Silver Apples 2021

Each year the DMCNY presents its highly distinguished Silver Apple Awards to select professionals who have spent at least 25 years in marketing and who not only have excelled in their careers, but also have generously contributed their talents and time to the marketing industry. We’ll be introducing you to the 2021 honorees over the next few weeks, in advance of DMCNY’s annual Silver Apples gala on November 4, 2021, at Edison Ballroom in New York. 

Meet…

Deborah Fain
Assistant Clinical Professor
Pace University Lubin School of Business

Deborah Fain’s impact on marketing is unique in its breadth. As a mentor and teacher to countless graduate and undergraduate students who are studying everything from data-driven marketing to sales to consumer behavior, she nourishes the industry with enthusiastic, novice marketers eager to make their mark and move the industry forward. And that impact is a lasting one as those students advance in their careers. Top brands and agencies continue to benefit from the work that she’s done in preparing students for immediate and long-term success — and who are now in leadership positions.

Fain has served as the associate director of the Pace University’s Lubin School of Business Interactive and Direct Marketing (IDM) Lab, as well as serving as a coach to the Lubin Sales Team. She’s brought her innovative marketing approach to powerhouses such as American Express. And she supports the broader industry by sharing her expertise at conferences and in content.

What initially drew you to marketing?

Direct marketing found me. I was selling spot TV time after college, and I went back to get an MBA. While I was at Columbia, our group was working on a direct marketing project for MIT Press. I fell in love, and I’ve been in love ever since. It’s so much easier to control than general marketing because you know your source; you know where your customers are coming from.

Tell us about a career highlight or turning point.

In the 1980s, I was on was doing a lot of writing papers and presenting them all over Europe. After one summer I thought, “I should get a doctorate and become a professor, because I love teaching.” So, I started on my doctorate in the fall of 1991. And I love teaching today just as much as I loved it then.

What excites you most about marketing right now?

Change, change, change. Marketing keeps changing so quickly. It’s different today than from last year. What other area in business could you have less of a chance of getting bored?

But it does bother me a bit that we’ve been forgetting about the qualitative side of marketing. Quant isn’t enough. We have all this data, but we don’t know why things happen. We need the why. So, throughout my career, I’ve always been out there interviewing people to learn the why.

Share a treasured student story.

I had a student in my customer relationship management class at Pace University who was a Navy vet. He came to me at one point and said, “There’s a new digital program at Columbia School of Education and I really would love to join it. I’ve actually met the person who heads it, but I don’t know what to do.” So, I helped him get into the program, and he graduated last year. He now has his bachelor’s from Pace and a master’s from Columbia. It’s so exciting to me to see his success.

Share a favorite data story. 

I had AGI, a company that provides products and services to outdoor enthusiasts, especially RVers, as a client when I was doing a lot of consulting. They weren’t using the data they had, and they weren’t collecting other data that could be valuable. They were just trying to sell stuff to their RVers. I said, “We’re going to have to sit down to look at what data you have and we’re going to start to use it.” They made a fortune by using that data.

What’s your go-to marketing metric?

My current one is customer service—because retention matters. To get retention, you have to serve the customer. And every customer interaction brings a possibility of something different to occur that impacts service one way or another. Service is a qualitative metric, but retention numbers are quantitative. I’m not suggesting marketers go away from quant; we just need more qualitative measures.

What’s one piece of advice for someone just starting out in marketing?

Take a good look at everything out here and don’t assume that you can’t do what you want. I was an English lit major at Duke University and look where I ended up. I was running marketing programs at American Express and Double Day. You can get a degree in marketing, and you don’t have to go to P&G and be a brand assistant as a first job. There’s a lot of opportunity out there; lots of alternatives. You have to keep your eyes open. I remind my students and mentees of that all the time.

What was the best piece of business advice you’ve received? 

When I was at Duke as an undergraduate, I took two courses on war strategy that the history department offered. Fall term was World War I and spring term was World War II. We used to diagram the battle: Who came from where and who was going where? What was the general thinking? What was he saying? I use what I learned all the time because those classes taught me all about strategy.

Do you have either a personal motto or an inspiring quote that guides you?

As a professor, it’s my job to help students. I do everything I can so we’re putting out great students.

My elevator pitch for Pace is that when a student graduates from Lubin Business School, on the first day of their first job they will be prepared to be a productive member of the team. And we make sure that they are. That’s what I live for at this point. Pace is number one in the country for business students’ salaries 10 years out in their careers.

What’s something surprising about you? 

I’m a high-end racing nut. I rarely miss Formula One races. Every other Sunday there’s a race and if it’s in another country, I’m up at all hours to watch it; 2am, 4am, whatever. And I’m crazy about Fernando Alonso, considered by some to be the best driver in the Formula One crowd.

What are a few of your interests outside work? 

My favorite thing to do is read. I’m such a reader that the library people love me. I borrow anywhere from six to 10 books at a time; I’m signed up on the waitlist for the max books you’re allowed, which is 30. There are currently nine books stacked next to me. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of contemporary fiction; my favorite genre is history.

Also, I love to sew and do needlework—knit, crochet, embroidery; I’ve done piles of needlework over the years. I also reupholster and refinish furniture. I enjoy all those crafty things. I also love to walk and swim.

What’s your hidden skill? 

I’m a marketer and professor who knows how to do sales. When I first graduated from Duke, I sold spot TV advertising. I found sales to be a very creative area.

About the Author

Ginger Conlon, editorial advisor at DMCNY’s MKTGinsight, catalyzes change in marketing organizations. Ginger is editor-in-chief of MediaVillage and president of DMCNY. She is a frequent speaker on marketing and customer experience, and serves in advisory or leadership roles for several industry organizations. Ginger was honored with a Silver Apple lifetime achievement award for her contributions to the marketing industry.​

Find her at @customeralchemy and on LinkedIn