It’s never easy gathering honest feedback from consumers about brands and advertising, particularly in artificial settings such as the market research lab. Where Chicago-based Lab42 has turned to social networks as a more natural place to reach consumers, UK-based Hall & Partners have begun offering a service from within a branded taxi cab. Rather than trying to gauge popular opinions in the artificial lab setting or awkward on-the-street interview, London market research firm Hall & Partners now offers its clients an alternative. Specifically, it has created a dedicated, branded taxi cab — complete with its own Facebook page — that brands can use to collect feedback while providing a valuable service to consumers. First seen fleetingly in 2007, the the Hall & Partners cab was relaunched this August, offering a range of market research services. Retail brands, for instance, can hire the Hall & Partners cab to shuttle shoppers home from the mall in comfort, in exchange for their thoughts about the shopping experience. Others can simply tour the streets for a day and provide rides in exchange for passengers’ views about a particular topic. One of Hall & Partners professional researchers is typically part of the package, which can include product and taste tests as well. Part brand butler, part tryvertising campaign and part market research tool, Hall & Partners’ taxi offers clients a compelling new way to get closer to customers while helping them out — not to mention serving as a highly visible mobile billboard for H&P itself. Researchers around the world: be inspired! Spotted by: Fadila Merizak