What Russell Research does

Russell Research (legal entity Russell Marketing Research Inc.) is a privately held, full-service market research firm founded in 1946 and headquartered in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The firm employs approximately 80 strategy-driven research professionals and serves enterprise clients across CPG/consumer brands, technology, retail, automotive, pharmaceutical/healthcare, financial services, QSR/restaurants, travel, entertainment/media, and government agencies. It delivers custom research through qualitative exploration (focus groups, in-depth interviews, online bulletin boards), quantitative intelligence (online, in-person, mail, telephone surveys), data science, and AI-powered solutions, with work spanning tracking, concept and product development, purchase journey mapping, segmentation, message development, and product innovation. The firm is ISO 20252:2019 certified (re-certified December 2023) and was a 2022 finalist for Quirk's Media Marketing Research Supplier of the Year.

The firm's underlying technology stack combines established survey and analytics tooling with a growing AI capability set. Proprietary assets include the Visual Optimizer (a conjoint analysis tool executed from a visual rather than text-based perspective), a Text Highlighting Tool for respondent-driven concept evaluation, AI Personas/Digital Twins that mirror participant style and behavior, AI Dashboards, Synthetic Data Generation, and AI-Enabled Open-End Probing. Data Interrogation leverages prompt-based platforms trained on proprietary datasets coupled with external LLMs. Cloud infrastructure runs on Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services, with supporting integrations for email distribution (Benchmark Email), verification (NeverBounce), and incentive fulfillment (Virtual Incentives). A wholly-owned subsidiary division, Focus Crossroads, provides a 40-person in-house phone center and three-suite focus group facility specialized for B2B and low-incidence niche audience recruitment.

Russell Research generates revenue on a project-based professional services model, selling custom research engagements to enterprise clients both directly through a consultative sales team ([email protected]) and indirectly via agency partnerships. Pricing is quote-based and varies by project scope, methodology, sample size, and geographic coverage. The firm does not publicly disclose revenue. Named client logos include Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Best Buy, Burger King, Colgate-Palmolive, Ocean Spray, Staples, J.Jill, Grant Thornton, NerdWallet, and a Major CPG Corporation whose business tripled in size during the partnership, indicating a Fortune 500 enterprise anchor base. Leadership is anchored by Partners John De Biasio and Marc Goulet, with VP Operations Thomas De Biasio and a 2024 senior hire, Sean Jecko, as VP of Qualitative Research.

Name

Russell Research

Legal name

Russell Marketing Research Inc.

Website

https://russellresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Russell Research is a privately held, full-service market research firm founded in 1946 and headquartered in East Rutherford, NJ, serving enterprise clients across CPG, technology, retail, pharma, financial services, and government with qualitative, quantitative, data science, and AI-powered research solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA), Competitive & Market Intelligence (Competitive Tracking, TAM/SAM/SOM) (MPAAALAL), Competitive Intelligence & Benchmarking (BPAHALAB)

Keywords

• Market research services
• Brand tracking research
• Consumer insights research
• Concept testing services
• B2B research recruitment

Headquarters

HQ city

East Rutherford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Research Services: Russell Research provides custom marketing research services including brand tracking, concept/product development, purchase journey, segmentation, message development, data science, and AI solutions. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements with enterprise clients. Services are tailored to client needs and typically billed per project or study.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Russell Research is a full-service custom marketing research firm that designs and executes qualitative and quantitative research engagements for enterprise clients. Core services include brand tracking, concept/product development, purchase journey mapping, segmentation, message development, data science, AI solutions, product innovation, and brand identity work, delivered with proprietary tools and AI capabilities. The firm also operates Focus Crossroads, a wholly-owned B2B research and recruitment division with a 40-person in-house phone center and focus group facility.

Product overview

Russell Research is a full-service marketing research firm offering a comprehensive suite of research services organized around core service areas including Tracking, Concept/Product Development, Purchase Journey, Segmentation, Message Development, Data Science, AI Solutions, Product Innovation, and Brand Identity services. The firm also operates through its sister company Focus Crossroads for B2B qualitative research and recruitment. Key proprietary tools include the Visual Optimizer (conjoint analysis tool for visual creative optimization) and a Text Highlighting Tool for qualitative concept evaluation. Services are delivered through qualitative (focus groups, in-depth interviews, online bulletin boards) and quantitative (online, in-person, mail, telephone) methodologies, with AI integrated throughout the research process via AI Solutions including personas/digital twins, synthetic data, AI dashboards, and data interrogation capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Focus Crossroads: Sister company and B2B research and recruitment expert. Features a top-rated, state-of-the-art research facility with three spacious suites, centrally located in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Specializes in complex, multi-market projects with 40-person in-house phone center.

Products and services

• Tracking Dynamic, insight-driven brand tracking research that measures key growth drivers including brand penetration, mental/physical availability, distinctive branding, word of mouth, and emotional resonance, designed for brand and marketing leaders navigating shifting competitive and cultural landscapes.
• Concept/Product Development Building and testing concepts and products at all development phases using qualitative research to uncover consumer insights and quantitative concept testing within historical category context using the Jobs-To-Be-Done framework, for brand and innovation teams.
• Purchase Journey Research that uncovers critical inflection points along the customer journey and identifies how to capitalize on them, developing distinct journeys for different segments through qualitative exploration validated by quantitative sizing, for marketing and brand strategy teams.
• Segmentation Needs-based segmentation considering attitudinal, behavioral, psychographic, demographic, and occasion-based dimensions to create actionable segments, including persona development, aligned with experience-driven culture for marketing and brand strategy teams.
• Message Development Communications and creative development testing using a proven framework (Motivation, Appeal, Clarity, Relevance, Believability, Recall, Uniqueness, Brand Linkage, Memorability) and the Visual Optimizer conjoint analysis tool for creative optimization, for brand and communications leaders.
• Data Science Structuring and synthesizing complex data, integrating primary research with behavioral, unstructured, and digital data, using AI and machine learning to mine unstructured data at scale from sources including CRM, engagement signals, reviews, passive digital behavior, and transactional data.
• AI Solutions AI-powered research solutions including AI-Built Personas/Digital Twins, AI Dashboards, Behavioral and Big Data Analysis, Data Interrogation, Open-End Probing, Qualitative Interviewing, and Synthetic Data offerings, designed for insights and analytics teams seeking AI-augmented research.
• Product Innovation Innovation research across all stages of product development including Category Entry Point Identification, Early Stage Product Development, Idea Screening, Line Optimization, Pricing, Product Optimization, and Product Testing.
• Brand Positioning and Messaging From whitespace discovery to campaign launch, helps brands develop clear, compelling positioning and messaging strategies grounded in behavioral science principles, evaluating relevance, engagement, motivation, and differentiation.
• Brand Identity Brand asset measurement, co-creation workshops, logo evaluation, implicit association testing, name testing, package testing, spokesperson evaluation, tagline testing, and touchpoint optimization using traditional and innovative methods.
• Focus Crossroads B2B Research and Recruitment B2B research and recruitment service with a 40-person in-house phone center, specializing in complex multi-market projects and low-incidence/niche audiences, with three spacious research suites in East Rutherford, NJ, offered to brands, agencies, and B2B clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Client business tripled in size through partnership
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Focus CrossroadscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFocus Crossroads is a wholly owned division/subsidiary of Russell Marketing Research, specializing in B2B research and recruitment. Renowned for management of complex, multi-market projects. Features a 40-person in-house phone center for recruitment across North America and a focus group facility with three suites located at the East Rutherford, NJ headquarters. Enables recruitment of participants not available via lists or panels, particularly for B2B and low-incidence niche audiences.
• Virtual IncentivesminorOthersThird-party reward service used to send gift cards to research respondents as participation incentives. Partnership enables efficient fulfillment of respondent incentives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ipsos: Global market research and analytics firm offering custom qualitative and quantitative research across consumer and B2B audiences. Directly comparable to Russell's full-service custom research offering but at materially larger scale and global footprint.
• Forrester Research: Global research and advisory firm serving enterprise technology and consumer business clients with custom research, advisory, and syndicated offerings. Adjacent peer given Russell's technology, financial services, and consumer mix.
• NielsenIQ: Global consumer intelligence firm combining panel-based measurement with custom research. Comparable to Russell on the consumer insights and brand tracking side, with deeper syndicated data assets and broader enterprise penetration.
• Kantar: Global insights and consulting firm with deep brand tracking, advertising effectiveness, and consumer research capabilities. Closely comparable to Russell on brand health tracking and creative/messaging optimization.
• Circana: Formed from the IRI and NPD merger, Circana provides consumer and retail measurement plus custom research for CPG and retail clients — directly overlapping with Russell's CPG-heavy client base and brand tracking work.
• Mintel: Global market research firm offering syndicated and custom consumer research, with particular strength in CPG, beauty, food, and lifestyle categories. Comparable to Russell's custom CPG research work, though with a stronger syndicated publication model.

Direct peers

• Escalent: Mid-sized U.S. custom market research firm offering qualitative, quantitative, and analytics services across consumer and B2B verticals. Most directly comparable in scale, service mix, and target customer profile to Russell Research.
• Schlesinger Group: Major qualitative research and recruitment firm with a large owned panel and focus group facility network. Directly comparable to Russell's qualitative exploration work and to Focus Crossroads' B2B/niche recruiting capabilities.
• Toluna: Digital consumer insights and panel provider offering custom research, automated insights, and synthetic data capabilities. Comparable to Russell's AI solutions and quantitative research offering, with stronger technology platform orientation.
• Savanta: Mid-sized custom research firm offering brand tracking, segmentation, and B2B research with technology-enabled data collection. Closely comparable in size and service mix to Russell, with similar enterprise client targeting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Russell_MR
• Facebookfacebook.com/russellresearch

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Russell Research