BY PELİN SU UZUNCAGİL (AMER/IV)
Asst. Prof. Onur Osmanoğlu is a faculty member in the Department of Management. Dr. Osmanoğlu joined Bilkent University in 2023. He holds a PhD in Marketing from Koç University (2023), an MSc in Marketing Management from Tilburg University (2016) and a BSc in Management from Bilkent University (2012). Before joining academia, he worked at various institutions that operate in banking and international trade industries. His research interests include the topics within marketing strategy, digital marketing, international marketing and brand management domains. He teaches courses including Digital Marketing, Marketing Management and Integrated Marketing Communications.
Why did you choose an academic career?
I view an academic career as a lifestyle choice rooted in lifelong learning. I consider myself high on intellectual curiosity. An important reason for this career choice is the level of autonomy that enables me to learn and work on novel concepts and phenomena. This way, I am able to generate and disseminate knowledge on topics that are highly relevant for various stakeholders, including firms, consumers and society at large. I truly love my job and feel fortunate to have such an exciting and fulfilling career.
What do you like the most about being at Bilkent?
As a Bilkent FBA alumnus who considers Bilkent University his home, I feel honored to return to my alma mater. I deeply enjoy being part of such a vibrant academic environment where I have the opportunity to collaborate and exchange ideas with esteemed scholars. I also really like mentoring students as they prepare to embark on new journeys in academia or industry.
What projects are you working on currently?
My research mainly investigates how firms can formulate effective marketing strategies (e.g., in the contexts of communication and new product development) in a way to enhance firm- and consumer-related outcomes using digital technologies (e.g., social media, AI).
What’s your best work?
My best work is our paper titled “Local-Global Cobrand Positioning and Consumer Evaluations in Emerging Markets,” co-authored with Prof. Ayşegül Özsomer and Asst. Prof. Güneş Biliciler (both from Koç University) and published in the Journal of International Marketing. This research examines optimal positioning strategies to communicate an increasingly popular type of strategic alliance (i.e., local-global cobrand) and its impact on consumer evaluations.
What has been the most exciting moment of your career so far? Could you share a turning point or defining moment in your career?
The email indicating that the aforementioned paper had been accepted for publication in the Journal of International Marketing may probably be the most exciting moment of my career.
In addition, during my PhD studies, my work titled “Reconceptualizing Digital Marketing Capabilities: A Systematic Literature Review” received the 2022 AMS Review—Sheth Foundation Annual Doctoral Competition for Conceptual Articles award. This recognition affirmed that I was working on an important and timely topic. Thus, I consider it a defining moment in my career.
When and where do you do your best thinking?
As a morning person, I tend to feel most productive during the early hours of the day. Thus, I usually start working quite early. While I also enjoy working at night, I do my best thinking in the morning (or generally during the first part of the day).
Certain routines or moments also help me enhance the quality of my work. For instance, taking long walks or discussing my research with colleagues and friends often give me new perspectives.
In terms of place, I generally work either from home or at my office as I find both places highly conducive to deep thinking.
What distracts you?
I am a fairly driven and focused individual. Once I concentrate on my work, I am not distracted easily. Yet, I find it relatively more difficult to focus when I have to work in a noisy environment.
What are you most curious about?
At a general level, I am interested in examining important marketing phenomena and providing insights into their causes and consequences using primary and secondary data.
What do you like to do when you are not working?
During my spare time, I like reading books, doing sports and playing musical instruments (specifically drums and guitar).
Which books have influenced you the most, and why?
(1) “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman. I like this book because it explains nicely that deeply held theoretical assumptions may be contingent upon various factors and that how pervasive cognitive biases exist in our lives. I really enjoy learning about works that provide more nuanced perspectives on important theories and/or phenomena.
(2) “Contagious” by Jonah Berger. This is an interesting book that has enhanced my understanding of why some contents, ideas or offerings receive a great level of word-of-mouth and become highly popular whereas others do not. This book has sparked my interest and critical thinking on the topic. In the context of social media, one of my research topics is about how firms can craft content to maximize their engagement levels.
Which films have influenced you the most, and why?
(1) “Dead Poets Society”. I like this movie because it highlights two important qualities I believe a scholar should cultivate: critical thinking and creativity. It prompts us to challenge conventional wisdom and to think independently.
(2) “The Truman Show”. This movie makes me question the nature of reality, which has become increasingly “distorted” due to the social media consumption habits of society. People often do not realize that they are (unknowingly) contributing to this pseudo-reality by generating and consuming content on social media. This raises important concerns about personal privacy and about the extent to which we influence, or are influenced by, the products of this artificial reality.
If you weren’t an academic, what career would you choose?
I would probably work as either a data scientist or a management consultant.
What is the secret of leading a happy life?
I know it might sound a little cliché, but I believe the secret to a happy life is following your dreams. Working toward them and never giving up are the goals worth pursuing.
If you could return to your undergraduate/graduate student years, what advice would you give to your younger self?
The most important advice I would give to myself is to never hesitate to ask questions. We may fall easily into the trap of thinking that we should figure out everything on our own. Yet, there is so much value in learning from the experience of others. We should consider seeking guidance a sign of curiosity and growth instead of a sign of weakness.
If you had unlimited funds, what would you like to research?
If I had unlimited funds, I would work on marketing-related topics with important policy implications. For instance, investigating how firms from emerging economies can cooperate with regulators to promote sustainability practices would greatly enhance our understanding of this area.
