Michael Solomon, Ph.D., professor of marketing at Saint Joseph’s University and author of "Marketers, Tear Down These Walls!: Liberating the Postmodern Consumer," suggests that traditional lines drawn between market segments — young vs. old, online vs. in-store — are far from effective in today's business world.
Sunday, March 12, marks the start of Daylight Saving Time. While few people enjoy losing an hour of sleep, parents often worry most about how their children will adjust to the change. Pediatric sleep expert Jodi A. Mindell, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Saint Joseph’s University, has advice to help parents successfully transition their kids into Daylight Saving Time.
The holidays can pose great challenges for parents who must juggle seasonal excitement and overtired kids. Saint Joseph’s University sleep expert and Professor of Psychology Jodi A. Mindell, Ph.D., offers the following suggestions for parents to help kids navigate high spirits and the need for rest.
How would a strong third-party candidate affect the math of the American election system? And would an alternate form of voting yield a president that more citizens are happy with?
Free food: It’s a growing workplace trend, especially in tech companies, to incentivize productivity and morale around the office. But how can companies promote healthy choices and still provide indulgent goodies? Google executives asked consumer behavior expert and Saint Joseph’s University professor Ernest Baskin, Ph.D. and his colleagues, to help them resolve that question by examining the role of relative proximity in behavior.
Research and Development:for many companies, it’s the creative core, the birthplace of innovation, but for organizations who know how to ride the wave, it may also be the budget to cut, according to Saint Joseph's University associate professor Tim Swift, Ph.D. Swift has studied both how reducing R&D budgets can lead to greater innovation, and what it takes for a company to transition between exploratory and exploitative phases of R&D.
Even though autism diagnoses were first introduced over 75 years ago, many people still associate the condition with young children. But autism is aging. Experts estimate that approximately 50,000 individuals with autism enter adulthood each year. And with their entrance to adulthood, they lose access to many services they’ve come to rely on for support.
Food-related hashtags on social media have millions of posts: but what happens after we snap a food selfie? Intrigued by this new social norm and its impact, Sean Coary, Ph.D., assistant professor of food marketing at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, teamed up with Morgan Poor, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing at the University of San Diego, to research the impact of consumer-generated images of food on satisfaction.
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the first (contemporary) Russian invasion of Chechnya. While made by the Yeltsin administration, that decision has had an enormous impact on current Russian identity and now President Vladimir Putin's power. Moreover, this strategy of two decades ago has a familiar ring: promote popular approval during hard times by turning to violence against some undesirable “other” — Chechen terrorists in 1994 and Ukrainian fascists today.
Popular culture Expert David Allan, Ph.D. '99, with Saint Joseph's University's Haub School of Business is wrapping up a 10-year study of popular music in Super Bowl commercials this year. Through his research, Allan will illustrate the frequency in which advertisers employ popular music to market and relate with consumers.
What’s not to love about an extra hour of sleep? Just ask any parent and they’ll tell you how that one little hour that gets added every fall as part of Daylight Savings Time can wreak havoc on their children’s routines.
As scores of Americans enter the darkened realms of haunted houses, nighttime hayrides and horror film marathons, monsters, ghosts and pop-culture goblins wait to give them a scare. A popular Halloween tradition, these dramatized attractions, coupled with costumes, trick-or-treat candy and festive decorations added up to an estimated $7 billion in 2011. While it may seem odd to celebrate a night of fright with so much enthusiasm, confronting what scares us isn’t a new phenomenon, says Paul J. Patterson, Ph.D., assistant professor of English at Saint Joseph’s University.
There’s nothing more frustrating for gardeners than discovering that their well-planned plots or rolling lawns have been infiltrated by invasive plant species, the perennial marauders of the back yard set. While many people panic and immediately start yanking or mowing the intruders when they first make their appearance, gardening expert Karen Snetselaar, Ph.D., chair and professor of biology at Saint Joseph’s University, advises that it’s best to investigate the plant that’s choking your columbines or blighting your lawn before complicating the problem with an errant course of action.
Speculation regarding the profile of the next leader of the Catholic Church is mounting in the days since Pope Benedict XVI’s surprising resignation. William Madges, Ph.D., dean of Saint Joseph’s University’s College of Arts and Sciences and professor of theology, warns that speculation is just that until the conclave actually meets, but notes some obvious considerations.
For years, card issuers have been making money off the fees they charge retailers for the convenience of using a credit card at checkout. Beginning Jan. 27, however, retailers are now permitted to pass this cost onto customers in a big way. Marketing expert Brent Smith, Ph.D., says consumers should be wary of surprises as some retailers may experiment with some level of a new surcharge fee.
Consumer shopping patterns this holiday season point to a very clear trend: mobile shopping is increasing in popularity. In the past, mobile and online shopping have been viewed as a threat to traditional brick-and mortar stores, but Brent Smith, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing at Saint Joseph's University, sees an opportunity for retailers to connect with tech-savvy consumers through their mobile devices.
Many consumers sacrificed their Thanksgiving dinners this year to grab that ultimate pre-Black Friday deal that they can spend the rest of the season bragging about. But according to Saint Joseph’s University sociologist Keith Brown, Ph.D., more and more shoppers are seeking something greater than saving a buck.
When he left, he was your child whose meals you prepared and whose laundry you dutifully did. Now he’s home from college for an extended winter break – possibly bringing with him more laundry for you to do. For parents readjusting to life with their college students at home for a few weeks, it can be…an adjustment, according to a psychologist at Saint Joseph's University.
For many Americans, health care is a paramount issue when weighing their choices for the presidency, and rightly so. Currently the United States spends nearly $9,000 per capita annually for health care, which far exceeds any other nation in the world. In addition to that statistic, America has disappointing infant mortality and life expectancy rates when compared to other developed nations. It’s clear to see that Americans have much at stake.
There’s no doubt that the economy is the deciding factor for many voters. Americans are looking to presidential candidates for a fast remedy, but the reality will be far less immediate, according to Saint Joseph’s University economist Benjamin Liebman, Ph.D.
Though the four debates of the presidential election ignored any talk of policies that could help mitigate climate change, Hurricane Sandy’s disastrous path brought the issue front and center during the final week of the campaign. Susan Liebell, Ph.D., associate professor of political science at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, says that between the two front-runners, there is a major difference of opinion regarding the climate question and how each candidate would handle energy policy.
No segment of the economy has been immune from the economic downturn, but U.S. clothing retailers have had a particularly rough time. Now, the apparel industry is facing another set of challenges: retaining customers as new competitors with game-changing ideas fight to break into the market. Marketer Brent Smith, Ph.D., says: “Conventional approaches, such as pushing a single garment like the khaki or generic white shirt, need a reboot."
Perhaps one of the most ambitious book-to-movie translations to date, Warner Brothers’ "Cloud Atlas," based on British author David Mitchell’s 2004 award-winning novel of the same name, opens on Oct.26. Narrative theory and time expert Jo Alyson Parker, Ph.D., professor of English at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, has done an in-depth study of the book, and is available to comment on the challenges the filmmakers faced, given the novel's complex structure.
Although many U.S. consumers were alarmed to see news reports this summer of droughts leaving shriveled crops dying in the fields, John Stanton, Ph.D., professor of food marketing at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, warns other factors will have a greater effect on Americans’ wallets. “Price increases from the droughts are likely to have short-term effects, but global issues can have a longer and greater impact,” Stanton explains, citing increasing demand from the rest of the world for crops like corn.
Although many Catholic schools received reprieves from impending closings and mergers, hundreds of students will be affected by Catholic school restructuring this September. Pennsylvania certified school psychologist and senior fellow at Saint Joseph’s University’s Center for Catholic and Urban Education in Philadelphia, Anne Marie Borneman, Ed.D., believes that these school changes can be positive experiences for school children and their families.
As preparations for a new school year get under way, Saint Joseph’s University psychologist and sleep expert Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., reminds parents and kids not to forget the most important school supply of all: sleep.
In an expanding “foodie” culture, people go to great lengths to get the best ingredients, seek out the most aesthetic desserts, and buy organic. Less noted, though, is the forager movement: people who “eat wild” on a regular basis, supplemented by naturally growing, edible plants for which they search in their local communities, whether urban or rural.
As April approaches, many citizens begin to dread the hassle of tax season. While major reforms are out of the taxpayer’s control, staying informed and using a tax preparation service are two simple ways to make filing your taxes as stress-free as can be.
If you don’t know everything you would like to know about how to grow your small business — who are your best customers, what is your most profitable product or service, what’s the best location for your business — you need business intelligence (BI).
Although a final decision will not be rendered until later this month on the fate of 49 Philadelphia Archdiocesan schools, there is little doubt that a number of those schools will be closing or merging with other schools. Pennsylvania certified school psychologist and senior fellow at Saint Joseph’s University’s Center for Catholic Urban Education in Philadelphia, Anne Marie Borneman, Ed.D., believes that it is time for everyone involved to begin to consider ways to make these transitions positive experiences for school children.
Production for the eighth season of ABC-TV’s “The Bachelorette” – the successful spin-off of the hugely popular “The Bachelor” – starts next month, but medievalist Paul Patterson, Ph.D., assistant professor of English at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, says the plots for both TV hits were written long ago.
A handful of Super Bowl commercials have already been released online, with more to come in the next few days. This is all part of a growing trend by advertisers to pre-release commercials to build social media buzz and drive consumers to channels devoted to the product. “It’s like opening your Christmas presents on Christmas Eve,” says David Allan, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
Students heading home for the holidays should seek out opportunities to "network before they need work" and plant the seeds for a successful career search, advises Brett Woodard, director of the Career Development Center at Saiint Joseph's University.
With the start of every winter holiday season come the mainstays of American Christmas: the toy commercials, 24-hour holiday radio stations, Christmas trees and photos with Santa. Amidst it all, families of minority cultures and religions often struggle to establish themselves in the pervasiveness of secularized Christmas. But some of the most challenged are interfaith families, in which each parent was raised in a different religious or cultural tradition, says Philip Cunningham, Ph.D., professor of theology at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
The holidays bring many motivations to buy, buy, buy. Beyond the sale prices and must-have items is something greater for consumers to consider, says Saint Joseph’s University sociologist Keith Brown, Ph.D.
Think you’ve seen that holiday commercial before? That’s because you have – maybe even as long ago as the 1980s. In a move to touch the nostalgic hearts of consumers this holiday season, businesses like Toys R Us are recycling the old in order to captivate younger audiences and remind their parents of times past.
Significant areas of the country have experienced heavy rains this year, leaving government officials to grapple with the problem of how to safely handle excess stormwater. Water quality expert Jean Smolen, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry and director of Saint Joseph’s University’s environmental science program, says that homeowners should consider adopting current stormwater management techniques to help with the problem.
With the holiday season fast approaching, Natalie Wood, Ph.D., assistant director of Saint Joseph’s University’s Center for Consumer Research, offers the following strategies for how marketers can be better prepared and leverage the power of social media to strengthen their existing marketing campaign. With the right social media strategy, Wood says marketers can maximize brand exposure at very little cost.
On Oct. 6, a group of Philadelphians gathered at Dilworth Plaza by City Hall in the name of Occupy Philadelphia. The demonstration was organized in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, which began in September and has since gone national. Jeffrey Hyson, Ph.D., assistant professor of history and director of the American studies program at Saint Joseph’s University says that historically, a key component of revolution is the action of crowds taking to the streets.
October marks the beginning of flu season, and once again, health care professionals are exhorting people to get a flu shot. Microbiologist John Tudor, Ph.D., professor of biology at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, agrees that it’s time to roll up our sleeves and offer up our arms for the vaccination.
As the U.S. and European economies destabilize under the pressure of debt, the global economy is leaning heavily on China. “Consumers — historically and especially during times of economic decline — value price over quality,” says Karen Hogan, Ph.D., professor of finance at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. “China offers the U.S. and European economies cheap labor and affordable imports; we’re hooked on it.”
America is about to ditch the food pyramid. In its place, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will serve a plate-shaped symbol sliced into basic food groups. Beside the plate will rest a small cup of dairy (milk or yogurt). What does this mean for the kid on the playground, or the mom running in eight different directions?
As America’s collective waistline continues to expand, so does the number of food products parading themselves as healthy options. In light of growing concern over the nutritional value of the foods we put into our bodies, many food marketers have stepped up their advertising in an effort to stand out against their competitors.
April 12 marks the 150th anniversary of the attack on Fort Sumter in the Charleston, S.C., harbor, and signals the beginning of a multi-year commemoration of the United States Civil War (1861-1865). Many national Civil War parks and sites – like Fort Sumter, Gettysburg, Pa., and Shiloh, Miss.– are ready to receive a bumper crop of visitors over the next four years, as our nation revisits this time from our history. But Civil War expert Randall Miller, Ph.D., professor of history at Saint Joseph's University thinks it's important that communities look beyond the battlefields to the home front.
Former IRS Agent Dennis Raible, M.B.A., C.P.A., an accounting professor at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, has recommendations for 2011 tax season. Above all, Raible advises to file on-time. “The penalty for failure-to-file is a real killer," he says.
As NCAA basketball fans begin to research ESPN for information that could prove useful for their brackets -- many on company time -- employers are voicing concerns that the madness surrounding bracketology will cause declines in productivity. But Claire Simmers Ph.D., chair and professor of management at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, believes that if handled correctly, office pools are useful for boosting morale, as long as productivity is balanced.
Plants under snow cover are exposed to fewer drastic temperature changes, which can be more damaging than continued cold, says botanist Karen Snetselaar, Ph.D., chair and professor of biology at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. However, this year’s insulating snow cover may have come too late, Snetselaar notes.
Employers are tripping over legal hurdles as more companies and their workers use social media tools like Twitter and Facebook.
Observers of the recent suicide bombing at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport were surprised that despite the carnage, the airport remained open for business. While some claimed that this response was an example of Russian toughness and stoicism in the face of a crisis, Lisa Baglione, Ph.D., chair and professor of political science at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, believes that something else was at work.
In his joint paper with Evan Offstein, Ph.D., “On the Virtues of Secrecy in Organizations,” Ronald Dufresne, Ph.D., an assistant professor of management at Saint Joseph' s University, argues that “secrets are necessary, if not essential, to organizational survival and competitiveness.”
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