New business launches

Canadian marketing agency Capital C and newly launched intelligence gathering firm Fresh Intelligence have formed a joint venture. Fresh Intelligence will operate independently but also act as Capital C's intelligence-gathering arm through a range of customer advisory panels, ad hoc survey research and strategic marketing. Capital C's founder and CEO Tony Chapman said: “We can now instantly benefit from new world research and build a brand by learning, interacting and collecting actionable feedback, insights and intelligence from global, profiled consumers - where and when they want to be heard.”

Bryan Smith and Jon Loutit have formed a new marketing and data analytics consultancy, Optaumum. The duo recently stepped down from their positions as managing partners at Ohal, a WPP-owned econometric modelling and investment strategy firm. Smith said the marketing analytics industry in the UK “lacked focus in offering market-decision makers a direct solution to questions regarding the most appropriate level of online and offline spend for their brands” and that his firm would offer new solutions to these questions.

Market Probe India has formed a new company to carry out field operations in the country. The new firm, MP Global Link India is made up of the parent company's previous fieldwork operations and will offer CATI, CAPI and face-to-face interview services.