Education
University of California, Santa Barbara
BA
Political Science
1987
University of Pennsylvania
MFA
Government
1994
Social
Accomplishments
People's Choice Award, SxSW Innovation Awards (2022)
Comcast's Pandemic Response Wins SxSW People's Choice Award
Video Campaign of the Year, Advertising Age's and Modern Healthcare's Impact Awards (2015)
Winner AdAge/Modern Healthcare Impact Awards Video Campaign of the Year (Silver)
Gold Aster Award: Marketing Healthcare Today (2015)
Gold medal winner for healthcare marketing advertising campaign spotlighting innovations for underserved communities.
Style
Articles
Unregulated online political ads pose a threat to democracy
The ConversationSteve Caplan
2024-07-16
This piece argues that the current lack of regulation in online political advertising poses serious risks to democratic integrity. Platforms like Facebook and Google enable opaque campaign targeting, hiding advertiser identities and spending, facilitating micro‑targeting and dark‑money influence. The article calls for updated policy frameworks and greater transparency to safeguard public accountability in electoral communication
U.S. policy shifts have upended marketing—how CMOs should respond
Ad AgeSteve Caplan
2025-04-22
This opinion piece argues that today’s Chief Marketing Officers must weave policy awareness into their core marketing strategies. With increasing scrutiny on data privacy, AI ethics, and regulatory compliance, CMOs cannot operate in silos—they must collaborate with policy teams and become strategic leaders who anticipate regulatory shifts and proactively align marketing with organizational governance and public policy imperatives.
How to revive strategic thinking in an age of digital outrage
Big ThinkSteve Caplan
2025-01-23
This article draws on philosopher Byung‑Chul Han’s concept of the “outrage society” to critique how rapid-fire digital outrage crowds out deeper strategic understanding. Rather than reflexive reactions to viral crises, leaders are urged to cultivate long-term vision, institutional resilience, and thoughtful decision‑making that transcends social media’s short‑attention cycles. Strategy, not spectacle, is essential for sustainable collective action
