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NIQ, the consumer intelligence company previously part of Nielsen and now combined with GfK, has launched a Global Media Division, which it says is 'designed to enhance the value advertisers derive from their marketing efforts' - and has appointed Lana Busignani to lead it. More
GfK has completed the sale of its European Consumer Panel Services business (CPS GfK) to YouGov, a divestment required under competition law as part of the German-based global group's merger with retail data giant NIQ. The deal has been valued at around EUR 315m. More
GfK has become a 'Brand Lift' partner on Meta Partners Inc., with the addition of a solution called Campaign Amplifier which measures the lift from brand advertising on Facebook and Instagram. More
NielsenIQ (NIQ) and GfK have officially completed their merger, and the combined business will now be led by NIQ CEO, Jim Peck. More
GfK has entered into an agreement to sell its European Consumer Panel (CP) business to YouGov, as part of its deal to merge with NielsenIQ (NIQ). Terms of the CP sale have not been disclosed. More
NielsenIQ (NIQ) and GfK have received clearance from the European Commission to merge, conditional on the divestment of GfK's Consumer Panel business to an independent third party. Terms of the deal, which is expected to close in the coming days, have not been disclosed. More
In Australia, industry body Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) is to launch its audience measurement system 'Radio 360' tomorrow, 6th June, with the release of the third GfK metropolitan radio survey of the year. More
In the US, GfK has appointed long-time Kantar exec Jeremy Coen as Commercial Account Director, responsible for Midwest liaison for CPG brands and other key verticals. More
GfK and price intelligence company Minderest have partnered to provide retailers and manufacturers with a 'comprehensive overview' of current prices in their markets, as well as recommendations for price adjustments, using the latter firm's smart updating online shelf price information. More
Kelly Sims has returned to GfK in the newly created role of Senior Vice President, Marketing Effectiveness, serving clients across various industries, but with a specialty in tech. He is based in San Jose, California. More
NielsenIQ, the consumer intelligence business which split away from its Media wing two years ago this month and is now combining with GfK, has rebranded as NIQ. Accompanying this, the firm says it is undergoing 'a significant transformation' and is committed to providing the 'Full View' of global consumers. More
GfK has appointed Goodyear veteran Miguel Quiros as Vice President, Market Intelligence for the US tire industry. More
In New York, GfK has hired client-side exec Matthew Wright as Account Director for the US POS Tracking (Tires) panel. More
Australian broadcast industry body Commercial Radio & Audio will introduce a new hybrid audience measurement system for its GfK metropolitan radio surveys, from March next year, and describes it as 'the most significant investment and change to [radio measurement] in Australia since ratings began'. More
Full-lifecycle digital services transformation company Ness Digital Engineering has been acquired by private equity firm and GfK shareholder KKR, from its previous owner The Rohatyn Group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
GfK has appointed former Hawkeye exec Mike Chung as West Coast Lead for its AutoMobility study, based in the Los Angeles area. More
GfK has transferred Dave Melnick to a newly created role, Commercial Account Development lead for its Consumer Life trends study in North America. More
In New York, consumer insights specialist MRI-Simmons has appointed long-time industry exec Brian Katz as Vice President of Advanced Advertising, helping publishers, media and alternative measurement companies use the firm's consumer dataset for advanced ad initiatives. More
In New York, GfK has named former MRI-Simmons exec Ishan Bhaumik Global Account Director (GAD) for Amazon and other digital accounts. More
NielsenIQ and GfK have announced an agreement through which the two firms will be 'combined', with NielsenIQ's owner Advent International being the majority shareholder. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
In New York, GfK has moved Lydia Irving into the newly created position of Vice President, North American Sales and Commercial Strategy Development. More
Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has announced the recruitment in Sydney of the first panel participants to wear electronic watch meters to capture their radio listening. This is part of the roll out of GfK Radio360, which moves the industry from paper-based surveys to the majority use of e-diaries. More
GfK CEO Peter Feld has decided not to seek an extension to his contract, and will leave the company on March 14th. CFO Lars Nordmark will step into the Chief Exec role on an interim basis, while COO Joshua Hubbert has been added to the Management Board. More
GfK and cross-device targeting specialist Dstillery have expanded their partnership with the development of 32 new audience segments, through which digital marketers can target CPG shoppers. More
GfK has expanded its partnership with social media analytics company BrandTotal beyond the US, to offer clients in Mexico real-time market intelligence for paid social media. More
GfK has appointed longstanding WPP consumer researcher Marie Minyo as VP and Account Director on its client-facing Commercial team in the US. More
Industry body Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has partnered with GfK to roll out a system called Radio360, which will move the industry from paper-based surveys to the majority use of e-diaries and the integration of live streaming data. More
GfK has expanded its gfknewron platform with the addition of market, consumer and brand data, along with predictive analytics. More
In Sweden, audience measurement group MMS has published the first figures on online video viewing using GfK's new reach model, Audience Ascription Model (AAM), and describes this as 'a major step toward providing total video ratings' for the country. More
Sweden's audience measurement body MMS and GfK have released figures from the first stage of their Audience Ascription Model (AAM), which they describe as a 'major step' toward providing total video rating for Sweden. More
Baltic States research firm RAIT has announced the acquisition of Sweden's Fürst Scandinavian Research. More
Global group GfK has unveiled a new version of its gfknewron solution which gives clients instant access to the company's independent, predictive analytics for tech consumer goods across 27 countries. New features include AI-driven rolling, short-term forecasts; and price optimization tools. More
GfK has announced the launch of Brand Architect, a new framework which it says bridges the gap between consumer attitudes and actual behavior, to measure the strength of brands. More
GfK has been commissioned by Asian media group Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) to develop a new measure of the state's local media consumption, combining survey data with digitally collected data in a single-source approach. More
Automotive consumer research specialist Louisa Link has joined GfK's AutoMobility team as West Coast Account Manager, servicing the firm's ongoing client relationships in the region, and identifying new and lapsed buyers. More
Audience profiling firm Eyeota has expanded its data onboarding partnership with GfK to New Zealand and Switzerland, adding to fifteen countries already covered by the deal. More
GfK and cross-device targeting specialist Dstillery have expanded their partnership to launch 79 new segments for targeting automotive 'brand loyalists' and 'defectors', as well as those in the market to buy used cars. More
GfK has partnered with technology designer stickee to develop the 'Daily Pricing Monitor', a fully-automated data collection, monitoring and analysis suite for the telecoms sector, feeding back through an online dashboard. More
Insight exchange and sample management platform Cint and online survey platform Survey2Connect (S2C) have partnered to launch a new solution called Survey2Connect Audience. Cint has also been selected to automate GfK's sampling operations. More
GfK and cross-device targeting specialist Dstillery have partnered to launch Auto Intender ad targeting models, built on the attitudes and behavior of people who specifically intend to buy a new car. More
In the US, consumer insights specialist MRI-Simmons has partnered with TV set-top data analyst FourthWall Media, to provide marketers with enhanced audience profiles for use in their linear and addressable TV campaigns. More
Full-service pharma market research and consultancy firm ThinkGen has hired former GfK Healthcare COO Bart Weiner as President, joining two ex-colleagues and replacing founder Noah Pines who moves to the role of Chief Executive. More
MRI-Simmons has partnered with cultural profiling firm EthniFacts to launch Cultural Suite, a tool for targeting different cultural groups. More
Ipsos has reported organic growth of 3% in the third quarter of the year. Reported revenue rose fully 16.7% to EUR 499.4m, driven by the acquisition of units of GfK since last year, and to a lesser extent by that of Synthesio and by currency effects. More
GfK has teamed up with digital measurement firm BrandTotal to allow marketers to track social campaigns that target custom segments. GfK says this includes 'dark marketing', highly targeted campaigns invisible to the general public but making up 88% of social media spend. More
In London, Neil Frackiewicz has been promoted to Head of Retail UK, effective from 1st September. He takes over from Michael McLaughlin, who moves up to Head of Retail Europe. More
GfK and Segment of One (SO1) have jointly developed an artificial intelligence-based solution called Attribution+, to enable grocery and drugstore retailers to gain intelligence on shoppers. More
GfK has promoted Eric Wagatha to the role of Head of its Consumer Life team in North America. More
Consumer insights specialist MRI-Simmons and personality, ethnic identity and behavior analyst EthniFacts have partnered, to develop a tool called the 'Big 5 Personality Suite', which uses consumers' innate personality characteristics to deliver more personalized targeting strategies. More
The NPD Group has named 25-year GfK veteran François Klipfel as President of its Europe Toys business. More
In New York, consumer insights specialist MRI-Simmons has launched an audience analysis tool called Sales Catalyst, to provide researchers with data visualizations through which to quantify the value of their audience. More
Ipsos has reported organic growth of 2.4% for the first quarter of 2019, which coupled with acquisitions including Synthesio and parts of GfK drove reported revenue up an impressive 15.0% to EUR 422.1m. More
In the US, Ipsos has acquired GfK's probability-based online panel, for an undisclosed sum, and added it to the Ipsos Public Affairs division. More
GfK has appointed long-time Procter & Gamble insights exec Richard Boyko as Country Lead for Consumer Insights and Marketing Effectiveness in Belgium. More
GfK has introduced a mobile app called 'GfK Performance Pulse', which combines POS data with its experience of working with manufacturers, to help sales teams optimise ROI during launches and promotions. More
Ipsos has reported organic growth of just 0.7% for 2018, with currency fluctuations reducing reported revenue to EUR 1.7bn, 1.7% down on the previous year. Q4 revenue was up 4.5% to EUR 535.6m, as the firm consolidates recent acquisitions. More
In the US, consumer insights specialists GfK MRI and Simmons Research have formed a joint venture called MRI-Simmons, jointly owned by respective parent companies GfK and SymphonyAI Group, with GfK as the majority partner. More
In New York, the Media Rating Council (MRC) Board of Directors has voted for continued accreditation of consumer and media research specialist MRI's national syndicated measurement service. More
Dun & Bradstreet's former UK CEO Christian Erlandson is joining GfK as Chief Customer Officer next Monday. He will take over responsibility for sales and business activities across all regions from CEO Peter Feld. More
Sweden's audience measurement body MMS has extended its digital ad ratings, produced by GfK, to a 'Total Video' service designed to measure the ROI of cross-platform video ads. This includes linear TV, smart TV, PC, smartphone and tablet devices. More
SKO, the industry body responsible for the reporting and monitoring of viewing behaviour in the Netherlands, has renewed GfK's television audience measurement (TAM) contract until 31st December 2018. More
Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has extended GfK's radio audience measurement contract by a further five years. The new deal includes investigation of a new multi-million-dollar Measurement Innovation Program (MIP), to explore the potential for a hybrid future for radio measurement. More
Full-service agency RAIT, which is based in the Baltic Republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, has acquired GfK's custom research operations in the region, excluding the GfK Retail and Technology arm. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. More
Online panel and data collection specialist Netquest has hired former Research Now MD Marc Smaluhn for its newly created role of Managing Director, Europe. More
GfK has appointed Cheong Tai to lead its Asia Pacific business, while promoting Margret Schuit to oversee activities in Southern Europe. They will both report to CEO Peter Feld. More
GfK has announced a transformation and investment programme, aimed at sharpening its focus on customer needs, accelerating digitization and getting the company 'back on a sustainable growth path'. Plans include a 'one office per country' strategy. More
COO Alessandra Cama is leaving GfK, resigning with immediate effect after around two years as a member of the company's Management Board. More
GfK has appointed Jutta Suchanek as Chief Human Resources Officer and Benjamin Jones as Chief Technology Officer. Both take on newly created roles, and will become members of the firm's Executive Leadership team. More
In New York, GfK has appointed cross-platform media measurement specialist John Sollecito as EVP and Team Leader of Media & Entertainment. More
GfK has partnered with Edinburgh-based personal financial management service Money Dashboard, to provide retailers and brands with insights into UK consumer spending patterns by category. More
Senior GfK Leader Dr. Gerhard Hausruckinger has resigned from the company after seven years on the Management Board. Meanwhile Christoph D. Erbenich has been appointed as Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer. More
In the Netherlands, the joint industry committee responsible for the national readership survey has hired GfK to integrate brand consumption data from newspapers and magazines with that from online published media. More
Consumer panels firm Netquest has appointed Johnny Caldwell as MD of a new company, Netquest UK. More
Swedish television research specialist MMS has launched a digital ad ratings service built on GfK's data integration and data science capabilities. The firms are now working on integrating linear TV data with the new service, to enable the tracking of video consumption across multiple devices. More
GfK has appointed Christian Bigatà Joseph as Chief Financial Officer, succeeding Christian Diedrich, who will hand over his responsibilities and leave at the end of his contract. More
GfK has reported a 2.4% drop in first quarter group sales to EUR 352m, while the profit measure EBITDA fell 34.3% to EUR 29.4m. More
GfK has extended its partnership with local audience specialist Eyeota, to help clients improve the accuracy of their consumer targeting initiatives using the global agency's 'Purchasing Power' data. More
GfK's global Health practice has appointed Pankaj Thapar as Industry Lead for North America, while Jan Güse will move to a similar leadership role in the Germany / Switzerland region. More
GfK has launched a panel covering the US independent tire channel, capturing data representing more than 34,000 individual retail outlets nationwide. More
GfK has appointed three new members to its Supervisory Board: Thomas Ebeling, Johannes P. Huth and Philipp Freise, following its agreement with investment group KKR which is now its partner in running the global group. They replace Peter Goldschmidt, Aliza Knox and Bruno Piace. More
GfK has appointed three execs to lead a new Customer and Audience Activation service, which creates segments using local audience data from partner firm Eyeota. Existing employee Niko Waesche will lead the unit while Cornelia Reitinger and Lauren Coppin join as Directors. More
GfK has appointed consumer goods industry exec Peter Feld as its new Chief Executive Officer. His predecessor Matthias Hartmann resigned last August due to 'differing views' on the long-term direction of the business between himself and majority shareholder GfK Verein. More
Animal health and agriculture researcher Kynetec has appointed Richard Jameson to its leadership team as Executive Director of Global Custom Research. More
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
In New York, GfK North America has expanded David Albert's role to include serving as Managing Director of both the Digital Experiences and Shopper and Retail Strategy teams. 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
After more than 39 years at NOP and GfK, almost all of them spent running the Social Research department, Nick Moon has left the global group and will offer his services as a consultant, under the name of Moonlight Research. 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
Amsterdam-based passive metering technology supplier Wakoopa has partnered with Japanese firm GMO Research to launch an online consumer panel in Asia. 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
UK research agency Populus has hired LSE lecturer and former GfK Director Karsten Shaw to head up the analytics division of its Business & Consumer Insight team. 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
Richard Matthews, GfK's former UK Head of Market Opportunity & Innovation, is leaving this week to set up a boutique consultancy with his wife Catherine. The new firm has been named Spotty Dog Strategy after the couple's pet dog Bertie. 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
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
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
Four new regional radio survey providers have been accredited by Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) to join its panel of suppliers, and to undertake audience measurement research from 2014. 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
Former GfK exec Serra Bozkurt has launched Plus Research Solutions (PRS), a healthcare market research agency based in Istanbul and serving both pharmaceutical and consumer health clients and international research agencies. 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
Shuttered media measurement firm Affinity LLC has brought a $20m antitrust action against GfK's magazine audience ratings arm GfK MRI, reiterating its claim that the latter used stolen trade secrets about Affinity's competing product to drive it out of business. 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
US-based online community specialist Passenger has appointed former GfK exec Thomas Finkle as President and Chief Operations Officer, with a remit to help expand its domestic and global client base. More
GfK has launched its Brand and Customer Experience practice (BaCE) in the UK, and promoted Iain Stanfield to lead it. 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
The Ukraine Television Industry Committee (TIC) has awarded Nielsen a new audience measurement contract, apparently cutting short an agreement with previous incumbent GfK Ukraine after unproven allegations that the latter had bribed panellists. 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
After 66 years delivering Australia's radio ratings, Nielsen Media has lost the contract to GfK, to whom national industry body Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has awarded a three-year deal starting next January. 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 NOP, ABA and Research Bods scooped three of the major categories at this year's MRS Awards ceremony held in London last night, while mobile crowdsourcing innovator Nathan Eagle received the inaugural MRS President's Medal. 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
Telefónica subsidiary O2 Germany has apparently stepped back from plans to sell anonymous customer location data to the country's retailers, after strong concern from the German government about consumer privacy. It is of course the home turf of its insight partner, GfK. 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
Broadband and telecoms giant Telefónica has partnered with GfK to open a big data business unit called Telefónica Dynamic Insights, which will sell anonymised and aggregated mobile network data to companies and public sector organisations worldwide. More
GfK has acquired South African research company GlobalEDGE Marketing Consultants, in a bid to further strengthen its Consumer Experiences offer across Africa. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
In the UK, Google has partnered with GfK's usability research specialist nurago to launch the 'Screenwise Trends Panel', to explore how people consume media and examine their attitudes towards brands and ads across different media platforms. 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
GfK Philippines has appointed former Nielsen exec Mary Margaret Co Martinez to lead its Retailer team in the role of Retail Director. 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
Nielsen/Arbitron joint venture Scarborough Research has hooked up with GfK MRI to offer a service exploring the links between the attitudes of American consumers and their shopping and media consumption patterns. 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
In the UK, GfK NOP has appointed Martin Grimwood as Divisional Director for its pensions and asset management client business. He joins following an eighteen-year career at ORC, via a short stint at TNS-RI. More
UKOM, the cross-industry organisation set up to oversee the measurement of online audiences, has ended its partnership with Nielsen and instead appointed comScore as its new partner for online media measurement in the UK. 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
A suit filed in the US by Tom Robinson and Marianne Grogan, the founders of recently closed media measurement specialist Affinity, claims GfK Mediamark Research & Intelligence (GfK MRI) stole trade secrets while in the midst of acquisition talks, and proceeded to drive their firm out of business. 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
Swedish market research technology provider Dapresy is expanding its team across Europe, after winning a global partnership agreement to supply GfK with its Dapresy Pro online dashboard and reporting solution. 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
In the US, six shopper research specialists have formed an alliance to offer marketers an integrated resource for shopper insights. The new organization will be called Mindtap Insight Network. 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
In the US, Ipsos' digital and media specialist arm, OTX MediaCT has appointed ex-GfK man Mark McLaren as Vice President of the Syndicated Services Team. More
The world's 25 largest research firms had revenues of $18.8 billion in 2010, up 4.9% on the previous 'dismal' year - a 'very healthy turnaround' according to industry authority Jack Honomichl. However, 'real' revenues were not quite back to their 2008 levels, and some companies continued to shrink. 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 UK, the BBC has named 37 agencies which have been selected to become part of the BBC's audience research roster. The firms are now preferred suppliers and can pitch for research projects designed to uncover what the corporation's audiences want and value. 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
Online measurement specialist comScore and magazine ratings provider GfK MRI have partnered to develop a new product linking Americans' online media habits with print readership and other media consumption data. 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
In Germany, Heiko Leipold and Peter Mahn have set up a new agency called mafowerk, based in Nuremberg, which will offer on-demand market research services, trend studies and consumer behavioural analysis. Both men have worked for GfK and for Information Resources (IRI). 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
Starch Research Services Ltd and GfK MRI have announced the launch of a new syndicated service, GfK MRI StarchMetrix, which gives ROI metrics for ads appearing in Canadian consumer magazines. 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
In the UK, London Underground Ltd (LUL) has been criticised for spending nearly £1m on the recruitment of 'fake' passengers by GfK to mystery shop its service. More
Kantar Media has been awarded a four year TV audience measurement contract by ARMA, Romania's TV joint industry committee, from January 2012. The current service has been operated by GfK Romania since 2008. 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 UK, GfK has added the position of Chief Marketing Officer of GfK Media to Nick North's existing role as Joint Head of GfK NOP Media. He also becomes Secretary of the GfK Media Board. More
In New York, GfK's trend consultancy division GfK Roper Consulting has partnered with futurist firm Weiner, Edrich, Brown (WEB), to deliver consumer trends insights through a number of combined services. More
GfK MRI's print ad effectiveness division Starch Advertising Research is to track consumer readership of ads that appear in US Spanish-language publications from next January. 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
CIMM, the coalition of US firms formed last September to promote innovation in TV and cross-platform video audience measurement, is to fund the rollout of the IPA's UK TouchPoints study in the US. It will be fielded by the Media Behavior Institute (MBI) in partnership with GfK MRI. More
Caroline Osborne has been appointed Director of GfK NOP Consumer Products & Retail, with a particular remit to enhance the company's shopper insight, customer satisfaction, segmentation and U&A offers. 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 has promoted Julia Beaver to the position of Head of GfK NOP Research Panels, which specialises in continuous or longitudinal consumer panels. Most recently, Beaver was Deputy MD at GfK Financial. 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 subsidiary Starch Advertising Research has announced an enhancement to its database of print advertisements. Tens of thousands of ads are being categorised according to their content, to enable clients to analyse the success of specific creative elements. 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
In the UK, GfK, Ipsos MORI, Kantar, Synovate and TNS have sponsored the launch of an online service, which allows developers and users of market research software to test that all exports they create are compliant with the Triple-S data standard. 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
In the US, GfK-owned MRI and the Media Behavior Institute (MBI) plan to deliver a syndicated, consumer-centric multi-media database using the TouchPoints methodology developed by the IPA in the UK. 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
Four former Drummond Madell and GfK researchers have launched a specialist brand strategy, innovation and communications research agency in central London. More
GfK subsidiary Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI) is beta testing a new syndicated product that uses magazine sales and marketing data to determine the impact of media allocation and promotional tactics on sales. More
Sustainability specialist Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) and GfK subsidiary Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI) have announced the integration of the former's LOHAS consumer segmentation model with the latter's Survey of the American Consumer database. More
GfK NOP Media has rolled out a panel in the UK which combines online and offline media consumption with consumer sales data, to help advertisers and agencies measure the ROI of their media campaigns. More
GroupM - the management arm of WPP's media agencies - has signed up to use Mediamark Research & Intelligence's (MRI) consumer magazine ad ratings service AdMeasure. 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
Consumer research firm Iconoculture has appointed former GfK Roper Consulting executives Nick Chiarelli in London and Anders Brogren in Sweden, to lead its expansion into Western Europe. More
GfK Romania has conducted a research project on tourism web site Virtual Bucharest, using the Second Life social networking platform. More
A new quant/qual research and consultancy services firm called Definitive Insights has been founded by a group of executives who previously worked together at agencies such as Nielsen, RI, SPSS, Knowledge Networks, Hall and Partners and Martin-Hamblin-GfK. 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
In the UK, GfK NOP Media is launching a new panel of eight-to-fifteen-year-olds, 'rate it!', to offer better understanding of 'the next generation of media consumers'. 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 Germany, GfK has appointed Pamela Knapp as its new CFO and Human Resources Director, for a period of three years from 1 November 2009. More
GfK Romania is opening a CATI call centre in Iasi, which CEO Andi Dumitrescu says will allow the firm to contain costs and improve services. More
In New Jersey, GfK Custom Research North America has promoted David Krajicek to Managing Director, GfK Technology. More
GfK subsidiary Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI) has announced plans to expand the size of the AdMeasure database five-fold making it, the firm says, 'large enough to be a syndicated industry currency for print ad measurement'. 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 Sweden, market research technology firm Dapresy has appointed former GfK NOP executive Anders Brogren as a Senior Advisor, to support the development and promotion of its Survey Manager Software-as-a-Service tool. 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
In the UK, Phyllis Macfarlane has taken on the new role of Chairman of GfK NOP, while Richard Jameson steps up to her previous position as Managing Director, and joins the global Board of GfK Custom Research. More
Publisher Time Inc and media agency Starcom USA are the first to sign up for Admeasure, described by Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI) as the ad industry's first-ever ad ratings for major consumer magazines. 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 Healthcare has added tailored reporting options to its Roper Global Diabetes Program, offering healthcare and related companies in the diabetes category access to patient data and market trends. 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 UK, Synovate has appointed former GfK Director Yusuf Ramadan as Operations Director for its UK operations. 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
GfK has announced that Christian Weller von Ahlefeld, CFO and Human Resources Director of GfK SE, will leave the company on December 31, 2009. Von Ahlefeld was one of the architects of the firm's planned merger with TNS. 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
Holly Heline Jarrell has returned to GfK Custom Research North America as Group Managing Director, responsible for leading the GfK Roper Consulting and GfK Public Affairs and Media teams. 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 Market Measures – which provides health care marketing research services in the US – has launched a tool for pharmaceutical manufacturers to assess the value and impact of their managed markets, sales and marketing activities. More
UK-based pharma decision support consultancy J&D Associates has partnered with GfK's oncology subsidiary GfK Research Matters to market the former's EQM platform for use with the latter's tracking data. 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
GfK NOP has appointed former GfK Executive Allan Dib as Head of its Marketing Effectiveness Centre of Excellence, tasked with leading the development of new research approaches for testing, benchmarking and improving marketing effectiveness. 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
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
In the UK, Clive Gibbins, a 19 year veteran of NOP, has died of cancer just weeks before his 50th birthday. 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
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
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
GfK has acquired US brand innovation consultancy Arbor Strategy Group (ASG) to complement new product development services for its Custom Research North America subsidiary. More
GfK is reportedly in talks with private equity house Apax Partners about funding a cash bid for TNS, which last night outlined in a shareholder document why its Board had rejected WPP's most recent hostile bid. 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 Asia has released its first Pan Asia contact lens retail forecast, covering sales in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Singapore. 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
GfK NOP has launched a Media Insight division, to be headed by Julia Lamaison. The firm says the new division is a 'direct response to the market need for in-depth interpretation and insight from research data'. 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
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 is making waves in the burgeoning area of linking FMCG purchases and online ad campaigns, with the launch of a new service, Web Efficiency Panel (WEP). WEP has been developed in partnership with technical solutions provider Nurago and boasts Google as a 'technical advisor'. More
Print ad specialist GfK Starch Communications has announced the release of its 2008 'Adnorms' publication, a comprehensive compilation of magazine advertising intelligence, including a number of new features. More
GfK and TNS have agreed the terms for their 'merger of equals' to create GfK-TNS plc. Aside from 'significant opportunities' for revenue growth, the firms say the move will bring annual pre-tax benefits through cost reduction of at least Euros 97m (£76m) by the end of the third full year following completion. More
Reports in the UK press have suggested the GfK-TNS merger may be 'under threat' after TCS Capital Management, a US hedge fund, reportedly offered its 6% shareholding in the group to would-be TNS buyer WPP Group. 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
GfK has described its Q1 results as 'sound', with organic growth in sales up 5.1% to €268.1m and consolidated total income rising almost 21% to €12.5m. 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
Consumer packaged goods specialist Information Resources Inc (IRI) has partnered with the GfK/TNS-owned Europanel Association to offer what the firms describe as 'the widest-reaching, single-panel research service in the world'. More
The Traffic Audit Bureau (TAB) has commissioned data from two additional research agencies to add to its forthcoming outdoor audience measurement initiative. The new research will track the likelihood that passersby will see a billboard, and then integrate this probability into the overall measurement. More
In the US, Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI) has launched Market-by-Market, a service providing local market versions of its studies on the media usage, lifestyle and product purchasing behavior of US consumers. More
In the US, GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media has partnered with independent government advisor and author Simon Anholt to expand his annual Nation Brands Index (NBI); which provides an analytical ranking of the world's nation brands. More
GfK has confirmed a record year of trading in 2007 with organic sales up 5.8% to EUR1,162m. Adjusted operating income rose 4.7% to EUR157.6m and margin crept up to 13.6%. The firm has also announced plans to change its legal form to an SE, or Societas Europaea. More
In London, GfK NOP has recruited Ric Tizard as Divisional Director in its Consumer Products & Retail division. Perhaps seeking a change from a diet of mostly-telecoms research, he will now oversee the international Brand Equity Monitor for Scotch Whisky firm Chivas Brothers. More
In the final quarter of 2007 GfK achieved organic growth of 6.5% and a margin of 16.8% – a figure the firm says is the most successful in its history. Based on preliminary data, the group also reported an organic sales increase of 5.8% to Euros 1,162m for the full year. More
Following a unanimous vote, Dr Gérard Hermet who heads GfK's Retail and Technology Sector, will remain as a member of the AG Supervisory Board for a further five years. More
In the US, GfK Custom Research North America has promoted Thomas Finkle to the newly created post of Chief Client Services Officer. More
GfK has paid UBM, the former owner of NOP World, around 10 million Euros in an out of court settlement of a dispute arising following the 2005 acquisition. More
In San Francisco, GfK Technology has appointed Sanjay Mutha as Managing Director, responsible for the growth and expansion of the North American technology practice and for building the local team. More
GfK Roper Consulting has re-hired consumer trend expert Jon Berry as Vice President to act as a marketing advisor to its clients. More
In London, GfK Healthcare has appointed Dr Lolita Banerji as Associate Director in the International client team, while Julian Shepelev and Tega Gbenedio join as Research Manager and Research Executive in the Market Access team. More
GfK has expanded its global network with the acquisition of Australian research firm the Blue Moon Group, while taking a 51% majority stake in Macedonian MR agency Stratum Research. More
GfK has announced four senior hires for its US pharma research subsidiary GfK V2. Suzanne Berg, Ray Chan, and Shiv Raman join as SVPs and Strategic Business Unit heads, and Tom Hinkel as a Vice President. More
From January, GfK will replace its existing five business divisions with three sectors in order to exploit synergies in the cross-divisional use of technology, data collection and the application of methods. The firm has also appointed Debra Pruent to its Management Board. More
In the US, GfK-owned Mediamark (MRI) has reported on tests using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology as a means of measuring magazine readership in public waiting rooms. More
In the US, GfK Mystery Shopping has issued another warning to consumers following a 'countrywide wave of scams' targeting would-be shoppers. The past twelve months have already seen warnings from both GfK and the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA). More
GfK has announced organic sales growth of 6.7%., and a sales increase of 5.5% to €833.9m for the first nine months of the year. Meanwhile Dr Derek Allen is joining the group in the US as EVP of the GfK Research Center for Excellence. More
In China, GfK has acquired Sino-MR and China Market Monitor (CMM) which both specialise in research into consumer electronics, domestic appliances and retail telecoms products. The firm has also taken over a contact lens and cleaning product panel from Nielsen in Japan. More
GfK Starch® Communications, a division of GfK Custom Research North America, has launched the eStarch Ad Readership service, which uses new metrics to measure a print ad's impact on motivating consumer purchase behavior. More
Swiss GfK subsidiary IHA-GfK has acquired market research and management consultancy CFI Trustmark. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
The Gfk Group has acquired ad campaign research firm Daphne Communication Management in the Netherlands and mystery shopping specialist SATISTEME in France. More
At the second day of the ESOMAR Congress in Berlin, two UK research veterans talked about the changing skill sets and training needs of research professionals. David Smith predicted a boom in online learning; while Phyllis MacFarlane gave some ideas about new ways of training graduates. 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
UK-based GfK NOP has appointed Gordon Blunt and Andy Thwaites to extend the scope of its Financial Research Survey (FRS), adding expertise in areas including forecasting, segmentation and data matching. More
Harris Interactive has rehired Justin Greeves to lead its Public Affairs Research Practice, co-located in Reston, Virginia and New York City. He joined the firm with Wirthlin when it was bought in 2004, and left the following year to lead GfK's Washington, DC office. 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
GfK Consumer has launched a new regular survey of 'unacculturated' Hispanic Americans, whom it defines as 'not yet assimilated completely to their adopted country'. Around two fifths of the 42 million Hispanics living in the US are said to meet the definition. 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 NOP has launched a new brand, 'beyond', in response to client calls for greater ROI from insight. 'beyond' aims to use the experience of people who have 'been there and done it as clients' to ensure research is turned into actionable solutions. 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 NOP has appointed former Channel 4 RM Gary Roddy as Research Director, to work across its portfolio of media clients, and develop new business from its London headquarters. 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
In the US, the TAB (Traffic Audit Bureau for Media Measurement) is developing a new integrated audience measurement system for outdoor advertising, with the help of agencies GfK Custom, MRI, Telmar and Transearch. The system promises groundbreaking data on numbers likely to see a given ad. 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 HealthCare Asia has successfully completed two pilot surveys for its Sales Force Effectiveness (SFE) program which it says 'drastically alter the playing field for pharmaceutical companies in Asia'. More
GfK HealthCare Asia has launched Image Radar, a tool to help clients benchmark their sales representatives and corporate image against the competition. Available now in Malaysia, the new service will be progressively launched in other Asian markets soon. More
GfK NOP have hired Sarah Spanbok, previously Client Services Director at BPRi, as Director managing their HBOS client account. She will also be charged with reviewing the firm's processes for account management and new business development. More
GfK Group has this week announced a successful third quarter of 2006 with revenue up 27.5% to Euros 800.4m and adjusted operating income up 34.2% to Euros 100.2m. Organic revenue growth was 5.7%. Central and Eastern Europe saw especially strong organic growth. More
GfK Custom Research North America has appointed Steven Maskell as Vice President, Senior Account Executive, leading the client facing side of its Mystery Shopping division. He joins from Shop 'n Check Worldwide where he was Director of Sales and Marketing. More
GfK HealthCare Asia has appointed Nattha Sombutpibool to direct its venture in Thailand, continuing its rapid expansion in the region. More
In the UK, GfK NOP's most recent Consumer Confidence headline index for October has risen 2 points from –7 to -5: three points higher than this time last year. Three of the five measures this month have seen increases in their index figures, bringing them back to the levels last seen in July. The annual moving average remains the same as last month at -6. More
Showing continued commitment to its Asia Pacific client base, GfK HealthCare Asia has recently added another talent to its executive roster. Kelly Wong joins GfK as HealthCare Director for Hong Kong and Taiwan, where she will focus on business development strategies for the agency. More
GfK has launched a new 12,000-strong communications panel to track the consumer market for fixed, Internet and mobile platforms. Online data capture will be balanced with an additional CATI sample to ensure the panel is representative. More
Two companies providing services for research firms have scooped high profile awards in Asia Pacific: RPO specialist Pulse Group winning an APICTA 2006 Award, and software developer QSR International a top Australian Export award. Meanwhile in the UK, GfK NOP's Field Marketing team has also carried off a number of prizes. More
GfK has announced that, with the integration of NOP World running well and reduced net debt, it has arranged syndicated credit facilities of EUR 430 million and US$ 170 million. The Group has also launched a home shopping tracker, covering orders made through the Internet, digital TV, mail order and the post. More
GfK has acquired a majority stake in Latvian provider InMind, which will now be known as GfK Custom Research Baltic. In June, the global group established GfK Marketing Services Baltic, which like the new acquisition is based in the capital, Riga. More
GfK NOP has hired Richard Matthews for the new role of Director of Insight for its Technology division, tasked with developing a suite of services to integrate insight into client processes. Matthews worked client side in senior insight functions at Vodafone and Nokia for nearly ten years. More
UK consumers are happy enough with their personal financial situation and think it's a good time both to spend and to save, yet they evidently think someone's having a bad time because they continue to say the 'general economic situation' is poor, according to GfK NOP. More
GfK Mystery Shopping and disability consulting firm Butler New Media this week announced a joint venture giving GfK clients access to Butler's ABILITY Mystery Shopping Panel. The result is claimed to be 'America's first national panel for individuals with disabilities'. More
Following yesterday's appointment of a new head for its Public Sector research, ORC International has announced the arrival of Andy Waller, previously of GfK, as Head of Operations at its European Information Centre based at the Angel, Islington. More
GfK's first half sales rose 54.6% to Euros 534.4m and adjusted operating income was up 76.3% to Euros 63.8m. Organic sales growth was a healthy 6.2%, ahead of the industry as a whole. The company has also extended the contract of its CEO Professor Dr. Klaus L. Wübbenhorst to 2012, ahead of schedule. More
GfK Group has acquired a majority stake in two custom MR businesses, Consumer Research China (66%) and Indian company Mode (51%). Total turnover for the two is expected to be around Euros 4.7m in 2006. More
The summer is hot, and British audiences have sport and entertainment very much on their minds, it seems. Surveys and analyses out this week reveal the popularity of the Sport Relief web site; the growing numbers watching World Cup matches on the 'Net or on mobiles; the importance of the grey market to the success of music festivals; and the success of Wilson racquets at Wimbledon. 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 Keller Fay Group has added Jon Berry, previously of GfK NOP, to its rapidly growing team. Berry will be a Senior Vice President and lead analyst for TalkTrack(TM), the recently launched proprietary word of mouth tracking system. 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
Stephen Grundy, the former head of GfK Martin Hamblin Healthcare, has joined the Board of Winchester-based Marketing Sciences, and will launch a dedicated healthcare research unit. More
In the US, TVG Marketing Research & Consulting has hired Scott Lauder, Ph.D., previously of GfK V2, as Vice President, Strategic Marketing & Development. 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
UK consumers are considerably more positive about the economy and their own personal finances since last month, but still a lot less so than a year ago, according to the GfK NOP UK Consumer Confidence Survey for April. The overall index rose three points to –4. 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
Peter Goldberg, former President of Martin Hamblin GfK Inc. and recently a senior consultant to Synovate, has died following a road accident in Santa Fe, New Mexico. 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
US provider Mediamark Research Inc. has announced a survey of media usage to include data on where, when and how consumers engage with a particular medium. Results can be liked to purchase behaviour from the company's larger consumer survey. More
In the UK, GfK NOP Media has been appointed as ITV's research partner to run its new online panel, ITV Vision, for an initial contract of 2 years from April 2006. The panel will enable ITV to measure audience reaction to its programmes within 36 hours of broadcast. 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's preliminary results, published today, confirm the company's upbeat forecast from a week ago and reveal what the group calls 'a year of extraordinary success'. Total sales of 935.4m euros, up 39%, include 198.0m euros for NOP World companies and 737.4m euros for the rest of the group. Organic growth was 6.5%. More
The GfK Group has a majority share in a new joint venture in Israel, and has announced several other recent moves to expand its global presence. They include an increased stake in Swiss agency Research Matters, the establishment of a branch for its HealthCare division in Thailand and the integration of New York's Audits and Surveys. More
The GfK Group has released preliminary indicators showing a year of rapid growth in 2005. The prelims show sales up more than 39% from 671.7m to 935.0m euros - about 4% ahead of its forecast - and EBIT after income from participations up c. 41.2% from 91.1m to 128.6m euros. 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
GfK Asia has released its pan-Asian Consumer Electronics Data Summary for 2005. The study, based on an analysis of products sold in 21,000 stores, highlights a huge growth in LCD TV sales and DVD recorders, and a decline in sales of video camcorders. 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
UK agency Holden Pearmain has appointed Dr Marco Gastaut to take responsibility for business development in the consumer electronics sector. He previously worked as International Account Manager for IFR Monitoring & Analysis, part of the GfK group. More
Decima Research in Canada is working with web publisher the 50Plus Group to conduct research into consumers aged 50+. Meanwhile, the UK's Age Concern Research Services has joined forces with magazine publishers and media agencies to launch quarterly surveys of the 50+ market. More
Roper Public Affairs and Media, part of GfK NOP, has appointed Justin Greeves as VP and Senior Account Executive to lead its Washington DC office. He will provide custom research for businesses, non-profit groups and government, and help to expand Roper's presence in Washington. More
GfK has expanded its presence in South America by acquiring a majority stake in MR companies Merc in Mexico and KleimanSygnos in Argentina. The group plans to extend its services in the area further to include healthcare, retail and technology research in addition to the current custom research offerings. More
GfK Turkey has launched the country's first specialist online medical panel. The panel offers access to the opinions of 3,650 healthcare professionals working in a variety of specialisms. More
The winter of 2005-6 looks like being a leveller in terms of consumer confidence around the world. In Europe, the German index is rising from a long slump while the UK's falls to its lowest of 2005, both according to GfK; while in North America, Canadian confidence is rebounding even more strongly than that in the USA. More
The UK's two main consumer confidence indexes present conflicting pictures for November. The TNS/Nationwide index, released yesterday, shows a strong rise of 9 points after three consecutive monthly falls. Meanwhile, Gfk/NOP's index, released last week, showed no movement, and remained at the lowest level since March 2003. More
Mediamark Research Inc (MRI) has released data from its first ever survey of American children aged six to 11. Most of the kids surveyed use the Internet at least once a month and most have a TV in their room - but only 4% use MP3 players. More
GfK Healthcare has opened a new healthcare division in Thailand, adding to its existing regional base in Hong Kong. The company says the move represents a new strategy of expansion into local markets in Asia. More
The GfK Group has announced results for the third quarter of 2005. The integration of NOP World is said to be proceeding according to plan, and the group has already achieved 95.6% of its order volume forecast for 2005. Sales for the first 9 months are up 28.8% vs Q1-3 2004 to EUR 627.5m. 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
The latest Deloitte/MORI Delivery Index finds the UK public pessimistic about government policies on the economy and public services, in a sharp contrast to the post-election 'honeymoon period' earlier this year. GfK's Consumer Confidence Barometer for October also paints a gloomy picture as it falls for the third consecutive month. 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
Martin Glogowski, previously Head of Research at NOP World Health, has been named President of GfK Strategic Marketing - formerly known as Strategic Marketing Corporations, and now part of GfK's US Healthcare Companies group. Four other new researchers have also joined the company. More
Consumers in Central and Eastern Europe are intent on increasing their consumption and more strongly focused on their careers than their counterparts in the West, according to GfK's Consumers in Europe 2005 survey. The research, based on 19,000 consumers in 16 countries, made use of the Euro-Socio-Styles lifestyle segmentation tool. More
Three surveys of US retail spending and trends this week show technology - both as a product and a means of purchase - boosting sales, while high gas prices drag them back, making consumers more cautious and more budget-conscious. 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 effect from today, GfK is merging NOP Research Group (the UK arm of NOP World) and GfK Martin Hamblin UK to form a new combined company - GfK NOP Ltd, based in London. This follows GfK's acquisition of NOP World in June, and the establishment of GfK Custom Research North America in July. 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
The GfK Association is to donate 190,000 Euros a year to fund a professorship in Marketing Intelligence at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. It will also fund a scientific position and several scholarships for an initial period of five years. More
Research International (RI) in the USA has appointed Alastair Bruce as Global Head of Healthcare and Mike Patrick as Senior VP, while Alexanders Kleijngeld transfers from RI Netherlands as VP. More
The GfK Group has acquired a 100% holding in Hong Kong-based SoHealthAsia, a pharma and healthcare MR and consultancy firm. GfK describes the purchase as a first step towards expanding its healthcare network in the main Asian markets. More
GfK Custom Research Inc (GfK-CRI) has appointed Karen Ahlgrim, Laura Latshaw and Leah Robinson to account management positions across the US. More
Four new studies out this week reflect mixed feelings about the economy among consumers and business owners. Overall, the trend is downwards with decreases in the US Consumer Confidence Index and GfK's Consumer Climate Index for Germany. More
GfK has formed GfK Custom Research North America, an umbrella body for GfK Arbor, GfK CRI, GfK Schiappa, Caribou Lake, GfK NOP and GfK Automotive. Dr Martin Lautman, formerly President of GfK Arbor, will be the new group's CEO. More
Three separate consumer confidence indexes out this week tell three very different stories. US consumer confidence is at a three-year high, while consumers in Germany are growing more wary of making big purchases, and their UK counterparts are slightly gloomier about the country's economy. 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
With effect from the beginning of this month, the GfK Group has acquired a 33% shareholding in Research Matters AG, a pharmaceutical market research specialist based in Switzerland. The two companies have also agreed the gradual increase of the GfK stake over the next few years. More
GfK has acquired the remaining shares in US pharmaceutical specialist GfK V2, of which it bought 51% in summer 2003; and is integrating its US activities in the healthcare sector into one unit. The group says recent purchases make it world no.1 for custom research in the sector. More
UBM has announced the completion of its sale of NOP World to GfK for £383 million in cash. A special dividend of c.90p a share will return £300m to shareholders. 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
German-owned GfK has won the bidding for NOP World, acquiring it from United Business Media for £383 million (c.EUR 550m) in cash. The transaction remains subject to approval of the competition authorities in the United States and in Germany, but GfK says approval is expected at the end of May. More
United Business Media (UBM) will offer exclusive talks to one of the three remaining bidders for NOP World, according to the UK's Financial Times. The three are GfK, Ipsos and the WPP Group - Aegis and TNS were recently eliminated from the bidding. More
GfK has announced 'a year of extraordinary success' with sales up 12.8% to EUR 671.7m and a margin of 13.6%, putting the Group 'top of the market research sector in terms of profitability'. EBIT including income from participations increased by 31.2% to EUR 91.1m and the dividend by around 43% to EUR 0.30. More
Despite a housing market slowdown, the UK re-mortgage market remains buoyant and over 1m households are considering borrowing more, according to results from GfK Martin Hamblin. Mortgage switching is increasingly popular / fashionable and the agency says lenders now 'need to develop genuine retention strategies'. More
Gfk Group CEO Dr. Klaus L. Wübbenhorst has been appointed an honorary professor of business economics at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. More
The GfK Group has announced a donation of EUR 300,000 in memory of missing Board Member Heinrich A. Litzenroth to a post-tsunami rebuilding project, and have reluctantly agreed a restructuring of the board to reflect his loss. The Group's five business divisions will give way to a new structure with three key leaders, all longstanding GfK employees. More
The GfK Group has announced record growth in its preliminary results for the financial year 2004. Sales increased by 12.7% from EUR 595.3 to EUR 671.0m, well ahead of its own forecast. Highlights include 10% plus organic growth for the Retail and Technology division and the Asia & Pacific and Central & Eastern Europe regions. More
Following RAJAR's announcement this week that the GfK Telecontrol MediaWatch had been dropped from its next wave of audiometer trials, the Group has issued a statement saying it is 'highly astonished' and questioning the scientific basis of the tests. More
UK radio audience measurement body RAJAR has announced the result of its Audiometer Validation Test which took place in November 2004. The Arbitron PPM and the Eurisko Media Monitor have been selected for further fieldwork tests, while the GfK/Telecontrol MediaWatch has, for the time being at least, dropped out of the running. More
UK consumer confidence took a sharp upturn in January, according to the latest index figures from GfK Martin Hamblin, working on behalf of the European Commission. Whilst a rise in January is normal, the headline figure at +1 is the highest for more than two years. More
The GfK Group and Information Resources Inc. (IRI) have agreed to disentangle themselves from two joint enterprises in Europe. GfK will transfer its shares in the German and Dutch subsidiaries of IRI to the parent company and at the same time buy out IRI's share in GfK Panelservices Benelux. More
GfK Martin Hamblin has announced the promotion of Martine Leroy-Sharman to General Manager of the UK-based Global HealthCare office. She has also been appointed to join GfK Martin Hamblin's board and will play an important role in the future direction of the company. More
Beyen Marktforschung GmbH is the latest addition to GfK's Retail and Technology division in Germany. The company specializes in continuous pricing research in electronic consumer goods retail, with a focus on price-related advertising and promotional activities. More
GfK has announced this week that it has sold its 50% stake in IHA-IMS Health, Switzerland, and at the same time has increased its participation in GPI Kommunikationsforschung, Germany, to 100%. More
A recent study by GfK Martin Hamblin suggests that UK consumers do understand the difference between market research and telephone sales calls, and are still happy to respond to MR. Around 1 in 5 of those interviewed for the Britbus survey were registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) but had completed the interview happily. More
GfK-Custom Research has appointed Greenfield Online, Inc. as its exclusive supplier of full service Internet survey research services and sample research data, subject to certain limited exceptions. The companies have worked together since 2001. More
In a week of uncertainty for researchers at the BBC, its Audience & Consumer Research unit has signed a 3-year contract with GfK which it describes as 'the start of a new relationship' between the two. The deal aims to improve and speed up the system for measuring audience reaction to TV and radio programmes. More
Andrew Smith, a former Divisional Director for Customer Service Research at GfK Martin Hamblin, has launched his own independent consultancy, which will focus on customer retention and loyalty issues, and how they impact on product development, branding and communications. More
Britain's consumers are feeling more confident for the second month running, according to The UK Consumer Confidence Survey, conducted by GfK Martin Hamblin on behalf of the European Commission. The headline index improved two points from –6 in October to –4. More
GfK has appointed Andrew Reid in the Customer Research leadership role recently vacated by Kjell de Orr. Orr is now Group MD of GfK Martin Hamblin and Reid is Global Head of Strategic Accounts and Client Developments (SACD), Custom Research. More
It is probably fairly common knowledge that if Europeans had chosen the US President, George W Bush would be twiddling his thumbs by now and John Kerry in the Whitehouse. However, GfK Media's results from seven countries show the full extent of Bush's old world unpopularity. More
US pharmaceutical researcher V2 GfK has announced the launch of QuickGroups(tm), an interactive remote solution for focus group research. The service claims to offer fast-turnaround focus group results for time-pressed decisions without travelling to research facilities but without sacrificing quality. 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 Martin Hamblin has restructured of its research divisions and made a number of senior appointments. Sue Wheeler and Reza Chady join the Board, and become General Managers respectively of the B2B and Technology Departments, within the newly formed Custom Research Division. More
Radio audience measurement body RAJAR has committed itself to a 'roadmap' with a timetable for up-grading the current system, including the possible introduction of electronic measurement. The tender process will be launched in April 2005 and the new contract awarded as early as September 2005. More
UK consumer confidence has fallen to its lowest level this year (overall index –5, from –3 in July), according to the monthly consumer confidence barometer, published by GfK Martin Hamblin on behalf of the European Commission. More
Pharma agency V2 GfK has appointed four new staff including Senior Consultants and a Director of Business Development. The firm, which claims to conduct more qualitative research with physicians and patients than any other in the world, now aims to recruit one experienced researcher a month. More
Eduardo Schubert, one of Brazil's best-known researchers and currently CEO of Indicator GfK, is leaving the company after 18 years. Schubert and co-founder álvaro Ferraz recently sold their remaining shares to the GfK Group. More
A significant improvement in the perceived climate for making major purchases has nudged the UK Consumer Confidence Index up one point this month to -3, according to the July wave of the regular survey conducted by Martin Hamblin GfK on behalf of the European Commission. More
Martin Hamblin GfK has this week announced two senior appointments. Alastair Bruce, current General Manager of Martin Hamblin GfK Inc (the US-based HealthCare Division), joins the main Board of Martin Hamblin GfK, while Christopher Monos becomes Global Head of Martin Hamblin GfK's Gamma team. More
The UK consumer confidence headline index has dropped two points this month to –4, the lowest so far in 2004 and similar to the level of late 2003, according to research carried out by Martin Hamblin GfK on behalf of the European Commission. 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
US consumer confidence declined in May 2004 due to rising inflation and higher interest rates and despite better news on employment, while the interest rate rise in the UK left consumer confidence unmoved, according to separate surveys by the University of Michigan and GfK Martin Hamblin. More
Derek Martin has retired as Chairman of Martin Hamblin GfK, somewhat earlier than expected. The Martin Hamblin co-counder has been at the helm for almost 35 years, and will be succeeded by recent arrival Kjell de Orr. The change is effective immediately. More
Martin Hamblin GfK has appointed Helen Lau as Divisional Director in the UK, and promoted two employees to Associate Director status. More
Alastair Bruce has been appointed General Manager at Martin Hamblin GfK Inc, the US-based office of Martin Hamblin GfK Global HealthCare. Bruce has been the Director in charge of business development over the last year. Several other moves and appointments have also been announced. More
UK consumer demand for financial services products is healthy, according to the latest Financial Activity Bulletin from Martin Hamblin GfK and John Gilbert Associates. The survey measures savings, investment and borrowing intentions. 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
Sony and Heinz are still the two best known brands in the UK, each mentioned by 19% of respondents to the latest Brand*Check survey by Martin Hamblin GfK. More
One in five British mortgage holders are considering changing their mortgage, and more are intending to change supplier than stay with their current lender, according to The Mortgage Market Survey by Martin Hamblin GfK. 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
UK consumer confidence is zero – but that's good news, honestly. The headline index in Martin Hamblin GfK's Consumer Confidence Barometer, conducted on behalf of the European Commission, has left the red for the first time since November 2002, leaping from –5 in December to the relative comfort of Nought. More
British consumers have reduced their expectations regarding saving and borrowing activities over the past few months, according to Martin Hamblin GfK and John Gilbert Associates' Financial Activity Bulletin. More
Martin Hamblin GfK Global HealthCare has launched '1st Forecast', a new service for biotech and pharmaceutical companies, to determine the likely market success of a new compound in development. More
UK consumer confidence improved only slightly in December, according to research carried out by Martin Hamblin GfK on behalf of the European Commission. The headline index figure is up 1 point to –5 from November, reflecting slightly more optimism about the general economic situation. 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
The final months of 2003 offer promise for Financial services providers, according to the latest Financial Activity Bulletin from Martin Hamblin GfK and John Gilbert Associates. Most categories of saving and investment have strengthened since June and returned to the levels of September 2002. 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
The UK's Consumer Confidence Index, researched by Martin Hamblin GfK on behalf of the European Commission, remained static in September with an overall score of -3. The index appears to have stabilised after swings around the time of the Iraq war. 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
GfK Turkey has expanded its International Projects Unit, established two and a half years ago to concentrate on co-ordination work for international clients, with the appointment of Ms Fulya Durmus and Ms Ozge Aktas. More
The Consumer Confidence Index, based on research carried out by Martin Hamblin GfK on behalf of the European Commission, fell in August for the first time since March. The index is down two points to -3 despite a general improvement in the FTSE 100. More
Britons are far more worried about education than citizens in any other major European country, according to the GfK Group's annual report on 'The Challenges of Europe'. Almost one in four British citizens (24%) believe the current education system is a problem that urgently needs solving, compared with 10% in France, 4% in Germany and 3% in Spain. More
Heinz is the best remembered brand in the UK, closely followed by Sony, according to the Martin Hamblin GfK Brand*Check survey, carried out in 5 waves between September 2002 and May '03. Household products feature prominently, ahead of banks, cars and others. More
The GfK Group has acquired a stake of 51 per cent in leading pharma market research specialists V2 in Pennsylvania, USA. The acquisition gives GfK access to the world's leading market for information services relating to pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical diagnostics. More
The latest quarterly Financial Activity Bulletin produced by Martin Hamblin GfK and John Gilbert Associates shows consumers' appetite for savings and borrowing fell in June despite an 8-point rise in consumer confidence since March. More
The UK's Consumer Confidence Index figure has risen for the third consecutive month and is now at a level higher than that of December last year. However, the rise is slow and the mood cautious, according to research carried out by Martin Hamblin GfK on behalf of the European Commission. More
A total of c.400 shareholders and their representatives attended the GfK AGM in Nuremberg on Friday 13 June, to hear good news about dividends, current orders and acquisitions strategy. 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
In response to the publication of the GfK audience survey in the UK at the end of May, the boss of RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd) has put forward the organization's viewpoint. More
The Consumer Confidence Index figure has returned to levels seen at the beginning of 2003, according to Research carried out in the UK by Martin Hamblin GfK on behalf of the European Commission. Perceptions of the general economy and personal household situation in the last 12 months remain low, but future expectations continue to improve, now that the Iraq war has concluded. Purchase intentions and preparedness to save have also risen. More
In the first three months of financial year 2003, the GfK Group has achieved a 7.6 per cent increase in sales on the same period in the previous year. More
Customers of HSBC are the most confident and those of Halifax expect to be the most active, according to the latest Financial Activity Bulletin produced by Martin Hamblin GfK and John Gilbert Associates. These findings are part of the quarterly survey that links consumer confidence with consumers' expected saving, investment and debt activities in the coming 6 months. For the first time, consumers were asked about who they regarded as their main financial services provider. More
GfK Media Ltd is to publish the first results from its national broadcast media survey of radio and TV audiences -- the first of its kind to use electronic measurement in the UK - at the end of May. More
Martin Hamblin GfK Global Healthcare has announced changes to the roles of three senior directors at their London and Connecticut offices, reflecting recent business expansion. More
WebSurveyEurope, (a leading Internet survey company in the healthcare industry) and Martin Hamblin GfK, have signed a Letter of Intent to deliver online physician surveys. 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
The final accounts for 2002 for GfK, prepared for the first time in accordance with US GAAP, confirm the growth trend already evident in the preliminary figures published at the end of February. Growth in EBIT including income from participations was particularly notable, and at EUR 50.0 million outstripped the figure for 2001 of EUR 32.7 million by 53.1 per cent. 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
The Consumer Confidence Index figure in the UK as carried out by Martin Hamblin GfK on behalf of the European Commission continued to fall during March, registering a score of -10. The latest drop of one point, following a large fall in February, brings the overall Index score to the lowest level since December 1995. More
From this week, the GfK Group is represented by its own media research company in the UK with the launch of GfK Media Ltd, offering customer focused and technology driven measurement of media consumer behaviour. More
Preliminary figures from GfK indicate that sales rose by 10.5% in 2002 to EUR 558.8 million, making the group the fifth largest market research organization in the world. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) including income from participations increased by 53.2% to EUR 50.1 million (previous year: EUR 32.7 million). More
Overall, the Consumer Confidence Index figure as carried out by Martin Hamblin GfK on behalf of the European Commission in the UK plummeted by six points in February and currently stands at -9. This score is the lowest seen since October 1998, when economic turbulence in Asia impacted greatly on UK consumer confidence. 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
In a recent survey carried out by Martin Hamblin GfK, car drivers in the UK were asked to think of all the different options for powering a car, either in existence or to be developed. 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
Recent research conducted by Martin Hamblin GfK in the UK shows that pharmacists exert considerable influence over the purchase of over-the-counter remedies for common ailments. More
The Austrian TV and radio corporation ORF has extended its current contract with GfK subsidiary Fessel-GfK by a further three years to the end of 2006. Fessel-GfK measures TV ratings in Austria, and the volume of this contract extension amounts to EUR 11.5 million. More
Overall, the Consumer Confidence Index figure as reported by Martin Hamblin GfK in the UK on behalf of the European Commission has risen by 1 point in January and currently stands at -3. 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
Overall, the Consumer Confidence Index figure as compiled by Martin-Hamblin GfK in the UK fell by 6 points in December to stand at -4. This is the lowest index figure recorded since October 2001. 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
GfK's Ukraine-based subsidiary, GfK-USM has signed a contract with the Television Industry Committee, an association of the major TV stations in the Ukraine, including ICTV, Inter, Novy Kanal, STB and the country's three leading advertising agencies, DMB&B, Effect Integrated Media and Provid/BBDO. From 2003, GfK-USM will initially measure TV ratings in the Ukraine for a period of four years. More
In the first nine months of the current financial year, GfK Group sales rose by 9.9 per cent from EUR 368.3 million to EUR404.8 million compared with the same period in the previous year, whilst EBIT including income from participations rose from EUR 24.0 million to 31.1 million and consolidated total income from EUR 8.4 million to 14.6 million. The company confirms earnings forecast and increases target sales figures upwards from EUR 560 million to EUR 568 million. More
Research carried out by Martin Hamblin GfK on behalf of the European Commission shows that the overall picture for consumer confidence in the UK has changed little this month. 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
As from July this year, the GfK Group acquired 51.4% of the shares in Institut Français de Recherche (IFR). IFR specializes in market research on retail prices and shelves structure, in consumer electronics, IT and domestic appliances segments in Europe and Asia. More
GfK, which to date has been represented in Turkey by its subsidiary, Procon GfK, has acquired Strateji Mori, a company specialising in ad hoc research. The company will be trading under the name Strateji GfK with immediate effect. GfK is now the market leader in this segment in Turkey. 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
The first GfK Brand Check survey carried out by Martin Hamblin GfK shows that Heinz is the most popular unprompted recalled brand in the UK. 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
Despite the recent majority vote to move to the next stage of developing a new GP contract, 3 in 4 GPs (75%) in the UK, according to recent research by Martin Hamblin GfK, do not expect it to have a positive effect on work-related stress. More
In the first six months of 2002, the GfK Group increased its sales by 17.7 per cent from EUR 225.3 million in the same period in the previous year to EUR 265.1 million. EBIT including income from participations rose from EUR 8.5 million to EUR 19.1 million, while consolidated total income before minority interests increased from EUR 2.6 million to EUR 10.2 million. 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
Acquiring a 51% stake in Significant has given wholly owned GfK subsidiary, Intomart GfK Belgium NV, the majority in the Belgian company. Through this move, GfK has further expanded its range of research services in the Media and Ad Hoc Research divisions, making the group one of the top 5 market research companies in Belgium. More
Martin Hamblin GfK Inc, the US-based healthcare arm of GfK, has signed an agreement to partner with WebSurveyResearch. This will bring it access to WebSurveyMD, the dedicated Internet panel of US physicians and other healthcare professionals. 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
In recognition of the recent addition of Martin Hamblin to the GfK Ad Hoc Research Group, the parent network will be hosting a two-day conference in the summer. This will be held at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 1-2 July. More
Can research really contribute towards better advertising? This is the thorny subject to be addressed by Martin Hamblin GfK in a free seminar next month on Wednesday 19th June 2002. 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 GfK group has further extended its presence in Europe, acquiring a 51% stake in Macon AG in Germany and increasing its stake in Portuguese Intercampus to a majority shareholding of 50%. 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
The GfK Group, in collaboration with the Social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP) in the Netherlands, has put in place plans to undertake an analysis of the present pharmaceutical environment in countries throughout Europe. More
GfK has announced the appointment of a new chief information officer this week. Rainer Ostermeyer is to take up the post shortly as well as continuing in his role as managing director of GfK Data Services, the group's own central IT service provider. More
The GfK Group has announced three further expansionary moves in recent weeks. This includes the takeover of Informark in Australian, increasing the participation in the Indian joint venture, ORG-GfK Marketing Services, to 40% and the acquisition of a 35% stake in M2A in France. More
Despite a difficult trading environment, preliminary figures from GfK indicate that the agency has achieved good results for the 2001 year. Total revenue rose by 11% to EUR 534.0 million, whilst earnings before interest and tax including income from participations (aEBIT), increased by 14.5% to EUR 45.1 million. 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
The GfK Group has been busy expanding. News of its continuing growth includes a recent increase in UK and Irish healthcare/life science research, along with raised interest in subsidiaries Institut de Sondage Lavialle (I.S.L.) and Procon GfK. The group has also established a new Yugoslavian subsidiary, GfK Belgrade. 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
GfK has this week won two multi-year contracts in Belgium and Austria that will strengthen the group's leading position in media research in Europe. More
At the end of last year, Martin Hamblin GfK acquired several PMSI services based at High Wycombe in the UK from IMS HEALTH. 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 taken its first steps into the massive South American market with the acquisition of a 19.9% stake in Indicator Brazil. GfK has the option to progressively acquire the entire Indicator operation and marks the initial stage towards the company launching its own activities in South America. More
In the first nine months of 2001, the GfK Group increased its total revenue by 8.3% up from Euro 352.2 million to Euro 381.5 million, whilst earnings before interest and tax rose by Euro 4.9 million to Euro 32.7 million. 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
Research carried out this month by Martin Hamblin GfK on behalf of the European Commission indicates that consumer confidence is still falling. The October Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB), which measures the public's confidence in the UK's economic climate, shows confidence dropping by 4 points to register a score of -5, the lowest score since the fuel crisis last autumn. More
German agency GfK has announced three changes to its management board including a new CFO and an early contract renewal for existing CEO, Dr. Klaus Wubbenhorst. 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
The GfK Group increased total revenues by 13.4% from Euro 223.9 million to Euro 253.8 million in the first six months of the year, confirming its target growth of 15% to Euro 550 million, for the year as a whole. At the same time, GfK has topped up its minority stake of 49% in the Swiss Telecontrol Group to a 100% stake. More
GfK eSolutions, the online segment of GfK's Ad Hoc Research division, is expanding via three new strategic alliances with IBEXnet AG, CIAO.COM AG and Global Market Insite Inc in order to step up the group's online market research activity. More
The GfK Group has announced the expansion of its position in two major European markets through increased shareholdings. In addition, it has also succeeded in winning five-year extensions to two of its European TV audience research contracts. More
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