Opinion Leader Research (company)

Opinion Leader is a market research company based in the United Kingdom that uses a range of qualitative, deliberative and quantitative methods.

The company was founded in 1992, and in 1998 Opinion Leader became part of Chime Communications plc, the holding company for several public relations, research, and advertising and marketing companies.

Opinion Leader works for a wide range of clients from the private, public and voluntary sectors. Recent clients have included the COI, Sky, British Airways, Department for Children, Schools and Families, Bupa, AEGON UK, Department of Health, Standard Chartered and Aviva^{[citation needed]}.

Opinion Leader has been credited with introducing deliberative research techniques to the UK^{[neutrality is disputed]}, running the country’s first Citizens’ Jury in 1994. On 29 October 2005, they brought together 1,000 people in the country’s first Citizens’ Summit to discuss and formulate views on the future of the NHS (Your Health, Your Care, Your Say). These deliberative techniques have been transferred to the private sector in recent years. Work for retailers including Sainsbury’s and John Lewis, as well as other blue chip brands such as Sky and Bupa have enabled these organisations to get closer to their customers and actively involve them in future decisions^{[neutrality is disputed]}.

Recent Awards

AQR Prosper-Riley Smith Effectiveness Award (2006) for Your Health, Your Care, Your Say: a deliberative consultation for the Department of Health’s White Paper on primary care; MRS Public Policy / Social Research Effectiveness Award (2006) for Your Health, Your Care, Your Say; Shortlisted for Research magazine’s top prize in the Research Excellence & Effectiveness Awards 2007: Best Agency; Winner of the 2008 MRS Award for Financial Services Research for AEGON UK’s study on The Future of Financial Distribution and Advice