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

In the US, full service agency Market Strategies International (MSI) has acquired Cogent Research, which specializes in the wealth management sector. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

In the US, IMS Health and Remedy Informatics have partnered to deliver technology-based �real-world-evidence� (RWE) solutions, promising life science sector clients a complete picture of the patient experience. More

Business information provider Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) has introduced a product called Hoover�s Analytics, to help small business segment and evaluate their customers and prospects and identify new market opportunities. 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

Business intelligence and big data analytics firm EdgeSpring has launched out of stealth with $11m in Series A venture funding. 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

Havas Media Group has acquired pan-European data analytics firm ElisaDBI, in a move to extend its media measurement and data collection and analysis services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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

Retail and healthcare data giant IRI has partnered with health and wellness consumer insights agency SPINS, to create a new segmentation offer in the natural/organic sector. 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

In New York, analysis tech firm IMRSV has launched facial recognition software called Cara, through which any webcam can be used to gather audience data such as gender, age, attention time and �glances�. More

UK-based customer experience management (CEM) specialist Nunwood has promoted David Herron to the newly created role of Insight Director. 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

Erica Garnett More

Marcoms group Chime Communications has acquired London-based shopper marketing agency WARL from its shareholders Marcus Wilcox, Kerry Bateman and Brian Lloyd, for an initial consideration of �4.5m. Chime has also acquired Shanghai sports marcoms agency People Marketing. 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 VM�, has set up a new consultancy called Context Research, based in Vienna. More

Healthcare consultancy Double Helix has opened an office in Munich, where it has appointed Thomas Becker as �Head of Germany for Global Market Research�. More

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 UK, Cello-owned healthcare agency Insight Research Group has launched a Digital Business Team, to help clients understand the impact of new digital channels. Research Director Damian Eade will lead the new initiative. 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

Hugo Shong More

Debbie Cunningham More

Kate McEnery-Evans More

Social media giant Twitter has acquired Portland, Oregon-based big data visualization and analytics startup Lucky Sort for an undisclosed amount. More

Healthcare consultancy Double Helix has put together an APAC market research team, which will be led by former IMS Health exec Diana Tan and will work out of its Singapore offices. More

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, shopper insight specialist Nielsen Catalina Solutions has launched a tool called AdVantics On Demand, allowing clients to link TV ads with appropriate audiences, based on actual retail purchase data. 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

TNS has agreed to acquire China-based automotive specialist Sinotrust Market Research (SMR), from Experian. The deal is subject to regulatory approval. More

GfK has announced the acquisition of Australia-based agricultural insights firm Paterson Consulting, and the opening of new offices in Sydney and Melbourne for its Animal and Crop Health team. More

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

Minneapolis-based custom qual provider Gordon Weiss Research has rebranded as Sivo Insights with immediate effect. 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

Jacob Manhart More

Search giant Yahoo! has acquired social media polling service GoPollGo and immediately closed down the service. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. More

Healthcare data collection specialist WorldOne has expanded Eva Laparra�s role to that of Managing Director for UK and Northern Europe, from her previous position as MD Southern Europe and LatAm. More

US-based analytics and research firm AbsolutData has opened an office in Dubai, where it has hired industry veteran Karan Dixit as Head of the Middle East region. The firm has also expanded its UK leadership team with the appointment of three senior execs. More

US-based mobile big data analytics firm Zettics has opened new offices in London and Singapore, where it has appointed Ken Parkinson and Paul Ash to lead sales in EMEA and APAC respectively. More

In the US, location-based mobile audience builder PlaceIQ has raised $6.75m in Series B funding, which it will use to expand its reach and ramp up its �Place Visit Rate� (PVR) metric, designed to measure real-world, in-store ROI. More

In the UK, marketing and customer analytics business Metametrics has appointed big data specialist Hector Vass as Chief Technology Officer, responsible for integrating Bayesian and adaptive modelling into the firm�s analytics platforms. More

Edwina Dunn and Clive Humby, the creators of the Tesco Clubcard, have invested an undisclosed seven-figure sum in theatre analytics specialist Purple Seven in a move set to unlock an estimated �250m of unrealised commercial opportunities across the arts sector. More

Paul Becque More

2 appointments 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

IT outsourcing firm Wipro has bought a $30m minority stake in big data science and predictive analytics specialist Opera Solutions. 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

Singapore-based YFind, which helps brick-and-mortar retailers track and analyze movement in any indoor or urban environment, has launched a shopper analytics dashboard called TheRetailHQ, which pinpoints shoppers� specific locations inside a store. More

In the US, dunnhumby-owned price modeling and customer insight firm KSS Retail has introduced a new business intelligence tool called PriceStrat Analyzer, to enable retailers to tap into their data for decisions about pricing and promotions. 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

Mobile marketing firm Brandtone has signed a one-year partnership with TNS, which will give the research company exclusive access to its database of engaged consumers in developing and emerging markets. The initial partnership will cover South Africa, Turkey, Russia and Brazil. More

Bart Michels, UK MD of WPP's brand development and insight consultancy Added Value, will take on the role of Global Chief Executive Officer from 1st July, replacing Janine Hawkins who is leaving the company. More

Specialist healthcare fieldwork consultancy Ipsos Healthcare Field Services has returned to its former name, Fieldwork International, in the UK. More

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

Dan Foreman (NED) More

2 appointments More

David Hooper 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

TNS has appointed Doug Maclay as Head of its Qualitative practice in the Middle East, based in its Dubai office, from 19th May. More

UK company analyst Junction RDS (JRDS) has been acquired by Dealogic, which offers investment banks a platform through which they can optimize their performance and improve competitiveness. Terms of the buy were not disclosed. More

Sampling, data collection and analytics specialist SSI has updated its QuickTake DIY solution to include geographic selection options in European markets including Germany, the UK and France. Latin American and Asia Pacific countries will follow. 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

US company MarketVision Research has appointed Frank Gutowski as Research Director, Jennifer Hall as Manager of Quant Field Operations, Scott Hanson as VP of Client Services, and Ashley Ice as a Programmer. The firm has also promoted Tom Donnelly and Renu Dalal to VP roles. More

Cambiar, the management consultancy dedicated to the MR industry, has appointed industry veteran Tim Key as an Associate in its Research Impact practice. More

Christina Figueredo More

Nitu Pannu More

Chuck Palmer 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

In Australia, supermarket giant Woolworths has taken a 50% non-controlling stake in customer data analytics firm Quantium, which in return will gain access to Woolworth�s customer data and provide insights to the retailer�s packaged goods suppliers. 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

WPP�s out-of-home media planning and buying firm Kinetic has launched its �Aureus� planning and placement system in Malaysia, bringing together local market data, industry and proprietary research, and detailed inventory information. More

Brent White 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

Asian market research consultancy ABN Impact has appointed former TLE director Chris Richardson to launch its business in Singapore. 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

In Australia, Sarah Keith has left Fairfax Media after just nine months, to re-join her former employer TV broadcaster Channel Ten as Head of Research, Analytics and Inventory Management. More

Location analytics firm Placed has launched a new solution called Placed Insights which measures the geographic locations visited by more than 70,000 panelists a day. 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

Alice Manners 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

Big data management specialist Actian has acquired ParAccel, which offers a proprietary platform through which users can run big data analytics programs. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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, RetailNext has completed a $15m Series C round of financing, which it will use to expand its engineering team, deliver new detection and predictive analytics capabilities, and grow its operations in Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. 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

Big data predictive analytics firm Skytree has raised $18m in Series A funding, as fuel for its �aggressive growth strategy�. More

Terry Lawlor More

Joanna Douglas More

Havas Media Group has acquired London-based marketing insights consultancy SCB Partners. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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 research giant IMS Health has acquired social media analytics firm Semantelli for an undisclosed sum. 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

David Hooper More

Charlotte Sykes More

Ipsos Healthcare has announced the launch of SEES, a range of disease-specific syndicated ethnographic studies, examining patients� experience and views. Initially available in the UK, France, Italy, Spain and the USA, the firm says the studies will �bring to life the day-to-day challenges of living with a chronic disease�. More

Healthcare research specialist the Research Partnership has expanded its US operations with new offices in Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco; to be led respectively by Claire Richardson and new arrivals Christine Naegle and Birgit Eschmann. More

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

California-based CoreLogic, which provides information and analytics about the real estate and mortgage sectors, has acquired home price monitoring firm Case-Shiller in a deal valued at $6m. 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

US-based online / off-line purchasing data firm Datalogix has closed a $25m Series B round of funding, and says it will help to accelerate the adoption of its audience and measurement solutions across display, mobile, video, social media and search channels. 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

In the US, Thumbspeak founder Dean Wiltse has joined online �tween� fashion insights community FashionPlaytes as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. 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

UK-based online specialist BrainJuicer has introduced a new methodology called �The System 1 Pack Test�, which imitates the real-time shopping experience by asking people to make a selection from the shelf while under time-pressured conditions. 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

Salt Lake City-based marketing intelligence firm Foretelligent has reintegrated its big data / predictive analytics arm Foredeus and its marcoms /strategy division 44ounces, under the latter brand. The two were split out just six months ago. More

Ron Menich More

Prashant Fuloria More

Toby Pilling More

Call center network �1-800 We Answer� has acquired market research group TMR Inc., which specialises in telephone interviewing, and offers consumer, industrial and medical data collection and analysis. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

London-based qualitative insight consultancy Sundance has opened an office in Singapore, led by Account Director Jessica Bower. More

UK-based consumer insight and strategic consulting firm Future Foundation has expanded its international operations to Stockholm, Sweden, with the opening of a new office led by former GfK leader Anders Brogren. More

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

Maritz Research has expanded into the food service industry through the launch of �Capella Restaurant�, a mobile survey tool designed to capture feedback about diners� experiences. 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

New York-based SIS International Research has appointed Thomas Fuller as Managing Director of the Asia Pacific region, based in the firm�s Shanghai offices. 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 company Infer, which offers a predictive solution based on the mining of historical customer win/loss data, has secured $10m in Series A funding, which it plans to use to grow its team of engineers and scientists and broaden the application of its solution. More

Amy Smyth More

Liz Lamar More

David Sprinkle 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

Howard Briskin, the COO of Washington, DC-based polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (GQR), is stepping down from his position at the end of the month. CFO Ismael Savadogo will take over the COO responsibilities while continuing in his existing role. More

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

Rayid Ghani, the former Chief Scientist for the �Obama for America� data analytics team, has joined the University of Chicago, in a role which will involve exploring the use of data to solve complex social problems. More

In the US, Silicon Valley-based social media intelligence platform Swipp has raised $2m in investment funding, while also launching a product called Swipp Plus to provide real-time customer insight around products, brands and offers. More

Neil Mathis 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

Shuttered media measurement firm Affinity LLC has brought a $20m antitrust action against GfK�s magazine audience ratings arm GfK MRI, reiterating its claim that the latter used stolen trade secrets about Affinity�s competing product to drive it out of business. More

Customer analytics specialist dunnhumbyUSA, the joint venture between The Kroger Company and London-based dunnhumby, has announced six promotions to Vice President: Brian Higdon, Dawn Valandingham, Megan Moglia, Sean Hannon, Susan Visconte and Dawn Shirley. More

Connecticut-based Civicom Marketing Research Services has launched a recruiting service, CiviSelect, which will provide respondents from all parts of the globe for research surveys using social media sites. More

UK-based insight group Creston plc has issued a trading update covering the year ended 31st March 2013, ahead of full year results which are due on 12th June. Group revenue was flat at �75m, but Creston said the recovery in its Insight division continued during the second half. More

John Gibson 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

US data collection agency MRops has appointed former Toluna exec Bill Guerin in the newly created role of Chief Client Officer, while industry veteran Jon Harding joins as EVP, focusing on expanding partnerships into the Mid-West and Central regions. More

Big data predictive analytics specialist Gainsight has raised $9m in Series A funding, which it plans to invest in product development and roll-out. The firm has also appointed Nick Mehta as Chief Executive Officer, while founder Jim Eberlin has moved to a dedicated product strategy role. More

Just three months after raising $30m in an investment round, big data analytics firm Guavus has secured a further $9m from new investors, which it will use to continue to expand its core products, scales its operations, and pursue �select� acquisitions. 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

Bill Hoover More

4 appointments More

Heather Pomeroy Wendlandt More

UK research agency ICM has launched a new polling system called �Rapid Response�, which it says will deliver same-day results on breaking national news stories. More

WPP-owned Kantar Health has launched a new solution called �CancerMPact Future Trends and Insights�, which can be used to explore the potential changes in oncology treatment practices in the US, Western Europe and Japan. 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

Ipsos Healthcare has given Jackie Ilacqua the additional role of Global Head of Syndicated Services, alongside her existing position as President of Global Oncology. 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

2 appointments More

Anita Chu More

Emma Lax More

2 appointments More

Gemma Hughes More

Melanie Shreffler 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 the UK, shopper and leisure sector research consultancy Touchstone Partners has appointed former Johnson & Jonson director Sarah Lacey as Head of its Shopper Consultancy division. More

In the US, the company known for the last three years as SymphonyIRI is now once again just IRI (Information Resources Inc.). 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

In the US, public sector-focused research provider Abt Associates has appointed James Gribble as Senior M&E Strategy and Business Development Lead, to oversee the Evaluation practice within its International Health Division. More

US-based consumer intelligence specialist The NPD Group has appointed four new market research analysts at its flat panel display specialist NPD DisplaySearch in the US, Korea and Taiwan. More

US-based consumer intelligence specialist The NPD Group is launching what it describes as �the foodservice industry�s first monthly sales tracking service with broad distributor coverage�. �SupplyTrack� will cover all products shipped from major distributors representing 70% of the broadline market. More

Reports in the UK press suggest that Andrew Cooper, co-founder of polling firm Populus, is leaving his position as an advisor to PM David Cameron, possibly as a result of differences with Australian election specialist Lynton Crosby. More

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

Malaysia�s MR association is to launch a database of qualified respondents for group discussions, to avoid �professional respondent� syndrome and improve research quality. 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

Retail and healthcare specialist SymphonyIRI has added the title of Chief Client Strategy Officer to former P&G exec Beverly Grant�s existing role as President of Retail Solutions. More

Miami-based healthcare analytics company QualMetrix has named co-founder Adam House as its Chief Executive Officer. More

London-based business information provider Duedil has raised $5m (�3.3m) in Series A funding, which it will use to expand into new territories and develop its product offering by tapping into additional data sets. 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

MESH Planning Partner Stephen Phillips has launched a new online DIY market research platform called ZappiStore, initially available in the UK, US and Australia. More

Full service online research agency mo'web has launched a new consumer panel in Turkey, while also announcing plans to expand into the country�s B2B market. More

US information and analytics provider IHS has announced that current President and COO Scott Key will assume the role of President and Chief Executive Officer on June 1, when Chairman and CEO Jerre Stead will move into the role of Executive Chairman. More

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

Adam Woodgate More

Adam Woodgate 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

MarkLogic, which has developed a database platform for big data applications, has raised $25m in growth capital, and says it will use the cash to meet demand for its enterprise NoSQL technology. More

Alison Barbour More

In the US, Seattle-based user experience research firm Blink Interactive has acquired assets from The Gilmore Research Group, including participant recruiting services and focus group facilities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

UK consumer specialist Incite has launched a dedicated Behaviour Change practice, which will use multiple disciplines - including behavioural economics, neuroscience, health psychology and CRM - to help brands influence the behaviour of consumers. 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

In Canada, Ipsos Healthcare has rolled out a tumor-specific oncology monitor focusing on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), planned as the first in a series of syndicated, cancer-specific monitors. 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

Claraview, a subsidiary of big data specialist Teradata offering business intelligence consulting and data warehousing services, has launched Integrated Marketing Management (IMM), a new offer for companies looking to measure the results of their marketing strategies. 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

Australian-based insights consultancy Fiftyfive5 has added (yes) five new consultants to its team in response to what it calls �a continued increase in demand� for its strategic consulting services. More

London-based brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners (H&P) has made two senior hires in its European healthcare team: ex-Kantar Health exec Chris McPartland and former medeConnect Research Director Lucy Ireland. More

Business information provider Dun & Bradstreet has announced a long-term strategic initiative to deliver a combination of new solutions and improved business insight for the Canadian market - the first three of which launch today. 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

Michigan, US-based research and consulting firm RDA Group has announced 2012 revenue growth of 9% to $19.1m. 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

Sydney, Aus-based Q Research Software is to open an office in New York later this month, and has appointed former Illuminas SRE Steven Kawalek to lead it. More

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

US firm ALM Legal Intelligence is adding to its range of business information and market data for the legal industry with the launch of a new database of the billing rates of attorneys across the country. More

Big data firm Indix has secured $4.5 million in funding from two venture capital firms. Founded in 2010 and operating from late 2011, the company says it will remain in �stealth mode� until later this year. More

Elizabeth Sena More

5 promotions More

Maria Moratis More

John Harrison More

Tim Letscher More

Pravin Shekar More

WPP-owned healthcare panel and data collection agency All Global has appointed former Schlesinger Associates exec BJ Kirschner as Director, Research Operations - Qualitative. More

Technology specialist Forrester Research is planning to repurchase up to $130m of its common stock through a �modified Dutch auction self-tender offer�, at a price of between $32 and $36 per share. More

US-based online data collection specialist Schlesinger Interactive has launched an online community service, which it says will support clients� needs for both online community recruiting and �industry-leading� technology platforms. 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

Israeli business intelligence software developer SiSense has closed a $10m Series B round of funding, aiming to meet what it describes as �intense demand� for its big data analytics solutions. More

In the US, B2B data provider ReachForce has acquired cloud-based big data management and predictive analytics firm SetLogik. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Peter Mimnaugh More

Erin Mulligan Nelson More

Ron Park More

Nielsen has rolled out its ad measurement service Online Campaign Ratings to four new markets - Germany, Italy, Australia and Canada. More

Management consultancy Accenture has acquired Australian change management analytics specialist ChangeTrack Research, as it looks to improve its measurement and progress monitoring for clients� change programs. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Healthcare research specialist WorldOne has secured $35m in funding, most of which it will use to expand its Sermo online physician community. More

In New York, GfK has appointed Dr Mansour Fahimi as Senior Vice President of Sampling Statistics, to serve as chief statistician for the firm�s KnowledgePanel, leading methodological innovation and federally sponsored survey projects. More

GfK has fully integrated its custom research division GfK Blue Moon into its global structure, and renamed it GfK Australia, Consumer Experiences. More

Custom research firm TLE (formerly The Leading Edge) has appointed shopper research specialist Karen Sandrault as Director of Strategy at its Sao Paolo office. 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

Charles Marker More

Ipsos has sold its theatrical research division the Motion Picture Group (MPG) to a private investment company led by former MPG President Vincent Bruzzese. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

US-based ActiveGroup, which provides video streaming to the market research industry, is reportedly to cease operations on April 5 after fourteen years in business. The firm is part of MVL Group, which also owns companies including PhoneBase and QuickTest/Heakin. More

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

In the Tuesday pre-lunch slot at the recent Conference, speakers addressed the issue of how location-specific information can help us with business planning. DRNO News Editor Mel Crowther reports on how these technologies are being used to help us understand transportation issues. More

In Belgium, NGDATA, which provides solutions for customer intelligence management, has acquired data management and business analytics specialist ENQIO for an undisclosed sum. More

US-based healthcare and government researcher Abt Associates has promoted Scott Royal to the new position of President and CEO of its survey research and data collection arm, Abt SRBI. More

Technology research specialist Richard Noden has returned to ORC International as Research Director in its London-based Customer Strategy and Technology department. More

In Germany, Maritz Research has completed the integration of Wiesbaden-based stakeholder feedback management specialist Imagin AG, which it acquired eighteen months ago for an undisclosed sum. Imagin will now trade under the Maritz name. More

Californian enterprise software firm TIBCO has acquired French location intelligence provider Maporama Solutions, in order to add geolocation capabilities to its big data analytics service. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Social researchers can draw fascinating insights into complex political and cultural issues - yet so often see them reduced to soundbites and two-dimensional summaries by the media. We promise not to do the same as News Editor Mel Crowther reports on this session from Tuesday last week. More

UK consumer specialist Incite has hired four new members of staff, including Ipsos MORI�s former Head of Travel Rosemary Bayman, who joins as Principal in the firm�s Financial Services team. 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

US-based business intelligence and predictive analytics specialist Rapid Insight has appointed software entrepreneur Ric Pratte as President and Chief Operating Officer. More

Shopper feedback specialist Shopbust has launched a mobile version of its mystery shopping platform, to enable clients to carry out �fast turnaround� store audits and spot checks and report back to their businesses via their mobile phones. More

Customer satisfaction and loyalty specialist Paul Szwarc has rejoined Ipsos MORI, working in the firm�s UK Loyalty division as a Director in the Financial Services team. More

Trucking industry analyst Randall-Reilly has introduced a tool called RigDig Business Intelligence (BI), to help truck manufacturers, dealers and aftermarket providers analyse customer buying cycles, purchase behavior and market share. 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

Nicky Geen More

Xiao Hui Hsu More

Monica Narvaez 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

Scott Laing and Chris Robson, the co-founders of MR and data science firm Parametric Marketing, have joined the new Product Strategy and Analytics division of customer and employee research agency ORC International. 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

In the UK, M&C Saatchi-owned brand research specialist Clear has appointed former Ipsos MORI exec David Baxter as Head of Marketing Sciences. 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

SPA Future Thinking Group Managing Director Richard Hepburn is to leave the company to become Divisional MD at engineering and environmental testing business ALcontrol Laboratories. More

MR industry marketing and sales consultancy Harpeth Marketing has announced two new services: the Lead Builder Program, offering outsourced lead generation and nurturing; and The Seller�s Reality, which gathers insights from current clients, past clients and competitors to help users keep their perspective. 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

In the UK, BI and segmentation specialist CACI has unveiled what it calls �a radical new approach to describing consumer behaviour, breaking away from the use of census data for development of its geodemographic segmentation tool Acorn. 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

US-based research software firm Revolution Analytics has opened a London office, to be led by former Accenture exec Neil Miller. 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

Josh Dreller More

Michelle Byers More

Gill Redfern More

Sarah O�Keefe 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

Australia and UK-based digital consumer insights specialist Watch Me Think has expanded to the US, where it has appointed Kevin Gould as President. More

Analytics and modeling firm Alpine Data Labs has appointed Joe Otto as President and CEO, responsible for the overall strategic direction, growth and management of the company. He replaces Tom Ryan, who joined the company just over a year ago. More

Big data firm Pursway, which tracks the influence of opinion leaders on purchasing, has named technology sector veteran Dave Ellenberg as its new Chief Exec, replacing company co-founder Elery Pfeffer who has moved into the role of Chief Science Officer. More

Canadian marcoms agency Donovan Creative has opened a focus group testing facility at its offices in Edmonton, Alberta. More

For the first time since it was founded in 2000, online specialist BrainJuicer has reported a �poor year�, citing a combination of flat sales and cost increases for a 45% drop in operating profit to �1.5m from �2.7m in 2011. Revenues increased very slightly to �20.8m. More

The Governor of Utah is ready to sign a bill designed to combat �push polls�, but which the MRA and AAPC claim will actually threaten legitimate polling. 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

US customer intelligence provider Market Force Information has sold its general merchandising and in-store audit services to retail merchandising specialist The SPAR Group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Juniper Consulting Group (Junicon) has appointed Michael LoPresti as Managing Director of its Tokyo-based healthcare marketing research and consulting company Junicon K.K. More

eCGlobal Solutions - which provides online communities and panels across Latin America - has partnered with social software company Ramius, owner of the online qual marketing research platform Recollective. More

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

UK-based telephone research specialist Facts International has expanded into the APAC region, with the opening of an office in Sydney, Australia. 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

Business intelligence specialist Axxess Unlimited is to acquire brand and business outsourcing management businesses TDG Inc. and TDG Brands Inc (TDG). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Otto Hellwig, CEO of sample and panel provider respondi, has been elected Chairman of The German Society for Online Research (Deutsche Gesellschaft f�r 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

Cello-owned co-creation agency Face has appointed Matt Arnold, formerly of The Nursery, as its first European Head of Qualitative Research. 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

John Mitchell More

4 hires More

US ad measurement specialist MSW Research has acquired the non-health copy-testing and non-health equity tracking assets of comScore�fs ad research arm ARS for an undisclosed sum. comScore will retain the health-based copy-testing/equity tracking assets following the divestiture. More

Australian market and opinion researcher Roy Morgan has acquired the ABIX business news service from intelligence provider Lexis Nexis, and will offer clients financial information services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Emerging markets specialist Borderless Access Panels has launched an online panel in South Korea, adding to the ten it already manages in Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan and Turkey. 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

San Francisco-based predictive employee analytics firm Evolv has closed a $15m Series D round of funding, earmarked for further development of its solutions and continued vertical market and geographic expansion. 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

Business intelligence software developer Pyramid Analytics has raised $11.5m in funding, which it plans to use to further develop its products and scale the business. More

Panel firm Research Now has announced an international deal with Experian Marketing Services, the data giant�s insight and targeting wing, combining online behavioural data with the ability to survey the same individuals. More

Facial imaging specialist nViso and US-based neuroscience firm Sands Research are to combine their software on a single platform and service offering. Terms of the partnership were not disclosed. More

Insights consultancy Greenberg Brand Strategy has hired former Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) Asia leader Tatt Chen as Global Head of Client and Market Development. More

MR technology company Zipinion has released a crowdsourced polling application, promising �100 objective opinions sourced from a pool of over 500,000 people� within �just minutes� of uploading a DIY online survey. More

TNS will run the Eurobarometer Qualitative studies for the EC and European Parliament for another four years. �Believed to be the world�s largest qualitative research programme�, the EUR 18m win saw TNS beat competition from Ipsos, GfK and Gallup. More

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

Wendy Taylor-Tanielian More

Khurrum Malik More

Yaron Brenman More

Jennifer Philips More

3 appointments More

Healthcare fieldwork firm M3 Global Research has hired eight former employees of Epocrates, following the latter�s acquisition by electronic health record provider athenahealth, and the subsequently closure of its QuickRecruit service. M3 has also made ten further appointments and three promotions. More

Restaurant branding agency Bellwether Food Group has merged with sector-specific market research agency Restaurant Insights, in order to provide a �one stop shop� for the foodservice and retail sectors. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

UK broadcaster and media group Channel 4 has launched a real-time online community of 16-to-24-year-olds called �Tribes Live�, through which it will provide its ad clients with insight into what it describes as this �elusive audience demographic�. 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

US newspaper and Internet publisher The McClatchy Company is to acquire media measurement and analytics firm Tru Measure. Financial terms were not disclosed. More

Australian marcoms group STW has acquired a minority stake in the Australian arm of UK-based behavioural insights firm Beyond Analysis. Terms of the investment were not disclosed. More

Semantic content analysis firm Sophia Search has closed a $3.7m Series A funding round, which it will use to increase marketing and sales efforts in North America, and to accelerate product roll-out. More

Maciej Kruk More

Richard Silman More

Andy Fisher More

Steve Rousseau More

Tonya Roberts More

Sarah Ripmaster More

US professional body the MRA (Marketing Research Association) has voiced concerns about legislation before Congress concerning the Census Bureau�s American Community Survey (ACS). The bill would make answering the survey�s demographic questions voluntary. 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

Panel and research software firm GMI has launched a consultative service called Re-Track, to enable clients to determine areas for improvement in the structure and design of their tracking surveys. More

GfK has rolled out its Market Opportunity and Innovation (MOI) service in the UK, with a team led by the firm�s former Director of Insight Richard Matthews. 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

Big data firm HG Data has raised $2m in funding, which it plans to use to increase the coverage of its cloud-based business intelligence database and to expand into the Asia Pacific region. More

US-based product innovation specialist InsightsNow has appointed research industry veterans Joel Rubinson, Bob Woodward, David Neal and Kevin Sheridan to its Advisory Board. More

Liz Murphy More

Charles Voss More

TNS has officially opened an office in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma), claiming to be the first international consumer insights consultancy to secure a licence to officially conduct business in the country. More

Ipsos has set up a new Employee Relationship Management (ERM) practice in APAC, helping clients with talent attraction, employer branding, leadership development and staff retention strategies. More

Healthcare research giant IMS Health has acquired Seattle-based technology firm Appature, which offers clients a patented cloud-based marketing software platform called Nexus. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

UK-based insight and marketing group Cello has reported �solid overall performance� in 2012, with revenues of �135.1m, up 5.8%, and headline profit before tax flat at �7.0m (2011: �7.1m). The firm�s Health division outperformed Consumer, but the latter enjoyed a good second half. More

GfK has hired Chris Fabber to oversee the merger of its US panel operations business, including panels acquired with Knowledge Networks in 2011. More

Dubai-based online healthcare specialist 42 market research has launched new healthcare panels in Sweden, Norway and Finland. More

In Germany, forecasting specialist Ipsos InnoQuest has appointed sensory and consumer insight expert Josef Zach as Director, Research & Development, Product Testing. More

After nearly a year in stealth mode, Santa Cruz, CA-based Looker Data Sciences has launched a query-based business intelligence software platform called Looker, with $2m in funding. More

3 appointments More

John Harrison More

3 appointments More

John Harrison 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

Bert Goyne More

US research provider Gongos has formed a new division, O2 Integrated, dedicated to 'fusing enterprise data and primary research to reshape customer-centric decision making for Global 1000 companies'; and has appointed Jason Raguso to lead it. More

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

UK-based research and consulting firm Populus has added mobile-only households to the sample for its telephone-only omnibus. More

Automotive information specialist R.L. Polk has brought in advisors to explore �strategic growth opportunities� including a possible sale or IPO, or acquisitions of its own. More

UK research company Intersperience is launching an online research software system called FlexMR, offering mix-and-match tools �to suit any budget�. 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

Healthcare research and information giant IMS Health is to consolidate a number of its San Francisco offices into one site, and has reportedly leased the entire seventh floor of the 38-story block at 425 Market St. from May onwards. More

Sentience Technology, a start-up big data software firm, is the first recipient of funds from a new London-based incubator program, SeedCloud, which aims to provide companies with services including research, in addition to cash. More

Paul Hylands More

WPP's media investment management group GroupM has opened a new Consulting Services division, whose offer will include marketing and media analytics, as well as business forecasting. More

TNS has appointed former Ernst & Young Partner Richard Ingleton as its new Global Chief Executive Officer, replacing Eric Salama who previously combined the role with his leadership of Kantar. More

Research and advisory group ISG has reported an 11% increase in fourth quarter revenues to $49.5m, while operating income was $1.7m, compared to an operating loss of $59.9m in Q4 2011. For the full year, gains in the Americas more than cancelled out a decline in European business. More

The US Patent and Trademark Office has granted consumer insight technology firm Lumi Mobile three patents, which the firm says will protect its core technologies. 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

Abe Taha More

Global research and analytics outsourcing firm Cross-Tab says it is planning to recruit a further 1400 staff in India, adding to its existing 600-strong headcount based in Bangalore and Mumbai. The company has also launched a new research platform called ctOS. 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

TNS BMRB has appointed Gerry Harrison as Director, to lead its Qual practice in Edinburgh. 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

A US Court has dismissed an appeal by Miami TV station Sunbeam, against an earlier dismissal of a lawsuit in which the broadcaster alleged Nielsen monopolized audience ratings systems in the region. 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

Allan Shaw More

Jason McNicol More

Dyna Boen More

New York�s Supreme Court has ruled that the $1 billion lawsuit brought by New Delhi Television (NDTV) against Nielsen and WPP should be heard in India. The broadcaster alleges that staff at the firms� TAM joint venture took bribes in exchange for overstating ratings. 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

In the US, full service agency MDC Research has expanded to California through the acquisition of San Francisco-based qualitative research firm and focus group facility Ecker & Associates. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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

Richard Drury More

Aditi Mitra 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

In Australia, former GfK Blue Moon execs Claire Duffy and Craig Smith have set up a new qualitative market and social research agency called Snapcracker Research + Strategy, in Willoughby, north of Sydney. More

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

Ipsos Marketing has announced a strategic partnership with Bounty, the UK�s largest parenting club. The deal gives Ipsos clients access to Bounty�s 37,000 strong Word of Mum Panel, comprising mums-to-be, new mums and those with pre-school age children. More

Experian Marketing Services has announced the launch of Hitwise Mobile, which will provide clients with �comprehensive data and insights� about mobile consumer behaviour. More

Amsterdam-based Kea Company has acquired London�s Lighthouse Analyst Relations, thus becoming �the world�s largest analyst relations firm� independent of the top PR agencies. Kea is also a customer experience analyst and an advisor on go-to-market strategies. More

Dell has announced an upgraded version of its flagship big data analytics product Kitenga, offering mid-market clients new search and predictive analytics options. 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

Jessie Janego 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

Jennifer Otto, formerly Vice President of Consumer & Market Knowledge at P&G, has joined expert solutions provider YourEncore, to lead its new consumer insights program. More

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

Aimia, owner of the Nectar loyalty scheme, has promoted David Johnston to the newly created role of Group Chief Operating Officer, with a remit to further develop its global operating model. Separately, the firm has reported a flat year, propped up by strong EMEA performance based around Nectar UK. 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

Patrizia Elli More

Hannah Roberts More

Simon Wake More

Lauren Demar has been promoted to the role of Deputy Chief Executive Officer, with responsibility for two Ipsos Marketing divisions: InnoQuest and MarketQuest. More

Marc Litvinoff has resigned from his role as President and CEO of customer and employee research agency ORC International, and is being replaced by former Knowledge Networks CEO Simon Kooyman, who will take up his new position on Friday. More

UK out-of-home measurement body Postar (Poster Audience Research) has been renamed �Route�, as it launches a new audience research system costing industry investors around �19m. 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

Automotive customer feedback specialist Vital Insights has opened two new regional offices near Paris and London, complementing its existing offices in Germany and the Czech Republic. More

Consumer specialist The NPD Group has reorganized its senior management team as part of its strategy to �accelerate growth and innovation�. More

In the US, text analytics start-up Synapsify has raised $600k in seed funding, which it will use to roll out its technology in the second quarter of this year. More

Footfall counting and analysis specialist Ipsos Retail Performance has launched a range of online reporting tools to help retailers view and analyse the performance of their stores. More

Public opinion pollster SurveyUSA has rolled out its services to the US newspaper industry, and appointed newspaper-industry veteran Mort Goldstrom to lead the new division. More

Hetty Fore has returned to GfK as Senior Vice President in the Market Opportunity and Innovation team, while Robert Hernandez has joined the company to lead its Qualitative and Ethnographic practice. More

Customer experience management (CEM) specialist Nunwood has extended its presence in Australia with the opening of satellite offices in Brisbane and Melbourne, to support its existing Asia Pacific HQ in Sydney. The firm has doubled the size of its Australian team in the process. More

Radio ratings giant Arbitron has reported 2012 revenue up an impressive 6.5%. In the fourth quarter, growth was slower and net income was slightly dented by costs relating to the forthcoming Nielsen merger. More

Digital data collection provider Research Now has moved its Waterloo, London-based EMEA headquarters across the river, to larger premises in Queen Victoria Street next to Blackfriars tube. More

The Cambodian Broadcasting Service has awarded Kantar Media a two year contract to conduct television audience research, which will include recording the viewing habits of more than 500 homes in urban areas such as Phnom Penh, Siem Riep and Battambang. More

Trajectory Partnership�s former Head of Research Katie Shearn has re-joined London-based full service agency Opinion Leader as Research Director, to help expand the company�s reach in the financial services and public sector markets. More

US-based Curalate, which offers a platform that applies image analytics to social media conversations, has extended its solution to enable users to track conversations on photo-sharing site Instagram; adding to the firm�s existing ability to analyze activity across Pinterest. More

Dunkin Donuts� parent company Dunkin Brands Group has promoted Rebecca Zogbi to the role of Vice President, Global Consumer and Business Insights. 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

US-based Centris Marketing Science, which specializes in providing market intelligence to the entertainment sector, has named Steve Ennen as President, with a remit to develop new markets, products and services, while delivering consumer behavior insights. More

US media intelligence specialist Aggregate Knowledge (AK) has raised around $11.4m in new funds, less than a month after acquiring customer behavior analytics specialist Quantivo. More

Mobile advertising and data specialist Millennial Media is to acquire San Francisco-based mobile user data and ad targeting platform Metaresolver, just a year after it was set up by M:Metrics co-founder Seamus McAteer. Terms of the all-cash deal were not disclosed. More

Justin Lindsey 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

US branding agency ParkerWhite Brand Interactive has opened an insight and social media analysis business, Immersive Youth Marketing, in partnership with youth marketer Gregg Witt. More

The 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

Amsterdam-based big data search and analytics firm Elasticsearch has secured $24m in Series B funding, which it says it will use to meet the increase in demand for its products by recruiting further staff. More

Alexander Bo�thius More

5 appointments More

3 promotions More

Karl Goldfield 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

Aside from paying the kind of huge sums management consultancies pay, how do we entice bright graduates into the profession? It�s a tough question - but we�re used to answering tough questions, and surely we know some of the answers already, says Nick Thomas, continuing our features to celebrate job ad no.100,000. More

Online qual specialist Blauw Research has launched a new co-creation tool called �GameChanger�, designed to draw increased insights, ideas and innovations from brand advocates in a focus group setting. 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

Shopper analytics specialist Euclid has closed a $17.3m round of financing, which it will use to further service its growing customer base. 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

Matt Knoeck has re-joined Harris Interactive as Senior Vice President, Healthcare, responsible for increasing the company�s presence in the sector and with a particular focus on stakeholder research. 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

Donna Wallace More

Mark Mallardi More

Allen Bonde More

Carolyn Dodd More

2 appointments 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

Ipsos has appointed former TNS exec Marie Lee as Managing Director of its operations in the Philippines. 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

Chris Paxton has left the Sydney office of Australian custom researcher The Leading Edge, to return to his native UK as Managing Director of the London office. More

Central London-based qual/quant agency Vision One has opened an office in Liverpool from which it will service clients in northern England and Scotland. More

EMEA Advisory Board More

Gabi Clark 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

Two former execs of business process outsourcing firm Aegis Global have launched a new company called Ananto, based in Mumbai and using big data analytics to offer clients insight, predictive intelligence and technology integration. 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

Intel has announced it will launch a chip-powered television product which will tailor content to the viewer, based on a facial-recognition assessment of who is watching, by the end of this year. 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

Kantar is to integrate youth research unit TRU into another of its subsidiaries, insight and innovation consultancy The Futures Company. 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

Australian-based MR software firm Numbers has released the latest version of its Q analysis software product, boasting online dashboards, new analyses including TURF, 3-D and 4-D tables and new mapping algorithms. More

Ipsos Loyalty is to roll out its WAO! share-of-wallet tool in Poland. The service measures share of wallet dynamics within a given category, then assess which aspects of satisfaction and loyalty are driving this. More

Todd Eviston More

Canadian polling firm Leger Marketing has acquired Researchology, a Toronto-based market research company which works across the pharmaceutical sector. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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

GfK is believed to be planning a move from current New York premises in Chelsea Market to a 75,000 square foot office in the World Financial Center. More

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

In Belgium, former Nielsen statistician Istvan Hajnal has launched his own market research and big data analytics consultancy, Hajnalytics. 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, co-creation agency KL Communications has acquired communities specialist Grupthink, in a move to extend the abilities of its own CrowdWeaving collaborative platform. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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

Richard Brown 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

Nordic management consultancy Capacent has acquired Swedish customer and business intelligence firm Resight from its parent company A-com, for around 13m Swedish Krona (c.�1.3m). 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

In the US, predictive analytics specialist Clockwork has named Joseph Berti as Chief Executive Officer, to lead the company as it plans the launch of its asset lifecycle management platform. More

App analytics firm MobileWalla has raised $4m in venture capital to help develop a system for measuring mobile audiences. More

Olivier Silvestre More

Kate McEnery-Evans More

Christophe Koerbitz More

Isla Cullingworth More

2 appointments More

Michelle Andre 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

UK-based Engage Research has launched an omnibus-style ethnographic study called �ethnobus�, drawing on a range of sources from blogs to cupboard audits. 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

Former Ford Motor veteran and auto consumer insight specialist Tom Zwolan has joined GfK�s Automotive team as Vice President. 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

John �Jack� Jones, the founder of the Market Research Bureau of Ireland (MRBI), died suddenly last Saturday at the age of 91. More

Market research was once said to be �recession-proof�, but we don�t hear that quite so often these days. Are we in a �double-dip�? And in our new, more cautious mode, who are we recruiting and how many of them? Nick Thomas looks at the stats for 2005-12 as we celebrate our 100,000th job ad this week. More

Kadence International has reported gross revenues up 48% in 2012 to $14.5m, from $9.8m in the previous year. UK and US offices both played a key role in the impressive performance. More

Pierre Le Manh has stepped up to the role of CEO of Ipsos in North America, replacing Jim Smith, who becomes Special Advisor to co-Presidents Jean-Marc Lech and Didier Truchot. More

Curiosity Research founder Andy Cumming and his former employee Sally Lewis have joined UK-based consumer insight agency Join the Dots, in Manchester, as Research Director and Senior Research Manager respectively. More

Panel and research software firm GMI has launched a service called �Fast Track�, which it says enables clients to field surveys �faster than ever before�. 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

Today we reach the milestone of 100,000 job ads on MrWeb. It�s taken just over fourteen years and 1,806 different advertisers, and in that time we�ve seen many changes in the way researchers are recruited, and the skills in demand. Co-founder Nick Thomas starts an in-depth review today. More

UK-based BDRC Group has added a China office to its existing overseas locations in Singapore and Sydney. Based in Beijing, the new office will be led by former B2B International China Deputy GM Siew Wong. More

New York-based Radius Global Market Research has opened three new offices, in Detroit, Chicago and Princeton, NJ, focusing respectively on work in the automotive, Rx-pharma and financial services industries and led by newly appointed VPs Jeff Zboril, Kathleen Relias and Glenn Staada. More

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

Peter Wilson More

4 appointments More

Beth Thompson More

Alexandre Tatry-Gautier 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

Gallup has brought in political scientist Dr Michael Traugott to help review its polling processes, following problems with its tracking of the recent US presidential election. More

Seven managers of pharma market intelligence and insight specialist NHiS have sold the company to business information and training organisation Wilmington Group, for a possible total sum of �9.35m. 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

MasterCard�s insights arm MasterCard Advisors has acquired a stake in decision science and data analytics firm Mu Sigma, and will work to combine its anonymous purchase behavior data with Mu Sigma�s advanced analytics. 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

Omnicom-owned Hall & Partners Health, which focuses on healthcare and pharma brand marketing and comms research, has promoted Soumya Roy to the role of Managing Partner, in charge of the US team based in New York City and Chicago. More

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

US-based speech analytics specialist CallMiner has raised $9.6m of an anticipated $12.1m round of funding, according to an SEC filing. 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

In the US, CfMC Research Software has appointed Mary McDougall as President and Chief Executive Officer, replacing Danny Wong, who will remain on the leadership team as Chief Technology Officer and an active member of the Board. More

US online research and analytics company InsightExpress has added auto specialist Polk�s census of vehicle registration data to its own Ignite Auto research solution, to provide marketers with an understanding of how ad exposure drives buying behavior. More

Serco-owned game usability testing firm PlayableGames has changed its name to �ExperienceLab�, reflecting the convergence of mobile, gaming and web and the multi-platform environment in which its clients now operate. More

WPP�s brand development and insight consultancy Added Value has appointed Sandrine McClure as a Director in its Paris office. 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

Stan Hart 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

GfK has named four senior leaders for its operations in the CEE-META (Central and Eastern Europe Middle East, Turkey and Africa) and APAC (Asia and the Pacific) regions. More

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

Business information specialist Cloudpoint has acquired business intelligence (BI) and performance management company Altius Consulting for an undisclosed sum. More

Mountain View, California-based big data firm Think Big Analytics has officially launched with $3m in seed funding, and will set about expanding its data science and engineering teams. 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

Austin, Texas-based big data start-up Continuum Analytics has been awarded $3m from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which it will use to develop new techniques for exploring large, multi-dimensional data sets. 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

Philippa Maynard More

Jacqueline Rosales 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

Bob Shullman, the former President of affluent consumer measurement business Ipsos Mendelsohn, has set up his own consultancy called the Shullman Research Center, which offers a �Luxury and Affluence Monthly Pulse� of future purchasing intentions of the US marketplace. More

IBM has agreed to acquire the software portfolio of Redwood City, California-based Star Analytics for an undisclosed sum. 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

David Thomson, the founder and Chairman of UK-based agency MMR Research Worldwide, has developed a lexicon of �emotional terminology�, which he believes could form an industry standard for use in emotional research. 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

The Access Partnership has made key appointments on both sides of the Atlantic. Kevin Mayo joins as EVP of its US office in Philadelphia, and Pascal King as Global Director at its London HQ. Thalia Nikoglou and Ahmed Edathodu have also joined as Consultants. More

UK-based business research specialist B2B International has reported its best ever year, with 2012 turnover up 28% to �5.1m. North America and Europe led the way. More

US research associations MRA, PMRG and CASRO are celebrating success over regulations implementing the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, published late on Friday by the CMS. Following a five and a half year lobbying campaign, MR respondent payments are specifically excluded from reporting requirements. More

Sevenoaks, UK-based analytics consultancy Logit Research has acquired a 45% stake in Big Data Investors, LLC, an entity set up with its US partner, Boston-based Statistical Innovations Inc. (SI) to develop CORExpress software for Correlated Component Regression Analysis (CCR). 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

Rosenheim, Germany-based Business Intelligence software company Cubeware has opened a London office, as a focus for its expansion in new countries within the EMEA region; and has promoted company veteran Ingo Diekmann to lead it. More

UK-based research network the ICG has launched a video giving advice to those looking to use DIY research approaches. Chairman Arthur Fletcher states: �we are not going to stick our heads in the sand and pretend DIY research isn�t happening�. More

London-based Behavioural Economics (BE) specialist The Behavioural Architects has appointed Gill O�Hanlon and Rachel Abbott as Director and Associate Director respectively. More

Katie Dombrowski More

Ari Paparo More

Nicolas Mathieu 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

Revenue from Acxiom�s Marketing and Data Services division increased 4% to $160m in Q3 2012. Other divisions however fared less well, the group as a whole reporting a 3% drop to $273m. More

US-based product innovation specialist InsightsNow has appointed former NPD Group LatAm President Mark Turim as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer. 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

California-based big data management firm Actian has agreed to acquire data innovation specialist Pervasive Software for $161.9m, after having two of its previous bids rejected. More

UK-based mobile data collection specialist OnePoint Global has formed a partnership with South African firm Customer Experience Agency (CE Agency), to expand its capabilities across Africa. More

Data-driven ad agency Havas Discovery has appointed Eamon Boyle as Managing Director, Data Intelligence at its Richmond, VA office, with a remit to create a 360 degree big data view of the customer while making data �fun, interesting and insightful� for clients. 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

David Milam More

Tracy-Ann Goodwin More

Rebecca Harries More

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Preliminary results indicate that GfK�s full-year revenue rose 10.2% in 2012, to approximately EUR 1.5bn, with organic growth of 3.1%. More

London-based Purple Market Research has announced a partnership with US consumer insights specialist Kelton, as part of the latter�s Global Group alliance of international partner firms. More

GfK says it has uncovered incidents of tax evasion at its Turkish subsidiary GfK Ara�t�rma Hizmetleri. The firm�s former local management are accused of collaborating to defraud the global group through tax and social security avoidance schemes over several years. More

In the US, contact center software firm Genesys has agreed to acquire customer speech and text analytics specialist UTOPY. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

US-based big data specialist DataGravity has raised $30m in a Series B round of venture capital financing, which it plans to use to build its product portfolio, scale its marketing and sales efforts, and hire new data visualization and user experience staff. 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

Northern Irish start-up Sensum has launched a consumer testing tool which uses galvanic skin response (GSR) sensors to help researchers gauge an audience�s engagement levels while watching TV programmes or other forms of entertainment. More

US research body the MRA (Marketing Research Association) has appointed its magazine Editor and former Board Director Amy Shields for a newly created role, Director of Research. More

US-based analytics and research firm AbsolutData has opened an office in the UK, where it has appointed Kulpreet Singh to lead it as Senior Vice President, Europe and Middle East. 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

Consumer information publisher Mintel has launched a new trend forecasting tool called �Mintel Futures�, which draws on a set of six key trends to identify the largest areas of business opportunity. 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 pharma researcher and communications consultancy Mash Health Limited and its US business Mash Health, Inc have been acquired by the UK�s Cello Group plc, for an initial consideration of c.�0.6m. Separately, Cello has reported �solid full year performance� for 2012. More

The UK-based Market Research Society (MRS) has chosen today - officially Data Privacy Day - to launch a new kite mark scheme, Fair Data. The mark identifies organisations which �collect, use and retain personal data properly and ethically�. More

In the UK, Cello healthcare agency Insight Research Group has launched �IQ�, a new practice dedicated to high-end quant market research. Directors Philip Dunn and Gracie van Kemenade will head up the new business. More

Difficult environments specialist D3 Systems has added eight execs to its team, including six Assistant Research Analysts, plus Statistician David Rae and Controller Kelley Milligan. 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

Geoff Curtis More

Lindsay Veling 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

German product, pricing and marketing strategy specialist Simon-Kucher is moving to larger premises in London, after reporting 20% growth in 2012 global revenue to EUR 145m. More

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

Toronto, Canada-based marketing research firm Fresh Squeezed Ideas has appointed former Cint Director Lindsay Veling as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development. 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

Enterprise feedback management (EFM) technology specialist QuestBack has appointed Hilarius Dressen as CEO, responsible for the company�s operations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He succeeds Frank Michael, who is leaving to set up as an independent consultant. 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

In Paris, Ipsos has appointed former EDS VP Mary Dupont-Madinier as an Independent Director on its Board of Directors, replacing Wladimir Mollof who has stepped down from the role. In a statement, the firm said the move will bring a �greater diversity� to the Board. More

US-based Travelport, which provides transaction processing services to the travel sector, has launched an online business intelligence tool called Agentivity, which offers insights into client behaviour and data on traveller booking patterns. 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

US-based ActiveGroup, which provides video streaming to the market research industry, has launched �Capture�, a tool it describes as the first mobile app built for qual researchers. 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 big data analytics firm Saffron Technology has appointed software industry veteran Gayle Sheppard as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding co-founder Manny Aparicio, who will continue in the role of �Chief Memory Maker�. 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

Federica Sacchi More

Heineken UK is restructuring its London/Edinburgh-based marketing team to reflect what it describes as the increasing importance of �innovation, media, and digital communications�. DRNO sources say that up to 60 posts will be affected by the changes, including some in the Insights team. More

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

Multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has extended its International Box Office Essentials service to India, through a partnership with Asian MR firm Majestic MRSS, which will collect daily theatre-level attendance and ticket sales information across the region. 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

Ipsos Healthcare's Gareth Phillips has relocated from Singapore to London, to take up the position of Managing Director UK & Head of Western Europe. More

Consumer, retail and healthcare specialist SymphonyIRI has promoted Piyush Chaudhari to the newly created role of President of the Americas, with a focus on driving performance and growth for domestic and select global clients. More

2 hires More

3 appointments More

2 appointments More

Samirah Abdul Halim More

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After a twenty-year partnership, USA Today and Gallup are going their separate ways, citing differences of opinion and a �changing and evolving� relationship. The paper says it is already well advanced in talks with a replacement pollster. More

Database giant Experian has acquired Melbourne-based analytics business Pacific Micromarketing from publishing group PMP for $AUD 6.2 million (US $6.5m). More

UK consultancy ICM has hired Iain Carruthers, a former Interbrand Director, as Head of Qualitative Research. More

Kantar Health has hired former Holden Pearmain execs Theano Anasta, Ph.D. and Svetlana Gogolina, for senior positions in its UK team. More

Ipsos Marketing has appointed Stephen Yap, previously Global Account Director at TNS, as Head of Market Understanding & Measurement. More

North of England full service agency Dipsticks Research Ltd has announced the promotions of James Dickie to Head of Brand and Communications, and Dr Judith Welford to Head of its Public Knowledge division. 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

UK research veteran Cliff Holmes died on Tuesday night at the age of 76, after a short battle with cancer. 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

IBM has developed a real-time marketing analytics tool, to provide marketers with a �holistic view� of customer buying patterns and purchases over time - including what they viewed and purchased, and how much they spent across channels. 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

Healthcare specialist The Research Partnership and its recently launched market access consultancy The Access Partnership are moving to a new UK headquarters in Fulham, London on Monday. More

GfK has established �consistent standards� for global implementation of its new social media analysis (SMA) offer, which combines automated systems with interpretation by human coders. 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

UK marketers may have �slightly� increased their spend on market research in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to the latest IPA Bellwether report. 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

Big data company Ayasdi has officially launched with a $10.25m round of funding, which it will use to extend its Insight Discovery platform. 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

US-based Market Strategies International has hired former Kantar Operations EVP Kevin Orians as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the company�s research services, quality, analytics and research management functions. He reports to company President George Wilkerson. More

US-based fieldwork group Schlesinger Associates is to provide recruiting and management for a new qual research facility, The Insight Lab, in downtown St. Louis. More

Tony Prentice - Interim CEO More

In the US, public opinion research firm Anzalone Liszt Research (ALR) is merging with Democratic pollster Grove Insight. More

In the UK, mobile network O2 has lost its Marketing and Consumer Director Sally Cowdry to National Lottery operator Camelot, where she will take the same title, with a role including consumer insight. She joins her new employer in �a few months� after helping O2 with the transition. More

Dubai-based researcher POINT Consultancy has launched a specialist FMCG division, Ignite, which will focus on the MENA region and offer a number of proprietary tools and approaches. More

Food, drink and consumer goods specialist MMR Research Worldwide (MMR) has announced a new NPD tool, �Concept Lab�, which it says will screen, optimise and validate product potential cost-effectively and without the need for multiple rounds of research. 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

US-based sales automation and predictive analytics company InsideSales.com has raised $35m in Series B funding. More

Online panel and surveying technology company Netquest has opened a new office in Santiago de Chile, led by Enric Cid and assisted by Jordi Quir�s. More

New York-based Insight Health US, a part of the Cello Group, has hired former Hall & Partners leader Kathryn Gallant as joint CEO. She replaces Avanti Ananthram who moves to the London HQ of parent company Insight Research Group, for the new role of Head of International Development. More

Specialized healthcare and reimbursement consulting firm DK Pierce & Associates has appointed Janet T. Serluco, formerly of ICORE Healthcare, as Senior Consultant, Managed Markets. More

2 appointments More

Phil Dearson More

Consumer insights specialists Cristina de Balanz�, Siemon Scamell-Katz and Rafal Ohme have set up a new London-based neuroscience consultancy called The Walnut Group. More

In the US, GfK has introduced a new service called Location Insights, to help retailers understand the movements and demographics of crowds around specific shopping environments. 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

Miami-based sales performance agency The Retail Outsource Companies has launched a new sister company called �The Consumer Insight� (TCI), which will offer a range of mystery shopping, customer surveys, compliance audits and competitive intelligence services. More

In Canada, panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical and research-based marketing consultancy Academica Group have teamed up to launch a new panel called StudentVu, which offers clients access to the opinions of university and college students. More

Big data analytics firm Guavus, which focuses on helping telecoms companies make more sense of their streams of network data, has raised $30m for the expansion of its core products. 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

Laurent Peacock More

1 appointment, 1 promotion More

Coreen McGann More

The publisher of the Washington Post newspaper has spun off its polling operation as a separate company called Capital Insight, which will offer polling and qual/quant research services to external clients while continuing to conduct studies for the paper. More

Italian and Russian MR trade bodies Assirm and OIROM are the latest to join european research federation efamro. 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

UK-based market research agency ICM is relocating to parent company Creston�s new Soho headquarters, along with the group�s two other London-based agencies TMW and Nelson Bostock. More

Full service agency Market Strategies International (MSI) has opened an office in Singapore, led by David Ying Hon Ho, currently the company�s Research Director and International Research Specialist. More

UK-based Research Runner - the MR support agency set up by former Opinion Health sales specialist Julian Haste - has formed a joint venture with cost management specialist Auditel, aiming to help clients increase their sales and reduce costs. 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

Cannie Tan 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

UK researchers� confidence for the year ahead has dipped, with more predicting a deterioration in the sector�s financial health than an improvement, according to RSM�s latest Research Professionals� survey. More

In London, healthcare research specialist The P\S\L Group has appointed sector veteran Bob Douglas as Chief Strategy Officer. More

Concept testing and forecasting software specialist Affinnova has opened an office in the Willis Building (formerly the Sears Tower) in Chicago, for which it plans to hire additional personnel over the coming months. More

In New York, Ipsos Healthcare has appointed former TNS Healthcare leader Siva Narayanan as Senior Vice President, in charge of the firm�s Evidence Generation, Value and Access portfolio. More

Retail analytics company Euclid has launched Euclid Zero, an off-line shopper analytics package which does not require users to install hardware but operates with existing wireless infrastructure. More

UK supermarket chain Morrisons has promoted Marketing and Operations Director Nick Collard to the new role of Group Marketing and Customer Director. He will join the management board in June. More

Australia�s government spent a record amount on market research last year - some $AUD 35.25m (US $36.7m or �22.8m). Allowing for inflation there was a slight dip in real-terms spending, but nothing like that for other areas of expenditure. More

Helsinki, Finland-based RapidBlue Solutions has announced a new metric, �Gross Shopping Hours� (GSH), which it says is based on the discovery of �a significant relationship between the brick-and-mortar shopping behaviour of shoppers and retail sales.� More

Online audience measurement agency Gemius has partnered with media research firm Marktest to provide measurement in the latter�s native Portugal. More

Data collection group Schlesinger Associates has launched new viewing facilities at Passerelles Bastille in Paris. More

Tony Nethercutt More

David A. Bryant More

In the US, real estate information and marketing services company Hanley Wood has acquired Metrostudy - a provider of research, analytics and consulting to the housing industry - for an undisclosed sum. 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

Education and training solutions provider Tribal Group plc has completed the acquisition of Redhill, UK-based i-graduate (International Graduate Insight Group Ltd), which provides education benchmarking and student experience research. The deal is worth up to �7.5m. 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

Tulsa, Oklahoma-based media company PennWell Corp. has acquired energy sector database and intelligence services including TransmissionHub and GenerationHub from Colorado-based Energy Central. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Leeds, UK-based quant fieldwork specialist Face Facts Research has hired former Nunwood exec Joanne Hughes as Head of Data Management. 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

Search warrants and statements made public in the case of missing Altria employee Leyla Namiranian have revealed more about the investigation, including the early direction of police enquiries, and her confrontations with and fear of an ex-boyfriend. More

Portland, Oregon-based Dialsmith has promoted Eric Alzuhn and Dan Welch to new Vice President roles, and hired Brian Izenson as Marketing Manager. 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

Japanese researcher INTAGE Inc. and Cairo-based ConField MENA have announced a non-exclusive alliance agreement to provide customized research services in their respective regions. More

Public opinion research association WAPOR has published results of its largest ever international study of Freedom to Publish Opinion Poll Results, and says that despite the continuing spread of polls, �major governmental impediments to the free flow of public opinion surveys remain common�. 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

David McCorquodale More

Amie Kernan More

According to research conducted by Conversion Voodoo, Americans prefer the term �Merry Christmas� to �Happy Holidays� by two to one (64% v 31%). 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

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has adopted final amendments to the Children�s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), to give parents greater control over the personal information that web sites and online services collect from children aged under 13. More

NYC-based customer analytics specialist iQor has acquired the CCT Group, which provides contact center and business process outsourcing services and will help to broaden its big data offer. 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

2 appointments More

Harriette Bettis-Outland More

2 promotions More

Joe Hall More

Brad Hyde More

5 appointments 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

SPMS - an association for television audience measurement in the Czech Republic - has commissioned Nielsen to measure television viewing across the country. More

Canadian polling firm Leger Marketing has acquired a majority stake in Montreal-based software company Agility Metrics, which specializes in developing customer experience management solutions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Publicis-owned branding agency Digitas has teamed up with New York University�s Movement Lab to open a 3D �motion capture� unit in its Digitas Lab in NYC, through which the agency will research and develop new apps for digital marketing and advertising. More

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

William Liu More

Dennis Timko More

Timo Thomann-Rompf More

Pat Prunskus More

Nikki Hall More

James Finlayson 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

Omnicom subsidiary The Modellers has opened a new Strategic Analytics business unit, which it says will help companies tap into their existing data before embarking on additional data collection. Marco Vriens will head up the unit. More

Research and advisory group ISG (Information Services Group) says it has added 100 staff in India during the last 15 months, doubling its headcount there. More

Aldata and EYC - previously sister firms within the Symphony Technology Group - have merged to form a new company called Symphony EYC, which will offer big data customer insights across the retail sector. More

Customer experience research firm Strativity has appointed Chris Mills as Managing Director of its UK operations, to lead client engagements and business development in the region. More

New York-based media planning and research firm Telmar has appointed media industry veteran Mark Kostelec as Vice President, Group Director - Data Insights. 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 sampling and data collection specialist reInvention is to acquire software technology company Critical Mix, with the aim of developing an integrated data collection, analysis and reporting solution for researchers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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

Research industry staff recruitment firm Asia Talent has opened an office in Hong Kong, where it has appointed Ying Tong-Perrett as Partner for Greater China, with a remit to further develop the company�s portfolio of clients in the region. More

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

Thomson Reuters has announced the sale of its corporate management arm, which includes custom media analysis and measurement, to Nasdaq OMX Group, the company which runs the US tech stock exchange of the same name, as well as eight exchanges in Europe. 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

Holding group RSMG Insights is bringing its sports broadcast measurement specialists Sport+Markt AG and IFM Sports GmbH under its Repucom brand, consolidating its global businesses in the sector. Meanwhile Andrew Milnes has joined to head up Repucom�s marketing in the UK and Ireland. More

Washington, DC-based research and consulting company Heart+Mind Strategies has appointed Don Hawk, Ph.D., previously of Wirthlin Worldwide and Harris Interactive, to expand its healthcare business and strategic offerings. More

Belfast-based software developer SpeechStorm has upgraded its Fellini package to provide end-to-end customer journey tracking through IVR and self-service applications. 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

In the UK, business software giant SAS has teamed up with Birmingham City University (BCU) to launch a Student Academy, educating future big data professionals. More

Indian TV network New Delhi Television (NDTV) has set out its reasons for wanting a US trial for its case against Nielsen and WPP, urging the Supreme Court of the State of New York to reject the two companies� recent requests to have it thrown out. 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

In the UK, marketing and customer analytics business Metametrics has appointed former Starcom MediaVest Data & Analytics AD Sam Watts for the new role of Head of Marketing Analytics, in charge of the firm�s Econometric Modelling practice. 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

Kadence International has opened a second office in the US, in Boston�s Downtown Crossing area, complementing its existing facility in Framingham. The firm has also announced plans to increase US headcount by 100% by 2014, beginning with a �significant graduate intake� in early 2013. More

Global management consultancy Accenture has launched an insight solution to provide the banking sector with a �360 degree view� of their customers. More

US-based sampling and data collection firm reInvention has appointed former SSI director Ryan Hopper to lead its healthcare practice. His remit includes developing health-related sample products and building a customer services team. More

In Chicago, Jim Lucas has joined brand marketing agency Schawk, in the newly created position of EVP, Global Insights and Strategy. He takes responsibility for formalizing the shopper marketing offer, and driving insight and strategy across the organization. More

Mike Nelson More

Mike Nelson More

GfK NOP, ABA and Research Bods scooped three of the major categories at this year�s MRS Awards ceremony held in London last night, while mobile crowdsourcing innovator Nathan Eagle received the inaugural MRS President�s Medal. More

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

In the US, former T-Mobile Chief Information Architect Matthew Standish has raised $700k in initial investment funding to launch a company called IDInteract, whose technologies will aggregate and analyze data from sources such as social media, mobile devices and CRM systems. 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

Big data analysis specialist Coveo has raised $18m in funding, which it will use to expand its sales and marketing activities, while scaling operations in preparation for growth. More

Marcoms network Publicis Groupe has acquired Mumbai-based business and marketing consulting firm MarketGate, which offers market research services through its MarketGate Dimensions subsidiary. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Global wine and spirit brand Pernod Ricard has launched an internal social network called Chatter, through which employees will be encouraged to generate and share new ideas for the business. More

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

UK-based fieldwork agency Facts International has promoted Emily Kettle to the new position of Managing Director, adding responsibility for potential M&A activity and international expansion initiatives to her existing duties as Group Client Services Director. More

US-based big data analytics and business intelligence specialist MapR Technologies has opened a European HQ in London, from which it will provide technical support and a sales resource to accelerate the adoption of its solutions across the continent. 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

Ken Lawrence More

US-based financial analysis firm Navigant Economics has acquired economic advisory firm AFE Consulting. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

US-based big data analytics specialist Cloudera has closed a $65m investment round, which it will use to drive global sales, fuel development of its platform, and open a European headquarters in the UK. 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

Panel exchange operator Cint has partnered with Delta Marketing Dynamics (DMD) and extended its existing collaboration with ImpactRx, in order to expand its access to the opinions of US healthcare professionals. More

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

Alex Happe More

A new crowdsourcing firm called HunchBuzz has been launched in New Zealand, to enable clients to generate new ideas from their internal and external communities. More

US-based consumer credit data agency Equifax has acquired a 51% controlling stake in Bangalore-headquartered NettPositive Business Analytics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

In South Africa, Ipsos has named Nick Coates Head of its Marketing Business Unit, which includes qual research, market understanding and metrics, and innovation and forecasting business units. He takes up the role next month. More

US-based social media sampling firm Peanut Labs has launched a new DIY sampling and project management tool called Samplify, which it says simplifies the process of conducting online research. More

In Australia, marketing and ad network DDB Group Melbourne has integrated its boutique comms agency CrawfordBrown Plus with its below-the-line specialist RAPP Melbourne, and re-launched the merged business as a data and analytics firm with a focus on customer insight. More

US media intelligence specialist Aggregate Knowledge (AK) has upgraded its Media Intelligence Platform (MIP), to enable users to measure ad performance across all digital mediums and channels, including Facebook, in a single view. More

Online research software provider Confirmit has introduced an �Active Dashboards� tool to its CustomerSat feedback platform, to enable users to visualise results and share Voice of the Customer (VoC) data across their enterprises. More

Mark Driscoll More

2 hires 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 provider Healthcare Research & Analytics (HRA) has appointed Oleh Denysyk as President, replacing John Maglione who is moving to an undisclosed �new role� in the company. More

Big Data Specialist ClearStory Data has closed a $9m Series A investment from a group including Google Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz, and led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. More

US-based retail optimization firm Aldata has introduced a solution allowing retailers to store, segment, maintain, analyze and report on shopper data. More

Monika Ciesielka More

US-based Decision Resources Group has made its first overseas purchase, acquiring UK health economics consultant Abacus International. Terms were not disclosed. More

German consultancy Simon-Kucher, which advises on product, pricing and marketing strategy, has announced the appointment of six new partners, all based outside its home country. The firm has recently opened offices in Dubai and Istanbul, and will soon add Sao Paulo and Santiago de Chile. More

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

Lighting and solar power specialist Strategies Unlimited has partnered with SPV Market Research, a new company started by one-time employee Paula Mints, to offer services including photovoltaic market research and custom consulting. More

Customer Experience specialist Omega Management Group has launched a new approach called ROAR, which promises insight into the connection between product leadership and customer satisfaction / loyalty. 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

Research consultancy Double Helix has announced seven appointments in its London office. Among them, Rebecca Walker joins as an AD, while Rebecca Da Cunha is promoted to Director and Shaz Iqbal to AD. 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

Canadian firm Converge Consulting Group has been awarded trademark protection for its Voice of the Employee approach, which seeks to move the industry forward from �the flawed practice of reporting employee survey findings based on statistical significance tests�. More

San Francisco-based Union Metrics has announced that its Tumblr analytics platform is out of beta and available for subscription. More

Ipsos has appointed Harald Hasselmann as Country Manager of its South African operation, succeeding Jake Orpen who is leaving the company. More

IBM is to launch another center dedicated to developing skills and advancing research into analytics, big data and cognitive computing, creating up to 500 jobs in Columbus, Ohio over the next three years. 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

Analytics and research firm AbsolutData has appointed industry veteran Dr. Chris Diener as Senior Vice President and a key member of its leadership team. More

Singapore-based consultancy Tapestry Works has launched a new branding tool based on archetypes, specifically developed for the Asian market. StoryWorks will be launched across Asia via a partnership with ABN Impact. More

Steven Kaiser 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

London-based consumer agency Firefish has expanded its quant team with four new appointments, including Paul Harvey as a Director, plus Jen Culby, Tom Birch and Louise Dinesen. More

California-based AgilOne has launched a flagship cloud-based predictive marketing suite, also called AgilOne, with the aid of $10m in funding. More

Multi-screen media measurement specialist Rentrak has extended its International Box Office Essentials service to Malaysia and Singapore, collecting daily theater level attendance and ticket sales information. 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

UK-based YouGov has moved its SVP & International Head of Omnibus Ray Martin from London to New York, where he will lead the launch of US Omnibus services. More

Canadian professional body the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA) has censured pollster Campaign Research for what it calls �a blatant contravention� of the Professional Responsibility provisions of the MRIA code of conduct. More

Big data analytics provider Sumo Logic has closed a $30m Series C funding round led by Accel Partners, and will use it to expand its R&D, sales and marketing, and other functions. Separately, Israeli big data start-up SiSense Ltd has raised $8m. 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

Chicago-based Insights in Marketing (IIM) has launched a new division called �i on Women�, dedicated to understanding female consumers. More

Canada has a new pharmaceutical data tracking specialist, TH!NK Business Insights, with a first offering due in January 2013. More

India has again urged the European Union to recognise it as a �data secure� country, improving the prospects for its outsourcing industry, and says such recognition is key to the success of bilateral trade. More

Former Synovate exec Peter Huijboom is bound for Aegis Group as Global Director of Business Integration, a new role reporting to group CEO Jerry Buhlmann. 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

TNS has appointed former Ipsos MORI CEO Mike Everett as Global Head of Stakeholder Management, based in London. 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

UK-based agency MMR Research Worldwide, which focuses on the food, drink, personal and household care sectors, has announced seven new appointments including Client Services Director Janine Gamon and ADs Dan Hibbs, Tim Button and Tom Pile. More

Research software firm Kinesis Survey Technologies LLC has announced a strategic partnership with its client StartSampling, which will offer users end-to-end in-home product testing services. More

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

Facial recognition in a retail environment, previously conducted by digital signage and kiosks, has just received a slightly scary makeover courtesy of Italian company Almax, whose EyeSee mannequin videos shoppers and categorises them for marketing purposes. More

In the UK, former AQR Chair Peter Lovett has announced the closure of Consumer Profile Ltd, the Oxfordshire based full-service agency he founded in 1986. He will remain in the industry via a new consultancy, Bespoke Qualitative Research. More

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

Joel and Robyn Kaufman, the founders and former owners of South African-based strategic research company KLA, have announced a joint venture with Sydney-based data intelligence company Potentiate. More

B2B International has added five graduates in the UK and one in its New York office. Thomas Grubert, Adam Jones, Melanie Rankin and Rachel Woodbridge joins the firm�s management programme in the UK as Research Analysts, while Michael Young and Joshua Kagawa join as Programmer / Analysts in the UK and US respectively. More

Former Nielsen NeuroFocus MD for Europe Thom Noble has set up as an independent consultant with the establishment of a new firm, NeuroStrata, focusing on the application of neuromarketing and biosensory techniques. More

US-based big data analytics firm Lattice Engines has raised $20m in equity funding to extend its predictive analytics software, which helps clients with B2B sales and marketing. 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

In India, the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has formed a three-member Technical Committee (TechComm), tasked with drawing up a roadmap for the establishment of an audience metrics system. More

Newcastle, UK-based Explain Research has acquired local innovation agency Wood Holmes for an undisclosed sum; and says it is also in negotiations to buy an unnamed specialist research agency based in London, next spring. 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

UK-based sampling solutions firm Sample Answers is to open an office in Colombia, South America led by current MD Mark Dent, while Business Development Director Neil Whelpton will move into Dent�s former role in the UK. More

According to reports, Nielsen has bought the remainder of Romanian company Retailplus Eastern Europe from co-founder Octavian Badescu. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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 London, specialist social research division TNS BMRB has opened a �Centre for International Development Research�, which will draw on methodological expertise from across the group in order to help clients bring about policy change on an international level. More

In the US, 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

Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has opened a new office in Tokyo, Japan, led by former MROC Japan CEO Shigeru �Shiggy� Kishikawa. 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 US, mystery shopping app provider Mobee has launched out of private beta, with $1.1m in seed funding. 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

US-based online and mobile qual research software provider Revelation has expanded its language capabilities to include Polish, Dutch and Swedish. More

Rene Watanabe Day More

Alastair Macmillan More

2 appointments More

Tama Looney 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

MR technology firm Decipher Market Research has moved to using the name Decrypt in the UK, following a trademark dispute with West London-based media strategy and research group Decipher. 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

UK agency Ci Research has been renamed Mustard Research as part of an overhaul of its brand identity. 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

Research veteran Subramaniam (Subra) Iyer has been appointed Joint Director of two Mumbai-based sister companies, healthcare data collection specialist MedField India and full service agency FieldGlobal. 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

UK Group Chime Communications Plc has issued an interim management statement and announced the appointment of Mervyn Davies, Lord Davies of Abersoch, as its new Chairman. More

Sheffield, UK firm WANdisco has been shopping in Silicon Valley, picking up big data pioneer AltoStor for $5.1m (�3.2m). 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

Derek DiCicco More

Joyce Martinez More

Yaron Landow 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

In the US, the Pew Research Center has promoted pollster Michael Dimock to the role of Director of its �Center for the People & the Press�, replacing founder Andrew Kohut who announced his resignation earlier in the year. More

UK-based predictive analytics firm We Predict, which mainly works with automotive manufacturers, has raised an undisclosed amount of financing from a group of private investors, and will use it to open an office in California. More

US Business Intelligence platform Platfora has closed a $20m Series B round of funding, which it will use to expand its sales and marketing efforts across the US and globally, while increasing its product engineering and design teams in San Mateo, CA. More

Vivek Banerji, formerly a shopper marketing specialist at consultants McKinsey & Company, has joined UK consumer specialist Incite as a Director. 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

In New York, Harris Interactive has appointed research veteran Robert Clark as Senior Vice President with a focus on client advocacy and development. More

In the US, Origami Logic - which offers a self-service visual marketing analytics platform - has raised $9.3m in Series A financing, which it plans to use to expand its engineering team and accelerate development of its product. More

Former Nunwood MD Sarah Houghton has joined Chime�s Insight and Engagement group (CIE) as a Board Director. 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

Canadian research software provider Voxco has inked a deal for British survey software developer Merlinco to distribute its products in the UK and Ireland. More

Former mruk MD Jim Law has launched a new agency in Glasgow, Scotland, called Wild Heather Digital Research, which aims to combine a technological focus with sound research methods. More

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

Katie Lee 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

WAPOR, the World Association for Public Opinion Research, has issued a statement in response to proposals by two of Mexico�s political parties, regarding the regulation of pre-election polling. More

Ipsos innovation and forecasting division InnoQuest has unveiled a new Framework, centred around �nine drivers critical to innovation success�. More

Local market specialist Scarborough Research has formally announced its entry into Puerto Rico with a new insights service combining extensive attitudinal data and consumer behavior-based measures. 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

Ipsos forecasting and brand optimisation subsidiary Marketing Management Analytics (MMA) has appointed former Nielsen execs Paul Straub and Tom Stroud, to manage the firm�s Midwest client base and support its innovation agenda, from a base in the Chicago office. More

US firm Harpeth Marketing - which specialises in helping MR providers market themselves - has launched a �Lead Nurturing Program� to help clients build relationships with those �not quite ready to buy�. More

2 appointments More

Three appointments More

Emily Eberhardt More

Weiwei Yang More

GfK has announced the formation of a new global Market Opportunities and Innovations practice, which will promise marketing professionals �the critical foresight needed to successfully tap into future markets�. Marilyn Raymond will lead the new division. More

WPP has announced further details of its proposal to return its headquarters from Ireland to the UK, including a timetable which sees shares in �New WPP� trading on the LSE at the start of 2013. More

In Virginia, USA, management consultancy Infinitive has announced the acquisition of business intelligence (BI), data warehousing and IT solutions firm Convergent Domains. 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

4 appointments 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

New Zealand company Key Research is to create fifty jobs in a new call centre, opened this week in its home city of Tauranga. More

Two and a half months after its partner WPP did the same, Nielsen has filed a motion with the New York Supreme Court for dismissal of the lawsuit brought by broadcaster New Delhi Television (NDTV) against their TAM joint venture in India. 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

UK agency BDRC Continental has announced four new appointments in its Financial & Business and Hotels & Hospitality divisions, including the return of Caroline Ahmed as Commercial Director in the former. 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

Netherlands-based international body the Neuromarketing Science & Business Association (NMSBA) has launched a code of ethics, as part of a drive towards the adoption of international standards. More

In the UK, Lloyds Banking Group Head of Retail Strategy Alex Owens is leaving to take up the role of Head of Insight at supermarket chain Sainsbury�s. He starts the new job in January. More

The government of Nova Scotia has awarded IBM a $12.2m grant towards the opening of a global analytics centre in Halifax. The IT giant plans to create 500 new jobs there over the next eight years. 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

Third quarter revenue at US-based Information Services Group (ISG) has fallen to $46.5m, down 2% in constant currency terms. A good performance in the US was more than off-set by a 15% fall in Europe and 17% in Asia Pacific. More

Data collection and sampling solutions specialist SSI has appointed former Gartner VP Tom Johnson as Senior Vice President of North American Sales and Client Services. 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

Online data collection specialist Schlesinger Interactive has teamed up with usability and testing technology provider Interactive Video Productions (IVP) to launch a network of Biometric Research Labs across the US. More

Andera Gadeib, the CEO of co-creation and branding specialist Dialego, has set up a new company to offer her firm�s existing SmartMunk qual and quant online tool for use in co-creation projects. More

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

Consumer information publisher Mintel has launched a new report series which offers an issue-based perspective of consumer markets across Brazil. 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

Healthcare fieldwork firm M3 Global Research has appointed three new members of staff in London. More

Cambiar, the management consultancy dedicated to the MR industry, has appointed General Mills veteran Jeff Hunter as an Associate, with a focus on marketing sciences, growth strategies and emerging markets. 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

In New York, market analyst and data tool provider 451 Research has appointed Dr Katy Ring to head its global IT Services research and advisory team. More

Former Procter & Gamble (P&G) Brand Manager Jeff Goldstein has acquired Cincinnati-based market research agency AcuPOLL, through his company RVG Acquisition and with help from an SBA loan. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Industry association ESOMAR has elected Dan Foreman, currently Head of Business Development at Lumi Mobile, as President for the two-year period beginning January 2013. More

Retail optimization firm Aldata has launched the �Omni-Shopper� suite, which pulls together shopper interaction data from a range of channels and uses it to drive product marketing and supply. 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

UK-based Illuminas has appointed former Holden Pearmain Healthcare Director Dan Coffin to lead its new global Healthcare practice. 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

Privacy Analytics, which helps protect the privacy of personal data used for analysis and research purposes, has closed an undisclosed round of investment funding, which it plans to use to expand its sales and marketing efforts. More

Jay Guyther More

Dr Alexandra Samuel More

Telef�nica 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

Toronto, Canada-based software provider NexJ Systems Inc. has announced the acquisition of Broadstreet Data Solutions Inc, whose services include business intelligence and analytics as well as data governance, management and integration; and app development. More

Analytics specialist Kognitio has announced a partnership with NeutrinoBI, developer of a data discovery and visualization tool, aimed at �democratising� the power of big data. More

Big data analytics and software firm AutoGrid Systems, which helps utilities and end-user clients to control their power consumption and costs, has raised $9m in funds from Silicon Valley investors. The company has also publicly launched a grid-based data mining tool, Energy Data Platform (EDP). More

Harris Interactive has reported a 12% drop in revenue to $33m for the first quarter of fiscal 2013, from $37.8m in the prior year period; but has turned loss into profit as it continues its �turnaround� and �rightsizing� activities. More

US-based healthcare specialist MedSpan Research has appointed Michael Epstein as Director, Research Services. His duties will include opening and leading the company's second office, in Rochester, NY. More

US pharmaceutical data start-up i3 Analytics has appointed a leadership team led by President and CEO Will Zerhouni, following the public roll-out of its flagship Biopharma Navigator tool. 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

The Merlien Institute - which runs conferences and events for market research professionals - has appointed Jens Cornelissen as Managing Director Europe and North America. More

UK out-of-home measurement body POSTAR is set to launch a new GPS-enabled �currency� next February, covering a wide range of outdoor environments including road, tube and rail. The launch has been made possible with a �19m investment from companies in the sector. 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

Investor support software provider MSCI has acquired London-based property benchmarking and market research firm IPD Group for around $125m (�78m). 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

Big data marketing app developer BloomReach has raised $25m in Series C funding, with which it says it will double its sales and marketing support in the US and India, and extend its applications to other platforms such as mobile, social media and video. More

Hettie Han has rejoined Kantar Health China as Director in Beijing, from where she will work alongside the global team to grow the firm�s multi-client and consultancy business across the region. More

In the US, Maritz Research has partnered with survey software provider Productive Access Inc (PAI) to add a new tabulation product to its Capella customer experience management (CE) system. More

Heather Stern More

Heather Stern 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

Survey software firm Voxco is planning a recruitment drive which will result in a 20% increase in headcount at its headquarters in Montreal, Canada - driven it says by �record revenues� in the first quarter of its 2012-13 financial year. 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

US-based online survey analytics and reporting software firm MarketSight has opened an office in London�s Covent Garden, from where it will provide sales and support to clients in the UK and throughout Europe. 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

Misha Tsvelik More

Michael Brainch More

Data collection specialist Interviewing Service of America (ISA) has launched a standalone online sampling company called SoapBoxSample, offering a combination of resources such as opt-in panels, routing techniques, social media and live sample. More

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

In Australia, digital audience specialist Effective Measure has appointed IMR Worldwide / Red Sheriff co-founder Tony Eustace in the newly created global role of Group Director - Data Insights. More

Business intelligence and analytics firm Pentaho has raised $23m in Series C funding, which it plans to use to expand its big data capabilities. More

Rob Gatto, the former CEO of digital ad firm PointRoll, has joined US media intelligence specialist Aggregate Knowledge (AK) as President. More

The founders of behaviorally-targeted shopping app Pickie have raised $1m in venture funding, which they plan to use to fuel international expansion. More

Retail foot traffic counter Shopper-Trak has announced the acquisition of Silicon Valley-based ReTel Technologies Inc., which provides hybrid video auditing solutions and advanced shopper analysis. More

NYC-based customer analytics and interaction specialist iQor has acquired HardMetrics, which provides cloud-based visual business intelligence, business analytics and reporting solutions. 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

US predictive analytics and marketing intelligence firm Foretelligent is to split into two new operating divisions, Foredeus and 44ounces. More

UK-based customer intelligence and targeting firm iJento has raised $8m in a funding round led by MMC Ventures, and says it will use the money to fuel growth and support its recent US launch. 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

Cortera, which provides b2b payment and purchase data and insights for US companies, is opening a new office in Boston. 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

Marcoms group Chime has hired Lord Coe as Chairman of its sports marketing arm, CSM Sport & Entertainment. The firm has also entered into an �option agreement� to buy Coe�s 93% interest in CLG, a firm which acts as a vehicle for his earnings from speeches and appearances. More

Neuro-technology specialist Emotiv has joined forces with eye tracking specialist SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI) to launch a single system through which to measure and analyze consumers� visual attention along with their emotional responses to brands. More

Finnish shopper and visitor analytics specialist RapidBlue Solutions has launched a new product which converts existing location data collected and owned by cell phone networks, WiFi-operators and others into metrics on consumer movements and actions. More

Former Pepsi insights leader Jill Orum has joined global brand and marketing consultancy Prophet as a Partner in its Chicago office, where she will lead the firm�s Insights group. 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

Market intelligence firm Euromonitor has added two new features to its online tool Passport, offering socio-economic information about the world�s metropolitan areas, and a visual representation of their citizens. More

Medical tech intelligence specialist Millennium Research Group (MRG) has extended its Marketrack product to track the performance of brands by stock keeping unit (SKU) in US hospitals. More

Susan Cornish 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

Former Ipsos Health MD Emily Peasgood has joined market research consultancy Incite as Principal in its Health Team. More

With just three days to go before elections in the country, political party �Ukraine-Forward!� has taken out a lawsuit against two polling firms, claiming that results of a pre-election poll were deliberately distorted to reduce its share of the vote. 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

Lynnette Cooke More

Mathew Francis More

Michael Greene More

Bruno Paro 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

In the US, electronic component distributor Avnet has acquired IBM analytics re-seller BrightStar Partners (BSP) and its BSP Software for an undisclosed sum. The news broke as IBM Cognos vendor Motio filed a counter-patent infringement lawsuit against BSP. 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

Database giant Experian has increased its stake in Brazilian credit behaviour specialist Serasa from 70% to 99.6%, paying R$3.1bn (US $1.5bn), plus a cash adjustment on completion. More

In the US, Turner Broadcasting Systems (TBS) has appointed former Nielsen exec Howard Shimmel as SVP of Advertising Sales and Sports Research. More

In Chicago, Publicis-owned interactive agency Rosetta has hired former McKinsey shopper insight leader John Copeland as Managing Partner and Co-Leader of its Marketing Strategy & Insights Practice. More

Sarah Gardiner 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

US business intelligence firm Actuate has acquired Spanish software company Quiterian, which provides visual data mining, social media analytics and predictive analytics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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

Ipsos MORI and King�s College London are to bring together some of their researchers to develop new studies and maximise learnings from existing research. More

US-based crowdsourced competitive intelligence provider InfoArmy has raised $17.3m in Series B funding, which it will use to expand its global community of researchers. More

Aegis-owned digital creative agency Visual Jazz Isobar (VJI) has extended its NowLab innovation unit network to Melbourne. The lab will help the firm to identify, research and prototype new technologies and platforms for clients across Australia. More

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

Stephanie Ferrara More

Claire Richardson More

Kim Davis 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

Kantar Retail is to open its first South American office, in Brazil, where it will team up with WPP sister company TNS to use the latter�s primary shopper research capabilities. Former Mars and LVMH executive Eric Debarnot will head up the new office as MD. 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

GfK has strengthened its Hong Kong team with the appointment of research veterans Karen Khao, as Head of Consumer Experiences, and Roland Leung as Head of Innovation Research. More

Indian television measurement body TAM is suspending publication of its viewing data from week 41 (October 7th) onwards, for 8 weeks while four of the country�s biggest cities switch over from analogue to DAS. More

Product review site Influenster has announced a research offering giving brands access to its community of �trendsetters who live to give opinions of products and experiences�. More

Juli Denike More

Rich Santiago More

Deanna Kawasaki More

Mauro Marescialli More

Jim Green More

Randi Hunton More

Innovation and forecasting unit Ipsos InnoQuest has unveiled the Archetype IQ System, which classifies CPG innovations into twelve �Archetype profiles� to help clients gauge the potential for their latest ideas. 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

Two Americans have been awarded this year�s Nobel prize for economics, for work on accurate matching of agents - for example students with schools or donors with needy patients - and the extension of this into the understanding of markets. More

In the US, Brain Surgery Worldwide, which specialises in what it calls describes as �emotion based behavior insight�, has made three key appointments in its senior management team. More

Gregory Mishkin More

Lissa Napolillo 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

Retail video analytics startup Prism Skylabs has secured a $7.5m Series A investment, adding to the $1.5m in seed funding it raised on launching last year. 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

Kantar Media TGI has launched a new initiative called �The WHY Code�, which offers to help clients understand every stage of the consumer decision-making journey, both conscious and subconscious. 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

The Emirates Media Measurement Company (EMMC) has officially launched its tview television ratings and audience measurement system in the UAE, following approval by external TAM auditors and consultants Hulks & Ruud. More

Stephan Tual 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

In Australia, digital and direct marketing agency MercerBell has launched a standalone data planning and analytics firm called Ngage, which will be run by its former Strategy Director Carl Oldham. 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

Berkshire-based brand, innovation and shopper research specialist Insitas has appointed former Leapfrog director Sarah Buckle as Director in charge of the development of its qualitative and integrated research services. More

Ipsos has launched a qualitative practice called Fusiona within its Ipsos UU business, promising to help clients connect with Hispanic consumers at a �deeper level�. More

UK marcoms group Chime Communications has acquired pharma market access and data provider pH Associates (PHA) from its owners Kate Peperell and Lesley Howell, for an initial consideration of �6.92m. More

US-based online research community builder Communispace has launched a proprietary approach called �Emotive Elicitation�, which uses body language images to uncover subconscious consumer emotions and perceptions. More

Retail data specialist dunnhumbyUSA is to extend its presence in Chicago by taking the entire twenty-second floor of the city�s Merchandise Mart, where it has plans to add 30 or more new members of staff in the next eighteen months. More

4 hires More

2 appointments 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

Omnicom-owned consumer intelligence and analytics agency Targetbase has appointed Billy Sewell as Chief Operating Officer, a role overseeing areas including technology, analytics and communications. 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

UK-based behavioural insights firm Beyond Analysis has appointed ad agency veteran David O�Hanlon as Strategy Director, with a brief to identify new products and oversee the development and execution of client strategies. More

Central London and Wimbledon-based data collection specialist The Research House has appointed Laura Haxton-Wilde as Managing Director. She replaces Sue Maldonado, who remains with the firm�s parent group Schlesinger Associates, as VP, Global Marketing. More

Robert Holston More

Anna Herron More

The US and Switzerland are the two most expensive countries in which to conduct market research, while Pakistan remains the cheapest, according to the results of the latest ESOMAR Global Prices study. 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

Energy pricing specialist Platts has purchased Swiss firm Kingsman, which provides market analysis, research and price information for the sugar, biofuels and biofuel feedstock sectors. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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

In the UK, Impact Research has appointed Holden Pearmain�s former Pharmaceutical Director Jamie Margerison to lead a new healthcare division, Impact Healthcare. 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 the US, technology specialist ABI Research has introduced a competitor analysis service, to help clients benchmark their performance, while identifying opportunities and threats in the marketplace. More

NYC-based company LocalResponse has launched a retargeting service called �historical intent targeting� (HIT), to enable brands to deliver ads based on past social media behavior across networks such as Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare. More

US-based Paradigm Sample has opened an office in Gurgaon, India, from which it will provide operations, project management and panel management support to clients across the US, Europe and Asia. More

Steven Hassall More

Niva Shrestha More

France�s former President Nicolas Sarkozy has been accused of misusing public funds to pay for private opinion polls on issues such as his relationship with his wife, former supermodel Carla Bruni. More

In Germany, Goldmedia Group has opened a new company in Munich called Goldmedia Consulting, to offer expertise and research services to clients in the film, TV, digital media, and sports sectors. The new business will be led by Managing Director Dr Marcus Hochhaus. More

Crowdsourcing specialist Blur Group has floated on the AIM stock exchange, and raised c.�4m in the process. The funds will be used to develop technology, increase the sales team, and provide support services and marketing. More

German product, pricing and marketing strategy specialist Simon-Kucher has reported a 24% increase in revenues to EUR 107.4m for the third quarter, and is anticipating revenues of EUR 140m for the full year 2012. More

In Germany, full service agency Dr Grieger & Cie has launched online panels in Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Turkey. More

MyWebGrocer, which runs web sites on behalf of grocery chains and sells ads to CPG companies across these sites, has partnered with FGI Research to launch the �Grocery Voice� online research panel of digitally active grocery shoppers. More

The Belgium-based Center for Body Language has developed an online system which uses webcams to analyze facial expressions, and claims thereby to be able to predict the outcome of the US presidential elections. More

US-based growth strategy consultancy Vivaldi Partners Group � which provides insights on customer demand, industry trends, and competitor dynamics � has opened a new office in Zurich, Switzerland. More

In London, TNS has appointed Flamingo�s former US CEO Lyn McGregor for its new global role of Chief Client Service Director in its Qualitative practice. More

7 appointments More

Andrea Villani More

Philip Underwood More

Brent Tarver More

London-based researcher and music aficionado Dave Beal died suddenly on Monday 27 August at the age of 60, after a long illness. More

In the US, business analytics firm Anametrix has raised $4.4m in Series A funding, which it plans to use to expand its sales and marketing efforts, and fuel product innovation in predictive analytics. 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

New York-based relationship marketing firm Emailvision has raised $30m, which it plans to use to develop marketing analytics and customer intelligence technology products, following its recent acquisition of behavioral targeting specialist PredictiveIntent. More

Broadband and telecoms giant Telef�nica has partnered with GfK to open a big data business unit called Telef�nica 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

India-based MR technology and operations company Annik has launched a project management platform called Enterprise FieldworkPlus (eFWP), designed to enable researchers to track and manage every detail of their global research projects online. More

Ipsos MediaCT � which measures how consumers access, use and respond to media content � has appointed former WPP leader Jon Greenwood as President in the US, replacing Bruce Friend who left the firm in July. More

Online specialist BrainJuicer has opened an office in Paris, France, where it has appointed former Synovate MD Rodolphe Jounot as Country Director. More

A redefined UK MR sector is 50% larger than previously estimated and worth more than �3 billion a year, according to an independent review conducted by PwC on behalf of the country�s MRS (Market Research Society). More

London-based business information and events group Informa has acquired Zephyr Associates, a US Business Intelligence solutions provider, for $62m (�38.6m) in cash. 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

WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell and MORI founder Sir Robert Worcester have been appointed as patrons of the Market Research Society (MRS), alongside dunnhumby founder Clive Humby and social commentator Peter York. 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

Louise Chater, head of movie market research at Walt Disney Studios, has left the entertainment giant. More

Little Bird, a US-based firm which helps clients identify influencers in social media and blogs, has launched a private beta version of its service, backed by $1 million in angel funding. More

In London, Optimisa Research has moved into larger offices south of the Thames after just two years, reflecting the growth of the business. More

UK-based agency 2CV has promoted Mark Bagnall to Managing Director of its UK office, following Doug Edmonds� relocation to San Francisco, where he now serves as Group CEO. More

Recently launched Hispanic analytics and modeling agency Luminar has introduced a service which build a picture of Latino voters using voter registers and data on media use, digital interactions and transactions. More

Healthcare analytics firm Health Care DataWorks (HCD) has appointed co-founder Jyoti Kamal as President, to help guide direction of the firm�s KnowledgeEdge product suite, and develop business intelligence roadmaps for clients. More

US-based social analytics specialist GraphDive has raised more than $1m in venture capital, which it plans to use to develop its ad targeting software for the e-commerce, media, and travel sectors. More

Community panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has relocated its Vancouver, Canada headquarters from Yaletown to Coal Harbour, in order to accommodate staff levels which have doubled since 2009. More

Ipsos has extended its specialist data and delivery business Ipsos Observer to Switzerland, to offer local clients access to the firm's global field and tab services. More

Gary Gatyas More

Todd Cullen More

Fritzi Serafin More

GfK has acquired South African research company GlobalEDGE Marketing Consultants, in a bid to further strengthen its Consumer Experiences offer across Africa. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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

A year after returning to TNS Jan Hofmeyr has refined his ConversionModel, to help clients identify how people feel about their brand and determine how external barriers like price and availability affect consumer spending. More

In the UK, Louise Tamblin has re-joined Kantar Health as Group Director, after a stint serving as Head of Research at the now closed Strata Research. More

In South Africa, Johannesburg-based online research specialist Columinate has appointed co-founder Henk Pretorius as Chief Executive Officer, after reporting a 600% increase in turnover in the past two years. More

Brian Cohen More

Research consultancy Kadence International has recorded �dramatic growth� in Indonesia, where revenue rose 120% to $5m for the year 2011-12. Overall, company revenue has increased for the tenth consecutive year, with sales up 15%, and net revenue has doubled in the last four years to $20.1m. More

Paul E. Green, Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and market research specialist, died recently at the age of 86, surrounded by his family. More

In the US, executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles has launched a Big Data & Analytics Practice, claimed as the first of its kind. More

London and New York-based Essence Digital has acquired US-based media analytics agency Black Bag Advertising (BBA) for an undisclosed sum. More

Global marcoms agency Draftfcb has acquired pharmaceutical marketing company Hudson Global 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

San Francisco-based business intelligence analytics provider GoodData has expanded in Asia Pacific region through a partnership with its regional MD Chris Gartlan. 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

UK-based supermarket giant Tesco is planning a new Clubcard scheme which will provide consumers with products and games offering �simple, useful, and fun� personalised access to their own shopping data. 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

In the UK, marketing services and print group St. Ives Plc has invested around �1m in additional staff to support future growth plans at its recently acquired market research agency Incite and consumer consultancy Pragma; and says it has plans to finance these businesses further. 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

Call center technology firm Noble Systems Corporation has acquired assets from ALI Solutions Inc (formerly Austin Logistics), which provides call center analytics applications and technology. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Beijing-based agency Sinotrust has launched a service integrating data from a number of sources on the c.140m Chinese children aged six to fourteen. 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

Online / off-line purchasing data firm Datalogix has opened an office in Birmingham, in Michigan�s Detroit metro, to support its growing DLX Auto motor industry business. The move follows the hiring of client partnership execs Matt Mendez and Scott Bonato. 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

Carl Korobkin More

Paul Gondek More

US-based healthcare marketing agency MicroMass Communications has formed a new behavioral science practice, focusing on identifying ways to motivate patients and other audiences to adopt behaviors that lead to better health outcomes. More

US-based full service agency Radius Global Market Research has rolled out a new approach for identifying and dissecting the various components of the consumer purchase process. More

Ad intelligence provider Exponential Interactive has partnered with MasterCard�s analytics arm to incorporate retail-level consumer spending behavior data into its online audience targeting services. 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

Access panel provider Cint has created five new positions at its offices across the US, and has appointed industry veteran Frank Forney and promoted former GMI manager Susan Dickman for two of these roles. More

Pinterest analytics start-up Pinfluencer has launched a new tool to provide a complete social media profile, including all activity and influence scores for each Pinterest user. More

Online polling specialist Wayin has integrated its employee sentiment and conversation service into social enterprise platform tibbr, to provide companies with immediate feedback from their employees and enable clients to engage with staff on a daily basis. More

Networking giant Cisco has acquired location analytics specialist ThinkSmart Technologies, which delivers customer movement information using data from wireless infrastructure and smartphones. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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

Dataminr, a Twitter analytics firm serving the financial and government sectors, has raised $13m in a Series B round of financing. These new funds will be used to secure new clients, while further developing the firm�s technology. More

M:Metrics co-founder Seamus McAteer has set up a new mobile ad targeting platform called Metaresolver, through which users can target consumers with specific ads relating to their device model and location. More

UK-based B2B publisher and data provider UBM is reported to be putting its data services business up for sale, with a price tag of around �250m. More

Point-of-sale data giant Catalina is planning to triple the size of its Boston,US-based team and relocate it to a 75,000 square foot office in the city�s �Innovation District� in November. More

Adam Turner More

The UK government�s Behavioural Insights Team or �Nudge Unit�, set up by Prime Minister David Cameron in 2010, is to sell its expertise in the fields of behavioural economics and psychology to governments and institutions around the world. 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

Cambiar, the management consultancy dedicated to the MR industry, has appointed former Survey Sampling and Harris Interactive CIO Peter Milla as an Associate, to advise clients on the role of technology in research, as well as on issues of ethics, privacy, and government relations. 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

Canadian crowdsourcing technology firm Chaordix has partnered with professional services firm KPMG to provide market intelligence to companies in the UK through an initiative known as the �Crowd Connection�. More

Dubai-based online healthcare specialist 42 Market Research has launched online healthcare panels for pharmaceutical research in Poland and Russia. More

Finnish shopper and visitor analytics specialist RapidBlue Solutions has launched a 3D visualisation tool for mapping shopper movements, to enable retailers to understand the performance of their retail space across different floors and trading areas. More

Barb Murphy More

Karen Wise More

Mark Hill More

Jim Hornor More

London-based online research specialist DigitalMR has partnered with Italian healthcare comms specialist Brandnew Marketing Communications (BNMC), to develop solutions through which to create insight-driven health and wellbeing marcoms campaigns. 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

Silicon Valley-based web analytics and digital marketing specialist E-Nor has opened an office in Florida, from where it will service the needs of local clients and those in the southeastern US region. More

The Executive Board of the European Pharmaceutical Market Research Association (EphMRA) has elected Thomas Hein as its new President from next Monday. He takes over from Rob Haynes who took the role in 2008. More

Healthcare research fieldwork firm M3 Global Research has promoted Paul Williams to the position of Managing Director of its operations in Hammersmith, West London. More

In the US, the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has launched guidelines which explore how marketers and advertisers can use behavioral data gathered from mobile sites, to connect �more meaningfully� with consumers across all channels. More

Emmanuelle Moeglin More

Professional services giant PwC has acquired the assets of social media listening specialist Ant�s Eye View (AEV), which offers a range of services to help enterprises engage with their customers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

French ad agency network Publicis Groupe has acquired Amsterdam-based digital marketing agency LBi for EUR 416m (�333m). More

UK-based data collection agency Perspective Research Services (PRS) has opened a new call centre in St Albans, Hertfordshire, following the closure of its operations in Acton, west London. More

WPP�s brand strategy consultancy Millward Brown Optimor has opened a new practice in Shanghai, China, which will offer services across the AMAP (Africa, Middle East, Asia Pacific) regions. More

Maktoob Research founder Tamara Deprez has left her most recent role at Saliance Research after just nine months, to join Dubai-based agency POINT Consulting as Managing Partner. The firm has also hired Henry Beales as Business Solutions Consultant. More

Audience targeting specialist eXelate has closed a $12m Series C funding round, which it will use to expand its worldwide operations, extend its product lines, and pursue acquisitions. More

US-based marketing and technology services firm SapientNitro has integrated consumer research consultancy Iota Partners into its research, data, and analytics practices. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Research outsourcing and panels company Pulse Group says it can no longer justify the costs associated with listing the company on the loss making PLUS-quoted Market (part of the PLUS Stock Exchange), and is therefore planning to delist its ordinary shares. More

Karen Bagshaw More

Dave Milonski More

Jennifer Holt More

US-based online video ad targeting specialist Videology has appointed former Nielsen exec Debra Elias for its new position of Director of Advertiser Research, responsible for improving and developing the firm�s ad effectiveness and research products. More

In the UK, Sainsbury�s has linked up with Aimia, owner of the Nectar loyalty scheme, to launch Insight 2 Communication (I2C), a joint venture which will use Nectar data to enable suppliers to develop targeted communications for the supermarket�s customers. 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

Edelman Berland, PR giant Edelman�s newly-named research and analytics business, has hired media intelligence exec Ben Schneider to lead its UK Media Measurement and Analytics team. More

San Francisco-based social media analytics company Union Metrics has extended its TweetReach Twitter analytics service, to include a new product which provides access to all archived tweets from the very first one tweeted in 2006. More

Online sampling and data collection firm Research Now has begun the expansion of its medical MR capabilities to Europe with the launch of a UK healthcare panel. More

The Belgian Federation of Market Research Institutes (Febelmar) and the Swiss Market and Social Research Association (vsms-asms) are the latest trade bodies to join the European Research Foundation (efamro). More

Shopper marketing specialist Momentum UK has appointed former Coca-Cola European Shopper Insights Manager Kerry Stevenson as a Senior Planner at its offices in Manchester. 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

Ari Popper, BrainJuicer�s former US President, has opened his own consultancy called SciFutures, which uses emerging technology, cultural trends, and consumer insight to create sci-fi narratives through which to predict the future and its potential implications for marketers. More

In the US, cable industry veteran Pete Moran has been named Chief Executive Officer of social media analytics company General Sentiment, after leading the firm�s sales effort since January. More

Online specialist BrainJuicer has reported a 14% increase in revenue to �10.37m for the first half of the year, and operating profit also up 14% from �628k to �716k. More

The UK�s Observer newspaper has partnered with London-based full service agency Opinium Research to launch a new political poll ahead of the party conference season. More

IBM has launched a global social sentiment analytics service to help cities around the world measure and understand public opinion on issues and services such as public transport and education. More

UK-based insight and marketing group Cello has reported a 2.8% increase in revenue to �63.3m for the first half of the year, but has noted a �marked slow-down� in qual and quant client research activity across its Consumer division. More

In London, former Kantar Worldpanel MD Michelle Carter has joined panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical as Head of Client Service. More

European online specialist InSites Consulting has set up a new firm called B-Conversational, which will provide �conversation management� coaching services for clients involved in initiatives such as consumer collaboration, online communities, and social media listening. More

Kantar�s telecoms purchasing and usage trends analysis division � Worldpanel ComTech � has launched a new mobile and tablet-focussed panel in Japan, to provide insight into the country�s mobile phone market. More

Nielsen is planning to raise $800m through the issue of �senior notes� due in 2020, through its subsidiaries Nielsen Finance LLC and Nielsen Finance Co. More

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) � which delivers financial support and industry research to the Canadian TV and digital media industries � has commissioned comScore to help it put in place an industry standard for digital media measurement. More

Reports in the US press claim that Nielsen exec Itzhak Fisher is raising $50m which he will use to invest in start-up companies � with the initial $10m being provided by Nielsen. 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

US-based consumer analytics firm Buxton is suing Visa for breach of contract, claiming that the credit card giant tricked it into disclosing its research methods in order to drive the development of its own analytics products. More

In the UK, media intelligence firm RealWire has added trend data and sentiment analysis to Lissted, its Twitter-based media relations platform. More

Commercial Radio Australia has issued an invitation for agencies to tender for the supply of radio audience measurement services, and says it is open to recommendations for supplementary data collection methods, such as online diaries and the use of mobiles and tablets to record radio listening. 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

In the UK, Active Media has been renamed Clarus Data, with Yvonne Graves promoted to the position of Managing Director, with full responsibility for the day-to-day operations. More

London-based research panel and online community specialist Verve has expanded its team with the appointment of five client-facing members of staff. More

In the UK, former Ipsos director Caroline Florence has launched her own insights communications agency called Insight Narrator, which she says will focus on helping clients �unlock the story� concealed in their research results. More

GfK has acquired usability testing specialist User Centric Inc, to enable it to offer a global user experience (UX) service with more than 150 consultants worldwide. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More

Facebook has launched a platform for purchasing and delivering ads, using a cookie-based solution to enable advertisers to retarget Facebook members according to their browsing history outside the social site. More

Ed Golsby More

Tim Willke More

Caroline Powell 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

Dublin-based specialist social media and mobile marketing agency Vocal has introduced a smartphone app called SO MOBILE! through which users can monitor their competitors� social media campaigns. More

New York-based Appinions has been awarded a patent for its methodology for analysing, extracting, and summarizing opinions from digital text such as articles, blog posts, and social media messages. More

US market research and analytics provider Encuity Research has introduced a suite of seven re-branded syndicated studies, designed to provide insights to pharma and biotech firms about medical treatment and product promotion occurring at provider and consumer levels. More

Retail data specialist dunnhumbyUSA has promoted supermarket loyalty card specialist Rex Davis to the role of SVP, Head of India, overseeing the firm�s office in Gurgaon, India. The firm has also promoted Dave Palm to the position of SVP, Operations. More

Investor intelligence publisher Mergermarket has acquired Inframation Group, which provides information to the global infrastructure finance community, through a combination of news, market intelligence, research, and industry data. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Healthcare research giant IMS Health is to integrate Health Intelligence Company�s (HIC) health plan claims database into its IMS LifeLink portfolio of tools, which provide a view of treatment decisions for more than 210 million patients in the US. More

Engine Partners� London-based data analytics agency Fuel has appointed former Guardian News & Media Head of CRM Charles Ping as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding founder Simon Wall who has left to pursue �new interests�. More

Relationship marketing firm Emailvision has acquired behavioural personalisation technology provider PredictiveIntent, in a bid to add predictive analytics to its own marketing automation and customer intelligence software. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

US-based InsightExpress has introduced a system called Ignite Mobile, which measures mobile ad and cross-platform campaign effectiveness by linking exposure to mobile ads with consumer attitudes and behavior data drawn from a panel of 250,000 respondents. More

Travel operator Thomas Cook has hired former confused.com CMO Mike Hoban for its new position of Director of Marketing, Brand and Customer Insight in the UK and Ireland, responsible for all marketing across the firm�s brands as well as its customer insight and research. More

US consultancy Web Analytics Demystified has appointed former Adobe exec Kevin Willeitner as a Partner, to lead the company�s analytics systems integration, technical, and dashboard consulting. 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

Web site tag management specialist Ensighten � which provides a system to simplify third-party services for web analytics, advertising and content targeting � has closed a $15.5m Series A financing round, which it will use to drive its next phase of growth. More

Online research specialist YouGov has promoted Dr Michael Wagstaff to the new position of Head of Research, to oversee the �full spectrum� of research services the company provides. The firm has also promoted Ad�le Gritten to the role of UK Commercial Director. More

Multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has partnered with film industry MR consultancy Screen Engine, to launch a syndicated product called PostTrak which reports box office sales figures, audience demographics, and the aspects of each title that trigger audience interest. More

Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has appointed Lee Smith as Asia Pacific President of its data and analytics business Annalect, alongside his current role as CEO Digital Platforms for OMG in the region. More

The Research Industry Index (RII) � the Marketing Research Association�s indicator of business activity in the US marketing research industry � has reported a further drop in the second quarter 2012, following the �significant drop� it measured in Q1. More

Online behavioural measurement firm Kantar Media Compete has partnered with online ad verification service DoubleVerify to develop a system called �Ad VRF�, which helps advertisers find out if the specific audiences they target have actually seen their online ads. More

In Germany, online sampling and technology company uSamp has hired former Toluna director Ronald Meier for its newly created role of Sales Director, to oversee growth across Europe. More

Martin Doettling More

2 appointments More

In South Africa, investment group Kagiso Media has acquired a majority stake in brand analytics and market research consultancy KLA from husband and wife team Joel Kaufman and Robyn Levin. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

AsiaPac marketing analytics consultancy Analytic Partners has opened a new office in Sydney, Australia, where it has appointed former Mediabrands Analytics MD Clare Fernando to establish the firm�s presence. More

Corporate performance management specialist Adaptive Planning has acquired myDIALS, which offers tools for visualization and analysis of business performance metrics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Technology market intelligence provider IDC has appointed BT Global Services� former innovation leader Charles Reed Anderson, as Head of its Telecom Practice and co-leader of its Mobility Practice in Asia Pacific. More

US-based Sands Research Inc. (SRI) has appointed Dr Shane Moon as President, to help the firm evolve from its foundation as a neuromarketing/consumer neuroscience specialist, to a full service market research agency. More

Customer relationship marketing (CRM) firm Merkle has acquired New York-based online data marketplace Brilig, which offers a platform through which third party providers can sell their online audience data to a wide range of buyers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

US-based mobile app analytics provider Localytics has raised $5.5m in Series B financing, which it will use to expand its platform to address the problem of app subscribers who turn off �push messaging�, or who fail to provide e-mail addresses or phone numbers. More

Ginger Bates More

Carrie Bourke More

Online ad verification service DoubleVerify has closed a $33m round of funding, which it will use to expand its proprietary, patent-pending technology, which tracks actual delivery of ad campaigns. More

Online video technology firm mDialog has launched a system to enable content owners and service providers to target specific advertisements to each individual viewer, through devices such as the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Xbox. 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

OzTAM - Australia's official source of television audience measurement � has extended its contract with Nielsen for the supply of services in the five Australian metropolitan markets, while committing to the development of multi-screen measurement. More

New York-based collaborative product invention platform Quirky has raised $68m in Series C funding, which it will use to expand its service across a number of verticals such as electronics, kitchen, and toys. More

US-based business intelligence and predictive analytics firm Dataskill is to acquire recruitment consultancy Staffing Innovation, in a bid to gain access to a pool of local technology personnel. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

WPP-owned MR and political polling specialist Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) has opened a �Center of Excellence� (CoE) in partnership with i3 Consulting, through which it will offer a predictive analytics service to help clients �move from insights to foresights�. More

2 promotions More

Amber Leila Esco More

4 appointments 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

European market research revenue fell 1.3% to $14.1 billion in 2011, which according to industry association ESOMAR, was driven by the prevalence of austerity budgets across a number of economies in the region. More

US healthcare market research firm InCrowd has raised $2.2m in a Series A round, which it will use to develop its technology and tools, and expand its panel of healthcare professionals and its team. More

Tokyo-based online sampling and data collection firm AIP Corporation has opened an office in India, which is led by Roy Kimura who is based at the firm�s office in New York. 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

Industry body efamro has agreed to establish a self-regulation system for conducting market, social, and opinion research across 15 countries in Europe. More

London-based communications research agency MESH Planning has expanded to the US with the opening of an office in Manhattan, New York, led by Experience Director Nathan Evans. More

US-based ad management software provider WideOrbit has acquired OneDomain, which develops media research and business intelligence software for TV, radio stations, and ad agencies. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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

Winston Fletcher CBE, the founder Chairman of the World Advertising Research Center (Warc), has died at the age of 75. More

US-based digital audience targeting specialist Datalogix has acquired digital marketing technology firm Connection Engine, which provides data-driven insights to drive customer acquisition and retention programs. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

New York-based full service digital advertising agency Clash Group has launched a service to track the eye movements of digital ad respondents and uncover the most responsive adverts for different demographic groups. More

Manchester, UK-based technology entrepreneur Avin Wong has launched a Pinterest analytics business called WhichSocial.com, which offers a social media analysis platform through which fashion retailers can measure and track their brands on Pinterest. More

Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has promoted COO Scott Miller to the position of Group Chief Executive, just five months after he joined the firm from his previous role as Synovate North America CEO. More

GfK Philippines has appointed former Nielsen exec Mary Margaret Co Martinez to lead its Retailer team in the role of Retail Director. More

Cambiar, the management consultancy dedicated to the MR industry, has hired the Market Research Executive Board�s (MREB) Aaron Field as an Associate on its Training and Skills Development team, as it launches four new �power skills� training initiatives. 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

US-based healthcare specialist Predilytics has raised $6m in Series A funding, which it will use to expand its products and grow operations with a focus on analytics, IT, app development and account management. More

Global data collection specialist Cido has opened a new operation in Shanghai, where it has appointed former Nielsen exec Linda Ho as General Manager. More

Dr Ingmar Gutberlet More

2 appointments More

Emily Riley More

The world�s 25 largest marketing, advertising and public opinion research conglomerates saw revenues increase by 4.1% to $18.7bn in 2011, according to research industry pundit Jack Honomichl. More

In the US, market research and mystery shopping specialist TrendSource has launched an app to enable field workers to submit data in real-time through their mobile phones. More

Print metrics provider GfK StarchMetrix has partnered with media research specialist Sinomonitor to launch what it describes as the first study to measure consumer recall of magazine advertisements in China. More

WPP-owned global healthcare communications firm ghg has introduced a new methodology called �Digital Dx�, for measuring, tracking and maximising healthcare firms� brand influence across all digital channels, including web sites, social media, search engines and mobile. More

In Germany, Michael Siewert and Mark Sch�ne have set up a full service healthcare market research agency called medpirica in Berlin. More

In London, consumer insight technology firm Lumi Mobile has appointed former Insight International CEO Dan Foreman as Head of Business Development, to work alongside the firm�s staff at its offices in New York, and Vaasa, Finland. More

MrWeb�s former Features Editor Teresa Lynch has returned to an ops role in the position of Data Services Director at ICM Research, bringing nearly three decades of operations experience to the company. More

Carol Finlayson More

Aino Pietikainen More

Brian Murphy More

US-based software developer Sawtooth Software has hired industry veteran Keith Chrzan as Senior Vice President, to head its Analytics division and provide analytical support and consulting services to existing software customers. 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

Kantar Health has promoted Graeme Jacombs to the position of Managing Director of Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA), responsible for regional strategy, local business planning and client support. More

Former Research Now director Johnny Caldwell has joined brand tracking agency Nepa, in the newly created role of Client Services Director in its Soho, London-based office. More

Rochester, New York-based pharma and healthcare researcher KJT Group has announced that it is planning to open a European office in the Netherlands in 2013. More

Healthcare specialist The Research Partnership has opened a market access consultancy called �The Access Partnership�, which will provide services to the pharma, biotech, and medtech industries. It will be run by healthcare research veteran Mike Mallinson, who joins at the end of the year. More

In the UK, research industry veterans Andrew Smith and Andy Booth have set up a full service agency called Firebrand Insight, which will tap into the sector and technique specialisms of a core team drawn from membership of the Independent Consultants Group (ICG) network. More

John Ross More

3 appointments More

2 appointments More

Senior changes More

John Storey More

Bob Sweeney 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 S�o 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

US-based ActiveGroup, which provides video streaming to the market research industry, has re-branded its flagship ClientLounge product as 'The Lobby', and revamped it to better assist researchers with the analysis and reporting of their qual data. 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

Rebecca Jones More

Domenico Tassone More

Skrypek More

Sam Der-Kazaryan More

Julie Gagliardi More

James Macleod 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

Data collection and sampling solutions specialist SSI has partnered with Danish online specialist Interresearch to launch a joint venture, SSI Denmark. More

WPP has filed a petition in the New York Supreme Court for dismissal of the lawsuit brought by broadcaster New Delhi Television (NDTV), which accuses Kantar and Nielsen of violating anti-bribery laws through their TAM joint venture in India. 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-based recruitment and talent management specialist Kenexa - which lists employee surveys and organizational assessments among its offerings - has been acquired by IBM in a cash deal valued at approximately $1.3 billion. More

CIE, Chime�s Insight and Engagement group, has reported an 18% increase in operating income in the first half of the year, up from �3.9m to �4.6m, while operating profit rose 148% from �400k to �900k during the period. 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

US-based government intelligence specialist Deltek has been acquired by private equity investment firm Thoma Bravo, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.1 billion. 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

WPP-owned market research and political polling specialist Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) has opened its second Indian office, in Mumbai, following its launch in Gurgaon last year. More

Digital research agency MobileMeasure Consultancy has expanded to Singapore through a partnership with Anila Shrivastava, the founder of eye tracking and semiotics specialist idStats. More

David Gaines, the former CEO of media agency Maxus, has joined Australian consumer insights specialist Edentify as Managing Partner, tasked with helping the firm evolve from a focus on research and data solutions to a �more comprehensive� data-led planning approach. More

US-based MR and analytics provider in4mation insights has appointed five new members of staff, including shopper specialist Susan Bertenthal and former Nielsen exec Jonathan Poeder. More

The US federal government has this week joined in a civil lawsuit filed by a former employee of the Gallup Organization, claiming that the company inflated exec time and quotes in work for bodies including the US Mint and State Department in 2007-9. More

Predictive analytics specialist The Modellers, LLC has opened ModHub, a division dedicated to servicing market research, advertising, and consulting firms looking for external expertise with choice modelling and segmentation, including big data analytics. More

Online sampling and data collection firm Research Now has begun the international expansion of its healthcare panel with a Canadian launch. 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 � 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

Indian broadcaster NDTV has hit out against a statement issued by WPP yesterday, and its use of the word �hypothetical� to describe NDTV�s claims of ratings fixing at the TAM Media Research joint venture. 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

US-based AbsolutData has raised $20m in investment funding, earmarked for global expansion and development of its big data analytics offer. More

In Germany, automotive customer feedback specialist Vital Insights has appointed J�rg H�hner as Managing Director, EMEA, to focus on accelerating the firm�s growth across the region from its base in Hamburg. More

MR and consulting firm Morpace has appointed Cathy Marchesi as Research Director in its Automotive team, based in the company�s Detroit headquarters. More

Jill Rogers More

Ashley Goode More

2 appointments More

Emma Morioka More

WPP is considering proceedings against Indian broadcaster NDTV for defamation, following the latter�s claims that staff at its TAM Media Research joint venture took bribes in exchange for overstating television ratings. 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

A group of companies has launched a new service called Dominican Pulse, to gauge opinion among the residents of the Dominican Republic on subjects ranging from public affairs issues and politics, to music and culture. More

In the UK, data collection agency Peak Answers has reported sales of more than �1m during its first year of trading. More

UK-based market research recruitment specialist Hasson Associates has strengthened its London team with the appointment of Rosie Jessop as an Associate and Kate Gillen as a Resourcer. More

Retail analysis giant SymphonyIRI has appointed former Procter & Gamble grocery specialist Beverly Grant as President of Retail Solutions, with a remit to enhance and implement the company�s broader US retail strategy. More

Kevin Reilly More

Investors in Indian business processing and technology management firm Genpact have sold 30% of the company to Bain Capital, the private equity group founded by US presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. The deal is valued at approximately $1 billion. 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

US-based research giant IMS Health has acquired PharmaDeals, which provides online information about business transactions, licensing, and mergers and acquisition activity across the global pharmaceutical industry. Terms were not disclosed. 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

In the US, healthcare business analytics provider Streamline Health Solutions has acquired Meta Health Technology, which offers information management solutions for hospitals, clinics, physician group practices, and long-term care facilities. The deal is valued at $15m. 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

Consumer research agency rdsi has promoted ten members of staff, including Research Directors Emma O�Connell and Tim Gowing (pictured) who join the Senior Management team. More

In the UK, CIE, Chime�s Insight and Engagement Group, has appointed Telefonica O2�s former Head of Brand and Marketing Strategy Caroline Bates as a Board Director, working across a number of large accounts. More

London full service agency Basis Research has appointed former 2CV leader Lynsey Showman to head up its Quantitative team. More

Harris Interactive has reported an 8.2% decline in revenue to $147.5m for the full year fiscal 2012 - a majority of which the firm says was part of a �right-sizing� plan. More

US customer loyalty and employee engagement firm Service Management Group (SMG) has acquired Locately, which specializes in helping retailers and restaurants analyze what drives consumers� shopping and dining decisions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

UK government social scientist Barbara Adams OBE, a pioneer of public consultation research, has died in London at the age of 89. 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

Car manufacturer Volvo has launched a global crowdsourcing study via Facebook, through which it hopes to generate new ideas that will help it design more personalized vehicles. More

US-based statistical software specialist Revolution Analytics has opened an office in Singapore, through which it plans to offer big data analytics to clients across the Asia Pacific region. More

In the UK, former Ipsos Health Research Director Mike Holland has joined schools marketing specialist the National Schools Partnership as Head of Research. 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

Eric McDowell, the founder of Alaska-based research and consulting firm McDowell Group, died on Monday in hospital in Seattle, following a brief illness. He was 69 years old. More

US-based research giant IMS Health has acquired benchmarking solutions and analytics company TTC, which helps life science firms plan for and negotiate the costs of clinical trials. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Asian agency ABN Research has opened an office in Hong Kong, from which it plans to expand beyond the FMCG and white good sectors to supporting service industries such as finance and telecoms. The firm has also been re-named as �ABN Impact�. More

In New York, Ipsos has moved David Lansanah to the position of Global Managing Director of its product research and development arm MarketQuest. More

New York-based consumer behavior research and consulting firm Envirosell has opened an office in Istanbul, Turkey, led by recently appointed telecoms specialists Melik Karabiyikoglu and Burc Tutanc. More

Digital agency XM Asia Pacific has opened a Consumer Experience Lab in Singapore. The facility will use Tobii eye-tracking technology, heuristic techniques and usability metrics to examine how Asian consumers absorb the information they see in digital ads and traditional media. More

US-based business intelligence software firm Attivio has appointed Julio Gomez, the former Global Head of Research at IDC-owned Financial Insights, as General Manager of Financial Services. More

In the US, real estate big data specialist Target Data has raised $1 million in financing, which it plans to use to expand its analytics team, while also launching a digital arm to feed data into online display ad networks. More

Leslie Warshaw 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

Big data management firm Actian has made public an unsolicited bid to acquire the outstanding shares of data innovation specialist Pervasive Software for approximately $154m in cash; complaining that Pervasive has declined its �repeated efforts� to engage in negotiations. More

Creston-owned ICM Research has filled three newly created positions with the appointment of Peter Cornick as Project Director in the Government and Social Research unit, Eulalia Pereira as Research Manager in the Qual team, and Tim Robinson as an RE in the Financial Services team. 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

Healthcare research specialist WorldOne has integrated data from online patient data specialist Treato into its own MedLIVE FastReponse market intelligence platform, promising clients access to aggregated real-time patient feedback. 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

In the US, former MarketQuest CEO Mary Beth Lake and Chief Research Officer Paul Holtzman have joined Chicago-based full service marketing and sensory research firm Peryam & Kroll Research (P&K) as Senior Vice Presidents. More

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

London-based online qualitative agency nqual has hived off its DIY software solutions to sister research consultancy Netfluential, which specialises in helping clients connect and �co-innovate� with customers. More

Maria Rodriguez More

US-based group Information Services Group (ISG) has announced a 5% increase in revenue (at constant currencies) for the second quarter ended June 30, to $50.5m. More

The U.S. Census Bureau has announced the appointment of Johns Hopkins University professor Thomas A. Louis as the new Associate Director for Research and Methodology and Chief Scientist, effective January 7, 2013. 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

3 hires 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 brand and marketing consultancy Prophet has acquired innovation agency (r)evolution, which focuses on linking consumer insights to business growth. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

In the US, Spanish language media company Entravision Communications Corporation has launched a new big data analytics and modeling business called Luminar, to help clients predict US Latino consumer behavior. Franklin Rios leads the new division as President. More

Following Indian broadcaster NDTV�s legal action against Nielsen and Kantar Media Research over bribery claims, the Indian government has now stepped in with its own investigation. 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 data mining specialist Pattern Insight has sold its big data analytics platform �Log Insight�, along with the associated technology and team, to virtualization software developer VMware. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

American public opinion pollster and author Scott Rasmussen has signed up to host a nationally syndicated TV show called �What America Thinks�, which will draw on his data on the latest political, economic, business and lifestyle issues. More

UK charitable trust The Nuffield Foundation has appointed Ministry of Justice Chief Researcher Teresa Williams as Director of Social Research and Policy. She takes up her new position on 29th October. More

In the US, online conversation specialist Bazaarvoice has partnered with consulting firm Booz & Company to launch the �Digital Customer Centricity Profiler�, a 10-minute survey designed to help companies gauge how well they are using and learning from their digital data. 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

American football team The Baltimore Ravens has hired Sandy Weil as Director of Football Analytics, to work alongside the player personnel department and coaching staff to study data related to game trends, NFL scouting and player production. 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

Greg Buell More

Meghann Sills Elrhoul More

Guy Garcia More

Adela Pedroza 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

Multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has partnered with product placement analysis firm iTVX, to help brands and programmers understand the impact on audiences when a TV show uses a brand in a story line. More

In the UK, global marketing and technology agency LBi has appointed Michele Chang-McGrath as Head of Research. Her role includes launching a series of initiatives to understand emerging digital behaviour in mobile, eCommerce and online content. More

Technology specialist ABI Research has opened a new UK-based research and forecasting facility in Wellingborough, Northants, to house its growing team of analysts and to support local clients. More

In the UK, researcher Gemma Stokes has set up an agency called Podengo, to recruit consumers for qualitative research studies. More

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

Grace Liu More

Simon Dunn More

Selinna Chin More

French ad network Havas has increased its stake in UK-based insight and communications group Creston to more than 6%, just days after buying a 5% share of the business. More

YouGov has recorded a 'solid trading performance' for the year ended 31 July 2012 in an update issued by the London Stock Exchange. More

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

Qual/quant agency MM-Eye has reorganised the management team at its London office, promoting Damien Field to Managing Director responsible for the overall performance of the business. Field will work alongside Anne Bolingbroke, who becomes Chairman. More

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

Ipsos Healthcare has appointed Richard Clarke as Global Business Development Director for Syndicated Services, based in Kuala Lumpur. 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

Compensation and benefits data provider Compdata Surveys has launched a new division, Compdata Consulting, offering integrated solutions for human resources clients; and named Dane Sinn to head it up as Director of Consulting Services. 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

US-based consulting firm North Highland has announced the launch of a new business intelligence (BI) and analytics solutions division, Enfathom; and has promoted Craig Sanders to lead it. More

Technology specialist Gartner has reported second quarter revenues up 9% to $397.5m - equivalent to growth of 12% at constant currencies. A very good quarter for the group�s Research division was only slightly dented by a flat performance from the smaller Consulting wing. More

In South Africa two former employees of RI and GlobalEDGE Marketing Consultants, Andrew Johnson and Catherine Read-Fletcher, have set up a new agency, Beyond Insights. More

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

US-based predictive analytics and consulting services firm Intalytics has announced an exclusive partnership with forecasting and analytics expert Jim Stone, principal consultant of Chain Store Advisors. 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

Investigators in the case of missing Altria employee Leyla Namiranian are 'no closer to solving it', according to sources. 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

Pharma market access consultancy WG Consulting has opened its first US office, in New York, and appointed Charlotta Norgaard to lead it. More

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Jim Helberg More

21 appointments 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

UK-based media group Aegis has acquired marketing effectiveness analytics consultancy Data2Decisions (D2D), for an undisclosed sum estimated by some industry observers at around �10m. Separately, Aegis subsidiary iProspect has bought I Spy Marketing. More

Swedish eye tracking solutions firm EyeTrackShop has partnered with Asian research agency Majestic MRSS, to distribute its services across Asia and the Middle East. More

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

Indian broadcaster NDTV is suing Nielsen and Kantar Media Research over claims that staff at the firms� joint venture TAM took bribes in exchange for overstating ratings. According to the suit, this practice has damaged NDTV�s business to the tune of around $810m in the past eight years. More

UK-based insight and communications group Creston has reported slow revenue growth of 1% for the second quarter of the year, impacted by a poor performance from its research agency ICM. More

Specialist innovation and forecasting business Ipsos InnoQuest has rolled out a new market potential analysis tool called Vantis*Optimize, designed specifically for clients planning to launch non-FMCG products or services. 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

US-based healthcare data and analytics provider Symphony Health Solutions has appointed former IMS Health exec Bill Nelligan as Chief Executive Officer. More

IAG Research founder Alan Gould has joined the Board of online sampling and technology company uSamp, along with Sean Moriaty, who is the former CEO of Ticketmaster. 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

Specialist face-to-face agency UK Fieldwork Services (UKFS) has changed its name to PeoplePeople UK, and opened a viewing studio called 'The People Place', at a new location in Leamington Spa, to cater for 'outside London' demand. More

US-based research and measurement consultancy StrategyOne - which is part of the Edelman PR network - has appointed Fergus Clarke as Head of its Middle East and North Africa division. More

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 product innovation specialist InsightsNow has launched a new research approach called �Product Spark�, which it says solves the �concept to product translation dilemma� when applied at the beginning of an R&D initiative. 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

San Francisco-based business intelligence analytics provider GoodData has raised $25m in Series C investment, which it will use for technological innovation as well as sales and marketing. More

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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

Yorkshire-based Swift Research has added four wet rooms to its Innervisions viewing and testing facility, through which clients can observe how consumers use and interact with personal care and hair care products. More

Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has appointed former Globalpark sales leader Frank Kleinert as a Partner, with responsibility for building the business across the 'DACH' German-speaking region, which includes Germany, Austria and Switzerland. More

6 hires More

Jill Peterson More

Dr. Edoardo Airoldi More

Dane Elliott More

Josh Dreller More

Full service agency Market Strategies International (MSI) has launched a qualitative insights boutique, led by former Synovate director Steve Wolf. 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

Shopper research specialist PRS (Perception Research Services) has opened a new office in Rome, Italy, led by Account Manager Roberto Fois and Project Director Gianluca Sacchet. 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

Peter Ventimiglia has re-joined US research and measurement consultancy StrategyOne, as Executive Vice President and geography lead for Washington DC. 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

The FCC's proposed new Do Not Call registry could be 'a boon and not a burden' for US survey researchers, according to the MRA's Howard Fienberg. More

YouGov co-founder and CEO Stephan Shakespeare has been named as chair of the Data Strategy Board for the UK government's Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) More

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

Joseph McGahan More

Ratapol Teratanavat More

3 appointments 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

Healthcare research specialist WorldOne has acquired US online physician community Sermo, which boasts 130,000 members, a strong client list and its own discussion and crowdsourcing platform. 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

ORC International has added two new online sample options, geographical and 'generational' targeting, to its CARAVAN omnibus survey suite, offering interviews with a representative sample of US adults within any one state, top metropolitan area or age generation. More

Japan-based GMO Research has appointed Sarah Jang as a Senior Business Development Director for North America, charged with setting up the company's first office in the region. More

In the US, broadcast trade association TVB has announced the appointment of Stacey Lynn Schulman, former Turner Broadcasting research head, in the newly created position of SVP, Chief Research Officer. More

Havas Media Asia Pacific has appointed econometric expert Naman Sharma, formerly of OMD and Carat, as its Head of Research and Analytics. More

Brian Smith More

Hannah Murphy 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

ORC International veteran Warren Frankel has taken up the post of President of specialist data and delivery business Ipsos Observer in America, responsible for overseeing domestic teams while working closely with the rest of the Ipsos network. More

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

Global PR agency Weber Shandwick has partnered with behavioural insights agency Canvas8 and a group of neuroscience, psychology and anthropology academics to study the drivers of audience engagement. More

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

US tech specialist ABI Research has expanded with the launch of more than 20 new services for specific vertical markets such as utilities and smart grids, and transportation ticketing technologies. 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

US neuroscience specialist Sands Research Inc (SRI) is relocating its headquarters from Texas to Los Angeles to be closer to its West Coast clients. It will also seek funds from the Californian investment community to fuel future growth. 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 UK, Chime-owned digital advertising agency VCCP Partnership has launched a new business called Conduit Marketing, which will help clients use their existing data to improve business performance. 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

In the UK, Ipsos has transferred Belinda Freeman to the new role of Head of Distribution and Merchandising Tracking, with a particular focus on emerging markets. 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

UK field agency Face Facts Research has re-located to larger premises in Leeds, where it has appointed former Quaestor field exec Julie Gaughan as Operations Manager. More

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

US information and analytics provider IHS has made its sixth acquisition so far this year, paying around $40m for semantic research technology provider Invention Machine. 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

US-based agency Food Insights has been re-named 'Research Between the Lines' (RBTL), reflecting a shift in the company towards more integrated qual/quant methodologies. More

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

Schlesinger Associates co-owner Debby Schlesinger-Hellman has been elected Chair of US professional body the Marketing Research Association (MRA); and also has a new role in her own company, that of EVP, US Qualitative Solutions. 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

Global market and employee research specialist ORC International has expanded its team with the appointment of four new members of staff in the US, and a senior exec in the UK. More

In the US, WPP-owned ad agency Leo Burnett has launched a qualitative research platform called MetaphorMining, which aims to improve clients' understanding of human behavior, and specifically of how people perceive and relate to brands. 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

Research group Cello has revealed that it has spent �600k in the last year on consolidating operations and reducing headcount in its Research and Consulting division; and is now splitting its business into two new divisions. More

Emerging markets specialist Borderless Access Panels has introduced a mobile app called InstaBid, through which market researchers can access sample feasibility and cost information across a number of hard-to-reach markets. 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

US-based cleantech specialist Pike Research has been acquired by energy sector market intelligence provider Navigant. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Harris Interactive has closed its Princeton, New Jersey office, as part of an ongoing review of its leased office space needs. More

Millward Brown (MB) has extended the availability of its facial coding capabilities, offered as part of its LINK ad copy evaluation solution and developed in partnership with emotional measurement company Affectiva, to the emerging markets of Latin America and Asia Pacific. More

The UK-based Independent Consultants Group (ICG) has appointed Arthur Fletcher as its new Chairman, replacing Andrew Smith who held the title for the past five years. 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

European online specialist InSites Consulting has promoted Robert Dossin to the post of Managing Director of its London office, replacing Christophe Vergult who has moved to Belgium to lead the firm's Global Technology and Services team. 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

Austrian market research company Klufamily has gone into receivership after twenty years in business. 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

Ipsos ad division ASI has announced an updated version of its Brand Value Creator (BVC) solution, promising advertiser clients a deeper understanding of how they can build their brands. 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

Data visualization company Infotools has hired former Hall & Partners MD Ian Murray as Director for Europe, based in London. More

US information and analytics provider IHS has received the go-ahead from the Federal Trade Commission to proceed with its $135m acquisition of engineering information resource GlobalSpec - its fifth buy this year. More

The UK's Market Research Society (MRS) is setting up a network called Research Aid, to provide charities with access to market researchers on a pro bono basis. More

In Canada, multi-cultural marketing specialist Monsoon Communications has opened an MR agency called Third Eye, to deliver insights into the ethnic audience it defines as 'Zero2Five New Canadians'. The firm will be led by former TNS leader Gautam Nath. More

WPP-owned market research and political polling network Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) has appointed government bureaucrat Ashok Kapur as Head of its Policy Group for South Asia operations. More

In South Africa, business intelligence specialist BITanium has opened an advanced analytics division which taps into an existing portfolio of statistical and predictive analytics products, with a specific focus on the IBM SPSS tool set. More

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Retail data specialist dunnhumbyUSA has appointed former P&G marketer Allen Mason as Vice President of Analysis, Strategy and Planning; while ex-Pepsi insights exec Leslie Liss joins as Vice President of Manufacturer Commercial Solutions. More

UK public sector intelligence specialist Kable, which provides research, forecasts and analysis of the ICT market, has been acquired by business information firm Progressive Digital Media Group (PDMG). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

US-based marketing intelligence firm Visual IQ has opened an office in London, just a week after receiving $12m in private equity investment. More

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

Finnish customer feedback tech firm HappyOrNot has introduced its customer satisfaction measurement device to the UK, where the system is currently being used at London Heathrow Airport to obtain passenger views of the airport's much-discussed security measures. More

In the US, M3 Global Research has appointed healthcare research veteran David Deutsch as Head of Syndicated Products, while eRewards' former CMO and Chief Panel Officer Bill Russo has joined as President of Market Research. More

US-based consultancy Harpeth Marketing has launched a new service called 'Marketing & Sales Audits', to help market research agencies evaluate and improve their promotional and business development efforts. More

US member advisory company The Corporate Executive Board (CEB) is to acquire London-based staff assessment and benchmarking specialist SHL from its owners HgCapital and VSS, for $660m in cash. 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

Tim Brooks 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

In the US, telephone fieldwork company Issues & Answers has acquired Eastern Research Service's (ERS) 78-seat call center in Florida, following the latter's closure earlier in the year. Terms of the deal were undisclosed. More

Multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has introduced a new service providing movie studios with data on both their own and their competitors' video-on-demand (VOD) theatrical releases. 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

In the UK, consumer insight and sensory specialist MMR Research Worldwide continues the rapid growth of its Oxfordshire and London teams, announcing six new hires including AD Helen Stratton. 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

Tony Cosentino More

Sarah Weill More

Sarah Ainsworth More

A coalition of US research associations and professional bodies have called on the Obama administration to defend the use of respondent incentives in federal surveys. 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

The UK government has confirmed that the temporary spending controls it imposed on public sector advertising, marketing, communications and research budgets during its first year in office, will now become a 'permanent feature', until at least the next general election. More

In the UK, Manchester-based sister agencies Acumen Fieldwork, Aspect Viewing Facilities and Research Opinion have hooked up to form a new umbrella organisation called Fuller Research Group, offering a complete range of recruitment, fieldwork and viewing facilities. More

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

New York-based Affinity Solutions - which analyzes consumer spending data to help clients with their targeted marketing initiatives - has completed a $14.5m round of funding, which it will use to finance product and technology innovation, and business development. 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

Ipsos Loyalty has followed up last year's WAR with the launch of a research solution called WAO!, to help clients understand 'share of wallet' in their target sectors. 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

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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 US, data-driven pharma marketing consultancy RMi has launched an analytics tool, IntelliScore, which tracks and analyses physicians' receptivity to and engagement with marketing methods and brand messages across a variety of channels. 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

Liz Saunders More

Hita Varma More

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UK-based pharma research firm Double Helix is to be acquired by Interpublic company McCann Health. More

Business advisory firm Stratlink Global LLC is opening an African regional office in Nairobi, Kenya, from which it plans to expand to other locations on the continent. More

In the US, Democratic pollster Alan Secrest is closing his company for financial reasons. 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

Belgian-based advanced analytics solutions-2 has announced the opening of an office in London, led by Paul Strange, who will join the firm in July from GfK NOP. 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

The BBC's former Director of Media Engagement, Marketing and Audiences Simon Lloyd has joined Virgin Atlantic as Marketing Director. More

Netherlands-based agency SKIM is opening an office in San Francisco, its second US base, led by Directors Joris Huisman and Eline van der Gaast who are promoted from SKIM Project Manager roles in the Rotterdam and New York offices respectively. More

In the US, data collection and analytics specialist Cloudmeter and digital measurement consultancy Semphonic have announced a partnership to help clients manage and gain insight from the massive amount of data they collect. More

Database and information services giant Experian has hired Ben Elliott as MD of its Decision Analytics division in Asia Pacific. He was previously Network Director for Retail Banking at Lloyds Banking Group. More

US-based research, strategy and design consultancy Kelton has appointed Ashish Verma as Managing Director in New York, leading the consulting offer for the firm's East Coast clients. More

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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

In Australia, data-focused marketing technology provider Potentiate has appointed former Ipsos Australia director Horst Feldhaeuser as Head of Client Services. More

Behavioural research consultancy SimpleUsability has provided UK reality TV show Big Brother with its eye tracking technology, which was used in last night's coverage as part of a challenge given to housemates. More

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

Mike Webster More

Rick Johnston More

Stephen Lenzen More

Diane Wagner 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

In Shanghai, Ipsos Healthcare has appointed IMS Health veteran David Twinberrow as Head of Syndicated Services, Asia Pacific, charged with leading the planned expansion and development of the firm's Therapy Monitor portfolio across the region. More

Online data collection firm ODC Services has launched a panel in the Czech Republic, its eleventh country to date. 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

In the US, big data specialist Chliad has appointed natural language processing (NLP) expert Howard Turtle as Chief Scientist, to lead development of the firm's analytics capabilities. 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

TNS has opened its first office in Cambodia, through a partnership with local market and social research firm MSD, which has a network of locations across the country. More

US-based charity-focused panel specialist Op4G (Opinions For Good) has appointed Frank Nappo as President and CEO, and Chris Stearns as CTO; and hired former Toluna execs Frank Hayden - as COO - and Archie Ignacio, as North American VP of Client Services. More

In the UK, consumer specialist Leapfrog Research has closed its Windsor-based headquarters and moved into sister agency RS Consulting's offices in London. Parent company Cello says the move follows an agreement between the two agencies to form an 'alliance'. More

Stockholm-based information exchange Mancx has secured $1.65m in financing, which it will use to expand its paid business Q&A community through social networks such as LinkedIn and Viadeo. The firm has also opened US headquarters in San Francisco, CA. More

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

London-based research technology firm Cobalt Sky has taken a 25% stake in Discovery Group's online qual research tool The Thinking Shed, which has now been spun off into a separate limited company. More

WPP 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

US-based online publisher Break Media, which creates and distributes male-targeted content, has launched a tool to provide brand marketers with insights into men's' lives, trends and behaviors. 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

The Insight division of UK-based Creston has reported a 7% drop in revenue to �13.8m for the year ended 31 March 2012, compared with �14.8m in 2011. During the period, headline pre-tax profit was almost halved from a year ago at �2.1m, down from �4.1m. More

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

The US Congress is considering a bill to ensure federal agencies treat paid research respondents as at most independent contractors, and not as employees of research companies. More

MR bodies AIMRO (the Association of Irish Market Research Organisations) and BAMOR (Bulgarian Association of Marketing and Opinion Researchers) are the latest to join the European Research Federation (efamro). More

In the US, Scarborough Research is adding nationwide voter data from political data provider TargetSmart Communications to its own consumer database, to enable agencies, politicians and lobbyists to examine consumer behavior relevant to specific election issues. 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

In the US, Charleston Police Department (CPD) is using IBM Predictive Analytics to help officers accurately evaluate and forecast crime patterns. 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

Marketing technology and services firm Acxiom has appointed online media specialist Christian Peck as Vice President and Managing Director for its UK arm, with responsibility for product, sales, delivery and all operations across the country. More

Bram Provoost More

Leslie Crist More

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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

UK-based researcher SPA Future Thinking is in 'final negotiations' to form a joint venture with French customer relationship specialist Groupe Acticall. The JV will be launched as Future Thinking France and be led by Stéphane Marder, previously Managing Director of French agency LH2. More

The UK's Optimisa Research has moved its Leeds team to new offices in the city centre, reflecting ongoing expansion. More

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

Claire Ralphson-Cook More

Mirjana Mihaljcic More

Karl Pfalzgraf More

Lucy Ireland 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

Police in Chesterfield, Virginia, USA have searched the car and appartment of a man connected with missing Research Director Leyla Namiranian, but not yet made an arrest. Earlier, officers found two of her cell phones on different roads nearby. 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

Research consultancy Kadence India has appointed former Hansa Research General Manager Maninder Khurana as Vice President - Consumer Insights. More

In the UK, consumer insight and sensory specialist MMR Research Worldwide has appointed seven new members of staff, including Jon Arthurs as Client Services Director. The new staff will be split between the firm's Wallingford, Oxford HQ and its London office. 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

MR outsourcing and analytics provider Cross-Tab has launched a solution to help researchers enhance the value of their tracking studies. Tracking Optimiser combines subject matter experts with new technology and the firm's established quality processes. More

Andrew Ma More

Kim White More

Lalit Sangtani More

Larry Walker More

Bud Sanders More

Brad Korner More

Thomson Reuters has completed the $1.25 billion sale of its healthcare data, analytics and performance benchmarking arm to private equity firm Veritas Capital, which has renamed the business Truven Health Analytics. More

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

Netherlands-based market research agency SKIM is opening an office in San Francisco in the summer, from which it will service its clients on the US west coast and expand its client roster in the tech, finance and telecoms sectors. 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

Ipsos MORI has transferred Rob Myers from his role as President of Marketing in the US, to the post of Managing Director for Ipsos Marketing in the UK. He replaces Susan Malcolm who is relocating to Australia for personal reasons. More

New York-based speech and text analytics specialist Verint has reported net profit of $6.3m for the first fiscal quarter of 2012, compared with a net loss of $3.7m a year earlier; helped mainly by a 12% increase in revenue to $196.6m. 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

Retail analysis giant SymphonyIRI Group has appointed former Aon COO Andrew Appel as its new President and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding John Freeland who plans to retire later in the year. 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-based TRiG - a division of Canadian polling firm Leger Marketing - has restructured its management team with the promotion of Ron Cosgrove to President USA, Robert Kaplan-Sherman to Corporate Chief Researcher, and Bruce Shandler to Strategic Advisor to the CEO. 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

MrWeb's offices are now closed for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations taking place across the UK, and will reopen on Wednesday 6 June. God Bless Her! More

Nunwood has re-launched its UK, US, Australian and New Zealand businesses with a new model which focuses on 'insight-powered customer experience management' (CEM). More

In New York, Kantar Health has partnered with online physician community provider Sermo to offer research services to life sciences companies. More

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

In the UK, telephone research specialist Facts International has appointed former Lake Market Research execs Sharon Greenslade and Adam Wyles as Project Directors in its Client Services team, with a remit to further develop digital fieldwork capability. 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

Britain's market researchers are forecasting higher revenues for the next 12 months, according to the latest RSM 'State of the Industry' survey. 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

Janet Harkness, Director of the Gallup Research Center and a leading figure in the development of cross-cultural research methods, died on Monday in Germany at the age of 63. More

US-based data collection firm Focus Pointe Global (FPG) has received an undisclosed amount of funding, while appointing Noel Sitzmann as its new CEO, guiding future expansion. More

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

In the US, the Missouri School of Journalism has partnered with HCD Research to conduct studies combining biometric and eye tracking measures to further understanding of consumer choices. More

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 Prévost as a Business Director in its office in Johannesburg, South Africa, and says it has plans to extend its offering 'further into the African continent'. More

In the UK, leading edge research firm BrainJuicer has announced that Simon Godfrey intends to retire from the company's board of directors at the end of September this year. He will be replaced by Graham Blashill, who joins from a career with Imperial Tobacco. More

In the 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

Big data analytics firm Kognitio has announced a partnership with data visualisation specialist Advanced Visual Systems, to open up advanced business intelligence, predictive analytics and next-generation decision support systems to corporate and OEM end-users. More

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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

Public sector specialist Dods Group Plc has announced preliminary results for 2011, with revenue down to �15.3m from �16.1m in 2010, and profit margin and adjusted earnings steady. The group is still waiting on clearance for its takeover of intelligence provider DeHavilland. More

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 UK, JRA Research has acquired an online panel of chefs and catering managers, numbering around 1,200 individuals across a range of food service sectors. More

European predictive analytics software provider Quiterian has signed a global deal with Indian IT giant Wipro, whose clients will be offered Quiterian's solutions. More

The UK-based Independent Consultants Group (ICG) has launched a new guide to Commissioning Qualitative Research. More

In the US, The Census Bureau has launched two new products which provide detailed data on 'Race, Tribal, Hispanic and Ancestry Groups.' The data sets contain social and economic data and housing characteristics for hundreds of groups at numerous geographic levels. More

GfK has announced two senior marketing science appointments which it says 'sharpen its focus on rigorous yet innovative analytics'. Knowledge Networks' Ellen Veccia become Chief Marketing Science Officer while Mike Conklin has rejoined from MarketTools as EVP of Marketing Science. More

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

US-based legal and real estate information specialist ALM is creating a new Marketing Services team and has appointed recently-arrived Eric Biener to head it up. More

UK not-for-profit body NatCen Social Research has appointed Nick Shanahan as Director of Finance and Business Planning, starting in July. Shanahan is currently Deputy Director of Finance and Operations at the Natural Environment Research Council. 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

UK-based consumer information publisher Mintel has announced a new toolkit for household, personal care and OTC healthcare brands, combining market data with consultancy. More

Amit Khanna 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

South Africa's professional research body SAMRA has appointed a new CEO, Leonie Vorster. In addition to serving as MD of Evolutions Research Solutions, she is a former SAMRA chair and council member. More

Point-of-sale data giant Catalina Marketing Corporation has announced the launch of BuyerVision, a new purchase-based targeting solution for CPG advertisers. More

In the UK, brand engagement and communications company Hall & Partners has announced a series of promotions in its specialist Health division, including Lee Gazey to Managing Partner. More

Recent formed standards and guidelines partnership The Trust Alliance has been joined by online US physician network Epocrates. More

State-run business development agency Enterprise Ireland has opened a new Market Research Centre to support Irish companies in developing their export plans. 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

Daniel Sun More

In the UK, BDRC Group has acquired retail specialist ESA Market Research Ltd, for an undisclosed sum. More

Polish MR association OFBOR and Lithuanian body LRSTA have joined European research federation efamro. More

Informa plc, owner of Datamonitor, has released an interim statement on the first four months of the year. Organic revenue in the Professional and Commercial Information division (PCI) is down 4.1%, although it is expected to rebound in the remainder of 2012. 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

GRBN, the recently launched international community of research federations, has apportioned its activities for 2012-13 between member regions, following meetings in London and Miami attended by representatives of national associations in 17 countries. 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

Valient Market Research has opened a new regional office in Williamsville, New York to support a growing client base in the Buffalo-Niagara region. More

Mumbai, India-based pharmaceutical product manufacturer Piramal Healthcare is to acquire US-based pharma research firm Decision Resources Group (DRG) for around $635m. 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

UK marcoms group Chime Communications has acquired a 51% share in Harvey Walsh Limited (HWL), a company which provides market access and data services to the pharmaceutical industry and the NHS. Chime has paid an initial consideration of �2.19m for the stake. 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, full service agency CMI has appointed former Ipsos marketing sciences leader Ryan Kocher as Vice President of Analytics, in charge of its analytical sciences team and overseeing all analytic services. 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

Swedish firm EyeTrackShop has closed a $3m funding round, which it will use to accelerate its international expansion plans. More

GfK has reported an 11.3% increase in sales to EUR 345.1m for the first three months of 2012, with organic growth of 4.9%. Adjusted operating income rose 10.2% to EUR 33.5m. The firm says its new 'Own the Future' corporate strategy has contributed to the healthy figures. More

Private equity firm Symphony Technology Group (STG) has acquired patient and physician data provider Source Healthcare Analytics; and will combine it with its existing pharma offer to form a new division called Symphony Health Solutions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

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

GfK MRI has launched a syndicated solution called the 'Audience Risk Manager', to enable US magazine publishers to offer performance guarantees based on a publication's total readership as opposed to its paid circulation. More

US-based sports broadcast measurement specialist Repucom has hooked up with Grupo IBOPE and Kantar Media joint venture IBOPE Media, to launch a sports research business in Latin America, excluding Brazil. More

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

London-based research technology firm Cobalt Sky has partnered with Applied Insights co-founder John McConnell to roll out a new statistics-based analytics service. More

In Ghana, west Africa, the Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC) says plans to set up an independent media monitoring body are being frustrated by lack of funds. 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

US-based Radius Global Market Research has launched a new menu-based choice modeling technique, offering clients insights into those customers who select a group of products or services from a menu of options. More

US-based MarketVision Research has appointed health care veteran Kendall Gay as Vice President of Qualitative Research, leading its qual health care team. More

UK-based insight agency Nunwood has announced the acquisition of California-based training and change management consultancy Retention Specialists Inc. Nunwood already has US offices in Los Angeles and New York. 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

In Mumbai, consumer goods giant Unilever has set up its first Indian Customer Insight and Innovation Centre to study how consumers shop for FMCG products. More

US-based Information Services Group (ISG) has announced impressive results for the quarter ended March 31, 2012, with revenues up 15% at constant currencies to $46.3m. More

In the UK Alki Manias, a veteran of firms including GfK Roper and YouGov, has launched a new consultancy, Alkman. The firm will partner with research software provider Gamma Associates to launch a new automated reporting tool called mTABView. 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

In Australia, Roy Morgan Research has announced a partnership with local trade body the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) with an eye to using their complementary experience to provide clients with insight on the retail process. More

In the UK, GfK NOP has appointed Martin Grimwood as Divisional Director for its pensions and asset management client business. He joins following an eighteen-year career at ORC, via a short stint at TNS-RI. More

In the US, commercial information company Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) has announced enhancements to its sales, marketing and research database D&B360. The new functionality will both increase overall data content and assist with systematic maintenance. More

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New Zealand's research and media communities have begun discussions over the way election polls are conducted and the influence they exert over voting, with a public forum held at the country's Parliament this evening. More

Online research software provider Confirmit has reported a buoyant first quarter for the year with more than $15m in revenues, and strong growth in mobile solutions following its acquisition of Techneos. More

In Sweden, shopper and consumer specialist NORM has launched 'Scandinavia's first quantitative research panel of pregnant women.' At least 4,000 women will join the panel evenly over the next twelve months. 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

Jess Beldner More

Will Gordon 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

Chicago-based Clarity Solution Group has agreed the purchase of Bay Area-based NxGen Consulting. The deal expands Clarity's presence in the US West and brings it new technology and deeper expertise in data visualization and predictive analytics. More

In the UK, Discovery Group has promoted Alan Hathaway, who joined the firm as its first graduate trainee, to the newly created position of Managing Director of its research division. More

In 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

Guildford, UK-based custom panel provider EasyInsites has teamed up with Mom365, the US sister company of the UK's Bounty Ltd, to launch a panel of new and expectant mothers. More

Sampling and data collection provider SSI has launched a specialist automotive sample, offering researchers access to car owners and buyers in the world's largest car markets. More

John Palmer 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

UK-based qual and quant agency Marketing Sciences has promoted Jane Rudling to the position of Managing Director, replacing Keith Bates who takes on the role of Executive Chairman. More

Business analytics provider Birst has secured $26m in financing, which it will use to further accelerate growth, focusing on innovation and product development, while also expanding into new markets. 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

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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

In the US, full service food testing company Northland Laboratories has launched a sensory insights division, to offer sensory research services to manufacturers, developers and marketers of food and beverage products. More

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

US firm TRA has added a new feature to its Media TRAnalytics platform, to enable users to plan TV media schedules based on actual consumer purchase data. 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

US research agency Phoenix Marketing has introduced the AdPi (Advertising Performance Indicator) Express scorecard, a tool to enable insurance companies to measure the effectiveness of their print and TV ads. More

Mediacom's former Director of Analytics Philip Tiongson has been hired for the new post of Director of Research Solutions at Agility Research & Strategy, the firm launched in Singapore last November by former Harris Interactive managers Amrita Banta and Asha Choksi. More

Dirk Beyer 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

In Canada, Digital Out Of Home specialist Ayuda Media Systems has launched Zest, a package providing comprehensive local decision data for online buyers and sellers of outdoor inventory. A mobile app will enable buyers passing a billboard to view data for it and book it on the move. More

Omnicom advanced analytics and predictive modeling specialist The Modellers has hired veteran client and agency side researcher Kenneth Farmer as SVP Client Service, based in San Francisco and with a focus on the consumer electronics practice. 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

In London, market research consultancy Incite has appointed ex-2CV senior Strategic Director Tom Marriage as a Principal, and Emily Taylor and Jenny Hall as Associates. 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

Echo Research has appointed Robert Takacs as Executive Vice President, based in New York. He joins the firm's leadership team and takes responsibility for expanding its brand within the US, as well as for client service and enhancing its range of services. More

Kantar has paid around $1.2 million for a minority stake in online automotive customer feedback specialist Enprecis Inc. More

Solar energy and photovoltaic industry specialist NPD Solarbuzz has hired Wolfgang Schlichting as Research Director, Downstream Markets; and promoted Finlay Colville Ph.D. to VP leading its solar research team. More

US event-based research firm Healthcare Research & Analytics (HRA) has appointed healthcare consulting and client-side specialist G. Matthias Prinz to lead its consultative custom research business. More

Data collection agency SWAT Research Field Force has launched a new omnibus survey among consumers in the UAE. 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

UK-based group Creston plc has issued a trading update for the year ended 31 March 2012. Like-for-like revenue increase is only 'marginal', although the reported figure is up 11% to �75m and the group says it has completed its programme of reducing operating costs. More

WPP has reported first quarter revenues up 7.4% at constant currencies, to �2.39 bn. Organic revenue growth was 4.0%. However the consumer insight division once again lagged behind with revenues up 3.3% on a constant currency basis, or 1.3% excluding acquisitions. More

Kantar Health has launched its self-reported patient database, National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS), in Russia, where it will collect information representative of the adult urban population. More

Ipsos has announced a number of senior qual appointments in Asia Pacific, including that of Gordon Milne as leader of its Ipsos UU qual business across the region. More

In the US, big data analytics specialist Metamarkets has announced the completion of a $15m second round of funding including current investors IA Ventures and True Ventures and led by new investor Khosla Ventures. This brings capital raised to date to $23m. 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

Belgian statistical analysis consultancy solutions-2 has re-located to new offices close to Ooidonk Castle in Bachte-Maria-Leerne, near Ghent. More

Las Vegas-based Precision Opinion has announced the addition of a hundred new CATI stations - its fourth expansion in four years. More

In the UK, market intelligence consultancy PFA Research has relocated within Cornwall from its original offices in Bodmin to the Tremough Innovation Centre (TIC) in Penryn. The company cites advances in technology which allow a more decentralized business model. More

Ipsos has reported a 46% increase in first quarter revenues to EUR 379.9m, reflecting the addition of Synovate's business. However, it admits the need to integrate the two businesses has slowed expansion: volume of sales was down slightly on Q1 2011, and organic growth of just 2% is expected this year. More

IBM has acquired Pittsburgh, PA-based Vivisimo, which provides software to help users access and analyze big data across their organisation. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

National Research Group (NRG) co-founder Catherine Paura has set up a new firm called Capstone Global Marketing and Research Group, with the aim of 'interpreting the tastes and behaviors of the 21st century entertainment consumer'. She is joined by her sister Angela, former NRG COO, in the new venture. More

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

Entertainment Works (eworks) - a US firm which offers touch screen kiosk-based consumer research - has launched in the UK with the installation of a manned booth in Kingston's Odeon Theatre, through which it will gather cinema goers' opinions. 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

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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

A pollster from the Marist Institute for Public Opinion (MIPO) has been credited with saving the life of a New York City woman, who was slipping into a diabetic coma when he called to interview her one night last week. More

Information giant Thomson Reuters has sold its healthcare business to private equity firm Veritas Capital in a cash deal valued at $1.25 billion, following a ten-month search for a buyer. More

Healthcare market research provider Cegedim Strategic Data (CSD) has integrated practice-level NHS GP prescribing data for England into its MultiView analysis software platform. More

In the US, big data analytics provider Terascala has closed a $14m Series B funding round, which it will use to expand its R&D, marketing and customer support, as well as to fuel international expansion. 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

US-based Phoenix Marketing International (PMI) has appointed veteran researcher Howard Parr as a Group Director in its Phoenix Healthcare team, based in Richmond, Surrey, UK. More

Matt Picton More

In the US, IMS Health has acquired San Francisco-based software firm DecisionView, which helps life sciences organizations plan and track patient enrollment for clinical trials around the world. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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

Norway-based fieldwork group Norstat has agreed to acquire a majority stake in European online data collection firm ODC Services. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 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

In the US, big data insights specialist Ravel has been acquired by W20 Group, an independent network of marcoms, research and development firms. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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

After nearly twenty years at Nielsen Claritas, Drake Bassett has left the research industry to take up the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the not-for-profit organization Palmer Home for Children. 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

In the US, Ipsos Loyalty has appointed research veteran Thomas Gallagher as Vice President in its Financial Services practice. More

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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

North of England MR agency DJS Research has reported a 26% increase in turnover to �1.9m for the year 2011, compared with �1.5m in the previous year. The company is also moving to larger offices at the end of April, to accommodate its short and long-term growth plans. More

In the UK, book publisher Harper Collins has appointed the BBC's Head of Digital Insight Rufus Weston as Customer Insight Director. More

Quratulain Ibrahim has been promoted from COO to Chief Executive Officer of full service agency TNS-Aftab, the global agency's affiliate company in Pakistan and Afghanistan. More

In Australia, Photon-owned insights and strategy consultancy The Leading Edge (TLE) has appointed Chrissy Blackburn as Global Strategy Partner, Head of Brand Strategy. She will be based in the firm's Sydney office, while also working with its Asian, European and US operations. More

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

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Katie Doherty More

Dr Florian Eichmann 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

2 appointments More

Laura Atkinson More

Karen Ring 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

WPP-owned market research and political polling specialist Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) has acquired UK-based First Movies International, which provides online and face-to-face services to the international film industry. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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

Kate Svoboda 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

UK agency Holden Pearmain has launched a new service called OTC Intelligence, for which it will interview more than 30,000 individuals each year about their purchase and use of OTC products in the flu and cold, analgesics and skin sectors. 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

Kantar Retail is to acquire a minority interest in Dubai-based retail consultancy GME, its franchise partner in the emirate since being formed in 2007. 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

Kantar Health has announced two senior promotions in its Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region (APMEA). Graeme Jacombs becomes Deputy MD for the region while Dr. Vince Grillo is promoted to General Manager, Singapore and Malaysia. 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

2 appointments More

Senior Moves 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

Leyla Namiranian, Director of Marketing and Consumer Research for US firm Altria Client Services has been missing for more than a week from her home in Chesterfield, Virginia. More

In the US, Customer Experience Management (CEM) specialist TCELab has announced the launch of a next generation CEM platform integrating big-data tool automation and customer loyalty science. 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

In the US, consumer goods and retail specialist dunnhumbyUSA has made six Vice President appointments: Gul Ahuja, Global Solutions; Tom Cox and Cara Pratt, Manufacturer Practice; Julian Farbstein and Rachael Hadaway, Client Solutions; and Allison Unkraut, Client Leadership. More

Singapore-based Agility Research & Strategy has launched a quarterly series of reports exploring the psyche of Asian consumers regarding wealth and luxury. More

Andrew Kohut More

2 appointments 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

Asia Pacific-based marketing and brand research consultancy Cimigo has opened new offices in Jakarta and Singapore, to enhance local support for its clients. More

IBOPE Zogby (formerly Zogby International) has been re-named IBOPE Inteligência, a name which the firm says better reflects its parent company IBOPE Group's geographic reach in the Americas and globally. More

US-based management consulting firm Peppers & Rogers has expanded its consulting practice by incorporating marketing analytics services from iKnowtion, which was recently acquired by parent firm TeleTech. More

Ken Strunk More

2 hires More

2 appointments More

Dr Robert Groves, the 23rd Director of the US Census Bureau, has resigned his position in order to take up the position of Provost of Georgetown University in late August. 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

Following the acquisition of Synovate, Frank Guo has been promoted to the position of Director, Healthcare China for Ipsos Healthcare, in charge of the division's business across the country. More

US healthcare marketing research firm Roger Green and Associates (RG+A) has launched the Health Payer Council (HPC), an online research and co-creation community through which clients can access medical and pharmacy directors from US medical insurers. 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

US-based full service market research agency CMI has appointed shopper insights expert Donna Wydra as Senior Vice President of Consumer and Shopper Strategy, to expand its solutions for manufacturers, retailers and restaurants. More

In the US, app user analytics agency Kontagent is leading the launch of the 'Mobile Acquisition Transparency Alliance' (MATA); a new body which aims to create an industry-wide standard for mobile app data collection, processing and reporting. More

US publisher Crain Communications has launched a new division to provide social media marketing consulting services to businesses. More

Creston-owned face-to-face specialist Fieldwork UK has been integrated with sister agency ICM Direct, in a bid to further strengthen its data collection offering. More

In the US, behavioural analytics firm BehaviorMatrix has launched what it describes as the first behavioural analytics platform to measure the emotional connections, perceptions and 'social momentum' responsible for consumer behaviour. More

In the UK, Radius Global Market Research has appointed Anjul Sharma for its new role as Global Director of Qualitative Research, to lead the firm's qual practice across its client base in the US, EMEA, and Asia from its office in London. More

Social media insight specialist Visible Technologies has acquired WPP-owned competitor Cymfony for an undisclosed amount. The operation will now be led by former Cymfony President Richard Pasewark, following the resignation of Visible's CEO Kelly Pennock. More

Alex Schmidt More

Caroline Capel More

Gareth Nelson More

Healthcare market research provider Cegedim Strategic Data (CSD) has expanded in Asia with the opening of an office in Indonesia, adding to its existing presence in China, Australia, India, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. More

UK business information, research services and marketing solutions firm Progressive Digital Media (PDM) is aiming to raise �20m through a share placement, which it will use to finance acquisitions in the business information market. More

Ipsos Healthcare has launched a suite of Molecular Diagnostic Monitors, to provide a multi-stakeholder view of the global MDx (molecular diagnostics) market across multiple indications. More

Customer relationship marketing group Merkle has fully integrated its data-focussed subsidiary CognitiveDATA into its consulting, data, analytics and creative business. More

Outdoor advertising specialist Astral Out-of-Home has added eye tracking and vision analysis tools to its network of digital signage and displays, to enable advertisers to measure the impact their ads are having on passers-by. More

In the US, MR holding firm MVL Group has set up a new business insight agency called Focalytic, which offers text analysis and data visualization techniques to analyse conversations about products, customer and political and business environments. More

Stockholm-based brand tracking researcher Nepa has established an office in China, where it has also formed a partnership with online music web site Tudou to create a consumer insights market research panel. More

Joel Wethall More

Kristi Burrows More

Patrick Van Kann More

Charlotte Watkins More

Andrew Dilnot More

Global ad network Havas has acquired a majority stake in US-based idea creation specialist Victors & Spoils (V&S), which digitally connects, manages and curates a crowd of more than 6,000 creatives who participate in crowdsourcing initiatives. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

In the US, WPP's media investment management group GroupM has opened an innovation centre called GroupM Next, which will focus on providing insights into developments in online, mobile, and social media. More

A new body called the Institute on Asian Consumer Insight (ACI) has been launched, funded jointly by the Singapore Economic Development Board and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). More

UKOM, the cross-industry organisation set up to oversee the measurement of online audiences, has ended its partnership with Nielsen and instead appointed comScore as its new partner for online media measurement in the UK. More

Marcoms giant WPP has acquired US-based social mobilization company Crowdverb, which monitors and analyzes social media data to identify relevant crowds of voters, consumers and activists. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Canadian research software provider Voxco has acquired French technology firm Sypiens, which specializes in developing mobile solutions for the collection of information and opinions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Kevin Savage More

Guillermo Marmol More

Radha Subramanyam More

3 new members More

Nick Crawford More

2 hires More

Marcoms giant WPP has acquired US-based user experience (UX) agency EffectiveUI. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

WPP has acquired a 35% stake in retail marketing specialist Barrows, which offers a diverse range of services for FMCG clients, including shopper insights, retail strategy and product design. Terms 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

Ipsos has expanded in the Middle East through a joint venture with family-owned business group Darwish Holding, which is headquartered in Qatar. The new Doha-based initiative is led by Ipsos Qatar Managing Director Elie Nawar. More

Panel and research technology specialist Vision Critical has appointed former Synovate North America CEO Scott Miller as President and COO of International Business. More

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, IPG Media Labs' former MD Reuben Steiger has joined user-centric design and innovation agency Method, as a Principal with a focus on designing business strategy, based in New York City. 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

Brad Seipel More

Marc Ryan More

Jamie Burnett More

Online research firm YouGov plc has announced interim results for the six months ended 31 January 2012, with organic revenue growth of 12% and adjusted profit before tax of �2.2m. YouGov expects to pay its first dividend, when full year results are out. More

In the UK, a new agency has launched, dedicated to the investigation, collection, interpretation and marketing of geoscience data. Mantle Research & Consulting starts with a management team of three boasting a 'passion for geology' - Cathrene Rowell, Mark Biswell and Dr Kirti Sharma. More

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

In London, CIE - the insight and engagement division of Chime Communications PLC - has announced the appointment of eight new team members. The new roles include Research, Field Support and Marketing Managers as well as Graduate Recruits. 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

GfK has announced the launch of ConX (Consumer Experience Measurement and Tracking), a holistic, customizable tool for measuring, evaluating and optimizing the consumer experience. 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

In London, Creston Group company ICM has finalised a series of senior appointments and a major re-organization with the promotion of Operations Director Neil Sykes to the Board and the appointment of David Reeves as Production Director. More

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

In the US, predictive analytics company Fractal Analytics has announced that co-founder and Chief Architect Nirmal Palaparthi is leaving to set up Mobius, a mobile platform venture. He will continue to serve as a member of the Board of Directors at Fractal Singapore. More

Frank Hames 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

Consumer specialist The NPD Group has appointed Mike Leahy President in Canada, overseeing all aspects of its technology, home, fashion, food and custom market research business in the country. More

Emerging markets specialist Borderless Access Panels has unveiled its tenth online panel, this time in Taiwan. More

Market research recruitment specialist Resources Group has promoted Rowan Haylett to the position of Managing Director - Australia and APAC, with responsibility for the firm's business across Australia, New Zealand and Asia. 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

Recently established online physician research body The Trust Alliance has produced guidelines for post-field reporting by healthcare data collection firms. More

Three former execs from social media sampling firm Peanut Labs have launched a new firm called Research For Good, with a mission to provide online sample while at the same time supporting registered charities by making donations for every survey completed. More

In the US, four former employees of neuromarketing specialist EmSense have set up Eye Faster LLC; a new firm which will offer mobile eye tracking services and shopper research solutions. More

Martin Filz is stepping down from his role as MD for EMEA and APAC at online sampling and data collection firm Research Now, to 'pursue a new opportunity' within the market research industry. He is leaving as the firm announces several changes in its global executive leadership team. More

In the US, 500friends - which provides an analytics, rewards, and gamification platform for e-commerce retailers - has closed a $4.5m Series A round of funding, which it plans to use to further develop its platform and grow its sales and marketing teams. More

In the US, social media analytics specialist SocialMatica has introduced a dashboard which integrates social media sentiment and traditional media polling, to measure the popularity of each Republican candidate taking part in the GOP (Grand Old Party) primary election. More

In the US, Harris Interactive has promoted Mike de Vere to the post of CEO of its US Business Groups, Todd Myers to Chief Operating Officer of the same division, and Marc Levin to Chief Operating Officer, responsible for European Operations. More

Customer and employee research specialist ORC International has rolled out its 'Strategic Intelligence' service in Asia, which combines primary and secondary research with a range of other data. The Singapore-based division is led by former Nielsen director Nigel Carey. 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, MR technology and operations company Annik has promoted former Greenfield Online CEO Rudy Nadilo to the position of Senior Partner, in charge of its Global Research Practice. John Bird is also promoted to the role of Partner in the practice. More

In the US, custom market research agency MarketVibes has partnered with broadcaster WFYI Public Media to open a research facility in the latter's HQ in Indianapolis, aiming to help local firms. 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

Market intelligence company Mintel has launched the first consumer research report in a monthly series examining Chinese consumer behaviour across the food and non-food consumer products markets, retail and foodservice industries. 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

US-based online sampling and technology company uSamp has introduced a proprietary Hispanic panel with more than 100,000 members, adding to its existing global panel of around 7.5 million respondents. More

Chip maker Intel has invested $21m in technology firm Tobii, to help the company move its eye tracking and gaze interaction solutions to 'mass-market' applications such as mainstream computers, cars, games and other consumer products. More

European MR industry body efamro has elected TNS-Gallup EVP Andrew Cannon as the new President of its Executive Board, for the period 2012 to 2015. More

London-based insight consultancy Truth has celebrated its fifth birthday with annual revenues of �9m, up 25% from the previous year. More

US market research consultancy RDA Group has reported a 16% increase in revenue to $17.5m for 2011. More

UK field agency Face Facts Research has reported a 370% increase in sales for the past six months, compared with the six months following its launch in September 2010. As a result, the firm has hired new staff for its project management, telephone operations and marketing teams. 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 US, ImpactRx has acquired San Mateo, California-based pharma and biotech competitor AlphaDetail. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

US-based research and consulting firm The Pert Group has promoted Doug Guion to the position of President, responsible for the firm's day-to-day operations. He takes on these duties from CEO Dale Lersch, who will continue in her current role with a specific focus on international development. More

Chris Carr More

In the US, Hispanic telephone fieldwork company Eastern Research Services (ERS) has been closed down by parent firm Hispania Capital Partners (HCP), leaving an undisclosed number of staff out of work. More

US information and analytics provider IHS has bought UK-based IMS Research, which conducts market research for the global electronics industry. The deal, which is IHS's fourth acquisition in less than a month - is valued at approximately $46m. More

In New York, Ipsos MediaCT and biometric measurement specialist Innerscope Research have designed a new methodology, emoTV, which measures both the conscious and unconscious responses of audiences to TV shows. More

At this year's MRS Conference, a final session and a Keynote speaker left Features Editor Teresa Lynch scratching her head and (therefore?) thinking of L'Oreal. 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

UK consultancy Brand Potential has introduced a panel of 'opinion leaders' called The Fringe, with members ranging from TV presenters and DJs to a previous Masterchef winner. 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

Online healthcare data collection firm WorldOne has expanded its network in Asia with the opening of a new office in Shanghai, China, adding to its existing presence in Hong Kong and Tokyo. 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

Anna Gurevich More

Charlotte Smith More

3 hires More

Database giant and former ORC parent Infogroup has dropped its legal case against founder and former CEO Vin Gupta, who in return has dropped his countersuit. Neither party has admitted to doing anything 'improper'. 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

Yesterday afternoon the MRS Conference in London saw public sector researchers discussing the ever-growing policy challenges with which research can help. Endangered species? Our News Editor Mel Crowther thinks not. 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

Ipsos-owned Marketing Management Analytics (MMA) has appointed former MarketShare exec Jude Ryan as Vice President of Analytic Innovation, with responsibility for expanding the division's predictive solutions. 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

Following yesterday's FTC clearance for its acquisition of two former SDI Health subsidiaries, inVentiv Health's MR and analytics division Campbell Alliance has announced the formation of a new subsidiary, Encuity Research, and the appointment of Michael Turner as its General Manager. More

... and 'the Oompa Loompa of Ethnography'? Features Editor Teresa Lynch on a strange and wonderful Tuesday afternoon at the MRS Conference in London. 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

US media group NBCUniversal has promoted Ari Perler to a new role steering distribution research and insights for its cable and new media, and domestic TV divisions. More

Yvonne Lum More

Lawrence Yeow 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

In the US, the FTC has approved inVentiv Health's acquisition of two SDI Health promotional and medical audit businesses from IMS Health; while separately, inVentiv is to acquire outsourcing solutions firm Kforce Clinical Research. 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

Research and public policy advisor Applied Analysis has acquired Las Vegas-based real estate research specialist SalesTraq, according to reports. Financial terms were not disclosed. 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

Amit Khanna More

2 appointments More

Jeff Valente 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

AbsolutData Research & Analytics has added three C-suite leaders to its management team in India, to support its 'aggressive global growth plans'. COO Sundar Ramaswamy, CFO Abishek Sawhny and CTO Rahul Monie will all be based in the Gurgaon office. 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

In Germany, co-creation and branding specialist Dialego has announced the launch of an Innovation Consulting division, due to open on 1st April, and the appointment of Detlef Happel to head it up. More

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

In the US, Audience Insights founder Kevin O'Neill and creative veteran Christopher Korody have announced the formation of a new partnership, Audience Metrix LLC, dedicated to measuring and analysing marketers' ROI from customer events. More

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

MRSS India, the newly announced venture backed by Asian firm Majestic MRSS, has announced three key hires to build its senior team. Seetha Sethuraman, Deepak Mathur and Bhumika Bhuptani will take lead roles developing the firm's client servicing and mystery shopping services. 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 New York, consumer demand specialist The Demand Institute has appointed Pope Ward as Executive Director and Louise Keely as Chief Research Officer. The Institute is jointly operated as a non-profit body by The Conference Board and Nielsen. More

Sharona Sankar-King 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

Social media intelligence specialist NetBase has launched a new monitoring solution to help clients understand consumer opinions and track product campaigns and competitors in real-time. More

A suit filed in the US by Tom Robinson and Marianne Grogan, the founders of recently closed media measurement specialist Affinity, claims GfK Mediamark Research & Intelligence (GfK MRI) stole trade secrets while in the midst of acquisition talks, and proceeded to drive their firm out of business. More

For the year 2011, UK-based research group Cello has reported 'continuing strong performance' with revenue up 7.2% to �133m and a 6.6% increase in gross profit to �64.3m, driven by its Research and Consulting division. More

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

In the US, research software and services firm MarketTools has partnered with new product forecasting specialist Top Box Associates, to provide a 'one-stop approach' to forecasting for new product launches, line extensions and re-launched products. More

In the US, research publisher Gale has set up an online business and residential reference tool providing demographic data on more than 23 million businesses and 206 million consumers. More

Bill Hoover More

Paul Wahl More

Dave George More

Dr Michael Nestrud More

Jeff Livingston More

Ipsos, continuing its integration of Synovate, has reorganised its largest global business line, Ipsos Marketing - which accounted for nearly half the group's revenues in 2011 - forming four distinct practices. More

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

In the UK, user experience (UX) design specialist Foolproof has appointed Leslie Fountain to the post of Managing Director. Fountain has served as Experience Design Director with the company since last year. More

Online sampling and data collection specialist Research Now has enhanced its D-U-N-S Number-based b2b screening tool with data on B2B respondents in Canada, France, Germany and the UK, available to North American clients. More

Search engine Ask.com has launched a new mobile app, Pollroll, combining instant polling with a Q&A service. More

Global information services giant Experian has strengthened its consumer data operations in North America with the acquisition of public data aggregator Court Ventures. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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

In London, Ipsos MORI has hooked up with the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, to 'transform' the way it visually represents its client data in presentations and other communications. More

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

Marketing services group Omnicom has acquired a majority stake in Japanese online research agency Medical Collective Intelligence (MCI), which works with clients in the pharma and medical device industries. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 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

Information Services Group (ISG), the firm started by former VNU boss Michael Connors, has announced 2011 revenues of $184.4m, re-passing 2008 levels after two years in the doldrums. However the firm posted another large quarterly operating loss - $59.9m - for a goodwill write-down. More

US-based customer intelligence firm Market Force Information has launched two cinema monitoring services to help Hollywood studios measure the success of their movie trailers. More

London-based OpinionPanel - which specialises in the youth, student and young professionals sectors - has been re-named YouthSight, which it says reflects a broadening of its range of services from its original student panel focus. More

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

Scott Karambis 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

In the UK, market intelligence company Mintel has appointed Benjamin Punchard as Senior Global Packaging Analyst, to develop its global offering. 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

New York-based sports research firm RSMG has acquired competitor agency IFM Group in a deal which includes German-based IFM Sports and UK-based IFM Sports Marketing Surveys. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. 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

Four German associations are backing a new radio ad campaign to promote the public's participation in market and social research surveys. More

In the UK, Out of Home media specialist Kinetic and Outdoor media owner JCDecaux are launching the country's first Near Field Communication (NFC) initiative. The project will test the public's reaction to interactive posters in Reading, using QR codes and promising rapid data on response. 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.
More

Fast-growing UK-based online specialist BrainJuicer Group has once again moved its NYC office, taking larger premises on Broadway to cater for further increases in staff numbers. More

In London, Ogilvy & Mather has launched a new behavioural sciences practice called #OgilvyChange. It will concentrate on 'the latest thinking in cognitive psychology, social psychology and behavioural economics.' More

Jim Huttenberger More

Dr William Russell More

4 hires More

Jenny Brodowsky More

Swiss facial imaging specialist nViso has partnered with IBM to offer a 'cloud-based' solution, through which it will provide enterprise-wide access to the emotional reactions of consumers to online ads and media. More

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

US data and marketing services giant Infogroup has acquired local data management platform GoTime, and integrated it into its just launched 'Data Axle' portal, which is led by recently promoted Chief Data Officer Christian Ward. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. More

US-based social networking solutions firm Lithium Technologies has expanded its EMEA operations by opening an office in Paris, France. More

GfK has expanded its healthcare practice with the acquisition of market access consultancy Bridgehead International, which serves companies across the pharma, medical device and diagnostics sectors. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

French customer behaviour specialist Conexance has acquired US consumer targeting company Marketing 1by1, in a move to expand its services beyond Europe. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Cambiar, the management consultancy dedicated to the MR industry, has introduced a solution called 'InFoRm Strategy Assessment' to help executives understand the global trends that are driving transformation in the sector. More

Karine Del Moro More

Tom Richardson More

John Mathews More

2 appointments More

In the US, Harris Interactive has announced that interim President and CEO Al Angrisani has been appointed to the role on an official basis until June 2014. More

Ipsos has reported a 19.5% increase in revenues to EUR 1,362.9m for the full year 2011 following its acquisition of Synovate last October, while net profit soared 30% to EUR 86.1m. For 2012, the firm is anticipating what it describes as 'a year of construction'. More

Marcoms giant WPP has reported a 1.1% revenue increase in its Consumer Insight division; up from �2.43m in 2010 to �2.46m last year. Meanwhile, the group's pre-tax profits increased 18.5% to a record �1.01bn, as revenues climbed 7.4% to �10.02bn. More

US-based online sampling and technology company uSamp has launched an invite-only B2B panel called 'TheWhiteboard', which uses a variety of recruitment tactics through partnerships with loyalty reward programs in the hotel, airline and travel industry. More

European online consumer researcher MetrixLab has promoted Andy Habgood to the post of Managing Consultant, to lead the firm's UK Brand, Media and Advertising division from its offices in London. More

In the US, Latina ad agency execs Larissa Acosta and Olga Bueno have launched an online platform called 'Tu Cuentas', through which Hispanic consumers can participate in online surveys and sampling campaigns. More

European, AsiaPac and US market research associations EFAMRO, APRC, and ARIA have partnered to create an international community called the Global Research Business Network (GRBN), aiming to promote adherence to worldwide ethical research practices. More

Katherine Almond More

2 appointments More

Nicholas Wain More

Suzanne Griffiths More

US-based cross-platform tracking specialist MediaMorph has raised $8m in funding, which it will use to further expand its audience measurement and analytics services globally. More

MR outsourcing firm Ugam Research Solutions has launched a survey programming service which it claims 'significantly accelerates' the deployment process by as much as 24 hours. More

In London, GfK has appointed former Synovate director Amanda Boote as Global Key Account Director in the Consumer Goods Client Group, where she will focus on developing a consistent and co-ordinated approach to supplying and servicing major client contracts. More

In the US, marketing and analytic consultancy iKnowtion has been acquired by customer engagement technology provider TeleTech Holdings. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Peter Naylor, NBCUniversal's EVP, Digital Media Sales, has been elected Chairman of The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), while endorsing the body's 'Making Measurement Make Sense' initiative for the creation and adoption of better digital advertising metrics. More

In the US, Spanish-language broadcast network Telemundo Media has appointed former Nielsen leader Douglas Darfield to oversee consumer, media and marketplace intelligence, while heading its team of 15 researchers. More

In the UK, printing group St Ives has acquired consumer insights specialist Incite in a deal valued at up to �11.4m from co-founders Elaine Kent-Smith and Sid Simmons, CEO Roger Banks, and other employees. More

Barry Smith More

Survey Sampling International (SSI) has appointed Christopher Fanning as its new President and Chief Operating Officer, to oversee its operations in the American and Latin American markets. Earlier in his career Fanning worked for management consultancy The Boston Consulting Group. More

Manchester, UK-based B2B International has reported its 14th year of consecutive growth with 2011 revenue up from �3.8m in 2010 to �4m. More

Haralambos (Harry) Pappafloratos, the CEO of Colmar Brunton New Zealand, died on the 19^th of February at the age of 55, after being diagnosed with cancer three years ago. More

In the US, social voting platform Wayin has raised $14m in venture capital, which it will use to extend its system for collecting use sentiment data. More

In Germany, usability research specialist nurago has appointed former AGOF Services General Manager Marcus Fobus as Director of Product Management in its Online and Mobile Audience Measurement division. More

In the US, social media software specialist Buddy Media has acquired London-based social ad monitoring firm Brighter Option, to enable it to help marketers and agencies create, monitor and measure their Facebook campaigns. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

Nielsen has officially launched its NOCR (Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings) cross-media measurement system, to provide metrics for online ad campaigns similar to those used for TV ads. Consumer goods giant Unilever is the first to sign up for the service. More

Former Procter & Gamble market researcher and avid cyclist Jay Faberman died on Friday at the age of 70, following complications resulting from a bone-marrow transplant. More

Consumer and sensory specialist MMR Research has formed a dedicated research team, focused on early stage product development and packaging work and the creation of new qualitative and bespoke research approaches. More

UK agency Holden Pearmain has expanded its Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Division with the appointment of senior directors Russell Mills and David White. More

Brand specialist Added Value has combined the new role of Head of Global Clients with Bart Michels' existing position as UK Managing Director. The firm has also promoted Paul Cowper to the post of UK Deputy MD. More

Former BARB Director Peter Paine CBE has died at the age of 90, after a long career in the UK television industry. More

London-based research technology firm Cobalt Sky has reported a 12% increase in annual revenue to �1.99m in 2011. More

Ken Colen More

Darin Klein More

Louise Fraser, the former MD of full-service agency Progressive, has set up her own consultancy, Jump Research, in Edinburgh. More

Global marcoms group Draftfcb has opened a brand analytics division called Asterii Analytics in India, headed by ad agency veteran Niteen Bhagwat as Chief Executive Officer. More

US pollster John Zogby has joined his son Jonathan at JZ Analytics as a Senior Analyst. In his new role, he will be overseeing a series of 2012 presidential election surveys, designed to track public opinion of the primary and general election candidates. More

In London, GfK NOP has appointed former IMS Healthcare manager Richard Lawrance to lead its Consumer Healthcare business. More

US experiential marketing agency TEAM Enterprises has opened a shopper insights division called TEAM TransActive, with a goal to 'connect brands and consumers' wherever they shop. More

In Holland, a group of practitioners has formed a professional body called The Neuromarketing Science & Business Association (NMSBA), to promote the collective interests of neuromarketing professionals around the world. More

Chris Jensen More

4 appointments More

Jane Carn More

Mobile social media experience specialist Myriad Group has launched an analytics platform to enable mobile service providers to better understand user behaviour without infringing on consumer privacy. More

In the US, the NASDAQ Stock Market has granted Harris Interactive another four months to raise its share price, so that the shares can continue to be listed on the exchange. More

In New York, Nielsen has teamed up with business membership and research association The Conference Board to launch a non-profit organization called The Demand Institute, with a mission to provide insight into how consumer demand is evolving around the world. More

Andrew Wiseman has been promoted to the role of acting Managing Director of ICM Group, following the recent integration of its three companies - ICM Research, ICM Direct and Fieldwork UK - and the departure of ICM Group Chairman Justin Sampson. More

Joe Bernardo has elected to retire early from his role as CEO of comms monitoring firm Cision North America on the 1st of March, when he will be replaced by current President and COO Peter Granat. More

US-based customer loyalty specialist Maritz Research has launched a measurement platform called Capella, to offer an 'end-to-end' approach to designing, measuring and managing large-scale customer experience (CE) programs - from sample design to action planning. More

Thomas Bosilevac, the co-founder of online data-driven automation service MashableMetrics.com, has joined JWT-owned digital marketing and technology agency Digitaria as Director of Analytics, based in the firm's San Diego headquarters. More

Global qual specialist Firefly Millward Brown has appointed Steve Heron as Senior Strategy and Creative Director, responsible for the firm's innovative studio, and for identifying original ways of working. More

TNS has signed an agreement with research agency UNIMER to expand its operation in Central America. More

TNS Infratest veteran and data collection technology specialist Matthias Thomae died on Saturday at the age of 67, after a long battle with cancer. More

In the US, former ARF CRO Joel Rubinson and analytics specialist Judah Phillips have co-founded a new trade association called ARO, to enable conversations about how data, analytics and research can be used across the insights and analytics community. More

In Canada, former Optimisa CEO Simon Dannatt has joined youth-focused research specialist The Sound as Chief Executive Officer, with a specific remit to help the firm expand into Asia. More

US-based business analytics giant SAS has acquired ad server technology platform aiMatch, in a bid to provide publishers with a solution to help manage, forecast, optimize and measure ad inventory. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More

A recent study suggests that in order to attract financial funding, an MR business must be US-based, offer products connected with social media, and feature the word 'analytics' throughout its business plan. Around $1.1 billion was invested in the sector in 2011. More

New York-based media analytics specialist C3 Metrics has appointed former Nielsen Media Research CEO John Dimling as TV Advisory Chief, with a remit to extend the firm's services beyond online media and into television. More

Market research practitioners expect industry revenues to grow by 4% during 2012, according to the results of the latest RSM 'State of the Industry' survey. The result, from interviews in December 2011, is lower than the 4.3% expected in April 2011 and 5.4% in October 2010. More

Research software firm Globalpark has taken on its parent company's name following its acquisition by Norwegian enterprise feedback management (EFM) company QuestBack. The firm will now also trade under the international QuestBack brand. More

Chris Underhill, the founder of customer intelligence software provider smartFOCUS, has joined UK-based web personalisation specialist Magiq as a Non-Executive Director, with a remit to help launch the firm's new lifecycle marketing product LifecycleMAGIQ. More

US-based video analytics firm Visible Measures has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for a range of its metrics, designed to track paid, owned, and earned media video performance online. More

respondi CEO Otto Hellwig has been elected as a Director on the Board of the German Society for Online Research (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Online Forschung or DGOF), following the resignation of Board Chairman Dr Martin Welker. More

John Dinsdale More

Bjarne Thelin More

Richard Ow More

3 appointments More

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), search giant Google has been 'secretly' collecting details about users' habits through the Safari web browser on Apple's iPhone and iPad. More

Insights agency Nunwood has appointed Alvin Jackson for its new position as Consulting Director in the firm's London, UK-based Customer Experience Management (CEM) team. More

In the US, political data services provider Catalist has teamed up with online research agency iModerate to launch 'Voter Insider' - a political research tool that can identify fraudulent respondents. More

Survey Sampling International (SSI) has enhanced its QuickTake DIY survey tool to meet the needs of political and public affairs researchers in this year's American election, by adding access to US registered voters through its audience selection criteria. More

Tamer El Naggar, the former CEO of Synovate Middle East & North Africa (MENA), has joined TNS as Chief Executive Officer of its North Africa business. More

UK-based full service agency SPA Future Thinking has launched a downloadable app called Be-There that enables consumers to record their activities via their mobile phone using video, audio, pictures, text and barcodes in-situ, without the presence of a researcher. 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

Former Truth director Richard Hall has relocated from London to New Zealand to join the new Auckland-based office of boutique consumer insights agency Fiftyfive5. The firm has also appointed former AMR Interactive exec Tom Nagy as an Account Manager in Sy