The American Innovation Behind Modern Branding

Wharton professor Patti Williams reflects on the history, impact, and future of advertising and modern branding as part of Knowledge at Wharton's "American Business Innovation" series ahead of the USA's 250th anniversary. She explains how advertising and brand-building strategies transformed products into trusted identities, helping businesses build consumer trust, create lasting brand value, and scale their reach through mass advertising.

Williams is Vice Dean of Wharton Executive Education and the Ira A. Lipman Associate Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School. She received her BA from Stanford University and her MBA and PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to joining Wharton, she was an assistant professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business, and she has been a visiting scholar at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Patti’s research focuses on the role of emotions in consumer decision making and has appeared in the Journal of Consumer Research, the Journal of Marketing Research, and the Journal of Consumer Psychology, among others. She is the president of the Society for Consumer Psychology.

ABOUT THE SERIES As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, hear from Wharton faculty experts as they explore the American business innovations that transformed industries, reshaped markets, and changed the way the world works. From the assembly line and modern branding to the internet and artificial intelligence, this series examines the ideas and institutions that helped define American enterprise and continue to influence business today.

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