Byron Sharp

Professor Byron Sharp is a Professor of Marketing Science and Director of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science at the University of South Australia. The institute is recognized as the world’s largest center for research into marketing, housing over 60 marketing scientists. He plays a pivotal role in advancing evidence-based marketing principles globally.

Research Interests:

• Marketing Science and Empirical Generalizations
• Brand Growth and Customer Acquisition
• Advertising Effectiveness and Mental Availability
• Consumer Behavior and Loyalty Patterns
• Market Modeling (e.g., Dirichlet model)
• Evidence-Based Marketing Practice

His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on quantifying brand performance, buyer behavior, and advertising impact. Trends in his articles emphasize the application of statistical models (e.g., NBD, Dirichlet) to understand consumer repertoires, loyalty, and the effects of advertising cessation. His work bridges academic rigor with practical marketing applications, particularly in brand strategy and media planning.

Scientific Awards and Recognition:

• His book How Brands Grow was voted Marketing Book of the Year by AdAge readers.
• Recognized by Warc (2015) as one of the most influential marketing books of the past decade.

Advising, Grants, and Collaborations: While specific student names are not listed, he leads a large research team and frequently collaborates with prominent scholars such as Jenni Romaniuk, John Dawes, and Robert Kennedy. His work is supported by industry partnerships and institutional funding through the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, enabling large-scale empirical studies using real-world data.

Labs and Teams: He directs the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, which functions as a major research laboratory focused on marketing science, conducting longitudinal studies, empirical generalizations, and collaborative industry research.