SMITH BRAIN TRUST -- It might not be the sexiest industry in the world, but investors foresee strong growth in the mattress industry, which generates some $14 billion in sales annually in the United States. There's intense activity both in the traditional part of the industry, dominated by a few large manufacturers and retailers, as well as in a plucky start-up sector that uses an online-sales model.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — After the terrorist attacks in Paris, the Obama administration pressed major tech companies for

Here's good news if you're looking for discounts, bad news if you're in the retail industry: Third quarter 2015 was brutal for much of the retail sector. After Macy's reported that same-store sales were down 3.6 percent, its stock had its worst day in six years.

The INFORMS Society for Marketing Science (ISMS) has named marketing PhD student Seoungwoo Lee of the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business as a winner in its ISMS Doctoral Dissertation Competition for 2015.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Black Friday in 2015 is increasingly symbolic. “While the day after Thanksgiving still holds special significance in the U.S.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — The video game industry is a massive one, with some $93 billion in annual sales. Budgets for major titles rival those for major motion pictures.

Ishan Dey, a sophomore marketing major, writes about last week’s undergraduate marketing conference in a blog post originally published on terpAMA Scoop.

Why are so many people reluctant to go to the movies or dinner alone? The existence of this inhibition is widely known, but its underpinnings have been subjected to surprisingly little scientific scrutiny — until now. Research by Rebecca Ratner, a marketing professor and assistant dean for academic affairs at the Smith School, sheds new light on the psychology of solo consumerism.

For the third time in seven years, the Smith School reigns as champion of the Wake Forest Marketing Analytics case competition in the undergraduate division. Marketing students Michael Barnett, Ashley Jager, Bridget McManus and Jack Rupple represented Smith, which also won the competition in 2013 and 2009.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST -- Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gained 15,000 Twitter followers during Tuesday’s Democratic debate. Her rival Bernie Sanders gained nearly 50,000 followers. But the Twitterverse winner was not on stage.