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Market research in Portland – our capabilities

Market Research Agency Portland

The creative capital of the Pacific Northwest. Kadence delivers market research for organisations in Portland, combining understanding of one of America's most distinctive and values-driven consumer markets with a global research network spanning Asia, Europe and the Americas.

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Portland has built a national reputation for independent thinking, environmental consciousness and cultural originality. For brands operating in the Portland metropolitan area - or for Portland-based companies that need consumer insight in markets across the US and globally - Kadence brings over 30 years of global expertise to a market where consumer expectations around sustainability, authenticity and community are unusually high.

Understanding Portland as a market

Research done well in Portland has to account for a market where sustainability, provenance and independent brand stories regularly show up as purchase criteria across multiple categories. Kadence designs studies around that reality, with project shape and fieldwork tuned to how Portland categories actually behave and what commercial teams are trying to decide.

Portland briefs typically draw on areas like customer and market understanding, product and concept research, brand and communications work and insight activation, alongside the full breadth of Kadence's research capability. The shape of a study follows the decision behind the brief, whether that is a Portland-specific call, a wider US programme or research that reaches from Portland into European or Asian markets. Portland market decisions usually land with brand, category and commercial teams that need the same answer ready to move into regional or global execution.

Our Portland work supports clients across sectors ranging from outdoor and athletic brands to sustainable manufacturing and tech, alongside the full breadth of Kadence's research capability. Work often extends into the wider Pacific Northwest when a regional read is needed rather than a single-metro one.

Across more than 30 years, Kadence has built a portfolio of work with many of the world's most recognisable brands. Portland brings a particular concentration of athletic and outdoor businesses headquartered in the metro and a consumer base that treats sustainability and provenance as purchase criteria rather than add-ons, and our Portland research is built to take both into account without reducing either to a generalisation.

Our Global Expertise for Portland

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 Portland-based organisations expanding internationally, particularly in technology, outdoor brands and consumer goods, 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.

Innovation of the Year

Finalist
— The AURAs, 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

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

Best Training and Development

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

MRS Young Researcher of the Year

Finalist
— MRS, 2023

ESOMAR Best Congress Paper

Winner
— ESOMAR, 2023

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 1^st tier and 2^nd tier cities, as well as 3^rd 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

View all case studies

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Developing a future-focused digital product strategy for Wall Street Journal

A mixed methodology approach helped Wall Street Journal understand how to position the brand for success in a rapidly changing world.

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Creating an education and career exploration tool to wow teens with American Student Assistance

Kadence partnered with American Student Assistance (ASA) to create a research program to inform the development of their exploration tool, Futurescape.

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Harnessing blockchain technology in market research with Unilever Food Solutions

We took part in a first of its kind pilot to test the technology and assess what it could bring to market research.

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FAQs

How does Portland's values-driven consumer culture affect research?

Portland consumers place unusually high importance on sustainability, authenticity, local sourcing and brand ethics. Research designed for this market needs to explore these values dimensions alongside traditional purchase drivers. Brands that underestimate Portland's consumer discernment risk misreading the market.

Can Kadence run fieldwork across Oregon and the wider Pacific Northwest?

Yes. We cover the full Portland metro across Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties and Clark County in Washington, and regularly extend to Seattle, Eugene, Vancouver Washington and the wider Pacific Northwest where a regional read is needed. Studies can stay Portland-specific or run as a coordinated regional programme.

How does Portland's outdoor culture influence consumer behaviour?

Portland's proximity to mountains, rivers and coastline means outdoor recreation shapes consumer priorities, brand affinity and lifestyle spending across the population. Research that accounts for this cultural orientation produces more complete insight into how Portland consumers make decisions.