Perceptions of industry analyst firms vary between end users and vendors

Azul Partners recently surveyed 40 end-users and 40 vendors to determine what the perceptions are of industry analyst firms Aberdeen Group, AMR Research, ARC Advisory Group, Butler Group, Forrester Research, Gartner, and Yankee Group.  Here are the key findings:

• Aberdeen Group ranks as both the most insightful and valuable firm among end users.
• Vendors rate AMR Research as most insightful and Gartner Group most valuable.
• Gartner has the strongest brand among end users and vendors alike.

It's worth pointing out that the free study was sponsored by Aberdeen Group, and while they "had no influence on the results," the report states that they did help decide which firms to examine and areas to explore. Well, so much for independent analysis. (I cant help but wonder what the outcome would have been if IDC, Jupiter Research, Burton Group, and Nucleus Research, were included in the study in lieu of virtual unknowns, ARC Advisory Group and Butler Group).

Regardless, the report raises some interesting points, such as how rankings frequently flip flopped between end-users and vendors. For example, AMR Research led the rankings with vendors, but received low rankings with end users. In contrast, Aberdeen Group ranked middle in the pack with vendors, but first or second with end users. Other key points:

• Users don’t want ivory tower thinking. They want actionable information that they can use to prioritize their target markets and R&D investments to gain competitive advantage.
• In order to increase their value and become indispensable, firms must shift their paradigm and work with their clients as partners.