Kroger Precision Marketing, to help CPG product suppliers drive targeted communications that reward shoppers and drive incremental purchases. More
US firm Userlytics has launched a multilingual remote user testing service, allowing for native language online usability testing in 'any' country. More
Software giant Adobe has appointed former Experian ex Suzanne Steel as Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand. She will join in late November. More
Digital data solutions leaders Research Now and SSI have signed a merger agreement. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Marcoms group Publicis has launched an initiative called Spine, which brings together its data assets, technology and appropriate talent to help clients turn data into business insight. It will be led by Lisa Donohue, as Chief Executive Officer. More
Seattle, US-based start-up Wicket Labs has launched an audience insights platform for media and entertainment companies, called Wicket Scorecard - and has announced a $2m seed financing round. More
Canadian weather data and insights specialist Pelmorex has acquired Ontario-based mobile-first data management and media buying platform Addictive Mobility, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the UK, former Thinkbox media researcher David Brennan and former Carat Insight MD Sue Elms have set up a new consultancy called BE Insight, to help clients maximise the value of their existing and future intelligence resources. More
Insights exchange operator Cint has partnered with data commercialization platform Narrative I/O, to give clients access to 'self-declared' first-person data. More
In the US, location intelligence specialist Spatially has launched its debut product, Spatially Ads, through which brick-and-mortar businesses can tap into the characteristics of their physical location to target customers. More
Global management consultancy Accenture has appointed Nikki Mendonįa as President of Intelligent Marketing Operations, managing a team which will use predictive analytics to help clients target and attract the right kind of customers across marketing channels. More
In the US, Forrester Research has experienced a cybersecurity attack, limited to content relating to the market data available to clients through Forrester.com. 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
Online community and survey tech provider Toluna has integrated passive data-based Digital Tracking within its end-to-end real-time insights platform. 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
Kantar Media has teamed up with software firm TechEdge to create a dedicated audience analytics software unit, focused on bringing innovative products to market. Andreas Velter will lead the new business, reporting to Kantar Media CEO & Chairman Andy Brown. More
Online video research firm Discuss.io has added Dawn Re and Beth Winter to its Business Development team and Ashley Wali to the Product team, all based in the US; meanwhile Senior Account Manager Zuzka ilková relocates to the London office. More
Predictive analytics and ad management specialist QuanticMind has raised $20m in Series B funding, for use in hiring and product development. More
Media group Dentsu Aegis Network has signed a two-year licence to use YouGov's segmentation and media planning tool Profiles for its audience understanding, strategy and activation needs. The group previously used Kantar TGI. More
Tech giant and big data pioneer IBM has acquired Sydney's data and insights-based design agency Vivant, for an undisclosed sum. More
Along with a host of hardware launches this week, Google has announced the roll-out of the 'Insights Engine Project', including six products using machine learning to promote data visualization and integration. More
Location intelligence firm Gravy Analytics has announced the integration of its behavioral data with predictive consumer marketing data from AnalyticsIQ, to offer audiences of high-value consumers for ad campaigns. More
Brighton, UK-based social media intelligence Brandwatch has announced its first direct integration with Twitter Ads. Clients of its audience analytics product can upload 'fine-tuned' lists of Twitter users for highly targeted paid campaigns. More
The three founders of London-based video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly are stepping down from their roles, two years on from its acquisition by Rupert Murdoch's media group News Corp. 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
Customer Experience Management software firm Sprinklr has announced no fewer than eight new integrated products within its 'Experience Cloud' solution, making it 'the first unified CXM platform for the enterprise with a foundation in social'. More
UK-based agency System1 has upgraded its award-winning Predictive Markets idea testing technique. Next Generation Predictive Markets draws on learnings from over 40,000 tests and promises clients 'improved accuracy and greater speed at a lower cost'. More
Fallen Internet giant Yahoo has revealed that all three billion of its user accounts were compromised in the 2013 security breach - not the mere one billion previously acknowledged. More
Ipsos Interactive Services (IIS) has launched a new online access panel in Kuwait, its eighth in the MENA region. 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
Corporate engagement solutions firm ITA Group has acquired Boston-based market research and strategy firm Chadwick Martin Bailey (CMB), for an undisclosed sum. 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
In Australia, KPMG has appointed former Virgin Australia Chief Customer Officer Mark Hassell as a Partner, leading customer and brand transformation for its new Customer, Brand and Marketing advisory business. More
comScore has teamed up with location intelligence firm PlaceIQ to launch a joint solution measuring lift in retail visits resulting from TV, mobile and desktop advertising. More
In the US, J.D. Power & Associates has promoted Thomas King to the new position of Senior Vice President of Data & Analytics. More
In New York, influence marketing company WHOSAY has launched a division focusing on shopper marketing campaigns at the time of purchase. More
UK firm Ebiquity has announced Interim Results for the six months ended 30th June, with revenue of £44.6m, flat on a like-for-like constant currency basis. The group says its Advertising Intelligence subscription services have returned to growth on the back of two new metrics products. 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
MR tech developer iModerate, a division of 20|20 Research, has enhanced its online chat solution by integrating the ability to collect video responses from participants. More
UK-based mobile survey solutions firm OnePoint Global has launched the latest version of its My Surveys app, promising 'a unique and highly branded experience' as well as the option to collect data whilst the participant is off-line. More
comScore has given Wesley Nichols, Paul Reilly and Bryan Wiener seats on its Board of Directors, as part of its settlement agreement with one of its largest shareholders Starboard Value. More
Stagwell, the investment advisory group formed by PSB co-founder Mark Penn, has acquired a majority stake in the entertainment marketing division of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), adding to its portfolio which includes entertainment research subsidiary NRG. Terms have not been disclosed. More
Digital media measurement firm Verto Analytics has given former Ipsos CEO Liz Musch a seat on its Board of Directors. More
UK-based research provider B2B International has relocated its Asian headquarters in Beijing, to expand its in-house fieldwork capacity. More
San Francisco-based consumer research platform CoolTool has launched a product called 'Emotions in Browser', which measures respondents' emotions without the need for them to install an app, only requiring them to have a camera on their laptop or smartphone. More
Nielsen has rolled out its Media Impact and Marketing Cloud in Hong Kong, to help marketers and media execs plan and activate audiences across multiple platforms. More
US research and advisory firm Forrester has launched an app called Tap, allowing consumers to suggest how brands can improve their customer experience. More
In the US, comScore has appointed Joseph Rostock as Chief Information Officer, leading the technology division, and at the same time promoted Yvonne Bigbee to CTO, reporting to him. More
In the UK, the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) is to provide independent audits to companies providing anti-fraud products, under a scheme launched by the country's Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards (JICWEBS). More
In Chicago, WPP's content division Wavemaker has appointed Aaron Smith as Global Chief Client Officer. He will take up the role next Monday. More
American media conglomerate Meredith Corporation has promoted Alysia Borsa to the newly created role of Chief Marketing and Data Officer, leading first-party data strategy and management, consumer and advertiser insights and analytics, and corporate marketing strategy. More
Cross-screen data management platform (DMP) Lotame has added new tools to its aiTV suite of products, to help marketers understand who their audience is beyond estimated age and gender, and how certain TV ads affect purchasing. More
In the US, audience insights and targeting platform SpotRight has raised $6.75m through a combination of equity and debt funding, which it will use to expand product capabilities and drive its next phase of growth. More
Nielsen has agreed to acquire multi-touch attribution and marketing mix modelling specialist Visual IQ, which measures ROI at both the individual person and store level. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based sampling and data collection provider Critical Mix has launched a service called CMIX, offering a collaborative method for creating insights for business decisions. More
comScore has launched an ad targeting product suite called 'Activation', using a combination of big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning assets. More
In the UK, WPP's media investment arm GroupM has launched an addressable TV targeting company called Finecast, helping advertisers deliver relevant ads to viewers across multiple on demand, linear and live streaming TV environments. More
DRNO's Nick Thomas wraps up his review of the 70th Congress with a general verdict - and as you may have guessed after the first three reviews, it's a good one. Not by any means unqualified however - whisper it low, he'll even have a go at the clients. Part 4 of 4. 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
Contrary to what you might have concluded from our last two reports, there was lots of talk in Amsterdam about both the great trends shaping market research, and the specifics of current projects and problems. Our correspondent Nick Thomas found some gems in the latter. Part 3 of 4. More
Ipsos has appointed Geeta Lobo as Executive Director and Head of Ipsos Bengaluru in India; while in the US, the firm's media and brand communication business Ipsos Connect has hired Michael Baer as SVP, Head of Audience Measurement Group (AMG). More
UK-based behavioural science specialist System1 has launched a product called the Digital Content Tracker, to measure emotional response to a brand's online video content against that of its major competitors. More
Nielsen has filed a lawsuit to prevent comScore from launching a new service called Extended TV. The service uses data from Nielsen's PPM technology, to which comScore and others gained access at the time of the Arbitron buy, but in a way Nielsen says is outside the scope of that agreement. More
Marketing personalization tech firm Qubit has promoted Joe Smith to Chief Revenue Officer and appointed Leah Anathan as CMO, and says it is hiring across multiple locations across three continents. 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
Venice, California-based consumer intent analysis platform System1 has completed a $270m financing round, which it will use for product development and to extend support for its partners. More
In New York, language analytics and emotion measurement specialist Canvs has appointed James Delaney as Chief Operating Officer, in charge of sales, marketing and client operations. More
London-based video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly has launched a new targeting capability, to help advertisers across South East Asia connect with those consumers most likely to emotionally engage with a specific ad. More
WPP marcom network Wunderman has acquired a majority stake in digital marketing agency Pierry, as part of its strategy to focus on technology, data and digital content. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Tokyo, Japan-based online specialist Macromill has acquired US-based research agency Acturus through its MetrixLab US subsidiary. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has partnered with audience-based TV sales specialist clypd, to offer a syndicated linear TV targeting solution for marketers and agencies seeking to plan and buy using demographics beyond age and gender. More
In the UK, point of sale (POS) consumer targeting specialist Ecrebo has appointed former Aimia and dunnhumby exec Michael Poyser as Chief Analytics Officer. More
In the US, app data platform mParticle has raised $35m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to launch and roll out its IDSync enterprise-level identity resolution offering. 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
Washington, DC-based research and consulting company Heart+Mind Strategies has hired Mallory Hoffman and Chris Gallup as new members of its Brand, System + Journey team. More
Video-first social media company The Keli Network has launched a video analysis tool called Winston, with the aim of increasing engagement with the company's content. 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
Former dunnhumby CEO Simon Hay has been hired to lead a new company called Outra, which will connect data, insight and opinions to target consumers based on their attitudes and behaviour. The team also includes former Tory party strategists Jim Messina and Lynton Crosby. More
Canada-based communities and research technology specialist Vision Critical has expanded its Sparq 3 customer intelligence platform, with the addition of new features such as artificial intelligence (AI) apps to optimize engagement and an enterprise-grade content sharing platform. More
Sweden's audience measurement body MMS has extended Nielsen's contract for TV and video viewing data by five years. More
WPP's public sector unit The Government Practice has appointed Sean Howard as Global Managing Director, reporting to CEO Michelle Harrison. More
Retail and healthcare data firm IRI has added an E-POS Measurement Solution to its E-Commerce Solutions Suite, offering granular data on categories, brands, individual items (UPC level) and weekly POS data on e-commerce purchases at the individual retailer level. More
US-based survey sample firm ProdegeMR has partnered with Lucid, whose Fulcrum distribution channel will aid its expansion in the European market. More
The Board of Governors of Indian audience measurement body MRUC has elected Ashish Bhasin as Chairman and Pratap Pawar as Vice Chairman More
Automated MR technology company ZappiStore has appointed former Millward Brown exec Jared Carr as its new VP of Strategic Client Transformation. 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
DoubleVerify, which provides digital media measurement software and analytics, has appointed Olaf Mahar as MD of its operations in Germany. More
Data exchange and DMP Lotame has appointed Eric Marterella as Chief Revenue Officer, based in its New York City office and overseeing all revenue-focused and client retention initiatives worldwide. More
comScore has announced a global roll-out for its free Viewability measurement service, which allows users to measure digital campaigns continuously within and across publishers and ad networks. More
In the US, enterprise data and analytics company Acxiom has named James Arra and Anneka Gupta as co-Presidents of its customer data 'onboarding' business LiveRamp. They replace Travis May, who is moving to the newly created role of Chief Growth Officer for Acxiom. More
In New York, consumer insights firm Simmons Research has launched the Enhanced Media Measurement Study, which will provide marketers with insights into shifts in media consumption and consumer behavior across the US. More
In the US, customer experience tech firm Ignite-TEK has launched a tool called LucidVueCX, to help marketers passively collect customer feedback. More
In Sydney, Australia, video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly has appointed Ricky Chanana as Managing Director for the ANZ region, replacing Lance Traore who left five months ago to 'pursue other opportunities'. More
In the US, research data solutions firm SSI has partnered with customer data 'onboarding' specialist LiveRamp, to provide insights and more accurate targeting for digital ad campaigns. More
US-based sampling and data collection provider Critical Mix has appointed former Lightspeed execs Matt Shepherd and Jon Williams as Sales Directors in its London office. More
In the US, live streaming engagement and analytics platform Maestro has raised $3m in a Series A round of funding, with which to develop its presence on the esports and gaming sectors while expanding into new verticals. More
In Canada, communities and research technology specialist Vision Critical has acquired software company Pressly, which offers a platform for the curation and distribution of content. Details of the transaction have not been disclosed. More
US data intelligence specialist cogint and Hong Kong-based marcoms firm BlueFocus are to combine assets to form a new global marketing services organization. As part of the deal, cogint will spin off its data and analytics operations and assets into a separate company called Red Violet. More
Los Angeles-based tech-driven panel company Active Measure has hired former Lightspeed Research exec Bonnie Breslauer for the newly created role of Chief Customer Officer. More
Nielsen Brandbank - which collects, manages and distributes FMCG product and brand image content - has launched its first full-service content studio in the US. More
New York-based marketing analytics firm Analytics Partners has opened an office in Hamburg, Germany, and hired former Research Now exec Achim Schoeneich as Managing Director. More
Social media intelligence specialist Brandwatch has launched a free tool called the 'Social Intelligence Maturity Model' (SIMM), to measure the value of a business's social media strategy and guide its future growth. More
Microsoft has patented a tool called the 'Opinion Search Engine', to help companies collect and understand customer feedback and product reviews across the web, and to help consumers with their product choices. More
In the US, social media management and online community solutions provider Lithium Technologies has acquired Jive Software's external communities business, Jive-x, for an undisclosed sum. More
Prediction market research, analytics and software specialist Consensus Point has launched its Hunnu tool on ZappiStore's automated research platform. More
In the US, customer experience and analytics specialist Accenture Interactive has acquired design and innovation firm MATTER, whose range of services includes customer journey mapping, user testing, analytics, design research, product definition and branding. Terms were not disclosed. More
WPP-owned digital data collection specialist Lightspeed has appointed Angie French as Chief Executive Officer, EMEA. She will join on 1st November, taking over from Caroline Frankum who was promoted to Global CEO in April. More
Ad technology platform Adform has partnered with digital data collection specialist Research Now, to offer targeting of consumers at the 'right time on the right device'. More
Cross-environment media tracking and attribution solution Barometric has been accredited by the USA's Media Rating Council (MRC) for its measurement of served display video ad impressions and clicks across desktop, mobile web, and mobile in-app environments. More
Marketing intelligence firm Visual IQ has launched a platform analysing tactical marketing performance against audience demographic and behavioral attributes. 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
WPP-owned digital data collection specialist Lightspeed has rolled out its LifePoints mobile engagement app in the UK and Australia. More
San Francisco ad tech firm RhythmOne has acquired online video advertising and targeting firm YuMe for a total consideration of approximately $185m. The transaction is expected to close by Q1 2018. 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
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
Leeds, UK-based full-service marketing services agency Brass has hired Sam Bannister as Head of Insight. More
Emotion and language analytics specialist Canvs has added artificial intelligence (AI) features to its platform, to help clients understand how emotion affects behavior. More
In Korea, WPP-owned media investment unit GroupM has merged its media agency Maxus into its data-driven agency Essence, as part of its global reorganization plans. 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
AI-based SaaS consumer research company Wizer has raised $4m in Series A funding round, led by VC firm State of Mind Ventures and with participation from Nielsen's Innovate early stage investment arm. More
Twitter-owned mobile ad network MoPub has launched a software development kit (SDK) with viewability support from independent metrics firms Integral Ad Science (IAS) and Moat. Publishers using the kit can offer measurement of viewability and other metrics for their in-app ad inventory. More
Marketing intelligence software provider Visual IQ has announced a partnership with data 'onboarding' specialist LiveRamp, providing the former's customers with a more rounded view of the cross-channel customer journey, plus campaign impact analysis tools. More
In the US, mobile campaign measurement solutions firm Kochava is expanding its self-service data marketplace, the Kochava Collective. More
In the US, private equity firm GTCR has acquired a majority stake in ad targeting technology firm Simpli.fi. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the UK, social media ad targeting firm RadiumOne has promoted Louise Briggs to the role of Director Business Operations, and Emma Hazelhurst to Director of Business Development. More
Interpublic's New York-based agency R/GA has extended its consulting services to Asia Pacific, to provide advanced analytic and strategic capabilities to clients in the region. 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
In the US, shopper targeting firm Valassis has acquired hyper-local digital ad targeting specialist MaxPoint for around $95m. More
In the US, location intelligence technology company Ubimo has partnered with shopper targeting specialist Advantage Media Solutions, to offer an intent-based mobile solution designed to reach customers with precise geographic and behavioral targeting. More
Asia Pacific-based data intelligence and technology company Potentiate has expanded to the US through the acquisition of full-service marketing insights specialist NetReflector. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Research data solutions firm SSI has partnered with digital ad performance analyst the DMA Institute to launch 'Campaign Optimizer'; a tool which validates and measures ad viewability and connects with consumers about their ad recall following store visits or product purchases. More
San Francisco-based mobile marketing platform YouAppi has launched a new solution which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide insights into the mobile user experience. More
In the US, media intelligence specialist Meltwater has acquired real-time data analytics app Algo for an undisclosed sum. More
Video ad technology and targeting firm Tremor Video has hired former Nielsen exec Doug Campbell as Chief Strategy Officer. More
In the US, artificial intelligence (AI) marketing technology developer Amplero has closed a $17.5m Series B round of funding, which it will use to scale its business and technology infrastructure. More
WPP-owned ideas and innovation company AKQA has acquired Denmark-based digital strategy, creativity and technology specialist DIS/PLAY for an undisclosed sum. More
Vancouver-based sales and marketing intelligence platform DiscoverOrg has acquired US-based tech sales intelligence and targeting platform RainKing for an undisclosed sum. More
Business software developer Freshworks has acquired US and India-based marketing software startup Zarget, which provides tools to help marketers understand how users interact with their web sites. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
The UK government has set out its aims for data protection and international data flow after Brexit, in the last of its current round of positional papers. Britain will seek a close alignment with EU laws, including adherence to the GDPR from next May. More
Kantar Media's purchase of Irish company Newsaccess has been cleared by the country's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), following an extensive investigation and with Kantar required to make divestments and contract changes. More
Targeting technology firm Semcasting has acquired Orlando-based Transparency AI (TAI), an automotive marketing attribution company, for an undisclosed sum. More
Digital marketing dashboard and call tracking platform NinjaCat is opening a UK office, boosting its growth in EMEA markets. More
US-based marketing software and solutions firms Marketo is collaborating with Google Cloud - the former's Engagement Platform will be integrated with the latter's G Suite and data analytics, and will tap into Google's machine learning capabilities. More
New York-based mobile ad targeting firm 4INFO has announced the public launch of a data onboarding solution, based on its customer identity and engagement platform. More
In New York, research and content marketing firm Netscribes has launched a customized market intelligence platform called Onsense, to help users track customer feedback, competitor activity and industry updates in real time. More
Chicago-based 3-D research specialist InContext Solutions has integrated its virtual reality (VR) headset into its flagship ShopperMX platform, allowing retailers and brands to view and collaborate on new retail concepts. More
Los Angeles-based MR and community intelligence platform FUEL CYCLE has added geolocation capabilities to its mobile app, enabling clients to conduct real-time location-based research. More
In the US, SaaS-based real-time personalization platform Evergage has secured a $10m Series C round of funding, which it will use for expansion across the country - including its engineering, sales, marketing and client success departments - and internationally. More
Real-time performance tracking platform Tickr has raised $3m in a new funding round, which it will use to scale its enterprise data applications 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
In New York, private equity firm Providence Equity Partners has acquired a majority stake in digital media measurement software and analytics specialist DoubleVerify (DV). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Terry Kent, the former Global CEO of Kantar Media's Ad Intelligence business, has set up an advisory firm for early-phase ad and media startups. More
Communications group Havas has acquired a majority stake in Israel-based social media marketing agency Blink, which specializes in managing conversations between consumers and brands. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In Los Angeles, entertainment, media and tech specialist Interpret has developed a mobile research solution called 'Week One', to help gaming companies improve their player retention rates. More
WPP has acquired London-based brand strategy and design agency Design Bridge for an undisclosed sum. More
London-based content provider StoryStream has raised $1.2m in a funding round, and will use it to add artificial intelligence (AI) to its offering. To lead this initiative, former SmartFocus exec Janet Bastiman has joined as Chief Science Officer. 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
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
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
IT intelligence, advisory services and events specialist IDC has appointed Iggy Pintado as Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand. He replaces Ullrich Loeffler, who is 'pursuing other interests'. More
Business data analytics specialist ThoughtSpot has raised $60m in a funding round extension, which it will use to further develop its artificial intelligence-driven analytics platform and expand globally into Asia Pacific. 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
Emerging markets specialist Borderless Access has added Malaysia and Hong Kong to its list of proprietary panels. More
SRKay Consulting Group, a division of London and Mumbai-based SRK Group, has launched a specialist service for companies facing challenges with customer experience management (CEM). 'Serena Way' draws on ' deep customer psychology' and will be rolled out globally. More
UK-based digital audience platform MPP Global has appointed Heath Podvesker as General Manager Americas, Melissa Pegus as VP of Channel and Strategic Alliances and Trena De Landro as VP of Publishing and Media. More
Microsoft-owned LinkedIn must permit an unrelated company to 'scrape' data publicly posted by LinkedIn users, following a judgement in US District court. Start-up firm hiQ Labs uses the data to identify workers it deems likely to leave their jobs, and had been told to stop by the giant b2b network. More
Optimizely, whose software platform helps clients optimise their customer experience, has opened regional headquarters in Sydney, Australia. More
US-based direct marketing and targeting giant Harte Hanks has received notification of non-compliance from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) after its share price dropped below one dollar. 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
Nielsen has launched the 'Ratings Academy', an interactive online portal designed to improve public understanding of its audience measurement methods and the environment in which it operates. 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
Online consumer researcher BuzzBack has partnered with analytics specialist GlimpzIt, aiming to improve marketers' understanding of consumer experience and attitudes. More
Social media intelligence company Brandwatch has added a service called Benchmarked Reports to its Audiences analytics product - allowing users to compare any three audiences, including the followers of any Twitter account. More
UK-based mobile survey technology provider OnePoint Global has created a new interface for its platform, offering the ability to create and launch mobile research projects from any device, any time and anywhere. More
Predictive marketing platform Rocket Fuel has been awarded two patents relating to its software, which ad tech providers can use to identify and analyse consumer behavior, and help brands and advertisers reach and engage with their audiences. More
In the US, full-service digital marketing agency Risdall has hired Mahmood Khan to lead its Digital Media and Analytics arm. More
Boston-based SnapApp, whose platform is used by B2B marketers to create, publish and measure interactive content, has raised $10.2m in additional funding from its principal investor, Providence Strategic Growth. More
In the UK, qual and quant agency Critical Research has acquired B2B research specialist Saville Rossiter-Base (SR-B) for an undisclosed sum. More
In Los Angeles, entertainment research firm MarketCast has acquired social media insights and analytics firm Fizziology, which also works with clients in the media and entertainment sectors. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In New York, The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has appointed Nielsen's former CRO Paul Donato as Chief Research Officer. He will take up the position on October 1st. More
Nielsen will add viewership of video content distributed on Facebook, Hulu and YouTube to its Digital Content Ratings solution, allowing TV and digital publisher clients to capture incremental viewing of their content in their reported audience numbers. More
WPP ad agency Grey has acquired a majority stake in Dubai-based hug digital, whose list of services includes digital and social media marketing, web site development, research and insights, and content and influencer marketing. Terms were not disclosed. More
Location-based audience data specialist Reveal Mobile has been awarded a US patent for its technology, which determines the specific location of a mobile device through beacon proximity activity, while also predicting where the device is likely to appear next. More
In the US, artificial intelligence influencer technology firm Influential has teamed up with The Story Lab, a part of Dentsu Aegis Network. The partners will use IBM Watson AI technology to help brands connect with their audiences through branded content. 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
In the US, B2B marketing analytics technology developer Bizible has raised $8.1m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to further develop its performance management solution and expand its team. 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
In the UK, Harris Interactive has launched PopUP Communities, powered by Toluna technology and offering quick and cost-effective insights. More
First-party mobile data specialist Pinsight Media has relocated to larger headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. More
Accenture Interactive, the management consultancy's customer experience arm, has acquired US marketing agency Wire Stone, adding data-driven customer insight and personalized services to its digital marketing capabilities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Cross-industry body The European Viewability Steering Group (EVSG) has launched a 'European Viewability Certification Framework', including a first set of viewability measurement principles. More
New York-based real-time audience analytics specialist Parse.ly has closed a $6.8m Series B funding round, which it will use to expand client capacity. More
In Belgium, relationship marketing solutions specialist Selligent has appointed former Salesforce COO John Hernandez as Chief Executive Officer, replacing founder Andre Lejeune who will remain on the Board of Directors. 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
In New York, GfK has appointed cross-platform media measurement specialist John Sollecito as EVP and Team Leader of Media & Entertainment. More
Manchester, UK-based consumer insight agency Join the Dots has appointed marketing strategist Tracey Hunter as Senior Client Director, while Martin Bryant joins as Client Director. More
Location-based mobile marketing company Verve has opened an office in Austin, Texas, where it has hired digital media exec Joe Tartaglia as Regional Sales Director. More
In London, digital research data firm Research Now has hired former McKinsey insights consultant Floriane Locatelli as Business Development Director for the EMEA region. More
VoC and social media intelligence agency Converseon has raised $5m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to scale its artificial intelligence-powered technology. More
Enterprise data and analytics company Acxiom has rolled out its 'people-based marketing' insights services and new omnichannel marketing capabilities in Australia. 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
In Singapore, customer insights agency SKIM has appointed Lester Sualog as Client Solutions Director, Asia, while transferring Paul Janssen from its New York office to take up the role of Vice President. More
Research software firm Confirmit has appointed Jason Mallia as Country Manager, overseeing operations in Australia and New Zealand. More
Digital data collection specialist Research Now has expanded its Healthcare sales team with the appointment of Nick Portaro, Michelle Haaf-Seifert and Erika Kopald. 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
Kantar Media is to integrate Facebook data into its Twitter TV Ratings tool, which will be renamed the Kantar Social TV Ratings tool. More
US-based holding company Information Services Group (ISG) has announced results for the second quarter and first half ended June 30th 2017, with revenues up 15 percent at constant currency to $68.0m, in part reflecting an acquisition in December. More
Video ad effectiveness specialist Tremor Video has agreed to sell its core video DSP business to Israel-based digital ad platform Taptica, for an effective price of $50m. More
WPP division GroupM is losing its North American CEO Brian Lesser to AT&T, where he will build and lead an advertising and analytics business, tapping the telecoms giant's customer data and DirecTV programmatic assets. More
Strategy and consulting firm Accenture has acquired marketing and sales capability consultancy Brand Learning, for an undisclosed sum. 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
Dennis Buchheim has been promoted to SVP and General Manager of the IAB's Tech Lab industry standards body, succeeding Alanna Gombert. More
In the UK, consumer collaboration specialist C Space has hired former BBC exec Zoe Cotter-Morton for the newly created role of Human Resources Director, driving its 'people strategy' and supporting growth. More
Loyalty and employee engagement specialist Maritz Motivation Solutions has appointed Drew Carter as President. More
Nielsen has acquired Israel-based vBrand, which has developed a machine learning-enabled platform for real-time sports sponsorship measurement, planning and data analytics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In New York, location data specialist Cuebiq has launched a tool called IoT Audiences, to help marketers identify which specific Internet of Things (IoT) devices consumers use. More
Social media analyst Crimson Hexagon has added proprietary image analysis technology to its offer, to help brands uncover insights contained in consumers' photos. More
In the US, privacy watchdog the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), urging it to halt Google's tracking of consumers' in-store purchases. More
Malaysian boutique MR agency Green Zebras has doubled its annual revenue to just over $1m, while appointing former TNS exec Fiona Wong as Research Manager, and Teena Harris as Research Associate. More
Targeting firm AcuityAds has partnered with enterprise data and analytics company Acxiom to help marketers improve their media targeting, ad relevancy and audience engagement initiatives. More
In the UK, management consultancy PwC has acquired Leeds and London-based boutique agency Optimisa Research for an undisclosed sum. 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
In Hong Kong, MR consultancy ABN Impact has appointed former YouGov co-CEO Patrick (Paddy) Corr as Executive Director for the Asia region. More
In Tel Aviv, Israel, competitor marketing intelligence firm BrandTotal has raised $2m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to add new data science and business development employees to an existing team of ten. More
In Australia, the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) and Nielsen have rolled out the latter's Digital Content Ratings (DCR), providing regional publishers, agencies and marketers with daily digital audience data for the first time. More
In New York, music industry execs Paul Conte and Camus Celli have set up a company called Truideation, offering campaign ideation and creation, and influence marketing, via a partnership with data science platform GRAPHIKA. More
US-based data-driven marketing firm MediaMath has appointed Pranjal Desai as Country Manager for India, following a recent partnership with digital media and branding business Zirca Digital Solutions. More
In London, marketing intelligence software firm Visual IQ has appointed former IBM exec Theresa Colarusso as Senior Vice President of Customer Success. More
Moscow-based web analytics platform Yandex.Metrica has launched a tool called Yandaex.Radar, which monitors search traffic and browser usage. More
New York-based hedge fund Starboard Value has bought a stake in comScore, aiming to force the company to schedule its first Annual General Meeting in two years. More
comScore has launched a data exploration and visualization platform called MyMetrix Explore, to help clients use consumer data to visualize and understand market trends and opportunities. More
Enterprise data and analytics company Acxiom and software giant Adobe have launched a solution called Connected Spaces, helping clients in retail, travel and leisure sectors to deliver real-time communications. More
Nielsen has reported a 3.0% increase in second quarter revenue to $1.644bn, equivalent to a 4.1% rise on a constant currency basis. In organic terms - excluding the acquisition of Gracenote - the quarter was almost flat. 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
Netherlands-based customer insights agency SKIM has opened an office in Gothenburg, Sweden on the campus of Chalmers University of Technology. More
In the US, technology specialist Forrester has reported a 1% fall in Research revenues for the three months ended June 30th, to $54.6m. However, a strong performance by the Advisory Services and Events division meant group revenue rose 2.2% to $87.8m. More
Customer engagement technology specialist Alterian has launched a tool called 'Chameleon, the Adaptive Customer Experience Platform', to help marketers adapt to customers' unpredictable behavior. 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
In Japan, eCommerce giant Rakuten has partnered with marcoms group Dentsu to establish a new company called Rakuten Data Marketing, combining their big data and mass media expertise and launching in October. More
US-based on-demand panel and sample company Innovate MR has opened an office in London, where it has appointed Brendan Russell to supervise its European sales strategy. More
US-based social media intelligence platform Synthesio has acquired Brussels, Belgium-based Social Karma, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, Evanston, Illinois-based marketing intelligence and omni-channel media buying specialist Leapfrog has hired Laurel McDowall as VP of Marketing Insights, overseeing teams for Strategy and Insights, Performance Analytics, and Decision Science. More
Nielsen has collaborated with Chinese eCommerce giant JD.com to launch a 'Multi-Touch Attribution' (MTA) offering in China, helping clients to assess the sales impact of their advertising and marketing investments. More
Former respondi UK MD Christopher Morasch has joined German-based mobile survey specialist Dalia Research as Head of Sales. More
Ad auditing firm Adloox has been accredited by the Media Rating Council (MRC) for its measures of desktop digital video viewable ad impressions, mobile web display served ad impressions, and mobile web SIVT (sophisticated invalid traffic). 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
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
Media and business intelligence firm Isentia has appointed Alex Yu as General Manager for Hong Kong, with the additional role of driving business development in the region. The company has also moved its Hong Kong operations to a larger office. More
IRI has launched a solution called Marketing Mix (MMX) 7x3, offering analytics capabilities based on its LIQUID MODELING platform to 'smaller' brands or those looking for a quick summary, at the lower price point of £7,000. Results are delivered to a client's inbox within three weeks. More
Audience data specialist Eyeota has partnered with native advertising tech platform Nativo to offer clients help using audience data to optimize native and content advertising campaigns worldwide. More
UK-based, kids-focused digital media platform SuperAwesome has received new growth capital - reportedly around £20m - from Mayfair Equity Partners. More
In Chicago, online MR crowdfunding platform Collaborata has appointed former ORC MD Jeffrey Resnick and Quester President Tim Hoskins as Strategic Advisors to its Board of Directors. More
Segment, a customer data platform with bases in San Francisco, New York and Vancouver, has raised $64m in a Series C round of funding, which it will invest in product development and the expansion of its team. More
In the UK, the House of Lords' recently formed Select Committee on Political Polling and Digital Media has announced a 'public call for evidence' on issues relating to the effects of political polling and digital media on politics. More
US-based mobile campaign analyst Kochava has acquired mobile app personalization platform MobileRQ, for an undisclosed sum. More
comScore has expanded its APAC team with the appointment of Adam Natiq as Head of Sales for Australia and New Zealand; Alan Jenner as Senior Product Manager; and Derek Wen as Client Services Manager. 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
Nielsen is adding its syndicated VOD Content Ratings service to its Media Impact planning solution, to enable clients to reach and monetize additional audiences which is says are often younger and more 'upscale'. More
WPP communications agency Grey has acquired Paris-based full service creative, technology, data and media agency Extręme-Sensio (Sensio) for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, MFour Mobile Research has hired Mike Gaffney for the newly created position of Chief Revenue Officer, overseeing its Sales and Marketing teams. More
In the UK, enterprise technology firm Thunderhead has added a feature called 'Audience' to its customer engagement platform, designed to uncover insight from every interaction in the customer journey. More
In the US, data activation platform Sizmek is to acquire predictive marketing software company Rocket Fuel for approximately $145m. More
UK-based online communities specialist Verve has launched a dedicated Innovation practice, for businesses seeking customer feedback on product and service design. More
WPP-owned digital data collection specialist Lightspeed has promoted Jennifer Carrea to the role of CEO Americas and Global Health, replacing David Shanker who is leaving to 'pursue new opportunities'. More
In the UK, insight and big data business Beyond Analysis and online customer intelligence provider Celebrus Technologies have teamed up to help organisations develop and act on customer insight generated by omnichannel businesses. 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
London-based full-service agency Acacia Avenue has launched its 'Namer' names test solution on ZappiStore's automated MR platform. More
In France, Eurodata TV Worldwide, the international division of French audience measurement firm Médiamétrie, is opening a Content Insight division led by Avril Blondelot. In addition, Florent Caręme has been promoted to the role of Head of Research. More
Retargeting technology company RTB House has opened an office in India, where it has appointed Kshitiz Randhir Shori to lead regional operations. 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
Israel-based digital ad platform Taptica has acquired a 57 percent share of Japanese mobile ad tech firm Adinnovation Inc. (ADI), for up to $5.7m. More
Emerging markets data collection firm Borderless Access has launched proprietary panels in Kenya & Vietnam. More
Audience sampling firm Innovate has moved to a larger office in Gurgaon, India, following what it calls 'incredible revenue growth over the last 12 months', and says it will continue with 'aggressive hiring' throughout the rest of 2017. More
In the US, trade body the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and its spin-off the IAB Tech Lab have hired former Lowenstein Sandler LLP Partner Michael Hahn to serve as their SVP and General Counsel. More
Research community and survey technology specialist Vision Critical has appointed former IBM exec Marco Bussadori to lead its North American Sales and Customer Success teams. More
In New York, data expert Michael Kaushansky has been named President of customer engagement agency Havas Helia in North America, alongside his existing role as Chief Data Officer of parent company the Havas Group. More
WPP-owned digital data collection specialist Lightspeed has been granted a US patent for its 'Honesty Detector' online respondent validation product. More
Location intelligence company Cuebiq has opened an office in San Francisco's SoMa district, where it has hired a team of martech, location and mobile SDK execs, led by former Tapad VP Sean Neems. More
Kantar Media has expanded its cross-platform ad intelligence capabilities with the addition of programmatic advertising data, initially available in the US and with roll-out planned for other key markets. More
In New York, the IAB Technology Laboratory has released an updated version of its podcast measurement guidelines, with the aim of establishing a common set of ad metrics for podcast advertisers. More
Nielsen has partnered with podcasting company Panoply Media to introduce audience targeting to podcasting for what the firms claim is the first time. More
Database giant Infogroup has launched a data-driven digital marketing agency called Constellation Media, offering a range of services for audience expansion; digital media strategy, planning, buying, and optimization; and advanced analytics. More
US-based mobile insights and ad platform UberMedia has acquired location intelligence and analytics company Cintric, which provides a picture of consumer behavior including dwell time in stores down to the minute. Terms were not disclosed. More
In New York, ad industry trade association the 4A's has hired Louis Jones as Executive Vice President, in charge of its Media and Data Practice. More
WPP division Wunderman has launched an artificial intelligence division, tasked with developing enterprise-grade AI solutions for marketers across customer care, acquisition and retention, and product development. More
In the UK, digital communications group Next15 has made its second purchase of the week - this time acquiring B2B MR consultancy Circle Research through its data and insights subsidiary, MIG Global Limited (MIG). The initial consideration is £5.21m. More
In the UK, digital marcoms group Next 15 has acquired data-driven B2B content marketing strategy firm Velocity Partners for an initial consideration of c.£5.9m. More
In Australia, ticketing, live entertainment and data analytics company TEG has hired former Dentsu Aegis exec Mazen Kassis for the newly created role of Managing Director of Data, Digital and Technology. More
UK-based media and marketing insights firm Ebiquity has launched a served called Total View Attribution, helping clients assess which media channels and campaigns are most effective and warrant increased investment. More
Kantar has launched a new service integrating consumer insights and behavioral data from across its portfolio with shopper and media data, allowing clients to 'fully leverage the studies they run with Kantar for targeting purposes'. More
Local audience data specialist Eyeota has partnered with YouGov to provide clients with an extensive database of consumer opinion and behavior data spanning the US, the UK and Germany. 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
UK-based Firefish has appointed former Flamingo exec Eric Paice as a Director in its US office, based in Brooklyn, NY. More
UK-based publishing group Centaur Media Plc is set to dispose of its Home Interest business for £32m, and to acquire business telemarketing agency MarketMakers for an initial £13.4m, thus sharpening its focus on b2b information, insights and events. More
Audience measurement body BARC India has appointed Nielsen India as its primary digital measurement partner, as it looks to build its 'EKAM' cross-channel measurement solution. More
comScore has become the first company to receive ABC certification for a video viewability measurement, based on JICWEBS industry agreed standards. The measure sits within the company's validated Campaign Essentials tool (vCE). More
WPP has merged its digital ad agency POSSIBLE with the older and larger Wunderman. POSSIBLE, formed only in 2011, will continue to operate as a standalone brand within its new home. More
Berlin-based customer intelligence provider Webtrekk has named freenet CEO Christoph Vilanek as Chairman of the Board, with an eye to 'explosive growth'. More
In Germany, WPP's digital ad targeting specialist plista has promoted Michel Gagnon to the role of Global Managing Director, replacing Jana Kusick who has stepped down for personal reasons. More
Paris-based AI-driven marketing platform Tinyclues has appointed former RichRelevance exec Matthieu Chouard as Senior Vice President Sales EMEA, charged with 'dramatically accelerating growth'. More
Social media analysis and management firm Buzzlogix has upgraded its app to give users 'full fingertip access to their social media activities and campaigns from anywhere at any time'. More
Data-driven CRM and performance marketing agency Merkle has acquired UK-based big data analytics firm Aquilla Insight. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the Netherlands, the joint industry committee responsible for the national readership survey has hired GfK to integrate brand consumption data from newspapers and magazines with that from online published media. More
Havas Media has launched a division called Socialyse Influence, which will monitor all client influencer campaigns, and ensure they are accurately measured. More
In London, advertising and digital transformation agency R/GA has hired Hanan Belarbi for the newly created role of Head of Data, EMEA. More
Berlin-based JustWatch, which collects anonymous user data about the movie taste and purchasing behavior of more than 75 million movie fans, has hired former Sony Pictures SVP Aaron Wahle to lead its Los Angeles office. More
Silicon Valley-based software developer SugarCRM has launched a tool called Hint, designed to automatically gather and analyze customer intelligence from a broad range of social media data sources. More
Mobile audience targeting specialist Go2mobi has added a retargeting feature to its demand-side platform. More
Apple has acquired German eye tracking company SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI) for an undisclosed sum. More
The UK's Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards (JICWEBS) is changing from a part-time entity into a limited company operating full-time, in a bid to tackle online ad fraud and promote brand safety. More
In New York, digital marketing agency and online buzz measurement specialist iCrossing has promoted Mike Parker to the role of President, replacing Nick Brien who was recently named CEO of Dentsu Aegis Americas. More
comScore has rolled out an expanded version of its MMX Multi-Platform and Mobile Metrix in Malaysia, with the introduction of mobile consumer panel data. More
UK-based consumer insight agency Join the Dots has launched a dedicated qualitative research unit under the new brand name of Spirit. More
Location data marketing platform NinthDecimal has acquired mobile audience platform MoLOGIQ, giving it 'the largest mobile device reach of any location intelligence company in the US'. The buyer firm has also launched a 'Labs' team to focus on developing new solutions. More
Retail and OTC health data giant IRI has launched a suite of tools for personalized marketing. The IRI Personalization Suite also promises to allow users to 'definitively' measure and optimize ad spend effectiveness. 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
Consumer-generated content and personalization specialist Bazaarvoice has launched Brand Edge, a tool to help marketers collect reviews and ratings and distribute them to its network of retail e-commerce sites. More
comScore has launched a service called Extended Video, in China. This delivers programme-level insights into online video consumption, including content viewed, who is watching and levels of engagement, on a weekly and daily basis. 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
Social media intelligence specialist Brandwatch has unveiled an image recognition platform that it says can track and analyze any logo. More
UK-based data and analytics consultancy MESH has partnered with antipodean shopper consultancy 3Feet to bring the former's Real-time Experience Tracking (RET) methodology and experience metrics to Australia and New Zealand. More
'Poly-cultural' market research and consulting firm Culturati Research & Consulting, Inc. has launched a segmentation model called The Cultural Mosaic, breaking down the US consumer population by cultural mindset and social values. More
Social media ad targeting firm RadiumOne has been acquired by San Francisco ad tech firm RhythmOne, for a reported $22m of which three quarters will be paid in shares at a future date. RhythmOne has also announced a change of CEO. 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
Consumer panels firm Netquest has appointed Johnny Caldwell as MD of a new company, Netquest UK. More
WPP agencies POSSIBLE and Mindshare have linked up to launch an integrated marketing and commerce offer to help companies optimise their investments across the various platforms of online shopping giant Amazon. More
New York-based personalized content and insights provider Outbrain has laid off 4 percent of its global workforce, mostly in the US, according to reports. The move reflects a shift in emphasis from site editorial tools towards programmatic ad systems. More
Nielsen has unveiled a 'Connected System' promising FMCG and retail decision-makers analysis of 'what's happening in the market from every angle', and designed to 'foster collaboration and align organizations'. The System integrates Nielsen data with data from partner companies. More
Location data specialist Cuebiq has expanded its footprint to China via an exclusive partnership with big data-focused mobile Internet firm GeTui. More
Environics Analytics (EA) has acquired the business and assets of Research Solutions Inc. (RSI), also based in the city - both are based in Toronto, Canada. More
Suzy Aronstam, a Director of UK-based agency Future Thinking, died peacefully on Sunday 18th June, after a period of illness. More
In the Republic of Ireland, PR industry body the PRII has asked competition regulators to intervene in Kantar Media's acquisition of family-owned Newsaccess, and compel the WPP firm to divest part of its Irish business. More
Content and revenue protection firm Verimatrix has acquired the MiriMON real-time insight technology and development team from UK-based GfK company Genius Digital, with whom it will remain partners. More
Atlanta, GA-based customer data platform Synthio, Inc. has raised finance to the tune of $10.5m, for use in growing its platform and products, marketing, sales and customer success teams. More
Amsterdam-based software company Upinion has launched a new messaging app for use in market research, exploiting the rise of messaging tools like WhatsApp and consumers' familiarity and comfort with using them. More
Research associations ESOMAR, AGOF and EFAMRO have combined with three broadcasting and publishing associations to form a new Coalition for Audience Measurement, supporting the EU as it considers reform of it ePrivacy Directive. More
Nielsen has begun measuring ads on YouTube's mobile app, within its Digital Ad Ratings service, completing its cross-device coverage of YouTube viewing. For the moment, the service is available only in the US. More
Marketing data specialist Acxiom has been issued five new patents for data processing and management technology, reinforcing its focus on people-based marketing and ethical data use. More
UK television broadcaster Channel 4 has appointed Ben Marsden as Head of Audience Research and Insight. He will take up the role in mid-July, replacing Leonie Hodge who is leaving to work as a consultant. More
In the US, MR tech developer iModerate has launched a fast turnaround research approach called (iM)mediate, which promises to deliver insights in as little as five days. More
In the US, WPP-owned digital data collection specialist Lightspeed has launched a mobile engagement app called LifePoints, to provide clients with 'in the moment' access to consumers. More
In the US, former Experian execs Lindsey Harju and Brienna Pinnow have launched a company called Blinc Digital Group, which will offer a data-centric approach to help clients with their product and marketing development strategies. More
In the US, mobile app intelligence provider Apptopia has hired former DataXu exec Amit Phansalkar as Chief Data Officer. More
WPP has acquired a minority stake in US-based mobile display ad specialist Celtra, whose AdCreator tool provides viewability metrics across both in-app and mobile web environments. Unilever is another participant in the $15m financing round. More
US-based Prosper Insights & Analytics has launched the Alibaba Shopper Intelligence service, providing data on customers of the Chinese eCommerce company. More
Marketing software giant Adobe has launched a solution for the automated, data-driven planning and buying of TV advertising, enabling brands to use their first-party audience data to better target linear ads. More
London-based mobile marketing company Verve has acquired German proximity-based push marketing specialist matchinguu for an undisclosed sum. More
Swedish firm Tobii Pro has launched a tool which extends eye tracking research to non-game virtual environments. More
In the US, boutique firm Mindseye Research Group has appointed former Invoke Solutions exec Kathy Alexander as Vice President, focused on designing custom solutions to optimize brand development, marcoms, audience targeting, and new concept introduction. More
UK-based marcoms business Next15 is merging its two research brands, Morar Consulting and HPI. The new Morar HPI will employ around 60 people and will be headed up by Julian Dailly as Managing Director. More
comScore's Chief Technology Officer Michael Brown is to leave the company, as a restructuring exercise combines the technology and product teams into a group reporting to COO Cameron Meierhoefer - according to a filing. 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
US-based audience analytics firm Samba TV has secured another $30m of funding, earmarked for international expansion and the launch of 'a variety of transformative products in the media and advertising industry'. More
CRM software giant Salesforce has enhanced its Einstein product with the addition of a portfolio of advanced analytics tools for non-specialist users. More
comScore has expanded its MMX Multi-Platform measurement and upgraded its Mobile Metrix offer, in both Germany and China - the latter in partnership with Kantar JV CTR Market Research. More
In Australia, Leon Bombotas, formerly Head of Data at ad agency Ogilvy, has launched his own firm, Newsroom.ly, combining web analytics, AI and data-science to help clients measure the impact of their content. More
Australia-based media monitoring group Isentia is reportedly challenging competitor firm Meltwater Australia in a Federal Court, claiming its MD and others have breached its contracts and defrauded local publishers. More
Location technology firm xAd has changed its name to GroundTruth, reflecting its 'evolution from a company focused on the advertising industry to a company empowering businesses through media and data'. More
Location-based marketing solutions provider Rippll has announced a partnership with digital ID specialist Adbrain. The firms will combine cross-platform consumer insights with real time footfall data, helping clients to understand each customer's journey and behaviour. 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
US investment advisory company The Stagwell Group has acquired Nielsen's Mobile Insights Survey and Total Communications Survey, which will relaunch under the name HarrisX. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the UK, insight and ad agency System 1 Group has announced that its Chief Operating Officer Alex Batchelor is leaving the business, as the role is being split into two, non-Board positions. More
WPP's audience intelligence and activation solution [m]PLATFORM has promoted Jenny Bullis to Global Chief Strategy Officer, with a seat on the platform's global executive committee. She will move to the new role over the next few months. More
Nielsen has launched what it describes as the first-ever audio data management platform (DMP), which connects radio formats to real off-line purchase data for 'highly specific radio audience targeting'. More
In London, marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network has appointed Mark Keddie as its first Global Data Protection Officer, ahead of the new GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) which governs the general use and privacy of EU citizens' data. More
Czech Republic-based social media analytics firm Socialbakers has appointed Yuval Ben-Itzhak as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Robert Lang who left in April. The firm has also re-appointed investor Martin Huml as President and COO. More
High profile behavior change company Cambridge Analytica has hired former Republican party execs Ben Shankle and Laquan Austion to jointly lead its political operations in Washington D.C. More
Digital data solutions provider Research Now has hired Fergus Clarke as Regional Director of Southeast Asia, responsible for developing regional business, and leading markets across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Korea. More
In New York, influencer marketing specialist SYLO has launched a standardized reporting service, to calculate individual 'SYLO Scores' based on every piece of content posted by influencers across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. More
In the US, consumer audience creation and data giant IRI has appointed former dunnhumby exec Nishat Mehta as President of its Media Center of Excellence. He will replace Srishti Gupta, who has moved to a senior position at Amazon. More
Digital media measurement firm Verto Analytics has launched a product called Audience Profiles, which promises publishers in the US and Europe data on consumer behavior, demographics and device usage, plus competitive insights all in one package. More
comScore has expanded its Board of Directors from seven people to twelve. The new arrivals are Lisa Gersh, Joshua Peirez, Mark Harris, Jacques Kerrest and Susan Riley. 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
Another UK General Election has come and gone, with winners and losers amongst the survey firms as well as the politicians. Once again most people seem to be stunned by the result; while the adjustments made after the last election look like the key reason they didn't get this one broadly right. Who'd be a pollster? More
France-based market intelligence solutions provider Ubiquick Group has acquired Australian telecoms industry research firm Paul Budde Communications (BuddeComm), for an undisclosed sum. More
US-based behavioral targeting technology firm AudienceScience has gone into receivership, less than a month after losing the contract it held with Procter & Gamble for nearly a decade. More
In the US, marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network has rolled out M1, a people-based insights, planning, activation and measurement platform. John Lee, Chief Product and Data Officer of subsidiary company Merkle, will lead the initiative as President of M1 globally. More
In the US, business intelligence solutions firm Prosper Insights & Analytics has appointed John Sydnor as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. More
In London, software developer We Are Personal (WAP) has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) ad campaign personalisation tool, through which marketers can dynamically change their entire web site to match each user's needs. More
In the US, social media management and online community solutions provider Lithium Technologies has agreed to be acquired by Vista Equity Partners for an undisclosed sum. More
More than a fifth (21.3%) of WPP investors voted against or abstained on the issue of CEO Sir Martin Sorrell's £48m pay package, at yesterday's AGM. However, this was an improvement on the 34% of investors who rejected the pay deal last year, and almost 60% who were against it in 2012. More
In the US, mobile-based consumer engagement and insights firm UBMobile has launched a 'Gesture-Based Surveys' platform (GBS), using mobile device actions such as dragging, swiping, tapping, and capturing images and videos. More
In the US, online survey software provider QuestionPro has launched a new tool called Forms, which uses the firm's existing platform to create surveys that are completed through an interactive chatbot. More
In New York, former Ipsos Connect exec Lakshmi Madabhushi has re-joined the group in its Ipsos Marketing division, in the newly created role of Chief Innovation Officer. More
US-based cross-media marketing technology specialist Tapad has appointed Sigvart Voss Eriksen as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Are Traasdahl who is moving into the advisory role of Chairman Emeritus. 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
Snap Inc., the parent company of photo and video-sharing app Snapchat, has acquired location-based ad targeting firm Placed in a deal reported to be worth more than $200m. More
In London, WPP digital data collection arm Lightspeed has promoted Leon De Koning to the newly created role of VP, Client Sales EMEA, overseeing strategic account planning and client services, and expanding the business development team. He will also oversee three new EMEA vertical divisions. More
US-based TV attention measurement company TVision Insights has launched 'Creative Performance Score', which helps brands to evaluate the impact of the creative they use across commercials, on a second-by-second, person-level basis. More
Paris-based mass media conglomerate Vivendi has entered into an official agreement to buy Bolloré Group's c.60% majority stake in multinational marcoms group Havas, at a price of EUR 9.25 per share. 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
US marketing services agency Periscope has acquired data-driven business Anthem Marketing Solutions for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, emerging market news and analysis platform REDD Intelligence has promoted co-founder Valeria Girimonte to Group Chief Executive, managing the business from its offices in Silicon Valley and New York. More
In New York, video ad technology and targeting company Tremor Video has appointed former Nielsen exec Mark Zagorski as Chief Executive Officer. More
California-based predictive marketing firm AgilOne has launched a Customer Data and Engagement Hub, through which marketers can create a single customer profile, apply predictive intelligence to customer data, and run omni-channel personalization initiatives. 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
WPP agency Wunderman has acquired digital transformation consultancy The Cocktail, based in Spain. More
Ad group Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired Stockholm, Sweden-based digital analytics and conversion company Outfox. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, WPP's advertising, marcoms, media and brand equity research specialist Kantar Millward Brown, has partnered with TV insights firm Samba TV, to launch what the pair describe as the 'most precise single-source measurement solution for television advertising effectiveness'. More
In the US, MFour Mobile Research and Kantar Added Value have partnered to launch a mobile ad testing solution for Facebook and other social media sites. More
In the US, retail platform StepsAway has launched a tool called SAKairos, to help brick-and-mortar stores use customer database analytics combined with individual stores' Wi-Fi streaming data to generate and send real-time personalized offers to shoppers' smartphones. More
New York-based cross-platform social media video analytics software firm Delmondo has released new features to help publishers and advertisers better measure their videos across all social media platforms and devices. The firm also announced three senior appointments. More
Eye-tracking tech firm Tobii has acquired Sticky, which uses webcam-based eye tracking technology to measure ad effectiveness. The deal will be financed with an undisclosed amount of cash, with an option to provide part of the consideration in Tobii shares. 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 Los Angeles, mobile performance feedback platform Embrace.io has launched out of beta with a $2.5m round of seed funding. More
In Australia, artificial intelligence specialist Jemsoft is being sued by former JV partner Karen Nelson-Feld, who reportedly received no warning of its recent acquisition by Internet of Things firm Xped. More
In the UK, WPP-owned digital data collection specialist Lightspeed has appointed former Kantar exec Hannah Soar as Director, Business Transformation, responsible for developing, supporting and influencing strategic behavioural change management efforts. More
In the US, B2B review platform G2 Crowd has closed a $30m series B funding round, which it will use to expand its global community of contributors. More
In the US, a new industry body called the Social Media Research Association (SMRA) has been set up, to develop best practices to measure and responsibly use social media as a source for insights. 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 New York, WPP has promoted Anas Ghazi to Chief Executive Officer of its Data Alliance business. He replaces Nick Nyhan, who will remain on the Board. More
UK-based market intelligence firm The Business Research Company has relocated its Hyderabad, India team to a larger office in the city, where it plans to increase staff numbers from 70 to 150 in the coming months. More
South African researchers have received the go-ahead to replace The South African Audience Research Foundation (SAARF) with a new Marketing Research Foundation, tasked with delivering an audience currency to replace the country's discontinued AMPS measure. More
Las Vegas-based OfferCraft, which provides artificial intelligence-driven behavior modification and develops gamification software, is expanding into Asia. More
South African researchers aim to replace industry association SAARF with a new Marketing Research Foundation, which will deliver an audience currency to replace the country's discontinued AMPS (All Media and Products Survey) measure. More
In the US, multicultural marketing data software provider Ethnic Technologies has launched a new product called ACCESS India, helping marketers to connect with Indian consumers in North America, in ten distinct language and cultural groups. More
Israel-based online ad company Matomy has launched a data-driven premium private marketplace (PPM) on its MobFox mobile supply side platform and exchange, allowing advertisers to acquire traffic and target mobile audiences. More
Former shareholders of Rentrak could receive around $19m to settle claims relating to the effect on share price of comScore's accounting investigation last year. The proposed settlement is currently seeking preliminary approval from a judge in Oregon. 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
Facebook has been fined EUR 110 million by the European Commission, for providing misleading information when it acquired WhatsApp, in 2014. More
Business information and events group Informa has expanded and restructured its Business Intelligence division, as it combines with the brands and businesses acquired from New York-based Penton Information Services last November. More
In the US, deterministic match data specialist Traverse has raised $1m in funding, which it will use for new product launches and to hire additional sales staff. More
Consumer intelligence specialist NGDATA has acquired New York-based business data management and analytics consultancy Eccella for an undisclosed sum. More
Data-driven business intelligence consultancy Future Thinking and its data science sister agency GemSeek have opened an office in Dubai. More
In New York, data management platform (DMP) Lotame has partnered with ad research specialist Survata to create a solution called Segment Validation, offering what it calls a 'universal ratings currency' for the digital advertising sector. 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
Kantar Millward Brown has partnered with location data specialist Cuebiq, to create a new tool that helps marketers measure the off-line ROI of their advertising. More
Nielsen is planning to install nearly 15,000 television audience meters in approximately 7,000 homes across the 140 markets currently measured by Local TV paper diaries. 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
New York-based Geopath, which was formerly known as the Traffic Audit Bureau for Media Measurement, has partnered with marketing tech firm Ayuda[x] to power its new OOH (out-of-home) audience measurement solution. More
Content discovery and personalization platform Outbrain has launched a tool called Lookalike Audiences, to help marketers reach and engage with new people who are likely to be interested in a business because they 'look similar' to existing customers. More
International communication consultancy Leidar has hired former Brunswick Research exec Phil Riggins to lead its Brand and Reputation practice, whose approach combines opinion research, digital analytics and campaign methodologies. 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
Nielsen has expanded its measure of Twitter mobile campaigns to 23 new markets, adding to the US where it was launched last year. More
In Austria, marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired full-service media agency media.at, which provides consulting, research and data analysis relating to comms strategy, ad planning and buying, and ad verification. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, digital ad management company Sizmek has appointed Volker Hatz as its first Chief Data Officer (CDO), while Kees de Jong joins as General Manager of APAC. More
Paris-based mass media conglomerate Vivendi has made an offer to buy a EUR 2.36 billion stake in ad group Havas from Chairman Vincent Bolloré, valuing Havas at EUR 9.25 per share. More
US technology publisher TechTarget and B2B big data firm HG Data have partnered to provide sales and marketing teams with access to combined purchase intent and technology install data. More
Former dunnhumby CEO Simon Hay has joined the Board of Stockholm-based brand tracking researcher Nepa. More
comScore has launched a syndicated service called OTT Intelligence, to measure US household viewing of over-the-top (OTT) content on television screens. More
In the UK, a citizen-led non-partisan group led by Sam Jeffers and Louis Knight-Webb has launched a plug-in tool called Who Targets Me? (WTM), to identify which political parties are targeting individuals through their Facebook feeds. More
US advertising and brand research specialist Ameritest has appointed former Ipsos exec Emily Higgins as Vice President, Client Services in its Chicago office. More
Mobile data exchange adsquare has extended its data portfolio with the addition several first-party proximity data providers, to offer more precise location-based targeting. More
In Canada, data-driven marketing and loyalty analytics company Aimia, which owns the Nectar loyalty card program, has appointed David Johnston as Group Chief Executive, following the retirement of Rupert Duchesne. More
In the US, customer targeting specialist eRelevance has completed a $5.1m round of funding, which it will use to expand sales and marketing teams and drive its product development programs. More
Havas Group's OOH and geolocation-based communications division Adcity has launched a cross-device audience planning solution called mOOHbile. More
In the US, digital market intelligence company SimilarWeb has appointed author and consumer insights specialist Dr Stephen Kraus as Chief of Insights. More
Chicago-based private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners (MDP) has hired former Nielsen Holdings Global President John Lewis as an Executive Partner, to help it identify investment opportunities across the data and business analytics sectors. More
Digital data collection specialist Research Now has launched an automated research solution called SmartAR, promising completed surveys in a matter of days. More
Twitter has partnered with Tesco data firm dunnhumby, to help FMCG brands quantify how their investment in its targeted advertising impacts on sales. More
WPP-owned digital agency POSSIBLE has acquired data-driven eCommerce agency Marketplace Ignition, which uses research and impact analysis to advise clients on how to grow their business on Amazon and other online marketplaces. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In New York, data platform SimpleReach has raised $13.3m in a round of funding, and has named Hal Muchnick as CEO, replacing founder Edward Kim who will become Executive Chairman. Healthguru Media founder Joshua Silberstein joins the company as President. More
In the US, mobile data exchange Twine Data has completed a $4.5m Series A round of funding, which it will use to expand its sales and marketing initiatives, and accelerate product development. More
UK-based consumer insight agency Join the Dots has been acquired by its senior management team from founders and previous majority shareholders Pete and Trish Comley. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Singapore-based private equity firm Tan Capital Partners has spent an undisclosed sum to acquire the mobile survey technology of Los Angeles-based Osurv. Tan will use the software for CX purposes within its chain of 800 Asian hotels. More
Australia's embattled Audited Media Association has dropped quarterly publication of its circulation data for newspapers and weekly magazines, and will now report it six-monthly. More
Loss-making Israeli online ad targeting company Matomy Media Group has announced it will henceforth focus its resources on programmatic mobile and video advertising, and domain monetization, exiting 'a broad range of other activities'. More
Australian TV audience measurement body OzTAM has appointed Richard Herring as independent Chairman, replacing Michael Anderson who has served in the role since 2011 and has decided to focus on his new role as CEO of MediaWorks New Zealand. More
In Australia, Omnicom analytics division Annalect has appointed Daniela Elia as Head of Marketing Science. Also joining are Adam Krass as Head of Technology, Nagendra Jayaram as Head of Reporting, and Anthony Tomasello as Head of Ad Operations. More
In London, survey platform Attest has hired former Vizeum exec Chrissy Totty as Insight Champion, with a remit to help clients understand consumer motivations and behaviour; and has appointed Mark Walker as Marketing Director. More
In the UK, digital audience platform MPP Global has raised £12m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to expand into new geographic markets and further develop its technology. The firm has also appointed former Mimecast COO Keith Wallington as Chairman. More
In the US, mobile-first research tech company MFour has appointed Rob Chrone as Chief Financial Officer - former CFO Shane Rothenberger moves to the position of Senior Vice President of Finance. More
In the US, mobile app technology specialist AdAction has launched a solution called Action Discover, providing analysis of the app user lifecycle. More
Mobile survey technology provider OnePoint Global has launched In-App, a mobile survey solution which collects feedback from inside an existing customer app, regardless of whether consumers are online or off-line. More
New York-based Integral Ad Science (IAS) has partnered with a group of unnamed companies to launch a solution which will determine and measure how viewable exposure time and frequency play a role in converting consumer attention into action. More
Data and marketing services firm Acxiom has partnered with social media data platform ShareThis to enable brands to better target 'highly interested' consumers at the right time and through the right channel. More
Nielsen has enhanced its Social Content Ratings platform with the ability to analyse engagement with content posted by owned accounts associated with a program, versus organic accounts from the general viewing audience. More
Omnicom-owned brand and communications research consultancy Hall & Partners has promoted Soumya Roy to Chief Executive Officer of its New York operation. More
Media researcher Laurel Weir has been named Senior Vice President of Research for Viacom brands Paramount Network, TV Land and CMT. Her role includes overseeing consumer insights, trend forecasting and multiplatform measurement. More
In the US, accountancy and consulting firm Deloitte has acquired omni-channel personalized data analytics and data-driven campaign management company Web Decisions for an undisclosed sum. More
Hispanic media giant Univision Communications Inc (UCI) has hired media research veteran Steve McGowan as Senior Vice President, Corporate Research, a role including strategic analysis and support for network management, programming and ad sales. More
UK-based cart abandonment analytics and personalisation specialist Yieldify has raised $6m in its second funding round. More
Los Angeles-based influencer marketing platform CreatorIQ has raised an undisclosed amount of Series A funding, which it will use to expand its research, analytics and business development efforts. 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
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
In the US, research-led sales and marketing services company Maritz has appointed Charlotte Blank as Chief Behavioral Officer (CBO), tasked with leading its thought leadership, research, and the application of behavioral science. More
In Australia, Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired data-driven customer experience and personalisation agency Accordant. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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
Webtrends CEO Joe Davis has left the company following the sale of its Infinity big data platform to Oracle. His replacement is former CFO Mike Laber. 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
Microsoft is to offer audience customisation to users of its Bing Ads service, allowing marketers to integrate their own firms' first-party data through a DMP. More
San Diego, California-based data collection agency Branded Research has expanded into full service research with the opening of an insights department, led by former Nielsen exec Kristen Miles. 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
WPP Digital has acquired Pittsburgh, PA-based Deeplocal, an in-house innovation studio focused on product development, design and engineering. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Social media intelligence specialist Brandwatch has expanded its relationship with Twitter, with teams working more closely together to bring new innovations to market. More
Nielsen has reported first quarter revenues of $1.5 billion, up 3.2% after excluding the impact of exchange rate fluctuations. The result was driven by a strong performance in the Watch media research division, while the Buy side saw a decline. More
comScore is to offer a free viewability measurement service, with data for display video, and mobile inventory compatible with metrics from its flagship vCE service. More
UK-based video data mining specialist LivingLens has partnered with Qualtrics to make its video capture and analysis available on the latter's Experience Management Platform. More
Customer analytics firm Flytxt has closed an $11m round of funding, which it will invest in expansion of its telecom industry software product and to expand the solution into other verticals. More
In the UK, online retail giant Amazon has launched a personalised shopping service incorporating weather data. The system will suggest relevant summer items based on the weather conditions where a customer lives. More
In Edinburgh, tech entrepreneur Patrick Clover has launched a firm called BlackBX, offering 'legal guest Wi-Fi' which gathers raw data on a venue's customers and helps businesses engage with them. More
In London, WPP-owned brand activation agency Geometry Global has moved UK CEO Sarah Todd to the role of Head of Shopper Marketing EMEA. Her previous role will be filled by M&C Saatchi Shop founder and former MD Michelle Whelan. More
US research and advisory firm BIA/Kelsey and comScore have partnered to deliver an integrated view of a TV station's position in the local video marketplace. More
In the US, business technology specialist Pitney Bowes has set up a cross-company Data Practice, to help clients use location-based data to accelerate their digital transformation. More
WPP China CEO Bessie Lee is leaving the business after 27 years, to focus on her startup incubator firm Withinlink, which invests in areas such as big data analytics, Internet of Things, social media and mobile advertising. She will be replaced by former GroupM China CEO Patrick Xu. More
In the Philippines, Kantar Media has promoted Jay Bautista to the role of Managing Director, based in Manila. More
Nielsen has begun working with Audiweb, the Italian Online Joint Industry Committee, on the terms of an agreement for further development of the country's audience measurement system. More
US-based mobile campaign analyst Kochava has launched a no-cost app analytics platform, through which users can track consumers' mobile behaviour throughout the entire campaign lifecycle. More
comScore has rolled out its MMX Multi-Platform service in India, where it has also added data from its recently launched mobile consumer panel to Mobile Metrix. Both tools combine responses from desktop and mobile panels with data from the comScore census network. More
In the US, video technology, analytics and monetization firm Ooyala has appointed software industry veteran Jonathan Huberman as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Ramesh Srinivasan who left the company last November. More
Following its recent acquisition of media and entertainment data provider Gracenote, Nielsen is formally adopting the latter's 'IDs' as the standard content identifier across all its audience measurement solutions. 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
Media and marketing analytics firm Ebiquity has rolled out its digital ad intelligence platform Portfolio Digital in the UK, following its launch in Australia at the beginning of the year. More
Netherlands-based customer feedback software developer Mopinion has launched a feature which captures and analyses visual online feedback, helping clients to improve overall web site usability and further optimise user experience. 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
In the US, software giant Oracle has acquired digital ad analytics and viewability measurement specialist Moat. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, public sector-focused research provider Abt Associates has combined the capabilities of its Abt SRBI survey and research unit with its Client Technology Center, to create a new arm called the Data Science, Surveys and Enabling Technologies division. 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
Nielsen has become a member of Google's newly launched Marketing Mix Model Partner program, allowing it to collect Google advertising impression and spend data directly from the search engine. More
UK market research budgets appear to have fallen for the seventh quarter in a row, according to the latest Bellwether Report by the IPA. However, respondents were very positive indeed about other marketing spend. More
In the US, advertising, brand and pricing intelligence specialist Market Track has been sold to private equity firm Vista Equity Partners by its former owner Aurora Capital Group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In India, marcoms network Dentsu Aegis has acquired digital agency SVG Media, whose brands include audience measurement specialist Komli, digital platform DGM, and data targeting business Seventynine. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
comScore is adding Facebook demographic metrics to its validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) measurement suite, tracking display and video ads that run on desktop and mobile platforms on Facebook, Instagram, and the Facebook Audience Network. 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
US-based survey technology firm Qualtrics has raised $180m in a Series C round of funding, valuing the business at $2.5 billion. More
Pricing intelligence specialist Market Track has acquired Ottawa-based competitor 360pi for an undisclosed sum. More
Recently launched online self-service MR platform Research Engine has added a tool called 'Emotion Video Test', which tracks basic emotions in those watching videos. More
UK-based video insight specialist Voxpopme has upgraded its visual storytelling tool Showreel Generator. Image slides and colour schemes can now be added, allowing clients to include their brand's look and feel in any output they produce. 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
In the US, comScore co-founder and CEO Gian Fulgoni has joined a $1.5m round of investment in social media display network UPshow, which will use the funds to grow its team, accelerate product development and expand sales into new markets. More
In the US, targeted TV ad specialist FlySwipe has developed a technology that uses facial recognition and big data to determine which ad to place in front of a TV audience, based on its balance of gender and age. More
Dentsu Aegis Network's full service digital marketing agency Isobar has launched a fast-turnaround version of its proprietary neuroscience product MindSight, designed to help understand the emotions used to decode complex human responses. More
In the US, customer engagement company LiquidHub has appointed Kristi Rose Barron as Director of Panel Procurement, while Anand Raghunath joins as Lead Project Manager. More
In the US, television attention measurement company TVision Insights has hired Nielsen veteran Mark Green as Chief Strategy Officer. More
Lookout Online founder Bruce Ritch is joining panel, data management and ops firm Gazelle Global as Director of Insight Solutions. More
TV audience rating body BARC India is rolling out a suite of digital measurement products called EKAM (Sanskrit for 'one'), to provide the industry with a single platform for measurement across TV and digital. 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
Nielsen has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its viewability integrations with Integral Ad Science and Moat. The awards cover desktop display and video viewable GRP estimates in Digital Ad Ratings for age 13+ demographics. More
comScore is adding Twitter ad metrics - including demographics, reach, frequency and GRPs - to its validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) measurement solution. More
Prague-based Socialbakers has launched an 'all-in-one' social media analytics, management and performance solution. More
In the US, ad targeting specialist Unlockd has appointed former Twitter APAC VP Aliza Knox as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing international expansion and global operations. She takes up her new role tomorrow. 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
London-based Attest, whose platform promises clients the ability to do a lot more market research, quicker, has secured a further $3.1m in funding. More
Clear, the brand and marketing strategy company within ad agency group M&C Saatchi, has opened an office in Los Angeles, its first on the US west coast. The office will be led by consumer tech expert Ki Choi, and signals expansion into the booming sector. More
Austin, Texas-based digital audience measurement specialist Umbel has promoted Lisa Pearson to the role of Chief Executive Officer, while appointing Iser Cukierman as Chief Financial Officer. More
In the UK, full service insight and innovation consultancy FreshMinds has appointed four new members of staff at its London-based offices. It has also promoted Steven Martin, James Wallis and Sofia Savage to Senior Consultant. More
The four founders of Stockholm-based brand tracking researcher Nepa have sold 14.7% of the business to a range of Swedish institutional investors. More
MR software firm Remesh has raised $2.25m in a seed funding round, and will use it to further develop its artificial intelligence technology and expand its development and research teams. 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
Data-driven CRM and performance marketing agency Merkle has expanded its European operations and data offerings through the acquisition of Spanish digital intelligence consultancy DIVISADERO. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Academic publisher SAGE has partnered with the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Bath to launch the Public Data Lab, which will facilitate research, engagement and public debate around the future of the data society. More
In the US, digital analytics specialist Webtrends has sold its Infinity big data platform to software giant Oracle for an undisclosed sum. As part of the deal, just under half of Webtrends' employees will move to Oracle during the next few months. More
Vienna-based community platform Talk Online Panel has appointed former Lightspeed GMI and Cint exec Arjen van Duijvenbode as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Managing Partner Klaus Oberecker who remains active as a company owner. More
Local crowdsourced review site Yelp has acquired Turnstyle Analytics, which helps local businesses use Wi-Fi to connect with their customers. Yelp purchased all Turnstyle's outstanding capital stock for around $20m in cash. More
In the US, e-Rewards (now Research Now) co-founder Hal Brierley has joined the Board of mobile-based consumer engagement and insights specialist UBMobile. More
In New York, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has hired media industry exec Chris Kuist as Senior Vice President of Research and Impact, to lead its initiatives around media measurement and ad effectiveness. More
Nielsen has launched an eCommerce measurement solution, delivering a 'total consumer view' of 90% of online FMCG sales in the US market. The firm has also introduced Nielsen Artificial Intelligence; a technology that automates audience optimization using patent-pending AI methods. More
UK audience research body BARB has promoted Joe Lewis for the newly created position of Head of Insight, tasked with uncovering untapped material in its data and sharing it with the wider industry. More
Kantar TNS has launched a new concept test product called eValuateNow, on the ZappiStore research automation platform. More
Marcoms network Dentsu Aegis has acquired digital agency Leapfrog Online, which offers a range of data integration, performance media, conversion optimization and predictive analytics solutions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Sticky, which uses web-cam based eye tracking technology to measure ad effectiveness, has launched a platform called AdVantage, which tracks how long someone views an ad. More
Australian micro-influencer platform TRIBE has launched in the UK, following an AUD $5.35m Series A funding round. More
Analytics and research firm Absolutdata has launched an artificial intelligence-driven decision engine, the NAVIK AI Platform, which helps clients optimize business decisions 'on an ongoing basis without having to build a data science team'. More
Philanthropic US-based online MR panel firm Op4G has appointed James Williams as Director of Client Development, based in its Fairfield, CT office. More
London-based customer engagement tech firm Thunderhead has partnered with Merkle division DBG, which focuses on integrating data to improve customer communication. More
In an interim report, Sweden-based Voice of the Customer specialist Nepa AB has announced a 'fantastic year', including net sales growth of 25.3% in Q4. Full year 2016 net sales increased 19.4% SEK 184.4m ($US 20.6m). The firm has also recently acquired the outstanding 20% of shares in its sales subsidiary Nepa India. More
Digital MR services firm Bilendi Group has paid an undisclosed cash sum to acquire Leuven, Belgium-based panel specialist iVOX. More
Kantar Media and local audience data provider Eyeota have extended their TGI-based segmentation partnership to Germany and France. More
GfK has appointed three execs to lead a new Customer and Audience Activation service, which creates segments using local audience data from partner firm Eyeota. Existing employee Niko Waesche will lead the unit while Cornelia Reitinger and Lauren Coppin join as Directors. More
Digital ad verification specialist DoubleVerify has received MRC accreditation for three more of its metrics: mobile in-app viewability, sophisticated invalid traffic (SIVT) processes for desktop and mobile web traffic; and its DV Authentic Impression performance and brand safety indicator. More
The Hong Kong TAM Founding Subscribers Committee (FSC) has awarded CSM Media Research the contract for the provision of TV ratings in Hong Kong, from January 2018 until 2023. The company is a joint venture between Kantar Media and CTR. More
Customer experience (CX) software and services provider MaritzCX has partnered with mobile survey technology provider OnePoint Global, to provide clients with a mobile CX survey solution. More
Media analytics specialist Impact Radius has relocated to a new office in Manhattan, where it plans to double the size of its team. More
WPP-owned brand development and insight consultancy Added Value has appointed Gillian Reilly and Kim Braganza as Associate Directors in its Sydney, Australia team, following the expansion of its client roster. More
In the US, communications and analytics software specialist Cision has acquired briefings provider Bulletin Intelligence for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, digital data collection specialist Research Now has added four new members to its Advertising & Audience team, including former Twitter exec Heather O'Shea who joins as Vice President of Global Research. More
New York-based Geopath, which was formerly known as the Traffic Audit Bureau for Media Measurement, has selected location data specialist Streetlytics to power its new OOH (out of home) measurement solution MORE, due for launch later this year. More
Interpublic's New York-based digital agency R/GA has opened its first office in Germany, where it has appointed former Razorfish CEO Sascha Martini as Managing Director, with responsibility for long-term growth and business development. More
UK-based mobile video MR specialist Voxpopme has appointed industry veteran Jem Wallis as Regional Director of Asia Pacific, based in Sydney. More
In Indonesia, comScore has announced the roll out of its MMX Multi-Platform, while upgrading its Mobile Metrix with additions from its recently launched mobile consumer panel. 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
In the US, Kantar Worldpanel's ad analytics and insight division Shopcom has teamed up with consumer purchasing analyst Affinity Solutions, to help clients predict spend predictions, measure overall sales lift and gauge revenue impact in-store and through online channels. 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
UK-based customer relationship management (CRM) specialist Workbooks Online Limited has launched a tool which promises to convert anonymous web traffic into leads. More
In the US, customer communication specialist Socedo has raised $1m in additional seed funding, which it will use to further develop its platform with a focus on predictive intelligence and new data sources. More
Ad group Havas has acquired shopper behavioural marketing specialist BD Australia for an undisclosed sum. More
US consumer intelligence company Simmons Research has partnered with mobile research technology firm RealityMine, to launch a joint solution helping brands and media companies create and measure cross-platform media campaigns. More
Interpublic innovation arm IPG Mediabrands has appointed Arun Kumar as its first Chief Data & Marketing Technology Officer. He takes up the new position alongside his existing role managing global operations at sister company Cadreon, which focuses on data, tech, insights and activation. More
In San Francisco, WPP-owned digital agency AKQA has appointed former Spotify Insights VP Mark Uttley as Group Strategy Officer, in charge of its Research and Insights division. More
In the US, Bill Cash has returned to WPP-owned Lightspeed Health as Director of Business Development, after nearly two years as a Consultant at Medefield. More
In Singapore, WPP-owned agency network Wunderman has transferred Thomas Brauch to the role of Head of Data & Analytics for the Asia Pacific region. More
Kantar Millward Brown has expanded its brand marketing analytics platform Ignite Network, to provide access to more than three million mobile panellists in the US. More
Ipsos has partnered with viewability measurement specialist Moat to launch a solution called Connect:Digital, which pre-tests digital ads via a combination of creative impact analysis and digital trading measures. More
Media intelligence and monitoring specialist iQ Media has launched a tool giving professional sports franchises and their sponsors real-time data about how their TV and sponsorship activities influence fan engagement, both in-stadium and out. More
Wroclaw, Poland-based analytics platform Piwik PRO has raised $2m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to accelerate development of its solution. This includes web and mobile analytics, a data management platform, tag management and content personalization. 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
In the US, shopper insights specialist Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) has launched a solution to measure the sales effectiveness and unduplicated reach of CPG advertising campaigns delivered across TV, desktop and mobile publishers. More
Canadian qual software provider itracks has upgraded its GO research platform with the addition of a video recorder interface and other new features. More
In the US, research technology and panel exchange operator Cint has appointed former Yahoo! executive Michael Teng as Vice President of Partner Solutions in its Data & Technology business unit. More
The US' Association of National Advertisers (ANA) has called on seven digital giants to follow the example of Google and Facebook and replace their 'walled garden' approach to measurement with independent audits by the MRC. More
Marketing resource management (MRM) platform Aprimo, formerly owned by Teradata, has acquired Ghent, Belgium-based digital asset management firm ADAM Software. Terms were not disclosed. More
UK-based Brand View, whose tools help clients track and analyse prices, products and promotions, has released OnSite 2, a tracking tool for global pricing analysis. More
Digital agency group Mirum, part of WPP's J. Walter Thompson network, has agreed to acquire Chinese company 3Ti Solutions Inc. More
US-based performance analytics company Beckon has appointed Bernardo de Albergaria as Chief Executive, allowing former CEO and co-founder Jennifer Zeszut to move to the role of Chief Customer Officer. More
Analytics firm Bisnode is to acquire German marketing solutions provider Global Group Dialog Solutions AG. More
In the US, e-mail marketing and automation software specialist Campaign Monitor has acquired customer data platform Tagga. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Publicis-owned technology and marketing services company SapientRazorfish has launched a 'business transformation' offering, with six integrated services spanning data and artificial intelligence, customer experience, and digital business strategy and innovation. More
US media groups Fox Networks, Turner and Viacom have formed a consortium to develop a TV audience platform industry standard called OpenAP, for cross-publisher audience targeting and independent measurement. More
Advertising group Havas is launching its Adcity out-of-home (OOH) and geolocation-based communications division in Germany, where it will open on April 1st. More
In Australia, The Lab Insight & Strategy has opened an office in Brisbane, where it has appointed Amanda Windus as Strategy Planner. More
Cross-channel marketing analytics platform Conversion Logic has raised $9m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to expand its sales and marketing, data science and engineering efforts. More
London-based online community specialist Verve has relocated its Romanian office to larger premises, to accommodate its growing team. More
In New York, entertainment technology and audience insights provider TiVo has hired former AudienceXpress President Walt Horstman as SVP and General Manager, Analytics and Advertising. More
Real-time performance tracking platform Tickr has acquired competitive data visualization specialist Market.Space. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, broadcast and cable company Viacom has promoted Kern Schireson to the newly created position of EVP and Chief Data Officer, responsible for expanding data capabilities across TV, theatrical, events, consumer products and digital business units. More
In the UK, video data mining and analysis specialist LivingLens has raised £1.3m in a round of funding which it will use to accelerate development of its enterprise video analytics tech platform, and to further expand its teams and open operations in the US. More
Kantar Millward Brown has appointed Pablo Gómez Martínez as Head of Media for Asia Pacific. He rejoins the firm to take up the Singapore-based role in May. More
In New York, social media ad firm Kinetic Social has launched a solution to identify people who are interested in a brand before they visit that brand's site, or engage with the brand on social media. 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
Spanish multinational broadband and telecoms provider Telefonica is to acquire UK-based geolocation footfall data specialist Statiq. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but sources value it at £3.5m. More
Ad targeting firm AcuityAds Holdings Inc. has agreed to acquire Boston-based analytics specialist Visible Measures Corporation for around $10m. 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
IBM and Salesforce have entered a global strategic partnership to deliver joint solutions using artificial intelligence. A new practice within IBM Global Business Services will help clients rapidly deploy tools combining IBM Watson's big data with Salesforce Einstein's customer insights. More
Consumer data company Equifax has launched Ignite, a data analytics platform, incorporating DIY analysis and data visualization tools and speeding what it calls its 'transformation from a credit bureau into an insights company'. More
Customer profiling and trend measurement software firm Cubeyou, Inc. has hired former GfK MRI Digital MD Florian Kahlert to serve as its Chief Operating Officer. His role will include overseeing the firm's move to a new HQ in New York City. 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
comScore has launched a syndicated service called Connected Home, which taps into its Total Home Panel to measure consumer behaviour across home network-connected devices. More
Research and insights firm Shapiro+Raj has promoted Nizam Sayeed to the role of Chief Technology Officer, as well as Managing Director of its Digital Insights and Intelligence Practice (DIIP). More
Singapore-based audience data provider Eyeota has partnered with Russian data management platform AmberDATA, to add more than 400 regional segments collected from over 200 million users to its Audience Data Marketplace. More
In the US, engagement platform SITO Mobile has launched a mobile marketing solution, allowing users to analyze and target consumers. More
In the US, custom research firm Marketing Evolution has raised $4m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to expand its artificial intelligence-based marketing measurement and optimization capabilities. More
US-based mobile research and retail data collection specialist Field Agent has expanded to the UK, where it has promoted Robin Shuker to the role of Managing Director. More
Facebook has partnered with European ad visibility analyst Meetrics, to offer advertisers new options to verify the viewability and view duration of their video ad campaigns across Facebook services. More
In the US, consumer data provider Neustar has hired former OMD Managing Director Julie Fleischer as Vice President of Product Marketing for Marketing Solutions. More
US-based television insights firm Samba TV has launched a data management platform (TV DMP), giving a single, de-duplicated view of the customer journey across linear television, OTT and digital media platforms, for cross-screen targeting of programmatic media. 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
In Africa, mobile-first messaging platform mSurvey and comms company Safaricom have partnered to launch a solution called Consumer Wallet, which quantifies Kenyan consumers' off-line spending, habits and trends. More
In New York, technology, media and marketing services company IDG has launched a predictive intelligence engine called the Pipeline Activator, which provides insights about companies actively researching products and services to purchase. More
In New York, video ad technology and targeting company Tremor Video has promoted Katie Evans to the role of Chief Operations Officer. More
US-based data-driven marketing firm MediaMath has begun operating in India through an agreement with Zirca Digital Solutions, now its exclusive partner in the region. More
In Wisconsin, US, full service agency The Dieringer Research Group (DRG) has acquired Milwaukee-based Probe Research Services from owners Eric Olsen and Liz Germanotta, as they prepare for retirement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In New York, The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has appointed Scott McDonald as President and CEO, replacing Gayle Fuguitt who left last October. More
In London, marcoms network Four Communications Group has acquired social media marketing and insights agency Legend Engage, for an undisclosed sum. More
In New York, video ad technology platform Eyeview has hired former TiVo SVP Brian Katz as Vice President, Advanced TV Insights & Strategy. More
Manchester, UK-based mobile research tech firm RealityMine has added automated passive mobile data to its TouchPoints Canada study, enhancing its insights into how Canadians use their mobile devices. More
Tech consulting group Gartner has agreed to acquire digital performance benchmarking firm L2, for an undisclosed sum. 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
Westport, CT-based company Critical Mix is launching panels across five major European markets, under the OneOpinion brand. 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
In the US, measurement organisation the Alliance for Audited Media is launching AAM Quality Certification, which it describes as 'a new holistic approach to verifying digital publishers'. 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, entertainment, telecoms and media business Altice USA has acquired Audience Partners, which provides data-driven, audience-based digital ad solutions worldwide. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based artificial intelligence-driven marketing platform Rocket Fuel has opened an office in Prague, Czech Republic, to expand both its global presence and its engineering team. More
In London, behavioural analytics and location-based marketing company Movvo has launched the 'Data Maturity Curve', a tool allowing shopping centres to measure how their use of data enhances retail performance; benchmark against the industry; and improve ROI on the data they collect. More
In the US, Nielsen has partnered with video ad platform YuMe to launch what the pair say is the first programmatic platform-based/campaign-based audience measurement solution for connected TV (CTV) campaigns. More
WPP audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has appointed Bob Walczak as EVP, Global Products, in charge of a new team overseeing product management, global partnerships and supply. More
Polish market research company IQS has acquired MRevolution, a specialist insight community provider. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Online community and survey tech provider Toluna is planning to increase the size of its respondent community by 20 per cent during the second half of 2017, and has hired Kyle Kim-Hays as EVP for Global Digital Marketing, responsible for the push. 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
In the US, behavioral and product data specialist Bluecore has launched 'Decisioning Platform', a system allowing retailers to organize massive data sets, determine what to do next with the data, and deploy campaigns across several channels. More
Ravi Radhakrishnan has joined digital research agency MetrixLab as Managing Director of its first commercial office in India. More
UK-based mobile video MR specialist Voxpopme has launched its on-demand video feedback app in Ireland. 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
Nielsen has announced it will use its Digital Ad Ratings (DAR) platform to measure the accuracy of cross-device graph providers, offering 'an independent third-party measure of their efficacy in verifying consumer identity'. 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
comScore CEO Gian Fulgoni has told investors the firm expects the public release of its ExtendedTV product sometime in 2017; and a return to stock exchange listing in the summer. Fulgoni also expressed disappointment with the spread of the flagship vCE product. More
Realface, a start-up developing facial recognition technology, has become Apple's fourth buy in the country, for a price reported as 'a couple of million dollars'. More
Sampling firm Innovate has hired Josh Belknap as Senior Director of Customer Experience, and Hilary Belletti as Director of Sampling, and says it plans to make additional hires in the coming months. 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
Technology consulting firm Strategy Analytics has restructured its User Experience Innovation Practice (UXIP) with the launch of a new service under the aegis of promoted Director Chris Schreiner. More
Data solutions company DoubleVerify (DV) is expanding its relationship with AOL with the integration of its ad quality data into the veteran online company's ONE advertiser and publisher platform. Meanwhile AOL has also added location data from Adsquare. More
Digital ad industry body IAB Australia is to launch three new councils this year, all of which focus on aspects of ad measurement. CEO Vijay Solanki says digital measurement and a 'trustworthy digital value chain' are among the organisation's key priorities for the year. 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
In the US, mobile-first research tech company MFour has appointed former YP CTO Darren Clark as Chief Operating Officer. More
Nielsen's recently acquired entertainment data provider Gracenote is connecting its video, music and sports databases, allowing clients to use its data and IDs to drive voice and text search, intuitive user experiences, and more personalized media recommendations. More
Chicago-based marketing services firm Target Data has promoted former Acxiom / Merkle exec Michael Mathias to the role of President, overseeing its service offerings, and tasked with increasing its operations and enterprise-focused client acquisition strategy. More
US data-driven mobile ad network AdTheorent has received an undisclosed amount of funding from H.I.G. Growth Partners, in partnership with the company's co-founders and existing investors. Meanwhile former Yahoo! exec Patrick Albano has joined the company as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). More
Social media relationship platform Hootsuite has acquired analytics company LiftMetrix, for an undisclosed sum. More
Stanley Federman, the founder of media planning and targeting software company Telmar, passed away peacefully on February 17th in Jupiter, Florida. He was 78 years old. More
Online specialist YouGov has opened an office in Manchester, to support its customer base in the north of England and Scotland. More
comScore has announced it will report mobile video metrics for YouTube and its partner channels across its core audience measurement services. More
US-based location data provider Factual has announced a drive for growth in Europe, and appointed former PlaceIQ exec Mandeep Mason as Managing Director for the region. More
Glasgow-based FMCG marketing platform Adimo has closed a £1m seed round of funding, which it will use to expand its commercial team and target new customers. More
Ad auditing firm Adloox has become the first European tech company to be accredited by the Media Rating Council (MRC) for all 30 categories of ad fraud covered by the watchdog. More
Australian television industry research body ThinkTV has announced a collaboration between a number of organisations to produce a 'Total TV' metric, capturing all the advertising revenue spent across commercial TV. More
Professional services company Accenture has agreed to buy a majority stake in digital agency SinnerSchrader, which focuses on the development of digital products and services, analysis of online user behaviour, and software and web site design. More
Employee-owned marketing research firm Hotspex has appointed former Proctor & Gamble (P&G) veteran Dan Young as Chief Behavioral Scientist. More
Israeli digital ad tech firm Taptica has opened an office in London, to focus on clients across the UK and Europe. More
Nielsen has announced the impending departure from its board of Directors of former CEO David L. Calhoun. More
WPP company Ogilvy & Mather has acquired an undisclosed stake in its Irish digital partner Eightytwenty Customer Experience, which includes customer journey and ideation specialist Black and Lime. More
Scottish ad measurement and optimization firm TVSquared has raised $6.5m to fund growth, including continued development of its technology and team. More
UK audience research body BARB has awarded its Dovetail Fusion cross-screen measurement contract to Kantar Media. The body began testing options from Kantar and Nielsen in late 2015. More
South African organisations including research body SAARF plan to introduce a new audience currency to replace the discontinued AMPS measure, and will consult with interested parties at a meeting in Johannesburg on 2nd March. More
Retail data giant IRI has announced a strategic alliance with 'performance television' company Simulmedia, allowing CPG marketers to target ads to consumers based on actual purchase behavior, using IRI's ProScores. More
Consumer groups in the US are urging a stronger line from the Federal Trade Commission in protecting consumers from the 'great risk of identity theft, financial fraud, and data breaches'. More
Australia-based media monitoring and intelligence group Isentia has appointed Petra Masinova as Global Director of Strategic Partnerships. More
Former MediaCom and Primedia Outdoor exec Terry Murphy has joined Nielsen as Director of its Watch business in South Africa. 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
Polish IT company Euvic has launched a testing service for digital business ideas, linked to an 'Agile Dev Factory' which will develop and deliver the idea if it gets the thumbs-up. More
Philadelphia-based agency Finch Brands has appointed Thomas Finkle as Chief Innovation Officer, responsible for 'developing innovative approaches to market research'. Lauren Madway Collier also joins, as VP, Brand and Marketing Strategy. More
Ad agency network M&C Saatchi has acquired Australian insight-based marcoms group Bohemia, which uses real-time location and other customer data to drive its media planning and buying services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Swedish online fashion company Ivyrevel has partnered with Google to launch an app which tracks a user's activity and lifestyle, then uses the resulting information to design a custom-made 'data dress' reflecting their habits and preferences. More
comScore has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its mobile viewable impressions and related viewability metrics for display and video ads, both web and in-app. The measures are part of the firm's validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) tool. More
Qualitative social media intelligence specialist Bakamo Social has launched a listening product called Market Maps, which it claims reveals the motivations and needs of consumers in any category. More
In London, data-driven CRM and performance marketing agency Merkle has promoted Michael Komasinski to the role of Global Chief Operating Officer for its Services business. He will also serve as General Manager for Media Services, Europe. More
WPP ad group Y&R has set up a technology and business division which will access group services such as B2B brand analysis from the BrandAsset Valuator, and a social media listening capability for insights on the behavior of business decision-makers. More
In the US, social media geofencing and analytics tech provider Ampsy and agency RedPeg Marketing have partnered, to deliver their combined services to the experiential marketing sector. 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
US-based customer feedback specialist BirdEye has raised $25m in a round of investment which will be used to drive product innovation and business growth across several sectors. 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
ESPN veteran Artie Bulgrin is retiring from his role as SVP Global Research and Analytics in May, after more than 21 years at the Disney-owned sports broadcaster. More
The Media Rating Council (MRC) is to carry out an independent audit of Facebook's advertising metrics, following the social network's recent measurement problems. 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
Nielsen has reported 2 percent growth in fourth quarter revenues to $1,656m, similar to the growth figure for the whole of 2016. Q4 revenue in the Buy consumer purchase behaviour segment fell 1.3% to $868m, while Watch media research revenue rose 5.8% to $788m. More
The Nasdaq stock market has suspended trading in shares of troubled audience measurement firm comScore, following the company's notice that it would miss another deadline for filing of reports. More
In the US, research and advisory group Forrester has reported a 1 per cent rise in revenue in its Research division, to $54.2m for the fourth quarter of 2016. Total group revenues were up 3.0 percent to $83.4m. For the whole of 2016, group revenue rose 4.0 percent to $326.1m. 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
Mobile ad analytics company Marchex has integrated Facebook data into its Omnichannel Analytics Cloud platform, promising marketers the ability to optimize spend across all paid media channels based insight into which drove off-line actions. 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
In the US, advertising, brand and pricing intelligence specialist Market Track has acquired native ad competitive intelligence specialist Brandtale for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, Bulletin Intelligence has launched a tool called AccuReach, providing a proprietary measure of actual news media readership. More
Nielsen has gained Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its inclusion of digital measurement in its TV ratings solution - known as Digital in TV Ratings. This is the first solution to receive MRC approval for TV audience measurement of programming viewed on desktop or mobile devices. More
In the UK, consumer insight and engagement specialist Audiense has raised £3.8m in a round of funding, which it will use to support its growth plans. These include ramping up sales and marketing, adding new platform functionality, and expanding to North America. More
In New York, GfK North America has expanded David Albert's role to include serving as Managing Director of both the Digital Experiences and Shopper and Retail Strategy teams. More
New York-based ad agency Droga5 has hired JWT's former Worldwide Director of Analytics, Amy Avery, as its first Chief Intelligence Officer. 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
comScore has announced that it is unable to meet the February 23rd deadline to file late financial reports and regain compliance with Nasdaq's listing requirements, and warns that this may result in its stock being delisted from the exchange. More
Nielsen has partnered with shopper marketing platform RichRelevance, to enable retailers to deliver personalized content, product recommendations and search results to consumers - both on their mobile devices and online. More
In the US, digital ad management company Sizmek has launched a Data Hub, which allows advertisers to pull in audience segments from integrated data management platforms (DMPs) and enhance them with data collected from served ads. More
In the US, mobile data management platform Aki Technologies has appointed former Boeing exec Jason Shu as Senior Vice President of Data Science. 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
US firm Impact Radius has appointed David Yovanno as CEO, replacing co-founder Per Pettersen who becomes Executive Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer. More
In Germany, media data specialist artec technologies has launched a cloud platform for integrated analysis of TV and online audiences. More
In the US, cookie-less audience measurement specialist Tru Optik has partnered with Kantar Millward Brown, to help advertisers attribute brand sales to OTT ad campaigns. 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
Netherlands-based online research and marketing analytics firm MetrixLab has appointed former GfK exec Ian Davis as Senior Client Director for Financial Services, based in its UK office. More
Israel, US and UK-based social media listening specialist Tracx has raised $12.5m in funding, which it will use to support continued sales and marketing growth, and to expand its product portfolio. More
WPP's recently formed data, analytics and digital services business [m]PLATFORM has hired former Mindshare COO Paul Rowlinson to fill the role of UK Managing Director. 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
Kantar Media has acquired Dublin-based media monitoring specialist Newsaccess, for an undisclosed sum. 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
Google publishing partner Ezoic, which provides machine learning and artificial intelligence to online publishers, has acquired digital ad testing technology firm AmpedSense for an undisclosed sum. More
On-demand panel and sample company Innovate has updated its Supplier API Suite, to help market research agency clients gain access to hard-to-reach audiences and reduce the need to use multiple sampling vendors. More
Palo Alto, CA-based Symphony Technology Group (STG) has acquired Fishbowl Inc., which provides insight-based customer engagement platforms for the restaurant industry. More
Nielsen has deferred the full launch of its cross-device audience measure, Total Content Ratings, which was previously scheduled for March 1st. A 'limited' release will now take place on that date, with no firm deadline set for the full roll-out. More
Kantar is to roll out its Twitter TV Ratings service in Argentina and Colombia, from this week, giving clients there a variety of metrics on social media activity related to TV shows, events coverage and free-to-air networks. Launch in Peru should follow 'before the summer'. More
Financial brokerage and FTSE 250 company TP ICAP has acquired assets of MR, analytics and business consulting firm Burton-Taylor International Consulting LLC, via its data & analytics division. Founder and Managing Partner Douglas Taylor will join TP ICAP. More
New York-based mobile customer data platform mParticle has partnered with comScore, integrating its audience and ad measurement solutions. More
Berlin-based online and mobile game developer platform Simplaex has opened up direct access to more than 150 million players, to enable users to target individuals according to their specific gaming habits and profiles. More
Nielsen is proposing to issue $500m in senior notes in a private offering, which it will use for 'general corporate purposes', and possibly to fund a proportion of its acquisition of media and entertainment data provider Gracenote. More
Berlin-based mobile audience data and targeting specialist adsquare has opened an office in New York, led by CEO and co-founder Tom Laband. More
US data-driven mobile ad network AdTheorent has partnered with data collaboration company Commerce Signals, to use online and in-store transaction data to help optimize and measure digital media campaigns. More
In the US, connectivity giant Cisco has acquired app intelligence company AppDynamics for about $3.7 billion, in a mixture of cash and equity. More
Digital media measurement firm Verto Analytics has launched a solution called SmartPoll, combining survey data with cross-device consumer behavioural data collected through passive metering, to compare opinions with actual behavior. More
In the US, music artist and title information provider TagStation has launched a tool called the Dial Report, measuring campaign results and listener behavior to provide analytics and insights about radio ad ROI. More
Berlin, Germany-based mobile survey specialist Dalia has raised $7m in a Series A round of funding, for investments including data science and machine learning capabilities, and further expansion of its real-time analytics and attribution services. More
In the US, data technology company True Influence has promoted Craig Weiss to the role of Chief Operating Officer. More
IPG Mediabrands' intelligence and data divisions Magna and Cadreon have partnered with TV streaming specialist Roku, to deliver targeted advertising to OTT audiences. More
US-based Precision Opinion, which focuses on government and entertainment industry research, has expanded its Analytics and Consulting team with the appointment of Christopher Brogan as MD, and the promotion of Kevin Unter to Senior Director. More
In Miami, WPP's audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has promoted Erik Castillo to the role of President, Latin America. More
In London, marketing firm Four Communications Group has acquired public affairs and corporate communications agency Insight Consulting Group (ICG), whose services include market and competitor analysis and perception audits. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
WPP audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has named John Wittesaele as President EMEA, while promoting Arshan Saha to the role of President Asia Pacific. More
In the UK, comScore has received certification from the ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations) for its desktop display viewability measure in its validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) tool. More
Retail information firm The NPD Group has acquired the US portion of Nielsen's information services for the book industry, including US-based BookScan, Books & Consumers, PubEasy and PubNet; plus the three PubTrack services - Digital, Higher Education and Christian. 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
Media monitoring firm Market Track has acquired assets of Nielsen Canada's Ad Intelligence Service (AIS), allowing it 'to offer the most comprehensive view of the media landscape to Canadian clients', for purposes of ROI and campaign optimization. Terms were not disclosed. More
Around forty percent of marketers in a new survey say they will be carrying out independent audits of Facebook's audience metrics, following the social network's recent measurement problems. More
Software veteran Oracle has partnered with audience profiling firm Eyeota, offering the latter's data via the Oracle Data Management Platform and Marketing Cloud. Users will be able to target and personalize campaigns outside the US - in Europe, APAC, and elsewhere in the Americas. More
Data-driven marketing firm MediaMath has revamped its senior management, in preparation for a new phase of expansion. These include a new President, Global Heads of Sales and Key Accounts, and C-Suite positions for Technology, Product and Strategy. More
In the US, a judge has ruled that TiVo Research and Analytics cannot seek damages over claims that Kantar Media Audiences stole trade secrets relating to TiVo's audience/shopping data matching solution. 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
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
In the US, digital marketing firm C-4 Analytics has received an undisclosed amount of financing from Boston-based BV Investment Partners, which it will use to expand its tech platform and services. More
Nielsen has signed a multi-year deal with telecoms giant AT&T to add the latter's anonymized set-top box data to its local and national TV measurement service. More
Los Angeles-based ad software firm SteelHouse has launched a tool called Verified Visits, to enable advertisers to meet IAB and MRC viewability requirements at 'no cost'. More
In Tokyo, marcoms network Dentsu has promoted Toshihiro Yamamoto to the role of President and CEO, following the departure of Tadashi Ishii, who resigned in December following a scandal over an employee's 'death by overwork'. More
New York-based Integral Ad Science (IAS) has hired former Adobe MD Nick Morley for a newly created role, Managing Director EMEA, with a remit to deliver growth and expansion across Europe. He will be based in London. More
US-based social media intelligence and listening platform Synthesio has acquired report building and management technology firm Bunkr. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, automotive research specialist IMR has integrated data from Claritas' PRIZM lifestyle segmentation system into its syndicated consumer automotive research tracking study (CCAMS). More
Emotion analytics specialist Realeyes has hired industry veteran Tina Gaffney for the global role of Head of Customer Success. She will work from the US, reporting to London-based CEO Mihkel Jäätma. More
Nielsen has extended its Digital Ad Ratings service to New Zealand, to help clients there measure and understand unduplicated reach across computers and mobile devices. The service is now available in more than twenty countries including the US, the UK and Australia. More
Israeli mobile attribution and marketing analytics platform AppsFlyer has raised $56m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to enhance its audience engagement and targeting products across a variety of screens. More
Berlin-based mobile user data specialist zeotap has raised EUR 12m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to expand its engineering and data science teams in Bangalore, and recruit new data onboarding, data monetizing, and marketing staff in Berlin, New York, Madrid and Milan. More
Brighton, UK-based social media intelligence specialist Brandwatch has launched a customisable tool called 'Unlimited Historical Data', allowing users to view 36 months of trends, benchmark their work, check for seasonality, and better understand current activity. More
In the US, enterprise data and analytics software firm Acxiom and location-powered mobile marketing firm Verve announced a partnership to offer enhanced location-based targeting of mobile consumers. More
MasterCard-owned analytics software firm Applied Predictive Technologies (APT) has unveiled a service called Digital Omnichannel Testing (DOT), to understand how online exposure to ads and reviews affect in-store purchases. More
US company Clutch, which works in customer management and marketing analytics, has acquired intelligent mobile promotions platform Persio. The firm has also secured a $5.25m round of funding and added payment processing veteran Larry Stone to its board of directors. More
Media measurement firm comScore has appointed Carol DiBattiste as 'General Counsel & Chief Privacy and People Officer'. She will join the company on January 23rd, succeeding Chris Lin. More
Marcoms group Dentsu Aegis has acquired Geneva, Switzerland-based digital agency blue-infinity, which offers a range of integrated marketing, CRM, commerce, retail, tracking, and analytics services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based social media analysis firm Crimson Hexagon has partnered with business data platform Domo, to enable organizations to analyse social media data alongside other business information such as sales data, financials and web site analytics. More
New York-based marketing intelligence software company Velocidi has raised $12m in a Series A round of growth equity financing. More
US cable TV and Internet service provider Comcast has expanded Ed Brassel's role to include leading business intelligence (BI) and analytics efforts at Comcast Cable, and delivering BI across NBCUniversal's TV, film and theme park properties. More
Retail and healthcare data giant IRI has launched a targeting solution which uses frequent shopper program (FSP) loyalty data to help marketers deliver campaigns based on actual purchase behaviour. More
IT solutions firm TEC Communications has launched a technology called SmartWifi, through which marketers can connect a visitor's preferences and buying history to their real-time experience. More
BrainJuicer's European MD Mark Johnson has moved across to the firm's marcoms business System1 Agency, to drive the next phase of its expansion plans. 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
US-based web personalization software provider Monetate is moving its corporate headquarters from Pennsylvania to New York. The company says it aims to get closer to a higher concentration of current and potential clients - especially those in the fashion and retail sectors. More
Former IAB Chief Executive Guy Phillipson has been hired by digital marketing agency and online buzz measurement specialist iCrossing, for the role of UK Chairman. 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
Shopper behavior specialist Kantar Worldpanel has extended its out-of-home food and drink purchase and consumption panels to France, Brazil, Mexico and Thailand. More
In the US, location and behavior-based targeting firm Gravy Analytics has raised $7.7m in a round of growth funding. More
US-based social media analyst Networked Insights has added $30m to its growth funding, for use in a broad range of activities including international expansion, product and partnership development, and acquisitions. More
Marketing services company First Manhattan Consulting Group (FMCG Direct) has been acquired for $200m by Deluxe Corporation, which provides services including market, design and fraud prevention for small businesses and financial institutions. More
Acxiom has announced three hires in its Audience Solutions division, which it says will 'expand its global data curation and data activation reach'. Marc Fanelli joins as the unit's Group Vice President, and new VPs Chandos Quill and Karen Caulfield will work with him. All three worked previously at Merkle. More
Digital marketing services firm Be Heard Group Plc has extended the role of Robin Price - adding the responsibilities of COO, a newly created post, to his existing job as CFO. More
The IAB's Tech Lab has announced that it has assumed governance of the Mobile Verification Open-Source Software Development Kit (SDK) initiative, previously managed by New York-based measurement firm Integral Ad Science. More
US market research associations CASRO and MRA have completed their merger, forming the Insights Association. More
Asset management firm The Carlyle Group has joined up with former leaders of Nielsen Catalina Solutions to buy consumer segmentation division Claritas from Nielsen, for an undisclosed sum. 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
Gent, Belgium-based CEM specialist NGDATA has raised another $9.4m in venture funding, for use in accelerating sales and marketing, product innovation around its Lily Enterprise operating system, and for acquisitions. More
US-based digital media intelligence firm Tru Optik has launched a suite of solutions called the OTT Marketing Cloud, which aims to help advertisers and publishers analyse, target and address audiences across Over-the-Top and Connected TV ecosystems. More
Technology research and advisory company Gartner has agreed to acquire best practice and talent management insights firm CEB, in a cash and stock transaction valued at around $2.6bn. More
Japanese firm Video Research is partnering with Nielsen to measure digital video viewing and advertising reach, and analyse cross-media ad impact. More
In the UK, the IAB has named Jon Mew as its new CEO, replacing Guy Phillipson who is stepping down after 12 years in the role. More
In the US, social media agency Emoderation has rebranded as The Social Element, and launched a new service, 'Emotional Resonance Analysis'. More
Global pricing strategy consultancy Simon-Kucher & Partners has appointed London and Yorkshire-based Dr. Peter Colman as a Partner, leading its Technology and Industrials business in the UK and Ireland. More
Social media monitoring specialist Bakamo.Social has appointed former Ipsos and NPD Group exec Jonathan (JD) Deitch as Chief Executive, driving its expansion. More
Twitter has followed Facebook in announcing errors in the way it measures ad traffic. Reports suggest a bug in the microblogging firm's Android app inflated video ad metrics by up to 35 percent. Facebook itself has held talks with the MRC on a possible audit of its methods. More
Oslo, Norway-based data collection and data services group Norstat has strengthened its recently launched Paris office with two appointment. Sorina Jian joins as Senior Business Development Manager and Sylvain Da Costa as Senior Project Manager. More
Nielsen has appointed Nancy Ramsey Phillips as Chief Human Resources Officer, effective next week. She joins from Broadcom Corporation where she was EVP and CHRO; and replaces Mary Liz Finn, who announced her retirement from Nielsen in September. More
British audience research body BARB has been strengthened by the addition of joint venture broadcaster UKTV to its ownership group. More
Ad technology company Turn has settled with the FTC over charges that it misled consumers about opting out of tracking. The company has not admitted fault and says it settled in order to avoid 'a lengthy and costly litigation'. More
US on- and off-line media monitoring and measurement company CyberAlert LLC has rebranded as Glean.info, at the same time releasing a thorough upgrade to its suite of services. 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
Nielsen has acquired London-based consumer insights and analytics company VisualDNA, for an undisclosed sum. More
Harris Poll creator Louis Harris died of heart problems on Saturday, at his home in Key West, Florida. He was 95 years old. More
The Media Rating Council (MRC) is withholding its accreditation of Nielsen's December 2016 Portable People Meter (PPM) audio measurement reports in 26 US markets, because of a meter connectivity issue. More
From the middle of next year, Nielsen will be increasing the sample size of its radio panel by 10 percent, in 48 Portable People Meter (PPM) markets across the US. More
Broadcaster Channel 4 has hired neuroscientist Greg Detre for a newly created position, Chief Data Scientist, with a remit to 'revolutionise' how the business uses behavioural data for both commercial and creative ends. More
Digital media company RhythmOne is to acquire Toronto-listed Perk, whose insights and intelligence solution Perk IQ allows brands to target specific audience segments. The all-stock transaction is valued at approximately $42.5m. More
Mobile data platform Ogury has opened an office in New York, where co-founder and COO Thomas Pasquet has relocated to manage the business. The firm has also launched a solution called 360 Mobile Analytics, and hired former comScore exec Christophe Bize to lead the initiative. More
San Francisco-based big data solutions firm Databricks has raised $60m in a Series C funding round, which it will use to continue expanding its data platform. More
Enterprise data and analytics solutions firm Annik has been acquired by US-based customer engagement company LiquidHub. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, advocacy groups Consumer Watchdog and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse have filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), claiming Google broke the law when it changed its privacy policy without notice and consent. More
News Corp-owned video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly has partnered with analytics technology specialist IBM Watson to develop a cognitive-powered psychographic targeting tool called Unruly DNA. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC), Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) have released for public comment 'major overhauls' to their Mobile In-App Measurement and Mobile Web Measurement guidelines. More
US-based mobile campaign analyst Kochava has launched a mobile data marketplace, offering advertisers a way to target and acquire users. More
Nielsen has acquired media and entertainment data provider Gracenote from Tribune Media Company, in a $560m cash deal. More
Former comScore exec Manish Bhatia has joined Kantar Media as Chief Executive Officer of its North American business. More
Location-based digital marketing solutions provider Brandify has launched a mobile-centred 'incubation and innovation environment', which will create experiences for consumers along the path-to-purchase at online and multi-location retailers, restaurants, banks and dealerships. More
In Australia, magazine publishers Bauer Media and NewsLifeMedia are withdrawing from the circulation audits provided by industry body AMAA, leaving only one major consumer magazine group subscribed. 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
New York-based performance analytics company Limbik is to integrate Nielsen's PRIZM classification into its platform, which tracks audience size, composition and attention paid. More
Former CEO and 16-year company veteran Serge Matta has resigned from the comScore board, effective immediately. More
Microsoft has launched its Dynamics 365 analytics suite in India. Delivered as Software-as-a-Service from data centres inside the country, the package integrates CRM and ERP capabilities including advanced data analytics and machine learning. 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
Retail information firm The NPD Group has partnered with OTT (over-the-top) audience measurement and data management specialist Tru Optik, to better understand digital demand for movies and video games. More
WPP's eCommerce business Salmon has acquired Netherlands-based digital and eCommerce consultancy Eperium. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
WPP digital agency Mirum has promoted Director of Client Services Julie Koepsell to the role of Minneapolis Managing Director, replacing Joyce Zincke who will now serve as Head of Operations for Mirum US. More
In the US, eCommerce marketing and analytics platform Springbot has closed a $10m Series B round of funding, which it will use to expand its sales and marketing efforts, develop and launch a marketing data co-op, grow its team, and develop new strategic partnerships. More
Marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired user experience and user interface design (UI/UX) specialist Fractal Ink Design Studio, which will become part of digital agency Isobar. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Real-time information and analytics business Neustar is to be acquired by a private investment group for approximately $2.9 billion. An affiliate of fund manager GIC will also invest in Neustar and will become a minority owner of the company after the transaction has closed. More
Turkish TV audience measurement organisation TIAK AŠ has awarded incumbent Kantar Media the contract to deliver official TV trading currency until at least 2020, with the option to extend until 2022. More
In the UK, WPP agency MediaCom has acquired a majority stake in Manchester-based user experience studio Code Computer Love, which creates digital products, campaigns and capabilities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, native advertising platform Sharethrough has partnered with Millward Brown to develop tools which will help analyse the impact of native ad campaigns, especially on mobile devices. More
Location intelligence firm PlaceIQ has launched a data-as-a-service capability called LandMark, offering access to its curated audience, behaviour and visualisation data gathered from billions of location-enabled mobile device actions each day. More
In New York, Nielsen has partnered with location-based app and data marketing specialist Foursquare, to help marketers better understand how online ads drive consumers into brick-and-mortar stores. More
Singapore-based audience data firm Eyeota has expanded to the US with the opening of an office in New York's Union Square. More
ESOMAR and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) have updated their code to clarify researchers' responsibilities when using new methods for collecting data - in light of current levels of consumer concern about privacy. More
US-based analytics software company Splunk has set up an Australia / New Zealand (ANZ) headquarters in Melbourne. More
WPP AUNZ has rolled out the group's integrated retail practice The Store to the Australia and New Zealand market, and named Rob Draper as its CEO. With existing offices in the UK and US, The Store brings together shopper marketing resources from WPP companies around the world. More
In London, radio advertising specialist Radio Response has appointed former MRIB Managing Director Jon Mais as Head of Strategy for Audience Measurement. More
The release of 2016 data from the Indian Readership Survey (IRS) has been postponed by six months, and is now promised for the third quarter of 2017. More
Facebook has owned up to another problem with the metrics it provides to advertisers, this time surrounding discrepancies between like and share button counts and those for mobile search queries. More
Press release distribution firm Business Wire and database and analytics solutions firm Agility PR have announced a strategic partnership promising better distribution, monitoring and media analytics for communications professionals. 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
In the US, analytics and marcoms network W2O has acquired New Jersey-based Sentient Interactive, which offers digital paid and owned media analytics, as well as strategy and campaign execution. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
New York-based location-based app and data marketing specialist Foursquare has hired Gayle Fuguitt - former President and CEO of the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) - for the newly created role of Chief of Customer Insights and Innovation. More
New York-based advertising intelligence specialist Integral Ad Science (IAS) has unveiled and open source software development kit for mobile verification, allowing publishers to measure their mobile inventory without the need to integrate multiple SDKs. More
In the US, mobile ad data specialist The Mobile Majority has acquired engagement and location intelligence platform Gimbal. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
McKinsey's prescriptive analytics platform Periscope has added new marketing, B2B sales, customer experience and insights capabilities. 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
Real-time consumer data provider Neustar has launched a 'Data Directory', to help marketers create and optimize custom audiences; activate them across programmatic, omni-channel marketing campaigns; and provide insights into return on marketing investment. More
WPP's audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has promoted Nicolas Bidon to the role of Global President. More
Paris-based ad targeting and retargeting specialist Criteo has launched patent-pending ad creation technology called Kinetic Design, to deliver ads that are contextually optimized for each consumer. More
In the US, marcoms professional Mark Stouse has launched a software platform called Proof, to measure the business impact of marketing and communications activities. More
Retail and healthcare data giant IRI has announced a partnership with digital shelf analysis specialist Clavis Insight, to help CPG marketers track and assess a brands' holistic online and off-line performance. More
Ad fraud protection and data intelligence specialist Pixalate has launched the Video Seller Trust Index (VSTI), offering a cross-platform rating system for video advertising spanning programmatic TV, mobile and desktop formats. More
comScore co-founder Magid Abraham has resigned from the company's Board of Directors, to concentrate on his role as Executive Chairman of wearable technology developer APX Labs. 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
Taxi app firm Uber has acquired NYC research start-up Geometric Intelligence for an undisclosed sum. The firm has also set up a division focused on research into artificial intelligence and machine learning. More
Retail information firm The NPD Group has launched what is says is the first service providing sales data for the virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) headset market. More
US and UK-based customer journey analyst Kitewheel has announced promotions for two new senior management positions; and says it will shortly move its London office within the city to provide more flexibility for its growing client roster and workforce. More
Nashville, Tennessee-based research tech and services company 20|20 Research has promoted Sheena Bacon to the newly created role of Vice President of Operations in the firm's Technology division. More
Cadreon, a recently remodelled division of Interpublic's innovation group IPG Mediabrands dedicated to data, tech, insights and activation, has appointed and Clement Tsang in the new role of Head of Consulting. More
US-based transaction data insights firm Commerce Signals has launched databridge, a platform linking owners of purchase data to potential buyers including advertisers, agencies and publishers. More
In Australia, digital out-of-home business Shopper Media Group has launched a new research data division making use of its network of 'Smartlite' digital panels installed in more than 150 shopping centres across the country. More
MRSS India has added a Social Research Practice, and appointed former IMRB International Director Dr.Srikant Patel to lead it. More
DIY online survey firm SurveyMonkey is winding down its mobile app analytics service, after just eight months, due to a lack of customer interest. More
Copenhagen, Denmark-based Snaplytics has launched a competitor analysis service, accessed via the same dashboard as its existing brand and influencer analytics offers. More
IT and business process consultancy Cognizant has agreed to acquire privately-held Dutch company Mirabeau BV, a digital marketing and customer experience agency which it will add to its Digital Business practice. Terms were not disclosed. 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
New York and London-based B2B purchase intent data provider Madison Logic has been acquired by private equity firm Clarion Capital Partners. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Tech startup SocialVend has launched a vending machine which provides consumers with physical rewards in exchange for answering questions or posting to Instagram with a brand's hashtag, using their mobile devices. More
US media comms technology and analytics firm Cision has appointed David Barker as Chief Data and Research Officer, based in its NYC office. More
Taiwan-based cross-screen ad technology company Appier has closed a $19.5m Series B round of funding, which it will use to drive artificial intelligence-based product research and development, and to continue with recruitment and market expansion in Asia. 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
TV rating body BARC India has issued Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for firms able to provide TV viewing related consultancy services to its subscribers. More
WPP-owned digital data collection specialist Lightspeed has opened an office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where it has appointed Lindsay Dominguez as Client Development Lead. More
In the UK, Voice of the Customer (VoC) specialist Nepa has promoted Lindsay Parry (nee Cowan) to the role of Managing Director. She replaces Johnny Caldwell, who left following Nepa AB's recent acquisition of the outstanding 9.9 percent of Nepa UK Ltd. More
In the US, research, strategy and integrated marcoms agency Spark has appointed former Gigaom employee Stowe Boyd as Head of Research. More
WPP's media investment arm GroupM has brought together all its data, analytics and digital services in a new suite of products, [m]PLATFORM, creating what it claims is the ad industry's 'most powerful collection of data, technology and expertise for audience addressability'. More
GfK has appointed Dale Drerup as Automotive lead, June McPherson as Consumer team lead for North America, and Tom Neri - currently head of its Financial Services team in North America - as Technology Industry leader. More
In the US, location intelligence specialist Verve has moved founder Tom Kenney into the role of President and Chief Executive Officer. More
New York-based cross-media marketing technology specialist Tapad has appointed Igor Elbert as Vice President of Data Science, responsible for leading the Data Science team. More
Former BBC Sport Digital Development Editor Chris Hurst is joining Nielsen Sports as Head of Digital for the UK. More
Online insights exchange provider Cint has appointed Kevin Gianatiempo to spearhead strategic partnerships in North America as part of its 'NextGen' strategy. He will be based in the recently launched San Francisco office. More
London-based Glassbox Digital has launched a solution linking customers' experience of their digital properties to business outcomes. Glassbox DEPA allows users to view individual sessions as customers do, monitor performance KPIs and see how they are affecting business. More
French audience researcher Médiamétrie has begun delivering monthly figures for TV and video viewing across four screens - TV, computer, smartphone and tablet - both as an integrated figure and split out by screen. More
German-based mobile data exchange adsquare has enhanced its app usage data service with the addition of several new partners, allowing users to derive audience segments based on a variety of app usage and context options. More
New York-based digital ad analytics specialist Moat has launched a new metric for measuring digital video exposures, incorporating the time video was seen and audio was heard, and the screen space occupied, in one index figure between 1 and 100. More
In Australia, digital screen ad network VMO has unveiled DART 2.0, described as the country's 'most intelligent out of home audience measurement system'. More
San Jose, California-based MapR Technologies, Inc. has launched a real-time analytics solution, packaged with the data science know-how for clients to customise and implement it. More
Mobile app intelligence provider Apptopia has raised $2.7m in a second round of seed funding, led by Sound Ventures and earmarked for develop of the company's next generation platform. More
Paris-based predictive software platform Sidetrade has acquired UK predictive analytics platform BrightTarget, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, Joan Lewis has resigned from her role as Chair of comScore's Board, and has been replaced by former US Postmaster General William Henderson. More
US-based online ad intelligence firm Pathmatics has acquired online media buying competitive intelligence service WhatRunsWhere.com (WRW). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Media intelligence provider Meltwater has partnered with Jordan-based monitoring specialist Media Observer to add print and broadcast news analysis to its existing services. More
In New York, location-based platform Vistar Media has partnered with enterprise data firm Acxiom and its customer data 'onboarding' specialist LiveRamp, to enable advertisers to deliver digital out-of-home (OOH) ads based on their customer data. More
Mobile app attribution and analytics company adjust has brought together a group of twelve networks and app marketing platforms, to fight mobile ad fraud. More
New York-based social media tracking specialist Sprinklr has acquired tech firm Little Bird, which helps brands analyse connections across social media to uncover influencers, build like-minded communities, and create relevant content. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Marketing software giant Adobe has launched a suite of services called Sensei, which use machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) for large-scale image matching, text and sentiment analysis, audience targeting and segmentation. More
In the US, data-based digital marketing firm MediaMath has enhanced its data management platform with the addition of 'Adaptive Segments', through which agencies and marketers can create, reach, and understand their 'best customers' in real-time. 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
In the US, WPP has teamed up with telecoms conglomerate AT&T and satellite service provider Dish Network to acquire ad tracking and targeting software developer INVIDI Technologies. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In Toronto, TV and online ad targeting specialist Videology has appointed former Engagement Labs CEO Bryan Segal as Managing Director of its Canadian business. He succeeds Ryan Ladisa, who will be leaving the company after a transitional period to 'pursue outside interests'. More
In the US, social media prediction specialist Consensus Point has hired TNS and InsightExpress veteran Megan Rome as Vice President, Client Service & Marketing. 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
In the US, speech and text analytics specialist Verint has acquired voice-of-customer (VoC) technology firm OpinionLab. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Media giant AOL has announced it will be making around 500 employees redundant, as the firm shifts its focus to data, mobile and video. 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
Nielsen has launched an advanced analytics solution called Digital Ad Ratings (DAR) Publisher Insights, to enable digital publishers to analyze the reach and effectiveness of their ad campaign data, and demonstrate the value of their properties and audiences. More
In the US, pricing intelligence specialist Market Track has combined its feature ad data with Nielsen product sales data to form a new product called Feature Sales Advisor (FSA), tracking the success of this kind of promotion. More
The Mozilla organisation has launched a new browser, Firefox Focus, which blocks third party tracking software by default and allows users to erase sessions with a single tap. More
Acxiom subsidiary LiveRamp has announced agreements to acquire Arbor and Circulate, two companies working with people-based data to help clients' marketing, for a total of around $140m in cash and $50m in Acxiom stock. More
In the US, Prosper Insights & Analytics has extended a partnership with international think tank Fung Global Retail & Technology to launch a co-branded Amazon Shopper Intelligence service, highlighting and explaining the online giant's 'encroachment' into different retail sectors. More
Web data extraction and monitoring specialist Connotate has announced $11m in Series B funding, for us in market expansion and development of its Connotate Cloud product. More
London-based online communities specialist Verve has brought in two more senior hires at headquarters: former Quadrangle exec Nick Baker joins as MD Research & Consulting, while Emma Beech leaves Lightspeed GMI to become the firm's new VP Operations Europe. More
Location intelligence firm xAd Inc. has raised $42.5m in funding and has acquired weather data specialist WeatherBug, for an undisclosed sum. Meanwhile former comScore CEO Serge Matta has joined the company as President of Global Sales and Marketing. More
WPP has announced the formation of a global multi-year partnership between its Data Alliance organisation and music streaming service Spotify. More
Facebook has owned up to further errors in its reporting of page visits, and has announced moves to give users 'more clarity and confidence about the insights it provides' - including new partnerships, more communication about activities and the formation of a new 'Measurement Council'. More
Audience measurement firm comScore has been granted more time to regain compliance with the listing rules of stock exchange Nasdaq. More
In Australia, Ipsos has teamed up with audience data firm Eyeota to create a new range of targetable audience segments, based on the former's emma media survey and its geoTribes person-level geodemographic classification system. More
Seattle-based in-app customer communication specialist Apptentive has announced $3.6m in new funding, from firms including existing investor SurveyMonkey. 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
WPP media investment division GroupM has promoted researcher Lyle Schwartz to President of Investment, and moved former MediaCom NA CEO Phil Cowdell to head a new unit encompassing all the group's data-centric solutions. More
Global consultancy Accenture has taken a minority stake in shopper marketing platform RichRelevance, building on an existing strategic partnership. More
In the US, a consortium of marketing and MR agencies and organisations have launched the Integrated Media Research Center (IMRC), an online resource for cross-discipline marketing knowledge, including case studies, research and discussion fora. 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
In Australia, former Mindshare Head of Research & Insights Liz Harley has joined Ipsos Connect, the global group's media and audience division, as Managing Director. The firm has also promoted Head of Business Development Brian Hogan to Executive Director of its emma unit, reporting to Harley. More
Facebook has acquired social media tracker CrowdTangle, which identifies trending stories and influential individuals. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the UK, full-service marcoms provider the hps group has acquired Covent Garden-based brand, communications and new product development research specialist MM-Eye, from its former owner MM-Eye International Ag in Germany. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, marketing software giant Adobe has acquired online video ad targeting specialist TubeMogul for approximately $540m. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of Adobe's 2017 fiscal year. More
Market research, events and publishing company Light Reading has partnered with conference business KNect365 to launch an online community called 'Connecting Africa', which will track, analyze and report on developments in the continent's communications market. More
In the US, digital agency Ciceron has partnered with cognitive intelligence specialist Equals3 to add artificial intelligence to its offering. More
US-based mobile marketing platform TUNE has opened an office in New Delhi, India, to support its base of customers and partners in the region. The new office will be led by former Komli Media director Ashwiny Thapliyal, as Regional Head of Sales for India & Southeast Asia. More
In the US, competitor intelligence specialist Crayon has raised $3.35m in seed funding, which it will use to speed up business growth, including recruitment of new staff in engineering, product, marketing and sales. More
In the US, speech and text analytics specialist Verint has added geolocation targeting options to its Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) solution. More
Former Cablevision executives Kristin Dolan and Ben Tatta have acquired data analytics firm Analytics Media Group (AMG), and launched a new audience measurement and analytics business called 605. Terms of the buy have not been disclosed. More
Nielsen has launched the Shopper Essentials Suite - a web-based data visualization and analysis solution, designed to provide an interactive view of shoppers across retail channels and categories. More
Finland-based retail IoT analytics and marketing platform Walkbase has expanded to the US, and has appointed location intelligence specialist Kevin Hunter as President of the Americas. More
In the UK, digital marcoms group Next Fifteen Communications has acquired an 85% stake in London-based brand and communication specialist HPI Research through its data and insights subsidiary Morar. The deal will be met with an initial consideration of just under £1.3m. More
Marcoms giant WPP has signed an affiliation agreement with Iran-based digital marketing group PPG, which operates more than fifteen digital services companies in the country. 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 the US, mobile analytics and personalization platform FollowAnalytics has appointed software sector exec Carl Theobald as Chief Executive Officer, replacing founder Samir Addamine. More
In New York, data-driven consumer insights and analytics specialist Merkle has appointed former News Corp exec Charlie Weiss as General Manager, Media and Publisher Solutions. More
US-based online traffic monitoring solutions firm Fraudlogix has added viewability measurement to its suite of ad verification products. More
Facebook is facing a potential civil rights lawsuit from three users who claim it has violated US laws prohibiting advertisers from publishing housing or job ads that discriminate on factors such as race, religion and gender. More
Austin, Texas-based PR measurement and media monitoring specialist TrendKite has received $16m in a Series D funding round, which brings its total raised to date to more than $35m. More
UK broadcaster ITV will be the first to use media network Havas' custom artificial intelligence system EagleAi, to provide its audience with insights into US voters' intentions prior to the presidential election result being called. More
In the US, the IAB's Tech Lab has launched a compliance program, to audit and officially validate companies' use of industry standards for digital advertising, including its measurement. More
GfK has appointed Gary Schanzer to lead its Point-of-Sale (POS) teams in North America - including retail panels for the pet, optics and tire markets - as well as the Group's Value-Added Services in e-commerce content, discount ad tracking, and technology research for investment firms. More
comScore has been awarded MRC accreditation for its Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT) detection and filtration methodology, for both desktop and mobile traffic. More
Gaming sector analyst DFC Intelligence has announced a new service which tracks the market for video games on both PC and console platforms. The program looks at upcoming releases and provides subscribers with detailed assessments of titles it considers likely to succeed. More
Netherlands online publisher group VINEX has awarded Kantar Media a contract to deliver a new 5,000-strong panel for Internet audience measurement, replacing a previous service operated by GfK. More
Facebook is being sued by three advertisers following its recent overstatement of the time users spend watching its video ads. More
UK-based software solutions firm Sensum has upgraded its Sensum Insights neuromarketing solution, to include facial-recognition, eye-tracking & implicit testing technology - a first for a self-service solution, the company says. 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
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), which represents black members of the US Congress, has condemned Facebook's use of 'ethnic affinities' advertising, which allows users to exclude groups based on race and ethnicity. More
US firm App Annie has appointed former SAP exec Aaron Mahimainathan as Chief Product Officer, responsible for expanding the firm's mobile app intelligence products. More
Behavioral analytics company Interana has raised $18m in an oversubscribed round of funding, which it will use to support the next phase of company growth, expand its customer base, and accelerate product development. More
In London, IT, healthcare and B2B MR firm RONIN Development Corporation has been sold out of administration as a going concern to creative digital marketing agency Fat Media. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Music streaming service Spotify has acquired a cloud-based firm called Preact, which uses analytics, behavioral science and machine learning techniques to predict consumer behavior around subscription sign-ups and upgrades. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
RetailMeNot, an app which provides discounts with coupon and promo codes for thousands of online stores, has launched a tool called Mobile Attribution, which analyzes user actions within the app combined with location data, to quantify in-store footfall and attributable sales. More
Tokyo-based sample and survey software business dataSpring has appointed MApps CEO Ikuo Hagino as Chief Executive Officer. He succeeds Masahiro Takanohashi who will remain with the firm until the end of the year, when he will leave to pursue 'other leadership opportunities'. More
In the US, comScore is retiring its PRO online measurement service (previously known as Compete PRO), and partnering with digital intelligence specialist SimilarWeb to offer the latter's competitive intelligence platform to existing PRO clients. More
In the US, Seattle, WA-based marketing and sales strategy consultancy Lenati has appointed David Dorrian as Director of Research, and Jonathan Adler as Director of Analytics. More
Vancouver, Canada-based mobile customer engagement specialist Mobify has nearly doubled its space, with a move to new headquarters housing 115 local employees. More
In New York, data-driven ad technology firm Spongecell has raised $10.5m in a combination of debt and equity financing, which it will use to further expand its CORE data ingestion engine. 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
Marketing technology and analytics specialist David Raab has launched a new trade association called the Customer Data Platform Institute. The association aims to educate companies about the solutions available for building a single view of customers, identifying behavior and tracking interaction across channels. More
In the US, the Direct Marketing Association is changing its name to the Data & Marketing Association, reflecting its focus on regulating and monitoring data use, and promoting guidelines for consumer data collection. More
Stockholm-based Voice of the Customer specialist Nepa AB has acquired the outstanding 9.9 percent of Nepa UK Ltd. Following the move, the company says it has 'parted ways' with UK MD Johnny Caldwell. More
In the US, data-driven CRM agency Merkle has appointed Michael McLaren as Executive Global Group Director for its High-Tech and B-to-B practices. More
In the US, Nielsen is adding data from competitive online ad intelligence firm Pathmatics to its existing digital ad tracking service, to provide clients with views of new media types used and purchase preferences, and help with the targeting of different devices. More
In the US, marketing software and solutions firms Marketo has appointed long-time SAP exec Steve Lucas as Chief Executive Officer, replacing founder and current CEO Phil Fernandez, who will step down on November 1st. More
In the US, mobile ad network InMobi has partnered with viewability measurement specialist Moat to offer advertisers measurement of 'human viewable and audible' metrics across all mobile ad formats. 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
In New York, former Yahoo! exec Dennis Buchheim has joined the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) in the newly created role of Senior Vice President, Data and Ad Effectiveness, and General Manager of its Data Center of Excellence. More
In the US, mobile engagement platform SITO Mobile has partnered with digital out-of-home (DOOH) targeting specialist Ayuda[x], to provide real-time mobile location data to ad agencies and brand marketers. 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
A new company called Snaplytics has launched out of beta, offering marketers analysis of the social media messaging and multimedia mobile app Snapchat. More
Predictive marketing startup CaliberMind has raised $1.1m in a seed round of funding, which it will use to expand its data science team. The firm has also appointed Corey Litwin as Vice President of Sales. More
In Australia, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has set up a Viewability Taskforce, to deliver a consistent understanding of viewability, which it defines as the 'opportunity to see' rather than engagement or ad effectiveness. More
In the UK, media measurement body the ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations) has named Derek Morris as its Chairman Designate. He will take up the position of Chairman alongside his existing role at Publicis Media, after the next ABC Board meeting on 7th December. More
Google has acquired California-based eye-tracking technology firm Eyefluence. Terms have not been disclosed. More
Research data solutions and technology firm SSI has rolled out a real-time, dashboard-based project reporting and monitoring tool called SSI DataView. 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
Bristol, UK-based marketing automation and customer analytics specialist BlueVenn has opened a US headquarters in Boston. More
Nielsen has reported a 2.5% rise in third quarter revenue to $1.57bn (3.6% on a constant currency basis) compared to Q3 2015. The 'Watch' segment grew rapidly (up 6.7% at constant currency), while restructuring in 'Buy' held back its revenue and drove an 8.3% fall in Nielsen's overall net income to $132m. More
Marketing intelligence firm Visual IQ has acquired German attribution and customer journey analytics specialist Refined Labs. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Consumer and media intelligence specialist Neustar Marketshare has appointed Luis Chaves and Sven Bagemihl as Managing Directors in the UK and Germany respectively. More
In New York, social media intelligence specialist Brandwatch has appointed former Visible Technologies CEO Richard Pasewark as Chief Revenue Officer, overseeing the sales, marketing, customer success and partnerships functions. More
YouGov has hired Ben Leet as UK General Manager, overseeing the sales, marketing and client services teams. More
Consumer and media research specialist GfK MRI has partnered with customer profiling and trend measurement software developer Cubeyou, to help clients understand the relation between social media and product usage. More
Nilesen has announced it will use its Portable People Meter (PPM) technology and panelists to measure out-of-home viewing for national television clients, and will provide subscribers with ratings combining this with in-home audiences. More
Automated MR platform ZappiStore has raised £12m from Amsterdam-based venture capital firm Prime Ventures, which specialises in European tech companies. More
Australian consultancy Faster Horses has moved both its Perth and Sydney teams to larger premises, following triple digit growth in the last two financial years. More
Tech publisher and Ziff Davis has agreed to acquire health information portal and marketing solutions provider Everyday Health for $10.50 per share in cash, valuing the company at around $465m. Ziff Davis is the Digital Media division of Internet services and media firm j2 Global, Inc. More
WPP retail and brand consultancy FITCH has taken a majority stake in StartJG Hong Kong, which like its new owner has a focus on customer experience design. More
Digital data collection firm Research Now has appointed Tom Johnson - a veteran of IDC, SSI and gartner - as EVP of North American Sales, effective immediately. More
The Stagwell Group, the investment advisory company formed by PSB co-founder Mark Penn, has invested an undisclosed amount to acquire Canadian tech company Hubub, which will form the core of a new division, Stagwell Technologies. More
Chinese eCommerce giant Alibaba has made a strategic investment in PlaceIQ, allowing the New York-based location intelligence firm to scale up its services in response to demand. More
Broadcast, online and social media analyst Critical Mention has named a new CEO, Don Yount, and announced management changes, accompanying 'significant growth' in its user base. More
In the US, Ignite Marketing Analytics has acquired ThinkVine, which offers a range of marketing science techniques, including consumer behavior modeling, econometrics and demand forecasting. Terms were not disclosed. 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
Nielsen is opening its consumer packaged goods data and insights to third-party analytic companies, through the launch of the Nielsen Connected Partner Program. More
Stockholm-based brand tracking researcher Nepa has partnered with social media channel Tailsweep to launch the 'Bloggpanelen', which will aim to uncover readers' opinions about blogs. More
US firm MFour Mobile has added features to its DIY mobile survey technology, to enable users to reach their respondents based on the apps they use, the make and model of their smartphones, and other characteristics. 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
In the US, insight-based marketing and tech services provider Advantage Solutions has launched a new business unit, Advantage Media, which will use its proprietary 'MomentAware' data management platform to target shoppers when they are most open to making a purchase. More
Canadian qualitative software provider itracks has officially launched its GO platform, a central source for a number of its existing products, as well as VideoVault, an analysis and reporting system for MR video and audio data. More
In the US, machine learning, semantic technology and data visualization specialist Brainspace has received an undisclosed amount of funding from non-profit venture capital firm In-Q-Tel (IQT), which is itself funded by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). More
Market research, events and publishing company Light Reading has partnered with business networking specialist KNect365 to launch a community, dedicated to tracking and analyzing the Internet of Things (IoT) sector. More
The Interactive Advertising Bureau's Technology Lab has released a draft version of its 'Dynamic Content Ad Standard', designed to increase the relevancy of targeted ads delivered to consumers across desktop and mobile screens. More
In the US, real-time big data analytics platform Metamarkets has closed a $14.25m credit facility, which it will use to expand its engineering team and invest in its data processing infrastructure. More
In the UK, image recognition technology developer GumGum has promoted Phil Schraeder to the role of President and Chief Operating Officer, with a focus on maintaining and building strategic brand and publisher relationships. More
Nashville, Tennessee-based MR technology and services firm 20|20 Research is acquiring MR tech developer iModerate, for an undisclosed sum. 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, television industry research firm ThinkTV has partnered with media academic Professor Karen Nelson-Field, to set up a laboratory which will conduct research into the performance of TV advertising. 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
Research Now veteran Heather White has joined US sampling and data collection provider Critical Mix, to lead expansion of its strategic partnerships and survey audience sources. More
WPP-owned digital data collection specialist Lightspeed has promoted Andrew Van Wezel to Vice President of Operations and Simon Buckley to Vice President of Sales, both within EMEA. More
Nielsen has partnered with digital promotions intelligence company RevTrax, whose SmartOffers solution continuously updates 'offer creative' based on real-time changes in consumer behavior. More
In Sydney, Gai Le Roy is re-joining the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) as Research Director on 1st November, to lead activities tracking media consumption changes and commercial measurement options, while championing the industry's adoption of cross media measurement. More
In Frankfurt, full service digital marketing agency the NetBooster Group has promoted Thomas Armbruster to the position of Chief Executive Officer, replacing Tim Ringel who has stepped down for personal reasons. More
UK-based full service agency MindMover has appointed former employee Georgina Botting as Commercial Director, with a remit to help the business achieve future growth plans. More
Digital ad verification specialist DoubleVerify has appointed Steve Brown as Managing Director for the European region, based in London. More
Australian researcher Roy Morgan has launched a suite of new features for its digital audience measurement platform, including measurement of cross-device uniques and new segments. More
Print and digital media company Time Inc. has appointed Judith Hammerman as Vice President, Global Data Commercialization, charged with bringing together the group's brands and businesses to drive monetization of its commercial data. More
US-based brand strategy, design and experience firm Siegel+Gale has launched a range of Business Analytics and Insights services, promising clients 'richer and more rigorous data, insights and BI tools' for brand management. More
Social media intelligence provider Linkfluence has raised EUR 12m, with which to continue rapid international growth and investment in R&D. More
Marketing spend in the UK looks to be rising, despite the climate of uncertainty created by the Brexit vote in June, according to the IPA's quarterly Bellwether Report. More
Australia-based former Y&R Chief Executive Jason Buckley has formed a new firm, ai.agency, combining creative expertise with artificial intelligence to devise 'engaging narratives' for clients without the need for traditional market research. More
Kantar Media has unveiled a new cross-platform ad intelligence offering, including significantly enhanced digital monitoring to help advertising buyers and sellers analyze opportunities across channels in a more 'integrated and holistic manner'. More
Kantar-owned agency Lightspeed has launched eight research products in Asia, combining its proprietary fieldwork and panel management expertise with emerging technology offers from partner companies. 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
Brighton, UK-based social media analytics specialist Brandwatch has opened a Paris office, its sixth location worldwide; and has appointed Bertrand Saint-Martin as VP for France. 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
Gent-based customer experience management specialist NGDATA has acquired Amsterdam's Rednun, which automates the creation of personalized video to optimize customer engagement. More
US media firm Hearst Television has promoted Kevin Stuart to the new position of Vice President, Research. More
Decision science and data analytics firm Mu Sigma is back under the control of founder Dhiraj Rajaram, following his divorce from former CEO Ambiga Subramanian earlier this year. More
Canadian customer analytics firm iPerceptions has appointed Martin Le Sauteur - formerly President and COO of Marketel McCann Erickson - as its new CEO, replacing Audry Larocque. More
Ipsos Marketing has launched a new tool called 'LIFE Path', providing a modular approach to path-to-purchase understanding that uses social media intelligence, passive metering, and qual and quant research. More
Dan Hess has rejoined comScore after an eleven-year break, to take up the position of Head of Digital Audience and Advertising Products. More
In Germany, Kantar TNS veteran Peter Pirner has added the role of Head of Digital to his existing role as Practice Head, Customer Strategies. He replaces Dirk Steffen, who has taken up the role of Global Account Director for Google, at Kantar in Silicon Valley. More
In the US, big data-based marketing platform Rocket Fuel has launched a research group dedicated to delivering new perspective and insights to help marketers plan and measure their strategy. More
UK-based media and marketing insights firm Ebiquity has launched a Media Management unit, to help advertisers respond to recent market trends. More
In the US, B2B customer experience consulting firm Walker Information has released two new analytic and technology solutions, to alert clients to upcoming issues and to help spot dissatisfied customers before they complain. More
San Francisco-based mobile targeting specialist TapFwd has raised $3m in a seed round of funding, for use in expanding and enhancing Cerebro, its mobile data marketplace. More
Tim Britton has left his role as Head of Strategy & Transformation for PwC's r2i global data research and insight centre, to take up the position of Managing Director of the Open Research Group at academic publishing company Springer Nature. More
Online community and survey tech provider Toluna has expanded its presence in Latin America through the opening of its first office in Brazil, led by Luca Bon as Sales Director. More
German sample and panel provider respondi has promoted Jennifer Roberton to the role of Managing Director, responsible for the UK office and market. The firm has also welcomed four new members to its Board, while founder and CEO Otto Hellwig continues to oversee management of the firm. More
In London, digital marcoms group Next15 has launched a data collection agency called Viga, led by former Research Now exec Lewis Reeves. More
In the US, pricing intelligence specialist Market Track has promoted former Nielsen exec Dennis Moore to the position of Chief Executive Officer, replacing Wayne Mincey, who moves to the role of Executive Chairman. More
Marketing data giant Salesforce has acquired San Francisco-based cross-screen data management solutions provider Krux. The Wall Street Journal reports that the agreed purchase price was $700m, mixing cash and stock. More
In New York, Publicis-owned full-service digital agency Razorfish has hired former Harvard physicist Kevin Mercurio for the new role of Director of Data Science for its COSMOS platform. More
Following a High Court settlement, Millward Brown has received public apologies from MetrixLab and its UK MD Angela Morgans, over the passing of confidential information. More
Dentsu Aegis Network has spent an undisclosed sum to acquire French agency Wasabi Analytics, which measures online ad performance and will be added to the iProspect division. The latter also has a new President, while Dentsu Aegis has a new global data R&D center in Singapore. More
US-based customer service platform Zendesk has announced it will open an office in India, and has appointed former Hewlett Packard Enterprise executive KT Prasad as Country Sales Director, based in Bengaluru. More
French audience measurement firm Mediametrie has announced that its audience analysis division EurodataTV Worldwide has acquired a 52% stake in programme analysis specialist TAPE Consultancy. Joint MDs John Peek and Paul Youngbluth will retain 48% of TAPE's shares. More
In India, TV rating body BARC has appointed former Nielsen exec Jamie Kenney as Business Head, Digital, as part of its plans to launch digital audience measurement in the country. Kenney will be based at the organisation's Mumbai office. More
According to press reports, Aydin Mirzaee has left SurveyMonkey, two years after its acquisition of online survey and application review tools firm Fluidware, which he co-founded in 2008. His next career move is unknown. More
In the US, multi-screen analytics company 4C Insights has raised $26m in a Series C financing round, which it will use to expand both its product suite and the business globally. More
US-based cross-media marketing technology specialist Tapad has introduced a metric called Viewable Exposure Time (VET), to identify the optimal amount of time a consumer spends with an ad before they take action. More
User-generated content marketing specialist Chute has launched a software and services solution, to help brands identity, engage and work with social media influencers. 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
Nielsen is adding Portable People Meter (PPM) panelists to its Local TV service, thereby doubling the sample size. The firm says it will begin introducing PPM measurement for in-home and out-of-home viewing in 2017. More
New York-based ad targeting tech specialist AppNexus has closed a $31m investment round, including $10m from Rupert Murdoch's media group News Corp, which will now have access to AppNexus' full suite of technology products. More
In New York, customer experience platform Bluecore has appointed Jared Blank as Senior Vice President of Data Analysis and Insights, helping clients make business decisions based on behavioural and product data spanning more than 300 retail brands. More
In the US, online community specialist GutCheck has appointed industry veteran Joe Giacobbe as Vice President of Research Operations. More
Technology and marketing services company Publicis.Sapient and text analytics and artificial intelligence specialist Luminoso Technologies have announced a partnership to help clients pull insights from unstructured data. More
A syndicated version of Nielsen's Digital Content Ratings will be available from the end of this month, enabling clients to access daily comparative reporting across desktop and mobile devices in a single solution. More
Leeds, UK-based full-service agency Boxclever has launched a new company called Whizzbox Analytics, providing a dedicated team of analysts who will work alongside agency clients at each stage of the research process. More
UK television measurement body BARB has hired former Guardian News and Media Head of Research Rhiannon Griffiths as Head of Strategic Developments. More
Mobile data analytics and personalisation platform Pixoneye has raised £2.4m in a series A round of funding. This will be used to develop procedures for aggregating and analysing mobile data without transferring it into the cloud for processing. 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
Former GfK Director Babita Earle has joined research automation innovator ZappiStore as Global Accounts and Partnership Director. More
Purchase data and ad ROI analyst Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) has announced an agreement with Facebook, allowing CPG marketers to use its data to measure the in-store sales impact of their Facebook ads. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has awarded ad tech firm Integral Ad Science accreditation for cross-platform Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT) detection, as well as for viewable ad impression measurement. More
Australian-owned data analysis and programmatic media company Pureprofile is to acquire digital marketing group Cohort Holdings Australia Pty Ltd, whose lead generation solutions are offered in Australia, the UK and the US. More
Omni-channel Customer Experience Management (CEM) platform CloudCherry has announced Series A Funding of $6m, for use in global expansion, particularly in the US, SE Asia and the Middle East. More
Research data solutions and technology firm SSI has appointed former Lightspeed exec Ute Jaeger-Wolfe as Managing Director for Germany. More
In the UK, qualitative video research company Watch Me Think has appointed former Unilever exec Jenny Hearne as 'Head of Thinkers' Thoughts', while MRS co-Chair Danny Russell has been named as Chief Advisor. More
Social media video measurement specialist Visible Measures has launched a new metric called 'Engaged Viewing Time', to help brands and marketers assess and increase the ROI of their branded video campaigns. More
Marketing intelligence firm Visual IQ has partnered with Facebook's ad serving and measurement company Atlas, to enable it to offer insights to customers who are advertising across different devices, including desktops, smartphones and tablets. More
Media intelligence provider Cision has appointed Sean O'Driscoll as Chief Strategy and Insights Officer. More
In the US, audience testing and matching specialist Visual Targeting has launched a research solution called cleOpatra, to help marketers decide which visual style will appeal most to their target audience. More
Customer data solutions and enterprise tag management specialist Tealium has raised $35m, for use in accelerating product integrations with mobile, Internet of Things (IoT), and off-line sources; and for global expansion. More
Shopper insight specialist Kantar Retail has partnered with eye tracking firm SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI), to create a virtual shopping experience that provides shopper data via a controlled environment. More
In the UK, social media intelligence specialist Brandwatch has launched a division called the Global Customer Success group, and appointed Pat Phelan as EVP heading it up. More
Brand strategy and research agency BrainJuicer has launched a System1 Digital Ad Testing solution, which promises to predict digital content ROI, shareability and click-through rates, while providing diagnostics for improving performance. More
Nielsen has partnered with research and technology firm Vision Critical, promising clients the ability to extract additional value from their insight communities and better understand their customers. 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
Mumbai-based ad tech firm Fork Media has acquired a 51 percent stake in Inuxu Digital Media Technologies, the creator of the 'Adgebra' behavioural data-based cross-device targeting system. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Google has acquired location-based analytics firm Urban Engines, which will be incorporated into its Maps product. More
Cross-device audience measurement firm Verto Analytics has launched its syndicated services in the UK, offering analysis including dynamic usage patterns and user demographics, by the hour or day. More
Montreal, Canada-based SweetIQ, a provider of retail measurement and marketing software, has acquired part of Californian direct-to-business local marketing firm Connectivity, in an all-cash transaction; and has opened a new office in Irvine, CA. More
Investment firm Marlin Equity Partners has combined its BlueHornet Networks company with the applications business it purchased from Teradata Corporation in July, to launch a new digital marketing tech company, Mapp Digital LLC. More
After more than six months, comScore's investigation into 'certain accounting matters' has concluded that its last three years' financial statements 'should no longer be relied upon', due to the erroneous inclusion of non-monetary transactions which inflated revenue and other figures. More
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has sent the government its proposal for a regulatory framework for radio audience measurement, not dissimilar to that recently set up for television metrics. More
A new body supported by major corporations and ad associations will seek to 'improve consumers' experience with online advertising', basing its strategy on consumer research and aiming to counter the rise of ad blocking. 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
Nielsen has set out plans to introduce all-electronic measurement for local TV ratings across all 210 of the USA's designated market areas (DMAs) by mid-2017 - and to stop using paper-based TV diaries early the following year. More
London-based Informa has acquired professional information services and exhibitions group Penton, headquartered in New York, in a £1.2 billion deal. More
In the UK, outdoor advertising audience research body Route has commissioned Ipsos Connect UK to undertake an expanded and renewed six-year research project, providing data to the outdoor industry until 2023. The new contract, funded by an injection of £20m, begins on 1st April 2017. More
Omnicom-owned ad agency BBDO has appointed former MEC digital analytics head Sharona Sankar-King for the newly created role of Head of Marketing Science, based in its New York office. More
WPP-owned digital data collection specialist Lightspeed has rolled out ten new capabilities in the Australian market, combining emerging MR technologies such as facial coding and social media intelligence with its proprietary fieldwork and panel management expertise. More
comScore has expanded the mobile demographic reporting capabilities in its validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) service, in Canada and the UK. More
Montreal, Canada-based out-of-home (OOH) ad software firm Ayuda has launched a company called AYUDA[x], which will analyze geospatial datasets to understand where consumers are, have been, and are going - enabling marketers to target them with mobile ads. More
Customer targeting specialist Optimove has raised $20m in growth funding, which it will use to expand the business and its sales and marketing teams in the US. More
comScore has announced in an SEC filing that former CEO Serge Matta will be leaving the business early next month. More
In the UK, Ipsos Connect has partnered with Partnership Audits & Consulting (PACL), to provide evaluation services for brands involved in sponsorship or marketing partnership activities. More
US big data specialist Zignal Labs and DIY online research firm SurveyMonkey have partnered to create a cross-media analytics and survey research platform for communications, PR, social media and brand marketing professionals. More
In the US, audience analysis specialist SiteFocus has launched a cloud-based data analytics platform called Communications in Focus (CIF), which draws predictive insights from unstructured data including sentiment trends, focus groups and 'objective opinion'. More
US-based audience-driven ad and media analytics firm Samba TV has rolled out its 'Sync and Retarget' digital ad buying platform in the UK market. To support this move, the firm has set up a London office as its European HQ, where it has appointed Hitesh Bhatt and Jay Fowdar. More
Edinburgh big data analytics firm Aquila Insight has geared up for further rapid expansion with a move to larger offices, still within the technology incubator Codebase on Lady Lawson Street. More
London-based video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly has launched two products which it claims will bring 'emotional intelligence' to digital advertising. More
In the US, media monitoring and analytics firm PublicRelay has expanded its multi-language content capabilities, to enable users to isolate data surrounding specific audiences and languages. 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
Media measurement firm comScore has introduced a solution through which media buyers and sellers can reach their target audience with more relevant messaging 'in a context that is appropriate for their brand'. More
Marcoms group Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired Brazilian retail consulting specialist Cosin Consulting, for an undisclosed sum. More
Bloomberg Media has hired former Dentsu Aegis Network exec Michelle Lynn as Global Head of Data Science and Insights, responsible for leading initiatives, and managing Data and Research teams globally from its office in New York. More
US-based word-of-mouth (WOM) research and consulting firm Keller Fay has launched a tool called 'TotalSocial for TV', tracking consumer / viewer conversations about primetime TV shows. More
Marcoms group Dentsu Aegis Network has hired Stefan Bardega as UK Chief Executive of its digital marketing agency iProspect. He replaces Chris Whitelaw, who was promoted to the post of EMEA President and Global Commercial Director at the beginning of this year. More
In the US, research technology and services group FocusVision has promoted Zhana Baleva to the role of Regional Head of EMEA, while also promoting three other members of staff. 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
In the US, mobile campaign analyst Kochava has added 'dynamic media cost data' to its dashboard, allowing users to view it alongside campaign performance metrics. More
In the US, Lieberman Research Worldwide (LRW) has acquired social media insights company MotiveQuest for an undisclosed sum. More
Online community and survey tech provider Toluna has acquired Israel-based digital tracking specialist Crossense from incubator firm Nielsen Innovate. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US marketing services company Connexity has sold its consumer data company Bizrate Insights to publishing giant Time Inc., for an undisclosed sum. More
Targeting and media planning specialist Telmar says marketers will now be able to estimate reach and frequency on its USA TouchPoints database, as it integrates the data with the roll-out of its 'RFT' time-spent-reach and frequency tool. More
UK-based media and marketing insights firm Ebiquity has launched a platform called Portfolio, enabling clients to view, sort and analyse competitor advertising creative and spend, across fifteen European countries and up to 80 territories worldwide. More
Nielsen has announced the Taiwan launch of its Digital Ad Ratings service, which helps clients measure and understand unduplicated reach across computers and mobile devices. More
WPP's digital ad targeting specialist plista has acquired Oslo, Norway-based real-time content analytics company Linkpulse. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Oslo, Norway-based fieldwork group Norstat has opened an office in Paris, where it has appointed former Research Now MD Marc-Antoine Jacoud as Managing Director. More
Former McDonalds Consumer Insights Lead Joseph Chen has joined online research 'app store' platform ZappiStore as Vice President for the Canadian market. More
Mobile device-level data platform Ogury has raised $15m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to open a new office in New York later this month, while continuing to invest in technology, R&D and recruitment. Existing offices are in London, Paris, Milan, Rome and Madrid. More
Audience measurement firm comScore says it will request a hearing to discuss a return to compliance with NASDAQ requirements, after a notification from the exchange's Listing Qualifications Department that its shares will otherwise be suspended in a week's time. More
London-based Video data tech company Big Sofa has appointed former FocusVision EMEA MD Richard Collins to the newly created position of Chief Customer Officer, responsible for managing its global client base. More
New York-based location intelligence firm xAd has announced a partnership with Chinese marketing data specialist AdMaster, to provide a measurement solution linking mobile campaign delivery to physical store visits. More
Jim Cox has been hired as Lithium Technologies' new SVP and CFO. The role includes building on the multi-year financial strategy that supports Lithium's goals of strengthening its leadership position in the community market, while further growing its presence in the social media management space. More
Marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired data-driven programmatic ad company Accordant Media for an undisclosed sum. More
Mumbai-based digital MR agency MRSS India has filed a prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), to raise up to Rs. 100m ($US 1.5m) through Further Public Offering (FPO) of equity shares. More
New York-based data-driven marketing tech firm Zeta Interactive has raised $45m in new funding, which it will use to grow in the US, UK and internationally, while accelerating its acquisition strategy. More
New York-based advertising intelligence specialist Integral Ad Science (IAS) and ad technology platform Nativo have partnered to measure the viewability of native inventory. More
In the US, content creation and analysis platform Frankly has launched an ad targeting program, to help media publishers deliver cross-platform, hyper-targeted audience segments. More
Data science firm Jaywing has acquired Leeds, UK-based digital marketing agency Bloom Media for an initial £2.41m, with an additional consideration of up to £5.75m subject to performance over a two-year period. 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
Mobile technology company JOINGO has launched an analytics and business intelligence tool, to provide casino gaming industry clients with insights into the behavioral patterns of their mobile customers. More
US-based location data management firm Yext has appointed former Criteo MD Jon Buss as Managing Director of its recently launched UK and Northern Europe operations. 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
European ad visibility analyst Meetrics has completed a third funding round, which it will use to open offices in Italy, Poland and the Nordic countries. More
In the US, retail information firm the NPD Group has agreed to acquire video games industry researcher EEDAR for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, newspaper and Internet publisher McClatchy has launched a full-service digital agency called excelerate, which will design, track and measure customized marketing plans for advertisers. More
Hispanic and multicultural intelligence company Geoscape has launched a digital audience targeting platform called Audientivity, which enables brands to reach individual consumers and businesses through their various connected devices. 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
The Indonesian Digital Measurement Consortium (IDMC) has selected comScore as the country's online audience measurement partner for a period of two years from 2016 to 2018. More
US-based mobile campaign analyst Kochava is opening a European headquarters in the heart of Dublin, and has hired Fred Thuard as EMEA Director of Sales. More
Kantar Media has promoted Steve Passwaiter to the role of Vice President and General Manager of its political ad monitoring unit Campaign Media Analysis Group (CMAG), based in Washington DC. He succeeds Elizabeth Wilner, who has left to join Airbnb as Managing Editor for Policy. More
Indoor positioning solutions specialist sensewhere has received a £1.4m grant from Scottish Enterprise, which it will use to add staff and further develop its location software. 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
Instant messaging service WhatsApp has announced it will share user information with its parent company Facebook, whose corporate advertising clients can use it to improve their ad targeting. More
WPP continues to buy comScore shares, with another 120,000 purchased this week at an average cost of $28.39 per share. More
In the US, a federal appellate court has decreed that ad technology company Turn must respond to new arguments raised by individuals in a lawsuit over privacy violations. More
Kantar's TNS Gallup team will continue to provide TV ratings for Norway for at least another seven years, after the firm won a competitive pitch against Ipsos. The new contract, running initially from 2018 to 2023, is billed by the partners as 'the most advanced hybrid model for TV and video measurement yet seen in the world'. More
B2B media company Ascential plc has announced the acquisition of US-based e-commerce analytics provider One Click Retail, for an initial cash consideration of $44m plus future earn outs. More
In Chicago, digital marketing agency Shaw + Scott has acquired consulting and software solutions firm Lift Science, and will add a new division using the bought firm's capabilities to provide services including predictive analytics and data science. 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
Seed Strategy, a subsidiary of MR and training provider Burke, Inc., has acquired women's insights and innovation consultancy The Cherri Prince Company. More
Australia-based media monitoring and intelligence group Isentia has reported revenue up 22.6% to $AUD 155m, and EBITDA up 20% to $AUD 51m. Most of the revenue growth ($AUD 20.5m) came from its acquisition of King Content a year ago. More
Technology media company TechTarget has rolled out its B2B purchase intent data service, IT Deal Alert Priority Engine, in the EMEA region. More
WPP has acquired a further 120,000 shares in comScore, split evenly between Friday and Monday, for around $27.25 apiece. More
US-based sampling automation provider Lucid has launched an independent, third-party-verified quality assurance and measurement program, which allows market researchers to test multiple characteristics of more than 40 major sample panels. More
In the UK, subscription-free satellite TV provider Freesat has launched a live audience measurement service, which shows viewer behaviour across channels and programmes gathered from more than 100,000 connected set-top boxes. More
Yieldbot, which enables publishers to monetise data based on the purchase intent of their visitors, has raised $35m in a Series C round of investment. The funds will be used to expand sales and marketing presence across the US, drive product growth, and explore acquisition opportunities. More
In London, GfK has hired former Kantar Worldpanel exec Imran Choudhary for a newly created role, Key Account Director, Technology. More
MediaBrix, a specialist in contextual and emotional targeting, has received $6.5m in funding and hired former Unruly US President Richard Kosinski for the new role of Global Chief Revenue Officer. More
Android-based digital signage company NoviSign has hooked up with analysis firm Seemetrix to launch a solution which ensures an ad reaches its target audience, while analyzing consumer reactions in real-time. More
US-based video management platform SpotX has introduced a range of mobile app data points, to boost its capabilities for in-app video targeting. More
comScore has received a notice from the NASDAQ stock exchange over its continued delays in filing financial reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). More
In the US, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) is inviting tenders for a contract to combine smart TV and set top box (STB) data, in order to create a nationally projectable 'mega sample' of TV tuning data. More
Australian media group Nine has launched two new data products, Audience Sync and Audience Match, enabling clients to activate their own audience segments and match customer databases against more than fifteen million active unique user accounts. More
In the US, cookie-less audience measurement specialist Tru Optik has partnered with political data provider TargetSmart, to help clients optimize political media campaigns across mobile, digital, OTT and connected TV. More
Bangalore, India-based data management services company DataEntryOutsourced is offering to organize client companies' information using location-based parameters, and add geotagging for media data applications. More
Marcoms network Dentsu Aegis is to acquire Düsseldorf-based brand and lifestyle marketing agency Markenloft, which specialises in what it calls 'emotional brand selling'. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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
TV data collection and analytics specialist FourthWall Media has partnered with the Data Trust, to connect its second-by-second census-level television viewership data with the latter's Republican Party (GOP) dataset of more than 190 million American voters from all 50 states. More
Cross-device ad targeting and analytics specialist Adelphic has launched a solution called Behavior Graph, through which users can identify, engage and target relevant consumers. More
Nielsen and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) have formed a partnership, to help retailers and manufacturers better understand the change driven by digital technologies within the food marketplace. More
Software giant Oracle has launched what it describes as the 'largest business-to-business audience data marketplace', which includes profiles of more than 400 million business users and one million US companies. More
Mobile ad targeting firm Amobee has launched a solution triggering digital ad campaigns at specific moments relating to online and off-line events and circumstances. These include changes in the weather, sports results, financial conditions, and location-based activity. More
Real-time audience insight and content assessment specialist Parse.ly has made its live stream of user and event-level data available for clients to conduct their own real-time analysis and data engineering projects. More
Marcomms giant WPP has resumed its buying of comScore stock, with the purchase of a further 120,000 at c.$26 apiece last week. The measurement firm's share price has dropped by a third since January this year. More
GE veteran Anoop Bhatia has launched a market intelligence company, Nowigence, offering real-time dashboard access to tailored, sector-based summaries of news culled from nearly three million news items each day. More
In Canada, communities and MR technology provider MARU/VCR&C has appointed Dean Devlin as SVP of Sales. More
App metrics firm Apteligent has integrated its product with the Leanplum mobile marketing platform, providing users with a combined solution for reducing app churn and retaining customers. More
Data management platform (DMP) provider Lotame has launched Data Stream, which provides real-time access to 'billions' of consumer profiles from the firm's global data exchange; and the option to combine the profiles with users' own first-party data. More
Video technology company Cincopa has launched a heatmap tool, promising to help web site developers and marketers analyse traffic patterns and improve engagement. 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
Boise, Idaho-based Lynx Research Consulting has acquired Drake Insights, based in NYC. The latter's founder Terrett Drake will joins Lynx as a Partner, reporting directly to company President Chris Hauck. More
Samba TV, which provides real-time audience driven advertising and media analytics, has appointed Dan Ackerman as Chief Revenue Officer. He was previously SVP at AOL's data management platform ONE. More
New York-based B2B purchase intent analyst Madison Logic has upgraded its Activate ABM marketing platform with the addition of attribution and engagement analytics. More
Perth, Australia-based ad agency Marketforce has appointed Alice Manners, until recently CEO of the country's IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau), as its new Chief Digital Officer. More
London-based video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly has rolled out its Pulse engine in Australia, to analyse emotional responses to video ads and the resulting trends. More
Los Angeles-based full-service digital agency AvatarLabs has launched an Innovation Department, with the aim of bringing interaction and storytelling to digital audiences. More
comScore has moved co-founder Gian Fulgoni into the role of Chief Executive Officer, following an internal accounting investigation which is now in its sixth month. He replaces Serge Matta, who will now serve as Executive Vice Chairman and Advisor to the CEO. More
Media intelligence and communications specialist Cision has appointed Kevin Akeroyd as Global Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Peter Granat who has moved into the role of Chairman of the Board. More
London-based big data privacy and analytics specialist Privitar has raised £3m in a funding round, which it will use to accelerate growth in the UK and expand across Europe. More
App store analytics firm App Annie has launched a product called 'Marketing Intelligence', to help app publishers acquire and engage more mobile users. 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
Data-driven marketing tech firm Zeta Interactive has acquired Acxiom's cross-channel marketing solutions business Impact. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Sampling automation provider Lucid has hired Emel Mohammadally as Executive Director of Business Development at its office in London. More
Research technology and services group FocusVision has promoted Jonathan Tice to the role of SVP of North American Sales, while sensory research specialist Michael Kuehne joins as Senior Research Strategist. 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
Australian news agency AAP has acquired Melbourne-based media intelligence specialist Mediaverse, which it will merge with its own media analysis arm MRG (Media Research Group). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
New York-based location intelligence firm PlaceIQ has enhanced its technology with the addition of location-based spending data from MasterCard's insights arm MasterCard Advisors. More
WPP audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has promoted Lucas Mentasti to the role of Chief Executive Officer, Latin America. More
US-based big data specialist Opera Solutions has partnered with enterprise data and analytics firm Acxiom, to offer clients a deeper understanding of their customers. More
Nielsen has launched its Social Content Ratings service, announced in January as a replacement for Twitter TV Ratings, and providing a measure of program-related social media activity across both Facebook and Twitter. More
Video audience analytics firm Visible Measures has partnered with customer data 'onboarding' specialist LiveRamp, to enable brands to utilize their off-line data for targeted digital media campaigns. More
New York-based social media intelligence firm Unmetric has added Facebook post reach and impressions data to its Analyze platform, enabling analysts to benchmark competitors' Facebook post data against their own. More
Social media monitoring firm Socialbakers has developed a scoreboard through which to compare Olympic athletes and national teams' social media support from their fans, with the number of medals won. More
In the US, market intelligence and data services firm Wiland has raised $30.6m through a securities offering, for use in buying back $20m worth of common stock from shareholders. More
Mobile survey technology provider OnePoint Global has appointed former TNS North America Chief Financial Officer Rick Carbone as Corporate Advisor and interim CFO. More
WPP division J. Walter Thompson has acquired full service digital agency iStrategyLabs (ISL) for an undisclosed sum. More
Mobile marketing platform Pulsate has closed a $1.5m round of funding from dunnhumby Ventures and PayPal, along with Enterprise Ireland and other private investors. The firm has also launched a suite of tools for mobile app engagement, analytics and location-based targeting. More
Online qual software and services provider Dub has appointed Simona Kats as Senior Research Consultant in the US, and Gareth Mellor as Marketing Manager in the UK. More
In the US, real-time personalization and behavioral tracking specialist Evergage has launched a solution to help marketers make sense of and act on customer data gathered from disparate sources such as CRM systems, e-mail platforms, ad networks, and point-of-sale information. More
Stockholm-based eyetracking technology firm Tobii has reported first half 2016 sales of SEK 493m ($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
Online panel and survey software firm dataSpring has launched its first mobile survey app, known as surveyon. The app promises rapid turnaround surveys along with a new approach to driving panelist engagement. More
Two Dallas, Texas-based ad tech companies are combining, with the acquisition of Meteora Media by StaMedia Group. The buy adds the former's customized audience targeting and segmentation software to the latter's ad management, customer engagement and prospecting tools. 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
Iberian and Latin American online panel specialist Netquest has appointed Joana de Lacerda as Country Manager in Portugal. More
In the US, contextual e-mail targeting specialist Movable Ink has hired former Forrester Research exec Rob Brosnan as Vice President of Strategy. More
US research partnership The Intent Lab has launched a digital consumer satisfaction index, examining how consumers make connections with a brand before deciding whether to engage and purchase something, or go elsewhere. More
Market research, events and publishing company Light Reading has been acquired by London-based business information and events group Informa for an undisclosed sum. 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
Israeli online ad targeting company Matomy Media Group has launched a mobile ad agency called mtmy, which will collate app usage and behavioural data to generate insights and target audiences across multiple channels. More
comScore has enhanced its monthly syndicated Plan Metrix solution in the US, with the addition of mobile data insights, combining online behavior data and detailed off-line information. More
Spanish-language broadcast network Telemundo has appointed Lia Silkworth as Senior Vice President of Insights and Consumer Development, in charge of the Programming and Consumer Research departments. More
WPP's audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has promoted Nicolas Bidon to the role of Chief Executive Officer, EMEA, with Jana Kusick taking his old role as Global CEO of ad targeting subsidiary plista. More
In the US, WPP-owned digital agency POSSIBLE has promoted Jason Carmel for the newly created role of Chief Data Officer. More
In the US, data-based influencer marketing platform Influential has raised a $5m Series A round of funding, which it will use to ramp up its team and continue product development. More
Enterprise social media intelligence specialist Brandwatch has launched a product to help marketers identify and target influencers and networks, and to spot trends. More
Nielsen has reported a 2.4% increase in second quarter revenues to $1.596bn, with both its Buy and Watch businesses providing a 'solid performance'. On a constant currency basis, revenues were up 4.5%. 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
In London, tech market research company DigitalMR has appointed Maksim Sipos as its first Chief Technology Officer, responsible for the adaptation and technical delivery of its listening247 and communities247 tools, and its DIY software-as-a-service offering. More
Manchester, UK-based consumer insight agency Join the Dots has introduced a range of techniques to combat what it calls 'communications saturation' - experienced by consumers since the introduction of smartphones and the increasing use of social media. More
Research Now has added an in-app media measurement solution to its ADimension suite of products, allowing brands to gain access to exposure identification through device IDs, while determining the effectiveness of a campaign's performance across multiple publishers and ad networks. More
Marcoms group Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired full service B2B marketing agency gyro, which offers creative services combined with media planning and buying expertise, data and analytics, content, and search. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US telecoms giant Verizon Communications Inc. has agreed to purchase the core web assets of Yahoo!, for around $4.8bn. Stakes in two other businesses worth around $40bn between them are not included in the deal. More
Music and TV recognition app Shazam is working with five US broadcasters to develop a radio audience measurement solution for the country. 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
UK online retailer Shop Direct has appointed has appointed McKinsey & Company junior partner Assi Gol to lead its customer intelligence teams. He replaces Dene Jones, who left the company earlier this year. More
Around seventy staff are expected to lose their jobs at Boston-based web analyst Compete Inc., according to a statement from the company. More
Liverpool, UK-based data firm Ruler Analytics has received a 'six-figure' investment from The North West Fund for Digital & Creative, managed by AXM Venture Capital. Funds will be used to recruit, scale infrastructure and roll out the firm's product internationally. More
comScore co-founder Magid Abraham has resigned as Executive Chairman of the Board, to focus on his new role as Executive Chairman of wearable technology developer APX Labs. He will remain on the comScore Board for the remainder of his term, which expires in 2018. 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
Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) CEO and President Gayle Fuguitt has decided not to renew her contract when it expires, but will continue to lead the organization until the end of October. More
US-based video analytics firm Visible Measures has launched a feature called the Industry Forecaster, which predicts video viewership trends for specific industries, up to 28 days into the future. More
New York City-based social media tracking specialist Sprinklr has secured a $105m round of funding, valuing the company at $1.8bn. More
Online ad verification specialist DoubleVerify has launched a suite of media authentication services called IQ Advanced Solutions, which it says will increase the transparency and performance of video and display advertising across both mobile and desktop platforms. More
In London, multi-platform usability testing specialist Usability247 has added Saul Annett as a new member of its Board, responsible for commercial and corporate social responsibility activities. More
Australian TV audience measurement (TAM) body OzTAM has extended Nielsen's contract to supply TAM services in the country's five mainland capital cities and nationally for subscription TV (STV); and is also increasing the number of homes in its TAM panels by 50 per cent. 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
In the UK, IAB Chief Executive Guy Phillipson is stepping down from the role next January, after twelve years heading the industry body. He says he plans to stay involved in the media sector through advisory and non-exec roles. More
Nielsen is integrating viewability measurement from multiple providers such as DoubleVerify, Integrated Ad Science, and Moat, to its Digital Ad Ratings service. More
US-based Kochava, which provides mobile campaign attribution analytics and optimization, is moving to newly-built headquarters in the ski resort town of Sandpoint, Idaho; and says it aims to hire an additional twenty employees by the end of the year. More
In the US, retail information firm The NPD Group has added data from consumer and media research specialist GfK MRI to its BrandLink tool, to help users predict the likelihood that a celebrity will resonate with fans of specific brands. More
In London, Kantar Media has updated its real-time ratings capabilities with new features to make it easier for broadcasters to interpret and analyse audience data on their smartphones, tablets and PCs, and to assess how programmes are being received by the audience. More
In New York, media and entertainment research veteran Bruce Friend has been named President of the Market Research Council (MRC). More
Global management consultancy Accenture has acquired digital services firm MOBGEN, which offers advanced analytics, mobile strategy and usability testing. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. More
Global communication agency Lewis has launched an analytics division called Observa, providing clients with a modular suite of tools to uncover audience intelligence, brand reputation, media and influencer relations, as well as market opportunities. 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
WPP Chief Executive Sir Martin Sorrell, 71, and his wife Cristiana are expecting their first child together in November. More
London-based data collection business ICM Direct has boosed its data services team with three new hires - Iulian Lincu, Kar-Hoo Lee and Vlad Stanculescu - and the promotion of Kumeshnie du Plessis to Data Services Manager. More
Social media measurement firm Simply Measured has launched an API designed specifically for marketing teams; and has appointed former Forrester analyst Nate Elliott as a Product Advisor. More
In the US, social media listening software developer Attentive.ly has been acquired by non-profit technology company Blackbaud. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Gamer behaviour analyst GameAnalytics has been acquired by mobile ad platform Mobvista for an undisclosed sum. 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
Customer experience software and services provider MaritzCX has launched a solution called SocialCX, through which CX professionals can manage and increase positive reviews on social media. More
WPP's marketing foresight consultancy Gain Theory has promoted Alan Bloodworth to the role of Chief Executive Officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa. More
DIY online survey platform SurveyMonkey has launched an election tracking polling product, giving subscribers access to polling data for the 2016 US Presidential, Senate and Gubernatorial elections. More
In San Francisco, consumer data provider Neustar has hired former Walmart data scientist Venkat Achanta for a newly created role, Chief Data and Analytics Officer. More
Business intelligence provider Flashpoint has raised $10m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to expand into the field of business risk intelligence, delivering insights from the 'dark web' across client enterprises. More
US-based mobile insights and ad platform UberMedia has launched a location data targeting and measurement tool called Optimal GeoSpace. More
US Democratic Senator Al Franken has written to the CEO of Niantic, the company behind smartphone game Pokémon Go, demanding information regarding the record-breaking app's privacy settings. More
US-based consumer data provider Neustar has expanded into the addressable TV ad targeting and measurement market through a partnership with DISH Media Sales. More
Former ESOMAR President Dan Foreman has taken on another Non-Executive Director role, this time with Amsterdam-based consumer insights platform Veylinx. More
Retail information firm the NPD Group has launched the 'Digital Games Tracking Service', to provide the US gaming industry with publisher-sourced SKU-level data on digital game sales, aggregated from the participants of a digital panel. More
In New York, stock photo agency Getty Images has hired former dunnhumby exec Andrew Hamilton for a newly created role, SVP of Data and Insights, responsible for the firm's overall data strategy and the application of customer insights across the business. More
In Michigan, USA, DIY online qual platform Aha! has relocated to the historic Ford Valve Plant building in Northville. More
WPP-owned ad network Grey Group has acquired a majority stake in the holding company of Brussels-based creative agency Famous, whose big data services include web analytics, customer segmentation, A/B testing and social media measurement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In New York, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and its Data Center of Excellence have launched a benchmarking system called the IAB Data Maturity Model, enabling users to determine how 'sophisticated' is their use of data. More
Quebec City-headquartered big data intelligent search and predictive insights firm Coveo is planning to invest $5m in a new office in Montreal's Innovation District, where it intends to create 50 new jobs over the next 24 months. More
Market research firm Opinion Corp's consumer complaint site PissedConsumer.com has released an online tool, to enable consumers to compare multiple companies, their products and services based on customer feedback. More
Social media communications platform Tencent has partnered with marcoms network Publicis Groupe, to connect behavioral data, co-invest and co-create content, and launch a 'Drugstore' incubation facility. More
Marketing services and data analytics firm Environics Analytics (EA) has updated its core financial products, and launched four new behavioral databases examining Canadian travel patterns, environmental attitudes, social media engagement, and philanthropic activities. More
Video ad platform Watchwith has acquired the Media Analysis Framework (MAF) from entertainment and communications technology provider ARRIS for an undisclosed sum. Additionally, Watchwith has hired the ARRIS engineers who invented MAF to open a new R&D office in Chicago. More
Former Xaxis leader Caspar Schlickum has joined creative and data-driven digital agency network Wunderman as Chief Executive for the Asia Pacific region. He succeeds Martin Conneen who is leaving the company to 'pursue new opportunities'. More
In Brazil, GfK is rolling out its TV audience measurement data to all broadcasters, media agencies and advertisers across the country. More
WPP has partnered with Chinese Internet services company Tencent to set up a 'social innovation and ideation lab', which will combine the firms' technology, analytics and creative input to build social media ideas and campaigns for the latter's instant messaging platforms. More
Webby Media Group, the company behind the Webby Awards, has set up a research and intelligence division called Webby Insights to provide industry data about award-winning creative digital work from around the world. More
The Media Rating Council (MRC) has issued the final version of its guidelines for measuring viewable impressions in mobile web and mobile in-application environments. More
Sir Martin Sorrell and other senior figures from the marketing and ad industry have been reacting to Britain's decision to leave the EU, most with alarm but some mixing this with relish for the challenge and possible long-term opportunities. More
Real-time information services provider Neustar, Inc. is to split into two publicly traded companies, separating its call routing services for telecom carriers from its marketing, security and data services. The latter will be rebranded. More
In the US, marketing group Causemedia has launched a new marketing and technology company called Matchfire, which it says will 'blend strategic creative services with technical solutions and data-driven insights'. More
Singapore-based mobile ad company InMobi has agreed to pay $950k and implement a rigorous internal privacy program to settle US Federal Trade Commission charges of large scale unauthorised location tracking, for ad targeting purposes. More
US media group Hearst is to offer its trending content ratings platform Buzzing[at]Hearst, developed over two years in-house, to third parties, allowing advertisers to target its audiences. More
Shopper behaviour division Kantar Worldpanel has formed a global partnership with Facebook, integrating the latter's data on mobile ad exposure data with the former's Consumer Mix Model (CMM) service. 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
Nielsen has enhanced its N-Score celebrity influence tracking tool, adding a 'Fan Affinity' score which it says will provide a 360 degree view of the media consumption and purchasing habits of fans. More
US-based public opinion and social media analytics specialist SocialSphere has upgraded its ORBIT software-as-a-service solution to provide more detailed analysis of anonymized and aggregated Facebook topic data - including posts, likes, comments and shares. More
Nielsen has completed the acquisition of sports measurement and intelligence provider Repucom, whose sponsorship data will be combined with the new parent's buyer intent and purchase data to provide clients with deeper understanding of the sports industry. More
Apple is making widespread use of 'differential privacy' to protect individual identities while deriving useful insights from statistics. The technique involves adding incorrect 'noise' to big data, making it far more difficult to identify those supplying it. More
Reputation management technology company Qnary (pronounced 'Canary') has opened its first European offices in Madrid and Barcelona. 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
Nielsen has launched its Marketing Cloud in Europe. The platform, which combines analytics, data management, planning and marketing activation, will be available immediately in the UK and France, to be joined soon by Germany, Italy and Spain. More
Fast-growing UK business consultancy BrandCap is launching a new practice in New York, and has appointed former Interbrand President David Martin to lead it as Chairman. 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
US company AudienceScience has made three senior appointments, as it expands its global presence. Chairman Bill Gossman adds the role of CEO, replacing Mike Peralta who becomes Chief Strategy Officer; while David De Simone joins as COO, and Patrick Reilly as VP Enterprise Sales. More
Impact Radius, which provides digital marketing and affiliate solutions, has acquired ad fraud prevention specialist Forensiq. 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
US-based digital data tracking specialist Luth Research has launched a self-service platform called 'ZQ Now', to help users define and access online and mobile behavior-based survey samples. More
Ross Young, the founder of flat panel research specialist DisplaySearch, and former LG Philips Display exec Bob O'Brien have set up a new market research firm called Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) in Austin, Texas. More
London-based mobile research and sample specialist On Device Research has partnered with data intelligence firm Adbrain to create a single source solution measuring the impact of cross-device advertising. More
Twitter has introduced a solution called Emoji Keyword Targeting for its Twitter Ads service, allowing advertisers to target people who have recently tweeted or engaged with Tweets featuring emojis. More
In London, data-driven CRM specialist Merkle has appointed Azlan Raj as Vice President, Digital Analytics, responsible for helping expand its Digital Analytics practice in Europe. More
In the US, shopper insights specialist Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) has released what it describes as the 'first ever' consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry benchmarks for return on advertising spend (ROAS) and sales productivity metrics across media type. More
Facebook has launched three new solutions intended to drive people to brick and mortar shops and measure the number of shop visits and in-store sales following a Facebook mobile ad campaign. More
Year-old WPP consultancy Gain Theory has promoted Manjiry Tamhane to the role of Worldwide CEO. She succeeds Jason Harrison, who is moving to lead the new GroupM agency Team Arrow Partners. 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
Netherlands TV industry body Stichting KijkOnderzoek (SKO) and Kantar Media have rolled out what they describe as the 'first TV currency in the world' to deliver reach and GRPs (gross ratings points) for ad campaigns and commercials across all screens. More
Customer data 'onboarding' specialist LiveRamp has integrated with Facebook, to enable users to uncover the link between the latter's ad campaigns and off-line sales, whether in stores, branch offices, contact centers or other brick-and mortar locations. More
WPP-owned media agency network Mindshare has appointed former Nielsen EVP Cheryl Idell to run its West Coast operations. More
In the US, data personalization specialist Node has raised $7.5m in a round of funding, which it will use to scale its sales and marketing platform in preparation for launch. More
Microsoft is to buy LinkedIn Corp for $26.2bn in cash, a premium of just under 50 percent to its Friday closing share price. The firms say LinkedIn will retain its distinct brand, culture and independence. More
Online information tracker and publisher eMarketer is to be acquired by German publishing giant Axel Springer in a deal valuing it at more than $250m. More
Mobile measurement and attribution specialist Medialets has opened an APAC headquarters in Singapore and announced senior appointments in North America and London. More
Israel-based digital ad platform Taptica has further expanded its Asian offering with a new office in Seoul, adding to a recent launch in Beijing; and has appointed Hoon Lee as General Manager in South Korea. More
Big data modeller Media iQ has announced a global partnership with audience data specialist Eyeota, and will use its segments to help clients optimise their ad campaigns. More
Research-based consultancy Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) has appointed Jack MacKenzie as Executive Vice President, leading its Global Media and Entertainment practice based in Los Angeles. More
Boston, MA-based Netra, Inc. has closed $1.85m in Series Seed financing, and has announced an agreement to license its IRIS image analysis software to Kantar. 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
Social media analyst Crimson Hexagon has launched a real-time social media analysis service called HelioSight. More
Software firm S4M has been granted Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its mobile ad metrics; and says it is the only company so accredited for a number of mobile post-click functions including landings for browsers, and installs and opens for apps. 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
UK full-service research and insights consultancy Simpson Carpenter has appointed Joanna Grankin as Development Lead in its Innovation team. More
In the US, brand insights and analytics specialist Quantifind has launched a DIY machine learning solution called SIGNUM Analysis, to enable marketers to identify those consumer conversations that influence purchasing decisions. 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
US 'people-based' marketing tech firm Signal has raised $30m in a Series E round of funding, which it will use to expand its platform and business globally. More
Behavioral data platform Amplitude Analytics has raised $15m in a Series B round of investment, which it will use for recruitment, further product development, and sales and marketing expansion. More
The Russian state duma is to consider amendments to the country's media law which would prohibit all forms of foreign control of audience measurement, according to online reports. 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
The Media Rating Council (MRC) has accredited digital ad management company Sizmek for its measurement of viewable desktop display impressions. More
San Francisco-based ad targeting specialist Blueshift has launched a solution to help marketers build personalized recommendations based on real-time interactions at an individual customer level. More
Asia Pacific media monitoring group Isentia has acquired South Korea-based media intelligence firm Social Net Creator for an undisclosed sum. The firm has also completed a 'bolt-on' acquisition in Thailand and is close to finalising company buys in Vietnam and Hong Kong. More
In India, newspaper and magazine circulation measurement body the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has partnered with Nielsen to launch a solution for accredited digital measurement. More
In Sweden, store security specialist Axis Communications has spent an undisclosed sum to acquire Cognimatics, whose services include people counting, queue measurement and occupancy estimation. 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
In India, GroupM media agency Motivator has hired Upali Nag as National Head - Insights and Innovation, based in its Bangalore office. More
The UK's Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards (JICWEBS) has produced guidelines for products that aim to measure the viewability of online video. More
Digital information provider Citizenme has launched a mobile app to enable people to access their own smartphone and social media profile data, providing 'insights into their digital personality traits' and the ability to exchange their data for cash rewards with brands. More
Visual analytics company Qlik is to be acquired by equity investment firm Thoma Bravo, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $3.0 billion. More
Location intelligence platform Near has launched a tool called Allspark, which uses public and proprietary data sets to enable users to visualise and analyse audience location, behaviour, demographic and interest-based data. More
Procter and Gamble (P&G) veteran Mahmoud Ghazal has joined qualitative social media research start up Bakamo.Social as Global Head of Operations and Delivery, and will also lead the firm's newly-opened office in Geneva, Switzerland. More
UK-based mobile research technology firm RealityMine has appointed Paul Street as Director, Global Research and Analytics in Toronto, Canada. More
In the US, pricing intelligence specialist Market Track has acquired competitor Channel IQ for an undisclosed sum. 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
In the US, predictive analytics company DemandJump has announced the commercial launch of its artificial intelligence-based marketing platform, while closing an additional $1.8m in a new seed funding round which it will use to expand its sales and development teams. More
Users of Google Consumer Surveys will now be able to view and analyse results via a new platform developed by analytics and reporting software firm MarketSight, following a partnership between the two companies. More
US-based customer experience management specialist Market Force has launched a mystery shopping app called Eyes:On, through which shoppers can view available assignments in their area, and submit shopping audits from their mobile devices. More
US firm MFour Mobile says it is planning to double its headcount to more than 100 in the coming nine months. More
Mobile media buying platform and content consumption analyst YouAppi has updated its Matching Algorithm, which analyzes specific user behavior and app performance data across 207 different countries and dozens of vertical categories. More
New York and Athens-based mobile survey network Pollfish has launched an in-app survey tool, with which it says users can create surveys in minutes and get results in hours. More
Digital media measurement firm Verto Analytics has raised $16.1m in a Series B round of funding, earmarked for scaling its services and expanding its operations globally. More
Israeli mobile app measurement platform AppsFlyer has opened a new office in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to support planned expansion into Latin America. Daniel Junowicz has been named MD for the region, after helping lead the firm's growth in China. More
WPP-owned digital ad targeting specialist plista has appointed long-time GroupM exec Serina Tsou as Head of its Asia Pacific region. More
GfK has appointed Gavin McLauchlan as Business Development Director, Global and UK Media. More
In the US, insights consultancy Actûrus has launched a tool called Brandvantage, which incorporates consumer attitudes and behavior data to enable brands to measure equity at the 'occasion' level. More
WPP audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has opened an office in Montreal to support its ongoing expansion into the French-Canadian market. The new operation is led by Jason Cobbler as Director of Account Services. More
In Canada, call and conversation analytics firm Telmetrics has introduced a methodology called 'Social Dynamic Number Insertion', which attributes phone calls to specific social media ads, and enables marketers to build detailed customer profiles. More
In Singapore, WPP-owned digital data collection specialist Lightspeed GMI has promoted Neha Jindal to the role of Regional Operations Lead for the Asia Pacific region. More
Online specialist BrainJuicer has opened an office in Australia, led by company veteran Ed Harrison as Managing Director. More
In New York, GfK has promoted media research veteran Gregg Lindner to the role of Managing Director of its media and consumer research division GfK MRI. More
In the US, broadcast and cable company Viacom has promoted Bryson Gordon to the role of Executive Vice President, Data Strategy. More
San Francisco-based DIY online consumer research firm Survata has launched a new methodology called Segment Surveys, giving clients access to niche audiences. More
comScore has received ABC UK (Audit Bureau of Circulations) accreditation for the Content Verification (CV) feature of its validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) tool, which measures whether online ads have been delivered and whether they have reached their target audience. 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 US, behavioural and product data provider Bluecore has launched a tool called Predictive Audiences which helps anticipate shoppers' reactions to marketing messages. More
Digital media measurement firm Verto Analytics has appointed former Nielsen/Symphony Advanced Media exec Laura Grover (Bernstein) as Vice President of Client Solutions, with a focus on understanding cross-device consumers. More
Location-based mobile marketing firm Rover has raised $1.1m in a round of seed funding, which it will use to enhance its platform, and expand its sales and marketing teams in both the Toronto and San Francisco Bay areas. More
Mobile survey technology specialist Lumi has released a new version of its Meetoo real-time messaging and polling app, allowing anonymous feedback and a range of customisation features. More
Music industry execs have a new tool with which to assess the potential and performance of tracks and artists, courtesy of Israel-based tech platform Revelator. More
Cross-device data management platform Lotame has launched a private data marketplace for the buying, selling and sharing of audience data in 'a seamless, secure, and fully-transparent manner'. More
US-based customer feedback specialist BirdEye has launched a mobile app allowing users to view and manage customer feedback on the go. More
Berlin-based SEO and analytics software firm Searchmetrics has announced almost $8m in new financing, for use in growing the company. More
Amsterdam-based passive metering technology firm Wakoopa - now a subsidiary of GfK - has launched a marketplace giving researchers access to behavioral data on a global scale. More
US research company Lieberman Research Worldwide (LRW) has acquired UK-based online community specialist Tonic Insight, for an undisclosed sum. More
Tokyo-based Cross Marketing Group (CMG) has launched a service called Virtual Insight 360° View, which builds a panoramic virtual store space from images and videos of an actual store, to provide an environment for surveying and observing participating shoppers. More
Mobile MR technology company Unomer has launched out of beta with an in-app research platform, through which users can create interactive surveys that can be embedded and distributed across a network of consumer mobile apps. More
Research data solutions and technology firm SSI has appointed Ignite Research founder Mark Lloyd as Client and Business Development Manager for New Zealand. More
WPP's audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has launched its digital ad targeting specialist plista in the US and Canada. More
Data analysis firm Taykey has launched a tool called Trend Pulse, providing access to real-time data about what's trending for audience segments such as adults, 'moms', millennials and tech enthusiasts. More
Research and insights firm Shapiro+Raj has acquired real-time social media listening and analytics specialist MutualMind. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based online survey and analysis platform SurveyGizmo has introduced a rapid data collection tool called Quick Audience, giving researchers access to a broad selection of respondents to check the pulse of the general public. More
Technology industry B2B data and insights provider Aberdeen Group has partnered with b2b analytics specialist Bombora, to help customers understand content topics that are spiking in popularity among specific contacts, companies or industry segments. More
In the US, IT industry researcher Forrester has appointed Mack Brothers as Chief Consulting Officer, in charge of its Global Consulting practice. More
Research community and survey technology specialist Vision Critical has hired veteran software exec Divesh Sisodraker for a newly created position, EVP of Product, responsible for guiding strategy in product management, marketing and user experience. More
US audience data firm Canoe has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its dynamic ad insertion (DAI) software and service, giving official 'served impression' status to its reports. More
In the US, broadcast and cable company Viacom has partnered with American Express to develop an ad targeting product called 'Vantage Intent, powered by AmEx' which will provide insights about consumer purchase intent across television, digital, and social media. More
WPP digital data collection firm Lightspeed Group has hired former Hall & Partners EMEA CEO Caroline Frankum with the same title, plus a seat on the Board. She will replace Martin Filtz, who moved into the post of CEO, Asia Pacific in January. More
Beacon technology and proximity data provider Unacast has raised $5m in a Series A round of financing, which will be used to grow the company globally. More
US-based social media analytics firm NetBase has expanded in to Europe with the opening of offices in London, Paris and Heidelberg; all led by Jose Puyol who currently serves as VP and General Manager of the firm's Agency and Digital Practice. More
WPP's out-of-home (OOH) media planning and buying agency Kinetic has partnered with analytics specialist Fuel Intelligence to launch the 'Social Amplification Score' (SAS), which aims to attribute consumers' social media interactions directly to OOH media spend. More
Australian industry body The Readership Works has added a media planning tool to its 'emma' cross-platform audience insights and readership survey, allowing planners to track the 'complete' readership of magazines over time. More
Paris-based ad targeting and retargeting specialist Criteo has opened an office in New Delhi, where it has appointed Ajeet Kandachar as Managing Director of India. More
US marketing services company Connexity has enhanced its audience segmentation platform AudienceView, with a combination of online behaviour data collected by Hitwise and thousands of survey-based audience attributes from Simmons Research. More
Internet advertising body IAB Singapore has launched an initiative to establish a viewability benchmark for ads in Southeast Asia. More
Technology sector specialist Forrester Research has launched a series of reports, pinpointing and analyzing what it says are the most innovative emerging technology providers. More
London-based data science start-up Black Swan has appointed Jeff Headley, formerly Global Head of Personalisation at dunnhumby, as US Managing Director, based in its New York office. More
Mumbai-based digital MR agency MRSS India has announced results for the year ended March 31st, with operating revenue up 104% to Rs 111.30m ($US 1.67m) and EBITDA margin also jumping, to 27.8%. 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
London-based opinion and behaviour consultancy Britain Thinks is the latest agency to appoint an Advisory Board. The impressive triumvirate consists of Times columnist Daniel Finkelstein, UK McCann Worldgroup CEO Mark Lund and Mumsnet founder and CEO Justine Roberts. More
Predictive analytics specialist Intalytics and location intelligence firm Cuebiq have announced a partnership which will integrate large, proprietary mobile datasets into predictive analytics solutions to help retailers with marketing plans and decisions, including the location of new stores. More
According to German-language sports industry news site SPONSORS, Nielsen is planning to buy sports broadcast measurement specialist Repucom for more than $100m. 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
Nielsen has launched an online measurement platform called Mobile Game Tracking (MGT), to provide data and insight into the performance and consumer sentiment surrounding mobile game titles. More
Business information firm Innodata has agreed to acquire the assets of and rights to media monitoring business Agility, part of PR Newswire, when the latter is sold to Cision. Financial terms were not disclosed. More
In New York, cognitive content generation platform Persado has appointed comScore veteran Greg Dale as Chief Operating Officer. More
Dublin based agency RED C Research & Marketing has appointed Millward Brown veteran Conor Murphy as a Director. More
The UK's Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards (JICWEBS) has published 'Good Practice Principles' for use in auditing company procedures to combat fraudulent ads. 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
GfK has unveiled a tool called Connected Consumer Index, to provide a single measure of how much, and on what devices, consumers in 78 countries and eight regions connect with each other and with digital content. 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
Panel and survey software firm dataSpring has appointed Mark Sullivan as Director of Business Development - East Coast, based in New York; while Irene Wang joins as Director of Business Development - China, based in Shanghai. More
Marketing software giant Adobe has added PlaceIQ's tools into its Audience Manager platform, to provide clients with access to location-based consumer audience data, measurement and analytics. More
TV data collection and analytics specialist FourthWall Media has received a US patent for its system and methods for transmitting large volumes of user event data, such as television viewing and DVR activity. More
San Francisco-based mobile ad targeting and analytics firm Apsalar has opened an office in the Koramangala district of Bangalore, to support its client base in India and Southeast Asia. More
Digital audience, brand and ad effectiveness analyst Effective Measure has expanded its coverage of the African media market into Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana, where it says there are 129.9 million Internet users. More
US technology publisher TechTarget has promoted COO Mike Cotoia to the role of Chief Executive Officer, as the firm shifts its focus to providing clients with subscribers' purchase intent data. He replaces Greg Strakosch, who moves to the role of Executive Chairman. 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
In New York, WPP / GroupM company Maxus has hired Kevin McCarthy as Head of Effectiveness for North America, part of the senior leadership team, and with a remit to build out the agency's data and analytics capabilities. More
India-based online marketplace Snapdeal has acquired shopper personalization, targeting, and big data analytics firm TargetingMantra, for an undisclosed sum. More
US-based mobile insights and advertising platform UberMedia has launched a new service called Cross-Media Local Visit Measurement (xLVR), helping marketers to assess how their media investments are driving foot traffic. More
Kantar Retail has transferred Cédric Guyot to the CEO role in its Virtual Reality unit, replacing Jeremy Cohen who moves into the role of CEO Kantar Retail Europe. More
Kantar has entered into a partnership with Google Consumer Surveys, whose panels it will 'validate' by monitoring their accuracy, responsiveness and representativeness. More
Marketing data giant Adobe is to acquire San Francisco and New York-based social media marketing firm Livefyre, which manages comments sections on blogs and news sites, and helps marketers curate content and discussions on the web. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, the IAB Technology Laboratory (IAB Tech Lab) has promoted Alanna Gombert to the position of General Manager, replacing founder Scott Cunningham who is leaving to work on projects in the commercial sector and offer consultancy services. More
Tru Measure, the ad analytics and tech subsidiary of publisher McClutchy, has appointed John Hoeft as General Manager, replacing company founder Charity Huff who is leaving the business. He will take up the post on May 23rd. More
comScore and media measurement specialist Kantar Media IBOPE have partnered to launch a series of cross-platform solutions in Latin America. More
Berlin-based mobile app attribution and analytics company adjust has opened new offices in Singapore and São Paulo, Brazil. More
US marketing compliance company PerformLine has launched a tool called ChatScout, to help brands monitor their online 'chat' sessions, and ensure they adhere to brand and regulatory requirements. 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
Online community and survey tech provider Toluna has reported a 20 percent increase in staff numbers, supporting 'mass customer adoption of its digital research platform'. 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
Former Apple insights leader AJ Mathew has left the tech giant to join mobile advertising firm Kargo, in the newly created role of Vice President of Research. More
Kantar and comScore have extended their behavioral data partnership to North America, in a deal which includes the transfer of a number of Millward Brown staff to comScore. More
Hispanic multimedia company Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) has signed an agreement for Nielsen's National and Local 'Digital in TV Ratings' services, part of its Total Audience initiative. More
Enterprise data and analytics firm Acxiom has partnered with marketing software firm Pointlogic, recently acquired by Nielsen. Acxiom's audience data will be integrated with Pointlogic's media planning and buying solution Commspoint. More
Personalized entertainment and audience discovery specialist Rovi Corporation is spending around $1.1bn to buy 'next generation TV' and audience analytics firm TiVo. The TiVo name will be retained for the combined corporation. More
Marketing software and solutions firms Marketo has announced first quarter revenue up 35% to $62.2m - with a slightly smaller net loss. The firm has also hired former IBM exec Shankar Venkataraman as Chief Scientist. 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
In the US, Greenberg Strategy has appointed former Microsoft exec Stephen Jensen in the role of Vice President, Strategy, with a focus on extending the Technology Practice. More
Palo Alto, California-based promotion-testing specialist Eversight has raised $14.5m in funding, with which to scale up its cloud-based predictive analytics software. More
In the US, data-driven CRM company Merkle has promoted Peter Randazzo to Chief Technology Officer, Product; and has promoted three employees to VP in its Merkle RMG subsidiary. 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
Another Canadian has taken a top UK public sector job - this time it's not the Bank of England, but the ICO. Elizabeth Denham, who currently holds a similar role in the province of British Columbia, has been approved by Parliament as the new data protection supremo. More
Technology-focused Forrester Research has announced first quarter revenue of $77.4m, up 3 percent on Q1 2015. More
WPP digital data collection firm Lightspeed GMI has signed a multi-year panel building and maintenance contract with comScore, and hired Chris Fabber to lead it. The resulting 'Total Home Panel' will provide comScore with a window on cross-device Internet traffic in US households. More
Online video intelligence provider Tubular Labs has launched a video ratings metric scoring online videos, publishers and influencers according to views and engagement. 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
Nielsen has launched a new service, the Total Channel Solution, promising its clients the ability to 'unify' all their data sets - proprietary and third party, across multiple platforms - and get 'a full picture view of all factors affecting their business '. More
Customer data pioneer dunnhumby has bought a share of marketing management tech company Aptaris, three months after the firms announced they would integrate their software. More
eCommerce analytics company and new Nielsen partner Profitero has appointed Daniel King in the new role of President and COO. More
Acxiom subsidiary LiveRamp has expanded its data onboarding service to the UK, France and Canada. Last week the firm appointed Jeff Smith as its new CMO and teamed up with DigitasLBi. More
UK-based full service qual agency Tonic Insight has appointed Michael Aronsson and Lauren Moranor as Account Executives in its New York office, following a number of client wins. More
Video ad tech company Tremor Video is expanding to New Zealand, with Vice President Josh Ismin relocating to lead the new office. More
Facebook has three new partners verifying metrics on viewings of its photo and video ads: comScore, Nielsen and Integral Ad Science. The firms will start verifying ad viewability and attention metrics 'in the next few months'. More
UK-based add association the IPA has appointed two new execs, Clare McNally-Luke and Dan Flynn. The two will help grow the association's TouchPoints survey, which provides an annual view of where, when and in what mood people consume media in Britain. More
TV and online ad targeting specialist Videology has extended its relationship with Nielsen to include audience segments from the latter's eXelate subsidiary, allowing better cross-screen segmentation. More
News broadcaster CNBC has launched an in-house commercial agency called CNBC Catalyst, with a focus on delivering research and data to help brands shape their campaigns. To help drive this effort, the firm has hired media researcher David Evans as Head of Data and Insight. More
Mobile audience targeting platform Go2mobi has partnered with location-based ad targeting firm Placed, to provide insight into 'mobile moments' that drive engagement, foot traffic and in-store revenue. More
In Australia, influencer marketing firm TRIBE is looking to raise $5m at a pre-money valuation of $15m, and is currently in discussions with a number of investors. It will use the funds to expand to new regions. More
Former dunnhumby exec Paul Cook has joined user-generated profiles provider autoGraph.me as Business Development Director in London. More
In the UK, WPP firms Millward Brown and Kantar Worldpanel have partnered to develop a new solution called Sales Insights, which allows clients to evaluate digital marketing campaigns simultaneously on two measures: brand uplift and actual sales. More
In the US, retail and healthcare data giant IRI has launched an eCommerce measurement and tracking service called E-Market Insights. More
WPP's audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has appointed former GroupM exec Harry Harcus as Managing Director, UK. More
In the US, data-driven influencer marketplace Captiv8 has raised $2m in a new round of growth funding. More
Nielsen has reported a 2.0% rise in first quarter revenue to $1,487m, equivalent to growth of 5.2% on a constant currency basis. Growth reflects what it describes as 'solid performance' in both its Buy and Watch businesses. More
The Media Rating Council (MRC) has accredited the Audience module in comScore's vCE 2.0 tool. Now, with both its Audience and its Validation modules accredited, the firm claims to be the first to offer an MRC-accredited viewable GRP for desktop display and video campaigns. More
Vancouver, Canada-based mobile customer engagement specialist Mobify has acquired behaviour-based targeting firm Pathful for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, online conversation analyst Bazaarvoice has launched a study called the CGC Index, examining the business impact consumer-generated content (CGC) has on sales, return on investment, and long-term customer loyalty. More
US-based influencer marketing specialist TapInfluence has closed a $14m financing round, which it will use to double headcount by year end and open additional offices. More
In the US, customized briefings provider Bulletin Intelligence has appointed John Shomaker as Senior Vice President of Data Services, with responsibility for expanding its portfolio of analytic and intelligence solutions. 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
Kantar Media has today announced a partnership with local audience data provider Eyeota. Beginning in the UK, the deal will give advertisers and media buyers access to pre-defined segments built from the research firm's TGI consumer and media study, for use in online ad targeting. More
Proximity marketing and analytics firm ShopAdvisor has acquired in-store product data and location services specialist Retailigence, for an undisclosed sum. More
The European Parliament has adopted new data protection legislation, following four years of sometimes tortuous negotiation. Meanwhile European data regulators have expressed doubts about the Privacy Shield framework for data transfers with the US, laid out in February. More
Software giant Oracle has acquired Israeli multi-screen tracking company Crosswise for a reported $50m. More
US-based mobile campaign attribution analytics and optimization firm Kochava has launched a measurement support service for chatbots - artificial intelligence software which converses with humans via voice or text. More
Nielsen and eCommerce analytics company Profitero have partnered to incorporate the latter's Digital Shelf 360 suite into the former's eCommerce offering, allowing FMCG manufacturers to correlate digital shelf analytics with actual sales data. 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
US-based machine data analytics firm Sumo Logic has launched a platform which pulls in and integrates / analyses structured and unstructured data in real-time. More
Behavioural ad targeting and technology specialist Phorm is to cease trading, having been unable to secure the additional equity and/or debt funding it needed to continue operating. In almost a decade, the company has run up debts of more than $300m. More
Stockholm-based brand tracking researcher Nepa has announced the launch of an Initial Public Offering (IPO) to fund the global roll-out its ActionHub platform. Separately, Cint founder Bo Mattsson has joined Nepa's Board of Directors. More
US-based sampling automation provider Lucid has appointed former Research Now MD Ben Hogg as Managing Director, EMEA; while promoting Brett Schnittlich to the role of President and CTO, and Andy Ellis to Chief Operating Officer. More
In London, video ad tech and emotion analytics platform Vyking has launched a suite of tools called ReactivAds, which deliver personalized ads based on real-time analysis of facial expressions. More
Full-service agency Illuminas has launched a new research community comprising CIOs, CTOs and other very senior technology execs from enterprises in the US. More
US-based fieldwork firm Schlesinger Interactive has appointed former Instantly exec Alan Mavretish as Vice President, Client Development, based in the Pittsburgh, PA office. More
London-based communications research agency MESH Experience has appointed Kahren Kersten as Experience Director for the EMEA region, responsible for leading its London-based team. More
German sample and panel provider respondi has acquired French market research, data science and IT company House of Common Knowledge (HCK). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, social media data platform ShareThis has launched a feature called Social A/B for Facebook's Instant Articles, to enable publishers to test multiple headlines with their social media audiences. More
Media intelligence and monitoring specialist iQ media has launched an analytics tool which isolates earned content from paid, to track and measure when audiences hear, read, or see brands' cross-channel media coverage. More
Marketing software firm Bridg has launched a service called Reveal, to enable restaurant operators to identify and segment customers, and to track behavior such as visit frequency patterns and spend per visit. More
In the US, customer feedback specialist BirdEye has expanded its natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning software to help clients understand customer conversations across mystery shopping, surveys, social media and online review sites. More
Nielsen has launched its own 'Marketing Cloud', allowing clients to deliver targeted promotional and engagement initiatives to their customers across multiple platforms. More
In the UK, a team of five independent consultants has set up a 'virtual consultancy' called The Measurement Practice (TMP), to help in-house and agency comms teams maximise the insight and value from their communications research programmes. More
London-based location data tech firm Blis has raised $25m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to expand into new markets, including the US. More
California-based predictive analytics software provider Compellon has closed a $6.7m Series A round of funding, earmarked for expansion of its sales capabilities and development of additional software solutions. More
Media services division Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has unveiled a new data-driven marketing agency network, Hearts & Science; and appointed Scott Hagedorn - formerly Chief Executive of its analytics division Annalect - as its CEO. More
UK-based research company Join the Dots has announced 2015 revenue of £7.75m, an annual increase of 27%. More
WPP division MEC has launched a specialist content division, MEC Wavemaker, pulling together its diverse existing services in the area into one unit. The insight- and data-driven unit will operate initially in ten markets across Europe, Asia and the Americas, and will be led by MEC's global COO Alastair Aird. More
Mobile usage and consumer analytics firm RealityMine has appointed Tom O'Sullivan, former EVP, Business Development with Symphony Advanced Media, as its Chief Revenue Officer. More
Indian broadcasting regulator TRAI is involved in a consultation process over the creation of what it calls a 'credible' radio audience measurement framework. More
Finnish competitive intelligence provider M-Brain has acquired media monitoring and analysis company Opoint, which has offices in Norway, Sweden and Estonia. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, Disney/ABC Television Group has promoted Elizabeth Sloan and hired Joan Gould for the newly created positions of Senior Vice President, Consumer Insights, working for the group's broadcast / studio and cable teams respectively. More
UKOM, the cross-industry organisation set up to oversee the measurement of online audiences, has appointed Microsoft veteran Julie Forey as its first Director of Insight. More
In the US, media intelligence solutions specialist Meltwater has acquired startup Encore Alert, whose proprietary technology sifts social media posts to identify trends and track interactions with influencers. More
In the US, marketing personalization and targeting firm Sailthru has acquired mobile specialist Carnival, whose platform allows marketers to send messages targeted by customer behavior, location and demographic data. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
In the US, location intelligence specialist Geofeedia has launched an enterprise version of its platform, through which organizations of all sizes can predict, analyze and act on geotagged posts from social media networks such as Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. More
In New York, digital marketing and publicity agency Gloob Marketing has launched a new division based around a social media influencer network called Gloob Motivo, to reach Hispanic consumers. More
US-based DIY research company SurveyMonkey has launched a mobile app insights platform, providing app publishers with data on more than a thousand mobile apps ad well as the overall app economy. The launch follows the acquisition of app data start-up firm Renzu. More
Music industry web site Mediabase, which offers airplay charts and analysis, has announced a partnership with music recognition and content sharing app Shazam, and will offer weekly analysis of the latter's top songs in the US, Canada and Europe. More
In New York, broadcaster Turner has appointed Natasha Hritzuk in the new position of VP of Client Insights and Content Partnerships Research. The role includes overseeing research strategy and data analysis to support Turner Incite, the firm's ad sales intelligence platform. More
In New York, entertainment broadcaster MTV has appointed Laurel Weir as Senior Vice President, Strategic Insights and Research, to lead all research efforts including consumer insights, trend forecasting, and multi-platform measurement. More
Enterprise predictive marketing firm Mintigo has announced a new funding round, led by a $15 million injection from Sequoia Capital. More
In London, global research and thought leadership community the Leading Edge Forum (LEF) has appointed Gartner veteran Dave Aron as Global Research Director. 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
Facebook has teamed up with Tesco's data business dunnhumby to tie ads on the social network in with off-line sales. More
Millward Brown has appointed former Warc CEO Louise Ainsworth as Chief Exec in the UK. She replaces UK MD Dale Beaton, who is transferring to the role of SVP Global Practice Lead. More
In the US, visual content marketing platform Olapic has acquired Pinterest analytics specialist Piqora for an undisclosed sum. More
YouGov-owned sports and sponsorship specialist SMG Insight has appointed former Repucom MD Charlie Dundas as Commercial Director. More
Four former Hall & Partners execs have launched a new London-based qualitative agency called Compton+Dean, focusing on brand and communications research. More
Nielsen has signed a multi-year agreement with cable and satellite television group DISH Network, to add the latter's aggregated set-top-box (STB) data to its National and Local TV ratings service. Nielsen says this is the first nationwide dataset to be calibrated with its panel. More
In the US, technology firm Pitney Bowes has launched a 'Single Customer View' software feature, to help organizations understand their customers in real-time across all channels of engagement. More
In the US, social media prediction specialist Consensus Point has appointed Bart Gamble as Vice President, Client Services and Analytics. More
Technology-focused research and advisory firm Aragon Research has hired Gartner veteran Jim Sinur as a Research Fellow. More
In the US, cookie-less audience measurement specialist Tru Optik has partnered with Experian Marketing Services, to introduce a service which provides real-time census-level viewer data for over-the-top (OTT) TV programs and ad exposure across all screens. More
The Media Rating Council (MRC) has issued a draft version of the Mobile Viewable Advertising Impression Guidelines for public review and commentary. More
New York-based social media intelligence platform Unmetric has added Facebook Reactions tracking to the Facebook Insights feature of its Analyze product, to help understand users' emotional reaction to posts beyond the original 'Like' option. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has accredited Celtra's AdCreator platform for its measurement of served display and rich media ad impressions and ad engagement metrics on desktop, mobile web, and mobile in-app environments. More
In the US, in-bound mobile phone call analytics specialist Invoca has raised $30m in a Series D round of financing, which it will use to fund further sales, marketing and product development initiatives. More
IAB Australia and Nielsen have launched 'Digital Ratings (Monthly)', a new service promising to measure the country's total digital audience unduplicated across PC, smartphone and tablet, for both web browsers and apps. More
In the US, Interactive Video Productions (IVP) has launched a remote eyetracking tool called MobiLAB ET Online, allowing survey respondents to participate in studies from anywhere with a webcam and Internet access. More
In New York, healthcare data firm Crossix Solutions has appointed media and analytics veteran Ira Haimowitz as Vice Product, Product Strategy, tasked with expanding its product portfolios and client relationships. More
In Australia, marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) has promoted Matthew Crook to the role of Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Executive Officer Performance and Data, ANZ. 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
Digital data collection specialist Research Now has launched a suite of study templates for common research topics, offering a rapid and lower-cost solution for business decision-makers, but still with input from a researcher. More
St Louis-based multinational agrochemical and agricultural biotech corporation Monsanto has appointed Nielsen CEO Mitch Barns to its Board of Directors. More
Australian television audience measurement body OzTAM is to include 8 to 28-day time shift viewing in its television ratings database from next Sunday. More
Industry association Commercial Radio Malaysia (CRM) has appointed GfK as its official research partner, to provide radio audience measurement across the country. More
Retail and healthcare data giant IRI has introduced a solution which links media exposure to actual off-line purchases down to the specific product and household level, in order to determine which digital media is most effective with target audiences. More
Online video analytics specialist Innovid has appointed former Sizmek exec Carolyn Bollaci as Managing Director of APAC, supporting the company's growth in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, India and China. More
US-based big data firm HG Data has raised $12m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to develop new products, add clients, and expand its science and engineering expertise. More
US boutique PR and digital communications agency Hope-Beckham Inc. (HBI) has launched a market research business in Atlanta, GA. More
In the UK, online research technology and services provider FlexMR has hired industry veteran Charles Pearson for the newly created role of SVP of Strategic Business Development, responsible for new business with end clients, agencies and consultancies globally. More
London-based brand consultancy Morar has named co-founder Roger Perowne as MD, and Julian Dailly as Head of Consulting. The firm has also hired former Redshift Research Director Jane Hall, and Paddy Sutton, founder of The Nautilus branding consultancy. More
Adobe has launched a membership network for brands to share ideas about understanding their consumers, and delivering personalized experiences across devices at scale. More
Recently formed research, insight and advisory services provider MARU Group has appointed Publicis and TNS veteran Steve Ducat as Chief Financial Officer. More
Cross-screen data management platform (DMP) provider Lotame has launched a tool called Smart TV Audiences, allowing users to identify audience attributes based on actual TV viewing behavior, and then target those viewers on their digital devices. More
Video ad platform Mediabong has launched a video re-targeting tool, based on actual individual user attention and interest levels. More
Nielsen has announced that from April 25th it will make available brand-level TV connected device data for streaming video devices and game consoles. The firm will also add information from enabled smart TVs. More
GfK has partnered with local audience data specialist Eyeota, to make its regional purchasing power data available to advertisers in the UK and Europe, and help them tailor their online ads to specific income target groups by region. More
In New York, Hispanic media giant Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) has appointed Nielsen veteran Jed Meyer as Executive Vice President, Corporate Research. More
In London, digital customer experience software firm Q-nomy has launched a solution called Q-Flow Insight, to enable retailers and service providers to analyse customer journeys in physical stores and across online and mobile platforms. More
Nielsen is planning to expand Digital Ad Ratings to eight new markets globally by the end of 2016, adding to seventeen countries where it is already available. 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
Television measurement body BARB has launched The UK Television Landscape Report, a quarterly review of population trends and changes in how people watch TV. More
comScore has partnered with marketing software giant Adobe to provide new insights into cross-device media consumption. More
Marketing metrics software developer gShift has acquired influencer marketing platform InNetwork in an all-stock deal, with terms not disclosed. 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
WPP is linking the panels and other data sources of its Kantar / DIM division with the expertise and planning tools of its GroupM media investment management division, to launch LIVE Panel. The new consumer and media insight solution will help advertisers develop and measure 'precise and targeted' media plans. 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
comScore has announced a multi-year partnership with media giant Viacom, for cross-platform measurement - its first such since merging with Rentrak. Meanwhile the ratings company faces class actions over its handling of filing delays relating to an accounts enquiry. More
New York-based web analytics company Moat has raised $50m in funding, three times its previous total, and says it aims to develop its viewability metric into a currency for buying digital ads. More
Nielsen has launched a new solution to measure over-the-air radio listening, across mobile apps and web players, regardless of the device used. Results will be comparable with the firm's other media currencies as part of its Total Audience initiative. More
Kantar Media has enhanced its TGI Clickstream study with the addition of metered consumer mobile behaviour, including phones and tablets. More
The New York Times Company has acquired social media influencer specialist HelloSociety from parent company Science Inc. Terms of the all-cash deal were not disclosed. More
In New York, marketing tech and data analytics company RevTrax has hired former Experian and Arbitron exec Jim Tobolski as EVP, Sales & Customer Success. More
In the US, the Digital Analytics Association (DAA) has hired Marilee Yorchak as full-time Executive Director, with operational responsibility for all of its programs and activities, plus supervising staff and vendor relationships. More
Emerging markets panel specialist Borderless Access has appointed former TNS MENA CEO Steve Hamilton-Clark as a Non-Executive Director in the Middle East region, and part of its global advisory team. More
DIY online survey platform SurveyMonkey has opened an APAC office in Sydney, Australia, with an initial staff of fifteen. More
In the US, FGI Research & Analytics (FGI) and Web Decisions Group (WDG) have merged to form a new company, Data Decisions Group. More
Google has unveiled a new suite of analytics solutions, including four new and two rebranded tools, intended as an 'enterprise-class' platform to help developers and marketers with the challenges posed by a multi-screen world. More
Data-driven marketing agency Merkle has reported 2015 net revenue of $435m - up 14% on the previous year. Growth reflects a number of acquisitions designed to expand the company's global reach. More
Shopper insights specialist Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) and media giant Time Inc. have teamed up to launch a cross-platform ad measurement tool, tracking the quantifiable in-store sales impact of campaigns across print, digital and TV. More
In Australia, digital media authority Karen Nelson-Field and artificial intelligence (AI) firm Jemsoft have formed a joint venture called Media Intelligence Co, to develop media measurement and targeting technologies and real-time media research solutions. More
WPP's Data Alliance has expanded its reach to Jakarta, Indonesia, to meet demand from local agencies and clients - and has appointed Wijaya Santoso to lead it. 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
GfK and Nielsen are in discussions to develop a set of services for advertisers, agencies and media groups, possibly for launch later this year. The firms say the initiative will kick-off with the design of Brazil's 'first' cross-media measurement for ad campaigns. More
North American body the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) has launched a suite of products to help publishers demonstrate the reach of their brands across platforms, and give media buyers access to independently verified information about those brands and channels. More
Millward Brown has launched a real-time communications measurement tool called AdNow, to help marketers evaluate campaign performance for multiple pieces of advertising across digital media channels. More
London-based YouthSight has introduced a new 'vox pop' service called SnapMe, allowing clients to get video feedback from members of the firm's OpinionPanel community via their smartphone cameras. More
US-based influencer marketing specialist TapInfluence is opening a new office in Silicon Valley, and has appointed Eli Gild to lead it in the newly created role of Chief Technology Officer. More
Social media specialist Converseon has released a new big data version of its social media intelligence application Conversus, for use in brand tracking, market mixed modeling, predictive analytics and other research purposes. 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
Stamford, CT-based Information Services Group (ISG) has announced the acquisition of Experton Group AG, a subscription-based research, advisory and benchmarking firm based in Munich, Germany. More
Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger says his company has 'very limited access to the consumer' and doesn't have 'any idea of who went to see Star Wars in the movies'. Laudable honesty - and of course he is looking to change that - though of course the answer is 'practically everyone'. 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
App store analytics specialist App Annie has acquired San Francisco-based mobile ad metrics provider AppScotch, which it says will boost its technology capabilities. More
Melbourne, Australia-based mobile researcher MDI has launched an interactive chat based platform, combining qual and quant data. More
Berlin-based reviews, ratings and CEM company eKomi has acquired online reputation manager Reputami, for an undisclosed sum. More
UK-based digital marketing group Be Heard has conditionally agreed to acquire design and UX agency MMT Ltd for an initial consideration of £5.1m, plus a further £15.4m subject to performance up to 2019. More
Nielsen has acquired Mumbai, India-based mobile usage measurement specialist Informate Mobile Intelligence, previously part of the Cross-Tab Group of companies. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
UK-based marketing analytics, customer intelligence and targeting firm iJento has been acquired by 'business building' investment company Blenheim Chalcot for an undisclosed sum. 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
Marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired North American digital data consulting firm Cardinal Path for an undisclosed sum. More
Online community and survey tech provider Toluna has added a tool called PowerAttitudes to its QuickSurveys DIY survey platform, to enable marketers to generate 'immediate insights' on the consumer attitudes driving usage and purchase behavior. More
In the UK, TV broadcaster Channel 4 has promoted Sarah Rose to the role of Director Consumer Insight, following the news that Gill Whitehead is leaving to join Google as Senior Director of Market Insight, EMEA. More
Multi-screen measurement firm Verto Analytics has opened an office in London and hired former comScore UK MD Michael Read as Managing Director. The firm has also appointed Alison Murdock as SVP, Marketing in the US. More
London-based video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly has beta-launched a dashboard called Unruly Pulse, analysing emotional response to video ads, and the resulting trends. More
Customer experience management (CEM) specialist Clarabridge has added visual analysis capabilities to its tools, to enable users to detect and engage with customers who reveal their experiences in photos shared on social media posts. More
In the US, user experience (UX) research platform UserZoom has acquired research technology company YouEye. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Marcoms group Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired Czech Republic-based Adexpres Group, which provides a full range of digital services across online media planning and buying, monitoring and evaluation, and consumer targeting. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based social media analysis firm Crimson Hexagon has raised $20m in a round of equity financing, which it will use to expand its infrastructure and products, and its global sales and marketing team. More
Shares in audience measurement specialist comScore plunged 35% to $26.52 yesterday, after the firm disclosed that its Audit Committee has not finalized an ongoing review of 'certain potential accounting matters'. More
Manchester, UK-based consumer insight agency Join the Dots has appointed three new members of staff - Paul Das, Lindsay Hart and Bri McIntosh. More
Video ad technology company SourceKnowledge has announced $1.5m in financing, which it will use to scale growth in its performance advertising platform Engage. More
Media and marketing insights firm Ebiquity has appointed Tim Hussain as UK Head of Digital Media, to help the company further develop digital measurement tools and techniques. 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
Analytics-based CEM specialist Clarabridge has announced two new hires, Ram Ramachandran as SVP of Engineering, and Ines Thornburg as SVP of Global Professional Services. More
US-based analytics firm Origami Logic has moved its headquarters to Mountain View, CA, doubling its office space to accommodate future growth. The firm has also appointed Steven Wastie as Chief Marketing Officer and Mark Lambert as Chief Financial Officer. More
Research Now co-founder and former CEO Chris Havemann has joined the Board of Manchester, UK-based research tech and consumer analytics specialist RealityMine as a Non-Executive Director. More
In the US, online ad intelligence firm Pathmatics has raised $3m in a Series A round of funding, to be used for continued global expansion of its proprietary PathSource technology. More
SurveyMonkey CEO Zander Lurie has announced in an internal memo that the company is making about 13 percent of its workforce - or around 100 of its 750 employees - redundant. More
In London, financial services and technology insights specialist Strive has appointed former Incite execs Mark Yeomans as a Director and Paul Whelan as Creative Director. More
Toronto and San Francisco-based customer advocate management specialist Influitive has raised an additional $8.2m in a Series B extension round. The firm has also acquired community building app developer Ironark Software for an undisclosed sum. More
Millward Brown has partnered with on-demand online community specialist GutCheck to launch a qualitative tool called Pre-LinkNow, which offers a copy-testing framework to help marketers better understand ad performance. More
Nielsen has promoted Megan Clarken to the newly created role of President of Product Leadership, leading its Marketing Effectiveness practice and Watch media research products. More
US firm MFour Mobile has launched its MYResearch DIY mobile survey technology, which enables researchers to program and field surveys to more than one million active consumers. More
Research technology and panel exchange operator Cint has launched OpinionAPP, an app for use by the nineteen million panellists who can be accessed through its OpinionHUB marketplace. More
In Chicago, advertising research specialist Ameritest has hired Tom Palmer as President, replacing founder Chuck Young who will continue in his role as CEO. More
Millward Brown has agreed to acquire the business operations of marketing analytics company Analytics Quotient (AQ), which employs around 400 people and offers both data visualization tools and custom analytics solutions. More
Stockholm, Sweden-based Tobii has reported fourth quarter 2015 sales of SEK 287 million ($US 33.5m), up 29% after adjusting for currency effects; and SEK 967 million ($US 112.9m) for the full year, up 41% on the same basis. More
Cross-channel ad specialist Rakuten Marketing has announced the acquisition of San Francisco-based product intelligence firm Manifest Commerce, which it says will boost its social advertising and ad optimization capabilities for retailers. 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
US-based digital analytics firm Webtrends has launched a big data platform, Infinity, providing 'actionable customer intelligence' for personalised marketing programs. More
Hampshire, UK-based eDigitalResearch, recently acquired by MARU Group, has hired Heather Mcrae as Senior CFO, while promoting Kat Hughes and Naomi Crisp to Associate Director. More
News discovery platform News360 has launched a platform called NativeAI, which uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyze millions of consumer interests, and build audience profiles to help publishers deliver more contextually relevant media experiences. More
comScore has rolled out its mobile audience solution Mobile Metrix in the Philippines, providing measurement of total mobile audience behaviour across smartphones and tablets. More
Chicago-based social media engagement, advocacy and analytics specialist Sprout Social has raised $42m in a Series C round of investment, which it will use to expand both its products and customer base. More
Czech Republic-based social media monitoring company Socialbakers has appointed Charles Tidswell as Vice President, Asia, based at the firm's office in Singapore. More
In the US, social media analytics firm NetBase has integrated Facebook topic data into its platform, to help marketers uncover new opportunities for engaging with social media audiences. More
In the UK, the Guardian's former Data Editor Alberto Nardelli is joining news and entertainment website BuzzFeed as Europe Editor. More
London-based full service media research agency The Blinc Partnership has appointed former Ipsos-ASI MD Justin Charlton-Jones as Managing Director. 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
London-based Silverman Research has partnered with consumer goods giant Unilever to launch a new real-time survey and discussion tool called Crowdoscope. More
London-based video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly has added an emotional targeting feature to its Unruly-in-Article format, to enable advertisers to target the people most likely to engage emotionally with specific video creatives. More
Nielsen has reported constant currency revenue rises of 5.6% for the fourth quarter of 2015 and 5.0% for the year as a whole. Reported revenue dipped 0.6% in Q4 to $1.624bn, and 1.8% for the full year to $6.172bn. More
US consumer data giant IRI has expanded its retail offer in Europe with the launch of a solution called IRI Holistic Retail Solution (IRI HRS), combining analytics from many retail data sources in a single unified platform. More
Digital marketing agency AnalogFolk has launched a global data solutions business, based in London, where it has appointed former Havas helia execs Ben Silcox as Chief Data Officer and Mark Barry as Head of Business Solutions. 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
US-based integrated marketing agency MeritDirect has acquired marketing analytics specialist Furgiuele & Company Inc. (FCI) for an undisclosed sum. More
Havas Worldwide's customer engagement agency Havas helia has appointed former IPG Mediabrands exec Russell Marsh as Chief Data Officer, replacing Ben Silcox. More
In the US, artificial intelligence-driven marketing platform Rocket Fuel has hired former Google and DoubleClick CEM exec Ben Saitz for a new role, Chief Customer Officer. More
Brand insight agency BrandHook has open an office in Sydney and appointed Leading Edge co-founder Tim Biddlecombe as Head of Strategy. More
Data-driven marketing agency Merkle has acquired London-based DBG, which helps clients integrate data from different sources for effective customer communication. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
France's data protection authority the CNIL has given Facebook three months to stop tracking non-users' web activity without their consent, and says the company must stop certain transfers of personal data to the USA. More
San Francisco-based mobile app performance monitoring firm Crittercism is changing its name to Apteligent. 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
Social media analytics specialist NetBase has appointed Paige Leidig as CMO and Dave Pefley as CFO; and opened a new HQ in Santa Clara, CA. Pefley replaces Bob Pape, who is retiring. More
Last week, the European Commission and the US agreed a new framework for the transfer of data between the two, known as the EU-US Privacy Shield. Under this, US companies and government agencies will have new obligations to guarantee protection for personal data. More
In the US, marketing software and solutions firms Marketo has partnered with ad agency Wunderman to launch a solution called 'insight-driven engagement'. More
GfK has acquired Iberian and Latin American online panel specialist Netquest, and its subsidiary Wakoopa which provides cross-device passive measurement technology. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Visual analytics platform Curalate has secured $27.5m in a Series C round of investment, bringing its total funding to date to $40m. More
US-based business software review platform G2 Crowd has appointed software industry veteran Michael Fauscette as Chief Research Officer, with a focus on the strategic research, and the collection and application of data from B2B software users. 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
UK-based web analytics platform Decibel Insight has expanded to the US with the opening of new offices in Boston, MA and Austin, TX. More
In Chicago, location intelligence specialist Geofeedia has raised $17m in funding, which it will use to further develop its map-based platform, used to predict, analyze and act on real-time data from social media sources. More
US-based cross-screen data management platform (DMP) provider Lotame has hired Tremor Video's former Head of Market Strategy Doron Wesly as SVP of Marketing and CMO, heading up global marketing, communications, research and insights. More
US-based MarketResearch.com, whose offer combines a huge database of industry reports and a range of advisory solutions, has acquired industry reports and consulting services specialist The Freedonia Group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
The Malaysian Digital Association (MDA), the country's representative body for online publishers, ad agencies and digital service providers, has reappointed comScore as its official Internet audience measurement currency provider. More
UK research agency Populus has promoted seven members of staff, including Laurence Stellings to the position of Director in its Reputation and Strategy division, and Daisy Powell-Chandler to Senior Consultant. More
Canadian enterprise information management specialist OpenText has launched a tool called Election Tracker '16, through which users can visually monitor, compare, and analyze media coverage of the US presidential election. More
US-based online specialist Invoke Solutions has launched a Media & Entertainment practice, under the leadership of media industry veteran Kathy Alexander. More
New York-based social media intelligence firm Unmetric has launched a data visualization platform called 'Track', to enable marketers to follow brand competitors on social media in real-time. More
Cross-device targeting technologist Tapad is to be acquired by Oslo-based telecoms giant Telenor Group, which will pay $US 360m for around 95% of shares. More
Consumer data giant IRI has allied with Yieldbot, which offers publishers a marketplace to monetise real-time data about the purchase intent of their visitors. The deal will help connect online campaigns to in-store sales, and analyse the relationship between the two. More
Tokyo-based Cross Marketing Group (CMG) - owner of research agency Kadence - has teamed up with marketing consultancy Centan Inc. to develop an 'enhanced neuromarketing service'. More
Creston founder and former CEO Don Elgie has been appointed as Executive Chairman of digital ad platform provider Crossrider, replacing co-founder and CEO Koby Menachemi, who is leaving next month 'to pursue other opportunities'. More
MR app marketplace ZappiStore has promoted Christophe Ovaere to CMO, increasing his focus on the firm's brand, product marketing and key partner relations. More
Artesian Solutions, a UK-based provider of customer engagement and sales acceleration software, has opened its first overseas office, in Boston, MA, USA. Newly appointed VP of Sales Tom Beriau is joined in the US by co-founder Mike Blackadder, who will relocate. 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
Shareholders have approved comScore's bid to buy film and TV measurement firm Rentrak, and the acquisition is expected to close by end of business today. More
Research industry body ESOMAR has teamed up with Kantar, comScore, GfK and Nielsen to launch an initiative called 'Research Choices', which aims to help the general public understand how their data is used for audience measurement research. More
UK marcoms group Chime Communications has appointed former Diageo CEO Paul Walsh as Chairman, replacing Lord Davies, who has stepped down following the firm's acquisition by WPP and buyout specialist Provident Equity Partners last summer. More
US-based fieldwork group Schlesinger Associates has promoted Jade Landfried to Chief Operating Officer, and Matt Campion to Executive Vice President of its Interactive division. More
Digital data collection specialist Research Now is preparing to roll out an automated, template-based suite of survey solutions for those with limited budgets. More
Australian TV audience measurement body OzTAM has announced it will launch the initial phase of its Video Player Measurement (VPM) Report in February. More
Broadcaster Sky has invested $10m in a firm called DataXu, which provides programmatic marketing analytics, data management and media activation software. More
Research data solutions and technology firm SSI has acquired LA-based Instantly - whose services include panels and product concept testing - for an undisclosed sum. More
In New Zealand, the Radio Broadcasters Association (RBA) has commissioned GfK to provide official radio research services for the country. The contract sees New Zealand's commercial networks, public broadcaster and independent stations join the same radio ratings system for the first time. More
UK-based customer feedback software provider Platform One has launched a new product called 'Instant Community', which it says collects customer data at 'every single touchpoint'. More
Utrecht, Netherlands-based research firm DVJ Insights has appointed Simon McDonald as Managing Director in the UK, where he will work alongside existing Commercial Director Roy Patel to increase the firm's presence in the market. More
In Canada, video platform Vidyard has raised $35m in a Series C round of funding, for use in expanding its video analytics and customer insights services. More
Communications tech firm Ericsson has announced plans to buy US TV data company FYI Television for an undisclosed sum. It has also launched a vendor-agnostic video analytics toolkit, to provide big data insights into subscriber viewing habits. More
In the UK, Guardian News & Media (GNM) has outlined a three-year business plan, which includes the creation of a new Data and Insight team to support editorial and commercial innovation; and the implementation of an ad model that tracks evolving market trends. More
Audience sampling firm Innovate, which was set up by uSamp founders Matt Dusig and Gregg Lavin, has hired former colleagues Rodney Lazar as SVP of Global Finance and Accounting and Rachel Tak as Director of Global Account Management. Katherine Albers has also joined the company. More
In the US, the IAB Tech Lab has launched an app called the MRAID Ads SDK Tester, through which users can test ad creative across multiple ad software development kits (SDK). More
London-based mobile research and sample specialist On Device Research has promoted Nader Kobeissi to the newly created position of Global Managing Director. More
Ipsos InnoQuest has appointed former Mondelez exec Linda Lee as President, Global Solutions, based in New York. More
In London, start-up company people.io is trialling an app allowing consumers to trade information about their tastes and preferences for credits, exchangeable for goods or services. 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
WPP-owned digital agency POSSIBLE has acquired German full-service digital agency Conrad Caine. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Online community and survey tech provider Toluna has expanded its presence in the Asia Pacific region with the opening of its first office in Malaysia. The new operation will be led by Christine Tan, Senior Director, Southeast Asia. More
In New York, media services agency Horizon Media has appointed former IRI exec Greg DePalma as Vice President of Advanced Video Analytics, based in its channel insights practice the WHERE Group. More
Behavioural ad targeting and technology specialist Phorm has been awarded TRUSTe certification across all its online properties, eight years after facing a lawsuit for using customers' data without their permission. More
In Australia, comms group Bastion Collective has acquired Melbourne and Sydney-based research agency Latitude Insights, which will be re-named Bastion Latitude on 1st February. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
US-based Paradigm Sample has appointed NPD Group veteran Michael Klotz as Vice President of Client Services. More
US research technology and services group FocusVision has acquired software firm Kinesis Survey Technologies, and renamed it KinesisPanel. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen is expanding its Twitter TV Ratings to include Facebook conversations, and has renamed the service 'Social Content Ratings'. The firm says it also plans to integrate Instagram at a later date. 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
Yahoo has opened up its machine learning dataset to the academic research community, saying it wants to help 'level the playing field' between industrial and academic research. More
US standards body the Media Rating Council (MRC) has given accreditation to comScore's Media Metrix (MMX) syndicated digital audience measurement service. More
Netherlands TV industry body Stichting KijkOnderzoek (SKO) has announced that it is now working with data scientists from Kantar Media to deliver daily online TV ratings to the market. More
US-based consumer behavior and location-based analytics specialist ShopperTrak has introduced a new Advanced Analytics platform, integrating multiple data sets to provide additional insights for retailers and mall owners. More
Former IAB exec Gai Le Roy has joined eye tracking and biometric MR specialist Gateway Research, as Partner and Chief Operating Officer. More
IBM has acquired Koblenz, Germany-based anti-fraud software firm IRIS Analytics, for an undisclosed sum; and simultaneously announced the launch of a cloud-based service for retailers, IBM Dynamic Pricing. More
Michael Kenyon, who died aged 72 in December after a long illness, spent nearly fifty years in the research industry and was MrWeb's Director of US Operations between 2003 and 2008, helping to establish the site and the Daily Research News service Stateside. More
In Europe, Nielsen has launched a Customer Experience practice, building on its alliance with CEM software firm ResponseTek and centred around the Nielsen Listening Platform, a real-time customer feedback platform the two announced a year ago. More
Technology services and solutions firm Anexinet Corporation has announced the acquisition of big data and real-time risk sensing specialist ListenLogic, LLC, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, location-based retail data specialist Euclid Analytics has closed a $20m Series C funding round, with which to continue its rapid growth. More
Data-based digital marketing agency MediaMath has launched a proprietary data business called Helix, which will commercialize its partners' and clients' data sets to build predictive audience segments for use in programmatic advertising. Jacob Ross will lead the business. More
Nielsen has promoted Angela Talton to the role of Chief Diversity Officer, reporting to CEO Mitch Barns. She succeeds Dr D Sangeeta who moves into the new role of Global Client Operations Leader, overseeing all regional and client-related operations and deployment. More
Ipsos has rolled out its suite of location-based tools, powered by Google Consumer Surveys, in the Asia Pacific region. The initial launch covers Japan and Australia. More
WPP-owned online specialist Lightspeed GMI has expanded its B2B sample with the addition of a panel of US-based IT professionals, profiled on primary job function and role, industry, department / function area, and company size. 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
App store analytics firm App Annie has closed a $63m funding round, which it will use to improve and expand its suite of products, and further scale global business operations to meet the needs of app publishers. More
WPP audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has promoted Nicolle Pangis to the role of Global Chief Operating Officer, overseeing business operations, HR, partnerships, product management, and tech development across the Americas, Europe and AsiaPac. More
In the US, inventory optimization and demand planning software developer JustEnough has released a new feature called Customer Insights, to help retailers analyze customer data and help optimize assortments, promotions and pricing. More
In the US, real-time personalization and behavioral tracking specialist Evergage has raised a $10m Series B round of funding, which it will use to enhance its solutions and to grow its headcount by more than 70% by the end of 2016. More
WPP has acquired a minority interest in Hispanic media and tech company Mitú, which creates original content, and analyses its Latino audience's consumption of that content across social media. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, customer app data platform mParticle has raised $15m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to open a San Francisco office, and boost its product development and data capture capabilities across all connected devices. More
In the US, customer experience analytics specialist Foresee has appointed former NetSuite exec Pete Daffern as Chief Executive Officer. He replaces Larry Freed, who left the company in 2014, following its acquisition by Q&A platform Answers.com. 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
Analytics and big data platform provider NICE Systems is to acquire customer analytics specialist Nexidia, in a cash deal valued at approximately $135m. More
WPP agency MediaCom has set up a global partnership with emotional analytics specialist Realeyes, to incorporate emotion measurement technology into its content testing and media planning services. More
Mobile location data platform UberRetail has teamed up with geospatial business intelligence consultancy B.I. Spatial and US shopping center data source Directory of Major Malls (DMM), to analyze shopping centers and malls using mobile device GPS data. More
Boston, MA-based IT publishing and events group IDG, the parent of MR group IDC (International Data Corp), is exploring 'strategic options' - sale of the company included - with the help of an investment bank. More
Kantar has acquired a majority stake in its partner in Denmark and Sweden, Millward Brown Denmark ApS, which has been a Millward Brown licensee since 1997. More
Research data solutions and technology firm SSI has announced a partnership with Boston-based mobile intelligence and engagement platform SessionM, offering a new panel app called mTHOUGHTS. More
Private equity company Thoma Bravo has completed the acquisition of end-to-end enterprise data analysis firm Infogix, Inc., from an affiliate of H.I.G. Capital. Financial details were not disclosed. More
Software giant Oracle has paved the way for further enhancement of its Data Cloud business by agreeing to acquire AddThis, a provider of publisher personalization and audience insight / activation tools. More
Apple has acquired San Diego-based facial analysis firm Emotient, for an undisclosed sum, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). More
WPP brand, media and comms researcher Millward Brown has introduced a solution called Digital Behavior Analytics (DBA), which uses data drawn from search patterns and social media conversations to provide insights on brand health and marketing campaign performance. More
Mobile survey technology provider OnePoint Global has launched a new service it calls 'SMS invites', promising to boost online survey completion rates. More
Marcoms group Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired audience and behavioral data company Navegg, which is based in Curitiba, Brazil. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Marcoms group Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired Toronto, Canada-based agency Grip, which offers a range digital capabilities including social media, measurement, analytics, mobile, CRM and branded content creation. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, mobile research firm MFour Mobile has appointed former Instantly exec Scott Worthge as Senior Solutions Executive. More
London-based online retailing consultancy Summit has hired former dunnhumby exec Martin Corcoran for the newly created role of Head of Insight Consulting. More
US-based social media analytics company Networked Insights has added two members to its leadership team: Paula Bachman joins as Chief Financial Officer and Eric Rosenthal as Chief Revenue Officer. More
WPP's comms network Grey Group has acquired a majority stake in Seoul, South Korea-based creative digital agency Vinyl I-Co. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Turner Broadcasting has brought together its Data and Content teams to launch an insights-powered unit called Turner Ignite, which will focus on enhancing the ad viewing experience and driving improved ad performance. More
Marketing services and data firm Environics Analytics (EA) has acquired certain assets from Nielsen Canada, allowing it to integrate the latter's Spectra consumer segmentation and targeting services. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
WPP's media investment arm GroupM has partnered with youth media company Fullscreen to launch a new influencer marketing partnership called Playa. More
In the US, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has invested an undisclosed amount in big data firm Yet Analytics, to help radio and television broadcasters understand and use data on media consumption habits and trends. More
In the US, ad targeting specialist Blueshift has raised $8m in a Series A round of venture funding, which it will use for sales and marketing initiatives, and to expand its proprietary Interaction Graph platform. More
US-based information services company Penton has announced the acquisition of event and digital information company TU-Automotive from FC Business Intelligence. The firm will become part of the Penton Ground Transportation group. More
In the US, NBC News and SurveyMonkey have extended their polling partnership to 2018, and launched weekly online polls giving snapshots of voter behavior and attitudes throughout the 2016 election cycle. More
WPP is integrating the Servo mobile ad trafficking platform of its Medialets subsidiary with Millward Brown Digital's Ignite Network, promising clients the ability to serve mobile ads across all ad formats including video and to accurately measure campaign effectiveness. More
Christopher Morasch, former MD UK of Respondi, has joined German MR agency Management Consult. More
Customer data pioneer dunnhumby has announced a partnership with Aptaris, whose software manages and integrates clients' marketing and promotions management. Clients will gain new tools for scenario planning, forecasting and response measurement. More
Nielsen has appointed James A. Attwood, Jr. as non-executive Chairman of its Board of Directors, effective January 1st and succeeding David L. Calhoun. More
US big data firm Palantir, whose clients include government agencies such as the CIA and FBI, has raised a whopping $880m in funding, in a round which values it at around $20bn. More
After several years of prevarication, the EU looks set to approve its raft of data protection measures, having at last agreed on the wording in mid-December. They include strict requirements for data protection compliance and heavy fines for breaches. More
Online gaming giant Tencent has struck separate deals with WPP's GroupM and with Dentsu Aegis Network, giving access to data from the Chinese firm's huge customer base of c.860m active monthly users. More
WPP has continued its large-scale purchase of comScore stock, adding around $7.2m worth in three purchases since the morning of 24th December. More
WPP has upped its stake in comScore through the purchase of 120,000 comScore shares at an average cost of $38.56 each and a value of $4.62m, and a second purchase of 84,913 shares at an average price of $38.57 each, and a total of $3.27m. More
Digital analytics firm comScore and multi-screen measurement firm Rentrak have scheduled shareholder meetings for January 28, 2016 in order to seek approval for their proposed merger. More
In Canada, mobile audience targeting platform Go2mobi has partnered with mobile ad intelligence provider Pixalate, to reassure clients that their ads are being seen by real people. More
WPP's global media investment arm GroupM has acquired programmatic digital media specialist The Exchange Lab, which offers a range of targeting and retargeting solutions, including device-based and geotargeting. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US company True Influence has launched a solution called InsightBASE, to monitor the online activity of individuals visiting business web sites from their corporate domains. More
B2B marketing software firm Azalead has raised EUR 4.5m in a new round of funding, and launched an ad retargeting solution using cookies and machine learning to determine the names of companies from which visitors access a site, even if they visit from unregistered IPs. More
New York-based advertising intelligence specialist Integral Ad Science has gained two US patents for its video measurement and brand safety technology. More
Millward Brown and comScore have teamed up to connect validated ad viewing with changes in consumer behaviour, helping brands assess the performance of their digital advertising. The service will cover 'all markets outside the US, Canada and Taiwan'. More
Apple has closed down its social media analysis and tracking firm Topsy, exactly two years after acquiring the San Francisco-based business in a $200m+ deal. More
Full-service research and sampling firm Offerwise has introduced two mobile apps, allowing users to complete online surveys in the LatAm and US Hispanic markets, as well as in Brazil. More
In the US, predictive analytics start-up CLVmetrics has launched out of stealth with the appointment of marketing technology professional Scott Samios as Chief Operating Officer. More
Long-time Kantar Media employee Nick Burfitt has re-located from London to Singapore, to serve as Managing Director for Asia Pacific. He takes charge of the firm's recently awarded contract to supply multi-platform TV ratings in Thailand. More
In the UK, Oxfordshire-based consumer insight and sensory specialist MMR Research has launched an online portal called MMR-TV, through which large volumes of video content can be analysed and edited. More
In Thailand, the Media Research Development Association has awarded Kantar Media a five-year contract to deliver the official multi-platform TV ratings for the country. The tender process also included GfK and Video Research. More
In New York, Nielsen is promoting Steve Hasker to the position of Global President and Chief Operating Officer from January 1st. He takes over the COO role from Brian West, who announced his resignation last month. 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
In New York, The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has appointed Augustine Fou as Chief Marketing Science Officer, and Manuel Garcia-Garcia as SVP, Research and Innovation: Global and Ad Effectiveness. More
In New York, a group of media, data and tech execs have officially launched Predict Ventures, a consultancy developing data products and services for the media and advertising industries. More
WPP-owned online panel provider Lightspeed has announced the promotion of Martin Filz to Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific, effective January 1st, 2016. President and Global CEO David Day will temporarily take over Filz's former role as CEO for EMEA. More
In the UK, former 2CV Research MD Mark Bagnall is joining Basis Research as Head of Innovation. His remit includes 'consistently updating the firm's intellectual tool kit' as well as developing specific new proprietary tools and techniques. More
Cross-screen data management platform provider Lotame has appointed Alex Sibois as Managing Director Asia Pacific, based in Singapore and with a seat on the executive leadership team. More
Information services giant Experian has sold two high profile consumer insights businesses, Hitwise and Simmons, to Symphony Technology Group for $US 47m plus up to $5m in earnout. 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
Following months of rumours, WPP has agreed to merge its Australian and New Zealand businesses with struggling Australia-based STW Communications Group Ltd, increasing its shareholding from 23.6% to 61.5%. STW's name will be changed 'to align it with WPP'. More
Manchester, UK-based RealityMine, which provides mobile MR technologies and consumer analytics, has announced a $17.25m investment from growth equity firm Kennet Partners. More
Dublin, Ireland-based online store analytics provider Clavis Insight has launched a new service, Advanced Amazon Analytics (AAA), which includes technology to track activity, pricing and availability for client and competitor brands on the retail giant's one hour delivery app, Amazon Prime Now. More
Mobile app measurement, attribution and campaign analytics platform AppsFlyer has launched a real-time reporting feature called 'Right Now', to help marketers track the performance of install campaigns and optimize them on the fly. More
Former Tivo Research exec Boaz Cohen has been promoted to the role of General Manager of TV and Advanced Platforms at video ad technology platform Eyeview. 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
US consumer data giant IRI has partnered with location intelligence firm PlaceIQ to provide marketers with insights into shopping journeys, and to examine how information about off-line purchases can be used to target advertising. More
European firm Bilendi, which combines MR and online loyalty services, has opened a new office in Cologne, Germany, where it has appointed Andreas Knappstein as Sales Director for the DACH countries. More
In London, Harris Interactive has appointed Sabrina Qureshi as Head of Online Communities, replacing Pete Cooke who has taken on the expanded role of Head of Digital. More
Publicis-owned digital intelligence network VivaKi China has partnered with web sites China Unicom, BabyTree and Alibaba, to access their data and provide an audience profiling / targeting service. More
Austin, Texas-based merchandise optimization specialist Revionics has acquired Israeli online competitive pricing intelligence firm Marketyze, in a deal reportedly worth tens of millions of dollars. More
The UK government is looking for freelance user researchers and organisations with user research labs to apply to become approved suppliers. The search is part of a new procurement initiative 'Digital Outcomes and Specialists'. More
Predictive ad technology specialist Dose Media, which was previously known as Spartz, has raised $25m in a Series B round of financing. The money will help it expand into new content vertical markets, launch a video studio, hire new employees, and grow its audience. 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
Digital marketing and analytics agency Rise Interactive has acquired SimpleRelevance, a platform that personalizes marketing messages using machine learning. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, eBay Enterprise Marketing Solutions has sold its Display Retargeting business to digital ad specialist Ve Interactive for an undisclosed sum. More
TV audience rating body BARC India has issued a global request for information (RFI), as it prepares to expand its measurement offering across all digital platforms. More
In the US, Out-of-Home (OoH) ad ratings body the Traffic Audit Bureau for Media Measurement has given the green light to the testing phase for a major upgrade to the industry's audience measurement system. More
In the US, the FTC has shown increased interest in cross-device tracking, holding a recent discussion with ad industry execs, academia and consumer protection groups; and has appointed another privacy advocate, Lorrie Faith Cranor, as its latest Chief Technologist. More
In the US, St. Louis-based IT consulting firm Perficient has acquired digital experience solutions firm Enlighten, for an undisclosed sum. More
UK-based MR app store ZappiStore has appointed Jamie Shacklock as Director of Research Architecture, to help drive strategic partnerships with research agencies and end-user brands. 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
Social media marketing firm Livefyre has appointed former Nielsen exec Mari Cross as Chief Customer Officer. More
US-based web analytics and behavioral targeting firm Lotame has appointed former Videology COO Mike Woosley as Chief Operating Officer, based at its office in Columbia, Maryland. More
In San Francisco, Harte Hanks-owned digital marketing agency 3Q Digital has appointed Feliks Malts as Vice President of Analytics. 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
Ad software firm Phorm has partnered with behavioural targeting specialist Insomnis to develop a new service called 'Hover Rate', telling advertisers how many Internet users have hovered their cursor over, but not clicked on, their display ads. More
In London, digital data collection specialist Research Now has promoted Aaron Simmons to the role of Senior Vice President, Northern Europe Client Development. More
In New York, data-driven marketing automation firm Bluecore has raised $21m in a Series B round of funding, which will be used to support marketing channel and international expansion. More
US-based app intelligence company AppDynamics has secured $158m in growth financing, which it will use to fuel platform and sales expansion. More
London-based video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly has rolled out a new capability called 'Unruly Custom Audiences', in Australia. The tool helps advertisers connect with those consumers most likely to experience a strong emotional connection to a specific video. More
Tech industry B2B data and insights provider Aberdeen Group has appointed Charlie Allieri as Chief Data Officer and MD of its office in San Diego, California. More
In the UK, the ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations) has appointed its current Executive Director of Audit, Finance & ICT Simon Redlich as interim Chief Executive Officer from 1st January, after the departure of Jerry Wright. More
Delhi-based A/B testing solutions specialist Wingify has acquired US web site visitor analytics firm Navilytics, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the UK, social media analytics specialist Starcount has raised £5m from a group of investors which includes former Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy. More
UK-based marketing tech company Affective Logic has raised around £387k through a crowdfunding platform called the SyndicateRoom. Some of the money will be used to develop an SaaS version of the firm's Affect semantics-based marketing management tool. More
Zurich, Switzerland-based customer intelligence provider SandSIV has introduced an app called PRISM CX, to help determine the level of customer experience a company is delivering both online and off-line. More
In the US, David Cohen has been promoted to the role of President of Magna Global US, the intelligence and investment arm of IPG Mediabrands. He will take up the post in January. More
Technology firm Tobii is claiming a world first with the launch of a large-scale survey panel providing continuous online attention data from eye trackers. The data will come from 1,000 homes representing the Swedish population. 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
Global marketing activity continued to grow in November, with European execs the most optimistic and those in the Americas least so, according to the Global Marketing Index (GMI) compiled by World Economics. More
US-based HCD has launched a communications research service, Emcode Omni, combining applied neuroscience methods at a central location and online quant. 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
The Readership Studies Council of India (RSCI) has named GroupM CEO CVL Srinivas as its new Chairman for a two-year period. More
Ad measurement firm iSpot.tv, and attribution specialist TVSquared have jointly launched a solution which they say will enable brands to understand the impact of TV advertising on sales, within hours of a commercial airing. More
Ipsos has promoted Elie Aoun to the position of Chief Executive Officer of its Connect division in the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa). He will take up the post in January. More
New York City-based marcoms agency KWG has launched a dedicated Analytics and Results department, which will use insights from media, marketing and sales data to help clients optimize their ad campaigns. More
Cincinnati-based restaurant industry consumer analytics specialist Zipscene has received an undisclosed amount of growth funding from Fifth Third Bancorp. More
US text mining and analytics software firm Lexalytics has added native language analysis of Polish, giving more clients insihts into what their local customers are saying and thinking. More
Nielsen has announced the official launch in China of a service tracking brand and model share for smart devices. Nielsen Device Share (NDS) is compiled in collaboration with independent Chinese big data service platform TalkingData. More
IntuiLab, which makes interactive experience software for use with digital signage and other devices, has launched an enterprise-class data tracking capability for use in gathering business insights. More
Katherine Edwards, a former Director at supermarket giant Tesco, has joined London-based insight consultancy BritainThinks in the new role of Director of Stakeholder Engagement. More
WPP's J. Walter Thompson Company is to take a majority stake in Lebanon-based creative digital agency Cleartag, whose services include social media analysis, curation of online communities and user experience research. More
Online marketplace eBay is beefing up its predictive targeting offer in the UK with new tools and segments to help advertisers personalise their promotions. Segments cover Christmas shopping behaviour and different phases of parenthood. More
AOL-owned mobile ad platform Millennial Media has struck a deal with audience measurement disruptor Rentrak, whose TV commercial viewing data will underpin a new retargeting service. More
Madison, Wisconsin-based Networked Insights is partnering with Twitter to provide new levels of insight and analytics based on the latter's recently launched Audience API. 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
In the US, predictive analytics company DemandJump LLC has secured a seed round of $750,000 and is opening early access to its platform. More
US-based mobile engagement company Urban Airship has launched an audience analytics platform, providing user-level detail with potential uses in campaign optimisation, customer segmentation and real-time targeting. More
US-based sampling automation provider Lucid has launched a digital marketing tool called Proof, which promises to combine measurement of audience exposure with reaction across mobile and non-mobile platforms. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has published its Social Media Measurement Guidelines, laying down a detailed set of methods, definitions and common practices for companies and others measuring social media activity. More
Consumer tracking firm The NPD Group has launched a new analytic service integrating clients' own segmentation schemes with sales and market share 'data of record' for every industry and country covered by its survey-based trackers. More
Data-based digital marketing firm MediaMath is buying out partner firm Swisscom from their joint venture programmatic ad solutions company Spree7. The latter's Berlin office will become MediaMath's regional hub for DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), and CEO Viktor Zawadzki its Regional Manager. 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
TiVo's Tom Rogers is to step down as Chief Executive at the end of January after ten years in the role. He will remain as non-executive Chairman of the Board while the DVR and audience measurement company 'transitions to a new leadership team'. More
In California, Nielsen has sold its entertainment research subsidiary NRG to Stagwell Group, the investment company formed recently by Mark Penn, co-founder of Penn Schoen Berland. Terms were not disclosed. 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
Media agency Maxus, part of WPP's GroupM, is to acquire Dutch media buying agency Helder Marketing & Communicatie B.V. More
Research technology firm OMR Globus has launched a free customer feedback tool and portal called Q123, including survey set-up, analysis and reporting. More
Woking, UK-based MR and marketing services agency Create Convo has hired Oli Loughran as Marketing Manager, and added new services to its portfolio including neuromarketing and video engagement. More
Boston-based social media influence measurement platform Mavrck has announced $5m in Series A funding, bringing its total to date to $8.3m. More
GfK has appointed former Disney and MTV exec Laura E. Wendt as EVP, Media for both its Consumer Experiences and Consumer Choices divisions in North America. More
In the US, digital marketing agency Metia Group has appointed Misia Tramp and Liz High, the cofounders of customer research and strategy advisor Intrepid Consultants, in senior insight roles. More
MR data quality and anti-fraud specialist Imperium has appointed Jennifer Weitz as VP, Business Development. Her fifteen years plus of online MR experience include time at SSI, Critical Mix and Greenfield Online. More
Big data game analytics and marketing company deltaDNA has added a new data visualization platform to its offering, helping data scientists and marketers understand trends and patterns in game data. 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
In New York, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has issued an update on the status of its Mobile Viewable Impression Measurement guidelines, to include the removal of the 'loaded ad' concept, and new thinking about the 'count on decision' approach. More
UK TV audience research body BARB has agreed 'fusion projects' with Kantar Media and Nielsen for its Project Dovetail initiative, which will combine panel data with census data for TV viewing through all computer devices. More
Mobile segmentation and analytics specialist Swrve has closed a $30m round of funding, which it will use to expand the business, further develop its products, and hire new staff. In addition, the firm has acquired mobile data automation platform adaptive.io for an undisclosed sum. More
In the UK, industry-owned independent measurement body the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) is launching a monthly Newsbrands service in December, reporting print and digital figures together for the first time. More
GfK has introduced a new brand and communications tracking platform, providing real-time access to data, dynamic 'hot alerts' based on a variety of KPIs, and data visualization tools. More
US-based social media analytics firm NetBase has launched a new tool called 'Audience 3D' (A3D), which combines Twitter audience data with the firm's language technology to help brands better engage with their fans and expand their follower base. More
New York-based mobile ad analytics firm Marchex has added a 'Display Analytics' feature to its platform, which it says allows marketers to measure when someone making an inbound phone call to a call center or store has been influenced by a display ad on a desktop or mobile device. More
In the US, social media influencer marketing platform HyPR Brands has raised $5m in a seed round of financing. More
US-based ad agency Arnold Worldwide has hired former McKinsey exec Nisha Dass to oversee its Business Strategy & Analytics team. More
US-based beacon proximity and location intelligence specialist inMarket has launched a product called Quantum Receptivity, to predict when consumers are planning their next store visit and are most receptive to brand messaging. More
Czech Republic ratings body the Association of TV Organisations (ATO) has chosen Kantar Media and comScore to deliver a cross-platform measurement pilot of TV and video content. More
The EU says it expects to replace and improve upon its suspended Safe Harbor agreement with the US within three months; the US FCC continues to consider issues surrounding Do Not Track and TCPA; and some telephone researchers find ingenious ways to survive the latter. More
In Mumbai, digital MR agency MRSS India has released results for the half year ended September 30th, with revenue matching that for the previous full year at Rs 54m ($US 0.81m). More
UK-based research / business intelligence firm Future Thinking has streamlined its company structure with a simplified offer. More
Location-based tech specialist SIM Partners has added a suite of insight tools to its local marketing automation platform, Velocity. More
Focusing in on its role as an all-round audience measurement firm, comScore is selling its BI service Digital Analytix to Adobe; entering a strategic partnership with streaming service Spotify; and launching a household media measure called the 'Total Home Panel'. More
Real-time information services provider Neustar, Inc. has agreed to acquire analytics technology provider MarketShare Partners, LLC for $450m - although the resulting tax benefits mean it will effectively pay $390m. More
Full service provider WebbMason Marketing has announced the acquisition of Spry, Inc., which focuses on big data, data science and data operations; and the launch of an Advanced Analytics & Segmentation Engine. More
comScore has reported third quarter results for 2015, with revenue up 13% to $92.4m vs Q3 2014, and a slightly larger rise in the profit measure adjusted EBITDA, which rose 16% to $23.4m. More
In Timisoara, Romania, DIY online survey and form builder 123ContactForm has formally launched a new product, CaptainForm, which allows the simple creation and customisation of forms or surveys via a WordPress plug-in. More
Retail intelligence and digital marketing solutions provider Engage3 has launched a new competitive intelligence platform called MissionControl. More
Multi-screen audience measurement specialist Rentrak has reported a 30% rise in second quarter revenue to $32.8m. The result was driven by a 53% increase for the TV Everywhere product line, up from $13.3m to $20.4m in the prior year period. More
In Australia, digital publishing industry body the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has confirmed that its Director of Research Lisa Walsh will leave the organisation before the end of this year. More
US-based IT industry researcher Gartner has reported an 8% increase in revenue for its Research division - to $396.2m from $365.3m in Q3 2014. More
Digital media measurement firm Verto Analytics is piloting a new syndicated service called Cross-Media Watch, measuring consumers' second-by-second media behaviour and use of mobile, online TV, radio, and print via a single solution. More
Software company Unicom Global has agreed to buy IBM's Data Collection suite of products, which allow survey design, management and analysis. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Kantar Media and TNS Gallup have won a continuation of their contract to provide the currency for measurement of TV audiences in Denmark. The new deal will run for five years from 2017, with the option to extend until 2024. More
In the US, big data analytics company Zeta Interactive has acquired eBay's Enterprise CRM division, with which it will extend and enhance its people-based marketing platform. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Digital data collection specialist Research Now has announced that EVP Greg Ellis will take over responsibility for its North American sales from Tom Markert, who is leaving to pursue other business interests. More
WPP has agreed to buy a majority stake in digital agency Essence, which claims to be the world's largest independent buyer of digital media. Following the deal, whose precise terms have not been disclosed, Essence will become part of WPP's media investment arm GroupM. More
Broadcast monitoring specialist TVEyes has been awarded a US patent for a system which extracts social media tags from broadcast TV and Internet video, and makes it possible to search for these tags and measure their social media impact after they appear in video. More
In New York, tech media and services company IDG Communications has partnered with Google to introduce a new program which the firms claim will provide 100% viewable ads. More
In the US, social media management firm Sprinklr has acquired audience segmentation and management platform Booshaka, which helps marketers link customer data across social media, web, mobile, eCommerce and CRM systems. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Taiwan-based cross-screen advertising technology firm Appier has raised $23m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to further expand in Asia, and to strengthen its R&D team. More
Analyst firm International Data Corporation (IDC) has announced expanded research coverage for six key technology markets or 'Innovation Accelerators': Internet of Things (IoT), Cognitive Systems, Next Gen Security, Augmented & Virtual Reality, Robotics, and 3D Printing. More
In the US, predictive ad management (PAM) software specialist QuanticMind has hired former Answers.com exec Justin Smith as Vice President of Data Science. More
In the US, Nielsen-owned audience targeting specialist eXelate is working with mobile app and device data provider PushSpring, gaining access to mobile audience segments based on life stage, interest, activity and intent. More
In New York, cross-device marketing technology firm Tapad has partnered with audience insights provider VisualDNA to make the latter's psychographic audience-profile data available within its media platform. More
Chief Operating Officer Brian J. West has resigned from Nielsen, effective at the end of the year when his responsibilities 'will be divided among existing company executives'. More
IBM is not just partnering with The Weather Company, but buying most of its assets. Data from its B2B, mobile and cloud-based web properties will be integrated into IBM Watson's new IoT Unit and IoT Cloud platform. 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
Fishkill, NY-based Virtual Incentives has hired former FocusVision exec Michelle Andre as its first Vice President of Marketing, based in a new west coast office in Oregon. More
New York-based analytics company Moat Inc. has won MRC accreditation for its mobile metrics. The decision covers measurement of viewable ad impressions and related viewability metrics both for apps and mobile web browsing. More
Online marketing firm Constant Contact, widely known for its email newsletter products, is to be acquired by small business online marketing firm Endurance International Group. Both companies are based in Massachusetts, USA. 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
San Mateo, California-based advanced analytics provider Fractal Analytic has acquired artificial intelligence start-up Imagna Analytics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In New York, social media intelligence company Brandwatch has completed a $33m Series C round of funding, to speed up the development of its core technologies and products, and to open more offices following its launch in Singapore in June. More
Publicis digital agency DigitasLBi has partnered with UK charity YouthNet to launch an insight platform called YouthLab, through which brands can explore the impact of social media on the lives of young people. More
New York-based social media intelligence firm Unmetric has developed a service called 'Predict', helping marketers maximize social media engagement by optimizing content before it is published. 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
comScore has rolled out a pre-bid technology solution, Bid Ratings, allowing media buyers to use its various rankings and attributes to select programmatic ad buys. The eight initial partner platforms include AppNexus, Centro, Netmining, RythmOne, TubeMobul and Turn. More
Consumer insights specialist Macromill has appointed Shinichiro Oka as Chief Human Resources Officer, based in Tokyo, while Mark Sidell joins the firm as Chief Operating Officer, based in the United States. More
Publicis-owned marketing and tech agency DigitasLBi has launched a social media competitive monitoring tool called the 'Contagious Index'. The tool identifies which brands have the most appealing social media content on Facebook and Twitter, based solely on consumer-to-consumer data. More
In the US, YouTube video ad buying and marketing platform Pixability has appointed John Baker as Chief Data Scientist. More
Ad agency Commonwealth//McCann has moved Ash Farr to the US-based role of Executive Vice President, Global Director of Strategy and Research. He previously served as National CEO of McCann Australia. More
Gent, Belgium-based consumer intelligence specialist NGDATA has closed a $10.2m Series B round of venture funding, which it will use for further company expansion and to continue development of its customer experience management solution, Lilly Enterprise. More
Nielsen is setting up industry discussions to initiate changes to its C3 and C7 television ratings, coinciding with the impending roll-out of its Total Audience Measurement tool. More
The Media Rating Council (MRC) has issued the final version of its Invalid Traffic (IVT) Detection and Filtration Guidelines, as it looks to continue the war on fraudulent advertising. More
Nielsen is working with secure identity solutions firm Digimarc to make its digital watermarks available to clients for use in applications 'beyond audience measurement' - and specifically across second screens. More
Computer comms giant Cisco has acquired Cologne, Germany-based ParStream, a company focused on big data analytics for the Internet of Things (IoT). Terms were not disclosed. More
IBM has launched a range of services using analytic models to find signals within the 'noise' of data sets, connect them and deliver insights with direct application for business. Partnerships with Twitter and The Weather Company provide this 'Insight Cloud' with a mass of real-time data. More
Denver, CO-based on-demand online community specialist GutCheck has closed $12m in Series D funding, almost doubling its investment to date, and says it will accelerate its growth to meet 'high demand in the agile market research space'. More
Social media marketing firm Livefyre has opened a sales office in Toronto, to support 'increasing demand' for social media solutions among Canadian customers. More
Media intelligence provider Cision has introduced new features to its PR Edition platform, including a range of influencer marketing and global insights tools. 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
South African consumer and industrial researcher BMi Research has been acquired by telecoms and IT solutions provider Cognition Holdings Limited, which was previously a minority shareholder. More
Marketing services giant Dentsu Aegis Network is expanding its digital performance agency Columbus, currently focused on Australia, into Asia, where it will operate in parallel with sister agency iProspect. More
Israeli big data analytics company Signals Group has raised $15m in Series B funding, with which it will grow its US offices and expand its analytics portfolio to serve a wider range of clients. More
Cross-device ad targeting and analytics specialist Adelphic has opened an office in London, where it has appointed former Facebook / Microsoft exec Nicholas Mills as General Manager, EMEA. More
Seattle, US-based mobile ad analytics company Marchez has opened an office in Sydney, where it has appointed digital marketing veteran Daniel Benton as Country Manager, Australia & New Zealand. More
US-based web analytics and behavioral targeting firm Lotame has hired Gaurav Seth for the newly created role of Country Manager for India. More
In the US, cross media analytics firm Zignal Labs has completed a $15m round of funding, which it will use to expand its sales, product, and engineering operations. More
Digital TV and DVR pioneer TiVo has announced that its TiVo Research audience measurement division will provide free TV ratings from the first quarter of 2016, in order to 'celebrate' comScore's forthcoming acquisition of Rentrak. More
Twitter has extended its built-in polling feature to enable anyone with an account to create their own polls, or to vote anonymously in someone else's. More
Sky Media, the broadcaster's ad sales division, has developed a targeting tool called Sky AdVance. The solution promises to help advertisers target audiences with the most appropriate advertisements, 'at the right time, in the right sequence, and on the right screen'. More
Creston subsidiary Marketing Sciences Unlimited has launched a panel called Reflected Life, to provide continuous data on the digital footprint of the UK population. More
Israeli measurement technology firm MRL (Mobile Research Labs) has been granted a UK patent for a mobile app-based system which both identifies the presence of ambient sound attributable to a specific ad or programme, and engages a person for a related survey. More
Nielsen has reported a 5.0% constant currency increase in third quarter revenue to $1.53bn on a basis, and adjusted EBITDA up 6.9% to $479m on the same basis. 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
Online DIY survey specialist SurveyMonkey has hired Pollster.com co-founder Mark Blumenthal for the newly created role of Head of Election Polling, based in Washington DC. More
Online store analytics specialist Clavis Insight has received a $20m growth equity investment, part of which will help expand its sales and customer support efforts in the US, Europe and China. The firm has also appointed Jeremy Radcliffe as its UK General Manager. More
Cross-platform measurement specialist Symphony Advanced Media (SAM) has appointed former GfK exec Chuck Shuttles as Senior Vice President of Panel Operations. More
Film and TV measurement firm Rentrak has announced a partnership with London-based movie data firm Gower Street Analytics (GSA), aiming to create advanced data science and real-time movie measurement products. More
The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is restructuring its leadership along more collective lines, as it both gears up for forthcoming changes in EU data protection law and reacts to recommendations in the high profile Leveson enquiry. 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
UK agency eDigitalResearch has promoted its COO Steve Brockway to Managing Director, and appointed two new members to its Board. Founding Directors Chris Russell and Michelle Fuller are moving to the role of Joint Executive Chair, driving the firm's global growth. More
Seattle-based social media analytics provider Simply Measured has acquired Fayetteville, Arkansas-based DataRank, whose software helps sift and prioritise online comment. Terms were not disclosed. More
Eye tracking technology pioneer Tobii has released two new products, the Tobii IS4 eye tracking platform and Tobii EyeChip, geared towards integrating eye tracking features into a wide range of consumer devices. More
The hearing of Kantar Market Research Services' appeal against Indian government guidelines effectively banning its TAM joint venture with Nielsen has been postponed yet again, this time to February 9th 2016. More
comScore has appointed Xinyu Huang as SVP, Managing Director of Greater China, providing strategic leadership to strengthen the company's position in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. More
Omni-channel data and tag management firm Ensighten has raised $53m, for use in accelerating development and sales of its marketing data management and deployment software. More
Kantar Media has added brand social media engagement metrics to its advertising intelligence solutions in the US, to give clients 'a holistic view of brand messages and activity' across all types of media. More
In the US, competitive intelligence specialist Buyers Laboratory (BLI) has acquired InfoTrends, which supplies market analysis, research and advisory services to the digital imaging industry. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, predictive marketing specialist EverString has raised $65m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to further expand the business. More
San Jose, CA-based in-store big data analytics specialist RetailNext has acquired mobile marketing personalization software firm Pikato for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, radio and music research specialist Coleman Insights has launched a new, online version of its FACT Strategic Music Test, which promises to help radio stations build the most appealing and targeted libraries possible. More
European social media intelligence provider Linkfluence has acquired Chinese competitor ActSocial. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In India, Nielsen / Kantar joint venture TAM Media Research and WPP agency IMRB International have jointly launched a cross-media consumption data service called TeleWeb Audience Measurement, covering TV and online platforms. More
Shaswati Saradar, CEO of India's MRUC (Media Research Users Council) has 'decided to move on' after nearly five years, and will be replaced by Radhesh Uchil. The organisation also has a new Chairman and Vice Chairman. More
In the US, retail and healthcare data giant IRI has tagged a million of Research Now's consumer panelists using its 'propensity-to-purchase' ProScores models, enhancing its ability to select consumers and shoppers based on their predicted purchase behaviour. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has rolled out its syndicated Mobile Metrix solution in Indonesia, where it is also jointly developing mobile panels with Kantar. More
Global investment firm Mithril Capital has agreed to buy UK-based digital media and analytics group Agenda 21 in a reverse takeover, and appointed Engine Group co-founder and former CEO Peter Scott to lead the venture. More
US-based direct marketing and targeting giant Harte Hanks has introduced a solution called Total Customer Discovery, to provide 360-degree profiles of target customers across multiple online and off-line channels. More
Digital data collection specialist Research Now is looking for a new President and CEO, following Kurt Knapton's decision to resign for personal reasons. He will remain on the Board of Directors once his successor has been identified. More
London-based video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly is set to open an office In Tokyo as part of its global expansion plans. Separately, Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has appointed Unruly co-founder and CEO Sarah Wood as a technology ambassador for the city. More
In New York, online video analytics specialist Innovid has appointed former Google exec Ken Marcus as Senior Vice President, Global Client Services. More
In the US, Teradata Marketing Applications, a division of big data analytics platform Teradata, has partnered with micro-location tech firm Localz to provide iBeacon tools delivering personalized content direct to an individual's mobile device. More
In London, GfK has hires James Howitt for the newly created role of Digital Lead, UK, driving the promotion of its digital media research capabilities and solutions. More
In the US, end user experience monitoring specialist Rigor has acquired web site evaluation and optimization company Zoompf. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Chris Haydon has re-joined Manchester, UK-based agency Join the Dots as Senior Research Director after a three-year stint in London. In addition, Benjamin Buckby joins as Research Manager, and Justine Colin, Martina Raviele and James Collinson as SREs. More
YouGov has reported a 13 percent revenue rise - including organic growth of 11% - in preliminary results for the year ended 31st July. The year saw strong growth in new markets France and Asia Pacific; and a higher proportion of revenue from favoured product lines. 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
New York lawyer Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP has announced an investigation into the proposed sale of Rentrak to comScore, suggesting the directors of the former may have breached their fiduciary duties in agreeing the sale price of around $732m. 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
Nielsen has added mobile campaign measurement to its Digital Ad Ratings service in five more countries - Australia, France, Germany, Italy and the UK - and will add Brazil by the end of the year. More
In New York, management consultancy giant PwC has launched its Experience Center concept, which offers access to a pool of creative, digital business and industry experts across the globe who work with clients to co-create new digital-centric products and services. More
Kantar has added sentiment analysis to its Twitter TV ratings dashboard service 'Instar Social', to uncover further insights into the conversations taking place about TV programmes on Twitter. More
Online specialist MACROMILL-MetrixLab has appointed Scott Ernst as Chief Executive Officer. He replaces Han De Groot, who will remain as a member of the Board and provide advice to the leadership team on portfolio choices and strategy. 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
WPP's Data Alliance has expanded its reach to Mumbai, India, where it will draw on expertise from group companies to help clients activate eCommerce, mobile and social media data strategies. 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
WPP's audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has rolled out its 'moment' marketing solution Xaxis Triggers in the MENA region. The system allows advertisers to use external factors such as a weather forecast, TV ads or stock prices to trigger complementary programmatic campaigns. More
Film and TV measurement specialist Rentrak has introduced a service for reporting syndicated US TV programming at a national level. More
In the US, HCD Research has introduced a suite of neuroscience-based video game research tools, which when combined with traditional research methods promise a 'comprehensive view' of respondents' non-conscious and cognitive responses to video game concepts. 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
Online research 'app store' platform ZappiStore has appointed former Lightspeed GMI exec Roxan Toll as Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing in Singapore; while Eileen Rozic joins in the US as Vice President of Sales, West Coast. More
Broadcast and entertainment giant Viacom has appointed Julian Zilberbrand as EVP of Audience Science, effective two weeks from today. More
Consumer information specialist The NPD Group has combined two of its units - the Video businesses within its Entertainment practice, and its Connected Intelligence division - and created a distinct new practice area for its BrandLink product, led by VP Barbara Zack. More
Global panel marketplace provider Cint has opened an office in Hong Kong, moved to larger premises in Tokyo, and appointed former Toluna MD James Rogers to lead its continued expansion in Asia as Regional Head of Supply Acquisition & APAC MD. More
Oxfordshire, UK-based MMR Research Worldwide has launched MMR Express, a suite of tools for rapid and cost-effective insights. The solutions include screening, concept and package testing and optimisation, online focus groups and video, and rapid sensory evaluation. More
Dubai-based market research app developer TaskSpotting has closed $1.2m in Series A funding, and will expand to Saudi Arabia and Egypt in the next three months, according to cofounder and CEO Karim Aly. More
UK-based media and marketing insights firm Ebiquity is appointing Razorfish exec Michael Karg as Group Chief Executive Officer from next year, when he will replace Michael Greenlees who is stepping down from the role after eight years with the business. More
UK commercial radio association Radiocenter has launched a new tool called Brand Music Navigator, to help advertisers and agencies optimize their use of music to strengthen brands. More
In the US, cookie-less audience measurement specialist Tru Optik has closed a $1.7m round of venture financing, which it will use to help scale its business. More
In the US, broadcast and cable company Viacom has launched a new study to analyze how different forms of entertainment impact viewer attention. More
In the US, customer experience analytics specialist ForeSee has expanded its platform with the addition of two new products - 'Feedback' and 'Sentiment Analytics' - to help clients gather and understand their voice-of-customer (VOC) data. More
Brand engagement and ad targeting platform PulsePoint has raised $30m in debt financing, which it will use for business expansion and for future company acquisitions. More
Digital analytics specialist comScore is to buy film and TV measurement firm Rentrak in an all stock deal valued at around $732m. This acquisition, which will create a new giant in cross-platform measurement, is expected to close in early 2016. More
In India, TV rating body BARC has commissioned Nielsen to conduct what it is describing as the country's largest universe estimation study on television ownership and viewing habits. More
GfK has announced it now has all the assets needed to fully evaluate ads across media - including at a brand impact level. This involves the actual measurement of individual exposure to ads, as well as attribution of those exposures across multiple devices and different ecosystems. More
Millward Brown Digital has introduced a mobile solution through which to evaluate the effectiveness of ads on Facebook and Instagram. More
UK agency eDigitalResearch has launched a tool called HUB Text Analytics, to help explore verbatim comments from a range of data, including social media and live chat exchanges. More
In Sydney, TNS has promoted Anne Rayner to the newly created role of Global Head of Communications Research. More
Data driven CRM firm Merkle has introduced what it describes as a 'people-based' marketing solution, allowing clients to use first and third-party data to identify and locate specific individuals and target them with ads across publisher sites. More
Tokyo-based panels and technology company Research Panel Asia (RPA) is changing its name to dataSpring, following its acquisition by Marketing Applications Inc. (MApps). MApps will retain its name in Japan while merging its overseas assets into dataSpring. More
WPP audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has announced a partnership with six major Chinese firms in the digital and data arena, bringing their audience data into Xaxis' data management platform (DMP). More
In London, independent agency Firefish has hired Steve Banks as a Qualitative Director focused on financial services. More
In London, shopper analytics specialist Walkbase has partnered with Samsung to provide in-store analytics to retailers who use the electronics giant's digital screens. More
In the US, interactive ad technology company Aarki has added big data analytics capabilities to its app marketing platform, to help clients to target and optimize their ad placements. More
Cross-platform measurement specialist Symphony Advanced Media (SAM) has launched a measurement service called VideoPulse, to provide advertisers, agencies and media companies with insights into consumer media usage across platforms. More
Berlin-based mobile user data specialist zeotap has appointed former InMobi VP Neeraj Singh to lead its Advertising division in India. In addition, the company has recruited several new members of staff at its Global Technology Center in Bangalore. More
San Francisco-based mobile segmentation and analytics specialist Swrve has introduced the 'Integrated Personalization Engine', a tool to deliver campaigns and content to consumers based on their unique behavior and attributes. More
US-based business information and analysis specialist Neustar has partnered with Kantar Shopcom, to help marketers measure the impact of their off-line and online marketing initiatives. More
Media intelligence and monitoring specialist iQ media has raised $9m in a round of funding which will be used to fuel company expansion and product innovation. More
US-based online community specialist Passenger has added social media sharing and login capabilities, advanced gamification, sentiment analysis tools and dashboards to its FUEL engagement platform. More
Mobile apps A/B testing service Taplytics has launched a platform called BigQuery, which provides open access to raw mobile data. More
Indian online marketplace Snapdeal has acquired US-based cross-platform ad targeting and management company Reduce Data, for an undisclosed sum. More
Latin American media measurement specialist IBOPE Media is to be rebranded in the region as Kantar IBOPE Media, following the WPP division's recent investment. More
US-based Civicom Marketing Research Services has opened an office in London, to support client qual research needs across the UK and EU. More
In the US, predictive advertising management (PAM) software specialist QuanticMind has raised $10.3m in a round of funding, which will be used to expand engineering, marketing, and sales operations. More
In the US, broadcaster Disney|ABC Television Group has hired former Wal-Mart exec Cindy Davis as Executive Vice President, Consumer Experience. More
UK-based full service agency Tpoll has been re-named MindMover, and has announced the appointment of Laura Lake as Managing Director. More
Rupert Murdoch's media group News Corp has agreed to acquire London-based video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly, for an initial £56m and with potential for £56m more in future performance-related payments. More
In the US, consumer insight specialist Turnkey Intelligence (TI) has hired sports and entertainment researcher Donté Scott for a newly created role, Executive Vice President and Chief Insights Officer. 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
In the US, Civicom Marketing Research Services has added gamification tools to its Chatterbox online community platform, aiming to improve participant engagement. 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
IBM has hired former Thomas Cook CEO Harriet Green to lead its newly launched Internet of Things (IoT) business unit, which will bring together its strengths in big data, advanced analytics and cognitive computing. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has released Social Media Measurement Guidelines for public review and commentary. More
Research community and survey tech firm Vision Critical has appointed software industry veteran George Skaryak as Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales, responsible for leading the global sales team. More
San Francisco-based audience measurement and digital advertising firm Quantcast has opened an office in Austin, Texas. More
In New York City, TV station operator and digital media firm Media General has hired former CBS researcher Lucy Hughes for the newly created role of Head of Research. More
In the US, audience measurement specialist Rentrak has partnered with retail and healthcare data giant IRI, to expand the delivery of TV insights data. More
Digital media operations and data analysis firm Theorem has acquired UK-based FaR Partners, a data-driven consultancy which helps publishers and media owners benchmark their performance. Terms were not disclosed. More
comScore has announced the US roll-out of its syndicated measurement solution Xmedia, which promises 'a total view of the consumer measuring content consumption across all digital platforms and TV in a single tool'. 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
Data and marketing services firm Acxiom has announced a partnership with independent Australian research company Roy Morgan, helping marketers to find and target their most valuable audiences on Facebook. More
Customer satisfaction scorecard provider IgniteFeedback, founded this year, has raised more than $300k to be used to grow the business in the US. This includes hiring for sales, marketing and product development roles. More
WPP has extended its strategic partnership with marketing software giant Adobe, to provide solutions to clients through six specialist WPP agencies called 'the WPP-Adobe Alliance'. Separately, WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell has spoken about the 'very low standards' of some online audience measures, including Facebook's. More
Global ad giant Publicis has acquired South African marketing services firm The Creative Counsel Group (TCC), whose brand solutions are 'based on real market insights' and 'an intimate understanding of the African consumer at every level'. 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
comScore is to roll out daily reporting of unduplicated mobile audience and validation metrics in its validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) in Canada. Advertisers in the country can already use vCE to measure audience for mobile ad campaigns across smartphones and tablets. More
British online audience measurement body UKOM has appointed Ian Dowds as its first CEO. More
Japanese research and online panel provider GMO Research, Inc. has agreed a strategic capital and business alliance with Chinese ad network Ignite Vision Holdings, making its China Cloud Panel 'the number one panel in China in terms of reach'. 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
WPP media agency Mindshare North America has launched a tool called Counting Words, which examines online consumer conversations on a brand-by-brand basis via a visual dashboard, in order to explore the relationships of target words and messages with brands within a category. More
German mobile audience data and targeting specialist adsquare has launched a self-service mobile-based audience management platform (AMP), allowing advertisers to create their own audience segments. 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
US-based mobile campaign attribution analytics and optimization firm Kochava has opened an office in Seoul, South Korea. More
In the US, Spanish-language media group Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) has promoted Belia Jimenez to the role of Vice President of Corporate Research. More
Liverpool, UK-based video analysis specialist LivingLens has hired Andrew Mitchell as Global Commercial Director, Matt Marontate as Business Development Director, and Adam Cooper as Head of Technology. More
Israeli digital ad tech firm Marimedia has changed its name to Taptica, and announced it will acquire social media marketing technology specialist AreaOne. The deal is valued at up to $17m in cash and shares over a two-year period. More
Fieldwork services group Norstat has appointed digital media industry consultant Nina Kulås as the Managing Director of Norstat Norway. She replaces Hans Peter Wøien, who has become Managing Director / Partner at research advisory company Barcode Intelligence. More
Podcasting platform Acast has partnered with brand tracking specialist Nepa, to launch what the firms say is the first research panel to exclusively engage podcast listeners in Sweden. More
Mobile marketing tech company Fiksu has launched a service called Mobile Audience Platform, which allows clients to identify, define and target specific groups of mobile consumers. More
Veteran online company AOL has acquired end-to-end mobile platform Millennial Media, Inc., whose services include ad targeting and analytics. The deal, $1.75 per share of the acquired firm's common stock, values it at around $US 238m (£156m). More
Full-service agency Stable Research has bought a stake in mobile-based consumer MR firm Mobile Digital Indaba (MDI), partnering to create what the firms say will be Australia's largest dedicated mobile research community / panel. More
Kerry Sette has joined Ogilvy Public Relations (Ogilvy PR) as EVP / Research Director of its Research Group, based in New York. More
India-based digital MR firm Majestic Research Services and Solutions (MRSS India) has announced its first annual results since it commenced public trading, with revenue more than doubled to Rs 55m ($US 0.8m). More
The Publishers Audience Measurement Company (PAMCo) - the replacement for the UK's NRS - has appointed Ipsos MORI to provide the published media industry's new audience measurement service; and has named Aviva Group Brand Director Jan Gooding as its new Chair. More
Berlin-based social media analytics specialist Searchmetrics has appointed Volker Smid as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Tom Schuster who has left the company. More
In India, IMRB International has appointed marketer K Ramkrishnan as General Manager of its IMRB | Kantar Worldpanel business. More
San Francisco-based mobile ad targeting and analytics firm Apsalar has extended its mobile measurement relationship with Facebook to include Instagram, enabling clients to measure mobile app attribution across the latter's ad campaigns. More
In New York, Publicis digital arm DigitasLBi has appointed Alvaro Cabrera as Chief Strategy Officer for North America. More
Czech Republic-based social media monitoring company Sociabakers has appointed Robert Lang as its new Chief Executive Officer, replacing co-founder Jan Rezab who takes on the role of Executive Chairman. More
The UK's Financial Times (FT) has promoted Tom Betts for the new role of Chief Data Officer. He also joins the publisher's Executive Board, which oversees its global strategy and performance. More
In the US, mobile ad industry execs Scott Swanson and Alvaro Bravo have set up a mobile data management platform called Aki Technologies, which aims to connect marketers to consumers during the moments they are most receptive to advertising. More
In the UK, retail and healthcare data giant IRI has introduced a solution called Digital Active, to help FMCG marketers isolate and measure the effect of digital media spend on FMCG sales in-store. More
UK-based consultancy FreshMinds has launched an ideation approach called Spark, promising to help brands in the early stages of the innovation process by generating ideas for new products and services. The firm's existing product suite has also been upgraded. More
In the US, the Board of artificial intelligence-driven marketing platform Rocket Fuel has rejected a second acquisition bid from ad targeting specialist Gravity4. Terms of the proposal have not been disclosed. More
Online community and survey technology provider Toluna has introduced the 'Mobile Member App', allowing users to participate in surveys while on the move, and post their own questions to the firm's community of nearly nine million members. More
Brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners has announced the opening of an office in Dubai, led by Managing Director Ziad Skaff, who previously served as Regional Executive Director of Research and Insights at sister company Omnicom Media Group MENA. More
Publicis-owned full-service digital agency Razorfish Global has acquired Sydney-based firm 2DataFish, a consultancy focused on Adobe data analytics and marketing optimisation. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Chicago-based advertising and pricing intelligence specialist Market Track has acquired Australia and New Zealand retail advertising tracker Commercially Retail. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Management consultancy Accenture has acquired Brazilian digital agency AD.Dialeto. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. More
US-based voice-of-customer technology firm OpinionLab has released a new version of its product, enabling brands to connect consumer feedback gathered through digital channels such as smartphones, with specific physical locations. More
In Australia, WPP firm MediaCom has acquired a minority stake in full-service media communications agency Rapid Media Services, whose offer includes media strategy development, media buying, PR and market research. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Recently formed US insight consultancy Market Intel Group has rolled out a suite of services called MIGDigital, to provide clients with an improved understanding of the digital activity taking place in the lives of their target audiences. More
Interpublic division IPG Mediabrands has hired media auditor Charles Godbold for the newly created role of Global Director of Media Intelligence Systems. He will take up the post in October, after relocating from Sydney, Australia to London. More
In Dubai, Omnicom's data, technology and analytics division Annalect has partnered with web site tag management specialist Ensighten, to bring first-party data insights to MENA region advertisers, and help improve the efficiency and ROI of their brand campaigns. More
In the US, data-driven CRM agency Merkle has appointed media exec Dan Schmerzler as Vice President, Client Partner in its Travel, Media and Entertainment practice, where he will focus on clients across the media industry. More
In the US, social media analytics company NetBase has added a feature called Audience Fingerprints to its core product, to help brands and agencies uncover audience insights for use in personalized marketing campaigns. More
WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell is urging Rentrak and comScore to join forces and find a solution to what he describes as 'faulty measurement' of digital ad views and viewability. More
TV audience rating body BARC India has confirmed that it has partnered with Nielsen/Kantar joint venture TAM India, to form a new meter management company. According to a statement issued by BARC, ratings data produced by the new firm will be the sole trading currency for the country. More
In London, digital marketing agency and online buzz measurement specialist iCrossing has promoted Chief Strategy Officer Mark Iremonger to the role of UK CEO, replacing Paul Doleman who is leaving the business. More
San Francisco-based mobile ad targeting and analytics firm Apsalar has partnered with cross-media marketing technology specialist Tapad, in a bid to help brands understand cross-device customer behavior. 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
India-based digital advertising and technology firm Komli Media will inject $4m in funding for the international launch of its mobile ad company, RevX, which uses data-driven predictive software to provide insights into consumer behaviour. 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
American broadcasting company E.W. Scripps has invested $500k in location data and consumer intelligence startup Cintric, which helps retailers and brands analyse consumers' behavioral data and target them with personalized messages. More
US firm Moasis has launched a platform which combines location-related information with behavioural data and demographics, to help clients target specific consumers on their mobile devices. More
WPP's audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has rolled out a solution called Viewpoint, in Asia Pacific, and says it is the first fully programmatic product to guarantee 100% viewability in the region. 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 New York, managed analytics firm Ugam has partnered with mobile and online survey technology provider OnePoint Global to enhance its mobile and SMS survey capabilities. More
In New York, influencer marketing platform Reelio has raised $5m in Series A funding, which it will use to expand into key markets, and develop new technology solutions. More
Technology industry B2B data and insights provider Aberdeen Group has announced major enhancements to its CI Technology Data Set, following the company's change of ownership in April. More
Media research company 'other lines of enquiry' has consolidated its TV broadcast, radio and press research offerings under one umbrella brand, reflecting the converging of media platforms as well as company growth. Former Ipsos AD Sara Rice joins the newly merged team as Senior Manager. More
WPP-owned digital research specialist Lightspeed GMI has opened an office in Gurgaon, India, with a team led by Ashish Pandey, Client Development Manager and Siddhartha Dutta, General Manager. More
In Australia, media monitoring and intelligence group Isentia has acquired content marketing agency King Content. While terms of the deal were not disclosed, reports suggest that if King Content hits its targets over the next five years, it will be worth $48m to its owners. More
Gift card marketplace Raise has acquired predictive technology firm Tastebud Technologies, which creates customized mobile shopping experiences based on a user's style preferences. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Media and marketing insights firm Ebiquity has appointed former Nielsen MD Peter Cornelius as Director of Client Service - Media for Australia and New Zealand. More
In India, retail big data specialist IntelligenceNODE has raised $4m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to expand to the US and hire more engineers / data scientists to build out its platform. More
In the US, speech and text analytics specialist Verint Systems has acquired Texas-based social media software firm Telligent, which specializes in powering online communities and enterprise social media networks. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In New York, WPP's brand, media and comms researcher Millward Brown has hired former Kantar IT EVP Matt Glace as Global Chief Information Officer, and a member of its global Board. More
Korean firm Yello Digital Marketing (YDM) Group has bought a majority stake in Thai-based social media analytic tool developer Computerlogy. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, social media intelligence platform Insightpool has appointed Chris Hackney as Chief Operating Officer, with overall responsibility for operations and continued business growth. More
In the US, sampling automation provider Federated Sample has changed its name to Lucid, which the company says reflects 'explosive growth' in its two primary business units. More
Partners Kantar Media and mobile survey platform GeoPoll have announced the launch of a joint service bringing 'reliable, real-time audience measurement' to a swathe of African states. The service is currently available across Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. More
GfK has announced it will launch its Crossmedia Link tool in a first Asian country, Indonesia, in September. The tool measures consumers' multi-screen media consumption habits. More
In the US, mobile ad targeting specialist 4INFO has hired former Ipsos and Microsoft exec Ken Mallon as Chief Product Officer. More
In New York, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has upgraded its 'Viewable Ad Impression Measurement Guidelines' to address specific issues identified since the original guidelines were released last summer. More
London-based full service agency Opinium Research has hired former Millward Brown exec James Sweatman to head its Technology division. 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
US consumer data specialist Leapfrog has hired Scot Wheeler for the newly created role of Vice President, Consumer Intelligence and Business Analytics in its Consumer Journey practice, leading a team of analysts with a focus on consumer targeting. More
'Tis only a rumour at this stage, but an Indian online publication suggests that long-time rating agency and Nielsen / Kantar joint venture TAM Media Research is talking to new audience body BARC about a 'merger' - which considering their previous relations would be some turnaround. More
Cincinnati, Ohio-based marketing tech firm ThinkVine has named former dunnhumby exec Matt Nitzberg in the new position of Chief Growth Officer. More
A new big data analytics company, 6Estates, is the latest company to launch as a spin-off from a research centre established by partner universities in Singapore and China. 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
A week after merging with marketing data and services provider Relevate, US-based marketing data firm DataMentors has appointed former Fidelity Investments and OMD exec Jim Champlin as Senior Vice President, Client Services. More
Behavioral targeting and data management firm AudienceScience has teamed up with programmatic video monetisation platform SpotXchange to give advertisers easier access to mobile video ad inventory and allow them to target in-app traffic. 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
Ad tech platform Liquid has announced the acquisition of San Francisco-based predictive CRM company CommandIQ, whose Chief Exec Noah Jessop joins Liquid's data and analytics team as Head of Data. More
WizRocket, Inc., a real-time analytics and mobile engagement platform with bases in Walnut, CA, USA and Mumbai, India, has raised $8m in new funding. More
A busy two weeks for Google: alongside the high profile announcement of a new CEO and the creation of a parent company, Alphabet, the search and advertising giant has signed new metrics deals with comScore and Nielsen, and registered a new ad viewability patent. More
In South Africa, yearling 'microjobbing' platform M4JAM (Money for Jam) has acquired digital survey specialist Pondering Panda for an undisclosed amount. 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
MFour Mobile Research is planning to triple its office space by relocating to Newport Beach Gateway in California, and is beginning a recruitment drive to double its research and development team by year end. More
Multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has reported a 23% rise in fiscal 2016 first quarter revenue to $27.5m ($22.3m in the prior year period), driven by a 49% revenue increase in its TV Everywhere division. More
Information Services Group (ISG) has reported a 6% constant currency increase in second-quarter revenues. Reported revenue declined 3% to $53.4m, due to the strong dollar. Profit measures declined versus Q2 2014, with adjusted EBITDA down from $7.0m to $5.2m. More
Marcoms giant WPP is planning to bring together its agencies in eleven locations in Madrid, Spain, into the former Telefonica headquarters in the Chamberi neighbourhood of the city. The move brings more than 40 companies and around 2,500 people under one roof. More
Netherlands-based online research and marketing analytics firm MetrixLab has appointed three new client directors at its offices in the UK. 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
In New York, information solutions giant Experian Marketing Services has hired MR industry veteran Pasquale (Pat) Pellegrini for the newly created role of Chief Research Officer and General Manager. More
US-based insights and advisory firm Information Services Group (ISG) has acquired emerging IT trends analyst Saugatuck Technology for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, WPP-owned online specialist Lightspeed GMI has appointed Michael Krameisen as Director of Business Development. He joins with more than 25 years' business development experience gained in the marketing research industry. More
A committee of MPs is assessing whether the UK Government is doing enough to help UK businesses make the most of their big data, while looking at issues around consumer data protection and privacy. More
New York-based social media intelligence firm Unmetric has launched a mobile app called 'Sense', through which marketers can monitor their competitors' social media posts in real time. More
WPP-owned media agency Mindshare APAC has launched a regional team called FAST, to provide services to brands looking to make sense of their marcoms data. More
In the US, social media ad targeting specialist RadiumOne has made four senior promotions, including Dimitri Vaynblat to the role of Chief Technology and Data Officer. More
In London, Havas Media Group (HMG) has hired former IPG Mediabrands exec Yvonne O'Brien for a newly created role, Group Chief Insight Officer. She takes up the position on 11th August. More
Berlin-based mobile user data specialist zeotap has raised $6.4m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to drive international growth plans and to expand its technology centre in Bangalore, India. More
In the US, social media listening and reporting specialist NUVI has released a product called 'Audiences', tapping and analysing Facebook's complete stream of anonymous and aggregated topic data. More
Media research specialist GfK MRI has set up a new Innovation team, to explore emerging trends in TV viewing. Kevin King joins the team as SVP Mobile Measurement and Trends; while Karen Ramspacher becomes SVP Consumer Insights. More
In the US, mobile research firm MFour Mobile has introduced a tool called MediaMatch 360, which integrates media matching technology with measurement techniques for rapid feedback on ads, broadcasts and videos. More
Consumer data firm dunnhumby has upgraded its Behavioural Attitudinal Research (BAR) tool, to enable brands to measure themselves against their competitors based on chosen brand attributes. More
Finnish information technology giant Nokia has sold its HERE digital mapping and location analytics business to a consortium of automotive companies, with a price tag of around EUR 2.8 billion. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has reported a 16% pro forma increase in second quarter revenue to $91.3m, and first half revenues up 15% to $178.3m. More
New York-based business intelligence product provider 1010data has been acquired by cable TV and publishing group Advance for $500m. 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
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
US-based data science company 4C has acquired real-time television analytics and cross-screen marketing specialist Teletrax for an undisclosed sum. Alex Terpstra, CEO of previous owner Civolution, joins 4C as Managing Director EMEA but will remain on the Board of Civolution. More
With rapid growth and new product development in mind, New York-based digital media measurement firm Integral Ad Science has raised another $27m in funding, and has agreed a debt facility of $40m from Silicon Valley Bank. More
Experian has upgraded its Experian Marketing Suite with the addition of new features including addressable advertising and predictive intelligence tools powered by its massive consumer database. More
AudienceScience has launched ASci Signature, which it describes as 'the first true cross-device targeting solution'. More
In the US, IT industry analyst Gartner has reported a 5% increase in second quarter revenue to $547.9m, amounting to a 12% increase at constant currency. More
In the US, recently formed wireless network analytics specialist Innovo has acquired comScore's Wireless Solutions division, including its flagship Subscriber Analytix platform for mobile operators. Terms were not disclosed. More
Technology specialist Forrester Research has reported a flat second quarter, with total revenue down slightly to $82.8m from $82.9m in the prior year period. However, at constant currency revenues rose by just over 3%. More
WPP's digital data collection arm Lightspeed GMI has appointed Susanne Goller and Johannes Van Lochem as Key Account Directors in its London office. More
WPP and buyout specialist Provident Equity Partners are in 'advanced discussions' to buy UK marcoms group Chime Communications for around £350m. More
Nielsen has reported second quarter revenues of $1,559m, down 2.2% in dollars but up 4.8% on a constant currency basis, compared with the second quarter of 2014. More
US research provider Gongos has named long-term employee Jason Solack as Vice President of its Data Science practice, O2 Integrated. The firm has also promoted Crystle Uyeda to the role of Director, Business Development. More
In the US, e-mail analytics specialist Return Path has launched a new 'Consumer Insight' service, providing a detailed view of the spending patterns and brand loyalties of more than two million consumers. More
In Sydney, Havas Media Group has appointed Rogan Gilhespie as Head of Data (APAC), responsible for leading and developing its data offering in Australia and across APAC. Mark Campbell has also joined in the newly created role of Head of Content. More
UK-based media and marketing insights firm Ebiquity has reported revenue of £76.3m for the year to the end of April - an 11% increase on a constant currency basis. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has been awarded Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for video viewability measurement in the Ad Validation suite of its validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) solution. More
WPP's Kantar Media has acquired a stake in digital media intelligence specialist BIScience, which specialises in cross-channel and global digital media monitoring, planning and optimization. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Multi-mode healthcare data collection company Glocal Mind has developed panel and process management software, to help clients and in-house teams automate a number of business areas. More
Games analytics and personalization specialist deltaDNA has added an ad management solution, SmartAds, to its platform. The new addition combines intelligent player targeting with ad mediation in order to increase in-game ad revenues. More
Canada-based social media analyst Engagement Labs has completed the acquisition of Word-of-Mouth specialist Keller Fay Group, for an undisclosed amount. More
GfK has appointed media research veteran Gregg Lindner in the new position of EVP of Media Research at its consumer and media research company GfK MRI. More
Asian panel platform GMO Research and global panel marketplace Cint have announced an agreement adding more than three million of the former's Asia Cloud Panel respondents to the current fifteen million active panellists in the latter's OpinionHUB exchange. More
GlobalRoam's subsidiary GNum Pte Ltd has acquired a 'significant minority stake' in aSpecial, which was set up by three former execs of Singapore Press Holdings and is backed by a number of prominent local entrepreneurs and angel investors. More
Twitter has announced the launch of a service allowing clients to target advertising at audiences for particular events, as they happen. 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
US-based technology research firm Altimeter Group has been acquired by brand and market strategy consultancy Prophet. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US software company Symantec has partnered with venture capital firm Frost Data Capital to provide seed funding, resources and expertise for start-ups in the areas of analytics, big data and Internet of Things. More
US media and entertainment company Cablevision has received a patent for an audience measurement and analytics system, which is used for capturing, synthesizing and running analytics against viewing data at the set-top box level. More
The Board of New York-based circulation body the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) has approved plans to enhance its Media Intelligence Center database, and to expand reporting options for US and Canadian newspapers. More
Tokyo-based Research Panel Asia (RPA) has been acquired by panels and analytics specialist Marketing Applications Inc. (MApps), in a deal involving a share swap between MApps and RPA's parent firm Voyage Group. RPA will now trade as a wholly owned business unit of MApps. More
Social media analytics specialist Sysomos has acquired marketing platform Expion for an undisclosed sum, and is planning a recruitment drive and new offices. More
Former Webtrends CEO Dan Stickel has joined New York-based natural language processing company NTENT as Chief Exec, with an initial remit to lead the firm's expansion geographically and help further develop its technology. More
In the US, MR technology provider YouEye has hired former Ipsos neuroscience exec Naomi Grewal as Head of Research; John Ruiz as Vice President of Engineering; and Richard Clayton as Principal Software Architect. More
San Francisco-based DIY consumer survey specialist Survata has raised $6m in a Series A round of funding, which will be used to improve its current offerings and build new products, and to hire new members of staff. More
US-based Schlesinger Associates has promoted Jason Horine to the role of Vice President Client Development, in charge of its Online Qualitative Solutions division. More
Miles Nadal, the Chairman & CEO of marcoms holding company MDC Partners, has left after being forced to repay nearly $12.5m in expenses, following an investigation by the SEC. He has been replaced by Scott Kauffman, who has served as Presiding Director since March 2012. More
GroupM has partnered with Networked Insights, giving execs from the WPP firm access to real-time social media consumer data via the 'Kairos' marketing analytics platform. More
Netherlands-based online research and analytics firm MetrixLab has introduced a benchmarking solution called Mobile Norms, as part of its mobile-in-mobile copy testing offer. 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
Australia-based online survey tech company PureProfile has raised $AUD 12.1m in a funding round ahead of its IPO next week; has acquired media trading group Sparc Media; and is opening an office in New Zealand. More
Alibaba Group and Unilever China have announced a comprehensive strategic partnership giving the global consumer goods giant access to Alibaba's data-driven ecosystem to target customers across China. More
Sports marketing firm Repucom has appointed Shane Mattiske as Joint Managing Director, with a remit to drive the consulting and strategy side of the business. More
Canada-based privacy specialist Nymity is to open a European headquarters in London, helping companies comply with fast-changing privacy and data protection laws including the upcoming and long-awaited / delayed EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). More
In the US, entertainment giant NBCUniversal has promoted Ari Perler to the newly created role of SVP, Research & Strategy in its Television & New Media Distribution, U.S. & Canada unit. More
British-based technology company Privitar, a specialist in big data security, has closed a seed funding round of more than $1m from investors including the two most recent former CEOs of Reuters. More
San Francisco, CA-based consumer video poll and dialogue platform GlimpzIt has launched a self service, freemium version of its product, following the recent enterprise version. More
In the US, digital video ad platform Vindico has received MRC accreditation for the first time for its video viewable impression measurement solution; and renewed accreditation for its digital video and display ad impressions and clicks metrics. More
Mobile marketing analytics provider AppsFlyer has launched a product giving app marketers real-time data on return on investment for their Facebook ad campaigns. More
UK marketing budgets grew again in Q2 2015, according to the latest IPA Bellwether report, but marketers' general confidence declined due to company prospects and general doubt about the global economy. The picture for MR budgets improved slightly from April's report. 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
Internet standards body the World Wide Web Consortium has published a first draft document setting standards for the implementation of browser-based Do Not Track requests - and invited comments over the next three months. More
ISP-level ad targeting company Phorm has announced change at the top as it enters a new phase in its development. Out goes company founder and long-time CEO Kent Ertugrul, along with CFO Andy Croxson, and in comes former Arbitron exec Timothy Todd Smith as the new Chief Exec. More
Mobile and technology panel division Kantar Worldpanel ComTech has launched a new consumer panel in India, consisting of more than 20,000 individual members and said to represent more than five hundred million people. More
Piers Leonard, Research Manager at social media research specialist FACE, has died after a battle with leukaemia. More
The Nielsen Company has appointed Eric Dale, formerly a Partner at Robinson & Cole LLP, as its new Chief Legal Officer, effective August 1st. More
New York-based digital media measurement firm Integral Ad Science has announced office openings in Paris and Tokyo, led by Yann Le Roux and Taro Fujinaka respectively. A 'video GRP' system for France will be launched later this month. More
Nielsen has rolled its flagship online campaign measurement solution Digital Ad Ratings out to three more Asian markets and will add another three, plus Mexico, in the coming months. More
London-based customer retail specialist Perception Research Services has launched a new hybrid quant and qual methodology for evaluating e-commerce offerings. More
UK-based business services marketplace blur Group has announced the launch of a Business Intelligence product giving data on global business services e-commerce trends and markets. More
In the US, digital strategy and experience design firm NavigationArts has been acquired by EPAM Systems, a provider of product development and software engineering solutions. More
Media pioneer TiVo Inc. has appointed former Crossbeam Media President and erinMedia co-founder Frank Foster to lead its TiVo Research and Analytics subsidiary. 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
The founder of Australian media benchmarking company Faulkners Media Monitoring (FMM) has left Ebiquity, four years after selling his firm to the London-based information giant. Eric Faulkner says he has no immediate career plans other than possibly 'putting his feet up for a while'. More
Fresh from a big investment last month, Mumbai, India-based analytics and research company Hansa Customer Equity (Hansa Cequity) is to set up a customer marketing institute offering training in data science, technology, digital and campaign management. More
India-based services giant Wipro has announced that its Digital business unit will acquire Denmark-based experience-based strategic design firm Designit. More
Senior insight exec Ronita Mitra is leaving Vodafone India after two years, reports indicate. Her next destination is currently unknown. More
Big data firm Axtria has raised $30m in a series C round of funding and says it will use the cash to expand its services into new verticals and geographies, and grow its customer base. More
Networking giant Cisco has committed to invest more than $1 billion in multiple digital projects in the UK over the next three to five years. This includes $150m on Internet of Everything (IoE) start-ups. More
Nielsen has partnered with atVenu, a tool that helps musicians track and report sales via mobile and online while on tour. The deal will enable artists to report their venue sales through Nielsen's music reporting tools. 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
App store data firm App Annie has launched a solution called 'In-App Analytics', integrating figures from Google Analytics. Users will be able to view key usage metrics alongside data from five major app stores and 34 advertising platforms in one unified dashboard. More
Brand strategy and marketing consultancy Prophet has appointed Jacqueline Alexis Thng as a Partner, based in its Hong Kong office and charged with expanding the company's footprint across Asia. More
In Thailand, GroupM digital unit mInteraction has launched a Research & Consumer Insights division, and appointed Pan Jroongtanapibarn as Manager, Strategy Resources & Insights. More
The firm behind Zappix, a mobile app that turns phone voice menus into visual menus, has enhanced its SmartPhone IVR solution with a package allowing clients to create, distribute and analyze mobile customer service surveys. More
Toronto and San Francisco-based customer advocate management specialist Influitive has raised $30.5m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to accelerate growth and develop new products. More
Menlo Park, CA-based big data insights platform Quantifind has appointed David Karnstedt as Chief Executive Officer, to lead the company's growth and oversee operations. He succeeds co-founder Ari Tuchman, who is taking on the role of President. More
Technology research, trends and analysis specialist Gigaom Research, which ceased operations in March when parent firm Giga Omni went into liquidation, has been acquired by online publisher Knowingly. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
TV ad tracking specialist wywy and mobile app measurement platform AppsFlyer have teamed up to enable app companies to directly measure the impact their TV ads have on app installs in real-time. More
Berlin-based ad targeting specialist Sociomantic Labs has expanded into Greater China with the launch of an office in the SunYoung Center in Changning, Shanghai. More
San Francisco-based cross-channel ad targeting and analytics specialist Apsalar has introduced a new service identifying segments of app users which can then be used as Facebook Custom Audiences, for precision targeting across the social media network. 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
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
Kantar Media has launched an app called 'TGI Target Snapshot', to enable agency execs to access and understand insights into a range of consumer behaviour, including brand usage, consumption levels, shopper type, demographics and media consumption. More
Manchester, UK-based mobile research technology firm RealityMine has appointed Arbitron veteran Dottye Gould-Smith as Director of Product Methods, based in New York City. More
Ad targeting firm Phorm in its accounts for 2014 has once again reported a colossal operating loss - this time $37.9m (2013: $35.1m) - and tiny revenues of $351k (2013: $280k). The company has closed its operation in Turkey to focus on China, the US - and Russia where some revenue is now arriving. More
Ipsos has appointed former IAB exec Peter Minnium as President of its newly-formed Ipsos Connect division in the US. He reports to Pierre Le Manh, the group's CEO North America, and Yannick Carriou, Global CEO of the division. More
UK research consultancy Simpson Carpenter has appointed former Cello Health Insight Director Dave Bostock as Head of Digital. More
Research data solutions and technology provider SSI has completed the acquisition of the assets of Australian panel MyOpinions and New Zealand's SmileCity, from their parent company PermissionCorp. More
Israeli social media analytics business Twtrland has rebranded as Klear, and has raised $1.5m in funding, quadrupling its total investment to date. The company says it will focus the cash on marketing and sales, principally in the UK and US. More
Long-time WPP exec Karen Kaufman has moved to a senior role in the group's new marketing foresight consultancy Gain Theory, launched in April. She takes the new title of Managing Partner, Client Development for NA and LATAM. More
Maria Rodriguez Java has returned to digital audience measurement specialist Effective Measure as Regional Business Director for the South East Asian market. More
In the US, visual analytics and business intelligence provider Arcadia Data has closed an $11.5m Series A funding round, which it will use to double the size of the product development, sales and marketing teams, and expand its portfolio of products. More
US-based consumer research and consulting firm The Pert Group and 'influencer' research specialist MSS have merged to form a new company called Acturus. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
WPP has taken steps to become the first international marcoms group to conduct business on the island of Cuba. More
Belgian audience research body the Centrum voor Informatie over de Media (CIM) has extended its contracts with GfK to deliver both TV and radio audience measurement services until the end of 2017. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has made its 'Invalid Traffic Detection and Filtration Guidelines Addendum' available for public review and commentary for a 30-day period, closing at the end of July. More
In the US, home shopping channel QVC has hired P&G veteran Sanjay Singh as Senior Vice President, in charge of its newly formed Business Planning & Analysis (BP&A) division. He will be based at the firm's headquarters at West Chester, PA. More
Tech consultancy Gartner has acquired Barcelona, Spain-based Nubera, whose flagship platform GetApp helps organizations find and compare software and apps, and choose the right products for their needs. Terms were not disclosed. More
Spanish-language media group Univision Communications has promoted Roberto Ruiz to the role of Executive Vice President, Strategy and Insights. More
In New York, online video analytics and ad targeting specialist Innovid has appointed Beth-Ann Eason as President, overseeing client services, marketing, publisher relations and sales. More
US-based social media analytics firm NetBase has added 'PowerTags' and 'Sentiment Classification' tools to its platform, to enable clients to assign meaning and tailor analysis of their customers' social media data. More
Ipsos has brought together several of its retail measurement services to form a new Market Measurement business unit, which will be managed globally. More
Oslo, Norway-based fieldwork group Norstat has appointed Francesco Renga as Country Manager for Italy, based in its newly opened office in Milan. More
Former Nielsen and GMI exec Simon Guy is heading up a new digital research company, DataChefs, based in Davos, Switzerland and with a global partner network. More
In Mumbai, full service provider MRSS India is to become the first MR agency to be listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, with an IPO opening tomorrow. More
In California, ad targeting company Turn faces another lawsuit over its use of enhanced cookie technology, said to violate California's Unfair Competition Act. More
Glen Westlake, the founder of Birmingham, UK-based business analytics company IT Performs has sold the company to SAP consultancy firm itelligence Business Solutions in order to focus on a new company, Kairos, specialising in cloud-based predictive analytics. More
Nielsen has this week launched a new Preferred Platform Partner Program for ad technology companies who integrate its measurement standards into their systems. The nine initial members including many of the leading companies in the sector. More
The UK's Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards (JICWEBS) has updated its guidelines for products that measure the viewability of online ads. More
Washington DC-based digital communications and marketing agency Delucchi Plus has opened a new division, 'Strategy + Insights', through which it will offer a range of sector-based products combining research and analysis. More
The University of South Australia (UniSA) is planning to open an industry-supported media science research centre, which will be tasked with exploring the world of online video content and converting ad tech data into insights for business. More
Predictive marketing and targeting specialist MentAd has raised $4.7m in a Series B round of growth funding. More
UK audience research body BARB has awarded its newly combined Establishment Survey and Panel Recruitment contract to Ipsos Connect, from January 2016 for an initial three years. This combination replaces two previous contracts and follows a successful pilot study by BARB in 2014. More
Boston, US-based SaaS company Cintell has rolled out a cloud-based customer intelligence platform allowing businesses to create, manage and share digital models of ideal customers, otherwise known as 'SmartPersonas'. More
San Francisco-based employee advocacy platform Trapit has launched a tool called Campaign Analytics, to provide marketers with metrics for their content sharing initiatives. More
In the UK, big data and sentiment analysis specialist Digital Contact has raised £2.4m ($3.8m) in investment funding, which it says will be used to increase the efficiency of its analytics engine. More
In South Africa, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) - which represents the country's radio and television media owners - has awarded TNS a five-year contract to provide a new radio audience measurement service. More
US-based small business web analytics specialist Diib has received a $1m seed round of funding, which it will use to roll out its service. More
Manchester, UK-based agency Join the Dots has appointed former Tesco exec Mark MacNaughton as an Account Development Director, and Tim Burge as an Associate Director. More
In Australia, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has appointed media research exec Lisa Walsh as Director of Research, replacing Gai Le Roy who stepped down in February. More
In the UK Nik Harta, formerly a Director of agency markettiers4dc and the founder of its research division Opinion Matters, has left to form his own full-service research and marketing agency, Yolo Communications. More
Facial analysis software used by online photo sharing site Shutterfly is the subject of a federal class action in a Chicago court. Illinois is one of only two US states which restricts the use of biometric data, and the suit claims millions of people's data is being stored without permission. More
Deals and discounts site Groupon has agreed to acquire Seattle, WA-based social media analysis company Venuelabs, whose service helps local retailers track social media mentions of their brand. Terms were not disclosed. More
Cross-channel attribution platform Conversion Logic has completed its beta period and made its SaaS solution available to clients in the US and Europe. More
TNS has announced the launch of Social TR*M, an approach which combines traditional surveys with social media analysis to give deeper insight into consumers' feelings about products and services. 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
WPP's GroupM has acquired Netherlands-based firm Greenhouse Group, which provides digital media and marketing services through four operating companies. Among these is Source Republic, whose services include insight and analysis. More
Kenya-based marketing services firm Scangroup Limited has prefixed its name with WPP, reflecting its majority ownership by the group, and signifying the 'shared vision and values' of the two firms. 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
UK television measurement body BARB has announced two new appointments to help deliver its expanding range of services: Paul Smith joins as Project Manager and Sonja Ajdin as Research Manager. More
In the US, marketing services company Connexity - previously known as Shopzilla - has announced the acquisition of leading retail lead-generation platform and network PriceGrabber. Terms were not disclosed. More
WPP has increased its shareholding in Denmark-based TAM analysis software company TechEdge, from 20 to 49 percent. More
Technology veteran James Powell is to join Nielsen as Global Chief Technology Officer, from July 6th, from Thomson Reuters where he is EVP and CTO. More
Mark Pejic, the CEO of Australia's second largest media agency MediaCom has left after four years leading the WPP firm, which was recently embroiled in a controversy over faked campaign reports for three major clients. The departure adds to a number of key roles already vacant at the company. 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
Mobile data intelligence platform AdNear is expanding into Europe, appointing former TrustE Managing Director Ken Parnham as General Manager of Europe, based in its new London office. 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
New York-based ad tech company AppNexus has agreed to acquire RealMedia Latin America (RMLA) - its fifth company buy in twelve months - giving it a strong foothold in the continent. Separately, AppNexus has joined comScore's 'Trust' initiative and launched a new tool. More
US-based research technology and services company 20|20 Research has upgraded a number of its research platforms, including its bulletin board technology QualBoard, real-time 'face-to-face' product QualMeeting, and recruitment tool QuickQual. More
UK-based mobile research technology firm RealityMine has appointed former TNS Director Jonathan Briggs as MD of Australia, based in its Sydney office. More
In the US, mobile data tools provider SessionM and MR firm Phoenix Marketing International (PMI) have announced a partnership giving access to a 'mobile-first' panel of more than twelve million consumers. More
In the US, trade association the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) is taking over the running of the 'Open Video Viewability' initiative (OpenVV) set up by five ad industry firms looking to establish an open, common standard for viewability measurement. More
Australia-based STW Group, which owns a number of research and analytics agencies has announced a new management structure and plans to merge a number of its businesses, following a troubled 2014 and a slump in share price. More
Hitachi's big data and Internet of Things division HDS has acquired Pentaho, a specialist in the integration, visualization and analysis of data. More
New York-based predictive analytics firm Velos has been acquired by AOL for an undisclosed sum, and its services shut down. More
Nielsen has announced a further secondary share offering by its Valcon holding company, aiming to raise in the region of $400m. More
In London, Kantar Media has hired Nathalie Zimmerman-Nénon for the newly created position of Managing Director of its global sports business. 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
Around 20% of WPP's investors refused to endorse CEO Sir Martin Sorrell's £43m pay package at this afternoon's Annual General Meeting - quite a lot, 'though quite a lot fewer than in some previous years. More
In the Netherlands, online publishing industry group VINEX and its partner Stichting KijkOnderzoek, (SKO) the body responsible for the reporting and monitoring of viewing behaviour, have expanded their contract with Kantar Media to include measurement of all online viewing behaviour. More
In London, WPP brand, media and comms researcher Millward Brown has appointed former Digital Radio UK director Jane Ostler as Sector Managing Director, Media and Digital. More
According to reports in the UK press, marcoms giant WPP will face a shareholder rebellion over CEO Sir Martin Sorrell's £43m pay package at tomorrow's AGM. More
In the UK, the ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations) has announced that CEO Jerry Wright will be stepping down from the post at the end of 2015, after seven years with the organisation. More
WPP-owned marcoms network J. Walter Thompson Company has acquired a minority stake in full service agency WANDA Digital in Turkey. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
UK-based youth research and marketing strategist Dubit has appointed children's media, play and learning insights specialist David Kleeman as Senior Vice President of Global Trends, based in its New York office. More
San Francisco-based online ratings firm Quantcast has acquired Stockholm-based digital ad agency Ad Performance - for an undisclosed sum - and has opened a new office in Milan, Italy. More
Yahoo! has launched a viewability and fraud measurement system for use across display and video advertising on its owned and operated properties, as well as on media purchased across its programmic buying platform. More
In New York, brand influencer network Crowdtap has appointed former Jupiter Research President Peter Storck as Senior Vice President of Research & Analytics. More
Hong Kong-based social media analytics specialist Lamplight has launched a new platform providing insights into Asian audiences. 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
NYC-based television ad targeting company Simulmedia has launched a data-driven targeting platform called VAMOS, which uses data science to reach linear TV audiences. More
WPP's audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has launched a new 'mobile-first' performance ad business called Light Reaction, which will combine Xaxis data with scientific insight into how audiences perceive, relate and react to ads. More
Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired a majority share in Thailand-based digital agency Flexmedia, for an undisclosed sum. More
Digital media metrics firm comScore has added mobile viewability measurement to its validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) solution, to offer what it describes as the first combined GRP (gross rating point) and viewability solution for mobile advertising. More
In the UK, video big data technology specialist Big Sofa has launched a crowdfunding initiative, with the aim of raising £700k in exchange for a 10% equity stake in the company. More
Cello's social media intelligence division Pulsar has teamed up with social media analyst Datasift to provide Pulsar clients with access to anonymous and aggregated content data about Facebook activity and topics. More
US-based social media solutions firm Lithium has launched a portfolio of products to help clients respond to customer needs across social media channels and communities, and share the resulting insights across their organisations. More
In the US, social media management specialist Sprinklr has acquired location-specific text analytics software company NewBrand. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Media and information giant Thomson Reuters has expanded its MarketPsych analysis service, to provide investors with insight about the emotions and perceptions embedded in news, blogs and social media, and their impact on markets and trading strategies. More
Digital ad management company Sizmek has partnered with retail data specialist Retailigence, to enable brands to incorporate real-time and off-line shopping data into ads on all screens, and ultimately drive in-store foot traffic at brick-and-mortar retail locations. More
In the US, data science company 4C Insights has hired Nielsen veteran Mark Green as Chief Operating Officer, with a remit to help scale the company's geographic presence, sales, client delivery and product development. More
Mobile performance measurement specialist appFigures has launched a native iOS app, to help developers track and analyse app store performance. More
Ad giant Dentsu Aegis Network is to acquire Polish agency Marketing Wizards, which lists SEO, CRM, web analytics and usability services among its portfolio of services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Mobile segmentation and analytics specialist Swrve has opened a European Data Centre, where it will retain customer mobile data within the borders of the European Union, to eliminate the risks associated with transferring app users' personal data overseas. More
Kantar Media has launched a tool called TGI Digital Planner, which taps into off- and online behavioural data from its TGI consumer insight study, to help identify the most appropriate target for advertisers. More
Audience measurement specialist Rentrak has introduced an analytics platform called Rubik, allowing clients to analyze TV viewing patterns, advertising exposure, product use and purchase against the firm's TV audience ratings. More
Digital media analytics specialist comScore has rolled out a tool called MobileLens Plus, which provides insights into consumers' usage of and attitudes to both smartphones and tablets. More
US targeting and media measurement platform Trueffect has appointed former Ebiquity and Webtrends CEO Alex Yoder as Chief Executive Officer. He replaces Finnegan Faldi, who will now Chair the firm's Advisory Board. More
Research and technology firm Instantly has appointed tech exec Jim Collins as EVP of its Audiences division. Collins' remit is to continue growing the firm's consumer panel, while further optimizing panelist responsiveness and survey completion. More
In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is due to vote on June 18th on new proposals which the Marketing Research Association (MRA) says 'could seriously harm survey, opinion and marketing research conducted by phone'. More
Czech audience research agency Mediaresearch has changed its name to Nielsen Admosphere, reflecting its majority ownership as well as its origins. More
Surrey, UK-based MR community and panel management tech company MARSC has announced a partnership with New York-based MR software and solutions firm thinqonline. More
Luca Belloni, a twenty-year veteran of Millward Brown Italy and currently the firm's Managing Director, is to move to the position of Chairman of Kantar Italy from 1st July. More
GfK has won a three-year contract to provide a cross-device audio-visual audience measurement currency for Singapore, awarded by the country's Media Development Authority (MDA). More
Nielsen has announced the launch of its cross-device campaign measure Digital Ad Ratings in China, in collaboration with online gaming behemoth Tencent; and says six more markets will follow later this year. More
Twitter has launched an Audience Insights tool, allowing users to analyse their followers and those who engage with their tweets; identify relevant audiences for campaigns; and view aggregate information including user demographics, interests and purchasing behavior. More
Nielsen has appointed Craig Johnson to head up its Reach portfolio in Southeast Asia, North Asia and the Pacific, including television and radio audience measurement, and Consumer & Media View and advertising measurement. More
In San Francisco, web analytics platform Jumpshot has received $22m in Series A funding from Avast Software. Funds will be used to scale its operations and extend its two core offerings, the Jumpshot Plus web platform and Jumpshot Strategic Analytics. More
SSI has agreed to buy online panel MyOpinions in Australia, and its sister panel SmileCity in New Zealand, from their parent company PermissionCorp. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Ipsos Connect and Swedish firm MMS have partnered on a project to evaluate whether new TV technologies can boost TV panel sizes within existing budgets. More
In the UK, the National Readership Survey (NRS) is to add comScore's mobile and tablet estimates to the next release of its print and digital data product the NRS PADD, following changes to the way comScore measure mobile audiences. 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
In New York, targeting and media planning software company Telmar has hired former Traffic Audit Bureau President Anna Fountas as President of the Americas. 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
FEPE, the worldwide association of outdoor advertising companies, has partnered with a consortium of firms to develop what it claims will be the first standardised industry approach to measuring digital out-of-home (OOH) audiences. More
WPP has promoted Tamara Ingram to the new position of Chief Client Officer, overseeing more than 50 client teams and all the marcoms giant's global accounts. More
US-based Internet radio service provider Pandora is to acquire online music analytics and insights firm Next Big Sound (NBS) for an undisclosed sum. More
Media owners committee PBI (Polskie Badania Internetu) has commissioned GfK to provide Poland's official data for online audience measurement for four years, starting in January 2016. comScore, Gemius, Millward Brown and Nielsen had also made bids. More
UK-based firm TVbeat has rolled out its real-time television audience measurement solutions to broadcasters and agencies in Croatia. More
WPP digital agency Mirum has acquired a majority stake in German full-service digital marketing agency RSK Group. 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
In New York, digital ad technology firm Magnetic has merged with multi-channel marketing and personalization specialist MyBuys. Terms of the deal are not known. Separately, Magnetic has raised $25m in equity funding. More
Harris Interactive UK has promoted company veteran Pete Cooke to head up its new Communities division. More
US consultancy Tractica has launched a subscription-based market research and analysis resource called the Digital Health Advisory Service, offering technology and competitor trend analysis and market growth dynamics for the digital health sector. More
Ad software company Sharethrough is integrating technology from content analytics platform Nudge into its own solution, to help publishers and marketers better measure audience attention for their sponsored content programs. More
US text analytics specialist Clarabridge has acquired real-time social media listening and engagement platform Engagor for an undisclosed sum. More
KPMG Capital, the venture fund belonging to accounting and advisory giant KPMG, has invested in data mining and predictive modelling firm SDART, while also providing funding for KPMG proprietary solutions Astrus and Customer Compass. Terms of the deals were not disclosed. More
In New York, the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau (CAB) has been replaced by the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB), with a remit to spearhead research to quantify the 'selling power' of TV content. More
In Cologne, sports broadcast measurement specialist Repucom has appointed Lars Stegelmann as EVP Commercial Operations, in charge of the new business teams in the German-speaking region, Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Portugal and Turkey. 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
In Australia, real-time marketing tech firm Signal has announced a partnership with beacon technology provider iProximity, promising marketers the ability to connect customer journeys across channels, target promotions accordingly, and even alert sales staff to the arrival in-store of a hot prospect. More
Fast-growing research technology and services group FocusVision has announced half a dozen appointments boosting its sales, business development and account management staff. Among four new arrivals is former Kinesis exec Gene Filipi. More
Technology sector media and services company IDG Communications has launched a suite of 'account-based' b2b marketing and targeting solutions, ABM360. The tools use IDG's purchasing intent and buying behavior data and will be enhanced in the coming months with further predictive analytics features. 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
WPP has acquired a majority stake in London-based and data-driven sports marketing agency Two Circles Ltd, and will immediately incorporate it into ESP, a new global agency within GroupM serving rightsholders from the worlds of sports and entertainment. More
Digital agency group Razorfish Global has appointed former Gravity4 exec Samih Fadli as its first Chief Intelligence Officer, based in Seattle and leading its fast-growing Data Intelligence Practice. More
Roy Morgan has announced an exclusive partnership with location technology provider AdNear, allowing the research firm's Helix Personas segments to be targeted on over 11 million mobile devices across Australia and New Zealand. More
Television ad tracking company iSpot.tv has announced a $21.9m Series B funding round, which it says will accelerate product development and launch, as well as recruitment. More
In the US, data-driven CRM agency Merkle has announced a strategic partnership with booming audience measurement specialist Rentrak, combining the former's consumer segmentation expertise with the latter's 'massive and passive' viewing data. More
Social media marketing and advertising solutions firm Brand Networks is to acquire cross-network social ad and collaboration platform SHIFT for $50m in cash and stock; and is launching RelevanceRank, a proprietary measurement and prediction technology for social media content. More
In London, mobile app quality specialist Perfecto Mobile has launched the Mobile Test Coverage Index, a benchmarking service to help app developers and marketers test their products on the most appropriate devices and systems. More
Ipsos has announced the appointment of Tim Farmer to lead the deployment of its electronic TV and Radio audience measurement service MediaCell, within the newly formed Ipsos Connect division. More
TNS has appointed former Ipsos MORI exec Debbie Shuttlewood as Head of Mystery Customer Research in the UK, replacing Simon Taylor who moves to the role of Group Director in TNS Tech and Finance. More
New York-based digital ad management company Sizmek is to acquire mobile advertising firm StrikeAd, for $11.7m including $9.5m in cash. More
US broadcast monitoring and verification service Media Monitors has gained re-accreditation from the Media Rating Council (MRC) for its radio spot data service. The firm is also hoping to gain MRC accreditation for its TV data product. More
Nielsen has launched a measurement solution called Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA), to help marketers gauge ROI across screens (mobile, set-top boxes, OTT devices), systems (CRM and POS platforms), and channels (paid media, search, social media and e-mail). More
MMS, a group representing the leading broadcasters and ad agencies in Sweden, has commissioned GfK to produce the country's first currency covering traditional linear and time-shift TV audiences, as well as those viewing video content on smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs. 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
In the US, geo-location social media data analysis specialist Banjo has raised $100m in a Series C round of funding, some of which will be used to hire more data scientists and engineers. More
In New York, marketing technology information provider Street Fight has appointed tech and media industry analyst David Card to head up its Street Fight Insights research arm. More
Multi-screen media measurement firm Verto Analytics has launched a platform called 'Verto Content Watch', which claims to be the only service providing a holistic look across the digital ecosystem - from publishers and properties, to individual apps, sites, advertising and games. 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
US telecoms giant Verizon has signed an agreement to acquire digital content and ad platform AOL for approximately $4.4 billion, or $50 per share. The veteran Internet company is increasingly focused on the production of content, and its targeted delivery to consumers across multiple screens. More
WPP sister agencies TNS and Kantar Media have partnered with emerging markets mobile survey platform GeoPoll, to deploy a new range of research products and services across Africa. More
In the US, sports entertainment media firm ESPN has announced plans for closer integration of its marketing, data, research and sales functions; and accordingly has added consumer marketing and research responsibility to the role of sales and marketing leader Ed Erhardt. More
Netherlands-based online research and marketing analytics firm MetrixLab has appointed former GfK and TNS senior exec Kimberly Bastoni as EVP North America. 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
Virginia, US-based business information and analysis specialist Neustar has appointed former Adobe exec Carl Steffens as Vice President of Demand & Field Marketing. More
Palo Alto, CA-based online DIY research specialist SurveyMonkey has appointed Board Director Zander Lurie as temporary Executive Chairman, following the sudden death of CEO Dave Goldberg earlier this month. More
In the US, location-based ad platform SITO Mobile has rolled out a solution called Project Lynx, through which clients can first advertise a product on the big screen, and then target moviegoers' mobile devices with messages relating to that ad. More
Ipsos has appointed Millward Brown Vermeer founding partner Oscar Yuan as President of its insights-based brand and marketing advisory unit Strategy3. More
In the US, The Walt Disney Company has promoted Leslie Ferraro to the position of Director of its Consumer Products division. More
The British Polling Council, supported by the Market Research Society (MRS), is setting up an independent enquiry to look into why UK pollsters underestimated or completely missed the Conservative lead over Labour during the run-up to yesterday's general election. 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
In London, news and information services provider CNN International Commercial has hired former IDG UK exec Rob Bradley for a newly created role, Head of Digital Advertising Sales and Data. More
Research-led media group Light Reading has launched its first region-specific research service, focusing on Africa and the Middle East (AME). More
Edelman Berland, the research and analytics business within PR giant Edelman, has appointed Catriona Muspratt-Williams as Head of Singapore, and Andrew Chapman as Head of Australia. More
Research organisation The Reputation Institute has appointed Ed Coke as Director of Consulting Services and Jason Stokes as Vice President of Sales - both for the UK and Ireland. More
In the North of England, online panel firm ResearchBods has acquired Harrogate-based phone, panel, community and online qual specialist ClearStream Research. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Data driven CRM specialist Merkle has acquired London-based performance marketing agency Periscopix, which specializes in search, programmatic media and web analytics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US technology publisher TechTarget has launched a Research division, and hired former Gartner/Jupiter exec Ken Male to lead it. More
App store analytics firm App Annie has acquired Canadian mobile and smartphone data usage analytics and measurement company Mobidia, for an undisclosed sum. More
In New York, audience engagement platform Genesis Media has launched an analytics solution called Page Attention Rank (P-A-R), which scores web page content quality in real-time, while measuring consumer attention. More
In the US, technology platform provider PTC has acquired big data machine learning and predictive analytics firm ColdLight for approximately $105m. PTC says the deal will enhance its position as a leader in the Internet of Things (IoT) market. More
Digital audience measurement firm comScore has announced the acquisition of California-based digital ad analytics specialist Proximic; and has reported first quarter revenue up 14% to $87.3m, and the profit measure adjusted EBITDA 25% higher at $21.3m. More
Indian TV audience measurement body BARC has launched its measurement service, and rolled out the first set of results. More
New York-based Sprinklr, Inc is expanding its operations to South America with the acquisition of Brazilian firm Scup, provider of social media monitoring, customer care and analytics technology. More
In Silicon Valley, USA, location-based marketing company Kiana Analytics has secured more than $1 million in venture capital financing. 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
Sir Martin Sorrell, the CEO of marcoms giant WPP, received a 44% increase in 2014 pay, bringing his salary package to almost £43m. This makes Sorrell the highest-paid FTSE 100 CEO, with a pay package more than twice the size of the second highest earner*. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has developed a panel-based attribution solution which it says provides a picture of online behavior over longer periods of time than traditional cookie-based attribution. More
Joe Burgess, an Account Manager at media and marketing insights firm Ebiquity, was killed last month after being hit by a London tube train during the morning rush hour. He died in St Mary's Hospital on 13th April, three days after the accident. More
A new industry association has been set up by six membership bodies in Scotland, to help promote collaboration between those working in the market research, marcoms, media and publishing sectors, and to support the country's reputation for creativity and innovation. More
In India, Girnar Software, the parent of online auto trading platform CarDekho, has acquired shopping engine BuyingIQ.com, in a bid to bolster its data and analytics services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Sticky, which uses web-cam based eye tracking technology to measure ad effectiveness, has raised $5m in Series A funding. The latest investment will be used to expand the firm's sales and technology teams, and enhance its products for the digital and advertising marketplace. More
Online fashion retailer Zalando has opened a 'Fashion Insights Centre' in Dublin's Silicon Docks, and plans to recruit up to 200 new staff for it over the next three years, including specialists in big data, data science and engineering. 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
Miles Nadal, the CEO of marcoms holding company MDC Partners, has agreed to return $8.6m to the company, for expenses which the SEC says 'lacked appropriate substantiation'. 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
Kantar Media has launched a solution to help clients promote media inventory, using insights from its TGI consumer study. More
Vancouver-based research and brand consultancy The Sound has made four of its staff Partners in the business. More
US social media analytics firm NetBase has secured an additional $9m for its Series E round of funding, adding to the $24m it secured last month. 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
Twitter is to acquire marketing technology company TellApart, which provides retailers and eCommerce advertisers with cross-device retargeting capabilities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In London and Hong Kong, two branding veterans have set up a new company called WeAreFearless, using consumer neuroscience to help clients understand brand partnerships, experiences and storytelling. More
In the US, media services agency Horizon Media has appointed Rick Watrall as Chief Analytics Officer, leading its team of analysts, data scientists and statisticians. More
Social media influence measurement platform Mavrck has launched a tool called Fan Grader, to track the engagement of a brand's Facebook page, and identify its top 100 most engaged fans. More
comScore and Kantar Media are rolling out their first joint offering for cross-media audience measurement, to key clients. More
Creston-owned fieldwork business ICM Direct has appointed Michael Phillips as Data Services Director and Ali Yusuf as Solutions Development Executive, while promoting Mona Bläute to the role of Deputy Operations Director. Former Data Services Director Teresa Lynch has retired. More
In the US, marcoms agency Woodruff Sweitzer is buying marketing and PR firm Confluence, whose portfolio of services includes market research, digital, design and illustration, and online and off-line specialist content creation. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
UK television broadcaster Channel 4 has promoted Charlie Palmer to the role of Head of Viewer Relationship Management, to drive the consumer-facing element of its data strategy. More
London-based online survey and panel management specialist Demographix has hired Gina Lee-Young for the newly created position of Head of Insight. More
Berlin-based mobile audience data and targeting specialist adsquare has appointed Karel Ellis-Gray as Country Manager UK. More
Manchester, UK-based mobile research tech firm RealityMine is expanding its syndicated TouchPoints and passive measurement business to 20 new markets worldwide; simultaneously securing rights to the TouchPoints name and the services of the co-founders of USA TouchPoints. 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
Nielsen has announced the sale of another 20-23m of its shares with another underwritten secondary offering. Shares were trading last week above $46 - a considerable rise since the last offer, in December. More
European social media monitoring and analytics platform Talkwalker has launched a suite of social media data applications which it says make instant actionable analysis of social media data available to 'every customer facing department in an organization'. More
Global PR and comms firm Burson-Marsteller has launched StudioB - billed as 'a fully integrated, real-time, data-driven center of creativity, content production and distribution' - in the US, with worldwide expansion to follow. More
Nielsen has teamed up with Chinese eCommerce company Alibaba to launch a solution called 'New Offer Advisor', to help online retailers analyse their eCommerce performance, identify areas of market potential, and drive product innovation. More
US-based retail tracking firm Nomi Technologies has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges that it failed to provide consumers with an in-store mechanism to opt out of tracking, and to inform them when locations were using its tracking services. More
Digital audience specialist comScore has rolled out its 'Industry Trust Initiative' in Canada; and is shortly to extend its 'Trust Profiles' metrics to a total of 44 global markets. 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
Retail and healthcare data giant IRI has partnered with digital research specialist comScore and audience analysis firm Rentrak to launch a solution linking cross-media advertising to actual shopping behavior. More
Marcoms network Publicis Worldwide has acquired London-based shopper marketing agency Vivid Brand. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based location analytics specialist PlaceIQ has appointed former Microsoft exec Mandeep Mason to spearhead its expansion into the EMEA region. More
UK agency eDigitalResearch has added the facility to embed surveys directly into its clients' apps and trigger feedback prompts via beacon technology. More
Nielsen has reported a 2.1% drop in first quarter 2015 revenue to $1.46 billion, caused by the impact of foreign exchange - at constant currency, revenue was up 4.4%. Profits rose 8.6% to $63m from $58m in Q1 2014. More
In London, marcoms group Creston has acquired user experience, digital design and technology consultancy How Splendid Ltd (Splendid) for an undisclosed sum. 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
In the US, TV and video ad analytics specialist Ace Metrix has introduced a feature called the 'Ad Personality Profile', designed to uncover which creative characteristics of an advert are most influential. More
In the US, social media analyst Crimson Hexagon has added a feature called 'Audience Affinities' to its ForSight platform. This allows marketers to draw on the firm's library of more than 600 billion Twitter posts and determine how likely a brand's audience is to be interested in a specific topic. More
In the US, pricing intelligence specialist Market Track has acquired eCommerce price monitoring specialist NewMo. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
UKOM, the cross-industry organisation set up to oversee the measurement of online audiences, has renewed comScore's contract to act as its exclusive partner for online media audience measurement in the UK. More
In the US, marcoms group Interpublic has made an undisclosed minority investment in television data firm Samba TV, whose technology will be integrated into IPG Mediabrands' proprietary Audience Measurement Platform (AMP). More
In the US, location-centric ad platform Verve Mobile has appointed former Axciom exec Nada Stirratt as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Tom MacIsaac who has left after five years with the business. More
In the US, eCommerce media solutions firm HookLogic has appointed Patricio Jaramillo as Vice President of Analytics and Insights, overseeing client-facing business intelligence, reporting and program optimization. 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
Ipsos has announced a suite of research offerings based on geolocation technology and exploiting the Google Consumer Surveys platform. More
Big data-driven content marketing and live publishing platform ScribbleLive has acquired influence marketing specialist Appinions, for an undisclosed sum. 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
The European Commission has awarded EUR 3.6m to Imperial College London and emotion measurement specialist Realeyes, to develop their technology. More
Joe Fernandez, founder and former CEO of influencer specialist Klout has stepped down from his leadership role, a year after the company was acquired by Lithium Technologies, to pursue other ventures. He takes an advisory role on the company's board of directors. More
Music streaming service Spotify has launched a targeting service that will deliver ads based on consumers' apparent moods, and their demographics. More
WPP's Data Alliance has expanded its reach to Sub-Saharan Africa, with the opening of an office in Cape Town led by former VP of Strategy and Operations Devon Tighe. More
Israeli online ad company Matomy Media Group has bought a 70% stake in Toronto-based ad targeting specialist Maven Marketing, which operates under the name Avenlo. More
In the UK, consumer insight and brand consultancy Nutshell has launched a mobile app which can host traditional surveys, supplemented by uploads of photos or video clips. 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, digital analytics specialist Webtrends has promoted Xavier Le Héricy to the newly created role of Chief Security Officer and Vice President of Security and Privacy, charged with developing a consistent approach to client data protection. More
Dubai-based online healthcare specialist 42 market research has launched a new research panel in Bulgaria. More
In the US, WPP-owned digital agency network Wunderman has hired former Merkle exec Yannis Kotziagkiaouridis as Global Chief Analytics Officer. More
US web analytics and tag management firm Tealium has launched a suite of services which aim to break down the barriers between marketing data and the other data available across organisations. More
In the US, social media analytics specialist NUVI has added fourteen new languages to its sentiment analysis feature, including Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Arabic, and Russian. The tool was previously only available in English. More
Nielsen Book has announced a partnership with Chinese retail tracking service Openbook. The deal promises clients in the English language book markets in the US and UK a better understanding of the market in China, and vice versa. More
WPP has acquired New York-based mobile ad serving and measurement platform Medialets, for an undisclosed sum. More
Microsoft has acquired mobile business intelligence (BI), data analytics and data visualization specialist Datazen Software. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Research and technology provider Instantly has appointed Carla Bourque as General Manager of its Automated Sample solution, which provides real-time access to millions of profiled respondents. More
Marcoms giant WPP has launched a consultancy called Gain Theory, which brings together analytics, technology solutions, and consumer research and insight capabilities from around the group. More
Twitter is planning to cut off access to its data 'firehose' - the stream of tweets and related information it currently provides to third party vendors. More
Outdoor advertising company Primesight has partnered with mobile research and sample specialist On Device Research to launch a solution called Primemobile Live, described as the first real-time reporting platform for outdoor ad campaigns. More
In New York, former [x+1] CEO John Nardone has joined ad serving, measurement and technology company Flashtalking as Chief Executive Officer. More
New York-based B2B data analytics specialist Madison Logic Data has been re-named Bombora, less than six months after being launched by parent company Madison Logic. More
US-based MR sector technology provider YouEye has launched a suite of qualitative data tools called the Experience Analytics Platform, through which users can extract value from unstructured or semi-structured data such as focus group and other MR videos. More
In New York, Nielsen has appointed former Salesforce exec Harish Peri as Senior Vice President of Product Marketing, across its Ratings and Planning products. More
Paris-based social media monitoring and competitive intelligence firm Digimind has launched a measurement tool which can be used to analyze numerous social media accounts in a single interface. More
In the US, natural language processing specialist Attensity has appointed Cary Fulbright as Chief Strategy Officer, with a remit to further bolster its business intelligence and enterprise analytics services. More
A new company called PAMCO has been set up to replace the National Readership Survey (NRS) as the organisation which oversees the audience figures for British newspapers and magazines. Known as PAMCO, the new firm will provide more up-to-date cross-platform data. More
Less than a week after raising $46m in investment funding, social media management specialist Sprinklr has acquired San Francisco-based online customer community platform Get Satisfaction. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, mobile influencer marketing platform InstaBrand has closed a $2.5m Series A round of funding, which it will use to further develop its analytics and distribution system. More
US-based retail tracking provider NPD Group has launched a home automation advisory service, comprising consumer panel-based reporting, qualitative reports, US POS data, and analysis from its team of industry experts. More
US publisher Vox Media has acquired data science firm OpBandit, in a bid to help online publishers and marketers track how readers view, share and interact with content. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
A new class action suit brought against Facebook claims that the company has violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, by collecting its members' biometric face recognition data without their prior written consent. More
In the UK, media ratings provider Digital-i has appointed former BBC and Channel 4 researcher Claire Grimmond as Managing Director, replacing founder Ali Vahdati who has taken on the role of Chairman. More
In the US, cross-media analytics firm MarketShare has acquired retail analytics technology and customer targeting specialist DataSong. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has changed the name of its digital measurement tool Online Campaign Ratings to 'Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings', which it says better describes its total digital view, inclusive of mobile. The tool's user interface has also been upgraded. More
German-based TV ad tracking specialist wywy has launched an app to help advertisers measure the effect of TV advertising on web site performance. 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, WPP-owned digital data collection specialist Lightspeed GMI has hired former Research Now ops exec Emma Beech for the newly created role of Vice President, Operations EMEA, overseeing its operations teams in Europe. More
In the US, digital analytics consultancy Analytics Pros has appointed former Pitney Bowes exec Vicki O'Meara as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding co-owner and Board member Charlotte Whitmore. More
Online community and survey technology provider Toluna has appointed Ludovic Milet as Managing Director, APAC, based in Hong Kong and leading the business across the region. More
Andy Ellis, President of sampling automation provider Federated Sample, has transferred to lead the firm's sample management and exchange business Fulcrum, where he will oversee product, sales and operations. More
In the US, social media management specialist Sprinklr has raised $46m to support its expansion into new product markets and geographies. The firm has also launched its 'Experience Cloud' enterprise social media solution. More
IBM is to invest $3 billion over the next four years to establish an Internet of Things (IoT) unit, which will capitalize on the company's expertise in gathering, combining and making sense of real-time data gathered from a variety of sources. 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
In India, broadcast audience measurement body BARC has appointed Dr Sumit Chowdhury as Technical Advisor, as it prepares for the launch its new audience measurement system next month. More
WPP-owned media agency MEC South Africa has appointed former Effective Measure MD Alan Morrissey as Head of Analytics & Insights. More
Influencer engagement software developer Augure has raised $16m to finance expansion plans for its word-of-mouth (WoM) product, and to fund the opening of an office in New York. More
London-based mobile ad tracking and app analytics start-up InstallTracker has raised $1m in seed funding, with which to launch its product, expand its team of developers, and open a 24/7 support division. More
UK-based agency SPA Future Thinking has dropped the first part of its name, as it prepares for 'aggressive' expansion. More
A lawyer for the European Commission has told European citizens to close their Facebook accounts if they want to protect their private information from being accessed by the US intelligence services. More
WPP's audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis is to acquire Action Exchange, Inc. (ActionX), a US-based multi-screen targeting business, with terms not disclosed. More
In the UK, Millward Brown has formally announced the appointment of Jane Bloomfield, previously Head of Innovations at Hall & Partners, as Brand Development Director. More
Targeted video ad specialist Innovid has raised $10m in funding, in a round led by Cisco Investments, and says it will be used to enhance its product offering for brands and media agencies, and to continue growing its interactive and personalized video services. More
In the UK, full service cultural insights and innovation specialist CrowdDNA has appointed two new members of staff, while promoting Sarah Brierley to the position of Business and Strategy Director, and Aurelie Jamard to Associate Director of Innovation. More
In the US, automated social media marketing platform Cortex has launched out of stealth with a $500k early-stage investment fund. More
Today we're launching a new recruitment site, 1potato, dedicated to opportunities for data and analytics professionals. Many readers and users of MrWeb / DRNO have been asking for something like it for years, and with the big data / data science boom, the time should be ripe. More
In the US, WPP-owned online specialist Lightspeed GMI has launched Quick Turn Insights, a solution it claims can provide 'authentic feedback' in 24 hours. More
Industry organisations ESOMAR and the Global Research Business Network (GRBN) have published new online research guidelines, which focus on ensuring the integrity of sample quality. More
In the US, ecommerce technology provider Sellpoints has acquired audience modeling and targeting specialist ReTargeter for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, ad targeting technology specialist Nanigans has raised $24m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to expand its social media and mobile publisher channels and accelerate international growth. More
IT services provider Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has launched a smartphone app called ElectUK, which allows users to track, analyse and visualise Twitter conversations about the forthcoming general election. 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
In the US, digital agency network Wunderman has given Gary Laben the role of Global Chief Data Officer, responsible for expanding its data assets, data management and analytics practices. More
A group of advertising executives based in Los Angeles has launched a cloud-based app called The Ad Auditor, to help businesses track the ROI of their campaigns in real-time. More
Social media management and measurement platform Falcon Social has raised $16m in a Series B round of new funding, which will be used to support its plans for product development, innovation and expansion. 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
Millward Brown has rolled out a rapid response copy-testing solution for digital advertising requirements, available through MR app store ZappiStore. More
Online news and content provider AOL has expanded its relationship with TV data collection and analytics specialist Fourthwall Media, to provide viewer information from around two million US households and 90 designated market areas. More
Tokyo-based online specialist Macromill has opened a new office in Singapore, where it has appointed former Millward Brown exec Rob Valsler as Managing Director in charge of the Southeast Asian team. More
UK-based online research firm YouGov has announced interim results for the six months ended 31st January, with revenue up 11% year-on-year to £36.2m - up 10% in organic terms - and adjusted profit before tax up from £3.0m to £3.5m. More
In the US, standards body the Media Rating Council says Rentrak's national and local TV ratings products are as yet 'not sufficiently compliant with its standards', following more than a year of auditing. The two parties made positive statements and will continue to work towards accreditation. More
Media giant Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) is expanding its PACE Panel platform, which combines media usage diary data, passive mobile usage data and custom research panel capabilities. More
Software company Cision has acquired San Mateo, CA-based social media analytics specialist and content marketing platform Viralheat, for an undisclosed sum. More
Location-based marketing specialist xAd has announced four senior hires: former Twitter exec Paul Gelb; former Facebook Director Lissette Fernandez; Reagan Nunnally, previously of Google; and James Davies, currently Chief Strategy Officer at outdoor ad firm Posterscope. More
San Francisco-based GinzaMetrics has launched a broad-ranging suite of social media intelligence tools, allowing marketers to analyse online conversations, and assess social media channels and their impact. More
Laurence (Larry) Gold, the former publisher of market research industry journal Inside Research, has died at the age of 80 after a battle with cancer. More
UK paper The Financial Times has hired Havas content chief Renée Kaplan for the newly created role of Head of Audience Engagement. She will take up the post in May. 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
Research organisation The Reputation Institute has appointed Valient Market Research founder Scott Upham as Vice President of US Measurement Consulting, while Stephen Hahn-Griffiths joins as Vice President of US Strategy Consulting. Upham also retains his role at Valient. More
Digital audience measurement specialist comScore has announced the roll-out of its Mobile Metrix solution in Colombia, giving figures for smartphone and tablet audiences in the country via both apps and browsers. More
Japanese-based online specialist Macromill has appointed IBM veteran Kuniko Ogawa as Chief Technology Officer and former General Electric exec Teruaki Kido as Chief Financial Officer. More
Private equity firm Court Square Capital Partners has completed its acquisition of Research Now. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. More
In New York, radio broadcaster Cumulus Media has hired Arbitron veteran Pierre Bouvard for the newly created role of Chief Marketing Officer, in charge of insights, data-driven targeting, and measurement solutions for advertisers. More
Online community specialist Communispace has appointed Jonathan Stinnett, former Research & Insights Director at banking group Citi, as Vice President and Managing Director of its New York City office. More
Online MR software company Confirmit has introduced a new SaaS environment for its Horizons product in Australia and New Zealand. More
US-based digital video ad services firm BrightRoll has made Yahoo Audience Ads available on its platform, giving clients exclusive Yahoo audience data through which to target consumers through video. More
New York-based ad targeting tech specialist AppNexus, in which WPP is an investor, is to acquire rival firm Yieldex, in a cash and stock deal said to be worth about $100m. More
China-based brand consultancy Labbrand is expanding into Europe with the launch of an office in Paris. More
New York-based social media analyst Dataminr has raised $130m in growth capital in a Series D financing round led by Fidelity Management and Research Company. More
Research technology and services group FocusVision has acquired Melbourne, Australia-based Insight Marketing Systems, creator of the Research Reporter SaaS platform. The buy is FocusVision's third in the last 12 months, as it seeks to round out its family of research offerings. 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
Nielsen has announced a deal with marketing technology firm Concentric which will provide its clients with a new system for brand and media planning. More
Media intelligence provider Meltwater has launched a new solution monitoring and distilling online information for decision-makers in corporate communications and other functions. The service tracks editorial, blogs and social media postings. More
US-based video ad tech company Tremor Video has won accreditation from the Media Rating Council (MRC) for a number of metrics including its video viewable impression measure. More
Sampling, data collection and analytics firm SSI has agreed to purchase the majority of the assets of MRops, which supplier end-to-end research operations services to research agencies and consultancies. More
Reports say WPP has now made a bid for a majority stake in retail data powerhouse dunnhumby, with current owner Tesco apparently keen to retain a minority share. Separately, the media giant's CEO Sir Martin Sorrell is said to be 'in line for a £36m bonus'. 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
In the US, healthcare data specialist Lightspeed All Global has appointed John Daly and Jacki Spear as directors in its Business Development team. More
Social media analytics firm NetBase has completed a $24m round of Series E financing, which it will use to continue its innovation program and global expansion, and to develop key alliances. More
In the US, company incubator and accelerator The Hive has closed a $22m round of funding, which it will use to launch up to ten new companies focused on innovations in data science. More
In the US, online retail giant Amazon has acquired 'Internet of Things' (IoT) platform and tech firm 2lemetry, which helps companies make sense of captured data through predictive computation models and a configurable rules engine. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Bangalore-based news aggregator app NewsHunt has acquired mobile big data platform Vauntz. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
App store analytics firm App Annie is to open an office in Singapore, which will act as the centre of its operations across India and South East Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand. More
In the US, mobile research and retail data collection specialist Field Agent has raised $2m in a funding round, which it will use for expansion and new product development. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has hired David Shiffman as Senior Vice President of Marketing Solutions in the US, while Duncan Trigg takes up the position of Vice President of Advertising Effectiveness in London. More
Singapore-based mobile advertising network BuzzCity has developed a new feature called Attribute Clusters, which uses proprietary data from audience sampling to enable advertisers to target large demographic clusters. More
New York-based advertising intelligence specialist Integral Ad Science has partnered with online video analytics specialist Innovid to offer advanced video viewability measures. More
Marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired Greek digital agency Mindworks, which will now operate under the name Isobar-iProspect Advertising Services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Investment continues to flow into analytics companies: VoC predictive analytics firm First Insight, location-based social media specialist Geofeedia, people analytics company Culture Amp and prospect scoring firm Growth Intelligence have all announced funding wins so far in March. More
GfK has bought a stake in US-based MR sector technology provider YouEye Inc, strengthening its expertise in digital research. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In the US, four Democrat senators have re-introduced a bill that if passed, will provide consumers with the right to stop data brokers from using, sharing or selling their personal information for marketing purposes. More
Mobile app performance measurement specialist appFigures is now providing app store analytics data alongside other mobile marketing data within the Adobe Analytics platform. More
US software giant Salesforce has launched a new tool which analyzes customer engagement and proactively delivers new recommended content, products or offers to consumers. 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
Staff at WPP agency Mediacom in Australia deliberately faked campaign reports for three major clients for at least two years, according to conclusions from an audit started in the autumn by consultants EY, and published today. More
Mobile and online survey technology company OnePoint Global has enhanced its platform with new features for users of SPSS Dimensions, making it easier for them to script and deploy off-line and online surveys via any mobile channel. More
Texas-based ad agency Sanders\Wingo has launched 'The Knowledge Group', a new division combining strategic planning with media and insights. With 23 staff in four US cities, the unit will be led by SVP Dee Anne Heath. 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
Twitter has expanded its partnership with enterprise data and analytics company Acxiom, to offer its advertisers improved targeting capabilities. More
Berlin-based zeotap, a technology company that helps mobile network operators make use of their data assets, has launched a US office and hired former Sprint exec Serge Bushman to lead it. More
Face CEO and founding partner Andrew Needham is stepping back from the day-to-day running of the business to become Chairman, ahead of a planned exit later in the year. He is replaced by COO and co-founder Job Muscroft. More
New York-based advertising intelligence specialist Integral Ad Science has acquired online video analysis service Veenome. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
London-based online community specialist Verve has added Apple's iBeacon technology to its Community Panel app, allowing it to track individual members as they travel into and around stores fitted with the iBeacon device. More
Digital data collection provider Research Now has appointed five new staff for its Client Development team, in three different US locations. They include four twenty-year-plus Nielsen veterans. More
In the US, content marketing platform NewsCred has introduced a proprietary analytics solution called Audience Insights, which will offer a 360-degree view of the consumer 'content journeys' driving brand loyalty, conversions and sales. More
In the UK, the Market Research Society (MRS) has elected Crispin Beale, CEO of Chime Insight and Engagement, and Danny Russell, UK General Manager of Business Intelligence at Telefonica, as its new joint Chairmen, replacing Richard Silman who took on the role last April. More
Nielsen has acquired New York-based audience targeting specialist eXelate, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the UK, OnePoll, which specialises in conducting online polls for PR purposes, has acquired panel provider 2Brewarded. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Targeting technology company RTB House has opened an office in Moscow, where it has appointed former Gemius exec Anton Melekhov as Country Manager. 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
Recently rebranded research technology company Instantly has teamed up with mobile location-based platform Vistar Media, to measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns across out-of-home (OoH) media. More
US-based web site tag management specialist Ensighten has appointed Pelin Thorogood as Chief Strategy Officer, following its acquisition of digital analytics firm Anametrix, where she was CEO. More
Japanese-based online specialist Macromill has announced the opening of an office in Mexico, led by Ricardo Cuéllar who joins as Managing Director for the region. More
US digital marketing agency and online buzz measurement specialist iCrossing has appointed ad agency veteran Nick Brien as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Brian Powley who is leaving to pursue 'other business interests'. More
Surrey-based Media Marketing Research International (MMR) has partnered with technology firm Klood to launch an online listening and analysis solution called Brand Data Intelligence (BDI), for use across the healthcare sector. More
New York-based B2B purchase intent data provider Madison Logic has acquired ad platform BBN Solutions for an undisclosed sum, and says it will combine BBN's display reach with its own data-driven targeting services. More
US industry body the MRA says it 'broadly shares' the goals behind President Obama's new Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, but that in its current form the proposed legislation is 'too vague to endorse' and the Bill is 'likely going nowhere fast.' 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
European-based Bilendi, which combines MR and online loyalty services, has agreed to acquire the Springboard UK access panel from Vision Critical, strengthening its online panels offering in the UK. More
In the UK, research firm Simpson Carpenter is forming a new department dedicated to comms research, and has appointed former Flamingo Group Insight Director Kirsty Higgins to lead it as Head of Communications Research. More
Former SSI and Greenfield Online exec Ryan Hopper has joined research technology and panels specialist OMR Globus as Managing Director, Healthcare. More
Nielsen has announced a further sale of shares - around $360m worth of its common stock - in a secondary offering. More
Mobile campaign optimization firm Kochava has acquired predictive analytics specialist InferSystems, and announced the launch of the 'Kochava Optimization Beacon', an off-the-shelf predictive machine learning tool automating and optimising mobile ad campaigns. More
New York-based multi-screen analytics specialist Collective has been granted a patent for technology which targets online ads to consumers based on their TV viewing habits. The software anonymously links linear television data to digital across multiple screens. More
Nielsen is planning to move its legal domicile from the Netherlands to the UK in the third quarter of the year, in a bid to attract a broader group of investors from around the world. This change is not expected to significantly alter the firm's worldwide corporate tax rate. More
Global agency TNS has launched a mini crowdsourcing tool called ThinkTank, through which clients will be able to interact and debate with a carefully selected group of consumers on issues affecting their business. More
Japanese research and online panel provider GMO Research (GMOR) has teamed up with emerging markets specialist Borderless Access to add the latter's panellists to the former's Asia Cloud Panel, which now reaches more than fourteen million consumers across the APAC region. More
In the US, social media management specialist Sprinklr has acquired community platforms specialist Pluck from parent company Demand Media. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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
In the UK, media agency OMD has set up a real-time insights and ideas team it is calling The Newsroom. To do so, it is partnering with Buzzfeed, The Guardian, Global Radio, Outbrain, Google and Facebook. More
UK-based media and marketing insights firm Ebiquity has acquired Spanish media auditing firm Media Value (MV) from shareholders, including its co-founder Mauricio Barange, for a total consideration of up to EUR 6m. More
In Chicago, digital data collection provider Research Now has appointed Nielsen veteran Doug Pierce as Senior Vice President of Client Development. More
US company Reverb, which develops software for personalization, recommendation and content analysis, has introduced an analytics tool called Reverb Insights, giving publishers an understanding of what people read online and why they read it. More
European social media monitoring and analytics platform Talkwalker has opened an office in New York, and hired former Kantar Media exec Todd Grossman as CEO Americas. More
Digital specialist comScore has rolled out its mobile audience solution Mobile Metrix in the UK, providing measurement of total mobile audience behaviour across smartphones and tablets. More
US-based full service ad agency Deutsch LA has appointed analytics specialist Duncan Houldsworth as Executive Director of Data Strategy, in charge of the firm's Analytics team. More
Real-time ad analytics platform Metamarkets has raised $15m in a funding round, adding to $28.5m already raised since the firm launched in 2010. More
In Japan, consumer insights specialist Macromill has reported a 44% increase in 2014 revenue to 25 billion Yen (EUR 178m), reflecting its recent merger with Netherlands-based online research and analytics firm MetrixLab. Sales for the period were 31 billion yen (EUR 214m). More
The Israeli Audience Research Board (IARB) has extended Kantar Media's contract for television measurement until 2019. More
Tokyo-based Research Panel Asia (RPA) has promoted Masahiro Takanohashi to the role of Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Toshiki Sano who will continue to work for parent company Voyage Group (VG) as Head of Overseas Business. More
San Francisco-based predictive intelligence firm 6Sense has raised $20m in a Series B round of funding, adding to the $12m investment the company received when it launched out of stealth mode last May. More
London-based qual and quant agency Critical Research has acquired insight and data collection firm RSM research, for an undisclosed sum. More
Booming audience measurement firm Rentrak has appointed political industry veteran Carol Davidsen, previously Director of Integration and Media Targeting for the Obama for America 2012 campaign, in the role of Vice President of Political Technology. More
South African firm Springleap has announced the launch of a Creative Insights division, making use of crowdsourced insights to help brands understand local markets. More
Marketing data giants Adobe and Salesforce have joined investors in social media marketing firm Livefyre, as part of a $47m injection of funding. Livefyre says it will use the money to continue developing its technology and for expansion, including internationally. More
In Australia, Gai Le Roy has stepped down from her role as Director of Research at the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). More
US company Chute has launched a new solution allowing companies to tap into a real-time stream of consumer photos and videos shared on Twitter and Instagram, to uncover insights about their customers, brand and competitors. More
San Francisco-based mobile marketing and analytics firm Upsight has enhanced its 'Upsight Marketing' platform, allowing mobile marketers to create and execute data-driven campaigns. More
Reputation management specialist BirdEye has launched its Competitor Analytics tool, to enable marketers to benchmark their company against their competitors using consumer sentiment, reviews and ratings, and other operational metrics. More
In the US, Millward Brown has launched a new business which brings together marketing science, strategic research and analytic consulting experts from its Marketing Science and MaPS (Marketing and Planning Systems) teams. More
US-based video analytics firm Visible Measures has launched a '100% viewable video' solution, which it claims will guarantee the MRC and IAB viewability standard of 50% of pixels in-view for at least two continuous seconds. More
Israeli digital ad tech firm Marimedia has opened an office in New York, through its Taptica subsidiary, and hired Melissa Dickman to manage the office and lead sales initiatives on the East Coast. 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
US-based Precision Sample has appointed Susan Hwang Nanzer as Chief Revenue Officer and a member of its executive committee, overseeing global sales for the 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
YouGov has confirmed former Chief Strategy Officer Alex McIntosh as its new UK CEO, replacing Tim Britton. More
Telecoms giant Verizon and ad targeting company Turn are the subject of a potential class action privacy lawsuit over their use of ad tracking tools including 'zombie' cookies. 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
In the US, predictive customer analytics specialist Loyalty Builders Inc, has appointed Peter Moloney as its new CEO, effective 2nd February. He replace founder Mark Klein, who remains as Chairman and Chief Technical Officer. More
In a deal with some similarities to the recent US tie-in with Rentrak, WPP is to take a 15% to 20% stake in comScore through its Kantar data and insight arm, while comScore acquires a number of Kantar assets in Europe. More
Nielsen has reported Q4 revenue up 1.4% to $1.6 billion. Excluding the impact of the Arbitron and Harris Interactive acquisitions, the increase was just 0.1%. However the firm notes that this was its 34th consecutive quarter of revenue growth. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has reported a 19% increase in its four quarter 2014 revenue to $89.1m on a pro forma basis, while full year revenue increased 18% to $325.2m. More
Technology specialist Forrester Research has reported a 5% increase in Research revenues to $53.8m in the fourth quarter of 2014. The group's Advisory Services and Events revenues rose 3% to $26.9m. More
Netherlands-based software provider CMNTY has launched a solution allowing researchers and marketers to build their own customised online communities for research or engagement projects. More
European fieldwork group Norstat has appointed Marc Leimann as Managing Director in Germany, replacing Christoph Irmer who moves into the group position of Chief Marketing Officer. More
European ad visibility measurement firm Meetrics has completed a round of funding, for use in international expansion and to strengthen the technical and operational teams at its Berlin headquarters. More
Digital data collection provider Research Now has made a number of changes in its executive leadership team, including the promotions of John Rothwell, Kathy Rowley and Melanie Courtright to C-suite and EVP roles. More
Former Nielsen employee Thomas Sook is suing the company for sending him 'at least 2,500' text messages since he left the company four years ago. More
European-based MR and online loyalty specialist Bilendi is to acquire Nordic agency M3 Research for an undisclosed sum. In a statement, Bilendi said the transaction should double revenues from its 'Services for Market Research' division in 2016. More
Mehmet Xhambazi and Abdi Saïd, co-founders of Response Fusion and former directors of OnePoll, have set up a new London-based company called Red Dot Research, which specialises in multimode online MR and panel provision, as well as PR research services. More
The Audited Media Association of Australia (AMAA) has appointed media industry exec Josanne Ryan as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Paul Dovas who has left after sixteen years' service. 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
Private equity firm Symphony Technology Group (STG) is selling its mobile industry software and analytics services firm Symphony Teleca to holding group Harman International Incorporated, for an initial $780m. More
Australian business intelligence specialist Metrix Consulting has expanded to the East Coast, with the opening of an office in Melbourne. The office will be led by former GfK exec Asher Hunter, supported by Laura Millington. More
US online sample and research operations company Market Cube has set up an office in London, where it has appointed former Lightspeed Research exec Roy Patel as European Regional Head. More
In New York, ad forecasting and analytics specialist Yieldex has launched a new solution allowing publishers to predict viewable impressions based on historical data. More
In New York, media research veteran Paul Gold has joined ad planning and targeting software company Telmar as Vice President, Strategic Data Operations, with a remit to increase the capacity and speed of the firm's existing data solutions. More
Film and television measurement specialist Rentrak has reported a 38% increase in revenue to $26.9m for the third quarter of fiscal year 2015 (ending December 31st, 2014), up from $19.5m in the same period of the previous year. TV Everywhere once again led the way with a 76% rise. More
In the UK Simon Marquis, Chairman of the National Readership Survey (NRS), is stepping down from the role at the end of the year, to 'make way for new blood' and a new system of governance across the sector. More
In Brisbane, Australia, Ipsos has appointed Kathy Benson as Strategy & Research Director, and Kylie Brosnan as Director of Ipsos Public Affairs, while Anna Eden moves from the Perth office to take up the role of Senior Client Services Director. 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
Film and television measurement specialist Rentrak has raised $7m by selling its Pay Per Transaction (PPT) video rental arm to Vobile, a provider of video content identification, analytics and management services. More
Tech research firm Gartner has reported a 12% rise in fourth quarter 2014 revenue to $584.0m, compared with Q4 2013. Revenue in its core Research division also increased 12%, to $373.4m. More
In the US, advertising research specialist Ameritest has opened a Brand Consulting division, to help clients define what their brands stand for. More
Israeli digital ad tech firm Marimedia has launched a tool analysing mobile user behaviour and demographics for the purpose of mobile ad campaign targeting. More
Manthan Systems, which provides business intelligence (BI) and analytics solutions for the retail and consumer goods industries, has raised an undisclosed amount of Series D funding, some of which it says will help to 'consumerize' its analytics portfolio. More
In Singapore, Nielsen is investing an initial sum of $SG 14m over the next five years in the launch of an 'Asia Innovation Centre', to encourage the development of new research and measurement techniques for organisations operating across the continent. More
Brand, media and comms researcher Millward Brown has promoted Chirantan Ray to the role of Managing Director in its Shanghai office; and appointed Robert Fuchs as Head of Media and Digital for Greater China and North Asia - also based in Shanghai. More
In the US, social media analytics specialist tracx has secured an $18m Series C round of financing, which it will use to drive product innovation, hire new staff, and fund the launch of additional global offices. More
New York-based brand and cultural insights agency TruthCo has appointed Alix Korn as Associate Cultural Analyst, while Karen Ramspacher, Maribeth Phillips and Christina Papi join in client services roles. More
Ad targeting and retargeting specialist Vizury has launched a retargeting app for the mobile gaming space. More
Research technology firm and panel marketplace operator Cint has launched a sample supply management solution called Access Pro, to provide researchers and panel owners with 'total control' of the delivery process. More
In the US, full service agency Morpace has appointed Opinion Research Corporation veteran Gerard Miodus as a Vice President. More
A new guide which takes a fresh look at measuring social media impact has been launched by industry bodies the MRS (Market Research Society), IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising), and The Marketing Society, working with Facebook and Twitter. More
Omnicom's DAS Group of Companies has acquired Berlin-based digital consulting and transformation agency TLGG. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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 is preparing to move into free-to-air (FTA) audience measurement in Brazil, according to reports, and has appointed Adhemar Garcia Neto as Director of Operations and Caroline Campos as Head of its Audience Measurement and Insights Department. More
French company Médiamétrie has become the latest ratings supplier to release a Twitter TV Ratings tool, in partnership with the microblogging leader. More
In the US, location analytics firm Birdzi has partnered with ProLogic Retail Services to allow retailers to deliver personalized offers to shoppers at the checkout. 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
Marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired a majority stake in India's social and digital media agency WATConsult. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
London-based newspaper marketing body Newsworks has embarked on the second phase of a formal process to find suitable partners for a new audience measurement system. More
In the US, influencer marketing specialist TapInfluence has partnered with multi-cultural online network Blogalicious, to add Latino, African-American, and Asian-American content creators to its own platform. 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
Colin Strong, UK Head of Industry, GfK, is leaving at the end of March after nineteen years with the business, to join online communities specialist Verve in the newly created position of Managing Director of Verve Ventures. Meanwhile GfK has announced three senior appointments of its own. More
US-based real-time targeting firm Rocket Fuel has expanded to Latin America with the opening of a new office in São Paulo, Brazil. More
The Havas Creative Group is merging its data agencies Havas EHS and Havas Discovery into a new brand called Helia, which will have combined data-related revenue of more than $70m, and 700 staff including more than 200 data scientists. More
Nielsen has partnered with customer experience management (CEM) software provider ResponseTek to create a solution called the Nielsen Listening Platform, which measures and analyses customer feedback as it happens. More
London-based online communities specialist Verve has hired former Research Now exec Pete Flower for the newly created role of Community Development Director, focused on delivering community panel innovation. The company has also recruited five other new members of staff. More
Surrey, UK-based MR community and panel management tech company MARSC has promoted Allan Shaw to the position of Director of Sales & Marketing, while appointing industry veteran Pat Molloy as a non-executive member of its Board. More
dunnhumby Ventures has participated in a $1.2m seed investment in Dublin-based mobile marketing specialist Pulsate, which uses iBeacon technology to send customers messages and promotions relevant to their current location. 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
Private equity firm Court Square Capital Partners is to acquire an undisclosed number of shares in digital data collection specialist Research Now from a group of the latter's shareholders. Financial terms of the transaction have not been released. 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
Stockholm, Sweden-based performance marketing company Tradedoubler has acquired Adnologies, a provider of ad retargeting technology based in Hamburg, Germany. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
European social media influencer network adMingle has expanded to Asia, with the roll-out of its service in Singapore. More
Trends-based ad targeting firm Taykey has launched a new marketing platform which it says allows clients 'to apply trends-based insights throughout their businesses'; and has announced $15m in new funding. 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
The year 2015 is starting with marketers in buoyant mood, according to the Global Marketing Index (GMI) compiled by WARC sister company World Economics. Individual ratings for trading conditions, marketing budgets and staffing levels all showed positive movement. More
Analytic Partners has teamed up with social media consultancy Converseon and word of mouth (WoM) research firm Keller Fay Group to launch a new solution called Integrated Social Exploration Modeling (ISEM), combining on- and off-line data and marketing mix modeling to assess the value of WoM. More
Image-based social media site Pinterest has acquired Kosei, a US-based targeting and recommendation tech company, for an undisclosed sum, as it looks to further develop its own advertising proposition. More
UK-based Voice of the Customer specialist eDigitalResearch has strengthened its technical and insight teams with five new hires - including Liz Boffey as a Research Director - and four promotions. More
Multi-screen digital media measurement firm Verto Analytics has announced a new service tracking ownership and usage of digital devices, Verto Device Watch. More
Nielsen has announced the acquisition of Brandbank, which collects, manages and distributes FMCG product and brand image content, via digital means, for retail syndication across in-store, print promotional and e-commerce platforms. More
Millward Brown has launched a rapid copy-testing solution for TV, LinkNow, promising results in as few as six hours. Based on the firm's well known Link solution, the new product is available through MR app store ZappiStore. More
Kantar Media has extended its contract providing TV audience measurement in Romania, until the end of 2019. The win follows a competitive tender process by ARMA, the country's television joint industry committee, and comes three years to the month after the current contract began. More
comScore has launched a new service promising media buyers the ability to use the firm's key advertising metrics directly in programmatic trading platforms. More
Apple has reportedly acquired UK-based music analytics start-up Semetric, provider of the Musicmetric tool which allows music industry clients to track sales, downloads and social media metrics for their artists. More
India-based MR technology and operations company Annik is moving into a new and larger space in Bellevue, WA, USA, allowing for growth and providing optimised service for US clients. More
Nielsen and Japanese researcher INTAGE are forming a joint venture company called Nielsen-INTAGE DigtalMetrics, to develop cross-platform ad effectiveness solutions. The new firm will be officially launched on 1st April. More
Mobile app measurement, attribution and campaign analytics platform AppsFlyer has raised $20m in Series B funding, which it will use to further develop its platform and open new offices. More
Personalized shopping recommendation specialist RichRelevance has promoted Eduardo Sanchez to Chief Executive Officer, replacing founder David Selinger who will continue to serve on the Board of Directors. Meanwhile Bill Pearce has been elected Executive Chairman of the Board. More
YouGov UK CEO Tim Britton has left the company after seven years, to pursue 'the next stage of his career'. He is replaced on an interim basis by Chief Strategy Officer Alex McIntosh. More
In the US, digital measurement specialist comScore has introduced a tool called Video Metrix Multi-Platform, which it says is the first syndicated product to provide a single, unduplicated measure of video viewing across desktop, smartphone, tablet, and 'over-the-top' (OTT) devices. More
In London, Kantar Media has hired former BBC director Margo Swadley for the new role of Managing Director, UK TV & Video Measurement. More
WPP-owned Lightspeed GMI has expanded its online respondent validation product Honesty Detector to 27 markets across the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific. More
British ad management company Admedo has acquired New York-based online advertising and retargeting specialist Dispop. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, Hall & Partners has promoted Joanna Fanuele to lead global innovations. She replaces former Head of Innovations Jane Bloomfield who has left the company to join Millward Brown as Brand Development Director. More
In London, sports broadcast measurement specialist Repucom has hired former Lawn Tennis Association Chief Commercial Officer Simon Long as Head of Sales for the UK and Ireland (UK&I). More
US-based digital marketing specialist MediaMath has opened an office in Madrid, where it has appointed Gonzalo García as Country Manager. 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
Digital measurement specialist comScore has appointed Procter & Gamble (P&G) research veteran Joan Lewis to its Board of Directors, and as a member of its Audit Committee. She replaces Jeffrey Ganek, who stepped down after serving on the Board since 2008. More
In the UK, marketing budgets have increased for the ninth successive quarter, according to the IPA Bellwether report. While growth in Q4 2014 was at a slower rate, the average growth rate for marketing budgets in 2014 was the highest recorded in the survey's fifteen-year history. More
In the US, big data analytics and software solutions firm Kinetic Supply Company has acquired digital marketing agency Brockton Creative Group, for an undisclosed sum. More
European firm Meetrics has been accredited by the Media Rating Council (MRC) for the viewable ad impression measurement in its Ad Attention Monitor product - for both display and video ads. More
WPP-owned brand and media specialist Millward Brown has appointed Karen Rivoire as Chief Human Resources Officer, to lead the firm's strategy for attracting, retaining, and developing 'top talent'. More
GfK has promoted Kevin Taylor to EVP of Technology, overseeing work for all North America tech clients, and Gary Schanzer takes on permanent leadership of the Digital Market Intelligence (DMI) team, while continuing in his role as Head of Shopper & Retail Strategy. More
US-based digital marketing specialist MediaMath has appointed Rahul Vasudev as Managing Director for the APAC region. More
In the UK, user experience design agency Foolproof has acquired personalisation and targeting technology specialist Knit for an undisclosed sum. More
In the UK, guest WiFi provider Purple WiFi has raised $5m in a funding round led by former Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy. The investment will be used for international expansion, targeting EMEA, APAC and the Americas. More
Paris, London and Tokyo-based app re-targeting specialist Accengage has raised $3m in funding, which it will use to expand its team and develop new product features. More
New York-based CrowdTwist, which develops loyalty programs as a means of gathering data about customers' multi-channel behavior, has appointed tech sector exec Scott Matthews as Chief Executive Officer. More
Online reputation management specialist BirdEye has added an Enterprise Analytics engine to its platform, to provide clients with insights into customer sentiment, operational metrics, and reputation trends. More
Cambridge, MA-based outsourcing advisory and analyst firm HfS Research has hired Fred McClimans for the newly created position of Chief Client Officer, and Bram Weerts as Vice President of Global Business Development. More
US-based audience measurement specialist Rentrak has been granted another patent for a solution which detects and corrects TV viewership levels caused by missing or 'dropped' set-top box viewing information. More
In the US, webcam-enabled focus group provider FocusVision has acquired quant MR tech firm Decipher, for an undisclosed sum. More
San Mateo, California-based advanced analytics provider Fractal Analytics has acquired Mobius Innovations, a personalized customer intelligence specialist, for an undisclosed sum. More
UK-based business-to-business agency B2B International has opened an office in Singapore - its third location in the Asia Pacific region. More
Ogilvy & Mather's social media commerce, online listening and impact analysis practice has appointed Samson Choi as General Manager in Hong Kong. More
Nielsen Audio has reached an agreement with broadcast company Saga Communications and its affiliate Lakefront Communications over a copyright infringement action brought by Arbitron. More
WPP's marcoms network Wunderman has acquired a majority stake in digital marketing agency Phantasia, in Peru. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, digital TV and video solutions provider Sorenson Media has partnered with business information and analysis specialist Neustar, to provide 'better insight' into TV audience viewing patterns and behaviour. More
Former ESPN media researcher Glenn Enoch has joined Nielsen as Senior Vice President of Audience Insights in New York, replacing Pat McDonough who retired at the end of last year. More
Mobile consumer engagement and advocacy platform Blue Calypso has promoted founder Andrew Levi to the role of Chief Executive Officer, replacing Bill Ogle, who will remain as Chairman of the Board. More
Singapore and Bangalore, India-based marketing intelligence firm Tookitaki has raised $1m in seed funding, which it will use to expand into new regions including Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Southeast Asia. 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
Tel Aviv, Israel-based emotion analytics specialist Beyond Verbal has introduced 'The Empath App', allowing users to track and analyse their personal emotional wellbeing via their smartphones. More
London and New York-based Tonic Insight, formed last year from the merger of consumer-focused Spring Research and its online communities specialist Tuned In, has launched a suite of online qual tools promising rapid delivery of results. More
Marketing services conglomerate Havas has partnered with Universal Music Group (UMG) to develop targeting based on individuals' musical taste. 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
New York City MR firms UniversalSurvey and SurveyHealthCare have completed an equity and debt funding round, for use in developing their current platforms and for planned M&A activity. 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
From all of us at MrWeb and Daily Research News to all of you, our readers and friends around the world, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thanks for your support in 2014! More
In the US, multi-screen software firm SeaChange International has acquired social media analysis specialist Timeline Labs for $14m in cash, $8m in SeaChage shares, and up to $2.5m more in performance-based stock. 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
New York-based advertising intelligence specialist Integral Ad Science has appointed former Google exec Dave Marquard as Director of Product Management, Publisher Products. More
Plymouth, UK-based online ad targeting firm Intelligent Optimisations has received a £250k grant from the GAIN Growth Fund, which it says it will use to recruit software engineers, data scientists, sales, marketing and finance execs. More
Cross-device ad targeting and analytics specialist Adelphic has secured an $11m Series B funding round, which it will use to accelerate the development of its technology, and expand its presence in both the EMEA and APAC regions. More
In the US, software giant Oracle is to acquire online / off-line purchasing data firm Datalogix for an undisclosed sum. More
In the UK, business intelligence and big data software reseller IS Solutions is to buy Speed-Trap Holdings (STH), the parent company of online behaviour specialist Celebrus Technologies, for approximately £7.5m. 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
American film and TV production company Alcon Entertainment has hired National Research Group co-founder Catherine Paura, and her sister Angela, as co-presidents of Worldwide Marketing. More
Professional services firm Deloitte Australia and social media analytics technology company Digivizer have partnered to create new business consulting and technology services. More
Auto giant Ford has hired data science and analytics specialist Paul Ballew for the newly created role of Chief Data and Analytics Officer, to oversee its focus on understanding consumer behavior and lead the company's data and analytic efforts globally. He will join on January 5th 2015. More
Web and mobile analytics firm Mixpanel has raised $65m in a new investment round, and plans to use it to fund acquisitions in the machine learning arena, build an R&D team, and expand into new markets. More
Dubai-based online healthcare specialist 42 market research has enhanced its panel coverage in Asia, through launches in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. More
New York-based ad targeting tech specialist AppNexus has acquired cross-device technology firm MediaGlu, bringing new capabilities for ad serving, audience targeting and in-app retargeting. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired Toronto-based digital creative firm SPOKE Agency, which offers a range of services for clients the in the lifestyle, retail and entertainment sectors. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, social media polling platform Wedgies.com has raised $700k in seed funding, which it will use to scale its technology and expand into new markets. More
Brand and media specialist Millward Brown has acquired full-service agency Habitus Investigación, in Ecuador. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, location analytics firm PlaceIQ has partnered with media agency Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) to develop a platform called SMG MAPS, which uses consumer behavior insights for media planning, activation and measurement. More
In London, newspaper marketing body Newsworks has appointed former Havas exec Denise Turner as Director of Insight. She will take up her new post in early 2015. More
In the US, online customer profiling specialist Janrain has acquired social media engagement and trends technology firm Arktan, in order to create a combined portfolio of solutions for audience targeting and profile management. More
US-based cross-media analytics firm MarketShare has formed a Technology Advisory Board comprising five ad technology and big data software leaders, including former execs from Google, Facebook and Yahoo!, to help guide its future product innovation and development. More
US-based information and analytics firm IHS has acquired Infonetics Research, which specializes in research for the global communications technology market. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In Mexico, WPP has acquired digital agency Clarus, which lists research and digital consumer insights among its services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US healthcare market research firm InCrowd has launched a 'microresearch' app, promising users access to physician and patient insights in hours rather than weeks or months. More
As part of its expansion into the television sector, US firm Sorenson Media has launched a suite of digitally-enabled TV measurement, targeting and analytics products called Spark. More
UK-based cart abandonment analytics and personalisation specialist Yieldify has launched in the ANZ market with the opening of an office in Sydney, Australia. More
US-based, mobile-focused big data analytics firm Zettics has rolled out a new version of its software, which combines usage and network data in a single platform. More
WPP's Kantar has acquired the majority interest in IBOPE Media, which comprises IBOPE Pesquisa de Midia e Participaįões, IBOPE Latinoamericana, and IMI.com. It has also bought the remainder of Millward Brown do Brasil and a minority share in IBOPE's political and social subsidiary. More
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released a paper underlining the transitional state of viewability measurement, and says advertisers should not expect media to show that 100% of ads charged for were viewable. For the moment, it suggests figures below 70% should trigger compensation. More
Technology firm Brandwatch has acquired London-based social media analytics specialist PeerIndex, for an undisclosed amount of cash and equity. More
US TV broadcasters FOX, Tribune Media and Univision have joined forces with social media analysis specialist Timeline Labs in a venture called NewCoin, which will address what the partners describe as 'deficiencies' in local market television audience measurement. 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
In the US, Ross McCray and Dave Gullo have launched a company called VideoAmp, which offers a single platform through which to buy, optimize and measure digital video ads across TV, mobile and desktop devices. The partners have raised $2.2m to kick start the new venture. More
DIY survey software firm SurveyMonkey has raised $250m in an equity funding round, which it will use to pursue future M&A transactions and to enable existing investors and employees to sell some of their equity. According to reports, the funding values the firm at $2 billion. More
Online panel provider Prodege has launched a sampling technology platform called Prodege MR, and appointed former uSamp executives Dave Gaston and Kris Tarbet as Vice Presidents of Sales, and Daniel Ross as VP of Product Management. More
Brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners has promoted Kelly Mitchell and Bridget Brennan to Partner level - both are based in the firm's Chicago office. More
Manchester, UK-based mobile MR technology firm RealityMine has announced a follow-on funding round of £1.6m, and says it aims to triple its turnover for the second year running. More
Data driven CRM firm Merkle has announced a partnership with customer experience management software firm Sitecore, allowing its clients to personalize digital experiences for their customers in real time. More
Russian search engine leader Yandex is developing custom-made big data solutions for businesses under the brand Yandex Data Factory. More
Nielsen has announced the forthcoming sale of 20m shares of its common stock, priced recently at $43.77 per share. More
Q&A software developer Askem has launched a qual / quant research and engagement platform, 'Askem Know', which it says 'targets key demographics in a quick, engaging, and cost-effective way'. More
Media and marketing giant Publicis Groupe has acquired Relevant24 (R24), which uses real-time data to create multi-media branded content for clients. The firm will immediately be aligned with Publicis' Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) division, enhancing its existing content solutions. More
US company ThinkVine, which helps clients align marketing and advertising with consumer behaviour, has hired former Nielsen exec Brian Smith for the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer, in charge of product and service innovation. More
In the USA, competitive intelligence platform TrackMaven has closed a $14m Series B round of financing. Funds will be used for product development, sales, marketing and recruitment. More
In the US, social media ad targeting specialist RadiumOne has gained two patents for its ShareGraph proprietary technology, which helps marketers find the users most closely connected to their brand's known customers by analyzing their online sharing behavior. More
In the US, online survey software company QuestionPro has acquired web site feedback and engagement platform RapidEngage from tech incubator EvoNexus. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
On-demand panel and sample company Innovate has opened an office in Gurgaon, India, where it has already hired a number of execs for its operations team. Meanwhile in the US, the firm has appointed former uSamp exec Vanessa Carey, and promoted Amanda Keller and Jason Poyser. More
Management consulting giant KPMG has bought a 'substantial' equity stake in US-based trend intelligence specialist Bottlenose. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Viewability measurement specialist Moat has partnered with Nielsen, to offer the latter's campaign measurement capabilities to its brand advertiser and publisher clients. More
In the US, WPP-owned online specialist Lightspeed has appointed former GfK exec David Bilicic as Vice President of Business Development. 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 feedback specialist Mopinion has launched a new product called 'Conversion Insights' (CI), to alert online retailers when customers abandon the purchase process, and provide insights as to why. More
In London, Guardian Media Group has appointed Charlotte Putnam as Audience Director, in charge of the newspaper's Commercial Insight, Consumer Insight, and Primary Research functions. The paper has also hired ITV's Sonia Sudhakar as Director of Digital Growth. More
US-based software firm Lexalytics has launched a new version of its Salience multi-lingual text analysis engine, which includes an assessment of a customer's intent to buy, sell, recommend or quit. More
WPP marcoms group JWT has acquired a majority stake in Wellington, New Zealand-based digital agency Heyday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Online community and survey technology provider Toluna has launched a short-term branded panel product called PanelPortalLight, which can be launched in less than four weeks and host up to 2,000 members. More
Maktoob Research founder Tamara Deprez and marketer Maha Ahmad have set up a full service marcoms agency called The360mix in Dubai. More
Kantar Media and CSM Media Research - a joint venture firm between CTR Market Research and Kantar Media - have partnered with Hong Kong's largest TV broadcaster Now TV, to roll out the region's first cross-platform television audience measurement system using return path data (RPD) technology. More
Recently formed market strategy division Millward Brown Vermeer has appointed former London2012 consultant Patrick Fry as Director, responsible for leading the firm's engagements in Australia and New Zealand. More
UK full service agency Simpson Carpenter has appointed former BrainJuicer and SPA Future Thinking exec Paul Roberts as Digital Director, to focus on developing new methods and ideas in areas such as analytics, video and visualisation. More
In the US, ad platform Reduce Data has launched a system allowing advertisers to deliver dynamic personalized ads across multiple platforms and devices. More
An EU Working Party has published new Guidelines on the 'Right to be Forgotten', intended to help search engines to implement the ruling by the EU's Court of Justice (ECJ) in May, which required them to consider requests from individuals for the removal of links to information about them. More
Kantar Media has launched its Twitter TV Ratings service in Spain. The move follows the UK launch of the tool in October and the acquisition of Barcelona-based TV and social media analytics agency The Data Republic in April. More
App store analytics and market intelligence specialist App Annie has launched a new service called Audience Intelligence, which offers publishers in-depth analysis of app users' demographics, related apps and sentiment data. More
In the US, InterMedia Entertainment has added data from the GfK MRI Survey of the American Consumer to its IME Star Index MR tool, which evaluates and ranks the 'spokesperson potential' of individual celebrities and the habits of their fans. More
The Merlien Institute - which runs conferences and events for MR professionals - has launched a new set of Awards to celebrate innovation in the industry and recognize individuals who have achieved 'significant breakthroughs' in mobile market research. More
Content intelligence platform idio has completed a $6.2m round of funding, from investors including M&A advisory firm Quayle Munro. More
UK-based digital communications group Next Fifteen has acquired a 75% stake in London-based brand performance researcher Morar, for up to £1.8m in cash. More
US-based digital media buying platform MediaMath has launched a new app, giving marketers access to Nielsen's Online Campaign Ratings (OCR) data. More
Marketing services giant Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired London-based social media agency Tempero for an undisclosed sum. Tempero, whose services include community management and 'listening', will eventually operate as the European arm of the Network's social media division ICUC. More
Switzerland's Mediapulse body has given GfK an extension of its contract to measure the country's radio audiences beyond 2017, using the agency's new Mediawatch platform. More
In New York, e-mail data analytics firm Return Path has secured a $35m investment, which it will use to expand its sales and marketing capabilities and accelerate product development plans. More
Marketing metrics software developer gShift has partnered with digital marketing software provider Grupo Arion, to expand its presence to Mexico / Latin America. More
WPP has extended its relationship with IBM, to expand its use of big data and analytics, and develop new digital services that will be run and managed within a global hybrid cloud infrastructure. More
WPP digital agency Possible has acquired The Swift Collective, which offers a range of services including user research, business analysis and forecasting. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Panel exchange operator Cint has expanded its supply-API technology with the launch of 'Cint Push Supply', which the firm claims enables both suppliers and buyers to achieve 'significantly increased survey conversion'. 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
MR technology firm iModerate has partnered with text analytics company Luminoso to offer enhanced analysis of context, nuances and sentiment in large volumes of online consumer comment. 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
Multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has completed its acquisition of the US-based TV measurement assets of Kantar Media, in an all-stock deal worth about $128m - c.$30m more than was initially anticipated. More
Toronto-based social media metrics specialist Engagement Labs has appointed former comScore exec Bryan Segal as Chief Executive Officer, replacing founder Paul Allard who is is moving into the role of Chief Innovation Officer. More
US sampling and data collection provider Critical Mix has appointed former Market Strategies International COO Kevin Orians as Head of its Customer Care team. More
UK-based digital MR specialist eDigitalResearch has appointed former Ordnance Survey Head of Insights and Product Innovation Liz Ratcliffe as Product Manager in its Product Marketing division. More
US research provider Gongos Inc. has promoted Greg Heist to the position of Chief Innovation Officer, co-ordinating a cross-disciplinary team which will tap into technological and societal trends to shape the future of the company and the industry it serves. More
Digital marketing agency Prompt Communications has introduced a social media measurement and ranking serviced called Channel Social Influence (CSI), promising technology businesses help in measuring the online influence of their partners and partner networks. More
Australian professional MR association AMSRO has become the first body to have its privacy code registered by the Australian Privacy Commissioner under new legislation. More
Calgary, Canada-based marketing agency Critical Mass is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Omnicom, following a November buy-out. Omnicom has been 50 percent owner since 1999. More
Board members of French ad and PR group Havas have voted in favour of accepting an offer from shareholder Bolloré Group to take control of the business. More
In Turkey, full service agency Barem and retail panel specialist OPR Research have signed an agreement to provide mutual clients with a combined range of 'new generation' information services. Separately, OPR exec Ali Levent Orhun will join Barem in January as CEO. More
WPP's audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has named Mickey Zhang as Managing Director in China. More
In the UK, app developer Mobikats has launched the Beura iBeacon Mobile Marketing Platform, which will allow brands to track audiences in real time and deliver tailored services including rewards points and service information. More
Australian market and opinion specialist Roy Morgan Research is moving to new offices in Kent Street, Sydney on December 8th, after 27 years at its previous location. More
In Ireland, retail and trade eCommerce solutions firm Magico is to double its workforce to 24, supporting a research and development project to develop a big data analytics tool called Magico DARE. More
Twitter has begun tracking app installation by iOS and Android device users, with the stated aim of building 'a more tailored experience' for its users. The firm insists that it is not collecting any other data inside apps. More
Page-level ad targeting specialist PageScience has launched a Health Insight dashboard, enabling agencies and pharmaceutical/hospital brands to view daily ad impressions for their choice of 60 major health condition categories. More
In the US, Civicom Marketing Research has added analytics tools to its online community platform Chatterbox, to help researchers speed up the data interpretation process. More
Film and television measurement specialist Rentrak has been granted two new US patents - the first for its Exact Commercial Ratings solution, and the second for a system that compensates for problems with return path TV data storage. More
Ireland's radio industry has announced that it will trial a new people metering audience measurement system next year, as a possible alternative to the current system used for the Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR) ratings. More
US analytics software company Splunk has reported a 48% third quarter rise in revenue to $116.0m, primarily driven by strong license sales and maintenance and service revenues. Much higher costs, however, meant operating loss more than trebled to $45.5m. More
New York-based media agency Assembly has hired media research specialist Paul Beck for the new position of EVP, Director of Strategic Services, with a remit to build an Analytics and Traditional Media Research division. More
US-based audience targeting specialist eXelate has gained certification from auditing body BPA Worldwide for its online B2B audience data system, B2BX. More
In New York, The Weather Company has appointed Chris Kuist as Vice President of Insights and Innovation, responsible for a cross-platform insights program to support the advertising sales arm of the business. More
M:Metrics co-founder Will Hodgman has joined Cross-Tab subsidiary Informate Mobile Intelligence as Chief Executive Officer, based in its office in Seattle. More
Buses in Norwich, UK, are piloting a new initiative using beacon technology to deliver location-based messages from retailers to passengers' smart devices. More
Intersec, which provides big data technology solutions to 'phone network operators, has raised $20m in a Series B round of funding, earmarked for international growth. More
DIY research firm SurveyMonkey is to collaborate with employee-owned US research stalwart Westat and non-profit organization the Pew Research Center, to examine non-probability sampling, along with various means of gauging data quality. Results will be made publicly available. More
Stakeholder intelligence and engagement advisory firm GlobeScan is opening an office in Cape Town, South Africa. More
US-based digital marketing specialist MediaMath has announced the integration of its service with Apple's iAd platform, which it says will allow marketers to run ad campaigns within more than 250,000 apps on Apple devices across more than a hundred countries. More
Israel-based software solutions firm NICE Systems has released a new version of its NICE Fizzback VoC solution, which captures and integrates customer feedback from surveys, company web sites, and social media feeds. More
Nielsen has announced it will begin tracking viewing for Netflix next month, plugging a gap in its coverage created by the streaming video service's unwillingness to provide ratings information. Streaming on mobile devices will not for the time being be included. More
Roy Morgan Research has appointed former Ipsos Australia Chief Exec and AMSRO President Hugh Amoyal as its new Deputy CEO. The firm has also given Head of Client Services Howard Seccombe the new role of Chief Digital Officer. More
In New York, e-mail data analytics specialist Return Path has acquired rival company Motley Bunch for an undisclosed sum, to support its investment in analyzing consumer shopper behaviour. The firm has also hired former Nielsen exec Eric Weinberg as COO. More
In the UK, Kantar Media has admitted to a problem with its published BARB viewing data for July-September, requiring it to reissue certain audience data files. More
Software giant Adobe has launched a new product called Intelligence Location Marketing, allowing companies to engage their customers with relevant content and messages based on their proximity to iBeacons. More
Omnicom-owned brand and comms research firm Hall & Partners has appointed former InsightExpress exec Todd Trautz as a Partner in its New York-based Consumer team. More
In the UK, the ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations) has announced that comScore, DoubleVerify, Integral Ad Science and Moat are the first four firms to receive its new viewability certification; and will be included in the body's first viewability products comparison report. More
Data driven CRM firm Merkle has acquired San Francisco-based loyalty solutions provider 500friends, for an undisclosed sum. More
Judy Taylor, the co-founder of Leapfrog Research & Planning, has joined Tonic Insight in a non-executive consultancy role at its office in London. The firm has also appointed three new Account Executives in New York. More
UK-based insights consultancy Simpson Carpenter has appointed two former TNS researchers, to boost its innovation and technology specialisms. More
Media industry research veteran Joe Philport will retire from his role as CEO of industry body the Traffic Audit Bureau for Media Measurement (TAB) at the end of the year. More
In the US, online video ad targeting specialist Videology has hired former comScore finance chief Kenneth Tarpey as its Chief Financial Officer, replacing Scott Macleod who has moved into the position of President. More
In the US, digital marketing and consumer data specialist Lytics has raised $7m in a Series A round of funding which it will use for product development, recruitment and expansion. The firm has also appointed three former Webtrends execs to its senior management team. More
UK-based Kadence International has today been sold to full service Japanese MR group CMG (Cross Marketing Group) for an undisclosed sum. More
New York-based social media intelligence firm Unmetric has partnered with Ogilvy & Mather's social media arm Social[at]Ogilvy, to bring analysis and competitive benchmarking to clients' social media campaigns. More
London-based agency ruby cha cha has appointed former Engage Research director Hetta Bramley as Director of Insight and Planning at its Shoreditch office. More
Oslo-based Schibsted Media Group has hired former Google and Twitter exec Adam Kinney as Head of Data Science, tasked with creating insights and data-driven products for the group's companies and brands. 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
Audience targeting data specialist Semcasting has acquired marcoms agency The Marketing Grid, through which it plans to promote its proprietary solutions to mid-sized clients. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
San Diego, CA-based MR consultancy TrendSource has introduced a mobile research solution called aAmplify, allowing consumers to give feedback on their experiences and satisfaction levels while they are using mobile devices to interact with brands. More
Yahoo! has acquired video ad firm BrightRoll, which measures billions of video impressions each month using a reporting suite featuring tools from comScore, Nielsen, Vizu and InsightExpress. The deal was valued at around $640m in cash. More
UK radio and television audience measurement veteran Tony Twyman died last Friday, 31st October, at the age of 82. More
In Malaysia, broadcaster Star Radio Group has commissioned GfK to introduce electronic / mobile diary radio rating methodology to the country, as it seeks 'more holistic insights' into radio listening habits. More
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has selected comScore's Digital Analytix audience demographics platform to provide analytics across its entire range of digital content - including web, mobile and video - for both domestic and global services. More
Online research specialist YouGov has launched a new media planning and audience segmentation tool called YouGov Profiles, to provide clients with a detailed portrait of their customers' lives and the products and services they use. More
Cross-screen data management solutions provider Krux has opened an office in Tokyo, and appointed ad industry veteran Masahiro Kano as Japan Country Manager. More
US web analytics and tag management firm Tealium has opened an EMEA headquarters in the UK, from which to service clients across the region. More
US-based digital marketing specialist MediaMath has acquired audience targeting tech company Rare Crowds, for an undisclosed sum. More
US-based consumer and retail tracking provider The NPD Group has launched a new service called Checkout Tracking, which will provide information on consumer buying behaviour based on receipts for both online and in-store retail purchases. More
In the US, pricing intelligence specialist Market Track has acquired Chicago-based digital media tracking firm Media Iris. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Palo Alto, CA-based online DIY research specialist SurveyMonkey has rolled out its 'Audience' sampling service in the UK, providing businesses with direct online access to a panel of tens of thousands of consumers. More
MR and market intelligence company Dobney Research has launched new web survey software called Cxoice. The package offers a non-linear questionnaire allowing respondents to choose their route and pick out the topics and values they care about and want to rate or select. More
Palo Alto, California-based private equity firm HGGC has become the majority owner of the parent of sampling, data collection and analytics firm Survey Sampling International (SSI). The company was previously owned by two other investors, who will retain minority stakes. More
Research technology and panel exchange operator Cint has announced a new strategic global relationship with DIY online research firm SurveyMonkey. More
Millward Brown has expanded its team in Indonesia with eight appointments, including former Diageo exec Chris Thomas as Director of strategic consulting arm Millward Brown Vermeer. More
Audience measurement's rising star Rentrak Corporation has announced fiscal second quarter results. Total revenue is up 41% to $25.2m, driven by the continuing boom in its TV Everywhere business which grew 85% to $13.3m. More
Nielsen has been testing a new service which will add previously unmeasured out-of-home (OoH) TV viewing to its ratings. More
In the US, former Nielsen exec Joe Hardin has joined The Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) as Vice President of Product Leadership. More
Marcoms group Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired full service mobile agency Fetch, which offers mobile strategy, media, creative and analytics services. While terms of the deal were not disclosed, it is estimated to be worth around £30m. 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
UK-based 72Point, the parent of OnePoll, is expanding to the US market with the launch of an office in New York, offering a range of content-led marketing and social media products. More
Digital measurement firm comScore has partnered with web analytics and behavioral targeting firm Lotame, to provide clients with a better understanding of customers' behaviour across platforms and channels, and allow the creation of more targeted and relevant digital ads. More
UK audience research body BARB has extended Kantar Media's TV measurement panel contract and RSMB's contract for survey design and methodology until the end of 2018. The organisation will also combine two of its main research contracts from January 2016. More
US-based mobile phone intelligence firm Carrier IQ has agreed to settle a lawsuit which alleged consumer privacy violations by its tracking software, used by carriers and phone manufactures to collect network data. Terms of the settlement have not yet been disclosed. More
In India, former Millward Brown exec Jyoti Malladi has been appointed Executive Director and Head of Ipsos ASI, the global group's advertising and communications research arm. More
Japanese online specialist Macromill has merged with Netherlands-based online research and analytics firm MetrixLab. The combined firm will now operate under the Macromill brand, and has plans to open new offices in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Russia. More
TV audience measurement body TAM Ireland has begun a pilot scheme to capture data on laptop and PC viewing, using an initial test panel of 60 homes established using Nielsen's Netsight meter. More
New York-based B2B intent data provider Madison Logic has launched a new company called Madison Logic Data, which will focus on analyzing, organizing, and activating data acquired through its existing proprietary data assets. More
US-based multi-screen ad technology provider Jivox has opened an office in London, where it has appointed online media specialist Murly Tiwari as Managing Director, responsible for leading UK sales efforts and partnerships. More
US firm Procera Networks has launched an analytics tool called Video Perspectives, to provide network operators with insights into the streaming video issues affecting their subscribers' quality of experience. More
Digital ad specialist Sophia has received a £1.1m round of funding for its Ambiance solution, which delivers ads according to the online content consumers are viewing, in real-time. More
Global marcoms network Publicis Groupe is to acquire technology and marketing services company Sapient in a $3.7 billion all-cash transaction. More
Digital measurement firm comScore has been granted continued Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) suite, including the recently added measure of online ad 'viewability'. More
US-based marketing personalization and targeting firm Sailthru is developing a new service called Sightlines, which predicts the future behavior of users for eCommerce and media companies. More
Nielsen has acquired concept testing and forecasting software specialist Affinnova, and will integrate the latter's team into its Innovation Practice division. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Twitter and IBM have formed an alliance to help businesses and institutions better understand their customers, markets and trends. More
Technology specialist Forrester has reported an 8.3% increase in third quarter revenue to $75.4m, with research division revenues up by a more moderate 2%, to $50.6m. More
US-based social media solutions firm Lithium Technologies has introduced a ranking of the 50 global brands with the most social media influence and engagement. More
In the US, Turner Broadcasting has named former [x+1] President Stephano Kim as Senior Vice President, Ad Operations and Chief Data Strategist for its newly created Ad Sales division. More
In the US, online video audience measurement software and services firm Visible Measures has closed a $7m investment round. More
In London, Kantar Media has appointed Alex Kuhnel as Chief Operating Officer of its TGI global online / off-line consumer behaviour and media consumption study. More
UK e-commerce industry association IMRG has launched the e-Retail Benchmarking System, which promises to help online retailers measure their performance against similar organisations on a daily basis, from a PC, tablet or smartphone. More
Online sampling and technology company uSamp has announced three senior appointments: Scott Stein is promoted to VP, Research Solutions; Alan Mavretish, has joined as Senior Director, Research Solutions and Scott Jones returns to the firm as Senior Director, Retail Solutions. More
Full service agency Opinium has appointed former FreshMinds Research execs Andrew Littlewood and Adam Wilson at its central London-based offices. More
US-based information and analytics firm IHS is to acquire two subsidiary firms from retail researcher the NPD Group: flat-panel display specialist DisplaySearch and solar energy MR business Solarbuzz. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, ad and PR giant Publicis Groupe has acquired real-time data management and ad buying platform RUN for an undisclosed sum. 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
In the US, personalization specialist Segmint has closed a $9m round of funding from an unnamed investor, earmarked for recruitment, product development and general upscaling to meet demand. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has reported a 15% increase in third quarter revenues to $82.1m, but posted a GAAP net loss of $3.3m on the back of a $6.9m impairment charge. The latter relates to the firm's mobile operator analytics division, which it intends shortly to divest or shut down. More
Daily deals site Groupon is to create 100 new jobs for an Engineering & Marketing Centre in Dublin. Skills sought include data analysis, digital marketing and software engineering staff. More
US-based mobile payments and marketing platform Mozido has secured a two-part round of Series B funding of up to $400m, which it will use to expand globally through acquisitions in China, India, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. More
In Germany, mobile audience targeting and measurement specialist adsquare has raised $4.3m in Series A financing, which it will use for international expansion and new product innovations. More
Social media app Whisper has reportedly suspended a number of employees pending an investigation into claims of unauthorised tracking of users' behaviour. More
In the US, point-of-sale data giant Catalina has acquired digital coupons specialist Cellfire, with the aim of developing personalized offers for shoppers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In New York, Nielsen-funded independent think tank The Council for Research Excellence (CRE) has published a guide to help marketing and advertising industry execs understand the opportunities and challenges surrounding the use of 'big data'. More
Social media monitoring firm Socialbakers has launched an industry benchmark called the Social Health Index, which it says will provide brands with a single assessment of their social media marketing performance across multiple platforms. 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
WPP-owned media agency Mindshare has partnered with beacon technology firm Footmarks to improve how retail consumers are targeted on their mobile devices across Southeast Asia. More
US big data analytics specialist Zignal Labs has raised $10.7m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to grow its leadership, sales, and engineering teams, and enhance its analytics and insights platform. More
Nielsen has reported third quarter revenue of $1.57 bn, a 13.3% increase year-on-year but reduced to 2.5% once the effects of acquiring Harris and Arbitron are removed. Similarly, profits fell nearly 30% - to $91m - but adjusted EBITDA was up 19.8% to $477m. 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
In Boston, Dave Balter is said to be leaving his role as Global Head of Investments at Tesco-owned data company dunnhumby, to become CEO of jobseeker skills testing service Smarterer - a company he co-founded. More
Search giant Google has expanded its Consumer Barometer, to provide additional insights into online shopper behaviour and digital media consumption. More
Consumer data analyst Decooda has partnered with online conversation specialist Bazaarvoice, to examine consumer ratings and reviews and provide a more 'rounded' view of profitable customers. More
Customer experience measurement and analytics specialist VenueLabs has launched a social media listening tool called AboutLocal. More
In the US, social media marketing automation specialist Attentive.ly has added $750k to its initial angel investment, bringing the total raised to $2m since 2012. Separately, the firm has unveiled a new Facebook ad targeting feature. More
Natural language processing (NLP) software company LinguaSys has introduced an application programming interface (API) portal called GlobalNLP, to help developers understand and extract meaning from unstructured online text. 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
PR software company Cision has acquired UK-based media intelligence and insights firm Gorkana Group from its parent Discovery Group Holdings. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
WPP firm Ogilvy & Mather has launched a Global Center of Data Excellence it calls 'OgilvyAmp', to help clients develop innovative approaches for using their data. More
Panel exchange operator Cint has added access to 1.5 million proprietary consumer panellists across seventeen countries to its platform, through a partnership with emerging markets specialist Borderless Access. More
Online video ad targeting specialist TubeMogul has partnered with comScore to provide clients with information on whether digital video campaigns have actually been delivered and whether they have reached their target audience. More
WPP's audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis has appointed Sawato (Stephan) Yoshii as Country Manager for Japan, with responsibility for business development, partnerships and publisher relations. More
Mobile media buying platform and content consumption analyst YouAppi has raised $3m in a Series A round of growth funding. More
Adobe and Nielsen have teamed up to develop what they say is the industry's first cross-platform system for measuring TV, video and other digital content across both the web and apps. More
In San Francisco, 'person-based' analytics platform KISSmetrics has appointed customer analytics specialist Brian Kelly as Chief Executive Officer. He replaces Will Hodgman, who left earlier in the year to set up a new business. More
US-based social media analysis firm Crimson Hexagon has opened European headquarters on London's South Bank. More
In the UK, newspaper and consumer magazine publishers have issued a time frame for their audience measurement review, with the aim of testing a new multi-platform system from mid-2015 and rolling it out from early 2016. More
In London, online community and consumer collaboration specialist Communispace has hired Franco Bonadio as Chief Creative Officer, responsible for setting the vision, goals and priorities of the firm's creative teams around the world. More
Surrey, UK-based tech research specialist EasyInsites Ltd has been acquired by Tribes Research Ltd, a full service agency with a focus on online communities and other digital research services. Tribes is co-owned by one of EasyInsites' founders, Jo Winning. More
Charles Pearson, co-founder of Guildford, Surrey-based EasyInsites, has left the firm to lead client development in North America for community panel specialist Verve. More
US-based audience measurement specialist Rentrak has been granted a patent for the system it uses to measure the status of set-top boxes (STBs). More
Cambridge, UK-based emerging technologies researcher IDTechEx has appointed Mr. Yasuo Yamamoto as Head of Business Development in Japan. More
Another fortnight, another NED role for ESOMAR President Dan Foreman, this time with fast-growing Berlin-based technology firm Dalia Research. 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
Publicis strategic communications subsidiary MSLGROUP has appointed Benjamin Koe as Regional Director of Strategic Insight and Impact, based in Singapore. His remit includes the establishment of insight centres of excellence ('CoEs') in India and China. More
US research consultancy THREE has appointed Emily Graban as Senior Strategist, in what it says is 'the first of several new hires' set to strengthen the team in a period of rapid growth. More
Mobile demand-side platform Adelphic has announced a partnership with Seattle-based location-based ad targeting firm Placed. 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
Kantar Media has agreed to acquire the audio watermarking unit of digital tech firm Civolution, whose products are used by broadcast channels across the world to track their media content and audiences. Financial details were not disclosed. More
Facebook has announced the launch of a new division, Facebook IQ, which will probe consumer behaviour and motivation to support the social network's own product development strategy and the campaigns of its clients. More
US-based digital marketing services firm MediaMath has acquired UK-based social media ad platform Upcast; and has appointed programmatic ad specialist Stuart Bartram as its first Australian Country Manager. More
Los Angeles, California-based researcher Vital Findings has appointed former Millward Brown exec Amanda Hirsch as Vice President, charged with evolving its strategic consulting services and managing growth into new verticals. More
Rosslyn, VA-based firm CXSolutions ('CX Act') has acquired analytics start-up Shopalytic, which helps small and medium sized businesses interact with their customers. More
London-based brand communications agency PrettyGreen has launched a sister company, Pretty Black&White, combining research, planning and creative functions. More
London-based insight consultancy Firefish has announced six appointments. Simon Gedman joins as an Associate Director, while five Research Executives are added to the team - Ellie O'Dell, Anna Leggett, Posy Knightly-Brown, Tom Hayes and Toni Coker. More
Dutch radio audience survey body NLO has signed an amended contract with current provider GfK, extending the current radio diary deal and simultaneously exploring the use of mobile apps to allow reporting on a minute-by-minute level. More
Salesforce, already in the news last week for partnering with SurveyMonkey, has announced its own entry into the analytics market with the launch of a platform called the Wave Analytics Cloud. More
UK-based database marketing and loyalty scheme specialist GI Insight has acquired a majority stake in digital media analysis firm Cognesia, formerly known as Intellitracker. 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
Online research specialist YouGov has reported preliminary results for the year ended 31st July 2014, with revenue up 10% in constant currency terms, to £67.4m, and adjusted profit before tax rising 12%. More
Following a long tender process, online ad association IAB Australia has chosen Nielsen as sole supplier of digital audience measurement services in the country, for three years from January 1st 2015. 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
US firm Waggle Dance Marketing Research has launched a social media listening product, using semiotics to analyse online conversations. More
Millward Brown has appointed Philip Dickinson, formerly of Kraft Foods / Mondelįz International, as Group Head of its Food and Household client management team in the UK, based in Warwick. 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
IBM has opened a New York HQ for its recently-launched Watson Group, housing more than 600 staff of the new self-service analytics division; and unveiled the first five 'Watson Client Experience Centers' for client support and training, in the cities of Dublin, London, Melbourne, Sao Paulo and Singapore. More
In the US, a federal judge has given final approval to comScore's proposed $14m settlement of a class action lawsuit over the unauthorised collection of consumers' personal and confidential information. More
Enterprise data and analytics firm Acxiom has announced a European-wide partnership with global media network Starcom Mediavest Group (SMG), sharing data and assisting entry into new geographical markets. More
US company Directions Research, Inc. (DRI) has hired Betsy Sutherland as Senior Vice President of Client Service. More
Film and television measurement specialist Rentrak is to acquire the US TV measurement business of WPP's Kantar Media for $98m in Rentrak common stock. WPP will then spend a further $56m to bring its overall share of the US-based firm to 16.7%. The deal gives WPP's GroupM agencies full access to Rentrak audience data. More
DIY online research firm SurveyMonkey has announced a partnership with broadcast and digital news provider NBC News. The deal has two aims: to deliver in-depth assessments of public opinion and attitudes; and more generally to explore best practice in online survey research. 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
Tokyo-based Research Panel Asia (RPA) has announced the launch of proprietary panels in Thailand and Malaysia. 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
comScore has announced a partnership with Datalogix, helping US clients to link digital ad exposure to in-store sales. The deal combines the strengths of comScore's validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) analytics and Datalogix' off-line sales measures including DLX ROI. More
Advanced analytics provider Alteryx Inc. has announced a $60m investment round, led by Insight Venture Partners. The funds will allow it to expand its capacity, partner channels and innovation efforts in response to ' burgeoning global demand'. More
Kantar Media is to provide a proprietary audience measurement service for Malaysian Pay TV and radio group Astro. Launched next year, the new service will make use of Kantar Worldpanel's Malaysian household FMCG panel. 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
Consumer insight and anti-fraud specialist Transactis has set up a 'fraud and loss prevention coalition' known as TRADE, through which retailers can share their transactional and consumer insight data in a bid to spot potential fraudsters. More
In the US, consumer credit and loans specialist Capital One has acquired San Francisco-based user experience (UX) design and consulting firm Adaptive Path. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Omnicom-owned brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners has teamed up with the UK's IPA and America's 4A's to capture the ad industry's views on what makes great advertising. More
Israeli analytics firm Appsee has secured a $2m Series A round of funding, which it will use to develop further iOS features, launch an Android version, and pursue additional R&D. More
Kantar's telecoms purchasing and usage trend analysis division, Worldpanel ComTech has launched a new consumer panel in Russia; and has announced it is increasing its panel in China by 50% to 22,000 individuals. More
British retailer Argos has appointed Ian Dobson as Head of Customer and Market Insight, based at its head office in Milton Keynes. More
Twitter is donating $10m over the next five years to help The MIT Media Lab create a new division to explore how people use social media networks. More
The Insight Centre for Data Analytics - a joint initiative between University College Dublin, the National University of Ireland at Galway, University College Cork, and Dublin City University - has appointed Oliver Daniels as Chief Executive Officer. He will join on 21st October. More
Marketing automation specialist Marketo has launched a research center, which will combine insights drawn from its more than 3,300 customers with primary research conducted in collaboration with agencies and consultancies. More
In the US, location analytics firm PlaceIQ has partnered with multi-screen audience measurement specialist Rentrak to develop a new product called PIQ PrimeTime, combining location intelligence with television viewing data. 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
In the US, Affinity Solutions, which analyzes consumer spending data to help clients with their targeted marketing initiatives, has made its first acquisition - Internet marketing tech firm 2Go Media. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Voice-of-customer specialist eDigitalResearch has partnered with analysis software firm Lexalytics, to develop a new real-time text analytics tool. More
In the US, behavioral targeting and data management firm AudienceScience has hired Danny Kim for the newly created role of Director of Innovation, based in the Bellevue, WA office. More
Insightpool, which helps organizations mine social media networks to find their top influencers, prospects or customers, has raised $4m in a Series A round of funding. The firm has also announced plans to expand its Atlanta headquarters and hire a further 75 staff. More
San Francisco-based audience measurement and digital ad firm Quantcast has acquired London company Struq, a specialist in personalisation and cross-device retargeting, for an undisclosed sum. More
Kantar Media says it will launch the UK's first official metric for measuring Twitter TV audience engagement in mid-October. More
In Melbourne, Australia, digital audience specialist Effective Measure has appointed Graham Plant as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Richard Webb who stepped down from the role in March. More
Customer and employee engagement solutions firm PeriscopeIQ has acquired DIY feedback platform provider Opinionmeter International, for an undisclosed sum. More
How much is a piece of personal data worth? According to a study conducted by mobile giant Orange, consumers' price tag is around £13 for a single piece if it is shared with a brand they already know, and £15 for organisations they have not dealt with previously. 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
Online news and content provider AOL has launched a targeting and analytics platform, helping advertisers and agencies make best use of TV ads to reach specific audiences. The new system will be integrated with AOL's data management platform ONE. More
In the US, online sampling and technology company uSamp has appointed former Ipsos and Hall & Partners exec Dean Burnett as Senior Director, Global Panel and Sampling Operations. More
Facebook has launched a cross-device user tracking ad product, based on the Atlas software it acquired from Microsoft earlier this year. Meanwhile Ello, a social network which spurns advertising, is reportedly adding as many as 35,000 new users an hour. More
GfK has acquired UK-based online retail and pricing intelligence firm Cogenta, which will now be fully integrated into the German-based group as the GfK Online Pricing Intelligence solution. More
Ipsos has hired Jake Dorn as Senior Vice President - Chief Client Director for Microsoft, based in Seattle, Washington and leading the agency's global initiatives with the software giant. More
Cloud-based data management firm Krux has appointed Yacov Salomon to lead its global data science development, from a base in Sydney, Australia. 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
A suit filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern California claims that Arbitron - now Nielsen Audio - made calls and left messages for consumers, contrary to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). More
Palo Alto, California-based online shopping data app Slice has launched an analytics business, Slice Intelligence, which makes use of a panel of more than 2 million online shoppers. More
DIY online research firm SurveyMonkey has co-led a $5.3m Series A fundraising round for in-app customer communication specialist Apptentive. Origin Ventures also led the round, which is earmarked for expansion of the product suite along with sales and marketing activities. More
Canada-based IT research and advisory firm Info-Tech Research Group has named Scott Bohannon as Chief Executive Officer. More
In the US, mobile app analytics specialist Upsight has sold its ad platform PlayHaven Ad Network to digital marketing group Science Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
San Mateo, CA-based social media analytics specialist Viralheat has opened a European office in London, where it has appointed John Hayes as Marketing Director. More
In New York, mobile engagement specialist Scanbuy has launched a behavior-driven targeting solution, based on consumers' mobile shopping interests and preferences. More
London-based brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners has appointed former Added Value quant leader Gabor Koska as a Partner in its Consumer team. More
Creative video studio the Commotion Agency has rolled out an analytics service, to help clients measure the effectiveness of their online video campaigns. More
Consumer behavior specialist Alliance Data is to buy personalized digital marketing specialist Conversant (formerly known as ValueClick) in a cash and stock deal worth up to $2.3 billion. 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
San Francisco-based B2B marketing intelligence specialist Radius has raised $54.7m in Series C funding, which it will use to expand its engineering, data science and marketing teams. More
Investment vehicle dunnhumby Ventures has participated in a $4m Series A round of funding for eCommerce analytics firm Content Analytics, which will use the investment to scale its sales and marketing and expand its engineering team. More
Decision science and data analytics firm Mu Sigma has launched an enterprise-level social media analytics solution, pitched at large organisations looking for a wide-ranging perspective of brand health and sentiment. More
India-based personalization specialist TargetingMantra has raised $1.1m in an initial round of funding, which it will use to expand its 'Amazon-like' targeting service, while developing new products. More
In India, Nielsen has acquired analytics, economic modelling and forecasting services firm Indicus Analytics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the UK, comScore has announced that its partnership developing metrics with the GSMA mobile operators' trade association is to terminate at the end of 2014. The digital measurement giant will shortly launch a new service called Mobile Metrix, working with cross-industry body UKOM. More
According to reports in the US press, Boston-based video analytics firm Visible Measures has made up to 30 members of its team of 130 redundant, across a number of areas of the business. More
Canadian survey sample and panel technology firm WiseSample has moved its Indian operations to larger premises in New Delhi, to accommodate new members of staff and to prepare for future growth. More
Nielsen has announced plans to launch its Nielsen Social solutions - including Twitter TV Ratings - in Mexico in the first half of 2015. More
Mobile segmentation and analytics specialist Swrve has closed a $10m Series B funding round, which it will use to speed up its global expansion plans, continue to build its platform and hire additional staff in sales, marketing and engineering. More
In Germany, GfK is to merge its media analysis specialist firms GfK Enigma and Media Markt Analysen, to form one company which will now operate under the name GfK Media & Communication Research. More
New York-based ad technology firm AppNexus has received $25m in funding from WPP, and in turn, has agreed to acquire the Open AdStream (OAS) ad serving platform from the marcoms giant's audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis. More
WPP's digital network VML has agreed to acquire Shanghai-based social media monitoring specialist Teein. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Global online sample aggregator EMI Research Solutions has appointed MR industry veteran Janet Miller as Business Development Consultant. More
In the US, the Board of the Media Rating Council has voted to remove accreditation for Simmons Research's National Consumer Study (NCS), following an independent audit which uncovered 'declines in service performance metrics'. 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
Media researcher Pat McDonough is to retire from Nielsen at the end of 2014, after 44 years with the company. More
Ad, media and brand research specialist Millward Brown has opened an office in Karachi, Pakistan, led by Noaman Asar, who joins from fellow WPP company JWT. More
In the US, digital media specialist David Carberry has launched a digital marketing agency called Enradius, which will focus on geo-targeted marketing and behavioral data. More
Media and digital marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired the standalone search and content marketing agency business of US-based Covario. The business offers local SEO, social media automation, and analytic tools. More
US behavioral targeting and data management firm AudienceScience has expanded to India, with the opening of an office in Pune. More
Liverpool, UK-based video analysis specialist LivingLens has raised £206k in follow-up seed funding from a range of angel investors, and plans to use the money to expand its technology and sales capability, and to move into new offices in London. More
Australian industry body The Readership Works says it has enhanced its 'emma' readership survey with the addition of social media data. More
US-based web analytics and behavioral targeting firm Lotame has opened an office in Sydney, and appointed Ian Curd as Commercial Director of Australia and New Zealand. More
US digital marketing agency and online buzz measurement specialist iCrossing has introduced an online tool called Responsive Audience Intelligence (ResponsiveAi), to deliver contextually relevant content based on anonymous audience data. More
Detroit, Michigan-based DIY online qual platform Aha! has named co-founder Ray Fischer Chief Executive Officer. More
In the US, recently merged PR software providers Vocus and Cision have acquired social media listening and engagement software specialist Visible Technologies. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In London, sports marketing researcher Repucom has promoted Jon Stainer for the new role of Managing Director of the UK and Ireland. More
In the UK, trade body the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has brought in University of East Anglia (UEA) Psychology Lecturer Dr Simon Hampton, to provide the organisation with a deeper understanding of the latest theories about digital technology and its effect on user behaviour. More
Cross-platform digital media measurement specialist Verto Analytics has raised $2.4m in a second round of funding, which it will use to 'scale up' its cloud-based infrastructure and SaaS-model tools. More
In Australia, Paul Dovas is stepping down as CEO of not-for-profit industry body the AMAA after sixteen years' service in the organisation and its predecessor. The AMAA said he intends to pursue other opportunities in digital media. 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
US-based polling and data analytics company 1World Online has announced its first acquisition. Mexico-based online polling firm Flipter will become 1World's Latin America division, serving both Central and South America. More
Google has acquired mobile opinion polling service Polar, for an undisclosed sum, and will bring its team into its Google+ social network division. More
US technology company Mobile Accord has hired former GfK East Africa MD John Muthee as Vice President of Business Development, Africa, for its real-time mobile survey platform GeoPoll. More
In the US, marketing automation platform Ifbyphone has raised $30m in new funding, and spent some of it on buying Cleveland-based call tracking, measurement and attribution firm Mongoose Metrics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Multi-screen measurement company Specific Media has added Kantar Media and Rentrak set top box (STB) data to its TV Audience Segments (TVAS) solution, to help advertisers with their audience targeting. More
Barcelona-based multimedia software provider Fluendo has acquired sports analysis firm LongoMatch, which offers a cross-platform tool through which users can perform real-time analysis on sports game video feeds. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Netherlands-based online research and marketing analytics firm MetrixLab has opened a new office in Sao Paulo, Brazil, focused on South American regional clients. More
In New York, Nielsen has hired former Accenture exec Benjamin Hayes as Chief Privacy Officer, overseeing its global privacy program. More
Denver-based MR technology firm iModerate has appointed former QualVu MD Julia Eisenberg as Senior Vice President of Client Services, responsible for the day-to-day management of its Client, Moderating, and Technical Services teams. More
Location-based ad targeting specialist xAd has raised $50m through a combination of equity and debt financing led by Institutional Venture Partners (IVP). While the firm says it has no immediate plans for the money, it confirms it is currently evaluating 'strategic acquisitions'. More
Millward Brown has promoted Doreen Wang to the role of Global Head of BrandZ, its high profile brand equity measure. More
US-based Information Services Group (ISG) has announced a partnership with cloud-based technology business management (TBM) software provider Apptio, allowing businesses rapid analysis of operational data to assess the performance of their IT functions and spend. More
In the US, GfK MRI has appointed former Nielsen SVP Dr. Christie Kawada as EVP, Product Management and Innovation. More
Online research tech company uSamp has opened an office in Frankfurt, Germany and hired Susanne Minneker and Catherine Gibbon who will be based there. More
UK television audience body BARB has announced the launch of a new measurement technique, developed with Kantar Media, for panellists' viewing on iPad and Android tablets. More
Survey and reporting software firm Confirmit has launched the Confirmit Panel App, which it says will allow clients to offer a 'seamless mobile experience' to participants in their research and customer panels. More
Digital ad specialist Adknowledge and emotion analytics firm Realeyes have agreed a global partnership, promising advertisers the chance to 'make better ads, put them in more effective places and more accurately analyse performance to improve future campaigns'. More
In New York, MR operations specialist Gazelle Global has announced the launch of a standalone online sample solution, GoSample! More
Berlin-based app analytics and attribution company adjust has raised $7.6m in a series C round of funding, for expansion of its team and technologies, with 50 percent specifically earmarked for the US, Chinese and Japanese markets. 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
Big data analytics platform Teradata has announced the acquisition of Think Big Analytics, a consulting and solutions firm focused on big data. Terms were not disclosed. More
US-based technology market analysis firm Gap Intelligence has acquired specialist forecasting business Quixel Research, with terms not disclosed. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has launched its MMX Multi-Platform and Mobile Metrix products in the Canadian market, providing for the first time what it calls 'a person-level view of Canadians' digital media footprint across platforms'. More
In the US, financial software, data and media company Bloomberg has sold its sports analytics division to sports data and content provider STATS. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
London-based social media analytics firm PeerIndex has launched a crowdfunding campaign, looking to raise $500k for further product development in exchange for a 10% stake in the company. More
WPP marcoms agency JWT has acquired a majority stake in Sao Paulo-based user experience agency Try, also known as Cairos Usabilidade Eireli. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen and GfK have made it to the final round of IAB Australia's tender to measure online audiences across the country for the next three years. More
In the US, social media management specialist Sprinklr has acquired influencer and advocacy marketing platform Branderati. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In London, Millward Brown has appointed consumer brand specialist Robin Wood as Chief Solutions and Marketing Officer. More
San Francisco-based audience measurement and digital advertising technology firm Quantcast has appointed former Google exec Adrian D'Souza as Vice President of Operations. More
Iberian and Latin American online panel provider Netquest has acquired behavioural data collection technology specialist Wakoopa. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Wakoopa is now a fully-owned subsidiary of Netquest. More
Business information provider Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) has appointed AOL's former Global CTO Curtis Brown as Chief Information Officer (CIO), responsible for the firm's portfolio of technology, proprietary data and related intellectual property. More
Social media analytics company NetBase has introduced a new approach called 'Audience Marketing with micro[at]scale', segmenting and then targeting consumers based on their social media interactions and profile. More
Cross-screen data management solutions provider Krux has integrated IP geolocation technology from US firm Digital Element into its services, to help clients segment audiences, geographically target advertising, and localise web site content. 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
SKO, the industry body responsible for the reporting and monitoring of viewing behaviour in the Netherlands, has extended GfK's television audience measurement (TAM) contract by a further two years to 2017. More
Havas China has appointed Bryan Wang as Head of Socialyse, its dedicated social media unit, which creates measureable social media campaigns based on insight derived from consumer data. More
Paris-based ad technology firm Criteo is once again a target for Publicis Groupe, according to unconfirmed rumours last week from sources including French financial daily Les Echos. More
Data driven CRM firm Merkle has appointed three new Vice Presidents: Yaakov Kimelfeld as Chief Research Officer, Digital Media; Karima Zmerli in charge of the firm's digital data strategy; and Zimm Zimmerman as Personalization Solution leader. More
In South Africa, WPP's majority-owned digital agency Aqua has acquired marketing and ecommerce tech company Applogix, whose design and development services are based on UX and user needs research, and web analytics. More
SaaS analytics provider GinzaMetrics has added a new feature, Audience Insights, to its enterprise marketing strategy & SEO platform, tracking competitors' web presence and discovering social networks, offsite content and audience data for competitor sites. More
Recently formed strategic consultancy Millward Brown Vermeer has launched in Australia, and appointed Caspar Wright as Managing Partner there. More
Records leaked by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden have revealed that NSA has built a database called ICREACH, through which intelligence staff from across the US government can access information about private e-mails and phone records from people around the world. More
In the US, image-based social media site Pinterest has updated its analytics tool, to provide businesses with additional insights about their customers' interests. More
Boston-based customer engagement specialist BlueConic has added mobile app listening to its platform, to enable organizations to sync mobile customer data with customer data on the web. 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
Customer intelligence provider Smarter Remarketer has secured another $7m in venture debt financing, which it will use to expand sales and marketing activities. 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 division GroupM has acquired data-driven digital media agency Keyade, whose proprietary software Madmetrics Analytics will be integrated into GroupM France's data, research and planning offerings. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Publicis-owned media services specialist ZenithOptimedia China has appointed former Millward Brown exec Chris Maier as Head of Research and Analytics. More
In Chicago, web based 3-D virtual store research specialist InContext Solutions has received $12m in Series D funding, which it will use to fuel its expansion plans. More
In New York, former Nielsen exec Scott Grunther has joined real-time ad spend data specialist Standard Media Index (SMI) in the newly created role of EVP of Media. More
US-based online research and analytics firm InsightExpress has been acquired by WPP's brand, media and comms research specialist Millward Brown. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
In the UK, former Mindshare CEO Jed Glanvill has been brought in by newspaper industry body Newsworks, to chair an advisory group compiling a brief for a 'future-proof' cross-platform measurement system and approving the appointment of research providers. More
WPP's healthcare data company All Global has been integrated into the group's online panels specialist Lightspeed Research, allowing combined access to general population panels and physician and payor panels. More
In the US, telecoms sector big data analytics specialist Guavus has raised $20m in a round of funding which it will use to further develop its operational intelligence platform and its suite of apps for network, marketing, customer care and security clients. More
Audience research specialist Kantar Media has appointed Carlos Sanchez for a newly created role, Director of Social TV. 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
St Louis, Missouri-based big data analytics firms evolve24 and Sherpa Analytics have merged, promising clients enhanced applications for consumer and market insights, as well as program effectiveness measurement. Terms of the deal were not confirmed. More
In the US, social media big data specialist Polygraph Media has acquired marketing science-based predictive technology firm Offergraph. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, big data analytics company Appuri has raised $261k in investment funding. More
In London, KPMG and Imperial College have partnered to create the 'KPMG Centre for Advanced Business Analytics', fuelled by a $20m investment from the management consulting giant. More
US-based network customer behaviour analyst Empirix has acquired Dublin, Ireland-based Verios Software & Systems, adding to its ability to analyse customer experience of mobile devices. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Global marketers' confidence fell in August despite overall conditions improving across the sector, according to Warc's latest Global Marketing Index (GMI). More
In the US, customer retention specialist Windsor Circle has raised $5.25m in a Series B round of financing, which it will use to extend its technology, launch into new verticals, and expand both its team and marketing efforts. More
Shopper insights specialists Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) is combining its data on what consumers watch and buy, with set-top-box (STB) data from FourthWall Media, in order to extend its single-source panel for CPG marketers. More
GfK is to launch a cross-media and cross-device measurement tool called the 'Crossmedia Visualizer', to help clients understand how individuals use their different devices. More
Nielsen has promoted Steve Hasker to the role of Global President, overseeing its business across the media sector, in addition to leading its product portfolio across both Watch and Buy segments. More
San Francisco-based audience measurement and digital advertising firm Quantcast has promoted former Yahoo! exec Matt White to Managing Director of its UK operation, replacing Phil Macauley who has moved up to the position of EMEA MD. 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
Nielsen has promoted John Lewis to the role of Global President, in charge of its worldwide business in the FMCG vertical. Company veteran Karen Fichuk replaces him as President, North America. More
Retail analytics giant dunnhumby has acquired a 50% stake in consumer behaviour modelling firm Sandtable, and will create a joint venture through which to develop new ways of predicting and understanding consumer behaviour. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Digital data collection specialist Research Now has appointed Nielsen veteran Tom Markert as EVP of Sales and Business Development for the Americas. More
Budapest-based social media insights specialist Replise has made its Mind Radar and Social Scan social media monitoring tools available through the online research 'app store' platform ZappiStore. More
Panel exchange operator Cint has relocated to new premises in Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo, where it has appointed Arianne Dumayas as Project and Customer Support Manager. More
New York-based ad technology firm AppNexus has received a $60m round of funding from an unnamed Boston-based public equity and asset management firm. More
WPP-owned brand development and insight consultancy Added Value has introduced a tracking tool called Activator, which it says delivers 'future focused' brand guidance to clients. More
In the US, customer experience management (CEM) software firm Medallia, which last week partnered with TNS, has received $50m in funding from its existing sole institutional investor, Sequoia Capital. More
India-based GroupM agency Maxus has launched a comms planning tool called Resolve, which uses a bespoke proprietary consumer survey called Compose to examine consumer sentiment towards media channels and their content. More
Emotion analytics specialist Affectiva has developed a 'simple and intuitive' metric linked to its Affdex facial recognition suite. The 'Affdex Score' and associated API allow clients to integrate data on emotional reaction to content into their existing systems. More
In New York, Mediamorph as appointed Rob Gardos as its new CEO. Mike Sid, co-founder of the firm, which provides cross-platform media and entertainment data management and analytics, will take the role of Chief Strategy Officer, focusing on corporate and product strategy. More
In the US, marketing technology firm IgnitionOne has acquired mobile ad targeting specialist Human Demand. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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 the US, Trevor Testwuide and Alison Lohse, who previously worked at marketing intelligence firm Visual IQ, have launched Conversion Logic, a firm specialising in cross-platform video measurement. More
Advertising retargeting firm AdRoll has opened an office in London, where it has appointed former Google exec Michael Bertaut as Managing Director of EMEA Strategic Sales. More
In New York, consumer brand analysis specialist L2 has appointed former Millward Brown President Scott Ernst as Chief Executive Officer. More
In Australia, Roy Morgan Research has introduced a new metric to calculate the 'audience dollar value' (ADV) of newspapers, magazines, TV shows, radio stations and web sites across a range of consumer and business expenditure categories. More
London-based brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners (H&P) has launched a new service called 'Video Selfies', to help capture real-time consumer feedback from its YourWord online community. More
Online research specialist YouGov has promoted Sundip Chahal to the newly created role of Group Chief Operating Officer. More
US industry body the Local Search Association (LSA) has appointed media analyst Greg Sterling as its first Vice President of Strategy & Insights, in charge of a new function designed to identify and analyse industry trends. More
London-based online research 'app store' platform ZappiStore has commenced operations in Singapore and will open an office there in the first week of November. A Boston office will also be opened, later this month. More
Dutch games marketing firm iQU is to acquire Munich-based game analytics company HoneyTracks for an undisclosed sum. More
Ad targeting specialist Criteo has expanded Eric Eichmann's role to that of President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), succeeding Greg Coleman who has left the company to join online news aggregator BuzzFeed. More
Former Arbitron CEO Sean Creamer has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of sports, media and entertainment venue business The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) in New York. He takes up his new role on September 1st. More
Cross-device audience targeting specialist Dstillery has moved its headquarters to a new 30,000 square foot office space in Park Avenue South, New York. 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 New York, ad management platform Sizmek has acquired mobile tracking and retargeting specialist Aerify Media in a cash deal valued at $6.25m. More
US-based marketing personalization firm Sailthru has introduced a system allowing users to connect with consumers with interests similar to those of their existing high value customers, via Facebook Custom Audiences. More
A new service from Twitter promises advertisers the chance to choose their own definition of success, measure performance accordingly, and pay only for the specific results they have selected up-front. More
Ipsos has appointed former Nielsen exec Aldrin Stephen Luiz as Executive Director and Head of its MediaCT business in India, based in the Mumbai office and reporting to MD Amit Adarkar. More
Steve Pogorzelski, former Group President of job board Monster and CEO of marketing analytics platform provider ClickFuel, is to lead sales and marketing enablement and BI solutions provider Avention, Inc., formerly known as OneSource. More
Australian not-for-profit body The Newspaper Works has appointed Brian Rock, formerly of Network Ten, as Research and Insights Manager. More
Movie and TV audience measurement provider Rentrak has announced financial results for the quarter ended June 30th, with total revenue up 34% to $22.3m. Seven eighths of the increase came from the firm's TV Everywhere business, which saw an 84% rise to $10.5m and promises more of the same. More
UK data protection watchdog the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has spoken up in qualified support of the European Court's recent ruling, which it says is not a 'Right to be Forgotten' but a reasonable task for Google to address on a case by case basis. 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
San Francisco-based online ratings firm Quantcast has added a new feature, Audience Interests, to its Quantcast Measure product, making it 'the first free measurement tool to provide mobile app publishers with detailed insight into their audience's Web browsing behavior'. More
Digital ad solutions firm Rocket Fuel Inc. is to acquire New York-based online audience targeting firm [x+1] for a neat $100m in cash plus 5.4m shares of its own common stock, valuing the deal at around $230m. Rocket Fuel also reported second quarter revenue up 70% year-on-year to $92.6m. More
In the US, performance intelligence specialist NetScout Systems has filed a lawsuit against tech research firm Gartner, claiming the latter's 'Magic Quadrant' research rewards companies who buy the firm's services. Gartner says the case is 'completely without merit'. More
DIY online research firm SurveyMonkey has acquired Fluidware, an Ottawa, Canada-based provider of online survey and application review tools. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. More
Tonic Insight, former earlier this year from the merging of Spring Research and its previously online communities division Tuned In Research, has appointed David Miller to head up its New York office as EVP, and promoted Matt Ayers to VP of Client Services. More
In the US, programmatic media-buying specialist ChoiceStream has launched cs.Console, an interactive dashboard and analytics portal for tracking live ad campaigns. More
Social media analytics specialist Visible Technologies has launched a set of geolocation tools which pinpoint specific locations and language segments for marketers wanting to target social media content. More
comScore is to pay an undisclosed sum for MdotLabs, an agency which 'detects non-human traffic' (NHT) - not by watching the skies, but by looking down at some of the murkier practices inflating digital audience figures. The measurement giant, which announced strong growth today, also appointed Mel Wesley as its new CFO. 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
Brazil's Justice Ministry has rebuked the country's largest telecoms company Oi and fined it $1.6m for tracking and targeting-related privacy violations. It's apparently a 'first-of-its-kind' for the country, but it's eerily reminiscent of the first time we heard the name of Oi's partner company, Phorm. More
Digital measurement bigwig comScore has announced results for the second quarter of 2014. As usual, revenue is up significantly - the new figure of $80.0m is 14% higher than Q1 2013. While adjusted EBITDA is up 20% to $16.7m, reported net loss rose to $3.2m on the back of expected losses in a legal settlement. More
South African service business FoneWorx has bought a 35% share in consumer and industrial research specialist BMi Research, as it looks to strengthen its customer consulting business unit Knowledge 350 degrees. 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
In the UK, advertising division Ipsos ASI has announced three senior appointments: Caroline Walker as MD, Paul Edwards as a Non-Executive Director and Lucy Burnham as a team leader. More
GroupM, the global media investment management operation within WPP, has promoted Harvey Goldhersz to the new role of Chief Data Officer and CEO of GroupM Analytics, and Phil Cowdell to replace him North America CEO of its MediaCom subsidiary. More
Manchester, UK-based research agency Join the Dots has reported revenue growth of 16% in the first half of the year, compared with H1 2013. More
WPP division Mindshare has announced an exclusive partnership with big data specialist Crayon Data, whose systems will support its planning, insights and consultancy offerings, with particular emphasis on developing 'Adaptive Marketing'. More
Australian television audience measurement body OzTAM has appointed Padraig O'Donovan in the newly created role of Digital Strategy Director, overseeing the extension of its service to cover viewing on other screens. He was previously Head of Digital Technology at Network Ten. 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 the UK, a House of Lords committee has reported that the ECJ's search engine 'right to be forgotten' ruling is 'unworkable' and says it is 'wrong in principle'; while Google has told the EU that implementing it is a hard task, and has asked for clarification on how it should decide cases. More
German-based consulting firm Simon-Kucher & Partners has reported first half revenue growth of 14 percent to EUR 82.5m, and says it made 80 new hires, raising its headcount to 720. More
US-based digital marketing services firm MediaMath has announced two senior hires in North America - Ross McNab as MD and Jake Engwerda as VP Sales - and the opening of a new office in Sydney, Australia where staff from ad technology company Kinected will join it. More
TokenAds, which provides bespoke advertising solutions for web, social media and mobile games, has launched 'Woobi', a service delivering ads to gamers, tailored according to their profiles and general preferences and delivered at points in the game where they are likely to be receptive. More
Social media analytics firm Brandwatch has announced a new service called Brandwatch Twitter Hindsight, giving access to tweets from the microblogging site's arrival in 2006 right up to the present. 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
US technology research and consulting firm Forrester Research has reported second quarter revenue of $82.9m, up 5% from $79.0m 12 months previously. Revenue for the Research division rose more slowly, up 2% to $52.3m. More
US business information tech firm Innodata has acquired Canadian software provider MediaMiser for $5.38m - comprising $4.10m upfront, and the remainder in deferred payments. More
Emerging markets specialist Borderless Access has launched new panels in Nigeria, Colombia and New Zealand - the last reflecting a new policy of adding panels giving access to 'niche segments within developed countries'. More
Big data analytics company Palantir Technologies has acquired New York-based social media polling start-up Poptip, effective tomorrow. Terms were not disclosed. More
In Beijing, former Nielsen exec René Bos has joined Internet content and app delivery service ChinaCache as Vice President, Global Corporate Development, to lead the company's worldwide marketing initiatives. More
In the US, sentiment and influence analytics specialist Global News Intelligence (GNI) has been acquired by big data technology firm Novetta Solutions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In Australia, industry body The Readership Works and agency partner Ipsos MediaCT have added geo-targeting capabilities to the emma cross-media newspaper and magazine readership survey, to help users with hyper-local marketing and media planning. More
GfK has added three more African countries to its annual 'GfK Roper Reports Worldwide' consumer trends study, allowing businesses to tailor their offerings to specific target markets, geographies and 'psychographic segments' within the continent. More
Nielsen has reported a 15% increase in second quarter 2014 revenue to $1.59bn - excluding acquisitions the figure was still a very respectable 4.4%. Q2 profit fell to $76m from $426m due to fees for re-financing long-term debt, but Adjusted EBITDA was up 16.2% to $460m. More
In the US, multi-platform research technology firm Survey Analytics has acquired remote usability testing specialist TryMyUI, for an undisclosed sum. 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
Slovakian TV audience measurement steering committee PMT has renewed its contract with Kantar Media for the provision of audience measurement services. Kantar-owned TNS will manage the service until 2021. 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 the US, online sample and research operations company Market Cube has appointed Ted Pulsifer as a Partner in its Charleston, SC-based office. More
Professional services firm Ernst & Young (EY) is to acquire Australian full service agency Sweeney Research. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In New York, media and entertainment giant NBCUniversal has formed an Advertising Sales Research and Strategy division, to be led by newly promoted EVP Katie Larkin. More
Ad technology firm Criteo has enhanced its platform to enable advertisers to target consumers with individually personalized ads in 'more than 130 countries.' More
In the US, text analytics specialist Synapsify has raised an additional $850k in growth funding, and has launched its first web-based 'virtual analyst' product, Synapsify Core. More
Global media auditor BPA Worldwide has been approved as a verification provider to the Digital Trade Standards Group (DTSG), developed by UK-based JICWEBS to ensure independent comparability of web measurement. More
In Tel Aviv, tech industry execs Steve Glanz, Jonathan Seidner and Ron Reiter have set up a multi-screen tracking company called Crosswise, offering a 'data only' cross-device identification solution for use exclusively by other ad tech companies. More
In London, Kantar has invested an undisclosed amount in self-service online research 'app store' platform ZappiStore. More
Marketron, which develops business software for the media industry, has launched a mobile ad targeting solution, allowing users to send relevant communications to consumers based on their exact location. More
Panel exchange operator Cint has announced an API collaboration with Ghent, Belgium-based online specialist InSites Consulting, which will add access to an initial 1.5 million European and LATAM respondents across 50 countries to the former's OpinionHUB platform. More
European online behavioural targeting technology firm nugg.ad has opened an office in Milan, where it has appointed Enrico Ciampini as Country Director. More
US-based digital marketing services firm MediaMath has opened a new office in Paris, France, from where it plans to build on its existing presence across the EMEA region. 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
Morocco's joint industry committee CIAUMED has awarded GfK a contract to deliver an electronic TV audience measurement (TAM) service. The agency has also won an extension of its radio audience contract in Switzerland. More
The MRA's Research Industry Index study (RII) has maintained a score of 100 or higher for four straight quarters, for the first time since its launch in 2007. According to the MRA, this is a strong indication that the industry has recovered from the recession. More
In India, Nielsen/Kantar joint venture TAM Media Research has launched a mobile app called 'TAM India', which will provide subscribers with access to weekly top line television audience measurement (TAM) data on their iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices. More
New York-based media and comms company Water Cooler Group (WCG) has acquired digital media and analytics agency JubaPlus. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
US-based MediaMath, which offers tools for digital ad buying, data management and other aspects of digital marketing, is to relocate its New York teams to a 106,000 square foot space in the 4 World Trade Center building (4 WTC) in Manhattan. More
Online MR software company Confirmit has launched a new solution called 'Confirmit Genius' for text and social media analytics. More
Yahoo! has acquired US app measurement and advertising platform Flurry, in line with its declared intention to build and support 'useful, inspiring, and beautiful' mobile apps and monetization solutions. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
WPP, Kantar and TRA have jointly agreed not to go to court over the last outstanding claim in their three-year legal wrangle. A case which began with allegations of stealing trade secrets and deterring potential investors was concluded with the payment of one dollar in nominal damages over breach of contract. More
Nielsen is integrating RDA Research's geoTribes segmentation tool into its Consumer and Media Insights (CMI) service, to provide a 360 degree view of the New Zealand consumer. More
Ad targeting firm Intent Media has closed a $22.7m Series C financing round, which it will use to fuel its global expansion plans. More
Nielsen has teamed up with marketing modelling specialist Pointlogic, to develop 'next-generation' media planning and inventory management solutions for ads across TV, online and mobile. More
Kantar Worldpanel has added to its new presence in Africa with the launch of a consumer panel in Egypt, covering both urban and rural areas and with the first data available in January 2015. 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
Manchester, UK-based agency Join the Dots has appointed Jane Dugdale, formerly of Colgate-Palmolive and Kimberly-Clark Europe, as a Research Director; and David Waring as an AD. Three other recent hires have also been announced. More
Australian-based insights consultancy Fiftyfive5 has appointed former Clear MD Alan King for a newly created Director role. More
NYC-based digital ad management company Sizmek has unveiled a tool providing an integrated view of campaign performance measurement, integrating data from comScore's vCE and Nielsen's Online Campaign Ratings. More
Nashville, US-based 20|20 Research has launched Affdex Discovery Online, an adapted version of Affectiva's emotion insights tool, which it says will 'take facial coding literally anywhere there is a computer with a webcam and the Internet'. More
In the USA, AOL-owned video ad platform Adap.tv has been granted a patent which it says 'advances the development of data-driven video across digital and TV.' 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
San Francisco-based ad platform AdRoll has launched a self-serve Twitter-retargeting service, available through its dashboard. 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 Australia, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has shortlisted three agencies to challenge incumbent Nielsen for its three-year online audience measurement contract. More
UK-based media and marketing insights specialist Ebiquity has reported total revenue growth of 8% at constant currency - reported revenue was up 7.2% to £68.5m (2013: £64.0m). The firm has also announced a business restructure. More
Social media analytics firm NetBase has completed a new $15.2m round of funding, which it will use for company expansion and to bring 'more innovative' social media monitoring and analysis products to market. More
Tokyo-based Research Panel Asia (RPA) has partnered with mobile rewards platform YOYO Holdings to offer panel coverage in the Philippines and additional access to panellists across Indonesia. 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
Online research technology company uSamp has introduced a new system called Instant.ly Concept Test (ICT), which it says will help consumer packaged goods brands and retailers screen new product ideas faster and more cost-effectively. More
Nielsen has opened an office in Qingdao, in Eastern China, to support clients based in the coastal cities of eastern Shandong Province. More
UK-based digital PR agency Prompt has launched a social media division and service called Prompt Social, through which it will analyze online discussions and provide guidance relating to customers, competitors, and target audiences. More
Asia Market Development (AMD) has partnered with online community specialist Passenger to launch a research-based community called ECHO, comprising 4,000 consumers across China. More
The High Court in Delhi has once again adjourned Kantar Media Research's appeal against new government guidelines imposed on its TAM TV audience measurement service. The case will now be heard on 26th August. More
In the UK, WPP-owned Kantar Media has segmented data from its TGI consumer insight tool to make available a new range of pre-defined groups of consumers called TGI Standard Audiences, which can be used by advertisers to inform the programmatic trading and delivery of online advertising. More
In New York, Nielsen has appointed Andrew McCaskill as Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, with global responsibility for the firm's corporate media relations efforts. More
Nielsen is planning to recruit more than 500 employees for its Dallas call center, which was previously owned by radio ratings giant Arbitron (now Nielsen Audio); and 200 staff for its call center in San Antonio, which is being expanded to accommodate them. More
The UK's newspaper industry is to appoint a strategy consultant to advise on the building of an audience measurement system to reflect the way people now read newspapers - across print, laptops, tablets and mobile. More
Nielsen has launched a tool called Omni Channel, integrating its own data with that of e-Commerce giant Alibaba to provide clients with a combined view of Chinese consumers' online and off-line buying behavior. More
In the US, Peter Wooster, the Chief Revenue Officer of marketing analytics and campaign management firm Marin Software, is leaving the company to 'pursue other opportunities'. As a result, the sales management team will now report to CEO David Yovanno. More
Stichting KijkOnderzoek (SKO), the industry body responsible for the reporting and monitoring of viewing behaviour in the Netherlands, has awarded WPP firms Kantar Media and TNS NIPO a four-year contract for the provision of cross platform ratings across the country. More
US-based social media analysis specialist Wayin has raised another $13.1m in investment funding, which it will use to expand its reach to TV networks, brands, agencies and publishers around the globe, and to ramp up engineering to support its technology. 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
Global consumer insights and marketing analytics provider MetrixLab has appointed digital and media research specialist Angela Morgans as Managing Director in the UK. More
San Francisco-based app analytics platform provider Keen IO has raised $11.3m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to establish a marketing budget, move into its own office, and expand its team. More
In the US, natural language processing specialist Attensity has received a patent for an unstructured sentiment analysis solution developed by its subsidiary Biz360. More
Targeting technology company RTB House, which specializes in online personalization strategies, has appointed three regional directors - two of whom previously worked for audience measurement specialist Gemius. More
UK-based business information and services firm Progressive Digital Media Group has acquired CurrentAnalysis; a consultancy which provides market intelligence to IT and telecoms professionals. The cash deal is valued at $19.6m payable on completion. 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
Canadian survey sample and panel technology firm WiseSample has relocated to bigger premises in downtown Toronto, in preparation for a recruitment drive across several areas of the business. More
Kantar Media has rolled out its FishEye social media monitoring and analytics solutions to the Irish market. More
Media analytics strategist Dana Chinn has been named Director of Norman Lear Center's Media Impact Project (MIP); an initiative for collecting, developing and analysing approaches for measuring the social impact of the media. More
Chinese microblogging service Weibo has announced a partnership with Kantar-backed TV and radio audience measurement firm CSM Media Research, to develop a system for evaluating the impact of social media on TV audiences. More
Facebook has paid 'between $400m and $500m' for video ad targeting specialist LiveRail. More
Decision science and data analytics firm Mu Sigma has acquired Singapore-based social media analytics firm Webfluenz for an undisclosed sum. More
In South Africa, media monitoring specialist Tonya Khoury is launching a company called ROi Africa, offering technology for big content management and measurement, along with cross-media trend spotting. More
In the US, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) have created a tool called Encore, to monitor the accessibility of web pages around the world, determine what's being blocked, and identify ways to get around restricted access. More
German TV ad tracking specialist wywy has completed its acquisition of New York-based ad technology and analytics specialist SecondScreen Networks, as it looks to expand its own operations into the US market. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
In the US, text analytics company Luminoso has secured $6.5m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use for further development of cloud-based technology analysing large volumes of unstructured online text. More
Twitter is to acquire New York-based mobile ad retargeting and re-engagement advertising specialist TapCommerce, in a deal reported to be worth around $100m. 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
Ad targeting and analytics technology firm Adelphic has partnered with location analytics specialist Factual, to offer location-based targeting to mobile users. More
Ogilvy Public Relations Australia has launched a proprietary measurement system called Impact4, which combines predictive analytics, statistical outcome modelling, and integrated search optimisation. More
London-based mobile research and sample specialist On Device Research has appointed former SPA Future Thinking exec William Ullstein as Commercial Director. More
Mobile display ad specialist Celtra has expanded its proprietary AdCreator tool, to provide viewability metrics across both in-app and mobile web environments. 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
Kantar has acquired data visualization and interactive specialist Guardian Digital Agency from its parent company Guardian News & Media. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
UK data regulator The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is planning to investigate Facebook's recent psychological experiment, in which the firm manipulated users' news feeds to assess the impact on the mood of their subsequent posts. 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
Global marcoms network Publicis Groupe has set up a new digital agency called ROAR, offering a full range of user experience, strategy, creative, media and analytics services. More
Online media checking firm DoubleVerify claims to have uncovered an online video ad impression laundering scheme, involving more than 500 sites and impacting over 1% of all video ad impressions across the Internet. 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
Sampling and data collection firm SSI has appointed Mark Lepine as Managing Director for the Asia Pacific region, with responsibility for all sales and operations across Australia, New Zealand, China, India, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia. More
Multi-screen measurement firm Rentrak has announced that former Harte-Hanks CEO Richard Hochhauser is stepping down from its Board of Directors on August 13th. More
Netherlands-based community research software provider CMNTY has opened an office in London, and has appointed Alastair Macmillan to lead it. More
Online ad personalisation specialist Phorm has published audited final results for the year ended 31st December 2013, showing another massive operating loss, this time $35.1m dollars on turnover of just $280k. 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
TV audience measurement body TAM Ireland has set out its plans for the extension of its measurement services over the next few years, including its intention 'to measure all forms of viewing across all devices by 2017'. More
Tokyo-based Research Panel Asia (RPA) has added another Asian panel, this time in Singapore. More
Search giant Yahoo! has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its 'Prime View' ad impression viewability methodology, which the firm says ensures that advertisers only pay for display ads that people actually see. More
Innovate, the on-demand panels and sample company launched recently by uSamp founders Matt Dusig and Gregg Lavin, has hired Lisa Wilding-Brown as EVP of Global Operations, based in Dallas, Texas; and Amanda Keller as Senior Director of Global Project Management, based in Encino, CA. More
Big data analytics tool provider Rhiza, Israeli predictive analytics company Rewardpod and Denver-based 'social intelligence company' Wayin have all announced new investments, ranging from $1m to $12.1m. More
Independent San Francisco-based TV station KTSF has become the first to have TV viewing via mobiles added into its ratings figures courtesy of Nielsen's SDK and its recent deal with tech firm Syncbak. More
Mobile app attribution and analytics company adjust has opened a new Asia and Middle East headquarters in Istanbul, which it says will support operations and drive rapid growth. Chief Revenue Officer Hendrik Volp will lead the office. More
Netherlands audience measurement association SKO has announced a new contract with Kantar Media Audiences, allowing the measurement of commercials on a wide range of digital platforms and establishing 'a marketwide, transparent, manageable standard'. More
Redwood City, CA-based ThoughtSpot has raised $30m in funding to grow its search-based business intelligence offering. More
Denver-based Lehman Gates Executive Search has launched a specialist predictive analytics recruitment firm, Business Intelligence Recruiting Group (BIRG). More
Audience Partners, an ad technology firm focused on political and health care clients, has appointed Dave Helmreich as its new Chief Exec, with Jeff Dittus moving to the role of Chairman, and current Chairman and co-founder Rich Masterson taking a new role focused on Corporate Development. More
Canadian broadcast measurement body BBM Canada has changed its name to Numeris. More
Cello's social media intelligence division Pulsar has launched a customer care and publishing platform called FLOW and a social media enterprise analytics tool called TEAM. More
Australian industry body The Readership Works has enhanced its 'emma' readership survey with the addition of a new engagement metric, designed to demonstrate a reader's unique relationship with specific printed newspapers - including regional dailies - and magazines. More
Tokyo-based Research Panel Asia (RPA) has launched an Indonesian panel, accessed through its recently launched online SOP platform. More
Former Vovici Chairman and CEO Greg Stock has joined IT monitoring and analytics software provider Zenoss as Chief Executive Officer, replacing co-founder Bill Karpovich who will remain on the firm's Board of Directors. More
Canadian polling firm Leger has appointed retail expert and academic Professor Jacques Nantel as University Associate and Executive Vice President, Consumer Insights. More
In the UK, 'destination management firm' Indestinate has been named one of the five winners of a contest run by government body IC tomorrow, for a platform using near real-time and historic location data to deliver personalised travel experiences. More
WPP-owned firm The Data Alliance has partnered with location analytics specialist Factual, giving WPP group companies access to data that maps the known location of mobile phones to physical places, including more than 65 million businesses in 50 countries. More
In the US, multi-screen audience measurement firm Rentrak has been asked by the Media Rating Council (MRC) to stop using the term 'census-like' to describe its national and local television measurement services. More
Community panel specialist Verve has opened a dedicated survey programming office in Iași, Romania, headed by Senior Survey Programmer Eugen Tuchendria. More
Taiwan-based cross-screen advertising technology firm Appier has completed a $6m Series A round of funding, for use in research and development, sales and marketing. More
Spanish-language broadcasting group Univision Communications has fired an executive at its KSCA-FM (101.9) station in Los Angeles for using a number of Nielsen's Portable People Meters (PPM) to inflate audience ratings. More
US-based online community specialist Passenger has launched the 'FUEL Community Engine', a platform designed to nurture dialogue with community members, clients and employees. 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
Former Google Advertising Research Director Gunnard Johnson has joined digital media software specialist Centro as Senior Vice President of Data and Analytics, tasked with creating a new division focused on audience measurement and advanced analytics solutions. More
Tonic Insight has promoted Anna Wills to the role of Managing Director UK, and Lucie Holliday to that of Group Director, Research & Innovation. More
Tokyo-based Research Panel Asia (RPA) has launched a Vietnam panel, accessed through its recently launched online SOP platform. 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
WPP-owned Kantar Media has rolled out its TGI (Target Group Index) consumer insights business in the US. More
In the US, The NPD Group has promoted Steve Coffey from Chief Research Officer to the newly created position of Chief Innovation Officer. More
UK-based independent communications company Engine Group has acquired youth consumer insights and consulting firm The Intelligence Group (IG) from Creative Artists Agency (CAA). The company will be merged with Engine's creative and consumer engagement agency Noise. More
Facebook has announced that it will begin tracking users' behaviour on other web sites as well as its own, in order to target advertising more effectively. An opt-out will be available, in addition to the option to see why an ad has been served, and to edit one's own advertising profile. More
In Australia, marketing and sales services company Crossmark has launched Shopper Republic, a specialist shopper marketing division focused on global insights and 'deep retailer collaboration'. More
London-based mobile research and sample specialist On Device Research has hired former Ipsos director Nader Kobeissi as Managing Director for the MENA region, launching the company's new Dubai office. More
Nokia has announced plans to acquired real-time predictive analytics specialist Medio Systems, which it will integrate with its location intelligence firm HERE. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Media monitoring firm TrendKite has closed a $3.2m Series A round of funding, which it will invest in its big data processing infrastructure, and expansion of its sales team. The firm has also appointed former Dachis Group CTO Erik Huddleston as Chief Executive Officer. More
US-based cross-media analytics firm MarketShare has appointed former GfK Panel Services MD Lucien van der Hoeven as EVP for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). More
In the US, mystery shopping app provider Mobee has launched a retail intelligence dashboard, using crowdsourced data to help users assess their in-store product and marketing performance. More
Bangalore-based digital CRM firm Vizury has raised $16m in Series C funding, which it will use to drive big data product innovation across its mobile and cross-channel propositions, scale operations in existing markets, and possibly for expansion to the US. 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
Digital video ad network CScreens has launched a new eye tracking tool to measure who is looking at advertising across multiple outdoor formats, such as billboards, and ads at events and in pubs. More
In the US, consumer data management specialist Krux has raised $35m in Series B funding, which it will use to expand its global sales and support teams, and for research and development initiatives. More
In London, Fox International has promoted Christian Brent to the newly created role of Senior Vice President of Global Research and Audience Strategy for Fox International Channels (FIC). More
Online behavioral analysis firm WibiData has launched a new platform called WibiRetail, to enable retailers to personalize 'every' interaction with their customers in real-time. 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
In London, online specialist YouGov has promoted Paul Marshall to Director in the Media & Technology team, and Simon Mottram to Lead Consulting Director. In addition, James Starkie has re-joined the firm as Business Development Consultant in the Reputation team. More
In the US, television industry trade association TVB has appointed media research veteran Hadassa Gerber as Senior Vice President, Chief Research Officer. More
Iberian and Latin American online panel specialist Netquest has opened an office in Lisbon, from where it plans to work more closely with the Portuguese research community and develop its business in the country. More
Kantar Media has acquired a majority stake in Precise Media Group Holdings Limited, which provides monitoring and evaluation services to the PR and communications industries. The price and details of the percentage of shares bought have not been disclosed. More
Four weeks on from the European Court's landmark decision granting individuals a 'right to be forgotten' in search results, Google says it is receiving about 10,000 requests for removal each day; and will reportedly flag up removed items in searches, as well as reporting regularly on their total volume. More
Apple has hinted that its forthcoming iOS 8 operating system may make it impossible for analytics companies to track iPhone and iPad users in (real-world) retail stores. More
Social media tracker Socialbakers has acquired EdgeRank Checker, a company focused on analysing Facebook's NewsFeed. Terms were not disclosed. More
Seattle, US-based location analytics specialist Placed has raised $10m in a series B round of venture capital, and says it will use the funds to expand its suite of location insights and mobile ad intelligence products. More
Former TNS exec James Fergusson has launched a mobile and digital insights agency, Mobile Digital Indaba (MDI), based in Melbourne, Australia and already with offices in Singapore and Cape Town, South Africa. More
Nielsen is once again the 'official market research supplier' for an Olympic Games, adding Rio 2016 to London 2012 and Beijing 2008. More
Delvinia, the parent company of AskingCanadians, is expanding its leadership team with four senior promotions; and has taken over neighbouring office space to double its capacity. More
US-based Curalate, which analyses image-based social media, has raised more than $8.5m in a second round of funding, and says it will be used for taking on staff, marketing and accelerated product development. More
US-based retail price comparison and online ad service Shopzilla is combining its AisleA and BizRate Insights services along with other elements in its portfolio into a new division, which will take the name Connexity from the media buying platform is acquired earlier this year. More
Big data giant Cloudera, which two months ago announced a massive $740m in financing from chip maker Intel, has acquired a data security start-up, Gazzang, for an undisclosed sum. More
London-based Voodoo Research has appointed former Millward Brown exec Alex Duckett as a Junior Partner, as it continues to grow its quantitative offering. More
This week sees the launch of the 'first ever' overnight television ratings service in a number of African markets. Mobile survey platform GeoPoll will bring the data to countries including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda in time for the viewing and advertising bonanza of the World Cup. More
Trading solutions provider and online ad marketplace AppNexus has announced the acquisition of French firm Alenty, which specialises in online ad viewability. More
European-based MR and online loyalty specialist Maximiles is to rebrand as Bilendi, 'putting data insights firmly at the centre of its two core activities' as it looks to double the size of its research arm by 2016. More
California-based ThinkNow Research has launched an online Spanish language ad testing platform, assessing 15- and 30-second television ads and linked to a normative database. 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
Mobile survey technology provider OnePoint Global is launching an app giving researchers access to regular mobile survey ideas from around the world. More
Multi-screen audience measurement specialist Rentrak has reported a 40% rise in Q4 revenue to $21.6m, mainly driven by its TV Everywhere measurement segment, where revenue nearly doubled to $10m. For the full year 2014, revenue was up 33% to $75.6m. More
comScore is putting up $14m to settle claims that the firm collects personal and confidential information - such as credit card numbers, passwords and Social Security numbers - from consumers' computers without their knowledge. More
Facebook has acquired Finnish mobile data firm Pryte, whose patent-pending technology measures real-time user activity, including app use, to trigger marketing and charging activity. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, ad technology audit specialist ImServices Group has been merged into The Alliance of Audited Media, enhancing its range of digital ad measurement services. The merged body has immediately launched a new service for companies preparing for MRC or IAB certification. 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
US-based MediaMath, which offers tools for digital ad buying, data management and other aspects of digital marketing, has raised $73.5m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to fuel global expansion. More
Gartner has announced that its Chief Financial Officer Chris Lafond is leaving the company at the end of the month to 'pursue other opportunities', and will be replaced by Craig Safian, who currently serves as Group VP of Global Finance. More
In New York, online research and technology specialist Toluna has promoted John Bremer to Group Chief Research and Strategy Officer. More
Webcam-enabled focus group provider FocusVision Worldwide has acquired US-based research tool developer Revelation Global. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has announced it will stop its political polling in Australia at the end of July, specifically the monthly Fairfax Nielsen Poll, which has been running for the past nineteen years. More
In the US, marketing analytics and campaign management firm Marin Software has acquired retargeting firm Perfect Audience in a cash and stock deal valued at $25.5m. More
In the UK, full service agency Relish Research has appointed three new London members of staff, bringing the company's team to 26 across its two offices. More
Enterprise data and analytics company Acxiom has sold its UK call centre outsourcing operation 2Touch, to European business process outsourcing provider Parseq. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
George Terhanian has left Toluna to join consumer specialist The NPD Group in the newly created role of Group President and Chief Research and Analytics Officer. More
Global online sample aggregator EMI Research Solutions has opened its first European office, in London. More
US ad analytics and trading tools provider Yieldex has opened of an office in London, and appointed ad industry veterans Mark Williams and Nigel Edmund-Jones to kick-start its European business. More
WPP-owned marcoms group Young & Rubicam (Y&R) has promoted Michael Sussman to the position of President of its research arm BAV Worldwide. More
NYC-based digital ad technology platform Magnetic has acquired site optimization and retargeting provider Cognitive Match, with which it has been partnering on campaigns for more than two years. More
Google has settled the majority of the legal suits regarding its scanning of gmail messages for targeting purposes. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. One case, concerning a 16-year-old gmail user, remains on the list, scheduled for an October hearing. More
Joanna Fanuele has rejoined the US team of brand and comms research group Hall & Partners, in the role of Global Strategic Partner. More
User Experience (UX) specialist AnswerLab has launched UXimpact, a solution for improving user experience of digital properties and measuring the resulting business impact. More
Following weeks of speculation, Apple has paid $3 billion to acquire audio specialist Beats Electronics, and its subscription-based online music streaming service Beats Music, which combines algorithm-based personalization with expert music suggestions. More
US-based online / off-line purchasing data firm Datalogix has closed a $45m round of funding, which it will use to finance the expansion of its suite of audience and measurement products. More
Multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has partnered with Republican-focused online advertising, fundraising, e-mail marketing, and data management firm Targeted Victory, to target likely voters based on their off-line viewing habits. More
Nielsen has announced three appointments for senior communications roles, including Ben Billingsley and Flavie Lemarchand-Wood to leadership positions in its Global Watch division, and Kristie Stegen in an expanded role as Global Head of Internal Communications. More
Newcastle and London-based creative, technology and insights specialist d.fferento/ogy has appointed James Dickie as Head of Research. More
NYC-based television ad targeting company Simulmedia has appointed former Forrester Research exec David Cooperstein as Chief Marketing Officer. More
GfK has increased its stake in UK-based Genius Digital, to become the TV viewer data specialist's majority shareholder. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has reached a settlement agreement with Jacksonville-based Renda Broadcasting, which Arbitron had accused of using its radio ratings information without paying. More
App store analytics and market intelligence specialist App Annie has made its first acquisition, buying Amsterdam-based rival Distimo for an undisclosed amount of cash and equity. App Annie has also raised $17m in a new round of funding. More
Don Elgie, the founder and former Group CEO of UK-based insight and communications group Creston, has joined social media management agency Emoderation as Non-Executive Chair. More
Online sampling and research technology company uSamp has appointed industry veteran Joe Jordan as Vice President, Panel Operations, with a focus on mobile. More
Chris Modzelewski, the founder of online audience research specialist Gemius S.A., has joined New York-based digital media measurement company Verto Analytics as Chief Research Officer. Separately, Timo Smura has joined the firm in Finland, as Head of Research and Analytics. More
Machine data analytics specialist Sumo Logic has raised $30m in a funding round, and will use it for geographic expansion into the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions. More
Stockholm-based customer intelligence integrator Innometrics has moved to larger offices in central London. More
New York-based mobile advertising specialist Human Demand has acquired the mobile targeting dataset developed by Israeli audience segmentation firm eDealya. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based fieldwork group Schlesinger Associates has appointed former Nielsen Global Panel Leader Jade Landfried as Chief Technology Officer. More
US-based web site tag management specialist Ensighten - whose system simplifies third-party services for web analytics, advertising and content targeting - has opened an office in Sydney, Australia. More
Kantar-owned research technology and panels firm GMI (Global Market Insite) has opened a new office in Frankfurt, and appointed Key Account Director Norman-René Schwalme to lead it. More
Brighton, UK-based social media monitoring and analytics specialist Brandwatch has raised $22m in growth funding, and says it will double its product and engineering teams, accelerate development of its platforms and continue with international expansion. More
In the US, social media analytics specialist NUVI has moved Chairman and co-founder Keith Nellesen to the role of Chief Executive Officer, replacing David Oldham, who takes a seat on the firm's Board of Directors. More
Online intelligence solutions provider Meltwater has acquired Canadian online content analytics firm Strategic Planner. 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 US, Massachusetts-based station Channel 5 has taken the unusual step of writing to its advertisers to blame Nielsen for its 'puzzling ratings decline' in recent months. Reports suggest Nielsen has acknowledged a problem with sampling and is at work to redress it. 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
UK agency Bonamy Finch has launched a free app, 'SigTester', allowing a rapid assessment of whether results are statistically significant. It can also be used to estimate confidence intervals and sample size requirements. More
Venerable online giant AOL has announced the acquisition of TV audience targeting provider PrecisionDemand, via its Adap.tv division, as it looks to strengthen its offer to marketers looking for cross-platform reach and measurement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Data mining and semantic analytics provider Attensity, which announced $90m in equity financing last week, has hired Frank Brown as CFO, Martin Onofrio as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and Tommy Hawkins as VP, Development. More
Millward Brown has agreed to acquire its Romanian partner agency Daedalus Consulting S.R.L., along with its wholly-owned subsidiary Visionwise Consulting, for an undisclosed sum. The firms will now become Millward Brown Romania. 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
Software giant SAP is to acquire SeeWhy, a provider of cloud-based behavioral targeting solutions with offices in the UK and US. The buy will enhance SAP's hybris real-time personalised marketing platform. More
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has hinted that it will push for stronger data security laws, and does not believe that self-regulation by the online advertising industry will prove sufficient. More
Technology publisher IDG Enterprise is expanding its Premium Data Services suite, to allow segmentation and targeting of tech decision-makers using a combination of its own and third-party data. Farrah Forbes has been promoted to lead the firm's data strategy. More
In Australia, media intelligence group iSentia - formerly known as Media Monitors - is headed for a June IPO which it hopes will raise $AUD 283.5m. Funds will help consolidate market positions and continue growth in Australia and New Zealand, and in South East and East Asia. More
Facebook and advertising giant Publicis have reportedly agreed a c.$500m multi-year partnership, to develop ad targeting and measurement products - including the integration of Facebook's data into Publicis' media and mix modeling platform. 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
Stockholm-based panel exchange operator Cint has boosted its UK customer service and sales teams with three new hires and the promotion of Jane Attale (nee Mills) to the leadership role of UK Sales Director. More
Millward Brown has appointed Jérome Simulin to the new position of SVP, Strategic Client Growth, Europe, based in Paris. Simulin was previously SVP of Europe for marketing tech firm Affinnova, helping to launch and grow its European business. More
Ipsos' MediaCT division, which specialises in measuring how consumers use and respond to media across different platforms, has opened a Data Science Hub in London. The new initiative is led by Neil Farrer, who takes on the role of Chief Data Science Officer. More
US marketing tech firm Lionbridge Technologies has acquired Costa Rican digital marketing services agency Darwin Zone, which provides research and analytics in addition to SEO and social media services. The cash deal was valued at c.$2.4m. More
Kantar Media-owned digital marketing intelligence specialist AdGooroo has opened an office in London, adding to support for its client base of advertisers and agencies across the UK. More
In the US, polling and real-time insights platform CivicScience has rolled out a new forecasting methodology called 'Expectation Science', to help make predictions about consumer markets and media consumption. More
City events publisher Time Out Group has acquired Hugecity, which mines Facebook event, friend and location data to deliver personalised event information to users' laptops, tablets and mobile phones. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Click With Me Now - which provides data about how people engage with web sites - has raised $2.25m in investment funding from a group of unnamed private investors, and has appointed former Disney CTO Bud Albers as Chief Executive Officer. More
Digital audience profiling specialist Effective Measure has launched a tool called EM Mobile, to provide businesses with better understanding of their mobile users, and a mobile and tablet app through which clients can gain real-time access to their survey and campaign-related data. More
WPP-owned direct and interactive marketing network OgilvyOne has appointed Olivier Janus as Head of Data UK, in charge of the Data Services team in the country. More
Ditto Labs, which mines photos on social media sites to help brands understand target audiences, has raised $2.2m in new funding. 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
Enterprise data and analytics company Acxiom has agreed to acquire privately held customer data 'onboarding' specialist LiveRamp for around $310m in cash. It has also announced flat fiscal year 2014 revenue, at c.$1.1bn, and forecasts a 5% drop in fiscal 2015 as it exits its analog paper survey business in Europe. More
WPP's marketing communications agency Grey has agreed to acquire a majority stake in South African advertising and communications company The Volcano Group, whose services include insight generation in addition to advertising, PR, digital and social media consultancy. More
Crowdsourced brand and product innovation specialist Chaordix has acquired Colorado-based crowdsourcing technology provider Napkin Labs. More
Adobe has upgraded its Media Optimizer platform to include new predictive modeling algorithms helping clients optimize campaigns in real-time across search, social media and display. 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
Customer data pioneer dunnhumby has teamed up with BSkyB's customer intelligence business Sky IQ to what the firms describe as 'the largest panel of viewing and shopping insight in the UK', offering clients new ad targeting possibilities. More
The Czech Association for Internet Advertising (SPIR) has renewed its contract with Polish company Gemius as the official provider of internet research in the Republic, for another two years from January 2015. 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
London-based IFF Research has added two more new directors: Pamela Bremner will strengthen the firm's work in the employment & benefits and health & lifestyle sectors, while Danny Millar joins as Interviewing Services Director. More
Cello's Health Insight division has launched two new mobile apps designed to provide richer, more relevant quant and qual data. Respondents including patients, healthcare professionals, payors and pharma field forces can include images and record videos as part of their feedback. More
'Socially intelligent' researcher Face, part of the Cello Group, has recruited two senior execs from M&C Saatchi brand agency Clear: James Hirst, as London-based Global Business Development Director, and Sofia Mavros, based in Hong Kong in the role of Research Director of the Asia team. More
Following news earlier in the week of job cuts in Florida, Nielsen is reportedly to close its call center operations in Columbia, Maryland, with the loss of 325 jobs; and in Radcliff, Kentucky, shedding 237. More
Facebook has launched a new tool called Audience Insights, as part of its Ads Manager service, offering marketers help in tailoring their messages to current and potential customers across its network. More
Digital audience measurement specialist comScore has announced that its Chief Financial Officer, Kenneth Tarpey, will retire in August this year. The firm is currently seeking a successor. More
In the US, online research specialist iModerate has expanded its research suite to offer its clients full-service, private bulletin boards, powered by its proprietary cognitive framework ThoughtPath. More
The Omnicom-Publicis merger has been called off. Unforeseen complexities had slowed the progress of the $35bn deal (£20.65bn) to the point where the two parties apparently felt it was distracting and unsettling their businesses. Publicis CEO Maurice Lévy has also suggested it was becoming an Omnicom takeover. More
Research and advisory firm Information Services Group (ISG) has announced results for the quarter ended March 31st. Revenues slid 5% to $48.2m (reported and constant currency), with a sharp rise in Europe (up 15% to $19.8m) more than counterbalanced by falls of 14-15% in the Americas and Asia Pacific. More
Yahoo! has joined Google in expressing its frustration at the lack of progress on industry standards for Do Not Track requests (DNT), and is withdrawing the option for users to opt out of advertiser tracking in their browser settings. More
California-based online media platform blinkx plc has acquired LYFE Mobile, which offers a mobile Demand Side Platform (DSP) and Data Management Platform (DMP), in an all cash transaction. More
Geo-location focused mobile marketing platform LiveDeal, which enables restaurants to publish real-time instant offers to nearby consumers, has acquired discounted retail products and services platform DealTicker. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
North Tyneside, UK-based Ebiquity has acquired the remaining minority share in its US subsidiary, Billetts America LLC, from the firm's Chairman. More
Nielsen is closing Scarborough Research's call center in Sarasota, Florida, making 220 employees redundant by the end of September. 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
Google has acquired ad tracking company Adometry for an undisclosed sum, as it looks to extend its own web measurement and analysis service. More
Online news and content provider AOL has acquired attribution modeling and marketing analytics technology specialist Convertro, in a deal valued at approximately $101m. More
In the US, big data firm HG Data, which offers targeting of businesses according to the technology they use, has raised $2m in additional Series A funding. The money will be used for international expansion and the recruitment of new engineers and data scientists. More
In the US, cross-media video advertising solutions provider Extreme Reach has acquired video ad intelligence specialist BrandAds, promising its clients real-time video ad measurement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Walmart's technology innovation division @WalmartLabs has acquired ad tech and product data specialist Adchemy, bringing new expertise in areas such as semantic search, data analytics and marketing to its team. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Brand engagement and communications research specialist Hall & Partners has relocated its global headquarters within London, from Dean Street in Soho, to Holborn in WC1, to support recent and planned growth in the business. More
Cloud marketing technology developer Unified has acquired San Francisco-based social media measurement specialst awe.sm. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Netherlands-based online research and marketing analytics firm MetrixLab has fully integrated MarketTools and CRM Metrix into its global network, and announced that all fifteen offices in the US, Europe, and Asia will now operate under the MetrixLab brand name. More
In London, former Nunwood leader James Walker is joining PwC-owned management consultancy Strategy& as Lead Partner - Demand Analytics, in charge of the firm's EMEA Customer Insight Marketing Analytics Center of Excellence. More
In London, Kantar Media has hired former Ipsos MORI Marketing Director Anna Reeves for the newly created Board-level role of Global Commercial Director, in charge of its marketing and business development teams, and the shaping of new offerings. More
Marcoms giant WPP has acquired a controlling interest in South Africa and London-based digital marketing agency Quirk Group, for an undisclosed sum. 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
Consumer specialist The NPD Group has promoted Jim Kelley to the role of President of its newly combined Sports and Leisure Trends business. More
US technology specialist Forrester Research has reported a 1% rise in research division revenues to $50.79m in the first quarter 2014. More
Former BSkyB Research Director Harry Mirpuri has joined central London consultancy FreshMinds as a Director. More
In the US, predictive analytics specialist Apigee has raised $60m in venture financing, which it will use across all areas of its business, to keep up with demand for APIs and big data systems. More
US-based digital media buying platform MediaMath has opened a new office in Tokyo, Japan, to support clients in the region. 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
London-based TV audience measurement startup TVbeat has appointed former Endemol and Disney exec Tom Toumazis as Chairman of its Board. More
UK-based real-time tracking and analytics firm EVRYTHNG has raised $7m in a Series A investment round. More
In the US, mobile-focused big data analytics firm Zettics has acquired Velocent Systems, which provides mobile data customer experience monitoring and business intelligence services. Terms were not disclosed. More
WPP Chief Exec Sir Martin Sorrell, whose marcoms group would no longer be the world's largest if the planned Publicis-Omnicom merger goes ahead, has told analysts he believes there is a '30% to 50% chance' the merger process will collapse. More
In the US, physician network Doximity has closed a $54m Series C investment round, bringing the company's total funding to $81m. More
In the US, social media management specialist Sprinklr has closed a $40m Series D investment, which it hopes will fuel continued project growth of 300% year-on-year. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has reported a 14% increase in first quarter revenue to $76.9m, from $68.9m a year previously, while the firm's net loss fell to $782k from $2.0m. More
In the US, online ad pioneer Gurbaksh Chahal has been sacked from his role as CEO of social media ad targeting specialist RadiumOne, after he was found guilty on two counts of domestic violence by a San Francisco court. He has been replaced by company COO Bill Lonergan. More
Search engine giant Yahoo! and digital measurement specialist comScore have announced a partnership to provide advertisers with TV-comparable metrics for online video, display and mobile ad campaigns on Yahoo!'s ad networks. More
Broadcast monitoring specialist TVEyes has moved its US headquarters into a recently acquired and renovated purpose-built facility in Fairfield, Connecticut, in support of its plans to expand internationally. More
In New York, behavioral targeting and data management firm AudienceScience has hired AOL's former VP of Audience Targeting Sales Jeff Hochberg, as Vice President of Business Development. More
Equity company Blue Canyon Holdings has acquired 71.9% of Swedish-owned PR software company Cision, with the allotted time for shareholder acceptance of its bit now expired. A rival and slightly higher bid from US-based PR solutions company Meltwater will now be put to remaining shareholders. More
Three years on from a decision to look into definitions for web users' Do Not Track requests, Internet standards group W3C has put up a draft for public scrutiny; and separately, in Australia, the IAB has announced the formation of a body to combat online ad fraud, the Brand Safety Council (BSC). More
San Diego, California-based gaming and app measurement provider Apmetrix has added 40 new data sources to its real-time analytics platform, including data from comScore, Flurry, Facebook, Google Analytics, Tumblr, Yahoo! and YouTube. More
Facebook is enhancing its Lookalike Audiences tool, launched a year ago, to allow advertisers to create lookalikes based on their site visitors, app users or Facebook fans. 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
US-based digital media buying platform MediaMath has acquired Tactads, a firm providing cookie-less and cross-device ad targeting technologies. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Seattle-based innovation and idea management software company IdeaScale has acquired Canadian crowdsourcing platform IdeaVibes for an undisclosed sum. More
New York-based digital media measurement specialist Verto Analytics has appointed Arbitron Mobile founder Hannu Verkasalo as Chief Executive Officer, while raising $5.4m in new investment funding. More
California-based predictive marketing firm AgilOne has closed a $25m Series C investment round, which it will use to expand sales and marketing operations, further extending its international reach. More
Pinterest analytics specialist Piqora has raised $7.7m in a Series A funding round, which it will use to double its workforce, develop deeper visual analytics, expand its content management and CRM capabilities, and open new offices across the US. More
US-based auto research specialist JD Power and Associates has acquired Korrelate, an Orlando-based company which measures consumers' online behavior and then links it to off-line sales activity. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has reported a 12.9% rise in first quarter 2014 revenues to $1.49 billion, driven by 28% growth in its media research business following the acquisition of Arbitron. More
Global marketing budgets continued to rise in the second quarter of 2014, partly driven by planned mobile and digital spend - according to the latest data from Warc's Global Marketing Index. More
Boston-based customer intelligence specialist DataXu has acquired creative optimisation software developer JasperLabs, to enable clients to deliver real-time personalised ad content. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Tubular Labs - whose online video marketing platform provides insights based on the behavior of more than 150 million individual viewers - has closed an $11m Series B round of funding. More
Amazon.com subsidiary Alexa has re-launched its web analytics service, providing marketers and site owners with benchmarking, competitive intelligence, SEO, and on-site analysis capabilities. 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
San Francisco-based ad retargeting platform AdRoll has closed a $70m funding round, which it will use to expand its product portfolio and to extend its new cross-device offering to reach customers on mobiles. More
Emerging markets specialist Borderless Access has extended its presence in Asia through the launch of a 20,000 member consumer panel in the Philippines. More
eCGlobal Solutions - which provides online communities and panels across Latin America - has launched a DIY research platform called eCInstant, providing access to millions of online consumers across the region. More
Nielsen is in the 'final stages' of testing for the expansion of its Online Campaign Ratings product to mobile. The new service is scheduled for launch in the summer. More
Business information provider Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) has acquired the social media data matching unit of online data aggregation specialist Fliptop. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Social media research and communities specialist Ipsos SMX (Social Media Exchange) has launched a web app called 'Socialized Research Platform Mobile', which it says will give members a new way to view optimized content, and provide access to insights on any device. More
US firm Preact has announced its official launch, helped by a $4.6m Series A round of funding. The firm offers a proprietary service using behavioral science, machine learning and big data analytics to help software companies increase customer spend and reduce churn. More
In the US, marketing data management and analytics firm Beckon has raised $8m in a Series A round of funding. More
Social media monitoring and analytics firm Socialbakers has appointed Mike Ainslie as Chief Financial Officer. 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
In Singapore three senior execs, Jasal Shah, Shogo Nakazato and Masaaki Nomiya have this week announced the official launch of Union Panels, an alliance of online research panel providers. More
In a decision which could have far-reaching consequences for new areas of research and marketing, the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) last week issued a judgement removing the legal foundation for telecoms providers' retention of individual customer traffic and location data. More
Six companies including researcher / analysts IRI and Rentrak have formed a consortium running a cross-industry study to drive thought leadership and best practice in marketing to Hispanics. More
In the US, WPP's Kantar Media has launched an initiative which uses its subscription-only media planning platform, SRDS.com, to help advertisers find and buy suitable digital media slots for their campaigns. More
Semantic search technology company Vertical Search Works (VSW) has acquired addGloo, which integrates real-time semantic analysis with real-time bidding (RTB) for online display advertising. 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
Digital measurement specialist comScore is making brand metrics for mobile ad campaigns available through two new tools, validated Campaign Essentials Mobile (vCE Mobile) and validated Media Essentials Mobile (vME Mobile). 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
In the US, Twitter has acquired social media data provider and long-term partner Gnip for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, social media ad technology firm BLiNQ Media has appointed ad agency exec Raj Choudhury as Chief Executive Officer. More
Gurgaon, India-based MR agency Orchidea Research has appointed two execs in Chicago: Navneet Singh Virk as Director Survey Solutions and Nitin Sharma as Global Director Survey Solutions. The firm has also launched a new survey platform. More
In London, community panel specialist Verve has hired Emel Mohammadally as Innovations Director, a newly created position, with a remit to roll out new technologies, tools and approaches for clients. More
Alex Yoder, former CEO of online analytics pioneer Webtrends, has joined UK-based media and marketing insights specialist Ebiquity as Chief Executive Officer, Americas. More
New York-based print and digital publisher NewBay Media has acquired television research and analysis firm Ratings Intelligence (RatingsIntel), in order to provide its clients with access to data-driven industry research reports. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, Civis Analytics - which was launched last year by President Obama's former Chief Analytics Officer - is integrating its predictive targeting capabilities with Rentrak's local television ratings, to provide insights into corporate and political ad campaigns. 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
US cable TV company Viacom and social media insight provider Mass Relevance have jointly launched a new tool called 'EchoGraph', to track and analyse social media activity for advertisers. More
UK-based BrainJuicer has appointed Carlos 'Cadu' Eduardo Chiba as Client Director, Brazil, based in its São Paulo office. More
US-based digital video ad services firm BrightRoll has added Moat's video viewability measurement solution to its platform, to help clients optimize their video ad campaigns. More
In the US, IBM is to acquire behavioral marketing technologist Silverpop for an undisclosed sum. 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
San Francisco-based mobile app performance monitoring firm Crittercism has raised $30m in a Series C round of funding, which it will use to expand its suite of enterprise services and grow its presence internationally. More
London-based mobile research technology specialist Lumi has appointed former Cint MD Daniel Cunill as European Sales Manager. More
US consumer insights firm Kelton has appointed brand strategy and research consulting specialist Courtney Rothstein as Partner, Brand Strategy in its New York Office. More
Paris-based mobile ad platform MobPartner has launched a new service to enable retailers to measure how mobile communications influence in-store sales and traffic. 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
Brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners (H&P) has appointed qual health researcher Jeanette Hodgson as a Partner in its London office, while promoting Marie Bennett to the same level. More
US-based hyper-local digital ad targeting specialist MaxPoint has established European headquarters in London, and appointed Jeanette Taylor as UK Country Manager. More
WPP's Data Alliance practice has partnered with publisher eMarketer, to provide all WPP operating companies with access to the latter's global database of digital marketing research data. 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
London-based business information and events group Informa has merged its technology consultancy Ovum with Informa Telecoms and Media Research, under the Ovum name. More
Online data collection agency AskingCanadians has expanded its business into the US with the launch of AskingAmericans, offering access to more than ten million consumers. More
The Readers Studies Council of India (RSCI) and the Media Research Users Council (MRUC) have suspended results from their Indian Readership Survey (IRS) for a further four to six weeks, to provide extra time for a third party to complete the re-validation and audit of its fieldwork. More
US-based digital audience targeting specialist Datalogix has secured a 'significant' but undisclosed amount of investment funding from Breyer Capital, whose founder Jim Breyer will join its Board of Directors. More
International media analysis and business intelligence firm Commetric has appointed Sally Hammond as Managing Director in the US. More
Video analytics firm Vidiro, ebook consumption and reader behaviour specialist Jellybooks, and GPS-driven retail offer app Tempster are among the winners of the 'Digital Innovation' competition organised by government-funded IC Tomorrow. Winners receive funding and mentoring. More
UK-based online shopping cart recovery software provider Ve Interactive has opened an office in Hong Kong, to support is AsiaPac client base. More
Sample industry pioneers Matt Dusig and Gregg Lavin have announced that former uSamp exec George Llorens has joined them as co-founder of their new online and mobile sampling and data collection business Innovate. The team has also appointed three further former uSamp colleagues. More
Millward Brown has launched Link for Apps, an extension of its long-established ad evaluation tool Link, available initially in the US and Canada and promising to help marketers understand the impact of mobile apps on brands. More
Nielsen has announced the completion of a Proof Of Concept study in partnership with CBS, on the 'power of combining media buys for major advertising campaigns'; and separately the integration by media technology company Syncbak of its Software Development Kit (SDK). More
Data driven CRM firm Merkle has acquired Chicago-based full-service digital and direct agency New Control, as it pursues 'aggressive growth' in its digital agency group and reinforces its offer for financial services and insurance clients. More
US-based PR solutions company Meltwater is bidding 895 million Swedish crowns ($138m) in cash for Swedish firm Cision, trumping by nine percent an offer by equity company Blue Canyon Holdings. Both firms are involved in monitoring and analysis of traditional and new media. 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
Retail analytics giant dunnhumby has confirmed it has acquired Berlin-based ad targeting and retail retargeting firm Sociomantic Labs. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Australian media giant Nine Entertainment is launching a new data services firm called Tipstone, to be launched in July through Nine's digital media agency Mi9. More
In the UK, online shopping cart recovery software provider Ve Interactive has acquired retargeting company adGenie, whose services include helping measure and track the effectiveness of online and conventional ads. The deal was described as a 'multi-million pound acquisition'. More
London-based technology and design company Iconeme has launched a product called VM Beacon, which enables shop mannequins to transmit information to shoppers' smartphones about the clothes on display, and meanwhile collect data about these consumers. More
Washington DC-based voter targeting digital ad firm CampaignGrid is adding a mobile capability, allowing clients to target registered voters with video and display ads on mobile browsers and in apps on their smartphones and tablets. More
Kantar's online specialist Lightspeed GMI has launched a service called Survey Cycle, which combines its research design and project management skills with Google Consumer Surveys, to deliver 'micro surveys' comprising ten questions or fewer. More
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved Nielsen's plan to sell off its LinkMeter cross-platform measurement technology to comScore - one of the requirements of the deal agreed for Nielsen to acquire Arbitron. More
US-based Federated Sample has launched a new tool called Fulcrum Bid Manager, allowing users of the firm's Fulcrum Exchange to manage, track and centralize the online sample procurement process through one platform. More
London-based TV streaming site ScreenHits, whose proprietary technology integrates viewer votes with other industry data to predict the potential success of a TV show, has raised around £720k ($1.2m) from the UK government and a group of angel investors. More
In the Middle East, online social media rewards platform Rewardcraze has introduced a portfolio of online research services, including data collection and survey programming, along with new consumer and business panels. More
In London, real-time marketing platform SHIFT has appointed former AOL Europe CEO Kate Burns as Managing Director of its UK and European operations. More
WPP's brand and media specialist Millward Brown has appointed Narayanan Radhakrishnan as Chief Client Officer, South East Asia (SEA) - a role vacated by Priti Mehra, who became MD in Singapore last month. More
Audience measurement specialist Kantar Media has acquired Barcelona-based TV and social media analytics agency The Data Republic. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Digital research agency Gemius has been named as the official provider of Internet audience measurement in Belgium and Luxembourg, replacing TNS which was awarded the contract in 2012. The new deal will also last for two years, with an option to extend further. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has launched a multi-platform audience metric for use across desktop computers, smartphones and tablets. More
Innovation and forecasting business Ipsos InnoQuest has launched a new methodology called the 'Insight Accelerator', allowing marketers to test innovations and ideas through a process that takes just two days. More
Ad personalisation specialist Phorm is aiming to raise £10m through the placement of around 91m new ordinary shares, at a price of eleven pence each. More
Kantar and Twitter have strengthened their global partnership with a five-year agreement under the program name 'Data of Now', and will collaborate on new research products. In addition, the firms' 'social TV' ratings and analytics will be extended to new regions in Asia, Africa and Europe. More
Enterprise analytic data management firm Cloudera has announced another $740m in financing, this time from chipmaker Intel, which becomes an 18 percent shareholder in the booming firm. More
Nielsen has extended its partnership with digital ad intelligence firm Integral Ad Science for an international roll-out of viewability measurement within its Online Campaign Ratings. Separately, Nielsen has announced it will raise around $750m from a note issue, in order to reduce debt. More
Twitter has announced two further acquisitions in the field of 'social TV', French startup Mesagraph and UK firm SecondSync, both of which provide analysis of social media chat concerning TV programmes. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, GfK MRI has launched a new set of 44 consumer segments based on its data on consumers' off-line activities and attitudes, for use in online ad targeting. The launch involves deals with three online data management platforms (DMPs), BlueKai, eXelate and Lotame. More
Online MR software company Confirmit has introduced a customer engagement solution called the SmartHub, through which businesses can capture, analyse and respond to customer and market feedback across multiple channels and sources in real-time. More
The Media Rating Council (MRC) has given a green light to the ad industry to begin using 'viewable impressions' as a metric for measuring display advertising. More
Bob Barocci, former President and CEO of the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) died last Thursday in Manhattan, at the age of 72. More
Online research specialist YouGov has reported a 9% increase in revenue to £32.6m for the six months to 31st January, while adjusted operating profit was up 31% to £2.9m. The company made a loss of £400k, reportedly because of costs relating to two acquisitions made during the period. More
WPP's digital agency network Wunderman has acquired London-based product data specialist FusePump for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, shopper insight specialist Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) has teamed up with Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron) to launch what the firms describe as the first single-source measurement approach built for the radio industry. More
Netherlands-based online research and marketing analytics firm MetrixLab has launched a big data joint venture with marketing intelligence experts Edwin Kooge and Natasha Walk. More
App developer Mobile Cloud Labs has been granted a patent for technology which enables advertisers to track mobile device users via time of day and location data, and send them targeted messages. More
US-based social media solutions firm Lithium Technologies has acquired social media analytics firm Klout for a reported $200m - double the price first mooted in February. More
US company Precision Opinion, which provides market research field services to the entertainment industry and political polling for the government, has opened a mobile division, Turning Point Research, at its headquarters in Las Vegas. More
Mobile ad targeting specialist Flurry has partnered with Research Now to build a panel and behavioural data set on mobile consumers, through which marketers will be able to target defined audiences. More
Social media intelligence company Replise has appointed Dan Foreman as Non-Executive Director on its Board. In addition, Dominika Poleszak has been promoted to the role of Managing Director in Warsaw and Sven Sperling has been named Managing Director in Hamburg. 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
Choozle, a targeted, real-time advertising platform powered by audience insights, has closed a $1.8m seed round of financing, for use in expanding its team and rolling out its product. More
Britain's National Statistician has recommended to the Board of the UK Statistics Authority that the country's ten-year census is retained, but moved online from its previously paper-based format. More
Marcoms giant WPP has acquired a majority stake in Mumbai-based social media marketing agency Social Wavelength, which offers a range of brand communication, social media outreach, and social media monitoring solutions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US online video ad targeting specialist TubeMogul has filed for an IPO with the New York Stock Exchange, with the aim of raising $75m. More
Chinese mobile crowdsourcing company Wei Chai Shi and market research agency nQuire have partnered to create what they describe as China's largest mobile research panel, along with a DIY tool offering researchers immediate responses. More
Online community and survey technology provider Toluna has launched an automated survey tool called PowerPosition, promising fast-turnaround insights into positioning and communications. More
London-based brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners has appointed former Saatchi & Saatchi planner Ailean Mills with the title of Head of Cultural Investigation. More
In the UK, Alex Wright has returned to TNS as Director in the Technology & Finance business, after working at west London-based Winmark. More
St Louis-based Q&A specialist Answers Corporation has launched a product review platform called Shopper Ratings, to enable brands and retailers to tap into feedback from their customers. More
In the US, WPP-owned online specialist Lightspeed GMI has introduced a social media intelligence solution called Context, allowing clients to profile and survey existing consumer segments 'through a social lens'. 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, trend analyst Bottlenose has partnered with broadcast intelligence company Critical Mention, to deliver a combined view of real-time trends across TV, radio, social media platforms, online news and blogs. More
IT and telecoms market intelligence specialist Current Analysis has appointed former IDC execs Harish Taori as Research Director and Swatantra Kumar as Sales Director at its office in Singapore. More
Hispanic-owned full-service marketing agency Lopez Negrete Communications has opened a Social Media Intelligence Center at its Houston headquarters, to enable its teams to monitor and analyse real-time social media conversations on behalf of clients. More
Social media analyst Pick1 and DIY survey firm SurveyMonkey are integrating services to allow customers a simple way to collect and analyse survey respondents' social media data. 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
Dublin-based RED C Research has launched a new online omnibus called RED Line, which enables users to ask questions in Ireland, the UK, or both markets together. More
London-based social media community management and moderation firm Emoderation has launched a regional headquarters in Sydney, from where it will provide services to clients across Australia and the Asia Pacific region. More
In the US, B2B ad targeting and personalization company Demandbase has closed a $15m round of equity financing, to be used to speed up development of its advertising solutions, and fund new product launches. More
IC Tomorrow - which is part of the UK government-funded Technology Strategy Board - is launching a 'data innovation' contest, offering five small companies the chance to win up to £25k each for ideas which will help businesses extract value from data. 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
SoapBoxSample, the online sampling division of US-based data collection firm ISA, has acquired the ClickIQ e/visor panel of more than 350,000 panel members across the US and Canada as part of its strategy for growth and expansion; along with its full service research team IQCenter. More
GfK announced on Friday that its media control GfK INTERNATIONAL GmbH subsidiary will operate under the brand name of GfK Entertainment, with immediate effect. More
In the UK, Chancellor George Osborne has announced funding of £42 million over five years for a new institute dedicated to ensuring Britain 'leads the way' in the use of big data, named after Second World War codebreaker and computing pioneer Alan Turing. More
Digital marketing solutions firm IgnitionOne has completed the acquisition of marketing tech firm Knotice, adding data management and multi-channel digital messaging to its suite of solutions. Separately, WPP is to acquire a majority stake in UK-based digital tech consultancy Cognifide Ltd. More
Nielsen has announced that it will launch its Twitter TV solutions in Australia in the second half of this year, capturing and analysing chat on the social network as it relates to specific television programmes. More
NYC-based Hispanic media group Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) has appointed Marshall Cohen as Executive Vice President of Corporate Research. More
In London, Simon Glanville has rejoined healthcare & B2B specialist RONIN Corporation, as UK Managing Director. More
London-based emotional analytics specialist Realeyes has appointed former Nielsen Director of Sales Bill Jaris as its first President of North America, based in New York. More
Australian research body AMSRO has launched a 'Trustmark', guaranteeing its members' adherence to ethical standards including data protection and respect for privacy. More
US-based big data specialist Cloudera has raised another huge round of funding, adding another $160m to its coffers and more than doubling the total raised to date. More
In the US, TV ad services company Viamedia has appointed Jonathan Sims as Vice President of Media Research. He joins recently appointed President and CEO Mark Lieberman, his former colleague from TRA. 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
Media research veteran Jack Wakshlag has announced that he is stepping down from his role as Chief Research Officer of Turner Broadcasting System, at the end of March. More
UK-based consumer targeting firm Purple WiFi has expanded to the US, where it has appointed media and technology exec Anne Lakstigala as Vice President, Americas, to direct the company's sales activity from Silicon Valley. More
South Africa's National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has commissioned UK-based media research veteran Roger Gane to provide technical input into the development of a new national radio audience research survey. More
Data management specialist Lotame has announced the acquisition of mobile audience management platform AdMobius, for an undisclosed amount. More
Described by MRS CEO Jane Frost as a 'brand in his own right', WPP leader Sir Martin Sorrell opened this year's conference with an overview of how his group is moving towards a more 'digital' future. Mel Crowther reports. More
Online research pioneer YouGov has appointed Bianca Bruhn as CEO of its Nordic business, based in its Copenhagen office and with responsibility for the firm's operations in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. More
George Llorens is leaving his role as EVP of Sales at online sampling firm uSamp 'to pursue other interests'. He will be replaced by Ted Bouzakis, who most recently served as Head of North American Sales. More
New York-based social media management specialist Percolate has raised $24m in funding in a series B round led by Sequoia Capital and including WPP, which had already invested a month ago in an interim round. Percolate says the funds will help it expand headcount and develop its software. More
London-based media evaluation specialist Salience Insight has agreed to acquire the US operations of media content analysis pioneer CARMA International. More
Consumer specialist firefish has appointed former TLE exec Dee Campbell as Research Manager in its New York office, while in London Yimen Lee joins as Associate Director and Heather Williams as Research Manager. More
Social media monitoring and analytics software company Synthesio has secured $20m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use for research and product development, and for expansion of its teams in the US, Europe and Singapore. More
Research-based PR consultancy PRIME Research has hired Richard Bagnall for its newly created role of Chief Executive Officer in the UK and SVP of PRIME Research Europe. Bagnall will focus on developing the firm's business domestically and throughout the world. More
London-based TV audience measurement startup TVbeat has secured $2m in funding, which it plans to use to develop its real-time big data TV analytics system and roll it out across Europe. More
Social media and user analytics specialist Kontagent and mobile games business engine PlayHaven have been renamed 'Upsight', following their merger in December. More
In Columbus, Ohio, Wilson RMS co-founder Dave Wilson has launched a new agency called gearDigital, to offer businesses consumer data-driven insights across a range of marketing platforms. More
Smart mobile publishing platform Rumble has acquired Israeli digital creative agency Blue-Goo, which specializes in user experience (UX) and interactive design. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Retail analytics giant dunnhumby is reportedly close to buying Berlin-based ad targeting and retail retargeting firm Sociomantic Labs for an estimated $175 - 200m. More
GfK has merged its existing retail tracking and media business with full service agency PT Primera Indonesia, in order to offer its Consumer Experiences portfolio to clients across Southeast Asia. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the UK, location analytics technology TagBeacons has been launched in a south coast shopping centre. The tool will allow the centre's retailers to deliver targeted ads and discount offers to their shoppers' mobile phones. More
Canadian big data firm AnalytixInsight is to acquire social media analytics specialist OneUp for a mixture of shares and cash. The firm has also launched an IPO to raise $4m to fund future acquisitions. More
Multi-platform eye tracking software firm The Eye Tribe has introduced a cloud-based platform called EyeProof, allowing users to collect and analyse data on where people look on a web site or ad, from multiple devices and locations simultaneously. More
New York-based business intelligence (BI) firm L2 has raised $16.5m in venture capital, which it will use to speed up development of its brand measurement tool the 'Digital IQ Index' and to expand the firm's presence across Europe, Asia, and Latin and North America. More
San Francisco-based educational analytics firm BrightBytes has raised $15m in a Series B round of investment, earmarked for global expansion. More
In London, digital ad agency Tribal Worldwide has hired former Accenture exec Jonathan Lovatt-Young to lead design and user experience (UX) strategy. He takes up his new role tomorrow. More
In the US, online research and analytics company InsightExpress has appointed former Hall & Partners exec Jim Forrest as Senior Vice President of Ad Measurement Solutions. More
Online sampling and technology company uSamp is to move to a fully open application programming interface (API) platform called SampleCORE, allowing clients to gather richer insights from sample - including traditional profile, social, behavioral and geo-location information. 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
WPP's audience profiling and targeting arm Xaxis has appointed former Sony exec Marcus Siddons as Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), overseeing operations, account management and publisher relationships across the region. More
Netherlands-based online research and marketing analytics firm MetrixLab has acquired a majority stake in fellow Dutch firm Oxyme, a social media analytics specialist. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Technology research and analysis specialist Gartner has acquired Software Advice, which offers a software review, comparison and research service to help buyers choose the best products for their organizations. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Digital audience measurement specialist Effective Measure has announced that CEO Richard Webb is to step down from its executive team, while remaining an 'active stakeholder' in the company. Co-founder James Robertson will meanwhile take up the new role of Chief Revenue Officer. More
Digital ad management company Sizmek has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its 'viewable impression' verification metric, which determines whether a web site viewer actually had an opportunity to see an ad as the advertiser intended. More
The High Court in Delhi has given further breathing space to TAM and to the Indian ad industry, previously threatened with a ratings blackout for much of the year, by adjourning until July the hearing of the appeal brought by Kantar Media against new government guidelines. More
Ad personalisation specialist Phorm has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China Telecom, establishing it as the giant company's preferred strategic partner in the field of big data technology and advertising operations. 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
Nielsen has promoted Dr. D. Sangeeta to the role of Chief Diversity Officer, reporting to Chief Executive Officer Mitch Barns and effective immediately. More
Australian outdoor media company Adshel has launched a Strategic Integration (SI) Division and recruited media strategist Charlotte Vente to lead it. More
Recently-rebranded London-based mobile research technology specialist Lumi has announced the launch of Lumi Say, a new DIY mobile survey app which extends the existing Lumi SURVEY platform. 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
Music streaming service Spotify has acquired US-based music intelligence company The Echo Nest. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Search engine giant Yahoo! has bought social media data visualization specialist Vizify for an undisclosed sum. More
Former Nielsen MD Sarang Panchal has acquired a 'significant stake' in MRSS India, and has been named its Chief Executive Officer. More
London-based brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners has appointed former Kantar Group/Millward Brown recruitment consultant Estelle Shepherd as Global Head of People, with a remit to 'hire the best talent' and support and develop careers. 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
In the US, radio industry technology provider Triton Digital has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its Webcast Metrics Local (WCML) measurement product. More
Media intelligence and monitoring specialist Gorkana Group has launched a real-time DIY survey solution for use in PR surveys, crisis monitoring, 'newsjacking' and KPI tracking. More
In the US, Nielsen veteran Tom Drouillard will take up the position of President and CEO of the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM), following the retirement of Mike Lavery on March 31st. More
US-based web analytics and behavioral targeting firm Lotame has raised $15m in Series D funding, which it will use to speed up the development of its real-time, cross-device data management platform (DMP). It has also appointed Zach Boisi as Vice President of Client Operations. More
Digital audience measurement specialist comScore has rolled out its MMX Multi-Platform tool in Spain, to provide unduplicated accounting of audience size and demographics across multiple devices. More
Nielsen has announced that a group of its shareholders is planning to sell 30 million shares of common stock, with a possible value of around $1.4bn. More
New York-based advertising intelligence specialist Integral Ad Science has expanded with the opening of new offices in Germany and Singapore, supporting local clients, and has hired Olaf Mahr and Stephen Dolan to lead them. More
Mobile app measurement, attribution and campaign analytics platform AppsFlyer has raised a $7.1m round of funding, and has opened new offices NYC, San Francisco and Beijing. More
In the US, online video ad targeting specialist Videology is to integrate Nielsen TV data into its platform, to help marketers plan and measure campaigns running across both linear television and online video. More
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has determined that Nielsen's acquisition of Arbitron was not anticompetitive. More
UK marketing services and print group St. Ives Plc, which owns consumer research specialist Incite, has acquired digital marketing agency Realise in a £21.7m cash and shares deal. More
Nielsen has announced a joint venture collaboration with Myanmar Marketing Research & Development Co. (MMRD), effective today. Nielsen MMRD will offer the services of both firms to companies established in Myanmar (Burma) or looking to enter the gradually opening market. More
TNS Baltic has announced plans to enhance its existing Television Audience Measurement services in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania over the next four years. They include new measurement technology to replace the current Eurometers; larger panels; and enhanced processing systems. More
In London, community panels specialist Verve has reported a strong start to 2014, including the arrival of twelve new team members. More
Millward Brown has promoted Mark Henning to Head of Media and Digital, Africa, Middle East & Asia Pacific (AMAP), responsible for driving the practice across the 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
US web analytics consultancy Numeric Analytics has promoted Ann McCabe to the role of President, leading the expansion of it analytics, data visualization and digital marketing portfolio. More
US-based cloud software firm Citrix has introduced a big data tool called ByteMobile Insight, to provide mobile operators with intelligence about consumer data usage. More
In the US, on-demand online community specialist GutCheck has introduced a multi-language version of its consumer insights solution, supporting sixteen markets and with eight new languages. 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
Czech Republic-based social media monitoring firm Socialbakers has opened an Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, and has appointed former Experian exec Simon Trilsbach as Vice President in charge of business across the region. 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
Nielsen has acquired Madrid-based shopper marketing and sales intelligence specialist Nexium Customer Solutions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
London-based brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners has named Caroline Frankum Chief Executive Officer of its European Consumer business. More
Software giant Oracle has agreed to acquire BlueKai, the cloud-based big data audience targeting platform, in a deal reportedly worth between $400m and $450m. More
Millward Brown is releasing a DIY version of eStatic, its copy-testing solution for print and outdoor advertising, available via market research 'app store' ZappiStore. More
New York City-based digital book company Vook has acquired fellow New Yorker Booklr, which provides a real-time data & analytics platform keeping authors and publishers informed about their market, customers and retail partners. Terms were not disclosed. More
Digital measurement giant comScore has announced a partnership with enterprise data firm Acxiom, aimed at enhancing and accelerating their respective audience reporting and multi-channel marketing offers. More
MR outsourcing firm Cross-Tab has announced the commercial launch of its multi-device reporting and data analysis package Analyzer, part of the Cross-Tab Optimizer Suite operating system (ctOS). More
Former Leo Burnett Group Head of Research Steve Watkins has been appointed as a Research Director at pioneering UK agency Join the Dots. Emma Kirk and Mo Mahar have also joined the company. More
Nielsen has promoted CFO Brian West to Chief Operating Officer, replacing Mitchell Habib; and has appointed Jamere Jackson, who joins from General Electric, to fill the vacant finance role. 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
Google announced on Friday that it had acquired Spider.io, whose advertising anti-fraud software should help the search giant in giving clients confidence in its ad metrics. Terms were not disclosed. 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
Facebook says it is rolling out its improved Core Audiences targeting feature built into all its ad buying interfaces. Worldwide users can target by location, demographics, interests and behavior, whilst in the US marketers will also find the firm's Partner Categories added to the Ads Create Tool. More
The New York Times (NYT) has hired mathematician Professor Chris Wiggins as its first ever Chief Data Scientist, tasked with creating a Machine Learning division which will help the group uncover information about the way readers consume its content. More
In the US, digital marketing agency Pitooey! has acquired social media monitoring platform RAADR from software developer Beanstalk Networks. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
UK-based research firm SPA Future Thinking has introduced a new brand performance tracking tool called BrandBox, which includes a measure of the influence of 'Connectors' or advocates. More
Bangkok-based gamification technology firm Playbasis has raised $770k in seed funding, which it will use to expand beyond Thailand. More
Online media checking firm DoubleVerify has been granted a new patent for its dual-verification technology, which authenticates the effectiveness of a digital ad impression, both before and after an ad is served. More
Retail customer intelligence specialist Smarter Remarketer has secured $7m in venture funding, which it will use to drive growth and expand the capabilities of its platform. More
In Chicago, Marla Commons has returned to consumer product and media intelligence provider Mintel as Vice President of Research, in charge of the US Consumer Research and Insight teams. More
Palo Alto, CA-based DIY research specialist SurveyMonkey has launched its first mobile app, allowing the creation, monitoring and analysis of surveys on-the-move. The firm has also introduced a tool to enable developers to gather in-app feedback. More
In the UK, WPP-owned Kantar Media has promoted Richard Poustie to the position of Chief Executive Officer of its TGI & Custom division, which has recently been expanded to include the Kantar Sport business. More
In the US, social media management specialist Sprinklr has acquired social media and brand analytics firm Dachis Group for an undisclosed sum. More
Mobile research technology firm OnePoint Global has opened an office in Madrid, where it has appointed former Ipsos Loyalty exec César Rodriguez as Sales Director for the Iberia market. More
US-based online community specialist Passenger has expanded to China through a partnership with Asia Market Development (AMD). More
The Readers Studies Council of India (RSCI) has temporarily suspended findings from its latest Indian Readership Survey (IRS), following complaints by several members of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) who claim it contains 'shocking anomalies'. More
Online analytics pioneer Webtrends has named former Coremetrics CEO Joe Davis as its latest Chief Executive, just five months after appointing David Mitchell to the role. More
comScore is enhancing its Validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) product with the integration of ethnicity data from Batanga Media's digital content for US Hispanics and Latin Americans. More
Czech Republic-based social media monitoring firm Socialbakers has completed a $26m Series C financing round, and says it will invest in new product development initiatives, while strengthening client support, sales and marketing in the US and other markets around the world. More
In the UK and Ireland, Interpublic's media innovation holding company IPG Mediabrands has created a new Marketing Sciences division, and appointed Yvonne O'Brien to lead its team of twenty insight and analytics specialists. More
In Australia, Ipsos MediaCT has integrated RDA Research's geoTribes and geoSmart customer segmentation tools into emma, the industry-backed cross-media newspaper and magazine readership survey. More
San Francisco-based Peanut Labs has set up an office in London, from where it will offer social media sampling services across the UK, France and Germany. Will Carroll and Lewis Reeves join from sister company Research Now, to lead the new office. More
Data usage think tank The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) has introduced an online platform through which shoppers can opt-out of retail tracking at thousands of locations across the US. 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
Marketing group Next Fifteen Communications (Next 15) has acquired Hampshire, UK-based B2B intelligence provider Continuous Insight (CI), and upped its stake in digital marketing consultancy Agent3 Ltd beyond the 50 percent mark. More
Four big names in the marketing and information sphere - comScore, Experian Marketing Services, Rentrak and IPG Mediabrands subsidiary Magna Global - have teamed up to create a new data-driven multiscreen buying platform covering television, online, video and mobile ads. More
Saskatoon, Canada-based itracks has upgraded its iMarkIt concept testing tool to allow users to test videos of unlimited length and researchers / clients to view feedback in real time. More
Australia and New Zealand-focused analytics company Veda Group, looking to develop its Inivio marketing services division, has announced the acquisition of a controlling stake in data and analytics agency Datalicious. More
Stockholm-based brand tracking specialist Nepa has opened a subsidiary company in Helsinki, and appointed Minna Mehtälä to lead it. More
Media measurement specialist Salience Insight has appointed former Pulse Train CEO Pat Molloy as Consulting Chief Information Officer, charged with streamlining and integrating the group's technology. More
Facebook has - somewhat abruptly? - removed two firms, Kontagent and HasOffers, from its mobile ad analytics partnership program after its audit process showed they were violating its requirements on user data. Both firms have stressed that no security was breached. More
London-based research technologist Lumi Mobile has appointed Kimberly White as Director of Business Development. More
Nielsen has reported a 5.5% increase in annual revenue to $5.7 billion. Media measurement arm 'Watch', enlarged by the Arbitron buy, saw revenue rise 11.2%, compared with 1.9% growth in the consumer research 'Buy' division. More
US-based social media solutions firm Lithium Technologies is to acquire social media analytics firm Klout, in a deal which is reported to be worth at least $100m. 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
In New York, digital measurement specialist comScore has hired former Arbitron EVP, New Product Innovation Manish Bhatia for its newly created role of Chief Revenue Officer, overseeing the sales, servicing, sales operations and business operations teams on a global basis. More
US ad intelligence firm Integral Ad Science has acquired London-based mobile advertising analytics company Simplytics for an undisclosed sum. More
The Pan African Media Research Organisation (PAMRO) has appointed former SAARF CEO Dr Paul Haupt as its first-ever Executive Director. More
In the US, digital marketing company Adknowledge has introduced a new feature called 'AdStation Custom Audiences', to enable advertisers to target consumers with communications and ads based on their demographic and behavioral data. 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
Marketing services giant Omnicom has merged its advanced analytics and predictive modelling agency The Modellers into its ad and brand research specialist Hall & Partners. More
Market research, events and publishing company Light Reading has been acquired by co-founder Stephen Saunders from its current owner UBM. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but in a statement, UBM said it will retain a 'significant minority stake' in the business. More
Channel 4 has introduced targeted advertising for its video on demand service, following an increase in its audience database to more than 10 million registered viewers - including, it says, one half of all 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK. More
Music industry analytics specialist Semetric has launched a new tool called Musicmetric Explore, which uses big data to help execs locate fans via Twitter, uncover trends and discover artists. More
TV ad targeting and measurement firm PrecisionDemand has been granted a patent for its automated set-top box ad targeting technology. The firm has also appointed media researcher Debbie Reichig as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). More
London-based Red Zebra Analytics - the creator of the '3D Offers' digital banking loyalty programme - has raised a 'seven figure' Series A round of funding to expand its sales and marketing efforts. More
Nielsen has today announced today that it has completed its tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of Harris Interactive, and that the acquisition should close today. More
Media analysis and business intelligence firm Commetric has appointed former GMI exec Dietmar Walter as its new CEO, effective today. More
WPP has announced that Xaxis, its audience profiling and targeting division, has agreed to acquire Netherlands-based media trading firm Bannerconnect, whose offer includes real-time campaign optimisation platform Bright. More
Brand and communications research group Hall & Partners has announced the promotion of Josh Shames to Managing Partner, Chicago, after more than seven years at the company. 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
In Mexico, research firm De la Riva Group has launched a new firm called SocialDecode, which combines measurement of social media TV ratings with intelligence about individuals who share their opinions as they watch TV. 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
Digital research specialist comScore is collaborating with the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) to expand its cross-platform measurement service and determine the feasibility of syndicating the service industry-wide. More
US-based Origami Logic - which offers a self-service visual marketing analytics platform - has closed a $15m Series B round of funding. Money will be used to expand the firm's engineering, sales and marketing efforts to meet increasing demand. More
In the US, employee-owned company Thoroughbred Research Group has partnered with former Infinia execs James Fink and Barbara Booth to set up a new analytics division. 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
US-based marketing personalization and targeting firm Sailthru has added an advanced analytics feature to its platform, in order to help marketers identify revenue and retention opportunities from customer behavior trends and interactions with a given brand. More
In the US, video ad targeting specialist Sightly has raised $1.7m in a seed funding round, which it says it will use to expand products to meet the needs of its multi-location businesses and channel partners. More
Paris-based social media monitoring and competitive intelligence firm Digimind has opened offices in Singapore and London, as the first phase of a three-year international expansion plan. More
US testing and monitoring firm Keynote Systems has acquired Belgium-based Meucci Solutions, which offers mobile fraud detection and quality-of-service monitoring. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In London, online panel specialist Research Now has promoted Ben Hogg to the position of Managing Director of EMEA, Portfolio Companies. More
In the UK, digital ad platform Specific Media has launched a targeting solution called 'TV Audience Segments', allowing targeting of online users based on their off-line viewing habits such as TV sports viewing. More
Global marketers who made tools like new media, marketing automation, omnichannel and big data the core of their strategies got it wrong in 2013, according to a report by the Fournaise Marketing Group. Most failed on ROI targets by focusing too much on new media rather than on research and testing, the study says. More
Retargeting platform AdRoll has announced the acquisition of email user retention service userfox, whose technology it says will enhance its ability to help marketers collect, analyze and act on their data. More
Nielsen and comScore have agreed terms in accordance with the order made by the FTC as a condition for the former's recent acquisition of Arbitron, concerning the continuation of a cross-platform project also involving ESPN. The FTC is now allowing time for public comment. More
Ipsos has appointed Joanne Van der Burgt to its media research practice in Canada, with a remit to grow the practice across the country. More
Tel Aviv, Israel-based emotion analytics specialist Beyond Verbal has launched its first app, 'Moodies', allowing mobile users to extract, decode and measure 'a full spectrum of human emotions from their raw voice in real time as they speak'. More
In a trading update, ad targeting provider Phorm has announced the commercial launch of its operations in China, as well as an expansion of its services in Turkey with launches with another five ISPs. More
Online news and content provider AOL is to acquire multi-screen content optimization and personalization firm Gravity for an initial $83m, with a further $7.7m deferred over the next two years. More
London-based online, mobile and social media specialist Effective Research has expanded to Latin America with the opening of an office in Bogotá, Colombia. More
In the US, online media verification firm DoubleVerify has launched a solution called IQ Viewability+, which it claims removes fraudulent impressions from ad viewability data. More
US-based research tech firm Decipher has added new mobile capabilities to its Beacon survey and reporting platform, to enable the uploading of rich media such as videos and photos via smartphones. More
US company Precision Opinion, which provides market research field services to the entertainment industry and political polling for the government, has appointed Emily Carothers as Director Panel Operations. More
Enterprise Feedback Management technology specialist QuestBack has opened a new sales office in Munich - its third location in Germany. More
Twitter and GfK are to introduce a service called 'GfK Twitter TV Ratings' in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, providing insights into the frequency and reach of tweets sent from users about the television programmes and ads they are watching. More
In the US, revenue management software developer ServiceSource has acquired subscription data and predictive analytics specialist Scout Analytics in a deal valued at $32m. More
In the UK, the National Readership Survey has announced that Radio Advertising Bureau MD Simon Redican will be its next CEO, replacing Mike Ironside when he leaves at the end of June. More
ESOMAR President Dan Foreman has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors at online DIY market research platform ZappiStore. More
Social media relationship platform HootSuite has acquired analytics firm uberVU for an undisclosed sum. More
Millward Brown has named Carmen Bohoyo as Managing Director in Turkey, based in its Istanbul office. She replaces Dimitris Mannoussakis, who continues as MD of Millward Brown in Greece. More
Biometric measurement specialist Innerscope Research has launched a standalone neuroscience kiosk called Sensus, to provide marketers with a cost-effective way to gain insights into consumers' conscious and non-conscious attitudes and emotions. 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
Online MR software company Confirmit has acquired social media intelligence and text analytics specialist Integrasco. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. More
Ipsos MediaCT has launched a real-time content monitor called MediaMoments, allowing clients to understand how, when and where their content is consumed, and how experience of consumption differs according to platform. More
Emerging markets specialist Borderless Access has extended its reach to Eastern Europe with the launch of a panel in Poland. More
Big data and social media analytics company 4C has secured a $5m Series B round of funding, which it will use to launch new initiatives for the television industry, expand international operations, and support infrastructure for clients across the globe. 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
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
In New York, research-based branding consultancy the magnetic collective (tmc) has appointed Keith Navratil as a Partner, taking a leading role in innovation while developing content covering trends and topics influencing the MR industry. More
In the US, a federal judge has ruled that Bazaarvoice's acquisition of PowerReviews, 'its only real commercial competitor', violated antitrust laws. More
Data collection and sampling solutions provider SSI has added a further three countries - Brazil, South Korea and New Zealand - to its QuickThoughts mobile data collection platform; and has launched a new business sample source for researchers, SSI B2B inSSItes. 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
Consumer mobile phone tracking specialist Kantar Worldpanel ComTech has hired former gartner VP Carolina Milanesi as Director of its US business. More
Panels specialist Research Now has promoted Chris Dubreuil from SVP of Client Development - Northern Europe to Managing Director of Northern Europe. 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
Marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis has extended its social media arm to Poland with the acquisition of the Socializer group, which will be integrated into the Isobar digital media division. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Albuquerque, New Mexico-based ad research agency Ameritest has appointed Ralph Blessing as Managing Director, in charge of its Chicago office. More
Nielsen has increased its offer to buy Harris Interactive from $2.00 to $2.04 per share, valuing the company at around $118.9m. More
Nielsen's copyright suit against radio broadcaster Saga Communications - begun by Arbitron pre-merger - will not now go to trial until July 2015. A federal judge in Delaware has scheduled the case, following the firms' failure to reach an out-of-court agreement. More
Brighton, UK-based social media monitoring and analytics provider Brandwatch is setting up an office in central San Francisco, where it has appointed former Topsy execs Even Walser as VP, Enterprise Sales and Aaron Hayes-Roth as VP, Strategic Alliances. More
US-based web analytics and behavioral targeting firm Lotame has introduced a new set of solutions to help businesses manage audience data gathered from mobile devices. More
US-based digital audience targeting specialist Datalogix has unveiled a service through which brands can reach current or potential customers on Twitter, through an anonymized match of off-line postal address, e-mail and other data from their in-house customer files. 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
UK analytics firm Ebiquity has confirmed it is no longer considering the sale of its business; and has itself acquired Hong Kong-based China Media Consulting, the holding company of the CMCG Group, for an initial sum of $HK 20m (c.£1.6m). 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
Mobile and web ad metric specialist WebSpectator has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its 'Guaranteed Time Slot' (GTS) online display ad viewability metrics. More
Business information provider Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) has announced a partnership with customer insights specialist FirstRain. The two will deliver a solution which combines structured and unstructured business data and analytics and provide a '360-degree' view of a company. More
US marketing services firm Epsilon has partnered with Twitter to enable advertisers to target audiences using their own customer and prospect data. More
Larry Freed, the founder and CEO of customer experience measurement and predictive analytics specialist Foresee Results, has resigned following the firm's recent acquisition by Q&A platform Answers.com. More
In the US, API management platform Apigee has acquired cloud-based predictive analytics firm InsightsOne, as it looks to expand its own big data analytics portfolio. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Mobile research technology firm OnePoint Global has opened an office in France, and has appointed former Annik Principal Consultant Gary Stocks to lead the new venture. More
Ad targeting specialist Turn has raised $80m in a Series E round of financing, which will be invested in its technology platform, data science and machine learning algorithms, and cross-channel and data-focused products. 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
US social media and user analytics specialist Kontagent has raised $4.8m in investment funding, bringing its total raised to date to $17m. More
In Chicago, marketing services CEO and business transformation specialist Zain Raj has acquired a majority interest in independent market research firm Shapiro, and will form a new firm, Shapiro + Raj. More
Hall & Partners US CEO Michelle Castle is leaving to join quant branding and creative researcher db5 after a year in the role. She will join db5 Chief Exec Chris Hubble, also a former Hall & Partners CEO, and will lead a new office in Chicago as db5's President USA as well as becoming a shareholder. More
Havas Global CEO David Jones will leave the company to co-found and lead a new tech start-up to launch next month, combining 'social media and social responsibility'. Yannick Bolloré will take on the role of Global CEO of Havas and Andrew Benett, Co-President Havas Worldwide, becomes CEO of the ad network. More
The Indian government has announced it will regulate television ratings agencies in the country, requiring them to register with the I&B Ministry within 30 days, and raise sample size to a minimum of 20,000 panel homes - potentially a blow to Nielsen/Kantar joint venture TAM. More
In Paris, former Publicis exec Adrien Cusinberche and PR Guillaume Aoust have set up Fauve, a social media analysis and ad agency for brands active in emerging markets. The firm's first tool is a big data analytics service called Lynx. More
Online research specialist YouGov has extended its reach to China and South East Asia through the acquisition of Asian MR and tech firm Decision Fuel (DF). YouGov will pay an initial sum of £0.6m, but the full deal is expected to total $5m before 2017. More
Mark Lieberman, co-founder and former CEO of TV analytics firm TRA, has joined TV ad services specialist Viamedia as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. More
Facebook has acquired an Indian tech start-up firm called Little Eye Labs, which develops mobile app performance monitoring and analysis tools. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, although analysts are suggesting it could be valued at up to $15m. More
Branka Orosnjak has returned to London-based brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners as a Partner. More
Marcoms network MDC Partners has acquired a majority partnership interest in language and communications research specialist Luntz Global, thereby extending its own Consumer Insights and Analytics practice. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Retail intelligence technology firm Cogenta has launched a multi-national version of its pricing app, to enable international retailers, manufacturers, brand managers and researchers to monitor consumer goods pricing data in 23 countries around the globe. More
In New York, former Forrester Research exec Emily Riley has joined digital marketing intelligence company Evidon as its first Chief Operating Officer. More
Canadian firm Leger Metrics has launched a solution to automatically analyze text responses from open-ended survey questions, social media, and anywhere else customers leave comments about their brand experiences. More
Mobile advertising specialist YP has acquired Sense Networks, which uses location and behavioral data to deliver targeted mobile ads. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Digital marketing specialist LIN Digital has launched a cross-screen video measurement solution, offering both in-depth digital metrics and traditional broadcast benchmarks through a single tool. More
WPP's media investment management unit GroupM has acquired Berlin-based digital ad targeting specialist plista, for an undisclosed sum. More
Advertising intelligence specialist Integral Ad Science has raised $30m in a Series D round of funding, led by August Capital and with participation from existing investors Atlas Venture and Pelion Venture Partners. More
US speech and text analytics specialist Verint - which owns survey software firm Vovici - is to buy customer services solutions company KANA Software for $514m, enhancing its ability to analyze customer and employee experience data and implement customer-centric strategies. More
Nielsen has appointed former Edelman exec Katie Burke as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Communications, responsible for the firm's internal and external communications, content development, digital marketing and industry relations. More
University academics Ridvan Peshkopia, Mergim Cahani and Alejtin Berisha have teamed up with entrepreneur Edi Demaj to launch a new DIY research firm called iziSurvey. More
WPP's media investment management arm GroupM has launched a TV audience targeting division called Modi Media, tapping into the group's TV implementation, optimization, research and data capabilities. More
Online research specialist BrainJuicer has introduced the FeelMore50 - a ranking of the '50 most effective emotional ads' in the US. More
DIY online research platform ZappiStore, already available in the UK, US, Australia, France and Germany, has been rolled out in Canada. The firm says it plans 'aggressive expansion' in 2014. More
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has given its approval to a new method for obtaining parents' verifiable consent for online collection and use of children's personal information, developed by technology firm Imperium. More
US-based People Pattern, which provides an audience segmentation and user classification platform for data-driven marketing, has won $4.5m in Series A funding, allowing it to broaden deployment of its audience data platform. More
Facebook is refuting claims made in a lawsuit filed by two users in California, that it 'intercepts' private messages and profits from sharing the content with third parties. More
Less than a year on from its launch, US-based polling and data analytics company 1World Online has closed $1.5m in Series A financing, for use in product development, geographical expansion and growth in its partner base. More
MRS President Rita Clifton has been made a CBE in the UK's New Year's Honours List for 'services to the advertising industry'. More
China-based brand development and marketing insight consultancy Oracle Added Value is to adopt the global brand name and logo of Added Value. More
Dominique Shu has joined Houston, Texas-based marketing agency Unleaded Communications as Market Research Director. She joins from consulting firm Decision Strategies where she was Principal of Market Intelligence. More
UK-based business information firm Progressive Digital Media Group Plc has completed its $3.3m acquisition of Pyramid Research. More
In the US, Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler has turned down a request by ad-supported video content platform Hulu to dismiss a lawsuit which accused it of illegally sharing users' viewing history with Facebook and comScore. More
Media firm The Tribune Company has entered into an agreement with Sony Corporation of America to acquire music data provider Gracenote, which offers metadata for more than 180 million tracks. The deal is valued at $170m and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014. More
Social media analyst DataSift is tapping into data from China's Twittter-like social media network Sina Weibo, allowing clients to analyze audiences, monitor brands and sentiment, and access real-time consumer behavior data. More
Canadian customer feedback and analytics specialist iPerceptions has enhanced the text mining capabilities of its Active Research platform, adding clickstream data segmentation for more detailed analysis of open-ended feedback. More
Online ad technology firm MediaShift has been awarded a third patent, which the firm says extends its in-session ad targeting capabilities to deliver relevant ads to WiFi users on the move. More
Q&A platform Answers.com has acquired customer experience measurement and predictive analytics specialist ForeSee Results. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but reports in the press value it at more than $200m. More
Rupert Murchoch's News Corp group is paying EUR 18m (c.$24.6m) for Dublin-based social media news agency Storyful, which offers a combination of journalistic expertise and proprietary technology, including social media dashboards and other real-time discovery tools and feeds. More
Location-based behavioral intelligence firm Brickstream has introduced an in-store analytics solution, which combines 3D customer behavior analytics, a high resolution video camera, and wireless-based proximity data analytics within a single platform. More
Japanese mobile advertising firm Adinnovation has introduced a mobile app and ad tracking solution called HITRACKING. More
In the US, on-demand online community specialist GutCheck has raised a further $2.5m in venture funding, adding to the $4m in Series B equity financing the firm secured in the summer. More
Audience targeting specialist eXelate has partnered with Paris-based online targeting specialist SirData, enhancing its platform with the latter's data from six million French consumers. More
Social media intelligence firm Binary Fountain has appointed Ramu Potarazu as Chief Executive Officer, to focus on the firm's market share in the healthcare sector while developing strategies for targeting the education, media, and multi-dwelling unit sectors. More
US customer and employee analytics specialist Mattersight has received two new patents for its solutions, which use psychological behavioral models to automatically analyze customer interactions and the effectiveness of sales. More
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has expressed its concern that the sale of the Australian Associated Press (AAP) media monitoring business to media intelligence group iSentia would create a monopoly in the market. More
WPP-owned media investment management company GroupM is set to acquire a majority stake in Vietnam-based full service social media marketing agency ClickMedia. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
The business outlook for marketers around the world remains positive, according to Warc's latest Global Marketing Index (GMI), which takes into account marketers' expectations for trading conditions, marketing and staffing levels. More
In New York, media and entertainment research firm Frank N. Magid Associates has hired Mike Bloxham and Debby Ruth to lead its newly-formed National Television and Video research and consulting practice. More
Four new regional radio survey providers have been accredited by Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) to join its panel of suppliers, and to undertake audience measurement research from 2014. More
Real-time TV ad metrics firm iSpot.tv has rolled out new measurement capabilities which it claims enable brands, agencies and TV networks to link viewers' social media activity to the airing of national TV commercials. More
Millward Brown has acquired a 70% stake in Moscow-based custom research firm ARMI-Marketing. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Former IDC Vice President Bob O'Donnell has launched his own technology market research and consulting firm, TECHnalysis Research, in Foster City, California. More
In the US, e-mail intelligence specialist TowerData has acquired consumer data firm Rapleaf for an undisclosed sum. More
In New York, GfK has appointed Pat Pellegrini as Executive Vice President of both its Media & Entertainment and Digital Market Intelligence teams. More
In the US, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and the Society for Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) are inviting firms to submit proposals for the development of a system for tracking advertising and content across TV, broadband and mobile video. More
New York-based marketing personalization and targeting firm Sailthru has raised $20m in a Series C round of funding, for use in expanding its global sales, engineering and marketing teams. More
GfK has finalised its $100m plus five-year contract with four of Brazil's broadcasters, bringing its TV audience measurement service to the country, and says it plans to hire approximately 100 new employees to support the project. More
Indian authorities have arrested two of the three founders of online survey firm Speak Asia, which is accused of defrauding participants out of an estimated Rs 2,200 crores (approximately EUR 260m). More
Ipsos has confirmed that former TNS Regional CEO Judith Passingham will join its online data collection arm Ipsos Interactive Services (IIS) as Global CEO on 2nd January 2014. IIS was formerly part of Global Operations, led by Stewart Jones, and will now operate as a separate business. More
Digital audience profiling and analysis specialist Effective Measure has launched a new solution called SHOP for the digital retail sector, providing demographic profiles of online audiences at each stage of the transactional process. More
US market research firm Opinion Corp has added a polling service to its consumer dissatisfaction web site, offering businesses feedback from unhappy customers, and journalists a means of measuring consumer sentiment for their articles. 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
Kantar Media has announced the acquisition of Singapore-based social media listening firm FishEye Analytics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US app measurement and advertising platform Flurry has raised $12.5m in new funding, bringing the total raised to date to $62.5m. More
WPP audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis is launching in Indonesia and the Philippines, and appointed Arshad Rahman to lead its efforts in the two new markets. More
UK audience research body BARB has announced a deal with information services group Experian, allowing customers to analyse potential TV channel splits and schedule choices using the latter's Mosaic geodemographic groups. 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
Palo Alto, CA-based DIY research specialist SurveyMonkey is scouting around various German cities in search of a potential location for a new office. More
WPP-owned communications network Ogilvy & Mather has agreed to acquire a majority stake in social media marketing agency Social Lab, based in Brussels, Belgium. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Marketing automation specialist Marketo has agreed to acquire web site personalization start-up Insightera, for an undisclosed sum. More
The UK's Financial Times has rolled out a 'semantic profiling' service called 'FT Smart Match', which assesses the meaning of news content on FT.com and allows advertisers to match their copy with relevant articles. More
Santa Monica-based ad analytics platform Pixalate has raised $4.6m in a Series A round of funding, led by Javelin Venture Partners. More
WPP research and ad agencies Millward Brown and Ogilvy & Mather have partnered to launch a syndicated tool called The Brand Cross-Cultural Index (BCCI), designed to help understand a brand's value across racial or ethnic segments. More
Private investment firm Bain Capital Partners has made an offer of 51.4 billion yen ($501m) to buy all the shares of Tokyo-based online research firm Macromill. More
US analytics software company Splunk has acquired machine-generated big data technology firm Cloudmeter for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, social media and user analytics specialist Kontagent and mobile games business engine PlayHaven have merged, creating one company that will help mobile-focused businesses and app developers understand user behavior. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based survey and panel management software firm Kinesis Survey Technologies has appointed former CfMC Managing Director Daniele Pizzocchero to lead its European Customer Support team. More
US-based research portal provider Northern Light has launched a new tool that offers a single point of access to 1.5 million social media posts created by analysts working at more than 200 IT firms such as Forrester and IDC. More
US-based fieldwork group Schlesinger Associates has appointed former uSamp director Kristen Tripphahn as Vice President, Global Panels, to oversee their growth and development, and drive best practice in panel management. More
Online MR software company Confirmit has added a 'backchecking' feature to its survey on-demand application (SODA), to enable researchers to verify data collected in the field via mobile devices using a desktop or mobile device, an app, or a browser. More
Ad targeting technology firm Simpli.fi has raised $1.6m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to expand its sales and marketing efforts and to continue development of its proprietary platform. 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 London, online sampling and technology company uSamp has promoted Ben Leet to the position of Managing Director for Europe, following the departure of Gaelle Norman who has returned to France to set up her own market research support consultancy. More
Brand tracking and advanced analytics agency Nepa has promoted Research Manager Gabi Clark to the role of Head of Insight for the UK. More
Eye-tracking specialist Tobii has opened an exclusive beta program for a new web-based research solution, Tobii Track, designed to enable users to conduct research in any environment including across the cloud. More
Progressive Digital Media Group (PDMG), which provides business information to consumer and technology markets, has acquired ICT market analysis specialist Pyramid Research from United Business Media (UBM), for $3.3m in cash. More
Palo Alto, CA-based DIY research specialist SurveyMonkey has appointed former Washington Post (WaPo) polling chief Jon Cohen as Vice President of Survey Research. He will take up the new role on January 6th, 2014. More
Online community and survey technology provider Toluna has added geo-fencing capabilities to its TolunaMobile Diary app, enabling users to target respondents based on their location. More
Brand and media specialist Millward Brown has moved Sam Almutair into the newly created position of Head of Client Services, Australia, responsible for leading both the Sydney and Melbourne teams. More
Two years on from its launch, YouGov's French office has announced a substantial expansion of its staff, to date adding Jean-Romain Lehr as Marketing & Business Development Manager, Diane Thebaudeau as Research Manager and Lucie Schweizer as Research Executive. More
US-based web personalisation software provider Monetate has added $8 million to its funding, bringing its total to date to $43m, and says revenues have doubled and staff numbers expanded to 200 over the past year. More
Online specialist Lightspeed Research (LSR) has appointed David Shanker to the newly created role of The Americas Chief Executive Officer, and promoted Daniel S. Fitzgerald to global Chief Client and Marketing Officer. More
Michigan-based Market Strategies International (MSI) has announced five new hires and two senior promotions. Janice Anderson, Rob Delghiaccio, Paul Hartley, Chris Oberle and Dawn Palace are the new arrivals while newly promoted VPs are Tish Hasting and Sue Nicol. More
Ipsos has reached an agreement with WPP-owned behavioural targeting services firm I-Behavior, Inc. to help marketers manage and assess campaigns among affluent US consumers. More
In the US, employee-owned Target Research Group has acquired Montvale, NJ-based full service agency A&G Research. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Manchester, UK-based passive mobile behaviour tools developer RealityMine has bought media usage study USA TouchPoints, which was previously operated by the Media Behavior Institute (MBI). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Palo Alto, CA-based online DIY research specialist SurveyMonkey is planning to open an office in London's Tech City, where it will hire up to 50 sales, marketing and business development specialists. More
Former OECD Ambassador Karen Kornbluh has joined Nielsen as Executive Vice President of External Affairs, leading the firm's government and public affairs services, and overseeing privacy strategy, corporate social responsibility and multicultural market development. More
Panel and sample provider Offerwise is expanding throughout Central and South America, including the Caribbean. More
In-store analytics specialist RetailNext has acquired San Mateo, California-based Nearbuy Systems, which provides location-based Wi-Fi Analytics solutions for retailers. More
WPP has merged audience profiling and targeting division Xaxis with its digital marketing tech specialist 24/7 Media, to form what it says is the world's largest programmatic media and technology platform. The merged firm will keep the Xaxis name. More
Location-based mobile advertising specialist Verve Mobile has launched a cross-platform audience targeting solution, allowing advertisers to reach consumers on multiple screens, including mobiles, PCs and digital out-of-home (OOH) screens. More
uSamp co-founders Matt Dusig and Gregg Lavin have confirmed that they have left the company to 'explore new opportunities'. More
US District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin has thrown out TRA's patent infringement claims against Kantar for the second time in less than two months. More
London-based mobile research and sample specialist On Device Research has appointed former Research Now director Martin Tomlinson as Managing Director of its Singapore office, in charge of the South East Asia region. More
UK-based sales and marketing automation specialist Salesformics has introduced a new tool called 'Twitter Filters', to enable businesses to discover when their prospects and customers are talking about topics of interest, but not necessarily mentioning the company or brand by name. More
Apple Inc. has acquired San Francisco-based social media analysis and tracking firm Topsy in a $200m deal. More
Swiss company Sportradar, which specialises in content and information for the sports and betting sector, has acquired US-based statistics and research provider SportsData for an undisclosed sum. More
Search engine giant Yahoo! has acquired natural language processing (NLP) technology startup SkyPhrase for an undisclosed sum. More
Venture capital firm Spectral Capital Corporation has acquired majority control of Monitr, a semantic processing and data analytics platform for the financial services sector. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Social media analyst DataSift has raised $42m in a Series C round of funding, and plans to accelerate company growth with increased investment in its social data platform and sales and marketing team. More
In Australia, the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) has joined forces with seven publishers to launch a measurement pilot for a 'Mobile Audience Panel', which will be jointly funded and delivered by Nielsen. More
Indian audience measurement body BARC met over the weekend to decide between short-listed suppliers for its television ratings contract. With no official announcement as yet, some reports suggest French firm Mediametrie has been chosen, with a contract to be signed this week. More
WPP brand development and insight consultancy Added Value has appointed Kenneth Lee as Managing Director for China. More
Predictive analytics company Blue Yonder is to open a 'Data Science Academy' (DSA) in Europe early next year, with the aim of training execs to 'identify Big Data opportunities within their own companies.' More
Fast-growing screen measurement specialist Rentrak has hired TV marketing veteran Laurie Kaman as Senior Vice President of Branded Entertainment at its iTVX/Rentrak division. More
Stockholm-based panel exchange platform Cint has announced two partnerships in Asia: with mobile panel developer Open Survey, and Thailand-based smartphone platform Buzzebees. More
MR outsourcing company Cross-Tab Marketing Services has launched Livewire, a reporting and analysis tool forming part of its research operations technology platform ctOS. More
WPP firm GreyPossible has acquired the business and assets of Amsterdam-based digital marketing firm Media Republic, whose services include social media analysis and management via its Social365 unit. 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
Antwerp, Belgium-based Survey Anyplace has launched a made-for-mobile survey tool whose respondents are not required to load an app or join a panel, but can scan a QR code or type in a shortened URL to take part. More
Confirmit has announced strong results for the third quarter of 2013, with 'solid double digit revenue growth' and particularly impressive growth in multi-year contracts, up 130 percent for the year as a whole. 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
WPP has taken a majority stake in Johannesburg, South Africa-based strategic comms agency Cerebra Communications, whose services focus around building and running brand communities. More
Ad and brand research specialist Hall & Partners has appointed Marc DeCongelio as Qualitative Research Director, and Frank Harrison as Research Director, Health. Both are based in New York. More
UK-based out-of-home (OOH) comms agency Posterscope has reached an agreement with mobile phone network EE to incorporate anonymised mobile usage data on consumer movements and location-based digital behaviour, into its 'Planner' ad optimisation app. More
UK-based consumer insight and database marketing company Transactis has announced a partnership with California's TeleSign, whose PhoneID suite helps detect suspicious mobile phone users. More
Nielsen is to buy Harris Interactive for around $116.6m, or $2 a share. The deal was unanimously approved on Monday by the Board of Directors of Harris, which has recently improved profits despite a continuing slide in its revenues. More
In the US, advertising intelligence specialist Integral Ad Science has achieved Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its online ad viewability product. The product is used by Nielsen as part of its Online Campaign Ratings (OCR). More
Researcher and electoral pollster Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) has announced the launch of its first Middle East office. More
Mobile research firm Field Agent has agreed to acquire shopper insights firm CORE4 Research, for an undisclosed sum. More
Ipsos Loyalty has appointed Nick Lygo-Baker as Head of its real-time customer feedback platform ViewsCast in the UK. More
Canadian social media analyst Seevibes, which focuses on TV-related conversations, has acquired French opposite number TvTweet, as the first step in its expansion into Europe. More
Nashville, USA-based automotive industry analytics company Dataium has entered a $400k agreement to settle allegations of tracking web users without their consent. More
Former ad planner and Essential Research co-founder Luca Antilli has joined London-based online community specialist Verve as a Partner. More
Social media analytics company Socialbakers has added new features to its Social Analytics suite, including a mobile analytics app, and support for Instagram and LinkedIn. More
After nine years as Nielsen's CEO, David Calhoun is to join The Blackstone Group, one of six private equity firms that purchased the research giant in 2006. More
US-based social media solutions firm Livefyre has acquired social media analytics specialist Realtidbits, for an undisclosed sum. More
Twitter has expanded its suite of services targeting users who are engaged with television content. The new 'TV Conversation Targeting' tool will help US and UK advertisers and networks connect with relevant tweeters. More
US music intelligence company The Echo Nest has expanded its existing platform to offer targeted advertising, based on detailed segmentation of music fans by lifestyle, demographics and devotion to musical genres. More
Omnicom-owned communications network FleishmanHillard has hired former Coca-Cola insights leader Christina Liao as Senior Vice President and Senior Partner, Director of Applied Data, in charge of its global Research and Analytics practice. More
WPP-owned marcoms network Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) has opened a 'Marketing Analytics Centre of Excellence' in Singapore, which it says will turn Pan-Asian consumer insights into customised, targeted and measurable marketing strategies. 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
Mike Lavery has announced he is to retire from his position as President and MD of the US-based Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) in late 2014. More
On-demand online community specialist GutCheck has hired two new members of staff, and is preparing to recruit a further twenty. More
US-based social media insight provider Mass Relevance has opened an office in London's Oxford Street, to help European clients integrate data from relevant social media conversations into their media, marketing and advertising campaigns. More
In Chicago, TV research veteran Toni Falvo is to join Tribune Broadcast as Senior Vice President of Research, in charge of all research functions across the broadcaster's 23 television stations. More
US analytics firm BlueLabs, which was founded by former Obama analysts, has signed an agreement to use second-by-second cable set-top-box (STB) viewing data from TV program producer FourthWall Media, to allow clients to use micro-targeted ads. 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
E-commerce business Alibaba Group has acquired Chinese app analytics firm Umeng. While terms of the deal were not disclosed, some media reports have estimated its value at around $80m. More
WPP-owned global marcoms network Y&R has acquired a majority stake in Turkish social media specialist Plasenta Conversation Agency, for an undisclosed sum. More
Sampling, data collection and analytics specialist SSI has rolled out its 'QuickThoughts' mobile data collection platform in seven additional countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. More
Online ad targeting specialist Phorm has placed 100 million new ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange AIM market, in order to raise £10m for 'general working capital purposes'. More
US firm HedgeChatter has launched out of beta with a dashboard which it says allows investors, traders and hedge funds to see how key influencers on social media are affecting stock prices and price trends. More
GfK is preparing to deliver Lebanese TV audience data on a daily basis, using TAM technology to measure live and time-shifted TV consumption. 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
Three analytics and insight providers - Martini, Acxiom and Ipsos Mendelsohn - have partnered to provide information about the media habits and lifestyles of affluent households in the US. More
US-based Interpret has rolled out a Hispanic version of its media consumption tracker New Media Measure, and appointed former Federated Sample VP Diego Rodriguez to lead a new Hispanic Media & Entertainment Research Practice. 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
Nielsen plans to lay off around 333 workers at the Columbia, Maryland site which formed the headquarters of Arbitron, according to reports. Now renamed Nielsen Audio, the division employs around 1,000 workers across the US, a majority based in the Columbia site. 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
Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has launched the Annalect DMP (Data Management Platform), promising 'unprecedented campaign performance reporting and audience targeting capabilities on a single global platform'. More
US targeting and media measurement platform Trueffect has released a new suite of measurement tools, Trupath, which it says provide online advertisers with a more accurate and actionable view of metrics including reach, frequency, site overlap and attributable sales. More
Digital video brand ad solutions firm YuMe is to launch an audience targeting tool, going 'beyond simple reach and frequency' to add a measure of attentiveness. 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
Nielsen has made an unconfirmed number of staff redundant in its Audio division, formed from recently-acquired Arbitron. More
GfK has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with four Brazilian television broadcasters: Band TV, Record, RedeTV! and SBT, to bring its audience measurement services to the country. The planned initial contract will have a five-year timespan and a value of more than $100m. 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
Prima Research, which develops wireless location-tracking technology, has been granted two US patents for a solution tracking any radio frequency emitting tracking device - such as mobile phones, tablets or computers - across any three dimensional space indoors or out. More
Helsinki-based in-store behaviour analyst Walkbase has raised EUR 3m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to strengthen its sales, marketing and customer insights teams. More
Google is testing a system which will track a user's location on the high street, in order to serve them targeted ads relating to the shops they have visited. More
Former Google execs Vinoaj Vijeyakumaar, Aleetza Senn and Timo Josten have set up a web and mobile data analytics firm called Sparkline, in Singapore. More
US-based entertainment, media and technology specialist Interpret has hired TV researcher Ben Spergel to lead the expansion of its Television Strategy and Insights division. More
Multivariate and A/B testing specialist Ezoic has raised $5.6m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to launch its site layout optimisation software out of private beta in Q1 2014. More
US-based social media monitoring firm Crimson Hexagon has added a trend detection feature called 'Topic Waves' to its ForSight platform, which it says will help customers discover emerging trends and topics across social media conversations. More
Ipsos MediaCT has appointed Adam Hodgson as Research and Operations Director for its contract with The Readership Works' newspaper and magazine readership survey, emma. More
Research community and survey technology specialist Vision Critical has partnered with Nectar loyalty card owner Aeroplan to make the latter's community of 90,000 Canada-based members available for use in online surveys. More
In London, management consulting giant KPMG has launched a £66m fund that will invest in big data and analytics businesses through acquisitions and technology partnerships. More
Nielsen has added a new component to its Buyer Insights service. 'Nielsen Buyer Insights - Precision Marketing' combines digital behavior and consumer purchasing data to measure the link between online ad campaigns and what people actually buy. More
In the UK, mobile market research technology developer Sumo Insight has launched a real-time research platform created by the firm's co-founders: former Nokia researcher Tina Newport and former EE marketer Colin White. More
Predictive gaming analytics firm Ninja Metrics has raised $2.8m in Series A funding, which it will use to expand into new markets. The firm has also launched the 'Katana Analytics Engine', to provide social media data to gaming companies. More
Online MR software company Confirmit has promoted Tore Haggren to the role of Senior Vice President, Voice of the Employee (VoE). More
Adobe has added a mobile module to its analytics suite the Adobe Marketing Cloud, offering clients better understanding of how users engage with mobile apps. More
Google is working with a number of its advertising clients on the use of Nielsen's Online Campaign Ratings (OCR) in the assessment of YouTube campaigns. The search giant, which already partners with comScore's vCE, said it was offering clients 'objective, credentialed, third-party measurement options'. More
In California, advanced analytics firm Fractal Analytics and predictive modeling & optimization tech firm Sequoya have partnered to offer retailers and CPG manufacturers predictive analytics for use in real-time pricing and promotions decisions. More
Customer experience analytics specialist ForeSee has launched a new multichannel analytics platform, ForeSee cx360, combining voice-of-customer measurement, predictive analytics and the firm's proprietary methodology. More
In the US, big data-driven marketing firm XL Marketing Corp. has acquired the Adchemy Actions real-time analytics division of consumer intent specialist Adchemy. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Global research consultancy The Behavioural Architects (TBA) has hired five new members of staff at its offices in London, Shanghai and Sydney. More
comScore has partnered with social media business intelligence provider Shareablee to offer social media benchmarking and competitive intelligence insights. 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
In the UK, media intelligence company Realwire has launched a social media listening tool called Lissted, which identifies influencers taking part in relevant online conversations. 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
comScore and viewability measurement firm Moat have voluntarily agreed to withdraw the claims each firm made during a patent infringement lawsuit brought by comScore last year. More
Mobile research technology firm OnePoint Global has opened an office in Amsterdam, where it has appointed former Ipsos EFM Head Otto Vroegop as Sales Director, Netherlands. Separately, the firm has hired past Ipsos MORI exec Ben Phillips as Sales Director, UK. 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
App marketing and analytics firm Appboy has raised $7.6m in a Series A round of financing, which it will use to build its sales and marketing team and expand its product portfolio. More
Nielsen is to promote Mitch Barns to the role of Chief Executive Officer from January 1st 2014, replacing David Calhoun who takes on the role of Executive Chairman. More
In the US, IP intelligence and geolocation solutions specialist Digital Element has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for the geographic location analysis provided by its NetAcuity platform. More
In the US, technology company Mobile Accord has launched a mobile survey platform called GeoPoll, which will gather real-time data from people in emerging markets. To fund the launch, the firm has raised $6.6m in a Series A financing round. More
Cardlytics - which offers technology to track consumer purchases and reward individuals according to their purchasing behavior - has opened a base in Manhattan and begun building a team there to support its agency clients. More
Technology trend consultancy Trendstream has introduced an 'Insight Store', giving individuals and companies access to data from its GlobalWebIndex usage study. More
In the US, management consultancy giant PwC has acquired Miami and Chicago-based interactive marketing agency BGT, which offers a range of analytics, strategy and user experience (UX) services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In Canada, former Toluna exec Gaurav Agarwal has opened a new company called WiseSample, with backing from Microsoft's Bizspark technology and support program. More
US-based research tool developer Revelation Global has appointed former GfK Healthcare exec Jeff Sperring as Vice President of Business Operations. More
App store analytics firm App Annie has launched a platform helping publishers to aggregate their total ad spend and revenue from multiple ad networks into a single dashboard. More
In the UK, software development lab Gumbyte has launched a 'social intelligence' platform called CrowdVu, to identify B2B influencers from their social media conversations, and segment these individuals by sector and region. More
In the UK, Creston-owned product development specialist Marketing Sciences has appointed former Nokia researcher Richard Snoxell as Research Director in its Technology team, Jenny Guerreri as Research Manager in the Product Testing team, and Nick Rafferty as Senior Data Analyst. More
Mobile advertising platform xAd and out-of-home (OOH) comms agency Posterscope have partnered to launch a new 'converged media' capability, which they say will enable the retargeting of consumers who have seen specific OOH ads with relevant mobile communications. 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
Online sampling and technology company uSamp has appointed former Kraft Foods insight leader Karyn Hall as Vice President responsible for its Instant.ly online survey product. More
The US government will not be challenging the ad world's mega-merger, between global groups Omnicom and Publicis, following the expiry of a deadline this week. More
TV and movie audience specialist Rentrak has added Caroline Horner to its senior team, as Senior Vice President of Product Innovation. She leaves GroupM where she was Managing Partner, Director of Advanced Segmentations and Analytics. More
Facebook is testing new web analytics technology which will study how users browse the site, uncover how long they hover their cursors over ads, and whether their newsfeeds are visible on their mobile phones. More
Chicago-based digital media publisher Spartz has raised $8m in Series A investment, which it will use to launch a model that uses predictive science to measure the viral potential of web sites and apps. More
Following the recent seventeen-day shutdown of the US government, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is giving the public more time to comment on the 'consent agreement' for Nielsen's acquisition of Arbitron - even though the Commission approved the $1.26 billion deal a month ago. More
In the US, former Kantar Video CEO Bill Lederer has launched a digital media trading firm called MediaCrossing, which offers planning, bid management, business intelligence, data analytics, and optimization services. The firm has also raised $6m in Series A financing. More
In the US, retail promotion and pricing intelligence provider Market Track has acquired ad tracking specialist Competitrack from its founder Bob Moss. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Web-based software developer Cvent is investing $7m in a plan to relocate its Fairfax County headquarters to a new location next to the Greensborough Metro Station, where it says it will create 400 new jobs. More
Millward Brown Digital has introduced a suite of behavior-based mobile intelligence solutions, to provide new insights on how people use their mobile devices while shopping. 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
In the US, a group of in-store tracking technology firms have agreed to abide by a 'code of conduct' which will ensure that consumers are given the opportunity to opt out before stores can track their movement via their mobile devices. More
Technology specialist Forrester Research has met its revenue guidance for Q3, with revenue up 1.6% year-on-year to $69.6m. However, revenues from its majority Research division fell 1% to $49.8m. More
US analytics software firm Prosper Technologies has appointed former Authentic Response CEO Jim Follett as Strategic Advisor for its InsightCenter platform, which integrates data from various sources and helps users to predict markets and understand consumer segments. More
US-based digital audience targeting specialist Datalogix is extending its Westminster, Colorado headquarters by 20,000 square feet, in order to accommodate new staff and future business growth. More
US text mining software firm Lexalytics has introduced a Mandarin Chinese version of its proprietary text tool Salience Engine, which gauges the sentiment and tone of blogs to help customers understand and act on what's being said about them. More
App store analytics firm Distimo has launched a tool to enable users to check the performance of their own and competing apps across any store. 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
Nielsen has reported a 2.7% increase in third quarter revenue to $1.39 billion, the result of a 2.2% rise in the 'Buy' consumer research arm to $871m, and a 3.4% rise in the 'Watch' media research arm to $516m. More
Digital audience profiling and measurement provider Effective Measure is expanding into the Hong Kong market. More
North American industry body the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) and audience research firm GfK MRI have linked up to enable publishers to include the latter's top-line print and digital readership data in AAM reports, as well as in its cross-media database, the Media Intelligence Center. More
Patrick Dodd has been appointed as Managing Director of Nielsen China, based in Shanghai, with responsibility for all business activities across the region. More
US-based customer feedback specialist Mindshare Technologies has named former Empathica exec Gary Edwards as Chief Customer Officer of the newly combined company, heading up both the Market Insights and Sales teams. More
Internet companies including Facebook, Google, and Yahoo! could face fines of up to EUR 100m (£84.8m) if they break consumer data protection rulings agreed by the EU Civil Liberties Committee yesterday. More
Business advisory firm Deloitte has acquired data-driven digital and social media agency Banyan Branch, whose offer includes social media analytics and insights, community management, and digital creative. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has partnered with data giant Experian Marketing Services to add additional demographic and lifestyle segments to its Online Campaign Ratings tool. Variables include estimated household income range, family size and education level. 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
US-based telecoms industry specialist Pyramid Research has 'doubled' its coverage of telecoms markets in Africa and the Middle East, expanding the number of countries and operators tracked to offer additional insight into market trends across the region. More
Research community specialist Vision Critical has launched a co-creation tool called the IdeaHub, through which clients can tap into the ideas of customers, employees or other stakeholders for innovation and new product development. More
Pharma researcher InCrowd has enhanced its 'crowd' of US and international healthcare professionals, accessible to clients for market research purposes, with the addition of pharmacists, dentists and veterinarians. More
In China, social media management firm SocialTouch has raised an undisclosed amount of Series C funding, which it will use for product and business development. More
Australian audience body the AMAA has today announced the launch of its new audited web site measurement service, which will use comScore's Digital Analytix platform to provide a range of metrics for ad buyers and sellers. More
In the UK, the Market Research Society (MRS) has strengthened its Code of Conduct and issued new Mobile Research Guidelines, emphasizing privacy and data protection rights. More
London-based MR community and panel specialist Verve has launched AllDevice, a suite of JavaScript tools to enhance respondent experience on... all devices - including iPhones and iPads, which don't support Flash. More
YouGov's Middle Eastern subsidiary has expanded its team in Dubai with five new staff, including Ali Draycott who joins as Commercial Director MENA. Also joining are quallies Milos Bugarcic and Hend Abdel Sattar, and quant researchers Isaac Thiga and Nidhi Sharma. 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
Millward Brown has officially launched its qualitative practice, Firefly Millward Brown, in Canada. More
In the US, the judge who threw out TRA's patent infringement lawsuit against Kantar has now ordered that decision to be withdrawn from the record. 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
Two US industry associations have commissioned entertainment sector specialist E-Poll Market Research to conduct a study to learn more about how and why consumers use 'second screen' devices to view and engage with video content. 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
MR technology firm Decrypt, the UK arm of US-based Decipher Market Research, has promoted Richard Collins to the position of Managing Director in the London office. 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
TNS has launched an 'express' version of its flagship ConversionModel brand equity tool, which it says will enable businesses to identify growth opportunities and build brand equity in a matter of hours. More
UK trade bodies the IPA, Marketing Society, and Market Research Society have launched the first stage of a cross-industry research initiative to study the role of social media, including how to measure its effectiveness and return on investment. More
While UK marketing spend has risen at the strongest rate recorded in nearly thirteen years, market research budgets were down in Q3, according to the latest IPA Bellwether survey. More
In the US, targeted mobile comms specialist nGage Labs is opening an Analytics Innovation Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, to develop new ways to utilize big data streams for delivery of real-time personalized digital experiences to shoppers. More
Nielsen has officially rolled out its Cross-Platform Campaign Ratings tool in the UK, offering advertisers and agencies a means to integrate media planning and measurement across television and the Internet. More
Research Now has released a new version of its Mobile platform, featuring its newly developed 'Relevant Movement' geo-location technology and integration of its Mobile Access Panel. More
Brand tracking researcher Nepa UK has relocated its London offices to a larger site in Soho, where Business Development Director Johnny Caldwell has been promoted to the role of UK Managing Director. 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
Real-time marketing analytics provider Anametrix has introduced a multichannel segmentation and predictive analytics tool for media and publishing companies. More
Chinese online ad technology company Miaozhen Systems has launched an ad serving system using geographic and demographic data to optimise campaigns, and featuring third-party tracking. More
Online research and polling firm YouGov has reported an 8% rise in group revenue to £62.6m for the year ended 31 July 2013. UK, US and Middle East companies all saw substantial growth. 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
Stockholm-based panel exchange operator Cint has made nine appointments to support its global expansion plans. More
Manchester, UK-based marcoms agency Foundry Communications has appointed former McCann strategist Julie Neilson to lead its Research & Planning division. The firm has also opened 'virtual offices' in Dundee and Birmingham, and affiliate offices in Europe, the US and Asia. More
In the US, Ipsos Loyalty has appointed Trish Dorsey as Senior Vice President and leader of its Technology and Telecommunications team. More
In the UK, digital communications analysis specialist KBC Media has launched a social media mystery shopping service called Intelligage. More
Séverin Naudet, who previously served as the Advisor to the French PM on Internet and multi-media issues, has been appointed Head of Havas-owned social media unit Socialyse, which creates measureable campaigns based on analysis of consumer data. More
Facebook has agreed to acquire Israeli mobile data company Onavo, whose software helps app users and developers optimise their use of data, and whose Onavo Insights division is billed as 'the first mobile market intelligence service based on real engagement data'. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, the Nielsen-sponsored Council for Research Excellence says its recent study findings show random error in Nielsen diaries continues to grow, with the great majority of local broadcast and cable ratings falling outside the traditional 10% benchmark error range. More
Big data-driven marketing and CRM firm XL Marketing Corp. has acquired the data and email services company Intela LLC , and will merge Intela's data and customer acquisition businesses with its own UK subsidiary, Virtuoso Advertising. More
GfK has revealed details of its new measurement system for Commercial Radio Australia, to be known as AudienScope, which it says will introduce quarterly assessments of listeners' response to ads, emotional bonds with stations and motivations for listening. More
In the US, TRA has asked the judge who threw out the patent infringement part of its claim against Kantar to reconsider, claiming that she had granted its earlier request for an oral argument but then issued last week's summary judgment ruling before it had taken place. More
IBM is to acquire Dublin-based company The Now Factory, which offers telecoms providers insights into how people use and interact with mobile services. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Former Facebook Data Science and Analytics Manager Mohammad Sabah has joined recruitment data and analytics company Identified, to lead its Data Science and Engineering teams. More
In the UK, National Readership Survey CEO Mike Ironside has announced his intention to step down from the role in June 2014. More
Telecoms sector big data specialist Guavus has appointed Manish Goel as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Anukool Lakhina who will now help the company expand into additional markets. More
In the US, linguistic research and technology specialist Quester has integrated social media listening functions with its language analytics services. More
New York-based social media marketing platform Offerpop has introduced an app through which marketers can launch mobile-ready polling campaigns on Facebook, in order to capture data about their 'fans'. More
DIY survey technology firm SurveyMonkey has agreed to sell off its online data quality arm TrueSample to a group of investors led by Five Peaks Capital Management. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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
App store analytics firm App Annie has extended its offer to the book publishing sector, through the introduction of a service which enables authors and publishers to track and analyze their eBook sales and trends across the market. More
Big data firm Pursway, which tracks the influence of opinion leaders on purchasing habits, has raised $7.2m in funding, earmarked for expansion and for speeding up product innovation. More
Nigel Sharrocks, previously CEO of Aegis Media Global Brands, has joined UK TV ratings body BARB as Chairman, succeeding Nigel Walmsley who moves on after eleven years in the role. More
Czech-based social media monitoring firm Socialbakers Analytics has expanded to Russia through a partnership with social media platform VK, the country's 'second most visited site'. More
Customer experience management specialist Nunwood has developed a new system called Fizz: Experience Management, which connects people in all parts of a business to real-time customer insights and alerts. More
US-based direct marketing and targeting giant Harte-Hanks has appointed former Xerox exec John Dusett as Managing Director of its Marketing Intelligence division, which monitors and tracks the B2B technology industry. More
Tokyo-based Research Panel Asia (RPA) has launched a panel in Taiwan, for which it aims to recruit 100,000 people in the coming months. 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
US-based research technology firm Federated Sample has adapted its 'Fulcrum' sample management and exchange platform to work on almost any mobile device, matching respondents with the most appropriate surveys for their device type. More
UK consultancy FreshMinds Research has merged with its sister social and digital agency FreshNetworks. The new innovation consultancy formed will be known simply as FreshMinds and will offer a combination of research, predictive data analytics and digital strategy services. More
DIY mobile survey platform SlimSurveys has introduced a new 'widget' which can be added to web sites and used to run real-time customer surveys. More
Multi-screen measurement firm Rentrak has been granted another US patent for a methodology which 'refines' television viewing measurement data from set-top-boxes (STBs). More
A US judge has thrown out the patent infringement part of TRA's claim against WPP firms including Kantar, over the companies' abortive merger talks and the subsequent launch of competing product RapidView. However, TRA's claims over breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty continue. More
Millward Brown Digital has launched Conversion Tracker, which it says allows marketers to see competitors' onsite activity 'like never before', as well as learning from top performers and isolating key issues affecting their own performance. More
In the US, multi-screen measurement company Rentrak has appointed prominent movie and TV analyst Paul Dergarabedian as a Senior Media Analyst. More
In the US, IBM has acquired mobile targeting specialist Xtify, enhancing its offering in the areas of campaign creation, personalized content, dynamic real-time segmentation, and analytics for all mobile devices and browsers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US web analytics specialist Tealium has launched a patent-pending platform called AudienceStream, to enable marketers to identify specific segments of their audiences in real-time. More
US-based customer feedback specialist Mindshare Technologies has hired former Omniture comms leader Kristi Knight for the new role of Chief Marketing Officer, leading the marketing team and guiding the direction of the company's global brand. More
Netherlands-based customer feedback specialist Mopinion has launched a new solution to help companies collect, analyse and act on direct feedback from customers as they move through their web sites. More
In the US, online advertising network Federated Media Publishing has appointed Keith Fagan as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Data Solutions, with a remit to create custom and proprietary branded audience and content data segments. More
Trend intelligence firm Bottlenose has launched a tool called the Nerve Center, which combines massive data sets, natural language processing and statistical algorithms in order to spot relevant trends emerging across social media and business data. More
Online ad targeting specialist Phorm has officially launched operations in mainland China, and says it is already averaging 4.3 million users per day. More
Digital ad intelligence specialist Exponential Interactive has teamed up with WPP-owned behavioural targeting services firm I-Behavior, to help advertisers target consumers online based on their high street purchasing habits. More
Following the Nielsen acquisition, a number of Arbitron's execs are said to be leaving the company, including CFO Debra Delman. It is also rumoured that Arbitron CEO Sean Creamer will be leaving at the end of the year. More
Australia will have no official web visitor metrics for the month of October, with Nielsen stats ceasing as of this week and the replacement service resulting from the AMAA's tender not yet ready. 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
Global marcoms group Aegis Media has acquired Russian digital agency Traffic, whose range of services includes web and app development, social media marketing, media planning and buying, research, and analytics. More
Online research specialist BrainJuicer has partnered with branding agency MBLM to launch a consumer study using neuroscience methods to understand the decision-making process and the drivers of 'brand intimacy'. More
Nielsen has announced that Vice Chair Susan D. Whiting has decided to retire at the end of 2013, after thirty-five years with the company. 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
In the US, one of the remaining class action suits against ISPs who partnered ad targeting company NebuAd back in 2008 has been dismissed by an Illinois federal judge. Google, however, didn't fare so well with an attempt to dismiss claims over its Gmail scanning activity. More
UK-based research consultancy Incite has announced a number of appointments in its recently opened New York and Singapore offices. More
Nielsen has announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Arbitron, which was finally cleared by the FTC a week ago. Arbitron becomes Nielsen Audio and will be integrated into Nielsen's US Watch business segment. More
Radius Global Market Research has strengthened its offer for high-tech and innovation research with the acquisition of San Antonio, TX-based Probit Research. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. More
Panel and data collection pioneer Research Now is given clients the option of targeting members of its US research panel based on their online behavior, rather than / in addition to their answers to survey questions. More
London-based research community and panel firm Verve has expanded its qual team with three specialist senior hires - Richie Jones, Tim Martin and Lisa Chautard, bolstering both its digital and face to face skills base. More
Mansoor Khan has been promoted to the new role of Director of MENA and South Asia, Kantar Media Audiences, as the company looks to build on existing operations in the UAE, Egypt and Turkey. More
ISP-level ad targeting pioneer Phorm has announced 'strong sustained growth in revenue and other KPIs', based on its Turkish operations. More
DVR and TV viewing data pioneer TiVo Research and Analytics, Inc. (TRA) has extended its two-year relationship with dunnhumbyUSA, signing an exclusive partnership agreement further integrating the firms' grocery purchasing and television audience data. More
US-based full-service agency Target Research Group, Inc. has released details of its recent buyout by its own employees, led by new CEO Greg Spagna. More
Lachlane Brahe, currently Commercial Director of Digital at MCM Media, is to take over from Amy Weinberger as leader of the Australian and NZ operations of online measurement giant comScore, reports suggest. More
Research community and survey technology specialist Vision Critical has launched a new product, Mobile Discussion Forums, offering integrated mobile qual and quant research options in one tool. More
Cable set-top box (STB) viewing data specialist FourthWall Media has been granted a patent for its broadband device personalization technology, which stores individual viewer profile data on consumers' television or mobile device, for future use in advertising and content delivery. More
Research and analytics firm Blueocean MI, part of the Cross-Tab group, has hired Shannon McGuire as Vice President of Client Development. More
US-based digital analytics firm KeyMetric has released Smart Data, a tool providing conversion and call analytics software for the Yahoo! Bing Network & Bing Ads. More
GfK has announced a strategic investment in Genius Digital, giving its clients access to the firm's technology for collecting and acting upon customer data from IP-enabled video devices. More
Kantar Media is rolling out an app version of its InfoSys+ TV audience analysis service, allowing broadcast audience data to be viewed on mobile devices. More
Online MR software pioneer Confirmit has moved its EMEA headquarters to the landmark Blue Fin building on London's South Bank, where it will combine staff from its existing City of London and Guildford offices. More
Multi-screen measurement firm Rentrak has been granted a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a method it says statistically adjusts big data from set-top boxes and other transaction data, removing bias. More
In India, the MRUC (Media Research Users Council) has elected Ravi Rao, Leader South Asia for Mindshare, as its new Chairman, for the year 2013-14 - he was previously Vice Chairman, and takes over from Ravindra Kumar of The Statesman. More
Analytics software firm Acxiom has launched the Audience Operating System (AOS), a tool helping marketers to connect disparate data sources in order to profile and target consumers. 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
Decrypt, the UK-based wing of US research technology firm Decipher, has announced an agreement with German MR IT solutions provider datab, to distribute the Beacon survey and reporting platform in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. More
UK-based agency Vision One has launched AdProbe, which measures the performance of advertising (including TV and radio) against seven emotional triggers, linking them via an 'E-index' score to purchase intentions and overall ad effectiveness. More
AIP Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, has added Australia to its twice monthly Asia Omnibus Online product, which currently runs across 12 Asian countries. More
The FTC has announced it has reached an agreement with Nielsen, allowing the latter's acquisition of Arbitron to go through, with a condition safeguarding Arbitron's September 2012 cross-platform project with comScore and broadcaster ESPN. More
US-based social media analyst Whit.li has been renamed Mattr and has announced an enhanced platform offering audience segmentation by personality, demographics and interests. More
Iberian and Latin American online panel specialist Netquest has opened a subsidiary in New York, and appointed Cristián Enríquez to lead business development for it. More
Web personalisation software provider Monetate has launched a micro-segmentation service called LiveAudience, powered by the audience data and data management platforms of BlueKai. More
Mobile advertising firm StrikeAd, which uses real-time behaviour-tracking and geo-targeting to optimize delivery of ads, has raised $7m in a funding round. More
New York-based social media intelligence firm Unmetric has won $5.5m in a second round of funding, which it will use to develop its sales force, expand geographically and add more social media channels to its coverage. 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
Speculation in the papers suggests that Nielsen's $1.3bn merger with Arbitron could finally get approval today from the FTC, perhaps with an agreement to license technology to comScore. However, at time of going to press, nothing further has been announced. More
Google is looking at a system which would replace 'cookies' with a system of anonymous identifiers for individual consumers, according to an official of the company. More
Palo Alto, California-based cloud software developer TIBCO has acquired mobile business intelligence software firm Extended Results. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Facebook has launched a tool to help telecoms carriers and operators to measure the success of their advertising on the social network. The product links sales, including those in stores, with ad impressions served. More
Sampling and data collection firm SSI has rolled out its QuickThoughts mobile app in France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and the UK, and says 'at least ten' more countries will follow before the end of the year. More
Aegis Media has acquired Spanish full service comms agency Ymedia, whose offer includes research, strategy, planning and buying, brand content creation, direct response and modeling services. Terms were not disclosed. More
UK-based social media analytics provider Brandwatch has introduced a tool called Vizia, providing visual displays of real-time social media data on multiple screens, including smartphones and tablets. More
Online analytics pioneer Webtrends has named David Mitchell as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Alex Yoder who has left the company for reasons as yet unclear. More
US analytics software company Splunk is to acquire BugSense, which enables users to analyze data from hundreds of millions of mobile devices through its cloud platform. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
WPP-owned Xaxis - which links the group's ad buying technologies with a proprietary database containing 'the world's largest pool of audience profiles' - has appointed former Microsoft leader Christian Wilkens as Managing Director for Germany. More
App store analytics firm App Annie has raised $15m in Series C funding, which it will use to grow its sales and marketing teams in San Francisco, expand its global offices across Asia and Europe, and accelerate its product development program. More
Global MR industry turnover grew by 3.2% to $39.1 billion in 2012, according to ESOMAR's latest Global Market Research Report. During the year, strong performance was seen in Asia Pacific, Africa and Latin America, countering 'sluggish' performances elsewhere. 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
Kantar Media has teamed up with audience targeting specialist I-Behavior to develop a service called Ad-Vantage, allowing advertisers to reach specifically defined consumer groups online. 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
UK-based ad technology company Crimtan has integrated Digital Element's IP geolocation intelligence technology into its RAMP360 platform, to enable geographic targeting of online advertising at zip/post code level. 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
Publishing giant Gannett has appointed media veteran Judy Vogel as Vice President of Research, responsible for leading corporate research and addressing ad sales, digital, editorial and brand strategy. More
Technology MR firm ABI Research has opened an office in Geneva, Switzerland, to expand its focus on international policy relating to cybersecurity and telecoms issues, while supporting joint research initiatives with its partner the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). More
Nielsen has launched a mobile app for consumers, to provide information about 'what's hot' across a number of categories such as TV shows, music, movies, books and video games, as well as consumer products like cosmetics, candy and beer. More
Ipsos has appointed Evan Borak as Senior Vice President of its media, content and technology division Ipsos MediaCT in the US, and Head of its Audience Measurement Group (AMG). More
Adobe's Digital Publishing Suite (DPS) has become the first software of its kind to be certified by the AAM (Alliance for Audited Media), which indicates that it 'accurately measures key reader engagement metrics'. More
Kantar Media has given Andy Brown the role of Chief Executive Officer, replacing Jean-Michel Portier who retired earlier this year. More
US sampling and data collection provider Critical Mix has acquired SurveyMonkey's ZoomPanel community, and will combine it with its own online panel sample in the US, UK, France, Canada and Australia. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
WPP-owned marcoms network Ogilvy & Mather is to acquire a majority stake in Indian digital tech firm PennyWise, which offers a range of software and services for mobile app development; social media monitoring; SEO; analytics and business intelligence. More
Enterprise software giant SAP has announced its intention to buy predictive analytics specialist KXEN, as it looks to build up and automate its own big data analysis offering. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
US-based digital audience targeting specialist Datalogix has opened an office in Chicago, to support growth in its consumer products business, which it says has tripled in size in the last year. At the new office, the firm has appointed former Google, Yahoo! and Gannett execs. More
US technology firm Versium has raised $2.5m in investment funding, which it will use to drive the roll-out of its predictive analytics scoring technology. More
US-based web analytics and behavioral targeting firm Lotame has opened an office in Singapore and appointed Mathew Ward as MD of the Asia Pacific region. More
WPP-owned marketing and technology company Digitaria has appointed Eden Tsehaye to lead the Analytics team at its Minneapolis office. More
In the US, social media analytics and personalization platform GraphDive has closed a $2m round of funding. More
Marcoms group STW has acquired a majority stake in Colmar Brunton Australia, the country's largest independently owned market research agency. The amount of the investment was not disclosed. More
In the US, online auction giant eBay has acquired price forecasting and shopping research company Decide.com for an undisclosed sum. More
Facebook has partnered with social media insight provider Mass Relevance to enable media companies to tap into real-time Facebook conversations relating to specific topics. More
In the UK, WPP-owned Kantar Media has promoted Sarah Sanderson to the position of Managing Director of its Custom research unit. She replaces Liz McMahon, who is transferring to sister agency TNS UK as Managing Director, Consumer. More
London-based online research software and services provider Dub has added a number of new languages to its web and mobile platforms including Mandarin, Turkish, Polish, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Bahasa Indonesia, Japanese, Urdu and Hindi. More
Nielsen is said to be in negotiations with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding its acquisition of ratings giant Arbitron, with talks centering around a concession involving the combined company licensing measurement technology to rival comScore and other parties. More
In the UK, financial sector corporate affairs and public policy consultancy Cicero Group has acquired political comment monitoring service Yatterbox. Exact terms of the deal, which value Yatterbox at a 'significant six-figure sum', were not disclosed. More
In the US, research technology firms Decipher and Federated Sample have combined their Beacon and Fulcrum market research platforms, in order to launch a solution which 'addresses the entire research process'. More
In the US, WPP-owned full-service digital agency Rockfish has launched a Digital CRM practice, offering clients help in using big data to respond to customers with relevant content via the most appropriate device. More
In Australia, audience measurement firm Roy Morgan Research has hit out at industry body The Newspaper Works' plans to offer its new emma newspaper and magazine readership survey free for the next 12 months, describing the move as 'predatory pricing'. More
US targeting and media measurement platform Trueffect is moving to new corporate headquarters between Denver and Boulder, which will more than double its operating space in preparation for forthcoming recruitment. More
Ana Garcia has returned to London-based research panel and online community specialist Verve as Associate Director of Team, with a remit to bring staff recruitment in-house. The firm has also hired five new employees. More
In the US, ad optimization specialist BoostCTR has raised $8m in Series B funding. The funds will help to extend the firm's proprietary Boost Method, which uses crowdsourcing and split-testing to help businesses find the most effective words and images for their targeted ads. More
In the US, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and the Society for Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) are working together to create an industry standard for tracking advertising and content across TV, broadband and mobile video. More
US analytics software company Splunk has reported a 50% increase in fiscal second quarter 2014 revenue to $66.9m from $44.5m in the prior year period. Q2 net loss increased to $13.7m from $4.6m a year previously, due in part to one-time IPO-related charges. More
Former Hall & Partners New York Managing Partner Mark Stapylton has launched his own firm, BrandPanorama Research & Consulting. More
US-based social media solutions firm Lithium Technologies has raised $50m in pre-IPO 'mezzanine' financing, which it will use to further advance its technology platform, expand its global presence, and make 'strategic' growth-related acquisitions. More
Dubai-based media measurement specialist Salience Insight has appointed Angie Jeffrey as US Managing Director, to act as the main point of contact for clients in the States, while helping develop and expand the company's US offer, including social media monitoring and evaluation. 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
Web content analytics specialist Parse.ly has closed a $5m Series A round of funding, which it will use to extend its semantic data analytics platform. 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
Nielsen has once agreed to extend the period for regulatory review of the Arbitron transaction, into September - but continues to stress that it is 'confident in the ultimate outcome'. More
PR group Edelman has launched its Edelman Berland research and analytics subsidiary in Greater China, and has relocated Fergus Clarke from its Abu Dhabi office to Hong Kong to lead it as Head of Research for Edelman Berland Greater China. More
Vincent Bollore, Chairman of marketing services holding group Havas, has resigned and passed the reins to his son Yannick. More
Nielsen has struck a last-minute deal with the Audited Media Association of Australia to ensure publishers and advertisers do not face a month without audited circulation statistics, according to reports. More
WPP subsidiary tenthavenue has acquired a minority interest in UK-based multi-platform agency Candyspace Media Ltd, whose services include user experience, testing, analytics and project management. More
Transaction processing and analytics provider SourceHOV has launched a new business unit, Alpha Analytics, which will combine analysis, business intelligence and data science to help clients improve their ROI on analytics spend. Mark Pitts will lead the new division. More
In Canada, business information firm APOS has sold its Location Intelligence Solutions (LIS) division to Galigeo, a firm which combines location-related data with business information. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Customer loyalty and marketing platform Belly has secured another slice of venture capital financing, in the form of $12.1m of Series B-1 investment, which it will use to expand its core product offering. More
In New York, Spanish-language broadcast network Telemundo Media has promoted Yatisha Bothwell to VP, Insights and Strategy, and appointed Latha Sarathy as Vice President of its Media Digital Research division. More
In the US, big data specialist Retention Science has raised $750k in new funding, adding to the $1.3m it received in a seed round last year. More
Twitter has acquired 'social TV' analytics firm Trendrr, as it looks to exploit business opportunities from analysing and promoting real-time conversations around TV programs. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Social media analytics company trueAnthem has raised $2.6m in private funding for use in extending its technology, which identifies and analyzes social media influence and helps clients track their viral content. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has introduced an enhanced service to track US mobile commerce (m-commerce) sales - whether via smartphones or tablets - and analyse by product category and leading individual retailer. 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
UK-based consumer agency Firefish has appointed former GfK design research specialist Rose Tomlins as Qualitative Director, strengthening its technology and service design offering. More
In the US, mobile targeting and retargeting specialist Drawbridge has appointed former BrightRoll research leader Daryl McNutt to lead its marketing strategy. More
Connecticut, US-based Civicom Marketing Research Services has introduced a text analytics tool with a sentiment analysis module. More
Millward Brown has launched a mobile tracker, through which to deliver insights to marketers in the Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific (AMAP) region, as part of what the firm describes as an 'aggressive regional mobile research strategy'. 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
Web site tracking innovator TagMan - which was launched by web analytics pioneer Paul Cook - has received $5m to help fund its global growth, including expansion of its 300-strong global partnership program STREAM. 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
Private equity firm Thoma Bravo has acquired Internet and mobile cloud testing and monitoring firm Keynote Systems for around $395m. Keynote has also announced the retirement of its Chairman and CEO Umang Gupta, and the appointment of Jennifer Tejada as President and CEO. More
Netherlands-based agency SKIM has expanded to Latin America with the opening of new offices in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and San José, Costa Rica. 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
Management software giant SAP has released a new tool called SAP Social Contact Intelligence, to enable businesses to 'unlock' sentiment and contact insights from both social media channels and internal data. More
US-based natural language processing firm LinguaSys has launched a tool which it says can draw intelligence from social media and big data in fifteen native languages. More
Nielsen is to acquire the Business Intelligence and Commerce Solutions products of bibliographic information specialist R.R. Bowker, aiming to measure the impact of eBook sales in the US and UK, and analyse by demographics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In Australia, media intelligence group iSentia (formerly known as Media Monitors) has acquired social media agency Two Social. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Amy Weinberger, the head of online measurement specialist comScore in Australia and New Zealand, is stepping down from her role, and will be replaced by a 'local hire'. More
In the US, real-time marketing platform SHIFT has introduced a social media analytics tool, though which marketers can analyze their paid media by campaign or by creative. More
Los Angeles-based tech start-up Bedloo has launched out of beta with an online voting platform, through which users can create their own polls to get instant feedback on things like clothes or songs, or cast their vote on images uploaded by other users. More
In the US, mobile and wireless research specialist Compass Intelligence has acquired the assets of competitor MobileTrax, and appointed its founder Gerry Purdy as Chief Mobility Strategist. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, WPP-owned marcoms network Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) has promoted Todd Cullen to the role of Global Chief Data Officer, responsible for expanding the Data and Analytics Practice from its current total of 1,000 professionals worldwide. More
Austin, Texas-based start-up TrendKite has raised $1.2m in a Series A round of funding, which it plans to use to extend its media measurement and monitoring platform and grow its technical and sales teams. More
Multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has acquired iTVX, a product placement analysis firm, for an undisclosed sum. More
UK-based media and marketing insights firm Ebiquity has acquired US multi-channel digital analytics consulting company Stratigent for an initial consideration of around $4m, with up to $3m more dependent on the firm's performance in the remainder of 2013. 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 London, WPP-owned ad agency Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) has appointed Marshall Manson as Managing Director, EAME of its Social@Ogilvy practice, which taps the agency's network of social media strategists for solutions such as online listening and conversation impact analysis. More
Arbitron has announced MRC accreditation for its PPM ratings in another eight markets, along with continued accreditation in eighteen markets previously approved. More
emma, Australia's new industry-backed newspaper and magazine readership survey, has published its first figures, which show substantially larger audiences - for most publications - than the metrics produced by Roy Morgan. More
In the UK, the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) has unveiled a collaboration with the ad association IPA's Touchpoints survey, to help planners analyse media's role in connecting with and influencing consumers at relevant moments. More
Targeting and media measurement provider Trueffect has announced a strategic partnership with UK based marketing insights firm RedArk, and has also received TRUSTe and Safe Harbor certification for privacy compliance. More
According to reports, India's Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has shortlisted five bidders for the technology section of its soon-to-be-launched television ratings system. TAM Media Research is not said to be amongst them, although both its backers, Nielsen and Kantar, are. More
The City of London Corporation, which provides local authority services to the business district around St Paul's, has ordered marketing agency Renew to stop collecting data using devices in recycling bins in the Square Mile streets. More
Apple has introduced a new set of rules to ensure that developers no longer use behavioral ad targeting techniques aimed at those aged under 13. Developers must also ensure that children's apps include a privacy policy and a system for seeking parental permission for in-app purchases. More
Mobile advertising specialist Millennial Media is to acquire Jumptap, which enables brands to target, place and track advertising on mobile phones and tablets, in a deal valued at around $209m. More
Australian market and opinion researcher Roy Morgan has added a suite of research products to its Single Source survey, which it claims will change the way media, ad agencies and marketers view and analyse media performance and potential. More
San Francisco-based mobile ad targeting and analytics firm Apsalar has raised $9m in a Series B round of financing, which it will use to increase head count across all departments, expand its technology, and enhance its marketing and sales programs. More
Location analytics specialist Placed has introduced a solution to measure the impact of mobile advertising on in-store visits. More
Personalized shopping recommendation specialist RichRelevance has acquired Boulder, Colorado-based technology company Precog, whose platform enables companies to store, integrate and analyze large volumes of semi-structured data. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In Chicago, Nielsen veteran Sheryl Harkins has joined TiVo Research and Analytics (TRA) - a subsidiary of digital video recorder (DVR) firm TiVo - as Senior Vice President of CPG Sales. 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
Nielsen is 'running into rising regulatory static' over its proposed $1.26bn acquisition of radio ratings giant Arbitron, according to reports in the New York Post. Arbitron also has a potential headache as a critical media owner takes his argument with its methods to the US authorities. More
Toronto, Canada-based marketing strategist Fresh Squeezed Ideas has announced the hiring of Deanna Lambert as Director, Marketing & Digital Strategy. More
UK-based consumer insight and database marketing company Transactis is upgrading its data centre and moving its Liverpool office to a new location. More
NYC-based Rakuten Marketing is to acquire Seattle technology firm PopShops, which provides online advertisers and publishers with a data analytics engine for intelligent product feeds. Terms of the buy were not disclosed. More
DIY online research platform ZappiStore is expanding to France and Germany, just four months after launching. More
Strategic qual consultancy The Sound Research has appointed Kelli Johnson, formerly VP, Strategy Director at Leo Burnett, as Vice President and Head of its Chicago Operations. More
WPP is increasing its stake in Kenya-based marketing services firm Scangroup Limited, JV partner of its subsidiary Millward Brown, and will now hold a majority (50.1 percent of shares). More
WPP-owned brand and media specialist Millward Brown has bought a 'majority stake' in Brazilian consultancy BrandAnalytics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Harris Interactive has launched QuickQuery instant (QQi), which combines expert survey design guidance with the DIY tools of Google Consumer Surveys. 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
Radio research giant Arbitron is suing broadcaster LM Communications for alleged unauthorized use of its ratings in the Charleston, SC market. The firm has also fallen out with radio station owner Jeff Jacobs after he posted a picture of Arbitron's diary instruction page on his Facebook page. More
In the UK, mobile research firm CrowdLab has updated its platform with the addition of several new functions, while introducing a 'white label' version to enable agencies to build their own branded apps. In addition, the solution is now available in 'any language'. More
DIY mobile survey platform SlimSurveys has introduced an API, through which developers can integrate micro-surveys and polls into third-party web and mobile applications. More
Multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has reported a 24% increase in fiscal 2014 first quarter revenue, to $28.8m from $23.2m in the same period last year. Results reflect a recovery in the Home Entertainment division combined with continued rapid growth in its AMI measurement division. More
Social media analytics firm Starcount has acquired H&D Ventures, the company set up by Tesco Clubcard creators Edwina Dunn and Clive Humby, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the UK, audience measurement and analysis specialist Kantar Media has acquired a minority stake in social media TV analytics company SecondSync. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, retail promotion and pricing intelligence specialist Market Track has acquired eCommerce insight specialist Dynamite Data for an undisclosed amount. More
In the US, digital agency StudioGood has acquired social media consultancy Social People, which offers a range of strategy, analytics, influencer outreach, content development and training services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based Passenger has partnered with text analytics software developer MeshLabs to enable conversation and sentiment analysis of its online communities. More
Omnicom-owned marcoms agency Cone Communications has launched a new platform called 'ConeFluence', promising to help clients pinpoint how social media influencers are engaging with various brands. 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
Research software company Survey Analytics has appointed Prashant Hari as 'Oceania Representative', to lead the roll-out of its tools and services across New Zealand and Australia. More
Software giant Oracle has enhanced its Social Relationship Management tool (SRM) with the addition of listening capabilities for Simplified Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish, in the SE&M module. 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
Canadian software company Datacratic, which analyses and models real-time data on consumer behavior, has opened an office in New York City. The company has also made three senior hires. More
In Melbourne, Australia, digital audience specialist Effective Measure has hired Nielsen's former CTO John Griffin as Global Chief Technology Officer, responsible for leading the firm's software engineering, data application and infrastructure technology teams. More
Marketing tech and analytics company Adlucent has introduced an application for Google Shopping called 'BuyerPath for Product Ads', that enables brands to map consumer intent to the most relevant products. More
Media monitoring and measurement company CyberAlert has announced a comprehensive radio monitoring service for public relations and marketing clients. More
Analytics-driven UK-based media agency m/SIX is opening its first US office, in New York City, and has appointed David Stopforth as Managing Director. More
comScore has added measurement of real-time email display ad service LiveIntent to its range of tracking options - the first time it has covered an email-exclusive ad network. More
Social media intelligence platform Swipp is launching an app offering Facebook users the ability to gather 'rich, meaningful data around any topic'. More
Technology specialist Gartner has reported a 12% rise in second quarter revenue for its Research division, which brought in $311.2m. More
Ratings giant Arbitron has reported second quarter net income of $7.1m, compared with $10m in the prior year period, after incurring $6.1m of costs and expenses related to its pending acquisition by Nielsen. More
In Canada, Ottawa-based e-commerce company Shopify, which enables users to create personalized online storefronts, has acquired Toronto user experience (UX) and design firm Jet Cooper. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Israeli mobile user acquisition and targeting platform Taptica has received an undisclosed amount of investment from Nielsen exec Itzhak Fisher. 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
Audience measurement giant Kantar Media is to work with Twitter to develop a suite of planning and analytics tools for UK broadcasters, media agencies and the wider television industry. More
German-based product, pricing and marketing strategist Simon-Kucher & Partners is opening two Latin American offices, in São Paulo and Santiago de Chile, in order to serve a large existing client base in the region from local hubs. Manuel Osorio is appointed as Managing Partner of both new offices. More
comScore will introduce a set of metrics to tie in with the launch of the new health insurance marketplace, which opens on October 1st as part of the Affordable Care Act. The service promises 'detailed, aggregated and anonymous' online usage metrics for both the on-exchange and off-exchange market. More
Netherlands-based app store analytics provider Distimo has announced the launch of Distimo App Trends, a resource allowing users to search for and view daily download and revenue trends for the last two weeks for any app worldwide. More
US-based Bottlenose, whose services mine social networks and enterprise data sources to discover 'Trendfluence', has completed a $3.6 million Series A round of venture capital financing. 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
US-based Survey Analytics is rolling out its research software tools across New Zealand and Australia. More
Big data firm FirstRain has released a new tool called Market Insights, promising real-time data on customers, end markets and competitors to sales and marketing teams. More
In New York, cross-platform media analytics firm Datorama has raised $3m in a Series A round of funding, which it will use to support the continued development and marketing of its big data platform. 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
Nielsen has reported a 3% rise in second quarter revenue to $1.38 billion, driven by a 2% increase in its Buy retail measurement division and 5% in its Watch media analytics arm. More
In the US, online business document firm Zoho has launched a DIY survey tool for business users, called Zoho Survey. More
In the UK, London-based audience targeting firm Affectv has completed a £2m Series A round of funding, which it plans to use to increase its sales, engineering and operations teams, while expanding across Europe and Asia. More
Publicis and Omnicom are to merge to form the world's largest marcoms network, with a combined staff of 130,000 and a market value of $35.1 billion. The move pushes WPP to second place in the ranking. More
NYC-based Simulmedia has developed a tool measuring and comparing the number of viewers who saw ads for a particular TV program and those who actually went on to watch it as a result. More
US marcoms agency Eric Mower + Associates (EMA) has appointed shopper marketing specialist Katie Butler as Director of EMA Insight, the agency's search, strategy planning and analytics division. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has reported its highest quarterly revenue to date, up 21% on the prior year period to $69.9m. More
In India, advertisers, agencies and broadcasters have settled a dispute over TV ratings measurement supplied by TAM Media Research. Tam will now issue data in the 'television viewership in thousands' (TVT) format, rather than focusing on percentage of audience share. More
US-based boutique qual/quant agency Chatter has appointed former Siegel+Gale Research Insights practice leader Lisa Bertelsen as a Partner, charged with building the firm's Usability and Customer Experience practice. More
Manchester, UK-based mobile market research technology firm RealityMine has raised £600k in equity funding, which it plans to use to finance the recruitment of additional technical, sales and client-support staff in the city. More
In the US, multi-screen analytics firm Collective has teamed up with Publicis-owned media services network ZenithOptimedia to develop a tool which it says identifies the TV preferences of online audiences who are currently actively shopping for a particular brand. 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
MR software and services firm MarketTools has acquired mobile research specialist RawData, which provides a service to passively track consumer behavior across multiple media platforms. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
US-based big data firm Zettics has raised $8.2m for expansion and development of its services, which help mobile operators understand user behavior. The firm says it will also be exploring acquisition opportunities. More
Ipsos has promoted ad research veteran Gordon Bingham to the role of President at Ipsos ASI in Canada. More
London and New York-based Qriously, which provides a location-based public opinion survey app, has launched a new service called 'Opinion Targeting', offering to match mobile ads to consumers' preferences and sentiments. More
Online panel and survey technology company Netquest has promoted Joan Miró to the newly created role of Managing Director and Iberia Country Manager, to lead the company in Spain and Portugal. More
Pinterest analytics firm Piqora, which was previously known as Pinfluencer, has expanded its portfolio with the addition of trending image, hashtag, follower and influencer analysis for Instagram and Tumblr. More
Arbitron has settled with an investor who sued over its proposed $1.26bn buyout by Nielsen, admitting no wrongdoing but agreeing to remove some of what the investor had claimed were obstacles to other bidders and a higher price - and to make further disclosures about the process. More
Melbourne, Australia-based software firm Research Reporter has released a customized version of its insight management platform focused on the MR needs of media companies - including broadcast and cable networks, film and video distributors. More
Yahoo! has acquired Beijing-based social media analysis firm Ztelic, aiming to boost its R&D efforts in China. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Behavioral retargeting start-up adhesive has raised $1.5m in a round of funding which it will use to support the roll out of its 'private data co-operative'. More
Mobile ad tech firm PageWoo has launched a solution called 'NewWoo', which layers consumer psychographics on top of hyper-local big data, to enable companies to target consumers with personalized ads and messages. More
New York-based online audience targeting firm [x+1] has acquired mobile media, marketing and analytics technology specialist WDA. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
GfK is transferring Florian Kahlert to the position of Managing Director of its US media and consumer insight arm GfK MRI, replacing former CEO Kathi Love who left in February to pursue her interest in psychology and sociology. 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
London-based co-creation consultancy Promise Communispace has appointed former Flamingo Board Director Jo Shaw, to lead a team of consultants focusing on strategic insight and innovation work using collaboration and co-creation techniques. More
Software giant Adobe has added a predictive publishing feature to its Adobe Social tool, which offers monitoring of social media, ad buying and ROI analytics. 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
Multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak is claiming a movie industry first, with the launch of a service called 'PreAct' measuring interest in forthcoming films and marketing impact up to a year before release. More
Ipsos Retail Performance has launched a new Shopper Insights suite which it says will enable managers and other store staff to understand and interpret both their traffic and transactional data. More
US-based retail price comparison service Shopzilla is to launch its 'Aisle A' audience targeting division in Europe, offering marketers access to proprietary shopping intent data across the region. 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
Personalized display ad firm Criteo has acquired mobile analytics company AD-X Tracking, which enables brands and agencies to track advertising performance across mobile apps. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Advertising giant Publicis has made a $15m investment in technology start-up Jana Mobile, which rewards consumers with mobile airtime in return for taking market research surveys and trying out new products. 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
Zocalo Group, a word-of-mouth, digital and social media marketing agency within Omnicom, has launched a brand advocacy platform called FanRally, which it says can identify and engage with influential advocates whose recommendations lead to sales. More
Market research and data mining consultancy Anderson Analytics has received a US patent for the natural language text analytics process used in its OdinText software. More
Online sampling and technology company uSamp has closed $15m in a Series D round of funding, with development of its instant.ly survey product one of the priorities for investment. More
Cape Town-based MR and strategy company Dashboard Market Intelligence has announced a partnership with advertising and media expert Dave Kelly to launch Pinpoint, which promises accurate and up-to-date tracking of media consumption for the African continent. More
Digital marketing technology company AudienceScience is opening its first physical data centre in Hong Kong, plus two new offices in Hong Kong and Singapore. More
Research portal provider Northern Light has launched an application called Primary Research Manager, embedded within its SinglePoint Strategic Research Portal, helping research managers to set up, track and control primary research projects. More
US Latino panel SusOpiniones has launched SusPing, a qualitative research app that takes brands 'directly into Latino lives' through their iPhones and Android smartphones. More
In the US, industry bodies the IAB, MMA and MRC have released the final version of their measurement guidelines for mobile app and 'mobile web' advertising. More
Toluna has launched an app, TolunaMobile Diary, which gathers feedback on consumer activities in real-time. More
Global connectivity and emerging technologies specialist ABI Research has hired Nick Spencer as Senior Practice Director, with a focus on mobile device hardware and software, go-to-market strategy, and mobile developer ecosystems. More
More than two dozen companies including IBM and big data customer experience management specialist Qubit are working to create a W3C-approved standard to simplify the management of data online. More
Brand advocate sourcing company HireInfluence has launched out of beta, with a platform promising to help clients connect with influential individuals. More
IP intelligence and geolocation solutions specialist Digital Element has received a US patent for the hyperlocal geotargeting technology used in its NetAcuity Edge ad targeting solution. 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
US-based digital video ad solutions firm YuMe has introduced a multi-screen household targeting offer, promising to help advertisers reach all members of a home on whatever connected device they are using. 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
US company SoGoSurvey has launched an enterprise version of its DIY survey software, to enable organizations to create, launch and analyze their own online or mobile surveys. More
Carat North America's Advanced Analytics Group has merged with Aegis Dentsu's marketing consulting arm Copernicus, in a bid to help marketers 'bridge the gap' between their consumer insights and marketing analytics. More
Global ad network Publicis has acquired Chinese social media firm Net@lk, which offers a tool called Buzzreader to monitor, research and analyse most Chinese social media platforms. While terms were not disclosed, Publicis said the deal is part of a five-year $4 billion acquisition spree. More
Mexican telecoms billionaire Carlos Slim has taken a $40m (£26.9m) stake in British music and TV discovery app Shazam, less than a month after the firm launched a new TV metric to analyse the real-time activity of its user base. More
Australian industry body The Readership Works is to work with Nielsen to merge the latter's Online Ratings data with its forthcoming cross platform audience insights survey 'emma'. More
The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has told Google to change privacy policies which it says provide insufficient information to users and are therefore in breach of the country's Data Protection Act. More
comScore has been appointed as the official Internet audience measurement currency for Malaysia, by the MDA, the country's representative body for online publishers, ad agencies and digital service providers. comScore beat two other bidders in a multi-stage review process. More
Tokyo-based panel operator AIP Corporation has opened an office in Jakarta, Indonesia, and made an unspecified investment in local MR firm Pixel Research to enhance its market knowledge and services in the country. More
Canadian consumer response service IntelliResponse has launched a new service called VOICES, which it says will capture 'voice-of-the-customer' (VoC) data from client interactions across web, mobile and social media channels and convert this data into customer insights. More
US big data analytics specialist InTTENSITY has launched a new practice called SOCINT, to focus on measuring trends and information across social media and help organizations make business decisions based on what is being discussed across various networks. More
Two Asia Pac panel providers, Sydney-based MyOpinions and Tokyo-based AIP, have struck a deal to off their clients combined sample and related research services across Asia. 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
Global media auditor BPA Worldwide has introduced a service called Ad iCompli, which tracks online ad campaigns running across multiple sites, including networks and exchanges. More
WPP-owned marketing, technology and data company Digitaria has appointed Shawn Kardell as User Experience (UX) Director in its Minneapolis office. More
WebSideStory founder Blaise Barrelet has partnered with video game industry veterans Lee Jacobson and Mark Caldwell to launch a real-time game and mobile app analytics company called Apmetrix. More
Global consultancy Accenture and Moscow-based non-profit organization the Skolkovo Foundation have partnered to establish a centre through which to develop and commercialize new predictive analytics technologies in Russia. 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
In Australia, industry body The Readership Works has finally got round to naming its new newspaper and magazine readership survey, three years after Ipsos MediaCT was selected to run the programme. It's to be known as 'emma' - Enhanced Media Metrics Australia. 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 US, youth research specialist Ypulse has merged with mobile app polling company Thumb Inc, giving it access to the latter's social network and feedback platform. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based customer feedback specialist Mindshare Technologies has appointed Marriott Vacations CEO Steve Weisz as Chairman of its Board of Trustees, replacing founder Rich Hanks who is stepping down to serve a three-year mission for his church. More
In Germany, former Ebiquity MD Mathias Giloth has joined media control GfK International as Managing Director, replacing Ulrike Altig who is leaving the company next month. More
Nielsen has launched beta trials of its Cross-Platform Campaign Ratings tool in the UK with brands including Unilever and Mondelez International (formerly Kraft Foods), agencies Aegis, OMG and Universal McCann London, and several publishers and ad networks. More
GfK has introduced a communications tracker to measure the social and emotional reaction of consumers to the various 'touch points' for a particular brand, and identify those the individual finds most memorable. More
Nashville-based cable TV network Country Music Television (CMT) has appointed Justin Wyatt as Vice President of Consumer Insights and Research, responsible for leading research across all its platforms. More
In the US, technology sector benchmarking firm Gleanster Research has appointed Ian Michiels as Principal and Managing Director, with overall responsibility for the company's direction and day-to-day operations, combined with an analyst role. More
WPP-owned digital agency VML has agreed to acquire a majority stake in South African full service digital marketing specialist NATIVE. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Panel and research technology provider Toluna has opened an office in Singapore, where Julie dePontbriand takes up the role of Director, ASEAN. Meanwhile, the firm's Hong Kong office will shortly be relocating from Sheung Wan to Central. More
Cint North America MD Terence McCarron is leaving the company to pursue a new venture, through which he will however 'continue a relationship' with the company. More
John Mackay, the owner of sampling agency Mr Sample, has joined ad optimisation specialist MediaAnlayzer as Business Development Director, to lead the roll out of the company's services across the UK. 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
comScore has promoted Serge Matta to President, after twelve years at the company, most recently as President of Commercial Solutions and leader of the global sales organization. More
Radio ratings giant Arbitron is continuing its pursuit of companies it alleges use and/or publish its ratings information without paying. Last week, it accused Jacksonville-based Renda Broadcasting Corporation of copyright infringement. 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
Berlin-based mobile ad and app analytics firm Adeven has raised $4.3m in Series B funding. The money will be used to continue expansion of current products and eventually to develop new metrics focusing on long-term engagement and customer retention. More
Global media agency MEC has launched a proprietary approach called Momentum, designed to understand and quantify how consumers make purchasing decisions. More
App-based music and television identification and sharing service Shazam has launched a new TV metric called the 'Shazam Engagement Rate', which analyses the real-time activity of the firm's user base to provide insights on when and where TV ads resonate most with consumers. More
In the US, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) is inviting technology firms to bid for a contract to build and operate a warehouse for video content viewing data. More
US-based shopper behavior specialist MarketingLab has rolled out its neuromarketing service SellCheck in the UK, offering brand owners and retailers a new way to measure the effectiveness of their shopper marketing materials. More
WPP-owned Xaxis - which links the group's ad-buying technologies with a proprietary database containing what the firm describes as the 'world's largest pool of audience profiles' - has opened an office in Taiwan, led by former Yahoo! exec K.C. Pan. More
US digital marketing agency and online buzz measurement specialist iCrossing has promoted Brian Powley to the role of Global President, replacing President & CEO Don Scales, who is leaving the company after seven years. More
Interactive TV program producer FourthWall Media has been awarded a patent for its Dynamic Application Insertion Technology, which embeds targeting data directly into the video stream and then selects the most appropriate version of an ad to display in a targeted home. 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
In the UK, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has embarked on a qual/quant research project to find out how consumers move from one device to another as they navigate along the path-to-purchase. Consumer agency Firefish will be using its Fisheye approach to support the initiative. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has rolled out its Ad Metrix service in Mexico, to provide competitive intelligence for online display advertising across the country. More
US-based online community specialist Passenger has appointed former Ipsos researcher Kristine Dow as Operations Director, Client Services. Liz Dyer has also joined the firm as Senior Director of Marketing. More
Artificial intelligence firm Parakweet has raised $2m in angel investment, and will use it to extend its social media mining platform, which is based on natural language processing (NLP). More
Paris-based tech firm Sirdata has launched a fully automated third party data collection and profiling platform for use in ad targeting. More
Octonogerian Gerald (Gerry) Glasser, the co-founder and CEO of media measurement firm Statistical Research Inc. (SRI), died on Sunday after a brief illness. More
Research outsourcing and panels company Pulse Group has inked a deal with Chicago-based 'Over the Shoulder', to bring the latter's smartphone-based consumer insight tool to the Asia Pacific region. More
In the US, panel and research technology provider Toluna has partnered with online 'tween' fashion site FashionPlaytes to help clients gain insights from the latter's community of more than 880,000 'Gen Z girls'. More
London-based consumer insight technology firm Lumi Mobile has appointed electronics industry exec and former test pilot Pat Moody as Chief Operating Officer, working from Michigan in the US. Moody will play a key role in the integration of newly acquired IML. More
Yahoo! Asia Pacific and Millward Brown have announced a partnership using the latter's AdIndex solution to help clients evaluate the brand impact of digital advertising, both in general and on Yahoo! properties. More
UK-based Tpoll has announced a new online qual research platform, developed in-house and allowing researchers to moderate forums simultaneously in different languages across formats and in different time zones. More
A new firm promising to put big data to work for the travel industry has launched in Nashville, TN, USA. nSight deploys a database of over 25 billion global travel searches and transactions from over 5,000 consumer web sites to help clients understand individual travellers. More
Havas Worldwide has expanded the role of digital and data-driven strategist Paul Marobella, already President of Havas Discovery, naming him Group President of two more of its subsidiaries, experiential agency Havas Impact and brand agency Palm + Havas. Both are based in Chicago. More
Customer lifecycle marketing specialist Provenir has launched an 'Omni-channel Customer Listening' platform, while at the same time opening a Boston-based Customer Listening division through which to market the new service. 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
US multi-screen measurement firm Rentrak has reported its strongest quarterly revenue growth in six years - up 16% to $28.5m for Q4 fiscal 2013 from $24.6m in the prior year period - again driven by its AMI business. For the full year, revenue increased 9% to $99.2m. More
Online panel and survey technology company Netquest has expanded its footprint in Latin America by opening an office in Bogotá, Colombia. 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
From August, UK TV ratings body BARB will begin measuring catch-up viewing in addition to traditional screen viewing. The former includes services such as the BBC iPlayer, 4oD, ITV Player and Sky Go. More
In the UK, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of consumers' choice regarding online targeted advertising. More
San Francisco-based ad re-targeting platform AdRoll has acquired custom analytics start up Bitdeli, whose founders will join its engineering team. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Dataminr, a Twitter analytics firm serving the financial and government sectors, has raised $30m, which it plans to use both to accelerate growth in its current markets and to expand into new verticals. More
London-based video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly has opened a 'Social Video Lab' in New York, to enable companies to benchmark their social media videos against those of their competitors. More
On-demand online community specialist GutCheck has raised $4m in Series B equity financing, which it will use to expand its sales, marketing and engineering teams. More
Full service agency MRSS India has appointed former TNS India VP Kalyan Karmakar as Advisor Consumer Insights, providing support to the firm's digital, automotive, financial services and FMCG clients. More
Robert Philpott, former Chief Exec of Synovate, is to join US-based direct marketing and targeting giant Harte-Hanks as President and CEO at the beginning of next month, replacing Larry Franklin who is retiring after more than 40 years with the firm. More
Telecoms sector big data specialist Guavus has bought broadband intelligence platform Pipeline from software developer Applied Broadband. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
WPP insight arm Kantar has filed a request in the US District Court in Manhattan to dismiss patent infringement claims made by media measurement firm TRA before they go to tribunal. More
Full service agency Kadence International has made three senior appointments supporting its expansion in India. More
GfK has acquired Sensemetric Web & Social Media Mining, as part of its plans to centralize its existing social media services in a global Intelligence Center. Terms of the buy were not disclosed. 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
Web analytics firm Spinnakr has launched out of beta with nearly $1m in seed funding from various investors including comScore co-founder Linda Abraham. The firm has also rolled out an update to its analytics platform, enhancing its predictive insight abilities. More
Echo Research founder and former CEO Sandra Macleod is leaving the company to act as a consultant, advising boards and executives on their approach to reputation management. More
US software giant Salesforce has bought enterprise BI and analytics start-up EdgeSpring, for an undisclosed sum, following its reported $2.5bn acquisition last week of marketing software company ExactTarget. More
Online privacy and compliance specialist Evidon has announced the acquisition of MobileScope, a data control and privacy platform for mobile applications. Terms were not disclosed. 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
UK consultancy Brand Potential has appointed Ferrero's former Head of Insight Susie Gaunt as Client Director - Insight & Strategy. More
Las Vegas-based tech startup imagoo has raised $1.2m in angel funding, for use in rolling out its real-time social polling iPhone app and web platform - also called imagoo. More
Marcoms giant WPP has agreed a global partnership with Twitter and will use its data to give clients 'more effective campaigns, enhanced targeting, and more real-time insight'. More
WPP's digital marketing agency VML is to acquire a 49% stake in Polish full-service interactive agency Heureka Group, which has its own proprietary social media analytics arm called Brand Fibres. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In San Francisco, mobile games platform PlayHaven has acquired the team behind the real-time game analytics company Staq.io, in order to extend its delivery of player insights to mobile developers. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Nielsen has completed a successful trial using technology developed by mobile streaming provider Syncbak to capture and measure viewing of TV content on mobile devices. More
Online sampling and technology company uSamp has appointed three new members of staff to support expansion both in the US and Europe. More
President Obama's former Director of Data Ethan Roeder has returned to political training specialist New Organizing Institute (NOI) as Executive Director, replacing co-founder Judith Freeman who left at the end of March. More
After reporting 'record revenues' last month, up 11% to $68.8m compared with $62.3m a year ago, digital measurement specialist comScore is to buy back up to $50m worth of its common stock. More
Deepender Rana has been promoted to the role of Head of Millward Brown Greater China, replacing Adrian Gonzalez who was yesterday named CEO of the firm's Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific (AMAP) region. More
US-based footfall analyst ShopperTrak has acquired retail data and analytics firm RapidBlue Solutions Oy, based in Helsinki. More
Digital audience measurement pioneer comScore has announced the launch of the 'next generation' Multi-Platform version of its Digital Analytix product, offering clients a broader view of customers' behavior. 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
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
US web analytics software company Splunk has announced results for its fiscal first quarter ended April 30th with total revenue up 54% year-on-year to $57.2m. However non-GAAP operating loss was $5.3m with heavy investment in sales, marketing, R&D. More
Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo! - arguably the five biggest names on the Internet - have written to UK Home Secretary Theresa May, warning they will not co-operate with plans to store personal data on online behaviour, according to a letter leaked in The Guardian newspaper. More
Barclaycard CMO and customer-centricity advocate Nina Bibby is to join O2 owner Telefónica UK in six months' time, in the role of Marketing and Consumer Director. More
Infegy, the company behind online conversation analysis tool Social Radar, has announced a 'ground-breaking' update to the tool, including a more detailed and accurate analysis of demographics such as household income. More
Not-for-profit verified audience data body BPA Worldwide has elected five new Board Directors - Gary Davies, Lawrence LaPorta, Tom Graham, Ross Marin and Martha (Marty) Willis - and has re-elected four existing Board members. More
In the US, audience targeting specialist eXelate has announced the opening of three new sales and support offices, in Chicago, Detroit and LA, and says it has doubled both its revenue and headcount in the last twelve months. More
In the US, a coalition of advertising trade bodies have filed papers in support of digital audience specialist comScore, as it appeals against a decision to open a privacy case against it to class action status. More
US-based software firm Kinesis Survey Technologies has announced the integration of its solutions with the Fulcrum sample management platform of its partner company Federated Sample. More
US qual firm iModerate Research Technologies has hired IBM veteran Mike Israel as SVP of Sales, responsible for both sales strategy and day-to-day management of the business development team. More
In the US, Dana Stanley has left his VP Marketing role at Survey Analytics to join former colleague Dean Wiltse at tween girl community FashionPlaytes. As VP of Research, Stanley will lead MR programs including online community Club Z and opinion and motivation tracker FPgirl Market Insights. More
A New York state judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought last summer against WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell by Sabharwal & Finkel, the law firm at the time representing TAM India case plaintiff New Delhi Television. More
uSamp has announced the newest version of its iPoll mobile app, which it says offers improved performance and a faster, more intuitive in-app user experience. More
MMR Research Worldwide has launched a real-time, point-of-purchase survey app called MyDiaLog, which allows users to share videos, pictures and audio clips recorded on their smartphones. More
President Obama has appointed social science research specialist John Thompson to lead the US Census Bureau, replacing Robert Groves who left last August to take up the post of Provost of Georgetown University. More
In a legal filing, US ratings giant Arbitron has claimed that radio broadcaster Saga Communications has infringed its copyrights by reproducing and distributing Arbitron audience estimates without authorization. More
In the UK, full service agency Tpoll has launched a panel called 'The Future Thinking Forum', comprising 'tech savvy' individuals who enjoy discussing the latest product innovations, gadgets and software. More
Millward Brown has promoted Maureen Van Wijk to the position of Managing Director in Ireland, replacing Richard Waring who has left to 'pursue other interests'. More
US firm Civicom Marketing Research Services has introduced a service to enable clients to use Pinterest for their market research projects. More
Twitter has announced a new service offering TV advertisers the ability to target people who are tweeting about their ad campaigns. 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
Brighton, UK-based social media analytics provider Brandwatch has launched a new tool, Channels, which aims to bring together analysis of a client's owned and earned media assets across different social networks in one place. More
Former Philips exec Oana Stroie has been revealed as the voice behind the Angry_MR_Client Twitter account as she joins Cello-owned co-creation agency Face as an Account Manager. Former NM Incite director Erika Ammerman has also joined the firm, as Head of Social Media Research. More
Millward Brown has appointed Travyn Rhall as Global CEO, succeeding Eileen Campbell who is stepping down in mid-July for personal reasons. More
Nielsen has opted not to participate in a tender put out by the Audited Media Association of Australia (AAMA), for a new range of metrics to be included in its Web Audit Service. The measurement giant says the ad industry has made clear its preference for a single metric. More
Aegis Media has acquired Amsterdam-based social media agency Social Embassy, which uses research to understand online reputation, survey consumers and interview stakeholders. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Interactive TV program producer FourthWall has expanded its MassiveData television viewership panel to provide set top box data from 4.7 million participants, who use three million cable TV devices and live in 1.8 million homes across the US. More
In the US, behavioral targeting and data management firm AudienceScience has promoted Mike Peralta to the position of Chief Executive Officer, replacing Jeff Pullen who has left the company. The firm has also named Robert Chamberlain as Chief Financial Officer. More
Austin, TX-based Compare Metrics has raised $4.2m in first-round financing. The funds will be used to support 'aggressive' growth plans for its platform, which customizes merchandising for individual shoppers while creating new intelligence into how and why shoppers buy. More
Rotterdam, Netherlands-based online research firm MetrixLab has agreed to acquire a stake in US firm Precision Sample, whose panels will be integrated with the former's MarketTools sample ecosystem. More
US-based fieldwork group Schlesinger Associates has announced two key hires. Robert Ramirez joins as SVP, Strategic Development for the US-based Global Management Solutions service, while Tim Holley is appointed as Director, Specialty Panels and Recruiting. More
In the UK, OnePoll, which specialises in conducting online polls for PR purposes, has acquired London-based opinion polling agency Response Fusion for 'a six-figure sum'. More
US firm Civicom Marketing Research Services has launched a mobile app through which consumers can 'dial in' and record their thoughts while out shopping. More
San Francisco-based social media analytics specialist awe.sm has appointed Fred McIntyre as CEO, replacing Jonathan Strauss who has taken on the role of Head of Product Development. Strauss will continue to lead the company's product, strategy and engineering efforts. More
UK marketing services and print group St. Ives has continued its recent buying spree, with the acquisition of London and Leeds-based digital agency Branded3 from co-founders Vin Chinnaraja and Patrick Altoft. The deal is valued at up to £10.7m. 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
Kantar companies Dynamic Logic and Compete have teamed up with online media viewability firm Double Verify to launch a tool called Advance, which combines exposure metrics and effectiveness measures in a unified reporting and optimization system. More
Digital marketing technology provider Silverpop has launched a system called Universal Behaviors, which provides access to a live stream of real-time consumer actions which can be analyzed and then used to build individual targeted campaigns. More
US-based social media monitoring and analytics firm Crimson Hexagon has introduced a new feature called Live Stream, to enable real-time social media monitoring through its existing ForSight platform. 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
US media network ABC is participating in Nielsen's 'first-ever' trial expanding its Online Campaign Ratings (OCR) solution to the measurement of ads on mobile devices. More
Emanuel Maxl, the Chairman of Austrian MR body VMÖ, has set up a new consultancy called Context Research, based in Vienna. More
US-based online community specialist Passenger has hired consumer insights expert Chandra Chaterji as Director of Solutions Development, to lead development of new approaches and methodologies for the company. The firm has also appointed Whitney Miller as Director of Insights. More
In the US, online sampling and technology company uSamp has appointed former Ticketmaster SVP Carl Trudel as Chief Technology Officer, to oversee existing platforms and help it navigate developments in areas such as virtualization, the cloud, big data and data management. More
Sales and marketing intelligence provider Radius has secured an undisclosed amount of funds from corporate investment firm BBVA Ventures. More
Social media giant Twitter has acquired Portland, Oregon-based big data visualization and analytics startup Lucky Sort for an undisclosed amount. More
Online customer experience specialist Foresee has launched an SaaS tool called 'SessionReplay for Mobile', to help organisations see how mobile users are interacting with their sites and apps. 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
In the US, word-of-mouth consulting firm Keller Fay Group has appointed former ABI Research exec Tommy Crawford as Vice President of New Business and Development, and former NM Incite analyst Matt Phillips as an Account Director. More
Nielsen has issued a public offering of 35 million new shares of common stock at $35.01 each, which it says will generate nearly $1.3 billion for certain existing unnamed shareholders. More
In the UK, a partnership between Ipsos MORI and mobile phone company EE is in the public eye after the Sunday Times said data on EE customers was being offered to the Metropolitan Police. Both EE and MRS Code-compliant Ipsos MORI have confirmed that the data is aggregated and anonymised. 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
Singapore-based consultancy TapestryWorks has announced the launch of BehaviourWorks, a new framework for evaluating shopper behaviour for point-of-sale, web site design and promotional materials, building on advances in neuroscience and behavioural economics. More
Veteran pollster Charles Franklin is joining the Marquette University Law School on a full-time basis, as Professor Of Law And Public Policy, with a remit to boost the school's standing in the field of political polling. 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
US media measurement firm TRA, now a subsidiary of DVR pioneer TiVo, has expanded its ad targeting solution by adding access to Tivo's 48,000-strong Power||Watch household panel. The firm says advertisers will now be able to target ads based on consumers' views about what they buy. More
In the US, remote usability testing specialist YouEye has raised $3m from angel investors, and plans to develop existing and new products, while expanding into new markets. The firm has also released the beta version of a user experience solution called Insite. 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
Radio ratings giant Arbitron has reported a 5.1% increase in Q1 revenue to $111.8m, compared with $106.4m in the prior year period. Earnings are slightly down - Q1 EBITDA was to $34.7m vs $36.6m a year earlier - due the firm says to the costs associated with the planned Nielsen merger. 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
A team of researchers from Cambridge University have developed a smartphone app called 'Emotion Sense', which collects data from a user's mobile phone in order to understand what triggers their mood swings. More
Online research community specialist Vision Critical has recruited four new execs for its Media and Entertainment team, and says it expects revenue from the division to nearly double in North America within the next year. More
Mobile technology start-up TenFarms has raised $2.7m from undisclosed angel investors, which it will use to further develop its Photopoll instant polling app. More
In the US, social media monitoring and analytics firm Crimson Hexagon has partnered with technology integrator MicroTech to analyse social media users' engagement with government organizations at the federal, state and local levels. More
Data-centric social media ad tech company Kinetic Social has raised $8m in a Series A round of financing, which it will use to extend products including its machine learning optimization engine and cross-channel analytics engine. More
Nielsen is selling its 'non-core' tradeshow business Nielsen Expositions to Canadian private equity firm Onex in a cash deal worth $950m, in order to provide funds for its planned $1.3 billion acquisition of radio ratings giant Arbitron. More
The Audited Media Association of Australia (AMAA) has put out to tender a contract to measure a new range of metrics to be included in its Web Audit Service. The organisation's existing service has been audited by Nielsen for the past four years. 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
Digital measurement specialist comScore has reported 'record revenues', with first quarter figures up 11% to $68.8m compared with $62.3m a year ago, driven by its Audience Analytics business and mobile and multi-platform products. 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
Boston, MA-based company SessionM has added a survey feature, 'Consumer Polls', to its mobile loyalty and monetization platform, to enable advertisers and developers to launch in-app polls across millions of mobile users. 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
Sampling and data collection provider reInvention, having recently acquired New York-based competitor Authentic Response and software technology firm Critical Mix, has adopted the latter's name as its own. More
AOL has partnered with Nielsen to develop a tool to measure those audiences viewing the former's library of more than 620,000 videos. More
Nick Mawditt, Global Director of Insight and Marketing at WPP's out-of-home agency Kinetic Worldwide, is set to join rival Talon Outdoor in July, as the agency's new Director of Research and Insight. More
North of England-based company Dollywagon Media Sciences has launched a new business called Colourtext, which offers a dashboard providing semantic analysis of content on social networks. More
Alan Gould, the co-founder of IAG Research, has joined online sampling and technology company uSamp as Chief Executive Officer, while the firm's founders Matt Dusig and Gregg Lavin will continue to operate the firm's core sampling business. More
The UK government has launched a competition to find a commercial firm to help spin out its Behavioural Insights Team or 'Nudge Unit' into a separate joint venture. The resulting unit will be part-owned by Whitehall, with the partner putting in new investment, and employees becoming shareholders. More
London-based mobile research tech specialist Lumi Mobile has expanded to Asia with the opening of a subsidiary in Hong Kong. More
US-based research technology firm Decipher has appointed Jeffrey Bergman for the newly created role of Chief Financial Officer, based in the firm's Fresno headquarters, while Jonathan Tice joins as SVP of Client Development in New York. More
Global information giant Experian has launched a platform integrating real-time data and customer insight to help marketers create materials for campaigns across on and off-line channels. More
In the US, the University of Southern California's Norman Lear Center has received a $3.25m grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which it will use to develop a system for measuring the social impact of the media. More
Nielsen is piloting a new solution, 'Nielsen Digital Program Ratings', designed to measure audiences who view TV content online. 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
US-based video analytics firm Visible Measures has partnered with Publicis agencies VivaKi and Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) to develop Contagion, a platform for planning and measuring video campaigns. 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
Israeli web user experience specialist ClickTale has secured a $17m Series B round of investment, which it will use to fund product development and accelerate its global growth. More
Protagonists in the US debate about the protection of online consumer data appear to be pursuing at least three conflicting strategies, with ad industry trade group the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) deflecting criticism from senators onto browser makers Microsoft and Mozilla (Firefox). 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
Emerging market digital audience specialist Effective Measure has officially launched in Pakistan, after more than a year sounding out this 'booming online media market'. More
Google has announced that its viewability measurement tool Active View has won accreditation from the Media Rating Council, and has released stats revealing that - perhaps predictably - viewers are considerably more likely to click on an ad if they can see it. More
UK firm SecondSync, which analyses the relationship between conversations in social media and TV programmes and audiences, has integrated overnight TV ratings from audience measurement body BARB into its dashboard system. 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
Nielsen has reported a 3% increase in Q1 revenues to $1.38 billion, despite performance in Europe which CFO Brian West said in a conference call continues to be a 'pretty big drag' on the company. More
In the US, GfK is to increase the size of its KnowledgePanel by a third in 2013, in a bid to provide greater access to those populations that are often difficult to reach using traditional survey methods. 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
TLE (formerly The Leading Edge) has launched a new methodology called 'TLE Social', designed to help organisations measure how their brand is impacted by their reputation in areas such as sustainability, community fabric, climate change, child labour and animal welfare. More
In the US, online behavioral marketing technology specialist Silverpop has raised $25m in venture debt funding, for use in accelerating growth globally. 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
Digital analytics specialist Webtrends is relocating its headquarters to downtown Portland next February, consolidating its operations onto a single floor in the skyscraper known as 'Big Pink'. More
Ad targeting technology specialist Nanigans has closed a $5.8m Series A.1 round of funding, which it will use to enhance its existing mobile products, and expand into verticals including retail. The funds will also enable it to hire new staff in Boston, New York, San Francisco and London. More
Data collection and sampling solutions firm SSI has appointed Max Weber as Managing Director, Asia Pacific, and Satoshi Komatsuzaki as Country Manager for Japan. More
Facebook has set up a UK Advisory Board comprising eleven representatives from major brands and agencies who will meet four times a year to discuss insights, campaign measurement, product development and marketing best practices. More
Palo Alto and Bangalore-based big data analytics specialist Qubole has closed a Series A funding round, which brings its total investment to $7m. More
US business intelligence and analytics firm Pentaho has acquired Portugal-based user experience (UX) and dashboard specialist Webdetails, enabling it to offer richer data-driven visualization tools to its clients. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Ipsos has been awarded a further year's contract to track Italian radio audiences, using its mobile radio audience measurement system MediaCell. More
Online sampling and technology company uSamp has opened an office in Paris, France, where it has appointed former SSI exec Franck Pernez as Sales Director, to support its expansion in Europe. More
US-based research consultancy THREE has opened an Asia Pacific division, and appointed Jeff Lee for the newly created position of Research Director, working from the Los Angeles area. The firm says that it is also planning to open South American and European units in the coming year. More
Kantar Media has won a multi-year contract to measure subscriber behaviour for Indian Direct to Home (DTH) TV provider Tata Sky. The service, launching later this year, is billed as the first Return Path Data audience research service in India. More
CEO Tony Hale has left Australian newspaper industry body The Newspaper Works and is replaced from today by Mark Hollands, who previously led PANPA, the Pacific Area association which merged into it. More
The Editor of The Guardian newspaper's Datablog and Datastore online resources, Simon Rogers, has quit his job to join Twitter in the US as the firm's first Data Editor. James Ball will step into his shoes in the UK. More
The team behind start-up Behavio, which collects and uses mobile phone data to predict users' future behavior, has joined search giant Google. More
IT network Spiceworks has introduced a service called SpicePanels, which brings together technology vendors and beta testers from its Spiceworks Community of 2.4 million IT professionals, and tasks them with testing and trialing new products, services and marketing campaigns. More
Eye tracking technology specialist Tobii has introduced a usability testing package called Tobii UX Live, which combines hardware, software, education and support. More
Cello-owned co-creation agency Face has launched a social media research platform called Pulsar TRAC, designed specifically to handle large volumes of data. More
Web-based e-mail company Emma, Inc. has partnered with DIY research firm SurveyMonkey to help clients of both firms distribute surveys and gather feedback in an 'aesthetically pleasing way'. More
Nielsen has integrated its Online Campaign Ratings service with the Velocity measurement solution of digital video specialist SET Media, allowing advertisers to forecast Gross Rating Points (GRPs) by program type and by individual video, while also delivering post-impression analytics. More
Social media analysis firm Synthesio has opened an office in Singapore, adding to its existing operations in New York, Austin, London and Paris. More
In Canada, research software firm Voxco has spun off its social media monitoring and analytics arm Acuity4 Social as a separate company, and renamed it Semeon Analytics. More
Arbitron's shareholders approved the company's acquisition by Nielsen at a special meeting held yesterday. More
In France, Denis Gaucher has been promoted to the position of Managing Director Europe for Kantar Media's recently formed Ad Intelligence arm. More
New York-based social media marketing agency SocialFlow has secured $10m in Series B funding, which it will use to expand its product portfolio. More
London-based video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly has released an analytics dashboard through which brands and agencies can measure the impact of their social media video strategies against those of their competitors. More
IAB Australia has extended its national online audience measurement contract with Nielsen, without going out to tender. More
US radio ratings giant Arbitron has entered a settlement agreement with Gannett-owned WKYC-TV, resolving the legal action brought against the television broadcaster in January for copyright and trademark infringement. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has promoted Victor Cheng and Yosuke Maekawa to head its China and Japan regions respectively. More
Online specialist BrainJuicer has appointed former PepsiCo shopper insights exec Will Leach as Vice President of its methodological unit Behavioral Labs in Texas. More
Online analytics pioneer Webtrends has launched a platform called 'Action Center', through which users can integrate in-session and historical customer data into their marketing systems. More
Liz Musch has been appointed CEO of ad, brand and communications research division Ipsos ASI, succeeding Alex Gronberger who moves to the new role of regional CEO of Ipsos Latin America. She joins the Ipsos Management Board and will report to founder and CEO Didier Truchot. 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
Online targeting specialist BlueKai has teamed up with mobile marketing and ad technology company Velti to give clients of the former's Data Activation System access to the latter's data and allow targeting of consumers on mobile devices. More
US company Blab has introduced a platform which it claims can predict the content of future social media conversations. More
Shangahi-based qual and quant agency Insight Focus has appointed two former employees of WPP's brand development and insight consultancy Added Value - Alvin Huen as General Manager in the General China Region, and Isabella Chan as a Director. More
Sticky, which uses web-cam based eye tracking technology to measure ad effectiveness, has raised $3m in new funding. More
US-based business intelligence company HG Data has appointed former JupiterResearch CEO Tim Baskerville as President, with a remit to scale its data science operation. More
TiVo Research and Analytics - a subsidiary of digital video recorder (DVR) firm TiVo - has added data from Nielsen to the media measurement and analytics services offered by its recently acquired TRA business. More
Online privacy and compliance specialist Evidon has introduced an app called 'Ad Control', that enables Apple users to opt out of 'cross-app' behavioral advertising served on their mobile devices. Later this month, the tool will also be available in the Google Play App Store for Android users. More
In the US, audience targeting specialist eXelate has appointed former WPP Xaxis digital data and analytics specialist Eugene Becker as Senior Vice President of Product Management. More
US consultancy Web Analytics Demystified has appointed former Omniture exec Josh West as a Partner, to manage the firm's tag management, core technology, and custom development practice. 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
eBay has hired Zoher Karu, formerly VP of Marketing Analytics at Sears, for the new position of Vice President, Customer Optimization & Data, tasked with using analytics to target customers. More
Shopper marketing specialists Jim Cusson and Jared Meisel have set up a new agency called Theory House in Charlotte, North Carolina. More
Facebook has teamed up with analytics software firm Acxiom to launch a tool called 'Partner Categories', which will enable its advertisers to select and target specific audiences based on Acxiom's interest and behavioral data. More
WPP's media investment management group GroupM has expanded its line-up of multicultural insights services and brought them together in one until called GroupM Multicultural, led by Hispanic media specialist Gonzalo Del Fa. More
In Singapore, competitive intelligence specialist Current Analysis has appointed former IDC leader Amit Gupta as Managing Director, APAC, to further expand its operations across the region. More
Research Now Mobile has added multilingual capabilities to its research platform, allowing for surveys to be authored in more than 50 languages. A launch scheduler, a quota management system and improved location-based targeting also feature in the new upgrade. 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
Multi-screen measurement firm Rentrak has partnered with SintecMedia to integrate a performance tracking and revenue management solution for TV and movies into its Digital Download Essentials service. More
WPP's digital investment arm has joined a third round of funding for Leading Smart Holdings, giving it further involvement in Chinese digital advertising measurement company Miaozhen Systems. 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
UK-based BrainJuicer Group has hired Maria Spinelli as Vice President, BrainJuicer Southeast Asia, based in Singapore. The company launched offices in Mumbai and New Delhi in 2012 and Shanghai in 2010. More
In the US, Arbitron's one-time critic the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) has told the FTC it is 'cautiously optimistic' about the potential for improvements in audience measurement for television and radio if the Arbitron-Nielsen merger goes ahead. More
Digital audience specialist comScore has suffered a legal setback in Illinois, where a federal judge has ruled it could be open to a class action suit over claims of privacy violations. More
App measurement and advertising platform Flurry is to make its Flurry Analytics service available for apps and mobile-optimized web sites, in the next few weeks. More
New York-based online audience targeting firm [x+1] has signed a new $17m debt facility with Ares Capital Corporation, and says it will use the funds to further its growth strategy including targeted acquisitions and overall market expansion. More
In New York, ad and marketing effectiveness specialist Dynamic Logic has upgraded its AdIndex for Mobile solution, to enable clients to identify ad exposure across the entire mobile 'ecosystem'. More
Nielsen has rolled out its ad measurement service Online Campaign Ratings to four new markets - Germany, Italy, Australia and Canada. More
US-based Collective Bias - which operates a community of 1,400 'shopping-focussed influencers' - has raised $10.5m in a Series A round of investment, which it will use to expand its model internationally. 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
David Thorpe, the VP of Strategy and Analysis at marketing agency network SapientNitro, has taken a one-year secondment to join the UK Cabinet Office, where he will serve as Deputy Director of Digital Policy in the Government Digital Service (GDS) team. More
Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has relocated to larger premises in central London following a year in which turnover increased by 66% and staff numbers were up 30%. More
Online community engagement platform MindMixer has acquired VoterTide, which uses social media insight and news analysis technology to activate audiences around political campaigns, non-profits and special interest groups. More
B2B targeting and personalization platform Demandbase has closed a $15m round of funding, which it plans to use to fuel 'triple figure growth'. 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
Tuesday's lunchtime keynote speaker Simon Rogers is Editor of the Guardian newspaper's online data resource, and he and his team generate editorial through a combination of raw numbers and the insight journalists bring to it. DRNO's News Editor Mel Crowther watched with her pen poised. More
Down Under, the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) and Circulations Audit Board (CAB) have merged into a unified legal entity known as the Audited Media Association of Australia. More
UK-based web management software firm Decibel Technology has introduced an analytics tool called Decibel Insight, to provide information on the value and behaviour of clients' web site visitors. More
Digital audience measurement giant comScore has officially launched its MMX Multi-Platform service in the USA, combining and deduping audience across PCs, smartphones and tablets. More
It's not quite real-time blogging, is it, but there's something to be said for taking time to reflect... Nick Thomas kicks off a series of carefully considered reports from the MRS Conference in London last week, and finds it not very 'shocking' or 'new', but not at all bad either. More
Japanese advertising giant Dentsu is close to completing its acquisition of London-based Aegis Group, having finally received clearance from China's Ministry of Commerce. More
Last week's MRS Conference in London featured two sessions focused on big data. Interesting, high powered... and ultimately frustrating, but perhaps only because it's too large a topic, already, not to have its own conference. Nick Thomas reports. More
Enero Group has launched a Data Sciences Unit, in response to growing client demand for data driven marketing solutions. The unit will initially be launched in Australia and the UK, and will then be rolled out to Brazil and the US 'over the coming year'. More
In the UK, Simpson Carpenter has recruited two client side qual researchers: Tony Comerford joins as Account Director after seventeen years at Procter & Gamble, and Joanna Zukunft joins from the Marketing and Audiences team at the BBC, as an SRE. More
US-based social media analytics firm Klout has released 'Klout for Business', a portal and suite of tools available free and promising to help businesses measure the impact of online influencers on their brands. 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
In the UK, Dave Stevinson, former Sales Director of parts and peripherals distributor VIP Computers, has launched a new analytics and business Intelligence (BI) firm, GNR Corporation, focused on clients in the IT distribution 'channel'. More
Yahoo! has acquired social media recommendation firm Jybe, as it looks to expand its own ability to personalize and target content and ads for users. 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
Mobile behavioral targeting firm Sense Networks has introduced a tool called 'mClick-to-Visit Analytics', which reports when a mobile user who has clicked on an ad makes a visit to the retailer's physical store. More
San Francisco-based Internet ratings firm Quantcast has introduced an app to provide insights into cross-platform usage by digital audiences. 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
Microsoft has acquired Swiss social listening and analytics specialist Netbreeze, for an undisclosed sum. The firm's services include data mining, transactional and text/language analysis capabilities. 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
Social media analytics firm Dachis Group has raised $7.5m in Series C funding, which it will use to accelerate the development of its core platform, and meet increased demand for its solutions. More
Facebook has launched a tool called Lookalike Audiences, to enable marketers to reach individuals who share similar characteristics with those of existing customers who they are targeting through the social network. More
Otto Hellwig, CEO of sample and panel provider respondi, has been elected Chairman of The German Society for Online Research (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Online Forschung - DGOF), replacing Christoph Irmer who has stepped down after a two-year term in office. 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
Point-of-sale data giant Nielsen Marketing has launched a mobile ad targeting solution called BuyerVision Mobile, through which CPG brands can deliver relevant ads to consumers, based on their previous in-store purchasing history. More
Online ad targeting specialist Phorm has raised £3m in funds through the placement of convertible secured loan notes - with £1.5m available immediately, and the balance payable once the company's Turkish operations become profitable. More
US ad measurement specialist MSW Research has acquired the non-health copy-testing and non-health equity tracking assets of comScorefs ad research arm ARS for an undisclosed sum. comScore will retain the health-based copy-testing/equity tracking assets following the divestiture. More
GfK has launched its Brand and Customer Experience practice (BaCE) in the UK, and promoted Iain Stanfield to lead it. More
Global PR consultancy Porter Novelli has introduced a monitoring and analytics system called PN Sonar, which it claims captures the entire conversation taking place about a brand or organization - across print, broadcast and digital media. More
Online sampling and technology company uSamp has appointed former Pepsico insights exec Robert Clancy as Senior Director of Insights and Strategy. More
Research software company Survey Analytics has rolled out a new capability called MediaBunker, which will help ad and digital marketing agencies test their creative materials via mobile devices. 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
Gayle Fuguitt, formerly research chief at grocer General Mills, has emerged from a short retirement to take the post of President and CEO at US-based advertising research organisation the ARF. More
In the US, Omniture founder Josh James's business intelligence firm Domo has secured a $60m Series B round of funding, bringing the total raised since its 2011 launch to more than $125m. More
Venture capital firm Spectral Capital Corporation has acquired an 8% minority stake in Canadian firm Kontexto, which provides real-time data collection and analysis services for digital media and data intelligence teams. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
IAB Turkey has awarded online measurement agency Gemius the country's official Internet audience metrics contract for a further two years. More
A new agency called Wess Digital has been set up in the UK, to offer political parties and campaign groups access to data on people's political voting preferences and their support for specific issues-driven campaigns. More
US text analytics specialist Clarabridge has opened an office in San Francisco, to serve the needs of its clients on the West Coast. The firm plans to double staff numbers in the region during the next year. More
German online ad visibility measurement specialist Meetrics has opened an office in the UK, and appointed Eyeblaster founder Anant Joshi to lead it. The firm is also opening a South East Asia HQ in Thailand, led by recently appointed Nutchsara Cayir. More
GfK has hired Chris Fabber to oversee the merger of its US panel operations business, including panels acquired with Knowledge Networks in 2011. 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
The Federal Trade Commission has asked Nielsen for additional information regarding its proposed $1.3 billion takeover of radio ratings giant Arbitron, postponing a possible deal still further. Meanwhile Nielsen may also be looking to offload its trade show business. More
In London, the University of Westminster has launched a Centre for Social Media Research (CSMR), through which it will conduct research into the social, cultural and political-economic aspects of social media, while exploring how it might transform the practice of research. More
Global marcoms network Publicis has acquired Convonix, a Mumbai-based digital marketing agency whose services include a brand monitoring and social media listening platform called IrisTrack. More
New York-based mobile ad targeting platform Dobleas has officially launched, after closing a $5.4m Series B round of financing from its parent company FreakOut. Dobleas will use the investment to fund its engineering recruitment program, while building the business in the US. More
Image-based social media site Pinterest has launched a new web analytics tool to provide site owners with insights into how people are interacting with 'pins' that originate from their web sites. More
Turkish online research and data collection specialist HoraCore has signed a deal to offer DigitalMR's eCommunities platform and social media research services to clients across its home country. More
Ad appearance tracker WhatRunsWhere has launched a data gathering tool which it says allows clients to track competitors' use of in-app advertising 'for the first time'. More
With the planned acquisition by Nielsen approaching, Arbitron has set out details of remuneration packages for its senior execs including recently appointed President and CEO Sean Creamer. 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
In the US, consumer insights group Pure Moxie has bought what it describes as a 'significant stake' in technology firm aSi Media, with the aim of enhancing its own digital insight services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Retail data specialist dunnhumby has hired long-time Arbitron exec Lung Huang for its newly created role of Vice President of Digital Advertising, Global Partnerships. More
Nielsen has launched a solution for measuring the 'resonance' of brand advertising within mobile apps. The tool forms part of the Brand Effect product suite. More
UK-based researcher SPA Future Thinking has appointed former TNS ops leader Sue Homeyard as Director of Operations. More
A group of US industry associations - the IAB, MMA, and MRC - have issued a draft version of their 'Mobile Application Advertising Measurement Guidelines', in a bid to address concerns about measurement and consumer transparency across apps. More
Online research software and solutions provider Confirmit has launched a mobile feedback and research app called MyMobile, allowing businesses to feed insights back to stakeholders via any type of mobile device. More
New York-based digital marketing agency Resolute Digital, whose services include web measurement, consumer insight and media analysis, has opened a new office in Los Angeles. More
Online video analytics specialist Innovid has raised $11m in Series C funding, which it will use to extend its service for PC, mobile and tablet platforms, while also developing offers for new formats such as gaming consoles, connected TV and video-on-demand. 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
US-based Media Economics Group - which provides competitive intelligence on online ads targeted at the Hispanic and African-American markets - has launched a new service called ArgentinaWebMonitor, to provide coverage of online ad activity across Argentina. More
US retail data specialist Retailigence has secured $6.3m in new funding, which it plans to use to drive expansion of its 'O2O' online-to-offline local marketing and commerce platform. More
The Ukraine Television Industry Committee (TIC) has awarded Nielsen a new audience measurement contract, apparently cutting short an agreement with previous incumbent GfK Ukraine after unproven allegations that the latter had bribed panellists. More
Toluna has promoted Mark Simon to MD of North America, allowing previous incumbent George Terhanian to focus on his other role of Group Chief Strategy and Products Officer. Paul Twite replaces Simon as UK MD, while former Ipsos exec Julie Paul also joins the firm. 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
US-based WhatRunsWhere - which offers a competitive intelligence service for online media buying - has expanded to Latin America with the addition of data from Brazil and Mexico. More
North of England full service agency Dipsticks Research has promoted Penny Browell to the position of Research Director, responsible for the firm's 'Other Lines of Enquiry' media research arm in addition to her current role as Head of the TV research division otherlines.tv. More
Los Angeles-based full service agency Vital Findings has appointed former Nielsen and Maritz exec Mary Rubin as Vice President, to work closely with founder Jason Kramer to grow the business and expand its intellectual assets. More
Experian Marketing Services has announced the launch of Hitwise Mobile, which will provide clients with 'comprehensive data and insights' about mobile consumer behaviour. More
Emerging market digital audience analyst Effective Measure has appointed John Davis in the new role of Global Measurement Scientist, based in its Australian office in Melbourne. 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
Real-time marketing analytics provider Anametrix has launched a cloud-based mobile app giving access to its data via iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices. 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
...as bad as you fear, or as good as you hope *. Wise words, or at least a good starting point for a feature on threats and opportunities for the research profession, overwhelmed as we sometimes are by hype and alarmism. This is the last of our seven features celebrating job ad no.100,000. More
Facebook is partnering with a number of database firms, whose data on off-line customer behaviour will be used to sharpen its ad targeting solutions. Also today, Facebook confirmed it is buying measurement firm Atlas from Microsoft. More
comScore has announced a partnership with video ad measurement and verification specialist VideoHub, which will see the latter's service integrated into comScore metrics. More
Influence marketing specialist Appinions has made two senior hires: John Mitchell joins as Chief Revenue Officer and David Fausel as SVP of Consulting Services. 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
The UK's National Readership Survey (NRS) has awarded comScore the online audience measurement contract for its print and digital data product NRS PADD. More
In the US, marcoms agency HY Connect has acquired data-driven digital marketing specialist lonelybrand, and will add the latter's full service offering and social media analytics to its own portfolio. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
New York-based relationship marketing firm Emailvision has appointed Brad Wilson as Chief Executive Officer, replacing company founder Nick Heys. More
London-based social media analytics firm PeerIndex has launched a new platform which rewards consumers with products and discounts in exchange for their influence on social media networking sites. More
In Stockholm, Hans Gieskes has stepped down as President and Group CEO of comms monitoring firm Cision, with a SEK 8 million reward for completing a successful turnaround programme for the formerly flagging group. He is replaced by North America CEO Peter Granat. More
In Berlin, online search and social analytics company Searchmetrics has acquired search engine technology and web analytics company W3 Solutions, in a move to expand its range of products and services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
US provider Strategy Analytics, which focuses on clients in the technology sector, has opened a new Consumer Insights Practice (CIP) led by Motorola Mobility's former Head of Consumer Insights Joy Ganvik. 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 marketing and communications specialist HCD Research has integrated biometric, eye tracking, and quant online research measures into its existing AdverTest concept testing tool, to obtain insights into consumers' reactions to all forms of media. More
The outlook for marketers has continued to improve, according to the latest wave of Warc's Global Marketing Index, which shows a third successive month of improvement. More
Telecoms sector analytics provider TEOCO has introduced a tool called INrange Analytics, using its recently launched location analytics capabilities to identify subscriber travel patterns and deliver targeted mobile ad campaigns. More
In New York, online ad verification service DoubleVerify has received accreditation from the Media Rating Council (MRC) for its suite of verification and viewability products. 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
San Francisco-based audience measurement and digital advertising firm Quantcast has opened a new EMEA Operations Centre in Dublin, Ireland, to support the expansion of the firm's advertising business across Europe. More
Madison, Wisconsin-based social media analytics company Networked Insights has appointed former Nielsen exec Howard Ballon to lead its Media and Entertainment practice. More
New York-based online audience targeting firm [x+1] has acquired tag management company UberTags, in order to expand its Origin data management platform (DMP). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Audience measurement specialist Kantar Media has announced a data sharing agreement with 'social TV' analytics company SecondSync. 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
San Francisco-based business planning and analytics software firm Anaplan has expanded in Europe with the acquisition of its UK and Ireland reseller Vue Analytics, and the opening of a European HQ in Paris. More
After 66 years delivering Australia's radio ratings, Nielsen Media has lost the contract to GfK, to whom national industry body Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has awarded a three-year deal starting next January. 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
Nicky Forsyth, the MD of Surrey-based sampling and panel management software firm MARSC, is to leave at the end of March, and will look for 'new opportunities' later in the year. From April, the firm's Director of Consultancy Julian Simpson will take over the position of MD. More
Cello-owned co-creation agency Face has appointed Andrew Ho as Managing Director of its recently opened operations in Asia. More
NYC-based targeted TV ad company Simulmedia has raised an additional $5m in venture funding. The firm aims to develop a managed data service as well as continuing to build its main targeting platform and integrating viewing data from emerging devices. More
Not too little, not too much, with three vital ingredients and a splash of flavouring... Continuing our celebrations of job ad no.100,000, Nick Thomas gives a simple but effective recipe for a good job ad. More
Jeffrey Graham, formerly Director of Advertising Research, Americas at Google, has joined Twitter as its Director of Ad Research. More
In Australia, Nielsen says it will retire its monthly Unique Browser (UB) metrics at the end of this month, following recent announcements from advertising bodies in the country that the figure is no longer meaningful. 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
comScore has reported record fourth quarter revenue of $68.4m, up 9% over the prior year period. This was driven by growth across its Media Metrix suite of audience measurement tools, which offset declines in its copy testing business. More
In Dubai, Yahoo! has confirmed that from 1 April, its online research business Yahoo! Maktoob Research will no longer offer external support to clients, but instead focus on providing research services to the group's own advertising clients. More
Launchpad Digital Media - which delivers more than 90 million podcast downloads a month - has partnered with media specialist Edison Research to launch what it describes as 'standard metrics' to measure podcast audiences. More
In the US, marketing analytics and campaign management firm Marin Software has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in a bid to raise $75m, after admitting that it does not expect to be profitable in the foreseeable future. More
US-based technology specialist Forrester Research has reported annual revenue up six percent to $202.9m for its Research arm (from $191.5m in 2011). However, its Advisory services business declined two percent to $89.9m, and the firm is planning to make 30 staff redundant. More
Social media analytics specialist Bazaarvoice has launched an R&D center, which will use the firm's audience reach, social content and market data to develop new consumer targeting services. More
Data-driven 'marketing persuasion' software developer Persado has raised $15m in Series A funding, and says it will more than double its spend on R&D, expand its sales and marketing efforts, and establish a new HQ in New York City. More
US-based location-centric mobile ad platform Verve Mobile has raised $14m in Series C funding, for expansion of its proprietary ad targeting products. More
App analytics firm MobileWalla has raised $4m in venture capital to help develop a system for measuring mobile audiences. More
Millward Brown has developed a model which it claims 'cracks the code' for how brands drive financial growth for their organisations. More
According to reports in the press, Facebook is in talks with Microsoft to buy the latter's Atlas Solutions media measurement platform, for something under $100m. 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
US defence technology contractor Raytheon has developed a tool which it claims can model the future behavior of social media users, while tracking their physical movements. More
London-based online research specialist DigitalMR has launched a solution called eViewer, to enable any company with an online presence to observe how customers interact with and react to their web sites, video clips, online games, mobile apps and adverts. More
Nielsen has reported a 1% rise in revenue to $5.6 billion for the full year 2012, compared with the 8% increase it posted the previous year. Revenue in the firm's Buy retail measurement division was flat while the Watch media analytics arm saw a 3% increase. 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
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
New York-based technology firm Sailthru has raised $19m in Series B funding, with which to increase its headcount and infrastructure, while further rolling out its automated big data analytics tool, Smart Data. 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
TV and box office measurement firm Rentrak has announced a multi-year contract with analytics-driven direct response agency Havas Edge, which will link data from TV Essentials and Station View Essentials to its own databases to optimise client campaigns. More
Digital ad tech firm Videology is to integrate Nielsen's Online Campaign Ratings into a predictive targeting solution for advertisers. More
Japanese advertising giant Dentsu has postponed the target completion date for its acquisition of Aegis, by one month to 28th March, following an agreement with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the only body yet to give its clearance for the deal to go through. More
UK-based B2B media company UBM has sold its portfolio of Data Services businesses to private equity fund manager Electra Partners, for a consideration of £160m including a £40m vendor loan note. 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
Multi-screen measurement firm Rentrak has reported a 12% increase in consolidated revenue to $24.9m for the third quarter of fiscal 2013, driven by a 32% hike in its Advanced Media and Information (AMI) business. More
Boston-based customer intelligence analytics specialist DataXu has raised $27m in new funding, which it plans to use to support ongoing global expansion and accelerate development of its technology. 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
Social media analytics and e-learning specialist Parta Dialogue is to acquire Paris-based social media listening and marketing tech company MyTwatch for an undisclosed sum. More
Retail and pricing intelligence firm Upstream Commerce has raised $3m in funding, which it plans to use to strengthen its core technology, big data analytics, and recommendation and prediction capabilities. More
Google has acquired retail sales tracking firm Channel Intelligence (CI) for $125m in cash, from holding company ICG Group. The transaction is expected to close this quarter. More
US-based online video ad targeting specialist Videology has extended its partnership with Kantar Shopcom, which helps clients link consumer purchases with campaign exposure. More
Hollywood-based social media research firm Fizziology has opened an office in Canada, which will use geo-location techniques to focus exclusively on Canadian social media conversations. More
Computer vision technology developer SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI) has introduced what it describes as the first 3D glasses with full eye tracking capabilities, for use in user experience studies and analysis of real-time gaze interaction in virtual environments. More
Reports from the US say Twitter has acquired Bluefin Labs - which tracks social media conversations about TV programs - in a deal worth between $50m and $100m. More
Nielsen and Arbitron have voluntarily agreed to provide the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) with additional time to review Nielsen's proposed takeover of the radio ratings giant. More
Digital audience analyst comScore has expanded its mobile measurement offering, to include unduplicated data on more than one million smartphone users, 400,000 tablet owners, and 150,000 households with connected home devices such as games consoles and smart TVs. More
Data collection and sampling solutions specialist SSI has promoted Fieke Kreischer to the role of Managing Director, Benelux. She replaces Joost Philips, who has held the position since 2009 and is moving to a new role within the firm. More
Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has named Donna de Winter as Chief Financial Officer, replacing Gord Baizley who has moved into the role of Chief Strategy Officer after seven years with the firm. 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
App measurement and advertising platform Flurry has added two new analytics services to its portfolio. User Acquisition Analytics, available now, helps track the effectiveness of acquisition campaigns, while Crash Analytics, still in beta, helps developers improve app quality and reliability. More
The firm responsible for Path, a mobile app which helps users keep diaries and share data with friends and social media contacts, has paid $800,000 to settle a privacy complaint. More
Eye tracking specialist Tobii Technology has unveiled a new line of low-cost and lightweight hardware, which it says will open up the potential of the technology to a much larger spectrium of the research community. More
In the US, the FTC has issued advice on how the mobile device sector can better inform consumers about their data privacy practices; but the MRA's Howard Fienberg says it and other agencies should 'chill out' and let an ongoing White House review run its course. More
Video advertising platform Adap.tv has introduced a tool to verify the 'viewability' of video ads in real-time, allowing ad measurement to discount those impressions that do not appear to the user. More
Technology testing firm uTest has launched a service called Applause, which it claims provides analysis of more than 50 million reviews across one million iOS and Android apps, to enable brands to measure how an app stacks up against the competition. More
Brand valuation consultancy Intangible Business has appointed former Lightspeed Business Development Director Sam Latifi for the newly created role of Head of Research, as the company looks to expand its research and insights arm. More
US media intelligence specialist Aggregate Knowledge (AK) has acquired customer behavior analytics specialist Quantivo for an undisclosed sum. 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
UK MP Maria Miller says that advertising should be regarded as the 'oil in the machinery' of a recovering market, following the release of an Advertising Association/Deloitte report that has highlighted the sector's £100bn contribution to the UK economy. More
Digital audience specialist Effective Measure has appointed Sammy Elazab as Country Managing Director for Singapore, to lead business development efforts across the country. More
Qual specialist The Sound Research has appointed former BBC research leader Stuart Knapman to head its London office, replacing Andrew Davidson, who joined Flamingo in December as Head of its UK Practice. 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 video ad distribution and tracking platform Unruly has developed a tool to enable advertisers to predict the 'shareability' of their video content prior to launch. More
US-based digital media buying platform MediaMath has acquired the Advertising Decision Solutions (ADS) business of online management and measurement firm Akamai, including its data co-operative, staff and other assets, for an undisclosed sum. More
US radio ratings giant Arbitron has filed a lawsuit against Gannett-owned WKYC-TV/Cleveland, claiming up to $6.3m for unauthorised use of its audience estimates and trademarks. 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
In the US, marketing technology firm Unified has acquired Facebook page management and analytics specialist PageLever, to enable it to offer clients a platform for social media marketing insights, audience engagement and advertising. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In New York, Ipsos MediaCT has appointed former WPP MIG exec Paul Wallace as Vice President, responsible for both new business activity and managing and overseeing operations on active business. More
Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has launched a platform bringing together consumer feedback, market assessment and investment analytics, for more than 4,000 brands across 200 categories. More
UK group Chime Communications has announced five appointments in its Chime Insight & Engagement Group (CIE), including three at London-based Watermelon Research. More
Marketing services agency Havas Worldwide New York has brought execs from analytics, community management and content strategy functions together in a new Shared Owned & Earned media practice (SOE), and hired four new staff to add to seventeen joining from within the group. 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
New York-based Innovid has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its measurement of digital video and display ad impressions. More
US-based big data specialist Guavus has acquired mobile data solutions provider Neuralitic Systems. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Sales and marketing intelligence firm Radius has raised $12.4m in Series B funding, and says it will use the money to further develop its platform and expand its index of information about small and medium sized businesses. More
Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has appointed ITV's Director of Media Jenny Bullis for the newly created role of Director of its data and analytics business Annalect. 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
Worldwide marketing budgets have risen for the first time in more than eight months, according to Warc's latest Global Marketing Index (GMI). More
Matthew Bayfield, co-founder of UK-based insight and analysis firm Tree, has left to join WPP-owned OgilvyOne as Head of Data for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. More
In the US, Extole, which offers tools to enable brands to convert their fans into 'social advocates', has raised $7.5m in new funding, which it plans to use to accelerate the growth of its product portfolio. More
India's Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has issued an invitation for agencies to submit tenders for a new approach to television audience measurement. The contract is currently held by Nielsen/Kantar joint venture TAM Media Research. More
In the US, Silicon Valley-based social media intelligence platform Swipp has been officially launched after a year in beta testing. More
Social media analytics specialist Simply Measured has raised $8m in a Series B round of funding, which it will use to hire additional staff and invest in new products and technology. Separately, the firm has introduced new reporting capabilities for Google Analytics. More
Semetric, the firm behind digital music analytics platform Musicmetric, has raised £3m ($4.7m) in new financing from two backers, and says it will use the funds to expand into new sectors. More
US-based research software provider Revelation has appointed Todd McLean as Chief Operating Officer, to work alongside CEO Steve August on the firm's planning and expansion initiatives. More
US-based social media ad and analytics platform Optimal has raised $7m in Series A funding, which it will use to drive expansion of its tools and hire for its sales/marketing and engineering teams. The firm has also appointed Paul Suh as Chief Financial Officer. More
Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has acquired text analytics specialist DiscoverText. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Data collection and sampling solutions specialist SSI has introduced an iPad app called QuickThoughts, which it says offers a 'highly intuitive' interface through which to target difficult-to-reach market research participants - especially young people, IT consumers and professionals. More
US-based cross-platform ad measurement agency Adometry has raised $8m in Series D financing, which it plans to use to extend its product 'roadmap', hire more staff, and expand into new markets. More
US-based e-mail marketing specialist Yesmail Interactive has launched an enhanced version of its Market Intelligence tool, to enable the collection of data from e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+, as well as display ad networks, and the web in general. More
GfK MRI Chief Executive Kathi Love is stepping down from her role on 15th February, in order to pursue her interest in psychology and sociology. More
President Obama's former Director of Digital Analytics Amelia Showalter has launched her own digital and quant consultancy, promising to bring what she describes as Obama's campaign's culture of 'rigorous testing and data analysis' to campaigns, organizations and companies. More
US-based digital agency 360i, whose services include consumer insights, measurement and analytics - has opened its first office outside the US, in London, where it has appointed Dentsu's former Chief Development Officer Rob Connolly as MD. More
In San Francisco, app store analytics firm App Annie has appointed former comScore exec Shelene Chang as Principal Analyst, responsible for heading up its global Market Insights team. 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
DIY research firm Survey Monkey has raised $800m in debt and additional equity funding, partly led by Google's new 'late-stage' investment arm and CEO Dave Goldberg. More
In the US, online video advertising firm YuMe has acquired audience targeting technology specialist Crowd Science, in a bid to extend its own Audience Amplifier targeting solution. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Social media intelligence specialist NetBase has raised $9m in financing, completing the Series C funding it announced last summer. The cash will be used to expand the firm's sales and services globally. More
Online measurement firms Web Analytics Demystified and Webtrends have paired up to promote the latter's digital intelligence solution, Webtrends Streams, across North America. More
US-based Curalate, which offers a monitoring and analytics platform for socially curated sites, has secured $3m in Series A financing, which it will use to ramp up product development and marketing, while expanding to platforms other than Pinterest, including Instagram. 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
Marketing performance measurement firm Ebiquity Plc has announced interim Results for the six months ended 31 October 2012, including revenues up 27% to £30.5m and 'underlying' profit before tax up from £2.2m to £2.7m. In organic terms, however, revenues grew at a more modest 2%. 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
Finnish off-line shopper analytics company RapidBlue Solutions has announced an app providing its analytics direct to mobiles. Mobile Retail Store Analytics promises store owners and managers the ability to collect data and view analysis without the need for extra in-store hardware. 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
DIY survey firm Survey Monkey has signed on as the anchor tenant for a new development in its home city of Palo Alto, California, as it looks for room to grow. The move is scheduled for early 2014. More
Internet and mobile cloud testing and monitoring firm Keynote has appointed Nick Halsey as CMO, succeeding Ren Bloom, VP of Marketing since May 2008, who is leaving to pursue a new venture. More
Crowd-based pricing intelligence platform Digital Folio has announced the launch of new software it calls Universal Connector Technology, which it says will allow clients to capture real-time competitor pricing for more than 275 retailers in over 150 categories. More
Online specialist Lightspeed Research has announced new roles for three of its senior managers, following the integration of sample and research tech firm GMI. Andrew Cayton becomes Global COO, Martin Filz CEO EMEA and Efrain Ribeiro Global Chief Research Officer. More
In the US, legal proceedings arising from the behavioral targeting trials of NebuAd in 2008 seem finally to be rumbling towards a conclusion. Claims against several of the six ISPs accused with the now defunct ad targeting company have recently been dismissed and/or downgraded. More
Global technology and marketing services company Sapient has acquired cross-media marketing analytics firm (m)PHASIZE. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
IXI Services, a division of consumer information provider Equifax, has launched an online tool called AudienceIntel, which helps clients evaluate who is actually viewing and responding to their ads. More
London and New York-based media and creative agency Essence Digital has acquired Seattle-based mobile ad company Point Reach, which delivers campaigns backed by 'strong analytics'. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Mobile advertising network InMobi has acquired UK-based mobile analytics technology developer Overlay Media for an undisclosed sum. 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
Internet ratings firm Quantcast has acquired MakeGood Software, which specializes in the reconciliation and reporting of data from digital ad campaigns. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
North of England-based online panel firm ResearchBods has appointed former Nunwood exec Marcus Silversides as Operations Manager, to oversee both its project delivery team and its expansion plans. More
Social media ad technology firm BLiNQ Media has promoted CTO Luis Caballero to the role of Chief Operating Officer, responsible for general control of the company's day-to-day operations across all departments and offices. The firm is also re-locating its technology HQ in Atlanta. More
Social media TV analytics firm BlueFin Labs has appointed former Nielsen exec Scott Grunther to lead its Media Products business. More
Global customer and employee research agency ORC International has acquired Cincinnati-based consumer specialist MRSI (Marketing Research Services Inc.) from market research network the MVL Group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Brazilian football legend Ronaldo has joined comms giant WPP as an intern, apparently in a bid to learn about the world of advertising. 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
In the US, global sampling and data collection provider reInvention has acquired New York-based competitor Authentic Response for an undisclosed sum. More
Online audience measurement agency Gemius has partnered with media research firm Marktest to provide measurement in the latter's native Portugal. More
In the US, audience measurement firm Rentrak has announced a deal to provide local market mobile broadcast TV ratings to twelve major broadcast networks operating the Dyle mobile television service. More
San Diego, California-based digital analytics company Anametrix has promoted CMO Pelin Thorogood to CEO, replacing co-founder and Chairman Blaise Barrelet who will focus more energy on his investment firm Analytics Ventures. More
Mobile research tech specialist Lumi Mobile has moved into new offices in London's Fleet Street, as it gears up for growth in 2013. More
In the US, technology researcher the Yankee Group is to be acquired from private equity firm Alta Communications by The 451 Group, parent of 451 Research and Uptime Institute. More
US research body the MRA has filed comments with the FTC objecting to proposals from the privacy group EPIC over a settlement with data firm Compete, Inc regarding web tracking violations. MRA says the proposals could seriously impact the whole research profession. More
In the US, radio broadcaster Cumulus Media Inc. has signed a multi-year agreement for Arbitron's diary and PPM ratings services covering 450 of its stations in 100 markets. More
In the US SoapBoxSample, the new sampling division of Interviewing Service of America (ISA), has hired Bonnie Sherman as Director, Marketing & Community Development. More
UK-based Engage Research has appointed quant specialist and former Hall & Partners exec Jen Halliwell as a Director based in its new Putney offices. More
In accordance with plans announced in November and ratified by shareholders last month, WPP has returned its tax headquarters to the UK. The group also announced it has taken a twenty percent stake in Buenos Aires-based digital marketing specialist Globant. More
Nielsen has begun a five-year contract to operate a new Television Audience Measurement (TAM) service in Hong Kong. More
Tokyo-based companies Dentsu and Digital Garage (DG) have agreed a strategic alliance. As of January 11th, Dentsu will acquire 7% of the outstanding common shares of DG for just over 2.6bn Yen (c.$31m). More
A new study by the Nielsen-funded Council for Research Excellence (CRE) highlights the difficulties posed for audience researchers by the growing variety of video consumption devices such as tablets, smart TVs and gaming consoles. More
WPP-owned Kantar has acquired digital marketing intelligence specialist AdGooroo, which provides market research services for search engine advertisers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Better trading conditions have prompted marketers to report a 'generally improved' outlook in December, according to Warc's latest Global Marketing Index (GMI). However, the survey suggests this confidence has not carried over to the budget setting process. More
German TV station partnership the Arbeits-gemeinschaft Fernsehforschung (AGF), has re-commissioned GfK to monitor TV viewing in Germany, initially until 2018. GfK has been providing the service since 1985, and the new contract is valued at around EUR 130m. More
US technology giant Oracle is to acquire marketing automation platform developer Eloqua, whose offer includes targeting, segmentation and market measurement solutions. The deal is valued at approximately $871m, or $23.50 per share. More
Digital data collection provider Research Now has promoted Jason Bowen to the role of Vice President of Client Development for Canada. More
In the US, the backers of digital marketing and performance analytics specialist TapClicks have converted a $1.5m seed funding investment into company stock, and committed to ongoing funding next year. More
WPP-owned marcoms network Wunderman has acquired a majority stake in Bienalto, a digital marketing agency based in Sydney, Australia, which specialises in online analytics, user experience and 'customer dialogue' programmes. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Personalised ad solutions firm myThings has launched what it describes as a 'first-of-its-kind' pre-targeting solution, which analyses the visual attributes of a product in order to predict shopping behaviour. 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
A study conducted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has found that kids' apps siphon an 'alarming' amount of data from mobile devices without disclosing this to parents. Separately, the FTC has been asked to investigate a Nickelodeon app which collects kids' personal data. More
In the US, social media tracking and targeting firm Lotame and semantic ad technology specialist Peer39 have partnered to offer publishers a combination of page-level and behavioral audience data. More
Toronto and San Francisco-based Influitive has raised $7.3m in Series A funding, which it will use to accelerate development of its AdvocateHub community platform, and expand its marketing, sales and service teams. More
US-based TV and video ad analytics provider Ace Metrix has introduced a new metric called the 'Emotional Sentiment Index' (ESI), for use in measuring consumers' emotional engagement with ads. More
Czech-based social media monitoring firm Socialbakers has bought Croatian social media ad firm SocialBrando, for an undisclosed sum. More
Nielsen has announced it is to acquire Arbitron for around $1.26 bn, or $48 per share of common stock. The transaction has been approved by both Boards and is subject to customary closing conditions. More
Nielsen and Twitter have reached a multi-year agreement to produce a new metric, the 'Nielsen Twitter TV Rating', for the US market, covering the reach on Twitter of conversation about TV programmes. The first figures will be commercially available from the fall of 2013. More
In the US, the Senate Judiciary Committee has approved an Act drawn up by Sen. Al Franken, requiring companies to obtain consent from customers before collecting or sharing mobile location data. Separately, debate continues over extensions to the children's privacy act COPPA. More
Online ad targeting specialist Phorm has welcomed new behavioural advertising laws introduced by the Turkish regulator, which it says 'reduce unfair competition' while having little effect on its business in the country it hopes will finally bring it a profit. More
Sean Creamer, currently Arbitron's EVP Chief Operating Officer, is to succeed Bill Kerr as the company's President and Chief Executive from January 1st. More
London-based Decipher Media Research (DMR) has launched MediaBug, a bi-annual tracker promising media clients 'a unique perspective on the evolution of media consumption in the UK', with a specific focus on the disruption of established viewing behaviour by new technologies and services. More
Nielsen has announced a reduction in the size of its Board of Directors to eleven members, with one director each from its six controlling partners. More
New Jersey-based boutique ad research firm PreTesting Group has hired former Ipsos OTX SVP Audience Measurement Julanne Schiffer as EVP of Sales and Client Solutions. More
Nielsen has taken a minority stake in a new venture capital firm called Pereg Ventures, which plans to help start-ups offering technology for marketing and customer understanding. More
Nielsen has rolled out its real-time ad measurement and optimisation tool Online Brand Effect in the UK. More
Social media analytics firm Crimson Hexagon has integrated Klout's influence scores into its ForSight platform, to help clients understand the impact key individuals are having on marketing campaigns. 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
US-based Gay Ad Network - which offers access to an LGBT media network reaching 6 million users per month - has introduced a data-driven service to enable advertisers to target its consumers with relevant ads. More
Media, events and research company IDG has promoted Matthew Yorke to CEO of its services division IDG Global Solutions (IGS). More
Paul Fisher has resigned from his role as CEO of IAB Australia, and in March will become Managing Director for Nielsen Media across the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA) regions. More
Online analytics pioneer Webtrends has launched a digital intelligence solution called 'Webtrends Streams', through which users can gather real-time visitor data across all their digital properties. More
In San Francisco, execs responsible for the introduction of the Starbucks Card Mobile and Dunkin' Donuts Mobile solutions have launched a mobile commerce firm, Cardfree, with the aid of $10m in Series A funding. More
Advertising intelligence specialist Exponential has opened an office in Mexico, where it plans to add audience insights and targeting to its suite of products. More
In the UK, web behaviour analytics specialist QuBit has secured $7.5m in Series A funding to help market its new SaaS platform, while further developing its OpenTag tool. The firm will also use the funds to help build its presence in the US and across Europe. 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
Social media monitoring firm Socialbakers has announced the beta launch of a new app called 'Fake Followers', to help marketers identify how many Twitter followers are real, fake or inactive. More
Jo Winning, the co-founder of custom panel and community specialist EasyInsites, has left to join London-based Verve as Business Development Consultant. More
US-based brand and research consultancy Greenberg Brand Strategy has appointed former Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) SVP Mike Ripka to lead its humanQuant practice. More
Media agency Universal McCann (UM) is to roll out its digital media data management and insights division Decision Sciences in Europe, via a new London office and a rebrand in Frankfurt. More
User experience technology developer Knoa Software has raised $7.5m in investment funding, which it plans to use to extend the global reach of its products. More
UK-based user experience design specialist Foolproof has hired Jonathan Culling as UX Director, with responsibility for overseeing its 20-strong team of consultants, and helping develop new services. More
Mobile user experience analyst RootMetrics has released a new version of its crowdsourcing app 'Cell Phone CoverageMap', enabling customers of AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon to test the performance of their smartphones. 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
In the US, AOL's Advertising.com Group has acquired predictive analytics and retargeting specialist Buysight for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, ad targeting and analytics tech startup Adelphic Mobile has raised $10m in an investment round led by Google Ventures. The firm says it will use the funds to double its headcount and scale its product development. More
US-based retail optimization firm Aldata has introduced a solution allowing retailers to store, segment, maintain, analyze and report on shopper data. More
Online analytics company Searchmetrics has enhanced its flagship search analytics software to allow analysis of search performance on 'all the major search engines in a total of 123 countries'. 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
US-based research tech firm Decipher has added new features to its DIY survey platform Beacon, allowing more scope for customized survey building. They include an Alternative Question Toolkit (AQT) and an alternative question library. More
Online ad association IAB Australia has announced it will retire the 'Monthly Unique Browser' metric (UB) in the country as of February 1st next year, replacing it with the people-based Unique Audience (UA) metric. Nielsen will stop reporting UB within its Market Intelligence product. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has begun auditing the two main ratings services of Rentrak Corporation, TV Essentials and StationView Essentials. More
Online customer experience specialist Foresee has appointed Chris Harman as UK Managing Director, following the doubling of both UK sales and research teams over the past year. More
In Australia, digital advertising business REA Group has appointed former Microsoft exec Lisa Hickson as General Manager of Brand, Communications & Insights, and part of its Executive Leadership Team. More
San Francisco-based Union Metrics has announced that its Tumblr analytics platform is out of beta and available for subscription. 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
More money has been pouring into companies expanding in the analytics space, including big data and social media specialists. Two US firms, analytics advisory service IIA and big data start-up BitYota receive $1m and $12m respectively, and European start-up Teleportd $1m for its Nitrogram photo analytics product. More
Digital audience measurement giant comScore has announced the US Beta release of its new tool, MMX Multi-Platform, which promises unduplicated accounting of audience size and demographics across multiple devices. More
IDC has appointed former Microsoft exec Shayum Rahim as its senior analyst and lead for software research across Australia and New Zealand, based in Sydney. More
Online data firm BlueKai has formed a partnership with mobile ad network Jumptap, to improve the targeting of ads to mobile devices using a broad set of mobile, online and off-line data segments. More
Omnicom division Diversified Agency Services (DAS) has acquired London-based innovation and co-creation consultancy Promise Corporation and says it will merge it with online community specialist Communispace, which it bought last year. More
comScore has launched Brand Survey Lift Pulse (BSL Pulse), a product for measuring the breakthrough and impact of campaigns in real-time. The tool is part of the AdEffx suite and debuts in 23 markets worldwide. More
Digital TV solutions provider NAGRA is to collaborate with Kantar Media to offer clients subscriber data from in-home devices. The service will be pre-integrated with NAGRA's OpenTV 5 media convergence platform. More
Berlin-based social media analytics specialist Searchmetrics has appointed Tom Schuster as its new CEO, working alongside founder and CTO Marcus Tober to drive the firm's expansion. 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
e-commerce research and analytics firm Terapeak has launched an Android app providing mobile pricing and demand research for online merchants. More
San Diego, CA-based custom research and mystery shopping provider TrendSource has launched a new survey app, wINput, for Apple and Android users. 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
ROI tracking software provider Bizible, Inc. has raised $1.7m in a Series A round of financing led by Madrona Venture Group. The firm was founded in 2011 by Microsoft advertising veterans Aaron Bird and Peter Thompson. More
Online video marketing platform Vidyard has integrated its technology with the marketing automation platform of US firm Eloqua, to enable the tracking of customer viewing behavior via video content. 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
Online insight community specialist Tuned In has appointed Hall & Partners founder Mike Hall as a non-executive member of its Board. More
New Zealand-based natural language processing and text analytics app developer Syl Semantics is looking to raise up to $1m in angel investor funding, which it will use to expand its sales and marketing efforts and further develop its platform. 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
Seattle-based start-up AnswerTap has launched a DIY feedback-gathering tool called MagicMarkup, to enable agencies and researchers to obtain consumer feedback on their marketing collateral, logo designs and proposed ads from their social networking followers and fans. More
UK call tracking and web analytics firm AdInsight has changed its name to 'ResponseTap', which it says better reflects the position of the company going forward. More
In the US, e-commerce analytics provider SumAll has raised $6m in Series A funding, which it will use to add new features and data streams to its platform, while doubling staff numbers during the next year. More
Independent UK public body the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has introduced a set of guidelines to help practitioners manage individuals' privacy rights and the risks associated with the use of anonymised data. More
In the UK, the Committee for Advertising Practice (CAP) has announced its intention to enforce EU self-regulation for online behavioural advertising (OBA) from next February. 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
Nielsen has extended its partnership with Informate Mobile Intelligence to provide marketers with data on mobile device usage and content consumption across Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa (APMEA). More
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) have updated their 'Mobile Web Advertising Measurement Guidelines', with a new requirement to include client-side counting for mobile web ad impressions. More
UK firm SocialBro - which has developed a web app for the management and analysis of Twitter communities - has raised EUR 500,000 (c.£400k), which it will use to establish a London-based marketing operation and business development team. 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-based Aegis Group plc has announced the acquisition of Benelux-based performance marketing agency Netsociety, and will merge it into its existing search and performance marketing division, iProspect. Terms were not disclosed. More
'Person-based' analytics platform KISSmetrics has appointed Will Hodgman, founder of AdRelevance and M:Metrics and previously EVP of International at comScore, as its new CEO, replacing KISSmetrics co-founder Hiten Shah, who moves to the role of President. More
Social media monitoring firm Socialbakers has won another $6m in funding, which CEO Jan Rezab says will be used to continue product development. More
Facebook is testing a new 'conversion measurement' tool to help marketers calculate ROI on their ad campaigns, to be made available via its Ads Manager service. More
In the UK, the OFT (Office of Fair Trading) is calling for information to help it explore the extent to which businesses are monitoring online shopper behaviour, and then using resulting data to target consumers with personalised prices. More
US firm Compass Labs has launched a tool called CLIQ Social Intelligence, offering clients a new way to measure their presence and performance on Facebook and Twitter. More
The New York-based Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has been re-named the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM), following its recent integration with the Certified Audit of Circulations (CAC). More
Mobile platform Appcelerator has acquired big data specialist Nodeable, which offers analytics-driven insights into mobile user behavior and app performance. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
LatAm and Iberian online panel specialist Netquest has launched a service called AdTracking, using feedback from its 450,000 panellists to measure their reactions to specific online adverts. More
Mobile customer engagement firm piJnz Group has introduced a mobile web analytics and landing page management platform called SignalMind, to provide metrics for mobile marketers. 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
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
Dallas-based consumer behavior specialist Alliance Data Systems Corporation is to acquire marketing services conglomerate the Hyper Marketing group of companies (HMI), via its tech marketing subsidiary Epsilon. More
Social media analyst DataSift has raised $15 million in a second round of funding, which it says it will use to grow and develop its technology more rapidly. More
Kristin Luck, President of research technology firm Decipher, was a double winner at last Friday's Stevie Awards for Women in Business. More
Mobile app optimisation specialist Swrve has raised $6.25m in a round of financing led by Atlantic Bridge Partners and Intel Capital, and says it will create 100 new R&D jobs in its headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. More
US-based Paradigm Sample has added image capture and real-time couponing features to its proprietary IdeaShifters mobile app, which is also now available for Android. More
Nielsen and its McKinsey joint venture NM Incite have announced the acquisition of SocialGuide, which provides analysis of social media conversations about TV programs. Terms were not disclosed. More
Five US research veterans - Lenny Murphy, Gregg Archibald, Jason Anderson, Bill Weylock and David Bernstein - have announced the launch of a new company, Gen2 Advisors, which will combine regular reports on leading edge marketing and insights areas with advisory and consulting services. More
Digital marketing solutions firm IgnitionOne - part of Japanese ad giant Dentsu - has appointed Michael Stephanblome as its UK Managing Director, as it completes the integration of his advertising exchange AdJug into its platform. More
In the US, consumer research specialist Key Lime Interactive (KLI) and mobile app development firm Crucian Point have partnered to launch a new company called KLUE Labs, offering a tool that captures mobile user interaction with web sites. More
Marcoms giant Publicis Groupe has spun off its VivaKi digital intelligence network as a separate business, with the aim of making its services available both to its own agencies and to external clients. More
Netherlands-based online researcher MetrixLab has opened a new office in Shanghai, China - led by former Ipsos leader Edwin Song - from where it will focus on Chinese and regional clients. More
In the US, research and branding firm Protobrand has used Research Now Mobile's platform to launch a smartphone version of its Meta4 Insight tool, which probes the unconscious mind using 'metaphor elicitation'. More
Advertising software veteran Niels Meersschaert has joined consumer retargeting platform LocalResponse, to lead the team responsible for building new products and enhancing existing tools. More
Pinterest analytics start-up Pinfluencer has integrated three commercial web analytics products into its platform, in order to help marketers discover which 'pins' drive revenue and clicks. More
UK radio research body RAJAR has commissioned Ipsos MediaCT to extend its Radio Listener Panel for a further year, as it continues to evaluate the agency's MediaCell smartphone measurement system. More
Multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has reported a 3% increase in overall revenue to $22.5m for its second fiscal quarter, the now familiar net result of strong growth in its Advanced Media and Information (AMI) business (here 35%) and a decline in Home Entertainment. More
Australian agency Roy Morgan Research has enhanced its machine-based web audience data measurement system with the integration of Effective Measure's analytics and research platform 'Insight'. More
In Australia, former Added Value Managing Director Mel Carey has joined insights consultancy Fiftyfive5 as a Director, and will combine an active role in the strategic development of the business with work on a number of key accounts. More
US company Digital Net Agency (DNA) has acquired new media research, planning and placement specialist Plaid Skirt Marketing, boosting its social media capabilities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Japanese ad giant Dentsu's £3.16bn takeover of Aegis is being held up by delays in getting approval from Chinese regulators. More
Sports broadcast measurement specialist Repucom has appointed former Kantar Sport Head Bruno Lalande, for the newly created role of Director of Strategy, EMEA, based in Paris. More
Telefónica subsidiary O2 Germany has apparently stepped back from plans to sell anonymous customer location data to the country's retailers, after strong concern from the German government about consumer privacy. It is of course the home turf of its insight partner, GfK. More
Former Synovate Global CEO Adrian Chedore has joined Asia-focused MR consultancy ABN Impact as Chairman. More
UK research provider BDRC Continental has launched a Sports & Sponsorship division and appointed Director Mark Long to lead it. More
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission has released a consumer privacy best practices guide for companies using facial recognition. 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
Digital measurement specialist comScore has reported a 9% rise in third quarter revenue to $64.3m, a figure it says was held back by declines in its ad copy testing business, which is slated for a possible sale. Net loss was reduced to just over $3m. More
Visitors to the US presidential candidates' web sites are being tagged by technology used to identify unique users and track their online behavior, causing concern in a report issued by watchdog organisation CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington). More
Gartner has reported third quarter 2012 revenues of $284.0m in its Research division - up 11% year-on-year, or 14% excluding currency effects. The Consulting division grew much slower, with revenues up just 1% (4% at constant currencies) to $71.7m. More
In the US, full-service agency Market Probe has appointed industry veteran Steven Marks to lead its St Louis-based operations. More
Ipsos ASI has launched a tool called Live|Test, combining behavioural web analytics with survey data to help marketers and advertisers decide on the best way to optimize their digital ad campaigns prior to launch. More
Marcoms giant WPP has agreed to buy a majority stake in digital marketing agency Netbooster Asia, which offers a full range of online services including web research and benchmarking, and social media monitoring. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Ratings giant Arbitron has settled its lawsuit against Magic Broadcasting, resolving claims that its former client was guilty of copyright infringement and breach of license agreement. Terms of the settlement payment were not disclosed. More
In the UK, the National Readership Survey (NRS) has launched a mobile and tablet app, offering access to its data on print and digital audiences. More
Emerging markets specialist Borderless Access Panels has expanded its client-facing teams with the appointment of industry execs Matt Gershner in New York and Matthew Hurst in London. More
Microsoft Advertising has hired former Experian researcher Faye Weeks for the newly created role of Senior Marketing Research Intelligence Manager, based in its London office. More
The majority of users of UK web sites are allowing the use of third party ad cookies, according to a recent analysis of the impact of the EU Cookie Directive by data privacy specialist TRUSTe. More
Kantar has appointed Walter Patanella as Chief Executive of Media Monitoring and Evaluation at its Media Intelligence Europe subsidiary, following its recent acquisition of an 87% stake in media monitoring specialist Press Index, where he served as MD. More
Rob Gatto, the former CEO of digital ad firm PointRoll, has joined US media intelligence specialist Aggregate Knowledge (AK) as President. More
Former Arbitron researcher Bob Michaels has died, reportedly from a heart attack while vacationing in Key West, Florida. As the measurement giant's first ever ambassador to radio programmers, he was known for a unique combination of software skills and understanding of the ratings themselves. More
Former Synovate parent Aegis Group plc has announced the acquisition of Japanese performance marketing and search agency Hablar, for an undisclosed sum. The agency will be merged into Aegis' search and performance marketing division, iProspect. More
CRM software provider Salesforce has laid off around a hundred staff at its Canadian social media measurement company Radian6 and social media marketing agency Buddy Media, a move it describes as eliminating duplicated roles. More
In Canada, social media analytics specialist Swix has rebranded as Source Metrics, and has secured $1.6m in funding. The funds are being used to launch an enterprise-level tool integrating metrics and analytics into a single platform which will measure ROI for social media campaigns. 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
Former Nokia researcher Joe Hoffman has joined technology specialist ABI Research as Principal Analyst, Mobile Analytics, to lead analysis and forecasts on mobile packet core, network optimization, VoIP and IMS. 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
Indian digital marketing technology firm Vizury Interactive has raised $9m in Series B funding, to expand its Visitor Relationship Management (VRM) solution, which is used to analyse and draw insights from online consumer data and deliver relevant ads. 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
Ratings giant Arbitron has reported an 8.3% rise in third quarter revenue to $114.3m, while net income increased to $15.8m from $15.4m. More
Consumer and retail specialist The NPD Group has restructured its European management team in response to what it describes as the 'changing needs' of clients and retail partners. As part of the reshuffle, David Pritchard has been named General Manager of Commercial Activity. 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
Digital audience specialist Effective Measure has appointed former ABC UK exec Alan Morrissey as Country Managing Director in South Africa. More
In the US, Turner Broadcasting Systems (TBS) has appointed former Nielsen exec Howard Shimmel as SVP of Advertising Sales and Sports Research. More
WPP-owned online behavioural measurement firm Kantar Media Compete has settled charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission that it 'deceived consumers' by not disclosing the extent of the personal data it was gathering about them. More
Ipsos MediaCT Jordan has launched a study to measure and analyze the media consumption habits of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza. 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
US firm WhatRunsWhere has launched a standalone tool allowing clients to track their competitors' online and mobile ad campaigns running across the Google Display Network. More
Nielsen has announced third quarter revenue up 5% year-on-year, on a constant currency basis, to $1.423bn, with its Buy (4%) and Watch (5%) segments both contributing. Adjusted EBITDA rose 7% on the same basis to $424m. More
Microsoft has acquired marketing automation and integrated marketing solutions firm MarketingPilot Software for an undisclosed sum, and will integrate it with its Dynamics CRM unit. More
'Person-based' analytics platform KISSmetrics has agreed a half million dollar payment to settle a class-action lawsuit over its use of 'supercookies'. More
Fieldwork specialist Schlesinger Associates has hired two Directors of Client Development, Bridget Bachmann and Simona Kats, with a focus on online data collection and online communities, respectively. More
Former AGB and TNS director Dr Stephan Buck died on the 3rd October at the age of 75, after a three-year battle with cancer. More
Two countries have new centres devoted to business analytics this week: partners Deakin University and IBM have launched Australia's first while in Singapore, Accenture and the island state's government are opening an Innovation Center. 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
UK marketing budgets appear to have fallen slightly for a second successive quarter, according to the latest IPA Bellwether survey. Business confidence among marketers has also fallen, with a tough trading environment hampering profitability and cash flow. More
Arbitron is combining its PPM Radio Ratings data with Media Monitors' commercial airplay data, to provide advertisers with radio audience estimates for the specific times their spots run. The resulting 'model-ready' ratings data is now available via GfK MRI's 'Granularity' modeling portal. More
US-based ad personalization firm TeleNav has acquired ThinkNear - a mobile targeting firm which helps advertisers reach consumers within 100 meters of any location - for $22.5m in cash and stock. More
Panel exchange operator Cint is looking for further expansion with the help of EUR 6.9m ($9m) raised from its existing owners, Prime Technology Ventures and Nordic venture capital firm Creandum. More
Pagewiz, a DIY generator of web site landing pages, has partnered with eye tracking company EyeQuant to add 'heat map' style effects to help clients optimize their pages. More
InRev, the owner of social media brand monitoring platform Simplify360, has received an undisclosed amount of Series B investment, which it plans to use to 'aggressively' acquire new customers in the US. More
GfK has introduced a 'human relationship' model, to uncover consumers' emotional and social connections with brands. More
Ian Billington and Paul Cartmell, the co-founders of London-based marcoms group Billington Cartmell (BCL), are leaving following the sale of their agency to investment group Hutton Collins Partners. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has rolled out its Online Brand Effect solution in Australia, offering clients there the ability to measure and optimize the effectiveness of their online advertising efforts in real-time. More
In the US, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has launched the 'Data-Driven Marketing Institute' (DDMI), in order to lobby against what it describes as 'needless regulation that could hamper consumer marketing and stifle innovation'. More
US-based digital marketing agency ExactTarget - which recently acquired iGoDigital - has opened offices in Paris, while adding a French user interface across its suite of products. The firm also plans to open in Sweden later this year. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore is beta testing a multi-platform campaign analytics tool, to measure ad effectiveness media platforms including TV, web and mobile. More
Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has ramped up its newly formed Media and Entertainment arm with the appointment of former Nielsen execs Aaron Paquette as Executive Vice President of TV & Film and Gateley Meeker as Vice President of TV. 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
Nielsen has rolled out its ad measurement service Online Campaign Ratings in the UK, following a pre-launch test with consumer goods giants Unilever and Reckitt Benckiser. More
UK-based YouGov has reported a 4% increase in revenue to £58.1m for the year ended 31 July 2012, up from £55.1m in the prior year period. The US and UK businesses saw strong performances, more than off-setting the effects of disposals in Germany and the end of a major contract in Iraq. More
Lieberman Research founder Seymour 'Sy' Lieberman, died on October 1, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. More
Cello-owned co-creation agency Face has expanded to Asia with the opening of two new offices in Singapore and Hong Kong. More
In the US, technology specialist Forrester Research has appointed former Gartner sales leader Mike Morhardt as Chief Sales Officer. More
A new body called the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA) has been launched in Brussels, to manage aspects of a self-regulatory programme aimed at making online behavioural advertising (OBA) more transparent across Europe. More
European-based ad platform provider Ebuzzing has launched a dashboard service to measure the reach, impact and sentiment of social media video campaigns. More
US-based interactive marketing agency ExactTarget has acquired software provider iGoDigital for a total of $21.0m, thereby adding predictive analytics to its portfolio. It has also bought b2b marketing automation firm Pardot. More
Newbury-based Celebrus Technologies has enhanced its digital analytics platform to link individuals' behaviour on web sites and mobile apps with their interactions with the leading social media platforms. More
Denmark's National TV Steering Committee and Kantar Media have announced plans to enhance the country's existing TV Audience Measurement (TAM) service with the inclusion of TV viewing on PCs, smartphones, and tablets from 2013. More
In Germany, full service agency Dr Grieger & Cie has launched online panels in Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Turkey. More
Newbury-based digital analytics specialist Celebrus Technologies has raised £1m in new capital, which it will use to drive further insight and business value from big data, while strengthening its relationships with its international partners. More
Broadband and telecoms giant Telefónica has partnered with GfK to open a big data business unit called Telefónica Dynamic Insights, which will sell anonymised and aggregated mobile network data to companies and public sector organisations worldwide. More
US-based social networking solutions firm Lithium Technologies has acquired Social Dynamx, whose platform enables clients to analyse and respond to social media conversations in real-time. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
US-based video targeting firm Alphabird has acquired Australian digital media and ad tech services company Ventures in Digital Media (ViDM). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Digital audience specialist Effective Measure has appointed former Yahoo! sales leader Ben Sharp as Managing Director of its Australia and New Zealand operations, replacing Michael Robertson who has been promoted to the post of Global Director of Products. More
Online sampling and technology company uSamp has promoted George Llorens to the role of Executive Vice President, Global Head of Sales, tasked with further driving sales in Europe, where the firm reported growth of 104% in the past year. More
Digital media specialist Gai Le Roy has returned to IAB Australia to take up the newly created role of Director of Research, with a remit to ensure that the body maintains its position as a 'thought leader' in consumer behaviour, technology, multi-channel marketing, measurement and analytics. More
US-based Digital Technology International (DTI) has acquired business intelligence and analytics firm IO Intelligence, thus extending its range of digital solutions. 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
UK-based experience design agency Foolproof has acquired Singapore-based user experience agency One to One Global, thus extending its services to Asia. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
London and New York-based Essence Digital has acquired US-based media analytics agency Black Bag Advertising (BBA) for an undisclosed sum. More
Nielsen-funded independent think tank the Council for Research Excellence (CRE) has initiated a study to determine how social media impacts television viewing. More
Gent, Belgium-based consumer intelligence specialist NGDATA has closed a $2.5m round of funding, which it will use to further develop its personalization products and to establish offices near New York and San Francisco for servicing its US-based clients. More
Nielsen has officially launched its Cross-Platform Campaign Ratings tool, which it says indicates 'the true reach' of video ads across multiple screens. The tool combines data from Nielsen's Online Campaign Ratings service and its proprietary national TV panel. More
DIY survey technology company SurveyMonkey has launched a new tool enabling users to select a targeted sample drawn from millions of qualified survey respondents, from the US and around the world. More
In the US, cloud and mobile testing specialist SOASTA has acquired performance measurement company LogNormal, which provides 'real user measurement' (RUM) and monitoring for mobile and web apps. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, comScore has launched 'validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) for Video', which measures both the demographics and behavioral profiles of audiences reached by video campaigns and the extent to which they were actually viewable. More
Technology specialist ABI Research has opened a new mobile 'teardown' facility in Austin, Texas, to offer component analysis of mobile handsets segmented by manufacturer. The new team will be led by VP Engineering, Jim Mielke. More
Ad targeting company Phorm has continued its cash burn in the first six months of 2012, again making little revenue, but says its Turkish operation is performing sufficiently well to at last make the group 'profitable during the next financial year'. More
Nielsen and the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) have formed an 'Innovation Committee' to develop and test potential new approaches to mobile television audience measurement for Nielsen's mTAM initiative. More
BlueKai has extended its visitor analytics and retargeting system, DAS, into the mobile arena with what it describes as 'the industry's first ever mobile end-to-end, cloud-based solution'. More
US-based Gongos Research is making two of its proprietary research platforms, iCommunities and ConsumerView Online Qualitative, available for licensed use by other research firms. 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
Harris Interactive's former global brand and communications specialist Jeni Lee Chapman has been hired for the post of Managing Director of PR and communications measurement agency Gorkana Group, at its offices in New York. More
In the US, 'social innovation' software firm Spigit has acquired business intelligence platform Crowdcast for an undisclosed sum. More
In the UK, Google has partnered with GfK's usability research specialist nurago to launch the 'Screenwise Trends Panel', to explore how people consume media and examine their attitudes towards brands and ads across different media platforms. More
Millward Brown's former Chief Client Strategist Larry Schack has joined brand and research consultancy Greenberg Brand Strategy as Partner for Innovation and Insights. The role will focus on development of the firm's 'humanQuant' practice. More
In New York, online ad verification service DoubleVerify has appointed Wayne Gattinella as CEO. He replaces co-founder Oren Netzer who takes up the position of Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer, with a focus on new product development. More
Panel and research software firm GMI has launched a tool which it says enables surveys to be deployed across all platforms and devices with the same look and feel. More
In the US, research and analytics veteran Dan Grigorovici has launched a mobile ad targeting firm, AdMobius, with $5m in Series A funding to promote its 'Audience Management Platform'. More
French ad agency network Publicis Groupe has acquired Amsterdam-based digital marketing agency LBi for EUR 416m (£333m). 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
In London, former Kantar Worldpanel MD Michelle Carter has joined panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical as Head of Client Service. More
Cross-media measurement and ad effectiveness specialist Symphony Advanced Media (SymphonyAM) has appointed Nielsen veteran Charles Buchwalter as President and Chief Executive Officer. He replaces Manish Bhatia, who recently joined US ratings giant Arbitron. More
In the US, Harris Interactive is partnering with Google to launch a new service allowing users to compare themselves to industry benchmarks. More
In the UK, The National Readership Survey (NRS) has appointed media consultant Alison Finch as Director of Client & Insight, to oversee client relationships for its NRS PADD service, which combines print data collected by Ipsos Mori with web site readership figures from UKOM/Nielsen. More
Publicis-owned communications and engagement network MSLGroup has promoted social media expert Gaurav Mishra to the position of Vice President of Insights, Innovation, and Social for Asia, to help clients engage people through storytelling and crowdsourcing. More
In the US, user testing specialist Userlytics has launched a remote mobile testing platform, through which user interaction with apps or web sites is recorded through a webcam view. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore and ratings giant Arbitron are collaborating on the development of the 'first' cross-platform media measurement solution to provide common metrics on changing media consumption across radio TV, PCs, smartphones, and tablets. 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
Yannick Carriou has been appointed Chief Executive of Ipsos MediaCT, replacing Richard Silman, who has taken on the role of Head of Corporate and Social Responsibility programs across the group. More
In Australia, digital media expert Gavin Heaton has joined Constellation Research as Vice President and Principal Analyst, to lead the firm's 'Digital Marketing Transformation' business. More
The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) and the Certified Audit of Circulations (CAC) have announced their intention to merge through a cashless transaction, in order to provide a new central repository of audited newspaper data and anticipated cost savings. More
Hollywood-based social media research firm Fizziology has expanded to Europe with the opening of an office in London, which offers a proprietary system to capture and measure UK social media conversations. 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
Former Ipsos Reid President Steve Mossop has launched a full service agency called Insights West, based in Vancouver and servicing private and public sector clients across Western Canada. 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
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
Twitter has introduced interest-based ad targeting for its Promoted Tweets and Promoted Accounts campaigns, while Facebook is to allow brands to use their consumer data to reach users through the site. More
IgnitionOne - the digital marketing technology arm of Japanese advertising giant Dentsu - has opened an office in São Paulo, Brazil, where it has appointed industry veteran Edmardo Galli as Managing Director. 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
Multi-screen video delivery firm Concurrent has launched a cross-service video analytics tool called 'Multiscreen Media Data Intelligence', for measurement of both traditional and TV everywhere video services. 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
In the US, ratings giant Arbitron has appointed Chief Operating Officer Sean Creamer to its Board of Directors, after seven years with the company. More
In the US, data visualization company SumAll has launched an analytics tool that tracks activity on a company's Facebook fan page and Twitter account against web traffic and revenue, to reveal the return on social media marketing. More
US-based Placed Inc. has expanded its location analytics service with the addition of mobile web measurement, to provide site publishers with details about the businesses people were near when interacting with site content. More
In India, the Media Research Users' Council (MRUC) has awarded the contract for its continuous readership study, the IRS (Indian Research Survey) to Nielsen, after a nine-month selection process. More
US competitor ad monitor WhatRunsWhere has acquired UK-based start-up Mobile Ad Spy, which tracks details of ads running on mobile web sites around the globe. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US ratings giant Arbitron has appointed Nielsen veteran Manish Bhatia as Executive Vice President, New Product Innovation, to direct the firm's cross-platform initiatives and lead teams tasked with developing non-radio research services. More
DemystData - which helps financial institutions tap into consumers' social media and other online data - has secured an undisclosed amount of Series A investment, which it will use to expand its team of engineers and data scientists to support global demand for its service. More
In the UK, research and measurement consultancy StrategyOne - which is part of the Edelman PR network - has appointed former ICM Research Director Emily Hunt as Director of Insights, to lead its primary insights function. More
In China, Eddie Chien has joined ad and brand research specialist Ipsos ASI as Managing Director, after twenty years at Procter and Gamble (P&G). 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
The US Census Bureau has partnered with technology and marketing services consultancy Sapient to launch its first mobile app, which provides real-time information on sixteen key economic indicators. More
Facebook has acquired San Francisco-based Threadsy, developer of the Swaylo social analytics tool which connects influencers to brands. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
India's News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has asked the government to suspend reporting of TAM data, in the light of the ongoing row between broadcaster NDTV and Nielsen and WPP's joint venture. Meanwhile Nielsen is reportedly the front-runner for the forthcoming RSCI readership measurement pitch. More
Marketing spend is in decline, not just in Europe, but also in the previously buoyant Asia Pacific region, according to a report from advertising research site Warc. However other indicators, such as general business confidence, were more positive. More
Portland, OR-based qual research software developer Revelation has announced a text visualization and visual search tool, Word Trees, which it says will speed up analysis for online studies. More
US social media ad technology firm BLiNQ Media - which delivers Facebook ad results combined with real-time audience insight - has been acquired by publishing giant Gannett. While terms were not disclosed, reports claim the figure paid could have been around $92m. More
Asia Pacific media intelligence firm Sentia Media has acquired Australian online media monitoring platform BuzzNumbers from founder Nick Holmes ā Court (pictured). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Japan-based GMO Research and its subsidiary GMO Japan Market Intelligence (GMO Research/JMI) are to open the group's first operations centre in India at the end of August, led by former GMI exec Anupam Kaul. 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
Online research software and solutions provider Confirmit has acquired the CustomerSat enterprise feedback management software business - previously owned by MarketTools - from investment house TPG Growth. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Omnibus and syndicated data specialist Roy Morgan Research has launched a new service called the 'Digital Universe', to provide a view of Australians' daily lives, including media consumption, shopping habits, socialisation and expectations. More
In the US, online survey software firm QuestionPro has acquired survey platform PollBob, whose community of 350,000 users complete real-time polls online and via an iPhone app. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Online analytics pioneer Webtrends has added a feature to its Analytics on Demand digital measurement product, to enable social media marketers to draw insight from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube data. More
Online service MusicHype.com, which helps bands, management companies and labels develop relationships with their fans, has launched the 'Appreciation Engine' through which clients can aggregate customer profile data, analyze fan activity and identify 'VIP' customers in real-time. More
Canadian online technology news publication BetaKit has launched a new trend research service called 'BetaKit Insights', which clients can use to predict the likely adoption and use of new and emerging technologies. 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
comScore has introduced its online video measurement service Video Metrix in Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. The tool combines online viewing intelligence with demographics to provide insights into consumer behavior. 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
Search engine optimization software firm SEOmoz (Moz) has acquired Twitter analytics company Followerwonk for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition follows Moz's recent closure of an $18m investment funding round. More
US crowdsourcing software testing service uTest has acquired Polish mobile app analysis company Apphance from its parent company Polidea, in what is described as a 'seven-figure deal' made up of cash and uTest shares. More
Aegis shareholders have accepted the offer made by Japanese ad giant Dentsu to buy the company - including the Aztec retail information and scan-data business - for a total price of £3.16 billion. More
New York-based speech and text analytics specialist Verint - which owns survey management software firm Vovici - is to acquire its holding firm Comverse Technology Inc (CTI), thus eliminating CTI's majority ownership of the company. More
App store analytics and market intelligence specialist App Annie has secured $6m in Series B financing, which it plans to use to accelerate take-up of its products and increase its presence in the US, China and Japan - including recruitment for its San Francisco and Beijing offices. More
US ratings giant Arbitron has appointed former National Public Radio Inc. finance leader Debra Delman as its new Chief Financial Officer, following the departure of Richard Surratt who left in May for 'personal reasons'. More
B2B purchase data and insights provider Cortera has launched a solution called B2B Purchase Insights, to provide users with information about what their customers and prospects buy, how they pay, and how their purchase and payment behavior changes over time. More
Pinterest analytics start-up PinReach has been sold through the Flippa online auction site for $45k, following co-founder Chris Fay's decision to accept a new position with Google. 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
Media platform Acquisio has acquired online ad software developer ScienceOps along with its AdMetrica solution, which was designed to increase the number of conversions generated by the Google Display Network. Acquisio has also raised an undisclosed amount of investment. More
US-based video analytics firm Visible Measures has closed a $21.5m round of funding, which it plans to use to accelerate worldwide growth and adoption of its platform among advertisers and video publishers. More
India-based MR technology and operations company Annik has partnered with mobile home screen messaging specialist Mobile Posse, to provide access to the fifteen million consumers who have signed up to receive offers and content via the latter's pre-loaded software. More
iKen Solutions - the developer of a consumer analytics system called Mooga - has received an undisclosed amount of investment funding from the India Innovation Fund (IIF). 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
US-based viewer measurement firm Rentrak has struck a deal with satellite TV firm Dish Network, giving the latter a seven percent stake in Rentrak in exchange for exclusive rights to set-top box data until 2016. More
Gaming analytics provider iQU has launched an office in Los Angeles and hired Jeannette Weinstein to lead it as US CEO. More
Full-service MR agency and panels and online tech specialist Toluna have agreed a deal which will give online community and panel solutions to CMI's clients worldwide. More
Online analytics pioneer Webtrends has launched a free iPad app, Webtrends Today, making analytics and insights easily available to users. More
Social media analytics specialist Visible Technologies has upgraded its Visible Intelligence platform, adding multilingual social media metrics and new dashboard options. More
Google has been fined $22.5m by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for monitoring users of Apple's Safari browser who had specifically selected the 'do not track' privacy option. More
Rentrak's rapidly rising Advanced Media and Information business (AIM) now accounts for the majority of its business. AIM grew revenues 31% in the latest quarter while the firm's Home Entertainment division continued its decline, down 17%. More
Kantar Media has bought AGB Nielsen's 50% stake in the TGI (Target Group Index) service operating in Turkey. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based online video ad targeting specialist Videology has launched a tool called 'TV Amplifier', which enables advertisers to apply Nielsen's recently launched cross-platform measurement data to their targeted digital video campaigns. More
US-based ad targeting platform DG is to incorporate Nielsen's data and metrics into its MediaMind campaign management tool, in order to provide its own and Nielsen's subscribers with cross-platform measurement of ad campaigns. More
Publicis-owned R&D lab The VivaKi Nerve Center is to integrate a customised version of comScore's 'validated Campaign Essentials' (vCE) into its Audience on Demand (AOD) media buying practice, in order to deliver ad 'viewability' metrics to clients. More
Toronto and San Francisco-based customer advocate management specialist Influitive has closed a $3.75m round of seed funding, which it will use to further develop its AdvocateHub platform. More
UK-based mobile research platform CrowdLab has appointed former FreshMinds exec Niall Smith as Research & Technology Director; and a further five staff to support the ongoing delivery of the firm's services. 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
New York-based communications agency Initiative has appointed former Nielsen execs Michael Heberle and Richard Sussman for senior roles in its recently restructured Performance Analytics team. More
In the US, media services specialist ZenithOptimedia Worldwide has promoted Rob Jayson to the newly created position of Chief Data Officer, with responsibility for the firm's Global Analytics Center (GLANCE). 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
US-based TV data collection and analytics specialist FourthWall Media has opened a new division called 'MassiveData', which combines TV viewing data with data mining technologies to deliver audience analytics. More
Nielsen has launched a cross-platform tool called 'Nielsen Online Audience Segments - TV Viewing', designed to help clients target online consumers based on their TV and web viewing behaviors. More
Global ad agency Publicis has acquired Mumbai-based Resultrix, which offers a full suite of digital services covering SEO, web analytics, media buying and social media marketing. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
International publishing firm Gannett has named former Omnicom exec Emma Gilding as Vice President of Brand Research and Strategy in New York, responsible for delivering consumer, brand and market insights. More
Online audience measurement firm comScore has launched TabLens, a monthly syndicated study of US tablet ownership and usage, based on a 3-month rolling sample of 6,000 users. 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
Mobile app measurement and advertising platform Flurry has unveiled Flurry Personas, a segmentation of consumers based on their usage of apps. More
comScore has announced financial results for the second quarter of 2012, including a much-slowed growth in revenue - up just 4% to $60.3m. Adjusted EBITDA remained relatively robust at $9.6m (16% of revenue), compared to $11.1m in Q2 2011. 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
Online ad targeting company Phorm is to raise £7m ($10.8m) to fund its expansion in Turkey, announced on DRNO in July; and says impressive numbers have already opted into its operation there. More
Internet and mobile monitoring specialist Keynote Systems has announced results for its third quarter, ending June 30th, with revenue up 14% to $30.3m and particularly strong growth in mobile services. 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
Dubai-based News Group International (NGI) has acquired UK-based Report International and US PR and social media research specialist KDPaine & Partners, and will add them to its measurement company, Salience Insight, while maintaining them as distinct brands. More
Google has bought US-based online marketing service Wildfire, reportedly for around $250m (£159m). More
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission has put forward new legislation within the framework of COPPA, specifically barring online service providers from collecting personal information from children. More
New York-based online video specialist Outrigger Media has launched a marketplace service, OpenSlate, which analyses the engagement, influence and consistency of web properties to help advertisers plan and assess their strategies and open up untapped ad potential. 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
TV and video ad analytics provider Ace Metrix has launched a real-time measure of the effectiveness of campaign, issue and advocacy ads, in the run-up to the US Presidential election. Twitter, meanwhile, has unveiled its own Political Index, weighing up the sentiment of Tweets that mention Obama or Romney. 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
A new Pinterest analytics start-up, Pinfluencer, has emerged from private beta, with the backing of $1.4m of seed funding. 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
Tokyo-based online sampling and data collection firm AIP Corporation has opened an office in Singapore, where it plans to establish a local panel management and resource development team. More
Czech-based social media monitoring firm Socialbakers has unveiled a new tool called the CheerMeter, to analyze real-time global Twitter buzz around sporting events. More
Helsinki-based RapidBlue Solutions has launched a point-of-sale (POS) integrated version of its Shopper Analytics solution, to enable retailers to analyze those shopping trips which do not lead to sales. More
Online data firm BlueKai has partnered with machine learning and predictive analytics specialist Datacratic, to develop a modeling solution for use in customer intelligence and profiling. More
Marketing technology provider BlogFrog has launched a platform through which brands can identify and 'activate' social media influencers who create content on blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. More
The US Census Bureau has launched an API to help developers customise access to its stats into web and mobile apps, with the aim of helping the public view details of America's changing population and economy. Coverage includes demographic, socio-economic and housing statistics. More
In New York, retargeting specialist Magnetic has acquired ad targeting technology platform Adnamic, in a bid to increase its own analytics and reporting capabilities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
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
Online advertising data analytics specialist AdMaster has raised an undisclosed amount of funding in a Series B round led by WI Harper and followed on by GSR Ventures. More
US-based research and consulting firm The Pert Group has developed a new qual/quant method called Ad Assess, for early screening of creative advertising concepts. More
Nielsen has partnered with Israeli-based venture capital fund Partam Hightech to launch a subsidiary called Nielsen Innovate, which will help develop and fund business ideas and bring them to market for its clients globally. More
European consulting and data engineering specialist Business & Decision Group has acquired French web analytics services firm Hub'Sales for an undisclosed amount. 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
Nielsen has launched an upgrade plan for its Local Audience Ratings, which includes quadrupling sample size across all local markets and doubling it in diary markets. The firm says this will provide broadcasters with 'more granular data' for both programing and ad sales. More
Mobile app analytics provider Flurry has acquired Seattle-based mobile start-up Trestle, which provides app developers with a cloud-based service through which to launch and host their apps and manipulate resulting data. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Sampling specialist SSI has launched a US cell phone sample methodology using a new process to identify the billing ZIP code associated with respondents' phones. More
Social media intelligence firm SpotRight has merged with online influentials specialist Spot Influence under the SpotRight brand. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but SpotRight did announce that it had received $1m in funding, which it will use to accelerate growth. 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
Nielsen/Arbitron joint venture Scarborough Research has hooked up with GfK MRI to offer a service exploring the links between the attitudes of American consumers and their shopping and media consumption patterns. More
In the US, social media TV analytics firm Bluefin Labs has appointed former Publicis Modem CEO JP Maheu as Chief Executive Officer, working alongside the firm's co-founder and Chairman Deb Roy to focus on the growing the company. More
UK research and marketing solutions firm Progressive Digital Media (PDM) has reported a12.5% increase in first half revenue in its Business Intelligence division, which includes research agencies IDC and the iD Factor. More
MEC Access, WPP's events sponsorship marketing unit, has launched a research and analysis tool called 'Partnership Intelligence', to track consumer interest, media consumption and attitudes towards sponsorship of sports, music, the arts, film and TV events. More
US cross-media ad effectiveness specialist Symphony Advanced Media (SAM) has hired former MarketShare Partners exec Joel Brodsky as Chief Research and Insights Officer; Phil Lambert as VP, Client Solutions; and Dan Kidd as Senior Director, Client Solutions. More
US-based online community provider CrowdGather has launched a mobile app for its Yuku.com platform members, which it says will enable brands to better engage these members through customized ads such as branded interstitials, or concentrated geo-targeting. 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
Nielsen has reported a 1% fall in second quarter revenue to $1.39 billion as a result of weak foreign currency exchange rates - but on a constant currency basis, revenue was up 4%. 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
In the UK, a new DIY survey platform called Usurv is to offer a similar service to Google Consumer Surveys, but without the use of cookies to infer demographic information about respondents. More
WPP innovation agency GroupM Next has signed an agreement with social media specialist Curalate, to provide GroupM clients with engagement analytics from the Pinterest social platform. More
US-based online research community builder Communispace has opened an office in Shanghai, through a partnership with Chinese lifestyle research agency Jigsaw International. More
Las Vegas-based research firm Precision Opinion has launched a recruitment drive through which it hopes to find an additional 200 members of staff for its call center in Las Vegas. 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
San Francisco-based mobile app analytics provider Keen has netted $750k in a series A round of funding, which it will use to double head count and build an analytics dashboard for its data visualization tool. More
Pinterest anlaytics startup PinReach is on the market for $10k, following co-founder Chris Fay's decision to accept a new position with Google. More
US marketing services firm Epsilon has added a new feature to its TotalSource Plus consumer database, to enable marketers to target individuals based on their likelihood to engage with or purchase products or services. More
WPP has acquired a majority stake in marketing technology solutions firm Acceleration, via its WPP Digital group. More
UK broadcasting measurement body BARB is to expand the circulation of its Web TV meter, adding another 500 homes to its core panel, currently just 100-strong. The system measures TV viewing via laptops and PCs. More
Watermelon Research, the recently launched digital specialist within Chime's Insight and Engagement Group (CIE), has hired Mark Barrett, Jo Brockhurst and Maninder Kaur Sahota as Consultants in its London office. More
Enterprise feedback management (EFM) and Social CRM technology specialist QuestBack has launched a social engagement tool, Listen & Act, which will help clients integrate insights from social media with their CRM data. More
In Australia, trade association the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) has elected Mark Britt, Group CEO of Mi9, as its new Chairman. More
Millward Brown has announced the acquisition of Chilean research firm Cadem Advertising S.A. Cadem has operated as MB's licensee for a number of years and now becomes a wholly owned subsidiary, renamed Millward Brown Chile. More
Marketing and PR group Adventis has filed to appoint administrators, having recently sold its last two subsidiaries, channel optimisation specialist bChannels and campaign analysis division Second2. More
Havas Media Asia Pacific has appointed econometric expert Naman Sharma, formerly of OMD and Carat, as its Head of Research and Analytics. More
US ratings giant Arbitron has reported second quarter revenue up 9.1% to $104.4m, with a 31.4% increase in net income to $10.0m. Separately, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has accredited its ratings service in five additional markets. More
EMI Music is to release parts of its 'EMI Million Interview Dataset' to around 150 data scientists from non-profit organisation Data Science London, who will study what EMI describes as the 'most extensive collection of data on music consumers ever shared'. More
US-based research software company Survey Analytics has launched a new product called LifeMetrix to provide clients with insight into consumers' mobile lives. More
Big data platform Retention Science has been launched today in the US, with $1.3m in investment funding. More
US-based entertainment, media and technology specialist Interpret has enhanced its 'Advance Long Lead' (ALL) movie monitoring service with a feature which tracks movie titles up to a year prior to their release. More
GfK has acquired the remaining 40% of user experience firm SirValUse Consulting and usability research specialist nurago. More
Boris von Heesen, founder of German-based Speedfacts Online Research, has launched a new venture called Anywab, which provides feedback from those who view TV through digital devices. More
MR association ESOMAR has launched a guide to help researchers comply with the recently introduced EU cookie law relating to the capture of online visitor information. More
Procurement consultancy Procurian has acquired New York-based media audit and benchmarking company Media IQ (M-IQ). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
UK-based media and marketing analytics firm Ebiquity has reported a 20% increase in revenue to £52.9m for the year ended 30 April 2012, driven by its Analytics division which grew by 56% to £27.9m during the period. More
Internet veteran Scott Savitz has launched a $50m venture capital fund called Data Point Capital, with a team of investors which includes Diane Hessan, the founder and CEO of online research community builder Communispace - sold to Omnicom last year. More
Advertising platform quadrantONE has rolled out three new audience targeting products - PRIME, TRIO, and MONTAGE - to provide advertisers with audience intelligence and performance measurement services. More
In New York, Omnicom-owned PR agency Porter Novelli has hired former Yahoo! insights leader Joe Shantz as Senior Vice President, Digital Analytics, responsible for identifying and creating new digital tools and channels for audience engagement and analysis. More
Google's former VP of Products & User Experience Marissa Mayer has been named Chief Executive Officer of Yahoo! - the company's fifth CEO in the last five years. More
As reported on DRNO yesterday, digital video recorder (DVR) solutions provider TiVo is to acquire media measurement and analytics firm TRA. The deal is valued at around $20m. More
Swedish firm EyeTrackShop has launched a new solution called realCPM, which attempts to measure the actual number of people who view an ad. More
Arbitron's mobile measurement arm has joined forces with online specialist iResearch Consulting, in China, to jointly operate a syndicated mobile media research service across the country, based on an opt-in panel of around 10,000 people. 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
Nielsen has announced the New Zealand launch of its Online Ratings service, which provides Internet use metrics across all sources and devices. More
Digital video recorder (DVR) solutions provider TiVo has acquired media measurement and analytics firm TRA, according to unconfirmed reports. More
In the US, the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has received $1m in funding from a consortium of major brands, to launch a global study that will aim to evaluate mobile's contribution to marketing ROI. More
UK-based consumer insight and strategic consulting firm The Future Foundation has appointed former Iconoculture exec Nick Chiarelli as Key Account Director, to spearhead new business initiatives and develop its content and consultancy offerings. More
Finnish shopper and visitor analytics specialist RapidBlue Solutions has been granted an EU-wide patent for profiling consumers based on their historical and current movements, gathered anonymously using radio frequency technologies. More
Ipsos has launched its Online Audience Panel Data service in Jordan, adding to its existing MENA coverage across the UAE, KSA, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Morocco. More
NBC Olympics, the unit responsible for producing and promoting NBCUniversal's coverage of London 2012, is launching two apps to provide live streaming of the games, using Adobe technologies to enable brands to measure user traffic and deliver targeted advertising to followers. 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
In the US, WPP's media investment management company GroupM has appointed big data expert Patrick Monteleone as Director, Research & Insights in its Next media innovation unit. More
San Francisco-based ad re-targeting platform AdRoll has raised $15m, which it intends to use to further develop its data-driven advertising technology and to scale its business to meet demand. More
Japanese ad giant Dentsu has made an offer to acquire UK-based media buying and marcoms group Aegis in a £3.16 billion deal, which includes the latter's Aztec retail information and scan-data business. The acquisition is subject to Aegis shareholder approval. More
Business information and events group Centaur Media has acquired London-based Internet research and training firm Econsultancy for an initial consideration of £12m in cash, and up to £38m more based on performance for the year ending December 2015. More
UK marketing execs' confidence in the prospects for their industry dropped sharply in the second quarter of 2012, according to the IPA's Bellwether survey. However, so far roughly as many report marketing budgets rising (22%) as falling (23%). 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
Argentinian full service research agency DatosClaros and mobile data collection specialist OnePoint Global have partnered to expand their mobile research capabilities across Latin America. More
Full service agency MRSS India has appointed former Intel exec Shivanand Shenoy as Senior Director, Client Servicing, in charge of its IT, online and FMCG verticals, and to lead its new 'Digital Research' service. More
Less than a month since its last social media buy, US-based software giant Oracle has announced it is to acquire social media platform Involver, which enables businesses to build apps for social media sites and then analyze how consumers are interacting with them. Terms were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has launched an initiative called the Innovation Lab, through which it will combine its existing research with external data - from clients, industry groups and academia - to develop what it describes as 'ground-breaking ad effectiveness measurement'. More
Consumer insight technology firm Lumi Mobile has launched a self-service tool called Lumi SURVEY, which it says can be deployed across all major mobile operating systems. More
US-based ratings giant Arbitron has introduced a cross-platform tool called Promo OptimiXer, to help broadcast and cable networks evaluate the return on investment of their radio and television 'tune-in' campaigns. More
Business intelligence software provider MicroStrategy has launched an application called 'Wisdom Professional', which it claims can anlayze the personal data of more than 12 million anonymous opted-in Facebook users. More
Harris Interactive has closed its Princeton, New Jersey office, as part of an ongoing review of its leased office space needs. More
UK-based Online specialist BrainJuicer has appointed former P&G researcher Teri Hall as Vice President, North America. Based in the firm's Chicago office, Hall will oversee client accounts across the American Midwest region, and support EVP Alex Hunt. More
New York-based Appinions has secured $3m in funding, including $2m from the sale of a 15.4% stake in the business to Toronto-based merchant bank Difference Capital Funding. More
Research Panel Asia (RPA) has relocated its Los Angeles, US office to the Century City business center, which it says is nearer many of its clients. More
Rotterdam, Netherlands-based online researcher MetrixLab has announced the acquisition of San Francisco-based MR software and services firm MarketTools Research Solutions Inc., from current owner TPG Growth, for an undisclosed sum. More
Two US researchers, Adam Weinstein and Nathan Lynch, have launched a new company, Synapse Research, providing global access for B2B and B2C projects using a proprietary data collection process, Smart Sourcing. More
Online ad targeting provider Phorm has announced the launch of commercial operations in Turkey, following an agreement with Turkish ISP TTNET. 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
Search engine rivals Yahoo! and Google are each the subject of new legal claims alleging violation of California's Invasion of Privacy Act, for their practice of scanning emails for ad targeting purposes. 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
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London-based BDRC Continental has launched a social media monitoring and sentiment analysis tool called PillowChat, to enable hotels to monitor, measure and understand the online 'chat' about their brands. More
WPP has confirmed it is in the process of buying an 87% stake in media monitoring and analysis specialist Press Index. The price of EUR 6.81 per share values the company at EUR 11.2m. More
US-based Fiksu, which offers an ad targeting platform for mobile devices, has secured $10m in Series B funding. The money will be used to accelerate growth across the European and Asia-Pac regions, develop its optimization platform, and drive partnerships with agencies and brands. More
UK-based ecommerce service provider eCommera has appointed former IBM Coremetrics Director John Squire to lead its Retail Predictive Analytics Software division, and spearhead the firm's US expansion. More
Web technology provider Apica has raised $5m in Series C financing, for use in product development, marketing support and global expandsion of its cloud and mobile testing and monitoring services. More
London-based opinion specialist BritainThinks has appointed former Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) researcher Rana Baroud as Research Lead at its offices in Somerset House. More
Global media planning and buying group Carat has appointed Mike Vitti as Senior Vice President of Data and Analytics, to oversee a practice comprising around 30 US staff. More
Pinterest analytics platform Pinpuff has been acquired by US start-up incubator Science for an undisclosed sum. 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
Targeted mobile ad specialist Jumptap has completed a $27.5m financing round from a group of investors including WPP. The funds will be invested in further product and technology development, and be used to prepare for a public offering. More
Cross-media ad effectiveness specialist Symphony Advanced Media (SAM) has expanded its capabilities to measure the impact of traditional advertising - including print, TV, radio and outdoor - on social media activity. More
US-based online behavioral targeting firm OwnerIQ has closed a $7.5m expansion round, which it says has doubled its valuation. More
Nielsen has underlined its commitment to cross-platform measurement with the acquisition of ad campaign optimisation technology firm Vizu. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, an ad association President has told a Senate committee web companies must be allowed to collect basic visitor data; while the FCC has proposed new Do Not Call rules affecting autodiallers; and Canada's privacy commission has clarified its support for opt-out based protection. More
Behavioural ad targeting company Phorm has reported another large operating loss, with revenues for 2011 not taking off as expected, but says it believes that 'it will become increasingly clear to investors that the long wait for revenues will have been worthwhile.' More
US-based mobile analytics service PercentMobile is to close at the end of this month, with its founders channelling their energies into a new service, Delivr.com, which will provide campaign management, analytics and other services for smartphone marketing. More
UK-based SPA Future Thinking has launched Volumetric Choice Based Conjoint (VCBC), a new modelling methodology which it says will forecast a brand's value and volume shifts against competitors. More
Social media benchmarking platform Unmetric has launched a YouTube module tracking and comparing video advertising campaigns. More
US-based Blackbaud, Inc., which provides services for not-for-profit organisations, has launched 'Social Score', a service giving its clients insight into their supporters' social media activities and influence. More
GfK has launched a new tool called DeliveryControl.dx, which tracks whether an online advertisement is actually visible on a user's screen. More
In the US, real-time targeting firm Rocket Fuel has raised $50m in new financing, earmarked for rapid global growth, recruitment and technological development. More
UK-based eDigitalResearch has appointed former Nielsen exec Neil Callaghan as Head of Business Development, to help lead a major business drive for the company. More
UK-based insight agency Clarite Research has launched a tool which uses virtual 'Post-It' notes to enable respondents to provide feedback on any form of online communication. More
Social media strategy and analytics firm Converseon has launched a text-based service called ConveyAPI, which uses natural language processing, statistical modelling and machine learning to enable users to integrate social intelligence data into their own applications. More
US brain research specialist Nielsen NeuroFocus has announced a new technique called Neuro-Compression, developed in response to a requirement from CBS TV to find out if a 30-second ad can be cut in half without losing some of its powers of persuasion. More
Trina Arnett, formerly Chief Analyst at interactive agency Crispin Porter+ Bogusky (CP+B), has set up her own research and data analytics consulting firm, trinalytics, based in Denver, Colorado. More
In the US, digital measurement agency comScore and search engine platform The Search Monitor have combined their data into a new offering called Lighthouse, giving search marketers competitive insights and trends across hundreds of industries. More
Behavioural research consultancy SimpleUsability has appointed four new members of staff: Emma Travis, Alex Priestley, Laura Carlton and Sharon Dale. 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
Kantar subsidiary Added Value Saffron Hill has appointed former FutureBrand exec Carol Mok as Brand Development Director in its Singapore office. 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
In the US, Ipsos has appointed former Yahoo! AdLabs head Ken Mallon as Global President of Ipsos ASI|digital, a practice focused on advertising research in digital and social media spaces. More
US-based Mobile Posse - which provides mobile marketing, CRM and research solutions for the 'home screen' of mobile phones - has closed a $5m Series C funding round. More
US-based online brand protection specialist CitizenHawk has introduced a monitoring tool called HawkSocial, to enable users to measure their social media 'footprint'. Results can be split by geography or by specific networking site - Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc. More
In the UK, Ipsos has appointed Victoria Kaulback as Senior Brand Strategist in its research innovation centre, the Open Thinking Exchange (IOTX), where she is tasked with introducing the firm's first 'productised' solutions in Europe. More
In the UK, full service agency Discovery Group has promoted media and telecoms research specialist Colin Rice to the position of Research Director; and Jessica Francis from SRE to Research Consultant. More
WPP-owned ad network Grey Group Germany has bought the remaining 50% of shopper marketing and insight agency Frey G2 from its co-founder Ulrich Dirk Frey. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the UK, Harris Interactive has appointed former Ipsos director Lee Langford as Research Director in its Telecoms, Media, Tech & Entertainment (TMTE) division. More
Boston-based marketing intelligence firm Visual IQ has received $12m in funding, which it says it will use to continue its product innovation and sales growth. More
The BSI has launched a revised version of its international standard for market and social research - BS ISO 20252 - to reflect the impact of new technologies on research methods, including online and mobile as well as the increasing use of panels. More
In the US John Lovett, Senior Partner at Web Analytics Demystified, has been elected President of non-profit organization the Digital Analytics Association (DAA). More
Nielsen has announced the launch of its TV Brand Effect service in China and Germany. The service gives metrics on a TV ad's 'breakthrough', or 'resonance', for purposes of real-time or post-campaign optimization. More
The Trust Alliance, the recently formed standards and guidelines partnership for online healthcare data collection has greatly expanded its membership with the signing up of three new firms, Medimix, Toluna and UniversalSurvey (SurveyHealthCare). More
Retail data specialist dunnhumby has hired former MicroStrategy exec Nishat Mehta to drive the global expansion and commercialization of its solutions as EVP, Global Partners, based in New York City. More
PR Newswire, known for its press release services but increasingly focused on providing multimedia content and measurement platforms, has launched a web and social media monitoring platform for China. More
Kantar Media TGI has launched a new service called 'TGI Clickstream', allowing marketers, communications agencies and media owners to gain a picture of web sites and sections visited by specific, 'complex' target groups of consumers. More
Online market research specialist Ipsos Interactive Services (IIS) has opened an office in Dubai, where it has appointed former Maktoob Research exec Dima Hijjawi as an Account Manager. More
US-based social networking solutions firm Lithium Technologies has opened AsiaPac regional headquarters in Singapore, as well as an additional office in Sydney focused on the Australia-New Zealand market. More
Nielsen has promoted Mathias Bernhardt to Managing Director in Germany, responsible for developing the firm's Buy consumer purchase behavior segment. More
Online social engagement specialist Wayin has added a new photo and video sharing service to its TwitPolls tool, to enable users to share, rate and comment on images submitted via Twitter. 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-based researcher SPA Future Thinking has introduced an ethnographic tool called See-Me, which it claims 'bridges the gap' between actual and recalled consumer behaviour. 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
WPP's global media network Mindshare has launched a data-driven marketing intelligence platform called CORE, which combines its own media data and consumer insight capabilities with sources including Visible Measures, Nielsen, Acxiom and Adobe. More
Israeli customer experience analytics specialist ClickTale has launched a solution to enable clients to view how their customers are navigating sites on mobile devices. More
US-based Harris Interactive Service Bureau (HISB) has launched a sample-only offering called 'Get Sample!', to provide researchers with access to respondents from the parent firm's panels and real-time respondents from preferred partners. More
The All England Lawn Tennis Club has teamed up with IBM to launch a new Wimbledon web site, which uses predictive analytics featuring historical and immediate data, to determine the top three things a player must do in order to succeed in a specific match. More
Facebook has acquired Israeli facial recognition technology firm Face.com in a cash and stock deal reportedly valued between $55m and $60m - and immediately prompted a response from a number of privacy groups. More
Social media intelligence specialist NetBase has secured an $18.1m investment for use in global expansion and enhancement of its services. 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
Social media analysis firm uberVU has hired Kantar Media Compete's former General Manager Gregg Poulin as Chief Marketing Officer, with a remit to help the firm refine its customer acquisition and demand generation strategies while directing all marketing initiatives. 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
Global insight and marketing group Cello has acquired the remaining shares of co-creation agency Face, four years after first investing in it. More
Kantar Media TGI and Nielsen have teamed up to launch a new media analysis tool in Ireland, combining Nielsen's TV data with the TGI survey of consumers' brand and product use, attitudes and media habits. More
US-based Syncapse has acquired social media, search management and intelligence platform Clickable. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, Hispanic consumer insights agency ThinkNow Research has doubled the frequency of its Hispanic online omnibus to twelve waves per year from the previous six. 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
Social media content analysis platform PeekYou has launched a tool called PeekAnalytics, which builds social media profiles of Tweeters, identifying their content from more than sixty social media sites and 'every major blog'; then aggregates the resulting profiles before producing audience metrics. More
Customer loyalty software firm Satmetrix has launched a tool called SparkScore, which benchmarks brands' social media sentiment using customer satisfaction measure Net Promoter. More
App feedback service CatchFree has acquired micro-surveying platform KISSinsights from its developer KISSmetrics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Panel and research technology provider Toluna has updated its mobile app to enable members of its research community to participate in in-depth 'traditional' surveys. 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
Internet marketing firm Constant Contact has acquired SinglePlatform, a service providing local business information to a network of more than 200 million consumers, for an initial sum of around $65m in cash. More
Nielsen has launched a 'hybrid' version of its online video measurement methodology, to track how people consume and engage with online video content from all locations, including mobile devices. More
WPP is in talks to acquire a stake in media monitoring and analysis specialist Press Index, in a deal which would involve buying 87% of the outstanding shares in the company from its founders and other sellers. More
Research group Majestic MRSS has signed a deal to become a 'certified partner' for panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical, and will offer its suite of tools and Sparq benchmarking software to clients across Asia. More
UK-based behavioral insights firm Beyond Analysis has opened an office in the US, led by Hunter Albright, who has been appointed CEO for North America and Global Head of Consulting. More
Marcoms specialist PR Newswire has launched a new tool called Agility, which offers media monitoring, media targeting and real-time engagement tools with content distribution capabilities, though a single dashboard. 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
In the US, radio ratings giant Arbitron is suing media rep firm McGavren Guild and radio station owner Longport Media, claiming an undercover operation proved that they used its data illegally. More
Nielsen has revised its full year 2012 revenue guidance downwards, following what it describes as 'changes to operating conditions' in its Buy consumer purchase behavior division outside the US. The company is now expecting constant current revenue growth of 5% to 6% for the full year. More
Researcher Mark McCrindle has resigned from the AMSRS (Australian Market & Social Research Society), following an investigation into claims that his company McCrindle Research overstated sample sizes in surveys the agency conducted for its own PR purposes. More
US data broker Spokeo has paid $800k to settle Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges that it sold consumer profiles gathered from the web and from social media data, without first taking the legal steps required to protect the individuals concerned. More
Mumbai-based online ad network and audience measurement provider Komli Media has raised $39m, which it will invest in its core technology platforms and use to expand its presence across the APAC region. More
Infrastructure provider Gigya, which has offices in the US, Israel and UK, has secured $15.3m in funding, which it will use to expand its suite of products. More
In the US, online behavioural measurement firm Kantar Media Compete has appointed former MediaVest digital research specialist Dr Yaakov Kimelfeld as its new Chief Research Officer (CRO), succeeding John Bremer who left the company last year. More
US digital audience measurement company Umbel has appointed media research veteran Dr Thomas Evans as Chief Research Officer (CRO), overseeing all the firm's research activities and methodological development. More
LA-based entertainment research provider MarketCast has been acquired from owners Reed Business Information (RBI) by a private equity firm, Shamrock Capital Growth Fund III, for an undisclosed sum. 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
Klaus Nadler has been appointed CEO of GroupM Switzerland, effective immediately. He succeeds interim CEO Peter Lammerhuber, who will continue to oversee GroupM Switzerland and remains CEO of GroupM Austria. 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
Multi-screen measurement firm Rentrak Corporation has announced a joint venture to measure audiences in the People's Republic of China; and has released Q4 and full-year results showing continued rapid growth in its Advanced Media and Information (AMI) business. More
Russian search engine Yandex and Publicis-owned digital marketing agency VivaKi have today launched a new tool for targeting online display ads: Digital Eye. The new product is based on Yandex's proprietary Crypta software and will only be available to VivaKi clients in Russia. More
Los Angeles-based app developer 24x7digital has been accused of collecting personal information from children and passing it to a third-party company without parental consent. New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa filed a suit this week alleging a breach of the country's COPPA laws. More
Kantar has today announced the appointment of Matthias Hartl as Managing Director of Kantar Media Audiences Switzerland, based in Bern and reporting to Regional Director Eitan Kassif. More
In the US, marketing agency network Project: WorldWide has acquired Affinitive, which develops customer communities and insights panels and offers social media audits. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Magazine ratings provider GfK MRI and word-of-mouth consulting firm Keller Fay Group have combined data from their syndicated research databases to form a new product called TalkTrack/GfK MRI Data Fusion. More
Social media platform Shoutlet - which enables users to create, publish and measure promotions on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube - has raised $15m in Series C funding, which it will use to accelerate product development and increase staff numbers. 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
Radio ratings giant Arbitron has appointed former Nielsen exec Derrik Dennis as Director of Sales for its mobile measurement solutions, which include the syndicated Arbitron Mobile Trends Panels. More
US-based software giant Oracle is to acquire social media intelligence provider Collective Intellect, which helps users monitor, understand and respond to consumer conversations on social media. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the UK, Creston Group company ICM has introduced a new online methodology for predicting election results, the Wisdom Index, which it is running for the Sunday Telegraph. More
Business audience targeting specialist Bizo has introduced a DIY retargeting solution, to enable companies to tailor display ads to those people who have already visited their web site, but have failed to take action while there. More
Publicis-owned full-service media agency Spark has appointed youth research specialist Scott Hess for the new role of SVP / Human Intelligence and Research, charged with boosting the 'emotional relevance and effectiveness' of the firm's research practice. More
Paris-based ividence - whose platform uses behavioral data to deliver targeted e-mail ad campaigns - has raised $4m in a series B round of funding, earmarked for expanding its infrastructure in the US and fuelling company growth. More
US marketing technology and analytics firm Adlucent has launched an intent-based Shopping Analytics tool, to help retailers optimize their customer acquisition strategies by customer segment, while also improving their inventory planning and merchandising functions. More
US-based Diffbot - whose technology enables users to analyze, extract and enhance web content - has secured a $2m investment which it will use to fund its expansion plans. More
Behavioural ad tech company Phorm is planning to raise £20m in return for a 20% equity stake in its new operating subsidiary in China. The firm has also announced its intention to relocate its holding company from Delaware in the US, to Singapore. More
US-based kiosk firm smartDIGITAL has raised $2.7m in Series A funding, which it plans to use to expand its presence in Chicago with the launch of a new product line. The company makes interactive display units that store and analyse consumer behavioral data. More
Online sampling and data collection firm Research Now has integrated Experian's latest Mosaic USA consumer lifestyle segmentation data - some of it drawn from the 2010 census - into its US research panels. More
Access panel provider Cint has appointed former Cobalt Sky exec Allan Shaw as Senior Account Manager in the UK, to drive new business across the PR, media and advertising sectors. More
WPP's data-driven customer insights specialist KBM Group has agreed to acquire Predictys, a company specialising in digital data and campaign technology. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
The South Africa Advertising Research Foundation (SAARF) has elected media veteran Clare O'Neil as its new Chair, replacing Sarel du Plessis who has held the title since 2007. She is the first woman to hold the position. More
Former ICM Group Chairman Justin Sampson has been appointed as CEO of UK television measurement body BARB, succeeding Bjarne Thelin who announced his resignation in February after nine years in the role. More
Social media monitoring firm Socialbakers has expanded its Analytics PRO technology to enable users to measure their performance across YouTube, as well as Facebook and Twitter. More
In the US, Annalect, the data and analytics business of Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has appointed Nielsen veteran Jed Meyer in the new role of US Director of Research, based in New York. More
US-based Federated Sample has appointed former Greenfield Online MD Andy Ellis as Senior Vice President for Corporate Development. More
New York-based e-mail intelligence specialist eDataSource has acquired inbox watchdog Boxbe. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Digital audience specialist Effective Measure is launching a service in the MENA region (Middle East North Africa), combining online polls and data from tagged web sites to provide insights on mobile consumption and purchase activities. 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
Israeli measurement technology firm Mobile Research Labs Ltd. (MRL) has acquired US-based media monitoring firm Mediaguide, Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Real-time television analytics firm Ace Metrix has raised $8 million from investors including WPP, and says it will use the funds for expansion and product development. More
Brand development and insight consultancy Added Value has appointed Richard PrÃĐvost 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 US, on-demand music streaming and discovery service Grooveshark has launched Beluga, a free music information tool. Beluga delivers insight by combining in-house market research with Grooveshark's user database. More
Austin, TX-based online conversation specialist Bazaarvoice is to acquire San Francisco-based PowerReviews, which provides a social media platform for ratings and reviews, for around $152m in cash and stock. 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
Kantar Worldpanel ComTech is launching what it bills as 'the first continuous panel to gather representative mobile phone data in China'. More
The UK's ICO (Information Commissioners Office) has apparently made significant last-minute relaxations in its guidance regarding changes to the new EU cookie law. Separately, ESOMAR and EFAMRO have attended meetings of the Council of Europe regarding EU data protection plans. More
UK e-commerce association IMRG (Interactive Media In Retail Group) has partnered with European trade association EMOTA to launch the IMR Smart Knowledge Base, an open-access library of insights into the performance of the global e-commerce market. 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
In the US, WPP subsidiary MEC has announced the launch of Crossmedia, a new proprietary tool for optimizing multimedia campaign sales. The product is based on the work of the company's Analytics and Insights (A&I) practice. More
In the US, location-based data specialist Sense Networks has launched two new predictive location products, AdMatch and AudienceSense, for use in mobile advertising awareness studies including profiling, analysis and targeting. More
India-based digital advertising and technology firm Komli Media is promoting former ViziSense boss Andrew Reid to Managing Director of its Australian business, replacing ad man Andrew Lockwood who is taking 'an extended break' but may return later in an advisory capacity. 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
In the US, comms giant Comcast has formed CM 360, a new business unit specializing in cross platform advertising and targeting, within its Spotlight advertising sales division. Andrew Ward will lead it as Group Vice President. More
In the US, cable TV and Internet provider Comcast has partnered with Nielsen to test ratings measurement on portable devices such as iPads, tablets and mobile phones - currently a gap in the research giant's 3-day playback ratings offer (C3). More
Multi-screen measurement firm Rentrak Corporation has agreed a deal with MasterCard, combining the former's TV Essentials viewing data from US homes with the latter's consumer trends insights derived from billions of payment transactions. More
In Surrey, UK, sampling and panel management software provider MARSC Ltd has announced an online community solution, which combines a panellist interface with a fully featured content management system. More
In the US, design-driven research and strategy firm Bovitz has acquired Resolve Market Research, a specialist in assessing the impact of digital media on consumers and audiences. More
UK Yellow Pages owner Yell has announced it is to rebrand as 'hibu'. Also this week, the company has reported a significant decline in revenues and the departure of Group Chief Marketing Officer Jenny Ashmore after just seven months. More
Point-of-sale data giant Catalina Marketing Corporation has announced the launch of BuyerVision, a new purchase-based targeting solution for CPG advertisers. More
UK-based mobile web payments and analytics company Bango has announced plans to raise £3.25m from institutional investors to fund growth in the US, and strengthen its team and customer base. The move still requires shareholder approval. More
In the UK, BDRC Group has acquired retail specialist ESA Market Research Ltd, for an undisclosed sum. More
Database giant Experian has bought US multi-channel campaign management software firm Conversen Inc for an undisclosed sum. More
US-based Decipher has enhanced its DIY survey software Beacon with a mobile field reporting function, allowing users customized access to their data while they are on the move. More
Online retail affiliate network AvantLink is to launch its proprietary SaaS web analytics platform AvantMetrics as a standalone product. More
Yahoo! has announced the release of online ad solution Genome, which combines its own data and that of its interclick subsidiary with advertisers' own stats for a 'next generation' audience targeting solution. More
Real-time online solutions firm LivePerson, Inc. has agreed to acquire technology and intellectual property assets of Israel-based start-up, Amadesa, Ltd. in an all cash transaction scheduled to close later in the second quarter. More
Twitter has announced its support for the US FTC's Do Not Track initiative, which restricts how third parties collect and store data about browsing behavior. More
Business-to-business digital marketing solution provider BBN Networks has released what it describes as 'the first social listening tool specifically developed for B2B brand-builders'. More
Radio ratings provider Arbitron has expanded its operations in Kochi, India, with the opening of a new 20,000 sq ft facility. More
UK-based River Research has appointed Tom Skilbeck as Head of Online Communities, and promoted Zoe Best to Research Director, heading up its Brand Strategy and Innovation offer. Spencer Gray also joins as Head of Audio Visual, bringing high-end video production in-house. More
Ipsos and digital research agency Gemius have been re-appointed as official providers of Internet audiences measurement in Hungary. The four-year contract starts in January 2013 and will for the first time include mobile audience insights (gemiusMobile) and online video data (gemiusStream). More
Social media research firm Fizziology has introduced a new tool called SocialDensity, to measure the social media impact of TV programs. More
US-based app performance analytics provider App47 has completed a $750k second round of funding from a group of investors which includes Sid Banerjee, the co-founder and CEO of text analytics firm Clarabridge. More
Media monitoring and analytics specialist mBLAST has relocated its US headquarters from Atlanta, GA to Cambridge, MA, consolidating its operations in the Greater Boston area. More
Canadian customer analytics specialist iPerceptions has introduced a new tool to help clients analyze and act on all types of online customer feedback, including suggestions, criticism or praise on any issue. More
San Francisco-based PeopleBrowsr has launched a new tool called Kred API, which promises to help marketers to identify, analyse and engage the most influential people across social media. More
Jon Swallen has been promoted to the position of Chief Research Officer of Kantar Media Intelligence North America, in which he will lead the development of measurement methods for online video, social media and mobile advertising, while also spearheading data integration programs. More
Kees de Jong, the CEO of data collection and sampling solutions specialist SSI, has moved to the role of Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. He has been replaced by Chris Fanning, who joined the firm in February as President and COO. 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
US-based Qualtrics, which provides software for DIY data collection and analysis, has received a $70m investment from venture capital firms Accel Partners and Sequoia Capital. The funds will be used to expand its SaaS products 'beyond market research'. More
In the US, predictive analytics specialist Prosodic has raised $1.4m in seed funding to roll out its social performance platform, which contains data for more than 330 million Facebook Page Likes. 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
Italy-based audience analysis specialist Neodata Group has acquired Newscurve, a Serbian firm which provides web analytics to bloggers, editors and publishers to enable them to measure the effectiveness of their content. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based online community provider Passenger has entered the Japanese market through a partnership with online survey and panel provider Rakuten Research, which is headquartered in Tokyo. 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
US-based Curalate, which offers a monitoring and analytics platform for socially curated sites, including photo sharing web site Pinterest, has launched with $750k in seed funding. More
North of England-based Dipsticks Research has promoted Andreas Thorslund to the post of Head of Brand and Communications Research. Three other members of staff have also been promoted. More
In the US, WPP-owned insights and innovation consultancy Added Value Cheskin has adapted its online qual platform AV-id to widen its coverage of the US Hispanic market. 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
Nielsen has written to inform clients it is developing a range of new audience meters and digital tracking codes, for possible deployment in or after 2004. More
Aegis Media has announced the appointment of Silvia Leiva as Director, Insights for its Singapore office. More
UK-based customer intelligence technology supplier iJento has partnered with US full-service digital measurement group Keystone Solutions to offer clients enhanced web analytics with multichannel capabilities, and detailed visitor-level analysis for use in segmentation and personalization. More
In the US, audience measurement start-up Umbel has appointed Starcom Associate Media Director Amy Bickers as its Director of Agency Solutions. More
Web site analytics firm Mixpanel, which is currently focused on building tools for mobile measurement, has raised $10m in a first institutional round of investment. 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
Nielsen funded client think tank the Council for Research Excellence (CRE) is to conduct a three-market study of response bias in address-based audience samples, with the aim of improving diary-based TV-audience measurement. More
Online healthcare specialist WorldOne has announced the appointment of Eva Laparra as MD Southern Europe. She joins from Vision Critical in Spain. More
Customer insight software firm Turn has partnered with analytics specialist eXelate to integrate the latter's consumer purchasing data with the former's audience targeting platform. More
Research Now owner e-Rewards, Inc. has reached an agreement to acquire mobile research specialist iPinion, LLC, which will be rebranded as 'Research Now Mobile'. More
In the US, digital measurement specialist comScore has launched Mobile Metrix 2.0, which brings the company's existing online Unified Digital Measurement (UDM) system to smartphones. 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
Networking giant Cisco has announced its intention to buy data analysis software firm Truviso, as part of its drive to offer clients enhanced real-time data analytics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based MicroStrategy - which provides business, mobile and social intelligence applications - has reported a 19% increase in first quarter revenues to $145.1m from $122.0m in the prior year period. More
In Cambridge, UK, software developer Chris Arnold has officially launched a new company, Percollate, which offers a social media analysis tool for sourcing relevant Twitter audiences. More
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has ordered fourteen advertisers of alcoholic beverages to provide information on their online marketing and data collection practices, for use in its annual study on the effectiveness of guidelines for reducing marketing to underage audiences. 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
IBM has paid an undisclosed sum for customer behavior analyst Tealeaf Technology, an expert in the study of buying experiences across online and mobile devices. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has reported an18% increase in revenue for Q1, to $62.3m. A $5.7m increase in operating costs meant a slight increase in net loss, up from $0.3m to $0.5m, although adjusted earnings rose strongly. 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
Social media monitoring and analytics firm DataSift has secured $7.2m in a follow-on Series A round of funding from existing investors, which it plans to use to accelerate growth. Separately, the firm has moved into a new office in San Francisco's SOMA district. More
UK-based insight and analysis firm Tree has partnered with mobile data technology provider IMImobile, to offer a suite of customer insight solutions to mobile operators, brands and organisations across Asia. More
GfK veteran Jim Timony has joined US research agency Phoenix Marketing International (PMI) as Vice President, working in the Converged Technology and Media sector from the firm's Horsham, PA and New York City offices. More
Big data analytics specialist Teradata and its marketing management firm Aprimo have acquired Munich-based digital marketing agency eCircle. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Internet and mobile monitoring specialist Keynote Systems has reported a 27.5% rise in second fiscal quarter revenue to $30.6m, from $24.1m in the prior year period. More
Unilever-owned ice cream manufacturer Streets has launched what it claims is Australia's first facial recognition billboard, which it is using to promote its Magnum Infinity product. More
UK call tracking and web analytics firm AdInsight has secured £1.6m in its first round of venture capital funding. More
Ratings giant Arbitron has added tablet measurement to its new UK Mobile Trends Panel service, a meter-based measure of how consumers use their phones to surf the web, engage with social media and act on mobile advertising. 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
Fast-growing NYC-based targeted TV ad company Simulmedia will shortly close a $6m funding round, bringing its total received to date to $27.25m. More
Customer intelligence technology supplier iJento has announced a global partnership with web analytics consultancy Semphonic, which will help clients track and understand both digital and multichannel customer behaviour. More
Online analytics provider Webtrends has announced a Heatmaps service, available as an add-on capability for On Demand customers of its Analytics 10 platform. 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
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
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
In Belgium, the Centre for Information on the Media (CIM) has awarded Kantar Media-owned TNS its new National Internet Measurement contract, with traffic from mobile devices and online TV viewing figures included for the first time. 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
Stakeholder and employee engagement specialist Dawn Smith has been appointed Research Director at Bristol-based customer insight and brand strategy consultancy 100%Cotton. More
US agency House of Marketing Research has introduced an online focus group service through which participants can share opinions, images, text, chat and video from both computers and mobile devices. More
Nielsen has reported a 3% rise in revenue to $1.3 billion for the first quarter ended March 31. Growth was fairly even in its Buy consumer purchase behavior segment (up 2.7% to $800m)and its Watch media research division (up 2.6% to $480m). 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
UK-based eDigitalResearch has launched a service called the HUB Text Analysis solution, which sifts unstructured comments published online. More
In the US, ad targeting group DG has acquired semantic ad technology specialist Peer39 for approximately $15.5m in cash and stock, a move it says will expand its online data offering and its real-time bidding strength. More
Ad giant Publicis has acquired India-based digital marketing and technology agency Indigo Consulting, which offers a variety of services such as usability research and testing, search engine optimization, and social media marketing. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Belgian-based online specialist InSites Consulting has relocated its London operation to larger premises in the heart of Clerkenwell, following what it says has been a period of rapid growth. More
In the US, international comms consultancy Hill+Knowlton Strategies has launched a new service called 'Influence Point', to help clients serve personalized online ads directly to those individuals identified as 'influencers'. More
DataPop - a US-based firm which tailors online ads to each consumer based on their demographics, location and intent - has raised $7m in Series B funding, with which to expand its operations. More
In the UK, WPP-owned media agency MEC has bolstered its Analytics and Insight team with the appointment of former BSkyB exec Jonathan Edwards as Data and Technology Services Director, with a remit to help integrate data into clients' marketing strategies. More
Mobile intelligence specialist Validas has raised an undisclosed amount of equity funding, for use in expanding its presence in the marketplace. 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
Online audience specialist comScore has appointed former Microsoft researcher Beth Uyenco as SVP of International Research, to support the firm's initiatives with local market measurement JICs*, including UKOM in the UK. More
In the US, mobile app management firm Apperian has added crowdsourcing and gamification features to its EASE app development platform, to help developers gather user feedback and ideas. More
Gartner Australasia has agreed to acquire IDEAS International, a firm which provides enterprise IT research, insight, analysis and tools to technology vendors and global IT users. The cash deal is valued at approximately $AUD 20m. More
Nielsen is to integrate measures of ad safety and viewability into its Online Campaign Ratings service for Internet display and video advertising, through a partnership with ad engagement data provider AdSafe Media. More
In the UK, book publisher Harper Collins has appointed the BBC's Head of Digital Insight Rufus Weston as Customer Insight Director. 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
In the US, web and mobile app development firm Incepta has launched a new platform called AskYourUsers.com, through which businesses can obtain feedback from those LinkedIn professionals prepared to act as anonymous online consultants. More
In the US, local forum site Topix has launched a new mobile and online platform called Politix, through which Americans can follow news about the 2012 election, share their opinions with their social networks and fellow voters, and track opinion across the country. More
US-based web analytics software provider Splunk has raised $229.5m in its initial public offering (IPO), which involved 13.5 million shares of common stock being sold at a price of $17 per share. The IPO's success means the company now has a market value of $1.57 billion. More
US radio ratings giant Arbitron has reported a 5.5% increase in revenue to $106.4m for the first quarter. Operating income rose 7.4%, to $31.2m, and net income 9.6% to $17.8m. More
Marketing automation specialist Marketo has acquired Crowd Factory, which provides a management platform for social media campaigns. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Millward Brown has opened an office in Dubai, from which it will provide services to its clients across the Middle East region. More
WPP Digital has acquired a $7m (£4.3m) minority stake in Dolphin Software, which trades as shopping comparison site mySupermarket. The firm has more than two million monthly unique users in the UK, and also offers retailers and analysts insights into consumer sales activity. More
UK marketers are about as likely to be raising as lowering their budgets this year, and are still cautious in their own plans for the coming year, but are far more confident about general prospects for their own companies and sectors, according to the latest IPA Bellwether. 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
In the US, digital audience measurement specialist Umbel has raised $3.7m in a Series A round of financing led by Austin Ventures, and appointed former Arbitron exec Paul Krasinski as its new Chief Executive Officer. More
Brand advocacy platform ReadyPulse has raised an undisclosed amount of initial funding, which it will use to roll out its recently launched Brand Advocate Builder behavior analysis platform. The company has also named former Gartner exec Dennis O'Malley as CEO. More
In the US, app developer Iconicast has launched the Smurk, described as a human-like emoticon through which companies can gauge the collective mood of a crowd. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore and data technology provider i360 have partnered to provide insights into the online behavior of the US voting public. More
UK-based Mintel is introducing a series of social media reports, which it says will offer a 'first of its kind' view of consumer relationships with brands, both online and off-line. More
India's Hansa Research has partnered with Ipsos to make a joint bid for the new Indian Readership Survey (IRS) contract, which will start in 2013. More
Twitter has acquired social media intelligence specialist Hotspots.io, in a bid to develop analytics tools for its advertising and publishing partners. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
New York-based Chartbeat, which helps clients measure traffic to their web sites in real-time, has raised $9.5m in a Series B round of funding, and will use it to scale up its analytics service. A number of new tools have also been announced. 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
US social media analytics firm Bluefin Labs has launched a new platform called Signals Brand Edition, to enable brands to measure and analyze how their TV advertising is driving conversations on Twitter and Facebook. More
In the US, cross-platform ad effectiveness measurement specialist Symphony Advanced Media (SAM) has appointed ad research execs Bala Mallela as VP and Jenny deCastro as Senior Director of Client Solutions. More
Czech-based analytics firm Socialbakers has launched a new tool to enable clients to identify, engage and track their most important influencers across Facebook and Twitter, while monitoring their competitors. 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
The Indian government is taking advantage of current trade talks with the EU to press for 'data secure' status for the country. Officials said India had made significant changes in its data protection laws and that restrictions - which limit the inflow of outsourcing work - should be lifted. More
Martin Filz has been appointed as Managing Director for the EMEA Region at panel and research software company GMI, recently acquired by Lightspeed Research. He was previously MD for EMEA and APAC at Research Now. More
In the US, app developer and analytics platform Kontagent has launched an out-of-the-box hosted data mining option for its kSuite tool, aimed at social media gaming and mobile app developers. More
Access panel provider Cint has announced partnerships with Chinese panel Tudou, and News Corporation subsidiary STAR TV of India. The new panels will be available on Cint's OpinionHUB and the alliances are in collaboration with Swedish online tracking specialist Nepa. More
Chicago-based social media benchmarking firm Unmetric has launched an aggregated index score rating online brand performance; and secured $3.2 million in Series A financing. More
In the US, Arbitron's SVP/Digital Media & Analytics Paul Krasinski is reported to be leaving the company after just fifteen months. More
In the US, Triton Digital has announced the launch of an updated advertising platform which will allow advertisers to forecast, target and analyse mobile video and audio campaigns in real time. More
Online panel and survey technology provider Toluna has unveiled a new web site with an upgraded social media voting community. The firm aims to improve community engagement and further promote participation in its surveys. More
US firm Wayin has launched a data collection tool based on Twitter, allowing users to poll their followers and receive tallied results in a specified time frame. 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
Publicis Groupe company VivaKi has named Kurt Unkel as President of its digital media and marketing solutions division Nerve Center, replacing the departing Curt Hecht. 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
Richard Surratt, the Chief Financial Officer of radio ratings giant Arbitron, is leaving the company for 'personal reasons' after just 14 months in the post. When he leaves on May 11, Surratt's duties will be assumed by COO Sean Creamer until a replacement is found. More
Nielsen has partnered with The University of Chicago Booth School of Business to offer a historical perspective on consumer purchases to all US-based academic researchers. 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
London-based YouthSight has introduced a new co-creation tool called 'Bright Young Minds', which segments the 'best and brightest' students and young people from its OpinionPanel Community for projects including new product development and innovation. More
In the UK, online healthcare data collection firm WorldOne has appointed Harris Interactive veteran Neil Phillips as Vice President of Quality. The firm says that in addition to enhancing its own procedures, Phillips will contribute to improving quality standards across the industry. 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
Business networking site LinkedIn has launched two tools to enable the more than two million firms with LinkedIn Company Pages to target specific individuals and groups. More
Marcoms giant WPP has acquired US-based user experience (UX) agency EffectiveUI. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has appointed former Synovate North America CEO Scott Miller as President and COO of International Business. More
In the US, digital media group AT&T Adworks has partnered with customer insight software firm Turn, to develop a new audience management and targeting platform. More
US-based usability testing specialist Userlytics has launched what it calls a 'neuro-experience' (NX) testing platform, providing real-time heat maps of the mental pathways that are stimulated as participants interact with web sites, online ads and video content. More
In the US, business audience targeting specialist Bizo has closed a $10m Series B round of equity financing, which it will use to expand its sales and marketing teams while further extending its platform. 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
UK-based Yell Group, which began life as the online version of Yellow Pages and now offers a variety of digital services, has appointed former Sitel exec Tim Schuh in the new role of Chief Customer Experience Officer. More
In New York, marketing technology and solutions provider Integrate has closed an $11m Series B growth equity investment from new investors Comcast Ventures and Liberty Global. Existing investor Foundry Group also participated in the round. 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
Google has launched a product combining DIY surveys with access to targeted respondents. Google Consumer Surveys will cost users a fixed fee per response from selected persons accessing premium content pages in Google's publisher network. More
The MENA division of Ipsos Interactive Services (IIS) has launched its panel in the United Arab Emirates, continuing its roll-out throughout the region. 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
Interactive marketing technology company React2Media has merged its US operations with semantic targeting specialist ad pepper media USA. More
In the US, cloud-based big data analytics firm InsightsOne has closed a $4.3m Series A round of financing, allowing it to grow its executive team and expand its investment in sales, marketing and product development. More
US-based digital measurement and web analytics company Semphonic has partnered with London-based online business optimisation consultancy AEP Convert to expand its digital measurement service across Europe. More
US radio ratings giant Arbitron has reached a $7m legal settlement with a shareholder, regarding claims that the company misled investors about the rollout of its Portable People Meter service (PPM). 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
Media and information giant Hearst Corporation has acquired a twenty percent stake in UK-based consumer behaviour and trend spotting specialist Stylus Media Group. Financial terms were not disclosed. 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
Emerging markets specialist Borderless Access Panels has unveiled its tenth online panel, this time in Taiwan. 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
US-based agency Forbes Consulting Group has introduced a new tool called MindSight Mobile, promising access to consumers' emotions in real time as they use their smart phones and tablet devices. More
In the US, ratings giant Arbitron has agreed to pay $400k to settle a lawsuit in California in which it was alleged to have under represented black and Hispanic listeners in California, Los Angeles and San Francisco. More
Bob Chua, the CEO and founder of research outsourcing and panels company Pulse Group, has been appointed Chairman of Malaysia-based comms group GO Communications, with a remit to spearhead the company's Asia Pacific expansion. 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
Media and communications research provider Ipsos MediaCT has rolled out its passive radio audience measurement tool MediaCell across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), to measure which radio stations respondents are listing to in the region. 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
US entertainment brand Viacom has launched a new audience targeting capability called 'Surround Sound', offering advertisers the chance to reach specific audiences on every digital platform of the company's media portfolio, including MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central. More
In the US, social media marketing technology firm PromoJam has raised $1.2m in Series A financing, which it will use to fuel the growth of its platform and expand its sales and marketing teams. More
The Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of Hong Kong (HK4As) has awarded Nielsen a five-year Television Audience Measurement (TAM) contract for the period 2013 to 2017, incorporating measurement across multiple platforms. More
London-based online research specialist DigitalMR has appointed Piotr Idzik as Country Director for Poland, with a remit to develop client relationships and drive sales of the firm's portfolio across the Polish and CEE markets. More
Marketing technology provider Integrate has closed an $11m Series B funding round, which it will use to drive its next phase of product development. 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
In the US, behavioral advertising specialist Buysight has completed an $8m Series B financing round, which will be used to expand its ad platform and its engineering, operations and sales teams. The firm has also hired Brian Ball, Microsoft's former CTO for EMEA. More
Adobe has announced a raft of new software and solutions within its Digital Marketing Suite, aimed at simplifying the process of analysing and optimising clients' use of online media. 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
Online video analytics firm Skytide has hired analytics and business intelligence veteran Dr Hamid Bahadori as Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Engineering, to lead the firm's product development initiatives. 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
Predicting the future was very much the order of the first day of the MRS Conference in London. The Keynote address, the workshops and the papers teemed with it and with new words describing it. Who better to navigate its infinite delta streams than our Features Editor Teresa Lynch? More
WPP's marcoms network JWT has acquired a minority stake in digital agency Converge Technologies, in Pakistan. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but WPP says the buy was funded by a subscription for new shares. 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
London-based PeerIndex, which quantifies the impact of 'social influencers' across the web, has raised £3m in Series A funds, which it will use to expand both its commercial model and its 'PeerPerks' consumer-facing influence marketing service. More
UK-based marketing services group Euro RSCG has re-branded its Skybridge company as EuroRSCG People, following the integration of research agency Heist and ad recruitment agency Riley. More
Business information giant D&B has announced the temporary suspension of operations of its Chinese subsidiary Shanghai Roadway D&B Marketing Services Co Ltd., pending investigation of allegations of violations of the country's data privacy laws. More
WPP's GroupM is working with Nielsen to develop a new cross-platform measurement service, integrating media planning and measurement across television and the Internet. 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 the US, software giant Adobe has announced enhancements to its analytics and segmentation tool 'Adobe Discover', which is part of its Digital Marketing Suite. The new features include cross-visit analytics. More
In Dubai, mobile predictive analytics specialist NeuString has launched a new subscriber usage monitoring tool, Subscriber Analytics, which can be used for tariff customisation and revenue optimisation. More
In the US, social media software and analytics company Mzinga has partnered with social media marketing specialist Pandemic Labs, to provide clients with improved insights into customer loyalty and employee performance. More
Online measurement service Experian Hitwise has launched AudienceView, a targeting service giving retailers demographic, psychographic, transactional and behavioral insights on their US target consumers or audiences. More
Location analytics firm Placed, Inc., formerly known as Sewichi, has completed a $3.4m Series A round of funding, and announced beta availability for its forthcoming 'Placed for Developers' solution. It has also recruited Andrea Eatherly as Director of Marketing and Operations. More
Online audience specialist comScore has launched its Ad Metrix service in Australia, citing the impressive growth of display advertising in the country. More
In the UK, social media monitoring company Brandwatch has raised $6m in a round of financing led by Nauta Capital. Carles Ferrer, General Partner at Nauta will join the board, while Al Sisto, Venture Partner, will join as an observer. More
Online researcher YouGov has appointed John Gilbert as Technology and Telecoms Consulting Director. More
In the UK Paul Roberts, a former MD at BrainJuicer, has joined SPA Future Thinking as Group Digital Director. More
Nielsen has announced the launch of its NeuroFocus testing laboratories in China, citing 'huge opportunities for businesses to tap into the unmet demands' of consumers as the economy shifts its focus towards them. More
In Canada, shareholders of customer analytics specialist iPerceptions Inc. have approved the firm's sale to investment company XPND Fund L.P., a deal announced at the end of January. More
In the US, social media software and analytics company Mzinga and social CRM specialist ISM have teamed up to deliver a new service, to be known as Social Customer Experience. More
In Canada, comms monitoring firm Cision has launched the 'Social Influencer Search' platform, to enable users to find digital influencers who publish content on specific topics. 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
German eye tracking technology provider SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI) has launched a portable version of its system called SMI RED-m, which it says makes it easy to conduct market research studies from public sites. More
In the US, survey software provider Allegiance has appointed former Fidelity Investments MR Director Jennifer Beyer as Vice President of Best Practices, to support client requirements for voice-of-customer intelligence (VOCi) programs. More
US company Survey Analytics has added a gamification platform called BadgeFarm to its IdeaScale crowdsourcing application, in a bid to increase user engagement in its clients' communities. More
US firm NextPrinciples has received $1m in seed funding, which it will use to accelerate the roll-out of its Insight-to-Action platform, which aggregates and analyzes data from multiple social media channels. 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
Non-profit body The Mozilla Foundation, developer of the Firefox browser, has launched an add-on tool to provide a real-time visualization of web sites tracking users' online behavior. More
British Prime Minister David Cameron has appointed Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales as a consultant for a new crowdsourcing initiative, designed to encourage the public to get more involved in policy-making. More
UK-based media and marketing analytics firm Ebiquity has announced the acquisition of media consulting firm Fairbrother Lenz Eley (FLE), for an initial consideration of £5m and up to £6m extra dependent on 2012 performance. More
In London, Freud Communications founder Matthew Freud has bought a 3.23% share in online polling specialist YouGov for approximately £2.26m. More
Search engine Ask.com has launched a new mobile app, Pollroll, combining instant polling with a Q&A service. 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 the US, a federal judge has decided that online measurement firm comScore does not yet have to disclose confidential information - such as the names of its clients - to web users who are suing the company over privacy violation claims. More
US-based social media activation and monitoring platform BlogFrog has raised $3.2m in series A funding, which it will use to accelerate expansion of its network of publishers and online influencers. More
In London, online research specialist DigitalMR has appointed former Kantar Worldpanel exec Tom Hogg as Commercial Director, responsible for implementing global sales and marketing strategies to promote awareness and drive uptake of the firm's research portfolio. More
In Canada, mobile marketing platform Sitomic.com has launched a new solution called QR Code Manager, which will gather visitor statistics resulting from printed ad campaigns and analyze them across multiple publications. More
In the US, panel and research technology provider Toluna has launched a new methodology called SmartSelect, to enable researchers to pick potential survey respondents according to specific demographic, attitudinal and behavioral characteristics. More
IgnitionOne - the digital marketing technology arm of Japanese advertising giant Dentsu - has added an 'Engagement Optimisation' tool to its existing Digital Marketing Suite (DMS), to enable users to track the success of online ads. More
US consumer privacy organization TRUSTe has unveiled a solution to help businesses prepare for compliance with the 'EU Cookie Directive', which requires web publishers to obtain prior consent before they store or access consumer information via cookies and similar technologies. 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
Marcoms network MDC Partners has acquired a majority stake in New York-based social media commerce platform Dotbox, which uses its proprietary 4CsX platform to combine traditional ecommerce with social media and ad personalization tools. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Kantar Media has expanded its Global Target Group Index (TGI) network of syndicated marketing and media studies through the addition of TNS Media Belgium's Brand Media Monitor (BMM) study. 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
Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) has acquired US-based mobile ad targeting firm Amobee, in a deal valued at about US$321m. More
Dialsmith, the developer of focus group testing device Perception Analyzer, has launched a new online survey platform which tracks real-time, second-by-second response to video content. More
Prabhakar Raghavan - the head of the Yahoo! Labs research unit - is leaving the company, reportedly to join Google, in advance of a 'large-scale restructure', which reports say will result in 'significant layoffs' across the firm's PR, marketing and research teams. More
Irish broadcaster UTV Media has acquired social media monitoring specialist Simply Zesty from its founders Niall Harbison and Lauren Fisher, and from MR firm SPA Future Thinking which held a stake in the business. The deal is valued at up to £5m. More
comScore's Chief Operating Officer Greg Dale has moved across to the position of Executive Vice President, International, following last year's departure of Wolf Allisat. Cameron Meierhoefer now becomes COO, while Serge Matta is promoted and Tom Karrat hired for divisional President roles. More
In the US, app user analysis specialist Kontagent has reported a 500% increase in annual revenue to 'just under $10m'. More
London-based app analytics firm Mopapp has received EUR 1.5m in funding from credit reporting and business information firm CRIF. More
Risk analysis company IHS Inc. has completed the acquisition of three companies, for a total of about $45 million. They include flat panel display market research specialist Displaybank. More
In the US, social media ad targeting specialist RadiumOne is said to be closing a $50m investment round, and has launched Via.me, a new app for iPhone and desktop. The latter allows users to manage their output and content across multiple social networks. 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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EMEA agency Gemius has been commissioned by Moldova's Joint Industry Committee B.A.T.I. to provide online audience measurement across the country. More
Natural language processing expert Jason Baldridge has joined social media agency Converseon as Senior Data Scientist, with a remit to help the firm develop conversation mining technologies. 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
In the US, virtual shopping research specialist Decision Insight has launched a suite of solutions called ShopperIQ, to test and measure what consumers do while in an actual store environment. More
The Board of US ratings giant Arbitron has authorized a programme to repurchase up to $100m of shares of the company's common stock, over a period of up to two years. More
US-based social media sampling firm Peanut Labs has launched a new DIY research product to provide users with access to a 'ready-to-poll' group of respondents. More
In the US, social media analytics specialist tracx has received $4.4m in Series B funding, which it will use to fuel growth and international expansion. At the same time, the firm has launched a system to enable users to identify and manage their audience profiling and segmentation. More
PR giant MWW Group has launched a proprietary analytics tool to measure brand impact. The tool identifies makes a message or story relevant, and provides insight into how that message is shared among peer groups. More
Viggle - the company behind a tool which automatically identifies which TV shows users are watching - has acquired San Francisco-based Loyalize, whose technology allows brands to conduct real-time polls among viewers of live TV shows. Terms were not disclosed. More
Nielsen and its partners TV ad sales firm Atmedia and cable operator UPC Polska have been awarded a contract to launch what is described as the largest TV audience measurement panel in Poland. More
In Chicago, digital measurement specialist comScore has appointed former Mindshare Consumer Insights MD Judy Bahary as Senior Vice President of Marketing Solutions for the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry. More
The Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), a coalition of US media and marketing trade associations, has launched a public education campaign called 'Your AdChoices', designed to inform consumers about online behavioural advertising and how to take control of their online privacy. 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
In the US, online audience targeting firm [x+1] has appointed SymphonyIRI veteran Bill Sears for the new position of Vice President of Solution Architecture. More
UK-based online specialist BrainJuicer has appointed former Microsoft Market Research Manager Ralph Komen as Client Director in the Netherlands. 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
Ad and brand research specialist Hall & Partners has appointed former Synovate leader Andy Waller as Global Chief Operating Officer. More
In France, Pearltrees - which provides an interface for finding, sharing and analyzing web content - has raised EUR 5 million ($6.7m) in new funding, which will be used to scale its 'interest graph' product. More
US ratings giant Arbitron has reported full-year 2011 revenue up 6.8% to $422.3m, and operating income up 29.6% to $85.1m. For the quarter, ended December 31, revenue was up 7.6% to $120.1m and operating income up 8.8% to $20.7m. More
Talk show host Oprah Winfrey has fallen foul of Nielsen after tweeting a request to its panelists on Sunday, urging them to watch her cable network OWN instead of the televised Grammy awards. More
Online measurement specialist comScore has reported a 33% revenue increase to $232.4m for the full year 2011, with Q4 revenue up 22% to $62.6m. However, fourth quarter loss climbed from $0.5m the previous year to $3.3m, with costly litigation with Nielsen taking its toll. More
US media network NBCUniversal (NBCU) has partnered with Google and comScore to explore new ways to measure single source consumption of video content on TV, PCs and mobiles / tablets during the 2012 London Olympics. More
In the US, neuro-insight specialist Buyology has hired former EmSense exec Mark Mallardi as Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing. More
Yesmail Interactive - a business unit of database giant Infogroup - has launched a solution to enable marketers to understand their competitors' multi-channel strategies. More
WPP agencies tenthavenue and GroupM have linked up in China to acquire full service mobile marketing agency Wisereach, and launch a new company, MJoule, providing a 'holistic view' of mobile consumer behavior. More
Internet and mobile cloud monitoring specialist Keynote Systems has announced revenue up 33% to $33.1m for its first fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2011. More
Emerging markets specialist Borderless Access Panels has announced launches in Indonesia and Turkey. More
Online audience measurement specialist comScore has announced the launch of its Ad Metrix display ad monitor service in Brazil. The tool monitors the appearance of display ads, the demographics of the audience they reach, and more traditional measures including GRPs. 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
Google has partnered with US-based consumer specialist Knowledge Networks to launch a panel of web users, who will opt in and be paid to allow the search giant to track the sites they visit and how they use them. 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
In the US, social media monitoring and engagement platform the Position2 Brand Monitor has been acquired by thismoment, a company providing software for the management of social media content. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based word-of-mouth specialist Bazaarvoice has announced it is to launch an initial public offering (IPO) of approximately 9.4 million shares, 9 million of which will have a target price range of between $8 and $10, with a further 484,000 offered by existing shareholders. More
Nielsen Media Australia MD Peter Cornelius has left the company, following a restructure which has resulted in the firm integrating its Watch (media) and Buy (consumer purchase behavior) divisions under the leadership of former MD, Pacific, Chris Percy. More
3D experience and product lifecycle management specialist Dassault Systemes has acquired social media intelligence and monitoring platform Netvibes. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Czech Republic-based social media analytics firm Socialbakers has expanded to the US with the opening of an operation in San Francisco, where it has appointed Chairman Martin Huml as President and COO, and Katrina Wong as Vice President of Marketing. More
Arbitron's Julian Davis is retiring, after twenty-two years in various roles including Director of Urban Radio and Director of Urban Media Services. 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
Global media auditor BPA Worldwide has opened an office in the city of Shenzhen, in the Guangdong Province of China, complementing its existing Asian operations in Hong Kong. More
Multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has reported a 20% revenue increase to $9.9m for its Advanced Media and Information (AMI) division during the quarter ended December 31 - but due to continued decline in its Home Entertainment wing lost $1.9m overall in the period. More
In the US, social marketing platform Extole - which promises to help clients convert their customers into brand advocates - has secured $10m in Series C funding, which it will use to fuel growth, scale operations, and accelerate product and platform investments. More
Schlesinger Associates' fieldwork services agency ConsuMed Research has launched a consumer and B2B panel to provide feedback to a wide range of clients across France. More
In the US, web behavior analysis firm WibiData has raised $5m, which it will be using to expand its engineering team and open new operations. More
In the US, full service digital agency Doner has appointed JWT veteran Jeff Voigt to the new position of Senior Vice President, Media Insights. 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
US daily deals site Groupon has acquired San Francisco-based personalized shopper data specialist Adku. More
Web-based consumer researcher BuzzBack has expanded into the Nordic region with the appointment of TNS Gallup veteran Marie Hayling, who will based in Gothenburg, Sweden. More
US research and measurement consultancy StrategyOne, part of the Edelman PR network, has appointed Pauline Draper-Watts as Executive Vice President in charge of its Communications Measurement and Analytics group. More
Nielsen has reported good growth and profit with full year 2011 revenues up 8% (6% at constant currencies) to $5.53bn and adjusted EBITDA up 10% (8%) to $1.546 bn. More
Online analyst Webtrends is investing $7 million to add 50 new employees this year, with a key focus on software engineering skills. 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
In the UK, WPP-owned MediaCom has promoted Peter Fyfe to the newly created role of Head of Social Media, to lead a team of ten social media specialists focusing on monitoring, consultancy, campaign activation and community management. More
Ipsos MENA has launched an online panel in Egypt, and will follow up with one in the UAE later this month. 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
WPP's global retail practice The Store has launched a new resource offering clients access to a range of services covering shopper insights, store design, customer relationship management, in-store communications, packaging and e-commerce. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has appointed Marcos Christensen, formerly Head of Sales at Fox Sports New Media, as Country Manager for Argentina and Uruguay. More
In the US, social media monitoring firm Brandwatch has launched a tool to monitor the number of tweets referring to brands involved in this weekend's Super Bowl. More
The Dutch radio association NLO (Nationaal LuisterOnderzoek) has extended Intomart GfK's contract for national radio audience measurement for another four years. 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
US consultancy Web Analytics Demystified has appointed former Adobe exec Brian Hawkins as a Partner, to work directly with clients to deliver site testing, optimization and personalization capabilities. More
In the UK, online privacy and compliance specialist Evidon has launched a tool to help publishers keep tabs on the cookies and tracking tools used on their web sites, so as to comply with the disclosure requirements of the ePrivacy Directive. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council has withdrawn accreditation for Arbitron's monthly PPM-based AQH radio ratings data in five markets. The reverse means Arbitron now has just nine local markets accredited out of a total of 48. More
In the US, CRM specialist Merkle has acquired social media applications provider Social Amp. The acquisition will allow Merkle to expand its capabilities in digital marketing and to strengthen its connected CRM approach. More
In the US, audience targeting exchange company eXelate has partnered with shopper insights specialists Nielsen Catalina Solutions to give CPG marketers access to data on in-store purchasing behaviour. More
Austin, TX-based online conversation specialist Bazaarvoice and social media software firm Buddy Media have formed a partnership and launched its first product, a 'social application, or sapplet' to help brands integrate online customer conversations in their social media campaigns. 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
Washington, D.C.-based full-service firm Shugoll Research has announced the acquisition of Virginia-based Metro Research Services, which offers data collection and runs focus group facilities. More
Norwegian enterprise feedback management (EFM) company QuestBack has today announced the opening of its new North American headquarters. Located in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the new office is intended as a foundation for 'rapid expansion' across the region. More
eBay commerce analytics specialist Terapeak has appointed a new President and CEO, Kevin North. He joins from Dyadem International (now part of IHS Inc.), where he held the same titles. 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
In Germany, GfK Travel Insights has set up a panel of online travel portals, from which it will evaluate data about holiday bookings. More
In separate developments today, two companies - digital advertising firm CPX Interactive and device identification tech specialists BlueCava - have announced new tools for circumnavigating the Euro Cookie Directive, to be enforced from May 25th this year. More
B2b media and insight company Penton Media has appointed David Kieselstein as its new CEO, based in New York. A veteran of Time Warner, he was most recently CEO of TNS North America. More
Japanese research and online panel provider GMO Research/JMI has today announced the opening of its first UK office, and the appointment of veteran researcher Jonathan Sheldrake as European Sales Director. More
TV ratings body TAM Ireland has appointed media sector veteran Jill McGrath as Head of its TV Audience Measurement service, replacing Aidan Dunne who is retiring. More
In Canada, investment firm XPND Fund is planning to acquire all the shares of customer analytics specialist iPerceptions in an all-cash deal valued at $0.08 per share. More
The European Commission (EC) has dropped its legal action against the UK Government, over the latter's decision not to prosecute behavioural ad technology firm Phorm for breach of EU data protection and privacy rules. More
Software firm Comptel has acquired a fellow Finnish company, analytics provider Xtract Oy, for a total consideration of EUR 3.1m. More
Three firms - researcher Kantar Shopcom, ad platform provider Videology and targeting specialist I-Behavior - are teaming up to help marketers to target online video advertising and measure the actual off-line purchases that result. More
In the US, online behavioral targeting firm OwnerIQ has acquired shopper marketing technology platform DiJiPOP in an all-stock deal. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, Kodak's former Chief Listening Officer Beth Kribs-LaPierre has joined social media solutions firm Brand Networks as Director, Social Intelligence and Analytics. More
New York-based predictive analytics provider Visual Revenue has secured $1.7m in funding, which it will use to 'aggressively' expand its existing team. More
US customer analytics specialist Mattersight has launched a service, 'Predictive Customer Satisfaction Analytics', which it says will automatically predict the rating score a customer will give following an interaction, without the need for a survey. More
US-based 33Across - which uses proprietary technology to build a unique 'brand graph' for each of its clients - has acquired Tynt Multimedia, whose tools analyze user intent and interest data for more than 500,000 web sites. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, BrainJuicer has appointed planning specialist Rene Huey-Lipton as Senior Vice President, in charge of the firm's 'Juice Generation' team, which helps clients generate insights and ideas at the early stages of development. More
Nielsen/McKinsey joint venture NM Incite has introduced the latest version of its BuzzMetrics Exchange, which features detection support for more than 50 languages, along with city-level geo-location capabilities. 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 the UK, MPG Media Contacts - which is part of ad and communications services group Havas - has appointed former Zenithoptimedia Head of Strategy Hamid Habib to lead its Catalyst division, which combines research, analysis and 'idea facilitation'. More
In the US, engagement marketing specialist Constant Contact has acquired loyalty platform CardStar, which enables merchants to track consumer behavior and trends using data aggregated from its users, in order to send them personalized offers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Retail analysis giant SymphonyIRI has partnered with UK independent grocery comparison web site mySupermarket, to provide what the firms describe as 'the first' multi-channel view of shoppers' behaviour in the UK - both online and in-store. More
UK-based media and marketing analytics firm Ebiquity has reported a 17% increase in revenue to £24.0m for the six months ended 31 October 2011, with organic growth of 6%. Operating profit rose 75% to £2.51m from £1.44m. More
Concept testing and forecasting software specialist Affinnova has launched a web-based application called the 'Concept Studio', designed to accelerate concept development for new products, designs and ad campaigns. More
Bluefin Labs, which analyses social media comments about US TV programs, has raised $12m in a Series B round of funding. The money will fund expansion of the firm's existing technology and an increase in its sales and client services teams. More
InRev, the owner of social media brand monitoring platform Simplify360, has secured an undisclosed amount of Series A investment, which it plans to use to expand its presence beyond Bangalore to India's biggest cities Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi. More
Global management consulting, tech services and outsourcing company Accenture has agreed to acquire Madrid-based predictive analytics specialist Neo Metrics Analytics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
In the US, marketing solutions firm The Berry Company is to acquire technology assets and take on former staff of interactive ad targeting firm WebVisible, which closed down in December. Berry, which did not disclose terms, will make the buy through a subsidiary of its parent firm TBC Holdings. More
US consumer privacy organization TRUSTe has secured a $15m Series C financing round, earmarked for expansion of its product suite, which helps companies handle customer data from online ads, cloud services, mobile apps and web sites. More
Online video advertising tech company Tremor Video has bought the InPlay video analytics business from video buying firm TubeMogul, for an undisclosed sum. By integrating InPlay directly into its VideoHub platform, Tremor promises a complete end-to-end video analytics solution for publishers. More
In the US, online sampling and data collection company Research Now has made changes to its senior team with three promotions: Craig Stevens to CRO for the Americas; Martin Filz to MD for EMEA and APAC; and Konstanze Just to SVP of Global Marketing. 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
US-based software firm Kinesis Survey Technologies has announced 2011 organic revenue growth of more than thirty percent, along with the relocation both its Austin, Texas headquarters and its European HQ in London. More
Multi-channel mobile solutions firm Digby has announced the launch of Localpoint, a platform offering location-based marketing, analytics and commerce. More
WPP-owned PR giant Burson-Marsteller has acquired a majority stake in Finnish reputation management consultancy Pohjoisranta, which offers a range of research services including reputation surveys, competitor analyses and stakeholder studies. Terms were not disclosed. More
In Brazil, AppTech - which specializes in mobile smartphone and web-centric applications - has launched a new app to enable advertisers to ascertain the age, gender, and ethnicity of their audience. More
In Canada, media monitoring and analysis tech firm MediaMiser has acquired social media and online reputation monitoring company InfoGlutton Solutions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US mobile survey software provider iPinion has launched a passive data collection platform capturing up to twenty-four data types - including web site visits and camera use - from devices. Relevant surveys are then triggered automatically based on the consumer's behavior. More
In the US, analytics specialist Quantum Leap Innovations has launched what it describes as the 'first ever' pattern-based analytics tool for social media, providing quantified intelligence on social trends by distilling Twitter content. More
In the US, Experian Simmons has launched a new cross-platform media analysis service that links consumers' online and mobile activities to brand preferences, attitudes, lifestyles and behaviors. More
Digital measurement specialist comScore has introduced a new metric called 'Validated Campaign Essentials' (vCE), which measures whether online ads have been delivered and whether they have reached their target audience. More
In the US, former NielsenConnect President Jon Mandel has joined TV ad targeting and measurement firm PrecisionDemand as its new CEO, replacing Tyson Roberts who assumes the role of Chief Revenue Officer. 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
US professionals have launched a new body, the Mobile Marketing Research Association (MMRA), to help the industry develop standards and ethics for the use of mobile devices for marketing research purposes. More
In the US, ad targeting specialist Ayzenberg Group has acquired social media marketing agency The Social Method, to add the latter's proprietary analytics platform to its own social media capabilities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, social media platform Pollbob has acquired DIY online polling site Mister Poll, and plans to merge the latter's online community of 270,000+ registered poll creators and takers, with its own growing mobile community. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
WPP-owned marcoms group Ogilvy has acquired a 33.3% stake in Australian digital marketing firm DTDigital, which offers a range of services from social media management to data analytics. Terms of the investment were not disclosed. 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
Canadian eCommerce research specialist Terapeak has introduced a tool for sellers on Japan's largest online marketplace Yahoo! JAPAN Auctions, using analytics capabilities from its flagship product Terapeak for eBay. More
Kantar Media has acquired Chinese social media research, monitoring and analysis firm CIC, to complement its own range of social media capabilities in the country. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Panel and research technology provider Toluna has introduced a new version of its iPad and iPhone app, to enable panellists to participate in its DIY QuickSurveys directly through their mobile devices. More
Online sampling and data collection specialist Research Now has opened a new office in Rotterdam, where it has appointed former Sample Answers exec Kerem KÃķksal as Client Development Manager, Benelux, responsible for driving growth in the region. 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
Independent London-based media agency the7stars has appointed former Aevolve Group Director Dale Simmons as Director of Data, overseeing the firm's insight, evaluation and analysis activity and with a remit to establish an insight team. More
In the US, software giant Adobe Systems Inc. has completed its acquisition of multi-channel advertising optimizer Efficient Frontier and says it will focus on driving integration of its cross-channel ad buying and optimization offerings. More
Digital marketing specialist [x+1] has appointed digital marketing veteran Peter Massey as President and COO, effective immediately. Massey has served as CFO of WPP agencies JWT and Ogilvy & Mather for the last five years. More
Former Omniture exec Lawrence Chua has joined WPP digital marketing agency XM Asia Pacific as Analytics Director in its strategy practice. He will be based in Singapore. More
In the US, online survey and analysis tool provider SurveyGizmo has reported a 54% increase in revenues to $5.2m in 2011. More
DIY research firm SurveyMonkey has introduced an online repository called 'Question Bank' containing thousands of commonly asked questions across the most popularly surveyed topics - a move it says will ensure that the best methodologically sound questions are used. More
In the US, two financial sector firms have partnered to introduce a tool which combines web analytics, social media sentiment and quantitative research to help gauge how social media impacts on stock prices. More
In the US, online video ad targeting specialist Videology has launched an ad selling platform which connects advertisers requirements with digital publishers' audience data. More
In the US, digital media and marketing research publisher eMarketer has secured a $25m investment, which it will use to fuel its international expansion plans and increase the amount of content it collects across North America and Western Europe. More
DIY research tech firm SurveyMonkey is selling stock to the value of $65m, according to a filing lodged with the SEC yesterday. More
US predictive analytics specialist eBureau is spinning off its online ad targeting arm into a new company called TruSignal, to help marketers reach audiences across digital display, video and mobile campaigns, while targeting those users that 'look like' their highest value customers. More
In Paris, behavioral targeting provider Neolane has closed a $27m financing round, with which it plans to roll out its technology across North America and into other new regions. More
US-based social media tracking and targeting firm Lotame and predictive segmentation specialist Alliant have joined forces to offer advertisers household targeting using purchase histories and direct marketing performance metrics. More
Ipsos has launched its first online panel for the Middle East, in Saudi Arabia. The move coincides with the opening of Ipsos Interactive Services (IIS) MENA, lead by Director Nader Kobeissi, in the region. 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 company Integrity Marketing Solutions, which specialises in marketing services for estate planning and elder law, has acquired directory market analyst Simba Yellow Pages. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, web analytics and performance alert firm Chartbeat, Inc. has raised $975k of a targeted $1m in a debt offering, according to an SEC filing. More
In the US, Spectrum Gaming Group has acquired New Jersey-based MR agency EE Johnson Research. While financial terms were not disclosed, it was confirmed that founder Eugene Johnson will stay on as head of division. More
US-based social networking solutions firm Lithium Technologies has completed a $53.4m Series D round of financing, which it will use to increase its sales and marketing team across new and existing geographies, and to invest in engineering and new product development. More
In New York, media innovation agency IPG Mediabrands has appointed David Rosenberg as Managing Partner. Together with former BBDO digital strategist Chad Stoller, Rosenberg will lead the firm's 'immersion and exploration center', IPG Media Lab. More
UK privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch has called for foot traffic monitoring firm Path Intelligence to give consumers the chance to opt out of its system, which tracks their mobile phone signals as they move around shopping centres. More
London-based social media video ad platform Unruly Media has received $25m (£16m) in a Series A investment, which will be used to 'aggressively accelerate' its international expansion. More
Semantic ad technology specialist Peer39 has secured a further $2.5m in venture capital funding, adding to the $30m raised since its launch in 2006. More
GfK has promoted three of its senior Asia Pacific execs - Frans Janssen to Executive Managing Director for the region; Stanley Kee to MD, Southeast Asia; and Benny Villanueva to General Manager for GfK Philippines. More
In New York, technology publishing firm Ziff Davis has acquired Toolbox.com, a network of more than 3 million IT professionals who ask and answer thousands of IT-related questions each month. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In Miami, TNS has appointed former Synovate exec Franck Sarrazit as Global Director in the company's Brand & Communication practice, with a remit to support the development of its offer globally and a particular focus on the needs of clients in Latin America and the US. 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
In the US, Klout - which measures influence across the social web - has raised a reported $30m in a C Round of financing, reportedly with a view to adapting its service to the mobile environment. More
Former Warner Bros researcher Karen Barcheski has joined Latino-targeted English-language cable television network nuvoTV in the newly created position of Vice President of Research. More
Boulder, Colorado-based digital media analytics firm Next Big Sound (NBS) has closed a $6.5m Series A financing round, which it will use to open an office in New York and to expand its tech team. More
Canadian mobile ad specialist Call Genie has acquired US-based mobile data analytics provider VoodooVox in a cash and shares deal worth $2.8m; and intends to assume its name thereafter. More
Ipsos has invested an undisclosed amount in online ad monitoring specialist AdMaster, in a bid to better understand consumers' viewing attitudes, habits and responses to digital ad exposure in China and other Asia Pacific countries. More
US web metrics firm Quantcast has secured a further $8m in funding, adding to the $27.5m in series C financing it raised this time last year to support the roll out of its 'Quantcast Media Program' online ad targeting platform. 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
UK-based marketing tech specialist Performance Horizon Group (PHG) has upgraded its online tool ExactView, to enable measurement of the value of sales generated through social media platforms including Facebook. More
In the US, online customer behavior analysis specialist Tealeaf has acquired web site optimizer Overstat. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Global information services giant Experian has acquired UK-based web monitoring firm Garlik. While terms of the deal were not disclosed, Experian said the transaction had been funded from its own existing cash resources. More
In Canada, communities specialist Cambridge Healthtech Associates (CHA) has appointed Dawn Van Dam, former CEO of market research consultancy Health Connexions, as its General Manager, in charge of day-to-day operations. More
In New York, ad technology firm appssavvy has raised $7.1m in a series A round of funding, and plans to use it developing targeting solutions based on user actions such as voting in a poll, checking into a location, or leaving a comment. More
Moscow-based online survey solutions developer Imposant has released a new DIY survey tool, specifically designed for people who are new to the business of running their own surveys. More
In New York, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has promoted David Doty to the position of EVP and Chief Marketing Officer, responsible for overseeing research as well as the firm's marketing and events. More
US-based e-commerce platform Celebros has partnered with web analytics specialist SeeVolution, which uses real-time analytics, live heatmaps and live traffic source tracking to enable clients to monitor customers' online behavior in real time. More
In the US, Nielsen and comScore have settled patent infringement lawsuits relating to both firms' online measurement copyrights, and as part of the deal, Nielsen has acquired $19m of comScore common stock. More
Company acquisitions in the online survey software market will continue apace, according to a new report produced by industry analysis publisher IBISWorld. 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
In New York, ad agency Conversation has launched a subsidiary called SocialWhirled, which enables brands to launch integrated campaigns based on the specific interests of their social media followers and fans; moderate comments in real-time; and then analyse and track feedback. More
In the US, dunnhumby's CIO Paul Hunter has moved across to its social media marketing agency BzzAgent to take up the post of Chief Operating Officer, with a remit to integrate the former's shopper insights with the latter's social media marketing practices. More
In the UK, ICM Research has launched a 'Crisis Management' analysis service, to help clients predict the likely public response to crises such as bad publicity; and to measure and track the effect of the crisis while it is still ongoing. More
Social media monitoring firm E.life has launched an iPad app called the e.lifemonitor, to help execs monitor their organisations' presence on Twitter. Users can also access an optional support service provided by the firm's team of social media analysts. 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
The UK advertising and market research sectors are expected to see spending growth of 11.6% between 2011 and 2016, according to economic forecasting specialist the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). More
Waltham, Massachusetts-based engagement marketing specialist Constant Contact has opened an office in London through which it will provide UK support for its suite of e-mail, social media and event marketing tools, and its online survey solutions. More
In the US, Nielsen has announced the appointment of Rick Kash as Vice Chair and Mitchell Habib as Chief Operating Officer. Both appointments are effective from January 1st 2012. More
In the US, data and analytics company InsightExpress has followed up last week's deal with SymphonyIRI by announcing a partnership with Kantar Shopcom, further expanding its Ignite CPG product. More
In the UK, Creston-owned ICM Group has strengthened its data collection and field services with the promotion of Neil Sykes to Operations Director in the UK, and Rebekah Joseph as Field Director at subsidiary Fieldwork UK. More
Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has bought a $300m stake in Twitter. The buy comes after months of talks and constitutes 'a strategic stake' according to the Prince's company, Kingdom Holding Co. (KHC). More
In the US, InsightExpress has partnered with SymphonyIRI to launch a tool which combines digital ad measurement capabilities with off-line consumer data, helping to link online ad exposure and in-store buying behavior. More
In the US, VerticalResponse - which provides DIY solutions for e-mail marketing, online surveys and event marketing - has acquired social media marketing technology firm Roost. Terms were not disclosed. More
PlaceIQ - which uses location profiles to target relevant ads to mobile users - has raised $4.2m in series A funding, which it will use to relocate from Boulder, Colorado to New York, in order to be closer to 'customers, partners, and the general ecosystem'. More
OgilvyOne Worldwide's digital agency DTDigital is opening in Sydney, Australia in January. The firm will offer local clients a range of services including user experience testing, data and analytics, and design and consulting. More
In New York, social media advertising and analytics firm MediaBrix has raised $4m in a series B investment. The funds will be used to develop its suite of tools, which help marketers to deploy, monitor and optimize their campaigns across apps, games and social media sites. More
Ticketmaster's parent firm Live Nation Entertainment has acquired Los Angeles-based online digital media measurement company Big Champagne, which specializes in analysing how consumers use and pay for music. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Marcoms giant WPP has acquired a majority stake in Singapore-based digital marketing agency Qais Consulting. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
SPA Future Thinking's Research & Innovations Director Chris Handford has left to set up a digital research consultancy called Resound Digital. More
Hot on the heels of its acquisition of China Clipping on Tuesday, Media Monitors Group has acquired South East Asia-based media intelligence and quant analysis company MediaBanc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Social media communities specialist SAY Media has acquired news and analysis blog ReadWriteWeb, which covers technology trends around the world. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Market research software provider Confirmit has added new features to its Survey On-Demand Application (SODA), which is used for creating, deploying and managing multi-lingual wireless and off-line surveys on mobile devices. More
DIY survey technology firm SurveyMonkey has partnered with equity investment firm TPG Growth to acquire research software and services firm MarketTools. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but sources say that it values SurveyMonkey at roughly $1 billion. More
US planning agency AdStaff Media has acquired Media Research Planning and Placement (MRPP), which offers media market research, planning and buying. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
UK-based user experience and behavioural research consultancy Bunnyfoot has sold its Scottish arm to former MD Sarah Ronald, who has renamed the operation 'Nile'. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, digital specialist Specific Media has partnered with ad performance specialist Nielsen Catalina Solutions to launch 'Shopper Access', a service which combines off-line purchase behavior with online ad data to provide insights into how advertising influences consumer purchases. More
James Walker, formerly Chief Strategy and Development Officer at Nunwood, has moved to global brand and marketing consultancy Prophet to lead a new analytics practice with a presence in its London and New York offices. More
US-based mobile ad network xAd has raised $9m in financing, which it will use to enhance its proprietary user behavior-based ad targeting technology. More
Full service marcoms agency Mullen has hired former Forrester Research analyst Sean Corcoran as Senior Vice President, Director of Digital Media and Social Influence, leading its digital and social media practice. More
Asia Pacific-based Media Monitors Group has acquired China Clipping, a firm which offers print, broadcast and Internet monitoring, as well as quant analysis, in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
French PR and reputation management agency Augure has acquired Spanish online and social media monitoring specialist iMente. Exact terms were not disclosed, but Augure recently completed a 5 million Euro investment round to finance the deal. More
Panel and research technology provider Toluna has named Harris Interactive veteran Jim Fredrickson as Group Chief Operations Officer. More
Social media analysis firm uberVU has established a North American corporate headquarters, where it has appointed technology business specialist Mark Pascarella as its new Chief Executive Officer. More
US technology researcher Gartner is buying back the remaining company shares held by its largest investor ValueAct Capital Partners, for just over $58m. More
UK-based eDigitalResearch has appointed Virgin Media's former Head of Customer Experience Insight Anna Ritchie as Research Director. The firm has also hired Katharine Watters as Research Manager in its Retail team and Gillian Gargett as Data Manager in the Technical team. 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 Switzerland, joint industry committee Mediapulse has awarded Kantar Media the country's Television Audience Measurement contract for a period of six years, starting in 2013. More
Nielsen has postponed the launch of its radio ratings service in Tasmania, Australia - reportedly less than 24 hours before results were due - citing problems with sample. More
In the UK, field and tab specialist Facts International has partnered with survey software and services provider SNAP, to offer clients an instant and 'unique' update service on tablets and smartphones. More
GfK has acquired US-based consumer specialist Knowledge Networks. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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
In the US, The Poynter Institute - which provides journalists with online and multimedia training - is to launch a study of reader engagement with news and advertising on mobiles and tablets. Data will be collected by a variety of means including eye tracking, surveys, media diaries and observations. More
YouGov has appointed former TNS Digital manager Dan Brilot as Media Consulting Director, based in London, with a remit to introduce new methodologies and products to the team's international client base. More
Munich, Germany-based TrustYou - which provides social media monitoring and semantic technologies for the hospitality industry - has launched a guest survey tool which allows hotels to capture and analyze trustworthy reviews, respond and integrate them into their own web sites. 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
Social media analytics specialist Simply Measured has launched what it describes as the first analytics solution to enable marketers and PR professionals to understand their brand's presence on Google+. More
US social media specialist newBrandAnalytics (nBA) has appointed Sean O'Leary as Chief Executive Officer, replacing co-founder Neil Kataria who assumes the role of Chairman. More
Publicis-owned digital marketing agency VivaKi has appointed Geoff Smith as Head of Activation for its dedicated R&D facility, the VivaKi Nerve Center (VNC), where he will lead the firm's Audience on Demand (AOD) team in the UK. More
GfK has won a series of contracts to provide countrywide audience measurement across Romania, the Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. More
Ipsos has extended its presence in South East Asia with the acquisition of analysis specialist Consumer Behavior & Insight (CBI) in Vietnam. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
German market research agency Dialego has launched a new social media division, and appointed Unilever research veteran Annette Stucken to lead it. More
Ipsos ASIIdigital - a global practice within the group's ad research division ASI - has created a new platform for ad effectiveness testing on mobile devices. More
In Sydney, Australia, retail and shopper specialist Peter Wilson has joined Jigsaw Strategic Research as Director of Shopper and Channel. More
Social media engagement firm SAY Media has introduced 'Off the Grid' - a proprietary advertising solution designed to enable brands to reach those US consumers who have stopped watching live TV because of their changing media consumption habits. More
US social media ad technology firm BLiNQ Media - which delivers Facebook advertising results combined with real-time audience insight - has expanded its leadership team in Boston while opening a new office in Chicago. More
Online customer intelligence provider Celebrus Technologies has developed a tool to enable web site owners to monitor the usage of YouTube video content embedded on their sites, and gather insight into how it is received and engaged with at an individual level. 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
WPP is to acquire US firm The Glover Park Group, which advises on public and government affairs, digital and other advertising and brand strategy, and conducts opinion research. More
In the US, marketing and analytic consultancy iKnowtion has announced the appointment of Niren Sirohi as Vice President of its Predictive Analytics practice. More
Washington, DC-based polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner has opened a digital division, led by Anna Greenberg and offering social media analytics, strategic consulting, and modeling & micro-targeting services for communications, as well as web development and online ad services. More
New York-based Insight Research Group has changed its name to Insight Strategy Group, reflecting its 'evolution and expanding scope of services'. More
Translation software group SDL is to acquire social media monitoring firm Alterian after the latter's board today unanimously recommended approval of a sweetened offer. The all-cash price of 110p a share values Alterian at £68.4m. More
In the US, social media data platform provider awe.sm has announced a $4m financing round. The funding will be used to expand the team and develop the platform. More
Online specialist YouGov has rolled out its weekly brand and product polling tool Launch Monitor in the UK, following its recent introduction in Scandinavia. More
In the US, retail price optimization specialist Revionics, Inc. has announced a partnership with online competitive intelligence provider RivalWatch, aimed at helping clients to adjust their pricing strategy in real-time. More
In the US, brand community technology firm Passenger has released an app for iOS mobiles, allowing members access to research communities from a mobile phone. 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
In the US, health information tech firm Remedy Health Media has acquired HealthCentral, a provider of online clinical and patient community resources and tools. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, digital publishing giant Adobe is to acquire ad buying platform Efficient Frontier, which offers customers tools and services to help them build, manage, monitor and measure their brand presence across social media. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
UK-based analytics and social media monitoring specialist Alterian has reported a 6% drop in revenue to £17.2m for the six months ended 30 September 2011, while registering an operating loss of £18.6m resulting from its current business review. More
US congressman Ed Markey has questioned Amazon.com about data it could potentially collect from a combination of the new Kindle Fire tablet and Amazon's own Silk browser, which he believes could send information on every site user's visits back to the online retailer. 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
US-based online personalized marketing firm ChoiceStream has secured $8.7m in funding, which it will use to drive corporate growth and support sales of its CRUNCH audience targeting platform. 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
In New York, WPP-owned sister firms Millward Brown and data integration / analytics specialist Kantar Shopcom have partnered to create a single-source panel combining consumer attitudes with actual purchase behaviors. More
In the US, social media and user analytics specialist Kontagent has appointed former Google product development leader Evin Levey to lead its own product management efforts. More
GfK has announced a global partnership with online and mobile research software provider Revelation, to power and roll out an online qual research solution it calls GfK SocioLog.dx. More
US ratings giant Arbitron is taking legal action against former client Magic Broadcasting, which it claims is guilty of using its data after declining to renew its contract in 2010. 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 US, new product advisory service Top Box Associates has developed a forecasting tool examining the way social media and word-of-mouth activity influence new product sales. More
Research outsourcing and panels company Pulse Group has hired former Gartner executive Carmen Endrina to lead its client development offering in the US, with a particular focus on the firm's West Coast technology clients. More
In the UK, full service consultancy FreshMinds Research has expanded in London with ten new staff appointments. More
Digital marketing specialist Steve Pritchard has opened a social media tracking agency in Leeds, UK. threeten10 will provide bespoke social media analytics along with client training courses and workshops. More
UK-based digital research and analytics firm Trufflenet has expanded to Australia though a partnership with PR agency Professional Public Relations (PPR). 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 US, the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) has introduced the 'Principles for Multi-Site Data', a new code which expands the scope of the self-regulation of online data collection beyond online behavioral advertising. More
US-based mobile phone intelligence firm Carrier IQ has withdrawn its threat of legal action against security researcher Trevor Eckhart, who claimed last week that the firm's software logs actions taking place on a phone without users' intervention or control. More
Danish online company Adform - which offers an advertising platform incorporating personalised targeting options - has opened an office in Spain, where it has appointed Miguel Fernandez-Gil as Business Development Director. More
North of England-based online research supplier Panelbase has officially opened its new office in London, where it has appointed former Lightspeed Research exec Andrew Pringle as Client Development Manager. More
US customer satisfaction measurement firm ForeSee Results has reached an 'omnibus litigation settlement' with patent licensing company Lodsys, which had claimed ForeSee's online survey software infringed its patents. More
In the UK, user experience (UX) design agency Flow has appointed Rob Varney as Director of Design. Varney will lead the firm's brand refocus exercise following its merger with competitor Foolproof at the beginning of the year. 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
UK market research agency Firefish has appointed planner John Jones, formerly of Red Bee Media, as Group Head. He leads a team working on retail, FMCG and media accounts. More
Canadian firm Wireclub Media has launched a real-time service measuring engagement with mobile apps and web sites. 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
US-based Media Logic has introduced the 'Retail Social Juice Index', which measures social media engagement for more than 500 brands across Facebook and Twitter and distills data for each into a single metric published daily. More
Online auction giant eBay has announced the acquisition of the team and technology of Hunch, which uses data mining and predictive modelling to create customised recommendations for site visitors. More
Vin Gupta's Database LLC has filed its expected countersuit against his former company Infogroup, alleging sabotage, interference and promotion of 'false rumors' by a company it says is 'not competitive in the marketplace'. More
In the US, social media analyst Crimson Hexagon is moving its Boston headquarters to a new location in the Seaport District which will accommodate its 200% year on year growth to date. More
In the Netherlands, the JIC STIR joint industry body has awarded comScore and Intomart GfK a three-year contract to provide the country's Internet audience measurement currency. The first results are expected in 2012 and the deal runs to 2014. More
In the US, online gamification specialist Bunchball has partnered with software giant Adobe to integrate gamification and related analytics into the latter's Digital Marketing Suite. More
Google has acquired social media software firm Katango, whose platform sorts users' Facebook friends and iPhone contacts into groups by analyzing their online interactions, interests and backgrounds. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, social media ad technology firm BLiNQ Media has appointed Daniel Upton and Adam Rice - the founders of social media analytics firm Looxii - as User Interface/Data Visualization Engineers in its Atlanta office. More
US-based Mindshare Technologies has added QR (quick response) codes to its feedback management platform, to enable consumers to provide immediate feedback to a mobile-optimized survey through their smartphones and mobile devices. More
Social media sharing platform ShareThis has launched a new methodology for measuring the 'sharing quality' of sites across the web. More
US social media research firm Feedback has launched in the UK, with the opening of an office in Islington, London, led by co-founders President and CEO Jeff Thompson and Executive Vice President Dean Browell. More
In the US, travel data and media firm Sojern has introduced a new platform offering marketers access to proprietary data and audience targeting capabilities. More
US-based digital video ad services firm BrightRoll has secured $30m in funding, which will be used to further invest in technology and research, and to expand its senior leadership team across a number of operations and strategic roles. More
California-based web analytics and online research specialist Crowd Science has added two new features to its audience measurement and ad targeting platform CITRUS, allowing segmentation of audiences by social media use and brand engagement. More
Social media filtering platform DataSift - which was launched in the UK in 2008 by TweetMe creator Nick Halstead - has rolled out in the US with the opening of a San Francisco HQ. More
US-based Maritz Research has introduced a custom analysis product called 'DecisionVue 360', developed to provide insight into how customers purchase a product or service, or reject it in favour of a competitor's. More
US-based Scout Analytics has opened a new division, Scout Research, dedicated to developing models through which publishers can predict revenues and profits based on actual or anticipated audience size and behavior. 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, newly-launched and politically neutral firm VoterTide is to roll out an app which measures how online buzz is impacting real-world politics. More
US-based video analytics firm Visible Measures has been granted a patent for methodology which determines the viewing time of an online ad. More
Marketing and technology specialist LBi has acquired insight-based social media and marketing agency Mr Youth, headquartered in New York, in a deal valued at $40-50m. More
In Australia, online panel firms Quality Online Research (QOR) and Researchpanel have merged their operations to create what they describe as Western Australia's 'largest and most robust' consumer panel, with around 60,000 online members. More
In the US, social media marketing and analytics firm Salorix has received $3.5m in Series A funding, which it will use to further develop its campaign management platform. More
WPP-owned brand activation network G2 has rolled out its shopper marketing tool Pathfinder in Australia, offering insight into what influences shoppers' path-to-purchase. More
In the US, online community provider Passenger has appointed former TNS Global Innovation Director Gaurav Bhalla as Chief Innovation Officer, leading the firm's development of new approaches to customer collaboration, co-creation and market research. 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
In London, digital product placement specialist MirriAd has announced enhanced functionality for its placement and analysis platform, intended to decrease an advertiser's financial exposure before and during campaigns. More
Skuuudle, a UK-based provider of competitive intelligence and price automation services to online businesses, has announced plans for significant expansion 'in the coming months'. More
Qual research and technology company Quester has added Simplified Chinese to the language capabilities of its 'virtual moderator' package, Socrates - already available in English, French, German and Spanish versions. More
Research software and services firm MarketTools has introduced 'Pop-up Communities', which it claims provides all the benefits of MROCs (market research online communities), but without the associated long timelines. 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
US-based Internet and mobile monitoring specialist Keynote Systems has topped $100m in annual revenue, with a 19% rise to $103.0m in fiscal 2011. For fiscal Q4 2011, revenue rose to $27.5m from $20.5m in Q4 2010. More
In the US, social media and user analytics platform Kontagent has closed a $12m Series B funding round, which it will use to continue product innovation and to expand into new coverage areas including mobile. More
In the UK, consumer research specialist Firefish has appointed radio industry exec MJ Olaore as its new Chief Operating Officer. Samantha Siva also joins as Qualitative Director and Karen Harwood as Field Project Manager. 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
UK-based analytics and social media monitoring specialist Alterian is considering a revised bid from translation software firm SDL, which is now offering 110p per Alterian share (or £68.7m). 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
In the US, former L'Oreal exec Mark Anton has joined Synovate-owned Marketing Management Analytics (MMA) as Senior Vice President, Strategic Accounts. More
US software giant Adobe - which owns web analytics firm Omniture and online audience behavior specialist Demdex - has announced plans to restructure its Digital Media and Digital Marketing teams, cutting around 750 staff in North America and Europe. More
In the UK, online sampling and data collection specialist Research Now has launched a Youth version of its OmniTaxi service, designed to offer a fast turnaround of short online surveys aimed at the 16 to 24-year-old market. More
In the US, former Microsoft exec Chris Treadaway has unveiled the private beta of Polygraph Media - an analytics platform to help companies understand and manage their social media assets and activity, and track that of competitors. More
In New York, Harris Interactive has introduced 'word-of-network' (WON); a new panel-based approach to social media measurement, designed to monitor the sentiment of a given target market. More
In Australia, online media analytics firm BuzzNumbers has launched an intranet solution, ShareTheBuzz, to help large corporations share their social media strategies across the entire organisation. More
European online consumer researcher MetrixLab has acquired digital marketing analytics specialist CRM Metrix, which operates from offices in Paris and New York. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. More
In Los Angeles, US a new social media analytics firm, StatFly, has officially launched with the introduction of a DIY platform for live monitoring and reporting of social media strategies. More
In the UK, Ipsos MediaCT has launched a suite of research tools under the umbrella name of Mobi-Vision, to enable clients to capture insights in real-time via their smartphones. More
In the US, the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) is evaluating software giant Adobe's digital audience measurement tool AudienceResearch, which it says can help its newspaper and magazine publishers to report web site, mobile app and digital publication data. More
In the US, research and measurement consultancy StrategyOne has partnered with social media monitoring and analysis specialist Crimson Hexagon to launch a daily, multi-language media measurement and analytics tool called 'Sunrise'. More
In the UK, ZenithOptimedia has made a number of appointments in its global marketing effectiveness agency Ninah Consulting, including former Nunwood analytics chief Colin Bunn who takes up the position of Director. More
TNS has acquired the remainder of Polish firm OÅrodek Badania Opinii Publicznej sp.z.o.o. (OBOP) from Telewizja Polska S.A. (TVP), Poland's public broadcasting corporation. The research giant already owned 60% of the company. 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, IVR and survey utility specialist Plum Voice has announced a new version of its multi-modal data collection platform Plum Survey. More
In the US, multi-screen measurement firm Rentrak has reported a 17% rise in revenue for its AMI (advanced media information) division to $9.3m for the three months to the end of September. Group revenue dropped 9% to $21.9m during the period. 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
Canadian crowdsourcing technology firm Chaordix has launched a solution called Crowd Intelligence, combining qual and quant market research and brand insight. 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
In the US, online metrics company BuzzLogic has changed its name to Twelvefold Media, to reflect a 'substantial increase' in its size and range of activities since launch. More
San Francisco-based social media sampling firm Peanut Labs has developed its own DIY platform SurveyTool.com, offering access to a sample pool of respondents sourced from its network of social media and gaming sites worldwide. 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
Online measurement firm comScore has reported third quarter revenue up an impressive 29% to $58.8m, although expenses also grew very rapidly leaving profits little changed. 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, MTV Networks has partnered with social intelligence firm Trendrr to launch a ranking tool called MovieTracker, through which fans can rank the top 25 films according to the social buzz surrounding each title. More
In the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released a 'Data Segments & Techniques Lexicon', to provide media planners with standard terminology for data segments and collection techniques. More
In the US, retail analysis giant SymphonyIRI has partnered with online ad marketplace Legolas Media to enable marketers to buy online ads based on user-level in-store purchase behavior, and then use actual product sales data for ongoing ROI measurement. More
Yahoo! is to acquire New York-based behavioral targeting specialist interclick for around $270m in cash. More
US social media software company Clearspring Technologies has acquired data sciences firm XGraph Inc. for an undisclosed sum. 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
WPP-owned PR giant Burson-Marsteller has launched the 'Fan Experience' - a research-based service to understand how consumers respond to and interact with sponsorships and endorsements in the fields of sports, arts, culture and entertainment. 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
US-based MR association CASRO has finalized its Social Media Research Guidelines, which aim to provide an 'ethical framework' for research conducted in the social media space and for associated privacy expectations. More
Tamara Deprez, the former Head of online agency Yahoo! Maktoob Research, has joined media content analyst Salience Research as its General Manager in Dubai. More
PR and research firm Brunswick Group has opened a third Chinese office in Shanghai, and appointed two un-named 'senior individuals' to expand its investor relations and research capabilities in Hong Kong. More
Kantar Media has won a six-year contract, beginning in August 2012, for the provision of a new electronic radio measurement service in Sweden, using PPM technology licensed from Arbitron. More
Vision Critical has announced a partnership agreement with fieldwork firm Tiburon Research, establishing the 'Springboard Russia and Ukraine panel', which gives it direct access to over 300,000 new panellists in those countries. More
US-based start-up newBrandAnalytics is set to hire up to 45 new employees in the next year, for offices in the States and Israel - more than doubling its headcount. More
Canadian firm Mirametrix has launched what it claims to be the 'world's most portable desktop eye tracker'. More
MPs on the UK Parliament's Justice Committee have argued for tougher action on breaches of the Data Protection Act, including custodial sentences. 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
In the US, readership specialist Affinity is moving its American Magazine Study to a quarterly basis from twice-yearly. The survey combines measurement of print and digital magazine audiences. More
Nielsen has announced good results for the quarter ended September 30th, including revenues up 10% (6% at constant currencies) to $1,413m, and adjusted EBITDA up 7% in real terms, at $408m. More
Embattled UK-based social media analytics firm Alterian has announced cuts aimed at reducing its cost base by £10.6 million, including the reduction of its workforce from over 400 people to around 260. More
Google has cut off one source of information for web analytics systems, citing concern for its users' privacy. As of October 18th, 'organic search' queries carried out by end users logged into products like YouTube, Gmail and Google+ will no longer be available to its own or others' systems. 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
Czech Republic-based social media analytics firm Socialbakers has acquired Social RSS, a feed reader app for Facebook; and has added support for Google+. 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
In the US, online sampling and technology company uSamp has launched a free self-serve platform offering unlimited authoring and data collection with optional use of the company's 6.5m panellists. 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
Radio ratings firm Arbitron has reported third quarter results, with year-on-year revenue up 6.1% to $105.6 million and EBITDA of $33.6m, up from $25.4m the previous year. More
Online measurement firm comScore has failed in a bid to dismiss a privacy case against it, or to have it moved to a court on its home turf of Virginia. A federal judge said the case should go ahead and should remain in an Illinois court local to one of the plaintiffs. 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 USA, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is considering revisions to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, which would require parental consent for the collection of 'persistent identifiers' used to build data on online behavior or for targeting ads. More
UK-based analytics and social media monitoring specialist Alterian has rejected an offer from FTSE 250 translation software firm SDL, valuing it at just under £50m More
The Australian Market & Social Research Society (AMSRS) is conducting an investigation into the methods and claims of member company McCrindle Research after a critical report on last Monday night's Media Watch television programme. More
Online ad targeting company Phorm has arranged a £30m equity placing with institutional and other investors including its existing NED Mark Schneider. The funds will enable it to repay earlier borrowing and to proceed with its fledgling businesses in a number of countries. More
WPP has made a further investment, via its WPP Digital investment arm, in China-based online ad measurement specialist Moment Systems. More
Panel and research technology provider Toluna has announced a proprietary, web-based data reporting and analysis tool, TolunaAnalytics, which will be offered as standard to users of its PanelPortal product and of data collection services. More
Research and technology firm Vision Critical has enhanced its Sparq community software with Mobile Survey and Facebook features. More
Online specialist YouGov has today announced the launch of YouGov France, based in Paris, and appointed Julien Chevignon to lead it. More
ThinkVine, which helps clients align marketing and advertising with consumer behaviour, has appointed former SPSS exec Mark Battaglia as Chief Executive Officer, replacing founder Damon Ragusa who will stay on as Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer. More
In the US, software provider Adobe has introduced the Adobe AudienceResearch solution, a tool giving publishers and digital marketers metrics on the size and engagement of audiences for web sites, mobile apps and digital magazines. More
US-based innovation giant 3M has enhanced its Visual Attention Service (VAS), which determines how people are most likely to visually interact with any scene or setting. Previously catering only for still images, the service now analyses video. More
In the US, AdSafe Media - which provides a rating and verification standard for the online advertising industry - has added a real-time URL analyzer tool to its Network Monitor product. More
In the US, media research veteran Stacey Schulman is leaving her role as SVP, Entertainment, Animation, Sports & Digital Ad Sales Research at Turner Broadcasting, where she has worked for the past four years. More
US audience analytics firm Aggregate Knowledge (AK) has named former Adobe exec Douglas Grounds as Senior Vice President, Customer Success, heading a team responsible for managing relationships with customers of the AK Media Intelligence Platform. More
Mumbai-based online feedback and survey tools provider Webklipper Technologies has raised an undisclosed amount of seed funding, which will be used for product development, hiring sales and marketing teams, and for expanding its operations beyond India. More
UK-based user experience consultancy Foviance has partnered with German eye tracking specialist SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI) to launch a new web site, through which clients can find out if they have engaged with their online customers on an emotional level. More
Canadian Voice-of-Customer (VoC) analytics specialist iPerceptions has introduced a sampling solution for mobile visitors to web sites, issuing random survey invites on arrival at the site and gathering feedback immediately after the visit. More
US eye tracking specialist Grinbath has rolled out EyeGuide, a system including hardware and software developed by usability researchers at Texas Tech University. More
US-based telecoms industry specialist Pyramid Research has launched a new service that combines primary research conducted among consumers with the firm's analysis of the Brazilian mobile market. More
Euro RSCG Discovery is launching a New York unit, led by MD Matt Blasco. Services will include forecasting, ROI prototyping, mixed models, digital measurement and engagement strategy. More
In the US, online metrics company BuzzLogic has introduced Spectrum, a platform targeting ads based on the enthusiasm consumers show for online content. 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
Aegis Media has launched its communications insight and evaluation company aevolve in Malaysia and appointed Mark Chaves to lead it as Chief Insight Officer. More
The Australian wing of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has today announced the establishment of a Mobile Advertising Council (MAC), its fourth working group. More
In the UK, Mike Talbot and Tim McCarthy, the co-founders of analytics and social media monitoring specialist Alterian, have resigned their posts 'by mutual consent'. Two other non-executive directors have also resigned from the Board. More
UK-based media and marketing analytics firm Ebiquity has acquired Australian media analytics consultancy Falkner Media Management (FMM) for an initial consideration of $AUD 4m (£2.5m). An additional $AUD 1.9m will be paid if the firm meets certain performance criteria by 2014. More
US-based user experience management specialist Aternity has closed a $13m Series D investment, for use in further developing its products and expanding its sales and marketing teams. More
In the US, Experian Simmons has completed tests of a 'pioneering' research initiative, which aims to link smartphone behavior with insights on consumer brand preferences, multi-platform media consumption, demographics and attitudes. More
US-based directory services specialist Neustar has acquired information and analytics company Targus Information Corp. (TARGUSinfo) for around $650m in cash. More
UK marketing budgets in all categories rose during Q3 according to the latest IPA Bellwether survey, with online seeing the largest quarter-on-quarter jump in the history of the report. Despite this, marketing executives' general confidence in their sectors hit a two-and-a-half year low. More
Online music insight and analytics service SoundOut has appointed former Nielsen exec Rob Sisco as President for North America, responsible for establishing partnerships with radio networks and labels in the US and Canada. More
UK book market specialist BML Bowker has launched a new service to track the purchasing habits of e-book consumers in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North and South America. More
US web analytics firm VisiStat has launched a social media analytics solution called SocialCaster, offering tracking of social media mentions as well as measurement of web site traffic, for small and medium sized businesses (SMBs). More
US-based research technology firm MarketTools has integrated its Zoomerang DIY online survey and polling tools into its flagship CustomerSat tool. More
Ipsos has completed its acquisition of Synovate for £528.8m - up £3.8m from the previously agreed figure of £525m - to form the third largest market research company in the world. More
The Czech Association for Internet Advertising (SPIR) has withdrawn its three-year online audience measurement contract with comScore, and given the project back to former provider Gemius and partner Mediaresearch. More
In the US, apparel company Obscene Jeans Corp. (OBJE) says it is expanding into the social media development business via a new division, Obscene Interactive, which will shortly announce an acquisition or strategic partnership in the field of social media analytics. More
UK consultancy Brand Potential has appointed former Kadence International Insight Director Alex Smith as Insight & Strategy Consultant. More
US-based Internet and mobile monitoring specialist Keynote Systems has bought DeviceAnywhere, which offers testing and monitoring of mobile web sites and apps via a cloud-based platform. The deal is valued at c.$60m in cash, plus up to $30m based on future earnings. More
In the US, Google has acquired social media analytics start-up firm SocialGrapple. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In Australia, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has officially launched its online audience measurement methodology and service, after what it describes as 'an exhaustive process and review'. September data will be available next week. More
In the UK, YouGov has announced preliminary results for the year ended 31 July 2011, with revenue growing 26.9% to 56.1m and adjusted operating profit 39.5% to £5.3m. The results reflect organic revenue growth of 9% as well as US acquisitions. 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
In India, Radio Audience Measurement (RAM), a division of TAM Media Research has announced plans to expand its coverage of listening habits by nine cities, bringing the total to thirteen. The company has also released data on the new locations collected from May to August this year. More
Integrating database marketing and digital media specialist Datalogix has hired Finnegan Faldi, most recently a senior exec at Yahoo!, for the role of COO. More
In the UK, mobile data collection specialist OnePoint Global has announced the launch of the TellMe App, which allows respondents to upload pictures, barcodes, video and voice as well as sending geo-location information to researchers. More
WPP's consumer insight group Kantar has acquired the remaining shares in Lanka Market Research Bureau (LMRB), in which it already had a 49% stake. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Online audience measurement specialist comScore has enhanced its Ad Metrix ad intelligence product with measurement of ads appearing on social networking sites as well as 'socially-enabled' display ads appearing across the web. More
In Australia, The Circulations Audit Board (CAB) has appointed Harley Slatter, of marcoms agency Slatter and Partners, as President, replacing Rob Yeomans who is leaving CAB after 20 years on the Board. More
Customer feedback platform provider Opinionmeter International has updated its research survey app for the iOS, to simplify the process of capturing respondent location data. More
UK television measurement body BARB has called for those involved in the industry to join a new working group, with the aim of co-ordinating the use of data and further developing the potential for TV measurement. More
In the UK, digital marketing agency Click Consult has introduced socialTRAX, a tool designed to monitor the progress of social media marketing campaigns by tracking a range of metrics such as social network referral traffic, feedback and reviews. More
Arthur C. Nielsen Jr. - the son of the research company's founder Arthur C. Nielsen, and former Chairman of the business - died in Winnetka, IL on Monday, at the age of 92. More
Three professional associations from the US and UK have formed a coalition with the aim of defining, developing and promoting global industry standards for social media measurement. More
US-based customer feedback specialist Mindshare Technologies has closed a $20m investment deal, supporting its strategy of 'rapid growth through innovation and new product development'. More
In the US, multi-screen measurement firm Rentrak has teamed up with Bluefin Labs, a specialist in analysing online buzz about television programmes, to report feedback from social media alongside TV ratings. More
YouGov has appointed technology research specialist Steve Ingledew as Managing Director, San Francisco, in its US custom division YouGov Definitive Insights. More
Norwegian online survey technology firm QuestBack is preparing to expand its presence in the US market with the appointment of former uSamp COO Suresh Subbiah as President. More
WPP is launching its social and traditional media listening arm Kantar Media Cymfony in Europe, with the opening of a new office in London servicing clients this side of The Pond. More
In the US, multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has partnered with auto market intelligence firm Polk to integrate the latter's consumer purchase behavior info - including vehicle make and model by auto segment - into the former's TV database ratings system. 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
US-based UpSellit - which focuses on reducing 'site abandonment' - has released the Dynamic Exit Survey; a tool to gather insight about why consumers abandon their online shopping carts. More
Czech firm Socialbakers has raised $2m in venture capital, which it will use to execute on 'aggressive' growth plans and extend its social media monitoring platform. More
US full-service social media agency Banyan Branch has secured a $1.7m Series A investment, which it will use to accelerate company growth and continue development of its technology. More
Despite a New York court's rejection of TRA's attempt to block the roll-out of Kantar's RapidView solution on the grounds of patent infringement, TRA has asked the courts to consider a further claim that WPP/Kantar 'improperly used' its trade secrets during development of the tool. More
Site analytics pioneer Webtrends has launched a tool to enable brands to evaluate the effectiveness of their posts on Facebook. More
Research outsourcing and panels company Pulse Group has reported a drop in operating profit from $271k to just $50k for the financial year ended 31 May 2011, on a reduced revenue of $1.6m (down from $1.7m). More
In the US, digital advertising firm Connexity - developer of an ad targeting tool called the Audience Discovery Platform - has secured $2m in debt financing, and plans to accelerate its growth. More
Gaming software giant Electronic Arts and partner firm nPario have announced the launch of an insights platform, EA Legend, which will give marketers data on their campaigns and audiences across mobile, social, online and console games reaching over 300 million people worldwide. More
Google has launched a premium version of its web site traffic and marketing tool Google Analytics. The new service will be available for $150,000 per annum and be available in the US, Canada and the UK. More
Behavioural ad targeting specialist Phorm has announced interim results for the six month period ended 30 June 2011. The firm continues to burn cash at the rate of more than $2m a month but reports promising results from its operations in Brazil and now Romania. More
Madison, Wisconsin-based social media analytics company Networked Insights has secured a further $20 million in funding, led by Goldman Sachs. More
In the US, multi-screen measurement company Rentrak has announced an agreement to integrate its StationView Essentials TV ratings data into the media software solutions of communications and IT specialist Harris Corporation. 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
Online ad targeting technology company Phorm has announced the launch in Romania of both its Discovery personalization engine and the Open Internet Exchange (OIX) advertising marketplace. More
Media agency Starcom USA has announced the appointment of Chad Maxwell to the new position of SVP Research Intelligence Director. He worked previously at the agency's sister company Razorfish. More
Research software provider Voxco has announced three senior appointments strengthening its presence in France and Germany. More
Online community provider Passenger has appointed two senior business developers, Jason Butka and Derek Sawchuk, both with the title of Senior Community Strategist. More
Canadian newspaper research body NADbank has partnered with Nielsen to launch an 'Integrated Newspaper Planning Tool', which combines analysis of a newspaper's print and web site reach to assess overall impact. More
In the US, digital marketing agency and online buzz measurement specialist iCrossing has appointed former Amazon.com exec Doug Bryan as Vice President leading its Analytics team. More
US-based customer feedback specialist Mindshare Technologies has reported 33% revenue growth to $1.6m for the year 2010, and claims to be on target for 40% growth in 2011. More
In the US, social media software company Clearspring has appointed former Yahoo! ad exchange leader Ramsey McGrory as Chief Executive Officer, replacing founder Hooman Radfar, who will continue to drive the company's product and marketing in his new role as Executive Chairman. More
In the UK, BSkyB's customer intelligence business Sky IQ has partnered with marketing services agency ExactTarget to launch a portfolio of marketing insight products and services, designed to help brands better understand and market to potential customers. More
European agency SKOPOS Market Insight has rolled out its NEKXT mystery shopping service in the UK. More
A New York federal judge has rejected TRA's attempt to block the roll-out of Kantar Media's RapidView media planning tool, which TRA claimed was a direct 'rip-off' of its own Media TRAnalytics tool. More
In the US, customer relationship marketing (CRM) specialist Merkle has opened a new social media measurement division, 'Merkle Connect'. More
Respondent 'twilight', ghost stories, echoing halls, strange languages and geeky folk gathered in the chapel... Not the next fantasy blockbuster but the annual conference of the Association for Survey Computing, an alternative to ESOMAR thoroughly enjoyed by Features Editor Teresa Lynch. More
Social media management firm Spredfast has raised a further $12m, which it will use to expand its social media management, monitoring and analysis platform. More
Global PR firm Porter Novelli has launched a social media analytics tool, which focuses on specific target audiences and tracks their online discussion topics in real time. More
In the US, Kurt Knapton has returned to e-Rewards as President and CEO, following the recent resignation of Chris Havemann. More
In the UK, Ipsos MORI has appointed former Nielsen BASES EMEA MD Susan Malcolm as Managing Director for its Ipsos Marketing division. More
Analytics firm Kognitio has announced a partnership with Adastra Corporation, combining Kognitio's technology - in particular its in-memory analytic database platform, WX2 - with professional services and consulting on data warehousing and big data analytics. 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
US-based video analytics firm Visible Measures has added another $13m in financing to the $32m won previously, and will use the money for product development and expansion of its staff. 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
Customer experience specialist Maritz Research has announced a new measurement technique examining 'Make or Break' factors in customer relationships. More
In the UK, yearling agency SPA Future Thinking has acquired full-service media and technology specialist Essential Research for an undisclosed sum. 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
Vision Critical has today launched a Customer Experience Management (CEM) platform, which automates the collection of data from multiple sources and analyzes it in real time. More
Kantar Video has appointed Leigh Newsome as Senior Vice President, Technology, reporting directly to CEO Bill Lederer and tasked with overseeing engineering for the Kantar Videolytics platform. More
In the US, display advertising firm Tribal Fusion has announced it will integrate data from BlueKai's Exchange platform with its user data and profiling platform 'E9', to help its clients tailor and target their campaigns. More
TNS has taken its TRI*M Reputation Manager product into the digital sphere, to help clients analyse online media and take appropriate action. More
In the US, research software provider GutCheck has launched a mobile version of its instant online qual solution for fast turnaround targeted respondents. More
In London, online measurement specialist comScore has appointed Laurence Bird as Senior Research Director for the EMEA region. More
In the US, Facebook ad targeting company CitizenNet has launched a desktop marketing platform. The company is backed by movie and television star Ashton Kutcher and Silicon Valley entrepreneur Ron Conway. 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
UK-based real-time voice of the customer software specialist Fizzback has been bought by NICE, provider of cross-channel analytics-based solutions - for $80 million in cash. The deal is expected to close next month. More
San Francisco, US-based employer branding and employee engagement specialist Evviva Brands is to sell 20 percent of its shares to The Liquid Agency, based in San Jose, CA. Liquid's CEO, Scott Gardener, will join Evviva's board and the two firms will work in close partnership. More
TNS Gallup, part of the Kantar Media network, has won a continuation of its contract to provide the currency for measurement of TV audiences in Denmark, taking it up to the end of 2015. 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
UK agency Ci Research has launched Ci Nation, an online tool which offers clients a rapid means of communicating with their customers for continuous and ad hoc research, including online polls, discussion groups and live online chats. More
In the US, business processing and technology management firm Genpact is to acquire media monitoring and measurement specialist EmPower Research, which will be added to Genpact's Smart Decisions Services analytics and research division. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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
Online panel and survey technology firm Toluna has launched PanelPortal Connect, which integrates its community management platform PanelPortal with Facebook. More
In the US, comms specialist PRIME Research has moved its New York operations to larger premises in Madison Avenue, following the expansion of its management team. More
UK-based online specialist Tpoll has appointed former Harris Interactive youth research leader Stephen Mellor as Qualitative Director, with a remit to develop the agency's qual offering. More
In the US, retail giant Walmart has acquired mobile and social media ad targeting start-up OneRiot, and added it to its WalmartLabs social media technology division. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
San Francisco-based mobile analytics and behavioral targeting firm Apsalar has raised $5m in a Series A round of funding, earmarked for growing its development team, expanding its portfolio and ramping up sales and marketing. More
Nunwood has appointed former HPI Research Partner Conny Weyrich as Account Director, working in its Insight Division in London. More
US-based research technology firm Decipher has integrated new mobile capabilities into its Beacon DIY research software suite. 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
Panel exchange operator Cint has opened a new office in Japan, where it has partnered with technology-based market research firm Borders, to offer access to more than 500,000 panellists across the country. More
Stockholm-based information exchange platform Mancx.com has launched a new tool, to enable users to match questions on its platform with contacts in their LinkedIn network. More
In the US, online community SodaHead has launched a free polling analytics tool called 'Advanced Voting Demographics', which offers results broken down by individuals' specific characteristics. More
Full service social media agency Converseon has acquired Social Graphiti, an analytics and marketing technology supplier focused on social media commerce; and will integrate it with social media analytics platform Conversation Miner. More
In London, Ipsos MediaCT has established a test panel of just over 350 respondents for its mobile phone-based radio measurement system, MediaCell. The move follows successful initial trials of the device. More
Nielsen has formed a strategic alliance with India-based Informate Mobile Intelligence, which uses on-device metering technology installed on panellists' handsets. More
In the US, online community provider CrowdGather has acquired community-building platform Yuku.com for a reported $750k, thereby adding a wide range of popular forums to its network. More
India-based TechOrigami Software has launched Unmetric, a social media intelligence benchmarking tool, which mines and distills data around the Facebook pages and Twitter IDs of leading brands. More
Multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has partnered with media technology provider Collective to launch 'TV Accelerator' - an online ad platform through which advertisers can target those audiences that viewed their TV campaigns within online display and video ads. More
US-based technology research firm Yankee Group has added new capabilities to its online data visualization platform, including the ability to browse through popular metrics in an index format. More
Ipsos is planning to issue around EUR 200m worth of new shares, to part-fund its acquisition of Synovate. More
Bielefeld, Germany-based online research specialist Interrogare has opened a new office in Berlin, from which to focus on expanding its dedicated mobile research services. More
US-based ethnography specialist Luth Research has introduced ZQ Digital Tribe - an online tool used to track the 'digital lives' of a panel of 200 individuals over a period of up to three months. More
Norwegian online survey technology firm QuestBack has launched a new 'Social Insight' tool, to help organisations gain an understanding of the audiences they are engaging with across social media channels. 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
Panel and research technology firm Vision Critical has partnered with panel provider Nine Rewards, gaining access to more than a million new panellists in Australia and New Zealand. 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 US, social media business intelligence provider EvoApp has appointed entrepreneur and venture capitalist Kip Frey as President and CEO, succeeding co-founder Joe Davy who remains with the company as Chief Product Officer. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has accredited the Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings measurement system, launched recently to provide overnight audience reach, frequency, and Gross Rating Points (GRPs) for Internet display and video advertising. More
Online survey and reporting software company Confirmit has acquired mobile survey technology provider Techneos Systems, and will add its solutions to the Horizons reporting tool. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Kantar has acquired research technology and panels firm GMI (Global Market Insite), which it will combine with own online panel specialist Lightspeed Research. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Maritz Research has acquired Wiesbaden, Germany-based MR consultancy Imagin AG, a specialist in stakeholder and customer feedback management; along with subsidiary call centre company Customer Care International GmbH (CCI). 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
In the UK, behavioural targeting and social media commerce company Reevoo has launched an analytics dashboard promising insight into the impact of online reviews and the performance of social media commerce strategies. 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
In Connecticut, US, List Services Corp. (LSC) has acquired digital marketing firm Accession Media for an undisclosed sum. Accession will be combined with the LSC Digital arm to form a new firm, Allora Media, offering a range of services including web analytics consulting. More
In the UK, custom community and online specialist Join the Dots (formerly known as Virtual Surveys) has promoted Andy Buckley to Head of Research. More
Stockholm-based brand tracking researcher Nepa AB says it has made its first senior hiring in the UK, a year after opening the new office. Olly Watts, formerly of Opinium and TNS, joins as an Account Manager. More
Data management and analysis firm BlueKai has launched TrackSimple RAD 360âĒ Analytics, which gives media planners and buyers a centralized hub for the analysis of disparate audience and performance data. More
IBM has this week strengthened its fast-growing Business Analytics offering - which includes SPSS, Coremetrics, Netezza and Unica - with two further acquisitions, risk management firm software provider Algorithmics and threat and fraud specialist i2. More
Technology and B2B specialist Illuminas has made several promotions in its Austin, Texas office. These include the key moves of Carrie Angiolet and Andrew Elder to Senior Vice President. More
German sample and panel provider respondi AG has today announced the opening of a UK subsidiary: respondi Ltd. Christopher Morasch, Chief Sales Officer at respondi AG will take on the role of UK Managing Director. More
A new US-based company, Crowdbooster, is offering 'intelligent' social media optimization (SMO) via a platform combining analytics and web monitoring tools with customised guidance. More
Ipsos today announced the appointment of Bernice Klaassen as its Asia Pacific Regional Director for Digital. He was previously Global Director for Digital at TNS. More
Branding and retail specialist Razor Research has promoted Elle Atton to the role of Director and appointed Matt Arnold, formerly Head of Qual at Quadrangle, also as a Director. More
Pursuing her 'passion for innovation research', former TNS Regional Head Lee Ryan has moved from Singapore to join Melbourne-based Raspberry Innovation Research + Strategy. More
US-based Innovid has announced a $9.5m round of funding led by Sequoia Capital and earmarked for aggressive global expansion of its Interactive Video Ad Serving & Analytics offerings. More
San Francisco-based online media and metrics company BuzzLogic has announced the appointment of R. Brian Gibson as Chief Financial Officer. 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
WPP has made a non-binding offer to acquire the shares of ad and marketing services company D.A. Consortium Inc. (DAC) from Japan's Asatsu-DK Inc., in which the ad and insights giant already has a 22.9% stake. More
In the US, Ipsos' digital and media specialist arm, OTX MediaCT has appointed ex-GfK man Mark McLaren as Vice President of the Syndicated Services Team. More
In the US, online qual specialist 20|20 Technology, a division of 20|20 Research Inc., has announced the launch of QualLaborate 2.0, a software platform built specifically for concept evaluation and image mark-up. More
comScore has announced the availability of its digital campaign audience validation tool, AdEffx Campaign Essentials, in Latin America. More
Tokyo-based full service MR company Research Panel Asia (RPA) has formed an alliance with Beijing-based Data100 Market Research to produce an online panel of 1.6 million respondents China. RPA already has 1.5m respondents in Japan and 150,000 in Korea. More
Business analytics giant SAS has enhanced its Social Media Analytics product with the addition of 'social scorecards', an 'author hub' advocacy measure, and improved competitive intelligence functionality. 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
Synovate-owned Marketing Management Analytics (MMA) has appointed a global executive team including EVPs Doug Brooks and Todd Gustafson. More
Wunderman subsidiary KnowledgeBase Marketing (KBM Group) has launched in the UK, offering a range of data, analytics and marketing services. The division will be led by database marketing specialist Caroline Worboys. More
Nielsen has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its Puerto Rico TV audience measurement service, which was launched in April 2010. More
Technology media firm Ziff Davis has acquired some of the assets of online agency Focus Research, while the agency's CEO Scott Albro and a number of employees have remained with Focus.com to spin it off as a separate business. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
In the US, a lawsuit has been filed against online measurement specialist comScore, claiming it collected personal and confidential data - such as credit card numbers, passwords and Social Security numbers - from consumers' computers without their knowledge. More
In the US, usability testing specialist Userlytics has added a new suite of demographic targeting capabilities to its interactive platform, to help clients pitch their marketing campaigns at relevant audiences. More
US-based word-of-mouth (WOM) research and consulting firm Keller Fay has officially rolled out its TalkTrack study in the UK, to continuously measure both offline and online word-of-mouth feedback. More
US Internet marketing and analytics specialist HubSpot has acquired social media management platform oneforty. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Jeff Hirsch, the President of behavioral targeting technology firm AudienceScience, is leaving at the end of September to 'pursue smaller entrepreneurial interests' by helping start-up companies get off the ground. More
In India, Percept Media has appointed former Starcom MediaVest (SMG) exec Srikanth Raman as Chief Planning Officer, responsible for driving consumer research. 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
In New York, The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has appointed former Campbell Soup insights leader Bob Woodard as EVP, Advertising Effectiveness, in its Research Subject Matter Expert (SME) team. Woodward takes up his new role next month. 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
South Africa's Digital Media and Marketing Association (DMMA) is set to launch what it claims will be the country's first online audience measurement panel - part of an initiative to ensure accurate traffic reporting for all the country's digital media platforms. More
In the US, social media monitoring specialist General Sentiment has launched 'TV Brand Match' - a solution matching the brands and topics people discuss online with the TV programs or networks they watch. More
IgnitionOne - the digital marketing technology arm of Japanese ad giant Dentsu - has bought ad exchange AdJug for an undisclosed sum. The agency says the combination should give clients simplified buying, targeting and measurement of online advertising. More
In the UK, full service research agency Crowd DNA has launched a new campaign and brand measurement tool called Impact DNA, drawing on its experience from testing more than 75 campaigns. More
In the US, ratings giant Arbitron and Spanish-language media firm Entravision Communications Corporation have partnered to test the impact of cross-platform ad campaigns running simultaneously on radio and television. More
US media measurement and analytics firm TRA has secured a patent for using anonymous consumer purchase behavior data to target television and other ads. The firm is currently involved in a legal row with WPP over alleged infringement of another patent. More
In Singapore, former Fox Networks VP Matthew Harty has joined Omnicom Media Group (OMG) to head its real-time data and analytics arm, Accuen. 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
Software provider Connectiva Systems has launched suite of apps analysing data, content and app consumption across mobile portals and channels. More
Customer feedback solutions provider Opinionmeter has launched a new survey app for the iOS platform, which automatically detects if no Internet connection is available and stores data locally on the device, and then uploads that data when connectivity resumes. More
Aegis-owned digital marketing agency iProspect has appointed Misty Locke, co-founder of digital agency Range Online Media, as its Global Chief Marketing & Performance Officer. More
Facebook page management company Buddy Media, which is backed by WPP, has raised another $54m in investment, for use in global expansion. 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
US-based online b2b marketing and targeting firm Genius has opened its first overseas office, in Leeds, UK, and appointed Mark Donkin to lead it as Managing Director. 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
comScore has launched its campaign audience validation tool, AdEffx Campaign Essentials, in Canada. 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
Sister agencies Millward Brown and Kantar Media Cymfony have launched a suite of online listening tools, which merge the former's brand and communications research with the latter's analysis of social media and online discussion. 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 US, radio ratings giant Arbitron has expanded Sean Creamer's role to include that of Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the company's day-to-day operations and growth strategy. More
UK-based survey software and research solutions firm Snap Surveys has integrated Cint's Direct Sample (CDS) into its offering, giving its clients access to six million panellists worldwide. More
US-based MR association CASRO has issued draft Social Media Research Guidelines, providing an 'ethical framework' for studies. The guidelines were written in consultation with ESOMAR, with the aim of ensuring uniformity of definitions and practices. More
In New York, specialist data and delivery business Ipsos Observer is launching 'Social Observer', which integrates its survey management, data collection and delivery services with online social media 'listening'. More
In the UK, mobile business and marketing solutions firm 2ergo has launched a campaign tool called mobileDNA, which provides access to a database of 10 million opt-in mobile phone users. More
In Australia, customer analytics and data strategy consultancy Quantium has hired former eBay MD Simon Smith to launch Quantium Online, focusing on online shopping and eCommerce consulting. More
In the US, brand eCommerce and digital marketing specialist Acquity Group has hired the founders of marketing science-based agency Anova Group, while acquiring their proprietary analytics tools. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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, The NPD Group has launched a new tracker for the consumer electronics industry, drawing its respondents from NPD's online panel of nearly two million participants. 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
The joint industry committee IAB Slovakia has awarded the country's official Internet audience measurement contract to online research firm Gemius, working with partner Mediaresearch. The contract runs until January 2015. More
Webtrends has acquired real-time analytics platform Reinvigorate from investment firm (mt) Media Temple Ventures, in a move which it says will 'round out' its analytics portfolio. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has appointed former Simmons Experian statistician David Algranati as Senior Vice President of Product Innovation and Analytical Solutions. More
US-based mobile app analytics provider Flurry has added advanced audience segmentation and demographics estimates to its free Flurry Analytics service. The upgrade will allow targeting by location, age, gender, app category interests and usage. More
In the US, multi-screen audience measurement specialist Rentrak has reported a drop in revenues to $22.4m for the first quarter of fiscal 2012 (2011 first quarter: $24.6m), with a 19% decline in its Home Entertainment segment more than cancelling out good growth in its information division. More
In the US, Kantar Video has appointed media veteran Arthur McKinley as Vice President, Business Development, to build relationships with agencies and brands around its Videolytics platform. Lyle Freedman also joins the company, as Director, Business Intelligence. More
Norwegian online media intelligence firm Meltwater has acquired US social search engine IceRocket, in a bid to extend its online conversation monitoring and analysis tools. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen is planning to launch a service which uses gross ratings points (GRP) for ad campaigns on Facebook and other online platforms, allowing comparison with measures of audience reach for television, print and outdoor advertising. More
In the US, digital measurement specialist Compete - now part of Kantar Media - has appointed former Crimson Hexagon CEO Scott Centurino as Chief Operating Officer, to help manage the firm's growth. More
In the US, full-service marketing agency Empower MediaMarketing has acquired data analysis and mining specialist Market Intelligence Group (MIG). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Online measurement firm comScore has agreed to acquire digital advertising analytics company AdXpose for a total of $22m, mainly in stock. comScore has also reported a loss for the second quarter, despite a steep rise in revenue. 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
In the US, Interpublic-owned ad agency Mullen has hired AT&T's former Executive Director of Media Research and Insights Patrick Acosta, as Director of Performance Analytics. His appointment is part of a move to merge Mullen's data analytics, media mix modeling and brand planning operations. More
In India, the MRSI (Market Research Society of India) has elected Ashok Das, the MD of Hansa Research, as its President for the next two-year term. More
Norwegian online survey technology firm QuestBack has acquired and will merge with German panel and survey software firm Globalpark. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is expected that the joint company will exceed turnover of EUR 40 million within its first year of operation. More
Online entertainment leaders Hulu and Spotify have stopped using KISSmetrics' analytics services, after it was found that the firm had been using 'ETag' technology to track users, even after they had deleted their cookies. More
Online survey and reporting software company Confirmit has opened its first German office in Cologne, to be led by Business Development Director Dan Starkey. More
In the UK, media agency Initiative has appointed former Associated Newspapers Insight Manager Liz Parker as Head of Research Worldwide. More
US-based multi-screen specialist Rentrak has signed its first European client for video-on-demand measurement, Spanish digital television operator Digital+. The firm's burgeoning Advanced Media and Information (AMI) division signed the data tracking agreement last week. More
US-based customer analysis and targeting provider Segmint Inc. is to expand its business development efforts with the aid of a funding round including $250,000 from investment firm JumpStart Inc. 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
US-based social media monitoring company Hearsay Social has raised $18m in new funding, and plans to double its headcount to 80 employees by the end of the year. The firm has so far raised a total of $21m since its launch in February. More
In the US, qual specialist Gongos Research has promoted Michael Francesco Alioto to the newly created post of Vice President, Global Methodologies, and appointed former Ford Motor researcher Lynn Siluk to replace him as Vice President, Marketing Sciences. More
In the US, social media agency Banyan Branch has launched a new practice, Social Interactive, to complement its existing Research & Analytics, Strategy and Engagement divisions. More
US-based ratings giant Arbitron has acquired Finnish mobile measurement firm Zokem for an initial c.$11.7m in cash, plus up to $12m in future payments depending on performance. More
Nielsen has reported a 10% rise in revenue to $1.4 billion for the second quarter, the result of a 14% increase in its Buy consumer purchase behavior segment and a 4% increase in its Watch media research arm. 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
In the US, online marketing agency Adperio - which recruits online panelists for a number of international market research agencies - has been acquired by digital ad specialist Matomy Media Group. While terms were not disclosed, the deal could be worth up to $30m. More
Millward Brown's digital practice Dynamic Logic is working with its parent firm to launch FanIndex - a system for measuring the impact of brand pages across social media. 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 web analytics firm Tealium has rolled out new DIY software which enables users to add, remove or modify web page tags which collect data and drive search engine optimization. More
Online behavioral predictive analytics specialist Visual Revenue has secured Series A Seed Funding of $512k, which will be used to fuel product development. More
Chris Havemann, President and CEO of e-Rewards, is leaving the business to 'pursue new opportunities', but will remain in his current role until a replacement is selected. It is not yet known what his next career move will be. More
US-based Internet and mobile monitoring specialist Keynote Systems has reported 'record revenue' of $26.6m for the third fiscal quarter of 2011, compared with $19.3m in the prior year period. For the past nine months, revenue has increased 18% year-on-year to $75.5m. More
The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has approved a new service, designed to simplify the audit process for Canadian newspapers with circulations below 30,000. More
Online audience metrics firm comScore has launched a new social media measurement platform called 'Social Essentials', offering brands help in quantifying social media brand impressions and integrating them into measurement of the marketing mix. More
UK-based media and marketing analytics firm Ebiquity has reported a 108% increase in total revenue to £44.2m for the year ended 30 April 2011 (2010: £21m). During the period, operating profit doubled to £5.3m (2010: £2.6m). 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
Opinium Research has partnered with technology firm Roundpoint, to launch a new mobile research platform, giving access to a panel of respondents. More
Technology consultancy Forrester Research has announced three new and enhanced data products - Community Speaks, Russian Technographics and Data Explorer - geared towards helping insights professionals to 'operate as strategic business advisors'. More
US tech-based qual researcher Quester and mobile survey software provider iPinion have integrated their systems to enhance their mobile research offering. More
Arbitron has today announced second quarter results ahead of many analysts' expectations, with revenue up 8.4% year-on-year to $95.7m. With costs up just 1.1%, profits jumped: EBITDA was up 52.5% to $19.7m. More
MR associations CASRO and ESOMAR are to join forces to develop and implement a standard promoting consistency and transparency in the online sampling process. More
Customer feedback solutions provider Opinionmeter International has upgraded its TouchPoint Mobile survey app for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, adding features for incentives, multiple languages and resuming surveys after interruption, among others. More
In London, ad giant M&C Saatchi has taken a 25% stake in a new data and insight-based marketing consultancy, formed by two former Ogilvy strategists. More
In the US, web-based software developer Cvent has raised $136m, which will be used for 'substantial technology developments', including enhancements to its cloud-based web survey products. More
In the UK, the Market Research Society (MRS) is seeking input for a new white paper, 'Online Data Collection and Privacy', which aims to set out legal and ethical parameters in this area and clarify the market research sector's standpoint. More
In New York, PR giant MWW Group has appointed Doug O'Reilly as Vice President, Director of Insights and Research, to spearhead the growth of its research, insight and listening capabilities. More
UK-based custom panel solutions specialist EasyInsites has enhanced its EasyPanel product with the aim of making its panel web sites 'more engaging and community oriented'. To support this effort, the firm has hired web developer Charlie Fairclough. 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
Ad agency network Publicis has bought a 51% stake in New York-based social media agency Big Fuel, which offers strategic, creative, distribution, management and analytics services to global clients. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. More
PR agency network Edelman has launched BlogLevel; a new tool to help identify who is influential on particular topics across the blogosphere. The firm has also released version 2.0 of its TweetLevel service, which pinpoints those who are influential on Twitter. More
In New York, media monitoring and measurement specialist EmPower Research has set up an innovation center called 'InnoLabs', through which it will develop methods to generate insights using unstructured social media data. More
Canadian ecommerce market research specialist Terapeak has partnered with Yahoo! Japan to make historical transaction data from the latter's auction site available to a wider set of merchants. Terapeak has also promoted Colin How to the position of President. More
In the US, research and measurement consultancy StrategyOne, which is part of the Edelman PR network, has acquired online research communities specialist PluggedIN. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Multinational directories giant Yell Group has partnered with word-of-mouth agency Bazaarvoice to provide its more than 1.3 million advertisers with analysis of online customer conversations, as well as insights about online consumer sentiment and behaviour. More
In London, global ad firm M&C Saatchi has acquired the remainder of social media agency Human Digital, having taken a 25% share in the firm in March. Terms of this phase of the deal were not disclosed. More
Ad research specialist Ipsos ASI has launched a New York-based global practice to help marketers and advertisers better understand the future of digital advertising. The new 'Ipsos ASI Digital' division will be led by former Ipsos Open Thinking Exchange SVP Jim Forrest. More
German user and brand research specialist Eye Square has opened a Social Media Unit (SMU) at its headquarters in Berlin, from which it will conduct and further develop behaviour-based social media user research platforms. 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
Google has partnered with Kantar to establish a 3,000-strong opt-in panel which will measure TV and online media consumption in the UK. 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
Dubai-based social media monitoring firm SocialEyez has launched operations in Latin America through a partnership with Global News Group, allowing it to deliver integrated media monitoring solutions to businesses in the region. More
Internet giant Yahoo! plans to make changes to its terms and conditions to allow its systems to read and analyse users' e-mails and then send them targeted advertising based on their interests and hobbies. More
In the US, the firm behind dashboard intelligence platform Netvibes has added 'adaptive social analytics' to its existing monitoring solution, adding the ability to analyze emerging trends in real time. More
In the UK, a group of 13 MPs have tabled a motion expressing concern about online privacy, with particular reference to WPP's plans to build a database of half a billion Internet users for behavioural ad targeting purposes. More
Research Now, which owns the Valued Opinions panel, has rolled out its 'Valued Opinions Mobile' app in Australia, which it claims is the first smartphone app with full survey functionality. More
In the UK, WPP-owned Grey Advertising has partnered with social media agency Wildfire Word of Mouth (which has rebranded as The Social Partners), to combine social media with offline' influencer' programmes. More
In the US, Bluefin Labs has introduced a system of metrics to quantify and contextualise social media response to programs watched on television. More
Userlytics has launched an enterprise version of its video-based remote usability testing platform, promising agencies the ability to test their campaigns, applications and online properties with audiences around the world. More
In the US, media measurement and analytics firm TRA has filed a counterclaim to WPP's recent lawsuit, started over claims that Kantar Media Audiences' RapidView product 'rips off' TRA's Media TRAnalytics solution. 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
India's Star TV has added its 75,000-member panel - managed by Indian online research firm Nepa - to Cint's Panel Exchange (CPX). More
Online audience measurement specialist comScore has signed a $50m 'revolving credit' deal with the Bank of America, which it plans to use for working capital and general corporate purposes. More
Lightspeed Research has promoted Frank Kelly to the post of Senior Vice President, Operations, in charge of client and panel operations in the company's Americas region. More
In the UK, PR firm Brunswick Group has appointed Phil Riggins as a Partner in its Opinion Research Practice, Brunswick Research. More
UK-based media, entertainment and leisure research specialist Brand Driver has expanded its management and research teams with four new appointments. More
Aegis may be offered up to £600m for Synovate by an as-yet unidentified bidder, according to reports: considerably more than the rumoured value of the current 'exclusive' Ipsos bid, c.£520m. More
The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) has experienced a 90% fall in recorded traffic to its web site, following its implementation of the new EU Directive obliging all companies to seek informed up-front consent from visitors to the site for using cookies. More
TNS has announced a European partnership with digital ad measurement specialist Alenty, to deliver a solution assessing the business impact of display ads. Initially available France, Germany, Spain and the UK, the service should roll out to more countries soon. More
comScore has introduced its Digital Analytix service in Latin America, offering 'in-depth forensic research on site-level activity'. More
Behavioral advertising company Phorm yesterday reported an operating loss of $27.9m for the year ended December 2010. The company reported zero revenue for the period but says this will change in the current financial year. More
comScore has launch its Video Metrix online video measurement service in Russia, and released initial results for viewing in May. More
Panel exchange operator Cint has announced new partnerships with operators of student panels, the UK's National Union of Students (NUS) and Student Beans, and Irish student panel W5. 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
Kantar Media has announced the European launch of its online behavioural measurement firm Compete, with the opening of a new office in London. More
UK television measurement body BARB (Broadcasters' Audience Research Board) is to roll out a viewing meter which promises measurement of TV viewed via a PC or laptop. More
US web metrics firm Quantcast has appointed former Google product manager Jag Duggal as Vice President, Product Management. More
In the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has opened the IAB Ad Lab, an 'online community center' above its New York office, where it says members can create new ad formats, build brands online and debate and anticipate the future of mobile advertising. More
Real-time web usability testing firm SeeVolution has closed a $530k round of angel financing, which it will use to develop new services, launch expanded service suites, and grow its sales and marketing function. 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
Yan Xuan has been appointed as President of Nielsen Greater China, reporting to CEO David Calhoun and with a seat on the Nielsen Executive Council (NEC). More
Online panel specialist Lightspeed Research has expanded its Hong Kong presence with the appointment of Paul Wong as SVP, Business Development and a move to new offices in the city's Quarry Bay area. More
In the US, Kantar Video has promoted digital media strategist and entrepreneur Andrew Chang to the role of Chief of Staff. The firm has also transferred Brian Schorr from sister WPP agency CommonHealth to the post of Director of Finance. More
In the US, social media analytics specialist Viralheat has secured $4.25m in a Series A funding, which will be used to expand its engineering team and to create new analytics and engagement products and services. More
US agency MartinJay Digital has acquired the intellectual assets of Socialblaze, a Los Angeles-based developer of social media intelligence and analytics applications. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
UKOM, the cross-industry organisation set up to oversee the measurement of online audiences, is to begin a major review of its main audience contract next month, allowing time to consider 'major changes' before the end of the contract - currently with Nielsen - in December 2012. 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 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
Language Connect - a specialist in market research language services - and online qual platform provider VisionsLive have partnered to provide a simultaneous interpreting and moderating service for international online qual groups. More
WPP has entered the ad targeting fray with the launch of Xaxis, a new firm which links the group's ad-buying technologies with a proprietary database containing what it describes as the 'world's largest pool of audience profiles'. 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
US-based online marketing firm ChoiceStream has launched an audience targeting platform called CRUNCH, which uses proprietary intent data to predict how individuals will react to brand messages. More
Research firm Kadence International has increased the size of the CATI facility at its London HQ from 50 to 75 stations. 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
A group of private equity firms has formed a holding company called Whitefield, tasked with acquiring a global network of analytics-driven marketing solutions companies. More
RAJAR, the UK's radio audience research body, has extended its audience measurement contract with Ipsos MORI through to 2014. The agency has conducted the programme since RAJAR was founded in 1992. More
Online measurement specialist comScore has introduced a new service called 'Device Essential', for measuring digital traffic from 'all devices' - including computers, mobile phones, tables, music players, e-readers and gaming devices. More
Chinese search engine Baidu has reportedly acquired a 29% stake in online ratings specialist Leftbrain Technologies for 3.1 million Yuan ($464k). More
Amsterdam-based online usability testing firm Usabilla has closed a $1m (EUR 750k) funding round. In addition to international expansion, the firm will use the money to scale its technology and ensure compatibility with platforms such as mobile, tablets and television. More
In the US, Inuvo - which provides online ad services backed by data and analytics - has sold $2.7m of its stock and warrants, with the funds earmarked for further development of its platform and web properties. More
In New York, media measurement specialist Affinity has expanded its 'American Magazine Study' (AMS) to include those viewing via a host of digital platforms including web sites and mobile apps. More
Software giant Adobe has reported 'record revenue' of $115.9m for its Omniture web analytics division for the second quarter of fiscal year 2011, ended June 3, compared with $91.9m for the prior year period. More
US-based comms market specialist Infonetics Research has opened an office in the UK, led by George Stojsavljevic as Senior Account Director for EMEA; and an office in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. More
Millward Brown has moved Patty Currie into the role of Global Brand Director for Tracking, based in the firm's Lisle, Illinois office. This is the last appointment in the series of five new senior branding roles announced in January. 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
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
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 US, Nielsen has formed an alliance with grocery media network and software firm MyWebGrocer, to develop what it says is the 'First Comprehensive View of US Online Supermarket Purchases.' More
Marketing services giant Publicis Groupe has agreed to acquire Genedigi Group, one of China's largest independent PR and marcoms agencies, and will align it with its flagship PR business MSLGROUP. Genedigi also boasts an in-house market research centre. Terms were not disclosed. More
In Dallas, TX, social media marketing company Splash Media has announced the release of 'SplashCube', a social media management tool for small to medium-sized businesses. More
In the US, The Meltwater Group has launched a new tool combining its existing social media monitoring and analysis capabilities with social media CRM and business offerings from recently acquired JitterJam. More
Web analytics firm Performable, founded by former Compete CTO David Cancel, has been sold to marketing software platform provider HubSpot for an undisclosed amount. More
Marcoms giant WPP has filed a lawsuit against media measurement and analytics firm TRA, reportedly over claims by the latter that its Media TRAnalytics tool has been 'ripped off' by WPP subsidiary Kantar Media Audiences. More
In New York, the MMA (Mobile Marketing Association) has formed a Mobile Analytics Committee, tasked with defining standards and measurement methodologies that govern the practice of mobile analytics. More
In the US, digital media services firm DG is to acquire digital ad platform MediaMind Technologies, which recently gained accreditation from the Media Rating Council (MRC) for its 'Unique Impressions and Average Frequency' metrics. The deal is valued at c.$517m. More
Panel and sample specialist Cint has promoted Terence McCarron to the role of Managing Director of North America, following the departure of Michael McCrary after just a year in the post. McCarron was previously SVP of North American Sales. More
Online measurement specialist comScore and magazine ratings provider GfK MRI have partnered to develop a new product linking Americans' online media habits with print readership and other media consumption data. 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
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 online market specialist Lyris has acquired a majority stake in Sydney, Australia-based Cogent Online, which offers e-mail direct marketing, cost-per-response advertising, market research and behavioural analysis, and marketing technologies. Terms were not disclosed. More
Data and analytics giant Experian Marketing Services has partnered with Kantar Media to provide clients with analysis of their audiences by household attributes such as income levels. More
Former Yahoo! Europe VP Stephen Taylor has become Chairman of Manchester, UK-based call tracking and web analytics firm AdInsight. 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
Marketing and customer intelligence software provider smartFOCUS has been acquired by online campaign manager Emailvision, in a deal reported to be valued at £25.3m in cash. More
UK-based SPA Future Thinking has introduced three tools to help brands and broadcasters measure the impact of sponsorship, product placement and multimedia campaigns. More
ZenithOptimedia has opened an Australian office for its global marketing effectiveness agency Ninah Consulting, and recruited former Synovate Aztec director Bryan Hall to lead the business. 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
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
The Bank of England has revealed in an article in its latest 'Quarterly Bulletin' that it is using Google 'Insights for Search' to gather information on the state of the British economy. More
Multi-screen media measurement firm Rentrak has announced financial results for its fiscal fourth quarter and full year ended March 31st. As with the previous quarter, the figures show rapid growth in its AMI (Advanced Media and Information) division against a decline in its Home Entertainment division. More
French-based ad group Publicis has dismissed speculation that it might be considering a bid for Synovate, and reports suggest that WPP is also an unlikely rival for front-runner Ipsos. More
US-based mobile app analytics provider Flurry has launched in Europe with the appointment of former Amazon/Yahoo! exec Richard Firminger as European MD. More
In the US, eCommerce software company ShopIgniter and analytic solutions company Webtrends have announced a partnership to offer what they say is the industry's 'first enterprise-grade social commerce analytics solution.' More
In the US, customer satisfaction measurement firm ForeSee Results has filed a 'proactive declaratory' lawsuit against patent licensing company Lodsys on behalf of several of its clients, who Lodsys claims are infringing its patents. 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
Hot on the heels of the news that Aegis is in talks with Ipsos about the sale of its market research arm Synovate, the group's digital arm iProspect has acquired social media intelligence specialist ICUC Moderation Services (ICUC) in Canada. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Raydar Research - which was recently founded by former Pulse Group COO Kym Wong - has launched new mobile panels in Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore. More
Search giant Google has acquired PostRank, a specialist in measuring engagement in social media. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
In the UK, Creston-owned ICM Direct has appointed former Research Now panel specialist Pat McCarthy as Head of its online research division. More
In the US, marcoms agency WCG has appointed former Weber Shandwick exec Tim Marklein to direct its Analytics group, which provides digital and social analytics based on a mix of software, services and communications expertise. More
European digital marketing agency Adform has launched a 'new generation' of banner advertisements, whose messages can be tailored to the individual user's specific interests. More
US video specialist Visible Measures has appointed former Head of Google Analytics Sales / Enterprise Paul Botto as General Manager of its analytics and measurement businesses. More
Digital metrics company comScore has introduced its syndicated mobile measurement service MobiLens in Canada. The service reports on mobile consumers' demographics and behaviours, along with the attributes and capabilities of their devices. More
UK measurement body RAJAR has added an online self-completion diary and Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) to its range of data collection methods for radio audience rating. The new approaches will be rolled out from next month. More
Webcam-enabled focus group provider FocusVision has released a new version of its InterVu software, which includes a new project management portal and a marking feature allowing clients to time-stamp key moments in a group. More
Port Washington, NY-based Paradigm Sample has introduced a smartphone app through which panelists can be sent tailored surveys and information based on their current location. More
Lightspeed Research has unveiled a new custom panels and communities offering, Lightspeed Engage, which promises to give clients 'access to relevant consumer insights wherever, whenever and however they need them.' More
The Board of Aegis Group has confirmed that it is in talks with Ipsos about the possible sale of its market research arm Synovate. Analysts suggest a price of around £500m and the combination would create the world's fourth largest research agency. More
Harris Interactive has integrated its permission-based access to Facebook users into its qual research methods to launch a product called QualLife, designed to validate clients' marketing or product development efforts. More
In the US, Hispanic full-service agency Offerwise has launched QueOpinas.com, a web-based panel and survey sampling service with panellists recruited through Spanish language TV commercials. More
In the UK, Kantar Media has promoted Allister Nixon from CFO to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer, Kantar Media Audiences, charged with maintaining and enhancing the performance of the firm's metered measurement services. More
In the US, mobile advertising and data company Millennial Media has acquired Condaptive, a start-up technology firm which helps developers build mobile audiences by analyzing location and other data. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
US-based Media Economics Group - which provides competitive intelligence on magazine and online advertising targeted at the Hispanic and African-American markets - has launched a service covering online ad activity in Mexico. More
Online sampling and data collection firm Research Now has relocated Emel Mohammadally from London to Sydney to lead its Client Development team in Australia, while appointing James Burrows as Senior Vice President of Client Development in New York. More
London-based online research software and services provider Dub has opened its first US office in Los Angeles, to support existing clients in the North and South American markets. More
US tech specialist ABI Research has acquired Market Eye 1, an agency which offers 'teardown' analysis of mobile handsets segmented by manufacturer. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Canadian research software firm Voxco has launched Acuity4 Social, a social media monitoring and insights platform which includes sentiment analytics tools and reporting capabilities. More
Online competitive intelligence provider Experian Hitwise has rolled out its Internet measurement service in China, where it will report on more than a million web sites over 130 industries across the country's major search engines. 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
US-based research technology firm Decipher has appointed former Maritz exec Mitch Danklef as Senior Vice President of Client Development, charged with generating domestic business. 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
Speak Asia, a company recruiting respondents for paid participation in market research projects, has defended itself today against allegations in the online press that its bank accounts have been frozen and that it is under investigation by the Indian Ministry of Corporate Affairs. 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
Research Now has this week launched an online campaign measurement product, ADimension, which combines its global opinion panels with Quantcast's measurement tech to create what the firm calls 'a superior, sustainable, permission-based measurement methodology' for campaign evaluation. More
Tel Aviv-based tracx has announced a new social media module named SMMS which adds analytics and segmentation to the company's existing planning and distribution package. More
Nielsen has won IAB Australia's contract to supply the country's online audience measurement currency, following an eight-month tender process. More
In San Francisco, digital media and brand metrics company BuzzLogic has secured $7.8m in third round investments. The money is earmarked for expansion plans which include acquisitions, increasing its product offering and doubling the sales force. More
In the UK GamesAnalytics, data mining and game monetization specialist, has appointed Mark Robinson as Chief Operating Officer. More
UK ad association the ISBA has launched two best practice guides for digital advertisers, one covering mobile marketing and the other the setting of smart objectives and KPIs for brands. More
Millward Brown's digital insights division Dynamic Logic has announced the launch of AdRadar, a platform pulling in data from clients' own systems and a range of third party panels and databases to create new ways of measuring digital ad exposure. 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
GfK Media has today announced the appointment of Jude De Souza, formerly of the BBC, as Research Manager for its ITV Panel. More
In the USA, social media intelligence firm Crimson Hexagon has announced an investment of $5m from Charles F Dolan, the founder and Chairman of the telecoms and media company Cablevision Systems Corporation. More
Ipsos has announced a restructure of its ASI advertising division in the Asia Pacific region. Kym Penhall is promoted to MD of the region, while Great China MD Javier Calvar adds new responsibilities, and Peter Fairbrother and Keith Spencer also take up new roles. 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
Research Now has hired Kevin Murphy in the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO). He brings nearly 30 years of experience in the IT industry, most recently from ecommerce and payment solutions provider First Data Corporation where he was SVP of Retail and Alliance Services Product Delivery. 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 London, co-creation agency Promise has appointed two new Executive Directors, Richard Bowden-Doyle and Ed Herten, to work with the company both in the UK and the US. More
Nielsen has agreed to acquire the remainder of neuromarketing firm NeuroFocus, to fend off a bid from marcoms giant WPP, according to a report in MediaDailyNews. More
In the UK, media and marketing analytics firm Ebiquity has acquired TCRG Holdings Limited, the parent company of reputation specialist Echo Research. The deal is worth an initial £3.5m in cash, and up to £10m if Echo achieves certain targets over the next two years. More
Online customer behaviour specialist Site Intelligence has raised $7m in funding, which it will use to support plans for global expansion. More
In the UK, consumer specialist Perception Research Services International (PRS) has appointed former Harris Interactive director Alki Manias as Vice President, Account Manager in its London office. More
Nielsen has promoted Emilie Darolles to the role of Managing Director of its operations in Taiwan. More
In the US, search technology firm PeekYou has launched 'Social Analytics API', a tool which identifies and maps the 'digital footprint' of individual web authors and contributors; and structures, categorizes and analyzes public content for the firm's social listening and analytics partners. More
Last week's BIG Conference - the only such B2B research bash in the world - opened last Wednesday with its infamous pre-sessions entertainments. Features Editor Teresa Lynch reports on the question researchers couldn't answer (or understand), and explains why Apple is not an innovator. More
Online ad bodies the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Europe and the European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA) have merged to form a single European trade association combining their membership, research efforts and expertise. More
Online sampling and panels specialist Research Now has introduced a new smartphone app, billed as the first in a series of mobile data collection capabilities to be launched this year. 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
US panel and technology provider The Sample Network has launched the HonestInsite.com, a proprietary technology platform to help researchers convert their offline panels and databases into online communities. More
In the US, radio ratings giant Arbitron has revealed further details of its 'Project Leapfrog' approach, which will replace its existing seven-day paper-based diary service with a web and mobile-based data collection system. More
Panel and survey software firm Globalpark has released the latest version of its Enterprise Feedback Suite (EFS), which enables market researchers to recruit and gather customer feedback directly in Facebook. More
US video analytics specialist Visible Measures has promoted Seraj Bharwani to the role of Chief Analytics Officer, overseeing the mining of the firm's patented platform and 'Viral Reach Database' of online video advertising. More
In Austria, semantic web technology firm uma has closed a EUR 800,000 ($1.1m) funding round, which it says will help it move 'more aggressively' into the digital signage and display market. More
UK-based analytics software company Alterian has upgraded its social media monitoring tool SM2, by adding the ability to track conversation sentiment in Greek. 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
Google has partnered with Publicis-owned brand agency Digitas to deliver mobile marketing insights and usage research data. The partnership aims to aim to inform clients' investment strategies, forecast trends and drive increased adoption of mobile-optimized web sites. More
The Board of US-based multi-screen audience measurement firm Rentrak has authorized a one-year share repurchase program for up to $5m of the company's outstanding common stock, which it says is currently undervalued. 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
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
The Czech Association for Internet Advertising (SPIR) has awarded comScore a three-year contract to supply the official common currency for online and mobile media audience measurement in the country, replacing the current provider, the Gemius and Mediaresearch partnership. More
US online media firm WebMediaBrands has acquired Inside Network, which provides market research, analysis and news about Facebook, social gaming and mobile apps. Terms include $7.5m in cash and c.4.2 million of the buyer's shares. More
In the US, TV ad targeting platform Simulmedia has raised $9.25m in new funding, which it will use for additional product development and to recruit new staff for its sales team. More
WPP-backed Facebook page management company Buddy Media has acquired Spinback, a New York-based firm that provides social media sharing and analytics tools. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, social media intelligence company Claritics has received $1.5m in Series A financing, which it will use to further develop its suite of SaaS analytics applications and to fund sales and operations growth. More
US-based social media marketing specialist ChatLab has launched 'The Nucleus', a platform which automates tasks including data mining, analytics, reporting and influencer targeting. More
US-based technology consultancy Forrester Research has acquired Asia Pacific-focused IT analyst and advisory services provider Springboard Research. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Nielsen has promoted former Microsoft exec Celia Fan to lead its 'Watch' media research division in Hong Kong. More
Synovate parent Aegis has acquired QualitÃĻ Search Marketing, an agency based in Norway which specialises in search engine marketing and advertising, web analytics and social media. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, AdSafe Media - which provides a rating and verification standard for the online advertising industry - has appointed audience targeting and measurement specialist Scott Knoll as Chief Executive Officer. More
e-Rewards, the parent of online panel firm Research Now, has acquired social media market research agency Conversition Strategies, just two years after its launch by former Ipsos and NPD executives Jean Davis and Tessie Ting. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
In the US, behavioral targeting and data management firm AudienceScience has promoted its former COO Jeff Pullen to the post of Chief Executive Officer, to focus in part on mergers and acquisitions. More
In the UK, social media tracking firm Trufflenet has appointed former Harris Interactive exec Ed Chatham as Managing Director. Chatham will work to grow the firm by developing partnerships with marcoms agencies and expansion into other markets. More
In the UK, media measurement standards body the ABC has launched a new set of metrics to measure and evaluate online app activity. 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
YouTube Founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen are to acquire social media analytics firm Tap11 for an undisclosed sum. Tap11 will augment another recently announced acquisition, social bookmarking service Delicious, as part of the pair's new company, Avos. More
Apple is the world's number 1 brand by a distance, adding 84% to last year's valuation to leapfrog mobile o/s rival Google, according to Millward Brown's Brandz index, just published. 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
WorldOne, the international specialist in healthcare data collection, has announced the opening of an office in Mexico City, and appointed Roberto Varillas, co-founder of Acertiva, as MD for the country. More
Ad optimization specialist TidalTV has partnered with real-time video technology provider Eyeview to develop a targeted online video ad solution. 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
Dave Thomas, President Global Media Client Services at Nielsen, is to leave the firm after 22 years. His replacement will be Mitch Barns, currently President of Nielsen Greater China. More
In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has called off its three-year investigation into Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) device, and claims that it undercounted minority listeners. More
In the US, advertising network CityGrid Media has acquired social media monitoring and sentiment analysis platform BuzzLabs. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Nielsen has promoted Karthik Rao to the position of Managing Director of its Greater China region, based in its Shanghai office. More
US-based multi-screen audience measurement firm Rentrak has promoted Michael Vinson to Senior Vice President of Statistical Sciences and Analytics, and Gordon Jones to the post of VP of its OnDemand Essentials service. More
TV ratings body TAM Ireland has brought in RSMB TV Research to carry out an independent audit on recent audience figures, following complaints about those supplied by Nielsen. More
US joint venture company Nielsen Catalina Solutions has partnered with mobile advertising network 4INFO, to help CPG brands measure the impact of ad campaigns aired on mobile devices. 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
FocusVision - which provides online video transmission and analysis for qual market research - has appointed former Research Now Client Development Manager Baxter Tan to spearhead its growing Asia Pacific business. 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
Online measurement firm comScore has reported a huge increase in revenue for the first quarter - up 47% to $53.0m versus the previous year - but has turned a small profit into a small loss as a result of a rise in expenses. 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
In Canada, Ipsos has appointed Mike Rodenburgh as Vice President of Product Development for its research innovation center, the Open Thinking Exchange. More
In the US, Kantar Video has partnered with semantic web service OpenAmplify to enable marketers to track online and mobile video ads and content, while analyzing the social discussion around specific client video during and after its airing. 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
US iPhone and iPad users Vikram Ajjampur and William Devito are suing Apple, following allegations which broke last week stating that the firm tracks users' locations through their mobile devices. More
Nielsen has seen an 8.9% increase in revenue to $1.3bn for the first quarter of 2011. Net income rose from $16m to $64m but the firm reported a $181m loss in Q1 due to $206m costs relating to its recent initial public offering (IPO). 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
In Australia, Survey Sampling International (SSI) has appointed former Research Now MD Jason Buchanan as Managing Director of its Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. He replaces Rene Bos who has decided to return to Europe. More
Israeli web analytics firm Personyze has launched a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution providing advanced segmentation and personalization tools, as well as integration with Facebook. More
US-based research technology firm Decipher has moved to new headquarters in an 18,000 square foot building in Northeast Fresno, which once housed the HQ of Gottschalks department store. More
Israeli start-up Buzzilla, which offers social media monitoring and analysis, has completed a first round of funding totalling $1m. The money will be used to improve its content analysis scanning technology and expand into international markets. More
Netherlands-based online market research agency MetrixLab has appointed former Kantar Worldpanel director Chris Kingsland to lead its NPD & Innovations division in the UK. More
Radio ratings giant Arbitron has seen first quarter 2011 net revenue rise 5.2% to $100.9m, from $95.9m in the prior year period, while net income rose 18.2% to $16.2m. 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
US-based loyalty solutions firm Alliance Data Systems Corporation has acquired Aspen Marketing Services, a specialist in digital and advanced analytics. Terms were not disclosed. More
Online measurement firm comScore has released the beta version of its Media Metrix Total Universe report, which it claims provides audience measurement for 100% of a site's traffic across a full range of devices and media platforms - including mobile phones and tablets. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has granted accreditation to Arbitron's TAPSCAN Web, which provides radio ad buyers and sellers with an 'all-in-one' solution with audience data alongside electronic ordering, invoicing and scheduling. More
Moscow-based Online Market Intelligence (OMI), which provides online fieldwork in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus and the Baltic states, has opened offices in Finland and Canada, with expansion in mind. 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 US, marcoms network MDC Partners has hired journalist Ash Bennington as Director of Strategic Technology and Innovation. Bennington will oversee the launch of MDC Ideas, an internal think tank dedicated to identifying new solutions in social media, digital and business analytics. More
In New York, digital media platform provider Martini Media has partnered with web technology firm NetSeer to provide a service targeting ads to affluent individuals based on their intent. More
The number of researchers who feel that research is less valued than it was five years ago has risen sharply, according to the latest wave of the GreenBook Research Industry Trends Report. More
US technology research firm Yankee Group has launched an online data visualization platform, giving clients access to market intelligence, corporate strategy, marketing and product management data on the mobile and connectivity industries. 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 US, insight-driven marketing consultancy Trendline Interactive has appointed media research veteran Mike Bloxham as Vice President of Insights and Consulting. More
US retail giant Wal-Mart Stores has acquired Kosmix, a technology firm which searches and analyzes social media connections in real-time to deliver customised feedback to users. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the UK, Infogroup-owned ORC International has launched a new Data Solutions group, which will help clients handle large amounts of complex research and administrative data. 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
UK marketing budgets were revised down again in Q1 2011 in response to public sector spending cuts and rapidly rising cost pressures, according to the latest Bellwether survey published by ad association the IPA. More
Online panel and survey tech firm Toluna has announced two senior hires: John Bremer joins as Chief Research Officer (CRO) and Peter Shafer as Senior Vice President, Enterprise Solutions. More
US-based multi-screen audience measurement firm Rentrak Corporation has added the role of Corporate President to the duties of Cathy Hetzel, already President of its Advanced Media and Information (AMI) division; and has promoted Ron Giambra from EVP to President of Theatrical Worldwide. More
US-based social media consultancy Converseon has expanded to the Nordic region with the opening of an office in Copenhagen, serving clients across Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. More
In the US, data and analytics provider Experian Marketing Services has partnered with digital ad platform Turn to help advertisers plan, measure and manage their campaigns. More
In France, research agency CSA has acquired Paris-based Directpanel, which provides access to 50,000 online respondents through its online panel management and survey platform. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Synovate has appointed former TNS researcher Matthew Chang as Executive Director, serving as head of its operations in Taiwan. More
Canadian Voice-of-Customer (VoC) analytics specialist iPerceptions has reported a 7% rise in Q4 revenue to $1.29m, and a 69% drop in operating loss to $163k. More
In the UK, online analytics and visitor behaviour specialist Intellitracker has changed its name to Cognesia, reflecting a shift in focus towards behavioural targeting. More
In the US, eCGlobalPanel - the technology and panel arm of social media agency eCMetrics - has launched a new social media research platform that allows consumers to set their profiles and connect with other users according to their consumption experiences and areas of interest. More
Shares in UK-based analytics software company Alterian have plunged by more than a third, after the firm issued its second profits warning in just over a week. More
The High Court of Justice in England and Wales has today approved the sale of online panel and research technology provider Toluna to ITWP, a firm set up by Belgian investor Verlinvest to oversee and manage the deal. More
US marketing and product development agency LEVEL has appointed former Yahoo! user experience specialist Michelle Haag as Vice President, Customer Experience, to oversee a unit focused on content strategy, business strategy and usability. More
Mobile research technology firm OnePoint has introduced a new interface that embeds feedback tools into existing mobile apps, without the need for rewrites or programming. More
US-based online measurement firm comScore has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its 'comScore Direct' service, which provides filtered census-level data. More
In the US, Symphony Technology Group (STG) - the parent of retail market intelligence giant SymphonyIRI - has announced the launch of an ad performance analytics arm, supported by the acquisition of ad effectiveness measurement firm Factor Technology Group (FactorTG). More
European online research specialist InSites Consulting has announced plans to open an office in the US next year, adding to its existing presence in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, the UK and Romania. More
UK-based Speed-Trap, which monitors and evaluates online behaviour, has re-branded as Celebrus Technologies Limited, to reflect changes in its technology offer and assist with promotion and international expansion. More
In New York, GroupM Interaction's COO John Montgomery has been named Chairman of a new American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As) committee on Internet privacy. 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
Kantar Media has announced the launch of syndicated reporting on paid search advertising. Billed as an industry first, the service means Kantar now offers 'complete' online ad activity monitoring, including display, video and ad networks. More
In the US, Scarborough Research has appointed Gerardo Guzman as Vice President of Product Management, with a focus on providing solutions for clients to enhance their ROI. More
In the US, Clear Channel Radio has appointed Arbitron veteran Gary Marince in the newly-created position of SVP for Research and Development, working on analytics and audience understanding. More
In the UK, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has dropped its investigation into 'phone giant BT's trials of Phorm software, which it used in 2007 to serve personalised ads to tens of thousands of customers without their consent. More
In the US, Triton Digital Media (formerly known as Ando Media) - which provides digital services to the traditional and online radio sector - has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its Webcast Metrics digital audience measurement platform. More
Behavioral targeting platform Rocket Fuel has secured $6.6m in Series C funding, which it will use for new product development. The firm has also made its behavioural profiling technology available in the UK through the opening of European headquarters in London. More
In the US, Abrams Capital Management has continued its sale of shares in radio ratings giant Arbitron, raising $2.51m and adding to more than $20m raised earlier in the year. More
In the US, Alan Gould, the co-founder of ad effectiveness measurement firm IAG Research, has joined Harris Interactive's Board of Directors, to chair the firm's newly established Board Committee on Product Innovation. More
In Australia, Experian Hitwise's former Asia Pacific Research Director Alan Long has joined Online 1984 - the social media measurement division of The Online Circle - as General Manager. More
Online measurement specialist comScore has rolled out its new audience measurement tool AdEffx Campaign Essentials across Europe. The firm has also announced the roll-out of its Video Metrix service in Turkey. More
Twitter has developed a system to provide advertisers with the ability to create 'geo-relevant' ads, targeting their audience by geography. The social media giant has also launched 'The Follower Dashboard', to help users analyse their own audience of followers. More
In the UK, Havas-owned digital agency Media Contacts has launched a dedicated social media unit called Socialyse, which will create measureable social campaigns based on insight derived from consumer data. More
MR technology firm Imperium has upgraded its Verity product, to provide an improved understanding of the impact that belonging to multiple panels has on respondent data quality. More
In the US, word-of-mouth agency Bazaarvoice is planning to launch a trio of tools to enable brands to engage with, understand and act on consumer conversations. More
Panels and research technology firm Vision Critical has appointed former Research Now director Brad Wilson as its Business Development Director for Australia and New Zealand. More
Online ad body IAB Canada has launched two initiatives to help Canadian marketers keep up to date with recent research in interactive advertising, and to gain access to the digital expertise of employees working in the organization's 250+ member companies. More
Panel and survey technology provider Toluna has launched an iPhone app to facilitate survey response from its four million panellists. More
In the US, experience management technology provider KANA Software has acquired social media listening specialist Overtone. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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 US, business analytics firm Anametrix has received an undisclosed amount of funding from private investor Walter Kortschak, and has appointed former WebSideStory exec Michael Christian as General Counsel and VP of Corporate Development. Both take up seats on the firm's Board. 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 Netherlands, web analytics firm Opentracker has released a real-time cloud-based analytics solution which it says can measure and analyze millions of visitors and page views each minute. More
Havas-owned marcoms group Euro RSCG Worldwide has acquired personalized advertising and marketing agency Strategy Farm, which offers positioning and strategy services, along with digital, social media and CRM. Terms were not disclosed. More
Two social media specialists - ad network Adknowledge and Experian-owned technology firm Techlightenment - have paired up to launch a platform to help brands research what users are doing on Facebook. More
In the US, video analytics specialist Visible Measures has launched an ad network which will enable advertisers to buy user-initiated views aired in social media videos. More
Panels and research technology firm Vision Critical has promoted Kris Hartvigsen to the post of Senior Vice President of Business Development, Direct Sales for Europe. He will be based in London. More
In London, trend-based marketing insights consultancy SCB Partners has appointed Margaret Frazer as its Senior Research Director, with responsibility for the development of research methodologies and a team of 18 research and brand professionals. 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
Smartphone and tablet research provider Zokem has today appointed Seamus McAteer, founder of M-Metrics, to its board. It has also raised further funds from existing investors. More
Visible Technologies, a US-based provider of social media intelligence solutions, has secured a further $6m in financing, which it plans to use to increase sales and extend its international presence. More
Shopper marketing consultancy DCActiv has launched a new division in Dubai and named Hugo Mills, previously Diageo's GTME General Manager for the Gulf, as MD of its Global Travel Retail division (DCActiv GTR). More
The NPD Group has finalized its acquisition of tech analyst In-Stat, first announced three months ago. More
In the US, radio ratings firm Arbitron has appointed Richard J. Surratt as EVP, Finance and Chief Financial Officer, succeeding Sean Creamer who was promoted in June last year. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has accredited the monthly average-quarter-hour radio ratings data produced by Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) in 11 more markets. 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
In the UK, satellite broadcasting giant BSkyB is commencing a campaign to persuade its pay-TV customers of the 'benefits' of its AdSmart platform, which delivers targeted ads to households based on their subscription package and location. 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
Australian media analysis specialist Cubit Media Research and news aggregator Moreover Technologies have partnered to roll out a global online news and social media monitoring platform across the Asia Pacific region. More
Millward Brown has appointed Daren Poole as Global Brand Director for Link, its ad optimization solution. This is the fourth of five such newly created roles planned across the company. More
In the US, natural language processing technology firm AlchemyAPI has added advanced sentiment analysis functionality to its web text mining service. More
CRM software provider Salesforce.com has acquired Canadian social media monitoring firm Radian6, in a bid to help clients track customer trends on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The deal has been valued at around $326m. More
In the US, customer relationship marketing agency Merkle has acquired search marketing and web site optimization specialist IMPAQT, strengthening its analytics, database and digital marketing capabilities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, online reputation monitoring firm RatePoint has appointed Keith Cooper as President and Chief Executive Officer. 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
Internet auctioneer eBay has acquired online marketing specialist GSI Commerce for $2.4 billion. The buy gives eBay access to GSI's database management and segmentation tools, as well as its advanced advertising analytics solutions. 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
US-based KN Dimestore, whose technology adds consumer surveys to online ads, has developed an online survey approach which uses brand KPIs (key performance indicators), such as purchase intent, to optimize digital campaign creative in real-time. More
Media intelligence and analysis firm MyMediaInfo has expanded its US presence with the opening of a new office in Austin, Texas. More
nline media platform provider BuzzLogic has upgraded its conversational media planner BuzzPlanner. Clients can now input specific brand goals and receive a list of URLs for targeting, and use metrics about how actions change online conversations in order to optimize placements. More
US-based behavioral targeting specialist [x+1] has partnered with analytics firm MarketShare to help marketers optimise their mix of offline and online media. More
French financier Vincent BollorÃĐ 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 US, technology industry analyst The 451 Group has made its second purchase in a month by acquiring ChangeWave Research; a firm which quantifies change in consumer spending behavior, corporate purchasing, and other industry trends. Terms were not disclosed. More
Following IBM's acquisition of web analytics firms Coremetrics and Unica last year, the technology giant has launched a suite of real-time social media analysis tools. More
In the US, polling software firm CivicScience has raised $1.2m in funding, which it plans to use to expand its online polling platform iQpoll and hire additional team members. More
In the US, the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has modified its requirements for qualifying US and Canadian consumer magazines as replica digital editions, to account for publications produced on software for tablet devices like the iPad. More
Research provider Kadence International has appointed Barbara Gourley as Insights Director and a member of its UK Board, responsible for building, leading and mentoring the UK quant research team. More
Global online sampling and data collection firm Research Now has moved Martin Filz from Sydney, Australia to the position of Managing Director in the UK. He is replaced in his previous role as Managing Director for Asia Pacific by James Burge. 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 firms Gemius and the Market Watch Institute, together with media marketer Erez Bahat, have signed a four-year contract with the Joint Industry Committee (JIC) of the Israeli Association for Internet Rating Measurement, to provide an online media currency for the country. 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
US social media research and analytics firm ListenLogic has opened a fully-managed center, through which clients can listen to what is being said about their organization or brand, manage their reputation and drive 'social outreach'. More
In Hong Kong, Nielsen has added mobile Internet audience measurement to its Market Intelligence (MI) service. More
Digital out-of-home specialist Zoom Media and Marketing has hired media research exec Dan Rosenfeld for the newly created role of Director of Research & Insights, to lead all US audience measurement and campaign effectiveness studies. More
Kantar Media has promoted John McCarthy to the post of Head of Marketing Communications UK, promoting the firm's customised media research, media monitoring and evaluation services to media agencies, media owners and brands. 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
Tuesday afternoon kicked off with a session on researching children's buying behaviour, with speakers mapping out some of the minefield it represents, before a highly-informed audience. Teresa Lynch reports. More
Online marketing software start-up Motista has received a $4.5m Series A investment from El Dorado Ventures. The firm is also relocating its corporate headquarters from Rockville, MD to San Mateo, CA. More
comScore has responded to Nielsen's recent patent infringement lawsuit with a suit of its own. More
Research technology and panels firm GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.) has rolled out Ad Tracker, a fully integrated online advertising assessment solution including behavioral and attitudinal data. More
Social media and news monitoring giant The Meltwater Group has acquired social media CRM software provider JitterJam for $6 million. More
Survey research will decline dramatically in importance by 2020, with social media listening replacing much of it and adding new dimensions, according to Procter & Gamble research head Joan Lewis, speaking at the ARF conference today. More
Another year, another venue for the MRS Conference: this time The Grange St Paul's Hotel, London. Features Editor Teresa Lynch gives you a rapid roundup of everything you need to know (honest) about the first morning of Research 2011. More
In the US, the ARF (Advertising Research Foundation) has unveiled the first results from its review of current neuromarketing methods. The study finds it to be 'a valuable tool' but gives many reasons for caution. More
Nielsen has reportedly accused comScore of violating five of its patents relating to the collection, analysis and reporting of information about online activity. More
Behavioural targeting pioneer Phorm has raised a further £10m in funds via a placing of convertible secured loan notes with new and existing investors; and says initial results from its first Brazilian paid campaigns are promising. More
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sanctioned ad targeting company Chitika for installing cookies on users' machines just ten days after they had opted out of tracking. More
Chancellor George Osborne is working hard to persuade Sir Martin Sorrell to move WPP's tax base back from Ireland to the UK, according to reports in the Daily Telegraph. 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
Panel and sample specialist Cint has announced two new partnerships centred around its newly acquired DIY mobile relationship marketing platform, Thumbspeak. More
Online ad network ad pepper media has launched a managed retargeting solution which links behavioral and retargeting data with its proprietary semantic targeting technology, Sense Engine. More
In the US, The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) is introducing the eFAS-FAX Analyzer, a new tool which can be used to query daily newspaper circulation figures and create custom reports. More
CBS Interactive (CBSi) Australia has appointed Matthew Tibbles, formerly insight exec at News Digital Media, as Research and Insights Manager. 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
Australian app developer Julian Dunham has launched PollMate: a free quant research tool which promises anyone with a question the chance to obtain answers, opinion, or feedback from iPhone users. More
Richard Bitner Wirthlin, President Ronald Reagan's former Chief Strategist and Pollster, died at his home in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, a day after his 80th birthday. More
Australian newspaper publisher News Ltd has appointed Darren Stein as Director of Consumer Insights and Business Intelligence, responsible for creating a new team which will analyse feedback from both readers and advertisers. More
Sample exchange operator Cint has increased the size of its Irish sample to more than 20,000 through the addition of RED C Research/ICM Newvista Live, Delve Research, and SensorPro consumer panels, as well as the student-focused W5 panel. More
In the US, ad agency trade body the 4As has partnered with TV ad solutions firm BlackArrow and a large number of media firms to launch a research initiative that will measure the impact of ads within free video on demand (VOD) TV programs. More
Web site publishers are inflating their audience figures and misleading media buyers by double counting page views, counting pages before they load, and counting pop-ups, according to a new report released by the Audit Bureaux of Australia (ABA). More
In the US, San Francisco-based marketing intelligence company BackType has closed a $1m round of funding, which it will use to grow its team and launch a new paid social data analytics product later in the year. More
In the UK, SKOPOS Market Insight has hired former Carphone Warehouse Senior Insight Manager Kevin Macdonald as Director for Digital/Media/Leisure. More
In the US, radio ratings giant Arbitron has unveiled plans to roll out a new 'experimental approach' that features a web and mobile-based system as the main means for collecting data, instead of its existing seven-day paper-based diary service. More
ORC International has partnered with social media monitoring firm Infegy to launch 'Social Analytics Solutions' - a new service which integrates social listening technology with hands-on analysis to enable clients to understand and act on billions of online conversations. More
UK-based digital user experience (Ux) consultancy HeathWallace has established a new team in Melbourne, with the aim of expanding across Australia. More
comScore has today announced the launch of Digital Analytix, an 'agile and flexible' package of data analysis tools for in-depth research into site-level activity. The new software is powered by the firm's proprietary Atomix technology which uses un-aggregated data to deliver reports. More
In the UK, next generation digital media platform Specific Media has appointed Chris Worrell, previously Insight Manager at News International, as its new European Research Manager. More
Canadian social media company Radian6, which specializes in providing a platform to listen to, measure and engage with customers across the entire social web, has acquired London-based 6Consulting. Terms were not disclosed. More
Boston-based brand experience agency Jack Morton Worldwide has announced the opening of an office in Singapore from March 14th this year. The branch will be led by Charles Robinson, former head of the production team in the Hong Kong office. More
In Australia, The Newspaper Works, the print media industry body, has appointed Greg Hywood of Fairfax Media as Chairman. He replaces Brendan Hopkins, former CEO of APN News & Media who retired last year. 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
Omniture-owner Adobe has launched SocialAnalytics, a new product within its Online Marketing Suite which it says will enable marketers to monitor, measure and monetize social media via a single application. Separately, the firm's SiteCatalyst analytics solution has won MRC accreditation for four of its key metrics. 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
Online panel firm Research Now has hired Corinne Villalba as Client Development Director based in Paris. 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
In the US, Infegy has unveiled the latest version of its social media monitoring and analytics platform, Social Radar, combining detailed sentiment analysis from more than 40 million web sources with a rich user interface and improved usability. More
Data management specialist Aggregate Knowledge has augmented its AK Platform of with a suite of daily reports combining granular audience profiles with impression-level campaign data. More
US-based survey and panel management software firm Kinesis Survey Technologies has added a new 'Diary Campaign' feature to its panel management solution, to enable users to track panellist participation metrics. More
In New York, online audience data company Sociocast has raised $1.75m through a share placement. More
In the US, marketing services group Omnicom has partnered with AOL, Microsoft and Yahoo! in order to gain access to their consumer data and provide highly targeted online ads based on information such as users' gender, location and age. 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
Indian digital marketing and analytics platform Sokrati - built by three former Amazon execs - has secured an undisclosed amount of Series A funding. More
In Singapore, Yahoo! and Nielsen have partnered to launch Brand Impact, a study aimed at quantifying the branding effectiveness of online ad campaigns across Asia. 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
Plans to take online panel and research technology firm Toluna private have taken another step forward with the approval of the boards of Toluna itself and of ITWP, the firm created to carry through the transaction. 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
US media and technology research firm Interpret has launched a new digital ad testing tool, which uses ad tagging technology to track ad exposure among members of consumer panels worldwide. More
Online panel firm Toluna has reported 2010 group revenues of £73.6m, up from £49.5m in 2009 - but on a pro forma basis allowing for the Greenfield ISS acquisition, the rise was just 2%. Profit after tax, however, jumped to £6.6m from £1.6m in 2009. More
Networked Insights - which gathers customer intelligence from social networking, sites - has appointed social media specialist Paul Dunay as Chief Marketing Officer. More
In India Bharat Kapadia, who is a Director of Lokmat Newspapers, has stepped down as Vice Chairman of the MRUC (Media Research Users Council), citing 'personal reasons'. He has been replaced by Mumbai Samachar newspaper proprietor Hormusji Cama. More
In the US, online community provider CrowdGather has secured $7.85m through a sale of shares, which it plans to use to add to its stock of more than 65,000 online forums. More
London-based firm Qriously has broken cover with the introduction of a survey app, which provides a measure of real-time, location-based public opinion. More
In London, Progressive Digital Media (PDM) - the parent of online research firms The iD Factor and ICD Research - has reported a 29.4% rise in group revenue to £48.0m for 2010 (2009: £37.1m). More
In the US, Abrams Capital Management has sold 250,000 shares in radio ratings giant Arbitron, and raised $10.01m in the process. 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
In the UK, customer intelligence specialist Indicia has taken a stake in social media and search consultancy Make It Rain. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, Nielsen has promoted Mary Liz Finn to the position of Chief Human Resources Officer, to lead the firm's human capital strategy, and oversee leadership development programs, compensation and benefits packages. 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
Social intelligence specialist Visible Technologies has added new features to its platform, to enable users to identify the most relevant online influencers posting on social media sites. More
US technology industry analyst The 451 Group has acquired TheInfoPro, a New York-based advisory and research firm which provides analysis of the technology vendor landscape. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, Gian Fulgoni, the co-founder and Executive Chairman of digital measurement specialist comScore, has sold 160,000 company shares for $4.48m. More
In the US, Crowdtap has officially launched a 'consumer participation network', enabling marketers to access targeted crowds of influential consumers for real-time market research and ideation on a self-service, pay-per-action basis. More
Online sample exchange Cint has moved to bigger premises in Farringdon, London, having outgrown its previous offices in Oxford Circus where it moved just two years ago. The firm has also relocated its Southern Europe team to new space in Barcelona. More
In the US, cross-platform ad measurement agency Adometry has been acquired by click fraud detection firm Click Forensics. The group - now renamed Adometry - has also launched an analytics suite to help online advertisers measure campaigns across different networks. More
According to reports, the MRUC (Media Research Users Council) - which conducts the Indian Readership Survey (IRS) - has terminated its agreement with Australian firm Roy Morgan Research to launch a single source survey in India. More
Multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has introduced time-shifted DVR ratings data into its StationView Essentials service, which provides viewing information from more than 17 million televisions across the US. More
In the US, technology firm Kurani Interactive - developer of the Opinionaided iPhone market research app and Q&A community - has secured a further $1m in funding for expansion of its mobile real-time feedback service. More
In the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has launched a permanent forum for its members to address topics relating to the collection and use of interactive advertising data. More
Nielsen has reported 2010 revenue of $5.13 billion, a 6.1% increase on a constant currency basis. Net income of $132m for the year compares well with a loss of $489m in 2009. More
In the US, three advertising trade groups have launched the 'Making Measurement Make Sense' initiative, with a remit to develop digital metrics and cross-platform measurement solutions as currency for the media buying sector. 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
In the US, online behavior measurement specialist Compete has introduced a tool to help media planners target consumer segments via a broad range of sites. More
US-based social intelligence services and analytics firm Mzinga has appointed software industry veteran Alan Nugent as Chief Executive Officer. More
In Malaysia Kym Wong, former Pulse Group COO, has set up Raydar Research, a new company offering data collection through mobile and online platforms. More
In the UK, qual specialist Firefly Millward Brown has appointed Meredith Bourgery as its first Global Qualitative Account Director, to develop and execute initiatives that support brand development strategy for the firm's largest European clients. More
Synovate division Marketing Management Analytics (MMA) has announced m360, a new marketing mix modelling solution using comScore data to provide a direct comparison of all media activities in a single analysis. More
Research software company Confirmit has announced record revenues for 2010, with double-digit organic growth leading to fourth quarter revenue of US$16m. More
In the US, media measurement and analytics firm TRA has hired former Arbitron sales leader Pierre Bouvard as SVP of Media Sales. The company has also appointed Kelly Mead and Susan Cuccinello as Vice Presidents. More
Opinionology, the Utah-based data collection company formerly known as Western Wats, has launched Real Customers, a new service to build and manage verified customer panels. More
In New York, digital media planning firm TRAFFIQ has partnered with semantic advertising technology specialist Peer39, to target consumers with ads that are 'truly relevant' to the page content and type of page they are viewing. More
In the run up to Comic Relief's Red Nose Day on March 18th, SPA Future Thinking will be tracking engagement and recall of the charity's advertising campaign among members of the public and fundraisers. More
Out-of-home (OoH) software provider Ayuda Media Systems has integrated Intel's digital signage audience measurement technology into its 'Splash' digital ad platform, to enable advertisers to bill clients according to the number of people who have actually looked at their ads. More
In the US, Constant Contact - which develops technology for social marketing and online surveys - has acquired social CRM (customer relationship management) specialist Bantam Live in a cash deal worth $15m. More
New York-based media research firm Affinity has updated its VISTA magazine effectiveness tracking service, to include the measurement of digital ads delivered through electronic magazines and magazine apps designed for iPads and other mobile devices. More
Social media engagement firm SAY Media has introduced the SAY 100, a group of influential 'online voices' who have been recruited to create content, drive conversations and shape opinion. More
In the US, media advisor BIA/Kelsey has launched a new service dedicated to analyzing the growing social media 'ecosystem', and recommending the best opportunities for driving revenues with social platforms. More
Synovate has made three key appointments in its Greater China unit, which comprises offices in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. More
In the UK, custom panel solutions specialist EasyInsites has reported a 16 fold increase in revenue since its launch in 2009. The firm has also hired former JD Power & Associates researcher Rebecca Tagg as Custom Panel and Research Operations Manager. More
Ipsos has reported a 20.9% increase in 2010 revenues to EUR 1,140.8m, compared with EUR 943m the previous year, while for the period, net profit climbed 25.7% to EUR 66.2m. More
In the US, social media monitoring and analysis firm Crimson Hexagon has appointed media veteran Patricia Gottesman as President and CEO, to oversee further development of its proprietary technology platform and accelerate growth. More
In the US, multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak is to integrate the data from more than 80 million set-top devices for video-on-demand (VOD), into ad industry software firm Donovan Data Systems' (DDS) media planning and buying systems. More
In the US, Nielsen funded client think tank The Council for Research Excellence (CRE) has selected research and advisory firm BIA/Kelsey to conduct a review of research currently available about user experience on multiple video platforms. More
OzTAM - Australia's official source of television audience measurement - has appointed media veteran Michael Anderson as independent Chairman, following a complaint last year from broadcaster Network Ten about the way ratings were being measured for one of its digital channels. More
After a brief stint at Time Inc., Randall Rothenberg has returned to the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) in New York, in his previous role of President and Chief Executive Officer. More
In the US, digital marketing agency ethology has acquired data-driven Internet marketing agency EngineWorks, in a move which will see the combined team employ ethology's behavioural insights intelligence tools. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, social web content management firm Dlvr.it has launched a proprietary demographic analysis service, which produces insight into the make-up of the most engaged users of real-time content streams. More
Digital audience specialist Effective Measure has been selected by non-profit organisation the Digital Media and Marketing Association (DMMA) to ensure accurate traffic reporting for South Africa's media sector on all digital platforms - a contract previously held by Nielsen. More
In the US, WPP-owned brand, media and comms research specialist Millward Brown has appointed John Svendsen as Senior Vice President and Global Brand Director in its Global Media Practice - the second of five such roles planned across the company. More
In the US, multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has appointed media veteran Sherri Lee as Product Manager of its TV Essentials audience measurement service, based in its Advanced Media & Information (AMI) division. More
Asian-focused panels and MR outsourcing company Pulse Group has launched 'Pulse Connect' - an app which taps into the views of Facebook and LinkedIn participants globally. 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
In the US, social media engagement firm Vitrue has closed a $17m Series C financing round, which it plans to use to open new domestic and international offices and hire between 100 and 150 new staff for them. More
In New York, digital ad platform MediaMind Technologies has gained accreditation from the Media Rating Council (MRC) for its 'Unique Impressions and Average Frequency' metrics, which statistically adjust for cookie deletion to project the actual number of users who see an ad. 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
iPinion, the smartphone survey solutions provider set up last year by market research firm Dexterity, has released a new platform for Android users. 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
Online measurement specialist comScore has recorded 'record quarterly revenue' - up 52% on the previous year to $51.2m - while reporting a net loss of $494k compared with net income of $1.6m, resulting from acquisition and severance costs. More
Asia Pacific consultancy Media Monitors has acquired a majority stake in online and social media analysis firm Brandtology. Terms were not disclosed. More
UK agency HPI Research has launched a new division called Mobilocity, to conduct market research via mobile phones. More
Ipsos has announced the UK roll-out of its GamePlan Insights tool, which examines behavioural and attitudinal trends in the videogame market. More
Online research and panels specialist Research Now has relocated its office in Auckland, New Zealand to a bigger facility, to support anticipated growth in the Asia Pacific region. More
In China, targeted online ad and marketing solutions firm Yoyi Media has completed a $20m Series B round of funding, which it will use to enhance its media advertising platform and to expand its sales force and marketing network. More
In New York, Colleen Fahey Rush has been promoted to the newly created position of Executive Vice President and Chief Research Officer at MTV Networks (MTVN), to lead the broadcaster's Strategic Insights and Research group. More
Marcoms giant WPP has launched a global interactive marketing agency called 'Possible Worldwide', which will offer a data-driven approach, advanced analytics tools, and metrics to help clients assess the impact of their online campaigns. More
WPP-owned brand, media and comms research specialist Millward Brown has appointed Larry Schack as Chief Client Strategist for North America. More
US ratings giant Arbitron has reported a 10% increase in Q4 2010 revenue to $111.7m (Q4 2009: $101.5m), on the back of its continued commercialization of the Portable People Meter (PPM) radio ratings service. 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
Media ratings giant Arbitron has extended CEO William Kerr's employment agreement for a further year to January 2013, in recognition of the leadership role he has played during a year of 'extraordinary events'. More
US online video analytics firm TubeMogul has added real-time audience demographic reporting to its video tracking platform, including data on age, gender, household income, marital status, home ownership and number of children. More
Online panel firm Toluna and tech firm nurago have rolled out their BrandSpector digital measurement solution across the US, where it will be used to analyze the response of more than 290,000 Toluna panel members to digital campaigns. 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
Customer satisfaction analyst ForeSee Results has announced a 'phenomenal close to 2010' - its ninth consecutive year of more than 25% revenue growth. More
In the US, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) has announced two independent 'proof-of-concept' tests to measure content and advertising across television, Internet and mobile. The tests will tap the skills and panels of Arbitron and comScore. 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
Cyprus-based MEMRB (The Middle East Market Research Bureau) has been bought by Nielsen for an undisclosed sum, thought to be around 60m Euros. More
In India, digital media network Komli Media has promoted current COO Prashant Mehta to the role of Chief Executive Officer, replacing company founder Amar Goel who retains the role of Chairman. The firm plans a major recruitment drive as it opens a new engineering centre in Bangalore. More
US-based 20|20 Research has unveiled a new version of its bulletin board platform QualBoard, which now allows respondents to be seen and heard via webcams, activated by a single click. 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
CASRO's Institute for Research Quality (CIRQ) has awarded its first certification for the ISO 26362:2009 panel quality standard, to online physician community specialist M3 USA. More
Multi-screen measurement firm Rentrak has reported a 3% rise in fiscal 2011 third quarter revenues to $23.7m, the net result of rapid growth in its AMI (Advanced Media and Information) division, combined with a decline in its Home Entertainment division. More
In the US, social media chat platform Meebo has acquired online ad measurement and targeting firm Mindset Media. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Graham Williams, co-founder of media specialist M-Lab Research, has joined London-based market research agency BDRC Continental as Research Director. More
In the US, digital video recorder (DVR) solutions provider TiVo has launched an interactive web site through which users can analyze how effective a brand's TV commercials are at retaining viewers, and how well they perform in comparison with competing brands. More
In the UK, B2B International has taken a 50% stake in Leeds-based Frank Communications, to enable it to provide design, advertising and marketing services to its existing market research clients. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
Multi-screen measurement company Rentrak Corporation has announced the appointment of Chris Wilson, formerly of LogicLab, to the position of President of National Linear Television. More
AOL has agreed to buy fast-growing US-based news site The Huffington Post for $315m including around $300m in cash. More
Google marketing exec Wael Ghonim, missing since early in the protests in Egypt ten days ago, has been released, according to reports on Arab TV stations and other sources. More
Ad agency subsidiary Lowe Philippines (LP) has launched Crowdder, billed as 'the country's first web-based real-time insight crowd sourcing application'. More
Omnicom Group has acquired Salt Lake City-based advanced analytics firm The Modellers, on Friday; and followed up today with the acquisition of online community specialist Communispace Corporation. More
Wael Ghonim, Google's Head of Marketing - Middle East & North Africa (MENA), is missing in Egypt after attending a conference in Cairo last week. 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, Internet services giant Yahoo! has launched AdLabs - a group focused on accelerating innovation in digital advertising products, and tapping into the services offered by its existing Yahoo! Labs research unit. More
In the US, New York-based TV ad targeting company Simulmedia has opened a regional office in Los Angeles, and hired CNN veteran Charles Douglass to run it in the newly-created position of Director of Sales. 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
US-based customer feedback firm Mindshare Technologies and Munich-based mystery shopping specialist International Service Check have partnered to launch a new venture called 'Fast Insight', which they plan to roll out across Europe and the Middle East. 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 the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has elected IDG Communications CEO Bob Carrigan as its new Chairman. More
In the UK, content analytics platform idio has acquired social media development agency thrudigital for an undisclosed sum. More
In New York, Ipsos OTX MediaCT is expanding its Corporate Development team with the appointment of Kevin Thompson as Senior Vice President, Social Media. More
Data and analytics specialist Experian Marketing Services has launched an online system that combines syndicated and custom MR from its consumer research arm Experian Simmons with analytic tools and reports. More
US-based cross-platform tracking specialist MediaMorph has secured $2m in funding, which it plans to use to expand its global positioning. More
Canadian-based research software firm Voxco has opened a new office in the UK, where it has appointed Richard Owen as Managing Director. More
Synovate parent Aegis has acquired South African web and consumer behaviour agency Clickthinking, which specialises in search, web analytics and conversion marketing. Terms were not disclosed. More
Online research specialist BrainJuicer has promoted Krishna Kabra to the post of Senior Vice President, in charge of its operations in Canada. More
European-based software and IT services analyst Pierre Audoin Consultants (PAC) has expanded in the German market through the acquisition of Berlin-based analyst and consulting firm Berlecon Research. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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
In the UK, former BBC digital strategist James Micklethwait has been hired by commercial broadcaster ITV for the newly created role of Director of Product Strategy, overseeing product development, audience research, and web analytics. He starts in April. More
Electronics market research specialist IMS Research has appointed 25 new analysts for teams across several sectors in the UK, US, Taiwan, China and Korea. 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
In Sydney, the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Australia (IAB) have whittled down the original twenty-one companies bidding for their online audience measurement contract to a shortlist of five. More
Tokyo-based online specialist Research Panel Asia (RPA) has added a Japanese consumer behavior database to its 'LifeStyle Index' ASP service, previously focused on China. More
In Denmark, Gallup has called time on its new analysis product 'Webprofil', after a documentary suggested that opt-in participants had not fully understood their obligations in terms of cookie installation. More
Dulles, VA-based software firm Vovici has signed a lease for a new headquarters building at Presidents Plaza I in Herndon, and plans to move its 100 plus employees there in March this year. 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 Germany, Kantar Media has acquired Internet audience measurement firm Spring Wirtz und Pischke, which was founded as a spin-off of the German Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) in 1995. More
US-based site optimization technology firm SiteSpect has launched a web and mobile performance solution, which uses behavioral targeting and multivariate testing to improve end-user experience and provide web marketers with better metrics. 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
US firm Crowd Factory - which develops applications to embed, analyse and optimise social media elements - has secured $6.5m in equity financing. More
Consumer specialist Knowledge Networks (KN) is expanding its social media offering to include custom analytics, providing information on how social media conversations reveal people's feelings about specific products or topics. More
In the US, Scarborough Research - the joint venture between Nielsen and Arbitron - has appointed former Nielsen Online SVP Brian Condon as EVP, Commercial Development. More
In the US, panel specialist Research Now has relocated its Seattle staff - comprising sales, operations, and external PR teams - to the offices of social media sampling firm Peanut Labs, which it acquired last October. More
In the US, multi-screen measurement firm Rentrak has rolled out the first in a series of 'OnDemand Essentials Advertising Reports' for the Hispanic market, to provide an aggregated view of performance for the video-on-demand (VOD) platform. More
Nielsen has priced its forthcoming initial public offering (IPO) at around $1.64bn or $23.00 per share. The shares will trade from today on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol 'NLSN'. More
US firm SurveyAnalytics rolled out a new method of surveying public opinion in real-time during President Obama's State of the Union address last night - combining smartphone-based feedback with comment from social media sites. More
Marcoms giant WPP is to increase its stake in media network Mindshare South Africa to 70%. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, Sunbeam Television has dropped two charges against Nielsen that claimed the research giant had engaged in unfair trade practices and breach of contract. 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
UK research association the ICG (Independent Consultants Group) has introduced a new training guide to help non-researchers working in UK organisations conduct their own online surveys. More
In the UK, market research and insight agency Kadence International has appointed Marcus Boyland as Insight Director and Board Member. 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
Leeds-based marketing and insight comms agency Brass has opened an office in London to service clients in South East England. More
US-based Triton Digital Media - which provides technology to the radio industry - has opened a research center for broadcasters looking to study the key factors driving on-air and online audience engagement. More
In the US, online targeting firm DataLogix has appointed former GroupM Managing Partner David Sommer as General Manager of its Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) arm. More
Social monitoring and research company Attentio has finalised the acquisition of 365Research - both are based in Brussels. 365 founder Colin Sanders becomes Chief Product Officer at Attentio, which is planning a new version of its 'Brand Dashboard' in the spring. More
UK-based independent IFF Research has launched an SME Omnibus which it claims is the fastest turnaround telephone business omnibus in the UK. More
Retail behaviour research specialist Shoppercentric has appointed former Marks & Spencer Head of Customer Insight Susie Spencer as a Director. More
In the US, InsightExpress has launched LiveInsights, a real-time campaign measurement and optimization tool for brand marketers. 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
US news group The Washington Post has launched SocialCode - a full-service ad agency which uses proprietary tools and a quantitative approach to help brands grow and engage their Facebook fans. More
In New York, ad intelligence solutions firm Maxifier has appointed Jonathon Shaevitz as Chief Executive Officer. The firm has also secured an undisclosed amount of 'significant follow-on funding' from current investors Eurovestech and Fieldhelm. More
US-based media evaluation specialist LogicLab is to add data from web site audience measurement firm Compete to its targetLab media planning platform, to provide clients with more detailed metrics on traffic, audience and engagement. More
Andrew Jeavons, former MD of Nebu USA, has joined online survey and analytical tools provider Survey Analytics as Executive Vice President. 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
JD Power and Associates has formed a dedicated digital research team, which will develop a global strategy for integrating digital research - including social media, clickstream, panel, mobile and online media measurement - into the firm's products and services. More
In the US, radio ratings giant Arbitron has integrated its TAPSCAN Web analysis system with Marketron's Exchange platform, giving radio ad buyers and sellers an 'all-in-one' solution with audience data alongside electronic ordering, invoicing and scheduling. More
Kantar Media has been awarded a four year TV audience measurement contract by ARMA, Romania's TV joint industry committee, from January 2012. The current service has been operated by GfK Romania since 2008. More
US-based social media tracking and targeting firm Lotame has established the 'Lotame Media Group', in a bid to deliver and analyze online media campaigns with 'greater impact, insight, and efficacy'. More
In London, Kantar Media has appointed Giselle Bodie for the new position of Chief Operations Officer for Media Monitoring and Evaluation in Europe. More
Software giant Adobe has acquired online audience behavior specialist Demdex, with the aim of boosting its ability to help advertisers and publishers deliver relevant digital experiences to their customers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
UK-based media and marketing insights specialist Ebiquity has reported a 122% climb in total group revenues to £20.5m (2009: £9.3m) for the six months ended 31 October 2010, partly driven by its acquisition of ad and media intelligence firm Xtreme Information last April. More
In India, digital ad and technology firm Komli Media has secured a $15m investment, which it plans to invest in its audience measurement business Vivisense and digital ad network Komli, while fuelling 'aggressive expansion' across Asia Pacific. More
Qual specialist Firefly Millward Brown has appointed CÃĐcile ConarÃĐ as CEO of the UK business and Director of Europe. More
In the US, Toluna's Global Chief Strategy Officer Dr George Terhanian has taken on the additional position of President, Toluna North America, following the departure of Jeff Scott who has left the firm after just five months in the role. More
Ahead of the official release of its financial results for calendar year 2010, Nielsen has reported an expected revenue increase of between 6.3% and 6.7% to between $5,110m and $5,130m (2009 = $4,808m), equivalent to 5.8% to 6.2% on a constant currency basis. 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
TNS Canada has announced that Dr Michael Antecol, Vice President for Western Canada, passed away suddenly on December 29, 2010 at the age of 42. 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
Online sample exchange Cint has launched a new service to enable smaller business to access its Cint Panel Exchange (CPX) through plug-ins and third party software. The new 'Cint Direct' offering will be led by Stefan HÃķk, who joins as Senior Vice President. More
In the UK, custom healthcare specialist Insight Research Group has launched an online pharmaceutical MR community called 'eVillage', to help brands engage with a wide array of healthcare professionals ('HCPs'). More
Panel and survey software firm Globalpark has launched 'Social Insight Connect' - an integrated Facebook app that collects feedback within the social networking site through a private feedback channel. More
In the US, antitrust charges brought by Sunbeam Television against Nielsen have been dismissed by a Florida federal judge. More
Experian has acquired a majority stake in Techlightenment, a Shoreditch based social technology company, from its founders. The firm will now form part of Experian's UK Marketing Services division. More
The remit of the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is to be extended to include web site marketing from the 1st of March. A campaign to promote the fact was launched today. More
The latest IPA/BDO Bellwether survey, published today, gives very little cheer. UK marketing budgets were revised down in the fourth quarter and there is uncertainty about an end to the recession. Mind you, we're not sure it tells us much about the prospects for market research. 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
comScore has launched an enhanced version of its online video measurement service, Video Metrix, for the UK market. More
Cincinnati, OH-based MR provider StrataMark Dynamic Solutions has launched a customizable research tool which it says offers quick turnaround at a lower price than a typical online Omnibus survey. 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
Paul Krasinski, the former COO of online audience measurement and analytics specialist Ando Media, has joined ratings giant Arbitron in the newly created position of Senior Vice President, Digital Media and Analytics. More
In the US, web site consultancy AKQA has appointed Lynn Teo as Creative Director and Head of User Experience, to direct and manage creative teams while leading the firm's user experience center. 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, digital media platform BBN has struck a deal with not-for-profit media auditor BPA Worldwide. BBN's publishing partners, who between them control more than 800 b2b sites, will be offered BPA's third party site audit data. More
In the US comScore, dunnhumbyUSA and Accenture have partnered to study the link between consumers' usage of brand web sites and their in-store brand buying behavior. 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 Germany, search analytics and web intelligence provider Searchmetrics has secured a $6.75m investment, earmarked for continued international expansion. More
In the US, Arbitron's former President & CEO Michael Skarzynski has returned to the market research industry as a member of the iPinion Advisory Board of consumer insight firm Dexterity. More
US consultancy Web Analytics Demystified has appointed Adam Greco as a Senior Partner, to help the firm broaden its range of digital measurement services. More
In the US, analytics firm MarketShare has partnered with digital measurement specialist comScore to add the latter's search, display, mobile and video data to its modeling capabilities. More
US-based DIY survey firm SurveyMonkey has acquired a 49.9% stake in the UK's Clicktools, which develops on-demand software tools for gathering customer feedback. 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
In the UK, full service research agency Crowd DNA has appointed trend and consumer insight specialist Terna Jibo as Research and Strategy Director. More
US technology market intelligence firm IDC is establishing its own India research business unit in Bangalore, while severing ties with its partner CyberMedia (India). CyberMedia will set up its own competing research arm in Delhi. More
US-based survey and panel management software firm Kinesis Survey Technologies has opened a European office in London, and appointed former NEBU and Intellex exec Tariq Mirza as Managing Director of European Operations. More
Youth research and marketing strategist Dubit is launching what it describes as the UK's first 'direct to youth' online omnibus survey, offering companies regular access to its research panel. More
Sampling solutions firm SSI has appointed former Google exec Christian Michael as Managing Director, Germany, to focus on strengthening its position in the German, Swiss and Austrian markets. More
In the US, Sentiment360 - a social media monitoring and analytics company whose product is based around input from human analysts - has partnered with artificial intelligence text mining technology firm Enkia Corporation. More
GfK Retail & Technology has launched the 'Network Intelligence Solution' (NIS), a new tool using data from operators' IP traffic to produce insights into daily mobile Internet usage. More
US-based qual specialist Gongos Research has promoted Camille Nicita to the position of Chief Operating Officer, after a year when the company reported a 40% growth in revenue and a 35% increase in headcount. More
US-based multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has appointed TV industry research veteran Brad Nimmons as Director of Client Services, responsible for the day-to-day management of key client relationships in the eastern United States. More
In the US, social media marketing specialist Wildfire Interactive has launched a tool that enables companies to measure the growth of their social media audience and that of the competition across the leading social networks. More
Online competitive intelligence provider Experian Hitwise has launched in India, to help domestic and international marketers operating in the country improve their online marketing, content development and search tactics. 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
US firm 20|20 Research has launched QuickQual, a bundled solution built on its QualBoard bulletin board focus group platform. 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 UK, medeConnect Healthcare Insight, the market research division of Doctors.net.uk, has appointed Anna Garofalo as Managing Director. More
In the US, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has appointed former NBC Universal veteran Horst Stipp for the newly created position of EVP, Global Business Strategy. 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
Panels and MR technology firm Toluna has launched SafeView, a system to ensure the confidentiality of client concepts tested with online survey respondents. More
US-based In-Stat is to be acquired by The NPD Group, which has held a stake in the mobile and digital entertainment specialist since a management buyout last April. More
Nielsen's Chief Human Resources Officer Roberto (Bob) Llamas is to leave the firm at the end of the first quarter 2011. The firm plans to name a successor during the transition period. More
In Germany, GfK has upped its stake in user experience specialist SirValUse Consulting and usability research firm nurago to 60%. More
US-based multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has acquired Media Salvation, a provider of data aggregation, processing and analytics tools to studios and independent film companies. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, Borrell Associates has acquired media industry research agency Belden Interactive. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based behavioral targeting firm [x+1] has closed a $10m Series B funding round, which will be used to support the growth of its digital marketing strategy. More
Most Americans would welcome a 'Do Not Track' measure to prevent advertisers from tracking their online movements, according to a new poll conducted by Gallup. More
Nielsen will provide clients early in 2011 with preview reports for its 'Extended Screen' initiative. The approach adds Internet viewing of TV programs into Nielsen's National People Meter (NPM) television ratings, to demonstrate the impact of online viewing on program measurement. More
In the UK, marcoms consultancy Smye Holland Associates is planning further overseas expansion in 2011, following the appointment of Onno Jol as General Manager of its operations in The Netherlands. More
Audience targeting exchange eXelate has promoted Mark Zagorski to the post of Chief Executive Officer, replacing founder Meir (Iri) Zohar who is returning to his native Israel. More
US marcoms agency Cronin and Company has expanded its services to include analytics as part of its media offering; and has promoted Gary Capreol to lead the new unit. More
In the US, Tom Skinner, VP and General Manager of radio station KZST-FM, has been re-elected as Chairperson of the 2011 Arbitron Radio Advisory Council. He previously held the post of Vice Chair in 2010 and served as Chairman in 2003. More
In the US, Sam Decker, the former CMO of word-of-mouth agency Bazaarvoice, has co-founded a firm that helps consumer brands use real-time conversations, commentary and insights culled from millions of social media activities taking place around the globe. More
Around a quarter (24.9%) of Americans no longer have home telephones, according to a report published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), which warns that the potential for bias due to undercoverage remains a 'real and growing threat' to surveys. More
In the US AERS, owner of eBay research tool Terapeak, has closed a $4m round of funding, which it will use to accelerate growth and expand its data aggregation capabilities. More
US-based survey and panel management software firm Kinesis Survey Technologies has added built-in Google Analytics support to its flagship platform. More
WPP firms OgilvyAction and Malone Advertising have partnered in North America to launch a fully integrated shopper marketing and experiential marketing agency, which will link brand strategies, shopper insights and retail opportunities. More
In the US, social business consultancy Dachis Group has acquired social media marketing agency and community builder Powered Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, marketing veteran Pamela Landau has opened her own marketing and branding agency, CIRCE Consulting, to help clients tap consumer insights for brand development and marketing strategy on- and off-line. More
In the UK, media and marketing analytics specialist Ebiquity is relocating to North Tyneside, as it merges its London and Newcastle offices. Around 60 new jobs have been created ahead of the move, and the firm says there is potential for further expansion within months. More
In Brazil, software experience tester DeskMetrics has closed a $200k initial round of funding from an unnamed group of regional angel investors. 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 India, marketing research solutions provider Rightrack has launched 'Easy Research Pro', an online DIY business research tool which uses 'dialogue methodologies' to interact with respondents across geographies and time zones. More
The MRUC (Media Research Users Council) has partnered with Australian market research firm Roy Morgan Research to launch a single source survey in India. More
Most large US companies are not currently using social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter to gather customer feedback, according to the findings of a study conducted by research technology firm MarketTools. Some of them aren't using any other medium either... More
In the US, web site audit specialist Webrank has launched a social media analytics tool which tracks conversations about clients and their brands, scans them for sentiment and summarises with an aggregate score. More
US-based digital marketing research firm InsightExpress has appointed Matt Butner as Vice President, Director, Media and Brand Research, with a remit to oversee the integration of analytics into its research solutions. More
In the US, speculation is growing that online research community builder Communispace is looking for a buyer among a group of venture capital firms, tech companies and holding companies - including marketing services group Omnicom. More
In Germany, online sample exchange Cint has moved its existing Berlin-based team to new premises, and opened a new office in Augsburg. More
In the US, market research and data mining consultancy Anderson Analytics is to roll out a new text analytics software platform next year, designed specifically for use by market researchers and intended for both survey and social media data. More
The Audit Bureau of Circulation's interactive unit ABCi has teamed with Polar Mobile, to provide audited results for publications in the US and Canada which are read on mobile platforms. More
Last week's 'Festival of NewMR' broke new ground in various ways. DRNO Features Editor and virtual conference-goer Teresa Lynch looks back at 24 hours of leading edge thought and trailing edge fashion... More
Nielsen has formed a joint venture with China Cable Union Data Services (CCData) to pioneer the delivery of new and more detailed insight on China's growing digital TV market. More
In New York, social engagement company SAY Media and Knowledge Networks' ad effectiveness subsidiary KN Dimestore have announced a new research approach designed to measure the impact of user engagement on brand metrics. More
In the UK, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has again deferred its decision on whether or not to charge Phorm and BT over the trial of tracking technology in 2006-7. 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
Software firm Dub has enhanced its IdeaStream online qual research platform with support for Dutch, Czech and Cantonese, bringing its total to fifteen languages. More
Nielsen has announced that it is shutting down its diary-based radio ratings service in the US, from the Fall 2010 period. The firm said in a statement that the decision will not impact its international radio measurement services. 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
Nielsen Singapore has appointed Grace Liu as Head of Consumer Research, succeeding Joan Koh who was promoted to the post of Managing Director in April. More
Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), is to step down from his role in January, to take up a new post as Chief Digital Officer of Time Inc. More
In the US, predictive analytics specialist eBureau has partnered with audience data marketplace BlueKai to offer advertisers a 'more precise' method of audience targeting for online ad campaigns. More
Two Assistant Professors, based in the US and Japan, have developed an app which collects information anonymously from Android users using a daily pop-up survey. More
Arbitron's week has had its ups and downs but its leaders will enjoy their weekend in the knowledge that its biggest client Clear Channel Radio has signed up for PPM and diary ratings for another five years for a reported $538m. The ratings firm's share price has leapt accordingly. More
CASRO has issued a statement responding to the 'Rush Bill', the federal privacy legislation currently under review in the US. The 'sorely needed' framework holds no nightmares for researchers, the association believes, but has room for improvement and clarification. More
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has continued its recent activity in the mobile arena with the launch of a Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence. More
In New York, Joseph Cesaria has rejoined Ipsos as Senior VP of Business Development at Ipsos OTX. He joins from InsightExpress where he served as Group Director Media Research. More
An independent study of Arbitron's PPM (Portable People Meter) panellists has uncovered how some try to 'beat the system' in order to earn more monthly payments. 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
In the US, Proximic - a provider of contextual and audience interest data services for use in ad targeting - has secured $4.4m in growth funding. More
In the US, mobile app analytics provider Flurry has closed a $15m Series C round of financing, which it will use to expand its Flurry Analytics and AppCircle services across the top mobile application platforms, including iOS and Android. More
A cross-industry group comprising six of Australia's leading online, marketing and ad industry bodies has been formed to develop industry guidelines and standards on online behavioural advertising (OBA) in the country. 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
Web metrics company Quantcast and software firm Clearspring have agreed to pay $2.4 million to settle class-action lawsuits claiming they used Flash cookies to track web users without their permission. Separately, online privacy faces a new threat, 'history sniffing'. More
US-based social media tracking and targeting firm Lotame has closed an $11m Series C funding deal, which it says will help it address demand for its Crowd Control audience data. The firm has also appointed three staff in its new Platform Sales and Services division. More
US-based research technology specialist Decipher has released a new DIY research software suite, which allows users to build their own online surveys and disseminate them to target audiences. More
In the US, Monetate - which provides web site testing, targeting and personalization - has raised $5.1m, which it says will feed growing demand for its consumer web site solutions, and allow it to increase its staff from 30 to about 50 employees. More
UK-based web site visitor tracking specialist Prospectvision has opened an office in the US, near Grand Rapids, Michigan. More
Global interactive network Havas Digital has appointed former Microsoft exec Ciaran McConaghy as its UK-based Head of Data and Analytics, with a remit to champion all emerging forms of data analysis, site analytics and data modelling. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has withdrawn its accreditation for Arbitron's RADAR and Nationwide network and national radio audience services, because they incorporate data from PPM markets that are not accredited by the MRC. More
In the US, the IAB has responded to the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) recent call for a 'Do Not Track' mechanism to be included in web browsers, with a warning that the solution would require 'reengineering' of the Internet's architecture. More
In the US, social media management firm Shoutlet has raised $6m in Series B funding, which it will use to fuel company growth and product development plans. More
Canada-based mobile survey software firm Techneos has released a new edition of its SODA (Survey On Demand Application) solution, for iPhone and iPod Touch platforms. More
In the US, ad pre-testing specialist Ipsos ASI has introduced a tool to measure the impact and effectiveness of digital advertising. More
In Canada, marcoms network MDC Partners has acquired a majority stake in digital agency Capital C and data analytics business Kenna from their parent firm Newport Partners Holdings, under which the agencies were merged in 2005. The deal is reportedly valued at $27m. More
US survey software firm Vovici has relocated to a larger office space in Virginia, in preparation for anticipated growth in 2011 and a three-year plan to hire new staff. More
In the US, ClearSaleing - which provides marketers with insight into their online ads - has developed the 'Multi-Brand Attribution' system, through which advertisers can analyze consumer response to their multiple brand web sites in one platform. More
US firm PeopleBrowsr has released a research platform which enables users to access demographic data, real-time and historical mentions, sentiment analysis and viral analytics for any keyword. More
US-based social media intelligence firm Social Strategy1 has appointed Steve Ennen as President and Chief Intelligence Officer. More
Aegis-owned Synovate is to further expand its presence in Russia by acquiring a majority stake in media research specialist COMCON. Terms were not disclosed, but Synovate will have the option to buy 100% of COMCON in 2015. More
comScore has introduced its online video measurement service in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Spain. More
In the US, multi-screen media measurement specialist Rentrak has partnered with retail information provider The NPD Group, to provide a 360 degree view of video-on-demand (VOD) users. 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
In the US, media research guru Judy Vogel has joined Media Storm in the new role of Director of Insights and Analysis. More
Social media consultancy Converseon has hired former Publicis analytics veteran Mark Kovscek for the new position of Senior Vice President of Enterprise Analytics, drawing consumer and brand insights from the firm's social media intelligence solutions. More
In the US, The Better Advertising Project (BAP) - formed by ad and marketing associations to help self-regulate behaviourally targeted advertising - has secured a $9.5m investment, earmarked for development of its Assurance Platform. More
In the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has asked the Department of Health (DoH) for clarification about its online data sharing agreement with Facebook. More
Research and MR technology firm Vision Critical has appointed former TNS researcher Gina Lagos as Senior Research Director in the UK. More
US-based online and mobile qual research software provider Revelation has expanded its language capabilities to include Russian and Turkish. More
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a group of industry bodies have given Kantar Media a five-year contract to develop and implement the country's first PeopleMeter television audience measurement service. 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
ClickFox, a provider of customer experience analytics (CEA) software and solutions, has raised $18 million in series C financing to finance growth and expansion. More
Embattled marketing group Photon has continued its efforts to simplify its management and company structure, closing digital provider Found Agency and moving its staff to its sister company Returnity. More
US-based analytics firm MarketShare has teamed up with Japanese ad agency Hakuhodo to offer marketing effectiveness solutions to clients in Japan and other key Asian markets. More
IPO-bound research giant Nielsen has reportedly struck a new deal with CEO David Calhoun, adding three years to his contract in exchange for a salary rise and a $6 million signing bonus. More
In the UK, the BBC is introducing its own 'Live Plus 7' system, which supplements traditional 'overnight' audience figures with numbers viewing the same programmes on any of a number of platforms up to seven days later. More
Online customer behaviour analysis firm Site Intelligence has received an unknown amount of equity funding from Oxford Capital Partners, while appointing Peter Ryan as Chief Executive Officer. More
In the US, technology firm Kurani Interactive - developer of the Opinionaided iPhone market research app - has secured another $275k in funding. More
In the UK, social media monitoring firm Trevanian Legg has launched a service to gather and analyse unprompted comments about brands from a wide range of social media platforms. More
In Canada, Destiny Media-owned Clipstream Survey has moved with its parent company to new headquarters in downtown Vancouver. More
In the UK, online market research specialist BrainJuicer's Chief Operating Officer Alex Batchelor has been elected to the company's Board as an Executive Director. More
OzTAM - Australia's official source of television audience measurement - has appointed Doug Peiffer as its new CEO, succeeding Kate Inglis-Clark who leaves after seven years in post. At this point, the details of Inglis-Clark's next career move are unknown. More
In the UK, Labour MP Tom Watson has complained to Health Secretary Andrew Lansley about a code on the NHS Choices web site, which enables Facebook and other firms to track the medical conditions users have searched. More
European research agency InSites Consulting has appointed social media and trend specialist Polle de Maagt, to support the addition of marketing consultancy to its portfolio of services. More
UK-based web analytics company Maxsi has launched myLiveDashboard, a new online system which provides live real-time reporting on e-commerce web site activity. More
UK-based sports consultancy TSE Group is to be converted into an international marcoms business called Porta Communications, which will act as an investment vehicle for buying market research, PR and advertising firms. More
Launched in London and New York, a new firm called Amplicate will provide access to statistics gathered from more than 40 million consumer opinions, on the products, services and issues they love and hate. More
Online media agency MediaCorp has extended its TV audience measurement contract with Kantar Media to include VirtualMeter technology, which will enable it to view consolidated data across multiple platforms including linear TV and IPTV. 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
Software giant Adobe is planning to open a new data centre outside London, to serve clients of its Omniture Business Unit in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. More
In the US, Kantar-owned online behavior measurement specialist Compete has introduced a platform giving users unlimited access to detailed traffic, audience and engagement metrics covering the top one million web sites. More
In the US, Nielsen has launched a Media Analytics initiative, focused on developing tools to provide additional insights from its existing syndicated media research data. The new initiative will be led by Bill Moult, a founding partner of the Media Behavior Institute (MBI). More
In the US, Management Science Associates (MSA) and Paradigm Sample have launched the Convenience Consumer Insights Panel (cci Panel), which gathers consumer information from convenience store (C-store) shoppers. More
Arbitron has announced that Spanish-language broadcasting group Univision Radio has signed multi-year contracts for its PPM (Portable People Meter) ratings services in twelve markets. More
UK media intelligence agency Durrants has acquired a stake in Brighton-based social media monitoring company Brandwatch, which now aims to expand its US offer and extend its service to cover Russia and China. More
Custom panel and community specialist Verve has added survey scripting and data analysis functionality to its VERVE Engine platform by integrating it with Askia software. 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
Wi-fi data accidentally collected by Google's Street View cars will be deleted 'as soon as possible', according to the office of the UK's Information Commissioner. Separately, US and UK privacy policy unfolds and is criticised; and Tim Berners-Lee expresses fatherly concern. More
Global PR firm Weber Shandwick has launched a social media crisis simulator, FireBell, which offers those clients who dare 'an authentic, real-time experience of being under attack on social media channels'. More
Online sample exchange Cint has announced growth in the Netherlands with the appointment of Maurice Wassen as a Senior Account Manager based in its new Amsterdam office; and the addition of the Motivaction panel. 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
US-based chip manufacturing giant Intel has acquired Canadian out-of-home (OoH) audience measurement technology developer CognoVision for an undisclosed amount. More
US-based social media data provider Gnip has raised $2m in new financing, to enable it to become the first authorized reseller of Twitter's 'Firehose' data stream. 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, Arbitron's Custom Sports Services arm has created the Event Retention Index (ERI); a new metric for its Portable People Meter (PPM) radio ratings service which provides information on the extent to which audiences 'stay tuned' to sports broadcasts. More
US ad industry ratings watchdog the Media Rating Council (MRC) has withdrawn its accreditation for local television ratings in Nielsen's 154 diary-only markets, backdating the withdrawal to 2009. More
US-based multi-screen media measurement specialist Rentrak has eliminated the position of President, held by Ken Papagan, and transferred the responsibilities to Cathy Hetzel who heads its Advanced Media and Information division. 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
Social network marketing company LiveWorld has introduced an opinion analysis service, which combines technology with human moderators who review customer posts in context. 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, co-creation specialist Face has launched an online community called X-crowd, which promises to connect 'tech lovers' with global technology brands. More
In Leeds, UK, three former Nunwood Board directors have founded full service agency Boxclever. More
Web analytics and survey research specialist Crowd Science is to launch nine online marketing research tools, aimed specifically at publishers of small to medium-sized web sites. More
In The Netherlands, full service market research agency Newzoo - which focuses on the games industry - has partnered with blog Social Games Observer to launch an online monitor providing insight into the popularity of games and developers on social networks other than Facebook. 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 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 Canada, Voice-of-Customer (VoC) analytics specialist iPerceptions has reported a 5% year-on-year climb in third quarter revenue to $1.26m. During the period, the firm also cut its operating loss by 83%. 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
US-based video research solutions provider Qualvu has rolled out a DIY web-based platform that enables businesses to engage with consumer groups and then review and analyze their feedback. More
Lightspeed Research has moved its global headquarters from Basking Ridge to Warren, also in New Jersey. 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
UK-based Nunwood has launched a league table of national and international brands rated on customer experience. Online retail giant Amazon tops the overall list, based on feedback from 5,500 consumers. 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
comScore has appointed Amy Weinberger as Vice President based in Sydney, heading up its operations in Australia and New Zealand. More
In the US, Experian Simmons has appointed Paul Cannon as Senior Account Director, responsible for managing and growing business with the company's clients within advertising agency holding companies. He will report to vice president of Client Business Development Jim Tobolski. More
Social media consultancy Converseon has announced a strategic partnership with Chinese social media intelligence provider CIC to integrate monitoring and conversation mining products. More
Leeds, UK-based youth research and marketing strategist Dubit has added Claire Jolley, Jen Holmes and John Crichton to its research team; and has promoted Jonathan Clough to the role of Head of Online Research 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
Stockholm-based Tobii Technology has launched a new product which will allow its clients to run eye-tracking experiments directly from MATLAB, the widely used MathWorks research software. Separately, neuroengineer Emotiv has announced a new headset with potential research uses. More
Asian-focused panels and MR outsourcing company Pulse Group is said to be looking for M&A opportunities. 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
In the US, privately held database marketer I-Behavior has been acquired by the KBM Group, part of WPP's Wunderman network. I-Behavior provides direct marketing services to multi-channel retailers based on consumer purchase transaction data. More
In the UK, the coalition government has proposed amendments to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), taking a tougher line with ISPs looking to monitor their customers' online movements, as in the much discussed BT / Phorm trials. More
Two US-based bodies, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) have released guidelines aimed at standardizing key metrics for mobile audience measurement. More
Customer engagement technology specialist Alterian has announced a multi-year partnership with Experian Marketing Services to provide clients with a solution integrating data from multiple channels into a centralized database. More
Online sampling and data collection company Research Now has relocated its headquarters from Dallas to a larger site in Plano, Texas, with future growth in mind. 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
Assessment of ROI and more general measurement are two of the biggest challenges to further investment in social media activity, according to research by new partners, the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) and advertisers' association the ISBA. More
US-based Internet and mobile monitoring specialist Keynote Systems has reported encouraging results for its fourth fiscal quarter and more mixed figures for the full year ended September 30, 2010. The firm has also launched enhanced versions of its web performance monitoring and testing tools. More
In New York, Scarborough Research has announced the launch of PRIME LingoâĒ, a new web-based software platform giving non-specialist users desktop access to data including consumer lifestyles, cross media consumption, sports interest and demographics. 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
Webtrends has upgraded its Analytics On Demand platform, enhancing its Mobile Analytics and Analytics Insight products, and adding new report measures including single page view visits, entry page visits and bounce rates. More
MR technology and online sample firm uSamp has launched a new version of its SampleMarket panel access platform, offering enhanced real-time self-service access to its US proprietary panel. 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
Nielsen has apologised to clients for a 'flaw' in its web traffic methodology which has led to under-counting of web traffic in products including its NetView service. More
WPP-owned online research specialist Lightspeed has strengthened its office in Wimbledon, UK with three new project manager hires and a promotion. More
In the US, media planning and research firm Telmar Group has hired Daryl Scott as EVP, Chief Digital Officer. More
In the US, online DIY survey tools firm SurveyMonkey has secured $100m in debt financing from a group of banks. The firm plans to use the funds to reduce debt in preparation for making future acquisitions. More
Technology research firm Gartner has reported a 12% revenue hike to $296m for Q3 2010. As a result, the firm has increased its financial forecast for the full year, and says it is on track to deliver double-digit revenue and earnings growth over the long-term. 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
In France, GfK has partnered with global news agency AFP (Agence France-Presse) to launch the 'Reference E-Content' (REC) monitor, which measures and analyses users' online consumption of books, music, videos, games and software. More
The Audit Bureau of Circulations' interactive unit ABCi has teamed up with mobile publishing technology firm Spreed, to provide independently audited mobile usage data generated from smart phones, e-readers and mobile browsers in the US and Canada. More
Online panel and technology firm uSamp has appointed a new Chief Financial Officer, promoted two execs, and doubled the number of sales directors employed in its US offices. More
US firm VMS has launched an online community for users to share information about their experiences of media monitoring and analytics. More
In the US, software giant Oracle has acquired Art Technology Group (ATG), a firm which develops software to track and analyze online customer behavior to improve the running of e-commerce web sites. The cash transaction is valued at $6 per share, or approximately $1bn. 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
Online measurement specialist comScore has reported record quarterly revenue growth to $45.7m, an increase of 43% over the third quarter of 2009. However, two recent acquisitions wiped out net income of $0.9m and replaced it with a loss of $2.1m. More
In the US, multi-screen media measurement specialist Rentrak has reported a 13% increase in revenues to $24m for the fiscal 2011 second quarter, which it says mainly reflects 'strong growth' in its Advanced Media Information (AMI) division. More
Online sampling and data collection firm Research Now has brought all its New York-based staff together under one roof, at 58 West 40th Street. Overlooking Bryant Park, the new office is more than double the size of its previous space. More
In the US, custom market research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey and media agency Brand Networks have developed a solution to help businesses better understand their Facebook fans. More
In the US, IHS - which provides intelligence on the energy and environment sectors - has acquired technology research specialist iSuppli in a deal reported to be valued at around $95m. More
In the US, GfK has acquired marketing consultancy Interscope, which helps manufacturers and retailers understand the shopper landscape through a mix of analytics and creative ideas. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In India, Kantar-owned IMRB has launched the 'Web Audience Measurement' (WAM) system, which uses a panel of people issued with a new custom-built metering device. More
In the US, research platform provider Survey Analytics has launched the MicroPanel network, a fully automated service offering clients point and click access to millions of consumers and business professionals across numerous vertical sectors. More
WPP-owned media agency MEC has appointed former Ipsos exec Janos Gulyas as CEO for its Hungarian operation. More
Online sampling and data collection firm Research Now has appointed Marc-Antoine Jacoud as Managing Director of Southern Europe, responsible for leading client development in France, Italy and Spain. More
In New York, WPP-owned Kantar Video has rolled out the beta release of its Videolytics online and mobile video tracking technology. More
Nielsen's online division has added mobile Internet audience measurement to its New Zealand market intelligence service, with the roll out of its Mobile Market Intelligence (MMI) in the country. More
In the UK, GfK has added the position of Chief Marketing Officer of GfK Media to Nick North's existing role as Joint Head of GfK NOP Media. He also becomes Secretary of the GfK Media Board. More
French audience measurement firm MÃĐdiamÃĐtrie has launched a quarterly service, which provides ratings for sites, portals and applications viewed via mobile Internet technology. More
UK record label trade body the BPI has established a new Innovation Panel, through which it will share consumer research, help identify and value market opportunities, and provide a forum for dialogue with labels on service design and market strategy. More
In the US, JD Power and Associates has signed agreements with social media technology firms Clarabridge and NetBase to expand and enhance its digital research capabilities. More
In Australia, online measurement specialist comScore has appointed audience research veteran Jonathan Jephcott as a consultant to lead its bid to become the IAB Australia's sole supplier for the planning, buying and reporting of online audience measurement. More
In the US, social media consultancy Coverseon has released an update of Conversation Monitor; its social media monitoring platform which now offers access to Twitter Firehose - or approximately 90 million tweets per day. More
In the US, Nielsen funded client think tank the Council for Research Excellence (CRE) is looking for an agency to analyse current research on new video-media usage - such as how screen size and 3D TV affects viewer engagement and how people consume video on mobile devices. More
German user and brand research specialist Eye Square has opened a new office in London, led by usability specialist Gareth Tuck. More
Panels and MR technology firm Toluna has added social media features to its branded online community management product PanelPortal, to enable community members to interact with each other and provide additional insight for panel owners. More
In the US, online ad pioneer Gurbaksh Chahal has launched RadiumOne; a new ad platform which uses social data to enable brands to find consumers who most resemble their current user base, and identify users who are most likely to engage with their ads. More
US-based social media management and monitoring firm Involver has closed an $8m series C funding round, which it will use to fuel growth and expand its technology. More
In the US, corporate comms specialist Qorvis has launched an analytics tool that evaluates recent online conversations around a brand or company, in order to define brand reputation. More
WPP-owned Kantar Video has rolled out its Videolytics Platform to seventeen advertising platform providers, publishers and ad networks. More
In the US, veteran media and ad measurement executive Bill McKenna has joined radio ratings giant Arbitron in the newly created post of Senior Vice President, New Media Ventures. More
US-based voice-of-customer (VOC) technology firm OpinionLab has launched a solution to enable companies to capture and analyze consumers' social media conversations. More
In New York, media intelligence solutions firm VMS has appointed David Stephens as President, with full operating responsibility for the firm. More
Software and panels firm GMI (Global Market Insite) has introduced a new sampling methodology which scientifically 'calibrates, mixes, stabilizes and monitors' multiple or single respondent sources. 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
UK-based Verve - which specialises in customer advisory panels and online brand communities - has appointed five new members of staff, and promoted Client Services Director Jeremy Hollow to the position of Sales Director. More
Panel provider and research outsourcing firm Pulse Group has made a profit for the first time, for the year ending May 31 2010. More
Online and mobile qual research software provider Revelation has released the official version of its 'Revelation Mobile' solution, which allows consumers to capture and record their behavior in real-time. More
Online ad trade association IAB Europe has warned its members they should not use technology that 'respawns' cookies after consumers have deleted them, calling it unacceptable and probably illegal. More
In the UK, Chime company Opinion Leader has hired Dominic Scott-Malden as Research Director, to boost its expertise in advertising research. Catherine Plews also joins the firm as Senior Research Executive. 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
Research Now has opened an office in Milan to provide its 'greatly expanded' base of Italian clients with skilled local account management. Client Development Manager Robinson Leoni will head up the office. 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
Panel specialist e-Rewards has completed its acquisition of San Francisco-based social media sampling firm Peanut Labs, the company confirmed on Friday. More
A total of 21 companies have registered an interest in bidding for the Australian IAB's recently announced online audience measurement tender. 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
US-based innovation consulting firm Cheskin Added Value has introduced OpFinder; a tool that provides quantitative insight into new market opportunities, and helps clients develop the business case to progress new ideas. More
In the UK, online marketing research specialist OnePoll has appointed consumer trend authority William Higham as Managing Director. More
Web-based consumer researcher BuzzBack has rolled out an online concept analysis tool, through which respondents can highlight those areas of a product idea, advert, package or web site that are meaningful to them, rather than selecting from a list of predefined options. More
US-based social media tracking and targeting firm Lotame has opened an office in the UK, and where it has appointed former AOL executive Chris Stark as Managing Director. More
In the UK, Nielsen veteran Marco Barbaccia has joined Ipsos MediaCT as International Director of Electronic and Digital Audience Measurement. More
Yahoo! has acquired Dapper, a technology firm which enables advertisers to automatically target consumers with products, offers, and messages relating to their search or user history. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, GfK MRI is implementing a change in its in-person, in-home consumer surveys to augment its data on readership of printed magazines with readership on every type of digital platform. More
Research Panel Asia (RPA) has opened its first office in the US in Los Angeles, to support clients based in North America. 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
Canadian-based mobile testing and market research community Mob4Hire has launched a rating system for 'mobile usability excellence' - focused on identifying and creating high quality mobile apps, web sites and other media. More
US semantic technology firm Attensity has extended its Attensity360 (former Biz360) social media measurement tool, to enable clients to respond to relevant Tweets, Facebook posts, review sties and blogs. More
Online measurement specialist comScore has introduced a system for tagging mobile web and app assets, to enhance the measurement of mobile audiences worldwide. To promote the initiative, the firm has partnered with mobile analytics firm Bango. More
Ipsos Vantis, the global group's product innovation division, has appointed Randy Giusto as Senior Vice President in its technology business. 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
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 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
Channel Islands-based mobile marketing and ad technology company Velti has acquired US mobile ad exchange network and analytics provider Mobclix. 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
Maritz Research has bought St. Louis, USA-based evolve24, which combines analysis of traditional media and social media to provide clients with quantitative metrics on the perception of brands, products and services. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, the IAB and other trade associations are gearing up to launch a new body to be known as the Digital Advertising Alliance; and have unveiled an icon designed to reassure consumers that behavioral ad companies comply with accepted standards. More
Kantar Media has introduced DirectHEAT, a new subscription service delivering custommised multimedia ad intelligence to media sellers. More
Two of Nielsen's subsidiaries are planning to sell $750m of senior notes which are due in 2018, in order to pay off a proportion of the research giant's debt. More
Social media sample specialist Peanut Labs has teamed up with CivicScience, a provider of data mining and other technology, to launch Wisdom of the Web, a new tool which gradually builds a picture of respondents from answers to a number of separate short polls. More
In the US, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has appointed former Procter & Gamble senior exec Ted McConnell in the new role of Executive VP - Digital. More
In Taiwan, face identification and tracking technology specialist ECAFtech has launched an audience measurement solution for out-of-home (OoH) media such as digital signs, in-store product displays, kiosks and display windows. 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
UK-based Virtual Surveys has appointed former eBay user experience specialist James Lang as Web Research Director. More
Behavioural targeting firm Phorm has posted a loss before tax of $15.7m (£9.8m) in the six months to the end of June, and is still using up cash reserves at $1.8m a month; but reports better than expected opt-in rates in Brazil, where its offer is nearing commercial launch. More
US pharma and healthcare specialist Decision Resources has launched an interactive web-based platform that allows users to search for 'product analogues' - modified drugs based on the structure of existing medicine - and assess potential market opportunities. More
In the US, digital video recorder (DVR) solutions provider TiVo has begun a recruitment drive to increase the size of its Power||Watch consumer panel from 25,000 to 100,000 households. More
The IAB and other digital and ad industry bodies are working with the EU Commission to develop a pan-European self-regulatory framework for behavioural targeting of ads, following a meeting last week over the future of the practice. More
Panels and MR technology firm Toluna has hired former Harris Interactive leader Dr. George Terhanian as its Group Chief Strategy and Products Officer. More
WPP-owned sister firms TNS Research International and digital agency Wunderman have partnered in Africa, to help clients maximize opportunities in the 'digital sphere', while providing information about the potential of mobile Internet. More
Broadcasting association The Norwegian Radio Industry has awarded TNS Gallup a three-year contract extension to measure electronic radio listening in the country. The contract will now run until late 2013. More
US word-of-mouth specialist Bazaarvoice has launched a solution that enables marketers to measure ROI for spend on social media, linking it to revenue and bottom line. More
NetBase - which creates tools to measure consumer opinion and behavior in social media - has joined forces with netnographer Professor Robert Kozinets to develop an online community through which market researchers can discuss and share best practices around measuring online buzz. More
Sample marketplace firm Cint has opened offices in Los Angeles, Princeton and San Francisco and is moving to larger premises in Atlanta and Toronto to accommodate its expanding sales and operations teams in North America. More
BlackBerry smartphone manufacturer Research in Motion and web analytics specialist Webtrends have partnered to develop a solution which enables BlackBerry developers to add measurement options to their applications. More
US voice-of-the-customer MR firm Amplified Analytics has released a tool that it claims turns word-of-mouth (WoM) online reviews into 'sales-driving' product insight. More
In the US, Communispace - which creates online customer insight communities - has appointed Howard Kogan as Chief Technology and Strategy Officer. More
e-Rewards, the parent company of online panel specialist Research Now is to acquire US-based social media sample provider Peanut Labs in a deal expected to complete next month. Terms were not disclosed. 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
Internet ad body IAB Australia is inviting online audience measurement (OAM) vendors to submit their services for tender evaluation, with the aim of selecting one as the sole and exclusive preferred supplier for the planning, buying and reporting of OAM in the country for a three-year term. More
Multi-screen media measurement specialist Rentrak Corporation has appointed board member Brent Rosenthal to the newly created position of Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. More
US-based qual specialist Gongos Research has launched a mobile app for its iCommunities services, available for the iPhone and iPod touch, with other platforms scheduled for coverage soon. 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
In the UK, the Market Research Society (MRS) today launched two separate sets of draft guidelines: one on research with children and young people and one on online research. More
Nielsen has this week told clients it may widen the definition of its new Extended Screen ratings, dropping the absolute requirement that online TV programs must carry the same ads as their original broadcast. Separately, the research giant is said to be piloting a new 'GRP'-style online audience measure. More
Austin, Texas-based Kinesis Survey Technologies has launched version 3.0 of its scalable, multi-platform survey and panel management software Kinesis PanelâĒ. More
Twitter is planning to introduce a real-time analytics dashboard before the end of the year, according to reports. More
Digital media trading specialist MediaMath has partnered with Knowledge Networks company KN Dimestore to augment its digital marketing platform, TerminalOne with rich media surveys and real-time reporting. More
Nick Palmer is moving from Hall & Partners London to lead the firm's new Sydney, Australia-based brand and comms research joint venture with Open Mind. More
Facebook is shuttering the beta version of a conversion tracking tool it launched earlier this year. The tool aimed to help marketers determine the ROI of Facebook campaigns in terms of registrations or sales resulting, but data collection will cease within the next month. 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
Ad targeting firm Phorm says it is making good progress in Brazil, serving its first ads to opted-in customers of national ISP Oi, signing agreements with a number of large publishers and partner web sites, and beginning a trial of its Navegador product with phone company Telefonica. 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
Dubai-based Real Opinions has signed a reseller agreement with The Nielsen Company. Real Opinions will offer a number of Nielsen Online solutions in the Middle East, including SiteCensus, Market Intelligence and Campaign Analysis. More
Business analytics firm Anametrix has announced a partnership with French IT services company Hub'Sales, offering a 'comprehensive' real-time digital measurement system covering multiple online and off-line sources. More
comScore has launched its syndicated mobile measurement service MobiLens in Japan. This is the first Asian launch for the service, which currently serves the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. More
Ipsos MediaCT has been chosen by Australian non-profit body The Newspaper Works to develop and run a new readership measurement system for the country's newspapers and magazines. More
comScore has launched a social media intelligence service, Social Analytix, giving clients analysis of what is being said about their brands; and announced a collaboration with Equifax company IXI to integrate financial segmentation data into products including Audience Advantage and AdEffx. 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
Shareholders of Australian-based Photon Group have approved the firm's $102.5m recapitalisation plan at a Sydney EGM on Friday. Two mergers of Photon agencies have already been announced and more are said to be imminent. More
In the US, the dispute between Sunbeam Television and Nielsen appears to be coming to a conclusion: the parties informed a judge in Miami last week that they are close to resolving the suit. More
Market research and public relations have the brightest recruitment outlook among marketing and advertising roles in the US in the remainder of 2010, according to a survey of marketing and ad execs for The Creative Group. More
US firm Echometrix has paid $100,000 to settle a case with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo over accusations of 'deceptive' selling of information about children's online activity to third parties for market intelligence purposes. Separately, this week another US firm was also accused of mobile tracking without permission. 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
Media intelligence firm VMS has released the latest version of its InSight software platform, which allows users to view and analyse news and advertising content and corresponding audience data from a wide range of new and traditional media types via a single, customizable portal. More
comScore and syndicated readership specialist Print Measurement Bureau (PMB) are to launch their combined database of Canadians' media consumption and product and brand usage, next week. More
The ARF has appointed long-time IBM exec Todd M. Powers, Ph.D. as its Chief Research Officer, starting at the end of the month. More
US-based research technology specialist Decipher has reported 55% year-over-year revenue growth for the first six months of 2010. The firm is about to move to a new office in Los Angeles, and is planning to open facilities in Manhattan and London in the coming months. More
Nielsen has developed an iPad app using audio watermarks to automatically detect and synchronize with TV programs, to serve viewers with relevant interactive content and advertisements. More
Online panel and technology firm Toluna has reported a 164% increase in revenues to £36.2m for the six months ended 30 June 2010, which it says reflects the successful integration of Greenfield Online ISS into the group. More
In Australia, 'people related' data specialist BinaryPlex has launched a tool to identify the value contained in Twitter conversations. More
US-based data collection specialist Western Wats has opened a new service bureau in Toronto, to provide local access to the firm's research panels. More
In the US, ratings giant Arbitron has re-appointed Erica Farber as a Director. She gave up her seat on the Board in 2006 when VNU - the owner of Nielsen Media Research - acquired music trade publication Radio & Records, where she worked as Publisher and CEO. More
In the UK, Kantar Media has rolled out a new approach to regional readership data collection, which it says offers a 'considerable cost saving' for publishers conducting regular readership research. More
In the UK, Creston-owned ICM Group has appointed BT's former research head James Turner and Optimisa's former CEO Andrew Wiseman to its Board, while announcing that MD Matt Burn and Director Gary Muncaster are about to leave the company. More
Sample marketplace firm Cint has secured a $13m investment, earmarked for expanding the business in both new and existing markets, extending its product portfolio and strengthening its team. More
US online measurement giant comScore has appointed Wolf Allisat as Executive Vice President, responsible for overseeing international expansion strategy in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. More
Out-of-home (OoH) media agency Kinetic has formed a data consultancy division called Meta, to help clients 'unlock' and maximize the value of existing consumer information by linking data from a variety of locations and transaction types. 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
MR technology and operations company Annik has extended its SurveyFlashTools (SFT) solution to enable interactive Flash elements to be added to questions in any online survey, regardless of the platform. More
WPP-owned Millward Brown has brought all its global qualitative agencies together under a single brand, Firefly Millward Brown. More
UK-based user experience consultancy User Vision has opened an office in Dubai, to service clients in the Middle East and North Africa. More
WPP's brand activation agency network G2 has taken a majority stake in Chinese shopper marketing consultancy DPI. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, video technology, analytics and monetization firm Ooyala has raised more than $22m in financing from new and existing investors, adding to the $42m the firm has raised in the past three and a half years. More
In the US, Arbitron veteran Pierre Bouvard is to leave his role of EVP of Cross-Platform Services at the end of September, after 23 years with the firm. More
In London, WPP-owned communications consultancy Maxus has hired Martin Lawson for the new role of Global Data and Insights Director. More
US-based Peanut Labs has launched Social Media Asia Sample, which provides access to an online population of social media users in China, Japan and South Korea. More
Online panel and technology firm uSamp has reported a 167% rise in revenue for the past year, which it says was driven by an increase in use of global consumer panels and river sampling, along with growth in tracking studies following its recent acquisition of DMS Insights. More
US-based data collection firm Western Wats has launched online research panels in Germany and France. 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
Two music industry specialists, distribution agency IODA and social media analytics firm Next Big Sound (NBS) have announced a partnership to link digital sales information from online retailers with key usage metrics from social media sites such as Twitter and Last.fm. More
In the US, ahead of the November midterm elections, mobile app developer Handmark has launched ElectionCaster, an app that delivers instant access to the latest political news and polling information. More
US business analytics provider Anametrix - which was set up earlier in the year by former WebSideStory founder Blaise Barrelet - has closed a $1.15m round of investment. The firm has also established a Board of Advisors, and appointed two new Board Directors. More
Market research software provider Confirmit has signed a reseller agreement for a further three years, with Australia-based Information Research Management (IRM), which will continue to sell and support the Confirmit product suite in the Australian and New Zealand markets. More
Mobile data analytics firm Umber Systems has appointed online consumer privacy expert Mark Connon as Corporate Development and Chief Privacy Officer, responsible for driving data monetization and overseeing its privacy strategy. More
In the US, HCD Research has launched a syndicated service to help pharma marketers qualitatively understand the sentiments of consumers and physicians towards their and their competitors' brands. More
In the UK, The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is examining the process which mobile and broadband provider TalkTalk uses to monitor its customers' web browsing habits. More
Interpublic media agency Initiative has hired Kendra Hatcher King for the newly created role of Worldwide Director of Insight and Innovation. 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
WPP-owned Kantar Media - which specializes in providing TV, Internet and radio audience measurement services - has hired veteran media analyst Jeffrey Boehme to drive the development of new products and applications for set-top box (STB) data. More
Austrian online research agency Marketagent.com has opened an office in Maribor, Slovenia, its fourth country to date. More
Advertising division Ipsos ASI has launched its 'Big Idea' service in the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa). More
Online marketing services firm Marvist Consulting has added social media optimization services to its existing package, which includes Internet MR. More
Interactive research and technology firm Vision Critical has appointed former Synovate CEO Adrian Chedore to its Board of Directors. 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
US and UK-based e-mail marketing firm e-Dialog has launched the 'Centre for Digital Marketing Excellence', to provide clients with primary research and analysis of global online marketing trends and consumer attitudes. More
In the US, M/A/R/C Research has partnered with sentiment analysis specialist WiseWindow to use the latter's MOBI (Mass Opinion Business Intelligence) web measurement technology. More
UK-based marketing and engagement analytics software provider Alterian has acquired US-based Intrepid, which focuses on market research and social media analytics, in a deal worth up to $11.5m. More
US-based online measurement giant comScore has acquired Dutch web analytics and video measurement firm Nedstat for around $36.7m. More
US market research association CASRO has established a task force to address the ethical and methodological issues which have arisen since the emergence of social media research. More
IFF Research founder and former Market Research Society Chairman Lord McIntosh of Haringey died on Friday at the age of 77, after a battle with cancer. More
Sacked Infogroup founder Vinod Gupta has formed Database101 - a new company already boasting a team of twenty-two, including seven of his former colleagues. More
In the US, start-up technology firm Yottaa has completed a $4m investment deal, while also unveiling a suite of free web performance analytics tools. 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
Online sampling and data collection firm Research Now has moved to new larger premises in Sydney, Australia, to accommodate its recently expanded team and in anticipation of future growth. More
In the US, former Targetbase executive Ernie Kim has joined Synovate's Marketing Management Analytics (MMA) business as Senior Vice President & Analytics Officer. 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
Webtrends and paid search management specialist Marin Software have announced a partnership integrating elements of their technology to provide a new online marketing analysis and optimization package, Webtrends Ads. More
Semantic web startup Bueda has launched a social media marketing tool named Five, to help marketers understand conversations on social networks and then match them with people it considers most receptive to their current promotion. 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
Vancouver-based InSite Information Systems Corporation has announced a new release of its on-demand, multi-channel customer data management suite, including support for mobile surveys. More
Canada-based online data collection specialist Itracks has teamed with web application firm MutualMind to develop social media monitoring software specifically for users in the market research industry. More
US-based research technology firm MarketTools has appointed Internet entrepreneur Alex Terry as Executive Vice President and General Manager of its DIY survey brand Zoomerang. More
Software and panels firm GMI (Global Market Insite) has partnered with mobile engagement specialist TXT4CRM to develop a new mobile market research solution. More
LatAm and Iberia online panel specialist Netquest has launched panels in 17 Latin American countries, bringing its total number of panellists in the region to more than 300,000. More
Online panel and technology company uSamp is testing a mobile survey platform providing researchers with access to millions of users of smart phones and mobile devices, and exploiting the rise of 'check-in' location sharing for precise geographical targeting. 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
Kantar Media is planning to add qualitative research to its futurePROOF quantitative study, to provide an understanding of how media behaviour changes among early adopters of the iPad. 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
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
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
US-based behavioral targeting technology firm AudienceScience (formerly Revenue Science) has expanded in Asia with the opening of an office in Tokyo. Yoichi Tanaka joins the office as Sales Director to drive the adoption of the Audience Gateway targeting platform. More
In the US, digital video recorder solutions provider TiVo has announced plans to begin tracking how much time consumers spend watching web content through its TV sets. More
In the UK, Kantar Worldpanel has enhanced its syndicated mobile study, ComTech, adding information on usage, supplier and billing cross-referenced against the four channels of mobile, broadband, landline and pay TV. More
US-based data and analytics specialist Euro RSCG 4D Discovery has acquired full-service Internet marketing agency Congruent Media, in a bid to expand its digital and behavioral marketing capabilities. Terms were not disclosed. 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
Market Insight Corporation - which captures real-time shopper preferences through its consumer web site MyProductAdvisor.com - has formed an Asian-based company, Market Insight (Asia) Limited, through which it plans to extend its services in the region. More
Boston-based marketing intelligence firm Visual IQ has completed a $3m round of funding, which it plans to use to expand its team, advance partner relationships and extend its technology infrastructure. More
In New York, former Weather Channel media researcher Ned Greenberg has joined Ipsos OTX MediaCT as Vice President, Syndicated Solutions. 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
Mobile phone giant Nokia has agreed to acquire privately-held US-based data collection and analytics firm Motally Inc. Terms were not disclosed. More
A lawsuit filed in a California court accuses content sharing specialist Clearspring and clients including a Walt Disney subsidiary and Warner Brothers of using Flash cookies to track the actions of children. Clearspring says the suit is 'factually inaccurate' and it does not collect personal information. More
In the US, Sunbeam Television's lawsuit against Nielsen is back in the news, with mandatory mediation due to start on Monday in Boston. Sunbeam has submitted a long list of individuals it may cite or call upon for evidence, including network execs and current and past Nielsen competitors. More
UK-based online MR firm Tpoll has launched a new qualitative software tool called Tqual, developed in-house. The tool can be integrated with the company's existing survey and community platform Tquant, or used as a standalone. 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
US-based online market solution provider Lyris has appointed web analytics specialist Wolfgang Maasberg as President and Chief Executive Officer, replacing Luis Rivera who will continue to serve on the company's Board of Directors. 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
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
US data collection firm Western Wats has rolled out a new sampling methodology combining its managed panel with samples from mobile phone users, phone to web recruits, social media communities and 'River' respondents. More
In South Africa, mall advertising firm Primedia Unlimited has launched an add assessment tool called 'The Dream Catcher', described as an interactive spider diagram plotting noticeability, familiarity and trust indices against various forms of media. More
In the US, MarketTools has added five firms to its TrueSample Quality Council, which it set up in 2008 to improve its online quality technology. More
Nielsen has increased the amount it wants to raise by selling stock to $2.01bn, in its initial public offering (IPO) filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm has also added two new categories for measuring TV viewing. More
In the US, Cardlytics - which has developed technology to track consumers' actual purchases and reward them according to their individual purchase behaviour - has raised $18m in new equity to support its expansion plans. More
In the US, customer listening specialist Overtone has launched a social media analytics application called 'OpenMic GameVoice Interactive', which measures sentiment and extracts insights from consumer-generated text in video game communities. 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
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
New York-based Affinity, which specialises in syndicated print measurement, has launched an audience study which examines people's experiences with digital magazine campaigns. More
In the US, Ipsos Interactive Services (IIS) has appointed former Procter & Gamble exec Dr Nancy Brigham as Vice President of Global Operations, North America Sample Access & Engagement. 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
In India, market research and consumer insight firm Dexterity has launched iPinion; a new app which enables panelists to participate in surveys, in-store and ethnography studies, and mystery shopps from their iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC), marketing agency NCC Media and a group of cable, satellite and subscription TV providers are planning to develop guidelines for using set-top-box (STB) data to measure TV audiences. More
Interactive research and technology firm Vision Critical has developed a virtual retail bank environment in which to test layout concepts, the position of greeters and tellers, and to determine where best to place visual branding such as posters, signage and video screens. 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
Online panel and survey technology firm Toluna has expanded in Europe with a new office in Madrid, Spain, headed by former Nielsen executive Carlos Hidalgo de Morillo JimÃĐnez. More
Kantar's online behavior analysis arm Compete has hired former Harris Interactive leader John Bremer as Chief Research Officer, to serve as the firm's primary expert on digital research approaches, models and techniques. More
In the US, Brian Monahan has been appointed EVP, Managing Partner of IPG's Emerging Media Lab; a research facility which offers focus groups, product evaluations and surveys to uncover how consumers use new media technologies. More
UK-based online research specialist YouGov has expanded its presence in the US with the acquisition of marketing and research consulting firm the Harrison Group. More
Online panel and survey technology firm Toluna has rolled out its UPS (Unified Panelist System) globally. Separately, in the US, the firm has hired Jeff Scott as President and promoted Ron Franscella to the post of Chief Revenue Officer. More
Web analytics firm Webtrends has acquired Transpond, which has developed a platform that enables users to create content and track engagement with it across social and mobile platforms. Terms were not disclosed. 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
Strategic research firm Hotspex has appointed former Millward Brown Canada President James Conrad as Executive Vice President, to lead sales and drive growth. More
CIMM, the coalition of US firms formed last September to promote innovation in TV and cross-platform video audience measurement, is to fund the rollout of the IPA's UK TouchPoints study in the US. It will be fielded by the Media Behavior Institute (MBI) in partnership with GfK MRI. More
Interactive research and technology firm Vision Critical has announced results for the first half of 2010. On a constant currency basis, total revenues rose 43% versus a year earlier and CEO Angus Reid says the company is 'on track to earn approximately $70 million in revenue in 2010'. More
US professional body the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has announced the full-time return of Bill Cook as EVP - Research and Standards. The organisation also announced it will undertake new research-on-research. More
In the US, leading online firms including AOL, Yahoo!, MySpace and MSN are under pressure from two senior politicians to reveal details of their privacy practices, including installation of cookies on visitors' computers, and other tracking activity. More
In the Philippines, the government of President 'Noynoy' Aquino has signed an order creating an extensive Communications Group ('ComGroup') with the aim of getting closer to its people using traditional and new media. Functions include the control and supervision of market research and opinion polling. More
comScore is planning to open offices in Sydney and Melbourne, according to EVP International Will Hodgman - boosting its influence in Australia in the run-up to the appointment of a preferred web ratings supplier, for which it will tender. More
In the US Clearspring Technologies, the company responsible for content sharing platform AddThis, has launched a new product, Audience Platform, enabling advertisers and publishers to reach audiences categorised according to their influence or intent. More
US firm Solariat has launched AdLib, a product which analyses conversations within social media and serves up information or ads based on its interpretation of the needs of participants, in real-time. More
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released a damning report on the methodology used for online site intercept studies for ad effectiveness. The study found major problems including 'extremely low response rates', the use of 'quasi-experimental research designs' and dubious weighting adjustments. More
In Australia Gordon Towell, CEO of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) and Circulations Audit Board (CAB) is returning to private enterprise after two years in the role. His replacement, from 27th August, will be ABC and CAB's Director of Audit Services, Paul Dovas. More
Caroline Osborne has been appointed Director of GfK NOP Consumer Products & Retail, with a particular remit to enhance the company's shopper insight, customer satisfaction, segmentation and U&A offers. More
Arbitron has revealed the cost of its various legal battles of the past two years, in a 10-Q filing for the SEC. In all, two securities law civil actions commencing in 2008, and various 'interactions' with government over the commercialization of the PPM, have cost it around $9.1m to date. More
Research and EFM software and services firm MarketTools, Inc. has released the latest version of its EFM solution, CustomerSat, which includes new listening, social media management and dashboard data sharing features. 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
A new report produced by Eric Peterson, founder and Senior Partner at Web Analytics Demystified, addresses the issues surrounding mobile measurement, and sets out a framework to better convert qualitative feedback into improved measurement of mobile initiatives. More
Multi-screen measurement company Rentrak Corporation has announced results for the quarter ending June 30th. While revenues in the company's Home Entertainment division were down 10% to $16.3m, a 132% rise in the AMI business intelligence division ensured overall growth - by 13% to $24.6m. More
Audience targeting data exchange eXelate has closed a $15m second round of funding, led by Silicon Valley's Menlo Ventures and joined by its series A round leader, Israeli firm Carmel Ventures. More
Marketing agency JB Chicago has launched a new social networking tool called Social Mushroom, promising help with getting established on social media sites and simple measurement of the success and ROI of the resulting campaigns. 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
Publicis Groupe announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire AG2, one of the largest independent digital agencies in Brazil and a specialist in competitive intelligence. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
French-based online loyalty and rewards specialist Maximiles has agreed to acquire Panelbiz Gmbh, one of the major players in the German online panels market, with the biggest access panel in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. More
In the US, audience engagement software company Limelight Networks has announced the acquisition of Delve Networks, a provider of cloud-based video publishing and analytics services. More
Analytics pioneer Webtrends has launched a new real-time site customization tool which combines the functionality of its existing targeting tool Webtrends Optimize and its segmentation tool Webtrends Segments. More
Open Mind Research Group has teamed up with Hall & Partners to form a new boutique consultancy, which CEO Dr Vicki Arbes says will 'compete at a different level' in the Australian market. More
Online sampling and data collection specialist Research Now has opened its first office in India, to provide clients with local support and online fieldwork expertise. More
US private investment company Silver Lake has acquired a 62% stake in Chinese digital marketing solutions firm Allyes Online Media, which specialises in online ad agency services and online market research. 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
Nielsen has announced results for the quarter and six months ended June 30. Reported quarterly revenues rose to $1,270m, up 7% year-on-year and reported operating income rose 6% from $172m to $182m - a rise of 10% after adjusting for one-off costs and currency changes. More
Google and In-Q-Tel, an investment vehicle which forms part of the CIA, have both been revealed as backers of Recorded Future, a company tracking and analysing Web content to report on trends and make predictions about future events. More
The NPD Group and electronics retailer Best Buy Co. have extended their agreement to share point-of-sale data for a further two and a half years. 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
Research by Dublin-based StatCounter suggests that Google accounts for more than 98% of the global mobile search market. More
comScore has announced record revenues of $42m for the second quarter of 2010, up 34% year-on-year. Adjusted earnings also rose by around 28.5%. More
Australian MR pioneer Roy Morgan Research and South East Asian online audience specialist Effective Measure International have announced a strategic partnership to develop a 'totally new' Internet measurement methodology and system. More
Nielsen has appointed Gai Le Roy to the role of Vice President Research - Audience Measurement, in its Asia Pacific online division. More
Joel Rubinson is stepping down from his role as Chief Research Officer of US body the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF), from September 2010. Rubinson will establish his own consulting practice, but will continue to consult for the ARF on its Research Transformation and Shopper Insights initiatives. More
Geomentum, Interpublic's hyper-local media and marketing unit, has named as its new President Lisa Bradner, most recently VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research. 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
US firm Social Agency has announced several new features for its Spredfast platform, giving social media marketers the ability to see additional detail about who is engaging with their brand online. 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
In the USA, the FTC appears once again to be pondering the idea of an online 'Do Not Track' option for consumers, along the lines of existing Do Not Call legislation. More
MD Andrew Reid has left Australian music and events firm Peer Group Media after two years to head up ViziSense, the web site metrics platform being rolled out in Australia by Indian firm Komli. 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 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
Online measurement firm comScore has owned up to understating Yahoo!'s June audience figures by a mere billion page views. The search and content giant issued a press release today after comScore notified it of the error. 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
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is testifying before Congress to express the advertising industry's 'serious reservations' about two legislative proposals which it says 'jeopardize the Internet and ...interactive advertising'. More
CIMM, the coalition of major US firms formed last September to investigate new ways of researching audiences in the multimedia age, is discussing the use of iPhones to collect diary-style media consumption data from a panel of around 1,000 US consumers. More
Shell company Fieldbury has agreed a reverse takeover of MobileWave for £1.07m. MobileWave's PlanetOi' combines a social networking platform, mobile phone app, sales promotion and market research tool and a rewards scheme. More
Panels and research technology firm Vision Critical and its public affairs practice Angus Reid Public Opinion have launched a new diagnostic approach to providing clients with a comparative view of their corporate reputation. More
In the US, media evaluation agency LogicLab has appointed media analytics specialist Craig Gugel as Chief Research Officer. More
US online video analytics firm TubeMogul has launched a self-serve suite of customized video player analytics, which it claims tracks every major video player, platform and delivery method on the web. More
In the UK, specialist social media agency Yomego has launched a new tool, 'social media reputation' (SMR), which promises brands insight and analysis into their reputation across 29,000 social media channels. More
Online sampling and data collection specialist Research Now has expanded its team in Munich, Germany, and moved to new office in Hallbergmoos, near the city's airport. More
Software giant Adobe Systems has re-branded all Omniture's products following its acquisition of the web analytics firm last year. More
US-based search and social media marketing firm PositionÂē has launched 'Brand Monitor' - a platform that enables companies to listen to, discover, and engage with social media conversations in real time. More
US-based online qual specialist Invoke Solutions has launched 'groketeer', a new DIY survey tool which enables users to quickly generate graphs, reports and insights from raw survey data. More
In Australia, Survey Sampling International has relocated its Sydney offices to accommodate its expanding service team, which now includes more than 20 account and project managers. More
In the US, online market research tech firm Crowd Science has appointed technology and e-commerce veteran Corey Leibow as President and Chief Executive Officer. More
Ratings giant Arbitron has reported a 'better-than-expected' second quarter, with a 1.8% increase in revenue to $88.3m compared with $86.8m in the prior year period, and an 8.7% rise in profits to $3.8m, from $3.5m. More
In New York, Kantar Video has partnered with video technology firm Anvato, to add syndication and copyright tracking to its Videolytics online and mobile video platform. More
In the US, software firm Jive - which owns social media monitoring specialist Filtrbox - has closed a $30m Series C financing initiative, which will be used to accelerate the development of its technology and drive its position in the social media sector. 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
US-based customer relationship marketing agency Merkle has introduced an integrated, data-driven platform allowing marketers to use behavioral insights from social media to drive new marketing opportunities. More
GfK has promoted Julia Beaver to the position of Head of GfK NOP Research Panels, which specialises in continuous or longitudinal consumer panels. Most recently, Beaver was Deputy MD at GfK Financial. 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
In the US, data collection firm Western Wats has launched a research solution which combines its mobile survey platform with its panel of mobile users. More
TV ad analytics specialist Ace Metrix has hired former comScore EVP Jack Flanagan as Chief Revenue Officer. More
In the US, ABCi, the digital wing of the Audit Bureau of Circulations, has entered a partnership with mobile media solutions provider Handmark to provide detailed, audited mobile usage statistics for publishers and advertisers. More
In the US, Collective Intellect has unveiled a new tool, the Social CRM Insight platform. The web-based package performs automated real-time text mining and analytics of social, traditional and corporate media. 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
Online audience specialist comScore has upgraded its Video Metrix service to split out the metrics associated with in-stream advertising videos and content videos. More
Infegy - the developer of social web analytics platform Social Radar - has opened a European sales and support office in Birmingham, UK, and appoined Gray Dudek as European Managing Director. More
Harris Interactive has expanded its Asia Sales division with the appointment of Kevin Huang as Vice President of Sales, and the promotion of Amrita Banta and Asha Choksi to the posts of SVP of Sales and SVP of Research respectively. All three are based in Singapore. More
In the US, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has appointed media research veteran David Marans as Executive Vice President of Media. 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
Survey Sampling International (SSI) has appointed former Greenfield-Ciao director Chris Watson as Managing Director of its UK business. 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
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
Digital trade body the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), has launched a framework to guide social media measurement in the UK. More
GfK Consumer has rolled out its first 'Future Buy' annual study of US shopping behaviors based on a mix of research methodologies, through which it has identified a new breed of consumer known as 'XTreme Shoppers'. More
In India, digital advertising and technology firm Komli Media has raised $6m in a second round of funding; part of which it plans to invest in technology to expand its web site metrics platform ViziSense. More
Online physician community Sermo has unveiled a new platform to provide enhanced navigation, mining and monitoring of physician dialogue. More
In the UK, the radio audience measurement body RAJAR has appointed Jerry Hill as Chief Executive Officer, following the departure of Sally de la Bedoyere in May. More
US-based panel company e-Rewards has issued $6.75m worth of stock options and incentives to a number of its directors and executive officers. More
US-based Paradigm Precision Sample has completed its integration of the main panel assets of sister firm Data Innovation. More
UK marketing budgets were down a fraction in Q2 amid uncertainty regarding the economic outlook, according to the latest IPA/BDO Bellwether survey published today. Budgets for Internet marketing were however revised upwards. More
India's plans to set up independent nationwide audience research along the lines of the UK's BARB have taken another small step forward with the formal registration of the new Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). 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
Online marketing specialist Lyris has opened two offices in Australia, and is making a 'strategic investment' in its partner Cogent to fuel growth in the country. More
In New York, media measurement firm TRA has appointed three media and technology executives to help expand its client relationships. The firm has also added media economist Jack Myers to its Advisory Board. More
Global non-profit trade body the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has commissioned Internet audience measurement group OWA to measure mobile web site traffic in Austria. More
Panels and research technology firm Vision Critical has introduced a tool to enable researchers to measure reaction to audio and video content and create a view of which feelings are being triggered throughout the programming. More
In Australia, online media analytics firm BuzzNumbers has upgraded its Buzz platform, to help businesses track what is being said about their brand and where conversations are taking place. 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, online news and opinion site the Huffington Post (HuffPost) has acquired opinion poll platform Pollster.com from YouGov Polimetrix. Terms were not disclosed. More
Media Monitors Australia has been acquired by Quadrant Private Equity in a deal reported to be worth up to $AUD 160m. 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
Ipsos and mobile data collection technology firm Techneos have partnered to develop new mobile research techniques, technologies and applications. More
Market research software provider Confirmit has launched a new SMS Survey extension, to enable users to reach more people with tailored text-based cell phone surveys. More
Behavioural ad targeting firm Phorm has placed 1,176,000 new common shares on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange, in a bid to raise around $3m, which it plans to use to expand its service in Brazil and other future markets. More
US behavioral targeting technology firm AudienceScience (formerly Revenue Science) has acquired German rival Wunderloop. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, Manish Bhatia, Nielsen's President of Advanced Digital Services, has left the company, resulting in a re-structure which will see the firm integrate set-top-box (STB) data into its current audience measurement services. More
US multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has partnered with consumer data giant Experian Simmons to add behavioral data to its TV Essentials and StationView Essentials set-top-box (STB) research tools. More
In the US, social media monitoring specialist beRelevant has introduced a market research service to extract and prioritize the collective knowledge of large numbers of people. More
In the UK, full-service marketing and management consultancy Realia has opened a dedicated research business to provide marketers with evidence-based decision support. The unit is headed by former IFF Director Sue Burden. More
Central London-based Jigsaw Research has appointed Monique Rotik as Director in charge of the Media and Communications practice, and a member of its senior level research team. 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
Technology consulting firm Yankee Group has announced a significant expansion of its forecasting offer; a major initiative to publish documentation on its methodology and assumptions; and the addition of seven new analysts to its research team. More
Online audience specialist comScore has opened an office in Madrid, from which it will service the Spanish and Portuguese market. The new operation will be led by media specialist Jaime AgullÃģ as General Manager for Iberia. More
MR and Enterprise Feedback Management firm MarketTools, Inc. has announced the integration of its Zoomerang online survey tool with Facebook and Twitter. More
Vodafone Romania has added a quant research capability to its mobile advertising service AdPlus. More
In the UK, Barry Noble has returned to online research specialist Tpoll to take up the position of Managing Director, following a three year 'self-imposed exile' in Barcelona. 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
Panel, community and survey software firm Globalpark has acquired Internet application and business portal design specialist WP-Experts. Terms were not disclosed. More
Behavioural ad targeting company Phorm has reported a 40% drop in operating loss to $29.7m from $49.8m last year, following positive foreign exchange caused by the appreciation of the US dollar against sterling. More
Australian-based insights consultancy The Leading Edge has appointed branding specialist Errol Flanagan as Senior Consultant, Branding and Innovation. More
WPP-owned Kantar Media has released 'Connect', a new solution that integrates a publisher's own web site metrics with survey data, to create a single-source database that links online behaviour to the attitudes that drive it. More
In the UK, Harris Interactive has launched a new approach to analysing the way people make purchase decisions across a wide range of products and service categories. More
UK-based digital MR specialist eDigitalResearch has rolled out eConceptTest - a suite of research methodologies designed to help marketers test their latest idea, service or product on the general public. More
In the US, online display ad specialist Rocket Fuel has appointed former Havas insights chief Jarvis Mak as Vice President of Analytics, and Stanford Computer Science Professor Yoav Shoham as a member of its advisory board. More
US-based social software developer Mzinga has updated its flagship product OmniSocial, so that it can be integrated into social web platforms including Facebook. 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
Nielsen has been reappointed as New Zealand's supplier of television audience measurement (TAM) services, winning an eight-year contract from SKY, TVNZ and TVWorks. More
UK audience measurement body BARB (The Broadcasters' Audience Research Board) has announced it will test a new meter which promises measurement of television viewed via a PC or laptop. More
In the US, ClearSight Interactive has announced the launch of ClearProfile, an audience targeting suite based on billed as the first of its kind. 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
Kantar Video has announced a number of senior hires in preparation for the global rollout of its Videolytics online and mobile video syndication, tracking and optimization platform. 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
Buenos Aires, Argentina-based Livra Panels has launched an iPhone application which gives respondents another way to participate in its online community. More
Social media sampling provider Peanut Labs has announced two new online panels, for Italy and Spain. Each will profile an extensive online population of social media users. 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
Just as you thought the World Cup was 'so last week' here we go again with (among other things) call centre productivity; social media match predictions; and the disturbing prospect of Diego Maradona running round Buenos Aires naked. More
Survey Sampling International (SSI) has hired Jessica Sullivan as Director, Access & Engagement, Asia Pacific. More
Mobile survey technology provider Techneos Systems has announced a new release of its SODA mobile survey platform, offering expanded data capture, editing and engagement features. More
Online panel and technology company uSamp has acquired online research specialist DMS Insights from AOL, just two days after closing a $10m funding deal. Financial details were not disclosed. More
US ratings giant Arbitron has given five members of its executive leadership additional responsibilities as part of a client-focused re-shuffle, which sees the departure of EVP, CMO Alton Adams and EVP, Customer Solutions Robert Henrick. More
US-based business analytics technology provider Anametrix has opened sales and technical operations in London and Amsterdam, while striking deals with resellers in Spain, China, Australia and Israel. More
In the US, branding firm Siegel+Gale has appointed Brian Rafferty as Global Director, Customer Insights in New York, and Donna Thacher as Research Director in Los Angeles. More
US multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has opened a new office in Chicago, where it has appointed Nancy Beall as Director of Local Sales, Midwest Region. More
Digital marketing agency and online buzz measurement specialist iCrossing has been acquired by media and marketing giant Hearst Corporation in a deal valued at $325m. More
In New York, media measurement firm TRA has signed an agreement to license technology from marketing ROI specialist Media Trust, in order to enhance its Media TRAnalytics system, which matches household TV consumption and purchase data. More
In South Africa, satellite television operator MultiChoice is launching a TV audience measurement device, to complement the TAMS data collected by the peoplemeter system of the South Africa Advertising Research Foundation (SAARF). More
Online panel and technology company uSamp has closed a $10 million Series C round of financing, led by OpenView Venture Partners of Boston. More
Arbitron has acquired the technology portfolio, patents, and trade name of audience data firm Integrated Media Measurement, Inc. (IMMI), including its cellular phone-based technology, used to capture consumer cross-platform media usage. More
Eyetracking pioneer Tobii Technology has announced the launch of Tobii GlassesâĒ, 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 firms MSW Research and Loop Analytics have announced a strategic partnership with the formation of msw loop - mobile strategy & insights, which will offer research, strategy, applications and advertising solutions for smart phones and mobile devices. 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
Arbitron has announced the PPM 360, which extends the technology of its Portable People Meter onto a wireless platform, heralding 'a new generation of audience measurement'. More
WPP is backing a 'hybrid' start-up ad agency, True Worldwide, which places 'a better understanding of consumers and their behavior' at the heart of its strategy. The ambitious new firm has reportedly been in talks with Kantar about linking its new technology with more traditional research tools. More
Online targeting exchange provider eXelate has launched a private marketplace offering, known as teXi:PM, which will enable publishers to deal exclusively and directly with buyers including agencies, OEMs and direct advertisers. More
SaaS social media specialist Attentio SA has named Vincent De Gennaro as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and has announced the official opening of its new Asian headquarters in Singapore. More
Sentiment analysis firm Adaptive Semantics has been acquired by US paper The Huffington Post. More
Marketing automation firm Genius.com has been granted a U.S. Patent Office Notice of Allowance for its 'deep clickflow' tracking server technology, which enables web site visitor tracking with minimal set-up effort; and for associated dynamic content insertion technology. More
US video ad network BrightRoll has unveiled a new reporting suite that offers a means to measure the ROI on their online video campaigns, using measurement and analytics tools from research partners including comScore, Nielsen, Vizu and InsightExpress. More
US-based marketing tech firm Lotame has extended its partnership with semantic web service OpenAmplify to improve advertisers' ability to target web audiences according to the sentiments expressed by content creators. More
comScore's Chief Product Officer Eric Bosco has left the firm after just five months in the job, following a restructure of its product teams, according to US press reports. More
Online market research specialist BrainJuicer has appointed FMCG specialist Han Zantingh as Managing Director for its new consultancy in Shanghai. More
In the US, online behaviour measurement firm Compete has revamped its Referral Analytics digital intelligence tool, to help clients uncover how a competitor or partner web site is acquiring users, monitor changes in its strategy, and adjust their own marketing accordingly. More
In the UK, Cranfield University and communications research agency MESH are to collaborate on the development of a suite of analytics tools, assisted by a government 'Knowledge Transfer Partnership' (KTP) grant. More
Online research specialist Macromill is to take over Yahoo Japan's market research business Yahoo Japan Value Insight (YVI). The deal is to be concluded on 1 August, and will be funded by the issue of Macromill stock. 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
GfK has appointed Colm Mallon as Territory Manager Ireland in its Retail and Technology division, responsible for servicing manufacturer clients and retailers and developing panels in the Irish market. More
In London, survey software firm Merlinco has launched 'MORE', an online tool for analyzing and distributing market research survey findings. More
US customer satisfaction measurement firm ForeSee Results has introduced a tool to enable clients to understand the impact of their social media marketing on revenue. More
In the US, media's 'most quoted man' Jon Mandel has joined the Advisory Board of Loop Analytics, which provides an analytics and content delivery platform for mobile applications. More
Computer giant and SPSS-owner IBM has agreed to acquire US web analytics specialist Coremetrics, further expanding its business analytics capabilities. Terms were not disclosed. More
US multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has reported a 91% drop in fourth-quarter profit to $197,000, from $2.2m in the prior year period, resulting from $1.3m in costs relating to its acquisition of Nielsen EDI, as well as a number of one-time expenses. More
In Canada, mobile marketing software firm Adenyo has acquired intellectual property, software and a specialized business unit from US software engineering consultancy KinetX, to boost its predictive consumer analytics and consumer and market intelligence offering. More
In the UK, WPP-owned Kantar Media has developed a predictive tool to provide insights into how consumers will react to newspapers introducing paywalls on their web sites. More
In the US, Forrester Research has appointed Dr Brian Lambert as Senior Analyst for Sales Enablement, to continue the expansion of the division which provides research, consulting and services to help clients develop customer-centric sales and marketing strategies. More
In Germany, GfK has appointed Dr Gerhard Hausruckinger to lead its Retail & Technology sector, replacing Dr GÃĐrard Hermet who is stepping down from the role to retire after 26 years with the firm. More
Nielsen and management consultancy McKinsey have formed a joint venture - NM Incite - to help companies use social media intelligence to drive business performance. More
Forrester Research has extended its Latin American Consumer Technographics survey, to offer insights into how technology affects the way consumers select, purchase, use and communicate about products in Brazil and Mexico. More
US survey software and panel management specialist Kinesis Survey Technologies has launched an application to enable market researchers to monitor projects through touchscreen mobile phones. More
In the US, 20|20 Technology - a division of 20|20 Research - has introduced a solution that allows researchers to conduct in-depth qual research on selected quant survey participants. More
In the US, online communities network CrowdGather has acquired Adisn, a digital ad agency that uses relationship data from the social web to enhance ad targeting. The deal is valued at $5.5m, for which CrowdGather will issue around 4.6m shares of common stock. 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
In the US, Twitter has acquired analytics firm Smallthought Systems, to offer commercial organizations additional insight into the data collected from its site. Terms were not disclosed. 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
The German Society for Online Research (Deutsche Gesellschaft fÞr Online Forschung or DGOF) has appointed several new members to its Executive Board including Dr Martin Welker as Chairman, replacing Olaf Wenzel who has stepped down for personal reasons. More
US electronics and media market intelligence specialist iSuppli is to acquire UK-based Screen Digest, which conducts market research into the film TV, broadband and mobile media, cinema, home entertainment and video games sectors. Terms were not disclosed. More
A number of leading panel firms have joined with MR technology firm Imperium, to launch an industry-wide user group focused on driving optimal sample quality. More
Finnish mobile analytics firm Zokem has raised 2m Euros ($2.4m) in equity funding, which it plans to use for 'aggressive global expansion'. More
In France, panels and research technology firm Vision Critical has appointed Magali Musarella and YaÃŦl Bensoussan as Director of Research and Client Services Director in its health and pharma division, while Anthony Malka joins as Business Development Manager. More
In the US, Advanced Ecommerce Research Systems (Advanced) has expanded its eBay market research solution Terapeak to encompass analysis of activity taking place through PayPal. More
US web audience measurement specialist Quantcast has received accreditation from industry ratings watchdog the Media Rating Council (MRC) for its syndicated online traffic measurement service, and says it is the 'first and only' firm to have received this endorsement. More
US consumers demonstrate 'significant interest' in taking a more proactive role in developing new products, according to a survey conducted by Gongos Research among some of its 'Consumer Village' online community members. More
Custom panels and research technology firm Vision Critical has opened a new office in Barcelona, Spain, and appointed Eva Laparra to run it as Senior Vice President, European Operations and Managing Director. More
US real-time analytics firm Truviso has appointed former Visual Sciences execs Christopher Reid as Vice President of Sales, Shaun Lowry as Director of Business Development, and Curt Brown as Director of Systems Engineering, to spearhead its entry into the high-end web analytics market. More
The German Society for Online Research (DGOF) has partnered with IT security organisation TeleTrusT to develop scientifically accepted standards for conducting online research using secure anonymised processes. 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
US MR and consultancy agency Bellomy Research Inc (BRI) has released an iPhone app which enables members of its private market research online communities (MROCs) to browse and immediately respond to the most recent forum topics. More
US social network marketing agency LiveWorld has rolled out a survey application to enable brands to crowdsource ideas on Facebook. 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 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
US online panels specialist uSamp has opened a new office in Connecticut, and formed a new project management team in India. More
NeuroFocus has introduced what it describes as 'breakthrough 3D virtual store technology', to enable companies to test product designs, packaging and entire store layouts in three dimensions. More
US-based media measurement firm TRA has been granted a US patent for its Media TRAnalytics platform, which helps TV networks, agencies and advertisers match the ads households receive with the products they buy. More
TV ratings body TAM Ireland is to expand the size of its television audience measurement panel, while introducing the ability to track time shifted viewing (TSV) - a move which it says makes Ireland among the earliest countries to measure such trends in viewing behaviour. More
Harris Interactive has gone live with its 'Research Lifestreaming' platform, which aims to provide a 360-degree view of panellists by linking the information they post online with survey responses and behavioral data. 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
In the US, telecoms specialists Pyramid Research and sister firm Heavy Reading have partnered with broadband wireless market research firm Wireless 20/20 to roll out a suite of services for clients planning to launch 4G wireless networks and mobile broadband services. More
Digital agency Euro RSCG has appointed Clive Maclean as CEO of its data and analytics arm Euro RSCG 4D Discovery, replacing Zain Raj who is taking up a new leadership role with private equity firm Lake Capital. More
Nielsen has filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to raise up to $1.75bn in an initial public offering (IPO), which it will use to pay down debt and for 'general corporate purposes'. More
Sample marketplace firm Cint has expanded its business in the US with the appointment of former Greenfield Online executives Michael McCrary - as Managing Director to head up the US team - and Terence McCarron as SVP Sales. More
Industry association IAB Europe has partnered with Google to launch a new tool which provides agencies and advertisers with consumer information across 27 countries and 36 product categories. More
Survey Sampling International (SSI) has launched a new online consumer panel in New Zealand. The panel is expected to grow to 50,000 members in its first 6 months. More
IT specialist Springboard Research has appointed Frederic Giron as Vice President, India & Research Operations, responsible for the strategic direction and growth of the company in the region. More
In Melbourne, Australia, Millward Brown has re-hired Martin Attwood as Senior Account Director. Most recently, he was Consumer and Shopper Insights Manager for Schweppes Australia. More
In the US, Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) and ratings giant Arbitron have entered into a settlement agreement following their dispute about the latter's PPM (Portable People Meter), which SBS claimed was undercounting its ethnic minority listeners. More
Custom panels and research technology firm Vision Critical has relocated its Sydney office to accommodate its growing team. The latest recruit is Peta Lemmon, who joins with more than 10 years' consumer goods research experience. More
US mobile technology firm Cloud Mobile Forms has adapted its eSurvey tool to run market research via Blackberry smartphones. More
MR technology firms Insight Marketing Systems (IMS) in Australia and MarketSight in the US have partnered to offer a solution which enables research buyers to securely access and analyse research results online, and share them with internal stakeholders. More
London-based online sampling and data collection specialist Research Now has launched a tool to enable clients to track online advertising campaigns. More
In the US, interactive television firm FourthWall Media has launched a media measurement unit, and appointed Nielsen Media Research veteran Bill Feininger to lead the initiative. 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
Nielsen Online's UK Managing Director Stephen Brooks has left, as part of a company restructure. More
Swedish television research specialist MMS plans to offer unified measurement of web-based TV from some of the country's major broadcasters, through a partnership with Dutch web analytics provider Nedstat. More
In the US, global management consulting firm Accenture has acquired assets from retail sector customer analytics specialist CadenceQuest, to expand its suite of analytics, retail marketing and merchandising solutions and platforms. More
Global information giant Experian has partnered with targeted ad tracking software developer INVIDI, to provide consumer segmentation across traditional and digital media for advertisers, TV networks and multichannel TV distributors. 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
NYC-based mobile advertising and analytics platform Medialets Inc. has raised around $5.9m in a second round of funding by DFJ Gotham Ventures and Foundry Group, according to an SEC filing. 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
Ad and brand research specialist Hall & Partners has announced the opening of a new office in Singapore, to be headed by Managing Partner Hilary Lee. More
US-based media measurement firm TRA has received a $10m injection of funds from Intel Capital, the global investment wing of the giant chip maker. The series-C round also includes $8.2m from other companies including existing investors Arbitron and WPP. More
Online measurement firm comScore has announced the introduction of AdEffx Smart Control, billed as a dramatic advance in the accuracy and scope of digital advertising assessment tools. More
US-based Media Economics Group has launched ColombiaWebMonitor, billed as the country's first online advertising monitor, with the help of partners Havas Digital (part of Havas Media Group) and media research organization ACIM (Asociacion Colombiana de Investigacion de Medios). More
Online survey technology and panels firm Toluna has reported revenue of more than £17m during the first three months of 2010 and says both revenues and profits in the quarter were slightly ahead of budget. 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
Email marketing company Constant Contact, Inc. has announced the acquisition of social media management firm NutshellMail. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has announced the formation of the IAB Multicultural Council, replacing its Hispanic Committee and focusing on 'key issues that impact marketing and advertising within the multicultural marketplace'. More
Simpson Carpenter has hired Abi Markey, former Deputy MD of specialist qual agency Directions Research & Marketing to head up the agency's qualitative team. More
Online analytics firm Omniture has launched its social media display advertising solution, SearchCenter Plus, which allows marketers to measure, manage and optimize targeted display advertising buys on Facebook. It also released EMEA results from a survey of marketers' new media usage and ROI capability. More
UK-based MR software firm Cobalt-Sky has announced a new system for the display of surveys, promising a 'new visual survey experience' based on an easy to use survey interface that overlays SPSS web survey software. More
Sybase, Inc. has announced a new release of its Sybase IQ analytics server, offering full text search, query federation and web-enabled analytics. The product promises to help companies unlock the unstructured information held in everything from e-mail to contact-center notes to news articles and social media. More
The second day of the BIG Conference opened on a beautiful May morning with a champagne breakfast. Our Features Editor Teresa Lynch reports from Wales on some papers arguing researchers can't go back to how they were; and some dancing which suggests they will keep trying. More
UK newspaper the Financial Times has become the first national daily to opt out of the online circulation analysis of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABCe). The FT says volume traffic measures have become 'less relevant to its advertisers and clients'. 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
Social media sample provider Peanut Labs has launched a sample for France, profiling users from an online population of over 3 million unique individuals; and says it will shortly roll out its Social Media Gamers Sample in the country. More
UK-based EasyInsites has announced the availability of a panel of viewers of breakfast television station GMTV on its Cint panel exchange (CPX). 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
Online software and services firm Revelation has announced the beta release of an iPhone app, 'Revelation Mobile', which promises to capture and record consumer behavior in real time. More
Voice of Customer analytics provider iPerceptions Inc. has reported financial results for the first quarter of 2010. Revenues rose 3% versus the previous quarter to $1.247m, although losses also increased versus the year-earlier period. 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
Networking giant Cisco is to acquire privately-held design consulting firm MOTO Development Group for an undisclosed sum. 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
Social media monitoring and engagement firm Visible Technologies has announced the opening of a London headquarters to lead its expansion into Europe. 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
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
US-based web audience measurement specialist Quantcast has expanded into Europe, and appointed former Yahoo! Director Philip Macauley to spearhead the venture as UK Managing Director. More
As part of an internal restructure, Nielsen has transferred Ivar Michaelsen from its Denmark office, to lead its operation in Germany, while appointing Justin Sargent as Group Managing Director for UK and Ireland. More
In the US, GfK subsidiary Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI) has re-branded as GfK MRI, in a move which it says reinforces its connection with its parent company. 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
In the UK, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is investigating if it has a case to take BT to court over its trials of Phorm software, which it used in 2007 to serve personalised ads to tens of thousands of customers without their consent. More
In the US, online panels firm uSamp has appointed Steven Sobolevsky, a web application product management specialist, as its Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Sobolevsky will guide the firm's product and IT strategy and execute its next generation panel platform. More
In the US, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has launched a new initiative, the 'Research Transformation Super Council', with a remit to define and shape the next generation of strategic research. More
Process efficiency specialist OpenConnect and media analytics firm the Global Language Monitor (GLM) have teamed up to launch the Healthcare NarrativeTracker IndexâĒ (NTI), which will use social media-based monitoring to better understand the issues driving healthcare reform. More
Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) has extended its two-year partnership with biometrics, neuroscience and eye tracking specialist Innerscope Research. More
AOL has made three key marketing appointments, including the promotion of Scott Joslin to Director of Research and Business Intelligence, based in London. More
In the UK, the Financial Times (FT) has launched a model that measures the number of people who read its news in print and online, which it is hoping to roll out across the newspaper industry. More
In the US, user experience firm AnswerLab has appointed former Nielsen Director Kate Taplin as Director of Research. More
In the US, boutique social media marketing research firm Conversition Strategies has teamed up with sample specialist Peanut Labs to launch a tool which enables researchers to scientifically measure opinions registered in social media. More
Global information services giant Experian is divesting part of its UK database marketing activities to form a new consumer and media insight business with its client British Sky Broadcasting (Sky). Terms have not been disclosed. 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
In the US, two former Harris Interactive executives have launched an online 'omnibus-only' consulting and research firm called VeraQuest. More
WPP-owned Kantar has introduced a suite of video measurement and tracking tools, rolling out three new initiatives. More
In the UK, The Oxford Research Agency (TORA) has invested EUR 500k in Irish social media firm Simply Zesty, to add a 'new level' of social media to its research capabilities. More
In the US, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) has introduced the Set-Top-Box (STB) Lexicon, a common set of more than 800 terms of use for analyzing and processing STB measurement. 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
In the US, social networking solutions firm Lithium Technologies has acquired social media monitoring company Scout Labs. According to Lithium co-founder and CEO Lyle Fong, a price of between $20m and $25m was paid to close the deal. More
US marcoms network MDC Partners has acquired a majority interest in media analytics firm Integrated Media Solutions (IMS). Terms were not disclosed. 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
Kantar's web analytics firm Compete has appointed former AOL Insights Director Margaret Hung as International Managing Director, to oversee its services in international markets and facilitate partnerships with sister firms across the globe. More
Nielsen has added mobile Internet audience measurement to its Australian market intelligence service, a 'world first' in online audience measurement methodology according to the measurement giant. 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
Now that contacting the mobile-only demographic is becoming a core sampling issue (23% of all households in the US and rising) ESOMAR has published guidelines on research via mobile phone. More
US consumer researcher Experian Simmons has announced a strategic alliance with syndicated print measurement specialist Affinity LLC, and the launch of a syndicated print planning tool. 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
Iconoculture, the Minneapolis-based consumer research company known for its 'dig deep' approach to trend spotting, has been acquired by Corporate Executive Board (CEB) for more than $15m. 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
Recently launched research panel provider krea has partnered with sample marketplace firm Cint to recruit new panels and increase the overall sample available to clients across India. 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
Online audience measurement firm comScore has appointed four key executives in the Asia Pacific region, as part of a plan to introduce an 'on-the-ground' presence in Hong Kong, India and Australia. More
In the UK, Nielsen has appointed AOL Europe's former Director of Insights and Sales Strategy Andrew Bradford, as a new member of its European online division. More
Barcelona-based online panel specialist Netquest has opened a new office in São Paulo, Brazil, to offer panels and advanced survey tools to local clients. More
Canadian firm In-Touch Survey Systems has reported a 7.4% decline in revenues to $5.48m in 2009, compared with $5.91m in FY 2008. However, CEO Michael Gaffney says he is optimistic about the future, with revenue forecasts for Q1 2010 ahead of those in 2009. More
In the US, real-time analytics firm Truviso has unveiled a solution designed to track and gain insight into the behaviour of individual web site visitors, and generate additional revenue from existing customers. More
Nielsen has acquired US-based video analytics and technology company GlanceGuide, and integrated the firm's advanced analytics capabilities into its own online video measurement tools. 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
Technology analyst Forrester Research has announced results for the first-quarter of 2010, ended March 31. Total revenues were up 5 % to $59.2m, while GAAP-reported net income more than doubled to $5.8m, or $0.25 per diluted share, versus the same period last year. More
MR software firm Kinesis Survey Technologies LLC has announced a partnership with interactive voice response (IVR) specialist CMS Research. More
Online audience specialist comScore has reported a 'record first quarter' with an 18% revenue increase to $36.1m. The firm attributes this to an 'improved industry environment', and anticipates that this trend will continue in the second quarter and the full year. 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
Nielsen has withdrawn 'TV Channels Receivable', a reporting service which showed how many channels the average TV household receives. The firm cites the change in the way channels are presented by different multi-channel providers as the reason behind the move. More
In the US, Clear Channel Radio has hired former Arbitron researcher Bob Michaels for the newly created position of Executive Vice President of Research, responsible for supervising projects and personnel across all terrestrial and digital platforms. More
In the US, Klout - which measures influence across the social web - has secured $1.5m in funding in a Series A investment, to be used for promotion and expansion. More
In the US, interactive marketing software developer Arkayne has launched the open beta version of a solution designed to evaluate how a company's web site and other online content performs with a targeted audience, and against competitor sites. More
In the US, social media monitoring and market intelligence firm Biz360 is to be acquired by semantic analysis firm, the Attensity Group. Terms were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has released initial findings from its China 'Three Screen Report', which aims to provide insights into how Chinese consumers are using TV, Internet and mobile platforms. 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
US web analytics firm Coremetrics has updated its platform to include real-time data, mobile access and collaboration tools designed to help businesses respond rapidly to market opportunities. More
Mobile measurement firm Ground Truth has secured $7m in Series B financing, which it plans to use to expand its operations in the US and internationally. More
In the UK, marcoms giant WPP has developed a dashboard which combines media spend and performance data from its GroupM media arm with research from insight division Kantar, together with information on social media content, web analytics and client CRM data. More
Nielsen has launched a global Research and Development program in China, focusing on market research technologies and methodologies. The firm says this initiative will become its most important R&D program outside the US home market. More
Synovate has launched a new syndicated media study of 68,000 consumers across 66 cities and rural areas in mainland China. The study has been designed to gain a deeper understanding of the lifestyle, spending and media habits of today's Chinese citizens. More
UK brand communication research consultancy i to i research has rolled out a new tool called iCITE, to track brands and issues online. More
Nielsen is said to be preparing to trade as a public company, inviting a number of investment banks to underwrite an initial public offering (IPO) which could be worth up to $21bn. More
Canada-based custom panels and interactive research firm Vision Critical has appointed Sally Campbell as Managing Director of its UK operation. More
In the US, the Audit Bureau of Circulations' interactive unit ABCi has teamed with California-based Verve Wireless to audit newspaper content, to provide publishers and advertisers with independently verified mobile usage data generated from apps, e-readers and mobile browsers. 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
UK-based custom panels specialist Verve has launched a solution to enable clients to create short-term, closed branded panels or communities with their customers, to meet a specific research project objective. More
In North America, mobile marketing software firm Adenyo has appointed Nielsen veteran Chris Matys as its Chief Analytics Officer, and former RIM exec Mark Wright as Marketing Director. 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
The Internet is just 'People doing stuff with stuff', according to Matt Rhodes, Director of Client Services at FreshNetworks. Features Editor Teresa Lynch spent Thursday huddled with the alchemists hoping to turn it into insight, at the one day conference of the UK's ASC. More
US survey software firm Vovici has raised $5.7m of a targeted $6.3m equity offering, from early investors Austen Ventures and The Mayfield Fund. More
In the UK, text mining specialist Linguamatics is using natural language processing technology to analyse general election-related tweets and group those with the same meaning. More
Weather stations in Hell registered a rapid drop in temperatures today and cows dug out the return portions of their travel tickets as Arbitron reported it had settled its dispute with the PPM Coalition over claims of undercounting minority listeners. The firm also published solid financials. More
In Australia, former Interbrand CEO Andy Bateman has joined insights consultancy The Leading Edge (TLE) as Global CEO, to drive international expansion plans which will commence with the opening of an office in New York. 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
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
In New York, media marketing firm Simulmedia has secured an $8m investment, which it plans to use to continue development of its predictive technology and set-top-box (STB) driven marketing services. More
In the US, WPP-owned Kantar Media North America - which provides insights, analyses and audience measurement services - has hired former Starcom MediaVest research chief Richard Fielding for the newly created post of Chief Client Officer. More
Nielsen and Facebook have released the findings of a study which claims to show that ads placed on social media sites are more likely than others to be noticed and remembered, while also increasing users' intent to purchase. More
Online audience specialist comScore and the Print Measurement Bureau (PMB) are working together on a tool linking Canadians' online media habits with print readership and other media consumption, product and brand usage and demographic information. More
In Australia, marketing services group Photon - which owns research agencies The Leading Edge and Jigsaw Strategic Research - has appointed former News Corporation executive Jeremy Philips as its new CEO. More
US social media monitoring firm Overtone has raised $7m in funding, which it plans to use to grow its customer base, and develop new software features and capabilities. More
Brand and communications research consultancy Hall & Partners has opened its ninth office, in Berlin, Germany, headed by former Sony insights specialist Michaela Bergenthal. More
Netherlands-based online market research agency MetrixLab has strengthened its International Media and Advertising business unit by expanding into the US market. More
In the UK, medical market research fieldwork agency Gillian Kenny Associates (GKA) has launched a suite of qual online research tools, which bring researcher and respondent together via online focus groups, depth interviews and bulletin boards. More
In the US, Networked Insights - which gathers customer intelligence from social networking, sites - has closed a $5m Series A funding, which it will use to expand its SocialSense media listening platform, launch new products and accelerate growth. More
Marketing budgets rose in Q1 for the first time in ten quarters, according to the latest IPA/BDO Bellwether survey, which is published today. The survey of marketers in 300 UK companies found c.21% reporting a rise in spend. 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
Cint has launched Sample Direct, a service promising those doing their own online research 'access to quality panels of consumers at the click of a button' and offering fully automated sampling and send-out procedures. More
Online MR services provider Crowd Science has launched Campaign Profiler, which it says 'redefines online ad research' by allowing clients to perform unlimited numbers of campaign research studies for a flat fee of $5,000 per month. More
Online targeting specialist [x+1] has announced a partnership with ad effectiveness measurement firm KN Dimestore, to offer marketers the ability to adjust offers and media based in real-time according to consumer feedback. More
In the US, two ad industry bodies are proposing advertisers place a clickable icon in adverts, to direct consumers to additional information about online behavioral advertising and the choices they have. More
Last night, researchers in the UK were busy conducting instant polls to track response to the nation's first televised leader debate, which drew 9.4 million viewers. More
In the US, interactive marketing solutions firm GSI Commerce has appointed WebSideStory co-founder Jim MacIntyre to lead its global e-commerce technology products and services. More
In the US, Nielsen has partnered with word of mouth (WOM) specialist Bazaarvoice to integrate the latter's consumer ratings and reviews into its BuzzMetrics dashboard. More
In the US, Spredfast - which enables clients to manage, monitor, and measure their social media messages - has secured a $1.6m investment, which it plans to use to accelerate business development and increase brand awareness. More
Tokyo-based online sampling and data collection firm AIP Corporation has launched proprietary, research-only online panels in India and Vietnam. More
According to a filing lodged with the New York Supreme Court, Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) and ratings giant Arbitron are working towards a truce regarding their PPM legal dispute. More
US-based online marketing firm Lyris has raised $6m through the sale of its common stock to two existing shareholders. The firm intends to use the proceeds to reduce debt and fund its expansion plans. More
Canadian-based mobile testing and market research community Mob4Hire has launched Version 4.0 of its crowd sourcing platform, with new services including automatic sign-up and login with Facebook Connect, and improved integration of data collection. 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
US-based web analytics firm Omniture has added new analytics capabilities to its Online Marketing Suite, to enable clients to measure and optimize traffic and activity on the Apple iPad. More
In the UK, full-service market research agency MASMI has named former Synovate director Michalis Michael as Managing Director for Western Europe. More
Online researcher YouGov has announced a decline in both turnover (down 6% to £21.3m) and operating profit (down 16% to £1.35m). More
RAJAR Chief Executive Sally de la Bedoyere has announced she will leave the UK radio audience measurement organisation at the end of June. More
MR technology and operations company Annik has launched SurveyFlashTools, a set of products allowing clients to quickly and easily add Flash components into their surveys. More
Canada-based custom panels and interactive research firm Vision Critical has announced two senior promotions within its Retail practice. Janet Lazaris has added the title of EVP to that of MD of the practice, while Dara St. Louis becomes SVP. More
In Germany, researcher Thomas KrÞger and social networking entrepreneur Oliver Skopec have set up the Berlin Institute for Innovation Research (BIFI), to use social media and trends research to support product innovation. More
US IT market research specialist IntelliClear has launched nine new technology research panels, comprising IT decision makers across all business sizes and sectors, as well as consumers. More
Video analytics firm Visible Measures has incorporated HTML5 video measurement into its existing services, to enable analysis of video content and ads consumed on next-generation mobile devices such as Apple's iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. More
US-based social community software provider Passenger has set up a Channel Partner Program to enable marketing and market research agencies to use its technology to create their own social media tools for gathering real-time consumer insight. More
Entertainment broadcast production firm FremantleMedia - which holds the rights to Simon Cowell's X Factor - has rolled out its iCount TV viewer research panel in Germany, under the name of UFA Medienexperten. More
In the UK, sample marketplace firm Cint has promoted former Sales Director Stephen Hughes to the position of UK Managing Director. More
Web analytics firm Webtrends has added a new segmentation tool to its 'Visitor Data Mart' product. It will enable marketers to pull data from web sites, social networks and e-mail campaigns, and profile individual customers in near real-time. More
In the US, predictive marketing solutions firm [x+1] has secured a $10m loan to fund future growth strategy and initiatives. 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 audience specialist comScore has launched its online video measurement service in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. More
Joan Koh has been promoted to the position of Managing Director of Nielsen in Singapore, after more than a decade with the firm. She replaces Paul Richmond, who has taken on the role of regional Managing Director of Retail Services and Product Leadership. More
In the US, Nielsen is to eliminate live-only TV ratings, and has confirmed it will be introducing major changes to the way it calculates national ratings, including adding duplicate viewing to program telecasts. More
In the US, Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) has again pulled the encoders for Aribtron's PPM (Portable People Meter) system, after The New York Supreme Court lifted the temporary restraining order that had required it to continue. More
Online panels and software firm Toluna has announced the US launch of Panel Portal, the firm's custom panel technology. More
In the UK, political polling group Tweetminster is analysing around two million Tweets, as part of an experiment to determine whether activity on Twitter correlates to electoral success in May's general election. More
In the UK, software provider Alterian has launched WebJourney, a web behaviour analytics solution which provides information on individual visitors' interactions with content on an organisation's site. More
US marketing research, data and advisory firm SiriusDecisions has opened an office in the UK, where it has transferred VP of Sales Georgie Donahue to take on responsibility for building the firm's client base in the EMEA region. More
In the US, Target Latino - a Hispanic and Latino consumer marketing firm - has launched a multicultural social media monitoring tool that scans the Internet for relevant results and automatically analyzes sentiment in English, Spanish and Portuguese. More
Data giant Infogroup has launched a suite of products for social media listening and monitoring; it will also offer consulting and campaign management for social media, and development of iPhone apps and widgets. More
Canadian-based custom panel and technology firm Vision Critical has appointed former Kantar Worldpanel Director Steve Davis as Director of Product Innovation, as part of its strategy to invest in NPD, improvement and innovation. More
In the US, PluggedIN, which specializes in building online communities for market research and consumer insights, has appointed research veteran Mark Stapylton as Managing Partner, to help guide the strategic vision and direction of the company. More
Online panels and software firm Toluna has announced final results for the year ended 31 December 2009. Underlying profit before tax of £7.6 million is well ahead of market expectations, while the integration of Greenfield Online is transforming its global position. More
The UK's regulators have been flexing muscles this week, with implications for market researchers and associated professions. Tougher fines are ahead for 'silent callers' and, separately, for misusers of consumer data; while Ofcom is likely to use mystery shopping to target misleading ISPs. More
On day two, a session on The Future of Market Research looked at some up-and-coming MR technologies and techniques, leading to a debate about their potential to shape the future of the industry. Our News Editor Mel Crowther reviews the arguments. More
GfK has announced a partnership between its subsidiary GfK Asia Pte Ltd and global mobile media industry trade association Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF), which promises insight for the mobile content industry. More
In the second day's fast-paced 'Ideas Rush' session, three agency side researchers and a client gave their personal take on the issues currently facing the MR industry. DRNO's News Editor Mel Crowther watched on. 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
Global business networking site LinkedIn has ceased offering sample from its members for use in B2B market research, according to a report on the blog of Anderson Analytics' Managing Partner, Tom Anderson. More
Embattled behavioural ad targeting company Phorm has launched its Open Internet Exchange (OIX) platform and its Web Discover tool in Brazil, where it claims to have already generated R$10m (US $5.6m) of pre-booked ad revenue. More
In the US, TNS and its sister company Cymfony have partnered with FMCG client Emory University to demonstrate the effectiveness of a new tracking model, designed to prove how including social media in the marketing mix can yield better results. 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 the US, natural language processing specialist Lexalytics has launched a service to make its text analytics functionality and performance accessible to marketers, content management professionals, digital marketing and voice of the customer analysts. More
In Washington, DC, former leaders of Wirthlin Worldwide have today officially launched full-service research firm Heart+Mind Strategies. More
Australian insights consultancy The Leading Edge has restructured its Sydney-based business with the return of overseas executives, internal promotions and the appointment of a new senior specialist. More
For those readers who are neither insomniacs nor business travellers who find themselves tuning in to the BBC in far flung hotel rooms, Stephen Sackur did need some introduction... DRNO's Teresa Lynch does the honours. More
In New York, ad agency McCann Erickson has hired Anne Benvenuto as Director of Behavioral Planning, as part of a reorganization to expand its behavioral research offering. More
Software developer Openwave Systems Inc. is to collaborate with Nielsen to develop an 'insight engine', combining demographics and analytics to help mobile operators analyze, profile and target audience segments. More
Software giant Adobe has reported results for the three months ending March 5th, including 'record' quarterly revenue of $87.7m for its recently acquired online analytics business Omniture. More
A good ad appeals not just to an individual but to a social network, according to speakers at this year's MRS Conference in a Tuesday session on new approaches to ad research. Teresa Lynch watched, listened and once again, would have liked to ask the odd question. More
US radio ratings giant Arbitron and secure identity solutions firm Digimarc have settled their dispute, begun last year, over technology developed by the latter to monitor broadcasts. More
UK agency Conquest has launched InfeXious, a research tool measuring the viral potential of ads. Conquest claims that consumers are neurologically impelled to broadcast 'infectious' ideas through social media such as Facebook and Twitter. More
US mobile application testing firm DeviceAnywhere is to offer a window on trends in development activity. A monthly report, 'DeviceAnywhere Metrics', will detail the mobile operating systems and handsets on which clients are focusing their testing efforts. More
US technology market intelligence firm International Data Corporation (IDC) and events firm naseba have formed an alliance to provide and promote new technology-focused research and events in the Asia Pacific region. More
China's burgeoning online video ad industry has taken a leap forward in measurement terms with the announcement of a deal between leading video site Youku and CR-Nielsen, the research giant's Chinese JV. More
In Alberta, Canada, marketing services firm Twist is merging with marketing, brand and communications agency Creative Intelligence (Ci). More
Panels specialist Toluna has added community features for its panellists in fifteen more countries, bringing the total to 34. 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
US mobile analytics provider Motally has appointed former Nielsen product management specialist John Forese as CEO. More
Clarity Strategic Research has launched a panel of early adopters of technology, using consumers from Research Now's panel in Australia. More
Market research software providers Confirmit and MRDC Thailand have announced a reseller partnership which will extend the former's reach into Asia. More
In the US, neuromarketing agency NeuroFocus has appointed Nobel Prize laureate and neuroscience expert Dr Eric Kandel to its Advisory Board. More
In Germany, Thomas Andresen and Ulrich Hertfelder have launched Mark Metrics, a consultancy which will analyse how successful brands differ from unsuccessful brands. More
In the US, Nielsen has partnered with online targeting data firm eXelate to integrate granular online and anonymous household-level offline data into eXelate's Targeting eXchange. More
Online panel specialist uSamp has introduced an automated web-based panel management platform, which it says simplifies the delivery of online panel for market research. More
UKOM - the UK Online Measurement Company - has appointed former BMRB researcher Jeremy Smythe as General Manager, replacing Peter Bowman who left the role in January. More
In Germany, YouGov Psychonomics has bought the remainder of ServiceRating, a firm which offers analysis on the quality of service and advice provided by companies across the insurance, financial services and utilities sectors. More
In the US, three data specialists have launched nPario, a new firm offering data management and data mining products and services to improve clients' understanding of consumer intent. More
Survey Sampling International (SSI) has extended its partnership with application developer Imperium by integrating the latter's advanced data validation software. More
Google and WPP have announced the recipients of the second round of grants for their jointly funded research award program, including researchers at academic institutions in the US, Israel and the UK. More
Digital audience metrics company Effective Measure has expanded into South East Asia with the opening of a hub in Bangkok, where it has appointed digital media specialist Russell Conrad to lead the business. More
UK ad agency McCann Manchester has announced it will acquire research firm The Blue Banana Agency, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the UAE, the Ministerial Council for Services has passed a draft law advancing the TV Audience Measurement Project which will bring people meter technology to the country. More
Online audience specialist comScore has released results from nearly 20 European studies, showing good performance by online ads in driving advertiser site visits - regardless of small numbers of direct clickthroughs in some cases. More
Web audience measurement firm Quantcast has announced the availability of a localised version of its free service 'for every country around the globe'. 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
Millward Brown has unveiled a new 'Creative Viral Potential' (CVP) metric which aims to spot the potential of an ad to 'go viral'. 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
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
Canadian research and social media intelligence firm MediaBadger has opened an office in west London, to co-ordinate all UK and European clients and projects. More
Panel, community and survey software firm Globalpark has introduced a new mobile panel solution at its annual Mobile Research Conference in London this week. 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
In the US, integrated marketing firm Paul Werth Associates is to acquire Huber+Company interactive, which specializes in online marketing, web and e-commerce development, social media integration, SEO and analytics. More
Business information firm Hoover's, Inc. has announced a new platform including workflow, integration and research/targeting tools aimed at helping clients deliver a more personal and relevant customer experience. More
Lightspeed Research has announced results from the first Asian wave of its Global Web Index survey. The study covers online behavior, motivations and impact and was developed jointly with technology consultancy Trendstream. 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
IT specialist Springboard Research has acquired Hydrasight, an independent IT industry analyst firm in Australia. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Arbitron veteran Joan FitzGerald has joined online measurement firm comScore to oversee the addition of TV viewing measurement to the firm's suite of digital services. More
Prosper Business Development - parent of US-based BIGresearch - has launched ProsperChina.com, to provide information and consumer insights for firms marketing products and services in China, and Chinese companies looking for information about the US market. More
US-based search engine optimization (SEO) software firm Pear Analytics has introduced a web site analyzer for use with iPhones and iPads. More
In California, marketing technology firm Bunchball has launched an analytics system, which it claims links consumer actions to revenue-generating results. The firm has also appointed former Yahoo! exec Hongpei Zhang as SVP of Data and Analytics. More
US semantic technology firm Attensity has launched 'Analyze for VoC Community Advantage', a new hosted solution tracking and mining customer conversations in e-mails, web forums, surveys, CRM notes and other sources. More
Ratings giant Arbitron has proposed a change to its recruitment methodology in high-density African-American and Hispanic areas, in its top PPM (Portable People Meter) markets. More
TNS Gallup, Finnish subsidiary of TNS, has partnered with mobile customer experience management startup QAim, to offer Finland-wide tracking of mobile web site usage metrics. More
In the US, Kantar Media's Intelligence sector has enhanced its online ad monitoring services, by adding access to new Internet ad occurrence and creative data on a daily basis. More
US web analytics firms Omniture and Coremetrics have separately announced plans to provide online marketers with solutions to optimize Facebook as a marketing channel. More
In the US, media and marketing publishing firm MediaPost has partnered with consumer specialist Knowledge Networks (KN) to deliver a consumer view of social media involvement and its effect on purchase decisions. 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
UK social media monitoring firm WaveMetrix has launched a new methodology designed to measure and understand online consumer advocacy. More
Wimbledon-based survey research consultancy Simpson Carpenter has appointed the former MD of TNS-RI's Business Services Division Mike Stevens, as Director of Telecommunications Research. More
UK-based mobile research technology firm OnePoint Surveys has opened its first international office in Madison Avenue, New York and has plans to open two more international offices during the year. More
In Chennai, India, Dexterity co-founder and 'serial entrepreneur' Pravin Shekar has launched krea, a specialist provider of online and off-line panels. More
56% of UK companies consider their marketing measurement capability to be 'non-existent or basic', according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), in partnership with consultants Deloitte. More
Online sampling and panel company Research Now has announced what it describes as 'the first B2B and Affluent Consumer panels in the Middle East'. More
London-based uberVU, a realtime social media analytics company, is launching a product to help small and medium businesses and freelancers monitor and measure social media. More
New York-based Radius Global Market Research has launched PredictorâĒ a proprietary tool that integrates consumer tracking data with marketing mix data to evaluate marketing components, tactics and branding strategies. More
The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has launched a Canadian Digital Advisory Committee, whose remit includes review coverage of interactive and emerging media such as web sites, e-readers, mobile apps, hybrid audience measurement and ad-serving. More
Text analytics software provider Clarabridge has launched the beta version of ClarabridgeÂŪ Self Service, bringing smaller companies and departments the option to upload and analyze their text documents via an online portal. 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
The Nielsen Company has announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2009. Revenue was almost exactly level with the previous year ($4,806m) but up 4% if currency fluctuations are excluded. More
The Web Analytics Association (WAA) has released for public comment a draft set of definitions for measuring social media technologies. More
Traffic analysis pioneer Webtrends has enhanced its Webtrends Analytics package with new measurement capabilities for tracking the activities that happen 'inside' Facebook. More
Social media sample provider Peanut Labs has launched an Australia sample consisting of over 226,000 respondents, and says twenty other countries will follow, many in 2010. 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
Indian market research outsourcing and data analytics firm Annik Technology Services has launched a panel brokerage service to help clients source panel sample. More
In the US, mobile ad network Millennial Media has acquired TapMetrics, a mobile analytics firm which focuses on application usage and behavior. Terms were not disclosed. 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
Social targeting specialist Media6Degrees has expanded its research department with the appointment of data analyst Claudia Perlich as Chief Scientist. 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 Australia, the Outdoor Media Association (OMA) has officially launched its industry-wide audience measurement tool MOVE. More
Mobax Networks which develops technology for the mobile marketplace has launched software which enables consumers to interact with messages on digital signs through their mobile phones; and measures their response. More
Ratings giant Arbitron is expanding its Radio Advisory Council to increase the ethnic and technological diversity of the group. More
YouGov co-founder and CEO Nadhim Zahawi is preparing to step down from his role, after being selected to stand as the parliamentary candidate for the safe Conservative Party seat of Stratford-on-Avon in the forthcoming general election. More
US digital marketing agency One to One Interactive (OTO) has acquired UK customer experience research consultancy fhios, which it will roll into its neuromarketing research unit OTOinsights. Terms were not disclosed. More
Online measurement firm comScore has launched a predictive modeling platform, to enable publishers to help advertisers and media planners reach their target audiences. More
Roger Parry, the non-executive Chairman of UK-based marcoms group Media Square which owns market research agency Illuminas has announced plans to step down from the role, after the firm's AGM in July. 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
US-based video analytics firm Visible Measures has launched a web-based application for benchmarking online video ad campaigns and content performance. More
Online measurement firm comScore has rolled out its Media Metrix 360 'panel-centric' solution in the Asia Pacific region. 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
In Australia, digital audience metrics company Effective Measure has secured a $4m investment, earmarked for the rollout of its services. More
In the US, information and publishing industry research specialist Outsell has launched a service that offers clients more visibility into their subscribers' demographics and product engagement levels; and new opportunities to grow subscription revenues. More
Systems relying on cookies to track web site audiences overstate unique user numbers by an average of two to four times, according to findings from a new study by US-based Scout Analytics. 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
The New York Supreme Court has ordered Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) to continue to encode its signals for Arbitron's PPM (Portable People Meter) service, following a temporary restraining order (TRO) it imposed on SBS last week. More
Online entertainment provider MTV Networks (MTVN) has partnered with Internet research company Quantcast to offer advertisers more in-depth targeted audience data across its web properties. 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
In the US, ad retargeting specialist mediaFORGE has developed a new system for measuring online engagement and subsequent post-engagement conversions. More
In the US, CI Radar has launched a search tool which locates, categorizes, ranks and analyzes competitor documents from the web. More
In India, the CEO of broadcaster Reliance Media World (RMW) has accused the Media Research User Council (MRUC) of providing an 'erroneous radio measurement system', which under-reports the number of radio listeners, especially in smaller towns. More
In the US, Arbitron/Nielsen joint venture Scarborough Research has integrated cell-phone-only (CPO) households into twenty additional local market studies. More
Kantar owned TNS and Compete have launched a web evaluation service, which identifies areas of a brand's web site that are underperforming, and goes on to recommend how the client can enhance the site for optimal performance. More
TagMan which was launched by web analytics pioneer Paul Cook to counter the problems caused by web site tracking tags has raised $1.3m in a first round of funding, which it will use to scale the business and grow its client support and product development teams. More
In the US, mobile software firm Openwave has launched an analytics solution to enable operators to gain detailed network and usage-related insights across a wide range of operator data sources. More
In the US, New Venture Research (NVR) has acquired the market research business of Electronic Trend Publications (ETP), which publishes reports covering advanced electronics and energy technology. More
Online targeting firm [x+1] has hired Mike Dillon, former Vice President of Brand Activation Marketing at Pepsi Cola North America, as VP of Sales for its digital optimization platform CPG Connect. The company has also promoted Dave Pollet to VP of Sales and announced other senior appointments. More
Arbitron has secured a Temporary Restraining Order from a US court, immediately requiring Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (SBS) to resume encoding its broadcasting signals for the PPM in accordance with the contract between the two firms. More
Web site engagement metrics specialist Mixpanel has won $500,000 in seed funding from two prominent investors. More
GfK Retail and Technology have announced the launch of their Mobile Telecom retail panel in the Republic of Ireland, tracking the country's mobile market sales for the first time. More
In the US, online measurement firm comScore has announced strong results, and the acquisition of comms research firm the ARSgroup, which specializes in the measurement of advertising persuasion for TV and multi-media campaigns. Terms of the all-cash deal were not disclosed. More
In the UK, three former colleagues have opened a new consultancy, Brand Potential. Chris Molloy, Mary Say and Tom Lovett were previously Head of Insight, MD and Commercial Director respectively at brand agency 1HQ. More
US video game market intelligence firms DFC Intelligence and Nico Partners have joined forces to form DFC-Nico Emerging Markets, which will offer clients data about the video game industry across 10 emerging markets. 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
UKOM - the UK Online Measurement Company - and Nielsen have officially launched the UKOM Audience Planning System (APS), by publishing inaugural data from the online audience measurement system. More
In Denver, US, former iModerate director Adam Henderson has opened a new qualitative market research consultancy with a focus on social media metrics. More
Software and panels firm GMI has opened a regional office in Singapore, led by Christine Tan as Business Development Manager for South East Asia. More
In the US, information and publishing industry research specialist Outsell has acquired The Gilbane Group; an analyst and consulting firm specialising in content and technologies. Terms were not disclosed. More
Global information giant Experian has rolled out its Hitwise online audience measurement service in France, to report on 75,000 web sites across more than 160 industries. More
South African-based media information and brand intelligence agency Ornico has entered the Nigerian market through a partnership with Lagos-based investment group AData. More
US firm Rentrak has reported that revenues for its Advanced Media Information (AMI) division grew 34% to $4.3m in the third quarter of fiscal 2010, mostly thanks to its Essentials suite of multimedia measurement services. More
Customer insight solutions specialist MarketTools has promoted Lynn Christensen to the position of Chief Development Officer, responsible for its software engineering, user experience, performance optimization, quality assurance and customer support teams. More
In the US, online ad technology firm Resonate Networks has launched a patent-pending research-based methodology, to link consumer attitudes and purchasing behaviour and help target ads accordingly. More
In the US, multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has established an agreement to integrate TV viewing data from satellite firm DISH Network's 14 million subscribers, with its own TV Essentials audience measurement service. More
In the US, the Digital Signage Group (DSG) has published what it describes as the industry's first code of conduct for the use and deployment of consumer tracking research and technology. More
In the US, mobile advertising exchange Mobclix is to add Nielsen's data to its platform, to help increase the effectiveness of mobile advertising spend and enable mobile application developers to make more money through advertising. More
In the US, online agency iModerate Research Technologies has rolled out new global language capabilities for its qual-for-quant and focus group solutions. More
In the US, online measurement specialist comScore has appointed former AOL ad technology leader Chris Nicotra as Chief Technology Officer, responsible for overseeing software and data application engineering, and the infrastructure technology teams. More
London-based Internet research and training firm Econsultancy has hired former Marketing Sherpa Research Director Stefan Tornquist, to lead the US expansion of its research and best practice programs. 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
US-headquartered mobile and online testing specialist Keynote Systems has launched a service reporting web site visitors' feedback alongside their path through the site, linking their attitudes to actual surfing behaviour. More
In the US, Market Fusion Analytics (MFA) has introduced a suite of solutions that quantifies the impact of a variety of factors on in-store traffic. More
In the US, Knowledge Networks' online ad measurement specialist KN Dimestore has extended its services to support the placement of campaign measurement surveys in online video streams; either as overlays or as part of the pre or post-roll. More
In London, The European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA) has launched an Insight Council, comprising heads of research and digital commercial specialists from both EIAA member companies and agencies. More
US provider Digital Research Inc (DRI) has introduced a community platform called Waggle Omnibus, for use in online qualitative research. More
In the UK, non-profit trade association the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has commissioned online panel specialist Lightspeed Research to conduct monthly research to provide members with reports on mobile usage and behaviour. 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
New York-based social media tracking and targeting firm Lotame has opened a new research and development office in Cambridge, MA, headed by John Thomas in the newly created position of Director of R&D. More
Synovate-owned Marketing Management Analytics (MMA) has engaged the talents of Yahoo!'s former Customer Insights VP Michele Madansky, to ensure it includes the latest digital thinking and research in its models and advisory services. 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
In the US, marcoms agency Gelia has acquired full-service research, planning and buying firm NorthEast Media. Financial terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, broadcast industry organization The Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC) has partnered with Harris Interactive and multi-screen media research firm Rentrak to study consumer usage habits for mobile digital TV (Mobile DTV). 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
Panel and technology services provider ToLuna has released a trading update for the year ended 31 December 2009. Revenue is expected to exceed £49m, slightly ahead of market expectations, with underlying pre-tax profit of at least £7m. More
Auction-based online data exchange BlueKai has closed a $21m C round of financing led by GGV Capital (formerly Granite Global Ventures). The funds will be used to scale operations and, in particular, to grow the network of partners integrating its technology. 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
Global agency Illuminas has moved its China office across the Huangpu river to the new Lujiazui financial sector in Pudong, Shanghai's central business district. More
Call tracking specialist Mongoose Metrics has announced a partnership with Webtrends, to provide a transparent model for measuring the effect of online campaigns in driving phone calls, and subsequent business results. More
In Canada, a study conducted for a television industry client by biometrics specialist Innerscope Research suggests the medium comfortably outperforms others in securing high emotional and cognitive responses to ads. More
Nicole Ndoumbe-Myers has been appointed Head of Ipsos-ASI for Ipsos South Africa and sub-Saharan region. She relocates from Ipsos' head office in Paris. More
US broadcaster NBC Universal (NBCU) is planning to conduct research into consumer cross-platform behaviour during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. More
US consumer privacy organization TRUSTe has developed a service to help web site publishers provide consumers with a clear understanding of their site policies and advertising practice, while enabling them to opt out of targeted ad campaigns. More
Ipsos has acquired LA-based hi-tech entertainment research specialist OTX (Online Testing Exchange) for an undisclosed sum. 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
In its second rebrand of the week, Kantar has re-named the TNS Worldpanel network as Kantar Worldpanel. Earlier in the week the group rebranded its media assets. More
In the US, automotive research specialist R.L. Polk & Co has partnered with online targeting firm DataLogix to enable auto companies and dealers to address online audiences based on their real-world purchasing behavior. 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, LivePerson - which offers professional guidance online from qualified advisors in various fields - is reported to be acquiring web analytics firm NuConomy in a deal worth $3m. 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
Digital marketing research firm InsightExpress has appointed former Nielsen executive Marc Ryan to its Executive Committee as Senior Vice President, Chief Research Officer. More
UK-based Business Logic Systems - which provides real-time customer intelligence for mobile network operators - has appointed Vodafone's former CMO Tim Yates as CEO, to lead the firm's global expansion. 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
Nielsen is rolling out its Facebook ad measurement tool BrandLift in the UK, to offer clients a better understanding of the impact of online advertising in the overall marketing mix. More
In the US a new mobile measurement firm, Ground Truth, has opened for business. The company will use census-based measures of actual mobile Internet usage from millions of mobile subscribers across the country. 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
In the US, the newly formed Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) is to establish a common set of terms for analyzing set-top box measurement (STB). More
In a move that should please privacy advocates and regulators including the EC, Microsoft has announced changes to its data storage policy for the Bing search engine. Bing will now keep search data including IP addresses for just six months. More
Infogroup company ORC is adding a cell phone sample option to its CARAVANŪ Telephone Omnibus, 'designed to reflect the growing importance of cell phone usage nationwide'. More
Research-led media group Light Reading, which focuses on the comms market, has opened offices in Mumbai and New Delhi and appointed telecoms industry specialists Kailash Shirodkar and Gagandeep Kaur to drive sales and marketing and content in India. 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
In India, digital advertising and technology firm Komli Media has launched the beta of what it describes as India's first online advertising monitoring and analysis tool. More
In New York, Datran Media's Aperture audience measurement tool has been integrated into TRAFFIQ's digital media platform, to help agencies and advertisers better understand target audiences and optimize their online campaigns. More
In the US, Harris Interactive has hired industry veteran Jeni Lee Chapman as Executive Vice President, Global Brand and Communication Consulting. More
John Dimling, former Chairman, President & CEO of Nielsen Media Research, has joined his second Board of the week, the Arbitron Board of Directors. On Tuesday he was appointed to the Advisory Board of neuroscience agency Innerscope. 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
In the US, social media tracking firm Sway has secured a $2m Series A funding round, which it will use to hire additional support staff and scale the sales and marketing efforts for its Shoutlet social media platform. More
US broadcast and cable tracking firm Media Monitors has upgraded its partnership with Arbitron, to provide clients with data from the latter's PPM service within a week, compared with the previous arrangement of 21 days. 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
In the US, self-service survey software developer Ask Your Target Market has launched an online tool which it claims provides small businesses, entrepreneurs, and student researchers with access to customized target market research panels for under $30. More
Social media analysis company Exvisu Canada is joining the Environics group of companies, and will now be known as Nexalogy Environics Inc. More
UK marketing spend fell for the ninth quarter running in Q4, according to the IPA's regular Bellwether survey. However the report says budget cuts were the smallest in two years and optimism about the financial outlook was at its highest for five years. More
San Mateo, CA-based real-time personalisation firm Aggregate Knowledge (AK) has raised $9m in a Series C financing round led by OVP Venture Partners. Funds will be used to develop and roll out the firm's next-generation Discovery platform. More
Media intelligence firm VMS has announced the broad expansion of its real-time media monitoring services to include Internet, web print, social media and web video. More
UK-based marcoms group Cagney has agreed the sale of its research and analysis subsidiary Tree London to Chime Communications. Along with the sale of ad agency CST the move enables Cagney to shake off debt and refocus on core activities. More
Consumer products giant Procter & Gamble is to introduce a web site selling its products direct, and will use the site to observe and analyse how shoppers buy, and how they react to ads and other promotions. More
The UK government has missed its deadline for a response to the EC over Internet privacy concerns arising from the Phorm / BT ad targeting controversy. More
UK MR firm McCallum Layton has launched a new online service that provides a fully integrated research and insight management solution comprised of quant and qual techniques, together with a secure project management portal, The Hub. More
In the US, full-service market research firm Market Strategies International has sold its audience data collection unit MSInteractive and its Perception Analyzer technology to start-up firm Dialsmith. Terms were not disclosed. More
Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has called for a 'thorough investigation' into Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM), following the revelation that the firm's CEO Michael Skarzynski had apparently 'provided false testimony' to a committee of the national legislature last month. More
Social media monitoring and engagement specialist Visible Technologies has secured $22m in Series C funding, which it says will be used to further strengthen its technology platform and expand into international markets. More
WPP communications agency MediaCom has appointed cosmetics industry research specialist Jennifer Marino as Senior Partner, Director of Consumer Insights for its US operation. More
Online measurement firm comScore has appointed former AOL product specialist Eric Bosco for its new role of Chief Product Officer, to help drive the global development of syndicated products and services. 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 the US, mobile application analytics firm Flurry has closed a $7m third round of financing, which it says it will use to 'aggressively' build out new services that increase app developer revenue, hire new employees and scale its infrastructure. More
Michael Skarzynski has resigned as President & CEO of ratings giant Arbitron, after allegedly making a 'misstatement' in his testimony before a US congressional committee hearing last month. He is replaced by Board Director William Kerr. More
US-based ActiveGroup, which provides video streaming to the market research industry, has hired former Opinium MD Dan Foreman to lead international business development from its London office. More
KN Dimestore - which provides technology that adds consumer surveys to online ads - has enhanced its capabilities to enable publishers, networks and agencies to utilize and react to real-time respondent-level survey results. More
Intel has partnered with Microsoft to develop a platform for the digital signage industry, containing features that analyze users' physical attributes and then generate tailored ad displays. More
Social networking solutions firm Lithium Technologies has raised $18m in Series C equity funding, which it says it will use to sustain current growth rates. More
Four former Drummond Madell and GfK researchers have launched a specialist brand strategy, innovation and communications research agency in central London. More
Online research specialist MarketTools has launched a new self-service tool to enable users to create and deploy online communities, through which they can engage in real-time conversations with their current or target customers. More
In the US, software firm Jive has acquired social media monitoring firm Filtrbox. Financial details about the transaction were not disclosed. More
In the UK, online research consultancy Opinium Research has appointed former MASMI Director James Endersby as Managing Director, following the departure of Dan Foreman last November. More
In the US, St Louis-based online marketing firm tSunela has opened an office in Portland, Oregon, to offer its range of web analytics, search engine optimization and social media marketing services to clients on the west coast. More
The UK web analytics market grew by 9% to £85m in 2009, according to research published in the most recent edition of the Econsultancy Web Analytics Buyer's Guide. More
Internet ratings firm Quantcast has received $27.5m in series C financing, which it plans to use to support the roll out of its 'Quantcast Media Program' online ad targeting platform. More
Canadian-based custom panel and technology specialist Vision Critical has appointed former GfK Director Andrew Iain Reid as Managing Director of Corporate Development. More
Online measurement firm comScore has partnered with smartphone application analytics specialists Flurry, to offer 'more accurate' information about the ways users interact with their applications and devices. More
In the US, online market research firm Conversition has launched a social media market research product called evolisten. More
In the US, media research, planning and buying firm Target Media has opened an office to service the Baltimore-Washington region, led by ad professional Addy Frantz. More
IT research and consulting specialist Gartner has announced its second major acquisition in five weeks, buying competitor the Burton Group for around $56m in cash. More
Database giant Infogroup has announced a rebrand, aimed at providing clients with 'a more unified approach'. MR subsidiary Opinion Research Corporation is among the major brands keeping their identity while strengthening their positioning as an Infogroup company. More
Web measurement technology firm WiseWindow has announced a new system for mining and analyzing opinions expressed in social media, and isolating mentions of specific companies and products to produce actionable reports. More
Web-based market research solutions firm RelevantView is being merged into database technology developer Imperium LLC. Both organisations are based in Connecticut, USA, and both were founded by Marshall Harrison, CEO of the new, combined company. More
IBM has launched a London Analytics Solution Centre, based in its Southbank office, to provide advanced analytics expertise to its UK-based clients. More
In the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has updated its Digital Video Ad Impression Measurement Guidelines, to establish the latest parameters for accurate counting. More
US web analytics firm Echometrix has re-structured by splitting into two separate divisions - PULSE Data Analytics and FamilySafe. More
In the US, smartphone application analytics specialists Flurry and Pinch Media have merged their operations, which track iPhone and Android use. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, social media technology platform gWallet has unveiled a new metric which it claims changes current measurement analytics in social media by enabling publishers to gauge and increase the 'lifetime value' (LTV) of users on their applications. More
In the US, video ad optimization firm TidalTV has launched a real-time brand impact measurement tool for online advertisers, incorporating surveys from consumer research specialist Knowledge Networks (KN). More
Media buyer Carat Ireland and market research firm iReach have launched a new monthly study examining Irish online consumer issues and trends. More
US developer SmarterTools has rolled out the latest edition of its web analytics software SmarterStats, which aims to help businesses enhance their SEO (search engine optimization) strategy and attract new web site visitors. 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
Arbitron is to speed up its planned increase in diary market cell-phone-only (CPO) household sample, raising it to an average of 15% of total sample across all its diary markets in the US, including Hawaii and Alaska, by Spring 2010. More
US-based e-Rewards has completed its £85.1m acquisition of UK-headquartered online panel specialist Research Now. More
Online measurement firm comScore and retail market intelligence giant IRI (Information Resources, Inc) have launched a new solution to measure the effect of online ad campaigns on sales of consumer packaged goods (CPG). More
Motif - a US-based business process outsourcing (BPO) firm that provides research and analytics, customer support and back office processing - is investing $2.5m in a new 500 seat service center in Costa Rica, to open in January. More
Digital ad solutions firm Eyeblaster and ad agency Dentsu America have formed a partnership using consumer engagement metrics to show clients where and when display ads and online marketing initiatives are working. More
Sample specialist Peanut Labs has launched a new panel, 'Social Media Gamers', consisting of over 194,000 US players of console, PC, handheld and online games. More
Rich media ad network VideoEgg has announced an ad measurement service, VideoEgg ROI, using partner comScore's AdEffx platform to give feedback to consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies. More
Nielsen has modified its plan to change the metric on which advertising deals for local TV ads are made, and says it will continue to provide Live TV ratings until the end of March 2010. More
In London, FreshMinds Research has doubled the size of its Holborn office, to provide space for its growing team of research consultants. More
US web analytics provider SeeWhy has completed a second round of funding, raising an additional $2m which it plans to use to support its growth in web site conversion solutions. The firm is also planning to add additional investors throughout 2010. More
US customer experience analytics (CEA) firm ClickFox has launched an interactive online tool that calculates and forecasts potential return on investment (ROI) for improving customer experience across various service channels and touch points. More
In the UK, digital marketing trade association The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has appointed NORAS founder Tim Elkington as Head of Research, in advance of the January launch of the country's first web measurement currency. More
Harris Interactive has added Clarabridge's text analytics to its flagship Harris Poll, in order to combine opinions posted on social media and other online sites with public opinion measured through its surveys. More
Canadian-based custom panel and technology specialist Vision Critical has overhauled its ShelfsetPlus product, to enable clients to field complex virtual shopping exercises in less time, while increasing respondent engagement. More
Multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak Corporation has formed a data integration partnership with Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR), a business intelligence and research firm offering insight into the video game industry. More
Kantar's web analytics firm Compete and WPP's Media Innovation Group (MIG) have linked up to enhance the latter's B3 ad optimization product through the addition of the former's online consumer data. More
Nielsen has formed a joint venture with St. Petersburg, Florida-based consumer-driven print communications firm Catalina Marketing Corporation, addressing the current hot topic of linking marketing exposure with purchasing behaviour. More
The Nielsen Company is selling eight publications including Billboard music magazine and The Hollywood Reporter, to a newly formed media investment group, e5 Global Media LLC; and is discontinuing two other titles. More
Online measurement firm comScore has launched AdEffx(TM), billed as 'a complete toolkit for measuring ad effectiveness for any campaign objective with unparalleled accuracy'. More
In the US, marketing and communications network MDC Partners Inc. has agreed to acquire Communifx, a data analytics and database marketing firm focused on engagement marketing and optimization solutions. More
Newly formed media body The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) continues to build its leadership team with the appointment of Jane Clarke, most recently VP of Insights and Innovation at Time Warner Global Media Group, as Managing Director. More
Media research veteran Nick Shore has joined MTV as Senior Vice President of Strategic Insights and Research, overseeing all research for the firm's various platforms including MTV, MTV2, mtv.com, mtvU and MTV Tr3s. More
UK-based user interface analysis specialist Speed-Trap has announced a partnership with customer info company The Database Group. More
Millward Brown has promoted company veteran Daren Poole to the newly-created position of Chief Client Officer (CCO) for Australia, effective 1 January. 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
Millward Brown has announced a licensing agreement with Chinese digital measurement developer, Moment Systems, to provide clients with digital advertising measurement. More
Online measurement giant comScore has extended its reach in Asia with the addition of consumer Internet usage monitoring for Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The first data is due for release in early 2010. More
European advertising firm Bark Group Inc. has announced two partnerships aimed at enhancing its ad campaigns through research and analysis: with neuromarketing research company Mindmetic and digital campaign analyst Glass box ApS. More
Online audience data specialist Webtrends has released a new version of its flagship Analytics package, offering real-time data and alerts which trigger when key web site metrics reach, or fail to reach, pre-set targets. More
Custom panel firm Vision Critical has announced the hiring of former Colmar Brunton MD and current AMSRS President Peter Harris as its new Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand. More
In the UK, custom panels specialist EasyInsites is to build and maintain a new research panel for breakfast television station GMTV, incorporating a dynamic web site, direct incentives and on-screen recruitment. More
In the US, Arbitron and a consortium of radio industry leaders have agreed to collaborate to improve the analytical methods used by advertisers to evaluate the tangible impact of radio advertising on sales. More
Intent-focused online data specialist BlueKai has announced the launch of In-Market Reports, a new analytics service giving insights into the in-market shopping profiles of site audiences. More
Research Now has announced a partnership with Environics Analytics (EA), Experian's partner for demographics and segmentation data in Canada, integrating the former's online panel of 400,000 Canadians with the latter's PRIZMC2 segmentation system. More
Arbitron, comScore and Omniture have been commissioned to work with NBC Sports to provide cross-platform audience measurement for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, tracking the network's coverage reach across its broadcast, cable and online platforms. More
The US-based Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has launched a campaign, 'Privacy Matters', to educate consumers about online privacy. More
In Washington, a committee Chairman has hinted at the possibility of legislation to help resolve arguments over Arbitron's PPM device. Edolphus Towns concluded Wednesday's hearings by giving the firm 30 days to come up with a schedule to address the concerns of critics. More
Sample marketplace firm Cint is moving its global sales headquarters to the UK, and has promoted UK MD Richard Thornton to the role of Global Sales Director. More
Mobile and online testing specialist Keynote Systems has expanded its test network to include Tokyo, strengthening its offer for mobile content providers in particular. More
Media targeting firm OwnerIQ has raised $5.8 million in growth financing, led by Kepha Partners. Funding will be used to grow the sales operation, to expand the firm's proprietary data solutions and enhance its advanced media-buying platform. 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
Retail market intelligence giant IRI (Information Resources, Inc.) has enhanced its Consumer and Shopper Insights platforms with a series of new digital media solutions. Partners including [x+1] and Dynamic Logic have already announced new offers based on the technology. More
US-based online ad measurement specialist Vizu Corporation has completed a $6.75m round of financing co-led by iNovia Capital and Greycroft Partners. The new funds will be used to enhance the company's technology and build out its sales and client service organizations. More
QualVu, which provides online video-based research solutions, has announced a new product offering instant and ongoing access to webcam-enabled panels for face-to-face qual insights. More
IT research giant Gartner, Inc. has agreed to acquire supply chain specialist AMR Research, Inc. for approximately $64 million in cash. More
Technology consulting group Forrester Research has announced the acquisition of the Strategic Oxygen business from Massachusetts, USA-based Monitor Group, for an undisclosed sum. 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
Canadian-based online data collection specialist Itracks has upgraded its market research online community (MROC) offering. Populis version 1.5 offers increased member participation, a new reporting utility and an SMS communication module for community managers. 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
In the US, consumer behavior and audience exposure data provider Integrated Media Measurement Inc (IMMI) has rolled out a new media measurement platform, which includes an expanded ability to monitor online consumer behavior. More
GfK NOP Media has rolled out a panel in the UK which combines online and offline media consumption with consumer sales data, to help advertisers and agencies measure the ROI of their media campaigns. More
Harris Interactive has rolled out its Advanced Strategy Lab (ASL) qualitative research facility in Hong Kong, to offer brainstorming, idea generation and solution development through networked computers. More
In Germany, data protection officials are claiming that Google Analytics web tracking service is in breach of the country's privacy laws, because it gathers detailed stats on web site visitors without their explicit consent. More
The Newspaper Society (NS) - which represents and promotes the interests of Britain's regional and local media - has launched what it claims to be the UK's first integrated print and online audience currency. More
In Belgium, social media monitoring and analytics firm Attentio has raised 525k which it will use to support its global expansion plans. More
In Israel, the IARB has awarded syndicated research specialist TNS Telegal a new five-year contract to continue operating the national Israeli Television Audience Measurement (TAM) service. More
In Australia, Nielsen's online research division has promoted Matt Bruce to the position of Managing Director, from his previous role as National Sales Director. More
Behavioral analytics specialist Quantivo has launched a solution to provide online media audience insights, designed to help clients expand audiences, keep visitors engaged and maximise profits across audience segments. 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
Communications software firm GMC Software Technology has promoted Peter Mnller to the position of President of its new subsidiary GMC Analytics. More
In the UK, digital marketing agency Magiq has launched with the introduction of a suite of online products, designed to enable marketers to personalize web site content based on real-time behavioural and activity data as well as visitors' historic profiles. More
In the US, online agency InsightExpress has moved its headquarters to larger premises overlooking the waterfront in Stamford, Connecticut. 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
In the US, keyword research tools provider Wordze has been acquired by Internet tracking firm Simpio Marketing for an undisclosed sum. More
US technology media, events, and research company International Data Group (IDG) has launched a tool to track social media conversations around topics and brands to measure sentiment and engagement over time. More
Site traffic analysis firm Webtrends has partnered with Internet consultancy InetAsia to launch a new managed web analytics service in Asia Pacific. More
Customer behavior analytics specialist Quantivo has launched a solution to enable e-commerce marketers and merchandisers to uncover which distinct customer segments will click/view/purchase next - based on what similar customers have done in the past. More
Online behavioral targeting firm OwnerIQ has made available data on consumers making 'duress' purchases - those motivated by the immediate need to replace a household item or product. 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
Kantar's market research agency Compete and its sales and marketing consultancy Cannondale Associates are combining their data to provide brands with new insight into consumers' shopping behavior, as they move from researching goods online to in-store purchasing. More
In the US, online testing and measurement solutions firm Keynote has reported revenue of $1.9m for the fourth quarter of 2009 (2008 = $21.1m) and a 4% rise in revenue for fiscal 2009 to $80.1m (2008 = $76.9m) for fiscal 2009 - the highest annual revenue in the company's history. More
US-based multi-screen tracking firm Rentrak has reported a 63% increase in revenues from its Advanced Media Information (AMI) division for the second quarter of the year, which it says reflects sales of its Essentials suite of multimedia measurement services. More
GfK Romania has conducted a research project on tourism web site Virtual Bucharest, using the Second Life social networking platform. More
In Ireland, web consultancy iQ Content has opened a purpose built usability studio where web, Internet and advertising firms will be able to conduct market research. More
Google has agreed to acquire mobile ad technology, analytics and metrics provider AdMob for $750m in stock, to enhance its expertise in mobile advertising. More
US electronics market research specialist IMS Research has acquired recently founded Young Market Research (YMR), which provides marketing intelligence and consulting in the solar, solid-state lighting and display industries. Terms were undisclosed. More
In the UK, Speed-Trap - which monitors and evaluates web site usage - has promoted Simon Burton to the post of Managing Director, responsible for overseeing all aspects of sales and business development globally. More
Social media specialist BuzzLogic has launched an initiative to enable media companies to capture additional revenue from advertisers who want to reach audiences engaged in specific conversations. More
Japanese ad giant Dentsu Inc. and its largest MR firm INTAGE Inc. have announced a partnership to jointly develop marketing intelligence solutions aimed at speeding up clients' marketing decision-making. More
In the US, Innerscope Research has become the first neuroscience-based biometric company to be validated by the Advertising Research Foundation's (ARF) research review process. More
Online market research panel firm United Sample has reported a triple-digit increase in sales for the last six months, compared with the same period in 2008. More
Online purchasing data firm BlueKai is to issue a quarterly index of consumer intent data across the web, based on activities such as price search by auto make and model, travel destination search by airport or city, or activity on price comparison sites. 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
In Canada, mobile data collection technology firm Techneos Systems has appointed Dave King as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director, replacing co-founder Mark Cameron who is to remain with the firm in an executive and Board capacity. More
Media and market intelligence solutions firm Biz360 has partnered with social business consultancy Chess Media Group, and named Chess' co-founder, social media consultant Jacob Morgan, as an advisor to the company. More
The recently formed Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) will be hosting a meeting with Nielsen, Rentrak, TiVo, TRA and TNS to discuss how the firms can work with the coalition to foster set-top box data research innovation. 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
Digital video technology provider EyeWonder has added a new set of metrics, designed to provide advertisers and publishers with details about how their online ads are viewed in a browser. 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
Ad research specialist Ipsos ASI has promoted Alex Gronberger to the post of Chief Executive Officer, based in its Chicago office. More
Nielsen and online targeting firm DataLogix have partnered to enable advertisers to target consumers based on their lifestyles, purchasing habits and media usage. 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
comScore has announced financial results for the third quarter of 2009, with revenue up 4% year-on-year to $31.9m. However, it also plans a 'realignment of resources' which is expected to see its headcount fall by 8%. 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
Online audience specialist comScore has agreed to acquire Santiago, Chile-based web measurement firm Certifica, expanding its Latin American footprint and positioning it for further growth there. 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
In Germany, Ciao Surveys Managing Director Alberto Abisso is leaving after five years, following Toluna's acquisition of Ciao's parent company Greenfield Online. More
OVAB (the Out-of-home Video Advertising Bureau) says eleven of its member companies have now completed third party audience research studies based on the Audience Metrics Guidelines the organisation published in 2008. More
In New York, media market research firm TRA Inc has appointed Bob Meyers as President and Chief Operating Officer, to focus on reinforcing and growing its relationships with broadcast and cable networks. More
Online sample company Peanut Labs has posted third quarter revenue growth of 52.3% from the prior year period. More
Canadian customer analytics provider iPerceptions has reported that its third quarter revenues increased 10% to $1.2m, helping revenues for the first nine months to climb 14% to $3.6m. However, the firm's losses also rose to $1m for the period. More
Behavioral targeting firm [x+1] has introduced an updated version of its Site+1 web site targeting and personalization technology, which features audience segmentation modeling. More
In the UK, almost three quarters (72%) of Internet users are unaware of the online advertising industry's use of behavioural targeting, a new survey suggests. 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
In South Africa, media strategy agency Acceleration Media has launched an online audience measurement tool, to enable users to forecast reach and frequency for online advertising campaigns. More
The newly formed Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) is about to invite agencies to submit proposals for two media research projects. It has also appointed MTV Networks' Colleen Fahey Rush as Head of its Executive Committee. More
Media agency Initiative has introduced a measurement, intelligence and analytics process to help clients assess the performance of their media and marketing campaigns at every stage. More
Marcoms agency MDC Partners has formed a Consumer Insights Group, to develop data and analytics capabilities for use by MDC companies wishing to analyze clients' integrated digital and multi-channel media campaigns. More
Brand protection specialist MarkMonitor has appointed Nielsen's Vice Chair Susan Whiting to its Board of Directors. More
Online panel specialist Research Now has opened its seventh European office in Madrid, to provide a local service for Spanish clients. More
In the UK, Review Centre, which provides independent product and service reviews, is to create a consumer research panel which will provide marketers and researchers with access to the opinions of its four million monthly users. More
Online panel firm e-Rewards has confirmed that its founder and current Chairman and CEO Hal Brierley will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board, after the firm has completed its acquisition of panel provider Research Now. 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
Less than two days after it was announced that e-Rewards was considering buying online panel specialist Research Now, the firms have agreed on the terms of a cash acquisition, which values Research Now at around £85.1m. More
French media research agency MTdiamTtrie is planning to invest between 25m and 30m over the next three years, to improve existing services and develop new offers for broadcasters. 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
Viralheat - a social media measurement product that crawls social networking and video sites such as YouTube, as well as blogs, web sites and Twitter - has been updated to filter content by location, to help marketers drive regional marketing and monitoring campaigns. More
Market research software firm FeedbackMetrics has launched an on-demand survey and benchmarking service to help organizations measure and act on the effectiveness of their web sites. More
GfK has created a global database of point-of-sale data for electronic consumer goods. The 'Digital World' service has been designed by GfK Retail and Technology in conjunction with the US Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). More
US-based web analytics firm Omniture has launched a solution that combines the social media measurement and analytics of its SiteCatalyst platform, with the best practices of its consulting services division. More
In the UK, FreshMinds Research has launched a suite of social media monitoring services, to enable clients to gain insight into how and why online consumer conversations are shaping their brand, both on and offline. More
US-based e-Rewards has made an indicative approach to online panel specialist Research Now, which may lead to an offer for the latter's entire share capital. The price would be not less than £4.30 in cash per share. 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
Ratings giant Arbitron has announced a drop in third quarter income to $13.7m, compared with $17.0m for the third quarter of 2008, which it say is largely due to client losses and costs associated with the commercialization of its Portable People Meter (PPM). More
US clothing firm Iconix is to pay a $250k civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges that it violated child privacy Act COPPA by knowingly collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children online without first obtaining their parents' permission. More
Site traffic analysis firm Webtrends and enterprise analytics specialist Teradata are collaborating to help marketers measure the link between their customers' online and offline behaviour. More
In the UK, GfK NOP Media is launching a new panel of eight-to-fifteen-year-olds, 'rate it!', to offer better understanding of 'the next generation of media consumers'. More
The legislature in the US state of Maine has voted to repeal the privacy law intended to 'Predatory Marketing Practices Against Minors', following protests from a number of companies and industry bodies including MRA. More
US-based consultancy dmr has partnered with radio technology specialist Emmis Interactive to offer radio stations audience data analysis based around Arbitron's PPM, to help maximize their ratings and revenue. More
Social media analytics firm Attentio and celebrity web site TheNod.com have released the first results from a collaboration to track and analyse celebrity brand associations. More
Brand and communications research specialist Hall & Partners has teamed up with the Open Mind Group to launch a joint venture in Australia, headed by former Research International (RI) Exec Louise McCann who will be based in Sydney. 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
The deadline set by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for Arbitron to gain MRC accreditation for its PPM radio ratings service in the market has passed, with no announcement of success and reports suggesting no accreditation has been gained. More
Online data collection featured heavily in this year's London Stock Exchange AIM Awards, with Toluna and Research Now both taking major trophies at last night's award ceremony. More
In New York, Nielsen has hired Steve Hasker to fill the newly created position of President, Media Product Leadership and Advertiser Solutions - a new business unit set up to help advertisers 'deliver the right messages to the right consumers'. More
At a launch event held yesterday, UKOM - the UK online measurement body - unveiled further details about the online audience planning system it is developing in partnership with Nielsen. More
Canadian customer analytics provider iPerceptions has bought a number of web analytics products from industry practitioner StTphane Hamel. Terms were not disclosed. More
Online measurement firm comScore has launched an audience targeting tool for gaming publishers and developers, which provides a measurement of users' attitudes, behaviour and lifestyles. More
Digital marketing agency iCrossing has released a social media monitoring application for the iPhone, that enables users to search Twitter, Digg and thousands of forums and blogs. More
US-based retail specialist The NPD Group has enhanced its Retail Insight Service to enable consumer technology clients to view point-of-sale information and 'casual' sales data side-by-side. More
In Sydney, Australia, online fieldwork and panel specialist Research Now has announced the appointment of Martin Filz as Managing Director, Asia Pacific from 1 November, replacing Jason Buchanan who is leaving to 'explore a new business venture'. 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
Ratings giant Arbitron has commercialized its Portable People Meter (PPM) radio ratings service in five new local markets, as the deadline approaches for the firm to obtain Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its service in New York. More
UKOM - the UK online measurement body - has appointed Douglas McArthur, founder and former CEO of the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), as its new Chairman, as it prepares for the January 2010 launch of the country's first web measurement currency. More
Israeli online analytics firm Kampyle has partnered with Yokohama-based Infinet, to offer its clients local sales and support services in Japan. It has also launched a Japanese language web site. More
Data collection agency Field Force has become the first firm in Australia to join the 'Panel Exchange' sample marketplace operated by Swedish software firm Cint. More
In the US, Arbitron has confirmed that EVP Taher Behbehani, one of three top men brought in as part of a major restructure announced earlier in the year, has left the company. 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
Nielsen Online has underlined its commitment to the panel-based methodology it will use for the UK's first web measurement currency, following competitor comScore's proposal of a 'person-centric' approach using a hybrid technique employing cookie deletion. More
In the UK, TNS has launched a tool that claims to provide clients with an 'early warning' of rival ad campaigns, and which it says 'bridges the gap' between ad pre-testing and tracking. More
Online measurement firm comScore has unveiled a tool which combines reported mobile behavior measurement with mobile device ownership information, to provide marketers with attitudinal, lifestyle and product usage information data. More
In the UK, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has launched a web site to provide consumers with information about online behavioural advertising, including details of how to opt out. More
A new search intelligence firm has been launched with $1m in Series A funding provided by investor Amadeus and Angels Seed Fund (AASF). London and San Francisco-based Linkdex aims to provide a view of how web sites connect with each other. More
Social media measurement firm Fizziolo.gy has developed a system to measure and track real-time online conversations about the entertainment industry. 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
Forrester Research has launched a survey which is designed to uncover the technology adoption habits of information workers ('iWorkers'). More
Online ad network Traffic Marketplace has launched a suite of campaign reporting products that quantify and qualify the impact of advertiser campaigns on the online and offline behaviour of consumers. More
Predictive behavioral ad network Q Interactive has acquired permission-based marketing firm Vente, which specializes in consumer surveys. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the UK, online measurement firm comScore has submitted a proposal to the electronic arm of the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABCe), to develop a new 'person-centric' gauge for web site traffic measurement. More
Netherlands-based community insight agency CreativeCrowds has announced a partnership with Canadian crowdsourcing technology firm Cambrian House. Using the latter's flagship Chaordix product, the partners will design and deliver crowdsourcing platforms to organizations in Europe. More
Advertising research specialist Ipsos ASI has launched a tool which measures and tests communications across all forms of advertising platforms, including emerging digital media. 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
US-based consumer specialist Knowledge Networks (KN) has acquired Dimestore Media (DSM), a firm which has developed technology which adds consumer surveys directly into online ads. More
In the US, regulators have given graphic design software giant Adobe the go ahead to proceed with its acquisition of web analytics firm Omniture for around $1.8 billion, or $21.50 per share. The offer deadline for shareholders is October 22. 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
In the US, biometric and neuroscience agency Innerscope Research has appointed former Arbitron senior exec Linda Dupree as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. More
US-based video analytics firm Visible Measures has secured an undisclosed amount in Series C financing from DAG Ventures, which invests in Internet video and media technology companies. The firm has also appointed Tom Brennan as Chief Financial Officer. More
LA-based marketing sciences firm MarketShare Partners (MSP) has appointed CBS's Chief Research Officer David Poltrack to its Board of Advisors. 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
In the US, multi-screen measurement firm Rentrak Corporation has hired David Chemerow for its newly created post of Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. 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
Danish firm iMotions has released a new eye tracking software platform with 'Reading Metrics' to uncover whether consumers really read or are able to read communications, and 'Study Sharing' which enables users to run studies in multiple locations simultaneously. More
Eastern and Central European online specialist BrainActive Market Research has expanded its reach in Russia, Turkey and Poland through the recruitment of new panel members in each country. More
US online music analytics and insights firm Next Big Sound (NBS) has raised an undisclosed round of funding from venture capital firm Foundry Group, which it will use to recruit developers and system administrators tasked with expanding its technology. 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
In the US, ratings giant Arbitron has formed a 'cross-media' measurement group, which will use its Portable People Meter (PPM) technology and third-party partnerships to establish a new audience measurement service across TV, radio, Internet, mobile and place-based media. More
Online specialist Research Now is to offer Experian's consumer segmentation tool Mosaic, across its panels globally. 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 Korea, marketing agency DigitalOcean has partnered with online intelligence firm Brandtology to provide clients with 'buzz feedback' from their online campaigns. More
The Canadian Out-Of-Home Digital Association/Association Canadienne de l'Affichage NumTrique (CODACAN) has unveiled standards for measuring viewing audiences in digital out-of-home (DOOH) settings. More
US analytics firm EchoMetrix has been accused of violating a federal law that restricts the gathering of data about children under the age of 13. More
US-based web analytics firm Omniture has measured what it says is the first retail transaction ever to take place in Facebook, on behalf of a florist and gift retailer advertising on the social networking site. More
The practice of 'digital fingerprinting' may breach Canadian privacy laws - and by extension those of many European and Asian countries - according to a statement today by Canada's Marketing Research and Intelligence Association. More
UKOM, the UK online measurement body, has appointed Nielsen as its official partner to create the country's first currency for planning advertising campaigns on the Internet. More
In the US, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) is piloting a program to develop industry-standard methodologies for online audience research and measurement. The Quality Enhancement Process will be tested later this year by firms including P&G, Coca-Cola, Kraft, Microsoft and General Motors. More
WPP agency Added Value is launching three new initiatives to help clients address strategic marketing questions facing their business and brands. The first, AV-id(TM), uses the principles of social networking to help clients develop and refine conceptual marketing ideas in real time. More
Google-owned YouTube is boosting its content management offering for copyright owners and media companies by integrating data from its Content ID and YouTube Insight services. More
Text mining software firm Clarabridge has launched Social Media Analysis (SMA), an analytic tool allowing clients to enhance their customer analysis by integrating social media content into their existing internal enterprise feedback. More
The new Chairman of US standards body the FCC has told an audience of minority broadcasters that the Commission aims to bring together the sides in the dispute over Arbitron's PPM. He also acknowledged that his organisation's authority regarding the PPM is 'limited'. More
UK-based custom panels firm EasyInsites has formally launched its EasyMobile product, allowing it to conduct rapid polling via mobile phones. The new system uses the OnePoint survey platform. More
Meteor Solutions has upgraded its flagship software product, Meteor Tracker, adding sophisticated analytics and reporting capabilities to enable marketers to measure the impact of what it calls 'earned media' - unpaid content including word-of-mouth and social media posts. 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
In the US, Internet radio ad network TargetSpot has launched a response tracking and reporting system that provides advertisers with insight into their online radio campaigns. More
Customer reviews and social commerce solutions firm PowerReviews has launched a new suite of social networking measurement tools, designed to help brands listen to and engage with their customers. More
In the US, Edolphus Towns' investigation into Arbitron's PPM claims Media Ratings Council (MRC) documents flag up 'persistent problems' with the technology. Arbitron says his Committee has reached 'erroneous conclusions' which it looks forward to clarifying. More
In the US, social software developer Mzinga has raised $10m in venture capital this month, part of which is earmarked to fund a suite of social media marketing and analytics tools. 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
In the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released the final version of its In-Game Advertising Measurement Guidelines, to help game publishers measure the ads that appear in PC or console-based games. More
In the US, ratings giant Arbitron has developed a tool promising radio stations 'easier access' to performance metrics across multi-station portfolios. More
In the UK, healthcare and medical market fieldwork agency Healthcare Landscape has launched a series of research blogs where patients and carers can discuss a variety of medical issues on an anonymous basis. More
Nielsen and Facebook have signed a multi-year partnership to help clients better measure the impact of online advertising and develop and market new products. More
In London, Synovate has hired Marc Chester for the newly created role of Community Panels Director. More
London-based communications research agency MESH Planning has launched an 'experience database', aiming to enable marketers to measure every single consumer interaction with their brands in real-time. More
Online panel specialist Lightspeed Research has promoted Andrew Cayton to the post of Chief Executive Officer of its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) business. More
In New Jersey, GfK Custom Research North America has promoted David Krajicek to Managing Director, GfK Technology. More
US web analytics firm Omniture and online measurement specialist comScore have partnered to deliver what they describe as a 'unified digital audience measurement system'. More
Behavioural ad targeting company Phorm has reported a $15m pre-tax loss for the first half of the year; down from $25.6m in the same period last year. Separately, Chief Technology Officer Stratis Scleparis has announced he is leaving the firm. 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
In the US, multi-screen media measurement firm Rentrak has appointed market research industry veterans Steven Walsh and Jeremy Gabor to support the commercialization of its cross-media platform. More
In the UK, Katugas Research Services has launched a system which categorises posts on Twitter according to their content. More
Mobile survey technology provider Techneos Systems has launched SODA, a survey platform which works by downloading applications to mobile phones to run when they are offline, and connects to a wireless network as required to fetch projects and submit data. 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
In the US, social media tracking and targeting firm Lotame has announced a partnership with Dimestore Media, allowing the former to collect an unlimited amount of the latter's survey data, access it real time and add it into its own reporting at any stage throughout a campaign. 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 digital marketing firm Tangent has acquired customer insight agency Snowball for a maximum consideration of £3.25m in cash and shares. More
In Sydney, Australia, AMR research founder Brian Fine is to leave his job in November. Fine started the company, now part of marketing content and services firm STW Group, 25 years ago. More
Ad agency Draftfcb has shuttered its Worldwide Marketing Research Services group, handing its work to the Center for Marketing Intelligence at its parent Interpublic Group. More
Graphic design and display software giant Adobe Systems Incorporated is to acquire web analytics and online business optimization firm Omniture, Inc. for around $1.8 billion. More
Online audience measurement and ad services firm Ando Media has been acquired by Triton Digital, which provides digital applications, services and content for radio broadcasters. Terms were not disclosed. More
Sampling and data collection provider Authentic Response has hired former SSI leader Jim Follett as its Chief Executive Officer, to replace Matt Blumberg as CEO; and has announced the closing of a funding series. More
LA-based ad solutions firm the Rubicon Project has acquired behavioural targeting specialist Others Online, aiming to expand its ad optimization platform. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, the ARF (Advertising Research Foundation) has appointed Lynne Johnson in the new role of Senior Vice President, Social Media. Overseeing the organisation's social media development and strategy, she will also spearhead the launch of its Social Media Council. More
United Sample and Clear Sky Media have launched a new survey platform for the latter's comparison shopping web site RedFlagDeals.com. More
In the US, analytics firm Echometrix has signed an agreement with investment group Rock Island Capital, LLC to raise funds for expansion. 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
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
In the US, online metrics company Ando Media has entered its Webcast Metrics real-time Internet audio measurement service for accreditation by the Media Rating Council (MRC). More
Social media monitoring and engagement specialist Visible Technologies is extending the application of its truCAST engine and launching truPULSE, a real-time social media intelligence service. More
Following client consultation, Nielsen is to move to live-program-plus-same-day ratings in its Local People Meter (LPM) and Set Meter markets by early December. More
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission has finalised a settlement with retailer Sears Holdings Management Corporation over its use of browser tracking software between April 2007 and January 2008. More
In the US, the newly formed Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) has attempted to clarify its goals in a conference call, stressing that rather than creating a competitor for Nielsen Media Research, it wants to fund new research into cross-platform and TV set-top box measurement. 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
In Australia, a tool has been developed to enable companies to conduct remote online user testing of their web site, on any kind of digital interface. More
Nielsen Media Research has developed a new meter which will measure online video viewing in the same way the firm's A/P Meter does for television. More
In the US, customer relationship management (CRM) firm RightNow has acquired social network market research agency HiveLive for approximately $6m in cash. More
Digital TV solutions firm OpenTV Corp is to publish details of the data its platform is able to measure on set-top boxes (STBs), helping operators to gather detailed data on what programs and ads viewers watch and for how long. More
PluggedIN, which specializes in building online communities for market research and consumer insights, has updated its social networking platform to enable online qual researchers to track what their target audiences are sharing across the social media landscape. More
European agency SKOPOS has launched Netnography, a social media measurement tool, and a web site analysis solution called Webalyzer. More
US video ad network BrightRoll has launched an audience analysis and behavioral targeting program, to help brands connect with their consumers by providing insight into their niche audiences. 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
US-based CARMA International has updated its Social Media Access analysis tool, to provide new methods for analyzing reader comments and hyperlinks appearing within social media, and help clients understand how blog contents are affecting their image. More
Synovate has updated its online community panels; integrating qual and quant research with a number of applications to help clients spot trends and obtain feedback about product ideas. More
Australian digital audience measurement firm Effective Measure has expanded with the opening of offices in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and has hired Brendon Ogilvy for the newly created role of Regional Director for MENA (Middle East North Africa). More
UberVu - which tracks comments across sites like Twitter and Facebook - has launched the public beta test of its new service, which enables users to type in a search keyword and then see how many people are discussing it and where the conversations are happening. More
Online audience measurement firm Hitwise has launched a new service to report on the surfing behaviour of 90,000 Brazilian Internet users. 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
In the UK, the GSMA - the trade association for mobile operators - has selected comScore to be its partner for its Mobile Media Metrics (MMM) audience measurement service, designed to define common metrics and measurements for mobile advertising. More
In the US, video and media data technology firm Concurrent has introduced a solution designed to offer a 360-degree view of linear, video-on-demand (VoD) and interactive media consumption across the three screens of TV, mobile and online. More
In Canada, ratings giant Arbitron and TNS Media Research have launched what they describe as the 'world's largest combined panel for TV and radio audience measurement', designed to support industry organisation BBM Canada's own multi-media measurement initiative. More
Online measurement firm comScore has appointed industry veterans Anne Hunter as Vice President of Advertising Effectiveness Products, and Daryl McNutt as Vice President of Marketing Solutions, Media. More
US marketing research and ad testing consultancy ARSgroup has introduced a copytesting solution to measure and predict consumer reaction to online ads. More
In the UK, consumer protection body The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is to conduct a new study of online advertising, which will also examine the practice of behavioural targeting. 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 UK, digital media company Struq has launched a technology platform that allows advertisers to customise and deliver ads in real-time, based on users' online behaviour and activities. More
In Australia, Nielsen has released data from its upgraded Internet panel, in a move towards its final accreditation by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). More
In the US, multi-screen media measurement firm Rentrak has appointed Bruce Goerlich as Chief Research Officer and Dr Michael Vinson as Vice President of Statistical Sciences and Analytics. The new positions have been created to push the development of video ad research products. More
US marketing and comms specialist HCD Research has added media mix modeling to its services for advertisers, with the aim of providing a 'holistic approach' to understanding and analyzing the impact of all advertising efforts and expenditures. More
In the US, Nielsen and retail analytics agency Information Resources Inc (IRI) have formed a new firm which will recruit, maintain and process data from a common set of households to support the Nielsen Homescan and IRI Consumer Network panels. More
UK marcoms giant and Kantar-owner WPP has reported a 47.9% drop in first-half net profit to £108.4m from £208.2m a year earlier, but predicts a brighter performance for the rest of 2009. Like-for-like consumer insight revenue was down 10%. More
In New York, a former Mediaedge online marketing analyst has launched a company offering to teach media executives the data analysis techniques they need to assess online advertising. More
US Internet marketing and market research firm Irbtrax has launched a service designed to measure the 'Digital Highway DNA' of competitor web sites. More
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yahoo! has acquired online community Maktoob.com, which owns its own dedicated research practice, Maktoob Research. Terms were not disclosed, although local sources estimate the total purchase price will be around $100m. More
Site traffic analysis firm Webtrends has launched a self-service testing and segmentation tool, which helps marketers identify and publish top-converting web content and perform advanced customer targeting with little or no IT assistance. More
In the US, digital marketing agency Tribal Fusion has launched a service using advanced analytics to measure the effect of online advertising on offline purchasing decisions. More
Australian readership research is in flux as incumbent currency provider Roy Morgan declines to take part in a new-look tender. As of yesterday, magazine publishing giant ACP has quit its national association in support of the Roy Morgan survey. 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
Ipsos has announced former Lightspeed CEO Anne Hedde as Global President of its advertising division Ipsos ASI, responsible for worldwide Project Management and all aspects of business in the USA. She will be based in the company's office in Parsippany, NJ. 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
US radio ratings giant Arbitron is attempting to invalidate nine patents for technology which identity solutions firm Digimarc has developed to monitor broadcasts. Digimarc claims that technology used for Arbitron's PPM infringed the patents. More
The latest release of Google Insights for Search looks into the future and predicts what will be searched for, based on a combination of current searches and the way trends have developed in the past. 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
Canadian customer analytics provider iPerceptions has reported a 56% increase in revenue to $1.1m in the second quarter of 2009, and a 16% increase to $2.4m for the first six months of the year. More
Researchers who joined together to form the Association Collaborative Effort (ACE) last September, have announced their first combined effort - a set of terms and definitions for online research. More
In the US, multi-screen media measurement agency Rentrak and mobile TV service FLO TV are to launch what they describe as the mobile TV industry's first comprehensive viewership and ad impression reporting. More
Online feedback and panel management supplier Globalpark has reported a 35% increase in second quarter revenues to 2.5m. More
US entertainment, media and technology market research firm Interpret has launched a syndicated research tool to provide an understanding of what drives the purchase of mobile handsets and devices. More
Media giant Time Warner has signed a seven year agreement with Nielsen, which will bring together TV, online, mobile measurement services, research on advertising segmentation and targeting, and consumer engagement research, under one contract. More
London-based market research agency BDRC has launched an ad evaluation service, AdForensics, which enables clients to test up to three creative executions simultaneously with a 200-strong sample of their target audience. More
In the US, online survey sample firm United Sample and teens and young adult network eSPIN have partnered to launch a community where teens can participate in surveys and earn rewards for sharing their thoughts. More
In response to last week's news that a consortium has been formed to challenge Nielsen's TV audience measurement 'monopoly', the firm has been in touch with employees to confirm that 'three screen' measurement remains central to its strategy. More
In the US a TV ad solutions firm is to bring together the services of Nielsen, Experian and Acxiom to help clients improve ad effectiveness using their existing data segmentation and optimization models. More
US-based behavioral marketing firm x+1 has secured $2m in a second round of funding, adding to the $16m it raised last year in a deal led by Advanced Technology Ventures. More
In the US, youth marketing blog YPulse and student online research community SurveyU have merged to form Youth Pulse Inc., a service offering research among tweens, teens, college students and young adults. More
Internet ratings firm Quantcast has stopped using a system which resurrects traditional browser cookies after users have deleted them. More
Terrestial audience measurement firm Ando Media has merged with broadcast technology firm Spacial Audio to expand both firms' capabilities with their established customer bases. More
Behavioral targeting firm Rocket Fuel has launched an intelligent online ad-serving platform that combines social, behavioral, contextual, search and many other sources to understand consumer interest and intent. More
In the US, a group of broadcast and cable networks have joined with media agencies and clients to form a consortium that will create a new TV Audience measurement system, designed to challenge Nielsen's control over the marketplace. More
US web performance management firm AlertSite has launched a dashboard which combines its own metrics with Google Analytics traffic analysis, to enable users to understand how consumer behaviour influences the performance of their web sites. More
Nielsen has reported a 6% dip in revenues to $2.36bn for the six months ended June 30 2009. Revenues for its market research business dropped 11.7% to $1.25bn from $1.42bn in the year earlier period. 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
US word of mouth (WOM) specialist Bazaarvoice has rolled out a solution that helps companies plug into social networks to help optimize the user experience on eCommerce and brand sites. More
In China, mobile ad network Madhouse has introduced a service to enable advertisers to track mobile ads in real-time. More
Finnish web analytics firm Snoobi Oy has opened an operation in Basel, Switzerland to support the German-speaking area of Europe. More
Arizona-based web site measurement firm Actual Metrics has bolstered its position as a Google Analytics support expert with the acquisition of part of Burlington, VT-based EpikOne Inc. More
In the US, a group of representatives of minority broadcasters have written to President Barack Obama asking him to intervene in the ongoing dispute over Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM), which they say they believe undercounts the audiences of minority radio stations. 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
Media services giant Publicis Groupe has acquired digital agency Razorfish from Microsoft for around $530m. Razorfish, which joined the software giant as part of its acquisition of aQuantive in 2007, places a strong emphasis on insight and analytics. More
In the UK, panel and online community specialist Verve continues to expand with the appointment of two former iD Factor execs. Amyas Peto joins as UK Operations Director and Paul Ferreira as Technical Design Manager. More
Flat panel research specialist DisplaySearch is to roll out a new suite of reports to cover the rapidly growing solar and photovoltaics markets. More
Business and professional information giant Thomson Reuters has reported results for the second quarter ended June 30, showing revenue growth and margin expansion, with continuing progress on the Reuters integration. Today, shareholders gave it the OK to drop its London and Nasdaq listings. More
Canadian-based custom panels and communities specialist Vision Critical has announced a 75% increase in first-half gross revenue, versus the same period in 2008. More
Information provider and CEM software firm ResponseTek Networks Corp has launched an application to monitor brand 'buzz' on Twitter, including scans for positive or negative sentiment. More
Online sample company Peanut Labs has announced a partnership with online games firm Frogster America, by which players of the latter's 'Runes of Magic' game can earn virtual currency by completing surveys. 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
Traffic analysis firm Webtrends has developed a Software as a service (SaaS) version of its analytics solution. New features include the ability to plot site metrics against other company data. 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
In the UK, online measurement firm comScore has been selected as the sole provider of site content vetting on behalf of the Internet Advertising Sales Houses (IASH) - a council of the IAB (Internet Advertising Bureau) founded to police the activities of sales houses. More
TNS Media Research has been awarded a ground-breaking three year audience measurement contract to gain new insights into the viewing and behaviour of audiences in subscription TV homes across Australia. More
US mobile analytics provider Motally has announced the beta launch of its mobile analytics service for iPhone and Blackberry, with support for Android and others to follow shortly. More
In the US, social software provider HiveLive has launched a new community application for online concept testing, as part of its suite of qualitative research tools. More
Synovate has rolled out its Marketing Management Analytics (MMA) business across the Asia Pacific region. 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
US web analytics provider SeeWhy has launched a service to enable real-time re-targeting of people who abandon sites. More
An investigation is being conducted by SPSS shareholders who believe that the firm's recent acquisition by IBM 'appears to be unfair'. More
Microsoft and comScore are collaborating to build a hybrid audience measurement tool, which will allow advertisers to determine and predict how consumers will respond to their digital ads. 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
In the US, word-of-mouth (WoM) marketing agency Z=calo Group has launched a tool to help marketers understand and measure where and how brands are discussed and recommended across all social media channels. More
Online measurement firm comScore has announced financial results for the second quarter of 2009, with revenue, GAAP income before taxes and EBITDA all higher than forecast, at $31.4m, $2.6m and $7.0m respectively. More
Site analytics provider WebTrends has agreed to acquire Widemile, which offers multivariate testing and site optimization technologies and services. Terms were not disclosed. More
Harris Interactive has hired Michael Saxon as Senior Vice President for the Technology, Media & Entertainment and Telecommunications (TMT), North America business unit, responsible for the overall leadership and business growth of the TMT Sector. More
Publishing giant Reed-Elsevier is selling off parts of its US Reed Business Information portfolio after reporting a dive in profits. However, research firm Marketcast and information supplier Reed Construction Data will not be among the sell-offs, which are mostly magazine titles. More
Ad industry execs including Sir Martin Sorrell have welcomed yesterday's news of a deal between Microsoft and Yahoo! to work together on search and advertising. More
Media market intelligence firms Media Partners Asia (MPA) and Screen Digest are to collaborate to offer research and consulting services to clients in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. 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, Arbitron has responded to the news that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is being asked to join the rush to investigate the impact of the PPM, by reiterating that it 'welcomes every opportunity to discuss the PPM technology, service and our sampling methodology.' More
Customer loyalty specialists Omega Management Group and Vovici have announced a partnership for marketing and the integration of their EFM and CEM solutions. More
Computer giant IBM is to acquire SPSS for around $1.2 billion. The deal should close later this year, subject to shareholder approval, regulatory clearances and other conditions. More
US web analytics start-up company Space Pencil has raised $2.86 million in a new round of funding, according to a filing with the SEC. More
Dallas, Texas-based online panel firm e-Rewards, Inc. has opened an office in Paris, France, to serve its growing European client base. Sales Managers Katia Levy and Virginie Le Rat join the firm in the new location. More
MarketTools-owned DIY survey brand Zoomerang has released an upgraded version of its software, Zoomerang Enterprise, offering improved management and sharing of online surveys. 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
Arbitron says Spanish-language broadcaster Univision Radio will not renew contracts for its Portable People Meter (PPM) ratings in San Diego, Miami and Phoenix, and will refuse to encode its signals for PPM in the three markets. More
Advertising firm Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) has announced that its Malaysian CEO Yap Chee Weng is to resign from his role to pursue personal interests outside the industry, and will be replaced by insight and analysis specialist Ranganathan Somanathan. More
South African eye tracking specialist Prompt Research Insights (PRI) has launched ADGist(TM), a measure of the effectiveness of print and billboards glimpsed very briefly. More
Harris Interactive has hired Edward Chatham for the newly created position of UK Sales and Marketing Director. More
In the UK, information services giant Experian has updated its consumer segmentation tool Mosaic, in a move which it says reflects demographic and social changes that have occurred in British society since 2003. More
US-based EMI Music has promoted David Boyle to the position of Vice President, Consumer Insight and Validation in its Global Digital Marketing team; an expanded role working across all three global business units and based in London. More
US-based online market research panel operator e-Rewards has appointed former TNS Director Mark Walton as Senior Vice President of International Operations, responsible for Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America. More
Customer behavioural data specialist Business Logic Solutions has opened a solution centre in Malaysia, in a bid to better serve mobile operators in the Asia Pacific region. More
In Australia, the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) has appointed online research, measurement and audience analysis specialist Gai Le Roy to Chair its Measurement, Research, and Standards & Guidelines councils. More
In Canada, NAVTEQ - which provides digital map, traffic and location data - has partnered with mobile application market research firm Mob4Hire in order to tap into the latter's global community of 14,000 respondent testers in 105 countries. 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, online research specialist Decipher has launched a tool allowing clients who use online 'dial testing' to view survey results in an interactive reporting environment. More
In the UK, Nationwide Building Society is the latest firm to bar the tracking of its site visitors by Phorm's controversial online behavioural targeting software. Nationwide joins other high profile firms including Amazon and Wikipedia. More
Ratings giant Arbitron has reported revenue growth of 10.4% to $86.8m in the second quarter, from $78.6m in the prior-year period. The company has also maintained its earnings outlook for 2009, while trimming its year-on-year revenue growth forecast. More
The Web Analytics Association (WAA) has merged with its Spanish equivalent, the Asociaci=n Espaņola de Analftica Web (AEAW), in order to build buzz and education programs around analytics and develop strong local analytics networks in Spanish-speaking countries. More
Nielsen has launched a web audience measurement solution in Taiwan, which offers third-party verification of Internet traffic through a combination of page tagging and visitor surveys. More
Canadian news and business information resource FPinfomart.ca - a division of media company Canwest Publishing - has added radio monitoring to its portfolio of sources for tracking corporate and competitive intelligence. 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
Media services firm PR Newswire has announced the EMEA launch of an intelligence tool, Social Media Metrics. The tool is powered by Sentiment Metrics, a real-time analysis system and dashboard breaking down mentions of brands and companies by sentiment, demographics, influence and authority. More
While UK organisations' budgets are down, b2b market research spend appears resilient, according to the findings of the B2B Barometer survey conducted recently by Circle Research. More
The Canadian Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart has issued a report which outlines how social networking site Facebook is contravening Canadian law by holding users' personal information indefinitely. More
Ratings giant Arbitron has compiled population estimates for cellphone-only (CPO) households down to the local market level, and says it is the first firm to do so. More
ToLuna CEO Frederic-Charles Petit has welcomed the staff of the Internet Survey Solutions (ISS) division of Greenfield Online to his firm, following the completion of its acquisition from Microsoft. More
Web analytics firm Omniture has opened a new office in Melbourne, taking the number of locations it has in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region to eight. More
In Canada, Omnicom-owned digital marketing agency Critical Mass has opened a new research division called Curious, which will use online communities to uncover consumer insights. More
WPP-owned media communication specialist MediaCom has promoted Carsten Lind to the role of Regional Head of Insight for EMEA, supporting local insight departments and developing new insight tools across the region. 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 the UK Alterian, a provider of analytics and marketing software, has acquired Techrigy, a social media monitoring and analytics software firm. Terms were not disclosed. More
TNS Gallup has extended its contract with the Norwegian Media Businesses' Association (MBL) for Internet audience measurement in Norway. A fresh four-year period will commence in early 2010. More
Florida Attorney General (AG) Bill McCollum has filed a lawsuit against Arbitron, claiming that its Portable People Meter (PPM) methodology undercounts minority listeners. His is the fourth such case to be brought against the firm. More
OgilvyPR's social media and marketing practice '360 Degree Digital Influence' has launched a tool to help marketers evaluate the impact of social media across different types of advertising and communications. More
Kantar's web analytics division Compete has unveiled a new measure to analyse how exposure to online advertising impacts consumers' online behaviour. More
Arbitron's former SVP/Press & Investor Relations Thom Mocarsky is returning to the firm in the newly created position of VP/Investor Relations. More
US voice-of-the-customer (VOC) solutions firm Allegiance has acquired online survey software firm Inquisite. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, social media and blog tracking firm Collective Intellect has raised $3.1m in funding, adding to the $9.6m raised in two previous rounds. More
Online qual specialist Blauw Research has announced a tool for continually assessing brand exposure and evaluating communications on Twitter; and launched a suite of research products including 'Superpromoter', a tool which identifies and assesses brand champions. More
In the US, Nielsen has launched what it describes as the industry's 'most advanced panel and platform' for measuring Internet audiences - increasing its measurement of web sites from 3,000 to more than 30,000. 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
Directors at panels specialist ToLuna have given the thumbs up for the purchase of the Internet Survey Solutions (ISS) division of Greenfield Online from Microsoft. More
Media research veteran Steve Sternberg - who is currently EVP of Audience Analysis at Interpublic's (IPG) media services firm MAGNA, New York - is leaving after 27 years, to 'pursue other opportunities'. His role is to be split between colleagues. More
Nielsen is opening new regional headquarters in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, from which it will continue to serve clients in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan. More
London-based communications agency WDMP has appointed Glen Patrick to head its Planning, Insight & Analytics team, and Lucy Acheson to lead its data function. More
Youth marketing agency Archrival has developed a Twitter Aggregator tool to bring together all tweets relating to a brand in a single page. Technorati - which operates niche Twitter aggregator sites - has also launched a system to bring together tweets from major blogs. More
US research portal provider Northern Light has launched a new service which it says unifies a firm's tracking of product markets, competitors, events, and trends into a single solution. 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
Reports in the press claim that web analytics firm Quantcast is attempting to raise $50m in third round funding, which it will use to develop services beyond its current remit. More
In the US, the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) has joined the Media Rating Council (MRC), in a bid to establish accurate representation of the Latino market in audience measurement. 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, online research specialist Tpoll has launched a tool which analyses the build up of events that contribute to a customer's decision-making process. More
In the US, MVL Group's online research agency Carbonview Research has partnered with RelevantView to enhance its respondent quality technology and validation process. More
GfK has finalised its acquisition of French music tracking firm Ifop Music (Institut Frantais d'Opinion Publique), and taken a 25% stake in Cypriot radio/TV audience measurement company Watch Media, with an option to purchase a majority stake at a later date. More
Survey Sampling International (SSI) has increased the size of its online communities in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, and has also launched mobile and landline samples in Mexico and a landline sample in Brazil. More
In Belgium, social media analytics firm Attentio has promoted Amaia Lasa to the position of CEO, in place of co-founder Simon McDermott, who has taken on the role of UK Country Manager and Chief Communication Officer. More
Social measurement firm Viralheat has launched a social media monitoring and analytics tool, which tracks 200 video sites, Twitter and real-time blogs and web sites. More
In the UK, BT has dropped its arrangement with behavioural ad targeting company Phorm, citing the need to divert investment to meet its public commitment to developing next generation broadband and television services. 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
UK customer insight provider Speed-Trap has extended the reach of its web visitor measurement technology, to include visitors accessing sites via almost any mobile device. More
UK-based digital market research specialist eDigitalResearch has rolled out a new online video vox pop tool, to enable web visitors to record their feedback about a client's product or service. More
US ratings giant Arbitron has told the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that it has no authority to impose regulations on its Portable People Meter (PPM) system, which replaces previously used paper diary-based methods for logging radio listening habits. More
In the US, a group of media and marketing trade associations has released self-regulatory principles which will require web sites to clearly inform consumers about data collection practices. 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
UK agency Conquest has launched a concept testing product, designed to measure gut reaction to new product ideas. More
In Germany, The Association of Online Research (AGOF - Arbeitsgemeinschaft Online-Forschung) has formed a working group which is tasked with designing a currency for measuring mobile advertising and online services. More
Hi-tech researcher OTX (Online Testing eXchange) has integrated the simulated moderator software Socrates into its AdCEP pre-testing product, which measures how emotion, message and context impact the performance of advertising. More
In the US, sample audit specialist Mktg Inc has launched an online program to validate panel consistency over time. 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
Online research and panels specialist Research Now has beaten its predictions for first half revenues, growing them 24% to £23.6m (2008: £19.1m). 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
US survey software firm Vovici has appointed Greg Stock as its new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Dean Wiltse who has held the role since 2005. More
Radio ratings giant Arbitron says it welcomes the chance to discuss the impact of its PPM system further with Congress, following moves this week by New York Democrat Edolphus Towns, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. More
In Israel, online feedback analytics firm Kampyle has integrated its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution with Google Analytics, to analyse aspects of customer behavior including reasons for abandoning online shopping carts and leaving sites. More
A new online agency, Jeeran Research, has launched in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The firm is building a proprietary, diversified panel across 18 countries in the region. 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
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
Online research specialist MarketTools has launched a panel of IT professionals, using its TrueSample validation technology. More
Growing e-marketing specialist CreatorMail has moved its London offices from Russell Square to Mabledon Place, Bloomsbury, as its data and analysis team grows with the arrival of execs from Experian and Tree, alongisde expansion for its eCRM, online and business solutions systems. More
US entertainment, media and technology market research firm Interpret has launched a syndicated service to provide an understanding of consumer behaviour around digital media and emerging technologies. More
Millward Brown Optimor - the consulting unit dedicated to brand strategy and marketing investment - has made its annual 'BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Brands' ranking available as a free application on the iPhone. More
US social media analytics firm Visible Technologies has updated its TruCast monitoring and engagement platform. Additions include the ability to view the tone of conversations by country. More
In the UK, online marketing services group TMN - which owns online research firms The iD Factor and ICD Research - has received shareholder approval to go ahead with its acquisition of business information provider Progressive Digital Media. More
In the UK, technology-led marketing agency Blueview has acquired Logicall Results, which offers market research, lead generation and appointment setting for the technology sector. 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
In the US, Nielsen executive Steve McGowan is to return to the Discovery Channel as Senior Vice President of Research, in charge of directing all broadcast, digital media, marketing, ancillary and other types of research. More
In the US, Nielsen Media Research veteran Tom Ziangas has joined TV production company Rainbow Media Holdings as Senior Vice President of Research, to oversee programming and sales research. More
Digital video recorder (DVR) services provider TiVo and Internet ratings firm Quantcast have partnered to provide advertisers and media firms with an audience analysis service for evaluating the correlation between TV viewership and online activity. More
US ratings giant Arbitron has launched a new suite of measurement services, designed to improve visibility into 'away-from-home' TV audiences. More
A new company has been launched to assess the market share of German-language services, including social networks; national news portals; and women's, cinema and health web sites. More
In the UK, Sky News has re-launched its online research group - the Sky News Panel - with a new user web site supported by an online and TV recruitment campaign to attract new members. More
In the US, online communities network Wetpaint has released what it describes as the first-ever measurement tool that gauges online engagement with popular TV programs, rather than just measuring the size of the viewing audience. More
In the UK, the advertiser body ISBA has been approached by The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to advise on the terms of a code of best practice, which will cover online information collection and behavioural targeting issues. More
Online research and panels specialist Research Now has launched a 'family' of mobile survey products called Momentum. The new technology offers quick polls using SMS; and online surveys using WAP, GPRS and 3G connections. More
Nielsen has partnered with French media agency MTdiamTtrie to launch a study of French mobile phone consumer behaviour. More
In the UK, B2B publisher Emap has confirmed that Neil Bradford, the Co-CEO of its Data and Insight division, has left the firm after just one year. More
In the UK, user experience consultancy User Vision has unveiled a new service to allow global clients to watch focus groups and user tests sessions carried out at its HQ, live from their own offices. More
In the UK, the BBC is developing an audience measurement tool which will provide insight into how audiences 'pick and mix' content across a variety of viewing platforms. More
Behavioural ad technology company Phorm has posted an operating loss of $49.8m (2007: $32.8m) for the year ended 31 December 2008, and a further $19.7m for the first six months of 2009. More
Marketers using social media such as Twitter to reach their target audiences should be subject to tighter regulation, according to European regulators quoted in a report in the Financial Times. More
Online market research agency InSites Consulting, headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, will be opening offices in London, UK and Geneva, Switzerland in July. More
Reputation analysis and comms research specialist Echo Research has launched a fully automated online media monitoring, evaluation and benchmarking service. More
French media research agency MTdiamTtrie has launched a service to measure Internet radio streaming and podcasts on a monthly basis. More
Technology giant IBM has announced plans to invest $100m in a five-year program to conduct research into mobile communications. More
US media measurement specialist Rentrak Corporation has appointed consumer and media research industry veteran Bill Livek as Chief Executive Officer, leading both day-to-day operations and the growth and evolution of the firm. More
Nielsen and secure identity solutions firm Digimarc are to launch two joint ventures that will combine the latter's solutions for deterring fraud, counterfeiting and piracy with the former's consumer and business data. The ventures replace a more informal agreement in place since 2007. More
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released guidelines to establish a common methodology for measuring ads that appear in PC or console-based games. More
In the US, media researcher Jay Guyther - a long-time executive at Arbitron - is joining broadcast consulting firm ROI Media Solutions (ROIMS) to expand its reach in new people meter markets. More
In the US, web site testing and personalization solutions firm Amadesa has launched an automated, site-side behavioural targeting capability, which analyzes anonymous user data and matches content to each visitor. More
US media measurement and research agency Rentrak Corporation has partnered with video and media solutions firm Concurrent to gain a 360 degree view of video and advertising consumption patterns across TV, mobile devices and the Internet. More
In Sydney, research veterans Alex Sweeney and Alasdair Johnston have formed Clarity Strategic Research, a new agency offering qual and quant research services to the financial, B2B, telecoms, retail, FMCG and media sectors. More
The UK government is embarking on a major ROI assessment of its web presence, led by the COI (Central Office of Information). Industry-owned not for profit body ABCe has been appointed to run the programme, which is billed as 'the largest project of its kind to date'. More
Two third of senior marketers (67%) are now running cross-channel campaigns, but only 12% are integrating performance data across channels, according to new research from rich media firm Eyeblaster and TNS Media Intelligence. More
In the US, industry body the ARF has revamped its Audio Council with a new mission and new members. The new council 'aims to ensure that radio 'is no longer resigned to taking a back seat to the likes of television and the Internet'. More
In the US, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has reported findings from its 'Foundations of Quality' (FoQ) project, examining the key issue of quality of online survey response. More
European agency SKOPOS has launched the m-Suite(TM), a collection of mobile-based qual and quant research tools, giving respondents simple access via their own mobile phones to surveys, interviews, diaries, video and other research features. More
Predictive marketing specialist [x+1] and marketing optimization firm Coremetrics have announced a partnership to offer improved display ad targeting using robust web analytics data. More
US social media analytics firm Visible Technologies has launched an index which ranks the sentiment of online content regarding an individual or company, with a focus on search engine results. More
Behavioural ad technology firm Phorm has sold 19.4% of its shares to institutional investors, in order to raise around £15m. It will use the money to continue the implementation of its service in the UK and Korean markets. More
In the US, customer behavior analytics specialist Quantivo and online analysis firm Webtrends have partnered, to enable the latter's clients to gain insights into the online behaviour of their site visitors. More
In Australia, the subscription television (STV) industry has created an independent company to provide research and audience measurement services to its members and the broader media and marketing community. More
David Day will become Global CEO of Kantar-owned online panel specialist Lightspeed Research, following the departure of Anne Hedde, who is leaving to pursue a different role with a competitor. More
Dubai-based Real Opinions has opened an office in central London, which will be run by founder and CEO Dan Healy. More
In the US, mobile Internet analytics firm Motally has received Series A financing. The money will be used to scale its platform, which captures insight into mobile web users and helps attract new customers. The funding amount was not disclosed. More
In the US, retail giant Sears Holdings has agreed to settle a complaint alleging that it installed tracking software on consumers' PCs without adequate disclosures. More
In the UK, new research agency EasyInsites is the latest to appoint an Advisory Board. Senior market research and food marketing executives from Europe and North America will help guide the firm's strategy and approach in the marketplace. More
In the UK, online marketing services group TMN - which owns online research firms The iD Factor and ICD Research - is to acquire business information provider Progressive Digital Media from its owner Michael Danson. More
Nielsen has re-organised its consumer research group into a global practice, and appointed practice expert teams across its five geographic regions. More
US mobile and broadband software developer Openwave Systems has updated its mobile analytics platform to help carriers better understand mobile data usage, segmented by various subscriber demographics and peak usage times. More
New research from consumer intelligence firm Mintel shows that real-life product or service referrals are more influential to consumers than those received online. More
In the US, semantic ad solutions agency Peer39 has closed a $10.5m round in Series C funding, which it will use to accelerate business development and sales, as well as further develop its semantic ad technology platform. More
In the US, web-based research software firm Revelation has upgraded its online qualitative tool Revelation Project so that it can be used for Latin American Spanish, continental French and German projects. More
Toronto, Canada-based social media analytics firm Sysomos has unveiled two new services which offer real-time access to social and traditional media conversations, as well as information about sentiment, geo-demographics and key influencers. More
In the US, social networking technology firm Lithium has acquired Keibi Technologies, which analyzes user-generated images, text, video, and animations and rates them according to their likelihood to negatively impact the customer experience. Terms were not disclosed. More
Lawyers involved in a privacy violation suit against behavioral targeting company NebuAd are now claiming that the firm went into US receivership specifically in order to avoid having to pay possible damages. A new firm has been launched in the UK. More
Behavioural ad specialist Phorm has launched a new patent-pending widget that personalises users' web site visits. The software highlights content which it recognises as being of interest to the visitor from their previous web-surfing history. More
US media measurement and research firm Rentrak Corporation has opened an East Coast sales and research office in the in the Chrysler Building in New York City. More
At today's AGM, WPP shareholders gave the thumbs up to a scheme which could see CEO Sir Martin Sorrell receive a £60m bonus over the next five years. Meanwhile Sorrell announced a 6.7% dip in like-for-like revenues for the first four months of the year, which sent shares tumbling 4.8% to 456.25p. More
Marcoms giant WPP has sold Mediafax - its Puerto Rico-based media research agency - to Brazilian media, market and opinion research specialist IBOPE. In return, WPP has increased its shareholding in three IBOPE businesses. More
In Australia, digital audience measurement firm Effective Measure has announced plans to roll out a new visitor opt-out mechanism, which it says promises a 'new benchmark' in visitor privacy. More
Microsoft is hoping to boost its search engine market share with the launch of 'Bing', billed as a next generation search helping customers to make faster, more informed decisions. More
Online measurement giant comScore has announced the arrival of Media Metrix 360, a 'panel-centric hybrid' solution to digital audience measurement. More
US software firm RightNow has upgraded its on demand customer relationship management (CRM) solution to include Cloud Monitor - a social network content tracker - and Enterprise Analytics for dissecting internal data. More
In the US, the Board of Directors at radio ratings giant Arbitron has elected advertising veteran Philip Guarascio as its Non-Executive Chairman, replacing the firm's former CEO and President Stephen Morris. More
The UK Online Measurement (UKOM) company, which plans to launch a single online audience measurement currency, is in preliminary discussions with Nielsen Online to provide the data. More
In the UK, Kingston University is leading a £1.1m research project to find out if it is possible to nudge individual behaviour in a 'socially-desirable direction', simply by telling people what others are doing. More
Online panel specialist Lightspeed Research has launched a sample de-duplication platform that prevents respondents from retaking a survey from the same computer, through either multiple panels or by using multiple identities. More
US online video analytics firm TubeMogul has launched a free measurement tool to provide viewer data for 15 different partner web sites. More
In Singapore, consumer and B2B specialist Blackbox Research has appointed Jerry Clode as Regional Qualitative Insights Director. More
In the UK, digital agency Imagini has rolled out the beta version of a tool that enables bloggers and web publishers to add personalised product recommendations to their sites, and generate demographic, psychographic and behavioural analytics from their site visitors. More
US web analytics firm Omniture has unveiled a system for measuring the success of advertising on Facebook applications. More
In the US, Ipsos Understanding UnLtd (IUU) - the qualitative division of Ipsos in North America - has developed a new approach to qualitative research for an online environment. More
Barry Flanigan, former Head of Marketing at Telegraph Media Group (TMG), has joined social networking site MySpace as Director of Marketing and Audience Development for the UK and Ireland. More
In the US, web technology firm Autonomy Interwoven has launched a tool that automatically listens to content on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and analyzes the dialogue to understand user sentiment. More
Finnish web analytics firm Snoobi Oy has continued its international expansion with a localised Latvian offering. The service, provided in the Latvian language, which be distributed via subsidiary operation Snoobi Latvia SIA. 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
US consultancy Gongos Research has upgraded its 2.0 platform to create an interactive environment for consumers, while offering clients greater versatility when fielding questions and analyzing response. 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
In the US, Seattle-based Survey Analytics has been awarded a White House contract to develop a new 'open government brainstorming' web site for President Obama's administration. More
US web analytics firm Coremetrics has introduced a system that tracks customers' browsing behavior over the long term. More
US broadcast and cable tracking firm Media Monitors has opened an office in London, from which it will provide radio stations, advertisers and agencies with same-day online reports. More
New UK technology, telecoms and media research provider Verve has appointed three to its Advisory Board. Professor Patrick (Paddy) Barwise, Gareth Firth and David Packford are all cash investors and shareholders in the company. More
Video sharing web site YouTube is to offer its parent firm's Google Analytics service to brand channel owners on the site. This will provide viewership metrics such as bounce rates, page views and stay time per visitor. More
The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) - a US lobby group set up to present a privacy agenda to the Barack Obama administration - is to conduct research to examine different methods for communicating with users about online advertising and privacy practices. More
Key personnel from behavioural targeting firm NebuAd, which ceased trading on Friday, are launching a new UK-based company called 'Insight Ready', according to reports. More
In the UK, Speed-Trap - which monitors and evaluates web site usage - has introduced online analytics software that captures and analyses visitor interaction with non-browser-based applications that run on desktops or on mobile devices. More
In the US, social polling network Polladium.com has launched what it describes as a 'Twitter-like' interface where members can vote and express their opinions on polls ranging from politics and entertainment to sports and technology. More
In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has opened an inquiry into claims that Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) undercounts the audiences of minority radio stations. More
In the US, behavioral targeting firm NebuAd has ceased trading, following legal problems. The firm was sued last autumn and questions asked in Congress concerning its purchase of information about web users, without their permission. More
Research software provider Confirmit has delivered double-digit organic growth during the first quarter, and won a seven-figure contract with a global retailer for its customer feedback program. 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
Online analysis specialist Webtrends has released a beta version of DM3, which it claims is the first standardised model for determining how effectively organisations measure and utilise the data generated by their online marketing. More
Customer analytics provider iPerceptions Inc. has reported results for the first quarter of 2009, including a 35% increase in revenue and a rise in gross margin as a percentage of revenue to 62% from 48% in Q1 2008. Panels and software firm Globalpark has also announced a good Q1 performance. More
Online panel marketplace provider Cint is opening a German office in Berlin. German CEO Michael Henrich will manage the office and will take responsibility for customer development and support in all German speaking countries, including Austria and Switzerland. 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
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
Users of Internet audience measurement are not satisfied with the metrics and information available to them, according to feedback from a new survey conducted among more than 800 executives from ad agencies, media publishers, ad networks and advertisers across the globe. More
In South Africa, research provider Ask Afrika has acquired the remaining 30% of TGI SA, the suppliers of media, brand and product information. More
In the US, FetchBack Inc., which specialises in analytics for online ad retargeting, has launched FIDO 2.0, a new generation of its technology platform, giving clients full access to their campaign reports and snapshots, and the ability to manage and update their campaigns. 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
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
In Dubai, Maktoob Research has rolled out a service to provide advertisers, agencies and media firms in the region with insights into the impact of their online and offline ad campaigns. More
US game testing firm Absolute Quality (AQ) has launched a real-time social media analysis tool to gauge how users of interactive entertainment feel about the products available in the marketplace. More
US qual market research firm PluggedIN has released V1.5 of its market research online community (MROC) software, with an enhanced discussion forum functionality designed to streamline the member and moderator experience. More
US technology market research firm Gartner has reported a 7% fall in first quarter profit to $20m (2008: $21.5m). Revenue from its research segment fell 2% on the stronger dollar, but at constant currency it was up 4% to $187.7m. 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
Greg Cole, President of eBay research specialist HammerTap, has acquired sole ownership of the firm and its associated companies. Terms were not disclosed. More
Groundbreaking media researcher TRA has raised $13.5m in funding, led by ratings giant Arbitron and with participation from current investors WPP and Kodiak Venture Partners. More
Nielsen has been unable to provide overnight TV ratings for four days this week, following a server issue which went undetected and caused a data collection stoppage over the weekend. More
US web site analytics provider SeeWhy has secured $4.5m in new funding and appointed Scott Silk as Chief Executive Officer.The firm has also opened a new SaaS delivery center in Edinburgh, Scotland and launched a free Abandonment Tracker service. 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
Online customer satisfaction metrics agency ForeSee Results has launched a tool that records what web site visitors are seeing and doing online in a real-time movie format. More
In the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released 'Social Media Ad Metrics Definitions' to provide consistency in the terms used to measure social activity. More
In the US, technology-driven market research firm Invoke Solutions has launched a 'fully fused' omnibus, offering a real-time blend of qual and quant approaches, which will enable clients to view results while the survey is still in field. More
Online research and panels specialist Research Now is predicting first half revenues will rise 23% to £23.5m (2008: £19.1m), ahead of its interim results which are due out on Wednesday 1 July 2009. 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
In the US, Ipsos ASI - which offers advertising pre-testing services - has launched a research solution to help marketers refine and optimize the creative content of their advertising. More
First quarter revenue at online audience measurement firm comScore increased 16% to $30.6m from the prior year period, but the firm has cut its 2009 full-year revenue growth forecast to 10-12% from its previous prediction of 15%. More
In the US, Nielsen is facing a lawsuit brought by Sunbeam Television Corporation, over claims that the ratings firm is understating the broadcaster's TV audiences. More
In the US, Owners Research Group (ORG) has launched a research platform through which shareholders can voice their opinions and priorities on issues impacting firms they invest in. More
Forrester Research has reported first quarter revenue growth of 2.5% to $56.4m, from $55m for the first quarter of last year. GAAP net income was halved but on a pro forma basis it was almost unchanged from Q1 2008. More
In the US, Good Data - which provides a secure space where users can access and share data and analysis - has raised $2.5m in venture financing, which it will use to complete development of its platform and assess its market potential prior to launch. More
In the US, customer behavior analytics specialist Quantivo has extended its service to include the analysis of multiple customer events that lead to online purchases, web registrations, ad clicks, up-sells and more. More
Online research firm YouGov has launched a new study to provide insight into the mobile phone purchasing experience from a customer perspective. More
Emerging technology specialist Lux Research has introduced an assessment tool to provide a reference for the evaluation of emerging technology companies. 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
Online market research agency YouGov has acquired US branding, customer sat and new product research specialist Clear Horizons for an initial fee of $600k, which could rise to $2.7m based on performance targets over the next three years. More
Nielsen is about to begin a test to measure the Internet usage of some of the members of its national TV ratings sample. If the pilot is successful, it will consider expanding the sample to include online viewing in its TV currency. More
US market research data collection agency MRops has expanded into Europe with the opening of an office in London. 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
US-based online audience measurement firm Hitwise plans to measure the Internet activity of 100,000 Canadian users from all provinces and territories. More
In the US, Harris Interactive has appointed former industry tech specialist Richard Scionti as Global Chief Technology Officer, responsible for process automation and solutions development, as well as leading the firm's efforts in the social media space. More
Online retail companies are struggling to understand visitor behaviour and to produce analytics they trust to give them a good picture of ROI, according to new research from Internet marketing and business optimization specialist Coremetrics. More
In the UK, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Communication (APPGC) has launched an investigation into developing areas of Internet practice including behavioural targeting and online privacy. The BBC and AT&T have also been in the news for behavioural targeting activity. More
In the US, ad agency Draftfcb has promoted its Chief Customer Intelligence Officer, Michael Fassnacht, to the newly created role of Worldwide Chief Strategy Officer. 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
Internet users' engagement with the online landscape is deepening, according to a study conducted by Nielsen. The firm says this is in part due to the growing popularity of viewing video content online, and of social networking. More
Research suppliers may see declines in 2009 revenue as more clients prepare to take a proportion of their online research in-house, predicts an industry survey conducted earlier in the year. More
US web analytics firm Omniture has released a new version of Omniture SiteCatalyst, to allow users to measure the spread of viral video across video-sharing sites such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. More
In the US, mobile analytics firm Bango has updated its service to enable mobile site owners to track unique visitors in real time; whether a mobile user connects via operator gateway, WiFi or home broadband. More
In Japan, advertising effectiveness analysis firm d-worx has released an updated version of its web analytics product wellout, to measure user traffic originating from smartphones such as the Blackberry and iPhone. More
Global market research and analytics services firm Cross-Tab has opened Borderless Access; a subsidiary providing online consumer panels in Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC). More
In the UK, new technology, telecoms and media research provider Verve has expanded its London team with three senior appointments. More
Former Ipsos and NPD executives Jean Davis and Tessie Ting have started Conversition Strategies, a new research firm focused on social media and with bases in the US and Canada. The company's first key offering is brand rating web site MatterMeter, due for launch this weekend. More
In the US, tech market research firm ABI Research has launched a service to provide a comprehensive view of the mobile consumer. More
Ratings giant Arbitron has announced a 24.1% drop in net income to $12.3m for the quarter, compared with $16.3m for the first quarter of 2008, despite a revenue rise of almost 5%. 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
In the US, online DIY survey tools firm SurveyMonkey has received a major round of funding from a group of investors who have acquired a majority interest in the company. As part of the transaction, Dave Goldberg will become CEO. More
Tech analyst IDC has announced the loss of 82 jobs in the US, equivalent to 5% of its worldwide workforce of c.1,650, and including twenty-six research analysts. More
Full service agency InterfaceASIA has announced the launch of new online panels in India, Taiwan and Hong Kong. More
Arbitron has appointed Taher G. Behbehani to the newly-created position of EVP, Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer, reporting to President and CEO Michael Skarzynski. 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
No.4 ranked search engine Ask.com is re-hiring Jeeves after three years as it battles / butles for market share in the UK. Research by YouGov found most people wanted the butler reinstated, and that more UK respondents knew the AskJeeves brand (83%) than the function of Ask.com (72%). More
Stephen Hughes, formerly EU Commercial Director for CfMC, has joined recently launched Cint UK as Sales Director. 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
Record numbers of first-timers booked for a research conference? It doesn't sound like 2009. But BIG, the UK's b2b research association, says a more open, debate-oriented style and a strong client-side presence are two of the factors bringing in the new faces as it gears up for its annual get-together. More
Britain's advertisers have called on the European Commission to cancel its legal challenge over the UK government's policy on behavioural targeting technology, via trade association the ISBA. More
Canadian-based Mob4Hire, which offers crowd sourced mobile application testing and market research, is targeting growth across the Atlantic with the appointment of Chantelle Hyde-Lewis as Director, Business Development, UK & EMEA. More
In the US, the National Business Research Institute (NBRI) has launched an online survey creation system, Survey Software Online, or SSO. The software aims to allow small to mid-sized businesses to create, deploy, and analyze customer and employee surveys in-house. 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
In the US, media production and broadcast consultantcy D. I. S. Consulting Corporation and technology specialist Strategy Analytics Inc. have announced a partnership to offer research and advisory services for the media technology, distribution, production and content management sectors. 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
The European Commission has launched legal action against the UK Government, over its failure to force behavioural ad technology firm Phorm to comply with EU data protection and privacy rules. More
In Seattle, USA, online word-of-mouth specialist Meteor Solutions has formed an alliance with product strategy consultancy NimbleSource to add further analytics to the data it captures from customers' web sites. More
In New York, radio and TV audience measurement firm Ando Media is rolling out its Webcast Metrics online listener statistics service across the online radio community. More
UK customer insight specialist Beyond Analysis and social media services firm Netemic have partnered to deliver a social media analysis engine which predicts and analyses market trends and monitors brand equity through the millions of online conversations across the Internet. 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
In the UK, online research agency YouGov has launched a study to track the attitudes and behaviours of affluent and high net worth individuals towards finance, media and general expenditure. More
Hi-tech researcher OTX (Online Testing eXchange) has launched a new business intelligence tool and tracking service which aggregates consumer data on hundreds of games on a weekly basis, and forecasts future consumer behaviour around each title. More
UK-based web analytics provider Site Intelligence has opened an office in Sydney, Australia to enable local organisations to use its business intelligence across both online and offline data. More
In the US, video ad platform YuMe has partnered with WPP-owned media and marketing services agency Mindshare to develop an online audience measurement metric to help advertisers compare video and TV ad campaigns. More
US viral marketing firm trueAnthem has launched a proprietary analytics tool to help marketers track the performance of their viral campaigns across social networking sites. 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
Ratings giant Arbitron has begun cellphone-only household sampling in an initial 151 diary markets for its Spring 2009 radio survey. More than a third of a million households have already been contacted to build the address-based sample. More
In London, two marketing analysts have launched a new marketing and data analytics consultancy with a focus on linking digital advertising with traditional forms of marketing communications. More
In the US, online video analytics firm TubeMogul has received $3m in Series A funding, which it will use to speed up growth of its video distribution platform and accelerate standardization of its online video analytics offering. More
In the US, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has announced winners of its 2009 Great Mind Awards, with NeuroFocus CEO Dr Anantha Pradeep taking the top prize for Innovation. More
The European Union will step-in to counter surfer profiling and breaches in data privacy, according to its Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva. Kuneva believes that online users' privacy rights are being abused by advertisers. 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
In the US, Lightspeed Research has appointed T.Mitchell McCauley as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), replacing Chris Urinyi who became CEO of Lightspeed Research Americas business last November. 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
Media agency Starcom USA is merging two of its research units and has appointed John Lowell to head the newly formed Research & Analytics group. More
Radio ratings giant Arbitron has appointed Alton Adams as EVP, Chief Marketing Officer and Dr Robert Henrick as EVP, Customer Solutions, as part of its previously announced shake-up, designed to facilitate effective decision-making. More
Online ad company Dapper has launched a service called Behavioral Remessaging, which targets users on web sites based on the previous sites they have visited and the activity they conducted while there. 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
Ad targeting software company Phorm has announced the beginning of a market trial with KT, Korea's biggest Internet service provider (ISP); the opening of an office in Seoul; and the appointment of Daniel Park as CEO of Phorm Korea. More
Software and panels firm GMI has announced 'the GMI X vision', a series of enhancements to its sampling and quality technologies, aimed at delivering 'the right information from the right people at the right time'. More
Nielsen has reported 2008 revenues up 4.5% on a constant currency basis to $5bn, despite a climate which CFO Brian West predicts 'won't get any better, any time soon'. 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 Which our special correspondent Phyllis Vangelder reports on a session about the need for researchers to tell stories (but not make them up, of course); an old-fashioned medium makes a timely reappearance and wins a prize; and some general remarks are made on 'Research 2009'. 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
US-based NeuroFocus has introduced a suite of brainwave-based tools to enhance video game development and players' enjoyment. The firm estimates the tools can shave years off the game development timeline, and many millions in costs. More
Global PR agency Calysto Communications has opened a social media marketing practice. The practice will provide analytical tools to analyze the buzz around clients' web sites and other communications such as press releases, company backgrounders, bylined articles and other online marketing materials. More
In the US, radio ratings giant Arbitron has announced redundancies for around 110 of its 1,086 full-time employees, along with a program of cost-cutting in non-employee related areas. More
UK-based Portio Group is launching a new division, Portio Consult, providing technical, marketing and commercial consultancy services to companies at all stages of growth in the converging fields of telecoms, media, technology and communications. More
Given a choice of good venues for their Tuesday evening eating and drinking, delegates could be forgiven for missing the start the next morning (we did). Could the mid-morning panel session on 'Opportunities and Threats' for MR wake them up with its promise of being 'live, revealing and controversial'? More
The afternoon's online research session explored a number of areas around the theme, generally running over familiar ground. The exception was a paper on the use of ethnography to create connections between emerging trends in both the real and online worlds. More
Australia's print audit body the ABA is to launch a web traffic measurement service for its member publishers, on 1st May, with the first data a month later. Participating members will have their site traffic data compiled through Nielsen Online's Market Intelligence tool. More
In the afternoon, Nick Southgate from ad agency Grey London introduced a session on 'Research and Advertising Media in the 21st Century', including papers on the impact of in-game advertising, and a comparison of consumer engagement for ads on sites such as YouTube and those on TV. More
Not everything at 'Research 2009' was planned and finalised before this rather irritating downturn came along, it seems (see the keynote write-up). The Conference dared to utter the other R word this afternoon, with a look at possible winners and losers. More
In San Francisco, Facebook-funded Kontagent has launched the private beta version of its Social Analytics Platform, claimed as the first to offer analytics and viral optimization tools for iPhone and web applications with Facebook Connect support. More
Analyst and consultant Frost & Sullivan has launched a New Zealand office to service a growing private and public sector client base; and has appointed Andre Clarke, previously of Yankee Group, as New Zealand Country Manager. 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 KnowledgePanelŪ 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
Europe-based agency SKOPOS has designed a trio of online and qual and quant tools to evaluate new and traditional media. 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 the UAE (United Arab Emirates), broadcaster Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC) has announced it will fund and lead the introduction of People Meters to measure numbers of TV viewers in the region. 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
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
French media research agency MTdiamTtrie has teamed up with software developer Jungo to create a solution for collecting data relating to the user habits and preferences of those living in 'digital households'. More
Synovate has announced an agreement with Canadian software provider Vision Critical, to power its online community panels around the globe. 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
Microsoft has announced that its advertising analytics program 'adCenter Analytics' will be shut down at the end of the year. The service was still in its beta-testing stage. More
Spoken word radio stations tend to post higher audience figures with Arbitron's PPM measurement than they used to with diaries, according to data from Coleman Insights, a company specializing in studies of the PPM. 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
In the US, ratings giant Arbitron has met with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Acting Chairman Michael Copps in an attempt to head off an investigation into claims that its Portable People Meter (PPM) measurement device undercounts minority radio station audiences. More
In Belgium, two former Google execs have opened a firm dedicated to web analytics and search engine marketing. More
Mobile marketing campaign specialist iLoop Mobile has unveiled a new service to assist industry marketers with campaign strategy. 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
In the US, market research provider ZeeProbe has launched an online focus group service offering real-time, frame-by-frame video testing. More
Google is to launch a new behavioral targeting system which will deliver ads based on the sites people visit, not just the searches they make or the site on which the ad appears. In a beta test of the new service, Google will show ads on YouTube and on its partners' sites. More
In the UK, the technology, media and telecoms division of Harris Interactive has launched a syndicated study designed to understand media convergence as it affects young people. More
European panels firm Toluna has partnered with technical solutions provider nurago to launch a service which enables advertisers, planners and media buyers to analyse the response of more than half a million of Toluna's panel members to campaigns in six European countries. More
In the US, The Spanish Radio Association (SRA) and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) have expressed their 'disappointment and frustration' with Arbitron's recent promises to upgrade its PPM sampling methodology. More
In the US, Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) has promoted Robin Lake to the post of Vice President of Research, in charge of all research and related analysis for the group. More
In the UK, social media research consultancy Trendstream has launched a bi-annual web usage study to provide a global view of web trends and the impact and growth of social media. Fieldwork will be conducted by Lightspeed Research. More
In the UK, communications group Creston has used research conducted by its research company ICM to launch a media campaign planning service to help brands engage with consumers in the social media space. More
Arbitron is moving its corporate headquarters from New York City to Columbia, Maryland, where its research and engineering operations are already based. The NYC location will continue as a sales office. President and CEO Michael Skarzynski says he wants 'to live and work where the operational core of the business resides'. 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
Market research online community specialists PluggedIN have launched a proprietary platform for use by MR and consulting firms looking to launch private online communities for their clients. 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
Lightspeed Research has announced three more additions to its Wimbledon, UK team this month. Angela Bonora joins as a Project Manager, Puja Myne as Sales Coordinator and Matthew Seabrook as a Client Operations Manager. More
In the US, TACODA and Real Media founder Dave Morgan is launching Simulmedia, a firm promising to help television companies improve the effectiveness of their advertising spots, using sophisticated data analysis and predictive technology. 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
Seven experts in social media have launched a new enterprise combining a daily publication covering Web 2.0 trends with consulting services. The service uses the Socialmedia.biz domain and web site, made famous by an industry-leading blog. More
Radio ratings giant Arbitron has confirmed that it will be extending methodological enhancements from New Jersey, New York and Maryland to all PPM markets. The firm has also announced a new multi-year deal for diary-based ratings, and discussed revenue changes in a 10-K filing. 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
Swedish firm Tobii Technology has introduced what it describes as 'the world's first off-the-shelf eye tracking system for integration', at the CeBIT expo in Hanover this week. More
Traffic analysis firm WebTrends has announced a partnership with IBM, integrating its collection and analysis of visitor behavior data into the computing giant's WebSphere Portal software and creating a closed-loop content performance management solution. More
India-based MR support and data management company Annik has continued its US expansion with the appointment of Steve Tucholski as North America Vice President and Principal Consultant. More
Online feedback and panel management supplier Globalpark has appointed former SPSS exec Kelly Anson as Vice President of Worldwide Marketing. More
Millward Brown has acquired Copenhagen-based qual agency Alsted Research for an undisclosed sum. More
US radio ratings giant Arbitron is recruiting for three new senior executive positions, as part of a shake-up designed to facilitate effective decision-making. More
More than half (57%) of the respondents questioned in Confirmit's annual market research software survey cite declining response rates as one of the three major challenges facing the industry. A quarter (25%) say it is the most important challenge for technology to address. More
LA-based marketing sciences firm MarketShare Partners (MSP) has received funding from Elevation Partners, whose MD and co-founder is Bono, lead singer of the rock band U2. The investment figure was not disclosed. 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
Digital video recorder (DVR) provider TiVo has added 17 more cable networks to the roster of broadcast and cable channels for its Stop||Watch ratings service. The firm now tracks ratings for 93 networks across the US. More
In the US, marketers Albert Gadbut and Tim Daly have set up a permission-based behavioral targeting solutions firm, ClearSight Interactive, to provide services which evaluate consumer online behavior and connect it with offline profile data. More
Social networking solutions firm Lithium Technologies has launched a set of analytics to measure and benchmark the 'health' of online communities. More
Following a review of its operations, Arbitron has eliminated Owen Charlebois' role as President, Technology, Research and Development. The media research veteran will leave the firm on 22 March. More
Nielsen has transferred Jed Meyer from its US operation to the post of Managing Director, Media Services, Greater China based in Shanghai. More
Internet services giant Yahoo! has launched three targeting tools to help marketers deliver ads based on consumers' online behaviour or characteristics. 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
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
In the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released the final version of its Audience Reach Measurement Guidelines, which aim to provide clear, consistent definitions of key metrics and create a single standard for measuring web audience sizes. More
Most web surfers are not happy with having information collected about them in order for advertisers to provide them with more tailored ads, even where the info is not personally identifiable, according to study results from ad technology firm Burst Media. More
In the UK, phone giant BT is still being questioned about its use of customers' data without their permission, during a trial of Phorm's online ad targeting platform 'Webwise' back in 2006. More
Marketing research agency Data Development Worldwide (DDW) has increased the size of its online 'Know More' panel to provide access to 3.4 million households and 6 million consumers in the US and 1.5 million consumers in Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia and Scandinavia. 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
More momentum for the idea of ads that analyse passers-by: digital signage software producer C-nario has partnered with TruMedia Technologies to integrate the latter's facial recognition tracking systems into its products. More
Music web site Songness.com is offering free audience research for new songs posted by independent musicians. 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
In the UK, TMN Group, which owns MR firms ICD Research and iD Factor, has suspended trading in its shares on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM ), as it discusses a potential reverse takeover of the company. More
US consumer and retail specialist The NPD Group has begun offering weekly ecommerce point-of-sale (POS) data for consumer technology. More
Web-focused 'Voice of Customer' analytics provider iPerceptions has upgraded its 4Q survey solution with advanced visitor segmentation capabilities. More
US market intelligence provider Filtrbox has updated its G2 service, which monitors thousands of news outlets, millions of blogs, and social networks such as Twitter. More
Radio ratings giant Arbitron has reported a 9% drop in net income from $3.7m in Q4 2007 to $3.4 in the fourth quarter of 2008, despite revenue increasing 16.8% to $93.6m. 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
United Business Media's publishing, events and research group Light Reading is opening a new office in Beijing, China, from where it will launch an Asia-specific site to cover key trends and news with analysis targeted at communications service providers in India and China. More
In the US, online video ad service provider Jivox has developed a new metric to help advertisers gauge the effectiveness of their online video ads. More
Online research and panels specialist Research Now has added four new tools to its Rich Media toolkit, which provides clients with Flash survey enhancements. 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
In the US, Time Warner-company Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) is restructuring its ad sales research division with the promotion of three key executives. 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 US, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a revised report which reinforces the view that companies which track peoples' online behaviour should follow self-regulatory guidelines to protect user privacy. More
UK-based online performance researcher eDigitalResearch (eDR) has realigned its business structure to cope with increased turnover and company growth. The firm has also promoted Nada Gillard to the position of Research Manager. More
Online music intelligence platform Band Metrics is testing a web application that aims to collect, analyze and display popularity and trends data for musicians and bands. More
In the US, Ventraq - which provides insight to mobile service providers - has added to its Business Analytics suite with the launch of a solution to enable users to improve and influence the customer experience. More
In New York, media's 'most quoted man' Jon Mandel has left his role as President of NielsenConnect, which is closing after two years in operation. More
Fourth quarter net income at online audience measurement firm comScore jumped 60% to $20.4m or 67 cents per share, from $12.7m, 42 cents per share, in the same period the previous year. 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
Nielsen has appointed Duncan Falzon as Executive Director of Nielsen Media Thailand and Media Index, Asia Pacific. More
Forrester Research has reported revenues of $62.9m for the fourth quarter, up from $58.2m the previous year, while for the year ended December 31, 2008, total revenues increased to $240.9m from $212.1m a year before. More
Brand innovation company Clear has opened an office in Hong Kong, to enable it to manage projects in Asia for its global clients. More
Youth networking site / fun polling platform Pollsb has secured $1.3m in funding, which it plans to spend on further development of its polling tools. More
In the US, content analysis firm SearchHelp is to launch a system monitoring tens of millions of unfiltered teen chats on blogs and online communities. To support the initiative, the firm is changing its name to EchoMetrix and has appointed Jeffrey Greene as CEO. More
Ciao Surveys has extended its partnership with Yuseo, a specialist in the ergonomics of interactive systems. The firms' e-Performance Observatory solution will now analyse users' experience of e-commerce high-tech web sites in the UK, Germany and France. More
Nielsen Online - the research giant's online audience and consumer behaviour division - has launched its services in India, as well as in the UAE and across the Middle East. More
Forrester Research is to cut about 50 jobs across various functions and world regions. The layoffs, constituting about 5% of the firm's staff, follow a year of growth and leave the technology consultancy's headcount still 14% up versus 12 months ago. More
In the UK, Synovate has appointed former BT Insight Chief Jonathan Wibberley as Research Director in its Technology sector team. More
US social media analytics firm Visible Technologies has appointed Dan Vetras as its new CEO, and moved current incumbent Adam Selig to the new role of Divisional President of Strategic Alliances, focussing on distribution channels and key partners. More
Full service online research agency mo'web has appointed Cathrene Rowel as its new Director, replacing Tom Fuller who has returned to the States to set up the firm's first US operations. 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
Advertising ROI specialist TRA has announced the appointment of Andrea Mezzasalma to its Advisory Board. Formerly Global Sector Head of TNS Media Research, Mezzasalma will provide expertise in the areas of strategic corporate initiatives and global partnerships. 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
WPP's new partner Omniture has announced results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2008. Revenue of $296m is more than double the 2007 figure - on a like-for-like basis it grew 113%. More
Arbitron has announced an agreement with the Office of the Attorney General of Maryland regarding its Portable People Meter (PPM) services in Washington D.C. and Baltimore. More
Shares in online market research agency YouGov fell 45% this morning, following its prediction that revenue for the six months to the end of January would fall short of expectations. More
Technology market research firm Gartner has posted a 1% increase in fourth quarter profit to $347.3m, helped by good growth in its research and consulting segments. For the year, the firm has posted a 9% revenue increase to $1.28bn. More
Mike Hess, the former Director of Global Research and Consumer Insights at ad agency OMD, is to join Aegis-owned media agency Carat as EVP-Research, Marketing Science and Consumer Insight. More
In the US, mobile services firm Syniverse Technologies has launched RoamWise, a forecasting tool to provide real-time subscriber-roaming behaviour data, designed to help mobile operators optimize their roaming services. 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
In the UK, Mike Read has been promoted to the post of Senior Vice President and Managing Director of comScore Europe, responsible for all EMEA commercial activities. He will also oversee the firm's European offices in the UK and France, with Germany soon to come. More
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) in Canada has launched a new tool to help media practitioners understand how a combination of Internet and TV advertising impacts on consumer behaviour. More
In the UK, Interpublic-owned media agency Initiative has created a new planning and insight unit incorporating its previously separate research department. 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
Online market research agency YouGov is bringing together all its solely-owned international operations under the YouGov brand. More
Research software provider Confirmit has launched a new platform allowing clients to conduct surveys using a variety of data collection methods and channel them into in a single feedback program. More
Online research and panels specialist Research Now has announced a 60% increase in group revenues to £41.2m for 2008, compared with £25.8m a year previously. Profit before tax was £5.7m, compared with £0.3m in 2007. More
In the US, social media ad targeting firm Lotame has partnered with DIY online survey agency Vizu and natural language processing technology company Amplify, to measure the value of advertising on social media. More
In Ireland, digital research agency Sponge It is building a community network of consumers through which brands can obtain feedback about their products or services. More
Google's platform for TV advertisers is to offer new time-shifted viewership data, showing how and when viewers see commercials in recorded programs, via an alliance with technology solutions distributor MediaBank. More
Online publishing network Glam Media, Inc. has acquired a display ad targeting and optimization company, AdaptiveAds. More
TMN Group plc, which owns MR firms ICD Research and iD Factor, says that due to a 'continued decline in performance' its profit will be 50 per cent below expectations for the full year, and that it will make staff cuts 'across the company'. 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
Web-based consumer researcher BuzzBack has reported a 35% increase in sales in 2008, with growth in profits following expansion of the business. More
In Japan, IT solutions giant NEC has developed a digital signage board containing face recognition technology, which can serve up targeted ad content according to the viewer's gender and age and measure how interested they were in a particular ad. More
Sample provider Peanut Labs and AOL-owned online marketing research and field agency DMS (Digital Marketing Services) have partnered to combine their recruitment strengths. More
In the UK, new technology, telecoms and media research provider Verve has hired Nina Pocock as Project Team Leader and Charlotte Brady as Business Development Executive. More
In the US, mobile phone intelligence firm Carrier IQ has raised $20m in a third round of funding, which it plans to use to develop new IQ Insight products and expand its reach in both Europe and Asia Pacific. More
In Australia, panels from Lightspeed Research and The Online Research Unit (The ORU) are the first to be accredited with the new international standard for online research, QSOAP. More
Researchers need to develop listening and idea generating skills, according to Procter & Gamble's senior researcher Kim Dedeker, who was speaking at yesterday's Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) workshop 'Transform Your Research By Listening'. More
In the UK, music industry financing platform Slicethepie has launched a web-based consumer insight and music analytics service which it claims will help identify the commercial potential of any track, and give an indication of its most suitable target market. More
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is calling for Canadian professionals to join together to help advance excellence in the area of online audience measurement. More
In New York, PR company MWW Group has launched a social media monitoring service to enable analysis of dialogue across the 'social web'. More
Radio ratings giant Arbitron has reached separate agreements with Ipsos and The Media Audit regarding infringement of three US patents relating to its Portable People Meter (PPM). The deals mean the two firms will not compete with the PPM for at least three years. More
Online research and panels specialist Research Now has opened an office in Auckland, New Zealand, and appointed former TNS exec Martin Tomlinson as Client Development Manager. More
Around 6.5 million US homes (5.7% of households) are not ready for the transition to digital TV (DTV) which is now scheduled to take place on June 12 this year, according to Nielsen estimates. More
Canada-based online data collection specialist Itracks has updated its Bulletin Board Focus Group software with an additional language option, and user enhancements for both moderators and respondents. 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
For the first time, the number of people worldwide aged 15+ using the Internet in a single month has passed the one billion mark. Online audience measurement firm comScore says the milestone was passed in December. More
In Belgium, Insites Consulting has launched an online tool which allows users to conduct in-depth interviews and online user experience testing through remote desktop technology and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). More
In China, XFMedia group has entered into an agreement to sell all of the outstanding equity interests in Shanghai Hyperlink Market Research to Tokyo-based market research firm INTAGE. The sale price is 1.05bn Yen (c$11.86m). 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, Revelation which develops web-based qual research tools has created what it describes as the first online Qualitative Discovery System (QDS). 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
UK-based Holden Pearmain Research has launched a new panel service which aims to convert clients' customer databases into 'managed, incentivised and engaged' dedicated client panels. Payam Ghamsari joins to head up the new Panel Solutions Team. More
Harris Interactive has launched a specialist youth and kids practice that will operate within its Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) division in the UK. The new division is headed by Steve Mellor. More
In the UK, online market research agency YouGov has launched a quarterly report that tracks consumers' use of social networking sites and their levels of engagement and advocacy. More
In the US, retargeting ad agency FetchBack has joined the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) a coalition of online advertising companies that have established standards for protecting web consumers' online privacy. More
In the US, Madison Avenue research veteran David Marans has left Nielsen IAG to join A&E Television Networks (AETN) as VP of Research and Insights, where he will oversee programming and ad sales research. More
UK-based online quant research specialist BrainJuicer Group Plc has issued a trading statement with 2008 results ahead of market expectations. Reported revenue rose more than 40% to £9m all organic growth - and operating profit was up by 45% to over £1.2m. More
London-based Intellitracker Ltd has launched Visitor Profiler, a suite of behavioural targeting tools for profiling and segmenting web site visitors based on their actions. More
AOP (the Association of Online Publishers) has appointed Tim Cain in the newly created role of Head of Research and Insight, reporting to the association's Acting Director Liz Somerville. More
In France, cell phone operators Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom have partnered to develop their own system for measuring mobile Internet audiences. 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
MR software and predictive analytics giant SPSS has updated its text analysis platform to enable users to analyze text in multiple languages and then integrate this insight with other quantitative data. More
Computer giant IBM has unveiled a portfolio of solutions designed to help retailers analyze data and apply it to business processes. 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
US web analytics firm Omniture has launched a product to provide retailers with real-time visual analysis of customer interactions, and correlate off-line data with online interactions. More
In the US, Integrated Media Measurement Inc (IMMI) has named veteran media and ad measurement executive Bill McKenna as its new President and CEO. More
Art, antiques and collectibles data firm WorthPoint has partnered with eBay research firm Terapeak to develop the 'ultimate resource for collectors and sellers'. More
Marketing services group Euro RSCG Worldwide has integrated its Baltimore-based Euro RSCG 4D digital unit into its data analytics wing Euro RSCG Discovery, thereby strengthening the latter's behavioral marketing capabilities. More
UK headquartered 'online buzz' research specialist WaveMetrix has reported its third consecutive year of 50% growth in turnover. 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
In the US, online survey sample firm United Sample has raised $3m in Series B funding which it will use to fuel sales, increase marketing efforts, develop technology and enhance operations. More
Canadian-based public opinion and market research firm Angus Reid Strategies has hired Jeff Vidler as Senior Vice President & Managing Director of its Radio Research division, to develop new market research strategies for radio stations. More
In the US, customer behavior analytics specialist Quantivo has launched a new Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) tool, Affinity Analytics, to uncover new insights about online customer behavior patterns. More
Richard Thornton has resigned as Managing Director of Ciao Surveys after five years at the firm, saying in a statement that 'it was a natural time to move on'. He leaves today. 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
In the US, four marketing and ad industry associations have partnered to develop self-regulatory principles which will address concerns about the use of online consumer data for behavioral advertising purposes. More
Arbitron has appointed Michael P. Skarzynski as President and CEO, taking over immediately from Steve Morris who will continue as Chairman of the Board and serve as an advisor during the transition. More
More record-breaking bad news for UK marketers. The latest quarterly Bellwether survey published today by the IPA says marketing budgets have dropped for a fifth successive quarter, and fallen year-on-year for the first time in the survey's history. 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
Omnicom-owned brand and communications research specialist Hall & Partners has acquired a majority stake in Jigsaw International, a custom qualitative research agency based in Shanghai, China. Terms were not disclosed. More
US media ratings giant Arbitron has signed a settlement with New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram to resolve her concerns that its PPM undercounts the listening habits of minorities. The result has prompted a call for terms of the settlement to be rolled out across all PPM markets. More
In the US, a survey conducted by the Web Analytics Association (WAA) has found that more than 96% of respondents plan to increase or maintain current spending on web analytics during the year. More
In the US, web-based application developer LetsGoExpo has launched a web-based audience response system using text messaging, which it says can be used for surveys, polls, staff training and marketing initiatives. More
In the US, The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has appointed traditional and Internet media specialist Craig Gugel as Senior Vice President, Media Analytics. 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, media ratings company Arbitron has settled a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who had claimed that the firm's Portable People Meter (PPM) ratings misrepresent minority listenership. 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
In the UK, demographic and market information firm CACI has developed a web intelligence tool to enable businesses to monitor customers' web activity and then target them with tailored communications based on their profiles. 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
Auto-dialling of cellphones and online behavioral tracking are among the key areas raising legislative and regulatory concern for the research profession in 2009, according to a new forecast by the US-based Marketing Research Association (MRA). More
A report in the UK's Observer newspaper which outlined WPP's plans to cut thousands of jobs in Western Europe and North America has been denied by a company spokesperson. 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, the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) has revised its Self-Regulatory Code of Conduct to address best practices for presenting behaviorally targeted ads to online users. More
In the US, the Interactive Marketing Research Organization (IMRO) a division of the MRA has created a blog where members can discuss best practices and ethical approaches to online market research. More
Ratings giant Arbitron is to formally open its fully owned subsidiary, Arbitron India, in Kochi, Kerala on January 5. Investment in the scheme has so far totalled more than $10m. More
Online analytics firm WebTrends has partnered with music, videos and games chain HMV to track user interaction with the retail giant's in-store transactional and information-point kiosks. 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
Holly Heline Jarrell has returned to GfK Custom Research North America as Group Managing Director, responsible for leading the GfK Roper Consulting and GfK Public Affairs and Media teams. More
In the US, technology and in-game ad company NeoEdge has launched a service to collect consumer feedback while online games are being played. More
Research and EFM software firm Vovici says it has made more than 50 improvements to its suite of enterprise feedback applications. Vovici v4 aims to bring online communities, business intelligence (BI), and survey software into one common platform. More
Online ad targeting provider Phorm has announced that UK CEO Hugo Drayton and UK CFO Lynne Millar are leaving the company, while Nan Richards and Andrew Croxson join in senior roles and Nick Barnett is promoted. 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
US-based research specialist Outsell says the information and publishing industry should grow steadily this year, by about 3% from $400bn in 2008 to $412bn in 2009. More
Nielsen has written to clients announcing a delay to the rollout of its Local People Meter (LPM) service in local television markets. The company will pause when the LPM is in use in 25 markets, instead of continuing rapidly to reach all 56 originally scheduled. More
Toledo, Ohio-based MR and strategy company c8mr has announced the release of Forum360(TM), a new 'social collaboration tool' designed to give marketers insights from a carefully constructed and maintained online community. 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
Medical fieldwork agency Healthcare Landscape has rolled out its patient and caregiver panel to agencies in the US. More
Through its business information subsidiary ENCODEX, GfK has bought a 51% stake in Etilize; a US firm which aggregates product data from thousands of manufacturers, and delivers it as ecommerce-ready web content to online retailers, distributors and resellers. No terms were disclosed. More
Nielsen has sold its Hong Kong Advertising Monitoring (AIS) service to admanGo, a firm which provides a competitive advertising and ad monitoring service through an online platform. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, web analytics unit TNS Compete has launched an online measurement service that serves as a hub for capturing and sharing online marketing insights across an entire large enterprise or agency. More
Ratings giant Arbitron has accelerated plans to introduce cellphone-only sampling to all diary markets by 2009. More
US web analytics firm Omniture has extended its measurement capabilities to help marketers and developers better understand how iPhone users are interacting with applications. More
US semantic intelligence and predictive analytics firm BeliefNetworks has secured investment funding, which it will use to negotiate additional deals with advertising networks, media and content web sites, and for research and business development. More
In the US, Nielsen has completed the pilot study for its new diary-based radio measurement service, which is due to launch next spring. The company expects to unveil initial findings in February. 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
In the US, The Marketing Research Association (MRA) has launched a program to vet and standardize online sample providers, while creating a clear understanding of panel supplier practices relating to data quality. More
Ad targeting software company Phorm has announced the conclusion of its trial with ISP partner BT, and says that subject to a successful evaluation, the UK telecoms giant 'expects to move towards deployment'. More
Invoke Solutions has announced the release of Engage Analytics, which extends its existing interactive qual-quant research sessions and enhances further its real-time reporting options. More
In the US, members of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) have formed a committee to lead an initiative designed to deliver more precise online Hispanic market research data. More
In Singapore, market research firm The Kalypso Agency has been awarded funding to analyse online virtual worlds, as part of a 5-year $500m incentive programme to transform ideas into 'breakthrough' products. 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
Ad technology firm Mediaplex has released Dynamic Behavioral Targeting, a suite of products enabling advertisers to differentiate and segment customers from prospects based on their prior activity, and serve the most appropriate message. 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
Vision Critical and Angus Reid Strategies have opened an office in Chicago, and appointed Matt Kleinschmit and LeAnn Helmrich to work there as Senior Vice Presidents. More
US word of mouth (WOM) specialist Bazaarvoice has introduced a new social navigation tool to assist to clients' product merchandising and advertising strategies. More
A new version of [x+1]'s Site+1, an Internet predictive marketing solution, will be released in the first quarter of 2009. The tool allows companies to automatically personalise online content on a continuous basis. More
Web site usability researcher JuxtConsult has created an online panel of more than 115,000 consumers in India, which the firm says are representative of 86% of the country's total urban population of 337 million people. More
Direct marketing and MR group TMN has made a post-tax loss of £476k for the first six months of the financial year, compared with a profit of nearly £1m a year previously. Revenue at its online research subsidiaries iD Factor and ICD climbed 30% from the year-earlier figure, while group turnover rose 72% to £15.5m. More
In the UK, the former Joint Industry Committee for Internet Measurement Systems (JICIMS) is to be re-launched as the UK Online Measurement (UKOM) company, following recent news that its original stakeholders had withdrawn financial support. More
Panels and software firm Toluna has launched a new polling service that enables companies to launch online surveys, access its panel community, and receive real-time poll results 24/7. More
US-based Polaris Marketing Research has introduced a package called SurveyTrac, which combines an online survey solution with support from an MR team available to help with questionnaire design, data analysis, and creating reports. 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
Hi-tech researcher OTX has launched a new sampling engine, OTXCortex(sm), promising high quality data, new levels of security and an improved survey-taking experience for consumers. 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
Advertising ROI pioneer TRA, Inc. has announced additions to its executive team and advisory board. Among them, media industry veteran Steve Walsh joins as Senior VP of Sales, and former IRI exec Frank Lizza joins as Vice President of Services. More
US-based organisation the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released Audience Reach Measurement Guidelines for public comment. The guidelines aim to provide clear, consistent definitions of metrics and set standards for measuring unique audience across different methods. More
In the UK, The Joint Industry Committee for Internet Measurement Systems (JICIMS) is having to re-think its plans to establish an online audience measurement standard, following news that its original stakeholders have withdrawn financial support. More
In Switzerland, Nielsen Online is to partner with NET-Metrix, the online industry committee for Internet audience measurement, to provide online research data for the Swiss market. More
Online research specialist MarketTools has conducted research which it says conclusively demonstrates the connection between fraudulent survey respondents and skewed survey data. More
Online automotive specialist Edmunds.com has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its Ad Impression Measurement service. More
Digital advertising and technology firm Komli Media has launched an online audience measurement platform that can be used to look up audience and traffic statistics for any Internet site accessed from India. 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
Language and sentiment analysis firm Echometrix is to work with film studios Paramount and DreamWorks and TV broadcaster Fox to develop market intelligence technology which analyzes digital content and unfiltered digital Internet conversations in real-time. More
Global thinktank, The Society for New Communications Research (SNCR), is calling for applications to join its volunteer-based Fellowship program, to help develop best practices and standards for social media metrics and measurement. More
Pyramid Research the telecom research arm of TechWeb's Light Reading Communications Network has relocated its corporate headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and its offices in London and Hong Kong to new facilities. More
UK-based online performance researcher eDigitalResearch has launched a word of mouth (WoM) marketing tool, to allow customers to record their personal feedback and views on products and services. More
Online visitor engagement specialist Bunchball has appointed former Yahoo! Director Peter Daboll as Chief Executive Officer. He has also held leadership roles at comScore MediaMetrix, IRI and MarketTools. More
US-based text mining firm Leximancer has partnered with UK-based Polecat, a firm which draws marketing insight from external and internal data sources such as intranets, blogs, customer feedback, audio and video, and analyst reports. More
Online research and panels specialist Research Now is forecasting results ahead of previous market expectations, including reported revenues up more than 55% to £41m, and operating profit up 120% to around £6.2m, for the year ended 31 October 2008. More
Research software provider Confirmit has announced its most successful quarter to date for new business revenue, along with revenue growth of 51% for the nine months ending September 2008. More
Controversial Internet ad targeting company Phorm has announced several changes in the composition of its Board, including the appointment of Norman Lamont, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1990 to 1993. Three others join the board; four people leave citing differences of opinion with the CEO. More
Web customer analytics provider iPerceptions Inc. has reported a 30% increase in revenues for the third quarter of 2008 compared to the same period last year. The firm, which made a net loss of $668,641, has also secured $3.65m in funding and made two senior hires. More
Sample provider Peanut Labs has this week announced the availability of its Sample3.0 advanced methodology in the UK. More
Analytics firm WebTrends Inc. has hired Jascha Kaykas-Wolff as VP of Marketing. Formerly a heavy user of WebTrends, Kaykas-Wolff will now oversee all its marketing, including overall strategy, branding, demand generation, advertising and PR. More
Australian digital audience measurement company Effective Measure has linked with MR firm Real Opinions to provide a new audience measurement tool for the Middle East. 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
In the US Adam Berman, formerly of CfMC Research Software, has launched a new research technology and data processing firm, CatalystMR. The company offers web survey programming, hosting, data tabulation, real-time reporting, panel, and international CATI fieldwork. More
AHAA Chairman Jose Lopez-Varela has questioned Arbitron's 'indifference' to the concerns of the Hispanic advertising community with its PPM technology and methods, in a follow-up letter to the radio ratings giant. More
Online local ad firm WebVisible, Inc. has acquired Adapt Technologies, Inc. (Adapt SEM), which develops Web-based applications for automating the management of search engine marketing campaigns. More
Panel provider Lightspeed Research has promoted Christopher Urinyi to the post of CEO of its North American company, based in Princeton, NJ and reporting to President and Group CEO Anne Hedde. More
In the US, web analytics unit TNS Compete has launched a service to deliver behavioural and survey-based insights on iPhone and other smartphone users. More
In the US, Snooth a social network for wine drinkers has launched a new feature to provide its retailer and winery partners with an in-depth look at who is searching for their wines and how prices compare with competitors'. More
French business intelligence firm BIMA Consulting has signed an agreement with customer insight provider Speed-Trap to sell the latter's technology and solutions as part of its marketing optimisation services. 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, physician network Epocrates has expanded its opt-in panel to include physicians and pharmacists in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. More
In the US, FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein is calling for a formal investigation into the effect of Arbitron's PPM technology on minority radio stations. Separately, the ratings giant has closed its southwest call center in Houston following hurricane damage. More
In the UK, healthcare panel firm Pearl Medical has ceased trading, after being unable to raise the short-term financing required to continue operations. More
US consultancy Gongos Research has launched the goSHOP online research environment, a new platform which simulates the retail environment to help clients understand how consumers make a purchase decision and identify what products they are likely to buy. More
Online audience measurement firm comScore has launched an online ad effectiveness tool, designed to measure the various quantifiable impacts that brands have on Internet users. More
Nielsen is moving into direct competition with Arbitron over US radio ratings: two major radio broadcasters today announced a switch to Nielsen Media's ratings service in a number of markets from Q3 of 2009. Arbitron has described the once-a-year Nielsen service as 'a step backward'. More
TNS has launched Digital Suite, described as a 'new generation' of online ad monitoring tools. The suite combines cookie tracking technology with the company's 6th Dimension Panel to give in-depth analysis of online ad consumption. More
In the US, the Television Bureau of Advertising has announced its support for Live + 3 program ratings as the standard for local buying and planning in LPM and metered markets and has praised Nielsen for its early commitment to introduce relevant ratings. More
US and Japanese physician panel operator MDLinx Inc has adopted Crop Duster(TM) de-duplication fingerprinting technology from Mktg, Inc., to enhance protection against repeat respondents and duplicate interviews. More
Social networking solutions firm Small World Labs has partnered with social marketing firm Sway Inc. to offer marketers a comprehensive set of tools for the creation and execution of social media strategies to support their brands. More
Microsoft will for the time being remain the owner of Greenfield Online's Internet Survey Solutions (ISS) business, after potential buyer ZM Capital failed to meet financing conditions. President and CEO Al Angrisani will stay on in an advisory capacity while a new home is sought. More
Nielsen CEO David Calhoun says the firm plans to push for dominance in the 'three screen audience measurement' market, and can continue to grow despite world economic problems. The firm reported revenue of $1,260m in the third quarter, up 3% after excluding currency fluctuations. 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
US newspaper and magazine publisher Gannett has acquired social media services firm Ripple6 to expand its digital business and enhance its core operation. Terms were not disclosed. 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
US direct marketing agency BKV has launched a tool to optimize a web site's usability providing a point-by-point evaluation of a site's strengths and weaknesses measured against a list of commonly accepted principles. 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
Indian advertising and market research group RK Swamy Hansa has acquired a 26% stake in business insight technology firm i-Vista Digital Solutions. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the group says it plans to increase its holding to 40% over the next two years. More
In Australia, online research solutions provider The Digital Edge has launched mobile phone technology which will enable surveys to be conducted with consumers who have access to the mobile Internet. More
A lawsuit has been filed against behavioral targeting firm NebuAd and six Internet service providers (ISPs) who tested its platform, in an attempt to force the company to obtain users' express consent prior to monitoring their web surfing activity. More
US digital marketing and search optimization agency Innovation Interactive has acquired Netmining NV, a provider of on-site behavioral optimization technology. Terms were not disclosed. More
US agency Webbed Marketing has updated its social media measurement tool to draw from additional sources of consumer generated content ranging from blog search engines to social bookmarking sites. More
Nielsen and WPP have signed an asset swapping agreement. Nielsen will acquire WPP's half of AGBNielsen Media Research (AGBNMR), and in return, WPP will take over three of Nielsen's media services assets. 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
In the US, Nielsen has promoted Executive Vice President Susan Whiting to the post of Company Vice Chairperson, joining Chairman and CEO David Calhoun in the newly created 'Office of the CEO' to provide oversight and direction to the company's initiatives and operations. More
MR software and predictive analytics giant SPSS has upgraded its mrDialer automatic dialling solution with VoIP; tapping broadband connections to enable interviewers to work from separate offices or even from their own homes. More
In the UK, Omnicom-owned brand and communications research specialist Hall & Partners has promoted Vanella Jackson to the post of Worldwide CEO. She replaces Terry Willie, who is leaving at the end of the year to pursue private interests. More
The Nielsen Company and partner IMMI have mothballed their recently launched out-of-home (OOH) television viewing measurement service with immediate effect. The companies blamed difficult economic times, which had led to 'limited economic support' for the service. More
Social ad network Adknowledge has made two acquisitions, including Adonomics, a provider of Facebook analytics and developer services. More
Ground-breaking US-based media ROI measurement firm TRA has announced a database of 370,000 US homes, and the signing up of Discovery Communications as a client. More
LA-based media and technology research firm Interpret LLC has hired Aric Ackerman as its Chief Operating Officer (COO). Reporting to CEO Michael Dowling, his role will include identification of acquisitions and strategic partnerships. More
In the UK, user experience consultancy Foviance has acquired Oxford-based Applied Insights, a provider of web and predictive analytics for the improvement of customers' online performance. Terms were not disclosed. More
Ratings giant Arbitron has updated the schedule for rollout of its PPM (Portable People Meter), with some markets brought forward for commercialization, and others pushed back. More
PR research and evaluation consultancy PRIME Research has tapped IBM's OmniFind text analysis solution to launch a system for monitoring, contextualizing and visualizing web-based news, blogs and forums. More
US-based online market research panel operator e-Rewards has launched a quality management system to ensure each online respondent meets both its own and its clients' quality standards. 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
Troubled group IPT Holdings has sold off two more of its businesses, UK-based research firms Integra Insight and RWCEL. The latter includes subsidiaries Tpoll and The Simulating World Research Company. 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
Online research and panels firm Research Now has promoted Sébastien Croizard to lead its French business as MD. He was previously Commercial Director for the office. More
Applications provider IS Solutions is to offer clients Software as a Service (SaaS) access to real-time data on customers and prospects from analysis of their current and historic online behaviour. The solution is based on Web 2.0 technology provided by partner firm Speed-Trap. More
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced that it will not intervene in WPP's acquisition of TNS, after receiving court-enforceable undertakings from WPP regarding its TAM (Television Audience Measurement) services. More
In the US, social network analytics firm Sometrics has unveiled new rich media ad units which the firm says provide advertisers with detailed intelligence about audiences and their attitudes towards the brand. More
US online agency InsightExpress has expanded its Custom Marketing Research team with the appointments of Frank Dolcimascolo as a Director in the Media Sector; and Jeffrey Price as an Account Executive and Michele Paris as an Account Manager in the Service & Leisure Sector. More
Online audience measurement firm comScore has reported a 37% Q3 revenue increase to $30.7m, while launching a new service to track distributed web content across third party sites. More
The European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA) and the Internet Advertising Bureau Europe (IAB Europe) have officially launched their industry-wide survey into the use of online audience and traffic measurement techniques; and appointed Elizabeth Van Couvering to help guide the initiative. More
UK mobile and broadband provider Orange has pulled out of plans to use behavioural targeting firm Phorm's controversial targeted ad technology, because of concerns about customer privacy. More
Ratings giant Arbitron has released reliability calculators for its diary and Portable People Meter (PPM). Separately, the firm has met for the fourth time with a group of diary-market broadcasters to review and plan for service improvements for diary-based ratings markets. More
Online data collection and panel specialist Research Now has promoted Chris Dubreuil to the newly created role of Head of Client Development in the UK. More
In the US, social network analysis firm Morningside Analytics (MA) has built a new tool to measure how YouTube videos are moving through political blogs and social networking sites. More
Web analytics developer NuConomy has launched a platform that helps publishers, advertisers and users analyze social marketing performance and community engagement through comments, ratings, and links shared with friends. More
Marketing communications group WPP and Internet giant Google have partnered to jointly fund a grant program to support research into how online media influences consumer behaviour, attitudes and decision making. More
In the US, online video analytics firm TubeMogul has acquired video metrics company Illumenix. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has delayed plans to measure online media usage in a number of its People Meter panel households, to provide time to include both Internet video usage and web site navigation. More
UK-based online performance researcher eDigitalResearch has appointed Dominic Bean as Head of Business Development, Lloyd Viney as Head of the firm's Commercial team, and Naomi Greene and Graham Larkin as Research Analysts. More
The Media Rating Council (MRC) has completed the first phase of its audit of Nielsen's NetSight meter technology, which is used in the firm's international panels and US MegaPanel and will now be integrated into its audience measurement products in the US. More
Havas-owned MPG has developed a new social network modelling tool, Havas Media Resonance, which uses an agent-based algorithm to represent populations of consumers and predict their behavior. More
US mobile and broadband software developer Openwave Systems has launched an analytics service to track mobile Internet traffic, the duration of web site visits and how frequently subscribers are accessing social networking sites. 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
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
In the US, Internet infrastructure firm Akamai Technologies has acquired shopper analytics network acerno for $95m in cash. The deal is expected to close later this quarter. More
Ratings giant Arbitron has lowered its expectations for the full year as a result of costs incurred by recent litigation, and the impact that Hurricane Ike had on its Houston reporting. More
Online research specialist MarketTools has launched an on-demand research solution that it says integrates survey tools, online panels and communities, and research best practices into one platform. More
Analytics firm WebTrends has unveiled a new, open-technology framework solution to enable organizations to connect digital marketing and other enterprise data with 'platform-agnostic' solutions. More
Mike Waterson, Chairman of The World Advertising Research Center (WARC), has stepped down in favour of former CBS senior exec Steve White; while Haymarket Brand Media's MD Rufus Olins will join the firm next January as Chief Executive. More
Online market research agency MetrixLab has developed a new eye-tracking technique to measure how people look at entire web sites. More
US broadcast intelligence solutions firm Critical Mention has launched a service for tracking brand reputation and perception through video, text and images across the Internet. More
New York-headquartered online customer satisfaction specialist iPerceptions has introduced four new reporting and analysis tools to help marketers mine verbatim customer feedback gathered from web site visitors. 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
Online audience measurement firm comScore has doubled the number of web sites it reports on worldwide, to offer more robust and granular site audience data and improve its trending capabilities. 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
In the US, custom provider MRSI (Marketing Research Services Inc) has launched a fast turnaround online research service which allows clients to ask up to 20 closed-end questions among a representative sample of 300 consumers. More
US predictive marketing firm [x+1] has updated its Predictive Optimization Engine (POE), which automatically captures and models data about web site visitors and then tailors offers and content on the web site accordingly. 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 US, Lanie Richberger has been named VP of Research at Turner Broadcasting System's Animation, Young Adults and Kids Media (AYAKM) group, based in Atlanta. 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
In the UK, the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) is rolling out the second phase of an online solution which helps users analyse the diary data contained in its TouchPoints multi-media survey of consumers habits. More
Online customer satisfaction metrics agency ForeSee Results and web analytics firm OX2/LBi have partnered to offer their behavioural and satisfaction-based metrics to clients in Europe. More
Nielsen has launched a new service to benchmark the quality of mobile phone networks across 39 markets in India. More
In the US, independent marketing research firms Data Development Worldwide (DDW) and Marketing Analysts Incorporated (MAi) are to merge. Financial details have not been disclosed. More
In the UK, online market research agency YouGov has abandoned plans to form a hedge fund after its partners failed to raise the necessary funds. More
Emerging technology agency Lux Research has expanded with a fifth global office by opening a new operation in Dubai and hiring Matthew Silvester as Director, Middle East. More
Online data collection and panel specialist Research Now has appointed Adam Portner as SVP in San Francisco, David Bilicic as SVP in New York, and Steve Rosen as Finance Director, North America. In addition, Charles Pearson has been promoted to the new role of SVP, Panel Excellence. More
In China, Nielsen has partnered with media information and data firm Meihua to launch a comprehensive source of media rates and related data across the region. More
YouGov has announced results for the year ended 31 July 2008. Turnover has almost tripled to £40.4m and normalised operating profit rose 55% to £8.7m, although reported profit is down 29% to £4.0m. More
UK marketing budgets have fallen for the fourth successive quarter, and by more than at any other time in the past nine years, according to the IPA's latest Bellwether survey, published today. More
Hispanic research panel SusOpiniones has partnered with English language Latino media company Sí TV to develop its English-dominant US Hispanic panel. More
Arbitron has followed up its appeal for court protection from the New York Attorney General with the same request in New Jersey. The firm seeks a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief to prevent a ban on publication of its PPM estimates. More
Nielsen Online has formed a joint venture with web site ranking agency Beijing Zhongqian Wangrun to develop and deliver Internet measurement and analysis services in China. More
In the US, Nielsen has launched a new panel which it says is the first to simultaneously measure use of both television and the Internet in the same home. More
Yahoo! is beta testing a new web analytics services for business web sites, which it plans to roll out by the end of the year to around 13,000 of its small business e-commerce customers. More
WPP has declared its offer for TNS 'unconditional as to acceptances' after securing the approval of shareholders representing 81.78% of TNS stock by its latest deadline of 3pm today, UK time well over its new 75% target. More
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has called Arbitron's early PPM launch on Monday 'an affront to racial and ethnic minorities in New York and around the country'. However, a number of radio broadcasters have come out in support of the ratings firm, saying the FCC has no jurisdiction in the area. More
Global online panel company Authentic Response is opening an office in Toledo, Ohio and has appointed former TNS Director Paul Hudson as Vice President of Technology to run it, while steering the firm's overall technology strategy. More
Mobile analytics firm Bango has partnered with mobile web site optimization firm SiteSpect to help clients improve conversion rates and target mobile marketing spend. More
US web analytics firm Coremetrics has launched the latest version of its online marketing and analytics platform with improved reporting capabilities, including more detailed mobile statistics, competitive insights and industry performance benchmarks. More
European-based ad metrics testing firm MediaAnalyzer has launched new technology to allow advertisers to measure consumers' emotional responses while they are watching TV ads online. More
US blog and social network tracker Visible Technologies and social media marketing firm M80 have expanded their year-long partnership with the launch of a suite of tools to support online word-of-mouth and conversation marketing campaigns. 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
US consultancy Gongos Research has launched a new online method for conducting in-depth, interactive focus groups. More
UK real-time behavioural analytics firm SeeWhy Software has launched a solution that tracks an individual's 'digital mood' during an ecommerce experience. More
US custom research firm MRSI (Marketing Research Services Inc) has launched an Online Shelf Testing tool to provide respondents with a 3D virtual shopping experience. More
Arbitron is turning to the courts to prevent the current enquiry into its representation of ethnic audiences from stopping publication of its PPM listening estimates, which today went commercial in eight new markets. The firm cites 'unfair conduct' by the New York Attorney General. More
Direct marketing and data group IPT (Interactive Prospect Targeting) has sold the majority of its UK operations for 1.3 million pounds to investment company Volvere Plc. More
Digital marketing group TMN has appointed Datamonitor founder Mike Danson to the Board as a non-executive director. Danson currently holds 28.78% of the ordinary share capital of the TMN Group. More
In the UK, Digital Marketing Group has acquired Gasbox Ltd for £1.0m in cash and up to £9m in deferred payments depending on performance. The buy will strengthen DMG's Direct Marketing division, which uses customer data to produce highly targeted campaigns. More
European online research agency MetrixLab has boosted its UK team with the appointment of former Synovate Director Darren Lewis, as Managing Consultant NPD. More
Digital marketing specialist Frogfire DIGITAL has launched dNeero, a platform using online surveys to help marketers harness social media communications and promote conversations about their products and services. More
In the UK, online measurement standards body ABCe has launched a new initiative to provide greater transparency in ratings. Media owners taking its web traffic audit, based on site-centric transactional data, can now add demographic, lifestyle and media data via a validated on-site survey. More
UK television channel ITV is testing technology developed by recently established Californian start-up Keystream as a possible way to fight the problem of viewers skipping its commercial breaks. More
SKOPOS market insight has doubled its global sales and profit in two years the former to around £5 million - and has appointed two new senior staff, Scott Dodgson and Anna Galicia, to its Research & Insight team in the UK. More
At the Old Bailey in London, Matthew Fagan has been found guilty of the murder of Cathy Marlow and sentenced to life imprisonment, with a recommended minimum of 26 years. More
Senator Barack Obama has joined calls for a delay in the launch of Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) system in new markets. More
UK-based marketing services group Indicia has launched a specialist web analytics firm, e-customermetrics, and appointed online customer analytics expert Steve Farquhar to run it as Managing Consultant. More
Survey Analytics has launched IdeaScale, an application using social media, surveys and messaging to improve customer and employee engagement, based on the principles of 'crowdsourcing'. 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
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
Two Internet-driven research firms have confirmed their rapid rise with rankings in Deloitte's regional and national Technology Fast 50 lists. GMI is 13th in Washington State with five-year growth of 1,096%, and Vision Critical fifth in Canada with 5,298% growth. More
Online audience measurement firm comScore expects to double its revenue to $200m in the next two to three years, according to President & CEO Magid Abraham. More
In the UK, technology firm Knowledge Online (KOL) has launched new software for the vending sector, which it says will improve the speed and accuracy of real-time and automated survey creation on a PDA. More
US-based screen capture software firm TechSmith has updated its usability-testing platform to include support for digital video and provide the ability to run unmoderated sessions. More
In the UK, online research agency eDigitalResearch has launched a new version of its communities tool, incorporating facilities for participants to create profiles and upload photographs and personal information. 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
US-based media and market intelligence agency Biz360 has appointed Stephen Foster as Senior Director of Research and Analyst services. More
Search engine Samepoint.com has launched a real-time scoreboard that keeps track of the online comment count on Democrat candidate Barack Obama vs Republican candidate John McCain. More
TNS is to adopt research software provider Vovici's Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) Platform and Community Builder Model as its standard platform for building custom online panels and communities for its customers. More
The man accused of murdering Cathy Marlow at Research Now's offices in South London, has said that she was still alive when he left the building. More
Canadian firm In-Touch Survey Systems has acquired NCI Mobility of Chicago. Both firms provide technology-based data capture tools. More
In the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released its 'Ad Campaign Measurement Process Guidelines', to provide definitions and guidance on how to audit the processes used in the placement, trafficking and reporting of interactive advertising. More
In the US, Dr Raymond Pettit has joined the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) as SVP, Research & Standards, to support the body's Online Research Quality Council and manage and advance its research standards. More
US-based consumer research firm OTX (Online Testing eXchange) has upgraded its service for measuring ad effectiveness, to aid advertisers with channel planning and evaluation of integrated multi-media ad campaigns. More
For the first half of the year, European panels and software firm Toluna has posted a flat pre-tax profit of £1.39m, despite revenue growth of 36% to £8.2m million and organic revenue up 32%. More
In the UK, Steve Evans has returned to Harris Interactive after a two year absence, as a Research Director working for music, film and entertainment clients; and providing insights into the digital consumer to the firm's Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) clients. More
US technology research and consulting firm Forrester has named 25-year marketing and market research veteran Dwight Griesman as its new Chief Marketing Officer and as a member of its Executive Team. 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
Social network site MySpace and the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) have launched a new web site where viewers can engage in the political process using tools such as a personalized issue scorecard, polling, reportable national statistics and live web streaming. 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
Panels and software firm Toluna has expanded into the Asia Pacific region with the opening of a new office in Sydney, Australia. Mike Billingsley will head it up, bringing more than 20 years of market research experience. More
The UK Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) has OK'd the use of Phorm's controversial user-behaviour ad-serving technology, stating that the system does not break EU data protection laws so long as users are given an easy option to opt-out. More
In the US, around 25 agencies, advertisers and social media companies have joined forces to form the Social Media Advertising Council (SMAC), an industry association established to set the first standards for buying and measuring marketing in the medium. 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
In London, the jury in the Cathy Marlow murder case has heard harrowing details of how the Research Now Finance Manager died. More
It's a good week for panel launches in Belgium. Yesterday Lightspeed, now European online data collection firm ODC has announced one, as well as launching a new tool to keep panellists motivated. More
In the US, gsi interactive has appointed Michael Summers as Senior Director of Usability, responsible for building and leading the usability practice. His role includes developing user research service offerings and leading gsi interactive's eyetracking lab. More
A study by Nielsen Mobile has shown that 20 million US households (c.17%) are without landlines and rely solely on mobile phones for their home telecommunications. More
Following last week's news that New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is investigating the accuracy of Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) methodology, New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram has followed suit and issued Arbitron with a subpoena seeking info about its PPM. More
In the US, Proclivity Systems which develops consumer shopping and purchasing behavior analytics has raised $5.5m in Series B financing, led by Fung Capital USA Fund, with co-investment from WPP Digital and Pilot Group, as well as investors from the firm's Series A funding. 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
In the US, Nielsen has appointed Ed Dandridge as Senior VP and Chief Communications Officer, responsible for managing communications between Nielsen and its key audiences and stakeholders inside and outside the company. More
Arbitron has announced further moves to improve sample quality for its diary markets, aimed at enhancing the participation of 18-34 year olds in its radio ratings services. More
On a day of chaos for stock markets, shares in online research success story YouGov have continued to climb on speculation that it is pondering a large US buy, and might itself be the subject of a bid from a larger research or marketing services group. More
Today sees the launch of BlueKai, which claims to offer the first 'polite marketing' data exchange - giving consumers access to and editing of the data stored on them, and promising the online equivalent of high quality prospect lists. More
Opinionmeter International has upgraded its SurveyManager application, which designs surveys and processes online customer feedback collected via kiosks and other 'point of experience' media. The tool now allows the inclusion of multimedia content in questions and responses. More
Microsoft has set a deadline for the expiry of its share offer for Greenfield Online of midnight (NYC time) at the end of Wednesday, October 8 an extension is allowed, if required. Elsewhere, the software giant reveals that it was first approached by ZM Capital with a view to buying and splitting the group, more than ten months ago. More
Arbitron has this week reported bullishly on the progress of its PPM sampling, and responded in like manner to the Attorney General's subpoena, saying the media industry should be concerned about 'attempts to supplant or short-circuit the Media Rating Council accreditation process'. More
The Nielsen Company has appointed Dwight Watson, a fourteen-year veteran of the firm, to serve as MD of its Russian operations. His previous roles include MD in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. More
New York-based Mktg, Inc. has launched a digital fingerprinting tool, Crop Duster, which aims to spot and remove 'professional respondents' to online surveys. More
Aegis-owned digital media unit Isobar has acquired Range Online Media a US search engine marketing firm that has developed technology to measure online media, social and emerging media spaces. More
At the Old Bailey in London, the trial is underway of former Research Now employee Matthew Fagan, who stands accused of the murder of Finance Manager Cathy Marlow. Fagan denies murder, but has admitted to stealing six Dell laptop computers from the firm. More
In response to pressure from European Union data protection officials, Internet giant Google has halved the length of time it will retain personal search data; pledging to anonymize IP addresses after nine months. More
In the US, Media Monitors has become the first radio monitoring firm to be awarded accreditation by standards organisation the Media Rating Council (MRC) for its radio spot service. More
US-based business intelligence and analytical software giant SAS has launched a new tool, 'SAS for Customer Experience Analytics', through an agreement with UK-based firm Speed-Trap, which uses Web 2.0 technology to deliver online customer insight. 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
US Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has begun an investigation into the accuracy of Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) methodology. The move follows pressure from the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) and a group of minority radio broadcasters. More
Pharma and biotech specialist MattsonJack has introduced CancerNFluence an online database of peer-nominated physicians who influence cancer treatment decisions. More
In China, mobile ad network operator Madhouse has partnered with research firm iResearch Consulting Group to help inform advertisers and investors about the latest trends in the country's mobile marketing sector. More
Digital marketing provider Q Interactive has launched a new advertising network that uses offline data and online self-reported geo-demographic, behavioral and transaction-based data to predict which consumers are most likely to respond to an advertiser's banner and rich media ads. More
A number of US research associations have come together to establish guidelines and metrics to promote high quality online panel research. More
After less than a year as President of TNS Media Intelligence North America, Bev Andal is stepping down to be replaced by Mark Nesbitt, who is currently President of TNS MARX. More
Canada-based online data collection specialist Itracks has launched a new service which it says will demonstrate that members of online communities purchase significantly more products and services than non-members. More
Dutch cable operator Ziggo is recruiting for what it claims will be one of the largest consumer panels in the Netherlands, with members offering opinions about its existing products and services, and providing input on future product development. More
Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) has rolled out its weekly online omnibus CARAVAN which provides consumer opinion on brand awareness, product image, and market trends across Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. More
Nielsen has launched Mobile-PRIZM, a new product that combines the company's consumer segmentation and mobile media targeting tools, to help advertisers target mobile audiences more effectively. More
Malaysian firm Opinion Box, a market research agency that collects data among online community members, is to launch Blue Box, a project management system for use in online surveys and sample outsourcing. 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
UK marketing services group TMN has reported that revenue for its research agencies iD Factor and ICD Research rose 42.5% to £2.7m in its end-of-year results (2007: £1.9m). Operating profit for the period was £532,000, compared with £388,000 last year. More
In Canada, Ipsos has released the latest version of its Interactive Forum (IAF) software, introducing multilingual capabilities including Chinese, Russian, Hindi and all major western European languages. More
In Germany, InfoCom has updated its market intelligence tool, which provides information for companies doing business in the telecoms sector. More
In the US, Survey Sampling International (SSI) is moving to new global headquarters in Connecticut, having outgrown its existing offices in the area. More
In Dallas, Texas, online market research panel operator e-Rewards has appointed Steve Davis as Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer (COO). More
In New York, Internet ratings firm Quantcast has appointed TS Kelly to lead its media research and measurement initiatives. Most recently, he was SVP Director of Global Research for Havas Digital. More
Text analytics and social media monitoring firm Lexalytics has released the latest version of its content gathering tool, which allows marketers to gather content from both online and in-house sources and query Google News and blogs for text analysis. More
In the US, the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) has joined with a group of minority radio broadcasters known as the PPM Coalition to ask the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to investigate Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) methodology. 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
Online panel firm Research Now has opened an office in Dallas, headed by newly appointed VP of Client Development, Joe Cunningham. The firm has also made a number of appointments in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. More
In the US, women's fiction publisher Harlequin has launched a panel through which readers can influence the direction of future novels by voicing their opinions and sharing their book experiences directly with the publisher. 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
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 US, ratings giant Arbitron has appointed Steven Smith as EVP of Survey Operations, responsible for both its Portable People Meter (PPM) and diary-based radio ratings services and overseeing more than 800 employees. More
In India, Chintamani Rao, the CEO of TV broadcaster Times Now, has been appointed as Chairman of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) for a fixed term of two years. More
US software firm SmarterTools has released a new web log analytics tool whose enhanced features include data mining, an optimized web interface and the ability to filter spider and bot traffic from site stats. More
New-York based tech market research firm ABI Research has appointed Robert Clark as Principal Analyst, Multi-Channel Video. More
GfK has cancelled plans to acquire UK rival TNS after failing to secure funding for the deal. TNS, whose shareholders must vote this week on the bid of its remaining suitor WPP, also announced 6-monthly results today with revenue and profit rises both in double figures. More
In the US, United Business Media's publishing, events and research group Light Reading Communications Network has acquired telecoms specialist Pyramid Research in an $8m cash deal. More
Business IT firm Infosys Technologies has launched a new platform which it says provides retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) firms with a 360-degree view of real-time in-store shopper and shelf activity. More
Billionaire investor and Havas Chairman Vincent Bolloré has bought another $376,000-worth of Harris Interactive shares, bringing his stake in the business to nearly 13%. More
In the US, TNS media-owned web analytics firm Compete has promoted Lauren Moores, Adam Guy and Lisa Jones to its Management Team. More
In the US, Greenfield Online has confirmed that it has received a 'superior proposal' of $17.50 in cash per share from an undisclosed potential buyer, and that consequently it intends to terminate the existing $15.50 per share merger agreement with investment firm Quadrangle. 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
Harris Interactive has announced results for its fourth fiscal quarter and fiscal year ended June 30, 2008. Annual revenue was up 13% to $238.7m, but pro forma organic revenue was down 1%, with a decline of 3% in North American more than cancelling out good growth of 6% in Europe. 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
OTX Europe has hired Andy Davidson as Director. He will lead the company's trends and youth specialisms and strengthen the Media, Entertainment & Insight division. More
In the USA, online research sample provider EMI Surveys has announced a partnership with online qual specialist Itracks; and the appointment of Annette Landesman as a Sales Executive. More
In the UK, B2B specialist Information Arts has been given sole rights to sell DM company Harte-Hanks' Ci Technology Database (CiTDB). A number of Harte Hanks staff will join the firm, which is also introducing a new range of data and insight services for users of the database. More
Consumer and retail research providers The NPD Group and GfK Chart-Track, and publisher Enterbrain have partnered to produce a single source of data on video game software sales in their respective countries: the US, UK and Japan. More
In the US, broadcaster Radio One Houston has launched a new scheduling and ratings verification system, which will merge Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) data with ad schedules to provide ratings data based on schedule delivery. More
Research software and EFM provider Vovici has launched a new tool to allow organizations to collect survey data offline on any PC, and then upload the feedback to a centralized response database. More
In the US, Lotame (Local Target Media), a firm which targets ads to social media audiences, has raised $13m in Series B funding, which it plans to spend on product enhancements, marketing, and business development. More
Entertainment research firm MarketCast has appointed former Nielsen executive Henry Piney as London-based Managing Director, to oversee the expansion of its international business and presence in the interactive entertainment sector. More
Just months after Dan Stickel took up the post of CEO at web analytics firm WebTrends, the firm has announced his resignation. Replacing him, the firm's fourth CEO in a year will be former VP of Sales Alex Yoder, who left the firm 18 months ago citing differences with management and rejoined in January. More
TNS Gallup, in partnership with industry body the Norwegian Media Businesses' Association, is launching a new tool to measure usage of the mobile Internet in Norway. More
CNN has commissioned media measurement system provider Integrated Media Measurement Inc (IMMI) to track out-of-home (OoH) ad exposure for 10 clients of media agencies OMD and PHD, to help them justify their ad investment on the CNN networks. More
Datamonitor founder Mike Danson has increased his shareholding in TMN plc, which owns research firms ICD and the iD Factor, above the 25% threshold. Meanwhile a new joint bid is said to be taking shape for Datamonitor's new owner, Informa. More
Panel operator e-Rewards Europe has announced a partnership with travel loyalty firm AIRMILES, whose members will receive miles for enrolling in the panel and participating in online surveys. More
New York-based start-up Media6Degrees, Inc. (Media6°) has announced the closing of a $9m series A round of funding led by U.S. Venture Partners. The company offers an innovative alternative to conventional segmentation for ad targeting purposes, grouping like-minded individuals using social graph data. More
Rochester, New York-based pharma and health care researcher KJT Group has appointed Arthur E. Coles as President. Coles is a former Harris Interactive Group President and a veteran of Xerox and Eastman Kodak. More
Nielsen has reported increased second quarter revenues of $1,304m, up 12% from the same period in the previous year; and a year-on-year rise of 12% in first half revenues to $2,518m. More
Ipsos has appointed technology market research specialist Brian Smith as Vice President in its MediaCT division, which specializes in researching media, content, and technology. 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
In the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has appointed Alison Pepper as Director of Public Policy to focus on legislative, regulatory, and public policy issues affecting its members - including consumer privacy, data and cyber security. More
Online measurement agency comScore is now providing two ways to measure audiences of online advertising networks the 'potential reach' for each network, and an 'actual reach' reading. More
Facebook is standardizing its audience engagement web metric by switching from reporting daily usage to measuring monthly active users - matching the metric of monthly unique visitors used by third parties like comScore, in their own tracking of the social networking giant. More
In the US, consumer information and research firm Knowledge Networks (KN) is launching a new panel to provide data about the US Latino population. To help ensure it is respresentative, KN will provide laptops and web connections to panellists who require them. More
In the UK, the Newspaper Marketing Agency (NMA) has launched a tool to provide data about readership of national newspapers online. More
Online on-demand research specialist MarketTools has named Scott Arnold President & CEO, while Amal Johnson has been elected Chairman of the Board of Directors. More
In the UK, online market research agency YouGov has warned that 2008 profits will be impacted by a one-off £1.2m cost it incurred by terminating merger talks. However, the firm said gross margins will be slightly ahead of market expectations and detailed a range of recent initiatives. More
In the US, Greenfield Online, which has recently received two takeover offers, has seen a decline in net income to $2.1m, compared with $3.1m a year earlier. More
In Europe, predictive targeting technology firm Nugg.ad is to combine Nielsen Homescan panel data with survey data it gathers from visitors to its partner web sites, to help advertisers target consumers through online marketing campaigns. More
Predictive marketing agency [x+1] has appointed three senior directors from Synovate company Marketing Management Analytics (MMA): Trey Jackson as Director of Technology, Todd Lipton as Director of Analytics, and Mark Williams as Director of Database Engineering. More
Web analytics firm WebTrends has enhanced its Analytics 8.5 software, to help multinationals and other large businesses reduce the time and resources needed to generate and share business insights from their web sites across their organizations. More
Online survey specialist, Ipsos Interactive Services (IIS) has launched an interactive tool to enable US panellists to participate in 'fun polls' posted on Facebook. 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
Panels and research process outsourcing (RPO) firm The Pulse Group has opened a new office in Singapore, its third in the Asia-Pacific region. More
Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI) has released new consumer segmentation analysis, which categorizes US adults according to the media in which they prefer to receive advertising messages. More
In the US, Greenfield Online has announced that in addition to the offer made by investment firm the Quadrangle Group to buy the company, a second offer has been submitted by an unnamed party to acquire its stock for $17.50 per share. More
In the UK, JICIMS (the Joint Industry Committee for Internet Measurement Systems) has appointed Research International's former Worldwide CEO Mark Cranmer as its first Chairman, heading up its initiative to establish a single online measurement currency. More
In the US, information and marketing company Access Intelligence (AI) has sold its Telecom Intelligence Group (TIG) to investor-backed firm T3i Group a newly formed entity established by financier Richard Dorfman specifically to make this acquisition. Terms were not disclosed. More
Indian-based market research outsourcing firm exëvo has launched a Global Technology Panel, comprising more than 125,000 dedicated business and consumer panellists across 15 countries. Meanwhile, Research Now has launched an online panel in India. More
Internet audience specialist Nielsen Online has rolled out its competitive online media intelligence service AdRelevance service in Taiwan. For the first time, the product categories used have been standardised for research on both online and offline media. More
UK-based healthcare fieldwork agency WorldOne Research has unveiled a European and US GP omnibus. The service taps into the firm's Global Physician Panel which includes more than 320,000 physicians and 60,000 allied healthcare practitioners worldwide. 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
In the US, interactive marketing services provider Rosetta, whose expertise includes personality-based customer segmentation and web analytics, has recently acquired rival Brulant for an undisclosed sum. 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
In the UK, BBC Worldwide has promoted Helen Kellie to the new post of Director of Marketing and Audiences, responsible for building its marketing and audience research functions. She takes up the new post on 1 October. More
In the US, technology research and consulting firm Forrester has acquired rival JupiterResearch and its parent company JUPR Holdings for $23m in cash plus assumed liabilities. In addition, Forrester has posted Q2 revenue of $63.5m, compared with $55.2m last year. More
In the UK, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has appointed former PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Executive Nicki Lynas as Head of Research. She joins on 9 September. More
With just a week to go before the start of the Beijing Olympics, Knowledge Networks (KN) has announced it is to provide overnight data about time spent consuming Olympic content across more than a dozen NBC Universal properties. More
In the US, word of mouth (WOM) specialist Bazaarvoice has launched a new platform to allow companies to connect with customers on their eCommerce web sites. More
In the US, Vorex a provider of online business intelligence software has launched a tool which it says will allow any company to create and distribute its own 'professional grade' online surveys. More
US online ad marketplace AdBrite has unveiled its new Behavioural Targeting product, which allows its advertisers to show ads to users based on their interests and/or purchase intent across 14 major categories and over 3,000 sub-categories. More
US-based technology consultancy Gartner has more than doubled its quarter two profit to $29.9m, compared with $14m a year ago. Overall, revenue rose 17% to $343.9m, while income from the firm's research arm which accounts for more than half its total grew by 20% to $195.8m. More
In the US, Nielsen has partnered with Mindset Media a firm that creates consumer profiles of web users to add personality profile mapping to its Homescan consumer purchase panel of 125,000 US households. More
In the US, consumer information and research firm Knowledge Networks (KN) has appointed Martin Zagorsek as EVP Client Service, in charge of Custom Marketing and the Media Research team in the firm's New York office. More
Research and analytics firm Evalueserve is to open its first research centre in Europe, with the establishment of an office in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. More
In the UK, the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) has launched a web-based tool to help users access and analyse the diary data in TouchPoints the institute's consumer-centric multi-media survey which collects data about how people spend their time. More
In the US, the Association for Downloadable Media (ADM) has released the first ad measurement standards and guidelines for podcasts and other distributed digital content. More
TNS' Technology division is rolling out its ComTech study across Europe, giving customers access to 1.2 million interviews a year across the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. The research measures the converging markets of mobile telecoms, fixed line, broadband and Pay TV. More
In the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released its 'Ad Campaign Measurement Process Guidelines' for public comment. More
China's national TV network China Central TV (CCTV) will be using analytics firm WebTrends to generate insight about visitors to its web channels during the 2008 Olympics, and customize content for hundreds of millions of Chinese Internet users throughout the games. More
MR software provider Confirmit has launched its web-based survey analysis package Confirmit Pulsar as an On-Demand (ASP) service, to enable users to access the tool from a shared, secure environment via the Internet. More
In New York, media planning software firm Telmar has launched a web-based search and analysis tool to enable users to access research data and rapidly create reports. More
Indian regulator TRAI has worried researchers with its recommendations regarding the country's future TV audience measurement. Its conclusions favour 'self-regulation' via the newly constituted BARC body, but recommend the inclusion of government nominees on the latter's committees. More
In the US, Spanish-language media firm Televisa Publishing + Digital and consumer intelligence firm BIGresearch have partnered to open the Televisa Hispanic Insights (THI) unit, which will study the culture, behavior and future purchasing plans of Hispanic consumers. More
Fresh from its BBC contract win, UK-based eDigitalResearch has appointed Derek Eccleston as Head of Research. He has worked previously in management positions at Harris Interactive and Sony. More
Web technology firm Bango has unveiled a new tool designed to help web site owners measure the value of mobile sites by accurately counting their unique visitors. More
In the US, online advertising network ValueClick Media, has launched a behavioral targeting system that uses predictive technology to help marketers focus their online advertising effort. More
Internet monitoring firm Watch360 has launched an automated service to track when competitors update their web sites with information about activities, product developments and news; and then report consolidated findings through a daily e-mail alert. More
US media ratings giant Arbitron has unveiled its new Portable People Meter (PPM) sample program, which aims to increase sample sizes prior to roll out of its delayed service this September. More
In the US, GfK-owned media and consumer firm Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI) is to acquire sister agency Starch Communications a firm that specializes in providing marketing intelligence on print ad effectiveness. More
IT specialist Springboard Research has expanded in the Middle East & Africa region with the appointment of Hicham Bouguejja as Research Manager at its research center in Casablanca in Morocco, and Burcu Sezen as an Analyst based in Istanbul, Turkey. More
In the US, opinion polling and message testing firm Capital Earnings & Research has launched a new forecasting model which it claims can 'poll the nation' and produce 'conclusive results' in 4 hours or less within a 4% margin of error. It has also promoted H. Richard Oprinski to the post of CEO. More
Online data collection specialist Itracks has unveiled Canada Talk Now, a new online panel offering insights into Canadian consumer behaviour. More
In the US, the MRA has worked with CMOR to produce a self-assessment tool for panel companies to analyse and evaluate elements of their online research process and publish the results, providing assurance for potential users. More
In the US, behavioral targeting firm NebuAd has come under fire during a hearing in which politicians suggested that online consumer behaviour tracking was only acceptable with prior opt-in consent. More
In the UK, the BBC has awarded digital market research provider eDigitalResearch a three year contract to provide quarterly user analysis and usability surveys for a number of its bbc.co.uk web sites. More
US-based media ad network Pheedo has launched a dashboard to measure news feed (RSS) user behaviour, for advertisers distributing content through social media such as Facebook and MySpace, or through web sites and blogs. More
Medical technology MR firm The MarkeTech Group (TMTG) has launched what it believes is the first longitudinal panel of hospital-based imaging directors and managers working in radiology departments around the US. More
International ad consortium AMIN the Advertising and Marketing International Network has appointed GfK-owned Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI) as its exclusive provider of multi-media audience, demographic, psychographic and product usage consumer data. More
US electronics research specialist iSuppli is continuing on the acquisition trail, buying Telematics Research Group (TRG), a firm that specialises in vehicle electronics business intelligence. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the UK, marketing services group TMN, the parent of research agencies iD Factor and ICD Research, has called off talks with private equity firm August Equity to fund a management buyout led by CEO Mark Smith and FD Craig Dixon. More
In the US, full service agency Creative & Response Research Services (C&R) has launched a tool for real-time identification and removal of duplicate respondents from online surveys. More
MR software provider Confirmit has increased revenue in the second quarter by 80% to $11.0m, and operating profit 154% to $1.2m. More
In the UK, TNS has promoted two execs to lead its new contracts for broadcasting research body BARB: Chris Balch becomes MD of the new BARB Service Team within TNS Media Research, while Graeme Griffiths takes on the role of Services Director for TNS Custom Media. More
In Q2, survey software and EFM specialist Vovici has achieved record growth in its Software as a Service (SaaS) business and in renewals from existing customers. SaaS bookings increased 157% over the firm's Q1 2008 performance, and 138% over the same period in 2007. More
Web analytics firm WebTrends has partnered with web content management firm SDL Tridion on a product offering marketers the prospect of continuously improving the experience of their web site visitors. More
In the UK, The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) is doubling the number of campaigns its quantitative research tool RadioGauge will analyse this summer. More
In the UK, media, entertainment and communications research agency Essential has appointed former TNS Managing Consultant Sarah Calver as Senior Research Manager in its qualitative research team. More
UK marketing budgets have dropped for the third consecutive quarter, according to the Q2 2008 Bellwether Report, the quarterly survey of marketing spend, published today by the IPA. The downturn is now the most significant since that which followed the 9/11 attacks in late 2001. More
Panels and software firm Toluna has been named the fastest growing company in France by the publication 'L'Entreprise'. The company saw turnover growth of 970% in the period 2004-2007, and since floating on AIM in May 2005 has more than tripled in value from £25m to £84m. More
comScore has named Alexander J. Banks as MD of comScore Latin America, focusing on new business development in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. 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
Nielsen Media Research has been awarded a five-year contract to conduct the South African Advertising Research Foundation's (SAARF) All Media and Products Survey (AMPS) and the Radio Audience Measurement Survey (RAMS). The contract commences on 1st January 2009. 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
US broadcast monitoring and verification service Media Monitors has been granted a patent for fingerprinting technology used to analyse audio samples. More
Greenfield Online has completed a project to combine its Internet survey solutions business into one global survey platform for managing its panels and processing its clients' survey projects in North America, Europe and Asia. More
In the US, Republican Presidential candidate Senator John McCain is among the first users of a new polling system on business networking site LinkedIn. More
US-based OTX (Online Testing eXchange) has promoted Aaron Paquette from VP to Senior Vice President, Media and Entertainment Insights at the firm's LA office. More
US blog and social network tracker Visible Technologies has joined forces with WPP digital marketing agency Beyond Interaction (BI) to provide new ways for the latter's clients to understand, measure and participate in social media. More
In the UK, privacy watchdog the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has chosen not-for-profit research organisation RAND Europe to carry out an assessment of the future of data protection law in Europe and identify areas for reform. More
In the US, Peanut Labs which provides access to members of social networking sites has partnered with online gaming community Acclaim Games to enable the latter's members to take market research surveys in return for in-game items such as weapons, clothing and character boosts. More
Compete, TNS media's recently-acquired online behaviour measurement company, has launched an online measurement service that combines site analytics, search analytics and audience measurement in a single service. 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
In the UK Alterian, a provider of analytics and marketing software, has acquired web content management firm Mediasurface, to enhance its services for the measurement of online customer behaviour. The cash and share deal is valued at £18.1m. 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
In the US, Arbitron is adding web-based alert features to engage its key younger panelists, while a committee that advises the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on diversity investigates the device's alleged under-representation of minority groups. 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
GfK has acquired a majority share in games, music and video retail information provider Chart-Track Limited, upping its existing 9% stake to 55% from July 1st. Based in West London, the firm uses POS information to compile charts for music and video in Ireland and games software in the UK and Denmark. 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
Lightspeed Research has announced three new appointments in its London office, located in currently tennis-mad SW19. Saleem Ghumranand and Alex Mazurovs join as Project Managers, and Fiona Bryce as a Product Marketing Director. More
The proposed $426m sale of Greenfield Online to media and communications investment firm the Quadrangle Group is being hampered by complaints from investors Springhouse Capital and Pennant Capital that the agreed sum undervalues the company. More
US-based online and mobile research supplier Invoke Solutions has upgraded its Engage Open service, offering asynchronous qual-quant research sessions for large and/or harder to reach groups. More
UK marketing communications group Aegis has acquired independent research agency Steadman Group in Africa, in a move which it says will add media monitoring and strategic consulting to Synovate's existing market research expertise. 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
In the US, media monitoring firm Filtrbox has unveiled a new service to help business professionals keep track of information on potential partners, startups and industry trends. More
Mobile content specialist Nick Holland has joined New-York based tech market research firm ABI Research as Principal Analyst, Mobile Content, responsible for analysis focused on mobile video and TV, mobile music, mobile social networking and mobile gaming. 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
In the UK, Andrew Cooper, Founder and Group MD of online panel firm Research Now, is to step down as part of a restructure designed to streamline management during the firm's next phase of growth and development. More
UK-based online market research agency BrainJuicer has recorded increased revenues of 38% for the first six months of 2008, and confirmed that it is growing in line with expectations. More
US-based online sample provider Peanut Labs has appointed Alison Morgan as VP of Technology Solutions, to lead market adoption of its OptimusID digital fingerprinting technology. More
Online on-demand research specialist MarketTools is rolling out its online sample quality system across Europe, commencing in the UK. More
In the US, Internet Broadcasting (IB), known for building media web sites, has launched an online opinion tool that creates forums where users can discuss subjects of interest, and vote on and search other users' arguments and comments. More
In the US, semantic ad solutions agency Peer39 has launched a platform which matches ads to online content by processing natural language, meaning and sentiment from web sites. The firm has also appointed a new COO and received $8m in investment funding. More
In the US, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has launched an industry-wide initiative designed to provide knowledge-driven answers to client questions about the overall quality and effectiveness of online market research. More
Panels and Research Process Outsourcing (RPO) firm The Pulse Group has announced its Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the PLUS markets in London, with trading commencing today. More
GfK NOP has launched a Media Insight division, to be headed by Julia Lamaison. The firm says the new division is a 'direct response to the market need for in-depth interpretation and insight from research data'. More
The BBC has announced the promotion of the head of its marketing division, Tim Davie, to the role of Director of Audio and Music, overseeing Radios 1 to 5 and the four digital-only networks, plus the Proms, radio drama and TV music entertainment. More
In the UK, media watchdog Ofcom has named Peter Phillips, Partner of Strategy and Market Developments, as a member of its Executive Board with effect from 1 July 2008. The regulator also announced that Chairman David Currie will step down next year. More
UK-based IT and telecoms insight specialist Analysys Mason has acquired OSS Observer, a US-based telecom software market research firm. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, ad and media research specialist Sequent and the Center of Media Design at Ball State University (BSU) have partnered to launch a new media research company that will use 'state-of-the-art' methodologies to track consumer media behaviour. More
In the US, the founders of survey sample firm goZing have launched a new company to offer online survey solutions to the global marketing research industry. The pair have also hired four industry veterans to help them kick-start the business. More
In the US, Greenfield Online has partnered with market research technology firm RelevantView to incorporate the latter's RelevantID digital fingerprinting system into its patent pending Duplicate Response Detection (DRD) tool. More
Audiences develop stronger emotional connections to content and ad messages when they consume and interact with them across multiple platforms, according to new research by MTV Networks and Harris Interactive. 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
Google has unveiled a free web analytics, research and media planning tool to enable media buyers to determine the web sites where their online ads will have most impact, based on demographics and traffic info. More
US cable operator Charter Communications has postponed controversial plans to capture detailed information about the activities of its Internet subscribers and share it with third-party ad-targeting firm NebuAd. More
Digital video recorder (DVR) pioneer TiVo has partnered with media marketing research firm TRA to develop an ad research system that gauges how consumers makes household purchasing decisions based on ad exposure. More
In the US, behavioral targeting technology firm Revenue Science has added the CEO role to that of current President Jeff Hirsch. Bill Gossman steps down after five years as CEO, but will remain on the Board of Directors. More
Ipsos is to acquire Buenos Aires-headquartered research firm Livra Panels, which provides online panels and data collection services for market research agencies in the Spanish and Portuguese speaking markets. Terms were not disclosed. More
A group of research buyers from some of America's leading corporations is considering proposals which would create transparency guidelines for online sample; and revive the practice of providing technical appendices with study results. More
In the US, Internet ratings firm Quantcast has introduced a new audience measurement solution which combines cookie-based traffic counts with people-based audience estimates for millions of its quantified web properties. More
US web analytics firm Coremetrics has launched a service which it says 'dramatically' reduces time spent tagging web sites for business and behavioral data collection, allowing clients to run and test the required script in a single day. More
The UK market research industry has reported revenue growth of 2.3% to an estimated £1.8bn, according to the latest figures from the Market Research Society (MRS). This follows growth of 2.5% in 2005 and 2.4% in 2006. More
US-based provider InsightExpress has launched a solution to improve potential respondents' online research experiences. More
Online video analytics firm TubeMogul has released a tool which promises to help video creators and publishers to predict the number of views their productions will attract. 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
US online agency InsightExpress has appointed Jeremy Hodgekinson-Price as Director and Jennifer Slott as Account Manager of its Technology Sector, while Elizabeth Everett had taken on the role of Senior Account Manager of the firm's Media Sector. More
Buenos Aires-based research firm Livra Panels has launched a new online platform for recruiting panelists. The new site combines the features of social networking sites with online surveys and product reviews. More
Web analytics firm WebTrends has upgraded its analytics solution to reduce the time and effort needed to generate Web 2.0 and other business insight. More
European panel and survey technology provider Toluna has bought US-based panel management firm Common Knowledge for an initial $8.49m in cash and a deferred cash sum of $2.16m. More
In the US, healthcare market research firm Decision Resources has acquired physician and consumer opinions agency Manhattan Research. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Online market research agency Lightspeed Research has launched Beauty and Personal Grooming Panels in the UK, Germany, France, Canada and the US, to offer data to manufacturers of personal care products, toiletries, cosmetics and related consumer goods. More
Research and predictive analytics software giant SPSS has launched a text mining tool to enable users to analyze unstructured data from social media, consumer blogs, community boards, e-mail, call center notes, RSS feeds and surveys. More
Fifteen privacy and public interest groups have come together to urge the US Congress to push forward proposals to limit the growing practice of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) targeting ads to subscribers based on their personal web activities. More
In the US, Internet ratings firm Quantcast has applied to the Media Rating Council (MRC) for accreditation of its online metrics and analytics services. Assessment will commence this summer. More
Greenfield Online is to be sold to private media and communications investment firm the Quadrangle Group for approximately $426m (£217m). More
Online research agency BrainJuicer has opened an office in Switzerland, while also announcing plans to acquire Melbourne-based market research firm The Slater Marketing Group. More
Global information giant Experian has rolled out its Mosaic consumer segmentation tool online in Italy. The tool will provide users with access to classification of the population's lifestyles, and information about its consumption of a variety of products and services. More
US-based video analytics firm Visible Measures has launched a solution that analyzes the viral reach and audience engagement of Internet video campaigns. The agency has also partnered with digital ad research firm Dynamic Logic to collaborate on Internet video ad benchmarking. More
Arbitron says it will resume the commercialization of its Portable People Meter (PPM) ratings service in eight markets, despite concerns from a coalition of Spanish-language radio broadcasters that its use could have a 'harmful impact' on the Hispanic marketplace. More
In New York, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) Board of Directors has elected nine new members, includuing comScore boss Gian Fulgoni and senior execs from TNS and GfK. More
TNS is expanding its operation in Russia by rolling out its FasTrack 360° financial services tracking tool, which the firm says is the first of its kind in the country. 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
US electronics specialist iSuppli has partnered with high-tech consultancy Micon in Israel, to promote its market research, reports and services in the region. More
In the US, search research and analytics firm FirstRain has introduced two qualitative analytics packages to report on the interaction between blogging and stock movements. More
US technology specialist Yankee Group has partnered with Dubai-based researcher AMRB to offer thought leadership and analysis in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. More
In the US, blog ad serving company Federated Media (FM) has rolled out the Conversational Measurement Toolbox, featuring campaign measurement, planning and reporting tools to offer marketers greater insight into their social networking marketing efforts. More
In the US, Ipsos Interactive Services (IIS) has partnered with Peanut Labs which provides access to members of social networking sites to improve its reach among the 13-34 year old demographic, otherwise known as Generation Y (Gen-Y). More
French-based data extraction firm Qosmos has launched two new applications which it says will help researchers monitor and extract information in real-time and conduct more 'granular' audience analysis. 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, mobile survey firm OnePoint Surveys has partnered with Dipsticks Research to launch OmNow, a mobile omnibus promising nationally representative results within four hours. 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
Google is integrating its Google Analytics traffic analysis tool with its Google TV Ads program. Some observers are interpreting the move as further evidence that the search giant is headed for direct competition with Nielsen. More
Search analytics developer Enquisite, Inc. has secured $3.2 million in Series A funding, led by Jeff Webber, MD of Silicon Valley-based firm The Entrepreneurs Fund III (TEF3). More
Online research specialist Lightspeed has made five recent European appointments including hires in its London, Paris and Hamburg offices. More
The partners of online feedback software and services firm Globalpark GmbH have announced a decision to convert to a public company, with immediate effect. Dr. Lorenz Gräf, previously MD, will become CEO of Globalpark AG. More
In Dubai, Arab MR firm Maktoob Research has expanded its service portfolio with the launch of two new offerings - Online Research Communities, a tool for building online market research communities; and SMS-based Mobile Research. More
Toronto-based QA and research supplier Sensors Quality Management (SQM) has launched an online mystery shopping tool aimed at small and medium-sized businesses in North America and named MyShop. More
In the UK, comms specialist Farncombe Technology has launched a joint venture with digital and telecoms consultancy TMT Strategy Advisors. 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
Survey Sampling International has opened a new office in Seoul, South Korea, and appointed Simon (Quan) Zhang to lead it. Zhang worked previously for Tesco International Sourcing. More
Mobile survey specialist OnePoint has launched OnePoint Reward, an incentive system delivering cash to mobile phones, in the form of points which respondents can redeem immediately on completion of a survey, at 19,000 retail outlets across the UK. More
Research Now has opened an office in Los Angeles, to be headed by Tobin Bailey as Vice President, Client Development, West and Central Regions. More
Content optimisation specialist Maxymiser has launched a behavioural targeting suite, designed to help clients optimise web site content (as opposed to advertising), and billed as 'the first of its kind in the UK'. More
Online focus group specialist Itracks has announced a partnership with GroupNet, a network of 29 independently owned discussion facilities across the US. More
US-based ad and media research specialist Sequent has added a new partner. Madison Avenue veteran Alice Sylvester joins from Interpublic's DraftFCB where she was SVP-Account Planning Director. 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
MR software provider Confirmit today announced the debut of version 12.5, the latest update of its flagship product. In addition to immediate benefits, the firm says it lays the foundation for big changes in the future releases. More
comScore has announced the acquisition of mobile measurement firm M:Metrics, Inc., for a cash payment of $44.3m and the issue of c.50,000 share purchase options for comScore stock. More
UK firm Opinion Health has acquired Pearl Medical, which operates a panel of around 2000 primary-care doctors. More
Nielsen has extended its online audience profiling service to the mobile Web. The new service provides marketers and publishers with lifestyle and demographic information for the audience of more than 200 mobile web sites. More
US-based online sample provider Peanut Labs has this week announced the formation of a consultative group of prominent researchers and clients to study and combat the problem of fraudulent online responses. More
The Nielsen Company and its subsidiary Interactive Market Systems (IMS) have announced the launch of IMS Clear Decisions(TM), a new software platform claiming to simplify access to media and marketing data and speed up the generation of insights from it. More
ION Media Networks has appointed Carole Smith as Vice President of Research. Based in New York, she is charged with building a strong research department to design and conduct qual and quant research. More
Downturn notwithstanding, 2008 could be a good year for tech research consultancies like Gartner and Forrester, according to analysis by sector specialist Outsell. VP and Lead Analyst Louise Garnett says the firm is forecasting 9-10% revenue growth for the sector over the year. More
InsightExpress has expanded its Digital Media Measurement (DMM) team by hiring Lauren Coyne as Director of Agencies, East Coast; Kyle Gollins as Senior Account Executive, Media & Publishing, East Coast; and Kathy Benigo as Southwest Regional Manger. More
YouGov is gearing up for the launch next month of an investment fund based on research findings from its YouGovAlpha subsidiary. More
Behavioural targeting and browser tracking remain hot topics. This week saw a US lawmaker quizzing Google on data security issues relating to its takeover of DoubleClick; it also saw the launch of software which runs interference with trackers like Phorm by random background web surfing. More
Canadian-based public opinion and market research firm Angus Reid Strategies is to open a New York office, and has appointed MR veteran Tom Neri to run it as Executive Vice President and Managing Director. More
In the US, the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) has formed an advisory council to explore 'industry issues and opportunities' surrounding Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM). 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 online agency InsightExpress has received authorization to conduct brand effectiveness research studies across the Google content advertising network, which encompasses hundreds of thousands of web sites ranging from international publishers to one-off niche sites. More
US-based Internet ratings firm Quantcast is beta testing a new audience tool that allows users to search for web sites with selected readership demographics. More
In the UK, digital marketing group TMN, which owns research agencies iD Factor and ICD, is in talks with private equity firm August Equity over a possible £38.5m management buy-out led by CEO Mark Smith and FD Craig Dixon. 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
London-based communications research agency MESH Planning has opened its first office in the Asia Pacific region and appointed former InsightAsia MD Craig Griffin as Managing Director in Singapore. More
In Australia, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has appointed Paul Fisher as its first CEO. He takes up the new post at the beginning of July. More
US-based parental control software developer SearchHelp has launched new technology which analyzes sentiment in digital content such as blogs, forums, e-mails, instant messaging and mobile text. More
In Canada, research software developer Vision Critical has reported triple digit growth for the third consecutive year. The firm has also teamed up with US full-service agency Creative Marketing Research (CMR) to develop proprietary online customer advisory panels. More
In the US, the Media Ratings Council (MRC) has created a new code of conduct requiring audience ratings firms to obtain accreditation before launching a new measurement currency into the marketplace. More
Nielsen has completed the acquisition of TV ad effectiveness firm IAG Research, which will be re-branded as Nielsen IAG. More
US cable operator Charter Communications has partnered with behavioral targeting firm NebuAd to test its ability to provide targeted ads to its customers. 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
US online ad platform TargetSpot has begun providing its nationwide network of more than 600 Internet radio stations with access to comScore Arbitron Online Radio Rating audience estimates. More
Ipsos North America has concluded the acquisition of media research specialist Monroe Mendelsohn Research (MMR), which it says will further strengthen its global media research team, particularly in the North American market. More
Nielsen has reported $1,214m revenues for Q1, an increase of 13% from Q1 2007. Excluding the impact of currency fluctuations, the increase was a healthy 8%. However, the firm still made a net loss from continuing operations of $82m. 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
In France, information extraction software firm Qosmos has closed a third round of fundraising worth 7m (US$10.8m), led by venture capital firms Sofinnova Partners and Alven Capital, along with MR agency GfK. More
Greenfield Online, Inc. has reported first quarter results, with rapid revenue growth for its Comparison Shopping business (up 60.3% year-on-year to $10.8m) masking a 3% decline for its Internet survey solutions segment. Greenfield has also agreed in principle to settle a pending class action lawsuit regarding 'false and misleading' projections. More
Business information provider D&B last week reported results for the first quarter of 2008, ended March 31st. Revenue rose 8% on the year (excluding currency effects) to $414.7m, of which the Sales & Marketing Solutions division accounted for $109.7m, up 5%. More
Advertising and brand equity research division Ipsos ASI has introduced two new tools, Next*360 and CampaignLab, to help marketers evaluate and optimize multi-media ad campaigns and communications prior to final execution. More
US company Numeric Analytics has broadened its proposition from a core offering of web analytics consulting services to include a range of online marketing solutions, including organic search engine optimization (SEO), pay per click optimization (PPC/SEM) and affiliate marketing. More
European online MR agency MetrixLab increased revenues 76% to 14.5m in 2007 and is anticipating further growth to 19m in 2008 and 27m in 2009. To support this organic growth, the firm is planning to hire up to 40 new MR professionals this year, and expand with a US office in 2009. More
UK-based EPG Health Media has launched a new online panel of healthcare professionals in Europe, for regular participation in clinical and scientific surveys. The company also says it has 'ambitious plans to provide global reach'. More
Bodies representing most Indian broadcasters and advertisers have given a thumbs down to the idea of government intervention in television ratings, known as TRPs. More
Online customer satisfaction management firm Foresee Results has partnered with online customer experience management (CEM) firm Tealeaf, to allow companies to maximize online customer satisfaction and return on their investment in site tools. 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
Pulse Group is to give regional coverage to its online travel survey. Already rolled out in Malaysia with support from Tourism Malaysia, the firm plans to extend the study to other markets including Singapore, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. More
In the US, The Radio Research Consortium (RRC) a non profit organization which provides audience data to non-commercial radio stations has signed a multi-year deal with Arbitron for diary and Portable People Meter (PPM) syndicated radio ratings services. More
From next month, AOL's ad business Platform-A will offer TACODA's advanced suite of behavioral targeting solutions across its entire network, which includes all AOL-owned and operated sites such as AOL News and Sports, along with sites in the Advertising.com third-party network. More
Groundbreaking New York-based media research firm TRA (True ROI Accountability for Media) has appointed James O'Hara as EVP of Sales. More
Nielsen Media Research has sent clients a 9-page letter explaining its plans for the transition to digital-only TV broadcasting, which comes into effect in February 2009. To accommodate the transition and avoid potential disruptions, the firm will be moving its February 2009 TV viewing 'sweeps' to March. More
Online survey and analysis tool provider SurveyGizmo has secured funding which will be used to expand staffing. More
US web analytics firm Coremetrics has released a new platform that enables marketers to analyze data across all campaigns and web properties at a granular level. More
YouGov has won the battle of the pollsters in London's Mayoral race, correctly predicting the result and the margin, and leaving more egg on the face of outgoing Mayor Ken Livingstone whose team had claimed its survey figures were 'farcical'. 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
Media agency Starcom USA has promoted SVP Kathy Kline to lead its consumer content planning (CCP) practice, which mines consumer insights for use in the creation of 'people-centric' media campaigns. More
Research software and EFM provider Vovici is helping companies launch their own community panels and web sites through its new Vovici Community Builder; designed to gather in-depth feedback on customer sentiment, satisfaction and loyalty. 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
In the US, Nielsen Online has formed a Digital Strategic Services group, to help advertisers manage their online reputations on social media platforms. The new group is headed by Pete Blackshaw, EVP of Nielsen Online and former CMO of Nielsen BuzzMetrics. More
US online measurement firm comScore has reported Q1 revenue of $26.4m, up 41% from $18.6m in Q1 2007. Pre-tax net income rose by 165% to $4.2m, net income by 64% to $2.5m and adjusted EBITDA by 104% to $5.6m. More
In the US, Survey Sampling International (SSI) has conducted a study to analyze the motivating psychological factors behind survey participation using a new principle called self-determination theory or SDT. More
In the US, entertainment market research firm MarketCast, part of Reed Business, has appointed industry veteran Kevin Yoder as its new MD. More
US marketing agency Refresh Partners has launched an analytics tool to provide Facebook application developers with analytic and demographic information on their users. More
In the US, an institutional investor has filed a law suit against ratings giant Arbitron, charging the firm with 'false and misleading statements' regarding the roll out of its Portable People Meter (PPM) service. More
In the US, online measurement firm comScore has enhanced its comScore Plan Metrix service, which links consumers' offline behaviour and attitudes with their online activity. More
US mobile ad network AdMob has introduced a new system to improve understanding of user behavior and measure usage of mobile web sites and mobile ad campaigns. More
UK-based panels firm Research Now is anticipating total revenue for the six months ending 30 April 2008 to exceed £18.5m versus £9.9m last year a leap of 85%. Operating profit is expected be £2.3m, up from just £300,000 a year ago. More
In the UK, online market research agency YouGov has launched a new syndicated tracking service to connect with the 32% of the population who were born between 1946 and 1964. More
WPP-owned digital marketing firm 24/7 Real Media has partnered with Mindset Media a company that creates consumer profiles of web users to enable advertisers to target consumers with ads based on their personality traits. 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
Chicago-based analytics firm MediaBank has released a web analytics tool which claims to enable data analysis and measurement of all campaign media buys across all media types. More
eBay research specialist HammerTap has launched a new feature that enables sellers to determine their chances of selling and likely profit margins. More
UK radio audience body RAJAR will cut short its investment in its experimental electronic measurement panel, run by TNS using Arbitron's PPM, and will launch an industry-wide review of audience research options. It will also field test a new online diary system, to be designed by Nunwood, in July. More
BBM Canada, supplier of radio and television audience ratings services to the Canadian broadcast advertising industry, has selected a joint bid by TNS Media Research and Arbitron Inc to deploy Portable People Meter (PPM) technology to measure TV and radio in Canada. More
A spokeswoman for incumbent London Mayor Ken Livingstone has denounced as 'farcical' figures from pollsters YouGov, which suggest rival candidate Boris Johnson has widened his lead from six to ten points. More
Survey Sampling International (SSI) has opened a new office in Stockholm, Sweden, as a hub for servicing its existing clients and developing new business in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark. 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
The growth of MR subsidiaries iD Factor and ICD Research is expected to help parent TMN plc to full-year pre-tax profit within 10% to 15% of management predictions, despite a significant shortfall at its email marketing agency EDR. The latter's quarterly revenues will be around £1.5m below earlier predictions. More
Seattle-based MR software and panels firm GMI (Global Market Insite) has partnered with publisher TechTarget to launch a double-opted in panel of IT professionals and decision-makers. More
Social networking site Facebook has launched a stats tracking tool called Facebook Lexicon, which counts the number of times a word crops up on profiles, groups, and forms known as 'Facebook Walls' in its network. More
Tim Heald, Commercial Director at London panels firm The iD Factor has admitted throwing a foam 'stress ball' at Respect MP George Galloway yesterday as he harangued the public through a megaphone on his open-top election bus. Heald spoke to police and was released with an official caution. More
In the US, technology market intelligence firm IDC has launched a new service to help venture capital, private equity and merger and acquisition analysts assess smaller IT retailers. More
US start-up UserVoice has launched an online community where customers can contribute to a client's product concept and innovation. More
In the US, technology market research firm In-Stat has appointed Greg Heikes as Director of Primary Research. More
San Francisco-based social media specialist BuzzLogic has acquired blog retrieval firm Activeweave. The buy is intended to enhance the firm's analysis of online influence, and to strengthen and grow its Conversation Targeting solution. More
US media ratings giant Arbitron has posted first quarter profit growth of 5.5% to $16.3m. Revenue for the period ended 31 March rose 5.5% to $94.1m from $89.1m in the prior year, almost in line with Wall Street expectations. More
Cincinnati-based Empower Mediamarketing has launched a new proprietary tool to measure and analyze consumer-generated media. More
Indian company Satyam Computer Services has bought the market research and customer analytics operation of Caterpillar Inc. for $60m (c.£30.2m); and Belgium-based consulting firm S&V Management Consultants for $35.5m (£17.8m). More
The combined value of the world's top 100 brands headed by Google rose by 21% last year, according to the third annual BrandZ (TM) Ranking from ROI specialist Millward Brown Optimor. More
Jill Wiltfong has joined Ipsos in the newly created role of Senior Vice President, Tracking Product Management, driving the global tracking business of the Group's advertising-focused ASI subsidiary. More
Online research software firm Survey Analytics has today unveiled the public beta of IdeaScale, offering web site owners a means to get user feedback, and users the chance to promote good ideas to the top of a list. More
In the US, the Council for Marketing and Opinion Research (CMOR) has responded to the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) proposals to regulate online behavioral advertising, by requesting that any definition of the practice excludes survey opinion and marketing research. More
German ad metrics and testing firm MediaAnalyser has entered the US market by opening a New York office and clinching a deal to work exclusively with the magazine publisher Condé Nast. More
In Sydney Australia, Stuart Pike has returned to Nielsen as Director of Industry Solutions for Nielsen Online, from his previous position of Chairman of the Australian Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) sub-committee for online measurement. More
Buenos Aires-headquartered Livra Panels has opened an office in Sao Paulo, Brazil. After eight years with the company, Joana Lacerda has transferred from the London sales office to take up the post of Regional Director for Latin America, based in Argentina. More
In London, social network site Facebook has hired Trevor Johnson for its Market Development division, where he will oversee trade marketing and market development. The UK team is run by Blake Chandlee, who joined in October as the firm's first European employee. 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
Datamonitor founder and former CEO Mike Danson has upped his stake in takeover target TMN plc, the UK-based parent of research agencies iD Factor and ICD Research, to 19.2%. More
German-owned media content analysis firm iPharro Media has entered the US market with its online TV content detection service. The service enables media professionals and research agencies to monitor when a specific piece of content is aired on a particular TV channel. More
US building industry web site ToolmanDepot.com is recruiting contractors to join an online research panel, to gather information on their likes, dislikes, behaviors and attitudes on behalf of industry manufacturers and service providers. More
Finnish research agency Kuulas is to become a Millward Brown licensee. The new operation, known as Kuulas Millward Brown, will offer research solutions to clients in Finland and the Baltics. More
In the UK, direct marketing and data group IPT (Interactive Prospect Targeting) has posted a pretax loss of £966,000 for the year to 31 December 2007, compared with a profit of about £3.39m the previous year. More
In-Touch Survey Systems has announced that it will acquire MarketLine Research Inc., supplier of the MarketVU CATI / analysis system. In-Touch also announced first quarter revenues up 20% over Q1 2006 but short of previous guidance estimates. More
Nielsen Online has been selected by the Italian Joint Industry Committee 'Audiweb' as the provider for its system to monitor digital media in the country. More
Online measurement firm comScore has announced the availability of its Video Metrix service in four new markets: the UK, France, Germany and Canada and has released some initial results. The service was launched in the US more than two years ago. More
Internet giant Yahoo! Inc. has agreed to acquire substantially all of the assets of Tensa Kft., more commonly known as IndexTools, which provides Web analytics software for online marketing. More
In the US, Spanish-language media giant Univision Communications Inc. has announced further collaboration with Nielsen, aimed at providing improved measurement and insight covering the Hispanic consumer segment. More
In the UK, online research software provider Demographix is to launch Panelwise, a fully-integrated panel management system incorporating new Web 2.0 based interactive workflow features. More
In the US, TV network AMC has partnered with Nielsen to develop a new Audience Identity Metric (AIM) that segments the audience by behavior, as well as a new 'Ad Vantage' metric for advertisers to measure ad receptivity across the industry. More
Nielsen Online has appointed four new senior members of staff in the UK to support its growth in EMEA markets. More
In the UK, two Omnicom-owned companies - researcher Hall & Partners and digital ad firm Agency Republic - have combined to produce a model which they claim enables brands to measure impact and engagement for all forms of digital communications. More
In the UK, Comperio, the research arm of US sports marketing and media group IMG, has promoted Iain Barnett to the position of MD. Barnett will oversee the firm's global network of offices, and have direct responsibility for all business operations and strategy development. More
GfK has made a series of acquisitions, including Turkish market research firm Bilseim International, the remaining 35% of Swiss oncology specialist GfK Research Matters, the Brazilian MR company Shopping Brazil, and the watch panel set up by French MR agency Société V. More
In the UK, Tangent has pulled out of talks to acquire rival digital marketing company TMN, parent of research agencies ID Factor and ICD Research. Meanwhile newspaper publisher Trinity Mirror and private equity firms August Equity and 3i are all believed to have expressed an interest in buying the c.£40m business. More
Panel and software provider GMI (Global Market Insite) has increased the size of its Singapore consumer panel from 40,000 to 85,000 double opted-in members. More
Consumer packaged goods specialist Information Resources Inc (IRI) has partnered with the GfK/TNS-owned Europanel Association to offer what the firms describe as 'the widest-reaching, single-panel research service in the world'. More
In the US, online on-demand research specialist MarketTools has launched a new system to improve the quality of online sample. More
Nielsen has agreed to acquire US-based audience engagement firm IAG Research for $225m; and will make it 'the cornerstone for a new analytics practice'. More
For the year 2007, European panel and survey technology provider Toluna has reported sales growth of 49% to £12.5m, and pre-tax profits up by 42% to £3.2m. More
In the US, web analytics firm WebTrends has appointed former Google executive Daniel Stickel as its new CEO, replacing Board member Bruce Coleman who took temporary control of the firm following the departure of Greg Drew last October. More
US web analytics firm Omniture has introduced two new products: the first resulting from the combined technology of recently acquired firms Offermatica and TouchClarity, and the second from its purchase of real-time analytics company Visual Sciences. More
Compete, TNS media's newly-acquired online behaviour measurement company, has promoted Scott Ernst to the position of President he was previously Chief Client Officer. More
In the US, data collection solution firm Gravic has launched the latest version of its web-based data collection and analysis software, Remark Web Survey 4. 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
In Canada, just five months since his promotion to the post of CEO of consumer intelligence firm Generation5, Joe Nicholson is stepping down to be replaced by former McKinsey consultant David Freese. More
In the US, research technology specialist MarketTools has acquired Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) firm CustomerSat, which will form the basis of a new Customer Insight Management division. More
JD Power and Associates has acquired Umbria, a consumer market research company that analyzes intelligence gathered from social and consumer-generated media. Terms were not disclosed. 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
New-York headquartered online customer satisfaction specialist iPerceptions has opened a permanent office in central London to provide a 'gateway' for its services into the UK and the rest of Europe. More
In the US, SQAD which provides a standard for tracking and forecasting TV, radio and web media costs has acquired Wrapsidy, a firm which processes Nielsen's overnight ratings and TV sweeps audience estimates. More
London-based Q Research which specialises in using the mobile phone to conduct large scale market research with young people has developed a mobile research platform for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) projects and satisfaction surveys. More
In the UK, digital entertainment firm HUGE Entertainment has formed a partnership with ethnic research firm ETHNOS. The venture aims to help media owners and platform operators to identify revenue-generating on-demand entertainment opportunities among ethnic audiences. More
Strategies, a member of the Harris Interactive global network of independent market research firms, has launched a survey it claims is the first to analyse new trends among readers of Jordanian newspapers and magazines, as well as radio station audiences. More
Mobile media measurement firm M:Metrics and multimedia research agency Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI) are to combine their US offline and mobile media audience metrics to help agencies and mobile operators better integrate mobile into their cross-media campaigns. More
In Canada, findings from a new Ipsos Reid study suggest that teens are not as computer savvy as supposed, and even that in some respects they are less comfortable with online technology than adults. More
YouGov has announced interim results for the six months ended 31 January 2008, with acquisitions helping to treble its turnover and more than quadruple its headcount year-on-year. Organic revenue growth was 43% while profit before tax increased 30% to £3.0m. More
The Nielsen Company has announced results for the year ended December 31, 2007. The research giant narrowed its loss from $368m in 2006 (pro forma) to $282m, and grew reported revenue to $4,707m, a rise of 13% from its pro forma figure for 2006, or 7% adjusting for currencies and deferred revenue. 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
TNS and consumer privacy organization TRUSTe have released the results of a study into US Internet users' knowledge, attitudes and concerns about behavioral targeting and online privacy. More
Online survey firm QuestBack AS Norway is launching a Canadian operation, QuestBack Canada Inc., led by John McTrusty as MD. More
From next January, Nielsen Media Research will switch to 'time-shifted' commercial minute ratings data as the standard currency for local TV ratings. The system will use 'live plus three' data, meaning that video played back within three days of initial broadcast will be included. More
London-based firm Opinionpanel has launched 'The Future Panel' for anyone wanting to conduct research with young people and prospective higher education (HE) students. More
Another virtual research partnership: in the US, marketing services agency GSD&M Idea City and virtual worlds developer Metaversatility have partnered to create a platform which enables surveys to be conducted 'in-world' to provide clients with access to consumer, product and experiential insight and knowledge. More
Harris Interactive has appointed Stephen Wallace as its new Chief Information Officer, responsible for infrastructure and information security. More
Google-owned video site YouTube has launched a new tool that offers users additional information to help tailor advertisers campaigns, and determine what times and which days their target audience is on the site. More
In the US, Arbitron and Nielsen joint venture Scarborough Research says it is considering the possibilities of expanding into additional 'mid-tier' local markets. More
Recently-launched Networked Insights which gathers customer intelligence from social networking, sites has upgraded its Customer Insight Platform to provide a 'real-time window' into customer behaviour. More
Greenfield Online is bracing itself for costs of up to $3.5m in the first quarter for legal and other fees relating to a pending lawsuit against it, as well as stemming from an investigation into its internal practices. The firm also says its own investigation has found some evidence of accounting errors. More
New York-based tech market research firm ABI Research has appointed mobile devices specialist Kevin Burden to the newly created position of Research Director, Mobile Devices. More
A study conducted by marketing services firm Q Interactive and MR agency MarketingSherpa has found that many consumers are reporting legitimate e-mail communications as spam. More
In the US, virtual world developer Involve and consumer experience research agency Strategy Analytics have partnered to provide a new service to help organizations maximize their investment in virtual space. More
In the UK, broadcast regulator Ofcom has hired Jonathan Thompson as its new Director of Strategy, to start in June. Until now, Thompson has worked as Channel 4's Director of Strategy and Research. More
In the US, Peanut Labs which provides market researchers with access to members of social networking sites has developed patent-pending software which it hopes will help eliminate fraudulent online responses. The system blocks any respondent who takes too many surveys within a set time-period. More
In her fourth and final report from MRS Conference 2008, Phyllis Vangelder joins web analysts on the trail of site visitors, and hears how carbon neutral corporates can accurately gauge the public's response. 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
US lawmakers are turning the spotlight on the behavioural targeting of Internet ads. While the FTC receives comments on its proposed guidelines, New York assemblyman Richard Brodsky has sponsored a bill placing limits on companies' targeting activity. More
In the US, The Nielsen Group has promoted Karen Watson to the position of Chief Communications Officer and Senior VP of Global Communications, from her previous title of SVP Communications for Nielsen Media Research. More
In the UK, Harris Interactive has acquired the online consumer Canvasse Opinion Panel from Experian terms were not disclosed. The panel will add up to 200,000 members to the current multi-million Harris Poll Online Panel. More
Kantar Media Research (KMR) has introduced a syndicated study for B2B marketers which measures their brand's relative vitality among product category competitors. More
Ipsos is to acquire 100% of US-based Monroe Mendelsohn Research and its subsidiary Mendelsohn Media Research from current President and CEO Walter McCullough. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US-based online marketing company ValueClick Media says it will launch a platform in the summer offering advertisers behavioral targeting based on predictive analytics. More
In the US, audience measurement system manufacturer TruMedia Technologies has launched the iCapture Mini, a video-based solution to analyze the faces of consumers watching small digital screens in out-of-the-home venues. More
In New York, 'Newsweek Magazine' veteran Mark Kostelec has joined the Ipsos US Media, Content & Technology division as SVP of Sales & Marketing. More
UK 'phone giant BT is facing a possible lawsuit after it admitted using business customers' data without permission, in a trial run for 'Webwise' software from analytics and ad-serving company Phorm. Others including Webfather Tim Berners-Lee have been joining the privacy debate. More
In the UK, marketing group TMN Plc has reacted coolly to a £40m preliminary approach from Tangent Communications, saying that the proposed price 'significantly undervalues' the company and its prospects. More
In the US, media buying agency Starcom USA has announced that it will only negotiate upfront TV ad deals with networks that apply quant 'precision metrics' to their sales offerings. More
In the US, Arbitron is to offer a 'second chance' diary to respondents who have agreed to participate in a survey, but failed to return their diary. The move is an attempt to bolster response rates for hard to reach demographics. More
In the UK, digital marketing group Tangent Communications is considering a c.£40m takeover bid for rival TMN, which owns research agencies iD Factor and ICD Research. More
In the US, former Synovate SVP Joel Rubinson has joined the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) as Chief Research Officer. More
In the UK, media, entertainment and communications research agency Essential has appointed Chris Hurry as Senior Research Manager in the firm's quant department. Hurry was previously Customer Insights Manager at GCap Radio. More
Nielsen and US cable TV company Charter Communications have partnered to analyze digital set-top box (STB) data from 330,000 households in the Los Angeles area. More
In the US, high-tech market research firm In-Stat has launched a new service to provide deployment information for mobile wireless technology such as Mobile WiMAX, HSPA, EV-DO and future 4G technologies. More
TNS has grouped several of its North American operating units into a new division, TNS media, with Dean DeBiase as CEO. TNS media intelligence and TNS media research join newly-acquired companies Compete and Cymfony to form the new entity. More
The Nielsen Company has launched Nielsen PreView, a business-to-business research service which brings the group's range of marketing and media information sources to bear on issues identified as important by members on a web site. More
US-based online and mobile research supplier Invoke Solutions is to benefit from $7 million in funding led by Portland, Maine-based North Atlantic Capital and its existing investors Bain Capital and BEV Capital. More
No evidence of an economic squeeze in today's financial news from online researcher BrainJuicer. Audited results for the year ended 31 December 2007 show organic revenue up 42% to £6.57m and operating profit up 77% to £844,000. More
M:Metrics has launched its M:Ad competitive tracking service for mobile advertising in the UK, four months after its successful rollout in the United States. The company says the service will be rolled out to the major European markets during 2008. More
The Nielsen Company continues to break new ground following its rebranding from VNU last year. Today it announced its first global brand awareness campaign, built around a marketing collaboration with The New York Times Company and including sole sponsorship of an Olympics Special issue of the latter's 'PLAY' sports magazine. More
In the US, Motorola's Chief Marketing Officer Kenneth 'Casey' Keller has left the firm following a restructure which has seen his job 'absorbed' by two of his former deputies Jeremy Dale who is marketing chief for the mobile devices unit, and Eduardo Conrado who will run marketing for the rest of the firm. More
US web analytics firm Omniture has partnered with Chinese language Internet search firm Baidu to provide online marketers around the world with access to Chinese consumers. More
The Presidents of three US radio stations have given their different reactions to recent news of the Media Rating Council's refusal of accreditation for Arbitron's PPM in New York and Philadelphia. Cox Radio's Bob Neil says Arbitron's 'hollow promises' are on 'full display' while others say the problems are 'not unusual'. More
In the UK, online market research agency YouGov has signed an agreement with stockbroker Numis and equity fund management firm FOUR Capital Partners, to form a venture hedge fund to exploit investment opportunities identified through its consumer research. More
Nielsen is to incorporate Ad-ID (Advertising Digital Identification) coding into its 'KeepingTrac' system, which enables advertisers to check that their TV ads ran according to their media plans. More
TNS has promoted Richard Marks to the position of Global Sector Head of TNS Media Research the Internet, TV and radio audience measurement arm of TNS Media. More
In the UK, YouGov has appointed Andy Barker as Head of Qualitative, to work with sector heads to develop an integrated consulting offer for clients. More
Online panel specialist Lightspeed Research has launched a new weekly omnibus to provide clients with fast access to consumer opinion across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. More
In the US, Publicis-owned communications agency Optimedia International has released a new quarterly TV ratings/value system to examine both a TV show's traditional audience, and its viewers across all digital platforms. More
Harris Interactive has been awarded a patent for its Rapid Exposure system, which controls the length of time survey respondents can view an image online. More
In the UK, BBC Worldwide has promoted Stella Creasey to the newly created role of VP of Research for Global TV Sales. More
Nielsen Online has promoted Megan Clarken to the position of MD, Pacific to lead the firm's commercial business in Australia and New Zealand. 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
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
Arbitron has revealed that the Media Rating Council turned down accreditation of its PPM service in Philadelphia and New York, in January. However, the firm says it has made 'significant improvements' since the audits concerned, and an MRC statement also seems to offer encouragement for the PPM. More
Research Process Outsourcing (RPO) company Pulse Group has launched its second new office of the year, this time in New Delhi, and says it aims to boost client development throughout the South Asian region. Nitin Gulati will lead the new location. More
Beijing-based iSoftStone Information Service Corp is to acquire Seattle, USA-based business and technology consulting firm Akona Consulting. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Ofcom's former Director of Market Research and current Director of Media Literacy and Convergent Media, Helen Normoyle, is to join the BBC in May as Head of Audiences. 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
Online panel community and survey technology provider Toluna has announced the launch of a Japanese panel community, currently at 25,000 active members and forecast to reach 40,000 by June 2008. More
Harris Interactive has announced that Len Bayer, who co-founded the company more than 30 years ago and currently serves as Chief Scientist, Chief Technology Officer and Director, is to retire at the end of March. He will be replaced by Harris veteran David Bakken. 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
Following yesterday's news that Microsoft is to test a new approach to measuring online ads, the firm has announced its acquisition of Israeli behavioural targeting technology firm YaData. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Israel's business bible Globes estimates that the price tag was $20m to $30m. More
WPP-owned ad agency OgilvyAction has appointed Mark Singer to lead development of its Last Mile Activation consumer analytics practice in North America, while Ken Featherston joins as Director of Shopper Marketing. More
Nielsen has set up a national Hispanic/Latino Advisory Council (HLAC) to guide the company's recruitment, measurement and reporting of Hispanic TV households in the US. More
Microsoft is to test a new approach to measuring Internet ad campaigns, which supplements 'last ad clicked' metrics by taking into account all the online interactions that lead up to a purchase. More
Nielsen Online has appointed Rene Lamsfuss to the newly created role of Senior Director, Product & Methodology EMEA, where he will work alongside European industry bodies to tailor the firm's suite of Internet measurement technologies to the needs of the regional market. 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
The Board of Directors of the US-based Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has formally adopted privacy guidelines designed to give users control over the use of their personal data by online advertisers. More
Arbitron has lowered its 2008 earnings outlook as a result of terminating its Project Apollo joint venture yesterday. More
US-based technology analyst IDC is opening a base in Canberra, Australia for its Government Insights practice. The office will be headed by the group's Federal Government Business Manager Michael Hennessey. 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
Arbitron and Nielsen have ditched development of 'Project Apollo', their much-vaunted scheme to give a better understanding of the link between consumer exposure to advertising through multiple media and shopping / purchasing behaviour. More
In Singapore, IT specialist Springboard Research has appointed Michael Barnes as VP for Software Research. More
Nielsen Online has signed a contract with a consortium of Bulgarian media companies to develop a common audience measurement currency in the country. More
Arbitron has appointed Taymoor Arshi as its new SVP and Chief Technology Officer, replacing Ron Kolessar who is set to retire this summer after 42 years service with the firm and its predecessor companies. More
In the US, Peanut Labs which provides market researchers with access to members of social networking sites has received $3.2m in funding from venture capital firms Leapfrog Ventures and BV Capital. More
Online panel specialist Lightspeed Research has appointed Angus Macaskill as VP of Client Operations and Charlie Winn as Panel Operations Director based in the firm's Sydney office. More
In the US, Nielsen has acquired TV analysis and software company Audience Analytics along with its Audience Watch software. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
US Internet survey sample provider Sample Czar has launched a new product to offer survey translation in more than 50 languages. 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 UK's five main mobile phone operators have agreed to work together to define common metrics and measurements for mobile advertising, beginning with traffic to mobile sites. If successful, the metrics should be rolled out internationally. 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
US radio ratings giant Arbitron has reported a 20.7% drop in net income from $4.9m to $3.7m, with soaring costs relating to the roll out of its Portable People Meter (PPM) device. 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
Ratings giant Arbitron has promoted Tom O'Sullivan, a 20-year veteran of the company, to fill the new position of VP/Diary Market Development. The role has been created in response to a request from the Arbitron Radio Advisory Council for a central point of contact for the diary markets. 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
WPP Digital, the digital investment arm of marcoms giant WPP, has bought a stake in web engagement metrics firm NuConomy. While the sum was not disclosed, sources say that the amount totalled $3m. 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
Research Process Outsourcing (RPO) firm Pulse Group has opened an office in London headed by Jonathan Sheldrake, who joins as Associate Director for Europe. More
WPP has launched a new research tool to evaluate sponsorship within the arts, music, film festivals, entertainment and sports markets. More
Panel management expert Jean Davis has been promoted to President of Ipsos Interactive Services in North America, less than a year after joining the firm. More
US firm TRA, Inc. has today unveiled a system for measuring and reporting 'True ROI Accountability' for advertising spend. The firm plans to match ads actually received with products actually bought for a massive 1,000,000 plus US households. 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
Greenfield Online has reported a net revenue increase of 30.2% to $38.4m for the fourth quarter of 2007 compared with $29.5m in the same period last year. Although the comparison shopping business grew faster, the firm's Internet Survey solutions segment recorded an impressive 19.2% rise to $26.7m. More
Online research agency BrainJuicer has hired Susan Casserly Griffin as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development. She will be based in New York and will work with BrainJuicer's global offices servicing clients in more than 50 countries. More
While Internet ratings firm comScore has posted a 39% increase in Q4 2007 revenue to $25.3m, its forecast of lower-than-expected profit for both Q1 and 2008 led to shares tumbling more than 11% in after-hours trading last night. More
Online panel firm Research Now has appointed Phil Rance to the newly created position of UK Commercial Director, with overall responsibility for client development. More
Web technology firm Bango has launched a new product to capture, analyse and measure mobile specific data about web site visitors. More
London-based BDRC has acquired Continental Research from its US owner Arbitron. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Technology research and consulting competitors Gartner and Forrester have both reported increases in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2007 and for the full year. More
NBC Universal's Bravo Media and Oxygen Media units have consolidated their TV research and promoted Bravo VP Program Research Tony Cardinale to lead it. More
In London, survey software firm Merlinco has expanded with the opening of a new survey analysis department to provide an in-house facility for clients, and a hosting service for the firm's web survey facilities. 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
Former Henley Centre exec Marcus Hickman has teamed up with Jo Davies, formerly of KPMG and Cranfield School of Management, to form a new insight and strategy firm, Davies Hickman Partners. Hickman takes the role of Chief Executive. More
European panel and survey technology provider Toluna says it expects to report 2007 growth of more than 45% in both sales and operating profits. More
In New York, behavioral marketing firm x+1 has hired former Marketing Management Analytics (MMA) Co-President & Chief Client Officer John Nardone as its new CEO; overseeing all company operations including product development and client relationships. More
In London, ABI Research has promoted Stuart Carlaw to VP and Research Director, in charge of the mobile wireless practice team. He will continue to serve as Senior Executive, overseeing European operations. More
German consultancy IFM International Sportanalysen GmbH (IFM) has acquired a majority stake in the UK's Sports Marketing Surveys (SMS). More
Nielsen has hired Cheryl Idell, most recently Executive VP, Media and Marketing Planning at Twentieth Century Fox, to lead the growth of its media analytics products. 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
Online fieldwork and panel specialist Research Now has appointed Peter Blansjaar to head up its operations, project delivery and quality assurance systems in the Asia Pacific region. More
In London, TNS is ready to launch what it claims is the UK's first one-day turnaround Omnibus, aiming to provide clients with an 'instant snapshot of consumer opinion and behaviour'. More
US-based global research firm OTX (Online Testing eXchange) has partnered with Mexican research and public opinion agency RVOX to work together on large scale custom pan-American and global projects. More
IT specialist Springboard Research has hired Bryan Wang as a Research Director focusing on Connectivity. Wang takes responsibility for increasing the firm's profile in the telecoms, mobility and data communications markets. More
In the US, online audience measurement firm Hitwise has appointed former Nielsen Online Senior Retail Analyst Heather Dougherty as Director of Research. More
TNS has formed a partnership with Buenos Aires-based Livra Panels to offer additional online access panel research services across Latin America. More
In San Francisco, GfK Technology has appointed Sanjay Mutha as Managing Director, responsible for the growth and expansion of the North American technology practice and for building the local team. More
After more than two decades with radio ratings giant Arbitron in the US, Scott Musgrave has joined broadcast monitoring and verification service Media Monitors. More
London-based panels firm Research Now has ended the 2007 financial year with a 168% rise in revenue to £25.8m, and has doubled its organic revenue, now £19.2m. More
In London, newspaper group Telegraph Media Group (TMG) has announced that current AOL UK Head of Marketing Barry Flanigan will join the group in March as Marketing Director, working across all marketing disciplines including research and strategy. More
Canadian MR data collection firm Itracks has launched a new tool, known as Socrates, to provide moderators with the ability to probe deeper for insights while interviewing online. More
UK telecoms giant BT has selected WPP-owned Kantar Group to manage its consumer brand and customer tracking projects. More
In the US, Integrated Media Measurement Inc. (IMMI) has closed a $25m series c funding initiative, led by WPP's Kantar Media Research (KMR). More
CINT, the Swedish online sampling and panel management solutions firm, is to open its first overseas office in Atlanta, Georgia next week. More
Former Time Warner Cable VP Bruce Haymes has joined Nielsen as head of the firm's new Nielsen Digital Media Manager service, designed to enable companies to monitor, manage and profit from the distribution of traditional media content on the Internet. More
Nielsen has officially launched NORA, its measurement service that compiles video-on-demand (VOD) usage figures from real-time transactions collected at the set-top box level. More
In the US, social media software developer SocialMedia Networks has appointed Richard Frankel as Chief Operation Officer, in charge of driving the overal growth and development of the firm. More
Online research software firm Confirmit has posted a 68% increase in revenue for the final quarter of 2007, including 38% organic growth. The Q4 total of $12.8m includes $2.5m consolidated revenue from the acquisition of MR software firm Pulse Train. More
WPP-owned global ad agency Ogilvy and Mather has introduced its consumer behaviour analytics tool 'The Last Mile' in the United Arab Emirates, through the launch of its OgilvyAction subsidiary in Dubai. More
Nielsen has expanded its telecom and mobile research division Nielsen Mobile, with the establishment of operations in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Russia. The firm plans additional expansion throughout Europe later this year. More
TNS is launching its 6thdimension Interactive Research services in Latin America and has appointed Trixie Cartwright as Regional Director for Interactive Research, based in Buenos Aires. More
In Australia, communications services group STW is splitting its panels business The Online Research Unit (The ORU) from its MR agency AMR Interactive, and has appointed AMR Chairman and Founder Brian Fine to head the offshoot. AMR Interactive will now be run by MD Gary Wilkinson. More
In the US, online research specialist MarketTools has hired Mark Frost as EVP and General Manager of Products and Technology, to oversee the firm's Software as a Service (SaaS) business unit. More
UK-based agency B2B International is taking its panel of medical practitioners online, to allow respondents to complete questionnaires at their own convenience. More
Online research specialist Invoke Solutions has launched a suite of online and mobile applications to help clients access real-time quant and qual insights more easily. More
TNS has merged its own continuous research service in China with that of its joint venture CTR Market Research, under the Worldpanel brand. Jason Yu is appointed to lead the newly merged unit as General Manager, TNS Worldpanel China. More
Lightspeed Research has signed a deal to give a new incentive for completion of its questionnaires. The agreement with EMI Music via digital content specialist The Licensing Agency (TLA), will offer respondents free music and video downloads. More
In the US, consumer information firm Knowledge Networks (KN), has launched a system which helps users link brand-building to media planning by combining brand awareness data with return on marketing objective (ROMO) information. More
Panels and online research firm Research Now is to open its third office in Germany on 1st March, in Munich, and has appointed Client Development Manager Oliver Tjarks to lead it. More
Canadian-based Vision Critical has appointed Ida Goodreau to its Board of Directors. Ms. Goodreau is currently President and CEO of Vancouver Coastal Health, one of Canada's largest public health organizations. More
Former Ipsos France Joint MD Stéphane Truchi is to become Chairman of the Executive Board of French market research and polling firm Ifop (Institut Franįais d'Opinion Publique). More
Just seven months after he was appointed MD of Nielsen//NetRatings Australia, Allan Dibb is leaving due to what the firm describes as 'personal issues'. More
Warner Brothers has promoted Sue Kroll to President Worldwide Marketing - a new position where she will oversee all aspects of the studio's marketing from market research to campaigns and publicity. More
In the US, Greenfield Online and database company and ORC owner infoUSA have partnered to develop a panel of small business decision makers, powered by infoUSA data. More
TNS's joint venture CSM Media Research has been given the go-ahead to undertake TV and radio audience measurement in China for a further 10 years. More
In the UK, IT/telecoms insight specialist the Analysys Mason Group has appointed George Stojsavljevic as Sales Director of its research division, where he will be responsible for global sales of reports, syndicated programmes and custom research projects. More
Nielsen Media Research has informed clients that it is close to making a decision on whether to make its local TV ratings more consistent with national TV ratings currency. More
In the US, digital marketing agency Digitaria has hired Warren Raisch, author of 'The eMarketplace: Strategies for Success in B2B Commerce', for its newly created position of Chief Customer Officer. More
Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) provider Vovici has acquired DIY web-survey software specialist Surveyo, for an undisclosed sum. More
Global marketing communications group Havas has signed an agreement with TNS Media Intelligence (TNSMI), ending its contract with Nielsen Monitor-Plus and making TNSMI its primary provider for competitive advertising intelligence. More
In the republic of Georgia, state financed TV station Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) has threatened AGB Nielsen Media with legal action if it continues to distribute its ratings. Nielsen's representative in the region is also accusing competitor BCG Research of being unfairly awarded a government ratings contract. More
In the UK, marketing budgets in the last quarter of 2007 were cut significantly in response to concerns about the economy and weak sales, says the latest IPA Bellwether quarterly survey of marketing spend. Just 6.2% of budget was allocated to market research during the year. 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, MR and consulting group Cello has bought a 23% stake in youth market research and creative agency Face, with options to buy the remaining equity through a staged earn-out during the next three to five years. More
In the US, media research firm Coleman Insights is launching a series of studies to examine how Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) reports the responses of radio audiences to different programmes. More
Nielsen has promoted Justin Sargent from Executive Commercial Director to UK MD. He succeeds Eleni Nicholas, who has taken on the role of Commercial Development Officer, Nielsen Europe while retaining her Group MD role for Nielsen's UK and Irish business. More
Following a series of problems with its TV coding system, Nielsen Media Research has written to US TV stations asking them to help ensure there are no future glitches. Nielsen has also sent them a 'Guide to Encoder Best Practices', which outlines the correct coding procedures. More
Global marcoms giant WPP has acquired consumer market research firm Yankelovich, and will be merging the company into its consumer trends and future research agency, Henley Centre HeadlightVision. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Internet data collection and comparison shopping firm Greenfield Online has launched a suite of Asia-Pacific online omnibus products for the Japanese, Chinese, Indian and Australian markets. More
UK commercial radio association RadioCentre is creating a new team of five, to bring together its research and insight capabilities. More
UK holding group Optimisa has announced that Paul Nola is the new MD at Buckingham Research Associates. Previously an Account Director at sister company kae: marketing intelligence, Nola replaces MD Tony Isaacs who is leaving the firm after seven years. More
European online data collection firm ODC Services has rolled out new panels in Austria, Poland and the Netherlands to meet the growing needs of its clients. More
GfK has expanded its global network with the acquisition of Australian research firm the Blue Moon Group, while taking a 51% majority stake in Macedonian MR agency Stratum Research. More
Another day, another legal challenge. Now it's Arbitron's turn: Kansas-based Manhattan Broadcasting has filed a complaint with the FCC claiming anti-competitive practice by the radio audience researcher and its client, African-American focused media firm Morris Communications. More
Vovici, the Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) provider headed by former Greenfield Online boss Dean Wiltse, has hired Steve Freeman as SVP of Sales, tasked with setting sales strategy and overseeing all selling activity. 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
Just two months after web analytics firm WebTrends replaced its CEO and three VPs left the company, Chief Marketing Officer Tim Kopp has also left to take up the same post at e-mail marketing firm ExactTarget. More
Nielsen has announced plans for the September launch of an enhanced weighting procedure for its TV ratings estimates. It will also be consolidating all its national ratings systems into a single 'calculation platform' during the next two years. 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
Retail giant Sears Roebuck has been forced to disable part of its web site ManageMyHome.com because of complaints that customers were able to access each other's personal data. More
Sony Pictures Television (SPT) has awarded NielsenConnect a contract to develop audience metrics to quantify the combined impact of its television and Internet platforms, to help its advertisers better understand the make-up and behaviour of audiences. More
Greenfield Online-owned Ciao Surveys has hired Chris Watson as Senior Director, Client Development for the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands; and promoted Leslie Abell, Christophe Deguignet and Cedric Maury. More
UK-based TMN Group plc, parent company of panel operator iDFactor and Internet specialist ICD Research, has made its first overseas acquisition, Dutch digital DM company TAPPS B.V., for up to £7.94m. More
Media research tool provider Balihoo has raised $4m, intended for increased sales and marketing efforts with the media buying and planning community. More
Greenfield Online will be launching its Real-Time Sampling(TM) virtual panels in the UK and Canada later this month, and plans to launch in Germany and France in the first quarter. More
Israeli MR company The Market Watch Institute has been commissioned to conduct Internet rating surveys on behalf of a consortium led by the Association of Advertisers in Israel, 12 interactive agencies and a number of the country's leading portals. More
Recently launched online panel and community research consultancy Beehive Research has appointed former Confirmit Senior Solutions Consultant Rune Wennesland as Head of Operations. More
In the US, online qual agency iModerate has hired former Sony Marketing Research and Consumer Insights Manager Robert Liguori as Director of Strategic Accounts. More
Sears Holdings has been accused of distributing comScore 'spyware' tracking all Internet usage including banking logins and e-mail without users' explicit consent. Computer Associates researcher Benjamin Googins and Harvard Professor Ben Edelman have each made separate criticisms. More
Technology researcher ABI Research has appointed Cesar Bachelet to the position of Senior Analyst, Multi-Channel Video and Zippy Aima as Industry Analyst, Digital Media. More
Norwegian investment group Altaria Private Equity has purchased 93% of the shares of fieldwork group Norstat, reports Scandinavian research site SMRN. Altaria aims to buy the remainder and take the company private it is currently listed on the Oslo stock exchange. 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
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released a 'final' version of its Rich Media Measurement Guidelines, following a 30-day public comment period. More
eBay research specialist DataUnison has launched an Integrated Price Research Web Service for general use by eBay developers. Users get access to 30 days of historical pricing for eBay. More
In the US, software firm Lidlow Worldwide Inc. has released Delve!(TM), a next generation platform which promises to 'bring many of the tools market researchers currently use in traditional discussion groups to online qualitative'. More
WPP's brand development business Added Value has acquired US-based consultancy Cheskin. Cheskin Added Value will retain a high degree of autonomy with Darrel Rhea maintaining his leadership role as CEO. More
Audience measurement continues to bring its share of legal problems for Nielsen worldwide. Today, the court in the Philippines 'bribery' case ordered a halt in TV audience fieldwork; while in Spain, a newspaper has filed a claim against the ratings giant for losing it '$1.4m' in ad revenue. More
TNS has appointed Rosie Hawkins as Global Head of Brand & Communications Research. Relocating to London, she will report to Global Head of Strategy & Innovation John Abraham. More
Lightspeed Research has hired John Short as Director of Panel Operations in North America, reporting directly to regional CEO Michael Gazala. He joins from comScore, Inc. where he was Program Manager of Panel Operations. More
Research Now has added three more online panels to its global offer in Mexico, Chile and Argentina. The firm already operates panels in the US, Canada and Brazil, as well as Europe and Australia. More
The Nielsen Company and INVIDI Technologies Corporation have today announced a multi-year agreement to share data and explore ways to measure personalized television ads targeted at specific viewers. More
BARB has awarded the contract to provide UK TV audience measurement currency to TNS. Beginning in 2010 after a year's trial running in parallel with the current service, TNS will operate a 5,100 home meter panel. More
Emerging technology specialist Lux Research, Inc. has a new Chief Executive. Dennis Philbin joins from IDC where he was Senior VP for Vertical Market Business Units and New Ventures. More
Bangalore-based offshore MR provider Markelytics Solutions India Pvt. Ltd is to offer its online MR services to the domestic market too helped by an expansion of its operations including an additional facility housing a team dedicated to Indian customers. 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
In the US, Market Strategies International has re-hired Ken Athaide as SVP in its Technology research and consulting division, to lead the expansion of its tracking research business. He previously managed the firm's Media and Telecommunications practice from 1992 to 2000. More
The MrWeb site has had its first major overhaul and redesign in several years, including a new logo and frame-free html. More
In the UK, YouGov's former Head of Market Research Mark Hodson has launched a new agency with the aim of providing the 'handmade' feel of traditional market research in the online marketplace. More
Survey Sampling International (SSI) has promoted Debi Hart to VP Global Panel Solutions based in the Netherlands, and Jackie Lorch to VP Global Knowledge Management, working in the firm's headquarters in Fairfield Connecticut. More
New York headquartered SIS International Research has launched a suite of market intelligence services to provide competitor information and track industry trends. More
In Canada, Destiny Media has launched a version of its Clipstream software specifically for protecting clients' media content from theft, copying or reuse when embeded in surveys. More
Millward Brown has hired James Galpin, previously of Carat Insight, as Senior VP in its Global Media Practice, the specialist division which supports other Millward Brown companies. More
Caroline Rushton has rejoined UK-based research firm Quaestor, as a Director of Qmedia, its specialist media division. 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
Canadian online panel firm Vision Critical has expanded into the European market with the opening of an office in central London. The firm has also launched the latest release of its survey authoring, support, panel management and reporting and analysis system, Panel+. More
Search engine optimisation (SEO) firm Top Position has launched a service combining standard SEO services with a range of competitor analysis tools. More
TNS has announced a 'consolidation' of its Technology research sector in Australia, with the appointments of Jon Foged as National Director of Technology, and Justin Connally and Kim Albert as Directors. More
YouGov has announced trading 'in line with the Board's expectations' in the 2007 financial year to date, including in its three newly acquired businesses. Meanwhile Dr Michel Floyd joins as Global CTO. More
Social marketing and measurement agency Boldmouth has hired Scott Hildebrand, previously of Capital One, as its new Chairman and CEO. More
In the US, consumer web analytics firm Compete has released Behavior Match(TM), a tool to improve the measurement and targeting of online advertising campaigns. More
US-based web behavioral targeting specialist Revenue Science has been issued a patent to develop audience exchange technology which it says will change the way marketers and publishers buy and sell behaviourally-targeted advertising. More
Facing pressure from clients, Arbitron yesterday said it would guarantee delivery of 80% of the target size for its panels, down from 90% previously. Meanwhile, minority broadcasters' association NABOB has reawakened memories of the Nielsen Media controversy of two years ago with talk of a Congressional Investigation. More
Sampling solutions provider Survey Sampling International (SSI) has appointed three new VPs to strengthen its global operations. Kim Giangrande will manage Global HR; Suresh Subbiah, Global Client Services and Delivery; and Harold Kelley, Global Marketing. More
Greenfield Online has appointed Mark Shepherd as Director of Internet Survey Solutions, to establish the new Greenfield-Ciao office in Tokyo while helping expand the firm's Asia-Pacific operations. More
Nielsen has partnered with secure identity solutions firm Digimarc to develop a system to enable media companies, social networks, peer-to-peer services and user generated sites to track the distribution of media content across the Internet. More
Social enterprise firm Votivation is to use its online voting system to canvass the opinion of 300,000 young people who are eligible to vote at next January's UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) elections. More
In the US, business information giant Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) has acquired online business resource AllBusiness.com, in a move which the firms say will create one of the largest audiences of 'intent-driven' business decision-makers on the web. More
Nielsen will be giving its client forum, the Council For Research Excellence (CRE) an additional $2.5m, to enable it to conduct its own methodological research on video audience measurement. The grant is Nielsen's third since the council was founded in 2005, and brings its total donations to $7.5m. More
Online fieldwork and panel specialist Research Now is aiming to raise £7m by placing 2.33 million shares with institutional investors. More
Technology researcher Springboard has opened a global research centre in Casablanca, Morocco, to serve its clients in the Middle East and Africa. More
In the UK, retail analysis specialist Cartogen has launched a new service to help e-commerce businesses with consumer profiling by providing access to demographic, lifestyle and behavioural information based on postcode data. 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
Television marketing body Thinkbox and the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) are to undertake a joint research project in the UK, to look at the effectiveness of using TV and online ad campaigns in tandem. 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
Roseville, USA-based private equity fund DCA Capital Partners is investing an undisclosed sum in online survey technology firm Decipher, Inc. 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
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
Aegis-owned Carat Asia Pacific has announced changes in its regional management team, to prepare for a more 'consumer centric' and digital era. Will Swayne becomes MD of Carat Hong Kong, while Mr K Subramanian is promoted to Regional Communications Planning Director, based in Singapore. More
In Australia, following a three-month review of how online audiences should be measured, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has announced that a panel-based methodology should become the industry standard. Nielsen Online has branded the decision 'a step backwards'. More
A new US company will profile members of social networking sites and provide market researchers with access to them. The firm, Peanut Labs, says the approach will deliver the 'sought after, but hard to reach' 13-25 year-olds known as 'Generation Y'. More
The European Union's Article 29 Working Party, which examines data protection issues, is to investigate privacy concerns connected with targeted online advertising. More
Millward Brown (MB) has promoted former EVP Global Development Gordon Pincott to the position of Chairman - Global Solutions, in charge of both existing and newly developed client offerings. He will now sit on the firm's Global Management Board. More
Harris Interactive has appointed Peggy Lebenson as Senior VP, to lead its Financial Services Research team. More
In the US, Knowledge Networks/SRI (KN/SRI) has hired Thomas Maguire as Vice President to help develop new products and approaches for its Yellow Pages (YP) specialism. More
US branding agency Carmichael Lynch has promoted Corey Johnson to the new position of Director of Consumer Engagement. More
Greenfield Online has announced the reorganisation of its worldwide survey business, in a move which the firm says will enable it to operate its European, North American and Asian Internet businesses as one global entity, while increasing operational efficiency. More
Web site and mobile measurement firm Keynote Systems has upgraded its two flagship products to enable firms to more accurately test Web 2.0 end-user experience. More
Following last week's demands by US broadcasters that Arbitron takes 'immediate action' to resolve sampling issues with its Portable People Meter (PPM), the firm's President & CEO Steve Morris has acknowledged the need to 'revisit previous assumptions' and has suggested talks. More
UK-based Vox Pops International has launched its own Internet TV service, with access to an archive of filmed consumer interviews; and a youth service comprising video interviews conducted with 15-21 year-olds across China, Germany, Mexico, India, Russia and the USA. More
Forrester Research has announced results for its third quarter, ended September 30, and has regained compliance with SEC and Nasdaq reporting requirements by filing its form 10-Qs for the first three quarters of the year. More
European panel and survey technology provider Toluna has announced an exclusive cooperation agreement with b2b information provider Incisive Media Limited, to build panels across the latter's vertical markets including financial and professional services. More
As Toluna announces its agreement with Incisive, UK-based rival The iD Factor has announced the availability of 22 specialist panels covering 'a comprehensive range of niche markets', based on pre-profiling of 145,000 UK consumer members of its Home of Research panel. More
UK-based software firm Netemic has launched iFeed Agency, a monitoring and analysis tool helping PR and communications specialists to query and monitor social media such as blogs, forums and wikis. More
Online agency MetrixLab has acquired web site and software usability research specialist 2C in the Netherlands. 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
comScore has announced the launch of comScore Marketer, a tool enabling marketers and web site managers to benchmark their site's performance against those of competitors, and optimise ROI from their search marketing strategy. More
Online panel provider Lightspeed Research has strengthened its UK team with the appointment of Anna Morgan, Donna Franklin and Eunice Vicente. More
In the US, technology research firm Yankee Group has redesigned two of its proprietary data products to include enhanced research content, expanded geographic coverage in emerging markets, and new data tools. More
Some of the USA's largest broadcasters have petitioned Arbitron to demand that the firm takes 'immediate action' to resolve sampling issues experienced with its Portable People Meter ratings. More
Reports in the UK suggest that the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB) could be about to award its next £10m TV audience measurement contract to TNS/Arbitron. The current contract runs out in 2010. 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
Online analytics firm WebTrends has partnered with email service provider Silverpop to offer quantitative tracking for email campaigns. 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
Online survey software firm and MarketTools subsidiary Zoomerang has launched a solution for researchers and marketers who wish to generate their own mobile phone surveys. More
In the US, Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) has launched a new online tool to help small and medium-sized companies assess the health of their customer relationships. More
The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has endorsed a set of recommendations to provide marketers with more useful information, streamline ABC rules and audits, and modify key circulation standards. More
In the US, CBS Radio has named Lucy Hughes Senior Vice President Research, with a remit to examine current trends and develop new concepts and strategies for positioning the company's brand. More
Nielsen Online has added an additional 12 portals to the list of 40 it currently monitors for its Market Intelligence service in Hong Kong. More
In the US, technology specialist Rockbridge Associates has hired Joseph Bates as Vice President Research. More
Radio ratings leader Arbitron has responded to a strong attack on its PPM device and methodology by the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB). NABOB points to 'significant flaws' and 'tremendous fee increases'; Arbitron says the PPM is tried, tested, audited and better than diaries. More
Quantcast, provider of an open Internet ratings service, has hired Adam Gerber as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), based in a new NYC office. More
Online research software firm Confirmit has announced the release of its Confirmit 12 product, which includes what it calls 'the world's first engine for concurrent sampling'. More
In the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has issued a 30-day call for public comment on its Rich Media Measurement Guidelines. It has also hired three new executives for its management team. More
European online MR agency MetrixLab has appointed Sam Latifi to head up its Automotive Business Development and New Product Development team. 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
MR veteran Alexander (Lex) Olivier has retired after 20 years with Kantar-owned firms Millward Brown (MB), Research International (RI) and Lightspeed. However, he remains Director General of EFAMRO the European federation of research associations which he helped found. More
In Toronto, consumer intelligence firm Generation5 has promoted Joe Nicholson to CEO. His focus will include the raising of venture capital financing as well as overseeing development of the firm's web-based intelligence platform ConsumerFocus. More
Greenfield Online has reported a 29.9% Q3 net revenue hike to $32.3m, and a 25.4% climb in profits. The firm's Chairman Peter Sobiloff will step down at the end of the year to be replaced by Joel Mesznik, who has served as a Board member since 1999. More
In the US, market discovery software firm Accelovation has launched a new tool to help food manufacturers source information on scientific research, consumer trends and innovations. More
In Seattle, QL2 Software has introduced four new market intelligence services designed to help marketers make 'faster and better' business decisions about products, pricing, competitive positioning and consumer opinions and preferences. More
Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) rating service has come in for fierce criticism from Bob Neil, President and CEO of Cox Radio, during his firm's third quarter conference call. 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
US firm BuzzLogic has launched the public beta test of its new Ad Targeting feature, which promises advertisers the ability to spot individual online conversations about products, brands and issues and rapidly feed them tailored ads. More
Canadian firm In-Touch Survey Systems has posted a 48% increase in revenue to $1.4m in Q3, citing new US-based customers and a change of business direction as major reasons for sales growth. More
Starfish Research has launched Online Customer Communities, a service enabling panel members to share experiences, offer advice, brainstorm ideas and comment on market trends. More
Bill Ratcliffe, who was President of Millward Brown (MB) Canada for 13 years, has joined WPP company MediaCom Worldwide as Global Head of Consumer Insights & Receptivity. More
ABI Research has hired Janet Wise for the new position of Director Primary Research, co-ordinating end-user survey research for both consumer and business markets. More
Audience-FAX, the joint initiative backed by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) and the Newspaper Association of America (NAA), has been launched on schedule. The service integrates data from sources including Scarborough Research, NetRatings and comScore to combine print and online newspaper audience stats. More
Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) has been selected as one of TIME Magazine's 'Best Inventions of 2007' alongside such icons as the Apple iPhone and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. More
Yankee Group has appointed Stephen H. Goldstein as Senior VP of its global Consulting practice. More
Forrester Research has completed its stock-based compensation review and filed its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 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
In the US, online analytics firm WebTrends has replaced CEO Greg Drew with board member Bruce Coleman, while three Vice Presidents Jason Palmer, Tore Steen and Hamid Bahadori have also left the company. 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
In the US, online research firm InsightExpress has expanded its analytics team with the promotion of John Pemberton to VP Senior Director of Research Development & Consulting, and the appointment of Stephanie Young-Helou as VP Director of Marketing Sciences and Consulting. More
In the US, a coalition of nine privacy and consumer groups has asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to implement a 'Do-Not-Track' list for Internet users who do not want their online activities tracked, stored and used by advertisers and marketers. More
Online measurement firm comScore has reported a 39% increase in revenue to $22.4m for the quarter ended 30 September 2007. This compares with an increase of 8% for the second quarter of the year. 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
TNS has announced a global quality programme for its panels, Six Degrees of Online Quality - to begin next year. More
AOL-owned behavioral targeting firm TACODA, has appointed analyst and quant researcher Dan Grigorovici as VP of Data Strategy and Analytics, while Khan Smith has been promoted to the post of Chief Privacy Officer. More
In New York, email competitor intelligence and analytics specialist Email Data Source (EDS) has hired Carter Nicholas as its new Chief Executive Officer. More
Nielsen Media Research is commencing the Singapore launch of the Nielsen Personal Outdoor Device (Npod), and plans to launch the measurement system in Hong Kong in the near future. More
Technology consultancy Gartner, Inc. has reported results for the third quarter, with rapid growth in its Research business segment. The segment represents almost two thirds of its revenue and in Q3 saw contract value rise 18% year-on-year to a record $704.7m, following investment in its sales force. More
Global agency Fieldwork International Healthcare has launched an online panel in Japan, providing access to more than 150,000 physicians. More
In the UK, communications research agency MESH Planning has hired Anna Wills as Account Manager, supporting new clients Sony and Orange. More
In the US, Forrester Interactive has appointed web strategist Jeremiah Owyang as Senior Analyst, focusing on social computing and interactive marketing. More
Business optimization software firm Omniture Inc. has agreed to acquire Visual Sciences, Inc., formerly WebSideStory, in a cash and shares deal worth around $394 million. More
Online competitive intelligence service Hitwise is launching 'New and Returning Visitors', the latest feature for its Clickstream service. The new data will split web site visitors into new and repeat traffic, with information on where each type comes from and goes to. More
Two European online ad bodies, IAB Europe and the EIAA, are to collaborate to develop 'standard, comprehensive international definitions' for interactive audience measurement. The standards will cover site-centric, user-centric and combined measurement systems. More
Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) provider Vovici has launched SurveyNOW, a DIY online research solution using templates based on the firm's experience publishing and processing huge numbers of online questionnaires. More
European-based panels firm Toluna has launched what it calls 'the world's first Web 2.0 online panel community'. The new 'widget' format system, available initially to UK panellists, enables them to conduct their own research including polls, opinion reviews and debates. More
Software and panels firm GMI (Global Market Insight) has appointed John Purrier as VP Global Technology. He brings more than 25 years of software development experience to the role. More
In the US, online research firm InsightExpress has expanded its Digital Media Measurement division with the homecoming of Dan Campbell as Director of Media and Publishing. More
Google has partnered with Nielsen to provide data which pinpoints what kinds of viewers are watching the ads which the Internet search giant sells through its Google TV Ads network. More
Using feedback from its own research, retail group Mothercare has launched a social networking site called Gurgle where parents can share their child-rearing experiences. More
Online intelligence firm Hitwise has launched a service to provide e-tailers with weekly online shopping trend data based on how US Internet users interact with more than 20,000 sites. More
London-based media intelligence provider Screen Digest Ltd is to acquire Adams Media Research, based in Carmel, California and focused on the US home entertainment market. More
Sector specialist R. L. Polk & Co., together with partners The Cobalt Group and Yahoo!, has announced results for the 2007 Dealer eBusiness Performance Study, billed as 'the largest research initiative in the automotive industry'. More
Text analytics specialist Lexalytics has upgraded its Salience Engine product, a tool for gauging the 'sentiment and tone' of blogs to help customers understand and act on what's being said about them and their competitors. More
Synovate China has launched a bi-monthly online omnibus to offer clients access to Chinese consumers' tastes, habits and attitudes. More
CSM Media Research a TNS joint venture with Chinese MR firm CTR Market Research is about to commence field tests of Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) to measure radio audiences in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. More
Texas-based Sentient Services has launched a Virtual Awareness(TM) market research solution and a second life research centre; while Connecticut's Kalypso Agency has introduced a second life omnibus service. More
In Chicago, sports, marketing and media services agency rEvolution has hired former Knowledge Networks (KN) sponsorship specialist Darren Marshall to guide its new Sponsorship Research Group as Senior Vice President. More
Media Contacts (MC), the interactive network of Havas Media, has hired Jarvis Mak as VP US Director of Research and Insights, based in its San Francisco office. More
Nielsen and TV sports network ESPN are collaborating to develop a model to measure consumers' use of media across a variety of platforms including TV, the Internet and digital mobile devices. 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
Cable TV firm Lifetime Networks has hired former MTV VP Research Mike Greco to head its research team, replacing television historian Tim Brooks who is retiring. 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
Interactive marketing services agency Atmosphere BBDO has hired former Digitas strategist Sue Davidson in the new role of Director Strategy and Analytics, to add consumer insights to online creative campaigns. More
UK consultancy dunnhumby is to use the ultimate consumer panel data from the Loyalty Clubcards of 13 million households visiting its key client, Tesco to offer evaluation of the impact of marketing activity on shopper behaviour. More
In a trading update prior to half-year results, the TMN Group says it expects 12.5% year-on-year growth, with research divisions The iD Factor and iCD performing 'particularly strongly' in the past two months. The Group will also have a new Chairman, Peter Harkness, at the end of November. More
In the third quarter of the year, MR software firm Confirmit has increased its revenue by 82% to $8.9m, while operating profits were $833,000, 50% higher than in Q3 2006. More
US firm MarketTools has appointed John Ouren as Executive VP and General Manager of its self-build online survey business, Zoom. More
Nielsen has combined its Nielsen//NetRatings division with BuzzMetrics to form Nielsen Online, and re-branded its recently acquired Telephia unit as Nielsen Mobile. More
MR software and panels firm GMI (Global Market Insite) has launched an online panel to provide insight into the consumer opinions of around 100,000 African-Americans. More
Online fieldwork and panel specialist Research Now has launched a US panel comprising 400,000 individuals who can choose to take surveys in either English or Spanish. More
Marketing intelligence firm Xtract has appointed former Microsoft Finland MD Martti Mehtälä as Chair of its Board of Directors. Alan Moore from SMLXL and Canadian management advisor William Greenberg also become members of the Board. 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
Internet data collection specialist Itracks has launched a new Mobile Survey tool for quant researchers, making online surveys accessible from 'virtually all mobile devices'. More
Online marketing agency Clear Ink has released Slogbase, a free service allowing companies to track visitors and measure traffic to their locations in Second Life and other virtual worlds. More
In the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has announced the release of final guidelines for ad impression measurement in Rich Internet Application (RIA) environments. It also published a report on the state of in-game advertising. More
GfK StarchŪ 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
Online measurement firm comScore has announced preliminary financial results for the Third Quarter of 2007, with revenue projected in the range $22.1m-$22.5m, up 37-39% versus Q3 2006 and higher than the previously issued guidance of c.$21.5m-22.0m. More
UK ratings body RAJAR Limited (Radio Joint Audience Research) has appointed David Mansfield as its new Chairman, succeeding Lord Gordon of Strathblane, CBE, who retired earlier this year after four years in the post. More
Nielsen has stepped back from an experiment with combined ratings for shows airing twice. The new option, intended to pilot more flexible reporting to deal with new technology, gave NBC a single unduplicated rating for September's last Monday and Saturday showings of 'Heroes' but seems to have alarmed other subscribers. More
Arbitron / Nielsen joint venture Project Apollo has reached agreement with four major US radio industry firms, to add audience data for commercials broadcast on their network and syndicated programs to its offer. 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
Arab Internet portal Maktoob.com has launched a syndicated mobile study, polling 1,000 mobile users in each of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and 700 each in Jordan and Lebanon. More
US media and marketing firm Meredith has acquired intelligence and analytics firm Directive Corporation, to help it utilise its consumer database of roughly 85 million consumer names more efficiently. More
India's audience measurement agency TAM has confirmed that its Radio Audience Measurement (RAM) survey will go ahead this month using Diary methodology, despite concerns expressed by the Media Research Users Council (MRUC) that the technology is not sufficiently robust. More
In the US, customer sat specialist Flake-Wilkerson Market Insights (F-W) has merged with competitor Market Strategies International (MSI). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
i-to-i Research, which became part of the Publicis Group in July 2006, has been acquired by its Chief Executive Claire Spencer in a management buy-out. 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 London, youth research agency Q Research has launched what it says is the UK's first weekly omnibus to uncover the opinions, attitudes and behaviours of 11-25 year olds. 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
In New York, behavioural targeting firm TACODA has promoted Daniel Jaye to the post of President, six months after he joined the firm as Exec VP Product Management & Development. More
The Sri Lankan arm of brand evaluation and strategy firm Brand Finance has launched its 'Brand Ratings' scheme, which enables brands to benchmark themselves against top performing competitors. Partner TNS Lanka will provide the research component. More
Eighteen months after stepping down as VP-Director of Research at Carat Insight, Rob Frydlewicz has returned to the Madison Avenue ad agency world in his new role as Senior VP-Director of Media Research at Interpublic's Universal McCann. More
The Nielsen Company has laid off 1,250 of its staff, but says the losses are probably 'the last for some time' and the total of c.4,000 redundancies originally planned for 2007 will not be reached, according to Reuters. 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
Online measurement firm comScore has launched comScore Marketer, an interactive search intelligence service helping clients to benchmark against competitors and optimize ROI from their search marketing. 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
Custom online panels firm Vision Critical has promoted Jason Smith, SVP Sales & Marketing since 2004, to the role of President and COO of its Panel Division. More
Plans for a joint venture between UK-based polling firm YouGov and Australian marketing services firm Photon Group have reportedly been abandoned, with Photon instead said to be buying social research specialist Auspoll. 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
Consumer psychology research specialist Synovate Censydiam has developed a suite of interactive tools. They include a panel of respondents with shared contextual motivations, and a tool for conducting pre-field interactive chat sessions. More
In the UK, OnePoint Surveys has launched SMS Surveys, a tool to capture real-time feedback through text surveys distributed to respondents' mobile phones. More
The Gfk Group has acquired ad campaign research firm Daphne Communication Management in the Netherlands and mystery shopping specialist SATISTEME in France. More
Nielsen has said that it intends to treble the size of its National People Meter (NPM) TV ratings panel by 2011, to include 37,000 US households and 100,000 people. More
Indian research and analytics firm Annik has opened an office in Florida, US and appointed Ron Brotherton to lead business development for its Analytical Processing Division. More
MR software and panels firm GMI has appointed legal and business veteran Dave Williamson as Executive VP and General Counsel. More
In Germany, defacto Research has hired Thomas Plennert as Research Consultant. He previously worked clientside at art supplies firm Faber Castell, and before this at home electronics manufacturer Grundig Intermedia. More
Online measurement firm comScore has introduced a new service to report on where display ads are viewed on the Internet, as well as the profile of those exposed to them. More
In the US, Internet ratings firm Quantcast has launched the Quantified Publisher programme, a free suite of online measurement services for publishers. More
US-based Biz360 has appointed natural language processing (NLP) specialist Christopher Manning as a member of its Board of Advisors. His expertise will help the media and market intelligence agency to create new applications for analysing traditional and social media content on the web. More
Canadian data collection firm Itracks has launched the Bulletin Board Focus Group. Among the promised benefits are easier management of multi-media files, quicker identification of new posts, and a new language menu for global research. 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
Sydney, Australia -based market research firm MRA (Marketing & Research Associates) has been acquired by communications agency Daemon Group. More
Marketing technology firm JL Halsey has launched a product combining features from its web analytics software ClickTracks and the e-mail marketing platform Lyris ListManager. The result should help marketers to track the behaviour of those who respond to email campaigns and those who don't. More
Steven Fredericks is stepping down with immediate effect from his role as President and CEO of TNS Media Intelligence (TNS MI), and will be replaced as President by Bev Andal, who also takes overall charge of US Operations. More
Online qual firm iModerate has introduced a new tool, Optimum!nsight, promising immediate, real-time qual consumer feedback on 'opinion evoking stimuli', using short sessions which it says do not need to be integrated into a fully-fledged survey. 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
Search technology specialist Intelligenx has launched InsightX, an application designed to turn web log data into customised recommendations. The tool uses keyword analytics, pattern recognition and artificial intelligence to suggest improvements to site features and functionality. More
Online panel management firm Common Knowledge has promoted former Quality Director Matt Skawinski to the position of VP Quality Control. David Moon takes up the position of Production Director for the firm's survey programming operations. More
David Walker has joined fast-growing UK-based agency Incite after a dozen years at Research International, latterly as UK MD. More
Researchers worldwide expect another year of increased use of online data providers and access panels, according to the Online Research Barometer conducted by Greenfield Online and Ciao Surveys. The firms also highlight the healthy state of the b2b research market. 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
The Interactive Advertising Bureau has this week issued an update on progress with the auditing and accreditation of online measurement firms comScore and NetRatings, as promised after its Audience Measurement Summit on May 16. It also launched another advisory group. More
Mobile comms giant Nokia has announced an agreement to acquire Enpocket, a specialist in mobile advertising solutions whose services include measurement and optimisation of campaigns. More
Swedish company Simstore International AB has received $2m in venture capital to develop SIMSTORE360Ū, an Internet based tool for the analysis of consumer decision-making at the point of purchase, using virtual store environments. More
Online specialist Toluna has launched the latest version of its online panel community management solution, PanelPortal, which 'for the first time' offers marketing and MR professionals 'an end to end online data collection solution'. More
French business intelligence software maker Business Objects SA has announced 'Information OnDemand' an online store for 'easy-to-analyze external market information'. Meanwhile French newspaper Le Figaro says the company is seeking a buyer. 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
Software and panels firm GMI has taken the opportunity of the ESOMAR Annual Congress in Germany to launch a new online Gamer Panel, developed in partnership with leading video game web site GameSpotŪ. More
Online customer satisfaction specialist ForeSee Results has acquired usability consulting firm Red Spade, to improve its ability to offer actionable web site user satisfaction analysis. More
Dutch online reporting specialist Intellex Datamanagement has appointed Tariq Mirza to lead its business development in the UK, as he returns to the industry after a year out. More
Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) provider Vovici, has appointed Jim Ivers as Chief Marketing Officer to oversee corporate communications, global marketing and product marketing and management. More
Dallas-based MR and data analytics provider Denuo Source has hired Rahul Chowdhury as President and CPO (Chief People's Officer), to head the firm's worldwide HR operations and maintain client relationships in the Asia Pacific region. More
In London, online market research firm BrainJuicer has posted a 77% rise in pretax profit to £113,000, in its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2007. More
In the US, Gongos Research has launched a new marketing research platform called metaCommunity, to help companies engage with members of social networking communities. More
UK-based online fieldwork and panel specialist Research Now has developed a standard toolkit for quick and easy Flash survey enhancements. More
TNS has bought a 15% stake in Berlin-based usability research firm Eye Square, reflecting increased client demand for usability advice and consultancy. More
European online panel provider ToLuna has posted first half year organic revenue of £6 million, up from £3.6 million in the first half of 2006. More
Online measurement firm comScore has launched a new service to measure the audiences of blogs and social networking sites. 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
Bruce Dennler has been named President of Nielsen Entertainment, uniting a division previously split between east and west coast leadership. More
MR software firm Confirmit will be releasing its new Confirmit 12 On-demand / Software-as-a Service (SaaS) upgraded products on November 3. The release promises improved methods for data collection, processing and reporting. More
Online survey technologist Decipher has opened a new office in New York and appointed Duane Joseph to lead it and build business on the east coast. More
In the US, online marketing research firm InsightExpress has expanded its Customer Services team with the promotions of Jon Weinstein to Customer Service Supervisor and Annalisa de Lena and Courtney Brown to Senior Project Managers. 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
Three US-based technology and MR veterans have launched a new company, MultiMedia Intelligence, focusing on markets and technologies for delivering IP video to the 'nth screen' the growing range of new consumer and commercial devices incorporating display screens. More
In the US, Omniture, Inc., provider of online business optimization software, has agreed to acquire on-demand A/B testing and multivariate testing company Offermatica, for $65m. More
Nielsen's FMCG analytics unit Decisions Made Easy (DME) has partnered with France's first online supermarket Telemarket. The retailer's consumer profile data will be used to help suppliers gain an insight into the online supermarket sector. More
Following complaints from clients about the audience measurement firm's failure to meet in-tab sample sizes in Houston and Philadelphia in July, Arbitron has issued a client letter committing to issue 'sample guarantees' from 1 October 2007. More
AOL has completed its acquisition of behavioural targeting firm TACODA in a deal which analysts have estimated as being worth $275 million. More
Lynn Bolger has returned to Internet ratings firm comScore to take up the position of Executive VP of Advertising Solutions, focusing on helping clients maximize the return from their investments in digital marketing. More
Greenfield Online has launched two new concept testing products called Visual Concept Evaluator and Visual Copy Evaluator, aimed at delivering more enjoyable survey experiences for its respondents and improved data quality for its clients. More
US-headquartered online and mobile research technology specialist Invoke Solutions has opened a London office to serve its clients in the UK and throughout Europe. More
Software and panels provider GMI has partnered with Amsterdam-based MR firm DervalResearch to launch SLIC (Second Life Interview Corner), claiming to provide a new perspective on conducting one-to-one research interviews in a virtual environment. 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
London-based online market research firm BrainJuicer has appointed Eric Kenelm ('Ken') Ford as Non-Executive Chairman. John Kearon remains the agency's Chief Executive. More
Nielsen Media Research in China has promoted Rita Chan to the post of Executive Director of Sales & Client Services, more than 25 years after she joined the group. 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
TNS Media Intelligence has acquired media monitoring and evaluation firm PressWatch GmbH, based in Hamburg, Germany. More
Toronto-based Acrobat Research is to open a call centre in a mall complex in Greenwood, Nova Scotia, providing jobs for up to 150 people. More
Research-focused marketing services group Munro Global has bought London-based agency Media Lab Research (M-Lab), its fourth MR buy since its formation last summer. More
Nielsen has announced it will shortly begin the syndicated measurement of professional healthcare web sites. The research giant says the move will create a new standard for measuring healthcare professionals' activity on the Internet. More
In the US, InsightExpress has expanded its Analytic team with the promotion of Adam Zambuto to the post of Market Research Manager and Jean Marie McCormick to MR Analyst; while hiring Jarrod Hyman and Kapil Mohan, also as MR Analysts. More
TNS Research Surveys is to design, recruit and manage a new viewing panel of 3,500 South African households equipped with digital satellite TV. More
Online video analytics firm TubeMogul has appointed David Toth, co-founder of NetRatings, to its Board of Directors. More
Digital marketing solutions firm ADTECH whose Helios IQ software enables web publishers to evaluate online advertising campaigns has appointed Lawrence Chmara as Sales Manager for the UK and Ireland. More
Measurement firm comScore has been suspended from online privacy organisation TRUSTe's Trusted Download Program (TDP), after a comScore distributor broke its rules on getting user consent for downloads. More
Massachusetts-based search engine firm Northern Light has launched an IT analyst research solution called Analyst Direct to help technology marketers search reports from multiple research firms simultaneously. More
Media and ratings firm Arbitron has elected former Motorola CFO David Devonshire to its Board, where he will serve on Audit and Technology Strategy committees. More
Millward Brown has enhanced its LINK(TM) suite of advertising research tools to help advertisers understand the overall effect of their multimedia communications. The new LINK360 tools will help to measure the impact of online video, blogs, print, TV, radio, outdoor and online campaigns. 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
In the US, the Web Analytics Association (WAA) has published an expanded set of metrics definitions covering visits, content, and conversion, which it says promote a better overall understanding of web analytics. More
Offshore MR and analytics provider Cross-Tab Marketing Services has appointed Dr. Russ Winer to its Global Advisory Board. The firm already taps Simon Chadwick for advice on business and corporate strategy. 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
Web analytics consultancy Semphonic has named June Dershewitz as its new VP Analytics. In addition to generating insights, her role will include helping clients with web and customer data integration. More
UK-based pollster YouGov has signed a joint venture with Photon Group, owner of several MR agencies, to establish an online panel business, YouGov Australia. The partners hope to build a panel of 50,000 adults in time to cover the country's forthcoming federal election, in October. 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
Web analytics provider Visual Sciences has resolved its patent infringement lawsuit with NetRatings and agreed to pay it $9m, of which $2m is due immediately and the remaining $7m payable in quarterly instalments of $500,000 commencing at the end of March 2008. More
Online panel management specialist Common Knowledge has hired Paul Kirch as VP Business Development for the firm's online panel and programming operations. More
Three US-based online marketing firms SEMDirector, DoubleClick and WebTrends - have joined forces to offer a 'global dashboard' for search marketers in large firms to analyse their search strategies. More
comScore has updated its qSearch analytics suite to encompass market share measurement of the five major US search engines; the top 50 most trafficked properties where search activity is observed; and vertical search locations such as eBay, Amazon and Expedia. More
In Texas, search marketing specialist Range Online Media has launched an in-house Strategy and Research division and promoted Dustin Engel to head the unit, in the role of Director of Consumer Strategy and Research. More
US-based media and market intelligence agency Biz360 has hired industry veteran Dan Kidd to lead all its sales operations including management of the direct, partnership and channel sales teams. More
Flat panel technology specialist DisplaySearch is to begin tracking the DVD sector, and has hired Paul Erickson to lead this unit. Takao Tsukahara also joins, with a remit to expand the firm's research into small and medium display markets. More
London-based Infiniti Research has announced the launch of TechNavio, a broad online business intelligence database for IT industry sales and strategic planning teams. More
As promised to shareholders in July, panels firm Research Now has appointed a CFO, Nathan Runnicles he will join the Board on 19th November 2007. More
US-based web analytics firm Compete, Inc. has today launched a pay-as-you-go resource for search marketing data, Compete Search Analytics(TM). More
Online researcher InsightExpress has announced three promotions and two appointments to its Online Media Measurement Group. Darcy Briggs, Junny Cho and Melissa Sherman become Senior Project Managers while Jamie Chang and Kelly Thomas join the firm as Project Managers. More
Harris Interactive has acquired research firms Decima in Canada and MarketShare in Asia Pacific in deals with a combined value of more than $24 million. 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
UK publisher and media group Emap has bought online retail research and intelligence firm Planet Retail in a £23 million cash deal. More
Consumer information and research firm Knowledge Networks has agreed to pay a fine of $300,000 to settle a claim brought by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) that it distributed news articles to its employees without permission from the copyright owners. More
In California, electronics research specialist iSuppli has appointed former Air Force lieutenant David Carnevale as Vice President Multimedia Content and Distribution, to manage the firm's home, mobile, broadband and digital research programmes. More
London-based online survey firm Demographix is to pilot a hosted panel management system, which it says will help users overcome the problems they encounter when using ordinary email management software to circulate survey invites. More
New web site Sutori.co.uk has been launched to offer British consumers a real-time measure of opinion about companies and their brands, and enable them to 'take the pulse' of a brand before committing to buy. 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
Software and panels firm GMI (Global Market Insite) has moved its headquarters to larger premises and brought its three Seattle operations under one roof. 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
Greenfield Online has announced good second quarter results for its survey solutions and comparison shopping businesses, with the latter particularly strong. Both divisions saw double-digit growth in revenue, as did overall operating income and adjusted EBITDA. 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
Online competitive intelligence provider Hitwise has launched 'Hitwise Widget', which will supply online usage trends from its 'Hitwise To Go' RSS-based feed. The feed provides stats on online behaviour for the US, UK and Asia Pacific markets. 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
Lightspeed Research has begun the roll-out of a global service offering consumer surveys via mobile devices, with initial launches in Great Britain and Australia. The firm says it plans to expand into the US and other countries in Europe and Asia Pacific over the next few months. More
In the UK, Guardian News & Media has bought public sector research, publishing and event services company Kable and will add it to its Guardian Professional division. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. More
eMarketer, provider of MR information for online marketers, has hired Mickey Alam Khan for the new role of Editor in Chief. He will lead the analyst team and oversee publication of more than 80 reports a year, plus the content of the firm's daily newsletter. More
Continuing a busy week, YouGov has agreed amicably to dissolve its YouGov Execution (YGX) joint venture with Execution Ltd after 18 months, in order to launch a fully owned firm developing the same idea, YouGovAlpha. More
Lightspeed Research has announced the launch of a new GB Sports Panel. The panel pre-identifies consumers on the basis of sports watched and participated in. More
Boston-based AMR Research has appointed Andy Sanfilippo as Research Director and Dawn O'Brien as Program Director, to boost its Retail Strategies Service team. More
BIGresearch has opened an office in New York and appointed Holly Williams as Vice President of Sales to manage it. 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
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
Comperio Research, the research arm of sports, entertainment and media vompany IMG, has opened an office in Melbourne, Australia, with a full-service quant and qual offering. Research Director Iain Barnett leaves the London HQ to head up the new operation. More
TNS has appointed Shari Morwood as Executive VP of Technology, Telecom and Media in North America. She has spent the last eleven years at IBM, in roles including Vice President of Worldwide Market Research. More
Burke has promoted Mike Webster to Vice President of Technology Solutions, the department responsible for all its inward facing and client facing research technology. More
Ciao Surveys has promoted Richard Thornton, currently VP Client Development Europe, to manage the whole of its European sales operation as Head of Client Development. More
In the US, ABI Research has launched the Business Mobility Research Service, a business intelligence resource for the wireless industry. The service bundles research and analysis products including full reports and more granular market data, with industry assessment and bespoke analyst support. More
In the UK iCD Research, sister company of The iD Factor and part of the TMN Group, has launched an online-only Readership Tracking survey with a 12-month contract from business daily City A.M. More
Argus Interactive Agency, a Santa Ana, US-based web development and search engine marketing firm whose services include web analytics consulting, is to be acquired by DGWB Advertising and Communications. More
Online measurement firm comScore has announced results for the quarter ended June 30, with revenue up 23% on the year to $20.8m. It also reports a growth in the proportion of its income from subscriptions, and strong investment for the future. More
Survey software and EFM specialist Vovici has acquired assets from survey software provider, Raosoft Inc., and will assume support for its EZSurvey and EZReport clients. More
In the US, InsightExpress has expanded its Online Media Measurement Group with the appointments of Nancy Dillon and Janett Haas as Senior Account Executives, and Alicia Allijan and Leslie Newburn as Account Executives. More
Online measurement firm comScore, which is due to announce quarterly results later today, has launched Tech Metrix, its 'first foray into non-Web based measurement'. The service provides a detailed view of Internet users' individual technology profiles, including hardware and software usage. More
Synovate owner Aegis Group plc has agreed to acquire the consolidated Ion Global network from CDC Corporation. Ion is a digital marketing specialist with businesses in Seoul, San Francisco and Hong Kong, and its services include consulting and user experience analysis. More
Global management consulting and technology services company Accenture has added another service to its media audit and consulting offer. The Accenture Web Evaluator is a web site benchmarking offering looking at the 'brand experience' of site visitors. More
Greenfield Online, through its subsidiary Ciao, has expanded its presence in the Asia Pacific region by adding Greenfield-Ciao in Shanghai to existing offices in Sydney, Australia and Gurgaon, India. More
Newly formed WPP company Safecount has launched two free services in the US the first to ensure cookie transparency for consumers and the second, called Veranda, to manage live survey participation. More
UK-based Synovate subsidiary Fieldwork International Healthcare has launched a specialist Diary Team to focus on managing complex diary projects across all methodologies. More
In the UK, TNS has appointed Kerry Brown and Jonathan Brown to develop existing and new client relationships as Directors of the firm's UK Media division. More
In the US, Nielsen//NetRatings and Mediamark Research (MRI) have joined forces to launch a single-source database of print and online media usage called Net//MRI. More
Web analytics firm WebTrends has upgraded its Marketing Lab2 product, with additional options aimed at helping clients optimise site performance, build customer engagement and drive more effective and targeted marketing. More
Employee-owned Burke Inc has promoted Jeff Miller to the position of Chief Operating Officer, responsibility for both its marketing research arm and its training institute. More
Automotive research specialist R.L. Polk has agreed to acquire a majority interest in ROADTODATA, a supplier of real-time automotive price and specifications data with operations in Europe, South America and Australia. More
Ipsos Interactive Services (IIS) has launched a global division that will focus on research using client supplied or specialist sample data. More
comScore has developed a new tool which segments Internet users by their overall time online and allows marketers to track, analyse and report Internet activity by their most important consumer groups. More
In the US, online researcher MarketTools has appointed Scott Arnold as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO) to head the company's corporate strategy on company-wide initiatives such as strategic ventures and business development. More
Israeli web search and research startup Omgili Ltd has obtained seed funding from Pitango Venture Capital, enabling it to pursue plans to commercialize its technology for the analysis of user-generated content. More
Research Now has launched a proprietary online Brazilian panel, Opiniões de Valor, its first in South America. More
IT-focused Springboard Research has allied with Japan's Nork Research, specialist in the IT needs of small- and medium businesses (SMBs). The deal will result in a series of joint SMB-focused reports and client studies, and in Nork's working as a reseller for Springboard's syndicated research. More
Internet survey firm Greenfield Online says it will vigorously defend itself against accusations made this week by a shareholder. The charge says the agency made 'false and misleading statements' about its business, operations and future prospects, leading to artificially inflated share prices in 2005. More
Seattle-based MR software and panels firm GMI (Global Market Insite) has named Joseph Baldini as its new Vice President of IT. More
Asian-based outsourcing and online panel firm the Pulse Group has officially opened the doors to its New York City office with industry veteran John Saez at the helm, while in Kuala Lumpur the firm has made an additional seven senior hires. More
Forrester Research has posted second-quarter revenue up 15% and appointed Michael Doyle as its new Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. More
In New York City, the Advertising Council has promoted Anthony Foleno to Senior VP Research, charged with overseeing the research team and evaluating the impact that new campaigns have on the organisation's profile. More
TNS Media Intelligence has named Carolyn Kidd-Harper as Vice President, Central Region Sales, based in Chicago. She was previously VP, North American Sales for AdEx International at Nielsen Media Research. More
US-based online market intelligence firm BIGresearch has teamed up with Hispanic magazine company Televisa Publishing to provide marketers with in-depth information about the Hispanic market. More
Swiss digital MR firm ArgYou AG has partnered with German-based TNS Infratest to promote its ArgYou tool, which allows clients to align the content of their web sites with the search terms most frequently used by potential clients. More
Online MR supplier Livra Panels has added eight new Latin American panels to its existing six, and says it can now reach more than a million active Spanish and Portuguese-speakers. More
American Matthew Fagan, accused of killing Research Now Finance Manager Cathy Marlow, pleaded not guilty to the murder at the Old Bailey in London on Friday. His trial will now commence in the last week of February next year. More
UK-based agency eDigitalResearch has launched eProductRating, a service allowing consumers to record their personal feedback about products and services allowing manufacturers to build online brands through word-of-mouth recommendation. More
Google yesterday reported a 58% year-on-year increase in Q2 revenue, but a decline in profits saw its share price fall more than 6.5% in the day. Recent comScore figures for search engine share show a rare dimple in the market leader's long-term growth, with Microsoft the main beneficiary. More
Later this month, Nielsen will be testing a new metering device which will plug in to iPods, MP3 players and other personal video devices (PVDs) to enable measurement of video-based programming wherever it is being watched. More
Web video advertising firm Tremor Media has joined forces with ad research specialist Dynamic Logic to bring video advertising research capabilities to the former's network of more than 800 sites. More
Second quarter profit at media research and ratings firm Arbitron has dropped by 49%, amid increased spend on its Portable People Meter system (PPM). More
Directory and local media specialist The Kelsey Group has added three new senior analysts: Peter Krasilovsky, Stephen Marshall and Michael Taylor. More
In India, newly launched news and entertainment TV network INX Media has hired media measurement veteran Tapan Pal as Chief Research and Analytics Officer. More
Nielsen has appointed Tom Duffy as VP Industry Services responsible for all internal and external marketing to support the firm's partnership organisations, while providing thought leadership and positioning on industry strategic issues. More
Online panel specialist Lightspeed Research, and Millward Brown's operation in China Millward Brown ACSR (MB-ACSR) have formed a partnership to offer a global research panel and data collection service throughout the Chinese marketplace. More
In the US, the Board of The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has given the go ahead to develop 'Audience-FAX' which will integrate data from Scarborough Research, Nielsen//NetRatings and comScore to provide ABC subscribers with a view of both print and online newspaper audiences. More
MR software and panels firm GMI (Global Market Insite) has appointed Matt Shepherd as Managing Director of UK Sales based at its EMEA headquarters in London. More
In London, online direct marketing organisation TMN Group plc has announced record revenue and profit levels. Its online panel specialist subsidiary The iD Factor experienced 90% growth. More
Nielsen has promoted Lisa Lee to the role of Senior Vice President, International Communications, where she will take responsibility for all corporate and marketing communications outside North America. More
Technology specialist Yankee Group has hired two senior industry sales veterans for its media and entertainment teams. Troy Bryans and Diane Yarrow have more than 35 years' experience between them and both assume the title of Senior Major Account Executive. 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
MR software companies Confirmit and Pulse Train have completed their previously announced merger and announced increased revenue of 34% and pre tax profit of 65% for the second quarter 2007. More
Marketers are committing increasing amounts to digital marketing, including e-mail, web sites, online registrations and search, but face a 'continuing struggle with data quality' which is a 'major roadblock to success' according to a report published this week by Harte-Hanks. More
In the US, full service provider Market Strategies International (MSI) is to merge with technology specialist Doxus. Doxus will become MSI's Technology Industry Group, with its principal partners Robert Stone and Theo Downes-Le Guin staying at its head but also joining the Executive Committee of MSI. More
In the US, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) is to develop a standard metric for measuring web video, and says guidelines should be available in a year or less. More
US-based Vizu Corporation which provides free web polls and DIY market research has added vote maps to its poll results to enable users to pinpoint where votes are being cast. More
Spanish-language media company Entravision Communications Corporation (EVC) has signed a multi-year agreement to conduct electronic ratings measurement using Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM). More
In the US, MR firm MarketTools has launched 'Shopper Impact', which combines virtual shopping technology, advanced research methods and dashboard reporting to provide manufacturers with insights into retail consumer behaviour. More
NetRatings has announced the addition of 'Total Minutes' and 'Total Sessions' metrics to its syndicated audience measurement service NetView, in line with changing attitudes to what constitutes a successful web site. More
Retail information giant Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) is to extend its major syndicated study of brand drivers, the Long-Term Drivers Consortium, into a second phase. Results from the first phase provide good news for TV advertising, as does a separate GroupM study released this week. 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
UK-based online performance researcher eDigitalResearch has announced two hires for its technical development team. Duncan Grist joins as Senior Product Developer and Robert Piasek as Systems Administrator. More
Business intelligence (BI) software firm MicroStrategyŪ has announced launches for two products, one delivering BI information directly to BlackBerry smartphones and the other testing the accuracy of BI applications by validating data and report integrity. More
Nielsen Media Research has released the first electronic TV ratings for New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, but ad agencies and advertisers will have to wait another two weeks before they can see them. More
Online fieldwork and panel specialist Research Now has reported a pre-tax loss of £235,000 in the first half of its financial year, but also a strong start to the second half with record sales in May and June. More
Daily and Sunday Telegraph Owner TMG has appointed Michael Moore, formerly of AOL Europe, to the role of Executive Director of Consumer Markets. He joins next month to spearhead marketing, research and strategy and will also be developing the group's multimedia activity. More
Yahoo! has announced an ad targeting platform called SmartAds, which uses demographic and online behaviour information to customise messages and disseminate different versions of ads for different target audiences. More
In the US, West Coast ad agency RPA has hired Claire Browne as VP, Director of Media Insights, Research and Accountability, heading a new discipline using media insights to optimize clients' media strategies. More
Online specialist YouGov has been named 'Brand of the Year' in the Business XL 10 awards, hosted in London last night. More
Research Now has seen its share price plummet by around half in the space of two days, after a profits warning with the identification of further unrecorded costs of £0.6m in the first half of the year. More
Online ad spending in the UK is growing much faster than in the US and other developed nations, according to eMarketer: this year the UK should account for more than half of all online ad spending in Western Europe. More
The Nielsen Company and Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) are to develop a new measurement system for game network advertising, with Nielsen given access to the games giant's user data. 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
Chicago-based integrated sports marketing and media services agency rEvolution is to work with Knowledge Networks (KN) to develop the 'next generation of sponsorship research and consulting services'. More
In the US, the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) is to work with Scarborough Research and The Newspaper Association of America (NAA), to roll out joint readership figures adding web site traffic and print circulation figures. More
Harris Interactive has launched its Advanced Strategy Lab (ASL) in Europe to provide simultaneous anonymous input from participants at any location. More
Rich media and digital video technology provider, EyeWonder is to lead a research consortium to analyse consumer perception of video-based advertising; research for the project will be managed by online MR firm InsightExpress. More
Nielsen is acquiring San Francisco-based syndicated telecom MR firm Telephia, in a move designed to accelerate measurement of consumer behaviour across the $350 billion mobile phone sector. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. More
comScore saw its share price climb from $16.50 to $23.47 yesterday, its first day of trading on the Nasdaq. The firm has also entered into a joint marketing initiative with San Diego-based search marketing analytics company SEMDirector, to launch a search analytics suite. More
US firms SEMphonic and Web Analytics Demystified have formed an alliance to offer an 'end-to-end' analytics service. More
Online audience measurement firm ComScore has raised $82.5 million in its initial public offering of 5.3 million shares priced at $16.50 each. 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 open criticism of the cost and viability of Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) technology, Clear Channel Radio has finally signed a multi-year deal to use the PPM ratings to track its listener habits. More
Former Turner Broadcasting Research Manager Randi Felton has joined Hallmark Channel as Senior Director, Ad Sales Research based in New York. More
TNS has announced that the Arbitron Portable People Meter system (PPM), for which it is the licensee, has been adopted as the electronic audience measurement currency system by the radio industry in Denmark. More
IDC has appointed Scott Langdoc to head up its forthcoming retail industry research and advisory services practice, as VP of Research. The Retail division will be the sixth Insights company IDC has launched in five years. More
Online measurement specialist comScore has opened its first customer service office in the Asia Pacific region - comScore Japan KK - and has appointed industry veteran Mr. Maru Sato as its MD. More
The Nielsen Company has completed its merger with NetRatings, Inc. NetRatings becomes a privately held company, wholly owned by Nielsen and its subsidiaries, and with its shares delisted on Friday from the Nasdaq Global Market. More
Harris Interactive has introduced GlobalSynch(SM), an integrated, web-based platform giving fast and easy real-time access to research data collected anywhere via any method. 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
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has initiated a formal investigation into technology analyst Forrester Research's stock option granting practices, following the discovery of financial irregularities back in December. More
New York B2B communications agency Doremus, part of Omnicom, has promoted media planning veteran Chris Philip to the post of Senior VP Chief Experience Officer. More
US search engine marketing (SEM) firm Adverplex has appointed Dr Philip Klein as Chief Scientist, tasked with directing its research programme. More
Seattle-based MR software and panels firm GMI (Global Market Insite) has appointed technology veteran Michael Brochu as its new Chief Executive Officer. More
Kenya-based Infotrak Research and Consulting has become the fifteenth member of the Harris Interactive Global Network of independent MR companies. As part of the deal, Infotrak will run its own Infotrak Harris Poll in August, covering social, political and topical issues in East Africa. More
Crawford Broadcasting has entered into a multi-year deal to use Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) audience measurement system, once it is in place in Chicago next January. More
According to a study conducted by research consultancy Fuld, America's largest 1,000 firms are set to increase spending on competitive intelligence (CI) activities to at least $10 billion by 2012. More
In advance of its buyout of NetRatings, Nielsen is contemplating a plan to integrate online audience measurement with its TV household ratings system. More
Asia's online fieldwork and outsourcing firm, The Pulse Group, will open its first US office in New York City in July, headed by former Survey Sampling (SSI) researcher John Saez. More
Bob Hayward has joined IT MR firm Springboard Research as Research VP in Asia, responsible for research strategy, company positioning, and executive thought leadership. More
The Nielsen Company has promoted Paul Richmond to the position of MD of ACNielsen in Singapore and Malaysia. He takes over from Ashok Charan, who moves to a newly established Regional Client Service role. More
Ciao Surveys has announced the launch of two rapid response products within its Express-It! Suite the Express Incidence Checker and the Express Poll. More
ImpreMedia, LLC, the USA's leading Spanish-language print and online news publisher, has this week raised its MR Manager Olga Casabona to Director level. It also hired Mike Cano as Director of Marketing for its top daily paper 'La Opinión'. More
Graham Saxton has left MTV Networks to take up an MD role at OTX (Online Testing eXchange). He will head the Media and Entertainment Insights International Division, with a remit for rapid growth of its syndicated and custom research products. 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
WPP's online panel provider Lightspeed Research has appointed Olaf Siemen as Account Director for Germany, working from the Hamburg office. More
InfoUSA-owned e-mail service provider Yesmail has partnered with business software firm Omniture to help its customers integrate their e-mail marketing with web analytics. More
The newly formed Commercial Ratings Commission (CRC), brought together by the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau (CAB) last month, held its inaugural meeting on Monday, to agree how it will develop ratings processes and standards for the US TV industry. More
eBay-endorsed research and data mining firm, Terapeak, has launched a free package providing auction sellers with reports on keywords and products. More
Online audience measurement agency comScore, has launched its comScore Widget Metrix to track the usage of widgets across the web and drive advertising on social media. More
India's first syndicated audience measurement system for outdoor media has been launched by The Media Research Users Council (MRUC) and Hansa Research in the shape of the Indian Outdoor Survey (IOS). More
Online panels and fieldwork firm Research Now has appointed Falk Rehkopf, previously of SPSS and Forrester, as Head of Client Development in The Netherlands. More
AOL has appointed a new CMO (Chief Marketing Officer). John Burbank, who will report to Chairman and CEO Randy Falco, joins from AT&T, where he served as Vice President of Marketing. More
US search marketing specialist Resolution Media has hired Eric Anderson as VP Project Management & Analytics. 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
Google has cut the length of time it keeps users' personal search data from '18-24 months' to a maximum of 18 months, following questioning by European Union data protection officials. The firm says the limit balances privacy with considerations of 'security, innovation and compliance'. More
Having announced its plans to go public earlier in the year, online audience measurement firm comScore has now confirmed its initial public offering of 5 million shares valued at an estimated price of between $14 and $16 per share. More
Text analysis specialist Clarabridge has introduced a Content Mining Service (CMS), making the functionality of its existing CMP software available as a service purchased online. The firm claims it is the first 'software-as-a-service' (SaaS) offering of its kind. More
Josh Chasin, an executive with more than 25 years of media and market research experience, is the new Chief Research Officer at Internet ratings firm comScore. More
Canadian online intelligence firm BrandIntel has launched the Advance Television Landscape report, analysing online consumer discussion of network TV programming. More
A study sponsored by the Web Analytics Association (WAA) suggests that in most organisations (82% of those polled) the subject is poorly understood, and those who interact with web data do not understand what the data actually means. 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
Nielsen will launch the first product under its new Nielsen Wireless brand, Mobile Vector, in the US next month. The launch marks a major move by the measurement giant into coverage of mobile media consumption. More
Online survey technologist Decipher has acquired Hollywood-based MR software and tech provider Forefront Consulting Group, within a year of the latter's launch. Terms of the deal between the two privately held companies were not announced. More
Emily Nagle Green, President and CEO of tech MR firm The Yankee Group, has been elected President of The Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange (MITX / 'my-techs'), a regional trade association for digital technology, marketing and media professionals. More
US MR provider Gongos Research has announced further rapid growth with nine new appointments since the beginning of the year. More
Crawford del Prete has joined TNS as President of Client Services in North America. He worked previously at technology specialist IDC, as Senior VP for Communications, Hardware, Software and Professional Services Research. More
Social networking web site Facebook has launched a new polling feature called Facebook Polls, enabling marketers to pose quick questions to its vast user base. More
UK-based eDigitalResearch has launched eDigitalCommunities, a service offering help to businesses setting up interactive forums to collect feedback from their web site visitors. More
Indian media researcher TAM has moved into radio measurement, citing rapid growth in advertising in the sector, and is also considering an out-of-home service. 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
WPP owned media agency MindShare has promoted three senior executives to its Management Board: Tato Sato from MindShare Insights, Karen Kaufman from the Advanced Techniques Group (ATG), and Malcolm Russell from the Communications Planning Group. More
Marvin Pollack has joined Internet information provider comScore as VP Corporate Communications, bringing more than three decades of marketing communications experience to the firm. More
Pennsylvania-based International Communications Research (ICR) has appointed Allen Khorami as its new President and CEO. 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
Euroean-based online panel provider Toluna has announced the launch of its 15,000 strong Chinese panel community. More
Consumer information firm Knowledge Networks has appointed Jane Dennison-Bauer to lead its Directory Research Practice. More
UK-based travel web site lastminute.com has hired Shai Eilon as its new Group Head of Customer Relationship Management (CRM), replacing Lopo Champalimaud who has become MD of its European lifestyle division. More
Maktoob Research, an online specialist with offices in Dubai and Amman, will run a monthly online omnibus survey of 500 adult consumers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco. More
Joel Zaremby has joined Arbitron as Senior Account Manager on Project Apollo, the joint venture with Nielsen which is being developed to provide advertisers with a better understanding of the connection between media exposure and purchase behaviour. More
Online agency Research Now has launched a proprietary research panel to gather consumer opinion in New Zealand. More
The Nielsen Company has appointed Paul Baynton as General Manager of its media planning and analysis software business IMS Worldwide. He has been with the division for two decades and was previously MD of IMS International. More
The GSMA, a trade association for mobile operators, has launched a major programme of research partnered by Microsoft, to determine consumer use trends and market potential for notebook PCs with embedded mobile broadband. More
Greenfield Online has formally split its European subsidiary Ciao into two separate entities: the booming comparison shopping business will retain the short name Ciao, while the Internet survey solution wing, also growing fast, will be known as Ciao Surveys. More
Two software firms, Artafact and WebEx, have combined to launch 'Artafact Online Focus Groups', which replicates a traditional focus group environment online. More
US group Cox Radio has signed a five-year renewal contract with radio audience measurement firm Arbitron, to gather ratings and related services across the company's eighteen markets. More
US provider ABI Research has launched 'ABI Tech Invest' to provide the investment community with in-depth information and projections about existing, new and future technology markets. More
In the UK, online marketing services group TMN has hired Tim Heald from ORB to take on a business development role with its research units, The iD Factor and iCD Research. Heald will take up the new post on 1st June. More
US-based online analytics firm Omniture, Inc. aims to raise $121.8m from a new share offer. The money will be used for acquisitions, to part-fund its previously announced purchase of Touch Clarity, and for expansion of its sales and marketing operations. More
Online survey software firm and MarketTools subsidiary Zoomerang has upgraded its zPro software with enhanced reporting and survey creation tools, and the introduction of open online user forums. More
Canadian CRM company Database Solutions has launched a new online survey management tool called eCRM Survey, to measure customer satisfaction levels or employee feedback. More
MR software companies Confirmit and Pulse Train are to consolidate their businesses and product portfolios. More
The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) will work to 'educate' the marketplace about the different ways of measuring web site traffic, the body revealed this week. The commitment was made as NetRatings and comScore both agreed to audit timetables at their recent closed doors meeting. More
US online MR firm InsightExpress has expanded its Client Services division with the appointments of Ray McIntyre as Senior Account Executive and Barbara Shapiro as Director. More
A month after Google bought DoubleClick for $3.1 billion, Microsoft's plans to acquire Internet ad agency aQuantive for $6 billion will provide its Ad Center clients with insight on which ads and keywords are most profitable. More
A London-based polling agency and Christian news provider have joined forces to launch an online service gathering opinion from UK Christians. Communicate Research and Premier Christian Media say Cpanel will include all denominations and age groups. More
Nielsen has partnered with research firm Phoenix Multicultural, to launch a national Homescan Consumer Panel which will tap in to the $1 trillion Hispanic consumer market. More
MCorp., a strategic brand and marketing consultancy based on the US West Coast, has bought researcher Touchpoint Metrics, owner of the proprietary research methodology and analysis system Touchpoint MappingŪ. More
IDC has promoted three execs, Vernon Turner, Henry Morris and Ralph Finos, to Senior Vice President level, serving on its executive management group. Meanwhile Senior VP Crawford Del Prete is leaving the technology analyst to join TNS. More
TNS Media Intelligence has named Dwight Green Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, headquartered in New York City. His role includes identifying new ventures and opportunities for the firm in value-added competitive intelligence. More
London-based media and consumer agency Essential Research has hired Alex Vishney as an Associate Director and Head of Quantitative Research. More
The Arbitron Board of Directors have appointed President and CEO Stephen Morris as Chairman, replacing Lawrence Perlman. Luis Nogales becomes Lead Independent Director, and William Kerr a Non-Executive Director. More
In the US, MRSI (Marketing Research Services, Inc.) has launched Concept Highlighter (SM), an online concept testing tool enabling respondents to react directly to visuals. More
The Nielsen Group has launched Brand3 'Brand Cubed' linking retail market measurement data, household panel information and customised survey results to provide clients with a holistic perspective of a firm or product's brand equity. More
Online measurement firm NetRatings says it will move ahead with the full Media Rating Council (MRC) Accreditation process, having completed a pre-audit. More
Babel Media, a quality assessment outsourcing company for games developers, has launched a new international gameplay testing service. More
Online competitive intelligence agency Hitwise has launched Hitwise Dashboards, a reporting system enabling marketers to compile and view a customised page of information pulled from its various competitive intelligence sources. More
Internet specialist Greenfield Online has posted strong revenue growth to $27.5m for Q1 2007, up from $21.5m in same period last year. The group's comparison shopping business led the charge, but online survey revenue grew an impressive 14.3%. More
European-based online panel provider ToLuna, which last month announced it had trebled its revenue and profit, is to launch a panel in Brazil. More
Online marketing services group TMN has promoted Paul Dixon to the position of Managing Director of its research units, The iD Factor and iCD Research. More
Outsourcing firm Nipuna Services has pooled resources with Phoenix Marketing International to design a customer intelligence system which will generate both predictive models of customer behaviour and fact-based recommendations. More
Product marketing in the technology industry needs to undergo significant changes, according to research conducted by business intelligence and analytics firm, IDC. 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
Management consultancy Accenture has bought Sydney-based media auditor MediaSenz, in a move it says will improve its coverage of emerging markets. More
Ipsos has agreed to buy Turkey's second largest MR agency, KMG Research, beginning with 51% of the share capital and with an option to acquire the remainder in the future. More
California-based TV ad technologist REVShare has announced the launch of CPA Metrics, a service promising to link ad spend with actual consumer responses like phone calls and site visits. More
The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) wants to give consumers more say in advertising by improving the complaints process and encouraging more feedback. It also called for increased self-regulation in the industry. More
London-based academic and business publishing and events group, Informa, has agreed to buy rival market intelligence firm Datamonitor in a £502 million ($993 million) cash deal. More
Nielsen has launched the first suite of products under its much-heralded NielsenConnect banner, integrating information from dozens of its collection, analysis and reporting services. More
In the week Microsoft achieved MRC accreditation for its ad impression counting, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has produced a set of guidelines for measuring rich media web sites, and is inviting comment and public debate. More
NetRatings has reported revenues of $22 million for the first quarter of 2007, compared with $18.3 million for the same period in 2006. More
Online audience measurement firm Hitwise has launched a new service, Hitwise To Go, an RSS-based service providing updates on online consumer activity and statistics. The firm say the key audiences are journalists and academics. More
Online specialist Lightspeed Research has named Michael Gazala CEO of its North American business. Gazala has spent the last nine years at technology research firm Forrester. More
Real-time analytics provider WebSideStory has adopted the name of Visual Sciences, with whom it merged last year, and from today will trade on Nasdaq as 'VSCN'. More
GfK is planning to further expand its operations eastwards with acquisitions of Chinese competitor agencies Monitor and Sino Market Research, according to a report in the China Business Post. More
Nielsen Media Research has launched a service to track Internet advertising spend in Singapore, through its Advertising Information Services (AIS) unit. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has launched a new syndicated measurement service dubbed VideoCensus, which combines panel and census methodologies to gauge audience size, demographic composition, engagement and competitive activity for video content. More
The man accused of murdering Research Now Finance Manager Cathy Marlow appeared briefly today at London's Old Bailey. US citizen Matthew Fagan entered a plea, the case for which will be heard on June 29th. One count of burglary was added to the murder charge. More
Nine-year AOL branding veteran Marshall Cohen has joined the Board of online advertising technology agency ContextWeb, to provide the firm with media and marketing guidance. 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
The NPD Group has acquired the consumer electronics, imaging, and computer business sectors of Current Analysis, Inc. Current Analysis continues as before in the telecoms, networking, and business software sectors. More
Online measurement firms comScore and Nielsen//NetRatings have agreed to a meeting on May 16th to discuss their plans with the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) and other groups, following the exchange of open letters last week with IAB CEO Randall Rothenberg. More
Online panels firm Research Now has made an interim financial statement reporting sales growth on target. Operating profit missed its target due specifically to the £500,000 cost of relocating after the murder in January of Finance Manager Cathy Marlow. More
Research report site MarketResearch.com has acquired the ProfoundŪ service from Thomson Business Intelligence, for an undisclosed sum. The buy brings additional content and sales presence in Europe and North America. 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
AIM-listed marketing services holding company Optimisa PLC has agreed to acquire Report International Ltd (RIL) for up to £2.2m. Optimisa is already the owner of UK research agency Andrew Irving Associates (AIA). More
Californian high-tech business publisher Red Herring has launched a research division. The new unit will provide analysis of five sectors: CleanTech (green technology), life sciences, comms, IT and consumer technologies. More
DraftFCB, the Interpublic marcoms agency formed last summer by combining Draft and Foote Cone & Belding units around the world, has hired Jackson Young for the new position of Senior VP / Director of User Experience Architecture. More
The Nielsen Company is to acquire the remainder of word-of-mouth media tracking agency BuzzMetrics, of which it already owns 58%. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
After a 13 year career with ACNielsen, Robert Tomei has joined TNS as Global Head of Access Panels to establish, lead and deliver a growth strategy for the firm's global access panel business, 6thdimension(TM). More
Email marketing specialist Responsys has purchased predictive analytics company Loyalty Matrix, and appointed Ed Henrich as VP Strategic Services to oversee its integration. More
More investment in text analytics from Reuters: the information giant is to acquire Israeli-American text analytics firm, ClearForest, to make its web content easier to search. Financial terms of the deal have not been released. More
Technology research firm Forrester has reported a 17% rise in revenues to $47.3m in the first quarter of 2007. The figure exceeded guidance of $44m to $46m, as provided in its 14 February 2007 earnings press release. More
Global news and information company Reuters has enhanced its machine-readable news service to include analysis of news sentiment, driven by linguistics software created by text analytics firm, Corpora. More
Media ratings firm Arbitron has decided to suspend its recently launched e-Diary, which was trialling in markets where introduction of its PPM system is not imminent. More
Bangalore-based ACNielsen ORG-MARG, part of the Nielsen Group, is recruiting online consumer panels to target the Indian youth audience and upper income groups. More
UK-based Cello Group has paid £150,000 in cash for a 21% share of London-based online qual agency, Nqual - its fourth substantial investment since the start of the year. More
Harris Interactive has promoted David B Vaden to the new position of President North America & Global Operations, responsible for all North American research, sales and operations units. More
Panels and MR software firm, GMI, has made nine appointments including two senior hires - Daniel Fitzgerald as MD Sales, Central USA, and Christopher Spaniac as VP of Tax, both based in Seattle. More
Swedish eye tracking firm Tobii Technology has launched a new analysis tool, Tobii Studio(TM), to collect and analyse 'gaze' data. 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
Jana O'Brien is to move from her role at GM Planworks to a new global role within parent firm Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG), as EVP, Chief Consumer Officer. O'Brien will lead the network's consumer context planning (CCP) across all client brands. 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
Podcast audience and ad measurement firm Podbridge has raised $8.5m in a second venture capital deal, which will provide cash to strengthen both its technology and business. More
Asia-based research and analytics firm, Evalueserve (EVS), has launched an 80,000 strong US Physician Panel, to provide data across categories including oncology, neurology and cardiology. More
David Botkin has been appointed to the newly created post of Senior VP, Research & Audience Analytics of CBS Interactive, charged with establishing the division's metrics and analytics. More
comScore and Nielsen//NetRatings have issued positive responses to the call by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) for them to submit to a third-party audit; but the Bureau has challenged them to back up their promises by setting and sticking to a scheduled timetable. More
Mobile media research agency, M:Metrics, has appointed Evan Neufeld as VP Consulting and Senior Analyst. More
Denver-based MR technology firm, iModerate, has launched nine new research tools under the 'Research>iMpact' banner, designed to help clients add in-depth qualitative insight to online quantitative surveys. More
US trade association the Interactive Advertising Bureau has sent an open letter to two of the major Internet audience measurement firms, comScore and Nielsen//NetRatings, asking them to submit to a third-party audit of their measurement processes by the MRC. More
A week of headlines for Google. On Friday the search giant announced first quarter revenue up 63% to $3.66bn, and rocketed to the top of Millward Brown's BRANDZ(TM) index with a worth dwarfing current figures - $66.4bn. Google also made headline deals and gained search share against rivals Yahoo! and Microsoft. More
Harris Interactive is looking for a bigger trophy cabinet after taking six gongs at the 2007 ARF Ogilvy Awards Gala. The US-based agency was also picked last week as one of SmartMoney magazine's long-term investment portfolio 'Ten Stocks for the Next Ten Years'. More
In the US, John Jackson has returned to Yankee Group as Vice President of Enabling Technologies Research. Most recently, he led the consulting organization at M:Metrics. More
AGB Nielsen Media's contract with Australia's TV ratings data supplier OzTAM has been extended for a further seven years from January 2008. More
The USA's Marketing Research Association (MRA) will be commemorating its 50th birthday with an impressive line-up of industry leaders speaking at its annual conference in June. More
A fortnight after the announced flotation of rival comScore, online audience measurement firm Hitwise is to be acquired by information giant Experian, in a $240m cash deal which will close in May. More
Arbitron, Confirmit and IMS Health have all reported buoyant first quarters, with revenues up 7.9%, 14% and 35% respectively. More
Synovate has agreed a worldwide partnership with GMI giving the former access to over six million panellists across the globe. The move reflects changing attitudes to panel 'ownership' according to Synovate Global CEO Adrian Chedore. More
Marketing, technology and media agency One to One Interactive (OTOi), has acquired web development firm Ceonex's Quantemo Usability Lab, to measure web user experience across emerging digital platforms. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Financial services group MCF has acquired online medical research agency, MedPanel; renaming it Panel Intelligence and announcing plans to expand its services across additional markets including biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device and financial services. 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
San Francisco-based KDA Research has launched Revelation an online qual application combining the rich media data collection capabilities of blogs with user-friendly analysis tools. More
Online panel provider Lightspeed Research has hired James Riley as VP of Operations, based in the agency's London office. More
New York-based competitor intelligence (CI) firm, Sedulo Group, has acquired two CI and MR firms Sharp & Associates in Shanghai and Perspicacite de Strategie in Paris. The move will more than triple the size of Sedulo's consulting offer. More
Sports Marketing Surveys has announced a partnership with Sponsor Statistik, the largest sponsorship research house in South Africa, which will henceforth operate under the Sports Marketing Surveys brand name. More
Last week DRNO covered a report looking at Google and the 'threat' it poses to the publishing and information industry. This week the concern is even closer to home, as the world's biggest research firm ponders the intentions of the search giant. More
Stamford, CT-based RTi has launched an online omnibus focused on the 50+ market. The 'Mature Market Omnibus' (MMO) talks each month to a national sample of 1,000 respondents between the ages of 50 and 74. More
The Nielsen Company has announced results for the full year 2006, with pro forma unaudited revenues of $4,174m, up just 2.8% on the previous year, but up 5% at constant currencies, the firm said. Four acquisition-related items totalling c.$316m affected operating income which was down to $212m (2005: $373m). More
Iceland has adopted the Arbitron PPM system, under licence from TNS, as its audience measurement currency for both radio and television the first instance worldwide of a meter system being used for electronic collection of data on both audiences. More
Online researcher Invoke Solutions has hired Josh Mendelsohn as its new Director of Marketing. He joins from Chadwick Martin Bailey, and takes over from Joanne Manley who moves to manage the company's Europe's strategic alliances in London. More
Synovate has extended its two regional media surveys to probe into the digital media consumption and lifestyles of affluent consumers and business decision makers in Europe and Asia Pacific. More
Millward Brown's Bob Meyers has relinquished his CEO responsibilities to the firm's President of Global Development, Eileen Campbell. Meyers will remain as Chairman for the rest of 2007, and is likely to take another role within Kantar. More
Two global agencies have issued statements about legal issues. GfK Mystery Shopping's name was used by a third party defrauding consumers in North America, while Ipsos' IIS division has reacted to 'defamatory' assertions of breaches of employment law on a Romanian web site. More
Media and information industry advisory firm Outsell, Inc. has launched an annual subscription service focused exclusively on Google and the 'threat' it poses to the publishing and information industry. 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
Harris Interactive has revised its forecasts for the second half of the year following sales bookings around $8m lower than expected in the third quarter of its financial year. The firm also chose today to announce a new loyalty tool, the Commitment Model. More
US Internet ratings provider comScore has moved its European HQ to larger London premises, opened a marketing suite in Paris and announced the latest worldwide rankings from its World Metrix service. More
UK-based Sports Marketing Surveys Ltd has launched mediatrak, a new service giving subscribers instant access to TV and radio clips mentioning their brand, sport or other key words of their choice. More
Ann Arbor, Michigan-based ForeSee Results has secured $20 million in financing, to accelerate its growth as a provider of online customer satisfaction measurement. More
Business intelligence provider SNL Financial has acquired media research and analysis firm, Kagan Research, for an undisclosed sum. The move means the dissolution of year-old partnership JupiterKagan, Inc. - JupiterResearch returns to independence. More
Hi-tech researcher OTX (Online Testing eXchange) has added five senior executives, apparently the prelude to a major offensive. The hires include Bruce Grey Tedesco as Chief Research Officer and four others at VP level or above. More
Software and Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) provider Perseus|WebSurveyor has re-branded as Vovici, and announced the launch of its EFM Continuum product suite. More
The TV Guide Channel, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation empire, has appointed Megan Costello as VP Research. Costello will oversee all research initiatives from the firm's Hollywood headquarters. More
TNS has announced the launch of its '6thdimension' online services in the Middle East, including access panels and other solutions. The first phase will cover Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with other markets likely to follow soon. More
US online researcher InsightExpress has strengthened its Advertising & Media team with two appointments. Kimberly Pagan joins from Millward Brown where she was Director, Client Development, while Jon Evoy joins from The Star Group. More
Internet ratings firm comScore is going public, with an IPO aimed at raising up to $86.25 million. The company filed yesterday in the US with the Securities and Exchange Commission to list on the Nasdaq National Market. More
Greenfield Online, Inc. and Frost & Sullivan have announced a partnership to create a new business-to-business panel. Respondents will be offered access to the latter's research reports as an incentive for sharing their own business expertise. More
Database and credit checking giant Experian has continued its programme of acquisitions with the purchase of an undisclosed minority share in Chinese agency, Sinotrust Marketing Research and Consulting. More
Online panel firm Toluna has announced the launch of a research-only Russian panel community, currently at 50,000 active members. More
Dr Michael Vinson has been appointed as SVP/Managing Director, Digital Insights and Analytics at GM Planworks, the General Motors-dedicated media planning arm of communications agency, Starcom Mediavest Group (SMG). More
Harris Interactive has bought Hamburg-based online FMCG MR firm, MediaTransfer AG Netresearch & Consulting, for a cash price of EUR 9 million (c.$12 million). More
UK marketing services group TMN which includes online fieldwork agency iD Factor and online research consultancy iCD Research has been named 'Online Business of the Year' in the inaugural T-Mobile Fast Growth Business Awards. More
Online panel provider ToLuna has announced full year results ahead of market expectations. Pretax profit for the year to 31st December 2006 is up 220% from £0.7m to £2.2m, while revenue grew 180% versus pro forma figures for 2005, to £8.4m. More
Boston-headquartered online MR firm, Compete Inc, has expanded its Wireless practice with the launch of a new Telecom & Media division, and promoted Adam Guy to lead it as General Manager. More
California-based consumer information specialist Knowledge Networks (KN) has hired Charles DiSogra as VP, Chief Statistician. He will lead the scientific elements of the firm's nationwide online panel, KnowledgePanelSM, and also work directly with clients. More
WPP-owned online panel provider Lightspeed Research has acquired global employee research firm, Foresight International, for an undisclosed sum. More
In the US, Arbitron is to provide measurement data for a network of independent online radio stations, in aggregated form, to help open up online broadcasting to advertising dollars. The move has been orchestrated by Ronning Lipset Radio, which also represents broadcasters such as AOL Radio, Live 365, and Yahoo! Music's LAUNCHcast. More
The BBC is inviting submissions for its new Quantitative and Tracking Roster, a shortlist of agencies which can then bid for projects including ad hoc quant surveys and some major tracking studies. The Pulse contract, currently with GfK but due to expire in March 2008, will also be included in the current tender. More
Technology researcher IDC has appointed Michael Guo as Managing Director for its China Operations, as it continues to expand into the booming market. He worked previously as Director of the board and Managing Partner of Gallup China. 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
A survey released by home technology MR specialist, Park Associates, has revealed that around one-third of US households, or 31 million homes, have no access to the Internet and do not plan to subscribe in the next 12 months. Meanwhile, broadband usage is once again on the up, underlining the so-called 'digital divide'. More
Two online specialists have announced expansion into new Central London premises this week, UK-based YouGov and the UK office of Survey Sampling International (SSI). More
London-based MR agency Continental Research has created the new position of Head of Media Research, and appointed ex-BskyB researcher, Kiri Mitchell, to the role. 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
Millward Brown, bruised by recent comments from a client about relevance in the multiplatform age, has underlined its digital credentials with the release of the 'CTV-1 Study'. Among other findings, it shows the benefits, in terms of viewer engagement, of supplementing TV ad spend with placements in TV shows viewed online. More
Panel and software provider, GMI (Global Market Insite), has increased the size of its panels in China by 65% and in India more than fivefold. Meanwhile senior Board member Larry Schack has left the company and the west coast, reportedly to work for his previous employer, PSB. More
US-based telecoms and mobile media researcher Telephia has announced a technology agreement with software firm Penthera Technologies, to track and measure consumption of content on mobile phones and other wireless devices. More
Last month's comScore search engine rankings show Google Sites capturing 48.1% of the US search market; up 0.6% from the previous month. The firm gained just 0.2% from December to January. 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
The Nielsen Company has announced the launch of a new web-based software tool for evaluation of past and present product placements; and the integration of consumer purchasing behaviour into its multi-country Global Track analysis tool. More
Research Now has extended it online fieldwork service OmniTaxi(TM) to the Scandinavian market. The Research Now Nordic OmniTaxi can be hailed in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland and promises a faster and more flexible alternative to traditional omnibus. More
In the US Authentic Response, the MR division of Return Path, Inc., has announced a partnership with publisher TechTarget, pooling global panelists to give researchers access to a total of more than 3 million IT professionals. In addition, online MR specialist Mike Billingsley has joined Authentic Response as VP of Sales. More
San Francisco headquartered MarketTools Inc, has appointed Steve Cakebread to its Board of Directors. Cakebread's finance background spans 25 years including work for salesforce.com, Silicon Graphics and HP. More
In the UK Peter Bowman, a veteran of joint industry initiatives including the NRS and BARB, has been appointed as the inaugural General Manager of JICIMS, the Joint Industry Committee for Internet Measurement Systems. More
Boston-based Strategy Analytics has organised its services for suppliers in the key markets surrounding new media convergence into five syndicated research programs, some new and some rebranded and/or restructured. More
NetRatings has released financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2006. Full year figures show a profit for the first time, with a net income of $2.8m in 2006 vs a loss of $8.4m in 2005. Revenue rose 20% from $68m in 2005 to $81.8m in 2006. More
Nielsen has hired media researcher Jeff Boehme for the new role of Senior VP, Business Development for Nielsen DigitalPlus. Boehme starts the New York-based role at the beginning of April. More
Internet audience measurement provider, comScore Media Metrix, has designed a new set of metrics to measure the frequency with which a person views web content. The launch of 'visits' comes as reliance on page view stats declines among Internet properties and advertisers. 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 Survey Sampling International (SSI), has launched an online Chinese panel, to be managed from its SSI Asia HQ in Beijing. More
US-based online qual provider Itracks has announced a new platform for online focus groups, designed to give qualitative researchers greater flexibility and control. More
In the US, the TV Advertising Committee of the Association of National Advertisers' (ANA) has released a positioning paper, calling for the television industry to offer brand-specific commercial ratings. More
Roger Entner has joined media, advertising, brand and audience information company, IAG Research, as Senior VP of Communications, responsible for the growth of the firm's communications division. 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
Knowledge Networks/SRI has hired Yellow Pages and telecom industries veteran Jim D'Arcangelo to head its directory research program, including Yellow Pages Market ReporterSM (YPMR). More
Harris Interactive has been awarded a business method patent for a technology enabling the secure distribution and copy protection of images and video embedded in online surveys, as well as text appearing with them. More
GfK NOP has appointed former Channel 4 RM Gary Roddy as Research Director, to work across its portfolio of media clients, and develop new business from its London headquarters. More
Arbitron has today begun its March survey period for radio ratings in Philadelphia the first to rely on the firm's PPM technology - with recalcitrant media giant Clear Channel on board. Clear Channel had earlier refused to join the new system but signed a multi-year deal just in time for the change. More
Florida-based MR consultancy Parks Associates and home technology magazine publisher, EH Publishing have formed a 'research alliance' to provide data and analysis on the players, market dynamics and future trends in the home systems integration marketplace. More
WNS, a provider of offshore business process outsourcing (BPO), has signed a non-binding letter of intent to acquire Bangalore-based offshore analytics firm Marketics Technologies, for a total enterprise value of approximately $65 million in cash. More
Colorado-based blog research specialist Umbria Inc. has launched Tribe Analysis(TM), a tool aiming to provide marketers with a new approach to understanding the consumer motivation behind publicly posted online discussions. More
Online MR firm InsightExpress has expanded its Online Media Measurement Group with the appointments of Nichol Carranza, Samar Habibi and Gabriel Calemmo as Project Managers and Marina Feldman as Market Research Analyst. More
Enterprise marketing management (EMM) solutions firm, Unica, has hired Rand Schulman as General Manager, Internet Marketing Solutions Group (IMSG), to head the firm's web analytics and Internet marketing applications. More
Internet audience measurement and analysis firm, Nielsen/NetRatings, will expand its online advertising measurement service AdRelevance in Singapore, Hong Kong and New Zealand in the third quarter of 2007. More
Mitchell J. Habib has taken up Nielsen's newly created post of Executive VP, Global Business Services, where he will have overall responsibility for all operational and information technology functions throughout the group. More
Technology analyst Forrester Research Inc. will rewrite its old accounts, as it continues to put its own house in order following its discovery of financial irregularities in December. This week, it also released results of a study of innovation round the world, listing Switzerland among five leaders in the field. More
Norwegian MR software business, Future Information Research Management (FIRM) has changed its name to Confirmit, matching its flagship web-based survey, feedback and reporting software product. 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
Printing and publishing industry analyst WhatTheyThink.com has acquired the assets of Global Forecast Group (GFG), a research and economic analyst firm based in Harrisville, Rhode Island; and appointed its principal, Dr. Joe Webb, as its Director of Economics and Research. More
Patrick Keane, previously Head of Advertising Sales Strategy at Google and a former Jupiter Research analyst, has been named Executive VP, Chief Marketing Officer at recently formed CBS Interactive. His role includes management of the firm's efforts in online research, reporting and analytics as well as competitive research and SEO. 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
Ipsos Interactive Services (IIS) has merged its North American and European organisations into one global online research body, to be managed by CEO Andrei Postoaca. More
Online agency YouGov has announced a 50:50 joint venture with Marketing Week publisher Centaur Media plc. YouGovCentaur will develop specialist panels covering Centaur's key sectors including marketing, legal, financial services and engineering. More
Healthy preliminary figures indicate that GfK Group's 2006 organic growth of 5.4% was again ahead of the estimated industry average of 4-5%. Declining sales in Japan meant overall Asia Pacific growth was nil, but the firm's operations in Central and Eastern Europe continue to boom. More
Denver-based online survey software firm, iModerate Research Technologies, has appointed Marc Silberstrom as VP of Strategy and Business Development. 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
Jon Cruddas, a contender for Labour's deputy leadership, is one of the latest in a long line to criticise the government's 'over-reliance' on focus groups. Neither is he the first, we suspect, to dislike its 'direct marketing techniques'. But can he seriously be down on 'using research on the Internet' as well? More
Compiler of Internet trend forecasts, eMarketer.com, estimates that while US online advertising spend has risen by more than 30% each year for the past three, the 2007 increase will be just 19%. Not that that's bad... but it's certainly a change of pace. More
US research firm iSuppli Corp has appointed telecoms industry veteran, Francis Sideco as a Senior Analyst in its Wireless Systems service. More
Retail analysis giant Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) has partnered with comScore Networks to create an Internet tracking panel, along with support solutions to provide Internet media buying and planning tools for CPG clients. More
SKY Television has partnered with TNS and pay TV solutions provider NDS to launch a new audience measurement service, based initially on a panel of 6,500 viewing households. More
Technology researcher Springboard has opened an Australian office and appointed Phil Hassey as Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand. Like the firm's co-founders, Hassey worked previously at IDC where he was Asia/Pacific Research Director. More
Internet and technology-focused provider JupiterResearch has hired three industry veterans as analysts. Kevin Heisler, Neil Strother and Doug Williams will cover search marketing, mobile marketing & media and broadband. More
TNS Media Intelligence (TNS MI) has acquired market influence analytics company Cymfony, giving the research giant access to expertise in tracking and analysing the intersection of traditional and social media, such as blogs and social networks. More
Ambitious online agency MetrixLab has announced that its revenue and profit before tax more than doubled in 2006, to Euros 8.2m and Euros 3.3m respectively. The firm hopes to use strong organic growth and acquisitions to hit the Euros 50m revenue mark by 2009. More
Agency side pharma researchers are more comfortable using the Internet for their studies than their client side counterparts, according to analysis of the 2006 Pharmaceutical Market Research Trends Study from Medefield. More
Government and business research consultancy Abt Associates has announced that its Senior VP, Dr Richard A Kulka will now oversee the firm's Survey Methodology and Data Capture Group. His focus will be on strengthening quality, innovation, and flexibility. More
Nielsen challenger erinMedia LLC has laid off a majority of its employees as a hoped-for $25m investment failed to materialise. Boston-based Spark Capital said late last week that it was dropping attempts to build a consortium of investors. erinMedia will begin its antitrust suit against Nielsen in early 2008. More
Canada's Decima Research is to grow its online panel eVox rapidly via an agreement with the country's automobile association, CAA. CAA's five million plus members will be invited to join the 14,000-strong panel whose size Decima expects to more than double in the coming months. More
Technology analyst IDC has reported results for 2006, with worldwide revenues up 12% to $297 million. Twenty new countries were added to its coverage in the year, bringing the total to 93. More
Lightspeed Research has appointed Antonio Yenidjeian as its Chief Information Officer (CIO), responsible for overseeing its global IT strategy and operations. He also joins the firm's Senior Leadership Team. More
Arbitron has named Jeanette Schaller as the first Customer Service Representative (CSR) for its National Radio Services team, which provides listening information on radio networks, radio syndicators, public radio and satellite radio. More
UK fieldwork firm The Wire, part of Illuminas, is launching new products to complement its 100 CATI station facility. Features include real-time progress checks and interim analysis on data; and a package integrating telephone and online contacts with individual respondents. More
TNS has acquired US shopping behaviour specialist Sorensen Associates for an undisclosed sum, and created a global practice, TNS Retail and Shopper Insights. More
Research predicts that UK online shopping could quadruple and account for c.40% of retail sales by 2020. The study was conducted by YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research on behalf of price comparison service uSwitch. More
Another piece of hard science aiming to open up new possibilities for research... Tenafly, NJ-based agency PreTesting has launched 'e-Motion' technology which it claims 'will revolutionize marketing' by measuring the vibrations in consumers' eyeballs when they view ads. More
WPP's media management unit GroupM has promoted CFO Rupert Day to the new post of global COO, and Marc Goldstein to CEO for North America. Scott Neslund and Lisa Weinstein are also promoted. 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
Online MR firm InsightEpress has expanded its analytic team with the promotion of Todd Trautz to Senior MR Manager and Lacey Fabrizio to MR Manager, and the appointment of Timothy Fitzgerald as MR Analyst. More
Philip Kleinman, The MR Journalist, has died in hospital following heart surgery. He was well known in the industry as former editor of 'Campaign' and a regular contributor to Admap, before founding the pioneering web site MRNews in the late 1990s. More
Research and predictive analytics software giant SPSS has reported a record 36% increase in its 2006 fourth quarter operating income, to $11.7m. The firm's annual revenue was up 11% from $236.1m in 2005 to $261.5m in 2006. More
Pulse Group, the Asian-based provider of panels and research process outsourcing (RPO), has today announced the receipt of 'significant' venture capital funding from JAIC, whose Hideaki Fujiyama joins the Pulse Board. More
The Gallup Organization has announced a partnership with online research technology provider Invoke Solutions, to launch a new offering blending qual and quant research capabilities in live Internet sessions with large, targeted groups of consumers or employees. More
A US-based company claims to have released 'the first mobile advertising platform that can intelligently predict and influence consumer behavior'. Enpocket 6.1 offers operators and publishers the ability to put their consumer data to immediate use for sales and marketing purposes. More
The Interpublic Group has appointed Bant Breen, 35, currently its Director of Strategic Development and Innovation, as President of The Futures Marketing Group. More
Continuing a recent trend among public sector organisations on both sides of the Atlantic, five authorities in the English county of Bedfordshire are to establish their own panel of consumers, BedsVoice, to assess public services. More
US-based technology consultant Yankee Group has announced an exclusive alliance with nonprofit organization the China Mobile Communications Association (CMCA). The deal includes provision of research information to CMCA's broad member base in China, giving Yankee an increased footprint in the booming economy. More
Research consultancy and online survey software provider Enalyzer A/S has begun trading on the First North exchange, which comprises 86 companies in Denmark, Sweden and Iceland. More
Founder and CEO Rob Monster is to leave the helm of panels and software provider GMI, to pursue other interests. Monster will continue to serve as a board member and will participate in the selection of a new CEO, while the Chairman's role is taken by Enrique Godreau III, current GMI board member and MD of one of its major investors Voyager Capital. More
Nielsen has announced the consolidation of its digital television set top box measurement activities into a new service, Nielsen DigitalPlus. The system will take data from both cable system operators (MSOs) and satellite providers and integrate it with other Nielsen information. More
US digital marketing agency iCrossing has bought UK-based Spannerworks. Both firms specialise in search engine marketing (SEM) but both have a growing interest in insight and analytics, including the measurement of online 'buzz' surrounding brands and its impact on client firms. 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
London-based firm Intellitracker Ltd has launched an update of its Enterprise web analytics package which features IntelliMap, a new suite of visitor behaviour visualisation tools. More
Panel company Greenfield Online has reported quarterly and annual financial results, showing a profit of c.$8.5m in 2006. President and CEO Albert Angrisani says the firm has re-established growth for its Internet survey solutions business and is in 'the last stages of solidifying its overall turnaround.' More
Interpublic has promoted Michael Fassnacht to the new position of Chief Customer Intelligence Officer for DraftFCB, the marketing communications agency formed last summer by combining its Draft and Foote Cone & Belding units around the world. More
The growth of new media notwithstanding, Nielsen Media Research is forecasting a massive 47% rise in the number of TV-owning households in the States up from 111.4 million to 163.7 million in its annual report 'Projected Estimates of TV Households and Persons 2008 to 2050'. More
US technology and financial services consultancy Doxus has grown its project management and analytics teams with five appointments. More
Michael Connors, until recently Chairman and CEO of VNU's MMI Group, has resurfaced at the head of an acquisition company with almost $260m in funds. Information Services Group, Inc. (ISG) completed its IPO oversubscribed this week and boasts a strong line-up including several former Nielsen and VNU Execs. More
IT specialist Springboard Research has appointed Robert Triendl to expand its presence in Japan. In the role of Research Director, Triendl will report directly to CEO Dane Anderson. More
Television ad effectiveness firm IAG Research has promoted Lois Miller to the newly created position of President of its Automotive division. In addition to her leadership of the division's growth, the move recognises its knock-on effect on other parts of the firm. More
Technology researcher Gartner has reported fourth quarter and full year 2006 results with research and events divisions growing strongly, outpacing consulting. Overall earnings were $58.2m from a loss of $2.4m in 2005, and revenue rose 7% to $1.06 billion. More
Direct marketing firm Interactive Prospect Targeting (IPT) has bought a majority stake in online MR group RealWorld Customer Experience Ltd (RWCE), the parent of research firm Tpoll. More
Nielsen Media Research has released the Arianna(TM) television ratings tool in the US. NMR says the tool, which is already in use in 30 other countries across four continents, will enable local clients to 'move into the arena of desktop data analysis'. More
The Nielsen Company is to buy the remainder of online audience specialist NetRatings, for a total purchase price of $327m cash, or $21.00 a share. It already owns 60 per cent. More
WPP has acquired data collection company All Global Ltd, for an undisclosed sum. The London-based firm, whose services include healthcare panel research, telephone recruiting and qual interviewing, employs 44 people and had revenues of £7.3m for the year ended 30th April. More
R. L. Polk & Co., fresh from an acquisition announcement on Friday, is to launch an Internet lead scoring product for the online automotive retailing industry, combining its predictive modeling and analytic capabilities with its in-depth market data . More
ABI Research has appointed Judith Rosall as Principal Analyst, Digital Media, focusing on the digital media and mobile content marketplaces. She worked as a Research Director at Gartner, IDC and The Aberdeen Group in addition to a number of client side roles. 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
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) has announced the acquisition of Turkish advertising intelligence company Bilesim Medya. Financial details were not disclosed. More
Internet information provider comScore Networks has announced that its pharmaceutical division has hooked up with pharma e-marketing specialist Evolution Road, to provide a service benchmarking the effectiveness of e-marketing to patients. More
Accounting and professional services firm Ernst & Young has launched a media performance auditing unit, part of its Marketing and Advertising Risk Services (MARS) practice. More
MR software firm Pulse Train is the latest to announce a mobile survey solution. A partnership with Embrace Mobile will bring the BellviewŪ data collection suite to mobile phones. More
Software and panels firm GMI has promoted two senior execs at its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Sydney, in addition to making two senior appointments in Seattle and a raft of others worldwide. It has also upgraded its Research Analyzer tables tool, with enhanced weighting and data manipulation features. More
Panels company Research Now has announced the acquisition of Samplenet e-Research Solutions, which trades as OpenVenue. The price for Canada's largest specialist online fieldwork company is a maximum of C$47.5m (£20.5m), subject to performance. More
Survey Sampling International (SSI) has announced a number of senior promotions to support its worldwide expansion, following the recent appointment of Jim Follett as CEO. Among them, MD Europe Kees de Jong is promoted to Director of Globalization with COO Europe Michel Guidi stepping up to fill the MD Europe role. More
GfK and entertainment sales data firm Media-Control, have announced the formation of a joint venture, GfK Mē, to track mobile content sales. The company will get its data direct from content and network providers, and hardware and component manufacturers. More
Synovate has acquired Amsterdam-based Interview-NSS, The Netherlands' largest independent full-service market research company and its European Data Collection Centre (EDCC). The buys will be integrated with Synovate's existing operations in the country and led by MD Carlo Stokx. More
UK-based MR and consulting group Cello has bought a controlling interest in qual researcher Rosenblatt Limited and Internet specialist Digital People Online Limited, for a total maximum consideration of £3m. More
UK-based Illuminas has promoted Joe Brown to its Global Board with immediate effect. He is charged with developing the firm's digital economy offer. More
US online research specialist InsightExpress has hired Elise Neel from Cars.com as its new Director, Online Media Measurement. Her remit will include setting strategy and building a client service team for the West Coast; and developing the advertiser-direct segment. More
Arbitron has won Media Rating CouncilŪ (MRC) accreditation for its Portable People Meter(TM) radio ratings data in Houston, after a tough two-year process which has seen deadlines pushed back and plans changed for the audience measurement firm. More
Media planning and buying company Starcom USA has become the first media agency client for TiVo Stop||Watch(TM), the new second-by-second ratings service recently announced by the DVR pioneer. More
Texas-based digital and new media research firm The Diffusion Group (TDG) has made another senior appointment, wireless and mobile technology consultant Stephen Dye. More
Three recent surveys highlight new technology's effect on consumer habits and the challenge facing advertisers. Newspapers' web sites are boosting their offline circulation; broadband video is bringing new and more lucrative advertising opportunities; and the days of the standalone DVR may be numbered. More
A trading statement from online panel firm ToLuna suggests sales and operating profits for 2006 will beat market expectations. The firm anticipates turnover of not less than £8.3m, almost trebling versus a pro forma £3.0m for 2005. More
Online survey software provider, FIRM (Future Information Research Management), has reported 2006 revenue up 26% to $21.8 million, and a 13% EBIT margin. More
The majority of online gamblers aren't playing to win money long-term; it's more about entertainment value, according to the findings of the 'eCOGRA Global Online Gambler Survey'. The study plots the behaviour and attitudes of 11,000 players across 96 countries. More
Angus Reid Strategies has announced a Canadian online panel, Angus Reid Forum. Tools and technology from sister company Vision Critical will manage the panel and provide rich media applications to engage participants. More
San Francisco-based startup BuzzLogic has won $9.6m (£4.9m) in venture capital, with which to develop tools and services aimed at defining and measuring influence in social media such as blogs. More
UK-based B2B research agency Circle Research has added b2b guru David Willan to its senior team. Willan spent twenty years building up BPRI, the agency he co-founded in 1986, which is now part of WPP. More
In the US, The Diffusion Group has announced the addition of two senior consultants, Srijana Dhakhwa and Alex Kasten, to its new Mobile Infrastructure and Applications practice. More
The Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) has launched a survey to measure European corporate SEM spending and highlight key trends in the European market. 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
Sixteen to twenty-four year olds are not only much more likely to respond to surveys conducted via mobiles, they also respond more quickly, according to Lightspeed Research's analysis of its pilot cell phone panel. More
Satellite and wireless research and consulting firm NSR has made two senior appointments. Yannick Lafue joins in France as Analyst, Satellite Communications and Dr. John Stevenson in the US as Senior Advisor. More
US-based Online Survey Solution (OSS), part of M/A/R/CŪ Research, has appointed Meg Ryan as Director of Client Development, responsible for selling online data collection services to fellow market research agencies. More
Lightspeed Research has launched a business-to-business panel in the US, ELITEOpinion. Composed of purchase influencers in industries including telecoms, finance, insurance, corporate travel and IT / technology, the panel operates as an exclusive online community. More
Nielsen Media Research has confirmed that it will begin providing commercial-minute ratings as early as the end of this month. Clients will get an updated version of the firm's NPOWER software on Jan 29th to perform their own minute-by-minute analyses, and Nielsen's own All Minute Data File will follow in April. More
Online analytics company WebTrends has appointed Tim Kopp as its new CMO, responsible for all the company's marketing and branding. Kopp was previously head of the Worldwide Interactive Marketing Organization at Coca-Cola Company. More
Online audience specialist comScore Networks has agreed a multi-year licensing agreement with behaviorally-targeted online advertising network TACODAŪ. TACODA CEO, Curt Viebranz says the deal 'integrates two of the largest repositories of knowledge about online consumer behavior'. More
Richard Catrone has replaced Joe Viglianti as Senior VP, Operations at Knowledge Networks (KN). Vigilanti retires after 35 years at KN and predecessor firm Statistical Research, Inc. More
The body of Cathy Marlow, Finance Manager for panel firm Research Now, was discovered in the shower cubicle of the firm's London head office on Saturday night. Police say the 28-year old was murdered in a 'frenzied attack', and are questioning a man in connection with the inquiry. More
Thriving UK-based pollster YouGov plc has appointed Roger Parry, former Chairman and CEO of Clear Channel International, as a Non-Executive Director. As of 26th April, Parry will also become Non-Executive Chairman while current Chair Peter Kellner moves to the role of President. More
US provider Evolution Research has announced a deal with online gaming destination FiringSquad.com to create North America's largest panel of online gamers. The deal aims to provide faster and better research results for game publishers and developers. More
UK-based Marketing Sciences has appointed Danni White to its Board, and promoted both Eileen Sutherland and Chris Peach to Research Director roles. 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
TNS Media Intelligence, the media monitoring arm of TNS, has acquired rival agency PressWatch Media, to boost its UK market position. 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
European MR agency SKOPOS has found a novel way to promote the launch of its new Media & Music Insight Division the simultaneous release of a video, single and album via web site, YouTube and myspace. More
Online fieldwork provider Research Now has announced its Final Results for the year to 31 October 2006, with turnover nearly trebled to £9.6m (2005: £3.6m) and profit before tax more than trebled to £1.6m (2005: £0.5m). 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
Online data collection specialist, Itracks, has recruited Jim Longo as VP, Client Development to focus on forming strategic alliances with client partners. The role will be split between Itracks' Fairport and New York offices, and its Saskatoon headquarters. More
Jim Follett, former COO of NOP World, is to replace Bev Weiman as Chief Executive Officer of panels firm Survey Sampling International (SSI). Weiman, who co-founded SSI along with Tom Danbury in 1977, cited personal reasons for her departure. 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
In the US, InsightExpress has hired Kevin Hill as Vice President, Group Director, Advertising & Media, responsible for the overall management, growth and strategy of this group. More
Research software firm Globalpark UK has moved to larger London premises following rapid expansion in 2006. The company, which recently launched a new version of its Surveycenter package, has also boosted its sales team with the appointment of Diana Dawkins. More
As the MRS reveals that 'happiness expert' Richard Reeves is to deliver the opening keynote slot at its annual conference in March, US provider Luth Research has published results of a survey into happiness around the world, highlighting the differences between countries and regions. More
In the US, online consumer researcher Media-Screen, producer of the Netpop broadband report series, has hired Jean Durall, Ph.D. as its first Director of Research Services. Durall has worked at Knowledge Networks and Research International. 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
Texas-based researcher DisplaySearch has strengthened its team with seven senior hires. Three new staff join in the US, two in Korea and one each in China and Japan. More
Middle managers on both sides of the Atlantic are spending up to two hours a day rummaging around for the information they need to do their jobs - yet more than 50% of what they find is of no value. The results come from a recent survey by Accenture. More
Following the resignation of its CFO in the week before Christmas, technology specialist Forrester Research has brought in a consultant, Paul Burmeister, to assist acting CFO George F. Colony and help find a permanent replacement. This week the firm also moved Charles Rutstein to the role of COO. More
Greenfield Online has launched the first of a series of specialist online communities, taking advantage of its recently announced next generation panel management system. Curizon(TM) provides a custom portal page and other features for the firm's panel of physicians and other healthcare professionals. More
Industry veteran and MRS Fellow Cliff Holmes has been appointed a Non-Executive Director of Essential Research, the specialist media research agency launched in 2005 year by three former BBC Audience Researchers. More
With eight days to go until Arbitron launches its first PPM service in Philadelphia, two groups representing more than a quarter of the market's radio ad spend are still not on board. Media agency comments suggest the problems may jeopardise all radio ad buying in the market. More
Retail sales of consumer technology for the month before Christmas were 6.5% up on the year, according to weekly point-of-sale (POS) data from The NPD Group. LCD and plasma TVs, MP3 players and navigation systems were among the big gainers this year. More
Yahoo! has lost its VP of Brand Marketing, Murray Gaylord, to NYTimes.com. Gaylord spent six years in the Yahoo! role and joins the online paper on January 8th. More
US-based software and panels firm GMI has announced the opening of a new technology center near the Sri Lankan capital Colombo; plus three new appointments from December. More
The conversion from analog radio to digital radio is 'well under way around the world and gaining momentum rapidly', according to research by In-Stat. Worldwide, the market for digital radio receivers will grow from 5m units in 2005 to almost 25m in 2010, with Europe leading. More
ACNielsen has announced a new classification system for the Middle East and North Africa region. The Living Standards Measurement (LSM) system will initially be introduced in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Morocco and Egypt. More
Technology consulting group Forrester Research has announced that its Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Warren Hadley has resigned, following initial findings from an internal investigation into share option irregularities. More
The 'next Bill Gates' is more likely to come from either China or Japan (49%) than from the United States (21%), according to a poll by Zogby International and 463 Communications. The poll also looked at perceptions of the Internet and its effect on work and society. More
In the US, the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) announced this week it will report future quarterly radio revenue in dollars, to make its coverage more transparent and bring it in line with the majority of media revenue reporting practices. More
US-based provider Greenfield Online has followed up recent announcements of 'Real-Time Sampling' and panel management technologies with the launch of a mobile survey respondent panel, Text2Express(TM). More
Maritz Research and interactive technology provider Invoke Solutions have joined forces to develop Invoke Ping, a platform that will deliver consumer research via mobile devices. More
A dozen research suppliers have submitted a total of 24 proposals to UK audience measurement body BARB in response to its invitation on next generation measurement. More
VNU has begun what it calls a 'major corporate transformation' including the phasing out of its existing group structure and the cutting of up to 4,000 jobs in 2007. NMR CEO Susan Whiting is promoted to a new group-wide EVP role while Frank Martell and Steve Schmidt will leave the company. More
Internet searches for the Nintendo Wii have ousted the perennial favourite iPod to become the UK's most searched-for gadget in the run-up to Christmas, according to Hitwise. The recall of a wrist strap, due to over-enthusiastic users throwing remote controls around, can't have hurt its worldwide sales either. More
VNU says it will sell 'substantially all' of its Business Media Europe (BME) group to European private-equity and venture capital company 3i. Operations in the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Germany and Belgium are included although France is still under discussion. More
Arbitron has unveiled a preview of a new version of its electronic diary, which enables radio ratings surveys to be conducted through mobile Internet-capable devices. More
GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.) has announced a strategic partnership with Media-Screen, an online consumer research specialist based in San Francisco. GMI will provide panel access and technology to power Media-Screen's Netpop(TM) syndicated research series. 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
Digital marketing agency imcē (imc squared) has appointed John Clark to its leadership team, as Director of Business Intelligence. Clark is the second senior MR departure in a month from consumer electronics retailer RadioShack. More
Online consumers visit a variety of large and small web sites, but are more responsive to advertising on niche sites that more closely match their personal interests, according to San Francisco-based research provider Media-Screen. More
Research Process Outsourcing (RPO) company Pulse Group has added social networking features to its 'Planet Pulse' online panel community, in line with the explosive growth of sites like MySpace and Bebo. Members in twenty countries can now interact with each other via a live forum feature. More
Mobile media researcher Telephia has announced it will partner with software firm Roundbox, Inc., to develop on-device audience measurement for mobile broadcast applications, including television, using technology on the subscriber's handset. More
In the US, BIGresearch has announced a partnership with The Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA). The association will use BIGresearch's proprietary SIMM (Simultaneous Media Usage Study), which connects media use and purchasing, to help members monitor ROI for word-of-mouth campaigns. More
Nielsen Media Research has agreed to develop its TV ratings along two lines, following a meeting last week with more than 100 clients. Parallel with the development of more flexible minute-by-minute data, the firm will offer a simpler 'average commercial minute ratings' service. More
Lightspeed Research has boosted its North American sales team with two appointments. John Tanzola joins as Vice President, Business Development and Greg Stevens as Business Development Representative. More
UK success story YouGov plc is hoping to use its magic formula in the US: today it announced it has acquired a 32% shareholding in Polimetrix Inc., an online political and social research agency founded in 2004 by Stanford Professor Douglas Rivers. 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-based online quant agency Aurora Market Research has announced expansion plans, including a larger London office, staff appointments, a rebrand and the launch of its own consumer panel. More
In the UK TMN plc, which owns panels firm The iD Factor and newly launched online research consultancy division iCD, has announced record revenue (£8m) and profits (£1.4m) in its half-yearly statement to the stock market. iD Factor grew fastest of its three core divisions, with sales up 122%. More
New York-based industry association The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has announced that Randall Rothenberg will be joining as President and CEO in January. He replaces Greg Stuart, who stepped down as CEO in August. 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
VNU and partner the In-Store Marketing Institute are to launch a global service measuring customers' in-store influences and purchasing decisions. The service will be offered by Nielsen In-Store, a new unit within the recently announced NielsenConnect, which aims to 'follow the consumer'. More
Lightspeed Research has strengthened its North American executive team with the addition of Nancy Kienzler as VP of Research Operations and Francesco Colbertaldo as Senior VP of Business Development. More
In the US, online business performance consultancy Keynote Systems has acquired the GómezPro business unit of Watchfire, strengthening its CEM (customer experience management) business and adding five former Watchfire consultants to its team. 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
Portland, Oregon-based online analytics company WebTrends has announced the acquisition of a search marketing specialist, ClickShift, giving it an entry into search marketing. More
Online survey firm Ciao has launched a 'Career Profile' option. The new data allows clients to use job categories to select samples from its panelists in 23 countries across Europe, Asia, Latin America and Australia. More
Ipsos ASI's Peter Haslett has moved from Canada, where he was President and MD, to take up the role of UK Chairman. He will take responsibility for building the advertising research firm's UK and global presence. More
The Internet has become the number one medium for data collection for quantitative physician studies, used for 43% of studies according to research by specialist US provider Medefield. Online research made strong gains versus face-to-face and telephone research for the third year running. More
Software and panels firm GMI has announced a partnership with DNSstuff.com, which will enhance its ability to recruit IT panelists for its TechSay.com online IT panel. Meanwhile another sixteen staff have joined GMI this month, including Anthony Milano and Peter Grove as US-based Vice Presidents.
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Farmers in Iowa have helped establish a new online market research company, AgSpeak. The launch was led by a group of agri-business professionals aiming to improve information flow to agricultural suppliers, while 'fairly compensating' farmers for the information they share. More
Canadian online panel specialist, Vision Critical, has appointed Bryan Mavrow as Senior Vice President, Services to oversee the team which administers its 150 proprietary panels. More
VNU has announced its quarterly and 9-month financial results for the period to September 30. Pro forma operating revenue for the third quarter was Euros 904m, up 6% on the previous year at constant currency, while operating income fell 29% to Euros 72m. More
TV ad rating firm IAG Research has appointed Jean-Philippe Maheu as Chief Operations Officer, while at the same time promoting David Wyler to the post of Senior Vice President, and General Manager of its consumer panel. More
Two surveys out this week shed light on the world of online music. The technology is new Ipsos says more and more Americans are trying mobile music downloads but the content is often golden oldie, with Genesis taking the no.1 spot in Hitwise's UK online search chart. More
Jon Mandel, one of the highest profile media buyers in the US, has joined VNU as CEO of newly formed business unit, NielsenConnect. More
Greenfield Online will announce a new Real-Time Sampling(TM) capability at two major US conferences this week. The firm says the new technology will widen the industry's 'pool' of respondents and create 'Virtual Panels(TM)' of respondents from its own Global Survey Network of affiliated web sites. More
Research software firm Nebu has found a new UK Managing Director from a familiar source; released new versions of its panel management and web interviewing systems; and announced a partnership with Embrace mobile to facilitate mobile phone surveys using text messages. More
InsightExpress has expanded its Media & Custom Panels group with the appointment of Peter Zsamboky, formerly of Ipsos and OTX. This latest hire means the company has doubled of its head count in the past 18 months, to over 100 employees. More
Lightspeed Research has appointed Frank Durousset as Account Director, based in its new Paris office. He has worked previously at ACNielsen, NPD and NetValue. More
comScore Networks has revealed that Google web properties edged out those of Microsoft in October to become the most visited in the UK for the first time. EBay, Yahoo! and BBC sites round out the top 5. More
UK demand for video downloading lags far behind both the recent hype and the development of technology, according to data from TNS Worldpanel Entertainment. Of the 10,000 people interviewed every two weeks for the service, not one has yet legally downloaded a video. More
As China's auto sales boom, a group of savvy car buyers is growing with strong opinions and in-depth knowledge, according to ACNielsen Automotive. The firm says marketers must find a more sophisticated strategy to reach them. More
Bundled telecoms and entertainment services are big business in the US, but in their infancy in the UK. However, according to Continental Research's latest convergence report, the concept appeals to the great majority of UK consumers. More
Digital and new media specialist The Diffusion Group (TDG) has hired Bruce Huie for its analyst team. Huie's 15 years in marketing, product management, and customer acquisition includes spells at AT&T, Infoseek and the Open Software Foundation. More
Digital media and panels firm Ciao has appointed ex-TNS Director, Ross Broadbent, as New Product Development and Product Management Director. More
A number of US polls are forecasting record consumer retail spend in the run-up to Christmas. According to Internet information provider, comScore Networks, $6.35 billion has already been spent online during the first 19 days of November up 23% on the corresponding days in 2005. More
WebTrends, the web analytics company, has just launched the latest version of WebTrends Marketing Warehouse(TM), helping marketers to link customers' online actions with their offline profiles from demographic, psychographic and geographic data. More
Can results from online panels be trusted? Gian Fulgoni, Chairman of US-based comScore Networks set alarm bells ringing at this year's CASRO Conference with statistics about three-a-day survey respondents; but panel firms say the industry is taking a mature approach to the issue. More
The battle for cricket's most famous trophy resumes in a few hours, with Australians hoping for a change of ownership, but continuity Down Under is the theme of two recent surveys. GMI / Anholt research finds the country's image little changed, while Ipsos finds its executives combining new media use with reading more newspapers than ever. More
Online MR software company FIRM will pre-launch version 11 of its Confirmit MR suite at the ESOMAR Panel Research conference in Barcelona next week. The new release includes a new Community Panel module which promises to enhance panellist engagement and response rates. More
Network security company Fortinet has hired media columnist and former Gartner analyst Richard Stiennon as its Chief Marketing Officer. More
Panel and research technology provider Toluna is to expand into the Asia Pacific market with the launch of an Australian panel community, currently at 30,000 members. More
In the US, Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) has promoted Dan Twing to COO, with responsibility for MR development and execution as well as consulting and product development. EMA is a specialist in research and consulting in the area of IT management. More
European online fieldwork and panel specialist Research Now has opened a Chicago office and appointed Mike Gray, Vice President Client Development, to build the Chicago team. Nine other staff join the agency's US team. More
TNS Media Research has signed up a first agency client for its new digital audience measurement service based on anonymous set top box data. Media and communications agency Starcom USA will receive information from 300,000 digital subscribers in LA. More
Sony has today launched its PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) in the US. Some people have queued all week to buy it and play on it, and others to buy it and sell it again on eBay with an average 150% mark-up, according to eBay research specialist HammerTap. More
Andrew Zoota, formerly Director of Research for consumer electronics retailer RadioShack Corporation, has moved provider-side. He joins MarketVision Research as Research Director with a focus on managing and developing research business. More
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) will launch a service to measure nationally distributed Video On Demand (VOD) content, on December 11th. The service will use the National People Meter sample used for television ratings, and 'watermark' content for detection by its new Active/Passive meter. More
In the US, value chain insight specialist Aberdeen Group has announced an expansion of its Product Innovation and Engineering practice and the hiring of Ric Stanley and Mehul Shah as Research Analysts. More
Some US consumers will be willing to buy a next generation (next-gen) video game console as soon as it becomes available, regardless of price, based on 'must-have' features, according to a new study by The NPD Group. More
US consultancy Gongos Research has launched two new initiatives, 'i*Communities', a custom platform that encourages online interaction between consumers; and 'Active Intercept', which offers moderators the chance to inject qual questions for specific respondents completing a quant online survey. More
Audience measurement partners Ipsos and The Media Audit have this week confirmed that they will start installing encoders for their phone-based measurement system in Houston radio stations in December, and will conduct an 'Expert Witness' test the same month, to help validate the methodology. 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
Greenfield Online has reported results for the third quarter of 2006, ended September 30. The figures show improvements over those for the previous year and President and CEO Albert Angrisani says there has been progress 'in many areas of the business' but that the management are 'not satisfied'. More
Arbitron continues to promote long-serving employees in senior positions: this week, 27-year company veteran Dottye Gould-Smith becomes Senior Vice President, Respondent Acquisition & Compliance Operations. More
Online measurement specialist comScore Networks has launched Plan Metrix, an upgraded version of its media planning tool AiM (Audience insight Measures). comScore says the new tool offers 'improved usability and broader insight into consumer preferences'. More
Digital home and new media researcher The Diffusion Group has strengthened its team with the appointment of two senior consultants, Michael Fischer and Nicholas Givotovsky. More
Nielsen Media Research has created a further body to advise it on ethnic audience measurement issues, an African American Advisory Council (AAAC) consisting of 12 industry, community, and business leaders. More
VNU has announced the appointment to its Supervisory Board of James M. Kilts, until a month ago Vice Chairman of The Procter & Gamble Company and since co-founder of advisory and equity firm Centerview Partners. Centerview will also make an investment in VNU alongside its six existing private-equity owners. More
Merging information from television and Internet panels into a single database, Nielsen Media Research and NetRatings have announced the launch of their National TV/Internet Fusion database. More
TNS' Media and Internet, Television and Radio Audience Measurement (iTRAM) divisions have helped the Guardian Newspapers Ltd and Sky Media scoop the gold and silver awards for 'Best Research Initiative' at this year's Media Week Awards. More
With effect from the Winter 2007 survey, Arbitron has announced that radio survey participants in diary-based markets will have the option to use an Internet-based, electronic diary in place of the standard paper and pencil survey tool. More
In response to the need for guidance on improving quality, the Interactive Marketing Research Organization (IMRO) has just released its Professional Standards for Database Best Practices. The guidelines are the culmination of consultation with many from the online research world. More
ItemFinder, a new web-based service designed to satisfy customer "where to buy" needs for specific products, has been launched this week by ACNielsen in the US. The service provides access to over 38,000 stores across the food, drug, mass, dollar, and liquor channels. More
US provider MarketTools has just been named to the Deloitte & Touche 2006 Technology Fast 50 Programme for Silicon Valley, ranking thirteenth in the Internet, Media & Entertainment, and Communications category. More
Nielsen Media Research and News Corporation have announced an eight-year agreement for audience measurement services. Relations between the two firms had been troubled since News Corp company Fox TV questioned Nielsen's methods in 2004 and at one point called for government regulation of TV ratings. More
Online research software company FIRM has announced third quarter results with organic revenue up 32% year on year, from £3.7m to $4.9m. EBIT margin rose to 11% from just 2% in Q3 2005. More
Technology specialist JupiterResearch has announced the launch of its new Mobile Media & Marketing Research service and released initial results, forecasting a total advertiser spend on mobile messaging and display advertising of $2.9bn in 2011, up from $1.4bn in 2006. More
Panels and software firm GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.) has appointed a CFO, Michael Vernon, and a new VP of Human Resources, Judy Loucks. More
Enterprise feedback provider NetReflector has released VantagePoint, an online survey software solution offering a customer and employee feedback system tailored to the complex needs of global corporations. More
WPP's media planning and buying division GroupM has agreed to use the ad monitoring systems of Thomson Intermedia, and to promote them to its UK client base of more than 650 advertisers. More
MarketTools, Inc. has launched a new end-to-end online focus group solution, Zoomerang Online Focus, at this week's Market Research Event in LA. Participants can be recruited from the firm's ZoomPanel(TM) of more than 2.5 million US consumers. More
In the US, Greenfield Online and custom researcher Turnkey Sports & Entertainment have announced an alliance to give sports marketers real-time access to the opinions of sports fans worldwide, to measure sponsorship effectiveness and build audience. More
Millward Brown has appointed Andy Greenfield, currently CEO of its North American qualitative division Greenfield Consulting Group, to oversee all its qual services worldwide. He also joins the firm's main Board. More
SKOPOS Market Insight has hired former aerospace engineer and IT consultant Duncan Wells for its Client Consulting team. More
TNS has announced the launch of a dedicated technology team in Vietnam, expanding its Asia Pacific network of technology sector researchers. The team will be led by country MD Ralf Matthaes and supported by Technology Sector Head Hong Nguyen and Sector Champion, Lester Sualog. More
In the US, an investigation into VNU's proposed buyout of the remaining shares in majority-owned subsidiary NetRatings has been launched by Kahn Gauthier Swick, LLC (KGS), specialists in stock market fraud and shareholder suits. More
Audience measurement specialist Nielsen Media Research has a new division, Nielsen Wireless and Interactive Services, headed by VP Jeff Herrmann; and has announced the launch of GamePlay Metrics, a new rating service for video games. More
Peter Smyth, President and CEO, Greater Media, Inc., has been elected Chairman of the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) Board of Directors, for a one-year term beginning on January 1, 2007. More
Nielsen Media Research has announced that its Local People Meter (LPM) technology will be launched in the five key centres of Phoenix, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Miami and Denver, in 2008. More
Brian White has joined Burke, Inc. as a Senior Account Consultant in Sales and Client Services. He will work for clients in sectors including IT, CPG and retail. 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
Arbitron has underlined the link between its people and its overall business success with the promotion of Marilou Legge to Senior VP, Organization Effectiveness. The new role builds on her former duties as VP for the company's Talent Acquisition and Development group. More
Information giant Experian has launched six new solutions under its Marketing Services unit, to optimise marketers' communications with their best customers and prospects. The six, aimed at 'making insight actionable', include Prospectvue, an advanced, multichannel analysis tool. More
US-based consulting and MR firm Kline & Company has added three new managers to its global team. Scott Gould and Sunanda Desai join the global headquarters in Little Falls, NJ, and Rajiv Bhandari joins the office in New Delhi. More
Audience measurement giant Nielsen Media Research has established five new Client Advisory Committees, consisting of almost 90 senior clients, to guide the company's Anytime Anywhere Media Measurement (A2/M2) initiatives, aimed at moving measurement into the integrated media age. More
News of another advisory body established by Nielsen Media Research: the Council for Research Excellence, the firm's independent forum established last year, is commissioning a pilot study on consumption of traditional and emerging video platforms inside and outside the home. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has launched its online advertising measurement service, AdRelevance, in Japan. Initial results show a market worth 19.2 bn Yen or US $160m for display ads in September, with beauty the highest spending sector and Vodafone-Softbank the top advertiser. More
Online audience specialist NetRatings has expanded its patent enforcement program with the filing of lawsuits against four companies, including WebTrends, Inc., alleging infringement of patents it owns or controls. More
Two companies providing services for research firms have scooped high profile awards in Asia Pacific: RPO specialist Pulse Group winning an APICTA 2006 Award, and software developer QSR International a top Australian Export award. Meanwhile in the UK, GfK NOP's Field Marketing team has also carried off a number of prizes. More
GfK has announced that, with the integration of NOP World running well and reduced net debt, it has arranged syndicated credit facilities of EUR 430 million and US$ 170 million. The Group has also launched a home shopping tracker, covering orders made through the Internet, digital TV, mail order and the post. More
Audience researcher Arbitron has promoted Thomas F. Mocarsky to Senior Vice President, Press and Investor Relations. Mocarsky has worked at the firm since 1982 and was most recently VP, Communications. More
UK agency HPI Research has been bought by its management from communications group Interpublic, for an undisclosed sum. More
Harris Interactive has launched a European unit for its Service Bureau. HISB Europe will offer MR firms in Europe a range of services including telephone, face-to-face and online data collection, the SynTrack Online survey transitioning service and Integrated CATI-WAPI (ICW), among others. More
Despite mobile phone providers' endeavours to recruit 3G customers, third generation technology remains a low priority for mobile users across the globe, with cost the biggest deterrent, according to Global Technology Insight (GTI), the massive annual mobile study by TNS. More
Technology and financial research specialist Doxus has announced plans to open a Chinese office in 2007, to be headed up by David Ying Hong Ho, who has worked previously as a supplier / partner to the company. Doxus currently has sites in Portland and Atlanta. More
Another former Ipsos researcher has joined the senior team for Angus Reid's new agency: Chris Ferneyhough becomes a Vice President, based in Calgary. More
YouGov plc, the polling and MR provider with bases in the UK and Middle East, has announced rapid growth in its preliminary results for the year to 31 July. Sales have more than tripled to £9.5m from £2.9m, while operating profit grew 302% to £3.9m. More
Newly-private VNU is proposing to acquire the remainder of the shares in NetRatings, Inc., a company it majority owns (60.5%) with the rest publicly held. The firm is offering $16.00 per share in cash. The NetRatings board is meeting this afternoon to discuss evaluation of the proposal. 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
Online researcher InsightExpress has bolstered its technology team with three new appointments. Jeff Porper joins as Webmaster, Vlad Olkov as Internet Developer and Mike Beaudwin as Desktop Support Technician. More
Project Apollo, Arbitron and VNU's proposed marketing information service linking advertising exposure and consumer purchase behaviour, has received the official endorsement of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA). More
Ciao, the European company of online survey solutions provider Greenfield Online, has hired a new Director of Panels, Cyril Stern, and promoted several key sales and marketing executives within its European organization. More
Arbitron has hired Michael Katz as Senior Sales Coordinator for its Eastern Region, based in the company's New York office and reporting directly to Jim Remeny, Senior Eastern Divisional Manager for Arbitron Radio Station Services. More
Lightspeed Research has acquired the 'Ultimate Consumer Panel' business of US-based technology researcher Forrester. The business uses tools developed in-house to analyze consumers' financial services behaviors using credit card, banking statement and transaction data. More
GfK has acquired a majority stake in Latvian provider InMind, which will now be known as GfK Custom Research Baltic. In June, the global group established GfK Marketing Services Baltic, which like the new acquisition is based in the capital, Riga. More
GfK NOP has hired Richard Matthews for the new role of Director of Insight for its Technology division, tasked with developing a suite of services to integrate insight into client processes. Matthews worked client side in senior insight functions at Vodafone and Nokia for nearly ten years. More
Audience measurement firm Arbitron has appointed Al Tupek as its Chief Statistical Officer (CSO). Tupek is former Chief of the US Census Bureau's Demographic Statistical Methods Division. More
TNS has appointed Matthew Froggatt, a thirteen-year veteran of the company, as Global Sector Head of its Technology division, replacing Tacis Gavoyannis who has left to pursue other interests. Froggatt will be based in London. More
In the US, Cablevision subsidiary Rainbow Media has strengthened its research function with two senior promotions, Sean Fassett to VP of Research for AMC and Daniel Marcu to VP of Research for the Independent Film Channel (IFC). 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
VNU has announced results for the three months ended June 30, dominated by an adjustment of Euros 71m for costs relating to the sale of the company in May. Excluding this, pro forma operating revenue was up 6% year on year in constant currency to Euros 943m, and operating income up 11% to Euros 114m. More
UK-based panel specialist The iD Factor has recruited five new members of staff, three as business developers. The firm says the expansion programme, which has already doubled its headcount to 34 in just 12 months, is ongoing. More
US-based panels and software firm GMI has passed another busy month, with the opening of a Netherlands office, seven appointments including an MD, Business Development, and the news that its Chinese panel now includes roughly 1 in every 1,000 of the population. More
Lux Research, Inc., a research firm focused on nanotechnology and the physical sciences, has appointed Joe Raguso as Vice President of Strategic Business Development. He was previously CEO of UK-based QinetiQ Nanomaterials, Ltd. (QNL), a subsidiary of major defence and security company QinetiQ Group plc. More
In the US, MarketTools has announced the launch of a fully-integrated mobile phone-based market intelligence solution, MarketTools Mobile, allowing live data collection and rapid access to up-to-date results via a web portal. More
Lightspeed Research has named Darren Fifield as its new CEO, Asia Pacific. Fifield, currently MD of the Synovate company Aztec Information Systems, SE Asia, takes up the new role on November 1. More
Online competitive intelligence provider Hitwise UK has announced the addition of paid and organic search term data to its Search Intelligence(TM) 4.0 product. The new data will allow online marketers to analyse their competitors' paid and organic search strategies at a keyword level. More
Forrester Research has promoted Charles Rutstein to the new role of COO. Rutstein has worked at the technology specialist for seven years, and is currently President of Forrester Americas, the firm's largest operating group. More
New consultancy Angus Reid Strategies has made another senior hire - Monique Morden becomes Senior Vice President, Client Service and MD, Western Canada. Morden was previously the sole proprietor of Line Communications and Senior VP of Ipsos-Reid Canada. 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
Arbitron has further postponed its reporting of individual satellite radio channels and HD radio, pending more work to develop standards. It has also announced the inclusion of public and non-commercial radio stations in its local market ratings reports, beginning with the Fall 2006 release. More
Online survey software company FIRM (Future Information Research Management) has announced the formation of an advisory board for its Confirmit product. The Board is made up of prominent executives from research providers, including TNS' Tony Cowling. More
US Internet advertising revenues for the first six months of 2006 were approximately $7.9bn, a dramatic 37% increase over the same period in 2005, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). More
Online research provider InsightExpress has promoted Megan Rome to the position of Senior Director, Marketing, just over a year after her arrival. She will now lead all marketing activities for the organization. More
Arbitron Director and Non-Executive Chairman Lawrence Perlman has informed the Board that he will retire from the posts in the spring of 2007, following the conclusion of his current term, and not seek re-election. More
Questex Media Group has agreed to acquire 100% of MR firm InfoTrends, Inc., subject to the approval of InfoTrends shareholders. InfoTrends, a specialist in document solutions and digital imaging, was a founding partner of Questex's ON DEMAND Conference and Exposition in the early 1990s. More
Advertising assessment specialist MediaAnalyzer has announced a US expansion with new headquarters in New York City, and has named media veteran Charles Boyar as VP to lead its US business. 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
ESOMAR drew to a close its 59th Congress in London yesterday, and announced the winners of four prizes. A new overall award for the best paper 2005-6 went to speakers from Australian agency The Leading Edge and client Carlton & United Beverages. More
Australian-based Agency The Leading Edge (TLE) has announced six new appointments across the business during the last month. Marika Lind is promoted to Senior Consultant within the firm's Asian division, while five new hires join the Sydney and Melbourne office. 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
Digital video recorder (DVR) pioneer TiVo Inc. has continued its recent spate of research-related announcements with news of a partnership with US retail info giant IRI. The IRI TiVo Consumer Insights Suite will link DVR consumer viewing patterns with subsequent product sales. More
US-based direct and targeted marketing company Harte-Hanks, Inc. has agreed to acquire technology researcher Aberdeen Group, Inc. for an undisclosed sum. More
Italian online research specialist Nextplora is the latest in the booming sub-sector to announce international expansion. The Milan-based company has launched sites in English, French, German and Spanish and will offer analysis and advice covering Europe's five largest economies. More
Arab Internet portal Maktoob.com has announced the launch of a dedicated commercial research unit to exploit its online consumer database - the region's largest. Maktoob Research will apply international online research standards to help the region's marketers target consumer segments in more than 30 countries. More
MR software and panels provider GMI has launched an initiative aiming to protect the online research industry from fraudulent panelists. PureSample.com offers online MR firms the opportunity to match panelists against a database of 'known offenders', and report offenders of their own. More
Global MR turnover topped US$23.3bn in 2005, according to ESOMAR's Industry Report, launched at its annual Congress today. France overtook Germany to become the third biggest world market, while China grew at 25% and will break into the global top 5 markets in 5-6 years if current growth continues. More
Starfish Research & Strategy has launched BluRay Select, a virtual concept testing tool for new product development, allowing consumers to interact with three dimensional concepts or prototypes. More
Yankee Group Research has acquired emerging technology specialist Trendsmedia, Inc., which also produces the WiMAX World conference. Trendsmedia founder and President Eliot Weinman joins the Yankee Group Board in the new role of President of the Events & Publishing Division. More
Online audience specialist Hitwise has launched a Data Centre for easy access to the latest UK Internet stats, giving top-line competitive intelligence data. Meanwhile Ipsos Insight has launched a site section giving easy access to its 'Face of the Web' consumer studies. More
Online specialist Research Now has added a Hungarian panel to its range, brining its total international coverage to 20 countries. More
TNS Media Research has entered an agreement with US digital television service provider DIRECTV, Inc. to launch audience measurement services that will focus on the latter's interactive subscriber households. More
In the US, InsightExpress has hired David Katz as its new Director, Strategic Business Development. He joins from TNS where he was Vice President, General Manager. More
Leading Canadian pollster Angus Reid is to launch a new full-service strategic consultancy with an emphasis on online research solutions. Angus Reid Strategies has offices in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto and expects to open US offices in the coming months. More
European online panel specialist ToLuna has announced strong results for the six months to 30 June. Revenue for the six months is £3.6m, already twenty per cent up on full year pro forma 2005 figures. More
Arbitron is field testing the addition of an audio matching capability to its Portable People Meter (PPM) which would allow it to track the audience of radio stations that choose not to encode their signals. Existing PPMs can be upgraded over a phone line. More
Research faces a future of constant change, but recent legislation is unlikely to hinder its continuing growth, according to the 2006 Research Industry Trends Report. Last week we looked at data collection methods and world regions - this week, legislation, changing suppliers and the general outlook. More
Online MR firm InsightExpress has appointed Molly Hislop in the new position of Director of Market Research, AdInsights. She will oversee the development of analytic products and services for the solution, which measures online advertising effectiveness. More
Following the announcement of their merger on July 19th, MR software firms Perseus Development Corporation and WebSurveyor last week appointed several key executives to their management team. Andrew Keenan is the new CFO, George Kanuck Senior VP of Sales, and Su Doyle Chief Marketing Officer. More
The Internet is leaving CATI far behind as the research industry's main data collection method, but also contributing to a move towards 'richer and more rewarding interactions among clients, providers, and the public', according to the 2006 Research Industry Trends Report. More
US shopping, media and lifestyle analyst Scarborough Research has announced the full accreditation of its core syndicated services by the MRC (Media Rating Council). These include its 75 Top-Tier Local Market Studies and its Multi-Market Study, beginning with the 2006 product year. More
Greenfield Online subsidiary Ciao has announced the launch of a global media panel, which will give clients the ability to target survey respondents based on their preferences for various media including television, radio, newspapers and magazines. More
Another European-based panel provider is expanding across the Atlantic: ToLuna PLC has today announced the opening of a New York office, to act as the hub of its US and Canadian operations. The news follows ResearchNow's announcement yesterday of a new US office and staff. More
US provider Phoenix Marketing International has appointed Susan Toner as President of its Information and Technology Group. Toner worked at IBM for 25 years in research and executive positions, including VP of Worldwide Primary Research. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has published the first results from its newly launched AdRelevance online ad tracking service in China. Results show the country's computer, automotive and FMCG industries investing heavily in online advertising, and a dramatic growth in overall spend. More
Kinesis Survey Technologies, a software firm based in Austin, TX, has announced the release of Version 4.0 of its online survey creation package. New features include multilingual support, and more advanced options for tabulation, validation and invitation management. More
The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), the sales and marketing arm of the US radio industry, has chosen Jeff Haley, previously Senior VP, Global Marketing at Time Warner, as its new President and CEO. He succeeds Gary Fries who had already announced that he would be stepping down. More
UK-based online fieldwork company The iD Factor has announced a series of deals with local panel providers, giving its clients access to a network of panels in 41 countries on five continents. More
Research Now has followed up news of multiple UK appointments with the announcement of a new San Francisco office, the expansion of its existing US office in New York, and four senior hires. More
Nintendo and Sony are left as the only two global players in the handheld games market, according to analysis from technology specialist In-Stat. In the past year the Nokia N-Gage, Tapwave Zodiac, and Gizmondo have all been taken off the market. In-Stat expects Nintendo's DS to retake top spot from the Sony PSP. More
Following yesterday's appointment of a new head for its Public Sector research, ORC International has announced the arrival of Andy Waller, previously of GfK, as Head of Operations at its European Information Centre based at the Angel, Islington. More
Ipsos Australia has announced it is in discussions with the country's Radio and TV industries to trial its MediaCell smart phone technology for audience measurement. The system is already in trials in the US and UK. More
GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.) has acquired London-based interactive survey specialist Media Intelligence. The buy gives GMI access to leading edge animated graphics and interactive techniques which will enable its clients to create simulations including product designs and store layouts. 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
UK-based SKOPOS Market Insight & Consultancy Ltd has relaunched its services under the banner of 'Full Circle'. Features include dedicated sector-based research teams, and fieldwork support agreements with IFF, ORC Direct, Sparkler and Consumer Profile. More
UK-based online specialist Research Now has announced senior appointments for its London team, with Chris Dubreuil joining as Client Development Director and Paul Botje as COO. Also arriving are twelve staff for the client development, panel analytics and delivery teams. More
Digital ad company DoubleClick has been certified by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and its measurement accredited by the Media Rating Council (MRC). The news follows recent support for IAB's measurement standards from major advertisers. More
Tariq Mirza, one of the best known figures on the UK research software scene, is leaving the industry after 14 years for a 'different challenge' heading up a start-up toy company. Mirza was until now MD of Nebu UK. More
Panels and software specialist GMI has announced five new hires at Director and VP level including two HR Directors; plus another twenty-two appointments this month, as it continues its rapid expansion. More
In the US, The NPD Group has appointed Tim Bush as Group President of its flat panel specialist subsidiary DisplaySearch; and re-hired Rupert Walters as Group President, Entertainment & Communications. Walters left NPD in 2001 and was most recently President and COO of Ipsos North America. 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
Technology and financial services specialist Doxus has appointed two new Research Directors, Dale Schreiner and Thomas Hoover. More
Marketing professionals in the US and UK are struggling to acquire the new online skills they need, according to 'The Face of the New Marketer', a study by online analytics firm Coremetrics. More
TNS has today announced the launch of a Global Interactive business unit, led by Arno Hummerston as MD, and bringing together three co-ordinated areas commercial, development and Computer Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) support. More
US newspapers' web sites are adding large numbers of readers to their overall circulation, according to two pieces of research out this week. Scarborough Research's integrated data shows encouraging figures for papers as a whole, while The Media Audit looked specifically at gains for alternative weeklies. More
J.D. Power and Associates' Power Information Network (PIN) has announced a strategic alliance with Driveitaway, a web-based remarketing company providing profiles of used fleet and leasing cars. The deal uses PIN's daily vehicle retail transaction information to provide dealers with a 'Just-In-Time' (JIT) stock system. More
Web analytics firm ClickTracks Analytics Inc. has been acquired by marketing technology provider J.L. Halsey. ClickTracks says the deal should lead to 'an acceleration of its product development, marketing, sales and support capabilities' including more integration of its tools with other marketing software. More
Global Market Insite (GMI) has announced two senior hires. Jake Sedlock joins as Vice President of Enterprise Sales for North America and Michael Allenson as Vice President of Syndicated Research. More
Figures out this week from Nielsen Media Research show changes in the US TV audience including an overall rise in television households of 1.1% and a 16% decrease in the number in the New Orleans area. More
David L. Calhoun, previously Vice Chairman of General Electric Company (GE), was announced today as the new Chairman and CEO of VNU, based in New York. He succeeds interim CEO Rob Ruijter, who will revert to concentrating on his role as CFO. More
US provider Outsell, Inc. has announced the acquisition of London-based Electronic Publishing Services Ltd (EPS). Both companies provide advice and consulting for the information industry itself. 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
ToLuna has announced a dedicated panel for European mobile telecommunications, to be drawn from its core European panel of 1.1 million active members. TolunaMobile(TM) is described as 'Europe's most highly profiled online mobile telecoms research panel'. More
Jon Beaumont has left Continental Research, where he led the media division, to join online consumer generated media (CGM) specialist WaveMetrix. His role as Chief Research Officer will include development of the firm's fast-growing client roster. More
A few days after communications regulator Ofcom announced that 'online is rapidly becoming the lead medium for young people in the UK', video research specialist Vox Pops International has released results suggesting that 'when it comes to money, teenagers treat the World Wide Web with reserve'. More
TNS has appointed Andrea Mezzasalma as global head of its Internet, Television and Radio Audience Measurement sector (iTRAM) - he will relocate from Milan to London. He takes over from Mike Gorton who will retire from TNS this year but function as a consultant. More
In the US, the NPD Group has promoted Peter Greene to VP and General Manager of its Consumer Technology sector; and Peter Goldman to replace him as President of the Home sector. More
The UK's four million SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises, with less than 250 employees) account for half its jobs and half its GDP. However, they take a DIY approach to their advertising, according to agency B2B International which has recently published a White Paper on SME advertising practices and launched an SME panel. More
Word of mouth research and promotion specialist Bazaarvoice has appointed Michael Osborne as VP of Sales. He was formerly Director of Client Services at Coremetrics, a web analytics and marketing firm. More
Research Now has announced the launch of four more of its proprietary research-only panels. The addition of Portugal, Greece, Belgium and the Netherlands brings the online specialist's total coverage to eighteen European countries, plus Australia. More
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), the association whose remit includes standards and guidelines for online ad measurement, has announced the departure of its CEO. Greg Stuart will leave the association at the end of 2006 to pursue new opportunities, with a successor to be sought immediately. More
Yahoo! has recruited comScore Media Metrix President and CEO Peter Daboll as its new Chief of Insights and Head of Global Market Research. The role involves drawing together all the Internet giant's internal and external data sources. More
By the end of 2006, Tesco will not only be UK's biggest food retailer, but also its largest non-food retailer, according to a report published this week by retail analysts Verdict Research, part of the Datamonitor Group. More
UK panel operator and online research provider The iD Factor has recruited six new members of staff and relocated to new central London premises. It now shares a building with the other divisions of its parent group TMN plc, TMN Media and email ad agency EDR. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has announced upgrades for AdRelevance, its competitive online media intelligence service, giving more data on rich media advertising. More
Online MR firm InsightExpress has announced two new appointments. Junny Cho joins as a Project Manager within the company's AdInsights Group, and Emily Morgan as a Customer Service Representative. More
BMRB has launched TGI Europa Elite, a survey identifying upmarket European consumers, using a sample of 40,000 adults across France, Germany, Great Britain and Spain. Separately, the firm has also announced a new version of its Compose channel planning tool. More
A group of big-spending advertisers will insist on audited ratings from their online media from mid-2007 and measurement certified numbers by 2008, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) announced yesterday. More
Second quarter results for online survey solutions provider Greenfield Online show net revenue down to $24.5m from $26.3m in Q2 2005, and operating income down to $3.7m (15.1% of revenue) from $4.5m (17.2%). However, the firm's 'turnaround' is said to be underway and some forecasts have been raised. More
Vision Critical, supplier and developer of customer advisory panels, has launched a panel of online healthcare information seekers, and has announced a partnership with Feldman Research Lab. More
Three-year-old US analysis firm ClickStream Technologies has launched ClickSight(TM), promising software companies primary information on usage. Computer users opt in and install the technology, which then feeds back anonymous reports about their overall application usage. More
Audience measurement partners Ipsos and The Media Audit have announced the market rollout plan for their Smart Cell Phone system. If the method is selected by the radio industry, a full market test in Houston would be followed by launches in New York, LA and Chicago, with plans to roll out 12 markets in 2007. More
Indiana-based ad research firm ARSgroup has launched a suite of online solutions for brand assessment, ARS Impact(sm), designed to merge the best from current industry copy testing systems into one solution. More
Online vehicle information company Autobytel Inc. has appointed search and Web analytics expert Arthur Brodeur as its VP, Business Intelligence and Corporate Performance Management. Brodeur has worked at AOL, Alta Vista and DEC / Compaq. More
Nielsen Media Research has announced that cable service provider Insight Communications has signed up to its new NORA(TM) on-demand transactional reporting service, which began testing only this year. More
Nielsen Media Research has named Catherine Herkovic as General Manager in charge of its Local Business Unit. She moves from a Senior VP role at the Nielsen Station Index (NSI), and replaces Jack Oken who moves to the role of General Manager, Strategic Measurement Initiatives. More
US provider MarketTools has announced a new market intelligence solution called Insight Networks, promising users the ability to build feedback from a variety of online resources, including message boards and blogs, into their insight strategy. More
Global top twenty agency Opinion Research Corporation has been bought by consumer and business database and marketing firm infoUSA Inc., for $12 per share in cash, valuing the research company at around $134.3 million, including the assumption of debt. More
Fresh from its purchase of Dubai-based Siraj, YouGov has announced plans to introduce a comprehensive brand indexing scheme for the Middle East region, based on the successful UK system. More
High profile UK agency Nunwood has upgraded its online web portal 'FIZZ' and has announced a record month in July. In an industry where the demise of the medium-sized player is much discussed, Nunwood grew revenue 44% in 2005 and in July ('06) made more than £1m in sales for the first time. 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
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is to collaborate Media Rating Council (MRC) to produce a set of Click Measurement Guidelines. The Click Measurement Working Group will lay down the definition of a 'click', together with standards for their measurement and the exclusion of invalid and fraudulent clicks. More
NetRatings has announced results for the quarter ended June 30. Revenues were $19.9m, up 17% on Q2 2005. Net income for the quarter was $931,000, turning round a $2.3m net loss in Q2 2005. The company has also appointed Louise Ainsworth as MD of its European business. More
Satellite and wireless technology specialist NSR has hired Claude Rousseau, a veteran of the space industry, as Analyst, Satellite Communications, based in Strasbourg, France. More
ACNielsen U.S. has hired Edward Franczek to lead its Marketing function as Senior Vice President. He previously held similar roles at GOLIATH Solutions, Kraft Foods and facilities maintenance firm W.W. Grainger. More
Knowledge Networks (KN) has announced results for the second quarter of 2006, showing revenue of $9.2m, up 27% year-on-year, and continued positive net income. More
MR software and panel provider GMI has announced a worldwide restructuring, gearing up for further growth following its recent closing of $35 million in venture capital. The moves include senior promotions for Dr. Larry Schack in the US and Dietmar Walter in London, and a new Asian leadership team chaired by Tatt Chen. More
UK audience research body BARB has issued a Request for Proposals for measurement contracts for 2010 and beyond. The request highlights the need to measure 'all audiences to televisual services within the UK' underlining BARB's interest in coverage of out-of-home viewing and new media. More
Global physician panel operator Medefield has appointed Jim Anderson as Executive Director, Client Development. Anderson's previous career includes work in online recruiting and data collection for Greenfield Online and Harris Interactive. More
UK-based pollster and MR firm YouGov Plc has made its first international acquisition, buying Dubai's Siraj Marketing Research and Consultancy Boutique for approximately $2.2 million (DHS 8 million). The new firm will be known as YouGovSiraj. More
At an EGM on Friday, VNU changed its legal name, formally converted to a private company and welcomed new board members including Lord Hollick, following shareholder approval. Today the firm has named R. Ford Dallmeyer as the new legal chief for its MI Group. More
Digital TV and DVR pioneer TiVo Inc. has announced the creation of a research division, TiVo Audience Research and Measurement (ARM). TiVo ARM will offer advertisers and advertising agencies second-by-second data and analysis on DVR viewing of advertising content. 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
Online measurement specialist comScore Media Metrix has launched a new service, Competitive Search Marketing Reports, as part of its qSearch suite of products. The service allows comparison of the effectiveness of online search campaigns with that of competitors. More
In the UK Ray Poynter, MD of The Future Place, has launched a blog looking at the leading edge of innovation in Market Research. Poynter is a regular conference speaker and workshop leader and well known among online researchers. More
Site analytics provider WebTrends Inc. has announced record results for Q2 2006, with bookings growing 30% year-on-year. More
Arbitron has released audience data from Houston supporting its claim that its Portable People Meter (PPM) measurement device 'consistently captures more listeners to sporting events on radio, especially those with afternoon and early-evening start times'. More
The two MDs of Ciao, Max Cartellieri and Gunnar Piening, have resigned and will be replaced by Nicolas Metzke. Ciao's parent company, Greenfield Online, Inc. also announced that it will begin the formal separation of Ciao's two main businesses, Internet survey and comparison shopping operations. More
Technology specialist Forrester Research has announced results for the second quarter, ended June 30, with total revenues were $48.5million, up nearly 24% from $39.2m for the second quarter of last year. The firm also published results from a report on Asian adoption of broadband and other technologies. More
Internet giant Yahoo! Inc. has appointed a data mining expert, Dr. Raghu Ramakrishnan as Vice President and Yahoo! Research Fellow. Meanwhile in Hong Kong, Business Developer Joseph Kam has left Yahoo! to join online measurement firm NetRatings. More
US-based IT and Telecommunications specialist Rockhopper Research has appointed Karl Buchholz as Director of Data Analytics, further enhancing its advanced analytics services. More
TNS has today launched a Travellers' Panel, the fifth sub-panel of its 6thdimension service. The new panel provides access to 500,000 international respondents across 6thdimension's half dozen European countries. More
TNS has announced agreements with the two leading broadcasters in the Philippines, ABS-CBN and GMA, to set up a new PeopleMeter service in the country. A representative panel of 1200 households reporting their viewing daily from the beginning of next year. More
US provider OTX (Online Testing eXchange) has appointed David Shanker, previously of IRI, as its new COO and promoted Bruce Friend to President of Media and Entertainment Insights. The company is growing rapidly, rising to 22nd in the Honomichl Top 50 in just 6 years of operation. More
US-based firms Interpret LLC and IGA Worldwide, Inc. have announced what they claim is the first independent ratings system for in-game advertising. IGA Worldwide's in-game ad network will be measured by Interpret's proprietary third-party measurement currency, Gameasure. More
Audience specialist Arbitron has announced results for the second quarter of the year, ended June 30, with revenue of $74.2m, up 6.2% versus the same period in 2005. However, costs and expenses for the second quarter increased sharply - by 21.4% from $55.4m in Q2 2005 to $67.3m. 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
Latest research from MINTEL shows that although Germany is the largest economy in Europe, Internet retail sales in the UK (9.79bn Euros) stood some 80 million Euros ahead of Germany (9.71bn Euros) last year, making the UK Europe's biggest on-line retail market. More
The summer is hot, and British audiences have sport and entertainment very much on their minds, it seems. Surveys and analyses out this week reveal the popularity of the Sport Relief web site; the growing numbers watching World Cup matches on the 'Net or on mobiles; the importance of the grey market to the success of music festivals; and the success of Wilson racquets at Wimbledon. More
VNU continues to build the Communications team for its research businesses. Last week, it appointed Karen Watson in a Senior VP Communications role covering Nielsen Media Research and the MMI Group this week Gary Holmes has joined her team as VP, Global Communications and Chief Press Officer. More
US-based WebTrends Inc. has appointed Bryan LeBlanc as VP and Chief Financial Officer. The hire comes as the company looks to expand from its base of web analytics to the broader category of Marketing Performance Management. More
US advertising spend in the first quarter of 2006 rose 5.6% over the same period last year, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus, the advertising intelligence service of Nielsen Media Research. More
US provider ABI Research has launched the 'Short-Range Wireless Research Service', which includes research reports, market updates and access to analysts for insight and interpretation, all focused on the converging technologies surrounding short-range wireless connectivity. More
Global online panel specialist Lightspeed Research has opened a new office in Tokyo and appointed Chris Duston as its Vice President of Business Development in Japan. Duston was formerly Senior Research Manager at AC Nielsen. More
Online MR software specialist FIRM has announced second quarter revenues up 31% on the year. Sales totalled US $4.6m in the second quarter of 2006 compared to $3.5m in Q2 2005. More
The United States 'remains the primary investment target for venture capitalists (VCs) around the globe', according to a report sponsored by Deloitte & Touche LLP. India and China are among the other top locations but are not seen to be leading a 'brain drain' away from the US, despite more global thinking among the VC community generally. More
SSI Asia, Survey Sampling's Pan Asia operation hub, has announced that it will officially launch the company's Beijing office in August. The office will provide Internet and telephone sample and project management, and build a broad panel community for Pan Asian survey research. More
Online fieldwork specialist Research Now has announced the launch of a sub-panel screener creating a detailed automotive profile for 900,000 selected consumer panel members. The screener has been designed to be used in a consistent manner across the five biggest European markets. More
Sarah Sanderson has joined BMRB as a Director heading up the proprietary media research unit, BMRB Media. She leaves Ipsos MORI where she ran the newly combined ad hoc media research unit. More
In the annual Harris Poll of 'Best Brands', just released, Sony tops the list for an impressive seventh consecutive year. Apple sneaks into the top ten for the first time while Microsoft has dropped out as has General Motors. More
In the UK, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has launched cross-media research with Carat Insight to measure the effectiveness of different media in encouraging consumers' engagement with automotive brands. More
Nielsen Outdoor has this week announced the support of Publicis Groupe Media for its GPS based ratings service measuring outdoor advertising in Los Angeles. Publicis includes brand communications group Starcom MediaVest and advertising giant ZenithOptimedia. More
US research provider Invoke Solutions has launched an online portal, 'MyInvoke', giving the company's research agency partners direct control over designing, delivering and executing research project work. More
Technology and financial services specialist Doxus has appointed Edward B. (Beau) Martin as Senior Marketing Scientist, further enhancing its advanced analytics services. More
Independent European online agency MetrixLab has acquired London-based QuickWise Ltd, a specialist in high quality ad hoc brand research. More
Hours before its shares ceased trading on the Euronext Amsterdam exchange, VNU yesterday announced plans to change its financing structure, including the raising of new funds, and the proposed addition of five members to its supervisory board. The five include former NOP boss Lord Hollick. More
Synovate has hired Stephen von Bevern as Vice President of Online Data Collection. The move will support the growth of ViewsNet, the company's online and panel division. 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
VNU has reached an agreement to acquire Radio & Records, Inc. (R&R), one of the leading news and information companies serving the US radio and record industries. The deal is expected to close at the beginning of August. More
M/A/R/C Research has announced that Paul Kirch has recently joined as Director of Client Development for Online Survey Solution, a separate operating unit of the company. He will be responsible for selling online data collection services to MR firms and consultants. More
US MR supplier Knowledge Networks has named Simon Kooyman as its new CEO. Kooyman is a former leader of Ipsos North America and also held key leadership positions at VNU. He succeeds John Lewis, who left in December 2005 to become President and CEO of AC Nielsen USA. More
European online fieldwork agency Research Now has announced that its proprietary online consumer research panels are now available in the Nordic region. Alex Sunnerstam will lead the team, supported by Victor Bergh who joins from Lightspeed Research. More
GfK has announced a co-operation agreement with media analysis software provider DAP Systems. The deal will help GfK to develop and market audience research software for the international market, based around its forthcoming Evogenius system. More
GfK has published its twice-yearly report on UK IT trends. As well as highlighting the winners and losers, the report headlines increasing convergence, the continuing move towards notebooks and wireless connections, and the ongoing fall in prices in the sector. More
UK online marketing specialist themutual.net plc has announced results for the year ending April 30 2006, including a trebling of its annual turnover to £9m and operating profit more than doubled to £1.70m. The group is the parent of online fieldwork agency the idFactor. More
Unica Corporation has announced that it has settled a dispute with online measurement company NetRatings, inherited when the former acquired technology company Sane Solutions on March 22 this year. Unica will license a number of NetRatings' patents on a non-exclusive basis for a one-time fee of $1.5 million. More
US-based panels and software specialist Global Market Insite (GMI) has announced the hiring of fifteen new staff this month. They include David Chichester as Interim Chief Financial Officer, Matt Gore as Programme Management Director and Darren Magot as Sales Director LA. More
The various agencies within WPP's GroupM have combined to launch Connections, an exclusive consumer-led research and communications planning tool. Connections promises to help marketers and planners to analyze and evaluate the full range of media and communications options available to brands. More
UK agency Ipsos MORI has appointed Ian Bramley and Stuart Grant as Global Account Director and Associate Director, respectively. Both will be working in the entertainment practice of Ipsos-ASI, the advertising research specialist division of Ipsos MORI. More
How do you get your company's news included in Daily Research News Online and other industry publications? You can of course just email it to us, but there's an art to keeping editors happy and boosting your chances. DRNO's Nick Thomas will be among those joining a live podcast discussion on Tuesday 18th July, part of the new ResearchTalk(TM) series. More
VNU's sales for the three months ended March 31st rose to Euros 890 million compared to Euros 791 million in the first quarter of 2005. Operating income fell from Euros 58 million to Euros 25 million. More
Hitwise has this week announced the launch of Hitwise Conversions, a new custom reporting capability that provides clients with insight on how online users navigate within specific sections of competitive web sites. More
Mobile phone and mobile data markets continue to expand and diversify, giving rise to a large number of published reports and top line results releases. Here DRNO covers a few, from cellphone feature requirements to MR opportunities, to the challenges facing corporate Blackberry managers. More
Ipsos has agreed to acquire a minority stake in the Tambor Group, the 3rd largest survey-based research company in the Czech and Slovak markets; increasing to a two thirds holding by 2009. More
US-based Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) has announced the launch of IRI MarketView On Demand(TM), a web-based suite giving small and medium-sized CPG manufacturers and others 24/7 access to individually configured sales and market intelligence information. More
European agency SKOPOS has opened an office in South Africa, based in the Johannesburg/Pretoria area. Susanne Reese, previously head of the company's field and tab offering SOS Bureau UK is named as its Director. More
Scottsdale, Arizona-based Quepasa.com, an online community of Hispanic and Latino users, has launched a research wing, Quepasa Market Intelligence (QMI), to give clients panel-style access to the opinions and preferences of its community of users. More
Online panel specialist Ciao has announced the opening of a new base of operations in Sydney, on July 3; and has appointed Chris Herbert, formerly Business Group Director at GfK Australia, as its Research Director and David Fernandez as its Director of Client Development. More
TNS Media Intelligence has launched TNS PRess, billed as a straightforward, cost effective ad hoc press monitoring tool for the PR industry. More
European online fieldwork provider and panel specialist Research Now has announced its Interim results for the half year to 30 April 2006. Sales nearly trebled, profit before tax doubled and operating profit has already passed the figure for the preceding twelve months. More
Two research studies this week look at privacy and security in the digital age. Ofcom, the UK's independent communications regulator, has published research examining approaches to Internet consumer protection in the UK and other countries, while Evans Data says developers in the EMEA region report a fall in security breaches. More
Marketers and online advertisers have raised questions about the consistency of web analytics data, in the opening session at the 2006 DM Days New York Conference & Expo. More
Edinburgh-based user experience consultancy User Vision has introduced new 'eye tracking' technology to help with its evaluation of web site and product usability and accessibility. More
US provider Simmons Research has announced the launch of an online group, which will link custom online research with its National Consumer Study (NCS) and other data from parent company Experian. More
PR media measurement company Cymfony has shifted its focus towards the emerging field of consumer generated media (CGM) and says it will now specialise in 'market influence analytics'. More
Texas-based VC firm Austin Ventures has acquired and will merge two leading online survey software firms: Perseus Development Corporation and WebSurveyor. Former Greenfield Online CEO Dean Wiltse becomes Chairman and CEO of the combined entity. More
Mobile measurement firm M:Metrics has responded to the filing of a lawsuit against it by Telephia, Inc, last week, calling its case 'totally without merit'. Telephia alleges patent infringement in connection with the development and distribution of smartphone metering software. More
Arbitron has announced an increase in the sample size for its RADAR network radio ratings service from 100,000 to 125,000 diarykeepers. Linked to this, the firm's Market by Market Reporting tool will expand its coverage from the top 25 to the top 50 DMAs by September. More
Following Nielsen Media Research's TV ratings announcement yesterday, sister company NetRatings has announced the expansion of its Internet measurement capabilities to address the growth of online audio and video content as well as the convergence of Internet and television content. More
Nielsen Analytics and the Movie Advisory Board have this week released 'The Modern Movie Experience', a new study that explores how shifting consumer behaviour and digital technologies in the USA are affecting the theatrical film business. More
Nielsen Media Research has announced that it will provide integrated, all-electronic ratings for television regardless of the platform on which it is viewed, under the 'Anytime Anywhere Media Measurement' initiative (A2/M2). More
Audience measurement firm Arbitron has announced the signing of multi-year agreements with four of the USA's largest radio groups for its Portable People Meter (PPM) ratings service. However, the PPM's launch in its first market, Houston, will reportedly be delayed after it failed to get accreditation from industry body the MRC. More
Starcom USA, a full-service media agency within Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG), has made its Director of Broadcast Research Sam Armando a Senior Vice President of the agency. More
Global online provider Lightspeed Research is offering researchers more effective access to children (under 12) and young people (ages 13-17) online, using a new pre-approved system. The company secures parents'/guardians' permission and works to ESOMAR and COPPA guidelines. 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
Valcon has set a date for the delisting of MR and media giant VNU, of which it now owns around 99% of shares. 10 July will be the last day that shares can be traded on the Exchange. More
ABI Research has announced a new service focused on worldwide home networking technology markets, to be led by eminent analyst Michael Wolf. More
Interactive Market Systems Inc. (IMS) has announced a new tool, IMS Local TV Allocator, to help US planners and buyers use local television to reach target consumers. More
Research Now has announced the appointment of Charles Pearson, formerly VP at Greenfield Online, as Senior VP, Business Development. Pearson will relocate from San Francisco to London, for a role which includes bringing top US techniques to Europe, and building North American business for the European-based online agency. More
The World Cup is kicking off as this news goes out, with hosts Germany leading Costa Rica 2-1 at half time. Research agencies the world over have been gearing up with press releases concerning opinion polls, merchandising markets and celebratory software and stats releases. If you don't want to know the statistics, look away now. More
VNU and Valcon announced yesterday that the consortium now has more than 97% of shares in the MR and media giant, and confirmed that the process of delisting and of 'squeeze-out' of remaining shareholders will proceed. More
Harris Interactive has announced a reorganisation of its UK operations including the closing of facilities in Macclesfield and Stockport, and the loss of between ten and fifteen jobs. The company also announced the resignation of its UK Managing Director Aled Morris. More
Britain's terrestrial TV broadcasters have selected TNS to recruit and monitor a panel of 450 households to trial the latest High Definition (HD) technology on Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) services. More
The Keller Fay Group has added Jon Berry, previously of GfK NOP, to its rapidly growing team. Berry will be a Senior Vice President and lead analyst for TalkTrack(TM), the recently launched proprietary word of mouth tracking system. More
In the UK, the Ofcom Consumer Panel has published its second annual report, reiterating its support for consumer-focused regulation and its commitment to research. Meanwhile, Ofcom reports rapid progress for digital, with Freeview for the first time outnumbering traditional analogue TV on primary sets in British homes. More
Sue Elms has stepped up to lead Millward Brown's Global Media Practice, with the title of Executive Vice President. She joins from Carat Insight where she spent five years as MD, a role now filled by her former Deputy Mark Greenstreet. More
Online audience measurement firm comScore Networks has launched qSearch Retail(TM), a tool to measure the impact of Web search behaviour on consumer spending online and across retail channels, including in-store, catalog and phone purchases. More
US telecoms giant Verizon Wireless has appointed Mark Lowenstein as Vice President, Market Strategy and Segmentation, with immediate effect. Lowenstein spent 10 years with the Yankee Group, and founded and led the company's global wireless practices. More
Viewer engagement specialist IAG Research has appointed Rachel Mueller-Lust, previously Vice President of Sales Research for ABC Television Network, as Executive VP of its Network Division. More
Online panel and software company GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.) announced today that it has raised a further $35m to fund its expansion, leaving it 'well-positioned to reinvent the market research industry' according to Chairman and CEO Rob Monster. More
Digital imaging and document solutions researcher InfoTrends has appointed Kodak veteran Alan Bullock as AD for its Internet Imaging Trends Service. He will focus on the online photo services, mobile imaging and camera phone markets. More
European online fieldwork and panel specialist Research Now has appointed Marc Smaluhn as Managing Director for Central Europe. Smaluhn was previously VP Client Development Europe at rival provider Ciao. More
Digital marketing agency WebSideStory has announced the launch of its Active Marketing Suite in Europe. The Suite integrates on-demand digital marketing applications including web analytics, site search, keyword bid management and web content management. More
Claritas has announced the release of PRIZM NE Consumer Electronics Monitor (CEM) Profiles, a new information product combining PRIZM NE lifestyle segmentation with survey data to paint a broad picture of consumer electronics purchasing behavior. More
UK agency ORC International has launched OmniPanel, an opinion panel to track consumer usage patterns, behaviours, preferences and buying intentions in the mobile telecoms industry. More
Synovate has this week announced the early 2006 results for its PAX survey across eight key markets in the Middle East. PAX brings together media consumption, product purchase and purchase intention information for affluent consumers. More
US-based online researcher InsightExpress has appointed Michael Tsavaris as VP, Chief Financial Officer. Tsavaris was the company's VP of Finance once before, when it was newly launched and part of NFO. He leaves TNS where he had been CFO for the Global Healthcare Sector since 2004. More
Online fieldwork and panel specialist Research Now has opened an office in Melbourne, Australia, and appointed Brad Wilson to lead it. The firm already has an office in Sydney, and an Australian research-only panel giving access to over 100,000 household members. More
Brandimensions, Inc. has acquired online link mapping specialist SEVENtwentyfour Inc., and will incorporate its LinkWalker technology and 52 billion-link map of the Internet into its existing market intelligence and brand protection offerings. Both companies are based in Toronto, Canada. More
Janet Eden-Harris, formerly Executive VP and Chief Marketing Officer for Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) has joined Umbria, Inc., a company analysing the content of Consumer Generated Media (CGM), as Chief Executive. 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
A new corporate reputation study by TNS released this week in the UK has named Nokia top out of 21 household companies. Almost 50% of consumers rated it highly for each of three key factors: business success, trustworthiness and product/service quality. More
US TV ad effectiveness ratings company IAG Research this week announced that it had closed a $47.5 million financing round from two leading sources of private equity, Insight Venture Partners and Bessemer Venture Partners. More
WebSurveyResearch, the online unit of healthcare researcher the Ziment Group, has promoted five senior figures as a result of continued expansion. The five are Gabrielle Katz, Huyen Tran, Mili Bhatia, Wayne Wong and Megan Baker. More
In the US, Telephia has announced the launch of a mobile television user panel. This longitudinal research panel will provide the mobile industry with detailed measurement of attitudes and behavior among the rapidly growing mobile TV audience. More
Flat panel display specialist DisplaySearch, part of The NPD Group, has appointed Carolyn Lowe as Director of Marketing. She previously ran the Displays business for Dell North America. 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
Private equity consortium Valcon has declared its offer for VNU unconditional, and intends to take the group private as soon as possible. Only 78.7% of VNU's share capital was tendered or committed by the deadline last Friday, missing even the revised target of 80% set just over two weeks ago. 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
VNU's acquisition by the Valcon consortium looks likely to go ahead after Knight Vinke Asset Management (KVAM), hitherto the loudest opponent of the deal, said it would tender its shares at the new bid price, before the deadline for acceptance passed this afternoon. More
CBS Radio has agreed a seven year deal with Arbitron for Portable People Meter (PPM) radio ratings. The deal will take effect once the new technology is deployed in the 35 CBS Radio markets in Arbitron's PPM rollout plan. More
Nielsen Media Research has appointed Siriporn Kittichutchawarl as its Director in Thailand, based in Bangkok and reporting to Richard Basil Jones, Asia Pacific MD. 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
Arbitron has released a document responding to issues and questions raised by clients and industry committees regarding its offerings for 'Next Generation Electronic Measurement'. 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
On-demand web analytics firm Omniture has opened its first European offices in London and Paris, and hired Neil Weston to head up its European operations as VP and General Manager EMEA. Neil Morgan (VP Marketing EMEA), Georges Anidjar (GM, France) and Wolfgang Allisat (Director of Sales, EMEA) complete the new senior team. More
The Asia/Pacific telecom equipment market will continue to grow robustly, from US$43 Billion in 2005 to US$47 Billion in 2007, according to technology specialist In-Stat. More
comScore Europe has appointed Delphine Gatignol as Sales Manager for France. She will be based in the London office, but will take responsibility for new business initiatives in France and Belgium, as well as managing day-to-day client relations and supporting existing clients. 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
Released this week, the Synovate Music Matters survey has found that North Asian consumers are embracing a digital music future. The survey asked 1,250 respondents in China, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan about their music habits, activities and attitudes. More
European online fieldwork and panel specialist Research Now has launched three online panels in Eastern Europe. The panels in Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic are all stand-alone, locally recruited propositions, with their own local country incentive choices. More
Data compiled by RAJAR reveals that, for the first time, more than half the UK adult population claim to own a DAB radio set or to have listened to the radio via digital television (DTV) or the Internet. More
Online researcher MarketTools, Inc. has moved its headquarters from Mill Valley, CA to San Francisco. In addition to benefitting from the city's 'accelerated technology and business climate', the firm hopes to tap Silicon Valley's East Bay and South Bay talent pools for staff expansion. 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
GfK will switch to new metering technology for its German TV research contract, from mid-2007 onwards. The AGF, an organisation representing 4 major TV stations, commissioned the replacement in order to cope with technological changes in viewing. As a result the value of the deal has risen to around Euros 100m. More
Panel provider Greenfield Online has announced results for the first quarter (Q1) of 2006, ending March 31. The results show the beginnings of 'tangible results from our turnaround efforts' according to President and CEO Albert Angrisani - but also 'a considerable amount of hard work in front of us, particularly in North America'. More
B2B direct marketing firm DM2-DecisionMaker, part of Reed Business Information, has announced it will work with Harris Interactive's Service Bureau division (HISB), to develop online panels of expert decision makers. More
IT specialist Springboard Research has opened a Silicon Valley office in Santa Clara, California. The company currently has offices in the US, Singapore and Japan as well as global research centers in India and Pakistan, and makes significant use of offshore research. More
Harris Interactive has announced results for its fiscal third quarter 2006, ended March 31. Total revenue was $52.2m, up 3% on the same period a year previously. Strong US growth of 9% (revenue now $42.4m) was counterbalanced by poor figures for Europe, where revenue was down by $2.0m / 17% to $9.8m ($0.8m due to exchange rates). More
Media intelligence solutions firm Video Monitoring Services (VMS) has announced an agreement with Nielsen Media Research's Monitor-Plus division, which will supply it with near-real time, automated identification of breaking television commercials. More
Eric Coffey has joined US research provider Doxus as a Senior Project Manager specialising in high-technology and PR sectors, in its Portland, OR office. More
NetRatings has announced its results for the quarter ending 31 March, showing an 11% rise in revenue to US$18.3m. Net loss for the quarter came in at US$225,000 compared with US$1.6m a year earlier. More
comScore Networks has announced the launch of comScore World Metrix, the first true estimate of global online audience size and behaviour based on activity from the company's global online panel. More
New approaches in market research are rewriting the rules of engagement with respondents, according to Angus Reid, Chief Executive of Vision Critical and perhaps Canada's best known pollster. Reid will address the forthcoming MRIA Annual Conference in Calgary, Alberta. More
Synovate has announced the rapid expansion of its global opinion panels across Europe and in the Asia Pacific region; and has appointed Emiel van Wegen and Shaun Griffin to help guide the process. More
More than US$1.2 billion was spent on online research in 2005, according to last month's issue of 'Alert!' magazine, published by the Marketing Research Association (MRA) in the USA. More
MR software companies SPSS and FIRM have both announced strong results for the first quarter of 2006. SPSS has net revenues of $62.2m, up 8% on Q1 of 2005, while new license revenues rose faster, up 15% to $29.9m. FIRM's revenue was $4.8m, representing a rise of 29% at constant currencies. More
MR panels and software company GMI has added a youth panel to its range of offerings. In partnership with several companies including kids' web giant Neopets.com, the panel promises 'one of the most highly profiled sources of youth sample on the web'. More
In the US, research and consulting firm Bainbridge, Inc. has launched an Online Media Practice Group (OMPG), under the leadership of Joe Marchese and aligned with its existing Strategy Research Group. More
US firms InsightExpress and Marketing Evolution have launched ADI Plus, an online advertising measurement platform. The system links together creative testing, online campaign tracking, campaign reach and frequency reporting and market mix model input. More
In the US Simmons Research, part of Experian, has announced a new National Multi-Media Engagement Study to provide ratings for consumers' 'cognitive, behavioral and emotional involvement' with media. More
Global group GfK has confirmed its upbeat preliminary announcement from 28th February regarding results for 2005, announcing 'the most successful year in the company's history' with sales up by over 40% to Euros 937.3m, 6.5% organic growth and margin improving to 13.3%. More
Another partnership announcement on two well-worn recent DRNO themes, word of mouth (WOM) marketing, and web analytics. WOM marketing specialist Bazaarvoice has announced partnerships with all four of the leading web analytics firms: Coremetrics, Omniture, WebSideStory, and WebTrends. More
Ofcom yesterday published its Communications Market Report for the Nations and Regions of the UK. The report examines the availability, take-up and usage of Internet, telecoms and broadcasting services across Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the nine English Regions. More
Three former execs of Nielsen Entertainment have formed an MR and advertising consultancy, Interpret LLC. The firm will help clients plan, test and measure content on new media platforms such as the Internet and the booming in-game advertising space, further boosted by developments today. More
Media in India is gathering pace rapidly and is gaining progressive importance among key decision-makers, according to the latest Decision-Makers Survey 5 (DMS 5) conducted by ACNielsen ORG-MARG. More
Research providers Online Testing eXchange (OTX) and Market China, Inc. (MCI) have announced they will collaborate to offer surveys via 120,000+ Internet cafes in urban and suburban areas throughout mainland China. More
In the US, intelligence provider SIS International has announced a partnership with Acuity Software, to use its mining and analysis software to help information workers 'cut clutter' in their day. More
Online competitive intelligence service Hitwise has announced an upgrade to its online audience targeting system, Lifestyle V2.0. The new release promises marketers easier identification of top performing and niche sites that attract their most desirable customers, as well as faster visitor profiling. More
US-based traffic analysis firm WebSideStory, Inc. has launched Search 4.0, claimed as 'the first site search solution to automatically integrate site search and web site behavioral data'. The product uses patent-pending 'Active Ranking' technology to rank search results for marketers based on a variety of visitor metrics. More
In the USA, The Council for Research Excellence has announced that it will soon begin its first detailed study into one of the fundamentals of television audience measurement the quality of the research samples from which the ratings are drawn. More
Arbitron has announced first quarter results for the three months ended March 31st, showing that revenues increased by 7.4% to US$85.1 million. Net income for the quarter fell by 8.3% to US$18.2 million. More
Vince Vittore, former Executive Editor of Telephony magazine, has joined technology researcher Yankee as a senior analyst. Working in the Broadband Access Technologies Team, Vittore's specialist areas will include IPTV, fiber and DSL deployments. More
TNS has appointed Kimberly Till as President of its business in North America. Her previous experience includes work for Microsoft, AOL, Sony and the FBI. More
Online survey software specialist FIRM has launched a new complementary online analysis and insight collaborative platform, Confirmit Rapid Results, for users of its flagship Confirmit product. More
The UK's Media Research Group has elected Hugh Johnson of the Huge Organisation as its new Chair, with Roger Gane stepping down from the position and from the committee. Eight other candidates were elected to serve on the committee. More
In the US, MRSI (Marketing Research Services Inc.) has launched ProSelect, an online product testing solution offering a faster and cheaper option than traditional methods such as mall intercepts or central location testing. More
comScore Europe has announced plans for a Marketing Solutions Group to help European clients improve their online marketing. Piers Stobbs, a native of the UK, will move from the firm's Chicago office to London to head it up. More
Google gained in year-on-year search market share for the eighth consecutive month and maintained its status as market leader in March with 42.7% of US searches conducted on its sites, according to qSearch analysis from comScore. In the UK, Hitwise stats show Google is far more dominant with 74.8%, nearly ten times its nearest rival MSN. More
VNU, which is holding an EGM in Amsterdam today to persuade shareholders of the merits of the current private equity offer, says it will make 'a compelling and thorough case' for this being the best option, and has posted on its web site the presentation it will use to structure its argument. More
BIG, the UK's association for b2b research professionals, is gearing up for 4 weeks of activity with its AGM, a comprehensive review of b2b panel providers, and the annual Conference all scheduled. More
Mobile phones could soon overtake PCs as the most widely used means of accessing the Internet, according to the Ipsos 'Face of the Web' study. Internet access via the mobile phone actually outpaces wireless access from a notebook PC in many of areas of the world. More
Survey Sampling International has appointed Pete Cape, founder of TNS Interactive, to head up a new unit to be known as the Knowledge Department, Internet Sampling. In addition, the company is to open its first Asia Pacific office, in China, and has made two key hires for it. More
In the USA, Invoke Solutions and EMERGE International have teamed up to deliver a new assessment tool to measure the health of an organisation's culture. The product, called CHI LIVE, uses Invoke's real-time research platform and EMERGE's Cultural Health Indicator (CHI) methodology. More
European online specialist Research Now has opened an office in Paris its first in France and recruited a new executive team for it, led by Jean-Luc Daurelle and Emmanuel Probst. More
Triple play services that bundle offerings of TV, phone and Internet have proven effective for operators and service providers in reducing customer churn and delivering operational economies. Now ABI Research says some operators will be adding a fourth element, wireless. More
A study released recently in the USA finds consumers who own digital video recorders (known as DVRs or PVRs) remember TV ads as well as those who watch programming live. The study was paid for by the four largest US networks, and conducted by Millward Brown. More
Media owner Frank S. Maggio has set launch dates and ambitious targets for his interactive television company ReacTV. Maggio's erinMedia, a challenger to Nielsen Media Research, will provide advertisers with its own second-by-second TV viewing data, plus web ratings from NY-based 24/7. More
MR sampling solutions provider Centurion Marketing Systems has released a new version of its sampling tool, MARSC. Enhanced features improve respondent targeting and give new panel management options. More
Broadband entertainment and comms firm Charter Communications, Inc. has entered an agreement with TNS Media Research, to launch a video audience measurement service in the Los Angeles area. More
VNU has published a detailed presentation to counter criticism from its outspoken shareholder KVAM, and promote the firm's recommended private equity offer. The document describes KVAM's proposed 'Plan B' as flawed, and its opposition as based on 'misleading assertions and incomplete analysis'. More
Ventana Research, a US-based performance management research and advisory services firm, has announced that Tim Harmon has joined the company as Senior Vice President of IT Research and Services. More
Online shopping is still growing fast in Germany according to the latest findings from GfK. The agency says the number of e-shoppers rose by 7% in 2005 to 26.9m, with price comparison research a major activity. 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
Power price rises have forced more Britons into reconsidering their supplier, according to the second annual Service in Britain survey, conducted by Research Now and Andrew Smith Research. Postal services are 'most improved' while train and bus companies and local councils are the least satisfactory. More
Synovate has appointed four new US-based executives in its Technology & Telecom practice - three of them from TNS. Steve Levine joins as Senior Vice President & Sector Head; and Beth Ritchey, Karen Stuth and Holly Edmunds as Vice Presidents. More
European online agency SKOPOS has appointed Donna Joy Hubbard as Head of Client Connections, based in its London office. More
Following the dropping of the separate Bloomerce name last week, Survey Sampling International (SSI) has a new logo and web site backed by a promotional campaign to support its global expansion. More
US provider Mediamark Research Inc. has announced a survey of media usage to include data on where, when and how consumers engage with a particular medium. Results can be liked to purchase behaviour from the company's larger consumer survey. More
AIM-listed online MR company ToLuna has reported results for the year 2005. The figures suggest that like YouGov (see today's news), ToLuna has seen revenues almost treble during the year. More
A former Wall Street analyst has launched a new firm specialising in research in wireless markets. EJL Wireless Research was created 'to address the growing need for proprietary and accurate market intelligence within the wireless technology ecosystem' according to founder and President, Earl Lum. More
UK agency YouGov has announced dramatic growth for the six months to 31 January 2006, with turnover up 192% year-on-year to £3.8m. Organic growth has been rapid in the UK, but the new Dubai-based subsidiary YouGov Middle East has already all but matched UK revenues. More
Hard on the heels of the large-scale hiring announcement by Forrester Research last week, technology specialist Yankee Group has announced the hiring of ten new research analysts for its Boston team. More
OTX (Online Testing eXchange) has launched an ad testing suite, MediaCEP(TM), based around the CEP(TM) Test (Cognitive and Emotive Power), which measures the strength of a consumer's emotional response to an ad. More
VNU and its potential buyer Valcon have launched the private equity group's recommended public offer for all outstanding Ordinary Shares in the media and MR giant. Shareholders have until 5th May to accept the cash offer of EUR 28.75 per share. More
Pulse Group has announced that is has established an online panel of approximately 245,000 members in India. With the rise of Internet use in India, recruitment drives have been carried out to encourage Indian web surfers to actively participate in online surveys. More
Just a week after the return of Robert Knapp to the MR scene, Dean Wiltse, former CEO of Greenfield Online, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of online consumer education company Powered. Both men left on the back of disappointing results at their online firms last year, albeit with very different histories. More
Dallas-based Kinesis Survey Technologies has announced the incorporation of new multimedia features into its Web-based survey software offering, and the appointment of Jason Ehler-James, previously of Millward Brown as Senior Account Executive. More
Australia and Asia-based research process outsourcing company Pulse Group has hired several new executives to boost its project management team and support an expanding client base, with entry into China planned. More
US-based panels specialist Survey Sampling is rebranding its European subsidiary Bloomerce with the parent company name. More
US media and technology specialist JupiterResearch has been bought from its parent, Jupitermedia Corporation, and merged with Kagan Research, which the new owner MCG Capital Corporation acquired in 2004. The merged company will be known as JupiterKagan, Inc. More
US technology researcher Forrester has announced a raft of senior hires made in recent months. The ten new arrivals have an average of 18 years of experience in their fields of expertise. More
Estimated advertising spend across the three core media - television, newspapers and magazines - reached a record $US68.6bn across 12 key Asia Pacific markets in 2005, according to the latest data from Nielsen Media Research. Meanwhile Asian business leaders' Internet usage is increasing but so is print media use, according to Ipsos Media's ABRS. More
Papers on online research generally draw good audiences, and the session on Friday afternoon was no exception. Despite the difficulty of finding the theatre and the sessions being held in complete darkness, a capacity audience attended, according to our reporter Phyllis Vangelder. More
TARP Worldwide, customer experience MR and services provider, has hired industry veteran George Harmon as Senior Vice President directing the research division. Harmon worked alongside Dennis E. Gonier, now CEO of TARP, at Digital Marketing Services (DMS). More
Software and panels specialist GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.) has opened a sales office in Toronto, Canada, and appointed Sarah Henning-Terrelonge as its Assistant Director of Sales. She will lead sales for all of the Canadian provinces, and will report to Alison Morgan, MD of Sales based in Boston, Mass. More
Ross McComish has been appointed head of Roy Morgan's business interests in New Zealand. More
The former head of Arbitron's radio group services unit, Les Tolchin, is to work with its competitor The Media Audit. Tolchin's Doneraile International consultancy will assist the firm, which says it is talking to 'lots' of other potential senior hires, as it gears up its electronic media ratings offer. More
The IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) in the UK has just revealed the results of its groundbreaking TouchPoints Survey: a week in the life of a representative sample of the GB adult population during the latter part of 2005. More
TNS has agreed a five year contract with the Kazakhstan television Joint Industry Committee (JIC) to provide trading currency TV audience measurement using Arbitron's PPM system. More
In the USA, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), in conjunction with its Broadband Committee and Measurement Task Force, has this week announced a call for 'public comment' on a set of Broadband Video Commercial Measurement Guidelines. More
Recent research from US-based In-Stat suggests that despite Microsoft's earlier launch of its next-generation games console, Sony will continue its domination of the market through 2010. However, the report predicts healthy shares for both Microsoft and Nintendo. More
Arbitron has announced new signings for its radio measurement device the PPM, as rumours suggest two more major corporations may join Project Apollo, its joint venture with ACNielsen. Meanwhile the ARF's Annual Conference has been told that the media industry 'needs to work cooperatively to provide advertisers with effective research' in the face of the media explosion. More
US provider Return Path, Inc. has changed the name of its Market Research Solutions division from Survey Direct to Authentic Response. The new name stresses its commitment on the controversial question of validating panelists before allowing participation in online surveys. More
Stuart Knapman, formerly Head of Pan-BBC Audience Research has left the corporation to join new agency Essential Research. Essential was founded by two former senior researchers from the BBC, Luca Antilli and Alex Charlton. More
US technology specialist Yankee Group was appointed Mary Modahl and Larry Weber to its Board of Directors. Modahl, formerly a researcher at Forrester, is a much-quoted e-commerce commentator and author, while Weber is known as the founder and leader of some of the world's biggest PR groups. More
Global agency Lightspeed Research has named David Day as European Chief Executive Officer with effect from June 5 this year. Day was previously Managing Director for NetRatings, Europe, Middle East and Africa. More
US data collection agency Western Wats will formally introduce an online panel service, Opinion Outpost, at next week's annual Advertising Research Foundation's (ARF) conference. More
After an explosive year of growth in 2005 that has seen the Bluetooth market more than double, 2006 should be another healthy year of profits for vendors of the technology according to a new study from ABI Research. More
Media investment manager MindShare and research BPO company Pulse Group are joining forces to launch mPulse, a Pan-Asian online research panel study to provide insights into Asian consumer and media behaviour. More
US provider ABI Research has this week announced a partnership agreement with an investment advisor, Townhall Proprietary Research. ABI's analyses of emerging technology markets will be used to support Townhall's advice to institutional investors, with ABI receiving commission on the sales concerned. More
US panels and software firm GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.) has opened new offices in Los Angeles and Atlanta, and announced two appointments to support them. Thyra Lees-Smith joins as Sales Director for the L.A. area and Barry Morsillo for the Southeast Region, based in Atlanta. More
Arbitron has announced that it will begin the rollout of the Portable People Meter (PPM) system as its radio ratings service in the top 50 markets, beginning with Houston in July 2006. More
MR software company FIRM and US-based consultancy The NPD Group have announced a partnership to develop a new panel management and sample selection platform. The move, described by FIRM's CTO as 'sure to change the entire MR industry', reflects researchers' fast-growing use of external panel providers. More
In the US, directory and local media research specialist the Kelsey Group has hired Matthew Booth as Senior Analyst and Program Director. Booth will advise Continuous Advisory Services clients on developments and trends in the interactive local media industry. More
Two of VNU's major shareholders could scupper the US$10.3 billion private equity buyout backed by the group's Board earlier this week. Fund manager Fidelity International, which owns 15% of VNU, said it was 'unlikely to support this offer', while FT reports suggest 2% holder KVAM is 'actively looking' for a Chief Executive to run VNU. More
ACNielsen has hired Mr Rene Bos as Executive Director of its Chinese subsidiary. The appointment reflects the company's greater focus on the development of online research services and the high growth potential of online-related marketing research in Greater China. More
In the USA, the Federal Trade Commission this week announced its decision to retain unchanged the Rule which implements the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Among other areas, the Rule affects the collection of data from children. More
US based technology agency Gartner has launched a new offering. 'Gartner for IT Leaders' aligns a client's specific job-related challenges with the appropriate Gartner analysts and connects clients to IT counterparts who share common business and technology issues. 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
High-tech US MR firm In-Stat has launched a new practice, In-Stat Consulting, and appointed a new MD to head it up, Charles Gerlach. 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
Online data collection specialist Ciao, the European subsidiary of Greenfield Online Inc., has announced the completion of a major reorganization of its Client Service Department. Around 40 project managers, translators, DP and survey scripting staff have been hired, and a shift system provides client service 16 hours a day. More
An MR outsourcing provider will appear in FORTUNE magazine as one of the outsourcing industry's top 100 providers. Indian-based Cross-Tab Marketing Services made the 'rising star' category in the ranking, compiled by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP). More
US provider ABI Research has hired wireless technology expert Clint Wheelock as Vice President of Research, responsible for the management of industry research content across all sectors, including its core practice areas of broadband, wireless, RFID, and transportation. 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
UK agency Spring Research has launched a youth division, Tuned In, dedicated to helping clients connect with young consumers, to be run by former planner, Douglas Dunn. The name reflects the division's focus on using music and music terminology to help get access to their audience. More
Online intelligence provider Hitwise has acquired HitDynamics, a technology platform used by agencies and web site marketers to implement search marketing campaigns and track the success of their PPC, search engine optimization and affiliate marketing campaigns. More
Zoomerang, part of online agency MarketTools, Inc. has launched a resource center and a suite of services for companies conducting employee surveys. The two are designed to help companies and organizations develop, distribute and manage employee surveys globally. More
Connecticut based Survey Sampling International (SSI) has announced two major appointments designed to support the company's worldwide expansion. Peter Milla joins as Chief Information Officer and Michael Newman as VP, Business Development. Both appointments are effective from March 7th. More
In recent weeks both British Gas and Powergen have announced plans to raise prices, and recent research from Nielsen//NetRatings reveals how the UK online population has been flocking to energy sites over the last month. More
Nielsen Media Research has declined its option to work with Arbitron in developing the latter's PPM technology as the primary measurement tool for US media ratings currency. Nielsen has spent millions of dollars on assessing the technology since signing an agreement in 2000, but will now pursue a multi-stranded 'portfolio strategy'. More
NetRatings and Omniture have this week announced the settlement of the former's patent infringement action. Under the terms of the settlement, the parties have agreed to dismiss all pending legal claims and NetRatings has licensed its portfolio to Omniture, granting worldwide rights under all its patents. More
Michigan-based IT security industry expert Richard Stiennon is forming a market research firm to be known as IT-Harvest. In addition to published reports, the company will maintain a knowledge base of the entire IT security industry. More
Ofcom has published a report providing an overview of developments within the UK's telecoms, radio and television industries. Among the highlights, the number of broadband connections has passed ten million, while total TV reach has declined two years running. Other research shows online radio listening growing fast in the US. More
TNS has appointed John Abraham as Head of Strategic Development and Marketing, with immediate effect. Reporting directly to Chief Executive, David Lowden, Abraham will lead the TNS corporate marketing team and will have overall responsibility for the company's Internet solutions division, TNS Interactive. 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
Web analytics provider WebSideStory, Inc. has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against NetRatings, Inc., countering the latter's own suit announced in the first week of February. More
TargetN Research LLC has launched a 'Notification Tool' (TNT(TM)) which it claims will be 'of special interest to market research firms as an alternative distribution channel to reach their survey panels'. The company says spam filters and ISP restrictions on bulk emails make email 'increasingly dysfunctional' as a means of reaching survey panels. More
TNS Media Research has appointed Bud Breheney as Senior VP, Sales and Affiliate Relations, reporting directly to COO George Shababb. Breheney will be responsible for identifying new business opportunities and strategies as well as managing client relationships with major cable, satellite and telephone operators. More
US online agency InsightExpress has appointed Erica DesRoches to the newly created position of Director of Market Research, reporting to Chief Research Officer Enrico Rodriguez. More
The GfK Group has a majority share in a new joint venture in Israel, and has announced several other recent moves to expand its global presence. They include an increased stake in Swiss agency Research Matters, the establishment of a branch for its HealthCare division in Thailand and the integration of New York's Audits and Surveys. 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 Australia has announced an expansion of its IT tracking services during the first half of 2006, including three new product categories and plans to track IT retail activities in New Zealand, starting in March 2006. More
Technology consultancy Yankee Group has announced management changes which unify its global research offerings under a single Chief Research Officer (CRO). Brad Hecht, leader of the Group's research organization from 2002 to 2004, assumes the role with immediate effect. More
Online intelligence provider Hitwise has launched a Client Advisory Board, consisting of users from the US, UK and Australia who will contribute to its product development plans. More
Harris Interactive has appointed consulting industry veteran Ronald E. Salluzzo, 55, as Executive VP and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), replacing Frank J. Connolly, Jr., hired as CFO in January 2005 by former CEO Robert Knapp. Connolly will remain with the company in the short-term to advise on projects in progress. More
VNU and IRI have settled their ten-year antitrust case, with VNU agreeing to pay IRI US$55m. The case was recently valued at around $650m but was on appeal following judgement in favor of VNU and its co-defendants. Both sides appear to have preferred the settlement to the possibility of the case rumbling on for a number of years more. More
Amsterdam-based research agency INTERVIEW NSS increased its turnover by 17% in 2005 to more than 18m Euros, and EBIT to more than 1.9m Euros. This is the third year of growth above the market average for the firm, which runs the high profile European Media & Marketing Survey (EMS). More
US-based agency Global Market Insite (GMI) has announced plans for a major expansion of its Vancouver-based technology headquarters in the next six months, due to increasing demand for MR software solutions. More
Nexidia, a US provider of media search and speech analytics software, is partnering with ActiveGroup, which provides videostreaming for MR, to provide an easy way to search qualitative research results. The new offering - ActiveSearch - lets clients search video footage of focus groups and interviews for key words or phrases. More
A group of VNU shareholders is pressing the Dutch company to break itself into three divisions and sell each separately rather than agree to the proposed 7.3bn Euro buyout deal with private-equity firms, according to reports today in the Wall Street Journal. More
Less than one in five Americans is expecting a romantic Valentine's day, according to research by QuestionPro. Meanwhile, NetRatings says half of Australians are planning to buy a Valentine's gift, and Hitwise finds that Brits are opting for Tesco flowers, backed up by romantic poetry downloaded for free. More
Synovate has appointed Joel Rubinson, formerly of the NPD Group and Vivaldi Partners, as General Manager of its Americas Solutions team. The role involves overseeing solutions such as BrandVision, AdCheck and ViewsCast, as well as managing the Decision Systems team. More
The Aberdeen Group, a US provider of technology research and insights, has appointed Alex Adamopoulus and Peter Kastner as Senior Research Analysts in its expanding Technology Research practice. More
Greenfield Online and its European subsidiary, Ciao, have established native-language MR panels in Japan, South Korea and China. The news follows Friday's announcement of disappointing financial results for Greenfield, particularly in North America. More
TGI, BMRB's continuous survey of the UK population, is introducing 'word of mouth' questions to help marketers make the most of viral marketing, by enabling them to target and understand the most influential and knowledgeable consumers. More
London-based online survey provider Demographix Ltd has joined forces with Telmar, a supplier of media information services and software, to offer Telmar-Demographix - an online survey tool for media companies. More
Greenfield Online President Albert Angrisani has described the company's financial performance in 2005 as 'not acceptable', particularly in North America. He says the figures, which show an operating loss of $88.6m in the last quarter, reflect the company's problematic year, and vows to turn the company around. More
US high-tech MR firm In-Stat is launching three new research delivery methods: In-Stat In-Sights, In-Stat In-Dustry Updates, and In-Stat In-Stant Analysis. The methods are designed to provide more timely, actionable updates to complement the company's existing analysis and forecasts. More
US web analytics firm WebSideStory has responded to the patent infringement lawsuit filed earlier this week by NetRatings, stating that the claims are without merit, and saying it will defend itself vigorously against the complaint. More
Shara Evans, who founded Australian telecoms MR firm Telsyte, has left to set up her own telecoms research company, Market Clarity. She is joined at the new firm by Research Manager Richard Chirgwin, who previously provided consulting services for Telsyte. More
Arbitron is nearing the end of its efforts to achieve Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its Portable People Meter (PPM) radio and TV ratings system. In a process costing the company $1m, the system has undergone a two-year audit, and results have been delivered for approval by the MRC. More
Denver-based Qwest Communications, a provider of high-speed Internet, video and voice services, has appointed Laura Sankey as VP, Marketing Communications. She will take responsibility for the company's market research and competitive intelligence. More
VNU, owner of ACNielsen and Nielsen Media Research, announced this morning that it is continuing 'active talks' with a private-equity consortium over a proposed buyout. The company's Supervisory and Executive Boards plan to give their view of the offer by the end of this month. More
The Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG) has renewed its partnership with TNS Media Intelligence (TNS MI). The multi-year agreement gives 14 IPG agencies access to competitive advertising information covering 2.2m brands. More
JupiterResearch forecasts that online retail spending will increase by 17% in the next year - from $81bn in 2005 to $95bn in 2006, and by 78% in the next five years, growing to $144bn in 2010. More
UK online MR specialist eDigitalResearch has launched a survey translation feature for its online survey tools. Surveys can now be programmed in one language (usually English), and professionally translated into multiple languages, before returning the results to the home language. More
US Internet audience measurement specialist NetRatings has filed a lawsuit against WebSideStory, alleging infringement of five patents owned or controlled by NetRatings. The patents in question relate to the collection, analysis and reporting of computer usage activity. More
Decima Research in Canada is working with web publisher the 50Plus Group to conduct research into consumers aged 50+. Meanwhile, the UK's Age Concern Research Services has joined forces with magazine publishers and media agencies to launch quarterly surveys of the 50+ market. More
US online radio audiences increased 177% in the last year, according to the first figures from the joint Arbitron and comScore measurement service. Meanwhile, Nielsen//NetRatings says that community web sites such as Friends Reunited and MySpace are now visited by more than half the UK Internet population every month. More
US firm Global Market Insite (GMI) has expanded its Hispanic online panel through a partnership with search marketing firm the iHispanic Marketing Group. The company plans further panel expansion, building on iHispanic's web presence among the US Hispanic population and its network of affiliates in Latin America. More
US digital marketing specialist WebSideStory has acquired Visual Sciences, a web analytics company that provides streaming data analysis and visualisation software. The company also announced a 79% growth in revenues in the fourth quarter of 2005. More
US radio measurement company Arbitron has promoted Joan FitzGerald to VP in its Portable People Meter (PPM) New Product Development Group. She will lead sales and development efforts for the Arbitron side of Project Apollo - the multimedia and purchase monitoring service being run in conjunction with ACNielsen. More
Fast-forwarding adverts can increase their impact on the brain, according to new research for Sky Media, which suggests that DVRs do not spell the end for TV ads. The research will be presented at the MRS Research 2006 Conference, to be held in London in March. More
The Internet is the most important information tool for first-time vehicle buyers, according to new research from the Polk Center for Automotive Studies. The study states that TV, radio and newspapers have been rendered 'nearly obsolete'. More
comScore Networks has hired Samantha Voisin, formerly of iVillage, as VP in the company's Media and Entertainment Solutions practice, based in Los Angeles. Voisin will be responsible for the company's interactive advertising measurement services. More
US-based WebSurveyor has released an updated version of its online survey tool. The new release allows users to feed survey information directly into their companies' own applications. It also includes new reporting and list-management features. More
Senior advertising and marketing executives are planning to expand their activities in interactive marketing, experiential marketing and database marketing/CRM, according to a survey from US investment bank AdMedia Partners. More
US Call measurement and monitoring firm Who's Calling has completed its acquisition of ClickPath, a provider of online and offline analytics. The companies have jointly developed the ClickPath tool, which measures the effectiveness of online campaigns in achieving offline purchases. More
US online behaviour analyst comScore Networks is partnering with marketing company Catalina Health Resource to offer a new research solution for pharmaceutical companies. The new tool, Behavior Activated Research (BAR Rx), is designed to help marketers access consumers who take particular drugs. More
A new study from JupiterResearch shows that the average US Internet user spends 14 hours a week online - the same amount of time they spend watching TV. As the web takes over, readership of paper-based publications is suffering. More
US-based Survey Sampling International (SSI) has announced an integrated approach to providing sampling services in Europe. The company has appointed Andrew Moffatt as Sales Director for Europe, is planning new offices in Madrid and Frankfurt, and is developing a panel in Ireland. More
SAS, a US provider of business intelligence software and services, has hired Alexi Sarnevitz, formerly of AMR Research and Accenture, as Senior Director of global retail strategy. He will be responsible for developing retail technology solutions and strategies. More
US healthcare specialist Manhattan Research has published a summary of the major trends for health and pharmaceutical marketers to consider in 2006. The trends chart the increased use of the web and other new technologies as a health information and communication tool for both patients and physicians. More
US research agency Knowledge Networks has surpassed its previous records for quarterly and annual revenue, achieving $9m in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2005, and $32 million for the year overall. Revenue for the full year is 7.4% higher than in 2004. More
In the US, CBS Corporation has created an expanded research division, CBS Vision, with research expert David Poltrack as President. The division will provide research and market intelligence on new technologies and media consumption, and will share information with CBS's businesses and advertisers. More
Marketers should target single adults - a group set to make up 45% of the UK population by 2010, according to Singledom, a new research study from Carat. Meanwhile, a study from Deloitte & Touche USA advises retailers to meet the needs of another growing group - older consumers. More
NetRatings Japan is to use its web analytics service, SiteCensus, to measure and analyse the 10m monthly users of Yahoo!'s Japanese shopping site. Yahoo! will also make use of NetRatings' customised analytics services to understand what visitors are doing on its shopping and auction sites. More
US radio measurement specialist Arbitron achieved $310m in revenues in 2005, up 4.5% on 2004. However, costs and expenses - mainly on its Portable People Meters (PPMs) and Project Apollo multimedia measurement pilot - rose by 5.2%. The company expects ongoing investment in PPMs to 'negatively impact' next year's financial results. More
Technology marketers should reach out to Hispanic Americans with culturally relevant, low-price products, according to the first Hispanic-American Technology Adoption Study from Forrester Research. Meanwhile, the latest Harris Interactive quarterly US Technology Report finds a nation of adventurous PC users, gearing up for a dual-core future. More
Marketing consultancy dunnhumby has appointed Jeremy Caplin, formerly of Nestlé, to the newly created role of UK Media Director. Reporting to Graham Thomas, the newly appointed Head of Communications and Media, Caplin will be responsible for developing the company's media planning and evaluation services. More
Last week saw the launch of two agencies offering word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing research, Keller Fay and me2u marketing. Meanwhile, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating complaints that some WOM marketers are misleading consumers. More
TNS Media Research in the US has appointed Anne Drake, formerly of Mediamark Research, as VP for InfoSys Sales & Marketing. She will be responsible for overseeing the introduction and operation of InfoSys, the company's TV and Radio audience analysis software. More
Nielsen Entertainment's President and CEO, Andrew Wing, is leaving the company at the end of March to pursue investment opportunities. The company has restructured its senior management staff, promoting Howard Ballon to President of Film and Home Entertainment, and Kevin Yoder to COO of Nielsen NRG. More
57% of US consumers could not recall any new products launched in 2005, despite a 2.6% increase in ad spending on launches. The figure comes from the fourth annual 'Most Memorable New Product Launch Survey', conducted by InsightExpress. More
US Association the MRA has selected a dramatic growth of online market research and the rise of a new breed of consultant researchers, as two of its key predictions for the coming year. Executive Director Larry Brownell also spoke of the dangers of poor quality online research, and the continuing strength of the more traditional focus group. More
TNS Media Intelligence is forecasting a 5.4% increase in US advertising spend this year, well up on the estimated 3% in 2005. Meanwhile in Asia Pacific, Nielsen Media Research reports that ad spending grew by 14% last year, with the market in China surging by 21%. 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
Two new studies claim success for new forms of advertising. The first, from Arbitron, shows that consumers engage with and remember interactive video-projection ads. The second, based on eye-tracking research, measures the impact of online ads targeted to individual surfers' interests. More
Technology and automotive MR firm ABI Research has appointed Stuart Carlaw, formerly of IMS Research, as Principal Analyst for Wireless Connectivity in its new London office. More
VNU is to buy a majority interest in BuzzMetrics, a US-based firm that measures and analyses online consumer-generated media such as blogs. At the same time, VNU itself is the subject of a takeover bid and BuzzMetrics is due to acquire rival firm Intelliseek. More
The Local People Meter (LPM) TV audience measurement system records higher viewing figures than traditional diary and set meter systems, according to new data from Nielsen Media Research. During its trial of LPMs in Detroit and Dallas, recorded viewing figures rose by as much as 18%. More
After weeks of speculation, VNU revealed today that it a private equity consortium has offered to buy the company for 28 to 28.5 Euros per common share. VNU says it is considering the proposal, and is not proceeding with discussions with any other party. More
US-based digital technology MR firm Parks Associates has promoted Stuart Sikes, formerly VP of Business Development, to President. Tricia Parks, formerly President, is now CEO. The moves are designed to meet increased demand for broadband and digital research and analysis. More
Greenfield Online, through its subsidiary Ciao, has launched new online panels in Europe, Latin America and Australia, offering access to 200,000 new panellists. The launch follows news last month that Greenfield Online was cutting 39 jobs in a bid to save $7m a year after disappointing financial results. More
US technology MR firm ABI Research has opened its first European office in London. The company has employed research and sales teams in the UK for some time, and now plans to further develop its operations across Europe. More
London-based research agency Tpoll Market Intelligence has launched a new division - Tpoll Direct - to focus on online fieldwork and reporting. The division will manage the whole data preparation and collection process from questionnaire design to sampling, project management and reporting. More
Research from comScore and Performics shows healthy online sales over the holiday season, but studies from ForeSee Results and the Customer Respect Group suggest that e-tailers cannot afford to relax just yet, as customer satisfaction with online retailers is declining. More
US-based Internet research agency OTX (Online Testing eXchange) has opened its first European office in London. Ian Wright, a former board director at Ipsos UK, will lead the company's European operations. More
Online survey management and fieldwork services agency iD Factor has been bought by themutual.net (TMN), a leading UK online direct marketing company and rewarded shopping portal, in a deal worth up to £2.86m. The buy gives TMN a foothold in the fast-growing online survey market. More
Boston-based agency Chadwick Martin Bailey (CMB) has acquired Sage Research, a full-service MR and consulting firm focusing on the technology sector. Sage will be integrated into CMB as a new Technology group, extending the company's existing IT and telecoms offer, but will also add expertise for other sectors. More
Technology specialist Forrester Research has appointed Charles Rutstein to the position of President, Forrester Americas, with a territory covering c.75% of Forrester's client base. From April 1 2006, he succeeds Neil Bradford who leaves the company to return to his native UK. More
Word-of-mouth research specialist BuzzMetrics has appointed Gary Stein, formerly a senior analyst at Jupiter Research, to lead its new San Francisco office as Director of Client Services. More
European online panel provider ToLuna has acquired German panel company Speedfacts, a subsidiary of the major ISP Freenet, for a total consideration of £2.06m. It has also agreed a five-year strategic co-operation agreement with Freenet, giving it access to 7 million potential panellists. More
US-based media analyst Paul Kagan has launched PK Worldmedia, a research and consulting firm covering digital entertainment and communications technologies. PKWM will publish a weekly report covering news, trends and strategies for digital media companies, and will offer consulting and valuation services. More
US online research firm Knowledge Networks has partnered with interactive publisher morefocus to launch KnowledgeCommunities - a new service offering ongoing marketing feedback from consumers in niche groups such as ailment sufferers, home improvement buffs, and wine enthusiasts. More
Internet shopping measurements on both sides of the Atlantic indicate a happy Christmas season for online retailers. comScore reports a 24% rise in online shopping since last year, while Hitwise UK measured a 14% increase. Both identify a growing trend for last-minute buying. More
Numbers visiting Apple's web site grew by 57% in the year to November, while MSN achieved just 2% growth, according to new data from Nielsen//NetRatings. The fastest-growing sites overall are being driven by young web users, with image hosting site PhotoBucket leading the way with 1,492% growth. More
Word of mouth has a bigger impact on purchase decisions than any (other) medium, according to the Simultaneous Media Usage Survey (SIMM VII) from US agency BIGresearch. However, the influence of other media varies widely according to the age and ethnicity of the purchaser, and the product being purchased. More
US-based Marketing Management Analytics (MMA) has joined forces with Yahoo! to evaluate the offline sales impact of online marketing programs. The assessment, based on an existing MMA model, builds in Yahoo! data about users' exposure to online graphic and search advertising. More
Global telecoms industry revenue will reach $1.2 trillion by the end of 2006, with growth in wireless leading the way, according to Insight Research. Meanwhile, a study from the Leichtman Research Group finds that US broadband providers acquired a record 2.6m new subscribers in the third quarter of 2005. More
A newly launched US MR company plans to use text-mining software and data mining tools alongside traditional online qualitative and quantitative techniques to help clients improve returns on their marketing investments. Anderson Analytics' services include web-based surveys, discussion boards, concept/copy tests and focus groups. More
Forrester Research has appointed publishing, marketing and technology specialist Gretchen Teichgraeber as the sixth member of its board of directors. Teichgraeber has been President and CEO of Scientific American for five years, and previously worked in marketing for the New York Times and Time, Inc. More
German-based online survey software firm Globalpark has agreed to license its Online Panel Site Tool (OPST) software to TNS Worldpanel. TNS will use a specially tailored version of OPST, which is used by 30 panel providers worldwide, for its continuous consumer panels. More
Greenfield Online President and CEO Al Angrisani has announced what he calls a 'major rightsizing initiative', aimed at saving $7m in annual operating costs. The initiative, which involves a loss of 39 jobs and the closing of two offices, follows reports of 'disappointing' financial results for the year to date. More
US research and consulting firm Cheskin has hired Jim Martin as Executive VP and Business Development Director in its New York office. He will be responsible for developing the company's innovation consulting practice, and will manage consumer goods and technology accounts. More
Online specialist MarketTools has introduced a new service - Hispanic Reach - designed to understand the opinions and purchasing behaviour of the US Hispanic population, which has an estimated buying power of $600bn. The service will use a 100,000-strong online panel, together with offline respondents to ensure a representative sample. More
VNU expects its earnings per share and revenue growth for 2005 to fall below previous estimates, due to disappointing results in Europe, coupled with the costs of the aborted VNU/IMS Health merger. The company has also confirmed that it is currently evaluating approaches made by potential buyers. More
UK-based online fieldwork specialist Research Now has launched a new Spanish client service team to offer domestic and international clients access to the 110,000 members of its Spanish consumer panel. The news follows last week's announcement that Lightspeed Research is introducing a Spanish online panel. More
Global consultancy Accenture has expanded its Marketing Sciences practice through the acquisition of Media Audits, a specialist in measuring return on advertising investment. The Marketing Sciences practice will now comprise 200 staff, working to help clients measure, evaluate and optimise marketing and media investments. More
Corporate America's reputation has declined slightly over the last year, according to the latest National Corporate Reputation Survey from Harris Interactive. Of the USA's 60 most visible companies, the study places Johnson & Johnson top, followed by Coca Cola and Google. More
UK-based online specialist Lightspeed Research has appointed Ralph Risk, formerly of ORC International, as Marketing Manager for Europe. Based in London, he will develop a European marketing strategy for the company. More
Shares in VNU, owner of ACNielsen and Nielsen Media Research, rose more than 4% on Friday after reports that two private equity firms were considering making bids for the Netherlands-based company. More
VNU has appointed John Lewis, CEO of Knowledge Networks, as President and CEO of ACNielsen USA. Lewis, who previously worked in marketing for ACNielsen, will report to Steven Schmidt, recently named President and CEO of VNU Marketing Information, on top of his existing role as global head of ACNielsen. More
US online spending is 23% higher this holiday season than in 2004, according to comScore Networks' latest figures, which closely match its predictions made in mid-November. Meanwhile, Nielsen//NetRatings reports a 33% rise in online shopping compared with last year - with a staggering 238% growth in books, music and video. More
US customer measurement and analysis specialist Keynote Systems has bought the GómezPro business unit of Watchfire, which specialises in a heuristics-based approach to benchmarking web site effectiveness. The division will be renamed Keynote WebExcellence. More
More than three quarters of market researchers worldwide are planning to increase their use of online research in the next six months, according to the Greenfield/Ciao Online Research Barometer. Fifty per cent of European researchers say they have replaced face-to-face studies with online research over the last year. More
Arbitron's media measurement device, the Portable People Meter (PPM), is being honoured as a technological innovation, alongside TiVo, the Blackberry and the USB flash drive. Ron Kolessar, who led the development of the PPM, joins a list of innovators being recognised by the Great Minds, Great Ideas project. More
Online MR agency Lightspeed Research has launched a consumer panel in Spain, currently providing access to 50,000 members. The company already has proprietary panels in the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Australia. More
Online panel specialist ToLuna has reported a pro forma pre-tax profit of £0.56m for the first nine months of 2005 - compared with a loss of £0.13m in 2004. The company, which floated on the UK's Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in May, now has 650,000 panel members across 13 European countries. More
US-based online agency MarketTools, Inc. has announced three senior appointments. Jeff Greenberg joins as President of Worldwide Operations, Pamela S. Kramer as Chief Marketing Officer and W. Michael Conklin as Chief Methodologist. More
Interactive research technology firm Invoke Solutions has promoted Alon Ravid, previously Vice President of Research and Development, to Chief Technology Officer, responsible for driving and developing its long-term corporate technology strategy. Ravid will also continue in his role as the General Manager of Invoke's Israeli office. More
Three new reports give varying degrees of encouragement to the advertising industry. Nielsen Media Research highlights healthy growth in the US, and the UK's Advertising Association forecasts long-term growth in display, while ZenithOptimedia's global projections offer most optimism for the Internet... and for market researchers. More
US agency the NPD Group has promoted four of its Directors - Stephen Baker, Steve Flavin, Bruce Schnur and Martin Zagorsek - to Vice President positions. Between them, they take responsibility for technology tracking; automotive and convenience retailing sales; corporate products; and games and software. More
The average European Internet user is online five days a week, and spends 10 hours 15 minutes a week online - a 17% increase since last year and 56% longer than in 2003,according to research conducted for the EIAA by SPA and Synovate. The latest from comScore meanwhile shows US surfers making good use of streaming media. More
MR trade body ESOMAR is working with the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) on next year's World Research Conference, taking place in Shanghai in June. The event, entitled Worldwide Multi Media Measurement (WM3), will focus on how to develop a consumer-centric vision of cross-media consumption. More
US Online word of mouth specialist BuzzMetrics has launched a syndicated service to tap into the pool of TV discussions occurring on blogs and message boards on the Internet. The new TV*BuzzMetrics ratings are designed to provide ongoing qualitative insights into what drives viewer engagement. More
Online MR firm Global Market Insite (GMI) has appointed four former employees of SPSS Europe to expand its European management team. The company has also appointed a Director for Russia, and several new project management staff, and recently announced the opening of a new Los Angeles office. More
Arbitron and VNU have announced good progress with Project Apollo, which aims to co-ordinate their collection of multimedia exposure and purchase information. Over the past few weeks more advertisers have signed up, and the steering committee will meet for the second time in January to set the direction for next year's project pilot. More
Ciao, the European subsidiary of online survey specialist Greenfield Online, has launched a new comparison shopping portal in the Netherlands. As well as comparing prices and offering consumer product reviews, the portal encourages visitors to take part in surveys. More
US automotive research specialist J.D. Power and Associates is launching a study to examine the Internet use of new vehicle buyers. The Online Media Study aims to examine the potential of web sites to reach such buyers, and to help automotive companies make better online advertising decisions. More
Amid the flurry of online Christmas spending, new research highlights the many flaws of popular retail web sites. The study, by US mystery shopping specialist Informa Research Services and customer experience specialist Blast Radius, says most top web sites are struggling to meet customers' needs. More
US-based Internet survey sample provider Sample Czar has partnered with Chinese loyalty program SmartClub to develop consumer and business panels for online surveys in China. More
US Internet business information and analysis firm eMarketer has hired James Belcher from Find SVP and Lisa Phillips from Gartner as Senior Analysts. Mike Chapman from the Economist Intelligence Unit also joins the company as its new Editorial Director. More
One in four European Internet users visited a job web site between July and September 2005, up from around a fifth the previous year, according to new research from Nielsen//NetRatings. The study also shows the popularity of university web sites. More
Synovate has launched its Media Atlas local media survey in Malaysia. The first results concentrate on the urban population, while subsequent phases will cover the whole of the country. Media Atlas was launched in Thailand in May. More
On its 20th anniversary, US-based SRA Research has acquired another Florida MR firm, On The Mark (OTM) Research, in what is described as a 'multi-million dollar merger'. OTM's eponymous President Mark Sandler will become VP of Client Services for the combined company. More
International marketing company dunnhumby has appointed Adrian Sanger, formerly of Millward Brown, to a new Insight Director role, designed to increase the agency's research capabilities. This follows last year's appointment of Martin Hayward to the new position of Director of Consumer Strategy and Futures. More
Online research specialist Research Now has reported a surge in trading since it floated on London's Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in August. The company, which recently opened US and Australian offices, expects turnover for the year to 31 October to be more than five times the previous year's £701,000. More
Along with the Christmas decorations comes a flurry of Christmas spending forecasts. Research from Maritz suggests consumers plan to spend less than last year, while comScore and Hitwise predict a boom for online retailers. More
US forecasting specialist BASES has launched Marketing Plan Analyzer - a service designed to predict the level of marketing support required for a new product to be successful. The service draws on a database of more than 75,000 new-product marketing plans from 60 countries across 200 categories. More
As search engine competition reaches China, US-based Keynote Systems is launching a study of users' experience of the country's leading search engines: Alibaba/Yahoo!, Baidu, Google China and Sohu/Sogou. The study will take the same form as Keynote's annual North American search studies. More
Mediamark Research Inc (MRI) has released data from its first ever survey of American children aged six to 11. Most of the kids surveyed use the Internet at least once a month and most have a TV in their room - but only 4% use MP3 players. More
US-based conference producer ad:tech is launching a series of ten regional events to explore the latest concepts and practices in media and web metrics. The events, entitled IMPACT: Key Metrics for Marketers, will take place in the US and Canada between February and April next year. More
US-based newspaper ratings provider Scarborough Research has hired M J Angiollo as Account Director for Print and Internet Services, and promoted Barbara Quisenberry to the new role of Director of Account Management. Both are past Presidents of the Research Federation of the Newspaper Association of America (NAA). More
Australia's Roy Morgan Research has launched a new survey to measure what the country's top 1% is reading. Results from these high-earning senior executives and directors show high levels of newspaper readership, even among heavy web users. More
US technology research firm Yankee Group has changed hands for the second time in two years. Emily Nagle Green, formerly MD of Forrester, is taking over the company, in a deal backed by private equity firm Alta Communications. Current CEO Brian Adamik is standing down after ten years with the company. More
Just weeks after its purchase of Display Search, US retail specialist the NPD Group has acquired ACNielsen's IT tracking business in Canada. NPD will now provide both retail and commercial sales tracking of computers and peripherals in Canada, as it does in the US. More
US-based comScore Networks is expanding its CPG Marketing Solutions group with the appointment of Joe Famalette as VP of Sales and John Golanty as VP of Client Services. The company has also hired John Miniati as VP of Retail and Technology Solutions. More
Survey software provider QuestionPro is launching a free online survey tool, designed for small businesses and bloggers. Called MicroPoll, the tool allows anyone with a web site to poll readers with simple multi-choice questions and display the results. 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
Larry Gerbrandt, former COO and Senior Analyst at Kagan Media, has joined Nielsen Entertainment in the US as Senior VP and Senior Corporate Analyst, reporting to CEO Andy Wing. He will work on strategic analyses of the entertainment industry, including the company's new 'Benchmarking the Digital Household' report. More
Nielsen//NetRatings is introducing AdRelevance - its online ad measurement tool - to Australia. The service, already available in the US and Europe, will now track 250 Australian web sites and 4,000 URLs to gather information about who is advertising, where and how, and how much they are spending. More
Nielsen Media Research is stepping up its evaluation of the use of Portable People Meters (PPMs) for TV audience measurement - a joint venture with Arbitron. Meanwhile, Arbitron has been meeting with radio industry executives to discuss electronic audience measurement, and has appointed a technology expert to its Board. More
US online survey specialist Greenfield Online has introduced an automatic online ordering system - GoQuote. It allows clients to price and order survey samples and programming via the Internet. This is one of the first initiatives introduced under new 'troubleshooter' CEO and President Al Angrisani, who took over in September. More
The US-based Yankee Group has introduced a five-year projection and analysis of the business and consumer wireless markets. The Global Wireless/Mobile Premium Forecast provides data for unique users in 23 nations across North America, Latin America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, using data from the Group's Mobile User and Video-Capable Device Surveys. More
'You have to be in Asia, be outsourcing, and using the Internet if you want to be in the future of MR' according to TNS Chairman Tony Cowling, speaking at the BMRA's annual conference yesterday. Other speakers predicted the demise of the phone interview and the death of the medium-sized firm. More
Google has announced that it will give customers free use of its web analytics service. Formerly known as Urchin from Google and now renamed Google Analytics, the service claims to give customers the ability 'to track the results of any online marketing campaign', and offers dashboard features and integration with other packages. More
Online shopping is catching on in China and the country 'is poised to become a huge market for shopping in cyberspace', according to ACNielsen. Uniquely, China's buyers are most likely to pay by cash-on-delivery. As many as 63% of Internet users in the 38-country study said they had made at least one purchase online. More
Publishing and advertising specialist Mediamark Research Inc. (MRI) has announced a joint venture with podcasting service company Podtrac to provide audience data for the new medium. The partnership promises podcast media buyers 'the same demographic research that advertisers have in traditional media'. More
European online fieldwork provider Research Now is following up its recent Australian launch with a sales office in New York. The office, supported by two new Directors, will sell survey data from the company's European online panel of over 700,000 potential respondents to the US market. More
Online panel specialist Greenfield Online has reported 'disappointing' financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2005. New President and CEO Al Angrisani, who was brought in at the end of September to turn the company round, said the company had 'launched an aggressive corrective process'. More
IBM has announced a new software solution to help businesses track and analyse their coverage in the rapidly developing sphere of Consumer Generated Media (CGM), which includes blogs and news groups. The Public Image Monitoring Solution was developed in collaboration with Nstein Technologies and Factiva. More
US-based WebSideStory has launched a new e-commerce benchmarking service, offering clients free access to data based on the performance of hundreds of online retailers. Companies will be able to compare their own key performance indicators against industry and category averages. More
The Monster Employment Index, which measures online recruitment activity, continues to show rapid growth. The European index is now 113 - up from 94 last December, while the US index is 143 - its highest ever level, and 29 points higher than a year ago. More
US market analysts CENTRIS and Media Business Corp (MBC) have formed a joint venture - C+MBC - to provide tracking services to identify demand for broadband, media and entertainment services. The service aims to provide detailed information for local markets. More
Following pressure from broadcasters, US radio measurement specialist Arbitron is delaying plans to ask survey participants to record their Internet and satellite radio listening. The company is now planning a limited test of its revised instructions for diary holders, and full implementation is not expected before next summer. More
Nielsen//NetRatings achieved $16.8m in revenues in the third quarter of 2005 - an 8% increase from Q3 2004, but a 1.75% fall from Q2 2005. The company's net loss for the quarter fell to $3.7m - a 14% year-on-year decrease - despite $1.7m spent restructuring the European business. More
For the first time, Nielsen Media Research is to provide direct access to its database of minute-by-minute TV ratings. Clients will be able to access and analyse full information from Nielsen's National People Meter sample via an electronic file, to be updated each week. More
Harris Interactive has announced its financial results for the fiscal first quarter ended September 30, 2005. Revenue for the quarter (classed as Q1 2006) was $48.9m, up 24% from $39.3m in the same period last year. This was in part due to the acquisition of Wirthlin Worldwide. Growth in European Internet research revenue was particularly strong at 29%. More
Online MR software provider FIRM yesterday submitted an application for public listing at the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE). Chairman Bengt Thuresson says the goal is 'to consolidate FIRM's equity capital in order to finance further profitable growth'. More
Radio news and talk shows attract affluent, educated listeners, according to new analysis from Scarborough Research. Also released today is Arbitron's network radio study, which claims that US networked stations reach nearly 80% of 25- to 54-year-olds, three quarters of teens, and 90% of black Americans each week. More
Swedish wireless market analyst Berg Insight has acquired fellow Swedish agency Locationbox, which specialises in location-based telecoms services and telematics. Locationbox will be integrated into Berg Insight. More
European online fieldwork specialist Research Now has launched Irish Opinions - an online panel for the Republic of Ireland. The company has already recruited 20,000 panel members for what it claims is the first research-only panel in the Republic. More
Business intelligence software provider Business Objects has completed the acquisition of California's Infommersion in a deal worth $40m. Infommersion specialises in providing interactive and visual solutions for data presentation and analysis. More
UK agency Incepta Marketing Intelligence (IMI) has appointed Kenrick Leung as Director of its Hong Kong office. Leung takes over from Alice Page, who left for Ipsos earlier this year. He will report to IMI's CEO Andy Dexter. More
European online research agency MetrixLab added another 1 million Euros to its turnover in the third quarter of this year, representing a 71% increase compared with the same period last year. The company's net profits grew by 44% over the same period. More
New York-based ABI Research has appointed Michael Wolf, formerly of In-Stat, as Principal Analyst in the company's broadband and residential entertainment technologies group. More
Flat panel display research specialist DisplaySearch is launching ten new regular reports on various aspects of the TV and PC flat panel display supply chain. The company, which has employees in both the US and Asia, was recently taken over by retail research provider the NPD Group. More
US-based customer identity management specialist Purisma has launched Customer Registry, a tool designed to provide organisations with in-depth, accurate pictures of their consumers based on data gathered from across the business and from external sources. More
US-based WebTrends is partnering with web software specialist Hot Banana, to streamline the process of analysing and optimising Internet content. The new tool combines WebTrends' analysis software with Hot Banana's content management suite to help users improve content in response to analysis. More
A quarter of US computer users have stopped buying online in an attempt to avoid identity theft, according to a study of 1,500 US consumers by Princeton Survey Research Associates for Consumer Reports WebWatch. At the same time, Jupiter Research and comScore both report significant online shopping growth. More
Many Americans turned to the Internet to help hurricane victims last month, according to new data from comScore. However, not all new surfing was altruistic: online share trading and TV web sites also experienced significant growth, and the latest analysis from NetRatings finds that online shopping continues to thrive. More
New research from the Yankee Group predicts increasing convergence between mobile phones and consumer electronic devices. As mobile products become ever more sophisticated, a plethora of reports from other research firms also analyse new developments in the high-tech mobile and wireless markets. More
US Internet measurement specialist Nielsen//NetRatings has settled its lawsuit against Visual Sciences, by entering into a licensing agreement with the company. NetRatings launched the lawsuit earlier this year, alleging infringement of some of its data collection and analysis patents. More
Ownership of a DAB digital radio in the UK has more than doubled in the past year, according to RAJAR. Its latest figures also show increases in radio listening via mobile phones, digital TV, and the Internet - although these new methods have had little impact of the overall number of radio listeners. More
US data collection company Interviewing Service of America (ISA) has acquired the Opinion One visual interviewing software suite. Opinion One's Corporate Operations Director Peter Blair and two technical members of staff are joining ISA as part of the acquisition. Meanwhile, Dina Paglia joins as Account Executive. More
Australia Post has picked Research International (RI) to monitor its delivery of letters using radio frequency identification device (RFID) technology, together with more traditional end-to-end measures. The company has been using RFID to measure its international mail services for the past two years. More
US online survey specialist QuestionPro is to provide free software for registered non-profit organizations. The non-profit waiver program will give organizations access to a complete set of tools for conducting online surveys - worth $499 - for up to a year. More
What do companies mean by insight? How does it differ from traditional MR outputs? And how can researchers ensure they are recognised for providing it? All these questions - and more - were addressed in the Association of Users of Research Agencies (AURA) panel discussion at yesterday's Insight Show in London. More
According to Harris Interactive, 81% of UK adults dislike the trend of locating call centres overseas, and 54% believe companies who do so will lose business. The survey also suggests that overseas centres struggle to provide a good service, as 50% of customers do not trust them enough to disclose personal details. More
A study from the US Online Publishers Association (OPA) has found that different methods of compiling online audience figures lead to significantly different estimates of visitors to local web sites. The research is based on an analysis of measurement tools from Nielsen//Net Ratings, comScore, Scarborough and The Media Audit. More
The International Journal of Market Research (IJMR), produced by the Market Research Society (MRS), has provided new guidance for potential contributors, encouraging case study-based articles from MR practitioners. The Journal's new Viewpoint section also allows practitioners to have their say about burning issues in around 500 words. More
US research firm McPheters & Company has worked with magazine publishers to develop readership.com, an audience measurement tool for magazines. The product is designed to provide 'near real-time' data about print audiences in a way that is comparable with measurement systems for other media. More
European MR software firm Nebu has released a new version of Dub Knowledge - its panel management and sampling tool. The latest edition allows for easier exclusion of respondents from future surveys, and offers several new features. More
UK online polling firm YouGov is using its Internet panel to compile BrandIndex, an evaluation of more than 11,000 consumer brands. Initial findings, based on 30,000 interviews, put Tesco as UK consumers' leading brand, while McDonalds and Sunny Delight are both in the bottom ten. More
Frank Maggio, CEO of Erin Media, is poised to announce details of a new ratings service - VAST Ratings - designed to compete with Nielsen's audience measurement system. Earlier this year, Erin filed an antitrust lawsuit against Nielsen Media Research in a bid to break up its ratings monopoly. More
Adult Internet users are increasingly going online to learn, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. Its latest figures show that use of educational reference web sites, such as encylopaedias and dictionaries, grew by 22% this year. Other new data from the company includes the top ten web sites, and top ten online advertisers. 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 survey provider Itracks has released a new web-based reporting system for all its surveys, whether conducted on or offline. Also announcing new products this week are Nunwood, with a new application to facilitate business information sharing, and IRI, which launched a new retail space planning tool. More
Australian MR firm Colmar Brunton has signed an agreement with Perception Research Services (PRS) in the US, allowing it to use PRS eye-tracking technology with clients across Australia. The technology observes the eye's movement as it scans ads or web sites - objectively measuring what is truly 'eye-catching'. More
US market intelligence firm Current Analysis has appointed Jeff Clark as Senior Analyst for Digital Imaging. Clark has a background in both technology and marketing, and most recently worked as a Marketing Manager for Sony Electronics. He will report to Stan Schatt, Research Director. More
Arbitron's net income for the third quarter of this year was 13.7% less than the same time last year. The company's revenue grew by 4.5%, but its trial of Portable People Meters (PPMs) led to an increase in expenses of almost 12%. The company has now lowered its previous year-end estimates. More
One in ten of the world's population now shops online, according to a new global survey from ACNielsen. In separate studies, the National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts a 5% increase for US spending this holiday season, and GQ magazine finds US men increasingly succumbing to the pleasures of shopping. More
Millward Brown and Dynamic Logic - the online research company it acquired earlier this year - are launching a new online copy testing tool, called DigitalLink. The jointly developed product is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of online ads before they are launched. More
Market Insight, a US online market intelligence firm, has received $1.25 million in Series A financing from San Francisco venture capital company WaldenVC, which believes Market Insight will 'change the face of market research'. Founded in 2003, the company collects consumer data from a product recommendation web site. More
US online research specialist Invoke Solutions has appointed Frank Lallos as Chief Finance Officer and Traci Gere as VP of Professional Services. Gere, who spent ten years at IT market research firm IDC, will be responsible for the expansion of Invoke's consulting and service delivery. More
WPP's Kantar Group has joined two venture capital companies, Prism Venture Partners and founding investor i-Hatch Ventures in a $7m Series B round of funding for mobile media measurement firm M:Metrics. More
The annual conference of the British Market Research Association (BMRA) is four weeks away. Delegates will get the chance to debate the future of MR with the leaders of TNS, Synovate and YouGov, and to hear from clients ranging from Microsoft to the Islamic Bank of Britain. More
Media measurement specialist Cymfony has launched Orchestra, a market intelligence dashboard application that integrates data from mainstream media (MSM) and consumer-generated media (CGM) including blogs. Meanwhile Intelliseek has entered into an agreement to provide AOL with daily blog data and trend analysis from its BlogPulse search engine. More
US online MR firm Compete, Inc has promoted T.J. Mahony to MD of Intelligent Reach Products, and Adam Guy to MD of its Wireless Practice. The announcement coincides with the launch of Voicebox, Compete's communications and loyalty platform, designed to help marketers extend and deepen customer relationships. More
US high-tech market intelligence provider Current Analysis has appointed Wendy Lindquist Williams as Research Director of Public Sector Solutions. Based in Sterling, Virginia, Williams will analyse the market for delivering integrated technology solutions to government bodies. She will report to Raymond Keneipp, Senior VP of Research and Analysis. More
Chicago-based agency Pipal Research has introduced PipalAnswers - a new online custom research service designed to offer fast, low-cost access to business research. The service gives access to a team of professionals who search for and collect relevant data from subscription and industry databases and the Internet. More
US-based online specialist Global Market Insite (GMI) has appointed Benny Huang as Director of Marketing for Asia Pacific. Huang, who is based in Shanghai, will report to GMI's Chief Marketing Officer Mark Houston in Seattle. More
Ipsos UK - to be merged with MORI following this week's acquisition - has appointed Helen Simpson, formerly of Australian Business Ltd, and Mo Alam, from Orange, as Directors in its Loyalty division. Both will report to Gailynn Nicks, MD, Ipsos Loyalty. More
In June 2005, more than 94 million people in the US viewed a streaming video online, according to the first results from the comScore Media Metrix Online Video Ratings service. The research suggests that online video is a viable advertising medium, particularly for targeting young males. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has launched its Internet audience measurement tool Market Intelligence in South East Asia. MSN in Singapore is currently publishing visitor data as compiled by Market Intelligence, and several Hong Kong publishers have also committed to using the service. More
US research and consulting firm the Yankee Group has launched a Municipal Broadband Technologies & Services division, to provide vendors with market information. The company believes this market is set to grow, and predicts an investment of $500m in wireless broadband networks for communities in the US. More
US-based electronics supply chain specialist iSuppli Corp has acquired the assets of Minova Technology, which provides market intelligence for emerging technology markets. Minova's founder and President Mark Kirstein - former General Manager at In-Stat - is joining iSuppli's executive team as VP of multimedia content. More
African Americans spend nearly twice as much time online as the rest of the population, according to the AOL African American Cyberstudy, conducted by IMAGES Market Research. Separate research from Yahoo! about online use at key life stages finds parents-to-be and college students heavily reliant on the Internet. More
Gartner has sold its Custom Research division to Catalyst Acquisition Group. The new company, renamed GCR Custom Research and headed by Catalyst's Chair and CEO, will specialise in IT research and market tracking services. Gartner will focus on other areas of its business, while using GCR for its custom research needs. More
UK online survey specialist YouGov has announced 48% turnover growth, and 47% growth in profit before tax, for the year ending 31 July 2005. The company, which floated on the UK's Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in April, saw turnover increase from £1.9m to 2.9m between 2004 and 2005. More
The results of the 2005 British Business Survey (BBS) announced today by Ipsos reveal a UK business elite that watches far less TV than the rest of the country, continues to rely heavily on traditional print media, but also leads the way in the use and ownership of technology. More
Global research group Ipsos has acquired MORI, the UK's largest independently owned MR agency, in a deal worth £88m. Ipsos UK and MORI will combine to form a new company to be known as Ipsos MORI. The purchase will almost double Ispos' UK revenue. More
A new service developed jointly by New York-based online customer satisfaction specialist iPerceptions and software solutions provider Repindex will provide 'quantifiable insights' based on analysis of free-form feedback from web site visitors. Land Rover and Reebok are among the first clients. More
Harris Interactive has added Serbian research agency Marten Board International to its Global Network of 21 independent market research companies. Marten Board, which was the first MR agency to obtain an international license in Serbia, provides insights into the South East Europe and Balkan markets. More
US-based Harbor Research and UK-based e-principles have announced a merger. The European operation will henceforth be known as Harbor Research Europe, and will focus on the business impacts of networked devices and technology, known as the 'pervasive Internet' and M2M (machine to machine) markets. More
Google is improving its already dominant position in the UK search engine market, according to data from Hitwise. Google UK powered 63% of all UK Internet searches in the four weeks to 1st October, and Google.com a further 7%. Unlike in the US where Yahoo! clocks nearly half Google's searches, no other UK property gets into double figures. More
The latest results from Synovate's PAX survey reveal that Asia's wealthiest consumers are spending more on high-end products than last year, funded by a big increase in income and an even bigger rise in borrowing on cards. More
US agencies Knowledge Networks (KN) and Harris Interactive are arguing over KN's claims that Stanford University research demonstrates the superior accuracy of its online surveys. Harris believes KN's reporting of the study is inaccurate and selective, and claims that KN's founders were closely involved with the Stanford research. More
TNS has worked with academics to develop a panel of 'intuitive and analytic' thinkers, to provide creative input into new product development research. Creative Minds is the second sub-panel of the company's '6thdimension' access panel, following the Sports sub-panel launched last month. More
US-based IT publisher TechTarget has launched 'TargetROI: Brand' - an online program that measures the effects of online ads on brand awareness. The measurements are based on surveys conducted in collaboration with MR firm Dynamic Logic, which also provides benchmark data for comparison. More
Greenfield Online's President and CEO Dean Wiltse has left the company, to be replaced by former Harris Interactive President and business troubleshooter Albert Angrisani. The announcement comes as the company reduces its revenue forecast for the third quarter by $4m, due to 'lower than expected win-rates in North America'. More
The US Bureau of Census has awarded a six-year contract, worth approximately $500m, to US technology systems provider Lockheed Martin. The company will be responsible for developing and operating the Decennial Response Integration System (DRIS) to capture data for the 2010 Census. More
New research from AOL UK, conducted by Quaestor, finds that the nation's ten-year-olds know all about the Internet, but still prefer playing out, and have not yet succumbed to digital cameras and MP3 players. Meanwhile, VoxPops International's video research reveals kids and teenagers' demands about technology. More
Three recent studies from Intelliseek, MarketingExperiments and IRI throw new light on the effects of PR, word-of-mouth and merchandising on consumers. Meanwhile media measurement firm CARMA International has launched a service to track the effects of PR and media relations. More
US agency the NPD Group is expanding its wireless practice to include more in-depth information and analysis, and an increased breadth of consumer data. The aim is comprehensive coverage of the wireless market, including mobile devices, multimedia content, and voice and data services. More
US web analyst WebTrends has announced the details of its 2005 Web Analytics Success Tour, a series of free half-day seminars focused on web analytics best practice. The tour is sponsored in part by web analytics consultancy Stratigent. More
The European Commission's Information Society and Media Directorate General (DG) has published a call for tenders to research online public services. The call consists of two lots: the first is the sixth annual measurement of online public services, and the second is a pilot study aimed at improving e-government quality indicators. More
Online survey provider QuestionPro has added a 'Market Research Toolset' to its data collection and analytics services. The tools offer online panel management features, conjoint and TURF analysis, and real-time notification of satisfaction scores. Meanwhile, Creative Research Systems has launched a PDA Module for its survey software package. More
US-based Invoke Solutions, a provider of interactive research technologies, has launched Invoke On Demand - a research platform designed to provided 'instant' business insights through live moderated Internet sessions allowing 300 or more participants. More
US online word-of-mouth research specialist BuzzMetrics has been acquired by Trendum, a provider of Internet search and linguistic analysis. Together, the companies hope to create a global standard to measure online consumer 'buzz' about brands. VNU is a minority shareholder in the new company, which will keep the BuzzMetrics name. More
There may be a slump on the high street, but the UK online retail sector is set to grow 25% between July and December this year - representing a 12% year-on-year increase since December 2004. These predictions come from the newly released Hitwise UK Online Retail Report. More
Alina Serbanica, former VP Business Development of Gallup Romania, is joining Ipsos Interactive Services (IIS) as Access Panels Director, responsible for all the company's European panels. IIS specialises in online market research, with more than 550,000 panellists across Europe. More
US-based GMI has appointed Richard Scionti, founder of Timbre Consulting and former employee of SPSS and RI, as VP of its newly formed Global Enterprise Solutions Group. Other recent appointments include two Directors of Marketing - one to be based in China; a Customer Service Director for China; and a Sales Director for the New York office. More
US-based SRC has launched a UK version of its DemographicsNow business intelligence web site - the first of several planned international launches. The site uses a consumer and market profiling tool, providing companies with online life-stage profiles and other demographic information for any selected area in the UK. 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
At this week's ESOMAR Annual Congress, two papers focused on ways to overhaul or reinvent Internet-based consumer research. A joint paper by agencies Ciao and Fat Planet called for increased innovation in online surveys, while Dutch agency Blauw discussed its use of an online qual panel to aid new product development. More
ESOMAR wound up the 58th Congress in Cannes today and announced the winners of its awards. Speakers from The Leading Edge agency and Carlton & United Brewers, Australia, won the Best Paper Overall Award, while employees of Brainjuicer, Maritz and LG Electronics were also recognised. More
Three surveys of US retail spending and trends this week show technology - both as a product and a means of purchase - boosting sales, while high gas prices drag them back, making consumers more cautious and more budget-conscious. More
In Tuesday's second keynote speech at the ESOMAR Congress, Ted McDonnell, Manager of Interactive Marketing Innovation at Procter & Gamble, explained the rationale behind the World Advertising Federation's recent call for reform of audience measurement. More
Online MR solutions company GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.) has announced the acquisition of three companies -- Seattle-based NetReflector, Insight in Shanghai, China, and MI Pro AS in Drobak, Norway, which will operate as wholly owned subsidiaries of GMI. GMI has also formed a new strategic alliance with ARO Sistemas in Sao Paolo, Brazil. More
UK business information company Datamonitor has acquired retail analysis specialist Verdict Research Limited for a maximum consideration of £4.7 million in cash. More
Digital technology is everywhere - three sets of surveys results released this week illustrate the growth of networked entertainment and storage devices and of color laser MFPs in the US. However, it can sometimes get ahead of consumers, as shown by a survey of UK digital TV subscribers. More
ESOMAR's 2005 Congress, Making a Difference - The Impact of Powerful Research - opened today in Cannes, attended by 1000+ market and social professionals from 75 countries worldwide. The Congress also heralded ESOMAR's rebrand, and its renewed commitment to improving the image of MR - a theme touched on by several of the day's speakers. More
This morning's main session at ESOMAR Congress gave delegates an update on major companies' attempts to put customers' views and needs at the heart of their business. Some like it hot - watching consumers in their kitchens - while others take a cool look at customer loyalty stats. DRNO News Editor Tessa Russell reports live from Cannes. More
Media analysis and measurement company PRtrak has been acquired by news and advertising monitoring and analysis leader Video Monitoring Services (VMS). The buy will expand VMS' Integrated Media Intelligence (IMI) solutions portfolio. 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
Arbitron has promoted two company veterans to strengthen its Portable People Meter (PPM) research team. Beth Webb becomes Director, PPM Research, and Dan Ames Director, International Research. More
Conference season in the MR world is also product launch season. With ESOMAR Congress next week, and other major events imminent, new or expanded services announced in the last few days include the NPD Group's 'Technology Track', Synovate ViewsNet for Western Europe and a new version of FIRM's ConfirmIt software. More
SSI/Bloomerce, the European arm of Survey Sampling International, has hired Michel Guidi as Chief Operating Officer (COO), Europe. Guidi leaves online panels specialist Ciao, where he was VP for Operations. More
GfK Turkey has announced a new access panel of almost 4.2 million members, providing samples for online research in the country. The panel members represent a high proportion of the c.11 million people online in Turkey (population 72m and Internet penetration around 15%). More
Online fieldwork and panel specialist Research Now has announced the launch of an Australian online panel with access to 60,000 household members. The panel will be managed locally from new Research Now offices in Sydney and Brisbane, headed up by Australian Jason Buchanan. More
Online pharmaceutical market research is growing at the expense of 'phone interviews, according to an international survey of pharma researchers by medical research agency Medefield. More
Australian online agency i-Link Research Solutions will for the first time offer an online participant research panel for MR and social research, via an alliance with Qualified Opinions Research Panel. More
European online panel specialist Ciao is launching an Internet omnibus service for the UK, Germany and France. The survey will run bi-monthly, using Ciao's existing panel, and will complement the existing US omnibus services provided by Ciao's parent company Greenfield Online. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has developed a new method of measuring Internet audiences, integrating data from the two most commonly used approaches: data from consumer panels and site-centric measurement technology. Different methods can produce very different statistics, as seen in the latest search engine usage data from competitors Hitwise and comScore. More
US newspaper ad placement specialist Mediaspace Solutions (MSS) is to make its supply, pricing and contact data about US newspapers available to subscribers of online media planning tool PrecisionTrak, allowing cross-media campaign planning. More
UK-based online research agency Virtual Surveys has launched a new Marketing Sciences division to provide advanced analytics together with web-based research. The division will be led by Ray Poynter, one of Virtual Surveys' Directors and leader of the Future Place research consultancy. More
US magazine audience specialist Mediamark Research Inc, (MRI) and Zinio Systems, a provider of digital publishing and marketing services, are to collaborate on a five-year project aimed at understanding the value of digital magazine audiences. More
Search-sponsored links to web sites comprised 34% of online ad impressions, according to Nielsen//NetRatings' new Sponsored Search Link survey, based on data for August. The new service incorporates search advertising insight into AdRelevance, the company's online ad intelligence product. More
Ipsos is working with media database specialist New Age Media Systems to provide EzTAB software for Ipsos UK's media clients, which include BARB, NRS and RAJAR. The web-based software provides easy access to viewing figures and reader numbers, and allows clients to incorporate their own data into the system. More
Carat, part of the Aegis Group, has increased its 2005 forecast of world ad spend growth to 5.2% -highest in China (18%) and Central Europe (11.4%) and lowest in Germany (1%). Its predictions for increased online ad spend are echoed by a new report from Roy Morgan in Australia. More
Montreal-based data collection and analysis software provider Voxco is launching a new MR software package, with previews at the ESOMAR Congress in Cannes later this month, followed by displays at MR conferences in Boston, Toronto, Warsaw, London and Paris. More
Use of online banking in the US has levelled off according to a new survey from Ipsos Insight. The study suggests that fears about identity theft, along with concerns that companies are selling records to third parties, are stalling growth in the market. More
Total US advertising expenditure for the first half of 2005 rose to $70.5 billion, a 4.5% increase from the same period last year, according to TNS Media Intelligence. Figures from Nielsen Media Research are slightly higher, showing an increase of 5.7% over the same period. More
IT specialist agency Mindwave Research has launched RQM(Relationship Quality Management), a new online customer questionnaire tool. The product delivers real-time feedback about where improvements are needed, and allows clients to make immediate contact with dissatisfied customers. More
High-tech US MR agency In-Stat has hired George Stojsavljevic as Director of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Sales. He was previously VP of EMEA sales at RHK, a telecom industry research firm acquired by London-based Ovum Ltd in June this year. More
As the US-based Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) publishes a study critical of current audience research methods, the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) has launched a blueprint for the industry's evolution. The latter urges the development of 'consumer-centric holistic measurement' to allow for increasingly complex media consumption habits. More
US agency MediaAnalyzer Software & Research is joining an international project, Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology (ERATO), to map and explain brain processes such as emotions and human will. The study will make use of the company's AttentionTracking web-based 'eye tracking' technology to conduct large-scale visual tests. More
Ad-ID, a universal ad coding standard that paves the way for digital ad measurement and tracking has now been adopted by more than 300 US marketers, plus major TV networks. The system has the support of and media associations including the advertising industry's ANA and AAAA. More
Research from Synovate reveals that, while most stick to TV and newspapers, one in five Asians access news on the web at least twice a week. One intriguing finding is the variation in the proportion of people who say they trust the news - this ranges from 78% in India to just 28% in Thailand. More
With effect from today, GfK is merging NOP Research Group (the UK arm of NOP World) and GfK Martin Hamblin UK to form a new combined company - GfK NOP Ltd, based in London. This follows GfK's acquisition of NOP World in June, and the establishment of GfK Custom Research North America in July. More
Arbitron has established a new forum to facilitate collaboration with the advertisers and agencies that use its media and marketing research services. The new Advertiser/Agency Advisory Council will provide insight into advertisers' research needs, and involve advertisers in decision making. More
The latest update from UK media and telecoms regulator Ofcom shows that, while local commercial radio listening is on the decline, multi-channel digital TV is now reaching 30% of households, 8 million households have broadband access, and consumer spend on mobile phones has increased by 17% since 2004. More
Internet analytics firm WebTrends Inc has promoted Nick Sharp to VP and General Manager Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA); and has hired Scott Foernsler, formerly of DoubleClick and Siebel, as VP of Worldwide Sales. More
You wait ages for a taxi and then two come along at once... Research Now's OmniTaxi has been joined on the list of new MR releases by Quali-Taxi, a service from Brainjuicer using its 'MindReading' technology to replicate the qualitative insights from a focus group but using large, nationally representative samples. More
Media ratings company Arbitron has promoted Robert Patchen, formerly VP of Research Standards and Practices, to the new position of Chief Research Officer. He will oversee all Arbitron's research, including radio diaries and Portable People Meters (PPMs), and will help to identify new techniques. More
Indian and US-based agency Cross-Tab is employing former NOP Global CEO Simon Chadwick as a strategic advisor to help expand its MR efforts. Chadwick will guide the company's strategy and business development, occasionally drawing on the expertise of associates at his consulting firm Cambiar LLC. More
Sports Marketing Surveys (SMS) in Singapore has signed an exclusive partnership agreement with Motorsport Asia to provide marketing research and analysis of next year's Asian Festival of Speed (AFOS) motorsport event. More
US behavioural marketing specialist Claria has shuffled its senior management in line with plans to focus on web personalisation research. Scott VanDeVelde becomes President and CEO, replacing co-founder Jeff McFadden who has served as CEO since 1999. Scott Eagle, formerly Chief Marketing Officer, is now Executive VP. More
Ever more coverage for Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) system: the latest trials have involved measuring audiences listening to radio via podcasts, and tracking store visits by encoding in-store radio broadcasts. More
UK-based customer and BtoB research specialist Network Research has continued its expansion with the appointment of Kirstin Meudell, previously from MORI, to a newly created Associate Director position. More
US-based IC Insights, which provides MR for the integrated circuit industry, has appointed Rob Lineback as Senior Market Research Analyst. Lineback has spent most of his 25-year career as a journalist, reporting on semiconductor business trends, technology, and global suppliers. More
Nielsen Media Research and software producer Anystream are working together to automatically encode Video On Demand (VOD) content, so that it can be easily incorporated into audience measurement systems. Nielsen is due to include VOD in its TV ratings service from next year. More
100,000 New Zealanders representing almost 8% of the country's households have signed up as members of SmileCity's online panel, run by TNS. The company says that even traditionally hard-to-reach consumers, such as young Asian males, are willingly participating in research. More
United Business Media, former owner of NOP World, has acquired Light Reading Inc, a market research, events and publishing company for the telecoms industry. Light Reading will be an autonomous business unit within CMP Media, a division of UBM. More
New analysis from Datamonitor lists ten overarching trends that it says will shape future products and services. The report states that, in order to retain customer loyalty, companies must capitalise on at least one of these 'mega-trends', which reflect changing attitudes to age, gender and lifestyles. More
Technology and MR specialist Forrester Research has appointed Zion Group as its independent sales representation in South Africa, to help the company serve its South African clients. The move is part of the company's continued investment in companies in its newly defined EMEA region. More
The annual conference of the BMRA (British Market Research Association), taking place this November in Brighton, will assess what the future holds for the UK industry, what part technology will play, and the opportunities and challenges presented by the evolving roles of media and advertising. More
US IT market research specialist Mindwave Research has appointed Bill Mathis, formerly of BMIResearch, as Director of Qualitative Research. The company aims to strengthen and grow its qualitative offering, building on Mathis' focus group moderation skills. More
US solutions company Survey Sampling International (SSI) has appointed Tom Brophy to the newly created role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The company, which bought Bloomerce Access Panels Europe earlier this year, says Brophy will be heavily involved in evaluating possible future acquisitions. More
The Council of American Survey Organisations (CASRO) has announced its support for self-regulation in the media ratings industry. It states that the proposed FAIR Ratings Act, which would require Media Ratings Council (MRC) accreditation of TV ratings services before launch, is too restrictive of business development. More
A new study by J.D. Power finds buyers increasingly satisfied with digital cameras, especially those in the lower price segments; while two other recent surveys suggest strong demand for high-tech mobile services - as long as they are cheap. More
Inquisite Inc, a US-based provider of web survey technology, has appointed Pathway Consultants to market and sell Inquisite products in Australia and New Zealand. More
Online measurement specialist comScore Networks has appointed Charles Pearson as Head of its CPG Marketing Solutions Group, with responsibility for the company's full suite of CPG research services. More
European online research agency BrainJuicer is opening its first US office in New York City in September. The office will be led by Krishna Kabra, Research Director. More
The number of Australians using Internet banking increased 26% to 5.5m in the twelve months to May 2005, according to new research from ACNielsen. This growth comes despite concerns about ID theft, which are also reflected in a new US poll from Experian and Gallup. More
Despite a steady decline in gambling in recent years, ORC's annual GamblerTrack study reveals that 60% of the UK population still participates in gambling. Online gambling is on the rise, increasing by 46% last year, while traditional methods are declining. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has opened a Brisbane office to complement its Sydney headquarters and its research and development centre in Melbourne. Greg Chamberlain, newly appointed Business Development Manager, will head the new office. More
Several major media companies are due to implement the Global Internet Ad Impression Measurement Guidelines by the end of the year. The guidelines, produced by the US Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), provide a standard method of measuring online ad impressions. More
Clinton Klein has joined US-based MR and consulting firm Decision Analyst as Senior Director of Business Development. More
Two conferences taking place in Miami this autumn will provide an insight into the changing marketplace. Geospace International is presenting new multicultural market intelligence at its summit in October, while an Institute of International Research event in November looks at future trends influencing consumers and businesses. More
US technology and financial research specialist Doxus has appointed Erin Leedy and Dan Bruner as Senior Researchers to its Account Services group, and Vinay Dowray and Rich Jones as Researcher/Analysts to the Marketing Sciences group. More
Arbitron has been awarded three new patents for its Portable People Meters (PPMs), allowing the TV audience measurement system to collect data about the origin of a broadcast, when it is viewed, and any accompanying ads. The company has also appointed Anthony Sciulli to a new position to oversee PPM manufacture. More
US search engine provider Northern Light has bought Analyst Direct, an IT market research portal, and Analyst Views, a database of IT analyst research reports. The products, previously owned by TechTarget, will help expand Northern Light's SinglePoint service, which currently provides various MR portals for business. More
US-based BIGresearch has joined forces with marketing company Tunecom to provide a new and free research service for local radio stations. The RadioStudy tool gives stations customised listener data and insights so that they can better represent their audience's spending power and shopping intentions to advertisers. More
European online research agency MetrixLab is opening a new London office, with Roy Patel, formerly of Nielsen//NetRatings, as its UK Commercial Director and Nathalie Vaandrager from Kraft Foods as a Senior Business Consultant. More
Visits to mapping web sites have grown 26% in the last year, according to analysis from Hitwise UK. This growth bodes well for the travel industry, as around a fifth of online map users go on to visit travel agency sites. More
Trading in the shares of online agency Research Now plc began yesterday on the UK's Alternative Investment Market (AIM) with shares at 130 pence each. The company raised £9.2 million from its flotation, well in excess of the previously given public estimate of £5m. More
E-Tabs, a provider of MR reporting solutions, has introduced Enterprise Lite - a scaled-down version of its Enterprise automated reporting software. The company has also added new capabilities to both versions of the software, making it more suitable for use with ad hoc projects. More
California News Tech has introduced a new index to measure how companies are portrayed in the media and perceived by the public. The aim is to provide investors and others with up-to-date information about a company's reputation. More
Indian-based market research firm Kaybase has joined forces with US telephone interviewing specialist Issues And Answers to work on multi-country research studies. More
Healthcare and pharmaceutical agency Fieldwork International (FI) has announced three senior staffing changes, as its online panel of physicians reaches 30,000 members. Changes include the appointment of a Global MD, Peter Boyle who will concentrate on extending FI internationally. More
US online agency InsightExpress has appointed Michele McDonald as a Senior Account Executive in the Emerging Markets sector, and Lauren Ash as Project Manager in its Customer Service Organization. Both are new positions. More
SafeHarbor Technology, a US provider of business intelligence services, is joining forces with web site satisfaction agency ForeSee Results, to provide customer satisfaction analysis. More
This week has seen a rush of activity in the controversy over Nielsen Media's LPM introduction and Senator Conrad Burns' FAIR Ratings Act. Leading associations of US advertisers declared their members' opposition to the bill on Tuesday, while Nielsen's critics spoke out before a Senate Committee on Wednesday. More
According to the latest data from Hitwise, visits to blogs in the UK currently account for almost one in 200 visits to all web sites - representing a 130% increase from 2004. More
Online agency Lightspeed Research has appointed Karen Rabinowicz, formerly of Harris Interactive, as its North American CEO. She reports directly to Global President & CEO, Anne Hedde. More
Maritz Research is partnering with US research technology firm Invoke Solutions to launch 'Dynamic Insights' - a tool that provides companies with quick, in-depth feedback from their customers. More
UK telecoms and media regulator Ofcom has promoted former Downing Street media policy adviser Ed Richards to the role of Chief Operations Officer, with responsibility for market research and consumer policy. Three other senior appointments have also been made. 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
Keynote Systems, a US provider of web performance data and analysis, has appointed Haran Sold as VP and MD for its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. More
Online agency Vision Critical recently celebrated five years in business with the announcement of major new clients and the forthcoming launch of an upgraded version of its flagship Panel+ web survey software. More
Two US providers of behavioral analysis systems have each announced six new categories for their media clients. 24/7 Real Media has broadened its OnTarget offering, which helps online advertisers target surfers more precisely, while Simmons has updated its TV BehaviorGraphics clusters. More
Michalis Michael, former MD of Synovate in Central Europe and Russia, is now head of the company's online and panel business, and former Western Europe CEO Peter Huijboom is the company's new CEO Global Client Relationships. Meanwhile, Bruce Wells and Paul Cooney have been appointed as Chief Information Officers. More
Ipsos Media is breaking into the US with the launch of a survey to assess the media consumption and spending habits of the country's top business decision-makers. The new study, the USBRS, will use the same methodology as the company's BRS surveys in Europe, Asia, Australia and Japan. More
Forrester Research has launched an updated web site review methodology, and has failed 19 out of 20 major sites in an initial assessment. The sites, in the auto, media, retail, and travel industries, showed up significant flaws in content, navigation, presentation, privacy and security. More
Self-diagnosis is on the rise, according to a new poll from Harris. Around 117 million US adults search for health information online, compared with just 54 million in 1998. The vast majority of these 'cyberchondriacs' say they trust the information they find, and 43% never discuss it with doctors. More
RONIN Corporation has appointed Marek Vaygelt, formerly Director of Operations at HI Europe, as the company's UK General Manager. More
Three surveys out this week highlight the continuing growth of our digital culture. In the US, purchases of hi-tech products are set to increase, while increased uptake of digital services means UK consumers now spend a third more on TV, radio, and mobile communications than in 2004. More
UK Internet users have been busy searching for Harry Potter in anticipation of tonight's release of the sixth Potter novel, according to Hitwise. More
US behavioural marketing company Claria is releasing a new product to evaluate how customers interact with web pages and search results. It measures the time spent viewing a site, the number of return visits, along with historical surfing habits. More
The average US worker admits to frittering away two hours a day with the Internet the number one distraction, according to research from Salary.com. It's not always down to laziness, though: a third say they just don't have enough work to keep them busy. More
Results of the latest Ipsos survey of Europe's high-earning elite reveals a surge in hi-tech gadgets and online shopping, while readership of print publications is stable. The Europe 2005 survey represents the media habits of ten million high earners and business leaders (4% of all adults) in 16 countries. More
US agency InsightExpress has enlarged its client service team with the creation of three new positions. Ronald Wainer, formely of NPD, and Ryan Price, from Directive Analytics, will join the company's Stamford office, while Jason Tiffer, formerly of Data Development Worldwide, will be based in Los Angeles. More
Mo Rice has been appointed as Client Service Director at pharmaceutical online fieldwork provider Medefield Europe. She joins the company from GfK Martin Hamblin, and has seven years' experience conducting international online projects. 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
UK-based online fieldwork company Research Now has announced its intention to list on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM), with approximately £5 million of new and existing shares. The flotation will finance Research Now's continuing growth: in the eighteen months to 30 April 2005, the company's turnover increased by an average 53% each quarter, and staff numbers grew from four to 35. More
MarketingExperiments.com, which analyses the effectiveness of online marketing strategies and tactics, has hired Nick Usborne to join its research team as Senior Analyst of copywriting and Web content. More
US media analyst firm CARMA International has appointed Michael Carberry as President to manage its Washington, DC headquarters and liaise with CARMA's offices around the world. He will replace Albert Barr, who will become Chairman of the firm. Elizabeth Smith, currently COO, will become Senior Consultant. More
Audience researcher Arbitron Inc. has expanded its Portable People Meter (PPM) marketing team by promoting Jennifer Huston to the newly created position of Director, PPM Implementation. She was previously the leader of the team co-ordinating the launch of the Houston panel, which reached its 2100 person target at the end of June. 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
European online fieldwork and panel specialist Research Now has launched the OmniTaxi - an online alternative to the traditional omnibus. The service, which it is claimed will be more flexible, cost effective and targeted than an omnibus, will be available in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. More
US online MR agency InsightExpress has appointed John Pemberton as its Director of Research, Development and Consulting. Pemberton, who was previously Market Research Manager of Marketing Sciences at Market Vision Research, has more than 10 years' experience in advanced research and statistical methods. More
ZenithOptimedia has dropped its forecast for 2005 UK ad spend growth from 4.9% to 2.9%, but states that Internet advertising will grow by 30% this year. Across the water, TNS Media Intelligence has predicted a moderate 3.4% growth for US ad spending - largely driven by increased cable TV and Internet spending. More
It's high season for UK conference calls and awards announcements, so if you've done anything you're particularly proud of lately MR-oriented that is take note. The Worshipful Company of Marketors wants entries for the first ever marketing book prize, the MRS has called for papers for its 2006 conference, and the IGD is looking for examples of consumer insight. More
Analysis from Hitwise shows that the official Live 8 web site, home of a mammoth online petition, was the sixth most-visited site in the UK on Saturday, outranked only by Google UK, eBay, Hotmail, MSN UK and Wanadoo. More
Google's US search referral share - the percentage of searchers it sends to other sites - hit an all-time high of 52% in the US, and reached 73% in the UK, 80% in Australia, and more than 91% in Germany. However, analysts WebSideStory are advising companies engaged in online marketing to use other tools alongside Google. More
Rob Monster, founder of US-based Global Market Insite (GMI) has been named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Pacific Northwest in the Software and Technology category. More
Asian-based research process outsourcing company the Pulse Group has launched an online community panel of businesses and consumers. The company hopes the new panel, Planet Pulse, will help clients reap the benefits of online research in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region. More
Nielsen Media Research has implemented staff training, translation services and other measures recommended by last year's Independent Task Force on Television Measurement. The services are part of a string of measures aimed at better representation of the ethnically and culturally diverse TV audience. More
The ClickZ Network, online provider of news and information about interactive marketing, has presented Marketing Excellence Awards to web analysis companies ClickTracks, WebSideStory, and WebTrends in its Research & Analytics categories. More
Today's young Asian is 'consumption-crazy, aspirational, and driven' according to a new survey from Synovate, which looks at the spending habits, media consumption, favourite brands and aspirations of Asians aged eight to 24. More
US online market research firm InsightExpress has established two new Market Research Manager positions. Angie Urbanek joins the company's San Francisco office, and Karen Edinger has been promoted in its New York office. More
A new study from Yahoo! shows that the Internet has taken over from the high street for consumer banking. However, separate surveys from TNS and Gartner suggest that increasing concerns about identity theft could slow down the Internet banking and shopping boom. More
In-Stat, a US-based technology market research firm, has appointed telecoms specialist John Dinsdale as VP of Research. More
Two new surveys released this week try to figure out what consumers want from mobile phone technology. Research from Forrester shows that Europeans are not interested in advanced mobile features, while a new Mintel report predicts that mobile gambling is set to rise rapidly in the US. More
A new UK recruitment and training agency is to focus on the operations side of MR. Gina Moore has set up and run field and ops functions for several agencies and worked most recently at Kantar's Operations Centre. manstonmoore's expertise will include operational, project management, front of house and admin staff, as well as programmers. More
Cast aside any stereotypes of young male computer nerds. Three separate studies this week show that women make up the majority of US Internet users, while 'silver surfers' are increasing their online spending faster than the rest of the population, and broadband expansion is fuelling an online shopping boom. More
Media services group Carat has appointed Ray Warren as President of Carat USA and Carat Media Group Americas. He replaces Charlie Rutman, who left to become CEO of Havas' Media Planning Group in the US. More
If Wimbledon were a popularity contest, Maria Sharapova would win hands-down. And even Anna Kournikova would be in with a shout, despite her recent retirement. Data from Hitwise reveals the most searched-for tennis personalities online aren't always the best performers on court. More
Millward Brown has announced the acquisition of Dynamic Logic, a US agency known for its online advertising and marketing campaign evaluation, and for cross media measurement. The two have worked together in a strategic partnership for the last two years. More
Simmons Market Research Bureau and online agency OTX have joined forces to create a new way of classifying movie-goers' behaviour and attitudes. The tool should help to identify the prospects for new movies as well as predicting consumer behaviour based on movie-viewing habits. More
The NPD Group, Inc. has announced two new senior appointments. Leon Shapiro, the new Group President, will lead three divisions: NPD Techworld, NPD Funworld, and NPD Music & Movies. Meanwhile, Ken Meyer has joined the company as Global Head of Human Resources, responsible for NPD's 14 offices in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. More
US media group Clear Channel Radio this week issued a request for proposals for an upgraded radio ratings system. Current ratings-system provider Arbitron will be invited to participate in the RFP and says it is 'not worried' by the development, although Clear Channel says it is frustrated with the speed of current improvements. More
Carat International has appointed Anthony Jones as Head of Insight. Jones has spent the last seven and a half years at ZenithOptimedia Worldwide, latterly as Worldwide Research Director, and replaces Phil Gullen who has left Carat after 13 years to develop other business interests. More
Following yesterday's appointment of a new CEO, software company FIRM has announced the election of Bengt Thuresson as Chairman of the Board, plus two new Board members, Øystein Moan and Berit Svendsen. More
Oslo-based survey and reporting software provider FIRM (Future Information Research Management) has appointed Henning Hansen as its new President and CEO. He previously held the same titles at data security company Norman, which he joined in 2001. More
Online media company I/PRO Corporation has acquired the technology and customer assets of the Accrue analytics platform, boosting its offering in audience verification and measurement data across all digital media channels. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. More
In the USA, TNS Media Intelligence has recently announced the launch of a new Branded Entertainment service to monitor and report brand appearances on network and cable TV programming. More
New York-based ABI Research has appointed Joe Hamner, until recently Director of Strategic Accounts at Gartner, Inc., to head up its sales effort. More
Norway has become the first country to use Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) for commercial radio ratings. A Steering Committee of the Norwegian National Radio has signed a five-year contract with TNS Gallup, a member of the worldwide TNS group, to install a panel of 400 people from Q1 2006. More
TNS Media Intelligence (TNSMI) has launched a new Branded Entertainment Service to monitor and report brand appearances on network and cable TV programming. The service promises a hitherto unseen level of detail, and will be available on TNSMI's Stradegy(TM) multi-media platform. More
The 2005 ESOMAR Congress will introduce two new features: 'Masterclasses' offering individual skills development ideas for delegates, and debating sessions. ESOMAR says the new features are designed to 'refresh and reinvigorate the market research contribution'. More
Adding to the recent brand measurement bonanza, online 'buzz' specialist Intelliseek Inc. has upgraded its BrandPulse(TM) solution to more effectively measure and assess clients' coverage on blogs, message boards and newsgroups. More
High Street brands enjoy greater online brand strength than their pure-play competitors but are missing significant opportunities for customer acquisition from search, according to online competitive intelligence provider Hitwise in its latest 'Retail Update'. More
Surveys by London-based agency HI Europe will provide the backbone for a new Channel 4 comedy series, '8 Out of 10 Cats'. Two teams led by comedians will debate the results and the issues they highlight in a light-hearted style. More
Ipsos UK has announced that it is entering a mobile phone-based measurement system to compete with devices from Arbitron, NOP/Eurisko and GfK in the ongoing trials conducted by UK radio body RAJAR. Trials will use the Nokia 60 Series. More
Online MR solutions provider Global Market Insite (GMI) has announced a raft of new appointments including Patrick Callaghan and Barry Morsillo as Sales Directors in Pittsburgh and Atlanta, respectively. Five other new hires cover project management and sales and marketing roles. More
Synovate has launched 'Asia's first local upscale media survey', tracking the spending patterns and media habits of Bangkok's most affluent people. The 'Media Atlas' survey is supported by the Media Agency Club (MAC) of Thailand and by leading publishers, Advance Agro. More
TNS Media Intelligence has acquired French agency Presse+, adding to its already substantial presence in the country's media intelligence market. TNS will take over all Presse+'s editorial monitoring activities including press review and newspaper cuttings services, TV, radio, cinema and Internet monitoring. More
US online MR firm InsightExpress has hired Fern Schapiro as Executive VP of Client Service and Marketing. Schapiro has worked for TNS NFO for the past 18 years in various client service functions, and was most recently Senior VP overseeing the company's largest business unit. More
The value of the online research market is set to triple in three years, reaching $4 billion by 2008 and introducing a large number of smaller users, according to a new study conducted for solutions provider GMI by Simon Chadwick of Cambiar. More
America's retailers are feeling positive and forecasting steady growth through a period of change, according to the Shopping in America: Spring 2005 Retailer Survey. The survey was conducted on the opening day of the annual ICSC convention in Las Vegas. More
NOPWorld has announced that its Mystery Shopping division will monitor sales of UK rail tickets for ATOC, the Association of Train Operating Companies. The contract runs for up to 5 years. More
US consumer researcher Simmons has launched a new web site, Television BehaviorGraphics, providing a gateway to its TV-based behavioral targeting system to identify customers of products and services. More
Pulse Group, whose launch was announced just two weeks ago in DRNO, has formed a strategic partnership with IT solutions company Basis Bay and set up a 40 seat, state-of-the-art VOIP CATI Centre for surveys in the Asian market. Expansion into Europe is planned for later in the year. More
The Welsh are rapidly adopting broadband, according to research for The Welsh Assembly by ORC International. However, its men are more likely to rate themselves as 'advanced' computer users, while women often admit to finding the screen and keyboard 'a bit scary'. 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
Steven Wilson is retiring as President and CEO of VNU Advisory Services, after 37 years in the CPG and MR industries. He will be replaced by Joseph Willke, currently President of BASES and Global Modeling & Analytics, from 1st July. More
Lightspeed Research has opened an office in Frankfurt, Germany, to service a growing number of clients in the country, where it has operated since 2003. Gernot Plüm joins the company as Account Director and will head up the office. More
NetRatings has filed lawsuits against Coremetrics, Inc. and Omniture, Inc., in the US District Court for the District of Delaware, alleging infringement of four patents. More
NPD Funworld, the entertainment division of US agency The NPD Group, has launched a Video Games Hits Monitor, a quarterly tracking service giving consumer purchase information in-depth at the game title level. NPD also released results of a study of 'Cross-Entertainment Shopping' showing the power of licensing and product mentions in games and movies. More
Ipsos has announced the acquisition of the Colombian company Napoleón Franco S.A., noted for its public affairs research but also big in mainstream MR. The buy gives the global group 20% of the country's MR market and a powerful all-round presence in Latin America. More
Central and Eastern European companies are ahead of their Western European counterparts in the use of integrated marketing campaigns, according to Millward Brown's EuroMedia Trends 2005 Study. Online marketing is increasingly important across the continent, but as yet well behind the US in adoption. More
Qual research should only be done by specialist quallies, according to the ever-controversial Neil McPhee of Nuance Research, addressing a workshop at last week's BIG Conference. However, the excellent afternoon and evening programme subsequently proved that tennis should not be left to tennis players, and that good things come in threes... More
The latest MusicLab report from US agency The NPD Group highlights the rise of music-listening via computer. Radio, audio devices and music videos on television still dominate behaviour, but portable music players, streaming music online and listening to music on a computer all show big increases. More
Around a hundred b2b researchers, mostly UK-based but with a smattering of guests from Scandinavia, Austria, the States and elsewhere, gathered in Wales last week for the BIG Conference. As usual the papers included some thought-provoking pieces relevant within and beyond b2b circles. More
Online survey & reporting software provider FIRM has released first quarter results, showing revenue up 34% on the year to $3.9m in Q1 2005. During the quarter, FIRM added two new modules to its flagship package Confirmit: conjoint-based product and ad optimizer Confirmit IdeaMap, and multi-mode survey system Confirmit CAPI. More
Yahoo! has appointed Larry Tesler as VP of its User Experience and Design Group. He will also serve as a Research Fellow for Human-Computer Interaction within Yahoo! Research Labs. He leaves Amazon.com where he was VP of Shopping Experience. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has developed a service for telecoms providers enabling them to measure and analyse mobile content usage. Three major carriers are already using or trialling the system Optus, Hutchison 3 and Telstra. More
GfK has acquired majority shareholdings in Canada's Research Dynamics Inc. and Chile's Adimark S. A., expanding its Custom Research presence in the Americas. It has also bought the remaining shares in geomarketing specialists MACON AG in Germany. More
Internet MR group Greenfield Online, Inc has reported financial results for Q1 2005, with net revenue of $15.3m, up 77% on the year, and gross profit up 86% to $10.8m. The company has made three major acquisitions in the last few months, and next plans to begin panel-building in Asia. More
ESOMAR will be holding its 58th Annual Congress in the glamorous setting of Cannes from 18 21 September 2005, with around 1,000 MR and marketing professionals in attendance. This year's theme is 'Making a difference. The impact of powerful research'. More
Bob Chua, formerly MD of Sales, International at online MR solutions provider Global Market Insite (GMI), has left to head up a new company, Pulse Group, with GMI's backing. Pulse Group is headquartered in Sydney, Aus and offers Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) for the MR industry. More
US agency IAG Research has appointed David Marans as Executive VP with responsibility for integrating the firm's viewer response data into the planning and valuation process for its network, agency and advertiser clients. IAG measures the effectiveness of TV advertising and product placement as well as cinema advertising. 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
UK agency Holden Pearmain has announced a suite of dedicated decision-making tools for NPD and sales forecasting. re:New, re:Formulate and re:Develop use conjoint analysis, build statistical models from the results and deliver forecasts using customised electronic reporting. More
Harris Interactive Chairman and CEO Robert E. Knapp has announced his surprise resignation from the company, by mutual agreement with its Board of Directors. The Board has appointed President and COO Gregory T. Novak as Acting CEO and George Bell as Chairman. The company also announced results for Q3 2005, showing a steep rise in revenue but a net loss of $2.7m. More
US-based technology analyst ABI Research has acquired Concise Insight Europe Ltd, which focuses on research among wireless operators. The buy gives ABI a local base from which to study European technology markets. More
Labour has a four point lead over the Conservatives, among those who are most likely to vote in the British General Election tomorrow, according to the latest from HI Europe. These figures suggest a closer race than those reported by MORI yesterday. More
Arbitron Inc. and VNU have agreed to deploy a pilot panel of c.14,500 participants in 6,250 households by the end of this year, as a demonstration of the 'Project Apollo' national service collecting multimedia and purchase information from US consumers. More
British employees are wasting up to 80 working days every year through inefficient office practices, according to a study by Research Now for BACS Payment Schemes Limited. The leading time-wasters are technology (48 minutes), 'dealing with colleagues' (34 minutes), and unnecessary phone calls and meetings (26 and 23 mins respectively). More
Nielsen//NetRatings has announced a long-term partnership agreement with Singapore-based information & communications company StarHub, to boost its Internet measurement analytics service in the Asia Pacific region using StarHub's advanced Internet Data Centre. More
Technology researcher IDC has appointed Eva Au as the new Managing Director of its Asia/Pacific business. She was previously MD, Asia of legal and information publishing brand LexisNexis. More
The latest round of the Ipsos Face of The Web study paints a picture of the global take-off of a broad range of Internet activities beyond simple browsing. Seven in ten Internet users in the 12 countries surveyed have purchased and half have banked online; two thirds have sent digital pictures or videos; and one in ten has already downloaded a feature length movie. More
Harris Interactive has hired Aled Morris as MD of its HI Europe UK operations. He was previously MD of the UK division of major recruitment services firm Spherion. More
The USA's Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has added four new Directors to the 35 already on its Board: Steven Fredericks of TNS Media Intelligence, Stephen Kim from MSN, Brian McAndrews, head of aQuantive and Jessica Pantanini of Bromley Communications, who is the Board's first Hispanic member. More
More than half of the UK's 16-24 year-olds (56%) would be interested in using their phones to make what it terms 'micropayments', buying small items such as public transport tickets or vending machine goods, according to new research from TNS. Around a third (32%) are 'very interested'. More
NetRatings has announced the appointment of Forrest L. Didier as MD of its Asia Pacific - Latin America region, effective 2 May. A Nielsen employee for 23 years, Didier played a key role in developing the company's Internet measurement business in the early days of ACNielsen eRatings.com. More
Online fieldwork and panel specialist Research Now has appointed Jo Winning, former Account Director at Lightspeed Research, as its Client Service Director. Winning will combine client service responsibilities with new business development and will focus on media, FMCG and Financial Services. More
US adults are gradually increasing their use of the Internet as a news source. The number citing it as their main source of news has grown from 19% in 2001 to 26% now, according to JupiterResearch. TV and newspapers are the sources replaced. 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
US agency Dynamic Logic has launched a Creative PreTest(TM) product for online ads. The product promises advertisers, agencies and publishers an understanding of the relative strengths and weaknesses of online ads, helping to identify the most effective creative executions and fine tune copy. More
Specialist international B2B research consultancy Kadence Asia Pacific has launched KadBUSŪ, described as 'the first Pan-Asian business omnibus'. Decision-makers from up to 3,000 SMEs across the region will be interviewed on a quarterly basis. More
TNS Media has been appointed by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) to undertake the main survey work for its 'TouchPoints' UK media study. TNS says the research will be the first to 'connect single media channels such as TV, radio, print media and online through an industry-wide measurement system'. More
comScore Networks has launched two new research solutions for the analysis of return on investment in interactive media: Campaign Metrix and Online Video Ratings. More
UK radio audience research body RAJAR has agreed a further £500,000 to fund the next stage of its extensive testing and analysis of two audiometers, the Arbitron Portable People Meter (PPM) and the Eurisko Media Monitor. TV research body BARB will piggyback its own test of the PPM on the RAJAR study. More
Audience measurement specialist Arbitron Inc. has announced results for the first quarter of 2005, 'on track despite a challenging economic environment' for its customers. Revenue of $79.2m is up 3.4% on the same period last year. More
TNS Media Intelligence is adding a new evaluation module to its morethannews media monitoring site. The tool should help in-house communications professionals and PR agencies evaluate campaigns, with real-time data and in-depth, simultaneous analysis of broadcast and press coverage. More
Internet audience specialist Nielsen//NetRatings has enhanced its Market Intelligence system for New Zealand. Expanded demographics about site visitors now includes geographic location and online purchasing behaviour. More
JupiterResearch has launched a new service called SMB Marketing, which will identify and profile attractive market segments among small- and medium-size businesses, and suggest effective tactics to win market share. The first report looks at their technology spending in 2005. More
Harris InteractiveŪ has added another member to its Global Network. Market Team is an independent MR and retail audit firm based in Bogota, Colombia. The company was established in 1994 and conducts research in Ecuador, Central America and the Caribbean region as well as in its home country. More
US agency the NPD Group has appointed Anita Frazier as entertainment industry Analyst for its Port Washington, NY-based Funworld subsidiary, which tracks toy, video game and PC game markets. More
Brand tracking specialist TNS Media Intelligence (TNS MI) has promoted Jon Swallen to the newly created position of Senior VP of Research. Swallen will continue his roles overseeing ad spend monitoring and industry advertising forecasts, and will now add the development of new products and services. More
Online research agency InsightExpress, LLC has appointed William E. Lipner and Patrick G. Healy as Chairman & CEO and Vice-Chairman, respectively. Lipner and Healy recently held similar positions with NFO WorldGroup, and have worked together for nearly 12 years. More
ACNielsen has launched its Your Voice online research panels in Korea and Japan, bringing its total in the region to five (including Australia, New Zealand and Singapore). The company says it has been recruiting in 14 markets across Asia Pacific and should have panels in Hong Kong and China fully operational by the end of 2005. More
RONIN Corporation has appointed Bertrand Jolibert as International Panels Manager, with specific responsibility for maintaining and growing their multi-country IT Decision Makers and Medical Specialist Panels. Jolibert was previously Epanel Europe Manager at ACNielsen-BASES, in Brussels. More
German-owned GfK has won the bidding for NOP World, acquiring it from United Business Media for £383 million (c.EUR 550m) in cash. The transaction remains subject to approval of the competition authorities in the United States and in Germany, but GfK says approval is expected at the end of May. More
TNS has announced an agreement of intent with the Norwegian National Radio's Steering Committee to launch a panel of 200 individuals using Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM). The Committee represents NRK, P4, Kanal 24, Radio 1, Nordic Web Radio and the Association of Local Radio Companies. More
Behavioural marketing specialist Claria has announced the launch of Web Intelligence Center, an analytics platform providing advertisers and publishers with access to metrics based on consumer behavioural data. The Center should complement the BehaviorLink ad network, announced in February. More
Lightspeed Research has opened a new French office, on Avenue George V in Paris, to be headed up by new arrival Nadine Faure. The company has been active in France since 2003 but says demand for online research there is increasing. 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
eQuesta, the online division of healthcare and pharmaceutical field agency, Fieldwork International has appointed Lyndon Woods, formerly of RI, to oversee the expansion of its physician panel, and has announced the availability of video-streaming at its viewing facilities in Fulham, London. 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
Belene Mallon has joined TNS Media Intelligence as its Director of Marketing for the US. She was previously Director, Global Partnerships and Sponsorships at Visa International; and Director, Merchant Marketing for Visa USA. More
Media measurement specialists will be gathering in Montreal, Canada in June for WAM 2005 (World Audience Measurement), jointly organised by ESOMAR and The ARF. In addition to its established format, the Conference will for the first time dedicate a day to the evaluation of Branded Entertainment and Sponsorship. More
CSM Media Research has appointed T.S. Chan as MD of its Hong Kong business. Chan will be responsible for setting up and maintaining the TV Rating operation in Hong Kong SAR, and will also act as the Deputy MD for CSM China. More
FIRM and Moskowitz Jacobs Inc. (MJI) have launched the new ConfirmitŪ IdeaMapŪ integrated software announced last autumn. The service aims to bring conjoint analysis out of the realm of 'specialists with large budgets' and give it the speed, ease and lower cost of online technology, for use by anyone. More
comScore Networks has announced the formation of a newly consolidated European business unit, comScore Europe, and the appointment of marketing and media research veteran Bob Ivins to head it up as MD. More
Survey Sampling International is to work with panel management software supplier Vision Critical to build 'next generation' custom Internet research panels. More
It's consolidation time in the web analytics business. Two of the eight founder members of the young industry's Association have been sold this week. On Monday, Google announced the acquisition of Urchin Software Corporation and yesterday WebTrends was acquired from NetIQ by Francisco Partners. More
Bravo TV has appointed Tony Cardinale, formerly of ZenithOptimedia, to the new position of Vice President, Program Research. He will report to Sari DeCesare, Senior VP, Television Network and Cable Research, NBC Universal. More
Lightspeed Research has launched a Consumer Panel for Italy, with access to 64,000 household members at start-up and the aim of growing to more than 200,000 by the end of 2005. More
Publisher Ziff Davis Media has appointed a Senior Director for Marketing, Events and Research for its market-leading Game Group. Ray Ledda, a former Director at Canadian ad agency Palmer Jarvis, DDB, will work with brands including Electronic Gaming Monthly, Computer Gaming World, Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine and 1UP.com. More
Small Times Media, a provider of business information in the emerging fields of nanotechnology, MEMS and microtechnology, has announced the formation of EmTech Research, a new division focused solely on MR. More
Lightspeed Research has added new office space to its European headquarters office in Wimbledon, UK, doubling the size of the site. The company has made ambitious projections for 2005, with heavy demand for online research fuelling the launch of new panels and the extension of existing ones. More
Search engine provider AskJeeves, Inc is to be acquired by InterActiveCorp (IAC) Inc for $1.8 billion. Online analyst comScore Media Metrix says the overlap between the very substantial audience of the two companies is limited, making the acquisition a good fit. More
It's boom time for panel-based research, and many of the field's leading figures will be assembling next month at ESOMAR's Panel Research Conference, 17-19 April, in Budapest, Hungary. More
Search engine marketing spend in Europe will grow by around 65% this year, according to Forrester Research, Inc. The technology analyst expects the market for services including paid listings, contextual search, site optimization, and paid inclusions to rise to c.1.4 billion. More
Online panel provider Bloomerce, recently acquired by Survey Sampling International, has appointed Pete Cape, formerly MD of TNS Interactive, as its UK MD. More
Another 'cultural revolution' is sweeping China, according to US-based ABI Research. Instead of LRBs (Little Red Books) this one is fuelled by HDTVs, MP3s and other media devices. More
Audience measurement giant Nielsen Media Research has appointed Howard Shimmel as Senior Vice President, Client Insights. Shimmel has worked for the company before, on beginning his career in media industry research in 1979. Most recently, he was VP, Market Research at AOL. More
Ownership of cellphones among American 12-14 year olds has increased from 13% in February 2002 to 40% in December 2004, according to the fifth wave of the mKids tracking study from NOP World Technology. More
Online survey and software specialist FIRM has announced that it is working on its first multi-mode solution, Confirmit CAPI, which it says will 'dramatically change the Market Research industry'. 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
US MR trade body ARF has signed a ten year strategic alliance agreement with MSN including sponsorship of its Ogilvy Awards, and other promotion of research. ARF says the agreement will address the 'crisis among marketers' resulting from changing consumer media habits and the impact of new media technologies. More
The UK's Incepta, owner of a number of MR brands and companies including Hauck and DVL Smith Ltd, is to merge with PR group Huntsworth. The resulting group will have an estimated market capitalisation of c.£195.4m, around two thirds from Incepta and one third Huntsworth. More
Internet based data collection specialist Ciao has launched a new proprietary online panel, Access: Poland, providing researchers with respondents for both consumer and business to business studies. The 25,000 strong panel is already the largest of its kind in Poland, but recruitment is continuing. More
The number of people globally with broadband Internet access grew by 24% last year according to Ipsos-Insight's annual 'Face of the Web' study. A majority of US users now have high-speed connections, and growth in France, the UK and urban Brazil has been particularly pronounced this year. More
The vast majority of British adults (86%) make at least one complaint to a service provider each year, according to the new 'Service in Britain' survey by Andrew Smith Research and Research Now. The major utilities, telecoms providers and supermarkets top the list of target organisations. More
The BBC has announced the appointment of Tim Davie, currently VP, Marketing and Franchise, PepsiCo Europe, as Director of its Marketing, Communications and Audiences division. More
Research technology company Invoke Solutions has appointed Ben Cesare, formerly of Agile Software Corp., as Senior Vice President of Sales. More
US custom researcher ROCON Analysis has announced a formal partnership with software developer Estco Medical, to provide online medical focus groups and depth interviews. More
The GfK Group has announced record growth in its preliminary results for the financial year 2004. Sales increased by 12.7% from EUR 595.3 to EUR 671.0m, well ahead of its own forecast. Highlights include 10% plus organic growth for the Retail and Technology division and the Asia & Pacific and Central & Eastern Europe regions. More
Digital still camera shipments surpassed 63m units worldwide in 2004, up more than 35% on 2003, and should pass 100 million units in 2008, according to the annual report and forecast from US-based Lyra Research. In 2004, Europe overtook the US for the first time as the largest market in terms of unit shipments, with Japan still third. More
Online survey software provider Zoomerang, owned by California's MarketTools, Inc., has reported the launch of its one millionth survey, a customer satisfaction review by a multinational corporation. Zoomerang debuted in the fall of 1999. More
Texas-based computer company Dell is America's Most Admired Company for the first time, up from no.5 last year, according to FORTUNE magazine working with Hay Group. Wal-Mart, no.1 for the last two years, drops to number four. More
NetRatings has appointed former Bank of America eCommerce strategist Iris Cumberbatch as Senior Financial Services Analyst in the strategic analysis group. More
A group including industry experts, leading vendors and client organizations has formed a new non-profit professional body, the Web Analytics Association (WAA), in the USA. The organisation is dedicated to promoting the understanding of web analytics through education, advocacy, standards, research and technology. More
Millward Brown has appointed Daedalus Consulting as its licensee in Romania, further expanding its presence in Eastern Europe. More
Synovate is rolling out a full media research offering in the Indian sub-continent, and has appointed Sushma Jhaveri to the newly-created role of Associate Director Media Research India. Services will include media positioning, advertising effectiveness, target group understanding and segmentation and media impact studies. More
Print media, in general, are more effective than television for reaching influential Americans, according to new analysis from NOP. 41% of this group are among the nation's most avid newspaper readers, and a third of among the heaviest magazine readers, whereas just 14% are heavy TV viewers and 20% avid radio listeners. More
The global telecoms industry showed modest growth in 2004 and should continue it in 2005, according to Insight Research. The report predicts a compounded annual growth rate of 5.9% from 2005 to 2010. More
Following RAJAR's announcement this week that the GfK Telecontrol MediaWatch had been dropped from its next wave of audiometer trials, the Group has issued a statement saying it is 'highly astonished' and questioning the scientific basis of the tests. More
UK agency SKOPOS has appointed Noreen Hussain to its London office as Head of Research and Quality, partly to assist an expansion from its online base into some more traditional areas of MR. More
TNS today launches the '6th Dimension', an online access panel covering the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. The service, to be co-ordinated from Amsterdam, is seen as a major plank of the MR giant's future offering. More
UK radio audience measurement body RAJAR has announced the result of its Audiometer Validation Test which took place in November 2004. The Arbitron PPM and the Eurisko Media Monitor have been selected for further fieldwork tests, while the GfK/Telecontrol MediaWatch has, for the time being at least, dropped out of the running. More
Online survey specialist Ciao has moved its London team to new, larger offices in Covent Garden, and has appointed five new members of staff. More
Centurion Marketing Systems has launched a module integrating their panel management system, MARSC, with the MI Pro Research Studio. The new product automates data flow between the sample selection and questionnaire generation packages. More
Internet survey solutions provider Greenfield Online, Inc. has acquired Zing Wireless, Inc. ('goZing') for approximately $30 million in cash, creating one of the world's largest double opt-in Internet only panels. More
Technology analyst IDC this week announced the appointment of Robert E. Welch as Group Vice President and General Manager of its Worldwide Services Research Group. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has extended its Market Intelligence monitor to cover Australian web sites in two new categories, 'Business and Finance' and Sport; and has released the first results from the service. More
Deletion of spam is costing the US economy $21.58 billion annually in lost productivity, according to the 2004 National Technology Readiness Survey (NTRS), an annual study tracking consumers' technology opinions and behaviors. This equates to an average three minutes a day per Internet user. More
The UK's online retail sector performed very strongly during the January period, according to online competitive intelligence service Hitwise. Retail sites saw a 20% increase in traffic year-on-year from January 2004 to January 2005. More
Harris InteractiveŪ has released its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2005. Consolidated revenue and organic revenue both rose strongly (by 51% and 9% respectively), but high costs combined with a one-time payment to outgoing Chairman Gordon Black led to a decline in operating income. More
Online survey company Inquisite Inc. has a new CEO, Arturo Coto. Coto worked for the Gallup Organisation in Washington D.C. for 8 years and then for Global Market Insite (GMI) before joining Inquisite in early 2004 as head of Sales. More
comScore Networks has acquired online custom research provider SurveySite, Inc. Jeff Hohner, President of Toronto-based SurveySite, will be President of the newly branded comScore SurveySite. More
Online data collection specialist Itracks has announced that the services of its software development team are now available to other research companies. The team that created Itracks' packages for Online Focus Groups and Bulletin Boards, and its Online Survey engine, will offer customised development to the market. More
US agency ABI Research has appointed Ken Hyers as Principal Analyst in charge of global wireless operator research. Hyers is a well-known commentator on wireless trends and was formerly a Senior Analyst at In-Stat/MDR. More
More than eight out of ten Japanese households used the Internet in 2004, while the US market, thought by some to be at or nearing saturation point, broke through a two-year plateau with a 27% online population increase, according to Ipsos-Insight's Face of the Web study. More
More than one fifth (21%) of US adults report having a home computing network of two or more computers, according to a report from Harris Interactive. However, current intentions suggest that the figure will grow by only 7% in the near future, and 88% of the remainder say they have no need for one. More
Advertising expenditure in the Greater China Region soared by 27% last year according to figures from Chinese agency CTR Market Research and its partners admanGo in Hong Kong and Rainmaker in Taiwan. Total spend for 2004 amounted to RMB359.3bn versus RMB283.7bn in 2003. Figures are based on ratecard and including TV and print media only. More
Online MR solutions provider Global Market Insite (GMI) has announced four US appointments in its newsletter: Sales Directors join the company in Minneapolis, LA, New York and Seattle. More
With the tax return deadline today and fines for late filing, UK taxpayers are rushing to the web site of the Inland Revenue, according to online measurement specialist Hitwise. Visits to the site are up 48% since the first week of January. More
Arbitron has announced good results, amid industry speculation about a possible sale. The US-based audience measurement specialist increased its revenue by 8.4% in 2004, from $273.6m to $296.6m. More
Online survey & reporting software specialist FIRM, whose products include Confirmit and Reportal, has announced a 37% increase in its revenues from $9.7m in 2003 to $13.3m in 2004. The growth is very similar to the 40% rise the previous year. More
Americans are becoming much more aware of digital video recorders (DVRs) but likelihood to buy one in the near future continues to increase only slowly, according to research by Ipsos-Insight. More
The NPD Group has announced the appointment of Clint Wheelock to VP of Wireless Research for its Techworld division. More
UK audience measurement body RAJAR has announced the findings of its industry-wide consultation survey on the future of radio research. More
Hitwise has reported that UK visits to the online travel sector in the first week of January were up 14% compared with the same week in 2004. In what looks to be a promising start to the year, travel web sites have received a significant boost in traffic as Britons look to escape the dismal winter weather for sunnier climates. More
Susan D. Whiting, much in the news of late as President and CEO of Nielsen Media Research, will combine this role with heading up VNU's Media Measurement & Information (MMI) group, as of April 4 when Mike Connors departs. More
Millions of Australians have visited charity web sites in the aftermath of the tsunami, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. Oxfam and World Vision saw the number of unique browsers visiting their Australian sites increase by over 500 percent in the week commencing 26th December. 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
A panel of UK students has been launched by new provider Opinionpanel. The Student Panel gives researchers access to 20,000 students across a profile reflecting the UK's total student population, analysed by over 100 different variables, and delivers full results within 3 days. More
Lightspeed Research has strengthened its global operations team with a series of new appointments and recruits. This includes the creation of a new post of Chief Operations Officer with the appointment of Chris Stevens. More
Survey Sampling International (SSI) is expanding its overseas presence with the acquisition of European online sampling company, Bloomerce Access Panels Europe. Located in the Netherlands with 40 employees, Bloomerce has more than one million panel members in Europe. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has this week announced the appointment of Andrew Eckford as Senior Analyst for Australia effective immediately. Andrew will be in charge of the largest online behaviour database in Australia. More
The number of banner advertisements run on European web sites has increased by 24%, from around 76,000 in November 2003 to just under 95,000 in November 2004, according to Internet audience measurement specialist Nielsen//NetRatings. Sweden, France and the Netherlands experienced the strongest growth. More
The 2004 Christmas season saw the strongest ever performance for the Internet retail sector in the UK, with a 23% increase in traffic versus December 2003, according to online intelligence provider Hitwise. Online offerings from High Street names dominate much of the top 20 sites but with eBay and Amazon way out in front the dotcoms still have a major share. More
Flat panel research specialist DisplaySearch has announced further rapid expansion with the appointment of four new Directors, two of them focusing on the rapidly expanding digital TV market. More
Harris Interactive has announced a number of changes to its senior management. They include the resignation of Dr. Gordon S. Black as Executive Chairman on December 31, 2004, in line with the succession plan agreed more than two years ago. Robert E. Knapp succeeds him as Chairman and remains CEO, and there are three other senior moves / appointments. More
Audience measurement specialist Arbitron Inc. has named Pierre Bouvard as President, Portable People Meters (PPM) and International, with overall responsibility for the introduction of the PPM local market ratings services in the United States. More
Member companies of the British Polling Council (BPC) have agreed to restrictions on the publication of poll data, following recommendations by The Electoral Commission in its report on the European Elections. The agreement prohibits the publication before the closure of polls of separate data about those who have already voted (eg by post). More
GfK-Custom Research has appointed Greenfield Online, Inc. as its exclusive supplier of full service Internet survey research services and sample research data, subject to certain limited exceptions. The companies have worked together since 2001. More
IT researcher Gartner has announced that it will purchase the META Group for $162m in cash ($10 a share). Both are based in Stamford, CT, USA. Gartner had $858 million in revenue last year and profit of $18 million, while Meta Group turned over $122 million with a loss of $4m. More
UK Internet pioneer Virtual Surveys has promoted Quentin Ashby to the role of Managing Director, with founder Pete Comley moving to the more strategic role of Chairman. More
UK charity web sites have seen a fivefold increase in usage as Internet users rush to give their support, according to data from Hitwise. The Disasters Emergency Committee and a Tsunami blog site are among the biggest risers. More
Audience measurement giant Arbitron Inc. has signed a four-year license agreement with Clear Channel Radio to provide radio ratings and software services up to and including the Fall 2008 survey. More
Media researcher Knowledge Networks/SRI (KN/SRI) has announced the rollout in early 2005 of a syndicated Yellow Pages measurement service. The 15 biggest US Yellow Pages publishers are signed up as sponsors - representing over 95% of the medium's ad revenue nationwide. More
Travel planning / booking, and finding information about health are the two major growth areas in Internet use identified in the latest Harris Poll. The former is a frequent online activity for 26% of US adults, up from 15% last year, while the latter is up 6% to 21%. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has announced the further extension of its Market Intelligence Internet measurement rollout in Australia, this time to news and weather Web sites. ninemsn's National Nine News and Fairfax Digital's Sydney Morning Herald online publication top the rankings. More
Online MR solutions provider Ciao has appointed a new US Sales Director - Bill Hoover joins the Westport, CT office with in-depth sales and marketing experience from 25 years in the broadcasting industry. More
It's a long time since DRNO published anything on browser market share, for the simple reason that IE has not really been sharing it. However, according to online analytics provider WebSideStory, the Microsoft titan has seen its portion of the US market falling closer to 90% in the last two months following the arrival of Firefox. More
The UK's High Court has thrown out Kelvin MacKenzie's legal challenge to RAJAR over radio audience measurement methods. The judge ruled that claims RAJAR had abused its market power under competition laws 'simply did not correspond with the facts'. More
Internet measurement specialist Nielsen//NetRatings has launched three new categories for its audited census-based Internet measurement product, Market Intelligence, within Australia. Results for the three - entertainment, IT, and telecommunications & mobile markets - are available for November. More
VNU has issued a trading update indicating that 2004 case earnings per share (CEPS) should be at the top end of its 7-9% forecast (constant currencies), due to 'positive developments during the second half year'. The upturn comes despite delays in moving data production systems to a new European 'data factory'. More
comScore Networks has released the findings of a new study revealing the impact of search engine usage on the buying process for computers and consumer electronics. Among other findings, the study reveals that more than 90% of subsequent purchases are made offline; and that generic product search terms account for more than two thirds of all searches. More
The music industry still faces challenges in attracting and maintaining customers to the new digital formats, according to the latest data from The NPD Group, presented recently at the Music 2.0 conference in Los Angeles. Consumers attach different values to CDs and digital formats, requiring different marketing approaches. More
Beta Research Corporation, a full service US agency, has announced that Founder and CEO Jerry Kossoff is moving to the role of Chairman to concentrate on strategic approaches rather than day-to-day activities, while Jason Gorelkin replaces him as CEO. More
Younger users may have been the earlier adopters of the Internet, but those aged 55 and above are the key to its current US growth, according to results from The Media Audit, an ongoing survey by US firm International Demographics, Inc. More
DIY online survey provider WebSurveyor Corporation has released a new version of its online survey tool. WebSurveyor 5.0 boasts a more intuitive user interface and a survey 'dashboard' which gives users centralized control over the survey process. More
Synovate has announced pilot results from 'Media Brand Values Asia' (MBV Asia), a new syndicated survey looking at the way senior people in Asia view local and regional media. More
Online specialist Itracks has announced the launch of QuickQs, a 24 hour survey service for straightforward online surveys. More
Another senior appointment at healthcare information provider Solucient: Mark Chealander is the new VP, Product Development. He previously held a similar role at Applied Discovery, now part of LexisNexis. More
US-based insight specialist Invoke Solutions has announced an alliance with Ryan Partnership to launch Insight Exploration, a proprietary tool offering marketers a better understanding of what appeals to target audiences and why. More
US research advocate body CMOR has announced that it has taken action against online sugging ['Selling Under the Guise of market research'] by a company calling itself Emarket Research Group, and has filed a complaint with the FCC and the FTC. More
The number of people actively surfing the web from home each month in the UK has grown by 15% to 22.8 million in the past 12 months, according to the latest from Internet audience measurement specialist Nielsen//NetRatings. More
EQuesta, the online division of pharmaceutical and healthcare data collection agency Fieldwork International, has announced that its European physicians panel has doubled in size over the past year to 19,000, and is currently growing at a rate of 2000 members per month. More
Arbitron Inc. and comScore Media Metrix have announced the launch of comScore Arbitron Online Radio Ratings, a new measurement service designed to provide traditional broadcast ratings for the online radio industry. More
The rise of the 'phishing' scam notwithstanding, three in ten British adults (30%) are 'more confident' about the security of online banking now than they were three years ago, according to TNS. This rises to 41% among people aged 16-24 years old. More
Online survey & reporting software provider FIRM has announced the release of a new version of its flagship Confirmit system and reports dramatically improved user productivity. More
This year's Christmas shoppers are feeling cautious, according to MINTEL's latest UK Retail Briefing. One in ten (10%) adults say that they will be spending 'a lot less than last year' whereas only 5% said this 12 months ago. The report looks at online buying intentions, projected spend and the types of present in and out of fashion. More
Viacom has promoted MTV researcher Betsy Frank to the newly created position of Executive VP, Research and Planning of Cable Networks, Film and Publishing. Frank will report jointly to Tom Freston, Co-President and Co-COO, Viacom Inc. and Judy McGrath, Chairman and CEO, MTV Networks. More
Thanksgiving looms in the US and pre-Christmas activity of course started in about August in other parts of the world - but the holiday shopping season is just moving into high gear. Two initial releases from Hitwise and one from Nielsen//NetRatings this week show that the online segment is breaking records once again. More
Search engine marketing specialist icrossing has appointed a Director of Analytics. Maura Lewis is a veteran of AOL, AdKnowledge, and iTraffic who has helped in the development and launch of several leading online measurement techniques. More
Software supplier CfMC, whose data collection tools Survent and WebSurvent power some 65% of the interviewing stations at US research firms, is adopting a new identity after 37 years. 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
Samsung Electronics has appointed WPP agencies to provide ongoing support for its core global brand marketing programs in strategic markets around the world, including MR input from Research International. 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
Harris Interactive has been named as one of Deloitte Technology's Fast 500 performers for 2004. The company, an interview with whose President and COO Gregory Novak will be featured on DRNO tomorrow, has more than quadrupled its revenues since 1999. More
Audience Measurement specialist Arbitron Inc. has appointed Jane Shapiro to the new position of Product Manager, National Radio Research Services, where her duties will include direct involvement with national radio ratings service RADAR. More
Japanese businesses are generally happier with their telecoms providers than they were two years ago, according to J.D. Power & Associates. Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ) ranks highest in customer satisfaction among nine providers. More
Broadband growth in the US has bounced back after appearing to be slowing last quarter. A study by Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG) found that the twenty largest cable and DSL providers about 95% of the market achieved a record 2.3 million net additions in the third quarter of 2004. More
The BBC has appointed Nielsen//NetRatings, in partnership with SageMetrics, to provide traffic analysis for its bbc.co.uk web site. The three-year contract was offered as an open tender process through EU procurement regulations and almost 40 companies initially expressed an interest. More
UK banks are the most crowded in Europe, serving on average over 5,000 people per branch, according to a new report by Datamonitor. The figure reflects mass closure of high street branches in the late 1990s and is five times that for Spain. More
Europe will outpace the US in online holiday sales this year, with eCommerce during the holiday season in Western Europe up 44% to 13bn, according to forecasts by technology specialist Forrester Research. Forrester forecasts around 10bn ($13bn) for the US, while a separate forecast by comScore Networks says it may top $15bn. More
Survey Sampling International (SSI) is continuing its international expansion with the development of a SurveySpot Internet panel in Australia. SSI will work with Stephen Jenke, MD of Information Research Management (IRM) Pty. Ltd., a specialist consultancy in the deployment of online survey software and systems integration. More
Information Resources, Inc (IRI) has announced a new service designed to measure ad effectiveness among households using Digital Video Recorders (DVRs). The pioneering system has been developed in close co-operation with California-based DVR technology company TiVo, Inc. More
Senior US advertising executives are beginning to acknowledge the likely effect of digital video recorders (DVRs), according to a study for the American Advertising Federation (AAF) by Atlantic Media Company. DVRs allow viewers to skip ads and are on factor behind the continued growth of non-traditional ad formats. More
With the election seemingly all over bar the legal challenges, Republican and Democrat parties may have to pay attention to their overdrafts. US political advertising spend for 2004 reached historic heights - more than $1.45 billion - and will set the precedent for future campaigns, according to TNS Media Intelligence/CMR. More
'Net-based data collection specialist Ciao has completed interviewing for the Ciao Online Research Barometer, a U&A study among 260 market researchers in Europe and North America who are users of online surveys. Top-line results show the rapid development of the medium. More
TNS is launching a 'Consumer Privacy Index', a quarterly study of consumer attitudes and behaviours on privacy topics, in partnership with online privacy certification provider TRUSTe. More
European online panel specialist SKOPOS has hired methods and stats expert Dr. Olaf Wenzel, previously with German agency Psyma, to work on more complex research designs and conduct advanced analyses. More
Online MR solutions provider Global Market Insite (GMI) has a new sales office operational in Singapore, with two senior salespeople appointed. Sales ADs have also been added in Shanghai and Spain. More
The market for nano-enabled electronics will reach $10.8bn in 2007 and grow to $82.5bn by 2011, according to US-based technology analysts NanoMarkets. More
Harris Interactive has announced financial results for its fiscal first quarter 2005, showing consolidated revenue up 22% (versus a year ago) to $40.7 million and operating income up 34%. The company's Internet revenues continue to grow faster than off-line. More
New research from Mintel sheds light on British parents' involvement with their children's play and their purchase of toys. Among other findings, the survey shows more children playing on their own and more being left to watch TV or play TV games: but also more money spent on toys and the existence of substantial groups prioritising 'quality time' or home education. More
Online competitive intelligence provider Hitwise has expanded its demographic sample to include more than 2 million UK households, allowing better profiling of online audiences using basic demographics and/or lifestyle data. More
FIRM, the company behind Confirmit online survey & reporting software, has announced that it is preparing for a listing on the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE). The Initial Public Offering (IPO) is expected to take place in 2005, depending on market conditions. More
UK-based agency The MMR Group has announced the formation of a new company specialising in Internet research. Qubiq-Online aims to combine the research expertise of the Group, including proprietary techniques such as its Liking SegmentationŪ tool, with online expertise to provide 'Real research online'. 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
With less than two weeks to go before the US presidential election, most Americans are not switched off or fatigued by politics a result which may surprise more cynical and weary Europeans, according to a poll by integrated marketing communications agency Euro RSCG Worldwide. More
US technology trade group the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) says that polling companies may be leaving as many as eight million US households out of their calculations due to consumers changing to cellular phones as the sole means of taking calls. More
Internet-based panels provider Ciao AG has added seven new execs to its international project management team. The new staff, mostly based in Madrid, will allow the company to continue its policy of using a dedicated project manager and account manager for each project despite a rapidly growing volume of work. More
ORC International is to give executives from Swedish car manufacturer Saab access to a new online system to evaluate marketing effectiveness. The tool links breaking research data with existing information such as advertising spend and retail sales. More
Online fieldwork agency Bloomerce has opened a UK office, to be led by Martin Cawley, previously of Sample Answers. More
Online retail sales for the 2004 US holiday season, defined as the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, will increase substantially over 2003 by 20% to $13.2 billion, according to Forrester. However, this is slower growth than the previous year 2003 was up 31% on 2002. More
Research agency ORC International has earned the internationally recognised ISO 9001:2000 quality certification... for its web designers. More
Technology research and consultancy firm META Group, Inc. has announced changes among its leading personnel. Board Director Monte Ford has resigned to focus his time and energy on his work at American Airlines, while CD Hobbs has replaced interim President and COO Herbert VanHook. More
Hitwise has released rankings of the UK's strongest online retail brands, based on searches by 8.4 million UK users. eBay continues to dominate online shopping with 4 times as many successful searches as nearest rival Amazon, and almost 30% of visits to the sector in the week ending 9th October. More
ESOMAR will be hosting its 5th Telecom Marketing Conference from November 7 9, with the theme 'Navigating the dynamic global landscape'. Among other issues, papers will examine 'the massive impact of mobile technology on the evolution of society'. More
Eurisko, the Italian arm of NOP World, has been formally invited to take part in RAJAR's Audiometer Validation Trial in November 2004. Eurisko's passive portable radio and TV metering system is said to rival those currently on offer by Arbitron and GFK. Further details of the trial format have also been released. More
Not far from MrWeb's US office, you can currently see Mt St Helen's erupting. For those without the option of watching live, the US Geological Survey and Dept. of Agriculture web sites offer an easy way to keep watch on the volcano, and traffic to both has soared according to Nielsen//NetRatings. More
Interactive Tracking Systems Inc. (Itracks) has released a new version of their advanced threaded discussion system software, Bulletin Board Focus Groups. More
GfK Martin Hamblin has restructured of its research divisions and made a number of senior appointments. Sue Wheeler and Reza Chady join the Board, and become General Managers respectively of the B2B and Technology Departments, within the newly formed Custom Research Division. More
Offshore outsourcing seems to be returning to the headlines of late DRNO reported on the call centre concerns of European consumers last week, and now a new report by the META Group says offshore outsourcing by IT firms in the US will continue to grow nearly 20% annually through 2008, despite the reservations of many Americans. More
Awareness of diet and obesity issues may have increased among children and young people in the UK over the past five years, but their interest in sport has declined and more spend time in their rooms watching TV, according to the Youth TGI survey by BMRB International. More
CMOR, the body formed in 1992 by four US trade associations for the promotion and advocacy of MR, has responded to DRNO's 3rd August interview with Simon Chadwick, CASRO Chairman, and outlined its own approach to the FTC's 'Do Not Call' legislation. More
T-Mobile ranks highest in overall retail sales customer satisfaction among the top seven wireless providers in the US, according to J.D. Power and Associates. The 2004 Wireless Retail Sales Satisfaction StudySM was released last week. More
More than 14 million US households will be able to receive HDTV via some kind of compatible hardware by the end of 2004, according to new research from Strategy Analytics. Competition, falling prices and new regulations will drive mass adoption over the next five years. More
Flat panel display (FPD) research specialist DisplaySearch has appointed Jane Hsu as Director of Taiwan market research. Hsu, formerly a researcher at Fuh-Hwa Investment Trust and ABN AMRO Asset Management, will report to recently promoted corporate VP and President of the Taiwan office David Hsieh. More
Technology specialist Forrester Research has appointed veteran IBM executive Charles Chang to the position of President, Forrester Asia Pacific. Chang was previously founder and MD of US-Asia Pacific technology investment consultants Twin Cypress Group. More
Interactive Program Guides (IPGs) are becoming the 'killer application' for enhanced TV, according to high-tech researcher In-Stat/MDR, which expects the worldwide IPG market to grow to nearly $1 billion by 2008. More
The number of UK consumers shopping online has reached its highest level yet and now stands at 16 million - around 1.3m higher than May 2004, according to BMRB's Internet Monitor survey. More
Online customer experience specialist The Customer Respect Group has released the results of its Fall 2004 study of the largest Transportation & Logistics firms. There are some notable exceptions, but overall ratings are low and the sector fares particularly badly on the issue of responsiveness. More
Television-enabled cell phones are on the horizon, but at the moment there is not strong consumer interest in the new technology, according to a study conducted by imaging specialist Lyra Research's DTV View group. More
Online panel provider Ciao has announced the availability of a new proprietary access panel, Access: The Netherlands, 75,000 Dutch consumers included. More
MSN recently appointed brand builder Jane Boulware as Corporate VP of Global Marketing. Boulware is known for her work during nearly seventeen years at Kimberly-Clark Corp, where for the last four years she was VP of marketing services. More
Synovate has released the results of a global study into viewing of and attitudes to the Olympic Games. 82% claim to have followed the Games, with US respondents, despite their country topping the medals table, least likely (73%) and Germany second bottom with 78%. More
Online survey & reporting software providers FIRM has announced a partnership with Moskowitz Jacobs Inc. (MJI) to deliver a new online conjoint solution fusing their two flagship technologies. More
Fast-growing UK-based agency Nunwood Consulting has made four new appointments, strengthening its Quantitative, IT and web site teams. More
Online services and solutions provider Global Market Insite (GMI) has opened a new US Eastern Region Sales office in Boston and appointed Alison Morgan to head it up as Director of Sales. She has more than twenty years experience focusing on solution sales of software and services. More
Arbitron and VNU have announced an agreement to examine the development of a new, national MR service to help understand consumer exposure to multiple media and its effect on purchasing. Procter & Gamble will collaborate with the two to provide a client viewpoint during development. More
Radio audience measurement body RAJAR has committed itself to a 'roadmap' with a timetable for up-grading the current system, including the possible introduction of electronic measurement. The tender process will be launched in April 2005 and the new contract awarded as early as September 2005. More
comScore Media Metrix has released its monthly analysis of consumer Internet behavior, showing unsurprisingly that the Olympics accounted for the top two gaining properties, while back-to-school sites experienced major increases but the overall level of activity dipped due to late vacations. More
Worldwide sales of 'traditional' PC game, video game and portable game hardware and software are expected to increase from $23.2 billion in 2003 to $31.6 billion in 2009, according to games research specialist DFC Intelligence. Combined with the online games market the 2009 total should reach $41.4 billion. More
Web-based customer research supplier Vividence Corporation has recently been acquired by Keynote Systems, a provider of e-business performance management services, for approximately $20 million in cash. More
Internet-based data collection and researcher Ciao AG has appointed Georgette Thaler, formerly of NFO Worldgroup, as Sales Director North America. Three further appointments, at the London office, reflect the continued boom in online research demand. More
US telecoms analyst Technology Research Institute is to merge into Dittberner Associates, Inc., a management consulting firm specializing in telecoms market and technology assessments. More
UK agency Research Now!, which with 250,000 members claims to be the largest online panel owner in the UK, has launched a new panel web site under the brand name Valued Opinions. More
Ipsos has appointed David Pring as Senior VP and General Manager of its Consumer Products Division in New York. Pring, who joins from Protocol Research Solutions (formerly CLT Research), where he was president, will now be responsible for providing strategic research solutions to East Coast CPG clients. More
Online research agency Lightspeed Research has recently announced the launch of the Lightspeed Affiliate Programme. The programme provides an opportunity for website owners to earn money by driving visitors to the Lightspeed Consumer Panel, a free website where US and Canadian residents participate in online surveys. More
Nielsen Media Research has appointed Titan Wang, formerly MD of ACNielsen Taiwan, in the new role of MD for Greater China, effective from January 2005, reflecting a new management structure in the Greater China region, which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan in addition to the People's Republic. More
Arbitron Inc. has announced that it is realigning its U.S. Media Services organization. All U.S. Media Services marketing resources are united under a single executive, Scott Musgrave, as are all U.S. Media Services sales organizations under Carol Hanley. Both will report to Owen Charlebois, president, U.S. Media Services. More
Vast numbers in Asia Pacific used the Internet to follow results in the Olympics, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. Australia, New Zealand and the People's Republic of China were especially keen. More
According to the latest figures from TGI, mobile phone ownership levels in Sweden are considerably higher than any other country, at 88% - Great Britain is second with 78% and Japan third with 74%. The study looked at 15 markets. More
Online competitive intelligence service Hitwise reports continued strong growth in traffic to UK travel web sites. In July, visits to Travel related web sites represented 5% of all online visits, compared with 4% in January 2004. More
Austin, Texas-based marketing services group T3 has launched a leading edge marketing research and development team under the name of T3 Fuse. More
Online fieldwork and panel specialists Research Now! have added four new employees including former Red Sheriff boss John Caldwell as Director of Client Services. More
Internet survey solutions provider Greenfield Online, Inc. has recently signed an agreement to acquire all 1.1m households from The Dohring Company's OpinionSurveys.com panel. This is expected to bring the size of Greenfield's Online panel to c.3.1m households and 8m individuals. More
ESOMAR and EMAC (European Marketing Academy) are to co-host a Marketing Conference on October 10-12 in Warsaw, Poland. Under the theme 'Where Science Meets Practice', topics will include brand management, understanding consumers, advanced uses of the Internet, and research in emerging markets. More
Europe will have 4.6 million HDTV households by 2008, up from 50,000 at the end of 2003, according to the latest from Datamonitor. More
In the first senior appointment to its newly restructured team, TNS Media has recruited Neil Sharman, formerly Advertising Planning Manager at News International. As a Director, Sharman will head up one of three ad hoc teams working across a range of media sectors. More
JibJab.com, the online video released in mid-July satirizing John Kerry and George Bush, received 10.4m visitors in July, three times as many as both of the candidates' sites combined, according to comScore Media Metrix' monthly analysis of consumer Internet behavior. Travel and back-to-school sectors also did well. More
A recent report from DFC Intelligence forecasts that the worldwide market for online games will reach $9.8 billion in 2009. This represents a 410% increase over 2003 revenue of $1.9 billion. By 2009, the largest market for online games is expected to be the Asia-Pacific region with $4.2 billion in revenue. More
comScore Networks has announced the acquisition of custom survey research and consulting firm Q2 Brand Intelligence. The Q2 organization will be integrated into comScore's survey research division which will be known as comScoreQ2. More
In the face of mounting parental concern about companies' use of the Internet to survey their children, US research agency Regulus Communications, Inc. has established a tracking project, The Research Monitor, to guide companies regarding best practice and help them avoid becoming the legal target of angry parents. More
E-Tabs, provider of delivery, portal and automation software for the MR industry, has opened an office in New York and recruited Aaron Benedict from CRM Metrix to head it up. Existing offices are in London and Chicago. More
Internet audience specialist Nielsen//NetRatings has this week launched a new audited census-based Internet measurement product Market Intelligence. The launch results from product consolidation following the recent acquisition of RedSheriff. More
North America has 23.1m broadband households, up 4.3m on last year, according to technology researcher Forrester, which expects the number to triple by 2009. Even faster growth is predicted or DVRs and camera phones. More
The UK PC market continued to go from strength to strength in Q2 of 2004, recording double-digit year-on-year growth for the fifth quarter running, according to a report this week from IDC. More
ACNielsen has formed an alliance with Internet-based b2b hub The WorldWide Retail Exchange (WWRE), aimed at improving the quality of data available to manufacturers and retailers. More
US consumers will consider a broad variety of suppliers for media hub products or 'Digital Dens' as technology converges, according to Ipsos-Insight. PC companies, consumer electronics giants, telcos / ISPs and others are all expected to be players in the fast-developing market. More
Online advertising spend will more than double over the next five years, according to a new forecast by JupiterResearch. Jupiter sees the market growing from $6.6 billion in 2003 to $16.1 billion in 2009. More
Global wireless subscriber growth is experiencing robust expansion, following several years of slower growth, according to tech researchers In-Stat/MDR. By 2009, the company forecasts more than 2.5 billion subscribers based on GSM and CDMA technologies. More
Knowledge Networks has recruited former Research International Board Member Cindy Trish as Senior VP and Managing Director for its Boston-area office. Trish, most recently the manager of a retail spirits business, has 25 years' experience in insight roles. More
US-based Survey Sampling International (SSI) has expanded its B2B Online sample to include new selections for IT professionals, reflecting increased demand for research in the sector. More
US technology researcher IDC has announced a reorganisation of its business designed to give clients the benefit of a broader view of IT matters. As part of this, it has also announced the promotion of nine research executives to new roles. More
The proportion of US telephone consumers visiting their local telephone service provider's Web site has grown fast in the past six months. 20% of households have done so, up 6% from 2003, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Residential Local Telephone Customer Satisfaction Study. More
Internet audience measurement specialist comScore Media Metrix has released stats for site viewing by US users in June, showing a summertime concentration on travel, movies, music, sporting events and food. The company has announced a number of significant enhancements to its reporting of the Careers category. More
Thirty-six per cent of the software installed on computers worldwide in 2003 was pirated, according to a study released recently by the Business Software Alliance (BSA). This represents a loss of nearly $29 billion to the major software manufacturers who are its members. More
With the football now over, the latest analysis from Nielsen//NetRatings shows the BBC Sport site attracting the largest audiences in the UK throughout the Euro 2004 tournament. More
Last week, the end of Euro 2004: this week the launch of Europe 2004, the fifth wave of Ipsos-RSL's media survey of business decision-makers and leading consumers in Europe. The survey measures readership, TV viewing, web site use, consumer and business behaviour and attitudes of the top 10 million (4%) of Europe's consumers and decision makers. More
Synovate has selected SPSS Dimensions, an integrated market research platform for survey design, data collection, data management, analysis and publishing of market research results, as its technology of choice throughout its worldwide operations. More
Nearly two out of three US consumers (64%) say they are not familiar with products that would easily connect their home entertainment systems to the Internet to share music, movies, games, and other digital content, according to Ipsos-Insight. However, 72% say they are interested in such a product and most of these (64%) would be ready to purchase within 12 months at a reasonable price. More
The Customer Respect Group has released results from its Summer 2004 Online Customer Respect Study of the USA's largest 100 companies. In this third annual study, Microsoft scored highest with an index score of 8.7 out of 10, while the mean score was 6.2. More
LatiNetwork Dichter & Neira of Panama has become the newest member of the Harris Interactive Global Network of independent market research companies. More
The Euro 2004 tournament, now approaching its knockout stage, is attracting record audiences to related Web sites, according to research from Nielsen//NetRatings. More
Shipments of VoIP (Voice-over IP or Internet calling) PBX phones in the US are expected to grow at a compounded rate of more than 20% over the next five years, according to a new report from Insight Research. However, VoIP phones in the enterprise will not represent the majority of the installed PBX base until 2009. More
More than 22 million users logged into online banking accounts at the US' top ten banks in the first quarter of 2004, 29% up on Q1 2003, according to comScore Networks. During this same period, usage of online bank bill payment services has grown by 37%. 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
MarketShare, a full-service MR agency in Singapore, has become the newest member of the Harris Interactive Global Network. More
Vehicle manufacturers' web sites are an increasingly important part of their sales machinery, according to new results from J.D. Power and Associates. More
comScore Networks has announced the launch of qSearch Europe, which provides insight into usage of the top search engines and portals, based on actual search queries. The new service adds figures for the UK, France and Germany to the existing measures for Canada and the US, and initial results show an interesting comparison. More
GfK has unveiled a wristwatch which it claims measures 'whatever mass media the wearer comes into contact with, wherever the wearer may be'. MediaWatch made its debut at the international 'Week of Audience Measurement' organized by ESOMAR and ARF in Geneva, beginning yesterday. More
Nielsen Media Research's tribulations with the launch of its Local People Meter are continuing. In the same week that NMR announced a high profile task force to ensure fairness, a leading Spanish-language media company has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop its 'false and misleading' advertising and the use of data based on 'flawed sampling'. More
Nucleus Research has this week announced the results of its 2nd annual independent study researching the cost of spam to US organizations. 'Spam: The Serial ROI Killer' found that the average cost of spam per year per employee more than doubled from the previous year to $1,934. More
Released this week, the 2004 Asia Telecom Index from TNS reveals that the region's current and future wireless subscribers want colour screens (77%), integrated digital cameras (71%) and multi-media messaging (67%) above other features. More
The Customer Respect Group in the USA has released results from its Summer 2004 Online Customer Respect Study of pharmaceutical and healthcare firms. The study rates the online presence and response of the 78 firms in the sector to be found in the top 1000 companies. More
A majority of the public in the UK think gambling reform will do more harm than good according to a new report by YouGov and The Gambling Consultancy. More
Total advertising expenditures in the USA for the first quarter of 2004 increased 9.6% to $31.5 billion compared to the same time period in 2003, according to data released recently by TNS Media Intelligence/CMR. More
Technology marketing consultancy Robins Consulting Group and trade press publishing group TMC in the USA have joined forces to produce a series of new market research studies covering a variety of technology products and services. More
With online questionnaires growing in importance, industry commentators are advising researchers to brush up their (sometimes rusty) self-completion survey techniques. Aussie researcher Philip Derham has analysed responses to open-ended questions in a number of paper and Web-based surveys and drawn some interesting conclusions. More
US agency Doxus has recruited Jean Malarkey - previously Vice President and Manager of the Client Services Department at Gartner Custom Research as Senior Researcher. More
US-based agency The NPD Group, has launched the NPD Consumer Electronics Price Watch, a monthly pricing monitor that provides a top-line look into the average selling price of technology products. More
Entertainment information specialist Nielsen Entertainment has named Kaye Popofsky Kramer as Vice President, Online Research for Nielsen NRG. More
The cyclical upswing in net new IT spending is continuing, according to the 2004 Wendover-Global Insight IT Spending Index. The Q2 2004 Index is now predicted to show a 60% increase over the Q2 2003 level, which was the lowest level of IT spending recorded by the Index. More
Virgin Mobile, appearing in the category for the first time, tops the pre-pay customer satisfaction tables in the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 UK Mobile Telephone Customer Satisfaction Study[SM]. Among contract (pay monthly) providers, Vodafone narrowly beats Orange for the top spot. More
Internet audience specialist Nielsen//NetRatings has released its latest AdRelevance figures showing that traditional advertisers continued to carry the growth of online advertising through the first quarter of 2004. More
Arbitron Inc. has announced two key leadership changes to strengthen its Portable People Meter (PPM) marketing team. Jay Guyther becomes Senior Vice President of PPM Marketing (US and international) and Brad Bedford Vice President, International PPM Marketing. More
More than half (56%) of US dial-up users say they are likely to upgrade their Internet connections to high-speed in the next six months, with an equal split between cable and DSL, according to Ipsos-Insight. In all, one in four households with Internet access say they are likely to switch Internet service providers (ISPs) over the same period. More
comScore Media Metrix has announced the Top 50 US Internet Properties for the month of April 2004, based on an active online population across home, work and university PCs of 155.1 million people. The biggest gaining web property was NationalGeographic.com, with Americans keen to read up on near-earth meteors among other features. More
The BIG Conference, the UK's flagship b2b research event, is in full flow in Chepstow, Wales. In this first feature article we look at highlights of the first day's papers, with topics including 'Innovation' and research's contribution to the spread of broadband. More
Communications and networking research specialist The Yankee Group has been acquired from Reuters by Monitor Clipper Partners and a group of private investors including Ted Philip, the former President, COO and CFO of Lycos, Inc., who intends to play an active role and serve on the board of directors. More
ESOMAR and the ARF are combining to host the Third Worldwide Audience Measurement Conference (WAM) from June 13 to 18 in Geneva, Switzerland. More
Survey software provider Merlinco has enjoyed its best results to date, despite difficult times for the industry. MD Peter Jackling told the 13th annual User Group meeting last week that the successful year reflected both encouraging sales of newer technologies and continuing enthusiasm for tabulation packages. More
Small and medium size businesses (SMBs) in the US spend more than $75 billion per year on technology, but their purchasing behaviour is very different to that of larger concerns, says a survey conducted by IDC for Yahoo! and integrated marketing agency Grey San Francisco. More
FIRM (Future Information Research Management) has released a new version of its flagship software system Confirmit. Online and offline reporting capabilities are enhanced, survey generation is faster and overall performance improved by up to 1200%. More
The number of people who have tried or used some form of wireless Internet through a mobile device has risen 145% from 55 million unique users to 134 million in 2003, according to The Face of the Web, the annual study of Internet trends by Ipsos-Insight. This represents around 40% of the total Internet population in the study's measured countries. More
Portable gaming is set for rapid growth over the next few years, fuelled by competition, according to a new report from JupiterResearch. Revenue for the sector is forecast to grow from $1.6 billion in 2003 to $2.7 billion in 2009, while the audience almost doubles from 23 million to 43 million. More
Dynamic Logic has named a senior researcher from Yahoo! as its new VP product development. Ken Mallon was Director of Research and Analytic Products at the Internet giant. More
Ciao AG has announced the expansion of its network of proprietary and partner access panels to cover 7 million survey respondents in 37 countries worldwide. Hungary, Ireland, Switzerland, Canada, New Zealand and Taiwan have been added to the Ciao Global Network, bringing the number of approved local panel providers to twenty-two. More
Visits by UK Internet users to travel related web sites have increased by over a quarter in the 12 months to April 2004, and now represent about 3.7% of all online visits, according to online competitive intelligence providers Hitwise. More
JupiterResearch has announced a new research service covering home theater and digital home entertainment. The August launch will be the eighth new practice started by JupiterResearch since it was acquired in July 2002. More
Total newspaper readership has declined slightly in the past 6 months, according to the latest figures from the NAA. However, papers in the top 50 US markets are reaching nearly eight out of 10 adults (78.6 percent) each week, web site audiences are up steeply and more than a third of papers have raised their circulation. More
Americans are more aware of identity theft and are taking measures to protect themselves against it, according to a recent online survey by InsightExpress. 15% of Americans have been a victim themselves and one third have a friend or family member who has been a victim. More
NetRatings, Inc. and The NPD Group, Inc. have settled the lawsuit filed by the former in March 2003 and alleging patent infringement by NPD. Settlement terms included the licensing of NetRatings' patented technology to NPD for specific market research activities. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has appointed David Day as MD for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. More
Harris InteractiveŪ has released results for the third quarter of fiscal 2004, showing revenue of $35.4m for the quarter, 10% up on the same period the previous year. Worldwide sales bookings rose above $40m for the first time, with a sharp rise in Internet-based revenue (42%) more than compensating for an 18% fall elsewhere. More
Internet advertising bucked the industry trend in 2003 and showed strong revenue growth of 21%, according to a new report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and the New Media Group of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). More
Online survey software supplier FIRM (Future Information Research Management) has announced record first quarter revenues of $3m. The company's first quarter revenues grew globally by 46 percent and in the US by 70 percent versus the same period in 2003. Dutch software company NEBU has also announced good results, for 2003. More
Scarborough Research has enhanced its consumer and media database with information about viewing of television program genres. Beginning with this month's release, in-depth qualitative information is available about consumers who watch program types from documentaries to reality dating shows. More
More than one third of e-mail marketing offers tracked in a recent study by JupiterResearch are not compliant with the federal Can-Spam Act. 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
YouGov has announced that it will work on a large-scale project funded by the American National Science Foundation (NSF) and centred around a monthly tracking study of the British electorate, administered online. More
RedSheriff UK Ltd has completed its rebranding as Nielsen//NetRatings SiteCensus, following its acquisition in February and the integration of the two companies' UK commercial teams in one office in Clerkenwell, London. More
A double bill of technology firm rankings from DRNO today, covering online customer experience and media relations / reputation. HP and IBM score highly in both, although Dell scrape into the no.1 spot in the media survey. More
Those who think the days of traditional TV programming are numbered may be surprised by results of a US benchmarking study by CTAM (Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing) and research partner Lieberman Research Worldwide. Most respondents were still happily watching scheduled TV programs at appointed times. More
Al Angrisani has resigned as President and COO of Harris InteractiveŪ and will be replaced by Gregory T. Novak, who has been President of US Operations for the last 9 months. More
A second look at the Mintel British Lifestyles survey, showing ten year trends in spending / activity in the areas of housing and pensions, telephone and internet banking, food and health, travel and clothing. More
2003 saw the arrival in the mainstream of fee-based digital music services and a nearly threefold increase in paid downloading, according to TEMPO, Ipsos-Insight's quarterly tracker of American digital music behavior. More
Synovate has announced a significant expansion of its global commitment to interactive research offerings, and has appointed Larry Fisher, previously at TNS NFO, in the newly created, US-based post of Senior Vice President of Interactive Solutions. More
Spam is expected to increase by 115% this year, and the market for anti-Spam software by more than 50%, according to the latest study by consulting and MR firm The Radicati Group, Inc., whose specialist areas include messaging, collaboration and security issues. More
Ipsos-RSL has announced results from its first Asian Business Readership Survey (ABRS) in three years. The survey provides planners with an understanding of 234,000 top business executives at the largest and most influential companies in the region. More
European mobile users 'have dealt a massive blow to the prospects of early mass 3G adoption' according to an HI Europe Poll of just under 10,000 mobile users in six EU countries. The findings come just months ahead of the widespread launch of 3G services across Europe. More
Fast growing online survey solutions provider NetReflector has announced the appointment of William R. Derrick as the new CTO (Chief Technology Officer). Former CTO Colin Prior remains in an advisory position as co-founder and Chairman of the Board. More
Nearly three in four Americans (204.3 million) now have Internet access from home, according to the latest from Nielsen//NetRatings. This is up from just under two thirds in February 2003, demonstrating that the 'Net continues to grow at staggering speed. More
Following the revelation that more and more British surfers are sorting out their taxes online, the latest US Internet rankings from comScore Media Metrix also feature big gains for tax and politics sites. More
Survey software company Perseus Development Corporation has announced the appointment of Dwight Galler, previously Director of Marketing Communications for Netegrity, Inc., to the position of Vice President of Marketing. More
More than 55 million Europeans use Google as their search engine, according to recent figures from Internet analysis specialists Nielsen//NetRatings. With an active reach of over 47% of the Digital Media Universe in January 2004, 'Googling' is becoming a part of the language. More
Online MR solutions provider Global Market Insite (GMI) has added to its recent announcement of an office in Hawaii with another in Chicago, Illinois, and has appointed Steven Werner, formerly a Vice President at IRI, to head it up. More
More than one million Britons visited the Inland Revenue web site in January 2004, just prior to the tax return deadline, according to the latest research from Nielsen//NetRatings. More
Broadband continues its rapid growth in the US, overtaking dial-up in a major metropolitan market (San Diego) for the first time, according to the Fourth Quarter 2003 ISP Market Share Report from analysts ComScore. Many other major cities are poised to follow suit, including New York, Boston, LA and San Francisco. More
NetRatings has announced the appointment of Kenneth Cassar as Director of Strategic Analysis. Cassar will oversee a team of senior analysts providing clients with value-added e-commerce and media measurement and analysis. More
Fewer than one in six IT professionals (15%) believe that 'most IT companies can be trusted completely', according to a new TNS survey evaluating the drivers of IT brand trust. Findings from the UK, US, France and Germany all suggest that IT professionals are wary of their suppliers. More
Food, beverage and tobacco firms are among the poorest in responding to customer queries via their web sites, a key element of the online customer experience, according to the Customer Respect Group's Winter 2004 Study. The study examines the sites of sixty-four firms in the sector that rank among the USA's largest 1000 companies. More
Issues and challenges familiar to offline researchers are becoming more dominant online, according to some of the UK industry's best known Internet specialists. An article in next week's MRWho looks at trends in online research, touching on panel recruitment, accompanied surfing, 'inclusion' regulations and skills needs. More
Harris InteractiveŪ has announced the acquisition of the Paris-based online market research firm Novatris S.A. The deal will result in the creation of what is believed to be the largest online panel in Europe, with close to 1.7m members. More
The NPD Group has appointed Ross Rubin as Director of Industry Analysis for its technology tracking division NPD Techworld. Rubin will focus on the consumer electronics sector. More
Arbitron Inc. announced last week that it will cease monthly and weekly MeasureCast services, which provide audience ratings for Internet audio content, at the end of the month, citing insufficient revenue potential to justify current methods. More
Despite massive recent publicity, Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) have yet to penetrate very far into the US market, according to a survey by Ipsos-Insight. However, the average user already spends less time watching 'live' TV than watching using the various functions of the DVR. More
Today sees the official launch of a home page for Australian researchers. MrWeb has attracted a significant audience of MR professionals Down Under for most of its 5 years, without much specific targeting, but from today is providing specific feature content, a job search and recruiter index, and directories with a more Australian focus. More
Technology specialist IDC has appointed Anne Dupuy-Cambier as Director of its Asia/Pacific Consulting team and the primary client and industry-facing representative for the group. More
NOP World has announced the launch of Flight Track(TM), a new ad tracking product designed to give 'the clearest picture yet' of attitudes and brand disposition. The product combines new metrics Ad Potency(TM) and Investment Efficiency with online data collection and delivery. More
Nearly a fifth of British men buy a Valentine's card 'because they feel they have to', while half of their American counterparts feel the day 'gets too much attention'. With the red roses still fairly fresh in the vase, DRNO brings you a quick summary of Valentine's Day polls and web site visitor stats. More
HI Europe has announced the extension of the QuickQuery(tm) online omnibus service, created in the US by Harris InteractiveŪ in 1999, to Great Britain. The company plans to add France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Belgium in the near future. More
Online data collection specialist Itracks (Interactive Tracking Systems Inc.) is to establish a European office and has announced that Bjørn Haugland, founder of online software pioneers FIRM, will lead the initiative as President of Itracks Europe. More
Research and consulting firm The Customer Respect Group has released results from its Winter 2004 Online Customer Respect Study, showing the performance of American insurance firms' web sites. All firms ranking among the country's largest 1000 companies are included. More
Nearly a third of UK adults (13.8m) are 'online savvy' consumers using the Internet to buy airline tickets, download music, buy and sell at auction and/or organise their banking, according to a report from Continental Research. More
Last Sunday's Super Bowl XXXVIII, complete with an array of unscheduled sideshows, produced the usual crop of impactful ads and big increases in Web site traffic for related companies and products, according to two sets of results from comScore and The Claria Corporation. More
Nielsen Media Research have signed an agreement with digital video recording (DVR) pioneers TiVo to deliver information on DVR usage to advertisers and television executives. Data will be collected from an Opt-In panel of TiVo's standalone subscribers. More
Travelocity and Expedia are the most valuable brands in online travel, and their brand equity plays a key role in driving traffic to their sites, according to a new study released today by ACNielsen International Research. More
The NPD Group has appointed Marc Johnson as VP of product development and data management for NPD Techworld, its technology tracking division. Johnson worked previously at online consumer discussion analysts Buzzmetrics and at Jupiter Media Metrix. More
Harris InteractiveŪ will close its Rochester, NY telephone research facility by June 30 this year. The decision to close the last US Center reflects the growth of Internet data collection, compared to which telephone work is 'too costly and too slow'. More
UK public opinion pollster YouGov has launched a research panel of over 3000 girls aged 11-17, teaming up with the mykindaplace web site. Results of the first wave of interviews reveal some of their views and habits regarding music, fashion, games, gossip, mobile phones and politics. More
Political web sites are making an impact on voter opinions, according to findings from comScore Survey Solutions. Visiting such sites correlates closely with a high level of political activity, and sites often influence the views and intentions of visitors. Meanwhile Howard Dean's web site received nearly twice as many visitors in December as that of any other Democratic challenger. More
Online competitive intelligence provider Hitwise has announced the appointment of Bill Tancer in the new role of Vice President of Research. Tancer was formerly Director of Market Research at LookSmart and a client of Hitwise. More
Customers of Future Information Research Management (FIRM) completed a record 30 million online survey interviews in 2003 using its online survey & reporting software Confirmit. The figure represents an increase of 59% over 2002, bringing revenue growth of more than 40%. More
Research and advisory firm Financial Insights, an IDC Company, has announced further expansion in Europe, with two key appointments. Robert Giffords becomes Director of Research and Consulting for the EMEA Region, joined by Martin McKenna as Director of Sales. More
Total Research Latin America has become the thirteenth member of the Harris Interactive Global Network. Total is based in Uruguay, with offices in Argentina, and conducts b2b research for local and multinational clients. More
Five million people in the UK are considering changing their current account provider in the next couple of years, according to the new Current Accounts report from consumer, product and media intelligence provider MINTEL. This equates to some 13% of all current account holders, up from just 7% in 2002. More
IT buyers expect spend on Open Source/Linux applications to grow by 2.8% in 2004, according to the NOP World Technology Confidence Barometer. Thirty per cent of organisations surveyed are using Open Source with a further 32% considering implementing it in the next 12 months. More
Around half of all British Web users purchased goods online in the run-up to Christmas 2003, capping a very good year for British e-commerce, according to recent research conducted by NOP World. The Internet User Profile Survey (IUPS) found that 10.4m British adults made pre-Christmas purchases, representing a year-on-year growth rate of 21%. More
The UK's Market Research Society (MRS) has this week published guidelines covering the conduct of Internet research. The guidelines, which cover surveys conducted via WAP and 3G technology in addition to PC-based research, reinforce the key principles of the Society's Code of Conduct and are 'binding' for all its members. More
In December, a total of 152.1m US Internet users spent an average of 27.6 hours online, an increase of 6% versus November, according to comScore Media Metrix. Sites run by retailers like Sears and Best Buy rose up the Top 50 Properties table, and many of the other changes also reflect traditional holiday activities... More
By 2014, there will be 15m online gamers in the US, and the online gaming market as a whole will be sized at $9bn, according to data from the Themis Report on Online Gaming 2004, as distributed by DFC Intelligence. More
The UK's Market Research Society (MRS) has announced its second online training course 'Market Research An Introduction' is designed to broaden understanding of research and its role in society and business. More
UK agency ORC International treated clients and the press to a glimpse of its Vision for the future of MR last week in Central London. The company's survey management, analysis and reporting will all be Web-based on most projects, giving clients continuous access to project progress and often to results as they emerge. More
The USA's online population continues to grow steadily, while broadband use grows rapidly, according to latest figures from The Harris PollŪ. Around 69% of adults are now online: of these, almost 90% have home access and more than one third now have some form of broadband connection. More
UK customers have higher opinions of their online banks than a year ago, according to Quarter 4 '03 results from Web specialists Virtual Surveys. 70% of online bank customers now rate the service as excellent or very good. More
ZelnickMedia, a media and entertainment partnership owned by leading execs from journalism, media agencies and TV & movie studios, has announced its first MR acquisition, that of online market research service OTX, founded in 2000 by research industry veteran Shelley Zalis. More
Online holiday shoppers in the US spent a record $18.5bn online excluding travel during the 2003 holiday season, according to the eSpending Report from Goldman, Sachs & Co., Harris InteractiveŪ, and Nielsen//NetRatings. This represents an increase of 35% over the $13.7bn spent in 2002. More
Interactive television (iTV) is available to millions of digital cable and satellite subscribers in the United States and many media executives are predicting a big future for it after Rupert Murdoch's recent acquisition of satellite giant, DIRECTV. However, a recent survey by Ipsos-Insight suggests that only one-half (50%) of Americans have even heard of iTV, and most of these know little about it. More
John Aitchison, formerly with TNS, has set up a specialist online market research company, First Line Research, offering full service research, consultancy and training services. More
The success of UK-based online bank smile reflects not only its service levels and interest rates, but also its ethical stance, according to recent customer research by Nunwood Consulting. The research, among credit card consumers, provides pointers for banks wishing to remain competitive in an increasingly crowded market. More
Harris Interactive has appointed Robert E. Knapp, previously EVP and Chief Strategy Officer at Gartner, Inc., as its new Vice Chairman and CEO. Current CEO and founder Dr. Gordon S. Black will continue as Executive Chairman when Knapp starts on January 26. Al Angrisani, President and COO, will continue to oversee the daily operations of the Company. More
ESOMAR's market research technology & innovation conference takes place on February 1 3 at the Intercontinental Princesa Sofia Hotel in Barcelona. The event offers researchers a glimpse of some of the ways in which leading edge technology is being used and being influenced by market research. More
DisplaySearch, a research and consulting firm specialising in the market for flat panel displays (FPDs), has appointed Andrew Shulklapper as vice president of television market research. Shulklapper joins from Circuit City, where he led development and marketing for advanced technologies, and previously managed the launch of DirecTV. More
Five in six Americans will register for a 'do-not-spam list' for which legislation was recently approved in Congress, according to a new study from Synovate. The law, likely to be enacted in 2004 by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), will require those sending email to addresses on the list to comply with certain standards and regulations. More
NetRatings has acquired a majority interest in Internet audience measurement specialists RedSheriff. The transaction will help Nielsen//NetRatings to satisfy industry demand for integrated panel-centric and site-centric measurement solutions. More
The NPD Group, Inc. have appointed Luis Delahoz as vice president of sales for NPD Techworld, the company's technology tracking division. More
Arbitron Inc. and TNS have signed a license agreement giving TNS the right to use the Portable People Meter (PPM) system and its audio encoding technology for radio and television audience measurement in selected countries in Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. More
Online research specialist Invoke Solutions(SM), Inc. has announced three senior appointments including a new Chairman and CEO, Corey V. Torrence and two new vice presidents, Simon Blanks and David J. Rubinstein. More
New evidence from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) suggests that e-government in the US is becoming a preferred means of getting information, often outstripping private sector sources. More
Opinion Research Corporation has announced a strategic alliance with Boston-based MarketBasics, which will operate as its regional office in the New England area. More
Former Evening Standard MD Sally De La Bedoyere, appointed the new Managing Director of RAJAR last week, faces a number of immediate challenges. Ms De La Bedoyere starts on January 5th 2004 and replaces Jane O'Hara who is leaving to pursue personal interests. More
Consumers in the US began their holiday shopping earlier this year, according to the eSpending report produced by Goldman Sachs & Co., Harris InteractiveŪ, and Nielsen//NetRatings. Last month's spend of $8.5bn, excluding travel, is up 55% on November 2002. More
BellSouth is ranked number one local 'phone company in the US in 11 of the 12 customer satisfaction categories measured in a survey by the Yankee Group. The Technologically Advanced FamilyŪ (TAFŪ) survey has been conducted since 1985 by the Boston-based comms & networking specialists. More
The use of e-government in Britain has increased by five percentage points from 13 per cent of adults in 2002 to 18 per cent in 2003. This compares with worldwide use of online government services of 31 per cent, according to new research conducted by TNS. More
An overall increase in IT investment of 5.3% across Europe and the US is forecast in 2004, according to NOP World's annual Technology Confidence Barometer. More
VNU has signed an agreement this week to sell its Claritas Europe business to Acxiom Corporation for EUR33.5 million. The completion of the deal is expected around year-end. VNU expects a corresponding book loss of EUR25-30m. More
Forrester Research recently announced that it has acquired certain assets associated with GigaGroup, S.A. for $3.9 million in total consideration. Headquartered in Paris, GigaGroup's assets include 125 client companies and approximately $4.0 million of agreement value. More
Xtreme Information and YouGov have recently launched Impact Check, a new rapid turnaround, quantified research service for organisations with PR issues. More
The recovery of the U.S. economy is being driven by accelerating output from American firms according to the latest data from Decision Analyst's November U.S. Economic Index. The overall Index pushed up to 111 in November, the highest level reached in the last 12 months. Measured business activity was up strongly, reaching a monthly level matched only once in the last two years (in March 2002). More
The latest quarterly results from the British Market Research Association (BMRA) in the UK suggest that the market research industry is showing signs of modest but real growth after a flat year in 2002. More
The latest research commissioned by the European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA) shows that the Internet now represents 10% of Europeans' media consumption. This places the Internet ahead of magazines (8%) and just behind newspapers (13%) in media consumption terms. The study finds that while TV controls the largest share of people's media time (41%), nearly 45% of consumers watch less television as a result of using the Internet. More
WebSurveyor Corporation, providing do-it-yourself online survey solutions, has announced the launch of the WebSurveyor Academic Grant Program. Available immediately for all US and international educational institutions, the program grants recipients a one-year product license for teaching and research, which includes software, updates, and support. The commercial value of the software provided is $250,000. More
A major survey, involving 110 of Europe's largest companies, has revealed the Top Companies for Leaders in Europe. The study, which was carried out by global HR outsourcing and consulting firm Hewitt Associates, identifies the leadership practices that differentiate the most effective organisations for developing talent and which can be linked to financial success. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has this week announced the introduction of Digital Media Universe tracking to its reports, providing the most comprehensive view of Web and digital media usage. More
More pre-Christmas retail cheer this time for shopping Web sites, which have increased their share of all UK Internet user visits from 5.85% in October 2002 to 8.66% a year later, according to the Hitwise Online Retail Report 2003. The figure should rise to more than 10% in December. More
comScore Networks has announced an Internet Service Provider (ISP) tracking service which monitors performance at the national and local market levels, and combines data on throughput speed and market share with qualitative attitude and intention data. Initial results illustrate the different speed of the move to broadband - and some contributory factors - in various US localities. More
'Phishing', the recent and potentially massive email fraud conning Britons into revealing their banking information through fake web sites, was effectively nipped in the bud through rapid action and wide publicity by most online banks. However, some potential users have been deterred and there are lessons to be learned about using the media to alert customers, according to NOP Financial. More
UK video research specialist Vox Pops International (VPI) has launched an online archive of market information and clips called Reality Check. The service offers easy access to recent responses and analysis on a wide range of current business, political, consumer and lifestyle issues. More
US Hispanics are spending more time online and viewing far more pages than a year ago, according to data published by comScore Media Metrix. The analysis examines key growth metrics, language preferences and top properties. More
While the RIAA pursues its high-profile lawsuits against filesharers, more and more Americans are paying for digital music downloads for use on portable audio devices, according to TEMPO, Ipsos-Insight's quarterly study of digital music behaviours. The number paying a fee for download music or MP3 files of the Internet has roughly doubled in just 6 months. More
Fast-growing US agency Knowledge Networks, which like MrWeb is currently celebrating its 5th birthday, has released a white paper documenting the differences in online sample quality and their effects on marketing decision making. The paper discusses theory, gives background statistics and looks at two case studies to help analyse sampling bias. More
Measurement company Market Metrix, LLC have announced third quarter results from their Hospitality Index (the MMHI), measuring customer satisfaction with Web sites. JetBlue Airways and Enterprise Rent-A-Car each win their category for the fourth time in the last five quarters. Four Seasons were number one in the hotels category. More
ComScore Networks has launched a Survey Solutions business unit offering survey-based research services via a panel of more than 1.5m consumers, and appointed Randall S. Smith as president and CEO. More
Major pharmaceutical and healthcare firms have slightly improved response to enquiries from their Web sites since the Spring, but otherwise their online performance has given 'little to cheer', according to the Fall 2003 study by international research and consulting firm The Customer Respect Group. More
More than a fifth of active at-home US Internet users during September 2003 were between the ages of 2 and 17, according to data from Nielsen//NetRatings. Roughly 27m US Internet users between the ages of 2 and 17 logged on from home in September 2003, including 12m aged 2-11, and 14.9m aged 12-17. More
Online survey software specialist FIRM have announced a successful first 6 months for their first Asia Pacific partner-reseller, Australian-based Information Research Management Pty Ltd (IRM). IRM was founded in April 2003 and offers Confirmit software, training, consultancy, and support services. More
NetRatings and ACNielsen US have announced the launch of HomescanŪ Online, a new service designed to improve the effectiveness of online marketing for consumer packaged goods (CPG) marketers and Web publishers. More
Americans' awareness of the illegality of downloading music and films has risen steeply since earlier this year, not surprisingly given recent lawsuits filed against consumers by the RIAA. However, 50 per cent of respondents to surveys by E-Poll had downloaded music at some time. More
An apocryphal tale told by Internet sceptics sometime late in the last century held that UK catalogue retailer Argos, in its first year online, sold only eleven items. Now the Argos Web site has been ranked Number One in Europe in a study by Forrester Research, which more generally gives catalogue retailers credit for leading the way online. More
Web-based survey research and software company Perseus Development Corporation has announced the formation of Perseus-Asia Ltd. The new, Singapore-based corporation will provide local support for existing Asia-Pacific customers and sales support for new business opportunities. More
Sports Marketing Surveys and Eurosport have announced the launch of the Eurosport Poll, a joint venture using online research to deliver rapid feedback to sponsors, event organisers, consultancies and federations on an omnibus basis. More
It's tough getting US consumers' attention these days many of them claim to mentally screen out ads and one person in 6 even watches the TV *whilst* listening to the radio. The findings, from BIGresearch's twice-annual Simultaneous Media Usage Survey (SIMM), present a challenge to conventional audience measurement approaches. More
Motor manufacturers are generating 75 per cent more US new-vehicle sales leads online than they were last year, according to J.D. Power and Associates. More
Nunwood Consulting is using personal digital assistants (PDAs) alongside software developed in-house to enable the uploading of interviews as they are completed, allowing researchers 'back at base' to instantly monitor, collate and view quantitative results, 'real time'. More
Online competitive intelligence provider Hitwise has announced the most visited UK retail sites from Quarter 3 2003 (July / August / September). Both Empire Direct and The Gadget Shop have enjoyed rapid rises to no.1 in their categories, while Asda has overtaken sainsburystoyou to reach no.2 spot in the Grocery & Alcohol category. More
comScore Media Metrix has announced the top 50 US Internet properties for the month of September 2003, together with the news that the total number of US Internet users passed the 150m mark for the first time. More
More than a third of British households reject digital TV on the grounds that they are happy with existing channels, according to Ipsos-RSL's Digital Audience Research Tracker (DART). Four in ten UK households now receive digital TV, but the number is not set to rise rapidly in the next year. More
More US consumers are buying prescription drugs from abroad, often over the Internet, according to a poll conducted by the Wall Street Journal Online / Harris Interactive Health-Care. The survey also warns of the dangers for US companies of being seen to fight this. More
IDC has announced that veteran IT researcher Frank Gens has rejoined the company as Senior Vice President of Research. In his new role, Gens will collaborate with IDC's global research teams to develop research into the integration of business and technology. More
September was the busiest month of 2003 so far for Internet shopping sites, according to online measurement company Hitwise. The retail sector accounted for 8.06% of all online traffic during September - a 44% increase in market share compared with the same period last year. More
German private households bought goods totalling EUR 2.4 bn over the Internet in the first six months of 2003. Sales for the whole of 2003 are likely to be between 12 and 21% higher than the EUR 4.7bn recorded in 2002. These are the findings of the Web*Scope survey carried out by GfK Panel Services Consumer Research. More
European online research specialist SKOPOS has announced that it has finalised a merger agreement with fellow online insight company MDS. The new company will retain the name SKOPOS, and will boast a broader range of specialist market sectors. More
Internet measurement specialist comScore Media Metrix has announced a major expansion of Local Market Reporting, its system for measuring Internet usage at the local market level. The expansion takes the number of markets covered to more than 100, representing more than 90 percent of all US Internet activity. More
The Association for Survey Computing has announced four nominees for the MRS / ASC Joint Award for Technology Effectiveness, which aims to promote excellence in creating software or technology aiding the practice and delivery of research. More
Canadians' use of real estate web sites has remained at a very high level, according to a recent Ipsos-Reid study. 85% of those who have purchased a new home in the past two years have used the Internet to look for home information, slightly above the 80% who had done so in 2001. More
Ipsos-Insight, the Ipsos Group's main MR division in the US, has launched a new, cutting-edge package-testing product called 'Pack Evolution' that enables manufacturers to take advantage of the speed, efficiency and technology of the Internet to test package designs using digital shelf displays. More
Viewing figures for Australian Internet users reflect a combination of international interest, domestic concerns and Australian takes on overseas phenomena, according to tables for August released by Web monitoring specialists RedSheriff. More
The Customer Respect Group, specialist in researching how corporations treat their customers online, today released the results of its Summer 2003 Study of top Airline, Travel and Hotel/Resort/Casino firms. Among the headline findings, travel sector Web sites show a big improvement while airline and hotel sites have lost ground compared to their winter performance. More
Business satisfaction with broadband and high-end data services has increased substantially in the last year, according to recently released results from J.D. Power and Associates. Perhaps as a result, buyers are looking for more cost savings, often by switching multiple services to the same supplier. More
Comms and networking researchers The Yankee Group have announced the appointment of Michael G. Mahan as Senior Regional Vice President of Sales. Mahan is based in San Mateo, Ca. and will be responsible for sales team management and business development for the Group's western region. He worked previously for RHK, Inc. in San Francisco. More
Synovate have released full year results for Synovate PAX - a survey that tracks 'media, prosperity and influence across Asia Pacific'. Coverage includes purchase of high-end products, business and leisure travel and purchase of financial products, amongst elite consumers. More
The number of children online in Europe has grown by three million in the last 12 months, according to new research from Nielsen//NetRatings. There are now four million under-12s online, and nine million 12-17 year olds. Growth rates range from nought in Italy, to 58% in the UK. More
The future of TV advertising may be threatened by new technology which enables viewers to forward over commercials, according to the recent Yankee Group report, 'The Death of the 30-Second Commercial'. More
Web-based survey software and services provider Perseus Development Corporation has appointed Alan J. Farias to head up its new Professional Services group. He was previously Director of Primary Research at IDC. More
The total value of the worldwide MR market remained flat in 2002 according to ESOMAR's latest global market research study. The 2002 figure of US$16.6bn (Euro 17.6bn) is up in dollar terms but down in Euros due to exchange rate movements. The USA and the EU each accounted for 38% of the total world market in 2002. More
Three quarters (76%) of council officers feel that the government is being unrealistic about the resources needed for authorities to meet the e-Government agenda, according to recent survey results from ORC International. The target for authorities to make all government services available electronically, set by the Office of the e-Envoy, is December 2005. More
Information systems provider Geoscape International, Inc. has introduced a new version of its Marketscape dataset which claims to improve on census information about population groups, in particular recent immigrants. More
Online banking usage has doubled again in the last 12 months among companies with a turnover of $50k to $20m, according to a study by Informa Research Services, Inc. More
YupiMSN, the division of the MSNŪ network that delivers Spanish-language content and services to the US and Latin America, has this week selected NetRatings to provide media quality Internet audience measurement and online behaviour data for its US Hispanic consumers. More
BIG, the UK's b2b research association, has announced its autumn programme of 'Forum' events, which begins on October 14th and includes a review of b2b advertising research, a look at life on the client side and relations with agencies, and an update on business information web sites. More
August saw a slight increase in the number of active Internet users, but a slight decrease in the number of hours spent online, according to the latest figures from comScore. Seasonal and one-off events influenced the composition of the top 50 US Internet properties, lifting antivirus and school clothing sites up the table, along with computer hardware and sports sites. More
The last few days have seen the announcement of a number of new segmentation products and services by US companies. Three of them, from FGI Research, Burke and Claritas, are detailed here for readers of DRNO. More
Taylor Nelson Sofres plc (TNS) have announced positive interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2003, with steady growth in the market for syndicated and continuous tracking services, but continued pressure in media intelligence and ad hoc customised research. More
Millward Brown has appointed research agency MRB Hellas as its licensee in Greece. Established in 1969, MRB Hellas works across a broad range of clients including packaged goods, leisure, IT, telecoms, media, and government bodies, both Greek and European. More
The US advertising market grew strongly in the first half of 2003, according to data from TNS Media Intelligence/CMR. The total of $61.6 billion in ad expenditures for the 6 months represent an increase of 6.8 percent as compared to the first half of 2002. Fifteen out of sixteen measured media experienced growth with Network TV the only exception. More
UK-based consultancies Citigate DVL Smith and Hauck Research Services, both owned by the Incepta Group Plc, are to be merged to form Incepta Marketing Intelligence. The various businesses and company brands within the group will continue to be run separately, reporting to the new Board, of which David Smith will be Chairman and Liz Hauck Deputy Chairman. More
The Market Research Society will be showcasing its training courses and professional development qualifications at the Insight Show in London in November, under the banner of the 'MRS Academy'. Visitors will be able to get a taste of some of the more popular training courses available, from a series of thirty-minute presentations. More
Despite sluggish sales in the European consumer electronics sector in early 2003, certain newer technologies are achieving rapid growth, according to a report on the global market for technical durable goods, published by GfK to coincide with a major show in Berlin. More
Audience measurement leader Nielsen Media Research has enhanced its Monitor-Plus advertising intelligence service with the introduction of Quick*Views, a web-based product providing instant access to summary-level US ad spend information. More
The US computer industry continues to enjoy the best image of any of the countries business sectors, although most segments have seen an improvement in the last year, according to Gallup. The restaurant and grocery sector is second, while accounting, suffering last year from scandals and failures, has jumped back 14 points. More
Opinion Research Corporation has announced a multi-year strategic alliance between its commercial marketing research unit, ORC International, and Greenfield Online, Inc., a pioneer in conducting marketing research via the Internet. Greenfield will power ORC International's online research data collection needs for its syndicated and proprietary research products and for new online offerings. More
Advertising spending for the first half of 2003 rose 2.8% versus first half 2002, according to preliminary figures released last week by Nielsen Monitor-Plus, the advertising information service of Nielsen Media Research. The fastest growth was in Hispanic TV (19%), National Magazines (c.14%) and Local Newspapers (c.10%). More
The third annual wave of The National Online Recruitment Audience Survey, NORAS 2004, will be supported by nearly twice the number of recruitment sites of the 2003 survey. The survey is produced by consultants Enhance Media and provides advertisers with comparative user data for online recruitment sites, mostly generalist job boards. 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
Online MR agency Lightspeed Research has announced the launch of the Lightspeed Consumer Panel Web site in Australia. The site signifies the beginning of a planned move into the Asia Pacific market. More
VNU has reported its interim financial statement for the first six months of 2003, showing 'solid underlying results despite weak global economic conditions'. First-half organic growth was led by strong performances from ACNielsen and from the Media Measurement & Information business. More
Consumer attitudes towards the safety and security of Internet banking are improving rapidly according to a recent survey conducted by Barry Leeds and Associates in the USA. 70 per cent now agree that Internet based transactions are 'safe and secure' compared to 49% in 2000 and 56% in 2001. More
With the new Premiership 2003/04 football season starting this weekend, traffic to football sites has increased by 33% in the last 12 weeks, now accounting for 0.94% of all Web traffic in the UK, according to Hitwise. The most visited football site is Football365.com, which accounted for 7.26% of football site traffic, and unsurprisingly the most visited club site is Manchester United. More
NOP World has appointed Jim Follett as Chief Operating Officer. Follett joins from Information Resources, Inc where he spent 15 years in various senior roles, most recently President, US Client Services and Consulting. More
There are a bewildering variety of Internet-based radio stations and broadcasters, so it may be enlightening for DRNO readers to get an idea of who is listening to what, courtesy of Arbitron's Internet Broadcast Ratings. Recently published data for the week of July 21st shows Virgin Radio as the number one commercial Internet Broadcast Station but AOL stations make up 11 of the top 20. More
AdLINK Internet Media AG, the leading independent provider of digital comms solutions in Europe, has signed up to Nielsen//NetRatings' online ad campaign planning tool, WebRF on a multi-country basis. The AdLINK network ranks in the top five domains in many European countries including the UK, Spain and Germany. More
Online competitive intelligence service Hitwise have announced the launch of a new service, Search Terms. The service monitors searches made across 70 of the world's most popular search engines by more than 8 million UK Internet users. More
US teenagers are Getting Around in some new makes of car, and their dreams are by no means all-American, according to new research by NFO Automotive. Honda and VW are top of the wish list and Honda is particularly popular with the girls. A separate study by J.D. Power this week reveals the extent to which used car shoppers are making use of the 'Net. More
Internet measurement specialist comScore Networks has announced the signing of a record-breaking contract valued at more than $18 million over five years, at the same time reporting its first quarter of corporate profitability, and the closing of $12 million in a Series E round of funding. More
Australian research specialist Pricing Decisions has announced the launch of a proprietary technique called 'eValuator', which uses advanced choice modelling methods to understand the value that customers obtain from new and modified products. More
A report released last week by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) shows that a minority of US farms have Internet access, but that more are getting connected and the percentage might be expected to pass 50 soon. More than half of farmers own or lease a computer but only 30% use it for farm business. More
Harris Interactive has released its financial results for the fiscal fourth quarter and for the full fiscal year ended June 30, 2003. Revenue for the full fiscal year was $130.6 million, up over 30% on the fiscal year 2002. Pre-tax earnings were $8.2 million or $0.15 per share, compared to a loss of $14.8 million, or ($0.32 per share) reported for fiscal year 2002. More
Responses to a survey conducted online may suggest sharper opinions than a paper equivalent, with more high and low ratings and strong agreements / disagreements, as opposed to fence-sitting or moderate answers, according to a paper at the recent ORC International 8th annual employee research conference. More
Online banking customers in the UK are increasingly pleased with the service they receive, according to the latest results from the Virtual Surveys' Online Banking Survey (V-OBS). 65% of all customers rated their online bank as excellent or very good in the second quarter of 2003, compared with 58% a year before and 49% two years ago. More
ESOMAR will be hosting its 56th annual congress on September 14-17 in Prague. This is the first time that the congress will be taking place in a former soviet bloc country. About 1200 delegates will attend, from over 70 countries. More
For the fourth year running Americans have voted Sony number one in the annual Harris Poll of 'best brands'. Kraft moves up from fourth to second place this year while Dell slips from second to third place. General Motors jumps from tenth to fourth place. Microsoft, Kellogg's and Procter & Gamble are new to the list. More
The NPD Group, Inc. has appointed its third new Vice President in as many weeks. Evan Neufeld becomes Vice President of client development and will work for the company's technology tracking division NPD Techworld. More
Next year's UK b2b research flagship event, the BIG Conference, will again be held at the St. Pierre Conference Centre in Chepstow and will run from Wednesday 19th to Friday 21st May. More
Millward Brown has announced a strategic partnership with online research specialists Invoke Solutions (formerly NetOnCourse). The branding research specialist will offer clients Invoke's Dynamic Survey(SM) tool as part of it's brand strategy offering. More
ACNielsen and Yahoo! have teamed up to launch Yahoo! Consumer Direct, Powered by ACNielsen, a new service that enables consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies to reach consumers more effectively online and directly measure the offline sales impact of their efforts. More
TNS is strengthening its advertising experience in Europe by bringing Kym Penhall, Director for the TNS branded solutions MarketWhys(TM) (Brand / Ad Tracking programme) and Miriad(TM) (Dedicated Tracking Analysis Platform), to the UK from America in August. He will be responsible for extending TNS' MarketWhys(TM) practice throughout Europe. More
Internet audience measurement specialist NetRatings, Inc. has announced the acquisition this week of NetCrawling S.A., the developer and marketer of LemonAd, Europe's leading online advertising monitoring service. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. More
The British Market Research Association (BMRA) has released figures from its annual survey of the industry showing growth and decline in revenues for specific sectors. More
Influential people online think advertisers are well-advised to use the Web to reach them, according to a study published recently by RoperASW / washingtonpost.com. More
Leading Australian online MR company Whetstone are claiming extraordinary success for an open-ended online discussion technique named 'The Research Confessional'. The system runs open-ended email discussions using a bespoke software package and makes use of a panel of 21,000 people. More
A study sponsored by a US center for mid-and long-term strategic thinking has predicted that the US will continue to lead the IT revolution, while Europe's prioritisation of the protection of existing business will hold it back. The study also looks at the relative strength of Asian economies in IT and the way in which IT may transform the world in the next 20 years. More
Consumers in most countries feel closer to their own culture than they did a few years ago, and more distant from American culture, according to the recent Roper Reports 2003 Worldwide study. Some of the likely causes are short-term and results vary with region, but generally consumers are more likely to be thinking as well as acting local. 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
Dotcom mergers and acquisitions are happening again - Yahoo! this week announced plans to acquire Overture for $1.63 billion. The purchase will give Yahoo! its own sponsored search technology, a much-discussed growth area in online advertising. More
High Profile Australian MR firm The Leading Edge is providing research backing for the Reach Out! Web site, which helps young people get through tough times. A new advertising campaign for Reach Out!, informed by Leading Edge research, will be launched this week across print, radio and online. More
Web site competitive intelligence provider Hitwise has published lists of top performing UK sites for the year June 2002 - June 2003. The stats are arranged by sector and are interesting both from the point of view of individual battles and the whole dotcom vs High Street saga. More
Taylor Nelson Sofres plc has announced the completion of its acquisition of NFO WorldGroup, Inc. (NFO), from The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (Interpublic). The acquisition, which was announced on 14 May 2003, consolidates TNS' position as one of the top three global companies in its industry. More
Prices charged by UK research agencies will be investigated over the next few weeks by UK Consultancy RHMR - this is the 6th year in succession that the price check has been carried out. Between 1998 and 2002 the average quotation received from participating agencies has risen by only around 10-15%, reflecting very competitive conditions in the industry. More
Ipsos are the fastest growing market research firm in the US for the second year running, with US revenue growth of 14.8 per cent in 2001-2 and a total of 443 per cent between 1997 and 2002, according to the 'Inside Research' newsletter. More
ESOMAR has been pressing ahead with its 'Quo Vadis project' to promote the convergence of worldwide MR standards, despite recent setbacks in the creation of a Federation of Research Associations. More
Online MR software company FIRM (Future Information Research Management) has announced that founder Bjørn Haugland is to leave the company. More
HP has taken the top slot among the top 100 US companies, in a survey of online customer experience carried out by research consultants The Customer Respect Group. HP received a mean ranking of 9.7 out of a possible 10, and beat technology rivals Dell and IBM. More
Ipsos-RSL has released data from Europe 2003, the fourth wave of its annual survey of 'top' Europeans for pan-European media planning. The results give a picture of an elite 4% (10.4m) of Europeans including insight into their outlook and attitudes, alongside their media consumption and lifestyle. More
In what will undoubtedly be the MR Event of the Year, BMRA Chairman Peter Jackling and fieldwork guru Jill Lonsdale completed their planned merger in a ceremony in Chalfont St Peter in June. More
The Ipsos Group has this week announced the integration of its two Chicago offices into one, new downtown office to optimize cross-company efficiencies and to better serve its growing client base. More
Once again Tim Henman is a few hours away from a possible Wimbledon semi-final - it would be his fifth - and his official Web site has shot up the rankings in the last week according to data from Hitwise. However, 'though Henman is famously good at the net, he is by no means No.1 on the Web. More
US CPG research giant Information Resources Inc. has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by a newly formed corporation owned by Symphony Technology II-A, L.P. and Tennenbaum Capital Partners, LLC. IRI's Board of Directors has unanimously approved the acquisition. More
Despite recent falls in airline ticket sales on and off-line, online travel remains the largest category of consumer spending on the Web and is growing faster than other sectors, according to analysis by comScore. Travel packages are growing fast from a small base and the online hotel booking market is particularly competitive at present. More
In the recent Week of Audience Measurement in Los Angeles, AGB unveiled its latest television audience measurement technology, UNITAM. Radical advances claimed for the technology include measurement of all kinds of TV platforms without requiring embedded codes in the broadcast signal, accurate measurement of time-shifted viewing such as that permitted by TiVo, and simplicity of installation. More
The six nominations for the John and Mary Goodyear Award for Best International Paper were presented at the WAM (Worldwide Audience Measurement) 2003 Conference held earlier this month in Los Angeles. There are 6 categories: radio, TV, Media Mix, Print, Out-of-home/Ambient Media and Online. More
Women make up only 42% of the European online population, according to the latest research from Nielsen//NetRatings. The proportion is growing but only slowly, and if current trends continue it will be nearly a decade before parity is reached. More
Will Hodgman has joined online competitive intelligence service Hitwise as the company's first US based board member. Will worked for Jupiter Media Metrix and NetRatings before taking up his current post of President and CEO of Sightward. More
With the 5th Harry Potter book launched at one minute past midnight on Saturday, statistics about the many records already broken by this and previous volumes have been all over the papers this weekend. But even the build-up to the launch produced massive surges in Internet traffic, according to Hitwise. More
American marketers have been reminded of the importance of the Hispanic community by information from the US Census Bureau this week, confirming that Hispanics are the nation's largest minority group. Meanwhile research by comScore suggests that there are more Hispanics online in the US than in any other country. More
PulseTrain has announced that SPSS MR clients can now analyse their data in Pulsar, the company's end-user survey analysis package. This will allow users to open Quanvert, mrInterview, SAV and other files without requiring any understanding of the original proprietary formats. More
A typical survey will cost over a third more to conduct in the USA or Japan than it does in the UK, France or Germany, according to new research from ESOMAR, the World Association of Research Professionals. The 2003 Research Prices Study invited 407 member companies worldwide to quote for six different types of project. More
The online banking sector continues to show strong growth in the UK with traffic to the sector increasing by 65% in one year, according to the latest report from Hitwise. Banking web sites now account for 1.42% of all Web traffic, up from 0.86% a year ago. 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
MR agency Nunwood Consulting is are offering Local Authorities in the UK an online system for disseminating data and documents across various user groups. The launch of 'e-Government Solutions', a secure information management system, follows a two-year development period involving extensive liaison with a number of authorities. More
Following last week's sneak preview of our 'Hours and pay in MR' survey, DRNO continues its summertime navel-gazing with the help of a series of video interviews conducted by Vox Pops International with delegates at the recent MRS Conference, and based around a SWOT analysis for the UK research industry. More
The total number of U.S. Internet users remained steady from April to May 2003, according to comScore Media Metrix, but certain types of site always pick up visitors in the summer months while others lose out to outdoor activities. Categories such as clothing, movies, weather and property experienced significant increases in visits in May. 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
Results are in from MRWho's June poll of over 200 UK research professionals, and the shock news is that only thirty per cent think that MR is 'Not Very Well Paid'. We had certainly feared worse, and the 1% who think it is 'Very Badly Paid' are a drop in the ocean. Hours worked are also less off-putting than they might have been, with a mean of only 43 a week. Nevertheless, many researchers dream of dropping out and 'doing some good for society'. More
Many American dial-up users are simply not convinced they need broadband, even if the price were to fall by half, according to new research from Ipsos-Insight. Falling prices should help in stimulating interest in subscribing to broadband, but there may be a more fundamental requirement: the need to better communicate its benefits. More
TNS today announced details of a new partnership with CNN and TIME magazine to provide consumer opinion based research across eleven European countries. The research will cover current affairs and world issues and findings will feature in CNN programmes as well as regular news items in the European edition of TIME magazine. More
Asian telecoms consumers, among the world's most sophisticated, are showing interest in the next generation of wireless services - even if it means paying 20-30% more on their monthly phone bill. TNS' 2003 Asia Telecoms Index (ATI) study found 25 per cent of mobile phone owners either using 2.5 and 3G services, or at least 'quite likely' to start using them within the next six months. More
For those conference enthusiasts out there already planning next year's schedule of events, The Market Research Society in the UK has released the first details on its annual conference for 2004 entitled 'Welcome to the Dream Economy'. The conference, for the first time in its history, is to be held in central London. More
Synovate has released survey results showing the impact of SARS on the behaviors and attitudes of Taiwanese consumers. More
Employees' trust in upward communication has risen dramatically in the past decade, according to MORI's latest research in the UK, presented at the Communicators in Business conference in May. The survey pinpoints the most and least trusted information channels, enabling internal communicators to fine-tune their communications strategies. More
More than a quarter of Europe's online population are now using Broadband, according to the latest research from Nielsen//NetRatings. Countries which have been slower to get online are in the vanguard of broadband take-up with many users skipping the dial-up stage altogether. More
Healthcare marketing research company Ziment has announced that its online panel facilitating fast access to the opinions of patients suffering from a wide range of chronic illnesses has exceeded 200,000 members. More
Digital Download Day 2, the event organised by music company OD2 to raise the profile of legal Internet music downloads, can be considered a partial success, according to the latest figures from Nielsen//NetRatings. The April 18th event helped the website of the company sponsoring the event, OD2.com, attract 523,000 visitors during April to become the UK's fifth music website for that month. More
Leaders of market research associations from the Americas, Europe and Asia have decided to join efforts initiated by industry leaders during the RELEAS process aimed at strengthening the market research industry. More
The number of broadband users in Australian homes has grown 150 per cent since April last year, with one million Australians now accessing the Internet by broadband, according to the latest figures from Nielsen//NetRatings. More
UK-based Bloor Research and Boston-based Baroudi Group, both research and analyst firms servicing high-technology clients, have announced a partnership to offer a broader range of analyst services, providing expertise from both the US and European markets. The US arm of the operation will be known as Baroudi Bloor. More
SPSS has this week announced the launch of Predictive Web Analytics, a solution allowing companies to transform their web data into deeper customer intelligence. Unlike traditional web metrics, Predictive Web Analytics aims to provides meaningful historical and predictive insights, so maximising customer value and increasing returns from web investments. More
ORC International will be hosting its eight annual employee research conference in London on 3 June for client-side HR personnel. The event will enable participants from a wide range of organisations to share best practice for conducting employee research, and provide the opportunity to discuss how employee research can be used to address the challenges facing HR professionals. More
Internet research agency RedSheriff has been named as one of the fastest growing technology companies in Australia as cited by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in its 2003 Technology Fast 50 programme. More
Hitwise has this week introduced demographic information to its real-time competitive intelligence service. With profiles on over 3,500 UK websites available now, rising to 30,000 by the end of the year, Hitwise aims to offer its clients access to an unparalleled breadth and depth of business critical data. More
CASRO's 8th Annual Technology Conference is a forum that will identify and address the latest issues in technology for research to be held in New York on 19 and 20 June. More
WebSurveyEurope, (a leading Internet survey company in the healthcare industry) and Martin Hamblin GfK, have signed a Letter of Intent to deliver online physician surveys. More
Hitwise has this week announced the launch of its real-time online competitive intelligence service in the US, consolidating already profitable operations in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore. More
The Market Research Society (MRS) and the Association for Survey Computing (ASC) in the UK have announced a new award, the MRS/ASC Joint Award for Technology Effectiveness. More
comScore Networks recently announced the launch of comScore Media Metrix qSearch, a breakthrough system to accurately measure consumer usage in the fast-growing online search industry. qSearch is the first information service to track and report consumers' distinct search queries across 25 major search engines and portals. More
Europinion (part of the Virtual Surveys group) is running a free seminar on the subject of online research on 17th June in central London. The seminar will aim to provide a thorough understanding of the issues and best approaches for conducting conventional research online. It will also provide an update on the latest trends in the area of website research. More
Online marketplace eBay has overtaken Amazon as the number one e-commerce site in the UK for the first time since Nielsen//NetRatings began reporting the behaviour of Briton's online population since March 2000. More
Blauw Contact Center in Rotterdam (The Netherlands) has recently rebadged as Global Data Collection Company (GDCC). More
UK survey software company Merlinco has this week announced the acquisition from Datasphere of the web and touch-screen survey software modules MPI-Web and MPI-Touch. More
Early booking for the ASC (Association for Survey Computing) International Conference entitled 'The Impact of Technology on the Survey Process' closes next week on the 30 April. The conference itself takes place in September at Warwick University. More
comScore Networks in the USA has announced the results of the first industry-wide study of the impact of consumer online banking and bill payment activity upon bank business performance. The comScore research aims to quantify actual, active usage of bill payment services. More
Media Guardian and NOP Research UK have formed a long-term partnership to develop a unique resource for the whole media industry, the first findings of which are released this week. More
For the first time in more than three years, the average total communications spending of American consumers has fallen, according to the latest quarterly tracking data compiled by TNS Telecoms, the telecommunications division of market information group of Taylor Nelson Sofres. More
According to the findings of the Online Shopping Survey (OSS), conducted by NFO Infratest and Enigma GfK, around 20 million Germans, i.e. more than one in three, have made at least one online purchase in the last twelve months. As many as one in five people are regular online shoppers. The most frequently ordered items are books, clothing, CDs, tickets for the theatre, cinema and concerts, computer software and computer games. More
Figures released this week by the British Market Research Association indicate that expenditure on market research in the UK grew by 2.6% in 2002, to a value of £1.18 billion. More
ESOMAR, together with ARF, the Advertising Research Foundation is organising the 2nd Worldwide Audience Measurement conference, WAM, to be held in Los Angeles, USA from 15-20 June 2003. More
According to preliminary figures from the Interactive Advertising Bureau, Internet advertising in the USA for full-year 2002 totalled $5.95 billion. These top-line results are based on compiling data from the top 15 online ad sellers, which historically account for over 80% of total industry revenues. The results of this revenue compilation are then extrapolated to calculate the total industry revenue figure. More
Internet analyst Jupitermedia has acquired Nua.com, a leading global resource for Internet trends and statistics, from Scope Communications Group in Ireland. More
The American news sites cnn.com and news.google.com experienced the biggest monthly audience increases among UK surfers in March as Britons turned to the Internet to find different perspectives on the war in Iraq. Figures released this week by Nielsen//NetRatings show that the news sector as a whole saw a 25% jump in audience during March, with audiences peaking at 1.3 million on March 20th, the day war was declared. More
Ipsos-RSL has this week announced that Europe 2003, the fourth survey in the successful Europe 2000 series, will be launched on 3 July 2003 in London. The survey has established itself as the main currency for trading pan-European print and television campaigns and is an essential tool for advertisers, planners, buyers and media companies worldwide. More
Arbitron has announced that Médiamétrie-the provider of TV, radio, Internet and cinema audience measurement in France-has signed a license agreement that will enable the company to evaluate Arbitron's Portable People Meter system in Paris. More
The Market Research Society (MRS) and Pearson Education in the UK have this week launched two books which broaden the learning resources available for prospective and new entrants to the market research profession, and for marketing professionals seeking to extend their skills in market research. More
Users of market research (clients) are focused on increasing the profitability of research. The changing business environment dictates the introduction of innovative business solutions and models from the research provider side. ESOMAR'S second event on 'Managing research for profit' will take place from 18-20 May in Brussels in the quest to identify critical success factors in the client-provider relationship and to continue the dialogue. More
US based Marketing Systems Group and Computers for Marketing Corporation of San Francisco, CA have recently released a new interface between CfMC's WebCATI and the PROøTøS researchPredictive Dialer. This revolutionary interface allows interviewers, physically located away from the centralised interviewing facility, to operate as if they were in the facility itself, using a centralised web-based interviewing system linked to a computerised dialing system. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has signed a five-year agreement with media owner Univision Online to build an Internet audience measurement panel to improve the tracking and analysis of online behavior among Hispanics in the United States. More
RedSheriff has this week unveiled its new market intelligence capabilities and the results of a demographic survey of more than 60,000 New Zealand Internet users. In Auckland, RedSheriff's Chief Executive Officer, Richard Webb, commented on the progress the New Zealand Internet industry had achieved since the company's unique web measurement methodology was established as the standard by the Online Publisher's Group six months ago. More
Online data collection agency Itracks is to expand its call centre due to increased demand. According to Dan Weber President and CEO of Interactive Tracking Systems Inc (Itracks), 'The call centre will expand to 32 stations by April 11 and we plan to have 80 stations by years end.' More
Today's global consumers connect with brand franchises that symbolize trust, offer a specific expertise and group products logically, according to a study released this week by ACNielsen. More
E-Tabs has announced its partnership with Insight Marketing Systems (Melbourne, Australia) to market and distribute Research Reporter - market research management and library software - to research buyers in UK and Europe. E-Tabs will be premiering Research Reporter at Esomar's Excellence in Consumer Insights conference in Madrid (30 March - 1 April). More
The Market Research Society's (MRS) Census and Geodemographics Group is to host a new seminar to encourage market and social researchers to make better use of the wide array of alternative data sources now available. The 'Using External Data in Market Research Seminar' will take place on 31 March in London. More
A first 'World Industry Network (WIN)' meeting is to be held on 22-23 May 2003 in Brussels. More
Business in the Community in the UK has recently published the first Corporate Responsibility Index. This is the first business-led, voluntary, Index, publicly benchmarking the responsible business practice of companies in a range of different industry sectors - no company was excluded because of the nature of its core business. More
On-going collaboration between Techneos Systems and SPSS MR has produced an improved solution for mobile collection of structured data. Techneos, the mobile data collection specialist, has just released a new version of its Entryware Professional software that is integrated with the SPSS MR Dimensions Platform. More
SPSS has recently released PredictiveMarketing, an automated predictive analytics application that helps marketers improve customer targeting and increase response rates. More
Confidence among senior marketers in the UK has hit rock bottom, in sharp contrast with the position just three months ago, according to the latest figures from The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). More
According to reports in the media press, BARB (Broadcasters' Audience Research Board) in the UK is looking into a measurement system for interactive TV advertisements. More
comScore Networks has this week released the first detailed analysis of the online U.S. Hispanic population based on data obtained from the comScore Media Metrix panel of more than 50,000 U.S. Hispanic Internet users. More
In the second of our features looking at what's on show at this week's Market Research Society conference in Birmingham, MrWeb previews a paper by Keith Dugmore from Demographic Decisions on the 'New Free Data for Researching the UK's Population from the 2001 Census'. More
Prior to the annual MRS Conference next week, this year to be held in Birmingham, MrWeb previews some of the papers to be given at the event. Firstly, we look at a paper entitled 'Oh no, the consultants are coming!'(presented by Sid Simmons from Incite Marketing Planning and Angela Lovejoy from McKinsey) which looks how the research industry can learn from the consulting sector and whether the traditional apprehensions about management consultancy by researchers are truly justified. More
Companies of any size can develop a brand to sustain business performance during tough times, according to Laurie Young, a Trustee of The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) in the UK and marketing partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. More
Forrester Research, a provider of research and analysis on emerging technologies, has announced the completion of its acquisition of Giga Information Group, Inc., a global technology advisory firm. Giga will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Forrester Research. More
Businesses in the UK seeking a better understanding of the opportunities and pitfalls of the online world have been given access to a new platform for advice and knowledge sharing, thanks to a new partnership between NOP and e-consultancy. More
The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising in the UK (IPA) and media lawyers DJ Freeman have recently published the new online Guide to Marketing and Communications Law and Regulation. More
Under the umbrella of Itracks' Partners in Research programme, Square One Research, a full service market research firm specialising in technology products and services, has announced a strategic partnership agreement with Itracks, to focus on website usability testing. More
'Reality Research', organised by research agency SKOPOS and the Market Research Society in the UK, is gearing up for action this Friday, 7th March. The event will turn the tables on market researchers and offer the public a chance to put them under surveillance, 'Big Brother' style. More
ePocrates, a provider of clinical information at the point-of-care, and Techneos Systems, a developer of mobile survey software, are collaborating to bring the power of point-of-experience data collection to the healthcare market research arena. More
Henley Centre Chairman Martin Hayward predicts a distinct change in consumer attitudes during 2003, towards taking a long term view and away from the 'sod the consequences' thinking of the past few years. More
Aggressive marketing of the ITV Digital replacement, Freeview (for a one-off payment consumers can buy a digital box enabling them to receive around 30 extra digital channels free of charge) is proving a considerable boost to the multi-channel industry, according to Continental Research's Winter 2003 Digital TV Report. More
According to the annual survey by Japanese advertising agency Dentsu, the sector hit hard times in 2002 with adspend falling for the year. This was despite a temporary boost in the first half from the Winter Olympics and the World Cup. More
The Interactive Advertising Bureau(IAB) has recently released new research results from the latest of its Cross Media Optimization Studies (XMOS) based on advertising campaigns from Kimberly-Clark's Kleenex Soft Pack tissues and Colgate-Palmolive's Colgate Total toothpaste. More
The Internet continues to become more ingrained in people's everyday lives around the world, according to The Face of the Web, an annual study of Internet trends by Ipsos. More
Global information group Reuters has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire financial information provider Multex for $7.35 (GBP 4.56) per share in cash. More
Findings from a survey by GfK in Germany, in which over 1,500 users of financial services offered on the Internet were questioned, shows that the high expectations financial services providers have of electronic customer relationship management systems (e CRM) can never be wholly met. More
Global brand design agency Enterprise IG has set up a new specialist practice area to advise organisations on internal brand engagement. Three WPP Group companies, Enterprise IG, MCA Communicates and Added Value Internal Communication , are joining together to launch 'Babe'. More
The number of people shopping online for Christmas in the UK has grown steadily from 1.5 million in 1999, to 2.1 million in 2000, to 3 million in 2001, to its current level of 4.4 million in 2002 according to Continental Research's Winter 2003 Internet Report. 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
Aravati Global Search Network, a leading international executive search organization, recently held its biannual partner meeting in New York. Representatives from the Americas and Europe met to discuss future developments in international executive recruitment and to meet with client CEOs to hear what their growth expectations for 2003 are. More
The E-Tabs 'Round Table 2003' European User Conference is being held on Monday March 10th in London, following similar events in New York, Melbourne and Toronto. More
ESOMAR has this week announced that the organisation is to join UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). Within its role of improving decision making in business and society worldwide, ESOMAR wants to promote research-based 'responsible marketing'. More
New research from Strategy Analytics quantifies the steady decline of analogue television broadcasting and the progress towards so-called 'Analogue Switch-Off'. More
The British Market Research Association (BMRA) is teaming up with the Market Research Society (MRS) and Marketing Week to create the first awards to cover the market research industry in a single event - The Market Research Effectiveness and Excellence Awards. More
At the request of ESOMAR and ARF, an assessment on standards of performance for online measurement was recently carried out, focusing on identifying requirements for the next stages of development. More
America Online and RoperASW have recently released the first annual U.S. Hispanic Cyberstudy which documents online attitudes and behaviors of the U.S. Hispanic online consumer community. More
At the Technovate conference hosted by ESOMAR this week, NOP World, MORI, NFO Europe and SPSS MR have announced the creation of ECOR (European Consortium for Online Research) to shape the future of online research in Europe. More
Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) has won a contract with Belgian broadcasting companies VRT and VAR to research the listening and viewing habits of the Flemish community, which will use the Portable People Meter technology developed by Arbitron. More
The IPA s new report, 'Beyond the Red Button', which is published this week is a snapshot of the commercial market for interactive TV in the UK and highlights how this exciting medium is currently being used by both advertisers and broadcasters. More
Newly appointed CEO of UK software agency Pulse Train, Pat Molloy, speaking at a recent company meeting, has reported solid progress across the company's broad range of products and services. More
Confirming that virtual retailing is now taking off in a big way, latest research from NOP World indicates that the pre-Christmas period was the most successful ever, with 8.4 million adults shopping online in the UK - a growth rate of 52% when compared to December 2001. More
Jupiter Research has recently announced the launch of two new services to its product portfolio, the Web Site Review service and dedicated research analyst Weblogs. More
Market research would benefit if it were more business-focused, according to the newly elected Chairman of the British Market Research Association (BMRA), Peter Jackling. More
The noticeable transition of the in-house research function from passive to pivotal was the major topic of discussion at a recent one-day client forum hosted by Nunwood Consulting in the UK. More
The Q4 2002 Bellwether Report, the quarterly survey of marketing budgets in the UK, published this week by NTC Research on behalf of the IPA, shows marketing budgets were revised down in Q4 2002 for the second consecutive quarter. However the extent of the downward revision was less than seen in the same period a year ago. More
The run up to Christmas 2002 saw the strongest performance by Internet retailers in the UK, according to the latest data from Nielsen//NetRatings. More
A study by RedSheriff across 50 websites and 2 million visitors has found that this Christmas websites saw a steeper drop-off of visitors than at Christmas 2001 across four business vertical sectors. More
The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) in the UK has appointed a new chief executive, Peter Fisk, as the organisation looks to increase its presence within the international marketing arena. More
The lineup of keynote speakers for the forthcoming Market Research Society conference, 'RESEARCH2003 -the thought leadership: revolution', has now been announced. The event takes place in Birmingham between 19 and 21 March. More
Delegates meeting in Geneva this week at the Third Market Research Leaders Summit (Releas) have decided to support a new worldwide initiative to represent the market research industry at the legislative level in all major world markets to promote laws that protect consumer privacy while assuring the freedom to perform market and opinion research. More
For the first time, the British Safety Council (BSC) has formed a partnership with employment research consultancy, ORC International, to promote the importance of measuring stress in the workplace by using the company's recently launched online survey tool called ORC SAFE (stress analysis for employers). More
Ad spending in the US is expected to rise 3.3 percent in 2003, up to $117.5 billion, according to the full-year forecast released this week by CMR/TNS Media Intelligence. More
KnowledgeBase Marketing and its parent company Wunderman have recently unveiled Digital Neighborhoods, a unique tool that segments consumers by their online behaviour - the amount of time they spend online and the purpose for which they use the Internet. More
In a survey of over 1,600 grocery shoppers by Europinion in the UK in the run up to Christmas, online supermarkets topped the lists. Shoppers were asked where they shopped last and how satisfied they were with the supermarket. Over a half of online supermarket shoppers said they were extremely/very satisfied. This compares with less than 4 in 10 for Tesco, the country's biggest high street supermarket. More
Latest results from the Virtual Surveys' Online Banking Survey (V-OBS) reveal stark differences in levels of customer satisfaction with the UK's leading online banks. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has announced its top websites of the year for 2002, based on continuous measurement of the audience and growth of the Internet in the UK, as well as analyst's own opinions and insight. More
According to research released from NOP Broadband this week, while some 81% of UK General Practitioners claim awareness of what broadband means and see many advantages for using broadband to improve the way they work, they are yet to be convinced that these benefits should be extended to improve the patient experience of general practices. More
Monthly Internet shopping soared into ten figures for the first time in November as Britain's 14.3 million online shoppers flooded e-retailers with £1,000 million worth of orders, according to the IMRG Index. More
BT has achieved a significant reduction in the number of customers who express dissatisfaction with its service, following the implementation of ViewsCast's Customer Satisfaction Measurement (CSM) technology in its Marketing Operations, Sales teams and three primary UK call centres. More
Asia Market Intelligence (AMI), rebranding as Synovate in January 2003, has this week revealed the affluent of Hong Kong are more likely to be making decisions in shopping malls than in the office or boardrooms. More
The IPA, the PRCA and MCCA in the UK have agreed to establish the Communications Agency Federation (CAF) with immediate effect. The Federation will provide a forum in which the associations can exchange views, co-ordinate their work and manage joint projects. More
The '2003 Latin American Marketing Report,' published this week by Strategy Research Corporation (SRC), now part of Synovate, presents buying power estimates for 18 countries, plus Puerto Rico, and 70 metropolitan markets across Latin America. More
Nielsen Media Research and Ucentric Systems have announced an agreement to create television audience measurement software that will track usage of personal video recorders on multiple television sets. Many digital set-top boxes will be powered by Ucentric Multi-TV PVR applications. More
At the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) convention this week in Singapore when delegates discuss measurement improvements of cable and satellite audiences Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) is to highlight the Arbitron encoding technology now being used successfully in TNS's Singapore PeopleMeter system. More
Today's older children are transforming tactical marketing because they are more independent and comfortable with money, according to the latest research carried out in association with The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) in the UK. More
70% of the people who browsed online for products or services in the UK in the third quarter went on to make a purchase, the highest conversion rate of the ten major markets studied in the Nielsen//NetRatings Third Quarter 2002 Global Internet Trends Report. More
AOL has today announced the promotion of Karin Sieger to the position of UK Director of Research & Analysis, marking the increasing importance of the research function to the company. More
Goldman Sachs, Harris Interactive, and Nielsen//NetRatings have this week revealed the first findings from the 2002 USA eSpending Report, showing that online shopping adoption continues, with customer satisfaction playing a key role in overall shopping for the second consecutive year. More
Corporate responsibility continues to be an important influence on the opinions and behaviour of stakeholders - including consumers - towards companies, according to new research in the UK by MORI. The results are from MORI's annual Corporate Social Responsibility survey. More
Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) has this week launched BUYĐTest Online, an online version of its advertising pre-testing solution. BUYĐTest Online addresses traditional advertising pre-testing issues such as cost and turnaround times, while building on the BUYĐTest system used by advertisers worldwide for over 20 years. More
Research consultancy, ORC International, has recently eveloped a mathematical analysis ool for Nationwide Building Society in the UK that reveals the link between employee commitment, customer satisfaction and business performance. More
Online banking in Europe continues to grow, and is thriving in many markets, despite the current tough economic climate, according to the latest figures released by Nielsen//NetRatings. More
Some 34 per cent of employees in Britain admit to having low levels of commitment to the both the job they do and the company they work for, according to the results of the Global Employee Commitment Report 2002, released by Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS). This is in keeping with the global average figure of 35 per cent and suggests that a significant proportion of the companies in Britain may be failing to get the most out of their employees. More
Today's global consumers want to protect their favourite brands and will preserve their allegiances to the extent of turning a blind eye to political and ethical malpractice of parent companies according to the findings of a major global research study, RIO (Research International Observer), released this week. More
Interactive Tracking Systems Inc. (Itracks), specialising in online market research data collection services, has launched its new Online Usability tool for website testing. Designed with the input of leading market research firms, Online Usability is designed specifically for market researchers, allowing them to expand their service offerings in the area of website testing. More
Internet research agency RedSheriff is running its syndicated Christmas survey for the third consecutive year this December. Over the past 3 years, more than 250,000 respondents have completed RedSheriff surveys from 30 countries. More
New forecasts by GfK Panel Services Consumer Research show that online transactions (excluding home banking) by private households in Germany are expected to total over EUR 4.7 billion in 2002. Although this represents a marked increase on the previous year's volume of EUR 4.3 billion, growth is not proportional to the increase in the number of Internet users in the same period. More
A new website, MarketingFix, launched at the end of last week, aims to be a vital resource for those who follow trends in Internet marketing and media. More
According to the latest research from Nielsen//NetRatings, the UK's most popular source for news and information is the news.bbc.co.uk, which regularly attracts a unique audience of at least two million visitors per month. In the last six months, its audience peaked in June 2002 when over three million people went to the site from home or work. More
Latest research from Mintel analysing books, music and video retailing across France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and the UK highlights the British as the biggest European spenders. More
Wundermann, a member of the WPP Group, has recently announced the results of a groundbreaking research initiative, the Wundermann Brand Experience Scorecard, which demonstrates the key role that consumer-brand experience plays in the brand building process. More
The latest research released this week from Ipsos-RSL' s digital survey, DART, reveals the enormity of the task facing the Freeview syndicate (BBC, SKY and Crown Castle). The survey revealed that only 5% of households indicated that they will switch to digital TV in the next 12 months. More
Brazilian agency Enfoque Pesquisa has opened an in-house call centre in Rio de Janeiro using state of the art technology from GMI ideally suited for conducting cross-border research studies. More
In the USA Arbitron has just acquired a license to the streaming audio audience measurement system and related assets from MeasureCast, Inc., a company founded in 1999 to develop streaming audience measurement services for Internet broadcasters, advertisers and media buyers. More
Senior executives in Europe are downbeat about the outlook of the global economy over the next 12 months, according to research published this week by Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) in consultation with Deloitte Consulting. More
comScore Networks reports that despite growth in most sectors of consumer e-commerce, online sales of recorded music in the USA have continued to decline sharply for three consecutive quarters. At the same time, millions of Internet users continue to use online file-sharing services even as some of these applications have vanished. More
Marketing is the biggest driver of business results, reveals PA Consulting Group in new research underpinning the October 2002 Marketing Effectiveness campaign run by The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). More
Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) has just announced the launch of 'EmployeeScore', a new approach for measuring employee satisfaction and commitment in Britain. More
Latest research from Mintel finds call centres in the UK are dramatically failing in terms of meeting customer service expectations. Exclusive research questioning 2,020 adults finds just 5% of consumers having never experienced a problem with a call centre. A further 5% of adults do not use call centres. More
Scrutinising the future of corporate reporting is the theme of a new half day conference organised by The Market Research Society in the UK to be held in London on 6 December under the title, 'Corporate Reporting and Performance Measurement: The Challenge'. More
CRAM International and Second Sight International have launched QualiQuant (QiQ) International to add the measurement of consumer emotions to the group's resources for clients around the world. More
Next month Research International will publish the latest of its high profile 'RIO' (Research International Observer) qualitative studies. RIO 2002 will explore issues surrounding global branding and the findings will be based on consumer research conducted across 41 countries. More
In the first partnership agreement in its Partners in Research programme, Canadian agency Itracks has joined forces with TideWatch Partners, an US based custom qualitative and quantitative market research firm. More
According to the latest research from Nielsen//NetRatings, Nectar, the UK's newly launched loyalty scheme for Debenhams, Sainsbury's, BP and Barclaycard customers, attracted over 1.84 million visitors in its first month of launch. The websites of two of the partners in particular, Sainsbury and Barclaycard, experienced a 50% increase in traffic in September. More
The first GfK Brand Check survey carried out by Martin Hamblin GfK shows that Heinz is the most popular unprompted recalled brand in the UK. More
The Market Research Society (MRS) has this week announced the launch of new guidelines on Employee Research, aimed at reinforcing The MRS Code of Conduct in this sensitive area of research. More
A new Golin/Harris Trust in Asian Business survey reveals 72 percent of Asians cite a 'crisis of trust in the way we do business,' compared to 69 percent in the USA- but the most and least trusted businesses differ dramatically. More
comScore Networks has announced the launch of a revolutionary Hispanic audience measurement service, which accurately reports the online surfing and buying behaviour of the fast-growing online Hispanic population in the States. More
According to ESOMAR's latest global market research study, turnover of the marketing research industry in Spain totalled US$275 million in 2001. More
Three quarters of CAD/CAM managers operating within the mechanical engineering sector in the UK use the Internet to research CAD/CAM hardware or software product information, according to recent research conducted by The Business Advantage Group Plc. More
At the recent ESOMAR annual congress, the initial findings of the three-stage Marco Polo research project were presented. The research focuses on cooperation between customers and market research providers. It was found in essence that market research clients often live on an island isolated from both end users in their own organisation and research providers. More
An analysis by ChangingWorlds (Ireland) and Mobile Metrix (Sweden) finds that the majority of current mobile portals are designed in such a way as to inhibit users from finding and using mobile services. The analysis published in a report entitled The Plight of the Mobile Navigator and available from Mobile Metrix is based on data collected from 20 European mobile portals. More
ESOMAR's latest global market research study shows that the total market for market research worldwide in 2001 was US$15,890 million or 17,756 million. More
The Market Research Society (MRS) in the UK has this week announced the launch of its first Internet-based training course. Developed in partnership with specialist electronic publisher Nelson Croom, The MRS Questionnaire Design course will be delivered entirely online and is designed to improve the professionalism and skills of research practitioners, both in the UK and internationally. More
Nearly three-quarters of teens in the USA do not have an ethical issue over the downloading of music from the Internet, according to a national survey conducted by Edison Media. More
Latest gfk-webgauge findings show that increasing numbers of Internet users in Europe are using online auctions to buy or sell items. In Germany, in particular, snapping up bargains, curios or treasure has become increasingly popular. More
Latest research from Nielsen//NetRatings reveals that online map websites in Europe, such as multimap.com and streetmap.co.uk in the UK, mappy.com in France, map24.com in Germany and karthotellet.com in Sweden have experienced a growth of almost 300% in the last 12 months. More
A wide range of prices is being quoted for identical surveys, suggesting agencies may not be maximising their profits. This is a major finding from £quotecheck, a recent pricing study undertaken among MR agencies by research consultancy Richard Horswell Market Research (RHMR), in its latest survey - the third to date. More
According to latest research from NetValue, the online employment sector mirrors the dismal job market in Hong Kong. As the labour market worsens, more job-seekers in Hong Kong are exploring the cyber space for employment opportunities. More
INT Media Group has recently announced that it has changed its name to Jupitermedia Corporation, following the acquisition of the assets of the Jupiter Research and Events businesses from Jupiter Media Metrix, Inc. in July. More
comScore Networks this week reports that the lines between television and Internet media in the USA continue to blur, creating a major opportunity to reach consumers via simultaneous media delivery and interactivity. More
Reflecting the increased utility and growing demand for actionable and timely data concerning the interactive advertising industry, and providing increased member benefits, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has unveiled a total redesign of its website. More
US agency Decision Analyst, Inc. has been building its international Internet-based consumer panels in Spain, Mexico, Central America, and South America. There are now 50,000 Spanish-language households participating in those panels. More
Latest survey results from INRA show that at present 15% of the Belgian labour force has access to the Internet via the workplace. INRA has been measuring the evolution of Internet penetration in the country since 1998. More
According to the latest research from BMRB Interactive, in general, the public's perception of SMS texting is very negative. 7 out of 10 mobile users agree with the statement 'text messages from companies are too intrusive'. Around a fifth say that commercial SMS is not intrusive, indicating that there is a large sub-group of around 6 million adults who are open to receiving messages by phone. More
Trade associations ESOMAR and ARF have for some time recognised the importance of developing suitable measurement guidelines for the online media. To address this issue, the two associations have agreed to set up an exploratory investigation with respect to standards of performance for online measurement and analysis. More
Never before has the need to understand the interaction between economics, consumer behaviour and attitudes, political and technological factors been so great. To provide the boardroom with the best possible chance of calling next year correctly, The Henley Centre has designed a one day event 'Planning for 2003' to be held on November 8 in London. More
When compared with traditional media, one out of five Americans feel that the Internet is the 'most essential' medium to their lives, according to a new study by Arbitron and Edison Media Research. More
Following the Harris Interactive acquisition of Total Research Corporation last year, the global research and consulting firm is rebranding several business entities in the United Kingdom under one brand, HI Europe, as it embarks on building Internet research business in the country. More
Newly released research from Nielsen//NetRatings shows that the number of households using broadband Internet connections in the UK is lower than in any other country in Europe. More
The most recent annual statistics breakdown of the UK industry from the BMRA (British Market Research Association) shows total industry turnover for the year 2001 was £1.15 billion, up from £1.07 billion in 2000. Although lower than the 9.3% increase over 1999, when turnover was £1 billion, last year's increase still outstripped inflation. More
ESOMAR has just announced its 2003 calendar. Covering a wide range of subjects, the calendar consolidates regular events and also launches a number of exciting new initiatives. More
IT agency ATP has just released Winyaps 3.43. This version contains two important new features as well as providing numerous small enhancements requested by customers. In addition research agency NFO have standardised on Winyaps as their table presentation and distribution software after a lengthy evaluation process. More
8% of British Internet users now surf the Net with a fast-access/broadband connection, a rise of 60% when compared to 6 months ago, according to a survey published this week by NOP World. More
With the first wave of 2001 Census outputs expected in September in the UK, how many readers are prepared to act on the new information? The outputs from the 2001 Census will provide unprecedented detail about the UK population - both the traditional residential population and also the workplace population of each specified area. More
When it comes to major sponsorship events like the World Cup, non-sponsoring companies can choose to take a back seat, or they can apply clever marketing strategies to offset the heavy exposure and endorsement of a competitive brand sponsorship, according to findings from a recent ACNielsen Online study. More
Summer 2002 has seen Internet penetration reach the magic 50% among British adults, according to a new survey by NOP World. The latest Internet User Profile Study reveals growth rates that translate into 6,000 new users per day over the last 12 months, much of it driven by women. More
The Independent Consultants Group (ICG) in the UK is hosting the 'Research Clinic', an exclusive service for research buyers and consultancies, at the forthcoming Research Show to be held in early October in London. More
European consumers are less optimistic about the development of e-commerce than they were only six months ago. However, the number of e-consumers is still rising and so is the overall volume of online orders, as the findings of the third wave of gfk-webgauge, a survey carried out in six European countries, show. More
The Chartered Institute of Marketing in the UK is challenging the traditional strategy of reducing costs, especially marketing spend, and cutting investment to ride the storm of a downturn in consumer spending. More
The latest audience figures from Nielsen//NetRatings on the Internet and Channel 4's own TV audience figures show that the recent Big Brother TV series recorded unprecedented levels of interest on both the web and TV during May, June and July. More
The National Statistics unit in the UK is holding an Open Day on October 11 in central London giving statistics users the chance to hear about latest developments and to discuss future directions and priorities. More
A recent study by RedSheriff shows that UK users are not falling behind their European counterparts when it comes to Broadband Internet access. More
Despite the launch of lower cost digital adaptor boxes available from the High Street, the digital market has not grown. The latest research from Ipsos-RSL' s digital survey, DART shows that 35% of UK households receive digital TV services - no change from last October. More
comScore Networks has recently announced the immediate global expansion of its comScore Media Metrix audience measurement service. In September 2002, comScore Media Metrix will deliver audience measurement services covering 25 countries and eight world regions, far exceeding the reach of any other service in the industry. More
The Market Research Society (MRS) in the UK has recently announced the launch of new draft guidelines on public opinion research - one of the most sensitive areas of market research. More
NetRatings last week acquired a controlling interest in NetValue, an international provider of Internet audience behaviour measurement services. More
TECHNOVATE, the new ESOMAR conference platform, will gather marketers, technologists and researchers to share thoughts, ideas, and issues while promoting discussions across a broad array of integrative topics. The conference will take place in Cannes (France) from 26 to 28 January 2003. More
IT buyers in the US and the UK are predicting growth rates of around 4% in IT spending in 2002 and increased growth rates for 2003, according to the latest results from the Technology Confidence barometer, the joint study conducted by United Business Media's RoperNOP and CMP Media business divisions. More
Switzerland is an oasis of affluence: seven out of eight of the richest European regions are in the Swiss Confederation. Geneva leads the way with disposable income per capita of around EUR 36,000 per annum. The inhabitants of Eastern Europe, on the other hand, have to live far more modestly, the countries with the least disposable income being Albania (EUR 563), the Ukraine (EUR 379) and Moldavia (EUR 223). These are the findings of a survey carried out by GfK-Regionalforschung. More
E-business is taking root just about everywhere-but some countries are pioneers, others laggards. Which are faring best in e-business, and what characterises their success? The answers can be found in the 2002 edition of the Economist Intelligence Unit's e-readiness rankings. More
Three-quarters of Canadian Internet users claim to use the Web as a source of health-related information, with nearly two in ten saying they have asked their doctor to prescribe them medication they researched online or saw on television, according to a recent study from NFO CFgroup. More
According to the latest data from BMRB Interactive, there are now 15.4 million home Internet users in the GB. The proportion who have a broadband connection continues to increase - from 7% in November 2001 to 9% in February 2002, to 12% now. Almost 2 million people now have a home broadband connection. More
According to a new report by media analysts Screen Digest and investment bank ABN Amro, British consumers are spending more time and money on media than ever before. Indeed, the total media market could be worth a staggering £56bn by the end of the decade. However, whilst the winners are electronic and online media, the losers are printed media. More
'The majority of price promotions lead in the long-term to brand share erosion' was the summary by Thomas Bachl, Managing Director of GfK Panel Services Consumer Research, at the recent GfK Annual Conference. This result comes from a survey of 157 brands covering products in regular daily use. More
Online estate agents in the UK have experienced a surge in visitors to their sites so far this year, and have been able to convert them into loyal customers, according to the latest research from Nielsen//NetRatings. More
Job searching is now among the most popular Internet activities for Candian users: more Canadians have looked for a job online than have banked online, shopped online, comparison shopped or downloaded music. This is one of the findings of a new study from Ipsos-Reid, entitled Online Job Hunting: What the Future Holds. More
Arbitron results for the quarter ended June 30, 2002 show an increase of 12.4% in revenue terms to USD56.5 million compared with USD50.3 million during the second quarter of 2001. More
comScore Networks and CMR, the leading provider of advertising and marketing communication information, have jointly announced the extension of the firms' strategic alliance through their respective acquisitions of Media Metrix and Evaliant. More
The latest edition of Research News from the Market Research Society of Australia reports that the next Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) survey of the domestic market research industry will go into field in August. More
At the recent 2002 GfK Annual Conference, Professor Dr. Hermann Diller, marketing expert and holder of the Chair of Economics at the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, spoke on intelligent pricing management. More
Continuing Forrester's commitment to helping clients understand the technology marketplace and simplify difficult product selections, Forrester Research has this week launched the Forrester Wave -- a new standard graphical representation of Forrester's call on vendors, marketplaces, and other emerging technology products and services. More
Arbitron Inc has this week announced that it will expand its Portable People Market trial in the United States. More
The Harris Poll latest annual survey results on 'best brands' shows Sony listed in the number one position, picked by more people than any other brand. Sony tops the list for the third year in a row, and for the fifth time in seven years. In the eight years since Harris Interactive began asking this question, Sony has never been lower than third and no other brand comes close to matching this record. More
Following a survey of over 8,700 UK Internet banking customers, Virtual Surveys in the UK has published its latest online banking awards. More
Two pioneers of Internet research, Ray Poynter and Pete Comley, have teamed up to launch a new company called Europinion Ltd to specialise in conducting conventional research online. More
Online data collection agency Itracks has launched its new Online Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) service allowing the company to seamlessly integrate online and telephone interviewing, which will enable the client to watch survey participation online in real-time. Itracks clients will have a range of survey data collection options, from phone to web to a hybrid approach. More
Forrester Research and amrinteractive and are set to introduce Forrester's business and consumer Technographics into Australia. This was previously only available in the United States and Europe. More
Nearly 8 million Hispanics are thought to have accessed the Internet last month. This compares to some 6.7 million users during June 2001, making Hispanics the third largest ethnic group currently going online. This is according to new data just released by Nielsen NetRatings More
An industry group representing New Zealand's Internet publishers, advertisers and agencies have announced the selection of Red Sheriff and Phoenix for their new Internet ratings and audience measurement figures. More
The US home video sector enjoyed record-breaking rental and sales revenues in 2001. This is according to the latest annual report on the home entertainment industry from the Video Software Dealers' Association (VSDA). More
'Count the beats of your heart not the fingers on your hand' is the message Kevin Roberts, Worldwide CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi will give to the world's market researchers in his keynote speech to the ESOMAR Congress in Barcelona this September. More
For those readers experiencing conference withdrawal symptoms as the summer season approaches, The Market Research Society in the UK has just unveiled radical new plans for its annual Conference, 'Research 2003'. This will take place between 19-21 March 2003 and will run at a new venue, the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. More
Global Market Insite (GMI), Cunningham Research, and Field Facts Worldwide have this week announced the further expansion of the global network of central location testing facilities. The expansion increases the number of US mall locations to more than 125 unique sites across the USA, and extends the network globally via Field Facts' Worldwide offices and partner sites. Both companies have licensed GMI's Net-MR suite of Net-centric software tools for market research management. More
According to recent data from NetValue (based on a panel of more than 5,000 representative online consumers), online travel and tourism sites have attracted mounting interest among Hong Kong Internet surfers. Figures for the first quarter of 2002 show that visitors to these websites have increased two fold over the one-year period. More
ESOMAR is holding its 54th Annual Congress from 22 to 25 September in Barcelona with the conference returning to Spain for the first time in ten years. Entitled 'Consolidation or Renewal? From Research to Customer Insight', the congress will examine the impact of consolidation in business and include papers on important areas such as innovation, branding, segmentation, new technologies and market research methods. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has this week acquired, from AMR Interactive, both the Australian home and work measurement panels and existing Jupiter Media Metrix client contracts for Internet Audience Measurement. More
Ipsos-RSL's recently published Europe 2002 study updates the results in this survey series, which covers the top 4% of Europe's decision makers and leading consumers, representing 10.6 million high status individuals in 16 countries. The results confirm the strength of international media and reveal the growing technology focus of Europe's elite. More
Over two-thirds (69%) of analysts in the City and Wall Street think the outsourcing of business critical processes can improve a company's share price. Meanwhile 64% think such outsourcing can have a significant impact on a company's profitability. More
comScore Networks has announced the second generation of its widely used, syndicated Internet audience ratings, and detailed plans for its continued industry leadership. More
Almost three-quarters of the leading brands from as long as thirty years ago were still market leaders in 2001 according to speakers at this year's GfK annual conference on issues of modern brand management held recently in Nuremberg. More
At the end of last week, Jupiter Media Metrix disclosed that it had filed a preliminary proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission related to its previously announced sale of the assets of its Jupiter Research and Events businesses as well as a proposed plan, approved by the company's board of directors on June 25, 2002, to liquidate and dissolve the company. More
Figures for job postings and mean salaries from MrWeb for the first six months of the year show an industry returning to normal. Mean salaries are higher than in the first half of 2001 and numbers of jobs advertised are very similar. There has been a significant shift towards recruitment of senior people and away from junior, and a steep rise in client side hirings since March. Detailed stats will appear in MRWho later this week. More
ORC International is hosting its second free seminar in London on 11 July 2002. Focusing on Internet technology and statistics, the half-day should help researchers combine these new tools with more traditional methodologies. More
Following on from yesterday's report on e-commerce in the UK, on a global basis the proportion of Internet users buying products and services online has failed to grow in the last 12 months, according to the new Global e-commerce Report from Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS). More
NetValue has this week announced the launch of NetValue Instant Media, a global online media planning solution. It is designed to facilitate online advertising integration into companies' global media strategies. More
More people are shopping online in Great Britain than this time last year, according to Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) Interactive. The agency's new third annual Global e-commerce Report shows that nine percent of Brits have shopped online in the last four weeks, compared to just six percent in 2001. More
Martin Hamblin GfK Inc, the US-based healthcare arm of GfK, has signed an agreement to partner with WebSurveyResearch. This will bring it access to WebSurveyMD, the dedicated Internet panel of US physicians and other healthcare professionals. More
INT Media Group, Inc. has this week announced that it is to acquire Jupiter Research and Events businesses from Jupiter Media Metrix. The deal is worth some $250,000 and will be finalised by July 31, 2002. More
Arbitron and IBOPE Media have announced an agreement to test Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) technology in four Latin American countries. More
American researchers comScore Networks Inc. and Jupiter Media Metrix, Inc have jointly announced that comScore has acquired certain assets of the Media Metrix Internet Audience Measurement service in the United States and Canada. More
Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) has this week announced the acquisition of Evaliant Media Resources LLC (Evaliant), an online ad data and analysis tool provider. The new business will be combined with the online ad tracking division of TNS CMR, enhancing its position in this developing new market. More
Now is the last chance to register for 'The Round Table 2002' - the E-Tabs North American User Conference - being held next week (June 19-20) in New York City. More
In Germany GfK Fernsehforschung has been commissioned by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Fernsehforschung (Television Research Partnership) to use the AGF/GfK TV panel to measure the consumption not only of analogue but also digitally broadcast programmes. More
A polite reminder from the MRS has just reached the offices of DRNO. Apparently, the annual researchers' Golf Tournament, sponsored by NOP, is set for Thursday 27th June, at the Wyke Green Golf Club in Middlesex. More
Billions of dollars are spent worldwide on marketing to children, but this type of promotion is seen as a highly contentious and controversial one. Many European countries ban it, while others are considering imposing further restrictions. More
Online researcher Itracks has announced the results of its 2002 Market Research Industry Survey. This year's survey is the third annual industry study conducted by Itracks; the inaugural survey won honourable mention at the 2000 EXPLOR competition, awarded by the A. C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Research Awards. More
People generally claim not to be responsive to advertising, whether the ads are online or offline. However, BMRB has found new evidence suggesting that a core of people are in fact positively responsive to online ads. This is according to findings in BMRB's latest Internet Monitor and TGI.Net survey. More
Claritas Interactive, the email marketing division of Claritas Europe, has re-launched its consumer-facing website, emailinform.com. Developed in conjunction with High Street names, the site now offers discounts, vouchers and special offers in return for information on consumers' lifestyles and interests. More
Jupiter Media Metrix has introduced new online research aimed at the commercial airline industry. Based on consumer behaviour and performance on the Net, the new 'Jupiter Airline CORE (Composite Rating of Online Effectiveness) Index' will initially focus on American based airlines and offer six monthly updates. More
With the rise of new breed video electronics, are old-fashioned technologies disappearing? Are DVDs killing off VCRs? New TGI data from Spring 2002 helps find the answers. Only one in ten (14 percent) of UK homes owns a DVD player at present, compared to nearly all (90 percent) households owning a VCR. More
Online researcher Itracks has reached an agreement with virtual environment developer Vision Critical, to become a distributor of the 'The Virtual Consumer' system. More
As a research provider, do your know how your prices compare with the market? Are you charging your clients too much? Could you benefit from greater marketplace intelligence? Independent consultants Richard Horswell and Sally Donovan are possibly able to help you with these difficult questions. More
Motorists are beginning to wise up to rising motoring insurance costs, according to new research published this week by Mintel. The latest report on the subject details how consumers are now seeking at least three quotations before renewing their policies. More
With the advent of the FIFA World Cup, football-related websites are being swarmed with Hong Kong soccer fans, according to a new report from NetValue. Football fever is believed to have boosted traffic to sports sites to an all-time high of 478,800 unique visitors during the month of March 2002. More
Inadequate e-payments solutions are a huge obstruction to the online retail industry's progress. Three quarters (72 percent) of the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) recently voted 'payments problems' as the main issue to be solved in the next year. This is according to the IMRG's 'Payments Review' workshop held earlier this month. More
A new official body representing European market research is to be launched later this year. The brainchild of ESOMAR and EFAMRO, the organisation, entitled the 'European Marketing Research Alliance' (EMRA), will primarily lobby against any negative legislation across EU member states. More
New Zealand has experienced a surge in business use of the Internet over the last two years or so. This is according to a new survey commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Development. More
Marketing and opinion research appears to be a growth industry in Brazil, with a turnover of US$ 197 million in 2000. This is according to information released in ESOMAR's new global market research study. The sector grew by 11 percent overall during 2001 and continues to show steady growth into 2002. More
Most researchers believe that response rates have declined steadily over the past 20 years. Many are gloomy about the future as well, with rates set to continue falling. In the face of this, the CMR Group are running a seminar for all concerned researchers offering some smart solutions to this serious problem. More
The winds of change sweeping through the world of the Big Five accountants are proving to be beneficial. This is according to new research in the recently released 'Global Tax Monitor' from Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS). More
Sending and receiving e-mail was the dominant online activity in 12 countries over the past six months, with Australians leading the way, according to the Nielsen//NetRatings First Quarter 2002 Global Internet Trends report. More
Recent research conducted by interactive research specialist RedSheriff has highlighted the uptake of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6 across Europe. More
ESOMAR has this week announced the second phase of an important new research project called Marco Polo. Aimed at gathering information on the needs of market research in client companies, the project aims to find ways in which to maximise the impact of market research. More
Total online ad spend in Britain grew by 7% in 2001 to reach around £160 million according to the latest survey from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). It is thought that the data show signs of strong growth in contrast to the wider depressed advertising scene. More
The latest CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) Marketing Trends Survey in the UK shows a major upward revision to planned sales growth. At the same time, however, confidence that these plans can be achieved has dropped back close to its lowest ever level. More
After a competitive bidding process international market research agency SKOPOS has been commissioned by BusinessWeek to establish and maintain a panel of 1,000+ print and online subscribers of the influential business magazine. More
US agency MRSI (Marketing Research Services) has announced partnerships with Greenfield Online and Global Market Insite (GMI) in order to strengthen the agency's online research capabilities and allowing the company to gain full control over its online interviewing process, from source of respondents to data collection to reporting. More
The 5th Annual Media Research Seminar, organised by WARC and Admap, in association with the MRS, takes place on 13th June in central London. The event aims to tackle the increasingly complex world of the media and how to get the best out of media measurement. More
The mindset in client companies is shifting towards increasing the profitability of research. The common characteristic is broadening the range of clients that the research company works with and widening the types of services offered. There is a stronger focus on fund raising and on the contribution of marketing research to the bottom line. These are main conclusions of the unique cross MR industry forum 'Managing Research for Profit' held by ESOMAR last month. More
A new report on Home Shopping from Mintel's Retail Intelligence argues that retailers are missing out on a big opportunity in home shopping. However, the study finds the European home shopping sector continuing to lose retail share, with the few areas of sector growth failing to offset the slow declining big book mail order sector. More
Reflexions Communication Research has launched a new interview engine capable of 'chat room' style conversation over the Internet. The system is specifically designed to collect qualitative data from interviewees online. More
Asian Internet surfers are apparently becoming obsessed with adult content sites. According to new Asian research from NetValue, March 2002 witnessed a significant increase in visitors to these sites year-on-year. More
In a further move towards concentration in the Internet panels sector, NetRatings has acquired ACNielsen eRatings.com and in a separate transaction, Jupiter Media Metrix's contracts for European Internet audience measurement. More
ACNielsen Media International has acquired the right to use Radiocontrol, a measuring technology developed by Telecontrol, a GfK subsidiary, for radio ratings in 19 countries in the Asia Pacific region. More
Over 80 percent of US 'Brand Loyalists' think consumers generally get what they pay for, and almost 50 percent equate quality with price. These are some of the findings from recently released research in the 'Jupiter Consumer Survey Report: Consumer Packaged Goods'. More
Our enthusiasm for e-government appears to be on the rise according to a new survey released by KPMG Consulting. In a repeat of its February 2001 study, KPMG's research shows that two-thirds of Brits would now like at least one local service available for interaction online. More
Thomas Pauschert has become a new member of the management team of the Wiesbaden based ENIGMA-Institut für Markt- und Sozialforschung (Institute of Market and Social Research), a GfK company. More
ACNielsen Media International has just won a new, five-year contract to provide television audience ratings in Ireland. The contract takes effect in September 2003 and runs through to August 2008, with an option to extend the agreement through to August 2010. More
E-retail is facing a year in which shopping online will becoming 'everyday'; merchants will get to optimise their existing e-commerce assets; and 'interactive media' will start to re-shape much of retail overall. This is according to the latest annual statement from the IMRG (the e-retail industry body) released earlier this week. More
Luxury car manufacturers are failing their consumers by over-using technology on their websites. This is according to new 'usability' research from interactive specialist RedSheriff. More
'Pitch Stick' has just been launched by youth consumer insight team, Fat Group to provide marketing clients with a cost-effective rapid tool for gaining a deeper insight into the attitudes and motivations of the ever-changing youth market. More
Chris van Schijndel has stepped down from his forthcoming appointment as Director General of ESOMAR. Unforeseen private circumstances have been offered as the reason for his change of mind. More
The recent decline of the monkey is not the only bad news for Britain's digital TV industry. Overall uptake is believed to have stalled at a third (36%) of all homes receiving digital TV. This is the same percentage as six months ago, according to the latest research from Ipsos-RSL's Digital Audience Research Tracker (DART). More
Media researcher Ipsos-RSL is set for a summer launch for the new addition to its Europe 2000 family of surveys. The latest study, entitled 'Europe 2002', will be welcomed with a host of events during the month of July. More
Part of the problem surrounding the whole issue of consumer loyalty, according to new analysis from Through the Loop, is that all too often marketers are focusing on attracting new customers rather on satisfying their existing customer base. More
Internet research agency NetValue has reported a 90% rise in consolidated revenues for 2001, although the company is still incurring net losses. More
China has taken second place in the race for the world's largest at-home Internet population, according to new Nielsen//NetRatings data. More
PMB, Print Measurement Bureau, and KMR, owners of the Global Target Group Index (TGI), have announced an agreement establishing PMB as Global TGI's Canadian partner. Under the terms of the agreement, PMB is granted Canadian sales rights to Global TGI's research data internationally, and Global TGI member companies are granted corresponding rights to PMB research data. More
Ipsos-New Media Research has this week signed an exclusive agreement with Lunarstorm, Scandinavia's largest youth portal, hosting more than 950,000 registered members. The deal will allow the agency to research the so-called 'early adapting' Swedish population. More
Employee research specialist ORC International is hosting a free seminar at its London offices on 2 May, focussing on its new on-line tools designed to help HR professionals collect and analyse their employee research data. More
QualiQuant International and CRAM International have just launched The QualiQuant Toolkit on the market. This innovative web-centric technology allows interviewing to be carried out online or offline using Computer Assisted Interviewing and is thought particularly useful for finance, pharmaceutical, B2B sectors, employee research and youth markets. More
The European record industry must act now to curb the illegal free downloading of music and license their content to paid-for online music services. These are the main conclusions from new Net music industry research from Jupiter MMXI. More
While cautious about short-term prospects, key IT decision-makers within the US and UK believe that IT spend will increase in 2002 and for the next few years. More
According to newly released data from Jupiter Media Metrix, Internet usage more heavily affects the television viewing habits of women with children than women without children in the USA. More
The future of smart cards, and their likely effects on us good or bad, is to form the basis of an intriguing half-day seminar from Logica Consulting and Teleconomy. To be held in London on the 2nd May, the session promises to reveal useful new research on consumer behaviour. More
A recent usability index conducted by interactive research specialist RedSheriff found that four of the leading banks in the UK are failing their customers by not providing sites that are easy to navigate. More
Voxco UK and Data Capture Handheld are joining forces to promote a new feature developed by Voxco as applied to M-CAPI Express. In order to enhance the M-CAPI Express service offered by Data Capture, the data collected can now be viewed online, using Voxco's Interviewer Web Online Field Reporting tools. More
Research agency RDSi has just completed a brand new survey on pregnant women and parents of pre-school children. The results are to be presented at two seminars in early May at the agency's London offices. More
Latest data from the British Market Research Association shows the UK MR industry is holding up well economically. It appears to be showing better returns than other marketing disciplines, such as advertising, and has fair prospects for the present year's trading in total. More
Recent research from InterQuest, the Scandinavian mobile and digital research company, reveals that seven out of ten respondents in the UK, Italy and Germany would recommend others to receive mobile marketing services. More
A quarter of all net-connected British businesses are planning to adopt broadband Internet in the next 12 months, according to the latest wave of the Business Internet survey, published by NOP Business. More
Web research giant Netratings has just increased its cyber-clout by purchasing AdRelevance, the online advertising spend monitoring business of competitor Jupiter Media Metrix. It is believed that the acquisition is worth USD8.5 million. More
The Market Research Society of Australia (MRSA) has announced it is to hold the inaugural meeting of its new Independent Research Group (IRG) during the first week of May. The group has been set up in response to the reported needs of independent researchers. More
Whatever the economic climate, measuring the effectiveness of your advertising campaign or the strength of your brand is a critical factor to business success. Drawing on over 20 years of advertising insight, Paul Feldwick's latest book, 'What is Brand Equity Anyway?' (published by WARC) is likely to be of interest to anyone concerned with brands, marketing and advertising. More
The American Marketing Association is set to honour its annual award winners at a 'Frontiers in Services' conference this June in Maastricht, The Netherlands. This year's best services marketing award will go to recent work done on the limitations and biases that a survey can introduce to the research process. More
New statistics released by NetProfit show an ongoing slowdown in US connectivity, accompanied by a significant rise in the levels for Germany. The latter is leaping rapidly up the worldwide ranks, as can be clearly seen in the researcher's latest quarterly 'Reconnaissance Advantage Index'. More
A new online media planning tool called 'Audience insite Measures' (AiM) has been launched this week by Jupiter Media Metrix. Designed to help both US advertisers and media sellers, it provides in-depth demographic, lifestyle and qualitative information on a wide range of websites and visitors. More
In response to the call for regular and up-to-date information on audience research, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) and ESOMAR are organising a Week of Audience Measurement (WAM) this summer. This new annual event will run from the 9th to the 14th June in Cannes, France. More
Creating online awareness, generating click-throughs, and building Net sales often go wrong as users leave their metaphorical web purchases at the 'counter'. Improving this situation is the aim of NOP World's new 'RelevantView' software system launched last week. More
European women still use the web in a very different way from men, according to new Jupiter MMXI research. The gender differences are persisting across the Union as well despite the increase in the numbers of women online and their overall Internet 'savviness'. More
RedSheriff, has just launched a set of four 'off-the-shelf surveys' for website owners. These are in the form of their new general, customer satisfaction, e-commerce and demographic products. More
TNS Tellex and Parker Bishop have announced that they are to re-brand as one dedicated media monitoring agency - TNS Media Intelligence - from the beginning of April this year. More
Arbitron is to begin using its radio diary database to increase the sample size for RADAR network radio audience estimates in the USA. This begins with the release of the RADAR 73 network radio ratings report in June 2002. More
A bumpy journey lies ahead in the move from free online content to paid-for, with net content revenues only reaching some USD6 billion by 2006. Such is the gist of new research released at the recent ninth annual Jupiter Media Forum in NYC. More
CRM agency, KnowledgeBase Marketing, has recently partnered with Yankelovich, a consumer research firm, to offer clients a new marketing tool. MONITOR MindBase, the leading attitudinal segmentation product developed by Yankelovich, is now available to KnowledgeBase Marketing clients for data enhancement and list rental through the AmeriLINK Consumer Database. More
Arbitron Inc has announced this week that two Philadelphia area radio stations in the USA have begun encoding their streamed radio signal specifically for use in the current Portable People Meter (PPM) test. More
When asked to rank their brands' attributes, marketers gave 'value for money' the highest average ranking in the Chartered Institute of Marketing's (CIM) recent Marketing Trends survey in the UK. More
Internet researcher Nielsen//Netratings has this week launched a new Web measurement system in the shape of its 'marketview' tool. This is designed to deliver competitive website analysis as well as media buying/selling intelligence. More
To what extent are today's consumers interested in environmental and other sustainability issues? How can advertisers and agencies reflect this in their communications? These are the two key issues to be addressed at the IPA's 'Can Sustainability Sell?' conference to be held this Wednesday 20th March 2002. More
Over half the UK's viewing public (52%) believe that TV programmes have at least remained as good as in previous years. Half also believe that there is the right amount of regulation on air at present. These are two of the findings from recent Independent Television Commission (ITC) research. More
Loyalty to big retail websites varies across Europe, according to Jupiter research just released for the first time. The latest results show that German online shoppers are likely to return to a site the most, whilst the Italian and Swiss are less likely to do so. More
Traffic to employment websites has been enthusiastic across most of Asia since the start of 2002, according to new figures published by NetValue. Taiwanese women appear to be particularly keen visitors, closely followed by Korea's students. More
In the second of a special feature on papers coming up at the forthcoming MRS conference, we look at the issue of branding and size as presented by Mark Kingsbury of Research International. More
SPSS MR has forged a new alliance with Optimum Pay, a leader in online payment systems in a drive to boost survey participation rates. With Optimum Pay, customers can create highly differentiated incentive programmes that drive cooperation rates in surveys. Since Optimum Pay runs on the Web, administrative burdens and costs are kept to a minimum. More
According to the latest Nielsen//NetRatings data, broadband usage out-paced narrowband usage for the first time in January in the USA, as broadband surfers logged 1.19 billion hours, accounting for 51% of the 2.3 billion hours spent online during the month. By comparison, broadband users spent 727 million hours online in January 2001, accounting for 38% of the total time spent online. More
The GfK Group has announced three further expansionary moves in recent weeks. This includes the takeover of Informark in Australian, increasing the participation in the Indian joint venture, ORG-GfK Marketing Services, to 40% and the acquisition of a 35% stake in M2A in France. More
UK recruitment consultancy pricejamieson, has introduced a dedicated team to provide HR services for its clients, with Claire Lloyd appointed as Head of HR Services. More
Jupiter Media Metrix last week introduced what is purported to be the financial services industry's first index based entirely on online consumer behaviour and performance metrics. More
This week sees a two day conference (March 14 and 15) in central London organised by IQPC entitled 'Generating and Leveraging Consumer Insight'. More
New figures on the Irish high tech economy have been posted from Internet agency Net Profit this week. The analysis shows that 2001 proved a lean period for what once was formerly the high growth sector of ICT (information and communications technology). More
Most predictions of the future for DTV in Europe underestimate the potential size of the market. Or so new Jupiter research indicates. New intelligence from the company suggests that more European households will be watching digital TV than will be using the Internet within 5 years. More
About six in ten adult Canadian Internet users now own a mobile phone, with more than half of them using them as secondary personal phones. This is according to the latest NFO Cfgroup's annual Wireless Telephony study released earlier this week. More
The UK's first national email ethics survey has revealed that over half (53%) of white- collar employees from the UK's largest cities behave 'e-morally' on email whilst at work. This untoward behaviour includes the use of email to 'back stab' colleagues, along with the deliberate sending of racist, sexist, pornographic or discriminatory emails. More
Internet use among Germans last year grew from around a third of all adults to nearly half. This is the headline finding from NFO Infratest's latest Internet User Monitor research. The rise across 2001 means that six million more Germans are now online, bringing the total number to around 31 million. More
Media planning tools for online advertising have arrived this week in the shape of new tools from Jupiter Media Metrix. The company's research-based Internet ad planning resource promises to bring reach and frequency estimates to Net campaigns for the first time. More
With under a month to go until the MRS annual conference, Mr Web is privileged to feature a synopsis of some of the papers to be presented at the event. The first paper we look at examines a new framework for npd research developed out of the technology sector as presented by Andrew Vincent and Jerome Norris of Business & Market Research. More
Sweden has once again been rated as the world's leading information economy, according to the 2002 IDC/World Times Information Society Index (ISI). More
Just published, Excellence in International Research 2002, the third in the series, contains a collection of the best papers from ESOMAR events in 2001, selected for their major contribution to excellence and best practice in international research. More
Ivor Stocker, Chairman of the British Market Research Association, has been appointed to the council of the Market Research Society in the UK. More
Despite a difficult trading environment, preliminary figures from GfK indicate that the agency has achieved good results for the 2001 year. Total revenue rose by 11% to EUR 534.0 million, whilst earnings before interest and tax including income from participations (aEBIT), increased by 14.5% to EUR 45.1 million. More
Around nine out of ten companies in the US (93%) and UK (86%) are now using the Internet for activities such as CRM, marketing, order fulfilment and selling to deal with customers according to research by Taylor Nelson Sofres Information Technology. In stark contrast, six out of ten (60%) companies in Japan and fewer than four out of ten (36%) companies in France are using the Internet as a marketing channel or customer service mechanism. More
The first ESOMAR Conference on Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM) is scheduled for 17 to 19 March in Prague. The event aims to provide a unique platform to review the current state of the market research industry in relation to the opportunities offered by CRM. More
Net auditor RedSheriff is offering UK website owners a two month, reduced rate fee for the measurement and filtering of their ABC traffic data. ABC ELECTRONIC already offers website owners a half price registration fee to all those that use RedSheriff. More
Australia's overall 2001 advertising economy has been depressed by a decline in major category advertising post September 11. This is according to the latest annual advertising expenditure figures released by ACNielsen Media International. More
NetRatings has appointed William Pulver, president and COO of the company, as CEO and a member of the NetRatings Board of Directors. Mr. Pulver assumes the roles from Dave Toth who is stepping down. More
More evidence of the ever-improving state of online sales is emerging. Some 5.4 million GB adults made Net purchases during the month to Christmas 2001. As such, NOP's latest Internet User Profile figures point to a 12 percent year-on-year increase. More
ACNielsen Burke Institute and Burke, Inc. have entered into a joint venture to combine the ACNielsen Burke Institute and Burke's The Training & Development Center under one organization to be named The Burke Institute. This joint venture will bring together the faculty and course content from both organisations, combining over 70 years of marketing research knowledge. More
Video Research, a media and marketing information company in Japan, has just opened a new company Video Research International (Thailand) in Bangkok. More
The GfK Group has been busy expanding. News of its continuing growth includes a recent increase in UK and Irish healthcare/life science research, along with raised interest in subsidiaries Institut de Sondage Lavialle (I.S.L.) and Procon GfK. The group has also established a new Yugoslavian subsidiary, GfK Belgrade. More
The Independent Consultant's Group (ICG) in the UK has this week launched its website at http://www.indepconsultants.org More
Jupiter Media Metrix has this week introduced what is claimed to be the first independent online advertising and marketing measurement system. Called 'Campaign Analysis', the tool should provide accurate and up-to-date measures of online campaigns. More
The latest Virtual Online Banking Survey (V-OBS) released this week shows big differences in customer satisfaction between the main UK players. Smile (the online arm of the Co-operative Bank) has emerged top of the league table at present. NatWest and the Alliance & Leicester have been revealed as in joint last position. More
American Internet researchers NetRatings and Jupiter Media Metrix have now decided to pull the plug on the acquisition agreement arranged last autumn. This is believed to follow extensive discussions with the staff at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the USA about the proposed move. More
Quancept Web and Quancept CATI users can now use a recently released online survey results package from IT supplier ATP. Developed in the form of Topline software, this latest web resource allows users to view their survey results as data is created. 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
At the recent Net Effects 5 Conference, the ESOMAR Programme Committee met to select the nominations for the John and Mary Goodyear Award of Best International Papers. More
Results from NetValue's newest product, the e-Lifestyle Report, reveals that in nearly all Asian markets, females have increasingly made use of different facets of the Internet as their communication tools. More
The latest Trends in Television Report covering the fourth quarter of 2001 released this week by the IPA shows that television is on the way out. More
Latest analysis from Jupiter MMXI indicates that the European online travel market has grown considerably over the last year. More
Itracks has just released version 3.03 of its Online Focus Group software which allows market researchers to hold focus groups in an online environment. More
MRS Conference-goers among us will probably remember that the annual Brighton event approaches soon. As ever, the events will include an auction for the Market Research Benevolent Association (MRBA), to be managed this year by NOP. More
We Brits have become the biggest spenders online of all Europeans according to new GfK research. Our online purchases have increased 29% to Euros 2.7 billion (£1.7bn) over the past six months. At the same time, monthly usage has also risen, with over two thirds (65%) of Britons getting onto the Net. More
Over 90% of senior executives in the Australian direct mail industry believe that the country's new Privacy Act will impact on their businesses to some extent. This is according to the detailed findings of the first ACNielsen MailTrack survey of Australian direct mail online released this week. More
Do you want to hear industry views on 'Understanding and Overcoming the Limitations of Web-Based Market Research'? If so, the forthcoming second annual Henry Stewart conference on the subject is scheduled for central London on 26th February. 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
WARC's new 'European Advertising & Media Yearbook 2002' is now available. Claiming it is the most comprehensive and authoritative source of European and media data available, it should be an asset to any marketer's bookshelf or briefcase. More
According to latest data from GfK, consumers in Germany ordered online goods worth a total of EUR 942 million during the Christmas period, representing a sales increase of 63% compared to the same period the previous year. More
Almost two thirds of Australians think the world economy is heading for recession. This is the headline finding from a new Asia Pacific online survey on consumer confidence from ACNielsen. More
The UK's Internet population has grown to an estimated 18 million adults according to new data released by BMRB. The latest Internet Monitor research also shows that people are using the web less for work-related purposes and more for fun and relaxation. More
Taylor Nelson Sofres, through its subsidiary TNS Intersearch, has acquired the custom research division of Greenfield Online, Inc. (GFOL). The custom research staff of GFOL will be fully integrated into TNS Intersearch and will be totally focused on serving the online data collection needs of research companies. More
As the theme for the Chartered Institute of Marketing's 2002 conference to be held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on 22nd February, branding will be investigated in a number of ways. More
As of today you can register for a free, regular email with details of market research *events* of relevance to you - conferences, seminars, courses, speaker meetings, training, interest groups and others. Select the types of event you want and choose from weekly, fortnightly or monthly emails. Register at www.mrweb.com/input/evt-not.htm or read more details first... More
Research2002, this year's Annual Conference of The Market Research Society (MRS), is now approaching fast, to be held in Brighton on 20th to 22nd March. The central theme of this year's event is 'Insight into Action' with the aim of demonstrating to attendees how, in an increasingly competitive market, consumer insight has clear implications for marketing activity in both the public and private sectors. More
The IPA report by Howard Unna, published this week in the UK, provides a fascinating insight into DiTV through Unna's experience as one of the first DiTV retailers, responsible for the launch of the first retail shop to start trading on 'Open' almost three years ago. More
The Chartered Institute of Marketing in the UK just has launched an important initiative 'The Knowledge Centre'. CIM's goal is to create an encyclopaedia of knowledge, tools and information, which practitioners will find practical and useful. More
Internet research agency NetRatings has reported financial results for its fourth quarter and year ended December 2001, showing revenues up by 15% for the year. More
Arbitron Inc has posted its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 2001, showing a rise of 10% in annual revenue over the year. More
GfK has this week won two multi-year contracts in Belgium and Austria that will strengthen the group's leading position in media research in Europe. More
The 4Q 2001 Bellwether Report, the quarterly survey of client spending intentions recently published by NTC Research on behalf of the IPA, shows a further easing in the rate of economic growth. There were further downward revisions to fourth quarter 2001 budgets and the weakest rise in budget setting in the survey's two-year history. (for US ad spending figures, see yesterday's DRNO). More
Organisations that depend on telephone for their business are alienating thousands of customers every day, according to a recent survey from NOP World. More
ATR Australia has recently been selected to provide television audience measurement services for the regional free to air television markets of Queensland, Northern NSW, Southern NSW (including ACT), Victoria and Tasmania. More
Jupiter MMXI has released its first monthly report showing how the British use the Internet at work. The research is based on the behaviour of a representative sample of Internet users who have installed Jupiter's tracking software onto their PC. More
Research consultancy Teleconomy has just announced its purchase of Net Profit, the UK based Internet analyst and publisher. The deal sees Teleconomy restructured into a new strategic research consultancy and publishing group, with specialisms in consumer and corporate behaviour across virtual channels. More
Arbitron Inc has begun recruiting consumers for the planned second and final phase of the American market trial of its revolutionary new radio, television and cable TV audience measurement device - the Portable People Meter (PPM). More
Leaders of the market research industry, meeting last week in Geneva for the second consecutive year, to discuss ways to strengthen the position of market research, agreed to take action on a number of key priorities. The 50 leaders attending the global Research Leaders Summit, also called RELEAS 2, organized by ARF and ESOMAR, have decided to establish a global lobbying body for the market research industry. 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
NetRatings, Inc. and Jupiter Media Metrix, Inc. have jointly announced that they have modified certain terms of their merger agreement. This is in respect of the pending acquisition of Jupiter Media Metrix by NetRatings. More
The willingness of British children to give out their home address on the Net has dropped by two-thirds in 18 months, according to a survey just published by NOP Family. More
ACNielsen Media International has signed a three-year regional contract with Crown Media International, Inc., which operates the Hallmark Channel outside of the United States, to deliver television ratings in Australia, India, Singapore and Taiwan, effective immediately. More
A new report released from Jupiter MMXI shows that by 2006 European consumers will spend 3.3 billion for content on their mobile phones, compared to 1.7 billion on their PCs. 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
NetRatings, Inc has announced the appointment of George Durney, Manish Bhatia, Sean Kaldor and Barbara Jarzab to its Executive Management team. More
According to latest research from Strategy Analytics, the UK has stormed ahead in Europe's transition to digital television. Over a third (37%) of UK households had digital TV at the end of last year, compared to a European average of 16.3%. By contrast, only 8.2% of German households could watch digital TV, leaving question marks over the future of the technology in Europe's largest market. More
Survey Sampling, Inc. (SSI) and the Excite Network's iWon portal have joined forces to provide an expanded range of sampling services to the marketing research industry. The partnership will also allow SSI to further expand the SurveySpot Internet Sampling Panel, a multi-sourced Internet research panel representing over a million individuals. More
Glen Mallaby has been hired as UK Sales Director at SPSS MR. Glen is responsible for driving UK sales and was appointed as part of the organisation's overall aim to employ experts who can advise customers in both IT and market research. More
NOP World Health has acquired Cozint in a cash transaction for US$10.5 million. Cozint -a supplier of real-time, Web-based research solutions to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries- will be integrated with the Promotional Effectiveness Group of Market Measures Interactive (MMI) to form a new division. More
Forrester Research recently announced a workforce reduction, expected to result in the elimination of approximately 126 jobs, or about 22% of its workforce worldwide. The company also reiterated its fourth-quarter 2001 guidance. More
WARC and Admap are hosting the Third Annual conference on Measuring the Effectiveness of Sales Promotion in London on 5th February. More
According to the latest MORI annual Captains of Industry survey, belief in the value of the Euro to Britain has risen again following a decline over the previous three years. By around 3:2, Britain's business leaders support rather than oppose Britain joining. More
ACNielsen U.S. has announced the release of Category Business Planner version 1.1, which incorporates numerous enhancements to its new Web based category management intelligence system. More
A new study from the Online Publishers Association (OPA) has shown the latest patterns in US consumer net consumption. Undertaken with Millward Brown IntelliQuest in November 2001, the research profiles At-Work Users and contrasts them with Non-Work Users. More
Visits to retail websites boomed at Christmas as nearly 33 million Europeans shopped the Internet. This is according to the latest study released this week from Jupiter MMXI. Of all the nations monitored, Germans and Britons were the heaviest users of online retail sites. More
Online software provider Itracks has just announced the acquisition of the patent for online focus groups from US agency Greenfield Online. This represents the next stage in developing the company's Online Focus Group facility. More
ACNielsen Media International has appointed Lorraine V. Hadfield as the new managing director for North America. She has been tasked with overseeing media research operations in Canada and advertising information services in the US. More
In an interview with China Daily, the secretary general of the China Marketing Research Association has urged domestic research agencies to develop new growth areas quickly so as to adapt to changing circumstances in the sector. More
NetValue has released its latest Asian Internet research, showing ongoing encouraging audience figures. It has also named a new Asian operations president, Dr. Jack Loo, previously Country Manager of Singapore operations. He takes over from previous president Ms. Darlene Lee. More
According to recent research conducted by The Business Advantage Group, three out of ten UK CAD/CAM sites are currently outsourcing some part of the product design and development process. More
The British Market Research Association (BMRA) is hosting a free directors' briefing on 31st January in central London with the aim of helping to benchmark your company's performance. More
According to new data from Jupiter Media Metrix, both brick-and-mortar and online-only retailers have struggled to respond to customer service e-mails quickly this holiday season. More
According to a recent Yankee Group report, 'TV Portals: Opening the Door to Interactive Television', interactive TV interface offering local content will reduce digital churn and facilitate the launch of future ITV applications. More
WARC is holding its fourth one day conference on Models of Thinking later this month on Thursday 17th January in central London. The event promises to explore how creative thinking can improve your brand, your marketing strategies and your methods of communication. More
Arbitron has reached a successful completion in the first phase of the Portable People Meter (PPM) market trial in the USA with the release of a third round of ratings comparisons for its new television, cable and radio audience measurement system. More
E -business consultancy ActualIT has found that in the region of 70 percent of domain names are configured incorrectly, allowing site security to be breached or the site to become inaccessible, according to the company's latest Domain Health Survey. More
Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) players have become the UK's fastest growing consumer entertainment product ever. The player has sold almost three million in its first three years, according to a Warner Home Video report published earlier this week. More
Retail advertising online in the US has been sluggish for most of 2001, especially this holiday season versus last year. These are the latest findings from the AdRelevance division of Jupiter Media Metrix. More
The Internet market will soon be dominated by developments in broadband Internet access, DTV and the music industry. In fact the number of broadband households in Europe is set to double during 2002. This is according to the latest predictions from Jupiter MMXI released this week. More
NetRatings and Jupiter Media Metrix have received a request for additional information from the Federal Trade Commission in the USA (commonly known as a 'second request') relating to the pending acquisition of Jupiter Media Metrix by NetRatings. More
Online purchasing continues to improve for consumers in the United States and remains far ahead of key European markets, according to Accenture's third-annual holiday eFullfillment survey, which includes for the first time this year France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. More
Citing a recent Forrester report that 63% of Global 3500 firms surveyed are not satisfied with the effectiveness of their website assessment, Netusability has launched its Customer Experience Platform, a solution of website monitoring, usability testing and online analytics software and services for businesses with an online channel. More
What are the new realities of research and business on the Internet? This is the key topic to be discussed at the forthcoming 5th ESOMAR Net Effects Conference scheduled for Berlin next February. More
New retail research from Mintel shows that almost a third of British consumers are willing to spend more on all their Christmas needs this year than last. British men are the most optimistic for Christmas 2001, with some 35% planning to spend more this season. By contrast, women are proving thriftier, with only 29% planning to spend more. More
InsightExpress is joining in a strategic partnership with Itracks, under which Itracks customers will be able to create their own professional Web-based surveys in minutes; field their surveys to more than 200 target audiences; and analyse the results in real-time using advanced reporting and fully integrated statistical tools. More
A quarter of the UK workforce is connected to the Internet, with 7.8 million people having access and regularly going online during office hours. An estimated 15 million British people also have home Internet access according to new research on Internet usage revealed by NetValue this week. More
A new website has just been launched by the Marketing Council to demonstrate best practice on the web. http://www.e4M.biz recently reviewed in the '2020' newsletter, is the UK's first non-commercial website designed to guide senior corporate executives on the best practice and theory of e-marketing. More
Pro Active International has recently launched its new consultancy branch - Pro Active Consultancy - and appointed Jeroen Rietberg as Director. More
One in five UK CAD/CAM users who have not yet used web-based training would consider doing so in future, according to recent research conducted by The Business Advantage Group Plc. Meanwhile, a quarter might consider web-based training in future and nearly three fifths said that they would not be interested in future. More
Harris Interactive has recently reduced staff levels as part of its ongoing integration process with Total Research. The action affects roughly 5% of the full-time workforce in four principal locations on the east coast of the USA. The affected employees are mainly support staff with overlapping functions in the combined company. More
The Market Research Society (MRS) has just completed a deal with publishers Pearson Education to develop a textbook and website for The MRS Advanced Certificate in Market and Social Research Practice. More
At this week's Online Information 2001 conference in London, Outsell, Inc announced the release of a landmark multi-client study summarising the information needs, habits, and preferences of 500 European sales and marketing professionals across 10 industries in the UK, France, and Germany. More
German agency GfK has taken its first steps into the massive South American market with the acquisition of a 19.9% stake in Indicator Brazil. GfK has the option to progressively acquire the entire Indicator operation and marks the initial stage towards the company launching its own activities in South America. More
Britain's industrial sector has recorded its worst annual output in October since the country's last economic recession a decade ago. This is according to the latest official industrial production data from the National Statistics office. More
Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) has announced two new appointments to its Interactive Solutions division (TNSis). Ross Broadbent has joined TNSis as Product Director while Dr Gabriel Hughes has been engaged as New Product Development Manager. More
Customer experience management agency Netusability has closed on a US$2 million venture investment, bringing its total funding raised to date to US$4.7 million. The latest funding has been received from eVerger, a US$100 million joint venture established by media agency Aegis Group and Warburg Pincus, the global private equity partnership. More
Only 8% of CAD/CAM users in the UK currently have access to broadband, and only 8% of the rest definitely plan to switch to a broadband connection in the future. These are the key findings from new IT research conducted by The Business Advantage Group Plc. More
NOP World has announced strategic online alliances with Tiscali and iPoints as it launches its new e-Omnibus service in Britain. The largest GB Internet Omnibus, e-Omnibus is representative of the weekly online user population, estimated to be some 15 million adults. 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
Internet household penetration in central and eastern Europe (CEE) will grow quickly over the next five years, from just over 5% now to 21% in 2005, according to a new Yankee Group report, "Promises, Promises: Internet Will Flower in Eastern Europe, but Only in Patches." More
The IPA has commissioned Howard Unna, e-business advisor and former Head of e-Commerce for Woolworths, to write a report on the status and future development of digital television (DiTV) in the UK. More
Consumer e-commerce occurs among 60% of the UK's major companies, half of which expect to see sales grow over the next year. Two thirds also advertise on the net, half of which plan to increase their spend in the coming 12 months. These are the key findings of an ISBA /Advertising Research Consortium (ARC) study on net marketing released recently. More
US web analytics firm Omniture has made 9% of its 1,200 strong workforce redundant, following its acquisition by Photoshop creator Adobe. More
Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) has announced the appointment of two new managing directors this week. Sam van der Feltz has been nominated as the company's MD of Northern and Central Europe operations. At the same time, Nigel Foote has been confirmed as MD for TNS Tellex, the broadcast monitoring section of TNS. More
A new survey from the German retailers' association HDE predicts that online turnover in Germany will have doubled this year from the levels achieved in 2000. However, the year 2001 will be the last year to witness a treble digit growth rate according to the report. More
According to the latest results from NetValue, more than six million people in Britain were exposed to Dell Computer's online advertising campaign in October 2001. More
Susan D. Whiting has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of Nielsen Media Research, the US television ratings company, effective from the beginning of next year. She had been President and Chief Operating Officer since May of this year and first joined the company in the late 1970s. More
Recent analysis of 1,200 brands on Millward Brown's BrandDynamics(TM) and BRANDZ database, as reported in the recent e-Perspectives newsletter, refutes the commonly held belief that brands follow an inevitable life cycle. More
It is predicted that a tenth of home Internet users will be hooked up to broadband access this time next year, according to BMRB's latest Internet Monitor results. This represents more than double the number of today's home users (estimated at just 4%) who have signed up with either a cable provider or an ISP offering ADSL. More
More than a third (38%) of SMEs (small to medium enterprises) in Britain believe that the UK economy is currently experiencing a "slow down" rather than a recession, according to the findings of a recent survey from Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS). More
Is your company doing all it can to capture the £10 billion a year of student spending? This is the main issue under discussion at the forthcoming "Marketing to Students 2001" conference organised by Marketing Week on the 5th December. More
Brand success depends on four broad drivers, and marketing visibility has a strong part to play in adding to a brand's equity. These messages were at the core of a client breakfast seminar organised by Millward Brown UK earlier this week entitled "World Brands". More
WARC and Admap are hosting the 2nd Annual Benchmarks in Buyer Behaviour one day seminar in London on November 27th. The event will examine patterns of buyer behaviour based on results from the R&D Initiative at South Bank University. More
ORC International has announced the introduction of two new online tools for HR managers. Launching at the end of this week, the new tools in particular should greatly aid research into employee pay and benefits. More
The official Harry Potter website has emerged as the most visited movie site in Britain for October 2001. New data from NetValue now estimates that a third of a million home users visited the site, and did so prior to the actual release of the film in the UK. More
Following recent speculation Rob Monster, CEO of Global Market Insite, has issued a statement to set the record straight re the current position of GMI. It shows a complex picture of a company which has recently seen the departure of a number of senior staff and is selling the Dutch company Telder back to its original owners, but will finish 2001 in profit after a year of rapid expansion. More
Brits overwhelmingly believe that UK companies should show a high degree of responsibility to the public in difficult economic times. This is the headline finding from MORI's latest survey on Corporate Social Responsibility. More
The total number of EU Internet users has risen by 14 percent in the last 6 months according to gfk-webgauge from GfK. This autumn, 88.9 million consumers in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK are believed to have gone online at least once a month. This compares to just 77.7 million users last spring. More
The total number of US work minutes spent using the top three brands of instant-messaging applications has increased 110% over the last year. New Jupiter Media Metrix research released last week shows that the level of use rose from 2.3 billion minutes in September 2000 to 4.9 billion a year on. More
UK research agency Hauck Research Services has been acquired this week by Incepta Group plc, the international marketing and communications group. More
ACNielsen Media has recently been awarded a new two year contract to supply Discovery Networks Asia with cable and satellite ratings data across five of the network's Asia Pacific markets. More
Britain's overall Internet advertising market during the first half of 2001 notched a notable year-on-year increase of £26 million (up 42%). This is according to the latest data from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) research for the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). More
Itracks, the online MR software supplier, has just announced the launch of its new Research Engineer software programme. This system is billed as a "one-stop hub for research professionals, allowing them to manage their online projects from one central location." More
More than half of GB Internet users who did not shop online at Christmas last year (one third of all users) intend to do so this year. This is according to a new survey released this week by Lightspeed Research (LSR). At the same time, two fifths of users claim they had shopped for Christmas online last year and would do so again now. More
The Online Publishers Association (OPA) is to link up with Millward Brown IntelliQuest to undertake two new studies of online advertising - Workplace Use of the Internet and Media Mix. Research will start shortly and initial results from the studies will be released in December 2001 and January 2002 respectively. More
The latest website monitoring data from Jupiter MMX1 reveals that friendsreunited.co.uk, the online friend finding service, has now entered the UK's top 20 listings. According to research for October, the site is believed to have attracted over two million unique visitors for the month. More
Thomson Intermedia has revealed the findings of its detailed investigation into the marketing and advertising strategies of the key players currently targeting the "Affluent Grey" market in the UK. More
The latest Trends in Television Report covering the third quarter of 2001 shows that non-terrestrial channels in the UK now hold over 20% share of television viewing for the first time. More
NetValue has announced some recent improvements to its existing Internet User panel, boosting the number of its respondents to roughly 1.5 million worldwide. This has resulted from the company's move away from measuring just home Internet usage alone to measuring all home, work and university Internet users. More
The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) is this week lobbying e-Minister Douglas Alexander about a new EU privacy directive on the use of "cookies". The IPA contest that the current directive's amendments could potentially cripple what is viewed as an already vulnerable e-commerce industry. More
NFO World Group has announced the North American launch of its relationship management software TRI*M. The recently updated system processes stakeholder relationship data to create simple customer information, useful in preventing customer "leakage" and securing good returns from company customer satisfaction programmes. More
Goldman Sachs, Harris Interactive and NetRatings have announced a partnership to deliver a new eSpending Report tracking weekly US online shopping and buying attitudes. The study will be based on a national American survey of 500 online shoppers randomly chosen from Harris Interactive's panel of Internet users. More
Harris Interactive is to acquire Total Research following the recently gained approval of both companies' shareholders. The new combined company is expected to generate approximately US$130 million in worldwide revenue this fiscal year. More
Marketing and opinion research is a fast growing industry in Hungary, and shows more dynamic growth than the economy itself. According to ESOMAR and PSMZ data, turnover in the sector reached roughly US$30 million last year, showing an annual growth rate of 20%. More
The CBI has renewed pressure for a half-point cut in interest rates after publishing a survey showing the US terrorist attacks further eroding UK business confidence. The survey of almost 250 top executives, carried out by MORI, paints the most comprehensive picture yet of the impact that September 11 had on British firms and will have in future. More
According to a new study from ACNielsen, only 43 consumer product brands ring up annual sales of more than US$1 billion each and so can be considered truly global. More
Worldpop, a leading provider of interactive marketing services, has announced a new partnership with online market research specialist agency, Lightspeed Research, offering a unique opportunity for advertisers to gain access to Worldpop's youth audience. Worldpop's audience will be available for comment and feedback on any related topics, creating one of the largest youth market research platforms currently available. More
Research carried out this month by Martin Hamblin GfK on behalf of the European Commission indicates that consumer confidence is still falling. The October Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB), which measures the public's confidence in the UK's economic climate, shows confidence dropping by 4 points to register a score of -5, the lowest score since the fuel crisis last autumn. More
ACNielsen, Kantar Media Research (KMR) and the Indian Market Research Bureau (IMRB) have announced their intention to form a new joint venture by the end of 2001. The undertaking will focus on a highly comprehensive measurement of TV audiences and advertising expenditures within the Indian region. More
In a bold new move, the MRS and the BMRA in the UK have decided to rationalise their directory publications. This is in place of the previous publication of the two separate listings of research suppliers and services. More
How can firms maximise the revenue they generate from their online activities? This is the central issue to be examined at "Maximising Key Revenue Streams", Forrester Research's forthcoming free Executive Breakfast to be held on November 6 in London. More
Autometrics, a specialist in automotive e-commerce performance measurement, has teamed up with Nielsen//NetRatings to provide the automotive industry with a standard in Internet audience information throughout Europe. More
Insightful Corporation, a leading provider of enterprise software solutions for data analysis, and FIRM Inc., a provider of Internet-based survey and feedback software, are to integrate their respective technologies into a single, seamless market research and CRM solution called confirmit Customer Behaviour Modelling (CBM). More
The latest research released by Jupiter MMXI shows that the active file sharing population in Europe has decreased by almost half since legal proceedings were brought against Napster. More
A new "one-stop-shopping" website called INVEST JAPAN! has been launched this month. Offering a wide range of information and statistics on Japan's various industries and regions, the site has been created by the government-supported Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). More
New NetValue online travel research has revealed some surprising visitor behaviour. Findings from September analysis show that UK travel sites have experienced their busiest month of 2001. Other European sites, however, have actually experienced a decline in the numbers of their visitors over the month. More
SPSS Inc. (Nasdaq: SPSS), a worldwide provider of analytical technology, with their SPSS MR division, the leading strategic technology partner for market research; and America Online, Inc., through its Digital Marketing Services (DMS) subsidiary, the largest source of online survey respondents for market research firms, today announced a strategic alliance under which SPSS Inc. has acquired the exclusive rights to distribute survey sample drawn from more than 31 million AOL members and tens of millions of users of America Online's other interactive properties. More
FDS International is to sponsor the Customer Insight category in next year's Marketing Society Awards. This category is open to all those who demonstrate the best use of research or database development to provide real insights into customer behaviour. This can include research for new product development. More
The market of Internet service providers (ISPs) in the European core countries Germany, Great Britain and France is consolidating. This is according to the results of the latest eighth wave of research from the Internet user monitor EURO.NET run by NFO Infratest. More
Just over four fifths of the share-owning population believe investing in the stock market represents a good long-term investment. This is the headline finding from the recently released 2001 British Share Ownership Survey, conducted for the London Stock Exchange and ProShare by MORI and the World Investor Link. 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
The Internet has touched virtually everyone's lives in the last two years. It has grown at an astounding rate and proved itself to be an important source of information, communication and services. These are the main research conclusions from Jupiter MMXI's new "Web Milestones October 1999 - September 2001" report published recently. More
Peter Hutton, deputy managing director of MORI and BMRA Council member, has reported on the recently conducted survey of BMRA members in the organisation's newly launched newsletter. The results show an overall desire for the MRS and BMRA to work more closely together. More
A joint venture was formed earlier this year between AGB Panamericana (51%) and Compaņia Dominicana de Investigaciones (CDI) in order to move the Dominican Republic television audience measurement market from "diary" to people meter based information. More
Jupiter Media Metrix predicts that 41% of online households in the USA will subscribe to a broadband Internet connection service by 2006 - up from only 9% percent in 2000. In two new Jupiter Research broadband reports, the advice for companies offering services online is to begin preparing now for the coming broadband mainstream in the next year. More
The results of the latest wave of EURO.NET by research company NFO Infratest reveal that there are major differences in online buying patterns in the three European core countries of Germany, Great Britain and France. More
Starting with the May sweep in 2002, Nielsen Media Research is to use People Meters as its standard methodology for collecting television audience estimates in Boston in the USA. More
The opening address at the recent ESOMAR Annual Congress by President John Kelly neatly summed up the transformation of the market research industry. As we are all aware, globalisation and developments in ICT are transforming international business on an unprecedented scale. The swing to a different economy is producing profound and unexpected changes in the structure of society, business and ways of working. More
The Council for Marketing and Opinion Research (CMOR) in the US has appointed Larry Mock as its President and CEO, effective immediately. More
The most recent wave of BMRB's Digital Viewers Survey shows that almost half of all digital viewers have interacted with a programme via digital TV. Interactive programming has most appeal for viewers under 35. There is, not surprisingly, quite a steep decline in usage and interest amongst older respondents. 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
Many marketers believe that a strong brand and a clearly defined communication strategy is critical to today's financial services sector. This is the premise behind WARC's seventh annual "Marketing & Advertising Financial Services" conference, to be held on the 23rd October in London. More
Market research consultant, ORC International, is hosting a free seminar at its London office on 1st November, to explore the impact that the latest Internet market research techniques are having in the IT/Telecoms sector. More
Are you interested in the emerging new science of website performance? Then the forthcoming Henry Stewart conference on Web Analytics could be of interest. Scheduled for the 23rd October in London, it promises to discuss the evolving use of all types of data on website performance. More
The MRS in the UK (Market Research Society) has announced the launch of its Accredited Interviewer Training Scheme (AITS), a cross-industry initiative designed to enhance professional standards of interviewing throughout the market research industry and improve the experience for interviewees. More
Kantar Media Research, the specialist media research business of Millward Brown and part of Kantar, has expanded its network in recent weeks with the acquisition of two companies. More
The UK online ad industry has become the fastest growing advertising medium ever, according to new research from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC). The UK sector has also been found to be accelerating at a faster rate than its European counterparts. More
Customer dissatisfaction with ITV Digital is thought to have reached new proportions. This is according to a recent BMRB survey of Britain's 8.5 million digital TV homes. The findings reveal that nearly one fifth of respondents are actually disappointed with their service. More
Research consultancy, ORC International, is organising two free seminars at its London (11 October) and Manchester (8 November) offices, focusing on the needs of HR professionals. More
Forrester Research has appointed Helmut Schwarz as Vice President of European sales. With responsibility for growing Forrester's business with European clients and expanding the sales organisation, Schwarz will field sales teams based in Amsterdam, London, and Frankfurt. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has received government approval to conduct Internet research in China. In doing so, the Nielsen//NetRatings service is the first and only service to be officially approved by the Chinese Government to measure consumers' Internet behaviour. More
The European manufacturing sector is now thought to be firmly in economic recession. This is according to the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for September as measured by Reuters, September 2001, and reported by NTC Research. 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
Global Market Insite (GMI) has appointed a new vice president, Sales and Marketing, for its operation within Europe. Tariq Mirza will assume responsibility for the role in early November in London, building on his near decade of survey software support experience. More
North American research software and service provider Itracks has been presented with the annual Ernst and Young "Emerging Entrepreneurs of the Year 2001" award. This latest accolade is for the company's recent successes within the "Prairie Region" of Canada. 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
Sweden and Denmark are leading Europe in terms of households connecting to the Internet via broadband, according to the latest figures from NetValue. The respective figures are 13.8% and 13.2%. More
The key issues facing marketers in their search for globalisation are discussed in the latest edition of MarketLoop from Through the Loop Consulting. More
ORC International is hosting an one day Stakeholder Consultation seminar in London on October 25th. The event will address a number of factors to be borne in mind at the outset of a stakeholder consultation programme. More
Youth research agency, 2cv:research (2cv), has launched txtsurvey - a new survey method which uses text messaging on mobile phones to target selected audiences at specific times. More
Jupiter Media Metrix is aiming to set the standard in web traffic analysis with the launch of its new Site Measurement service. More
WARC is hosting an one day event on October 2 in London which aims to stimulate the brain cells. "Rethinking the Consumer" promises to bring new thought processes into how consumers are researched and targeted. More
Harris Interactive has acquired M&A Create Ltd, a Tokyo-based market research and consulting firm. Previously, Harris Interactive and M&A Create were partners in Harris Interactive Japan (HIJ), a joint venture that was created in February 2000. More
The Market Research Society (MRS)in the UK has just received accreditation from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). This move makes The MRS the sole official UK awarding body for qualifications in market research. More
Source Interlink, the leading provider of magazine information and sales data in North America, has entered into an exclusive five year marketing agreement with ACNielsen. Under the terms of the agreement, ACNielsen will provide Source Interlink with weekly, scan-based magazine sales data from more than 200 of the nation's major retail chains representing over 25,000 stores. More
American agency Greenfield Online has renewed its commitment to maintaining its position as the leading provider of online data collection and infrastructure services in response to recent trends in the marketplace. More
RedSheriff, the Australian interactive measurement and research specialist, has recently released the results of its first Online Advertising Market Report - The Banner and Beyond. More
In the first half of 2001, German consumers ordered goods to the total value of Euro 1.9 billion via the Internet. According to the latest results by the GfK Web*Scope panel, sales rose by more than 50% compared with the second half of 2000. More
Henry Stewart is organising an one day event in London on September 26th, designed to provide assistance to all those who collect, analyse and use data from market research. "Case Studies in the Application of Mathematical and Statistical Techniques that Add Value to Marketing" promises to illustrate what can be achieved and how to achieve it by using state of the art maths and statistics. More
After five years as Director General of ESOMAR, Juergen Schwoerer resigns from his position at the end of 2001. More
Internet research and measurement specialist iamasia is to receive significant funding from techpacific.com to help accelerate the firm's development. More
Global Market Insite (GMI) has just launched NET-MR 2.0, a new version of its end-to-end, Web-based platform for market research management. More
Arbitron has signed a long term Research Technology Development and Licensing Agreement with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), in the States. Under this agreement, APL will provide research and development expertise to enhance Arbitron's audience measurement capabilities and services, including its Portable People Meter audience measurement system. More
Frost & Sullivan's Fourth Annual Advanced Marketing Research Conference, being held between November 4th and 8th in Florida, promises to reveal the hottest marketing trends, research technologies and competitive strategies used in business today. More
ESOMAR's 54th International Annual Congress takes place in Rome on 23-26 September, entitled 'Marketing Transformation: Research for the Bottom Line.' More
Of the 92 million people who have an opportunity to access the Internet in the UK, France and Germany, less than a third have Internet access at work according to new research from Jupiter MMXI. More
Harris Interactive is launching an aggressive programme to grow its respondent panels in the UK, Japan, Germany, France, Canada, and Italy, followed quickly by Brazil, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and China. This is to reinforce its presence in the international online research sector. More
While many large companies have come through the dot.com hype having implemented clear and effective online communication strategies, others appear to have gone backwards by failing to adjust their global Internet strategies to meet public demand. This is the conclusion of the third annual Rainier Web-Index(TM) Study on the use of the Web by FTSE 100 and the top 100 Fortune companies. 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
What makes a good b2b researcher in the 21st Century? And what skills are most in demand? Elizabeth Norman of ENI and Nick Gendler and Kate Dann from KD Consulting will be addressing this issue at the BIG Forum meeting on 25th September. More
At a time of usage consolidation on most levels, British online shoppers are filling their virtual baskets with an increasingly broad range of goods, according to a new survey from NOP World. More
Research company The Yankee Group has relocated its Canadian presence to new offices in Kanata, Ontario. The relocation to Kanata follows the recent launch of the group's Canadian website. More
The Census and Geodemographics Group of The Market Research Society is hosting a seminar on 24 October in London on "Market Research Meets Database Marketing". Aimed primarily at market researchers and database users, the event is designed to enable practitioners to get the most out of their research sources for database marketing and customer relationship management. More
ViewsCast Limited is partnering with Asia Market Intelligence (AMI), one of Asia's leading market research groups. Through the alliance, AMI will offer ViewsCast's innovative market research solution to its customers and prospects, in order to provide a live, quantifiable customer feedback mechanism that contributes directly to customer retention. More
The European interactive services market is far from maturity, and little is known about how future waves of consumers will want to integrate interactive media and services into their lives. To tackle this issue, the Yankee Group's Internet Strategies Europe Planning Service is launching Interactive Consumer Europe (ICE), a comprehensive study of both current Internet users and non-users to develop the most detailed demographic segmentation of the market to date. More
ACNielsen Media International has been awarded a contract by The Australian Suburban Newspapers Association to conduct readership surveys over the next two years. More
NFO WorldGroup's NFO InDepth Interactive and Community Connect have announced an alliance to provide marketers with in-depth data on the purchasing habits, brand preferences and advertising receptiveness levels among US multicultural groups. More
e-MORI, the electronic technologies division of market research company MORI, has agreed a deal to provide information to the e-business advice web site, e- consultancy.com. More
Market research consultancy ORC International is hosting a free seminar at its London offices on 20 September 2001, focusing on the practical use of the Internet for research purposes. The half-day event is aimed at the needs of marketing, market research and e-commerce professionals and will include some of the do's and don'ts of using online research methods. More
Latest analysis from Jupiter MMXI reveals that between April and June this year, over 33 million Britons used the Internet. The Online Market Landscape surveys over 5,000 people every three months to understand how the Internet is accessed and used in the UK. Launched recently, the first published report covers April to June 2001. More
Thomson Intermedia has recently published a detailed investigation into the marketing and advertising strategies of the key players in the UK online betting industry. More
According to the latest Online Finance Monitor from NFO Infratest, one out of six Internet users in Germany first find out via the Web about the various insurance alternatives offered by different insurers before taking out a new insurance policy. More
The vast majority (86%) of the French are set to be online and enjoying access to at least one online channel by 2006. This is according to the new Europemedia.net report from Forrester Research. The research also predicts that most French will in fact become multi-channel in the short term, breaking Minitel's long-held dominance. More
Many large firms will develop a private hub to consolidate cross-company procurement and optimise their relationships with preferred suppliers. This is according to a new report entitled 'Save Big With A Private Hub' recently released from Forrester Research. More
Woodcrest Capital has released a new research report on U.S. based Spanish language television. This report is believed to be one of the first of its kind and is designed to direct attention to this rapidly growing broadcast space, representing the first in a series that will be distributed quarterly. More
The majority of European large and multinational companies are anticipating an increase in their levels of spend on their e-business and Internet presence over the next 18 months. This is according to new findings uncovered by the Yankee Group in their European Global Network Strategies Survey. More
The consumer packaged goods industry is set to change more in the next five years than it has in the whole of the last four decades. This is the main thrust of Forrester's forthcoming Consumer Packaged Goods Summit to be held on October 17 to 18 2001 in Chicago USA. More
The European network operators' view of MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators) is apparently shortsighted and reactive, according to the 'Turning MVNO Pain Into Gain' report by Forrester Research. More
Three quarters of all 7 to 16-year-olds in the UK are now Internet users, according to a survey just released by NOP Family. Based on the latest six-monthly findings from kids.net, NOP reports a 10% surge in Internet use growth in the six months to April 2001. More
According to the recently released Summer 2001 Marketing Trends Survey (MTS) from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), the marketing profession is facing a great deal of uncertainty. As a consequence, marketers have little confidence and have generally set very cautious company sales targets. More
The latest figures from NetValue on adult websites show that more than a quarter of the entire UK home Internet population are visitors. Research from the month of June reveals that 3.8 million home Internet users in the UK visited these websites. More
Around the world, some 429 million people are now believed to have Internet access, according to a new Nielsen//Netratings survey. Within Europe alone, more than a quarter of all homes are connected via a home PC, compared with one-third of all homes in Asia Pacific and nearly half of American households. More
Coca-Cola is still the UK's biggest consumer brand, but Britons are developing a taste for health foods and Australian wine. This is the headline conclusion of the annual survey of the UK's top fifty brands conducted by ACNielsen and Marketing magazine. More
New research has found that 37% of UK ISP users believe connection speed/access is the most important factor influencing their levels of satisfaction. This is according to the findings of the "2001 U.K. Residential Internet Service Provider (ISP) Customer Satisfaction Study." More
Harris Interactive has announced the acquisition of Market Research Solutions Ltd (MSRL), the Oxford-based research agency. In a part cash and part stock deal, Harris Interactive has agreed to employ 75 MRSL employees, as well as running the existing offices in Oxford and Newport. MRSL is expected to add up to £6 million to revenues in the first year. More
Claritas, a provider of marketing information and target marketing services, has launched MyBestProfiles, the fourth website in its continuing series of sites designed to provide access to marketing information. The other three sites are MyBestProspects, MyBestCustomers and MyBestLists. MyBestProfiles provides access to consumer lifestyles and purchasing habits. More
There has been a huge increase in the number of adults buying online in the six months to March this year, according to the latest Target Group Index (TGI) data. The figures show that buying has risen from almost nothing in October 2000 to 30% this last Spring. More
Gambling, advertising and the wide range of programming available are thought to be the most popular aspects of the UK's interactive TV system (iTV) at present. This is according to Netpoll's new Hands On TV study into users' attitudes towards the new medium. More
New research and analysis from Jupiter MMXI reveals that four and a half million Britons logged on to the net to find a flight or book a holiday in June. Travel is, therefore, proving to be one of the most popular online categories in the UK, attracting 30% of the net audience. More
The Consumers' Association has commissioned ORC International to conduct an online "mystery shopping" programme. This is intended to assess the service levels as provided by companies whose websites display the Which? Web Trader "seal of approval." More
More than 7.7 million instant messaging (IM) users are currently believed to be active across Asia, according to new research released from NetValue. Within this total, the IM level is thought to be the highest in Hong Kong. More
News has just been released that Harris Interactive Inc. and Total Research Corporation are to merge, forming one of the world's largest research companies. The two companies expect to report approximately US$115 million in combined revenues for their 2001 fiscal years. More
Shopping carts and online display conveniences have become adopted by a growing number of websites as they effectively simplify and speed up transaction processes. This is according to the new "E-Survivors: Winning E-Commerce Strategies for 2001" report from ActivMedia Research. More
A recent survey conducted by MORI and Vox Pops International has found that reality TV is playing a major part in young people's lives. Indeed, three in five (61%) 15 to 24 year olds in the UK agree that these programmes help to teach them about the ways in which people interact with each other. More
Today's teenagers are pioneering how tomorrow's Internet will be used, according to new data from Jupiter MMXI. Representing the first real generation to grow up with the technology, their increasing time spent online (i.e an average of eight hours a week and rising) is indicative of things to come. More
Despite the continued growth in e-commerce, only 55% of all UK business Internet users regard Internet transactions as secure. This is according to results from the latest Business Internet Survey from NOP World Business. More
New research from eMarketer indicates that Poland is home to the largest number of Internet users in Eastern Europe at present. The company's latest report, "The ePoland Report: eCommerce and Technology Use," covers this emerging market in full. It also includes expert analysis and recommendations from co-authors the Polish Market Review. More
Nielsen//NetRatings has released the first set of data on the at-home surfing behaviour of Internet users in South Africa. This service represents the company's first attempt at tracking within Africa. The research covers the range of Internet user behaviour from data collected from randomly selected home consumer panels. More
Burke Inc in the US has announced that an online study using its "CHOICES" research system has just won the company an honourable mention in the prestigious 2001 American EXPLOR awards. These are designed to recognise "Exemplary Performance and Leadership in Online Research" in the States. More
Internet access in Spain is predicted to quadruple across the entire population within the next four years. This is according to the results of the new in-depth study "Information Society in Spain, 2001-2005 perspective" carried out by Telefonica. More
Children are becoming increasingly alert to Internet "stranger danger." According to the findings of a new survey published by NOP Family, the various campaigns to alert young users appear to be finally hitting home. More
GfK eSolutions, the online segment of GfK's Ad Hoc Research division, is expanding via three new strategic alliances with IBEXnet AG, CIAO.COM AG and Global Market Insite Inc in order to step up the group's online market research activity. More
The Media Edge has formed an exclusive partnership agreement with TechEdge, a team of Danish media specialists. Part of the WPP Group, The Media Edge is a global media company specialising in the development and implementation of media communications campaigns. More
Frost & Sullivan is to shortly publish a new transcript report based on its recent annual Advanced Marketing Research Conference. Covering the whole event as held in Palm Springs USA in June, the transcript promises to show market researchers how to use the Internet as a competitive intelligence tool. More
Online travel in Hong Kong appears to be taking off, according to new research from NetValue. The latest survey commissioned by Optimum Media Direction (OMD) shows that the number of visitors to travel and tourism sites has increased by 70% since January 2001, with women and students now accounting for the bulk of surfers. More
New research from ACNielsen.consult has revealed that, despite the relative infancy of the Australian Internet b2b marketplace, total trade volume for online exchanges amounted to A$120m for 2000/01. Detailed findings have just been released in its latest iB2B report. More
NetRatings has appointed Rebecca Young as the new vice president of marketing. In her new capacity, Young is to focus on strategic branding and marketing for Nielsen//NetRatings' products and services. More
New research from UK research company Dynamic Logic and interactive agency eBrands shows that Internet advertising builds brands without the support of offline advertising. More
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