Marketing experts at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management are available as sources for holiday shopping stories on a range of topics from the impact of social networking on consumer decision-making to marketing radically new products.
Marketing, like technology and information, is undergoing a revolution with social media and other new tools at its core. The needs and interests of consumers are evolving, the products and services offered are rapidly changing and the means of communicating have dramatically altered. The Owen School’s marketing team bridges the gap between quantitative and behavioral approaches to marketing. Here are key members of the department and their areas of expertise:
Dawn Iacobucci, E. Bronson Ingram Professor in Marketing. Her current research focus is social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, and its potential impact on consumer decision-making. She is widely regarded as an expert on networks and quantitative psychological research.
Jeff Dotson, assistant professor of marketing. He can talk about the psychological benefits of gift card giving vs. the accounting problems they create for firms, pricing issues, loyalty programs and on-line shopping. His research focuses on statistical analysis of a variety of marketing problems, including linking customer satisfaction to firms’ financial performance and developing more accurate models of consumer decision-making.
Mark Ratchford, professor of marketing. His area of expertise is business strategy and new product roll-outs and decision-making. His primary research interests include the impact of social networks on coalitions among firms, perceptions of firm fairness and the optimal strategic marketing mix for branded products.
Steve Hoeffler, associate professor of marketing. Hoeffler is an expert in consumer products marketing, brand management and consumer behavior. His research interests have focused on such topics as positioning multiple category products, marketing radically new products and the advantages of strong brands.
Steve Posavac, E. Bronson Ingram Professor in Marketing. He has a long-term interest in how managers use what they know about people to make better decisions. His expertise is in branding and sales promotions, and how sales forces use coupons and rebates.
Jennifer Escalas, associate professor of marketing. An expert on brands, identification and culture, she can discuss how people make a personal connection to brands as well as on-line marketing. She and her husband run a company making and marketing customized swimsuits.
Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management is ranked as a top institution by BusinessWeek, the Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Financial Times and Forbes. For more information about Owen, visit www.owen.vanderbilt.edu.
Media contact: Jennifer Johnston (615) 322-NEWS
jennifer.johnston@vanderbilt.edu