TNS/Gallup to Broaden Russian Research

Taylor Nelson Sofres/Gallup Media has stated that it is looking to expand outside of its media ratings stronghold in its Russian operations. The company now intends to build a general market research operation and capability in the region within the next two years.

Speaking at a recent news conference, company officials described how market research will eventually account for most of the company's revenues in Russia. Vladimir Grodsky, head of TNS' Russia operations, said the shift is a result of Gallup Media's acquisition last year by TNS (Europe's largest and the world's fourth largest market research company) which can now apply its knowledge to the Russian market.

Speaking at the conference himself, Grodsky explained, 'Our task is to reposition our activity. In the media research market, there is nowhere left to grow. In market research, our turnover will in a couple of years reach $8 million to $10 million.'

At present, analysts estimate that Russia's market research sector represents rich pickings - in the region of $42 million annually. Within this, the TNS/Gallup group believe they earned some $6 million through media work in 2001, with over half of that ($3.5 million) coming from television measurement work. In Britain, by comparison, one-tenth of TNS revenues comes from media research alone, with the balance being generated by consumer and ad tracking research.

Alongside this new push, TNS Russia will be restructured into three new divisions. TNS/Gallup Media will continue to work in media research; TNS/AdFact will measure companies' advertising expenditure; and TNS/Marketing Information Center, or TNS/MIC, will be devoted to market and tracking research. MIC was formerly an independent research company founded in 1989 and acquired last year by Gallup Media. TNS/MIC itself has introduced two new services: a new type of consumer panel and a new methodology for calculating the efficiency of advertising campaigns.

As for its consumer panel, TNS/MIC debuts this year with a sample of 700 Muscovites, who have begun registering in a diary their purchases of ice cream, soda, potato chips, cigarettes, coffee, juice, beer and other products known to be largely 'impulse' buys. 'A lot of these products are bought on an impulse and are consumed before they are brought home -- that's why they are not registered by existing panels,' said Nadezhda Tyutunnik, deputy director of TNS/MIC. Next year, she said, the research will be expanded to some 2,350 people representing cities with a population of more than 100,000.

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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