Murray, a former managing partner of Hall & Partners and executive partner of HPI, and Heaney, a former director of Conquest, said they will use a network of senior consultants to integrate market research with psychology, behavioural economics and neuro-scientific approaches.

Murray said: “Brands and policy makers are striving to find new roles and a shared social purpose. Our goal is to provide the real world understanding that supports their ambition. We are particularly interested in the role that research can play in building empathy and nourishing decision makers’ real world instincts.”

In February 2015 house51 will launch a series of whitepapers exploring the role of brands in driving social change. The first study will explore attitudes to trust, ethics and social leadership in UK business and political parties.