Pre-Pandemic Revenue Up 4.8% for US Research 'Top 50'

Last year, research revenue for the Top 50 US-based market research and data analytics companies rose 4.8% to $14.8bn - comprising an almost equal split of domestic (50.2%) and international (49.8%) business - according to the latest annual Top 50 Report.

Originally created by long-time research industry journalists Jack Honomichl and Larry Gold, and now in its 47th year, the report provides a compilation of the top 50 revenue-generating marketing research firms operating in the US. Following Honomichl's death in 2013, the report was renamed the AMA Gold Report Top 50 until Gold's death two years later, and has since been authored by Diane Bowers, who is a consultant at the Insights Association and GRBN (Global Research Business Network).

In addition to the Top 50 companies, the activity of 211 Insights Association member companies was included in the latest report, and these additional companies combined for $735m in US revenue in 2019, with median US revenue of under $1m, and a mean of $3.5m. Total 2019 US research revenue for all 261 companies was $15.6 billion. 30% of the 211 companies (63) conducted research outside the US, with this non-US revenue totalling $98m in 2019.




Employee Numbers

In 2019, the number of full-time US employees among the Top 50 companies was 51,067, an increase of 7.3% since 2018. For the Top 50 companies, the US revenue per full-time employee in 2019 was $291,270, up slightly from $286,573 reported in 2018.


Strength in US

For the first time in many years, non-US revenue did not exceed US revenue for the Top 50 companies. Global revenue growth rate for the Top 50 was 3.0% in 2019, which is one percentage point lower than the average global revenue growth rate for the past four years, and 1.8% lower than the growth rate for US revenue.


Industry Verticals & Services Served

Media, advertising and entertainment (32%); healthcare products, OTC medicines (21.4%); and consumer durables / non-durables (12.1%) were the industries providing the most revenue. Meanwhile, audience measurement (23.2%); data; text and analytics (18.4%), and IT (13%) were the services leading the way in revenue generation.


The Top 10

The top ten companies (see chart) together realized 2019 US revenue of $11.9 billion and non-US revenue of $12.8 billion, for a total worldwide revenue of $24.7 billion. The US revenue for the Top Ten represents more than 80% of the total US revenue for the Top 50 companies, and 76.4% of the total 2019 US revenue for the 261 companies included in the report. Non-US revenue for the Top Ten in 2019 represents 86.9% of the total non-US revenue for the Top 50 companies, and 86.3% of the total non-US revenue for all 261 companies.

Melanie Courtright, CEO of the Insights Association, comments: 'While world economies and specific industries have certainly changed since these companies closed their 2019 books, the Top 50 Report remains a valuable tracking tool for our industry. Seeing at a glance revenue generated by type of service provided and industries served; noting which companies are rising or falling on the list and documenting their areas of emphasis and expertise is fascinating and essential knowledge for leaders in our space'.

Courtright says the scope of next year's Top 50 Report will be expanded with the addition of a new taxonomy which defines a broadened Insights & Analytics market.

The full report can be viewed online at www.insightsassociation.org/sites/default/files/misc_files/ia_top_50_report_us_2020_final.pdf .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.