Marla Royne Stafford

Professor, Department of Marketing & International Business
Expertise: Advertising, Prosocial messaging, Responsible gambling messages, Consumer behavior, Integrated marketing communications, Services marketing, Marketing management, Sustainability and environmental communications, Nonprofit marketing, Consumer well-being, Diversity and inclusion, Health messaging, Sales promotion, Cannabis marketing and societal issues

Biography

Marla Royne Stafford is an advertising and marketing expert who boasts 30 years of experience as a professor, department chair, and dean in the business discipline. She was previously the executive associate dean of academic affairs in UNLV's William F. Harrah College of Hospitality and currently serves as the William F. Harrah Distinguished Chair. Prior to her time in academia, she held positions with companies such as Tupperware Worldwide, Philip Crosby Associates, and Cardinal Industries where she worked in marketing and promotions, communications, and training development. 

Stafford has received numerous honors from the American Academy of Advertising (AAAs) — an organization for which she has served as past president. In March 2024, she received the organization's Kim Rotzoll Award for Ethics and Social Responsibility; in 2021, she was elected Fellow of the AAAs; and in 2016, she received the AAA's Ivan Preston Award for Outstanding Contribution to Advertising Research. Stafford is a two-time recipient of the University of Memphis Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Research in Business and Social Sciences. In 2018, she was recognized as one of the Superwomen in Business by the Memphis Business Journal.

Stafford is past editor-in-chief of the Journal of Advertising, and currently serves as associate editor of the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing and the Journal of Advertising Research. She has published more than 100 research articles in publications such as the Journal of Retailing, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Decision Sciences, Journal of Business Research, American Journal of Public Health, and Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Education

  • Ph.D., Marketing, University of Georgia
  • M.B.A., Marketing Concentration, Rollins College
  • B.A., Speech Communication, University of Arizona

Marla Royne Stafford In The News

Yahoo!
A looming ban on TikTok the social media app is creating a panic in the Las Vegas valley’s small business community.
K.L.A.S. T.V. 8 News Now
A looming ban on TikTok the social media app is creating a panic in the Las Vegas valley’s small business community. Congress passed the ban due to security concerns over the Chinese government’s app ownership. TikTok played a key part in the success of Guiliano Raso’s business, a food truck named 303 in the Cut.
MMJ Daily
The Cannabis Policy Institute (CPI) at UNLV has released three new reports addressing key aspects of the cannabis industry. The reports were shared during the institute's inaugural symposium on Dec. 5 and highlighted critical challenges and opportunities related to regulatory reform, market trends, and emerging product categories.
K.L.A.S. T.V. 8 News Now
One of the biggest sporting events to ever come to the Las Vegas Strip returns in just over a week. The F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix ticket prices and hotel prices are slashed compared to the inaugural year of the race.

Articles Featuring Marla Royne Stafford

A UNLV student studies with the Strip in the distance.
Campus News | February 4, 2025

Headlines and highlights featuring the students and faculty of UNLV.

unlv pumpkins
Campus News | November 4, 2024

A monthly roundup of the top news stories at UNLV, featuring the presidential election, gaming partnerships, and much more.

Undergrad researcher Benjamin Sabir helps H. Jeremy Cho examine an atmospheric water harvesting device. (Jeff Scheid/UNLV)
Campus News | October 1, 2024

A monthly roundup of the top news stories featuring UNLV staff and students.

Students pass by Lied Library as they walk campus on the first day of Fall 2024 semester classes
Campus News | September 6, 2024

A collection of news highlights featuring students and faculty.