Choosing a marketing research company? Have your company select the right marketing research firm!

This is a marketing research resource site.
Author: Thomas Brown
Power Decisions Group
San Francisco, USA

Questions to Ask Yourself ...

...

What are your marketing research objectives?

The objectives involve understanding exactly what it is that you seek to accomplish by obtaining marketing research information.

Do you want to make a specific decision?


If so, what are the decision options you face? Do you need background information on a new product category? Is this the first study you've conducted in the category or topic, or is it part of a larger research effort?


Are you designing the research methodology, or are you focused on your decision and the information you need?



This is an important quesiton that will drive your selection of a marketing research firm. If you have studied carfully the research and decision issue, and have research design experience you may have the expertise to select the methodology yourself. In this case, you may be best served by going directly to a data collection agency



What do you need?


There are several levels of assistance you may need. These range from data collection firms, "full-service" marketing research firms, or consulting and research firms.

• Data collection agency

  A data collection agency has the back room data collection capacities to conduct phone surveys, host focus groups, recruit respondents, and other important field tasks in marketing research. It is likely best if you have internally designed a questionnaire and are well satisfied that it has the quality controls, question wording, piping, and skip patterns that will produce a well received and valid research interview. In that case, you might find it advantageious to go directly to a data collection firm. The Marketing Research Association is a trade association of data collection agencies.

• Full service marketing research supplier

  Full service marketing research firms do both research design, methodology recommendations, and implement and report full studies, or, do some of these functions in a particular study. A long time a well known resource to find full service firms is the New York AMA's Greenbook that lists full service marketing research firms by areas of expertise and specialization.

• Research-based Marketing Consulting Firms

  Markeitng consulting firms come in many forms — from the small solo or partnerships to larger large staff firms. Often they deliver the capabilities of a full service marketing research firm, yet, take a broader view and bring more to the table in the way of senior level management experience in their consulting staff. There is no one premium source directory of research-based marketing consulting firms; perhaps the best is a Google search under marketing consulting firms.

Message from Power Decisions Group...

Collaborate on Decisions Before Market Research

If you're a company looking for a market research firm that thinks first and collaborates on your marketing strategy decisions before heading into a marketing research, branding, advertising, or new product strategy development study, we can help.

Experience

We can help if you're grappling with marketing strategy, and want the insight of a market research and consulting company of seasoned pros who've introduced products, created new name brands, started marketing and technology companies and been on the marketing and sales firing line themselves.

Build Market Share and Sharpen Marketing Strategy

Power Decisions Group offers marketing decision-making support to companies and organizations that want to build market share and sharpen their marketing strategy. We offer comprehensive marketing consulting services, and broad marketing research capabilities.

We can help if you believe marketing information is crucial and you want to know more about your market -- a new market or an existing market segment --and that a focus group or qualitative market study , online or targeted phone survey , pricing survey, market segmentation, branding study, or other custom market surveywould aid your decision-making.

Our starting point is your marketing problem, decision, or goal. Our end point is providing you with marketing research that assists you with making decisions.

Useful Links for Selecting A Marketing Research Firm

Sales Vantage Technology Marketing Research Directory

New York AMA's Greenbook

Marketing Research Associations