Eric Schulz

Eric Schulz
Born	1957 United States
Occupation(s)	Marketing specialist, sports management executive, academic, author
Years active	1982–present
Known for	Marketing and sports management; faculty member at Jon M. Huntsman School of Business; author of marketing books

Eric Schulz (born 1957) is an American specialist in marketing and sports management, a faculty member at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business (Utah State University), and the author of three books focused on marketing.

Early life

Born in 1957, Eric Schulz engaged in sports such as baseball and basketball during his youth. While attending Orem High School, he participated in a 45-hour basketball marathon in 1974, setting a world record that was documented in the 1974 edition of the Guinness World Records. After completing his studies at Orem High School in 1976, Schulz pursued higher education at Brigham Young University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1981.

Business career

Following his graduation, Schulz gained practical experience through marketing internships with the Utah Jazz in both their Salt Lake City and Las Vegas offices. In October 1982, he was appointed marketing director for the Salt Lake City Gulls, a minor league baseball franchise. The following year, he advanced to general manager of the Redwood Pioneers, a California League team affiliated with the California Angels. During this tenure, he recruited Ken Korach for his initial baseball play-by-play broadcasting role, negotiated a radio partnership with KSRO in Santa Rosa, and organized promotional events including fireworks displays, concerts, and giveaways to enhance game attendance.

Schulz returned to academia in 1985 to complete an MBA at the Marriott School of Business, graduating in 1987.

In June 1987, he joined the Food & Beverage Division of Procter & Gamble, where he progressed from brand assistant on the Citrus Hill juice team to brand manager for Hawaiian Punch within five years. He became part of P&G's "Invention Team," led by Doug Hall, which was responsible for launching new products for brands such as Folgers Coffee, Duncan Hines, and Hawaiian Punch. This team also developed a Rapid Test process that shortened new product concept evaluations from several weeks to just seven days across five different cities. Schulz played a key role in redesigning Citrus Hill’s packaging to include what has become the industry-standard pouring spout.

Between 1992 and 1994, he held the position of senior brand manager at Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, where he managed home video marketing efforts and supported Disney’s initial direct-to-video release, The Return of Jafar (1994).

In July 1994, Schulz assumed the role of Director of Worldwide Olympic Marketing at The Coca-Cola Company. His responsibilities included overseeing Olympic-related events during the 1996 Summer Olympics, such as coordinating the Olympic Torch Relay, managing the Coca-Cola Olympic City theme park in Atlanta, and directing global Olympic advertising campaigns.

Subsequently, he served as Vice President of Marketing at Feld Entertainment. In January 1997, Schulz joined Special Olympics International, and by November 1999 had been appointed Vice President of Event Marketing for the launch of the XFL Football League. That same year marked the publication of his first marketing book titled The Marketing Game: How the World's Best Companies Play to Win.

In May 2005, Schulz returned to the Utah Jazz organization as Vice President of Marketing. His initiatives there included launching a comprehensive social media platform, creating the NBA’s inaugural fan-driven blogger network known as “Utah Jazzbots,” implementing variable ticket pricing strategies, organizing a contest for selecting a new team theme song, conducting interactive television trials, and establishing a fan club called “Jazz Rowdies.”

Academic Career

In July 2011, Schulz took on the role of senior lecturer and director at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, Utah State University. During that same year, he introduced the institution's inaugural mass-texting system designed for students. By 2013, he transitioned into a full-time faculty position and served as an advisor to the Huntsman Marketing Association, a student organization that organizes case competitions and engages in community outreach initiatives.

With his mentorship, a group of students secured first place in the 2017 Wake Forest Marketing Analytics Case Competition at the national level. Schulz earned the title of Undergraduate Faculty Mentor in 2017 and was honored as Teacher of the Year within the Marketing & Strategy Department in 2019.

Publications

• Schulz, Eric (1999). The Marketing Game: How the World's Best Companies Play to Win. Adams Media. ISBN 978-1-5806-22226
• Schulz, Eric (2012). The Smart Marketer's Toolbox: The Latest Marketing Innovations and How to Use Them to Grow Your Business. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1-4781-15441
• Schulz, Eric (2019). Marketing in the Digital Age. Amazon Digital Services. ISBN 9781078159999