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Dr. Adrienne Hall-Phillips

I am an educator.

Being an educator is more than just distributing facts & figures; it’s making knowledge accessible & relevant for every learner. I strive to facilitate student access to tools that connect technology, consumer decision-making, social media, and everyday products, based solely around how we think & act as consumers.

I am a researcher.

My research focuses on studying general consumer behavior, with specific interest in topics related to value, engagement, and loyalty in the areas of user experience and entrepreneurship. An additional research focus is on discovering how social media  influences consumption in online and off-line environments.

I am imaginative.

Former product developer now immersed in student learning and creativity. Inspired by words, music, spirituality, and authenticity. Obsessed with travel, all things tech, pens, notebooks, and tea. Sustained by family, friends, and grace. 
Aggie Pride & Boiler Up!

Education

Ph.D., Purdue University
Consumer Behavior

M.S., Purdue University
Consumer Behavior

B.S., North Carolina A&T State University
Chemical Engineering

Professional Experience

Johnson & Johnson, Consumer & Personal Products Worldwide
Product Development, Senior Scientist, Oral Health, Skillman, NJ [Nov 2005 - June 2006]
Product Development, Senior Scientist, Women's Health, Wuppertal, Germany [June 2004 - Nov 2005] 
Product Development, Senior Scientist, Women's Health, Skillman, NJ [Oct 2002-May 2004]
Product Development, Scientist, Women's Health, Skilman, NJ [Aug 2000-Sep 2002]

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Teaching

“My three principles: 1) approach teaching from a relevant & experiential mindset; 2) appreciate the social learning environment by allowing students to learn organically from textbooks, cases, articles, pop culture, & others; and 3) foster a classroom that is dynamic in landscape & learning style, and full of student engagement.”

Current Courses @ WPI

MKT3650: Consumer Behavior (UG)

The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the study of consumer behavior. This course will examine factors that affect purchase decisions and consumption in the marketplace. Topics covered include consumer behavior theory, an examination of attitude formation and value creation, the challenges of consumer protection, market research, and the influence of technology on consumer decision making. Students will learn how the elements of consumer behavior impact marketing strategy and decisions through case analysis and other activities.

What students are saying...

“We had our own blog and the professor was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the material.”

“The material was interesting and the professor truly seemed interested in the learning of her students.”

“The class discussions were the best I’ve had at WPI."

 

My Courses on Twitter... (active when teaching)

MKT 598: Social Media Marketing (G)

**This is a new course Fall 2017**

This course explores the growing popularity of using digital technologies to reach consumers. Through lecture, discussions, and case studies, students determine the best tactic and content to execute for social media marketing in peer-to- peer businesses. Topics discussed include leveraging content management, social media governance, analytics, and defining and measuring success through metrics. 

MKT 561: Consumer Behavior (G)

This course provides an in-depth analysis of factors that affect purchase decisions and consumption in the marketplace. Topics covered include consumer behavior theory, attitude formation and value creation, the challenges of consumer protection, market research, and the influence of technology on consumer decision making. Students will learn how the elements of consumer behavior impact marketing strategy and decisions.

What students are saying...

"The final project actually applied all the concepts we had been learning in class and allowed us to be creative."

"I appreciated that she encouraged outside communication."

 

MKT 567: Integrated Marketing Communications (G)

This course provides students with an understanding of the role of integrated marketing communications in the overall marketing program and its contribution to marketing strategy. The tools of marketing communications include advertising, sales promotion, publicity, personal selling, public relations, trade shows, direct, and online marketing. Understanding the concepts and processes that organizations use in developing effective and synergistic marketing communications is useful for managers across functional disciplines. This course will also consider ethical issues of IMC.

What students are saying...

"Interactive, many opportunities to speak, teacher is inspiring."

"The final project actually applied all the concepts we had been learning in class & it allowed us to be creative"

"The activities in the course allowed me to experience using a tool I have actually been seeing as a requirement for jobs that I am applying to."

Major Qualifying Projects (MQP)

Market Analysis for a High Power LED (2016)

Students: A. Davis, B. Goncalves, Z. Karalis, C. Lyles                                                      

This project investigated the advantages, disadvantages, and market opportunities of the industrial LED industry. An analysis was conducted to show possible avenues when entering this competitive industry. Our analysis determines the feasibility of new players entering the market by: identifying LED technology and market opportunities of LED lights, identifying disadvantages and advantages of LED lights domestically and globally, and completing a cost benefit analysis of Industrial LEDs. We found that there is still major room for growth within this industry, as technologies (i.e. batteries, wiring, and platforms) that support LED light bulbs and fixtures improve. LEDs will be become more advanced and efficient, and have a bright future within the lighting industry.

5G Medical Ergonomic Scalpel Feasibility (2015)

Students: Nicholas Comeau, Sarah Dunn, Elizabeth Mukhanov, Enrique Salazar, Cheryl Travison; Sponsor: 5G Medical

The goal of this project was to analyze the feasibility of commercializing a newly patented ergonomic surgical scalpel. In order to achieve this, we collected data, performed a feasibility analysis, and provided recommendations. We evaluated four areas: the medical device market, manufacturing, consumer research, and intellectual property. We concluded that this product would not be viable for commercialization as a stand-alone product. Alternative methods to commercialization may be required in order to generate future success if this product reaches market.

Designing, Building, and Managing an Autonomous Boat and its Transatlantic Crossing Attempt (2014)

Student: Dylan Rodriguez                              

Scout was a 13 foot long boat designed by myself and several of my friends to navigate without a crew on a 3,500 mile journey from Rhode Island to Spain using only solar power and onboard processors to complete the crossing. The project received significant media attention and was closely followed by tens of thousands of curious onlookers. Although Scout was built by a group of young college students solely for fun, execution of the project led us to begin investigation of ways that autonomous boats could be used in marine research applications. The purpose of this project is to study the entirety of the Scout project, examine potential uses of products similar to Scout, and present recommendations for future autonomous surface vessel development.

Interactive Qualifying Projects (IQP)

Gender Neutral Bathrooms (2016)

Students: J. Berry, R. Johnson, C. Peguero; Sponsor: WPI Office of Multicultural Affairs                

Bathrooms are commonly divided by gender; this creates many issues that can be solved by providing bathrooms that are not divided by gender. Currently, the WPI campus lacks sufficient access to gender neutral bathrooms. The locations and characteristics of bathrooms on the WPI campus were collected, and a survey was taken of the WPI community about gender neutral bathrooms to determine how to accommodate people’s needs. Based on this information, a recommendation of immediate changes to improve access to gender neutral bathrooms was made to the Dean of Students and the Assistant Vice President of the Facilities Department at WPI. Information gathered over the course of this project will be valuable to future initiatives in creating further bathroom changes to benefit the WPI community.

WorkMyWay: An Interactive Qualifying Project (2016)

Students, R. Leaf, H. Richardson, E. X. Wang, Webber, X.; Sponsor: WPI Office of Disability Services

The objective of the Work My Way project was to make a website enabling college students to discover productivity tools for them. Taking into account previous work on the project, the team upheld the ideals of accessibility and universal design for learning. Indeed, a primary goal of this IQP was to ensure that the final product was usable by college students of all ability levels and needs, while dismissing associated stigma. Initially, the team researched principles of Universal Design and performed a competitive analysis, which revealed the originality of Work My Way. To ensure the product was designed with consideration for user preferences, three rounds of focus group testing were conducted, assessing the viability of the product idea and mockups. 

 

Establishing a solar power initiative: Some guidelines for municipalities in Massachusetts (2015)

Students: J. Beauregard, K. Foley, L. Koenen; Sponsor: New Bedford Wind Energy Center/Mayor's Office                     

This project presents a case study of the New Bedford Solar Initiative in order to develop guidelines for other Massachusetts municipalities. The first phase of this project was to research solar energy and the solar industry, specifically in Massachusetts. The second phase was to interview municipality energy directors, solar developers, and state offices. The third phase was to develop a set of guidelines that will provide an overview for municipalities interested in generating a renewable energy program, specifically in solar power. The focus is to provide insight to a municipality members on common methods, while guiding them towards potential ways to expedite the process. The goal is to provide a source for municipalities to reference, should they intend to procure solar power.

Developing a web-based academic help resource for students (2015)

Students: Briana Huie, Robert Fleming, Max Marlin, Mark Swanson
Sponsor: WPI Office of Disability Services

The goal of this project was to design and create an easy to use website for WPI students that gave them access to a wide variety of academic resources. Over the course of the project our team designed, built, and tested the website. We received feedback from our sponsors, our peers, and a test group of students to help refine our product. As this is the first group in a multi-year IQP we have also provided suggestions for future groups. 

Plymouth Long Beach Erosion (2014)

Students: Kaitlin Doherty, Nicole Holmes, Cody Wood
Sponsor: Department of Marine and Environmental. Affairs, Plymouth, MA

This project proposes an erosion plan for Plymouth Long Beach, in Plymouth, MA. This was accomplished through three main steps: research, visitation and observation, and interviews. Duxbury Beach was used as an example due to its similarity to Plymouth Long Beach and successful beach mitigation. As a result of our observations, we developed an ideal plan to prevent erosion at Plymouth Long Beach.

 

 

Improving the visibility of Winslow farm animal sanctuary (2013)

Students: Josh Brodin, Jessica Faust, Kristin Smith
Sponsor: Winslow Farm

Winslow Farm is a small yet widely unknown nonprofit animal sanctuary located in Norton, Massachusetts. In order to improve the visibility of their sanctuary and further promote their mission of animal rights, Winslow Farm needs donations, visitors, and volunteers. In collaboration with Winslow Farm, this project used various types of marketing strategies to improve the farm’s visibility. As a result of this project, Winslow Farm became established in new forms of media and expanded their customer network.

Graduate Student Projects

  • Liu, Z., Li, W., Bian, J. Social Viewing, of Videos and Engagement Behavior. Poster Presentation Finalist, Graduate Research Innovation Exchange (GRiE), WPI, March 2015.

  • Shivakumar, D., Hall-Phillips, A., & Djamasbi, S. Investigating In-App Advertising in Tablet Applications. Poster Presentation, Graduate Research Innovation Exchange (GRiE), WPI, March 2013.

  • Bai, N., Hall-Phillips, A., & Djamasbi, S. Tracking Users’ Eyes When Reading News on a Tablet. Poster Presentation, Graduate Research Innovation Exchange (GRiE), WPI, March 2013.

  • Lan, Y., Hall-Phillips, A., & Djamasbi, S. Online Retailing in Tablet vs. Desktop PC: An Exploration of User Experience. Poster Presentation, Graduate Research Innovation Exchange (GRiE), WPI, March 2013.

  • Prasad, E., Sanikop, A., Hall-Phillips, A., & Djamasbi, S. Tracking Baby Boomer’s viewing pattern and behavior when searching for information. Poster Presentation,Graduate Research Innovation Exchange (GRiE), WPI, March 2013.

  • Mangaroska, K., Djamasbi, S., and Hall-Phillips, A. Information Technology Entrepreneurship: A Data-Driven Definition. Poster Presentation, Graduate Research Innovation Exchange (GRiE), WPI, April 2012.

  • Yang, R.., Djamasbi, S. & Hall-Phillips, A. Tracking Users’ Eyes When Searching for Information. Poster Presentation, Graduate Research Innovation Exchange (GRiE), WPI, April 2012.

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Research

“It is my hope that my research becomes a valuable resource for consumers, policy makers, and marketing and sales managers, by providing practical implications that expand the knowledge of the subject matter and make consumer-industry exchanges thrive.”

consumer behavior
+
  experience

Focus is on the creation of value, loyalty, and an increased experience of consumers doing everyday consumption behaviors

marketing 
+
entrepreneurship

Focus is on identity, engagement, and value as it relates to relationships formed between a consumers and small businesses and social ventures. 

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

  • Shah, P. & Hall-Phillips, A. (2017). Antecedents and implications of expiration date search effort. Journal of Consumer Affairs, in press.
  • Wilson, V.B., Djamasbi, S. & Hall-Phillips, A. (2017). Cognitive Factors that Lead People to Comply with Spam Email. Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, in press. 
  • Hall-Phillips, A. & Shah, P. (2017). Unclarity confusion and expiration date labels in the United States: A consumer perspective. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 35, 118-126.
  • Park, J., Chung, T-L., Hall-Phillips, A., & Anaza, N. A. (2016). Loyalty to Social Ventures in Social Media: The Role of Social Cause Involvement, Identification, and Commitment. Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, 28(3), 185-208.
  • Morgan, M. P., Lewis, G. K., Hall-Phillips, A., Morrish, S. C., Gilmore, A., & Kasouf, C. (2016). The influence of entrepreneurial marketing processes and entrepreneurial self-efficacy on community vulnerability, risk and resilience. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 24(1), 34-46.
  • Chung, T-L., Hall-Phillips, A., Park, J., & Anaza, N. A. (2016). Who are the supporters behind the screen? Segmenting social venture consumers through social media usage. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 28, 288-295.
  • Hall-Phillips, A., Park, J. Chung, T., Anaza, N. A., & Rathod, S. R. (2016). I (heart) social ventures: Identity and social media engagement. Journal of Business Research, 69(2), 484-491.
  • Wilson, E. V., Hall-Phillips, A., & Djamasbi, S. (2015). Cognitive predictors of consumers’ intention to comply with social marketing email appeals. Computers in Human Behavior, 52(11), 307-314.
  • Schrank, H. L., Marshall, M. I., Hall-Phillips, A., Wiatt, R. F., & Jones, N.E. (2013). Small business demise and recovery after Katrina: Rate of survival and demise. Natural Hazards, 65(3), 2353-2374.
  • Rutherford, B.N., Anaza, N. A., & Phillips, A. H. (2012). Predictors of buyer-seller firm conflict. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 20(2), 161-172.

Selected Conference Activity

  • Djamasbi, S., Hall-Phillips, A., Liu, Z., Li, W., Bian, J. Social Viewing, Bullet Screen, & User Experience: A First Look J., in proceedings of the 49th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), Computer Society Press, forthcoming.
  • Hall-Phillips, A., Lewis, G., Morrish, S., Gilmore, A., Kasouf, C., and Miles, M. (2015). Using Emery and Flora’s (2006) Community Capital Framework to understand how entrepreneurial marketing processes and entrepreneurial self-efficacy can reduce a community’s vulnerability, risk and resilience. Paper presented at the Global Research Symposium on Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship, Chicago, IL.
  • Chung, T-L., Hall-Phillips, A., Park, J., & Anaza, N. A. (2014). Who are the supporters behind the screen? Segmenting social enterprise supporters through social media site participation. American Collegiate Retailing Association (ACRA) Conference, Dallas, TX. 
  • Shah, P., Hall-Phillips, A., & Djamasbi, S. How fresh is my food?: Findings from a qualitative inquiry. Proceedings of the 2014 Marketing & Public Policy Conference, Boston, MA. 
  • Djamasbi, S., Hall-Phillips, A., & Yang, R. (2013). An examination of ads and viewing behavior: An eye tracking study on desktop and mobile devices in Proceedings of the eighteenth Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS), Chicago, Illinois, pp.1-6
  • Djamasbi, S., Hall-Phillips, A., & Yang, R. (2013). SERPS and ads on mobile devices: An eye tracking study for generation y. In C. Stephanidis & M. Antona (Eds.), Universal access in human-computer interaction. User and context diversity (Vol. 8010, pp. 259-268): Springer Berlin Heidelberg. 
  • Hall-Phillips, A., Yang, R., & Djamasbi, S. (2013). Do ads matter? An exploration of web search behavior, visual hierarchy, and search engine results pages. In System Sciences (HICSS), 2013 46th Hawaii International Conference on (pp. 1563-1568). 
  • Hall, A., & DeVaney, S.A. (2009). Factors that influence small business start-up (Quantitative portion only). Proceedings from the 55th Annual American Council on Consumer Interests, pp. 26-28.
  • Hall, A., Rutherford, B.N., & Anaza, N.A. (2009). The moderating impact of buyer’s relationship duration and prior sales experience in buyer-salesperson relationship, presented at the 2009 Summer American Marketing Association Conference. (Best Paper in Selling and Sales Management Track)

Click here for a full listing of publications available on Google Scholar.

Chapters in Books

  • Djamasbi, S. & Hall-Phillips, A. (2014). Visual Search. In A. Schall & J. R. Bergstrom (Eds.), Eye Tracking in User Experience Design (pp. 27-45). Waltham, MA: Elsevier.

Adrienne Hall-Phillips
Associate Professor of Marketing

On Campus
Washburn Shops 210
email: ahphillips@wpi.edu
Phone: +1 (508) 831-4934

Mailing Address
Robert A. Foisie School of Business
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
100 Institute Road
Worcester, MA 01609  

On the Web
Twitter: @profahp
Instagram: @profahp
LinkedIn

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