The Hidden Science of Social-Media Creatives: Optimizing Visuals and Content for Impact
Prof. Canice KWAN
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Nottingham University Business School
University of Nottingham
Date: 15 December 2025 (Monday)
Time: 11:30-13:00
Venue: E22-G010
Host: Prof. Kao SI, Associate Professor in Marketing
Abstract
As generative AI dramatically lowers the cost and speed of producing marketing content, the real challenge for brands is no longer creation but optimization. Marketers now face a critical question: What truly makes a visual or message effective, and what do consumers actually see? Surprisingly, many fundamental questions about how people process information remain unanswered. In this seminar, I draw on insights from my recent publication to illustrate how cutting-edge analytical techniques are transforming marketing communications from an imprecise creative art into a data-driven science. I will discuss how text and imagery—as well as visual aesthetics and content—interact, why optimizing one without the other is no longer sufficient, and how deeper psychological understanding can guide smarter, more adaptive marketing strategies. The talk introduces a replicable approach for addressing emerging challenges in digital communication and invites collaborative exploration of new research directions in visual marketing and automated content optimization.
Speaker
Prof. Canice M. C. Kwan is an Assistant Professor of Marketing, Tourism, and Analytics at the University of Nottingham. Her research covers a diversity of domains and areas related to consumer behaviours, ranging from judgment and decision making to information processing. Specifically, she is dedicated to three tracks in marketing and psychology: (1) visual communications, social media, and digital marketing, (2) sustainability and prosocial behaviours, and (3) human decision making. Her works have been published in leading marketing journals such as Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, and Journal of Business Research. She has also been granted the best paper award in some major international conferences such as America Marketing Association (AMA) Summer Educator Conference.
All are welcome!
