Market Research and Consumer Insights: Industry Report

Summary

The global insights industry, covering market research, research technology and related business services, is estimated at about US$165 billion in the latest ESOMAR-based figure, up 6.4% ². Other sources give different totals, so the figure should be read as indicative. Three findings stand out. First, growth is uneven: Kantar, a large listed provider in the pack, reported gross revenue up only 0.3% to US$2,806 million ⁸, while its tech-enabled platform grew faster ⁸. Second, automation is moving into routine production: Kantar says automation of trip data transcription rose from about 20% of trips to nearly 85% ⁸. Third, self-regulation and standards are gaining weight as the industry broadens ¹⁶. The main risks are client caution in several markets ⁹, consolidation among panel and measurement providers ¹⁰, and evidence gaps on media costs, attribution, brand safety and platform concentration, which this pack does not cover. The outlook is cautious. The pack contains no forecasts, so the direction of travel reflects our interpretation of company and association evidence.

Key findings

1. 1

   The global insights industry is reported at about US$165 billion

   ESOMAR-based figures put the industry at nearly US$165 billion, after growth of 6.4% from almost US$154 billion. Other secondary and trade figures differ, so the total is indicative rather than settled.

   Confidence: High
2. 2

   Software is the largest segment in the ESOMAR split

   ESOMAR places market research at US$56 billion, research software at US$62 billion and business services at US$35 billion. The split shows technology is a central part of the industry, not a side activity.

   Confidence: High
3. 3

   Kantar's core revenue was nearly flat in the latest fiscal year

   Kantar reported FY gross revenue up 0.3% to US$2,806 million, and H1 revenue up 0.5% to US$1,364.5 million, with North America and EMEA declining slightly. This is company-reported evidence for one large provider, not the whole market.

   Confidence: High
4. 4

   Automation is cutting manual work in fieldwork and data capture

   Kantar says automation of trip data transcription rose from about 20% of trips to nearly 85%. This is a company claim without an independent check in the pack, so it should be treated as a provider-reported indicator.

   Confidence: Medium
5. 5

   Standards and self-regulation are becoming more important

   ESOMAR notes that the breadth of the industry, including non-project business models, makes self-regulation more important ¹. A revised ISO standard for market research introduces AI and automation requirements ⁶. The pack does not show how these standards are enforced or adopted.

   Confidence: Qualitative

1Industry definition and scope

This report covers the insights industry as described in the source pack: the business of gathering, analyzing and interpreting information about consumers, markets and brands. The Insights Association groups the industry into traditional market research, research technology (ResTech) and other segments such as consulting firms ⁵. For this report, the focus is market research and consumer insight work, including fieldwork, panels, syndicated tracking and the software used to run them. Panel and tracking businesses appear in the company evidence ⁸¹⁰.

The geographic scope is global. ESOMAR's data draws on national research associations, leading companies and independent analysts across more than 110 countries and regions ². Countries covered by the ESOMAR report represent about 80% of the global industry, with the remaining 20% estimated independently ³. US trade association and company sources are used where noted ⁶⁷. The reporting period is the latest available data in the pack.

Terminology varies. 'Market research', 'insights' and 'analytics' are used interchangeably in some sources, and the ESOMAR split treats research software and business services as separate segments from research services ¹. The industry also includes business models that are not project based, which makes its boundaries less fixed ¹.

The report does not cover media buying, advertising spend or media pricing. Those topics sit in the wider marketing ecosystem, but the pack contains no verified data for them. Where the report discusses marketing measurement, it does so only at the level of the research provider.

Scope was set from the pack's definitions. No external definitions were added.

2Market size, structure and value chain

Market size estimates differ across the pack. ESOMAR's latest figure is nearly US$165 billion, up 6.4% from almost US$154 billion ². A secondary summary of ESOMAR's report gives US$153 billion, up 8% on the prior year ⁴. A Research World article on the same industry uses a US$142 billion headline ³. The differences likely reflect changes in coverage, definitions and revisions, but the pack does not reconcile them. The table below sets out the figures as reported.

ESOMAR's segment split gives a clearer structure. Market research accounts for US$56 billion, research software for US$62 billion and business services for US$35 billion ¹. Around 65% of the market research sector corresponds to full-service and market research services, including fieldwork services ³. This means the value chain is split between people-intensive research services and technology platforms, with business services as a third component.

The value chain runs from clients, mainly brand owners and their agencies, to research providers, fieldwork and panel operators, research technology vendors and analytics firms. Revenue models vary. Project-based fees remain central, and non-project models, including subscription and platform access, are growing in importance ¹⁸. Kantar's Marketplace platform and its panel products show how providers combine both models ⁸.

The pack does not verify the share of spend going to agencies, platforms or measurement partners, so the wider marketing value chain cannot be quantified here. Our interpretation is that the research value chain is becoming more tech-weighted, but this rests on segment size and company reporting rather than a verified trend series.

• Global insights industry size 165US$ billion Observed Global, Latest ESOMAR estimate [2]

Figures are shown as reported. Differences are not resolved because the pack gives no reconciliation.

3Customers, demand and adoption

The pack does not contain buyer surveys, purchasing criteria or client satisfaction data for market research services. The report therefore cannot rank the criteria that clients use to select providers, such as speed, cost, sample quality or method transparency. This is a material gap for the customer analysis the brief requires.

Demand signals in the pack are indirect. Kantar described client caution in several markets, and its half-year revenue declined slightly in North America and EMEA ⁹. At the same time, platform revenue grew, with Kantar Marketplace up 14% in the latest fiscal year ⁸ and up 29% in the first quarter of the latest year ¹⁰. These figures suggest clients are spending more selectively and shifting towards faster, tech-enabled products. This is our interpretation, not a stated client finding.

Adoption of automation is a demand driver for providers as well as clients. Kantar cites efficiency gains from automation through Kantar Marketplace and MyWorldpanel ⁹. Clients who value speed and lower unit cost are likely to favor these products, but the pack does not measure client adoption rates.

Retention, conversion, brand lift and qualified-lead metrics are not available in the pack for market research clients. The report therefore does not provide performance benchmarks for these measures. Changing expectations, including demand for transparency about data sources and methods, are mentioned in the standards context ⁶, but no client survey confirms them.

Client behavior is inferred from provider results. No primary client data is in the pack.

4Competitive landscape and key players

The pack gives detailed evidence on one major provider, Kantar. Its FY gross revenue was US$2,806 million ⁸, and its H1 revenue was US$1,364.5 million ⁹. Kantar's platform segment, Kantar Marketplace, grew 14% over the fiscal year ⁸ and 29% in the first quarter of the latest year ¹⁰. Both figures come from company reporting, so the periods differ and should not be combined.

Kantar is also reshaping its portfolio. It agreed to sell Kantar Media to H.I.G. Capital for approximately US$1 billion, and it combined Numerator with Worldpanel ¹⁰. Numerator grew 7% in the first quarter ¹⁰. These moves show that panel, measurement and tracking businesses are being regrouped around a smaller set of core platforms. This is an interpretation of the transactions, not a verified market share claim.

Provider types differ in business model. Full-service research firms earn most revenue from project work and fieldwork ³. Research technology vendors and platform operators sell software or access, which fits the larger software segment ¹. Consulting and business services firms make up the third segment ¹⁵. The pack does not place named companies in each category beyond Kantar.

The Insights Association publishes rankings of the top 50 companies and top 25 association members in its US market report ⁷, but the rankings were not retrieved. Market concentration, platform share and competitive pressure therefore cannot be quantified. Comparison across providers is limited because the pack contains only one large company with full reporting.

• Kantar FY gross revenue 2806US$ million Observed Global, Latest fiscal year [8]
• Kantar Marketplace revenue growth 14percent Observed Global, Latest fiscal year [8]

Company figures are reported as given. Period and scope differences are flagged.

5Technology, operations and workforce

Automation is the clearest operational change in the pack. Kantar reports that automation of trip data transcription rose from about 20% of trips to nearly 85% over the period reported ⁸. The figure is a provider claim. It shows how automation can change a labor-intensive data step, but it does not measure cost savings or quality outcomes.

The software segment is the largest in ESOMAR's split at US$62 billion ¹. Revised ISO market research standards now include requirements for AI and automation ⁶. This signals that technology is being brought into formal quality frameworks, which affects how providers document and validate automated steps.

The pack contains no verified workforce data. Headcount, skills shortages, training pipelines and productivity measures are not available. The report cannot state how talent supply is changing or how the mix of research and analytical roles is shifting.

Business-model change is visible in the move from project fees toward platform and subscription access ¹⁸. Our reading is that providers need to combine data science, panel quality and client-facing insight skills. This is not a finding from the pack and should be tested against workforce data.

• Automation of trip data transcription 85percent of trips automated (reported level) Observed Global, Latest reported year, compared with an earlier baseline [8]

Operational claims are attributed to the reporting company.

6Regulation, standards, risk and sustainability

The pack does not identify binding laws or regulations for market research in any named jurisdiction. Privacy, consent and data protection rules that apply to research panels and data collection are not covered by a verified source here. The report therefore cannot distinguish binding requirements from proposed rules or voluntary guidance for the insights industry. Readers should check the rules in each market where they operate.

Self-regulation is the main governance theme in the pack. ESOMAR notes that the breadth of the industry, including non-project business models, makes self-regulation increasingly important ¹. This is voluntary guidance, not binding law, and its reach depends on members and adoption.

Standards are being updated. CIRQ, an ISO certification body and Insights Association subsidiary, worked on a revised ISO market research standard that introduces AI and automation requirements ⁶. This is a standards development, not a legal obligation. Its practical effect depends on certification and adoption by providers.

Brand safety, media costs, attribution windows and platform concentration are outside the verified evidence. Sustainability and social factors are not covered in the pack. The report does not make claims about these areas. This section is informational and is not legal or regulatory advice.

Regulatory scope is limited to what the pack verifies. No legal interpretation is offered.

7Challenges, opportunities and case examples

The main constraints are slow demand in traditional research and uneven regional performance. Kantar's H1 results show declines in North America and EMEA, and client caution in several markets ⁹. Revenue growth at the group level is close to flat ⁸, which suggests pressure on core project business.

Opportunities sit in platform and automation products. Kantar Marketplace grew 14% over the fiscal year ⁸ and 29% in the first quarter of the latest year ¹⁰. Automation of data capture is reported to be advancing quickly ⁸. These are the clearest growth signals in the pack, although both are company-reported.

Case example one: Kantar. Kantar combined its panel and measurement assets through the sale of Kantar Media and the combination of Numerator with Worldpanel ¹⁰. The move shows how a large provider is reorganising around core data and platforms. The outcome is not yet visible in the pack.

Case example two: the revised ISO market research standard. CIRQ worked on a standard that introduces AI and automation requirements ⁶. This shows how standards are being adapted to new tools, which is useful for providers that automate research steps. The pack does not report how many providers have adopted the standard.

Comparable examples were limited. The pack has only one company with detailed reporting, so cross-company comparison of growth or margins is not possible. Media cost, CPM, CPC, ROAS and CAC benchmarks are not in the pack, and the report does not substitute figures for them.

Examples are drawn from the pack only. No external case studies were added.

8Outlook and strategic implications

In the near term, the most defensible expectation is continued selective spending by clients, with growth concentrated in technology-led products. This is an interpretation of Kantar's flat core revenue, regional declines and faster platform growth ⁸⁹¹⁰. The pack includes no forecasts for the industry, so this view should not be read as a market projection.

Over the medium term, automation and AI may extend further into fieldwork, data processing and reporting. The revised ISO standard suggests that quality frameworks will need to cover these tools ⁶. Providers that can document automated steps may be better placed to win work, but the pack does not test this.

Key uncertainties include the total size of the industry, given the differences between sources ²³⁴, the effect of panel and measurement consolidation ¹⁰, and how privacy and consent rules will shape data collection. These uncertainties remain unresolved in the pack.

Practical implications differ by stakeholder. Research buyers should ask providers to document methods and automated steps. Providers should test platform and automation products against client needs. Standards bodies and trade associations should track adoption of new requirements. Investors and analysts should treat company claims as provider-reported evidence until independent data is available. This is not investment advice.

Outlook is interpretive. No forecast figures are reported because the pack contains none.

9Conclusion

The insights industry is large, reported at about US$165 billion, and technology is a major part of its structure ¹². The sector is not growing evenly: Kantar's core revenue is nearly flat, while its platform business grows faster ⁸¹⁰. Automation and revised standards point to a more technical industry, but the pack does not measure client adoption, workforce change or the wider marketing ecosystem. The defensible takeaway is that technology-led models are where the pack shows most movement, while measurement, media and regulatory questions remain open.

Conclusion summarises only verified or clearly labelled interpretive points.

How this was built

Sources

1. 1

   Inside the $153bn Insights Industry

   Research World (excerpt of ESOMAR Global Market Research report) Industry association

   researchworld.com
2. 2

   ESOMAR Global Market Research report

   ESOMAR / ADIA Industry association

   dataandinsights.com.au
3. 3

   Drivers of our $142bn insights industry

   Research World (excerpt of ESOMAR Global Market Research report) Industry association

   researchworld.com
4. 4

   Market Research Statistics That Matter

   The Alchemic (secondary summary of ESOMAR Global Market Research report) News report

   thealchemic.com
5. 5

   What is the market research & insights industry? (AAPOR panel handout)

   AAPOR Insights Industry panel, citing ESOMAR and Insights Association Industry association

   aapor.confex.com
6. 6

   Insights Association homepage

   Insights Association Industry association

   insightsassociation.org
7. 7

   Insights & Analytics Market Report

   Insights Association with Michigan State University, Outsell and ESOMAR Industry association

   insightsassociation.org
8. 8

   FY Presentation

   Kantar Group Company report

   kantar.com
9. 9

   H1 Interim Results

   Kantar Group Company report

   kantar.com
10. 10

    Q1 Presentation

    Kantar Group Company report

    kantar.com