The Big Picture

What The Big Picture does

The Big Picture (legal entity: The Big Picture Market Research Ltd) is a London-headquartered global insight consultancy operating in the design research and brand strategy sub-sector. Founded circa 1990, the firm specializes in combining behavioral science with design thinking to help brands understand how packaging, visual identity, and brand experience drive consumer behavior and commercial outcomes. Its core service portfolio spans six practice areas: Deep Human Understanding, Brand Strategy, Innovation, Visual Brand Identity, Product Design, and Brand Experience, delivered through proprietary methodologies including ShelfIQ, DesignCounts, Pack360, Spark, CoLab, PackIQ, PatternID, and Sense It, plus the Learn-Build-Verify creative development model.

The firm operates a professional services, project-based revenue model, working both directly with global brand owners and collaboratively with their retained design and creative agency partners (including Magpie Studio, Turner Duckworth, and Robilant). Client engagements are bespoke and combine qualitative and quantitative research methods. The customer base is concentrated in enterprise global FMCG and consumer brand owners - evidenced by named engagements with PepsiCo, General Mills (Yoplait), Kraft Heinz (Jell-O), Suntory Global Spirits (Basil Hayden, Jim Beam White, Chivas Brothers), Carlsberg Britvic (Purdey's), Haleon (Voltaren), Unilever, L'Oreal, Barilla, and SC Johnson (Glade), alongside non-FMCG work for the International Olympic Committee and UK-based challenger brands such as Plenish, Greene King, and Chapel Down. Project delivery leverages a global network of research partners to support multi-market validation (documented across US, UK, France, Germany, Australia, Singapore, China, and Russia).

Commercially, the firm earns revenue through bespoke research and consulting engagements; pricing is not publicly disclosed. It is privately held, founder/management-led, with no evidence of external institutional investment, M&A activity, or public listing. Leadership comprises a Non-executive Chairman (John Cassidy), Managing Partner and Global head of quantitative research (Laura Pereira), Global head of qualitative research (Chris Aukett), and a Board Director for Futures and Foresight (Cecilia Sylvan Martin), supported by a multidisciplinary team of directors, senior researchers, project managers, and creative staff. Marketing is conducted through thought leadership content, LinkedIn, website case studies, and industry award participation (DBA Design Effectiveness Awards, MRS Awards, Transform Awards, Italian Institute of Packaging, International Spirits Challenge).

Name

The Big Picture

Legal name

The Big Picture Market Research Ltd

Website

https://thebigpicture.agency

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Big Picture is a London-based global insight consultancy that combines behavioral science with design thinking to help enterprise brands validate and optimize packaging, visual identity, and brand experience. It serves global FMCG owners (PepsiCo, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Suntory, Barilla) and leading design agencies through proprietary research methodologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Design Research Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Visual Identity & Brand Design Systems (BPAFAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Packaging & Brand Identity Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAN), Event Strategy & Experience Design (BPAFAGAA)

Keywords

• Brand design research
• Packaging research services
• Consumer insight consultancy
• Visual identity research
• Behavioural science research

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Strategic Insight and Research Services: The company operates as a professional services consultancy providing research and strategy services to global brands. Projects are bespoke, combining qualitative, quantitative, and consultative methods. Services include brand design research, innovation consulting, and strategic insight engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Big Picture is a global insight consultancy that helps brands create more effective packaging, visual identities and brand experiences through qualitative and quantitative research combining behavioural science with design thinking. It delivers bespoke strategic insight projects — including Deep Human Understanding, Brand Strategy, Innovation, Visual Brand Identity, Product Design and Brand Experience — for iconic global FMCG and consumer brands and their design agency partners. The firm operates a project-based professional services model, using proprietary methodologies such as ShelfIQ, Spark, Pack360, DesignCounts, CoLab and Sense It to validate design decisions and measure emotional response.

Product overview

The Big Picture is a global insight consultancy that operates as a services-based firm rather than a software product company. They offer a comprehensive portfolio of proprietary research methodologies and consulting services centered on brand design and consumer insight. Their core offerings include ShelfIQ (agile quantitative shelf testing), DesignCounts (full-scale shelf testing), Pack360 Model (brand design framework), Spark Metric (emotional response measurement), CoLab (online community methodology), PackIQ (pack validation tool), and Sense It (brand experience toolkit). These tools support services across Deep Human Understanding, Visual Brand Identity, Brand Strategy, Innovation Research, Product Design & UX, and Brand Experience. The approach integrates design thinking and behavioural science with both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Deep Human Understanding Foundational research service that puts people at the heart of brand strategy, delving into real consumer behaviours and understanding what makes target audiences tick to inform brand decisions.
• Brand Strategy Services for shaping brand positioning to ensure it connects with target audiences in a differentiated and meaningful way, drawing on behavioural science and design thinking.
• Innovation Services for creating genuinely disruptive brand and product ideas rooted in human truths and design thinking principles.
• Visual Brand Identity Research and semiotics-based services to develop visual brand identity and packaging that drives impact and meaning for global brands.
• Product Design & UX Services for enhancing user experience of products through a human-centred approach, ensuring products meet needs and delight users.
• Brand Experience Services for maximising brand performance to deliver meaning across every interaction between a brand and its users.

Quantifiable outcome

• 64% brand growth for Plenish, moving from #8 to #3 in market
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Magpie StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative agency partner for Plenish brand transformation project. Magpie led creative development while The Big Picture provided research and insight throughout the 'Learn-Build-Verify' creative development model. The partnership resulted in Plenish's 'Less is Moreish' brand world and 64% brand growth.
• Turner DuckworthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign agency partner for Jim Beam White refresh project. The Big Picture supported the creative process with two-stage research plan ensuring every decision was grounded in consumer evidence. Project validated across US, Australia, and Germany markets.
• RobilantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign agency partner for Barilla global brand redesign. Combined deep local understanding with global lens across four key markets to balance risk with opportunity in reinvigorating the Barilla brand.
• DataRepminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAppointed as The Big Picture's designated representative within the EEA for GDPR Art. 27 purposes. Handles data protection matters for EU citizens.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ipsos: One of the world's largest research firms with deep CPG, brand, and innovation practices. Overlaps with The Big Picture on brand and packaging insight work but delivers through scaled, multi-method global teams rather than a design-thinking boutique approach.
• NielsenIQ: Global measurement and data analytics company serving CPG clients. Adjacent rather than directly overlapping, but competes for enterprise insight budgets and increasingly integrates behavioral science into its consumer research offerings.
• Kantar: Global market research and insight giant offering brand, packaging, and consumer research at scale across more than 90 markets. Directly competes with The Big Picture on enterprise CPG brand and packaging insight engagements but operates as a broad multi-method incumbent rather than a design-research specialist.

Direct peers

• Brand Union (Superunion): Global brand consultancy combining strategy, design, and insight across brand identity and packaging. Comparable to The Big Picture in serving enterprise CPG and FMCG clients on brand transformation projects.
• Dragon Rouge: Independent brand and design consultancy with strong packaging and brand experience practices across CPG and luxury. Overlaps with The Big Picture on packaging research methodology and brand-identity client base.
• Hall & Partners: Boutique brand and communications insight consultancy serving many of the same global CPG and spirits clients as The Big Picture. Highly comparable in size, focus on brand effectiveness, and senior-led client engagement model.
• Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting and design firm combining strategy, identity, and design research. Comparable to The Big Picture on packaging and visual identity work, though it also delivers the creative execution The Big Picture deliberately leaves to agency partners.
• Flamingo (Saffron Brand Consultants): Brand strategy and insight consultancy with deep expertise in brand purpose, positioning, and consumer understanding for global brands. Closely comparable to The Big Picture on methodology (qual-quant integration) and target client base.
• BVA Group / BrainJuicer (now System1): Insight and brand effectiveness firm focused on emotional and intuitive consumer response, with explicit positioning around emotional measurement of advertising and packaging. Direct methodological overlap with The Big Picture's Spark and Emotional Brand Assets work.

Others

• Turner Duckworth: Award-winning design agency specializing in packaging and brand identity for global CPG brands (e.g., Jim Beam, Coca-Cola). A named agency partner of The Big Picture on multiple engagements, making it an adjacent ecosystem player rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/the-big-picture
• Xx.com/tbpresearch

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 The Big Picture