SMG Insight Appoints New Head of Media Research

SMG Insight, the sports and sponsorship specialist arm of YouGov, has appointed Nicole Allison, former Marketing Research Manager at the English Football League, as Head of Media Research. Allison’s appointment follows that of Sara Eddleston, Head of Consumer Insight, earlier this month.  SMG Insight’s current roster of clients includes Premiership Rugby, Barclays, the ALJ League, MLB and Sky. 

Putting into practice prior experience from both agency and client perspective, Allison will focus on enhanced client service, implementing new solutions and tools within the media research sector to further sharpen SMG Insight’s offering of  customer advice to complement its data sources. 

Frank Saez, founder and managing director of SMG Insight, said: “Nicole’s appointment, the latest in our senior recruitment drive, is testimony to SMG Insight’s aspiration to ensure its client-focused team is led by talented experts who fully understand the challenges faced by brands and rights holders in today’s sports and sponsorship market. Working alongside Sara Eddelston, our new Head of Consumer Insight, Nicole will play a key role in supporting the business during this unprecedented phase of growth as our global client base continues to expand rapidly.” 

Allison has extensive experience in sports and sponsorship industry, having previously spent three years at the English Football League where she was responsible for the conception and implementation of the research and fan data strategy, including its 2016 rebrand project. Prior to this, Nicole managed sponsorship and media research projects at KantarSport for a wide range of clients including FISA, Barclays, Aviva and Lucozade. She holds an MSC in Sport Management and the Business of Football from Birkbeck University.