concept m

What concept m does

concept m research + consulting GmbH is a Cologne-headquartered, founder-owned market research and consulting firm that operates on a 'Morphological Market Psychology' (Morphologische Marktpsychologie) platform — a depth-psychology framework that combines qualitative psychological methods (depth interviews, group discussions, friendship-pair interviews, projective techniques, in-home/in-store/in-company interviews, diaries) with quantitative survey work (CAWI, CATI, PAPI, conjoint, cluster, price-sensitivity) and apparative implicit measurement (Eye Tracking, EEG, skin resistance). The firm was established in 2007/2008 (sources conflict) by Dirk Ziems and Thomas Ebenfeld, with Rochus Winkler as a co-founder and shareholder, and employs 11-50 staff across offices in Cologne (HQ, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 39), Berlin, Los Angeles and Shanghai, serving enterprise clients across FMCG, Food & Beverages, Services, Media, Telecommunication, Energy, Fashion, Electronics, Retail and Pharma.

The business operates as a group of four wholly-owned brands: concept m (core depth-psychological research and consulting), concept m Asia Pacific (intercultural research for South East Asia and Greater China), Flying Elephant (agile marketing consulting for transformation), and Green Elephant (interdisciplinary consulting for sustainability transformation projects, launched May 2023). Revenue is generated through bespoke, project-based B2B engagements sold via direct enterprise sales, with no public pricing or subscription product. The firm also maintains its own longitudinal research IP — notably the Deutschland Psychogramm depth-psychological trend panel — and sustains thought leadership through the concept m Campus content platform, conference speaking, and regular press commentary in major German media outlets.

Commercial activity is supported by content marketing, a newsletter, an English/German bilingual website, and a LinkedIn presence; there is no mobile app, public SDK, or API product. The company is privately held, has not disclosed external funding, and holds no patents or regulatory certifications in the source record, with two BVM Innovation Award nominations (2015, 2018) cited as the principal external method-validation signals.

Name

concept m

Legal name

concept m research + consulting GmbH

Website

https://conceptm.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

concept m is a Cologne-based, founder-owned market research and consulting firm applying depth-psychological (Morphological Market Psychology) methods and implicit biosignal measurement to enterprise clients across FMCG, media, retail, pharma and other industries in Germany, the US and China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Consulting

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral & Neuroscience Research (Biometrics, Eye-Tracking, Neuromarketing) (MPAAALAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Product & Innovation Research (Concept, Pricing, Packaging, Conjoint) (MPAAALAI), Customer Experience (CX) & Voice of Customer (NPS/CSAT, Journey Research) (MPAAALAH), Brand Strategy & Positioning (BPAFAEAA)

Keywords

• Market research services
• Psychological consumer research
• Qualitative market research
• Quantitative market research
• Brand strategy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Research and Consulting Services: Professional market research and consulting services delivered through interdisciplinary teams of psychologists, marketing professionals, and creatives. Services include qualitative research, quantitative research, and strategic marketing consulting.
2. Cultural Psychological Studies: Initiative research on socially relevant topics such as Germany Psychogramm, with results made publicly available. Some studies may be offered as publications or presentations at congresses.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

concept m is a global research boutique that delivers depth psychological market research and consulting services using its proprietary Morphological Market Psychology framework. The firm combines qualitative methods (depth interviews, group discussions, projective techniques) with quantitative measurement and implicit measurement tools (eye tracking, EEG, skin resistance) to uncover unconscious consumer motives, supporting corporate clients in brand strategy, product innovation, and marketing optimization across multiple industries.

Product overview

concept m is a market research and consulting company specializing in Morphological Market Psychology (Morphologische Marktpsychologie). The company operates as a group comprising four distinct brands: concept m (depth psychological research and consulting), concept m Asia Pacific (cross-cultural research for South East Asia), Flying Elephant (agile marketing consulting), and Green Elephant (sustainability transformation consulting). The core offering centers on integrating qualitative depth psychological research methods (including Tiefeninterviews, Gruppendiskussionen, and projective techniques) with quantitative market research, supported by strategic consulting services. The company also publishes the Deutschland Psychogramm, a recurring depth psychological research panel tracking societal trends.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• concept m Research and Consulting Scientifically based depth psychological research and consulting services combining qualitative and quantitative market research methodologies with strategic marketing advisory services based on the Morphological Market Psychology approach, targeting enterprise clients in FMCG, retail, media, and other consumer-facing sectors.
• concept m Asia Pacific Cross-cultural depth psychological research services focused on South East Asian markets, supporting western brands expanding into China and other Asian regions and Asian brands seeking to understand Western consumers.
• Flying Elephant Agile marketing consulting services for times of transformation, helping companies navigate market changes and develop value-adding strategies for brands and products.
• Green Elephant Interdisciplinary consulting for sustainability transformation projects combining depth psychological cultural and market research with practice-oriented implementation consulting, guiding clients through sustainability transformation.
• Deutschland Psychogramm Depth psychological research panel conducting regular waves of in-depth interviews with representative population samples to track societal trends, cultural shifts, and psychological insights in Germany.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• concept m Asia PacificcoreOthersSubsidiary company specializing in cross-cultural depth psychological research in South East Asia. Part of the concept m group structure.
• Flying ElephantcoreOthersAgile marketing consulting firm for times of transformation. Founded alongside concept m, providing marketing consulting services complementing the research offerings.
• Green ElephantcoreOthersNew interdisciplinary consulting for sustainability transformation projects launched in May 2023. Combines depth psychological cultural and market research with practice-oriented implementation consulting. Founders include Dirk Ziems, Thomas Ebenfeld, Prof. Ralf T. Kreutzer, Werner Detering, and Rochus Winkler.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kantar: Kantar is a global research and consulting group that addresses brand strategy, consumer insight, and innovation work at scale. It is a broad incumbent alternative to concept m for multinational clients seeking a single vendor for cross-market consumer research.
• GfK (NIQ): GfK, now part of NIQ, is a global consumer research incumbent headquartered in Germany. It overlaps with concept m in consumer panels, brand research, and product innovation studies, but operates at vastly greater scale and competes on breadth rather than psychological depth.
• Ipsos: Ipsos is one of the world's largest market research groups with significant operations in Germany and a growing neuroscience and behavioural science practice. It competes with concept m for the same enterprise buyers on brand, innovation, and customer experience research, though as a full-service generalist.

Regional players

• interrogare GmbH: interrogare is a Bielefeld-based full-service market research firm with strengths in qualitative and quantitative consumer research. It is a German regional peer competing with concept m for similar enterprise buyers in DACH, but without the depth-psychological specialisation.

Emerging players

• InSites Consulting: InSites is a European consumer insight and research agency that blends qualitative communities, behavioural science, and modern digital methodologies. It is comparable to concept m on customer journey, brand, and innovation research but with a stronger online-community and technology orientation.
• Human8 (previously Inviqa, Columinate): Human8 is a global consumer insight and research network with strong qualitative and community capabilities and a focus on purpose-driven brand work. It is a partial peer on customer experience, brand, and cultural insight, with greater geographic reach but less depth-psychology specialisation than concept m.

Direct peers

• Rheingold Institut: Rheingold is a Cologne-based depth-psychological market research boutique known for long qualitative interviews and psychoanalytic interpretation of consumer behaviour. It competes head-to-head with concept m in the same German-speaking depth-research niche and serves similar FMCG, media, and brand clients.
• Flamingo (Shoreline Ltd): Flamingo is an international qualitative research boutique using psychology and behavioural science approaches to consumer insight. It is a direct peer in size, methodology, and client mix, and competes with concept m on creative and brand strategy research across European and global accounts.
• Sinus Markt- und Sozialforschung: Sinus is a long-established German market and social research firm with proprietary segmentation and milieus models, combining qualitative depth with quantitative reach. It overlaps with concept m on the use of sociological/psychological frameworks to drive brand and communications strategy.
• Psyma Group: Psyma is a Germany-based market research firm that explicitly uses psychological and behavioural-science methods in consumer and B2B research. It is the closest direct peer to concept m, with a similar mix of qualitative depth methods, international fieldwork, and consulting-style deliverables for enterprise clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/concept-m-research-consulting-gmbh
• Xx.com/conceptm_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about concept m