TNS takes top awards at SAMRA 2014

Alida Jansen and Lorcan McHarry took Gold with their groundbreaking paper on communication testing, using learnings about human memory to inspire a new and innovative way to measure the unconscious, long-term brand building effects of an ad, thereby challenging the industry to look beyond traditional sales-focused outcomes. Jan Wegelin and Greg Streatfield won Silver and Best First Time Speakers for their paper on Big Data, unravelling the mystery that surrounds this oft misunderstood concept.

Rob Powell, CEO of TNS South Africa, said: "We are delighted that the contributions of our young minds were acknowledged by the research community. All of the TNS papers spoke to the latest developments in marketing research. These awards are an endorsement of our ongoing efforts to maintain our position as intellectual thought leaders."

Neil Higgs of TNS, and a respected member of the South African marketing research fraternity, made a significant contribution to the industry with his joint presentation that offers new insights on segmenting the South African market. "Neil continues to make a massive investment in how we address the challenges of South African (and African) socio-economic stratification," commented Powell. "I believe that the industry and our clients continue to benefit from his innovative thinking. The manner in which he has been willing to challenge the status quo and to offer compelling alternatives is testament to this."

'In the moment' is a buzzword in the industry at present, and Lara du Plessis' challenging paper on Situational Equity brought the concept to life. Carryn Smit addressed yet another crucial element of current thinking with a paper on shorter, sharper surveys in an effort to get closer to 'the truth' in our surveys.

"All in all a resounding success within the context of a conference that showcased new thinking in the South African marketing research environment," said Powell. "We certainly look forward to taking our clients with us as we continue our journey of exploration and discovery across the vibrant and diverse South African marketing research landscape."

About TNS

TNS advises clients on specific growth strategies around new market entry, innovation, brand switching and stakeholder management, based on long-established expertise and market-leading solutions. With a presence in over 80 countries, TNS has more conversations with the world's consumers than anyone else and understands individual human behaviours and attitudes across every cultural, economic and political region of the world.

TNS is part of Kantar, one of the world's largest insight, information and consultancy groups. Please visit www.tnsglobal.com for more information.

About Kantar

Kantar is the data investment management division of WPP and one of the world's largest insight, information and consultancy groups. By connecting the diverse talents of its 13 specialist companies, the group aims to become the pre-eminent provider of compelling and inspirational insights for the global business community. Its 28,500 employees work across 100 countries and across the whole spectrum of research and consultancy disciplines, enabling the group to offer clients business insights at every point of the consumer cycle. The group's services are employed by over half of the Fortune Top 500 companies.

For further information, please visit us at www.kantar.com.