PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, 17 August 2005

The research institute Zapera, the leading supplier of internet-based research in the Nordic region, has for a long time wanted to establish an office in Triangle Region Denmark. As from 1 August, the company’s offices in Copenhagen and Stockholm have therefore been supplemented with an office in Kolding.

“In recent years we have been exploring the possibilities of getting closer to our clients in western Denmark. While it is not far from our head office in Copenhagen to the rest of Denmark, the Kolding office will make it easier to maintain close contact to our clients on Funen and in Jutland,” says Zapera’s Managing Director, Lars Lund-Nielsen.

New office in experienced hands

Research Team Executive Ulla Johansen, 35, has been appointed to handle the establishment of the Kolding office. Ulla has a total of 12 years experience in the business, coming to Zapera from a position as a consultant with AC Nielsen. Furthermore, Ulla has international experience from a similar position at Iris Research in London.

“I already have a large number of clients in Jutland and on Funen. With today’s communication tools, it doesn’t really matter where you are based to service your clients, but when I was offered the chance to build up a new regional office for Zapera, I immediately said yes,” says Ulla Johansen.

Ulla is one of the most experienced consultants in Denmark within the field of Internet-based market research, and in her five years at Zapera she has built up an extensive portfolio of clients. Moreover, Ulla has been responsible for building up Zapera’s leading position within research products for the pharmaceutical industry.

“I am delighted that we have managed to persuade one of our most experienced employees to establish the office in Kolding. Ulla knows the clients, the industry and the methods inside out, and she has all the personal and professional competencies required to make the new office a success,” says Lars Lund-Nielsen.

Zapera leading the way

Zapera has built up a unique Nordic panel consisting of more than 80,000 members in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Estonia. The members have all completed forms containing a wide range of background information, and thereby a representative sample of either the whole or parts of the population can be drawn for the purposes of carrying out market research.

In autumn 2001, Zapera was the first Nordic research institute to conduct opinion polls via the Internet. Since then the company has set the standard, for example by conducting reliable online exit polls in both Denmark and Sweden. So far, Zapera has conducted more than 3,000 online surveys – meaning that more than one new survey is being launched every day!

A growing company

Zapera possesses tremendous growth potential. In the Nordic countries, the total research market is approx. DKK 4.5 billion, of which online research accounts for less than 10 per cent. In the years to come the share is expected to grow dramatically – primarily at the expense of traditional telephone-based research. Zapera is ready and able to take its part of this growth.

“In the USA, which is usually two-to-three years ahead of Europe when it comes to research, the online share now accounts for 30 per cent of the total market. I have no doubt that in the next 5 years we will see online research reach the same level in the Nordic region, and Zapera will be one of the leading forces in this development,” says Lars Lund-Nielsen.

This growth will also be seen in the Kolding office, and Ulla Johansen is already on the look out for new consultants.

“I don’t expect to be alone in the new office for long, and right now I am on the look-out for new colleagues, preferably experienced market survey consultants,” says Ulla Johansen in conclusion.

Further information:

Lars Lund-Nielsen, Managing Director, Zapera, mobile +45 4080 8040 or e-mail lln@zapera.com.

Ulla Johansen, Sector Manager, Zapera, mobile +45 2612 2013 or e-mail uj@zapera.com.

Zapera – facts:

Zapera was established in January 2000 as the first research institute focusing exclusively on online research in the Nordic region. Via international partners, the company is able to conduct online surveys throughout Western markets. Zapera has companies in Finland, Sweden and Denmark, serves about 300 clients in the Nordic countries, and has 40 employees. The company has its own respondent panels in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Estonia. From 1 August 2005, the company’s second office in Denmark was Agtrupvej 51A, 1, DK-6000 Kolding.