Rachel Kennedy

Professor Rachel Kennedy is a co-founder and Associate Director (Product Development) at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, the world's largest center for marketing research. Based at the University of South Australia, she plays a pivotal role in translating cutting-edge research into actionable insights and industry products. Her work bridges academia and practice, serving global brands such as Unilever, Mars, Google, and HSBC through evidence-based marketing strategies.

Research Interests: Rachel’s research is centered on marketing science, with a focus on advertising effectiveness, brand growth, consumer behavior, and neuromarketing. She investigates how advertising works using biometrics, attention metrics, and single-source data. Her work emphasizes evidence-based approaches, challenging industry myths and promoting scientific rigor in marketing decisions. Key areas include ad likeability, price promotions, packaging design, and the long-term effects of advertising cessation.

The analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent trend toward understanding measurable, long-term brand performance. Her work increasingly incorporates biometric and eye-tracking methods to assess attention and persuasion in advertising. Themes such as duplication of purchase, brand user profile similarity, and the validity of marketing metrics recur across her research, reinforcing foundational principles of marketing science.

Scientific Awards and Recognition:

• Incorporated Society of British Advertisers award for advancing understanding of advertising
• Named one of 'Advertising’s Big Thinkers' by the UK Advertising Association

Advising and Grants: While specific students are not listed, Rachel has mentored and collaborated extensively with researchers at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute. Her role in product development implies leadership in research funding and industry sponsorship programs. She has led and contributed to numerous market research projects funded by global advertisers and media organizations, helping to embed evidence-based practices across industries.

Labs and Teams: Rachel is a core member of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, a world-renowned research center with over 60 marketing scientists. The institute operates as a collaborative hub for empirical marketing research, offering executive programs like 'How Brands Grow – Live!' and conducting large-scale studies on consumer behavior, advertising, and brand strategy.