5 Best MaxDiff Research Firms & Providers (Full-Service)
When you’re looking for a full-service MaxDiff research firm, ask these questions:
- Do they run every project through a one-size-fits-all template, or do they design the study around what you actually need?
- Is the person handling your account a market research veteran who’s run MaxDiff studies across different verticals, or a junior staff member?
- Does their service feel like an extension of your team, or does it feel like you’re not a priority?
- Do they source respondents from panels they own and operate, or do they rely entirely on third-party providers with opaque sourcing practices?
In this article, we’ll start by discussing how Prodege (our own full-service market research firm) excels in each of these areas. We’ll also cover other MaxDiff research firms so you can make an informed decision.
Best MaxDiff Research Firms & Providers
1. Prodege
Prodege is our full-service market research firm and the largest single panel owner in the world, with over 100M respondents in 125+ countries.
We’re known across the industry for exceptional survey data quality, which you can read more about here: 3 Survey Data Quality Issues Sabotaging Your Research. Data quality has a direct impact on your MaxDiff results, and it’s arguably the most important factor when choosing a provider. It lets you act on results with confidence instead of second-guessing them.
While Prodege excels at MaxDiff analysis, our capabilities extend across the full range of market research needs, including quantitative, qualitative, and hybrid methodologies:
Beyond full-service market research through Prodege, you can also run DIY surveys yourself via Pollfish, our MaxDiff analysis tool.
Up next, we’ll cover Prodege’s key benefits for MaxDiff analysis.
Benefit #1: Custom Design for Each Project (Rather Than a One-Size-Fits-All Template)
At Prodege, one of our biggest differentiators from traditional “big-box” providers is that every project starts with a consultation, and we custom design the MaxDiff study around what comes out of it.
The consultation isn’t a formality. We’re systematically working out what your end goal actually is and the best way to get there.
Compare that to other providers, who have one set MaxDiff template and plug you into it whether or not it fits your situation.
It may be surprising that this happens, but with many of the big-box providers, it is standard practice.
Benefit #2: Led by Market Research Veterans from End-to-End (Rather Than Handed Off to a Junior Rep)
Everyone who leads survey design at Prodege has 20+ years of experience at companies like Hall & Partners, Ipsos, Lieberman Research, Nielsen, NPD, and others.
And they’re the ones who stay with you, leading your MaxDiff study from start to finish.
With many other providers, you’ll speak with an experienced researcher during the sales process, but once the contract is signed you get handed off to junior staff. Sometimes they’re great. But often they don’t have the same depth of expertise.
That shows up in your results, and it makes for a frustrating experience when what you signed up for isn’t what you end up getting.
Benefit #3: Stellar White-Glove Service & Extension of Your Team
When people stop us at conferences, the thing we hear most is how exceptional our service is.
We get it, everyone claims that, and it’s easy to tune out.
But for us it really is a strength. We respond quickly, which is nice, but the substance of those responses is what sets us apart. From the first consultation onward, nothing about our approach is templated. We’re an extension of your team and genuinely invested in your results.
With many big-box providers, you’re one account among hundreds and the service reflects that.
With us, you get deep expertise and exceptional service. That combination is rare.
Benefit #4: Outstanding Data Quality & MaxDiff Results You Can Confidently Act On
At Prodege, we primarily source respondents from our first-party audience panel, and we maintain rigorous data quality standards: 3 Survey Data Quality Issues Sabotaging Your Research.
One of the key things that differentiates us is that it’s not just a pure “survey-taking” panel. Participants can also earn rewards by playing games, watching videos, uploading purchase receipts, and more. The benefit is that members are far more engaged than if they were only taking surveys, which makes a massive difference in the quality of your responses.
It also lets us verify respondent identities in ways other panels can’t. If someone uploads a purchase receipt, that’s a behavior a bot can’t replicate.
And with those receipts, what’s really unique is that you can target based on verified stores visited, exact brands or products purchased, and more:
Behavioral targeting filters are significantly more accurate than self-reported preferences, and they’re a unique Prodege benefit. Learn more here.
Book an Introductory Call
Reach out here to book an introductory call with Prodege. We can either handle the entire MaxDiff study for you end-to-end, or just help with the specific areas you need.
Note that if you want to run MaxDiff analysis yourself, you can also sign up free for our powerful survey software, Pollfish.
2. Emporia Research
Emporia Research is a MaxDiff research firm that particularly excels at recruiting respondents for B2B and healthcare research.
They can help you conduct MaxDiff analysis to prioritize features, messaging, and value propositions.
Their MaxDiff approach ensures attribute lists are well structured, tradeoffs are meaningful, and findings translate into clear next steps.
As one of their customers shared:
“We were thrilled with Emporia’s excellent data quality, professionalism, responsiveness, and speed in delivering a very high-end, niche audience of investment fund managers and venture capital professionals.”
In short, if you’re looking for a MaxDiff provider that lets you reach B2B respondents, Emporia Research is a good fit.
3. NewtonX
NewtonX is another MaxDiff research firm that excels at B2B market research. They share on their site that 96% of new clients start a second project with them. Some of the organizations they’ve worked with include Salesforce, Meta, Stripe, and others.
They can help you run MaxDiff surveys and determine which potential new features clients prefer most, enabling you to make more strategic decisions.
Their MaxDiff analysis services run the gamut from strategy and planning to execution, data analysis, reporting, and more.
Overall, it’s a solid provider to help with product development, feature prioritization, pricing strategy, market segmentation, and brand positioning.
4. Drive Research
Drive Research is a full-service market research company that empowers businesses with custom MaxDiff research, conjoint analysis, and other actionable strategies.
Here’s how it works: you start by requesting a quote. They’ll put together a proposal with project costs and a workplan based on your needs. From there, they design a custom MaxDiff survey for your review. Then, during and after fieldwork, they run a cleaning process to weed out unreliable responses and help you with reporting.
Some of the industries they serve include Financial Services, Higher Education, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Travel and Tourism, and more.
5. Kantar
Kantar is a well-known player in market research that offers various services, including MaxDiff analysis (also known as Maximum Difference Scaling or Best-Worst Scaling).
They offer dependable data, global reach, and qualified support. They’re staffed with experts in many different fields.
They collect billions of insights on how consumers act and think every year. Some of the stats they boast include 8K product innovations tested, 2B+ insights collected, and 65M interviews conducted.
Overall, they’re a solid provider for both quantitative research and qualitative research that can help you better understand product features and consumer preferences.
Book an Introductory Call with Prodege
Reach out here to book an introductory call with Prodege. We can either handle the entire MaxDiff study for you end-to-end, or just help with the specific areas you need.
Note that if you want to run MaxDiff analysis yourself, you can also sign up free for our powerful survey software, Pollfish.
Ready to Try Pollfish?
Create your survey with AI, target high-quality respondents starting at $0.95 per complete, and start getting results in just minutes in real-time. From running a simple product concept survey to managing a constant stream of trackers for dozens of clients in dozens of countries, we’ve got you.