Frank C. Martin, III
PRC – Professional Research Consultant, as designated by the Marketing Research Association.
Education
Native of Roanoke, VA. Graduated from Patrick Henry High School in 1974.
B.A. Hampden-Sydney College 1978 Government and Foreign Affairs
MBA Virginia Tech – with a concentration in Marketing
Work History
1980 – Present – MARTIN RESEARCH, INC.
Frank joined Martin Research in 1980 (the company was founded by his father in 1970), and since then has conducted and/or supervised thousands of studies for his clients throughout the United States and Europe. He specializes in qualitative research: focus groups, IDI’s (In-depth interviews), small group interviews (3-5 participants), online qualitative research and bulletin board studies.
1999 – President - MARTIN FOCUS GROUPS SERVICES, INC.
In 1999, Frank Martin founded Martin Focus Group Services, Inc. MFGS specializes in recruitment and hosting of focus groups in four Virginia markets: Roanoke, Tidewater, Metro DC (Alexandria) and Richmond.
Areas of Specialty:
B2B
Qualitative Research with Men
New Product Testing and Optimization
Brand Evaluation and Positioning
Strategy Evaluation Development
Creative Brainstorming for Advertising
Professional Associations
AMA – American Marketing Association
MRA – Marketing Research Association
QRCA – Qualitative Research Consultants Association
I've had the pleasure of working with Frank Martin on a variety of projects related to member satisfaction and retention at Chartway. He is a dynamic professional who has the ability to understand not only the unique needs of individual organization; but also, to put those needs in the context of a strategy that works. Through his efforts significant cost savings opportunities were identified for the organization.
Frank's intelligence and insights into not only research methodologies but also marketing in general make him an invaluable partner to clients of all types. The professionalism he displays personally has been transferred to his team and the facilities his firm offers making for an unbeatable combination. I recommend him wholeheartedly and would rank his caliber of work on par with much larger and more expensive firms with fancier zip codes.
Martin Research always does an outstanding job for us. Frank Martin expertly organized, facilitated and summarized a multi-city customer focus group initiative for our retail chain. He worked hard to truly understand our objectives and situation, then deftly managed the focus groups to address our key issues. The results were instrumental in forming a new strategy and we still refer to the work today. Martin Research is a great value!
I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Frank Martin as I launched a new and unique media business based on patented screen technology for the floor and for all level surfaces. Frank quickly determined that advertising on our screens had the unusual ability to influence consumer opinions about brand recall and about product purchase decisions at point of sale. Because our screens delivered advertising within a consumer's personal space, he concluded that our screens were able to optimize advertising at the moment a buying decision was being made. This, of course, became very attractive to brand and product advertisers for retail locations. When this unique effect on consumers was combined with the speed and ease of managing our wireless, nationwide network of screens, the value of the business increased significantly. I personally value Frank's expertise and his straight forward style. He added significant value to my business.
Frank's partnership with James Madison University in recent years has been instrumental in advancing a mutually beneficial relationship between JMU and the Harrisonburg/Rockingham community. I appreciate Frank's commitment to our project and his collaborative approach to business.
Martin Research has conducted focus groups for my Firm and me that have provided us invaluable, and often unanticipated information, that has led to the successful prosecution of cases on behalf of our clients for full and fair compensation. Martin Research provides the research information that translates into justice.
The focus groups that Frank Martin and his team conducted for the rebranding of HCA’s Southwest Virginia market were invaluable in the decision-making process to move forward with the LewisGale Regional Health System name. This research clearly identified our opportunities and challenges and helped us realize the importance of developing a robust communication plan that would address all of our stakeholders: physicians, employees, patients, businesses, and the communities we serve. 
I was very impressed with Frank and the Martin Research team. We completed an important project on a rather tight deadline, which allowed us to gain some really valuable insights into a major company initiative. Throughout the entire process, Frank impressed me with his professionalism, his courteous manner, his open-mindedness and his efficiency.
