{{Short description|American branding and crisis consultant}} {{Infobox person | name = Alan Hilburg | image = <!-- just the filename, without the File: or Image: prefix or enclosing brackets --> | alt = | caption = | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | birth_date = <!-- {{Birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} or {{Birth-date and age|birth date†}} --> | birth_place = United States | other_names = | occupation = Brand, trust and crisis management consultant | known_for = Wendy's "Where's the beef?" campaign; U.S. Business Hall of Fame; pioneer of crisis and litigation communications }}

'''Alan Hilburg''' was an American trust communications and branding consultant.<ref name=washingtonpost>{{cite web| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/18/AR2010121802566.html| title=Consultant plans a beefy outreach campaign for Alexandria schools| author=Kevin Sieff| date=18 December 2010| work=Washington Post| accessdate=14 September 2014}}</ref><ref name=prnews1>{{cite journal| title=CEOs Still Need Convincing that PR is Valuable| date=24 May 2004| journal=PR News| publisher=Phillips Business Information, Inc.| volume=60| issue=21}}</ref> Hilburg specialized in crisis management, litigation and organizational brand alignment. Hilburg worked on 107 trials and over 200 global crisis cases and branding campaigns beginning in 1982 for companies like Tylenol and more recently with, Ford, Disney, YUM Brands, BP and the U.S. Veterans Administration.<ref name=washingtonpost /><ref name=biznews1>{{cite web|url=http://www.biznews.com/video_/2014/03/how-not-to-handle-a-communications-crisis-alan-hilburg-on-mh370/ |title=How NOT to handle a communications crisis – Alan Hilburg on MH370 |date=25 March 2014 |publisher=BizNews |accessdate=14 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915025730/http://www.biznews.com/video_/2014/03/how-not-to-handle-a-communications-crisis-alan-hilburg-on-mh370/ |archivedate=15 September 2014 }}</ref> He had also worked in various industries including the tobacco industry (in which he created the Under 18—No Tobacco strategy),<ref name=usatoday>{{cite web| url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/bbw/2001-04-04/2001-04-04-archive-tobacco.htm| title=Baseball's tobacco war| last1=Snyder| first1=Dan| last2=Koenig| first2=Bill| date=8 April 1998| publisher=USA Today| accessdate=14 September 2014}}</ref> transportation, hospitality, environmental industries, chemical, healthcare and education sectors. Hilburg had over 30 years of experience as a communications strategist consultant and had also written two New York Times best-selling books and produced several Emmy-nominated documentaries.<ref name=biznews1 /><ref name=nyu.edu>{{cite web| url=http://www.nyu.edu/reynolds/REAL_workshop/hilburg.html| title=NYU Reynolds R.E.A.L. Workshop Series: Realistic Entrepreneurial Actionable Learning| date=10 December 2013| publisher=New York University| accessdate=14 September 2014}}</ref> ==Education== Hilburg attended Franklin College in Indiana and graduated from New York Institute of Technology (NYIT).<ref name=gmu.edu>{{cite web| url=http://communication.gmu.edu/articles/4001| title=Student Interview with Prof. Alan Hilburg| author=Kristy Cruz| date=7 May 2012| publisher=George Mason University| accessdate=14 September 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915050625/http://communication.gmu.edu/articles/4001| archive-date=15 September 2014| url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Career== After working as a senior executive at Burson-Marsteller, Hilburg established his own branding and consulting firm called Hilburg and Associates in 1987.<ref name=secdoc>{{cite web| url=http://secfilings.nyse.com/filing.php?doc=1&attach=ON&ipage=2035676&rid=23| title=OMNICOM GROUP INC.| date=25 February 2003| publisher=U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission| accessdate=14 September 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915030013/http://secfilings.nyse.com/filing.php?doc=1&attach=ON&ipage=2035676&rid=23| archive-date=15 September 2014| url-status=dead| df=dmy-all}}</ref> Later, his company was acquired by Porter Novelli, a division of Omnicom Group, in 2002.<ref name=prweek>{{cite web| url=http://www.prweek.com/article/1233244/pn-snags-hilberg-help-dispense-executive-advice| title=PN snags Hilberg to help dispense executive advice| author=Sara Calabro| date=28 October 2002| publisher=PR Week| accessdate=14 September 2014}}</ref><ref name=holmesreport>{{cite web| url=http://www.holmesreport.com/news-info/2344/Porter-Novelli-Buys-Hilburg-Firm-Creates-Consulting-Unit.aspx| title=Porter Novelli Buys Hilburg Firm, Creates Consulting Unit| author=Paul Holmes| date=21 October 2002| publisher=Holmes Report| accessdate=14 September 2014}}</ref> The acquisition led to the creation of a new division called PNConsulting in which Hilburg carried on as president and CEO.<ref name=prweek /><ref name=holmesreport />

Hilburg has been behind national marketing and branding campaigns such as Wendy's "Where's the beef?," General Electric's "Bringing Good Things to Life," and AT&T's Olympic Torch Run.<ref name=armanova>{{cite web| url=http://arma-nova.org/newsletter/Newsletter%20May%202009.pdf| title=President's Message| date=May 2009| publisher=Beltway Bits| accessdate=14 September 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915030825/http://arma-nova.org/newsletter/Newsletter%20May%202009.pdf| archive-date=2014-09-15| url-status=usurped}}</ref> Hilburg also architected the renaissance of Bill Russell's post-playing career, working closely with Russell for more than 30 years.

Aside from his career in marketing and crisis management, Hilburg has also co-authored two New York Times best-selling books: ''Russell Rules...Eleven Lessons on Leadership from the Greatest Winner of the Twentieth Century'' with former Boston Celtics Hall of Fame player Bill Russell and W. F. Rockwell's ''Twelve Hats of a Company President''.<ref name=armanova /> Hilburg served as the executive producer of the HBO documentary featuring Russell.<ref name=nytsports>{{cite web| url=http://partners.nytimes.com/library/sports/basketball/061600bkn-russell.html| title=Russell Redux: A Private Man Bursts Back Into the Public Eye| author=RICHARD SANDOMIR| date=16 June 2000| work=The New York Times| accessdate=14 September 2014}}</ref><ref name=fairfaxtimes>{{cite web|url=http://ww2.fairfaxtimes.com/cms/archivestory.php?id=178862 |title=Leesburg charity awards NBA Hall of Famer |author=James Malcomb |date=17 March 2004 |publisher=Fairfax Times |accessdate=14 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915030018/http://ww2.fairfaxtimes.com/cms/archivestory.php?id=178862 |archivedate=15 September 2014 }}</ref> Hilburg was also the executive producer of the first environmental film and second IMAX movie "Living Planet", which received an Academy award nomination,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Alan Hilburg – Hilburg Associates {{!}} Insights Association|url=https://www.insightsassociation.org/person/alan-hilburg-%E2%80%93-hilburg-associates|access-date=2021-02-21|website=www.insightsassociation.org}}</ref> and also the executive producer of the PBS Special, "New Sweden."<ref name=itweb>{{cite web| url=http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=134952| title=SPEAKER - ALAN HILBURG| date=2014| publisher=ITWeb| accessdate=14 September 2014}}</ref>

===CEO, Culture, Crisis management consulting=== Hilburg is known for aiding CEOs, brands and high-profile individuals during times of trust-threatening crises and litigation transitions.<ref name=itweb /> He has been the recipient of six Silver Anvil Awards for international communications excellence and five Clios for his advertising campaigns.<ref name=itweb /><ref name=gibs>{{cite web|url=http://gibs.co.za/news-and-events/news-and-events_1/forum-events/what-businesses-should-learn-from-crises.aspx |title=PROTECTING BRANDS, TRUST AND LEADERSHIP IN TIMES OF CRISIS |date=2014 |publisher=Gordon Institute of Business and Science- University of Pretoria |accessdate=14 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702225527/http://www.gibs.co.za/news-and-events/news-and-events_1/forum-events/what-businesses-should-learn-from-crises.aspx |archivedate=2 July 2014 }}</ref>

Hilburg is also an accredited (APR) member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and is an international speaker on the relationship of trust to branding, crisis management and litigation communications.<ref name=prsa>{{cite web| url=http://www.prsasf.org/alan-hilburg-bio/| title=Alan Hilburg| publisher=Public Relations Society of America| accessdate=14 September 2014}}</ref><ref name=vagara>{{cite web| url=http://www.vagara.org/resources/documents/13_publicrec_fall.pdf| title=President's Letter| date=Fall 2013| publisher=Vagara| accessdate=14 September 2014}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://vimeo.com/7163410 Alan Hilburg, 10th Anniversary of LSPR (VIDEO)] * [http://www.prsastlouis.org/AlanHilburgBio.aspx Biography at PRSA St. Louis]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hilburg, Alan}} Category:American chief executives Category:New York Institute of Technology alumni Category:Branding consultants Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)