How One Man Revolutionized Market Research and Philanthropy

Great success in marketing research enabled Arthur C. Nielsen to pursue his philanthropic interests. By rethinking the practices of audience monitoring and measurement more scientifically, Nielsen revolutionized the young television and radio industries.

The successes brought by his Nielsen ratings enabled him to realize his charitable giving on a larger scale. As his son, Arthur C. Nielsen, Jr., remembered him:

My father felt that there were two major problems for people. One was to be born in poverty with no chance to rise on that account, and the second one was to be born with too much and therefore have no need to struggle and then to fall short of one’s potential.

[pullquote] Market research pioneer Arthur C. Nielsen’s philanthropic legacy continues decades after his passing.[/pullquote]

A close friend of Edwin C. Austin, Nielsen was passionate about health and athletics, especially tennis and squash. In fact, with his son, he won the U.S. Father and Son Doubles titles in 1946 and 1948. These interests, in combination with his professional accomplishments, led him to develop the medical technology to monitor electrocardiographic data remotely — not unlike the remote monitoring of television ratings. His engineering approached brought success in the realms of both business and medical research.

Three and half decades after his death, Nielsen’s philanthropic legacy continues to benefit the region.