MARKET research giant Nielsen was visited at its landmark Headington base last week by the daughter of its founder Arthur C Nielsen.

Reverend Dr Barbara Nielsen was shown archive material unearthed as the firm prepares to move to new offices on Oxford Business Park, after six decades at the London Road site.

Two of Nielsen’s longest serving staff, Neil Preddy and Louise Cox who have each been with the firm for 34 years were part of the welcome committee for the US-based Reverend.

Also there to greet her were apprentices, Charlotte Whiteley and Angus Gadsden and Nielsen UK managing director Steve Smith.

The Reverend saw proposals and presentations from the 1940s for clients including Colgate and Rowntree, photographs, newsletters and press clippings.

She told staff her father worked “tirelessly” to make his business succeed.

As an engineer, Arthur Nielsen had to learn to sell, which Dr Barbara said “did not come naturally”.

One of the biggest challenges was in the 1960s when he introduced the Audimeter, a device for measuring TV viewing figures.

It sent information to the firm’s computers using phone lines and carried out research by sampling 1,700 homes and panel of 850 respondents.

After a rocky start, it gave Nielsen domination over TV viewing ratings went on to open offices in 100 countries.

She said: “At one point, someone asked him when he was going to give up?

“His response was ‘not until I don’t have any other ideas’, which perfectly summed up his determination.”