"Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle!"
I'm right-brained. I'm left-brained. I'm fast, hourly and fun. I use insights, data and my well-honed instincts to speed-up and enhance creative concept development, wake-up tired brands and add value and real-world context to products and services. More than anything, I get closer to consumers – and closer to the truth. My goal is to understand where a brand or product fits in a consumer's heart, mind and life today, and, perhaps more importantly, where it could fit in the future. Because it's not enough to discover an 'ah-ha', it's knowing what to do with it.
Over the past 20 years on the ad agency side, I've worked on a wide variety of accounts, including healthcare, entertainment, telecom, retail, financial services, travel, cosmetics and various advocacy issues. (And if you count new business pitches, I've toiled on dozens more.) I rely on the lessons learned in these categories everyday.
Much of the strategy work I've done has been a result of qualitative research I've personally conducted. Old-school focus groups have gained a bad rap over the years. But having moderated hundreds of non-traditional groups and one-on-one interviews nationally (and learning from industry pros and psychologists alike), I am adept at avoiding the common pitfalls. In addition, I effectively incorporate techniques such as projection, collage and role-playing to reveal deep-seated emotions.
Qualitative research need not be a formal exercise. I frequently observe consumers and salespeople in their natural habitats. Using a combination of techniques allows me to get the full picture.