About

Response is an integrated marketing agency based in New Haven, CT. We specialize in interactive marketing, website design and programming, marketing strategy development, social media marketing, merchandising, advertising, SEO, SEM and more. We create marketing programs that have "the power to provoke" a desired reaction from our target audience.

People

Carolyn Walker

Carolyn is the Managing Partner at Response. At the tender age of 16 (when most kids are focused on dating and getting their driver's license), Carolyn caught the “marketing bug” while working for her mom who ran a testing facility in a mall. Yes, yes, I know it’s hard to believe but she’s done mall intercepts and tele-marketing (pre the “do NOT call list”). This exposure to marketing during high school propelled her decision to go to Northeastern University for a cooperative education (i.e. alternating going to school full-time with working full time). Through Northeastern, Carolyn gained valuable marketing experience working for SAMI-Burke, General Foods, Smartfood (a division of Frito-Lay), and Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising.

Carolyn graduated Magna Cum Laude from Northeastern and immediately went back to Saatchi for 2 years working on Finesse Hair Care, Mylanta, and Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol brand. From there she moved to Darden Restaurants working as a Marketing Manager on Red Lobster, a $2B, 700 unit casual dining chain). Then the entrepreneurial drive hit Carolyn and she went “home” to Connecticut to provide marketing and management support to a start up fast-casual chain, Sandella’s and helped build it to a 125 unit chain.

Outside of handling her daily client service and operational duties at Response, Carolyn gets powered up on the adrenaline rush of outdoor sports. In the winter it’s snowboarding, jogging, and ice skating (she is still known to do a few spins and jumps for an audience!), in the summer it is water skiing, wakeboarding (not very well), kayaking, jet skiing, sailing, and golfing (also not very well, but getting better). Most often she is sharing her escapades with her “significant other,” John, and his two children, Jack and Julia. Carolyn is also an avid reader and has been known to lend (or maybe even push) books to coworkers, friends and family.

Paul Lavoie

Paul is Partner and Co-Owner at Response. During Paul's 30 year career (he started really young), he has held sales and marketing positions at First National Supermarkets, he was SVP, Retail at ActMEDIA, VP, Sales at Productivity Solutions and SVP, Sales and Marketing at American Payment Systems. Paul has become adept at helping companies grow and then helping the parent company sell them. For the past 5 years, Paul was the owner of an ActionCOACH Business Coaching franchise and one of the top business coaches in the world. In addition, Paul is a motivational speaker, author and is recognized as a business growth expert.

When Paul is not working, you can find him in a hockey rink. With four children and a spouse that play hockey (yes, his wife plays hockey), you'll find Paul behind the bench, in the stands or searching for a place to warm up. Paul used to play hockey as well, but when they implemented new penalties on impeding progress, grabbing opponents and holding, Paul's real lack of hockey talent was exposed, causing him to have to retire to the bench.

Paul is on the Board of Directors of the Greater Bridgeport Junior Hockey Association, the Charitable Hands Foundation, and the Monroe Chamber of Commerce. He serves on so many boards because he gets in trouble when he is bored. Paul graduated from Post University in Waterbury, CT with a Bachelors of Science degree in Management.

Contact

We would like to provide you with our portfolio samples that are most relevant to your industry and the type of advertising services you require.