UConn 360 – When somebody scrolls through the top product categories on Amazon odds are some 60% of the brands for sale will be ones you’ve never heard of before. That poses a challenge for marketers looking for their brands to be chosen among the many options, including familiar ones. UConn marketing professor Danielle Brick has researched how novel brands can make inroads in a very crowded marketplace and it has been published in the Journal of Consumer Research. She joins us on the podcast and tells us about how she went about her research, which included offering candy bars to people that just worked out at a gym. Brick also tells us about how novel brands have affected her personal shopping habits and her research on spiteful brand choices in relationships.
Marketing
Commencement Speaker: Servant Leadership Distinguishes Top Companies, Stellar Executives from the Rest
UConn Today – Alumnus Rich Eldh ’81, an entrepreneur who created a $300 million global research and advisory firm, told business undergraduates that servant leadership is one of the most important, and misinterpreted, components of business success.
“Servant leadership means leading with strength, for the benefit of others,’’ he told more than 700 graduates, their family and friends, during the Commencement ceremony on Saturday at Gampel Pavilion. “It means empowering your team, fostering growth, and creating environments where others can shine.’’
Professor Bird Awarded Fulbright Scholarship to Conduct Legal Research in Finland
UConn Today – Business Law professor Robert Bird has been selected as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar and will spend three months studying human-centered legal strategy and design in Finland next semester.
“I’m excited about this opportunity to collaborate with my peers in Finland, who are doing some interesting work on strategic legal design,’’ he said. “I believe this research will add value to organizations, make complex contracts easier to understand, and benefit my students as well.’’
Business Ethics Expert to Discuss Evolving Role of Religion, Ethics, and the Workplace
UConn Today – It was, perhaps, the most talked-about wedding cake in the history of marriage ceremonies.
In 2012, Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colo., refused to make a custom wedding cake for the marriage of a same-sex couple. The bakery owner objected, saying that the ceremony conflicted with his religious beliefs.
Although the Colorado Civil Rights Commission found the bakery had discriminated against the couple, the U.S. Supreme Court later overturned that decision in 2018. The ruling said the Commission failed to maintain religious neutrality, sidestepping questions about anti-discrimination laws and human rights.
Robert Bird: Legal Strategy is an Untapped Competitive Advantage for Companies
UConn Today – CEOs and corporations should integrate legal strategy – an often-overlooked competitive advantage – into the core of their business plans, says Business law professor Robert Bird.
“Legal knowledge is the last great source of untapped competitive advantage in organizations, and the corporations that recognize this can unlock a storehouse of value creation that their rivals might miss,’’ Bird says.
Equity Now Lecture Series Asks: ‘Is Sustainability Dead?’
UConn Today – Professor John Mandyck, the CEO of the Urban Green Council and the former Chief Sustainability Officer at United Technologies, will speak on the topic, “Is Sustainability Dead?’’ next month.
The presentation is part of the Equity Now speaker series and it will be livestreamed at 6 p.m. March 27. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the university are welcome to participate. Pre-registration is required.
With the United States again out of the Paris Climate Treaty and the Trump administration favoring fossil fuels, it’s easy to wonder if the sustainability movement is over. It’s definitely not, according to Mandyck.
Ask the experts – Robert Bird
WalletHub – Zero-based budgeting is a budgeting strategy that involves assigning each dollar of your income to a specific monthly expense, so your income minus your expenses always equals zero. The point of zero-based budgeting is to avoid overspending and to ensure that all the money you make serves a purpose.
UConn Marketing Professor Uncovers Circumstances Increasing Likelihood that Consumers Will Try New Brands
UConn Today – Scroll through the top 22 product categories on Amazon, and odds are some 60% of the brands for sale will be ones you’ve never heard of before.
That poses a challenge for marketers looking for their brands to be chosen among the many options, including familiar ones. UConn marketing professor Danielle Brick wondered how novel brands could make inroads in a very crowded marketplace.
‘Equity Now’ Speaker to Address Immigration Law, Policies Under Trump Administration
UConn Today – Professor Tania N. Valdez, a George Washington University Law School faculty member and an attorney who has represented immigrants for more than a decade, will speak about “Immigration Law and the New Presidential Administration’’ next month.
Three Business Students Attend Top International Climate Conference: A Once-In-A-Lifetime Experience
UConn Today – Junior Chapal Bhavsar is interested in big, sustainable-technology projects, including the creation of climate-friendly power plants, and is eager to use his finance knowledge to find ways to fund their construction.
As one of 14 UConn students, and five faculty and staff, to attend the United Nation’s Climate Change Conference (COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan last month, Bhavsar met many people—including some international power figures—who share his ideology.