MMC

What MMC does

MMC Research & Marketing Ltd is a UK-based market research agency founded in 2015 by Natasha McDonough, headquartered at the North East Business Innovation Centre in Sunderland. The firm delivers bespoke market research combining quantitative methods (online and face-to-face surveys) with qualitative research (depth interviews and focus groups) and desk research that leverages premium subscription databases — Mintel, CACI, Euromonitor, Gartner, Statista, and Cobra — supplemented with AI insight tools. Projects are designed and delivered by senior directors and specialists rather than delegated to junior staff, with outputs delivered in plain English reports containing actionable recommendations rather than raw data.

The firm serves a heterogeneous client base spanning social housing associations (Gentoo), national retailers (Dunelm), government bodies (Durham Police and Crime Commissioner), universities (University of Sunderland), property technology firms (iamproperty), legal services (Richard Reed Solicitors), charities and CICs (Space NE, Pride Action North), and startups (Affotek, Throneware). Revenue is generated primarily through professional services project fees, typically £3,000-£8,000 per engagement, with a packaged 'Pick n Mix' survey service starting at £1,200+VAT for budget-constrained clients. Distribution combines direct sales, repeat and referred business, and structured partnerships with BIPC North East and NBSL Business Support Funds that co-fund 40-50% of project costs for eligible regional SMEs.

The company operates as a fully-female five-person team (Natasha McDonough, Vicki Shouksmith, Alice Broomhall, Katherine Miller, Lisa Scarratt) and has run continuously since founding without external institutional investment. It celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2024-2025 and has expanded its footprint beyond North East England to service clients across the entire United Kingdom across an increasing number of verticals.

Name

MMC

Legal name

MMC Research & Marketing Ltd

Website

https://mmc.agency

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MMC Research & Marketing Ltd is a Sunderland-based, senior-led UK market research agency founded in 2015, delivering bespoke quantitative, qualitative, and desk research using premium databases to SMEs, enterprises, charities, and public-sector clients across the United Kingdom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sunderland

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Market Research Projects: Bespoke research projects designed and delivered for clients, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and desk research. Projects range from simple surveys to comprehensive multi-methodology studies.
2. Pick n Mix Survey Service: Pre-set survey package starting at £1,200 + VAT. Clients pick 12 questions from an expert-designed library and receive a customized report as output. Designed for businesses with limited budgets.
3. Funded Research Programs: 12 hours of fully funded research for eligible SMEs through BIPC CityLife Fund and NBSL Business Support Funds covering 40-50% of project costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MMC is a market research agency that designs and delivers bespoke quantitative and qualitative research projects for UK clients. Core offerings include online and face-to-face surveys, in-depth interviews and focus groups, and desk research leveraging premium subscription databases and AI insight tools. A budget-priced Pick n Mix survey package and a BIPC-funded Expert in Residence consultation extend the offering to smaller businesses and eligible SMEs.

Product overview

MMC Research is a market research agency offering a suite of research services comprising Online and Face-to-Face Surveys for quantitative data collection, Interviews and Focus Groups for qualitative behavioral insights, and Desk Research using subscription databases. These core services are complemented by Pick n Mix, a budget survey option, and BIPC Expert in Residence Consultation providing funded advisory support. The company does not offer a software product but delivers research outcomes as consulting services with reports and recommendations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online and Face-to-Face Surveys Bespoke survey design and execution service delivering quantitative data with strategic recommendations. Suitable for testing product perceptions with up to 1,000 potential customers or running structured surveys against an existing customer list.
• Interviews and Focus Groups Qualitative research service using depth interviews and focus groups to uncover behavioural insights and the 'why' behind customer attitudes and decisions. Often used to inform survey design or to dig deeper on survey results.
• Desk Research Secondary research service utilizing subscription databases such as Mintel, Cobra, Statista, Euromonitor, Gartner, and CACI, supplemented with AI insight tools to examine market conditions and existing data for well-informed educated decisions.
• Pick n Mix Budget-friendly productised survey package starting at £1,200 + VAT. Allows businesses to select 12 questions from an expert-designed library covering brand perception, customer satisfaction, communication, and product evaluation, and receive a customised report. Designed for businesses with limited budgets who want to dip into market research.
• BIPC Expert in Residence Consultation One-hour pro-bono consultation providing direction on research methodologies, survey structure guidance, and audience participation strategies for eligible businesses in Newcastle, Gateshead, and Sunderland. Delivered as part of MMC's Business & IP Centre Local Business Expert in Residence role.

Quantifiable outcome

• NPS improvement tracking over time for iamproperty since 2021
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Business & IP Centre (BIPC) North EastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMMC Research is a Business & IP Centre Local Business Expert in Residence, offering funded market research insights to eligible businesses across Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland through BIPC's CityLife funded programme. Provides 1-hour pro-bono consultations and helps businesses apply for 12-hours worth of funding towards market research projects.
• NBSLcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegistered provider with NBSL Sunderland Business Support Fund (40% funding) and North of Tyne Business Support Fund (50% funding), delivering insight projects to eligible SMEs across the region.
• ShowPonyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLondon-based creative studio partnered with MMC Research to deliver brand positioning research for Dunelm. ShowPony engaged MMC to measure sub-brand naming concepts with consumers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mintel: Global market research and intelligence provider combining syndicated reports with bespoke research; relevant incumbent whose syndicated insights overlap with MMC's desk-research offering and client base.
• Savanta: Large UK-headquartered research and insights firm offering brand, comms, employee, and consumer research; comparable adjacent incumbent that competes for many of the same enterprise and SME engagements MMC pursues.
• Ipsos UK: One of the world's largest research firms with deep UK presence across brand, public sector and consumer research; relevant incumbent competing for large enterprise and government mandates that MMC also targets.
• YouGov: Global data and research group operating syndicated panels plus custom research; relevant broader incumbent competing for the same UK enterprise brand and public-sector budgets as MMC.
• Kantar UK: Global research and consulting giant with major UK operations covering brand, consumer and shopper insights; relevant broader incumbent whose databases and research tooling partly substitute for MMC's desk-research offering.

Direct peers

• Censuswide: UK market research agency offering survey, qualitative and insight services to brands and agencies; comparable to MMC on custom research methodology and broad client mix across sectors.
• Kadence International: UK-headquartered market research agency running bespoke qualitative and quantitative programmes for B2B and consumer clients; comparable to MMC in methodology mix, client mix, and SME-to-mid-market positioning.
• Walnut Unlimited: UK strategic insight agency combining brand, comms and consumer research with quantitative and qualitative methods; closely comparable to MMC's bespoke mixed-methodology proposition and senior-led delivery model.
• MMR Research Worldwide: UK-based bespoke consumer and shopper market research agency offering qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methodology studies to consumer brands; comparable to MMC in delivery of tailored research engagements for commercial clients.
• Sapio Research: UK-based insight agency delivering bespoke qualitative, quantitative, and B2B research to enterprise and public-sector clients; overlaps directly with MMC on mixed-methodology service lines and mid-market client focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MMC_Research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 MMC