Zhang Yonghong Professorship in Marketing

The iconic Michelin Man figure was created and first unveiled at the 1898 Paris Motor Show by Édouard and André Michelin and French cartoonist Marius Rossillon. The inspiration came four years earlier at the 1894 Lyon Universal Exhibition, where the brothers noticed a pile of tires and Édouard said that, with arms, it would look like a man.

The Michelin Man, a smiling mascot composed of stacked white tires, is one of the world's oldest trademarks still in active use and symbolises Michelin’s brand values of safety and quality. It is recognised as one of the most famous examples of anthropomorphism in marketing which refers to the practice of giving human-like qualities, characteristics, and emotions to brands, products, or services.

Professor Echo Wen Wan is the Zhang Yonghong Professor in Marketing at HKU Business School, The University of Hong Kong (HKU). Since 2021, she has led interdisciplinary research as Director of the Institute of Behavioural and Decision Science (IBDS). Her work examines how marketing tactics influence consumer decision making, with research interests in the areas of social and environmental influence, anthropomorphism marketing, and consumer behaviour in the digital era.

Professor Wan joined HKU as an Assistant Professor in 2007. She was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2012, and to Professor in 2017. The focus of her research is on marketing and consumer psychology, which studies how people think, feel, and behave in response to marketing communications and in their consumption decisions. Professor Wan also has specific interests in consumer decisions made in vulnerable psychological states and digital and AI marketing. She believes insights about consumers’ motivations and perceptions will drive better marketing strategies and enhance customer experience and well-being.

With the proliferation of mobile phones and outdoor screens, anthropomorphism marketing has become increasingly popular in the digital era. Professor Wan cites examples such as the MTR’s T Chai character and M&M’s “spokescandies” where mascots with human characteristics have been created based on core products or core concepts associated with the companies. Her findings show consumers not simply perceive anthropomorphic mascots as interesting, but they change their decision rules when they purchase the products and services that use anthropomorphism marketing.

In recent years, Professor Wan has been focusing on developing interdisciplinary research in the IBDS. Her research examines consumer behaviour shaped by digital technology, such as the mobile internet. She studies the effectiveness of interactive advertising on mobile devices, people’s phone-checking habits and their experiences during leisure activities, and the visual design of product ratings on digital platforms.

On a wider field, she has collaborated with scholars in social science, education, and computer science to examine AI’s impact on elderly companionship, the learning process of school students, and patient consultation in healthcare contexts. Professor Wan is also leading a research team to provide an “Integrated AI-Driven Solution for Smart Elderly Services in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area” due to the rapidly ageing population.

Her work has appeared in leading journals such as the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, and Journal of Consumer Psychology. Professor Wan was awarded the honour as the Marketing Science Institute Scholar in 2020. She served as Associate Editor for Journal of Consumer Research between 2021 and 2024, and is currently an Editorial Board member for Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, and Journal of Consumer Psychology. And in 2015 she served as Co-Chair for the Association for Consumer Research, Asia-Pacific Conference.