Designsensory Intelligence

What Designsensory Intelligence does

Designsensory Intelligence is a privately held market research and behavioral intelligence consulting firm operating as a DBA of Designsensory, Inc., headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1991 with the parent entity dating to 1989, the company provides qualitative and quantitative consumer research services to enterprise and agency clients across sports and entertainment, travel and tourism, marketing, food and beverage, and e-commerce verticals. Its methodology combines traditional research instruments (online surveys, virtual focus groups, geo-framing, and self-administered satisfaction kiosks) with behavioral science frameworks—specifically the Fogg Behavior Model and Elaboration Likelihood Model—alongside AI-powered analysis of unstructured data such as support tickets, chat logs, and social commentary.

The product portfolio is centered on annual trend reports across multiple verticals (Sports Entertainment, Travel & Tourism, Food + Beverage, State of E-Commerce, Inclusive Marketing IDEA), supplemented by a monthly Marketing Trend Report, the Video Minute short-form video series, and the Fired Up podcast featuring sports industry executives. The proprietary Ignite Fan Insights study provides ongoing tracking of American sports fan sentiment and serves as a recurring data asset. The firm emphasizes interpreting the "why" behind consumer behavior rather than surface-level metrics, using AI both for insight generation and as a methodology sparring partner.

Revenue is generated through professional services engagements—custom research projects and consulting—sold directly to enterprise and agency clients via a relationship-based sales motion supported by thought leadership content. The company does not disclose pricing publicly and operates exclusively within the United States. With 1–10 employees, no institutional funding, and no disclosed M&A activity, Designsensory Intelligence is a small founder-led firm whose scale is structurally constrained by its services-only delivery model.

Name

Designsensory Intelligence

Legal name

Designsensory, Inc.

Website

https://designsensoryintelligence.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Designsensory Intelligence is a privately held Knoxville-based market research and behavioral intelligence consulting firm serving enterprise and agency clients in sports, travel, marketing, food and beverage, and e-commerce with custom research, trend reports, and AI-assisted insight generation.

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), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral & Neuroscience Research (Biometrics, Eye-Tracking, Neuromarketing) (MPAAALAN), Product & Innovation Research (Concept, Pricing, Packaging, Conjoint) (MPAAALAI)

Keywords

• Market research services
• Consumer insights
• Behavioral intelligence
• Trend reports
• Marketing consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Market Research and Consulting Services: Custom research engagements and consulting services for agency clients and direct businesses seeking consumer behavioral insights and marketing strategy guidance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Designsensory Intelligence is a Knoxville-based market research and consulting firm that delivers qualitative and quantitative consumer insights and behavioral intelligence to B2B clients. The firm produces industry-specific trend reports (sports entertainment, travel & tourism, food & beverage, e-commerce, marketing), custom research engagements, and thought leadership content (podcast, video series) that help clients understand the "why" behind consumer behavior and refine marketing strategy.

Product overview

Designsensory Intelligence is a market research and consumer insights company offering a portfolio of trend reports across industries (sports entertainment, travel & tourism, marketing, food & beverage, e-commerce), video content series, and a podcast. The company's offerings are organized as a collection of research publications and content series rather than a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sports Entertainment Trend Report Annual research publication analyzing fan engagement, streaming platforms, e-sports, first-party data usage, and athlete brand ambassadors for sports and entertainment organizations.
• Travel & Tourism Trend Report Annual research publication covering domestic travel, revenge travel patterns, Gen Z and millennial consumer markets, LGBTQ+ inclusivity, and sustainability priorities for travel and tourism clients.
• Marketing Trend Report Periodic research publication analyzing social media growth, short-form video dominance, AI applications in marketing, and metaverse opportunities for marketing and agency clients.
• Food + Beverage Trends Report Research publication examining consumer trust, plant-based market transformation, quick-service dining economics, and strategic implications for food and beverage brands.
• State of E-Commerce Report Research publication covering e-commerce market shifts, mobile commerce, social commerce, AI-powered personalization, and headless commerce innovations for online retail and consumer brand clients.
• Inclusive Marketing IDEA Report Research publication covering Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) trends and their growing importance among key market segments for marketing and brand clients.
• Fired Up Podcast Podcast series featuring interviews with sports industry leaders discussing ticket sales, fan engagement, premium seating strategies, and diversity and inclusion practices, distributed on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and Spotify.
• Video Minute Series Short-form video content series featuring Executive Director Chris Wise discussing insights on customer relationships, diversity, ageism, and staying relevant in the marketplace.

Named customers3 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 capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Cutting-edge Tools PartnerscoreTechnology or IntegrationDesignsensory Intelligence works with top-tier technology partners to access cutting-edge research tools and platforms for data collection and analysis.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• CivicScience: Real-time consumer insights and market research firm using polling, behavioral, and brand tracking surveys. Comparable in producing syndicated consumer/brand intelligence for B2B buyers across verticals.
• Sports Innovation Lab: Sports-focused market research firm producing fan intelligence, consumer trends, and analytics for sports organizations, brands, and venues. Most directly comparable peer in the same sports-behavioral-insights niche.
• Suzy: Consumer insights platform combining AI-driven research, surveys, and qualitative tools for B2B clients. Comparable as an AI-augmented research model serving brands and agencies, though productized rather than custom-boutique.

Direct peers

• Morning Consult: Independent research and survey firm producing syndicated consumer, brand, and industry trend reports for B2B clients. Directly comparable in model (research + content + thought leadership) even though Morning Consult operates at significantly larger scale.
• CMB (Chadwick Martin Bailey) / Marketing Research Resources: Boutique full-service market research firm focused on consumer insights, behavioral research, and custom engagements for B2B clients. Closest fit in size and custom-research service model to Designsensory Intelligence.
• Kelton Global: Mid-sized consumer insights firm producing behavioral research and trend reports across consumer goods, entertainment, and travel for B2B clients. Comparable in boutique custom-research + trend report approach.

Broad incumbents

• Mintel: Global market research firm publishing consumer and product trend reports across CPG, food & beverage, and travel. Comparable in producing recurring trend reports including food & beverage and travel verticals that Designsensory Intelligence covers.
• Qualtrics (XM Institute): Experience management and market research platform offering consumer insights, sentiment analysis, and behavioral research solutions. Comparable in scope (behavioral/sentiment research + AI tooling) but operates as a scaled SaaS platform.
• Forrester Research: Large-scale research and advisory firm producing subscription research reports, including consumer behavior, marketing, and e-commerce trends. Comparable trend-report publication model at much larger enterprise scale.
• Kantar: Global leader in consumer, marketing, and behavioral research including sports and entertainment verticals. Comparable in behavioral insights + consumer research focus but operates at vastly greater scale with syndicated panels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Designsensory Intelligence