French firm comes up with China's number

Research company Ipsos helps guide market strategies for domestic and foreign partners

A company that started off in the 1970s, selling information on the effectiveness of French billboard advertisements and the reading habits of French executives has grown into a global behemoth that now advises companies on the idiosyncrasies of Chinese consumers.

Ipsos SA, a leading global market research company with headquarters in Paris, said it has grown into the fastest-growing and largest market research firm in China after entering the country in 2000.