Christian Hughes

Christian Hughes is an Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Department of Design & Innovation at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University. Her work focuses on leveraging influencer marketing and digital media strategies to enhance firm performance.

Education

• Ph.D. in Marketing — University of Pittsburgh
• M.A. in Statistics — University of Pittsburgh
• B.S. in Statistics — University of Pittsburgh

Research Interests

Dr. Hughes investigates how influencer marketing, digital and social media campaigns, and content-analysis techniques can be optimized to drive consumer engagement and brand performance. Her work is both empirical and managerial, bridging rigorous analytics with actionable marketing insights.

Recent research explores the psychological mechanisms behind visual complexity in social-media imagery and the contingent factors that determine when consumers listen to social influencers.

Scientific Awards

• 2020 Don Lehmann Award — Best Dissertation-based Article in Journal of Marketing or Journal of Marketing Research
• 2021 James Dincolo Outstanding Undergraduate Professor Award — University of Notre Dame

Service & Industry Engagement

Christian serves on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Marketing and collaborates with influencer-marketing companies to translate academic insights into practice. She has also consulted for multinational firms such as Avon, Danone, Georgia-Pacific, and R.J. Reynolds.

Teaching & Courses

• MKMR 201 Marketing Management
• MKMR 412 E-Marketing
• Previously taught Social Media Strategy at both undergraduate and graduate levels