Open Mind joins Hall & Partners
Omnicom’s Hall & Partners has merged with research group Open Mind. It has also launched Engager, a new tool for communications and brand research.
The announcement:
Open Mind Research Group announced today that it had joined the Hall & Partners global group to bring new generation thinking in brand and communications research to Australia.
Hall & Partners – part of the international Omnicom Group – has been winning major clients around the
Vicki Arbes CEO Hall & Partners Open Mind
world with its new thinking about how consumers engage with communications and brands. Now this different approach is available in Australia, backed up by the senior teams and deep local knowledge of innovative Australian research company Open Mind.
The company today also officially launched its proprietary EngagerTM model – which represents an entirely new dimension in communications and branding research – in Australia. EngagerTM provides a unique-in-market strategic and evaluative framework that quantifies effective brand engagement.
Dr Vicki Arbes, CEO of Hall & Partners | Open Mind, leads a highly credentialed executive team comprising Managing Partners Louise McCann, Nicola Hepenstall and Anna Box.
Dr Arbes said: “Open Mind joining Hall & Partners gives us access to really cutting edge thinking and techniques and allows us to compete at a different level in the Australian market. We started a joint venture with Hall & Partners in 2009 and the response was so positive we know there is rapidly increasing demand for a new generation approach to communications and brand research.
“Hall & Partners | Open Mind delivers clients fresh thinking that moves beyond the rigid ‘black box’ tracking of yesteryear with a distinctive and powerful framework that reflects the latest psychological and commercial insights about the way consumers engage with communications and brands across multiple touch points.
“Hall & Partners | Open Mind recognises that in this age of digital connection, what people do with a brand is more important than what they say about a brand. We also consider the power of the emotional response and the very dynamic and dialogue-based communications environment offered by social media.
“We have the flexibility to accommodate a client’s unique context and objectives while providing the confidence of a proven and globally-used approach.”
Page 1 of 2 Vanella Jackson, Hall & Partners Global CEO, said: “Hall & Partners has built its reputation by bringing new thinking and models to the new world of brands and engaging communications. Our EngagerTM tool, among others, is helping brands like Sony, Amex and Microsoft develop and evaluate effective engagement marketing.
“Open Mind has an outstanding reputation for high level strategic thinking and insight. I have been very impressed by Vicki Arbes and the fantastic group of talented researchers she has at Open Mind.
“I am excited about the huge potential of Hall & Partners and Open Mind Research coming together to form a new global boutique consultancy in Australia. We all look forward to an inspiring partnership and to creating outstanding, high quality work.”
As brands and communications have evolved, Hall & Partners and Open Mind have developed proprietary models for each consumer touch point.
For example, the EngagerTM model allows brands, for the first time, to formally measure their integrity as well as consumer participation, in turn helping to drive sales and profitability.
After extensive international validation, EngagerTM is now available in Australia.
Dr Arbes said: “EngagerTM gives brands a proper tool and driver to action their marketing and communications activity.
We are already talking to a number of clients who want to incorporate EngagerTM into their brand strategies.”
Dr Arbes added that clients across the commercial, government and social sectors were tapping Hall & Partners | Open Mind’s capabilities. Microsoft, Virgin, American Express, Sony, ANZ, Optus, Cadbury, Bupa, Pacific Brands and Unilever are just some of the brands the consultancy works with in Australia and across the group.
Open Mind Research was founded by Dr Vicki Arbes in Melbourne in 1992 and launched Hall & Partners Australia as a joint venture in October, 2009 under the leadership of Louise McCann.
With 30 staff in Melbourne and Sydney, the consultancy also has regional offices in Shanghai and Singapore.
Hall & Partners | Open Mind is owned in equal shares by Diversified Marketing Services, Hall & Partners Europe (wholly owned by Omnicom) and Vicki Arbes.
Source: Open Mind / Hall and Partners press release
