About Us Forrest W. Anderson, Information-Based Insight

Overview

Forrest W. Anderson is a seasoned consultant with a unique combination of strengths

in research, analysis, synthesis and strategy development. He focuses on root

business issues. His background includes:

Directing primary and secondary research, analysis and synthesis into business and communications recommendations for clients such as ARM, Boy Scouts of America, Disney Imagineering, Glaxo, IBM, McDonald's, Sara Lee and Weyerhaeuser.

Focus group, triad and dyad moderation, one-on-one interviews, quantitative survey design, execution and analysis.

Pharmaceuticals/medical, business-to-business, consumer, IT, Hi-Tech, associations, corporate, business services.

Creating and managing agency research department.

MBA in marketing and management policy from Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Professional Experience

APPLIED COMMUNICATIONS/CONTEXT ANALYTICS -- Boutique high-tech agency acquired by larger high-tech agency -- February 2003-December, 2004
Vice President, Research and Analytics/Managing Director, Context Analytics
Brought in to assess prospects for and, if possible, turn around money-losing research business for Applied Communications. Bottom-line responsibility for research business; management responsibility for media, competitive and primary research. On path to profitability, when Applied, due to conditions related to its PR business, sold its PR and research assets to Next 15, Text 100's parent company.

Applied's Analytics Group became Context Analytics in October of 2003, and Mr. Anderson was retained by Text 100 to manage Context through the acquisition. Managed creation of independent subsidiary. Overall management responsibility for media research, competitive and primary research activities as well as integrating research thinking into Text 100 methodology. Responsible for company P&L and setting long-term business strategy. Managed four professionals and two free-lance staff. Clients included ARM, Cisco Systems, Fujifilm, IBM, Sun Microsystems, VeriSign and VERITAS.

FORREST ANDERSON & ASSOCIATES INC. -- Independent Research Consultancy -- 2001-2003

Principal
Consulted with clients on research, primarily related to communications issues, such as corporate image management, message development and media choice. Clients included Boy Scouts of
America, Burson-Marsteller, Edelman Public Relations, Jim Beam Brands, LaSalle Bank, The Nature Conservancy, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Vulcan Materials Company. Conducted focus groups, interviews, surveys, etc.

BURSON-MARSTELLER, Chicago, IL -- One of the world's largest public relations firms -- 1999-2000
Director, Strategic Insight
Consulted with management on how to better integrate research and knowledge into work of account staff and counseled account staff on where and how to use information to drive communications programs.

Used focus groups to pinpoint employee morale issues and communications needs for a medical diagnostics company that had undergone numerous mergers. Made recommendations on addressing these issues and needs, which the client then employed Burson-Marsteller to execute.
Worked with CEO of Midwest to provide major corporate client with corporate reputation program through analysis and synthesis of brand essence and perceptions of multiple target audiences, including senior management, customers, external business leaders and the business community in general.
Differentiated agency through manipulation of proprietary Brand Asset Valuator database and model by assessing brand strength, identifying weaknesses and making recommendations for strengthening brands. Successfully applied this advertising tool to public relations.

GOLIN/HARRIS INTERNATIONAL, Chicago, IL -- One of the top ten public relations companies in the United States -- 1988-1999
Director of Research and Account Planning (SVP) (1988-1999)
Directed all formal research efforts for ongoing client work, new business and agency management. Managed qualitative and quantitative primary research as well as secondary research in databases and literature. Instituted and managed account review process. Promoted from Account Group Supervisor to Vice President to Senior Vice President.

Differentiated Golin/Harris through identifying the need to develop client communications plans driven by strategic recommendations based on analysis of client business goals, target audience wants and needs and external trends and issues. In 1996, 1997 and 1998, Paul Holmes, in his "Agency Report Card" issue of Inside PR, specifically cited the Golin/Harris research department and Forrest Anderson as key strengths in Golin/Harris's strategic capabilities. In the 1998 "Report Card" issue Holmes wrote:

[Golin/Harris's] research operation, headed by Forrest Anderson, is doing much more than the traditional surveys and evaluation. It's evolving into a consulting unit, called in to help clients assess strengths and weaknesses, threats and opportunities. For major clients such as Chrysler, Owens Corning and Gerber, Golin/Harris has become a business partner, earning a seat at the table.

Developed communications audit and corporate positioning process that allowed agency staff to counsel clients on issues related primarily to communications but touching on general management. Provided these programs to clients including Dairy Management Inc. (DMI); Michelin, North America; Walt Disney Imagineering and Weyerhaeuser.
Created and managed four-person research department.
Increased client satisfaction through instituting and driving agency-wide account review process, which generated ideas for additional communications programs and services to sell to clients. Also improved agency-client relationships.
Enabled the agency to manage client and employee satisfaction through instituting/managing external client and employee measurement systems and made annual recommendations on steps to improve satisfaction.

Education

Master of Business Administration

Kellogg Graduate School of Management
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 1983.
Majors in marketing and management policy.

Bachelor of Science, with Distinction
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 1973.
Majors in English and biology

Professional Affiliations

Founding member of The Institute for Public Relations Commission for PR Measurement and Evaluation. Was one of two primary authors of paper on setting objectives in PR. Contributed to white paper on evaluation. Served on committee to articulate measurable goals for the Institute and define measures.
From 2000 to 2004, served on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Chapter of Public Relations Society of America and was a member of 1995-1997 PRSA Research Committee. Conducted member satisfaction and usage survey for Chicago chapter of PRSA twice.
From 1998 to 2003 served on the advisory board of the Elon University School of Communications, Elon, North Carolina. Member, Committee on Long-Range Planning.

Phone: (415) 513-5042

e-mail: fanderson@forrestwanderson.com