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Chris Aarons

Professor

Department:     Marketing

Additional Titles:     Professor of Marketing

Chris Aarons Headshot
Chris Aarons Headshot

Chris has 25+ years of experience in marketing and communications and thrives on solving complex problems for his technology clients. He has helped leading companies like Amazon, AMD, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Cisco, Dell, Dolby Labs, LasikPlus, Microsoft, and Toshiba, as well as numerous startups, find creative solutions to their toughest challenges.

Always a pioneer, Chris has identified and leveraged multiple disciplines to drive results for the brands with whom he's had the privilege to work. Proof of this is seen in just a few of his many accomplishments:

  • He was the leader of the PR team that launched DVD technology 1995 with Philips Electronics, and helped them win a bitter standard battle with Toshiba.
  • Chris is credited with launching one of the first corporate social media programs at AMD in 2005, leading numerous brands to call on AMD for guidance and advice on their burgeoning social programs (this was 2 years before Twitter debuted).
  • His "31 Days of the Dragon" campaign reversed the fortunes of HP's flagship laptop. After Chris' campaign, the "$5,500, 25-inch "Dragon"" laptop was sold out after previously being labeled as "virtually unsellable" by HP leadership due to months of poor sales and countless failed promotions. The trackable sales success of this campaign has led it to become one of the most recognized and copied social media campaigns ever.

In addition, Chris been recognized for his success driving marketing results on limited budgets via numerous awards and accolades, including: 

  • WOMMA's Wommy Award for Best Word-Of-Mouth Campaign
  • Summit International's Emerging Media Award for Effectiveness
  • HP's Circle Award for Worldwide Marketing Excellence
  • ad:tech's Limelight Award for Best Social Media Marketing campaign
  • Promo Magazine's Pro Award for Best Campaign on a Budget

Chris' quest to stay at the forefront of marketing has led him to author two books, with 2017's The Digital Helix: Transforming Your Organization's DNA to Thrive in the Digital Age, becoming a Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestseller. In addition, Chris' passion for learning and helping others succeed has made him one of the highest rated instructors at The University of Texas, teaching digital marketing, leadership and strategic communications.

Through all of the changes in marketing and technology, Chris has been consistently able to identify and build the best practices needed to keep his clients ahead. He instructs, leads and inspires groups with his energy and knowledge while also elevating the teams he works with by showing them what is possible for their brand and market. He excels at helping brands strategically assess the situation and bring the right ideas and frameworks together to propel groups to new heights.

Education

MBA, Pepperdine Graziadio Business

BA, University of Nevada-Reno