Since its founding in 1989, MarketLink has specialized in custom-research for packaged goods clients. In addition to branded food products, our experience spans a wide range of consumer and business-to-business categories. A typical qualitative research assignment involves new product explorations, brand equity profiling, or evaluations of packaging or advertising creative concepts. Our quantitative research experience includes product concept and packaging testing, AA&U studies, taste tests and other types of sensory evaluations.

We work best in a partnering role as part of a project team with client marketers and their agencies. The company's principal - Mike Bixler - brings to the project team his 15+ years of client-side marketing management experience. Bixler personally designs and supervises all research projects, and as a senior-level marketer, his contributions to projects are particularly evident in the actionable conclusions and implications that comprise all MarketLink research reports.

MarketLink counts among its clients some of the country's best-known companies and brands including Del Monte, Domino's Pizza, Sara Lee, Jimmy Dean, White House, Smithfield, Texas Pete, International Paper, Du Pont and NBC. Our food-related experience spans both retail and foodservice, every point in the distribution channel, every part of the plate, every meal occasion, almost every consumer age group, and virtually every aisle and department of the supermarket - including frozen, perishable and shelf-stable categories. Our non-food experience includes product and service venues as diverse as factory floors and R&D labs, warehouses and department stores, financial institutions and bus terminals.

Here's what clients say about us:

"With MarketLink, we know we have a partner that will deliver the required effort to make sure every project is a complete success. Mike Bixler adds value to every project by providing a thoughtful, experienced marketing mind to the problem."

"Mike's reports are some of the best I have seen...Mike is extremely professional and well organized."

"(We) appreciate your experience in the consumer packaged goods industry...it is this experience that allows you to understand our business needs."

"MarketLink was instrumental in helping us reposition a product that resulted in a significant increase in sales. We appreciate the partnership we have built."