Merger brings a modernized approach to market research in the West Michigan tech and digital space
GRAND RAPIDS, MI (August 16, 2023) – Orchard Insights, a market research firm based in Chicago, has joined the LaFleur One organization and will now operate as a sister company to LaFleur Marketing.
This merger brings Orchard’s proprietary data analytics tool under the LaFleur umbrella – a move that will change the marketing and innovation game for LaFleur Marketing clients, the West Michigan tech space, and beyond.
“The Orchard product is a unique quantitative market research tool that provides faster results at scale compared to many traditional market research tools,” said Chip LaFleur, president and CEO of LaFleur Marketing and LaFleur One. “Traditional market research uses self-reporting methods or incentivized surveys. Orchard’s method gathers observational data in the field. This removes the bias, allowing businesses to be more confident and agile in their decision-making. This proprietary analytics tool reaches six times more people than traditional research methods and provides insights in a fraction of the time.”
Orchard Insights’ clients include P&G, Clorox and Intuit.
LaFleur Marketing, a 2023 Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private company, uses an objective, data-driven approach to create marketing strategies, primarily for companies in highly regulated industries. The company has built a reputation for using data and technology to derive human-centered insights for its clients.
The two brands are now part of LaFleur One, Inc. As this corporation grows, the plan is that it will acquire and hold additional companies and brands.
Orchard Insight’s CEO and president, Ross Holdren, is continuing as a senior partner, strategist, and member of the board of directors of LaFleur One, Inc. post-acquisition.
Holdren notes, “Combining Orchard’s testing with LaFleur’s data-driven approach to marketing makes a lot of sense. We can now offer our clients services that span the full marketing cycle. This merger will benefit everyone involved—our organizations, our employees, and our clients.”
“LaFleur Marketing and Orchard share a purpose: we transform data into human-centered insights and strategies that help brands grow,” says LaFleur. “It’s about using this data to inform our empathy-driven approach and discovering the truth about consumer behavior to make meaningful connections. Our clients will benefit immensely from our combined skills and solutions. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
LaFleur also notes that many companies and brands skip the market research step because it can be expensive and time consuming. “Marketing research is essential. Our goal with this acquisition is to make it accessible for smaller companies and brands, and even more effective for big brands,” he said.
The LaFleur announcement is a significant milestone for West Michigan. In 2022, The Right Place, a regional economic development organization, announced a 10-year Greater Grand Rapids Tech Strategy that positions the area as a leading technology hub.
“The Right Place is thrilled to hear of LaFleur Marketing expanding its offerings in the tech sector with this merger,” said Jennifer Wangler, vice president of technology at The Right Place. “West Michigan continues to position itself as a hub for companies using technology to grow not only their business, but their customers businesses.”
“With this move, LaFleur showcases the immense potential of our region and reaffirms our belief in the power of innovation, teamwork, and the limitless possibilities that arise when like-minded individuals come together,” Wangler continued. “This is a leading example of a Grand Rapids business that expands its service offerings and physical footprint in the tech sector while maintaining its headquarters in the region.”
About LaFleur Marketing
Founded in 2015, LaFleur is your forward-thinking digital marketing partner. We create innovative, data-driven marketing strategies and assets for law firms, healthcare organizations, technology, and growing businesses. We would love to learn more about your marketing needs and how we can help you achieve your goals. Learn more at www.lafleurmarketing.com.
About Orchard Insights
Founded in 2009, Orchard is a market research solution that uses the power of social to answer brands’ biggest questions. Learn more at www.orchard-insights.com.
