Professor Russ Crupnick has an extensive background in understanding consumer behavior and market research, with a focus on media and entertainment. He teaches the graduate Strategic Marketing course. Russ is Managing Partner of MusicWatch, Inc. a company dedicated to marketing research and industry analysis for the music and entertainment industry. He works with major labels, trade associations, and streaming and technology companies to understand trends in consumer behavior. As an adviser to these clients, he examines how these trends will evolve and impact the industry. Russ’ work has focused on emerging digital music and video behaviors, high definition media, trends in cross-entertainment, social media, device usage, and connectivity.
Russ founded the entertainment practice at The NPD Group, leading the team that created a suite of research services for the music and home entertainment industries. His work at NPD was wide ranging, covering media and entertainment, gaming, children’s toys, consumer packaged goods, financial services, and pharmaceuticals. Russ held prior management roles at Nielsen and VNU.
He developed an international reputation for insights into consumer-entertainment trends and provided guidance and industry analysis to clients and the media. Russ has appeared as a commentator for broadcast news outlets, including Marketwatch, Fox Business Channel, NPR, CBS, and CNBC. He has been extensively quoted on industry trends in Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Billboard, USAToday, HuffingtonPost, Home Media, and Variety and other leading business and trade publications. He is a regularly featured speaker at events including MusicBiz (NARM), Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA), Digital Media Wire, Canadian Music Week, New Music Seminar, and PlayCon.
Russ previously served as Executive-In-Residence at NYU Steinhardt. He is a 2009 alumnus of Nashville’s prestigious Leadership Music program. In 2013 Russ was honored by the RIAA with a Platinum Record for service to the music industry.