PhD-Led Market Research for Growth-Stage Brands
Research that shows you who to target, what to charge, and what to say.
Dr. Linda Orr, PhD helps growth-stage brands in healthcare, DTC, and B2B make marketing decisions based on evidence, not assumptions, through primary research, segmentation, and strategy that connects directly to revenue. 25+ years of marketing and research experience. PhD in Marketing with expertise in Statistics and Psychology. 50+ research projects across healthcare, tech, consumer goods, and B2B. Schedule an introductory call to talk through the decision ahead of you and the research that would support it.
A FEW OF OUR HAPPY CLIENTS
Our Impact By The Numbers
50+
Research projects completed
10x
Direct marketing cost reduction (healthcare)
25+
Years of PhD-level expertise
Top 1%
Upwork freelancer
100%
Five-star reviews
Is this the right fit for you?
You're probably ready for market research support if:
You're entering a new market or launching a new product and need to understand what buyers actually want, not what you assume they want.
Your campaigns are running but the messaging isn't landing and you're not sure why.
You're making budget decisions across channels without clear data on what's driving results.
You have a hypothesis about your market but haven't tested it with real customer data.
You need stakeholder-ready insights (a board presentation, an investor deck, a go-to-market plan) backed by primary research, not secondary sources.
Your positioning feels vague and you want to sharpen it with voice-of-customer data.
If that sounds familiar, this is exactly the kind of problem we solve.
The cost of skipping research
Some brands skip market research to save time or budget. The problem is that decisions made without data tend to cost far more to fix than the research would have cost to begin with.
The numbers are sobering. NielsenIQ found that 60% of product relaunches never recover from their downward trend, and that only 8% of consumers are committed to their current brand. In its March 2026 analysis of 431 venture-backed companies that shut down since 2023, CB Insights found that 43% cited poor product-market fit. Getting the audience, price and message right before launch costs far less than fixing them after.
Without a clear understanding of your market, you risk:
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Targeting the wrong audience: building for buyers who do not exist, or who will not pay what the product requires.
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Wasting budget: Inefficient ad spend and low ROI consistently trace back to poorly researched strategy.
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Missed opportunities: Gaps in the market and unmet buyer needs stay invisible without research.
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Weak messaging: Poor audience understanding leads to campaigns that don't connect, no matter how much you spend on distribution.
Brands that make decisions based on customer insights consistently outperform those that don't.
Research Methods, Built Around Your Decision
Every study starts with the business decision it needs to support. The method follows from the question.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
The why behind behavior
In-depth interviews, focus groups, ethnographic and voice-of-customer studies that surface motivations, objections, and the language buyers actually use.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Measured at scale
Survey research, statistical modeling, segmentation, market sizing, pricing research, conjoint analysis, and experimental testing.
STRATEGIC APPLICATION
From findings to decisions
Positioning, pricing, go-to-market plans, customer prioritization, and commercial planning your team can act on.
The Decisions Research Answers
Every project starts with a decision you need to make. Here is what research tells you, and how.
WHO TO TARGET
Which buyers are worth chasing
Segmentation and cluster analysis show which groups need you most, buy the most, and cost the least to win.
WHAT TO CHARGE
The price buyers will actually pay
Conjoint analysis measures the trade-offs buyers make between features and price, so you set price on evidence instead of a guess.
WHAT TO SAY
The message that moves buyers
Interviews capture the words customers use, and MaxDiff shows which two or three messages matter most.
WHAT TO BUILD
Which products and extensions will work
Concept tests and conjoint show real demand, the price that makes money, and whether a new line wins new buyers or steals from what you already sell.
WHERE TO LAUNCH
Which markets to enter first
Market sizing, secondary data and competitor mapping show where demand is strong and where the white space is open.
WHY THEY BUY
What drives choice and loyalty
Structural equation modeling shows which parts of your product, brand and service drive purchase and repeat, and which only look important.
Statistics and Strategy in the Same Room
Most research firms hand you data. Most strategists skip the statistics. I have a PhD in Marketing with expertise in statistics and psychology, so the same person designs the study, runs the analysis and turns it into a plan. That is how a survey becomes a pricing decision, and how 20 interviews become a positioning your sales team can use.
STATISTICIANS
Can run the models
But often stop at the numbers, without telling you what to do with them or how they change your marketing.
MARKETERS
Know the market
But usually cannot run the cluster, conjoint or driver analysis that would change their decisions.
ORR CONSULTING
Does both
Rigorous research methods and senior marketing judgment in one engagement, from the first question to the go-to-market plan.
ABOUT THE RESEARCHER
Dr. Linda Orr, PhD
I have a PhD in Marketing with expertise in statistics and psychology, and 25+ years of marketing and research experience. My research has been published in the Journal of Business Research, and I have been quoted in Forbes. I built Upwork’s first enterprise marketing mix model, covering an $88 million media portfolio, and I have led 50+ research projects across healthcare, tech, consumer goods and B2B, for clients including Midmark, McKesson Foster & Thrive and GFOA. I design every study, run the analysis and present the findings myself.
How a Research Project Works
Most projects take two to three months. Here is what happens along the way.
WEEKS 1 TO 2
Scope and secondary research
We agree on the decisions the research has to support, review what is already known, and map competitors, pricing and online conversations.
WEEKS 3 TO 6
Fieldwork
Interviews, focus groups and surveys with the right people, recruited for your audience, whether that is consumers, B2B buyers or clinicians.
WEEKS 7 TO 9
Analysis
Segmentation, conjoint, MaxDiff or driver analysis, depending on the decision, plus the themes and language from the interviews.
WEEKS 10 TO 12
Readout and strategy
A clear recommendation for each question, with the data behind it, and personas, positioning or a go-to-market plan if they are in scope.
Research That Shaped Real Decisions
Selected research engagements. Each one links to the full case study.
What clients say about working with Dr. Orr
Most engagements are under NDA, but here's what clients say about the research:
★★★★★
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“Working with Linda was an absolute pleasure, and the results she delivered were beyond our expectations! ... She interviewed over 20 key players in the yachting industry, ranging from yacht charter company owners to marketing managers, extracting valuable insights that we wouldn't have been able to gather on our own... The final report she presented was top-notch. It was thorough, well-structured, and packed with actionable recommendations that demonstrated her deep understanding of the industry.”
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Founder, Yacht Charter Marketing Agency
Premium DTC Services · Market Research · Positioning · Market Entry Strategy
★★★★★
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“Linda was a pleasure to work with and extremely thorough. She led a market research project for our 3D dental imaging launch, and the insights directly shaped our positioning and go-to-market strategy.”
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Midmark Dental
Healthcare · Market Research · Positioning · Launch Strategy
★★★★★
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“We had a great experience working with Linda. Great data analysis work and was able to get the project turned around quickly. She was good about asking questions and making sure we were aware of potential risks as well.”
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D. Chronister, GFOA
Government Finance · Survey Research · Data Analysis · Board Presentation
★★★★★
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“She identified several options including enhanced brand recognition and increased sales and market penetration routes we had not considered.”
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Upwork Client
Premium DTC Apparel · Growth Strategy
How You Can Work With Orr Consulting
Ways to Work Together:
Most engagements are customized. If you are not sure which option fits, schedule an introductory call and we will talk through your goals, timing, and the right scope.
Custom Research Project
Format: project, usually 2 to 3 months
Best for: brands that need primary research to answer a specific question: market entry, positioning, messaging, segmentation, or audience understanding
Price: starting at $20,000
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Survey design, programming, fielding, and analysis
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Or: qualitative research design, recruitment, moderation, and reporting
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Deliverable: a research report with findings, interpretation, and strategic recommendations
Research + Strategy Engagement
Format: project, usually 2 to 3 months
Best for: brands that want research translated directly into a go-to-market plan, positioning document, or channel strategy
Price: starting at $25,000
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All elements of a custom research project, plus
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Strategic recommendations, messaging frameworks, and prioritized action plan
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Working session with your team to align and hand off
Research Consultation
Format: 30-minute call
Best for: teams unsure what type of research their situation needs
Price: free
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Review your business question and what you're trying to decide
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Recommend the right research approach (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed)
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Estimate scope, timeline, and what the output will look like
How much would market research cost for your project?
Move the sliders to get a rough estimate. It gives you an idea. On a call, I determine which methods will answer your questions, how many people we need to reach, and which databases or samples we have to buy. For a full explanation of what drives the price, read How Much Does Market Research Cost?
Market Research: Frequently Asked Questions
How much does market research cost?
Custom research projects start at $20,000. Research + strategy engagements, where the findings become a go-to-market plan, positioning or channel strategy, start at $25,000. The first 30-minute consultation is free.
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How long does a market research project take?
Most projects take 2 to 3 months, depending on how in-depth the research is.
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What research methods do you use?
Qualitative methods such as in-depth interviews, focus groups and voice-of-customer studies, and quantitative methods such as surveys, segmentation, market sizing, pricing research and conjoint analysis. The method follows from the business decision the research needs to support.
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What do I get at the end?
A research report with findings, interpretation and strategic recommendations. Research + strategy engagements also include messaging frameworks, a prioritized action plan and a working session with your team.
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Should I use focus groups or in-depth interviews?
For most B2B and healthcare projects, in-depth interviews work better. Busy decision makers and clinicians are hard to schedule together, and the private reasons people buy or walk away rarely come out in a group. Focus groups suit consumer categories and reactions to concepts people can see, taste or hold.
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Can AI or a cheap online panel replace market research?
No. AI is useful for summarizing secondary research and coding open-ended answers, but studies of AI-generated survey answers find they get averages roughly right while inventing the differences between people, which is what segmentation and pricing depend on. Cheap panels have similar problems with bots and professional survey takers.
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Why does purchased data change the price?
Some projects need syndicated industry reports, market sizing databases, specialty panels or purchased contact lists for hard-to-reach professionals. A project that relies on public sources and your own customer list costs much less than one that needs several paid databases, so I scope it on a call.
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Updated November 2, 2026
Ready to make decisions based on evidence, not assumptions?
A 30-minute consultation is enough to understand your situation, recommend the right research approach, and give you a realistic picture of scope and timeline.
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Prefer to send details first? Share your business question, industry, and what decision you're trying to make. We'll reply within 1 business day.