News notes
Vinod Gupta, founder and former CEO of Omaha, Neb., research company Infogroup, agreed in March 2010 to pay $7.4 million to settle federal regulators’ charges claiming he siphoned $9.3 million from the company to finance a lavish lifestyle. Gupta settled without admitting or denying wrongdoing.
Acrobat Research, Toronto, has closed its Calais, Maine, call center, eliminating approximately 40 positions. The company cites a shrinking customer base as its reason for closing.
Jordan research companies YouGovSiraj and Analyseize have signed a memorandum of understanding, under which both organizations will conduct joint research projects; exchange data and expertise; and develop and produce projects that serve the needs of the Arab world, specifically the Jordanian market.
New York research company Ipsos North America has redesigned its Web site (www.ipsos-na.com). The redesign aims to offer more user-friendly functionality tools, greater profiling of key researchers and easier access to contact information.
Decision Insight, a Kansas City, Mo., research company, has partnered with the United Aid Foundation, New York, to assist in the Haiti relief effort.
2010 marks the 25th anniversary for Q&M Research Services, Chicago.
Polaris Marketing Research, Atlanta, has implemented a green initiative, which includes internal policies designed to reduce the company’s carbon footprint and achieve a more environmentally-friendly workplace.
Acquisitions/transactions
One to One Interactive Inc. (OTO), a Boston digital marketing firm, has acquired London research company fhios. OTO will incorporate fhios’ user experience, research and design practice with its OTOinsights and Quantemo platforms.
Omaha, Neb., research company Infogroup has agreed to be acquired by affiliates of CCMP Capital Advisors LLC, New York, for approximately $635 million, including the refinancing of Infogroup’s outstanding debt.
New York researcher The Nielsen Company has purchased USP Market Intelligence, a Munich, Germany, research company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Paris research company Ipsos has agreed to take a 25 percent stake in Portugal research company Apeme. As part of the agreement, Ipsos will have the option to buy the remaining 75 percent in five years.
Millennial Media, a Baltimore mobile advertising network, has acquired TapMetrics, a San Francisco research firm.
Port Washington, N.Y., research company The NPD Group has acquired Solarbuzz LLC, a San Francisco research firm. Solarbuzz will operate under its current name, and NPD’s DisplaySearch division will be folded into Solarbuzz.
Alliances/strategic partnerships
New York research companies Mediamark Research and Intelligence and The Media Behavior Institute have entered into a strategic partnership to launch a syndicated, consumer-centric, multimedia database intended to improve how media is planned, bought and sold.
ACNielsen HCI, a Princeton, N.J., research company, has joined the Insights practice of Kantar Health, a New York division of Fairfield, Conn., research company The Kantar Group.
Association/organization news
The Marketing Research Association (MRA), Glastonbury, Conn., has launched its Professional Researcher Certification (PRC) Provider Program, which allows companies to submit their education programs for PRC approval. For more information visit www.mra-net.org/prc.
Additionally, New York research company WorldOne Inc. has completed an independent review of its internal processes and performance metrics through the MRA’s Internal Review Program.
ESOMAR, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, has initiated its Young Researcher of the Year Award, which aims to showcase new and innovative market research from young talent and address pressing and challenging global issues. The topics for the 2010 award will be AIDS/HIV and children and youth; sustainable energy; and the digital divide. Entrants must be under 30 years of age. Finalists will be selected and invited to present at the ESOMAR Congress on September 13-16, 2010, in Athens, Greece.
The Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA), St. Paul, Minn., has initiated its 2010 Global Outreach Scholarship program. The scholarship recipient will receive free registration and reimbursement of up to $1,000 for travel expenses to attend the QRCA annual conference on October 13-15, 2010, in Philadelphia. The deadline to enter is June 4, 2010.
Awards/rankings
Oslo, Norway, research software company Confirmit has been recognized as a service leader in the enterprise feedback management category of CRM’s 2010 Service Awards.
Columbia, Md., research company Arbitron Inc.’s executive vice president and CMO Alton Adams was named to Radio Ink’s list of Most Influential African-Americans in Radio.
Additionally, Arbitron’s multicultural marketing manager Oveda Brown was named to Radio Ink’s list of Ones to Watch.
Jeff Eccleston of Sponsorship Research International, Norwalk, Conn., has been named to SportsBusiness Journal’s Forty Under 40 list. Eccleston is the first person in the field of research to receive the award.
East Islip, N.Y., research company Mktg Inc. awarded Orem, Utah, research company Western Wats the Silver Certification for Opinion Outpost, its online Canadian panel.
New accounts/projects
Microsoft Advertising, Seattle, has selected Reston, Va., research company comScore’s Audience Advantage platform to help U.S. consumer packaged goods advertisers reach audiences across Microsoft’s online properties, such as MSN and Windows Live.
Bank of America (BOA), Charlotte, N.C., has adopted Leeds, U.K., research company Nunwood’s Fizz knowledge management platform for its Europe Card Services. Under the agreement, Nunwood will build an online research library for BOA.
Facebook, San Francisco, has selected Orem, Utah, research company Omniture to measure Facebook ad effectiveness.
Moneysupermarket.com, a U.K. price comparison site, has selected eDigitalResearch, Hampshire, U.K., to conduct online consumer opinion surveys.
Research Now, London, has entered into an agreement with Emirates Airline, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to invite members of the airline’s loyalty rewards program Skywards to enroll in Research Now’s Dallas parent company e-Rewards’ opinion panels and earn Skywards miles in exchange for time spent participating in online market research surveys.
QVC, West Chester, Pa., has adopted Reston, Va., research company Clarabridge’s content mining platform at its U.S. operation.
Additionally, Wendy’s, Dublin, Ohio, has selected Clarabridge’s text analytics solution for its customer feedback program.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Washington, D.C., has awarded Menlo Park, Calif., research company Knowledge Networks a 20-year contract for conducting survey services for the federal government. Under this five-year base award, with three renewable five-year options, Knowledge Networks will become a pre-approved, federally-qualified vendor within GSA.
Palo Alto, Calif., research company Market Insight Corporation has signed an agreement with Tomorrow Management Consulting Corporation, Beijing, to establish a consumer research model in China.
Shelton, Conn., research company Survey Sampling International (SSI) has adopted Westport, Conn., research company Imperium’s data validation service Verity. SSI’s respondent data will be Verity-certified for accuracy.
Netherlands research company Out Now Consulting has expanded its study of gay consumers in Latin America into Europe and has received corporate sponsorship from Berlin Tourism Marketing and Delta Air Lines, Atlanta.
San Francisco research company MarketTools Inc.’s online data quality and validation platform TrueSample has been adopted by three research panel companies: McMillion Research, Charleston, W.Va.; uSamp, Encino, Calif.; and Western Wats, Orem, Utah.
Maponics, a Norwich, Vt., software company, has been chosen by ZipRealty Inc., Emeryville, Calif., to provide neighborhood and zip code boundary data for its online property search and map display features.
New companies/new divisions/relocations/expansions
Chris Brown and Sue Barnes, both former U.K. directors with J.D. Power and Associates, a Westlake Village, Calif., research company, have founded brownsauce Group, a Surrey, U.K., research firm. The firm is online at www.brownsaucegroup.com.
Naperville, Ill., research company Millward Brown will open a location in Vietnam in 2010. The office will be led by Phil Worthington.
Joey Harmon has founded Harmon Research Group Inc., Anaheim, Calif., with a location in San Jose, Costa Rica. The firm is online at www.harmonresearch.com.
Research company earnings/financial news
The Nielsen Company, New York, announced financial results for the year ended December 31, 2009. Reported revenues were $4,808 million, flat with reported revenues for the year ended December 31, 2008, of $4,806 million. Excluding the impact of currency fluctuations, revenues for the year increased 4 percent. Reported operating income was $116 million, compared to operating income of $421 million for the year prior.
National Research Corporation, Lincoln, Neb., announced results for fourth-quarter and year-end 2009. Quarterly revenue rose 14 percent to $13.8 million, and net income rose 18 percent to $2.2 million. Quarterly earnings per share increased by 18 percent.
BrainJuicer Group PLC, London, announced results for the 12 months ended December 31, 2009. The company achieved 27 percent revenue growth compared to the previous year (£11,814,000 in 2009 over £9,322,000 in 2008); 27 percent growth in operating profit (£1,645,000 over £1,290,000); 21 percent increase in pre-tax profit (£1,658,000 over £1,372,000); and 22 percent growth in fully-diluted earnings per share (9.0p over 7.4p).
Ipsos, Paris, reported 2009 revenue of 943.7 million euros, down 3.6 percent compared to 2008.
B2B International, Manchester, U.K., increased sales by 10 percent in 2009.