Helen Chun’s passion is to understand human behavior—the motivations and emotions of consumers—and strategies for marketing and consumer satisfaction.

When we think of a good consumer experience, we’re apt to think of the experience itself—going to a movie, eating a good meal, or staying at a nice hotel. But the pleasure of that experience, says Helen Chun, Cornell School of Hotel Administration, extends beyond the boundaries of the event itself.

“I’m looking at what happens before the consumer arrives at your property, the pre-consumption stage, and then what happens after the visit, the post-consumption stage,” Chun says. “It’s a more holistic view of consumer experience that has provided many exciting research opportunities.”

Understanding the motivations and emotions of consumers is Chun’s passion, partly because consumer behavior is a way of understanding herself and the world. “At the end of the day, I’m a consumer,” she says. “Ideas often come up as I observe cues in my daily life. It could be at the grocery store or at a restaurant. My research is an exploration into motivations behind human behaviors.”

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