Super Searchers on Madison Avenue: Top Advertising and Marketing Professionals Share Their Online Research Strategies (Super Searchers series)

257 Pages·2003·3.26 MB·English

by  Villamora G.A.

i
SUPER
SEARCHERS
MADISON
on
AVENUE
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iii
SUPER
SEARCHERS
MADISON
on
AVENUE
Top Advertising and Marketing
Professionals Share Their
Online Research Strategies
Grace Avellana Villamora
Edited by Reva Basch
Medford, New Jersey
iv
First Printing, 2003
Super Searchers on Madison Avenue:Top Advertising and Marketing
Professionals Share Their Online Research Strategies
Copyright © 2003 by Grace Avellana Villamora
Super Searchers, Volume XI
A series edited by Reva Basch
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems
without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may
quote brief passages in a review. Published by CyberAge Books, an imprint of
Information Today, Inc., 143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, New Jersey 08055.
Liability
The opinions of the searchers being interviewed are their own and not necessarily
those of their employers, the author, editor, or publisher. Information Today, Inc.
does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, or completeness of any information
and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or the results obtained from the
use of such information.
Trademarks
Trademarks and service names have been used throughout this book. The names are
used with capitalization in the style used by the name claimant. Rather than insert a
trademark notation at each occurrence of the name, the publisher states that all such
trademarks are used in an editorial manner without any intent to infringe upon the
trademark.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Villamora, Grace Avellana.
Super searchers on Madison Avenue : top advertising and marketing profes-
sionals share their online research strategies / Grace Avellana Villamora ; edited
by Reva Basch.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents: Velda Ruddock : visonary for intelligence -- Douglas Buffo : indefati-
gable enabler of end-users -- Jordie Garvin Thomson : multicultural information
expert -- Kristine Larsen Spanier : from copywriting to librarianship -- Gerard
Seifert : creative-side researcher -- Robin Feuerstein : major league coach for the
information services team -- Leslie Cole : expert on the African-American market
-- Dan Carlton : “Digger Dan” the account planner -- Liz Aviles : trend spotting
and marketing promos -- Dee Magnoni : independent research consultant --
Carlos Santiago : chief realist strategist -- Gretchen Reed : virtual research
provider -- March Appel : 4As for excellence.
ISBN 0-910965-63-3
1. Marketing research—Computer network resources. 2. Marketing—
Databases. 3. Internet searching. 4. Electronic information resource searching. I.
Basch, Reva. II. Title.
HF5415.2.V497 2003
658.8’3’02854678--dc21
2002152892
Printed and bound in the United States of America
Publisher:Thomas H. Hogan, Sr.
Editor-in-Chief:John B. Bryans
Managing Editor: Deborah R. Poulson
Copy Editor: Dorothy Pike
Graphics Department Director: M. Heide Dengler
Cover Designer: Jacqueline Walter
Book Designer: Kara Mia Jalkowski
Indexer: Sharon Hughes
v
Dedication
I dedicate this book to Win, my husband and wonderful
companion. And to my daughters, Genevieve Anne and
Nicole Marie, who are my world and joy.
Also to the loving memory of my parents, Benjamin
Agpoon Avellana and Ines Rubio Avellana, who
taught me how to read and write.
About The Super Searchers Web Page
At the Information Today Web site, you will find The Super Searchers Web
Page, featuring links to sites mentioned in this book. We periodically update
the page, removing dead links and adding additional sites that may be use-
ful to readers.
The Super Searchers Web Page is being made available as a bonus to
readers of Super Searchers on Madison Avenue and other books in the
Super Searchers series. To access the page, an Internet connection and Web
browser are required. Go to:
www.infotoday.com/supersearchers
DISCLAIMER: Neither publisher nor authors make any claim as to the results that may be
obtained through the use of The Super Searchers Web Page or of any of the Internet resources it ref-
erences or links to. Neither publisher nor authors will be held liable for any results, or lack thereof,
obtained by the use of this page or any of its links, for any third-party charges, or for any hardware,
software, or other problems that may occur as a result of using it. The Super Searchers Web Pageis
subject to change or discontinuation without notice at the discretion of the publisher.
vi
Contents
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
by Linda Garrison,Ogilvy & Mather
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xi
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Velda Ruddock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Visionary for Intelligence
Douglas Buffo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Indefatigable Enabler of End-Users
Jordie Garvin Thomson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Multicultural Information Expert
Kristine Larsen Spanier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
From Copywriting to Librarianship
Gerard Seifert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Creative-Side Researcher
Robin Feuerstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Major League Coach for the Information Services Team
Leslie Cole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Expert on the African-American
and Urban Consumer Markets
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viii Super Searchers on Madison Avenue
Dan Carlton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
“Digger Dan” the Account Planner
Liz Aviles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Trend Spotting and Integrated Marketing Pro
Dee Magnoni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Independent Research Consultant
Carlos Santiago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Chief Realist Strategist
Gretchen Reed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Virtual Research Provider
Marsha Appel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
4As for Excellence
Appendix: Referenced Sites and Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
About the Author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
About the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Foreword
Ten years ago when an ad agency had to get up to speed on
an industry or consumer group or market trend, a literal exca-
vation would commence. Librarians and information profes-
sionals scoured back issues of trade journals, business press,
consumer magazines, and newspapers. Online searching of
commercial databases was conducted to retrieve abstracts and
full-text versions of articles from select publications. Calls were
placed to trade associations, educational institutions, and gov-
ernment agencies for reports not found in databases and in-
house subject files. Trips were made to city or university
libraries. Assistant account executives (and any other able-
bodied person in the general vicinity) were pressed into duty to
help uncover as much information as possible in the shortest
amount of time.
It was laborious. It was primitive. It was hit or miss. Rarely, in
the end, did the quality of the information justify the amount of
energy and resources expended to gather it. And heaven help
us if more than one search request fell on us at a time.
Today the need for quick access to meaningful information
is more important than ever. And the number of places to look
for that information has globally exploded. Thankfully, the
process of excavation has a magical new tool: the Internet. It
gives us access to the world’s institutions instantaneously.
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