Online Master's in Design Management & Communications
Robert Fiddler

Since starting as a copywriter in 1979, Bob Fiddler has built a career in marketing communications as a creative, manager, strategist, entrepreneur and teacher, evolving his knowledge and skills to reflect the dizzying evolution in marketing communications. He has worked on the client side at Fortune 500 companies, as well on the agency side, including as principal of The Fiddler Group, the integrated brand communications company he founded. More recently, he has turned his attention to teaching the next generation of marketing communication professionals. As his eclectic resume suggests, he combines a natural creative ability with firm command of the marketing communications disciplines and a fascination with what makes brands tick. Bob began his career at Speigel, then the pre-eminent direct merchandiser in the U.S., quickly rising up the ranks to positions as Art Director, Advertising Manager and Group Manager, meanwhile working with some of the fashion industry’s most illustrious image makers. He then served as Director of Advertising at Hechinger, a $2B home improvement retailer, before moving to the agency side as VP/Creative Director at Universal Communications, a full-service agency in Georgetown. Bob left Universal to form The Fiddler Group in 1999. The Fiddler Group’s client list has included start-up companies all the way to some of the world’s largest organizations. Cultural institutions (Smithsonian Institution and National Geographic), high tech companies (Siemens and Unisys), and restaurant franchisors (The Greene Turtle Sports Bar and Grille) have all been served by Bob and his team. Mr. Fiddler earned a BA in English from Northwestern University and MS degree in Advertising from Northwestern’s Medill School, where he studied with some of the field’s most notable figures, including Don Shultz and Stan Tannenbaum, who developed the concept called “Integrated Marketing Communications.” He is an Adjunct Professor of Marketing at both Georgetown University and the University of Maryland’s Robert A. Smith School of Business, where he teaches IMC, Electronic Marketing and Retail Management. He is also a frequent speaker on Brand and Marketing issues.