YouGov

YouGov is a British international Internet-based market research and data analytics firm, headquartered in the UK, with operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.

History

YouGov was founded in the UK in May 2000 by Stephan Shakespeare and future Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi. In 2001 they engaged BBC political analyst Peter Kellner, who became chairman, and then from 2007 to 2016, President.

In April 2005, YouGov became a public company listed on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange. Major shareholders of the company are BlackRock and Standard Life Aberdeen.

Stephan Shakespeare has been YouGov's Chief Executive Officer since 2010. Roger Parry has been YouGov's Chairman since 2007. Since Peter Kellner's retirement, its methodology has been overseen by Stanford University professor Doug Rivers.

YouGov is a member of the British Polling Council.

Galaxy Research

Galaxy Research was an Australian market researching company that provided opinion polling for state and federal politics. Its polls were published in News Limited tabloid newspapers, including the Herald Sun, Courier-Mail and The Daily Telegraph (in contrast to Newspoll data which is presented in the News Limited broadsheet newspaper The Australian).

In December 2017, YouGov purchased Galaxy Research to establish presence in Australia.

Methodology

YouGov specialises in market research and opinion polling through online methods. The company's methodology involves obtaining responses from an invited group of Internet users, and then weighting these responses in line with demographic information. It draws these demographically-representative samples from a panel of over 12 million people worldwide. As YouGov's online methods use no field-force, its costs are lower than some face-to-face or telephone methods.

Expansions

In 2006 YouGov began expanding outside the UK through acquisitions and acquired Dubai-based research firm Siraj for $1.2 million plus an eventual earn out of $600,000. In 2007 they added Palo Alto, CA based US research firm Polimetrix for approximately $17 million, Scandinavian firm Zapera for $8 million and German firm Psychonomics for $20 million. In 2009 and 2010, YouGov expanded its US operations with two acquisitions; first buying Princeton, NJ research firm Clear Horizons for $600,000 plus an earn out of $2.7 million, then Connecticut-based research firm Harrison Group for $6 million with a $7 million earnout. In 2011, YouGov acquired Portland, OR-based firm Definitive Insights for $1 million with a potential $2 million earn out. In 2011, YouGov made its first organic expansion by opening an office in Paris, France. In January 2014, YouGov entered the Asia Pacific region with the acquisition of Decision Fuel for an estimated consideration of approximately £5 million.

In 2010 YouGov bought a 20% stake of sports media data company SMG Insight. In 2018 the company acquired the remaining 80% of SMG Insight's stock. The new business was rebranded YouGov Sport.