The Market Research Society

Name

The Market Research Society

Legal name

The Market Research Society

Website

https://mrs.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Due Diligence & Investigative Research (BPAHALAI)

Keywords

• Market research standards
• Professional membership association
• Research industry accreditation
• Market research training
• Research industry events

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Individual membership fees at various grades (Member, Fellow, etc.) and Company Partner accreditation fees for organisations.
2. Training and Qualifications: Revenue from training courses (face-to-face, online, on-demand), qualifications (Certificate, Advanced Certificate, Masters), apprenticeships, and professional development programs.
3. Events and Conferences: Annual Conference (Impact), one-day conferences, networking events, speaker evenings, professional webinars, and awards ceremonies.
4. Advertising and Sponsorship: Advertising opportunities across Research Live website, Impact magazine, conferences, and awards events. Sponsorship packages for events and publications.
5. Publications: Revenue from International Journal of Market Research (IJMR), Intelligence Capital reports, MRS Delphi Group reports, and the Research Live Industry Report.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Market Research Society (MRS) is a professional membership association that provides individual memberships, Company Partner accreditation, training courses and qualifications, industry conferences and awards, the Research Live news platform, the Research Buyer's Guide supplier directory, the International Journal of Market Research, and the sector's Code of Conduct and disciplinary framework. It serves as the recognised UK regulator and professional body for the research, insight, and data analytics sectors.

Product overview

The Market Research Society operates as a professional membership organization offering a comprehensive suite of products and services for the UK research and evidence market. The core portfolio includes the Research Buyer's Guide (directory of accredited suppliers), Research Live (news platform), and International Journal of Market Research. Supporting services include accreditation programmes (Company Partner, Recruiter Accreditation, Fair Data), training and qualifications (MRS Training, CPD Programme, Global Insight Academy), events (Annual Conference, One Day Conferences, Awards), advisory services (Codeline, Sugging Hotline), and resource platforms (Geodemographics Knowledge Base). The organization also publishes research through Intelligence Capital and the Delphi Group. The UK research sector contributes £18.74bn annually to the economy with MRS serving approximately 350,000 professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Research Live: MRS's flagship news, trends and opinions website attracting between 25,000 and 30,000 users every month
• Research Buyer's Guide (RBG)
• International Journal of Market Research (IJMR)
• Impact
• Codeline
• MRS Excellence Awards
• MRS Operations Awards (Oppies)
• MRS Changemaker Awards
• Global Data Quality (GDQ)
• Geodemographics Knowledge Base (GKB)

Products and services

• Research Buyer's Guide (RBG) Industry web directory of accredited research suppliers in the UK and Ireland, featuring agencies, viewing facilities, and independent consultants with searchable breakdowns of market sectors, expertise areas, services, and locations. Receives 3,000-4,000 users monthly.
• Research Live MRS's flagship industry news, trends and opinions platform for research and insight professionals, with broad international reach (25% US, 32% UK, 43% Europe/RoW) and 100,000 monthly page views.
• International Journal of Market Research (IJMR) Academic and practitioner journal positioned as the world authority on research methodologies and techniques, accessible globally through subscription and institutional access.
• MRS Company Partner Accreditation Accreditation programme for research companies signifying commitment to the MRS Code of Conduct, providing employee benefits, discounted advertising, and industry representation. Includes an International Affiliate option for non-UK companies.
• MRS Training and Qualifications Training portfolio including face-to-face, virtual, and on-demand courses, the Global Insight Academy, career pathway programmes, apprenticeships (Market Research Executive, Social Research Degree), and qualifications (Certificate, Advanced Certificate, Masters).
• MRS Annual Conference (Impact) Annual flagship conference of MRS featuring collaborative learning, case studies, networking sessions, and the annual awards ceremony for research and insight professionals.
• MRS Awards Programme Multi-track awards programme including Excellence Awards, Operations Awards (OPPies), Changemaker Awards and Research Heroes recognition, celebrating achievement and standards in the market research sector.
• Recruiter Accreditation Scheme (RAS) Training, accreditation and a public register of accredited qualitative research recruiters, providing assurance of recruiter competence to clients and researchers.
• Fair Data Accreditation Accreditation programme for research organisations demonstrating commitment to fair data practices, complementing ISO 20252 and the MRS Code of Conduct.
• Geodemographics Knowledge Base (GKB) Comprehensive database of geodemographics sources covering UK, Europe and worldwide, curated by the MRS Census and GeoDems Group, covering census data, open data, and real-time geodemographics.
• Intelligence Capital Intelligence reports and publications providing insights on critical issues for the insight and data analytics sector.
• Research Jobfinder Dedicated job board for the research and insights industry, connecting employers with research professionals.
• MRS CPD Programme Continuing Professional Development programme with a CPD handbook and upgrade pathway for members to maintain and evidence professional development.

Quantifiable outcome

• UK research sector contributes £18.74bn to economy annually (0.7-0.8% of GVA)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Census and GeoDems Group (CGG)coreOthersCGG is an official working group of MRS dedicated to promoting the full and responsible use of Census and geodemographic information. It maintains a long-standing relationship with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and other key data bodies.
• Global Data Quality Initiative (GDQ)coreOthersCollaborative effort among leading research organisations to combat data fraud and enhance data quality in the market and social research, consumer insights and analytics industry.
• Association for Survey Computing (ASC)minorOthersMRS Board member Rebecca Cole has spent over 10 years on the board of ASC and now co-chairs it, representing research industry interests.
• Colour of Research (CORe)minorOthersDaniel Singham, MRS Board member, represents CORe on the MRS EDI Council. CORe is a hub for ethnic diversity in the industry.
• Office for National Statistics (ONS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRS Census and GeoDems Group maintains a long-standing relationship with ONS, ensuring researcher perspectives are heard in the development and use of official statistics. ONS collaborates on census resources and geodemographic data.
• Geodemographics Knowledge Base PartnersminorOthersGKB provides links to hundreds of selected websites covering UK, Europe and worldwide geodemographic data sources, checked and curated by CGG members.
• Royal Statistical Society (RSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly hosting events such as 'Beyond the Hype: Synthetic Data in Practice' with RSS Social Statistics Group. Collaboration on statistical methodologies and best practices.
• Market Research Benevolent Association (MRBA)minorOthersMRBA provides support for individuals in the research industry who may be facing hardship, featured on MRS footer as a partner organisation.
• DMA (Data and Marketing Association)minorOthersDMA is listed as a corporate member, indicating industry collaboration on data and marketing standards.
• Archive of Market and Social Research (AMSR)minorOthersMRS hosts the Archive of Market and Social Research, preserving historical records of the industry. Features oral histories of market research pioneers.
• Recruiter Accreditation Scheme (RAS)coreOthersMRS operates the RAS website providing training materials for qualitative research recruiters, and maintains a Register of RAS Accredited Recruiters.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ipsos: Global market research and consulting firm. Comparable industry participant that engages with MRS via accreditation, advertising, and board representation (former Ipsos MORI research director on MRS board) - represents the broader incumbent research industry MRS serves.
• Kantar: One of the world's largest market research and insights companies. Not a direct peer (commercial research firm, not an industry body) but operates in MRS's served market as a major Company Partner and advertiser on MRS platforms.

Direct peers

• QRCA (Qualitative Research Consultants Association): International association for qualitative researchers. Direct peer to MRS in the qualitative research standards and training space, including recruiter accreditation functions that overlap with MRS's Recruiter Accreditation Scheme (RAS).
• ESOMAR: Global market research professional association based in Amsterdam. Direct peer to MRS as both serve as industry bodies setting standards, codes of conduct, and professional qualifications for market researchers, though ESOMAR operates globally rather than UK-centric.
• AQR (Association for Qualitative Research): UK-based professional body dedicated to qualitative research. Direct peer to MRS for qualitative research training, events, and standards in the UK market, representing partial functional overlap with MRS's qualitative accreditation.
• The Insights Association: US-based trade association for the market research and analytics industry (formed by merger of CASRO and MRA). Direct peer to MRS as it provides similar accreditation, standards, advocacy, and professional development for market researchers in North America.

Regional players

• BHBIA (British Healthcare Business Intelligence Association): UK industry body for healthcare market research and business intelligence. Comparable to MRS in offering sector-specific training, events, and standards, but focused on the healthcare vertical rather than cross-industry research.
• EphMRA (European Pharmaceutical Market Research Association): European association for pharmaceutical market researchers. Comparable to MRS as a sector-focused industry body providing standards and professional development, but specialised in pharma rather than cross-industry market research.
• PAMRO (Pan African Media Research Organisation): Regional market research association serving African markets. Comparable to MRS as an industry body providing standards and professional development, but focused on a different geography (Africa vs UK/Europe).

Emerging players

• IIA (International Institute for Analytics): Analytics professional body offering certifications and training for analytics practitioners. Emerging player with partial overlap with MRS's analytics training and credentials, but focused specifically on analytics rather than broader market research.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ResearchConferences
• Facebookfacebook.com/148109711894103
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/market-research-society-mrs-
• Xx.com/janefrostmrs

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The Market Research Society