Thought Leadership
The lifeblood of a business school is its faculty, and at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business our faculty members are inspiring, supportive and world-class. We are attuned to a marketplace that values innovation, entrepreneurialism, analytical thinking and hard work. Our teaching and research equips students with the wisdom of business scholarship rooted in the experiential lessons of the marketplace.
September 11, 2025
3 Keys to Big Tech’s Success that Your Company Can Implement Now
Bobby Zhou’s research highlights three strategies any company can use to grow like tech giants: open to third parties, connect customers, and reach customers’ customers. These platformization methods harness network effects, building defensible, scalable, and innovative businesses across industries…
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3 Keys to Big Tech’s Success that Your Company Can Implement Now
August 28, 2025
Who’s Your Competition?
New research by P.K. Kannan, Dean’s Chair in Marketing Science at the Smith School, and Xian Gu, PhD ’19, applies CSIS to identify hotel competitors. Unlike traditional methods, CSIS efficiently pinpoints top rivals across diverse markets, revealing asymmetric influences, spatial variation, and…
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Who’s Your Competition?
August 8, 2025
Want a Review You Can Trust? Ask Someone Who Did It Alone.
People trust reviews of leisure activities more when they come from someone who did the activity alone, according to the Smith School’s Rebecca Ratner. Her research shows solo consumers are seen as more focused and credible, influencing recommendations significantly.
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Want a Review You Can Trust? Ask Someone Who Did It Alone.
July 24, 2025
AI for Customer Journeys: A Transformer Approach
Marketing researchers at the Smith School developed a transformer-based AI model that predicts digital customer behavior, personalizes insights, and outperforms traditional methods—advancing real-time marketing analytics and ROI through individualized, multi-touchpoint journey analysis.
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AI for Customer Journeys: A Transformer Approach
May 14, 2025
Are You Ready for the Future? AI Can Help
Joseph Reiff, assistant professor of marketing, co-invented The Retirement Visualizer™, an AI tool using GPT and DALL·E to help individuals vividly imagine retirement goals. By making the future feel tangible, it aims to boost motivation and increase retirement savings.
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Are You Ready for the Future? AI Can Help
May 14, 2025
The Language of Buying: Deciphering AI Conversations
Marketing PhD student Ziting Liao, with faculty Liye Ma and Wendy Moe, developed a model predicting purchase intent from AI assistant interactions. By analyzing language patterns, the tool helps advertisers better target consumers and optimize strategies based on intent.
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The Language of Buying: Deciphering AI Conversations
May 14, 2025
The Tax Revenue and Problem-Gambling Balancing Act
Research co-authored by associate professor Dan McCarthy finds that online sports betting legalization has led to a rise in irresponsible gambling, especially among lower-income individuals. The study highlights financial risks and calls for safeguards to mitigate potential societal harm.
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The Tax Revenue and Problem-Gambling Balancing Act
March 7, 2025
How We React When Apps Crash
App crashes shorten user sessions and reduce content consumption, says Smith’s Michel Wedel. While a single crash boosts engagement, frequent failures can drive users away. Developers should release updates cautiously, target resilient users, and take responsibility to maintain trust.
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How We React When Apps Crash
February 20, 2025
Consumer Spending Rises with Air Pollution: New Study
A study by Smith professor Michael Trusov and Sanghwa Kim finds South Korean consumers spend more on hedonic goods when air pollution rises, seeking mood-lifting purchases. Published in the Journal of Marketing, the research suggests implications for marketers and policymakers in responsible…
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Consumer Spending Rises with Air Pollution: New Study
February 13, 2025
A Guide For Using VR, AR Technology in Foreign Markets
Global businesses use AR and VR to engage consumers, but cultural differences impact success. Smith professor P.K. Kannan’s research finds foreign brands face challenges in South Korea’s XR market. Companies must tailor strategies, choose technology wisely, and build local brand communities.
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A Guide For Using VR, AR Technology in Foreign Markets