News notes
The CASRO Institute for Research Quality awarded certification to Fort Washington, Pa., health care and life science services company M3 USA on June 28 for compliance to the ISO 27001 standard. ISO/IEC 27001 is a program that requires an organization to implement and maintain a structured information security and data governance framework. Separately, CASRO Institute for Research Quality has awarded certification to Rockville, Md., research and analysis firm EurekaFacts for compliance to the ISO 20252 Standard for Market, Opinion and Social Research. ISO 20252 establishes globally-recognized terms, definitions and service requirements for project management in research organizations.
Jeff Savitz, CEO of Philadelphia research firm SavitzConsulting, has uncovered new methods for reducing sample sizes in survey research, identifying “inliers” within a sample that have predicting error rates only two-thirds that of a random sample. According to Savitz, “These inliers are uniformly present in most all demographic and psychographic groups, making them useful for estimating population parameters for virtually any consumer target.” Since only two-thirds as many of the inliers are necessary to achieve the same margins of error, this could substantially reduce sample costs, Savitz said.
Research company M3 USA, Fort Washington, Pa., has been awarded the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Certification by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The certification replaces the Safe Harbor Agreement, with which M3 was already compliant. The new data protection framework between the U.S. and EU was adopted by the European Commission on July 12 and is designed to better protect the transfer of EU citizens’ Personally Identifiable Data between the EU and U.S.
U.K. research technology firm RealityMine has joined a newly-created member class, Provider Associates, at Geopath, a New York-based not-for-profit organization that provides audience location measurement on behalf of the out-of-home advertising industry. Geopath, formerly known as the Traffic Audit Bureau for Media Measurement, recently opened the new member class to welcome organizations that provide data, research, software and technology to its membership.
Acquisitions/transactions
Nielsen, New York, has completed its acquisition of sports measurement, evaluation and intelligence firm Repucom, expanding Nielsen’s sports offerings globally. Nielsen’s acquisition of Repucom includes all operations, data, advanced analytic IP and tools and ongoing client work. As a result of the acquisition, Nielsen clients will be able to use Repucom’s methodologies.
Location-based mobile marketing firm Verve, New York, has acquired ROXIMITY, a location-based analytics and advertising platform based in Denver. The acquisition combines Verve’s location and mobile device data with ROXIMITY’s beacon hardware and analytics tools to help marketers observe and influence consumer behavior.
Gartner, Stamford, Conn., has acquired SCM World, a cross-industry peer network and learning community based in London that provides subscription-based research and conferences powered by supply chain practitioners. Gartner will introduce SCM World’s supply chain services to Gartner’s clients and Gartner’s supply chain-focused research and advisory services to SCM World clients. Gartner will also develop a range of supply chain products and services to accelerate growth globally for both companies. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Natick, Mass., data and intelligence firm Definitive Healthcare has acquired Billian’s HealthDATA, an Atlanta-based data and analytics firm, expanding Definitive’s data on health care providers and facilities. The deal closed on June 22 and the companies have already begun to integrate the organizations. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
London-based communications firm WPP has acquired Conexance, a database marketing company based in France. Following acquisition, Conexance will work with WPP’s Data Alliance companies Wunderman, Kantar and GroupM.
GameAnalytics, a Copenhagen, Denmark, behavioral analytics platform for game developers, has been acquired by China-based mobile ad tech company Mobvista. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Rhinebeck, N.Y., research firm Phoenix Marketing International has acquired SYNERGISTICS Research Corporation, an Atlanta-based research firm for the financial services industry. The new division will operate under the brand name Phoenix SYNERGISTICS and will be run by Bill McCracken, who remains SYNERGISTICS CEO and also becomes Phoenix EVP, and Genie Driskill, SYNERGISTICS COO, who also becomes Phoenix EVP. Both will report to Neal Chambliss, co-president, financial services at Phoenix Marketing International.
Research America, Philadelphia, has completed its acquisition of assets of health care researcher Sigma Group LLC, based in Lincoln, Neb. The firm has also acquired Viewpoint Consulting, a Langhorne, Pa., agency specializing in pharmaceutical payer research to augment its existing pharmaceutical offerings. Viewpoint Consulting’s founder Norm Smith and his research team will continue to support their clients from their current office location. Smith has also been named director of payer research in the new alliance.
Jersey City, N.J., data analytics provider Verisk Analytics Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Greentech Media Inc., a Boston-based information services company for the electricity and renewables sector. Greentech Media will become part of Wood Mackenzie, a Verisk Analytics business, and will provide Wood Mackenzie clients with market intelligence across several categories, including solar generation, energy storage and smart grids that react to changes in supply and demand. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2016, subject to the completion of customary closing conditions.
Dayton, Ohio-based big data analytics company Teradata has purchased Big Data Partnership, a U.K.-based services provider of big data solutions and training. Big Data Partnership will join Teradata’s Think Big consulting practice. The terms of the acquisition agreement were not disclosed.
E-commerce platform Magento Commerce, Campbell, Calif., has acquired cloud-based analytics platform RJMetrics, based in Philadelphia. The Magento core platform will now include a native solution allowing merchants to better understand and optimize their commerce business based on data and insights into customers, merchandising, channels and more. The new solution will be marketed as Magento Analytics.
Cincinnati-based customer engagement firm 84.51°, a wholly-owned subsidiary The Kroger Co., has merged with Deerfield, Ill., predictive analytics company Market6, which has offices in Cincinnati and suburban Chicago. 84.51°’s objective is to leverage Market6’s technology, IP and people to expand its work with The Kroger Co., as well as Kroger’s regional grocery retailers and the CPG business. Fifty-five Market6 employees located in Cincinnati and Chicago will now be employed by 84.51°.
Marketing technology firm Zeta Interactive, New York, has acquired Little Rock, Ark., data, analytics and software-as-a-service company Acxiom’s e-mail services unit Acxiom Impact. As part of the agreement, Zeta has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with Acxiom.
Lynx Research Consulting, Boise, Idaho, has acquired Drake Insights of New York City, led by Terrett Drake. The move is designed to expand Lynx Research Consulting’s capabilities in Drake Insights’ areas of strength: automotive, media/advertising, health care, brand strategy and communications testing, as well as expand the operating capacity for Drake Insights to provide Lynx Research Consulting’s quantitative offerings in addition to Drake Insights’ qualitative portfolio.
Alliances/strategic partnerships
Researcher Qualtrics, Provo, Utah, has formed a partnership with Slack, a San Francisco-based team communication platform. This partnership enables Qualtrics users to conduct surveys and receive notifications within Slack, enabling organizations to measure and respond to customer feedback in real-time.
Kantar Worldpanel, London, has formed a global partnership with Facebook, Menlo Park, Calif., that brings Facebook mobile ad exposure data into Kantar Worldpanel’s Consumer Mix Model (CMM) service. The enhanced CMM tool, which combines Facebook’s mobile ad exposure data (in addition to desktop) with Kantar Worldpanel’s consumer packaged goods purchase data, allows brands and advertisers to understand the impact of individual advertising campaigns on actual sales and the contribution Facebook and other media have on their return on investment.
In New York, data-driven marketing firm Experian Marketing Services and information services company Neustar Inc. have partnered to provide marketers with data onboarding solutions that can be used to enhance addressable coverage and expanded activation options across direct match partners in addressable media channels, including mobile, display, e-mail and TV. Using Neustar’s Omnichannel Onboarding, a data onboarding solution, advertisers and marketers have the ability to onboard audience segments derived from transactions, such as point-of-sale data, credit card purchases and more. Additionally, the partnership enables marketers to leverage joint capabilities from marketing platforms from either Experian or Neustar.
Research company Kantar, London, has signed an affiliation agreement with Rahbar Bazaar Market Research Institute, based in Iran.
Finland-based audience measurement company Verto Analytics and New York-based statistics company Statista have formed a research partnership. Verto Analytics will provide Statista with ongoing research deliverables and measurement data based on its single-source digital cross-device audience measurement methodology. Verto’s research data currently covers adult consumers ages 18 and over in the United States, United Kingdom and China, with additional countries in Europe and Asia to follow in the coming months. Verto Analytics’ data and insights will be available exclusively to Statista subscribers through their online statistics portal.
ComScore, Reston, Va., has expanded its partnership with Montgomery, Ala., TV broadcasting company Raycom for comScore’s local television viewing information across five new Raycom television markets. With this agreement, comScore now has 56 TV markets under contract with Raycom.
Plano, Texas, firm Research Now and Canada-based shopper insight firm Lucros Partners have formed a partnership to sell Shopper Intelligence in the U.S. market. Shopper Intelligence is an international quantitative measurement research program that is based on interviewing shoppers from all major categories, brands and retailers in one benchmarking process. The U.S. program for Shopper Intelligence provides customer views into over 130 product categories across more than 20 retailers in the food and beverage industries, giving manufacturers and retailers access to a range of attitude and shopper behavior metrics from both online and brick-and-mortar shopping experiences. The inclusive data set is provided through an online dashboard, with additional analysis and insights provided by Lucros Partners.
India-based researcher MRSS India Ltd. has been selected by India-based health care and fitness start-up CureFit Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. as its research partner for its strategic market research requirements. The research by MRSS India aims to help CureFit fine-tune its business concept and provide insights to aid in the business launch, scheduled for 2017, through multiple research surveys involving consumers and various health care sector professionals. The contract will be a year long with the research covering markets across India.
Marketing research companies Copernicus Marketing and Forbes Consulting Group have joined Isobar, a Chicago-based digital marketing agency. All three companies are part of Dentsu Aegis Network. Together they will form Isobar’s Marketing Intelligence Practice.
Plano, Texas, firm Research Now has partnered with Stamford, Conn., research technology firm FocusVision. Research Now will use FocusVision’s Decipher technology platform, which uses a mobile-first approach to survey design and data collection, while also providing reporting and data visualization capabilities.
Wilton, Conn., research solutions firm Toluna has partnered with ClickZ, a New York-based publisher of digital marketing news, research and insights for marketing professionals. The partnership will facilitate a joint effort between the two firms to conduct real-time survey research on key topics of interest.
The Food Marketing Institute (FMI), Arlington, Va., and Nielsen, New York, have formed a strategic analytic alliance to uncover insights on the “Digitally Engaged Food Shopper.” Results from the multi-year initiative will focus on current and future digital shopping behaviors, incorporating perspectives from retailers, CPG manufacturers and technology providers, along with consumer research by FMI and Nielsen.
Association/organization news
ESOMAR has appointed London-based research language services firm Language Connect as its official translation partner. ESOMAR has also launched its multi-language online portals for its Web site (now available in French, Japanese, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese and German) and now offers all of its guidelines, as well as its professional standards resources, translated into those same languages.
The Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA), St. Paul, Minn., will again offer its Young Professionals Grant (YPG) program, providing at least 10 grants. The YPG program aims to help advance the careers of young qualitative researchers by giving them the opportunity to network with professionals and learn from presentations on qualitative research at the QRCA’s conference. The grant includes full registration fees to attend QRCA’s upcoming annual conference in Los Angeles on January 18-20, 2017. The closing date for applications is November 1 and winners will be notified by November 15. Additional information and the application form can be found at www.qrca.org/ypg.
The Qualitative Research Consultants Association has retained Franklin, Tenn., firm Harpeth Marketing to provide a variety of marketing support functions.
Awards/rankings
Michelle Andre, vice president of marketing for Fishkill, N.Y., firm Virtual Incentives, has been named a winner in the Women World Awards in the Executive of the Year category. Andre was selected for the award based on her vision, strategy and implementation of full spectrum marketing programs for Virtual Incentives. Winners were honored in San Francisco on June 27 during the annual SVUS Red Carpet Awards Ceremony Dinner.
The American Marketing Association and the American Marketing Association Foundation have named Michel Wedel, the PepsiCo Chaired Professor of Consumer Science at the Robert H. Smith School of Business and a professor at the University of Maryland, as the recipient of the Charles Coolidge Parlin Marketing Research Award. The award honors achievements in advancing the market research industry and recognizes innovative techniques in a range of areas spanning new marketing research concepts, methods, measurement and analysis. Wedel specializes in the development and application of statistical and econometric methods for research in marketing.
Paris-based communications research agency iligo won multiple awards at the Research Innovation competition sponsored by France’s Offremedia. The agency won the Grand Prix as Research Challenger for 2016 as well as two gold awards for quality in research reporting and methodological approach. It also won silver awards for innovation for its data collection methods and for its studies in the categories of media audiences, brand advertising and point-of-sale optimization.
Warren, N.J., digital data collection firm Lightspeed GMI’s Vice President of Research Jon Puleston and Research Innovator Alexander Wheatley were named individual WPP Atticus Award recipients for Research in Practice. Open to professionals working in WPP companies, the annual Atticus Awards recognize original published thinking in communications services.
New accounts/projects
Austin, Texas, supermarket Whole Foods Market Inc. has selected Nielsen, New York, as its primary U.S. analytics provider for point-of-sale data, consumer insights and industry metrics. Nielsen is working with the company to create a customized natural and organic product hierarchy that will provide a view of Whole Foods Market’s product categories, including ingredient level attributes.
Study Hall Research, Tampa, Fla., has been retained by the Atlanta office of integrated communications firm BBDO to conduct a multi-phased research initiative for a client in the consumer packaged goods category. As a part of the engagement, Study Hall will conduct both qualitative and quantitative consumer research initiatives to provide research-based insights for product development, product positioning, marketing and merchandising. Separately, Study Hall Research has completed a strategic brand research initiative for Space Florida, Titusville, Fla., and its St. Petersburg, Fla.- based communications agency Paradise. The study was commissioned to explore a range of strategic and branding issues for Space Florida and to evaluate vacationers’ behaviors with regards to space program-focused travel and utilization of information sources. Additionally, Veterans Florida has renewed its contract with Study Hall Research for longitudinal awareness, attitude and perception tracking among active U.S. military service members, veterans and spouses.
New companies/new divisions/relocations/expansions
Yahoo! Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif., has launched Yahoo Storytellers, a full-service content marketing studio for brands and agencies that uses Yahoo’s editorial content, data and native advertising through Yahoo Gemini. Marketers can leverage Yahoo Storytellers to develop, distribute and measure premium branded content that meets consumers’ expectations and drives engagement. Yahoo Storytellers also offers advertisers a full-suite of capabilities to build successful content marketing strategies, including content consulting services and curriculum-based workshops, development of premium video and a full range of editorial content, influencer activations across social platforms and partnership extensions.
Researcher GfK, New York, has collaborated with research facilities firm Fieldwork to establish a user experience (UX) research studio in Boston. The GfK UX lab within Fieldwork is equipped with technologies that enable digital capture of audio and video media, along with other specialized tools such as eye-trackers and mobile device camera rigs. The lab is able to accommodate one-on-one interviews, focus groups, workshops and simulated environments.
Sweden-based research software firm Dapresy has opened a new office in London, with Marc Chester being appointed as the new director of Dapresy U.K.
Belgium-based consumer insights and collaboration agency InSites Consulting has opened a new office in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Research company i-view London will be moving to a new site on The Strand following funding by London-based banking and financial services firm HSBC. The new site will allow the company to reach a wider international audience from across Europe, the U.S. and Asia-Pacific, as well as add five new staff members to its team.
U.K.-based research fielding company Field Scope International has opened an office in New York. The new office will cover the U.S. market and will provide clients with recruitment and field services in the health care research sector.
CRG Global of Ormond Beach, Fla., has recently opened a new Test America qual/quant studio in Santa Anita, Calif. The new office includes a consumer test kitchen, laundry and fragrance-testing rooms, a dedicated shopper insights room and a viewable multipurpose room.
Research and technology company Aha! has relocated to the Water Wheel Centre building in downtown Northville, Mich.
Arlington, Va., firm Hanover Research has opened a new office in New York City. The New York office is the company’s fourth location.
In Chicago, Cannabiz Consumer Group has launched to provide research and tracking services to markets disrupted by the legalization of marijuana. Cannabiz has a team with expertise in market measurement and tracking, consumer and shopper segmentation and targeting, sales activation, trade area assessment and predictive analytics. Combined with data collection, data sciences and data processing technologies, Cannabiz provides consumer goods and services industries and retailers guidance on how to manage their businesses within legalized markets. Leslie Townsend is CEO of the company.
Health care consulting and research firm Kantar Health, New York, has expanded its presence in Israel to better partner with companies in Israel’s life sciences industry. As part of the expansion, Kobi Sharon has been named vice president, client consulting and is based in Israel. Kantar Health will offer its marketing insights and evidence solutions to multinational corporations and local biotech, medical technology and mHealth companies in Israel. These solutions include filling and identifying the gaps in disease management; demonstrating value for their products - commercially and clinically; ensuring regulatory, efficacy and safety requirements are fulfilled; driving and maximizing brand performance and mapping and leveraging the patient journey.
London-based research and consulting company YouGov has opened an office in Washington, D.C. The new office will focus on custom, academic, public affairs and public opinion research, building primarily on YouGov’s capabilities in Redwood City, Calif., and San Francisco. To lead the new office, Amy Emmatty has joined the company and has been appointed as managing director, D.C.
Nichols Research, Fremont, Calif., has completed a remodel of its flagship office in San Francisco’s financial district and has expanded its Fresno, Calif., office. Additionally, the company has promoted Grace La Mer to vice president of compliance and Sami Biggs to vice president of operations. The firm has also expanded its company Web site.
Business-to-business customer experience consulting firm Walker Information has announced plans to expand its operations and construct a new headquarters facility in Indianapolis. Walker, in partnership with real estate developer PK Partners, will invest $11 million to build a new 54,000-square-foot building on Indianapolis’ north side. Walker expects to complete the move by the end of 2017, relocating from its current facility. The firm also plans to expand its services and increase its consulting capabilities and continue hiring for consulting, analytic, information technology and project management positions.
Wilton, Conn., researcher Toluna has opened an office in Dubai, UAE. It will be led by Nader Kobeissi, general manager of Toluna MENA.
Insurer Allstate, Northbrook, Ill., has launched a standalone telematics unit called Arity which will collect data on drivers and sell analytics products to third parties, including other insurance providers.
Research company earnings/financial news
Data visualization and reporting software firm Dapresy, Portsmouth, N.H., reported record first-half 2016 financial results with organic growth of more than 50 percent versus the similar period in 2015. The company’s growth included three new hires, including Marc Chester as director of Dapresy UK and Bob Hull and Jeff Martin, both vice presidents of business development for Dapresy North America, as well as new client relationships in North America, Europe and Australia and the launch of its Pro Version 10 solution.
Nielsen, New York, reported revenues of approximately $1.6 billion for the second quarter of 2016, up 2.4 percent or 4.5 percent on a constant currency basis, compared to the second quarter of 2015.
U.K. agency DJS Research reported a turnover of £4.2 million for 2015-16, a 17 percent growth from last year’s £3.6 million.
Forrester Research Inc., Cambridge, Mass., reported total revenues of $87.8 million for the second quarter of 2016, compared to $82.8 million for the second quarter of 2015. Research revenues increased 5 percent and advisory services and events revenues increased 9 percent compared to the second quarter of 2015.
National Research Corporation, Lincoln, Neb., reported revenue of $26.1 million for second-quarter 2016 (ended June 30), up 7 percent compared to $24.5 million for the same quarter in 2015.
Gartner Inc., Stamford, Conn., reported total revenue of $610 million for second-quarter 2016, an increase of 11 percent over second-quarter 2015. Research revenue for second-quarter 2016 was $449.2 million, up 16 percent compared to second-quarter 2015. Consulting revenue was $94.1 million, an increase of 6 percent compared to 2015 and events revenue was $66.8 million compared to $73.9 million in second-quarter 2015, a decrease of 10 percent due to changes in its events calendar.
IDI Inc., a Boca Raton, Fla., data and analytics company, reported revenue of $41.0 million and adjusted EBITDA of $3.1 million for the second quarter ended June 30, 2016. Of the total revenue, the Information Services and Performance Marketing segments contributed $13.4 million and $27.6 million, respectively, for the second quarter 2016, compared to total revenue of $1.0 million, with Information Services and Performance Marketing segments contributing $1.0 million and $0 million, respectively, for the second quarter 2015. Net cash provided by operating activities was $1.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016, compared to net cash used in operating activities of $4.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2015. The company reported a net loss of $7.2 million for the second quarter 2016, compared to a net loss of $45.5 million for the second quarter 2015.
Audience technology company YuMe Inc., Redwood City, Calif., has reported revenue of $40.7 million for second-quarter 2016, compared to $40.4 million in the second quarter of 2015.