Pricing is the most powerful marketing lever most companies underutilize. A product can be perfectly designed, brilliantly marketed, and widely distributed, and still underperform because the price is wrong. Set it too high and you suppress demand. Set it too low and you leave money on the table, or worse, signal inferior quality. The challenge is that most organizations set prices based on costs, competitive parity, or gut instinct rather than rigorous pricing research that reveals what customers actually value and what they are willing to pay.
Meraki Research provides comprehensive pricing research services that give companies the empirical foundation to make confident pricing decisions. We deploy a full range of proven techniques, from direct price sensitivity measurement to sophisticated choice-based approaches, selected and tailored to match the specific pricing questions your business faces. Our work covers new product launches, existing product repricing, portfolio optimisation, and competitive pricing strategy across both consumer and B2B markets.
Our pricing research practise is led by analysts with deep expertise in the statistical and behavioral dimensions of pricing. We understand that pricing decisions do not happen in isolation. They interact with brand perception, competitive positioning, channel strategy, and market share objectives. Every research engagement we design accounts for these interdependencies, so the results we deliver are not just technically sound but strategically relevant.
Our Approach: The Meraki Price Optimization Framework
There is no single "best" pricing technique. The right methodology depends on what you are pricing, the competitive context, the decision stage, and the level of precision you need. Our Price Optimization Framework matches the right analysis approach to your specific situation.
Phase 1: Pricing Problem Diagnosis
Before we recommend a methodology, we need to understand the business problem. Are you launching a new product and need to identify the optimal price point? Are you managing a portfolio and need to understand how price changes on one item affect demand for others? Are you defending market share against a low-price competitor? Do you need to understand the price elasticity of your entire category? The diagnostic conversation defines the scope, identifies the key questions, and determines which technique or combination of techniques will produce the most useful results.
Phase 2: Methodology Selection & Research Design
With the problem defined, we select the right approach. Our toolkit includes:
- Conjoint analysis for understanding how customers trade off price against product features and brand.
- MaxDiff analysis for prioritizing which features or benefits drive the most value and justify premium pricing.
- Van Westendorp pricing model for quickly identifying acceptable price ranges and sensitivity thresholds.
- Gabor-Granger method for measuring direct price elasticity and predicting demand at different price points.
- Discrete choice modelling for simulating real-world purchase decisions in competitive scenarios.
We frequently combine methods, for example, using Van Westendorp to narrow the range and then conjoint analysis to optimise within it. The research design also includes sampling strategy, Respondent qualification criteria, and questionnaire development.
Phase 3: Data Collection & Quality Assurance
Pricing research is only as good as the data behind it. We recruit Respondents who match your actual buyer profile, not convenience samples. For B2B pricing studies, this often means recruiting specific decision-makers within target organizations. Surveys are designed to present pricing questions in realistic contexts that mirror actual purchase decisions, avoiding the hypothetical bias that undermines many pricing studies. Every response goes through rigorous quality validation before analysis.
Phase 4: Analysis, Modeling & Price Optimization
This is where the Intersection of data and strategy produces actionable guidance. Depending on the methodology, our analysis may include utility modelling, demand curves, revenue optimisation simulations, market share forecasting under different pricing scenarios, and sensitivity analysis that shows how results change across Respondent segments. We do not hand you a single "optimal price" without context. We deliver a clear picture of the trade-offs across a range of price points, so you can make decisions that align with your broader business strategy.
Phase 5: Strategic Pricing Recommendations
Our final deliverable is not a research report. It is a pricing strategy recommendation backed by data. We present findings in terms your leadership team can act on: recommended price points, expected volume and revenue impact, competitive implications, and risk scenarios. We also identify pricing opportunities by segment, because the right price often differs meaningfully across customer groups. This is where our pricing research connects to market segmentation work, ensuring your pricing strategy reflects the different value perceptions within your market.
When Pricing Research Is the Right Investment
Pricing research delivers clear returns in specific situations:
- New product launches where you have no transaction data to guide pricing and the consequences of getting it wrong are significant.
- Price increases or decreases where you need to predict volume impact before committing to a change.
- Portfolio pricing where you need to understand cannibalization risk and cross-price elasticity across your product line.
- Competitive pricing pressure where you need data to determine whether matching a competitor's price move is necessary or whether your value proposition supports a premium.
- Entering new markets where price expectations may differ from your existing markets.
Pricing research is less valuable when the market is purely commodity-driven with fully transparent pricing, or when the purchase decision is entirely dictated by procurement processes that override buyer preferences. In those cases, competitive pricing intelligence and cost analysis may be more practical starting points. We will tell you honestly if a full pricing study is not the right investment for your situation.
What We Deliver
Every pricing research engagement produces a specific set of outputs:
- Price sensitivity analysis showing acceptable price ranges, optimal price points, and the boundaries where demand drops sharply.
- Demand and revenue curves that forecast unit volume and total revenue at each tested price point, with confidence intervals.
- Market share simulations modelling how your share changes under different competitive pricing scenarios.
- Segment-level pricing insight revealing how different customer groups value your product differently and respond to different price points, often connected to broader segmentation research.
- Executive pricing strategy presentation with clear recommendations, supporting data, risk scenarios, and implementation guidance.
Timelines vary by methodology. A Van Westendorp or Gabor-Granger study can be completed in three to four weeks. A full conjoint-based pricing study typically requires five to eight weeks from design through final delivery.
Industry Applications
Consumer Packaged Goods Optimize shelf pricing across SKUs, pack sizes, and channels. Understand how price gaps between your brand and private label alternatives affect market share.
Technology & SaaS Determine pricing tiers, feature bundling, and upgrade price points that maximize customer lifetime value without suppressing adoption.
Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals Establish pricing for new therapies, medical devices, or health services that reflects perceived value, competitive alternatives, and payer constraints.
Financial Services Test fee structures, interest rate sensitivity, and the perceived value of premium service tiers for banking, insurance, and investment products.
Retail & E-Commerce Optimize pricing strategies across categories, understand promotional price sensitivity, and model the revenue impact of everyday-low-price versus high-low pricing approaches.
Manufacturing & Industrial Quantify the value of technical specifications, quality certifications, and service bundles to support value-based pricing in complex B2B selling environments.