Market Research Report: The Vital Statistics

Market research is at the heart of successful relationships between businesses and consumers.

However, there are some big issues affecting the industry, including
pressure on margins and the competition between agencies to become a
strategic partner to clients. We provide an insight into the

discipline's growth, its leading protagonists and the sectors generating

the biggest turnover for it.

MARKET RESEARCH AGENCY OF THE YEAR - NUNWOOD

A year of strong growth, innovation and creativity resulted in Nunwood
reclaiming its crown as agency of the year, a title it also won in 2004
and 2005.

It scored 40 business wins, with big names such as Unilever, McDonald's
and Google among its clients.

The agency also recorded organic growth of 51% in 2007 - more than 12
times the 4% industry average. While the figures speak for themselves,
Nunwood has demonstrated its capacity for innovation, with the fledgling
Nunwood Film Productions business that it set up in 2006 generating
approximately £500,000 in revenue over the year.

Source: Marketing Agency of the Year 2007

THE ONE TO WATCH - HALL & PARTNERS

When it came to winning new business in 2007, Hall & Partners was not
slacking off. It signed 60 clients, including British Airways and Asda,
bringing its total billings for the year to £3.9m.

The company has a clever strategy for boosting its organic growth,
offering free research to brands to help them understand how digital
advertising and the media as a whole assist in building brand
relationships. No wonder, then, that existing clients also gave Hall &
Partners their vote of confidence in 2007, generating £300,000 in
billings for it.

MRS AWARDS APPLICATIONS OF RESEARCH

Year Client Agency

2007 4 Digital Group Various

2006 Vodafone HPI Research Group

Source: MRS

MRS AWARDS MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS

Year Client Agency

2007 Sky Oxford Strategic Marketing, SPA & CFl

2006 Vodafone Oxford Strategic Marketing, Research International

Source: MRS

PROJECTED AVERAGE GLOBAL GROWTH OF MARKET RESEARCH REVENUE

2006 4%-5%

2007 5%-6%

2008 5%-6%

Source: Esomar 2007

TOP FIVE BIG AGENCIES FOR GROWTH

Rnk Agency Turnover Turnover %

2006(pounds) 2005(pounds) chng

1 Research Now 7,951,000 3,639,000 118

2 Cello Group plc 30,964,631 16,105,071 92

3 BDRC 9,260,000 6,279,000 47

4 Banner Corporation 31,782,613 23,129,564 37

5 Hall & Partners Europe 16,300,000 12,900,000 26

Source: Marketing market research leagues 2007

TOP FIVE SMALL AGENCIES FOR GROWTH

Rnk Agency Turnover Turnover %

2006(pounds) 2005(pounds) chng

1 The iD Factor 1,910,000 1,007,000 90

2 YouGov 5,500,000 2,942,000 87

3 Retail Eyes 3,084,286 1,703,023 81

4 ABA 2,390,390 1,559,221 53

5 Progressive Partnership 1,744,758 1,144,384 52

Source: Marketing market research leagues 2007

For further reading, visit the MRS website (www.mrs.org.uk) or the

Esomar website (www.esomar.org)

% TURNOVER BY SECTOR

Sector

1 B2B 11.9

2 Public sector 9.4

3 Retail 7.7

4 IT 7.7

5 FMCG 7.5

6 Food 7.4

7 Media 6.2

8 Health 5.1

9 Leisure 3.6

10 Alcohol 2.7

11 Travel 2.6

12 Automotive 2.0

13 Utilities 1.6

14 Charities 1.0

Other 2.3

Source: Marketing market research leagues 2007