The Marketing Awards are still more than a month away, but one of the night’s biggest awards has already been announced.
Alan Middleton will receive the ACA Gold Medal at the Carlu on June 8 during the 90th Marketing Awards ceremony.
Middleton, executive director of the Schulich Executive Education Centre and assistant professor of marketing at York University, is known throughout the industry and across the country as one of the most influential thought leaders and clearest voices on marketing and advertising.
First presented in 1941, the Association of Canadian Advertisers presents the award to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of marketing communications in Canada.
Before entering academia, Middleton built an esteemed career both client side and in the agency world. He is co-author of Advertising Works II and Ikonica – A Field Guide to Canada’s Brandscape. In addition, he has authored better-practice reports for the ACA on payment-by-results, client-agency relationships and marketing dashboards.
“Alan Middleton personifies the exceptional qualities that constitute the ACA Gold Medal Award,” said Ron Lund, president and CEO of the ACA. “At every level of endeavor, he has served the marketing communications industry with passion, commitment and distinction. As an educator, Alan has mentored a generation of successful Canadian marketers and advertising practitioners. As an author, he has been hugely influential in elevating our practice of effective advertising. And as a marketing authority, he has long been the media’s go-to source of expert commentary.”
“I was totally surprised and delighted with the news of this award – especially as it means joining such luminaries as John Cassaday, Sunni Boot, Claude Lessard and Frank Palmer,” said Middleton. “Hopefully, this signals not only my personal efforts but the efforts of all those engaged in progressing the discipline of marketing.”
“It’s hard to find anyone in the industry who doesn’t know Alan’s work, who hasn’t referred to his brilliant insight or quoted him in a report at some point in their career,” said Lucy Collin, publisher of Marketing. “We think the ACA made a great choice and we’re thrilled we get to play host as the industry honours one of its true giants on June 8.”
