Laurie Jo Elliott works as a consultant for The Kaleidoscope Group. Her career in multicultural marketing and research has been fueled by her passion to understand and connect with people of all paths and cultures. In 1991, she entered the realm of Spanish-language media, which exposed her to the size, power and unique dynamics of the U.S. Hispanic market. After four years in media, she transitioned into market research, and since that time has developed and expanded as a multicultural market researcher through positions with industry leaders like Market Development, Inc./MDI/TNS; Culturati Research & Consulting, and Cultural Edge Consulting, Inc. As of 2017, Laurie launched her own independent research business, utilizing her wide network of research colleagues to collaborate on small and large projects for a variety of clients.
Laurie applies her knowledge and experience toward understanding client business needs and objectives, and parlays this into effective research studies to deliver consumer insights and understanding. Qualitative is her area of particular expertise; Laurie is a professionally-trained, bilingual moderator and has personally moderated hundreds of focus groups in English and Spanish as well as managed other moderators and project managers. Laurie has well-honed skills in research design, and is particularly keen at personally and collectively ensuring adherence to quality standards and project timing, and producing actionable, insightful results.
As a moderator, Laurie is connective and approachable, and creates an ease with participants that opens up conversation and engagement. She conducts groups with the larger scope in mind, covering off on the details while ensuring the big objectives are met. She enjoys utilizing various techniques in groups to uncover below-the-surface opinions and feelings.
During her years working in market research, Laurie has worked with top general market and multicultural advertising agencies and corporate clients in categories covering the gamut from telecom to leisure travel to consumer packaged goods to automobiles. As of the past two years, she has applied her qualitative skills toward facilitating employee groups in the practice area of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Laurie is US-born but global in focus. A native English-speaker, she has acquired native-level fluency in Spanish and has traveled throughout Latin America. A life-long student, her early studies focused on language and art, while most recently she has been broadening her understanding of other cultures through French, Black Studies and West African dance and percussion. Laurie currently resides in San Diego, California.
Laurie’s moderator training was achieved through hands-on training while employed with TNS, and supplemented by QRCA workshops and certified training with RIVA.
