The M/A/R/C Group

What The M/A/R/C Group does

The M/A/R/C Group, operating as M/A/R/C® Research LLC, is a U.S.-based custom marketing research and insights consulting firm founded in 1965 and headquartered in the Dallas–Fort Worth area (Plano/Irving, Texas) with a secondary office in Greensboro, North Carolina. The firm serves Fortune 500 enterprises and major brands across nine vertical specializations including Consumer Packaged Goods, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Animal Health, Media & Entertainment, Financial Services & Insurance, Retail, Restaurant & Food Service, Tobacco & Nicotine (Regulated Sciences), and Multicultural Consumers. Its proprietary technology stack centers on the ASSESSOR® Volumetric Forecasting System (originally developed at MIT, delivering forecasts within +/-10% of actual in-market results), the Accelerated Solutions platform (Rapid Results concept testing delivered in as little as 6 hours, Accelerated Sort, Accelerated Concept Screen, Accelerated Ad Impact Measurement), and the historical ACRS Automated Customer Research Systems platform created in the 1970s. Following its May 2023 acquisition of Horowitz Research, M/A/R/C also operates a multicultural insights division providing syndicated studies such as FOCUS LGBTQIA+, State of Media Entertainment & Tech, Pet Culture in Multicultural America, and the proprietary JADE™ Score diversity audit.

The firm generates revenue through project-based, quote-priced custom research engagements under three solution lines: Accelerated Solutions (high-speed, lower-cost), Curated Solutions (in-depth, sophisticated), and Multicultural Solutions. Distribution is exclusively direct enterprise field sales — dedicated account managers and research directors operate consultatively with no marketplace, reseller, or self-serve channel. The pricing model is not publicly disclosed; engagements are priced by scope, methodology complexity, sample size, and deliverables. Notable enterprise clients disclosed include McDonald's, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Chase, AbbVie, Abbott, Boston Scientific, Cigna, Cinemark, Humana, Keurig Dr Pepper, Kohl's, Marriott, New York Life, Cargill, 23andMe, and Zoetis. The company is privately held, profitable, and self-funded with 251–500 employees, led by CEO Merrill Dubrow and President Randall Wahl, and held its 60th anniversary in 2025.

Name

The M/A/R/C Group

Legal name

M/A/R/C® Research LLC

Website

https://marcresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

M/A/R/C is a 60-year-old U.S. custom marketing research firm serving Fortune 500 enterprises across CPG, healthcare, financial services, retail, QSR, animal health, and media with proprietary methodologies including the ASSESSOR forecasting system and Accelerated Solutions platform, plus multicultural insights via the acquired Horowitz Research division.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

B2B / Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Strategy Consulting (MPAAAFAM)

Keywords

• Custom market research
• Consumer insights services
• Brand health tracking
• Advertising effectiveness measurement
• Concept testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Irving

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Marketing Research Services: M/A/R/C® provides custom marketing research and insights services to Fortune 500 companies and major brands. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements where clients pay for research design, execution, analysis, and strategic consulting. Services include Accelerated Solutions (fast-turnaround), Curated Solutions (expertly crafted in-depth approaches), and Multicultural Solutions through Horowitz Research division.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

M/A/R/C is a custom marketing research and insights consulting firm that designs, executes, and delivers B2B research services for Fortune 500 companies and major brands across CPG, healthcare, financial services, retail, media, animal health, and regulated industries. Offerings are organized into Accelerated Solutions (high-speed research with results in days), Curated Solutions (in-depth custom research for strategic planning), and Multicultural Solutions (delivered through the Horowitz Research division), supplemented by specialized Health & Well-Being, Regulated Sciences, and Animal Health practices.

Product overview

M/A/R/C Research is an insights and strategy consulting firm organized around three primary solution lines: Accelerated Solutions (high-speed agile research), Curated Solutions (in-depth custom research), and Multicultural Solutions (leveraging the Horowitz Research division). The company offers specialized practices in Health & Well-Being, Regulated Sciences, and Animal Health. Key proprietary methodologies include the ASSESSOR Volumetric Forecasting System developed at MIT. The portfolio also includes syndicated research products like the FOCUS LGBTQIA+ study, State of Media reports, and Pet Culture studies. The firm operates from a platform of analytical expertise rather than a traditional software architecture, delivering research and consulting services rather than a SaaS product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Horowitz Research: Multicultural insights division of M/A/R/C Research, specializing in consumer market research for diverse audiences including Black, Latinx, Asian, LGBTQIA+, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha consumers
• Online Survey Solution
• On the M/A/R/C
• Parallax Initiative
• ASSESSOR
• Accelerated Solutions
• Curated Solutions
• JADE Score

Products and services

• Accelerated Solutions
• Curated Solutions
• Multicultural Solutions
• Exploration & Ideation
• Innovation & Optimization
• Brand & Advertising
• Proven Analytics
• Horowitz Research
• Horowitz FOCUS LGBTQIA+ Study
• Pet Culture in Multicultural America

Quantifiable outcome

• ASSESSOR® forecasting accuracy within +/-10% of actual in-market results
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• AnimalytixcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2025M/A/R/C® Research and Animalytix joined forces to introduce the Parallax Initiative, a comprehensive 'Source of Truth' platform that combines qualitative and quantitative insights to produce enriched datasets and tailored research studies. The initiative delivers more predictive trend analyses, optimized product launches, and high-impact customer experiences for animal health clients. Dr. Jim Thomas leads the initiative, bringing 20+ years of animal health industry experience.
• Horowitz ResearchflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2023M/A/R/C® Research acquired Horowitz Research, a company providing market research services including syndicated research and multicultural insights. The acquisition expands M/A/R/C's research portfolio and expertise in consumer and media relations. Horowitz Research operates as a division of M/A/R/C® with 30+ years of expertise in diverse audiences.
• 23andMeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership where M/A/R/C® conducted customer surveys for 23andMe to uncover key insights on customer experience and engagement. Case study shows partnership in developing media center press releases and consumer research to understand customer behavior.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kantar: World's largest marketing research and insights firm offering custom quantitative/qualitative research, brand tracking, and consumer panels. Directly competes with M/A/R/C across CPG, healthcare, financial services, and media verticals with overlapping methodologies and Fortune 500 client base.
• Ipsos: Global market research firm providing custom research, syndicated studies, and consumer insights across 90+ markets. Closely comparable to M/A/R/C in healthcare, CPG, and financial services research with similar project-based professional services model and global delivery capabilities.
• Circana: Formed from the merger of IRI and The NPD Group, Circana provides consumer and retail insights with deep CPG, retail, and restaurant expertise. Direct competitor to M/A/R/C's CPG and restaurant verticals; recent hires at M/A/R/C (Nicole Robertson) came from Circana, evidencing talent and capability overlap.
• Schlesinger Group: Custom qualitative and quantitative market research firm with global facility footprint and project-based professional services model. Comparable to M/A/R/C in methodology mix, client verticals (CPG, healthcare, financial services), and consultative enterprise sales motion.
• Dynata: First-party data and insights platform offering panel-based research, custom surveys, and analytics. Competes with M/A/R/C for sample, B2B research, and ad effectiveness work, but with stronger panel data assets (M/A/R/C hired a director from Dynata in October 2024).
• Toluna: Digital consumer insights company providing online survey programming, panels, and custom research globally. Comparable to M/A/R/C's Online Survey Solution subsidiary and Accelerated Solutions offerings, with overlapping methodology and pricing model.
• The Directions Group: Mid-sized custom market research firm offering qualitative, quantitative, and strategic consulting across CPG, healthcare, and financial services. Closely comparable to M/A/R/C in scale, client roster, and consultative enterprise sales motion.
• Decision Point: Custom market research and analytics firm focused on healthcare, consumer, and B2B research with consulting-led delivery. Comparable to M/A/R/C in custom project-based model, vertical specialization, and emphasis on actionable insights rather than syndicated data.

Broad incumbents

• NielsenIQ: Global consumer intelligence firm with syndicated measurement, retail scanner data, and custom research. Overlaps with M/A/R/C's brand health, innovation, and advertising effectiveness work, but at much larger scale with proprietary panel data that M/A/R/C cannot match.

Emerging players

• Suzy: Tech-enabled consumer insights platform offering on-demand survey-based research at a fraction of traditional cost. Disrupts M/A/R/C's lower-complexity concept testing and brand health work via DIY-style automated platform aimed at the same Fortune 500 buyers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeanchor.fm/onthemarc
• Xx.com/MARCResearchLLC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marc-research

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The M/A/R/C Group