Kara Westerbeek Email & Phone Number

Charlottesville, Va, Us

Lead a team of eight Client Success Managers and Specialists, overseeing strategy and execution of diverse quantitative market research projects across a wide range of industries and geographies, as well as Support functionality via live chat, email and phone. Partner with clients and provide consultation on survey design, programming, and analysis.-Managed a merger of Support and Client Success teams into one comprehensive Client Success team managing all aspects of technical support and project management for DIY and ADIY clients. Developed plans for employee training and upskilling and facilitated a 30/60/90 day training plan for team members taking on new roles and responsibilities as a result of the merger.-Oversee the execution of internal processes and client deliverables, including survey QA, and technical and programming support for surveys covering a broad range of objectives, such as pricing research, concept testing, brand trackers and more, in addition to advanced research tests including MaxDiff, Choice-based conjoint and TURF analysis.-Manage and monitor the health of key client accounts in collaboration with the Account Management team.-Design and conduct product demonstrations and in-depth training sessions covering all aspects of the aytm platform, as well as market research best practices.

Oversee diverse quantitative market research projects across a wide range of industries and geographies. Partner with clients and provide consultation on survey design, programming, and analysis. Lead and develop a team of project specialists.-Lead survey review and optimization and provide feedback and coaching on survey design and best practices. -Oversee survey launch and fieldwork, and provide support and guidance on survey analysis.-Manage client communications and expectations throughout the research process.-Train and support clients in order to foster greater independence, confidence, and increased use of research services and capabilities.

Harrisonburg-Staunton-Waynesboro Area

Led a team of three researchers and drove strategic thinking through a variety of academic and market research studies. Managed budget of $250K. Supported enterprise strategy and initiatives with insights and recommendations for business units, including Consumer and B2B Marketing, Brand, Sales, Product Management, Web Strategy, and the Executive Office.KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:-Rebuilt market research function after organizational restructure, gaining buy-in from key stakeholders and establishing new survey programs, including quarterly brand tracking, customer rolling survey, and net promoter score (NPS) program. Expanded supervisory role by hiring Research Analyst and creating business case to lead team of academic researchers, resulting in successful launch of product effectiveness study within two months.-Developed and launched survey within 48 hours for creative testing of TV advertising, uncovering data that led team to pivot and redistribute more of the media budget towards the ad with the greatest impact. -Initiated and managed the first large-scale qualitative insights mining project to advise brand team on creative direction for 2021, post-COVID, leading to brand positioning, as well as a new TV ad and marketing campaign.-Earned Rosetta Stone "Stela" award in 2013 and 2014, recognized by peers for achieving excellence. -Conducted market sizing and segmentation studies to support successful sales expansion into new geographies, including Australia, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, and the United Kingdom (UK).-Coached aspiring talent as part of the Global Marketing Team’s formal mentoring program, nurturing, engaging, and developing staff across all levels.

Collaborated with global teams to deliver insights and results to drive decision-making. Conducted broad range of projects using multiple qualitative and quantitative techniques, with a focus on advertising, customer satisfaction, and brand equity.KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:-Promoted from project manager to lead and expand team in response to increase in new research project requests. Hired and groomed new Project Manager and built leadership acumen to mentor and coach team. -Drove enterprise efforts to underscore business case for successful expansion into China, Germany, Japan, Korea, and UK. Managed qualitative research to understand learners' perceptions, opinions, behaviors, and attitudes related to product category, as well as buying preferences, knowledge, and perceptions of competition. Collaborated with leadership team, crafting marketing plans and positioning for each market.-Partnered with brand and marketing teams to translate research insights from focus groups into development of new brand platform for the core language learning business.-Implemented a range of research projects in connection with new consumer product launch, including focus groups to inform product positioning, usability studies, product naming, and purchase consideration, while also designing and conducting UI/UX testing for the e-Commerce site.

Designed and conducted positioning research for a healthcare technology company.-Developed a qualitative study design to capture key questions and objectives related to mobile prescribing in the field of Psychiatry-Led In-depth interviews with practitioners-Prepared written report of findings and recommendations to guide product positioning

Spearheaded product development projects and marketing initiatives for a team of developers, designers, and marketers.KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:Led the on-time development and launch of a new Web-based brain training product, including task definition, timeline, roles, and responsibilities for each member of the team.-Managed offline marketing activities, developing TV and radio ads, and meeting weekly with advertising agencies to review budget and ad performance. -Coordinated digital marketing activities, including weekly email marketing and social media advertising campaigns.-Created welcome email campaign for new customers, writing copy and overseeing visual design and implementation.

Developed study design and test protocols to guide new product development efforts.- Led usability testing of the company's software product- Created a written report with findings and recommendations for Product Management

Harrisonburg-Staunton-Waynesboro Area

Conducted market research in a fast-paced corporate environment. Increased responsibility from assisting with research projects to managing research partners, executing studies, preparing research reports, and delivering presentations.KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:-Drove product validation and UI/UX testing for new language learning product, recruiting research participants and managing their product use and feedback throughout the months-long study prior to product release, resulting in launch of the company’s most profitable product.-Led in-depth interviews to test new product packaging and carried out usability testing for software prototype.-Created surveys and conducted analyses for a range of studies, including customer and employee satisfaction.

Master Of Science - Ms, Integrated Marketing Communications

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, Communication, Business Minor