Nielsen Introduces First Suite of NielsenConnect Services

Nielsen Introduces First Suite of NielsenConnect Services

New 'Start With the Consumer' Initiatives Integrate Information across the Company

NEW YORK, May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nielsen Company today introduced the first suite of innovative, company-wide services from NielsenConnect, the company's cross-discipline initiative that brings together Nielsen's unparalleled intelligence-gathering, information and insight capabilities to help clients better understand consumers and anticipate trends.

Nielsen's information assets represent the premiere collection of media and marketing information, which includes consumer purchase information, store data, online measurement, modeling assets, geo-demographic data, television ratings, outdoor ratings, as well as movie, book, video and radio data. NielsenConnect, under the leadership of industry veteran Jon Mandel, integrates this information from dozens of services that collect, analyze and report on consumer patterns and usage around the world. NielsenConnect's initial services include:

    -- NielsenCombine    -- NielsenConnections    -- NielsenHealth    -- NielsenTrend    -- NielsenLinx    -- Nielsen In-Store   

"As a company, Nielsen knows more about consumer behavior than anyone else," said Jon Mandel, chief executive officer of NielsenConnect. "NielsenConnect is bringing together a remarkable assortment of research services, consumer-behavior databases and insights to help clients look forward and understand the trends that will affect their business. By connecting this information, we're able to offer marketers powerful tools and insights that are unique to the marketplace and will help them grow their businesses."

   Six New Services Deliver Clear, Actionable Insights    NielsenConnect's six services include:     -- NielsenCombine        NielsenCombine is a consumer insight service that integrates data sets       to create a deeper understanding of consumer behavior.  This service       connects information from multiple sources -- including Nielsen data       as well as external research -- to capture the complex dynamics       underlying people's consumption patterns and attitudes.  For example,       NielsenCombine can integrate a client's database with Nielsen's       National People Meter data to shed light on the relationship between       purchasing decisions and television viewing.        NielsenCombine is a highly flexible service. Any number or type of       data sets can be integrated using a variety of methodologies,       including direct matching of respondents, segmentation matching, data       fusion and probability models.        NielsenCombine will be managed by Pete Doe, Vice President, Analytics       and Modeling.  Doe is a leading authority on audience measurement,       with twenty years experience in statistical modeling and data       integration techniques, particularly data fusion, and has published       papers and lectured on the subject.     -- NielsenConnections        The primary goal of NielsenConnections is to evaluate the consumer's       activity across media by product usage.        The service starts with a core of the National People Meter sample       which will be used to inform data integration across multiple       databases.  These databases are from the vast array of Nielsen panels       and extend to external research including, most importantly, client       proprietary research.  In this way, NielsenConnections will harness       the power of Nielsen to drive individual client success.        For example, fusing the hub survey with magazine and newspaper       readership data and financial services market research would help a       financial institution decide how best to allocate its marketing       dollars among various media to reach target customers most       effectively.        Nielsen Connections is led by Howard Shimmel and Brian Fuhrer. Shimmel       was previously SVP, Client Insights, at Nielsen Media Research, and is       a 28-year media and marketing research veteran, with client-side       experience at MTV Networks and AOL.  Brian Fuhrer is VP, Program       Manager at Nielsen Media Research.  Fuhrer has more than 20 years of       experience in media research and product development at the company.     -- NielsenHealth        NielsenHealth brings Nielsen's broad portfolio of data, analytics and       expertise to bear on the dynamic needs facing the health care       industry.  With health care becoming increasingly consumer driven, it       is important for those in the industry to view patients and physicians       as consumers in the marketplace.  NielsenHealth will provide clients       with "consumer centric" analytical tools to more effectively       understand and address the attitudes and behaviors of these key       healthcare constituents.        By utilizing multiple data sources and advanced analytic applications       within the Nielsen portfolio, NielsenHealth will help a variety of       clients -- including OTC and Rx pharmaceutical companies, medical       device and food manufacturers, retailers as well as healthcare care       providers -- in gaining deeper insight into the healthcare value chain       while driving greater efficiency and effectiveness with their       marketing related activities.        This service is truly breakthrough, because Nielsen has combined over       thirteen of its solutions in a seamlessly integrated client service       and product development strategy to maximize client return on       investment. Some of the assets involved in this integrated healthcare       platform include Nielsen Media Research, ACNielsen, BASES,       Homescan/Spectra, Claritas, TDLinx, Nielsen BuzzMetrics,       Nielsen//NetRatings, ACNielsen Analytic Consulting, The Modeling       Group, Nielsen HCI, PERQ/HCI and Nielsen Custom Research.       NielsenHealth has already begun providing clients with valuable       insights for patients and physicians and will continue to do so as it       introduces innovative new tools to the healthcare marketplace.        NielsenHealth is led by Matthew Dumas, formerly the Health and Beauty       Care leader for ACNielsen business development, where he was       responsible for developing integrated solutions for Fortune 500       companies.  Prior to joining ACNielsen in 2005, Dumas had spent nine       years at Procter & Gamble in Marketing Innovation and Brand Management       both in the United States and Europe.     -- NielsenTrend        NielsenTrend is a thought leadership consultancy that will help       clients understand and interpret consumer insights affecting their       future and their financial performance. NielsenTrend will deliver a       cross-functional approach to data integration through an authoritative       intelligence network on global trends, consumer attitudes and behavior       backed by Nielsen's extensive information assets. It will interpret       data from across Nielsen services to provide up-to-the minute analysis       of the complex dynamics between demographics, ethnographic trends and       attitudinal shifts.  Currently under development, NielsenTrend will be       launched in 2008.        NielsenTrend products will include frequent, targeted trend reports,       custom research and conferences featuring industry leaders. In the       future, NielsenTrend will launch additional services that distill and       synthesize multiple data sources to deliver accurate, forward-thinking       analysis of the trends that will affect consumers' buying habits and       behaviors in fundamental ways.        Karen Benezra, most recently editor of Brandweek, will lead       NielsenTrend as executive director.  A keen observer of marketing and       consumer behavior, she was previously national news editor at Adweek       and a business reporter for Gannett Newspapers. Benezra has a deep       understanding of the forces shaping the marketing and media business       today and frequently comments on advertising, brand identity, pop       culture and media topics.     -- NielsenLinx        NielsenLinx will help marketers, retailers, media and advertising       agencies organize and manage their data on brands, locations and media       more effectively.        NielsenLinx is a Master Data Management (MDM) solution that will       provide a source of clean and coded reference content for critical       transaction and reporting systems that drive the business. NielsenLinx       will expand its coverage to media, brand and global applications based       on the success of TDLinx, the industry-accepted standard for location       information management.  It will be sourced world-wide from existing       repositories across the Nielsen enterprise.        As a metadata infrastructure solution, NielsenLinx will provide a       syndicated framework for database maintenance, aggregated reporting,       data integration and electronic communication.  The initial value of       this service will enable information technology departments to       simplify data models, clean up naming conventions, update hierarchical       relationships, apply consistent classifications and integrate       disparate sources of internal and external data.        NielsenLinx will help solve common data integrity issues. For example,       a client with multiple business units could use NielsenLinx to ensure       that all of its media planning activity is organized and aligned       consistently.  NielsenLinx, deployed as a common language for       marketing, will enable clients to share data more efficiently with       their trading partners.        NielsenLinx is being developed by Scott Taylor, formerly General       Manager of TDLinx, where he successfully led that brand's expansion       from its inception. Taylor has more than twenty years of experience       providing information and trade solutions to the consumer packaged       goods world.     -- Nielsen In-Store        This global measurement service is designed to help marketing       professionals better understand how to reach and influence consumers       in retail environments.  In-Store measures consumer exposure to a       fast-growing and powerful array of in-store marketing vehicles,       including television and radio, at-shelf ads, digital signage and       other point-of-purchase displays. Collectively, these in-store       marketing approaches stand as the sixth largest advertising vehicle in       the U.S., with $18.6 billion in spending in 2005, according to a study       by Veronis Suhler Stevenson Partners.  Developed in partnership with       the In-Store Marketing Institute, this innovative service allows       clients to measure the impact of in-store marketing and assess its       value in comparison with other media and marketing options.        The new service builds on a groundbreaking development effort called       P.R.I.S.M. (Pioneering Research for an In-Store Metric) conducted in       early 2006 by a consortium of retailers, manufacturers and the In-       Store Marketing Institute. The P.R.I.S.M. Project created a new       approach to in-store research that provides the retail industry with a       common language to measure in-store consumer reach.  Nielsen responded       quickly; In-Store began in-store measurement 112 days after the       initial P.R.I.S.M. consortium gave its official approval.  In-Store       will begin its global expansion this summer.        George Wishart is the Global Managing Director of Nielsen In-Store.       Wishart joined The Nielsen Company in 1999 to lead its retail       geo-demographic business.  He has extensive marketing and advertising       experience, including 11 years with Kraft Foods, a number of years       with various leading advertising agencies and most recently, President       of Nielsen's IMS business.    About The Nielsen Company  

The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions and recognized brands in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek), trade shows and the newspaper sector (Scarborough Research). The privately held company has more than 41,000 employees and is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA.

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Source: The Nielsen Company

CONTACT: Gary Holmes of The Nielsen Company, +1-646-654-8975

Web site: http://www.nielsenmedia.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment