Arthur Charles Nielsen, Sr. (September 5, 1897 – June 1, 1980) was an American market analyst.

Contents 1 Background 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Professional Recognition 5 References 6 Additional Sources 7 External links

[edit] Background

Arthur Charles Nielsen was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was of Danish descent. Nielsen was educated at University of Wisconsin, B.S. summa cum laude. 1918. Nielsen was a member of the Sigma Phi Society. He was also captain of the varsity tennis team from 1916 to 1918 and a long time supporter of the game. He subsequently served in U.S. Naval Reserve.

[edit] Career

Nielsen worked as an electrical engineer for Isko Company in Chicago from 1919-20 and for H. P. Gould Company in Chicago from 1920-23. Nielsen was the founder of the ACNielsen company in 1923, and in doing so advanced the new field of marketing research. This involved (1) test marketing new products to determine their viability prior to costly mass marketing and production, and (2) measuring product sales at a random sample of stores to determine market share. Careful statistical sampling is crucial to validate this process. The techniques developed by Nielsen were especially important for the efficient operation of a market prior to the introduction of computerized digital networks that in the 1990s enabled continuous and comprehensive monitoring of sales by product retailers. Nielsen was also a pioneer in developing methods of measuring the audience of radio and television broadcasting programs, most notably the Nielsen Ratings. ^[1]

Nielsen inaugurated a National Radio Index for broadcasters and advertisers in 1942, followed by a television ratings service in 1950. By the time of his death, the company's revenue was US$ 398 million annually [3].

[edit] Personal life

Together with his son Arthur Nielsen, Jr, he won the U.S. Father and Son doubles title in 1946 and 1948. He was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1971. The University of Wisconsin awarded him an honorary Doctor of Science (ScD) in 1974. Neilsen was awarded the Order of the Dannebrog, Ridder af Elefantordenen (1961) by the nation of Denmark. ^[2]

In 1990, the A.C. Nielsen family made a generous donation to the University of Wisconsin–Madison to create a full-time MBA program specializing in marketing research. The program is the only full-time marketing research program in the United States.

[edit] Professional Recognition

• Annual Advertisement Awards Committee, 1936
• Chicago Federated Advertisements Club, 1941
• American Marketing Association, 1951 and 1970
• Hall of Fame in Distribution in 1953
• International Advertisement Association, 1966

[edit] References

[edit] Additional Sources

• Buzzard, Karen Chains of Gold: Marketing the Ratings and Rating the Markets (Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow Press, 1990)

[edit] External links

• Arthur Charles Nielsen at NNDB
• A.C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Research

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