New Operation at Claritas

Claritas has this week announced the formation of a new advanced analytical services division called Integras, specialising in high-end location research and customer analysis for marketing.

'Business is entering a new era where customer and market data must be combined, analysed and distributed rapidly across real estate, marketing and merchandising functions,' said Claritas President and CEO Robert Nascenzi. 'And, by combining the acclaimed expertise of Claritas' industry specialists with its world-class data resources, Integras is better positioned to assist customers in both designing and executing a better business strategy.'

Nascenzi said Integras, the second subsidiary to operate under the Claritas name, represents a 'significant investment' by Claritas to innovate and expand the way its marketing tools and data are used. Claritas acquired the operating rights to the National Research Bureau (NRB), the leading authority of shopping centre data in the USA, last June.

Integras President Keith Peterson said the new subsidiary is reflective of the role analytical consulting must play in shifting toward an integrated model where business knowledge, data and technology and analytical modelling are available from a single source - a source that also has access to the data resources of Claritas' parent company, VNU, whose other marketing information holdings include ACNielsen, Nielsen Media Research and Spectra Marketing Systems.

Peterson said Integras will initially focus on four key areas: