What Great Blue Research does

GreatBlue Research, Inc. is a U.S. custom market research firm founded in 1979 as The Center for Research and Public Policy in New Haven, CT, rebranded under its current name in 2013, and now headquartered at 20 Western Boulevard in Glastonbury, Connecticut. The firm designs and executes quantitative and qualitative research for enterprise and mid-market clients across six core verticals: utilities (its largest segment, where it serves as preferred research partner to the American Public Power Association), healthcare, municipalities, higher education, consumer goods, and agriculture. Its core deliverables include customer and employee satisfaction studies, awareness and perception research, journey mapping, rate structure assessments, public policy polling, and concept testing, delivered through a senior-led engagement model in which executives remain involved from scoping through final reporting.

The firm's technology stack centers on an in-house digital survey platform supporting distributed online data collection with advanced quality controls (attention/trap questions, completion-time analysis, IP filtering, multilingual capability), supplemented by a dedicated Glastonbury focus group facility offering in-person and remote observation with live video streaming. Qualitative work is conducted via focus groups and individual in-depth interviews (IDIs); quantitative work is delivered through online, telephone, and digital channels. Services are priced on a custom, project-by-project basis with no publicly disclosed pricing, and the firm does not sell standardized software products — revenue is generated entirely through professional services engagements.

Commercially, GreatBlue operates a sales-led go-to-market targeting enterprise and mid-market buyers, with pipeline driven by direct client engagement, anchor partnerships (APPA, Hometown Connections, Missouri River Energy Services, Sacred Heart University, Gray Media), industry conference presence (APPA National Conference, Missouri River Energy Services Annual Meeting), and thought leadership content including white papers, market research webinars, and CEO podcast appearances. The company is privately held and majority-controlled by CEO Michael Vigeant, who has led the firm since 2010.

Name

Great Blue Research

Legal name

GreatBlue Research, Inc.

Website

https://greatblueresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

GreatBlue Research is a U.S. custom market research firm that designs and executes quantitative and qualitative studies for enterprise and mid-market clients across utilities, healthcare, municipalities, higher education, consumer goods, and agriculture.

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)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Syndicated Market Research (Panels, Omnibus, Tracker Studies) (MPAAALAB)

Keywords

• Custom market research
• Focus group research
• Online survey research
• Qualitative research services
• Quantitative research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Glastonbury

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Market Research Services: GreatBlue generates revenue through custom research project engagements. Each study is designed around client-specific objectives, audiences, and decision timelines. Revenue is derived from professional services including research design, fieldwork, data collection, analysis, and strategic recommendations. The company structures engagements as collaborative partnerships rather than transactional vendor relationships, with senior team members involved throughout.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GreatBlue Research is a custom market research services firm that designs and executes quantitative and qualitative research engagements for enterprise and public-sector clients. Its core offerings include Digital Research (online surveys), Focus Groups, One-on-One Interviews, and fully customized multi-methodology research programs that translate complex data into boardroom-ready strategic recommendations.

Product overview

GreatBlue Research operates as a market research services firm offering a portfolio of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. The core service offerings include Digital Research (online surveys), Focus Groups (moderated discussions at their Connecticut facility), One-on-One Interviews (individual in-depth conversations), and Custom Research (tailored multi-methodology studies). These services are applied across industry verticals including utilities, healthcare, municipalities, consumer goods, higher education, and agriculture, delivering insights for strategic decision-making rather than a software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Research Online survey-based research services providing scalable data collection with quality controls, supporting concept testing, brand tracking, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction studies for enterprise and public-sector clients.
• Focus Groups Moderated group discussion research conducted at the Glastonbury, Connecticut facility, enabling exploration of perceptions, motivations, and decision-making with remote and in-person observation options.
• One-on-One Interviews Individual in-depth interview research providing focused exploration of complex topics, stakeholder perspectives, and sensitive issues in conversational settings conducted in-person or virtually.
• Custom Research Fully customized research programs designed around specific client objectives, audiences, and decision-making needs, integrating multiple methodologies into cohesive research approaches.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research spanning hundreds of thousands of consumers, customers, employees and stakeholders across industries nationwide
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sacred Heart UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing research partnership with Sacred Heart University, primarily through their Marketing and Communications department. Collaborations include public opinion surveys on topics including Gen Z climate attitudes (May 2026 study of 1,500 US residents aged 15-29) and healthcare AI perceptions. The partnership has produced survey data earning national and state media recognition. Professor Lesley DeNardis describes the collaboration as highly enjoyable and productive.
• Gray MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Gray Media on healthcare research initiative. The collaboration surveyed 1,500 U.S. adults about healthcare experiences and AI perceptions. Gray Media provided media partnership for the survey distribution and findings dissemination.
• American Public Power Association (APPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreatBlue is the preferred research partner of the American Public Power Association, supporting public power communities nationwide through reliable data collection and actionable market research. The partnership involves serving utilities across the APPA membership and participating in association events including the APPA National Conference.
• Hometown ConnectionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreatBlue collaborates with Hometown Connections to combine deep public power expertise with GreatBlue's research, analysis, and reporting capabilities. The partnership helps utilities align insights with strategy and operations, serving the public power marketplace.
• Missouri River Energy Services (MRES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding research partnership with Missouri River Energy Services (MRES), a joint action agency serving public power utilities. GreatBlue serves as MRES's exclusive research partner for customer research studies. CEO Michael Vigeant presented at MRES's 61st Annual Meeting on 'Connecting with the Public Power Customer of the Future.' The partnership has included 2025-2026 customer research studies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Marketcast: Larger insights firm covering entertainment, technology, and consumer brands with custom research and analytics offerings. Comparable in custom quant/qual methodology and senior-led engagements, but with broader portfolio and significantly greater scale.
• Escalent: Large human insights and analytics firm with a strong utilities and energy research practice (formerly including Decision Point). Directly comparable on the utilities vertical anchor and offers broader technology-enabled research at greater scale.
• Material (Material+): Larger insights and strategy platform that consolidated multiple custom research firms (including Quester and CMB). Offers overlapping custom research capabilities at greater scale, with a broader vertical portfolio and deeper technology investment.

Direct peers

• Kelton Global: Custom insights and strategy firm of similar scale serving consumer goods, healthcare, and public-sector clients with mixed methodologies. Comparable in bespoke project delivery, vertical diversity, and senior-led client engagement.
• C+R Research: Chicago-based custom market research firm of comparable size offering qualitative and quantitative research across consumer and B2B verticals. Closely comparable in service mix (focus groups, IDIs, online surveys), custom-project model, and mid-market positioning.
• Directions Research: Mid-sized US custom market research firm offering qualitative and quantitative services across healthcare, CPG, and B2B. Comparable in size, methodology mix, and focus on custom-engagement model with senior researcher involvement.
• Applied Marketing Research: Mid-sized US custom research firm offering focus groups, IDIs, and survey research across healthcare, consumer, and B2B. Directly comparable on full-service custom delivery model and similar headcount range.
• Heart+Mind Strategies: Mid-sized US custom research firm specialising in strategic insights for behaviour change, with strong quant/qual integration. Comparable in custom engagement model, senior-led delivery, and focus on regulated and public-sector-adjacent clients.
• Quester (now part of Material): Custom market research firm with comparable size and senior-led model, serving CPG, healthcare, and technology clients. Direct overlap on custom research delivery and mid-market positioning prior to its Material combination.
• Chadwick Martin Bailey (CMB, now part of Material): Custom research and strategy firm with comparable size and mixed methodology approach serving consumer, financial services, and healthcare. Direct overlap on senior-led engagement model and quant/qual integration prior to its Material combination.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/266113286367
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greatblue-research
• Xx.com/GBResearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Great Blue Research