News notes
Netherlands-based VNU Group B.V. announced a new organizational and leadership structure that is intended to transform VNU into a more efficient enterprise. Under the new strategy, VNU is combining product innovation, research and development, and marketing into a single organization. VNU also will begin a transition to a unified, global client service organization that will allow it to present “one face” to its clients worldwide, simplifying client interactions. Initial steps to unify client service will be guided by the presidents of ACNielsen’s five geographic regions. With these changes, VNU is phasing out its group organizational structure. VNU will centralize operational and IT functions in a new global business services organization. (At presstime in January, the company was conducting an external search for an executive to lead this organization.)
In addition to announcing a new operating model for the company, VNU said it plans to achieve a permanent reduction in its cost base of 10 percent over the course of 2007. The majority of cost savings will be achieved through business process simplification, organizational de-layering, and real estate and IT consolidation. The company expects a reduction in force of as many as 4,000 positions over the course of 2007, with most of the job cuts coming from non-client-facing activities.
Omaha, Neb.-based infoUSA will reorganize the recently acquired Opinion Research Corporation into two groups. The government research group will be called Macro International and be headed by Greg Mahnke, who has been with Macro International since 1999 when it was acquired by Opinion Research. The corporate marketing research group - Opinion Research USA, UK and Asia Pacific - will be headed by Gerard Miodus.
Acquisitions/transactions
New York marketing agency Dean NYC has acquired Marketing Insights Inc., a marketing research and brand advisory company headed by Karen Dubinsky. Dubinsky will hold the title of chief branding officer.
Alliances/strategic partnerships
Under a new strategic partnership, Media-Screen, a San Francisco research firm that studies the online consumer, will use the market research tools of Seattle-based Global Market Insite Inc. (GMI) to gather information for Media-Screen’s Netpop syndicated research series. The alliance also brings Netpop reports to GMI’s syndicated research Web site, www.insightcafe.com, providing users with access to analysis of the broadband population.
Separately, GMI announced its recruitment partnership with DNSstuff.com, a site for IT workers, through which GMI can recruit IT panelists from DNSstuff.com’s computing and IT users for TechSay.com, its online IT panel. DNSstuff.com users have the opportunity to individually opt into GMI’s panel, and provide their opinions in exchange for TekPoints as a reward for their time.
Association/organization news
The Minnesota/Upper Midwest Chapter of the Marketing Research Association has issued a call for presenters for its new-technology and vendor fair to be held on May 17 in Minneapolis. Topics appropriate for submission are manifold, including but not limited to: data collection methods using cell phones or PDAs; data processing technologies such as automated comment coding; data analysis techniques; and qualitative techniques such as blog scanning.
The audience is expected to consist of a minimum of 50-100 market research professionals. The conference is set up as a series of short presentations, each lasting 10-15 minutes at most. Sales-only presentations will not be accepted.
Prospective presenters must complete an application form. The deadline for presentation submissions is March 9. The deadline for exhibitor submissions is March 16. Submissions should be sent to info@mnmra.org. Contact Randi Luoto at rluoto@gmail.com with other questions about the event. For more information visit www.mnmra.org.
The Qualitative Research Consultants Association has moved its headquarters to 1000 Westgate Dr., Suite 252, St. Paul, Minn., 55114.
Awards/rankings
India-based research process outsourcing firm Cross-Tab has achieved the No. 4 position in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 India 2006, a ranking of the 50 fastest-growing technology companies in India. Cross-Tab has also been ranked by Deloitte in its list of 500 fastest-growing companies in the Asia-Pacific region.
New accounts/projects
Burrell Communications has signed a contract for the use of Arbitron Portable People Meter (PPM) radio ratings service in Houston when Arbitron commercializes the PPM.
Oslo-based research software company FIRM announced that U.K.-based Feedback Consumer Consultancy has licensed FIRM’s Confirmit marketing research platform for its online market research business.
New companies/new divisions/ relocations/ expansions
BNP Media, Troy, Mich., has created Clear Seas Research, a separate entity providing business-to-business market research.
Judith Langer has formed Langer Qualitative, a qualitative research consultancy based in New York. The firm is located at 525 E. 86 St., 18H, New York, N.Y., 10028. Phone 347-684-9073. Fax 917-432-5255. E-mail judy@langerqual.com.
The Miller Research Group Inc. has moved to 311 South Arlington Heights Rd., Suite 40, Arlington Heights, Ill., 60005. Phone 847-342-1500 (Jim Miller); 847-342-1135 (Robert Young). All other contact information is unchanged.
Company earnings reports
Netherlands-based VNU Group B.V. announced its financial results for the three months and the nine months ended September 30, 2006. Pro forma operating revenue for the third quarter was EUR 904 million, an increase of 6 percent in constant currency over the prior year. The 2006 amount excludes a EUR 7 million decrease in revenue due to the preliminary purchase price allocation (the “deferred revenue adjustment”) related to the sale of the company to a group of private-equity investors in May. Reported operating revenue, including the deferred revenue adjustment and a negative 3 percent impact from foreign-currency translation, was EUR 897 million, up 2 percent.
For the first nine months of 2006, pro forma operating revenue was EUR 2,737 million, up 5.5 percent in constant currency from operating revenue of EUR 2,523 million in 2005. The 2006 amount excludes a negative impact of EUR 58 million from the deferred revenue adjustment. Including this adjustment and the positive impact of foreign currency exchange, operating revenue was EUR 2,679 million, up 6 percent. Reported third-quarter operating income was EUR 72 million, down 29 percent from EUR 99 million last year, while year-to-date operating income was EUR 113 million, compared with operating income of EUR 258 million in 2005. Both the third-quarter and year-to-date results were negatively impacted by a number of acquisition-related items.