Market Research

The man considered the Godfather of modern-day movie research--the art of gauging audience interest in a movie long before it opens--abruptly resigned Thursday from the company he founded more than two decades ago. Joseph Farrell, one of the most influential behind-the-scenes players in Hollywood, said he and his partner, Catherine Paura, would be leaving National Research Group when their contracts expire in December.

As a savvy advertising executive, Tina Wilcox knows what sells. And she has a hunch that $70 air freshener will not. But there's a manufacturer convinced that folks will pay perfume prices for a decorative spritzer wrapped in fabric and filled with scents reminiscent of fresh-baked cookies, or mossy summer-camp hikes, or grandma's floral soap. He wants Wilcox to test his product in the market. So she opens up her laboratory: a retail store wired to spy on shoppers.

Technology shares led a stock market retreat Thursday after networking heavyweight Juniper Networks rattled Wall Street with an earnings warning. "We are in prime earnings-warnings season," said Alan Ruskin, research director at 4Cast Ltd., an economic research firm in New York. "The market wants to be bullish, but it's getting beaten down by earnings [fears]."

Executives such as CBS Television President Leslie Moonves have a say in what shows make the cut when networks announce revised prime-time lineups for the coming season next week. But so does Shannon Harris, a 27-year-old resident of Columbus, Ohio, who "had a little time to waste" during her vacation. The same goes for a young couple from Edwardsville, Ill.

The most detailed self-portrait in American history is about to emerge, a statistical mosaic revealing who we are, where we live, the languages we speak--even how long it takes to get from home to work in the morning. The release of census data, beginning next month, will launch a nationwide transformation affecting everything from the makeup of Congress to the siting of new branch libraries and the availability of ethnic foods at the local supermarket.

NetZero Inc. in Westlake Village, a provider of free Internet access, has launched a market-research Web site--CyberTarget.com--which supplies data that NetZero has accumulated on its 5 million registered users. Using the nonpersonal profile data of NetZero members, plus by tracking the members' Internet usage, CyberTarget is designed to give marketers a better understanding of how people use the Internet.

Thousands of people have seen his work, but only a few Hollywood insiders know his name. Stanley Ottenstein has decided it's time to change that to reverse a decline in sales at his Burbank-based Finders Research Services Inc. He's not looking to get his name on an Emmy. But as one of the ultimate behind-the-scenes guys--Ottenstein has dug up film footage for the Emmy Awards, the "Ellen" television series and the PBS show "Nova," among dozens of others--he knows he needs a higher profile.

Media Metrix Inc. agreed Tuesday to buy Jupiter Communications Inc. for about $342 million in stock, creating one-stop shopping for those who need to know how many people are using the Internet and how the Web is changing the way consumers and businesses interact. The two companies, neither of which is profitable, are among the leaders in their respective fields. Media Metrix sells Internet usage data to advertising agencies, media companies and Internet competitors.

The suffering persisted for more than two years. Initially, there were four known victims. Then 21. Then 33. Finally, 63 confirmed fatalities. All the while, federal authorities watched, waited and hoped the deaths would stop. It was not until a disparate collection of physicians inside the U.S. Food and Drug Administration waged a remarkable revolt that the agency was forced to reverse course.