International brand strategy professional to speak to R-TV classes

February 21, 2012
JONESBORO - Farren E. Bennett, an international brand strategy professional and graduate of Arkansas State University's radio and television department, will return to campus Friday, Feb. 24, to speak to students in the College of Communications. Bennett's lecture, in Communication Education Room 155B, 330 University Loop West, is open to the public.

JONESBORO — Farren E. Bennett, an international brand strategy professional and graduate of Arkansas State University’s radio and television department, will return to campus Friday, Feb. 24, to speak to students in the College of Communications. Bennett’s lecture, in Communication Education Room 155B, 330 University Loop West, is open to the public.

Bennett, who is traveling from Austria, handles global brand consulting for a $4 billion European business-to-business manufacturer named Hilti AG, which is based in the Principality of Liechtenstein. Hilti AG is a global tool manufacturer and direct sales company operating in more than 100 countries. Bennett specializes in brand strategy and positioning.

He has steered branding issues, including research and analysis, positioning and strategy through integrated marketing communications execution, in more than 20 countries. Bennett works to balance one strong global brand and, and at the same time, respect local cultural differences and sensitivities.

Bennett’s job is to utilize communications programs, events and social media to align over 20,000 employees at Hilti AG (including 2,500 in the United States) to serve as brand ambassadors and to focus on country organizations on providing a 360-degree brand experience to customers. Although, Hilti has account managers, engineers and specialists in all 50 states, the North American headquarters is located in Tulsa, Okla., since 1979.

The 1982 graduate of ASU recently became involved in the ‘Thought Leaders in Brand Management’ initiative at the University of Lugano in Switzerland. This initiative brings leading brand strategy academics and doctoral candidates from around the world with Central European brand business professionals.

Bennett got his first radio jobs in Thayer, Mo., and Mammoth Spring when he was 16. He worked throughout college and joined that radio group upon graduation from ASU. After serving as news and program director, he managed other radio stations in Arkansas. He moved to Tulsa, Okla., and oversaw the communications teams for the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce where he concentrated on crisis communication, public relations and issues management.

While working in the United States, Bennett was an active member in the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the Business Marketing Association; the American Chamber of Commerce Executives Communications Council and is a member of the American Marketing Association.

Bennett is married to a native of Austrian and they have a nine-year-old bilingual daughter. He enjoys off-road bicycling in the Rhine Valley, summer hiking in the Alps, introducing real Southern barbecue to the German-speaking world, locating fine Austrian wine, cooking and traveling.

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Pictured: Farren Bennett