Knowledge at Wharton

🎬 Marketing Matters welcomed Adam Kornblum, L'Oréal's Chief Creative Officer for U.S. Brands, to our podcast studio on The Wharton School campus for a conversation on disruptive creativity, storytelling, and developing an entrepreneurial mindset: https://whr.tn/4nO3uEs He shared the key tenets of success the cosmetics giant has tapped into to achieve the stronghold it has today, and gave this word of advice to marketers: If you don’t have a story, create one. That mindset shaped the now-famous CeraVe Super Bowl campaign, built around a made-up story that actor Michael Cera had invented the skincare brand. In conversation with hosts Barbara Kahn and Americus Reed II, Kornblum explained that audiences want to feel included in the story, not simply marketed to. Campaigns that create that sense of connection turn brand moments into shared cultural experiences. #Marketing #MarketingPodcast #Storytelling #MarketingStrategy #BrandBuilding

Can you engineer luck? The Wharton School professor Judd Kessler says yes. Judd Kessler explains in his new book, “Lucky by Design: The Hidden Economics You Need to Get More of What You Want" that hidden markets, characterized by scarcity, have rules that we can learn to optimize our outcomes. Whether you are playing rock-paper-scissors, trying to book a reservation at a restaurant with limited openings, or applying to competitive schools, Kessler offers specific steps to learn and game the market. Read our exclusive excerpt from the book here: https://whr.tn/47a3qHU #Economics #BehavioralEconomics #MarketBehavior #ConsumerBehavior

The conventional idea of “having it all” personally and professionally isn’t working for modern women, The Wharton School professor Corinne Low argues in her new book. On our Ripple Effect podcast's fall "Meet the Authors" series, Low details the data showing that even women who out-earn their partners still shoulder most of the cooking, cleaning, and childcare: https://whr.tn/4nHzWbL That imbalance, combined with rising expectations of parenting, leaves many women stretched thin. Real progress means rethinking how we divide work at home and redesigning systems so fulfillment and achievement don't come at the cost of exhaustion and burnout, Low explains. #GenderEquity #WorkLifeBalance #WorkingMom #WorkingParent

How do early-career professionals learn the ins and outs of the workplace? This discovery process is one reason being in the office still matters, explains The Wharton School management professor Peter Cappelli: https://whr.tn/47uVjpV To continue our Ripple Effect podcast's four-part "Meet the Authors" series, Cappelli discusses his new book, "In Praise of the Office: The Limits to Hybrid and Remote Work." Co-authored with workplace strategist Ranya Nehmeh, the book offers a look at why offices play a crucial role in collaboration, culture, and career development in the era of hybrid work. #HybridWork #FutureOfWork #RemoteWork #ReturnToOffice

As the national debt rises, professor Exequiel (Zeke) Hernandez sat down with Barron's to explain the economic opportunity immigration brings in terms of talent, government income, investment, and innovation. Swipe and click through for more in this week's The Wharton School faculty in the news roundup... 1️⃣ Hernandez on immigration and the economy: https://whr.tn/3KJsChb 2️⃣ Britta Glennon on H1-B visa policies: https://whr.tn/476fNVB 3️⃣ Dan Garrett on municipal bonds: https://whr.tn/48ZvWyv

Which employee within a company is most likely to build its next big venture? The Wharton School Professor Martine Haas sheds light on what prepares employees to launch new ventures within their companies: https://whr.tn/3IDEfWj. Her study finds that people who have worked in functionally diverse teams — alongside colleagues from areas like marketing, operations, or engineering — are far more likely to step forward as corporate entrepreneurs. These experiences build both the “know how” to collaborate across silos and the “know who” to call when turning an idea into a business. Haas and her co-author, Xu Han, show that this effect is especially strong for specialists: deep expertise becomes a greater asset when paired with cross-functional exposure. #CorporateVenturing #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #Intrapreneurship

Why do we love things we know are bad — movies, jokes, or even viral fads? On the Ripple Effect, Wharton Executive Education Vice Dean Patti Williams discussed her research on the "so bad, it’s good” phenomenon. Williams finds that people often prefer something amusingly awful over something mediocre — a bad joke, for example, can be more entertaining than an average one. She explains that this appeal is rooted in curiosity, storytelling, and shared cultural moments — a blend of irony and authenticity that helps explain why odd fads like Labubus and pet rocks capture our attention and offer social capital. Why do we love things we know are bad — movies, jokes, or even viral fads? On the Ripple Effect, Wharton Executive Education Vice Dean Patti Williams discussed her research on the "so bad, it’s good” phenomenon. Williams finds that people often prefer something amusingly awful over something mediocre — a bad joke, for example, can be more entertaining than an average one. She explains that this appeal is rooted in curiosity, storytelling, and shared cultural moments — a blend of irony and authenticity that helps explain why odd fads like Labubus and pet rocks capture our attention and offer social capital: https://whr.tn/4901SD1. #ConsumerBehavior #Marketing #Psychology

Can hybrid work match the collaboration and knowledge-sharing that in-person work can yield? In their new book, In Praise of the Office: The Limits to Hybrid and Remote Work, The Wharton School professor Peter Cappelli and co-author Ranya Nehmeh examine how “work from anywhere” policies have evolved since the pandemic, and why many organizations are rethinking them. The shift back to office work highlights what physical spaces still offer: collaboration, trust, and the informal learning that drives innovation. Read an excerpt of their book here: https://whr.tn/4pXVNgp. #HybridWork #FutureOfWork #Leadership #Management #RemoteWork #WorkplaceCulture

Most of us listen to respond — not to understand. On Marketing Matters, Stanford University Graduate School of Business lecturer Matt Abrahams — host of Think Fast Talk Smart: The Podcast — shared why true communication starts with listening thoroughly, not just the “top line.” By summarizing what others say, we build trust, connection, and clarity, Abrahams told the hosts of Marketing Matters, Barbara Kahn and Americus Reed II. As Matt Abrahams notes, great communicators aren’t the ones who speak the most — they’re the ones who listen best: https://whr.tn/47gRO7h. #Communication #Leadership #Management #Negotiation

What if employees respond to return-to-office policies by threatening to quit? Professor Peter Cappelli, co-author of the new book, "In Praise of the Office," joined CNBC to discuss this issue and many more surrounding the shift to hybrid and remote workplaces. In this week's The Wharton School faculty in the news roundup, swipe through for... 1️⃣ Cappelli on return-to-office policies: https://whr.tn/43638AF 2️⃣ Wendy De La Rosa on using behavioral science to save money: https://whr.tn/46RE55r 3️⃣ Britta Glennon on the impact of H-1B visa policies: https://whr.tn/46RE5Ct 4️⃣ Exequiel (Zeke) Hernandez on the impact of H-1B visa policies: https://whr.tn/46RE5lX 5️⃣ Nikolai Roussanov on rising inflation and unemployment: https://whr.tn/43638k9