Performance Research

What Performance Research does

Performance Research is a privately held professional services firm founded in 1984 and headquartered in Newport, Rhode Island. It is the world's first research firm dedicated exclusively to experiential marketing and fan engagement, serving enterprise clients across major brands (Ticketmaster, Lexus), sports properties and rights holders, National Governing Bodies (NGBs), festivals and arts organizations, youth sports programs, private clubs, and non-profits/social impact organizations. The firm generates revenue through custom, project-based research engagements rather than subscription or licensing models, with all services initiated via direct contact and inquiry.

The company's core offering is a human-centered research methodology portfolio that includes on-site research, online surveys, qualitative discussion groups (over 1,000 conducted worldwide), on-site mini groups, observational research, secondary research, and non-event experiential marketing research. Its proprietary intellectual property centers on two frameworks: the ProSocial Valuation framework (registered trademark, commercialized via sister company PSV) which uses economic algorithms to quantify social program outcomes, and the ROI+ROR (Return on Relationship) measurement approach, which extends traditional sponsorship ROI to capture emotional and relational depth of audience connections. The firm also offers expert witness and legal consulting services in sports and entertainment matters.

Performance Research operates a direct enterprise field sales go-to-market, relying on four decades of reputation, thought leadership content, and word-of-mouth referrals rather than product-led or self-serve channels. Distribution is exclusively direct engagement, with no resellers or marketplace presence. The firm claims global reach through engagements such as its 20+ year partnership with the Homeless World Cup spanning 68 countries, and has no disclosed external funding, parent company, or public listing.

Name

Performance Research

Legal name

Performance Research

Website

https://performanceresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Performance Research is a privately held, Newport, Rhode Island-based professional services firm founded in 1984 that conducts human-centered experiential marketing and fan engagement research for enterprise brands, sports properties, NGBs, festivals, youth sports, private clubs, and non-profits worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experiential Marketing Research

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Custom Market Research (Ad Hoc Studies, Segmentation, U&A) (MPAAALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Business Consulting & Advisory (Strategy, Valuation, Due Diligence) (MPAKAKAL), Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE), Brand Research & Positioning (Audience/Competitive Insights) (MPAAAEAI)

Keywords

• Experiential marketing research
• Sponsorship measurement services
• Fan engagement research
• Market research consulting
• Social impact valuation

Headquarters

HQ city

Newport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Consulting Services: Custom research programs and strategic consulting engagements for brands, sports properties, festivals, youth sports, NGBs, private clubs, and non-profits. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services rather than subscription or licensing models.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Performance Research is the world's first research firm dedicated exclusively to experiential marketing and fan engagement. The firm provides custom research programs and strategic consulting to brands, sports properties, rights holders, National Governing Bodies, festivals, youth sports programs, private clubs, and non-profits. Their work spans sponsorship ROI/ROR measurement, fan engagement research, social impact valuation via the proprietary ProSocial Valuation framework, economic impact analysis, and expert witness services.

Product overview

Performance Research is a research firm, not a software product company. It offers a comprehensive portfolio of experiential marketing and sponsorship research services and proprietary methodologies rather than a unified software platform. The core offerings include strategic consulting services (Brand Partnerships, Sports Properties, Arts & Entertainment, Youth Sports, NGBs, Private Clubs, NPOs/Education, and ProSocial Valuation®) combined with multiple research methodologies (On-Site Research, Online Research, Qualitative Discussion Groups, On-Site Mini Groups, Observational Research, Secondary Research, Non-Event Experiential Marketing, Expert Witness/Legal Consulting). The company also provides specialized services like Fan Feedback, Economic Impact Analysis, Lost Fan Re-engagement, and Ticket Price Optimization. ProSocial Valuation® is their proprietary social impact measurement framework using economic algorithms. They emphasize human-centered, qualitative research approaches rather than AI or automated solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand Partnerships Research

Quantifiable outcome

• $8.62 social return per $1 invested (Homeless World Cup)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and flagship.

• NetflixnotableGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 April 2024Netflix partnered with Performance Research and featured the company's research work with the Homeless World Cup in the Netflix film 'The Beautiful Game.' Performance Research contributed research expertise and the ProSocial Valuation framework to demonstrate social impact, while Netflix provided global distribution platform for the inspiring message about sport and social change.
• PSV (ProSocial Valuation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProSocial Valuation is described as a 'sister company' that uses Performance Research's measurement framework. PSV applies rigorous research and economic algorithms to identify outcomes of social programs. Performance Research developed the ProSocial Valuation framework that PSV commercializes.
• Homeless World CupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance Research has conducted research for the Homeless World Cup for over two decades. Their ProSocial Valuation analysis revealed that for every $1 invested, the Homeless World Cup delivered $8.62 worth of social capital. The partnership spans 68 countries and has transformed over 1.2 million lives, reaching 100,000+ unhoused individuals annually.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• YouGov: Global market research firm offering brand tracking, audience profiling, and custom research across multiple verticals. YouGov competes for custom brand and consumer research engagements with a more panel-driven, technology-enabled model.
• Kantar: Global market research and insights giant operating across brand, media, and consumer research. Kantar is comparable as a broad incumbent that competes in sponsorship measurement and brand effectiveness research through dedicated practices.
• Nielsen Sports: Global sports media and sponsorship measurement business (formerly Repucom) providing media value and sponsorship ROI analytics. Nielsen Sports is highly comparable through its focus on quantifying sponsorship effectiveness for rights holders and brands.
• Ipsos: Global market research firm with significant sports and entertainment research practices. Ipsos competes with Performance Research in custom brand, sponsorship, and audience research, particularly through its sports division.

Direct peers

• National Research Group (NRG): Entertainment and consumer research firm specializing in content, brand, and audience research for major studios and brands. NRG is comparable to Performance Research in its custom qualitative and quantitative research services targeting entertainment, sports, and brand partnership clients.
• Insight Strategy Group: Custom qualitative and quantitative research firm specializing in brand, consumer, and entertainment insights. Comparable to Performance Research in delivering bespoke research using focus groups, online panels, and ethnographic methods.
• The Marketing Arm (TMA): Sponsorship and experiential marketing consulting agency that helps brands and rights holders measure and optimize partnership impact. TMA is a close comparable given its similar focus on sponsorship ROI research and brand partnership measurement.
• Radius Global Market Research: Custom market research firm offering brand, consumer, and media research across multiple categories. Radius is comparable to Performance Research as a similarly sized custom research provider serving brand marketers and media clients.
• MarketCast: Data-driven insights firm specializing in entertainment, sports, and brand marketing research including audience measurement and advertising effectiveness. MarketCast directly overlaps with Performance Research's experiential marketing and sponsorship ROI measurement offerings.
• Engine Insight: Research and insights arm of Engine, providing custom brand, media, and experiential marketing research. Overlaps with Performance Research on sponsorship effectiveness, brand partnerships, and consumer engagement measurement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sponsoreye
• Facebookfacebook.com/performanceresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/performance-research

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 Performance Research