Graeme Hutton

SVP, Director of Consumer Insights & Research
UM

Curious Insight: A dyed-in-the-wool Brit hailing from Malvern, Worcestershire, Graeme has always viewed American behaviors and culture habits with the true curiosity of an outsider.

Surprising Result: Even after 10 years as a resident ex-patriot in the U.S., his objective gimlet eye provides UM clients with the fact or feature about their consumers that will ultimately help them enjoy a competitive advantage.

Graeme is responsible for ensuring that all appropriate proprietary and syndicated research tools and resources are applied in the development of consumer insight strategies, for a total communications research platform—from TV to chat rooms—which informs the efforts of Universal McCann and its agency partners. Based in New York, Graeme joined UM in May 2006 as SVP, Director of Consumer Insights and Research for the US.

Graeme's expertise in US and international advertising and media communications planning spans over 20 years. Most recently, he was Integrated Communications Director at The Media Kitchen in New York, where he managed and oversaw all agency research initiatives for clients such as Limited Brands (Victoria's Secret; Bed, Bath and Beyond), Liberty Mutual and Panasonic. Prior to the Media Kitchen, he spent three years in San Francisco at ZenithOptimedia as SVP, Strategic Resources. In this role, he led agency teams in London, Singapore, Miami, New York and San Francisco to develop channel communications and ad awareness research modeling for all divisions of Hewlett-Packard Worldwide. Before that, Graeme was EVP, Media Director Worldwide and Direct Marketing USA at Lowe Lintas & Partners Worldwide in New York where he worked with global clients such as 3Com, SunGard, Johnson & Johnson and Lego, among others. His professional experience also includes stints at Ammirati Puris Lintas, CIA MediaNetwork, Billetts and Ogilvy & Mather, all in London.

He is an Editorial Advisory Board Member for the Internationalist, a publication on international advertising, media and research developments. Graeme also served as Chairman of the Audit Bureau of Circulation in the UK, where he doubled revenues by moving operations into trade and business titles, and electronic media.

Currently residing in New York, Graeme earned a CAM Diploma with double distinction from the Communication Advertising & Marketing Foundation in London.

Read all Graeme's MediaBizBloggers commentaries at Curious Thoughts from Curious Minds.

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