Herb Sorensen Parlin Award 2013
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May 14, 2013
Herb Sorensen, Ph.D.
2013 Charles Coolidge Parlin Awardee, American Marketing Association
Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, Univ. of S. Australia
Scientific Advisor, TNS Global, Retail & Shopper Practice
RetailWire BrainTrust Panelist/Blogger
E-Mail: herb.sorensen@shopperscientist.com

 

For Immediate Release
Contact: Jason Oleniczak
Director, Awards & Grants

(312) 542-9041
joleniczak@ama.org

AMA & AMA Foundation Announce 2013 Parlin Award Recipient

CHICAGO, IL - May 14, 2013 - The Parlin Board of Governors, as an entity of the American Marketing Association (AMA) and the American Marketing Association Foundation (AMAF), announce Herb Sorensen, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, University of South Australia, as the recipient of the 2013 Charles Coolidge Parlin Marketing Research Award. This award recognizes Sorensen's substantial contributions and unwavering dedication to the ongoing advancement of marketing research practice. The Charles Coolidge Parlin Marketing Research Award ceremony will take place on Monday, June 10, 2013, at the AMA Advanced Research Techniques (ART) Forum in Chicago, IL.

The Charles Coolidge Parlin Marketing Research Award was established in 1945 by the Philadelphia Chapter of the AMA and The Wharton School in association with the Curtis Publishing Company to honor distinguished academics and practitioners who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and sustained impact on the evolving profession of marketing research over an extended period. Established as a memorial to Charles Coolidge Parlin, recognized as a founder of marketing research and acknowledged for his early benchmarking studies of consumer issues, the Parlin Award is today a preeminent national honor.

Herb Sorensen's career intertwines the world of science with the world of business. His Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California at Davis, 1970, resulted in a half dozen publications ranging from metabolism, to chemical and electron structures. He is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Clinical Chemistry. In 1972 he launched a food laboratory, including HACCP quality programs.

Herb's second company, "The In-store Research CompanyTM," provided market research for the packaged foods industry. In the 90's a mentor, Bob Stevens of P&G, encouraged a sharper focus on "assessment in context." In 2001 Herb invented and patented PathTrackerTM, a second-by-second method of studying shopper behavior in stores. Early on, PathTrackerTM enjoyed mentoring and advice from Peter Fader, and Herb shared in the honor of the AMA's EXPLOR award in 2007, with Fader and his group at Wharton. In 2004 Fast Company Magazine named Herb one of its top 50 innovators.

From 1979-2009, Sorensen Associates grew at an annualized rate of 30%, driven by a focus on the basics of personal selling, both to clients, and to their customers, the shoppers in stores. Globalization of Herb's work expanded when he sold his company to TNS and published Inside the Mind of the Shopper (Wharton School Press, 2009,) and through affiliation with the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute as an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow. Herb's research and views over the past decade have been published in AMA's Marketing Research, The Journal of Advertising Research, and his blog at www.shopperscientist.com.

In receiving this prestigious award, Sorensen joins other marketing research legends such as Robert Wood Johnson, Peter Drucker, Arthur C. Nielsen, George Gallup, August A. Busch III, Paul E. Green, John A. Howard, Philip Kotler, Robert J. Lavidge, and Jagdish Sheth.

The 2013 Charles Coolidge Parlin Award Board of Governors:

Timothy B. Parlin, Esq., Carroll, McNulty & Kull LLC (Chair)
Greg M. Allenby, Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University
Eric Bradlow, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Christopher Chapman, Google
Steven H. Cohen, in4mation insights
William Cron, Neeley School of Business, Texas Christian University
Dennis Dunlap, American Marketing Association
Kevin Hawkins, FedEx
Robert Meyer, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
David Reibstein, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania


About the American Marketing Association and the American Marketing Association Foundation The American Marketing Association (AMA) is the largest marketing association in North America with a global network of over 30,000 members. It is a professional association for individuals involved in the practice, teaching and study of marketing worldwide. As the leading organization for marketers, AMA is the trusted go-to resource for marketers and academics. AMA is counted on as the most credible marketing resource where members can stay relevant with knowledge, training and tools to enhance lifelong learning and obtain valuable information and connections. For more information on the American Marketing Association, please visit www.MarketingPower.com.

The American Marketing Association Foundation (AMAF) champions the marketing profession by encouraging excellence and investing in marketing that benefits society. The Charles Coolidge Parlin Marketing Research Award is a prime example of our commitment to recognize outstanding marketers. For additional information please visit www.themarketingfoundation.org.

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Ehrenberg-Bass TNS Global Shopper Scientist