Holden Gaylor

Holden Gaylor is a first-year doctoral student in advertising at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His research examines how emerging technologies shape the way consumers view and respond to brands. He is particularly interested in artificial intelligence, immersive media, brand authenticity, and consumer trust. His work explores how people evaluate brands that use new technologies in advertising and creative production, including whether those
efforts feel innovative, authentic, transparent, or misleading.

Before beginning his doctoral studies, Holden earned a Master of Arts in Brand and Media Strategy and bachelor’s degrees in media and communication and marketing from East Tennessee State University. His master’s thesis, Immersive Influence: Examining the Impact of Virtual Reality on Brand Perception Among the Innovation Generation, examined how branded virtual reality experiences affected engagement, authenticity, trust, and brand perception. Holden’s professional background includes higher education, marketing strategy, brand communication, content development, and media production.

He has taught courses in principles of marketing, media strategy, media and society, writing for public relations, and brand communication. He has also developed marketing and communication initiatives for businesses, nonprofit organizations, universities, and regional brands. His long-term goal is to better understand how consumers make sense of technology in brand communication. He hopes his research can contribute to advertising theory while also helping brands use emerging technologies in more thoughtful and credible ways.