TNS, Kantar Media partner GeoPoll on mobile research

TO deepen and improve market research in Africa and Nigeria, global research consultancy, TNS has announced an exclusive and wide-reaching strategic partnership with GeoPoll, the world’s largest mobile survey platform.

Under the multi-year agreement, TNS and sister company, Kantar Media, will join forces with GeoPoll to deploy a new range of research products and services. Under the partnership, TNS will have access to GeoPoll’s platform and user database. The company further explained in a statement in Lagos that TNS will utilize GeoPoll’s mobile surveying platform and user database to conduct mobile research projects for clients throughout Africa.  In addition, GeoPoll will become the exclusive provider of mobile sample using GeoPoll platform in key countries.

The partnership will also create collaboration on media measurement services. “TNS and Kantar Media will work with GeoPoll to expand its Media Measurement Service in selected countries within Sub Saharan Africa, providing support in the areas of media planning software, sampling and weighting expertise.”

It is said further that the partnership will help in expanding Kantar Media’s data products in Africa and Nigeria as “TNS, Kantar Media and GeoPoll will jointly sell Kantar Media’s Global TGI product in a number of markets, bringing regular consumer insights on a sector by sector basis.” 

Both TNS, a global leader in market research and Kantar Media, a leading audience measurement and analytics company, are part of Kantar, one of the world’s largest insight, information and consultancy groups. Future collaboration between GeoPoll and Kantar’s other operating companies in the region is envisaged, the statement said.

Kim MacIlwaine, CEO, TNS Africa, Mediterranean & Middle East said: “Mobile is an increasingly important mode of communication for market researchers, and we are excited to collaborate with GeoPoll to expand our data product offerings in key African markets.  We believe GeoPoll’s robust mobile surveying technology combined with TNS and Kantar Media’s expertise in market and media research will be beneficial to all of our clients working in Africa.”

“GeoPoll has worked hard to drive increased access to quality information in Africa.  We’re excited to partner with TNS and Kantar Media to improve the availability of reliable, cost-effective data across Africa and look forward to expanding the partnership in the coming years,” said James Eberhard, CEO of GeoPoll and its parent company Mobile Accord.
In the past two years GeoPoll has rapidly expanded its services in Africa, opening an office in Nairobi, Kenya, and increasing their presence in South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria. In June 2014, GeoPoll became the largest provider of overnight media ratings in Africa with the launch of its Media Measurement Service, currently running in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda.

For Kantar Media, this development also represents the first step in developing a full portfolio of services across the region.