GfK Hits the Expansion Button 11/07/00 The GfK group is aggressively expanding its range of services through new joint venture activity in the Middle East and in Europe. The German based giant has recently announced a number of new collaborations which substantially increases its presence on the European market. Firstly, it is expanding its direct marketing activities by acquiring a 61% stake in Swiss specialist, bwv Ag. In addition to traditional services in this area, bwv offers a full range of software tools for planning, monitoring and optimising direct marketing campaigns. bwv will also represent the driving force behind the group's direct marketing business in Austria and Germany. Secondly, the company is increasing its television viewer research services in France. ISL, in which GfK holds a 50% stake, has strengthened its shareholding in Audimedia from 47% to 95%. With twelve employees, Audimedia is expected to achieve budgeted sales of over DM6.8mn in 2000. The agency has been commissioned by Mediametrie to carry out television viewer research in France. Thirdly, GfK and Taylor Nelson Sofres have established a joint venture in the Czech Republic called Czech Index. The aim is to provide combined standardised databases with information on the purchasing behaviour and media consumption of Czech consumers. The two partners intend to gradually set up other joint ventures based on the same concept in several Central and Eastern European countries. Finally, the group is gaining a first foothold in markets in the Middle East and Cyprus through a GfK-MEMRB Marketing Services joint venture. The objective of the company, established in co-operation with Cyprus based MEMRB International, is to carry out continuous retail surveys on the consumer durables sector, particularly IT, telecoms, consumer electronics, photographic and electrical appliances. GfK has a majority 60% holding in this new venture. MEMRB International is one of the leading research companies operating in North Africa and the Middle East. The company already runs a retail panel for consumer durables in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.