Social Market Research

What Social Market Research does

Social Market Research (SMR) is a Belfast-headquartered market and social research firm founded in 2003 by Donal McDade. The firm delivers quantitative and qualitative research across the United Kingdom and Ireland, serving government departments and agencies, utilities, healthcare organisations and charities, local councils, and academic institutions. Its service portfolio spans ten research methodologies—population surveys, panel surveys, customer satisfaction surveys, campaign evaluations, political polls and election studies, focus groups, depth interviews, case studies, evaluations, and mixed-methods research—applied across eight named sector specialisms (Stakeholders, Utilities, Public Health, Housing, Net Zero, Equality, Poverty, Consumers). Named projects include NHS Resolution customer perception research (samples of approximately 4,000 customers), Belfast City Council resident satisfaction surveys (n≈1,500 adults), and Northern Ireland General Election Surveys across four election cycles (2015, 2017, 2019, 2024).

Underpinning delivery is SMR's proprietary online panel covering both consumers and businesses across the UK and Ireland, which supports representative sampling by demographics (age, gender, SEG, area) and business characteristics (sector, size). Fieldwork combinations include face-to-face CAPI, telephone, online, and qualitative methods (focus groups, depth interviews, case studies), often layered in mixed-method designs to link quantitative scale with qualitative depth. The senior team comprises researchers with 25-30+ years of experience: the founder (former research roles at the Equal Opportunities Commission, NHS, and Queen's University Belfast), a senior researcher with prior team leadership at NISRA, and an operational lead with 25+ years in senior market research roles.

SMR operates as a project-based professional services firm. Revenue is generated through bespoke, quoted research engagements priced on methodology, sample size, and complexity, with multi-year frameworks referenced (e.g., a three-year Arts Council of Northern Ireland evaluation) and repeat work with anchor clients including SSEN, Northern Ireland Water, Cancer Research UK, the Public Health Agency, and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. Go-to-market is consultative and largely referral-driven, supported by a single headquarters, a company website, a LinkedIn page, and direct phone/email contact. The public record shows no funding events, acquisitions, partnerships, or external investment activity.

Name

Social Market Research

Legal name

Social Market Research

Website

https://socialmarketresearch.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Social Market Research is a Belfast-based market and social research firm founded in 2003, delivering quantitative and qualitative research to government, utilities, healthcare, charity, and academic clients across the UK and Ireland through a proprietary consumer and business online panel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

akta.pro primary industry

Market Research & Consumer Insights (BPAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE), Custom Market Research (Ad Hoc Studies, Segmentation, U&A) (MPAAALAC), Syndicated Market Research (Panels, Omnibus, Tracker Studies) (MPAAALAB)

Keywords

• Market research services
• Social research
• Survey research
• Qualitative research
• Public sector research

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

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. Research Services: SMR generates revenue through project-based research engagements with clients across government, public sector, utilities, and academic institutions. Projects are typically scoped and quoted based on methodology, sample size, and research complexity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Social Market Research is a market and social research firm that provides bespoke quantitative and qualitative research services to government, public sector, utilities, healthcare, charity, and academic clients across the UK and Ireland. Its core offering spans population surveys, panel surveys (via its own UK/Ireland online panel), customer satisfaction surveys, political polls and election studies, campaign evaluations, programme evaluations, focus groups, depth interviews, case studies, and mixed-methods research. Services are delivered through probability and quota sampling methods using face-to-face CAPI, telephone, and online channels.

Product overview

Social Market Research is a market and social research firm established in 2003, offering a portfolio of research services across the UK and Ireland. The core offering comprises ten distinct service lines: Population Surveys, Panel Surveys, Customer Satisfaction Surveys, Campaign Evaluations, Political Polls & Election Studies, Focus Groups, Depth Interviews, Case Studies, Evaluations, and Mixed Methods Approach to Research. These services are delivered across eight sector specialisms: Stakeholders, Utilities, Public Health, Housing, Net Zero, Equality, Poverty, and Consumers. The company operates its own online panel covering consumers and businesses across the UK and Ireland, enabling representative sampling. Research methodologies include face-to-face CAPI surveys, telephone surveys, online panel surveys, qualitative focus groups, depth interviews, and case studies. The portfolio functions as a unified research service offering rather than a software platform, with services often combined in mixed-method approaches to provide comprehensive insights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Population Surveys High quality survey research across the UK and Ireland with expertise in probability and quota sampling, using face-to-face CAPI, telephone, and online panel data collection methods to produce population-level insights.
• Panel Surveys Online panel surveys covering both consumers and businesses across the UK and Ireland, generating representative samples of the general public or businesses.
• Customer Satisfaction Surveys Robust research on customer and consumer satisfaction conducted online or by telephone, producing overall satisfaction ratings and detailed views on service delivery.
• Political Polls & Election Studies Monitoring and measuring political opinion, voting intentions and behaviour through representative survey research.
• Campaign Evaluations Impact research projects to establish consumer and stakeholder reaction to client-facing public information campaigns.
• Evaluations Project and programme evaluation using mixed method approaches combining survey, interview, focus group and case study methodologies to objectively assess success and impact.
• Focus Groups Qualitative group discussions deployed as standalone method or combined with surveys to provide deep dive into attitudes and opinions.
• Depth Interviews Semi-structured interviews exploring stakeholders' views on personal experiences and professional issues, allowing for specific coverage and exploratory discussion.
• Case Studies Qualitative case study approaches that highlight lived experiences and provide granular impact analysis.
• Mixed Methods Approach to Research Research combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies, useful for framing questions prior to surveys or deep diving on issues uncovered by survey research.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered Northern Ireland General Election Surveys for multiple election cycles (2015, 2017, 2019, 2024)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BMG Research: UK social and market research firm serving government, charities, and commercial clients with mixed-methods, polling, and evaluation work. Closely comparable to SMR in size, sector mix, and public-sector orientation.
• Censuswide: UK-based research firm operating its own consumer and B2B panel, providing custom survey research to brands and agencies. Comparable panel-led model and methodology set, with similar UK/Ireland reach.
• Survation: UK-based polling and market research firm of similar size, offering political polling, consumer, and social research to public sector and commercial clients. Highly comparable in scale, methodology mix, and UK/NI footprint.
• Diffley Partnership: UK social research firm specialising in public sector, health, and third-sector research using mixed methods. Comparable in size, mission orientation, and qualitative/quantitative mix.
• Strand Partners: UK research and strategy consultancy focused on public affairs, policy, and communications research. Comparable in serving government, third sector, and regulated clients with mixed-method research.
• Yonder Consulting: UK mid-market research consultancy formed from the merger of Progressive Partnership and Yonder, serving public, third sector, and consumer clients with mixed-methods research. Comparable in scale, methodology, and public-sector focus.
• Savanta: UK-headquartered research firm offering custom quantitative and qualitative research, panel surveys, and sector expertise across public, utilities, and consumer. Comparable mid-market peer with similar methodology breadth.

Broad incumbents

• YouGov: Global panel-based research and polling firm with strong UK public sector and commercial presence. Operates an owned panel and covers similar methodologies but at vastly greater scale, including political polling adjacent to SMR's election work.
• Ipsos UK: Large global research group with deep UK public-sector, healthcare, and utilities practice. Directly competes with SMR for large government tenders but operates at far greater scale and methodology breadth.
• Kantar (UK Public Division): Global research and insights group with substantial UK presence across consumer, public, and social research. Competes in adjacent evaluation and policy research mandates where SMR also bids.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/socialmarketresearch
• Xx.com/socialmarketres

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Social Market Research