imc Research - Corporate Profile

Corporate Presentation

[ imc Research Mathematical Sciences & Statistics ] Market Research Department

Disclaimer Research, the IMC Research logo, IMC Research.com, IMC Research.net, and IMC Research Dynamic Server are trademarks or registered trademarks of imc Research Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. If these and other IMC Research trademarked terms are marked on their first occurrence in this information with a trademark symbol (® or ™), these symbols indicate U.S. registered or common law trademarks owned by IMC Research at the time this information was published. Such trademarks may also be registered or common law trademarks in other countries.

A current list of IMC Research trademarks is available on the Web at “Copyright and trademark information” at: www.imc-re.com/legal/copytrade.php Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

Research, the IMC Research logo, IMC Research.com, IMC Research.net, and IMC Research Dynamic Server are trademarks or registered trademarks of imc Research Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. If these and other IMC Research trademarked terms are marked on their first occurrence in this information with a trademark symbol (® or ™), these symbols indicate U.S. registered or common law trademarks owned by IMC Research at the time this information was published. Such trademarks may also be registered or common law trademarks in other countries.

A current list of IMC Research trademarks is available on the Web at “Copyright and trademark information” at: www.imc-re.com/legal/copytrade.php Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

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imc Research Confidential - Imc Research - Research with Cause

Corporate Presentation

[ ABOUT imc ] • Regional Team & Coverage Capabilities • What We Do • Corporate Mission • Our History

ABOUT imcResearch® SALES: USD 220 million (prior year +5.0%) Organic growth: 8.5% EMPLOYEES: December 31, 2008: 1,692 full-time staff; 28% of which outside US SERVICES: • Comprehensive information services on consumer goods, healthcare, media and services markets • Research know-how • Marketing consultancy CORE BUSINESS: Pure market research, delivering information services to major global players in the services, media, consumer goods and healthcare industries.

MARKET POSITION: Largest consulting based market research company in the US. USP Fully custom research design worldwide: more than half of our top 50 clients consult imc in at least two of our three sectors and in at least five of our six regions, when ti comes down to critical marketing decision making.

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imc Research Confidential - Imc Research - Research with Cause

ABOUT imcResearch®

What We Do

Corporate Mission

Corporate - About imc Research:

Mission statement:

imc Research is a syndicated intelligence corporate with leading market positions in custom research and research technologies and recognized innovative research products design, online intelligence, business intelligence and media research. Our clients rely on imc Research insights and analysis for their business growth and future regionally & globally. imc Research provides a spectrum of world class consulting services in market research.

Imc Research was founded with the vision of producing innovative and cutting edge market research models to enable researchers of helping people enjoy life more by rising and deploying understanding. To realize this vision, we are developing evolutionary building blocks starting with affordable data collection tools and their associated subsystems.

We offer our clients authentic information gathered from using research methodologies hiring the most internationally recognized research consultants to tackles the words most sophisticated business issues.

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To retain and build the team necessary for these developments, imc Research is fostering a corporate culture that attracts and retains creative, practical, and energetic associates who are driven to "make life happen".

imc Research Confidential - Imc Research - Research with Cause

ABOUT imcResearch® History Looking back, the founding of The imc Research Ronald Eleventh 1981 seems especially remarkable, for the beginning was anything but auspicious. The 38-year-old founder, Ronald E. Eleventh, purchased the company’s first office down in New York City with a $66,500 down payment -- using money he borrowed from a brother-in-law. The only advanced statistical software’s available at the time were of the industry had to be bought from halfway around the world, from Japan. Even the man the company’s name memorialized.

Yet the timing couldn't have been better. The market research basic understating of the 1980s was booming. The horse. So on August 29, 1988, imc Research was incorporated with a capital stock of $1,000,000.

Lark M. Lee, who purchased $30,000 of stock, became the first president. But it was the dynamic and visionary founder, hard-driving of the growing foundation, who chose the name and determined the distinctive trademark. The three letter trademark, inspired by a creative director conveyed the purist of being the first consulting firm across the US. Yet, it remains an integral part of the imc international signature, a symbolic link with the company’s historic past.

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Something else about these legendary early years of the corporates history. Something elusive and intangible, yet very real. Something about the people. People like Donald, actually trying to liquidate family-owned property in 1989 when he ended up taking that once-in-alifetime chance to buy -- at a bargain – the Chrysler building office that became the headquarter. People like Morey M. Jonson, a man who avoided crowds and never made a speech, yet had a gift of integrity and foresight that guided imc Research’s sales through 20 years.

With just 13 employees, imc Research began on November 21, 1981, with a focus on product engineering,. The first recorded payroll amounted to $201,107.86 based on the prevailing wage of 1300 to 2500 dollars an hour for a 8-hour day. After the first year of business, sales amounted to $ 800,246.00 since research assignment by Coca-Cola its way toward becoming the country’s largest market research consulting firm, a title it earned in 1991 when it adopted the slogan "Research with Cause".

imc Research Confidential - Imc Research - Research with Cause

Regional Team & Coverage Capabilities CORE BUSINESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST • This venture - a unique MR group in ME (imc expertise and local knowledge) • With a Dubai base - Full service; and One promoter based in KSA • And ‘home’ grown promoters for the region: Abdelrahman Elsharawy Member Management Board and MD Custom Research 12 years in Marketing and MR, 8 years in ME market.

Last Position: Director, ME/NA/P, The Nielsen Company) Suresh Adwahwi Member Management Board and MD Operations, 15 years in MR, 8 years in MENA market.

Last Position: Director, Operations, TNS Johan Mayer Member Management Board and Head of Research Practice 11 years in MR, extensive experience in MR, consulting and social research.

Last Position: Board Member, TNS NOP

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imc Research Confidential - Imc Research - Research with Cause

Corporate Presentation

[ RESEARCH ] • Addressing Market Issues • Addressing Market Issues • Research Products • Research By Sector • Research By Service

ADDRESSING MARKET ISSUES

Leading provider of tailored consumer & B2B research solutions

200 research professionals in 40 countries

Technology, telecoms, media, consumer electronics

MARKET CONVERGENCE of the Telecommunications, IT and Media industries has led to a far greater degree of competition and new entrants, a rethinking of strategies and both defensive and oensive acquisitions to build greater credibility and speed to market

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imc Research ConďŹ dential - Imc Research - Research with Cause

ADDRESSING MARKET ISSUES

Manage customers efficiently & effectively

Understand new media and sales channels

Understand Market development

Develop new products & services

Maximize retail opportunities

Trial new products and services

Address branding issue & Opportunities

Assess and improve the user experience

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imc Research Confidential - Imc Research - Research with Cause

RESEARCH BUSINESS STRUCTURE

Retail & technology 25%

custom Research 64%

Media 11%

SECTORS

Auto

Business & industry

PRACTICES

Consumer

Financial

Healthcare

AREAS OF EXPERTISE - CROSS INDUSTRY

Social

technology

RETAIL

TRENDS

Auto

Business & industry

Business & industry

Business & industry

Auto

Business & industry

Business & industry

Business & industry

INSIGHTS & CONSULTING

• Custom Research is one of three divisions within the imc Group (representing 64% of the group’s annual turnover) • Imc CR is one of seven industry specific groups that sit within Custom Research • Custom Research is supported by a number of cross-industry expertise areas

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imc Research Confidential - Imc Research - Research with Cause

RESEARCH

Research Products: imc Research is a syndicated intelligence corporate with leading market positions in custom research and research technologies and recognized innovative research products design, online intelligence, business intelligence and media research. Our clients rely on imc Research insights and analysis for their business growth and future regionally & globally. imc Research provides a spectrum of world class consulting services in market research.

We offer our clients authentic information gathered from using research methodologies hiring the most internationally recognized research consultants to tackles the words most sophisticated business issues.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS • Advertisement Concepts • Advertising Tracking • Awareness, Attitude and Usage • Brand Equity • Brand Positioning • Brand Tracking • Business-to-business • Competitive Analysis • Customer Satisfaction • New Products • Packaging, Design and Name Testing • Pricing • Product Feature Evaluation • Segmentation • Software User Interface Testing

imc Research Confidential - Imc Research - Research with Cause

RESEARCH | RESEARCH PRODUCTS Advertisement Concepts Description: Before committing to a major media buy, companies often wish to check the reaction of potential recipients of the advertising. These reactions can be tested at several stages of the creative development cycle. When the idea is young, it can be tested as a "concept statement" which is a succinct paragraph describing the key messages. As the idea proceeds to actual renderings, various options can be tested to see which one produces the best results. It is often desirable to test the various underlying messages' appeal to make sure that the messages themselves are on target (e.g. you can have an ad which communicates unimportant messages very well.)

Advertising Tracking When companies advertise their goods and services, they are often interested in measuring

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the effect that the communications have on their intended audiences. Two types of measurements are generally referred to as "advertising tracking." The first is a one-time assessment of an individual ad's performance. This measurement normally begins with a "baseline" reading on awareness and perception prior to the ad's release. Immediately following the "flight," another, similar wave of research is conducted and the results are compared to the baseline. In a large enough sample, changes in awareness and perception can be traced to the effect of the advertisement (assuming nothing else has radically influenced the market). The second type of advertising tracking study traces the long-term effect of the communication plan. This is referred to as "longitudinal" tracking. Companies find this type of research useful because, over time, the general effectiveness of any specific advertisement begins to diminish.

The life cycle of an ad's effectiveness can be mapped, and at the correct time it can be replaced with new material to revitalize" the communication of the desired messages.

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RESEARCH | RESEARCH PRODUCTS Awareness, Attitude and Usage One of the most basic, exploratory forms of marketing research is the AAU (Awareness, Attitude and Usage Study.) This type of survey is used to assess the general state of the market for a particular brand, product, or service.

These surveys can draw on the opinions of both consumer and/or business customers.

Awareness is almost always tested first in this type of study (otherwise the respondents would be biased by other information being gathered.) Awareness is tested in both unaided and aided forms. Unaided awareness consists of all the brands, companies, product names, etc. that the respondents can think of on their own. In a quick, reactive type survey this measurement of awareness is also called "top of mind" awareness. Aided awareness is then tested by reading a list of pertinent brands, products, etc. and asking the respondent to state which ones they have heard of (not including the ones already mentioned.)

Total Awareness is usually given as the sum of unaided plus aided awareness. Attitudes are the opinions associated with the brands, products, etc. that are being tested. The attitudes towards the brands can help determine strengths or "equities" (which should be preserved) and weaknesses (that should be corrected.)

Usage patterns, which are a subset of the demographic profile, help reveal the how the respondents are interacting with the brand, product or service. This is particularly important as a comparative measurement against the attitudes -- e.g. Do heavy users have different opinions or priorities than the occasional

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users? Other demographics, such as gender, age, income, etc. also help to isolate particular groups that are particularly good (or bad) prospective customers.

Brand Equity Is the research concerned with those attributes associated with a brand which can be considered assets for the company. Like any form of assets, brand equities are usually purchased for a price.

Years of advertising, promotion, quality and customer service can form a lasting impression of the brand that create unique and differentiating competitive advantages in terms of consumer recognition and good will. Equities fall into two distinct categories: "abstract equities" and "tangible equities."

Abstract equities are those attributes of the brand, product or service that exist in the mind of the customers. Examples of abstract equities include perceptions of "high quality," "trust," "performance," etc. Tangible equities are the physical manifestations of the brand including design elements such as packages, logos, typefaces, colors, characters, etc.

[See Packaging Tests] Before making major design or positioning changes, many firms like to research what their current equities are and then assess what would happen if changes are made. Moving too rapidly to a new look or corporate personality can disenfranchise current customers and wash away advantages derived from awareness and long-term brand associations.

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RESEARCH | RESEARCH PRODUCTS Brand Positioning Brand positioning refers to the strategic way in which the brand's image is conveyed to customers. Positioning helps to create a unique, differentiable rationale for the purchase of your products or services versus a competitor's.

Examples of various positioning strategies include messages such as: "Value Brand," "High End Brand," "Known for Customer Service," "High Quality," "Technology Leader," etc.

Positioning is usually driven by three things: 1) Management Desires, 2) Market Needs, and 3) Competition within the market segment. Management desires often involve the way that the company's leadership would "like" the market to perceive them (e.g. good value, high quality, on-time, etc.)

Research can provide a picture of customer perceptions that reflect how well the market's opinion of the brand match those of management's desires. Specific areas of strengths and weaknesses can be identified for corrective action. Market needs can be identified as gaps between desired product and service characteristics (market ideals) and those currently available. Measuring these "need gaps" can help to identify new positioning opportunities.

Current competitive positioning is also very important to bear in mind when evaluating your own brand position. It is usually safer, more productive and less expensive to assume a unique position in the market than one that is very close to another competitor. This is particularly true when the other competitors are well established. Research can be used to produce a "brand map" of the market which shows the key competitors' current perceived positions.

Brand Tracking Like other forms of tracking studies (sometimes

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referred to as longitudinal studies), brand tracking measures changes in the market over time.

Examples of these changes might include things like new product introductions, new competitors, advertising campaigns, public relations initiatives, articles in the press, etc.

With each successive change, how people perceive one brand versus another may be subtly impacted. Companies track their brand's positioning for many reasons...to keep the brand contemporary, to counter competitive actions, to create marketing communications plans and to provide a feedback mechanism on long-term strategic positioning plans. Often a long-term brand tracking study will begin within an [Awareness, Attitude and Usage] study, to provide a baseline reading, then the brand's position is tracked over time.

Business-to-business Business-to-business research differs in several key ways from general consumer research.

First, the target audience for a business-related product is generally more sophisticated and better informed about a particular class of products than a typical consumer.

Second, the purchase decision may be spread out among more people in the business setting -- requiring the researcher to determine the level of purchase influence that various respondents may have.

Third, the business market is usually more timeconscious than the general consumer -- necessitating rapid, to-the-point survey techniques. imc Research offers many ways in which businesspeople may be surveyed, including methods with high entertainment value and time-savings. Contact us for a detailed proposal designed to meet your specific needs.

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RESEARCH | RESEARCH PRODUCTS Competitive Analysis One of the most frequently requested types of information that companies desire is insight into the competition they face.

Competitive comparisons are built into most types of studies. Two major forms of competitive analysis are 1) Competitive Intelligence and 2) Market perceptions of competitors. Competitive intelligence is the gathering of all types of hard data on a competitor from both published and unpublished sources. An example of published sources might include a scan of the Internet for company facts, credit history, new product announcements, etc.

Unpublished sources might include interviews with employees and or the trade press to determine the direction of product or service development before it is oďŹƒcially made public.

Market perception competitive studies are usually done to ascertain the competition's strengths and weaknesses with regard to the consumer's desire to do business with them.

New Products Getting customer feedback for the development of new products is a vital role of marketing research. In general, there are three distinct phases of new product development in which research can be useful: 1) Determining market requirements, 2) Testing features and design alternatives and 3) Measuring aspects of market feedback

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related to commercialization.

Determining the market requirements involves determining the gaps between what is currently available and what customers' ultimately desire. In addition, market requirements research attempts to determine how much better a new product must be in order to be perceived as "goodn enough to switch. " Finally, this stage of research can be used to determine overall reactions to a new product concept and get a preliminary read on market potential for the product or service. During the design phase of the product or service, frequent iterations of testing with potential customers can provide valuable feedback to the design team. Feature testing, in-home studies and focus groups can be used to answer questions from the consumers' standpoint. Prior to launch, [positioning], [competitive analysis], [product feature evaluation], [pricing], [packaging, design and name testing] and other studies may prove useful to product management.

Packaging, Design and Name Testing imc Research believes in the use of sensation transference techniques for testing packaging.

Sensation Transference: The phenomenon related to how people make judgments on an "object's" attributes, based on the context in which the object is presented.

imc Research ConďŹ dential - Imc Research - Research with Cause

RESEARCH | RESEARCH PRODUCTS Pricing

of purchase or preference for each alternative.

How to price products and services is of critical interest to many of imc Research clients. Three methods are traditionally used in assessing pricing strategies: 1) Comparative Worth Analyses, 2) Part-Worth Modeling and 3) Conjoint Analysis Comparative worth analyses work on the premise that if you know the value of an existing competitor's products or services, and you can measure the approximate difference in perceived worth between that competitor's product desirability and your own, then you can establish a relative price position that should be stable over some period of time.

For instance if people perceive your product as producing 20% more of a sense of value than your competitor -- you should price your product or service 20% higher than theirs.

If they drop their prices, you should take up a new position 20% above their new price point.

Part-Worth models use regression to identify individual features that add to the sense of product value.

These models work by "adding up" the sum of the individual parts to approximate the relative value that one company's products or services has versus another's.

Again, you use these relative price positions to peg your prices to the competition.Conjoint, or tradeoff analysis, is a method by which respondents consider alternatives and state a likelihood

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As the respondent continues to make choices, a pattern begins to emerge which, through complex multiple regression techniques, can be broken down and analyzed as to the individual features that contribute most to the perception of value. The measurements of the value contributed by the component parts are given in relative units called "utils. " Conjoint analyses produce several types of information. First, they tell us what features (and levels of features) are most valued by the customers. Second, they allow us to model how likely people will be to purchase various configurations of products, the share of revenue that the product most likely will receive and what role price plays in the assessment of acceptability. Adaptive Conjoint Analysis™ is a computerbased form of conjoint that "learns" as the respondent makes choices -- limiting the overall number of choices that have to be presented in order to calculate accurate utilities. ACA™ can be included as a module in disk-based surveys or can be run on its own as a stand-alone test.

Discrete choice conjoint is similar to regular conjoint except that, in addition to specific product configurations that we wish to test, the respondents are also allowed to choose "none" of the options. This form of conjoint is helpful when trying to measure the actual unit volume of products that people will most likely purchase.

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RESEARCH | RESEARCH PRODUCTS Product Feature Evaluation Assessing the value of specific features and how much people will be willing to pay for new functions or benefits is of tremendous interest to product managers. Many of the same techniques used to evaluate pricing can also be used to judge the relative impact of features on overall perceived value. In particular, imc Research prefers to use conjoint analysis for this type of study.

Conjoint, or tradeoff analysis, is a method by which respondents consider alternatives and state a likelihood of purchase or preference for each alternative. As the respondent continues to make choices, a pattern begins to emerge which, through complex multiple regression techniques, can be broken down and analyzed to reveal the individual features that contribute most to the perception of value. The measurements of the value contributed by the component parts are given in relative units called "utils." Conjoint analyses produce several types of information. First, they tell us what features (and levels of features) are most valued by the customers.

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Second, they allow us to model how likely people will be to purchase various configurations of products, the share of revenue that the product most likely will receive and what role price plays in the assessment of acceptability.

Adaptive Conjoint Analysis™ is a computerbased form of conjoint that "learns" as the respondent makes choices -- limiting the overall number of choices that have to be presented in order to calculate accurate utilities. ACA™ can be included as a module in disk-based surveys or can be run on its own as a stand-alone test.

Discrete choice conjoint is similar to regular conjoint except that, in addition to specific product configurations that we wish to test, the respondents are also allowed to choose "none" of the options. This form of conjoint is helpful when trying to measure the actual unit volume of products that people will most likely purchase.

imc Research Confidential - Imc Research - Research with Cause

RESEARCH | RESEARCH PRODUCTS Segmentation Segmentation analysis is frequently used to identify potential target customer groups in a market. Segmentation may be performed on either feature-based, attitudinal, behavioral or demographic data using many different multivariate clustering techniques.

The type of technique used generally depends on the nature of the data and how the clusters are to be interpreted. In general, segmentation helps you to break up the market into groups of customers who tend to view things similarly.

This helps the manager to determine what things are most important in the market.

"Segment sizing" shows how large the various groupings of people are. (If segments are very small it may be hard to market to them.) "Communications profiling" gives the manager insight into the key messages that can be used to reach any one specific segment.

These messages can be compared to the customer's current perceptions of the product or service to determine how good a fit there is for marketing to any one specific segment.

For instance, within a given market there may be a group of people who are particularly price sensitive or who are interested in the latest technology no matter what it costs. By isolating and identifying these various groups, research can provide the marketing manager with several important tools: "Market dimensionalization" is a term used to describe the mapping of the key issues that influence people -- such as "cost," "brand consciousness," "technophobia," etc.

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imc Research Confidential - Imc Research - Research with Cause

RESEARCH

Research By Sector: We measure markets and trends at the customer points an report it back real time. We offer customized consumer research services focused on specific issues and opportunities, using advanced research.

We evaluate and forecast the potential markets for new products. We identify and help clients reach specific consumer segments.

In imc Research we track the results of marketing and sales programs. imc Research provides advanced analytical service for marketing and merchandising planning. And we provide integrated combinations of products and services aimed at revolutionary solutions to clients’ key issues.

Our services help clients understand competitive results, diagnose and solve problems, improve brand and banner performance, develop and launch new products and identify new growth opportunities.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS • Business • imc Research Tailored Solutions • imc Research for Business Leaders • imc Research for Business Leaders consists of the following products • imc Research for Product Management & Marketing • imc Research for Market & Competitive Intelligence • Core research • imc Research industry • Education • Energy & Utilities • Government • Healthcare Providers • Insurance • Media • Retail

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RESEARCH | RESEARCH BY SECTOR Business In imc Research we provide market-focused intelligence, through an integrated information research system that help businesses go to market more effectively and efficiently.

Serving more than 30 individual industries, spanning the entertainment, marketing, media & visual arts, retail and building design industries, imc Research provides business-tobusiness products and services in print, online and in person. imc Research Tailored Solutions The insight you need-when you need it. Instant access to exclusive imc Research that's tailored to your specific business area.

Advice from world-renowned imc Research analysts to help you make the right decisions with confidence.

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Spend less time searching for information-and more time applying the right insight in the context of your business. imc Research for Business Leaders A new series of role-based research offerings designed to help business leaders in the energy, healthcare, real-estate, retail and communications industry be more successful. imc Research for Business Leaders delivers the insight that will enable you to conceive breakthrough ideas, make more successful decisions and win more business, with confidence. Our reinvigorated focus on serving the needs of business executives leading healthcare, real-estate, retail and communications organizations is designed to help you achieve your goals and let you concentrate on making your programs and products successful in your marketplace.

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RESEARCH | RESEARCH BY SECTOR imc Research for Product Management & Marketing imc Research for Product Management & Marketing is designed to proactively deliver insight custom-tailored to your job function via a personalized systematic research tools organized into a simple dashboard framework of Customers, Competitors, Markets and Technologies.

With research that gives you a competitive edge, discover new market or growth opportunities, understand what is on the mind of your buyer, invent breakthrough products and create more effective marketing strategies. imc Research for Market & Competitive Intelligence imc Research for Market & Competitive Intelligence reduces the time-consuming and laborintensive task of conducting research by delivering insight custom-tailored to your role via a fully systemized research tools .

With the insight and analysis you receive, you are better able to offer indispensable advice, generate results and add greater value to your organization every day.

including focus area topics. Upgrading to Advisor, a more personalized option, puts you in direct contact with our Core Research analysts. imc Research industry Advisory services Many CIOs, CTOs, and other senior business executives need research within the specific context of their industry.

Through imc Research Industry Advisory Services, analysts write to a client-prioritized agenda with highly targeted advice aimed at generating new business value and new sources of competitive advantage. Learn More Banking & Investment Services In a sea of commoditized banking products and increasing global regulation, research professionals and business leaders in the banking industry must invest in the right insight provides to support growth, preserve margins and aid in compliance. imc Research banking industry research, staffed by top industry analysts, provides the critical insights you'll need to gain competitive advantage.

Education

Core research imc Research Core Research is your primary window to the imc Research data and analysis that will help you plan, implement, and manage on a day-to-day basis. Detailed care and innovative research design is the foundation of most client relationships at imc Research, the point of access to our analysts and their advice.

There are two service options within Core Research: Reference and Advisor. Reference gives you self-serve access to imc Research Core Research facilitating your private access to both your research history and the markets’,

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Educational institutions need thorough understanding of current trends and issues to exploit changing enrollment patterns and deliver research-dependent offerings such as student services and e-learning. imc Research industry research analyzes the latest developments affecting the education industry, with specific focus on both the higher education and K-12 segments.

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RESEARCH | RESEARCH BY SECTOR Energy & Utilities Analysis, research and actionable advice on energy and utility industry-specific developments, challenges and trends for energy industry executives. imc Research helps businessfocused energy filed leaders and energyfocused service provider companies to understand and act on changes in this rapidly transforming, increasingly volatile industry space.

Energy & Utilities Analysis, research and actionable advice on energy and utility industry-specific developments, challenges and trends for energy industry executives. imc Research helps businessfocused energy filed leaders and energyfocused service provider companies to understand and act on changes in this rapidly transforming, increasingly volatile industry space.

Government Strategic decision making and innovations are frequently blocked by outdated policies and other complications endemic within the public sector.

Government leaders must ensure that policies keep pace with resources in hand. imc Research industry research provides best research methods and tactics for public-sector governance, and funding strategies by designing a tailormade module based research to solve faced issues.

Healthcare Providers Healthcare research has taken an increasingly central role in supporting clinical care. Research evolving from a "nice to have" differentiator to a core competency whose absence can place a care delivery organization's future at risk.

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imc Research industry research provides in-depth analysis on the priorities and options confronting healthcare decision makers.

Insurance Analysis, research, and actionable advice on selected industry-specific developments, challenges and trends for insurance executives.

By surveying the most active segments of the industry and the general industry landscape — while leveraging the research generated by imc Research’s other advisory and consulting services — the service provides unparalleled advice to clients.

Media The global media industry is in the early stages of a digital revolution that will enable more consumers to purchase media in more ways than ever; increasing media power and profits for well-positioned companies. New strategies are needed to capitalize on behavioral and trend changes. imc Research industry research covers the business opportunities and evolvement issues surrounding this transition.

Retail As retailers research to improve business and enhance the customer experience, navigating the right path through the complex array of offering options can make the difference between competitive success and failure. imc Research industry research helps retail executives assess the impact of research alternatives on market share, productivity and profit.

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RESEARCH

Research By Service: Analysts & Consultants imc Research has been the trusted advisor by many of the world's largest and most demanding enterprises for over 29 years. Accurate answers to difficult questions; innovative research solutions to complex business problems. That trust is based on relationships. Those relationships are not with a faceless company but with the remarkable people you'll find on these pages. No one sees the implications of research so clearly, so consistently.

Critical mass is the great advantage that our people bring to our clients. imc Research analysts and consultants draw constantly from the real-life problems and solutions experienced by 500 imc Research clients worldwide. The value of this resource, combined with our deep analysis and delivered insights, is unrivaled. This is why business and market leaders turn to us more than anyone else. You simply can't get the same quality of observation and advice anywhere else.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS • Analysts • Consultants • The imc Research Advantage • Market Independence • Industry Focused Research • Benchmarking • Custom Benchmarks • Telephone Interviews • One-to-one • Postal Surveys • On-line Surveys

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RESEARCH | RESEARCH BY SERVICE Analysts

Hire an Analyst Join our Analysts team

We are often asked what makes imc Research analysts and consultants different.

Ask an Analyst Did you know you can schedule an appointment to speak to an imc Research analyst? Ask your most important questions.

Get person-to-person insight, now.

“You must be a client to access this feature.”

Market Independence

In a word: experience.

It begins with who we hire. imc Research, like all companies at the very top of their field, attracts a pool of talented applicants that is almost breathtaking. We get the best of the best. In the research world, it is a distinct professional honor to be an imc Research analyst. As a community, our 172 analysts are the most formidable brain trust of independent research experts on the planet. Hand-picked. Rigorously trained. Carefully mentored. Our clients get the tremendous value of that process and that thinking on a day-to-day basis.

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imc Research's market independence ensures that our advice is about making our clients successful; it is not about driving implementation or outsourcing.

Industry Focused Research imc Research ensures our analyses and advice is based on a deep understanding our clients’ business environment through our industry focused account management micro organizational structure.

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RESEARCH | RESEARCH BY SERVICE Telephone Interviews This is the most cost effective solution for clients who would like information from a large sample size or from a number of geographical locations.

This would be time intensive and prohibitively expensive using one-to-one interviews; however telephone interviews allow such projects to be carried out in a relatively short time and with the minimum outlay.

One-to-one Undoubtedly, one-to-one interviewing can be the most thorough method of obtaining information from a market sector.

A combination of intelligent questionnaire design and an experienced interviewer can provide a wealth of information or actionable data.

One-to-one research is particularly well suited to providing feedback on various locations in the form of entrance or exit interviews – i.e. why a consumer decided to visit a particular venue, or their thoughts / level of satisfaction on leaving.

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Postal Surveys Postal surveys are more economical than faceto-face surveys and less intrusive than telephone surveys.

They can be particularly useful when respondents need time to assess various products or consider their answers before completing a questionnaire.

Similar to telephone interviews, postal surveys can be used where a large sample or number of locations are required.

On-line Surveys Online surveys provide a fast, economical means of reaching a wide audience.

This research method is particularly useful for projects where low penetration levels are an issue and traditional recruitment costs would be prohibitive.

It can also provide a cost effective method for gauging consumer opinions of new concepts or packaging designs, where responses are required to visual stimuli.

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Corporate Presentation

[ RESEARCH APPLICATIONS] • CAPI imc fielder® Face to face interviews • CAWI fielder ® web interviews • CATI / Computer Assisted Telephone Interview

RESEARCH APPLICATIONS

CAPI imc fielder ® Face to face interviews: imc® aims to transfer the region from the pen and paper to CAPI , providing a cutting edge fully integrated infrastructure field support solution that includes both the hardware and the software, in an affordable costing. That enables agencies taking their data processing department concerns to whole new level.

TABLE OF CONTENTS • Benefits • Introduction • Face-to-face interviews advantages • The System® Never been easier • The Process • Media Assisted System • Functions Features and Aides of the composer • The perfect tool for a host of situations

Benefits • Uses the Internet to update (thought our servers) and consolidate CAPI data without user intervention • Centralizes the management and dispatch of CATI projects, including individual quotas • Implements changes transparently in the course of field operations

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RESEARCH APPLICATIONS| CAPI Introduction When using the CAPI method, the questionnaires are programmed in software. The interviewer receives a laptop and can in this way conduct computer-steered interviews at the respondents’ homes, at some central point (e.g. in a shopping centre), or at the respondents' workplaces, etc.

Face-to-face interviews have the following advantages: • Face-to-face interviews can be conducted everywhere.

• One can make use of images. And various multimedia file types.

• There is a direct and visual contact between the interviewer and the respondent.

• One can give an incentive for the collaboration.

• There is no limit to the length of the interview.

• Empiric evidence can be used in the research.

• Good geographic distribution • Very professional instrument for B-to-B interviews. imc fielder™ CAPI makes use of the infrastructure to deploy and manage surveys conducted on mobile computing devices. The devices can last up to 9 hours in the field, to insure full productivity, on an individual level For face to face interviews where interviewers must be highly mobile (airports, stations, subways, shows, sporting events, polling etc).

The System - Never been easier

We can create engaging, the entire field machines from scratch in less than 12 hours.

Just you questionnaire directly imc® support .

To set-up the preferred look and feel for your touch screen survey, simply express your interests; we will make sure the screen is shown in the one you want to display for your respondents - done. You are ready to start data collection with imc Research Launcher using your own or using rented touch screen survey equipment.

The Process • Create your questionnaire • Translate to the targeted languages ( can be provided separately by imc Research®) • Send it to imc Research® • We will the project logistics • Assist you initiate & Launch the fieldwork • Communicate the progress • Receive you clean data file right after field is over.

The perfect tool for a host of situations: • Concept testing • Advertising testing • Public health research • Employment and economic studies • Transportation studies • Collection of engineering data • Tracking • And any Ad-hoc research

Just drop us your questionnaire! imc® questionnaire Composer Module lets us craft difficult surveys, quizzes, assessments and interactive forms in an easy, intuitive way and helps streamline remotely and accelerate the project creation process.

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RESEARCH APPLICATIONS| CAPI Ask with pictures show brief videos, play audio files At times, a picture or video says more than thousand words. You can use this feature for brand recognition, when asking for differences in technical products and difficult to explain products, aided recalls, ad recalls, preferences for product packaging, and similar situations. imc Research Composer also allows you to mix answer choices in text, pictures, videos and sound within the same question.

The most important functions Features and aides of imc®composer: • Unlimited number of projects (limited only by computer storage space) • Unlimited number of questions (limited only by computer storage space) • Questionnaire design, including answer choices with text, pictures, multimedia (pictures, video clips, audio clips) By imc®, headache free servicing system • Add questionnaires in foreign languages as needed • Format fonts, font colors, sizes and designs of buttons, import background screens • Preview screens and see how our creation will appear in front of the respondent, once you are satisfied • Provide virtually unlimited number of answer choices • Create a wide variety of closed-end and openend question types (numeric and alphanumeric); scales, opinion grids and more • Fully customized question types , you can mix in our system both multiple choice and all that can apply under one question • Print questionnaire in English and foreign languages (now including Arabic) • Determine time-in and time-out and get the interviews average.

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• Fully customizable branching and skip patterns on an option level • Fully secure and encrypted data collection of data and results • Instruct your interviewer during the interview using our (Notice ) feature • Showcard feature is create to assist the interview display the answer in a respondent friendly fashion • Import and export questions and answers immediately to ready data format, our system create an SPSS (*.sav) on the spot • All data collection operations conducted on individual computers are synchronized and centralized through Internet sessions (using imc® servers) • Multiple concurrent surveys supported • Changes to questionnaires made transparently during the study • The CAPI Manager server is available 24/7 • imc fielder TM is compatible with all our other collection modes (CATI/CAWI) allowing for mixed mode-projects • Several randomization modes on the options level , to ensure the most salient statistical responses • Full integration to open ended answer in the structured of upcoming questions Without needing a permanent connection Interviewer CAPI runs questionnaires locally on the PC. When an connection to our server and under imc’s® supervision is possible, questionnaires and other components are updated, and sample and the encrypted data are securely exchanged without intervention on the part of the interviewer. This mode minimizes connection time, enabling studies where there is only intermittent connectivity, with the highest levels of data security possible.

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RESEARCH APPLICATIONS

CAWI fielder ® web interviews Internet research: CAWI Today, Web Interviewing is the most technically innovative way to gather data.

The Internet opens new perspectives for market research, which complement the traditional studies.

For example, studies may be conducted over the Internet via specific customer files or via randomly recruited Internet user consumer panels, cf. imc Research panel.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS • Mechanism • Advantage • Limits • Characteristics of our surveys & forms • Customized design • Branding • Multilingual • Services provide

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RESEARCH APPLICATIONS| CAWI Mechanism The CAWI questionnaire appears in the browser as a web-page that respondents can reach in different ways depending on the sample design required for the study.

The computerized environment enables great logical intricacy in the interviewing process.

Filtering and the implementation of logical relationships happen in the background, out of sight, and only the questions to answer appear on the screen.

The answers for the questionnaire get immediately to the main server so the data collection and the results can be tracked continuously.

Even multimedia materials (pictures, audio or music files) can be integrated into the questionnaire.

Advantage There are no print, interviewer and data input costs.

The collection time is reduced and there is no input time. Real time processing. Real time data follow-up.

• Avoidance of positioning effects by standardized rotation and randomization of items • Automatic control • Possibility to integrate logos and pictures and demonstrate video and audio materials Limits The target is not representative of the national population, the Internet equipment rate of households being 57% in the UK for instance and 61% in the US. Senior citizens are poorly represented. Difficulty to check the validity of answers and the respondent identity.

• Professionalisation and spontaneous self-recruitment of certain panelists.

• Facility to quit the questionnaire.

• Obligation to protect the data.

To see further information please visit imc Research at: www.imc-research.com/CAWI Characteristics of our surveys & forms

Better access to certain targets (Net surfers, working population…). No geographical constraint. CAWI is well adapted to broad geographical areas.

Suppression of skews due to the interviewer and input errors. The respondents have all the time they want to answer the questionnaire.

• Time and cost effective • Comfort for respondents – fast filling and guarantee of anonymity • Complete and thought-through answers from respondents • Data and reports available immediately and on-line • System of data protection • Support for any question and logical construction of the questionnaire including switching in accordance with respondent’s answers

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• Require no special software to be installed on respondent's computer • Can be used without any need for training • Implemented to appropriate International standards • Full compliance to the international research code of conduct of ESOMAR, MRS &CASRO • Data collected is kept in a secure environment that protects your privacy and the privacy of your respondents • Our testing ensures that online surveys work with all major web browsers • Fully customisable look and feel • Surveys can be pre-populated • Speed of loading • Very extensive range of features.

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RESEARCH APPLICATIONS| CAWI Customized design The display of information on a monitor screen is different from any other medium. As such, presenting, for example, a printed form online may not be very effective unless specific online design issues are considered.

In designing online surveys and forms, we consider design features that will make your questionnaires appealing and easy to complete.

Imc Research is dedicating resources for programming and scripting the required surveys for research agencies and research no matter how sophisticated of complex the survey design is.

Branding Each CAWI system can be branded in the customer's own corporate brand, event or image, with logos, images, company colours, fonts, etc Multilingual Our Computer Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) and Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) system is extremely powerful and can create surveys in multiple languages, allowing you to reach customers and internet users around the globe Our CAWI system supports any language capable of being displayed on the web, including non-Latin and right-to-left scripts. It has been used to create online questionnaires in the following languages: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Somali, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Urdu, Welsh.

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Our survey interface is also available in different languages, for ex. text viewed while accessing a survey.

The content of the survey or data collection systems is provided by clients (questions, ...).

Each survey will have a different web address.

A link in the appropriate language is sent to potential respondents, or a list of web addresses where respondents choose their preferred language. Alternatively, we set up a main page in the survey with links to the different versions and respondents just click on their preferred language.

Ability to merge survey results for ease of analysis.

Assuming the different versions of the survey have an identical structure then you can combine the results in the reporting area (therefore you do not have to analyse the surveys separately unless you want to). For example, they must have the same number of questions, the same number of options per question, etc. If the survey structure differs then the results cannot be combined Services provide By imc Research are two types of basic on-line surveys: • Full cycle research including questionnaires’ composure and programming, fieldwork, data analysis and final report • Questionnaires’ programming, fieldwork, providing access to data and basic reports on-line, and primary data processing for research Agencies

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RESEARCH APPLICATIONS

CATI

Computer Assisted Telephone Interview With technology from imc Research, we can develop your CATI (computer assisted telephone interview) applications and stations using our interactive voice response IVR solutions. Phone surveys can be initiated by outbound phone calls or can be a response to callers. Using our phone system with the Smart Message Dialer and phone interview IVR software, we can call a potential interviewee and play a custom greeting.

The caller is given the option to be interviewed by phone or can talk with a representative (if you choose), leave a voice message, hear additional information or simply decline the interview. The phone interview application can be programmed to accept touchphone response or can record each question response for later analysis.

Contact imc Research technical team to learn more

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about our CATI software and automated survey solutions.

To view articles about IVR surveys and computer assisted phone interview applications, please visit our Phone Survey Tech Library web page.

TABLE OF CONTENTS • Features • Benefits • Outsource Your CATI

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RESEARCH APPLICATIONS| CATI Features In general, computer assisted telephone interviewing offers some very appealing benefits and features. Here are just a few: • Standardized sampling and call-back procedures can be programmed in the system to insure uniformity of practice and more efficient calling routines.

• Interview questions can be automatically modified to insert information already obtained and to phrase questions appropriately by such personal characteristics as gender and marital status.

• Computer-controlled skip patterns permit far more complex interviews than are possible with paper and pencil forms. Questions can be designed to vary according to answers given earlier in the interview or even according to random numbers. Complex experiments can be integrated into the survey.

• In-process data cleaning is a standard benefit,

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since many potential interviewer errors, such as missed questions or inappropriate skips, are virtually eliminated. Also, apparent discrepancies between responses may be automatically identified for probing during the course of the interview.

• Tabulations and data files are available sooner because data entry and most manual editing and data cleaning steps are eliminated. For more complex studies, this may save weeks between the completion of interviewing and the beginning of analysis.

• Automatic record-keeping, by date, time, sample segment facilitates both interim and final reports on sampling outcomes and performance. Automatic timing of alternate question wordings and sequences can aid in the design of interviews that are less burdensome to respondents and more efficient for researchers

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RESEARCH APPLICATIONS| CATI Benefits Imc Research has the full CATI setup for research agencies including the computer predictive dialer.

The fieldwork supervisors can keep an eye on the different CATI stations and always follow the work of the interviewers by means of central computers.

Telephone research may be used for both business-to-business research, and for consumer research. Telephone numbers may both be supplied by the customer and selected by us from the databases we have available.

Telephone research has a few important advantages to offer: • The sampling is more correct.

• Complicated skips and complex routing present no problems whatsoever.

• There is no need to provide separate data input.

• Every question has to be answered to continue with the questionnaire.

• Blank, invalid or impossible answers are automatically impossible.

• Increased data quality: how long the survey takes, its starting time • The prescribed quotas are automatically recorded by the software.

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• It is simple to check up on sampling and response.

• Real time online reporting Besides these important advantages, one must bear in mind the limitations accompanying telephone interviews: • The time of the survey is limited.

• It is impossible to show images.

Outsource Your CATI Outsource Your CATI Applications At Our Call Center.Imc Research can provide your organization with a complete turnkey application and phone interview system. But you can also outsource your telephone interview projects such as customer satisfaction surveys at very affordable rates through our call center.

Using our phone dialer and your survey representatives, you can enjoy the benefits of this latest technology without the investment of phone equipment and support personnel.

This "TRY BEFORE YOU BUY" option lets you experience the results we know you can achieve through automation. Contact DSC today for a free quote.

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Corporate Presentation

[ AUDITING ] • Concept • Abstract • The Problem • Imc Auditing - The Agency

AUDITING

CONCEPT This paper introduces the creation of the research integrity & health Index, as a tool for marketers and research experts, to asses and evaluate the objectives, implementing, and data outcomes being on the receiving side of the research conducted . In addition, to provide a detailed insight to research buyers in regards to the health of their conducted research. It uses the REHI to evaluate the overall level of accuracy of the research done; driving the quality of the research Society today, as well as its future development of the industry, and shows how the REHI can yield real impact into development of research implementation quality internationally. The REHI is a practical tool for research health evaluation in a just and equitable way, as envisaged by several ESOMAR experts outcome documents.

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AUDITING | 1 ABSTRACT The need for this concept comes from the uncertainty of research results after the research is done and the preliminary report is provided, and before the final one.

This censorship methodology will systematically evaluate the main dimensions of implementation of any given research, and will provide with an overall score that indicate how healthy / integrity the research was throughout the entire process. As well as the categorized scores that indicates the health / integrity of each dimension. Moreover, this system will create a construct of the needed measures / Actions that shows how the results quality can lifted up. If necessary.

This concept will serve both scientific as well as market research across any given industry as it evaluates the • Objectives delivery • Research process & implementation • In addition, data health / integrity provided.

On both the data file and reporting levels.

THE PROBLEM Thousands of research experts every day receive from their research provider; both agency and consultants, hundreds of research reports. Many times; the results come vague, weak, missing information, does not match the objectives, late, and even sometimes not compatible with the basic research reporting techniques. Most importantly, the delivered research results raise serious doubts about the actual integrity, validity, and reliability of the research implementation process itself and outcomes.

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This most fundamental problem, we are seeking to resolve using a systematic methodology; is named - research integrity and health evaluation- . Till this point of time research experts on the on the receiving end of the table never had the formal tool to doubt, audit.

Nevertheless, check the data provided to them by the research agency, as ESOMAR confidentiality code protects the rights of the agency not to revile the names of the respondents selected for the research as a sample.

Hence, the auditing of research is solely dictated by the implementing research provider, if anything is to go wrong, the agencies will be the only side who will know, and decide whether to take any action or not.

Research providers are usually hesitant to take action, as it is costly, time-consuming, and more importantly will affect the reputation of the research agency itself.

• Costly: The resources dedication to carry out a supplemental sample that fixes a reviled issue with the conducted research is often not a budgeted action. Even if needed. Avoiding it is the favorable course of action to most agencies.

• Time Consuming: research project are always run with a strict timelines, where research clients are easy about. Hence, corrective measures when it comes to research health are overlooked or disregarded. Sometimes, the difficulty of the sample it self and the limited timelines asked by the research buyers effect in a direct manner the quality of data.

• Affects the image of the research: taking a corrective field measure raises the research.

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AUDITING | 2 ABSTRACT IMC Auditing- The Agency In response, to the need of a statistical measurement methodology of research health and integrity (IMC) and several major international research clients carried this concept through.

IMC as an Organization is seeking to join forces to create a global Partnership for ‘Measuring research health and integrity evaluation centers around the world through IMCResearch�. The Partnership will be officially launched during the global conference to be held in the United Arab Emirates end of 2010.

The main objectives of the Partnership are the following: 1. To agree on a common set of core-measured indicators those are comparable at the international level.

2. To assist in building the statistical capacity in to set a global research health norms by industry and research practice.

3. To set up a global database for hosting data on core REHI indicators.

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To achieve these objectives, the respective partners should have combined resources and coordinated activities related to measurement of the information. One of the first activities undertaken on behalf of the partnership after IMC-Research communicated the statistical methodology of the index through a workshop on ‘Monitoring the research health and integrity: Data, Measurement & Methods’ to be held as a side event while initiating the partnership.

The role of the IMC-Auditing� has of utmost importance to the Partnership. In providing guidance on methodologies and experiences in REHI data collection, analysis and dissemination. Whereas, IMC-Auditing� have voiced their challenges and needs with regards to research health and integrity measurement, making the Partnership a practical forum for exchanging experiences.

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Corporate Presentation

[ PANELS ] • • • • • • • • •

Sampling as a core of research quality delivery Solutions that fit imc Research® Omnibus Benefits achieved with imc Research® Panels Tracking study sample delivery Custom Panels Recruitment Quality management system Bringing a holistic approach to panel quality

PANELS

Sampling as a core of research quality delivery At Imc Research® we understand that research results are only as good as the underlying sample being used. That's why we put so much emphasis on the quality of the sample that we provide our clients.

Sample delivery is our core focus of our business, and that's why we only undertake studies where sample delivery is a major component of our project involvement.

Through our Consumer, Business, and Specialty Panels, we provide the widest range of online sample options.

We have employed and developed a cutting edge open-architecture, secure tracking technology platform that allows sample supplied by imc Research to flow seamlessly into the survey instruments that are hosted by us or even our clients.

Over thousands of separate studies, we've refined the science of sample tracking and integration — so that's one less headache to worry about.

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And we fully stand behind our sample on a pay-for-performance basis by guaranteeing the satisfaction of our clients. We charge only for qualified completes delivered, and we simply will not accept payment for sample delivery that does not meet or exceed our clients' expectations.

If this sounds like what you are looking for in your research vendor, we look forward to the opportunity to respond to your next research quote request

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PANELS Sampling as a core of research quality delivery

Solutions that fit

At Imc Research® we understand that research results are only as good as the underlying sample being used. That's why we put so much emphasis on the quality of the sample that we provide our clients.

Sample delivery is our core focus of our business, and that's why we only undertake studies where sample delivery is a major component of our project involvement.

Through our Consumer, Business, and Specialty Panels, we provide the widest range of online sample options.

We have employed and developed a cutting edge open-architecture, secure tracking technology platform that allows sample supplied by imc Research to flow seamlessly into the survey instruments that are hosted by us or even our clients.

Over thousands of separate studies, we've refined the science of sample tracking and integration — so that's one less headache to worry about.

Through the advanced developed research applications by imc Research® Consumer and Business Panels have been crafted to support a broad range of research study applications. The

And we fully stand behind our sample on a pay-for-performance basis by guaranteeing the satisfaction of our clients. We charge only for qualified completes delivered, and we simply will not accept payment for sample delivery that does not meet or exceed our clients' expectations.

If this sounds like what you are looking for in your research vendor, we look forward to the opportunity to respond to your next research quote request.

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following are a list of some study examples that imc Research has supported in the past: • Concept Testing • Conjoint Analysis • In-Home Usage Tests (IHUTs) • Pre- and Post-Market Campaign Tests • Customer Satisfaction Studies • Loyalty Program Design Studies • Longitudinal/Tracking Studies • Advertising Effectiveness • Brand Comparison Research • Logo Testing • Website Usability • Discrete Choice/Factor Analysis • Market Size and Share Estimation • Competitive Analysis • Price Elasticity Evaluation Studies • Channel Effectiveness • Political/Voter Opinion Polls • Media Awareness Testing • Product Usage Diaries • Movie and Entertainment Opinion Tracking • Online Focus Group Recruitment • Offline Focus Group Facility Recruitment • Phone Interview Recruitment (IDIs) • Direct Mail Survey Recruitment & Execution • Attitude and Usage Testing • ‫ﺫ‬Omnibus Study Support

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PANELS

Product

Sample

Frequency

Final Question Due

Data Delivery

Deliverables

Consumer

1,200 U.S. adult panel members (age 18+) using a U.S. census sample framework.

Middle East will start on October 2010

Weekly

Monday10:00 a.m.

Thursday5:00 p.m.

Excel Data files and tabs

Affluent

500 U.S. adult panel members (age 18+) with household incomes of at least $150,000+ and net incomes of above $750,000.

Biweekly

Wednesday5:00 p.m.

Tuesday5:00 p.m.

Excel Data files and tabs

Small Business

500 Decision-makers at U.S. companies with 5 to 99 employees.

Middle East will start on October 2010

Biweekly

Friday5:00 p.m.

Following Friday5:00 p.m.

Excel Data files and tabs

ITDecision-maker

500 Manager-level+ at U.S. companies with 100 or more employees.

Middle East will start on October 2010

Biweekly

Friday5:00 p.m.

Following Friday5:00 p.m.

Excel Data files and tabs

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PANELS Please contact us to find out more about our Omnibus service.

We look forward to the opportunity to respond to your next research sample quote request!

We're here if you need us.

Retention

• Survey programming and hosting • Sample only • Sample plus omnibus • Survey programming and hosting • Hybrid interviewing • International sample services • Tracking studies • Custom panels

Reach

In over 80% of the projects we support, we handle the survey programming and hosting.

For those companies who are looking for added support during overload situations or who do not consider survey programming and hosting to be their core competency, we can help.

Benefits achieved with imc Research® Panels • Highly skilled survey programmers who understand research science • Customized branding options • Ability to handle even the most complex survey designs • Secure technology • Online portal access to real-time data and reporting Tracking study sample delivery.

Delivering consistent sample wave after wave. imc Research ensures the stability of your tracking study results with dedicated support staff and proven panel management methodologies that produce consistent, industry-leading response and retention rates.

Response imc Research experiences typical response rates of 18%-35%, depending upon the targeted audience. Utilizing reliable sampling procedures, we can maintain consistent response rates from wave to wave

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With annual retention rates of approximately 85%, imc Research can meet your sampling needs, even if your tracker requires unique respondents over multiple waves.

Having access to a large universe of respondents enables the consistency of sample composition over the course of a tracking study. imc Research has millions of deeply profiled panel members offering a broader, more consistent respondent base.

Targeting With 300+ member profile dimensions, imc Research can efficiently target the audiences your tracking studies require. Utilizing our dynamic profile enrichment protocol.

Research integrity Research Integrity Makes the Difference It all starts with research integrity.

• The integrity to adhere to the highest quality recruitment methods.

• The integrity to achieve the highest levels of panel maintenance and data freshness.

• The integrity to appropriately reward survey participants for their time.

With the rapid increase in online sample availability in recent years; research integrity has come under fire as corners have been cut by others that have allowed “professional survey takers " to pollute respondent samples at alarming ratesImc Research®, we have remained unwaveringly committed to the highest standards of research integrity and to maintaining social science standards in online research.

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PANELS Recruitment One of the most important questions that a researcher can ask a sample provider is, "How did you recruit your panel?" Imc Research® we pioneered a very effective panel recruitment methodology to attract quality consumers and business professionals alike by partnering with some of the largest and most respected global companies. Using a controlled mix of both online methods (e.g. e-mail invitations and other targeted online modes) and offline methods (e.g. physical post-card invitations, direct mail inserts, etc.), we have been able to build a geographically and demographically diverse panel. Since our founding in 1999, every imc Research member has experienced the same standardized member enrollment experience.

Same practice is being enrolled by our representatives internationally.

In order to remain as balanced as possible, our panel members have been recruited from a diverse set of consumer and business-tobusiness sources using a "by-invitation-only" approach. This means that we have been able to control and manage the demographic makeup of our panels "up front" and invite only the types of individuals that fit the current normalization needs of the imc Research Consumer Panel and the imc Research Business Panel. All panel establishment methodologies employed by us are fully compliant with CASRO guidelines By employing our "by-invitation-only" approach, we: 1. achieve higher levels of panel normalization, 2. effectively avoid the "professional survey takers" that are plaguing other online research panels.

1. More Normalized Other panel companies cannot achieve the same level of normalization that we can since their "open" recruitment methods do not allow them to determine the demographic make-up

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of their panel until after members have joined 2. Less "Self-Selection" Bias We believe panels that use "open" recruitment techniques such as multi-panel co-registration sites are allowing large-scale self-selection biases into their panels, attracting "professional survey takers" and causing a widespread amount of membership duplication across many other online panels. To reduce the potential for self-selection bias, imc Research panelists may join only if they are first invited After an individual responds to an invitation and joins an imc Research panel, he or she completes a 300+ item member profile, which collects information about i. demographics, ii. interests, iii. life events, iv. health ailments, v. various product purchase intent data, and more. vi. We also collect extensive business-related information from business professionals, vii. including their occupation, viii. title, ix. functional role, x. industry, xi. company size xii. and purchase decision-making role for over 20 product/service categories.

Upon enrollment, panelists earn reward currency for participating in online research surveys, then redeem currency for valuable rewards from leading companies like Delta Air Lines®, Hilton®, BLOCKBUSTER®, eBags®, FTD.COM®, Omaha Steaks®, and Sony among others.

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PANELS Bringing a holistic approach to panel quality imc Research Quality Management System, ensures the highest quality sample by employing a holistic approach to quality management. imc Research Quality Management System makes certain that our panelists remain engaged, that each of our panelists are authentic and honest in their responses, and that our clients are well-served. The system begins with imc Research' “by-invitation-only” recruitment method and continues throughout the panel life of every imc Research member. In order to ensure the authenticity of our panel members, then applies the following quality management procedures • ID Validation • Profile Validation • Survey Performance Monitoring • Duplicate Elimination We utilize our proprietary Dynamic Profile Enrichment™ capability to maintain the freshness and accuracy of all panelist information.

This state-of-the-art method uses incentives and an intelligent database algorithm to per`iodically present panelists with opportunities to update certain aspects of their profile

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that are either out of date or are likely to change frequently.

The Dynamic Profile Enrichment capability also allows us to continuously learn about each panelist and build additional knowledge about them.

In turn, we maximize relevant communications and minimize having to "canvas" the entire panel to conduct low-incidence research studies Furthermore, we utilize our online Census capability to conduct full profile reviews and updates at specific anniversary dates of panelist participation.

Important measures of how well we are doing at panel maintenance are our panel response and retention rates, both of which lead the industry.

Panels that perform. imc Research has built the most powerful online research panels available to researchers today — the imc Research® Consumer Panels and Business Panels. Additionally, we offer a host of specialty panels tailored to meet the specific (and low-incidence) needs of our research clients.

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PANELS Panel Sectors imc Research Consumer Panels Are comprised of millions of members and continue to grow daily. Our Consumer Panels deliver a representative sample of the online populations in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and the Middle East. imc Research Business Panels Are the premier business panels being offered for B2B research in North America and Europe.

With deep occupational and company profile information on millions of business decisionmakers and influencers our business panels can deliver the respondents you need. imc Research Healthcare Panels brings quality market research to medical panels. Through our multi-mode methods, we are able to provide a clearer view of healthcare research to our clients. imc Research offers a Physician Panel, Healthcare Professional Panel, and Consumer Ailment Panel. imc Research Youth Panel delivers highly responsive, quality youth respondents. Utilizing a specialized opinion

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panel, imc Research enables researchers to engage the youth audience in a manner that speaks directly to their likes and interests. imc Research Specialty Panels were created as a direct result of our research clients' feedback about their most demanding sample needs. imc Research offers 12 separate Specialty Consumer Panels and 10 different Specialty Business Panels within North America and Europe Response rates Response rates are vitally important to surveybased research studies because the level of non-response bias and the studies' findings are ultimately linked to the response rates.

We have achieved industry-leading response rates because of our unique combination of the following best practices: • Establish trust relationship with panel members • Active panel management and maintenance • Utilize best practice incentive program • Send reminder e-mails when necessary

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Corporate Presentation

[ TRAINING ] • Why imc Research • Training courses

TRAINING Why imc Research Through courses, workshops and seminars based on our proven methodologies imc Research will strengthen and support the professional skills of those engaged in market, marketing and social research.

We are committed to raising and maintaining high professional standards in the quantitative, qualitative and social research industry.

Imc Research is one of the few international research and consulting firms in the world. Imc Research has helped companies for all sectors understand and accurately predict marketplace behavior.

We provide our customers with data, information, guidance and far more. Imc Research strives to become a valued business partner who focuses on finding and implementing solutions to the most critical problems facing our clients today. We give our customers a competitive edge.

Curriculums Browse for Market Research training courses Locate your Market Research training course by taking a step by step browse through our list.

Find all Market Research training courses in the US or the Middle East or choose your Market Research training.

Training courses Course alphabetically: A • A Guide to Online Qualitative Techniques • Research in Action - MRS Summer School • Advanced Client Relationship Management • Advanced Moderating Skills • Advanced Qualitative Thinking • Advanced Semiotics • Advanced Thinking in Quantitative Research • Researching Advertising • Qualitative Analysi • Quantitative Analysis

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B • Being a Consultant • Building Client Relationships C • Researching Children and Young People • Advanced Client Relationship Management • Building Client Relationships • Winning New Clients in a Recession • Developing Effective Clientside Roles • Enhancing the Value of Clientside Research • Online Panels & Communities • Confidence Intervals and Significance Testing in Non-standard Situations • Being a Consultant • Market Research - A Cook’s Tour • Creating Presentations with Impact • Creative Writing for Researchers D • Impact of Data Protection on Research • Effective Depth Interviewing • Survey Design Effects in Market Research • Developing Effective Clientside Roles • Researching Disabled People E • Effective Depth Interviewing • NLP for Excellence in Elicitation • Employment Law • Enhancing the Value of Clientside Research • Essential Skills in Marketing • Essentials of Qualitative Research • Essentials of Quantitative Research • Essential Skills in People Management • Ethnic Research • Extending Moderating Skills F • Facilitation Skills G • Idea Generation H • Health & Safety

imc Research Confidential - Imc Research - Research with Cause

TRAINING I • Idea Generation • Impact of Data Protection on Research • Influence and Impact • International Research • Effective Depth Interviewing • Introduction to Qualitative Research • Introduction to Quantitative Research • Introductory Moderating Skills • Introductory Statistics

• Introduction to Qualitative Research • Advanced Qualitative Thinking • Refining Skills in Qualitative Research • Qualitative Analysis • Introduction to Quantitative Research • Essentials of Quantitative Research • Advanced Thinking in Quantitative Research • Quantitative Analysis • Questionnaire Design

L • Employment Law • Leading for High Performance

R • Refining Skills in Qualitative Research • Refining Skills in Statistical Methods • Advanced Client Relationship Management • Building Client Relationships

M • Market Research - A Cook’s Tour • Essential Skills in Marketing • Social Media and Market Research • Mobile Research - Webinar: Part 1 of 2 • Mobile Research - Webinar: Part 2 of 2 • Introductory Moderating Skills • Extending Moderating Skills • Advanced Moderating Skills

• Mobile Research • Research in Action - MRS Summer School • Creative Writing for Researchers • Researching Advertising • Researching Children and Young People • Researching Disabled People • Researching Websites

N • NLP and Excellence in Market Research • NLP for Excellence in Elicitation O • A Guide to Online Qualitative Techniques • Online Panels & Communities P • Online Panels & Communities • Essential Skills in People Management • Leading for High Performance • Writing Winning Pitches and Proposals • Presentation Skills • Creating Presentations with Impact • Pricing Research Q • Essentials of Qualitative Research • A Guide to Online Qualitative Techniques

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S • Health & Safety • Advanced Semiotics • Semiotics - Made Practical • Confidence Intervals and Significance Testing in Non-standard Situations • Social Media and Market Research • Refining Skills in Statistical Methods • Introductory Statistics • Research in Action - MRS Summer School • Survey Design Effects in Market Research T • Confidence Intervals and Significance Testing in Non-standard Situations WXYZ • Researching Websites • Winning New Clients in a Recession • Creative Writing for Researchers • Writing Winning Pitches and Proposals • Researching Children and Young People

imc Research Confidential - Imc Research - Research with Cause

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