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Key people at C Space.
Boston, Massachusetts-based C Space is a management consulting and market research firm that develops insight communities and provides customer relationship strategy services to large global brands. The organization operates with approximately 500 direct employees and generates an estimated $170 million in annual revenue through its corporate client engagements and advisory services. Operating as a strategic component of the Escalent Group, the firm leverages a broader network of 1,600 team members, including data scientists, creatives, and researchers, to deliver human-centered market insights. Under the leadership of Global CEO Jessica DeVlieger, the company focuses on customer advocacy and longitudinal research rather than relying solely on automated artificial intelligence bots. The firm assists enterprises in navigating market disruptions, a topic recently discussed with Research Live, by prioritizing authentic consumer relationships over synthetic data generation. C Space was founded in 1999.
Key people at C Space.
C Space is a global customer agency founded in 1999, specializing in market research, customer insights, and innovation consulting to help brands achieve customer-inspired growth through insight communities, cultural intelligence, and co-creation with customers.[1][3][4] Headquartered in Boston, London, and Shanghai, it serves major brands like Walmart, Samsung, McDonald's, Mars, and IKEA by building ongoing customer relationships via private online communities, live events, visual storytelling, workshops, and consulting, emphasizing human-centric strategies over traditional data-driven approaches.[3][6] With around 350 employees across six locations, C Space focuses on making business more human by integrating customer voices into brand strategies for innovation, audience segmentation, CX design, and product development.[2][5]
The company's mission is to create rapid insight and business change by putting customers at the heart of companies, treating them as partners rather than targets to foster mutual benefit, deeper connections, and reduced risk.[2][4]
C Space was founded in 1999 as a pioneer in insight communities and customer strategy, evolving from traditional market research into a global agency with offices in Boston (headquarters), London, and Shanghai.[3][4] Key details on specific founders are not detailed in available sources, but the company has grown under leadership like Phil Burgess, Chief People and Operations Officer, who has driven initiatives like "The Spot" employee platform amid remote work challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] Its evolution reflects a shift toward humanizing business: starting with customer programmes tailored to business needs, it expanded to emphasize co-creation, cultural foresight, and inclusive research, partnering with world-renowned brands and launching internal learning programs like C Space U and guest speaker series to foster a growth mindset.[2][3][5]
Early traction came from building private online communities and in-person events, which allowed brands to stay relevant and loyal; by 2017, it highlighted charity partnerships and accessible leadership in open-plan offices, humanizing its own culture.[3]
C Space stands out in the market research and customer strategy space through these key strengths:
C Space rides the wave of customer-centric transformation in marketing and advertising, where rapid cultural shifts, technological advancements, and diverse consumer behaviors demand real-time, empathetic insights over outdated segmentation.[4][6] Timing is ideal amid post-pandemic remote work and AI-driven personalization, as brands face pressure to build loyalty in fragmented markets; C Space's communities enable agile responses to unmet needs and innovation spaces.[1][5] Market forces like rising expectations for inclusive, authentic CX (e.g., majority-minority generations) favor its human-first model, influencing the ecosystem by partnering with disruptors—as seen in 2025 studio interviews on programmatic media and open internet trends—and setting examples in environmental responsibility via initiatives like its Green Mission.[7][9] It shapes broader tech by embedding customer voices into brand cultures, minimizing risks for giants like IKEA and Samsung while inspiring agencies to prioritize relationships for durable growth.[3][6]
C Space is poised to expand its leadership in insight communities as AI and data proliferation heightens the need for genuine human intelligence, potentially deepening tech integrations for real-time global insights. Trends like cultural foresight for Gen Z/multicultural markets and hybrid work will shape its trajectory, amplifying influence through more co-creation tools and partnerships with adtech innovators. Its evolution from 1999 research firm to humanized growth engine positions it to redefine brand-customer dynamics, unlocking sustained relevance in a discerning world—proving that relationships, not just data, drive tomorrow's business.
