John Stanton, Marketing Guru and Our Former Columnist, Dies at 80
John Stanton, Ph.D., a widely known professor of marketing at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and former columnist for Food Processing magazine, passed away on his 80th birthday, Aug. 4.
John was a well-known and highly respected expert in his field, who spoke frequently at business and academic conferences and corporate board rooms and often provided expert witness testimony in food marketing. He was the author of more than 20 books and often appeared on TV to talk about current food topics. He was in several Halls of Fame.
John started his Market View column in Food Processing in 1997 and wrote it monthly for nine years, retiring (for the first time) at the end of 2005. To the surprise of no one who knew him, he un-retired and resumed his column in 2013, writing for seven more years.
His friend, Ron Margulis, owner of RAM Communications, shared some notes on John:
John’s expertise heavily influenced corporate strategy across the food sector. He counseled major brands and companies, such as Campbell Soup, Procter & Gamble, Kroger, Pepsi, Frito Lay and Kellogg. His guidance was treasured in the boardrooms of numerous food enterprises, including Frankford Candy Co., Herr’s Foods, Premio Foods, Philadelphia Cheesesteak Co., Mushroom Council and Ocean Spray.
He was a sought-after speaker at countless association conferences including National Grocers Association, Produce Marketing Association (now IFPA), Food Marketing Institute and many more. John delivered presentations and seminars across six continents, and his insights shaped best practices and inspired food leaders worldwide.
He was interviewed by Fox Business, CNN, the Today Show, NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, Forbes, Fortune, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Advertising Age to name a few. His voice articulated the critical trends and challenges facing food marketers. He even brought retail food history to life as host of a History Channel Modern Marvels episode, “The History of the Supermarket.”
“Armed with a Ph.D. in Quantitative Methods and Marketing from Syracuse University, he devoted more than 50 years to transforming how food is marketed and consumed,” wrote Margulis. “His commitment to education was evident in his tenure as a professor — and previously, as an endowed chair — in the Food Marketing Department at Saint Joseph’s University. John’s life and career embody the highest ideals in food marketing: innovation, passion, scholarship and a profound commitment to serving consumers and the industry alike.”
John is survived by his wife of 30 years Carol, his children Bridget Penberthy and Robert Stanton, their spouses and six grandchildren.
Gifts can be made to the John L. Stanton, PhD, Scholarship Fund to support future Food Marketing students.
About the Author
Dave Fusaro
Editor in Chief
Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.