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GfK MRI Expands Digital, TV Focus with Strategic Hires, New Product Lines
[August 04, 2015]

GfK MRI Expands Digital, TV Focus with Strategic Hires, New Product Lines


Through senior hires and a newly expanded Product Innovation department, GfK MRI is applying its unmatched consumer database to more deeply understand emerging trends in next-generation media - streaming video, mobile platforms, and the changing value of media brands.

Click here to learn more about the first report from this new team.

By connecting to and expanding upon the benefits of GfK MRI's 25,000 annual consumer interviews, these new product lines will offer actionable insights for a host of today's media challenges - including app development, content distribution, online video content creation, digital ad targeting, and brand management.

Kevin King (SVP, Mobile Measurement and Trends) and Karen Ramspacher (SVP, Consumer Insights) have joined a growing GfK MRI Product Innovation team led by Christie Kawada (EVP, Product Management and Innovation). In the coming months, the group will release in-depth reports exploring

  • emerging TV viewing habits, from streaming video to traditional "over-the-air" watching (TV Share of Clock)
  • growth of TV based on different cord behavior, and the drivers and barriers to viewing on the cord versus online (TV Cord Evolution)
  • TV content trends, to keep a pulse on what's hot - and why (TV Content Drivers)
  • how to leverage TV audiences for optimal ad monetization (TV Network Monetization)
  • mobile audience measurement and predictive tren analysis for digital platforms



"This is a very exciting time for growth and innovation at MRI, as well as a tipping point for the media landscape," said Kawada. "As disruption of traditional ad and content delivery models continues, this new team will be at the forefront of the changes. With the combination of MRI data, our new products, and the expanded expertise of our team, we are positioned to provide insight into where TV is going, what consumers are doing in digital, and, most importantly, how to reach today's consumers."

King has worked in digital research for the past 10 years, directing digital ad sales at Viacom (formerly MTV Networks (News - Alert)), providing audience measurement for A+E Networks' online properties, and leading digital analytics for Univision Communications. Before joining GfK he has been a research and product strategy consultant for Samba TV, a startup in the Smart TV space.


Ramspacher has 20 years of experience as an account planner and researcher, holding senior roles at NBC Universal (News - Alert), Oxygen Media, Fuse, and Participant Media. Most recently, she worked with TruthCo's semioticians developing cultural insights on TV and video.

GfK MRI is GfK MRI's focus on excellence has made it the leading producer of media and consumer research in the United States. GfK MRI's Survey of the American Consumer® is the industry standard for magazine audience ratings in the U.S. and is used in the majority of media and marketing plans in the country. In response to the evolving needs of its clients, GfK MRI has developed a number of innovative research products and services that use the Survey as their foundation.

About GfK

GfK is the trusted source of relevant market and consumer information that enables its clients to make smarter decisions. More than 13,000 market research experts combine their passion with GfK's long-standing data science experience. This allows GfK to deliver vital global insights matched with local market intelligence from more than 100 countries. By using innovative technologies and data sciences, GfK turns big data into smart data, enabling its clients to improve their competitive edge and enrich consumers' experiences and choices.

For more information, please visit www.gfk.com/us or follow GfK on Twitter (News - Alert): https://twitter.com/gfk_en


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