Ad Researcher Ameritest Opens Brand Consulting Unit

In the US, advertising research specialist Ameritest has opened a Brand Consulting division, to help clients define what their brands stand for.

Founded in 1989, Ameritest has developed proprietary methods for evaluating ad effectiveness and its customized services include TV, digital, web, print, radio, package, out-of-home, and early phase testing, as well as 'brandscape', storyboard development and campaign tracking.

The new business unit will be based in Chicago and led by Ralph Blessing, who joined the firm last year with a 30-year research background. He worked previously for GfK Custom Research for five years as EVP - GfK Strategic Innovation, and prior to that spent nearly three years as EVP at brand innovation consultancy Arbor Strategy Group (acquired by GfK in 2008). Earlier, he held senior client-side roles for 22 years at Unilever, cosmetic firm Helene Curtis, and SC Johnson Wax.

Commenting on the launch, founder and CEO Charles Young said: 'Smart advertisers don't just engage or entertain the consumer; they advertise to build their brands and drive profitability. Our approach turns the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words on its head; there is 'information' in a picture (the emotion-generating aesthetic content) that cannot be put into words.'

Web site: www.ameritest.net .