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John Grono
Owner, GAP Research
Professional Background
John Grono is a distinguished independent research consultant specializing in audience measurement. With a robust career spanning over 40 years, he has developed a respected reputation in the fields of innovation and media research. John's expertise encompasses a wide range of sectors, including retail and media, enabling him to serve diverse organizations effectively.
His journey in research began at Nielsen Australia, where he played an instrumental role in the retail sector and later advanced the introduction of People Meters to Australia. These devices revolutionized audience measurement by providing accurate data on viewing habits, which has been crucial in the development of media strategies across the industry.
Following his tenure at Nielsen, John made significant contributions at Clemenger BBDO, a renowned advertising agency under the Omnicom Group. During his five years there, he served as the National Research Director and became a vital part of the management team that established OMD Australia. This position allowed him to further hone his skills in media research and strategic planning, leading to impactful results for the agency and its clients.
From 2002 onward, John transitioned into consultancy, working closely with the Media Federation of Australia (MFA). His role involved representing media agencies on critical Technical Committees that addressed various sectors, including Metropolitan TV (OzTAM), Regional TV (RegTAM), Newspapers and Magazines (Audit Bureau of Circulations and The Readership Works), Online (IAB Australia), Radio (CRA), and Out of Home (OMA and MOVE). His extensive experience in these committees has allowed John to significantly influence media measurement standards in Australia.
In addition to his work with the MFA, John chaired the ASTRA Research Committee in the Subscription TV industry for over a decade, showcasing his leadership skills and his commitment to advancing research methodologies in emerging media formats.
His remarkable contributions to the field were recognized when he was inducted into the Media Federation of Australia’s Hall of Fame during the 2014 MFA Awards Night. This honor placed him among an elite group of industry leaders, reflecting his dedication and exceptional impact on media research.
After relocating to the Southern Highlands in mid-2015, John decided to reduce his committee involvement, allowing him to focus primarily on audio and video measurement for the MFA. His current mission centers around integrating linear offline audience metrics for TV and radio with the burgeoning on-demand streaming landscape of audio and video. His innovative approach aims to create cohesive metrics for more efficient advertising trading.
Education and Achievements
John Grono’s educational background laid the groundwork for his successful career in research. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Statistics from Macquarie University. This academic foundation provided him with the analytical skills necessary for his various roles throughout his career.
His journey began in the classroom, first at Brighton-le-Sands Public School and later at James Cook Boys High School. It was here that John first developed a passion for numbers and analytics, leading him to pursue a career in statistics and research.
John’s achievements go beyond academic accolades; his practical implementation of statistical theories translated into transformative results within the media and advertising landscape. His work has empowered countless organizations to make data-driven decisions, driving growth and innovation in their operations. Furthermore, his leadership in significant committees has cemented his reputation as a thought leader in media research.
Achievements
- Inducted into the Media Federation of Australia’s Hall of Fame (2014): An esteemed recognition that acknowledges John’s invaluable contributions to media research.
- Founded GAP Research: As the owner, John has continued to provide expert consultancy services in audience measurement, furthering the field of research.
- Pioneering Work in Audience Measurement: John has been at the forefront of integrating traditional media metrics with the evolving landscape of digital and streaming platforms.
- Substantial Roles in Major Organizations: His positions at OMD Australia, Clemenger BBDO, and Nielsen Media Research showcase his extensive experience and influence in the industry.
- Prolific Contributor to Key Research Committees: John’s leadership roles have positioned him as a significant player in shaping the methodologies that drive media audience measurement, impacting both advertisers and consumers alike.
John Grono’s exemplary career reflects a deep commitment to advancing audience measurement standards. His extensive experience and innovative mindset continue to make significant contributions to the media research landscape.
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Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
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Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.