Marketing

October 13th, 2021

The Smartphone: Not the Behemoth Feared by Business and Researchers

“How bad is the mere presence of a phone?” That's the title of the research paper co-authored by Claire Linares and Anne Laure Sellier and published by the review PLoS ONE. This is the product of two years of research, involving the replication of a paper that was written eight years ago by two British psychologists Andrew K. Przybylski and Netta Weinstein. In 2013, they presented data suggesting the physical presence of a cellphone in a meeting was harmful in terms of social interaction between strangers. A conclusion now disputed by the two HEC research academics.

By Claire Linares , Anne Laure Sellier

Marketing

May 12th, 2021

How Brands Can Fight Gender Stereotypes in Ads

Men and women value a product differently depending on whether it has a male or female brand representation — think Mr. Clean or Betty Crocker. Specifically, female-identified brands are less appealing to male shoppers. But researchers have found a relatively simple way to combat this gender bias.

By Tina M. Lowrey

Marketing

April 09th, 2021

6 minutes

When Videos Become Viral: Why, How and What Consequences?

By Haris Krijestorac

viral videos - AdobeStock_Editorial_Use_Only

Marketing

December 14th, 2020

5 minutes

Why Experiences Might Make Better Gifts for Older Children

What should we get for our kids this holiday season? As children get older, giving them something they can experience (live through) instead of material things makes them happier, according to new research published by HEC Paris professors Tina M. Lowrey and L. J. Shrum.

By Tina M. Lowrey , L. J. Shrum

kid and grand dad playing- Dusko-AdobeStock

Marketing

November 13th, 2020

How Believing in Unsubstantiated Claims Leads to Polarization

The COVID-19 pandemic has fostered the sharing of conflicting and unsubstantiated claims by public figures. Early November, a deeply divided nation elected Joe Biden as the President of the United States. A recent research published by professors Anne-Sophie Chaxel of HEC Paris and Sandra Laporte of Toulouse School of Management reveals that individuals believe in unsubstantiated claims when shared by favorite public figures, explaining polarization in opinions. In this article, Anne-Sophie Chaxel explains how rational people come to strongly believe in unchecked claims.

By Anne-Sophie Chaxel

donald trump and doctors - vignette - PICRYL

Marketing

September 07th, 2020

Sustainable Luxuries? Millennials are Skeptical – Yet They Buy

All companies have jumped on the sustainability bandwagon, if not out of genuine concern for the environment, at least because the new generation of consumers cares – and votes with their wallets. Even the luxury sector – but can it truly be green? Not for Millennials the world over: they believe the materialism embedded in the luxury sector's DNA is at odds with sustainability. Paradoxically, it doesn't mean they won't buy luxuries at all, according to a surprising global study by two HEC Paris researchers.

By Anne Michaut , Jean-Noël Kapferer

Pink linen dress on a beige chair - Iuliia on Adobe Stock

Marketing

March 13th, 2020

Thinking About Time Flying? It Can Affect Your Decision Making

When the clock in our minds ticks loudly, it changes not only our perspective of the time remaining in our lives, but also how we process information. A trio of researchers investigated how thinking about the concept of time can affect our decision making. This unique piece of research could explain biases in hiring, voting, and many other contexts.

By Anne-Sophie Chaxel

Marketing

January 24th, 2020

Electronic Word of Mouth: What Marketers Need to Know

When buying products, consumers often look at information written by other consumers on the internet. In other words, they turn to electronic word of mouth (eWOM). Marketers can take steps to generate, support, and amplify eWOM and so influence consumers’ decision-making process. A trio of researchers have laid out an eWOM roadmap to help marketers and academics understand its inner workings and enhance its effects.

By Kristine De Valck , Ana Babić Rosario

Marketing

November 19th, 2019

“Choice Closure”: An Intervention to Increase Customer’s Satisfaction after a Purchase

This research studies people’s tendency to seek or avoid choice closure with past consumer decisions. Consumers achieving choice closure come to see a decision as finished and resolved. Past research has shown that this sense of choice finality can be externally triggered without consumers being aware of it, for example by asking them to close a menu after selecting one of the featured food items. The current research asks the following questions: What is the effect of choice closure on consumers’ satisfaction following decisions with negative or positive outcomes? Do consumers correctly predict the effect of choice closure on their satisfaction? The answer to these questions allows us to offer insights for marketers and sales people on when and how to use choice-closure triggers as means to enhance satisfaction with the outcome of a decision they have made.

By Yangjie Gu

Marketing

October 14th, 2019

The Role of Marketing in Climate Change: Carbon Footprinting and Pricing

The potential impact of climate change raises concerns with consumers and governments throughout the world. Dealing with these climate concerns is key to the survival of businesses in the marketplace, and ultimately the survival of the planet. Daniel Halbheer, Associate Professor of Marketing at HEC Paris, shares his and his co-authors' research findings on the role of marketing decisions in addressing climate change when juggling the pressures of consumers and governments, through tools such as carbon footprinting and pricing.

By Daniel Halbheer