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GfK Custom Buys in Chile and Canada
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.
The group purchased fifty-one per cent of Research Dynamics and the same proportion of Adimark, furthering its global expansion strategy for the Custom division.
Petra Heinlein, the GfK Management Board member responsible for Custom Research, said the two companies' offerings 'ideally match our range of services' and complemented the greater US presence acquired with NOPWorld in April.
Research Dynamics Inc. was established in 1996 in Toronto, Canada and focuses mostly on FMCG, financial services providers and ICT companies. Market and target group segmentation methods, model calculation, forecasts and customer satisfaction research are particular strengths. Revenue for its MR services in 2004 was EUR 3.4m.
Santiago-based Adimark was founded in 1974 and provides custom research services for clients in the retail, financial services and telecommunications sectors as well as in media and the advertising industry. It is the No. 1 custom research institute in Chile, and also conducts monthly surveys on the country's consumer climate and economic outlook, as well as ad tracking services. Revenue for 2004 was EUR 5.1m.
GfK's 51% shareholding in GfK MACON AG, taken in 2002, now rises to 100%. The company is based in Waghäusel, Germany, was established in 1991 and provides software such as RegioGraph and DISTRICT as well as digital maps throughout the world, used to optimize regional sales segmentation, manage regional sales and for geomarketing purposes. Dr. Eberhard Stegner has been appointed as manager, and will also act as MD of GfK PRISMA.
The Group is on the web at www.gfk.com
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