The four co-founders are all long-standing ex-Hall & Partners directors and partners: Andy Barlow, Anna Frost, Julia Woodham-Smith and Rachel Low.

Andy Barlow, co-founder said: "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."

The agency said that as well as traditional research methods, Compton+Dean will offer unique approaches to help solve client issues.