EXPERIENCE
IBM
Worldwide information technology (IT) company.
Manager, Market Intelligence, San Antonio, TX 2000-Present
Sr. Manager, Market Intelligence, White Plains, NY 1997-1999
Responsible for primary research, statistical and analytical consulting to provide marketing and sales teams a consumer-centric perspective for formulating marketing strategy, tactics and offering/creative.
Representative Assignments & Impact:
> Aided management in gaining a deeper understanding of the role of server reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS) in the server purchase decision-making process using focus group research. Purpose of study was to develop a positioning strategy that incorporates RAS into p-Series direct marketing offers and communications.
> Identified optimum combination of midrange server promotional, product feature and price elements using conjoint analysis. Relative power of various server promotional attributes was identified for offer optimization in addition to development of needs segmentation.
> Initiated and designed server needs-based segmentation study that has become a major research program over past 5 years, supporting companywide marketing planning and tactics development.
> Evaluated validity of existing midrange server catalog product mix/presentation versus its intended audience through conducting focus groups.
> Assessed importance and performance of key midrange server attributes by conducting quantitative AAU (attitudes, awareness & usage) study of i-Series users/non-users in key industry sectors. Purpose of research was to measure past and planned purchases of i-Series servers, and identify criteria used in the decision-to-purchase or upgrade midrange servers.
> Provided sales and campaign teams greater clarity in target market identification by developing "product heat mapping." Analytical approach was nominated as a "best practice" due to its easy-to-comprehend/easy-to-execute nature, increased facilitation of sales territory planning, and enhancement of efficiencies that doubled number of campaign leads and lowering of cost-per-lead by 55%.
> Assisted management in determining optimum pricing for new UNIX performance monitoring software. Conducted quantitative study that utilized Van Westendorp line of survey questioning that determines price which will optimize market share vs. price that will optimize profit margin.
> Determined reasons why PC and midrange server business was being lost. Conducted survey among prospects who did not purchase IBM products and performed database analysis on DAC-IBM Lost Opportunity Tracking System to determine reasons for not closing business.
> Identified ways to improve marketing of "executive briefings" for IBM's Advanced Business Institute (ABI) in Palisades, NY. Conducted focus groups and survey research among attendees of IBM Executive Briefing Center to gain insight in improving educational product mix and needed adjustments in ABI business planning in order to increase lagging enrollments.
> Determined drivers of response to e-Commerce software promotion to improve targeting of 2nd-wave mailing. Reader awareness survey was conducted and Logistic Regression was model built (in which gains charts checked model's effectiveness on a decile-by-decile basis), resulting in 100% improvement in response.
> Conducted qualitative and quantitative research to serve as basis for developing strategy and tactics for driving lead generation for e-business software. Research assessed attitudes toward ERP software, and explored differences in the software decision-making process in small vs. large businesses.
> Co-wrote SMB marketing strategy and tactics for targeting servers to key industry sectors based on analysis of IT product needs, business objectives, and market communication and channel preferences. Used survey data to evaluate IT needs and communication preferences by different purchasing stages (AIEDA) to make UNIX and WINTEL server targeting and messaging recommendations.
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EXPERIENCE (Continued)
USAA, San Antonio, TX 1999-2000
Fortune 200 financial services company.
Assistant Vice President, Customer Knowledge
Responsible for gathering and synthesizing of marketplace information, and extracting data critical for understanding customer needs for strategic marketing and communications development.
Representative Assignments & Impact:
> Formulated optimal positionings for company branding and TV commercials vs. financial services target audience using 3 phases of positioning and advertising copy testing research among customers & prospects. Phase 1 focus groups first explored customers' financial services wants and needs to develop positioning statements that were quantitatively screened in a Phase 2 survey effort. In Phase 3, respondents evaluated rough-cut TV commercials (based on Phase 2's winning positioning) using wireless keypads that quantitatively tracked audience response during the ad.
> Developed a customer-needs inventory at 3 levels of needs (primary, secondary & tertiary) by conducting ˇ§voice of the customerˇ¨ research. Card sorts of statements provided unified mapping of needs across a common set of financial products and served as a basis for Phase 2 needs survey design.
> Identified enhanced, simplified segmentation approach for target marketing of products that possessed both life stage and product needs-based characteristics. Statistically "boiled down" 44 product purchasing + life events to 14 underlying themes that were further reduced (using Q & R-Type Factor Analysis), yielding a life-stage segmentation ideal for targeting: "Starting Out," "We're a Family," "Bulding Wealth" and "Retirement."
CLARKE AMERICAN, San Antonio, TX 1995-1997
Printer of checks & bill-paying accessories for 4,000 US financial institutions.
Manager, Marketing Research
Responsible for design and implementation of all corporate research, managing $1.4 million research budget.
Representative Assignments & Impact:
> Initiated and developed a program of customer satisfaction research utilizing "house of quality" approach, which served as a foundation for Clarke winning the Malcolm Baldrige Award in 2001. "Voice-of-the-Customer" research, involving benchmarking and tracking of customer, partner, supplier and employee satisfaction, was used to formulate and track progress on "change-the-business" objectives. Results were an increase in market share by 50% since 1996.
> Identified product improvement opportunities for bill paying products by conducting ethnographic research among consumers regarding their use of on-line banking vs. bank checks. Purpose of research was to identify product improvement opportunities for checks by observing consumers in their physical & social environments routinely paying bills.
RAPP COLLINS WORLDWIDE, Dallas, TX 1994-1995
Direct marketing agency for Omnicon Group of ad agencies (Tracey-Locke, BBDO, DDB Needham).
Senior Research Analyst
Duties included conducting database analysis and regression modeling to support domestic and international database targeting efforts, and new business development. Clients included Hilton, Hyatt, GTE and Pizza Hut.
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EXPERIENCE (Continued)
MARKETING PERSPECTIVES, Dallas, TX
Brand management, marketing & research consulting firm.
Principal, Dallas, TX 1991-1994
Consultant, Dallas, TX 1987-1988
Duties included product management and marketing research for multiple clients, including Texas Instruments, McCaw Cellular, C.Itoh (Japan), Irish Trade Board (Ireland), American College of Emergency Physicians, Jimmy Dean Foods, Phillips 66, American Airlines Sabre, Delta Pride Catfish, Southland Corp (Dairy Group), Quaker Oats & Sara Lee.
Representative Assignments:
> Product Manager: Barricini Ice Cream (Southland Corp) & Desert Smoke Mesquite Grilling Chips
> Determined viable concepts for new microwaveable package goods products for major packaged goods company. Conducted mall intercepts in 6 cities to determine opportunity for new product line extensions. Broad range of information was gathered, including standard concept data (i.e., hedonics, perceived advantages/disadvantages, preference data), & price-value relationship (effect of price on buying interest).
> Formulated positioning and communications strategies for targeting users of pre-packaged convenience food for major package goods company using qualitative and quantitative research. Purpose was to provide information to give a through and detailed perspective of the product category for evaluating product modifications and identifying new product opportunities. Factor, Cluster and Multiple Discriminant Analyses were used to derive an "occasion-based" segmentation that is still used by ad agency.
> Helped reduce uncertainty associated with corporate marketing efforts in Mexico by conducting quantitative door-to-door survey of 1,200 consumers in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterey. Study gathered data on demographics, lifestyle, socioeconomics, media usage, product consumption to develop a viable market segmentation of Mexican consumers based on their attitudes, behaviors and motivations.
B.R. BLACKMARR & ASSOCIATES, Dallas, TX 1990-1991
Management consulting company specializing in IT.
Consultant
Designed research methodology, wrote proposals, conducted analysis, wrote research reports and presented findings/recommendations to clients, including Apple, IBM, Xerox, Texas Instruments and Zenith Data Systems.
Representative Assignment:
> Provided strategic direction for computer manufacturer by quantifying short-term organizational direction in marketplace for EISA vs. MCA. Conducted study among key industry sectors concerning the EISA (Enhanced Industry Standard Architecture) vs. MCA (Micro Channel Architecture) buying decision. Purpose of research was to determine preference for and penetration of EISA/MCA computer usage by industries at critical juncture in which technological manufacturing direction had to be decided.
> Determined effectiveness of Dallas INFOMART sales facility in major computer companyˇ¦s overall selling effort and impact on the customer sales cycle. Conducted research among corporate and educational institutional attendees of INFOMART facility, determining incremental sales attributable to INFOMART briefings, and the facilityˇ¦s overall value to the company.
JC PENNEY INSURANCE COMPANY, Dallas, TX 1989-1990
Direct marketing Insurance company.
Research Analyst
Direct mail research. Utilized qualitative and quantitative research to analyze the efficiency of various test versions of proposed direct mail pieces vs. "control" kits to optimize direct mail response.
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EXPERIENCE (Continued)
LWFW-CRESAP (TOWERS PERRIN), Dallas, TX 1988-1989
General management consulting company.
Consultant
Conducted qualitative and quantitative research, wrote proposals, analyzed data, wrote research reports and presented findings/recommendations to clients, including, Texas Instruments, Southwestern Bell-MobileComm, Neiman-Marcus, Lone Star Gas, Southland Corp, The Catfish Institute, and American College of Emergency Physicians.
Representative Assignments:
> Determined size, segmentation and price sensitivity of new application software market through conducting a market feasibility study and concept test for major computer manufacturer. A 5-year sales forecast and likely rate-of-adoption of new product into marketplace was also provided along with pro forma data for business plan development (based on research and cost-distribution assumptions).
> Determined retail grocery price-elasticity of farm-raised catfish for catfish producers association. Study identified the influence of varying product prices on consume demand through controlled experiment (Latin Square design) using ANOVA in 5 cities and 4 major grocery store chains across the US. Regression analysis was then used to determine the optimum selling price for each city.
> Analyzed competitive environment, market segmentation and growth of commercial/industrial gas customers for regional gas company. Conducted qualitative research (focus groups and in-depth interviews) with primary influencers making gas-versus-electric buying decision. Determined strengths and weaknesses of competitors, current levels of customer satisfaction and identified barriers inhibiting company's success.
EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS
> MBA. , Marketing, 1987, University of North Texas, Denton, TX
> MJ, Advertising, 1985, University of North Texas, Denton, TX
> BGS, Graphic Design, 1978, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
> The Burke Institute, Cincinnati, OH
- Advertising Research
- Product Research
- Market Segmentation & Positioning
- Practical Multivariate Analysis
- Tools & Techniques of Data Analysis
- Managing Marketing Research
> SAS Institute, Cary, NC
- SAS Programming 1 & 2
- Logistic Regression
> Adjunct Professor, New York University (NYU), New York, NY, 1998. Taught
graduate course in:
- Marketing Research
- Consumer Behavior
> Taught NYU Marketing Research seminar for American Express Direct
Marketers, Miami, FL, 1998
PERSONAL
> Married, 2 children |
