What Blauw Research does

Blauw Research is a privately held Dutch market research firm founded in 1993 and headquartered at Coolsingel 55, Rotterdam, Netherlands. The company delivers B2B market research services to enterprise clients across multiple verticals including consumer products and FMCG, retail and e-commerce, financial services and banking, telecom, energy and utilities, sports and entertainment, media and publishing, and the public sector. With a stated headcount of 51-200 employees and 30+ years of operating history, Blauw serves more than 50 prominent Dutch brands including Transavia, NS, Kruidvat, Vattenfall, Eneco, Miele, Grolsch, Bol.com, ABN AMRO, Albert Heijn, KPN, Efteling, and Danone. Day-to-day leadership is provided by CEO Jos Vink and Managing Partner Tim Koekkoek.

The firm's product portfolio centers on proprietary research methodologies — particularly Category Entry Points (CEPs) and Distinctive Brand Assets (DBAs), grounded in Byron Sharp's How Brands Grow marketing science — combined with specialized research platforms. SPRINT Insights is an agile research platform for rapid-turnaround projects; Blauw Echo is a passive exposure measurement system that uses audio and location matching technology to register real-world brand contact moments; the Customer Decision Tree (CDT) is an implicit measurement methodology that maps shopper choice criteria without direct questioning; and Eye-Tracking Research is used in shelf tests and retail media research. Sub-brands include YourUX (UX strategy services) and Blauw Sponsorship Impact (sponsorship performance measurement). In June 2026, Blauw acquired SponsWatch, an AI-powered sponsorship visibility and media value measurement technology company.

Blauw generates revenue through a mix of project-based market research engagements (brand research, customer experience studies, product development research, marketing strategy consulting) and recurring tracker subscriptions such as brand trackers, sponsorship impact measurements, the annual Customer Experience Benchmark, and the 28-edition Mortgage Lenders Image Blueprint. Pricing is quote-based per project and varies by methodology, sample size, geographic coverage, and project complexity. The go-to-market motion is sales-led, with dedicated Business Leads managing accounts across six expertise areas (Branding & Communication, Product Development, Customer Experience, Marketing Strategy, Sponsorship Research, and Agile Research). Geographic coverage spans the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, the UK, Poland, Sweden, and Spain; following the SponsWatch acquisition, Blauw maintains international team locations in Stockholm and Madrid in addition to its Rotterdam headquarters. The firm holds ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 certifications and is a member of the Data & Insights Network.

Name

Blauw Research

Legal name

Blauw Research B.V.

Website

https://blauw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Blauw Research is a Dutch market research firm founded in 1993, headquartered in Rotterdam, serving enterprise clients across FMCG, retail, banking, telecom, energy, media, and government with brand research, customer experience, sponsorship measurement, and agile research services.

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)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Brand & Advertising Research (Brand Health, Copy Testing, Campaign Effectiveness) (MPAAALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Product & Innovation Research (Concept, Pricing, Packaging, Conjoint) (MPAAALAI), Brand Research & Positioning (Audience/Competitive Insights) (MPAAAEAI), Social & Digital Insights (Social Listening, Online Community Research) (MPAAALAK)

Keywords

• Market research services
• Brand tracking research
• Consumer insights research
• Sponsorship measurement
• Customer experience research

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Market Research Services: Project-based market research engagements including brand research, customer experience studies, product development research, and marketing strategy consulting. Fees are typically quoted based on project scope, methodology, and sample sizes.
2. Ongoing Research Contracts: Continuous tracking studies such as brand trackers and sponsorship impact measurements that provide recurring revenue through subscription-like arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Blauw Research is a Dutch market research agency that delivers quantitative and qualitative consumer research across branding, marketing strategy, customer experience, product development, UX, and sponsorship. The firm sells project-based research engagements, ongoing tracking studies, and specialized research products (e.g., Brandtracker, Image Blueprint Mortgage Lenders, Customer Experience Benchmark) to enterprise clients. Its offering is anchored in proprietary methodologies such as Category Entry Points, Distinctive Brand Assets, and Customer Decision Trees, plus platforms including SPRINT Insights (agile research), Blauw Echo (passive exposure measurement), and Blauw Sponsorship Impact.

Product overview

Blauw Research is a Dutch market research agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of research products and services organized under five core expertise areas: Branding & Communication, Marketing Strategy, Customer Experience, Product Development, and Sponsorship Research. The portfolio includes both proprietary research methodologies (such as Category Entry Points, Distinctive Brand Assets, Customer Decision Trees, and Brand Power research) and specialized platforms (SPRINT Insights for agile research, Blauw Echo for passive exposure measurement, and Blauw Sponsorship Impact for sponsorship intelligence). The company also operates subsidiary brands including YourUX for UX strategy and partners with SponsWatch for AI-powered sponsorship visibility measurement. Research approaches include community research, qualitative and quantitative studies, panel surveys, eye-tracking, and behavioral tracking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SPRINT Insights: Agile Research Platform for quick research solutions
• yourUX
• Blauw Sponsorship Impact

Products and services

• Brandtracker Brand tracking service that monitors brand performance and awareness over time for enterprise marketing and brand management teams.
• Category Entry Points (CEPs) Research methodology identifying the moments that cause consumers to think of a category and its brands, used to grow brand awareness and mental availability.
• Distinctive Brand Assets (DBAs) Research that identifies visually recognizable brand elements that make a brand distinctive and memorable.
• Customer Decision Tree (CDT) Implicit measurement methodology mapping shoppers' choice criteria to show the hierarchy consumers use when purchasing products in a category.
• SPRINT Insights Agile research platform for quick-turnaround consumer insights, combining behavioral data with qualitative feedback for fast-moving business decisions.
• Blauw Echo Platform that passively registers brand, media, and campaign exposure via location and audio matching, measuring actual contact moments throughout the customer journey.
• Blauw Sponsorship Impact Sponsorship measurement solution that quantifies brand impact, brand awareness, brand preference, and behavior to deliver complete sponsorship performance insights.
• YourUX UX strategy services focused on improving customers' digital experiences, offered as a specialized subsidiary brand.
• Image Blueprint Mortgage Lenders Annual syndicated survey benchmarking Dutch mortgage lender brand performance and service quality through the eyes of independent mortgage advisors.
• Community Research Online research community where respondents remain available for ongoing questions, supporting flexible methodologies and rich contextual insights.
• Customer Experience Benchmark Benchmarking service for measuring and comparing customer experience performance across organizations.
• Customer Journey Research Research methodology mapping the complete customer journey from initial awareness through purchase and post-purchase experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dutch Lottery and Blauw Sponsorship Impact won SponsorRing 2025 for Data & Insights
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SponsWatchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026Blauw Research acquired SponsWatch to strengthen its position in sponsorship intelligence. SponsWatch uses AI to measure visibility and media value of sponsorships. The combination brings together SponsWatch's media exposure measurement with Blauw's brand impact and behavior research, creating a more complete sponsorship performance view.
• Stockholm OfficecoreOthersInternational team location in Stockholm, Sweden as part of the Blauw and SponsWatch combined operations for expanded European coverage in sponsorship intelligence.
• Madrid TeamcoreOthersInternational team location in Madrid, Spain as part of the combined Blauw and SponsWatch operations for expanded European coverage in sponsorship intelligence.
• Data & Insights NetworkminorOthersTrade association representing the interests of respondents, buyers, and providers of market research. Blauw is a member and adheres to the Code of Conduct for Research and Statistics.
• BrainBiteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch tech startup building an AI learning platform for children. Blauw SPRINT conducted free research to help validate BrainBite's prototype using behavioral data and qualitative feedback.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GfK: International market research provider now part of NIQ, with strong consumer goods, retail, and brand research practices. Comparable to Blauw's category, shopper, and brand performance work, particularly across DACH and Benelux.
• NielsenIQ: Global consumer intelligence firm combining market research with retail and FMCG measurement. Overlaps with Blauw's shopper, category, and FMCG research work for shared clients like Albert Heijn and Grolsch.
• Ipsos: Global market research and analytics firm with strong brand, customer experience, and product research practices overlapping Blauw's portfolio. Competes for the same Dutch and European enterprise RFPs at greater scale and broader geographic reach.
• Toluna: Global online panel and consumer insights provider with technology-driven research platforms. Adjacent competitor to Blauw's agile and community research offerings, with much larger panel infrastructure.
• Kantar: World's largest marketing insights and brand equity research firm (Millward Brown, BrandZ). Direct overlap with Blauw's brand tracking, brand positioning, and advertising research offerings, with substantially greater data assets.

Direct peers

• MetrixLab: Rotterdam-based digital market research firm with brand, communications, and product research offerings, also with strong Dutch roots and Byron Sharp-style methodology. Direct competitor in branding and advertising effectiveness.
• InSites Consulting: Belgium-based consumer insight and innovation agency with strong community research and brand guidance practices. Closely comparable to Blauw in size, geographic focus (Benelux), and product/methodology stack.
• Motivaction: Amsterdam-based independent research agency with strong brand, communications, and societal research practices. Comparable Dutch-headquartered competitor targeting similar brand-side decision makers.
• MarketResponse: Dutch market research firm with deep expertise in brand positioning, customer experience, and category management. Direct competitor in the Netherlands for similar enterprise clients and overlapping methodologies.
• Verve: European market research agency with offices in the UK and Amsterdam, focused on brand strategy, customer experience, and communications research. Direct Dutch/UK overlap with Blauw's brand and CX practices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blauw-research
• Xx.com/blauwresearch

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Blauw Research