Name That Tune: Smith Professor Combines Academic Rigor, Entrepreneurial Application and Musical Innovation
Associate Professor Daniel McCarthy blends rigorous research with creative teaching tools—like music—to make marketing analytics memorable. His focus on customer-based valuation, real-world applications, and student engagement helps transform complex concepts into impactful, real-life learning experiences.
Identifying Competitors in Geographical Markets Using the CSIS Method
Businesses with physical footprints – hotels, retailers, and restaurants – must identify the competitors that matter most. Traditional approaches using brand tier or proximity often fail in dynamic or asymmetric markets. We introduce the Conditional Sure Independence Screening (CSIS) method to marketing to identify true competitors based on their pricing influence on a focal firm’s demand. CSIS is computationally efficient, robust to spatial mis-specifications, and effective for identifying, asymmetric, even non-local, and segment-specific competition.
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.
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.
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.
MSI Recognizes Smith’s Liye Ma, Bobby Zhou for ‘Significant Research Contributions’
Smith School associate professors Liye Ma and Bobby Zhou were named 2024 MSI Scholars by the Marketing Science Institute, recognizing their influential research. The honor fosters collaboration among mid-career marketing academics, shaping the field’s future through scholarship and real-world impact.