Diego Alvarado-Karste
Dr. Diego Alvarado-Karste
marketing professor · Utah Valley University · consumer psychology & brand relationships
brand rivalries persuasion emotions tipping behavior identity AI & authenticity
the magazine
When I was twelve, my mom started buying me Conozca Más — "Know More." Every month, without fail.
the dream
Those pages were full of discoveries, and every story ended the same way: researchers at Harvard. A study from UCLA. I had no idea what those people did. I wanted to be one of them anyway.
forgetting
Life went on. I didn't learn what a Ph.D. even was until I left Ecuador for my MBA. By then I had forgotten the dream entirely.
the push
My wife saw it before I did. She pushed me toward the Ph.D. when I couldn't see the path myself. Leaving wasn't easy — my mom was one of the few who didn't want me to go. My wife and our oldest son came with me anyway.
the hard years
The twins were born while I was still finishing the dissertation. For three months we cared for all three boys alone on two hours of sleep a night, half out of our minds. Somehow we made it through.
now
I'm a researcher. I publish work on how people feel, choose, and connect with brands. And somewhere, I hope, a kid is reading something with my name in it — dreaming of a path they don't yet know how to find.
For my mom, who first made me wonder. For my wife and my boys, who made it real. And for that kid.
pubs
click a drawing to read the paper
head vs. heart
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J. Product & Brand Management · 2020

The effect of brand identity–cognitive style fit and social influence on consumer-based brand equity

With Francisco Guzmán. Rational brand identities resonate more with analytic thinkers; emotional identities with intuitive ones. But what really drives brand equity is whether consumers identify with or internalize the brand's values — not just whether the message is emotional or rational.

anatomy of a rivalry
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J. Product & Brand Management · 2022

The anatomy of a rivalry: the role of resentment in the development of brand attitudes

With Blair Kidwell. Rivalries are fueled by resentment rooted in perceived injustice. When consumers see one brand treat another unfairly, they side with the underdog. A past-focused mindset intensifies this; a future focus attenuates it.

the rivalry effect
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Advances in Consumer Research · 2021

The rivalry effect: emotional intensity and confrontational interactions on purchase intentions

With Blair Kidwell. A rivalry is defined by two factors: emotional intensity and confrontational interactions. Together they generate brand interest, which drives purchase intentions — but only for consumers with a high need for external stimulation.

political correctness
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European Journal of Marketing · 2024

Investigating the effects of political correctness in social marketing messaging

With Guzmán, Ahmad, Strutton & Kennedy. Politically correct health messages are more persuasive than politically incorrect ones. The effect works through consumers' attitudes and perceived manipulative capacity, and is strongest in gain-framed messages.

androgynous choices
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Marketing Letters · 2025

When and why consumers prefer androgynous choices

With Niusha Jones & Blair Kidwell. Consumers prefer choices that pair a feminine brand name with a masculine design (or vice versa) because they fulfill both agency and communion motives. Traditional gender norms moderate this preference.

brand retailer consumer
power dynamics
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Marketing Intelligence & Planning · 2025

Whose customer is it anyway? Exploring firm power dynamics in consumer markets

With Richard Conde. Introduces the power × persuasion framework. High-persuasion environments drive innovation; low-persuasion leads to price wars. Firms that build consumer influence reduce dependency on trading partners.

active research
what's on the bench right now

brand rivalries

Extended rivalry model — confrontational interactions and consumer-inferred emotionality.

under review · EJM

psychological ownership

How ownership cues in rental and service contexts shape customer attitudes and behavior.

in progress
tips

tipping behavior

Systematic review of tipping antecedents — altruistic vs. reciprocity-motivated tippers.

under review · JBR

AI threat & authenticity

When AI feels threatening, do consumers seek handmade, local, human-crafted products as compensation?

in progress
citations
from Google Scholar
193 citations 4 h-index 2 i10-index view on Google Scholar →
ideas
working thoughts — seeds for future research

can a brand feel betrayed?

Consumers anthropomorphize brands — does that extend to perceiving relational injury when a rival "wins"? What are the downstream effects on loyalty?

the dark side of caring in service economies

Employees who care more for their customers may receive less negative feedback — the very feedback they would need to improve. Does warmth quietly suppress the criticism that drives service quality?

retail power as a persuasion variable

As DTC grows, brand-retail power shifts. How does "who controls the shelf" reshape consumer persuasion models?

ownership without possession

Subscriptions create psychological ownership without legal title. What happens to that ownership when the service ends?

androgyny in gendered categories

Androgynous branding works in neutral categories — but what about pickup trucks or luxury fragrances?

let's explore ideas together

Interested in collaborating or want to pitch an idea? Researchers at all stages welcome.

got it — I'll be in touch soon.
teaching
courses taught at undergraduate level
UVU

Social Media Marketing

UVU

Content Marketing

UNT

Product & Brand Management

UNT

Consumer Behavior

Best Teaching Award nomination — Utah Valley University
contact
open to collaborations and manuscript review

where to find me

Woodbury School of Business
Utah Valley University
Orem, Utah, USA

Originally from Cuenca, Ecuador

get in touch

diego.alvaradokarste@uvu.edu Google Scholar LinkedIn UVU Faculty Profile