Tao (Tony) Deng
BIO
Tao (Tony) Deng holds an MA in Communication from Marquette University and an MSSc in Media Management from Hong Kong Baptist University. He received his PhD in Information and Media, with a specialization in advertising, from Michigan State University.
Prior to joining academic, Tony accumulated over ten years of professional experience working as an editor for China Daily and Guangzhou Daily, and later in advertising agencies in Hong Kong. His research interests include cross-cultural advertising appeal and strategies, consumer psychophysiological responses to marketing messages, and interactive and digital advertising.
Tony's work reflects a strong interest in technological changes in advertising, where AI has become fully embedded across the entire process rather than remaining as a passing trend. As advertising enters the post-AI era, he sees both advertising education and scholarship as needing to evolve accordingly. His work engages new technologies and current industry practices while encouraging critical thinking about strategy, creativity, and the broader implications for consumers and society.
Selected Publications
Deng, T., Chu, S.C., Stafford, M.R., & Cheng, H. (2025). The role of mortality salience in tourism marketing messages during a global health crisis. Tourism and Hospitality Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/14673584241313338
Uysal, N., & Deng, T. (2025). The new brave world of public relations: the impact of organizational dynamics on adoption of AI. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 19(2), 303-323. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2024.2447019
Deng, T., Ekachai, D., & Grow, J. (2019). Coca-Cola: Globalizing Gender. Decoding Coca-Cola: A Biography of a Global Brand, Crawford, R., Brennan, L. & Khamis, S. (eds.), Routledge, N.Y. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2023.2270534
Deng, T., Kanthawala, S., Meng, J., Peng, W., Kononova, A., Hao, Q., Zhang, Q., & David, P. (2018). Measuring smartphone usage and task-switching with objective tracking and self-reports: An exploratory study. Mobile Media & Communication, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2050157918761491
Deng, T. & Grow, J. (2018). Gender segregation revealed: Five years of Red Books data tell a global story. Advertising & Society Quarterly, 19(3). https://muse.jhu.edu/article/704486