From Classroom to Publication: Smith Tech Management Capstone Project Becomes Published Research
A collaboration between a unique nonprofit and a tireless group of Smith Technology Management students has resulted in the program’s first published research.
First-Party Content Production in a Competitive Media Market
Streaming platforms are pouring money into original content, but whether it pays off depends on two things: how much their content already overlaps with competitors and how flexible their pricing is. When prices are fixed (e.g., standard subscription tiers), platforms are more likely to invest in originals—especially if competitors offer similar libraries—because originals help differentiate. But when platforms can easily adjust prices, heavy content overlap actually reduces the incentive to invest in originals, since pricing can be used instead to compete.
Smith’s P.K. Kannan Named Distinguished University Professor
The University of Maryland named marketing professor P.K. Kannan a Distinguished University Professor, its highest faculty honor, recognizing his global impact in marketing science. The appointment follows multiple recent awards, including AMA Fellow and INFORMS Society for Marketing Science Fellow honors.
New Study Finds AI Assistant Market Isn’t Zero-Sum as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude All Grow
A new study finds AI assistants are expanding the market, not competing in a zero-sum race. Researchers identify scale, ecosystem and premium strategies driving growth, but warn coexistence may fade as expansion slows, capital tightens and competitive pressures reshape the industry.
Smith Professors Make Sense of March Madness Marketing Trends and AI-Involvement in Bracket Building
Despite few upsets, the NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments remain compelling, with millions tracking brackets. One perfect bracket remains. Smith professors Henry C. Boyd III and Daniel McCarthy discuss AI, marketing trends, NIL and fan behavior.
How Doing Things Alone Can Curb Loneliness
Amid a growing loneliness epidemic, Smith professor Rebecca Ratner says individuals can build connections by engaging in activities alone and initiating interactions. Her research highlights the role of marketers in fostering community, deeper conversations and meaningful social connections.
Smith Students Create AI Bot for Public Good
A student-built AI chatbot to combat food insecurity won a UMD competition and national attention. Developed for Capital Area Food Bank, it helps users find nearby resources 24/7 in multiple languages and will be implemented by its creators as interns.
Three Strategic Bets on AI’s Future
This paper examines competition in the consumer AI assistant market using worldwide iOS and Android app-store data from seven major AI assistants from May 2023 through December 2025. Rather than finding a winner-take-all market, we show that major product launches tend to coincide with growth in the overall category, with little evidence of direct cannibalization across leading models. In other words, the “AI war” appears less zero-sum than commonly assumed.
Where GenAI Consumer Research is Likely Headed
Generative AI expands access to consumer research but risks biased, generic findings detached from real behavior, Roland Rust and Ming-Hui Huang say. They identify democratization, the “average trap” and model collapse as growing threats, urging human-centered methods to prevent synthetic, nonhuman results.
The Caring Machine: Feeling AI for Customer Care
Feeling skills have always been a human domain, but AI is advancing rapidly. This article shows how AI can be used to develop feeling intelligence and build empathetic customer relationships.