Aaron Ahuvia, Ph.D.

Aaron Ahuvia, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing at the University of Michigan-Dearborn College of Business. He received his Ph.D. in Marketing from Northwestern University’s Kellogg College of Business where along with conducting original research, he assisted Professor Phillip Kotler with a revision of his classic textbook. An independent analysis of research impact* ranked him 22 in the world (19 in the US) for research influence in consumer behavior. He has been quoted in Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and has appeared on popular radio and television shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show.

He has presented his research or performed consulting services for Procter & Gamble, Google, Audi, Samsung, General Motors, Microsoft, Ford, Team Detroit (ad agency for Ford and others), Chrysler, GfK Market Research, Herman Miller; and via the Altagamma consortium, Gucci, Versace, La Perla, Zegna, Valentino, Salvatore Ferragamo, Beretta firearms, Bellavista wines, Bisazza mosaics, and YOOX internet luxury retail, among others.

Professor Ahuvia is the principal investigator on four grants totally over $500,000. He has worked or taught internationally in China, Denmark, Oman, Finland, Poland, Morocco, France, Pakistan, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Rwanda, Singapore, Slovakia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Yemen, and was awarded the first US government grant project in Libya after the lifting of sanctions.

Professor Ahuvia is the winner of two of UM-Dearborn’s highest awards, the University of Michigan-Dearborn Annual Research Award for 2007 and the University of Michigan-Dearborn Faculty Member of the Year Award for 2001. He is an invited co-author on a United Nations report on the application of social science data to public policy.

In addition to his primary appointment at UM-Dearborn, he also holds cross appointments at the UM-Ann Arbor Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design and the UM-Ann Arbor Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies.

Research

Dr. Ahuvia is the world’s leading expert on brand love, a topic he pioneered and has worked on since 1990. His research looks at (a) consumers’ love of certain products and brands; (b) issues related to brand symbolism and consumer identity such as brand image, fashions, and trends; and (c) the nature of contemporary consumer culture with a special focus on how people can build successful lives within this environment.

* Elbeck and Vander Schee (2013), Global Benchmarking of Marketing Doctoral Program Faculty and Institutions by Subarea, Journal of Marketing Education, 36(1), 45–61.

Northwestern University