• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, May 6, 2010

with Affinity LLC, which has been trying to compete with magazine research giant MRI (Mediamark Research &

Intelligence) for the past several years. The companies announced they have formed a strategic alliance to

launch a new syndicated print planning tool combining consumer behavior and attitudinal research from Simmons’

National Consumer Study with the magazine audience estimates from Affinity’s American Magazine Study.

The companies said they would utilize a “state-of-the-art database integration process” to combine their

disparate databases. Simmons has done similar data integration deals in the past, most notably one that

integrates its National Consumer Study with Nielsen’s TV ratings.

Simmons had been in a head-to-head battle with MRI to be Madison Avenue’s industry standard magazine audience

research service, but abandoned that market in the early 1990s. It subsequently changed management, and

business models several times and is now owned by Experian and focuses on innovative ways of integrating its

consumer insights research with marketing and media databases.