Nielsen appoints Kirsten Riolo to lead newly created Custom Research Division

Sydney February 11, 2025 Nielsen today announced the appointment of Kirsten Riolo as Head of Consumer Insights for Australia and New Zealand, leading the company's newly established Custom Research Division across the Pacific region.

With more than 20 years experience in the media and research sector in Australia, Riolo will oversee Nielsen's primary research projects, managing all aspects from methodological development and costing to implementation and delivery. She will work closely with a team of researchers across the region, dedicated to providing custom and multi-client reports, which deliver value-added insights to help refine marketing, communication and product strategies.

Following her appointment, Riolo said: This is an exciting opportunity to lead a team focused on delivering tailored research solutions to meet the specific needs of the sector and the region. From consultancy on the most suitable methodologies, to integration of analysis with existing databases and Nielsen's broader solutions, we'll be delivering actionable insights, validated metrics, and ultimately, solutions, which will help clients optimise the effectiveness and efficiency of their investments.

Lucas Carreras, Nielsen's Pacific Commercial Executive Director for Agencies and Advertisers, added: Kirsten's extensive background, spanning B2B and B2C in marketing and research, across both supplier and client-side roles, makes her the ideal leader for this new division. Her expertise will be instrumental in strengthening Nielsen's ability to provide deep, data-driven insights to clients, especially in an increasingly AI-driven market, which needs quality insights in order to deliver quality outcomes.

Under Riolo's leadership, Nielsen's Custom Research and Media Analytics division will provide:

Qualitative and quantitative surveys designed to segment target audiences based on demographic and behavioural variables, supporting content, product and media planning optimisation

Communication effectiveness studies, assessing audience appreciation, comprehension, and engagement with marketing materials and creative assets.

Performance measurement of awareness, brand image, and purchase intent indicators in relation to competitive activity and media planning

Brand positioning analysis to understand shifts in consumer needs and competitor perception.

Custom and multi-client reports that track the evolution of specific markets, equipping customers with valuable insights to guide marketing and communication strategies

Purchase process reconstruction, mapping the customer journey from initial need identification to purchase, including key information sources, purchase drivers, barriers, and channels used

Customer satisfaction analysis, evaluating consumer experiences throughout all stages of the purchase process

In addition to her new role at Nielsen, Riolo is a long-time member of the Research Society of Australia, and the IAB Advertising Effectiveness Council. In addition to her QPR accreditation, she brings expertise in audience measurement, market landscape U&A, brand tracking, product development, creative evaluation, and social intelligence.

About NielsenNielsen is a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviours across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and engage with their global audiences now and into the future. Learn more at www.nielsen.com and connect with us on social media (X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram).

Press ContactDan Chapman

dan.chapman@nielsen.com

+61 4040884

LINK:	https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2025/nielsen-appoints-kirsten-riol...
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