Yimeng (Margaret) Cai 蔡祎萌
I am a Marketing PhD Candidate (Job Market 2026-2027) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler Business School). I have a strong passion for generating data-driven and decision-making insights.
My research focuses on applying advanced quantitative methods and machine learning to marketing problems, particularly in social media, influencer marketing, e-commerce, and retailing. With a background in business consulting at Deloitte, I aim to bridge the gap between research and practice, leveraging innovative methods to solve real-world business challenges. I am motivated by the potential to make a tangible impact in this technology-driven world.
I am advised by Katrijn Gielens (Tilburg University) and co-advised by Jan-Benedict E.M. Steenkamp (UNC Kenan-Flagler).
Research Interests
- Branding (dissertation focus)
- Quantitative Marketing
- Digital and Social Media Marketing
- Influencer Marketing and Creator Economy
- Retailing
Methods
- Econometric Modeling
- Causal Inference
- Machine Learning
- AI-Driven Content Analysis
Education
- Ph.D. in Marketing, Kenan-Flagler Business School, UNC at Chapel Hill (expected 2027)
- M.S. in Business Analytics (Customer Analytics), Washington University in St. Louis (2021)
- B.B.A. in Business Administration (minor in Accounting), Capital University of Economics and Business (2018)
