David Michaelson

Current

• President at Echo Research Inc.

Past

• Principal at David Michaelson & Company, LLC
• Managing Director, Head of Research at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
• Managing Director, Director of Research at GCI Group

• Principal at David Michaelson & Associates, Inc.
• Vice President, Director of Research at Burson-Marsteller
• Research Associate at Booz Allen & Hamilton
• Research Analyst at Grey Advertising

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Education

• New School for Social Research
• New School for Social Research
• University of Massachusetts/Amherst

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Recommended

4 people have recommended David

Connections

500+ connections

Industry

Market Research

David Michaelson’s Summary

David Michaelson, Ph.D. has 29 years experience conducting high quality, actionable research for numerous Fortune 500 companies, including MetLife, Johnson & Johnson, Merrill Lynch, Coca-Cola and AT&T. Dr. Michaelson is a research fellow of the Institute for Public Relations and the recipient of the Jackson, Jackson & Wagner Behavioral Science Prize for 2008, awarded for outstanding contributions to the research body of knowledge by the Public Relations Society of America. He has also been awarded two Silver Anvils by the Public Relations Society of America, two honorable mentions for the best use of research by PR Week, a Certificate of Merit from the Institute for Public Relations and numerous other awards.

He has extensive experience in information technology, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, employee communications and media analysis. This experience includes extensive work for Comdisco, AT&T, IBM and award winning work for McKessonHBOC and MetLife.

Prior to merging his firm with Echo Research, Dr. Michaelson was Managing Director, Head of Research for Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide. In this corporate role, Dr. Michaelson was responsible for enhancing the full spectrum of research, measurement and evaluation capabilities and services for Ogilvy PR globally. He designed primary research to enhance program development, execution and evaluation across the firm. Before joining Ogilvy PR, he was a managing director at GCI Group and a principal of David Michaelson & Associates, Inc., a full-service research company serving the communications industry. Prior to founding his own firm, Dr. Michaelson was a director of research at Burson-Marsteller.

Dr. Michaelson is a member of the Commission on Public Relations Evaluation and Measurement and is frequent speaker on measurement issues facing the public relations industry. He holds a Ph.D. from the New School for Social Research and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Massachusetts.

David Michaelson’s Specialties:

Market research, research for publicity, public relations measurement and evaluation

David Michaelson’s Experience

• President

  Echo Research Inc.

  (Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Market Research industry)

  2007 — Present (2 years )

  Echo Research specializes in reputation analysis, media measurement and stakeholder research. Our services enable client organizations to measure how they are viewed and to protect their brand. We operate globally, across multiple business and not-for-profit sectors, and adhere to the highest standards of ethics.
  
  Echo Research has 145 full-time, certified, skilled analysts working in 33 languages across offices in the United Kingdom, the United States and France, and research facilities in India, Brazil and China. We use proprietary research tools, we know how to ask the right questions of the right people, and we conduct rigorous research and deliver probing analysis. Echo’s global clients have won a record 26 industry awards in the last four years, including this year’s top Platinum Award and new Innovations Award, for measurement and integrated research.

• Principal

  David Michaelson & Company, LLC

  (Market Research industry)

  October 2001 — August 2007 (5 years 11 months)

  Full service research and consulting services specializing in communications and communications related issues. Counselor to senior management on marketing, branding and communications effectiveness.
  
  Project areas included: consumer behavior, measurement and evaluation, branding, advertising testing, product testing, product development, corporate positioning.
  
  Clients included: ADP, Comverse Technologies, General Electric, French Toast, US Department of Labor (OSHA), Consumer Electronics Association, Key Bank, ALLTEL, Celerant Consulting, Charles Schwab, SunGard, Met Life, Bulova.

• Managing Director, Head of Research

  Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide

  (Public Company; WPPGY; Public Relations and Communications industry)

  January 1999 — October 2001 (2 years 10 months)

  Directed research and strategic planning for clients and prospective clients of Ogilvy PR Worldwide. Provided on-going staff development and training in the use of research and strategic planning. Responsible for developing proprietary research tools for agency use; Managed staff of nine research professionals.
  
  Project areas included: workplace performance; corporate identity; crisis; consumer products and packaged goods; measurement of program effectiveness.
  
  Key Accomplishments:
  - Designed state-of-the-art measurement and strategic planning models for client use.
  - Created model that correlates corporate reputations with market performance.
  - Designed and executed award winning research programs for McKessonHBOC and CompTIA.
  
  Clients included: McKessonHBOC, IBM, Minute Maid, Comdisco, Merck, Pfizer, Novartis, Society American Florists, Pitney Bowes and numerous consumer brands.

• Managing Director, Director of Research

  GCI Group

  (Public Company; Public Relations and Communications industry)

  August 1997 — December 1998 (1 year 5 months)

  Managed research, planning and strategy services for clients and prospective clients of GCI Group worldwide. Provided on-going staff development and training in the use of research and strategic planning. Responsible for developing proprietary research tools for agency use; Served on agency management committee.
  
  Key Accomplishments:
  - Designed state-of-the-art measurement and strategic planning models for client use.
  - Created model that correlates corporate reputations with market performance.
  - Developed tool for assessing performance of corporate web sites.
  
  Clients included: MIT; BellSouth; GE Capital; Georgia-Pacific; Intel; Iomega; Nintendo; American Cancer Society; Pharmacia & Upjohn; VF Corporation; Deloitte Consulting.

• Principal

  David Michaelson & Associates, Inc.

  (Market Research industry)

  October 1991 — December 1998 (7 years 3 months)

  Provided research, planning and strategy services for corporations and their communications agencies. Special emphasis on communications planning, corporate image and public affairs research.
  
  Key Accomplishments:
  - Designed and administered Comdisco's "Vulnerability Index" the industry standard measurement for corporate disaster recovery preparedness.
  - Executed groundbreaking studies for Channel 1 demonstrating the economic impact of teens on grocery consumption and out-of-home dining.
  - Redesigned the annual report for American Express based on communications needs and preferences of high net worth individual investors.
  - Identified key business trends in small business for AT&T.
  
  Clients included: Microsoft, Philip Morris, IBM, Comdisco, AT&T, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, American Express, City of New York, Intuit, Arthur D. Little, Channel 1, Dale Carnegie, 3M, James River, Owens-Corning, US Postal Service.

• Vice President, Director of Research

  Burson-Marsteller

  (Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; Public Relations and Communications industry)

  1983 — 1991 (8 years )

  Provided strategic support and counsel for public relations, public affairs and related communications activities to clients and prospective clients; Designed and implemented qualitative and quantitative custom research studies; Promoted four times to increased levels of responsibility.
  
  Key Accomplishments:
  - Produced statewide survey in California for Hertz used as basis for defeating legislation critical to rental car industry.
  - Conducted national study for Marriott Corporation that became basis for strategic direction of hotel division.
  - Designed unique sampling method for measuring impact of environmental issues in residential and surrounding political communities.
  
  Clients included: Owens-Corning, CBS, Merrill Lynch, Georgia-Pacific, Colt Industries, Coca-Cola, BellSouth, AT&T, Bell Atlantic, Shell, General Electric, Du Pont, Pfizer, Squibb, Northern Telecom, Johnson & Johnson, Sandoz, U.S. Postal Service, Colgate-Palmolive, Con Edison, Philip Morris, Price Waterhouse.

• Research Associate

  Booz Allen & Hamilton

  (Privately Held; 1001-5000 employees; Management Consulting industry)

  1981 — 1983 (2 years )

  Conducted and reported the results of qualitative and quantitative market research studies and handled day-to-day project responsibilities; Prepared proposals; Wrote questionnaires and topic outline guides; Made recommendations for marketing strategies; Presented results to clients. Project areas included: financial services, automotive products and services.
  
  Clients included: Eastman Kodak, BMW, General Electric.

• Research Analyst

  Grey Advertising

  (Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry)

  1980 — 1981 (1 year )

  Implemented and reported the results of market research studies for clients of Grey Advertising; Prepared and presented research findings and made recommendations in conjunction with agency management.Project areas included: Attitude and usage studies, tracking studies, strategic research and copy testing.
  
  Clients included: Procter & Gamble, General Foods, Northwest Airlines, Joint Recruiting Advertising Program (Department of Defense).

David Michaelson’s Education

• New School for Social Research

  Doctor of Philosophy , Anthropology , 1977 — 1980

• New School for Social Research

  Master of Arts , Anthropology , September 1974 — January 1977

• University of Massachusetts/Amherst

  Bachelor of Arts , Comparative Literature , September 1970 — June 1974

  Magna Cum Laude

  Activities and Societies:

  Phi Beta Kappa

Additional Information

David Michaelson’s Interests:

“What You Need To Know To Measure Investor Relations” Institute for Public Relations, 2002 "A New Model for Content Analysis" Institute for Public Relations, 2005 “Exploring the Comparative Communications Effectiveness of Advertising and Media Placement” Institute for Public Relations, 2006 “Exploring the Link between Volume of Media Coverage and Business Outcomes” Institute for Public Relations, 2006 “Exploring the Comparative Communications Effectiveness of Advertising and Public Relations: An Experimental Study of Initial Branding Advantage” Institute for Public Relations, 2007 "The Application of “Best Practices” in Public Relations Measurement and Evaluation Systems" Public Relations Journal Volume 1 Number 1 October 2007 "Exploring the Comparative Communications Effectiveness of Advertising and Public Relations: A Replication and Extension of Prior Experiments" Public Relations Journal Volume 3, Number 3 2009 "Practitioners Guide to Public Relations Research" 2010

David Michaelson’s Groups:

Research Fellow, Institute for Public Relations (Chairman)
Commission on Public Relations Measurement & Evaluation of the Institute for Public Relations/University of Florida, Public Relations research

•    Marketing Research Association
•    Public Relations Society of America (PRSA National)
•    Burson-Marsteller Group
•    Public Relations and Communications Professionals
•    Consumer Insights Interest Group
•    CASRO (The Council of American Survey Research Organizations)
•    New School Alumni
•    Institute for Public Relations (IPR)
•    Exl Pharma PR & Communications Summit Group
•    Burson-Marsteller Alumni
•    Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
•    Chief Communications Officer (CCO) Network
•    AMEC Communication Measurement and Evaluation Group
•    Behavioral Public Relations

David Michaelson’s Honors:

2009 Jack Felton Golden Ruler of Measurement Award with MetLife
2008 Iron Sabre Award -- Best Use of Evaluation with MetLife
2008 Research Fellow -- Institute for Public Relations
2008 Jackson, Jackson & Wagner Behavioral Science Prize (PRSA)
2004 Golden Ruler of Measurement Certificate of Merit with MetLife
2004 PR Week Best Use of Research finalist with MetLife
2004 Iron Sabre finalist with MetLife
2001 PR Week Best Use of Research with COMPTIA for research for public release
2000 PR Week Proof Award with McKessonHBOC for employee and crisis research
1988 Silver Anvil Public Relations Society of America, with Merrill Lynch for crisis program
1988 Silver Anvil Public Relations Society of America, with Hertz for consumer program
Who's Who In the East
Who's Who in Advertising
Who's Who of Emerging Leaders in America
Who's Who in the World

David Michaelson’s Contact Settings

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