New Sydney Firm Questions Motivational Shibboleths

In Sydney, Australia, ethnography and qual specialist Charlie Cochrane has set up a new research consultancy called Jump the Fence, which he says will 'challenge the notion' that consumer psychology determines brand and buying motivation.

Cochrane (pictured) began his career in the UK at The Research Centre, before becoming a planner at Lowe Howard-Spink. After moving to Sydney in 2003, he founded Ethnography Australia and continued to run his qualitative business CCRP. His new firm combines the offerings of both these businesses, to provide techniques and tools which will uncover cultural shifts, assess market potential and drive innovation.

Explaining the reasons behind the launch, Cochrane said: 'We know people do many things because of habits and cultural norms which have little to do with individual motivation, yet much research being conducted fails to reflect this. Ten years of developing ethnographic techniques alongside psychology-based approaches have shown that to adequately explain consumer behaviour, marketers and advertisers must integrate cultural perspectives with individual motivations.'

Web site: www.jumpthefence.com .