The company says the new unit will complement its focus on the application of predictive modelling and advanced analytics, making use of its Interactive Decision Tool simulator that helps companies play out market and customer scenarios.

Vriens explained: “Leveraging the ability to predict the impact of different scenarios defined across product and marketing dimensions and the ability to function as the organisational memory for insights means firms will become smarter faster. This makes the difference between winning and losing in the new hyper-competitive economy.”

Jeff Brazell, CEO of The Modellers (pictured), said: “Strategic analytics has become a larger part of our business and now warrants its own business unit. Smart companies are learning to assess and manage data more strategically so they can leverage the value of that data to provide better insights that lead to winning decisions.”

The Modellers was sold to Omnicom’s Diversified Agency Services (DAS) division in February 2011. Other research firms within the DAS division include Flamingo, Hall & Partners, MARC Research, Promise and Communispace.