market research companies us

Top 17 market research companies in the United States (US) 

5. pollfish, 6. ascendant consulting firm, 8. ready to launch research, 9. antedote, 10. b2b international, 13. nielsen, 15.  forrester research services, 16. momentive, 17. veridata insights.

Your company can’t navigate the constantly changing marketplace without understanding business landscapes, consumer needs, or buying habits. Market analysis is key to how you find and capitalize on market trends before your competitors do. You can start by outlining research goals and needs. But let’s be real, making data-driven decisions is a whole lot easier with top market research firms by your side. 

The right market research agencies, platforms and companies do more than just surveys to offer actionable insights so you can make smarter decisions for business growth. They make consumer research easy with strategic zero-party data collection, comprehensive data analysis, and intelligent insights. 

If you’re tired of searching through market research companies in the United States, this article leads you straight to the best ones out there.

Here’s a quick rundown of the top US market research companies:

Looking to dive deep into the minds of your target audience? Sign up for a demo to see how Attest makes it effortless to gain consumer insights from 125 million consumers across the globe. 

Attest is one of the top market research companies in the US. This consumer research platform lets you collect data from 125 million diverse respondents in 59 countries. You can use Attest to do market research for branding , consumer profiling, market analysis, and much more! 

Every Attest customer has access to expert research advice from their in-house Customer Research Team. Whether you’re new to research and need some guidance, or a research pro looking for a second pair of eyes on your market research project, Attest’s Customer Research Team is here for you.

Besides speedy surveys and quick responses, this platform features an intuitive results dashboard that turns data into mesmerizing stories. You can also send surveys on a recurring basis to spot changes in responses or compare data from two groups. Plus, expert advice is only a click away when you aren’t sure about choosing market research tools or reaching market research goals.

Attest has been really instrumental in driving home the reality of the consumer need, and surfacing that it is much harder to get a younger demographic to engage with pensions. Georgie Burks , Head of Brand Marketing, Penfold

Trustpilot relied on the Attest market analysis solution to research consumer attitudes among marketers and engage them in eight key markets. Here’s what they think about the value Attest brings.

We were thinking about how businesses could look within their reviews and understand what was important to their consumers, but we didn’t actually know what the most important things consumers cared about were. So we decided the best way to find out was just to ask consumers themselves. Gillian Harris , Global Marketing Program Manager, Trustpilot

Location: London

Founded: 2015

Pricing: Pricing on request

Best for: 

• Market analysis: unlocks new market opportunities
• Brand tracking: measures brand health and performance
• Creative testing: validates the creative impact of ad campaigns
• Consumer profiling: dives deep into existing and future customers
• New product development: tests product ideas or marketing messages with your target market

Get reliable consumer insights fast with Attest

With Attest you get high-speed insights, so you can make informed decisions when they matter. And you get designated research advice from the experts in the Customer Research Team—they’re with you at every step of your research journey!

Bixa is a market research studio specializing in mobile youth research and custom UX research services. Their qualitative and qualitative research offerings are best for those trying to validate new markets, gather product feedback, or understand the target audience better. 

They make marketing research a breeze by completing the entire cycle of participant recruitment to report delivery in three to four weeks. Besides conducting customer surveys, user testing, and mobile ethnography, Bixa also offers market research consulting for companies looking to jumpstart their product and marketing research.

Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Founded: 2012

Pricing: Available on request

• In-depth interviews
• Product research
• Hyper-profitable targeting
• Customer surveys
• Usability testing
• Website and app review
• Team coaching

Suzy is a leading qualitative market research software with iterative research capabilities. Its end-to-end consumer insights platform offers qualitative insights into complex research questions. The best part is that you can get real-time data from Suzy’s proprietary audience of one million consumers. On the other hand, Attest offers a larger audience in more countries, making it ideal for those with market research campaigns spanning the globe. In addition, Attest provides designated advice from experienced researchers for all customers.

Suzy offers qualitative research solutions such as product development, advertising, shopper and behavioral insights, and tracking and measurement. Industries ranging from finance to media use Suzy to improve business performance through qualitative studies.

Location: New York

Founded: 2017

• Concept testing
• Competitive analysis
• Consumer profiling
• Positioning strategy
• Shopper and category insights
• Tracking research services
• UX design research

Remesh is one of the top market research firms in New York City. They offer artificial intelligence-driven research solutions to companies looking to streamline qualitative and quantitative insight discovery. This marketing research firm makes it easy for companies or governments to speak to thousands of customers or citizens at the same time. Then it analyzes interactions and opinions to offer key insights. 

Market researchers use Remesh to get actionable feedback on product ideas, messaging, and packaging from online focus groups. You can also use their online surveys to improve employee listening and boost corporate reputation. 

Founded: 2013

• Packaging testing
• Civic engagement
• Consumer insights
• Collective intelligence
• Employee engagement
• Shelf placement testing
• Product issue identification
• Employee experience and engagement

Pollfish is a modern survey research platform that uses artificial intelligence to help you create surveys in seconds. This DIY market research company helps you gain real-time insights from over 250 million consumers worldwide. The platform also comes loaded with cutting-edge technology capabilities for dynamic sampling and random device engagement.

Attest is a great alternative to Pollfish for conducting primary market research. Attest’s platform detects bad-quality responses that contain non-relevant, incomplete, and conflicting answers. Additionally, Attest is much easier to use and provides advice from experienced researchers.

Pricing: Starts at $95

• Brand awareness
• Brand perceptions
• Advertising testing
• Logo testing
• Brand diagnostics
• Product concept testing

Ascendant Consulting Firm is one of the best in the marketing research industry. They specialize in competitive intelligence, consumer insights, and market feasibility services. With 95+ years of collective experience in market research analysis, they help you make data-driven business decisions for business expansion, market entry, and assessments. 

The team at Ascendant is also adept at advanced quantitative analytics suitable for financial and strategic marketing analyses. Other key capabilities include full service market research, survey design, and secondary data research. 

Location: Miami

Founded: 2010

• White label research
• Product market research
• Market opportunity evaluation
• Survey reporting and analysis
• Employee experience and satisfaction research
• Consumer attitude, usage, and trends research

Isurus offers bespoke market research services to B2B and technology companies. This market research company leverages multiple statistical analysis tools to help you gain a 360° understanding of markets and decision-makers. Moreover, they also make it effortless for you to evaluate competitors for competitive advantage or validate market opportunities. 

Business software, manufacturing, and financial services companies rely on Isurus to keep a pulse on what customers want and find the right pricing strategies. The team at Isurus can also help you with brand tracking and creative performance testing. They specialize in quantitative, qualitative, international, and secondary research.

Location: Burlington

Founded: 2000

• Persona analysis
• Competitor profiling 
• Pricing strategy research
• Brand perception research
• Market segmentation research
• Customer satisfaction analysis
• Market assessment and planning
• Brand audit, tracking, and management

Ready to Launch Research is a California-based market research agency that serves a wide variety of industries with qualitative, quantitative, and digital research strategies. Whether you want to quantify consumer behavior or get qualitative consumer journey insights, they have the expertise to handle all your needs.

They leverage the following research methods to get you the insights you need.

• Creative testing
• Online discussions
• Home use test (HUT)
• Focus group moderation

Ready to Launch Research serves many dynamic industries ranging from pet to education to consumer electronics. Once you reach out to them with research requirements, they’ll get in touch to know more details and design the research process.  

Location: Los Angeles

Founded: 2014

• Ethnography
• Focus group discussions
• Advertising research
• Online communities research services

Antedote is an innovation consultancy that delivers strategic market research insights by combining data science, in-depth research, and next-generation digital tools. What makes them different is their ability to use different qualitative and quantitative research tools instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. 

The team at Antedote helps you uncover insights in various areas such as user research, cultural research, and scenario planning. You can also partner with them for creating innovation roadmaps or concept development and visualization. Antedote’s plug-and-play approach means you have an agile and collaborative team that makes problem-solving easy with guidelines and blueprints. 

Location: San Francisco

• Brand positioning
• Concept crafting
• Demand space segmentation
• Internal engagement programs
• Price and proposition optimization
• Product and portfolio development
• Workshop design and facilitation

B2B International by Merkle is one the largest market research agencies in London , with several locations in the United States. This market research company serves B2B companies looking to gather business insights and intelligence. They can help you with customer loyalty testing, pricing effectiveness, and market size analysis. 

B2B International also specializes in delivering research services for go-to-market strategy, customer journey mapping, and voice-of-customer surveys. Their experience of working across different industries ranging from chemicals to media to logistics makes them uniquely qualified for B2B market research. 

Location: London (with offices in Boston, Chicago and New York)

Founded: 1998

• Market sizing research
• Customer journey research
• Thought leadership research
• Product and proposition research
• Customer research and segmentation

Ipsos is one of the top market research companies trusted by top brands and companies across the Americas, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Besides market strategy and innovation services, Ipsos also offers marketing management analytics, brand health tracking, and advisory services. 

With tailored market research solutions for every need, Ipsos helps you optimize brand positioning, discover shopper journeys, and understand consumers. The team can also help you with product testing, package research, and creative idea assessment. Other services include brand health tracking, employee engagement research, and channel performance optimization. 

Location: Paris (with locations in New York)

Founded: 1975

• Mystery shopping
• Brand health research
• User experience study
• Innovation and forecasting
• Social intelligence analysis 
• Creative development and assessment

Dynata is a first-party data platform that helps you gather and analyze business intelligence for efficient decision-making. Their platform streamlines the entire research workflow so you can focus more on insights. Dynata lets you ask questions to their proprietary 67 million consumers and visualize those responses effortlessly. 

The Dynata insights platform lets you build surveys for concept testing, creative testing, and ad-hoc market research. Other research services include market segmentation, brand health monitoring, campaign measurement, and voice of the customer surveys. With real-time dashboards and research reports, Dynata makes it easy for you to gain useful data insights. 

Location: Plano, Texas

Founded: 1940

• Survey authoring
• Digital ethnography
• Online research panel
• Online qualitative research
• Data analytics and reporting
• Brand performance tracking

Nielsen is a global data, analytics, and audience measurement company that offers bespoke research solutions to help you discover audience intelligence across channels and platforms. This market research company divides its services into four core categories:

• Media planning
• Content metadata
• Marketing optimization
• Audience measurement

Audience measurement is all about using quantitative and qualitative research to discover shifting habits of audiences. Media planning, on the other hand, offers a comprehensive understanding of competitive intelligence, audience segmentation, and scenario planning. Marketing optimization research services help you analyze and boost campaign performance. Finally, content metadata improves customer experience with easy audio and video content discovery.

Founded: 1923

• Scenario planning
• Competitive intelligence
• Audience segmentation
• Cross-platform audience measurement
• Marketing campaign performance analysis

Westat is a 100% employee-owned market research company that delivers superior quantitative and qualitative research services in transportation, health, social policy, and education. They specialize in survey research, statistical sciences, and providing technical assistance. 

Westat’s expertise in integrated data collection strategies helps them create focus groups, run web surveys, and create questionnaires for finding the right data. Plus, they use a research-driven communications framework to engage audiences effortlessly. They also use machine learning and artificial intelligence-assisted interviewing systems to solve your research challenges. 

Location: Rockville

Founded: 1963

• Custom research
• Clinical trials
• Survey and analytical needs
• Biomedical science research
• Behavioral health and health policy research

Forrester Research Services is the market research wing of the global research and advisory firm Forrester. Their customer-obsessed approach helps companies turn their strategic research needs into reality. They currently offer market research services to companies in technology, sales, B2B marketing, product, B2C marketing, customer experience, and digital business space. 

Forrester offers research services in the following domains:

• Sales operations optimization
• Marketing strategy formulation
• Competitive market intelligence
• Product lifecycle process research
• Corporate communications strategy
• Integrated campaign strategy planning
• Business change management strategy
• Customer insights collection and analysis
• Customer acquisition and retention research
• Route-to-market configuration and optimization
• Account-based marketing and demand generation research 

Location: Cambridge

Founded: 1983

• Public sector research
• Sales and product management 
• Customer experience analysis
• Digital business transformation
• B2B and B2C marketing research

Momentive is an artificial intelligence-powered market research platform that helps you gather on-demand customer and market feedback for actionable insights. This market research company is known for its agile experience management solution that lets you better understand markets, competitors, or even internal teams.

Their purpose-built market insights solutions offer you actionable insights from consumer panels. You can also decode buyer attitudes, understand consumer segments, and monitor buyer preferences. Mometive’s AI solutions also make it easy for you to conduct customer experience research, track product experience, and transform employee engagement. 

Location: San Mateo

Founded: 1999

• Market sizing
• Idea screening
• Industry tracking
• Shopper insights
• Customer effort score
• Mobile app experience 
• Customer segmentation
• Post-purchase experience
• Product and price optimization
• Custom market research services
• Employee engagement and retention

Veridata Insights is another top-rated market research company with recruitment capabilities to serve 100+ countries. Whether you want to analyze complex data with quantitative methodologies or need qualitative insights, they can help you with it all. 

The team at Veridata Insights strives to deliver stress-free, budget-friendly, and timely research services that keep you ahead of the competition. Apart from their proprietary technology and global reach, they’re known for data quality and panel strength. They can also help you gather business intelligence with data processing and easy-to-understand dashboards. 

Location: Dallas

Founded: 2019

• Consumer research
• Online data collection
• Survey programming
• B2B audience research
• Dashboards and analytics

Break into your US target market with Attest

Choosing the right agency isn’t easy, especially with so many players in the market research industry. Businesses often struggle with finding one that delivers accurate and valuable insights while simplifying their findings. Plus, the biggest challenge is targeting the right audience that matters to your business. 

Attest solves all these problems by letting you handpick the target audience you want to reach. You can use filters and quotas to filter the most appropriate audience from 125 million people in 59 countries. Moreover, the platform empowers you to run surveys that bring in results in days instead of weeks. With hybrid research and a three-layer data quality check, you’ll never have any nonsense answers. And you also get to interact with the data, thanks to the interactive dashboard. 

Ready to transform your business with easy-to-access consumer insights? Sign up for a dem o to see how Attest can be your ally in conducting market research effortlessly.

Make decisions based on reliable consumer insighs

Insights with Attest are triple-checked for data quality, so you know that you’re making smart decisions based on data you can trust.

Nikos Nikolaidis

Senior Customer Research Manager 

Nikos joined Attest in 2019, with a strong background in psychology and market research. As part of Customer Research Team, Nikos focuses on helping brands uncover insights to achieve their objectives and open new opportunities for growth.

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2020 Top 50 U.S. Market Research and Data Analytics Companies

Diane Bowers

A full ranking of the top market research and data analytics companies in the U.S. for 2020

The “2020 Top 50 U.S. Report”—formerly known as “The Gold Report”—is developed by Diane Bowers and produced in partnership with the Insights Association and Michigan State University . The report is also sponsored by the AMA, ESOMAR and the Global Research Business Network . The report includes a ranking of the top 50 companies, a breakdown of trends by Bowers , and an analysis of the market research and analytics industry  by Michael Brereton, Melanie Courtright and Reg Baker.

50. RTi Research

Founded: 1979 2019 U.S. revenue: $12.9 million Percent change from 2018: -3% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: — Percent from outside U.S.: — 2019 worldwide revenue: $12.9 million U.S. employees: 45

In a world awash in data, the challenge is to turn data into something meaningful, something that can be communicated simply and acted upon effectively. RTi Research meets that challenge head-on, turning data into meaning through smart research design, flawless execution and innovative storytelling. Everything the company does is aimed at helping its clients move their ideas and insights through their organizations to influence change. 

RTi has conducted research in just about every category in the U.S. and globally. Informed by 40 years of experience across categories and cultures, RTi knows what works and what doesn’t, when to leverage new technology and methods, and when traditional approaches are best.

49. Hypothesis

Founded: 2000 2019 U.S. revenue: $18.3 million Percent change from 2018: -4.7% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: — Percent from outside U.S.: — 2019 worldwide revenue: $18.3 million U.S. employees: 61

Hypothesis uses insights, strategy and design to help important brands do amazing things. The company specializes in tough questions that take creative, multidimensional approaches, thoughtful strategy and a broad business perspective. Hypothesis’ approach combines inventive consumer-centric qualitative research, advanced analytics, strategic thinking and data visualization. Its award-winning design team translates complex information into compelling, easy-to-understand deliverables to socialize learnings and engage teams. 

In 2018, Hypothesis added important new capabilities with the launch of Momentum, a strategy that turns insight into application with downstream marketing and implementation planning. The Momentum team has worked alongside Hypothesis consultants on strategic engagements with clients focused on brand strategy, product development, and led dozens of workshops with senior and C-level executives to socialize insights and ideate on next steps. 

In 2019, Hypothesis’ focus on growth continued with its expansion to the Midwest and establishment of its Chicago office. From this office, the company will be able to service new and current clients in the Midwest and on the East Coast.

48. Bellomy Research

Founded: 1976 2019 U.S. revenue: $21 million Percent change from 2018: 1.4% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: — Percent from outside U.S.: — 2019 worldwide revenue: $21 million U.S. employees: 116

Bellomy is a privately held, family-owned, full-service market intelligence company. Bellomy focuses on driving successful business outcomes through the design and delivery of solutions that yield deeper customer understanding. The company surrounds its clients’ business challenges with an unparalleled mix of knowledge and experience, marketing science and proprietary research technology. 

Bellomy’s work involves both B2C and B2B environments—with qualitative and quantitative insight solutions spanning market segmentation, customer experience and journeys (including digital user experiences), brand equity, product innovation, shopper insights, marketing optimization, social research platforms and research technology. Bellomy works with clients across a broad range of categories and industries including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, restaurant and hospitality, telecommunications and technology, apparel and textiles, utilities, healthcare, insurance and home improvement.

Bellomy serves as an extension of its clients’ marketing research and customer experience departments by integrating a broad set of capabilities and areas of expertise, including segmentation, customer (and digital experience), shopper insights, social research platforms, brand equity, product innovation and marketing optimization. In addition, Bellomy clients leverage SmartIDEAS, the firm’s enterprise consumer knowledge and insight platform. 

47. Edelman Intelligence

Founded: 1999 2019 U.S. revenue: $21 million Percent change from 2018: 12.9% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $11.5 million Percent from outside U.S.: 35.4% 2019 worldwide revenue: $32.5 million U.S. employees: 131

Edelman Intelligence (EI) is the global research and analytics consultancy of Edelman, the world’s largest global communications firm. Based in New York, with employees in 18 offices internationally, EI houses more than 200 consultants, strategists, researchers, data scientists, data visualization specialists and analysts worldwide. Its specialists are method-agnostic and leverage the best of primary and secondary research, advanced analytics and business science to solve business and communications issues for its clients. EI’s offering spans the full spectrum of client needs, from mapping the current environment and targeting key audiences, to optimizing content and measuring business impact. 

EI partners with early-stage start-ups and Fortune 100 companies alike, providing strategic research, analytics, and insights-based marketing and communications counsel for a broad range of stakeholders and scopes, including government and public affairs, corporate reputation and risk strategy, crisis and issues management, employee experience and talent advisory, executive positioning, strategic communications and public relations, marketing and branding strategy, customer experience and insights, mergers, acquisitions and market entry strategy and more.

Key accomplishments in 2019 included advancement of its Edelman Trust Management (ETM) capabilities, including an evolution of its offering focused specifically on providing guidance for measuring and building trust in brands. Developed building from its 20-plus years studying trust through the Edelman Trust Barometer and the initial iteration of ETM (which explores corporate trust), this proprietary model for brand trust measurement was created in partnership with renowned academics from Harvard Business School and INSEAD, Edelman Brand experts and external marketing thought leaders. In recent months, this model has been engineered to consider fundamental transformations to consumer/brand relationship dynamics that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated.

46. KS&R

Founded: 1983 2019 U.S. revenue: $21.7 million Percent change from 2018: -1.4% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $3.6 million Percent from outside U.S.: 14.2% 2019 worldwide revenue: $25.3 million U.S. employees: 100

KS&R is a privately held strategic consultancy and full-service marketing research company. For nine consecutive years, KS&R has received the highest Gold Index composite score of any provider in the Prevision/Inside Research survey of marketing research buyers. This is a testament to the company’s passion for excellence and client-first business philosophy—wherein KS&R empowers its clients with timely, fact-based insights so they can make smarter decisions and be confident in their actions.

KS&R creates and executes global custom market research solutions for some of the best-known corporations in the world in more than 100 countries and 50 languages. It has extensive and diverse industry experience with particular strength in healthcare (pharma and device), technology, entercom, transportation, professional services, and retail and e-commerce. Team members often include business strategists with client-side experience and deep industry knowledge.

In 2019, KS&R leveraged its expansive network of pharmacy panels to build world-class capabilities for pharma inventory measurement and healthcare insights. Its marketing scientists have driven marked advances in pricing decision support, which have now been validated by positive in-market results. KS&R expanded its portfolio to include insights fusion across multiple channels of content (primary research, social media, web-based information, etc.). And finally, it introduced its KS&R Win-Loss program that provides actionable insights for how organizations can improve their value proposition and sales performance to close more deals.

Founded: 1911 2019 U.S. revenue: $22.7 million Percent change from 2018: 12.9% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: — Percent from outside U.S.: — 2019 worldwide revenue: $22.7 million U.S. employees: 78

NAXION guides strategic business decisions globally in healthcare, information technology, financial services, energy, heavy equipment and other B2B markets, drawing on depth of marketing experience in key verticals and skilled application of sophisticated and inventive methodologies. The firm’s NAscence Group helps life science innovators develop commercialization strategy through clinical trials design and selection of target indications, forecasting, brand planning and other research-based consulting services.

Engagements routinely include market segmentation, opportunity assessment and innovation, demand forecasting and pricing, positioning, brand health, market monitoring and lifecycle management. The firm deploys multiple data streams including primary research (qualitative and quantitative), secondary data, customer databases and other complex datasets to develop an integrative perspective on business problems. The firm also builds custom panels for B2B markets.

Project leaders with sector experience and research proficiency are supported by in-house methodologists and a wide portfolio of advanced analytic tools, including proprietary modeling services and software, all of them highly customized. The firm continues to invest significant resources in intellectual capital to enhance enterprise decision support with cutting-edge methods, including specialized “small data” choice models, new predictive techniques using big data and brand-customized text analytics. Its Farsight suite supports the building of highly dynamic models capable of producing forecasts for complex market scenarios, including paradigm-shift technologies, and gives market monitoring programs a forward-looking perspective that guides timely market interventions. Other services include litigation and regulatory support, often involving expert testimony in cases involving trademark confusion, deceptive advertising and brand equity. NAXION’s strong commitment to operational excellence is reflected in ISO certification and in-house operations capabilities to deliver exceptional levels of quality control. 

Founded: 1991 2019 U.S. revenue: $24.2 million Percent change from 2018: -3.6% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $1.2 million Percent from outside U.S.: 4.7% 2019 worldwide revenue: $25.4 million U.S. employees: 144

Gongos is a consultative agency that places customers at the heart of business strategy. Partnering with insights, analytics, marketing, strategy and customer experience groups, Gongos operationalizes customer centricity by helping companies both understand their customer needs and deliver on them better than anyone else.

From product innovation to portfolio management, customer experience to consumer journeys, pricing strategies to marketing optimization, and trend analysis to predictive modeling, Gongos provides both outside-in and inside-out approaches across organizations to drive greater customer attraction, retention and lifetime value.

Gongos further serves as a translator to help cross-functional teams fuel the competency to gain and apply consumer wisdom, transform decisions into action and navigate organizational change. Coalescing enterprise data with primary research and curating insights for multiple audiences further empowers stakeholders to achieve greater ROI by ensuring information is designed to influence actions and behaviors from executives to the frontline. 

Gongos’ consultative tools stem from change management principles that help organizations navigate the transformation often necessary to create a more outside-in perspective as they reorient around the customer. Gongos’ approaches to engage multiple audiences include communication strategies and tactics grounded in frameworks such as its adoption-to-advocacy model and human-centered design.

43. Maru/Matchbox **

Founded: 2016 2019 U.S. revenue: $28 million Percent change from 2018: 3.7% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $14 million Percent from outside U.S.: 33.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $42 million U.S. employees: 150

Maru/Matchbox began disrupting the market research industry in 2000. Powered by proprietary technology, its expert teams are deeply invested in key sectors of the economy, including consumer goods and services, financial services, retail, technology, healthcare, public services, and media and entertainment. Maru/Marchbox provides organizations with the tools and insights to connect with the people that matter most, so they can build and maintain a competitive advantage. 

In 2019, Maru/Matchbox released a series of innovative research solutions. 

• Digital Media Measurement is a campaign evaluation approach that enables clients to better understand how content, channels and brands interact to deliver effective communication. 
• Creative Insight measures people’s implicit and explicit responses to advertising, giving clients a complete picture of how their ad is working. It is designed to evaluate any type of ad or brand communication, across all channels, with best-in-class benchmarks.
• Lissted analyzes how members of communities relevant to clients react to content, tweets and even websites. 
• Brand Emotion utilizes visual semiotics to identify and leverage the emotional profile of a brand. 

Maru/Matchbox continues to demonstrate innovation and thought leadership through relentless publication of articles and whitepapers.

42. Chadwick Martin Bailey (CMB)

Founded: 1984 2019 U.S. revenue: $28.7 million Percent change from 2018: 20.6% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: — Percent from outside U.S.: — 2019 worldwide revenue: $28.7 million U.S. employees: 90

CMB is a research and strategy firm, helping the world’s leading brands engage, innovate and grow amid deep disruption. The company leverages the best of advanced analytics, consumer psychology and market strategy to tackle critical business initiatives, including market identification, segmentation, brand health, loyalty and advocacy, and product and service development.

For more than 35 years, CMB has helped the most successful brands and their executives give voice to their market through a relentless business decision focus, creative problem-solving and storytelling, deeply consultative approach and flawless execution. With dedicated financial services, media and entertainment, tech and telecom, retail and healthcare practices, CMB’s expert teams understand the complex and evolving technological, social, cultural and economic forces that drive disruption and create opportunity.

In 2020, CMB continued its growth trajectory, including building expertise in gaming and digital platforms and expanding its qualitative and advanced analytics teams. A thought leader in the application of consumer psychology to real world business issues, CMB conducted self-funded research among tens of thousands of consumers to capture the four core benefits that motivate decision-making—identity, emotion, social and functional—providing an in-depth look at more than 80 global brands. Further self-funded research explored the accelerating journey and path to purchase of today’s gamers.

41. Screen Engine/ASI

Founded: 2010 2019 U.S. revenue: $33 million Percent change from 2018: 10% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $1.9 million Percent from outside U.S.: 5.4% 2019 worldwide revenue: $34.9 million U.S. employees: 132

Screen Engine/ASI is a research-based consumer insights firm that stands for delivering its entertainment and media clients actionable insights and recommendations, not simply data. SE/ASI strives to help clients mitigate risk and maximize the potential for success. Through its Motion Picture and TV Groups, SE/ASI works across all distribution platforms for both domestic and internationally produced content. 

The company is centered on assessing the “abilities” of content as it migrates from the earliest stages of development through multi-channel distribution. The Motion Picture Group is the leader in traditional and digital in theater and online recruited audience screenings. Offerings also include PostTrak, a syndicated domestic and international in-theater exit poll, and ScreenExperts, an early assessment of critical response, creative ad testing, positioning and brand studies, custom work, and location-based and online focus group research. A cross-platform team within this group works with home entertainment, over-the-top and gaming clients. 

The TV group is the leader in location-based ViewTrac dial testing of pilots, programs and ongoing series and conducts online dial testing as well. Other offerings include location-based and online focus groups, promo testing, positioning and brand studies, and a variety of custom studies including custom trackers. SE/ASI syndicates Tracktion trackers including a TV tracker, a theatrical movie tracker, a home entertainment tracker and a premium video-on-demand tracker. All groups work in the company’s media lab equipped for biometric and new technology research. When appropriate, SE/ASI engages in advanced analytics techniques including, but not limited to, segmentation, conjoint, maxdiff and TURF analysis. 

40. MarketVision Research

Founded: 1983 2019 U.S. revenue: $33.2 million Percent change from 2018: 2.5% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: — Percent from outside U.S.: — 2019 worldwide revenue: $33.2 million U.S. employees: 140

MarketVision Research is a full-service marketing research firm, providing clients with actionable insights about their markets, customers, brands and products. Research areas of focus include product and portfolio development, pricing, branding, segmentation and customer experience. The company offers a full suite of quantitative and qualitative research capabilities and works across industry groups. These include:

• Optimization and discrete choice modeling as it applies to product and service development, branding, packaging and pricing.
• Online communities that are managed and developed entirely in-house with a focus on improving participant engagement and with additional support for mobile participation.
• Hybrid research, which uses 20 in-house moderators, along with marketing science professionals and global project managers, to facilitate qualitative and quantitative research seamlessly.

39. The Link Group

Founded: 1994 2019 U.S. revenue: $34.2 million Percent change from 2018: 23.9% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $0.3 million Percent from outside U.S.: 0.9% 2019 worldwide revenue: $34.5 million U.S. employees: 85

The Link Group executes research for Fortune 500 firms in the healthcare, retail, CPG and finance industries across both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and around the globe. TLG attributes its success to its core business philosophy: smarter research and better service. Its commitment to smarter research has allowed the company to take a creative, custom approach to its clients’ business needs that results in actionable and insightful reports. TLG delivers better service by maintaining a consistent research team across projects, allowing the team to anticipate and respond to client needs. This business philosophy has resulted in 99% of revenue coming from repeat clients.

This past year, TLG has continued to hone its research approaches to help elevate traditional research methods. For its messaging and positioning work, TLG developed a framework that triangulates quantitative survey data to determine how well messaging concepts will activate, communicate and engage the customer. In its segmentation studies, TLG blends science and art to create models that align with the client’s brand strategic vision by creating differences that are meaningful and actionable from a marketing perspective. TLG has leveraged its knowledge of behavioral economics to develop a validated, proprietary quantitative methodology—LinkEQ—that allows the company to reveal latent emotional associations.

Founded: 1983 2019 U.S. revenue: $34.3 million Percent change from 2018: -1.2% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $1.2 million Percent from outside U.S.: 3.4% 2019 worldwide revenue: $35.5 million U.S. employees: 233

SSRS is a full-service market and survey research firm led by a core of dedicated professionals with advanced degrees in the social sciences. 

SSRS surveys support numerous media and academic partners looking to report on public attitudes and beliefs about a wide range of salient issues such as elections and public policy. SSRS is the polling partner for CNN, and conducts public opinion polling for ABC News, The Washington Post, Politico and CBS News. 

Beyond national polls, SSRS regularly conducts research at a state level, and among subpopulations such as Latinos and political partisans, and specializes in reaching hard-to-reach and low-incidence populations. SSRS has extensive experience in public policy, public affairs and health policy research. Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, SSRS has completed numerous studies surrounding its implementation and assessing Americans’ attitudes and experiences with the law. 

Since 2016, SSRS conducts the monthly Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll. SSRS is well-known for its weekly telephone Omnibus poll. The firm also offers the SSRS Opinion Panel, which allows clients to conduct probabilistic surveys quickly at low cost. The SSRS/Luker on Trends Sports Poll is the first and longest-running tracking study focusing on sports in the U.S. 

37. BVA Group **

Founded: 1970 2019 U.S. revenue: $36 million Percent change from 2018: 2.6% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $147 million Percent from outside U.S.: 80.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $183 million U.S. employees: 120

BVA Group is a fast-growing research and consulting firm, an expert in behavioral science, ranked in the top 20 worldwide agencies. BVA brings data to life and converts deep understanding of customers and citizens into behavior change strategies. BVA operates both for public and private clients with methodologies fueled by data science and behavioral science. 

Its FMCG specialist—PRS IN VIVO—is a global leader in packaging and shopper research. PRS IN VIVO helps consumer marketers to succeed through: 

• In-store and online studies to better understand shopper behavior, in both physical and e-commerce shopping contexts.
• Qualitative studies to develop, screen and refine new product, packaging and merchandising concepts.
• Quantitative studies to pre-test and quantify new packaging, merchandising and display systems (for physical stores and e-commerce).
• Volume forecasting and product testing for both innovations and brand restages.
• “Nudge” initiatives to facilitate behavioral change, create new consumer habits and drive category growth. 

BVA Group is a European leader in customer experience research. More than 100 leading brands use BVA’s behavioral insights to provide seamless shopper journeys and design successful new products and services, including solutions from its multi-awarded Global Nudge-Unit.

36. radius | illumination

Founded: 1960 2019 U.S. revenue: $42 million Percent change from 2018: — 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $1 million Percent from outside U.S.: 2.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $43 million U.S. employees: 127

Radius│illumination is the product of a merger between Radius Global Market Research and Illumination Research in 2018. Together, it’s one of the largest independent custom insights providers in the world. Its focus is on guiding brands at critical points along their growth journey, tackling issues such as identifying compelling innovations, creating relevant customer segmentations and developing strategies for deeper loyalty and engagement.

Radius | illumination partners with Fortune 500 leaders as well as challenger, disruptor and emerging brands in the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Its top sectors include financial services, personal care, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, technology, home improvement and durables, media and entertainment, packaged foods, beverage, retail and transportation.

Its 2020 initiatives to fuel brand growth for its clients include:

• Provide agile and robust solutions such as InnovationSprint to accelerate new product and service development.
• Increase its information design capabilities so clients can easily take action on the results.
• Focus on driving deeper insights by combining its advanced analytics strength with immersive customer understanding in its designs.
• Expand solutions through the integration of new technologies and behavioral approaches.

35. Market Force **

Founded: 2005 2019 U.S. revenue: $50 million Percent change from 2018: 2% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $7 million Percent from outside U.S.: 12.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $57 million U.S. employees: 375

Market Force Information provides location-level customer experience management solutions to protect clients’ brand reputation, delight their customers and make them more money. 

Market Force operates at scale across the globe. Each month, the company:

• Completes more than 100,000 mystery shops.
• Collects, processes and analyzes millions of employee and customer experience surveys.
• Manages more than 100,000 inbound calls to its contact center.
• Hosts more than 1 million user logins on its KnowledgeForce reporting platform.

Market Force’s multi-location solutions provide a robust framework for measuring and improving operational excellence, customer experience and financial KPIs. Measurement channels include mystery shopping, customer experience surveys, contact center calls, social media and employee engagement surveys via the KnowledgeForce technology platform and Eyes:On mobile app. Market Force employs predictive analytics to determine what matters most and the ROI for investing in improvements. The firm takes a dual-headed approach to market research services (e.g., customer segmentation, attitude trial and usage studies and custom research projects) and strategic advisory services to design and implement effective measurement systems and improve performance.

Founded: 1991 2019 U.S. revenue: $52 million Percent change from 2018: 4% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $6 million Percent from outside U.S.: 10.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $58 million U.S. employees: 400

As a leading customer experience management firm, SMG helps clients get smarter about their customers and employees to drive changes that boost customer loyalty and improve business performance. SMG combines technology and services to collect, analyze and share feedback and behavioral data, so it’s easier for clients to deliver and activate customer insights across their enterprise.

SMG partners with more than 350 brands around the globe to create better customer and employee experiences, which drive loyalty and performance. SMG uniquely combines technology and insights to help clients listen better, act faster and outperform competitors. SMG is a technology-enabled research firm with a global footprint—evaluating more than 150 million surveys annually, in 50 languages across 125 countries. 

Strategic solutions include omniCXTM, Brand Research and Employee Engagement. SMG’s omniCX solution uses multiple research methodologies in capturing solicited and unsolicited consumer feedback across in-store, online, contact center and social channels. Results are aggregated and reported via smg360TM—a real-time, role-based reporting platform providing access to all customer and related data. 

SMG’s research professionals partner with clients to derive business-changing insights. Within Brand Research, SMG offers traditional brand tracking as well as access to dynamic customer and competitor data through market intelligence tool BrandGeek. Fueled by SurveyMini—SMG’s location-based mobile research app—BrandGeek contains consumer feedback and behavioral data relating to more than 4,500 brands across more than 500,000 locations.

33. Hanover Research

Founded: 2003 2019 U.S. revenue: $52.7 million Percent change from 2018: 14.1% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $2.6 million Percent from outside U.S.: 4.7% 2019 worldwide revenue: $55.3 million U.S. employees: 358

Hanover Research is a brain trust designed to level the information playing field. Hanover is made up of hundreds of researchers who support thousands of organizational decisions every year. One of the industry’s fastest-growing companies, Hanover attributes this market success to its unique positioning as the only firm that provides tailored research through an annual, fixed-fee model. 

Hanover serves more than 1,000 organizations and companies worldwide from established global organizations, to emerging companies to educational institutions. Hanover’s research informs decisions at any level and across any department capitalizing on the exposure to myriad industries and challenges. 

Founded in 2003, Hanover operates on an annual fixed-fee model, and partnership provides its clients with access to a team of high-caliber researchers, survey experts, analysts and statisticians with diverse skills in market research, information services and analytics. There is no limit on the type of challenge that can be asked for on the quantitative and qualitative approaches Hanover uses to deliver solutions—most of which are very difficult to replicate internally.

Hanover’s custom research services include:

• Secondary research: market segmentation and evaluation; labor and demographic trends and forecasts; vendor and product reviews; best practices reports. 
• Survey: survey design, administration and analysis; open-ended response coding. 
• Qualitative primary research: focus group design and administration; in-depth interview design, outreach, administration and analysis. 
• Data analysis: data segmentation and mining; conjoint analysis; linear regression; descriptive and predictive analytics; data forecasting and modeling. 

32. Directions Research

Founded: 1988 2019 U.S. revenue: $54.2 million Percent change from 2018: 17.8% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: — Percent from outside U.S.: — 2019 worldwide revenue: $54.2 million U.S. employees: 181

Independently recognized as one of the leading business decision insight firms in the nation, Directions Research combines a highly experienced staff with a unique mix of innovative and proven approaches to answer pressing business issues. Directions and SEEK routinely combine primary and connected data from multiple sources to create holistic and actionable analytic stories for their clients. Through digital dashboards, infographics, written reports and other unique visualizations, the firm communicates its knowledge in a manner that is right for today’s leaders. 

Directions and SEEK excel in innovation, optimization, customer and brand experience, brand strategy, strategic business intelligence and visualization across a wide range of industries. The firm offers B2C and B2B services globally, surveying audiences using a broad selection of data collection techniques and combining those insights with existing client knowledge. Directions’ and SEEK’s staff have an excellent mix of client- and supplier-side experience. The organization allows senior researchers to work with clients on a day-to-day basis.

SEEK (acquired in 2018) is a qualitative insight and innovation consultancy, operating as an independent but connected division of Directions. SEEK empathically connects brands with the humans they serve, transforming the brand-to-consumer relationship into a human-to-human one. The SEEK approach builds brand advocacy for clients with the human-centric approach to innovation, activating empathy as an innate problem-solving capability.

31. Fors Marsh Group (FMG) *

Founded: 2002 2019 U.S. revenue: $57.5 million Percent change from 2018: 22.1% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: — Percent from outside U.S.: — 2019 worldwide revenue: $57.5 million U.S. employees: 263

FMG applies behavioral and data science to improve organizational processes, business solutions and customer experiences. This work is conducted within seven core U.S. markets: health, defense, technology, finance, homeland security, policy and consumer. 

FMG’s work for its clients wins industry and federal awards. FMG has been named as a top market research company by GreenBook and the American Advertising Federation and has been named to the American Marketing Association’s list of top market research companies in the U.S. for five consecutive years. FMG was also a finalist for the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council’s Igniting Innovation 2018 award for creating an innovative e-learning program that improved program awareness and usability for the General Services Administration’s Center for Acquisition Professional Excellence. 

For 2019 and beyond, FMG is focused on continuing this momentum and expanding in important areas. In its human capital practice, FMG is furthering its work in the cybersecurity industry to help the Department of Defense attract top cyber talent and to protect the nation’s infrastructure. FMG is also expanding its efforts in public service recruiting through new partnerships with the U.S. Army, U.S. National Guard and AmeriCorps. The company is proud that its partnership with these institutions will help shape the future of the U.S. For its health division, FMG is leveraging its deep experience in health communications to fight the opioid crisis by reducing stigma and removing barriers that victims face in receiving help—potentially one of the biggest challenges facing America today. 

30. National Research Group (NRG) **

Founded: 1978 2019 U.S. revenue: $59 million Percent change from 2018: 1.7% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $4 million Percent from outside U.S.: 6.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $63 million U.S. employees: 200

National Research Group, acquired by Stagwell Media from Nielsen in 2015, is a leading global insights and strategy firm at the intersection of entertainment and technology. Rooted in four decades of industry expertise, the world’s leading marketers turn to NRG for insights into growth and strategy for any content, anywhere, on any device. Working at the confluence of content, culture and technology, NRG offers bold insights for storytellers everywhere. 

Some agencies specialize in qual, others focus on quant—but NRG connects the two disciplines with hybrid teams expert in both modalities. The company is a one-stop, custom consultancy that tailors its approach to solve clients’ biggest challenges. 

The foundation of NRG’s qualitative work is a team of passionate, subject matter experts who connect deeply with consumers in any environment. NRG uses qual to discover the subconscious drivers that fuel our quantitative truths. Its quantitative work is anchored in sophisticated techniques with a focus on agility, creativity and rigor. NRG is method-agnostic and works collaboratively with its clients to solve complex problems in a simple way.

29. Cello Health * **

Founded: 2004 2019 U.S. revenue: $64.5 million Percent change from 2018: 23.3% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $58.5 million Percent from outside U.S.: 47.6% 2019 worldwide revenue: $123 million U.S. employees: 260

Cello Health consists of four global capabilities that enable the company to offer best-in-class services and an integrated partnership approach to its clients. This unique mix of capabilities, combined with its collaborative approach, results in a unique fusion of expertise, providing powerful advisory and implementation solutions.

• Cello Health Insight is a global marketing research company, providing business intelligence to the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. Cello Health Insight specializes in getting to the heart of its clients’ questions, using a large pool of creative and academic resources and providing design of materials and deliverables through a hand-picked project team—selected to best meet the needs of each individual project.
• Cello Health Consulting is the strategic consulting arm of Cello Health, focused on delivering business results by unlocking the potential within organizations, people, assets and brands. Cello Health Consulting works alongside clients to create practical solutions that ensure buy-in and build relationships. 
• Cello Health Communications combines science, strategy and creativity to unlock the potential of brands and assets. Its services underpin differentiated positioning and deliver brand optimization, focusing on multiple areas of development and launch, through commercial maturity.
• Cello Signal is a full-service digital capability bringing impactful messages alive in communications campaigns, content and film.

28. Macromill Group **

Founded: 2000 2019 U.S. revenue: $68.5 million Percent change from 2018: 2.2% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $260 million Percent from outside U.S.: 79.1% 2019 worldwide revenue: $328.5 million U.S. employees: 275

Macromill Group is a rapidly growing global market research and digital marketing solutions provider bringing together the collective power of its specialist companies to provide innovative data and insights that drive clients’ smarter decisions. Macromill’s industry-leading digital research solutions deliver rapid and cost-effective solutions to the challenges businesses face today. 

The group’s leading business units are Macromill and MetrixLab. Macromill stands at the forefront of innovation, delivering unique marketing solutions. It offers exclusive access to the highest-quality online panels with more than 2 million members. Using its self-developed platform AIRs, Macromill provides full-service online research including automated survey creation and completion, data tabulation and analysis. Today, its business portfolio includes services such as offline quantitative research, mobile research, point-of-service database research (QPR), digital marketing (Accessmill), a DIY survey platform (Questant) and more. 

Metrixlab turns data from online surveys, social media, mobile devices and enterprise systems into valuable business information and actionable consumer insights. This helps leading companies drive product innovation, brand engagement and customer value. Owned and group panels provide expansive access to global respondents in mature and emerging markets. Its teams deliver strategic and tactical decision support by pushing the boundaries of data analysis innovation, combining cutting-edge technology with data science and proven marketing research methodologies. Clients across the globe rely on the company’s hyper-efficient data and insights ecosystem to deliver fast and affordable results.

27. C Space **

Founded: 1999 2019 U.S. revenue: $70 million Percent change from 2018: 2.9% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $18 million Percent from outside U.S.: 20.5% 2019 worldwide revenue: $88 million U.S. employees: 354

C Space, part of the Interbrand Group, is a global customer agency that marries art and science to create rapid customer insight and business change. 

C Space works with some of the world’s best-known brands—such as Walmart, Samsung, IKEA and more—to build customers into the ways companies work and deliver on customer-inspired growth. By building real, ongoing relationships with customers—online and in-person—brands can stay relevant, deliver superior experiences, launch successful products and build loyalty. Through its “customer as a service” approach of research, consulting and communications, C Space helps businesses minimize risk and maximize growth.

The company integrates customers into the ways its clients work. By bringing stakeholders together around the customer, C Space’s clients create greater clarity and alignment in the actions that will most effectively drive customer growth.

C Space’s customized programs are tailored based on specific business needs and include private online communities, immersive storytelling, data and analytics, activation events, innovation projects and business consulting. C Space continues to invest in its people, existing capabilities like data and analytics, as well as new initiatives.

26. Engine Insights**

Founded: 2004 2019 U.S. revenue: $71 million Percent change from 2018: 4.4% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $44 million Percent from outside U.S.: 38.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $115 million U.S. employees: 240

Engine is a new kind of data-driven marketing solutions company. Powered by data, driven by results and guided by people, Engine helps its clients make connections that count—leading to bottom-line growth, an inspired workplace and business transformation. 

Engine Insights (formerly ORC International) connects traditional market research with cutting-edge products to deliver clients a 360-degree view of their customers, employees and markets. Engine’s extended suite of solutions and products are designed to support business growth, from helping clients understand and outperform the competition to operationalizing both survey and behavioral data to identify, attract, engage and retain their audiences.

Engine Insights’ client services and products include custom research and omnibus surveys; customer experience, customer retention and brand engagement studies; and data management and data analytics. 

These services help clients:

• Think beyond products and services to drive business revenue.
• Use insights to inform more relevant messaging and creative.
• Get a complete 360-degree view of their customers.
• Segment audiences for better targeting.
• Develop the perfect product and take it to market.
• Create unique experiences that engage their customers and keep them loyal for a lifetime.
• Build an internal culture that attracts, retains and engages the best talent.

Founded: 1931 2019 U.S. revenue: $71.1 million Percent change from 2018: 9% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $6.9 million Percent from outside U.S.: 8.8% 2019 worldwide revenue: $78 million U.S. employees: 253

Since 1931, Burke has consistently redefined expectations in the marketing research industry. From segmentation to customer engagement programs, product innovation and brand tracking, Burke prides itself on designing and executing objectives-driven quantitative and qualitative research. Working across a variety of industries, Burke helps its clients gain actionable perspective on their most critical business challenges, providing a range of solutions from agile to integrated strategic decision support.

Today, Burke continues to push the boundaries of what marketing research can be, seamlessly uniting research, strategy and education. Backed by Seed Strategy—its strategic consulting subsidiary—Burke has the capabilities to support its clients throughout every phase of the product or service life cycle, with expertise in strategy, innovation, branding and marketing. In addition, Burke provides comprehensive training on research fundamentals and best practices through the Burke Institute—its dedicated education division and the industry’s leader in research and insights training. Wherever its clients find themselves on the path to success, Burke is uniquely equipped to help them move forward with clarity, confidence and purpose.

Continuing its long tradition of research innovation, Burke recently unveiled two new offerings: Geode|AI, an integrated insights system that analyzes multiple data sources to uncover patterns, relationships and critical insights that are often hidden; and Quantiment, a robust machine-learning solution that jointly extracts richer insights from structured and unstructured data.

24. YouGov *

Founded: 2000 2019 U.S. revenue: $76.8 million Percent change from 2018: 11.8% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $107.5 million Percent from outside U.S.: 58.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $184.3 million U.S. employees: 212

YouGov is a global provider of analysis and data generated by consumer panels in 42 markets. Its core offering of opinion data is derived from the proprietary YouGov Global Panel of more than 9 million people. The YouGov Global Panel provides the company with thousands of data points on consumer attitudes, opinions and behavior. YouGov captures these streams of data in the YouGov Cube, its unique connected data library that holds more than 10 years of historic single-source data. In 2019, YouGov panelists completed more than 25 million surveys.

YouGov’s data-led offering supports and improves a wide spectrum of marketing activities of a customer base, including media owners, brands and media agencies. YouGov works with some of the world’s most recognized brands.

Its syndicated data products include the daily brand perception tracker, YouGov BrandIndex and the media planning and segmentation tool YouGov Profiles. Its market-leading YouGov RealTime service provides a fast and cost-effective solution for reaching nationally representative and specialist samples. YouGov’s Custom Research division offers a wide range of quantitative and qualitative research, tailored by sector specialist teams to meet users’ specific requirements. YouGov data is delivered through Crunch, the most advanced analytics tool for research data, combining fast processing with drag-and-drop simplicity. YouGov has a strong record for data accuracy and innovation. 

23. Phoenix Marketing International

Founded: 1999 2019 U.S. revenue: $77 million Percent change from 2018: -3.8% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $4.5 million Percent from outside U.S.: 5.5% 2019 worldwide revenue: $81.5 million U.S. employees: 343

Global advertising and brand specialist Phoenix Marketing International operates in all major industries, utilizing modern technology, innovative research techniques and customized approaches to help clients elevate their brand, refine their communications and optimize their customer experience. 

With the launch of Phoenix’s AdPi Brand Effect Platform, clients now have access to continuous advertising measurement and performance improvement insights through a single platform, providing the ability to analyze their campaigns at any stage in the advertising life cycle, and the flexibility to draw upon each piece as needed. Through more than 20 years of experience and testing thousands of ads per month, Phoenix developed 19 category-specific ad measurement models that uncover the drivers and creative attributes that explain the “whys” behind an ad’s creative performance, with forward-looking estimates for ad memorability and brand linkage.

Phoenix continues to evolve its CX solution, launching Competitive Customer Experience, a measurement of how consumers perceive their overall experience with a brand, including key touchpoints along the journey. Grounding recent experiences with a client’s brand, competitor brands and non-categorical benchmarking, Phoenix is able to evaluate brand opinion, understand what drives great CX outside of the category, focus on emotional drivers of brand CX, and provide an external view of culture, consistency and brand promises.

22. Concentrix **

Founded: 1983 2019 U.S. revenue: $95 million Percent change from 2018: 11.8% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $130 million Percent from outside U.S.: 57.8% 2019 worldwide revenue: $225 million U.S. employees: 253

Concentrix is a wholly owned subsidiary of SYNNEX Corp., specializing in technology-enabled customer engagement and improving business performance for clients around the world. With more than 225,000 staff in more than 40 countries, Concentrix provides services to clients in 10 industry verticals: automotive, banking and financial services, insurance, healthcare, technology, consumer electronics, media and communications, retail and e-commerce, travel and transportation, energy and the public sector. 

The Concentrix Voice of the Customer solution combines technology with experience management services provided by its in-house team of hundreds of CX professionals. 

Powered by analytic tools and artificial intelligence, its customer feedback platform ConcentrixCX helps companies listen, analyze and act on omnichannel customer feedback at any point in the customer journey, at scale. Features include data capture and integration, real-time reporting and analytics, and coaching and employee engagement tools. Concentrix continues to invest in enhanced platform functionality—for example, multi-source data expansion of its proprietary text analytics engine, including structured and unstructured customer feedback sources such as surveys, social, messaging, complaints and email. New digital data collection capabilities include a conversational feedback bot and embedded micro-journey surveys. 

Concentrix experience management services range from program management to strategic advisory services and are custom tailored to free clients’ internal teams to focus on transformational impact. Its CX experts specialize in quantitative and qualitative techniques, delivering data-driven insights through solutions such as survey design, relational loyalty research, CX journey analytics, digital channel optimization, customer segmentation, customer effort assessment and integrated CX analytics.

21. Escalent

Founded: 1975 2019 U.S. revenue: $97.1 million Percent change from 2018: -3.4% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $5.5 million Percent from outside U.S.: 5.4% 2019 worldwide revenue: $102.6 million U.S. employees: 352

Escalent is a human behavior and analytics firm specializing in industries facing disruption. The company transforms data and insights into an understanding of what drives human behavior, and it helps businesses turn those drivers into actions that build brands, enhance customer experiences and inspire product innovation. 

Escalent specializes in automotive and mobility, consumer and retail, energy, financial services, health, technology and telecommunications. Focusing on select industries allows Escalent to function as a trusted business partner who knows the challenges its clients face and understands how to engage their most valuable audiences. 

Escalent has three centers of excellence: Qualitative Research combines emerging technologies, anthropology and ethnography to tap into human insights that reveal real needs and potential; Marketing & Data Sciences combine survey, behavioral, transactional and third-party data to solve tough research challenges; and Insight Communities provides private, online platforms for brands to engage with groups of stakeholders to quickly and easily draw insights.

20. dunnhumby **

Founded: 2001 2019 U.S. revenue: $100 million Percent change from 2018: -3.8% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $335 million Percent from outside U.S.: 77% 2019 worldwide revenue: $435 million U.S. employees: 230

Dunnhumby is a customer science company that analyzes data and applies insights for almost 1 billion shoppers across the globe to create personalized customer experiences in digital, mobile and retail environments. Its strategic process, proprietary insights and multichannel media capabilities build loyalty with customers to drive competitive advantage and sustained growth for clients. Dunnhumby uses data and science to understand customers, then applies that insight to create personalized experiences that build lasting emotional connections with retailers and brands. It’s a strategy that demonstrates when companies know and treat their customers better than the competition, they earn more than their loyalty—they earn a competitive advantage.

Dunnhumby was established in the U.S. to help retailers and manufacturers put the customer at the heart of their business decisions. Analyzing data from millions of customers across the country, dunnhumby enables clients to use this insight to deliver a better shopping experiences and more relevant marketing to their customers.

By putting best customers at the center of every decision, dunnhumby’s approach delivers measurable value, competitive edge and even more customer data to fuel ongoing optimization, setting clients up for long-term success.

Dunnhumby serves a prestigious list of retailers and manufacturers in grocery, consumer goods, health, beauty, personal care, food service, apparel and advertising, among others. Clients include Tesco, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Macy’s and PepsiCo.

19. Informa Financial Intelligence**

Founded: 2016 2019 U.S. revenue: $107 million Percent change from 2018: 1.9% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $36 million Percent from outside U.S.: 25.2% 2019 worldwide revenue: $143 million U.S. employees: 500

Informa Financial Intelligence is a leading provider of business intelligence, market research and expert analysis to the financial industry. The world’s top global financial institutions and banks look to Informa Financial Intelligence for its authority, precision and forward-focused analysis. 

Informa Financial Intelligence consists of key research, analysis and industry experts, such as Informa Research Services, EPFR Global, Informa Global Markets, iMoneyNet, Informa Investment Solutions, eBenchmarkers and Mapa Research.

Informa Financial Intelligence provides fund and wealth managers, traders, insurers, analysts, and investment and retail bankers with the intelligent advantage to make informed decisions, understand past trends, forecast future performance, drive profitability and increase returns.

Because of their strong background in the financial industry, the research teams of Informa Financial Intelligence are highly qualified to help financial institutions with their market research needs. Informa’s researchers are experts in benchmarking studies, competitive intelligence, new product development and usability testing, customer and member satisfaction and loyalty research, brand and advertising awareness research, and mystery shopping services for sales and service quality evaluation, legal and match pair testing, compliance, discrimination and misleading sales practices testing. Informa is considered a leader in the use of market research to limit the risk associated with allegations of discrimination, UDAAP (unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices), predatory lending and misleading sales practices.

18. NRC Health

Founded: 1991 2019 U.S. revenue: $113 million Percent change from 2018: 10.8% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $3.6 million Percent from outside U.S.: 3.1% 2019 worldwide revenue: $128 million U.S. employees: 448

NRC Health (formerly National Research Corp.) has helped healthcare organizations illuminate and improve the moments that matter to patients, residents, physicians, nurses and staff for more than 38 years. The company offers performance measurement and improvement services to hospitals, healthcare systems, physicians, health plans, senior care organizations, home health agencies and other healthcare organizations. 

NRC Health solutions help organizations stay at the forefront of healthcare by understanding the totality of healthcare consumer and staff experiences. Primary solutions include: 

• Experience solutions capture personal experiences, while delivering insights to power a new benchmark: n=1. Developing a longitudinal profile of customers’ healthcare wants and needs allows for organizational improvement, increased provider and staff engagement, loyal relationships and personal well-being. 
• The Loyalty Index, composed of seven aspects that combine to provide a 360-degree view of healthcare consumer loyalty—a single, trackable metric to identify emerging trends in consumer behavior and benchmark against peers. 
• Market Insights is a large U.S. consumer database that gives partners access to the opinions of 310,000 healthcare consumers in 300 markets, and access to resources to better understand target audiences and gauge consumer response to communications.
• The Transparency solution calculates star ratings from existing patient, resident and family survey data, and publishes those ratings to organizations’ websites. 
• The Governance Institute supports the efforts of healthcare boards across the nation—to lead stronger organizations and build healthier communities. NRC Health partners with organizations to improve governance efficiency and effective decision-making by providing trusted, independent information, tools and resources to board members, executives and physician leaders. 

17. MaritzCX **

Founded: 1973 2019 U.S. revenue: $118 million Percent change from 2018: — 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $44 million Percent from outside U.S.: 27.2% 2019 worldwide revenue: $162 million U.S. employees: 600

MaritzCX is a software and research company that focuses on customer experience management for big business. The company offers a unique combination of award-winning CX software, industry-leading data and research science, deep vertical market expertise and managed program services. MaritzCX provides a full-service professional CX approach designed to continuously improve the customer experience across an enterprise’s customers, employees, prospects and partners. 

MaritzCX’s research insights include its leading CXStandards competitive benchmarking research that delivers quarterly benchmarks for 55 CX categories across 16 industries. Its CXEvolution study of more than 10,000 practitioners’ feedback informed large enterprises of their CX gaps. 

The company’s focus is to leverage the MaritzCX platform, its industry-leading studies and research services to drive more meaningful experiences between its clients and their customers by adding product and research services and continued thought leadership in the CX market. In addition, MaritzCX has received CMS-certification for HCAHPS surveys, becoming the industry’s first CX platform company to offer an inclusive CX-based patient experience platform.

MaritzCX specializes in solutions for key industries, including automotive, financial services, retail, technology, B2B and more. Its global reach includes more than 900 full-time employees and 800-plus part-time or contract employees in 19 offices around the world. MaritzCX provides solutions to more than 500 clients and 1.6 million users who speak 72 languages in 100 countries. MaritzCX is committed to being its clients’ customer experience research partners.

In March 2020, InMoment acquired MaritzCX.

16. DRG (Decision Resources Group) **

Founded: 1990 2019 U.S. revenue: $140 million Percent change from 2018: 2.2% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $53 million Percent from outside U.S.: 27.5% 2019 worldwide revenue: $193 million U.S. employees: 399

DRG, the Health Science & Analytics Division of Piramal Enterprises, is a global information and technology services company that provides proprietary data and solutions to the healthcare industry. DRG has brought together best-in-class companies to provide end-to-end solutions to complex challenges in healthcare. DRG reframes these challenges, enabling its customers to see the opportunities. Pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical technology and managed care companies rely on this analysis and data to make informed decisions critical to their success.

Framing the current status and future trends in target healthcare markets using data, primary research and secondary research is a core competency of DRG. Product offerings include high‐value analytics, syndicated research, proprietary databases, decision support tools and advisory services.

DRG has a number of key specialties, including syndicated research focused on new therapeutic opportunities; portfolio planning, changing industry dynamics and global treatment patterns; insights and data on physician and consumer healthcare e‐marketing; and proprietary databases and analytics covering more than 90% of the U.S. managed care markets. 

15. Wood Mackenzie **

Founded: 1973 2019 U.S. revenue: $150 million Percent change from 2018: 3.4% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $335 million Percent from outside U.S.: 69.1% 2019 worldwide revenue: $485 million U.S. employees: 337

Wood Mackenzie, a Verisk business, is a leading research and consultancy business for the global energy, chemicals, metals and mining industries. Wood Mackenzie launched in 1923 as a small, relatively unknown, Edinburgh, Scotland-based stockbroker. By the 1970s, it had become one of the top three stockbrokers in the UK, renowned for the quality of its equity research. 

Its success has always been underpinned by the clear and simple principle of providing trusted research and advice that would make a difference to clients. This was true when the first oil report was published by its equity analysts in 1973 and remains just as relevant to it today. So much so that, over the past four decades, Wood Mackenzie has drawn upon its heritage to create a global research and consultancy business that has grown alongside the needs of its clients. 

Having cultivated deep expertise in upstream oil and gas, Wood Mackenzie has carefully broadened its focus to deliver the same level of detailed insight for every interconnected sector of the energy, chemicals, metals and mining industries it now serves around the world. But heritage is more than just history. Its expert analysts and consultants have connected the company to some of the most significant events of our time—creating insight for governments, boards and CEOs who have helped shape the future direction of the world’s natural resources industries and their impact on society. 

14. Material *

Founded: 1973 2019 U.S. revenue: $166.7 million Percent change from 2018: 0.3% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $57.9 million Percent from outside U.S.: 25.8% 2019 worldwide revenue: $224.6 million U.S. employees: 1,038

In 2019, Material (under the name LRW Group) acquired five companies: Killer Visual Strategies, an award-winning visual communication agency based in Seattle; Greenberg Strategy, a Bay Area research and strategy consultancy with a strong presence in the tech community; Karma Agency, a strategic communications firm based in Philadelphia; Salt Branding, a Bay Area consultancy; and T3, an Austin, Texas-based digital marketing agency. This year, Material is taking steps to unify these companies under one brand, integrating their services and building a collaboration that will provide seamless, end-to-end marketing solutions for clients. This year, LRW Group rebranded as Material, formally integrating 10 companies into one modern, unified offering.

Material is a radical collaboration of the top research and analytics firms seamlessly paired with the most creative and strategic marketing agencies, all with the shared mission of igniting growth for the world’s top B2B and B2C brands, from Fortune 500 companies to disruptive start-ups. Material offers a full range of marketing services—from data analytics and insights, to consulting and strategy development, to customer experience programs and creative executions. Material employs a roster of 1,200 strategists, creators, technologists, designers, researchers and storytellers that work side-by-side with clients to solve modern-day problems, build customer loyalty and make an impact on the world around us.

Founded: 1969 2019 U.S. revenue: $173.7 million Percent change from 2018: 0.5% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $52.6 million Percent from outside U.S.: 23.2% 2019 worldwide revenue: $226.3 million U.S. employees: 5,311

ICF is a global consulting services provider with more than 7,000 professionals focused on making big things possible for its commercial and government clients in the U.S., Europe and Asia. 

Clients work with ICF on issues that matter profoundly to their success, whether it’s a product or program that matters to the business or a social issue or policy that matters to the world. ICF offers comprehensive survey research services that empower clients to gain valuable and actionable insights on issues that matter. 

For more than 40 years, ICF has demonstrated design, methodological and statistical knowledge through the implementation of large and complex survey research projects. Its clients consist of U.S. federal, state and local agencies, universities, nonprofits and commercial organizations. 

Its survey research services include: 

• Analyzing, reporting and presenting findings.
• Conducting surveys through a variety of data collection methods. 
• Designing samples, data collection protocols and instruments.
• Protecting all processes and data through quality assurance and system security.

ICF recently completed the installation of a state-of-the-art, fully integrated and security-enhanced data collection system, allowing the company to securely and most efficiently collect survey research data across all modes. ICF continues to be dedicated to solving the world’s most complex challenges and tackle problems with ingenuity on issues that matter profoundly to its clients.

12. J.D. Power **

Founded: 1968 2019 U.S. revenue: $217 million Percent change from 2018: 3.3% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $113 million Percent from outside U.S.: 34.2% 2019 worldwide revenue: $330 million U.S. employees: 744

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. Those capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. J.D. Power offers market research, forecasting, consulting, training and consumer surveys of product and service quality, customer satisfaction and buyer behavior. The company’s independent industry benchmark studies, innovative data and analytics products, and customized advisory services provide insights and help companies improve quality, engagement and business performance.

Annual syndicated studies are based on survey responses from millions of consumers and business customers worldwide. The firm does not review, judge or test products and services for its syndicated studies. It relies on the opinions and perspectives of consumers who have used the products and services being rated. 

J.D. Power is most often recognized for its work in the automotive industry, where its metrics have become the industry standard for measuring product quality and customer satisfaction. A team of associates worldwide conducts quality and customer satisfaction research across industries including automotive, financial services, insurance, telecommunications, travel, healthcare utilities and consumer electronics. 

11. Forrester Research Services **

Founded: 1983 2019 U.S. revenue: $233.7 million Percent change from 2018: 32.9% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $65 million Percent from outside U.S.: 21.8% 2019 worldwide revenue: $298.7 million U.S. employees: 525

Forrester Research Services is the research component of Forrester, one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. Forrester works with business and technology leaders to develop customer-obsessed strategies that drive growth. Its unique insights are grounded in annual surveys of more than 675,000 consumers and business leaders worldwide, rigorous and objective methodologies, and the shared wisdom of its most innovative clients. 

Forrester’s research offerings consist of a library of cross-linked documents that interconnect its playbooks, reports, data, product rankings, best practices, evaluation tools and research archives. Research access is provided through role-based websites that facilitate client access to research and tools that are most relevant to their professional roles, including community tools that allow interaction between and among clients and analysts.

Forrester’s research and decision tools enable clients to better anticipate and capitalize on the disruptive forces affecting their businesses and organizations, providing insights and frameworks to drive growth in a complex and dynamic market. 

Founded: 1934 2019 U.S. revenue: $320 million Percent change from 2018: 3.2% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $1,280 million Percent from outside U.S.: 80% 2019 worldwide revenue: $1,600 million U.S. employees: 860

GfK connects data and science. Innovative research solutions provide answers for key business questions around consumers, markets, brands and media—now and in the future. As a research and analytics partner, GfK promises its clients all over the world “Growth from knowledge.” 

The increasing speed of product innovation, the rise of new channels and emerging customer needs are all part of business today. GfK’s clients are businesses around the globe. To make the best possible business decisions every day, they need more than purely descriptive data—they require actionable recommendations based on advanced analytics and powered by leading-edge technology. GfK is in the unique position to leverage proprietary and third-party data to create indispensable predictive market and consumer insights and recommendations.

GfK’s industry focus provides its market researchers with a thorough understanding of business issues and questions specific to their concerns. Industries covered include automotive, consumer goods, fashion and lifestyle, media and entertainment, retail, technology, and travel and hospitality.

9. comScore * **

Founded: 1999 2019 U.S. revenue: $336.1 million Percent change from 2018: -6.5% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $52.5 million Percent from outside U.S.: 13.5% 2019 worldwide revenue: $388.6 million U.S. employees: 870

ComScore is a global information and analytics company that measures advertising, content and the consumer audiences of each across media platforms. ComScore creates its products using a global data platform that combines information on digital platforms (smartphones, tablets and computers), television and movie screens with demographics and other descriptive information. 

ComScore has developed proprietary data science that enables measurement of person-level and household-level audiences, removing duplicated viewing across devices and over time. This combination of data and methods enables a common standard for buyers and sellers to transact on advertising. This helps companies across the media ecosystem better understand and monetize their audiences and develop marketing plans and products to more efficiently and effectively reach those audiences. ComScore’s ability to unify behavioral and other descriptive data enables it to provide audience ratings, advertising verification and granular consumer segments that describe hundreds of millions of consumers. 

ComScore offers several solutions to help advertisers maximize cross-platform marketing effectiveness—be it measuring brand impact, viewability or ad and audience delivery validation—as well as power cross-platform advertising for better targeting and stronger advertising ROI. ComScore Advanced Audience segments go beyond age and gender to help advertisers better target consumers based on lifestyles, behaviors, demographics and interests. ComScore pioneered this concept in digital, local and national TV. 

8. The NPD Group

Founded: 1966 2019 U.S. revenue: $339.5 million Percent change from 2018: 8.6% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $104.5 million Percent from outside U.S.: 23.5% 2019 worldwide revenue: $444 million U.S. employees: 1,185

NPD’s global information and advisory services help the world’s leading brands achieve data-driven growth. NPD combines data, industry expertise and prescriptive analytics across more than 20 industries to help its clients measure markets, predict trends and improve performance.

NPD syndicated services include retail tracking, distributor tracking and consumer tracking. NPD offers weekly data, store-level enabled data for looking at geographies or custom store groupings and account-level information for participating retailers. Point-of-sale data is collected from more than 600,000 doors worldwide, plus e-commerce and mobile platforms. Consumer information is collected via online surveys and NPD’s Checkout service, which uses receipt harvesting to track and analyze purchasing and behavior. Prescriptive analytics include market forecasting, new product forecasting, pricing and promotion evaluation and segmentation. 

With deep expertise in more than 20 industries, NPD provides thought leadership to the C-suites of many of the world’s leading brands. Senior industry advisors are available for strategy sessions to guide long-range planning or address specific needs, such as preparing for earnings calls. Topics include industry and category performance, the state of retail and winning strategies of best-in-class companies.

7. Westat **

Founded: 1963 2019 U.S. revenue: $590 million Percent change from 2018: 3.5% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $7 million Percent from outside U.S.: 1.2% 2019 worldwide revenue: $597 million U.S. employees: 1,900

Westat is a 100% employee-owned research and professional services company. Westat provides extensive survey design and operations capabilities in support of modern data collection from households, institutions, businesses and individuals. Westat applies multiple modes of data collection and survey management to achieve maximum response rates.

The company’s focus areas and capabilities include: 

• Statistical analysis and methodological research in survey design, experiments and testing, data science and analytics, statistical disclosure control and qualitative research.
• Program, process and outcome evaluation using diverse methodologies from design to implementation to guide each program to success.
• Health research, including behavioral and mental health, clinical studies and clinical trials, public and international health, healthcare delivery, patient safety and health communications campaigns.
• Social policy research and technical assistance for implementing innovative evaluation, quality improvement and service delivery systems.
• Education programs for supporting teachers, conducting evaluations and providing technical assistance.
• Transportation studies of travel behaviors, safety and human factors using advanced technologies such as instrumented vehicles and simulators, field observational studies, and online and mobile device-based surveys.

To support its research projects, Westat designs tailor-made approaches for clients as well as invests in many general and specialized IT technologies and products. Westat also provides licensing, training and support for Blaise, a major data collection software system produced by Statistics Netherlands and used internationally. 

Founded: 1975 2019 U.S. revenue: $682 million Percent change from 2018: 16.2% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $1,685 million Percent from outside U.S.: 71.2% 2019 worldwide revenue: $2,367 million U.S. employees: 2,025

Ipsos, through its subsidiaries, engages in collecting, processing and delivering survey data for brands, companies and institutions primarily in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas and Asia Pacific. It explores market potential and market trends, tests products and advertising, helps clients build long-term relationships with customers, studies audiences and their perceptions of various media and measures public opinion trends. Ipsos offers advertising research services, including advertising tracking and brand equity evaluation services that help advertisers in the development, evaluation and improvement of their advertising efforts.

It also provides marketing research services that help clients to identify business opportunities and innovation platforms, develop strategies at point of sale, generate insights and ideas, develop and optimize their mix, and model and forecast sales volumes, as well as offers custom innovative products and solutions to address stakeholder experience and brand-building business goals.

In this unique year, Ipsos has remained strong and reaffirmed its ambition and sense of purpose to deliver reliable information for a true understanding of society, markets and people. Ipsos activates this vision for more than 5,000 customers through its presence in 90 markets both globally and locally. Ipsos covers the whole information production and analysis chain, from the collection of raw data to the activation of the insights. It has a solid tradition of innovation expressed by new methodological developments and continuously renewed product range.

5. Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) **

Founded: 1979 2019 U.S. revenue: $815 million Percent change from 2018: 1.9% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $510 million Percent from outside U.S.: 38.5% 2019 worldwide revenue: $1,325 million U.S. employees: 3,639

IRI is a leading provider of big data, predictive analytics and forward-looking insights that help consumer packaged goods, over-the-counter healthcare organizations, retailers, financial services and media companies grow their businesses. A confluence of major external events—a change in consumer buying habits, big data coming into its own, advanced analytics and personalized consumer activation—is leading to a seismic shift in drivers of success in all industries. With the largest repository of purchase, media, social, causal and loyalty data, all integrated on an on-demand, cloud-based technology platform, IRI is empowering the personalization revolution, helping to guide its more than 5,000 clients around the world in their quest to remain relentlessly relevant, capture market share, connect with consumers, collaborate with key constituents and deliver market-leading growth.

In 2019, IRI announced the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning into its leading suite of analytics solutions, retained 100% of its major CPG clients and welcomed new strategic partnerships with top retailers in the U.S. IRI added several innovators to its leadership team while continuing to invest in its employees by providing ongoing training. 

4. Kantar **

Founded: 1993 2019 U.S. revenue: $950 million Percent change from 2018: 2.7% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $2,900 million Percent from outside U.S.: 75.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $3,850 million U.S. employees: 3,585

Kantar is one of the world’s largest data, insights and consulting companies, bringing together some of the world’s leading research, data and insights expertise. Kantar’s offer covers the breadth of techniques and technologies, from purchase and media data to predicting long-term trends; from neuroscience to exit polls; from large-scale quantitative studies to qualitative research, incorporating ethnography and semiotics. 

In April 2019, all services and offerings of the various Kantar companies were combined under the Kantar brand name. This operational change enables Kantar to build platforms and offers on a global scale and to remove barriers to collaboration and co-creation within the organization to better meet clients’ needs. 

As part of this branding strategy, Kantar launched several initiatives:

• Kantar Marketplace, a global on-demand research and insights store.
• Kantar’s new Brand Guidance System that intelligently integrates validated survey measures with social, search, sales media and behavioral data to provide actionable insights to optimize brand or campaign performance.
• Integration of big data, artificial intelligence and analytical capabilities from across the company into one resource that unlocks deeper insights to fuel growth.

3. Gartner Research **

Founded: 1972 2019 U.S. revenue: $1,800 million Percent change from 2018: 4.7% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $1,474.5 million Percent from outside U.S.: 45% 2019 worldwide revenue: $3,274.5 million U.S. employees: 4,500

Gartner Research delivers independent, objective advice to leaders across an enterprise through subscription services that include on-demand access to published research content, data and benchmarks, and direct access to a network of approximately 2,300 research experts located around the globe. Gartner Research is the fundamental building block for all Gartner products and services. It combines its proprietary research methodologies with extensive industry and academic relationships to create Gartner products and services that address each role across an enterprise. Gartner’s research agenda is defined by clients’ needs, focusing on the critical issues, opportunities and challenges they face every day. Its proprietary research content, presented in the form of reports, briefings, updates and related tools, is delivered directly to the client’s desktop via its website or product-specific portals.

Within the research segment, Global Technology Sales sells products and services to users and providers of technology, while Global Business Sales sells products and services to all other functional leaders, such as supply chain, marketing, human resources, finance, legal and sales. 

2. IQVIA * **

Founded: 2016 2019 U.S. revenue: $2,220 million Percent change from 2018: 8.6% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $2,166 million Percent from outside U.S.: 49.4% 2019 worldwide revenue: $4,386 million U.S. employees: 6,000

IQVIA is a global provider of information, innovative technology solutions and contract research services focused on helping healthcare clients find better solutions for patients. Formed through the 2016 merger of Quintiles and IMS Health, IQVIA applies human data science—leveraging the analytic rigor and clarity of data science to the ever-expanding scope of human science—to enable companies to reimagine and develop new approaches to clinical development and commercialization, speed innovation and accelerate improvements in healthcare outcomes. 

IQVIA has three operating segments: Technology & Analytics Solutions, Research & Development Solutions and Contract Sales & Medical Solutions. Powered by the IQVIA CORE, IQVIA delivers unique and actionable insights at the intersection of large-scale analytics, transformative technology and extensive domain expertise, as well as execution capabilities to help biotech, medical device and pharmaceutical companies, medical researchers, government agencies, payers and other healthcare stakeholders tap into a deeper understanding of diseases, human behaviors and scientific advances, in an effort to advance their path toward cures.

IQVIA has one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of healthcare information in the world, which includes more than 800 million comprehensive, longitudinal, non-identified patient records spanning sales, prescription and promotional data, medical claims, electronic medical records, genomics and social media. Its scaled and growing information set contains more than 35 petabytes of proprietary data sourced from more than 150,000 data suppliers and covering more than 1 million data feeds globally. Based on this data, IQVIA delivers information and insights on more than 85% of the world’s pharmaceuticals, helping its clients run their organizations more efficiently and make better decisions to improve their clinical, commercial and financial performance. 

1. Nielsen **

Founded: 1923 2019 U.S. revenue: $3,875 million Percent change from 2018: 1.6% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $2,623 million Percent from outside U.S.: 40.4% 2019 worldwide revenue: $6,498 million U.S. employees: 10,300

Nielsen is a global measurement and data analytics company that provides a complete and trusted view of consumers and markets worldwide. Nielsen is divided into two business units: Nielsen Global Media and Nielsen Global Connect. 

Nielsen Global Media provides media and advertising clients with unbiased and reliable metrics that create the shared understanding of the industry required for markets to function, enabling its clients to grow and succeed across the $600 billion global advertising market. Nielsen Global Media helps clients define exactly who they want to reach and optimize the outcomes they can achieve. The company’s cross-platform measurement strategy brings together the best of TV and digital measurement to ensure a more functional marketplace for the industry.

Nielsen Global Connect provides consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers with accurate, actionable information and a complete picture of the complex and changing marketplace that brands need to innovate and grow their businesses. Nielsen Global Connect provides data and builds tools that use predictive models to turn observations in the marketplace into business decisions and winning solutions. The business’ data and insights, combined with its open, cloud-native measurement and analytics platform that democratizes the power of data, continue to provide an essential foundation that makes markets possible in the rapidly evolving world of commerce. With Nielsen Global Connect’s set of guiding truths, businesses have the tools to create new opportunities.

* ‘% change’ calculation reflects adjustment of previously reported 2018 U.S. research revenue due to acquisition or divestiture activity or other business change during 2019.

** Some or all figures are not made available by this company so instead are based on research and estimation by the report author.

Diane Bowers is a consultant to research and data analytics businesses and industry associations in the U.S. and internationally. She previously served as the president of CASRO, board chair of the Global Research Business Network, a board member of the Americas Research Industry Alliance and a board member of The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University. She is also a past president of the Market Research Council and the Research Industry Coalition, and a long-time member of American Association for Public Opinion Research, AMA and ESOMAR.

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18 US market research companies for leading consumer insights

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When it comes to understanding modern American consumers, guesswork just won’t cut it. With transformative changes affecting the way we shop, behave, and consume media, it’s no secret that in-depth consumer research should be at the heart of every strategic marketing, product, or business decision you make. 

There are a myriad of US market research companies out there armed with customer insight platforms, smart research tools, and AI-powered features that give you the answers you need. But which is best for reaching your US target audiences? Whose data can you trust? With so much choice, it can be tough to figure out which market research company is the right fit for your business needs. 

To help you make that decision (‘cause we’re nice like that), we’ve put together a no-nonsense rundown of the best market research companies for US consumer insights right now, outlining the specialist areas and key use cases you might consider them for. Grab a hot drink and settle in. 

Oh – and if you’re interested in the best market research companies in the UK , we’ve got a shortlist of those worth skimming through too. 

How to choose the right US market research company

It sounds obvious, but every US market research company is different. The type of consumer data they collect, and how they deliver it to you really varies. So before you commit to a research partner, think carefully about the kind of support you need – and crucially, how quickly you need it. Start by asking these six questions:

• Do they know about your audience? 
• Do they have expertise in your industry/category, with a proven track record of success?
• Do they conduct the right kind of research to answer your questions, with a sound and trusted methodology? 
• Are they transparent about how they collect and analyze data to ensure quality?
• Do they have the capacity to provide fast results, with regular client communication?
• Most importantly, will they understand your long-term goals and add value to your business?

If you can answer “yes” to each of these questions, you’re on the right track to finding the perfect partner. But if you want more guidance on how to drive research forward, here’s our list of the leading US market research companies worth considering, in no particular order. Well, except for us – obviously.

Top 18 US market research companies worth considering

It would be crazy if we put together a comparison piece on US market research companies and didn’t mention our very own AI-enhanced, on-demand consumer research platform . So let’s start there.

GWI is modernized consumer research, with an intuitive platform that instantly puts high-impact US consumer research at your fingertips.

Location: New York, USA (with additional offices in the UK, Greece, Czech Republic, and Singapore)

Specialisms: Every business has questions about its audiences; GWI has the answers. Get a window into your target audience’s world, on demand, with our easy-to-use consumer research platform. Our GWI USA data set covers an 80K+ annual sample, representing the views, behaviors, and interests of 250 million US consumers in all 50 States. Need to go beyond the US? Delve into our global flagship survey representing nearly 3 billion consumers in 50+ markets worldwide.

Understand today’s diverse Americans in seconds, with deep psychographic consumer insight spanning key topics like social media, mental health, DE&I, and attitudes toward brands. And if you need fast answers on something really specific? Ask your US audiences any question you like with our custom research solutions.

Use cases include: 

• Marketing strategy ( ad targeting , brand health tracking, content marketing, and media planning)
• Revenue growth (media ad sales, winning pitches and retaining key clients)
• Product development (product expansion, improvements, and partnership and collaboration opportunities)
• Competitive advantage (market differentiation, market sizing/expansion, and sponsorship opportunities)

If time’s of the essence, why not try our free interactive demo right now?

2. MRI-Simmons

A long-standing provider of US consumer insights, collected through address-based probabilistic sampling, and online and in-person interviews.

Location: New York, USA

Specialisms: MRI-Simmons offers a complete view of the American consumer – providing consumer research via a national study, print studies into magazine ad readership, and focus studies for deeper insight into emerging tech and cultural trends. Data is based on a representative sample of over 50K+ US consumers in 48 states (excluding Alaska and Hawaii), with surveys conducted twice a year. 

Use cases include:

• Audience profiling
• Market sizing
• Media planning

An integrated, AI-driven enterprise platform combining “quant, qual, and high quality audiences” into a connected research cloud.

Specialisms: Using AI to drive research, Suzy has three main product offerings – Suzy Insights, Suzy Live, and Suzy Audiences – and offers real-time customer insights delivered with “agency-quality rigor”. Pulling data from an active, engaged community (via surveys, interviews, and focus groups), its platform helps teams understand US consumers, explore purchase journeys, validate ideas, optimize marketing assets, and more.

Use cases include:  

• Concept testing
• Product development

AI-powered market intelligence that solves critical questions in the decision-making process, and helps drive sustainable growth.

Location: Nuremberg, Germany (with additional global offices)

Specialisms : GfK “drives growth from knowledge” by providing a holistic view of US consumers’ buying behavior and the dynamics impacting markets, brands, and media trends. With particular expertise in consumer and shopper intelligence, Gfk’s research methods include surveys, point-of-sale data analysis, and wider market monitoring. It also offers strategic consultancy to help businesses make great decisions.

• Competitive advantage
• Market segmentation

A global media leader specializing in TV, video, and radio audience and data analytics.

Location: New York, USA (with additional global offices)

Specialisms: Nielsen is a powerhouse of market intelligence, “connecting clients to audiences, growth and new opportunities”. It explores nuanced consumer behavior, preferences, and market dynamics to give media brands an edge. You may be familiar with Nielsen ratings – its renowned audience measurement system for TV viewership – which have been a deciding factor in many shows being renewed or canceled over the years.

And in case you didn’t know – GWI has an ongoing Fusion partnership with Nielsen that delivers advanced media insights and analytics to our customers. A pretty solid choice of market research partner, if you ask us.

• Ad targeting
• Media planning 

A business intelligence and market research company that helps clients “drive data-backed business decisions that enhance customers’ lives.”

Location: Virginia, USA

Specialisms: Bixa gives businesses a springboard to sustainable growth by helping them “build meaningful connections” with customers. It shares targeted business intelligence for a deeper understanding of US audiences, market dynamics, and emerging trends. Ultimately, it helps businesses with strategic decision-making. Data derives from diverse sources including surveys, consumer feedback, and in-depth industry analysis. 

• Brand health tracking
• Market expansion

7. Morning Consult

A real-time “decision intelligence” and custom research tool, powered by consumer opinion polling.

Location: Washington, D.C., USA

Specialisms: Morning Consult provides timely consumer opinions and market insights, alongside current economic data and political trends.  Daily surveys and insights give businesses the agility they need to pivot strategies quickly and effectively. Analyzing niche audiences and underserved buyers in 100+ countries (including the US), it’s also useful for identifying new market opportunities.

• Political risk analysis

Equipping clients with market intelligence tools to help them make “smarter decisions, faster and more consistently across markets”.

Specialisms: Ipsos is a global market research company that sources consumer data from surveys, behavioral analysis, and social listening. With specialist insight into the lifestyles, media habits, and purchase behavior of financially-successful Americans (via its Affluent Survey), it also pays particular attention to public opinion. This helps brands tune in to changing market trends and benchmark how well they’re received by consumers.

• Digital marketing strategy
• Sentiment tracking

An AI-driven “knowledge management” tool that helps enterprises keep pace and make fast decisions through predictive analytics.

Location: Minnesota, USA

Specialisms: Putting AI at the heart of market research, Lucy “exists to amaze, delight, and empower people with knowledge”. Generating US insights via machine learning algorithms, it rapidly analyzes a blend of large data sets, social media interactions, and consumer behaviors. Lucy is trusted by 18+ Fortune 1000 companies to deliver advanced analysis at speed – saving time while boosting organizational productivity. 

• Trend forecasting

10. Comscore

Leading digital audience insights and media performance analysis, that helps businesses generate more ROI from their advertising.

Location: Virginia, USA (with additional global offices)

Specialisms: Sharing real-time US consumer insights on media consumption, Comscore provides effective digital marketing and advertising solutions across several veins (including TV and advertising). Using its robust, reliable suite of tools, clients can explore demographics to understand American audiences, then optimize ad targeting and wider marketing strategies for better engagement and return on investment.

11. Kantar Marketplace

A market research company offering relevant, robust data about global and local audiences in an increasingly connected world.

Locations: New York, USA (with additional global offices)

Specialisms: Kantar serves industry-leading consumer insights across TV, radio, print, and digital – all unpacked in its Target Group Index (TGI) survey. Based on a representative 700K+ sample across 50 markets, data is collected online and through offline consumer panels. Analyzing attitudes, behaviors, media consumption, and brand/product use, Kantar promises “decision-quality insights in as little as a few hours.” 

12. 1+1 Research

A full-service fieldwork company supplying tailored market research solutions to companies across the globe.

Specialisms:   1+1 Research provides bespoke market research services for its clients, such as consumer opinion mining and sentiment analysis. Depending on a company’s needs, US consumer data can be collected through focus groups, online surveys, industry analysis, and CATI (computer-assisted phone interviews) among other methodologies – ideal for those with unique industry requirements who need a bit more flexibility.

• Brand strategy
• Custom research

13. Gartner

Expert market research company that delivers practical solutions for fast, informed decision-making and measurable impact.

Location: Connecticut, USA (with additional global offices)

Specialisms : Gartner is a global name in market research for good reason. Its on-demand diagnostics, insights, frameworks, rankings, and benchmarking tools help businesses work smarter, not harder to get ahead of modern Americans in the digital world. Valuable insights are sourced from a mix of market analysis, surveys, and expert consultations, and outline the impact of new technology on US businesses and consumers alike. 

Use cases: 

• Customer experience

A real-time consumer intelligence platform that helps clients figure out what matters to their online audiences, fast.

Specialisms: Subscription-based Toluna Start offers automated solutions that put market research into its clients’ hands. Collating US survey data from a global community of engaged consumers, its platform users get a dynamic view of digital preferences and behaviors to help them validate their strategies and implement feedback in a real-world environment.

• Marketing strategy

15. Statista

A global data and business intelligence platform aggregating statistics, market research reports, and key insights on over 80,000 topics.

Specialisms: Statista is a household name for timely US market and consumer insights, designed to “empower people with data” on key topics such as the economy, military, and population. Solutions include analysis of behavior and media usage (via Consumer Insights) and trend forecasting (via Market Insights). Data coverage also extends globally, with a representative 1.7M+ sample across 56 countries.

• Content marketing
• Winning pitches and retaining clients

16. SIS International Research

A full-service consulting firm supplying market intelligence and consumer research solutions to businesses worldwide.

Specialisms: SIS is a US market research company with specialist experience across various industries, including B2B, supply chain, and healthcare market research. It sources data and strategic insights from a global network of field researchers, alongside consumer surveys and interviews. SIS helps businesses benchmark against competitors and create tailored strategies for success – even as market dynamics change.

17.  Forrester Research

A US market research company that helps global organizations excel with technology and deliver on consumers’ changing demands.

Location: Massachusetts, USA

Specialisms: Combining traditional, in-house market research with a modern, tech-driven mindset, Forrester Research offers deep consumer insights along with recommendations for tech adoption strategies. It takes data from consumer surveys and expert market assessments, with findings analyzed by its team of experts. Clients benefit from clear results and a deeper understanding of nuanced consumer behavior in their industry.

• Market differentiation

18. Resonate

US market research and consumer intelligence experts, offering AI-powered consumer data and predictive insights. 

Specialisms: Resonate operates through “rAI”, its unique AI consumer intelligence model that gives clients a holistic view of their US audiences. Blending online behavioral data with surveys, psychographics, and real-time consumer interactions, it takes an in-depth look at what makes Americans unique, and the “why” behind what they do. Ideal for crafting highly targeted, effective marketing strategies backed by granular insight.

[H2] Those are our top market research recommendations, now it’s over to you

Nineteen US market research companies, with nineteen different ways to tackle US consumer research. Hopefully you’ve come away from this blog with a clearer idea of exactly what you need from a research partner, and who you can trust to get the job done. We’ll leave you to digest.

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13 Top Market Research Companies in 2024

Your choice of market research firms — from traditional firms like Ipsos and Kantar to innovative platforms like StartUs Insights — can significantly influence strategic decision-making and product development. Ensuring that your selected partner offers the specific industry insights and data depth required is crucial for receiving accurate information that can drive your business strategy and innovation forward.

Market research companies play a pivotal role in simplifying the complexities of today’s business environment, blending traditional and innovative methodologies for exhaustive market insights.

Traditional market intelligence companies have evolved, while non-traditional entities are transforming the sector through the early identification of startups, scaleups, emerging companies, future trends, and technologies to provide a 360° view of opportunities.

13 Top Market Research Companies:

• Frost & Sullivan
• StartUs Insights
• Zion Market Research
• MarketsandMarkets
• Forrester Research
• Kantar Group
• Kline & Company
• MarketResearch

Credit: Ipsos

Ipsos connects businesses with online communities, offering insights across multiple industries including retail, healthcare, transportation, politics, and automotive. With Ipsos, companies can:

• Assemble custom panels of consumers
• Conduct brand, packaging, and product testing
• Develop studies on healthcare quality and patient satisfaction
• Engage in public opinion polling

Ipsos’ customizable services and global reach provide businesses with the insights required to make informed decisions.

2. Frost & Sullivan

Credit: Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan is renowned for its extensive industry research and strategy solutions, focusing on innovation opportunities, market trends, and disruptive technologies. Collaborating with Frost & Sullivan offers businesses:

• Detailed market research and analysis
• Growth strategy consulting

Frost & Sullivan’s strategic insights enable companies to identify growth opportunities and navigate market challenges.

3. StartUs Insights

Credit: StartUs Insights

StartUs Insights is a non-traditional market research company that specializes in identifying startups, scaleups, and emerging technologies early on. With access to data on over 4.7 million startups, scaleups, and tech companies, as well as 20 000 trends & technologies, we leverage both AI and human expertise to deliver tailored market reports and custom research services. This unique approach enables businesses to proactively engage with the latest innovations and market shifts across more than 20 industries, including automotive, pharmaceuticals, logistics, mobility, biotechnology, manufacturing, and energy. Services offered by StartUs Insights include:

• Customized market research reports plus competitive intelligence
• Tailored startup and technology scouting
• Innovation scouting and technology tracking
• Detailed analysis of industry trends

Collaborating with StartUs Insights allows you to make informed, confident decisions that not only future-proof your business but also foster strategic growth. To explore how StartUs Insights can transform your market research approach, get in touch for a free consultation.

4. Zion Market Research

Credit: Zion Market Research

Zion Market Research provides comprehensive market research reports, offering insights into global and regional markets across various industry sectors such as healthcare, technology, chemicals, and consumer goods. Working with Zion Market Research, businesses benefit from:

• Extensive market analysis and forecasting
• Sector-specific research reports
• In-depth studies on consumer behavior and market trends
• Custom research services tailored to specific business needs

Zion Market Research’s deep industry knowledge enables companies to navigate market dynamics effectively, ensuring strategic decision-making.

5. MarketsandMarkets

Credit: MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets is known for its focus on identifying high-growth emerging markets and the technologies driving these sectors. Its market research reports and custom research services are designed to provide:

• Comprehensive market analysis and forecasts
• Insights into technological advancements and innovations
• Custom research tailored to client-specific requirements

By partnering with MarketsandMarkets, organizations gain access to actionable insights that support strategic planning.

6. TrendFeedr

Credit: TrendFeedr

TrendFeedr is an innovative market research platform designed to keep businesses ahead of the curve by identifying and analyzing over 20 000 trends in real-time. TrendFeedr.com specializes in sifting through data from industry reports, company websites, news outlets, social media, and more to deliver actionable insights directly relevant to your market. Services provided by TrendFeedr.com include:

• Real-time trend tracking and analysis
• Competitive intelligence gathering
• Customizable alerts for emerging trends and technologies

With TrendFeedr.com, companies can rapidly adapt to market changes, identify new opportunities, and stay competitive in their respective industries. Moreover, the platform’s focus on emerging trends makes it an invaluable tool for businesses looking to innovate and grow.

7. Forrester Research

Credit: Forrester Research

Forrester Research offers detailed market analysis with a focus on the impact of technology on businesses and consumers. Companies working with Forrester can access:

• Strategic market research reports
• Consumer and business technology insights
• Custom advisory services

Forrester’s forward-looking research assists businesses in anticipating customer needs and technological shifts, enabling them to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market.

Credit: Mintel

Mintel provides comprehensive market analysis, insights, and forecasts across a range of sectors, including consumer goods, finance, and automotive. Mintel’s services allow businesses to:

• Understand market trends and consumer behavior
• Test and develop new products
• Conduct brand and packaging research

Mintel’s global presence and in-depth industry knowledge empower companies to make strategic decisions.

9. Kantar Group

Credit: Kantar Group

Kantar Group delivers services that cover brand guidance, media effectiveness, creative excellence, and retail & shopper insights. Kantar enables businesses to:

• Understand and leverage brand equity
• Optimize media planning and effectiveness
• Enhance creative development and execution
• Gain insights into shopper behavior and retail strategies

Kantar’s comprehensive approach to market research enables companies to achieve brand and business growth.

10. Gartner

Credit: Gartner

Gartner provides technology-related insights through its research and advisory services that inform business decisions in IT, marketing, and supply chain management. Gartner allows organizations to:

• Navigate IT investments and strategies
• Develop marketing plans and customer engagement
• Optimize supply chain operations and management

Gartner’s expert analysis and advice support businesses in leveraging technology for strategic advantage.

Credit: IQVIA

Specializing in health information technology and clinical research, IQVIA offers:

• Data analytics and research services to the healthcare industry
• Insights into patient care, drug development, and market dynamics
• Custom solutions for healthcare organizations

IQVIA’s expertise in healthcare data and analytics enables businesses to improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency.

12. Kline & Company

Credit: Kline & Company

Kline & Company provides market research and management consulting services focusing on the chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products sectors. Kline offers:

• Market analysis and strategic planning
• Competitive intelligence and benchmarking
• Custom research and consulting services

Kline’s industry knowledge and strategic insights assist companies in navigating market complexities and identifying growth opportunities.

13. MarketResearch.com

Credit: MarketResearch.com

MarketResearch.com is a comprehensive source for market research reports and services, offering data from hundreds of research firms across a range of industries. Services include:

• Access to an extensive collection of market research reports
• Insights into industry trends, forecasts, and market analysis

MarketResearch.com’s vast resources and expertise allow businesses to make data-driven decisions.

Which Company’s Best Suited for Your Needs?

For tailored research insights that align closely with your specific business needs, consider partnering with specialized companies such as StartUs Insights , Zion Market Research, or MarketsandMarkets. These firms offer the expertise and depth of data necessary to dive deeper into emerging technologies and market trends.

If you’re leaning towards more autonomous or flexible market exploration, platforms like TrendFeedr.com may serve your needs more effectively, offering real-time trend analysis.

Ultimately, the selection of a market research partner should be informed by the relevance of their industry focus and the richness of their data sources. This ensures that the insights you receive are both precise and actionable, driving forward your strategy, product development, and broader business objectives.

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These Are the Largest Market Research Companies in the US

This article is included in these additional categories: brand-related | featured | industries | market research | top brands.

Before diving further into the list, here’s a little background. GreenBook’s US Top 50 rankings are based on US revenue which has been independently validated. They define research companies as “organizations that derive the majority of their revenue through providing service-based research.” In 2018, these top 50 companies reported total revenue of $28.4 billion, with US revenue ($13.6 billion) accounting for 48% of that figure.

Nielsen’s 2018 US research revenue grew by 2.3% year-over-year (y-o-y) and accounted for 58.6% of its total global revenues of $6.5 billion. These global takings also make it the largest market research company globally, as it has been for some time .

Appearing on the list for the first time this year in the #2 ranking, Gartner Research’s 2018 US revenue totaled $1.7 billion, which accounts for 55.4% of its global revenues ($3.1 billion).

Gartner Research replaces last year’s #2, IQVIA, which dropped one spot to #3. IVQVIA’s US revenue grew by 9.4% y-o-y to reach $1.6 billion in 2018. Unlike Nielsen and Gartner Research, the majority (62.2%) of IVQVIA’s total global revenues ($4.1 billion) last year came from outside the US.

Kantar (#4) also sees most of its research revenues generated outside the US, as less than one-quarter (24.2%) of its total 2018 total revenues of $3.8 billion came from the US ($925 million). Kantar is also one of only 2 companies in the top 10 that experienced a drop in US revenue in 2018, declining 4.6% y-o-y from $970 million in 2017.

The only other research company within the top 10 to see its US revenue drop in 2018 was Comscore (#8), which experienced a 5.2% y-o-y decrease in revenue ($332.3 million in 2017 vs. $315.0 million in 2018).

Here are the other companies that made the top 10 along with their 2018 US research revenue and y-o-y growth:

• Information Resources, Inc (IRI, #5): $800.0 million (+9%)
• Ipsos (#6): $583.0 (+2.5%)
• Westat (#7): $570.0 million (+3.4%)
• The NPD Group (#9): $312.7 million (+8.1%)
• GfK (#10): $310.0 (+3.3%)

New Arrivals and the Fastest Risers

Five companies make their debut to the US Top 50 list this year. Aside from Gartner Research, J.D. Power also made an impressive debut, entering the list just shy of the Top 10 at #11. Having just merged with Autodata following its acquisition earlier this year by Thoma Bravo, J.D. Power could be higher on the list covering 2019 revenues.

National Research Group (NRG) entered at #28 and Service Management Group (SMG) came in at #29. Research America just made it onto the list, debuting at #50 after seeing its US revenue grow by 34.9% y-o-y in 2018.

Despite Gartner Research’s leap onto the list in the #2 ranking, its 20% y-o-y US revenue increase was not the biggest on the list. Phoenix Marketing International (#23) experienced a 113.9% increase after acquiring Nielsen’s Brand Effect products and service, per the report.

Other companies that benefited from impressive revenue increases between 2017 and 2018 include Fors Marsh Group (#33; +43.5%), LRA, a Deloitte Business (#36; +35.2%), and Concentrix (#22; 34.9%).

The full report can be downloaded here .

About the Data: Companies are ranked by research revenue in the US with the exception of Ispsos and The NPD Group some or all figures are not made available by the companies so instead are based upon research and estimation by the GreenBook report author.

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Market research in the USA – our capabilities .

From Anchorage to Santiago, San Francisco to New York City and beyond, we are the go-to partner for market research in the USA

We help brands conduct market research in North, Central, and South America so they can gain marketshare in these crowded and competitive markets.

We partner with brands on full-service market research projects, helping to crack complex business problems through rich insight. We also work with companies as their fieldwork partner, helping reach the right respondents across the Americas.

From our hubs on the East and West coasts, we conduct market research across North, Central, and South America to support you through every stage of the product life cycle. Whether you are trying to tackle the user experience for a high-tech product in the US, dive into the unmet needs of radiologists in South America, or identify the true pain points of sufferers of a rare disease in Canada, we don’t shy away from a challenge.

With over 30 years of experience understanding mainstream and niche markets with consumers and in the B2B space, we are a leading market research company. Our team can help you design the best approach to even the toughest of challenges.

Market research services

We work with the world’s leading brands, harnessing research to unlock new ideas, develop future strategies and power business growth.

Customer and market understanding

We bring businesses closer to their customers and help them navigate the broader market, so they can future proof their strategy.

New product development research

We partner with brands to develop winning products, from concept development right through to pricing research.

Brand and advertising research

We help brands create comms that cut through by understanding the messages which truly resonate with your target audience.

Online and offline fieldwork services

We’re a trusted fieldwork partner to top-tier organisations, providing them with the data they need to drive decision-making.

Insight activation

Our work doesn’t stop at the debrief. We go further, workshopping findings and creating standout creative outputs to raise the impact of research and turn insight into action.

What methodologies do you offer in the Americas?

We offer a range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies – spanning everything from focus groups, in depth interviews and quantitative surveys, right through to cutting-edge methodologies such as passive tracking and neuroscience.

Where can Kadence conduct research?

Pretty much anywhere! From our East and West Coast hubs, we cover the length and breadth of the Americas. And for brands looking to conduct multi-market projects or grow their presence further afield, we collaborate with our offices in Europe and across Asia, to meet your needs.

What is it like working with Kadence?

Our customized and flexible approach to answering your business questions separates us from the pack! From project design to delivering actionable insights, our team customizes a solution that meets your specific needs. Our findings are delivered in a visually impactful way, ensuring your stakeholders are highly engaged & ready to act on the insights we’ve shared. 

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Developing a future-focused digital product strategy for Wall Street Journal

A mixed methodology approach helped Wall Street Journal understand how to position the brand for success in a rapidly changing world.

Creating an education and career exploration tool to wow teens with American Student Assistance

Kadence partnered with American Student Assistance (ASA) to create a research program to inform the development of their exploration tool, Futurescape.

Understanding the elements of value driving recommendations for Panasonic

Interviews with consumers have helped Panasonic determine NPS scores and benchmark themselves against the competition.

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With over 30 years in the business of market research, we have extensive experience and a depth of knowledge across a range of sectors.

We bring this to bear to design the very best approach to meet your objectives.

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Kadence’s reports give us the insight, conclusion and recommended execution needed to give us a different perspective, which provided us with an opportunity to relook at our go to market strategy in a different direction which we are now reaping the benefits from. Sales & Marketing Bridgestone

Kadence helped us not only conduct a thorough and insightful piece of research, its interpretation of the data provided many useful and unexpected good-news stories that we were able to use in our communications and interactions with government bodies. General Manager PR -Internal Communications & Government Affairs Mitsubishi

Kadence team is more like a partner to us. We have run a number of projects together and … the pro-activeness, out of the box thinking and delivering in spite of tight deadlines are some of the key reasons we always reach out to them. Vital Strategies

Kadence were an excellent partner on this project; they took time to really understand our business challenges, and developed a research approach that would tackle the exam question from all directions.  The impact of the work is still being felt now, several years later. Customer Intelligence Director Wall Street Journal

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Positive market breadth is a bullish setup.

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Positive Market Breadth is a Bullish Setup

It’s no secret that the US stock market has become increasingly concentrated in recent years, with the largest, most dominant technology companies representing a disproportionate amount of the S&P 500 Index’s market capitalization. The top 10 largest S&P 500 companies account for 1/3 of the index’s total market capitalization and therefore the overall direction of the market can easily be swayed by a minority of stocks. With the growth of the “Magnificent Seven” mega-cap names to multi-trillion-dollar valuations, even a single name can drive the S&P 500 on any given day.

Consider April 25, a day when the S&P 500 was up 0.95%, a solid single day return. One would think that a considerable majority of the index would be green on such a day, yet the underlying data shows that 240 stocks, nearly half the index, were flat or negative. The overall index performance was skewed by a 6.2% daily return from Nvidia (NVDA) and a 10% return on Alphabet (GOOG). This example demonstrates how a single-day pop due to earnings or positive news on even one mega-cap name can create a misleading narrative of overall market direction if we only pay attention to the headline index performance. For this reason, it is important that we keep an eye on what is taking place under the surface.

One of the ways we assess the overall “health” of the market is by looking at measures of market breadth (see prior commentaries here , and here ). When the market is in an uptrend, we want to see most of the stocks within the index advancing to give us confidence that the rally is sustainable. We can measure market participation, or breadth, by looking at indicators such as the Advance-Decline (A/D) Line, which simply plots the number of advancing vs. declining stocks, or the McClellan Oscillator, which smooths out A/D fluctuations and puts more emphasis on recent data via the application of an exponential moving average.

The below chart shows how the McClellan Oscillator (the green and red bars below the chart) can give additional insight to the daily price action of the index (shown in the main, larger chart). At the onset of November 2023, the market bottomed out and reversed higher after a dovish Fed meeting. The market rally was broad, as reflected by the strong, persistent green McClellan Oscillator readings. The rally continued to start 2024, but as the McClellan chart reveals, breadth was relatively poor because big tech was moving higher while the rest of the market stalled out. In the second half of February through the beginning of April, the market kept appreciating but breadth was choppy. Breadth quickly deteriorated in April as inflation data led investors to de-risk and initiate broad selling. This brings us to our present situation roughly 1/3 of the way through May, as breadth looks healthier thanks to strong Q1 earnings and positive 2024 guidance.

Exhibit 1. S&P 500 and McClellan Oscillator

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As the consecutive green bars on the McClellan Oscillator show, the recent breadth expansion is the strongest thus far in 2024 and indicative of a market that could gain breakout momentum as we retest the prior highs. While it is a small sample size, looking at the five-day run from May 3 through May 9th shows all sectors moving higher in unison.

Exhibit 2. S&P 500 SPDR Sector ETF Performance 5/3/2024-5/9/2024

Year-to-date, all sectors aside from Real Estate are positive, which is encouraging considering that investors were expecting as many as six rate cuts coming into 2024 and now have repriced those expectations to a baseline of just one or two cuts at most. Stronger-than-expected corporate earnings have offset the negative impact of disappointing inflation readings and the good news is that those strong earnings have come from more than just the technology sector. In addition, CEOs are striking an upbeat tone, with fewer and fewer mentioning recession. The dreaded R-word came up just 100 times in Q1 earnings calls, compared to triple that amount a year ago.

Exhibit 3. “Recession” Mentions during Q1 Earnings Calls

We may need a better-than-expected inflation reading to spark a major rally, but the setup appears to be in place. The great corporate earnings, positive guidance, and willingness to engage in capex are all reflected in the strong GDP growth we have seen in recent quarters and expect to see yet again in Q2. The fact that participation is broad among US equity sectors gives us some confidence here that if we do see a rally commence from present levels, it could be one with staying power.

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Time to move: Sporting goods 2024

As the world continued its uneven progress in 2023, the sporting goods industry faced familiar challenges. Economic headwinds, persistent inflation, and regional conflicts undermined consumer confidence, while companies continued to struggle with inventories—mainly overstocking, because anticipated demand failed to materialize. But the industry demonstrated its resilience again. Revenue growth in 2023 was 6 percent (compared with 2 percent in 2022) amid stronger performance across geographies. 1 Euromonitor, October 2023.

As we begin 2024, this report highlights a renewed sense of optimism among industry leaders. This reflects opportunities arising from an improving market environment and new consumer preferences. More people are choosing sports that are quicker to pick up, require less commitment, and are more social, rather than organized sports with fixed time commitments or requirements for teams or high levels of skill. Participation as a driver has become as important as performance. And after supply–demand imbalances in the recent period, companies are turning to integrated business planning and analytics to help them navigate more volatile times. Meanwhile, sporting ecosystems and the demands of sustainability offer potential for innovation. With these themes in mind, this year’s sporting goods report paints a picture of an industry at a pivotal moment, facing not only challenges but also opportunities to achieve sustained growth.

Review of the past year and looking ahead

The past year was one in which regional differences were prominent. Companies in Western Europe posted growth of 8 percent, a strong rebound from the 3 percent decline the previous year, while the industry in Asia–Pacific saw income rise 11 percent after a 4 percent decline in 2022. North American companies followed 6 percent growth in 2022 with growth of 2 percent. Latin America, meanwhile, was the standout performer, with growth of 22 percent after 20 percent growth the previous year. 2 Euromonitor, October 2023.

A report on the global sporting goods industry

The World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) and McKinsey are proud to continue our partnership to present our fourth annual sporting goods industry report, Time to move: Sporting goods 2024 . The report dives into the dynamics driving performance in the sporting goods market and presents insights from some of the industry’s most senior players. As in past editions, we focus on the key trends that have affected the industry over the past year and will shape performance in the coming year and beyond. This article summarizes some of the report’s findings.

The industry’s super winners, which are companies that have consistently grown revenues and expanded margins since 2017, maintained their momentum in 2023. The group outperformed the market by focusing on attractive categories and employing smart go-to-market strategies to inspire and engage with consumers. These leaders exemplified the merits of a balanced portfolio, with retail innovation, trend-responsive branding, and cost-effective manufacturing among the pillars that supported growth.

There were also notable variations in the competitive landscape. For example, competition intensified in China, with global titans losing their edge to local players, which had a market share of about 60 percent among the top 20 brands. Conversely, in Latin America, global players continued to dominate, with a share of about 90 percent amid a strong soccer and tennis focus.

In 2023, macro factors including geopolitical conflict, inflation, and consumer conservatism, as well as inventory challenges, have made for a bumpy year and required companies to allocate more resources to promotional activities. That said, we continue to manage things in our control to the best of our ability and remain optimistic due to the enduring trend of fitness and health and our long-term growth potential, especially given our brand’s strong positioning. Stephanie Linnartz, president and CEO, Under Armour

Looking ahead, the industry is set to continue its steady growth: analysts estimate CAGR of about 7 percent by 2027 (Exhibit 1).

Rising levels of polarization

In an unpredictable market environment, a key trend is rising levels of polarization, with some companies performing much better than others. About a third of sporting goods companies have grown revenues and widened margins since 2017, forming an elite group of winners that consistently outperform the wider market. On average, this group has achieved organic growth of five percentage points and margin improvements of three percentage points over the period. Conversely, about a quarter of companies have been margin-accretive laggards—in other words, they have lifted margins but not revenues. About 10 percent are dilutive laggards, seeing strong revenue performance (more than 15 percent) but slightly negative margin performance (two percentage points on average). We expect this polarization theme to persist in the future.

I think the difficult thing in the current environment is that so many variables are changing at one time—COVID-19–related shutdowns, supply chain disruptions, geopolitical uncertainty, and inflation. Getting into this season, most brands and retailers built too much inventory, so 2024 is therefore going to be a little bit of a clean-up year. Hugo Maurstad, managing partner, Monte Rosa Capital

Sporting goods trends for 2024

In the first chapter of the report, we highlight an improving industry outlook, with about 90 percent of sporting goods leaders anticipating stability or improvements in sales and margins, according to the McKinsey and World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) Sporting Goods Industry Report Survey 2023. Still, industry leaders are not universally optimistic, amid persistent concern over inflation and overstocking. Eighty-one percent of respondents to this year’s survey say inflation and inventory levels and cost of capital are a continuing challenge, and 50 percent worry about attracting talent and the pressing imperative to become more sustainable. In addition, economic headwinds may still apply. In China, for example, 2023 marked a recovery from a tough 2022, but many Chinese consumers will likely trade down in 2024 as tough economic conditions persist.

In the remaining four chapters of this year’s report, we dive into the key themes that will likely appear on executive agendas in the year ahead:

1. Shifting consumer preferences and generational opportunities. Consumer confidence remains subdued, but the sporting goods sector has shown it can be resilient, with many companies relatively immune to downtrading. That said, brand loyalty is declining. Also, consumer behaviors are moving away from organized sports and toward options that are more accessible. This pivot presents new avenues to growth, particularly in segments such as pickleball and paddle tennis (159 percent growth from 2019 to 2022) and off-course golf (57 percent growth from 2019 to 2022), which have seen surges in popularity (Exhibit 2).

In addition, there is a generational shift in progress, with some older demographics spending more time and money on their favorite sports and hobbies. However, demographic dynamics vary across regions, suggesting brands will need to craft age-inclusive strategies to suit their constituencies.

Our product range at Nike isn’t just about catering to a specific age group—it’s more about accessibility. We want to ensure that whether someone is a jogger, walker, marathon runner, or just looking to stay active, they find something in our range that suits their needs. Vanessa Garcia-Brito, VP, chief social & community impact officer, Nike

2. Planning, planning, planning. Inventory management remains a pressing challenge as companies grapple with overstocking and demand volatility. The rising cost of capital further complicates the outlook, compelling companies to reevaluate their established planning processes. The key to being prepared lies in integrated business planning, which can significantly improve coordination and reduce the number of surprises. Still, effective implementation requires new governance approaches and cross-functional alignments as well as standardized inputs and outputs. Companies can combine these with AI and machine learning to generate more precise end-to-end planning and forecasting (Exhibit 3).

The last three and a half years for us and the rest of the industry has been super hard on supply chain and planning. … We’re now embarking on a new system for integrated planning. It’s an end-to-end planning system to connect our entire supply chain and continue to deliver the right inventory at the right time. Dan Sheridan, chief operating officer, Brooks Running

3. From sustainability targets to actions. Regulation and corporate action are supporting nations and regions in setting and meeting their sustainability targets. In China, the European Union, and the United States, there is increasing government support for funding that will drive the energy transition.

Many sporting goods brands, including smaller companies, are now stepping up, not only setting ambitious targets but also seeking to address social and governance issues in their operations and supply chains. These steps reflect rising consumer demand for more sustainable offerings. For example, consumers increasingly value products that use organic or sustainable input materials—and are often willing to pay a premium for them. While many companies are making progress, others are still at the starting blocks. Ten impact areas along the value chain and specific initiatives in each can help companies move forward. These range from new business models to initiatives that may boost consumer awareness, and companies can assess each of these through the lens of a cost abatement curve (Exhibit 4).

4. Playing the sports ecosystem game. In the wake of some companies embracing direct-to-consumer business models, the past year has seen a renewed focus on wholesale partnerships, reflecting the understanding that consumers prefer to shop in multibrand environments. Going a step further, an increasing number of companies are embracing explicit ecosystem strategies, taking their thinking beyond channel coverage and product assortments. This reflects the fact that technological advancements and health trends are driving a shift in consumer demand from individual products to comprehensive health- and activity-centered solutions.

Companies alone cannot meet all consumer needs. But they can meet those needs through networks of companies that serve some element of the customer journey, from opportunity discovery to planning and preparing, traveling, participation, and recovery (Exhibit 5). McKinsey research shows that the activities within these steps that customers value most include finding similarly minded people, shaping products to their specific needs, obtaining insurance to reduce risks, liaising with travel agencies, and receiving support during activities. 3 McKinsey Ecosystem Strategy Hub; McKinsey Consumer Community Survey, September 2023, n = 322 (Germany and the UK). Ecosystems enable companies to cater to these demands.

The report identifies five levers for value generation in an ecosystem environment: new subscription revenues, lower customer-acquisition costs, cross-selling, commissions, and operational efficiencies.

The past year has marked a period of recalibration for the sporting goods industry, with an uneven recovery and persistent challenges. Looking ahead, we believe the most successful players will innovate to address shifting consumer demands, manage supply chain complexity, streamline operations, and seize opportunities in emerging markets and ecosystems. Through efforts in these areas and a sharp focus on execution, the industry will be well positioned to continue its positive trajectory.

Download Time to move: Sporting goods 2024 , the full report on which this article is based.

Sabine Becker is an associate partner in McKinsey’s Zurich office, where Alexander Thiel  is a partner; Gemma D’Auria is a senior partner in the Milan office; and Sajal Kohli  is a senior partner in the Chicago office.

The authors wish to thank Rajat Agarwal, Becca Coggins, Asina de Branche, Karl-Hendrik Magnus, Olga Ostromecka, Daniel Zipser, all members of WFSGI, and the many industry experts who generously shared their perspectives during interviews for this article.

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Opposites Attract: LogRhythm And Exabeam To Merge

Allie Mellen , Principal Analyst

Joseph Blankenship , VP, Research Director

Today, LogRhythm and Exabeam announced their intent to merge into a single company. This is another big change for the security analytics platform market, which has been undergoing a rollercoaster of activity the past few years, from Microsoft announcing Sentinel in 2019  and Cisco’s acquisition of Splunk  to XDR vendors shooting their shot and vendor misalignment with customer needs .

The merger between LogRhythm and Exabeam is a classic case of opposites attracting:

• LogRhythm has languished in the last 5–10 years, struggling to transition its product and customers to the cloud. Part of this is because many of its customers prioritize on-premises, given its EMEA market focus. It has also faced challenges with lack of innovation and slow time to market on its cloud-native offering, however, providing LogRhythm Cloud in 2019 as a stop gap before LogRhythm Axon, its cloud-native product, was released in 2022.
• Exabeam hit its peak in customer interest, especially in North America, its focus, around 2020 because of its high-quality user behavior analytics (UBA). But its popularity waned in recent years due to its lack of completeness in other areas of the offering, such as the SIEM and SOAR capabilities, new market entrants (like Microsoft), customers looking to consolidate vendors during and after the pandemic, and the accompanying macroeconomic challenges.

Opposites Provide Some Synergies

On the one hand, the merger could be great for LogRhythm and Exabeam. LogRhythm has a solid SIEM foundation, while Exabeam has a high-quality UBA. Both companies needed a missing piece that the other could provide, which is an opportunity for customer expansion.

But Opposites Are Still Opposites

Merging will present challenges for both companies. They have dramatically different company cultures and processes, as LogRhythm is a veteran security company founded in 2003 with a focus on a suite-style offering, while Exabeam is, by comparison, a younger company founded in 2012 with a focus on modular, stand-alone products. In addition, both of these companies have faced challenges in recent years that are not solved by a merger: difficulty keeping pace with market innovation and with the transition to the cloud. LogRhythm has traditionally focused on the midmarket, while Exabeam aggressively pursued large enterprise deals, highlighting a difference in target market that must be bridged.

Expect A Tumultuous Short Term And An Unknown Long Term

Mergers are a tumultuous time for vendors — innovation gets put on the backburner, attrition rates increase, and customer support often suffers. All this happens as the vendor shifts focus to creating a central organization, set of offerings, and market message. Current customers of LogRhythm and Exabeam must prepare for a period of innovation stagnation as the vendors adjust their footing. In the longer term, the vendors will push the synergies of their offerings to make the case for a security analytics portfolio competitive with the likes of market leaders. Given where the competition sits in the market, however, the speed at which this newly merged company is able to start innovating will dictate its long-term success.

The combined organization is likely to push hard in the midmarket, where LogRhythm’s existing suite has had success, and the Exabeam user experience makes it a more natural fit.

Security Analytics Market Changes Will Continue

Overall, this merger showcases how security analytics platform vendors continue to face headwinds on ensuring completeness of offering while competing with innovation coming from other vendors, including hyperscalers like Microsoft, AWS, and Google and cybersecurity stalwarts like Palo Alto Networks. Expect more consolidation in the security analytics platform market in the years to come, as well as increased competition from extended detection and response vendors that are pushing into the SecOps space.

Forrester clients can  schedule an inquiry or guidance session with me to discuss their options with LogRhythm and Exabeam moving forward.

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