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Tag: Eric Salama

  • Kantar to continue India investment, increase talent pool & improve tech after deal with Bain Capital

    Kantar to continue India investment, increase talent pool & improve tech after deal with Bain Capital

    MUMBAI: Research agency Kantar is aspiring to invest more in its global delivery centres and further strengthen its core insight and consulting business in India post the 60 per cent stake sale to Bain Capital. The WPP-held company also emphasised on its India business.

    Speaking to journalists worldwide via a conference call, Kantar chief executive officer Eric Salama said that India is one of the biggest and most important markets for Kantar and the association with Bain will not change anything in the way they do business here.

    “India is important for us not only because it is a big market but also because we have got a lot of data centres there, which are playing a big role in the rest of the world. We also run our largest delivery systems out of Hyderabad, Gurgaon and Pune. We will continue to invest in the Indian market. There is a real desire to invest more in the delivery centres, as they are world-class, and as well as in the core insight and consulting business within India,” Salama noted.

    He highlighted Kantar’s strategy post the changes in its ownership over the 40-minute long call. He said that with the new association with Bain, it is going to put more focus on ramping up its acquisition activities as well as becoming a tech and data-led firm that can deliver real-time data to clients.

    Salama said, “We are focusing on becoming much more tech-led, faster, and a real-time predictive organisation. Being a part of Bain Capital, from a capability point of view and from a money point of view, would be enormously helpful in doing that.”

    The firm is also looking to increase the length and breadth of its talent pool, Salama mentioned. “We think the world is becoming one where we need more and more specialists around certain areas and build capabilities around media ROI and engineering capacities. We are becoming a much more tech-centric company and adding more data scientists (to our talent pool). We have around 1500 of them around the world and we are going to scale that quite considerably. We are also going to add lots of consultants to deliver a greater client impact.”

    He added that the firm is investing in real-time and predictive offers for its clients as well as machine learning and artificial intelligence. It will also be working more on its cross-media measurement techniques to deliver better cross-media management to its clients.

    He elaborated on how Kantar is working towards incorporating more technologies and manpower in its business across various verticals like Trade Optimisation, World Panel, and the Kantar Marketplace to deliver more precise and timely data to its clients across the globe. “We are scaling our differentiated solutions. We have introduced a lot of innovation in the market over the last 18 months and now we have the focus on scaling those globally and consistently for all our clients.”

  • Kantar launches Global Analytics Practice to fuel business growth

    Kantar launches Global Analytics Practice to fuel business growth

    MUMBAI: Kantar, WPP’s data investment management division, has launched a new global analytics practice that unlocks deeper insights to fuel business growth. Integrating analytical capabilities from across the company, Kantar Analytics Practice will combine the world’s most in-depth understanding of consumers with a deep analytics toolkit developed over four decades of solving the most difficult sales, brand, media and marketing problems. In India, WPP has combined the analytics teams from Kantar and GroupM to form one combined practice.

    Kantar Analytics Practice unifies a global network of over 1500 data scientists, analytics consultants, technologists and data designers from across Kantar. It will encompass existing highly regarded businesses such as MaPS, Analytics Quotient, GroupM’s analytics team in India and connect them with specialist analysts from Kantar’s operating brands in sales, retail and shopper, media, health and public affairs. The new practice integrates Kantar’s unique consumer insights, based on the world’s largest first party data sets, with clients’ own customer data and a broad range of third party sources. By combining behavioural and attitudinal data, the outcome is actionable customer analysis to inform every brand, marketing and sales decision.

    Kantar Analytics Practice offers capabilities across five areas of expertise. Its brand and media ROI helps in maximising value creation from brand and media investments, by balancing short-term sales performance with long-term brand valuation and profitability.

    The customer analytics helps in making the right operational and strategic investment decisions in customer experience and loyalty marketing, to maximise the value of each and every customer relationship. The segmentation and activation helps in targeting the highest potential customers and prospects with personalised content, to drive profitable growth with maximum efficiency. While Innovation Analytics is used for optimising customer-led innovation lifecycle for long-term growth, from spotting new trends before your competitors, to optimising the profitability of your product launches, Retail and Shopper Analytics can be used for maximising the commercial return from investments in sales, retail and e-commerce via optimising decision-making in channel choice, assortment, promotions and pricing.

    Kantar CEO Eric Salama says, “Less than half of advertisers believe they have the right, actionable data. Clients feel data rich but insights poor and impact short. Kantar is unique in having the most complete view of consumers across the entire demand cycle: the way they live, feel, shop, watch and post. Combining our insights with data from across any client’s organisation can unlock deeper insights that fuel growth. “

    GroupM South Asia CEO and WPP India country manager CVL Srinivas mentions, “The new practice addresses the clients’ ask for data driven transformation for better ROI from marketing investments in the digital era. GroupM and Kantar have been working closely together in India, co-creating services for our clients. The launch of the Kantar Analytics practice is another step in this direction and demonstrates the ability of our group to come together to provide enhanced value for clients.”

    To this, Kantar South Asia CEO Preeti Reddy adds, “The practice formalises the connected journey with GroupM in bringing data driven products to the markets like Campaign Watch (for during campaign ROI management) and consulting services on TV audience measurement data. Proprietary assets like SAAS platform Athena (built in India) will offer marketers a predictive and near real time opportunity to add up to 20 per cent improvement in ROI from marketing investments including those in e-commerce. And, in Sunder Muthuraman, who will take over as CEO APAC and global chief client officer, we have a great leader for the practice.”

  • GroupM’s introduces Live Panel to transform media planning

    GroupM’s introduces Live Panel to transform media planning

    MUMBAI:  GroupM has recently introduced Live Panel, a new consumer and media insight solution enabling its agencies to more efficiently develop precise and targeted media plans so advertisers can more effectively reach their audiences, measure outcomes and seize competitive advantage. Essentially the new too will help GroupM make better use of its own data.

    With seamless access to a global panel of more than 5.5 million consumers in 30 markets, Live Panel delivers the actionable insights needed to inform media decisions for both global and local campaigns. The new platform connects with multiple data sources across Kantar’s market leading data and research assets and integrates with the bespoke planning tools of GroupM’s media agencies to accelerate the time from insight to planning to implementation.

    “In an era of continually evolving consumer behaviours and media preferences across a wider array of channels, marketers who have the most intelligence are at a distinct advantage, and our unique knowledge of audiences worldwide sets us apart in the industry,” said GroupM Global chairman Irwin Gotlieb. “Leveraging WPP’s data and analytics investments, we know more about media use and consumption behaviours than anyone else. Live Panel operationalizes this knowledge to turn consumers into audiences and audiences into customers more nimbly and efficiently for our clients’ advantage.”

    “GroupM’s use of our global Lightspeed consumer panels and the integration of a number of our unique data sources – BrandZ, TGI, Connected Life and Kantar Worldpanel ComTech – into Live Panel fully realizes the power of Kantar’s insights capabilities by embedding them into agencies’ media investment management tools,” said Kantar CEO Eric Salama.  “This continues Kantar’s strategy of combining survey, panel and census data for the benefit of marketers by connecting us to the client rosters of the world’s largest media investment group.”

    Live Panel is the latest tool in a growing portfolio of consumer and media insight planning tools that help GroupM’s media agencies, including Mindshare, MEC, MediaCom, Maxus and Motivator to build distinct marketplace offerings that leverage the best data available in regions worldwide. 

    GroupM says that Live Panel will also provide clients of its agencies connectivity and benefits such as understanding consumers and trends, evaluation of consumer purchase and retail behaviours, integration of brand equity data, development of unique audience insights and programmatic audience segments on the basis of consumer attitudes, product purchase and usage behaviour, balancing of plans with understanding of consumer media usage, creation of device-optimal strategies and tactics with understanding of mobile phone, tablet and quad-play ownership, usage and purchasing trends.

     

  • GroupM’s introduces Live Panel to transform media planning

    GroupM’s introduces Live Panel to transform media planning

    MUMBAI:  GroupM has recently introduced Live Panel, a new consumer and media insight solution enabling its agencies to more efficiently develop precise and targeted media plans so advertisers can more effectively reach their audiences, measure outcomes and seize competitive advantage. Essentially the new too will help GroupM make better use of its own data.

    With seamless access to a global panel of more than 5.5 million consumers in 30 markets, Live Panel delivers the actionable insights needed to inform media decisions for both global and local campaigns. The new platform connects with multiple data sources across Kantar’s market leading data and research assets and integrates with the bespoke planning tools of GroupM’s media agencies to accelerate the time from insight to planning to implementation.

    “In an era of continually evolving consumer behaviours and media preferences across a wider array of channels, marketers who have the most intelligence are at a distinct advantage, and our unique knowledge of audiences worldwide sets us apart in the industry,” said GroupM Global chairman Irwin Gotlieb. “Leveraging WPP’s data and analytics investments, we know more about media use and consumption behaviours than anyone else. Live Panel operationalizes this knowledge to turn consumers into audiences and audiences into customers more nimbly and efficiently for our clients’ advantage.”

    “GroupM’s use of our global Lightspeed consumer panels and the integration of a number of our unique data sources – BrandZ, TGI, Connected Life and Kantar Worldpanel ComTech – into Live Panel fully realizes the power of Kantar’s insights capabilities by embedding them into agencies’ media investment management tools,” said Kantar CEO Eric Salama.  “This continues Kantar’s strategy of combining survey, panel and census data for the benefit of marketers by connecting us to the client rosters of the world’s largest media investment group.”

    Live Panel is the latest tool in a growing portfolio of consumer and media insight planning tools that help GroupM’s media agencies, including Mindshare, MEC, MediaCom, Maxus and Motivator to build distinct marketplace offerings that leverage the best data available in regions worldwide. 

    GroupM says that Live Panel will also provide clients of its agencies connectivity and benefits such as understanding consumers and trends, evaluation of consumer purchase and retail behaviours, integration of brand equity data, development of unique audience insights and programmatic audience segments on the basis of consumer attitudes, product purchase and usage behaviour, balancing of plans with understanding of consumer media usage, creation of device-optimal strategies and tactics with understanding of mobile phone, tablet and quad-play ownership, usage and purchasing trends.

     

  • BARC India & TAM collaborate to supply raw data; form new company

    MUMBAI: Indian television ratings monitoring agencies BARC India and TAM India have joined hands to form a new meter management company.

     

    The new company will run meter operations and supply raw data to BARC India. Meters will be deployed based on BARC’s sample design and the ratings will be computed and disseminated through BARC India’s software. This ratings data will be the sole trading currency for the country, giving advertisers, broadcasters and agencies accurate and quality measurement.

     

    The meter company will have the meter assets and panel management operations of the present BARC India and TAM India panels, which will be jointly owned by BARC India, Nielsen and Kantar with management control resting with BARC India.

     

    To start with, the company will have 34,000 meters covering all of India, and will supply raw data to BARC, which will use its own statistical processes and sampling design. The details of the formation and roll out of this new company will be shared in the coming weeks.

     

    TAM India will continue to provide its non-TV ratings services to the market, notably AdEx – Advertising Expenditure for TV, Print, Radio, RAM – Radio Audience Measurement, Eikona – PR Audit, TAM Sports Measurement and S-Group Consulting. 

     

    BARC India chairman Punit Goenka said, “This partnership is a big step forward and in this era of cooperation, we welcome this move forward as a joint industry body. The technology and methodological prowess of BARC, combined with the extra meters and the field force will definitely help the industry progress.”

     

    “This new venture represents our organization’s commitment to providing precise and stable data around the world, and draws strengths from both BARC India and TAM India. We look forward to the great coverage and representation this new partnership will deliver,” added Nielsen global president Steve Hasker. 

     

    Kantar CEO Eric Salama said, “We are happy to cooperate with BARC India to be able to provide clarity and a large single sample for the industry and to keep India as a key market for us.”  

  • WPP’s Data Alliance partners Facebook to activate data

    WPP’s Data Alliance partners Facebook to activate data

    MUMBAI: WPP’s Data Alliance and Facebook have deepened a global partnership giving marketers access to new data-driven solutions that deliver personalization at scale on Facebook. This multi-year partnership is centered on bringing new audience building and measurement tools to market.

     

    For the first time, marketers can activate WPP’s proprietary data assets within Facebook. Data assets from GroupM, Kantar and Wunderman’s KBM Group will be connected and activated on Facebook, in a way that respects consumer privacy. WPP’s marketers, planners and buyers will have access to unique combinations of WPP and Facebook data assets, enhanced insights, and new audience building solutions. This will help WPP clients effectively create campaigns across all Facebook ad formats, including video, photo, and link ads on both mobile and desktop. Enabling tools that let marketers reach real people across all devices allows marketers to more effectively draw connections between online marketing and real business outcomes.

     

    WPP companies will also work with Facebook to pilot new data-driven solutions to better measure effectiveness with online and offline sales impact in multiple countries, enhance mix modeling and deepen Facebook Insights.

     

    Lastly, there will be joint research and thought leadership on new metrics, services and solutions that help brands better leverage Facebook to reach consumers.

     

    “We gather insights on millions of consumers each year on what people buy and why, including product assortment, retail strategy, brand health, copy testing, campaign effectiveness, media measurement, earned media monitoring and purchase data. Now we can leverage those learnings for our clients and make them actionable on Facebook,” said Kantar CEO Eric Salama.

     

     

    “Facebook and WPP companies work well together. It was only natural we would want to find more ways to work smarter together. As strategic partners, we want to bridge the measurement gap for brands and help clients develop more meaningful relationships with consumers. This partnership allows us to do that through collaboration, innovation and data activation,” said GroupM chief data officer Harvey Goldhersz.

     

    “KBM Group cultivates data that allows marketers to paint rich pictures of consumers. Of equal importance is helping brands interact with consumers in ways that will delight the consumer. This partnership with Facebook provides a very meaningful way to help clients connect with consumers in highly-relevant ways, even in emerging markets,” said KBM Group CEO Gary S. Laben and Wunderman global chief data officer.

     

    “We are committed to deepening our partnerships with the agency ecosystem across technology, media, and data. This global data partnership lays the foundation to provide WPP clients choice in the data they use for media solutions and the proper tools to effectively measure tangible business results on Facebook,” added Facebook director, global agency development Patrick Harris.

  • WPP’s Kantar inks global alliance outside US with ComScore

    WPP’s Kantar inks global alliance outside US with ComScore

    MUMBAI: ComScore has inked a strategic alliance with WPP’s data investment management division, Kantar.

     

    The alliance, which covers territories outside the US, establishes a framework for the parties to bring the best of breed together from the two companies – their products, technology, data assets, research panels and relationships – to provide world class cross-media audience and campaign measurement capabilities.

     

    The alliance follows the intended acquisition by WPP, announced earlier today, of a substantial equity stake in comScore. Under the terms of the agreement, comScore will issue 4.45 per cent in shares in exchange for the benefits of the strategic alliance, and acquisition of certain European Internet audience measurement assets. WPP will also purchase up to 15 per cent shares of comScore through a tender offer with an offering price of $46.13, giving WPP a total ownership stake in comScore of between 15-20 per cent. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2015. Provided WPP’s tender offer is successful, it is expected to be accretive to comScore’s non-GAAP earnings per share in 2015.

     

    comScore will partner with Kantar and its operating businesses on cross-media audience and campaign measurement in non-US markets. comScore will also acquire the assets of Kantar’s Internet audience measurement businesses in certain European markets. In these markets, Kantar and comScore will continue to provide the same level of seamless integration and data services.

     

    “This long-term, strategic alliance will simplify the deployment of global measurement capabilities and accelerate the creation of new services for the industry. The emerging mediascape points to a massive global opportunity waiting to be unlocked by cracking the code on cross-media audience and campaign measurement. We look forward to working together with Kantar to deliver new measurement products based on our complementary offerings in these markets,” said comScore CEO Serge Matta.

     

    Kantar CEO Eric Salama added, “By partnering with comScore and combining our respective strengths, we will integrate data and expertise to give our clients a new standard in measuring audiences and campaigns across multiple platforms. This continues our strategy of combining survey, panel and census data and putting digital at the heart of all we do.”

  • IBF is not ending TAM subscription: Punit Goenka

    IBF is not ending TAM subscription: Punit Goenka

    MUMBAI: The sword has been hanging on Television Audience Measurement’s (TAM) head for a long time now. From NDTV Group’s $1.3 billion lawsuit (though dismissed by courts) to Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC) likely to start releasing television ratings data by April, as reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, things haven’t been hunky-dory for the measurement body for a while now.

     

    However, not only did the agency fight tooth and nail the allegations of poor quality TAM research data, it also complied with the guidelines set by Information and Broadcasting Ministry for a TV ratings agency in order to exist. For instance, TAM continues to increase the size of the panel to fulfill the minimum peoplemeter sample size of 20,000 homes guideline, set by the I&B Ministry.

     

    With a few months left for BARC to begin rolling out its data, there have been various speculations making rounds in the industry. “There is the cost issue. Why would one pay for both TAM and BARC subscription? Also, since both the measurement bodies have a different way of functioning, one needs to take a break before adopting the new one,” says an industry source on the reason for the ratings blackout, if indeed it ever happens.

     

    So much so, a few media reports have gone on record to say that the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) is planning to end its subscription with TAM leading to a period sans ratings. This in turn has created panic in the industry, as it awaits two major events namely the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and the eighth edition of the Indian Premiere League (IPL). As per sources, ad rates for WC are touted to be around Rs 4 lakh for 10 seconds and ad rates for IPL have seen an increase of around 10-15 per cent generating huge ad revenue for broadcasters.

     

    When questioned on the reports doing the rounds and how it would impact the industry in case the IBF decides to end its subscription from TAM, Kantar CEO Eric Salama laughs saying, “I don’t know about the intentions.”

     

    What’s more, an industry source  close to the development clarifies that so far the ratings agency had not heard from the IBF or anyone from the industry on the matter.

     

    To get further confirmation on the matter, Indiantelevision.com contacted IBF board member and BARC chairman Punit Goenka and he denied the report as well. “There is no such decision taken by the IBF,” he asserted.

     

  • TAM expanding peoplemeter size: Kantar’s Eric Salama

    TAM expanding peoplemeter size: Kantar’s Eric Salama

    MUMBAI: For the past three months, the focus of the entire TV industry has been on the new industry-backed Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). It was almost a given that the decade-old viewership ratings agency TAM Media Research would slip away into the night as the newbie had got the government’s and industry’s support.

     

    But TAM is not disappearing. It got some relief last week as the Delhi High Court adjourned to 26 August the hearing on its parent Kantar Media Research’s  suit against the government-declared regulation on cross holding patterns of TV ratings agencies.

     

    And unknown to many, TAM is working to comply with the other requirements of TV ratings agency guidelines to continue to exist. A long standing demand of industry and a crucial criterion requiring compliance is the minimum number of peoplemeters. And TAM apparently is coming up to speed on this.

     

    “We are continuing to increase the size of the panel but haven’t announced exact numbers and timings around it,” Kantar CEO Eric Salama told indiantelevision.com last week.

     

    According to the ‘policy guidelines for TV rating agencies,’ the minimum peoplemeter sample size has to be 20,000 homes. So Salama’s response to indiantelevision.com seems to imply that TAM will likely aim for that figure.

     

    TV rating agencies also have to apply for a licence before they can operate in India and there cannot be any cross holding between agencies and TV ratings agencies. The latter regulation is something that Kantar has challenged in the Delhi High Court and TAM can continue to be operational until the court pronounces its verdict.  But it has applied for a TV ratings agency licence to  the ministry of information & broadcasting. There is no word from the ministry on the same, as the guidelines don’t prescribe a deadline for the approval or disapproval of the licence.

     

    We reached out to but TAM, but none of its officials were available for comment at the time of filing this report.

     

    Industry however isn’t too concerned whether or not TAM increases it  people meter sample as it is BARC they are banking on and awaiting patiently. Says a senior executive from a news channel, “Who cares whether or not TAM is expanding its meters. Government is backing BARC.”

     

    Another broadcast CEO stated: “We don’t know what TAM is trying to achieve by increasing its sample size,” he said. “Are they trying to confuse the stakeholders or are they grandstanding?”

     

    Now the question is if TAM does scale up, and is not shut down by some quirk of fate: can the industry support two ratings agencies? In the past it has not been able to.  Intam was the first TV viewership monitoring service which was set up in 1994 by ORG-Marg. TAM, followed in 1998. But former was merged into TAM in 2001.  aMAP was set up in 2004; commenced operations in 2007, folded up in 2011.  TAM continued to hold ground, despite carping from industry.

     

    And now we are in a time where another rival has reared its head – BARC, which is set to roll out its ratings by end-2014. Will history be repeated or a new chapter be written?

  • TAM applies for registration with MIB

    TAM applies for registration with MIB

    MUMBAI: When Kantar Market Research Services, a shareholder of India’s only operational ratings agency TAM Media Research, decided to go to court against the government’s cross-shareholding norms for television ratings agencies, there was a big question mark on the future of TAM.

     

    But as Kantar on 11 February succeeded in obtaining a stay on the cross-shareholding norms from the Delhi High Court till a judgement is delivered on its petition, it had some hope that TAM could continue to operate as a television ratings service provider.

     

    The court granted TAM two weeks after the guidelines take effect on 15 February to apply for registration with the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB).  It had time till the end of next week to apply, but it submitted its registration application much earlier, on Friday.

     

    Kantar CEO Eric Salama confirmed to indiantelevision.com that TAM has submitted its application for being registered as a television ratings service provider.

     

    However, there is no clarity on the period within which the ministry will take a decision on TAM’s application for registration.

     

    There are various scenarios that can play out in the coming weeks for TAM. Further hearing on the Kantar petition will happen on 6 March.

     

    The first but highly unlikely scenario is the ministry acting on TAM’s application and before 6 March accepts the company as eligible to be granted a registration certificate. The next step will be the company, its board of directors, MD, CEO and CFO going through a security clearance.

     

    The second scenario is that the ministry rejects TAM’s application before 6 March, which also seems highly unlikely, or that the application is rejected after the hearing on 6 March. This could lead to Kantar filing an appeal against the government’s rejection of its application either in the High Court or in the Supreme Court and praying for allowing continuity in their business in the country. While granting the stay on cross-shareholding  norm, the court had also allowed TAM to continue to publish their television ratings.

     

    The third scenario could be the government asking TAM to submit more documents. In such a case, Kantar could approach the Delhi High Court for more time to submit the documents sought by the government.

     

    The fourth and more probable scenario is that the ministry may not act on TAM’s application till the Delhi High Court verdict on cross-shareholding is delivered. If the ministry finally rejects TAM’s application, Kantar may go in appeal against it.

     

    Finally, in the event of the Delhi High Court upholding the cross-shareholding norm, Kantar could either go in appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court or may decide to restructure shareholding of TAM to comply with the government’s shareholding regulations.

     

    The government’s norm requires that shareholders of a television ratings agency should not hold more than a 10 per cent stake in broadcasters, advertising agencies or other television ratings agencies.

     

    In all, it seems like TAM has got some time to continue publishing its television viewership ratings in the country.