Gibson described State of Play’s approach as a “blend of creative and commercial investigation”, using consumer insight alongside other techniques including competitor reviews, trend research, web 2.0 conversation analysis and creative work with industry experts and opinion leaders.

“To answer complex marketing challenges of today it is no longer enough to only consult the consumer,” she said.

“Agencies need to also embrace insight from other sources and seamlessly integrate these to inform their overall recommendations if they are able to deliver the fresh original thinking required in these times… We are particularly excited by the possibilities of merging social media analysis with more conventional qualitative research.”