TRA signs GroupM as Media TRAnalytics client

US— TRA has secured WPP-owned media agency network GroupM as a client for its Media TRAnalytics tool, which merges second-by-second TV viewing data with shopper purchase data in a bid to help marketers plan, buy and evaluate the effectiveness of their advertising.

2009 was 'pretty shocking', but still Truth posts growth of 32%

UK— Insight consultancy Truth is preparing to move Stateside this year following growth of 32% in 2009, taking turnover to just over £5m.

WebSideStory founder returns with new business Anametrix

US— A team of former WebSideStory executives – including founder Blaise Barrelet – have gone to market with a new business anaytics platform that aggregates online, offline and external databases for insight purposes.

New executive director joins Web Analytics Association

US— The Web Analytics Association has appointed Mike Levin as its new executive director.

'Too early' to comment on potential sell-offs, says InfoGroup CEO

US— InfoGroup CEO Bill Fairfield has said it is too soon to tell whether potential new owner CCMP Capital will sell off any of the database marketing firm’s business units, such as Opinion Research Corporation.

ComScore spells out TV audience measurement plan

The news that web audience measurement agency ComScore was embarking into TV audience measurement may have come as a surprise to some, but the firm says the move has always been on the cards.

The visual art of data

David McCandless is the man behind informationisbeautiful.net. His eye-catching infographics have been used by the Guardian, the BBC and numerous other outlets. We spoke to him about why he believes that presenting data visually is the way forward, and why he hates pie charts.

More things research can learn from other walks of life

Sometimes it’s useful to cast the net wide in the search for inspiration and insight. Here are a few lessons that MR practitioners can learn from the worlds of football, Hollywood, graffiti and more.

Tilling new ground in mobile media measurement

With census-level data on 2.5m mobile internet users, Ground Truth promises to add depth and perspective on mobile media usage. We sat down with marketing VP Evan Neufeld to find out why he believes 2010 will be the year mobile makes its mark as an advertising medium.

Adding a measure of quality to web audience ratings

At the heart of the recent row over ComScore’s hybrid web audience measurement system was a dispute over the best way to measure the size of a website’s audience. But what about audience quality? It’s a question Crowd Science CEO John Martin hopes online advertisers will increasingly ask.

Apple, Amazon, Google Wage Content Wars

Just as businesses today might create an ad campaign that can be customized for hundreds of different print formats, a marketing message must now fit into numerous technology interfaces--and it's no longer just about a PC-based Web browser. To win, here's what you'll need to know.

Turning the Corner: A Survey-Based View of Marketing in 2010

Frost & Sullivan’s survey of over 400 North American marketing executives indicates an optimistic start to the year, with the majority predicting a moderate increase in their company’s 2010 performance. Despite this optimism, marketers concede that there is room for improvement.

AARP's Marketing Chief Pardo: '50 Is the New 50'

Advertising during the Oscars for the first time, AARP launched a campaign targeting boomers who are "not done growing up," says chief branding officer Emilio Pardo, who explains why now is the right time for such a message and dispels a few common misconceptions about boomers.

Dancing With the Stars

Despite the travails of Tiger Woods and other well-known names, the use of celeb endorsers seems to be making a comeback. Why? Industry experts say it's partially because many stars have used social media outlets like Twitter to establish one-to-one connections with consumers.

CMOs: Create A Customer Scorecard

Like a good doctor's report, a good scorecard can give you a true picture of what is going on below the financials. That picture will allow you to adjust your customer offerings to ensure the long-term health of your company. Here are some suggestions for what you should use to help monitor your customers.

U.K. to Regulate Social Network Marketing

Claims from marketers on their own Web sites and third-party sites like social networks will be subject to Advertising Standards Authority scrutiny, as they are in TV, print, and other forms of online advertising.

Watch Out America! Here Come the European Social Media Marketers!

While, 58% of marketers in North America are already engaged in social media marketing, only 34% of Europeans can say the same. That’s likely to change in the next 12 months

New Research Sheds Light on Social Media Use

The Retail Advertising and Marketing Association survey, “Social Media: An Inside Look at the People Who Use It,” compares U.S. social media users to the average American adult.

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Mobile Facebook, Twitter Growth Explodes

In general, the popularity of mobile social networking is increasing. In January 2010, 11.1% of all mobile phone users accessed a social networking site via mobile browser, an increase of 4.6 percentage points from the previous year.

Microsoft To Launch Bing Ads In U.K. vs. “Goliath”

The TV campaign will run solidly for a month and then in two-week bursts until mid-June. It will be backed by a digital campaign across Microsoft’s network and on media including social networking Websites.