Industry Pro: Media Research Executive Kerry Edelstein

Here at YII, our ears perk up when we hear about an unusual entertainment job, one we had either never heard of or didn’t know what it entailed. Such was the case when Kerry Edelstein was introduced to us. And when you read her story, we think you’ll agree that this savvy lady honed in on the right opportunity to pursue her strenghts and passions and has made the most of it along the way. Smart networking, being active in her search for the right path, and making the most of chance encounters have led Kerry to success in her chosen field. Read on to hear all about it…

Current position:  I am Vice President, Research at SmithGeiger, a media research and consulting firm.

College & degree:  I got a B.S. in Biometry and Statistics from Cornell (Go Big Red!) and an MBA from The Anderson School at UCLA.

Internships:  I did two internships in college: 1) At the Urban Institute, conducting social science research on teen pregnancy prevention. 2) At a market research firm, doing consumer research on higher education. I originally expected to pursue social science research but found that market research was more fast-paced and well-suited to my personality – exactly the sort of lesson one should get out of internships!

I also did two entertainment internships during business school: 1) In the scheduling department at UPN. 2) In the marketing department at Disney Theatrical Productions, for the touring production of “The Lion King.” My goal in business school was to transition into entertainment, so I focused on internships that would give me industry experience and a foot in the door. I might have been the only person in history to have an internship in live theater that paid a truly livable salary – a thrilling accomplishment in and of itself.  Free house seats to “The Lion King” was just a nice added touch.

First job in the entertainment industry:  The internship at Disney. The story of how I got that gig is one of my favorites. I was interested in doing commercial theater marketing, so I flew from LA to NY for a weekend-long commercial theater conference near Times Square. During one of the panels, a woman from Serino Coyne (an ad agency that handles many Broadway shows) mentioned that she had an MBA. I was in business school at the time, so my ears perked up. After that panel, I literally (and I mean literally) ran down the stairs and chased her out of the building to talk to her. I explained my background in about one minute, gave her my card, flew back to LA that night, and the very next morning one of her clients at Disney called me about an internship in LA.

Big break:  I didn’t really have a big break. I was pretty stepwise in getting to where I am today. I more or less “back-doored” into the entertainment industry through functional expertise in market research. And I consciously chose a business school with a huge entertainment alumni network. In fact, I learned about SmithGeiger through a friend from business school, and the co-owner of our company is a Cornell alum, so I fully capitalized on academic nepotism!

Describe your current position:  My role at SmithGeiger is similar to that of a consultant, except that I also create and use customized market research as a tool for developing recommendations and action steps for media/entertainment companies. The nature of this work varies widely. Some of my projects are very specific and tactical, like a pilot test, or evaluating promotional spots for messaging effectiveness. And some are very strategic and longitudinal, like helping a media conglomerate plan their digital content or cross-platform strategy.

Career path:  My career path was entirely unplanned, and yet unconsciously pre-meditated. I was an applied statistics major in college, and took a survey research class that I loved, which led me to a market research internship.

In a highly selective investigative process, I picked that company, the Gordon S. Black Corporation, because Gordon S. Black used to live down the street from my parents. I thought it would be cool to support him in neighborhood solidarity, plus it was the only market research firm I knew about. I got hired there full time after graduation, as it was morphing into Harris Interactive.

I spent 3 years there doing consumer research for educational organizations, hit a plateau, and decided it was time for grad school. I had spent my entire childhood/teen/college years in performing arts, so I really wanted to get closer to that in my career. But I wanted to stay in business, so I started hunting around for programs that had a strong reputation in both business and entertainment, and I ended up in the MBA program at UCLA.

At UCLA I did a couple entertainment-related internships to get my foot in the door, ran the school paper, directed the school cabaret show, and generally convinced everyone that I was an overachiever who loved entertainment. I also met two incredibly bright classmates with backgrounds in entertainment. One would become my business partner for a year in a film-related entrepreneurial venture. I had lunch with the other one at the time I was ready to leave that venture and he alerted me that SmithGeiger was hiring. I started there six years ago as a research manager, and was eventually promoted to Research Director, then VP.

Describe a Typical Workday:  Some days I’m at my desk putting together a proposal, writing a report, crafting a survey, or running data analysis. Other days I’m onsite with clients presenting action steps, or on the phone explaining what audiences thought of a TV show and what steps we need to take to help it succeed on-air. And sometimes I’m on a plane for three days in a row for focus groups. I’m usually working on anywhere from three to 10 projects at a time, depending on their scope, so “typical” involves a lot of variety.

Worst job (or day) in entertainment industry:  When I worked at Disney, someone in my department sent out a form without internal legal review, and forgot to set registration limits on a big event we were holding. I spent two months responding to fax registrations, and we had to create extra events to honor all of them. A nice little lesson in, “The legal department is your friend, even if it means waiting a day.”

Best job (or day) in entertainment industry:  It’s hard to pick a “best” day at a job that regularly delivers great days, but one of my unexpectedly favorite days was meeting the executive team behind TMZ (the TV show). It really brought to life why certain media properties catapult to success. The team behind that show includes some of the most intelligent, on-point, creative folks you’ll find in the TV business. They took some very clever, calculated steps to launch a show into syndication in a very tough market, and against the odds, created this multi-platform success. It’s always a treat to meet people who are true game-changers.

Eureka moment:  I’ve had many of these, but the latest had me laughing out loud. I was meeting with the CMO of a global media conglomerate, a woman with probably 15-20 years more experience than myself. After a lengthy business discussion about M&A strategy, technology, and fostering internal buy-in for corporate growth initiatives, she changed the topic. “What do you like to do in your free time?” she asked. I was surprised by the question, but answered honestly that I regularly take dance classes. “What kind of dance?” she inquired. I hesitated before admitting, “Mostly hip hop.” What I did not expect was her reaction, “I love hip hop! Who do you listen to?” (She then rattled off about 5 rappers, resulting in me almost falling out of my chair in shock.) My instinct is to compartmentalize, to keep my business casual wardrobe separate from the sweats, trucker hat, and fluorescent-shoe-laced Nikes in my gym bag. After that conversation, it occurred to me that allowing these two worlds to intersect could facilitate new business development.

Best thing about your current job:  Three things, actually. 1) The variety. 2) The people.  3) The subject matter. Crafting custom research and consulting recommendations for media companies requires versatility. I have to be as comfortable talking to a casting director as a CEO, as adept at telling a story in a report as in distilling the analytics required to uncover that story. I’ve always been more of a generalist than a specialist, so that variety is perfect for me, it keeps me engaged. And the people I work with are fantastic – I can rely on them, and they’re so talented – they make me raise my game.  And then there’s the fun part. Every now and then I get to work on a show that I watch religiously anyway. I’ll stop and think, “Wow, I’m being paid to watch and consult on this.” Then I’ll think about how my parents limited me to half an hour of TV as a kid, and I’ll chuckle at the irony.

Worst thing about your current job:  The commute. Thankfully, my employer is very gracious in allowing flex hours and telecommuting. It’s made it possible for me to keep a job I love, and also retain some semblance of work/life balance.

Brush with greatness:  Not too long after I started this job, I was supposed to attend a client meeting with one of the owners of our company. Mother Nature failed to cooperate, and a huge rainstorm created a highway closure – my colleague literally couldn’t get to the meeting location. I was able to take back roads and get there, so we agreed I would handle the meeting myself. I arrived at the client’s office to find out that additional executives would be attending, and as the meeting was about to start, a friendly man dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt walked in and introduced himself.  We had a lovely conversation about some research we had done, and how that might be useful to his department. Everyone was engaged and interested, and both my client and I were pleased at how productive the dialogue was. Then I went back to my office and informed the owners that I just presented to Mark Pedowitz (then head of Touchstone TV) on the fly.

Secret of your success/advice to the newbie:  Know what you’re good at, and passionate about, and follow that. I never really “planned” this specific career outcome, but in a way, I’ve been preparing for it my whole life. I was the kid with the 103 average in math class, rehearsals for some music/theater group every day, and a seat in the yearbook office. Media/entertainment research is really just the grownup hybrid of these things, so it’s probably not too surprising that I took to it when it crossed my path. I think sometimes we waste energy searching for nuance when the answer’s in the obvious. I know I did!

Next move:  At this point in my career, I try to enjoy what I have now and not dwell on what will be next. But I’m always thinking of ways to reinvent my job and keep it interesting, through new clients, new types of work, new products / services, etc. And I’ve been saying for years that I eventually want to write a book, so keep your eyes out. One day….!

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