Donna Hoffman is a renowned expert in online consumer experience and behavior, including internet marketing, e-commerce, and online search. With deep expertise in quantitative psychology and marketing, Professor Hoffman has extensive experience with survey methods, both in her published research and consulting work. In particular, she has conducted surveys related to consumers’ perceptions of social media. Professor Hoffman also evaluates the impact of new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things, on the online retail market environment.
An experienced expert witness, Professor Hoffman has testified in multiple matters, including in two federal trials. Her testimony in these matters included evaluating and opining on issues relating to online consumer behavior, digital marketing, and the role of internet search in the purchase decision process. Professor Hoffman has also applied her expertise to assess the definitions of alleged dark patterns in online user interfaces. She evaluated user interfaces that were at issue and assessed whether they could impact consumer behavior in the manner described in the allegations.
Professor Hoffman cofounded and codirects the Center for the Connected Consumer, an academic research center dedicated to understanding consumer experiences with AI and smart devices that are connected to the internet. She has consulted to major corporations on electronic commerce and digital marketing strategy, including FedEx.com, Intel, Lands’ End/Sears, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, and Walmart.com. Professor Hoffman also served as a member of the Procter & Gamble Digital Advisory Board.
Professor Hoffman’s research has appeared in top academic and managerial publications, such as Marketing Science, Management Science, the Journal of Marketing Research, the Journal of Marketing, the Journal of Consumer Research, and the Journal of Consumer Psychology. She currently serves on the editorial boards of leading academic publications in the marketing discipline, as well as serving as an associate editor at the Journal of Marketing. She coedited the book Beyond the Basics: Research-Based Rules for Internet Retailing Advantage, and has coauthored numerous book chapters focused on consumer behavior in online environments.
Professor Hoffman has received many prestigious research awards, including the Society for Consumer Psychology Fellow Award; the Robert B. Clarke Educator of the Year Award from Marketing EDGE (formerly the DMEF); the Sheth Foundation/Journal of Marketing Award for long-term contributions to the marketing discipline; and the William O’Dell/Journal of Marketing Research Award for long-term research impact.
She has received media citations from Newsweek (as one of the 50 People Who Matter Most on the Internet), Advertising Age (as a Web Warrior), Internet World (as an Internet Hero), MicroTimes (as one of the MicroTimes 100), and San Francisco Webgirls (as one of the Top 25 Women on the Web). The New York Times called eLab, which Professor Hoffman cofounded, “one of the premiere research centers in the world for the study of electronic commerce.” The Wall Street Journal recognized the center as the “electronic commerce pioneer among business schools.”
Prior to joining the faculty at GW School of Business, Professor Hoffman taught at the University of California, Riverside; Vanderbilt University; the University of Texas, Dallas; and Columbia University. She has been a visiting scholar at Stanford University, UCLA, and the University of Hong Kong.
5 Questions with Donna Hoffman: How Technology Is Changing the Consumer Experience
