B2B Research

B2B research falls into three categories:

Quantitative research: the process of gathering data from a large enough sample of your target market to represent the market as a whole. This type of research is carried out using surveys, and we offer a range of research methodologies and will work with you to choose the best for your requirements. You will get statistical answers to questions such as ‘who, how, why, when and what?’

Qualitative research: allows you to really understand why people think or behave the way they do and provide you with stories and anecdotes which will help shape campaigns or business strategies. Our Research Directors are experienced qualitative researchers, will always put the participants at ease and encourage them to speak openly and honestly on the calls.

Desk research: researching relevant statistics and data that already exists, to support the objectives and narrative of a specific project.

It can often be helpful to conduct both qualitative and quantitative research within a B2B research campaign, while also adding desk research to the process as well. For example, you can see how the many feel about a specific topic and then run qualitative and desk research to dive deeper and understand why people feel that way, and to contextualise these ideas with deeper theory and thought leadership.

It is important to work with a reputable B2B market research agency to conduct your campaign, and not just the least expensive. When dealing with businesses, researching them without the required skill, expertise, experience or knowledge of industry codes and standards is a big risk. Here are our top tips when choosing a B2B market research agency for your next project:

• Expertise: does the B2B market research agency have expertise in your chosen methodology? Are they full-service or do they only do online polls?
• Relationship: B2B research is a collaborative process and successful research depends on relationships and expertise. Ask them questions. What value can they add? Do they push and challenge you or just take what you give them? Are they constantly looking for ways to improve the project? Ensure that the team is senior enough to maximise insights from the results.
• Sample: what is the source of the B2B sample? In a B2B context, it is vital that you have a high-quality sample, that respondents are genuine and that they answer questions accurately.
• Knowledge: does the agency understand the sector you work in? Do they understand the world in which you exist, the terminology and technology? Can they demonstrate they have worked on similar projects?
• Recommendations: can anyone in your network who you trust recommend an agency? Are any people or brands you respect using a specific agency? Look on independent review sites such as Clutch to read what others have said and see who most closely fits your needs.
• Clients: ask any potential agency to demonstrate their experience and expertise. Do they have case studies that show how they have worked on similar projects to yours with similar target audiences?

Every member of our team has a minimum of 20 years’ industry experience and is director-level. This means you can benefit from our extensive expertise when designing your research from sample design to final reporting. The Arlington Research team adds value every step of the way:

• Producing questionnaires and discussion guides
• Conducting the fieldwork within your set time and budget parameters
• Analysing the results and presenting the deliverables in a visually engaging and thought-provoking way

Every example of B2B research we engage with is reliable, robust, delivered efficiently, and analysed to ensure it is both accurate and designed for maximum impact. More importantly, it ensures that business narratives are still every bit as engaging as in a consumer context, thanks to our story-first philosophy. Our scope of work is broad, and we have a B2B research portfolio made up of numerous leading brands and organisations from multiple sectors as a result.

In each case, we have helped bring their stories to life through business-led insight and a multi-sector reach. We would love to do the same for you!