Remembering Erwin Ephron, a media legend

If you’ve been in media for longer than five minutes, chances are you know the name Erwin Ephron.

Opinionated, smart and eager to spread his ideas, Ephron was one of the pioneers of the media industry in a career that spanned more than 50 years.

He died Sunday at age 79 following a long illness.

Ephron worked for BBDO before starting his own agency, Ephron, Raboy & Tsao, and later transitioning to a media consultant in the 1990s with Ephron Papazian & Ephron.

He championed the idea of recency, which emphasized timing of ad impressions rather than reach or frequency.

Ephron believed that an ad was more effective if it reached someone right before they made the buy, i.e. an ad for peanut butter in the supermarket, rather than reaching them time and again when peanut butter wasn’t really on their mind.

He also distributed a widely read e-newsletter discussing his latest theories or interests.

Did Ephron influence your career or media education? Send your remembrances to toni@medialifemagazine.com to be included in an upcoming tribute story.

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