Former Kantar Execs to Lead New Basis Social Unit

Basis Research, headquartered in London and with three offices in the US, has launched a social research practice, geared to helping clients shape public policy, communications and services. Former Kantar execs Darren Bhattachary and Dan Clay join to head up the new unit.

Basis Research was founded in 1990, and provides ad hoc and tracking solutions for clients in media & entertainment, retail, financial services, FMCG and fashion, among other sectors. In 2018 it launched a global healthcare practice, Basis Health.

Basis Social promises to combine 'the best of commercial and social research' and focus on actionable outcomes. Bhattachary joins as CEO following thirteen years at Kantar, most recently as Co-CEO of the Insights Division UK&I and earlier as Executive Director of TNS-BMRB (now part of Kantar Public). Clay was Kantar Public's Head of Qualitative Research before joining strategic communications firm SECNewgate where he was a Managing Partner, leading the UK research arm.

Basis Group CEO Rune Mortensen comments: 'We're delighted to have Darren and Dan join us. They both bring deep expertise in social research, together with an innovative, agile mindset. Their bespoke, method agnostic, client centric approach is a perfect fit for Basis'.

The group is online at www.basisresearch.com .