Obit: MRI Co-Founder Alain Tessier, Dead At 85

Alain Tessier, who along with the late Timothy Joyce, co-founded essential media research and planning service Mediamark Research Inc., died Sunday. He was 85.

Tessier began his career in media in the production department of the Chicago Tribune and moved into research working for several syndicated research firms before meeting Joyce at Target Group Index, prior to its merger with Simmons.

In 1979 they co-founded New York-based Magazine Research Inc. (renamed Mediamark Research Inc. [MRI] in 1981, which eventually became the gold standard in the U.S. for media planning and magazine buying.

Through a series of mergers and acquisitions, MRI ultimately became a core asset of global marketing and media research firm GfK.

“Alain Tessier was a bear of a man in stature, but a real gentle soul and a gentleman,” recalls ad industry and media research veteran Gabe Samuels, who was hired by Tessier at MRI and remained a close friend.

4 comments about "Obit: MRI Co-Founder Alain Tessier, Dead At 85".
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  1. Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc, September 4, 2018 at 8:20 a.m.

    Very sorry to hear this. I knew Alain way back in the old Arbitron days and ever since. He was a great guy and contributed much to the media research field.

  2. Tony Jarvis from Olympic Media Consultancy, September 4, 2018 at 10:39 a.m.

    It was my privilege to work with Alain and the MRI Team for many years in various roles across the industry and I will always be grateful for the experiences and learnings.  Alain was indeed a gentle giant of a man and unequivocally a giant in media research.  RIP. 

  3. Jack Wakshlag from Media Strategy, Research & Analytics, September 4, 2018 at 1:38 p.m.

    A man of depth and who shared his wisdom. We need more men like him. 

  4. Steve Ellwanger from Marketing Daily, September 4, 2018 at 4:04 p.m.

    Alain essentially helped me go into business when MRI became one of my first clients in 1997. I am blessed to still represent GfK MRI but Alain was one of a kind and he will be dearly missed. Such a class act.

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