News notes
Rochester, N.Y., research company Harris Interactive has reduced its U.S. employee headcount by about 90 people (or about 16 percent of its full-time workforce) to align its cost structure with revenues and to yield approximately $10 million in annualized cost savings and other non-labor savings.
London marketing communications company Aegis Group, which owns research firm Synovate, has cut 5 percent of its global workforce (or around 780 employees) as part of a £40 million cost-saving plan. According to Aegis, the cutbacks will save the company £20 million in 2009. Seventy of the cuts will come from its U.K. operation.
Arbitron Inc., a Columbia, Md., research company, has extended a number of enhancements to all Portable People Meter (PPM) markets that the company committed to in its agreements with the Attorneys General of New Jersey, New York and Maryland. PPM customers are in the process of receiving enhancements to the PPM methodology in cell-phone-only sampling, address-based sampling, in-tab compliance rates and response metrics. In addition, customers in all PPM markets will see an increase in transparency for more of the sample metrics, including the distribution of sample by zip code and cell-phone status.
Separately, Arbitron has realigned its executive staff, including the creation of three new positions: executive vice president, customer solutions; executive vice president, strategy and business development, and executive vice president, CMO.
Finally, Arbitron has taken further action in its strategic realignment and will reduce its workforce by approximately 10 percent of full-time employees. Arbitron is also implementing a reduction in non-employee-related expenses on a company-wide basis. As a result of these initiatives, the company expects to realize savings in the remainder of 2009 that would offset the first quarter 2009 charge. The workforce and expense reductions are expected to result in a reduction in 2010 expenses of more than $10 million.
Evo Research, London, has closed its U.K. office. Its German locations are still operational.
Western Wats, an Orem, Utah, research company, has closed its Chadron, Neb., call center, terminating approximately 100 full- and part-time positions. Western Wats has also closed call centers in Utah and Arizona.
Ipsos Reid, an Ottawa, Canada, division of Paris research company Ipsos, intends to close its Ottawa call center in June 2009, citing client demands for cheaper research. Around 40 full- and part-time jobs will be lost.
Kantar Operations, a Naperville, Ill., research company intends to close its Warwick, U.K., call center in June in response to a decline in telephone volumes by 50 percent since 2005. Also in June, Kantar intends to close its Corpus Christi, Texas, call center, laying off 87 workers.
Additionally, The Kantar Group has reorganized and consolidated its existing business units into a new structure. TNS Custom Research Inc. and Research International have merged and will be known as TNS. The Research International name will be retained in some markets where the business will be known as TNS Research International. Kantar has also created four separate operating units: Kantar Media (comprising TNS Media Intelligence, TNS Media Research, KMR and TGI), Kantar Healthcare (comprising TNS Healthcare, Ziment Group, Consumer Health Services, imap, MattsonJack businesses), Kantar Retail (comprising Glendinning, Cannondale, Managmement Ventures Inc., Retail Forward and Red Dot) and Kantar Worldpanel (formerly Worldpanel).
Acquisitions/transactions
NeuroFocus, a Berkeley, Calif., research company, has agreed to purchase Neuroco, a Surrey, U.K., research company. Neuroco will become NeuroFocus Europe.
New York researcher The Nielsen Company has acquired The Cambridge Group, a Chicago consulting firm.
Additionally, The GfK Group, a Nuremberg, Germany, research company, has acquired Nielsen’s C.L.E.A.R. service, which reports monthly sales-out information on contact lenses. C.L.E.A.R. will be integrated into GfK’s StarTrack data and analysis system.
Ipsos, a Paris research company, has acquired Punto de Vista, a Santiago, Chile, research company. Ipsos acquired 100 percent of the share capital of the company from its shareholders. Carlos Arentsen, founder and main shareholder, will remain the chairman of Punto de Vista, which will incorporate the activities of Ipsos Loyalty in Chile.
Itracks, a Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, research company, has sold its call center to Advanis, an Edmonton, Alberta, research firm. In addition to the acquisition, Advanis and Itracks have formed a partnership, allowing Itracks access to over 250 call stations.
Alliances/strategic partnerships
Vovici, a Dulles, Va., research company, has partnered with London research company Verve to conduct Web surveys and create and manage panels.
Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), a Harleysville, Pa., research company, has entered into an agreement with New York researcher The Nielsen Company that allows Nielsen to incorporate NMI’s Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability segmentation model into Nielsen BASES’ consumer panel.
Association/organization news
John Kelly, chairman of Market Direction International, Surrey, U.K., has been elected an emeritus director of the Marketing Research Institute International (MRII), St. Louis. The MRII board of directors has also elected the following new directors: David Haynes, Western Wats, Orem, Utah; Michael Lautenschlager, The GfK Group, Nuremberg, Germany; and Wayne McCullough, Intelligent Data Mining and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF), New York, has launched the Shopper Insights Council, a group devoted to reshaping industry thinking about shopping as an integral part of the brand experience. The Council is co-chaired by Peter Hoyt, executive director, In-Store Marketing Institute; Robert Tomei, president, consumer and shopper insights, Information Resources Inc.; Michael Twitty, director, shopper insights, the Americas, Unilever; and Joel Rubinson, CRO, The ARF.
Awards/rankings
Richard Worick, president of The MSR Group, an Omaha, Neb., research company, has earned Professional Researcher Certification at the expert skill level. The certification is awarded by the Marketing Research Association, Glastonbury, Conn.
Chicago research software company SPSS Inc.’s data collection survey software Predictive Analytics has been ranked as having the highest customer satisfaction scores for online survey software providers, according to the Survey of Market Research Professionals. The study is conducted annually by MarketResearchCareers, a Stamford, Conn., market research online job database.
New accounts/projects
Paris research company Ipsos has been commissioned to conduct regular polls for Thomson Reuters, a New York news agency. Ipsos will carry out multinational polls on topics such as consumer attitudes, economic confidence, political issues and product ratings. Reuters will report on the research results.
Arbitron Inc., a Columbia, Md., research company, has signed multi-year agreements with GAP Broadcasting LLC and GAP Broadcasting II LLC, both headquartered in Dallas, for diary-based radio ratings services in 17 markets. The agreement includes software services for all stations in the 17 markets and Arbitrends monthly rolling-average reports in Shreveport, La.
Additionally, Arbitron has been selected to conduct a national survey for CARE Media Networks, Tampa, Fla., which provides place-based digital video education programs in doctors’ offices. The survey will measure the effectiveness of CARE’s programs in three networks: KidCARE TV (pediatricians’ offices), Women’s HealthCARE TV (obstetricians’ offices) and PetCARE TV (veterinarians’ offices).
B2B International, a Manchester, U.K., research company, has selected Oslo, Norway, research company Confirmit’s Horizons platform to support its Web and telephone interviewing.
Chicago research company Synovate has chosen technology from Vancouver, B.C., research company Vision Critical for its online community panels. The agreement enables Synovate to access Vision Critical’s interactive research software Sparq and simulated shopping Fusion platform. Vision Critical will provide software, hosting and technical support for Synovate Community Panels.
New companies/new divisions/relocations/expansions
Ci Research, Cheshire, England, has formed a new financial services team, led by Colin Auton.
Arbitron Inc., a Columbia, Md., research company, has moved its headquarters from New York to its existing facility at 9705 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia, Md. The New York location will remain open and continue to operate as a sales office.
Gallup, a Washington, D.C., research company, has opened a full-service office in Nairobi, Kenya. Bob Tortora, Gallup’s research director for sub-Saharan Africa, will lead the office.
Adam Berman has launched a research technology and data processing firm, CatalystMR, located at 45 Yosemite Ave., Oakland, Calif. The business is online at www.catalystmr.com.
Research company earnings/financial news
BrainJuicer PLC, London, increased its revenue by 42 percent last year to £9.3 million and increased its operating margin from 12.9 percent to 13.8 percent. BrainJuicer has opened two offices in Germany and Canada since the end of 2008.
B2B International, Manchester, U.K., reported in March that it had posted growth of $4.7 million between the years 2007 and 2008.
Peanut Labs, a San Francisco research company, announced 2008 revenue growth of 300 percent over 2007.
The GfK Group, Nuremberg, Germany, achieved organic growth of 5.5 percent to EUR 1,220 million in financial year 2008, and adjusted operating income rose to EUR 159 million. Dividends went up from EUR 0.45 to EUR 0.46 per share. Taking into account acquisitions and currency effects, sales increased by a total of 5 percent in 2008. All three GfK sectors (Retail and Technology, Custom Research and Media) increased organic sales growth in 2008 over the same prior-year period.