What Perception does

Perception is a Brazil-based B2B consumer research and sensory analysis firm headquartered in Paulínia (São Paulo state), operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ALS Limited (ASX:ALQ) since the 2021 acquisition of its parent Grupo Investiga. Founded in 2000 as a specialist in sensory studies and consumer product tests, the firm merged with digital survey company flyfrog in 2016 and added healthcare-focused H2H in 2019, forming a multidisciplinary consumer insights platform serving enterprise clients across food, beverage, cosmetics, personal care, household products, fragrances, paints, papers, and pharmaceuticals in Brazil and Latin America.

The company's core offerings span four pillars: Sensory Analysis (trained panels and consumer product tests using ASTM E1958-21 claim substantiation methodology), Marketing Research (quantitative, qualitative, multivariate statistics, semiotics, and semantic analysis), Consumer Neuroscience (implicit association testing, facial coding, eye tracking, low-resolution EEG), and Healthcare Research via H2H|Perception. The Plural sub-brand packages digital-first, rapid research solutions including online communities, digital diaries, ethnographic studies, and AI-assisted survey coding. Proprietary technology components include biometric neuroscience tools, AI-driven NLP for automated open-ended question coding, and predictive analytics combining consumer, instrumental, and clinical databases.

Perception operates a high-touch, project-based professional services model with senior director supervision on every engagement. The firm is ISO 20252 and ISO 9001 certified, holds pharmacovigilance credentials and a regular ethics committee for healthcare research, and reaches international clients through the Artis Network and ALS Limited's global infrastructure (400+ units across 70 countries). No public pricing is disclosed; engagements are custom-planned and quoted. Revenue is generated exclusively through fee-for-service project contracts with enterprise clients, with no self-serve or productized offerings.

Name

Perception

Legal name

Perception

Website

https://perception.net.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Perception is a Brazil-based B2B consumer research and sensory analysis firm, providing sensory panels, marketing research, consumer neuroscience, and healthcare research to enterprise clients in food, beverage, cosmetics, personal care, and pharmaceutical sectors across Latin America. It operates as a subsidiary of ALS Limited.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral & Neuroscience Research (Biometrics, Eye-Tracking, Neuromarketing) (MPAAALAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA)

Keywords

• Consumer research services
• Sensory analysis
• Consumer neuroscience
• Marketing research
• Brand and packaging research

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sensory Analysis Services: Studies using trained sensory panels and consumer product tests, serving R&D and marketing departments of consumer goods companies. Revenue generated through project-based professional service fees.
2. Marketing Research Services: Multidisciplinary research combining quantitative and qualitative tools, multivariate statistics, applied neuroscience, semiotics, and semantic analysis. Includes market opportunities, brand architecture, concept testing, price elasticity, packaging, communication, shopper studies, and customer satisfaction programs.
3. Healthcare (H2H) Research: Specialized studies for pharmaceutical companies and the healthcare chain including hospitals, patients, private and public payers, diagnostic services, physicians, and patient associations.
4. Consumer Neuroscience Services: Neuromarketing services including implicit association testing, facial coding, EEG, and eye tracking to measure non-conscious consumer responses and complement conventional research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Perception provides custom B2B consumer research and sensory analysis services combining quantitative, qualitative, and applied neuroscience methodologies. Its core deliverables include trained sensory panels for product evaluation, marketing research studies (brand architecture, concept testing, pricing, packaging, shopper research), and consumer neuroscience (Implicit Association Testing, Facial Coding, Eye Tracking, EEG). The Plural palette offers rapid digital research solutions, while H2H|Perception specializes in healthcare and pharmaceutical research.

Product overview

Perception is a consumer research and sensory analysis company offering an integrated portfolio of specialized services. The company was formed from the 2016 merger of Perception (founded 2000, specializing in sensory studies and consumer product tests) and flyfrog (founded 2013, specializing in digital marketing research). The unified offering includes four core services: Sensory Analysis (trained panel studies), Marketing Research (quantitative and qualitative tools), Health/H2H Perception (healthcare specialization), and Consumer Neuroscience (neuromarketing tools). The Plural palette provides rapid research solutions. Perception is part of Grupo Investiga, acquired by ALS Limited in 2021, serving clients across food, beverage, cosmetics, personal care, household, fragrances, paints, and paper categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Plural: A palette of research solutions offering quick and actionable insights for engaged and digital consumers, including implicit association, digital diaries, online communities, and innovation studies
• H2H | Perception

Products and services

• Sensorial (Sensory Analysis) Sensory studies using trained panels and consumer product tests to provide objective and affective evaluation of sensory attributes including taste, smell, texture, and appearance. Serves R&D and marketing departments of consumer goods companies in food, beverages, cosmetics, personal care, household products, fragrances, paints, and paper categories. Validated under ASTM E1958-21 for claim substantiation.
• Pesquisa de Marketing (Marketing Research) Multidisciplinary marketing research services combining quantitative and qualitative tools, multivariate statistics, applied neuroscience, semiotics, and semantic analysis. Covers market opportunities, brand architecture and positioning, concept and product testing, behavioral science, price elasticity, packaging, communication, shopper and point-of-sale research, and customer satisfaction programs. Serves consumer goods manufacturers seeking actionable business answers.
• Health (H2H Perception) Healthcare market research specializing in studies throughout the entire healthcare chain, including pharmaceutical laboratories, physicians, patients, private and public payers, medical companies, and patient associations. Covers both OTC and ethical/prescription drug segments with 30 years of qualitative research experience, 2 ISO certifications, pharmacovigilance, ethics committee, and dedicated quality control.
• Neurociência Aplicada ao Consumidor (Consumer Neuroscience) Neuroscience applied to consumer research including implicit association testing, facial recognition, low-resolution EEG, and eye tracking to reveal implicit dimensions of consumer choice processes and complement conventional research. Serves consumer goods and pharmaceutical clients seeking to measure non-conscious emotional and cognitive responses.
• Plural Palette of rapid research solutions including implicit association, digital diaries, online communities, ethnographic studies, digital-only surveys, semantic analysis, and innovation studies for fast and actionable consumer insights. Serves brands seeking agile consumer research methodology.
• Customer Satisfaction Satisfaction and loyalty program combining qualitative driver identification with quantitative measurement of importance and satisfaction levels, delivering NPS, satisfaction indices, and action plans for consumer goods and service clients.
• PackSpex Packaging test using realistic gondola and virtual reality to evaluate findability, stopping power, and sales performance, along with design element diagnosis and brand communication effectiveness. Serves consumer goods brand and packaging teams.
• Plural Jornada Consumer journey research solution within the Plural palette focused on understanding decision factors, online/offline relationships, purchase channels, and information sources throughout the consumer purchase process. Serves consumer goods brands seeking to map and optimize the consumer journey.

Quantifiable outcome

• The company has demonstrated that implicit association testing provides significantly better discrimination of emotional attributes compared to explicit methods like CATA (Check-All-That-Apply) or agreement scales, particularly for emotional attributes.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability10 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ALS Limited (Grupo Investiga acquisition)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021ALS Limited, a global leader in testing, inspection, certification, and verification with more than 18,000 employees across 400+ units in 70 countries, acquired Grupo Investiga (which includes Perception) in 2021. ALS aims to expand service offerings with culture and strategy aligned. Grupo Investiga includes Perception (consumer and sensory research), Allergisa (clinical research), Dosage (physico-chemical and microbiological analyses), and Invitrocell (in vitro molecular and cellular research).
• H2H | PerceptioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019H2H joined Perception and Grupo Investiga in 2019 as a specialized healthcare research company covering the entire healthcare chain: pharmaceutical laboratories, physicians, patients, private and public payers, manufacturers, and diagnostic services. Operates in both OTC and ethical/prescription drug segments.
• SKS CX Customer (Mystery Shopping partnership)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019SKS CX Customer Experience Consultancy, founded by Stella Kochen Susskind (pioneer of mystery shopping in Latin America), partners with Perception for mystery shopping / client secret research services. Awarded MSPA Elite Member in 2020 placing it among the top 12 companies globally in the segment.
• Artis NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational network of research companies with partners on all continents, including Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico). Enables Perception to serve clients in multi-country regional or global research projects through reciprocal collaboration with partner firms.
• Brazil PanelsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazil Panels is mentioned as a research partner for multi-wave COVID-19 consumer opinion studies conducted by Perception, including national quantitative tracking.
• Engaje! ComunicaçãominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaje! Comunicação partnered with Perception on the Monitor research series examining consumer reputation, satisfaction, and brand perception, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Compass Group Brasil: Brazilian consumer research and sensory analysis firm with similar sensory panel and consumer testing offerings, serving overlapping CPG, food, and beverage clients in the Brazilian market.

Direct peers

• Toluna: Global online survey and consumer insights provider with operations in Brazil; comparable on quantitative consumer research methodology and digital panel-based insight delivery for CPG and retail clients.
• Kantar IBOPE: Brazilian-focused market research operation (formerly IBOPE) and the most direct domestic competitor to Perception, with overlapping coverage of consumer goods, media, and brand research in Brazil.

Broad incumbents

• Ipsos: Global market research firm with strong LATAM presence and a dedicated neuroscience practice (Ipsos Neuro); directly comparable on quantitative/qualitative consumer research, sensory, and healthcare research offerings.
• Kantar: Global market research and insights giant operating in Brazil via Kantar IBOPE; directly competes for the same CPG and brand-tracking budgets Perception targets, with deeper panel infrastructure and global delivery capability.
• Mintel: Global market intelligence firm producing consumer research across CPG categories; comparable on consumer trend analysis, category insights, and product innovation research for global CPG clients.
• NielsenIQ: Global consumer intelligence leader competing for CPG insights budgets in Brazil with retailer and household panels; comparable on consumer behavior measurement and brand performance tracking.

Emerging players

• Psyma: Consumer research firm with strong sensory and qualitative offerings; comparable on multidisciplinary methodology combining qualitative, quantitative, and applied neuroscience for CPG clients.
• EyeSee: Neuromarketing and eye-tracking research firm offering facial coding, eye tracking, and implicit response measurement — directly comparable to Perception's Consumer Neuroscience service line.
• Zappi: SaaS consumer insight platform automating concept, packaging, and advertising testing for CPG brands; represents the emerging tech-enabled alternative to Perception's bespoke service model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/perceptionresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/als-perception

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Perception