5D expands qualitative research division with senior hire

5D has expanded its qualitative research and brand strategy division with the appointment of Erryn Balzan as senior consultant. He will report to Melissa Gilson, 5D’s director of brand and qualitative research, who leads the division.

Balzan brings more than 15 years of experience in qualitative research and brand strategy. He has held senior roles with Human8, Crowd DNA, Fiftyfive5 and Galkal, and most recently worked as an independent consultant with clients including Google and Hinge.

Gilson said Balzan’s arrival strengthens 5D’s integrated approach to brand strategy: “His expertise goes a long way in solidifying our commitment to qualitative and brand strategy work – work that builds on the decades of experience 5D has to offer on top of our already strong quantitative analysis and behavioural science outputs.”

Gilson has worked with clients across Johnson & Johnson, Diageo, BT Financial, Pacific Magazines and Fairfax Media. She said 5D’s qualitative division was designed to complement the consultancy’s “science of choice” positioning by examining not just how but why consumers make decisions in complex markets.

Balzan said: “These days, brands face unprecedented complexity and evolving consumer demands. I believe people are inherently irrational, but decision making isn’t. My role is to help clients see the method in the madness and make informed strategic choices, tapping into my experience spanning services brands, cultural insight and brand strategy.”

The expansion follows the launch of 5D-AI in April, which develops custom AI and machine learning solutions to help businesses generate insights from data. Founded in 2006, 5D works across brand strategy, marketing effectiveness, offer optimisation and experience design.

Top image: Melissa Gilson & Erryn Balzan

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