Michelle F. Weinberger

Michelle F. Weinberger is an Associate Professor at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, and Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University. She holds a Ph.D. in Marketing with a minor in Cultural Sociology, and her academic work bridges sociological theory with consumer research.

• Research focuses on socio-cultural aspects of consumption, marketplace actors, and symbolic boundary creation through collective rituals (e.g., gift-giving, festivals) and experiential consumption patterns among young adults
• Teaches Consumer Insight courses in the IMC Full-Time master’s program and undergraduate courses
• Active member of the Association for Consumer Research, American Marketing Association, and Consumer Culture Theory Consortium
• Editorial roles: Journal of Consumer Marketing editorial board, ad hoc reviewer for multiple journals

Her work examines how platforms mediate consumer-producer relationships and how marketing communications shape stakeholder perceptions, building on foundational theories from anthropologists Mary Douglas and Baron Isherwood. She co-edited the textbook Consumer Culture Theory and contributes to interdisciplinary initiatives at Northwestern University.