FRONTIERS
Brands - Next Frontiers - New Brand Ecology
Alan C. Middleton
Abstract
Research in the Triad markets of Japan, Europe and North America have pointed to new trends in the way brands are being perceived, thought of and built. CSR and sustainability are becoming more important in the way brands are seen and built and internal branding is becoming more and more important particularly in the service industries. The Frontier for marketers, branding specialists and CFO’s is to measure how well their brands are meeting these needs. The Frontier for market researchers is to measure these new facets – not only in themselves but in relation to one another.
Alan C. Middleton
Born and educated in London, and Brighton, England, Alan graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science, London University with a B.Sc. Honours Sociology. He subsequently earned an MBA and then a PhD. in Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business, York University in Toronto, Canada.
After working for the Universal Oil Products Company (UOP Inc.) in Chicago, USA and Esso Petroleum in Oslo, Norway, Alan commenced a career in advertising with the J. Walter Thompson (JWT) advertising agency in London, England. After four years working with such Clients as the ‘Access’ credit card, Dunlop, the Elida- Gibbs division of Unilever, Kodak and RHM Bakeries, Alan emigrated to Canada.
In Toronto, Alan joined JWT Toronto eventually becoming Vice- President/Client Services Director, managing the accounts of Bank of Montreal, Kodak, Pepsi Canada and Ralston PurinaIn 1989 he became President/CEO of JWT Japan, the third largest operation in JWT worldwide after the US and the UK. In 1990 Alan was made Executive Vice President and a Board Director of the worldwide company.
Since 1992 Alan has taught Consumer and Organizational Buyer Behavior, International Marketing, International Strategy, Marketing Communications, Not-for-Profit Marketing and Marketing Management in the BBA and MBA programs at Schulich. In 1998 he became an Assistant Professor, winning a number of teaching awards for this activity.
In any spare time he has, Alan swims, plays the occasional bridge game, attends classical music, opera and theatre performances, and travels to, and reads anything to do with the sociology, culture, archaeology, anthropology and history of the pre-Columbian Americas and Pacific Asia.