GRAYSON ASSOCIATES - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Marketing and Management Consultant

Dr. Robert Grayson, a marketing and management consultant, is well known in the business community for skillfully translating innovative theory into successful business marketing. Instrumental in the development of such creative marketing concepts as The Face Factory, a chain of retail cosmetic shops, Design Line Telephones and Phone Center Stores for AT&T, Dr. Grayson is a general partner in Grayson Associates, a marketing and management consulting firm specializing in consumer goods industries. Adjunct Professor of Marketing at The New York University Graduate School of Business Administration for 18 years, Dr. Grayson's marketing expertise is frequently tapped by leading manufacturers of consumer and business products, and companies in the industrial and service fields. Prior to establishing his consulting practice in 1970, Dr. Grayson was Senior Vice President of Daniel and Charles Advertising. He was responsible for the marketing, market research, media, and financial administration departments. Dr. Grayson also worked for many years at Lever Brothers in marketing and new product development--the latter for six years. Author of the text, Introduction to Marketing, Dr. Grayson also edited one of the first computer books on Marketing and the Computer in 1967. In addition, he recently sold The Marketing Journal Publishing Company, which produces The Journal of Consumer Marketing, The Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, The Journal of Services Marketing, and The Journal of Product & Business Management. These are academic journals which are written and edited for practicing marketers. They were edited to uniquely fill the gap between the anecdotal trade press and the esoteric research journals. He created the landmark study correlating corporate organization with new product output. This, in turn, led to the development of a systems approach to new product development with several of his clients. Over the last 30 years, Dr. Grayson has initiated new services and provided original marketing ideas for such industry giants as Avon, Citicorp, AT&T, Western Electric, Franklin Mint, General Telephone, Pfizer, BCG, SRI, Bristol-Myers, and Procter & Gamble, Unilever, among others. Currently, an increasing segment of his practice is as an expert witness in marketing disputes. (See www.marketingexpertwitness.com) Dr. Grayson is one of the founders of the Product Development and Management Association and is past president of the New York Chapter of the American Marketing Association. During his term as president, he initiated the Marketing Man of the Year Award and the Effie Award, given for the most effective advertising commercials. Effie is now the most respected of the advertising awards because it goes beyond creativity to measure actual sales results. (Note: Effie is short for "effective advertising.") Effie awards are also given in 12 foreign countries. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Dr. Grayson received his master's degree and doctorate from the Graduate School of Business, New York University and, in addition to being a professor there for 18 years, was a visiting professor at Fordham University and Pace University. He has taught and lectured world wide on almost every facet of marketing with special emphasis on new product development. Robert Grayson produced the cosmetic industry's trade show, CosmoExpo (1972-1985) and are the founders of HBA Global Expo, the international trade show and conference for the cosmetic, fragrance, and personal care industries. From its inception, and for 15 years, they consulted and directed the seminar programs, created and directed the International Packaging Award, and the Awards Program. In 2007 they established the Grayson Conference Division. ACCELERATING THE FUTURE, Ingredient/Technology Conference is set for March of 2008. Together they have produced marketing workshops and seminars in the United States and in Great Britain on a variety of subjects, among them new product positioning, fragrance positioning and marketing, corporate repositioning and advertising Suzanne and Bob Grayson also write the column, THE GRAYSON REPORT, a marketing analysis newsletter for the cosmetic/toiletry industry published in the leading trade magazine, Household & Personal Products Industries (HAPPI). This newsletter is now in its 33rd year. The latest thrust of Grayson Associates consulting is advising potential acquirers of businesses of the "true" marketing potential of the subject company. In this capacity they work for venture groups, financial institutions, and marketing corporations. An adjunct to this enterprise is the development of a methodology for analyzing acquisitions for marketing companies, now an active part of their consulting practice. Bob Grayson also write the column, THE GRAYSON REPORT, a marketing analysis newsletter for the cosmetic/toiletry industry published bi-monthly in the leading trade magazine, Household & Personal Products Industries (HAPPI). This newsletter is now in its 35th year. Suzanne Grayson writes the bi-monthly column in HAPPI, for the BrandAudit.

Suzanne Grayson has been instrumental in the development of many of the personal care industry's most innovative concepts. Numbered among her most successful innovations are the creation of The Face Factory, the first freestanding cosmetic stores which stimulated the trend to full-line testing of colors, and independent beauty specialty stores. It was hailed as a revolutionary merchandising concept in cosmetic retail marketing. The 25 stores were subsequently sold to Regis Corporation. The partners used their experience from The Face Factory to direct AT&T into retailing, with its Phone Center Stores. Ms. Grayson also developed the first color analysis system, leading to the production of the first, and patented skincare and color computer for Helena Rubinstein's point-of-purchase display, which sparked the uses of computers for many industries in addition to the cosmetic industry. Since that time she has developed five other color analysis systems. During a fourteen year career at Revlon she was responsible for the new product marketing, planning and development for the company. One of her most significant creations was the invention of Blush-On and thereby blusher category, which led to powdered eye shadow, and other powdered products in the cosmetic segment. For Cover Girl, she created the first curved mascara brush, which helped to establish the brand in eye cosmetics. Suzanne Grayson's clients within the cosmetic/toiletry/fragrance business have ranged from Avon to Zotos with almost every company in between. She is an important speaker at many industry functions and favored for annual reports to financial companies on the marketing state of cosmetic companies and the industry. Her perceptive editing of THE GRAYSON REPORT has made that newsletter a "must read" for 33 years in the cosmetic industry. Her expertise covers all phases of beauty marketing, and in all channels of distribution, with particular emphasis in strategic planning, new product positioning and development, re-staging/repositioning of existing lines, advertising analyses, et al. Suzanne Grayson is frequently called upon by the financial and advertising industries to report on industry and company trends. She is active in acquisition analysis for companies and financial institutions. Ms. Grayson has served on the Board of Directors of The Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors Association and has been active with the New York University School of Business and Public Administration--also serving on its Board of Advisors. Together with her partner, she started the Beauty Industry West Association, to serve as a focal point for the members of the industry on the West Coast.