Search and Filter News
1-48 of 78 results
-
November 20, 2025Consumers Consider: Coincidence or Divine Intervention?
Belief in a higher power influences reactions to corporate crimes and punishments -
October 29, 2025For Battered Brands, Consumers Can Be Defenders
By learning why commentators champion brands against social media critics, companies can encourage them -
September 18, 2025Better Messaging Can Fight Cancer, Save Lives
Peer-driven messages boost cervical cancer screening for at-risk women -
August 28, 2025Dynamic Pricing Can Optimize Profits but Alienate Customers
To avoid buyer backlash, companies need guardrails for using algorithms to set prices -
May 19, 2025The Truth About Gen AI in Sales
Five common misconceptions about generative AI are stifling sales and marketing teams -
April 16, 2025For Sales Quota Periods, One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Longer quota cycles motivate high-performing salespeople, while low performers thrive with shorter terms -
March 18, 2025Looking for Donors? Start With Where They Live
Nonprofits can use public data to target fundraising appeals by state and ZIP code -
February 17, 2025For Push Promotions, Timing Is Everything
Brick-and-mortar retailers can compete with Amazon by using notifications based on your location as well as your shopping habits -
February 17, 2025To Be Happier, Take a Vacation … From Your Smartphone
Blocking mobile internet for two weeks can improve mental health, feelings of well-being, and attention spans -
January 24, 2025One Way To Draw More Customers: Lock Out Others
Companies can increase demand and sales by intentionally turning away some buyers -
December 11, 2024Year-End Roundup
Uber rides can decrease hate crimes, waits can be made less annoying, and AI can tackle big problems -
December 3, 2024Who Are Gig Workers, Really?
A clearer picture of microentrepreneurs in the gig economy can lead to better business strategies and government policies -
October 29, 2024To Kick-Start a Kick-Starter, Give to Yourself
A significant self-donation early in a campaign can help a crowdfunding effort draw more donors and more money -
October 15, 2024Marginalized Entrepreneurs Forge Their Own Paths
Founders of startups use a variety of strategies to overcome systemic obstacles of sex, race, and ability -
June 5, 2024Worth the Wait?
A Desire for Closure Influences People’s Choices: A Q&A with Annabelle Roberts, Assistant Professor of Marketing by Suzi Morales One of the few points on which most Americans agree: We spend too much time waiting. Research has found we spend… -
May 28, 2024Marketers Can Manage ‘Feature Creep’
When consumers feel intimidated by too many features in a product, highlight their user-friendliness Based on the research of Wayne Hoyer Wifi-enabled washing machines. Voice-controlled microwaves. App-enabled TVs. Vacuum cleaners and even window blinds you can control from the comfort… -
May 21, 2024To Combat Loneliness, Buy Experiences, Not Things
Spending on experiences boosts social connection more than spending on material things Based on the research of Amit Kumar Last year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy released an advisory that described loneliness and isolation as a national epidemic, with health consequences… -
April 30, 2024To Protect Brands, Immunize Consumers Against Bad News
Exposing customers to hypothetical negative news can keep them loyal when the real thing strikes Based on the research of Wayne D. Hoyer Abercrombie & Fitch. Balenciaga. Starbucks. In recent years, these brands and many others have faced extreme public backlashes to… -
February 15, 2024Why People Hate to Wait
A need for goal closure underlies frustration with waiting Based on the research of Annabelle Roberts Back in 1981, Tom Petty sang that the waiting is the hardest part. New research from Texas McCombs helps to explain why. In two recent… -
January 17, 2024AI Can Boost Service for Vulnerable Customers
Businesses can use artificial intelligence to identify and aid consumers who need extra help Based on the research of Gizem Yalcin Williams Artificial intelligence has become the Swiss Army knife of the business world, a universal tool for increasing sales, optimizing… -
December 12, 2023The (Wrong) Reason We Keep Secrets
Revealing negative things about ourselves does not cause the damage we think it will Based on the research of Amit Kumar In and out of the workplace, people often keep adverse information about themselves secret because they worry that others… -
August 2, 2023New Research Tool Works When Control Groups Won’t
Where randomized experiments aren’t possible, researchers have a new statistical tool Based on the research of Kathleen Li Whether they’re studying vaccine adoption rates or consumer preferences, randomized experiments are the gold standard in the world of research. In such experiments,… -
June 21, 2023Phone Lines of Connection
First-of-its-kind study examines phone communications’ web of social influenceBased on the research of Yan LengDo we follow the wider crowd? Or only our friends?Researchers often struggle to tell whether people behave in similar ways because of peer influence or because they’ve… -
September 21, 2022Female Execs Hone Customer Strategy
Women in leadership boost customer satisfaction and financials — especially in certain environments Based on the research of Chandra Srivastava and Vijay Mahajan Women in the C-suite are more likely than men to focus on customer relationships, leading certain types of companies… -
August 30, 2022I Share, Therefore I Know
Sharing articles on social media, even when we haven’t read them, can lead us to believe we are experts on a topic Based on the research of Susan M. Broniarczyk and Adrian Ward After people post an article about a… -
August 18, 2022A Little Good Goes Farther Than You Think
People are touched by small kindnesses and led to greater generosity, new research shows Based on the research of Amit Kumar Anyone who has given a friend a ride, baked cookies for a sick family member, or even bought a… -
May 12, 2022Reached Your Entrepreneurial Limit? Hire a Marketer
New research shows marketing specialists drive growth for small businesses and early-stage ventures Based on the research of Stephen J. Anderson Golden Pyramid was among the growing Nigerian businesses Stephen J. Anderson studied to discover the value of entrepreneurs hiring a… -
April 14, 2022Digital Tech Helps Nations Leapfrog Development
Digital technologies are helping India and Kenya find 21st century solutions to 19th century problems Based on the research of Vijay Mahajan When Vijay Mahajan was growing up in Jammu, India, getting a new telephone was a big event. If one… -
November 18, 2021To Deepen Connections, Skip the Small Talk
Want to build relationships and feel happier? New research suggests we get personal Based on the research of Amit Kumar When was the last time you cried in front of someone? I know we’ve just met, so maybe that question… -
October 25, 2021We’re Not as Smart as Google Makes Us Think We Are
Looking up answers online can leave us overconfident about what we know Based on the research of Adrian Ward From the number of ounces in a cup to the first day of fall, online search engines such as Google put the… -
September 1, 2021How Images Get Consumers to Time Travel
First-of-its-kind study looks at visual entropy’s connection to buying behavior Based on the research of Raj Raghunathan and Adrian Ward A consumer shopping for a midcentury sofa may be more likely to buy it if the background in its advertisement… -
August 4, 2021Incentivize Activity, Not Just Sales
Paying workers simply to take action — like making more sales calls — improves results for their company Based on the research of Raghunath Rao Companies should pay workers to try rather than only to succeed. In new research, Raghunath Rao, associate marketing professor… -
June 25, 20219 Research-Based Revelations About Multitasking
Think you’re great at completing multiple tasks at the same time? A new study shows why you’re probably wrong. Based on the research of Susan Broniarczyk Susan Broniarczyk, associate dean for research and marketing professor at Texas McCombs, doesn’t listen to… -
May 24, 2021Virtual Reality Provides Real-Life Sales Forecasts
Having shoppers test in-the-pipeline products means companies can develop more user-friendly durable goods Based on the research of Sebastian Hohenberg Developing durable goods such as a new washing machine or lawn mower is highly inefficient. Companies expend time and money… -
April 8, 2021Sorry, Siri: Drawbacks to Algorithms Sounding Too Human
In online marketing, consumers more readily forgive algorithm errors — unless the algorithm pretends to be human Based on the research of Raji Srinivasan In 2016, Microsoft introduced to Twitter an artificially intelligent chatbot named Tay. By interacting with users, Tay learned… -
March 5, 2021Marketers Move the Needle for Entrepreneurs
Can a marketer have a measurable impact on a small business? A field experiment in Africa quantifies, at last, how much marketers matter.Based on the research of Stephen J. AndersonWhen you think of the essentials for growing a small business,… -
January 29, 2021COVID-19 Under a Business Microscope
As the globe continues to tackle a historic health threat, Texas McCombs researchers are studying business, drug approvals, and more With the coronavirus outbreak’s exponential spread claiming millions of lives globally — and hundreds of thousands in the United States — scientists have turned… -
October 1, 2020Sellers Who Disclose Prices Can Maximize Profits
To drive up sales, dealers should disclose price at the start of a negotiation Based on the research of Sebastian Hohenberg Car sellers often act coy when it comes to revealing the price of a vehicle as they’re negotiating with… -
September 18, 2020Viral Videos Get a Boost From Sharing Big
Want your videos to go viral? Expand your platforms. Based on the research of Vijay Mahajan Brands that want their promotional videos to go viral can benefit from quickly taking advantage of the so-called spillover effect. As consumers become more… -
September 10, 2020When We Fear an Awkward Phone Call, We Often Turn to Text
Why making an ‘uncomfortable’ call may be good for our interpersonal connections — and health Based on the research of Amit Kumar It’s been years since you last spoke, and you’ve decided to finally reconnect with that long-lost friend. You know hearing… -
August 13, 2020It Only Takes Seconds to Alert Facebook Users to Fake News
Amid a pandemic and looming election, curbing misinformation is urgent Based on the research of Tricia Moravec In the Information Age, it’s the abundance of misinformation that worries Texas McCombs researcher Tricia Moravec. Moravec, an assistant professor of information, risk,… -
July 22, 2020A Dirty Secret About Cleaning Your Plate
Childhood lessons about not wasting food can backfire on public health, but smart marketing can undo the damage Based on the research of Raj Raghunathan Many an American child gets programmed to avoid wasting food by eating everything on their… -
June 24, 2020How to Win at Crowdfunding
Monitoring a project’s early progress and giving marketing boosts as needed are critical to funding success. Based on the research of Jason Duan All too often and contrary to what one might expect, what appear to be high-quality crowdfunding projects fail… -
June 3, 2020A New Playbook for Marketing
Although marketing remains largely frozen in the 2010s, research shows growing companies are busting boundaries Based on the research of Sebastian Hohenberg The customer is always right, but in today’s climate, marketing solely to the customer is not. New research… -
March 4, 2020To Feel Happier Now, Spend on Doing Rather Than Having
Experiences lead to greater in-the-moment happiness for shoppers than buying material items, new research finds Based on the research of Amit Kumar Thinking about a beach vacation both before and after will probably make you happier than mulling over a material… -
November 5, 2019‘Fake News’ Can’t Be Flagged Down
Even when the content is flagged as potentially false, Facebook users believe headlines that align with their political beliefs Based on the research of Tricia Moravec Telling the difference between fact and fiction on Facebook is more complicated than most of… -
October 3, 2019The Key to Innovation Sales is Matching Reps with the Right Boss
Researchers find novel product sales require pairing the personalities of supervisor and sales rep. Based on the research of Sebastian Hohenberg To excel in the dog-eat-dog world of selling, sales reps don’t always work alone. In innovation sales, for example — when… -
June 12, 2019Three Tips for a Happier Workplace
For better results, prioritize employee well-being Workplaces filled with happy employees experience better performance. So says Raj Raghunathan, a Texas McCombs marketing professor, and expert on the subject of happiness. He is author of the book “If You’re So Smart,…