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ACKWEST Group, the holding company recently formed by MR industry veterans Hugh Davis and Keith Price, has acquired the consumer panel assets of MySoapBox from Interviewing Services of America (ISA), which in turn is to exit the first-party panel business. The buy boosts ACKWEST's existing TestSet panel. More
Consumer intelligence group NIQ has announced a global strategic collaboration with ad tech company The Trade Desk. NIQ's omnichannel shopping behavior and purchasing data will be integrated into The Trade Desk's platform to enhance ad planning and activation, under a new brand, Consumer Canvas. More
Communities-based insights consultancy Human8 has appointed Asha Pope as People & Culture Director for its US operations. More
Online survey and research services provider QuestionPro is teaming up with consulting firm PerformancePoint LLC, promising to 'revolutionize' the way organizations turn employee and customer engagement insights into action. More
Independent Australian MR firm TKW Research has appointed Gareth Clark as Operations Manager, starting in June. More
Amplified Intelligence, the attention measurement specialist founded in Australia by Dr Karen Nelson-Field, is rebranding and will henceforth be known simply as Amplified. The firm says it is expanding its portfolio beyond attention to incorporate its expertise in emotion and context. More
InCrowd, SHG and GlocalMind, the three healthcare research firms within Apollo Intelligence, are merging to form a new company, Konovo. The firm, which is dropping the Apollo name, says it has invested in an upgraded AI platform. More
In Shelton, CT, technology consultant Lionfish Tech Advisors has launched a competitive insights and market intelligence platform, focused on cybersecurity and called the Aquarium. More
UK research company Simpson Carpenter has made two leadership appointments: Chris Warren as a Senior Director in the Auto team, and Tristan Farron-Mahon, who joins as Head of Sport Insight and Innovation. More
In the UK, OOH audience data organisation Route has appointed Ruth Chalisey in the new role of Director of Research. She joins from WPP's EssenceMediacom UK, where she was Insight Director for five years, and assumes responsibilities from Euan Mackay, previously Route's Chief Strategy Officer and now its CEO. More
Madrid-based social media management and marketing firm SAMY Alliance has moved into the DACH region with the acquisition of Intermate, a German social media and influencer marketing agency. More
Shopper research expert PRS IN VIVO has opened a Sensory Room in its Lab in the south east London suburb of Bromley. The space is intended to expand the firm's capabilities in UX and organoleptic testing (including taste and smell evaluation), and deepen its understanding of how consumers engage with products. More
Strategic research consultancy 5D, known until recently as Fifth Dimension, has launched an AI division. 5D-AI will be run by founder and Chief Exec Lyndall Spooner; Director of Technology and Operations Abhishek Jayant; and Data Scientist Nick Wyatt. More
Raleigh, NC-based agency L&E Research has partnered with Adrich, a platform providing real-time consumption data across a range of consumer products, to promise 'deeper, data-driven intelligence' for CPG brands. More
In New York, real-time public data analytics firm Dataminr has secured $100m in convertible financing, just a month after a separate $85m funding win. More
Music video network Vevo has announced a new suite of data-driven products which it says will enhance its offers in targeting, optimization and measurement of ads. More
In San Francisco, UX research firm UserTesting has announced a new integration with 'Verified on LinkedIn', which it says will give clients 'even greater confidence in the authenticity of participant feedback.' More
WPP has announced a slight contraction in its business in the first quarter, with revenue less pass-through costs down 2.7% like for like to £2,482m. More
London-based ad tech and audience intelligence company MiQ has appointed Marion Hargett, formerly of The Trade Desk, as US Chief Revenue Officer. More
Verian - known until recently as Kantar Public - is launching a new unit called the Institute for Public Impact. Meanwhile current Chief Executive Dr Michelle Harrison will move to the role of Verian President, with COO Philippa Edward stepping up to the CEO role. More
Predictive advertising company Cadent + AdTheorent has unified its brand (it's now simply Cadent), launched a new platform, and appointed Netflix, Snap, Hulu and NBCUniversal veteran Peter Naylor to its Board as an Independent Director. More
In San Francisco, AI-based customer feedback platform Listen Labs has raised $27m in Seed and Series A funding rounds. With a current team of only ten people, the company is poised for 'aggressive' growth. More
UK-based MR firm Massive Wave Research is opening a Healthcare Division and has appointed Mohammed Saleh Bham to lead it. More
Beauty and cosmetics group The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. has appointed Brian Franz as Chief Technology, Data and Analytics Officer, combining previously separate functions under one leader. More
Social media management and intelligence specialist Respondology has closed a $5m Series A-1 round of funding, which it says will accelerate product development, help expand its team and scale go-to-market efforts. Plans include the launch of a third flagship product to join its 'Moderate' and Discover' offerings. More
Spain-based corporate reputation rankings firm Merco is entering the US market, initially with a presence in Texas and Florida. More
Full service MR consultancy Protobrand has appointed Lars Pahlman as Managing Director in Sweden, leading its expansion there and across the broader Scandinavian market. More
In New York, TV ad measurement company EDO has launched a service called Engaged Audience Planning, allowing CTV marketers to conduct automated, scalable testing of scenarios in order to help optimize their media planning and buying. More
In the UK, Pureprofile has appointed former Dynata and Bilendi employee Guilherme Campello as Client Development Director. More
Leeds-based agency Blue Yonder has appointed former Truth Consulting researcher Polly Jackson-Blease as an Associate Director in its Qualitative Team. More
In Chicago, analytics software solutions company Ocient has appointed Henry Marshall as CFO, and says it is moving into its growth stage following the closure of a $132m Series B round of funding in the fall of 2024. More
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Hampshire has unsealed an indictment charging eight defendants from MR firms with conspiracy to defraud clients. The eight, from panel and research firms Op4G, Slice and SNWare, allegedly billed around $10m for bogus survey responses over the course of a decade. More
In New York, AI-based QA testing start-up Spur has raised $4.5m in funding, to be used in software development and for recruitment, and says its use cases are broadening out to include persona-based A/B and UI / UX testing. More
Kantar has appointed Nadya Ardianti as MD for its Indonesian operations, replacing Suresh Subramanian who has left to start his own consulting firm. More
London-based QuMind has appointed former UNiDAYS, Hearst UK and News International researcher Steve Jenkins as Client Partnerships Director. More
In the US, MR ops solutions company Metaforms has appointed Jonathan Tice as a Strategic Advisor; and has announced a new AI-based research agent which automates data processing. More
In Chandler, Arizona, research company Ironwood Insights Group has appointed Sean Flanagan as Director of Programming and Software Engineering. More
Ipsos has reiterated its forecast of higher organic growth this year than last, despite reporting Q1 decline of 1.8%. Scope and currency effects meant reported revenue was up 2.0% to EUR 568.5m. Revenues declined in the Americas, Asia Pacific and - partly for cyclical reasons - in the group's 'Citizens' segment. More
LinkedIn has won Media Rating Council accreditation for four video ad metrics: gross impressions, net impressions, gross clicks, and net clicks. More
In San Francisco, a new consulting firm has launched focused on media & entertainment technology companies, with services including GTM and other strategy advisory, marketing messaging optimization and innovation analysis. The Media League starts with a team of sixteen people. More
Santa Barbara, California-based HG Insights has unveiled a solution called HG Revenue Growth Intelligence Fabric, described as a 'unified, comprehensive repository' providing detailed data to optimize go-to-market (GTM) functions across marketing, RevOps and sales. More
ISG, the technology research and advisory firm headed up by former VNU / Nielsen man Michael P. Connors, is to relocate its headquarters within the city of Stamford, CT, to new offices in the downtown building at 400 Atlantic Street, the former home of Comscore investor Charter Communications. More
Contextual advertising solutions firm Mantis as partnered with ad tech company Adnami to launch Mantis Attention, providing clients with attention-driven ad solutions including data on audience engagement, campaign performance, optimisation and inventory management. More
NIQ has announced the launch of BASES AI Screener, an innovation testing tool tapping the firm's consumer panel datasets and predictive models, and using GenAI-based synthetic respondents with specific demographic and purchasing behavior profiles. More
End-to-end engagement and retention platform CleverTap has acquired rehook.ai, which helps clients automate and track promotions, including coupons, discounts, loyalty programs and referral initiatives. More
Australian insights firm Sprout Strategy has opened a new office in Barangaroo, Sydney, led by MD Panos Kerasiotis and serving as 'a hub for innovation and research' as well as a springboard for planned expansion overseas. More
Real-time, contextual insights firm Liminal has raised $8.5m in a Series A round of funding, with which to continuing building new products and delivery infrastructure and grow its advisory, research and support capabilities. More
London-based ad tech and audience intelligence company MiQ has appointed longtime Accenture Interactive CEO Brian Whipple to its Global Statutory Board. More
Data science-based marcoms business The Bliss Group has promoted Meghan Busch to Group Vice President and Emma Skultety to Vice President, Head of Paid Media. More
Toluna, like DRNO, is 25 years old this Spring. MrWeb's Nick Thomas recently (finally) caught up with the man who's headed it up all that time, and talked about acquisitions and recent brand unification, the use of AI throughout the business, and Frederic's views on the future of the industry. A video interview. More
Data collection and analysis firm Perspective Research Services, which is part of the BVA BDRC Group, has appointed Kudos Research veteran Chris Smith as Managing Director. More
In Australia, strategic research consultancy Fifth Dimension Consulting has a new leadership team, and a new name - 5D. The firm is looking to increase its market share in Australia and accelerate its growth across the Asia Pacific region. More
In San Jose, California, b2b tech sector consulting firm Big Valley Marketing has launched three new practices, focused on Brand Strategy, Marketing Strategy and Market Intelligence. More
In New York, alternative consumer data provider Consumer Edge has announced the acquisition of Earnest Analytics, which collects and analyses real-time transaction and other data on consumer and healthcare markets. More
Toronto-based ad platform StackAdapt has announced new features for CTV advertisers, including a framework called CTV Properties, an automated ad formatting facility called creative transcoding and new UX, reporting and analysis tools. More
UK video audience measurement body Barb is gearing up to report commercial spot ratings overnight, working in partnership with Clearcast and AdSignal. The service has now entered beta testing. More
Voice analysis software firm Phebi has announced an upgrade, including the addition of a genAI Co-pilot which the firm says analyzes both what people say and their nonconscious emotions while they speak. More
In Salt Lake City, Utah, independent clearinghouse company Data Quality Co-op (DQC) has formally launched its platform, which is designed to help buyers and suppliers of first-party data evaluate and improve the quality of their research inputs. More
In New Orleans, research data and fraud prevention solutions firm Rep Data has announced that long-time Research Now exec Kurt Knapton will return to its Board of Directors. More
RED C Research has appointed Ciara Reilly as its new Managing Director in Ireland, with co-founder and current MD Sinead Mooney announcing she will retire at the end of May, after 22 years with the company. Conor Murphy, Bryan Cox, Ciara Clarke and Shaun Fourie also join the Senior Management Team in Ireland. More
Canada-based consumer researcher Dig Insights has appointed Joanna Lepore in the new role of EVP of Global Market Expansion & Foresight. More
Arkansas, US-based retail insights and analytics company Crisp has announced the acquisitions of two UK companies, Atheon Analytics and ClearBox Analytics. More
Ad targeting and retargeting company Criteo has a new Chairperson, to go with a recently announced change of CEO. Frederik 'Rik' van der Kooi has been a Board member since June 2023 and succeeds Rachel Picard, who has held the Chair for five years and will continue as a Director. More
Customer review platform Trustpilot has added new features which it says allow businesses 'to transform reviews into an invaluable data source for customer, market and competitive insights.' More
In the US, marketing and customer data solutions firm Validity, Inc. has completed the acquisition of Litmus, which provides email optimization and testing solutions. More
Brand and campaign tracking firm Delineate has ramped up its expansion plans for North America with the appointment of former NPD / Circana employee Brett Bennett as Business Development Director, USA, based in New York City. More
In the US, CivicScience has appointed media and banking exec Gretchen Tibbits as President and Chief Operating Officer. More
Kantar consumer data and tech division Numerator has nearly doubled the size of its US 'Total Commerce Panel', and adding a feature called 'In-market Promo Dampening', which it says minimizes the impact of promotional anomalies to give a more accurate reflection of 'natural' consumer behavior. More
Following a successful test, UK statistical authority the ONS has redesigned its Labour Force Survey (LFS), which will now be split into two parts: a short, online-first longitudinal 'Core' labour market-focused survey and a separate cross-sectional 'Plus' survey providing wider socioeconomic, household and local data. More
Paris-based digital audio tech platform Audion has launched a tool called Sense, providing pre-campaign analysis of audio creative. More
Omnicom's data-focused marketing network Hearts & Science has opened in Hong Kong, with the appointment of Doris Kuok as Managing Partner. More
In London, attention measurment specialist Lumen Research has appointed former Zeotap exec Matt Bennathan as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). More
MR business developer Irena Hempel has rejoined a number of her former colleagues from respondi, taking the role of Global Head of Sales at fast-growing fieldwork and sampling operations company Catalyse Research. More
In Paris, data science and AI solutions firm Ekimetrics has announced the appointment of Eric Labaye as Chairman of its Supervisory Board. Labaye will work with company founder and President Jean-Baptiste Bouzige as it aims for 'hypergrowth' - tripling its workforce and revenues by 2028. More
Origin, the the cross-media measurement initiative set up by the UK's ISBA, has announced the appointment of three auditing bodies - Pure X Media, ABC and Milton Data - to evaluate core elements of its methodology. More
In Australia, Woolworths-owned retail media business Cartology has appointed former dunnhumby employee Hannah Siddiqui to lead its new Intelligence and Effectiveness function. More
In Vancouver, Canada, conversational research specialist Rival Technologies has launched the first elements of a 'Multi-Agent AI Framework', which it says will build into a modular, scalable system of AI Agents designed to enhance every stage of the research process. More
Danish neuroscience solutions firm Neurons Inc. has opened a first US office, located in Austin, Texas. More
Texas-based, CX specialist Humach has acquired Albany, NY company Markets EQ, whose AI-powered voice analytics software is used by Wall Street firms and academia. More
NIQ has agreed to acquire New York-based Gastrograph AI, a platform which models human sensory perception of flavor, aroma and texture to provide predictive insights for CPG clients. More
Manchester, UK-based product intelligence platform Vypr has raised around £5m, with which to accelerate its expansion into international markets and adjacent sectors, as well as development of its technology. More
In the US, computing giant IBM has announced the acquisition of consultancy Hakkoda, which brings specialized data platform and AI expertise to the data transformation services portfolio of its Consulting division. Financial details were not disclosed. More
Nairobi, Kenya-based insights company Actnable.AI has partnered with US-based Elliam, Inc. to give researchers in the States access to an AI toolbox the firms say could 'revolutionize research operations'. More
In Arlington, VA, real estate data, analytics and marketplace firm CoStar Group has announced the dismissal of a trade secrets lawsuit filed against it by Move, Inc., the operator of rival marketplace Realtor.com. More
Comscore has received MRC accreditation for a household-level TV measurement service. The award specifically covers the firm's household, age and gender 'households with' demographics, in its national and local TV Time-Based Grid reports. More
Analytics and AI strategy consultancy Cynozure has announced a partnership with BI platform Omni, promises to help client businesses 'unlock the full potential of their data investments'. More
In Chicago, social media-based product and message testing specialist Orchard has appointed Ini Inyang as Account Growth Director, as it looks for rapid expansion on the back of a recent round of investment. More
US full service and specialist MR training firm Burke, Inc. has announced the promotion of Tara Marotti to President and CEO, from late September when CEO Diane Surette steps down after 29 years with the company. Surette says she believes the firm is 'ready for the next chapter.' More
Netherlands-based full service agency DVJ Insights has added an office in Norway, supporting an existing Nordic region presence and adding further local expertise. More
In Blue Bell, PA, custom MR firm AMC Global has launched VerifiedViews, described as a solution for generating ratings and reviews from authentic product purchasers. More
Shopper purchasing decision specialist Behaviorally has appointed Katie O'Connor as Senior Vice President, Key Accounts, based in London. She worked previously at firms including Bounce Insights, Zappi and STRAT7 Incite. More
Behavioral research and strategy firm InsightsNow has recently appointed Nicole Milsap as Solutions Architect. More
In Summit, New Jersey, applied behavioral science specialist BEESY has announced three new hires: Allison Huynh as Research Manager, Alexei Acacio as Senior Behavioral Science Associate and Victoria Quan as Operations Associate. More
In Brentwood, TN, USA, healthcare communications consulting firm Jarrard is launching a new Market Research and Insights unit, and has hired former Edelman exec Jed Lam to lead it. More
AI-enabled social media monitoring and intelligence company Pyrra Technologies has a new owner, AlertMedia, which provides risk intelligence and critical event management solutions. More
In the US, data collaboration firm LiveRamp has expanded its partnership with veteran financial services company Western Union, to bring wide-ranging audiences from the latter's Media Network into LiveRamp's network. More
Knowledge management and collaboration software firm M-Files has appointed Matt Marriott as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), leading global sales and go-to-market strategy. More
In London, insight and strategy company MTM has recently appointed Rose Tomlins as Managing Partner and a member of its Board, overseeing a newly-unified Quantitative Department. The firm has particular experience in the media, entertainment, tech and telco sectors. More
US-based ad tech company Chalice AI has expended into the EMEA market, and appointed former MiQ UK Managing Director Freddie Turner to lead the move. More
WPP is acquiring data collaboration platform InfoSum, which will join the former's GroupM media investment division and help to drive the creation of 'a new generation of AI-enhanced marketing solutions'. More
In Louisville, Colorado, customer feedback specialist Alchemer has appointed Ramesh Kandukuri as its new Chief Technology Officer, effective immediately. More
Sister insight agencies RED C Research and Relish have moved into new offices in Holborn, central London, to support continued expansion. Relish has also announced that its founder, Monique Drummond, is stepping back from the business to pursue 'new personal projects'. More
Cross-platform TV measurement company iSpot has teamed up with consumer data group Circana and broadcaster Paramount to develop 'always-on' sales and conversion measurement for CPG advertisers. iSpot is calling the new offering 'Outcomes at Scale'. More
Audio industries tech and services company Triton Digital has announced it will add listener information from a quarterly survey to its current monthly download-based U.S. Podcast Ranker, completing what it says will be a holistic view of podcast consumption. More
In California, CX platform 8x8 has announced the launch of JourneyIQ, which helps client businesses to track, predict and optimize each step of the customer journey across channels, departments and touchpoints. More
Consumer data giant Circana has launched Liquid Supply Chain, a new solution giving smaller and medium-sized CPG businesses an entry point into the firm's Liquid Data platform for real-time optimization of supply chain planning and execution. More
UK-based social and market research agency Blue Marble is merging its management structure with sister company Pye Tait Consulting, and will offer new expertise in skills and education. The firm has made five senior promotions including Blue Marble MD Tom Clarkson to joint MD of the two firms. More
Cologne, Germany-based start-up experial has raised EUR 2 million in pre-Seed funding, with which to develop its AI-powered digital twins. The funds have already allowed the firm to bring in Dr. Nils Rethmeier as CTO. More
London-based strategic insights consultancy STRAT7 Incite has appointed Jennifer Axen as Managing Director of its US business, charged with further accelerating the company's recent strong growth in the States. She starts on May 1st. More
In New Jersey, communities-based insight firm KL Communications has appointed former Fuel Cycle researcher Nicole Pineda as Director, Insights & Client Relations. More
In New York, Voice of the Consumer specialist Revuze has launched an intelligence suite called ActionHub, bringing together reviews, social media, survey data and customer interactions, and tapping AI to derive actionable recommendations from them. More
In San Francisco, a new company called Sourcetable has launched a spreadsheet package which it says 'uses AI to democratize data analysis for everyone' - on the back of a $4.3m seed funding round. More
Strategic insights consultancy Nature has announced the appointments of Jed Larwood in Brisbane, Flora Delecour and Lauren Boubouras in Sydney, and Jessica Holohan and rejoiner Sharon Spargo in Melbourne. It has also promoted Alex Conningham as Senior Associate Director and Head of AI. More
In New York, healthcare insights agency Integro has appointed former Pfizer and Hall & Partners researcher Ariella Evenzahav as Head of Innovation. More
Australian ad currency body OzTAM has announced the addition of demand-side platform (DSP) Nexxen as a partner for its 'VOZ Streaming' BVOD trading system. More
Marcoms group Havas has promoted Dan Hagen to Global Chief Data and Technology Officer at the group level, while Jamie Seltzer succeeds him in the same role for the Havas Media Network (HMN) division. More
Portland, Oregon-based AI-powered customer intelligence platform Sturdy has raised $6m in seed funding, with which to further develop its software, expand its integrations with customer data silos, and grow its go-to-market and engineering teams. More
Ipsos has announced it is in exclusive negotiations to acquire French market research group The BVA Family, the parent of BDRC, Doxa, Alligator, Viewpoint and PRS IN VIVO. More
In the US, an A-list line-up of MR industry figures led by Circana Chairman Tod Johson has launched a consumer behavior platform called Tenetic. The team also includes John Bremer, Bill Engel, Bill Livek, Kathi Love, Darren Person, John Rose, Karyn Schoenbart and Chris Wilson. More
Kantar consumer data subsidiary Numerator, into which the group is merging its Worldpanel division, is to launch its consumer rewards app Receipt Hog in Germany, marking its first foray into Europe. More
Israel-based market intelligence firm Similarweb has acquired The Search Monitor, which combines ad monitoring software with trademark enforcement and affiliate compliance solutions for paid search optimization and industry benchmarking. More
London-based reputation analysis and insights firm Echo Group has appointed former Buckingham Palace and BBC comms leader Sally Osman as its Non-Executive Chair. She replaces Neil Sherlock, who is stepping down after six years in the role. More
In London, marketing tech firm POCKLA has raised £1.6m in seed funding, to be used in scaling its proprietary AI-powered content strategy and creation platform, including accelerated product development and expansion of its team. More
UK commercial broadcaster ITV has extended its partnership with data collaboration platform InfoSum, more than four years after teaming up to develop the veteran media group's addressable advertising capabilities. More
In New York, insight agency OvationMR has brought together tech from two companies it bought last year to add an AI Moderator to its EthOS platform, asking context-driven follow-up questions based on participant videos, images and text. More
Ad spend and pricing data analyst Guideline has appointed Tim Peters as Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Demand Generation, effective immediately. More
London-based consultancy Thinks Insight & Strategy has promoted Alex Beard to Senior Director, while announcing five further hires and eight promotions. More
Strategic insight and customer analytics group STRAT7 has announced the creation of an AI Innovation Lab, serving as a dedicated hub for accelerating AI-driven market research and customer insight solutions. The Lab will be led by its Group CTO, Andrew Dare. More
Toronto-based Nexxt Intelligence has upgraded its inca AI Coding tool, which now generates codeframes to fit specific research objectives. More
US-based sponsorship analytics specialist Relo Metrics has extended its Relo Census product to include Formula One motor racing, promising F1 brands, teams and agencies the ability to rapidly and accurately benchmark sponsorship performance, track brand exposure, and optimize investments. More
In Stockholm, Swedish Joint-Industry Committee MMS has awarded Kantar Media the contract to deliver the country's television & online video audience measurement currency service. More
London-based company Pulsar has launched Narratives AI, tracking and comparing the stories emerging from billions of public postings each day and billed as 'the world's first search engine for public opinion'. More
Philadelphia-based media intelligence platform Kinetiq has announced a strategic partnership with London-based automated creative testing firm DAIVID, promising to redefine how advertisers evaluate and optimize TV advertising performance at scale. More
The KCC Certification Foundation, an independent organisation that certifies research agencies on two key ISO standards, has announced the departure of its leader of twenty years Ed van Eunen, with former ESOMAR Director General Finn Raben stepping into the role from 1st April. More
Insight group and communities pioneer C Space has appointed Zoë Carter as Managing Director for the EMEA region, leading the expansion of its business units outside the US. She joined the company nine years ago as an Associate Consultant. More
Research firm Twentify, the developer of qual research platform Quals.ai, has appointed Can Kablan as Chief Business Officer and Bilge Terzioglu as Vice President of Special Projects, as it looks to expand internationally and further develop its offering. More
In San Francisco, media analytics tech company Samba TV has appointed Zac Pinkham as SVP of International, overseeing its EMEA and APAC business. He joined the company with the acquisition of Semasio in November. More
In London, Firefish veteran Martyn Hill has joined insight and cultural intelligence agency The Mix, as Head of Business Development. More
Toronto, Canada-based self-service insights and analytics platform Lumi AI has secured $3.7m in a seed funding round, with which to expand its conversational analytics platform and help client firms find insights in their data. More
Des Moines, Iowa-based agency Quester, which combines expertise in brand building, innovation and consumer experience, has appointed Dr. Eric Solomon as Head of Brand Consulting. More
UK agency DJS Research is the latest strategic partner for CoLab, the data quality and sustainable research initiative launched by insight agency Verve and full service agency Basis. More
Antipodean research agency TRA has announced four new hires in its Sydney team, as it approaches three years in the Australian market: former Kantar man David Busfield as Business Director; and former Fiftyfive5 employees Melouise Hucker, Tia Agnew and Alex Mansfield. More
Decision intelligence specialist Morning Consult has appointed Ivan Rocabado as Lead Solutions Architect for Reputation Measurement, charged with using the firm's high-frequency data to 'redefine how businesses measure and manage their reputation and its impact on overall performance'. More
Toluna is bringing its brands together under a single name, with a refreshed identity: the Harris Interactive, GutCheck and MetrixLab names will disappear. The company says the unified approach reflects a transformation behind the scenes, with AI at its heart, integrated across its platform. More
ACKWEST Group, the Florida-based tech-driven consumer insights and marketing services solutions firm set up a year ago by MR industry veterans Hugh Davis and Keith Price a year ago in Florida, has acquired healthcare and consumer research company J. Reckner Associates. More
Customer and employee experience solutions firm Medallia has appointed Carrie Parker, formerly of PR group Cision, as its new Chief Marketing Officer. More
Property data and analytics firm CoreLogic has rebranded as Cotality, reflecting its 'transformation into an information services provider'. More
London-based IFF Research, currently celebrating 60 years in business, has appointed former Savanta exec Meghan Oliver to lead its business in four of its ten key sectors: Work & Welfare, Health & Wellbeing, Crime & Justice, and Housing. More
In Australia, data and insights company Pureprofile has launched three new AI-powered products, promising to help brands and marketers analyse online conversations, including consumer sentiment and emerging trends. More
UK research agency MM-Eye has promoted four members of staff - Hayley Kingston, Julia Fellow, Katie Brown and Vitalija Narstyte - to serve as Leads, equivalent to Associate Director level. More
Cologne, Germany-based AI-powered pricing and revenue optimization specialist Buynomics has raised $30m in Series B funding, to be used for global expansion - with a focus on North America - and to continue development of its Virtual Shoppers AI technology. More
Sir Martin Sorrell's S4Capital has announced an 11% decline in like-for-like full year net revenue, to £756.4m, while operational EBITDA was flat (down 0.6% LFL) at £87.8m. The Board also declared its confidence in its cash flow position by declaring the group's first ever dividend, at 1p per share. More
Austin, Texas-based knowledge management software firm Bloomfire has appointed former Google executive Philip Brittan as its new CEO. More
UK-based insight consultancy Bryter has appointed Claire Jackson as Insight Director, Conor Lawson-Smith and Farzana Chowdhury as Senior Analysts, and Tyler Kerr as a Junior Analyst. The firm has also promoted Vicky Davies, Danielle Pearce and Georgina James. More
In the US, full service MR firm and training course provider Burke, Inc. has appointed Joanna Patterson as Vice President, Client Services. More
Digital ad industry association IAB Australia has appointed Nicole Prior, Head of Media and Adtech Solutions APAC at Microsoft Advertising, as Chair of its Executive Technology Council (ETC) and ETC's representative on the association's board. More
US-based consumer insights, brand strategy and product innovation group Material has appointed former Ipsos Strategy3 CEO and President Oscar Yuan as Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, the same week it named Laila Worrell as its new Chief Executive. More
US company Carbon Arc has secured $56m in venture capital with which to launch what it calls 'the world's first real-time insights exchange', providing business intelligence and structured, model-ready data for AI developers. More
In New York, Dataminr, whose real-time AI platform detects events, flags risks and derives business information from public data, has raised $85m in a combination of convertible financing and credit. The funds will fuel international growth, continued development of GenAI products and expansion into new verticals. More
Retail data technology firm VST (Virtual Store Trials) has appointed Christian Martin as Retailer Partnerships Director. More
In the US, Customer Experience Management services provider ResultsCX has acquired competitor Aucera, which used to be known as DialAmerica. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, adds to ResultsCX's offer in sectors including healthcare, financial services and utilities. More
In Boston, USA, software firm parcelLab has opened the Post-Purchase Experience (PPX) Institute, a community and resource hub providing experience 'designers, practitioners and leaders' with research, best practice and training to help optimize what it calls 'the number one driver of customer lifetime value'. More
In San Francisco, 'responsible data' specialist Ketch has announced the launch of 'Progressive Consent', a new solution which it says 'breaks the paradigm' of consent for data collection, substituting 'context-specific consent experiences at relevant moments in the consumer journey'. More
US-based digital experience solutions firm Yottaa has acquired Vancouver, BC-based SpeedSense, which offers web performance consulting including the Sensai performance monitoring and optimization solutions. More
New York-based Silicon Data, which provides real-time pricing intelligence, sustainability insights and performance benchmarking tools for GPU platforms, has raised $4.7m in seed funding and launched four new measurement and reporting tools. More
Customer data science firm dunnhumby has partnered with ad-serving tech firm Osmos for a new offering within its retail media ecosystem, incorporating shopper behaviour data and predictive AI. More
In Sweden, enterprise knowledge management specialist Stravito has announced three enhancements to its GenAI tool Stravito Assistant: Focus Mode, Snapshots, and multilingual support. More
New York-based ad solutions firm Cadent + AdTheorent has appointed former dentsu Americas CEO Doug Rozen as President, and former Analytics Partners financial chief Jeff Driskill as CFO. More
San Francisco, CA-based mobile app intelligence provider Sensor Tower has acquired London-based gaming intelligence platform Video Game Insights, expanding its coverage into PC and games console data. More
Material, the US-based consumer insights, brand strategy and product innovation group which grew out or LRW, has appointed its former co-Chair Laila Worrell as its new Chief Executive. She replaces Bill Kanarick, who took over the role three years ago. More
Sponsorship analytics platform Relo Metrics has integrated technology from AI chip leader NVIDIA into its Relo Census and Relo Edge solutions, including computer vision, AI-driven automation and real-time analytics. More
IPG-owned customer intelligence specialist Acxiom is cutting nearly 3.5% of its workforce, equivalent to around 130 staff, according to reports. More
London-based ad tech and audience intelligence company MiQ has appointed Chris Freel as its first Chief Revenue Officer, commencing in June. More
Consumer insights platform Attest has launched a new solution for research among current and potential customers, providing analysis of the results side by side. More
US firm Harbor, which provides expert services to the legal industry, has acquired martech and data quality management services company CLIENTSFirst Consulting, enhancing its growth services for law firms. More
Seattle-based Stackline, which provides retail intelligence and data-driven commerce solutions, has partnered with data management company Redslim to offer global CPG and CHC brands with 'a high fidelity, 360-degree view of category performance'. More
San Mateo, CA-based DIY survey and forms company SurveyMonkey has launched Connect, a library of no-code options allowing all the firm's users to port their data into popular business apps without the need for a specific integration. More
Ad agency M+C Saatchi Group is rolling out its 'Cultural Power' offering worldwide and launching an AI-based diagnostic tool called 'Cultural Power Index'. It also has a new brand identity and web site. More
In the US, AI-driven data valuation and monetization firm Datavault AI Inc. has announced a multi-year alliance with NYIAX, whose transparent trading technology is built on the Nasdaq financial framework. The partners aim to give businesses the ability to scale, list, price and trade their proprietary data assets. More
Origin, the UK cross-media audience measurement initiative launched by advertisers' association ISBA, has added two new features in its Beta trial phase - demographic filtering and incremental reach reporting. More
Sweden-based eye tracking pioneer Tobii has appointed Åsa Wirén as interim CFO, with a seat on the company's executive management team. She succeeds Magdalena Rodell Andersson, who leaves at the end of May. More
Vidmob, whose 'Intelligent Creative' platform integrates analytics with the production of ad creative, has partnered with Amsterdam-based holistic marketing measurement company Objective Platform, aiming 'to bring creative data into Marketing Mix Modeling'. More
In the US, industry veterans Matt Gershner and John Taliercio have launched a new consumer research panel company called Fair Response, aiming 'to inject fresh investment into the supply of online sample while improving the experience and compensation for survey respondents'. More
Route, the UK's official source of out-of-home (OOH) audience data, has promoted Chief Strategy Officer Euan Mackay to serve as its new CEO. He succeeds Denise Turner, who is leaving to join the IPA as Media Research Director. More
Warwickshire, UK-based insight agency Two Ears One Mouth has rebranded as Sparkminds, seeking 'a stronger way to reflect its offer'. More
UK video ad currency body Barb has announced the addition of streamer Disney+ to its Advanced Campaign Hub, which combines Barb's panel data with census-level impressions supplied by participating VOD services. More
Sean McKenna has rejoined San Diego-based agency Luth Research as Senior Vice President of Business Development. He worked for the company for around seven years previously and has since spend more than a decade at Toluna. More
Omnichannel advertising firm Mediaocean has combined recently acquired Innovid with its Flashtalking subsidiary, under the former's name; and given this larger ad tech division a new brand identity. More
Digital media measurement firm DoubleVerify has announced three senior UK appointments: Carl Kisseih as Lead Enterprise Sales Director, Owen Boyne as Enterprise Sales Director, and Chris Mort as Global Client Partner. More
Customer data science firm dunnhumby has appointed longtime IPG Mediabrands exec Sylvia Cawley as its new Head in Ireland. More
In the US, the ANA has announced new appointments for the management team of its Aquila cross-media measurement (CMM) subsidiary, and given an update on the development of its solution. More
In San Francisco, Business Intelligence software company Omni has announced the raising of $69m in Series B funding, to continue building its single-source data platform and dashboards. More
The U.S. Census Bureau has commenced fieldwork for its new AIES (Annual Integrated Economic Survey), which integrates and replaces seven existing business surveys into one. More
In San Francisco, 'deep research agent' Onyx has announced a $10m seed round of funding, with which to continue developing its software and expand its engineering, developer relations and go-to-market teams. The firm says its workplace AI agent is 'the first... to search for answers like a human would'. More
Unified customer experience management platform Sprinklr has reported annual revenue up 9% to $796.4m, for the fiscal year ended January 31st. Already somewhat down on last year's rapid rise, growth slowed again in the fourth quarter, with revenue up 4% to $202.5m. More
In the US, data analytics and advisory firm Escalent has launched an AI-powered behavioral science model called BeSci x AI, promising to produce better behavior change strategies and 'take human understanding at speed to the next level'. More
In New Orleans, data collection and fraud prevention tech firm Rep Data has received an unspecified amount of growth investment from Colorado-based private equity firm Mountaingate Capital, with which to strengthen its Research Desk and Research Defender platforms, and expand its offer. More
In London, strategic research and planning consultancy STRAT7 Incite has announced two new hires in its Health team: Tasleem Rehmatullah as a Principal and Douglas Airton as an Associate. More
Tel Aviv-based market intelligence company Similarweb has launched App Intelligence, a solution bringing together a range of web and mobile app data to give client firms a holistic view of digital performance and user engagement. More
New York-based television ad optimization specialist datafuelX has been awarded a U.S. patent for the proprietary technology behind its dynamic reach and frequency tool, precisionX. More
Research tech veterans Raj Manocha and Jonathan Chavez have launched Gydence Group, which will combine 'time-tested' research methodologies with AI and machine learning to deliver 'reliable, actionable insights at record speed'. The firm has locations in Toronto and Dallas. More
Ipsos has launched its ad evaluation tool Creative|Spark AI in India, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam, as well as nineteen other markets. The tool can either be used self-service on the Ipsos Digital platform or in partnership with Ipsos' Creative Excellence teams. More
Texas-based online survey and research services company QuestionPro has announced a partnership with MarketCulture, a firm providing employee and customer engagement tools and analytics. The pairing promises help for companies looking to build and sustain a customer-centric culture. More
Veteran business information company Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) has unveiled D&B ID Graph Plus, a new identity solution connecting consumer insights with comprehensive B2B2C linked data and digital intent signals. More
In San Francisco, marketing and personalization platform Hightouch has appointed Lindsay McEwan as General Manager of EMEA, driving its expansion across Europe and the roll-out of its new enterprise-level AI Decisioning offer. More
Communities-based insights consultancy Human8 has appointed Alex Creed as Head of Business Development, US & Global Practice Lead. More
In Toronto, Canada, marketing and analytical services company Environics Analytics (EA) has announced the appointment of Amanda Maltby as Chief Privacy Officer and the promotion of James P. Smith to Chief Compliance Officer, effective mid-April. More
In Los Angeles, entertainment industry content intelligence platform Cinelytic has announced the acquisition of Jumpcut Media, which provides AI-driven IP management and audience analysis tools. Terms were not disclosed. More
Full service MR consultancy Alter Agents has appointed Matt Kischer-Sallman as Research Director and Jess Largent as Senior Research Manager. The firm says it has increased headcount by 30% in the past year. More
Behavioral science-based full service research consultancy Protobrand has added an AI interview tool called Convo, boasting an AI moderator 'skilled in the principles of behavioral science', to its established suite of research tools. More
Strategic research consultancy Fifth Dimension Consulting has appointed Andrew Slot as Managing Director, Melbourne, aiming to expand its presence in Victoria and its offering to the whole APAC region. More
In the UK, insight business One Minute to Midnight has appointed Darius Lacey as Senior Research Executive. More
Kantar's owners, WPP and Bain Capital, are considering selling off the Worldpanel / Numerator division for more than £5bn ($6.5bn), or breaking up and selling the group more generally, according to two separate reports. More
In the UK, ad currency management body Barb has appointed RSMB to build a new analytics system which will support full-cycle campaign planning and reporting on linear and VOD services, via a web-based interface. More
In California, sample marketplace PureSpectrum has announced an update for its proprietary AI-based scoring model PureScore. More
The Insights Association has expressed concern about the appointment of former Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer, confirmed today as Secretary of the Department of Labor. Chavez-DeRemer has previously supported the PRO bill, which if passed will hamper the payment of respondent incentives. More
Chicago-based qual research support specialist Fieldwork has appointed Nikki Darré as its new President. She joined the firm in 1993 as a Client Hostess. More
New York-based audio research and analytics platform Veritonic has launched Audience Insights, a new solution combining device graph technology with self-reported listener data to promise 'precise, scalable and cost-effective demographic data' for podcast networks, advertisers and publishers. More
Stamford, CT-based technology research and advisory firm ISG has announced full year revenue down 15% to $247.6m, and adjusted EBITDA down 33% to $25.1m. Q4 revenue was down 13% to $57.8m, but the drop was mostly the result of a divestment - without this, the decline would have been only 2.2%. More
In Copenhagen, Kantar Media has announced the appointment of Danmarks Radio veteran Dennis Christensen as Managing Director for Denmark. More
Data Cloud company Snowflake has appointed Mike Gannon as its Chief Revenue Officer, replacing Chris Degnan who has decided to retire. More
London-based Catalyx has promoted COO Phil Norminton to Managing Director. The move allows founder and CEO Guy White to focus on working directly with clients on their innovation challenges. More
In California, healthcare and life sciences marketing and communications platform Supreme Group has acquired brand strategy and creative agency, aiming to strengthen its delivery of data-driven marcoms, AI-powered insights and creative solutions. Terms were not disclosed. More
San Francisco-based LlamaIndex, whose platform develops agents for automating enterprises' use of their unstructured data, has secured $19m in Series A funding. At the same time, the firm has announced the general availability of its flagship LlamaCloud knowledge management solution. More
Marcoms holding company Publicis Groupe is to acquire Lotame, which offers a proprietary identity solution and an end-to-end data marketplace and will become part of the Epsilon division. More
Entertainment giant Disney has announced the closure of its political and data-driven news site FiveThirtyEight, as part of 200 job cuts in its news and entertainment division. FiveThirtyEight was acquired from US pollster Nate Silver in 2013 by ESPN, and since 2018 has been part of the ABC News division. More
Conveo, a specialist in AI-led video interviews founded less than a year ago, has secured $5.3m in seed funding, with which it aims to expand aggressively in its core US & European markets, and accelerate the development of its AI research co-worker. More
Baltic States-based full service MR firm RAIT Group has announced the appointment of Stine Halberg, until now CEO of its subsidiary Wilke, as its new group CEO. Former RAIT CEO Dovile Koncak will remain part-time as a Board member. More
Telecoms network T-Mobile has made two acquisitions: DOOH advertising tech firm Vistar Media and location data and ad technology firm Blis. The buys are intended to build out the offer of its Advertising Solutions (T-Ads) business. More
Edinburgh-based Smart Data Foundry (SDF) has confirmed the appointment of Dougie Robb as its permanent CEO - he has hitherto served as CFO and Interim CEO, having been part of the firm's leadership team since its founding. More
In San Francisco, agile research platform aytm has announced the appointment of former Zappi growth leader Glenn Fleischman as Chief Revenue Officer. More
London-based big data decision intelligence specialist Quantexa has completed a $175m Series F investment round, which values the company at $2.6 billion. Funds will help speed innovation, create new partnerships and alliances, strengthen presence in North America and pursue M&A opportunities. More
Accenture Ventures, the consulting giant's investment wing, has funnelled an unspecified amount into Aaru, an AI-powered prediction engine which simulates consumer behavior and preferences. Accenture Song will integrate Aaru's flagship model Lumen into its AI offer for NPD, marketing and customer service. More
NIQ Brandbank, a division of the consumer intelligence giant which offers product attribution and omnichannel content solutions, has announced a collaboration with product discovery platform RangeMe, to enhance the visibility and accessibility of wellness-driven products. More
In the US, digital presence and knowledge management platform Yext has launched an AI search and competitive intelligence agent called Yext Scout, monitoring visibility of clients and their competitors across traditional and AI search platforms. The launch rapidly follows the February acquisition of Places Scout. More
In Irvine, California, ad tech company Viant has announced the acquisition of first-party data collaboration platform Lockr. More
Automotive research legend J.D. Power has acquired Superior Integrated Auctions (SIA), whose advanced online auction marketplace capabilities will be combined with its new owner's vehicle valuation data, predictive analytics and marketing solutions to help clients streamline pre-owned vehicle inventory management.\ More
Comscore has reported revenue down 4.1% to to $356.0m for the year ended December 31st 2024. Profit also declined slightly - FX adjusted EBITDA was $40.9m vs $46.9m the previous year. Fourth quarter revenue was flat and the company is forecasting a slight increase in 2025. More
Kantar has announced enhancements to its LINK portfolio, allowing clients to evaluate multiple creative concepts quickly and efficiently, and to predict ad performance before production begins. More
Savanta CEO Vin DeRobertis has announced the launch of a new data collection brand, Clariti, headed up by senior staff from Savanta. The new brand will focus on expert data collection services across the UK, US, Canada and the Netherlands, 'enriched with AI-driven insights'. More
In New York, AI-based research and analytics firm Glimpse has rebranded as Panoplai, at the same time launching an 'enterprise-grade' all-in-one platform gathering and analysing insight from multiple data sources, including legacy research and other business data. More
In the US, industry body The Market Research Council (MRC) has inducted Simon Chadwick and Josh Chasin into its Hall of Fame. More
In Los Angeles, entertainment industry data and operations solutions firm Fabric has acquired BB Media, an MR company also focused on the sector. Fabric aims to provide a 'complete, connected and actionable data ecosystem' for media and entertainment clients. Terms were not disclosed. More
In Australia, data and insights company Pureprofile has launched a synthetic data solution promising business the ability to complete response quotas and deliver 'reliable, timely research'. More
International collaborative venture the Global Data Quality initiative (GDQ) is inviting insights and analytics organisations to pledge their commitment 'to uphold the highest standards of data quality in every facet of their work'. More
BVA BDRC-owned agency Alligator has promoted Client Services Director Maria Butylina to serve as its Managing Director. More
In Sydney, Nielsen has promoted Kirsten Riolo to Head of Consumer Insights for Australia and New Zealand, leading its newly established Custom Research Division across the Pacific region. More
European data collection firm Norstat has appointed former Kantar Media and TNS Gallup exec Berit Puggaard as Managing Director of its business in Denmark. More
Leeds, UK-based real-time company data and classification system The Data City has received a £2m investment from Oxford Economics, valuing the company at around £19m. More
London-based Verve has appointed two new Non-Executive Directors, Zoë Ruffels and Jon Whitmore, joining three existing Board members. The firm says the move will help accelerate the implementation of its strategy, including its Intelligent Personas solution. More
In Australia, MR and behavioural science agency Honeycomb Strategy has appointed Keanu Giummarra as Strategy Director and Benjamin Barlow as Senior Strategy Consultant. The firm says the appointments reflect strong client growth and expansion plans. More
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