Pinar Yildirim

Assistant Professor of Marketing

Contact Information

Primary Email:
pyild@wharton.upenn.edu
Office Phone:
1 (215) 746-2369

office Address:
748 Jon M. Huntsman Hall
3730 Walnut Street
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6304

Research Interests: advertising, industrial organization, media, news media, open innovation, political economy, privacy, social media, social networks, two-sided matching

Links: Personal Website, SSRN Page, Google Scholar

Overview

My Wharton page is updated very infrequently. For up to date information about my research please visit here.

Pinar Yildirim is Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School and Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute at the University of Pennsylvania.

Pinar’s research areas are technology, media and information economics. She focuses on applied theory and applied economics of online platforms, advertising, networks, media, and politics. Her research appeared in top management and marketing journals including Marketing Science, Journal of Marketing Research, Management Science, and Journal of Marketing. She has received numerous grants and honors from institutions like the NET Institute, Royal Economic Society, Marketing Science Institute Young Scholar Award, Seenu Srinivasan Young Scholar Award in Quantitative Methodology and the Erin Anderson Award for Emerging Mentor and Scholar. Her research has been covered by numerous media outlets such as NPR, Forbes, Politico, Vox, San Francisco Chronicle. She is on the Editorial Board of Marketing Science and Journal of Marketing Research, leading academic journals of marketing.

Pinar collaborates with a number of large and small firms for her research. She holds a PhD degree in Marketing and Business Economics and another PhD degree in Industrial Engineering, both from the University of Pittsburgh.

She is teaching within the Wharton Executive Education, MBA, and undergraduate programs and is a frequent contributor for Knowledge@Wharton and Wharton Business Radio.

Research

For up to date information on my research please visit www.pinaryildirim.com

Pinar Yildirim (2020), Social Network Design for Inducing Effort, Quantitative Marketing and Economics.
Pinar Yildirim, Are Political and Charitable Giving Substitutes? Evidence from the United States.
Abstract: We provide evidence that individuals substitute between political contributions and charitable contributions, using micro data from the American Red Cross and Federal Election Commission. First, we find that foreign natural disasters, which are positive shocks to charitable giving, crowd out political giving. Second, we show that political advertisement campaigns, which are positive shocks to political giving, crowd out charitable giving. Our evidence suggests that individuals give to political and charitable causes to satisfy similar needs, and some of the drivers of charitable giving, such as other-regarding preferences, may be driving political giving too.
Pinar Yildirim (2018), Optimizing online recurring promotions for dual-channel retailers: Segmented markets with multiple objectives, European Journal of Operations Research.
Pinar Yildirim (Working), Could “Less” Be “More” in Signaling Wealth?.
Hanna Halaburda, Mikolaj Jan Piskorski, Pinar Yildirim (2016), Competing by Restricting Choice: The Case of Search Platforms, Management Science.
Pinar Yildirim, Jessie Liu, Z. John Zhang (Working), Conspicuous Consumption on the Long Tail: How can luxury brands benefit from counterfeits?.
Pinar Yildirim, Jennifer Shang, Guoquan Zhang (2016), Optimal Pricing for Group Buying with Network Effects, Omega, 63 (September), pp. 69-82.
Maria Petrova, Ananya Sen, Pinar Yildirim (2016), Social Media and Political Donations: New Technology and Incumbency Advantage in the United States, Management Science .
Pinar Yildirim, Yanhao Wei, Tong Lu (Under Review), Social Networks for Nudges: Optimal Design of Communities to Motivate Consumer Behavior.
Yanhao Wei, Pinar Yildirim, Christophe Van den Bulte, Chrysanthos Dellarocas (2016), Credit Scoring with Social Network Data, Marketing Science, 35 (2), pp. 234-258.
Abstract: Motivated by the growing practice of using social network data in credit scoring, this study analyzes the impact of using network based measures on customer score accuracy and on tie formation among customers. We develop a series of models to compare the accuracy of customer scores obtained with and without network data. We also investigate how the accuracy of social network based scores changes when individuals can strategically construct their social networks to attain higher credit scores. We find that, if individuals are motivated to improve their scores, they may form fewer ties and focus them on more similar partners. The impact of such endogenous tie formation on the accuracy of consumer credit scores is ambiguous. Scores can become more accurate as a result of modications in social networks, but this accuracy improvement may come with greater network fragmentation. The threat of social exclusion in such endogenously formed networks provides incentives to low type members to exert effort that improves everyone's creditworthiness. We discuss implications for both managers and public policy.

Teaching

Professor Yildirim teaches Marketing Research in the Wharton Undergraduate and Graduate Program.

Past Courses

MKTG212 - DATA & ANLZ FOR MKTG DEC
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of data-driven marketing, including topics from marketing research and analytics. It examines the many different sources of data available to marketers, including data from customer transactions, surveys, pricing, advertising, and A/B testing, and how to use those data to guide decision-making. Through real-world applications from various industries, including hands-on analyses using modern data analysis tools, students will learn how to formulate marketing problems as testable hypotheses, systematically gather data, and apply statistical tools to yield actionable marketing insights.
MKTG247 - MKTG STRGY TECH PLATFORM
This course focuses on the unique aspects of creating effective marketing and management strategies for technology-intensive on-line and off-line businesses. It addresses the effective competitive marketing strategies for winning in markets which are powered by technology: specifically, how firms create value for customers and how they can integrate technology in delivering a better consumer experience. While competitive marketing strategy is important for all managers, this course will be particularly useful to students who are planning to accept a position in leading technology companies, and marketing firms in which technology is likely to play an important role. In addition, the course will provide value to those who expect to work in consulting or investing in technology industries, and must analyze firm strategies. Must be Sophomore standing.
MKTG277 - MARKETING STRATEGY
This course views marketing as both a general management responsibility and an orientation of an organization that helps one to create, capture and sustain customer value. The focus is on the business unit and its network of channels, customer relationships, and alliances. Specifically, the course attempts to help develop knowledge and skills in the application of advanced marketing frameworks, concepts, and methods for making strategic choices at the business level.
MKTG712 - DATA & ANLZ FOR MKTG DEC
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of data-driven marketing, including topics from marketing research and analytics. It examines the many different sources of data available to marketers, including data from customer transactions, surveys, pricing, advertising, and A/B testing, and how to use those data to guide decision-making. Through real-world applications from various industries, including hands-on analyses using modern data analysis tools, students will learn how to formulate marketing problems as testable hypotheses, systematically gather data, and apply statistical tools to yield actionable marketing insights.
MKTG747 - MKTG STRGY TECH PLATFORM
This course focuses on the unique aspects of creating effective marketing and management strategies for technology-intensive on-line and off-line businesses. It addresses the effective competitive marketing strategies for winning in markets which are powered by technology: specifically, how firms create value for customers and how they can integrate technology in delivering a better consumer experience. While competitive marketing strategy is important for all managers, this course will be particularly useful to students who are planning to accept a position in leading technology companies, and marketing firms in which technology is likely to play an important role. In addition, the course will provide value to those who expect to work in consulting or investing in technology industries, and must analyze firm strategies.
MKTG777 - MARKETING STRATEGY
This course views marketing as both a general management responsibility and an orientation of an organization that helps one to create, capture and sustain customer value. The focus is on the business unit and its network of channels, customer relationships, and alliances. Specifically, the course attempts to help develop knowledge and skills in the application of advanced marketing frameworks, concepts, and methods for making strategic choices at the business level.
MKTG899 - INDEPENDENT STUDY
A student contemplating an independent study project must first find a faculty member who agrees to supervise and approve the student's written proposal as an independent study (MKTG 899). If a student wishes the proposed work to be used to meet the ASP requirement, he/she should then submit the approved proposal to the MBA adviser who will determine if it is an appropriate substitute. Such substitutions will only be approved prior to the beginning of the semester.
MKTG995 - DISSERTATION
MKTG999 - INDEPENDENT STUDY
Requires written permission of instructor and the department graduate adviser.

Awards and Honors

Erin Anderson Award, 2020
MSI Young Scholar, 2016
Mack Institute Research Grant, 2014
Dean’s Research Grant, 2014
Zicklin Center Research Support, 2014
ISMS Doctoral Consortium – Faculty Fellow, 2013
Wharton- Dean’s Research Fund Recipient, 2013
Wharton Mack Center Research Funding Support, 2013
Wharton Public Policy Initiative Summer Research Program Grant, 2013
Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society, 2012
Wharton Customer Analytics Initiative, American Red Cross Grant, 2012
INFORMS Future Academician Colloquium Fellow, 2008 Description
AMA-Sheth Foundation Doctoral Consortium Fellow, 2008 Description
University of Pittsburgh Honoree, 2008 Description

Activity

Latest Research

Pinar Yildirim (2020), Social Network Design for Inducing Effort, Quantitative Marketing and Economics.

All Research

In the News

How Social Media Is Shaping Political Campaigns

Political newcomers can leverage social media to raise money and gain recognition, which could help them compete against incumbents, according to new research co-authored by Wharton’s Pinar Yildirim.

Knowledge @ Wharton - 2020/08/17

All News

Awards and Honors

Erin Anderson Award 2020

All Awards

Pinar Yildirim

Contact Information

Overview

My Wharton page is updated very infrequently. For up to date information about my research please visit here.

Research

Teaching

Past Courses

MKTG212 - DATA & ANLZ FOR MKTG DEC

MKTG247 - MKTG STRGY TECH PLATFORM

MKTG277 - MARKETING STRATEGY

MKTG712 - DATA & ANLZ FOR MKTG DEC

MKTG747 - MKTG STRGY TECH PLATFORM

MKTG777 - MARKETING STRATEGY

MKTG899 - INDEPENDENT STUDY

MKTG995 - DISSERTATION

MKTG999 - INDEPENDENT STUDY

Awards and Honors

In the News

Knowledge @ Wharton

Activity

Latest Research

In the News

Awards and Honors