Dr. Brian Whelan

Background

Dr. Brian Whelan is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Western Carolina University.  In addition to his academic credentials, Dr. Whelan has over 20 years of industry experience, holding senior-level roles in marketing, corporate communications and product management for some of the world’s largest financial services firms.  Prior to entering academia full time in 2019, he was a Managing Director and Global Head of Corporate Communications at Barings, a leading investment management firm with major offices across the U.S., Europe and Asia-Pacific, and over $345 billion in assets under management.  Dr. Whelan’s research interests include branding, consumer behavior, consumer psychology, blockchain and social media.

Research Interest

Brian’s research focused on an examination of social media’s deleterious effects on brand reputation.  The potential for brand harm from social media seems to be growing exponentially in the “fake news” era.  Brian hopes the in depth examination of this topic creates a framework that can help organizations identify threats to their brand from social media, and outline new strategies to help them preserve their brand integrity and corporate reputation.

Dissertation

The Influences Of Brand Personality, Culture And Social Media Activity On Iconic Brands Preferences