Kathryn “Katie” R. Mercurio
California State University, Chico, United States
Katie Mercurio is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at California State University, Chico, with expertise in global marketing, consumer behavior, and brand strategy. She began her career at Nestlé USA before earning her Ph.D. from the University of Washington and completing postdoctoral research at UCLA. Her research has been published in leading journals such as the Journal of Consumer Research and the Journal of Business Ethics. Katie is a globally minded educator who has studied abroad in Denmark and the UK, visited 28 countries, and collaborates regularly with international faculty in Mexico, Chile, Brazil, and the Philippines. She teaches courses on strategic marketing, corporate social responsibility, and brand development, and she will lead a Food and Beverage Tourism course in Verona, Italy, in summer 2025. Katie brings a dynamic, global perspective to her teaching, helping students explore the ethical and cultural dimensions of marketing in a connected world.
“COIL reminds me why I teach. Watching my students collaborate across time zones, navigate cultural differences with curiosity, and create something meaningful with peers halfway around the world—it’s electric. Yes, the logistics can be messy. Yes, Google Translate becomes a teammate. But the learning? It’s deep, humbling, and real. COIL gives my students the kind of global, hands-on experience that textbooks can’t deliver—and gives me the joy of seeing them grow into more thoughtful marketers, better teammates, and bolder thinkers.”
Project Information
Spring 2024 – MKTG 485: Brand Strategy
• Partner: Adriana Morales Rodríguez
Institution: Tecnológico de Monterrey
Country: Mexico
Length: 8 weeks
Project: Patagonia case study with sustainability focus
• Partner: Jorge Gabriel Sanz-Guerrero Cosulich
Institution: Universidad del Desarrollo
Country: Chile
Length: 8 weeks
Project: Patagonia case study with sustainability focus
• Partner: Jay Relatado
Institution: Davao Oriental State University (DORSU)
Country: Philippines
Length: 15 weeks
Project: Entrepreneurial Brand Creation—students in the Philippines created new business ideas while U.S. students crafted brand strategies and style guides
Fall 2024 – MKTG 305: Survey of Marketing
• Partner: Thel Monteiro
Institution: Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas
Country: Brazil
Length: 15 weeks
Project: Global Business Strategy—international team collaboration multinational corporations
Fall 2024 – MKTG 305: Survey of Marketing
• Partners: Adriana Morales Rodríguez & Jorge Gabriel Sanz-Guerrero Cosulich
Institutions: Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico) and Universidad del Desarrollo (Chile)
Country: Mexico & Chile
Length: 8 weeks
Project: Jaipur Rugs case study with a sustainability and ethics lens
Project Summaries: In Spring and Fall 2024, I led four Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects connecting Chico State marketing students with peers in Mexico, Chile, Brazil, and the Philippines to tackle real-world brand and strategy challenges.
In the Spring 2024 Brand Creation Project, Chico State students partnered with entrepreneurship students at Davao Oriental State University (Philippines). Filipino students proposed original business ideas, and U.S. students developed brand strategies—including names, logos, messaging, websites, and brand style guides—tailored for global audiences.
Simultaneously, another Spring 2024 COIL project brought together Chico State brand strategy students with sustainability students from Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico) and Universidad del Desarrollo (Chile) to analyze Patagonia’s ethical supply chain, sustainability strategies, and brand storytelling.
In Fall 2024, Chico State students in Survey of Marketing partnered with strategic management students from Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas (Brazil) to co-create global business strategies for companies operating in both Brazil and the U.S., integrating tools like SWOT, Porter’s 5 Forces, VRIO, STP, and the marketing mix. Students worked in bi-national teams over 12 weeks to create presentations, written reports, surveys, and implementation plans.
A second class of Survey of Marketing students collaborated once again with sustainability students from Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico) and Universidad del Desarrollo (Chile)—this time analyzing the social enterprise Jaipur Rugs. Students explored themes of ethical sourcing, artisan empowerment, and global storytelling, culminating in joint deliverables on responsible consumption and inclusive branding.
Visuals and Project Links:
• Spring 2024 Brand Creation Project: https://padlet.com/krmercurio/coil-brand-creation-project-accln1vowjzoa4ec
• Fall 2024 Global Business Strategy Project: https://padlet.com/krmercurio1/coil-fall-2024-yizt6lg7qgx196z2