Breakthrough Platform Expanded to Make Online Market Research Easier, Faster, More Cost Effective and Insightful

SAN FRANCISCO – MarketTools, Inc. announced the full launch and expansion of MarketTools.com, the first and only fully integrated, centralized research platform that brings together a comprehensive set of research applications and fraud-free data collection, combined with research expertise and flexible services. The MarketTools.com platform is the only market research hub that brings all of these capabilities together in one centralized location available anywhere, at any time.

Although new technologies have helped make research easier, these advances have also caused new complications. Incompatible survey tools and data sources often deployed in piecemeal fashion create isolated islands of research and increase the number of one-off or repeated projects. What’s more, online panels have given rise to “professional respondents”—people who join multiple panels to earn survey rewards—and other forms of gaming the system that cast doubt on the reliability of survey results. These problems combine with today’s challenging economic climate, in which researchers must complete more projects, faster, with smaller margins of error and reduced budgets. The result is often a loss of control over the research process and less confidence in the results of market research.
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Online Advertising Network Recruits Industry Heavyweights to Spearhead Move into Scandinavia

LONDON – Specific Media, the leading independent online advertising network, announced the next stage in its growth strategy for Northern Europe. Specific Media will open an office in Copenhagen, Denmark on 1st March 2009. Three strategic senior hires will support the expansion into Scandinavia.

Michael Chabert, previously of AOL’s Advertising .com, has been appointed as Vice President of Northern Europe and will be responsible for overseeing the Danish launch, establishing Specific Media’s presence in Northern Europe and growing the company’s market share in this new territory. Prior to joining Specific Media, Chabert was the Country Manager of Advertising.com’s Denmark office for seven years, during which time he grew revenue by 100% between 2005 and 2006, negotiated contracts with the top 50 advertisers and 20 leading commercial portals in Denmark and expanded the office from one person to 15 members of staff.
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Online performance marketing leader announces the promotion of Charles Nowaczek as Chief Operating Officer and Young Kim as SVP of Finance

NEW YORK – Epic Advertising (www.epicadvertising.com), the privately-held, New York-based online performance marketing firm, announced two key appointments within its executive suite. The announcement comes on the heels of a wave of recent positive news for the company, including the opening of its London office and strong 2008 revenue growth and business expansion.

The first appointment is the naming of Charles Nowaczek to the position of Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Mr. Nowaczek is responsible for Epic Advertising’s global business operations, including product development, program management, Sales support, facilities and administration, and oversight of the organization’s strategic and tactical initiatives. Additionally, he has successfully led the company’s first-ever Management Training Program, which has resulted in other key employee promotions internally. Previously, Mr. Nowaczek was the Senior Vice President of Operations for the company, and has been with Epic since March 2006. He is based in the New York City headquarters.
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BURLINGTON, Mass. – Burst Media, (www.BurstMedia.com), a leading provider of advertising representation, services and technology to independent Web Publishers, released the results from a survey it conducted about online privacy. The survey was administered to over 4,000 web users with the purpose of better understanding how privacy impacts a web user’s Internet experience, as well as its impact on advertisers. In addition to finding that privacy is a significant concern amongst web users, the survey also revealed that concern increases with the age of the respondent.

The vast majority (80.1%) of web surfers indicated concern about the privacy of their personal information such as age, gender, income and web surfing habits. Concern about privacy is prevalent among all age segments, and increased with the respondent’s age from 67.3% among respondents 18-24 years to 85.7% of respondents 55 years and older.
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French Language Interface Introduction Helps Facebook Surge into Top Position

LONDON, U.K. – comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, released the results of a study of social networking site usage in Europe, with a particular focus on France, based on data from the comScore World Metrix audience measurement service. The study showed that 22 million French Internet users visited at least one social networking site in December 2008, reaching 64 percent of the total French Internet audience.

Social Networking Attracts Three Quarters of European Internet Users
Of the 282.7 million European Internet users age 15 and older who went online via a home or work computer in December 2008, 211 million visited a social networking site – representing a penetration of 74.6 percent. Of the 16 individual European countries included in the study, social networking reach was relatively low in France, at 63.9 percent, compared with 79.8 percent in the U.K. or 73.7 percent in Spain. Despite its relatively low penetration, France’s social networking audience (21.7 million visitors in December) was the third largest in Europe behind the U.K. (29.3 million visitors) and Germany (24.9 million visitors).
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LONDON – Search Engine Strategies London 2009 takes place February 17, 2009 – February 20, 2009 at the Business Design Centre in London.

Business Wire is the official news wire for Search Engine Strategies London 2009. Breaking news releases, advisories, photos, and multimedia are available at Tradeshownews.com, Business Wire’s trade show, conference, and event news resource.

Listed below are Search Engine Strategies London 2009 exhibitor profiles.
Company:           ACQUISIO
Stand:         305
Media Contact:         MARC POIRIER
Phone:         450.465.2631 x210
E-mail:         mpoirier@acquisio.com
Web:         www.acquisio.com
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Online Performance Marketing Leader Also Announces the Hiring of Key Staffers Under SVP and GM, Rob Wilson, as Company Expands International Operations

LONDON – Epic Advertising (www.epicadvertising.com), the privately-held, New York-based online performance marketing firm, announced the official opening of its London office. The announcement follows recent news of the company’s successful 2008 performance, impressive revenue growth, and the hiring of Rob Wilson in October 2008 as the SVP and General Manager of the company’s European business.

“The global trend that we are seeing in performance marketing, not just in North America but in Europe, puts us in a very good position to execute in 2009,” said Mr. Wilson. “It was very important for Epic to establish roots here in London, and to be able to hire talented employees to form the foundation of the company’s worldwide growth. To now have our London office fully opened, staffed and operational is critical in our ability to execute right away in the 1st quarter.”
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The 15th Stanford Accel Symposium Hosted by MediaX Will Feature Thought Leaders From WPP, eBay, Facebook, CNET, Yahoo! and LinkedIn

PALO ALTO, Calif. – Accel Partners and Stanford’s MediaX announced their 15th symposium, which will feature unfiltered industry insights and offer the unique opportunity to learn and discuss the impacts of 2008’s dramatic events on the world of digital media and technology. The Symposium brings together the Stanford research community, high-technology business leaders, and entrepreneurs who are collectively driving developments in this rapidly changing arena.

The Accel symposium is geared towards entrepreneurs, academic and industrial researchers, investors and executives to learn first-hand how to be better informed about new trends in digital media, advertising, and next generation media-oriented business models. Attendees will explore the future of information technologies and services, and will gain critical direction and insight to take back to their companies and help drive their strategic and operational decisions.

Topics will include:
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