Yanfen You

Yanfen (Cindy) You is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she has been since 2021. Previously, she held the same position at New Mexico State University (2018–2021). Her research focuses on marketing communication, product design, and leveraging digital technologies to enhance consumer experiences. She holds a Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2018), and prior degrees from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law.

Research interests include how sensory signals influence product efficacy, consumer responses to data breaches, and the role of nostalgia in sustainable consumption. She has received prestigious awards such as the Isenberg Teaching and Research Excellence Awards (2024–2025) and was a finalist for the AMA/MSI/H. Paul Root Award (2020).

Her work explores diverse topics like consumer conformity to humans vs. robots, the psychological impact of interruptions on decision-making, and the interplay between scarcity cues and superstitious behavior. Teaching interests emphasize consumer behavior and advertising strategy.