The former bosses of a leading grocery benchmarking programme in the UK and Ireland have announced the expansion of their own research group based in Somerset, creating several new jobs.
Julia Pascu and Andy Kemp-King had been running the Advantage Report in the UK and Ireland for nearly 20 years under a franchise agreement with Advantage Group International (AGI), based in Canada. 
That agreement ended on December 31, 2020 and, as a result, Ms Pascu and Mr Kemp-King have now decided to focus activities on their separate business called Finger on the Pulse Research Ltd, based in Wells, Somerset.
This business-to-business research agency focuses on providing bespoke research solutions to a range of clients in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector and other industries.
Ms Pascu, managing director of Finger on the Pulse Research, said: “The expansion of the Finger on the Pulse Research company will now enable myself and Mr Kemp-King to offer research solutions to the CPG sector and other industries.
“The business specialises in providing bespoke research services, in particular gathering stakeholder feedback on behalf of clients from their customers, suppliers and employees.”
Recent projects by Finger on the Pulse Research have included employee, customer satisfaction and supplier surveys for major food manufacturers, healthcare businesses, automotive and defence groups. 
Areas explored as part of recent projects have included: working from home, diversity in the workplace, and measuring the impact of Brexit on the supply chain.
The company has also conducted a COVID-19 study to understand the challenges faced by suppliers and retailers during the first wave of the pandemic, identifying what ‘best in class’ looked like for both retailers and suppliers.
Mr Kemp-King, who is now the research director of Finger on the Pulse Research, has had an extensive career on the retailer, wholesaler and supplier sides of the CPG industry, added: “The new focus on expanding our own business will enable us to deliver industry leading projects to an even wider range of clients across the CPG and other sectors.”
Finger on the Pulse Research has been operating since 2014. More details are available online at www.fotpresearch.com.
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