remember jumping rope? When two friends would hold the ends and turn, and you would watch for a minute, wait to get the rhythm, and then jump in? We think smart innovation happens in kind of the same way. Trends are at one end of the rope, consumer insights at the other. They work in tandem, turning the rope, creating a rhythm. At Jump Rope Innovation, we help clients to get the rhythm. To see the patterns and anticipate what's next. To know just when and just how to jump in. At Jump Rope Innovation, we bring client teams face to face (often literally!) with category trends and with the consumers who use (or potentially use) our clients' products every day. We use our learnings from these experiences to help generate forward-thinking innovation and to create concepts that jump off the page because they are deeply relevant, differentiated and engaging. the jump rope innovation team Please click on our photos to learn more about us. John Carter, Managing Partner WHAT I DO As a Managing Partner for Jump Rope Innovation, I help direct and oversee the business. I work with our clients to help them to innovate and market effectively through connecting them with consumers and the marketplace. I focus on opportunities where I can leverage my extensive marketing and research background. WHAT I DID I was most recently Executive Vice President, Consulting at GfK, a global marketing research firm. I ran a team of forty researchers and we were responsible for quantitative research in the innovation area across all industries, including consumer goods, retail, tech, health care and financial services. Prior to that, I was at Ipsos for 10 years. I spent the first part of my career on the client side at Bestfoods/Unilever. This included various roles in marketing research, a five and a half year assignment in Asia and, upon returning to the US, a VP Marketing position. I have an MBA from Rutgers University. WHAT ELSE I DO Outside of work, I like to spend time with my family – my wife Robyn, five kids and a dog. I also play the bass, occasionally with a band, listen to jazz and love to cook. FUN FACT My father was a well-known jazz pianist, composer and arranger who also wrote and recorded three musical comedy albums. Here's a link: Louie's Love Songs