What Decision Analyst does

Decision Analyst, Inc. is a privately held, employee-owned marketing research and advanced analytics firm founded in September 1978 by Jerry W. Thomas and headquartered in Arlington, Texas. The firm delivers custom research engagements to enterprise and mid-market clients across twelve-plus verticals including Automotive, Banking/Insurance/Financial Services, Consumer Packaged Goods, B2B, Restaurants and Foodservice, Retail, Pharma/Medical, Government, and Technology. The service portfolio spans advertising research, market segmentation, choice modeling, new product research, pricing research, qualitative research, shopper insights, marketing mix modeling, and geoanalytic consulting, supported by proprietary methodologies including DecisionSystems™, StrategicImpact™, Optima® Product Testing, the Customer Loyalty Simulator™, and the Imaginators® ideation system.

Underlying the service offering is a deep quantitative and AI/ML stack that includes choice modeling, MaxDiff, Hierarchical Bayes estimation (including a proprietary Bayesian RPSP model combining revealed and stated preferences), mixed logit with nonlinear-programming optimization, latent class modeling, structural equation modeling, predictive analytics, text mining, and machine learning pipelines. Decision Analyst owns and operates its own global consumer internet panels — notably American Consumer Opinion® — under strict quality controls including double opt-in registration, cheater-rate management under 1%, and respondent-frequency caps. The firm is ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified and adheres to ESOMAR and Insights Association standards, enabling enterprise and government engagements.

Revenue is generated primarily through project-based custom research and consulting engagements, with a smaller recurring revenue stream from syndicated products including the American Home Comfort Study and the Economic Index. Pricing is custom and not publicly disclosed, with multi-year contracts typical; go-to-market is sales-led, driven by senior researchers and executives via direct outreach, the company website, and industry-conference participation. There is no disclosed external investment, parent company, M&A activity, or public financial data; the firm operates as an independent, employee-owned business.

Name

Decision Analyst

Legal name

Decision Analyst, Inc.

Website

https://decisionanalyst.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Decision Analyst is a privately held, employee-owned U.S. marketing research and advanced analytics firm serving enterprise clients across twelve-plus verticals through custom quantitative and qualitative research, choice modeling, predictive analytics, and proprietary panel operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Custom Research and Consulting Projects: Decision Analyst generates revenue primarily through custom marketing research and analytics consulting engagements with enterprise and mid-market clients. Projects span advertising research, market segmentation, choice modeling, new product research, pricing research, tracking research, and qualitative research. Revenue is project-based and varies by scope, methodology, and complexity.
2. Syndicated Research / Market Intelligence: The company sells syndicated research products including the American Home Comfort Study and the Economic Index to multiple clients, providing recurring revenue opportunities from standardized market intelligence reports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Decision Analyst is a full-service marketing research and advanced analytics firm that delivers custom qualitative research, survey-based quantitative research, choice modeling, predictive analytics, market segmentation, pricing research, advertising research, and strategic consulting to enterprise and mid-market clients. Its offering is anchored by proprietary tools and methodologies including DecisionSystems™, StrategicImpact™, Imaginators®, Optima® Product Testing, and the Customer Loyalty Simulator™, supported by owned-and-operated global internet panels (American Consumer Opinion®) and syndicated products like the American Home Comfort Study and Economic Index.

Product overview

Decision Analyst is a full-service marketing research and advanced analytics firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of research methodologies and proprietary tools. The core platform consists of strategic consulting services supported by advanced analytics including choice modeling, predictive analytics, market segmentation, and marketing mix modeling. Key proprietary products include DecisionSystems™ for strategic decision optimization, Imaginators® for innovation ideation, Optima® Product Testing for in-home usage testing, Customer Loyalty Simulator™ for loyalty modeling, StrategicImpact™ for measuring initiative impact, and the American Consumer Opinion® Online Panel for quantitative research. Additional specialized modules cover advertising research, new product research, qualitative research, shopper insights, pricing research, sales forecasting, text mining, and geoanalytic consulting. The firm also offers syndicated products like the American Home Comfort Study and Economic Index, along with educational resources including a marketing research glossary and free software tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• American Consumer Opinion: Decision Analyst's online research panel for consumer surveys
• StrategicImpact™
• DecisionSystems™
• Imaginators®
• Customer Loyalty Simulator™
• Optima® Product Testing

Products and services

• DecisionSystems™ A proprietary strategic decision-making system that helps companies optimize marketing strategies and resource allocation through advanced analytics and simulation, integrated within the StrategicImpact™ service offering.
• Imaginators® Proprietary qualitative ideation and innovation methodology using trained facilitators to generate breakthrough ideas and concepts through structured creative processes.
• Optima® Product Testing In-home usage testing system for evaluating product performance, satisfaction, and usage patterns in real consumer environments, including sensory research components.
• Customer Loyalty Simulator™ Proprietary simulation tool for modeling and predicting customer loyalty behaviors and the impact of various strategies on customer retention.
• StrategicImpact™ Proprietary strategic research framework combining multiple methodologies (including DecisionSystems™) to deliver actionable business recommendations and measure the impact of strategic initiatives.
• American Consumer Opinion® Online Panel Proprietary global internet panel of surveyed consumers used for quantitative research studies, managed with strict quality controls and respondent engagement protocols; part of Decision Analyst's Global Internet Panels offering.
• Advertising Research Comprehensive advertising testing services including concept testing, copy testing, tracking studies, and media effectiveness measurement.
• New Product Research Full-service new product development research including concept testing, packaging research, and sales forecasting for product launches.
• Qualitative Research Qualitative research services including digital ethnography, in-the-moment research, online and in-person focus groups, and unconventional qualitative methodologies.
• Shopper Insights Consumer behavior research analyzing the customer journey and path-to-purchase to optimize retail and shopping experiences.
• Marketing Mix Modeling Statistical analysis to evaluate and optimize the effectiveness of different marketing channels and spend allocation across the marketing mix.
• Pricing Research Pricing optimization research using choice modeling, Gabor-Granger, and Van Westendorp methods to determine optimal price points and price elasticity.
• Choice Modeling Services Advanced analytical technique for understanding consumer trade-offs among product features, pricing, and competitive alternatives through survey-based discrete choice experiments.
• Market Segmentation Services Market segmentation analysis using multiple question types to identify distinct consumer groups based on needs, behaviors, psychographics, and demographics.
• Predictive Analytics Advanced statistical and machine learning techniques for forecasting outcomes, scoring probabilities, and predicting customer behaviors from historical data.
• Brand Consulting Brand strategy services including brand equity monitoring, brand name research, and category management consulting.
• American Home Comfort Study Syndicated market research study providing ongoing data and insights on the American home comfort market.
• Economic Index Syndicated economic tracking indicator providing monthly insights into consumer economic sentiment and behavior.
• In-Home Usage Testing (iHUTs) Product testing methodology where consumers use products in their homes, providing real-world usage feedback including sensory research and product quality monitoring.
• Global Internet Panels International consumer panels and research capabilities spanning multiple countries for global market research studies.
• Sales Forecasting & Modeling Forecasting services including volumetric forecasting, demand forecasting, and Conceptor modeling to predict product sales and market performance.
• Geoanalytic Consulting (Spatial Analytics) Geographic information system (GIS) analysis and spatial analytics for location-based insights and asset optimization decisions.
• Analytical Consulting Consulting engagements applying advanced analytical techniques across choice modeling, segmentation, predictive analytics, pricing research, and marketing mix modeling.

Quantifiable outcome

• Decision Analyst's Bayesian RPSP calibration reduced price elasticity estimates by approximately half (from -2.1 to -1.1 average), enabling more accurate pricing recommendations for an OTC healthcare product
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature10 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Toluna: Online research panel and survey technology company with global panels. Direct competitor in panel-based research and consumer insights, with similar global panel capabilities and consumer survey offerings targeting enterprise clients.
• Dynata: Online research panel and data company operating in 80+ countries. Direct competitor in panel business and custom research services, with similar global panel capabilities and consumer insights offerings as Decision Analyst's American Consumer Opinion® and global panels.
• Ipsos: Paris-headquartered global market research firm offering custom research, analytics, and advisory services across similar verticals. Most directly comparable to Decision Analyst in terms of business model and service mix, with similar custom research, analytics, and consulting offerings targeting enterprise and mid-market clients.
• Maru Group: Marketing research and advisory firm with proprietary technology platforms. Direct competitor in marketing research, analytics, and advisory services, with similar service mix, methodologies, and customer segments as Decision Analyst.
• Schlesinger Group: Global qualitative research firm with proprietary panel of qualitative participants. Direct competitor in qualitative research and consumer insights, with similar methodologies and capabilities in qualitative research and In-Person/Online Focus Groups.
• Westat: US-based employee-owned research firm providing statistical research, survey research, and evaluation services to government and commercial clients. Similar employee-owned ownership structure and custom research focus to Decision Analyst, with comparable scale and methodological rigor.

Emerging players

• Qualtrics: Tech-native research platform now majority-owned by Silver Lake and CPPIB after $12.5B acquisition. Competing in the same market with a SaaS-based approach to surveys, analytics, and customer experience research, representing a different delivery model than traditional research firms like Decision Analyst.

Broad incumbents

• NielsenIQ: Global consumer intelligence firm providing measurement, analytics, and insights across retail, CPG, and media. Publicly traded with broad incumbent presence across multiple research verticals and adjacent capabilities, serving overlapping customer segments to Decision Analyst.
• GfK: Global market research firm acquired by NielsenIQ in 2023. Provides consumer goods, retail, and tech research with broader geographic and vertical reach than Decision Analyst, operating as part of a larger research conglomerate with overlapping customer segments.
• Kantar: World's largest marketing research and insights firm, PE-backed by Bain Capital. Provides broad portfolio of research services across all major categories including branding, consumer behavior, and analytics. Operates at much larger scale than Decision Analyst with broader geographic and vertical reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/decision-analyst-inc-
• Xx.com/decisionanalyst

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Decision Analyst