Zappos, Apple, and Best Buy share a common feature: consumer trust is their key competitive advantage. Why is the ability to generate trust a new asset for companies? What are the characteristics of firms that are really trusted? In a world that is highly inter-connected, the levels of integrity and trust expected of others haveRead more…

Based on an interview with Kristine De Valck, assistant professor of marketing at HEC Paris, research@HEC no 27, June-July 2012. Kristine De Valck and her co-authors analyze an electronic marketing campaign designed to promote a specific cell phone model among bloggers. They show that, unlike conventional marketing campaigns, on blogs the message can be distortedRead more…

Based on an interview with Selin Atalay, assistant professor of marketing at HEC Paris, research@HEC no 27, June-July 2012. Previous research has established that consumers are more likely to pick articles located in the center of supermarket shelves than those on the sides. Selin Atalay, Onur Bodur, and Dina Rasolofoarison explore the underlying mechanisms ofRead more…

By the end of 2011, 6 billion people were mobile subscribers, or an incredible 87% of the world population versus just 5% 15 years ago. This global, en masse adoption of mobile is not without consequences for marketing and CRM. Going forward, how can companies best leverage the marketing possibilities of the mobile channel? BeforeRead more…

Mary Poppins sang, “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and ‘snap’! the job’s a game.” Fifty years later, a growing number of marketing, human resources, and specialists in persuasion are taking these words literally. Their motto: increase engagement by turning communications into a game.Read more…

Nowadays, consumers everywhere demand that their individual characteristics be taken into account. The time for internationalization strategies based on standardization is over: get ready for glocalization. Nokia’s conduct in India offers a premium illustration of glocalization. Not only has the company optimized local marketing schemes, but it has set an example for the rest ofRead more…