Calico will aim to be a one-stop shop focused on three main areas – survey scripting, global fieldwork and data services – and has been brought to market by Watermelon Research chief executive officer Mark Squires (pictured).

David Adley, director of operations at Watermelon Research, will lead the new agency, with Adley having begun his career at Facts International’s operations centre in 2010 and having held his current role at Watermelon Research since 2020.

In addition to its three main areas of work, Calico will manage market research operations including translations, quality procedures and data processing.

Squires said: “At Watermelon, we’ve always taken a client-focused approach to our business, immersing ourselves in our clients’ cultures and ways of working, integrating with them and acting as one team.

“Our goal with Calico is to provide this same service to the rest of the industry and deliver best-in-class operations to other agencies that want to focus on insight and analysis, rather than supplier management and operational headaches.”

Adley added: “Our in-house team of programmers and client managers not only understand the principles of market research, but also the pressures of our industry, and our goal is to provide a transparent and trustworthy service to our clients.”