
The name of the winner of Norways most prestigous MR award, Årets Markedsanalytiker (Market Researcher of the year), is a well kept secret within the jury of three, right up to the presentation at the Market Research Day (30 minutes ago). This year, NMF President Bjørn Haugland didn't have to read more than half of the motivation, before most of the audience must have guessed who would win. Great that the jury knew he had not won the award before, because it is hard to find someone in Norway - or the world - who has done more for market research in so many ways.

The winner, Ole Petter Nyhaug, Synovate, with key note speaker Kevin Lane Keller to his left and NMF chairman Bjørn Haugland to his right.
From the motivation:
"The Market Researcher of the year, have strongly contributed to expanding our arsenal of market research tools, by constantly challenging the boundaries for how we collect data. No methond has laid untouched and with hard work, he has succeeded in creating insight in small and normally hard to reach target groups."
Ole Petter Nyhaug is also an excellent lecturer and highly appreciated among his colleagues. Important to mention is also the amazing work he did for NMF:s magazine Analysen for a number of years, when he often wrote most of the articles himself.
This years Market Research Day also saw the birth of a new award, which we who don't mind critizising bad presentations, applaud: Best Presentation of the Year. This award is based on the best possible of selection methods: market research. All NMF seminars are evaluated by the attendees and the one presentation reaching the highest score in 2007, won. The two best were invited to the stage, but Øyvind Solstad from NRK had to leave the stage disappointed. I saw Øyvinds presentation in Bergen in April this year (which came too late to count for this award) and it is obvious that he is up for a revenge next year. This is how I wrote about it:
"Øyvind Solstad from NRK, Norways public service TV company, started the whole day with a rollercoaster ride through Twister, Facebook, YouTube and just about every other new feature on the internet that not only market researchers have to keep in touch with. Maybe this was the best presentation of all and maybe it is not always so wise to put something like that at the beginning of the day."

Fred Selnes in the middle with his diploma. The disappointed (?) Øyvind Solstad to the right.
We will get a second chance this afternoon to find out if the winner, Fred Selnes from Oslo Business School, was even better, as both he, Øyvind and Ole Petter will speak again. Too bad Ole Petter and Fred speaks at the same time in different rooms!
Henrik Hall
SMRN