Reports & Publications

The 2020 Global Market Research report reviews the size and performance of the market research industry using data collected by national research associations, leading companies, independent analysts, as well as ESOMAR representatives. The report is widely used as a point of reference for business investment plans, growth opportunities, merger and acquisition preparation, research projects, academic theses, market studies and reports, as well as advertisements. This year's report includes the research turnover and growth data for more than 100 countries, world areas and regions with a close look at the expectations of the industry for 2020 in light of the pandemic. It also proposes a redefinition of the industry more comprehensive and more inclusive, and presents the World’s Top-50 largest companies and the segment they belong to.

1.     Highlights

This chapter offers insight on the behaviour of the industry for 2019, looking at global, regional and local results and trends, as well as a view on international projects, methodologies and a deep overview for 2020 - with, and without the impact of the pandemic.

1.1  The top line
1.2  Regional profiles – Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, Middle East
1.3  Five largest markets
1.4  Multi-country projects and their destination
1.5  Spend by research method - the lattice of research
1.6  Outlook for 2020 - The COVID-19 crisis

2.     The technology-enabled industry

Over 10 years ago, ESOMAR embarked on a quest to assess the size of an emerging set of companies with an overlapping purpose – that of analysing data in order to facilitate the extraction of insights. Now that this technology-enabled industry has grown up to represent a multibillion-dollar titan, it is time to reconsider whether those segments initially reported on remained valid, and whether new emerging sub-sectors should be added to the classification.

3.     Categorising the industry

The evolution and transformation of the industry has proven difficult to integrate over the years, to the point of generating an identity crisis for many seasoned professionals of the insights sector. When looked at more closely, however, these profound changes need not seem alien, nor should they appear threatening. Rather, let us see how the entire industry is sensibly interwoven, how its transformation not only supports, but even advances the profession, and why it is important to assimilate the new players and techniques created along the way.

4.     Measuring the transformation of insights and analytics in the USA

This chapter builds on the findings of several prior efforts to develop the understanding of emerging segments defining the morphing space of the industry. This chapter offers a taxonomy for defining the broadened Insights & Analytics US market.

5.     Remote research: the future of asking questions

Remote and passive forms of data collection have been around for some time. Recent global events, more specifically social distancing rules, have only accelerated this trend. We asked the experts to identify the most significant developments.

6.     US Top-50 companies

Excerpted from the 2020 U.S. Top 50 report on the Research and Data Analytics industry.

7.     ESOMAR's Global Top-50 companies

ESOMAR presents what is, perhaps, the most colourful picture yet created of the complex landscape of the insights industry: a portrayal that aims at including companies that until now would have been considered unrelated to the sector. This year, ESOMAR's new Global Top-50 listing includes the segment that the companies belong to, so that the reader is able to understand their link to the wider insights and data services sector.

7.1  Enhancing the picture
7.2  The ranking in perspective

8.     Industry Journal

An overview of the activity of the industry along the course of 2019 until today, showing the main highlights on Mergers, Acquisitions and Sales, Company Developments, Standards and Government Affairs and other noteworthy news.

9.     Survey data

Notes on methodology, followed by the global, regional and national figures until 2019 - including 2020 projections - growth rates, subcontracting levels, comparison with advertising spend, number of employees in the sector and spend by the components that make up data gathering - methodologies, project types, research designs - as well as origin and types of clients - including pro bono research -, ending with the macroeconomic data used in the model.

Methodology
9.1  Turnover, Growth and Historical Data
9.2  Regional and Country Data
9.3  Data Gathering
9.4  Origin and Types of Clients
9.5  Macroeconomic Data