Rishika Rishika

Education

Ph.D. Business Administration (Marketing) University of California, Irvine, 2008
M.A. Economics Delhi School of Economics (Delhi, India), 1999
B.A. (Honors) Economics Shri Ram College of Commerce (Delhi, India), 1997

Courses taught

MBA 563 Product and Brand Management
MBA 565 Marketing Analytics
MBA 590 CRM Analytics

Area(s) of focus/expertise

Social Media/Digital Media Analytics, Multichannel Retailing, Marketing and public policy

Research interests

My research focuses on econometric modeling of consumer and firm decision-making. My main research interests lie in social media analytics, multi-channel retailing, online communities, and marketing and public policy.

Recent/past research

I have published several papers in top-tier journals in marketing and information systems on topics ranging from social media/digital marketing, multichannel marketing, food marketing, and public policy. In my research, I have shown how customers’ social media participation enhances ROI for firms and how investing in creating a more seamless multichannel experience for customers can nurture and create strong customer-firm relationships. Further, I have studied various topics related to marketing and public policy highlighting how voluntary front-of-package nutrition labels can boost innovation in packaged food products. In recent research, I study how the onset of daylight saving time is detrimental to consumers’ overall goals of fitness and healthy consumption and consumers must pursue strategies that counteract the negative effects of daylight saving time onset on their healthy behaviors.

Experience with industry (and how it informs what I teach)

I love to collaborate with practitioners and regularly invite them to my classes to share their real-world experiences with my students. As part of the Master of Management, Marketing Analytics Webinar Series, we frequently invite speakers from the industry to speak to our students about the current areas of interest in marketing analytics.

Why students may want to study marketing analytics

Demand for data analytics and related fields is only going to grow in the future. Marketing professionals recognize how important it is to understand their customers and create products and communications specifically tailored toward them. A good understanding of data and data analytics is crucial for that. Therefore, anyone interested in pursuing a marketing career or interested in understanding customer behavior must study marketing analytics so they have the right tools and skill set to succeed in their respective fields.

Highlights of teaching for the program

I love interacting with students who have a passion for understanding how we can leverage data as information and devise the right strategies for decision-making. Often, students have the perception that data analytics is only for those students who have a more technical or statistical background. My goal is to shatter this perception and demonstrate that anyone can learn to work with data as long as they have a passion for learning.

Observations of marketing analytics students in the classroom

I have found marketing analytics students to be very hard-working and driven in the classroom. Many of the students are either working professionals or students actively looking for jobs in data analytics so they are very focused on learning the right techniques and their applications. 

Advice for prospective students

Students must invest a considerable amount of time in research before joining any program. It is important to understand what skills students learn in the program and how these skills will give them an edge in the job market. I would encourage students to reach out to the respective program leadership and attend information sessions across several programs and schools before making a decision. 

Why Choose the Master of Management, Marketing Analytics (MMA)?

The Master of Management, Marketing Analytics (MMA) program boasts a unique curriculum comprising a set of core classes in business analytics, marketing strategy, and marketing analytics and a set of elective classes designed to provide expertise in a variety of topics related to marketing and data analytics. Further, the program has a practicum requirement for every enrolled student ensuring that all MMA students work with a company on a real-world project thereby learning to apply skills learned in the classroom to a real business problem. The set of core classes trains students in state of art data analyzing techniques and methods using appropriate statistical software. Our students also learn the core foundational principles of marketing strategy allowing a deeper understanding of marketing issues and problems. The electives offered in the program cover a broad range of topics such as artificial intelligence, machine learning for marketing, pricing analytics, customer relationship management analytics, consumer behavior, and marketing research equipping students with the needed skills set for a marketing analyst who can conduct market research, gather data, analyze and interpret data and communicate key data insights for developing a long term and sustainable growth strategy. A key highlight of the program is that it also offers study abroad opportunities and students can apply for this as part of their curriculum.

Overall, the program emphasizes a hands-on learning environment focusing on data and data analytics to understand and solve relevant marketing problems in today’s competitive environment. The way the program is designed, it is suitable for both working professionals who need to add and build new skills or for those who are looking to strengthen their resume before entering the job market. 

Something personal you would like to share?

I love to go on long walks, do yoga, and enjoy the outdoors.