Networked Insights Hires Ballon to Lead Media & Ents Arm

Madison, Wisconsin-based social media analytics company Networked Insights has appointed former Nielsen exec Howard Ballon to lead its Media and Entertainment practice.

Launched in 2007, the firm connects businesses with real-time customer-to-customer interactions, while its SocialSense tool provides a segmented and focused look at conversations and interactions happening online.

Ballon (pictured) joins with more than fifteen years' experience in film research and box office tracking. Most recently, he served as Synovate's MD, Media and Entertainment for North America, prior to which he was EVP of the Media and Entertainment practice at Ipsos-OTX for two years. Before this, he was President of Nielsen Film & Home Entertainment, responsible for Nielsen NRG (film and research tracking), Nielsen TV, and Nielsen EDI (box office tracking).

In his new position, Ballon will support expansion into the entertainment sector, while increasing the firm's presence in Los Angeles, California. He will also be tasked with developing social media market research techniques and methods using real-time consumer data.

CEO Dan Neely comments: 'Adding a multi-talented marketing professional like Howard Ballon to the Networked Insights team allows us to build on our tradition of innovation and accelerate growth in an industry where we've seen significant client engagement. Real-time data and marketing analytics are changing how businesses operate and we're thrilled to have Howard advise entertainment companies on how to succeed by using our marketing decisions platform.'

Web site: www.networkedinsights.com .