Welcome to GIM Gesellschaft für Innovative Marktforschung!

Founded in Heidelberg, Germany, in 1987, GIM has become one of the leading independent market research institutes in Germany. 

However, today, GIM is primarily an international network of institutes focusing on qualitative research located in Germany, Russia, France and Switzerland.

On the following pages you can find information on GIM’s research profile. For specific information on each institute go to the respective branch homepages.

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  Ethnographic insights for product development

  Traditionally automotive market research is rather technique-oriented and product-driven. Even in comprehensive research, like e.g. car clinics discussions are reduced to a technical and theoretical level. Howver, the true strengths and weaknesses of a car can only be discovered in everyday use.
  In order to gather the customers’ experiences in different situations and in everyday use, market research has to focus on consumers' everyday life and concrete usage situations, i.e. with the car and in the respondent’s environment.

  Therefore methodically and professionally conducted ethnographies are the perfect method. Ethnographic automotive research involves profound video documentation showing the participating car owners, their everyday life, their car usage habits, and their satisfaction with the product. The information retrieved will be analytically evaluated for the product development.

  If necessary, especially for international customers and markets, consumers’ domestic environment and lifestyle will be documented ethnographically as well.

  Whereas ethnographic interviews are already commonplace in market research, video-based ethnography requires high methodical and technical knowledge: the videos taken have to be of superior technical quality, and interviewer and cameraman have to bare the evaluation procedure in mind while filming. But at the same time this must not have any impact on the authentic situations of everyday life and usage habits! When evaluating and analysing the films, the video sequences with significant insight potential can only be identified by the researcher’s trained eye. This is the only way to get clear visual answers to the central questions of product development and marketing.

  Ethnographic automotive market research is especially promising for facelift research, package research and target group research.
   
  >> Link to automotive

  If you have further questions regarding the automotive market research of GIM, please do not hesitate to contact Christoph Palmer.
  

  
  
  
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