Steph Tully
@stephtully.bsky.social
Marketing prof at USCMarshall & visiting scholar
at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's CFI in Philly. Researching consumer finances, experiences, and dabbling in AI.
at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's CFI in Philly. Researching consumer finances, experiences, and dabbling in AI.
These kinds of tools, like look-alike audiences, can be really helpful for small companies (if they work well). But companies using them don’t learn about their target market or what makes campaigns successful. Amazon retains all the power and companies who use this will become reliant on them.
At its annual UnBoxed event, Amazon unveiled Ads Agent, an AI-powered tool that the company said can draft campaigns, optimize bids, manage targeting across channels, and engage in media buying.
Amazon’s Ads Agent Is Here, Alongside a New Ads Interface
At its annual UnBoxed event, the retail giant unveiled new AI ad tools and a centralized hub called Campaign Manager
bit.ly
November 11, 2025 at 3:45 PM
These kinds of tools, like look-alike audiences, can be really helpful for small companies (if they work well). But companies using them don’t learn about their target market or what makes campaigns successful. Amazon retains all the power and companies who use this will become reliant on them.
I don’t know that stock photos are entirely problematic (tho they do have downsides). The bigger problem is assuming the accuracy of “digital twins” And AI marketing research will continue to be accurate. It works now because we have tons of real human data to feed AI and gave it learn from (1/2)
“It is quite clear that various organisations are starting to consider synthetic images instead of real photography, because it’s cheap and you don’t need to bother with consent and everything…”
AI-generated ‘poverty porn’ fake images being used by aid agencies
Exclusive: Pictures depicting the most vulnerable and poorest people are being used in social media campaigns in the sector, driven by concerns over consent and cost
www.theguardian.com
October 21, 2025 at 3:19 AM
I don’t know that stock photos are entirely problematic (tho they do have downsides). The bigger problem is assuming the accuracy of “digital twins” And AI marketing research will continue to be accurate. It works now because we have tons of real human data to feed AI and gave it learn from (1/2)
Calling all baseball fans! The Dodgers generously gave my son’s baseball team a signed ball by Teoscar Hernandez. It’s valued at $500 and the team is raffling the ball off to raise money. Get yourself a ticket! 100% of raffle ticket prices goes to our nonprofit team. www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticket...
Teoscar Hernandez signed baseball raffle
Win a Teoscar Hernandez Autographed Baseball!The Dodgers have generously supported our 12u Dirt Devils by donating an authentic, autographed baseball signed by none other than Teoscar Hernandez!This i...
www.zeffy.com
October 16, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Calling all baseball fans! The Dodgers generously gave my son’s baseball team a signed ball by Teoscar Hernandez. It’s valued at $500 and the team is raffling the ball off to raise money. Get yourself a ticket! 100% of raffle ticket prices goes to our nonprofit team. www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticket...
Sad that it took 4 stores to find a WSJ, but excited to see a write up of my work with @chiaralongoni.bsky.social and @gilappel.bsky.social in print.
September 5, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Sad that it took 4 stores to find a WSJ, but excited to see a write up of my work with @chiaralongoni.bsky.social and @gilappel.bsky.social in print.
Methodology matters. Don’t trust the overall numbers. This was an opt-in poll weighted by 2024 presidential vote so it recruited more Rs than Ds. However, as the authoritarian dictatorship rises, the folks that still consider themselves Rs are more extreme, and are being over represented.
July 27, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Methodology matters. Don’t trust the overall numbers. This was an opt-in poll weighted by 2024 presidential vote so it recruited more Rs than Ds. However, as the authoritarian dictatorship rises, the folks that still consider themselves Rs are more extreme, and are being over represented.
Price discrimination at its worst. This is likely to penalize customers who are more brand loyal. If so, I don’t see this ending well for Delta. Unless all others follow suit.
We went from the customer is always right to the customer is always ripe for the picking.
fortune.com/2025/07/16/d...
fortune.com/2025/07/16/d...
Delta moves toward eliminating set prices in favor of AI that determines how much you personally will pay for a ticket
The airline touted a partnership with an AI-enabled revenue system as a step on the road to fully personalized ticket pricing, part of its goal to raise profit margins long-term.
fortune.com
July 17, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Price discrimination at its worst. This is likely to penalize customers who are more brand loyal. If so, I don’t see this ending well for Delta. Unless all others follow suit.
If you’re looking for a great book to improve your marketing prowess, The Growth Dilemma by Annie Wilson & Ryan Hamilton is the best book I’ve come across in a long time. It breaks down segmentation and targeting for growing companies really well and provides some nice frameworks to think about.
The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things
Amazon.com: The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things: 9781647829735: Wilson, Annie, Hamilton, Ryan: Books
www.amazon.com
July 16, 2025 at 10:50 PM
If you’re looking for a great book to improve your marketing prowess, The Growth Dilemma by Annie Wilson & Ryan Hamilton is the best book I’ve come across in a long time. It breaks down segmentation and targeting for growing companies really well and provides some nice frameworks to think about.
Check out this new short HBR article explaining our findings about the relationship between AI literacy and AI receptivity and what it means for businesses (research with the amazing @chiaralongoni.bsky.social and @gilappel.bsky.social ) hbr.org/2025/07/why-...
Why Understanding AI Doesn’t Necessarily Lead People to Embrace It
New research has uncovered a paradoxical relationship between AI literacy and receptivity: Individuals with lower AI literacy are more likely to embrace AI, despite perceiving it as less capable and m...
hbr.org
July 11, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Check out this new short HBR article explaining our findings about the relationship between AI literacy and AI receptivity and what it means for businesses (research with the amazing @chiaralongoni.bsky.social and @gilappel.bsky.social ) hbr.org/2025/07/why-...
Yes please!!!
Quick. Somebody tell Trump that the best way to own Elon is to restore all research grants and double NSF funding.
June 5, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Yes please!!!
YES! More of this. Most people don’t understand how science affects their daily lives and how important the consequences of science cuts for everyone.
Cuts have consequences, illustrated. As seen on TV 📺
June 3, 2025 at 5:15 AM
YES! More of this. Most people don’t understand how science affects their daily lives and how important the consequences of science cuts for everyone.
Reposted by Steph Tully
This isn't about whether you like Harvard or not. This is about whether any organization in our country has a right to exist without bending the knee to Donald Trump.
May 23, 2025 at 1:19 AM
This isn't about whether you like Harvard or not. This is about whether any organization in our country has a right to exist without bending the knee to Donald Trump.
Hugely important. Don’t give the current administration any more power over science. Please add a comment!
🚨 A new rule would let career scientists like NSF/NIH program officers be replaced by political appointees
Already 14,000+ public comments, deadline is Friday
📣 Comments can be short. Courts consider them—and scientists with NSF/NIH experience are especially impactful
Speak up! shorturl.at/WKuBj
Already 14,000+ public comments, deadline is Friday
📣 Comments can be short. Courts consider them—and scientists with NSF/NIH experience are especially impactful
Speak up! shorturl.at/WKuBj
May 21, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Hugely important. Don’t give the current administration any more power over science. Please add a comment!
Reposted by Steph Tully
I am so heartened to this seriously AWESOME #SaveNSF website go up today!!!!
Has a take action toolkit with:
1. Press outreach templates
2. Social media toolkit
3. Elected official outreach
4. Talking points
Check it out and share widely!!!! Likely more to come.
www.savensf.com
Has a take action toolkit with:
1. Press outreach templates
2. Social media toolkit
3. Elected official outreach
4. Talking points
Check it out and share widely!!!! Likely more to come.
www.savensf.com
May 2, 2025 at 10:08 PM
I am so heartened to this seriously AWESOME #SaveNSF website go up today!!!!
Has a take action toolkit with:
1. Press outreach templates
2. Social media toolkit
3. Elected official outreach
4. Talking points
Check it out and share widely!!!! Likely more to come.
www.savensf.com
Has a take action toolkit with:
1. Press outreach templates
2. Social media toolkit
3. Elected official outreach
4. Talking points
Check it out and share widely!!!! Likely more to come.
www.savensf.com
Reposted by Steph Tully
Congress needs to block this. This so incredibly detrimental to the health, welfare, and prosperity of the nation.
Exclusive: National Science Foundation staff were told today that the agency’s 37 divisions—across all eight directorates—are being abolished and the number of programs within those divisions will be drastically reduced.
Exclusive: NSF faces radical shake-up as officials abolish its 37 divisions
Changes seen as a response to presidential directives on what research to fund
scim.ag
May 9, 2025 at 12:49 AM
Congress needs to block this. This so incredibly detrimental to the health, welfare, and prosperity of the nation.
Thrilled to find out that my amazing colleague @kristindiehl.bsky.social just received an endowed chair!!! And two mentoring awards!! In a world of never ending bad news, this lifted my spirits. So well deserved. Congrats Kristin!!!
May 6, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Thrilled to find out that my amazing colleague @kristindiehl.bsky.social just received an endowed chair!!! And two mentoring awards!! In a world of never ending bad news, this lifted my spirits. So well deserved. Congrats Kristin!!!
I have data on what people think about this! Ongoing research with Chiara Longoni and Azim Shariff.
April 25, 2025 at 2:36 PM
I have data on what people think about this! Ongoing research with Chiara Longoni and Azim Shariff.
Reposted by Steph Tully
International students contribute $44 billion to the US economy annually, creating 1 job for every 4 students enrolled.
Higher ed is America’s 10th largest export industry. A finance professor explores how their impact reaches beyond big cities to small towns like Mankato, MN.
Higher ed is America’s 10th largest export industry. A finance professor explores how their impact reaches beyond big cities to small towns like Mankato, MN.
April 20, 2025 at 9:13 PM
ACR submissions are almost due. I’m on the round tables committee. We would love to get submissions that are interested in engaging in meaningful debates that affect our field. Please consider submitting something!
March 11, 2025 at 9:17 PM
ACR submissions are almost due. I’m on the round tables committee. We would love to get submissions that are interested in engaging in meaningful debates that affect our field. Please consider submitting something!
🚨 New paper alert 🚨 The explosion of consumer-facing AI raise questions about who is more likely to adopt it. We examined how people’s knowledge of AI impact AI receptivity. Against most people’s expectations, it's not tech experts! And not for the reason you may be thinking🧵
January 16, 2025 at 6:12 PM
🚨 New paper alert 🚨 The explosion of consumer-facing AI raise questions about who is more likely to adopt it. We examined how people’s knowledge of AI impact AI receptivity. Against most people’s expectations, it's not tech experts! And not for the reason you may be thinking🧵
Note to self: Add this rating explanation to my slides at the end of the semester before I give students time to fill out their class evaluations.
Sticker at our Airbnb providing scale "guidance":
★★★★★ "I enjoyed my stay here"
★★★★ "There are many issues to fix"
★★★ "Major problems with my stay"
★★ "This should not be listed"
★ "I left early it was so terrible"
Tees up a discussion of measurement invariance (and attempts to shape usage...)
★★★★★ "I enjoyed my stay here"
★★★★ "There are many issues to fix"
★★★ "Major problems with my stay"
★★ "This should not be listed"
★ "I left early it was so terrible"
Tees up a discussion of measurement invariance (and attempts to shape usage...)
December 23, 2024 at 6:41 AM
Note to self: Add this rating explanation to my slides at the end of the semester before I give students time to fill out their class evaluations.
What a great financial dataset and cool job opportunity!
The California Policy Lab (@capolicylab.bsky.social) is hiring a researcher who works on consumer finance or related topics to work with the UC-Consumer Credit Panel. capolicylab.org/careers/rese...
Come work with us!
Come work with us!
December 17, 2024 at 5:57 AM
What a great financial dataset and cool job opportunity!
Very interesting & consistent with my research with Eesha Sharma and Xiang Wang demonstrating that decisions under scarcity are not inherently less thoughtful or more myopic, but rather driven by attempts to address needs threatened by a lack of responses (JPSP: psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...).
December 15, 2024 at 5:57 PM
Very interesting & consistent with my research with Eesha Sharma and Xiang Wang demonstrating that decisions under scarcity are not inherently less thoughtful or more myopic, but rather driven by attempts to address needs threatened by a lack of responses (JPSP: psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...).
This is a great conference if you are interested in financial decision making. Very interdisciplinary!
Have some cool financial decision-making research that you'd like to share with an awesome interdisciplinary audience of academics, practitioners, and policy-makers?
Don't wait: Submission portal for the 2025 Boulder Summer Conference is now open! cuboulder.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Don't wait: Submission portal for the 2025 Boulder Summer Conference is now open! cuboulder.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
2024 Online Boulder Summer Conference-Abstract Submission
2024 Online Boulder Summer Conference-Abstract Submission
cuboulder.qualtrics.com
December 11, 2024 at 6:34 AM
This is a great conference if you are interested in financial decision making. Very interdisciplinary!
Reposted by Steph Tully
Great time sharing my work with @stephtully.bsky.social and Ignacio Riveros at @sjdm-tweets.bsky.social! We find people engage with AI disclosed content less; not because it’s worse quality, but because they feel less connection to the creator. Pre-print here: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
November 24, 2024 at 2:39 PM
Great time sharing my work with @stephtully.bsky.social and Ignacio Riveros at @sjdm-tweets.bsky.social! We find people engage with AI disclosed content less; not because it’s worse quality, but because they feel less connection to the creator. Pre-print here: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
I’ve officially given up X and am reengaging here. Academic Twitter is dead and I can’t in good conscience support that platform. All the marketing, management, psych, econ, and JDM folks, let me know where you are!
November 23, 2024 at 4:47 AM
I’ve officially given up X and am reengaging here. Academic Twitter is dead and I can’t in good conscience support that platform. All the marketing, management, psych, econ, and JDM folks, let me know where you are!