Rate My Professor Fred Chao

Dr. Fred Chao, known fully as Chih-Wei (Fred) Chao, is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing within the Newcastle Business School at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He currently serves as the Program Convenor for the Master of Marketing and Digital Strategy. Chao earned his Doctor of Philosophy from Monash University. His professional career began as an Assistant Lecturer in the Faculty of Business and Law at Monash University from January 2011 to December 2011. Subsequently, he joined the University of Newcastle as a Lecturer from August 2012 to December 2020, advancing to his current position as Senior Lecturer. In addition to teaching and research, Chao has taken on significant academic leadership roles, including Bachelor of Business (Honours) Program Convenor, Academic Articulation Student Liaison, Newcastle International College Liaison, member of the Faculty Board, Digital Capability Framework Development Team, and Health & Safety Committee from 2017 to 2019. He has extensive experience in program management, curriculum design, and institutional governance.

Chao's research specializations center on consumer behaviour and decision-making, particularly digital marketing, influencer marketing, social media engagement, innovation adoption, and consumer psychology, including perception, trust, risk, and information processing in digital environments. His investigations cover live-stream marketing, online opinion leaders, and technology-enabled consumption, bridging theory and practical industry insights. He supervises Higher Degree Research candidates in consumer behaviour, digital marketing, and innovation adoption, with nine successful completions. Chao teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses such as Principles of Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, Integrated Marketing Communication, Marketing Research, Customer Decision Making, and International Marketing, utilizing active learning strategies including blended learning, interactive discussions, films, and real-world cases. His publications feature prominently in peer-reviewed journals, with over 800 citations. Key works include "Effects of in-store live stream on consumers' offline purchase intention" (2023, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services), "Experience intensification to purchase intentions of derivative works in service-intensive industries: An empirical study" (2024, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services), "A systematic literature review of live-stream influencer marketing: theories, motivational factors and future research directions" (2025, Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics), "Does Consumer Innovativeness Matter in Electrified Vehicle? The Moderation Role of Consumer Involvement" (2022, Journal of International Consumer Marketing), and "Strategic recommendations for new product adoption in the Chinese market" (2020, Journal of Strategic Marketing).