Pooja S
- Research Program Mentor
PhD at Indiana University - Bloomington
Expertise
Marketing, Psychology, Statistics, Consumer Behavior, Behavioral Science, Business
Bio
I am currently a Director of Behavioral Science at Ipsos North America, where I work with brands across industries, including CPG, healthcare, and technology, to apply behavioral science to real-world marketing challenges. Prior to joining Ipsos, I earned my PhD in Marketing from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, where I studied how psychological factors shape consumer decision-making and well-being. I was also a Visiting Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business, where I taught marketing research. Across my academic and industry work, I focus on understanding how consumers think, feel, and make decisions, and how companies can design products, messages, and experiences that better align with actual human behavior. My research examines why people often struggle to engage in behaviors that could improve their lives, even when the resources to do so are readily available. I study how people make decisions about their time, such as making space for self-care and health behaviors, and their money, such as spending on convenience, wellness, or experiences for themselves and others. I am particularly interested in how these decisions shape well-being, health, and social judgment. As a mentor, I love helping students take a psychological theory, a marketing trend, or even a pop culture moment they are interested in and turn it into a real research question they can own from start to finish by guiding them through the full research process, from conceptual development and data analysis to writing and presenting their work. Several of my students have gone on to have their work accepted into peer-reviewed high school research journals. Outside of work, I love staying active and spending time outdoors. I was an NCAA Division III rower in college and still enjoy hiking, backpacking, weightlifting, and running. I'm also a huge pop music fan and love attending live concerts, Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, Adele, Beyonce, pretty much any type of pop music - I've even collaborated with students on projects related to the global market impact of celebrities!Project ideas
Decoding the Psychology Behind Consumer Trends
Why do people suddenly flock to buy now, pay later apps, judge a stranger's spending habits differently depending on their perceived income, or respond to a celebrity's rollout of a new album in such predictable ways? In this project, you'll pick a consumer behavior or marketing trend that genuinely puzzles or interests you and work backward to the psychological or emotional mechanisms driving it. Past student projects in this space have looked at everything from how socioeconomic status shapes moral judgments about spending, to how music artists structure promotional strategy around an album cycle, to how consumers navigate newer tools like buy now, pay later services. You'll develop a research question, ground it in consumer psychology theory, and build out a paper that explains not just what people do, but why.
From Trends to Tactics: Transforming Pop Culture Phenomena in Marketing into Strategy
What if you could take a viral trend, influencer marketing challenge, or consumer behavior shift and turn it into a marketing strategy? In this project, you will identify a compelling phenomenon—whether it’s the rise of de-influencing, the impact of AI-generated influencers, or changing attitudes toward brand authenticity—and translate it into an actionable marketing plan. You’ll start by analyzing real-world examples, conducting secondary research, and formulating research questions to better understand the drivers behind the trend. Then, you’ll develop a strategic framework to help brands or content creators leverage (or adapt to) this phenomenon effectively. The final product will be a well-structured paper outlining key insights, strategic recommendations, and potential implications for marketers. This project is perfect for students interested in digital marketing, branding, and consumer psychology—especially those who want to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world business applications.
Making Sense of Real Consumer Data
If you're the type of student who likes working with numbers as much as ideas, this project is for you. You'll identify a publicly available secondary dataset, something like retail purchase data, app usage data, or survey data, and use it to test a real research question about consumer behavior. Past work in this space has looked at how familiarity with a platform shapes buying behavior, and how perceived risk factors into people's purchase decisions. I'll guide you through the statistics and research design side of things, so you'll come away with hands on experience in data analysis alongside a stronger grip on marketing research methods. This project is ideal for students who want to build quantitative research skills.