Yehuda Shmidman, Chairman & CEO at WHP Global and Toys”R”US, shares his expertise in bringing global brands to market with students in Professor Cheryl Fenelle Dixon’s “Communication and Global Brands” class.

Over the course of Yehuda Shmidman’s career, which includes roles as CEO of Sequential Brands Group and COO of Iconix Brand Group, he has led the deployment of more than $3.5 billion of institutional capital into acquiring, growing and monetizing consumer brands. He shared his vision of the current and future state of retail and how it impacts the consumer experience, how we should be marketing today in today’s media environment, how to navigate global distribution and well as the importance of understanding the new consumer psyche and delivering what they want and where they want it.

Professor Cheryl Fenelle Dixon’s class focuses on helping students understand the factors that have promoted the growing globalization of brands as well as the opportunities and challenges globalization poses for brand communications, preparing the students to develop and implement global communication strategies. To successfully “unlock the power of brands,” Yehuda advised students to consider his “AAP” model of evaluation: Awareness, Affinity and Purchase Intent – and ensuring that brands deliver on their promise.