Charles W. Mears was a true pioneer in the teaching of advertising and marketing fundamentals outside of academic halls. His methods were copied widely in marketing circles, in advertising clubs and business associations.
As a newspaper writer he studied and became one of the country’s first automobile advertising managers (with the Winton Motor Car) and later marketing counselor for the Cleveland News. Later he conducted annual marketing clinics attended by newspaper executives from all over the U.S.A.
However, his greatest claim to fame was his inspired founding of the Advertising School of the Cleveland Advertising Club in 1918, of which he served as dean until his death in 1942. Mears’ presentations in his class were always impressive and dramatic. His recognition of advertising as one of the basics in marketing, not to be clothed in academic formats, made his teaching exciting and brought tremendous student participation.