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As algorithms continue to determine more and more of what we interact with on the Internet every day, questions arise as to the effectiveness, ethicality, and impartiality of these same algorithms. In our research, we undertake a set of studies to determine to what extent algorithms are presenting biased recommendations and further, to what extent people are going along with those biased choices and reinforcing the algorithms’ bias.

The advertisement landscape is evolving. While positive advertising appeals often dominate, a new trend has emerged—the rise of audience-targeted negative advertisements, which, in contrast to traditional approaches, employ moderately negative messages directly targeting the audience. The emergence of these advertisements presents a unique opportunity for advertisers to connect with consumers in unconventional ways.

Have you ever noticed how platforms like Zillow and Rover prominently display profile pictures? Our faces are powerful communicators, even online. Facial cues act as potent first impressions, shaping judgments of trustworthiness, competence, and likeability. We investigated whether online profile photos have this effect, demonstrating how perceived facial characteristics influence consumer engagement with real estate agents.

Our research seeks to better understand consumer perceptions of sales pressure through the exploration of consumer entitlement, self-perception of high levels of product knowledge and persuasion knowledge, and awareness of sales persuasion tactics.  Hopefully, this understanding will help firms prevent situations in which consumers feel pressured to buy and instead will create mutually beneficial sales exchanges.

Frequent interruptions during work hours from spouses or children or frequent interruptions to family life from remote work can be significant causes of stress. Mental and emotional resources can be taxed by this overlap, resulting in lower quality of work and lower overall satisfaction for the employee. With this in mind, we conducted a study to see what types of breaks would best contribute to overcoming stress and resource drain while working remotely. 

It is hard to overstate the importance of online reviews. In today’s world where most product experiences start and/or end online, the experiences of others are more visible and more important than ever. In this research, we discover the most effective time to ask customers for reviews following a product experience. 

Technology has transformed the way businesses market products and services, making it essential for marketers to stay up to date with the latest trends in digital marketing. In Digital Marketers Sound Off, Matt Chiera interviews some of the most successful and innovative digital marketers in the industry, sharing their experiences and offering insights into the strategies that have led to success.

The intent behind advertising is never just to spend money, but to engage consumers. Our research links the use of negations—which advise what not to do through words such as like no, not, can’t, don’t—to increased consumer engagement. Our paper examines how the use of negations impact consumer engagement, while also considering negations’ effect on how powerful brands seem. 

The prevalence of technology has prompted more people to maintain calendars through a smart device as opposed to a hard copy calendar. But does using a mobile calendar provide the same benefits at the same level as a paper calendar? Our research found that not only do users of paper calendars achieve higher plan fulfillment, but they are more effective at developing higher quality plans by taking a broader, big-picture perspective.

While technology has undoubtedly brought many benefits to the workplace, it has also brought a new form of stress known as "technostress." By understanding how technostress negatively influences employee turnover, work-family conflict, and family burnout, firms can better manage potential stressors and create a more positive and productive work environment.

Humans are wired to seek out social interaction, and the Internet gives us endless opportunities to connect. But, contrary to the goal of bringing people together, recent research links increased social media usage to loneliness and perceived isolation. We studied social media use and examined whether it is how social media is used (passively vs. actively) that determines its effects on users’ perceived social connection and well-being.

The emergence of digital information platforms allowing consumer-to-consumer communications is changing how service ecosystems establish and create value for service innovations. The communications regarding these innovations have transitioned from pure "one-to-one" communication and engagement processes to "many-to-many" informational touchpoints. Our study assesses these information flows in service ecosystems and how they influence decision-making of digital innovations.

Have you ever been told to turn off electronics and give your brain some rest from screen time right before you go to bed? You may have been told that it will disrupt your sleep schedule and have a negative effect on your well-being the next day. Our research illustrates that this is only sometimes true.

Research confirms that 360-degree video ads increase social media click rates by 29% as compared to similar videos in standard format. Our research
identifies the optimal scenario and mechanisms in which 360-degree video ads outperform standard version videos, and we provide suggestions on how to create videos that will drive engagement in promising new ways.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was faced with an unprecedented tremor that necessitated a transition to a virtual world, immediately altering sales as we knew it. In his latest book, Jeb Blount provides techniques that turn virtual communication platforms into powerful and effective sales tools, making virtual selling more human and helping organizations acquire a distinct competitive advantage that will extend beyond the lifetime of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Images are likely a key component to your social media strategy, but are you using the right images in the right manner? Our research quantifies the impact of image content and makes recommendations to help increase your client engagement on social media.

How can companies best manage rapid and constant change in technology? We explore The Technology Fallacy, which suggests that managing technological disruption is not about managing technology at all—it is about managing people.

Today, email is the standard method of business communication, but traditional emails are not always effective at allowing your personality to shine through. In Rehumanize Your Business, authors Ethan Beute and Steve Pacinelli examine how adding a personal video element to your emails can help generate leads and increase sales.

With the quick availability of online listings and resources, some buyers may feel they no longer need the specialized services of a real estate agent. Have you considered how the content and design of your web site might help you reclaim competitive advantage, while connecting with potential clients on a deeper level?

In their book Conversational Marketing, authors David Cancel and Dave Gerhardt share why online conversational marketing creates a better, more natural, and more profitable sales climate.

Internet addiction is regarded as a growing health concern in many parts of the world. Our research examines how social media can drain resources in the workplace and how employees react to social media posts by their colleagues, ultimately impacting job performance.

Virality is the new ad currency. The key driver of virality is sharing of videos, but what drives sharing among your followers? Our research reveals that sharing is not a matter of luck or art, but it can be ascertained by scientific research. In this article, we examine what type of videos you should create to maximize sharing of and virality of your ads.

When you post social media content is just as important as what you post. In this article, we examine the impacts of social media posts based on time of day, emotionality of your content, and the results of boosting posts.

As a real estate agent, you're familiar with managing your own business. In this Insider article, we explore Cliff Lerner’s Explosive Growth strategies to help you grow your real estate business and stay ahead of the competition.

With modern technology, you may think we are connected with each other more now more than ever. Yet, in many ways, we have never been so disconnected. Our research set out to learn more about the psychological effects of smartphone use on well-being.

It's not unusual to put in a 60-80 work week, with many of those hours worked at home after hours. But have you considered how your working from home may affect your spouse's work productivity?

Zachary R. Hall, PhD, Ryan R. Mullins, PhD, Niladri Syam, PhD, and Jeffrey P. Boichuk, PhD Understanding the changing dynamics of customers and competitors in your market is a cornerstone for maintained success. This information, known as market intelligence, helps improve decision-making, especially in real estate. But how do we utilize it in an agency context to bolster sales?

Do you know that what people say about you on the Internet impacts your business? Having a strong online presence is becoming increasingly important. So, how do you accomplish that?

Your partner just walked in and you can tell from her facial expression that something is weighing heavy on her mind. You ask what's wrong, and right as she begins to tell you, your phone rings.

For sales professionals in real estate and other industries, life in the digital world presents numerous challenges. Since mobile devices are the norm, work extends far outside the boundaries of the office and expectations are high for immediate response.

With the advancement in storage technology and the rise of Internet and social media, more and more information is becoming readily available to both customers and agencies. Today, customers are able to get almost all the information they need to make a purchase decision through websites both of the focal company and their competitors, feedback and ratings of other customers and users, through blogs, online product reviews and social media...

It’s a fairly common experience - that desperate moment when you search the crowd for whoever said your name. We are constantly clued into our names, especially when it’s added to personalized greetings or comments. People use our names as a way of engaging with us and getting our attention...

Do you check your cell-phone every 6.5 minutes and up to 150 times a day? Do you have 6,234 Facebook friends? Or, spend the majority of your waking hours with your cell-phone on your body?

Bridging current academic research and the real estate practitioner audience, the Keller Center Research Report plays uniquely in the knowledge marketplace. Our Keller Center team identifies cutting-edge rigorous research with interesting implications for the real estate market...

Real estate professionals can and should leverage social-media platforms to humanize their branding efforts and connect with consumers. Utilization of visual storytelling will drive consumer engagement with the brand, encouraging traffic, referrals, and ultimately loyalty and revenues...

Are you curious about the likelihood of clients using your real estate services in the future given pervasive '"e-information?" There is definitely a mouse in the house and action is imperative...

Internet-based applications are very commonplace within business and personal contexts. Online banking, chat-based customer service, and shopping are just some of the e-functions that permeate our day-to-day lives. Some consumers, though, show great resistance...

With the increase in the number of blogs, consumer websites, and word-of-mouth outlets available to homebuyers, consumer-generated media is attracting...

Today, the smartphone is central to the lives of most consumers regardless of age, gender or education level. In fact, many consumers cannot seem to live apart from...

In a recent issue of the Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, four scholars report on a research initiative involving sales practitioners in the United States and the United Kingdom. Exploring the role of technology and social media in the selling process, the authors identify six major themes of interest to the academic community: connectivity, relationships, selling tools, generational, global, and sales/marketing interface.

Questions are a part of our everyday life and we can often overlook the importance and power of questions we ask. This is often because the person being asked...

Think about the last time you purchased a book or selected a movie to see. How did you go about it? The chances are that your decision was influenced by what someone else ...

Have you ever wondered how Pandora processes your musical preferences and recommends other music you might like? Or how Amazon finds and suggests the exact ...

Pinterest has all the elements for a right brain, visual thinker. Images, pin boards, minimal word content and high quality visuals that makes staying on the site feel like you are ...

Whether a consumer knows it or not, using a search engine to browse content on the Internet automatically engages him with the world of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) ...

In today's fast-paced, competitive marketplace, effective information management is arguably the most powerful non-employee lever to trigger sales productivity and ...

In this age of emerging technology, the modern homebuyer holds countless devices to discuss his experiences with other peers. Tools from blogs, videos, consumer websites...

Is it possible that you could be using web data analysis more extensively? In Current Trends in Web Data Analysis, Arun Sen, Peter A. Dacin, and Christos Pattichis...

Are you using your website to its maximum potential? How do you know if your marketing initiatives are really bringing in sales leads? In A Two-Stage Model of the Promotional...