ZS Associates Site Visit

This past Friday, ZS Associates (Princeton) hosted members of the Rutgers Marketing Research Insights and Analytics Club for a site visit. ZS Associates is one of the world's largest business services firms specializing in transforming sales and marketing from an art to a science.

Rutgers Students and ZS Principal Bekia Fosam

The day started with an introduction from Noelle Bruno, ZS Recruiter, who welcomed the students to the Princeton office and went over the agenda for the day. Glenn Sabin, Principal, then gave an overview of the company and its history. He also answered questions from students about the type of clients ZS works with and the effect big data has had on market research. Glenn’s talk was followed by a Lunch & Learn delivered by MRIA Advisory Board member, Paul Kraus. He spoke about how market research and customer insights drive sales and marketing, market research best practices, and the ZS Customer Insights team. Students learned a lot about the framework for a successful market research study from Paul. The next event scheduled was a Panel Discussion with Business Consultants Sean Newcomb, Adam Schneider and Josh Hattem, and Business Consulting Manager Jennifer Minuchi. They talked about how they got to their respective jobs, gave examples of projects they are currently working on, and offered advice for MBA students considering entering consulting. The day wrapped up with a lively discussion with MRIA Advisory Board member and Principal, Bekia Fosam. He asked students to summarize what they learned from the day and also answered any lingering questions. He concluded by telling students the two things necessary to be successful consultants: keep learning all the time and never be satisfied with your work.

Glenn Sabin giving an overview of ZS

Paul Kraus delivering a Lunch & Learn

Panel Discussion

Thank you so much ZS for hosting the Rutgers MRIA Club and we look forward to working with you again in the future!

Site Visit to Nielsen

MRIA Club students at Nielsen's NYC Office

Last Thursday, members of the Rutgers Marketing Research Insights & Analytics Club traveled to the  Nielsen corporate headquarters in NYC for a site visit. Nielsen is a global information and measurement company that specializes in helping their clients understand consumer behavior.  Nielsen has two principal reporting segments, Watch & Buy, and students were able to learn about the way Nielsen conducts Audience Measurement in the Watch segment. Brian Apter, VP Digital Client Solutions, spoke with students in the "Nielsen Den" to demonstrate, on a number of multimedia platforms, how Nielsen technology measures what consumers watch. Students were able to see first hand how Nielsen's People meter can keep track of exactly what multiple members of a household are watching on a daily basis. After showcasing how the technology works, students were able to speak with Mr.Apter about a number of topics such as how Nielsen is adapting to increased platforms for viewing content, the business behind TV advertisements and differences between Network and Cable television. The afternoon ended with lunch and networking with members of HOLA (Hispanic Organization of Leaders in Action), an employee resource group.

Demonstration of Nielsen's People Meter

Hanging out in the Nielsen Den

The visit was both fun and informative...thank you Nielsen for hosting such a great event!