Wake Forest University Schools of Business Launch Revolutionary Retail Marketing Center to Help Drive Consumer Growth

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Aug. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Wake Forest University Schools of Business will announce the unveiling of its new Center for Value Delivery Innovation, a first-of-its-kind retail marketing collaboration, at the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) Executive Conference in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Aug. 20.

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The Center has been developed to lead change in retail marketing and help the industry stay ahead of its consumers by offering a new model that combines retail marketing and data analytics through partner collaborations. The Center will create knowledge, develop innovation and train executive retail leaders. Its goal is to use collaborations with manufacturing, retailers and channel partners to lead change in the retail industry. Inmar, SymphonyIRI Group and John Whitaker, founder of Inmar, are founding sponsors of the Center.

At the GMA Executive Conference, the Center will be revealed to senior leaders of major food, beverage and consumer product retailers and manufacturers. The Center will also offer marketing management training to corporations and certification in data analytics.

"The Wake Forest Center for Value Delivery Innovation will provide a unique combination of knowledge creation, channel partner collaboration and leader cultivation -- something not found anywhere else today," said Steve Reinemund, Dean of Business for Wake Forest University and retired Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. "The Center will enable and empower retail marketers to compete more effectively during this challenging economic climate."

The Center is a service for both industry and academia, helping fill the ever-growing need for data-identified innovation and analytic-capable managers. It is established to enhance traditional and non-traditional retail marketing through research, thought leadership and education. By partnering world-renowned faculty, leading retail professionals and high-caliber students in a collaborative forum, the Center will focus on delivering breakthrough research and analysis.

"The Center will provide an ideal venue for faculty and Inmar's experts to collaborate with our 1200-plus, world-leading retail and brand partners on breakthrough innovations in retail marketing, while helping to develop the next generation of retail industry leaders," said L. David Mounts, Chief Executive Officer, Inmar.

The Center will operate year-round with its kick-off planned to coincide with the annual Marketing Summit, a signature event hosted by Wake Forest University Schools of Business. Now in its 22nd year, the Marketing Summit will be held Feb. 16-18, 2012. The new Center will also host a symposium, workshops and an annual conference later in 2012. There will also be ongoing communications, such as blogs, articles, faculty research and an idea exchange.

Roger Beahm, Visiting Professor of Practice at Wake Forest Schools of Business, will serve as the Center's Executive Director, overseeing program and corporate participation. Sheri Bridges, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Marketing, will serve as Faculty Director, spearheading curriculum development and research. The Schools of Business faculty bring their knowledge and understanding of analytics, Six Sigma, supply chain and expertise in marketing, as a cornerstone of the Center.

For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/WFUCVDI.

About Wake Forest University Schools of Business

The Wake Forest University Schools of Business offer undergraduate programs in finance, accounting, mathematical business, and business and enterprise management, and graduate programs including a Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Accountancy and Master of Arts in Management. Our programs are consistently ranked among the world's best in surveys by U.S. News & World Report, BusinessWeek, The Economist, Forbes, and Financial Times. More information is available at http://business.wfu.edu/.

About Inmar, Inc.

Inmar is a leading provider of technology-driven logistics and promotions management solutions to many of the world's largest retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers in the consumer goods and healthcare markets. Founded in 1980, Inmar serves over 1,700 business clients, manages over 3 million square feet of warehouse space at over 40 facilities throughout North America and employs over 3,700 associates. For more information, visit www.inmar.com.

About SymphonyIRI Group, Inc.

SymphonyIRI Group, formerly named Information Resources, Inc. ("IRI"), is the global leader in innovative solutions and services for driving revenue and profit growth in CPG, retail and healthcare companies. SymphonyIRI offers two families of solutions: Core IRI solutions for market measurement and Symphony Advantage solutions for enabling new growth opportunities in marketing, sales, shopper marketing and category management. SymphonyIRI solutions uniquely combine content, analytics and technology to deliver maximum impact. SymphonyIRI helps companies create, plan and execute forward-looking, shopper-centric strategies across every level of the organization. For more information, visit www.SymphonyIRI.com.

SOURCE Wake Forest University Schools of Business