FlexMR Launches New Closeness Practice Led By Danielle Wilkinson

MILNTHORPE, U.K. - Jan. 19, 2026 - PRLog -- At a time when data is in no short supply but firms face rapidly increasing uncertainty, complexity and competitive pressure, the ability to remain close to customers has become a critical source of commercial advantage. Too often, customer insight fails to meaningfully influence strategic and operational decisions – constrained to project debriefs, reports and supporting materials. This gap between understanding and action undermines both decision quality and long-term organisational performance.

The new practice responds directly to this challenge with a portfolio of consulting services based on the principles of empathy and co-design, all designed to strengthen Customer Salience – the extent to which customer perspectives are actively present, valued and used in organisational decision-making. Research consistently shows that firms that keep customers front-of-mind make better decisions, innovate more effectively, and achieve stronger commercial outcomes.

Led by Danielle Wilkinson, the practice offers a balance of flexibility and structure, combining long-term programmes with ad-hoc labs. Commenting on the launch, she said: "Customer closeness is about moving beyond hearing customer feedback to truly understanding customer lives. The focus of this new offering is to help create new organisational capabilities.

Many of the clientside teams I speak to feel frustrated by the disconnect between data and decision-making. The truth is that customer input simply isn't strategically prioritised in the same way that financial and operational considerations are. But getting insight to the top table won't change that. To create lasting change, our new Closeness practice is about shaping better decisions and practices at all levels."

At launch, the practice will offer two primary services: Customer Closeness Programmes Co-Design Labs. Customer Closeness Programmes empower small groups of decision-makers to interact regularly with customers through facilitated conversations and reflect on experiences through synthesising Empathy Workshops. Co-Design Labs bring customers and decision-makers together to work on specific challenges. After identifying issues, discussing priorities and exploring solutions with customers – a facilitated workshop with decision-makers produces a clear record of solutions and action accountability.

FlexMR CEO, Paul Hudson, added that the launch reflects the firm's continued commitment to Customer Salience and making insight matter, "Over the last decade, FlexMR has run more than one hundred online research communities. One consistent indicator of strategic value has always been the degree to which stakeholders, decision-makers and senior leadership engage with customers in these spaces. Our new Closeness practice extends this insight – recognising that impact doesn't just come from reporting but from culture and engagement."

For more information, visit: www.flexmr.net/practices/customer-closeness