We were pleased to host Maarten Gijsenberg, Full Professor of Marketing Dynamics at the University of Groningen. Maarten is Associate Editor at the Journal of Retailing and serves on the Editorial Review Boards of several leading marketing journals, including the Journal of Marketing, the Journal of Marketing Research, and the International Journal of Research in Marketing. He also represents the Netherlands at the European Marketing Academy. His research has been published in leading journals such as the Journal of Marketing Research, the International Journal of Research in Marketing, and the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing.
Maarten shared insights from his research on how marketing actions evolve over time and how brands respond differently to changing market conditions. His current work focuses on the impact of cyclical advertising expenditures on price sensitivity, particularly within utilitarian product categories.
Some key insights from his presentation included:
- Cyclical adjustments: Brands tend to adopt different approaches during economic shifts, often following pro-cyclical, counter-cyclical, or mixed advertising strategies.
- The strength of counter-cyclicality: Maintaining or increasing advertising efforts while competitors reduce spending can have a strong positive impact on brand performance.
- Price sensitivity and media choice: Both the intensity and the medium of advertising influence consumer price sensitivity. Maarten’s findings suggest, for example, that outdoor advertising can increase price elasticity, while print media may increase price sensitivity, highlighting the importance of not only when brands advertise, but also where.
We thank Maarten for an engaging and insightful presentation and for visiting our department.
