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AGB Group History in TAM
Buochs, Switzerland, December 2004: This section reflects the history and experience of the AGB Group, from its origin until the date that the joint venture, AGB Nielsen Media Research, was formed.
After installing the very first national peoplemeter system in the world (Italy, 1981), the Group has specialised in the installation and management of peoplemeter systems globally, and has become the first fully integrated, multinational TAM system supplier.
From the first set-meter to the Italian peoplemeter panel |
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The challenge of globalisation |
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The right formula leads to international leadership |
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Consolidating the AGB Group's position as the global leader of TAM services |
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Joining technology and advancing research and results - AGB Nielsen Media Research is born. |
1976-1987: From the first set-meter to the Italian peoplemeter panel
More than 30 years ago, in 1976, LCM Graman, an Italian market research company, installed a set-meter panel of 500 homes in Italy. This set-meter, conceived and manufactured in Italy, recorded the viewing information of the household on an audiocassette tape.
The data was then merged with individual viewing data, collected using diaries, from a sample of 1500 people. This was the first electronic television audience measurement in Italy and provided television-viewing data for five years, until 1981.
This was also the first experience, in television audience measurement (TAM), of the founder and the Managing Director of LCM Graman, Alberto Colussi.
In 1981, LCM Graman joined forces with AGB Research Plc. The company was awarded an important contract from the sole broadcaster at the time, the state television channel, RAI and installed a peoplemeter panel of 1,740 homes.
For the purposes of the installation and management of this new service, a new company, AGB Italia, was formed. Alberto Colussi, together with AGB Research Plc., was a founder and shareholder of this new venture.
In 1984, with the advent of commercial channels in Italy, the industry came together to form Auditel, a Joint Industry Committee (non profit organisation) with the participation of state and private TV Stations, Advertisers and Advertising Agencies.
Soon after its formation, Auditel called a Tender for a national TAM service, and AGB Italia won against the bids of AC Nielsen and Telecontrol (a Swiss based TAM technology provider).
In 1986 a panel of 2,420 homes was installed.
In the same year, AGB Italia and LCM Graman merged under the name of AGB Italia, and Alberto Colussi was appointed Managing Director of the Company.
1988-1991: The challenge of globalisation
In 1988, Robert Maxwell acquired AGB Plc., through a public offer.
The experience and specific know-how gained in the management of an overnight peoplemeter service, was treasured by AGB Italia and utilised for the exportation of TAM services in new countries.
Utilising its own human, technical and financial resources, AGB Italia started new TAM operations in Greece (AGB Hellas, founded in 1988), Turkey (AGB Anadolu, founded in 1989) and Portugal (AGB Portugal, founded in 1990) with each operation starting with a 150-panel household in the respective capital cities.
The implementation of the TAM service in these new countries, with smaller media markets and lower advertising expenditures, raised enormous challenges for AGB Italia, particularly in the area of data production, which, at that time, was based on a mainframe. The costs of installation and maintenance of a mainframe proved prohibitive in these markets. Thus, AGB Italia took the opportunity to transfer the Production Software from mainframe to PC.
In 1988, the first version of Pollux, this PC-based Production Software, was developed with the result that further expansion into new countries was achieved easily, efficiently and cost effectively.
1992-1999: The right formula leads to international leadership
In 1991, after the death of Mr. Maxwell, all his holdings (including AGB Research Plc.) were put into liquidation. Alberto Colussi acquired AGB Italia in 1992, from the liquidators, Arthur Andersen.
The first decision, upon gaining control of AGB Italia, was to focus exclusively on the development of TAM, thus disposing of all the other activities of the company, such as customised research and the consumer panel for the purchase of mass market products.
At the same time, AGB Italia created a Corporate Support company, AGB Media Services, dedicated purely to the support, research and development of international TAM activities.
Established in Switzerland, in October 1992, it was conceived to serve as the repository of Group know-how for the support of local TAM operations, state-of-the-art Hardware and Software, and expert consulting services.
This proved to be a turning point. With the formation of AGB Media Services, the AGB Group was able to expand at a rapid pace.
In 1992, AGB Group established AGB Gulf (UAE). This was followed by AGB Hungary in 1993; AGB Venezuela in 1994; AGB Middle East (Saudi Arabia) in 1995; AGB Polska in 1996; AGB Cyprus, AGB Data Research (Romania) and AGB Ukraine in 1997 and AGB STAT IPSOS (Lebanon) in 1998. The first quarter of 1999 brought the launch of Media Services AGB Slovenija (Slovenia), bringing to sixteen, the number of peoplemeter TAM systems of the Group.
1999, also saw the AGB Group win the Joint Industry Committee Tender in The Philippines (AGB Philippines), with an installation of a 660 household panel, of which at least half of the homes were installed with a GSM meter, to adequately represent non-telephone homes.
In addition to a rapid expansion into new markets, an agreement of collaboration was established with IBOPE Brazil Group, which resulted in AGB gaining a stake of IBOPE AGB Mexico in 1995.
2000 - 2003: Consolidating AGB's position as the global provider of TAM services
OzTAM, the Australian TV Network Association, awarded the AGB Group, the prestigious 7-year contract to supply television audience measurement service in Australia. The new ATR Australia was based upon a panel of 3000 homes, in metropolitan areas, with data production commencing on January 1st 2001.
BARB, the British Audience Research Board, awarded the AGB Group two of its television audience measurement contracts: Metering of 5600 panel homes and data processing.
2001 also saw the joint venture between AGB Panamericana (51%) and Compañia Dominicana de Investigaciones (CDI) forming CDI/AGB Dominicana, moving the Dominican Republic TAM market from "diary" to peoplemeter based information. Official TAM data was made available as of October 1st, 2001.
January 2002 ATR Australia was awarded the Tender by the regional television broadcasters to provide television audience measurement services for the regional free to air television markets of Queensland, Northern NSW, Southern NSW (including ACT), Victoria and Tasmania.
AGB Strategic Research a joint venture between AGB and Strategic Marketing and Media Research Institute (SMMRI) was formed with the purpose of transforming the Serbian TAM market from 'Diary' to a peoplemeter based measurement. Since December 2002, AGB Strategic Research has been providing TAM data for the Serbian population (excluding Kosovo).
As of February 2003, AGB Puls has been providing the Croatian TAM market with national overnight minute-by-minute data.
ATR Australia's new regional TAM system was launched in February 2003. The panel provides daily TAM data for five regional markets and twenty-three sub-markets from a panel of 2000 homes. Data collected by these meters will determine each network's share of the annual $600 million regional TV advertising spend.
April 2003, ATR Australia was awarded the contract of providing OzTAM with Pay-TV viewing data, making it the sole provider of TV ratings in Australia.
In January 2004, AGB Moldova was providing the market with overnight data for the Moldavian capital, Kishinev. By June 2004, the national panel was completed.
2004 to date: Joining technology and advancing research and results - AGB Nielsen Media Research is born
On the 5th of August 2004, the AGB Group and Nielsen Media Research International announced their intention to form a joint venture that would offer television ratings under the AGB Nielsen Media Research brand name. The transaction merged all the AGB Group companies with the wholly owned TV ratings service of Nielsen Media Research, excluding the US.
AGB Nielsen Media Research currently manages more TAM panel household using Peoplemeter Technology than any other international television audience ratings provider (see Global Coverage on the next page).
Both the AGB Group and Nielsen Media Research International have accumulated a wealth of experience and know-how in setting up new systems and managing existing ones, and retains this know how within the unique AGB Nielsen Media Research Corporate Support Centre.