Biography

Tony Spaeth is an internationally recognized expert in the use of identity as a tool in marketing and managing. 1995-2012 clients include Caterpillar, Commonfund, Dealertrack, Dow Jones, Eastman Chemical, FIRST Robotics, Flowserve, General Signal, Harlan Laboratories, J.P. Morgan, Malden Mills, Orbital Sciences, Outward Bound, Sony Corporation and in Russia, Econika and Texenergo.

Tony studied architecture at Princeton and received his Masters in Business Administration from Harvard. In 1965 he joined the pioneering identity firm Lippincott & Margulies, learning and contributing to the new identity profession in its formative years. Ever since, his work (however diverse) has been identity-centered.

In subsequent years he practiced marketing management in diverse industries: in packaged goods, as a product manager in American Home Products' food division; as a consultant to the supermarket industry on private brand management; as a consultant to account management and clients of NW Ayer advertising; and as a corporate vice president and director of marketing of several Citibank business units.

In 1985, he rejoined colleagues from 1965's L&M, now the principals of the identity firm Anspach Grossman Portugal. He served as the firm's marketing director and as a consulting principal, supervising such client engagements as Pfizer and American Express. In addition, Spaeth reorganized the firm's naming capability, which during his tenure produced such names as Navistar, Optima, Signet, Trinova, Ecolab and (Ford) Explorer.

He practiced as an independent identity advisor from 1990 through 2012, serving companies directly or teaming with communications and graphic design firms.

Tony has lectured for Harvard Business School, American Institute of Graphic Arts, Design Management Institute, BrandCamp in Bucharest and HiBrand in Moscow, and has written on identity matters for Adweek, Design Management Journal and annually, for the Conference Board Review. He also maintains two Web sites, Identityworks.com and CorporateBrandMatrix.com, as professional information resources.

Tony lives in Rye, New York in a classic (1946) modern house with Ann, a leader in the social services arena. They are parents of four extraordinary women — art historian Catherine, tile enthusiast Jennifer, painter Bridget, and choreographer Crispin.