Kantar Ditches Promedius for TrueSample

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.

The three firms formed Promedius last July, in an attempt to combine their various validation technologies, and license the resulting solution to other research companies at no cost.

In a statement, Kantar CEO Eric Salama said that the experience gained through being part of the consortium had convinced his firm that a partnership with MarketTools would accelerate the move towards creating an industry-wide panel validation solution.

TrueSample, which identifies and removes fake, duplicate and unengaged respondents from research samples, will now be used across the Kantar group of firms, including its two largest units, Millward Brown and TNS, as well as its online access panel business, Lightspeed Research.

Through the partnership, Kantar will work with MarketTools to help further develop the TrueSample technology and processes as a possible industry standard. Scott Arnold, President and CEO of MarketTools says Kantar's decision demonstrates his firm's commitment to quality.

In addition, Efrain Ribeiro, COO of Kantar's online panel business Lightspeed, and Renee Smith, CRO of Kantar, will join the TrueSample Quality Council, formed in 2008.

Web sites: www.kantar.com and www.markettools.com .