Murfreesboro Professor Joins NBC’s New Competition Series “On Brand with Jimmy Fallon”
Rajesh Srivastava, a 60-year-old marketing professor, will represent Murfreesboro, TN, on NBC’s brand-new competition series On Brand with Jimmy Fallon, premiering Tuesday, September 30th. He’ll compete against nine other top creatives, all working to disrupt the marketing profession and win over major brands.
With a background in social media and marketing, Srivastava, affectionately known as “Dr. Raj,” will need to outshine his fellow idea makers to secure the grand prize: $100,000, a feature in Adweek, a VIP trip to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and the coveted title of Innovator of the Year.
Meet Dr. Raj:
- Hometown: Murfreesboro, TN
- Background: MBA, PhD, and 25 years as a marketing professor at Middle Tennessee State University
- Specialties: Social media strategy, global marketing, and grading what makes campaigns work—or flop
- Fun Facts: Born and raised in India, Dr. Raj began in production engineering before moving to the U.S. for graduate studies. He’s fluent in three languages, well-known for his witty dad jokes, and admired by students as both fun and demanding.
Dr. Raj hopes to prove that his decades of experience and sharp instincts resonate not just in the classroom but also on the national stage. “I want to show my students, my family, and the brands watching that creativity, strategy, and experience still matter,” he says.
Catch Dr. Raj on On Brand with Jimmy Fallon this fall—and watch as he brings Murfreesboro pride and decades of marketing know-how to primetime.
