Rob Master Brings Strategic Communication Expertise to J-School Students

Rob Master, Adjunct Instructor of J564 and Vice President of Media, North and Latin America, Unilever

This fall, J-School students in J564: Media and the Consumer will be learning from industry expert, UW-Madison alum and SJMC Board of Visitors member Rob Master. Master is the Vice President of Media and Marketing for Unilever, and oversees a team responsible for media innovation, strategy and the development of integrated communication plans for all Unilever Brands.

Master earned his BA in political science from UW-Madison and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. He worked for startups, communication agencies and PepsiCo’s Taco Bell before joining Unilever in 2002. Since then, he has managed iconic brands including Dove and Axe, driven award-winning branding campaigns, and earned Unilever recognition as Digital Marketer of the Year by Advertising Age, Media Client of the Year by Media Post, and one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Marketers.

Bringing nearly 30 years of experience in award-winning brand marketing to the classroom, Master’s class provides an overview of the rapidly changing digital media landscape and its role and importance in the marketing mix. It explores the history of the digital media revolution and its impact on building brands in today’s digital-first environment.

“We are living through an extraordinary time in marketing and media and I’m excited to share my experience and journey with the next generation of marketing professionals,” Master said. “We will explore the rapidly changing digital media landscape and its role and importance in connecting brands with consumers. Students will gain a clear grasp on what powers today’s digital ecosystem and hear from a diverse set of guest speakers that will provide perspectives on everything from the social media evolution to the convergence of commerce and media.”

Each class will examine a theme in the digital revolution and its effect on how organizations market their brands, and the broader impact on culture. Over the course of the semester, students will hear from a range of industry leaders from companies like Facebook, Viacom CBS, Verizon, Edelman and more.

“Having a brilliant person who works for one of the most important companies in the world teaching about marketing in the evolving digital landscape is just a tremendous opportunity for our students,” said SJMC Director and Professor Hernando Rojas. “Add to this that Rob is a proud Badger and it just doesn’t get any better than this.”

SJMC regularly offers courses taught by instructors with remarkable careers in both strategic communication and journalism. In summer 2019, former VP of Corporate Communications at Coca-Cola Ben Deutsch taught J475: Corporate Communication. As a J-School alum, former BOV member, Distinguished Service Award winner and founder of the Ben and Karen Deutsch Internship Fund, Deutsch is passionate about giving back to current students.

Additionally, Emmy-winning journalist and Social Impact Storyteller for American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact Adam Schrager will be teaching a special section of J335: Principles and Practices of Reporting for new Professional Track MA students this fall.