Planetarium's goal is to assist in the fragile process of creating truly impactful brands and communications. The company is built on the philosophy that you can’t go about brand building passively. Research, a positioning statement and a creative brief can all be "done," but it can all just be a process of going through the motions. To get to customer/market moving brand and communication strategy, research needs to be designed in a way that gets to underlying motivators. Then, internal stakeholder discussions/workshops need to be facilitated to galvanize support around potential brand ideas, without falling into groupthink and without watering things down to non-distinction. Finally, brand and communication strategy need to be developed that genuinely stand for an idea and set a course of action, commitment and belief. That’s where Planetarium comes in. We know how to get the most out of research initiatives, whether they are qualitative, quantitative or some hybrid thereof. And we know how to facilitate workshops and discussions amongst disparate internal stakeholders that get everyone to see the potential in a brand and to unify around that potential. We then are adept at working with teams to make direction to the communication and advertising colleagues crystal clear and actionable, so that BRAND NARRATIVE can be turned into BRAND ENGAGEMENT, via the best multichannel approaches.Net net, Planetarium will make an impact for clients through: - EXPLORATION (digging for consumer/stakeholder insight and maximizing research outings)- NAVIGATION (negotiating the data to articulate issues and strategic needs, then developing positioning and Brand Narrative to guide the brand)- INSPIRATION (generating communication/creative strategy that inspires and provides clarity to the creative process)- ACTIVATION (creating communication plans and implementing multichannel campaigns that create Brand Engagement)

Member of the agency's operating board, helping to develop overarching agency business plan and guide all agency decisions. Also developed and implemented the strategic process and tools utilized agency-wide, which were a core underpinning of agency client engagements and new business wins.Grew the agency's Insight and Brand Strategy Group to include Research & Analytics, Digital Strategy, and Communications Planning capabilities, in addition to the Brand Planning, Medical Strategy and Editorial teams I had already established. There were 2 of us when I started the group and I grew it to a 25+ person department.Involved in almost all agency new business efforts. Helped lead agency through difficult era when three of its biggest accounts were lost in as many years (due to factors beyond agency's control, such as agency holding company consolidations, etc.). Through hustle, determination, leadership and strategic smarts, was able to work with colleagues to pick the agency up by its bootstraps, win new business and profitably grow our client base to be bigger than ever.Led all client workshops and involved in day-to-day client business where needs were most acute, such as positioning development/new product launches, etc. In addition, led the charge in helping agency win non-healthcare business, including Beech-Nut Baby Food, Kinney Drugstores, Adirondack Trust, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, ISI Brands, Saratoga Hospital, etc.Also, oversaw all agency training and development efforts..

Assumed responsibility for the agency's Medical Strategy department and merged them with the Brand Planning department to create the overarching Brand Strategy Group. Continued with all previous responsibilities.Developed, implemented and continuously nurtured the agency's Via Palio strategic process and Four Pillars approach, which became the foundation for all agency/client pitches and relationships.

Joined agency to launch Brand Planning department. Worked on an incredibly wide variety of accounts and pitches, across a broad range of therapeutic categories. Also lead agency efforts in non-healthcare sectors such as banking.

Joined the agency to help launch Creative Strategic Planning function and to help in better defining the Chrysler brand, specifically (though I worked across Chysler, Jeep and Dodge brands). Led anthropological research initiative to help bring Chrysler buyers into clearer focus. Validated my theory that their buyers are "light blue," people who emerged from working class beginnings and emerged to a while collar existence -- but who weren't comfortable buying something ostentatious. Worked on convincing clients that Chrysler could be positioned as the brand for people "who don't forget where they came from." This research and positioning articulation formed the underpinnings for Chrysler's award-winning (including an Emmy and 5 "Lions" at Cannes) and sales-driving "Imported From Detroit" campaign.Spearheaded the development of a new "idea-centric" strategic process for the agency and the Chrysler Group (which, at $2 billion dollars, was the biggest advertising account in the world, at the time) and integrated it across all agency disciplines. Also, worked on a variety of agency branding POVs, such as "Product Quality Communications," "Effectiveness of Full-Line Advertising Versus Single Model Advertising," etc.

Helped company diversify away from GM business, which was the majority of the portfolio when I arrived. Helped in significant company growth, working across varied categories such as automotive, fast food, mass media, military recruiting, retail, transportation, real estate and energy, etc. Along the way, commisioned by and worked with top ad agencies such as Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, Publicis/Hal Riney & Partners, GSD&M, Leo Burnett, Lowe, DMB&B, McCann Erickson, Campbell Ewald, etc.Designed and conducted qualitative and quantitative research across entire client base. Also helped company in successful physical plant selection/build-out and office relocation.

Oversaw account planning on Pontiac business. Led the strategic initiative to define Pontiac positioning ("Driving Excitement") for the new generation of youthful car buyers. Also consulted on GM initiatives for DMB&B in Asia, working out of Tokyo and Seuol offices.

In addition to previous responsibilities, also pitched and helped win accounts such as Pulte Homes, the second biggest homebuilder in North America. Worked on Dow Chemical account as well.

Joined agency to help introduce new account planning function. Launched the Pontiac Aztek, arguably the strangest vehicle of the past 20 years. Overcoming client concerns, articulated and supported an "uncola" positioning for the vehicle, generating the key thought for the brief ("It's something else"), which ended up being used as the brand tagline. Was part of team that helped use the new show "Survivor" to launch the vehicle. Achieved far better success than anyone (us or clients) imagined we would when GM designers unveiled the vehicle for us.

Contributed to the pitch and helped write the brief that won the agency the $270 million Mazda North America account. Through orchestrating a guerilla research approach, helped identify the insight that led to Mazda's long-running "Zoom Zoom" campaign.Managed the Marketing Group within the agency's Automotive Division. Then became part of two-person management team to lead the Mazda Canada business, staffing up and shepherding the account out of Toronto office.

Contributed consumer insight and strategy to wide variety of regional Ford dealer groups, helping them tailor campaigns to their respective, regional audiences. Also developed campaigns for Ford Red Carpet Lease.

Managed Chrysler International accounts. Helped launch global training and customer satisfaction program in France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Austria.

Helped manage day-to-day operations. Managed all company marketing efforts. Introduced first-ever computer system to the institution. Helped take organization through very successful stock conversion.

Received promotion out of the Account Administration program as quickly was allowable. Developed interactive videodisc (i.e. "touch-screen") technology and cutting-edge (for its time) computer games for Chrysler training and promotional initiatives.

Developed print, video and technology-based sales training materials and database marketing programs on behalf of Chrysler, Domino's Pizza and Gulfstream Aerospace. Handled billing and administration for all account projects.