Simmons Appointment Boosts Solutions Unit

US consumer trackers Simmons Market Research Bureau have announced the appointment of Ken Wollenberg as Executive Vice President and General Manager of the rapidly expanding Simmons Integrated Marketing Solutions (SIMS) unit. Wollenberg will report to Simmons President and COO Chris Wilson.

Simmons surveys more than 37,000 people annually to produce its National Consumer, Teens, Kids and Hispanic Studies, each providing individual and household information on approximately 8,000 brands in more than 460 data categories. The SIMS Unit specializes in merging data from the National Consumer Study with transactional data from other companies to create segmentation systems like BehaviorGraphicsTM.

Wollenberg worked most recently as the Senior VP for Strategic and Business Development at Nielsen Station Index. His previous career encompassed work for Mediamark Research, Inc., and 23 years at Arbitron in positions including Executive VP Sales and Marketing, and member of the Board of Directors.

According to Chris Wilson the appointment reflects a commitment to greater prominence for the SIMS unit. Over the last year, SIMS has launched three new segmentation systems: BehaviorGraphicsTM, which offers a revolutionary way of targeting consumers by linking their TV viewing patterns with their lifestyles, attitudes and marketplace preferences; Tipping Point Segments, which classify consumers based on their ability to influence others through word-of-mouth advertising; and Waistband Segments, which target consumers by Body Mass Index linked to their preferred brands, media, and product usage.

'Bringing Ken aboard to lead our Integrated Marketing Solutions group gives us the experience and leadership needed to leverage our new Microsoft relationship and our 'Future of Information' strategy' says Wilson. 'Ken's background as one of America's most influential marketing and media research executives makes him uniquely qualified to translate Simmons' consumer information into innovative marketing solutions for our clients'.

According to Wollenberg, 'Simmons's vision for the future of information puts us squarely in the middle of a fifteen billion-dollar industry merging customer and transactional informational technologies. I'm thrilled to move from media research to marketing applications using innovative, technology-based information'.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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