MarketCast founder Joseph Helfgot dies
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US-- Joseph Helfgot, the 60-year-old founder of entertainment research agency MarketCast, died yesterday from complications following heart transplant surgery.
Helfgot founded the firm in 1985 and sold it to Reed Business Information in 2000, staying on as president.
During his career, he developed marketing strategies for hit films including Silence of the Lambs and Dances with Wolves. Before forming MarketCast, he worked on market research projects for firms including Polaroid, American Express and Fidelity Mutual.
MarketCast managing director Karen Hermelin said: “Joseph was an unusual researcher, as passionate as he was brilliant. Working with Joseph was like being on an intellectual thrill ride, and his clients knew that when Joseph was working on their problems, the answer would always be insightful, creative and actionable.
“He personally changed the face of market research in Hollywood. He will be missed by so many, from heads of studios to the young analysts he mentored.”
He is survived by his wife, Susan Whitman, and four children: Emily, Jonathan, Benjamin and Jacob.
His funeral will take place in Boston tomorrow.
Author: James Verrinder
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