Don Edward Schultz (January 20, 1934 – June 4, 2020[1]) was Professor Emeritus of Service at Northwestern University's Medill School.
[2] In 1991, Schultz was part of a team at the Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University which in conjunction with the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), began the first empirical study designed to investigate how integrated marketing communications was being used by practitioners.
When this initial study was replicated by other studies in a number of countries; New Zealand, UK, US, Australia, India, Thailand, South Africa and the Philippines, etc.,[4] they demonstrated that the new IMC was far from a "short-lived managerial fad" but rather was "a very clear reaction by advertising agencies and their clients as they are affected by a multitude of factors such as new forms of information technology including development and usage of databases, media fragmentation, client desires for interaction/synergy, and global and regional coordination.
Also in 1993, Schultz and the Medill School at Northwestern University changed their curriculum to include a focus on this new idea of integrated marketing communications rather than the traditional program which had emphasized advertising.
[10] Schultz lectured and consulted for various business groups and resided in the Chicago metropolitan area.