Academic research & insight

Newson Consultancy sits at the intersection of behavioural science, lived human experience, and organisational transformation. Drawing on over 15 years of global research on belonging, identity, cohesion and transformative experiences, we bring the insights of anthropology and psychology into the worlds of business, brand, and organisational culture. From football fandoms to festivals, prisons to corporate teams, my work reveals how loyalty is formed, how identity becomes shared, and what makes groups truly cohere. We help organisations navigate the complex, deeply human challenges that shape culture today: fragmented teams, uncertain fan bases, burnout and disconnection, leadership transitions, and a loss of shared purpose or story. My work blends rigorous psychology with creative, real-world insight — from football terraces to prisons, festivals to corporate boardrooms — to design bespoke research designs and interventions that strengthen cohesion, rebuild trust, and unlock meaningful, lasting change. Clients come to me when they need something specialist, sensitive, and tailored, where off-the-shelf culture solutions simply won’t do.

Recent clients include the Premier League, Hyundai, Sky Sports, Diageo, Electrolux, and the social movement Camerados. We deliver rigorous, bespoke research, innovative analyses, and expert comment from multi-disciplinary teams that are handpicked for each project, directed by Dr Martha Newson, leader of the Changing Lives Lab (University of Oxford) and Associate Prof in Psychology (University of Greenwich).