- Maren Elwood
- President & Senior Ethnographer
On-Site Research Associates was started by Maren Elwood who wanted to go beyond focus groups to bring the consumer to life with high-tech ethnographic methods.
In the 1990s, digital camera technology took a big step forward, making filming and editing a lot easier.
Maren, President of On-Site, has been refining the art of digital ethnography for the past 20 years. She trains her researchers to 'embed' themselves in habitats with a small 'handcam' to facilitate rapport building, accurate filming of consumer/product interaction, and generation of consumer-based insights.
Embedded Ethnographers
- Harry Thomas
- Senior Research Associate
Harry was part of the Ethnographic Team that studied the Creative Problem Solving Institute in 2004. This project, coupled with his prior ethnography experience with Betty Crocker and Bisquick, compelled him to join On-Site as a field researcher.
Harry has a passion for embedding himself in consumer culture and has ethnographic experience with projects that range from Radio Shack to the United States Post Office.
Harry is also head of Ethnovation for On-Site, our multimedia form of conducting innovation sessions.
In addition to his work with On-Site, Harry is the owner of MarketingHat, a company that is dedicated to helping corporate teams with marketing challenges.
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- Rebecca Roth
- Project Manager/Director of Interactive Media
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A graduate of Kansas State University with a B.A in Anthropology,
Rebecca has been with the On-Site team for our cross country
ethnographic Cyber Census project in 2008 and 2009. In her studies, she has participated in
joint research projects on the ethnography of YouTube, studying media
ecology and the relationship between communities and technology. Her project
on YouTube was featured in the Chronicle for Higher Education, local NBC and
ABC news, and Der Spiegel, a leading European news magazine. Her solo work
has also been featured on the AT&T Tech Channel’s Hugh Thompson Show.
She will bring her insights about web authenticity and the impact of video on
communication to our Cyber Census study.
Support Staff
- Anne & Lou Smith
- Field Management
Ethnographic studies are notoriously hard to conduct and coordinate, so On-Site has teamed with Field Management Specialists in Little Rock, Arkansas, to ensure field activities are performed with speed and accuracy.
Field Management Specialists was founded by Lou Smith, who has been working with On-Site for years. Her daughter-in-law, Anne, joined the firm in 2005 and has provided On-Site with one of the most talented field duos in the industry. These great women are two of On-Site’s greatest assets...besides being great people.
- Brian Forbes
- IT Manager
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Currently slated to attend UC Davis in Fall 2009 as a Computer Science Engineer, Brian joined the On-Site team for Cyber Census 2009 to help facilitate the transition from office to mobile office. With his help, the team was able to function on the road with minimal IT worries.
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On-Site and Back Again
As we work, we blog. Check out the latest entries (both text and our latest roadtrip movies) on Our Blog.
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