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Nationally Renowned Branding Expert David Aaker To Speak in Santa Monica April 20th

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – (April 02, 2004) – David Aaker, one of the world’s foremost experts on branding, will share his unique perspectives on brand equity and leadership and what companies can do to build stronger brands at a special dinner event being held on Tuesday, April 20, at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif.

The event, “An Evening with David Aaker,” is being presented by the University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business Alumni Network and sponsored by The Phelps Group. It is open to the public at a reserved cost of $55.00 (before April 16th) or $65.00 at the door. A special $49.00 rate is available for University of California alumni, members of the MBA Alumni Alliance of Southern California (MAASC), the Business Marketing Association (BMA) and the American Marketing Association (AMA).

The evening’s activities will start with a cocktail reception at 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner 7:00 p.m. and Mr. Aaker’s presentation. Parking is available at the hotel (101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica) or in nearby parking structures.

The author of 11 books and more than 90 articles, Mr. Aaker has been called the world’s leading academic on the subject of branding. In a review of one of his books, David Reyes-Guerra, said of him, “David Aaker is to branding what Alan Greenspan is to the economy, what Henry Kissinger is to world diplomacy, what Emeril is to fine cuisine.” The Aaker Model of brand identity, which he created, serves as a blueprint by which businesses can manage single or multiple brands with a strategic business perspective.

In his newest book, Brand Portfolio Strategy, Aaker discusses how to manage a portfolio of brands for maximum profitability. He shows how roles and responsibilities that actively reinforce and support other portfolio brands create relevance, differentiation, energy, leverage and clarity.

Currently vice chairman of Prophet, a consulting firm representing major brands such as adidas, Boeing, BP and Sara Lee, Aaker is Professor Emeritus at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. He received a bachelor of science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Stanford University.

Based in Santa Monica, with another office in Laguna Beach, Calif., The Phelps Group is an integrated marketing communications firm offering public relations, advertising, direct response, promotions, strategic alliance and interactive services. Its clients, most of which are world leaders in their industry, include ARAMARK, Tahiti Tourism, Countrywide, City of Hope, Crystal Cruises, Fairmont Hotels, IndyMac Bank, NuSil Technology, Panasonic, PETCO, Whole Foods Markets, Dunn-Edwards Paints, Monrovia Growers and divisions of TDK and Seiko. The agency has more than 70 associates and annual billings in excess of $55 million. For more information about The Phelps Group, visit www.thephelpsgroup.com