When I returned from the Peace Corps I showed a friend my website: The Mind of Fatima.  It was full of interviews I had done with Moroccan women to share their surprising opinions on Islam, gender and the veil.  "I think you're a planner," he said.  I didn't know what he meant, but if I could make a career stepping into other people's shoes and bringing their stories to life, sign me up. 

 

Stints at Leo Burnett (Chicago and London) and Chiat\Day (LA) on clients like Southwest Airlines, McDonald's, Kellogg's, and Frito-Lay taught me the ins and outs of brand strategy, creative briefs and all kinds of research and analysis.  As Planning Director, I loved working with my team and clients, but I was spending more time on planes and in meetings and less time experiencing current culture or talking to people and telling their stories.  I was writing presentations nonstop, but I felt I was shortchanging myself and my clients by not digging deep enough to find rich insights. 

 

I left to freelance so I could do the right research and find the right materials to develop smart strategy.  I take in trends, case studies, and what's happening in adjacent categories and culture to find opportunities for my clients.  And when it comes to designing research, you won't find me organizing a traditional focus group.  I prefer the hard data of quant combined with the insights that come from more authentic qualitative: in-home or observational research that lets you get closer to the truth.  No research is perfect, but I'd much rather watch a person actually buy a plane ticket than have them say what they think the people behind the mirror want to hear.

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I was recently the CMO of family travel gear startup WAYB, a sustainably-minded company co-founded by the makers of the world's best outdoor gear and the former CEO of Patagonia. Outside of brand strategy and human insights research, I started a candle brand called WANDERNESS, inspired by travel and designed to give back and be easy on the planet. https://wanderness.co 

 

I've had some of the nicest clients and best bosses in the business.  Here are some of the things they say about my work:

"I knew Amanda before she joined the Kellogg's planning team and from pretty much day one I was determined to have her as a part of my team. Why? Because she possesses the perfect balance of creative excellence and client/business reality; of provocation and pragmatism; of pushing back and pushing forward. She's a tough breed to find and one I wish I could clone."            

                                 - Megan Van Someren, Global Planning Lead at JWT

 

"If you look at most market researchers or advertising planners, you will often find tension between the two parties. I have always thought it would be best when research and planning work together in an open and honest way. When working with Amanda, it was an easy thing to do thanks to her integrity, intelligence, and kind spirit. Amanda has the ability to take consumer insights and translate them into a creative inspiration. She can also take copy test results and work with the creative teams to make the best work. There are always those few people you will remember working with in your career; the ones you really hope you get to work with again. Amanda Reid is one of them."            

- Michael McCune, Associate Director Insights and Planning at Kellogg Company

 

“Amanda’s work is a 12 out of 10.  She brought the target to life, uncovered surprising insights and turned her research into useful brand guidelines that will affect every part of the business.  Her work and presentations are outstanding.” 

- David McLane, Founder & Managing Partner, WOW - Women of Wrestling