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B2B Market Research Market by Offering (Branding Research, Competitor Research, Customer Research), Research Type (Primary, Secondary), Data Type, End User, Sales Channel - Global Forecast 2025-2032

Publisher 360iResearch
Published Dec 01, 2025
Length 192 Pages
SKU # IRE20626545

Description

The B2B Market Research Market was valued at USD 40.54 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to USD 43.90 billion in 2025, with a CAGR of 8.61%, reaching USD 78.54 billion by 2032.

Concise and authoritative framing of the research objectives and analytical approach to guide executive decision-making and stakeholder alignment

This executive summary introduces a comprehensive, evidence-driven analysis designed to support strategic decision-making in B2B market research environments. The study synthesizes qualitative intelligence and quantitative observations to illuminate structural shifts, regulatory impacts, segmentation nuances, regional dynamics, and competitive behaviors that influence corporate strategy. It is intended for senior leaders, product strategists, procurement teams, and research practitioners who require actionable clarity rather than superficial commentary.

The approach prioritizes rigorous data triangulation and contextual interpretation. Through a combination of direct stakeholder engagement, structured interviews with industry practitioners, and systematic secondary review of authoritative public records and sector literature, the narrative foregrounds implications that drive commercial and operational choices. The introduction sets expectations: the following sections distill major transformations, examine tariff-driven pressures, unpack segmentation and regional differentials, and culminate in practical recommendations and a transparent methodology to support reproducibility and corporate adoption.

Compelling synthesis of digital acceleration, AI-driven insight, data governance, and supply chain resilience transforming how organizations commission and use market research

Across recent years, multiple forces have converged to reshape the competitive and operational landscape for enterprise research functions. Digital transformation continues to accelerate the velocity of insight generation as organizations adopt cloud-native analytics, automation, and advanced modelling tools, which in turn compresses insight cycles and raises expectations for near-real-time evidence. Concurrently, the rapid maturation of artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities has shifted emphasis from descriptive reporting to predictive and prescriptive analytics, prompting firms to re-evaluate both skill sets and tooling investments.

In parallel, heightened data privacy regimes and evolving regulatory expectations have imposed new constraints and responsibilities on the capture, storage, and use of consumer and business data. These regulatory shifts encourage greater investment in privacy-by-design architectures and ethical governance frameworks, while also elevating the importance of consented primary research methodologies. Moreover, supply chain fragility and geopolitical uncertainty have forced procurement and sourcing strategies into a state of continuous reassessment, increasing demand for research that evaluates supplier resilience and scenario outcomes. As a result, market players must balance speed with rigor, and innovation with compliance, to remain competitive and trustworthy.

Comprehensive examination of how tariff actions in 2025 reshaped procurement strategies, pricing tactics, and the demand for integrated commercial intelligence to mitigate trade disruptions

The introduction of targeted tariff measures in 2025 created a multifaceted set of pressures across commercial and operational dimensions, prompting firms to reassess sourcing, pricing, and market-entry strategies. Immediate effects manifested in increased input costs for goods and components subject to tariff adjustments, with procurement teams activating contingency playbooks to identify alternative suppliers, evaluate nearshoring options, and renegotiate contract terms. These procurement responses, in turn, altered supplier relationship dynamics and increased the demand for supplier performance and risk intelligence.

Beyond direct cost impacts, tariffs generated downstream consequences for pricing strategies and customer negotiations. Organizations faced trade-offs between preserving margin and protecting volume; some elected to absorb incremental costs temporarily to maintain strategic accounts, while others implemented targeted price adjustments with clearly communicated value differentiation. At the same time, higher trade friction has incentivized localized product design and manufacturing adaptations intended to minimize tariff exposure. From an insight perspective, research programs pivoted to focus on elasticity assessments, scenario testing of tariff continuations or rollbacks, and the identification of customer segments most sensitive to price changes. In short, tariff activity in 2025 reinforced the need for integrated commercial intelligence that combines procurement, pricing, and customer-behavior analysis.

Actionable segmentation analysis that connects offering and methodology distinctions to end-user priorities and channel dynamics for tailored insight programs

Understanding the market through structured segmentation offers clarity on where investment and capability development will yield the highest strategic return. Based on offering, research demand differentiates across branding research, competitor research, customer research, and product research, each of which requires distinct methodological and analytical emphases. Branding research emphasizes perception and positioning metrics tied to creative and communication strategies, whereas competitor research concentrates on capability mapping, pricing behaviors, and strategic moves that inform defensive or offensive responses. Customer research focuses on needs, journey mapping, and satisfaction drivers that directly inform retention and growth initiatives, while product research prioritizes usability, feature prioritization, and adoption barriers that guide development roadmaps.

When viewed by research type, primary and secondary streams serve complementary roles. Primary approaches include focus groups, in-depth interviews, observational research, and surveys and questionnaires, which produce first-party insights that are particularly valuable for understanding attitudes, motivations, and real-world behaviors. Secondary research draws on company filings and financial reports, industry reports and publications, news, press releases, analyst reports, and trade journals and government databases to provide contextual benchmarks and trend validation. Integrating qualitative and quantitative data types strengthens inference: qualitative methods illuminate causality and nuance, while quantitative methods establish prevalence and correlation.

End-user segmentation highlights divergent insight needs across sectors such as aerospace and defence, automotive and transportation, banking, financial services and insurance, consumer goods and retail, food and beverage, healthcare and life sciences, IT and telecommunication, and pharmaceutical. Each sector prioritizes different outcome measures and regulatory sensitivities, which affects instrument design, sampling frames, and data governance. Finally, sales channel distinctions between direct sales and indirect sales shape the distribution of insights; organizations relying on channel partners require layered research that captures partner economics, incentive alignment, and route-to-customer efficacy, whereas direct sales models favor granular customer-level intelligence and lifetime-value analysis.

Deep regional perspective highlighting divergent regulatory, infrastructure, and innovation dynamics across the Americas, Europe Middle East and Africa, and Asia-Pacific

Regional dynamics continue to define differentiated opportunity sets and risk profiles; a region-aware strategy is essential for any organization seeking durable advantage. In the Americas, demand centers emphasize commercial agility, digital adoption, and regulatory interplay between federal and sub-national actors. Market participants there demonstrate a preference for rapid experimentation, iterative product launches, and analytics-led customer engagement models, while also managing complex regulatory mosaics that influence data handling and cross-border flows.

Europe, Middle East & Africa presents a heterogeneous landscape where regulatory rigor, cultural variation, and infrastructure differentials co-exist. European jurisdictions often impose stringent data protection and industry-specific regulations that necessitate robust compliance architectures, whereas markets in the Middle East and Africa show accelerated adoption in select urban hubs balanced by uneven digital infrastructure in other areas. Consequently, research programs in this region must adapt instruments and sampling techniques to local contexts and regulatory constraints.

Asia-Pacific exhibits fast-paced innovation and varying maturity across markets, with advanced economies pushing early adoption of automation and AI-driven methodologies and emerging economies prioritizing foundational digital infrastructure and scalable fieldwork. Supply chain considerations and manufacturing linkages in Asia-Pacific amplify the importance of production intelligence and supplier network visibility. Across all regions, localized research approaches, culturally attuned instruments, and region-specific governance protocols remain critical to ensure validity and operational compliance.

Insightful competitive analysis showing how service breadth, specialization, technology adoption, and in-house capabilities reshape the provider ecosystem and client engagement models

Competitive positioning within the market is defined by a mix of full-service providers, specialized boutique firms, technology-enabled platforms, consultancy-led practices, and increasingly capable in-house research functions. Full-service providers hinge their value proposition on integrated offerings that span insight generation to strategic counsel, whereas boutique specialists often differentiate through deep domain expertise or methodological innovation. Technology-enabled platforms focus on scale and speed, automating panels, fieldwork, and analytic pipelines to support high-velocity needs, while consultancies emphasize cross-functional strategy and business-model transformation.

Across organizational types, leading players are prioritizing investment in proprietary data assets, partnerships that extend capability without diluting margins, and interoperable tooling that enables seamless handoffs between data collection, analysis, and commercial execution. Moreover, firms that succeed tend to adopt modular service architectures that allow clients to purchase discrete capabilities-such as a customer-experience diagnostic or a competitor-mapping brief-while retaining the option to scale to full engagements. In parallel, in-house research teams within larger enterprises are becoming more sophisticated, often collaborating with external providers for specialized work or to access scarce methodological competencies. The net effect is a hybrid competitive ecosystem where collaboration, specialization, and technology investment determine market relevance.

Practical and prioritized strategic steps for leaders to enhance resilience, accelerate insight-to-action cycles, and align research investments with commercial outcomes

Industry leaders should pursue a set of coordinated actions that align capability development with commercial imperatives. First, diversify supplier networks and build redundancy into critical procurement channels to reduce exposure to tariff or geopolitical shocks; at the same time, reassess contractual terms to embed flexibility through indexed pricing or contingency clauses. Second, invest in digital research platforms and analytics infrastructure that enable faster cycles of insight and tighter integration with commercial systems, thereby reducing time-to-decision.

Third, strengthen data governance and privacy frameworks to meet regulatory expectations and to reinforce customer trust; this includes privacy-by-design practices and clear consent mechanisms. Fourth, prioritize talent development through targeted upskilling in advanced analytics, design thinking, and domain-specific knowledge to bridge the gap between insight generation and strategic action. Fifth, adopt modular service offerings and outcome-based pricing models that align provider incentives with client business outcomes. Finally, implement regular scenario planning exercises to test resilience under multiple tariff, supply chain, or demand shock scenarios, and ensure that insights programs are structured to feed decision-makers with rapid, actionable evidence when circumstances change.

Transparent mixed-methods approach detailing primary and secondary techniques, sampling strategy, data quality controls, and methodological safeguards to ensure dependable insights

The research methodology underpinning this analysis employs a mixed-methods design that balances depth and breadth to produce robust, actionable conclusions. Primary research components included structured interviews with senior practitioners, focus groups with domain specialists, in-depth interviews to capture executive perspectives, observational research to validate behavioral hypotheses, and structured surveys to quantify attitudinal and behavioral patterns. These instruments were crafted to ensure construct validity and to reduce respondent bias through careful question design and pre-testing.

Secondary research drew on verified public records such as company filings and financial reports, industry reports and publications, news and press releases, analyst commentary, trade journals, and government databases to establish historical context and to triangulate primary findings. Sampling strategies prioritized representativeness within defined frames, and weighting adjustments corrected for known skews. Data quality controls included source verification, inter-rater reliability checks for qualitative coding, and standard statistical diagnostics for quantitative analysis. Limitations are acknowledged: rapid regulatory changes and market volatility can alter specific conditions post-data collection, and rare-event phenomena may require ongoing monitoring. Nonetheless, methodological transparency and multi-source triangulation enhance the reliability and applicability of the insights presented.

Concluding synthesis underscoring the imperative for methodological rigor, operational agility, and segmentation-aware strategies to convert insight into commercial advantage

This report synthesizes the interplay of technological acceleration, regulatory evolution, regional differentiation, and tariff-driven commercial pressures to present a clear set of strategic implications. Leaders must navigate a higher-velocity insight environment where speed, accuracy, and governance are simultaneously critical. Investing in digital tooling, talent, and robust data stewardship will enable organizations to extract greater value from research initiatives while managing compliance and reputational risk.

Moreover, segmentation-aware strategies-aligned to offering, research typology, data type, end-user needs, and sales channel-are vital for allocating resources efficiently. Regional nuances demand localized approaches that respect regulatory frameworks and cultural contexts, and the 2025 tariff landscape underscores the need for integrated procurement, pricing, and customer intelligence. In conclusion, organizations that combine methodological rigor with operational agility will be best positioned to convert insight into measurable commercial advantage.

Note: PDF & Excel + Online Access - 1 Year

Table of Contents

192 Pages
1. Preface
1.1. Objectives of the Study
1.2. Market Segmentation & Coverage
1.3. Years Considered for the Study
1.4. Currency
1.5. Language
1.6. Stakeholders
2. Research Methodology
3. Executive Summary
4. Market Overview
5. Market Insights
5.1. Increased demand for ESG reporting tools tailored to B2B supplier sustainability performance
5.2. Adoption of B2B omnichannel e-commerce systems for seamless cross-border order fulfillment
5.3. Growing investment in generative AI platforms to automate B2B lead qualification workflows
5.4. Expansion of account-based marketing solutions integrated with real-time customer intent data
5.5. Implementation of blockchain-enabled supply chain tracing to enhance B2B compliance standards
5.6. Deployment of zero-trust cybersecurity frameworks across multi-cloud B2B application environments
5.7. Surge in usage of conversational AI chatbots for complex B2B technical support and troubleshooting
5.8. Integration of advanced customer data platforms to enable hyper-personalized B2B interactions
5.9. Shift towards subscription-based pricing models in industrial equipment and manufacturing services
5.10. Leveraging digital twins in B2B manufacturing to optimize production and predictive maintenance
6. Cumulative Impact of United States Tariffs 2025
7. Cumulative Impact of Artificial Intelligence 2025
8. B2B Market Research Market, by Offering
8.1. Branding Research
8.2. Competitor Research
8.3. Customer Research
8.4. Product Research
9. B2B Market Research Market, by Research Type
9.1. Primary
9.1.1. Focus Groups
9.1.2. In-depth Interviews (IDIs)
9.1.3. Observational Research
9.1.4. Surveys & Questionnaires
9.2. Secondary
9.2.1. Company Filings & Financial Reports
9.2.2. Industry Reports & Publications
9.2.3. News, Press Releases, Analyst Reports
9.2.4. Trade Journals & Government Databases
10. B2B Market Research Market, by Data Type
10.1. Qualitative
10.2. Quantitative
11. B2B Market Research Market, by End User
11.1. Automotive
11.2. Chemical & Material
11.3. Construction & Real Estate
11.4. Consumer Goods
11.5. Energy & Utilities
11.6. Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI)
11.7. Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
11.8. IT & Telecommunications
11.9. Logistics & Transportation
11.10. Manufacturing
11.11. Media & Entertainment
11.12. Retail & E-commerce
12. B2B Market Research Market, by Sales Channel
12.1. Direct Sales
12.2. Indirect Sales
13. B2B Market Research Market, by Region
13.1. Americas
13.1.1. North America
13.1.2. Latin America
13.2. Europe, Middle East & Africa
13.2.1. Europe
13.2.2. Middle East
13.2.3. Africa
13.3. Asia-Pacific
14. B2B Market Research Market, by Group
14.1. ASEAN
14.2. GCC
14.3. European Union
14.4. BRICS
14.5. G7
14.6. NATO
15. B2B Market Research Market, by Country
15.1. United States
15.2. Canada
15.3. Mexico
15.4. Brazil
15.5. United Kingdom
15.6. Germany
15.7. France
15.8. Russia
15.9. Italy
15.10. Spain
15.11. China
15.12. India
15.13. Japan
15.14. Australia
15.15. South Korea
16. Competitive Landscape
16.1. Market Share Analysis, 2024
16.2. FPNV Positioning Matrix, 2024
16.3. Competitive Analysis
16.3.1. Gartner, Inc.
16.3.2. Kantar Group Limited
16.3.3. Forrester Research, Inc.
16.3.4. Ipsos Group
16.3.5. B2B International
16.3.6. Borderless Access Pvt. Ltd.
16.3.7. Dynata, LLC
16.3.8. FieldworkHub Ltd.
16.3.9. Geo Strategy Partners
16.3.10. GlobalData PLC
16.3.11. Grand View Research, Inc.
16.3.12. IMARC Services Private Limited
16.3.13. Innovate MR, LLC
16.3.14. INTAGE Inc.
16.3.15. IQVIA Inc.
16.3.16. Kudos Research
16.3.17. MARKET PROBE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
16.3.18. Marketsandmarkets Research Private Ltd.
16.3.19. McKinsey & Company
16.3.20. Ovation-Worldwide Holdings, LLC
16.3.21. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
16.3.22. PureSpectrum Inc.
16.3.23. Roots Research
16.3.24. S&P Global Inc.
16.3.25. SIS International Research
16.3.26. Statista, Inc.
16.3.27. The Nielsen Company (US), LLC.
16.3.28. TRU Group Inc.
16.3.29. Westat, Inc.
16.3.30. Boston Consulting Group
16.3.31. Bain & Company
16.3.32. Ernst & Young (EY) Parthenon
16.3.33. Dialectica Limited
16.3.34. 360-iResearch Private Limited
16.3.35. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited
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