Eastcoast Research

What Eastcoast Research does

Eastcoast Research is a privately held market research company founded in 1972 in Wilmington, North Carolina, specializing in qualitative and quantitative research services. The company operates three owned facilities in Raleigh, Greensboro, and Wilmington, each equipped with client viewing rooms, live streaming, and audio-visual recording capabilities. Service offerings span focus groups, interviews and intercepts, surveys, sensory and taste testing, central location testing, home use testing, ethnographic research, usability testing, and mock jury trials. The company distinguishes itself through a 95% qualified participant show rate, a relational panel database maintained since 1972, and specialized recruiting capabilities for Hispanic, LGBTQ+, healthcare, and rural/small-market demographics.

The company operates a project-based professional services model, with pricing determined per engagement through a "Request a Bid" mechanism. Participant incentives range from $25 to $500+ depending on study complexity. Clients span six primary verticals: consumer goods and retail, healthcare and wellness, media and entertainment, financial services, technology and software, and legal and litigation. Go-to-market is predominantly direct enterprise sales supported by a website with a bid request form, organic social presence across Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Instagram, and Pinterest, and memberships in industry associations including the Insights Association, American Marketing Association, Quirk's Media, and Greenbook.

The business is founder-owned and operated, with no identified parent company, institutional investors, or external funding. Headcount is reported at 11-50 employees. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Geographic operations are concentrated in North Carolina but extend nationally through recruiting partnerships and hotel-based facility deployments for rural and small-market research. The technology stack is traditional, relying on SurveyMonkey for participant sign-up and standard market research infrastructure, with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities or developer-facing API.

Name

Eastcoast Research

Legal name

Eastcoast Research

Website

https://eastcoastresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Eastcoast Research is a privately held market research firm founded in 1972, operating three facilities in North Carolina to deliver qualitative and quantitative research services — including focus groups, recruiting, sensory testing, and mock jury trials — to clients across consumer goods, healthcare, legal, and other verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Market Research Services: Eastcoast Research generates revenue through providing comprehensive market research services on a project basis. Services include focus groups, interviews, surveys, sensory testing, central location testing, home use testing, ethnographic research, mock jury trials, and specialized recruiting services. Revenue is generated through project fees based on scope, methodology, sample size, and facility usage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Eastcoast Research is a full-service market research firm that recruits qualified participants and conducts qualitative, quantitative, and sensory research studies for B2B clients. Services span focus groups, interviews, intercepts, central location testing, home use testing, usability testing, ethnographic research, mock jury trials, taste tests, and survey design, delivered through three North Carolina facilities and a national recruiting network. The company also provides specialized recruiting for Hispanic, LGBTQ+, healthcare, and rural demographics.

Product overview

Eastcoast Research is a market research company founded in 1972 offering a comprehensive suite of research services through three facilities in North Carolina (Raleigh, Greensboro, and Wilmington). The company's core offerings include participant recruiting (with specialized services for Hispanic and LGBTQ+ demographics), focus groups, interviews and intercepts, consumer immersions, ethnographic research, and mock jury trials. Supporting services include Central Location Testing, Survey Services, Home Use Testing (IHUTs), Usability Testing, Taste Testing, and Panel Management. The portfolio also features specialized offerings in Healthcare Research, Music Studies, Study Design, and Virtual Research. All services are delivered by experienced moderators and recruiters who maintain a 95% participant show rate, with facilities equipped for in-person, online, and hybrid research approaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Market Research Recruiting Services Recruitment of qualified participants for market research studies using phone, email, and social media outreach, achieving a 95% show rate of articulate participants. Intended for B2B clients running qualitative or quantitative studies.
• Focus Groups In-person, online, and hybrid focus group sessions led by experienced moderators to gather qualitative consumer insights on preferences, behaviors, and opinions. Target audience is B2B clients needing consumer insights.
• Interviews & Intercepts In-person, telephone, and intercept survey interviews conducted by trained professionals to capture real-time consumer feedback using tablets, paper, or video methods. Used by B2B clients for qualitative and quantitative research.
• Consumer Immersions Qualitative research conducted in natural consumer environments such as workplaces, stores, or public spaces, combining observation, interviews, and participatory activities. For B2B clients seeking real-world consumer behavior insights.
• Consumer Research Panels Brand-blind consumer panel testing for evaluating emotional connections, perceived value, and product appeal across cosmetics, apps, food, home goods, and financial services. For B2B clients needing unbiased consumer product evaluation.
• Ethnographic Research Services Immersive observation-based research in everyday environments to understand consumer behavior, cultural dynamics, and brand perception in real-world contexts. For B2B clients seeking deeper behavioral insights.
• Mock Jury Trials Simulated courtroom experience for legal professionals to evaluate jury reactions, featuring demographic recruiting, AV recording, live streaming, and confidentiality protocols. For law firms and litigation teams.
• Music Studies Research Services Music industry research covering consumption patterns, listener preferences, genre analysis, platform usage, and event insights using surveys, focus groups, and real-time feedback. For media and entertainment clients.
• Study Design Services Custom research study design combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies, experimental design, mixed-methods approaches, and longitudinal tracking studies. For B2B clients needing bespoke research methodologies.
• Central Location Testing Services (CLT) Controlled environment product, advertising, sensory, packaging, and concept testing with nationwide capability across strategic U.S. locations. For consumer goods and B2B clients requiring in-facility or field testing.
• Survey Services Comprehensive survey design and administration including market research, customer satisfaction, employee engagement, product development, and academic surveys. For B2B clients across multiple industries.
• Home Use Test Services (IHUTs) In-home product testing delivering real-world usage feedback through qualitative interviews, user diaries, surveys, and longitudinal usage studies. For consumer goods and CPG clients.
• Usability Testing Services Remote, in-lab, A/B, and moderated usability testing evaluating interface efficiency, user experience, accessibility compliance, and mobile platform performance. For technology and software clients.
• Taste Testing Services Sensory evaluation of food and beverage products using blind tests, paired comparisons, and focus group tastings with national reach for product development and brand benchmarking. For food and beverage clients.
• Panel Management Relational database management of pre-qualified research panelists with vetting, quality assurance, targeted screening, and ongoing respondent engagement since 1972. For B2B clients needing sustained panel access.
• Hispanic Market Research Recruiting Specialized recruiting for Hispanic demographics including bilingual moderators, Spanish interpreters, transcription services, and acculturation-level segmentation. For B2B clients targeting Hispanic consumer segments.
• LGBTQ+ Recruiting Services Inclusive recruiting services for LGBTQ+ communities with community engagement, inclusive study listings, participant support, and DEIB diversity training for clients. For B2B clients seeking LGBTQ+ participant access.
• Healthcare Research Healthcare and wellness research including HIPAA-compliant focus groups, medical professional interviews, health insurance studies, and health product testing. For healthcare, wellness, and insurance organizations.
• Rural and Small Market Recruiting Specialized research services for rural and small markets utilizing hotel locations with state-of-the-art recording equipment, live streaming, recruitment, facilitation, and data management. For B2B clients researching rural and small-market audiences.
• Virtual Research Online and virtual research capabilities, including remote focus groups, interviews, and usability testing, supporting nationwide client engagements. For B2B clients needing remote research delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% show rate of qualified, articulate participants

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Kantar: Global research and analytics firm with extensive consumer insights, brand, and media research practices — competes for the same enterprise market research budgets that Eastcoast serves, though at a much larger scale.
• Dynata: One of the world's largest first-party research data platforms with extensive panel infrastructure, competing for the same survey, panel, and ad-hoc research dollars that Eastcoast earns from enterprise clients.
• Ipsos: Global market research leader with a large qualitative and healthcare research practice — competes for the same enterprise clients and RFPs as Eastcoast, particularly in healthcare, consumer goods, and brand research.
• Toluna: Global online consumer research platform with panel management, survey programming, and qualitative tools — overlaps with Eastcoast's panel, survey, and qualitative work but as a tech-enabled digital platform.

Direct peers

• Schlesinger Group: One of the largest facility-based qualitative market research companies in the U.S., operating owned focus group facilities with participant recruiting — directly comparable to Eastcoast Research's core service model.
• L&E Research: Regional qualitative research firm with owned focus group facilities in the Carolinas, offering participant recruiting, focus groups, and sensory research — extremely comparable in scale, geography, and service mix.
• C+R Research: Mid-sized full-service market research firm offering qualitative, quantitative, and sensory research with owned focus group facilities and proprietary online community platforms — directly comparable in service mix and client verticals.
• Fieldwork Network: National network of owned qualitative research facilities with focus group recruiting, in-person and online methodologies, and multi-vertical expertise — same operating model and customer base as Eastcoast.
• Decision Point (formerly Focus Pointe Global): National focus group facility operator with qualitative recruiting and project management services across multiple U.S. markets — same B2B market research service model as Eastcoast.

Emerging players

• Discuss.io: Online qualitative research platform offering live video focus groups, IDIs, and asynchronous research — an emerging tech-enabled alternative to facility-based qualitative work.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ecresearch_nc
• Facebookfacebook.com/eastcoastresearchNC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eastcoastresearch
• Instagraminstagram.com/eastcoastresearch
• Pinterestpinterest.com/eastcoastresearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Eastcoast Research