Jennifer Edson Escalas
Associate Dean of Academic Programs
Dean Samuel B. and Evelyn R. Richmond Chair
Professor of Marketing
Research Interests/Areas of Expertise
Marketing, consumer research.
Subject Areas
Marketing
Biography
Biography
Jennifer Escalas brings a unique blend of academic and private sector experience to the classroom, helping students understand how to build meaning for brands.
Awards & Accomplishments
Jennifer has won Outstanding Reviewer Awards from Journal of Consumer Psychology and Journal of Consumer Research, as well as the Distinguished Service Award from The Society for Consumer Psychology. She has also won the Dean’s Research Productivity and Dean’s Research Impact Awards at Owen.
Leadership
Jennifer has served as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Consumer Research and on the editorial review boards for Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, and Journal of Public Policy and Marketing. She is involved in the Association for Consumer Research, the Society for Consumer Psychology, and is on the Transformative Consumer Research Advisory Committee.
Publications
Professor Escalas’ research has been featured in several prominent marketing journals, including Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Advertising, and the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing. She has contributed chapters to 10 books.
Teaching
Jennifer works with the MBA, Executive MBA, and Masters in Marketing programs, teaching courses such as Consumer Insights for Marketing Decision Making, Statistics for Marketing, and Marketing Strategy.
On A Personal Note...
Professor Escalas has also applied her marketing expertise to Agon Sport, a competitive swimwear company she owns with her husband, former Olympic swimmer Rafael Escalas.
Research Interests
Professor Escalas' research interests focus on consumer narrative processing - thinking in the form of stories - which can create meaning for brands and generate emotional responses to advertising. Additionally, her research explores how consumers use brands to meet psychological needs, such as self-expression and social integration. Through these processes, consumers form self-brand connections, where the brand becomes closely linked to a consumer’s sense of self. Finally, Professor Escalas has published a number of articles that apply marketing concepts to benefit consumer welfare and well-being.
Education
PhD, Business Administration, Duke University, 1996
MBA, UCLA, 1991
BA, Economics, UCLA, 1985
BA, Spanish and Linguistics, UCLA, 1985
Phone
615-322-3493
Office
206B
Select Publications
Articles
JA Celebrity
Escalas, Jennifer Edson and James R. Bettman (forthcoming), “Connecting with Celebrities: How Consumers Appropriate Celebrity Meanings for a Sense of Belonging,” Journal of Advertising.
Transformative SCO Storytelling
Bublitz, Melissa G., Jennifer Edson Escalas, Laura A. Peracchio, Pia Furchheim, Stacy Landreth Grau, Anne Hamby, Mark Kay, Mark Mulder, and Andrea Scott (2016), “Transformative Storytelling: A Framework for Crafting Stories for Social Change Organizations,” Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, v. 35, n. 2, pp. 237-248.
Managing Brand Meaning through Celebrity Endorsement
Escalas, Jennifer Edson and James R. Bettman (2015), “Managing Brand Meaning through Celebrity Endorsement,” Review of Marketing Research, special issue on Brand Meaning Management, v. 15, pp. 29-52.
Our Possessions, Our Selves: Possession Loss and Grief
Ferraro, Rosellina, Jennifer Edson Escalas, and James R. Bettman (2011), “Our Possessions, Our Selves: Possession Loss and Grief,” Journal of Consumer Psychology, v. 21, n. 2, pp. 169-177.
Easier Is Not Always Better: The Moderating Role of Processing Type on Preference Fluency
Nielsen, Jesper and Jennifer Edson Escalas (2010), “Easier Is Not Always Better: The Moderating Role of Processing Type on Preference Fluency,” Journal of Consumer Psychology, v. 20, n. 3, pp. 295-305.
Tell Me a Story: Crafting and Publishing Research in Consumer Psychology
Peracchio, Laura A. and Jennifer Edson Escalas (2008), “Tell Me a Story: Crafting and Publishing Research in Consumer Psychology,” Journal of Consumer Psychology, v. 18, n. 3, pp. 197-204.
Narrative vs. Analytical Self-Referencing
Escalas, Jennifer Edson (2007), “Narrative versus Analytical Self-Referencing and Persuasion,” Journal of Consumer Research, v. 34, n. 4 (March), pp. 421-429 (Lead Article).
Self-Construal, Reference groups, and Brand Meaning
Escalas, Jennifer Edson and James R. Bettman (2005), “Self-Construal, Reference Groups, and Brand Meaning, Journal of Consumer Research, v. 32, n. 3 (December), pp. 378-389.
Understanding the Effects of Process- versus Outcome-Focused Thought during Advertising
Escalas, Jennifer Edson and Mary Frances Luce (2004), “Understanding the Effects of Process- versus Outcome-Focused Thought during Advertising,” Journal of Consumer Research, v. 31, n. 2 (September), pp. 274-285.
Imagine Yourself in the Product: Mental Simulation, Narrative Transportation, and Persuasion
Escalas, Jennifer Edson (2004), "Imagine Yourself in the Product: Mental Simulation, Narrative Transportation, and Persuasion," Journal of Advertising, v. 33, n. 2 (Summer), pp. 37-48.
Narrative Processing: Building Consumer Connections to Brands
Escalas, Jennifer Edson (2004), "Narrative Processing: Building Consumer Connections to Brands," Journal of Consumer Psychology, v. 14, n. 1 & 2, pp. 168-179.
Fishing for Feelings: A Hook Helps!"
Escalas, Jennifer Edson, Marian Chapman Moore, and Julie Edell Britton (2004), "Fishing for Feelings: A Hook Helps!" Journal of Consumer Psychology, v. 14, n. 1 & 2, pp. 105-113.
Sympathy and Empathy: Emotional Responses to Advertising Dramas
Escalas, Jennifer Edson and Barbara B. Stern (2003), "Sympathy and Empathy: Emotional Responses to Advertising Dramas," Journal of Consumer Research, v. 29, n. 4 (March), pp. 566-578.
Outcome- vs. Process-Focused Thought and Advertising
Escalas, Jennifer Edson and Mary Frances Luce (2003), "Outcome- vs. Process-Focused Thought and Advertising," Journal of Consumer Psychology, v. 13, n. 3, pp. 246-254.
You Are What They Eat: The Influence of Reference Groups on Consumer Connections to Brands
Escalas, Jennifer Edson and James R. Bettman (2003), "You Are What They Eat: The Influence of Reference Groups on Consumer Connections to Brands," Journal of Consumer Psychology, v. 13, n. 3, pp. 339-348.