The Temerlin Advertising Institute is thrilled to welcome back one of its own, Noble Farr, a graduate of SMU’s TAI program and now the newest addition to our adjunct faculty. With a keen eye for understanding why people think and act the way they do, Noble brings a genuine passion for consumer behavior into the classroom.
When asked how he stays curious in a world of rapidly changing consumer behavior and media landscapes, Noble explains that curiosity comes naturally when your field is all around you.
“The great thing about studying consumer behavior is that it’s always around you. We (consumers) are constantly, well, behaving, and noticing the trends, quirks, or seemingly out-of-place moments is what makes life as a ‘consumer behavioralist’ equally exciting and exhausting.”
He admits that the constant observing can be both a strength and a curse.
“You become insufferable to watch college football because you’re focus-grouping the commercials instead of talking about the plays; your sacred scrolling time quickly turns into saving Instagram reels in a folder titled ‘Work Inspo’; and at some point your photo album – also titled ‘Work Inspo,’ filled with reasonless photos and screenshots – grows larger than the one titled ‘Wedding.’”
For Noble, the draw to consumer behavior is simple:
“Trying to wrap your brain around why people do what they do is a wonderful addiction. Being curious is the easy part (we’re all inherently nosy); making sense of it all is the skill I’m most excited to simultaneously teach and hone this semester.”
When it comes to what he hopes students will take away from his classes, Noble emphasizes both introspection and empathy.
“I hope they become more active participants in tracking their own behavior as much as they do the ‘consumers’ we’ll be studying.”
He wants theories—from persuasion to learning and memory to The Self—to feel relevant and useful.
“I hope [these chapters] find wonderfully practical application in their own lives, making us smarter, less passive consumers.”
He also encourages students to see “the consumer” as a real person, not an abstract concept.
“It’s easy to compartmentalize the ‘other’ when we give them a label, and too often we think of consumers more as data points than people. My goal is to encourage an equal parts empathetic and evidence-based approach to studying consumer behavior.”
As a former TAI graduate returning to the program as a professor, Noble brings both familiarity and fresh perspective. We’re excited for the insight, humor, and curiosity he’ll bring to our students next semester.
Welcome back to TAI, Noble. We are thrilled to have you join us!
