Pros
The fruits of consolidation Nielsen should have enjoyed years ago are finally being realized under the leadership of Dave Calhoun. The services Nielsen provides its clients helps them to make the best use of their marketing budget whether in the FMCG or Media industries. This is a very exciting service to be able to provide as it helps to shape the consumer based world we live in. The research business is relatively recession proof as when times are tough and budgets are extra tight Nielsen provides the information necessary to support fine scrutiny when investing in new product launches and marketing mix decisions optomize limited funds. On the flipside, when times are good and people have budgets to spend on their special or priority projects Nielsen is there to help as well.
Cons
The cost cutting exercise in preparing for the public stock offering has gone too far. Layoffs have been going on for a number of years now and those that are left feel overworked as they absorb the work that still needs to get done. So, most employees feel that the work/life balance is completely out-of-whack. Although many functions could be outsourced to India as part of responsible cost cutting measures, this has also gone too far. Internal functions which always ran smoothly in the past (i.e. Accounts Payable and Tech Support) are now problematic, taking a disproportionate amount of time away from important client work due to the need to have multiple interactions with outsourced resources before issues are addressed.