PSFK examines trends in major corporations. The company does research for corporate clients to determine trends and consumer behaviors. PSFK has tracked consumer data through smartphones and other mobile devices for clients. It was founded by Piers Fawkes in 2004. The name is from the mixed initials of Piers Fawkes and co-founder Simon King. Fawkes ran his own website with a blog. He relocated from London to New York and started covering technology and other trends on his blog, which formed the basis for PSFK. He worked as a dog walker and other odd-jobs until he started his startup. His first client was Anheuser-Busch. They had seven employees as of 2011. Clients include Coca-Cola, Target Corporation, BMW and Procter & Gamble. In 2009, PSFK created a list of the top 10 most "inspirational brands," which included Google, Apple, Zipcar, and other major consumer companies. They gathered the list by reviewing the blogs that PSFK had written over a period of time and then had a panel of specialists review the subjects to create the list. They publish The Future of Retail annually, which covers trends and documentation about retail sales. Trends they have reported on include cyborgs, which they believe will become a commonality in technology by 2017. In 2011, PSFK partnered with former Vice President Al Gore's Climate Reality Project to host a competition seeking video games that could help combat climate change. The results of the partnership were announced at a "Gaming for Good" salon in New York City. The ideagrew out of a PSFK report on "The Future of Gaming." The majority of their revenue comes from consulting, with the rest coming from conferences, special events, and advertising. The company offices are located on Bond Street in New York City. As of 2013, the company has 15 employees.
Reception
Fortune called PSFK a "21st-century re-boot" of McKinsey & Company. However, "despite its impressive client list and growing capabilities it's unlikely that PSFK will threaten McKinsey".
