Throughout his career, Michael Kauffman, KLN ‘86, has maintained his commitment to the music and communication industries. Now, as the director of Clio Music and Clio Cannabis for The Clio Awards — also known as “the Oscars of Advertising” — he is helping communication professionals receive recognition for their similarly hard work and bringing Klein College of Media and Communication students along for the ride.

Kauffman began his roles with the Clios after several positions at prominent companies in the media and music industries. His career has spanned decades, from development with record companies and music groups to leading marketing and communication efforts at Google and YouTube. 

After Kauffman’s corporate experiences, he founded Kauffman Creative, a consulting service which focused on strategic communication for clients in the entertainment industry. He transitioned into working with the Clios following his time as a consultant for the organization. 

Through Clio Music, Kauffman has formed partnerships with top organizations in the industry to help the awards reach greater heights. Clio Cannabis, the organization’s newest award arm, has opened Kauffman’s eyes to the emerging cannabis industry and is leading to further awareness of legalized cannabis.

The Clios celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2019, honoring its decades-long impact on recognizing the best in advertising and marketing across industries. Joe Glennon, chair of the Department of Advertising, has dreamt of receiving a Clio himself. He now wants former students to take advantage of the benefits the awards have to offer, including its student category.

“Advertising is an anonymous field,” he said in an email. “When you do things right, everyone knows the name of the brand you're working for, and you remain behind the scenes. Journalism has bylines. Film and movies have credits. Advertising, sure we keep score and insiders know who does what. But it's awards and the credits and validation that come with them that can really help get your name out there.”

“I think it’s an opportunity to have your work seen by some of the top creative leaders in the industry, so that has a lot of value. Certainly, if you win, that’s a really great thing to have on your resume and on your LinkedIn profile,” Kauffman says.

As a proud Klein alumnus, Kauffman has also welcomed the idea of Klein students working with the Clios to promote and celebrate excellence in advertising and marketing. For years, he has been introduced to students through Temple connections like James Donio, KLN ‘77, an adjunct professor and former president of the Music Business Association. 

Jack Smith, a junior communications studies major and president of Temple’s Music Business Club, was introduced to Kauffman by Donio some time ago. Recently, he was brought on by Kauffman as a fall 2020 intern for Clio Music. In his role, Smith developed a better understanding of the creative business practices used by music marketers. He also contributed his perspective as a young media professional who has a familiarity with emerging trends and technology. Despite his own skillset, Smith appreciates the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals like Kauffman, who he says never hesitates to support others.

“Michael’s done an excellent job of exploring that throughout the duration of his career and it’s really a great experience to work with him. I hope I continue to work with him moving forward,” Smith says.

A Lancaster native, Kauffman often came to Philadelphia on family trips as a child and decided to attend Temple based on his positive experiences with the university and its surrounding community. As a student majoring in radio/television/film and a member of Temple’s Diamond Marching Band, he explored many ways to create and appreciate media. Today, he is involved on the chapter board of Temple’s Alumni Association Metropolitan New York Chapter and was previously a member of the university alumni association’s Parliament.

Citing the famous “Acres of Diamonds” speech by Temple’s founder and first president Russell Conwell, Kauffman believes that Klein students should take advantage of as many avenues of possibility as possible, especially if those opportunities are accessible through industry know-how and networking. 

“I do believe that Temple for me helped give me that perspective and that point of view to really think about ‘Where are there opportunities around me?’” Kauffman says. “And that is something that I’ve always remembered and that I always have thought about as I progressed in my career.”
The Clio Awards are open to students until the final deadline of February 5. More information about the organization is available on its website.