About Alison

Over nearly 20 years, Alison has developed her expertise in consumer insights, brand management, and competitive intelligence. Developing new innovations that lead to successful brands is her passion, continuously demonstrating this through the development of innovative research and Consumer Obsession™ approaches.

Prior to launching SPARK Insight and Innovation, Alison was Unilever's North American Consumer and Market Insight Director working on the Global Deodorants team. While based in Chicago, she has acquired significant experience working globally – with global business, teams and brands. Her favorite experience includes launching the successful global AXE male grooming brand into the North American market, and leading the Deodorant category insight team through continued growth on the Dove, Suave and Degree/Rexona brands. During her AXE experience, among numerous other awards, Alison and the AXE team won a Gold Effie for AXE advertising. She also personally won the 2006 AMA Explor Award for innovative use of technology in research for work on AXE’s online community.

Before joining Unilever, Alison worked in Competitive Intelligence, Consumer Insights, and Brand Management at Kraft Foods, supporting the Kraft Kitchens, Oscar Mayer, The Pizza Company, and Enhancers (Salad dressings, BBQ sauces) businesses.

Alison is a RIVA Institute trained moderator, and is considered an expert in the field of youth research. She has been a featured speaker for both AMA and ESOMAR conferences and is quoted in numerous articles and books regarding her innovative work with online communities and the launch and success of the AXE brand, including in the Harvard Business School Press.

On a personal note, Alison earned her MBA at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where on occasion she teaches a class on qualitative research and new research techniques. She’s a graduate of the Players Workshop of the Second City, is married with two kids and has a Goldendoodle named Tank.

Speaking Engagements

• "Improving connections with The Customer: transitioning from customer satisfaction to customer orientation." BUPA (The British United Provident Association; international health and care company with 7 million customers in the UK, Spain, Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malta and Saudi Arabia), 5/07.
• "Connecting Modern Lifestyles to Drive Successful Brands" represented Explor Award (Oct 05) Presentation: "AXE Online Community: Getting Unique, Continuous Consumer Insights." American Marketing Association, Chicago, 1/07.
• "Customer Communities: Lessons from the Frontline." ESOMAR Congress, London, 9/06. Panel Discussion moderated by Diane Hessan, CEO, Communispace Corporation.
• "Qualitative Research." Advertising Research Foundation, for Northwestern University/Kellogg School of Graduate Management. 2006-2008
• "Flip it and Reverse it." American Marketing Association, Executive Insights Conference, Phoenix, 1/06. Topic: Bringing consumer enlightenment to brand learning through live consumer connection programs.
• "AXE Online Community: Getting Unique, Continuous Consumer Insights." American Marketing Association, Marketing Research Conference, Boston, 9/05. Explor Award Finalist Submission.
• "Using Online Communities In Research." IIR The Marketing Research Event, San Francisco, 9/04. Panel Discussion moderated by Communispace Corporation.

Publications

You can find Alison quoted and interviewed in the following publications:

• "The 2009 Pfeiffer Handbook on Leadership Development." Chapter: Embracing the Voice of the Customer: The Transformational Power of Listening, Manila Austin, PhD and Director of Research at Communispace (Watertown, Massachutes)
• "Groundswell," Josh Bernoff (VP & Principle Analyst, Forrester Research) and Charlene Li. 2007, Harvard Business School Press. Topic: How to turn the force of customers connecting via social technologies to your advantage.
• "Hidden in Plain Sight," Erich Joachimsthaler, CEO Vivaldi Partners (NYC). 2007, Harvard Business School Press. Topic: Customer-centric innovation and growth.
• "Beyond Buzz," Lois Kelly. 2007, AMACOM, division of The AMA. Chapter 4: "Listen Up: Seven Ways to Find Talk-Worthy Ideas." Topic: Conversational marketing – the need to listen to customers in new ways and engage with them conversationally.
• "Outside Innovation," Patricia B. Seybold, founder of The Patricia Seybold Group and author of "Customers.com" and "The Customer Revolution." Collins (HarperCollins Publishers), 2006.
• Marketing News:
  • "Eliminate Waste, Determine which media channels truly engage customers," Michael Fielding, (March 15, 2007)
• Ad Age:
  • "Making Market Research Cool." Jack Neff (April 28, 2008). Article discusses Joel Rubinson’s, new president of ARF, desire to make market research cool
  • "R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Why Market Research Just Doesn't Get It. Marketers Continue to Ignore an Industry They Need Now More Than Ever." Jack Neff (September 24, 2007). Article discusses how market research, while incredibly important to business decisions, is not breaking through to management levels within organizations due to either marketing management not seeing the value, or market researchers not being properly prepared to take business management leadership roles.
  • "Unilever's Lesson to P&G: Embrace the Nitty-Gritty." Jack Neff (February 27, 2006). Article references creative consumer connecting programs designed for the AXE brand.
  • "Analyzing Axe Man." Jack Neff (June 21, 2004). Article references the launch of AXE Deodorant Bodyspray and the consumer insight techniques utilized to deeply understand the target consumer.
• The Boston Globe:
  • "Meet the Corporate Research Department. Companies are reaching out to consumers online to develop everything from software to diet foods to body sprays. And it's working." Bruce Mohl, (July 10, 2006)