Neville Jeffress (29 July 1920 – 13 September 2007) was an Australian advertising executive and the founder of Media Monitors Australia, now called

Isentia Isentia is a media intelligence and data technology company owned by Access Intelligence and headquartered in Sydney, Australia. It has a corporate history dating from 1982. It has offices in Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth (Au ...

Background

Jeffress was raised and educated in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

. In 1936 he joined the ''Afternoon Sun'' newspaper in

as a clerk in the publishing department, before enrolling in the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

as a

wireless Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided medium for the transfer. The most ...

operator/airgunner in 1941, where he served for five years. On his return, he purchased a news agency in Fairlight and commenced a

classified advertising Classified advertising is a form of advertising, particularly common in newspapers, online and other periodicals, which may be sold or distributed free of charge. Classified advertisements are much cheaper than larger display advertisements used ...

service from the rear of the news agency. The Neville Jeffress Advertising company grew into a national operation operating in all states. Jeffress expanded his advertising interests in 1976 when he purchased the Sydney advertising agency, L. B. Rennie and Partners. The Rennie agency, which started in the late 1940s, specialised in advertising industrial and technical products, processes and services. The active partners of the Rennie agency at the time were Les Rennie, Owen Amos and Ken Baker. The Neville Jeffress Advertising agency, including L. B. Rennie and Partners, was sold to the United States-based conglomerate, TMP Worldwide Inc in 1996. In 1982, Jeffress purchased the NSW

Country Press A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while th ...

and merged it with the Sydney press clipping firm,

Lynch Pidler Lynch may refer to: Places Australia * Lynch Island, South Orkney Islands, Antarctica * Lynch Point, Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica * Lynch's Crater, Queensland, Australia England * River Lynch, Hertfordshire * The Lynch, an island in the River Th ...

Pty. Ltd. The new company, Neville Jeffress/Pidler Pty. Ltd., grew through the acquisition of other press clipping services, including Australia's oldest service, the

Australian Press Cutting Agency Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

, founded in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

in 1904. Melbourne's

Australian Reference Service Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

and Media Monitors Australia were also acquired, and the name Media Monitors was adopted. The company is now called

Pty Limited.

References

1920 births 2007 deaths Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II People from Sydney 20th-century Australian businesspeople {{Australia-business-bio-stub