Nonfiction Research launches

Based in Brooklyn, the agency has been founded by Gunny Scarfo, former head of strategy for Vice Media’s digital agency, Carrot, and Ben Zeidler, former global head of CPG Research at L2/Gartner.

They have worked together for five years at Tenthwave Digital, now part of Accenture Interactive.

Their aim is to do ‘uncensored research’ and find customer truths that people self-sensor rather than reveal to market researchers.

Scarfo said: "There’s a life hidden beneath the one that people share with market researchers. Market research should be as informal and unfiltered as the people who are buying the products."

In addition to consulting directly with brands, Nonfiction will publish a series of publicly available reports. The first, due later this month, is titled ‘The Secret Financial Lives of Americans and the Future of Financial Services’.

The research included locating and interviewing convicted bank robbers, talking with individuals struggling with shopping addiction, and hearing thousands of Americans share their most private money moments.