Former First Direct Exec Launches MR Firm

David Jones, a former Head of Communications at First Direct, has launched a new UK-based market research agency called Habit5, which will focus on providing mutual understanding between brands and their customers.

Jones (pictured) began his career in product management at Midland Bank before moving to First Direct, where he was charged with developing the firm's internal brand values strategy, and defining the 'customer journey'. He then held senior planning roles at direct marketing agencies Scope Creative Marketing Dig for Fire, and 20:20, and most recently, at consulting firm Jaywing, where he focused on brand planning and marketing strategy development.

The new agency promises to help brands understand their customers, employees and stakeholders, and in turn to ensure that brands are understood by these individuals. Habit5 will use qual and quant 'in life' research methodologies, and work with service providers to translate this understanding into mutually 'value-adding' experiences, and communications that drive satisfaction and recommendation.

Habit5 enters the market with what Jones calls 'five main differentiators', including a comparative research study called The Mutual Understanding Measure (MUM), to determine how well a customer feels a brand understands them, and how well they understand the brand. To support this study, organisations which have decided to change their focus on how they understand and satisfy their customers, will be supported by a process called the 'Outstanding Understanding Model'.

Commenting on his new venture, Jones said: 'We don't think that achieving an outstanding understanding of your customers is simple or easy, but we do believe that it is central to sustainable commercial success. Habit5 is committed to being better at this than any other research company.'

Web site : www.habit5.co.uk .