Former Hall & Partners Execs Launch New Agency

Four former Hall & Partners execs have launched a new London-based qualitative agency called Compton+Dean, focusing on brand and communications research.

Partners Rachel Low, Andy Barlow, Anna Frost and Julia Woodham-Smith all previously worked at Omnicon-owned brand and comms research specialist Hall & Partners, and their agency's name Compton+Dean refers to Soho's adland area on the corner of Old Compton Street and Dean Street, where they say their 'journey' began.

The new company will offer traditional methods such as focus groups, workshops and depth interviews, alongside unique approaches such as 'Solve it Sessions' and 'Sixty' (short focused groups) to help address specific client issues. Services include support for idea generation, new product and concept development, brand and communications positioning, and creative development.

Commenting on the launch, Barlow explains: 'Clients need help and reassurance faster than ever before, and consumers have never been more savvy and opinionated. We're excited to be bringing together our 63 years of joint research experience to address these two observations. We believe there's a real art in having the best conversations, and marketers need passionate experts to make sense of what people really mean in today's fast-paced insights industry'.

Web site: www.comptonanddean.com .