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Jennifer Aaker
Jennifer Aaker
Professor, Marketing
JenniferAaker
General Atlantic Professor of Marketing  
Academic Area: 
Marketing

Research Interests

  • Time, Money and Happiness
  • The Power of Story
  • Global Brand Building
  • Emotions, Goals and Health
  • The Psychology of Giving

Bio

Jennifer Aaker is a social psychologist who studies time, money and happiness - specifically how people chose to spend their time and money, and when and why those choices are associated with lasting value. She also focuses on how small acts can create significant change, and how those effects can be fueled by digital and social media.
 
Together with her husband, she co-authored the award-winning book “The Dragonfly Effect: Quick, Effective and Powerful Ways to Use Social Media to Drive Impact.”  She  teaches courses at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business on global brand building, designing story in a digital world, and power of story, and serves on the Advisory Board of several private companies and early stage startups such as ADAY to Google X.  
 
The recipient of numerous prestigious awards, Jennifer’s research has been featured in a variety of media including the Economist, Science, and the New York Times.  She counts winning a dance-off in the 1980s, establishing a reputation of cooking poorly, and raising her three children, Cooper, Devon and Tea Sloane, as her biggest accomplishments (although not necessarily in that order)
 

Academic Degrees

  • PhD in Marketing, PhD Minor in Psychology, Stanford Graduate School of Business, 1995
  • BA in Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, 1989

Academic Appointments

  • General Atlantic Professor, Stanford GSB, 2005-present
  • Full Professor, Stanford GSB, 2004-2005
  • Associate Professor, Stanford GSB, 2001-2004
  • Assistant Professor, Stanford GSB, 1999-2001
  • Visiting Assistant Professor, Columbia Graduate School of Business, Fall 1998
  • Assistant Professor, Anderson Graduate School of Management, UCLA, 1995-1999

Awards and Honors

  • Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award, Society for Consumer Psychology, 2014
  • The Nautilus Literary Award, The Dragonfly Effect, 2011
  • A. Michael Spence Faculty Scholar, Stanford University, GSB, 2006
  • Early Career Award for Outstanding Research, Society of Consumer Psychology, 2003
  • Distinguished Teaching Award, MBA, Stanford University, GSB, 2000

Publications

Journal Articles

Getting the Most out of Giving: Concretely Framing a Presocial Goal Maximizes Happiness (Forthcoming)
Melanie Rudd, Jennifer Aaker, Michael I. Norton. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2014.
Meaningful Choice
Jennifer Aaker. Journal Consumer Research. 2014.
Money in the Bank: Feeling Powerful Increases Saving (Forthcoming)
Emily N. Garbinsky, Anne-Kathryn Klesse, Jennifer Aaker. Journal of Consumer Research. 2014.
Some Key Differences between a Happy Life and a Meaningful Life
Roy F. Baumeister, Kathleen D. Vohs, Jennifer Aaker, Emily N. Garbinsky. Journal of Positive Psychology. 2013, Vol. 8, Issue 6, Pages 505-516.
Awe Expands People’s Perception of Time and Enhances Well-Being
Melanie Rudd, Kathleen D. Vohs, Jennifer Aaker. Psychological Science. 2012, Vol. 23, Issue 10, Pages 1130-1136.
Cultivating Admiration in Brands
Jennifer Aaker, Emily N. Garbinsky, Kathleen D. Vohs. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 2012, Vol. 22, Issue 2, Pages 191–194.
How Happiness Affects Choice
Cassie Mogilner, Jennifer Aaker, Sepandar D. Kamvar. Journal of Consumer Research. 2012, Vol. 39, Issue 2, Pages 429-443.
If Money Does Not Make You Happy, Consider Time
Jennifer Aaker, Melanie Rudd, Cassie Mogilner. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 2011, Vol. 21, Issue 2, Pages 126–130.
The Shifting Meaning of Happiness
Cassie Mogilner, Sepandar D. Kamvar, Jennifer Aaker. Social Psychological and Personality Science. 2011, Vol. 2, Issue 4, Pages 395-402.
Non-Profits Are Seen as Warm and For-Profits as Competent
Jennifer Aaker, Kathleen D. Vohs, Cassie Mogilner. Journal of Consumer Research. 2010, Vol. 37, Issue 2, Pages 224-237.
The Time vs. Money Effect
Cassie Mogilner, Jennifer Aaker. Journal of Consumer Research. 2009, Vol. 36, Issue 2, Pages 277-291.
Why Do People Give? The Role of Identity in Giving
Jennifer Aaker, Satoshi Akutsu. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 2009, Vol. 19, Issue 3, Pages 267–270.
Recalling Mixed Emotions
Jennifer Aaker, Aimee Drolet, Dale Griffin. Journal of Consumer Research. 2008, Vol. 35, Issue 2, Pages 268-278.
The Happiness of Giving: The Time-Ask Effect
Wendy Liu, Jennifer Aaker. Journal of Consumer Research. 2008, Vol. 35, Issue 3, Pages 543-557.
Time Will Tell
Cassie Mogilner, Jennifer Aaker, Ginger L. Pennington. Journal of Consumer Research. 2008, Vol. 34, Issue 5, Pages 670-681.
Do You Look To The Future Or Focus On Today?
Wendy Liu, Jennifer Aaker. Organizational Behavior & Human Decision Processes. 2007, Vol. 102, Issue 2, Pages 212-225.
Getting Emotional about Health
Nidhi Agrawal, Geeta Menon, Jennifer Aaker. Journal of Marketing Research. 2007, Vol. 44, Pages 100-113.
Bridging the Culture Chasm
Donnel A. Briley, Jennifer Aaker. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing. 2006, Vol. 25, Issue 1, Pages 53-66.
Delineating Culture
Jennifer Aaker. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 2006, Vol. 16, Issue 4, Pages 343–347.
Understanding Regulatory Fit
Jennifer Aaker, Angela Y. Lee. Journal of Marketing Research. 2006, Vol. 43, Issue 1, Pages 15-19.
When Does Culture Matter?
Donnel A. Briley, Jennifer Aaker. Journal of Marketing Research. 2006, Vol. 43, Issue 3, Pages 395-408.
Two Roads to Updating Brand Personality Impressions
Gita Venkataramani Johar, Jaideep Sengupta, Jennifer Aaker. Journal of Marketing Research. 2005, Vol. 42, Issue 4, Pages 458-469.
Bringing the Frame into Focus
Angela Y Lee, Jennifer Aaker. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2004, Vol. 86, Issue 2, Pages 205-218.
When Good Brands Do Bad
Jennifer Aaker, Susan Fournier, S. Adam Brasel. Journal of Consumer Research. 2004, Vol. 31, Issue 1, Pages 1-16.
Can Mixed Emotions Peacefully Co-Exist?
Patty Williams, Jennifer Aaker. Journal of Consumer Research. March 2002, Vol. 28.
Off-Target? Changing Cognitive-Based Attitudes
Aimee Drolet, Jennifer Aaker. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 2002, Vol. 12, Issue 1, Pages 59-68.
"I" Seek Pleasures and "We" Avoid Pains
Jennifer Aaker, Angela Y. Lee. Journal of Consumer Research. June 2001, Vol. 28.
Consumption Symbols as Carriers of Culture
Jennifer Aaker, Veronica Benet-Martinez, Jordi Garolera. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology. 2001, Vol. 81, Issue 3, Pages 492-508.
Culture-Dependent Assimilation and Differentiation of the Self
Jennifer Aaker, Bernd Schmitt. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. 2001, Vol. 32, Issue 5, Pages 561-576.
The Pleasures and Pains of Distinct Self-Construals
Angela Lee, Jennifer Aaker, Wendi Gardner. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology. June 2000, Vol. 78, Pages 1-13.
Accessibility or Diagnosticity?
Jennifer Aaker. Journal of Consumer Research. March 2000, Vol. 26, Issue 4, Pages 340-357.
Additivity versus Attenuation
Jennifer Aaker, Jaideep Sengupta. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 2000, Vol. 9, Issue 2, Pages 67-82.
Non-Target Markets and Viewer Distinctiveness
Jennifer Aaker, Anne M. Brumbaugh, Sonya A. Grier. Journal of Conmsumer Psychology. 2000, Vol. 9, Issue 3, Pages 127-140.
The Malleable Self: The Role of Self-Expression in Persuasion
Jennifer Aaker. Journal of Marketing Research. February 1999, Vol. 36, Pages 45-57.
Empathy versus Pride: The Influence of Emotional Appeals across Cultures
Jennifer Aaker, Patti Williams. Journal of Consumer Research. December 1998, Vol. 25, Issue 3, Pages 241-261.
The Effect of Cultural Orientation on Persuasion
Jennifer Aaker, Duraiaraj Maheswaran. Journal of Consumer Research. December 1997, Vol. 24, Issue 3, Pages 315-328.
Dimensions of Brand Personality
Jennifer Aaker. Journal of Marketing Research. August 1997, Vol. 34, Pages 347-356.

Books

The Dragonfly Effect: Quick, Effective, and Powerful Ways to Use Social Media to Impact Social Change
Jennifer Aaker, Andy Smith Jossey-Bass, 2010.

Working Papers

Pressed for Time? Goal Conflict Shapes How Time is Perceived, Spent, and Valued | PDF
Jordan Etkin, Ioannis Evangelidis, Jennifer Aaker, October 302014

Courses Taught

Degree Courses

2014-15

GSBGEN 543: The Power of Stories in Business

In this class, we will illuminate the power of story in business by revealing the key elements of storytelling, discussing the power of the verbal as well as the visual, and uncovering how storytelling helps build brands and organizations that...

MKTG 542: Designing Story in a Digital World

Our world is changing at an incredible pace. We're in the middle of a commerce revolution that is consumer-driven and technology-enabled. Consumer expectations have risen. They want to be inspired by engaging, meaningful experiences, and they...

MKTG 552: Building Innovative Brands

Building Innovative Brands is a hands-on two-week dive into how leading brands may leverage a Design Thinking approach to become ever more participatory, experiential and experimental. Together, we will explore how leading organizations stoke...

MKTG 695: Directed Research

This course is designed to prepare new marketing PhD students for conducting rigorous, independent research. In this course, the student will work closely with a faculty member in collaborative research activities and will become familiar with...

2013-14

GSBGEN 543: The Power of Stories in Business

Successful innovation creates a new normal, a new way of being for individuals or businesses. Successful innovation disrupts industries; it drives success. We all want to innovate, but how do we do it? To innovate, you not only need a big idea...

MKTG 552: Building Innovative Brands

Building Innovative Brands is a hands-on two-week dive into how leading brands may leverage a Design Thinking approach to become ever more participatory, experiential and experimental. Together, we will explore how leading organizations stoke...

2012-13

GSBGEN 542: How to Tell a Story

"Tell me the facts and I'll learn. Tell me the truth and I'll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever."nnnStories are all around us. Stories move us, make us feel alive, inspire us to be more than we would be otherwise....

GSBGEN 543: The Power of Stories in Business

Stories can be a powerful tool for persuasion and leadership. Traditionally, business people persuade using only the left side of the brain, or reason. However, persuasion occurs, just as much (if not more) through emotion. By developing the...

MKTG 249: Sloan: Re-Imagining Marketing: The Power of Stories

Marketing as both a discipline and in practice is much broader and more important than ever before in promoting products, services, and brands at the local and global levels. Since all Sloans are experienced managers who wish to enhance their...

MKTG 355: Designing for Happiness

We assume happiness is stable, an endpoint to achieve or goal to chase. It's not.nnnWhat we think drives our happiness often doesn't. So what does? And how can knowing this help us create strong companies and brands?nnnUnderstanding happiness is...

MKTG 541: Social Brands

A hands-on two-week survey of Marketing's cutting edge, where bold brands are becoming ever more open, participatory, experiential & experimental. nnnInspired by a smattering of provocative real-world examples and mind-blowing guests, diverse...

2011-12

GSBGEN 542: How to Tell a Story

"Tell me the facts and I'll learn. Tell me the truth and I'll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever." How do you tell a story? This question becomes important for leaders of companies, who often only need to act as an...

MKTG 353: Social Brands

As savvy consumers are increasingly participating in brands rather than merely receiving their messages, how do leading organizations stoke conversations, co-create experiences and stories, and build engaging relationships with consumers?...

MKTG 355: Designing Happiness

We assume happiness is stable, an endpoint to achieve or a goal to "chase." It's not. Recent research suggests that the meaning of happiness changes every 34 years. Understanding happiness is crucial to building successful products, organizations...

Programs and Non-Degree Courses

Stanford Case Studies

How Stories Drive Growth: Brit + Co. | M348C
Jennifer Aaker, Debra Schifrin2014
How Stories Drive Growth: HSN | M348B
Jennifer Aaker, Debra Schifrin2014
How Stories Drive Growth: Skype | M348A
Jennifer Aaker, Debra Schifrin2014
Power of Stories to Fuel Growth: Avenues’ Use of Video to Communicate a Global Entrepreneurial Story | M352
Jennifer Aaker, Patricia Mason2014
Cirque Du Soleil: Cultivating Creativity and Designing to Delight | M353
Jennifer Aaker, Sarah Joyce2013
How to Cultivate Happiness in Companies Five Caselets | M346
Jennifer Aaker, Jake Poses, Debra Schifrin2013
BabyCenter Creating a Social Brand | M341
Jennifer Aaker, Debra Schifrin2012
JetBlue Creating a Social Brand | M343
Jennifer L Aaker, Debra Schifrin2012
The Business Case for Happiness | M345
Jennifer Aaker, Sara Gaviser Leslie, Debra Schifrin2012
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: Eradicating Cancer, One Cup at a Time | M331
Jennifer Aaker, Heidy Kwan, Sara Leslie2010
Amplifying Perceptions How JetBlue Uses Twitter to Drive Engagement and Satisfaction | M336
Jennifer Aaker, David Hoyt, Sara Leslie, David Rogier2010
Bonobos: Customer Intimacy Through Community Development | M337
Jennifer Aaker, Sara Leslie2010
Deals @Delloutlet: How Dell Clears Inventory Through Twitter | M334
Jennifer Aaker, Ravdeep Chawla, Sara Leslie2010
Dispensing Happiness: How Coke Harnesses Video to Spread Happiness | M335
Jennifer Aaker, Sara Leslie, David Rogier2010
Kiva.org and the Power of a Story | M325
Jennifer Aaker, Victoria Chang2010
NIKE WE: Design Meets Social Good | M328
Jennifer Aaker, Ravdeep Chawla, Sara Leslie2010
NIKE WE: Design Meets Social Good | M328B
Jennifer Aaker, Sara Leslie2010
The Psychology of Happiness | M330
Jennifer Aaker, Sara Leslie, Carole Robin2010
Zappos: Happiness in a Box | M333
Jennifer Aaker, Sara Leslie2010
How To Tell A Story (A) | M323A
Jennifer Aaker, Victoria Chang2009
How To Tell A Story (B) | M323B
Jennifer Aaker, Victoria Chang2009
Obama and the Power of Social Media and Technology | M321
Jennifer Aaker, Victoria Chang2009
Obama and the Power of Social Media and Technology | M321CV
Jennifer Aaker, Victoria Chang2009
Using Social Media to Save Lives: HelpVinayAndSameer.org | M319
Jennifer Aaker, Victoria Chang, Robert Chatwani2009

Teaching Materials

Conferences, Talks, and Speaking Engagements

In the Media

How to Find More Time
The New York Times, March 6, 2015
Time is Money - When Goals Conflict
ORSM Discovery, February 6, 2015
New research by Ioannis Evangelidis of Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) and co-authors Jordan Etkin (Duke University) and Jennifer Aaker (Stanford University), shows interfering goals make customers feel time-constraint.
The Psychological Comforts of Storytelling
The Atlantic, November 2, 2014
Why, throughout human history, have people been so drawn to fiction?
Why Chasing Happiness May Leave you Feeling Unhappier Than Ever
Forbes, April 21, 2014
The Secret to a Successful Interview: Great Storytelling
U.S. News, April 17, 2014
Cultivating Happiness Often Misunderstood
ScienceDaily, April 15, 2014
Set Realistic Goals to be Happy
The Times of India, March 27, 2014
Why Storytelling is Charity's Best Weapon for Good
Deseret News, March 22, 2014
A Happy Life May Not Be a Meaningful Life
Scientific American, February 18, 2014
Stanford research: The meaningful life is a road worth traveling
Stanford News, January 1, 2014
2013 Stanford University Roundtable: Are You Happy Now?
Integral Options Cafe, November 21, 2013
Make Time for Awe
The Atlantic, December 18, 2013
Millennial Searchers
The York Times, November 30, 2013
Secrets of Happiness
Huffington Post, October 29, 2013
Seven Deadly Sins: Why do company stories come across as dry and flat?
The Economic Times, October 11, 2013
Re-evaluating how you spend time could make you happier
Chicago Tribune, September 2013
A Save-the-World Field Trip for Millionaire Tech Moguls
The New York Times, August 8, 2013
Secrets of America's Happiest Companies
Fast Company, January 10, 2013
There is more to Life than Being Happy
The Atlantic, January 9, 2013
How To Spend Time In Ways That Make You Happy
Yahoo! Finance, November 18, 2012
You May Have To Choose Between A Happy Life And A Meaningful Life
Business Insider, November 11, 2012
The Dragonfly Effect
Stanford Business Magazine, November 2012
The experience of awe can slow down perceived time in people's lives
The Washington Times, October 23, 2012
Social Media New Technology
Stanford Business Insider, October 2012
When Pronouns Get Personal, Brands Can Too According to Academic Research
Bulldog Reporter, July 27, 2012
Moments of Awe Affect Our Perception of Time
Business Wire, July 18, 2012
Smiling is good for you - and an area of scientific study by some seriously smart researchers
San Jose Mercury, February 5, 2012
Harnessing Social Media to Make a Difference
Forbes India, July 28, 2011
If Money Doesn't Make You Happy, Consider Time
Forbes India, June 10, 2011
What It Means To Be Happy Changes As Employees Age
Fast Company, April 21, 2011
Why The Revolution Has Been Tweeted: The Dragonfly Effect
Forbes, February 11, 2011
The power of storytelling: What nonprofits can teach the private sector about social media
McKinsey&Company, February 2011
Malcolm Gladwell: Twitter, Facebook, and social activism
The New Yorker, October 4, 2010
Small Change: Why the revolution will not be tweeted
The New Yorker, October 4, 2010
A Stanford Graduate School of Business Course Harnesses Social Media to Make a Difference
Business Wire, February 24, 2010
Do Stereotypes Drive Consumer Purchases from for-Profit or Nonprofit Organizations?
ScienceDaily, February 17, 2010
20 Inspiring Women To Follow On Twitter
Forbes, February 8, 2010
Something for the weekend
Financial Times, February 5, 2010
An Almanac of Internet Emotion
Scientific American, January 26, 2010
Time Vs. Money Which Rules Buying Decisions?
Forbes, September 17, 2009
Why to Tie Marketing to Time, Not Money
Wall Street Journal, March 24, 2009
Emphasize Time Spent Rather than Money to Lure Customers
Business Wire, March 23, 2009
Charities Should Ask for Time Before Money, According to Stanford Business School Research
Business Wire, December 15, 2008
Mixed Feelings Not Remembered As Well As Happy Or Sad Ones
Science Daily, July 27, 2008

Insights by Stanford Business

writtenJennifer Aaker: Why We Pay to Save Time
December 17, 2014
Feeling torn between conflicting goals makes people less inclined to fulfill either one.
writtenA Look Back at 2014
December 11, 2014
Explore 10 Stanford Business stories from 2014, including pieces on happiness and networking.
videoJennifer Aaker: What Makes Us Happy?
October 27, 2014
As people grow older, their definition of happiness tends to shift from excitement to contentment.
writtenJennifer Aaker: How to Make Yourself Happy
July 11, 2014
New research shows one big reason to be nice to others.
writtenResearchers: How Do You Encourage Saving?
May 29, 2014
A new study shows that people who feel powerful save more money.
writtenJennifer Aaker: The Seven Deadly Sins of Storytelling
July 3, 2013
A Stanford GSB professor of marketing explains why engaging your audience is key to success.
writtenJennifer Aaker: How to Feel Like You Have More Time
July 13, 2012
New research shows that experiencing moments of awe can change perceptions of our most valued commodity.
writtenWhen Pronouns Get Personal
July 9, 2012
Research shows that the little word 'we' can make a big difference in attitudes toward brands.
writtenAre We Happy Yet? The Unexpected Links Between Happiness and Choice
November 15, 2011
Research shows that “attitudes toward happiness are highly malleable, and, in fact, easily influenced.”
writtenIf Money Doesn’t Make You Happy, Consider Time
April 1, 2011
Forget Suze Orman. Time, not money, is your most precious resource. Spend It wisely.
writtenTony Hsieh: Happiness Leads to Profits
October 1, 2010
The Zappos CEO says that doing whatever it takes to keep his employees, customers, and vendors happy has led to profits in the end.
writtenJennifer Aaker: Harnessing Social Media to Make a Difference
February 1, 2010
How small acts can create big change.
writtenWhat Happens When Consumers Stereotype Nonprofits and For-profits?
February 1, 2010
How we perceive for-profit and not-for-profit organizations can affect how both groups do business.
writtenFoster a More "Giving" Identity to Rouse Donors and Volunteers
August 1, 2009
A study looks at the relationship between self-image and charitable giving.
writtenJennifer Aaker: The Happiness-Time Connection
March 1, 2009
Why many effective consumer marketing campaigns focus on experiencing, rather than possessing, a product.
writtenShould Charities Ask for Time Before Money?
September 1, 2008
A new study shows that asking potential donors to make an emotional connection first can ultimately lead to greater financial giving.
writtenA Brand Is a Promise to a Customer
September 1, 2007
A strong brand personality can help nonprofits attract more support for their mission.
writtenTime Pressures Color Consumer Decisions Say Researchers
June 1, 2007
Research examines how feelings of time change your perceptions.
writtenWhen Does Culture Matter in Marketing?
November 1, 2005
Research explores the circumstances under which culture influences consumer-purchasing decisions.
writtenJennifer Aaker: Trusted Brands Face Higher Risk With Mistakes
March 1, 2003
Brand personality has a significant impact on customer relationships, and the ability of a brand to recover from errors.