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Ernest Lathrop

Ernest Lathrop

Professor of Marketing Practice

315-443-3459
Room: 606
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PhD, Cornell University (Marketing and Cognitive Studies)
MS, Cornell University (Marketing and Cognitive Studies)
MBA, Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University (Marketing)
BA, Colgate University (Biology)

Dr. Lathrop has over 30 years of experience in brand management, consulting, research, and teaching in the areas of marketing strategy, new product development, market research, and management decision making. He is Professor of Marketing Practice at Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management, where he teaches graduate (MBA) and undergraduate Marketing courses, including Marketing Management, Principles of Marketing, Brand Strategy, New Product Development, Consumer Behavior, a Managerial Skills course in rigorous case analysis. He has also served as a faculty member in Whitman’s LOGTECH and Defense Comptrollership programs, and as Faculty Advisor to Syracuse University’s chapter of the American Marketing Association.



Scott is a former Harvard Business School professor, where he taught MBA Marketing Management, as well as doctoral research seminars. He has taught executive-level Marketing courses at Cornell University, at the International School of Management in Paris, and in the Logtech Residency in Singapore. He has also taught several courses on product development and marketing strategy as a Visiting faculty member at both Sejong University and Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea.



Professor Lathrop's academic credentials include an A.B. magna cum laude from Colgate University, an M.B.A. from the S. C. Johnson School of Management at Cornell University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Marketing and Cognitive Studies from Cornell University. His research focuses on the adaptive and often irrational aspects of consumer decision behavior; private label vs. national brands, and marketing strategies for durable and non-durable consumer products.



He has served as consultant to firms on a wide range of projects, from new product development to marketing strategy and e-commerce. Past clients have included United Airlines, Boise Cascade, ExxonMobil, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Owens Corning, Polaroid, McKesson Pharmaceuticals, Partners Healthcare, Nielsen Media Research, Parexel Pharmaceutical Research, Trex Construction Products, Office Depot, Caterpillar, and Sundyne Pumps. He currently partners with WMS Consulting, of Syracuse NY on selected projects.



Dr. Lathrop’s marketing career started at L&F Consumer Products in Montvale, NJ, (now a subsidiary of Reckitt Benckiser) where his accomplishments ranged from new product development (Glass Mates and Spot Chasers brands) to team-managing Chubs, Wet Ones, and the company's flagship brand, Lysol Spray Disinfectant.

Research Topics

  • Cognitive processes in Decision-making
  • Consumer behavior
  • New product development and Innovation
  • Brand Management
  • Corporate strategy consulting

Professor Lathrop teaches courses on Marketing Management, Strategic Brand Management, New Product Development and Consumer Behavior at both the graduate (MBA) and undergraduate levels. He has also taught MBA and Executive-level courses on Innovation and International Marketing.

Professor Lathrop's research interests include brand equity and private label brands. He is also interested in adaptive decision making processes, decision behavior in complex choice tasks, and the role of innovation and new product development in companies.

Dr. Lathrop collaborates on selected strategic consulting projects with WMS Consulting, a consulting firm headquartered in Syracuse, N.Y.

Selected Publications
  • "Store brand vs. national brand prices: Willingness to pay ≠ willingness to accept", , Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, volume 31, 2021(Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, DOI: 10.1080/21639159.2020.1808820 ), 2021 (with Boyle, P., Kim, H.)
  • ""The Relationship Between Price and Quality in Durable Product Categories with Private Label Brands"", Journal of Product and Brand Management, 27(6), 647-660, 2018 (with Boyle, P., Kim, H.)
  • "The Value of Private Label Brands to U.S. Consumers: An Objective and Subjective Assessment", Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 20(1), 80-86, 2013 (with Boyle, P.)
  • "Are Consumers' Perceptions of Price-Quality Relationships Well Calibrated?", International Journal of Consumer Studies, 7(1), 63-68, 2009 (with Boyle, P.)
  • "Perceptions of Product Longevity: Will it keep going and going?", Journal of Customer Behaviour, 7(3), 201-213, 2008 (with Boyle, P.)
  • ""Store Brand vs. National Brand Prices: Willingness to Pay is not Equal to Willingness to Accept"", Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science (with Boyle, P., Kim, H.)

Awards and Honors

  • Nominated for Meredith Teaching Award - Whiitman School/ Professor SP Raj (2019)
  • Keynote Speaker, The Harvard Business Club of Syracuse monthly meeting - The Harvard Business Club of Syracuse (2018)
  • Visiting Professor, Sogang University, Seoul S. Korea, summers 2017 - present - Sogang International MBA program (2017)
  • Syracuse University Renee Crowne Honors program advisor - Syracuse Univeristy (2016)
  • Development Grant for Whitman's Young Marketing Alumni Council - Whitman School of Management (2013)
  • Masters Program Advisory Board, 2013 - 2017 - Whitman School of Management (2013)
  • Development Grant for Whitman "Rising Stars in Marketing" program - Whitman School of Management (2012)
  • Keynote Speaker, New York Insurance Association Annual Conference - New York Insurance Association (2012)
  • Whitman Dean’s Citation for Exceptional Service to the Whitman School (2012)
  • Whitman Teaching Committee, 2011 - 2016 - Whitman School of Management (2011)
  • Visiting Professor, Sejong University, Seoul S. Korea, summers 2011 - 2016 - Sejong University, Sejong Business School, Seoul S. Korea (2011)
  • Judge, Annual Whitman Graduate Case Competition, 2009 - present - Whitman Graduate Student Organization (2009)
  • Adjunct Professor, Executive MBA program, Johnson School at Cornell University, 2007 - Cornell University (2007)
  • Faculty Advisor, American Marketing Association - Whitman chapter, 2006 - present - American Marketing Association (2006)

Media Placements

Whitman Magazine , Whitman School of Management 11.1.20

Webinar on "Brand Activism - The Intersection of Social Movements and Marketing" , Whitman School 9.18.20

Has Cyber Monday changed, WSYR TV Channel 9 11.26.18

What Uber’s arrival to central New York could mean for local taxi companies , The Daily Orange 6.9.17

, Whitman Voices weblog on Whitman home page 2.25.17

, Whitman Voices 2.15.17

, The Daily Orange 1.1.16

, The Daily Orange 1.1.16

, Whitman website 6.1.16

, Whitman Magazine 3.1.16

, WSYR 1.1.15

, WSYR 1.1.15

, WSYR TV local ABC affiliate 4.11.14

, WSYR TV 4.8.14

, The Daily Orange 1.12.14

, Whitman website 10.2.13

, Whitman website 3.4.13

, Central New York Busienss Exchange 2.6.13

, The Syracuse New Times 1.1.12

, Whitman website 10.26.12

, Insurance Advocate magazine 6.1.12

, Whitman website 11.10.11

, Daily Orange 1.26.11

, WSYR TV 11.9.10

, WSYR TV 2.24.10

, Syracuse Post Standard 11.16.09

, WCNY TV 2.22.08

, WAER FM 10.17.07

, The Oklahoman 9.27.07

, WSYR TV 2.23.07