Arbeitsgemeinschaft Online Forschung

The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Online Forschung (AGOF, often styled agof) was a German registered association (eingetragener Verein) based in Frankfurt am Main that functioned as a consortium of German online marketers. Founded in December 2002, it emerged from the members of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Internet Research (AGIREV), the clients of the Online-Reichweiten-Monitor (ORM), and the sponsors and licensees of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft @facts. Its core purpose was the measurement and reporting of the reach of internet offerings that were wholly or partly financed by advertising. AGOF's central currency was the "Unique User" — a de-duplicated count of individual visitors to a website within a given period, regardless of how often they visited. Because it was collected uniformly across online offerings, the Unique User was described as a "reach currency" (Reichweitenwährung) that allowed independent, comparable measurement of online properties. The association worked closely with the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Media-Analyse (agma), was supported by measurement service providers, market research companies and the Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW), and was a member of the Zentralverband der Deutschen Werbewirtschaft (ZAW). Its flagship research product was the daily digital facts study, which provided daily reach and user-structure data for digital media in Germany, covering both stationary and mobile online usage. It replaced the earlier digital facts study, which had appeared monthly from August 2015 to April 2017. The daily digital facts drew on a sample of more than 150,000 cases and combined three research approaches — technical measurement, an online survey and a telephone survey (a multi-method model) — and were representative of the German-speaking population in Germany aged ten and over. Results covered more than 600 digital offerings and their components (websites, mobile-enabled websites, apps and advertising units). For media evaluation and planning, AGOF offered the browser-based planning tool TOP modular for a fee, used by media agencies, advertisers and digital advertising space providers. Governance was handled through sections and committees formed from member representatives, with technical commissions responsible for methodology and a planning commission overseeing the evaluation programme. The board consisted of three to seven people elected by the members' assembly for two business years each; as of November 2022 it included Björn Kaspring (Ströer Digital), Steffen Bax (iq digital media marketing), Dirk Maurer (IP Deutschland), Kristen Latour (OWM) representing advertisers and René Lamsfuß (FOMA) representing agencies. Board seats for advertisers and agencies were created in February 2018. In 2023 the study operations of agof were integrated into the agma (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Media-Analyse). The association is now in liquidation (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Onlineforschung e.V. i.L.), and creditors are asked to register claims with the liquidator Inke Häfner. According to its website, AGOF was founded in 2002, had 1,110 market participants and published 34,122 studies, with its location in Frankfurt am Main.

The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Online Forschung (AGOF) was founded in December 2002 as a German registered association based in Frankfurt. It grew out of three predecessor strands: the members of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Internet Research (AGIREV), the clients of the Online-Reichweiten-Monitor (ORM), and the sponsors and licensees of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft @facts. From the outset it functioned as a consortium of German online marketers, dedicated to measuring and reporting the reach of internet offerings that were wholly or partly advertising-financed. AGOF worked closely with the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Media-Analyse (agma), the long-established body for media audience measurement in Germany, and was supported by measurement service providers and market research companies as well as the Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW). It was a member of the Zentralverband der Deutschen Werbewirtschaft (ZAW), the central association of the German advertising industry. Its measurement approach centred on the Unique User, a de-duplicated count of individual visitors within a defined period. Because this metric was collected uniformly across online offerings, AGOF promoted it as a "reach currency" (Reichweitenwährung) enabling independent comparison of online properties. The association's research output evolved over time. From August 2015 to April 2017 it published the monthly digital facts study, which combined data on stationary websites (used on desktop or laptop computers) with data on apps and mobile-enabled websites (MEWs), allowing both separate and overlap-free joint evaluation of stationary and mobile usage. In April 2017 the digital facts were superseded by the daily digital facts, which provided daily reach and user-structure data for digital media in Germany, with data for the previous day made available during the following morning. This enabled analysis of individually selected time periods — single days, holiday periods such as Easter, or periods featuring major sporting events. The study was based on a sample of more than 150,000 cases and combined three research approaches: technical measurement, an online survey and a telephone survey (a multi-method model). Results were representative of the German-speaking population in Germany aged ten and over, and covered more than 600 digital overall offerings and their components (stationary websites, mobile-optimised websites, apps and advertising units). From January 2018, cooperation with the VuMA and its VuMA Touchpoints market-media study, and with the Gesellschaft für integrierte Kommunikationsforschung (GIK) and its best for planning (b4p) study, enriched the daily digital facts with product and user characteristics for precise target-group description. For media evaluation and planning, AGOF offered the browser-based TOP modular tool for a fee, used by media agencies and advertisers to plan online advertising campaigns and by providers of digital advertising space for marketing. Governance was structured through sections and committees formed from member representatives. Technical commissions were responsible for the methodology and execution of each study, while a planning commission answerable to the members' assembly oversaw the programme by which data were evaluated and made usable for media planning. Beyond the members, additional study participants had their digital offerings measured and reported but, under the statutes, had no voting rights in the committees. The board consisted of three to seven people elected by the members' assembly for two business years each. As of November 2022 the board comprised Björn Kaspring (Ströer Digital), Steffen Bax (iq digital media marketing) and Dirk Maurer (IP Deutschland), plus Kristen Latour (OWM) representing advertisers and René Lamsfuß (FOMA) representing agencies; the advertiser and agency board seats had been created in February 2018. In 2023 the study operations of agof were integrated into the agma (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Media-Analyse). The association subsequently entered liquidation, styled Arbeitsgemeinschaft Onlineforschung e.V. i.L., and its website carries a notice asking creditors to register claims from outstanding debts with the liquidator Inke Häfner. The site summarises the organisation's legacy: founded in 2002, 1,110 market participants, 34,122 published studies, located in Frankfurt am Main.

• 2023

  agof study operations integrated into the agma (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Media-Analyse).

• 2018

  Board seats for advertisers and agencies created in February 2018; new target-group features added to daily digital facts from January 2018.

• 2017

  digital facts discontinued in April 2017; replaced by daily digital facts.

• 2015

  digital facts study published monthly from August 2015.

• 2002

  AGOF founded in December 2002, emerging from AGIREV members, ORM clients and @facts sponsors/licensees.

• Association enters liquidation (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Onlineforschung e.V. i.L.); creditors asked to register claims with liquidator Inke Häfner.

Independent industry consortium providing a uniform 'reach currency' (Unique User) for planning and comparing online advertising media in Germany.

• daily digital facts

  Daily reach and user-structure study for digital media in Germany, based on a sample of over 150,000 cases and a multi-method model (technical measurement, online survey, telephone survey); representative of the German-speaking population aged ten and over.

• digital facts

  Monthly study published August 2015 to April 2017, combining stationary website data with app and mobile-enabled website data.

• TOP modular

  Browser-based evaluation and planning tool offered for a fee for media evaluation and planning.

• Unique User

  De-duplicated count of individual visitors within a period, used as a uniform 'reach currency' across online offerings.

1. 1agof - Zusammenschluss der führenden Online-Vermarkter in Deutschland.agof.de
2. 2Arbeitsgemeinschaft Online Forschungde.wikipedia.org
3. 3Arbeitsgemeinschaft Online Forschungwikidata.org