Area: Marketing

LA Times homepage as seen on a computer desktop monitor Research Brief / Advertising

Why the Online Ad World Abandoned Soft-Floor Auctions

Complexity and a failure to boost platform revenue were culprits

Illustration of binoculars Research Brief / Marketing

When Does the Future Begin?

Believing it arrives sooner leads people to, well, prepare for it

Dusty wine bottles on a rack Feature / Behavioral Decision Making

When Delayed Gratification Backfires

A self-imposed quest for a perfect time to enjoy an indulgence often means missing out on actually having a good experience

Illustration of a manga cartoon Research Brief / Consumer Behavior

What’s in Your Social Media Feed?

On anime sites, what one’s friends are watching is the most persuasive prompt to engage

A small, medium and large cup of black coffee each in a white cup on a white saucer Research Brief / Consumer Behavior

What’s Behind the Consumer Preference for the Middle Ground

Capturing how decisions are driven by a habitual preference for moderation

Black background with social media and chat, friend, message bubbles. Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

Want To Elicit User-Generated Content? Try User-Generated Rewards

Recognition by peers leads to longer, more thoughtful online reviews and discussion threads

Research Brief / Advertising

TV Ads are Cheaper for Advertisers with Seniority

T-Mobile’s $22.1 million disadvantage to AT&T; Arby’s pays more than Burger King

Split screen of fake lemon on the left and real lemon on the right. Research Brief / E-commerce

To Spot Fake Online Reviews, Target the Reviewers

A test was 93% accurate; more efficient than analyzing reviews

An illustration of two figures marching inside endless treadmills. Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

The More They Do It, the More Some People Prefer To Continue a Tedious Task

Even when there’s an easy-to-access better alternative, some prefer their rut

Research Brief / Advertising

The Long History of Middlemen Earning a Lucrative, Fixed Commission

Ad agencies’ 15% fee lasted 100 years longer than it might have

Two people watching a Progressive Insurance ad on TV Research Brief / Advertising

The Limited Payoff in Auto Insurance Advertising

Ads aimed at brand awareness are shown to be more effective

Illustration of a young man looking into a mirror, reflecting his older self Feature / Time

The Healthy Upside of Thinking about an Older You

Consciously imagining our older self can spur us to take better care of ourselves now

Woman with headphones stands in crosswalk Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

The Connective Pull of Headphones

We literally feel closer to someone we’re hearing via headphones

Illustration of a man walking on a tight wire with a net below Feature / Goal Setting

The Case for Building Wiggle Room into Goals

Aiming high, with some flexibility to trip up along the way, spurs greater success

Person looking at a computer screen Research Brief / E-commerce

That Online Hotel Review You Wrote? It Matters

Consumers’ comments on TripAdvisor are substitutes for traditional ad spending

A laptop with Netflix Research Brief / E-commerce

Streaming Choices: Do We Follow the Big Crowd or Our Friends?

The ubiquitous community-wide customer rating is the biggest pull in helping us pick a movie or show