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This is a conference for those interested in consumers? brand relationships, with equal relevance for academic researchers and marketing practitioners alike. We invite rigorous and theoretically and/or practically useful papers that address issues related to the art and science of consumer-brand relationships.

According to the ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍø definition, the creation and management of customer relationships is fundamental to marketing. The discipline boasts a significant tradition in the study of business-to-business relationships, and attention in the past decade has expanded to the relationships that form between consumers and their brands. Marketers have a significant interest in brand relationships: what they are, why they form, what effects they have, how they can be measured, how they are strengthened and how they can be destroyed. As the recent Handbook of Brand Relationships (2009) and Consumer-Brand Relationships: Theory and Practice (forthcoming, 2012) attest, consumer-brand relationships stand as a vibrant research area with roots that span across theoretical disciplines and research traditions. Still, brand relationship theory is in its early stages, and there remains much to be learned.

This is a conference for those interested in consumers’ brand relationships, with equal relevance for academic researchers and marketing practitioners alike. The goal of this event is to advance knowledge about consumer-brand relationships by disseminating new research, sharing best company practices, and encouraging the evolution of new research ideas and themes. We invite rigorous and theoretically and/or practically useful papers that address issues related to the art and science of consumer-brand relationships. Research that connects with this year’s conference theme, “The What and ‘So What’ of Brand Relationships,” will be given particular consideration, as will work exploring new theoretical perspectives for understanding people’s relationships with their brands: 

• Brand Relationships on the Web: Brand relationships in digital and virtual worlds, Brand relationships and social media, Relationship co-creation

• The ‘Social Side’ of Brand Relationships: Brand communities, Cultural differences in relationship behaviors, Social identity and brands, Societal effects of brand relationships, Relationships with cause brands
• Extreme Brand Relationships involving brand advocates and brand antagonists, anti-brand movements
• Vices, Addictions, Counterfeits, and other Dysfunctional Brand Relationships
• Brand Relationships in the Health Care Domain
• Consumers’ Relationships with Financial Products and Services

• People’s Relationships with Celebrities and Entertainment Brands

• Marketplace Effects of Brand Relationships: Empirical models exploring relationship effects on mindshare metrics, marketing performance indicators such as share and sales, and shareholder value; Links between CLV and brand relationship equity

• Managing Brand Relationships: Relationship-building strategies, Relationship-based market segmentation, How brand factors such as personality and brand mythology affect brand relationships, CRM enhancements and critiques, Building relationship-sensitive corporate cultures, Brand relationship metrics and dashboards

 

We encourage Completed Papers, Works-in-progress, Posters, and Roundtable Discussion proposals reflecting a range of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches to understanding, creating, nurturing, managing, and leveraging brand relationships.

The conference provides an ideal opportunity for accomplished scholars and practitioners, as well as young faculty members and Ph.D. students to share and discuss their most recent high quality work with other experts in this research field. Depending on the quantity and quality of accepted papers, an edited book is also planned.

 

Important Dates, Deadlines and Information

·         Conference Dates: June 4-6, 2012

·         Submission Deadline: January 15, 2012

·         Notification of Acceptance: February 20, 2012

·         Early Registration Deadline and Fees: $425 (if registered by March 15, 2012)

·         Late Registration Deadline and Fees:  $495

·         Special Student Rate: $325 (by March 15, 2012)/ $395 after

·         Conference Location: Simmons School of Management, Boston, Massachusetts  USA

·         Conference Registration Website:

·         Conference Submission Website:

The registration fee includes attendance to the conference, welcome reception, breakfasts, lunches, coffee breaks and conference material. Tickets to a gala conference dinner and other entertainment will be made available at time of registration.

Submission Options

Authors are invited to submit non-published work that has, as a focal point, consumers’ relationships with brands, to one of the following tracks: (1) full papers, (2) work-in-progress papers, (3) poster session, and (4) roundtable discussions. Through the review process, we seek to identify a core foundation of quality papers (with preference for full papers and works-in-progress in advanced stages of completion) and up to three roundtable sessions that guarantee vigorous discussion and debate.  Two day-long poster sessions will allow additional presenters opportunities to discuss their in-progress work.

·         Full paper submissions present completed research projects that have not been published elsewhere, though the paper may be under review consideration at a journal outlet or other conference. Full papers are 6,000-7,000 words or approximately 20 pages in length (12 font, double-spaced) including cover page, tables, figures and references.

·         Works-in-progress are theoretically-sound projects for which empirical research has been initiated but for which data collection and analysis has not yet been completed. Work-in-progress papers are about 3,000 words or approximately 10 pages in length (12 font, double-spaced). Works-in-progress require a written commitment to complete data collection and analyses by the time of the conference to allow for scholarly discussion of the work.

·         Poster sessions provide the opportunity to present results of research in the very early stages. Poster submissions comprise an extended abstract of 750-1,000 words plus selected references.

·         Roundtable proposals allow for in-depth discussion on a particular consumer-brand relationship topic identified by the session organizer. Roundtables that fit with the general conference theme and sub-themes are particularly encouraged. 

Please note that contributors may serve as lead author and presenter on only one submission: a submission limit of two contributions per author applies.

Format and Judging Criteria for Full and Work-in-Progress Paper Submissions

Authors are requested to submit their papers electronically before January 15, 2012 to Michael Breazeale at the conference submission website (). Please contact Michael (mbreazea@ius.edu) with any questions about the submission process.

After creating a user profile on the conference submission website, the primary author should log in and click on the “Submit Paper/Proposal” button. In addition to the items under "Submission Procedures," your paper submission requires the following: 

a)       (First page) Type of submission (i.e., Full or work-in-progress paper) and Title of the submission (without the authors’ names or affiliations);

 

b)       (First Page) A short 50-100 word abstract. This “teaser” abstract will be reproduced in the conference program and should concentrate on the big picture contribution(s) of the paper;

c)       (Second page) 750-1,000 word, single-spaced, extended abstract that provides a summary of the paper in five categories: Conceptual Background, Research Questions/Hypotheses, Method, Major Findings, and Contributions. No tables or figures should be included in the extended abstract. Work-in-progress papers may or may not include a description of interim findings but should include a description of potential contributions of the paper when completed. Extended Abstracts provide useful research summaries for reviewers and solicited editors for a possible book;

d)       (Next Page) Following the extended abstract, the next page should restate the title (again without authors’ names or affiliations) and begin the body of the paper. The body of full papers should not exceed 8,000 words or 20 double-spaced pages (12-font) in total length, including all tables, figures, notes, and full references. The body of work-in-progress papers should not exceed 10 double-spaced pages (12 font). Papers must follow the current style of the Journal of Consumer Research (http://ejcr.org/style.htm).

Judging/Acceptance. Reviewers will evaluate each paper on the basis of: a) Quality of the research; b) Contribution or potential contribution and significance to the brand relationships field; c) Innovation and novelty; and d) Interest of the topic to brand relationship researchers and practitioners. In addition, Work-in-Progress Papers will be evaluated based on e) Stage of completion of the research to be presented. Work-in-progress papers in advanced stages of completion will be given preference for full presentation slots; papers at very early stages of development may be offered slots in the Poster Session. Coherence and readability of the submission are also very important to acceptance decisions. Please adhere to high standards of spelling and grammar. If this is your first submission or if English is a second language, please consider having a copy editor or native English speaker review your materials prior to submission.

Format and Judging Criteria for Roundtable Discussion Proposals

Authors are requested to submit their proposals electronically before January 15, 2012 to Michael Breazeale at the conference submission website ().  Please contact Michael (mbreazea@ius.edu) with any questions. He is happy to provide a perspective on preliminary roundtable ideas before they are submitted.

After creating a user profile on the conference submission website, the primary organizer should log in and click on the “Submit Paper/Proposal” button. In addition to the items under "Submission Procedures," your Roundtable proposal should include:

a)       (First Page) Type of submission (i.e., roundtable proposal), Proposal Title, and Name of the primary organizer(s). Organizers are responsible for discussion leadership and quality control over the discussion in their sessions, for enforcing deadlines, and for preparing any materials for the roundtable session; 

b)       (First Page) A list of agreed Discussion Panelists for the session. Discussion panelists play an active role in generating meaningful and informed discussion on the topic.  Although discussion roundtables will of course be supplemented with a group of interested conference attendees, the Proposal should identify a core group of at least five relevant and committed panelists who will play an active discussion role;

c)       (First Page) A short 50-100 word (single-spaced) teaser abstract of the proposed roundtable discussion for publication in the conference program;

d)       (Second Page) A session proposal of approximately 750–1,000 words. The proposal should explain the session’s Purpose and Content, provide Conceptual Background on the session, offer a Discussion Guide for the workshop, and provide a brief Description of how pre-conference discussions will be facilitated to guarantee a quality event. Roundtable proposals should also address the following questions in the submission: a) What is the broad topic for discussion and inquiry, b) What is the motivation for organizing the round-table on this topic (e.g., to attain clarity on avenues for research on the topic, to arrive at an integrative perspective on the topic, etc.), and c) Who is likely to benefit from attending the round table?

Judging/Acceptance. Evaluation and selection of roundtable sessions will emphasize a) the Interest of the topic to brand relationship academics and practitioners, b) the Quality and Rigor of the proposal, and c) the Vibrancy of the discussion and debate. Roundtables that fit with the conference themes are particularly encouraged. Coherence and readability of submissions are also very important to acceptance decisions. Please adhere to high standards of spelling and grammar. If this is your first submission or if English is a second language, please consider having a copy editor or native English speaker review your materials prior to submission.

 

Format and Judging Criteria for Poster Submissions

Authors are requested to submit their poster proposals electronically before January 15, 2012 to Michael Breazeale at the conference submission website (). Please contact Michael (mbreazea@ius.edu) with any questions about the submission process.

After creating a user profile on the conference submission website, the primary organizer should log in and click on the “Submit paper/proposal” button. In addition to the items under "Submission Procedures," your poster submission should include:

a)       (First page) Type of submission (i.e., poster) and Title of the submission (without the authors’ names or affiliations).

b)       (Second page) 750-1,000 word, single-spaced, extended abstract that provides a summary overview of the project including: Conceptual Background and Relevant Prior Literature, Research Questions/Hypotheses, Method, Major Findings (interim findings), and Contributions (intended contributions). No tables, figures or references should be included in the extended abstract. Posters that do not include a description of findings should include a description of potential contributions of the paper when completed.

Judging/Acceptance. Reviewers will evaluate submissions on the basis of: a) Quality of the research; b) Contribution or potential contribution and significance of the work to the brand relationships field; c) Innovation and novelty; d) Interest of the topic to brand relationship researchers and practitioners; and e) Stage of completion of the research to be presented. Coherence and readability of submissions are also very important to acceptance decisions. Please adhere to high standards of spelling and grammar. If this is your first submission or if English is a second language, please consider having a copy editor or native English speaker review your materials prior to submission.

 

Contributor Commitments

At least one author of each accepted paper/proposal/poster must attend the conference and present the work.  

By submitting a paper all authors agree to provide thoughtful, quality reviews of up to three papers.

Authors may serve as lead author and presenter on only one submission: a submission limit of two contributions per author applies.

Conference Chairs and Contact Information

·         Michael Breazeale, Indiana University Southeast, USA; mbreazea@ius.edu

·         Susan Fournier, Boston University, USA; fournism@bu.edu

·         Jill Avery, Simmons College, USA; jill.avery@simmons.edu

·         Marc Fetscherin, Rollins College; mfetscherin@rollins.edu

 

All submission and program-related queries, e-mail Michael Breazeale at mbreazea@ius.edu.

All administrative questions (e.g., hotel, payment, registration), e-mail Jill Avery at jill.avery@simmons.edu.

For more information about the conference, please visit our website:

More information will be posted soon regarding registration and accommodations.