Academic Overview
Ali Soltaninejad is a Ph.D. candidate in Marketing at The University of Alabama's Culverhouse College of Business, where he studies how digital platforms, visual design, and social signals shape consumer behavior and firm performance. His research combines large-scale data from social media platforms such as Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, and Reddit with field and online experiments and modern causal inference methods to understand how consumers respond to brands in digital environments. His dissertation investigates how two fundamental design principles, symmetry and proximity, influence the way consumers perceive and engage with brand content on social media, while his broader work examines the platform features and influencer dynamics that drive engagement in algorithm-mediated settings. His research is currently under review at leading marketing journals, including the Journal of Marketing Research and the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and has received the William O. Bearden Best Paper Award and the Matthew H. Joseph Best Paper Award. Alongside his research, Ali is committed to hands-on, inclusive teaching: in his Digital and Social Media Marketing course, students build websites from scratch, earn Google Analytics certifications, and produce real analytics reports, an approach that has earned instructor ratings of up to 4.7 out of 5.
Research Interest
Digital Marketing, Marketing Analytics, Influencer Marketing
Manuscripts under review/revision
Paper #1
Designed to Engage: Brand Profile Symmetry and Consumer Response on Social Media
Status: Under review, Journal of Marketing Research
Authors: Ali Soltaninejad (University of Alabama), Clay Voorhees (University of Alabama), Carol Jones (University of Alabama)
🏆 William O. Bearden Best Paper Award, Southeast Marketing Symposium 2026
Abstract: Digital marketing campaigns spend billions of dollars directing consumers to brands’ social media profile pages, yet prior research has focused mainly on individual posts rather than the profile page consumers see after clicking through. Drawing on Gestalt theory, we examine how the visual symmetry of a brand’s profile page shapes consumer responses. Across two field studies and eight experiments, we show that symmetric (vs. asymmetric) profile designs improve brand attitudes and increase engagement and purchase intention. Field evidence demonstrates that profile symmetry is positively associated with follower outcomes among the world's leading brands and increases followers in an Instagram ad campaign. Follow-up experiments establish causality and replicate the effect across two symmetry formats and multiple platforms (Instagram, TikTok, and a branded app). We show that these effects arise because symmetric layouts enhance perceived creativity and attractiveness, with the creativity path being stronger when consumers arrive via an asymmetric influencer profile. These findings highlight profile design as a consequential driver of social media effectiveness.
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Paper #2
Social Media Influencer-Brand Collaboration: Investigating the Accessibility–Manipulation Tradeoff that Helps Brand Awareness but Harms Influencer Engagement
Status: Under review, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
Authors: Ali Soltaninejad (U. Alabama), Bryan Hochstein (U. Alabama), Carol Jones (U. Alabama), Michael Peasley (M. Tennessee U.)
🏆 Matthew H. Joseph Best Paper Award, Society for Marketing Advances 2025
Abstract: Brands increasingly rely on influencers to promote products, but integrating brands into influencer content creates a fundamental tradeoff. Drawing on persuasion knowledge theory and behavioral cost perspectives, we propose an accessibility–manipulation tradeoff. In the tradeoff, branded @mentions (vs. plain brand names) simultaneously reduce the effort required to reach the brand and heighten inferences of manipulative intent (IMI). Across two secondary data studies using large-scale archives from Instagram and X (Twitter), one randomized Instagram field experiment with active followers, and three controlled lab experiments, we demonstrate that branded @mentions increase brand-profile engagement through enhanced ease of access but significantly reduce engagement with the influencer post itself through elevated IMI. These findings suggest that what benefits the brand may inadvertently harm the influencer’s organic reach.
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Paper #3
The Impact of Platform Verification Badges on Social Media Influencer Engagement
Status: Revise and Resubmit – 1st Round, Journal of Business Research
Authors: Ali Soltaninejad (PhD Candidate), Bryan Hochstein (Associate Prof.), Yoonsun Jeong (Assistant Prof.)
Abstract: Verification badges play an important role in signaling authenticity and influence for social media contributors. However, recent platform shifts have turned badges from merit-based indicators into purchasable commodities, raising significant questions about their effectiveness in a saturated market. This paper explores how consumers differentiate between earned versus paid verification and the subsequent impact on perceived influencer credibility and content engagement. Preliminary findings suggest that the dilution of badge exclusivity negatively moderates the positive association between verification and trust, particularly for mid-tier niche influencers. We analyze cross-platform trends to provide a comprehensive view of digital signal commodification.
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Working Papers
Paper #4
The Effect of Hiding Likes on Social Media Behavior and Consumer Perception
Target: Journal of Marketing Research
Authors: Ali Soltaninejad, Michelle Daniels, Freeman Wu, Sebastian Forkman
Abstract: Social media platforms increasingly allow users to hide public like counts to reduce social pressure and improve overall well-being. However, little is known about the consequences of this feature for professional influencers and the effectiveness of sponsored content. In this working paper, we investigate how hiding likes impacts consumer perceptions of influencer authenticity and the signaling value of social proof. Through a series of experiments and analysis of account-level data, we find that hiding metrics can paradoxically increase trust by shifting focus toward content quality, yet it may reduce immediate conversion rates for brands that rely on high-volume metrics to validate consumer interest. We discuss the implications for platform design and brand-influencer partnerships in an era of private social browsing.
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Paper #5
From Static to Interactive: A New Platform for Experimental Manipulation Design
Target: Journal of Consumer Research
Authors: Ali Soltaninejad (University of Alabama), Clay Voorhees (University of Alabama)
Material: Demo Video: http://bit.ly/43UBCGq | Qualtrics: https://tinyurl.com/2h2wdaac
Abstract: Scenario-based online experiments are the workhorse of consumer research, yet participants typically experience them as passive and artificial: they read static vignettes describing situations rather than experiencing anything resembling them. This research introduces IQID, an interactive experimental design platform that allows researchers to build high-fidelity, dynamic simulations within standard survey tools. By replacing text-based prompts with interactive, task-oriented modules, researchers can more accurately capture behavioral intent and psychological responses. We demonstrate the validity of this approach across several studies, showing significant improvements in participant immersion and data quality compared to traditional static methods. This work offers a transformative tool for experimental consumer behavior research.
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Other Active Projects
Paper #6
The Effect of CMO Social Media Activities on Firm-Level Outcomes.
Authors: Ali Soltaninejad, Sebastian Forkmann, and Abhi Bhattacharya
Target: Journal of Marketing, expected submission Spring 2027.
Status: Secondary data collected; analysis and coding underway.
Pedagogy
My pedagogical philosophy is rooted in the Swiss tradition of technical precision and scholarly rigor. At the University of Alabama, I strive to bridge the gap between complex marketing frameworks and empirical data-driven insights. I view the classroom as an artisanal space where students are equipped with critical thinking tools to decode consumer behavior and navigate the multifaceted evolving marketing landscape with data-centric confidence.
Culverhouse College of Business
University of Alabama
Marketing Analytics & Big Data Management
Consumer Behavior and Strategic Insights
Principles of International Marketing Strategy
Advanced Digital Marketing Analytics
Explore my professional journey through a structured breakdown of my roles and achievements: Education PhD in Marketing with specializations in Consumer Analytics and Behavioral Data. Research Published lead author focusing on predictive modeling, digital retail agency, and brand ethics. Teaching Experienced instructor in Big Data Management and International Marketing Strategy at the University of Alabama. Service Editorial reviewer for top-tier journals and active mentor within the Culverhouse academic community. Skills Advanced econometric modeling, technical proficiency in R, Python, and SAS, plus qualitative consumer insights.
Get in Touch
I am always interested in discussing marketing research, potential collaborations, or student inquiries. Please reach out through the form or using the details below.
Email: hello@alisoltani.com
Office: Culverhouse College of Business
University of Alabama