Mithila Guha

Dr. Mithila Guha serves as an Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Department of Marketing and Business Analytics at the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, San José State University. Her academic work bridges marketing theory with practical applications in digital spaces, focusing on how brands can drive positive social change through strategic engagement on social media platforms.

Education:

• Ph.D. Marketing (Minor: Computer Science), Drexel University
• Master of Economics, North Carolina State University
• Master of Social Sciences in Economics, University of Dhaka
• Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons) in Economics, University of Dhaka

Dr. Guha specializes in marketing analytics and brand activism, with expertise in empirical quantitative research examining brand-consumer interactions across social media platforms. Her work reveals how brands navigate sociopolitical issues during global crises, demonstrating that marketing can be a force for positive societal change beyond profit generation. She employs advanced topic modeling and text analysis tools to process large-scale unstructured social media datasets, connecting online consumer activism with tangible business outcomes.

Her recent publications and conference presentations demonstrate a consistent analytical approach to understanding how consumer activism during events like the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine impacts brand performance. Through rigorous examination of tens of thousands of social media interactions alongside financial metrics, her research establishes meaningful connections between brand social engagement and market performance.

Scientific Awards:

• 2024 Paul R. Lawrence Fellowship (first SJSU faculty recipient, awarded to only 10 fellows globally by NACRA)
• Best In Track Award at the 2022 Summer AMA Conference (Digital & Social Media Marketing Track)

Dr. Guha maintains active research collaborations with colleagues from Drexel University's LeBow College of Business. Her work has significant implications for both academic understanding of digital marketing dynamics and practical applications for brands navigating complex sociopolitical landscapes. As a certified Mental Health First-aider, she demonstrates commitment to holistic well-being both within and beyond the academic environment.

Her research methodology combines marketing theory with computational approaches, analyzing extensive datasets including activist tweets, brand responses, user replies, and stock market performance to reveal actionable insights about the real-world impact of brand activism.