Obituary: MR Association Veteran Richard Chilton

Cinema research expert and AIMRI Company Secretary Richard Chilton died suddenly on Tuesday 4th November, at the age of 83.

Richard Thomas Sutherland Chilton became involved in the MR sector in the 1970s, when he worked as a specialist cinema researcher, serving as Research Manager at Rank Screen Advertising. At this time, representatives of Rank, Pearl & Dean and other companies joined together to form trade body the Cinema Advertising Association, which later introduced an audience research system called CAVIAR (Cinema and Video Industry Audience Research), to cover additional forms of visual media. Richard was central to the service through the organisation of meetings, research, co-ordination and publicity.

Then in the early 1980s, a group of smaller companies formed the Association of British Market Research Companies (ABMRC), and in 1986 Chilton was appointed as its Administrator and Secretary, drawing on the skills he had developed during his time working in the cinema research sector. While at ABMRC, he helped the organisation develop its services through regular meetings and conferences, educational courses and newsletters, while supporting the introduction of a 'code of business practice' and an 'interviewer card scheme' for freelance interviewers.

In 1990, Chilton helped establish the Association of European Marketing Research Institutes (AEMRI), which later became the Alliance of International Market Research Institutes (AIMRI). Since the latter's launch 24 years ago, Chilton was at the heart of AIMRI activities: co-ordinating conferences throughout Europe and in America, editing Synergie magazine, and liaising with members and accounts. Fellow AIMRI member Carrick James said he was gentle in his persuasion of speakers and authors, strict in his control of the finances, and calm in his liaison with other market research organisations - 'always with a sense of what was right and professional'. Other AIMRI colleagues celebrated him for his kindness and charm, along with his gentle spirit, wisdom, and finely tuned sense of humour.

Richard is succeeded by his wife Ann, and his funeral will take place this Thursday, 20th November. Donations should be made to Guide Dogs c/o Ernest Lamer & Son, 246 Upper Richmond Road, Putney, London SW15 6TG, tel: 020 8788 2942.

Our grateful thanks to Carrick James for his help in compiling this tribute.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.