Market Research Agency Canada

Market research in Canada designed to inform strategy, reduce risk and identify growth opportunities. Kadence brings over 30 years of global research expertise to Canadian brands and international organisations entering the market.

 

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Canada's consumer economy is diverse, digitally mature and deeply connected to both North American and global markets. Kadence helps organisations navigate this landscape with research that is rigorous, practical and built around the specific business question.

Understanding the Canadian market

Canada is home to nearly 40 million consumers spread across a vast geography, with major metro areas including Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Edmonton each offering distinct market characteristics. The country's bilingual culture, multicultural population and strong regional identities mean that a national strategy often needs to account for significant local variation.

Key sectors including financial services, technology, natural resources, healthcare, retail and education all present research opportunities. Canadian consumers are well informed, digitally engaged and increasingly focused on sustainability and corporate responsibility when making purchasing decisions.

Kadence helps brands understand these dynamics. Our research spans customer understanding, brand strategy, product development, communications testing and market sizing. We design studies that account for Canada's linguistic and cultural complexity, ensuring that insight is representative and actionable.

As part of Kadence International, every Canadian project benefits from our global network of researchers across Asia, Europe and the Americas. For brands expanding from Canada into international markets, or global organisations targeting Canadian consumers, we coordinate multi-market research seamlessly.

Our Global Expertise for Canada

Kadence operates from offices in New York, San Francisco, London, Shanghai, Tokyo, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Jakarta, Manila, Singapore, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City. Our North American presence through our US offices provides a strong foundation for Canadian research, while our global network supports projects that extend beyond Canada's borders.

For Canadian organisations with growth ambitions in Asia, our deep regional presence across the continent is a particular advantage. We bring local knowledge from each market combined with the consistency that comes from working within a single global agency.

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

Canada Market Research

Canada's bilingual, multicultural market demands research that accounts for linguistic and cultural complexity. Kadence designs every Canadian study with these factors built in.

We help brands understand their Canadian audiences through segmentation, journey mapping and purchase driver research that reflects the real differences between Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and the rest of the country. For organisations launching new products or services, our concept testing and pre-launch validation research reduces risk and strengthens market fit.

Brand health tracking and creative evaluation keep marketing investment accountable, while our fieldwork team manages recruitment and data collection across Canada using online, telephone and in-person approaches. Every study ends with clear, actionable recommendations designed to move the business forward.

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.

FAQs

Does Kadence conduct bilingual research in Canada?

Yes. Canada's English and French-speaking populations require research materials, moderation and analysis that account for both languages. Kadence designs bilingual studies where needed, ensuring that Francophone and Anglophone audiences are accurately represented.

Can Kadence support Canadian brands expanding into Asian markets?

Absolutely. With offices across Asia including Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore, Jakarta, Mumbai and Bangkok, Kadence provides seamless coordination for Canadian organisations entering Asian markets. We bring local knowledge from each market and ensure methodology is consistent across regions.

What sectors does Kadence research in Canada?

We work across Canada's strongest industries, including financial services, technology, natural resources, healthcare, retail and education. Our researchers understand the competitive dynamics and consumer behaviour specific to each sector in the Canadian market.

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