I am an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Georgia, Terry College of Business.
My research focuses on understanding how the concept of authenticity is used in marketing and consumer contexts.
Currently, my research focuses on the intersection between authenticity and beauty. I examine how consumers understand their identity in relation to their decisions to alter or enhance their physical appearance (e.g., via cosmetics, hair dye, etc.). Moreover, I explore how social media (e.g., Instagram) plays a role in influencing appearance-related consumption and consumers’ sense of self. My earlier work explored how beliefs about the creative process (e.g., how/when a product was made, who made it) informed consumer perceptions of authenticity and value.
I grew up in Lexington, Kentucky and completed a B.A. in Art and a PhD in Marketing at Yale University.
Contact: rosanna.smith@uga.edu