As an undergraduate mechanical engineering student, Jaihyun Jeon ’26 Ph.D. worked in a robotics laboratory that focused on developing walking-aid rehabilitation tools for patients with disabled legs. Although he received two patents for products he developed, the experience turned him in a new direction. 

“I realized something crucial during that time,” Jeon says. “No matter how quality or innovative a product or technology is, it struggles to succeed without effective marketing strategies.”

Jeon followed his undergraduate degree with a master’s in marketing at Seoul National University with the goal of combining his engineering background with business and marketing insights. But, the master’s degree ignited a new passion.

Jeon is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in marketing at the Whitman School, where he is studying the impact of new digital technologies on marketing strategies and how these innovations influence market perceptions and firm performance.
In his first paper, “Marketing Innovations in Digital Technologies, a Systematic Review, Proposed Framework, and Future Research Agenda,” forthcoming in the Journal of Product Innovation Management, Jeon investigated how new digital technologies such as social media, artificial intelligence and virtual reality are used in market research and in developing marketing strategies. 

Following his interest in new digital technologies, his subsequent paper focuses on social media. In his paper “Stock Market Responses to Negative Word of Mouth: Moderating Roles of Corporate Social Responsibility Reputation,” Jeon investigated whether corporate social responsibility reputation can mitigate the impact of negative word of mouth about the product on stock returns. He analyzed the data from South Korean firms listed in the KOSPI 200 index, which is similar to S&P 500 in the United States. 

In July, Jeon traveled to Sydney to present the paper at the ISMS Marketing Science Conference. “It was an unforgettable experience,” he says. “The feedback I received was both insightful and invaluable, helping me to refine my research further. And one of the most rewarding aspects was engaging with Ph.D. students and professors from across the globe.” 

Jeon came to Syracuse with his wife, Nalae Hong, who is a graduate student in media studies at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. The couple have 1-year-old identical twin daughters, born in Syracuse. “Aside from studying and caring for the girls, my wife and I are foodies and enjoy trying different restaurants and visiting wineries,” says Jeon.

He says the couple are open to career opportunities in both South Korea and the United States. “I aim to become a professor who is both an excellent teacher and a dedicated researcher,” says Jeon. “My goal is to inspire my students and make significant contributions to the field through my research.”

By Renee Gearhart Levy