Biography
Thomas Clayton O’Guinn is a Professor of Marketing and the Irwin Maier Distinguished Chair in Business.
He received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to coming to Wisconsin he was at The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Professor O’Guinn’s research is broadly sociological. His work is often near the intersection of sociology and social psychology, or micro-sociology. Among his most notable works are several multi-method pieces, including survey data, content analysis, and ethnography. His work is sociologically and theoretical substantive.
His work began with studies of special groups of consumers, such as Mexican-American immigrants, then moved to those consumers who used consumption in a compulsive manner, and then to how various strata were affected by television viewing in terms of their beliefs about others, or economic and consumption norms. He then co-founded (along with then doctoral student, Albert Muniz, Jr.), a research stream on consumption and brand-centered communities. More recently his work explores social strata, particularly social class, as it relates to the use and value of physical space within commercial settings, and the value of objects and services delivered with them. He is also currently working on social class and consumption within New American Urban neighborhoods, institutional responses by marketers to social disruption, and a sociological model of brands.
Research
Selected Published Journal Articles
O’Guinn, T. & Schmidt, B. & Sorescu, A. & Steenkamp, J. & Swaminathan, V. (2020). Branding in a Hyperconnected World: Refocusing Theories and Rethinking Boundaries Journal of Marketing
hamilton, R. & Thompson, d. & Bone, S. & Chaplin, L. & Griskevicius, V. & Goldsmith, K. & Hill, R. & Mittal, C. & O’Guinn, T. & Piff, P. & John, D. & Shah, A. & Roux, C. & Zhu, M. (2019). The Effects of Scarcity on Consumer Decision Journeys Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
Paulson, E. & O’Guinn, T. (2018). Marketing Social Class and Ideology in Post-World-War-Two American Print Advertising Journal of Macromarketing
O’Guinn, T. & Tanner, R. & Maeng, A. (2015). Turning to Space: Social Density, Social Class and the Value of Things in Stores Journal of Consumer Research
Pracejus, J. & O’Guinn, T. & Olson, D. (2013). When White Space Is More than Burning Money: Economic Signaling Meets Visual Commercial Rhetoric International Journal of Research in Marketing
Paulson, E. & O’Guinn, T. (2012). Working Class Cast: Images of the Working Class in Advertising 1950-2010 The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences
O’Guinn, T. & Muniz, Jr., A. (2009). The Social Brand: Towards a Sociological Model of Brands Brands and Brand Management:Contemporary Research Perspectives
Pracejus, J. & Olsen, G. & O’Guinn, T. (2006). How Nothing Became Something: White Space, Rhetoric, History and Meaning Journal of Consumer Research
Muniz, A. & O’Guinn, T. (2001). Brand Community Journal of Consumer Research
Shrum, L. & O’Guinn, T. (1998). The Role of Television in the Construction of Consumer Reality New Developments and Approaches in Consumer Behaviour Research
Shrum, L. & Wyer, Jr., R. & O’Guinn, T. (1998). The Effects of Television Consumption on Social Perceptions: The Use of Priming Procedures to Investigate Psychological Processes Journal of Consumer Research
Shrum, L. & O’Guinn, T. (1997). Processes and Effects in the Construction of Social Reality: Accessibility as an Explanatory Variable Communications Research
Shrum, L. & O’Guinn, T. (1997). The Role of Television in the Construction of Consumer Reality Journal of Consumer Research
Faber, R. & O’Guinn, T. (1992). A Clinical Screener for Compulsive Buying Journal of Consumer Research
O’Guinn, T. (1991). Touching Greatness: The Central Midwest Barry Manilow Fan Club Highways and Buyways: Naturalistic Research from the Consumer Behavior Odyssey
O’Guinn, T. & Belk, R. (1989). Heaven on Earth: Consumption at Heritage Village, USA Journal of Consumer Research
O’Guinn, T. & Faber, R. (1989). Compulsive Buying: A Phenomenological Exploration Journal of Consumer Research
O’Guinn, T. & Wells, W. (1989). Subjective Discretionary Income Marketing Research
Faber, R. & O’Guinn, T. (1988). Compulsive Consumption and Credit Abuse Journal of Consumer Policy
Faber, R. & O’Guinn, T. (1988). Expanding the View of Consumer Socialization: A Non-Utilitarian Mass Mediated Perspective on Consumer Socialization Research in Consumer Behavior
Faber, R. & O’Guinn, T. (1987). Ethnicity, Acculturation and Product Attribute Importance Psychology and Marketing
O’Guinn, T. & Muniz, A. Brands and Branding: A Critique of Extant Brand Research and the Need for a Sociological Conception of Brands The Oxford Handbook of Consumption
Selected Submitted Journal Articles
Hamilton, R. & O’Guinn, T. (2017). The Effects of Scarcity on Consumer Decision Journeys Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
Presentations
On the Image-University of California, Berkeley (2015) Images of Service in American Print Advertising 1900-2015
Consumer Culture Theory Conference (2015) Owning Community
University of Texas, Austin (2014) Erving (Goffman) Goes Shopping: Social Density, Social Class and Object Value
University of Maryland, College Park (2013) The Economy of Space
Georgetown University (2013) A Sociological Model of Brands
Association For Consumer Research: Chicago (2013) A Social Model of Brands
Yale University (2013) Looks like a Bus Station: Shopper Density, Status Inferences, and Object Valuations by Consumers
Haring Symposium: Indiana University (2013) Branding in a Time of Social Disruption
UW Madison Department of Sociology (2013) Looks like a Bus Station: Shopper Density, Status Inferences, and Object Valuations by Consumers
Association For Consumer Research: Vancouver (2012) Working Reality: Advertising Representations of Social Class and Race During a Time of Increasing Income Inequality,1970-2010
Yale Consumer Insights Conference, Yale University (2012) The Social Brand: Disruption and Brand Creation
Rudd Center For Food Policy and Obesity, Yale University (2012) Branded Reality: The Construction of Commercial Social Reality
Communication, Consumers, and Citizens: ?Revisiting the Politics of Consumption, (2011) Constructing the Commercial Classes: Stratification, Representation and Social Tableau
Product Design and Manufacturer’s Association, Anaheim, California (2010) Designing Brands
Teaching
Undergraduate Courses
Contemporary Topics (MKT 365), Spring 2009.
Brand Management
Contemporary Topics (MKT 365), Fall 2010.
Contemporary Brand Thought
Contemporary Topics (MKT 365), Fall 2006.
Brand Management (MKT 365), Fall 2007.
Brand Management
(MKT 335), Fall 2012.
(MKT 335), Fall 2012.
Graduate Courses
Seminar-Marketing PhD (MKT 971), Fall 2009.
Analysis and discussion of recent research in all aspects of marketing thought and practice.
Special Project (MKT 799), Fall 2012.
Branding Capital Brewery. Working with students on real branding of all of Capital Brewery’s offerings: Second largest craft beer maker in WI. Working with owners; Owners actually implementing student work with real dollars.
Brand Management (MKT 765), Fall 2007.
Contemporary Topics (MKT 765), Fall 2006.
Contemporary Topics (MKT 765), Spring 2010.
Brand Strategy (MKT 735), Fall 2011.
Brand Strategy (MKT 735), Fall 2012.
Provides students a comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of the subjects of brand, brand equity, and strategic brand management. It examines the concepts and techniques to improve the long-term performance of brand strategies.
Brand Strategy (MKT 735), Fall 2010.
Contemporary Brand Thought
Provides students a comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of the subjects of brand, brand equity, and strategic brand management. It examines the concepts and techniques to improve the long-term performance of brand strategies.
Brand Strategy (MKT 735), Spring 2009.
Provides students a comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of the subjects of brand, brand equity, and strategic brand management. It examines the concepts and techniques to improve the long-term performance of brand strategies.
Brand Strategy (MKT 735), Fall 2009.
Provides students a comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of the subjects of brand, brand equity, and strategic brand management. It examines the concepts and techniques to improve the long-term performance of brand strategies.
Learning/Teaching Oriented Publications
O’Guinn, T. & Faber, R. (1991). Mass Communication and Consumer Behavior Handbook of Consumer Behavior Theory
Service
Editorial and Reviewing Activities
Journal of Marketing
British Journal of Sociology
Consumers, Markets and Culture