Marketing Research Ends 2012 On Downward Trend

Rise in online data collection, fall in government contracts contribute to stagnant year

CHICAGO, July 8, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Despite modest gains in the two previous years, U.S. marketing research firms didn't fare as well in 2012, reports the American Marketing Association (AMA).

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The industry — encompassing marketing, advertising and public opinion research services — had total U.S. revenues of more than $9.5 billion, up 1.7% over 2011. But after adjusting for inflation, that number fell to -0.4%. The number of full-time employees in market research was 33,506, down 3.7% from 2011.

The numbers were published in the 2013 Honomichl Top 50 Report, an annual analysis of the marketing research industry published in the June issue of AMA's Marketing News magazine.

The 207 research firms surveyed also collectively flagged against another benchmark: the gross domestic product. From 1988 to 2011, annual growth in marketing research outpaced the GDP. In 2012, it came in 0.5% behind the GDP.

"It would be easy to attribute this dip to a sluggish economy," says Jack Honomichl, founder of the newsletter Inside Research, who compiles the Honomichl Report with Inside Research publisher Larry Gold. "But there are underlying factors that help to make it more understandable, such as government spending."

Honomichl cites three factors that contributed to the industry's weak overall performance:

• Pullback in government spending. In the U.S., federal government agencies are by far the biggest spenders for research services, investing an estimated $6.3 billion in 2012. However, the portion of that expenditure contracted to the private sector was down 18.3% last year. For example, one long-time supplier to federal agencies, Westat (ranked No. 4 on this year's Honomichl list), posted a revenue decline of 3.1% in 2012 — the first negative number for Westat since it has appeared in the ranking.
• Proliferation of online data collection. Online data collection, which continues to figure more prominently in research projects, costs less than traditional data collection methodologies. By allowing one to do the same amount of work for less, this leads to a reduction in some survey revenues.
• Slowing of focus group usage. An industry report showed that the number of focus groups conducted in the U.S. grew by 1.9% in 2012, compared with 4% in 2011 and 5.4% in 2010. This could signify a growing preference for mining consumer insights from social media sites in lieu of more expensive focus groups, Honomichl suggests.

On the upside, the eight firms in the Top 50 that specialize in syndicated services fared better in 2012, with total revenue growth of 4.1%. "During hard times, it is relatively easy to cut back on ad hoc work but difficult to cut back on long-term contracts for syndicated services," Honomichl said, "especially if they provide input to corporate information systems."

The 2012 industry analysis was based on data from the top 50 firms, plus 157 smaller firms whose data was supplied by the Council of American Survey Research Organizations.

The three top-ranking firms maintained their positions this year: Nielsen Holdings N.V., with just over $2.6 billion in U.S. research revenue in 2012; Kantar, with an estimated $929.4 million; and Ipsos, with $590 million. The list also included seven newcomers who experienced stronger years in 2012.

Marketing News has featured the annual Honomichl ranking of U.S. marketing research firms since 1989. Also featured is a report on the top 25 international research firms. Watch for that global report in the August 2013 issue of Marketing News.

For more information and to view the Honomichl Reports — including profiles of each firm — please visit www.MarketingPower.com/honomichl. For more information on the American Marketing Association, please visit www.MarketingPower.com.

About the Honomichl Top 50 Report
The Honomichl Top 50 business report, produced by Jack Honomichl and Larry Gold, covers the top players in the U.S. marketing research industry. Each company profile reviews the organization's leadership, revenues and continuing and new business interests. A chart detailing the top 50 organizations is also included for easy reference.

About the American Marketing Association
The American Marketing Association is the largest marketing association in North America. It is a professional association for individuals involved in the practice, teaching and study of marketing worldwide. It is also the source that marketers turn to every day to deepen their marketing expertise, elevate their careers and, ultimately, achieve better results. American Marketing Association members are connected to a network of experienced marketers more than 30,000 strong. For more information on the American Marketing Association, please visit www.MarketingPower.com.

Contact:
Sandra Wright
American Marketing Association
312-542-9063 • [email protected]

SOURCE American Marketing Association