Duane E. Knapp

Duane Knapp is recognized as the authority on building Genuine Brands. He is a pioneer in the field of BrandScience as well as in developing and implementing transformation strategies. He has served on dozens of organizations' boards of directors, including Federated Western Properties, Inc., was director emeritus of Longs Drug Stores (now CVS), and has held a variety of senior executive positions, including chief executive officer, president, executive vice president, vice president of corporate marketing, vice president corporate development and corporate strategist at public and private companies. These include Westin Hotels (Westin Enterprises and Discoveries retail stores and catalogs), Holiday Corporation (Holiday Inn and Holiday Clubs, Perkins Family Restaurants), The Promus Companies (Embassy Suites, Residence Inn, Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites and Harrah's Casinos) and Cinnabon World Famous Cinnamon Rolls. He advises leading law firms relating to high-profile brand and intellectual property matters and has specific expertise in the fields of travel and hospitality, food and beverage products, restaurants, retailing, health care, financial services and real estate development. He has been approved as a Senior Gaming Officer by both the New Jersey and Las Vegas Gaming Authorities.

He has taught and lectured widely at universities and graduate schools throughout the United States, including Vanderbilt, Stanford, the University of California, the University of Colorado at Boulder and Seattle University. Mr. Knapp is the leading keynote speaker on the subject of building Genuine Brands. He has published, quoted or featured in hundreds of publications, including BusinessWeek, Brandweek, CFO Magazine, Association Management, Marketing, Washington CEO, Bankers Magazine, Design Forum, Focus Magazine, Risk Management , Forbes Magazine Travel, Distribution Reports, Private Clubs Magazine, Fortune Magazine and International Journal of Medical Marketing, as well as The Seattle Times, The Journal of Commerce and many private corporate and association publications, plus television and radio talk shows.

His current book, The BrandPromise® has just been recently published by McGraw Hill. The BrandMindset®, was selected by IBM and American Express as the "must read" book for their top 400 executives. It is now available in seven languages and is considered the definitive guide to building Genuine Brands. He is also the co-author of Destination BrandScience™, published by the Destination Marketing Association International, the guide book for developing Genuine Brands for convention and visitor bureaus, tourism boards and destinations.

Duane Knapp's BrandPromise philosophy is highly acclaimed and has been extensively referenced and quoted in many books and publications, including Tim Sanders' bestseller, Love is the Killer App, Nick Wreden's FusionBranding, Michael Levine in A Branded World, David Aaker's, Building Strong Brands, and Tony Simons, The Integrity Dividend. Knapp also wrote the foreword for the License to Serve.

Knapp is Founder and Chairman of BrandStrategy, Inc., which has advised over 300 brands in 14 countries worldwide including corporations, communities, societies, professional associations, institutions, countries, world-class professionals, celebrities and successful individuals who desire to optimize their perception, image and success. Selected clients include AT&T, Worldspan Reservation Systems (Delta and Northwest Airlines), Callison Architecture, Raffles International, Ltd., Destination Marketing Association International, PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association), Graham & Dunn (Attorneys), QFC (Quality Food Centers, Inc.), Associated Grocers, Inc., Pacific Foods of Oregon, Inc., Restaurants Unlimited, Inc., American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), AAA (American Automobile Association), American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Academy of Family Physicians, Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau, Tourism Vancouver, Community Action Agency, Federated Department Stores, Inc. (Bloomingdales and Macy's), Longs Drug Stores, Annika Sorenstam and Sunkist. He has also advised many leading brand design and consulting firms, including: Girvin Strategic Branding and Design, Diefenbach Elkins, GMA Research and FutureBrand.

Knapp received his BA in Business Administration from Western Michigan University and his MBA from the University of Toledo. He also completed a postgraduate program in Strategic Marketing at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.