The Tenth Man, the creative agency set up by Ken Robertson, the former director of advertising for Paddy Power, has set up a new standalone market research business called Truth.
The new agency will be headed up by Anna Burzlaff who has been the Tenth Man’s head of insights since the beginning of 2020. Burzlaff previously worked with the London-based research agency Protein and has run global and European insights projects for leading brands like Converse, Adidas and Twitter
Explaining the decision to set up a new research agency, Burzlaff says that “market research methods have stagnated and failed to move with the times over the years as both brands and consumers have been evolving and continue to evolve. Many research approaches lack the depth to ensure creative campaigns have the insight they need to resonate and engage with their intended audience.”
She says that the impact of Covid-19 that has been felt by brands has made it more difficult to engage with their audiences. “Truth has been founded to act as an enabler to brands to truly understand their audiences and communicate with them,” she says.
“The pandemic has created a new world for the public and this changing world view makes it difficult for brands to communicate with their consumers; what mattered a year ago may not matter today and that causes a distinct problem for brands. While the idea to create Truth came before the pandemic was on anyone’s radar, it has put a focus on the need to know your audiences. We have seen examples where brands have done the wrong thing. We have also seen brands who have done nothing at all which is as much of a problem if not more,” she says.
“Truth is ultimately about creating deep, cultural insights that enable brands to create fearless campaigns. Those currently petrified by fear will be left behind as brands that evolve with their consumers will prosper,” she adds.
