SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Online services such as OpenTable make it easy for consumers to make restaurant reservations — and not show up. But higher-end restaurants are countering this, and the trend is global:

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Most studies of the interactions between companies and consumers look at one piece of the puzzle: Advertising or social media or news coverage or "consumer sentiment" as measured in surveys. An ambitious new study from the Robert H.

A team of five undergraduates from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business took home second place in this year’s Wake Forest Marketing Analytics Summit, a case competition held annually at WFU’s campus in Winston-Salem, N.C. After 2 weeks of preparation and an intense day of competition, the students returned triumphantly to College Park with the second place trophy and $5,000 in prize winnings. Smith won the competition in 2015, 2013 and 2009.

People are constantly looking for insight on the keys to being a successful leader. A new forthcoming book explores the insights current and aspiring leaders can learn through poetry. In this edition of Smith Business Close-Up with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, Gaurav Bhalla talks about his new book project that uses poetry to illustrate leadership lessons. Bhalla is an adjunct faculty member in Smith’s marketing department.

The results of the latest National Technology Readiness Survey (NTRS), which shows the on-demand economy continuing to flourish, were featured in the April 14, 2016 Harvard Business Review. The on-demand economy is driven by companies with technology platforms that allow them to cater to consumer needs by immediately providing goods and services. Examples include established companies, such as eBay and Etsy, and recent startups, such as Uber and Airbnb.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — It's college decision time for many high school seniors. But the process that students and their families use to choose where they'll enroll is far from optimal.

A coffee startup that emerged through the University of Maryland (UMD) has captured the 2016 Cupid’s Cup Competition. Javazen, which blends coffee with teas and superfoods for “a healthier caffeine boost,” topped five other entries in the 11th annual competition, established by Under Armour Founder and CEO Kevin Plank -- in collaboration with his alma mater and founding "university partner," UMD.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Conventional wisdom in strategy holds that companies need to choose between cost-cutting or revenue growth. Pursuing both strategies at the same time can result in incoherence — or getting stuck in the middle, some argue.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Remember the Avon Lady? Back when neighbors still talked to each other face to face, she waited until the men went to work and then came calling with cosmetics and perfumes.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — When it comes to display advertising — especially online — simpler can be better. That's the implication of new research from the Robert H. Smith School of Business, at the University of Maryland.