JESSE CAESAR

"The Guy" at Jesse Caesar Consulting, LLC

The best way to understand and connect to people is through storytelling.  On this page I'm going to share a bit of my own story to show you that I'm smart, capable, and funny.  And cool.  And humble!

BACK THEN

I've always been fascinated by what makes people tick... and how to tickle them. This dot-connecting desire has led me to perform stand-up comedy, develop fully realized characters in my fiction writing, create commentary through cartooning, and pursue dual majors in Psychology and Anthropology at UC Berkeley.  Much like the magnificent beard pictured above, my curiosity continues to grow with me.  And it has guided my career trajectory like a north star.

BRANDING

After school I headed east for the action and excitement of New York and, in 2005, dove head first into world of branding.  As Account Manager at boutique branding agency Dean:NYC I molded winning strategies for both established and emerging brands in the Realty, Luxury, and Wellness categories.  Afterwards, as a Freelance Marketing Consultant I got my hands into some really wet clay with startups in Tech, Apparel, and Snack Food.  (A full list of branding and research clients can be found under the "Everyone" tab.) 

RESEARCH

While my branding background was an asset, running my own comedy show out of a bar in the Lower East Side is largely why Firefly Millward Brown (then Greenfield Consulting Group) hired me as their youngest Research Director in 2008.  Reading a room and keeping people entertained were things that they could not teach, but when it came to the fundamentals of Qualitative Market Research I had some of the finest moderators on earth to shadow.

Then they threw me into the deep end and for the next five years I managed my own Fortune 500 clients in nearly every sector, handling each step of the research process as part of my individual practice.  My near-perfect client retention was a result of my commitment to listening, ability to take a firm position, and maintaining a contagious level of enthusiasm.  I was also involved in a number of internal initiatives at Firefly: as resident Social Media Expert, I led a global study exploring how brands can be most effective in the social sphere; was part of the team behind the 2011 book "Marketing to the New Majority" (Burgos & Mobolade); developed TrackLight, a Qualitative overlay for Quantitative trackers.

In 2015 I joined the creative, savvy, and passionate team at Open Mind Strategy as Director of Research and Strategy.  We specialized in Millennial and Gen Z consumers, applying innovative methodologies.  The firm served mainly Media and Entertainment clients, expanding my category experience to include all but the Political and Legal sectors. 

RIGHT NOW

And here's where OUR story begins.  I started Jesse Caesar Consulting as a way to partner with clients in my own fun way, marrying big firm knowledge and capabilities with the attentiveness and creative flexibility of an independent moderator/strategist.  I love what I do and I'm pretty good at it too, but don't just take my word for it...