Geomarketing

GfK GeoMarketing Magazine | 01 - 2015

APPLIED GEOMARKETING:
COLLECTING POINTS WITH
GERSTENBERG DIREKT: THE
WORLD OF CUSTOMER
page 18
LOYALTY CARDS
RUPP & HUBRACH: BRINGING A
SALES TERRITORY STRUCTURE
page 16
INTO FOCUS

MAPS:
PURCHASING POWER GERMANY &
INDUSTRIAL DENSITY GERMANY

GEOMARKETING
SOFTWARE IN 2015

02 | EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL
Dear reader,
Geomarketing software is about a lot more than merely displaying data on maps. Professional
tools allow users to quickly and successfully carry out complex tasks such as sales territory
planning, catchment area analyses and target group analyses.
GfK's launch of RegioGraph 2015 at the end of March heralds a new generation of geomarketing software. Perfected over the years, the new version of RegioGraph offers a powerful array
of analysis, planning and display options, along with expanded features and a user-friendly
interface.
In this edition of Geomarketing Magazine, find out why we as market researchers also depend
on geomarketing software and digital map analyses.
Be sure to visit us in Bruchsal, Germany for our RegioGraph event from March 10-11 and get
an exclusive sneak peak of our new software. We hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Your GfK GeoMarketing team

CONTENTS
NEWS & IMPORTANT DATES
SOFTWARE

| 03

USE CASE RUPP & HUBRACH

| 04

Bringing a sales territory structure

into focus

Geomarketing software in 2015

KNOWLEDGE

| 08

"Where" is the future: See more clearly with

location-enhanced business intelligence

STUDY
Germans' purchasing power to climb
moderately in 2015

MAPS
Purchasing Power Germany &
Industrial Density Germany

GfK GEOMARKETING MAGAZINE 01 - 2015

USE CASE GERSTENBERG DIREKT |18

The world of customer loyalty cards

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE
| 12

| 14

| 16

| 20

GfK Roper Consumer Styles offers

valuable insights for optician retailers

WEBNEWS & IMPRESSUM

| 21

NEWS & IMPORTANT DATES | 03

NEWS & IMPORTANT DATES

REGIOGRAPH 2015: AVAILABLE AS OF THE END OF MARCH
RegioGraph 2015 is nearing market launch! The new version of the software offers many
new features and improvements, such as a Web viewer, a new data import dialog and an IP
geocoder. Read on pages 4-6 about the software's new features and many applications.
More information at www.gfk-regiograph.com

GERMANS' PURCHASING POWER

TO CLIMB MODERATELY IN 2015

GfK RELEASES NEW MAP EDITIONS FOR

CHINA AND INDIA

We forecast a per-capita purchasing

power of 21,449 for Germany in
2015. This means Germans will have an
average of 2.7 percent more per person
at their disposal for consumption, rent
and other living costs compared to the
previous year.

GfK has updated its digital map editions for China and India to
reflect the latest regional status. Maps of detailed postal and
administrative levels for both countries are now available. There
were thousands of changes to the postal and administrative
regions of both countries. GfK offers up-to-date and highly
detailed six-digit postcode maps for China's 20 most populated
cities. The map of India's six-digit postcodes (PIN codes = "Postal
Index Number" codes") was completely re-digitized.

There are however substantial regional

differences in Germany's purchasing power levels. Inhabitants of the wealthiest
district, Starnberg, have 14,835 more
per person than inhabitants of the least
affluent district, Grlitz.
GfK calculated the first purchasing
power study in 1934 and published the
first study in 1937. The distribution of
consumer potential was also the first
study carried out by the newly founded
"Gesellschaft fr Konsumforschung e.V.",
which eventually evolved into today's
globally active market research company, GfK SE.
"The 80-year anniversary of the purchasing power study is a testament to GfK's
long history of innovation," says Matthias Hartmann, CEO of GfK SE.
Today GfK calculates purchasing power
data for more than 60 countries around
the world, and for countless product lines.
More on page 12 and at
www.gfk-geomarketing.com/pp-2015

More information at www.gfk-geomarketing.com/asia-2015

NEW: DEMOGRAPHICS 2014

The newly calculated GfK Demographics 2014 gives users upto-date and highly detailed insights into the socio-demographic
profile of the population on a region by region basis. The study
includes information on family type, age group, income levels and
accommodation type.
Use the data to identify and locate your target groups and better
tailor your sales and marketing endeavors.
More information at www.gfk-geomarketing.com/demographics

04 SOFTWARE

GEOMARKETING SOFTWARE
IN 2015
Geomarketing software is about a lot more than merely displaying data on
maps. Professional tools allow users to quickly and successfully carry out
complex tasks such as sales territory planning and target group analyses.
We designed RegioGraph 2015 to fully meet the location-related challenges
faced by today's businesses.
Before it was possible to visualize data on
digital maps, it was common to stick pins into
wall maps to indicate important sites. It was
incredibly time-consuming or even impossible to update data. These times are now long
gone thanks to the ability to bring together
data, maps and analyses using so-called geomarketing software.
These days, companies can display their data
directly on digital maps. As the saying goes,
a picture is worth a 1,000 words. GfK recognized the benefits of this approach and in
1991 developed RegioGraph, which is now a
highly regarded, award-winning software.
RegioGraph allows users to quickly and easily
display customer distribution and turnover
GfK GEOMARKETING MAGAZINE 01 - 2015

on maps. This reveals all important information at a glance and uncovers trends and
relationships that would not otherwise be
apparent.
Powerful analysis, planning and calculation
features help users boost efficiency and turnover across the full spectrum of marketing,
controlling and expansion tasks.
And RegioGraph can be used for market
planning around the world thanks to GfK's
international geocoding capability and global
maps. The software delivers transparent
results down to the level of street segments,
giving companies everything they need to
make more informed business decisions.
Twenty four years after the appearance of

SOFTWARE | 05

RegioGraph 1.0, GfK will present the three

versions of the latest RegioGraph software
Analysis, Planning and Strategy at a special
event in March. These new versions include
many new features that benefit both users in
industry and the end-consumer sector. Read
on to discover some of the most important
applications of the software:
Successful advertising planning
RegioGraph users can easily see the distribution of customers and turnover at a glance.
And the software reveals gaps in market
coverage, so corrective action can be taken.
RegioGraph's analysis and visualization features reveal the spatial relationships in any
imported company data. This makes it easy
to compare regional turnover results with
the already integrated GfK purchasing power
figures or other market indicators to evaluate performance.
Operations and marketing campaigns can
then be targeted and adjusted based on
these insights. A new IP geocoder allows
users to measure and map the resonance of
online offerings and their regional impact.
The locations of website visitors can thus be
analyzed for objective insights into marketing and advertising efforts.
Professional sales territory planning
RegioGraph saves time, money and headaches when optimizing sales structures. The
software makes it easy to keep all essential
factors in focus when restructuring sales
territories. RegioGraph keeps users in control of the optimization process and ensures
transparency and objectivity. And the software automatically updates any integrated
data. This means territory reports always
reflect the actual situation on the ground.
Users can quickly import sales territory
structures along with employee assignments
or create efficient new structures according
to specified criteria. When optimizing sales
structures, RegioGraph automatically takes
into account accessibility and balances territories according to parameters such as workload, potential and territory size. This makes

it easy to more efficiently deploy resources

such as time, money and personnel.
The newly developed Web viewer in
RegioGraph 2015 allows users to quickly
share results with colleagues by exporting
maps as Web applications. Analyses can then
be viewed from users' preferred device and
Web browser.

FEATURES OF
REGIOGRAPH 2015
Most important RegioGraph features
at a glance

viewer: Export your maps and

Web
share them with colleagues, who can

access them from their preferred

device and Web browser.
IP geocoder: Analyze the online resonance of your advertising efforts
and their regional impact directly on
a map.
International geocoding capability:
Evaluate conditions at the street
level in the most important markets
around the world.
Sales territory planning: Automatically or manually optimize your
territories to boost efficiency while
also taking into account existing
sites. Create parallel sales channels
and multi-level hierarchies, and optimize your outside sales operations
according to criteria such as market
potential and workload.
Easily carry out market evaluations
such as ABC, distance and portfolio
analyses in RegioGraph 2015, which
offers 100 analysis and display
options.
Use the integrated formulas for
calculating strategic growth targets and comprehensive reporting
functions.

Visit www.gfk-regiograph.com for an

overview of all RegioGraph features
and a list of new additions to the 2015
version.

06 SOFTWARE:

Insight-generating location evaluations

RegioGraph analyzes locations and catchment areas from all angles. The software
allows users from the retail, industry and
service sectors to make more informed decisions that win greater market share and outpace the competition. In short, RegioGraph
helps companies establish a presence where
their customers live, work and shop.

These many applications make RegioGraph

the perfect tool for analyzing regional
market conditions and adjusting operations
to better exploit the existing potential. Our
geomarketing experts also use RegioGraph
Strategy in conjunction with digital maps and
regional market data to optimize sales territories and analyze catchment areas, target
groups and many other factors.

One key factor in expansion planning is the

market potential at the locations of choice.
Another is the flow of customers in the
associated catchment areas. RegioGraph
highlights gaps in branch networks and also
offers detailed information on site surroundings. The software's data analysis tools
pinpoint target groups and market potential
down to the level of street segments.

RegioGraph 2015 offers companies of all

sizes and branches a powerful but easy-touse tool for carrying out regional analyses
that bring clarity and insight to business
operations and today's highly dynamic and
interlinked markets.

An integrated gravity model reveals market

potential and any cannibalization effects
among existing locations. This makes it possible to plan realistic turnover targets and
estimate the long-term success and sustainability of a prospective expansion.

GfK GEOMARKETING MAGAZINE 01 - 2015

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT

REGIOGRAPH 2015?
Contact Julia Klo, Consultant, Direct Sales, Geomarketing
T +49 7251 9295 125 | julia.kloe@gfk.com

Order and download

market data online at:
shop.gfk-geomarketing.de/en

TAP MORE MARKET

POTENTIAL WITH GEODATA
Digital maps of postcodes and municipalities are the basis of geographic analyses.
Determine your actual market potential with our regionalized market data, such as
the latest GfK purchasing power studies for 60 countries around the world.
We also offer detailed digital maps that fit seamlessly with all our market data.

Growth from Knowledge

www.gfk-geomarketing.com/data
www.gfk-geomarketing.com/maps

08 | KNOWLEDGE

"WHERE" IS THE FUTURE: SEE MORE

CLEARLY WITH LOCATION-ENHANCED
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
Business intelligence (BI) systems and solutions have long been a valuable
tool used by companies to organize and analyze information related to their
markets and operations. We spoke with GfK's head of partner development
(Geomarketing) Friedlind Drr about the growing use of mapping data in BI as
well as industry reactions to this trend.
How quick have companies been to appreciate
the advantages of location-enhanced BI?
It's actually a mixed picture. Many companies
across all industries have recognized the
benefits of using BI with integrated cartographic data to support geographic analyses
and visualizations.
And there is a growing trend toward interface-friendly, dashboard-enhanced BI
solutions that offer a range of metrics for
extracting insights from location data. An
increasing number of providers are offering
BI systems or add-ons that have the capacity to link, analyze and display information
geographically.
GfK GEOMARKETING MAGAZINE 01 - 2015

Why are some companies resisting the trend

toward using mapping or boundary data in
the BI environment?
One misconception is that maps in BI are
simply an aesthetic feature. This view neglects two essential points. First, digital maps
are not mere geographic illustrations, but
rather powerful data repositories with which
diverse types of data can be stored, linked,
analyzed, compared and then finally displayed cartographically. So the illustrative
value of digital maps or geodata is only one
of their functions.
Second, displaying spatial relationships cartographically is one of the primary ways that

KNOWLEDGE | 09
companies gain insight into their performance and operations.
Maps reveal and bring into sharp focus the
geographic relationships that otherwise
remain buried in the numbers. For example,
the simple act of displaying the distribution of one's customers and retail sites can
immediately reveal coverage gaps that would
otherwise go undetected.

their targets, where are ideal new distribution sites to improve my logistics network,
and so on. These "where" questions are truly
endless. Integrated boundary data lets BI
users answer these "where" questions by
visualizing information on digital maps.

One of the main ways our brains process

information is through spatial perception.
Visualizing data and the results of analyses on maps allows us to grasp trends and
relationships that we wouldn't detect in any
other way.

One advantage of this approach is that

it often reveals answers and solutions to
issues not yet on users' radars. For example, a retailer might map its customer and
turnover distribution only to realize that
there are significant gaps or cannibalization
effects in its market. Once users see their
data on a map, both the problem and solution become clear. That's the real power of
location-enhanced BI!

What are some concrete ways that map-enhanced BI offers greater insights into data?
Good mapping data in BI makes it possible to
successfully and eloquently answer the many
"where" questions faced by companies of all
sizes and types. For example, where are my
customers located, where is my turnover
greatest, where are gaps in my coverage,
where am I failing to tap existing market
potential, where are sales force staff meeting

What kind of cartographic data supports BI

applications?
The requirements for maps in BI differ from
those in GIS environments. For example, GIS
map data is often too detailed for integrating
into BI solutions. For use in BI, boundary
data must be simplified or generalized to
create smaller, more manageable file sizes.
This requires a significant amount of work
and must be done with care and precision.

GETTING STARTED
WITH REGIOGRAPH
Learn how to analyze your company and market data on digital maps in
our two-day RegioGraph training course. Experienced instructors walk you
through the fundamentals of the software and offer practice-based tips.

Growth from Knowledge

www.gfk-regiograph.com/training

10 | KNOWLEDGE

Our cartographers create high-quality, BIcompatible boundary data for all standard
systems, including BI, GIS and geomarketing
software.
It's absolutely essential that all maps offer
comprehensive coverage of a user's market
area, without any gaps or overlaps between
the various regional levels, such as national,
admin. and postal boundaries.
Why is it so crucial that the maps be free of
gaps and overlaps?
The basis of map analyses and visualizations
in BI systems is the linking of data to a regional unit such as a postcode. If these postal
boundaries don't form pristine polygons that
fit perfectly with the adjacent polygons,
data will not be correctly associated with the
maps. This will then cause inaccuracies and
errors in the subsequent analysis and visualization of this data.
To take advantage of the full range of
analysis and reporting options in BI systems, the integrated boundary data must
be rendered consistently both within and
between the various regional levels. This is
a requirement that many providers cannot
meet due to lacking expertise or boundary
data of varying quality patched together
from multiple third parties.

Particularly in the case of companies with international operations, it's crucial to acquire
a unified cartographic basis from a single
provider who offers boundary data with the
same quality and detail for all countries and
markets in question.
GfK's geodata fulfills all these requirements
and is thus the ideal choice for companies
wishing to integrate cartographic data into
their BI systems and solutions.
Any final words on location-enhanced BI?
Companies face a barrage of "where" questions that directly impact their operations
and sustainability. Good-quality digital maps
integrated into a BI system or solution are
the best way to get answers to these questions.
Additional benefit can be gained by importing relevant market data such as demographic information or purchasing power
for a company's product line. The resulting
insights allow businesses to adjust to market
realities more quickly and seize opportunities
before the competition.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For an overview of GfK's worldwide maps for all standard BI, GIS and geomarketing
solutions, visit www.gfk-geomarketing.com/maps.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GEODATA?

Contact Friedlind Drr, Head of Partner Development:
T +49 7251 9295 230, friedlind.duerr@gfk.com

GfK GEOMARKETING MAGAZINE 01 - 2015

Order and download market data at

shop.gfk-geomarketing.de/en

GfK MARKET DATA:

AN OBJECTIVE BASIS
FOR YOUR ANALYSES
Do you need to objectively evaluate the performance of your branch sites? Want to
identify regions that offer untapped potential for your company? Use our market data to
evaluate your entire market according to objective criteria. All data offers comprehensive,
regionalized coverage for an entire country of your choice, or even specific catchment
areas or street segments.

Growth from Knowledge

www.gfk.com/marketdata

12 | STUDY

GERMANS' PURCHASING POWER

TO CLIMB MODERATELY IN 2015
According to our study "GfK Purchasing Power Germany 2015", Germans will enjoy a nominal
per-capita purchasing power increase of 572 in 2015. There are however substantial regional
differences in the distribution of this purchasing power. Purchasing power varies significantly
between individual regions in Germany's federal states.
We forecast a total purchasing power of
1,732.4 bil. for Germany in 2015. Based
on the current population of 80,767,463
(as of 01.01.2014), this equates to 21,449
per person. This means that Germans will
have an average of 572 (nominal value)
or around 2.74 percent more per person
at their disposal in 2015 for consumption,
rent and other living costs compared to the
previous year. Purchasing power corresponds
to the population's disposable net income,
including government subsidies such as
pension payments, unemployment assistance
and child benefit.

the rich and poor has narrowed somewhat:

Compared to the previous year, per-capita
purchasing power in Starnberg has only
climbed moderately to 31,479. This equates to 47 percent above the national average. Meanwhile, the rural district of Grlitz
has closed the gap somewhat with a 2015
average purchasing power of 16,645, which
is just under 53 percent of the average
purchasing power available to inhabitants of
Starnberg. As such, the absolute difference
between the districts with the most and least
purchasing power decreases from almost
15,500 to just 14,835.

Given Eurostat's forecasted inflation rate of

1.4 percent and the stable income growth,
Germans can look forward not just to nominal growth, but also a slight actual growth in
per-capita purchasing power of around 1.3
percent.

Stark variations among the federal states

Significant regional contrasts are apparent
not just between eastern and western Germany, but also between central and southern
Germany. Substantial purchasing power variations are also apparent within the individual
federal states. However, these differences
are more pronounced in some federal states
than others.

Regional distribution of purchasing power

Six of Germany's 16 federal states have
above-average per-capita purchasing power.
The eastern German federal states are
catching up, but continue to have belowaverage per-capita purchasing power.
With two exceptions, the list of Germany's
top 10 urban and rural districts remains
unchanged. With an index value of 124.9,
the urban district of Erlangen edges the
rural district of Dachau (index: 123.6) out of
eighth place. With an index value of 120.7,
the rural district of Stormarn once again
enters the top ten, while the rural district of
Miesbach falls out of the ranking. The rural
district of Starnberg remains Germany's
district with the highest per-capita purchasing power. And the rural district of Grlitz
remains in last place. The divide between
GfK GEOMARKETING MAGAZINE 01 - 2015

Among all of Germany's federal states, Bavaria has the greatest purchasing power divide
between individual districts. With 31,479,
the rural district of Starnberg is the clear
leader. The rural district of Freyung-Grafenau has an average per-capita purchasing
power of 18,243, which equates to only 58
percent of Starnberg's purchasing power.
Bavaria is divided into 96 districts, which
is far more districts than any other federal state. The larger purchasing power gap
is partly explained by this greater number
of regional subdivisions. A similar situation
characterizes the federal state of Hesse,
although it is only divided into 26 districts.

STUDY | 13
The average purchasing power in the district
of Werra-Meiner-Kreis (18,719) is 39
percent less than that of the district of
Hochtaunuskreis (30,824 per capita), which
is less than 200 km away. The gap between
the extremes in Hesse is thus 12,105 per
person, which is similar to Bavaria (13,236
per person).
But the situation is very different in the
federal state of Saxony: The nationally lastranked district of Grlitz has only 15 percent
less than Saxony's district with the highest
purchasing power: Dresden (19,488 per
person). This means that inhabitants of Dresden have only 2,843 more per person than
inhabitants of the rural district of Grlitz.
When it comes to the distribution of purchasing power, the federal state of Saxony is thus
significantly more homogenous than Bavaria
and Hesse.
Gaps in purchasing power values are related
to the absolute purchasing power levels: The
purchasing power gap is very wide in federal
states with high average purchasing power
such as Bavaria and Hesse. By contrast,
the purchasing power gap is very narrow in
federal states with low average purchasing
power. This phenomenon can be observed
throughout all of eastern Germany as well as
in Saarland. The federal states of RhinelandPalatinate, North Rhein-Westphalia, Lower
Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein fall in the
middle in terms of both the purchasing power gap and the average purchasing power. In
these federal states, the purchasing power
gap ranges from 6,020 to 8,068, while

per-capita purchasing power ranges from

21,005 to 21,611. There is one exception:
The federal state of Baden-Wrttemberg
has high purchasing power, but a relatively
narrow purchasing power gap of 5,300.
Federal states in which high purchasing
power has developed over time exhibit
greater heterogeneity. Individual districts in
these areas have enjoyed increasing purchasing power over a long period of time, thus
outpacing other regions in the same federal
state. This trend has not yet progressed to
this degree in regions with low purchasing
power, such as in eastern Germany: While
outliers such as Dresden, Jena and Potsdam have higher purchasing power than the
surrounding areas, the gap is still moderate
at this time. By contrast, purchasing power
in Starnberg has been robustly increasing for
decades now, which had led to a wide gap in
comparison to Bavarian regions with more
moderate growth, such as Bayerischer Wald /
Oberpfalz.
80 years of purchasing power data for
Germany
GfK calculated the first purchasing power
study in 1934 and published the first study
in 1937. The distribution of consumer potential was also the first study carried out by
the newly founded "Gesellschaft fr Konsumforschung e.V.", which eventually evolved
into today's globally active market research
company, GfK SE.
GfK is one of the world's largest market researchers companies, delivering smart insights into
successful online and offline growth strategies.

ABOUT THE STUDY

GfK Purchasing Power is defined as the sum of the net income of the population, as measured at the place of
residence. Calculations are carried out on the basis of reported income and earnings, statistics on state taxes and
deductions as well as economic forecasts provided by leading economic institutes. GfK releases the purchasing
power prognosis for the new year on January 1. As of that time, GfK purchasing power data is available for all of
Germany's urban and rural districts, municipalities and postcodes. The purchasing power data for street segments
is updated in the second half of the year.

QUESTIONS?
Please contact Alexandra Deutsch, Sales Consultant, Geomarketing
T +49 7251 9295 170 | alexandra.deutsch@gfk.com

14 | STUDY

GfK GEOMARKETING MAGAZINE 01 - 2015

STUDY | 15

16 | USE CASE

RUPP & HUBRACH: BRINGING A SALES

TERRITORY STRUCTURE INTO FOCUS
Rupp & Hubrach is an innovative, long-established manufacturer of eyeglass lenses
who supplies opticians throughout Germany. GfK provided consultancy to the company to help create a more efficient sales structure. Interview with Frank Dekker,
head of sales and marketing at Rupp & Hubrach.

Tell us a bit about how your company works

and what you're most proud of.
Since 1922, we've been supplying eyeglass
lenses to the most demanding and successful opticians. As one of Germany's five
largest suppliers, we're distinguished by a
comprehensive product portfolio, top-notch
customer service and quality as well as successful specialty retailer concepts for our customers. These are the reasons why we were
selected this year for the tenth consecutive
time as the best eyeglass lenses supplier.
What is the current situation in your industry?
The optics industry has experienced some
major changes in recent years. Along with
increasing pricing pressures in the market
and lacking customer visits to brick-andmortar shops, online orders have continued
to grow in importance to end customers.
GfK GEOMARKETING MAGAZINE 01 - 2015

This poses new challenges to the tasks,

goals and management associated with selling our product.
What were the goals for the restructuring of
your outside sales force territories?
We previously worked with a classically structured sales organization. We provided our
customers with on-site service from competent outside and inside sales members. Our
outside sales territories have evolved over
time and have not been updated in a long
while. We wanted to change this by optimizing individual regions according to criteria
such as customer size and potential, driving routes, visitation frequency, and so on,
with the aim of achieving fair and balanced
territories that allow for the best-possible
customer service.

USE CASE | 17
We also wanted to optimize key-account management and our field organization in order
to increase visits to "A" and "B" customers
as well as new customers. We also wanted to
increase outbound visits through the efforts
of the inside sales force.
How did GfK help you meet these goals?
We chose GfK and the software tool RegioGraph Planning because I had already had
a good experience with them in a previous project. The time frame for the entire
project was very ambitious. It took less than
four months from the analysis of the existing
situation to the definition of the optimization
criteria and the decision of which variant to
implement. Thanks to the impressive abilities, experience and speed of GfK's consultants, we were able to successfully execute
the project within the required time frame.
What's your final assessment of the quality
of GfK's consultancy?
We transferred almost one fourth of our
customers to a new outside sales force member as a result of the optimization of our territories. This definitely posed a certain level
of risk, because the trust between customers
and their assigned representative should not
be underestimated.

Even so, we decided to go forward with the

restructuring. Now, after almost four months,
we can confirm that these changes have
positively impacted our customers, outside
sales force and turnover results. Thanks to
more penetrating market analyses, we've
also been successful in better exploiting the
available potential among existing customers and making progress in acquiring new
customers.

ABOUT RUPP & HUBRACH

"Optischen Werksttten Rupp + Hubrach" was founded in 1922
by Max Rupp and Carl Hubrach. Headquartered in Bamberg,
Germany, the company now has more than 500 employees. Rupp
& Hubrach supplies opticians and places the highest value on
quality and customer service. Rupp & Hubrach has been repeatedly recognized for these qualities, most recently through being
named the best German supplier of eyeglass lenses in 2014.
More information at www.brillenglas.de
Frank Dekker
head of sales and marketing
Contact: Isabell Steinhoff
i.steinhoff@brillenglas.de

GfK RETAIL PARK

PERFORMANCE REPORT
Consult this new GfK report for an overview of all retail parks in Germany
and the most important object-specific factors, such as tenant mix, sales
area, turnover and refurbishment potential, etc.

Growth from Knowledge

More information at
www.gfk-geomarketing.com/retail_center_report

18 | USE CASE

COLLECTING POINTS WITH

GERSTENBERG DIREKT: THE WORLD
OF CUSTOMER LOYALTY CARDS
Gerstenberg Direkt is an expert in the analysis and management of customer
loyalty and retention systems. The company evaluates customer data and the
usage of customer loyalty cards. Using geomarketing analyses, Gerstenberg
Direkt extracts important insights for its clients on how to better reach their
target groups via direct marketing endeavors.

In today's marketing world, it's a herculean

task both to retain customers and understand their needs as well as to spark and
maintain their interest through tailored communications. In contrast to the past, today's
marketing divisions have access to dramatically more data that can be crosslinked and
analyzed for deeper insights.
Even so, the actual analysis and evaluation
of this gargantuan stream of data are highly
complex, so companies from the retail, industry and tourism sectors often solicit the expertise of Gerstenberg Direkt. The association
of direct marketing service provider Gerstenberg Druck & Direktwerbung GmbH & Co KG
and the analysis specialists Merifond GmbH is
focused on comprehensive services related to
customer loyalty and retention systems.
Geomarketing plays an important roll in this
endeavor, because it reveals the areas where
marketing efforts are likely to yield results.
The first step is always an analysis, such as
an evaluation of customer loyalty cards or
customer responses to previous marketing
actions. On the basis of these analyses, more
targeted efforts can then be planned across
all channels, such as print and online. And
then another evaluation of the results can be
carried out.
Customer loyalty cards are particularly
illuminating when the related shopping data
(such as the time of the purchase, or the
number and type of products) is correlated

GfK GEOMARKETING MAGAZINE 01 - 2015

and cross-referenced with customers' personal data (above all their addresses) as well
as the action that prompted the purchase
(such as a print-based mailing). Key questions along these lines include: What did the
customer buy and where? What does the
customer base look like as a whole? Which
products are particularly important, and for
which customers? Which purchasing profile
can be derived from this information? What
is the ROI of a given campaign or action?
Gerstenberg Direkt analyzes and answers
these kinds of questions for its clients and
can, upon request, assume responsibility
for customer communications, such as the
sending of customer-tailored, individualized
email campaigns and mailings.
A typical project for a company with chain
stores would look something like this: Gerstenberg Direkt collects marketing-relevant
data such as the use of customer loyalty
cards and the sales data of individual chain
locations.
Analyses are carried out on this basis, which
allows Gerstenberg Direkt to segment the
customer base for more tailored conventional
and online communications. Thanks to geomarketing analyses in RegioGraph, any circulated newsletters indicate the nearest store
site based on a given recipient's address. A
customer who lives far away from the nearest
chain store can be offered a coupon as an
incentive to visit the store again in the near
future. Despite this customization of the

USE CASE | 19

communication (whether via email, postcard

or some other channel), the entire process
can be fully automated.
Thanks to this more personalized form of
communication, response rates and, by
extension, turnover notably increase.
And customer loyalty and retention also increase when customers feel more understood
through personalized communication.
Geomarketing also helps save money and
reach the right customers with the right
messages through the targeted distribution
of prospectuses and catalogs. Gerstenberg
Direkt determines the precise number of
catalogs that should be delivered to each
branch site. This kind of distribution planning is quick and easy in RegioGraph thanks
to the integrated data on inhabitants and
purchasing power.
But before distributing catalogs, it's first necessary to find out if making catalogs available at certain stores actually leads to more
purchases. Gerstenberg Direkt does this by
regularly analyzing stores' catchment areas
using RegioGraph. The result is a significant
reduction in the catalog production costs
without any losses to turnover.

This is an example of how a geomarketing

approach expands the spectrum of services
that a company can provide. RegioGraph is
a powerful tool that reveals the regions in
which advertising is most likely to yield fruit,
as well as regions where it makes sense to
open new stores.

ABOUT GERSTENBERG DIREKT

The association of Gerstenberg Druck & Direktwerbung, Hildesheim, and Merifond GmbH, Hannover offers a modular CRM
system for direct marketing, dialog marketing and customer
retention systems. The company serves customers from the
retail, tourism and production sectors in Germany and Europe.
Gerstenberg Direkt manages and runs these customer retention
systems and also assumes responsibility for outsourced processes relating to customer relationship management and direct
marketing, among others.
More information at www.gerstenberg-direkt.de.

CONTACT:
Dirk Simon
dirk.simon@gerstenberg-direkt.de

20 | EXPERT PERSPECTIVE

GfK ROPER CONSUMER STYLES

OFFERS VALUABLE INSIGHTS FOR
OPTICIAN RETAILERS
In collaboration with IPRO GmbH and the opticians' association ZVA, GfK participated in a project
meant to help optician retailers improve their target group management. A short report by Martin
Himmelsbach, CEO of IPRO GmbH.
GfK has street segment-level data on the
likely types of customers organized by the
so-called Roper Consumer Styles to be
found at a given location. And every optician
retailer has a mailing list that contains the
addresses of all active customers.
By merging these two sets of data and defining the core area of each retail location (e.g.,
the streets that can be reached in 15 minutes), it's possible to precisely analyze the
types of customers who live in the specified
catchment area. Optician retailers can then
better target these customers.
In collaboration with GfK's geomarketing experts, IPRO defined an export template and
data transmission procedure.
GfK and ZVA held a workshop on Roper Consumer Styles to help optician retailers derive
concrete action plans from the obtained data.
Custom-tailored consultancy is also offered
by GfK, ZVA and IPRO.

Additional information
can be obtained from IPRO GmbH, software
for opticians and hearing-aid professionals
Contact:
info@ipro.de | www.ipro.de

ABOUT GfK ROPER CONSUMER STYLES (RCS)

GfK Roper Consumer Styles segments the population on a
region by region basis according specific values, lifestyles and
behaviors. These factors in addition to socio-demographic
traits strongly impact consumer behavior.
GfK Roper Consumer Styles:
- motivated to achieve happiness
Dreamers
- driven by passion
Adventurers
Open-minded
- seek a balance between self-actualization,
social responsibility
and pleasure
Homebodies
desire
material security
and status
- value hard work and responsibility
Rational-realists
- seek out sustainability and
Critics
self-actualization
- long for peace and harmony
Settled
Demanding
and pleasure- seek a balance between responsibility, duty
GfK Roper Consumer Styles is a sophisticated instrument for
better reaching target groups through an understanding of how
their values and lifestyle orientations motivate spending behavior. This supports more successful marketing, sales, location
planning, advertising distribution and direct marketing.
This valuable regionalized data is available for
Germany
Switzerland
Austria
France
USA
Turkey

More information at www.gfk-geomarketing.com/rcs-en

GfK GEOMARKETING MAGAZINE 01 - 2015

WEBNEWS | 21

DOWNLOADS & TIPS

MORE OPPORTUNITIES WITH RETAIL PARKS

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

GfK retail real estate expert Manuel Jahn published an article

on GfK's blog on the opportunities for retailers and investors
offered by the ever more popular retail parks in Germany. One of
the article's key insights was that it's entirely possible to achieve
profits in areas outside of centralized retail locations. Read the
article in English at www.gfk-geomarketing.com/blog-retailparks.

GfK is active on various social media

channels, which means you can easily
keep up with the latest news. Follow
us (#GfK) on Twitter, Facebook and
LinkedIn! On those sites, you'll also find
exciting geomarketing news, such as our
press releases on new studies and our
"Map of the Month", which cartographically illustrates the latest market data.

SMART INSIGHTS THANKS TO GEODATA

Read a fascinating article on GfK's blog about how geodata
supports better market analyses. Particularly in the reinsurance
industry, it's essential to link address data on damage potential
to regional units such as postcodes in order to successfully estimate and manage risk.
More information at www.gfk-geomarketing.com/blog-geodata

Access an overview at
www.gfk-geomarketing.com/social-media.

IMPRESSUM
GfK GeoMarketing Magazine
edition 01 - 2015 (February 2015)

KNOWLEDGE DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX:

GfK GEOMARKETING E-NEWS
As a subscriber to GfK GeoMarketing Magazine, you'll automatically receive our monthly e-News publication.
This gives you access to up-to-date information on RegioGraph,
digital maps, market data and location research. Subscribers also
receive a free download each month.
Please recommend us to your contacts and colleagues:
www.gfk-geomarketing.com/enews

Responsible for publication:

GfK GeoMarketing GmbH
Werner-von-Siemens-Str. 9
Gebude 6508
76646 Bruchsal
T +49 7251 9295 100
F +49 7251 9295 290
www.gfk-geomarketing.com
geomarketing@gfk.com
Management board:
Friedrich Fleischmann
Hans-Peter Klotzbcher
Wolfram Scholz
Public relations,
Responsible for content: Cornelia Lichtner
Editorial: Dr. Christopher Guider,
Nicole Mller, Cornelia Lichtner
Graphics & layout: Nathalie Adlung
Translation: Christopher Guider

NEW SOFTWARE VERSION:

REGIOGRAPH 2015
Get answers to your "where" questions with our geomarketing software RegioGraph.
RegioGraph lets you analyze and visualize your company data directly on digital maps.
As the saying goes, a picture is worth a 1,000 words. Use RegioGraph to display your
customer distribution and turnover on digital maps. This allows you to spot regions
where you're not tapping the available potential, and then take corrective action.

REPORTING
IP GEOCODER
WEB VIEWER

Growth from Knowledge

www.gfk-regiograph.com