When conducting taste test and sensory marketing research it is important to choose the right partner to ensure your product stands out. Regardless of whether you are launching a new item or are improving an existing one, a marketing research company can help test your product or concept and can offer the best tools possible every step of the way.
Whether your project requires taste tests, fragrance or cosmetic assessments, consumer acceptance predictions or fully-equipped test kitchens, the following companies are prepared to meet your specifications from start to finish.
AnswerQuest LLC
Founded 2005 | 21 employees
Jason R. Miller, CEO
With almost 10,000 feet of space just outside Boston, AnswerQuest is the Northeast’s premier sensory facility. AQ’s test kitchen comes fully-equipped with both upright and walk-in coolers and freezers, stainless prep counters, tables and serving carts, residential ovens and dozens of microwaves. Abundant storage, plentiful outlets and an additional 400 free amps is available for specialized equipment. Our team is experienced in sensory and our sensory director (a trained chef) oversees every test personally. With a database of almost 100,000, we can tackle even the most challenging specifications and our trained recruiters fulfill quotas on time and within budget.
Phone 1-781-897-1822
www.answerquestresearch.com
AOC Marketing Research
Founded early 1980’s | 25 employees
Cathleen Christopher, Owner/Director of Operations
You need more than a test kitchen, you need a professional ServSafe-certified staff with experience executing tests. With 30+ years recruiting and implementing taste tests, AOC will take the worry out of your project so you can focus on the results. Our fully-equipped test kitchen has ample dedicated circuits, steel product prep tables and large and small appliances, cookware and utensils. Our testing rooms feature hardwood floors and seating for up to 40 with laptops and dividers. Visit our website to find out what researchers are saying about AOC and why our clients consider us their preferred research partner.
Phone 1-704-341-0232
www.aocresearch.com
Area Wide Market Research Inc.
Founded 1988
Ann Weinstein, CEO
Area Wide’s seasoned staff pours three decades of experience into every project. Our professional, in-house recruiting team – the most skilled in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia – can fill any group, from an intimate few to many hundreds. Recruiting low-incidence? That’s when we do our most creative sourcing! For central location tests, we staff and manage the entire process seamlessly. On-site, enjoy classroom-style or individual booth configurations, ample free parking directly outside our door to ensure on-time starts and a stocked kitchen with two fridges, two freezers, four microwaves, four ovens and its own viewing room. Plus, our building is privately-owned. No product, from cigarettes to alcohol, is off limits!
Phone 1-301-590-1160
www.AreaWideMarketResearch.com
Blending Views
Founded 2018
Bryan Styx, CEO
Here’s the truth…we just do it better. Decades of research experience conducted with several Fortune 500 companies powered the formation of Blending Views. We are a small business with massive capabilities in the Chicago market. We create a seamless testing experience for our clients and respondents, yet always strive to be better. Our commercial kitchen is upgraded regularly, has an open layout and is so clean that it shines! The Blending Views facility is eco-friendly and full of smiles.
Phone 1-708-826-3200
www.blendingviews.com
C&C Market Research
Founded 1993 | 300 employees
Thomas Morrison, Senior Project Director
Discover the transformative power of sensory insights with C&C Market Research! With a rich legacy as pioneers in the sensory field, we boast an extensive network of 34 locations spanning the United States. From everyday consumer items to specialized products like cosmetics and tobacco, we possess unrivaled expertise in taste tests, personal care evaluations and fragrance assessments. Whether it’s the meticulous CLT or the immersive HUT approach, rest assured, we have you covered! Let C&C Market Research unlock the hidden potential of your products, propelling you into a realm of unparalleled sensory success. Experience the difference today!
Phone 1-479-785-5637
www.ccmarketresearch.com
CSS/datatelligence
Founded 1987 | 100+ employees
Carolyn Corbett, Vice President
CSS/datatelligence is a global consultancy for sensory and consumer research. We articulate the product and packaging experience through the touchpoints of the five senses. We offer sensory and consumer insights to optimize the consumer experience through innovation to empower our clients with recommendations to drive growth. Our research expertise focuses on food and beverage taste tests, personal care, fragrances, cosmetics and home care with CLTs, HUTs, consumption and satiety methods. Partner with our sensory scientists, our behavior psychologist or our predictive intelligence team to design and execute your next project! Test studios offer sensory booths, fragrance chambers, laundry, residential and a commercial kitchen, CLT/FG space and client viewing rooms.
E-mail carolyncorbett@cssdatatelligence.com
Phone 1-386-677-5644 x225
www.cssdatatelligence.com
Curion
Founded 2017 | 300 employees
Keren Novack, President
Curion specializes in delivering impactful insights to the world’s top CPG companies, helping them develop winning, repeatedly purchased products. Curion’s deep, data-driven product insights, sensory expertise and state-of-the-art consumer centers enable them to uncover responses to critical client objectives. With over five decades of experience in the product testing industry, Curion is dedicated to guiding clients with their proprietary Product Experience and Performance (PXP™) platform, connecting brands to consumers at every step. An innovator in the industry, Curion recently developed a groundbreaking benchmarking product testing method, the Curion Score™, which has become a trusted and sought-after tool within the industry. As one of the largest product and consumer insights companies in the U.S., Curion has built a reputation for excellence and trust among the world’s leading consumer brands. Curion’s commitment to innovation and expertise, coupled with a passion for delivering actionable insights, makes Curion a valuable partner for companies looking to develop and launch successful products.
Phone 1-224-632-1919
www.curioninsights.com
Decision Analyst
Founded 1978 |150 employees
Bonnie Janzen, EVP
Felicia Rogers, EVP
Decision Analyst is a recognized leader in sensory research, taste testing, product testing, IHUTs and product optimization. Over the past four decades, our staff has evaluated more than 2,000 durable and nondurable products. We offer an array of research and analytical services to help our clients improve existing products and create new products. Our product testing services include sensory research, central-location taste tests, IHUTs, product clinics and product optimization techniques. At Decision Analyst, we design, develop and operate low-cost, fast-turnaround R&D sensory-testing systems and taste tests. Optima®, our product testing system, predicts consumer acceptance, determines the optimal set of ingredients or features and optimizes pricing. Our team members have extensive experience in conducting and analyzing IHUTs and optimization studies. We operate our own consumer panels and have labeling, packaging and shipping capabilities to support in-home usage testing.
Phone 1-817-640-6166
www.decisionanalyst.com/services/sensoryresearch
Fieldwork
Founded 1980 | 350+ employees
Steve Raebel, President
Our specialties include taste tests and sensory research, medical, CX/UX, B2B, mock jury, consumer and global research. For over 40 years, Fieldwork has recruited the highest-quality business, medical and consumer respondents both through and far beyond databases, using proven methods to reach your audience. We believe in a customized approach to recruitment. Fieldwork provides unsurpassed project management and hosting. Fieldwork is your qualitative research partner. Focus on the research. We’ll do the rest!
Phone 1-800-863-4353
www.fieldwork.com/market-research-services
FlavorWiki
Founded 2017 | 60 employees
Daniel D. Protz, CEO
FlavorWiki is a leading product and consumer experience platform revolutionizing digital sensory research. Trusted by global brands such as Mondelez, Nestle, Bunge, IFF and Givaudan, FlavorWiki combines cutting-edge technology, professional insights expertise and a large worldwide community of consumers to provide fast, efficient and actionable insights. FlavorWiki’s patented AI technology for sensory testing facilitates the mapping of individual flavor perceptions in an objective and intuitive manner using data collected directly from consumers, without panel or sensory training. With a multinational and diverse team comprised of sensory scientists, insights specialists and data scientists, FlavorWiki offers extensive capabilities across a range of research projects and methodologies. Whether catering to multinational corporations, food tech companies or startups, FlavorWiki’s expertise and adaptability ensures tailored solutions to meet unique business needs and unlock the true potential of sensory research in driving product innovation and consumer satisfaction.
E-mail daniel@flavorwiki.com
Phone +41 79 137 2228
business.flavorwiki.com
Focus & Testing – an Insights Center Facility
Founded 1995 | 35 employees
Spence Bilkiss, CEO
Focus & Testing, an Insights Center Facility, has skillfully executed food and beverage research through CLTs and focus groups for over 27 years. Since our inception, sensory testing has been our focus, allowing us to emerge as the prominent sensory center in Los Angeles. The 12,500-square-foot facility features the ultimate commercial-grade kitchen for everything from CPG to restaurant menu testing and anything in between. The facility also includes a residential kitchen, observable CLT suite with 44 respondent stations and three focus group suites. Our tenured and ServSafe-certified team sets us apart, enabling Focus & Testing to execute projects like a well-oiled machine.
Phone 1-818-577-4022
www.focusandtesting.com
FoodView 360
Founded 2015 | 20 employees
Don Tucker, Manager Business Operations
Take your research execution to the next level with FoodView 360° in the Chicago metro, conveniently located in Oak Brook, Ill. Our adaptable commercial kitchen is fully equipped to handle the preparation of everything from ready-to-serve products to freshly-made menu items.For focus groups and interactive engagements, we offer unparalleled video services and live streaming with robotically controlled HD cameras which capture the moment and connect remote teams to the project. We can create the ultimate taste-test experience with our CLT room that offers 32 testing stations, staff with food handler certifications and research expertise to ensure the ideal environment is maintained. Whether you are looking for full-service research support or the facility to ensure your project is a success, FoodView 360° has the right tools to help your team gather accurate, actionable insights.
Phone 1-708-906-1875
www.FoodView.net
Herron Associates Inc.
Founded 1958 | 45 employees
Sue McAdams, CEO
Herron is the first choice for leading sensory and taste-test clients. With years of experience and a modern and spacious facility in Indianapolis, we deliver seamless projects anywhere your research requires. Our commercial kitchen, designed by culinary experts, guarantees the best sensory experience. Our Indianapolis location includes a 960-square-foot commercial kitchen and spacious research suites for up to 50 respondents. Choose Herron for your next sensory study and see why our clients always come back. Get a fresh perspective on your research and benefit from our cutting-edge facility.
Phone 1-317-280-8007
www.herron-research.com
Info@herron-research.com
Insights Center
Founded 2016 | 25 employees
Jeff Bryles, Managing Partner
Insights Center is a unique organization offering specialty facilities across the U.S. with commercial kitchens and spacious focus suites. We built the organization to answer a growing need in the marketplace for facilities that could host both qualitative and quantitative studies. Our test kitchens include walk-in refrigeration, ventilation, fryers and stainless prep space. Our CLT labs are capable of seating up to 50 at a time and our ServSafe-trained personnel handle even the most complex studies with ease. Whether it’s a sequential monadic, paired comparison or discrimination test, our clients know they can rely on the data we collect.
Phone 1-720-787-7630
www.insightscenters.com
MarketView Research
Founded 1999 | 25+ employees
Jessica Cardella, Senior Vice President
MarketView Research is a leader in taste testing and product research. For over 20 years we have provided world-class quantitative and qualitative research that has fueled the growth and innovation of today’s most beloved brands. Best known for delivering rich and impactful insights coupled with a commitment to exceptional client service, our team is passionate about helping brands understand what appeals to their target consumers. And we make the taste-testing process simple for clients – handling everything from start to finish. Our experienced in-house teams provide the planning, recruiting, location selection, fieldwork, survey development and analysis to ensure clients get the best possible feedback to drive products forward with confidence.
Phone 1-201-840-5286
www.mvrg.com
Murray Hill National
Founded 2013 | 35 employees
Susan Owens, COO
Clients trust Murray Hill National with thousands of studies per year as their research partner. In return, we deliver valuable solutions and high-quality recruitment for their consumer, health care, B2B and technology projects. Specializing in all methodologies, excelling in taste tests, we can host and deliver your results across the U.S. For the last 10 years Murray Hill National LLP, rebranded under new ownership, has advanced to be one of the leading data collection and recruitment companies in the U.S. Our teams are committed to meeting your research needs. We provide high-quality health care recruitment with access to 465,000 physicians, nurses and more, and we organize 100+ patient panels. Our qualitative services extend far beyond the traditional focus group. Our call center has 45 CATI stations where we conduct all our telephone interviewing including qualitative, quantitative, phone-to-web or old-fashioned CATI. Call us today for your next project, your “national” recruiting experts!
Phone 1-972-707-7645
www.murrayhillnational.com
P&K Research
Founded 1957 | 200 employees
Patti Wojnicz, EVP
P&K’s founders were instrumental in developing the research methods that helped lay the groundwork for sensory science and consumer taste testing. For over 65 years, food and beverage companies have relied on us to deliver the sensory and product insights needed to launch new products, evaluate existing markets and competitors and replace existing product formulations with more cost-effective ones. Our research solutions cover the range of sensory and consumer methodologies, conducted at our company-owned facilities in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York or with our field alliances across the U.S., Europe, Asia, Latin America and Australia. Our food and beverage expertise includes soft drinks, frozen and refrigerated foods, sweet and salty snacks, bakery products, candy, alcoholic beverages and many more.
Phone 1-800-747-5522
www.pk-research.com
Sago
Founded 1966 | 1500 employees
Joe Mulvaney, SVP, North America, Qualitative
Sago, formerly Schlesinger Group, is the global research and data partner that connects human answers to business questions. Our team is highly adept at planning and executing complex testing programs so that you can optimize your products for market success. We support a variety of methods for product testing, from facility and CLT to in-home or on-site testing, using qual, quant or hybrid approaches. Connect with us: connect@sago.com.
Phone 1-732-906-1122
www.sago.com
Sensory Center of Atlanta
Founded 2019 | 18 employees
Marisa Pope, President
Outstanding test kitchen or fancy facility? R&D needs the functionality of a true kitchen and the marketing team needs an attentive host team, plenty of space to spread out and a few niceties on the road. Sensory Center solves this issue by offering R&D teams a true commercial test kitchen, complete with walk-in coolers, holding cabinets, ovens, fryers and more and marketing teams an exceptional facility replete with all the finest amenities. As part of the Jackson family of companies, Sensory Center of Atlanta is a trusted field partner with a focus on quality data collection and attention to detail.
Phone 1-770-394-8700
www.sensorycenteratlanta.com
Symmetric, A Decision Analyst Company
Founded 2016 |150+ employees
Jason Thomas, President of Symmetric
Symmetric operates American Consumer Opinion® (a worldwide panel of more than 7 million consumers) and five B2B worldwide online panels: Physicians Advisory Council®, Medical Advisory Board®, Executive Advisory Board®, Contractor Advisory Board® and Technology Advisory Board®. We have more than 30 years of experience conducting in-home usage tests. Our professional team is well-trained, dedicated and meticulous. Our product processing and shipping facilities encompass 1,500-square-feet with ample space for product storage. Facilities are temperature-controlled and cleaned daily. Employees who handle test products or work in the product storage room are required to wear surgical gloves. At Symmetric, we place a high value on representative samples, scientific sampling methods and advanced fraud-detection systems. Our online panels are carefully balanced, continually refreshed and systematically cleaned. In addition to IHUT mailing, our services include programming, hosting, online communities, tabulation and coding.
Phone 1-817-649-5243
www.symmetricsampling.com/services/mailing/
TasteMakers Research Group
Founded 2010 | 10 employees
Andrea Poe, CEO
Consumer product testing reinvented. TasteMakers Research Group is a next-generation market research company founded in 2010 with the purpose of providing agile, authentic and data-driven consumer intelligence to clients. Our high-performance consumer product testing solutions are built for CPG innovators, strategic marketers and venture capitalists who demand fast, flexible and affordable results. Our proprietary PopUp CLT™ (consumer location testing) methodology achieves real-time quantitative results, with qualitative insights, at typically twice the speed and half the cost of current taste-test and sensory field methods. TasteMakers Research is a member of ASTM’s Standard Guide for Sensory Claim Substantiation committee. The new normal: Be assured that the PopUp CLT™ has been safeguarded to meet the challenges of this remarkable time. TasteMakers Research has invested in and implemented the highest industry standards for the safety, health and wellness of our clients, participants and staff.
Phone 1-323-533-5954
www.tastemakersresearch.com