Heather Dodd, BA, MA, MEd, MA, MMRS, MCIM.

Heather brings a deep understanding of key marketing principles and strategic thinking to client projects, supported by her involvement with the Bristol Business School (Senior Marketing and Research Lecturer, 1992-97) and her current teaching on CIM courses at the City College Business Centre, Bristol.

She is primarily responsible for identifying business projects and emerging marketing trends, liaising with clients to explore new ideas for developing their customer or membership strategy, including the role of customer service excellence, targeting and communications. She also brings her creative approach to Accord’s qualitative work, and is a confident communicator in helping clients use the research results for maximum benefit, e.g. brainstorming sessions, Strategic Planning.

Prior to setting up Accord, Heather managed the Bristol office of a leading marketing research company, specialising in travel and transport research, and before that worked for 10 years in the defence sector with Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering Ltd, in various management positions.

In 2003, Heather took a sabbatical to pursue her love of art, completing an MA in 20th Century History of Art at the University of London’s prestigious Goldsmiths College.

Heather is a Full Member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), and was previously an elected member of her local CIM branch.

After graduating from Cambridge, Robert joined Brann Direct, one of the UK’s leading direct marketing agencies. Whilst there he gained a thorough grounding in the different aspects of the marketing communications process – segmentation, database management, advertising concepts, design, campaign testing – working on accounts for major corporate clients, including Boots, ICI and W.H. Smith.

Robert specialises in quantitative research techniques and has a special interest in utilising new technology to add value to the research process, including helping clients incorporate electronic communications and the internet as a means of delivering new customer, member or employee insight. He is responsible for managing client research programmes, and has a proven track record of delivering projects on schedule and to clear targets. Typically, this will include developing the questionnaire, organising the survey issue or fieldwork, data processing, analysing results and reporting. In addition, his knowledge of the marketing research industry developed over the last 14 years means he is well-placed to offer clients cost-effective research solutions.

Robert is also a Member of the MRS and the CIM and is responsible for ensuring all marketing and research work adheres to the relevant codes of conduct and new regulatory guidelines, such as the Data Protection Act.