Merger and listing[edit]

In January 2011, Nielsen consummated an initial public offering of common stock and,
subsequently, shares started trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol
“NLSN”.[5] On August 31, 2015, Nielsen N.V., a Dutch public company listed on the New York
Stock Exchange, merged with Nielsen Holdings plc, by way of a cross-border merger under the
European Cross-Border Merger Directive, with Nielsen Holdings plc being the surviving company
(the "Merger").[5] The Merger effectively changed the place of incorporation of Nielsen's publicly
traded parent holding company from the Netherlands to England and Wales, with no changes
made to the business being conducted by Nielsen prior to the Merger.[5]

Company information[edit]
Nielsen is a leading[7] global, independent measurement and data company for fast-moving
consumer goods, consumer behavior, and media. With a presence in more than 100 countries
and services covering more than 90% of the globe's GDP and population, Nielsen provides
clients with data about what consumers watch (programming, advertising) and what they buy
(categories, brands, products) on a global and local basis and how those choices intersect.[8]
The company's operations span developing and emerging markets worldwide, in more than 100
countries. According to SEC records, on February 26, 2015, Nielsen N.V., announced that its
board of directors unanimously approved a proposal that resulted in a change in the company's
legal domicile, from the Netherlands to the United Kingdom.[9] Upon approval, the company
became incorporated under English law and was registered as a public limited company to be
named Nielsen Holdings PLC.[10]
James Attwood Jr. is Nielsen's non-executive Chairman,[1] and Mitch Barns is Nielsen's Chief
Executive Officer. James Attwood succeeded Dave Calhoun as Executive Chairman in January
2016. Prior to joining Nielsen as CEO in 2006, Dave Calhoun served as Vice Chairman of
The General Electric Company and President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Infrastructure,
the largest of six GE business units. He served as Nielsen CEO from to 2006 to 2014, when he
was succeeded by Barns.[11]Barns joined Nielsen in 1997 and has held various roles in Europe,
Asia, and North America leading major parts of the business.[12]
In December 3, 2018, David Kenny was named CEO of Nielsen, succeeding Mitch Barns.[13]
While the Nielsen brand is most often associated with television ratings, those TV ratings
services comprise approximately one-quarter of the company's business and revenues. After
substantial work to simplify the company over the last several years, Nielsen today aligns its
business into two reporting segments: Buy (consumer purchasing measurement and analytics)
and Watch (media audience measurement and analytics).[14]

What consumers buy[edit]

Nielsen's Buy segment (approx. 45% of global revenues) primarily helps packaged goods
companies and retailers (and Wall Street analysts) understand what consumers are buying in
terms of categories, brands and products. The company's aim is to measure all consumer
purchases as buying behavior continues to fragment across channels and segments.[8] For
example, it is Nielsen's data that measures how much Diet Coke vs. Diet Pepsi is sold in stores,
or how much Crest versus Colgate toothpaste is sold. Nielsen accomplishes this by purchasing
and analyzing huge amounts of retail data that measures what is being sold in the store, and
then combines it with household panel data that captures everything that is brought into the
home. These measures of sales performance also fuel a range of forward-looking analytics to
help clients improve the precision and efficiency of their advertising spending, maximize the
impact of their promotion budgets and optimize their product assortment. They also can provide
insights into how changes in product offerings, pricing or marketing would change sales. Major
clients include The Coca-Cola Company, Nestlé S.A., The Procter & Gamble Company, Unilever
Group, and Walmart. While the United States is the company's largest market, Nielsen is a
global company. In the Buy business, it covers 106 countries representing more than 90% of the
world's population.[8]
What consumers watch[edit]
Nielsen's Watch segment (approx. 55% of global revenues) primarily measures what consumers
are watching (and listening to) across most devices: TV, radio, computers, mobile, over-the-top,
etc. The company measures consumption of programming and advertising across all distribution
points. Nielsen's ratings are used by advertisers and networks to shape the buying and selling of
advertising. Major clients include CBS, NBC Universal, News Corporation, and The Walt Disney
Company.[15] Nielsen's Watch business measures media in 47 countries that together represent
approximately 80% of global advertising spending. Nielsen's digital audience measurement
capability is a rapidly growing part of this footprint.[8]

Company history[edit]
Arthur C. Nielsen and the invention of "Market Share"[edit]
Arthur C. Nielsen founded the AC Nielsen Company in August 1923[16][17] with the idea of selling
engineering performance surveys. It was the first company to offer market research.[18] The
company expanded its business in 1932 by creating a retail index that tracked the flow of food
and drug purchases. This was the first retail measurement of its kind and for the first time
allowed a company to determine its "share" of the market—the origination of the concept of
"market share"[18] Arthur C. Nielsen is credited with coining this business term.