Consulting firm vs. research agency - similarities and differences

Key information:

• Research companies specialize in conducting market research and opinion surveys.
• Consulting companies offer a wide range of services regarding business consulting, including market analysis, competitive strategic consulting or qualitative and quantitative research.
• Customer satisfaction surveys, marketing surveys, customer service quality surveys, consumer trend surveys are among the many services that consulting firms and research agencies can perform for your company.
• When choosing a consulting firm or research agency, it is important to clearly define the scope of the research and focus on the goal we want to achieve with the project.

Details below!

Is your company looking for accurate and reliable marketing research or local market research to accurately analyze consumer needs? Or perhaps your company would like to test customer expectations and get to know your target groups betterto be able to increase efficiency and more easily convince customers of the product or service offered. It is worth considering expanding your knowledge of the services of research and consulting companies.

What does a consulting firm do?

Consulting agencies focus on broad business consulting For various business entities. Such enterprise support can take very different forms depending on the needs of the client. Consulting projects may involve Market analysis, competition, market potential, overall strategic consulting. Often, performing a thorough analysis requires qualitative or quantitative research into the project process.

Consulting firms help clients develop business strategies by analyzing the environment, competition, identifying trends, opportunities and risks in the market to better assess the situation and make the right business decisions.

What does a research agency do?

Research agencies specialize in conducting all kinds of market research or opinion polls. To get data, research companies often use quantitative surveys to get the information they need from a wide audience. These are conducted through surveys via the Internet, telephone or face-to-face interviews with respondents.

Customer needs surveys, customer satisfaction surveys, consumer trend surveys or customer service quality surveys are some of the main surveys conducted using this method. Further data can be obtained by research companies through qualitative research, which is conducted on much smaller groups of respondents, but is in-depth and more detailed. Tools used for such research include group interviews or expert telephone interviews.

The scope of research companies can also include fields other than business. The research of such companies may involve specific scientific fields such as psychology, sociology, economics or medicine, and many others, in order to provide the needed knowledge for researchers. Among them can be distinguished engaged in research involving social behavior and problems, demographic trends or public policy.

When to use a consultancy or agency?

In the current environment of accelerating changes in the business world Monitoring the market environment, competition, consumer needs analysis and their product reviews have become even more important. Any company that would like to know the answers to questions about its own market environment, customer expectations and preferences can use a consulting service or agency.

Companies that would like to study market changes, the effects of marketing activities or customer satisfaction on an ongoing basis can choose to conduct such surveys periodically. What's more, it's worthwhile to support such services also in the situation of making important decisions. Better understanding of customer needs and opinions can significantly impact the efficiency of a company's operations. Conducting research and properly interpreting the results provide an opportunity to improve a product before it goes to market, better tailor a marketing message to an audience, or improve the customer service process.

Consulting firm vs. research agency - similarities

Both Consulting agencies as well as research companies conduct a full range of surveys pertaining to many aspects of businesses in various fields. Any business research can be equally concerned with local market research, consumer satisfaction research or marketing research.

Both types of companies tailor their services to the customer's needs, to provide the most reliable test results, analysis or solutions appropriate to the customer's requirements.

Services provided by consulting and research companies provide great support for decision-making, as their research and analysis can provide valuable information about consumers, the market or competition.

Conducting quantitative and qualitative research is among the areas of activity of both types of companies. Although it is a specialty of research agencies, consulting firms also conduct consumer research.

Consulting firm vs. research agency - differences

Despite the aforementioned similarities, there are important differences between the consulting company
and the research agency. Projects carried out by research agencies use specialized tools, teams of researchers, and advanced data analysis techniques to tailor research to individual client needs. Such specialization allows deep and precise understanding of the collected data.

Consulting firms, although they do not specialize in research as much as research agencies, also have a wealth of experience in this area. They often conduct a variety of studies, such as quantitative and qualitative analyses. In addition, their experience in analyzing markets and competitors can be invaluable in interpreting research results, providing clients with a practical tips and recommendations.

Ultimately, the output of consulting firms tends to be reports, presentations and business strategies, while research agencies focus only on providing detailed research results. Both forms of business offer unique values, depending on the specifics and requirements of the customer, which allows you to choose the most appropriate service provider depending on your project goals.

What to choose a consulting firm or a research agency?

When deciding between a research agency and a consulting firm, it's worth considering the level of support the company needs. Research agencies are the ideal choice when a company just needs raw data that it can analyze on its own. They specialize in providing detailed information that can serve as a A solid base for internal analysis.

On the other hand, consulting firms offer more comprehensive consulting services. They are a better choice when a company expects not only data, but also deep analysis, inference and formulation of strategic recommendations. With their experience and expertise, consulting firms can make a significant contribution to the development and optimization of a company's operations.

Is it worth it to use research or consulting firms?

The results of market, competitive and consumer research analysis are a tremendous aid to business decision-making. Taking advantage of such services produces results that allow, among other things. to better understand customer needs, assess marketing strategies, consumer trends or the market environment in a given industry.