What Talbot Mills Research does

Talbot Mills Research is a private, boutique political and corporate research consultancy founded by David Talbot (pollster and strategist for New Zealand Labour Prime Ministers Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins) and Stephen Mills (former senior adviser to PM David Lange and Deputy PM Helen Clark). Headquartered in Wellington and operating as part of Australia's Anacta group, the firm serves leading businesses, organisations, and political entities across the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand through eight offices in London, Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Auckland, and Wellington.

The firm's core methodology combines continuous daily omnibus tracking with quantitative surveys (online and CATI) and qualitative research (focus groups and stakeholder depth interviews). Its flagship daily omnibus runs nationally representative surveys simultaneously in Australia and New Zealand, providing near real-time sentiment metrics across reputation, favourability, trust, and social licence, with quantitative work weighted to national census figures and a worldwide panel provider network enabling international coverage into Canada and the UK. Public segmentation studies are a noted specialism for building audience personas and behaviour-change campaigns. The company claims its methodology delivered the best result of any poll in New Zealand's 2020 election, anchoring its brand on accuracy.

Talbot Mills monetises through two streams: subscription-based NZ Insight and Australia Insight reports tracking Prime Minister ratings, economic expectations, and topical issues, and project-based custom research engagements spanning quick turnaround modules to large-scale qualitative and quantitative studies. Distribution is direct and partner-led, with David Talbot and Stephen Mills driving enterprise engagement through decades of accumulated political and corporate relationships. Anacta group affiliation provides cross-sell into broader public affairs, campaigns, strategy, and government relations services. The firm operates with a small team (1–10 employees), functioning as a high-touch consultancy rather than a scaled software-enabled platform.

Name

Talbot Mills Research

Legal name

Talbot Mills Research Ltd

Website

https://talbotmillsresearch.co.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Talbot Mills Research is a boutique political and corporate research consultancy with eight offices across the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, providing daily omnibus tracking, quantitative and qualitative research, and subscription insight reports to leading organisations, political clients, and corporate brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Political and Social Research Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Syndicated Market Research (Panels, Omnibus, Tracker Studies) (MPAAALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE), Strategy & Thematic Research (FSACAGAG), Economic & Macroeconomic Research (BPAHALAD)

Keywords

• Political polling research
• Market research services
• Public opinion tracking
• Survey research consulting
• Insight subscription reports

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Services (NZ and Australia Insight Reports): Core set of outputs covering political and economic environment including preferred Prime Minister ratings and economic expectations, regularly supplemented with issue-specific topics. Available on subscription basis.
2. Custom Research Projects: Project-based research engagements deploying full range of qualitative and quantitative methods. Tailored to individual client needs ranging from quick modules to large-scale qualitative and quantitative studies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Talbot Mills Research is a corporate, social, and political research firm that delivers daily omnibus tracking surveys running continuously in Australia and New Zealand, custom quantitative online and CATI surveys, qualitative focus groups and stakeholder interviews, and subscription-based political and economic insight reports (NZ Insight and Australia Insight). Its work is sold to political parties, elected officials, and leading corporate brands for sentiment measurement, reputation tracking, message testing, and strategic decision support.

Product overview

Talbot Mills Research offers a suite of corporate, social, and political research services built around qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The core offerings include Daily Omnibus Tracking (continuous nationally representative surveys in Australia and New Zealand), Quantitative Surveys (online and CATI surveys with national weighting), and Qualitative Research Projects (focus groups and stakeholder interviews). These are supplemented by subscription services—NZ Insight and Australia Insight—which provide regular political and economic reporting including Prime Minister ratings and economic expectations. The company delivers research across Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom, with global panel provider network access for international insights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NZ Insight Subscription-based political and economic tracker service for New Zealand covering the political and economic environment including preferred Prime Minister ratings and economic expectations, regularly supplemented with issue-specific topics such as vaccination, climate change, and news story awareness. Targeted at organisations and brands requiring ongoing tracking and insights.
• Australia Insight Subscription-based political and economic reporting service for Australia covering preferred Prime Minister ratings and economic expectations, supplemented with issue-specific topics as events demand. Targeted at organisations and brands requiring ongoing Australian tracking and insights.
• Daily Omnibus Tracking Continuous nationally representative daily surveys running in Australia and New Zealand measuring reputation, favourability, trust, and social licence metrics. Delivers high-resolution daily figures providing near real-time insights crucial for fast-moving issues or crisis situations; methodology delivered the best result of any poll in New Zealand's 2020 election. Targets organisations and brands requiring continuous tracking.
• Quantitative Surveys Stand-alone online and CATI surveys weighted to national census figures across key demographics, with worldwide network of panel provider access for international insights. Specialises in public segmentation studies providing rich insights for the development of audience personas, communications, and behaviour change campaigns. Targets clients requiring deeper, project-based quantitative insight.
• Qualitative Research Projects Focus groups and stakeholder depth interviews conducted both face-to-face and online for reliable national and international coverage, providing expert qualitative understanding built up over thousands of sessions with diverse Australasian audiences. Insights have proven sustainable through Covid. Targets clients requiring qualitative depth to complement quantitative data.
• Strategic Research and Insights Advisory Strategic advisory service that takes research beyond the numbers to provide strategic insights for better decisions and managing risk, leveraging the firm's unique understanding of the public mindset and decades of experience alongside the most influential political and corporate leaders. Delivered in plain-English reporting that can be put to use immediately. Targets political organisations and corporate brands needing research-backed strategic advice.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered the best result of any poll in New Zealand's 2020 election

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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.

• Anacta GroupcoreOthersTalbot Mills Research is proudly part of the Anacta Group, a full-service public affairs company covering campaigns, strategy, and government relations. This parent company relationship provides the firm with broader capabilities in public affairs and government relations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• YouGov: Global online market research and polling firm with growing APAC presence. Competes with Talbot Mills on syndicated tracking, brand tracking, and political polling, with materially larger scale and panel assets.
• Newspoll (News Corp Australia): Australia's longest-running published political poll, run on behalf of News Corp. Sets the benchmark Talbot Mills competes against in AU political polling and corporate reputation work.

Regional players

• Demoscope: Australian market and social research firm with strong political and corporate work. Comparable to Talbot Mills on ANZ methodology, project scale, and customer mix, though primarily Australia-focused.

Direct peers

• Roy Morgan Research: Long-established Australian and NZ market research company running its own continuous polling (Roy Morgan Poll) and syndicated consumer research. Closest large-scale analogue to Talbot Mills' daily omnibus and subscription tracker model across ANZ.
• Curia Market Research: New Zealand-based market and political research firm conducting polling and social research for parties, media, and corporates. Directly competes with Talbot Mills on NZ political tracking, omnibus, and corporate reputation research.
• Kantar Public (formerly Colmar Brunton NZ): Public sector and social research arm of Kantar, historically the dominant NZ political pollster. Competes head-to-head with Talbot Mills for political party, government, and large-corporate research contracts in New Zealand.
• Resolve Strategic: Australian public affairs and research consultancy running its own political polls and corporate reputation research. Most direct ANZ cross-Tasman analogue to Talbot Mills, competing for the same political and corporate clients.
• UMR Research: New Zealand political and social research firm conducting polling for media and political clients. Overlaps directly with Talbot Mills on NZ political tracking, issue research, and stakeholder engagement work.
• Essential Media Communications: Australian public opinion and strategic communications firm producing the Essential Poll and corporate research. Competes with Talbot Mills for AU political polling and corporate sentiment work.
• Ipsos New Zealand: Local arm of global research group Ipsos, running political polls, public affairs research, and corporate reputation tracking in NZ. Direct competitor for large multi-method research engagements.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/stephengmills
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/talbot-mills-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Talbot Mills Research