There are about 100 countries where Nielsen Company has a presence in. As a global business, it helps other companies understand consumers and analyze consumer behavior. With the help of their 35,000 employees worldwide, the company is able to measure and monitor what are the things that consumers watch and what they buy at a local and even on a grander global scale. Their global presence is felt in Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, South America, North America, Middle East and in Russia.
The business is mostly associated with television ratings across the globe, however this arm of the venture only comprises about one third of their annual revenue. To simplify their dealings, they have aligned their transactions and came up with two major business arms: What Consumers Buy and What Consumers Watch. Their Buy Division is the bigger of the two departments, which generates almost two-thirds of their global income. This division focuses on helping retailers and packaged goods companies understand what consumers generally purchase in terms of products, brands and categories. Their Watch Division analyzes what consumers listen to and watch. They are capable of scrutinizing the preference of consumers across all devices: TV, radio, mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices.
It was in 1923 that Arthur C. Nielsen started the business with the idea of selling engineering performance surveys. In 1932, they expanded the business to include the retail industry, which shaped the company’s over-all offerings today. Nielsen is known for offering the first market research and for coining the concept of “market share.”
Among Nielsen’s major clients are Walt Disney Company, NBC Universal, News Corporation, CBS, Procter & Gamble, Unilever Group, Walmart, Nestle and the Coca-Cola Company.