MARE

What MARE does

MARE (legal entity Mare Holland B.V.) is an Amsterdam-based qualitative market research and consumer insights agency operating since 1994 from its office at Transformatorweg 74 in the Quarter Plaza near Station Amsterdam Sloterdijk. The firm serves large Dutch and international enterprise clients as a preferred supplier across telecommunications, banking, government, gaming/lottery, food & beverage, media, music streaming, consumer goods, and retail — including VodafoneZiggo, ABN AMRO, KPN, the Dutch government, Nederlandse Loterij, McDonald's, Viacom, Spotify, Dr. Oetker, Beiersdorf, and Pearle.

Its service portfolio is organized around a proprietary three-stage methodology — Unravel (deep understanding of target audiences), Anticipate (cultural and trend foresight), and Make (translation into brand strategy and concepts) — paired with an in-house interpretation of the Double Diamond design-thinking framework. Core deliverables include proposition, positioning, communication, and customer-journey research, augmented by an Anticipate product suite (trend reports, tailor-made trend presentations/workshops, Service Design Workshops, Spark Interviews, SparkSpeakeasy, and Target Audience presentations). The "Sparks" network of cross-disciplinary creative specialists feeds the trend team and is a distinctive ecosystem asset.

Commercially, MARE operates a sales-led B2B professional-services model with dedicated, separated account teams handling large and international projects; pricing is not publicly disclosed and clients engage via phone or email. The firm is privately held, bootstrapped (no disclosed funding rounds), employs approximately 20 people across insight, strategy, cultural trends, concept/quality, and operations functions, and holds ISO 20252:2019 (qualitative research), ISO 27001:2017 (data security), and Dutch BIG certifications that qualify it for government and regulated-enterprise work. Distribution is supported by a Dutch-language content-marketing blog (Gateway Guides) and organic social presence on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Name

MARE

Legal name

Mare Holland B.V.

Website

https://mare.amsterdam

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MARE is an Amsterdam-based qualitative market research agency that delivers consumer-insight, trend-forecasting, and brand-strategy services to large Dutch and international enterprise clients — including VodafoneZiggo, ABN AMRO, KPN, Spotify, and McDonald's — under preferred-supplier arrangements, operating since 1994 with roughly 20 employees and ISO 20252/ISO 27001 certifications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Qualitative Research Projects: MARE conducts a range of research projects for clients, varying from quick and tactical to more strategic engagements. Project types include communication research, positioning research, co-creation, target group research, customer journey mapping, and concept development.
2. Trend Products and Reports: MARE offers trend-related products including trend reports, tailor-made trend presentations or workshops, and target audience presentations/workshops (e.g., on millennials or people in their fifties).
3. Service Design and Strategy Workshops: MARE facilitates service design workshops and supports brands with developing brand positioning, strategy, or proposition through strategic workshops.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

MARE is an Amsterdam-based qualitative research agency that helps enterprise brands understand what moves their target audiences and anticipate future cultural shifts. Its services span the full research lifecycle — from proposition, positioning, communication, and customer journey research, through trend analysis and forecasting, to translating insights into brand strategies and concepts — organized around a proprietary Unravel-Anticipate-Make methodology.

Product overview

MARE is a qualitative research and insights agency offering a portfolio of research and strategy services organized around three phases: Unravel (understanding target audiences), Anticipate (future trend analysis), and Make (translating insights into brand strategies). The core offerings include various research methodologies (proposition, positioning, communication, and customer journey research) and Anticipate products (Trend Report, tailor-made trend presentations/workshops, Service Design Workshops, Spark Interviews, SparkSpeakeasy, and Target Audience presentations). The company applies design thinking principles and its own interpretation of the Double Diamond methodology to help brands develop positioning, strategy, and propositions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Anticipate Trend Research Trend research offering that envisions future consumer behavior and lifestyle shifts, helping enterprise clients understand what will drive their target audiences and anticipate upcoming changes.
• Trend Report Periodic trend analysis report providing insights into emerging consumer trends and future perspectives for strategic planning.
• Tailor-made Trend Presentation or Workshop Customized trend presentations or workshops designed for specific client needs, translating future insights into actionable recommendations.
• Service Design Workshop Workshop focused on service design principles to help brands translate research insights into customer experience improvements.
• Spark Interviews Expert interviews conducted through MARE's Sparks network of specialists across disciplines to provide multi-disciplinary perspectives on client challenges.
• SparkSpeakeasy Interactive discussion format featuring creative forefront specialists who provide fresh perspectives on client challenges.
• Target Audience Presentations and Workshops Specialized presentations or workshops focused on specific target audience segments (e.g., millennials, people in their fifties) to help brands understand distinct consumer groups.
• Proposition Research Research services to validate and refine value propositions by understanding what truly resonates with target audiences.
• Positioning Research Research to help brands establish and refine their market positioning based on consumer insights and competitive landscape.
• Communication Research Research services to evaluate and optimize brand communication effectiveness and message resonance with target audiences.
• Customer Journey Mapping Qualitative research methodology to map and understand the complete customer experience across all touchpoints.

Named customers11 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• InSites Consulting (Human8): Belgian-headquartered consumer insights and research agency with a strong qualitative and trends orientation, serving global brands across Europe. Closely comparable to MARE in methodology (qualitative-led, insight-driven), client profile (enterprise brands), and Benelux roots.
• SKIM: Rotterdam-based decision-behavior research agency combining qualitative and quantitative approaches for global brands. Comparable to MARE as a Dutch-rooted insights agency serving enterprise FMCG, tech, and financial-services clients.
• Verve (formerly BrainJuicer): UK-based consumer research agency specializing in qualitative brand and communications insight work for global enterprises. Comparable to MARE in qualitative depth, brand-strategy orientation, and serving large brand owners.
• Hall & Partners: London-headquartered brand and communications research agency focused on qualitative insight, brand equity, and creative effectiveness for global brands. Highly comparable methodology and client profile to MARE.
• C Space (now Nexxt Intelligence): Global consumer insights agency built around private online communities and co-creation — methodologies that directly overlap with MARE's online communities, co-creation, and consumer safari offerings.
• MMR Research Worldwide: UK-based sensory and consumer insights agency working with global FMCG and food brands on qualitative and quantitative research. Comparable in client category (FMCG/CPG enterprise) and mixed-methodology approach to MARE.
• Flamingo International (now part of Ipsos): London-headquartered qualitative and cultural-insights agency historically serving global brands with trend and brand strategy work. Directly comparable methodology and client base to MARE; now operating under the Ipsos umbrella.

Broad incumbents

• Ipsos: Paris-headquartered global market research giant with substantial qualitative capabilities across brand, communication, and trend research. A broader incumbent that competes with MARE on enterprise RFPs while offering much larger scale and integrated methodologies.
• Kantar: UK-based global research, insights, and consulting group with deep qualitative brand and communications practices. Overlaps with MARE on positioning, brand, and trend work but operates at vastly larger scale and global footprint.
• GfK (now part of Ipsos / NIQ Spin-off): German-headquartered global market research firm with consumer insights and brand research practices. Comparable in end-client category (enterprise brands) but vastly larger and more quantitative-leaning than MARE.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mareamsterdam
• Facebookfacebook.com/MAREamsterdam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mare-amsterdam

Compliance3 records

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 MARE