Consumer segments vs. tribes, and what it means for marketing strategy

In recent (or not so recent years) we have seen the rise of individualism, and the loss of traditional forms of social coherence such as family values, or geographical location. In its place, we have seen the emergence of alternative social arrangements and sub-cultures. For marketers, this social change has led to the popularisation … Continue reading Consumer segments vs. tribes, and what it means for marketing strategy

August and September 2016 round-up

August was taken up with conferences and time off with the family, so I decided to skip the usual monthly round up post and merge it with September’s. And, then, September flashed through, as well, with back to school matters, and dealing with various cold viruses and man-flu in the house. Here are the highlights. … Continue reading August and September 2016 round-up

When good product reviews are bad news for business

Customer reviews are a very important source of information for buyers when it is difficult to evaluate or test a product before purchase, as in the case of online purchases. Positive reviews can amplify sales by as much as 0.149, and is particularly relevant for high financial risk decisions, services, hedonic products, and new … Continue reading When good product reviews are bad news for business

Using emojis in marketing can backfire

According to a study conducted by Professor Vyv Evans for Talk Talk, 80% of UK people use emojis to communicate, with 40% saying that they had sent messages using only the famous icons. Emoji, the study claims, is the ‘fastest growing new language’. Unsurprisingly, some brands have embraced the emoji trend, and started using … Continue reading Using emojis in marketing can backfire

New book chapter: What makes a digital innovator?

Sarah Quinton, Tribi Budhathoki and I contributed a chapter to a new book published by the Institute of Directors. The book is entitled 'The Growing Business Handbook', and is edited by Adam Jolly. Sample chapter and table of contents are available here. Our chapter looks at factors supporting the adaptation of European small and medium … Continue reading New book chapter: What makes a digital innovator?

Artificial intelligence and new marketing opportunities

In episode 73 of podcast ‘Review The Future’, the hosts interview Calum Chace, author of the book ‘The Economic Singularity: Artificial Intelligence and the Death of Capitalism’. The three discuss the long-term implications of the improvement of artificial intelligence (AI) so that it can now effectively replace humans in more and more tasks; a discussion … Continue reading Artificial intelligence and new marketing opportunities

Should gyms be fun or hardwork?

I am quite annoyed with myself. You see, I usually pride myself of seeing through tempting packaging or sales deals, and base my purchase decisions on the product and its value for me, more than anything else. Yet, here I am, very foolishly mourning the fact that the gym that I usually … Continue reading Should gyms be fun or hardwork?

July 2016 round-up

Hello from sunny California, where I travelled to in order to attend (and present at) the Academy of Management annual conference. I am presenting my research on the hidden biases of algorithms used in decision making – specifically, those present in algorithms that sort through our financial transactions. If you are interested in this topic, … Continue reading July 2016 round-up

Consumers are talking about you, but what do they really mean?

Dr. Robin Croft, a fellow academic and much valued commentator here on the blog, drew my attention to an ethnographic study that he carried out with two other colleagues [1], on how different genders talk about products, services and brands. Croft and his colleagues observed informal conversations between various groups of people. Each group had … Continue reading Consumers are talking about you, but what do they really mean?

Popularity of social media posts important for sales and loyalty

We know that content that gets a lot of reaction is more likely to make it to our customers Facebook newsfeed than other content, because of the way Facebook’s algorithm prioritises what to show. Image source But the question is, is this type of content also likely to get customers through the door? A … Continue reading Popularity of social media posts important for sales and loyalty