Research Methods, Decoded: A Field Guide for Agencies

Understanding what that price tag really gets you

Let’s be honest: research pricing can feel like a black box—especially if you’re newer to the agency world. Maybe you’ve seen a $25K survey line item in a proposal and wondered, “Wait… what exactly does that include?” Or maybe you’ve been asked to “scope some qual” and panicked-Google-searched what IDI stands for.

You’re not alone. So we built this field guide to help agency strategists, account leads, and rising AEs understand the key methods behind our pricing—and when (and why) you’d use each one.

Online Survey

Best for: Message testing, audience validation, brand tracking

Price Range: $20K–$30K

A well-designed online survey is one of the most efficient ways to get statistically sound input from hundreds (or thousands) of people. We use smart sampling to ensure your data represents the right audience—whether that’s Oklahomans, Gen Z women, or first-time homeowners.

Think of it as your quantitative power tool. Want to know which of five concepts is strongest? We’ll test it across demos and give you confidence in the winner.

Pro tip: Online surveys are great for validating ideas—but they’re even stronger when built from insights gathered in earlier qualitative work.

In-Depth Interviews (IDIs)

Best for: Exploring behavior, emotion, and motivation

Price Range: ~$30K for 20 interviews

This is where we get raw and real. In an IDI, we talk one-on-one with someone from your audience for 30–45 minutes. No groupthink. No pressure. Just space to open up and tell the truth.

Want to understand why people aren’t converting on your site? Or what a brand really means to someone? This is how we find the story beneath the stats.

“This gave us language we used in the actual campaign.” – a real quote from a relieved creative director

Focus Groups

Best for: Creative testing, collaborative exploration

Price Range: ~$25K for 4 moderated groups

You know what makes creatives nervous? Not knowing how real people will respond. You know what makes them sleep at night? Watching a group say, “Oh yeah, that message totally works.”

Focus groups (especially on Zoom) are fast, efficient, and often fun. They’re great for concept reactions, testing visuals, and surfacing tensions between stakeholders and audiences.

Digital Communities (aka Bulletin Board Focus Groups)

Best for: Sensitive topics, long-form insights, national reach

Price Range: ~$35K for 3 days of rich conversation

A digital community unfolds over 3–5 days. Participants log in on their own time to respond to daily prompts, upload photos or videos, and engage with each other. It’s like the best parts of a focus group—without the time constraints or performative pressure.

This method works beautifully when the topic is personal, stigmatized, or just too nuanced to unpack in 60 minutes. Think: pregnancy prevention, financial habits, vaccine hesitancy, or exploring identity.

Pre/Post Surveys

Best for: Proving campaign impact

Price Range: ~$32K for two matched surveys

Pre/post studies allow you to confidently say: “Here’s what changed.” We run one survey before the campaign and one after, with the same core audience and questions. Then we show you what moved the needle—and what didn’t.

Want to track awareness, favorability, or message recall? This is your proof.

Bonus: What About MaxDiff?

If you’ve heard us talk about MaxDiff, here’s the simple version: it’s a specialized method inside a survey that helps people prioritize. Instead of asking “Which message do you like?” we ask them to make tradeoffs—so we find not just what’s liked, but what rises to the top.

Use MaxDiff when your client can’t decide between 5 taglines and the CD is “married” to the worst one.

Real-World Example: The Rebrand That Hit Every Note

Here’s how we might break down a more complex project:

Bottom line?

Smart research isn’t just about checking a box. It’s about knowing which tool to use, when to use it, and how to get answers that move your work forward.

And when you need a ballpark, a partner, or just someone to make the spreadsheet make sense—we’re here for it. In fact, we created this ready-to-use pricing guide to help you out.

Let’s talk.

Got a project you’re scoping? Or a proposal due at 4:59pm? Reach out now!