New Agency Opens in South Africa

In South Africa two former employees of RI and GlobalEDGE Marketing Consultants, Andrew Johnson and Catherine Read-Fletcher, have set up a new agency, Beyond Insights.

The agency promises 'high quality, locally relevant research' to clients in South Africa and across the sub-Saharan region.

Both founders have more than fifteen years of experience in the research field, covering projects in more than 30 countries across the African continent.

Johnson was most recently MD at Durban-based GlobalEDGE, and previously worked at Research International, first in the UK and South Africa as a Director in the Marketing Science Centre, and more recently heading up the Melbourne office. A specialist in segmentation studies and also has extensive experience in brand tracking and new product development work, he describes the start-up as a way of 'getting back to his first love - research'.

Read-Fletcher also stresses a desire to 'get back to the coal face of research'. She spent eight years at GlobalEDGE, recently as Client Services Director, and worked previously at Research International South Africa in Durban, as a business practice leader. Her focus is on consumers in Africa; and on innovation projects, U&A studies, brand trackers and bespoke study design.

The new company is online at www.beyondinsights.co.za .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.