UK MR business grew by 6.2% in 2008, says MRS

The figure represents a significant increase on the 2.3 per cent growth recorded in 2007. The survey estimates that total UK MR revenue stands at £2.16bn.

Revenue generated by international research projects rose by 12.5 per cent, dwarfing domestic project growth which was posted at 3.8 per cent.

David Barr, MRS director general, predicted a “tougher year” for the research business in 2009, but said: “It has shown itself in previous downturns to be relatively resilient compared with other disciplines in the marketing services sector. We expect that to be reflected throughout 2009 and beyond.”

A rundown of 2008’s top 100 UK agencies by turnover will be published in Research magazine in the fourth quarter.