We are the Curious to Clear Collective
We are all independent experts in our field – and together we make a great team.
We offer brands a powerful mix of research expertise and FMCG marketing and innovation experience – all under one roof.
We're not your typical research agency
We’re a collective of independent professionals who work as a team.
Each member brings a unique blend of experience – spanning industries, brands, disciplines, and methodologies. From agency to client-side, our team covers the full spectrum of research, marketing, insight, and innovation.
We learn from each other, support each other, and (importantly) enjoy the process. When complex challenges arise, we can draw on the collective thinking of our entire group.
No egos, just expertise. We’re entirely focused on what matters most: your brand’s success. The ‘dream team’ we assemble for your project will be in your corner from start to finish – and beyond.
Because the best insights, most innovative thinking, and most practical solutions emerge when a range of people come together with a shared purpose.
Who we are
Isabel Lydall
Founder and Client Lead
After a 15-year career in marketing and insight leadership on brands such as Aptamil, Cadbury Fingers and Maryland, Isabel retrained as a freelance qualitative researcher in 2020 and set up the Curious to Clear Collective in 2024.
Specialist in FMCG brand strategy, insight and qualitative research.
Allyson Binnie
Qualitative Research, parent and baby
A strategic insight professional & damn good moderator with both client-side and agency experience, Ally has worked across many brands and categories,
Specialist in researching food & drink, consumer healthcare and the motherhood journey.
Toni Cundy
Kids and Youth research
Toni specialises in best practice research with young people, kids and their parents and teachers, working with clients such as Apple, the BBC, Boots, government departments and charities.
Toni was awarded the Significant Insights 30 Under 30 which recognises the next generation of global leaders in insights.
Weina Jiang
Custom analytics and quant research
Weina has over 20 years of experience in custom analytics, specializing in delivering client-focused insights. She has worked with a diverse range of clients, leading large-scale analytic projects such as conjoint analysis and segmentation studies.
Before becoming an independent consultant, Weina led the Advanced Methods team at Holden Pearmain and was Director of Analytics at Ipsos.
Sarah Madeley
Marketing and innovation strategy
Sarah has worked as a marketer for over 25 years for brands including Absolut, Cow & Gate, Walkers crisps and snacks, NIVEA, The Royal Mint, Malibu and Ocean Spray.
Specialist in identifying and delivering profitable innovation, and ensuring a brand’s packaging is working hard.
Sarah also lectures in Marketing at the University of the West of England.
Ruth McGrath
Category management, insight and marketing strategy
Ruth has 18 years shaping and growing household grocery and foodservice brands such as Upper Crust, Jammie Dodgers, Cadbury Biscuits and Meridian Foods.
Specialist in brand marketing, consumer insights, and category management.
James Powell
Capability, training and change
James has led insight and transformation initiatives across financial services, management consultancy, and central government.
Leadership roles have spanned customer insight, research, strategy, proposition, and capability development.
Nick Rabin
Quantitative research and innovation strategy
Nick has 25+ years client-side experience, starting as an FMCG marketer at Cadbury Trebor Bassett and Premier Foods, where he transitioned into consumer insight and trained with !WhatIf?. Then worked with Yum! as Global insight lead for Pizza Hut, before becoming an independent researcher.
Specialist in innovation, positioning and quant research, including online research and product testing.
Samantha Rogers
Quantitative research
Sam brings over 20 years of experience in the world of insight working as a quantitative specialist.
Over her career she has worked with a wide range of brands in food and drink, and with clients in the charity sector, healthcare and pharmaceuticals.
Stephanie Rowley
Qualitative research
After starting her career in the client side team at Arcadia Group, Steph’s desire to really understand consumers’ thinking led her to the ‘other side of the mirror’ as a qual researcher, where she specialises in comms, creative development and brand positioning.
She has experience of many FMCG categories, for brands such as Ryvita, Dorset Cereals, Hawaiian Tropic, Baileys, M&S, Capri Sun and Weight Watchers.
Rhonda Senior
Qualitative research and semiotics
After a career as a client-side marketer, Rhonda now advises multinational brands on research, as well as executing qualitative and quantitative projects across a variety of sectors.
Specialist in semiotics, positioning research and solving tricky business questions.
Danielle Someck
Brand strategy and insight
Danielle has 18 years’ experience growing Food, Drink & Health brands at PepsiCo, Mondelez, and Danone.
Specialist in brand positioning, innovation, and solving growth challenges.