Research Industry Index

RII Indicates the Marketing Research Sector is Slowly Coming Back

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The Research Industry Index (RII) – the Marketing Research Association's leading indicator of business activity in the U.S. marketing research industry – experienced the fourth straight quarter below the 100 mark (currently 98). While this represents a gradual improvement throughout the year, it has only corrected the drop seen at the first quarter of 2011. The study does indicate the index may reach or pass the 100 mark in early 2012.

RII is a composite score based on reported changes in multiple key business metrics (RFPs, projects and staffing levels), as well as changes in business owners’ perceptions of the health of their business. While remaining below 100 is a disappointment, the steady, but slow climb is encouraging.

Ken Roberts, PRC, MRA’s Chairman of the Board and author of the report states, “As we saw for the last two quarters, it’s not so much that business continues to retract, but rather, there is minimal or no growth”.

Possibly indicating a more competitive bidding scene, only 30% of corporate researchers report an increase in RFPs, while 47% of suppliers report an increase in proposals. A similarly disproportionate result was also evident in the previous quarter.

Roberts notes than “smaller firms (under $1 millionU.S.in revenue), which have been struggling the most, are starting to see improvements. 

This wave of RII is based on online interviews that were conducted among 241 senior executives from both corporate researchers and marketing research firms via a survey hosted by Universal Survey. Reporting was completed by Cooper Roberts Research for the Marketing Research Association.

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