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WPP Chief Exec Sir Martin Sorrrell has told the UK government that its proposed tax reforms do not go far enough to lure his business back from Ireland to its original UK headquarters. More
WPP's consumer insight group Kantar has acquired the remaining shares in Lanka Market Research Bureau (LMRB), in which it already had a 49% stake. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
WPP's salary body is to consider a fifty percent rise in the basic salary of CEO Sir Martin Sorrell, who in November 2008 rejected a scheduled review as 'inappropriate' for the economic climate. Sorrell's £1m basic, unchanged since January 2007, is a smallish part of his total income from the firm. More
WPP's Consumer Insight division has reported a meagre 2.3% rise in like-for-like revenue (1.3% actual) for the first half of the year, following slower growth in the US, the UK and Japan in the second quarter. However, pre-tax profits rose 37% to £334.3m. More
WPP Chief Exec Sir Martin Sorrell has suggested that the group may double the amount available for acquisitions this year, as it looks to invest in new media and emerging markets and take advantage of better conditions in the ad industry. More
Kantar has today announced a partnership with online facilities company ActiveGroup Ventures, giving the research giant worldwide access to facility based research via video streaming. More
Kantar Chairman and CEO Eric Salama has taken on the additional role of CEO of TNS from Pedro Ros, who now becomes TNS non-executive Chairman. Ros replaces Jamie Hall, who will leave the business 'as planned' at some point in 2011. More
TNS-BMRB, the social research arm of Kantar, today announced the appointment of Ben Toombs, previously a Director at independent qual specialists Cragg Ross Dawson, as Qualitative Director. More
Consumer insight revenues at WPP have risen 3.4% on a constant currency basis, to £552.8m in the first quarter of 2011, compared with £542.5m in the prior year period. More
After joining the Millward Brown Group last year, Athens-based Research International Greece is to rebrand as Millward Brown RI - offering consultancy and advice in branding and communications research. More
TNS has re-organised its operations in Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa (APMEA) into two separate regions - TNS Africa and Middle East (AME) led by Kim Macilwaine and TNS Asia Pacific (APAC) headed by Chris Riquier. More
TNS has formed a new central division called Corporate Development, incorporating a number of current areas of marketing and strategy expertise. Matthew Froggatt, until now Technology Sector Head, has been appointed to lead the new unit as Chief Development Officer. More
WPP-owned sister firms TNS Research International and digital agency Wunderman have partnered in Africa, to help clients maximize opportunities in the 'digital sphere', while providing information about the potential of mobile Internet. More
TNS has hired Synovate's former CEO Iberia and Latin America Ignacio Galceran as Regional CEO Latin America, and a member of its Global Executive Committee. He joins the firm in October and takes up his new post next January. More
In the UK, Kantar-owned TNS-BMRB, which offers insight for government and not-for-profit clients, has launched a mixed mode research programme to prompt new thinking and best practice for tracking social trends across multiple modes of research. More
WPP Group is gearing up to restart its acquisition strategy across the Asia-Pacific region, according to CEO Sir Martin Sorrell, speaking at The Financial Times and Marketing magazine event in Singapore on Tuesday. More
WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell says the figure reported in the press for Nielsen's possible valuation is 'out of the ballpark' and 'doesn't work in any way, shape or form'. Both companies reported encouraging results today, WPP forecasting growth for the year and Nielsen seeing 4% real revenue growth over Q1 2009. More
In the UK, marcoms giant WPP has developed a dashboard which combines media spend and performance data from its GroupM media arm with research from insight division Kantar, together with information on social media content, web analytics and client CRM data. More
Postal watchdog Postcomm is considering action against Royal Mail following an investigation into claims that it cheated in research to test its service quality, reports The UK Press Association. More
ACNielsen HCI - a firm researching pharmaceutical promotions which was transferred to WPP in a 2008 regulatory asset swap - has been added to Kantar Health's Marketing Insight practice. More
In the UK, TNS-BMRB has launched another new division, the Social & Political Attitudes Unit (SPA), which will focus on tracking social and political trends. More
TNS-BMRB has announced the launch of its first new division, 'The Communications Research Centre', a UK-based specialist team dedicated to communications research for the public sector. More
WPP Chief Martin Sorrell has told a Reuters summit that with 'vicious' price activity in the market, he expects the group's 2010 revenues to be flat. Sorrell says new business activity in his media businesses is strong, but in MR and creative functions there is less cheer. More
WPP has reported a like-for-like revenue decline of 8.7% for the third quarter - a smaller drop than was seen in the second quarter. Consumer insight revenues stayed depressed although margin was better. The firm also pointed to strong regional differences and predicted a 'LUV' shaped recession. More
Today sees the official merger of TNS' UK Custom Division and Research International UK to become TNS Research International UK; and the merger of TNS Custom's UK Social sector with BMRB's social research team to become TNS-BMRB. More
UK marcoms giant and Kantar-owner WPP has reported a 47.9% drop in first-half net profit to £108.4m from £208.2m a year earlier, but predicts a brighter performance for the rest of 2009. Like-for-like consumer insight revenue was down 10%. More
Analysts expect ad giant and Kantar owner WPP to cut its sales forecast again this week. However the firm's debt position and strategic focus are considered solid, while buoyant reports in the UK press suggest business confidence in general has turned the corner. More
WPP's insight arm Kantar has appointed Marita Carballo as President for Latam (Latin America) and Fiona Keyte as Global Account Director for client, Procter & Gamble (P&G), in a move designed to strengthen the firm's client relationships and regional capability in Latin and South America. More
WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell has extolled the virtues of organic growth; of helping ad budgets to follow consumers online; and of a balance between local and multinational clients, as he looks five years into the future of WPP. More
Kantar Health has hired Scott Davies as General Manager of China, to direct the group's growth strategy in the region. Kelly Wong has also been appointed as Business Leader and Head of Research, China. More
Following the merger of TNS and RI earlier in the year, the company has announced that TNS Infratest will now be known in Germany as TNS Infratest RI. More
In the UK, managers at Royal Mail have been accused of manipulating a mystery shopping programme being undertaken by Research International, to artificially boost the organisation's performance and generate big bonuses for themselves. More
UK consultancy Incite has appointed former Research International (RI) Chairman Julian Bond as a Director. More
At today's AGM, WPP shareholders gave the thumbs up to a scheme which could see CEO Sir Martin Sorrell receive a £60m bonus over the next five years. Meanwhile Sorrell announced a 6.7% dip in like-for-like revenues for the first four months of the year, which sent shares tumbling 4.8% to 456.25p. More
Marcoms giant WPP has sold Mediafax - its Puerto Rico-based media research agency - to Brazilian media, market and opinion research specialist IBOPE. In return, WPP has increased its shareholding in three IBOPE businesses. More
Shareholders at marcoms giant WPP are opposing a scheme which could result in CEO Sir Martin Sorrell receiving up to £59.7m ($95m) worth of free shares during the next five years. More
US web analytics firm Omniture and WPP's insight and consultancy division Kantar have created a new platform, which enables clients to see how their online and offline activities impact on one another. More
Procter & Gamble veteran Kim Dedeker is joining WPP's insight and consultancy division Kantar in a new role as Chair, Americas, where she will focus on the group's global research quality initiatives. More
Marcoms giant WPP, which eliminated 3,600 positions in Q1, is planning to make 6% of its global workforce redundant resulting in the loss of 7,200 posts in all this year. More
UK marcoms giant WPP has reported a 5.8% fall in Q1 revenues, excluding the impact of acquisitions and currency fluctuations. The firm says this reflects a cut in client spending in reaction to the global financial and economic crisis. More
Marcoms giant WPP is preparing to make thousands of staff redundant this year, in response to declining revenues and its £1.1bn debt-financed acquisition of TNS. Credit agencies S&P and Moody have downgraded the firm's rating from stable to negative. More
In response to what it describes as 'shifting trends in market research', Kantar Operations will be shutting a telephone centre in Warwick, UK, in June. Local reports say that up to 137 people could lose their jobs as a result of the closure. More
Eleven universities are to receive funds from the initial round of WPP and Google three-year Marketing Research Awards Program. The money will enable them to conduct studies into how online media influences consumer behavior, attitudes and decision making. More
Martin Sorrell has talked of 'big, big opportunities' and 'a tsunami of funds... waiting for the recovery' in an interview with the BBC. The WPP chief also discussed his views on headcount reduction in a recession, on Google, and the future market share of different advertising media. More
WPP has reported healthy results for the full year 2008. Like-for-like revenue growth of 2.7% came from a combination of a strong first half and slower second half. Insight division Kantar provided 17.1% of all WPP revenue and 12.8% of operating profit. More
The Kantar Group is streamlining its businesses after buying TNS. The TNS Custom business will merge with Research International and will be generally known as TNS. A new social research force for the UK is established in TNS-BMRB, while Kantar has four new vertical sector operating units: Media, Health, Retail and Worldpanel. More
Research International (RI) has launched a simulated test market system designed to provide sales predictions within the consumer packaged goods category. More
Marcoms giant WPP has announced a partnership with US web analytics firm Omniture to provide clients with 'more effective insights' across both digital and traditional media channels. The deal involves WPP investing $25m in Omniture stock. More
In Hamburg, Germany, Research International has appointed Frank Gollnick as CEO, with a remit to lead the firm's expansion in the country and position it as a 'leading innovation agency'. More
WPP's insight and consultancy division The Kantar Group has made what it claims is an industry first appointment, with the naming of George Pappachen in the newly-created role of Chief Privacy Officer. More
In the UK, consumer agency Engage Research has boosted its management team with the appointment of Bob Dance as Director. More
Research International (RI) has announced an alliance with STAT'COM to launch a new simulated test market product named MicroTest Nouveau, integrating state of the art modelling of market conditions with a global database of over 40,000 records in order to put results into context. More
WPP has announced its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30th June 2008, showing good revenue and profit figures in all regions and for all divisions including insight. While his own firm may be healthy however, CEO Sir Martin Sorrell says the current merger process is 'not doing [TNS] much good'. More
In the US, Research International (RI) has appointed Tom Buehrer as SVP/General Manager West Coast, Lisa Kassem as VP, and Jake Steadman as Research Executive. More
In the UK, JICIMS (the Joint Industry Committee for Internet Measurement Systems) has appointed Research International's former Worldwide CEO Mark Cranmer as its first Chairman, heading up its initiative to establish a single online measurement currency. More
In Paris, Research International (RI) has promoted Douwe Rademaker to the newly created position of Worldwide Director of Marketing. He was previously MD of Continental Europe. More
Research International's New Zealand MD Colin Yee has been appointed as Chairman of AMRO New Zealand, the country's Association of Market Research Organisations. Yee has been Deputy Chairman for the past two years. More
In the US, former Research International (RI) executives Diane Frederick, Alice Fawver and Shaikat Sen have launched a new market research consultancy which they say delivers a 'fresh approach' to business decision-making. More
WPP has announced first quarter like-for-like revenue growth of just under 5%. Reported revenues were up 14.1% to £1.56bn for the group and up 11.3% to £227.1m for Kantar, the group's information, insight and consultancy arm. More
WPP-owned Research International (RI) is to acquire a majority stake in shopper research specialist Zdology. Financial details were not disclosed. More
Louise McCann, the Chair of Research International Australia, has been given an expanded role within the company's Asia Pacific (APAC) offices to oversee RI's commercial operating strategy for the region. More
Research International in South Africa has appointed Angy Ireland as CEO, replacing Cees Faber who left at the end of January to run Ipsos's MR operations in Central and Eastern Europe and Africa. More
Following a recent raft of changes to its senior management team, Research International has now appointed industry veteran Bridget Armstrong as CEO RI-USA and as a member of its Worldwide Board of Directors. More
Research International (RI) is continuing its leadership re-shuffle with the appointments of Kirk Ward to the newly created position of Global Product Development Leader, Andrew Wish to the new title of Worldwide Infrastructure and Operations Director and John McHarry to Chief Information Officer. More
Research International's UK Chairman Paul Edwards has swapped places with UK CEO Julian Bond, taking on the day-to-day running of the agency. More
Research International has strengthened its US Board of Directors with the appointment of Marla Commons, SVP and Regional North American Qualitative Director. More
In the US, Research International has developed a new suite of research tools to identify the point at which shoppers become consumers and pinpoint ways to influence them in-store. More
Research International has appointed Waleed Saleh as Vice President in the firm's Chicago office, and as a member of its global qualitative team. More
Mark Cranmer, who replaced Roger Banks as Global CEO of Research International only last year, will himself be leaving the post by the end of 2007. Bob Meyers, currently completing his term as CEO of Millward Brown, will replace him. More
Publicis Chief Strategy Officer Paul Edwards is to return to Research International (RI), where he began his agency career. He takes the role of UK Chairman and will report to RI Chief Executive Mark Cranmer. More
Marketing giant WPP has reported first quarter revenue growth of 4.3% on a like-for-like basis, excluding acquisitions and currency. Due to an 11% decline in the US dollar against sterling, group revenue fell 0.7% to £1.366bn and that for the Information, Insight & Consultancy division fell c.5% to £204m. More
Research International has acquired Illinois-based youth research specialist Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU) for an undisclosed sum. More
Research International has this week added Peter Bürgi and Rebecca Severson to its qual division, Qualitative Space. More
UK agency Incite Marketing Planning has appointed Roger Banks, until recently Global CEO of the Research International Group, as Managing Director. Meanwhile another recent departure from RI, Global Marketing Director Lucy Davison, has today launched her own marketing consultancy. More
Two agencies tied for the top award at last night's 'Research Excellence and Effectiveness Awards', hosted by the MRS in London. Judges could not choose between FreshMinds and Flamingo International as Best Research Agency 2006. More
Research International has promoted Hilary Lee, previously a Client Team Director in its UK office, to become Director Client Services in Asia and Business Development Director for the Kantar Group for Asia. She will be based in Singapore. More
WPP Group has reported half yearly results. Headline profit before tax rose over 24% to $566m (£316m) and like-for-like revenue was up a respectable 5% year-on-year. The Group's Information, Insight and Consultancy companies performed well although slightly behind other sectors on some key measures. More
Research International has appointed Judy Greener to its U.S. Board of Directors as an Executive Vice President. She previously spent eight years at TNS Healthcare, most recently with the same job title. More
Mandy Pooler and Lucy Gill have joined Rosi Ware in charge of developing WPP's research division, Kantar. The two new arrivals replace Fiona McAnena, who has joined PepsiCo in a senior innovation role. More
Research International is to move its London office south of the Thames from its long-established home in Grosvenor Place SW1. The new location is off Tooley Street, near London Bridge. More
Research International has appointed Logic Market Research as its Associate in Egypt, with the aim of strengthening its network in Africa. More
Robin Hopf has recently joined Research International as Director of New Business Innovation, based in the global group's Chicago office. More
Who says researchers don't practice what they preach? Global agency Research International has won one of 'the business world's own Oscars' for 2006 for its Innovation Journey Suitcase, voted the 'Best Marketing or Sales Brochure or Kit'. More
Research International has appointed Julian Bond as CEO of its UK company, effective from tomorrow (June 1st). Bond has until now been Global MD of the firm's Marketing Science Group and is already a Group Board Director. More
Research International (RI) has announced a number of senior appointments. Stefano Carlin joins from Ipsos to lead the company in Italy; Steve Mitchell becomes UK COO; and Annette Müller, David Walker, Dave Phillips and Mark Kingsbury also assume new senior Director roles. More
Kathy Lubner has joined Research International as a Client Service Account Executive in its Chicago office after more than seven years with The NPD Group, where she was a Senior Account Manager in the Foodworld Client Development group. More
Mark Cranmer, the outgoing CEO of Starcom MediaVest EMEA, is to replace Roger Banks as Worldwide CEO of Research International. Banks is in discussions about another role within Kantar. More
Research International has appointed Sonia Bueno, formerly of ACNielsen and IBOPE, as the company's CEO in Brazil and Latin America. More
Research International has appointed Simon Tye as Managing Director of the company's Hong Kong office. He takes over from Hamish Munro, who moves to a new role as Regional Business Director. More
Research International has acquired its Polish associate PENTOR Research International, which was established in 1991 and was previously minority-owned by the global agency. PENTOR's current management team will remain in place. More
Recruitment might be getting tougher, but the real challenge for the research industry is retention, according to Daniel Wain, Group Director of Learning & Development at Research International. In the latest MRWho, Wain shares his vision of an MR industry where companies develop, motivate and best of all retain their staff. More
Research International has announced that UK CEO Simon Lidington is leaving the agency. Group CEO Roger Banks takes on the role of Interim CEO for the UK business in addition to his existing responsibilities while a successor is chosen. More
WPP, parent company of Millward Brown, Research International, The Kantar Group and The Henley Centre among many other companies worldwide, has reported robust revenues for the first five months of the year. Noting that revenue per head had increased, WPP's Chairman Philip Lader thanked the company's 84,000 staff worldwide for their 'outstanding efforts'. More
Saying 'Non' is not the only thing the French have been queuing up to do. The longest and slowest moving queues in Europe are to be found in Sweden and France, according to a new survey by Research International and the MSPA (Mystery Shopping Providers Association). More
Research International has established a pan-African team to provide cost-effective coverage for clients across the continent. The set-up includes 'key hubs' in South and East Africa (Johannesburg and Nairobi). Andrew Wish, in the new position of pan-African CEO, is one of several related senior appointments. More
Research International has moved Douwe Rademaker from CEO Netherlands to CEO Japan, replacing the departing Toshiya Ueki. The company also announced the arrival of Nicky Buss, previously at fellow WPP company Red Cell Network, in the new position of Client Services Director, UK. More
Three UK-based Directors of Research International are leaving to found a new agency, Engage Research. Deborah Sleep, Marie Sutton and Lyndsay Peck all held senior roles in what was the Consumer Division until the restructuring of Dec 2004. All three have a focus on consumer & market strategy and innovation research. More
Catherine Connolly, previously Worldwide Director of People and Culture at sister WPP company Mediaedge: CIA, has joined Research International as Group Human Resources Director and will become a member of the Group Board. More
Three recent senior moves at RI involving CEOs in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southern Europe. More
Research International has recently announced the appointment of Sarah Phillips to the newly created post of European Healthcare Director. More
Research International has announced that Malcolm Baker, Global Director of Research International Qualitative, will be retiring on 31st August this year. Ivana Ventura, CEO of Research International in Italy will succeed him as Global Director of Research International Qualitatif. More
Simon Lidington will take over from Colin Buckingham as CEO of Research International UK, when the latter assumes his new role as CEO Global Business More
Jon Wilkinson, Chairman and CEO of Research International, has announced his intention to retire in June 2004. Roger Banks, currently CEO Mainland Europe, will become Group CEO and report in to Kantar CEO Eric Salama. Colin Buckingham moves to the new role of CEO, Global Business while Mark Penn, once President Clinton's pollster, becomes Non-Executive Chairman of the Group. More
Synovate have appointed David Bayton as Director of Healthcare Research in the UK. His previous roles include Deputy MD at NOP Healthcare and most recently head of Healthcare at Research International. More
In the second of a special feature on papers coming up at the forthcoming MRS conference, we look at the issue of branding and size as presented by Mark Kingsbury of Research International. More
The Consumers' Association has commissioned ORC International to conduct an online "mystery shopping" programme. This is intended to assess the service levels as provided by companies whose websites display the Which? Web Trader "seal of approval." More
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