Updated: July 8th 2025
The world doesn’t wait—and neither should your research. Traditional methods were built for slower decision-making cycles: commission a study, test a few ideas, pick the winner, and launch. But that model doesn’t really fit for today’s fast-paced markets.
Classic research approaches can be thoughtful, yes—but also slow, expensive, and disconnected from the pace of modern business. And too often, they fail to deliver the commercial impact that today’s innovation demands.
Tech-enabled market research companies are rewriting the playbook. Brands now have access to platforms that help them move quickly, test broadly, and make confident decisions without wasting time or money.
Why You Need a Tech-Enabled Research Partner
Whether you’re mapping whitespace, exploring consumer needs, or optimizing your portfolio, a tech-enabled partner can help you make smarter decisions. Here’s what sets them apart:
- AI & Automation: Eliminate repetitive work and speed up everything from survey design to reporting, so your team can focus on what matters: thinking.
- Live Dashboards & Real-Time Access: See results as they come in, identify shifts early, and act decisively.
- Advanced Analytics & Predictive Modeling: Go beyond the “what” to understand the “why”—and forecast future performance with confidence.
- Self-Serve Tools: Empower teams across the business to launch studies, while insights pros tackle the deeper questions.
- Speed to Insight: In a market that moves fast, you need partners that move faster. Tech-enabled firms shorten the distance between research and ROI.
Top 10 Tech-Enabled Market Research Companies (2025)
1. Dig Insights
- Location: Chicago, IL (with offices in Canada and the UK)
- Size: 200+ employees
- Clients: McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, AB InBev, Meta, CVS
- Top Use Cases: Product innovation, trends & foresight, qualitative research, advanced analytics
- Unique Features: Upsiide—a proprietary AI-powered insights platform, in-house data scientists, full-spectrum innovation work including trends, qual, and quant
- Benefits: Drives predictable brand & innovation success through proprietary technology, data science, and AI solutions
2. Zappi
- Location: Boston & London
- Size: 300+ employees
- Clients: PepsiCo, McDonald’s, Colgate
- Top Use Cases: Pre-launch testing, creative development, automation at scale
- Benefits: Provides always-on consumer insights to enable fast, validated decision-making.
3. Suzy
- Location: New York, NY
- Size: 200+ employees
- Clients: Kraft Heinz, Clorox, Nestlé
- Top Use Cases: Concept testing, audience segmentation, online focus groups
- Benefits: Combines qualitative and quantitative tools with real-time research capabilities like Suzy Live.
4. Remesh
- Location: New York, NY
- Size: 100+ employees
- Clients: Procter & Gamble, Deloitte, Samsung
- Top Use Cases: Real-time market research, employee feedback, sentiment analysis
- Benefits: AI-powered live focus groups and scalable qualitative research in real-time.
5. Attest
- Location: New York & London
- Size: 150+ employees
- Clients: Microsoft, Unilever, Samsung
- Top Use Cases: Brand tracking, market analysis, consumer profiling
- Benefits: Global reach with an intuitive dashboard and expert advisory support; flat-rate pricing.
6. Appinio
- Location: Hamburg, Germany
- Size: 200+ employees
- Clients: Audi, Vodafone, Red Bull
- Top Use Cases: Pricing strategy development, brand tracking, visual testing
- Benefits: Delivers real-time quantitative insights with a mobile-first, user-friendly interface.
7. Material+
- Location: Los Angeles & New York
- Size: 500+ employees
- Clients: Disney, Walmart, T-Mobile
- Top Use Cases: Experience design, brand strategy, segmentation
- Benefits: Integrates research, technology, and strategy through a consultancy-model approach.
8. Lucid (part of Cint)
- Location: Global
- Size: 350+ employees
- Clients: Agencies, research firms, and global brands
- Top Use Cases: Programmatic sampling, panel management, digital audience insights
- Benefits: Offers global reach and precise targeting through its large panel network.
9. Forrester Research
- Location: Cambridge, MA
- Size: 2,000+ employees
- Clients: Tech, finance, and enterprise firms
- Top Use Cases: Technology adoption analysis, digital transformation, market trends
- Benefits: Combines consulting and predictive analytics for deep strategic foresight.
10. Gartner
- Location: Stamford, CT
- Size: 16,000+ employees
- Clients: Enterprise and public sector organizations
- Top Use Cases: Market trends, technology research, decision-making support
- Benefits: Offers proprietary benchmarks like Magic Quadrants and deep research libraries.
How to Pick the Right Tech-Enabled Market Research Partner
There’s no shortage of platforms and providers. But not all tech-enabled partners are built the same. Here’s how to choose the one that aligns with your ambition:
1. Clarify Your Objective
Are you optimizing packaging, launching a new SKU, or repositioning your brand? The right partner should meet your use case with the right combination of tools and talent.
2. Prioritize Predictive Capabilities
Don’t settle for descriptive data. If you’re betting on innovation, look for partners who can predict performance and simulate in-market outcomes.
3. Evaluate Fit for Your Team
Is the platform intuitive for marketers? Powerful enough for researchers? Look for user-centric tools that fit your workflow—and flex with your needs.
4. Assess the Balance of SaaS and Service
Tech is powerful, but it doesn’t replace expertise. The best partners offer a blend of automation and advisory—helping you scale research while staying strategic.
5. Consider Industry and Category Relevance
A platform’s past performance in your vertical matters. Choose a partner with proven success in your industry, who understands your category nuances and business pressures.
6. Look Beyond the Demo
Ask about onboarding, support, and strategic consultation. Will the partner help you translate data into decisions? Will they grow with you?
Why Work With Dig Insights?
At Dig, we’re reimagining what market research can be.
Our tech-enabled research platform, Upsiide, empowers you to screen, test, and prioritize innovation ideas in real time. From AI-powered concept testing to predictive analytics that forecast market performance, Upsiide delivers insights that are fast, flexible, and built to scale.
But we don’t stop at data delivery. Our proprietary models, automation tools, and expert consulting work together to turn complex consumer behavior into actionable direction—so you can move from insight to impact without losing momentum.
Whether you’re launching a new product or repositioning a brand, Dig gives you the tools and tech to make smarter decisions, faster.
Want to dig deeper into our tech?