Nielsen

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
-Thomas Edison

Last week I had another business trip with my MBA classmates, this time to Nielsen Holdings company. I have to say that this visit was much more structured than the last and was overall a far better experience. Our introduction to the company included a presentation by several members of the company and a roughly 45 minute long question and answer section, during which everyone was given the opportunity to ask at least one question. The team presenting to us was apparently an international team; midway through our conversation, a team member living in Chicago called in at what would have been 3 AM his time, which really said a lot to me about the type of people who work with this company.

In addition to the presentations and question/answer session, we were also given a brief tour around the office, which was located in a large tower near the busiest part of Shanghai: People's Square. The only thing I have to say about this is that it's simply an office, though they do seem to favor open floor plans in China (no cubicles, everyone sitting together in a row, managers offices in the corners allowing sight down two hallways). During the presentation, they said this was to foster their culture of openness, but each company I have been to had a very similar floor plan. It really just seems like the most logical setup when you are trying to make room for everyone living and working in a city of 23 million people.

Once again we had to write a short essay giving a review of the trip and our thoughts, and once again I'm going to copy and paste it into here. Apart from the fact that it's easy, I really do try to include my actual thoughts about the trip within the essay, so while it definitely sounds essay-esque, I think it's still a good overview.

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Nielsen Holdings is a global information company based in the United States, employing over 35,000 people in 100 different countries. In conjunction with their philosophy to ‘keep it simple,’ Nielsen’s business is divided into three main categories: buy, watch, and expositions. According to the speakers at meeting, however, Nielsen has recently decided to sell of their expositions division and focus primarily on what consumers buy and what they watch. Nielsen’s buy division is dedicated to keeping track of everything consumers purchase and the demographics revolving around those purchases. The buy division also consults with major companies before they launch new products, helping these companies to determine how successfully new products will perform. Similarly, Nielsen’s watch division keeps track of everything consumers are watching, from television to movies to surfing the web. In addition, the watch division is responsible for many network ratings in the United States.

            I was particularly excited to visit Nielsen because I have worked extensively with their Microsoft Excel plug-in, ACNielsen, during my two summers interning at Galderma Laboratories. This software is a tool used by clients of Nielsen’s buy division, allowing these clients to keep track of their product sales at individual retailers. We used this data to track sales of individual SKUs at individual stores on a weekly basis – an impressive testament to the work Nielsen has put into their system. I also noted that during the video about Nielsen in China during the second presentation, they have determined that if the general Chinese populace had more disposable income, the number one luxury good desired would be skin care. With the middle class rising in China, this gives skin care companies such as Galderma laboratories an excellent opportunity for expansion.

            A second thing that I really enjoyed hearing about was Nielsen’s take on innovation and how they have incorporated innovation into their company culture. Innovation has always been (and always will be) one of the most important aspects of business, in my opinion. However, in the past couple decades the world has become used to a very rapid pace of economic change and technological advances. Because of this, innovation is perhaps more important than it ever has been, and the companies who are able to accomplish this innovation most rapidly will make their way far ahead of the competition. I believe this is why Nielsen integrates innovation into their company mantra and emphasizes it so heavily.

            I thought the most salient innovative practice was Nielsen’s dedication to hiring younger workers straight out of school and putting them on track to become managers. This ensures a steady stream of young yet qualified leaders who are familiar with the thought processes and desires of the younger generations. It was also mentioned that Nielsen has a very open culture, allowing ideas to flow freely – an environment which allows innovation to flourish. Innovation is also truly incarnate in Nielsen’s idea competition, open to literally all members of the company, from interns all the way to upper level managers.

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As a side note, pictures from Suzhou are now up! Check them out in the photos tab and going to the end of the gallery (clicking the back arrow is the easiest way), or CLICK ME to view directly.