The Merrill Dubrow Blog

Janet Savoie Vice President, OSS

I have to travel a lot for work and one of my regular stops is Atlanta.  Since I am in Nashville, I can drive it, but because I do not read, write, text, dial, answer emails while driving (Merrill), I prefer to fly so I am not away from work too long during productive hours.  The problem is that one airline controls the skies between Nashville and Atlanta and the fares are beyond ridiculous for a 45 minute flight.  We are talking about as much as $600-$1000.  I always check the fares and to my surprise last time another airline popped up that was just over $200 . . . Kentucky Skies.

I checked them out on the Internet and they seemed okay.  I figured it was going to be a small plane and I wasn’t disappointed.  It was quite an experience, not bad but definitely different.  The terminal for this airline was not at the Nashville airport but just outside it in a separate building.  The good news was that there was free parking right outside the front door.  When I went in I was told to go into an office where I would be checked in.  The person checking me in, who turned out to be one of the pilots, asked me to grab my carry on and step on the scale.   I was a bit shocked but apparently on small planes they have to balance the weight.  The pilot loaded all our bags onto the plane and then we were ready to board.  There were no boarding passes or security and when we were ready the pilot called out our seat assignments . . . I was in row 2 on the right.  There were only 8 of us on the plane and the pilots were right in front of us . . . no locked cockpit and certainly no flight attendants handing out peanuts and Cokes.

The flight itself was very uneventful.  We left on time and landed on time even though it was a cloudy and rainy day.  I have to admit looking out the front windows of the plane kind of freaked me out.  There was no visibility and we flew in the middle of a big cloud the whole way.  Upon arrival at a small terminal outside the Hartsfield airport, the pilots unloaded our bags and drove us in a shuttle to Hartsfield so we could pick up our rental cars.  We followed the same procedures for the return flight.  This time however it was nighttime and very clear.  I hadn’t realized how low we were flying.  I could see lights on the ground all the way home.

Would I do it again? Not if my kids have anything to do with it.  They were horrified.  I however might consider it because of the price certainly, but more so because of how much easier it was, how nice all the people were and how calm I was after the first few minutes.  I really felt for once I was flying "the friendly skies".

• What do you think of my experience?
   
• Have you had a similar experience to mine?
   
• What is the smallest plane you have ever been on?

I look forward to reading your comments.

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Last night’s game went into overtime, so Merrill asked me to cover for him today. As I have mentioned on previous posts, I have many passions in life (baseball, English soccer, food, travel) and high on the list is music.  Growing up I was always listening to and purchasing music.  Sometime ago, my friend (JH), who teaches elementary school and has a seventeen year old daughter, commented to me that kids today, due to the popularity of downloading individual songs (MP3 files) often have no concept of what a music album is. This statement resonated with me as I have always been one who has had a greater appreciation for a full album of recorded work and the sequence of the songs, rather than just the individual single hit song.  I thought: "Are we truly seeing the demise of the recorded album?" "Will the future of music consist of nothing but a series of unrelated individual MP3 files?" "Are we witnessing another seismic shift in the decline of western civilization?" I am happy to report that in the past year, there has been a new trend that has eased this concern of mine. Some noted bands and performers have started playing full length albums, from beginning to end in the proper song order/sequence.  I was first aware of this in 2008, when a reunited Fairport Convention played their 1973 classic album "Leige And Lief" from beginning to end.  Early in 2009, Van Morrison toured performing his acclaimed 1971 "Astral Weeks" album.  This summer Steely Dan’s tour consisted of every night playing, from beginning to end, one of their classic albums.  I went to one their shows in Los Angeles and saw them perform the entire "Gaucho" album from 1980.  With the demise of the album has being put on "the back burner", this trend of devoting an entire concert to one classic album got me day dreaming: "If I could see any singer or group (past or present), what album would I like them to perform from start to finish? And what unique concert venue would this concert take place?" I easily thought of a dozen of acts and albums that I would like to see and topping my list was: Brian Eno and John Cale, at the Roxy Theatre (West Hollywood) performing their 1990 album "Wrong Way Up" .  This is probably my all time favorite album and seeing/hearing it performed live at the Roxy circa 1976 (when the joint had tables and seats) would be a dream come true for me.  My runners-up were: The Jam, at the Marquee Club (London) playing "All Mod Cons" from 1978. Dave Edmunds and Rockpile, at a county fair, performing "Repeat When Necessary" on a flat bed truck — that would be classic. Lee Morgan at Dante’s (LA jazz club) performing his 1963 album "The Sidewinder" Bob Dylan and the Band, at the Santa Monica Civic, playing "Blood On The Tracks".  So now it is your turn.  Pick a singer or band, past or present.  Put them in your favorite concert hall, club or arena.  What album would you like to see them perform from start to finish in the exact order as they appeared on the initial release?  Are you a Sinatra fan who would love to see "Ol’ Blue Eyes" perform "Songs For Swingin’ Lovers" at the Sands in Vegas?

• How about the Beatles playing "Sgt. Peppers" at the Royal Albert Hall?
   
• Or Luciano Pavarotti performing Puccini’s "La Bohème" at La Scala?
   
  
• Would you like to see Bruce and the E Street Band play "Born To Run" at the Stone Pony (Asbury, NJ)?
   
• Or Miles Davis and his classic "Birth of The Cool" at Birdland?

I look forward to reading your picks and hearing if you agree with me about the importance of music albums versus individual songs.

~ Guest Blogger Ed Sugar ~

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Spence Bilkiss, Gene Filipi, Lance Hoffman, Drew Judge, Marisa Pope, Brad Solomon, Ted Watson and countless others have all witnessed OCD at its best, DINNER at my house with my wife, Angela Miller, as the hostess.  I must admit, I am truly amazed each and every time we have dinner guests and the rituals that she has.  Angela will prepare dinner, dessert (usually soufflés), all while she is vacuuming, doing dishes, washing under the feet of our guests, eating, while bathing the kids and everyone’s favorite — shaking out the rug.

She simply just can’t sit still; OCD in some form has taken over her life.  Don’t get me wrong, living in the cleanest most organized house on the planet is fantastic.  It is definitely better that the alternative.  However, she takes it to a different level all together.  Here is a list of the other "rituals" she has……

• Cleaning the kitchen floor as the family leaves for the day — let me explain, she is on her hands and knees with a Clorox wipe cleaning her way OUT THE DOOR!
   
• Stainless Steel Magic, this product is her life — when ANYONE opens the fridge, puts something into the trash can, she is right behind them with this wonder spray eliminating the finger prints
   
• The refrigerator can NOT have an item missing (see picture).  When a bottle of water is taken from its perfectly positioned location in its line-up it is immediately replaced with a fresh bottle from the reserve we have (approximately 3 cases on deck AT ALL TIMES) and rotated into the mix.  All items in the fridge look like soldiers, all standing front facing in perfect order
   
• Paper towels, now this might just be a sign of craziness.  If we do not have at least 15 rolls on standby, I am ordered to the wholesale club store to stock up.  You never know when you will need 5,000 feet of paper towels.
   
• NOW MY FAVORITE — Shaking out of the kitchen rug.  WOW, this is funny.  You can ask anyone who has been to my house.  Angela shakes that rug out so much that I have purchased 3 more to put in its place when it gets totally worn out.  (each rug lasts about 30 days)

These are just a few examples of OCDs / Rituals that Angela has.  I too have my "issues"; mine might be more superstitions or "good luck" habits.  Here are a just a few………

• Walking under ladders, I don’t do it — bad luck, superstition
   
• I put cash into my wallet all facing the same direction in order of denomination, low in the front, high toward the back — I believe just an OCD
   
• I say "rabbit, rabbit" as the first words out of my mouth on the first day of each month – good luck for the month (if I forget and say something else first, I am pissed at myself) , superstition
   
• I never leave my keys on a table, if one does superstition says you will not have money – luck, superstition
   
• When pouring a liquid out of a bottle (wine bottle, soda bottle, water pitcher, etc.) never ever ever do I pour underhanded into my glass.  Actually, if I am at a restaurant or out anywhere and someone pours into my glass and they start to pour underhanded, I stop them and have them pour over handed — bad luck, superstition
   
• I am a big proponent of coins that face up. For example:
   
  • All of the change in my car’s change holder is heads-up. Guaranteed – definite OCD
     
  • When I see a coin on the ground, if I choose to pick it up, it must be heads-up. If it’s not, I’ll flip it over first to make it head’s up — good luck and OCD all in one
     
• When watching the Red Sox in regular season at home, I always sit in the same seat, right in the middle of the couch.  Now, when I watch them in the post season from home, always far left in the first spot. — superstition, thanks to my father

Now that I have shared some of our superstitions, OCDs and rituals — I would love to hear some of yours.

• Do you have any superstitions that I can add to my life,
   
• Any good luck rituals that can take over my daily routines? 

I look forward to hearing your comments.

Thanks for reading!
Jason R. Miller

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Jason R. Miller, PRC (Vice President, Performance Plus – GroupNet Boston)

Jason has been with Performance Plus since September of 1992.  Jason went to Framingham State College seeking a degree in English when he took a part time job as a telephone recruiter and like many others in Market Research fell into this field.  Since taking that job, he has moved up the ranks from phone recruiter to interviewer to assistant front desk then off to an assistant project manager.  Jason then worked as a Project Manager until 2000 when he moved into his current role. 

Jason will be married 10 years this January to his "High-School Sweetheart" Angela Miller, who is featured in this article.  They have two beautiful girls, Zoe 8 and Bella (Isabella) who is 6.

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When I was asked to be a guest blogger, I was torn on the subject of my entry:

Should it be related to:

• What I do as a creative director
   
• My experience as a working mother with 2 1/2-year-old twin girls.
   
• What I’ve done to combat the effects of the economy on my families grocery bill. My quest for coupons and the satisfaction felt in saving $108.00 in one grocery-shopping trip.
   
• My self-admitted obsession with reality TV. I have no shame in indulging in hours of Project Runway, Shear Genius or Biggest Loser and American Idol.

Even with all these, true inspiration still eluded me. As each day went by, none of these topics were inspiring me to run to the computer to tap finger to key.

And then it happened. The 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremonies. I know what you are thinking: Not another discussion about politics and the Olympics. Nope. It wasn’t the amazing history of the Olympics either. Or the incredible athleticism and dedication of all the athletes. It was the creativity that got me off the couch, leaving my family, still watching in awe.

It was the unbelievable attention to detail when it came to the vision and creativity that went into the conception, planning, and execution of this massive production. I was captivated by the details in the story it told and how it all unfolded and the transitions it made between all artistic forms: performance art, choreography, costume, colors/lighting, timing, music, illustration, technology, martial arts etc. It was awe-inspiring, and just the thing that made me jump up off the couch and run to the computer to blog about it.

Attention to detail is something I’m familiar with in my day-to-day passion for the work that I do. I feel it is one thing to be creative, but it is a whole other thing to be creative and also put the crucial, and in some cases tiny, details and thoughts into an already solid creative concept. This, is where the magic happens. And in the case of the production in Beijing, it was inspiring.

My favorite part was when the dancers started to draw on that big screen as they performed, and how that drawing then was enhanced when the children added their emotion to it. I particularly enjoyed how the athletes walked across enormous sized ink pads and their footsteps added color and motion to the entire piece of art… it involved many, in creating this piece of art. The thought and detail in that one snippet alone of the production was a really amazing work of art. One that the entire world witnessed being created — in real time. This is what I think art is all about.

• What do you think of this production from a creative perspective?
   
• What "detail" was your favorite part?
   
• What "detail" was your least favorite part?
   
• Do you have any secrets or best practices that you use to be detail oriented?

I look forward to reading your comments.

Chime in.

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About Lisa Goin, Creative Director at AvreaFoster

As Creative Director, Lisa draws on nearly 20 years of advertising/design experience to help continually raise the bar on the creative work produced for her clients. Lisa works on many accounts, in industries ranging from technology to healthcare. This wife and proud mother of twins enjoys “jumping in and problem-solving.” She holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from Kansas City Art Institute.

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I can still remember the dinner conversations growing up and my father instilling the message into our heads. You need to give back to your community. It is not only about your money, it is also about your time and your commitment. Devote at least 10% of your yearly income and more important, devote at least that amount or more of your time. He lived these thoughts and truly believed in acts of charity and kindness. I can still hear his message echoing in my head.

A little over a month ago, I had my first experience in a charity race. Although I have participated in many charity events, this was my first actual race to raise money for a charity. It was a regional 5K Race for the Cure for Susan G. Komen. I have to tell you that it was one of the most moving charitable opportunities that I have been a part of. To be in a pack with over 7,000 people, who all shared the same goal of raising money for a very worthy cause was very powerful. To see the energy and commitment that went into organizing this event was incredible. To see the camaraderie of the survivors and hear their stories was unbelievably moving. To add to this, I was able to share this event with my 2 kids, who ran with me.

Here are some of the details of the race. Yes, I finished it and just under 30 minutes. I ran a good portion of the race shoulder to shoulder with Governor Jon Corzine (NJ), passing him with about 1 mile to go. I did beat my two kids — barely. The event rose over $1,000,000 — incredible indeed. I was really touched by all the friends and family who donated on my behalf. The amazing thing was the number of people who donated, not so much the amount they donated. I so appreciated this support.

As a family, we have done many charitable events together — Relay for Life (American Cancer Society), working in soup kitchens, park clean-ups, etc. As they become adults, I hope my two kids have that same message echoing in their heads just like I do. And with a little luck they will instill that same feeling to their children.

As I continue to instill this message to my kids, I am looking for other types of charitable experiences.

• Please share some of your experiences and what they have meant to you.
   
• Should we in the marketing research industry, specifically MRA, find a worthy charitable cause to raise money for?
   
• Corporate charitable giving is also a passion of mine — are there any interesting corporate charity events that you have participated in and what were those experiences like for those that participated?

Merrill, thanks for allowing me to guest blog and I look forward to the comments.

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Steve Schlesinger is CEO of Schlesinger Associates, a global data collection company specializing in qualitative research, with 14 offices in the US and 2 in the UK. He has also served for the past 7 years on the board of the MRA, currently serving as the secretary. He is an active member of AMA, CASRO, CMOR, ESOMAR and PMRG. He also serves on the board of trustees of the Overlook Hospital Foundation.

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One of my favorite things as a kid was to sit out with the "dads" while they smoked cigars and pipes, talked politics and sports, and drank whatever it was at the time. Sure, there was a lot of bluster, competition and boasting, but that’s part of the charm of the guys and, frankly, I was in awe of them with their European cars, high-powered careers and wry senses of humor. It was fascinating to listen to and cigars just solidified the mystique.

So, I’ve always loved the smell of a great cigar and the great memories associated with it. And, after all these years, I still sit out with my dad and the guys and soak up the cigar smoke, although now I get to partake in some great grappa, scotch, or whatever is on the agenda.

About a year ago, I was fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of a long-time news writer for USA Today, Bill Welsh. Bill joined my husband’s band of merry men on their pilgrimage to Sturgis, South Dakota for the annual Harley Davidson week, and he’s become a great friend since then. Bill is a man of the world. He’s seen it all and written about it, often on the front page. He loves southern blues music, any and every bar, and can wring an interesting story out of just about anyone — he’s a true master at work. But, more than anything, Bill loves his cigars. And, he always has great ones — Davidoff, Padron and numerous others.

At a recent dinner party, the guys headed outside to smoke (with me tagging along) and Bill turned to me and said, "You know, it’s a shame more women don’t smoke cigars." I’d always been tempted, but I just wasn’t sure (being someone who had never even smoked a cigarette). I felt I was satisfied to live vicariously through the guys, but I figured what the heck. I was in.

As with anything, there is a dramatically different camaraderie when you’re actually participating versus just observing. And, I have to say, it was great. I have a truly new appreciation for cigars and, I suppose, a new vice.

So, here’s my question…

• What’s your favorite cigar and your beverage of choice to smoke it with?
   
• Do you prefer something more robust, or smoother and more subtle?
   
• Do you have an occasion where you had a truly incredible, one-of-a-kind cigar?

I look forward to hearing from you and your reading your comments.

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Lynn Stalone is a partner with IHR Research Group and Restaurant Research Associates. Prior to being named partner in 1989, she was a senior analyst with the firm. She has extensive research experience in all facets of the foodservice and hospitality industries, though currently focuses her efforts on the company’s phone center operations.

Lynn attended California State University, Fullerton under a double major of Biology and Marketing. She is currently involved with National Charity League and strongly committed to charitable causes supported by this group. Lynn is also involved in several committees for MRA and is immediate past president of the Southern California Chapter of MRA.

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"If enough of us refuse to answer, the polling data will become so unrepresentative and unreliable even the media would have to admit it was useless." — Ariana Huffington on her blog, The Huffington Post shortly after the New Hampshire Democratic Primary.

On January 8, Hillary Clinton won that race by 2 points, a 10 point shift from what most polls had predicted. Watch any news program today and you are likely to hear a political pundit deriding the validity and reliability of political polls, and by extension, surveys.

Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center, wrote a column in the NY Times, titled "Getting It Wrong", saying, "All the published polls, including those that surveyed through Monday, had Senator Barack Obama comfortably ahead with an average margin of more than 8 percent." To his credit, Kohut defends the overall reliability of polling methodology and suggests factors for further study.

Some of the factors that have been suggested include:

Sampling problems — Some have suggested that certain demographic segments of the voting population are underrepresented because they do not cooperate with pollsters, suggesting that these people tend to be lower income, less well educated and more racially biased.

Media interpretation and bias — Some have suggested that the poll results were in fact accurate, but that the media is poorly educated in how to read and interpret poll results.

Racial bias — Some have suggested that many white voters are more liberal when speaking to pollsters than they are when alone in the voting booth. Would online polls be more representative?

Gender bias — Some have suggested that women would not want to seem biased toward Hillary Clinton, or men might be embarrassed to admit that they were going to vote for a woman, so their actual votes would be underrepresented.

Voting machine error — Some bloggers believe that the polls were correct, but that the voting machines were in error.

Bias in political polling — Much of the public opinion simply does not trust political polls. Certainly push polling and other disreputable practices further this distrust. I once was asked to help a local campaign with a poll when one activist suggested, "Why don’t we just tell them we took a poll. Who would know?" I had to tell her, "I would know."

So, what do you think was going on in New Hampshire?

And what do you do in commercial market research, when the actual results differ significantly from what you or the client expected? Do you challenge your results, or the expectations? Have you ever encountered a client who just did not trust surveys?

Looking forward to your responses.

Steve

P.S. The CNN/ UNH poll (http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2008/images/01/05/top10.pdf ) predicted a tie +/- 5%. The actual difference was 2 points. Maybe not all of the polls were entirely wrong.

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Steve Runfeldt (Senior Account Executive for Quantitative Research) came to Schwartz Consulting Partners in September 2007 with a total of 27 years of research experience. His expertise is in innovative research design, statistics and analysis. He has a BA degree in Psychology and Anthropology from Brandeis University, graduate work in Behavioral Sciences, Genetics and Neurobiology at The Rockefeller University and Comparative Psychology at Georgia State University. Steve has worked as project manager, statistician and director of Internet research at Elrick & Lavidge (now TNS), principal and VP of Research at Customer Sat.com and founder and CEO of Justaskthem.com.

Steve is recognized as a pioneer and innovator in the field of Internet survey research, having introduced some of the first methods for online sample control, real time online reporting and customer relationship management. As head of justASKthem.com he designed and managed one of the first online customer satisfaction management systems which enabled AT&T WorldNet to become the industry leader in customer service satisfaction. Other clients with whom Steve has worked include AMD, American Century, Cover Girl, Pac Bell, Price Waterhouse, Procter and Gamble, Roper Starch, SBC, Siemens, the U.S. Navy, the World Bank, and others.

In 2005 Steve developed a new method using Flash technology that allows websites to collect consumer feedback through a short 3 question inline feedback application. When installed on a web shopping cart this method has achieved as high as a 70% response rate.

As a member of the Marketing Research Association Internet Ethics Task Force, Steve helped to write the association’s Internet market research survey guidelines. He has been a keynote speaker, panel moderator and workshop presenter for groups such as the Marketing Research Association, Emory School of Business, University of Georgia Marketing Research Program, the Institute for International Research and the International Quality and Productivity Center.

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Have you– your avatar, that is–stepped into a virtual world lately? Are you familiar with Second Life?

If you are a marketer or market researcher who hasn’t yet experienced this "other" thriving world out there, where avatars buy homes, shop for clothes, and even open businesses–check it out. You may be amazed to see the potential of the avatar-based market.

Is this the next frontier of market research? I think yes.

At the recent QRCA Conference, Jim Bryson of 20/20 Research delivered an intriguing presentation, "The Second Life Phenomenon," where he presented the magnitude and growth of virtual worlds like Second Life. Following his presentation, my curiosity sent me soaring into virtual world mania to dig deeper on the subject. It’s truly fascinating–the implications for marketing AND marketing research are significant. And I believe we are only on the threshold.

(For a list of the top virtual world sites, visit www.VirtualWorldsReview.com.)

First, virtual worlds are growing. Subscriptions are on the rise, and it seems these sites are attracting a broader audience as we round the early adopter curve (currently half are under 30 and heavy male).

Second, advertising and marketing spending is increasing, expected to reach $150 million by 2012, up from $15 million in 2006 (Parks Associates, VirtualWorldNews.com 2007). Some companies have developed their own virtual worlds (i.e., CokeStudios.com), while others use existing sites as a communication medium. Example: New Second Life subscribers can join the Ben & Jerry’s Community, outfit their avatars in a Cherry Garcia t-shirt, and teleport themselves to the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory. (It’s fun, try it.)

While a virtual world is a powerfully engaging environment for a brand, do avatars represent actual consumers? Does that matter? Avatars don’t always physically or behaviorally represent their creators. Jim shared data from Global Market Insite (March 2007) about self-created avatars: 45% are better looking, 37% are younger, and 23% are a different gender. Hmmm…

Some experts argue that, as a creative self-expression, an avatar represents the "real" uninhibited consumer, displaying his or her psyche via the avatar. Market researchers can use avatars to uncover "true" perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of the consumers who created them. I tend to agree, and I see two broad applications for virtual world market research:

1. In-World Brand Research: As brand presence in virtual worlds becomes prevalent, especially as consumers at large become comfortable with them, I predict we’ll see more "in world" research supporting virtual world marketing. So, avatars (subscribers) residing in virtual world(s) of interest will become respondents for research conducted at in-world field locations (i.e., virtual focus group facility, mall location, in-home). Cool stuff.
    
2. Virtual World Research Platform: Aside from specific virtual world sites, avatars will become more commonplace across many applications. I envision online research platforms to soon include avatars in lieu of one-dimensional text chat. Online focus groups could eventually evolve into virtual (avatar) focus groups.

Sure enough, such research already exists. I discovered some fascinating research conducted by Thomas Kohler, a PhD student at Innsbruck University School of Management, Austria. For his dissertation, he studied "using virtual worlds for real world innovation" and conducted virtual focus groups in Second Life to support his research. His concept is brilliant: using avatars for product innovation. The "media rich environment" facilitates collaboration and "creative and highly involved users innovate in an anonymous and unconstrained setting." Indeed, it’s a brave new virtual world.

Do you think virtual reality is the next frontier of market research?

What do you think about avatar-based research?

What are your predictions?

I look forward to your comments.

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Kelly Heatly is an independent Qualitative Research Consultant, providing full service qualitative research to suppliers and client-side corporations across a wide range of industries. Her services include research design, moderating, analysis, and reporting, working with clients in an immersive and collaborative style of partnership.

With more than 13 years of marketing research experience, Kelly has conducted qualitative research focused on new product development, brand essence, advertising, communications, brand positioning, website usability, and customer satisfaction. She specializes in focus group moderating and individual depth interviewing with expertise in eye-tracking studies, projective techniques, needs elicitation, idea generation, and concept testing. Her experience encompasses consumer and business-to-business studies for a wide variety of industries including CPG, consumer electronics, apparel, healthcare, financial, retail, travel & leisure, homebuilding, energy & utility, and industrial.

Kelly earned a BS in Marketing with an emphasis in communications from Louisiana State University and an MS in Marketing Research from The University of Texas at Arlington. She leads the UTA MSMR Alumni Association’s student mentoring program.

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