Market Research Agency Indianapolis

Need market research expertise in Indianapolis? Kadence helps organizations understand audiences, test concepts and build strategy in Indiana's capital and the broader Midwest. Over 30 years of global experience, applied to one of America's most accessible and representative consumer markets.

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With offices across Asia, Europe and the Americas, Kadence brings a global perspective to a city that consistently ranks among the best in the US for business, affordability and quality of life. Whether you need to understand Indianapolis consumers or you're an Indianapolis-based organization looking to research markets nationally and internationally, Kadence provides the infrastructure and expertise to deliver.

Indianapolis's position in the US market

Kadence is set up for Indianapolis briefs that need research reflecting the specific realities of the city's sector mix and its wider Midwestern reach. The team is equipped to work with brands navigating complex stakeholder audiences, sector-specific questions and the multi-market programmes that can follow when an Indianapolis decision connects into other parts of the US or further afield. Study design follows the decision each team is trying to make, rather than being fitted to a pre-set template.

In Indianapolis, a study can draw on areas like market and customer understanding, concept and product development, brand and communications research and insight activation, alongside the full breadth of Kadence's research capability. The weight of any given study follows the business question behind the brief, whether that is an Indianapolis-centred decision, a national US rollout or a cross-border programme, with findings designed to land with Indianapolis-based commercial, R&D or marketing teams in a form they can act on quickly.

Research designed for Indianapolis can span sectors ranging from pharmaceuticals and life sciences through to motorsport and advanced manufacturing, alongside the full breadth of Kadence's research capability. Logistics, agribusiness, medical devices, insurance, sports and events, and consumer goods all sit within scope depending on the brief. Fieldwork can extend into Fort Wayne, Cincinnati and Louisville, and reach further into Chicago and the wider Midwest when the commercial question calls for it. Samples are shaped around where audiences actually live, buy and work, so regional differences show up in the data rather than being averaged out.

Across more than 30 years, Kadence has built a portfolio of work with many of the world's most recognised brands, and an Indianapolis study can draw on that depth directly. That translates into research set up around the life sciences cluster anchored by Eli Lilly, Elanco and Corteva, the central US distribution network that makes Indianapolis one of the most logistically connected cities in the country, and the engineering ecosystem that has grown up around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its surrounding supplier base.

Our Global Expertise for Indianapolis

Kadence operates from offices across Asia, Europe and the Americas, with our US presence anchored by teams in New York and San Francisco. Our global network spans London, Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai, Jakarta, Mumbai, Bangalore and beyond.

For Indianapolis-based organizations expanding internationally, particularly in life sciences and technology, our network provides seamless coordination and genuine local expertise in each market.

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

Indianapolis Market Research

Our US team delivers end-to-end market research for organisations operating in Indianapolis and across the United States. Projects cover the full research lifecycle, from early exploration and market sizing through concept and product development, brand and advertising work, and into launch tracking and longer-term measurement. Some studies are tight, decision-led sprints; others are multi-wave programmes that track a market over several years. The intent is the same across both: research that moves decisions forward, built in whatever format fits how the team actually works.

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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

Can an Indianapolis-led study extend across the wider Midwest?

Yes. A research can pick up Fort Wayne, Cincinnati, Louisville and Chicago alongside Indianapolis itself, with sample and fieldwork built around the regional variation from the start rather than retrofitted later. That matters for sectors where buyers and operations span several states at once.

What industries does Kadence research in Indianapolis?

We work with organizations across Indianapolis's key sectors, including life sciences, healthcare, technology, logistics, financial services, motorsports and consumer goods. Our researchers understand the competitive dynamics specific to the Central Indiana market. For Indianapolis companies in life sciences and technology that are scaling nationally or globally, our teams across Asia, Europe and the Americas provide coordinated research with genuine local expertise in each market.

Do you run research for Indianapolis brands expanding outside the US?

Yes. Our network means an Indianapolis-led brief can extend into Europe, Asia or Latin America with one coordinated team running fieldwork on the ground in each market. Findings come back as a single synthesised view, so commercial decisions made from Indianapolis hold up cleanly across borders.

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