Coca-Cola and Unilever are among the first brands to use BAR which allows them to conduct research among their actual customers – or those who recently lapsed – to gain a range of insights, such as why they were tempted to try their product, why they’ve stopped buying a brand, or why they are buying it less frequently.

The self-service tool means clients can launch surveys themselves through an online portal.

The surveys will be targeted at the customers who voluntarily take part in dunnhumby’s Shopper Thoughts research panel, and will provide integrated insights into consumer attitudes and their actual purchasing behaviour with results delivered in five days.

Kate Freeman, future consumption shopper marketing manager for Coca-Cola said: “We do a lot of hypotheses development e.g. on why shoppers are lapsing from a brand. BAR helps us to validate these hypotheses and make faster, better informed decisions going forward.”