• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, August 2, 2007

Susan Nathan, one of the best known and most active media researchers on Madison Avenue is leaving the agency world to take a top position at Turner Broadcasting, MediaDailyNews has learned. Nathan, a 16-year veteran of the McCann Worldgroup who most recently was senior vice president and director of media knowledge at Universal McCann, Aug. 15 will take on a senior strategic research role reporting to Barry Fischer, executive vice president of market strategy at Turner, and Senior Vice President Michael Propper, the team that is known for developing influential and market-shifting research such as the Media at the Millennium studies.

Nathan also is the latest in an ongoing exodus of senior, experienced media research talent to depart the agency business, and is the sixth top Interpublic media researcher to leave that agency holding company in the past four years, following former Universal McCann Director of Media Knowledge Jon Swallen, who became research director at TNS Media Intelligence in 2004; former Initiative vice president of research Ira Sussman, who became head of research at the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau in 2003; Former Universal McCann research chief Jim Kite, who joined MediaVest in 2005; former Initiative Executive Vice President-Director of Global Research Integration, and President of Interpublic's 8-person Consumer Experience Practice (also shuttered) Stacey Lynn Koerner (now Stacey Lynn Schulman), who left earlier this year; and former Initiative Executive Vice President-Director of Futures and Technologies David Ernst, who also left.

Interpublic insiders say many of the most recent departures are part of a broader reorganization of strategy, research and planning within Interpublic's media agencies as part of an effort to transform the way they conduct consumer insights and communications planning research.

"Susan's leaving of her own volition. She was a great partner. I loved working with her. And I will miss her," says Graeme Hutton, Nathan's boss, who was named senior vice president-director of consumer insights and research at Universal McCann last year from a senior post at communications planning agency Media Kitchen and has been transforming Universal McCann's research practices ever since.

"Susan leaves on August 15th and I will look to, in some way, think about what's the best way to rebuild the department. We're 14 to 15 executives and I want to get the right kind of skills so that we can future-proof our business," he says. Among other things, Hutton has brought in some unconventional forms of media research and that is far more soft and interpretative than the traditional quantitative analysis the practice historically has been known for. One such approach, dubbed "imMediate Future," is more akin to the creation of a reality TV show like "The Apprentice" than conventional media research or even focus group-based consumer research. In those studies, Universal McCann literally filmed teams of consumers competing to define brand propositions and the communications and media strategies that would engage people like themselves.

Hutton implied that is more of the kind of skill set Universal McCann will be looking to build, but that he is nonetheless looking for someone with "bread and butter" knowledge to replace the void that will be left by Nathan's departure. Among other things, Nathan was among the most active agency executives on the American Association of Advertising Agencies' media research and policy committees and was also an influential player in Nielsen client meetings and various industry summits.

Agency Media Research Exodus

August 2007: Susan Nathan leaves Universal McCann
July 2007: David Ernst leaves Initiative
January 2007: Stacey Lynn Koerner leaves Interpublic
May 2005: David Marans leaves MindShare
April 2005: Jim Kite leaves Universal McCann
March 2005: Tonya Deniz leaves MPG
December 2004: Joanne Burke leaves Carat
November 2004: Maryellen Vincent leaves MediaVest
September 2004: Tony Jarvis leaves MediaCom Worldwide
April 2004: Gregg Liebmann leaves Zenith Media
April 2004: Barbara Zack leaves PhD
December 2003: Jon Swallen leaves Universal McCann
November 2003: Andrew Green leaves OMD
August 2003: Ira Sussman leaves Initiative Media