GfK invests in research for digital media
New dimension to user experience and online research with SirValUse and nurago
Nuremberg, May 6, 2010 – With an investment in SirValUse Consulting, the market leader in user experience consulting, and nurago, one of the most innovative suppliers of technology for digital brand, media and usability research worldwide, GfK is further expanding its digital strategy.
SirValUse Consulting was founded in May 2000 and is now Europe’s largest consulting company in the area of user experience and usability. SirValUse investigates and optimizes the user friendliness, utility value and design of websites, software, consumer electronics, mobile applications, mobile devices and industrial manufacturing technology. nurago, which is still a young company, is now one of the leading suppliers of technology for digital brand, media and usability research.
With a share of 40% in SirValUse Consulting and nurago, effective as of May 4, 2010, GfK is investing in one of the most advanced branches of market research. Together, SirValUse Consulting and nurago employ around 120 members of staff in Hamburg, Hanover, Berlin, Munich, London and Beijing. In 2009, the total sales of the two companies amounted to approximately EUR 6.5 million. Clients include numerous international companies from the service, retail and industrial sectors, including Google, Deutsche Telekom, OTTO, eBay, LG and Samsung.
Through this new partnership, GfK is strengthening its competencies in the area of user experience and online research. SirValUse and nurago benefit from the global network of the GfK Group, the fourth largest market research company worldwide with subsidiaries in more than 100 countries. GfK and nurago have already achieved their first success, with the collaborative development of the German and the British GfK Media Efficiency Panel (in Germany formerly called GfK Web Efficiency Panel), which enable detailed analysis of the effect of cross-media advertising campaigns on the actual purchasing behavior of consumers. Wilhelm R. Wessels, Member of the Management Board of GfK SE, highlights: "The clear strategic direction of GfK in the area of digital media is further cemented through our cooperation with nurago and SirValUse. We are working on new joint projects in order to link our comprehensive data on consumer behavior even more strongly with findings from online research.”
nurago: sought-after online experts
As technology service provider, nurago combines extensive knowledge of the requirements of the online market with flexible research platforms, whose results provide a basis for successfully optimizing and planning online marketing strategies. The company’s pioneering technological leadership makes it a sought-after partner in the online economy, and one of nurago’s most important clients is Google. "Google builds on the expertise of innovative service providers. nurago provides us with crucial technology for monitoring advertising effectiveness,” explains Daniel Meyer, Manager of Market Research at Google Germany GmbH.
About SirValUse Consulting
SirValUse is Europe’s largest provider of user experience consulting. The industry and methodology experts have been setting standards in research, continuous monitoring and optimization of both user experience and usability for over ten years. SirValUse subjects products and interactive applications to a methodologically sound trial. Clients obtain precise guidance for optimizing their technical equipment and digital applications in all phases of product development.
About nurago
nurago is one of the most innovative suppliers of technology for digital brand, media and usability research worldwide. Through a sophisticated combination of novel monitoring procedures and traditional research methods, nurago sets market standards and enables particularly efficient and valid performance reviewing of digital media activities.
The GfK Group
The GfK Group offers the fundamental knowledge that industry, retailers, services companies and the media need to make market decisions. It delivers a comprehensive range of information and consultancy services in the three business sectors Custom Research, Retail and Technology and Media. The No. 4 market research organization worldwide operates in more than 100 countries and employs over 10,000 staff. In 2009, the GfK Group’s sales amounted to EUR 1.16 billion. For further information, visit our website: www.gfk.com. Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/gfk_group.
