Itamar Simonson

Research Statement

Itamar Simonson’s research includes decision making, buyer behavior, consumer evaluation of brands and promotional offers, marketing management, and survey methods. Some of Simonson’s studies demonstrate a variety of seemingly irrelevant and irrational influences on consumers' decisions. These studies introduce a new perspective on consumer behavior and suggest more effective approaches to the design of market research investigations and marketing strategies.

Bio

Itamar Simonson is the Sebastian S. Kresge Professor of Marketing at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Itamar has published numerous articles in leading marketing and decision making journals. His work has provided new insights into consumer choice, the factors that drive buyer decisions, the limits of customization, and other central marketing issues. He has won many awards for his research, including the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award of the Society for Consumer Psychology, Elected Fellow of the Association for Consumer Research, the award for Best Article published in the Journal of Consumer Research, twice the Journal of Marketing Research O’Dell Award (for the JMR article that has had the greatest impact on the marketing field in the previous 5 years), the Best Article in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, the Association for Consumer Research Ferber Award, and the American Marketing Association award for the Best Article on services marketing. At Stanford Dr. Simonson has taught MBA courses on marketing management, critical analytical thinking, marketing to businesses, and technology marketing, and PhD courses on consumer behavior, consumer research methods, and decision making. Itamar serves on nine editorial boards of leading marketing and decision making journals.

Academic Degrees

• PhD, Duke University, 1987
• MBA, University of California, Los Angeles, 1978
• BA, Hebrew University, 1976

Academic Appointments

• At Stanford University since 1993
• Assistant Professor, University of California, Berkeley, 1987–1993

Professional Experience

• Product Marketing Manager for two-way communications products, International Division, Motorola Inc., 1978–1983

Awards and Honors

• The Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, Society for Consumer Psychology, 2007
• Honorary Doctorate, University of Paris II (Sorbonne Universities), 2016
• Best Article, Journal of Consumer Research, 1990
• O'Dell Award for the article that has had the greatest impact on the marketing field in the previous five years, Journal of Marketing Research, 1997 and 2001
• Award for the Best Article, The Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 1993-1995, 1995
• Elected Fellow, Association for Consumer Research, 2013

Teaching

Degree Courses

2017-18

GSBGEN 646: Behavioral Decision Making

This seminar examines research on the psychology of judgment and choice. Although the normative issue of how decisions should be made is relevant, the descriptive issue of how decisions are made is the main focus of the course. Topics of...

MKTG 337: Applied Behavioral Economics

The field of behavioral economics couples scientific research on the psychology of decision making with economic theory to better understand what motivates economic agents, including consumers, managers, public policymakers, investors, and...

2016-17

GSBGEN 646: Behavioral Decision Making

This seminar examines research on the psychology of judgment and choice. Although the normative issue of how decisions should be made is relevant, the descriptive issue of how decisions are made is the main focus of the course. Topics of...

MKTG 337: Applied Behavioral Economics

The field of behavioral economics couples scientific research on the psychology of decision making with economic theory to better understand what motivates economic agents, including consumers, managers, public policymakers, investors, and...

In the Media

World Reputation Rankings 2016: there must be substance behind the spin

Times Higher Education, May 4, 2016

Stanford Discovers Why Business Loyalty Programs Work

Silicon Valley Business Journal, September 16, 2004

Consumers Prefer Loyalty Programmes that 'Fit'

The Wise Marketer, 12 10, 2003

Insights by Stanford Business

writtenThe Personal Touch, Quantified

May 31, 2017

Reminding customers of their loyalty to your business makes them much more likely to refer friends.

writtenAre Consumers Turned Off by Too Many Choices? Not Yet.

November 9, 2016

A Stanford researcher disputes the theory of “choice overload.”

writtenItamar Simonson: What Makes People Collect Things?

April 1, 2015

A marketing professor explores the world of collectibles and consumer motivation.

writtenItamar Simonson: Do Brands Still Matter for Online Shoppers?

January 29, 2015

Researchers puzzle over how consumers make product choices in the digital marketplace.

writtenItamar Simonson: Why Do Consumers Ignore Personalized Offers?

February 13, 2014

New research says customized deals often backfire.

writtenHow the Digital Age Rewrites the Rule Book on Consumer Behavior

February 4, 2014

The authors of a new book on market research explain how a shift in consumer decision-making is fundamentally changing marketing.

writtenItamar Simonson: Genes May Influence Consumer Choices

November 1, 2010

A new study suggests that many consumer judgments may be determined by genetics.

writtenItamar Simonson: Be Careful What You Ask Your Customers

April 1, 2007

Research shows that information gleaned from customer surveys can be misleading and even counterproductive.

writtenWhen Customers Equate Choice With Quality

May 1, 2006

Too many options can be a drag on buying behavior, but when consumers must buy, they perceive brands offering greater variety as better.

writtenAsking Consumers to Compare May Have Unintended Results

July 1, 2005

A professor of marketing says telling people to make comparisons, can "change the behavior of consumers in very fundamental ways."

writtenThe Four-Minute Search for the Perfect Mate

July 1, 2005

Through the lens of dating, a marketing professor looks at how people make choices.

writtenConsumers Work Hard for Certain Loyalty Programs

September 1, 2003

Offers that feel tailored to one's taste cause people to view the offer as more attractive, and work much harder for it.

writtenCultural Lenses Change Business Focus

June 1, 2001

How can firms understand and appreciate the cultural background of employees, partners, and customers without overemphasizing or stereotyping it?