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Vivek Astvansh

Professor of Marketing and Data Science, Indiana University
Vivek Astvansh is a professor of marketing at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University (IU). He is also an adjunct professor of data science at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, IU. In addition, he directs research at the Center for Education and Research in Retail, Kelley School, IU, is an affiliate of the Environmental Resilience Institute at IU, and a fellow of the Institute for Corporate Governance at the Kelley School, IU.

He researches how marketing (thoughts, personnel, actions, and assets) can help a company improve its performance in society, product market, and financial market. His research has been published in the Production and Operations Management, the Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Journal, and the Harvard Business Review.

He teaches analytics. Prior to becoming an academic, he worked in the technology industry for 12 years, writing computer code and marketing analytics solutions.

AI Revolution Series

Chatbots are on the rise, but customers still trust human agents more

Jul 06, 2025 12:16 pm UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Customers contact companies regularly to purchase products and services, inquire about orders, make payments and request returns. Until recently, the most common way for customers to contact companies was through phone...

Trump tariffs: What the president-elect’s rhetoric tells us about how Canada could be affected — again

Nov 12, 2024 05:53 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

Donald Trump is known for his often outlandish rhetoric. The president-elect of the United States regularly makes public statements that are exaggerations, or vows to take action but fails to do so, which is not...

In the market for a car? Soon you’ll be able to buy a Hyundai on Amazon − and only a Hyundai

Jan 27, 2024 12:59 pm UTC| Business Insights & Views

This is the year you can finally buy a car on Amazon. Well, one kind. Eventually. On Nov. 16, 2023, at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Amazon and Hyundai made a big announcement: Starting sometime in 2024, a new pilot...

Tight budgets are making tipping a thorny issue this holiday season — here's how to manage it

Dec 11, 2023 06:52 am UTC| Life

With the holiday season upon us, many Canadians are reassessing their spending habits in the face of the countrys high cost of living. Canadians are projected to spend 11 per cent less this holiday season compared to...

The hidden risks of buy now, pay later: What shoppers need to know

Oct 16, 2023 09:11 am UTC| Business Economy

Buy now, pay later is a relatively new form of financial technology that allows consumers to purchase an item immediately and repay the balance at a later time in instalments. Unlike applying for a credit card, buy now,...

What are automotive 'over-the-air' updates? A marketing professor explains

Aug 03, 2022 00:55 am UTC| Business

Whenever automakers discover that a vehicle has a defect or does not comply with U.S. laws, they must notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and mail a notice to each customer who owns or leases the...

Economy

India Budget 2026: Modi Government Eyes Reforms Amid Global Uncertainty and Fiscal Pressures

Indias central government is set to present its annual budget on Sunday, a closely watched event as Prime Minister Narendra Modis administration seeks to accelerate domestic reforms while navigating rising global...

China Home Prices Rise in January as Government Signals Stronger Support for Property Market

Average prices of new homes across 100 major Chinese cities recorded an increase in January, while price declines in the secondary housing market continued to narrow, according to a private survey. The data suggests early...

South Korea Exports Surge in January on AI Chip Demand, Marking Fastest Growth in 4.5 Years

South Koreas exports recorded a strong start to the year, rising for an eighth consecutive month in January and posting their fastest growth in four and a half years, driven largely by booming global demand for AI servers...

Russia Stocks End Flat as MOEX Closes Unchanged Amid Mixed Global Signals

Russian stocks finished Saturdays trading session slightly lower overall, with the benchmark MOEX Russia Index closing unchanged at 0.00% in Moscow. Market sentiment remained cautious as investors weighed mixed...

China Factory Activity Slips in January as Weak Demand Weighs on Growth Outlook

Chinas factory activity contracted at the start of the year, highlighting persistent pressure from weak domestic demand despite continued policy support from Beijing. An official survey released on Saturday showed that...

Politics

Trump Says Fed Pick Kevin Warsh Could Win Democratic Support in Senate Confirmation

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed confidence that his nominee to lead the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, could secure votes from Senate Democrats during what is expected to be a closely watched and potentially...

Christian Menefee Wins Texas Special Election, Narrowing GOP House Majority

Democrat Christian Menefee has won a Texas special election for the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the Associated Press, a result that further tightens Republicans slim majority in the chamber. Menefees...

Trump’s Iraq Envoy Mark Savaya Ousted Amid U.S.-Iraq Tensions Over Iran Influence

Mark Savaya, who was named by U.S. President Donald Trump as special envoy for Iraq in October, is no longer serving in that role, according to multiple sources familiar with the decision. The reported removal comes at a...

Keir Starmer Urges Prince Andrew to Testify in U.S. Epstein Investigation

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for former Prince Andrew to testify before a U.S. congressional committee following new revelations about his long-standing links to disgraced financier and convicted sex...

U.S. Government Enters Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal

The U.S. government entered a partial shutdown early Saturday after Congress failed to finalize a funding agreement before a midnight deadline, temporarily halting a range of federal operations. The shutdown officially...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Elon Musk’s Empire: SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI Merger Talks Spark Investor Debate

Speculation around a potential Musk Inc has resurfaced as Elon Musks companiesSpaceX, Tesla, and xAIexplore closer ties amid rapid advances in artificial intelligence and automation. With SpaceX expected to go public later...

SpaceX Reports $8 Billion Profit as IPO Plans and Starlink Growth Fuel Valuation Buzz

SpaceX delivered a strong financial performance last year, generating an estimated $8 billion in profit on revenues between $15 billion and $16 billion, according to people familiar with the companys results. The figures,...

SpaceX Updates Starlink Privacy Policy to Allow AI Training as xAI Merger Talks and IPO Loom

SpaceX has revised its Starlink privacy policy to allow customer data to be used for artificial intelligence training, a move that could significantly support Elon Musks broader AI ambitions. The policy change comes as...

Nvidia’s $100 Billion OpenAI Investment Faces Internal Doubts, Report Says

Nvidias ambitious plan to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI, aimed at supporting the training and operation of next-generation artificial intelligence models, has reportedly hit a roadblock. According to a report...

Federal Judge Signals Possible Dismissal of xAI Lawsuit Against OpenAI

A U.S. federal judge has signaled she may dismiss a high-profile lawsuit filed by Elon Musks artificial intelligence startup, xAI, against rival OpenAI, dealing a potential setback to Musk in an escalating legal battle...