The first certified US panel purpose-built for conversational research combines AI-powered fraud protection, mobile-first engagement and a fully integrated research ecosystem

CHICAGO, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Rival Group, the leader in AI-accelerated conversational research, today announced the launch of Rival Audiences, a proprietary, certified research panel of 250,000+ verified consumers in North America.

The launch addresses three persistent problems facing the market research industry. These include: deteriorating panel quality driven by fraud and disengaged respondents; the burden of managing fragmented vendor relationships across sample, technology and consulting; and a research experience that has not kept pace with how people actually communicate.

"Insights professionals are under more pressure than ever to deliver research that drives real decisions, and they need to know the data behind those decisions is bulletproof," said Jennifer Reid, Co-CEO of Rival Group. "We built Rival Audiences because the industry needed a panel where quality is protected at every stage and participants actually want to engage. And because it lives inside our broader ecosystem, alongside our platform and our consulting teams, clients don't have to stitch together vendors or chase accountability. We own the outcome."

Rival Audiences is a wholly owned, closed panel: never resold or shared. Every member is double opt-in verified and continuously protected by Survey Sentinel™ 2.0, Rival's AI-powered fraud detection system operating across recruitment, profiling and live participation, delivering an 82% lower fraud failure rate than leading competitors. The panel is Certified Sample, with longitudinal profiling that deepens over time, making participant experiences more relevant and driving deeper engagement and richer insights. Members participate through Rival's mobile-first, conversational research format, capturing reactions while experiences are still fresh.

The new panel also incorporates AI capabilities designed to extend the value of certified human data, including the use of synthetic personas, digital twins and knowledge bases to support study design and interpretation. These approaches are intended to complement real participant input, helping teams get more from the data they collect.

Rival Audiences brings together capabilities from across the Rival Group portfolio. Angus Reid contributes its existing panel, along with established panel methodology, deep recruitment expertise and ongoing engagement practices that support high-quality, profiled participation over time. Rival Technologies provides a mobile-first, conversational research platform designed to create a more natural, participant-led experience that encourages people to open up and share more thoughtful, higher-quality responses. Reach3 Insights, the group's U.S.-based consultancy, supports study design and application of findings. For insights teams, this structure brings panel, platform and consulting together within a single operating model, with one partner responsible for delivery from design through to activation.

The Rival Technologies and Reach3 Insights teams will be at Quirk's Event Chicago on April 15, booth #310, including a joint on-stage presentation with their customer, Weber.

About Rival Group 
Rival Group is redefining the future of market research by bringing together the three pillars of proprietary technology, high-quality certified panels, and expert consultancy to deliver faster, more authentic, and actionable insights to organizations that want to understand the people they serve. Its portfolio includes Rival Technologies, Reach3 Insights, and Angus Reid, operating as independent brands under the Rival Group umbrella and each bringing specialized expertise in mobile-first conversational research, strategic insights consulting and certified panels composed exclusively of real, profiled participants.

Rival Group was named in the Top 10 in Greenbook's 2025 GRIT Report as the most innovative technology provider and consultancy partner, underscoring their continued leadership and innovation in the insights industry. The group works with some of the world's most recognized brands, including Coca-Cola, Amazon, PayPal, Kimberly-Clark, Kellanova, Warner Bros., Walmart, Deloitte, and Lululemon.

Headquartered in Vancouver, BC, with offices in Toronto and Chicago, Rival Group delivers insights powered by real people and uncompromising data quality, giving organizations the confidence to act. For more information, visit www.rivalgroup.io.

Media contact: Marie Melsheimer, 412006@email4pr.com, +1-541-815-3951

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SOURCE Rival Group