Which panel would you like?

Internet Research The New
Internet Research (NIS) remains in the bidding phase - probably due to
competitor MMXI Switzerland, whose panel continues to run and to which NIS has given the
Life is made more difficult: For five years
the MMXI Internet Panel was primarily financed by SRG, at the end of the year
However, it terminated the contract with MMXI Switzerland in order to develop the New
Internet Research (NIS). Initially, the
SRG to take over the MMXI panel and continue it without interruption.
can. However, MMXI and its parent company Nielsen Netratings
were opposed. "We are evaluating whether we should continue to
want to conduct Internet research," said Stefan Raum, Managing
Director of MMXI Switzerland and Nielsen Netratings Germany Anfang
February. Raum has since clarified that his panel with around 3200
panelists continues to provide monthly data. "We will also do this
continue to do so," he says. He has no legal concerns.
"After all, Nielsen owns the patent and the panel technology",
says Raum. And what about customers - does MMXI now have some who were previously
had been managed by the SRG subsidiary Publica Data? "We have
customers that we didn't have before," answers Raum
sibylline. In any case, he could operate the panel "economically".
Which is surprising, because the Establishment Survey, the
The basic survey for the panel had to be created from scratch because SRG
and IHA-GfK no longer provided any data. Which institute today
However, it is not immediately possible to say whether the company is collecting the basic data.
This will be organized from the Nielsen headquarters in London, he explains.

Be that as it may, it is interesting to note that, conversely, the NIS is faltering.
has come about. It can be assumed that there is a partial connection.
In any case, one thing is certain: Wemf and SRG wanted to have the
Internet community to offer a slimmed-down NIS version, which has so far been
but this did not happen. "In the advertising-relevant part of NIS, i.e. the
NetProfile, the preparatory work by Wemf, marketer and
sites longer than planned," explains Markus Jufer, who works for SRG
responsible for Internet research. And the panel that SRG
according to Jufer, not all the details concerning the
Financing clarified.

Relief provided
In fact, the SRG Directorate General has allocated 3000
panelists in 1400 households have not yet given the green light, although
there is a budget for start-up financing. "In principle
operations are secured for 2006," says Manuel Dähler, head of the
SRG Research Service (FD). However, SRG only wants to push ahead if it
it is certain that it will be relieved later. Corresponding commitments
had to catch up with the FD, but Dähler hints that this is something
was running rough. Is it the MMXI panel? Dähler mentions this with
not a word - and when asked about it, he is not
continued existence. So far, he has also refrained from legal
steps. Jufer, for his part, is determined to set up a new panel on
on its feet. "The goal remains: By the middle of the year, we want to
panelists under measurement." The Directorate General will be
will decide on this in the next few days.

Markus Knöpfli