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Story of SIR

The Southeastern Institute of Research (SIR) was founded 45 years ago on one simple but powerful idea -- marketing research has to be actionable!

It should not be academic. Or theoretical. It must generate information and insight that leads to action and, ultimately, results. It has to stay off the shelf and on the desk as a useful tool. Simply put -- we believe in research that works!

This perspective has guided the over 13,000 marketing research studies we have conducted since 1964, making us one of the oldest and most experienced marketing research firms in the country.

Our experience comes from helping clients like AARP, AT&T, Goodyear, GE, National Kidney Foundation, Polaroid, Rubbermaid, Owens & Minor, PayPal, American Chemical Society, Liberty Mutual and Media General -- plus many smaller, niche companies and entrepreneurs whose names are not widely known.

Today, we help corporations, organizations, and associations formulate unique brand positions, identify and seize opportunities, manage competitive threats, test new products and services, launch new initiatives, and track the overall effectiveness of marketing programs.

Along the way, we have learned that the real key to actionable research isn't in running surveys or crunching numbers; it's in figuring out how people think, feel, and act. It is deconstructing and then reconstructing behavior, motivations, and desires.

That's why the "I" in our corporate logo is "Puzzle Person." She or he represents what we are in the business of doing -- understanding people. Our "Puzzle Person" is our reminder of what it takes to deliver research that works.

What Sets SIR Apart

Our clients tell us we are different from most other research companies they have experienced. We believe our difference can be summed up in these five ways:

1. We bring considerable experience to the table.

At last count, we have conducted more than 13,000 custom-designed research studies. Our experience over the past four decades has taken us into dozens of industries -- manufacturing, retail, travel, associations, financial, healthcare, education, and transportation -- examining hundreds of strategic issues.

Our clients often say they value our broad and varied industry perspective. Our institutional experience, combined with the seasoned staff, means you won't have to worry that we are biased in one area or approach all assignments the same way. To us, the idea of another custom-designed research investigation is what keeps us going -- a chance to learn something new, a chance to make another contribution to someone's business.

2. We approach research projects from a big picture perspective.

Research works only if it answers the right questions. To get to the right questions, our researchers, sociologists, and marketers start every project with a singular approach - we listen. We listen carefully to what our clients are trying to discover. We leave our research tools and methodological approaches at home until we thoroughly understand how their business works! It's only from this perspective that we feel we can formulate the right research approach, ask the right questions, and ultimately deliver insights that drive results.

3. We conduct research the right way.

Research works only if it is valid research. In our four decades, we have earned a reputation, as our name suggests, as a research institute. This is based on our unwavering focus on the basic principles and highest ethical standards of our craft. We believe pulling the right sample is just as important as calling the requisite number of "callbacks" or properly coding open-ended questions. Every step of our process is important and critical to the integrity of the output -- data, information, and ultimate insight. Our process and standards are above reproach.

4. We often approach projects with a generational lens.

Historically, research has always been designed and conducted in context of who is being studied -- embracing a consumer perspective. After all, designing a research study to investigate attitudes and opinions of teen-age consumers should be different from a study targeting 65+, upscale consumers. For years, this consumer perspective has been defined by classic demographic variables -- age, gender, income, profession, etc. The emerging view in marketing research, however, is far more complex and insightful.  

And, we are leading the way through SIR Boomer Project, our generational think-tank that studies what shapes each U.S. generational cohort (Gen Y, Gen X, Baby Boomer, and the Silent Generation) in terms of their attitudes and values, and most importantly their behaviors. Our experience with Media General, Pfizer, Genworth Financial, Hershey, and many other Fortune 1,000 companies suggests that approaching research with a generational perspective can have a dramatic impact on how we approach a research project, as well as provide a rich contextual backdrop from which to examine findings and related insights.

5. We deliver research findings along with actionable recommendations.

Perhaps our most distinguishing point of difference is what we deliver -- our research investigations and related reports and presentations conclude with actionable recommendations. This is the DNA of SIR. We deliver this difference with our resident team of both highly skilled and experienced researchers and marketing pros. Our research analysts are all experienced statisticians, many of whom literally teach marketing research. Complementing these in-house "research experts" are SIR's marketing professionals. Prior to SIR, they worked on national marketing and advertising campaigns for Fortune 500 companies. These two disciplines -- research and marketing -- come together at SIR.

They allow us to go beyond crunching numbers and the traditional "survey says" reports. As a team, we ask the right questions up front, design the optimal approach, and through an iterative, internal process of analysis and vigorous debate, arrive at insights and offer actionable marketing recommendations that drive our results.

So while officially "SIR" stands for our founding name, the Southeastern Institute of Research, we think of ourselves in terms of what we deliver to our clients: SIR – Strategic Insights and Results.