OREANDA-NEWS. January 26, 2010. The Consumer Behavior research that was created on the basis of the project run by the TNS Gallup Media’s first shareholders - TNS Gallup Oy, has been carried out by TNS in Russia during the last 15 years under the methodology and the name of Marketing Index. During that period the key competing product on the market was TGI research carried out by Comcon under the Licensing Agreement with BMRB.

At the end of 2008 after acquisition of TNS by WPP, BMRB and TNS Russia became part of the same Kantar group, and that is the key reason behind the revision of prior concluded Licensing Agreements by BMRB.

At the end of 2009 BMRB officially gave Comcon written notice of the termination of its Licensing Agreement to operate the Target Group Index (TGI) service in Russia. Based on this notice the license will formally expire on 4th May 2010. Please see here a copy of BMRB letter.

BMRB has announced that the starting May 2010 TNS Russia becomes an official part of TGI Global Network and has all the rights to run survey under the TGI methodology and the Licensing Agreement with BMRB. Starting this date TNS Russia will transfer its Marketing Index data to BMRB’s TGI Global databases.

The abovementioned survey will be carried out by TNS Russia under the Licensing Agreement concluded with BMRB in the order established by the law.

BMRB and Comcon have a separate Licensing Contract governing the use of the TGI trademark, as referred to in Comcon’s statement dated January 26, 2010. TNS Russia will continue to use the Marketing Index name for their survey while this trademark agreement remains in force. TNS Russia does not use the TGI trademark in the territory of the Russian Federation, as it did not use it in the past.

TNS Russia states that the use of TGI trademark for the survey is not crucial at the moment because the Marketing Index name is well-known on the market, and also the importance of cooperation with BMRB is not about re-naming the survey but in synchronization of the key Marketing Index’s parameters with the parameters of TGI research carried out by BMRB in other countries under its Licensing Agreements, and in transferring the Marketing Index data to the TGI Global database.

TNS Russia in no circumstances challenges or intends to discuss publically the Comcon’s right to use TGI trademark in Russia. This is an independent agreement between BMRB and Comcon.