Marketing messages promising powerful benefits such as enhanced social status in return for smoking a particular brand of cigarettes or sexual potency after taking a ‘cure’ for erectile dysfunction are often accompanied by grave warnings of possible side effects, including increased risks of stroke, heart disease and cancer. Such warnings buffer companies from liability — […]
Read More… from Health Warnings Can Boost Sales: Regulators Beware
Survey data from 2011 suggests investment consultants are hired by more than 90 per cent of retirement plan sponsors and that they advise on institutional assets of more than $13 trillion in the US. The costs to plan sponsors are considerable: ‘transition management’ fees are incurred when they move between funds. Are they getting value […]
Read More… from Money for Nothing: The Truth About Investment Consultants
A review of consumer research (based mainly in North America) and of literature from marketing and related social science disciplines confirms that marketing affects food consumption in ways beyond advertising. Pricing is one of the strongest influences. One econometric study, for example, found that a 10 per cent increase in prices at fast-food and full-service […]
Read More… from Healthy Bottom Lines – Food Marketing and Obesity Prevention
A growing number of studies in both the field and the laboratory demonstrate that people are imperfect co-operators — they tend to co-operate only if others do so, and a significant minority don’t co-operate at all. This pattern of behaviour causes unstable co-operation levels and often results in the disappearance of positive collective action over […]
Read More… from Co-operative Behaviour: Neuroscience Insights
In making decisions, people are susceptible to the influence of those in their ‘in-group’, who commonly include others of the same age, sex, ethnicity or religion, as well as friends, family members, colleagues and classmates. This is a long-observed and commonly acknowledged phenomenon, often explained in terms of evolutionary biology. (By conforming to the common […]
Read More… from Social Influences on Decision-Making: Neuroscience Insights
Most companies now understand the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and recognize it as a tool to strengthen their businesses while contributing to society at the same time. The challenge they now face is how to deliver CSR strategies and create real value. This Idea offers suggestions to help executives move towards policies that […]
