Chicago — Emeritus director and founder of the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication (the Center) Dr. Felipe Korzenny will receive an award and an induction into the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) Hall of Fame at the organization’s annual Chicago conference in June.

Dr. Korzenny, along with current director of the Center Dr. Sindy Chapa and four student and staff members, will attend AHAA’s June 12-14 conference. Introducing Dr. Korzenny will be Eva May, a distinguished marketing professional who specializes in multicultural marketing and has over 25 years of industry experience.

AHAA Chair Linda Gonzalez said inducting Dr. Korzenny into the Hall of Fame was not a difficult choice.

“Dr. Korzenny’s name rose quickly to the top, when we were considering inductees for the AHAA Hall of Fame,” Gonzalez said. “Our criteria was to honor those who played an extraordinary role in the conceptualization, building, and development of the Hispanic marketing and advertising field, and Dr. Korzenny is a pioneer in Hispanic market research. His work brought to light the power of Hispanic consumer insights and educated brands on the enormous opportunity of investing in the Hispanic market.

In addition, he established the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication — the first of its kind devoted to the study of Hispanic insight-driven strategies, educating generations of Hispanic marketers at FSU. Today, numerous institutions have followed suit, but he will always be credited as the original.”

Dr. Korzenny founded the Center in 2004, making it the first academic organization aimed specifically at studying U.S. Hispanic consumers. Since — and even before that period — he has conducted innovative initiatives, studies, and awareness campaigns of U.S. Hispanics.

He co-authored, along with Dr. Betty Ann Korzenny, the first and second editions of Hispanic Marketing and Hispanic Marketing: Connecting with the New Latino Consumer. He also co-authored, with Dr. Betty Ann Korzenny and Dr. Chapa, the third edition of the book Hispanic Marketing: The Power of the New Latino Consumer, which is expected to be published this summer.

About the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication: The Center, housed at FSU, is the first of its kind in the U.S. Faculty and students operating the Center are conducting groundbreaking research, serving as a resource for the Hispanic and multicultural marketing industry and equipping students with cutting edge knowledge.

Please visit our website for more information: hmc.comm.fsu.edu.

About the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies: AHAA represents Hispanic marketing, communications, and media nationwide. It is the only national trade organization championing the Hispanic market, advocating for increased investments in multicultural marketing. AHAA strategically focuses on industry thought leaderships, education, and growth of diverse membership base.

For more information, please visit AHAA’s website: http://www.ahaa.org.