The birth of Kantar Media: more power to customers?

WPP’s Kantar Media launched with a vivid splash of colour this week, uniting the media research and audience measurement arms of what used to be TNS and BMRB under a new name.

But the new branding isn’t the only striking thing about the re-launch: Kantar Media claims to provide “integrated media vision with unique consumer understanding” helping clients “master the momentum of media”. Does this signal a shift in intentions from the type of agency which has until now at least, focussed more on the production of quality data, leaving the insight bit up to their customers?

David Fletcher, Head of MEC MediaLab is supportive: “Today’s challenge isn’t in generating ever more data but in joining it up, so that we get to rich seams of insight rather than simple reports of data.  The Kantar Media offer implicitly “gets” this essential requirement for how our research needs will develop over the next 5-10 years”

Clare Abley, Head of Strategic Insight for A&N Media is already seeing benefits: “The formation of Kantar Media has brought immediate advantages, enabling us to utilise the varying strengths of the two formerly competing agencies in developing a combined approach to consumer understanding. This has led to more insightful and cost effective audience research solutions, for example our innovative new approach to regional readership research”

There seems to be a good deal of TNS’s marketing magic behind this re-launch, even if the UK’s leading media research brand is now gone. Before the take-over, TNS UK were thriving. They had  won the BARB contract from AGB Nielsen, and maintained a healthy lead over major competitors in both market share and customer perceptions. The decision to re-brand such a successful proposition as TNS is a risk, but Kantar Media seems a coherent proposition even if only from the commercial perspective. Almost all UK media owners and agencies have arrangements with the new entity, through TGI, TNS and BMRB Media ad-hoc research, or BARB.

A single supplier now supplies a large proportion of the research that UK media plans and sales pitches are based on. Customers will be looking for opportunities offered by integration and rationalisation – basically more insight value for their money. But how will Kantar manage the concentration of power that their position brings?

Richard Asquith, CEO of the TGI & Custom division of Kantar Media explains – “The creation of Kantar Media recognises that clients require their suppliers to draw from a range of data sources and, where relevant, provide a joined up service and integrated insight.  But it also reflects the need for investment in technology, methodology and expertise that a specialist global organisation can provide.  It is our challenge at Kantar Media to deliver on these new opportunities.”