Expansion for Chime Digital Arm Watermelon

Watermelon Research, the recently launched digital specialist within Chime's Insight and Engagement Group (CIE), has hired Mark Barrett, Jo Brockhurst and Maninder Kaur Sahota as Consultants in its London office.

The three will be responsible for the management of a number of new clients at Watermelon, whose formation was announced in March this year. The agency is led by Chime's Nick Lamb and Crispin Beale, along with former Group Operations Director Mark Squires, and uses a range of data collection techniques from IVR, online surveys and communities to mobile surveys, eye tracking and social media monitoring.

Barrett was previously an RM at sister agency Facts International, and will continue his work on some key Facts clients while adding new ones with Watermelon. He will also focus on the building and expansion of research tools, including app and IVR development.

Brockhurst also joins from Facts, where she was Senior Client Services Executive, and will take on a marketing and client services role. With a background in international research, she will manage a number of key automotive and sport related research accounts.

Kaur Sahota worked at Network Research and then at Indefield, where she was a Project Manager. She has four years' experience of managing large-scale client accounts and will work on major tracking studies, in both project management and technical functions.

Squires says the appointments are 'another significant step forward for Watermelon' and demonstrate the Group's commitment to invest in 'innovative, cutting-edge digital research'.

Opinion Leader, Open Plan and Naked Eye are the other firms within CIE, which is online at www.cie.uk.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.