The Harris Poll
The Harris Poll is a U.S. market research and consumer insights firm, founded in 1956 and a Stagwell subsidiary, that provides custom research, AI-powered brand tracking via HarrisQuest and BERA.ai, and the Axios Harris Poll 100 reputation ranking to enterprise clients across 90+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1956
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Harris Poll does
The Harris Poll is a U.S.-headquartered market research and consumer insights firm founded in 1956 by Louis Harris, currently operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) following Stagwell's 2014 acquisition from Nielsen. The firm operates a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on HarrisQuest, an AI-powered market research and brand management suite that integrates QuestBrand (real-time brand equity tracking), QuestDIY, and Quest CX, supplemented by Harris On Demand (48-hour turnaround omnibus surveys in 27 countries), BERA.ai (predictive brand-to-ROI intelligence, acquired 2024), PRophet (AI PR forecasting), SmartAssets (creative optimization), Storyline Strategies (thought leadership), and Emerald Research Group (technology-trend research). Its syndicated offerings include the annual Axios Harris Poll 100 corporate reputation ranking, conducted in partnership with Axios since 2019, and vertical franchises such as AutoTECHCAST and the State of Real Estate.
The firm generates revenue through four streams: custom research engagements (project-based professional services), SaaS subscriptions for HarrisQuest and QuestBrand (annual, quote-based enterprise pricing), syndicated research reports (subscription/lead generation), and thought leadership/storytelling services. Go-to-market is horizontal enterprise sales targeting Fortune 500 corporates, media organizations, nonprofits, educational institutions, government, and HR/professional services firms across more than 90 countries, supported by 40M+ unique survey respondents, 67,000+ annual media mentions, and a multi-channel marketing mix spanning content marketing, earned media, newsletters, and industry conferences. The firm maintains offices in New York (headquarters), Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., London (regional HQ, formerly Maru), Toronto, and Buenos Aires.
The Harris Poll firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Harris Poll
- Legal name
- The Harris Poll
- Website
- https://theharrispoll.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1956
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- The Harris Poll is a U.S. market research and consumer insights firm, founded in 1956 and a Stagwell subsidiary, that provides custom research, AI-powered brand tracking via HarrisQuest and BERA.ai, and the Axios Harris Poll 100 reputation ranking to enterprise clients across 90+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Harris Poll industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Market Research & Consumer Insights
- NAICS
- Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Other Services Related to Advertising (541890)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Audience Measurement & Media Research (Ratings, Attribution, Media Mix Insights) (MPAAALAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Brand & Advertising Research (Brand Health, Copy Testing, Campaign Effectiveness) (MPAAALAG), Syndicated Market Research (Panels, Omnibus, Tracker Studies) (MPAAALAB)
Keywords
Where The Harris Poll is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
The Harris Poll business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Custom Research Services: Bespoke market research engagements tailored to specific client questions, conducted on a project basis with deliverables including surveys, analysis, and strategic recommendations.
- Subscription Platforms (HarrisQuest, QuestBrand): SaaS subscriptions providing always-on brand tracking, reputation monitoring, and consumer insights. Includes enterprise system access with AI-ready data formats.
- Syndicated Research Reports: Pre-packaged research reports covering specific industries or topics (e.g., Axios Harris Poll 100, AutoTECHCAST, State of Real Estate), available for purchase or as lead generation.
- Thought Leadership Services: Strategic storytelling and media amplification services that help clients transform research into industry-shaping narratives, often partnered with custom research engagements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise subscription with full platform access, advisory support, and custom research capabilities. |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Harris Poll product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Harris Poll provides custom market research engagements, syndicated reports (e.g., Axios Harris Poll 100), and subscription-based SaaS platforms including HarrisQuest, QuestBrand, and Harris On Demand. It delivers brand tracking, reputation monitoring, consumer insights, and strategic storytelling services to enterprise clients across industries. The firm combines traditional polling methodology with AI-powered analytics and proprietary RQ reputation scoring.
Product overview
The Harris Poll is a global market research and advisory firm operating as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core product is HarrisQuest, an AI-powered market research and brand management suite that integrates brand tracking (QuestBrand), DIY survey tools (QuestDIY), and customer experience research (Quest CX). This platform is complemented by Harris On Demand for rapid-turn omnibus surveys, BERA.ai for AI-powered brand intelligence (acquired in 2024), Storyline Strategies for strategic storytelling, and Emerald Research Group for human-centered research services. The company also offers The Marketing Cloud containing PRophet (PR prediction) and SmartAssets (creative optimization). Syndicated offerings include the flagship Axios Harris Poll 100 annual reputation ranking. Recent innovation includes the AI-Ready Research Packet developed with NeuIQ for enterprise AI system integration. The company traces its heritage to 1956 and operates as a Stagwell Company with global reach across 90 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HarrisQuest: AI-powered market research and brand management suite providing always-on consumer insights capabilities.
- BERA.ai
- Storyline Strategies
- Emerald Research Group
Products and services
- HarrisQuest AI-powered market research and brand management suite providing always-on brand and reputation tracking, QuestBrand, QuestDIY, and Quest CX capabilities for enterprises to monitor brands in real-time through SaaS tools.
- Harris On Demand
Quantifiable outcome
- 67,000+ media mentions annually demonstrating reach and influence of research
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Harris Poll
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Harris Poll technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
The Harris Poll partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.
- European MarketsstrategicExpansion of HarrisQuest brand and reputation tracking product across Europe, broadening always-on consumer insights capabilities to new geographic markets.
- Jonathan GardnercoreJonathan Gardner appointed as CEO of Harris Quest, bringing over 30 years of market research experience. Previously COO at The Harris Poll for nearly a decade.
- BERA.aicoreAcquired in 2024 as a leading predictive brand technology platform with cutting-edge AI capabilities, expanding Harris Poll's AI-powered research offerings.
- AxioscoreStrategic annual partnership for the Axios Harris Poll 100, the premier corporate reputation ranking in the United States. The partnership combines Harris Poll's methodology with Axios' media reach to deliver the most authoritative measure of corporate reputation since 2019.
- NeuIQstrategicPartnership to develop AI-Ready Research Packet converting traditional research deliverables into structured, governed formats optimized for enterprise AI systems.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights7 records
The Harris Poll competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ipsos: Paris-based global market research and polling firm offering custom research, syndicated tracking, and public opinion studies across industries that overlap directly with Harris's portfolio.
- GfK: Germany-based market research company providing consumer and brand insights across industries, with overlapping product scope in brand tracking and consumer intelligence.
- Morning Consult: U.S. decision intelligence company combining proprietary polling, brand tracking, and consumer research; competes for the same enterprise and media-partnership customers as The Harris Poll.
- YouGov: Online survey-based market research and public opinion firm with a large global panel, offering syndicated and custom research directly comparable to The Harris Poll's offerings.
- Kantar: Global evidence-based insights and consulting company providing brand tracking, consumer research, and media measurement that compete head-to-head with HarrisQuest and Harris On Demand.
- Nielsen: Global measurement and data analytics company that sold The Harris Poll to Stagwell in 2014; competes in audience measurement, consumer insights, and media research.
Emerging players
- Toluna: Digital consumer insights platform operating a global panel and end-to-end research technology, providing an automated, self-service alternative to Harris's traditional research engagements.
- Dynata: First-party data and insights platform providing survey respondents, sample, and research technology that competes for the data-layer input that underpins Harris's research products.
- Zappi: AI-native consumer insights platform focused on advertising and product innovation research, representing the new generation of automated, fast-turn research tools competing with HarrisQuest.
Broad incumbents
- Gallup: Long-established U.S. public opinion and analytics firm with deep methodology heritage in polling and workforce research; competes for similar enterprise and media-partnership demand.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Harris Poll social profiles
Digital presenceThe Harris Poll financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Harris Poll leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
The Harris Poll subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
The Harris Poll funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Harris Poll M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Harris Poll
What does The Harris Poll do?
The Harris Poll provides custom market research engagements, syndicated reports (e.g., Axios Harris Poll 100), and subscription-based SaaS platforms including HarrisQuest, QuestBrand, and Harris On Demand. It delivers brand tracking, reputation monitoring, consumer insights, and strategic storytelling services to enterprise clients across industries. The firm combines traditional polling methodology with AI-powered analytics and proprietary RQ reputation scoring.
Is The Harris Poll a public or private company?
The Harris Poll is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was The Harris Poll founded?
The Harris Poll was founded in 1956. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is The Harris Poll based?
The Harris Poll is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Harris Poll make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Custom Research Services are the primary driver. The others are subscription Platforms (HarrisQuest, QuestBrand), syndicated Research Reports and thought Leadership Services.
Who are The Harris Poll's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ipsos, GfK, Morning Consult, YouGov, Kantar and Nielsen. Emerging players are Toluna, Dynata and Zappi. Gallup is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Harris Poll have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Harris Poll.
What industry is The Harris Poll in?
The Harris Poll's product category is Market Research & Consumer Insights. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAALAM, Audience Measurement & Media Research (Ratings, Attribution, Media Mix Insights), with a secondary code of MPAAALAG, Brand & Advertising Research (Brand Health, Copy Testing, Campaign Effectiveness). Its NAICS code is 541910 and its SIC code is 7310.