Areas of Expertise

Live Streaming, Influencer Marketing, Freemium, Mobile Marketing, Market Competition

Academic Degrees

• Ph.D. in Marketing 2019, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
• M.A. Economics 2014, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
• Bachelor of Economics 2012, Peking University, Beijing, China

Awards, Honors & Certificates

• IU Trustee Teaching Award (2025)
• Kelley School of Business Research Award (2023)
• ISMS Early Career Scholars Camp Fellow (2023)
• Donald R. Lehmann Award (2022)
• Runner up, Donald R. Lehmann Award (2019)
• Finalist, AMS Mary Kay Dissertation Proposal Award (2019)
• Finalist, Marketing Science Institute/H. Paul Root Award (2018)
• AMA Sheth Doctoral Consortium Fellow (2018)
• Haring Symposium Fellow (2018)
• Winner, Shankar-Spiegel Best Dissertation Proposal Award (2017)
• Robert Mittelstaedt Doctoral Symposium Fellow (2017)
• INFORMS Marketing Science Doctoral Consortium Fellow (2016)

Selected Publications

• Gu, X., and Kannan, P. K. (2025). Identifying Competitors in Geographical Markets using the CSIS Method. Journal of Marketing Research, 62(4), 684-702.
• Gu, X., Bu, J., and Li, K. J. (2025). Old but Gold? Product Design Innovation and the Value of Used Products in Secondhand Markets. Production and Operations Management, in press.

  Abstract

  Abstract

  An important global trend today is the rise of the secondhand market powered by consumers’ desire for sustainability and affordability, as well as a surge in the use of digital resale platforms. While marketing research has primarily focused on the success of new product markets, scant research has tried to understand secondhand markets. To advance knowledge in this area, we investigate how product design innovation affects the value of used products in secondhand markets. Specifically, we develop a framework of the  intertemporal distinctiveness of a used product’s design, defined as the extent to which the design of a used product is distinct from the newest design of the same product. We use image-processing software to analyze product pictures and quantify the intertemporal distinctiveness of design. Analyzing a unique dataset of used cars sold in the U.S. automotive market, we find a U-shaped relationship between the intertemporal distinctiveness of design and the resale price of used products. Moreover, we find that the effect of intertemporal distinctiveness is moderated by the  within-category distinctiveness of a used product, defined as the extent to which a used product’s design is distinct from other used products in the same product category. This study contributes to the research on product design and the determinants of resale prices, providing practical implications for consumers, manufacturers, and dealers. 

• Gu, X., Cao, J., and Fang, Y. (2025). Review Manipulation and Filtering on Digital Platforms. Information Systems Research, in press.
• Gu, X., Zhang, X., and Kannan, P. K. (2024). Influencer Mix Strategies in Livestream Commerce: Impact on Product Sales. Journal of Marketing, 88(4), 64–83.
• Gu, X. and Kannan, P. K. (2021). The Dark Side of Mobile App Adoption: Examining the Impact on Customers' Multichannel Purchase. Journal of Marketing Research, 58(2), 246–264.
• Gu, X., Kannan, P. K., and Ma, L. (2018). Selling the Premium in Freemium. Journal of Marketing, 82(6), 10-27.

Edited on December 5, 2025