Estefanía
Ballester Chirica

Dr Estefania Ballester is a Lecturer in Marketing at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), where she teaches courses in digital marketing, corporate communication, and branding within the Faculty of Economics and Business. She is also an active member of the UOC’s Digital Business Research Group (DigiBiz). Dr Ballester earned her Doctoral Degree in Marketing (with International Mention) from the University de Valencia, where she previously taught courses covering consumer behaviour, tourism marketing, and market research. Her academic journey also includes a role as a Visiting Researcher at the Adam Smith Business School at the University of Glasgow. Dr Ballester’s research centers on digital marketing, with a particular focus on consumer behavior, branding, and corporate communication in online environments. She investigates how social media and influencers shape brand perception and consumer decision-making, while also exploring how data and digital platforms can be leveraged to create innovative and sustainable brands. Her work has been published in top-tier journals (indexed in JCR and Scopus), including the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Journal of Product & Brand Management, and Journal of Tourism and Services. She has participated in various competitive research projects and has shared her findings at over twenty-five international conferences. In her editorial roles, she serves as an associate editor for the Spanish Journal of Marketing – ESIC and reviews for leading journals such as the Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management and Journal of Product & Brand Management. She also evaluates doctoral theses for the International Marketing Trends Conference. Her doctoral research was distinguished by receiving both the Extraordinary Doctorate Award and the Best Doctoral Thesis Award from the University of Valencia in 2025, in recognition of the quality and impact of her research on brand engagement in social media. Her research has been supported by pre-doctoral and post-doctoral competitive fellowships from the Talent Attraction programme at the University of Valencia.