Market research used to be a craft. It was driven by curiosity, rigor, and a deep respect for the complexity of human behavior. The best researchers weren’t just data collectors; they were thinkers, translators, advisors. They helped businesses see what wasn’t obvious, understand their customers, and make smarter decisions.
But lately, something feels off. If you’ve been in the industry for a while, you’ve probably noticed it too: the shift in tone, the increased pressure to cut corners, the slow fade of thoughtful service. One major reason? Private equity.
Private equity firms have been moving into the market research space with growing intensity over the past decade. And to be clear, PE isn’t inherently bad. Investment can fuel innovation and scale. But PE firms don’t invest in research because they love the craft. They invest because they see an opportunity for ROI. Quickly.
That goal changes everything. When PE-backed firms enter the scene, the playbook is familiar:
• Cut costs wherever possible
• Standardize processes
• Scale fast
• Optimize margins
This often means outsourcing core functions, relying on cheap sample, trimming staff, and automating as much as possible. On paper, these decisions drive profitability. But beneath the surface, they chip away at what makes research valuable in the first place.
Client relationships that once thrived on trust and collaboration now feel more transactional. Customized solutions are replaced with templated products. Insight is reduced to dashboards and toplines: clean, fast, and often lacking depth.
And the humans behind the research? Veteran researchers are being pushed aside. Their deep understanding of sampling frameworks, questionnaire logic, and statistical nuance doesn’t always align with the new mandate: faster, cheaper, more scalable.
Too often, business decisions are now being made by people with finance or operations backgrounds, not research. When non-researchers are calling the shots, we see:
• Flawed designs that ignore key methodological concerns
• Misinterpreted data presented as definitive truth
• A shift from unbiased exploration to hard-sell deliverables
What’s at stake here isn’t just the quality of research, it’s trust. Clients come to us not just for numbers, but for understanding. For guidance. For confidence that what they’re seeing reflects reality.
If research becomes a hollow, commoditized service built for volume and margin rather than truth and impact, we lose our credibility. And once that’s gone, it’s hard to get back.
Amid this shift, one corner of the industry still holds firm to the values that built market research in the first place: smaller, independent, and boutique firms.
These firms often aren’t answering to investors or chasing aggressive growth metrics. Instead, they’re built around relationships. Around people. Around doing the work right.
When you partner with a boutique research firm, you’re not just a number on a spreadsheet, you’re a collaborator. A priority. These firms thrive on being hands-on from project kickoff to final delivery. You’ll know the names of the people running your research. You’ll feel their investment in your success. They’re not in it for the exit strategy. They’re in it for the impact.
Smaller firms can also be more agile, more transparent, and more committed to methodological rigor. They’re not burdened by layers of red tape or focused on packaging research as a mass-market product. Instead, they’re focused on delivering insights that actually help you make decisions with clarity and confidence.
And here’s the truth: some of the best, most thoughtful, most senior researchers in the business have migrated to these firms. Why? Because they want to do meaningful work and not just meet quarterly margin goals.
There’s still time to push back against this erosion. Research firms, especially those not beholden to PE mandates, can lead by example. We can invest in building and/or using quality panels, uphold rigorous standards, and champion the voices of researchers in leadership roles. We can continue to educate clients on the difference between fast data and good data.
Because ultimately, market research is a people business. And people, not algorithms, not PE strategies, are what make it meaningful.
The real question isn’t “Has PE ruined market research?”
It’s: “Are we going to let it?”
Contact: Ariane Claire, Research Director, myCLEARopinion Insights Hub
A: The key is implementing systematic approaches and rigorous data validation processes that can scale without falling into the PE trap of prioritizing volume over quality that has damaged the industry.
A: Companies that successfully rebuild trust look at their trust issues as problems to solve directly and draw attention to their competence and ability to deliver on their core business propositions and meet stakeholder expectations.
A: Professional associations like ESOMAR work in partnership with networks of 60+ national and international associations to establish industry standards, demonstrating how collaborative networks can influence the entire profession.