Dr. Perry Drake has a knack of knowing where audiences of potential customers currently are in the digital media space, and where they might be in the future. Perry, who earned a BS in economics and a PhD in education technology from the University of Missouri–St. Louis, has parlayed a deep understanding of data-driven marketing with a passion for preparing future business leaders to become transformative forces in higher education.
While serving as assistant professor of integrated marketing at New York University, Perry was responsible for creating some of the very first courses dealing in web analytics, social media analytics and SAS data mining certifications at the university level. In addition, he was among the first faculty members to use Adobe Sitecatalyst in the classroom. He is also the author of "Optimal Database Marketing" published by Sage Publications (2001) and has written for many journals.
After nearly 16 years at NYU, he returned to his alma mater in 2013, joining the faculty of the College of Business Administration. His accomplishments include the implementation of a non-credit certification program in digital and social media marketing at the graduate level and within continuing education. He offers courses in advanced Facebook advertising, CRM strategies, Google Analytics and tagging, video production and editing and LinkedIn strategy among others. He founded the annual Midwest Digital Marketing Conference (MDMC), where more than 2,000 attendees gather for sessions covering digital, social, tech, data, analytics and more presented by speakers from leading organizations in the industry like TikTok, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and Microsoft.
He also oversees the student run YouTube channel, podcast and blog for the College of Business Administration. He is a regular on the speaking circuit, expressing his passion for all things digital and social while embracing the disruptions that are occurring in the world of marketing and communications. When he’s not in the classroom or at a conference, Perry is pounding the pavement as a competitive runner and has been a regular participant in the New York City Marathon.
