Rentrak adds Dish Network data to TV Essentials

US— Rentrak has struck a deal with satellite TV broadcaster Dish Network to integrate the latter’s set-top box data into its TV Essentials audience measurement service.

Mobclix deal mobilises Nielsen's Prizm segmentation

US— Nielsen’s Prizm has found itself another partner – the segmentation system is to be integrated into the Mobclix mobile ad exchange for buying and selling mobile advertising inventory.

Book researcher BML acquired by Bowker

US— Publishing services firm Bowker has acquired UK-based book researcher BML for an undisclosed amount. BML, which runs the Books & Consumers survey and the BookZone research panel, will be integrated into Bowkers business intelligence division.

Media consultant and researcher Frank N. Magid dies

US— Media consultant and research agency boss Frank N. Magid died on Friday (5 February) aged 78 following a battle with lymphoma.

Radio industry 'not harnessing potential' of online research

US— The radio industry is not harnessing the full potential of online research, according to a study by US radio researcher Kelly Music Research.

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.

Karnes offers pearls of wisdom to research SMEs

Harris Interactive’s former head of corporate development Kyle Karnes says small and medium-sized businesses need a strong and clear focus on growth and differentiation to survive the challenges of 2010. Brian Tarran reports.

Market research in 2010: In a word...

We asked Phyllis Macfarlane, Niels Schillewaert, Stan Sthanunathan and other voices from the industry to pick one word that they believe will sum up market research in 2010.

Surveying the changing political and social landscape

2010 promises much to excite UK psephologists: a general election and the chance of a change in government after 13 years of Labour rule. But are the electorate enthused by the upcoming political bun fight? TNS-BMRB’s new unit aims to find out.

The new rules of web analytics in Germany

German authorities declared last week that the use of web analytics tools such as Google Analytics is illegal without the consent of the person being tracked. We speak to Marit Hansen, head of data protection in Schleswig-Holstein, about what it means.

Toyota: A Battered Giant

The car company's image meltdown began on Jan. 21 when it announced a global recall of certain models because of accelerator problems. At the time, the company did little PR damage control while the news media and consumers online set off safety alarms. And that was just the start. Few think Toyota is irreparably damaged, but now the question is, when will Toyota regain the upper hand?

Is Twitter The Next Second Life?

If you're a marketer who has steered clear of Twitter, your (non)strategy may be paying off! It's possible that this Twitter thing may just take care of itself.

Is Social Media The New Mass Media?

The big social network sites, like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, have outgrown their roots and are trying to appeal to the mass general public. Based on sign-ups it appears that they are attracting many, many people, but are prospects responding to the advertising that's being placed?

CMO oversights that will lead to failure

"The click is a great metric to capture direct experience, but when we think about branding, the opportunity is to look at the key behavior," says Pam Horan, president of nonprofit Online Publishers Association, which represents online content providers. She cites three common CMO mistakes in this short video interview.

In Pictures: Best And Worst Ads Of Super Bowl XLIV

Slide show: Ad experts, including CMOs Jeffrey Hayzlett, Elisabeth Vanzura, and Russ Kelin, choose their top five picks and pans from Sunday night's extravaganza. From E*Trade's talking babies to Dr. Pepper's ''Kiss of death," here's what they did or didn't like about the TV commercials.

12% of Viewers Keep One Eye on the Super Bowl, One Eye on the Web

Nielsen found that simultaneous users were most engaged in general interest, e-mail, and online social networks. Sports sites, which might be more directly associated with the game itself, were visited by 18% of simultaneous users.

Traditional Shops' Digital Skills Deemed Unimpressive

Finding in RSW/US's latest study, "A Client's Perspective on Agencies," mirrored that of a September RSW/US report, which illustrated a disconnect between how clients and agencies view their skills in social media.

The Bids Are In for AOL's Sale of ICQ

The price for the service is hovering just under $200 million, several sources said, with one bid higher.

Facebook Moms Are Marketing-Savvy

Data from lucid marketing and Lisa Finn shows that most mom Facebook users feel neutral about ads on Facebook, though are much more receptive to marketing in general, however—at least when done on their terms.

Facebook Swaps Banners for Search Deal With Microsoft

The question is whether the presence of Bing's results in Facebook will have an impact on the way they use search to look for other things on the Web.