Our Story
Our Journey at SMARI
What started as a one-man consultancy has grown into a trusted leader in strategy-driven research, guiding clients through change for over 40 years.
SMARI was born out of client demand.
Our founder, Jim Ittenbach, began offering strategic consultation alongside research results while working at another company. Driven by his desire to use his strategic expertise, Jim eventually left that company to explore new opportunities.
However, his former clients continued to seek his research guidance, and what began as a side consultancy quickly grew into a full-fledged business. In 1983, Strategic Marketing & Research was officially founded.
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For over 40 years, the demand for insightful, strategy-driven research has remained constant.
Trends like black-box models and automated tools may have come and gone, but the need for actionable insights and expert interpretation has only intensified.
Today, as SMARI, we still live by our original tagline: Guiding Change, Inspiring Confidence. Our clients turn to us when they need to navigate change with clarity and confidence—something we’ve been providing since day one.
Our founder, Jim Ittenbach, created our tagline ‘Guiding Change, Inspiring Confidence,’ emphasizing our commitment to providing clients with strategic insights and direction for meaningful change and instilling confidence in the path forward.
