Patricia T. Huddleston Ph.D.

Dr. Patricia Huddleston is a Professor of Retailing in the Department of Advertising + Public Relations and is Director of the Information and Media Studies PhD program. She teaches an undergraduate course in Retail Strategy and a graduate course in Strategic Brand Communication. Her early research focused on the evolution of retail systems and consumer behavior in transition economies such as Russia and Poland. She has co-authored a book, Consumer Behavior: Women and Shopping with Dr. Stella Minahan, Professor Emeritus, Deakin University and a book chapter on Retailing in Australia in International Retailing.

Her current research focuses on the use of eye-tracking technology to evaluate consumer information processing of point of purchase retail display elements (e.g. signage, price) and how these elements motivate purchase intention. This research has been funded by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP) and Horticulture Research Institute. This work has been published in publications such as the International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, Journal of Product and Brand Management, PLOS One and HortScience.

She is an Affiliated Faculty member with the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection (A-CAPP) at Michigan State University. In July 2020, she was a panelist for the ACAPP Center’s “Brand New World” virtual summit, speaking on the topic of “E-Commerce and Counterfeits: Evolving Consumer Behavior”. In December 2020, collaborated with Dr. Saleem Alhabash and Dr. Anastasia Kononova on “A Social-Media Toolkit for Brand Protection at the ACAPP Center’s Executive Education Seminar.

Courses

ADV 481 Retail Strategy

ADV 843 Strategic Brand Communication

CAS 835 Brand and Image Communication

Customer and brand loyalty, with a focus on food stores. Private label brands Eye tracking technology to identify what consumers focus on when they view retail displays and how eye movement relates to purchase behavior.

Research Centers and Labs

Media and Advertising Psychology Lab
Health and Risk Communication Center