FDS International

About the company
FDS International was acquired by a new marketing services group, Munro Global, in June 2006. Building on a solid track record of over 30 years providing excellence in market research, new leadership under Munro is extending the scope of services provided by FDS and its sister companies in the group.

With a turnover approaching £5 million in 2006, FDS provides a full range of market research services to blue-chip clients in both private and public sectors. An ‘early adopter’ of online research methodologies, FDS is fully equipped to carry out sophisticated online research, either as a single research method or as part of wider multi-modal research projects.

Distinctive features
We have extended our reputation for quality and robust research using traditional face-toface, postal and CATI techniques into the online arena. Clients are therefore assured of timely delivery of results and real insight based on sound sampling and appropriate application of research methodologies. FDS has a particular specialism in customer satisfaction, employee and mystery shopping research, both on- and offline.

Track record
We have been involved in carrying out research in the online world, for a number of clients, for over 15 years. As online research methods and technologies have become more reliable FDS has invested in leading-edge solutions in order to offer a truly contemporary service. In early 2007 FDS, together with parent company Munro Global, launched its own general online consumer panel: Clarity.

Coverage
In mid-2006, FDS replaced MORI as the UK representative on the IriS Network of independent research agencies, thus offering an integrated approach to project delivery on a global scale. Our Clarity panel is also part of the Cint CPX Panel Exchange, offering clients access to multi-country panels via a single management portal.

Type of contact

• Consumer
• Business to business
• Wide experience in researching ‘hard-toreach’ audiences

Major research activities/formats supported

• Clarity panel
• CAPI/CATI/CAWI
• Internet research – website U&A studies
• Postal research
• Online results and data portals
• Marketing sciences
• Concept testing
• Product testing
• Group discussions/focus groups
• Desk research
• Competitive benchmarking
• Executive/industrial interviewing
• Multi-mode fieldwork
• E-commerce research
• Employee research
• Customer satisfaction
• Online and offline mystery shopping

Special techniques/branded offerings

• Deliberative polling
• Bespoke portals and relational databases