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Topics: Consumer Behavior
A set of Tupperware containers with turquoise lids sits on a countertop.
September 20, 2024
The Atlantic

The Tupperware trap

The company’s bankruptcy filing is a reminder that being first isn’t always enough, a fact bolstered by research from Fisher's Oded Shenkar about the success of so-called copycat products and services.
A graphic showing faces of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and Rocky to illustrate underdogs versus favorites.
August 3, 2024
BBC

The underdog's surprising appeal

From the U.S. election to the Olympic Games, we often root for those considered disadvantaged. Why we do so may reveal more about ourselves than them. For example, research conducted by Management and Human Resources Professor Robert Lount, Jr. and his colleagues found that underdogs tend to enter contests expecting to win, while favorites carried expectations of not wanting to lose.
Time or money? What’s a better investment as election heats up?
July 27, 2024
Bloomberg

Time or money? What’s a better investment as election heats up?

As Americans ponder how to get involved in the presidential race, research co-authored by Professor of Marketing Selin Malkoc and the University of Notre Dame's John Costello (PhD '21) shows they often prefer to volunteer rather than donating funds.
Our obsession with being busy is killing leisure time. How brands can help
July 25, 2024
Ipsos

Our obsession with being busy is killing leisure time. How brands can help

Do Americans need to free up their free time? Fisher Professor Selin Malkoc explains how productivity mindsets shape (and constrain) our leisure time.
Why does it feel like summer vacations go by too fast?
June 14, 2024
WBIR

Why does it feel like summer vacations go by too fast?

Selin Malkoc, the Fisher Distinguished Professor of Marketing, says to make the most out of summer vacations, people should avoid overplanning their time off. Instead, they should try to find a balance between planning fun things to do without putting every moment on a schedule.
When consumers would prefer a chatbot over a person
May 13, 2024
The Ohio State University

When consumers would prefer a chatbot over a person

Fear of embarrassment can lead people to avoid a human touch when they're shopping, according to new research from Jianna Jin, who led the study as a doctoral student at Fisher. The paper, authored with co-authors Jesse Walker, assistant professor, and Rebecca Walker Reczek, the Berry Chair of New Technologies in Marketing, found that people preferred interacting with chatbots when they felt embarrassed about what they were buying online ― items like antidiarrheal medicine or, for some people, skin care products.
A recycling can.
April 22, 2024
Fisher College of Business

Paper, plastics and penalties: How audits can improve curbside recycling

The success of curbside recycling programs relies on consumers knowing what is recyclable. But what's the best way to keep non-recyclables from contaminating the delicate recycling stream? New research from Fisher reveals that a combination of education and penalization is surprisingly effective at reducing household recycling contamination ― and doesn’t discourage overall participation.
Headshot of Greg Allenby
March 8, 2024
Fisher College of Business

Allenby recognized as a 2024 Paul D. Converse Award recipient

Greg Allenby, the Helen C. Kurtz Chair in Marketing at Fisher, was named a recipient of a 2024 Paul D. Converse Award, which honors scholars who have made exceptional contributions to the field of marketing through research and practice. The award was established by the American Marketing Association.
Stock image of two women going through a box for donation.
February 14, 2024
The Ohio State University Alumni Magazine

Seven strategies to declutter

Researchers are finding that a disordered, chaotic living space can lead to negative feelings. Weeding out can do you good. Rebecca Reczek, the Berry Chair of New Technologies in Marketing, offers up a research-based technique to help you part with items while keeping the memory of it.
If you broke your New Year’s resolutions, here’s how you can get back on track
January 30, 2024
Forbes

If you broke your New Year’s resolutions, here’s how you can get back on track

Despite research from Fisher that says only 9% of people who make New Year's resolutions keep them, if you have yet to establish your goals for 2024 or have already fallen off the wagon, it's never too late to get on the right track.
Tech Tuesday: Lawsuits against Meta, changes in self-checkouts, DNA origami
October 31, 2023
WOSU

Tech Tuesday: Lawsuits against Meta, changes in self-checkouts, DNA origami

Self-checkout was the next big thing in retail sales, but now, after years of long lines and finicky machines, its efficacy is in question. As new forms of advanced checkout are tested in stores across the country, Joe Goodman, chair of Fisher's Department of Marketing and Logistics, joins the discussion about taking deeper look at self-checkout.
You need a hobby. Here's how to find one that's right for you
August 30, 2023
Los Angeles Times

You need a hobby. Here's how to find one that's right for you

Hobbies can improve the quality of your sleep and your overall well-being. Selin Malkoc, professor of marketing and logistics, says hobbies help people focus on themselves and find value beyond their job or family responsibilities.
Computer screenshot of software applications
August 9, 2023
Fisher College of Business

Research: Do free trials convert software shoppers into subscribers?

Since the pandemic, Software as a Service (SaaS) has become big business with companies like Microsoft and Adobe offering free trials to attract new subscribers. Research by Associate Professor of Marketing Alice Li explores the strategy behind free-trials and how companies can leverage them to convert consumers into subscribers.
Illustration of Swedish death cleaning
August 1, 2023
The Washington Post

The Swedes know the secret to happiness: You are not your stuff

Swedish death cleaning can help us rethink our relationship to stuff — and our environmental impact. It can, according to research from Marketing and Logistics Chair Joe Goodman, also help us derive happiness by differentiating meaningful items from other clutter.
America’s broken recycling system
May 30, 2023
California Management Review

America’s broken recycling system

The American recycling system has five major shortcomings that result in only 32.1% of waste being either recycled or composted. An article, co-authored by Christian Blanco, assistant professor of operations and business analytics, describes the current shortcomings of the American recycling system and explains how those shortcomings cause recyclable material to be landfilled.
Is it time to consider a national recycling standard?
May 30, 2023
California Management Review

Is it time to consider a national recycling standard?

Christian Blanco, assistant professor of operations and business analytics, writes that a solution to a broken recycling industry in the U.S. is standardizing data collection and reporting.
Stock image of camping tents
May 27, 2023
Washington Post

Americans are bad at resting. Here’s how to reclaim your free time.

Prioritizing rest is essential, experts such as Professor of Marketing Selin Malkoc say. Here's why it's so hard and tips on how to start.
Here's why your significant other is your biggest career decision
May 20, 2023
Fortune

Here's why your significant other is your biggest career decision

Research by Professor of Management and Human Resources Jasmine Hu that explores gender roles in working relationships is cited as part of a larger look at some of the largest financial decisions individuals will make.
Lyft, Tumblr, Flickr: How do consumers respond to unconventionally spelled brand names?
April 25, 2023
American Marketing Association

Lyft, Tumblr, Flickr: How do consumers respond to unconventionally spelled brand names?

New brands beware: A Journal of Marketing study by Fisher Professors Jesse Walker, Rebecca Walker Reczek and PhD alumnus John Costello finds that unconventionally spelled brand names may backfire and reduce consumers’ likelihood to support the brand.
Better to be cool than 'kool'
April 19, 2023
Management Today

Better to be cool than 'kool'

Research from a trio of marketing experts with ties to Fisher College of Business shows that when choosing a name for a new brand, try to avoid unconventional spellings of real words, because consumers usually see this as a marketing gimmick.
Should companies use unconventional spellings for products? It isn’t always klear
April 15, 2023
The Wall Street Journal

Should companies use unconventional spellings for products? It isn’t always klear

If consumers think unconventional spellings are marketing gimmicks, it could backfire, according to a study co-authored by Rebecca Walker Reczek, the Berry Chair of New Technologies in Marketing.  
Illustration of leisure
March 20, 2023
Connecticut Public

Stop, drop, and stay there: A look at leisure

Guests on the Colin McEnroe Show, including Professor of Marketing Selin Malkoc, take a look at the importance of leisure for health, how the concept differs around the world, and what it means to value your free time.
Unconventional spellings are a ‘Badd Choyce’ for brand names
March 7, 2023
The Ohio State University

Unconventional spellings are a ‘Badd Choyce’ for brand names

When choosing brands, consumers don't normally like those with unconventional spellings. This tactic of modifying real words is viewed by consumers as a marketing gimmick, according to new research from Assistant Professor of Marketing Jesse Walker, Rebecca Walker Reczek, the Berry Chair of New Technologies in Marketing, and their colleague John Costello (PhD '21). 
Political ideology plays role in how people view boundaries
February 27, 2023
The Ohio State University

Political ideology plays role in how people view boundaries

A new study by Selin Malkoc, professor of marketing and logistics, may reveal part of the reason why conservatives are more likely than liberals to reject some COVID-19 health measures: They see boundaries as restrictions, as opposed to guidance.
Why you shouldn’t monetize your hobby
February 9, 2023
Fast Company

Why you shouldn’t monetize your hobby

Research by Professor of Marketing and Logistics Selin Malkoc highlights an important facet of leisure time, which connects with the belief that monetizing a hobby won't always bring happiness.