Who We Are | Aftab Associates

About Us

Customized, holistic and ingenious research

Aftab Associates was founded in 1983 as one of the first marketing research agencies of Pakistan.

Today we are a renowned, full-service marketing research firm. We provide customized, well-formed, holistic and ingenious research material, with one objective: to deliver actionable insights into the ever-changing world of the consumer.

Our work spans FMCG, telecom, banking, retail, agriculture, automotive and the social sector, combining qualitative depth with quantitative rigour and real-time data collection.

We deliver prompt, valued and effective services that assist clients in forming workable solutions.

Our mission

Chairman

Leadership

H. Aftab Ahmad

Chairman, Aftab Associates

Aftab Associates bears his name, and his leadership is behind more than four decades of research in Pakistan.

Under his chairmanship, the firm has grown from one of the first marketing research agencies of Pakistan into a full-service research partner to more than 83 national and global brands. Along the way it developed Pakistan's socio-economic classification system, partnered with Nielsen, TNS and YouGov, and took its research into Afghanistan.

1983Founded

83+Brands served

10Industries

What Guides Us

How we work

Prompt

Fast turnaround without cutting corners, so insight arrives while the decision is still open.

Valued

Study designs shaped around your business question, not a one-size-fits-all template.

Effective

Clear, actionable recommendations that help you form workable solutions.

Our Journey

Milestones since 1983

From pioneering Pakistan's socio-economic classification to introducing online research, our history tracks the evolution of the industry itself.

1983

Founded in Lahore

Aftab Associates is established as one of the first marketing research agencies of Pakistan.

1998

Socio-economic classification

Established and developed the SEC system in Pakistan.

2001

Joint venture with Nielsen

Partnered with The Nielsen Company.

2006

Independent, full-service

Restarted operations as an independent full-service research firm.

2010

TNS affiliation

Affiliated with TNS, the customized research company.

2011

Operations in Afghanistan

Started operations in Afghanistan.

2016

PAS LSM study

Awarded the LSM study by PAS to develop the new local currency in Pakistan.

2018

YouGov partnership

Partnered with YouGov to introduce online research in Pakistan.

Today

Still listening

Helping brands understand the ever-changing Pakistani consumer.

Field Networking

Reaching respondents where they are

Reliable insight starts with reliable fieldwork. Our trained field teams collect data across Pakistan's cities, towns and rural areas.

Nationwide coverageField operations across urban and rural Pakistan, with experience extending into Afghanistan.
Trained interviewers & supervisorsTeams briefed on every project, with supervision and back-checks built into the process.
Quality controlField practices aligned with ESOMAR and MRS codes of conduct.

Face-to-face

Household and intercept interviews, in-home and in-store.

Telephone (CATI)

Centralised, real-time data collection.

Online

Online panel research introduced with YouGov.

Qualitative

Focus groups and in-depth interviews.

Membership

Part of the global research community

Our memberships commit us to internationally recognised standards of ethics and quality.

European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research

The global association for the data, research and insights community.

Market Research Society, UK

One of the world's leading professional bodies for research and insight.

MSPA

The largest professional trade association dedicated to improving service quality using mystery shoppers.

Marketing Research Society of Pakistan

Pakistan's professional forum for marketing research.

Work with a team that knows Pakistan

Let's talk about your next study.

Get in Touch Our Services

A research partner with four decades of perspective