Kelton Research

Kelton is a strategy consultancy that creates consumer-oriented business solutions. They create brand relevance and resonance for their clients, by interpreting insights, developing strategies, and creating solutions designed to deliver on consumer desires. They have a leadership team made up of research, communications, marketing, and innovation/design professionals. They have an entrepreneurial, start-up culture where training is hands on and highly collaborative.
Kelton’s client list includes more than 100 of the Fortune 500, the largest PR firms in the country and thousands of smaller companies and organizations
History
Kelton was founded in 2003 by Tom Bernthal and Gareth Schweitzer. Feeling that research was too often about number reporting and not actionable insights, they sought to combine diverse backgrounds of research with that of communications and strategy.
Prior to founding Kelton, CEO Tom Bernthal worked as Managing Director of an Omnicom owned strategic and political consultancy. Before joining Omnicom, Bernthal was a producer at NBC News, winning three Emmy Awards during his 5 year tenure.
President Gareth Schweitzer founded Kelton after a career in political journalism, as both an imbedded reporter in Iraq and one of the youngest members of the White House Correspondents’ Association.
Areas of Expertise
*Navigating Change
*Exploratory Research
*Marketing Innovation
*Marketing & Messaging
*Consumer Experience
*Public Opinion Polling
*Segmentation
*Tracking & Measurement
*Branding & Positioning
*New Products & Services
Awards and Accolades
Kelton has been listed on Inc. Magazine's Inc. 5000 list for five consecutive years and was also named as the “Fastest Growing Market Research Consultancy” twice. According to the company, Kelton had experienced an unprecedented 500% growth over the four years prior, largely through word-of-mouth referrals. Kelton was also named by Inc. as #51 in the Top 100 Advertising and Marketing Companies, #38 in the Top 100 Business in the Los Angeles area and #683 in the Top 5,000 Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies in the U.S.
Kelton was recognized with the Best of Bullseye award for helping Target better understand the way their customers perceive price and value in the evolving economic climate. The annual awards are given to marketing partners that exceed Target’s expectations.
Entrepreneur Magazine’s Hot 100 Companies List, which honors the nation’s fastest growing new businesses, named Kelton as number 64.
The firm was also named one of the 500 Fastest Growing Companies in North America by Technology Fast 500 Awards, sponsored by Deloitte
Kelton was recognized by the American Business Awards as a finalist in the categories of Most Innovative Company and Best Communications or PR Campaign.
Kelton has received two MarCom Platinum Awards by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). The Platinum MarCom Award is the highest award given by the AMCP and is presented to marketing and communication projects judged to be among the most outstanding in terms of quality, creativity and resourcefulness. Competing against a total of 5,000 entries, Kelton earned the Platinum MarCom Award in the category of “Research/Study” for their entries “Rethinking Generation X's Financial Attitudes" and "CMO Challenge Survey".
Current Work
Kelton’s notable clients within the last year include: Target, CocaCola, eBay, Toms, Viacom, Groupon, Logitech, Harrah’s, Philadelphia Eagles and Bloomingdales.
Kelton delivered the insights behind the now famous Domino’s Pizza turnaround. Their work directly with the brand, and agency partner Crispin Porter, led to the single strongest business reversal in QSR history and growth of 43% year over year.
Kelton spent a full-year engaged by Bloomingdale’s on the single biggest segmentation study and business realignment the brand has ever undertaken. The work led to entirely new marketing, product and CRM initiatives.
Kelton was engaged by Viacom to examine how tablets have altered viewer engagement, particularly as TV and gaming devices. Their insights are driving Viacom’s overall creative development for shows, channels, and content for the tablet.
Over the last two years, Kelton has become Target’s key consumer insights partner, and last year they were named Marketing Strategy Partner of the Year. Kelton has assisted Target with strategies for healthcare, baby, in-store signage, grocery business, urban, holiday and much more.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu