Meet Inga
Inga Starrett
Practice Lead, Research + Analytics
Inga Starrett has spent more than 20 years analyzing marketing data to assist companies in understanding and optimizing programs. Her expertise in competitive intelligence and data mining gives Big Valley a foundation for creating actionable analytics programs that span multiple communications channels. Inga’s background is analyzing communications outreach for technology companies, with market experience in supply chain tech, SaaS, security, health tech, and green tech. She has published research for Big Valley tracking top conversations in technology, visibility trends among unicorn companies and quantifying "addressable media" for the key subject areas listed above. Her research helps isolate key message pick up in crisis situations so that communications teams can adapt quickly to redirect and redefine discussions. Her work in category analysis has assisted clients in focusing brand persona by isolating discussions that will help to elevate a brand. Inga also conducts audience profiling and segmentation based on social activities to assist clients in focusing earned and owned social outreach. Inga is the numbers junkie on the Big Valley Marketing team who believes math is fun and statistical outliers are the best at parties. Prior to Big Valley, Inga served as Senior Vice President, Analytics at Weber Shandwick. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of California, Riverside. When not looking at linear trends, Inga enjoys hiking and skiing in Lake Tahoe, usually with her crazy Labradors in tow. Check out their adventures on Insta via @battlebornlola_forestfloyd.
What do you do?
As the leader of the firm’s Research & Analytics Practice, I’m looking for ways to make analytics, business intelligence, and data more accessible. We do math for non-math people and use the data to tell a story. Then we add in data visualization to bring the story to life. It is a lot like writing a book report. But these “book reports” give our clients a detailed picture of their communications landscape to help them make informed decisions.
The really cool thing we do on the analytics team is work across our client base. In any given week we may be reading about quantum computing, supply chain tech, and cybersecurity. This allows us to connect dots in disparate conversations as we collaborate with client teams to identify new opportunities based on these unique insights.
Why Big Valley Marketing?
Communications is one of the only areas in marketing that asks to measure itself. People often look at communications metrics as a report card that shows whether they, or their partners, did their job. And no one wants a D.
At Big Valley we are constantly striving to normalize analytics, data, statistics, and linear trends as strategic communications tools rather than being used only as grading systems. Communications analytics provide a wealth of insights that we use to inform strategy, optimize content, and identify opportunities that enhance the visibility of our clients.
Plus, if something is not working, don’t you want to know, and then pivot, before it’s too late?
What’s one thing fun or surprising/unexpected about you?
I did not grow up super active, but now you can regularly find me outside on a mountain (I live in Lake Tahoe, so there are lots of mountains close by). In the winter I’m skiing, snowshoeing, or combining the two into backcountry skinning (hiking on skis). In the summer I’m hiking, biking, or paddling. This summer I’m picking up a new hobby – wake surfing. Never too old to start something new!
