My Bio

My name is Frankie Johnson and I’ve been conducting qualitative research as a moderator and consultant for almost 25 years as the founder and principal of Research Arts. I was educated at the London School of Economics and the University of Chicago, and have dual US-UK citizenship which permits me to work on both continents. I’m an emerita member of the American Marketing Association.

The first eight years of my career were spent on the client side working for Quaker Oats and Sears in senior marketing and research roles. There I had “old school” training in research methods and practice, and conducted just about every type of study there is, from the first segmentation studies to setting up a databank of home purchases.

In 1984, I left the corporate world and founded Research Arts. In addition to conducting numerous research projects, I trained several moderators who began their careers with the firm and worked on client teams as a marketing consultant. I’ve also written and lectured on consumer trends and green marketing, working with folks in consumer insights, product development and design, human resources and start-ups.

My main professional interests today are in identifying emerging trends, in particular the impact of the major economic and environmental shifts on consumers’ choices. After many years in Chicago, I now live in California near my two grown sons.