MarketTools Introduces the MarketTools Epicenter Personalized Platform and Sets a New Standard in Online Market Research

Market Wire, September, 2007

American Marketing Association Annual Marketing Research Conference -- MarketTools , Inc. today announced the launch of MarketTools Epicenter(TM), an online platform for comprehensive market research that integrates and centralizes all research functions for MarketTools' customers. Through Epicenter, marketers and researchers can interact with all aspects of their research projects, from ordering samples and designing and deploying surveys, to receiving study data, analyzing results, and reviewing and storing reports. The result is full visibility into all research studies, simplified access to the full range of MarketTools' products and services, and greater efficiency throughout the research lifecycle.

Much of today's market research environment is still defined by fragmentation and dependence on offline, manual processes. Often, data and assets from past research studies, and even data for studies currently in production, are stored in disparate locations or hard copy archives that are difficult to find and access. This de-centralization makes it extremely difficult for marketers and researchers to glean the insight and actionable results they need. In addition, the overall lack of continuity throughout the process -- from idea formation through execution, analysis and communication of data -- causes time, effort and resource inefficiencies and redundancies for everyone involved in the research lifecycle.

"Today's marketing and research teams are dealing with smaller budgets and shorter deadlines, but face ever-growing expectations that their work will influence strategic marketing plans and impact business results," said Amal Johnson, chief executive officer of MarketTools. "The problem is that the fragmented, de-centralized and often inefficient processes that characterize much of today's market research environment simply do not meet today's demands. MarketTools Epicenter's unique combination of innovative technology and research expertise changes the game and represents a significant leap forward in the market research industry. All critical activities, management tools, assets and resources are now literally at researchers' fingertips and we firmly believe that with Epicenter, marketers will be able to deliver on the full promise of online market research."

MarketTools Epicenter is a personalized online platform that represents an innovative new approach to market research. By moving manual steps and processes to an entirely online model and centralizing all projects, resources and services, Epicenter automates, supports and streamlines the entire research cycle with appropriate tools and information at each step in the process. Researchers have security-enabled access to the projects they are involved with and are able to leverage the full scope of MarketTools' resources and project management tools to launch, administer, communicate about and complete their work through an intuitive, easy-to-use Web interface.

"As an independent, full service research firm, we are always looking for ways to streamline the research process and not only create efficiencies internally, but also find ways to deliver added insight and value for our clients," said Terry Crawford, vice president at MMR Research Associates. "MarketTools Epicenter empowers us to easily access and download data 24/7, regardless of our physical location, have complete visibility into every aspect of every project, and provide the most advanced data analysis with tools we believe run circles around everything else on the market today. As an organization, we need to be able to give our clients immediate responses to requests for data, insight and recommendations. MarketTools Epicenter helps make that possible."

Key Epicenter Features and Benefits

--  Centralized Information -- With Epicenter, customers have a single
    online location for accessing the full range of information, products and
    services needed for comprehensive, insightful market research. Fully
    integrated with all of MarketTools' core products and services, Epicenter
    delivers one-click access for users to tools including: Custom Panel
    information; Real-Time Reporting (RTR); ZoomPanel, MarketTools' source for
    the highest quality samples in the industry; and zTelligence, the company's
    premier online solution for capturing, reporting, analyzing and managing
    survey data. Epicenter also serves as a central information repository for
    receiving and sharing project deliverables. These reports and assets are
    available not only during the life of the project, but also remain easily
    accessible as reference materials for ongoing work and future projects,
    which is especially critical as new people get involved in an
    organization's research.

--  Simple, Personalized, Easy-to-use Interface -- Epicenter's easy-to-
    navigate and fully customizable dashboard provides researchers with
    everything they need to get their jobs done quickly and efficiently. Using
    a single user name and password to access all relevant MarketTools'
    services, each researcher is able to easily deploy and manage his or her
    own projects, review survey status information, explore custom panel
    reporting, view calendars, and fully search project data and resources.
    Every element of Epicenter is personalized to the individual user.

--  Increased Research Efficiency -- Epicenter supports the researcher in
    efficient, collaborative project planning and execution by giving them easy
    access to everything they need, including 24/7 online sample and project
    ordering and historical project information that eases knowledge transfer
    and informs new projects. Epicenter also offers researchers access to a
    full range of project resources and the ability to manage projects, panels
    and surveys dynamically, in real time and from one Web location. In short,
    Epicenter encompasses all of the researcher's critical data to keep things
    central, consolidated and current.