Email: yanliu10@illinois.edu
Research Interests
Anna studies emerging technologies, data and quantification, persuasion, and strategic communication. Her research follows two lines: (1) Broadly, how emerging technologies transform content generation and media exposure in strategic communication. More specifically, how AI-generated summaries (AIGS) synthesize information, how they transform strategic communication message and media strategies in the contexts of social media, search engines, and online review platforms, as well as how consumers process the synthesized and streamlined information in AIGS. Additionally, her research on generative AI (GenAI) also explores GenAI and users’ information-seeking, as well as GenAI and creativity. (2) Broadly, Anna studies the social impact of data and quantification in strategic communication. More specifically, how brands and organizations communicate numerical data effectively and ethically in persuasive messages, and how to leverage regulatory forces and consumers’ data literacy to strengthen consumer protection.
She employs a mixed-method approach, using computational methods (e.g., computer vision, machine learning, sentiment analysis, etc.), traditional quantitative (e.g., experiment, survey, content analysis), and qualitative methods (e.g., interview, netnography) in her research.
She has 5 years of professional experience in the marketing research industry. Before joining ICR, Anna was a Senior Research Manager at Ipsos (Beijing office), one of the world’s top three marketing research firms, where she conducted research on brands, advertising, media, products, and consumers using a various methods, including survey, experiment, content analysis, focus group, in-depth interview, observation, home visit, shop-along, consumer diary, eye-tracking, social media analytics, etc.
Anna earned a B.A. in journalism from Renmin University of China and an M.S.S.c. in advertising from Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Recent Publications/Presentations
Baptiste, P.*, Fukada, M.*, Lee, Y.*, Liu, A. Y.*, & Nelson, M. R.* (In press). How Audiences Negotiate the Changing Streaming Video Landscape: Accepting or Avoiding Advertising Depends on Your Advertising Socialization. Advertising & Society Quarterly.
Liu, A. Y. & Zhang, M. M. (2026). Positivity Bias in AI-Generated Summaries of User-Generated Content: Exploring Its Sources and Impact on Public Sentiment. Computational Communication Research. https://doi.org/10.5117/CCR2026.2.4.LIU
Liu, A. Y. (2025). Ephemeral Visibility and Externally Visible Production: How Algorithmic Automation Accelerates Fans’ Data Work. New Media & Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448251393480
Liu, A. Y., Ji, A. R., Taneja, H. & Nelson, M. R. (2025). Stakeholder-Desired Audiences: Fans’ Audience Data Imaginaries and How They Shape Industry Data Practices. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565251366412
Liu, A. Y., & Taneja, H. (2025). Visibility of K-pop in the US: Global Rankings, ‘Audience Mis-aggregation’, and Mainstream Attention to Niche Genre. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565251320755
Pan, S., & Liu, A. Y. (2018). Examining the Effect of WeChat Usage on Social Capital among Chinese College Students. Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication, 40(4), 126-143. http://cjjc.ruc.edu.cn/CN/Y2018/V40/I4/126
Liu, A. Y., & Zhang, M. M. (2026, Aug 5-8). AI-Powered Social Information Seeking: Taxonomy Development and Cross-Cultural Comparison. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Annual Conference, New Orleans, United States.
Liu, A. Y. (2025, Jun 12-16). Context Matters: Exploring Consumers’ Sense-Making of Online Ratings in the Social Context. International Communication Association (ICA) Annual Conference, Denver, United States.
Gong, Z., Chen, T., Liu, A. Y., Xuan, J., & Su, L. Y. F. (2025, March 6-9). Navigating Consumer Acceptance of Cultured Meat: An Exploratory Narrative Review of Communication Strategies. American Academy of Advertising (AAA) Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, United States.
* The authors contributed to the work equally.
Courses Taught
- ADV 281 Advertising Research Method (Instructor of Record)
- ADV 360 Innovations in Advertising (TA)
- ADV 284 Consumer Insight (TA)
- ADV 250 Advertising and Brand Strategy (TA)
- ADV 201 Social Media and Personal Branding (TA)
- ADV 200 Data Literacy (TA)
- ADV 150 Introduction to Advertising (TA)
- MACS 100 Introduction to Popular TV & Movies (TA)
Awards and Honors
- Webtoon Emerging Scholar Award (Honorable Mention), AEJMC Advertising Division
- 2026 James Webb Young Fund, Summer Scholar, Department of Advertising, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Faculty supervisor: Dr. Michelle Nelson)
- James Webb Young Grad Research Award, Department of Advertising, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Bart A. Cummings Advertising Gift Fund (Research fund for dissertation), Department of Advertising, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Petullo Fellowship, Department of Advertising, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- James Webb Young Travel Fund, Department of Advertising, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- MusicID 2024 Digital Research Fellowship