Announcing New Research Director and Research Product Offerings!

We at North Star are on fire for research!  In fact, we can state unequivocally that the research conducted as part of our community branding process forms the rock solid foundation that makes our brands so successful.  

But North Star has never been one to rest on our laurels. We have hired a super smart Director of Research - Shannon Gray - to expand our research offerings. New products include ROI and conversion studies, citizen satisfaction studies, target industry analysis, Perception Mapping and customized research as well as improvements to our proprietary citizen advocacy measure: Brand Barometer.

Shannon  received her BA in Cultural Anthropology from Eckerd College and a dual degree of an MA in Anthropology and an MBA with emphasis on marketing and market research from the University of Colorado at Boulder--Leeds School of Business. Now admittedly a few of us here had to look up what exactly a cultural anthropologist is, but there is no doubt Shannon knows her stuff. Prior to working with North Star, she served as an ethnographic analyst for Context-based Research Group in Baltimore, MD.  There, she determined the research needs of clients, designed research studies and conducted field research using methodologies such as in-depth interviewing, observation or shadowing, behavior and relationship mapping and self-expression exercises. The insights she gained served to further the efforts of businesses and organizations in industries including healthcare, consumer packaged goods, retail, transportation, and telecommunications. 

"You cannot put a number on the value of solid research to a community or organization," explains Don McEachern, CEO of North Star Destination Strategies. "Our clients use our research for years after it is conducted to design events and programs, recruit economic development and prioritize their progress.  But people keep asking me for more and the possibilities are endless.  I wanted to invest in exactly the right person to bring these possibilities to life."

Interested in customized research?   Well now there's nothing we can't do! To learn more contact Shannon at shannon@northstarideas.com or 615.341.8781 x 21.