LaDonna and Charlie Johnson Assistant Professor of Marketing
University of Louisville College of Business
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3 working papers
Are collectivists always more persuaded by mixed emotions than individualists, or might different mixed emotions affect persuasion?
–with Srinwanti Chaudhury, Doreen Shen, Jennifer Stoner, and Carlos Torelli
Past work suggests that mixed emotions – those with opposing valence – have limited cross-cultural appeal. We consider mixed emotions that are culturally normative and motivationally compatible and find that collectivists (individualists) process affection-sadness (pride-anger) more fluently, and that this fluency is consistent with their choices.
How do lenders’ cues of interpersonal closeness affect borrowers?
–with Lorenzo Ceucutti and Wendy De La Rosa
Lenders often emphasize closeness to prospective borrowers to drive demand and promote trust. We find that greater closeness increases borrowers’ expectations of better interest rates, waived late fees, credit, and on-time repayment leniency, revealing a fundamental marketing trade-off between tactics that improve acquisition but also undermine on-time repayment behavior.
How do verb types affect persuasion?
–with Ann Kronrod
We explore how a foundational feature of language – whether describing an evaluation with stative verbs (“I love this place”) versus action verbs (“I visit this place”) – changes how persuasive the message becomes. We find that compared to action verbs, stative verbs evoke stronger perceptions of attitude permanence because people perceive mental states to be more permanent than actions, driving persuasion.
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3 published papers
Barnes, Aaron J. and Esther Uduehi (forthcoming), “The Danger of Inclusion as Low-Hanging Fruit or Forbidden Fruit: Towards Structural Legitimacy in Marketing Scholarship,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, Special Section: Reclaiming Marketplace Inclusion as a Marketing Imperative. | Pre-print
Uduehi, Esther and Aaron J. Barnes (2025), “The Minority Ownership Awareness Effect: When Promoting Minority Ownership Increases Brand Evaluations,” Journal of Marketing, 89(3): 60-77. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222429241283811 | Copy
Barnes, Aaron J., Yuanyuan Zhang, and Ana Valenzuela (2024), “AI & Culture: Culturally dependent responses to AI systems,” Current Opinion in Psychology, 58, 101838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2024.101838 | Copy
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3 classes I’m teaching
MKT 451 · Multicultural Marketing Strategy
Students in MKT 451 leave with a vocabulary for cultural strategy, hands-on experience presenting to industry practitioners, and a clearer sense of where their own identity fits into their professional path. Because this course draws on career planning, case analysis, and live industry engagement, the feedback it generates is more personal. The quotes below come directly from student journals and career plans.
“When it comes to a branding project, you need to be much more than just passionate. Representation of culture should have a measurable result. You start by focusing on cultural legitimacy — that allows you to respect the culture and its inhabitants while ensuring they are not taken advantage of.”
Student journal · end-of-semester reflection
“I learned that consumers react best to brands that are authentically themselves and stay that way, even as they grow. The best way to represent different cultures is to have people from those cultures present and involved.”
Student journal · case reflection
“The panel was a turning point in my career — it forced me to do something I wouldn’t normally feel comfortable doing. I was able to network with a lot of people, and it was great to see that people liked what I had to say.”
Student journal · AAF panel reflection
“I would love to concentrate on communities I know deeply and present a new aspect of culture that many people are unaware of — while remaining open to learning about many cultures and showcasing them through campaigns.”
Student career plan
A concrete outcome
“After the panel, I connected with a senior strategist on LinkedIn. That conversation led to an introduction to an agency’s HR team, a meeting with their strategy team, and a scheduled shadow session with their lead strategist.”
MKT 301 · Principles of Marketing · Student survey results
What students said after completing the course
96%
said the semester was worth the effort
84%
rated applicability above other courses
76%
said they learned more than in other courses
~Avg
time burden relative to other courses
“The class provided real-world insight into what marketing actually looks like. I got better at using evidence and connecting class concepts to real projects.”
“I improved my ability to identify a problem with our datasets and find accurate data to back that up. I can find data — but I grew in actually doing something with it.”
“I understand the STP framework to guide me through the process. I came in with little marketing experience and now feel I can put together a solid marketing campaign.”
“Critical thinking changed for me. I used to shut down when I didn’t understand something — but that changed. I became more confident and a stronger communicator.”
MKT 441 · Market Intelligence & Customer Insight · Student survey results
What students said after completing the course
91%
said they learned more than in other courses
82%
rated applicability above other courses
82%
said the semester was worth the effort
More
time than a typical course
Students consistently said it was worth it
“I learned how to comprehend and interpret survey data — it was an obstacle I was stuck on for quite a while in my current business ventures.”
“My knowledge of statistical analysis grew tremendously. Even if the tests were relatively beginner-level, being exposed to them opened my eyes to how much more there is to learn.”
“I improved a lot in my ability to apply research to real-world problems. This was a valuable course that helped me understand how marketing research works in practice.”
“This is one of the only classes I’ve actually learned in since I’ve been in college. The content was more challenging, but Professor Barnes made it engaging and fun to learn.”
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