Vershofen’s treatise of 8 August 1934 on "Broad-based consumer surveying" represents the birth certificate of GfK, which was registered as a society headquartered in Berlin.
The aim of the society, which was named "Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung” shortly after its establishment, was described in its articles of association as: "A company whose purpose is to examine the habits and attitudes of consumers to consumer goods within the territory of the German Reich by appropriate measures on a continuous basis using special surveys and to process the findings of such studies according to scientific principles for the purposes of economic practice and teaching.” This was the birth of institutional market research in Germany.
At the end of its first year, the society had 17 members, which included companies and individuals and by 1944, this number had grown to 150. By the end of the war, GfK had supplied 71 surveys on the most varied subjects, including artificial silk stockings, medicines, engine oils and even vitamin supplements for workers engaged in hard labor.
The destruction wrought by the second world war was immense. However, in the aftermath of currency reform, GfK’s work again increased markedly. Between 1949 and 1955, the number of surveys rose and the increase in work also led to the company taking on more staff. Whereas in 1949, the staff complement was just 15, by 1959, the company already had 82 employees.
GfK-Nürnberg e.V. is an association which was established in 1934 for the purposes of promoting market research. It is main shareholder of GfK AG. For more...