I founded Research Plus Ltd to provide comprehensive research projects (quantitative and/or qualitative) that deliver detailed insights into consumers or businesses; our mission is to supply cost-effective, high quality, market, social & opinion research.We do this by identifying what a client's key objectives and real business issues are, enabling us to design research projects that efficiently deliver quality results, which we use in making recommendations that are credible and based on real evidence.Our client base includes leading Financial Services organisations (Standard Life, Schroders, LloydsTSB, Prudential, Experian CreditExpert, Nationwide) Communications & Public Relation agencies (Citigate Dewe Rogerson, Weber Shandwick, Consolidated PR, 3 Monkeys, RCKR-Y&R), and other industry-leading companies (Nissan Motor GB, Roche Diagnostics, Compass Group, ghd). We also work on a number of confidential new product and creative development projects.Quantitative services include:• Omnibus, continuous and ad-hoc studies; • Online, telephone and face-to-face data collection methods. • Analysing results, report writing and generating insights, whilst communicating findings in the clearest possible way and answering all the key objectives.Qualitative services we offer:• Face to face depth interviews• Telephone depth interviews• Focus groups (mini/standard/extended).

A six month contract, managing and selling Experian’s online consumer panel research, Canvasse Opinion, used for omnibus and bespoke projects, before the panel was sold to another company.• Questionnaire design and online fieldwork management to provide accurate, authoritative results used in press releases and client published reports (internal/external).• Clients included Communications/PR agencies (Citigate Dewe Rogerson, Lansons Communications, 3 Monkeys), Financial Services organisations (AMEX, Lloyds TSB, Standard Life, HBOS) and Experian internal clients (Creditexpert, Business Services, Future Foundation).

Using Research International's branded innovation techniques, I managed NPD/concept testing and sales volumetric forecasting for clients from a variety of industries, including FMCG, Alcoholic beverages, Healthcare and Telecoms. Results were used for critical product launch decision-making.• Data modelling for product concept screening (eValuate), prospective new product testing & sales volume prediction (MicroTest) and occasional post product launch validation of results.• Project management; identifying client objectives, developing questionnaires, providing analysis and making business recommendations concerning forecast sale volume results/concept progression.• Providing technical & innovation expertise for research teams and external clients, covering the complete innovation journey from idea generation to product launch and beyond.• Client dialogue/presentations concerning strategies to achieve action standards for a prospective launch, and context of results (trial, adoption levels) against category Norms, generated from RI’s database.• Global internal and external clients across a range of product categories. Personally responsible for Nestlé, Heinz, National Lottery, Procter & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline accounts within the Marketing Science Centre.• Additional ad-hoc statistical analysis to support studies, e.g. TURF analysis, Optimum Pricing, Source of Volume (including cannibalisation), clients’ database analysis.• Management responsibility for 3 team members, departmental targets, forecasts and strategies.

Reporting directly to the MD of the European office of leading US concept testing agency, AcuPOLL, I jointly developed business strategy and personally recruited, trained and managed the Analysis department, a team of three.• Responsible for all stages of research projects: developing client objectives, providing concept critique, questionnaire design, managing research sessions, data analysis and making client recommendations.• Studies included new product/concept development, positioning testing, packaging evaluation, taste tests, advertising testing, sales promotion impact, brand equity measurement, product category investigation.• Multi-country projects throughout Europe (UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Poland, Sweden and Russia). Managing respondents, field agencies, translation/language requirements and different cultural issues.• Analysis techniques included hypothesis testing & correlation to identify targeting strategies, optimum pricing, volume forecasting, brand/needs gap analysis and TURF analysis.• Presenting critical results used to make develop/drop decisions for International FMCG brands, including Colgate-Palmolive, Boots Healthcare International, Coca-Cola, Alberto-Culver, Nestlé-Purina, Heinz, Danone, Procter & Gamble, Adams-Pfizer, Cadbury-Schweppes, Johnson & Johnson.