What Research First does

Research First is a Christchurch-based market research and strategic consulting firm that helps New Zealand businesses, government agencies, and non-profits solve complex, qualitative problems through evidence-based research. Its service portfolio spans Rural Research, Employee Experience, Market Segmentation, Ethnography Marketing, Market Validation, and advisory services in Brand Development, Behaviour Change and Applied Psychology, Campaign Evaluation, and Stakeholder Engagement. Operational infrastructure includes an in-house contact centre, a nationwide face-to-face interviewing team, data collection, and participant recruitment capabilities that enable reach into hard-to-reach and rural audiences.

The company's underlying methodology combines marketing and social science insight, with proprietary frameworks such as Shared Sensemaking Workshops and a formal Market Validation Process. It claims the most accurate and comprehensive database of farmers, growers, and lifestyle blocks in New Zealand, built over 15 years of infrastructure investment. The team includes senior social scientists with 25-30+ years of experience across academic, government, and international research roles.

Research First operates as a project-based professional services firm with custom per-engagement pricing and milestone billing (60% on signing, 40% on draft report delivery). It generates revenue through direct consulting engagements with enterprise and government clients, holds All of Government Tier 2 Provider status for NZ public-sector work, and supplements client projects with Training and Seminars as a separate professional development offering. Member of RANZ and ESOMAR; Supreme Award winner at the 2023 Research Association Research Effectiveness Awards.

Name

Research First

Legal name

Research First Limited

Website

https://researchfirst.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Research First is a Christchurch-based market research and strategic consulting firm serving New Zealand government agencies, agricultural clients, and enterprises. It combines marketing and social science methodology with proprietary rural panel infrastructure and qualitative-quantitative research services across multiple verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research and Insights

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Market Research & Consumer Insights (BPAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sector-Specific Industry Research (FSACAGAL), Syndicated Market Research (Panels, Omnibus, Tracker Studies) (MPAAALAB)

Keywords

• Market research services
• Consumer insights consulting
• Rural sector research
• Market segmentation analysis
• Behavioural change research

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research and Consulting Services: Project-based professional services delivering market research, insights, and strategic consulting. Fees are quoted per project with 60% upon signing and 40% upon completion of draft report. Additional reviews or revisions are charged at agreed rates. The company specialises in complex problem solving for clients across government, agriculture, and commercial sectors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Research First is a New Zealand-based market research, insights, and strategic consulting firm that combines marketing and social science insight to deliver evidence-based research outcomes. They specialise in solving complex, multi-stakeholder problems through qualitative and quantitative mixed-methods research, market validation, segmentation, ethnography, and rural research, supported by an in-house contact centre and nationwide interviewing team.

Product overview

Research First is a New Zealand market research and strategic consulting firm offering a portfolio of research services. The core offerings include specialist research practices: Rural Research (serving agricultural communities), Employee Experience, Market Segmentation, Ethnography Marketing, and Market Validation. These are supported by operational capabilities including an in-house Contact Centre, Face to Face interviewing team, Data Collection, and Recruitment services. The company also provides advisory services in Brand Development, Behaviour Change and Applied Psychology, Campaign Evaluation, and Stakeholder Engagement. Training and Seminars represent a separate professional development arm covering critical thinking, bias awareness, resilience, and marketing skills. All services combine marketing and social science insight methodologies delivered across multi-mode, multi-stage research approaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rural Research

Quantifiable outcome

• Supreme Award winner - Most Effective Project of the Year 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AgriTechNZcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership with AgriTechNZ to create the 2022 Baseline of Digital Adoption in Primary Industries report. Research First conducted the research in partnership with AgriTechNZ, co-designed with industry partners including Zespri, The Foundation of Arable Research, The Fertiliser Association of New Zealand, and DairyNZ.
• Ministry for Primary IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported by the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries as part of the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures initiative (SFFF) for the digital adoption research project.
• ZespricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-design partner in the 2022 Baseline of Digital Adoption in Primary Industries research project alongside other industry groups.
• The Foundation of Arable ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-design partner in digital adoption research for primary industries, contributing industry-specific expertise.
• The Fertiliser Association of New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-design partner in agricultural sector research on digital adoption barriers and opportunities.
• DairyNZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-design partner in research examining digital adoption among farmers and growers in New Zealand's primary industries.
• NetsafeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Ministry for Women and Netsafe on Insights into Digital Harm research project.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UMR Research: New Zealand-owned market and social research firm. Closest direct peer — similar size, NZ-focused, mixed-methods, strong government and public-sector engagements, comparable positioning and pricing model.
• Ipsos New Zealand: Global market research firm with significant NZ presence offering brand, consumer, public opinion and social research. Directly comparable offering to Research First's mixed-methods, public-sector and brand health work, though at larger scale.
• The Research Agency (TRA): NZ and Australian strategic insights agency. Comparable in bespoke mixed-methods research, government and brand work, and qualitative depth in the Australasian market.
• Verian Group (formerly Kantar Public): Public-sector and social research specialist spun out of Kantar. Highly comparable to Research First's government/policy research and stakeholder engagement offering across mixed-methods projects.
• Gravitas Research & Strategy: NZ market research firm offering bespoke consumer, social and strategy insights. Comparable in scale, methodology (qual-quant mixed methods) and client mix to Research First.
• Research New Zealand: NZ-based social and market research firm with strong government, iwi/Māori and public-sector practice. Directly comparable in offering, scale and client mix to Research First.

Regional players

• Headline Research: Australian mixed-methods research consultancy with NZ project delivery. Comparable in qual/quant methodology and public-sector work, operating primarily across the Tasman.
• ESSA (Evaluation Services and Solutions Australasia): Australasian evaluation and research consultancy serving government and non-profits. Comparable in social research, evaluation, and stakeholder engagement offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Nielsen New Zealand: Global measurement and data analytics firm serving NZ FMCG, retail and government clients. Comparable as an insights provider for FMCG/retail (e.g., Foodstuffs-style clients) and government, with broader syndicated panels.
• Kantar (NZ / Colmar Brunton): Global market research and insights giant with deep NZ operations (formerly Colmar Brunton). Directly comparable in offering bespoke consumer and public-sector insights, but Kantar operates at vastly greater scale across many more verticals and geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Research First