New York, ¿ VNU, one of the world’s leading media and information companies, announced today it is expanding the Nielsen brand name to all international markets and also linking the world-famous brand to the company’s global entertainment information businesses. The announcement was made today by Michael P. Connors, chairman and CEO of VNU’s Media Measurement and Information Group.
Connors outlined a three-step branding initiative:
1. Nielsen Media Research in the U.S. will be united with ACNielsen Media International in 40 countries under the brand name Nielsen Media Research.
2. The "Nielsen" name will also be co-branded with VNU’s entertainment information businesses under the Nielsen Entertainment umbrella, including ACNielsen EDI (to become Nielsen EDI), The National Research Group (Nielsen NRG), VideoScan (Nielsen VideoScan), SoundScan (Nielsen SoundScan), BookScan (Nielsen BookScan), Broadcast Data Systems (Nielsen BDS), Entertainment Marketing Solutions (Nielsen EMS), and ACNielsen ReelResearch (Nielsen ReelResearch).
3. A new Nielsen visual identity / signature will be introduced over the next few months as part of the re-branding initiative. To access these new visual identities, log onto: http://www.nielsenmedia.com/brand_info.
"By re-uniting the two Nielsen companies," said Connors, "we are creating a single worldwide media measurement brand. This represents a first step in the process of leveraging our technology, software and production systems on a global basis, thus assuring a global standard of quality measurement and services of superior value to clients."
Famous for it’s television ratings and advertising intelligence services in the U.S., the Nielsen Media Research brand name will replace ACNielsen Media International in 40 markets worldwide as part of a plan to create a seamless media measurement business globally. Nielsen Media Research and ACNielsen separated in 1996 following their spin off from Dun & Bradstreet, but they are now part of VNU since being acquired by that company in 1999 and 2024, respectively.
While the Nielsen brand is very well known in the U.S. and Canada as the leading television ratings supplier, the name also has high recognition globally in the areas of multi-media measurement, advertising intelligence information and Internet measurement. Today, ACNielsen Media International operates in 40 countries with a mix of media research services, including television and radio audience measurement and advertising intelligence services. The business is essentially based in Europe and Asia Pacific. The company has a minority equity in IBOPE, the leading media research company in Latin America.
"By uniting the people and businesses of Nielsen Media Research under a single worldwide brand, we will achieve the highest quality and value of existing products and create new products that will shape the media industry," said Connors.
Extending the Nielsen brand to the entertainment information businesses in the VNU MMI Group, said Connors, "reflects not only the inherent strength of the Nielsen name, but is an important step in the company’s new strategic direction to synergize its entertainment business and assets under the Nielsen Entertainment umbrella. Our goals are to assist our clients in growing their markets, better meeting client needs across multiple media platforms, and providing a more comprehensive understanding of leisure and entertainment behavior. Under a common brand name, our media and entertainment information businesses will be able to work more closely together to integrate data and information, develop new services and provide our clients with greater insight."
The new branding initiative will have no impact on the organization structures of the individual business units.
Six months in development, the branding initiative and accompanying visual identity program involved both internal and external research. Landor Associates, New York, the world’s leading branding and design consultancy, worked with VNU executives throughout the entire project.
VNU is one of the world’s leading media and information companies. Its core activities are marketing information, media measurement & information, business media and directories. VNU is active in more than 100 countries, spread across all continents. The company employs more than 35,000 people and has annual revenues of approximately EUR 4 billion. The VNU Media Measurement & Information Group serves the information and marketing needs of the television and radio industries, advertisers, agencies, media planners, music companies, publishers, motion-picture studios, distributors and exhibitors, and the Internet industry.
Business units within the VNU Media Measurement & Information Group:
Nielsen Media Research ¿ U.S.
Nielsen Media Research is the leading provider of television audience measurement and related services in the United States. Its National People Meter Service provides audience estimates for all national program sources, including broadcast networks, cable networks, Spanish language television and national syndicators. Local rating services estimate audiences for each of 210 television markets in the U.S., including electronic metered service in 54 markets. Nielsen Media Research also provides competitive advertising intelligence information through Nielsen Monitor-Plus, and Internet usage and advertising information through Nielsen//NetRatings. Additional information is available at: www.nielsenmedia.com.
Nielsen Media Research ¿ International
Outside of the United States, Nielsen Media Research is the global leader in multinational media research and analysis. The company is active in 40 markets, offering television and radio audience measurement, advertising information services, print readership and customized media research services. In the area of advertising information, the company measures expenditures and creative content in 30 of the world’s leading advertising markets, including the United States. Through a network of affiliates, coverage is extended to more than 70 countries, representing 85% of the world’s advertising spending.
Nielsen Entertainment Division
Nielsen Entertainment is part of the VNU Media Measurement & Information Group. This division consists of similar companies that provide information, marketing solutions and analytical tools to the entertainment industry. This includes measuring box office results; tracking music, video/DVD, and book sales; as well as conducting marketing research on motion pictures. The individual business units include:
Nielsen EDI is an integral part of the motion picture distribution and exhibition community. It introduced the systematized collection and dissemination of box office data by creating a centralized, technology-based service. Nielsen EDI collects data from approximately 50,000 movie screens in 14 markets worldwide, including the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, Spain, France, Mexico and Australia.
Nielsen ReelResearch produces online research for the testing of creative material developed by Fortune 1000 advertisers and marketers. Originally focusing on evaluating movie trailers for the motion picture industry via its own proprietary technology ¿ including ePlayer as well as the ability to deliver real-time results via personal digital assistants (PDAs) ¿ ReelResearch has broadened its expertise to attract leading advertisers such as Procter & Gamble, Kmart, Miller Brewing, television networks, and music labels.
Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems (BDS) operates in the U.S. and Canada as the world’s leading provider of over-the-air music monitoring. Using "pattern recognition technology," BDS can identify more than one million songs played on more than 1,100 radio stations in real time in 130 markets throughout the U.S. As a radio station plays a song, BDS technology identifies the song and logs the exact time, date, and station for that play.
Nielsen Retail Entertainment Information is the name of the business unit that provides the Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen VideoScan and Nielsen BookScan services in the U.S. that track and report retail sales of music, video/DVD entertainment products, as well as books. These businesses compile point-of-sale data from retail locations into weekly reports to provide a complete picture of the competitive landscape of the entertainment and publishing industries.
Nielsen National Research Group (NRG) delivers market research and consulting to the motion picture industry. Its main research focus is devoted to testing of promotional material and the marketing of motion pictures for theatrical release. Nielsen NRG ‘s clients include all major movie studios.
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