The award is conferred annually by the Technology Special Interest Group of the American Marketing Association to an early-career researcher whose work has made significant contributions to the theory and practice of technology-focused marketing.
By John Moist
Unnati Narang, assistant professor of business administration at Gies College of Business, has been named the recipient of the 2026 AMA TechSIG Young Scholar Award. The Young Scholar Award is conferred annually by the Technology Special Interest Group of the American Marketing Association to an early-career researcher whose work has made significant contributions to the theory and practice of technology-focused marketing.
Narang’s scholarship studies how new technologies impact firms and consumers, with a focus on mobile marketing, digital platforms, and artificial intelligence. Her work contributes to marketing theory and practice by studying critical questions about how digital technologies impact behaviors in multiple channels, both online and offline. Her dissertation research examined how branded retail apps impact in-store and online shopping behaviors and was published in top journals like Marketing Science and the Journal of Marketing Research. The award committee recognized Narang for scholarship that demonstrated both originality and significance along with the potential to make a lasting impact on the field.
“I am deeply grateful for this recognition and honored to have my work acknowledged by peers and scholars I admire,” said Narang. “It is especially meaningful to see that my research has found a place within a supportive and engaged scholarly community. Research advances through collective effort rather than any single paper, and I feel fortunate to contribute to a growing body of work on technology and marketing.”
Decoding the Mobile Consumer
Narang’s research is aimed at understanding the complex relationship between online technologies and offline actions. She uses causal modeling, econometric analysis, and machine learning approaches to answer questions about consumers’ use and engagement with modern technologies like mobile apps and new forms of mobility. Narang’s work has examined the ripple effects of mobile app failures, as well as the impact of new transportation innovations like e-scooters on consumer mobility and safety. Her paper on e-scooters, co-authored with Gies Business PhD student Ruichun Liu (now an assistant professor of marketing at San Jose State University), exemplifies her mentorship and was featured by Forbes, CBS Chicago, The Wall Street Journal, and WCIA live news.
“I have spent more than a decade studying how new technologies shape firms and consumer behavior,” said Narang. "Along the way, I have taken intellectual risks by working on emerging and sometimes unconventional topics - such as online education platforms and micromobility platforms - to push the boundaries of marketing research. This award encourages me to keep pursuing ambitious work, particularly on AI and its impact on firms and consumers, and to do so in close collaboration with others in the field.”
Her research has appeared in top-tier outlets, including Marketing Science, the Journal of Marketing Research, the Journal of Marketing, and Quantitative Marketing and Economics. She serves on the Editorial Review Board of top journals like the Journal of Marketing Research and the Journal of Marketing. Her accolades also include the Product Development and Management Association Emerging Scholar Award and the Matthew Joseph Emerging Scholar Award. In 2023, Poets&Quants named her one of the Best Undergraduate Business Professors. She was also recognized in the Central Illinois Community’s Forty Under 40 Professionals in 2025 for her contributions to the local community.
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