Founded by Giles Mackay – who founded property market analytics company Hometrack, which was bought by Zoopla – Outra claims it will ‘help brands harness the full power of connected data, insight and opinions’. It had developed a platform to help companies understand and engage with their customers and manage their data under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Hay (pictured) is Outra’s chief executive officer while Messina, who masterminded President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign and served as his deputy chief of staff, is executive chairman. Messina’s consultancy, Messina Group, will also advise Outra, as is Crosby’s C|T Group.

Hay said: “Companies need to take control of their data and use it better. It is getting harder to read the market and brands rise and fall quickly based on consumer perceptions and engagement.

“With Outra, we are taking things to the next level – we are starting with a blank sheet of paper and a new platform and approach to connect brands with consumers.”