Custom market research is a study commissioned specifically for your business. It is designed around the exact questions you need answered. Unlike off-the-shelf syndicated reports, which cover broad industry landscapes, custom research is scoped and prepared based on your unique goals.
At FMI, custom research means you define the business problem. We design the research, run the fieldwork, and deliver findings you can act on directly.
Syndicated research helps you understand the broad category. Custom research goes deeper, giving you tailored insights such as the sub-segment you are entering, the buyer criteria you need to understand, the geography your competitors have not mapped yet.
The most common reasons for commission custom research include,
Custom research is most valuable when a decision is close and the information needed to make that decision is not available through existing sources.
It is the right approach when:
The cost of a custom research engagement depends on scope: the number of markets covered, primary data requirements (expert interviews, surveys, focus groups), depth of analysis, and turnaround time.
As a benchmark, custom research typically costs significantly more than syndicated reports. At FMI, we work within your research budget to design studies that deliver the highest value for the investment. We are transparent about what is feasible at different price points. Each FMI custom research engagement starts with a scoping call before any commercial commitment is made.
Custom Research vs. Doing It In-House
Many organizations attempt to answer market questions using internal data, analyst subscriptions, or generalist consultants. Each has its place. Custom research fills the gap they leave by generating primary data collected specifically for your goals.
What Custom Research Actually Produces
Custom research reports draw on data gathered specifically for the engagement: structured interviews with buyers, surveys of your target segment, and direct conversations with market participants.
How Organizations Typically Use Custom Research
A single custom research engagement typically serves multiple teams, including strategy, finance, product, and leadership. Because each engagement is scoped to your goals, the same report can support different decisions across functions.
Assess market potential with the precision that investment decisions require.
Opportunity Assessment
Quantify the accessible opportunity across segments, geographies, and purchase channels before capital is committed.
Market Landscape Report
Map value chain structure, competitive ownership patterns, and the forces reshaping both.
Demand Signal Analysis
Primary demand verification grounded in buyer behavior data, with segment-level granularity.
Regulatory & Entry Barrier Mapping
Identify structural, regulatory, and distribution barriers with sufficient specificity to inform entry timing and sequencing.
TRACK RECORD
7000+
market entry mandates completed
6
regions covered across mandates
14
industries with repeat client engagements
82%
client retention rate across mandates
Sectors:Food & Beverage|Pharma|Chemicals|Packaging|Energy|Industrials
Maintain a current, structured read on competitor strategy and market positioning.
Competitor Profiling
Structured intelligence on strategy, financial position, product direction, and areas of competitive exposure.
Market Share Analysis
Quantify share distribution across defined segments and identify the movements that signal strategic intent.
Strategic Move Tracking
Continuous monitoring of pricing decisions, M&A activity, capacity changes, and market repositioning.
Competitive Set Positioning
Define position within the buyer-relevant competitive set and identify differentiation gaps worth closing.
TRACK RECORD
1000+
competitive tracking custom research completed
340+
companies profiled across all mandates
11
sectors with recurring client engagements
74%
of mandates include ongoing monitoring
Sectors:Specialty Chemicals|Medical Devices|Agri-inputs|Consumer Goods|Advanced Materials
Build a precise understanding of buyer behavior, decision criteria, and segment economics.
Buyer Persona Research
Primary research with verified buyers across target segments, delivering profiles grounded in decision-stage behavior.
Purchase Journey Mapping
Structured mapping of the purchase process from problem identification through vendor selection and post-purchase evaluation.
Segment Sizing
Quantify segment size, growth trajectory, and acquisition economics to support resource allocation decisions.
Satisfaction & Loyalty Tracking
Structured measurement of customer satisfaction, retention risk, and loyalty drivers across defined segments.
TRACK RECORD
52
buyer research studies completed
14,000+
primary interviews conducted across all studies
12
industries covered
68%
of studies identified segments clients had not previously mapped
Sectors:Pharma|FMCG|B2B Technology|Healthcare|Financial Services
Establish where performance stands relative to the category, on metrics that carry strategic weight.
Industry Benchmarking
Performance comparison against a peer group constructed to reflect actual competitive context, not broad industry averages.
KPI Comparison
Structured comparison across operational, financial, and market metrics relevant to the specific category and business model.
Best-in-Class Analysis
Identify the practices and decisions that separate top-quartile operators from the rest of the peer set.
Gap Assessment
Quantify the performance gap and identify the areas where improvement will have the greatest strategic impact.
TRACK RECORD
44
benchmarking studies delivered
290+
companies benchmarked across all studies
38
average KPIs tracked per engagement
9
industries with three or more repeat client engagements
Sectors:Packaging|Specialty Chemicals|Industrial Equipment|Food Processing|Energy
Align product investment decisions with verified market demand before resources are committed.
Product-Market Fit Assessment
Assess alignment between product capability, buyer requirements, and willingness to pay across target segments.
Pricing & Positioning Analysis
Develop pricing strategy grounded in buyer behavior data, competitive benchmarks, and segment-level price elasticity.
Portfolio Gap Assessment
Identify gaps in the current portfolio relative to market demand and the trajectory of competitor product development.
Feature Value Mapping
Determine which product attributes drive purchase decisions, switching behavior, and premium pricing acceptance.
TRACK RECORD
38
product and portfolio assessments completed
290+
products assessed across all mandates
3 in 5
mandates led to a pricing or positioning change by the client
11
industries covered
Sectors:Agrochemicals|Medical Devices|Specialty Foods|Industrial Coatings|Consumer Health
Integrate current macroeconomic and trade conditions into strategic and operational planning cycles.
Macroeconomic Outlook
Quantitative outlook covering GDP growth, sector demand, inflation dynamics, and spending patterns across defined geographies.
Country Risk Assessment
Structured risk evaluation across regulatory, political, currency, and operational dimensions for priority expansion markets.
Regional Growth Mapping
Identify regional growth leaders, the underlying demand drivers, and the timeframe over which that advantage is likely to hold.
Trade & Investment Flow Analysis
Track capital flows, trade volumes, and investment patterns across corridors relevant to target geographies.
TRACK RECORD
55
countries tracked across active mandates
34
regional outlook reports delivered
12+
years of baseline data underpinning all macro work
8
active trade corridors under continuous monitoring
Sectors:Energy|Agri-commodities|Industrial Inputs|Pharma Trade|Construction Materials
CASE STUDIES
The Impact of Our Custom Research
Competitive Expansion Strategy for the European Decor Paper Market
Read More →
High-Resolution Buyer Intelligence for the USA IBC Market
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Greenfield Manufacturing Strategy for 55-Gallon Steel Drums in the Americas
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Application-Driven Opportunity Mapping in the Global Cap Liner Market
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Shipment-Based Competitive Intelligence in the Global Multihead Weigher Market
Read More →
Driving Sustainable Packaging Growth Strategy for Leading Paper Packaging Company
Read More →CUSTOM SOLUTIONS
Custom Solutions for All Your Needs
Some research problems do not have an obvious methodology. Bring us the business situation and we will scope the research around it.
What makes us the preferred partner for accurate, actionable custom market research
Industry-Specific Expertise
100+ analysts who are subject matter experts in their respective domains. When you commission custom research with FMI, you work with specialists rather than generalists.
Proven Methodologies
Over ten years and thousands of engagements, FMI has developed research frameworks tested across industries, geographies, and business situations. Each engagement draws on that accumulated methodology rather than starting from scratch.
Global Research Network
Local research teams in 40+ countries. When a study requires understanding a market in Southeast Asia, the Gulf, or Central Europe, the fieldwork is conducted by people who operate in that market.
Trusted Accuracy
FMI's findings are built to withstand scrutiny. We are transparent about methodology, data sources, and the limits of what the data can and cannot confirm.
Actionable Insights
Every engagement concludes with a structured narrative. The report tells you what the findings mean for your situation and what they suggest you do next.
AI-Enhanced Research
FMI uses AI-powered data processing tools to handle the volume and speed of large datasets. This frees analysts to spend more time on interpretation and less on data handling.
Market and Industry Intelligence
Market and industry intelligence from FMI gives you a research-backed view of how a market works. The research is built specifically for the engagement and not drawn from existing databases.
Customer and Partner Intelligence
Understanding why buyers choose you, where they are considering alternatives, and what your distribution partners need to deliver requires research that goes beyond internal data. Customer and partner intelligence unravels findings that inform commercial strategy and partner management.
Product and Pricing Insights
Product and pricing intelligence covers competitor pricing behavior and demand shifts within your category. Organizations use it when a product launch, pricing review, or repositioning requires a clear picture of how the market is structured.
Competitive and Investment Intelligence
Competitive and investment intelligence tracks how the competitive landscape is shifting. For M&A and investment decisions, it provides the commercial analysis that needs to come from an independent source.
Primary Research and Data Services
FMI conducts primary research for engagements where published sources are insufficient. The methodology is designed around the brief: quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, focus groups, or expert panels. We also work with organizations that need help analyzing and reporting on primary data they have already collected.
What we help you do:
We completed over 120 custom research projects last year, generating a combined measurable impact of over USD 80 million in identified profit opportunities, cost savings, and revenue growth for our clients.
Hear what our clients have to say
12,000+ Success Stories and Counting
We were losing ground in a key account segment and could not tell if it was pricing, product, or relationship. FMI ran buyer interviews across four markets. It was pricing in two and product fit in the other two. We fixed both within a quarter.
Strategy Manager
mid-size food ingredients company
EMEA
We needed to know whether the shift to sustainable substrates was a genuine procurement priority. FMI interviewed procurement heads across consumer goods companies. The shift proved real and was advancing faster than expected.
Head of Strategy
flexible packaging manufacturer
North America
We had a market entry hypothesis for the US. FMI tested it with primary research across three distributor segments. The hypothesis was partially wrong. We adjusted our entry plan before spending anything significant on it.
Commercial Director
precision tools manufacturer
Europe
We needed market sizing for a new category that had no published data. FMI built it bottom-up from primary interviews with procurement and clinical decision-makers. The output was specific enough to put in front of our investment committee.
VP Strategy
medical devices company
North America
A competitor was moving into our core segment in Southeast Asia. We needed to understand their positioning and pricing before they established themselves. FMI delivered a competitive intelligence report in five weeks. We responded before the window closed.
Business Development Manager
specialty chemicals company
APAC
Our Impact in Numbers
98%
Client Satisfaction Rate
250+
Enterprise Clients
40%
Average ROI Increase
150+
Countries Served
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