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GfK shareholders have accepted an offer from US-based private equity firm KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) for 18.54 percent of the business. The buy is part of an agreement with majority shareholder GfK Verein to support the group's long-term growth strategy. More
Mobile audience data and targeting specialist adsquare is to make GfK's region-based consumer insights available through its platform. More
GfK has launched a unit called Supercrunch, which will offer clients a new type of automated, user-defined analysis to support marketing decisions. The division will be led by Norbert Wirth, who previously served as the group's Global Head of Data and Science. More
In a trading statement issued today, GfK said that both sales and adjusted income had fallen in 2016, in part as a result of negative currency effects. More
GfK SE's Management Board and Supervisory Board have published a 'reasoned statement' setting out the facts behind their recommendation to accept the recent tender offer by KKR for a major shareholding in the global group. More
US private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) is launching an offer for a substantial minority stake in GfK, and has entered an agreement with its majority shareholder GfK Verein to support the group's long-term growth strategy. More
GfK has appointed Dale Drerup as Automotive lead, June McPherson as Consumer team lead for North America, and Tom Neri - currently head of its Financial Services team in North America - as Technology Industry leader. More
GfK has partnered with audience data firm Eyeota to offer a new range of financial segments, the first to be based on information from its Financial Research Survey (FRS). FRS data is also being added to GfK's Crossmedia Visualizer platform. More
A sharp fall in income for GfK's Consumer Experiences segment (-7.4%) more than balanced growth in Consumer Choices (+5.4%) in the first nine months of 2016, giving GfK as a whole a 1.7% organic decline in sales. Third quarter sales fell to EUR 355.3m while EBITDA dropped by around a quarter to EUR 43.3m. More
GfK has appointed Gary Schanzer to lead its Point-of-Sale (POS) teams in North America - including retail panels for the pet, optics and tire markets - as well as the Group's Value-Added Services in e-commerce content, discount ad tracking, and technology research for investment firms. More
Consumer and media research specialist GfK MRI has partnered with customer profiling and trend measurement software developer Cubeyou, to help clients understand the relation between social media and product usage. More
In London, Chime Insight & Engagement Group (CIE) has hired long-time GfK exec Pam Armstrong for the newly created role of Managing Director of its Opinion Leader and Chime Insight & Engagement businesses. More
GfK's majority owner GfK Verein has dismissed a report published in German weekly magazine WirtschaftsWoche, which claimed the company may be considering putting itself up for sale. More
GfK may be considering putting itself up for sale, alongside other options, according to reports in German weekly magazine, WirtschaftsWoche. More
The Supervisory Board of GfK has elected Ralf Klein-Bölting as its new Chairman - he succeeds Dr. Arno Mahlert on September 13th. More
In London, GfK has hired former Kantar Worldpanel exec Imran Choudhary for a newly created role, Key Account Director, Technology. More
GfK CEO Matthias Hartmann is to leave the company at the end of December, as a result of 'differing views' regarding the long-term direction of the business between himself and majority shareholder GfK Verein. The firm has also confirmed lower sales and income for the first half of 2016. More
GfK has announced that its results for the first six months of the year are 'below prior year's financials for the same reporting period', and warns it is no longer likely that group sales growth will outperform the market. More
In the US, retail information firm The NPD Group has added data from consumer and media research specialist GfK MRI to its BrandLink tool, to help users predict the likelihood that a celebrity will resonate with fans of specific brands. More
GfK has promoted James Kennedy to the role of Business Group Director for POS Tracking (Optics), overseeing data gathering and reporting from point-of-sale systems in contact lens outlets, as well as report collection on lens fittings from optician's offices throughout the US. More
In Brazil, GfK is rolling out its TV audience measurement data to all broadcasters, media agencies and advertisers across the country. More
GfK and MR facilities operator Fieldwork have teamed up to launch a new user experience (UX) research studio in Boston's MetroWest area. More
GfK has appointed Stacy Bereck as Managing Director of its Market Opportunities and Innovation team in North America. More
GfK has appointed Gavin McLauchlan as Business Development Director, Global and UK Media. More
In New York, GfK has promoted media research veteran Gregg Lindner to the role of Managing Director of its media and consumer research division GfK MRI. More
Amsterdam-based passive metering technology firm Wakoopa - now a subsidiary of GfK - has launched a marketplace giving researchers access to behavioral data on a global scale. More
GfK has achieved 'moderate' organic growth of 0.9% during the first quarter of the year. Currency effects meant the reported sales figure declined 0.6% to EUR 360.5m versus Q1 2015. The firm's Consumer Choices sector grew strongly while 'Consumer Experiences' revenue fell. More
GfK has unveiled a tool called Connected Consumer Index, to provide a single measure of how much, and on what devices, consumers in 78 countries and eight regions connect with each other and with digital content. More
GfK has announced a number of Supervisory Board member changes, which will come into effect at this year's Annual General Meeting on May 20th. More
Industry association Commercial Radio Malaysia (CRM) has appointed GfK as its official research partner, to provide radio audience measurement across the country. More
GfK has partnered with local audience data specialist Eyeota, to make its regional purchasing power data available to advertisers in the UK and Europe, and help them tailor their online ads to specific income target groups by region. More
GfK and Nielsen are in discussions to develop a set of services for advertisers, agencies and media groups, possibly for launch later this year. The firms say the initiative will kick-off with the design of Brazil's 'first' cross-media measurement for ad campaigns. More
In the US, GfK MRI has partnered with a number of data management platforms (DMPs), to identify and launch 23 online segments for use in political ad campaigns. More
GfK is bringing its Consumer Choices and Consumer Experiences divisions closer together in North America, and has appointed Gary Cofer as Managing Director responsible for both sectors in the region. More
GfK has begun civil proceedings in the District Court of Nürnberg-Fürth against former CEO Klaus Wübbenhorst, and former CFO, Christian Weller von Ahlefeld, to recover damages relating to tax irregularities in Turkey. More
GfK has acquired Iberian and Latin American online panel specialist Netquest, and its subsidiary Wakoopa which provides cross-device passive measurement technology. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
GfK returned to organic growth (up 1.1%) during the 2015 financial year, after a decline of 2.0% the previous year. Reported sales increased by 6.3% to EUR 1.54bn (from EUR 1.45bn). More
Research industry body ESOMAR has teamed up with Kantar, comScore, GfK and Nielsen to launch an initiative called 'Research Choices', which aims to help the general public understand how their data is used for audience measurement research. More
In New Zealand, the Radio Broadcasters Association (RBA) has commissioned GfK to provide official radio research services for the country. The contract sees New Zealand's commercial networks, public broadcaster and independent stations join the same radio ratings system for the first time. More
In New York, GfK has appointed fashion retail specialist Dave Melnick to lead its Fashion and Lifestyle practices in North America. More
GfK has announced that based on its financial performance for the first eleven months of this year, it is no longer likely to achieve its predicted annual guidance for AOI margin (adjusted operating income based on sales). More
GfK has added 360-degree product view capabilities to its Spex Access suite of services, to provide shoppers with a more detailed look at items before making a purchase. More
GfK has appointed corporate attorney Anna Maria Vitek as Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the Americas, based in its New York City office. More
GfK has appointed former Disney and MTV exec Laura E. Wendt as EVP, Media for both its Consumer Experiences and Consumer Choices divisions in North America. More
GfK has agreed to sell its global Animal and Crop Health division to a consortium comprising private equity investor Inflexion and the current management team led by Stephen Hearn. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
GfK has reported 0.7% organic growth for the third quarter, with sales in Euros up 4% to EUR 371.4m. For the first nine months of the year, the group saw sales rise 6.0% to EUR 1.118bn - up just 0.4% in organic terms. More
GfK has introduced a new brand and communications tracking platform, providing real-time access to data, dynamic 'hot alerts' based on a variety of KPIs, and data visualization tools. More
Nielsen and GfK have announced a partnership for future co-operation within the book sector, with the aim of helping clients identify multinational trends and giving them more detail on market developments. More
In London, GfK has hires James Howitt for the newly created role of Digital Lead, UK, driving the promotion of its digital media research capabilities and solutions. More
GfK has promoted Ivar Michaelsen too COO of its Consumer Experiences segment in the UK, Nordics and Baltics, replacing Ben van der Werf who is leaving 'to pursue new opportunities' More
GfK has launched a TV household audience measurement panel in Brazil, which it describes as one of the largest contracts it has ever handled. The launch also marks the firm's entry into the Latin American audience measurement market. More
GfK has announced it now has all the assets needed to fully evaluate ads across media - including at a brand impact level. This involves the actual measurement of individual exposure to ads, as well as attribution of those exposures across multiple devices and different ecosystems. More
GfK has announced that Debbie Pruent will retire at the end of December, and will be replaced by David Krajicek as Chief Commercial Officer for the Consumer Experiences sector. In addition, Alessandra Cama will take up the new role of Chief Operations Officer. More
Former Nielsen exec Istvan Hajnal has joined GfK to lead its Marketing and Data Sciences team in Belgium. More
European auto industry information provider Deutsche Automobil Treuhand (DAT) has partnered with GfK to create a range of new products for car dealerships, manufacturers, importers and end consumers. The pair will also develop joint services covering the entire life cycle of a vehicle. More
GfK has partnered with the Vietnam Society of Travel Agents (VISTA) to launch a new reporting currency for the country's travel industry, based on forward booking info supplied by participating VISTA members. More
GfK has announced it will launch its Crossmedia Link tool in a first Asian country, Indonesia, in September. The tool measures consumers' multi-screen media consumption habits. More
GfK has reported organic growth of just 0.3% in the first half of 2015. Reported sales climbed 7.1% to EUR 747.2m, but almost all this increase resulted from the weak Euro. Adjusted operating income rose 3.7% to EUR 71.2m, and CEO Matthias Hartmann sales should pick up in the second half. More
GfK has acquired a Swedish software company, NORM Research & Consulting AB, whose core product simulates environments for virtual shopper research. More
In New York, GfK has promoted Maria Lange to the position of Business Group Director for its Pet POS Tracking team. More
Media research specialist GfK MRI has set up a new Innovation team, to explore emerging trends in TV viewing. Kevin King joins the team as SVP Mobile Measurement and Trends; while Karen Ramspacher becomes SVP Consumer Insights. More
GfK has appointed media research veteran Gregg Lindner in the new position of EVP of Media Research at its consumer and media research company GfK MRI. More
GfK has added a predictive analytics capability to its 'Echo' customer experience management (CEM) solution. More
Belgian audience research body the Centrum voor Informatie over de Media (CIM) has extended its contracts with GfK to deliver both TV and radio audience measurement services until the end of 2017. More
GfK has won a three-year contract to provide a cross-device audio-visual audience measurement currency for Singapore, awarded by the country's Media Development Authority (MDA). More
Media owners committee PBI (Polskie Badania Internetu) has commissioned GfK to provide Poland's official data for online audience measurement for four years, starting in January 2016. comScore, Gemius, Millward Brown and Nielsen had also made bids. More
MMS, a group representing the leading broadcasters and ad agencies in Sweden, has commissioned GfK to produce the country's first currency covering traditional linear and time-shift TV audiences, as well as those viewing video content on smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs. More
GfK has reported first quarter sales of EUR 362.5m, an 8.2% rise of which 6.8% is the result of currency effects, and just 1.3% is organic growth. However, operating income and margins were up. More
GfK has named Ben van der Werf to succeed company veteran Richard Jameson as head of its Consumer Experiences business in the UK, plus the Nordics and Baltics. Jameson leaves in mid-May after more than 25 years at the firm, to pursue as yet unspecified 'new opportunities'. More
GfK is planning to expand its point-of-sale (POS) pet retail outlet panel to Canada, targeting regional retailers and manufacturers across the category. More
GfK has bought a stake in US-based MR sector technology provider YouEye Inc, strengthening its expertise in digital research. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
GfK has partnered with travel intelligence specialist ForwardKeys, to offer clients a more 'holistic' view of the travel supply chain. More
GfK is preparing to move into free-to-air (FTA) audience measurement in Brazil, according to reports, and has appointed Adhemar Garcia Neto as Director of Operations and Caroline Campos as Head of its Audience Measurement and Insights Department. More
GfK has reported a 2.9% drop in annual sales to EUR 1.451 billion from EUR 1.495 billion the previous year. Currency effects accounted for a 0.9% reduction: in organic terms, sales were down by 2.1%. More
Colin Strong, UK Head of Industry, GfK, is leaving at the end of March after nineteen years with the business, to join online communities specialist Verve in the newly created position of Managing Director of Verve Ventures. Meanwhile GfK has announced three senior appointments of its own. More
GfK has promoted Kevin Taylor to EVP of Technology, overseeing work for all North America tech clients, and Gary Schanzer takes on permanent leadership of the Digital Market Intelligence (DMI) team, while continuing in his role as Head of Shopper & Retail Strategy. More
In the US, InterMedia Entertainment has added data from the GfK MRI Survey of the American Consumer to its IME Star Index MR tool, which evaluates and ranks the 'spokesperson potential' of individual celebrities and the habits of their fans. More
Switzerland's Mediapulse body has given GfK an extension of its contract to measure the country's radio audiences beyond 2017, using the agency's new Mediawatch platform. More
GfK has appointed former Nielsen exec James Llewellyn as UK Head of Shopper. More
Former Nielsen Indonesia MD Catherine Eddy is to join GfK in January as Managing Director of Australia and New Zealand. She takes over the role from Gary Lamb and Juergen Merz, who are moving to new positions within the group. More
GfK has unveiled a new concept it calls the 'Emotional Imprint', to help clients address the gap between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. More
In Malaysia, broadcaster Star Radio Group has commissioned GfK to introduce electronic / mobile diary radio rating methodology to the country, as it seeks 'more holistic insights' into radio listening habits. More
GfK has launched a methodology called FutureWave, to help companies predict the potential future direction of their category and determine which new product or service benefits will appeal to their consumers. More
Dutch radio audience survey body NLO has signed an amended contract with current provider GfK, extending the current radio diary deal and simultaneously exploring the use of mobile apps to allow reporting on a minute-by-minute level. More
GfK MRI has teamed up with modeling and analytics provider Santiago Solutions Group to launch a health and wellness-based segmentation and solution, SSG Wellness Spectrum. More
GfK has hired Nielsen veteran Shelly Berg as Senior Vice President in its Retail & Technology division's pet sales tracking business. She will be based in the San Francisco office. More
GfK has acquired UK-based online retail and pricing intelligence firm Cogenta, which will now be fully integrated into the German-based group as the GfK Online Pricing Intelligence solution. More
In Germany, GfK is to merge its media analysis specialist firms GfK Enigma and Media Markt Analysen, to form one company which will now operate under the name GfK Media & Communication Research. More
US technology company Mobile Accord has hired former GfK East Africa MD John Muthee as Vice President of Business Development, Africa, for its real-time mobile survey platform GeoPoll. More
In the US, GfK MRI has appointed former Nielsen SVP Dr. Christie Kawada as EVP, Product Management and Innovation. More
Nielsen and GfK have made it to the final round of IAB Australia's tender to measure online audiences across the country for the next three years. More
SKO, the industry body responsible for the reporting and monitoring of viewing behaviour in the Netherlands, has extended GfK's television audience measurement (TAM) contract by a further two years to 2017. More
GfK is to launch a cross-media and cross-device measurement tool called the 'Crossmedia Visualizer', to help clients understand how individuals use their different devices. More
GfK has reported a 1.6% organic decline in sales for the first half of 2014, to EUR 697.9m, magnified to 4.2% by currency effects - but says that it is now seeing the positive effects of the 'strategic realignment' plan it has been pursuing. More
GfK has added three more African countries to its annual 'GfK Roper Reports Worldwide' consumer trends study, allowing businesses to tailor their offerings to specific target markets, geographies and 'psychographic segments' within the continent. More
Morocco's joint industry committee CIAUMED has awarded GfK a contract to deliver an electronic TV audience measurement (TAM) service. The agency has also won an extension of its radio audience contract in Switzerland. More
In Germany, four former senior GfK execs have founded Exevia, a new healthcare market research agency based in Nuremberg. The four are Norbert Schell, Ulrik Scheuermann, Andrea Gock and Roland Herterich. More
In Australia, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has shortlisted three agencies to challenge incumbent Nielsen for its three-year online audience measurement contract. More
In New York, former GfK MRI exec Ashley Hoskinson has joined Ipsos MediaCT's Audience Measurement Group as Vice President of Business Development. More
GfK has appointed John Carter to lead the Quantitative Research arm of its Market Opportunities and Innovation (MOI) team in North America. More
GfK has launched a tool called MarketBuilder, which it says puts actual consumer behavior - as opposed to stated intentions - at the center of measuring innovation performance. More
GfK has increased its stake in UK-based Genius Digital, to become the TV viewer data specialist's majority shareholder. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
GfK has appointed two new Senior Vice Presidents in its North American Health team: former TNS Healthcare US President Paul Barnes, and former Eli Lilly consultant Cheryl Mulherin. More
GfK has announced results for the first quarter, with an organic decline of 0.7% in sales, reported as EUR 334.9m, a decline of 3.5% due to currency effects. However the Group said it achieved 'a significant increase in all profit indicators', and has confirmed its forecast for the year. More
GfK has acquired French agricultural tracking specialist TerrEtude, and will integrate it into its GfK Kynetec France subsidiary from this July. More
GfK has begun capturing sales data for parasiticides - such as dog and cat flea powders - from its US POS (point-of-sale) panel. The panel represents more than 11,000 retail pet outlets, including superstores, small and regional chains, and independent shops. More
In the US, GfK MRI has launched a new set of 44 consumer segments based on its data on consumers' off-line activities and attitudes, for use in online ad targeting. The launch involves deals with three online data management platforms (DMPs), BlueKai, eXelate and Lotame. More
GfK has appointed Jacqueline Richardson as Regional Director and EVP of Human Resources in North America; leading workforce development, talent management, employee relations, training, diversity and recruitment efforts in the US and Canada. More
GfK announced on Friday that its media control GfK INTERNATIONAL GmbH subsidiary will operate under the brand name of GfK Entertainment, with immediate effect. More
GfK has merged its existing retail tracking and media business with full service agency PT Primera Indonesia, in order to offer its Consumer Experiences portfolio to clients across Southeast Asia. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
GfK has extended CEO Matthias Hartmann's contract by a further five years, to 30th November 2019. More
GfK has launched an approach it calls 'FutureScape', which identifies and sizes a range of opportunities within a market, prioritizes those with most potential, and then use segmentation to pinpoint the highest-value consumers to target. More
GfK's sales have dipped back below the EUR 1.5 billion mark, not helped by a strengthening of the currency: the 2013 figure fell by 1.3%, from EUR 1.514bn in 2012 to EUR 1.495bn in 2013 despite modest organic growth of 0.8%. Adjusted operating income crept up by 1.5% to EUR 190m. More
GfK has signed a five-year contract with Saudi Media Measurement Company (SMCC) to introduce the 'first ever' electronic television audience measurement (TAM) service to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. More
Twitter and GfK are to introduce a service called 'GfK Twitter TV Ratings' in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, providing insights into the frequency and reach of tweets sent from users about the television programmes and ads they are watching. More
GfK has reported that a EUR 112.5m adjustment to goodwill on acquisitions is likely to result in a 'significant impact' on its consolidated income. More
In New York, GfK has appointed Pat Pellegrini as Executive Vice President of both its Media & Entertainment and Digital Market Intelligence teams. More
GfK has finalised its $100m plus five-year contract with four of Brazil's broadcasters, bringing its TV audience measurement service to the country, and says it plans to hire approximately 100 new employees to support the project. More
GfK has appointed Craig Griffin as Managing Director for the Consumer Choices division at its office in Thailand. More
GfK is preparing to deliver Lebanese TV audience data on a daily basis, using TAM technology to measure live and time-shifted TV consumption. More
GfK has reported a 4% drop in sales to EUR 361.4m during the third quarter 2013, from EUR 376.7m in Q3 2012, driven by what the firm describes as the 'considerable impact' of negative currency exchange effects. Like-for-like, sales were down by around 1.5%. More
GfK has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with four Brazilian television broadcasters: Band TV, Record, RedeTV! and SBT, to bring its audience measurement services to the country. The planned initial contract will have a five-year timespan and a value of more than $100m. More
In the UK, GfK has appointed former TNS mystery shopping leader Oli Bailey as Business Development Director for its own Mystery Shopping division. More
GfK has introduced an 'end-to-end' strategic innovation process called the Innovation Roadmap, which it says will guide an organization's product launch journey from strategy to creation, and evaluation to forecasting. More
GfK has launched a customer experience management (CEM) solution called Echo, which captures real-time feedback and integrates it with transaction and other data and with user experience consultancy, to provide a 'holistic' view of customer satisfaction. More
GfK has opened a dedicated user experience (UX) research facility in San Francisco; the firm's third in the US and thirteenth globally. More
North American industry body the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) and audience research firm GfK MRI have linked up to enable publishers to include the latter's top-line print and digital readership data in AAM reports, as well as in its cross-media database, the Media Intelligence Center. More
GfK has announced a strategic investment in Genius Digital, giving its clients access to the firm's technology for collecting and acting upon customer data from IP-enabled video devices. More
GfK has announced organic revenue growth of 1.7% in the first half of 2013, with sales totalling EUR 728.6m, and a 'particularly profitable' Q2, with adjusted operating income up 15.7 percent. More
In New York, GfK Consumer Experiences has named Justin Edge as Managing Director of Health, and Tom Neri as EVP of Financial Services, to head the respective North American client teams. More
GfK is transferring Florian Kahlert to the position of Managing Director of its US media and consumer insight arm GfK MRI, replacing former CEO Kathi Love who left in February to pursue her interest in psychology and sociology. More
GfK Canada has appointed Dee McGrath as Senior Vice President of its Consumer team, with additional responsibility for its Market Opportunity and Innovation (MOI) practice. More
In Germany, former Ebiquity MD Mathias Giloth has joined media control GfK International as Managing Director, replacing Ulrike Altig who is leaving the company next month. More
GfK has introduced a communications tracker to measure the social and emotional reaction of consumers to the various 'touch points' for a particular brand, and identify those the individual finds most memorable. More
GfK has acquired Sensemetric Web & Social Media Mining, as part of its plans to centralize its existing social media services in a global Intelligence Center. Terms of the buy were not disclosed. More
GfK has issued an ad hoc statement on preliminary figures for the first quarter, showing organic sales growth of only 0.6 percent, and adjusted operating income and margin down on Q1 2012. However the global group says order levels are good and it should meet annual forecasts of 3-4 percent sales growth. More
GfK has announced the acquisition of Australia-based agricultural insights firm Paterson Consulting, and the opening of new offices in Sydney and Melbourne for its Animal and Crop Health team. More
GfK has acquired the remainder of subsidiaries GfK Etilize in the US, media control GfK International in Germany, and GfK UK Entertainments in the UK. More
In the US, GfK is to increase the size of its KnowledgePanel by a third in 2013, in a bid to provide greater access to those populations that are often difficult to reach using traditional survey methods. More
In New York, GfK has appointed Dr Mansour Fahimi as Senior Vice President of Sampling Statistics, to serve as chief statistician for the firm's KnowledgePanel, leading methodological innovation and federally sponsored survey projects. More
GfK has fully integrated its custom research division GfK Blue Moon into its global structure, and renamed it GfK Australia, Consumer Experiences. More
GfK has rolled out its Market Opportunity and Innovation (MOI) service in the UK, with a team led by the firm's former Director of Insight Richard Matthews. More
GfK has hired Chris Fabber to oversee the merger of its US panel operations business, including panels acquired with Knowledge Networks in 2011. More
GfK has confirmed a 10.2% increase in 2012 sales to EUR 1.5 billion, exceeding its target of 9%. 'Strong' organic growth of 3.1% is cited as a key reason for beating the target. More
Hetty Fore has returned to GfK as Senior Vice President in the Market Opportunity and Innovation team, while Robert Hernandez has joined the company to lead its Qualitative and Ethnographic practice. More
GfK has integrated its 'EMO Scan' facial expression measure into its existing ad testing system, to help clients understand consumers' spontaneous emotional response to advertising. More
GfK is believed to be planning a move from current New York premises in Chelsea Market to a 75,000 square foot office in the World Financial Center. More
Former Ford Motor veteran and auto consumer insight specialist Tom Zwolan has joined GfK's Automotive team as Vice President. More
GfK has named four senior leaders for its operations in the CEE-META (Central and Eastern Europe Middle East, Turkey and Africa) and APAC (Asia and the Pacific) regions. More
Preliminary results indicate that GfK's full-year revenue rose 10.2% in 2012, to approximately EUR 1.5bn, with organic growth of 3.1%. More
GfK says it has uncovered incidents of tax evasion at its Turkish subsidiary GfK Araþtýrma Hizmetleri. The firm's former local management are accused of collaborating to defraud the global group through tax and social security avoidance schemes over several years. More
GfK has 'reconfigured' its North American Brand, Customer Experience and Innovation teams, and appointed Eric Villain as Managing Director of the US Brand and Customer Experience (BaCE) division, which now incorporates Customer Loyalty and Brand & Communications. More
GfK MRI Chief Executive Kathi Love is stepping down from her role on 15th February, in order to pursue her interest in psychology and sociology. More
GfK has established 'consistent standards' for global implementation of its new social media analysis (SMA) offer, which combines automated systems with interpretation by human coders. More
In the US, GfK has introduced a new service called Location Insights, to help retailers understand the movements and demographics of crowds around specific shopping environments. More
German TV station partnership the Arbeits-gemeinschaft Fernsehforschung (AGF), has re-commissioned GfK to monitor TV viewing in Germany, initially until 2018. GfK has been providing the service since 1985, and the new contract is valued at around EUR 130m. More
GfK has reported 'a significant sales increase' of 9.8% to EUR 1,096.8m in the first nine months of 2012, with much of the rise however due to currency effects and acquisitions. Q3 revenue was up 11.3% to EUR 376.7m. EBITDA fell 18.5% to EUR 50.6m. More
GfK has announced the formation of a new global Market Opportunities and Innovations practice, which will promise marketing professionals 'the critical foresight needed to successfully tap into future markets'. Marilyn Raymond will lead the new division. More
GfK has strengthened its Hong Kong team with the appointment of research veterans Karen Khao, as Head of Consumer Experiences, and Roland Leung as Head of Innovation Research. More
Arbitron is combining its PPM Radio Ratings data with Media Monitors' commercial airplay data, to provide advertisers with radio audience estimates for the specific times their spots run. The resulting 'model-ready' ratings data is now available via GfK MRI's 'Granularity' modeling portal. More
GfK has introduced a 'human relationship' model, to uncover consumers' emotional and social connections with brands. More
GfK has appointed seven leaders in China, Korea, Malaysia and Japan, as part of a strategy to expand its global research solutions across the Asia Pacific region. More
GfK has acquired usability testing specialist User Centric Inc, to enable it to offer a global user experience (UX) service with more than 150 consultants worldwide. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Print metrics provider GfK StarchMetrix has partnered with media research specialist Sinomonitor to launch what it describes as the first study to measure consumer recall of magazine advertisements in China. More
GfK has reported a 9.1% increase in sales to EUR 720.1m for the first half of 2012, most of which comes from currency effects and acquisitions. Organic growth of just 1.7% results from a healthy 4.2% rise in the Consumer Choices business combined with flat performance from Consumer Experiences. More
GfK has combined two recent acquisitions, KN Dimestore and nurago, to create a new global practice, Digital Market Intelligence (DMI), which promises clients a complete picture of their digital marketing and advertising ROI. More
GfK has acquired the remaining 40% of user experience firm SirValUse Consulting and usability research specialist nurago. More
GfK has launched a new tool called DeliveryControl.dx, which tracks whether an online advertisement is actually visible on a user's screen. More
Magazine ratings provider GfK MRI and word-of-mouth consulting firm Keller Fay Group have combined data from their syndicated research databases to form a new product called TalkTrack/GfK MRI Data Fusion. More
GfK has announced two senior marketing science appointments which it says 'sharpen its focus on rigorous yet innovative analytics'. Knowledge Networks' Ellen Veccia become Chief Marketing Science Officer while Mike Conklin has rejoined from MarketTools as EVP of Marketing Science. More
GfK is integrating elements of its brand, communication, satisfaction and loyalty research into a new global practice, Brand and Customer Experience, and has appointed Helen Zeitoun to head it up. More
GfK has reported an 11.3% increase in sales to EUR 345.1m for the first three months of 2012, with organic growth of 4.9%. Adjusted operating income rose 10.2% to EUR 33.5m. The firm says its new 'Own the Future' corporate strategy has contributed to the healthy figures. More
GfK MRI has launched a syndicated solution called the 'Audience Risk Manager', to enable US magazine publishers to offer performance guarantees based on a publication's total readership as opposed to its paid circulation. More
GfK has announced the launch of ConX (Consumer Experience Measurement and Tracking), a holistic, customizable tool for measuring, evaluating and optimizing the consumer experience. More
In the UK, the Market Research Society (MRS) has announced that former GfK NOP Head Phyllis Macfarlane will become its new Chairman in April, following the completion of Vanella Jackson's two-year term. More
GfK has expanded its healthcare practice with the acquisition of market access consultancy Bridgehead International, which serves companies across the pharma, medical device and diagnostics sectors. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In London, GfK has appointed former Synovate director Amanda Boote as Global Key Account Director in the Consumer Goods Client Group, where she will focus on developing a consistent and co-ordinated approach to supplying and servicing major client contracts. More
In Germany, usability research specialist nurago has appointed former AGOF Services General Manager Marcus Fobus as Director of Product Management in its Online and Mobile Audience Measurement division. More
In London, GfK NOP has appointed former IMS Healthcare manager Richard Lawrance to lead its Consumer Healthcare business. More
The Dutch radio association NLO (Nationaal LuisterOnderzoek) has extended Intomart GfK's contract for national radio audience measurement for another four years. More
GfK has announced revenue up 6.2% to EUR 1.374 billion in 2011, in preliminary figures released today. Almost all (5.8%) was organic growth. Operating income grew relatively little due to specific items including write-downs and recruitment of a new CEO. More
In Germany, GfK Travel Insights has set up a panel of online travel portals, from which it will evaluate data about holiday bookings. More
In London, GfK Healthcare has appointed Ben Walton as Head of its UK operations, responsible for the support and development of business across the country, in addition to managing and expanding the executive team. More
GfK has promoted three of its senior Asia Pacific execs - Frans Janssen to Executive Managing Director for the region; Stanley Kee to MD, Southeast Asia; and Benny Villanueva to General Manager for GfK Philippines. More
GfK has acquired US-based consumer specialist Knowledge Networks. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
GfK has won a series of contracts to provide countrywide audience measurement across Romania, the Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. More
IBM veteran Matthias Hartmann has officially taken up the post of Chief Executive Officer of GfK, replacing Professor Dr. Klaus L. Wübbenhorst who has stepped down. More
GfK has announced a global partnership with online and mobile research software provider Revelation, to power and roll out an online qual research solution it calls GfK SocioLog.dx. More
In the Netherlands, the JIC STIR joint industry body has awarded comScore and Intomart GfK a three-year contract to provide the country's Internet audience measurement currency. The first results are expected in 2012 and the deal runs to 2014. More
GfK has reported a good performance for the third quarter and first nine months of 2011. Q3 organic sales growth was 5.2% and the adjusted margin was up slightly on Q3 the previous year to 15.7%. Sales in the first 9 months of the year totalled EUR 999m - up 7.1% (7.0% organic). More
GfK Healthcare is rolling out its syndicated TCD physician studies, until now focused on the US and Europe, to Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC). The studies will offer local market treatment perspectives across cardiovascular, psychiatry, respiratory and rheumatology/pain specialisms. More
GfK Custom Research North America has appointed former GfK Brazil researcher Rogerio Monteiro as Managing Director of its Business & Technology division, based in New York. More
GfK has acquired the remaining 26% stake in GfK Egypt; and has strengthened its presence in Japan, buying out one of the partners in its joint venture and acquiring a mystery shopping business. More
GfK has launched a new panel of Turkish consumers, billed as the first to use in-home scanning technology to provide insights based on actual purchase data. More
GfK has partnered with ARA Marketing Research & Consultancy to establish GfK Media Research Middle East (GfK MRME), and to launch a series of studies focusing on media usage across a number of Arab countries. More
Usability and user experience consultancy SirValUse - majority owned by GfK - has opened a new office in Cologne, Germany, adding to its existing operations in Hamburg, Munich and Berlin. More
GfK has reported sales of EUR 660.1m in sales for the first half of 2011, reflecting 8.0% organic growth year-on-year. Adjusted operating income rose 16.8% (organic 18.0%) to EUR 83.9m. The Group has also announced the acquisition of a 25% stake in US firm MBI. More
GfK has named a successor for Professor Dr. Klaus L. Wübbenhorst, who announced his decision to step down as CEO earlier in the year. Matthias Hartmann, 45, is currently Global Head of Strategy and Industries in the consulting division of IBM Global Business Services. More
In London, GfK NOP has appointed former YouGov director Neil Thorington as Deputy MD, GfK Financial, with a particular focus on implementing new digital research tools and techniques. More
In the Middle East, GfK has promoted Praveen Madawala to the post of CEO, leading the Custom Research business across the region. More
GfK is to restructure its business following a major review, and from next January will operate through two new divisions, 'Consumer Choices' and 'Customer Experiences', under the new tagline: 'Own the Future'. More
GfK has strengthened its worldwide presence, buying Thai MR firm MarketWise and completing the buying of GfK-MEMRB Marketing Services in Cyprus. It has also upped its stake in US company Etilize and launched a retail panel in Belarus. More
Kantar is to roll out MarketTools' TrueSample quality solution across its network, following the breakdown of the Promedius Group, the not-for-profit quality consortium it launched with GfK and Ipsos less than a year ago. More
According to a report in the UK press, marcoms group Aegis has received an expression of interest in its market research arm Synovate from private equity group Cinven. More
In London, GfK HealthCare has appointed former Adelphi International Research MD David Mackenzie as Global Head of Country Strategic Development, liaising with local teams across the firm to develop new and existing clients. More
Customer loyalty and brand communications specialist GfK Research Dynamics has promoted Angelo Pierro and Joseph Schiappa to Joint Managing Directors, overseeing the further development of GfK's Custom Research business across Canada. More
GfK has partnered with its part-owned usability research specialist nurago to launch 'Connected Life.dx', a tool tying in browsing and consumer purchasing behaviour across fixed and mobile platforms. More
GfK Media has today announced the appointment of Jude De Souza, formerly of the BBC, as Research Manager for its ITV Panel. More
GfK has reported a strong first quarter in its 2011 financial year, with consolidated sales up 10.4% to EUR 310.2 million and organic growth of 8.0%. More
GfK Custom Research North America has partnered with social media insight and analysis firm NetBase to provide an enhanced online conversation tracking and sentiment analysis service to GfK's clients. More
GfK has issued EUR 200m of bonds to institutional and private investors in Europe, the proceeds of which will be used primarily to replace existing short-term liabilities. More
GfK has acquired the remaining shares of Macedonian custom research specialist GfK Skopje, of which it already held 51 percent. Terms were not disclosed. More
For the financial year 2010, GfK has reported an 11.1% rise in income to a record EUR 1.29 billion. Adjusted operating income climbed from EUR 147.2m to EUR 185.0m with operating margin also at a historical high, 14.3%. More
In Austria, GfK has appointed former Ipsos analyst Antonia Furtner to lead its new Marketing Sciences Division. More
GfK rounds off a good year with a strong fourth quarter and describes its 2010 preliminary figures, which show annual sales growth of 11.1%, as 'Excellent'. More
GfK CEO Professor Klaus Wübbenhorst, who has been with the firm for 20 years, has decided that for personal reasons, he will not be extending his employment contract when it expires at the end of July 2012. More
GfK HealthCare has appointed three senior researchers for leadership roles across its market access, pricing and reimbursement, and global syndicated divisions in the US and Germany. More
GfK Custom Research has promoted Debi Basu to the post of Regional Director for Asia Pacific and the Middle East, and Jean-Christophe Salles to Regional Director for Latin America. More
GfK CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) has expanded its use of shopper specific technology by investing in Tobii Technology's entire range of eye tracking tools to perform projection, on-screen and real world studies in lab and shopping environments. More
GfK Custom Research North America has appointed former Harris Interactive consultant Howard Lax as Vice President of its Customer Loyalty subsidiary. More
GfK Ukraine has extended its agreement with the country's Television Industry Committee (TIC) and will provide TV audience measurement currency for two more years, to the end of 2014. More
In the US, GfK has added cell phone sampling to its Super OmniTel telephone omnibus. More
GfK Custom Research North America has moved John Wittenbraker to the newly created post of Managing Director of its Corporate Innovation division, and appointed James Conrad to replace him in the role of Managing Director of its Brand & Communications team. More
GfK Custom Research North America has appointed Angelina Villarreal as Vice President, Multicultural Research, working on strategies for the Hispanic, Asian-American and African-American consumer segments. More
GfK Retail & Technology has launched the 'Network Intelligence Solution' (NIS), a new tool using data from operators' IP traffic to produce insights into daily mobile Internet usage. More
In Germany, GfK has upped its stake in user experience specialist SirValUse Consulting and usability research firm nurago to 60%. More
GfK has appointed Joe Staton as Director and General Manager for its Roper Consulting business, responsible for the day-to-day running of the London office, and for innovation in its global consumer trends and insight offer. More
GfK Custom Research North America has promoted Thomas Finkle and David Krajicek to the role of Co-President, responsible for providing strategic leadership and day-to-day management. More
GfK has announced third quarter organic sales growth of 9.2%, up from an already strong 8.0% in the second quarter and 5.3% in the first quarter; and adjusted operating income up 27% to EUR 48.5m. More
In France, GfK has partnered with global news agency AFP (Agence France-Presse) to launch the 'Reference E-Content' (REC) monitor, which measures and analyses users' online consumption of books, music, videos, games and software. More
Ahead of its official financial report which will be published on 15th November, GfK has announced a 10.8% revenue increase to EUR 931m for the first nine months of 2010 (prior year: EUR 840.2m), of which 7.4% is attributable to organic sales growth. More
In the US, GfK has acquired marketing consultancy Interscope, which helps manufacturers and retailers understand the shopper landscape through a mix of analytics and creative ideas. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the US, GfK MRI is implementing a change in its in-person, in-home consumer surveys to augment its data on readership of printed magazines with readership on every type of digital platform. More
In the US, GfK MRI has released 'Granularity' - a system for inputting weekly, local magazine readership data into marketing mix models to determine the impact that individual advertising media has on sales. More
GfK is restructuring its healthcare management team under a single brand with the appointment of Stephen Hearn to the newly created post of Global Head of GfK HealthCare, and the transition of Richard Vanderveer from CEO of the division to a consulting role. More
New York-based GfK Roper Consulting has added a visual component to its US consumer trends service GfK Roper Reports, promising an enhanced understanding of consumers' motivations and behaviors. More
GfK has raised its 2010 sales and income expectations following a 12.3% rise in second quarter sales to EUR 328.7m, and a 9.4% rise in first half sales to EUR 609.6m. The firm now expects a 6% rise in sales for the year, which is double its original projection. More
GfK Custom Research North America has rebranded its GfK Technology division as GfK Business & Technology, and has opened a new office in San Francisco, California led by technology specialist Tilman Rotberg. More
Two of the research industry's top four firms, Kantar and GfK, have announced an initiative aimed at promoting and assuring online data quality. The firms will seek 'broad industry participation' in their not-for-profit consortium, the Promedius Group. More
In the US, GfK MRI is set to roll out an enhanced Internet-based magazine optimizer, to enable media planners to calculate the potential reach of print schedules based on readership of print ads, as opposed to overall readership of magazine titles. More
GfK Consumer has rolled out its first 'Future Buy' annual study of US shopping behaviors based on a mix of research methodologies, through which it has identified a new breed of consumer known as 'XTreme Shoppers'. More
GfK has become the first foreign market research company to be granted a license to open a subsidiary in Saudi Arabia. The firm has also opened a branch in Kenya, acquired the outstanding shares of GfK Mode in India and GfK Kynetec in the UK, and increased its stake in Shopping Brasil. More
GfK has appointed Colm Mallon as Territory Manager Ireland in its Retail and Technology division, responsible for servicing manufacturer clients and retailers and developing panels in the Irish market. More
In Germany, GfK has appointed Dr Gerhard Hausruckinger to lead its Retail & Technology sector, replacing Dr Gérard Hermet who is stepping down from the role to retire after 26 years with the firm. More
GfK Custom Research North America has lengthened the name of its GfK Roper subsidiary, adding 'Corporate Communications' to emphasize the division's full range of services. More
In the US, GfK subsidiary Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI) has re-branded as GfK MRI, in a move which it says reinforces its connection with its parent company. More
GfK claims to be back on track with an increase in both Q1 sales and income. During the first quarter of 2010, the global group reported a 6.1% sales increase to EUR 280.9m from Q1 2009, up 5.2% in organic terms. Income rose 71.2% to EUR 25.3m during the period. More
In Germany, GfK is expanding its digital strategy by taking a 40% stake in user experience firm SirValUse Consulting and in usability research specialist nurago. More
GfK Kynetec - which supplies market research for the crop protection, biotech and animal health industries - has acquired the non-crop business of Agricultural Information Services (AIS), to enable it to act as the sole supplier of data on crop protection products usage. More
GfK has announced a partnership between its subsidiary GfK Asia Pte Ltd and global mobile media industry trade association Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF), which promises insight for the mobile content industry. More
GfK has reported a 4.6% decline in 2009 sales to EUR 1,164m, taking into account acquisitions and currency effects. However, for the fourth quarter, the group recorded sales of EUR 324m, compared with EUR 282m in Q3. More
GfK Retail and Technology have announced the launch of their Mobile Telecom retail panel in the Republic of Ireland, tracking the country's mobile market sales for the first time. More
UK-headquartered dmrkynetec - which specialises in market research for the crop protection, biotech and animal health industries - will now operate as GfK Kynetec, following its acquisition by GfK Group. More
The GfK Group has reported a 3.9% drop in third quarter sales to €282.7m, and a 4.9% decline in sales for the first nine months of the year to €840.2m (prior year €883.8m). More
GfK has created a global database of point-of-sale data for electronic consumer goods. The 'Digital World' service has been designed by GfK Retail and Technology in conjunction with the US Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). More
GfK has expanded its custom research network with the launch of a joint venture in Japan and the acquisition of a majority stake of Conecta Asociados S.A.C. in Peru. More
In New Jersey, GfK Custom Research North America has promoted David Krajicek to Managing Director, GfK Technology. More
GfK Custom Research North America has announced the appointment of Kimberly Bastoni as Group MD for Marketing, Business Development, and Global Key Account Management. More
GfK has continued its expansion in Asian optical markets via an agreement with professional association the Singapore Opticianry Practitioners (SOP). More
GfK has launched EMO Sensor, a system which measures the emotions that consumers experience when coming into contact with a brand, for example when viewing a TV commercial. More
In the US, GfK Healthcare has introduced a quarterly omnibus, 'Managed Markets Delegates on Demand', to provide pharma marketers with access to a panel of key decision makers. More
In the US, GfK Healthcare has launched a suite of healthcare-specific brand positioning and diagnostic tools for measuring the 'cognitive and emotional strengths' of a brand. More
GfK has reported a decline in sales and operating income during the first half of the year despite an improvement in the second quarter. In organic terms, first half sales were down 8.5%. More
GfK has finalised its acquisition of French music tracking firm Ifop Music (Institut Frantais d'Opinion Publique), and taken a 25% stake in Cypriot radio/TV audience measurement company Watch Media, with an option to purchase a majority stake at a later date. More
TV research division GfK Fernsehforschung has upgraded its tool for analysis of TV consumption in Germany, to include measurement of time-delayed, time-shifted and out-of-home TV viewing. More
GfK Retail and Technology has upped its stake in its Indian joint venture (JV) with Nielsen from 40.0% to 50.1%. Previously known as ORG-GfK Marketing Services, the JV will now be re-branded as GfKNielsen India and will be included in the consolidated accounts of the GfK Group. More
GfK Retail and Technology has combined information on energy consumption and sales figures of electronic appliances to create a new energy efficiency tracking product. More
GfK-Nnrnberg e.V - GfK's non-profit market research promotion arm - is developing a process that records and analyzes human emotions via the software-based detection of facial expressions. More
US-based GfK Healthcare has launched a new unit, the Managed Markets Practice Area, offering research and consulting which supports every stage of the product life cycle and throughout the business planning process. More
The Nielsen Company has agreed to acquire GfK's FMCG Retail Measurement and Consumer Panel business in Switzerland. Nielsen will take over assets related to two continuous FMCG panels: GfK's Retail Store Panel and GfK's Household Consumer Panel. More
For the first three months of the year, GfK's sales slipped 1.3% from €268.1m in Q1 2008 to €264.7m. In order to absorb further 'crisis-related losses' the firm has announced measures to reduce personnel costs including short-time work, hiring freezes, salary cuts and redundancies. More
In the US, GfK Healthcare has launched a syndicated research service offering data on physicians' brand preferences, current and anticipated prescribing practices, patient treatment algorithms and other insights across more than 30 diseases. More
GfK Healthcare has announced the launch of FlashPoints(TM), a custom quantitative mini-study focused on delivering topline information on physicians' perceptions and behavior, with survey results delivered in just one week. More
Switzerland is the first country to go live with GfK's new fashion Total Store Report (TSR), which provides retailers and manufacturers with information on the fashion retail markets. More
GfK Asia is expanding its automotive coverage in five key regions of Korea. Subsidiary firm GfK Korea will start tracking the market for tyres and is planning to add engine oil and other spare automotive parts in future. Separately, GfK is to consolidate two of its Manhattan offices. More
GfK has reported an increase in income of €58.4m to €1,220.4m for the year 2008, reflecting organic growth of 5.5%. More
In the UK, GfK has acquired leisure travel monitoring company Ascent-MI, to strengthen its tourism POS panels across Europe. Terms were not disclosed. More
GfK Custom Research North America is partnering with The Hartman Group to launch a new study, Future Buy: The New Shopper Value Paradigm, which aims to find opportunities for companies looking to connect with shoppers in a changing retail marketplace. More
Global agency GfK has announced that it has increased its share in UK agriculture and animal health research specialist dmrkynetec by 49% to 75%. More
According to preliminary figures, GfK has achieved organic revenue growth of 5.5% to €1,220m for the financial year 2008. The firm has also implemented a new efficiency programme which it says should save €30m between now and 2012. More
GfK has acquired Nielsen's C.L.E.A.R. contact lens tracking service in the United States. Terms were not disclosed. More
GfK has rolled out its technical consumer goods markets tracker GfK TEMAX internationally. First launched in Germany in 2007, the service will now cover more than 20 countries. More
Private equity firm Apax Partners and research firm GfK have edged nearer to making a bid for Aegis's market research arm Synovate, according to an anonymous source cited in The Daily Telegraph. More
GfK's holding company GfK AG has become a European public limited company, and will now trade as GfK SE. The firm says the change will better reflect its international perspective and structure. More
In Germany, the GfK Association – GfK's main shareholder – has passed a resolution to ensure that any future bids to buy the group must first be authorised by its new Members' Council. It has also appointed four new members to its Executive Board. More
Despite the global downturn, GfK has booked nearly a quarter of its expected revenue for the year, says CEO Klaus Wübbenhorst – almost precisely in line wth figures for this time last year. More
In the US, GfK has consolidated its three healthcare market research operations – GfK Market Measures, GfK Strategic Marketing and GfK V2 – into one entity called GfK Healthcare, which will provide health care manufacturers with access to a global single resource. More
GfK and venture capital group Apax Partners could be possible buyers for Synovate, while Havas Chairman Vincent Bolloré nets the remainder of Aegis, according to reports in the UK press. More
GfK has acquired a 74% majority stake in Egyptian consumer research company Market Insight; and has formed a joint venture with the Median Group under the name of GfK Custom Research Middle East Holding, in which GfK holds a 51% share. More
Through its business information subsidiary ENCODEX, GfK has bought a 51% stake in Etilize; a US firm which aggregates product data from thousands of manufacturers, and delivers it as ecommerce-ready web content to online retailers, distributors and resellers. No terms were disclosed. More
GfK has appointed former TNS Director Bill Noah as Global Chief Information Officer for its Custom Research business, responsible for overall IT and software including software strategy for operations. More
Thwarted in its TNS marriage plans, GfK appears to be enjoying the single life. Revenue for the first nine months of the year rose to €883.8m, representing organic growth of 7.2% (up from 5.5% the previous year); and adjusted operating income up 1.7% to €104.3m. The firm described the results as 'satisfactory' in the current economic climate. More
GfK has received a break fee of around €13m (£10.6m) from TNS as compensation for the abandoned 'merger of equals' deal planned earlier in the year. The German firm has also reported a bulging order book. More
In the UK, GfK has partnered with the Music Industries Association (MIA) to produce annual market trends digest reports for MIA members, outlining current trends in musical instrument sales. More
GfK is launching a panel to provide a comprehensive measure of the UK watch market. The new service will track sales of watches across outlets including jewellers, mass merchandisers, department stores and mail order. More
GfK has appointed Dr. Arno Mahlert to replace Hajo Riesenbeck as Chairman. Stefan Pfander replaces him as Deputy Chairman. More
GfK is adding to its optical products tracking services in Asia. The firm will soon begin tracking spectacle lens and other optical products in Taiwan, in addition to the existing contact lens retail measurement, and says it will develop new markets in the region. More
Hajo Riesenbeck is to resign from the Supervisory Board Chairmanship and Presidency of GfK Nürnberg e.V. Riesenbeck was closely associated with the TNS bid, while CEO Klaus Wübbenhorst is said to have been more convinced of the firm's ability to grow on its own. More
GfK Automotive has appointed Francisco Lopez Ramirez as Managing Director of its UK operation, taking full responsibility for the day-to-day running of the firm, with a particular focus on business development. More
In the UK, employee-owned investment firm Cedar Rock Capital – the largest shareholder in TNS - is understood to have rejected ad giant WPP's latest £1.1bn offer. More
Following yesterday's news that it had shelved plans to acquire UK rival TNS, GfK has bounced back by announcing its highest rate of sales growth since the firm's IPO in 1999. Organic sales were up 11.4% for the quarter, and 8.4% for the first six months of the year. More
GfK has cancelled plans to acquire UK rival TNS after failing to secure funding for the deal. TNS, whose shareholders must vote this week on the bid of its remaining suitor WPP, also announced 6-monthly results today with revenue and profit rises both in double figures. More
WPP has announced its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30th June 2008, showing good revenue and profit figures in all regions and for all divisions including insight. While his own firm may be healthy however, CEO Sir Martin Sorrell says the current merger process is 'not doing [TNS] much good'. More
Consumer and retail research providers The NPD Group and GfK Chart-Track, and publisher Enterbrain have partnered to produce a single source of data on video game software sales in their respective countries: the US, UK and Japan. More
GfK will use the time available to it before making any offer for TNS, according to CEO Klaus Wuebbenhorst. This is likely to mean September, while WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell will see TNS shareholders vote on his proposals on 29th August. More
WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell says GfK is misleading the market about being able to pull together the resources to buy British rival TNS, and about having access to an 'unidentified but substantial source of capital'. More
WPP has posted TNS shareholders a formal offer for the company, valuing it at $2.28bn. It includes news of an option to sell TNS' television monitoring arm TAM to Ipsos, if required to meet EU competition law. More
GfK's discussions regarding a possible offer for TNS are 'progressing positively' the company said today, as it announced a strong order book from the first half of 2008 and a two-week delay in financial reporting. However, TNS has reportedly been talking to Sir Martin Sorrell and scouting for other possible buyers. More
In the US, GfK-owned media and consumer firm Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI) is to acquire sister agency Starch Communications – a firm that specializes in providing marketing intelligence on print ad effectiveness. More
The GfK Group has acquired a 26% stake in UK agriculture and animal health research specialist dmrkynetec, increased its holding in GfK Danmark in Denmark, and formed GfK Albania to cover the central and east European regions. More
GfK is understood to have had talks with European private equity firm Cinven about finance for its bid for TNS. Such a partnership is likely to be treated with caution by major shareholder the GfK-Verein. More
GfK will not take 'unreasonable' financial risks in bidding for TNS, according to Klaus Wuebbenhorst. The CEO has played down the pressure on his firm, which is said to be in talks with 'other wealthy German families' in addition to the Herz family. More
GfK is said to be discussing financial backing for its counter offer for TNS with Mayfair, the Hamburg investment vehicle owned by billionaire siblings Günter and Daniela Herz, who inherited their wealth from their coffee magnate father. More
German market research agency GfK has stressed today that there is no certainty it will make an all-cash offer for UK rival TNS, after the pair scrapped their plans to merge yesterday. More
GfK, backed by an as-yet unnamed investor, is preparing to make a counter-offer for TNS in response to WPP's £1.08bn ($2.1bn) hostile bid announced this morning. More
Despite approval from the Board of the GfK Verein, the 'merger of equals' with TNS continues to face pressure from two sides: Sir Martin Sorrell, who has one more day to decide for or against a 'hostile' bid; and workers and a former Chairman at the German firm he describes as 'very traditional'. More
GfK has acquired a majority share in games, music and video retail information provider Chart-Track Limited, upping its existing 9% stake to 55% from July 1st. Based in West London, the firm uses POS information to compile charts for music and video in Ireland and games software in the UK and Denmark. More
The Administrative Board of GfK-Nürnberg e.V. has approved the firm's merger with TNS, leaving the vote of Verein members on 21st July technically unnecessary, 'though 'important'. Meanwhile, the bosses of TNS and WPP have been exchanging increasingly hostile comments. More
TNS has fended off a third approach from communications giant WPP, stating that the bid still substantially undervalues the company. More
In the UK, the Panel Executive, an independent body which administers the City Code on takeovers and mergers, has ruled that marketing firm WPP must clarify whether it intends to make a firm offer for TNS by 9 July. More
The proposed 'merger of equals' of GfK and TNS faces political opposition in Germany, reports suggest, with some German local authorities represented in the company's majority shareholding 'Verein' saying they will oppose the deal at next Friday's key meeting. More
Both TNS and WPP have reported healthy revenue growth in the first five months of 2008 - the former doing particularly well in the UK, balancing a slight decline in the US. Meanwhile Martin Sorrell has again asked TNS for more financial information. More
TNS Chief David Lowden has today met with WPP's Sir Martin Sorrell to present him with the data his firm has already disclosed to GfK as part of the nil premium merger announced in April. More
In New York, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) Board of Directors has elected nine new members, includuing comScore boss Gian Fulgoni and senior execs from TNS and GfK. More
Gfk Nürnberg eV – GfK's non-profit association – and employee Holger Dietrich have received the German market research innovation award for developing a tool which can be used to optimize the design of new products and services. More
WPP has refuted TNS's claim to have provided it with the same information given to GfK as part of the recent merger agreement. Sir Martin Sorrell's firm says it has only been given access to a subset of the information provided to GfK Verein, GfK's controlling shareholder. More
French-based data extraction firm Qosmos has launched two new applications which it says will help researchers monitor and extract information in real-time and conduct more 'granular' audience analysis. More
TNS has agreed to open its books and give WPP the same information it gave to GfK as part of their recent merger agreement. Meanwhile, reports suggest that the GfK-TNS merger may face an EU competition probe; and may be 'sweetened' by a cash bonus for TNS shareholders. More
Sir Martin Sorrell is said still to be considering this week's GfK-TNS merger announcement and whether or not to come back with a fresh offer for TNS. Quoted in the UK's Guardian newspaper, the acquisitive WPP boss described the GfK-TNS proposal as 'a defensive merger'. More
GfK's proposed 'merger of equals' with TNS could take place this year or early next, according to comments from CEO Klaus Wuebbenhorst at the German-based firm's AGM yesterday. Meanwhile shareholders voted overwhelmingly in favour of converting GfK to a European 'SE' style company. More
WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell has increased his offer for TNS from £948m to £996m (($1.9bn), but has been rejected for a second time by the market research group's Board. More
In France, information extraction software firm Qosmos has closed a third round of fundraising worth €7m (US$10.8m), led by venture capital firms Sofinnova Partners and Alven Capital, along with MR agency GfK. More
GfK CEO Klaus Wübbenhorst has told employees of the German-based global agency that the proposed merger with TNS would mean more jobs, not fewer. Prof. Wübbenhorst said comments suggesting the contrary from WPP's Martin Sorrell were 'morally reprehensible'. More
WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell has said that he is surprised and disappointed by TNS' 'cavalier' rejection of his £1bn part-cash / part-share offer to purchase the firm. More
Top five global MR firms TNS and GfK are in discussions about a possible 'merger of equals', which would create the world's second-largest market and information group. More
GfK has made a series of acquisitions, including Turkish market research firm Bilseim International, the remaining 35% of Swiss oncology specialist GfK Research Matters, the Brazilian MR company Shopping Brazil, and the watch panel set up by French MR agency Société V. More
The Gfk Group has acquired ad campaign research firm Daphne Communication Management in the Netherlands and mystery shopping specialist SATISTEME in France. More
Deniz Ozerdil, formerly of GfK Turkey, has resigned and set up her own agency, Istanbul Research. The firm will focus on offering local field and tab services for international clients. More
Former Novartis Global Head of Consumer Insights Sandra McAuliffe has taken up the role of Managing Director with GfK HealthCare in the UK. More
GfK has reported first half results which are 'moderate compared with the highly successful prior year'. Business in two divisions, Custom Research and HealthCare, fell short of expectations, although others forged ahead giving respectable overall organic growth of 4.9%. More
In Sydney, GfK has announced that it has promoted Neville Ray to the position of Senior Account Director covering consumer electronics, imaging and telecoms accounts. Meanwhile GfK-Nürnberg's Dr Raimund Wildner has been named the German MR Personality of the Year. More
GfK has launched a new monthly panel to track sales of sunglasses across Britain; a market which was worth £19.1 million between Jan - April 2007, with April accounting for 44% of these sales. More
The GfK Group has announced healthy first quarter results with sales up 5.2% to Euros 261.3m, with organic growth of 6.8%. Margin was up from 8.5% a year previously to 9.5%, and adjusted operating income rose by 17.3% to Euros 24.8m. More
GfK is planning to further expand its operations eastwards with acquisitions of Chinese competitor agencies Monitor and Sino Market Research, according to a report in the China Business Post. More
Two global agencies have issued statements about legal issues. GfK Mystery Shopping's name was used by a third party defrauding consumers in North America, while Ipsos' IIS division has reacted to 'defamatory' assertions of breaches of employment law on a Romanian web site. More
The GfK U.S. Healthcare Companies have announced a number of senior appointments, including Brian Hull, M.B.A. as President of subsidiary company GfK Strategic Marketing, replacing Marty Glogowski who is retiring. More
GfK Custom Research North America has announced a new structure based on five industry-specific sectors and six practice areas. The move completes the integration of its companies in the US and Canada. More
Healthy preliminary figures indicate that GfK Group's 2006 organic growth of 5.4% was again ahead of the estimated industry average of 4-5%. Declining sales in Japan meant overall Asia Pacific growth was nil, but the firm's operations in Central and Eastern Europe continue to boom. More
A 'rush of economic optimism' and a continuing rise in income expectations has slowed the fall in GfK's German consumer climate index, while India still has the world's most confident consumers according to ACNielsen's 46-country study. More
GfK has acquired and retained several TV research contracts around the globe, increased the size of a number of its TV panels, and developed and installed new metering technology. More
GfK Market Measures has established a dedicated business unit to provide insight for the rapidly growing oncology market, and appointed Bill Bowman, J.D., to lead it. More
GfK and entertainment sales data firm Media-Control, have announced the formation of a joint venture, GfK M², to track mobile content sales. The company will get its data direct from content and network providers, and hardware and component manufacturers. More
GfK Asia has appointed Steve Kaiser as Commercial Director, to lead its consumer electronics tracking business from the firm's Singapore office. He joins from J.D. Power Asia Pacific. More
GfK has announced a co-operation agreement with media analysis software provider DAP Systems. The deal will help GfK to develop and market audience research software for the international market, based around its forthcoming Evogenius system. More
GfK has published its twice-yearly report on UK IT trends. As well as highlighting the winners and losers, the report headlines increasing convergence, the continuing move towards notebooks and wireless connections, and the ongoing fall in prices in the sector. More
One year after the acquisition of NOP World, GfK held its AGM today and reported healthy business growth in the first quarter of 2006. Dividend payments increased once again and revenue rose sharply as have orders for 2006 to date. More
The mood of consumers in Germany continues to brighten, according to GfK. The World Cup host nation has confidence in its new government, is planning major purchases and last considered the general economic outlook this rosy way back in early 2001. More
GfK will switch to new metering technology for its German TV research contract, from mid-2007 onwards. The AGF, an organisation representing 4 major TV stations, commissioned the replacement in order to cope with technological changes in viewing. As a result the value of the deal has risen to around Euros 100m. More
GfK has appointed four senior executives to its HealthCare Asia division, which is being formed from the consolidation of recent acquisitions SoHealthAsia and SMA (acquired with NOP). Scott Davies, Alan John and Keren Priyadarshini all become Directors and Clive Marshall, Managing Director China. More
Global group GfK has confirmed its upbeat preliminary announcement from 28th February regarding results for 2005, announcing 'the most successful year in the company's history' with sales up by over 40% to Euros 937.3m, 6.5% organic growth and margin improving to 13.3%. More
German consumers are more optimistic than at any time since the end of 2001, before the introduction of the euro, according to the GfK MAXX consumer climate study for April 2006. They are also looking to make major purchases before the scheduled rise in VAT. More
Online shopping is still growing fast in Germany according to the latest findings from GfK. The agency says the number of e-shoppers rose by 7% in 2005 to 26.9m, with price comparison research a major activity. More
Following recent cases of avian flu, German consumers are 'already in fear of a pandemic' according to GfK HealthCare. The agency says that one in five fear catching it themselves and 14% have asked doctors to prescribe a suitable medication or intend to do so very shortly. More
GfK Australia has announced an expansion of its IT tracking services during the first half of 2006, including three new product categories and plans to track IT retail activities in New Zealand, starting in March 2006. More
Eighteen months after joining the EU, most citizens in the new EU member states expect improved job and educational opportunities, but also predict rising prices, a lower standard of living, and increased corruption. These are the results of the latest Gfk EU Index survey. More
Building work is beginning on a new hospital in Kalkudah, eastern Sri Lanka, financed by donations from GfK staff, management and suppliers, and named after Heinrich A. Litzenroth, the Management Board member who lost his life in the tsunami last December. More
GfK has opened an Academy, based in Nürnberg, Germany, to provide training and development to managers in marketing, market research and corporate planning. The training programme comprises eight modules, which can be taken on their own, or as part of a two-year certificated course. More
GfK Turkey has announced a new access panel of almost 4.2 million members, providing samples for online research in the country. The panel members represent a high proportion of the c.11 million people online in Turkey (population 72m and Internet penetration around 15%). More
With the end of the month comes a raft of worldwide consumer confidence analysis. According to GfK, UK consumers are increasingly pessimistic while the German mood is improving, particularly in the West and for higher income groups. In the US, the Conference Board Index rises while the BIG index is stable. More
GfK's German consumer climate survey, conducted each month on behalf of the EU Commission, will in future publish economic outlook, income expectations and propensity to buy indicators for five different social groups: three income-based groupings plus separate sectors for students and retired people. More
Cast aside any stereotypes of young male computer nerds. Three separate studies this week show that women make up the majority of US Internet users, while 'silver surfers' are increasing their online spending faster than the rest of the population, and broadband expansion is fuelling an online shopping boom. More
A buoyant GfK has announced a 43% increase in its dividend, the fifth successive rise since its IPO. 479 shareholders and shareholder representatives attended yesterday's AGM and approved a dividend of EUR 0.30 per share for financial year 2004. More
GfK has acquired majority shareholdings in Canada's Research Dynamics Inc. and Chile's Adimark S. A., expanding its Custom Research presence in the Americas. It has also bought the remaining shares in geomarketing specialists MACON AG in Germany. More
Eurisko, the Italian arm of NOP World, has been formally invited to take part in RAJAR's Audiometer Validation Trial in November 2004. Eurisko's passive portable radio and TV metering system is said to rival those currently on offer by Arbitron and GFK. Further details of the trial format have also been released. More
GfK has unveiled a wristwatch which it claims measures 'whatever mass media the wearer comes into contact with, wherever the wearer may be'. MediaWatch made its debut at the international 'Week of Audience Measurement' organized by ESOMAR and ARF in Geneva, beginning yesterday. More
The GfK Group has acquired the business of ARBOR Inc., USA, effective retroactively from 1 January 2004. ARBOR provides ad hoc research services, specializing in communication and brands. More
GfK has announced its preliminary results for 2003, showing an 'outstanding financial year'. Sales increased by 6.4 per cent to EUR 595.1m and EBIT including income from participations by 37.8 per cent to EUR 68.9m. More
After two gloomy months, German consumers' outlook has brightened somewhat, according to the consumer climate survey carried out by GfK Marktforschung on behalf of the EU Commission. Income expectations are more positive and willingness to make larger purchases in the next few months has also increased. More
People in the ten countries due to join the European Union (EU) after 1 May 2004 have mixed feelings about it, according to the latest EU Index survey conducted by GfK Ad Hoc Research Worldwide. Employment and training opportunities overseas are offset by fears of price increases at home, and more corruption. More
In a contract worth more than EUR 90 million, GfK Fernsehforschung has been appointed to measure TV ratings in Germany on a continuous basis for a further seven years by AGF, an association of the four major German broadcasters. More
UK consumers' confidence may be rising, but German consumers do not share their optimism, according to GfK's latest consumer climate survey, carried out on behalf of the European Commission. With ongoing uncertainty surrounding tax, social security, healthcare and pension reforms, all consumer climate indicators were down in January. More
Private investors in both Europe and the US continue to prefer short-term savings products, according to the Investment Barometer, a representative survey by the GfK Group on behalf of The Wall Street Journal Europe. The mood in Western Europe is more cautious than in the USA, which is reacting to positive economic forecasts. More
The Non-Food Tracking division of the GfK Group and The NPD Group are formalizing and gearing up their 20 year long cooperation specializing in continuous retail research in consumer electronics markets. More
The GfK Group has continued its recent good results into the 3rd quarter of 2003. The Group saw a 6.5% increase in sales versus the first nine months of 2002, to EUR 431.1m, an increase in EBIT after income from participations of 50.5% to EUR 46.8m, and in its margin from 7.7% to 10.9%. More
Consumers in both Britain and Germany are showing positive signs in the run-up to Christmas. The GfK consumer climate survey for November 2003 sees Germans expressing hope that the economy is finally recovering and that their personal finances are improving, while Mintel are predicting that shoppers in the UK will spend more than last Christmas. More
It is no surprise to hear that on the whole, Europeans do not trust politicians, managers and journalists. However, some nations trust them more than others, as revealed by a GfK survey commissioned by The Wall Street Journal Europe. More
German consumers currently have low expectations of general economic development and their own finances, and are remaining reticent when it comes to making purchases, according to the GfK financial services, consumer and savings climate survey published by GfK Marktforschung. The mood is unlikely to change much before 2004. More
German private households bought goods totalling EUR 2.4 bn over the Internet in the first six months of 2003. Sales for the whole of 2003 are likely to be between 12 and 21% higher than the EUR 4.7bn recorded in 2002. These are the findings of the Web*Scope survey carried out by GfK Panel Services Consumer Research. More
Europeans feel they are exposed to far too much advertising and that most of it is not even entertaining, according to a survey carried out by GfK Marktforschung in 21 European countries. More
A paper by Research International on 'Managing global brands to meet consumer expectations' has won two of the three main awards from ESOMAR's 2003 Congress in Prague, Czech Republic. Two speakers from GfK Germany won the other award. More
Despite sluggish sales in the European consumer electronics sector in early 2003, certain newer technologies are achieving rapid growth, according to a report on the global market for technical durable goods, published by GfK to coincide with a major show in Berlin. More
There is little sign of German economic recovery from the May 2003 GfK consumer climate survey, conducted on behalf of the European Commission. The indicator for economic outlook fell slightly, almost entirely cancelling the increase in the previous month. Income expectations of German consumers reflect a slight upward trend of three per cent, but the propensity to buy is down for the second month in a row, losing more than seven points. More
With EUR21,884, Munich occupies the leading position in terms of purchasing power amongst German cities, followed by Bergisch Gladbach with EUR21,251 and Erlangen with EUR21,090. In a comparison of the 439 urban and regional districts in Germany, the Hochtaunus region is way out in front with EUR23,058 per capita, followed by Starnberg and Munich. These are the findings of the purchasing power 2003 survey carried out by GfK Marktforschung. More
According to the findings of a GfK consumer climate survey commissioned by the European Commission there was a slight improvement in consumer sentiment in Germany in April compared with March with even income expectations rising somewhat. More
According to the findings of the Online Shopping Survey (OSS), conducted by NFO Infratest and Enigma GfK, around 20 million Germans, i.e. more than one in three, have made at least one online purchase in the last twelve months. As many as one in five people are regular online shoppers. The most frequently ordered items are books, clothing, CDs, tickets for the theatre, cinema and concerts, computer software and computer games. More
According to a GfK consumer climate survey in Germany commissioned by the European Commission, carried in March, a reversal in the consumer confidence trend is likely to take a while as consumers continue to have their doubts concerning an economic upturn. More
Findings from a survey by GfK in Germany, in which over 1,500 users of financial services offered on the Internet were questioned, shows that the high expectations financial services providers have of electronic customer relationship management systems (e CRM) can never be wholly met. More
At the beginning of 2003, consumer mood in Germany remains virtually unchanged compared with the last few months of 2002. In view of the weak economic situation and the general uncertainty surrounding the conflict in Iraq, consumers are not confident of an economic upswing. These are the key findings of the GfK consumer climate survey carried out on behalf of the European Commission in January 2003. More
Europe will continue to expand and in future will be able to measure up to the USA, at least in terms of the economy. According to the results of a representative 'Future of Europe' survey carried out by GfK Ad Hoc Research Worldwide on behalf of The Wall Street Journal Europe in the European Union countries, the USA and Russia, this is the opinion held by one in two people in these countries. More
Following a low in October and November, the mood among German consumers did not worsen any further in the last month of 2002. However, talk of a change in trend would be premature according to the consumer climate survey which GfK regularly conducts on behalf of the European Commission. More
In the present climate, private investors are opting for lower-risk investments. Around 50% of Europeans have short-term savings deposits and almost every other person has invested in life insurance or pension funds. In the USA, shares and share-based investments continue to be the most popular form of investment, although this trend is clearly on the decline. These are the findings of the recent Investment Barometer, carried out by GfK on behalf of The Wall Street Journal Europe. More
With a share of 31 per cent of sales, German discounters have succeeded in expanding their share of the retail food market in 2002 more than almost any other type of store. According to the 2002 discount store survey recently published by GfK Panel Services Consumer Research, more than half of this growth is accounted for by Aldi. More
New forecasts by GfK Panel Services Consumer Research show that online transactions (excluding home banking) by private households in Germany are expected to total over EUR 4.7 billion in 2002. Although this represents a marked increase on the previous year's volume of EUR 4.3 billion, growth is not proportional to the increase in the number of Internet users in the same period. More
The debate concerning increased rates of tax and contributions after the parliamentary election a month ago is having a negative effect on German consumers. This is one of the results of the survey on the consumer climate commissioned by the EU Commission and carried out in October by GfK Marktforschung. More
A new GfK survey in Germany shows that the 50+ generation is an important consumer group looking for a good lifestyle and out to treat themselves. More
Latest gfk-webgauge findings show that increasing numbers of Internet users in Europe are using online auctions to buy or sell items. In Germany, in particular, snapping up bargains, curios or treasure has become increasingly popular. More
German agency GfK-Nürnberg e.V. and the Economics and Social Sciences faculty at Erlangen-Nuremberg University have this week renewed an agreement under which the Market Information Management department (SBM) will receive financing and support for a further three years. More
The hint of optimism about economic expectations evident among German consumers in July has been somewhat dampened in August according to the results of a survey on the domestic consumer climate recently carried out by GfK Marktforschung on behalf of the EU Commission. More
European consumers are less optimistic about the development of e-commerce than they were only six months ago. However, the number of e-consumers is still rising and so is the overall volume of online orders, as the findings of the third wave of gfk-webgauge, a survey carried out in six European countries, show. More
Switzerland is an oasis of affluence: seven out of eight of the richest European regions are in the Swiss Confederation. Geneva leads the way with disposable income per capita of around EUR 36,000 per annum. The inhabitants of Eastern Europe, on the other hand, have to live far more modestly, the countries with the least disposable income being Albania (EUR 563), the Ukraine (EUR 379) and Moldavia (EUR 223). These are the findings of a survey carried out by GfK-Regionalforschung. More
According to the most recent findings of the Eurobarometer, which GfK Ad Hoc Research Worldwide, INRA (EUROPE) and IRS carry out bi-annually on behalf of the European Commission, support for the Euro and the EU as a whole strengthened slightly since the changes on January 1st 2002. More
'The majority of price promotions lead in the long-term to brand share erosion' was the summary by Thomas Bachl, Managing Director of GfK Panel Services Consumer Research, at the recent GfK Annual Conference. This result comes from a survey of 157 brands covering products in regular daily use. More
At the recent 2002 GfK Annual Conference, Professor Dr. Hermann Diller, marketing expert and holder of the Chair of Economics at the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, spoke on intelligent pricing management. More
Sports Tracking Europe, a joint venture between market research organizations NPD in the USA, and GfK in Germany, has launched a new information service for the retail and manufacturing industries in the European sportswear markets. Sports Apparel Track provides comprehensive information on sportswear-related retail sales and purchase behaviour in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. More
The 2002 World Cup proved to be a powerful driving force behind sales of TVs, both in Europe and Asia. Sales in Europe increased by five per cent compared with the previous year while sales in Asia rose by an average of sixteen per cent. These are the findings of the regular retail surveys carried out by GfK in the Non-Food Tracking division in April and May 2002. More
Despite the relatively low returns, life insurance policies remain the favourite type of investment in Germany. The findings of the Investment Barometer, a bi-annual representative survey carried out by GfK Ad Hoc Research Worldwide on behalf of The Wall Street Journal Europe, show that 45% of Germans have a life insurance policy. More
GfK Ad Hoc Research Worldwide recently ran its inaugural Research Summit entitled 'Research in Action - Driving Business Forward'. Held in Edinburgh, the event bought together the company's eighteen member companies and their clients. More
With effect from this week, the GfK Group has taken over the activities of I+G Nürnberg and its subsidiaries, GPI Kommunikationsforschung and I+G Suisse from the existing joint venture with NFO Europe, called I+G Gesundheitsforschung. Business operations will continue under the name GfK HealthCare. More
Almost three-quarters of the leading brands from as long as thirty years ago were still market leaders in 2001 according to speakers at this year's GfK annual conference on issues of modern brand management held recently in Nuremberg. More
The majority of Europeans believe that top managers are paid too much, are often not honest, and put their own interests first. Two-thirds also think that top managers' earnings should be legally regulated. These are the main findings of a new GfK Ad Hoc Research Worldwide survey conducted recently for The Wall Street Journal Europe. More
In Germany GfK Fernsehforschung has been commissioned by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Fernsehforschung (Television Research Partnership) to use the AGF/GfK TV panel to measure the consumption not only of analogue but also digitally broadcast programmes. More
ACNielsen Media International has acquired the right to use Radiocontrol, a measuring technology developed by Telecontrol, a GfK subsidiary, for radio ratings in 19 countries in the Asia Pacific region. More
Thomas Pauschert has become a new member of the management team of the Wiesbaden based ENIGMA-Institut für Markt- und Sozialforschung (Institute of Market and Social Research), a GfK company. More
The fact that consumers feel that retail and service companies have used the introduction of Euro cash currency as a pretext for putting up their prices evidently placed a considerable damper on willingness to buy in the first two months of 2002. This is one of the significant results of a survey on the consumer climate in six EU countries, recently carried out on behalf of the European Commission by GfK. More
Consumer confidence in Germany has not improved since the beginning of 2002, with the mood amongst consumers remaining hesitant. These are the essential findings of the latest survey on consumer confidence carried out by GfK on behalf of the EU Commission in January 2002. More
We Brits have become the biggest spenders online of all Europeans according to new GfK research. Our online purchases have increased 29% to Euros 2.7 billion (£1.7bn) over the past six months. At the same time, monthly usage has also risen, with over two thirds (65%) of Britons getting onto the Net. More
According to latest data from GfK, consumers in Germany ordered online goods worth a total of EUR 942 million during the Christmas period, representing a sales increase of 63% compared to the same period the previous year. More
European private investors appreciate continuity with regard to their investment strategy. However, this contradicts to a certain extent what they do or plan to do. These are the major findings from a survey carried out by GfK Ad Hoc Research Worldwide in cooperation with the Wall Street Journal Europe. More
German agency GfK has won contracts for two major projects with a total volume of approximately Euro 10 million for 2002 and 2003. The projects will be carried out by GfK companies in the Consumer Tracking division in the Netherlands and Switzerland, giving the division a head start in the coming financial year. More
The total number of EU Internet users has risen by 14 percent in the last 6 months according to gfk-webgauge from GfK. This autumn, 88.9 million consumers in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK are believed to have gone online at least once a month. This compares to just 77.7 million users last spring. More
Motor insurance customers in Germany are becoming increasingly sensitive to prices and other services offered by the insurance companies according to a new survey from GfK. More
In the first half of 2001, German consumers ordered goods to the total value of Euro 1.9 billion via the Internet. According to the latest results by the GfK Web*Scope panel, sales rose by more than 50% compared with the second half of 2000. More
Half of all Europeans believe that the creation and preservation of enough secure jobs should be the focus of their country's future policies. This is the major finding of a survey conducted in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the UK, commissioned by GfK-Nürnberg. More
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