COG is formed from a close alliance of people with very
different skill sets and experience. We combine the
scientific and the creative and have in-depth experience
in both advertising and research. Our varied backgrounds
are part of what makes us unique and able to deliver
visionary solutions to both convention and unconventional
research projects.
Rob Ellis
Rob has extensive experience in both research and advertising. He studied philosophy at Oxford, then joined BMRB. He then moved into advertising, as an account planner at DDB, Aspect and WCRS, where he was appointed Board Director responsible for international planning. He co-founded Navigator, where he was MD of the fastest growing research company in the U K.
IN 2000 he founded Prism: a company that moved beyond the boundaries of traditional research, both in use of media and analytical approach. A long interest in cognitive psychology and the philosophy of mind led him to launch COG in 2007, to provide neuroscience-based solutions to research problems and behavioural economic consultancy. He is a member of ESOMAR, MRS, MRG and APG, and speaks regularly at their conferences. He won the MRS new consumer insight award in 2011 and the media and advertising award in 2012.
In his spare time he loves to sail and ski and his ambition is to improve his team’s position in the 2013 Round the Island race compared with last year (though just finishing would be a good outcome!)
Lauren Fay Stark
Lauren joined us as a Research Manager after graduating from Durham University with a BSc in Applied Psychology in the summer of 2012.
Specialising in Advanced Research Methods and Statistics at Durham, Lauren is our in house expert on SPSS. She is now studying for an MSc in Advanced Market and Social Research (the accredited MRS course) at the University of Westminster.
Nicola Dawson
Nicola has been a regular collaborator with Rob and the team. She trained in qualitative research at Diagnostics and has since worked on a consultancy basis with Navigator and now COG. She was part of the award winning team on the 2012 Thinkbox project and was responsible for the consumer segmentation and qualitative parts of that project. As well as working with COG she is currently completing a PhD in Psychology with a focus on counselling dynamics.
In her spare time she walks a large boisterous dog and tries to tire him out.
Jacob Masters
Jacob is our web programmer and designer.
He has 10 years experience in internet technologies and has built sites for the
Ministry of Sound as well as many other high profile music and entertainment
venues as well as building large scale research projects for Prism and COG.
Pat Wade
Pat is at the heart of our survey design and analysis and has extensive experience of questionnaire development, online implementation and analysis and is in charge of quality and meeting timelines in all these areas
Before coming to us, she worked in marketing and customer relations for a large retail company in South Africa. Pat is a member of the MRS.
