What does Agile Mean for Market Research?
Agile market research is an iterative approach to gathering consumer insights that emphasizes speed, flexibility, and continuous learning. It enables brands to test ideas early, adapt quickly based on feedback, and refine concepts over time, reducing risk and improving outcomes.
Born out of the software development world, this methodology replaces the traditional one-and-done approach with shorter research cycles, real-time feedback, and tech-enabled workflows.
Instead of waiting weeks or months for one big study, you gather feedback in cycles, refining ideas with every round. This helps brands respond to changing markets and consumer needs faster and more confidently.
The Benefits of Selecting an Agile Market Research Company
Here’s what you can expect if you choose to go with an agile market research partner:
- Faster insights: Get from question to answer quickly, so you can make decisions in real time, not weeks later.
- More flexibility: Agile partners adapt with you, shifting focus as new priorities or trends emerge.
- Better use of resources: Streamlined processes = less time and budget wasted on inefficient research.
- Continuous innovation: With faster feedback loops, you can test, learn, and improve—all before launch.
Features to Look for When Selecting an Agile Market Research Company
While budget and timelines are important when picking the right agile market research partner, you should also consider these things:
Integration of Agile Workflows
The best agile research companies don’t just talk agile—they actually live it. That means that they also test iteratively, prioritize early feedback, and embed collaboration across every phase. It’s how they stay aligned with your business needs and deliver insights that actually move the needle.
Use of AI and Advanced Technology
AI isn’t going anywhere. If anything, it’s propelling market research companies to stay more agile. So, look for partners using machine learning to automate data analysis, spot trends, and predict outcomes. That’s how you get more from your data, faster.
Focus on Continuous Learning
Agility doesn’t stop at speed—it’s also about growth. Leading agile research firms constantly refine their methods, learn from past projects, and level up their tools and thinking. So, search for vendors who’re always asking themselves “How can I make this better next time?”.
Top 7 Agile Market Research Companies (2025)
1. Dig Insights
- Location: Toronto, Canada (with offices in the US and the UK)
- Size: 200+ employees
- Clients: McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, AB InBev, Meta, CVS
- Top Use Cases: Product innovation, AI idea generation, video interviewing and survey analysis, trends & foresight, qualitative research, advanced analytics
- Unique Features: Upsiide—a proprietary AI-powered insights platform; in-house data scientists; comprehensive innovation services including trends, qualitative, and quantitative research
- Benefits: Combines strategic expertise with agile technology and AI to deliver predictive and actionable insights, enabling brands to make informed decisions fast.
2. Zappi
- Location: Boston, MA
- Size: 300+ employees
- Clients: PepsiCo, McDonald’s, Colgate
- Top Use Cases: Ad testing, concept validation
- Benefits: AI-powered automation with robust benchmarks for fast, scalable insight generation.
3. Suzy
- Location: New York, NY
- Size: 200+ employees
- Clients: Kraft Heinz, Clorox, Nestlé
- Top Use Cases: Concept testing, audience segmentation
- Benefits: AI-enhanced platform combining qual and quant research for rapid, actionable insights.
4. Attest
- Location: New York, NY & London, UK
- Size: 150+ employees
- Clients: Microsoft, Samsung, Unilever
- Top Use Cases: Market analysis, brand tracking, creative testing, consumer profiling, new product development
- Benefits: Flat-rate pricing with global reach and real-time access to 150M+ respondents.
5. Remesh
- Location: New York, NY
- Size: 51-200 employees
- Clients: Various industries including retail, finance, and technology
- Top Use Cases: Real-time market research, employee feedback, AI-powered sentiment analysis
- Benefits: Real-time, AI-powered qualitative research at quantitative scale for deeper audience understanding.
6. Quantilope
- Location: New York, NY (with offices in Germany and the UK)
- Size: 200+ employees
- Clients: Nestlé, Audi, Vodafone
- Top Use Cases: MaxDiff, TURF, Conjoint analysis, segmentation, brand tracking
- Benefits:Fast, self-service access to advanced methods with real-time dashboards and AI-supported automation.
7. Rival / Reach3
- Location: Vancouver, BC and global remote teams
- Size: 100+ employees
- Clients: Diageo, Samsung, Snap Inc., T-Mobile
- Top Use Cases: Conversational research, mobile-first studies, Gen Z insights, customer experience
- Benefits: Mobile-first, chat-based research platform delivering rich, iterative insights for agile decision-making.
Questions to Ask Market Research Companies About Agile Innovation
Not all research partners are built the same, especially when it comes to agility. Here are a few smart questions to ask before you commit:
- How do you embed agile practices into your day-to-day research process?
- What AI tools or automation do you use to speed things up and uncover deeper insights?
- Can you walk me through a project where agile methods made a clear impact?
- How do you evolve your methodologies over time? What does “continuous improvement” look like for your team?
- In fast-moving research cycles, how do you ensure data accuracy and reliability?
These questions can help you separate the truly agile partners from those just riding the buzzword.
Why Dig Insights Stands Out
At Dig, agility is baked into everything we do.
From the way we build our tech to how our teams work with clients, we’re designed to move fast without sacrificing rigor.
Our agile platform, Upsiide, is built for iterative testing, rapid feedback loops, and continuous optimization. Whether you’re scanning the horizon for emerging trends, refining a product idea, or forecasting in-market success, Upsiide lets you do it all.
But we’re agile not just because we’re fast, but also because we’re experts at what we do. Our consultants bring decades of hands-on expertise across categories, methodologies, and business challenges. That experience is what allows us to adapt quickly, tailor approaches in real time, and turn complex questions into clear, actionable insight.
Curious to learn more about our agile tools?