And that's where ACNielsen comes in. Around the world...in stores...at home...on the street...we focus on consumers to help clients answer their most pressing questions. And we answer those questions with the richest, most comprehensive media and market information, professional service and analytical tools in our industry.

More than anything, our clients look to ACNielsen to help them identify business opportunities and create the best possible framework for successful decision-making.

Ultimately, our clients rely on ACNielsen to help them win in the marketplace. They place their trust in our information - unique in the market research industry for its speed, accuracy, quality and coverage. They depend on our highly developed software tools and analytical skills. And they count on our highly trained people to provide market knowledge, professional expertise and marketing insight.

Above all, they rely on us to share their passion for growth and success. And we do, every day. It's this passion for performance - for our clients and for our own company – that sets us apart.

The value of market research

Market research is a cost-effective way of finding out what people think, want, need or do. Normally it is information unavailable elsewhere. Businesses use market research to help them produce goods and services in line with their customer’s needs, and to evaluate the success of marketing strategies. Most successful organisations recognise that inadequate research significantly increases the risk of failure in the marketplace.

Social and government bodies also use market research to gauge public opinion, as an input to policy generation or to measure the success of government communication campaigns.

Market research is effective because by talking to or measuring a relatively small number of people you can find out about a much larger group. However, it only works if the people are representative of the total group of interest, if the right questions are asked, and if the answers are interpreted correctly. For this reason, research needs to be conducted by skilled and experienced practitioners who can design, conduct and deliver information and insight to their customers.

Our approach
ACNielsen tailors research solutions to individual client needs.

For common research needs ACNielsen has a suite of internationally recognised proprietary research products and methodologies providing powerful comparative and normative data.

Other research requirements are idiosyncratic and depend on a particular organisation’s prerogatives and strategic goals. In this case specific, ad hoc research may be necessary, designed to address a particular market issue or set of issues.

Often a combination of the two is necessary.

All ACNielsen research is conducted and delivered by a team of research and client service professionals with specialised industry, business issue or methodological expertise. Aside from providing market data, ACNielsen endeavours to add value to client’s business by translating the data into actionable market and business insights.

ACNielsen Asia Pacific
ACNielsen is the world's leading provider of market research, information and analysis to the consumer products and services industries, as well as to government and social services. More than 9,000 clients in over 100 countries rely on ACNielsen's dedicated professionals to measure competitive marketplace dynamics, to understand consumer attitudes and behaviour, and to develop advanced analytical insights that generate increased sales and profits.

ACNielsen Australia provides four principal market research services:

Retail measurement, including continuous tracking of consumer purchases at the point of sale through scanning technology and in-store audits. Clients receive detailed information on actual purchases, market shares, distribution, pricing, and merchandising and promotional activities.

Consumer panel research, including detailed information on purchases made by household members, as well as their retail shopping patterns and demographic profiles.

Customised research, including quantitative and qualitative studies that generate information and insights into consumers' attitudes and purchasing behaviour, customer satisfaction, brand awareness and advertising effectiveness.

In addition, ACNielsen markets a broad range of advanced software and modelling and analytical services. These products help clients integrate large volumes of information, evaluate it, make judgment about their growth opportunities and plan future marketing and sales campaigns.

Information for general use
ACNielsen provides ongoing feedback to the industries we work with through a variety of publications. These include annual reports such as The Grocery Report, Top 100 Grocery Brands and Pharmacy Trade report. We also work with the press to provide information on topline category trends, consumer and audience behaviour. These items can be found in the Market Insights section of our web site or in the general News area, updated regularly.

Any information on the performance of a specific programme, brand or supplier is confidential and not available publicly, although our clients release data at their own discretion. For enquiries on such information, we suggest you contact the supplier directly or alternatively the appropriate industry body.

A VNU Company
A new global leader in Marketing and Media information has emerged from ACNielsen’s union with VNU. The US$2.3 billion merger became effective on 16th of February 2001. In Marketing information, ACNielsen’s proven global strengths in retail measurement and consumer insights will be enhanced by VNU’s precision-marketing services.

VNU is one of the world’s leading business and information companies and has leading market positions in marketing and media information, directories and consumer information, as well as educational information. VNU also offers other marketing information services tailored to non-CPG industries such as pharmaceuticals, financial services and telecommunications.

In media information, the merger reunites the ‘Nielsens’ - ACNielsen’s media division, ACNielsen Media International, which is active in more than 30 markets, and VNU’s Nielsen Media Research, serving the US and Canada.

ACNielsen and Nielsen Media Research were both originally part of the company founded by Arthur C Nielsen, but were spun off separately in 1996 following a restructuring of their former parent, Dun & Bradstreet. VNU acquired Nielsen Media Research in October 1999.

The new combination offers unmatched experience, coverage and technology to measure audiences and advertising in today’s digital environment. And, with combined world-class R&D capabilities, the companies are uniquely positioned to respond to the future convergence of the new and traditional media.