Christopher Simpson

Christopher Simpson passed away on February 24, 2008 after a heroic battle with cancer. View his memorial page.

Christopher Simpson, was a nationally acclaimed leader in integrated marketing, media relations and crisis communications for institutions of higher education, associations, the government and other non-profits. He founded Simpson Consulting, the precursor to SimpsonScarborough, in 2002.

A former political writer for The Washington Times, Mr. Simpson covered Congress and national politics and also served as the newspaper's Capitol Hill Bureau Chief and Assistant National Editor. Stories he covered in the 1980s ranged from the U.S. Congress to the White House to the Iran Contra scandal to the Challenger shuttle disaster. He later served as Press Secretary to U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond, handling media duties for the senator’s office and also for Republicans on the Senate Judiciary and Armed Services committees. Mr. Simpson then moved into senior marketing and media administration at three major research universities, the University of South Carolina, the University of Oregon and Indiana University.

As Vice President of Public Affairs and Government Relations and Special Counsel to the President at Indiana University (IU), Mr. Simpson built a highly successful system-wide integrated marketing communications effort from 1994 to 2001. Under his leadership, the institution's image, measured by quantitative research, blossomed as did public and private support, alumni participation and prospective student recruiting, as measured by increased enrollment. The five-year IU integrated marketing campaign, which focused on forging stronger community ties, regionally and nationally, generated $11 million in new revenue for the system's flagship Bloomington campus. Mr. Simpson also spearheaded the system's branding, media relations, publications, digital communications and federal relations efforts.

Mr. Simpson carried out qualitative and quantitative research for myriad national and international institutions, personally moderated more than 200 higher education market research focus groups, and conducted nearly 1000 one-on-one Executive Interviews to develop brand promises and key positioning statements in collegiate marketing efforts nationwide and in Canada.

He taught enhanced media relations, media training and crisis communications to leaders at more than 1000 independent schools, colleges, universities and associations plus business leaders in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Europe. Mr. Simpson was a sought-after international speaker on marketing, media and crisis communications, and his first book, Weathering the Storm: How to Protect Your Brand in the Worst of Times, was published by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) in March 2007. He chaired the American Marketing Association's annual Symposium on the Marketing of Higher Education for three years.

Mr. Simpson held a bachelor’s degree in history and psychology from Clemson University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of South Carolina.