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.
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 (University of Alabama), Bryan Hochstein (University of Alabama), Carol Jones (University of Alabama), Michael Peasley (M. Tennessee University)
🏆 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.
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 (University of Alabama), Bryan Hochstein (University of Alabama), Yoonsun Jeong (University of North Dakota)
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.
Working Papers
Paper #4
The Effect of Hiding Likes on Social Media Behavior and Consumer Perception
Target: Journal of Marketing Research
Authors: Ali Soltaninejad (University of Alabama), Michelle Daniels (Arizona State University), Freeman Wu (Univeristy of Oregon), Sebastian Forkman (University of Alabama)
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.
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.
Other Active Projects
Paper #6
The Effect of CMO Social Media Activities on Firm-Level Outcomes.
Authors: Ali Soltaninejad (University of Alabama), Sebastian Forkmann (University of Alabama), and Abhi Bhattacharya (University of Alabama)
Target: Journal of Marketing, expected submission Spring 2027.
Status: Secondary data collected; analysis and coding underway.
Paper #7
Meta-Analysis of Trust and Distrust in B2B Contexts.
Authors: Katrin Scherchel (University of Reading), Sebastian Forkmann (University of Alabama), Stephan Henneberg (Queen Mary University), Ali Soltaninejad (University of Alabama), Justin DeSimone (University of Alabama), and Lisa Scheer (University of Missouri).
Target: Journal of International Business Studies, expected submission Summer 2027.
Status: Coding papers.
Empirical Context: Meta-Analyses.
Paper #8
The Positive Effect of Carousel Proximity on Social Media Engagement.
Authors: Ali Soltaninejad (University of Alabama), Carol Jones (University of Alabama), Bryan Hochstein (University of Alabama), Clay Voorhees (University of Alabama), Rafay Siddiqui (University of Alabama), and Stephanie Noble (University of Tennessee).
Status: Data collection.
Empirical Context: Secondary Data (Instagram), Field Experiments, and Online Experiments.
Paper #9
Examining the Effect of the “Pope-in-the-Pool” Technique on Engagement.
Authors: Ali Soltaninejad (University of Alabama), Qin Wang (University of Alabama), and Thomas Baker (University of Alabama).
Status: Data collection.
Empirical Context: Secondary Data (TikTok) and Online Experiments.
Paper #10
When Crisis Teaches: Brand Learning from Data Breaches.
Authors: Andre Martin (Notre Dame University), Carlos Bauer (University of Alabama), Abhi Bhattacharya (University of Alabama), Sebastian Forkmann (University of Alabama), and Ali Soltaninejad (University of Alabama).
Status: Data Collected; analyses underway.
Empirical Context: Secondary Data (ITRC and PRC).
PhD Student Projects
* indicates PhD student
Project #1
“Brand–Influencer Collaboration and the Attenuation Effect of Influencer Effectiveness Over Time.”
Authors: Ali Soltaninejad (University of Alabama), Madhur Mahan* (University of Georgia), and Clay Voorhees (University of Alabama).
Status: Data collection.
Empirical Context: Secondary Data (Instagram).
Project #2
“How Hedonic and Utilitarian Product Descriptions Impact Virtual Influencer Endorsements.”
Authors: Michael Burrage* (University of Florida), Tatiana Fajardo (University of Florida), and Ali Soltaninejad (University of Alabama).
Status: Data collection.
Empirical Context: Secondary Data (Reddit and Instagram) and Interactive Online Experiments.
Project #3
“The Effect of Marketing Orientation Among Non-Marketing Members in the Company.”
Authors: Nicole Boylan* (University of Alabama), Ali Soltaninejad (University of Alabama), Sebastian Forkmann (University of Alabama), and Stephan Henneberg (Queen Mary University).
Target: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, expected submission April 2027.
Status: Data collection.
Empirical Context: Secondary company data, scraped data, and experiments.
Project #4
“The Embarrassment of Influence: How Influencer Embarrassment Shapes Consumer Responses to Sponsored Content.”
Authors: Ananna Barua* (University of Alabama), Ali Soltaninejad (University of Alabama), and Clay Voorhees (University of Alabama).
Status: Concept Development.
Empirical Context: Secondary Data and Interactive Online Experiments.
Project #5
“The Negative Effects of Collaborative Posts: When Having a Collaborator Reduces Social Media Engagement.”
Authors: Sarah Motallebi* (Georgia Tech University) and Ali Soltaninejad (University of Alabama).
Status: Manuscript in Progress.
Empirical Context: Secondary Data, Reddit Data, and Online Experiments.
Project #6
“The Negative Effects of Temporal Personal Updates Commercialization on Social Media Engagement.”
Authors: Ali Mortazavi* (New York University), Faegheh Taheran (Pace University), and Ali Soltaninejad (University of Alabama).
Status: Conceptual Development.
Empirical Context: Secondary Data and Online Experiments.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
*Indicates presenter
Soltaninejad, Ali*, Madhur Mahan, and Clay Voorhees. “Brand–Influencer Collaboration and the Attenuation Effect of Influencer Effectiveness Over Time.”, AMA Marketing Strategy Consortium Roundtable 2026, Atlanta, GA.
Soltaninejad, Ali*, Sebastian Forkmann, and Abhi Bhattacharya. “The Effect of CMO Social Media Activities on Firm-Level Outcomes.” AMA Marketing Strategy Consortium Roundtable 2026, Atlanta, GA.
Soltaninejad, Ali*, Bryan Hochstein, Carol Jones, and Michael Peasley. “Social Media Influencer-Brand Collaboration: Investigating the Accessibility–Manipulation Tradeoff that Helps Brand Awareness but Harms Influencer Engagement.” Academy of Marketing Science 2026, Savannah, GA.
Soltaninejad, Ali*, Clay Voorhees, and Carol Jones. “Designed to Engage: Brand Profile Symmetry and Consumer Response on Social Media.” Southeast Marketing Symposium 2026, Fayetteville, AR.
Soltaninejad, Ali*, Bryan Hochstein, Carol Jones, and Michael Peasley. “Crafting Effective Social Media Posts.” Society for Marketing Advances 2025, Las Vegas, NV.
Soltaninejad, Ali*, Yoonsun Jeong, and Bryan Hochstein. “The Impact of Platform Verification Badges on Social Media Influencer Engagement.” American Marketing Association 2025, Phoenix, AZ.
Soltaninejad, Ali*, Yoonsun Jeong, and Bryan Hochstein. “The Impact of Platform Verification Badges on Social Media Influencer Engagement.”, Academy of Marketing Science 2024, Coral Gables, FL.
Yoonsun Jeong*, Fernando Jimenez, and Ali Soltaninejad. “Drivers of Helpfulness and Unhelpfulness Reviews.”, Global Marketing 2023, Seoul, South Korea.
AWARDS AND HONORS
2026 – William O. Bearden Best Paper Award, Southeast Marketing Symposium
2026 – Marketing Ph.D. Student Summer Research Grant
2026 – AMA Marketing Strategy Consortium Doctoral Student Fellow
2026 – Academy of Marketing Science Doctoral Consortium Fellow
2025 – Marketing Ph.D. Student Summer Research Grant
2025 – Matthew H. Joseph Best Paper Award, Doctoral Student Track, Society for Marketing Advances.
2025 – Society for Marketing Advances Doctoral Consortium Fellow
2024 – Marketing Ph.D. Student Summer Research Grant
2024 – Society for Marketing Advances Doctoral Consortium Fellow
2023 – Marketing Ph.D. Student Summer Research Grant
2009 – Full Scholarship, Bahonar University, Bachelor’s Degree
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
Ali Soltaninejad (Spring 2026). “Social Media Marketing and Website Design.” Guest lecture, MKT 300.001 Introduction to Marketing (Jim Karrh), University of Alabama.
Ali Soltaninejad (Spring 2026). “Social Media Marketing and Website Design.” Guest lecture, MKT 300.002 Introduction to Marketing (Jim Karrh), University of Alabama.
Ali Soltaninejad (Spring 2026). “The Effects of Symmetric Brand Profile Design on Brand Attitudes and Social Media.” Culverhouse R&R Research Talk Session (Shawn Mobbs), University of Alabama.
Ali Soltaninejad (Fall 2025). “Search Engine Optimization.” Guest lecture, MKT 440 Digital Marketing (Nicole Boylan), University of Alabama.
PEER REVIEW EXPERIENCE
Journal of Business Research
Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice
Society for Marketing Advances Conference
SKILLS
Statistical Software
R, SPSS, Stata, Python, SAS, Mplus
Data Collection and Management
Web Scraping, Social Media Data Collection, Field Experiments, Lab Experiments, Incentive-Compatible Experiments, Large-Scale Dataset Construction
Data Analysis
Observational and Panel Data Methods (Panel Data Analysis, Fixed Effects, Cox Models); Causal Inference Methods (Difference-in-Differences, Stacked DID, Propensity Score Matching); Experimental Methods (ANOVA, Contrasts, Mediation, Moderation, PROCESS models)
Experimental Tools
Qualtrics, Prolific, Connect, HTML-Based Manipulations, Interactive Experiment Design
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Instructor Evaluation
MKT 440.910 – Digital and Social Media Marketing (UA) – Summer 2026 (Online)
In progress
MKT 440.911 – Digital and Social Media Marketing (UA) – Summer 2026 (Online)
In progress
MKT 440.920 – Digital and Social Media Marketing (UA) – Summer 2026 (Online)
In progress
MKT 440.921 – Digital and Social Media Marketing (UA) – Summer 2026 (Online)
In progress
MKT 440.008 – Digital and Social Media Marketing (UA) – Spring 2026 (Face-to-Face)
4.7/5
MKT 440.910 – Digital and Social Media Marketing (UA) – Summer 2025 (Online)
4.6/5
DISSERTATION
“Visual Design Strategies in Social Media: The Impact of Symmetry and Proximity on Consumer Response”
Proposal Defense Date: May 2, 2026
Dissertation Committee: Dr. Carol Jones (Chair), Dr. Bryan Hochstein (Co-Chair), Dr. Clay Voorhees, Dr. Rafay Siddiqui, Dr. Stephanie Noble (University of Tennessee).
Social media platforms have become central environments in which consumers interact with brands, yet little research has examined how visual design principles within these platforms shape consumer responses. In my dissertation, I investigate how two fundamental design principles (symmetry and proximity) influence consumer perceptions, attitudes, and engagement in social media contexts. In Essay 1, I examine how symmetric profile design affects outcomes such as perceived creativity, brand attitudes, and intention to follow. In Essay 2, I explore how proximity design shapes consumer interpretation of social media content and influences engagement-related responses. Together, these essays demonstrate that visual design elements do more than improve aesthetics; they also shape how consumers process brand information and respond to brand communication online. This research contributes to the social media marketing and visual design literature by showing that core design principles can serve as strategic tools for enhancing consumer response. It also offers actionable guidance for brands seeking to optimize their social media presence through more effective profile and content design.
REFERENCES
Carol Jones (Dissertation Chair)
Associate Professor, Department of Marketing
Culverhouse College of Business
University of Alabama
Email: cejones28@ua.edu
Bryan Hochstein (Dissertation Co-Chair)
Associate Professor, Department of Marketing
Culverhouse College of Business
University of Alabama
Email: bwhochstein@ua.edu
Clay Voorhees
Professor, Department of Marketing
Culverhouse College of Business
University of Alabama
Email: cmvoorhees@ua.edu
Thomas Baker
Professor, Department of Marketing
Culverhouse College of Business
University of Alabama
Email: tbaker@cba.ua.edu
Michelle Daniels
Assistant Professor of Marketing
W. P. Carey School of Business
Arizona State University
Email: mdaniel@asu.edu
Freeman Wu
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Lundquist College of Business
University of Oregon
Email: freemanw@uoregon.edu