Teaching/Research Interests:

Social Media Content Strategy

Brand Personality

Political Branding

The Impact of Audience Skepticism on Message Persuasion

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) Strategy

Measuring IMC Campaign Effectiveness/ROI

The Role of Big Data/AI in Communication

Cross-Cultural Consumer Behavior

Global Marketing

Global Brand Development

Innovative Leadership and Managing Risk in Conditions of Uncertainty

Creative Culture in Organizations

As an academic, Erika has presented and published in the areas of global brand image development, social media branding and cross-cultural consumer behavior.  With a passion for education, Erika has taught at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive levels at leading universities in the Northwest and Southern California.  She has combined industry experience with roles as a full and part-time professor (and lecturer) in Communications, Marketing and International Business at universities including: California Lutheran University, Linfield College, Pepperdine University, University of Southern California and Washington State University.

Fascinated with culture, global business and communication, Erika began her career in global trade facilitating professional educational exchanges in the former Soviet Union, Europe and China.  Her research and professional interest in global communications and branding soon led her to enter the agency world in Los Angeles.  For over 20 years, Erika worked as a consultant for and leader within small and large global agencies including two agencies within the Interpublic Group of Companies.  In multiple roles, she contributed a diverse array of strategic brand communications programs and directed research studies for nonprofits and global brands.  An advocate for innovative research, she led teams to actionable insights supporting break through campaigns with measurable short- and long-term results.  Clients have included Sony Pictures Entertainment, TBS/Warner Brothers, Toyota, Mazda, Microsoft, Intel, Amadeus, Cedars Sinai, Prime Healthcare, Los Angeles County Department of Health, UCLA-Anderson, Loyola Marymount University, University of Southern California, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Flex Your Power, The Presidential Climate Action Plan, Metropolitan Water District and First 5 California. Dr. Fischer has a special interest in the nexus of technology, data and integrated marketing communication.

Erika holds a B.A. in International Business (including study at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark) and a Ph.D. Marketing from Washington State University (GO COUGS!).She has also completed a Masters in Global Management from Thunderbird (American Graduate School of International Management, now part of A.S.U.) and a language certificate from the Goethe Institute in Salzburg, Austria.

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