The Strategy Group

Richard Houghton - President
Melissa Bluestein - Director Client Services
Douglas Houghton - Research Director

The members of The Strategy Group are highly experienced in both sophisticated marketing research techniques as well as marketing planning and development strategies.

The professional background and experience of the firm's staff is atypical in terms of its diversity and breadth of experience. Our areas of expertise include:

Information Technology Research
Media Research
Consumer Package Goods/Services Research
Multivariate Statistical Analysis
Web-based, online surveys

Richard Houghton, President, has worked in the market research field for over twenty-five years. His experience includes research positions on both the supplier and corporate side, as well as marketing management positions. Over his career, Richard has been associated with some of the most progressive marketing and research companies including positions at Market Facts, Inc., General Foods, Campbell Soup Company, R.H. Bruskin Associates and Total Research.

His broad base of research experience includes customer satisfaction studies, brand equity and corporate/brand image research, concept and product development and optimization, advertising strategy development and optimization, market strategy and segmentation studies and media research. Richard is recognized within the research community as an expert in the application of multivariate research techniques to the problem solving of strategic marketing issues.

Melissa Bluestein, Director of Client Services, has over 15 years of Sales and Marketing experience holding management positions in advertising and magazine publishing. Melissa's career includes Account Executive and National Sales Manager positions with Random House Publishing, Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Young's Market Distributors. Melissa brings to the table expert relationship and event management experience in the advertising, retail and publishing industries.

Doug Houghton, Research Director, heads the project management team for The Strategy Group. He has a bachelors degree in Psychology from Rutgers University. Doug started with the company in 1996 and quickly demonstrated his eye for detail and comprehensive management style. During his 12+ years of survey management, Doug has been responsible for managing hundreds of studies from new product development projects to monitoring marketplace performance. His project management experience runs the gamut from study design and survey development to data tabulation and analysis.

In addition to its principal staff members, The Strategy Group also maintains consulting agreements with recognized experts in various fields who can be made available whenever their technical expertise is required.