market research tools

MARKET RESEARCH MANAGEMENT PROFILE Accomplished and highly analytical professional with track record of success supporting diverse business needs through effective research and analysis. Contribute to strategic business planning by identifying key market factors impacting sales and profitability. Collaborate with management and client to develop research proposals targeted to company objectives. Conduct diverse studies and analyze results to make recommendations for business developments. Identify demographic factors and forecast relevant trends and revenue impact. Proficient in wide range of statistical techniques and tools. Core Competencies:      Statistical / Economic Analysis Market / Industry Research Research Planning / Proposals Customer / Demographic Research Sales & Revenue Monitoring      Data Compilation & Validation Economic & Market Trends Strategic Planning Support Feasibility Studies & Recommendations Forecasting & Projections PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE UNITED STATIONERS SUPPLY COMPANY (through Aquent) – Deerfield, Illinois Associate Brand Manager – Furniture Department (2007 to Present) Contracted to monitor key performance indicators to include profit margins, variance, and quantity demanded of a private label furniture brand, developing reports and recommendations to drive long-range revenue growth. Gather and compile competitor consumer pricing and dealer costs for comparable brands, assessing brand strength and guiding marketing strategy and estimate margins. Leverage Gross Margin Return on Inventory (GMROI) model to assess profitability of furniture categories. Selected Contribution: ♦ Partner quarterly with Global Sourcing Team to monitor foreign exchange exposure impact on imports and pricing, leveraging Census Bureau import data. NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL – Itasca, Illinois Manager, Market Research and Analytics (2005 to 2007) Conducted market analysis to support program objectives, including 20 product and market research studies, analytics, and list management initiatives. Oversaw customer surveys, focus groups, and product testing to evaluate program success of future health and safety training programs. Researched competitor to evaluate market share, pricing, and relevant trends. Coordinated with Executive Directors to develop research proposals.. Contributed to meetings for strategic planning and product development decisions. Collaborated with Marketing teams to select target markets and coordinate promotions with organization objectives. Analyzed data using SPSS to identify customer segments and select target markets; assessed purchase patterns and demographics along with business intelligence from major data providers. Managed data profiling, segmentation, model and scoring using customer data sets in SQL database. Maintained data quality control procedures. Selected Contributions: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Established all stages of market research process, to include developing partner specifications, selecting suppler, designing and executing methodology and preparing analysis and presentation. Appended NAICS codes to database to accurately assess industry growth rates / penetration based upon available market share, utilizing Dun and Bradstreet’s Market Place software. Leveraged Bureau of Labor injury statistics to assess trends in workplace injuries thereby identifying safety / health training program opportunities. Provided key contributions to development of custom tracking tool, including selecting vendor and managing development process to meet budget and timeline requirements. ABN AMRO – Chicago, Illinois Project Manager, Personal Financial Services (2003 to 2005) …continued… SANDRA BROBBEY  Page 2 Compiled sales revenue data to evaluate product performance and ROI. Communicated with Division and Branch Managers to develop marketing strategies. Provided strategic recommendations to ensure new account growth. Analyzed customer and demographic data utilizing ACNielsen / Claritas census tract data modules;; evaluated data from surveys, focus groups and Mystery Shoppers to determine benchmarks. Participated in strategic planning and selection of Market Research Vendors. Coordinated with Database Administrators. Selected Contributions: ♦ Contributed to development of new ROI tracking software, including testing and application training; ensured continued data quality control by developing data validation procedure. STRATEGY PLANNING ASSOCIATES, INC. – Schaumburg, Illinois Market Research Analyst / Team Lead (2002 to 2003) Conducted feasibility studies for residential developers to evaluate potential profitability of development projects. Collaborated with clients to design study proposals based on client market plans. Managed regression analysis to predict pricing impact. Monitored relevant competitor information. Determined viability of residential projects by analyzing relevant demographic factors. Evaluated residential success in areas by measuring permit growth. Analyzed residential demand using proprietary model. Selected Contributions: ♦ Ensured client profitability and ability to obtain financing; effectively supported long-term planning by compiling competitor sales, pricing, and product data used in generating demand / sales forecasts. ERNST AND YOUNG, LLP – Chicago, Illinois Associate / Team Lead, National Tax and Consulting (2001 to 2002) Analyzed long-term care facilities and pharmacies to evaluate Work Opportunity Tax Credit eligibility. Conducted surveys and monitored product usage. Reviewed client tax documents to evaluate accuracy and compliance. Researched WOTC and communicated with state coordinators to maintain updated knowledge of changes and developments in program. Prepared reports on client payroll and eligibility information. Selected Contributions: ♦ ♦ Ensured maximized eligibility opportunity for clients by identifying potential areas to increase compliance. Maintained flawless record of timely submission of tax documents to IRS. SEARS MARKETING CENTER – Jacksonville, Florida Analyst (1998 to 2000) Oversaw and analyzed predictive dialer system; assessed revenue and product mix statistics and wrote sales reports. Reduced product inventory by evaluating daily inventory. identified key customer segments and trends. Developed daily revenue forecasts and recommended methods to increase revenue. Selected Contribution: ♦ Assisted in monthly sales increase from $1M to $2M and department ranking as most improved in nation through effective recommendations. *** Additional Analysis experience with University of North Florida and Jacksonville Transit Authority. *** EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Master of Arts in International Studies, Economic Policy minor ♦ DEPAUL UNIVERSITY – Chicago, IL Bachelor of Arts in Economics, International Studies minor ♦ UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA – Jacksonville, FL Crystal Reporting Training ♦ Leadership in Action Training Program Market Research Certificate and Advanced Market Research Certificate ♦ DePaul University Affiliations: Current Member, National Association of Business Economists (NABE)~ Inductee, Omicron Delta Epsilon (Economics Honor Society) ~ Current Member, Chicago Council Of Foreign Relations Statistical Techniques: Regression, Cluster Analysis, Conjoint Analysis, Decision Tree, Correlations, Cross Tabulations, Hypothesis Testing, SPSS & SQL Scripting, Data Mining Software Proficiency: KnowledgeSEEKER, SNAP, CHECKBOX, MP Target, Marketplace, Demographics Now, Microsoft Project Management, Crystal Reports 9