Leisure Trends Bolsters Consumer Research Division

Boulder, CO, March 29, 2006 --(PR.com)-- Leisure Trends Group has expanded its consumer research division with the addition of two senior analysts and the promotion of Laurel Hyslop to Director of Market Research.

“Interest in consumer behavior and attitudes has increased ten-fold over the past two years for us,” according to Jim Spring, president of Leisure Trends. “Since demand is increasing, it makes sense to beef up supply.”

Heading the Market Research team is Hyslop, who has a doctorate in Life-Span Developmental Psychology from Syracuse University. Before joining Leisure Trends in 2002, Hyslop served as Research Manager at Digitas where Fortune 500 clients included American Express, Celebrity Cruises, Intercontinental Hotels and Seagram’s.

Two new senior analysts, Keith Baugh and Kristy Myers, bring a complimentary mix of industry background to Leisure Trends. High levels of creativity in both design and analysis characterize Baugh’s 25-year history in market research. He has assisted companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Cox Communications and Penton Media with product development, process improvement and market studies.

Myers brings eight years of experience in survey, market research and project management. Before joining Leisure Trends, she used her analytical and consulting background to manage process improvement projects and provide statistical direction to US West (now Qwest), MessageMedia, SurveyConnect and small independent companies.  

“A lot of our success in consumer research has to do with our MAAP (Most Active Americans Panel) research database which is now 1.6 million strong and expanding at a rate of almost 20,000 new members a month,” Spring explained. “A research database as robust as MAAP combined with our lifestyle segmentation tools has enhanced our leadership position in the leisure and sports industries which is creating the surge in demand for our market intelligence.”

The absolute authority on leisure in America, Leisure Trends has been helping clients understand the leisure behaviors of their customers for the last 15 years. Services range from an examination of brand equity and media studies to shopping habits, purchase decisions, segmentation, price elasticity and customer relationship management. The company’s two signature publications are LeisureTrak‚, the definitive measure of how Americans spend their leisure time, and SportsTrak, a measure of Americans’ favorite sport activities.

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