Market research turns complexity into clarity. It reveals what people want, how they behave, and why they make the decisions they do. It helps businesses eliminate guesswork by transforming consumer behavior, competitive landscapes, and market trends into clear, actionable insights.

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But not all market research providers are created equal. Some firms specialize in B2B strategies, others in AI-powered innovation research. Some move fast, others dig deep. That’s why choosing the right partner matters: the right fit accelerates growth, sharpens strategy, and de-risks your big bets.

This guide does just that: spotlighting 15 top-performing market research companies operating in the US today. Let’s dig in.

Features to Look For When Selecting a Market Research Company

There are a few things you need to consider if you want to find the best research partner:

• Expertise and Client Base: Proven track record with relevant clients means higher confidence in outcomes.
• Speed to Insight: Markets move fast—your research partner should too. Prioritize tools and teams that deliver quickly without sacrificing depth.
• AI Capabilities: The best market research companies use machine learning and automation to streamline processes and reveal deeper insights.

Let’s dive into the top market research firms in the USA in 2025:

Top 15 Market Research Companies in the US

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. NielsenIQ

• Location: Chicago, IL
• Size: 30,000+ employees globally
• Clients: Global CPG and retail brands
• Top Use Cases: Retail measurement, consumer panel insights
• Benefits: Market leader in omnichannel and POS data

3. IPSOS

• Location: New York, NY (global HQ in Paris)
• Size: 18,000+ employees
• Clients: Governments, Fortune 500 companies
• Top Use Cases: Brand tracking, political polling, product testing
• Benefits: Global reach with sector-specific expertise

4. Kantar

• Location: New York, NY
• Size: 25,000+ employees
• Clients: Coca-Cola, Unilever, Google
• Top Use Cases: Ad testing, brand strategy, innovation research
• Benefits: Broadest range of research services globally

5. Forrester Research

• Location: Cambridge, MA
• Size: 2,000+ employees
• Clients: Tech, finance, and consulting sectors
• Top Use Cases: Customer experience, market forecasting
• Benefits: Deep industry trend reports with strategic insight

6. Gartner

• Location: Stamford, CT
• Size: 16,000+ employees
• Clients: Large enterprises and public sector
• Top Use Cases: Market trends, technology research
• Benefits: Authoritative in enterprise tech landscapes

7. Qualtrics

• Location: Provo, UT
• Size: 5,000+ employees
• Clients: JetBlue, Under Armour, Microsoft
• Top Use Cases: Brand tracking, employee engagement, CX
• Benefits: Enterprise-grade research software with customizable dashboards

8. Material

• Location: Los Angeles, CA
• Size: 500+ employees
• Clients: Disney, Walmart, T-Mobile
• Top Use Cases: Experience design, brand strategy, segmentation
• Benefits: Combines data science, design thinking, and deep qual

9. Attest

• Location: New York, NY
• Size: 150+ employees
• Clients: Microsoft, Samsung, Unilever
• Top Use Cases: Creative testing, brand tracking
• Benefits: Flat-rate pricing with fast, global reach

10. Suzy

• Location: New York, NY
• Size: 200+ employees
• Clients: Kraft Heinz, Clorox, Nestlé
• Top Use Cases: Concept testing, audience segmentation
• Benefits: Combines qual and quant with AI analysis

11. Dynata

• Location: Shelton, CT
• Size: 3,000+ employees
• Clients: Ad agencies, consumer brands
• Top Use Cases: Survey programming, audience research
• Benefits: Access to 70M+ verified global respondents

12. System1

• Location: London, UK with US operations
• Size: 200+ employees
• Clients: Pepsi, Boots, Mars
• Top Use Cases: Ad testing, brand equity prediction
• Benefits: Emotional measurement and predictive scoring

13. Quantilope

• Location: New York, NY
• Size: 200+ employees
• Clients: Nestlé, Audi, Vodafone
• Top Use Cases: MaxDiff, TURF, Conjoint, segmentation
• Benefits: Fast, self-service access to advanced methods

14. Lucid

• Location: New Orleans, LA (now part of Cint)
• Size: 350+ employees
• Clients: Agencies, research firms, brands
• Top Use Cases: Programmatic sampling
• Benefits: Large respondent reach and high-quality data

15. 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

How to Pick the Best Market Research Company For Your Needs

There’s no one-size-fits-all market research partner. Here’s how to narrow your options:.

1. Define your goal.

Are you looking to develop a new product? Track your brand’s performance? Explore shifting consumer behaviors? Your specific business goals will help define the type of research partner that’s right for you.

2. Know What Matters Most.

Need speed and scale? Look for AI-powered platforms or agile consultancies that can keep pace.

Need cross-functional support? A full-service firm with depth across qualitative, quantitative, and strategic storytelling might be your best bet.

3. Prioritize Predictive Capabilities.

If you’re investing in innovation, it’s not enough to ask what consumers like—you need to know what will perform. That’s where advanced analytics and predictive modeling come in. Dig Insights, for example, blends behavioral science and proprietary AI to forecast market performance.

Ultimately, the best market research company is one that aligns with your ambition, adapts to your timelines, and helps you move from insight to impact faster. Whether that means partnering with a nimble insights platform or a legacy consultancy, the choice should empower smarter decisions.

Why Work With Dig Insights?

Whether you’re mapping a category, validating trends, or refining a product before launch, Dig combines strategic rigor with tech-enabled speed. Our Upsiide platform, predictive models, and custom consulting give you the confidence to move forward—faster and smarter.

But what really sets us apart? We bring the voice of the consumer, the voice of the market, and the voice of the business into one streamlined strategy. That means your innovation decisions don’t just look good on paper—they work in the real world.

Ready to make smarter decisions?