GfK Rolls Out MOI Innovation Service in UK

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.

The MOI service, which is already available in more than 40 countries, offers clients forecasts and analysis of business opportunities, and helps them optimise brand and product strategies.

Matthews (pictured) and his team will use GfK's consumer trends and sales data to help UK clients predict changes in consumer demands, while also using predictive analytics tools to understand market opportunities. In addition, the team will tap into GfK's range of research techniques including ethnography, semiotics and business analytics, and access the company's New Product Warehouse, which contains information about all products launched since the 1970s.

Commenting on the roll-out, Matthews said: 'Innovation is one of the hot topics of the moment, but so often the so-called blue sky ideas never make it to market due to a lack of in-depth understanding of both consumer needs and market dynamics. GfK has a long history of innovation and, with the launch of this team, we will combine that heritage with our understanding of today's market realities.'

Matthews joined GfK in 2006 from Vodafone, where he served as Senior Insights Manager, prior to which he was Head of Product and Services at Insights at Nokia, and a researcher at Marketing Sciences.

Web site: www.gfk.com .