Marketing

Nostalgia is not enough: Why consumers abandon legacy brands

Legacy brands like Sears, Payless ShoeSource, and Toys “R” Us are shuttering their doors as customers abandon longstanding consumer mainstays. Despite customers having emotional connections to certain stores, “It is more like these brands are breaking up with the customers,” says Santiago Gallino of the Wharton School.

Penn Today Staff

The billion-dollar business of e-sports

With sold-out arenas, soaring revenues, and serious investment by traditional sports leagues and team owners, competitive video gaming has evolved from fringe hobby to a global, growing industry.

Penn Today Staff

The business of voting

The chaos that befell the 2000 election sparked a revamping of the election technology industry. Wharton experts have drafted a report detailing the business side of modernizing voting technology.

Penn Today Staff

Is an apology an effective marketing campaign?

Companies have been issuing mea culpas to its customers for decades. But the quality, timing and audience for the corporate apology has to be nuanced in order to be effective. Wharton professors discuss the efficacy of the numerous corporate messages broadcast to the public.

Penn Today Staff



In the News


NPR

That spare change you donate at checkout is adding up to millions for charities

Cait Lamberton of the Wharton School says that customers may feel manipulated and resentful when prompted for charitable donations at checkout.

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Marketplace (NPR)

Retailers take on Amazon Prime with new subscription services

Raghu Iyengar of the Wharton School says that the average American has 12 subscriptions, which doesn’t leave much room for additional retail subscriptions.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Philly shoppers have a ‘love/hate relationship’ with Amazon but can’t stop spending — as much as $2,000 a month

Peter Fader of the Wharton School says that customers aren’t necessarily busier but have gotten used to the convenience of Amazon, especially since the pandemic.

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Yahoo! Finance

Generative AI is having a throw-everything-at-the-wall moment

Stefano Puntoni of the Wharton School says that experimenting with different generative AI products will inevitably help the best rise to the top, while the worst will fall to the wayside.

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NBC News

Consumers are tired of price increases. Big brands are paying attention

John Zhang of the Wharton School says that many companies are currently more inclined to swallow some of the cost increases they’re shouldering, rather than passing them on to consumers completely.

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The Washington Post

To resist temptation, think short term

Research led by Marissa Sharif of the Wharton School found that small, regular rewards were more effective for cultivating long-term commitment to healthy behavior than large, occasional rewards.

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