New Zealand's Major Merger

Colmar Brunton New Zealand (CB NZ), the country's fastest-growing agency, is to merge with Millward Brown New Zealand. Colmar Brunton Australia has issued a separate statement saying it is not involved in any way with the merger, is committed to employee ownership and has already rejected offers from multinational groups.

The new NZ company will operate as Colmar Brunton, under the Millward Brown group banner, with CB NZ retaining majority NZ ownership. CB NZ is currently the country's largest locally owned market research company and has been voted as one of New Zealand's 'Best Places to Work' for the last two years. According to Vivian Rowden, MD of Millward Brown Australia and New Zealand, the merger brings together 'two groups of outstanding people' - employees will be literally brought together when MB's New Zealand staff move to Colmar Brunton's Takapuna premises in Auckland at the end of March. Colmar Brunton will also retain its office in Wellington.

CB NZ CEO James Armstrong says the move 'reaffirms the potential and desirability of New Zealand as a field resource for Australia and other English speaking markets'.

As the provider of political and opinion polls for TV's One News, CB NZ is New Zealand's highest profile research agency. A wholly owned, stand-alone subsidiary called 'Consumer Link' collects research data from telephone and face to face interviews conducted in New Zealand and offshore markets, for both Colmar Brunton and third party clients. Following the merger, Consumer Link will continue to develop its offshore data collection operations.

Millward Brown is online at www.millwardbrown.com and CB NZ at http://nz.colmarbrunton.com

Meanwhile Colmar Brunton Australia CEO John Shanahan has affirmed his company's commitment to 'building a consultative based research business via a business model that ensures no parties other than local operational researchers own shares'. Shanahan says the company has rejected approaches by multinational companies 'on the grounds that they compromise our underlying strategy'.

'This model puts the quality of our research staff first and research products and international alliances second. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the most effective structure for professional researchers to work under' continues Shanahan, referring to the recent spate of local and international MR mergers and takeovers. 'As a result of our independence, we are able to innovate more quickly and respond more appropriately to situations as they develop in our local market. In addition, our own development work and associations with other organisations around the world provide us with a ready stream of new research products'.

Colmar Brunton Australia has 150 employees and offices in every mainland state of Australia plus the ACT, with a web site at http://au.colmarbrunton.com.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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