PennMedia and Columbus Based Thought Leader, Prosper International, Launch Next Generation Online Research Company - Survey of 20,000 Online Shoppers to be Released
20 November 2000
PennMedia and Columbus Based Thought Leader, Prosper International, Launch Next Generation Online Research Company - Survey of 20,000 Online Shoppers to be Released
COLUMBUS, Ohio--Nov. 20, 2000--Today Prosper announces the launching of Big Research, a new interactive market research company formed with their partner PennMedia. Big Research will have access to the 51 million subscribers in the PennMedia Newsletter Network for researching online communities. The survey network will guarantee the privacy of all respondents through PennMedia's double-opt in privacy policy.Big Research will employ the latest communication techniques with sophisticated computer intensive statistical processing for analysis of very large sample sizes.
"Advances in computer technology and access to online communities has moved accurate measurements of highly competitive Internet markets beyond the reach of traditional market research techniques and methodologies," said Dr. Joe Pilotta, VP of Research for Prosper. "Big Research will employ the latest research communication techniques such as Para social dialogue in gathering very large sample sizes from the various interest communities in the PennMedia Network. The application of computer intensive statistics for processing the large sample sizes will enable us to uncover consumer insights never before possible for more accurate policy research and decisions.
"This week we will release the results or our first online holiday shopping and purchase intention survey. Over 20,000 online consumers participated during the 6 day period from November 8th through the 13th," said Pilotta. "The ability to quickly gather large samples of online consumers over a very short time and in a cost effective manner will be invaluable to market researchers."
In addition to conducting their own syndicated surveys, Big Research will make their survey platform, software and access to 51 million online members available to other research and consumer companies who comply with the privacy policy.
"The development of Big Research is a logical extension of our subscriber network which includes over 51 million regular readers", said Jaffer Ali President of PennMedia. "Prosper has a proven track record for developing next generation marketing services and Big Research is another example of that. Big Research is similar to the Relatemail service we recently announced in that it changes the nature of marketing and economic relationships by utilizing the e-mail side of the Internet to create a demand economy", said Ali.
Big Research and Relatemail are joint ventures of PennMedia and Prosper.
About PennMedia:
PennMedia.com is a privately held company based in Mokena, Ill. The first and largest advertising network for newsletters delivered via e-mail, it reaches more than 51 million opt-in subscribers of more than 700 different newsletters. All newsletters are free to subscribers and subsidized through advertisements inserted into the content. The company was formed in 1998 to provide an effective online advertising vehicle for marketers seeking a positive ROI. Advertisers with PennMedia include AT&T, Columbia House, Dell, Doubleday, Intel, Office Depot, Palm, Quicken, Xerox, Zing, Exile on 7th and Lot21.
About Prosper International Business Accelerator:
Since 1990, Prosper has been providing innovative marketing productivity and business development services to major corporations facing rapidly evolving markets in the media, telecommunications and energy industries. Prosper's thought leading accomplishments include:
| -- | In 1991, foresaw the value of integrated marketing and developed a product used by major television stations throughout the country to generate $100 million in ad revenues. |
| -- | In 1992, developed the first online mass customization service for one to one marketing of information. |
| -- | In 1995, saw the need for energy retailers, in soon to be deregulated markets, to develop cost effective marketing and customer acquisition programs and, as a result, developed the first interactive service for the online marketing of energy which initiated the first online sale of energy almost two years before market deregulation in California. |
| -- | In 1998, warned the dot com industry of a potential crash due to excessive marketing expenses and then developed an integrated marketing service that included offline marketing to help build site traffic and increase revenues. |
Prosper's clients have included: ADVO, Ameritech, Belo Broadcasting, Energy.com, Gannett, Inc. Magazine, Sprint, and ViewDriver.com. Prosper is noted for combining new techniques and technology with traditional media through integrated marketing systems that produce sales and build brand awareness. In the 1980's Prosper's founders started Impact Resources a company that developed, MA*RT, a market information service that utilized computer intensive statistics to gather the largest consumer information databases. American Demographics recognized Impact as one of the Top 100 Sources of Information.