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04/03/17

Meet OBI’s Newest Problem Solver – Research Director Lori Skupa

Lori SkupaFor as long as she can remember, Lori has enjoyed getting to the bottom of a problem. “That is the heart of research after all,” she says. “Whether I’m developing a survey or running the analysis, I like to learn about different industries, gather data and then illustrate it to tell a story.”

Lori is enjoying doing just that as OBI’s new Director of Research. She brings 17 years of experience in quantitative and qualitative studies to her role here and a genuine enjoyment of developing surveys, which is one of the more invigorating phases of research for her. “It’s fun to learn; it’s also exciting to conduct analysis and see that become the foundation for marketing strategy.” That last part is something Lori enthusiastically embraces in her role here. “Before I joined the OBI team, I often analyzed data, but didn’t have the opportunity to see it put into action. I love that I can walk down the hall and see clients using our research data to drive effective marketing campaigns.”

It’s almost as rewarding as the satisfaction she derives from running, painting and the craft projects she tackles at home – like the new storage bench/sunbathing station she’s building for her cats. (It turns out that helping clients make the leap from digesting data to acting upon it can often feel like herding cats.)

“You think it would be easy to put together something people can understand,” says Lori. “But the type of chart you create makes all the difference, especially when complex data sets are involved.”

Storytelling with Data is sitting on Lori’s desk, and she opens it often for ideas on how to represent data in a compelling, easy to understand manner. Lessons include everything from the obvious (like not relying on color to demonstrate differences, since colorblind people can’t readily interpret such) to the simple yet timeless truth that less is more when it comes to charts. “You can only process so much information at once and meaningful action can’t happen without understanding the data.”

We’re thankful that Lori runs our research department the way she runs a race: to win.

What’s your experience using charts to explain data? Do you have a preference when it comes to type of research – qualitative or quantitative? What role does research play in your marketing activities?