Have you ever wondered what goes into Nielsen measurement? How we collect data from consumers and retail establishments? How we turn these data points into valuable information for our clients? It takes smart technology and, more importantly, thousands of smart people on the ground every day in more than 100 countries to collect data and bring it to life. Our new series, Nielsen Around the World, will pull back the curtain to provide a firsthand look at the stories behind our numbers.

You can get a preview of the series by subscribing to our Instagram feed, where we’ll be posting stories from around the world. Look for an interactive social media journey around the world with Nielsen teams delivering regular updates from the field coming soon. To kick things off, we collaborated with a few of our associates to share what “a day in the life” on the world’s largest consumer measurement team really means.  

Nielsen retail auditors are on the front lines keeping track of store locations, inventory and sales in markets without electronic sales systems—come rain, shine or, in a recent case in China, ice! After braving the elements to visit one of the local stores in Lanxi County, our auditor finished his work just as a group of children came in to stock up on treats and drinks after school let out for the day. Understanding the items available to young shoppers in remote stores like this one is valuable information for our clients.

In Russia, our retail measurement field team makes daily visits to the traditional trade stores that produce 30% of the country’s fast moving consumer goods sales. These outlets also don’t use electronic tracking systems, so we bring our own! Nielsen auditors use scanners to capture data so our clients can stay on top of what’s happening in this critical retail channel, whether they’re based in Moscow, Mumbai or Munich.

Hop over to our Instagram account to see more #NielsenAroundTheWorld stories and keep an eye on this space for future updates on this project.