Ipsos global president visits South Africa, reinforces focus on South African market

"We are very proud of our operation here in South Africa and continue to invest and focus on this market as one of our key priorities," he states.

Truchot visited the South African office this week ahead of an Ipsos conference being held in Nairobi. "This is a perfect opportunity for Didier to witness the progress of the South African operation since the acquisition of Synovate by Ipsos in 2011. With the many changes that this acquisition brought about, it's great to see the progress in the numbers and the resources of the business," states Harald Hasselmann, CEO of the South African operation. "Ipsos in South Africa is the second biggest survey based research business in the country and continues to enjoy joint success with our clients - old and new."

Ipsos in South Africa also used the opportunity to hold an event with some top key clients to focus on significant issues in research in South Africa and exchange thoughts on client strategy and priorities in the local market. Didier also spoke quite extensively about extending the Ipsos footprint in Africa, making Ipsos in South Africa the springboard for research into the rest of the continent.

Didier's visit cements the importance placed on the South African research community and the investment Ipsos is making there. Didier's history lies in the establishment of Ipsos in 1975, and his originated policy of offering standardised research products, in the fields of advertising and media research. In 1982, when Jean-Marc Lech - until then IFOP chairman and CEO - joined the company, Ipsos started developing public opinion research. Since then, Didier and Jean-Marc have co-headed Ipsos and developed a Global Market Research Company specialising in six areas - advertising, marketing, customer loyalty, media, public affairs and survey management. In 1999, they succeeded the Ipsos' IPO on the stock market, Ipsos being now listed on Eurolist by NYSE-Euronext Paris.

Ipsos in South Africa has a rich history in the market, commencing in 1975. With over 500 full-time employees and a face-to-face field force of more than 1000 people, the company has been the primary supplier of research to blue-chip clients since its establishment. The company's five specialisations include loyalty research, marketing research, advertising research, public opinion and corporate research as well as field and tab research. Ipsos South Africa is one of the key emerging markets in Africa and globally. It is the third largest market research company in South Africa and enjoys robust infrastructure, world class CATI resources, skilled researchers and a substantial field force.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. In October 2011 Ipsos completed the acquisition of Synovate. The combination forms the world's third largest market research company.

With offices in 84 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of €1,363 billion (1.897 billion USD) in 2011.