Learn About Syndicated Market Research

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Syndicated market research projects and programs gather general information on a regular basis and are funded by highly interested parties who will have access to some of the research results. Typically, syndicated research enables the paying participants, who commission the work collectively, to access some general information and data. One of the key values of syndicated market research is that the findings indicate general trends in customer behavior and the marketplace environment.

Unique Features

  • Some findings are only available to the participants who specifically paid for them.
  • A body of general, superficial data is available to all paid participants.
  • Participants may have added certain questions to a survey questionnaire.
  • Participants may have added certain questions to an interview protocol.
  • The research scope may have been expanded to focus on certain topics.
  • The sampling plan may have been broadened to include more respondents.

Research Firms

A market research firm that produces syndicated research conducts activities that enable them to gather information on a regular basis and then market that data and the reports that were generated from an analysis of that data to other firms. Typically, the reports that contain syndicated market research are expensive and priced so high that only companies buy the reports. Often, market research firms specialize in particular categories of data and market intelligence.

  • Q Scores Company - This firm tracks the perceptions that consumers hold of over 1700 celebrities. While this might seem a bit frivolous for a market research firm - something that People magazine might do adequately - the standing of well-known people is a vital bit of information for a company to have when considering to hire a celebrity for an advertising campaign. In addition to celebrity rankings, Q Scores Company also assesses consumer sentiment and appeal of cartoon characters, deceased celebrities, and sports stars.
  • Nielsen - Perhaps the best known of the syndicated market research firms, Nielsen's focus has long been television ratings. In recent years, Nielsen has added interactive capabilities to their TV research by having viewers tweet their opinions and comments to the researchers while they are watching the television shows. 
  • Arbitron - Consumer opinion about radio shows is at the center of the syndicated market research conducted by Arbitron. The popularity of radio shows to listeners is rolled up into reports that are disseminated to radio station decision makers.
  • Environics Research Group - This Canadian firm combines consumer purchase behavior and media usage with proprietary target market segmentation that provides a broad, is somewhat shallow, corpus of data to members of the syndicated research customer group.
  • Ipsos Reid - A well-known firm in the syndicated market research space in Canada, Ipsos Reid offers six areas of market research specialization: advertising, loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs, and survey management. Also, Ipsos has also expanded into the area of neuroscience. A New York Times bestseller book from Ipsos Loyalty, The Wallet Allocation Rule, provides insight into the sentiments and wallets of consumers. 
  • C+R Research Services, Inc. - This is a full-service marketing insights agency, delivers great research, deep perspective and committed client service.
  • Clear Seas Research – A research firm that facilitates superior decision making in today’s business world by making the complex clear.
  • DoctorDirectory - Now part of Everyday Health, Inc., it offers market research solutions at DoctorDirectory provides access to over 700,000 U.S. prescribers.
  • Healthcare Research & Analytics (HRA) - A full-service market research firm working across healthcare channels with particular expertise in the hospital setting.
  • Irwin Broh Research - Since 1971, this market research firm has been helping business mind their customers' mind.
  • Multi-sponsor Surveys, Inc.Provides shared-cost syndicated research studies to assess current/future markets for consumer and business-to-business products and services.
  • Strategic Intelligence Research Services (SIRS) – This is an award-winning quantitative and qualitative full-service market research and consulting company.
  • Spectrum Group - This firm is known throughout the industry as the “Voice of the Investor." We have Multi-Client and Custom Primary Market Research capabilities.
  • The Understanding & Insight Group – This market research company has guided the development of over 500 consumer-desired product launches since 1999. Proprietary Qualitative/Quantitative Research. No focus groups.
  • AutoPacific, Inc. – Company provides proprietary and syndicated automotive buyer research, competitive intelligence and sales forecasting.

Sources:

Solomon, M.R., Marshall, G. W., Stuart, E. W., Smith, J. B. Charlebois, S., & Shah, B. (2013). Marketing: Real people, real choices (4th Canadian ed.). Pearson Canada Inc. 

The Greenbook: The Guide for Buyers of Market Research. (2015). Syndicated and Published Market Research