About the MOA
Organisation
The MOA (Center for Information Based Decision Making & Marketing Research) is an association of companies and institutions, which engage in marketing research and marketing intelligence. The MOA consists of four specific industry groups: the market research bureaus, the clients for market research, the suppliers and the recruitment bureaus for the market research industry. The association recognises both company membership and individual membership. Only after company membership has been obtained may individuals connected with that organisation become members of the MOA.
Market research bureaus affiliated with the MOA
The Bureaus Section combines those activities of the MOA which are specifically oriented towards the bureaus which engage in market- and policy-driven research in the Netherlands. Within that framework, much attention is devoted to representing the interests of the members. This comprises an abundant range of spheres of activity: matters pertaining to labour law (as regards interviewers, amongst other things), privacy legislation, terms of delivery, unfair competition, etc. For the purpose of representing members’ interests, the Bureaus Section is also affiliated with the employers’ federation VNO-NCW.
Furthermore, the Section provides support to its members, amongst other things by passing on to bureau managers knowledge and skills in the areas of financial management and human resources. Finally, the Section forms a meeting place for colleagues.
The Golden Standard
Especially for the bureaus, the MOA, in collaboration with the CBS (Central Bureau for Statistics), has developed the Golden Standard, a unique benchmarking instrument for national samples. The arrival of the Golden Standard means that throughout the entire branch of industry, use is made of the same benchmarking data for research involving representative sampling. As a result of this, moreover, we have joined in with the other European countries which make domestic use of comparable data. Hallmark bureaus of the MOA are obliged to make use of this measuring instrument. The costs of participation in the MOA Golden Standard are based on the number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) per bureau.
Normative formulation of questions
The normative formulation of questions is the standard manner of formulating questions, which is used for the correlation between data collection in the field and the data available in the Gold Standaard. This formulation of questions gives maximal connection with the data available in the Gold Standaard. As a result of standardising the formulation of questions, fieldwork studies become well comparable in the analysis phase. A number of questions taken together lead to certain constructs such as social class and standard of living. These can be found in the concepts and definitions document of the Golden Standard.
OnderzoekFilter (ResearchFilter) - Do not call register
The OnderzoekFilter offers consumers the possibility of registering themselves as no longer willing to be approached for unannounced market research by phone. Market research bureaus which are affiliated with the MOA are obliged to consult this database before making unannounced approaches by phone to respondents in order to pose a number of questions for the purposes of a market research study. Respondents can register themselves as unwilling via www.onderzoekfilter.nl.
By using the OnderzoekFilter, the market research sector operates in the field of self-regulation.
ISO-Blueprint
Many research bureaus are working towards the official ISO-certification 9001/2000. This is a quality-management system for mapping out and describing the market research process within a bureau. The MOA has a blueprint ready for its members, which can be used for drawing up such a quality-management system.
Marketing Insights Event
The Marketing Insights Event (MIE) is an event in which the latest trends, newest technologies and developments in the sphere of marketing, in the broadest sense of the word, are discussed by inspiring speakers and innovative companies. Within seven years, this two-day marketing event has grown to become the largest marketing event of its kind in the Netherlands. The MIE is a high-quality, complete and interactive platform, in which all important parties meet one another in an energetic and inspiring environment of exhibitors and workshops.
The 'core' of the MIE is the congress, with 90 workshops spread over two days, at a particularly low admission fee (about € 115 (exclusive of BTW/VAT) per person per day, including lunch).
Partly thanks to the promotion, the collaboration of seven professional associations (PvkO, MWG, VMC, PIM, DDMA, SMA and NIMA) and the success of previous occurrences of the MIE, the event will be followed by many websites, blogs and trade media. In addition to the congress, an exciting information fair takes place, in which a choice selection of companies reveal their (innovative) outlooks and high-profile products.
For further information: go to www.mie.nl/page/englishCLOU, the trade magazine for marketing, information and research
CLOU has in recent years grown to become the trade magazine for the marketing-intelligence business. From a broad marketing perspective, the subject of marketing intelligence is broached by means of a number of thematic issues. The magazine characterises itself by approaching the research field from the marketing point of view, thus avoiding a situation in which the reader is served up with a complex enumeration and/or description of methods and techniques. The magazine appears 6 times a year, in a circulation of more than 9600 copies. A profile card is available, containing all information relating to readership, costs of advertising and the technical details. From the online library, one can download previous volumes in PDF format.
Trade groups
Active within the MarktOnderzoekAssociatie are a number of Trade groups. The binding element within these trade groups is the shared professional sphere. Within the trade group, the most important developments in the sphere concerned are mutually discussed, and impulses are given to get initiatives going which will benefit the professional domain. There are a large number of trade groups, which organise congresses, seminars, workshops and suchlike on a regular basis. The MOA has trade groups in the spheres of sensory research, Methods and Techniques, Services, Marketing and Research and Technical innovations.
Examinations and training courses
Under the auspices of the MOA, the market research training course, MIM-B is available. MIM stands for Marketing research and Information Management. This training course is recognised by the State, and the examinations are co-ordinated and administered under the auspices of the NIMA.


