Ahmed Ashhar

Overview:

Dr. Ahmed Ashhar is an Assistant Professor in Marketing at IIM Bodh Gaya and a leading expert in the design and data collection of online experiments. He earned his PhD in Marketing from IIM Ahmedabad and founded Survey Awesome, a boutique agency specializing in online experimental research. Before his PhD, he worked at Ogilvy, contributing to campaigns that won prestigious awards like the Cannes Lions and Grand Effie. His research interests include Brand Positioning, Digital Consumer Behavior, and AI-enabled Marketing, which align with his teaching focus on Brand Management, Consumer Behavior, and AI in Marketing. Dr. Ashhar collaborates with a global network of academics from institutions like Harvard, MIT, and USC, and his work has been used in publications for top-tier journals such as the Journal of Finance, Management Science, and the Journal of Consumer Affairs.

Academic Background:

• Ph.D. in Management (Marketing), IIM Ahmedabad
• Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Communications), Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad
• Bachelor of Technology (Electrical Engineering), Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal

Affiliations:

• Assistant Professor - Marketing, Indian Institute of Management
• Director - Survey Awesome
• NPS/Voice of Customer Consultant, Avalara Technologies
• Group Head - Copy, Geometry Global (Ogilvy Action)

Teaching Interests:

• Brand Management
• Consumer Behavior
• Online Experimental Design
• AI in Marketing
• Business Research Methods

Research Interests:

• Digital Consumer Behavior
• Experimental Research
• AI-enabled Marketing Tools
• Survey Methodology
• Transformative Consumer Research

Publications (Journal Articles):

• Van Steenburg, E., Anaza, N. A., Ashhar, A., Barrios, A., Deutsch, A. R., Gardner, M. P., Priya, P., Roy, A., Sivaraman, A., & Taylor, K. A. (2022). The new world of philanthropy: How changing financial behavior, public policies, and COVID-19 affect nonprofit fundraising and marketing. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 56(3), 1079–1105. https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12461

Conference Papers:

• Ashhar, A. and Sameer, A. (2025, July). Once Upon a Survey: AI-Powered Storytelling to Make Research More Engaging. AIM-AMA Sheth Foundation Doctoral Consortium and International Marketing Conference 2025 - The Future of Marketing in a virtual Borderless World, MDI, Gurgaon, India. (Accepted for Presentation)

• Ashhar, A. and Sameer, A. (2025, October). Purity, Politics, and Pillow Mints: Political Ideology's Impact on Airbnb Supply. 2025 ACR Annual Conference - Buying and Beyond, Washington, D.C., USA. (Accepted for Presentation)

Training & Workshops:

• Resource Person, Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad (December 2024) - Training and workshops for faculty and graduate students on data collection and running online experiments.
• Trainer, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (August 2021) - Workshop for students, faculty, and other researchers on conducting online experiments.