Nickelodeon Ups Consumers Insights Execs

Nickelodeon has promoted two senior executives on its consumer insights team, including Makeda Mays Green, who has been named senior VP of cultural and digital consumer insights.

Mays Green will continue to lead large-scale thought leadership and landscape studies on relevant cultural topics for kids and families and conduct research that informs Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Noggin’s digital strategies. She has been with Nickelodeon for 11 years.

During her time at the company, Mays Green has played a critical role in innovating methodologies for pivotal studies, including the creation of the “Shades of Us” and “How Content Creators Can Empower Families to Talk About Race” studies. Prior to joining Nickelodeon, she served as the director of education and research of digital media at Sesame Workshop.

Andrea Strauss has been elevated to senior VP of content and brand insights. She will continue to lead the brand, consumer insights and content insights teams and will be adding oversight of the West Coast insights group to her remit. She has spent more than two decades at Nickelodeon, informing the brand’s production, consumer products, public affairs, marketing and location-based experiences groups.

Strauss’s body of work includes studies such as “Family GPS,” “Story of Me,” “Story of Us” and “Shades of Us.” Her content-focused research has played a key role in the development of some of Nick’s biggest franchises, including SpongeBob SquarePants, iCarly, Dora the Explorer and Blue’s Clue’s. Most recently, she spearheaded “Bridging the Gap,” a deep examination of content that resonates with the 4- to 7-year-old audience.

Previously, Strauss was a member of the strategic services group at Grey Advertising, where she worked on new business pitches and premium consumer packaged goods brands, including the Dannon Yogurt kids’ products.

“Andrea and Makeda are incredibly accomplished researchers who have the remarkable ability to distill both quantitative and qualitative data into clear and concise insights,” said Ron Geraci, executive VP of research and strategic insights. “The innovative research work they have both shepherded during their time at Nickelodeon has played a crucial role in informing strategic decisions made across the organization. I personally look forward to our continued collaboration as their leadership and expertise continue to keep us in the forefront of research for kids and families.”