How Debt is Marketed to You, with John Dinsmore, PhD

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is John Dinsmore, PhD. Fear of failure can be a powerful motivator. John never intended to become a marketing expert. During college and beyond John was in a rock band called “Fried Moose.” He tells us that, at the time, he was so afraid of letting his bandmates and family members down as he pursued a career in music that he threw himself into band promotion and merchandising. That fear-driven hustle accidentally built the exact skills that would later land John his first marketing job and eventually make him a professor who is focused on financial decision-making.

John Dinsmore is a Professor of Marketing at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio and author of The Marketing of Debt: How They Get You.

He is regularly featured in publications such as Forbes, CIO, CBS Marketwatch and US News & World Report for his market commentary and is a frequent conference speaker at organizations such as the American Marketing Association and the Association for Consumer Research.

At Wright State, Professor Dinsmore teaches a variety of courses including Digital Marketing, Strategy and Creativity & Problem-Solving, garnering multiple teaching awards. He has provided executive training services to the United States Air Force and Speedway Corporation. His academic research primarily focuses on financial decision-making, methods of payment, and mobile applications, having been published in academic journals including Psychology & Marketing, Journal of Business Research and International Journal of Research in Marketing.  He also recently wrote a chapter for the Handbook of Experimental Finance.

Dinsmore has published business cases designated at “Best Sellers” by Harvard Publishing focusing on strategy and analytics. These cases are taught in MBA programs across North America, Europe, Asia, and South America at institutions such as University of Chicago, Peking University, and King’s College. This Fall, he will be a featured speaker at TEDx-Dayton to discuss his research on financial decision-making.

Prior to earning his PhD, John Dinsmore worked in the marketing industry for 14 years in various roles. Dinsmore holds a BA in Political Science from James Madison University, an MBA in Marketing & Finance from University of Georgia, and a PhD in Marketing from University of Cincinnati. He lives in Dayton, Ohio with his wife, two sons, and a gigantic bulldog named Creed.