GfK and NielsenIQ complete their merger. They officially announced this yesterday, speaking of the completion of their "strategic union" intended to create a global entity in the consumer intelligence industry with 4 billion in revenue and more than 30 thousand customers in more than 100 countries worldwide. The transaction, a joint statement specified, "unites two industry leaders, consolidating their complementary strengths and competencies, to provide customers with an unrivaled suite of comprehensive and innovative solutions". A complementary and unparalleled global reach, the statement points out, "combined with investments in coverage and technology, will enable further strategic growth". 

The union of NielsenIQ, a leader in the consumer goods industry and a leader in consumer research including in food, and GfK, a benchmark in consumer technology and durable goods, combines two companies that have made significant independent investments on omnichannel coverage, business intelligence tools and predictive analytics. "With unparalleled global coverage and industry expertise - the joint statement emphasizes- the company is able to accelerate its growth by offering The Full View, the complete view into consumer behavior around the world".

The leadership team has been carefully selected by both NielsenIQ and GfK: NielsenIQ's chief executive officer, Jim Peck, will lead the merged company, which will maintain operational footholds in Chicago (U.S.), Nuremberg (Germany) and Geneva (Switzerland). "We are excited to combine the strengths of these two great companies to create the future of consumer intelligence -Peck emphasizes-. Together, we are able to offer more: an even broader global reach, expanded omnichannel coverage, more granular data, more information from consumers, and more predictive analytics that add up to more actionable insights; all of which translates into real growth for our clients. Most importantly, we are bringing together industry innovation experts and complementary cultures based on integrity and the relentless pursuit of superior quality".

"GfK and NIQ share the same unwavering dedication to their clients -adds Lars Nordmark, chief executive officer and interim chief financial officer of GfK-. Current and future clients can count on the fact that our nearly 200 years of combined experience, backed by cutting-edge technology and a commitment to new coverage, will provide unprecedented insight that will enable them to make key decisions with confidence and grow their business". 

This accomplishment follows a series of major investments aimed at improving performance and "promoting sustainable growth not only for the sectors in which we operate, but also for NIQ-GfK as a whole -the statement stressed-. The new company, the note continues, "is able to lead measurement into the future through a global cloud-native platform". 

"The signing of the agreement to divest GfK's Consumer Panel business in Europe to YouGov marked another important milestone toward the planned union of GfK and NIQ", the note concludes. The divestiture of GfK CP, a business that generated about 15% of GfK's annual revenues, "does not substantially change the overall attractiveness of our union".