Posted by Vaughn Mordecai on Wed, Feb 03, 2010 @ 03:25 PM
Disclaimer: This blog post is not intended to sell you on a market research industry listing. And, I'm not trying to sell you on a product that will "get you noticed". I'm not attempting to get you to list your market research company with some random market research directory that I've created, and I'm not trying to sell you on the idea that you should eliminate your industry listings. I'm not trying to provide a value proposition, or make any kind of editorial comment (...ok maybe I am making an editorial comment). So if you are looking for that type of thing...STOP READING NOW!
Around this time each year, I renew our market research industry listings in the market research services directories. I'm sure you do too. It's always the same group of directories. It's like clockwork and, with some regularity, the cost of the listing increases. Here are the directories that my organization lists in each year...along with their "perceived" advantages:
- Bluebook - This is published by the MRA (Marketing Research Association) and has an online listing on their website. It's kind of an "out of sight...out of mind" thing for me. If you aren't listed here, than people may forget you exist (at least in my piece of the industry).
- M-Guide - This is published by the AMA (American Marketing Association) and has an online listing on their website as well. Hopefully, this gets your business in front of a different group than the Bluebook...but I'm unsure.
- Greenbook - I'm a little confused about the relationship between the Greenbook and the AMA and how it relates to the M-Guide. Greenbook also appears to be published by the AMA. It has a cool feature that allows you to see who's clicked on your listing. The other directories should get a clue from the Greenbook as it appears to have the best feature set available among all directories I've seen.
- Quirks - Has a pretty robust set of listings, the published version is free, and is tied to their free market research magazine "Quirks Marketing Research Review." I like free...although when I list here, it typically costs because I upgrade the listing.
Other companies may also list in these two additional sources with regularity:
- QRCA's Directory - For the qualitative researcher in you...They also have an online listing...and a way to evaluate experience with your facilities (either you'll love it or hate it).
- ESOMAR's Market Research Directory - If you're into the international market research world.
As I've gone through my renewal process each year, I've started to wonder if there are really any differences between these listings and if there's some better option or approach out there. I'll admit that I get a handful of requests for information from these sources each year, but I get far more requests for information by maintaining a website that is easy to find. I wonder:
- What really differentiates these listings? I understand ESOMAR & QRCA, but is there really any difference between Bluebook, Greenbook, M-Guide & Quirks?
- Am I missing a directory that I SHOULD be paying attention to, but I'm not?
- Who uses these? How often are they actually used to find market research companies (especially by end-users of market research services), or are the users of these market research directories mostly other market researchers like me?
- Are companies and individuals that are looking for market research services more likely to go to these directories, or run an internet search and scan their social media networks (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogs) to find the appropriate company?
There's a lot to be said about NOT being "Out of sight and out of mind". For that 
reason, I'll continue listing every year. BUT, and it's a BIG BUT (notice the double entendre)...is there or can there be a better way to connect your organization with someone who is looking for your products or services. It's very difficult to differentiate yourself in a directory...there's only so much that searchees will pay attention to. It leaves me wanting more...(without a bunch of calls or e-mails from people with *.gmail accounts claiming to have the Big Bang solution to search engine optimization (SEO)...which I'm already doing.) Do you agree?
I'm looking forward to your thoughts and replies to the questions I've posed.