Barbara Long - A.KA. The Brand Ma

Barb is a high energy, senior brand strategist with over 30 years of successful consumer insight and brand development work.

Approach

Barbara uniquely addresses her client’s goals by creatively delivering a customized qualitative approach that yields richer, more insightful brand and target consumer direction.

Passionate about building brands with strong emotional and rational resonance, Barbara believes great brands know they must accelerate momentum and evolve their role, image and target consumer relationship to stay relevant in this fast-paced, rapidly changing marketplace.

She enjoys working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, as well as working on complex and challenging branding assignments.

Background

Before starting Long Group nineteen years ago, Barbara was a founding partner and president of Sterling Brands--Brands Strategy Group, an international brand consultancy, from 1988 to 1998. There she developed and managed a unique portfolio of research-based branded products focused on helping clients achieve values-based brand building, positioning, brand extension, innovation, brand architecture and packaging design. She left Sterling to become an independent consultant so she could be closer to the voice of the consumer and have more of a hands-on role working with clients and consumers to build brands.

Prior to launching Sterling Brands, she spent 10 years client side as the Director of Marketing for The Perrier Group brands (now Nestle Waters) where she positioned and launched their most important brands. Barb was a key catalyst in building the bottled water industry, as well as, Perrier Group’s  specialty food and confectionary brands. Prior to that she worked in beverage trade research.

Barbara has an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a BA from Colorado State University. When not working,  she enjoys traveling, exploring local farmers and craft markets, trying new foods and cuisines, cooking for friends, digging in the garden, hiking and kayaking. Barbara also finds her pro-bono work for educational and healthcare non-profits fulfilling.

CHRIS FOLEY

Five years ago, Chris joined Long Group as our resident millennial, social media and engagement insights team member.  With a BA in Cultural Anthropology and Managerial Economics from Union College, and prior experience at RLM Finsbury, a top-tier corporate & financial communications firm, he brings added insight, breadth, analysis, and brand data visualization to all projects.

An experienced moderator, he has successfully led Long Group’s pivot to virtual/online qualitative research, as well as quantitative.

Chris trained at the CPSI (Creative Problem Solving Institute), International Center for Studies in Creativity at University of Buffalo (Summer 2017). CPSI focuses on deliberate creativity, innovation and change leadership and teaches practical creativity skills and tools.

NYU Stern CEU, Marketing Principles & Practices (Fall 2015). Currently pursuing a Certificate in Marketing Strategy with eCornell (Fall 2020).

Giving back is a passion for Chris. He is active on Susan G. Komen’s YPC and Union College’s New York Alumni & Class Reunion boards. When not working, Chris is taking classes at General Assembly or NYU, culture diving, exploring local cuisines, sailing (racing), skiing, traveling… and sometimes catching a spin or yoga class between meetings.

Linda Adamowski

Linda is a veteran in recruitment and field management. Linda develops screeners for terrific recruits time and time again, working hand in hand with Long Group’s vendors, facilities and local recruiters across the domestic US.  Maybe her patience stems from decades of teaching children, but she has been managing complex and simple field recruits nationally for the Long Group for the last 6 years.