“It was a stark realization that digital media and marketing were going to change all the rules of marketing. Marketing faculty at various universities were on the cusp of change, but whatever they researched and wrote was difficult to translate for applications in the industry. The industry needed a bridge between academic research and its applications.”

Samar obtained his MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, the top-ranked management school in India, set up in collaboration with the Harvard Business School. He obtained his Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Arizona, where he completed his dissertation on Psychological bases for Brand Strength and Brand Equity under the guidance of Professor Merrie Brucks and the legendary marketing scholar Professor Sid Levy.

Samar has the unique distinction of working in the industry as head of consumer marketing of a British multinational in India; as an award-winning marketing faculty at the University of Central Florida; and as a successful entrepreneur founding an advanced marketing research company. He specializes in competitive strategy, brand marketing, and digital marketing and has worked with several well-known Fortune 500 companies and large organizations across several verticals including CPG, Technology, Healthcare, Media, Advertising, Retailing, Higher Education, etc. He is a thought leader and frequently presents at national conferences.

Jessica leads the Consumer Research Group, directing consumer research and satisfaction studies for several large clients. Having been with C3Research for over 10 years, she has developed an extensive portfolio in healthcare research, providing strategic guidance with measurable impact for major healthcare clients.

She oversees projects for local and national clients and manages a team of Research Directors and Executives. As an expert qualitative researcher she also specializes in conducting focus groups and individual in-depth interviews.

Joe is a senior adviser assisting the team in brand and advertising research. Joe had a stellar career as the Global Executive Vice President of McCann-Erickson WorldGroup in New York, Vice Chairman DMD&B New York, and Executive Vice President, Young and Rubicam New York. Joe sits on the board of several companies, and is also an Adjunct Professor at the Columbia Business School.

Shoko has 25 years’ experience as an expert of insights and strategy for healthcare and financial industries. She helps organizations navigate brand development, customer experience, acquisition and retention as well as B2B marketing. She works across a wide range of functions and cultures while building collaboration for shared goals.

Prior to joining C3Research, Shoko consulted to a major NY hospital's marketing, communication, and digital strategy. Her insights career started at American Express and then grew to lead teams in Asia, Europe, and the US. Her leadership role continued at Aetna Health Insurance where she rebuilt their insight functions to support the customer-centric marketing strategy. Shoko holds an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business as well as executive coach certification from the International Coaching Federation.

Marty has significant experience teaching and training the disciplines associated with Shopper Insights and Category Management. He has led numerous training sessions in the US, Europe, and Latin America on the strategic and tactical elements of Category Management. In addition, for several years, Marty has been a guest lecturer at the Rutgers University Graduate School of Business.

Marty has extensive experience working for and with a diverse group of major Food and OTC manufacturers in the US and abroad. Although most of his assignments have been on behalf of manufacturer clients, Marty has also worked directly and extensively with nearly all major retailers in the Food, Drug, and Mass Merchandiser classes of trade. Marty earned his BA from George Washington University and MBA from Columbia University Business School.

Carolyn specializes in intergroup relations among consumers within the Services Marketing and Consumer Marketing domains such as consumption experiences, commercial friendships, commercial social support, ethnic consumptions, nested identities, sense of community, and social networks. She is an experienced qualitative researcher and has conducted numerous studies using qualitative methodologies.

Carolyn earned her Ph.D. in Marketing from the Arizona State University.

Stefanie specializes in the fields of marketing research, internet marketing, advertising, public relations, direct marketing, graphic design, communications, and international business. She conducts qualitative research to build branding, advertising, and digital strategies for regional, national and international companies.

Stefanie holds an MBA from Florida State University.