MarketResponse International

What MarketResponse International does

MarketResponse International is a Minneapolis-based, founder-owned market research consultancy founded in 1992 by Thomas A. Pearson and Susan M. McCullough, operating alongside a co-founding sister entity, MarketResponse NL, in the Netherlands. The firm delivers custom, project-based research engagements to enterprise clients across medical devices, consumer products, industrial manufacturing, financial services, and government, with named buyers including 3M, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Target, US Bank, Visa International, HSBC, Chrysler, Philips, and the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities. Core service lines are Product Development Research, Brand Strategy Research, Customer Experience Research, and Market Intelligence, executed through a Discover-Uncover-Transform methodology that combines qualitative explorations (focus groups, in-depth interviews, ethnography) with quantitative techniques (MaxDiff analysis, conjoint studies, segmentation).

The firm's analytical differentiation rests on three trademarked, proprietary methodologies: Motivational Lens®, a social-psychology-rooted segmentation framework that maps customer decision drivers; MedCon Diagnostic™, a concept-testing diagnostic tuned to medical device market viability and design optimization; and Brand Strategy Research (BSR™), a quantitative system that surfaces both explicit and implicit brand preference motives. These methodologies are positioned as the firm's intellectual property moat and are anchored by a senior team of five including the founders, a Director of Operations (Derek Pearson), a Senior Research Manager (Lynn Schreifels), and a Business Manager (Doreen Rowe).

Commercially, MarketResponse runs a sales-led, direct-engagement go-to-market with custom-quoted projects, no public pricing, and a content-driven top-of-funnel presence (educational resource hub, email newsletter) feeding into a "Start a Conversation" bottom-of-funnel contact form. Headcount is stated at 1–10 employees, there is no external institutional investment, no parent company, and no disclosed funding rounds. Geographic reach is anchored in the U.S. with claimed coverage of EMEA, APAC, LATAM, and the Middle East delivered through the founding partnership with MarketResponse NL.

Name

MarketResponse International

Legal name

MarketResponse International

Website

https://marketresponse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MarketResponse International is a Minneapolis-based, founder-owned market research consultancy founded in 1992 that delivers custom brand strategy, product development, and customer experience research to enterprise clients in medical devices, consumer products, financial services, and government using trademarked proprietary methodologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Social & Digital Insights (Social Listening, Online Community Research) (MPAAALAK), Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

Keywords

• Custom market research
• Brand strategy research
• Customer segmentation
• Product development research
• Market intelligence services

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

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

Revenue model

1. Market Research Services: Project-based professional services delivering custom market research across brand strategy, product development, customer experience, and market intelligence. Engagements are tailored to client-specific business challenges with qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

MarketResponse International is a Minneapolis-based market research consultancy delivering custom qualitative and quantitative research services across brand strategy, product development, customer experience, and market intelligence. The firm pairs proprietary methodologies (Motivational Lens®, MedCon Diagnostic™, BSR™) with social-psychology-grounded approaches to reveal the motivations behind customer decisions for enterprise clients across medical devices, consumer products, industrial, financial services, and government sectors.

Product overview

MarketResponse International is a market research consultancy offering a portfolio of proprietary methodologies and research services. Their core proprietary tools include the Motivational Lens® (social psychology-based customer segmentation), MedCon Diagnostic™ (medical device concept testing), and Brand Strategy Research (BSR™) system. These are complemented by specialized research services for product development, customer experience, and market intelligence. The company operates on a Discover-Uncover-Transform methodology framework, combining qualitative explorations (focus groups, in-depth interviews, ethnographic studies) with quantitative methodologies (MaxDiff analysis, conjoint studies, segmentation analysis) to deliver actionable customer insights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MedCon Diagnostic™: Proprietary methodology for medical device concept testing that helps determine market viability and uncover product design insights.
• Motivational Lens®
• Brand Strategy Research (BSR™)

Products and services

• Motivational Lens® Proprietary customer segmentation methodology grounded in social psychology that identifies the deeper motivations driving customer decisions and presents them in a Motivational Landscape for organization-wide clarity on customer segments. Delivered as a research engagement for enterprise clients.
• MedCon Diagnostic™ Proprietary methodology for medical device concept testing that uses qualitative and quantitative techniques (including MaxDiff analysis, conjoint studies, and Analytical Landscape mapping) to determine market viability and uncover critical product design insights. Targeted at medical device manufacturers.
• Brand Strategy Research (BSR™) Quantitative research system that reveals both explicit and implicit motives driving customer brand preferences, providing consumer personas and motivational segments that inform brand positioning and growth strategy. Delivered as a research engagement for brand and marketing teams.
• Product Development Research Custom research services combining qualitative explorations (focus groups, in-depth interviews) and quantitative methodologies to validate market viability, refine product design and positioning, and obtain price/value perceptions across stages of new product development. Targeted at companies developing new products.
• Customer Experience Research Custom research services focused on customer satisfaction, loyalty, and customer journey optimization, utilizing narrative research, journey mapping, and ethnographic studies to capture emotional insights across touchpoints. Targeted at companies seeking to improve customer experience.
• Market Intel Market intelligence research combining secondary research with targeted primary research to provide comprehensive market dynamics, competitive intelligence, and strategic recommendations based on current market realities. Targeted at organizations making strategic market decisions.

Named customers18 records

Segments8 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

One partnership is on record.

• MarketResponse NL (Netherlands)foundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarketResponse International was co-founded alongside MarketResponse NL in the Netherlands. This founding partnership established the company's international research capabilities and provides the international network for conducting multi-country studies.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Hall & Partners: Global brand strategy and custom market research consultancy with proprietary frameworks for understanding consumer motivation and brand equity; comparable to MarketResponse's Motivational Lens® and BSR™ offerings in the brand insights space.
• InsightsNow: Boutique custom market research firm specializing in behavioral and motivational consumer research with proprietary frameworks; comparable mid-size peer competing in the same brand strategy and segmentation niche.
• Decision Point Healthcare Research: Specialized medical device and healthcare market research consultancy serving medtech clients with concept testing and product development research; the closest analog to MarketResponse's MedCon Diagnostic™ medical device practice.
• Buzzback Market Research: Boutique consumer insights and market research firm offering custom qualitative and quantitative studies for brand strategy, comparable in size, methodology mix, and target client profile to MarketResponse.
• C Space: Custom market research and customer insights agency serving Fortune 500 brands with proprietary community-based and ethnographic methodologies, directly comparable to MarketResponse's bespoke research and customer experience work.
• StrategyOne: Custom market research firm specializing in brand strategy, positioning, and customer insights for enterprise clients; overlaps with MarketResponse's BSR™ and motivational segmentation services.
• Kadence International: International custom market research firm with multi-country study capabilities and a horizontal research portfolio (brand, product, customer experience), closely mirroring MarketResponse's service mix and Netherlands-affiliated global reach.

Broad incumbents

• Kantar: World's largest market research and insights group with deep brand strategy, segmentation, and motivational research offerings; sets the competitive benchmark MarketResponse's proprietary frameworks are measured against.
• Ipsos: Global market research and consumer insights leader offering brand, product, and customer experience research at scale across 90+ markets; a dominant incumbent against whom MarketResponse competes for enterprise RFPs.
• NielsenIQ: Global consumer intelligence and market research powerhouse providing brand and product research alongside retail and shopper data; the broad incumbent alternative for clients weighing MarketResponse against full-stack data providers.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MarketResponse

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 MarketResponse International