Dr. Cele C. Otnes is Professor of Business Administration and Investors in Business Education Professor as well as Professor of Advertising in the College of Business at the University of Illinois. She earned a Ph.D. in communications from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1990.
Professor Otnes teaches courses in consumer behavior, retailing, and promotions. Her primary area of research interest is in the study of ritual-based consumer behavior (e.g., gift giving, weddings, Christmas planning), and how advertising and marketing both shape these rituals.
Dr. Otnes is co-author with E. Pleck of Cinderella Dreams: The Allure of the Lavish Wedding, as well as articles in such journals as the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Advertising, and Journal of Retailing. She has published a number of book chapters related to her research, and to qualitative methods.
Dr. Otnes is a member of the American Academy of Advertising, serving as secretary in 1994; the Association for Consumer Research; the American Marketing Association; and the Society for Consumer Psychology. She has served on the editorial review boards of the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Advertising, and Journal of Interactive Advertising.
Professor Otnes has received a number of awards including Outstanding Teacher in the College of Communications at UIUCE in 1994 and 1998.