The business takes its cue from behavioural economics in trying to understand why people do what they do and develop strategies to help companies influence consumer behaviour.

Hollingworth, who was previously executive chairman of The Futures Company, was speaking at the Association for Qualitative Research trends conference yesterday.

He said: “The behavioural sciences have been evolving exponentially over the past few years in understanding how our brains work and why we do what we do. The whole world has been energised by these new insights about the brain.

“But it’s brought some challenges for us. It says we’ve ignored the complexity of human behaviour; that behaviour often operates below consciousness.

“It challenges the idea that consumers can ever truly answer the question, ‘Why did you do that?’ It challenges us to embrace fuzziness and uncertainty.”

Hollingworth, Sian Davies (who was CEO) and Sarah Davies (who was MD) handed in their notices at The Futures Company last summer.

They had a run-in with their former employer and its parent company WPP while trying to set up the new business, with the trio accused of attempting to solicit WPP employees, but the issues were resolved with an apology and settlement agreement earlier this year.