Dr. Aziza C. Jones, an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW–Madison), is a dedicated scholar whose research, teaching, and service jointly advance marketing knowledge and consumer wellbeing.

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Advancement. Dr. Jones’ research program, “Selling Advancement” examines how demand for products that promise advancement varies across markets and psychological goals. She define advancement as perceived progress toward a standing the consumer does not yet hold, whether material or social. Because standing is judged against where a buyer believes they already are, the same product carries different value to consumers who look identical on paper. Both streams therefore answer targeting, positioning, and framing decisions that determine whether these products find their market. Her first stream, Demand for Advancement, studies consumers’ motives for getting ahead in education and money, identifying segments that firms currently overlook and messages that raise or restrict uptake. Her second stream, Demand for Standing, studies consumers’ motives for being seen well in food choice, luxury consumption, and charitable giving, showing when a status motive can be steered toward healthier and more generous choices. Each project addresses one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals for no poverty (SDG 1), good health (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), decent work (SDG 8), and responsible consumption (SDG 12; read more here). 

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Classroom. Dr. Jones also advances this work through her teaching. She designed and leads UW–Madison’s flagship Brand Management course, which explores how exceptional brands are built by exceptional employees. The course examines both organizational branding excellence and personal brand development, covering frameworks for individual effectiveness and professional growth. What distinguishes the course is its real-world branding projects, which resonate with students. For example, after noticing rising anxiety among students of all backgrounds amid societal instability, she structured the class so that students could channel those concerns constructively. She incorporates cases showing how brands such as NASCAR are pivoting their strategies to connect with socially conscious consumers, and her semester-long project culminates in student-developed, nonpartisan voting campaigns that speak to diverse demographics and are tailored to specific social-impact brands. In doing so, she teaches the next generation to use brand management skills to benefit businesses and strengthen civic life.

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Joint Interest. Dr. Jones’ service extends the conviction that runs through her research. Firms do best when they serve consumers well, and consumer welfare and commercial success are more often aligned than opposed. She currently serves as Academic Non-Profit/Government Director of the Association for Consumer Research, where she connects civic and nonprofit leaders with academic audiences so that consumer research reaches the practitioners who can act on it. She also runs CB Wine and Design, a virtual lab where academics workshop one another’s experimental designs. Closer to home, she partners with organizations such as the League of Women Voters and Porchlight to better understand consumers whose needs the market tends to overlook.

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Dr. Jones’ dedication and excellence in her field have earned significant recognition, including being named a 2024 Poets&Quants Top 50 Best Undergraduate Business Professor. Her prior accolades include the 2020 Eli Jones Promising Young Scholar Award and the 2023 Mabel W. Chipman Outstanding Junior Faculty Teaching Award. Outside of her professional life, Aziza enjoys snowboarding, biking, writing sessions with Madison’s Rudy the Pig, and navigating life’s storms with those she loves.