We reported in Edition Ten of our Bite-Sized Bottom Line series that the M&A landscape in Q1 reflected a selective market; AI-driven acquisitions may continue to dominate headlines, but there’s also a quieter, highly strategic consolidation playing out beneath the surface – within the research and insights industry. The industry is in transformation – not defensively merging for scale but reshaping for adaptation and innovation.
We’re seeing consolidation at scale – for example, IPSOS’s public takeover bid for Infas, as well as challenger marketing services groups like MSQ expanding through its recent purchase of The Forge. For IPSOS, the move represents an opportunity to expand geographically by acquiring a leading player in Germany’s opinion, market and social research space. For MSQ, the acquisition was to deepen its expertise in insight and innovation, positioning itself to better meet the complex demands businesses face today.
So, what’s driving this shift? The short answer: expectations.
Companies are no longer just commissioning research to tick a box – they need real-time, actionable intelligence that can solve complex strategic challenges. Research partners must be fast, affordable, and deeply insightful. Data is no longer the deliverable, companies depend on data-informed strategic solutions.
And on the consumer side, personalisation is no longer a “nice to have”, it’s a baseline expectation. In a saturated market, consumers will remain loyal to brands who reflect their values, experiences, and identities. That means research must dig deeper, with a genuine emphasis on real human understanding, storytelling, and emotional nuance.
All of this is happening against the backdrop of an AI revolution that’s simultaneously a challenge and an opportunity. AI is transforming how we collect and analyse data, from automated survey platforms and sentiment analysis to predictive modelling and synthetic data generation. But AI alone doesn’t have the answers. What matters is how researchers, strategists and consultants use these tools to produce better answers – how companies combine automation efficiencies with human judgment to extract meaning and drive impact.
It goes without saying that the research industry is, at its core, an industry of knowledge. And right now, we’re living in an age where “knowledge” can appear to be both abundant and cheap. This creates a clear value proposition requirement for the research industry. Simple data collection is no longer inherently valuable in the age of AI. The value-add comes from synthesising it, making sense of it, and applying it to provide strategic insight.
The skills required of insight professionals are changing fast. It’s not just about knowing which questions to ask, but how to translate data into real-world change. Researchers must combinine technological literacy with strategic thinking, and ethical awareness with cultural fluency.
So where does that leave us? Consolidation will continue, but it will favour firms who embrace the unknown – firms that can embrace AI without losing the human touch, deliver speed without sacrificing value, and retain trust as consumers continue to grapple with the ethical tightropes of data usage and privacy.
