Karen Smith
SVP, Research Strategy
Karen is SIR's senior vice president of research strategy. With more than twenty years of experience conducting research for some of the nation's (and the world's) leading corporations and organizations, Karen is responsible for all phases of SIR's research -- from problem conceptualization and research design to analysis and strategic interpretation of results. Karen works across a variety of industries, including healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, education, associations, consumer products, business-to-business, and finance.
After being awarded a doctoral degree in sociology from Arizona State University, Karen assumed a senior position with Winona Research, Inc. At Winona, she conducted a variety of different types of marketing and behavioral research, including imagery studies, new product development, advertising research, positioning studies, segmentation research, and market demand forecasting. Her clients were some of the nation's and the world's leading corporations, including Ford Motor Company, Pillsbury, Levi Strauss & Company, Georgia-Pacific, John Hancock Insurance, Green Giant, Burger King, IBM, Allstate Corporation, and Vlasic Foods International.
From Winona, Karen successfully transitioned to the corporate world by moving to Hallmark Cards, Inc., in Kansas City. At Hallmark, she conducted a variety of classical and innovative research projects and led the research initiative for core Hallmark products and lines, including gift wrap, cards, picture frames and albums, collectibles, gifts, Christmas, and new product development. Her research guided the launch of new products, repositioned existing product lines, identified new market opportunities, and forged a more direct link between creative development and market performance. In addition, she designed and taught classes on marketing, marketing research, and consumer behavior.
Karen next assumed a research management position with Ryder System, Inc., in Miami. At Ryder, Karen was responsible for all market research and planning for Ryder's three largest product lines -- logistics, full service leasing and commercial rental. Her research and leadership were instrumental in launching new products, developing and assessing advertising campaigns, evaluating new market opportunities, developing marketing strategies, and conducting positioning and branding research. She was a key member of the marketing team that launched marketing and marketing research in an organization based on sales and operations. She introduced marketing and research to field, service, and corporate personnel through innovative and dynamic research, presentations, and training.
After Ryder, Karen led the in-house research initiatives for Siddall, Inc., a regional advertising and public relations firm headquartered in Richmond, VA. At Siddall, Karen pioneered numerous research methodologies to lead the creative and strategic development of advertising and communications campaigns and conducted advertising effectiveness research, positioning and branding research, market forecasting, and segmentation research across a variety of industries including transportation, financial, health care, real estate, associations, and education.
Karen received her BA -- Magna Cum Laude -- from Wichita State University and an MA from the University of Missouri. She earned a Ph.D. in Sociology from Arizona State University where she was named Outstanding Graduate Student and was awarded a Regents' Fellowship. Karen is a member of the American Marketing Association and the American Sociological Association. She has been initiated into Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Kappa Delta. She is an accomplished writer, speaker, and moderator.
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