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Aggregate Advertising Expenditure in the US Economy: What's Up? Is It Real?

by Alvin J. Silk and Ernst R. Berndt

We analyze total United States advertising spending from 1960 to 2018. In nominal terms, the elasticity of annual advertising outlays with respect to gross domestic product appears to have increased substantially beginning in the late 1990s, roughly coinciding with the dramatic growth of internet-based advertising.

Glossier Built a Cult-Brand and a Digital Community, but What’s Next?

Glossier, the digital-first, direct-to-consumer beauty brand considers shifting its strategy toward influencer marketing and paid media. Professor Jill Avery discusses her case study. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Super Bowl Ads Sell Products, but Do They Sell Brands?

Super Bowl advertising is increasingly about using storytelling to sell corporate brands rather than products. Shelle Santana discusses why stories win (or fumble) on game day. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

What’s the Antidote to Surveillance Capitalism?

by James Heskett

SUMMING UP: As companies increasingly build business models around our personal data, what can be done to fight back? James Heskett's readers suggest there are no easy answers. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Legacy of Boaty McBoatface: Beware of Customers Who Vote

by Michael Blanding

Companies that encourage consumers to vote online should be forewarned—they may expect more than you promise, according to research by Michael Norton, Leslie John, and colleagues. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Bargain Hunters Beware: A Store's 'Original Price' Might Not Be After All

by Michael Blanding

Retailers often compare a "sale" price to the original price. Donald Ngwe says consumers should be skeptical of those original prices — and so should regulators. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Warning: Scary Warning Labels Work!

by Dina Gerdeman

If you want to convince consumers to stay away from unhealthy diet choices, don't be subtle about possible consequences, says Leslie John. These graphically graphic warning labels seem to do the trick. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

'Likes' Lead to Nothing—and Other Hard-Learned Lessons of Social Media Marketing

by Dina Gerdeman

A decade-and-a-half after the dawn of social media marketing, brands are still learning what works and what doesn't with consumers. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Revolution in Advertising: From Don Draper to Big Data

The Mad Men of advertising are being replaced by data scientists and analysts. In this podcast, marketing professor John Deighton and advertising legend Sir Martin Sorrell discuss the positives and negatives of digital marketing. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How Cellophane Changed the Way We Shop for Food

by Carmen Nobel

Research by Ai Hisano exposes cellophane's key role in developing self-service merchandising in American grocery stores, and how its manufacturers tried to control the narrative of how women buy food. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Why Comparing Apples to Apples Online Leads To More Fruitful Sales

by Dina Gerdeman

The items displayed next to a product in online marketing displays may determine whether customers buy that product, according to a new study by Uma R. Karmarkar. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Can Brand Trump Win a Presidency?

by John A. Quelch

Brand Trump has been used to market hotel rooms, ties, and an airline. Can it be extended to win the presidency? Marketing Professor John A. Quelch wonders if the message (and the messenger) is already growing thin. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

What Does Boaty McBoatface Tell Us About Brand Control on the Internet?

by James Heskett

SUMMING UP. Boaty McBoatface may have been shot down as the social-media sourced name of a research vessel, but James Heskett's readers are up to their hip-boots in opinions on the matter. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Can Customer Reviews Be 'Managed?'

by Brian Kenny

Consumers increasingly rely on peer reviews on TripAdvisor and other sites to make purchase decisions, so it makes sense that companies have a stake in wanting to shape those opinions. But can they? Thales Teixeira says a good product trumps all. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Does Competition Make Us More Creative?

by Michael Blanding

Competition can bring out the best in many people in many jobs, but can it make employees more creative? The answer lies in the Goldilocks Zone. Research by Daniel P. Gross. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

A Dedication to Creation: India's Ad Man Ranjan Kapur

by Sean Silverthorne

How do you build a brand amid the uncertainties and opportunities of a developing market? Harvard Business School Professor Sunil Gupta shares lessons learned from Ranjan Kapur, an iconic figure in the Indian advertising industry. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Build It, Buy It Or Both? Rethinking the Sourcing of Advertising Services

by Alvin J. Silk

The scale and scope of in-house advertising services is increasing. These developments are part and parcel of the restructuring of the advertising and marketing services industry more broadly. In this paper the authors provide guidance to senior managers considering bringing their internal and external agency resources together to arrive at a more collaborative operating model. Two case examples of successful internal/external agency collaboration are included. Closed for comment; 0 Comment(s) posted.

Sharpening Your Skills: Social Media

Re: Multiple Faculty

Sharpening Your Skills culls the HBS Working Knowledge archive to deliver insights around important business topics. This week: developing a social media strategy. Open for comment; 0 Comment(s) posted.

Advertisers Get Serious About Playing With Their Brands

by Dina Gerdeman

In social media marketing, companies often try to engage consumers with a playful approach. But play is serious business that can backfire if not done correctly. John Deighton and Leora Kornfeld discuss three "rules of play." Open for comment; 1 Comment(s) posted.

Digital Initiative Summit: Companies Must Forget—and Borrow

by Dina Gerdeman

Entering the digital economy, commercial giants must adapt to new ways of doing business, but not forget how they achieved success in the first place. Open for comment; 1 Comment(s) posted.