Market Research Agency Edinburgh

Kadence is a trusted market research agency supporting brands in Edinburgh with insight that drives confident decisions. Scotland's capital combines a thriving financial services sector with a growing technology scene and a culturally rich consumer market.

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Our team combines deep understanding of the Scottish market with the perspective of a global research network spanning Asia, Europe and the Americas. For brands operating in Edinburgh, for those targeting Scottish audiences, or for Edinburgh-based organizations that need research in markets beyond Scotland, Kadence delivers research that is locally grounded and globally informed.

Edinburgh at a Glance

Edinburgh is Scotland's capital and its most affluent city. The economy is anchored by financial services, with major institutions including Standard Life Aberdeen, Royal Bank of Scotland, Baillie Gifford and Scottish Widows headquartered here. A growing technology sector, world-class universities and a strong tourism industry round out the city's commercial profile.

Edinburgh's consumer base tends to be well educated, brand-aware and culturally engaged. The city's population includes a significant proportion of professionals and students, creating a market that is digitally sophisticated but values quality, heritage and authenticity.

The Edinburgh Festival and broader creative economy influence the city's cultural identity and consumer attitudes in ways that differ from Glasgow's more industrial, working-class character. Research that captures these distinctions produces more accurate and useful insight than a generic Scottish approach.

For international brands, Edinburgh's accessible size, educated population and strong cultural identity make it a useful market for testing propositions aimed at discerning UK audiences outside of London.

Our Global Expertise for Edinburgh

Kadence operates from offices across Asia, Europe and the Americas, with our London office providing a strong UK and European base. Our global network includes teams in Shanghai, Tokyo, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Jakarta, Manila, Singapore, Bangkok, New York, San Francisco and Ho Chi Minh City.

For Edinburgh-based organizations with international growth ambitions, our network provides seamless coordination and local expertise in each market. For global brands entering the Scottish market through Edinburgh, our UK team provides the cultural understanding needed to position effectively.

We’re consistently recognised as a leading market research agency across multiple markets.

AURA Innovation of the Year award

Innovation of the Year

Finalist

— The AURAs, 2021
Agency of the Year Awards, 2021

Market Research Agency of the Year

Winner – Gold

— Agency of the Year Awards, 2021
Marketing Interactive Agency of the Year, Winner - Gold, 2021

Consultant of the Year

Winner – Gold

— Agency of the Year Awards, 2021
Kadence team collecting Agency of the Year award

Consultant of the Year

Winner

— Agency of the Year Awards, 2020
Agency of the Year Awards, 2020

Market Research Agency of the Year

Finalist

— Agency of the Year Awards, 2020
Quirks Supplier of the Year Kadence International

Market Research Supplier of the Year

Winner

— Marketing Research & Insight Excellence Awards – 2019
Kadence International Market Research Agency of the Year Singapore

Market Research Agency of the Year

Winner

— Agency of the Year Awards, 2019
Kadence International is Highly Commended for Global Agency of The Year

Global Agency of the Year

Highly Commended

— Market Research Society Awards, 2019
Market Research Society's Operations Awards, 2019

Best Data Collection (face-to-face)

Finalist

— Market Research Society's Operations Awards – 2019
Best Data Collection, Finalist — Market Research Society's Operations Awards, 2019

Best Data Collection (telephone)

Finalist

— Market Research Society's Operations Awards, 2019
MRS Opperations Awards Trophy

Best Training and Development

Highly Commended

— Market Research Society's Operations Awards, 2019
MRS Young Researcher of the Year

MRS Young Researcher of the Year

Finalist

— MRS, 2023
ESOMAR Best Congress Paper

ESOMAR Best Congress Paper

Winner

— ESOMAR, 2023

Edinburgh Market Research

Kadence designs research that reflects Edinburgh's distinct consumer profile. We help brands understand the attitudes, preferences and purchase drivers of Edinburgh audiences through segmentation, brand perception studies and market analysis.

For organizations developing new products or services, Edinburgh offers a consumer base that provides thoughtful, considered feedback. Brand health tracking and creative evaluation measure whether marketing resonates with Scottish audiences specifically, rather than relying on London-centric assumptions.

Our fieldwork covers Edinburgh, the Lothians and wider Scotland using online, telephone and face-to-face methods. For studies that span Edinburgh alongside other UK or European cities, we ensure consistent methodology while preserving local nuance.

Edinburgh-based organizations with ambitions beyond Scotland also benefit from Kadence's global reach. Whether you need insight across the UK, into European markets or further afield, our office network provides coordinated research with local execution in each market.

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FAQs

How diverse is Asia Pacific culturally?

The short answer is that Asia is incredibly rich and nuanced from a cultural standpoint: the multitude of religious beliefs, histories, languages, and other cultural markers means that each market is more different than similar. This can make Asia Pacific market research challenging without the right partner to help you understand the intricacies of each country. That said, though, the ‘urban Asia’ experience is similar to some extent, and popular culture does form the basis to link up a couple of the Asian markets, so there can be ways to seek out common threads amidst the vibrancy of difference.

Do I need to do all my market research in Asia in local / vernacular languages?

As a rule yes. By conducting research in the local language, consumers will have the capability and confidence to express their thoughts and feelings toward the brands, products or services in question. Unlike some market research agencies in Asia, Kadence has a range of languages in-house thanks to our network of Asian offices, so local language moderation is a service we can provide. That said, it is possible to carry out research in English in some markets (e.g. Singapore, India, Philippines), depending on the subject matter and education level of the respondents you want to reach.

For large Asian markets like China and India, how many cities do we need to cover with our research?

We recommend at least a combination of 1st tier and 2nd tier cities, as well as 3rd tier and rural locations, if possible. On top of getting a read on geographic and demographic differences in the reactions to your products and services, lifestyle / intra-market attitudinal variations exist, so the wider you are able to carry out your research, the more comprehensive your resulting understanding of the market will be.

Are there certain research approaches or methodologies that work better in one Asian market, compared to another?

Yes. Cultural differences between Asian markets mean that you need to carefully consider your methodology. For instance, we find that in-depth interviews, rather than group-based discussions, can work better for some topics in markets like Japan, where there can be a tendency to ‘self-censor’. In contrast, the one-on-one format lends itself better to building trust and establishing bonds between interviewer and respondent, often leading to more productive conversations. 

You’ll also need to consider the technological infrastructure of the markets you’re researching. In India, for instance, you’ll need to take a mobile first approach for reaching those outside metros and tier 1 cities. This is also true of mobile-first markets like Indonesia and China. Whilst cultural considerations can be diverse and numerous, we’re on hand to help, based on our long history of conducting market research in Asia.

Does the sequence of which markets I do my research first in Asia matter?

Unless there are specific roll-out plans that have strategic importance for your product or service across markets, our experience has taught us that any order comes back down to organizational preference. Your internal stakeholders may want to start the research in a market that is a stronghold for the brand to establish ground understanding, then venture into unfamiliar grounds to gather ‘new news’, or vice versa. Ultimately, Kadence is flexible in terms of how / when / where to start a piece of research, and in the absence of real preference, is willing to provide our suggestions and justifications for any arrangements.

Our Customers

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Bloomberg
Unilever
Samsung
Panasonic
Mitsubishi
Mars
Arla
Discovery Networks Asia Pacific
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FAQs

How does Edinburgh's consumer market differ from Glasgow?

Edinburgh's economy is more weighted towards financial services, technology and professional services, with a consumer base that tends to be more affluent and culturally oriented. Glasgow has a stronger industrial heritage and a different consumer profile. Research that accounts for these city-level differences produces more accurate insight than treating Scotland as a single market.

Does Kadence understand the Edinburgh market specifically, not just Scotland generally?

Yes. Our UK team recognizes that Edinburgh has its own distinct consumer dynamics shaped by its financial services sector, university population, cultural identity and tourism economy. We design studies that capture Edinburgh-specific sentiment rather than applying a generic Scottish or UK-wide lens.

Can Kadence coordinate Edinburgh research as part of a wider UK study?

Yes. Our London office serves as a UK hub, and we regularly manage multi-city UK studies that include Edinburgh alongside London, Manchester, Birmingham and other markets. We ensure consistent methodology across regions while preserving the local nuance that makes Edinburgh research meaningful. For Edinburgh-based organizations that need insight beyond the UK - across Europe, Asia or the Americas - our global office network provides the same coordinated approach with local expertise in each target market.

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