2010 Market Research Supplier Satisfaction Survey

Continuing our ongoing effort to help our clients understand the rapidly changing marketplace, we have recently completed a comprehensive customer satisfaction study of more than 90 research suppliers (reduced due to consolidation within the industry) across four market research segments including:

1. Full Service
2. Syndicated
3. Online Sample
4. Online Survey Software

 

Of these, 55 suppliers received a sufficient number of evaluations for their inclusion within the 2010 Market Research Supplier Satisfaction Survey. And even more suppliers are represented in our exclusive "Supplier Usage/Share Report."

The just-completed report contains detailed satisfaction scores at the market segment and individual company level. And given the dynamic business climate, the report also provides up-to-date information regarding:

• Changes in Market Research Budgets for the second half of 2010
• Staffing Changes -- layoffs, consolidations, and hiring during the first half of 2010
• Current Employee Job Satisfaction Levels
• Quantitative techniques used by research organizations
• Research being conducted around social networks and new media

 

Conducted between July 7 and July 27, 2010, 565 Market Research Professionals completed an online survey -- producing a completion rate of 78.2% and a data tolerance of +/- 4.1%.

No other report has such current information necessary to successfully navigate the remainder of 2010.

 

Market Research Supplier Report Cards

For each supplier, the mean satisfaction score for each of the five measured dimensions (plus a stated overall satisfaction score) is presented. This information -- an invaluable Report Card -- enables suppliers to understand their customers' satisfaction along a multitude of dimensions. The Supplier Report Card provides invaluable benchmarking and competitive information.

Most importantly, you can see:

• Shifting industry trends to understand what is currently important to buyers
• Where your organization can best apply its resources for maximum impact
• How the satisfaction scores of individual firms along six key dimensions are trending--up or down--from last year

Click here to see a list of suppliers, by segment, that were included in the survey and if they received sufficient feedback to include their customer satisfaction scores in the 2010 Market Research Supplier Satisfaction Survey.

Note that Market Research Supplier Report Cards, Opportunity Maps, and Supplier Usage Rankings are provided for each of the four MR segments.

Opportunity Maps

Quantifying challenges and opportunities, aggregate Importance and Satisfaction metrics are provided for each of the four MR segments.

To help visualize and prioritize the shifting enhancement opportunities, an "Opportunity Map" is also provided for each of the four segments. The Opportunity Maps reveal the historical and current needs of your buyers.

Supplier Usage Rankings

Complementing the competitive information of the Supplier Report Card, the report also reveals the number of respondents who are using each company's service. This data is particularly insightful when combined with satisfaction scores given firms with modest customer satisfaction scores may have an exceptionally high level of usage among market research professionals.

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2010 Results Summary

And the 2010 Winners Are ...

Based on the actual customer satisfaction scores in the 2010 Supplier Report Cards, we wish to congratulate the following market research suppliers for their
Overall Customer Satisfaction Score and #1 Customer Satisfaction Ranking:

Segment	Market Research Supplier
Full Service Research Provider	Directions Research
Syndicated Research Provider	Gartner
Online Sample Provider	e-Rewards
Online Survey Software Provider	Sawtooth Software

 

We also wish to extend our congratulations to the suppliers below who achieved #1 rankings based upon specific customer satisfaction metrics.

To view the actual customer satisfaction scores and rankings of more than 50 market research suppliers, please refer to the 2010 detailed report.

2010 Market Research Budgets

There is no question 2009 was a challenging year for the Market Research Industry. However, as research companies continue to recover from what many "insiders" call one of the worst MR years on recent record, it is invaluable to understand how research organizations are spending their money today.

As revealed below, research organizations “managed down” expenses through the first half of 2010--with only marketing and experiencing relative increases. For some firms, these actions impacted personnel compensation and the ability to generate revenue for the firm.

For detailed information regarding the methods by which companies managed their budget during the first half of 2010, and the characteristics of the companies taking action, please refer to the 2010 detailed report.

Employee Job Satisfaction Level

Ever the steady hand, two-thirds of market research professionals remain satisfied with their current job. While many key influencers continue to involve non-monetary factors, compensation, in our opinion, is likely to play a larger role in the coming year.

To understand the shifting influencers of job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction, please refer to the 2010 detailed report.

Job Concern and Security

Down significantly from 2009 yet still elevated, nearly one in four (24%) market research professionals are currently concerned about losing their job.

Concerns regarding job security are predominately driven by the ability of a company to win business. Essentially, it is a story of the "Haves" vs. the "Have Nots" as punctuated by the comments from market research professionals below.

"The Haves" “We have plenty of work and are contemplating hiring another person.” “Business is good and personally feeling valuable to the organization.”

"The Have Nots" “Lost clients or jobs due to client's budget constraints. If they don't come back or can’t be replaced, some jobs will be in jeopardy.” “Company has moved from semiannual to quarterly to rolling layoffs.”

To understand who is most concerned and to view additional verbatim comments, please refer to the 2010 detailed report.

Researching New Media

Nearly half (47%) of all MR professionals have been asked to research social networks in 2010--followed by online consumer behavior. Based upon industry trends, the demand to research new media will likely accelerate.

To understand the metrics employed, the social networks of research focus, and the perceived effectiveness of social networks, please refer to the 2010 detailed report.

	Below is a Table of Contents for the report. Topic Pages Key Findings 3 Research Methodology 4-5     2010 Online Sample Providers: Satisfaction Report Card and Usage 6-10 2010 Full Service Research Providers: Satisfaction Report Card and Usage 11-15 2010 Syndicated Research Providers: Satisfaction Report Card and Usage 16-20 2010 Online Survey Software Providers: Satisfaction Report Card and Usage 21-25     Employed Quantitative Data Analysis Techniques [Topic Added in 2010] 26-27     2010 Market Research Budgets 28-31 2010 Staffing Changes 32-34 2010 Employee Job Satisfaction and Concerns 35-40     Research of New Media [Topic Added in 2010] 41-45     Participant Profile 46-51 About MarketResearchCareers 52-53
The report is available for $399.   To purchase, open an employer account, select "Pricing Plans" and choose the "2010 Supplier Satisfaction Survey." The report will be emailed    to you shortly after your purchase. You may also contact: Mike Carroll Director Sales & Marketing 1-800-872-5401 mcarroll@marketresearchcareers.com

About MarketResearchCareers

MarketResearchCareers is the career website with the most comprehensive database of resumes and jobs focusing exclusively on the Market Research industry

Visited monthly by nearly half of all market research professionals in the United States and possessing the resumes of more than 30,000 market researchers, MarketResearchCareers is your market research staffing headquarters. See why so many corporate hiring managers, human resource professionals, market research suppliers, and thousands of skilled researchers turn to MarketResearchCareers to fill their market research jobs.

Please contact Mike Carroll at 1-800-872-5401 or mcarroll@marketresearchcareers.com for permission to use these results.