Zhenling Jiang

Assistant Professor of Marketing

Biography

Zhenling Jiang is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Her research program bridges substantive inquiries into consumer financial markets with methodological innovations that integrate machine learning and econometrics. She specifically investigates how market frictions—such as behavioral biases, information asymmetry, and intermediary incentives—shape outcomes in high-stakes sectors like auto loans and mortgages. These real-world challenges drive her to develop scalable empirical tools, including neural network estimators, that can process unstructured data while maintaining the essential ability to simulate policy counterfactuals. Ultimately, her work seeks to promote market efficiency and financial equity by providing a more rigorous understanding of modern market dynamics.

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Interests

Integrating Machine Learning with Econometric Models
Consumer Financial Markets and Lending
Market Intervention for Equity and Inclusion

Education

Ph.D. in Marketing, 2013 - 2019

Washington University in St. Louis
M.A. in International Economics and Finance, 2006 - 2008

Brandeis University
B.A. in Economics, 2002 - 2006

Nankai University

Journal Articles

Rachel Gershon, Zhenling Jiang (2025). Referral Contagion: Downstream Benefits of Customer Referrals. Journal of Marketing Research, 62 (1), 97-116.

DOI Abstract Harvard Business Review

Yanhao Wei, Zhenling Jiang (2025). Estimating Parameters of Structural Models Using Neural Networks. Marketing Science, 44 (1), 102-128.

Code DOI

Zhenling Jiang, Yanhao 'Max' Wei, Tat Chan, Naser Hamdi (2023). Designing Dealer Compensation in the Auto Loan Market: Implications from a Policy Experiment. Marketing Science, 42 (5), 958-983.

DOI Abstract

Tat Chan, Naser Hamdi, Xiang Hui, Zhenling Jiang (2022). The Value of Verified Employment Data for Consumer Lending: Evidence from Equifax. Marketing Science, 41 (4), 367-386.

DOI Abstract

Zhenling Jiang (2022). An Empirical Bargaining Model with Left-digit Bias: A Study on Auto Loan Monthly Payments. Management Science, 68 (1), 442–465.

DOI Abstract Finalist - Frank M. Bass Dissertation Paper Award

Zhenling Jiang, Dennis J. Zhang, Tat Chan (2021). How Does Bonus Payment Affect Auto Loan Demand and Delinquency?. Journal of Marketing Research, 58 (3), 476-496.

DOI Abstract The New York Times

Arun Gopalakrishnan, Zhenling Jiang, Yulia Nevskaya, Raphael Thomadsen (2021). Can Non-tiered Customer Loyalty Programs Be Profitable?. Marketing Science, 40 (3), 508-526.

DOI Abstract

Zhenling Jiang, Tat Chan, Hai Che, Youwei Wang (2021). Consumer Search and Purchase: An Empirical Investigation of Retargeting Based on Consumer Online Behaviors. Marketing Science, 40 (2), 219-240.

DOI Abstract