Nielsen Completes Acquisition of IAG Research

NEW YORK, May. 16 /PRNewswire/ --

NEW YORK, May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nielsen Company today announced that it has completed the acquisition of IAG Research, Inc., a privately held company that measures consumer engagement with television programs, national commercials and product placements. The transaction expands Nielsen's ability to provide clients with more in-depth television and Internet analytics services.

IAG Research will be rebranded as Nielsen IAG. Alan Gould and Ken Orkin, co-founders and co-CEOs of IAG Research, will continue to lead the service as co-CEOs of Nielsen IAG, reporting to Susan Whiting, Executive Vice President of The Nielsen Company.

Nielsen IAG conducts research with viewers to measure the effectiveness of advertising and program engagement across television and the Internet. Its clients include major advertisers, advertising agencies, Internet providers, telecommunications services, television and cable networks and other content providers.

"Nielsen IAG already provides unique insight into how viewers are interacting with television and commercial content," said David L. Calhoun, chairman and CEO of The Nielsen Company. "As the service is integrated into The Nielsen Company, it will be able to draw on an unparalleled reservoir of data and information to deliver a greater perspective on the relationship between consumers and media."

"This is an exciting time to be working in the media measurement industry and we look forward to working with our new Nielsen colleagues to deliver Nielsen IAG's services to a wider base of clients," said Gould and Orkin. "At a time when advertisers and programmers need to increase the effectiveness of their media investments, Nielsen IAG can deliver real, tangible measurement of viewer engagement."

About The Nielsen Company

The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), online intelligence (NetRatings and BuzzMetrics), mobile measurement, trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands and New York, USA. For more information, please visit, http://www.nielsen.com .

About Nielsen IAG

Nielsen IAG measures the effectiveness of television advertising, product placement as well as viewer engagement with TV and the Internet. Nielsen IAG's suite of measurement products are used by such industry leaders as American Express, Toyota, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Chrysler LLC, Procter & Gamble, Verizon, Sprint, Warner Brothers, VISA, Merck & Co., Paramount Pictures and major networks such as ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, ESPN, and TNT/TBS and MTV. For more information, please visit, http://www.iagr.net .