GfK
| File:GfK SE Hauptsitz in der Sophie-Germain-Straße.jpg Headquarters located in Nuremberg, Germany | |
| Company type | Societas Europaea |
|---|---|
| Industry | Market research |
| Founded | 1934 |
| Headquarters | Nuremberg, Germany |
Key people | Peter Feld (CEO)
Lars Nordmark (CFO) Thomas Ebeling (Chairman of the Supervisory Board) |
| Revenue | €1.5 Billion (2014) |
| €52.4 million (2014) | |
| Owner | Advent International |
Number of employees | 8,000+ (2021) |
| Parent | NIQ |
| Website | www |
GfK (initially ) stands as Germany’s foremost market research enterprise, delivering data-driven insights primarily to the consumer goods industry. The company’s headquarters are situated in Nuremberg, Germany, and it operates as a subsidiary under NIQ.
History
Established in 1934 by academics from the University of Nuremberg, including the later Chancellor Ludwig Erhard, GfK originated as an association conducting research on trademarks, personal care products, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and motorist preferences. Following World War II and a period of scrutiny by American authorities, the organization recommenced its activities in 1947.
In 1984, its commercial operations were separated into GfK GmbH, which was renamed GfK AG in 1990; meanwhile, the original association concentrated on advancing market research methodologies.
By 2010, GfK had become the fourth-largest market research company worldwide based on revenue.
In December 2016, private equity firm KKR acquired an 18.54% shareholding and subsequently increased its ownership to 96.7% by March 2017 through Acceleratio Capital N.V.
A division of GfK employing around 1,000 staff was sold to French competitor Ipsos in 2018 for €105 million.
The year 2020 saw the launch of gfknewron, an AI-driven platform designed to provide instantaneous data access alongside predictive analytics.
In July 2023, U.S.-based NielsenIQ, owned by Advent International, obtained European Union approval to acquire GfK following an antitrust evaluation. As part of this approval, NielsenIQ divested GfK’s consumer panel segment to UK-based firm YouGov.
Acquisitions
In April 2005, GfK expanded by acquiring NOP World, a prominent market research company primarily active in the United Kingdom, United States, and Italy, ranked ninth globally.
In May 2008, it secured an equity interest in Qosmos, a Deep-Packet Inspection technology provider aimed at improving Internet usage analytics for marketing purposes.
Further digital expansion occurred in 2016 with the acquisitions of Netquest and Wakoopa.
Organisation
As of February 2024, GfK’s executive leadership consists of nine members:
- Jim Peck (Chief Executive Officer)
- Tracey Massey (Chief Operating Officer)
- John Blenke (Chief Legal Officer)
- Mike Burwell (Chief Financial Officer)
- Lorena Elizondo (Chief Strategy Officer)
- Joshua Hubbert (President of CMI and Media Measurement)
- Mohit Kapoor (Chief Technology and Operations Officer)
- Curtis Miller (Chief Transformation Officer)
- Shaun Zitting (Chief Human Resources Officer)
Services
GfK specializes in gathering and interpreting consumer behavior data while supporting businesses through technology-enabled solutions.
Its sector expertise spans technology and consumer durables, retail, consumer goods, automotive, financial services, media, and entertainment industries.
The company monitors over 180 million SKUs and surveys upwards of two million individuals across fifteen countries, complying with market research standards such as ESOMAR. It provides real-time market intelligence that aids critical marketing and sales decisions.
Since 2020, GfK has offered an AI-enhanced platform that utilizes relevant datasets for forecasting and strategic guidance, boosting data-driven decision-making processes.