The purchasing agent model is growing in popularity. Gold estimates that while about 50% of marketing research now sold in the United States involves a purchasing department or officer, in the next five years the amount will reach 90%.

The U.S.-based marketing research industry enjoyed revenue growth in 2005, but that rate fell far short of the boom year of 2004. Specifically, over the 17-year period from 1988 to 2004, the industry’s annual revenue growth rate was 5.2%, adjusted for inflation. In 2004, that rate was 7.2%, and for 2005 it fell to 2.1%.