Judy Ungar Franks

Judy Ungar Franks brings nearly four decades of experience to the research and practice of media strategy for integrated marketing communications. Franks spent 23 years in Chicago's top ad agencies—Leo Burnett, FCB, Havas (formerly TLK), Starcom and Energy BBDO where she rose to the executive ranks in both media management and communications planning. Judy contributed to business-building and award-winning media campaigns for renowned brands including P&G, Hallmark, Allstate, and LEGO.

Her global perspective was broadened through her role as Faculty of the Wrigley Global Marketing College, where she spent three years traveling the world to advocate for the intersection of content and channel as part of Wrigley’s in-house executive training program.

Transitioning seamlessly into academia, Franks has dedicated the past 15 years to shaping the next generation of marketing and communications leaders at Northwestern University's Medill School. As a professor, she has earned awards for her courses in consumer insight and digital media strategy within the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) program. She is also an advocate for accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

In addition to her role at Medill, Franks serves as a course developer and facilitator for the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's) Learning Institute, where she shares her expertise in media and marketing essentials with agency talent at all levels.

She also is a published author, with her book "Media: From Chaos to Clarity" serving as a valuable resource for understanding the complexities of modern media dynamics. Her research interests include: the distribution of media audience attention across economic forms and the impact of advertising experiences on audience subscription churn, contributing to both academic scholarship and industry practice.

Her passion for understanding consumer behavior and navigating the evolving media landscape resonates with audiences of all levels. Through her company, The Marketing Democracy, she provides open access to essential marketing concepts so that businesses of any size can take advantage of the principles of IMC.