LONDON; HORSHAM, Pa.; and NEW YORK--Taylor Nelson Sofres, the world's third largest market information organization, is bringing together all of its operations in 53 countries - including the United States -- under a single brand.

As part of a major rebranding initiative, Taylor Nelson Sofres has been renamed 'TNS,' uniting a business which had previously supported many different corporate brands around the world. The company's American business units - CMR, Taylor Nelson Sofres Intersearch and Indetec have been renamed TNS Media Intelligence/CMR, TNS Intersearch and TNS Telecoms respectively.

The move reflects changes in the global market research industry and the way that businesses use market information. It is also intended to help TNS leverage the potential of the acquisitions it made over the past few years and meet changing client needs.

Mike Kirkham, CEO of TNS said: "Leading multi-nationals increasingly need truly global market insight in order to make informed business decisions. For the past few years, TNS has been building its global network and strengthening its specialty sector expertise in order to meet these needs. Our network is now extensive and we are repositioning and rebranding to capitalize on our investment.

"This is more than just a logo and name change; it reflects an innovative way of thinking about what we can offer businesses and how we work with our clients. It is no longer sufficient to provide clients with data and statistics alone, we are increasingly acting as market information advisors using the in-depth research and market knowledge that we have to provide informed insight and strategic business advice."

Chris Goard, Global Marketing Director, TNS explains: "As the market research industry is evolving, decision-makers in organizations of all sizes are increasingly overwhelmed with the amount of information now available to them from multiple sources. To flourish in this climate, market information companies need to be able to offer more than just statistics. We need to move towards a more consultative style, helping companies enhance their relationships with their customers and improve their business performance using the information and insight that we provide. With this in mind we have created a strong brand which will support our initiatives effectively at all levels and in every market that we operate."

TNS in the United States

The United States is one of the most sophisticated and dynamic international markets for marketing intelligence.

According to Bruce Shandler, chief executive officer of TNS Intersearch, TNS' Horsham, Penn.-based custom research business, "Shorter decision-making cycles, real-time information, consolidation, E-business, expanding international markets and global economies are changing the dynamics of the market intelligence and research business.

"Our U.S. business has consistently grown at a rate that outperforms the market overall because we have continually looked ahead to anticipate the needs of our customers in this ever-changing environment. Customers no longer need just data; they need us to go beyond the numbers, beyond the trends and between the lines. Our company is perfectly positioned to fulfil those needs."

According to Steven Fredericks, president and chief executive officer of TNS Media Intelligence/CMR, "Relevant, comprehensive and quality information is of vital importance to our marketplace. As the leading barometer of advertising and marketing activity, TNS Media Intelligence/CMR is the strategic partner to advertisers, ad agencies and media properties that require market and brand information to achieve their business goals.

"The rebranding initiative enables TNS Media Intelligence/CMR to not only share in the power and prestige of TNS, but also allows us to leverage our global capabilities to bring even more resources, flexibility and value to our clients."

The new TNS brand

The new brand has been developed by global brand consultancy Wolff Olins and is based on the idea of being "the sixth sense of business(TM)". It reflects the company's ability to provide insight, intelligence and advice and not just information, data and research. It will further unite the company and clearly differentiate TNS from its peers.

Tom Banks, account director at Wolff Olins explains: "The new brand will give TNS the power it deserves and reinforce its position as a leader in the industry. We've simplified the group's brand architecture to bring clarity to its offer and developed a new tone of voice in its communications, to demonstrate the group's added understanding and insight into clients' issues."

The new TNS mark is simple and bold; the positioning of the letters gives a three-dimensional feel and suggests a sense of depth.

"The logo supports the brand idea of looking beyond the obvious and getting beneath the surface of its clients' businesses," said Owen Hughes, designer at Wolff Olins.

About TNS - TNS is one of the world's leading market information groups, providing market measurement, analysis, insight and advice in more than 110 countries. Working with national and multi-national organisations, TNS helps its clients develop effective business strategies and enhance relationships with their customers. Further information on TNS can be found on .

About TNS Media Intelligence/CMR - TNS Media Intelligence/CMR, headquartered in New York City, is the leading provider of strategic advertising and marketing communications information - across media, brand, industry and market. The company's tracking technologies collect occurrence and expenditure data, as well as the creative executions of more than 1.7 million brands spanning 15 media. As the strategic partner to advertisers, ad agencies and media properties, TNS Media Intelligence/CMR is dedicated to helping clients achieve their business goals. For further information, visit .

About TNS Intersearch - TNS Intersearch, one of the ten largest custom research companies in the United States, is organized into specialized groups focusing on automotive; consumer packaged goods; e-commerce; financial services; food and beverage; health and beauty aids; hospitals and healthcare insurance; information technology; media; public opinion polling; restaurants; retail; social and government; sports, events and sponsorship; telecommunications; transportation; travel, leisure and hospitality; and utilities and energy sectors.

Additional dedicated areas of expertise are Interactive, a specialized Internet research division; The Customer Value and Satisfaction Management Group; Organizational Effectiveness Practice; TNS Market Development, a specialized U.S. Hispanic and Latin American research division; and a Mystery Shopping division.

TNS is a trademark of Taylor Nelson Sofres plc.