John Gerzema

John Gerzema is an American writer and corporate consultant, and the executive chairman of Burson Marsteller’s BAV Consulting,^[1] a global consultancy that advises corporations, nongovernmental organizations and governments on how to increase their value by strengthening their brands. BAV also owns and manages the BrandAsset Valuator database, the world's largest study on brands.^[2] Gerzema has been described as a “marketing guru,”^[3] and his analysis of consumer behavior has been widely cited in such publications as The Harvard Business Review, Strategy & Business, The Journal of Consumer Psychology and the Marketing Management textbook.^[4] He is frequently cited in discussions about the rise of feminine values in leadership.^[5]

Education

Gerzema received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from The Ohio State University in 1983 and his master’s degree in Integrated Marketing from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 1987.^[6]

Book Author

The Brand Bubble

Gerzema is the author of two best-selling books. His first book, The Brand Bubble: The Looming Crisis in Brand Value and How to Avoid It (John Wiley & Sons, Oct. 13, 2008), written with Ed Lebar, identified the beginning of changes in consumer attitudes that preceded the financial crisis. It was listed as a Bloomberg Businessweek best-seller in 2008^[7] and as one of Books You Should Have Read in Ad Week.^[8] The Brand Bubble also was honored with a WPP Atticus Award in 2008.^[9]

Spend Shift

Gerzema’s book, Spend Shift: How the Post-Crisis Values Revolution Is Changing the Way We Buy, Sell and Live (Jossey-Bass, Oct 18, 2010), written with Pulitzer-Prize winner Michael D’Antonio, explored consumerism after the Great Recession. Making the best-seller list of The Wall Street Journal, which said the book offers "10 'take-aways' spelling out the traits of the new America that the authors envision. It's a handy list for marketers and business managers,"^[10] Spend Shift also appeared on the best-seller list of The Washington Post, which called it “a timely look at how the economic malaise has affected how and what consumers buy,”^[11] and was one of Fast Company's Best Business Books of 2010,^[12] as well as Book of the Week from the WEEK Magazine.^[13]

The Athena Doctrine

Gerzema’s book, “The Athena Doctrine: How Women (And Men Who Think Like Them) Will Rule The World,” also written with D’Antonio, was published in April 2013.^[14] The book^[15] explores the rise of feminine traits and values in society, leadership, and business. Gerzema spoke about his research at a TEDx event in August 2012^[16] and at the TEDxWomen event in December 2012.^[17] Speaking at a conference in India in June 2012, Gerzema said that according to the writers' research, 53 percent of adults in India believed that if men think like women, the world "would be a better place." ^[18] In their research of more than 60,000 people in 13 countries, the authors found that “traditionally feminine leadership and values are now more popular than the macho paradigm of the past.” The authors found that “people are frustrated by a world long dominated by codes of male thinking and behavior: Codes of control, aggression and black-and-white thinking that have contributed to many of the problems we face today, from wars and income inequality to reckless risk-taking and scandal. “In fact, two-thirds of people feel the world would be a better place if men thought more like women-including 79 per cent of Japanese men; 76 per cent of French and Brazilians and 70 per cent of Germans.”^[19]

USA Today said the book provides "a captivating look at how individuals, regardless of gender and ethnicity, view behaviors as masculine, feminine, or neutral. A fascinating case study of human nature, this book provides insight into future world leaders."^[20] Writing in Strategy+Business, Sally Helgensen said, “the concept of making something bad a little better rather than seeking one heroic solution seems to define the essence of The Athena Doctrine and is indeed demonstrative of a less arrogant and elite-centric leadership model than the usual.”^[21]

Proceeds from the book benefit the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up campaign.^[22][23]

The Athena Doctrine has appeared on the best seller lists of the New York Times,^[24] Wall Street Journal,^[25] Entertainment Weekly,^[26] Chicago Tribune^[27] and USA Today^[28]

Columnist

Gerzema writes regular columns for the Huffington Post,^[29] The Economist Blog,^[30] Google Think Quarterly,^[31] Inc. (magazine) and PSFK. His Trend Watcher column for Inc. has dealt with such topics as Reshaping the World of Retail^[32] and The Geeks Are Graying.^[33] His PSFK columns, such as “Of Tea and Carrotmobs,”^[34] and “Everyone Needs an Alice,”^[35] focus on entrepreneurs and successful small businesses. His article "The Trouble With Brands" was named as one of "The Fifty Classic Management Articles" by the Strategy & Business editors.^[36]

Thought Leader

Gerzema’s extensive research and writing has garnered praise from The Wall Street Journal, NPR, Huffington Post, Forbes, Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, USA Today and CBS Sunday Morning News. Fast Company has noted his insights as “the future of commerce,”^[37] while CNBC credits his understanding of new marketplace trends as “a new revolution.”^[38] The Boston Globe says Gerzema "breaks trends down to a very relatable, human scale while providing a heavy dose of education.”^[39] U.S News & World Report describes his thinking as backed by “heavy duty consumer research.”^[40]

Gerzema appeared at the DLDwomen 13 Breaking New Ground conference in July 2013.^[41]

Gerzema frequently lectures on trends, innovation, and culture.^[42] He gave the keynote presentation at The Economist Marketing Forum on avoiding the looming crisis in brand value.^[43] At The Drucker Business Forum he talked with Strategy & Business Editor Art Kleiner on the New Rules for Consumerism.^[44] He also gave the keynote presentation^[45] at the July 2012 IIR Shopper Marketing Insights In Action Conference in Chicago,^[46] as well as at The Retail Conference in Toronto in 2011.^[47] His 2009 TED talk focused on the Post-Crisis Consumer and has garnered more than a quarter million views.^[48] He also has spoken to the Dell Women’s Empowerment Network (DWEN) Delhi,^[49] the 2012 Rainforest Alliance Sustainability Conference^[50] and the Bazaarvoice Social Summit.^[51]

Gerzema has written and been featured in numerous articles, including in such publications and websites as The Next Woman,^[52] The Daily Beast,^[53] Financial Times,^[54] Forbes,^[55] the Daily Mail,^[56] USA Today,^[57] Inc. magazine^[58] and Fast.^[59]

Career

Campbell Mithun

Gerzema worked as an account supervisor at Campbell Mithun from 1987 to 1982, providing account services and brand management to a diverse array of blue-chip marketers.^[60]

Fallon Worldwide

Gerzema joined Fallon Worldwide, an international marketing company, in 1992. While there, he co-founded account planning at Fallon Minneapolis, served as planning director and managing partner of Fallon New York (1997-2000) and then oversaw Fallon’s global network, which included founding offices and completing acquisitions.^[61]

Young & Rubicam

In 2004, Gerzema joined Young & Rubicam as chief insights officer, overseeing oversees account planning, research, and analytics.^[61]

Burson Marsteller: BAV Consulting

In early 2011, Gerzema became executive chairman of BAV Consulting, a division of Burson Marsteller and the company that is responsible for BrandAsset® Valuator, the world's largest global brand database and management tool.^[2]

Advisory Role

Gerzema is a board adviser for University of the People, an NGO tuition-free university,^[62] as well as a fellow with the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College.^[63]

Personal

Gerzema is married and lives in New York with his wife, Mary, an executive at Estee Lauder Companies, and daughter, Nina.^[4]

References