Jenna Drenten, PhD

Jenna Drenten (PhD, University of Georgia) is Associate Professor of Marketing in the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University Chicago. Jenna is a consumer sociologist and expert in digital consumer culture, gender, and identity. Her current research examines how digital technologies and social media platforms (e.g., TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, Cameo, Venmo) present new opportunities for consumers to express their identities and navigate life transitions. Jenna's research has explored how celebrity culture, influencer marketing, sharenting in the digital age, body and beauty ideals, crowdfunding, video gaming, memes and more. Her research has appeared in top academic journals and has been featured in the Financial Times, Mashable, and VICE, among others. She teaches courses on social media and brand storytelling, integrated marketing communications, and digital consumer culture.

Sub-specialities:
body ideals in social media; TikTok marketing and trends; the cultural implications of cashless payment systems (e.g., Venmo, CashApp, OnlyFans); reality television and celebrity culture; virtual / CGI influencers; celebrities on Cameo; youth culture and rites of passage; women's experiences in video gaming; family rituals and digital technologies; social media use for health information (e.g., breast cancer, mental health, eating disorders)