Market Facts, Inc., Arlington Heights, Ill, has acquired Strategy Research Corp. of Miami. With 1997 revenue of $6 million, Strategy Research is a full-service research firm specializing in the Latin American and U.S. Hispanic markets. Market Facts has held a minority ownership position in Strategy Research since 1996. Strategy Research will operate as an autonomous entity within Market Facts, under the direction of its current management.
Chilton Research Services, Radnor, Pa., has started working with Drs. Paul E. Green and Abba M. Krieger, professors at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, to market VOICE, an analytical and predictive model for measuring customer satisfaction, to Chilton clients. The model collects data on a firm’s competitors as well as on its own customers and specifically targets attributes on which the firm should focus attention.
ESRI, a Redlands, Calif., developer of geographic information system (GIS) software, and Danish Hydraulic Institute of Horsholm, Denmark, have announced plans to enhance the hydrodynamic modeling capabilities of GIS software.
ACNielsen, Stamford, Conn., has acquired Entertainment Data, Inc., a Beverly Hills, Calif.-based provider of box office information for the motion picture industry.
Focus Pointe has opened a new focus group facility in Boston, featuring a full-service staff, four focus group suites, each with a spacious conference room, multi-level viewing room and private client lounge. Remote audio and video recording facilities are featured and private client offices with telephone and modem hook-ups are provided.
Spiller & Reeves Marketing Research Services, Bradenton, Fla., has changed its name to Spiller Research Group. The company has diversified its services to include custom research, syndicated studies and conference research.
Discovery Research Group, Irvine, Calif., has remodeled and expanded its facility, adding fully equipped client offices, expanded viewing areas and office space, client conference rooms and all new furnishings. The company has also expanded its phone room.
NFO Worldwide, Inc., Greenwich, Conn., has acquired CM Research Group Limited, Auckland, New Zealand. CMResearch Group provides custom market research in New Zealand and Australia. It will become part of The MBL Group Plc, NFO’s European, Middle Eastern and Asia/Pacific operating organization. NFO acquired 100 percent of the outstanding stock of CM Research Group for approximately US $8.8 million, including the assumption of debt.
Gordon Bailey & Associations, Inc., has merged with Phyllis Vail Research, Inc., and Target Response Systems, a database marketing company. All three firms are based in Atlanta. A strategic partnership between the three companies has been in effect for several years, but plans to consolidate PVR and TRS into the core business were only recently completed. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Polaris Marketing Research, Atlanta, has moved to new facilities to accommodate added personnel and a larger telephone interviewing center. The new address is 359 East Paces Ferry Rd. N.E., Ste. 250, Atlanta, Ga.
Migliara/Kaplan Associates, an Owings Mills, Md., research firm, has reorganized into a newly-formed multi-divisional structure whose corporate goal is to match areas of specialization with key target audiences. The new structure has three divisions: the Core business, International, and Consumer Healthcare. To effect the change, Jeffrey Whittle assumes the title of chief operating officer of the Core business; Harris Kaplan, executive vice president, will head the International Division, and Sheryl Olitzky, senior vice president, will direct Consumer Healthcare in addition to her responsibilities in the Core business.
The Marketing Research Association has moved to 1344 Silas Deane Highway, Ste. 306, P.O. Box 230, Rocky Hill, Conn.
John W. Turner and Pat M. Snyder have opened What They Think, Inc., a full-service research and consulting firm. The company will have two offices: 4060 Peachtree Rd., Ste. D430, Atlanta, Ga., and 5039 Hillsboro Pike, 166 Jefferson Sq., Nashville, Tenn.
Marketing Evaluations has opened its own Web site at www.qscores.com. Information and samples of the company’s Q Score services, such as TVQ, Performer Q and Kids Q, are shown in detail.
Atlanta-based Equifax has signed a letter of intent to acquire Goldleaf Technologies, Inc., of Hahira, Ga., a provider of electronic banking software to independent financial institutions.
Audits & Surveys Worldwide, New York, and London-based KantarMedia Research are forming ASW Simmons Magazine Metrics, a joint venture partnership to expand the Primary and Total Audience Surveys, a recently released magazine research service developed by ASW.