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Marketing

Professor Emeritus of Marketing

Portrait of Philip Kotler, Faculty at the Kellogg School of Management

Philip Kotler is Professor Emeritus of Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management, where he held the S.C. Johnson & Son Professorship of International Marketing.  Kellogg was voted the "Best Business School" for six years in Business Week's survey of U.S. business schools. It is also rated as the "Best Business School for the Teaching of Marketing." Professor Kotler has significantly contributed to Kellogg's success through his many years of research and teaching there.

He received his Master's Degree at the University of Chicago and his PhD Degree at MIT, both in economics. He did post-doctoral work in mathematics at Harvard University and in behavioral science at the University of Chicago.

Professor Kotler is the author of 57 books including: Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, Implementation and Control, the most widely used marketing book in graduate business schools worldwide; Principles of Marketing; Marketing Models; Strategic Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations; The New Competition; High Visibility; Social Marketing; Marketing Places; Marketing for Congregations; Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism; The Marketing of Nations; Kotler on Marketing, Building Global Biobrands, Attracting Investors, Ten Deadly Marketing Sins, Marketing Moves, Market Your Way to Growth, Winning Global Markets, and Confrontiing Capitalism. He has published over one hundred and fifty articles in leading journals, several of which have received best-article awards.

Professor Kotler was the first recipient of the American Marketing Association's (AMA) "Distinguished Marketing Educator Award" (1985). The European Association of Marketing Consultants and Sales Trainers awarded Kotler their prize for "Marketing Excellence". He was chosen as the "Leader in Marketing Thought" by the Academic Members of the AMA in a 1975 survey. He also received the 1978 "Paul Converse Award" of the AMA, honoring his original contribution to marketing. In 1989, he received the Annual Charles Coolidge Parlin Marketing Research Award. In 1995, the Sales and Marketing Executives International (SMEI) named him "Marketer of the Year."  In 2011, he was given the title of being a Legend in Marketing; in 2012, he was #1 on the Management A-List of Academics; in 2013 he became the first recipient of the William L. Wilkie American Marketing Association Foundation's "Marketing for a Better World" Award for significant contributions to marketing theory and practice; also in 2013, he was inducted into the Management Hall of Fame; also in 2013, he became the first recipient of the Sheth Foundation Medal for Exceptional Contribution to Marketing Scholarship and Practice.  

Professor Kotler has consulted for such companies as IBM, General Electric, AT&T, Honeywell, Bank of America, Merck and others in the areas of marketing strategy and planning, marketing organization and international marketing.

He has been Chairman of the College of Marketing of the Institute of Management Sciences, a Director of the American Marketing Association, a Trustee of the Marketing Science Institute, a Director of the MAC Group, a former member of the Yankelovich Advisory Board, and a member of the Copernicus Advisory Board. He is a Member of the Board of Governors of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a Member of the Advisory Board of the Drucker Foundation. He has received honorary doctoral degrees from the Stockholm University, University of Zurich, Athens University of Economics and Business, DePaul University, the Cracow School of Business and Economics, Groupe H.E.C. in Paris, the University of Economics and Business Administration in Vienna, Budapest University of Economic Science and Public Administration, and the Catholic University of Santo Domingo.

He has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia and South America, advising and lecturing to many companies about how to apply sound economic and marketing science principles to increase their competitiveness. He has also advised governments on how to develop and position the skill sets and resources of their companies for global competition.

About Philip
Research interests
  • Development of marketing principles and new products
  • strategy
  • promotional planning
  • marketing for nonprofit organizations
  • international marketing
Teaching interests
  • Development of marketing principles and new products
  • strategy
  • promotional planning
  • marketing for nonprofit organizations
  • international marketing
  • PhD, 1956, Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    MA, 1953, Economics, University of Chicago
  • S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 1988-present
    Harold T. Martin Professor of Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 1973-1987
    Montgomery Ward Professor of Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 1969-1972
    Associate Professor of Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 1965-1968
    Assistant Professor of Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 1962-1964
  • Honorary Doctorate, Plekhanov Russian Academyu of Economics
    16th Place in Ratings of Top Global Management Gurus, Global Gurus Organization and Management Gurus.Net
    Marketing for a Better World, American Marketing Association
    Wroe Alderson Distinguished Lecturer, Wharton School
    Schaffner Award, Kellogg School of Management
    Sheth Foundation Medal for Exceptional Contribution to Markeitng Scholarship and Practice, Sheth Foundation
    Badge of Honor of Officer of the Order of Academic Palms, Order of the Academic Palms
    Management Hall of Fame, www.thinkers50.com
    Honorary Doctorate Degree, HHL, Leipzig, Germany, 2012
    Ranked first on the A-List of Management Academics, 2011
    Kellogg Alumni Professor of the Year Award, Kellogg School of Management, 1991