Pros
Blue-chip company with a terrific history of measuring what consumers watch and buy. Good global presence with a great suite of research tools and products. Wonderful list of clients and tons of room for people to grow and move between roles. Lots of fun, super smart people who are great team players. Great opportunity for growth at junior to mid levels but be prepared to put in the hours. One of the few companies that offers top-performing junior to mid-level team members the opportunity to work overseas. Nielsen has grown by acquisition so there are always opportunities to learn about new solutions. Nielsen Cares.
Cons
Fragmentation of media and consumer channels (esp. ecommerce), the rise of online, overdependence on CPG clients in developed markets and a lack of historical investment have put Nielsen on the back foot. So many acquisitions can mean that client facing teams are not clear which product is appropriate for a specific client problem. Outdated and old technology is a big problem and senior leaders need to realize that the organizations core competence is not developing IT; it is setting up measurement systems. Outsource the IT piece so products and services are delivered accurately, and help make sure the "new service" is not outdated upon delivery or already behind the competition! Nielsen is doing all it can to make themselves relevant for the future - but is it too little too late? Some really strong senior performers have recently left for other organizations and that is a concern. Lots of budget cuts to fund the big IT investment have meant that resources continue to disappear. This means long hours, tight deadlines and overworked teams.