What she's done Andrea has been conducting market research for over 15 years. Prior to her collaboration with Nancy Dodd, she was director of research at SS+K, a strategic communications firm, where her work focused on business strategy, product development, and advertising. Her clients included the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Time Warner Cable, Qwest, Road Runner High-Speed Online, Advance Newhouse, Bright House, Dell Computer, Polo Ralph Lauren, Chubb Insurance, CVS, and Imagine Entertainment. Andrea moved to SS+K in 1996 from KRC Research and Consulting, then a division of Bozell Advertising, where she worked with clients from a range of industries, including health care, telecommunications, consumer products, insurance, and banking. She has also worked on economic development campaigns for the governments of Wales, Indonesia, and the Bahamas, political campaigns for the governments of Bolivia and Poland, and tourism development for the Bahamas. Additionally, she has conducted grassroots research on the impact of the peace process in Sudan. Why research? Research comes naturally to Andrea. Incurably curious, she always has been driven to travel, understand other cultures, and expand her world. Andrea can talk to anyone, as is immediately obvious when you watch her moderate a focus group or conduct an interview. Whether advising the president of Bolivia on political strategy, speaking to everyday people in Sudan about the impact of the peace process, asking suburban housewives about their favorite shampoos, or presenting research findings to CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, she is in her element. Andrea involves herself fully in every research project and won't stop until she gets to the bottom of the issues and really understands people's motivations. Clients appreciate her insightful and useful analyses, both in written reports and oral presentations. When working with her, clients are able to relax, knowing she will take care of every last detail and give them more than they need. Most memorable projects (in her own words) Democracy in Poland: I worked for the Freedom Union party of Poland, an outgrowth of Lech Walesa's Solidarity movement which was advocating a free market economy, individual liberty, and democracy. I trained graduate students to run focus groups and helped develop strategies for the party to win seats in the country's parliamentary elections of 1997. It was fascinating to be a part of history and play a role in helping Poland make the transition to democracy. Impact of the peace process in Sudan: I worked for a coalition of relief organizations (CARE and Oxfam, among others), planning and executing research projects to study the degree to which the recently-signed peace agreement in Sudan was having a positive impact on a community level. It was gratifying to feel like the work I was doing was important for the country, as our client was able to use our findings to help pressure the Sudanese government to improve access to health care, clean water, and security. Interestingly, I found that the idea of a focus group really does transcend culture. In this case, the focus groups approximated tribal meetings, and respondents found the process to be very natural. Even though I didn't understand their language, I could still tell what was going on and help the Sudanese moderator pay attention to group dynamics and make sure that everyone had a chance to talk—the same kinds of things I think about when conducting focus groups anywhere. Education M.A., International Relations, Georgetown University Languages French, Japanese, and Spanish. |
