I-COM worldmeasurementnews

Enter the Dragon – the Marketing Exodus From the U.K. and U.S.?

Jake Langwith [pictured] Head of Digital Marketing at Firebrand Talent writes at ClickZ.asia: One trend that increased throughout 2011 and I predict will increase in the coming year is the move of experienced digital marketers overseas. I’m not talking about relatively short distance moves as in London to Paris, but of people jetting off to long-haul destinations to take up new jobs. So where are some of the best U.K. and U.S. talent heading to? More…

In Europe, BuzzBack Announces New Nordic Initiative

February 7th, 2012. BuzzBack has announced its expansion into the Nordic region, with Marie Hayling [pictured, left] now leading its introduction of innovative online techniques to this area. Formerly of TNS, Marie brings more than 20 years of traditional market research experience, and will be responsible for business development, based in Gothenburg, Sweden. She will help extend BuzzBack’s visual techniques to top consumer product, pharmaceutical and financial service companies in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.

“We are excited to have Marie on board,” says Martin Oxley [pictured, right], Managing Director of BuzzBack Europe. “As our European business continues to grow, we look forward to introducing our unique tools, such as eCollage, Concept Focus, Verbatim Viewer and more, to clients looking for new ways to engage consumers and facilitate emotional learning online. The Nordic region represents significant opportunities for us.” More...

In Germany, MEC Lands New Analytics and Insight Leader

Expands team with the arrival of Karin Rothstock 

2 February, 2012 - DÜSSELDORF — MEC, www.mecglobal.com, today announced the appointment of Karin Rothstock [pictured] as Managing Partner, Head of Analytics and Insight. 

Matthias Brüll, MEC’s CEO said, “Analytics and Insight is of great importance to our business and for the optimization of communication and data-management ROI for our clients. With the arrival of Karin, we are delighted to have a very experienced leader join us with such a fantastic digital background. " Download full report

In UK, MPG Media Contacts Hires Former Zenith Strategist

mrweb.com reports: In the UK, MPG Media Contacts - which is part of ad and communications services group Havas - has appointed former Zenithoptimedia Head of Strategy Hamid Habib [pictured] to lead its Catalyst division, which combines research, analysis and ‘idea facilitation’.

CEO Marc Mendoza comments: ‘Hamid’s appointment shows how serious we are about investing in our products and services, to become the sort of modern media business our clients need to steer them through the complex media landscape in the coming decade. We loved Hamid’s energy and creativity and see him as a key lynchpin to drive this agenda forward.’ More…

In Moldova, gemiusAudience appointed the official online audience measurement currency

13 February 2012. Gemius, the leading EMEA internet research agency, has been chosen by the Moldavian Joint Industry Committee, BATI, to provide the official web audience audit. The arrival of gemiusAudience in this country is a turning point in the development of the local online market, which now gains an official measurement currency. It is also an important advancement in the research project itself, as with this step gemiusAudience continues its international expansion in 2012.

As Stanislav Popov [pictured, left], the Executive Director at BATI comments: This decision is a crucial one for the market, as it is aimed at decisive internet industry unification and an increase in the online advertising channel profitability. Bearing in mind the significant Gemius experience in providing the highest quality online audience studies throughout Europe and the company's understanding of the CEE region, we are looking forward to our cooperation on the Moldavian market.

We couldn’t be more glad to have signed this contract which shows the great trust that the Moldavian Joint Industry Committee, BATI, has placed in us – Catalin Emilian [pictured, right], Gemius Country Manager for Moldova comments. This decision is also the best proof of the flexibility of our methodology and the insights offered for markets where we conduct gemiusAudience. They are appropriate for both: the highly developed Western markets such as Denmark, and the emerging markets, like Moldova. Personally, I eagerly expect the fast development of the Moldavian online advertising channel, as well as the significant increase of its competitiveness in the region, will greatly benefit from the introduction of the common measurement currency.  More...

InSites Consulting continues on its path to growth

Posted by Matthijs van den Broek on InSites Consulting Blog: Despite the challenging economic climate, we have managed to grow our business with 28% in 2011, bringing total revenues to more than €16 million. Next to the existing offices in Ghent, Rotterdam and London, we opened new offices in Timisoara and New York, thus expanding to a total of 120 employees. Last year, we were rewarded as best research agency in the Netherlands, got nominated for best new agency in the UK and received 5 award nominations at ESOMAR’s most recent general conference in Amsterdam.

“We are living in great times: consumers have more power than ever, technology is creating chances every single day, clients expect to drive future growth from new emerging markets and the boundaries of our industry are becoming more blurry”, says Kristof De Wulf [pictured], our new CEO of InSites Consulting. “Our key to accelerating growth in the coming years is based on increased focus, further strengthening our investments in continuous method innovation and marketing thought leadership, empowering consumers and employees, and wowing our customers”.  More...

In US and France, Dassault Systèmes Acquires Netvibes

Enriches 3D Experience Platform with ‘Information Intelligence Experiences’ for the Business World and Consumers

VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France and SAN FRANCISCO – February 9, 2012 — Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), world leader in 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, announced today the acquisition of Netvibes, the award-winning brand in dashboard intelligence technologies to enrich its 3D Experience platform.

“Our vision is to provide ‘social information experiences’ to the business world and consumers; holistic views on everything that matters, both inside and outside the company, in order to innovate,” said Bernard Charlès [pictured, left], President and CEO, Dassault Systèmes. “Netvibes is a perfect fit for our 3D Experience platform. It will connect information related to all product, service and user experiences from internal and external data sources, all in real-time and in-context for a better, richer experience and decision-making process.”

Freddy Mini [pictured, right], CEO, Netvibes added, “This partnership was born out of our mutual vision to bring Dashboard Intelligence to company platforms and processes, as well as real-time information to everyday people. To achieve this ambitious vision, we needed an ambitious partner like Dassault Systèmes, whose deep authority as global technology leader will rapidly accelerate our efforts across the enterprise world. Combined with Dassault Systèmes’ 3D Experience platform, we will provide customers with real-time information critical to their innovation process. The time between consumer reaction and business action is the key to providing the best experience possible.” More...

In EU: Take Action on the ePrivacy Directive with Evidon

Leading speakers including Gary Davis, Ireland's Deputy Data Protection Commissioner, will outline what businesses can do to comply with the EU ePrivacy Directive

LONDON, Jan 24, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Following the well-attended inaugural Evidon Empower Europe event in December, Evidon, the world's largest dedicated provider of privacy and compliance solutions for digital media, is to host a webinar on 31 January for businesses looking to take the next step towards compliance with the EU ePrivacy Directive.

"Transparency, control and education were the three takeaway watchwords from the Interactive Advertising Bureau at Evidon Empower Europe," said Scott Meyer [pictured], Founder and CEO of Evidon. "But how are you supposed to execute on that? The emphasis is on website owners to show initiative, but it's all wide open to interpretation. We're here to explain some best practices for demonstrating compliance - from conducting audits on trackers and cookies on websites, to displaying privacy notices on ads that will furnish attendees with the knowledge and confidence they'll need to move forward. Anyone operating in the EU online ecosystem is welcome to join us." More…

In Europe, EU regulators threaten the fundamentals of the internet ecosystem

Likely to hit advertising revenue, the fuel of the digital economy
Hinder long-term innovation, competitiveness and growth in Europe

Brussels, January 25th 2012: The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) has expressed serious concerns about proposals published today by the European Commission to overhaul EU Data Protection rules.

Said Stephan Loerke [pictured], WFA Managing Director:"There's no denying that the current data protection framework needs updating but today's proposal would have damaging consequences for jobs and our economy. It would stifle both growth and innovation across Europe – the opposite of what is needed in the current economic climate. Proposals for data protection must protect people's legitimate rights to privacy while also enabling business opportunities. These proposals have failed to achieve that balance." More...

In UK, Bazaarvoice appoints Mark Riggs as its new European General Manager

Tuesday, January 17, 2012 - Bazaarvoice, a global leader in turning online customer-to-customer conversations into actionable insights that deliver long-term business value, today announced the appointment of Mark Riggs [pictured] as General Manager for Europe.

“Mark is an extremely talented and focused leader, and his experience will be critical in creating awareness of the value Bazaarvoice solutions bring to brands across Europe,” says Brett Hurt, founder and CEO of Bazaarvoice. “Mark proved himself as a global executive in the Chief Client Officer role, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing the impact he has for Bazaarvoice and our clients, partners, and prospects in Europe.” More…