News Releases

Press releases featuring INFORMS journal content, awards, and organization news. This content spans a variety of fields authored by a diverse and robust international community of practitioners, researchers, educators and students.

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Student teams conquer complex real-world challenges in the INFORMS Student Team Competition

Student teams conquer complex real-world challenges in the INFORMS Student Team Competition

News Release, March 26, 2018

CATONSVILLE, MD, March 26, 2018 - Eight student teams from around the world have been selected as finalists in the 2018 INFORMS O.R. & Analytics Student Team Competition. The competition, which was introduced last year, highlights impressive young talent and provides O.R. and analytics students the opportunity to solve the kinds of real-world workplace challenges they will face during their careers.

It’s not you, it’s me: How customers break up with sellers

It’s not you, it’s me: How customers break up with sellers

News Release, March 5, 2018

CATONSVILLE, MD, March 5, 2018 – Companies invest billions each year in expensive customer service programs, sales forces, and sophisticated discounting programs such as Groupon to lure and retain customers only to find that churn remains one of their biggest and most expensive challenges. According to a new study, customers have a tendency to send clear signals before they “break up” with a company, but you have to know what to be monitoring, and the key to any relationship remains effective communication.

Special INFORMS journal collection explores the origins of strategy science

Special INFORMS journal collection explores the origins of strategy science

News Release, February 13, 2018

CATONSVILLE, MD, February 13, 2018 – Where do great strategies come from? How can opportunities be maximized? How can the most successful strategies be identified? These questions and more are explored in a one of a kind collection of essays by prominent thought leaders in strategy science. This one-of-a-kind collection began with a collaborative workshop hosted by Apple and was ultimately published by INFORMS, the largest international association of operations research (O.R.) and analytics professionals.

The magic of movies not tied to using latest technology according to new research

The magic of movies not tied to using latest technology according to new research

News Release, January 25, 2018

CATONSVILLE, MD, January 25, 2018 – In the nearly 60 years between the 1939 release of Hollywood’s first animated movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and modern hits like Toy Story, Shrek and more, advances in animation technology have revolutionized not only animation techniques, but moviemaking as a whole. However, a new study in the INFORMS journal Organization Science found that employing the latest technology doesn’t always ensure creative success for a film.

Are Super Bowl ads worth it? New research indicates sales benefits persist well into the year during “March Madness,” MLB and NBA games

Are Super Bowl ads worth it? New research indicates sales benefits persist well into the year during “March Madness,” MLB and NBA games

News Release, January 5, 2018

CATONSVILLE, MD, January 5, 2018 – The 2018 Super Bowl arrives in a few weeks and over 40 percent of U.S. households will watch the game on TV. With a 30-second TV commercial priced at over $4 million, some advertisers may debate whether these ads are worth the cost. A new study finds that the benefits from the Super Bowl ads actually persist well into the year with increased sales during sporting events like the NCAA’s “March Madness,” NBA playoffs and MLB games. According to this new research a Budweiser ad increased sales during these later sporting events. Further, the research finds that the gains in sales are much more substantial when the advertiser is the sole advertiser from its market category or niche in a particular event. 

Online sponsored ad ban has limited impact on consumer access to foreign pharmacies

Online sponsored ad ban has limited impact on consumer access to foreign pharmacies

News Release, December 15, 2017

CATONSVILLE, MD, December 15, 2017 - As American consumers turn to online search engines for cheaper prescription drugs from foreign pharmacies, safety and quality concerns arise. In 2010, under compulsion from the Department of Justice, Google agreed to forfeit $500 million and ban sponsored search advertising by pharmacies that are not certified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). The ban covered all foreign pharmacies and a few domestics. Within the year, other major search engines followed. But a forthcoming study in the INFORMS journal, Marketing Science, a leading scholarly marketing publication, finds that the ad ban had limited success in reducing access; motivated consumers still gained access to foreign pharmacies through organic search links. 

University of Iowa researchers develop new model to predict which universities student athletes will commit to

University of Iowa researchers develop new model to predict which universities student athletes will commit to

News Release, December 12, 2017

CATONSVILLE, MD, December 12, 2017 – With revenue from college football at an unprecedented $3.4 billion annually, universities across the country invest tens of millions each year in recruitment efforts to attract high school athletes to play for their football teams. But with talented players typically receiving scholarship offers from multiple universities, team rosters are in limbo until student athletes commit to a university. However, a new study in the INFORMS journal Decision Analysis shares how social media can provide universities with valuable insight into the decision-making process of their recruits.

Media Contact

Ashley Smith
Public Affairs Coordinator
INFORMS
Catonsville, MD
[email protected]
443-757-3578

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