Capstone Project Topics for MBA Marketing

Results talk: capstones that show measurable gains in CAC, LTV, or conversion lift get noticed; vague proposals disappear. As the TopicSuggestions team, we work with MBA cohorts and review marketing projects each year, so we see which ideas are feasible within a term, data-rich, and aligned with what hiring managers value. Today we will come up with ideas for you—practical, research-ready topics that connect theory to market reality and can be executed with accessible data and clear methods.

Good MBA Marketing Capstone Project Topic Ideas

We set a simple goal: help you pick a topic you can test, analyze, and present with confidence. Below we organize the options by theme—digital and performance, customer analytics, brand and communication, product and growth, B2B and account-based, and sustainability and social impact—and list concise topics framed to be specific, testable, and resume-ready.

1. We Redefine Corporate P&L to Account for AI Agent Labor

– How do we delineate cost centers and revenue attribution for autonomous AI agents that originate and execute transactions?
– Can we design internal transfer pricing for human–agent workflows that preserves accountability and incentives?
– How do we audit decision provenance and assign liability when agent-initiated contracts fail or succeed?

2. We Exploit Microclimate Arbitrage in Last-Mile Logistics

– How do we quantify profit, safety, and battery-life gains from routing fleets using real-time urban heat island and wet-bulb data?
– Can we model driver productivity and customer satisfaction under microclimate-aware dispatch policies?
– How do we price dynamic delivery fees tied to localized thermal risk without triggering fairness concerns?

3. We Turn Bioacoustic Diversity into Auditable Supplier KPIs

– How do we convert raw soundscape indices into procurement scorecards that survive assurance and anti-gaming tests?
– Can we link supplier bonuses and penalties to site-specific biodiversity trends with contractable thresholds?
– How do we build tamper-evident data pipelines and third-party audits for bioacoustic monitoring at scale?

4. We Practice Strategic Data Fasting to Cut Risk and Cost

– How do we measure ROI from deliberately under-collecting data categories to reduce compliance, bias, and breach exposure?
– Can we benchmark decision quality and model robustness under constrained data regimes versus data-maximal baselines?
– How do we communicate and govern “less is more” data policies with boards, regulators, and customers?

5. We Schedule Global Teams by Circadian Advantage

– How do we operationalize chronotypes to allocate creative versus analytical tasks across time zones without burnout?
– Can we quantify equity, retention, and performance impacts when we rotate “prime hours” based on circadian science?
– How do we encode chronotype accommodations in contracts, labor policies, and project SLAs?

6. We Run DAO-Governed Vendor Panels for Procurement

– How do we design tokenized reputation and staking mechanisms that align with corporate compliance and ESG standards?
– Can we simulate cost, cycle time, and fraud outcomes of smart-contract RFPs versus traditional procurement?
– How do we audit decentralized awards against anti-bribery, sanctions, and conflict-of-interest rules?

7. We Monetize Right-to-Repair via Repair-as-a-Service

– How do we price subscription repair tiers to grow lifetime value without cannibalizing new product sales?
– Can we forecast spare-parts circularity effects on working capital, carbon ledgers, and service margins?
– How do we balance IP protection with open schematics to catalyze third-party ecosystems and reduce warranty risk?

8. We Hedge Water Risk for Semi-Arid Manufacturing

– How do we integrate water futures, basin rights, and scarcity indices into plant-level risk dashboards and budgets?
– Can we quantify reputational and operational benefits from proactive hedging versus physical infrastructure investments?
– How do we structure shared hedging pools among competitors while maintaining antitrust compliance?

9. We Shadow-Price API Calls by Grid Carbon Intensity

– How do we allocate marginal carbon cost per API call across microservices using real-time grid intensity data?
– Can we nudge developer behavior with carbon-aware SLAs, budgets, and build pipelines without harming velocity?
– How do we reconcile product pricing with variable carbon intensity to avoid greenflation and customer backlash?

10. We Build Social Digital Twins to Price Retail Pop-Up Spillovers

– How do we construct low-data digital twins to forecast footfall and sales spillovers from short-term pop-ups?
– Can we design rental pricing and incentives that internalize positive externalities for adjacent merchants?
– How do we measure community sentiment and long-run place-brand effects from rotating pop-up strategies?

11. AI-Generated Influencer Authenticity Signals and Purchase Intent in Niche Luxury Pre-Owned Watch Markets

We investigate how AI-crafted influencer content (deepfakes, synthetic endorsements) alters perceived authenticity and purchase intent among affluent collectors.
We ask: (1) How do different synthetic authenticity cues affect trust and willingness-to-pay? (2) How does prior brand knowledge moderate reactions to AI-generated influencer content? (3) How do disclosure formats (explicit, subtle, algorithmic watermark) change consumer behavior?
We outline methods: We will run an experiment with segmented samples of watch collectors and affluent consumers, manipulate content authenticity cues and disclosure types, and measure trust, intent, and price elasticity. We will complement experiments with qualitative interviews of collectors and platform moderators and apply mixed-model ANOVA and latent class analysis to identify clusters of susceptibility.

12. Tokenized Loyalty Programs (NFTs) and Long-Term Customer Equity for Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) Brands

We evaluate whether NFT-based loyalty rewards change customer lifetime value, brand advocacy, and secondary-market dynamics.
We ask: (1) Do tokenized rewards increase repeat purchase frequency compared to points-based systems? (2) How does tradability of tokens affect perceived exclusivity and churn? (3) What regulatory and tax perceptions influence adoption?
We outline methods: We will pilot an A/B field experiment with a cooperating D2C brand, track transactional and secondary-market data, and model CLV with survival analysis. We will also perform consumer surveys and economic experiments to measure valuation of tradability and run scenario analyses for compliance implications.

13. Micro-Climate Targeted Out-Of-Home (OOH) Digital Ads: Sales Lift from Hyperlocal Meteorological Triggering

We test whether dynamically served OOH creative triggered by micro-weather conditions yields measurable short-term sales lift for fast-moving consumer goods.
We ask: (1) What is the causal sales impact of OOH ads triggered by hyperlocal weather vs. static OOH? (2) Which product categories and creative motifs benefit most from meteorological triggers? (3) How cost-effective is micro-climate targeting compared to digital-only alternatives?
We outline methods: We will implement a geo-randomized controlled trial across matched neighborhoods using programmatic DOOH with weather-triggered creatives, collect POS and footfall data, and estimate treatment effects with difference-in-differences and synthetic control methods. We will supplement with heatmaps and time-series decomposition for intraday effects.

14. Algorithmic Pricing Fairness Communications and Consumer Willingness-to-Pay in Ride-Hailing Platforms

We examine whether transparency statements about algorithmic surge pricing influence perceptions of fairness and willingness-to-pay among different rider segments.
We ask: (1) Which transparency framings reduce perceived price unfairness during surge periods? (2) How do fairness communications interact with rider socio-demographics and urgency? (3) Do these communications affect long-term retention and platform switching?
We outline methods: We will design online vignette experiments and in-app A/B tests with manipulated transparency messages, measure real-time booking behavior and survey perceptions, and apply mediation analysis to identify psychological pathways (trust, procedural fairness) affecting revenue and retention.

15. Phygital Sensory Amalgamation in Flagship Stores and Memory Encoding for High-Involvement Products

We explore how orchestrated combinations of scent, sound, haptics, and AR overlays strengthen episodic memory and post-visit purchase decisions for premium electronics and fashion.
We ask: (1) Which multisensory combinations most strongly enhance brand memory and product recall? (2) How does multisensory phygital design affect later online purchase conversion? (3) Are memory effects persistent or context-dependent?
We outline methods: We will run controlled in-store experiments with wearable EEG/eye-tracking subsets, follow up with surprise memory tests and online conversion tracking, and model effects using multilevel regression and neural markers to link sensory exposure to behavioral outcomes.

16. Greenwashing Detection Tools, Consumer Perceptions, and Trust-Recovery Strategies for FMCG Startups

We assess the effectiveness of automated greenwashing detection badges and subsequent brand recovery communications on restoring consumer trust for fast-moving consumer goods startups.
We ask: (1) Does the presence of third-party detection badges reduce purchase likelihood when greenwashing is detected? (2) What remedial communication (apology, corrective action, certification) most effectively recovers trust? (3) How do consumer eco-identity and information literacy moderate responses?
We outline methods: We will build or partner to test a rule-based greenwashing detector, simulate real-world product pages with badges and remediation messages, and run experiments plus longitudinal measures of trust and repurchase, employing moderation and mediation analyses.

17. Voice Commerce Persona Segmentation and Conversion in Multilingual Markets

We investigate how voice assistant persona (formal vs. colloquial), language dialect, and code-switching affect adoption and conversion in multilingual emerging markets.
We ask: (1) Which voice persona maximizes conversion for distinct linguistic segments? (2) How does dialectal matching influence perceived relevancy and trust? (3) Does code-switching increase basket size among bilingual consumers?
We outline methods: We will develop voice scripts in multiple dialects, deploy controlled voice-bot purchase experiments with native speakers, collect behavioral metrics and qualitative feedback, and use choice models and latent segmentation to tailor persona strategies.

18. Circular-Economy Reverse Logistics Branding and Second-Life Price Premiums for Consumer Electronics

We explore whether brand-led storytelling around certified refurbishment and circularity commands premium prices in secondary markets and affects primary sales.
We ask: (1) How does branded certification of refurbished goods influence resale price and buyer trust? (2) Do circular branding cues cannibalize new-product sales or expand brand loyalists? (3) What messaging frames best convey quality while emphasizing sustainability?
We outline methods: We will analyze resale marketplace transactions, run conjoint experiments on refurbished listings with varying certification and storytelling, and model cross-effects on new-product sales with panel-data instrumental variable approaches.

19. Short-Form Vertical Video Nostalgia Triggers and Gen Z Brand Loyalty in Emerging Markets

We test whether micro-nostalgia cues (90s/2000s aesthetics) embedded in short-form vertical ads generate measurable loyalty and social sharing among Gen Z in markets with rapid digital adoption.
We ask: (1) Which nostalgia cues (music, typography, product references) drive engagement vs. aversion? (2) How does cultural proximity to the nostalgia era moderate effectiveness? (3) Do nostalgia-driven campaigns produce durable loyalty or only short-term virality?
We outline methods: We will produce variant creatives, run platform A/B tests across regions, track short- and medium-term metrics (engagement, hashtag shares, repeat purchase), and apply survival analysis on loyalty and network diffusion models for share dynamics.

20. Consumer Responses to Dynamic Ethical Certifications When Firms Face Social Controversies

We analyze whether time-varying ethical certification signals (revoked, suspended, reinstated) influence consumer forgiveness and purchase behavior after public controversies.
We ask: (1) How does the timing and sequence of certification changes affect reputational recovery? (2) Which communicative frames (restorative justice, procedural reform, third-party oversight) are most effective? (3) How do consumer segments differ in forgiveness thresholds?
We outline methods: We will construct scenario-based experiments that manipulate certification timelines and messages, measure forgiveness, purchase intent, and advocacy, and estimate dynamic choice models and cluster-based policy recommendations for crisis-response roadmaps.

21. Ephemeral AR holograms in pop-up retail: effects on impulse purchases and return rates

We propose research questions: 1) Do ephemeral AR holograms displayed in pop-up stores increase impulse purchase likelihood compared with static displays? 2) Do purchases driven by ephemeral AR holograms exhibit higher return rates within 30 days? 3) How do product category and consumer novelty-seeking moderate these effects?
We will implement a field experiment across matched pop-up locations with AR vs control conditions, collect transaction and return data, and run exit surveys to measure motives; we will analyze using logistic and survival models and supplement with short qualitative interviews.

22. Explainable AI recommendations and perceived fairness among older consumers

We propose research questions: 1) Which types of XAI explanations (case-based, feature-based, counterfactual) most increase perceived fairness of product recommendations among consumers aged 55+? 2) Does increased perceived fairness translate to higher adoption and repeat purchase intent? 3) Do digital literacy and trust in technology moderate the effect?
We will build a recommender prototype that presents alternative explanation formats, conduct an online randomized experiment with stratified age cohorts, measure perceived fairness, trust, and behavioral intent, and analyze mediation and moderation effects.

23. Carbon-label ambiguity in curated subscription boxes and its impact on churn

We propose research questions: 1) How does ambiguity in carbon footprint labels on subscription boxes affect short-term and long-term churn? 2) Does providing verifiable offset or lifecycle data mitigate churn risk? 3) Are high-commitment subscribers less sensitive to ambiguity?
We will partner with a subscription service to run A/B and longitudinal tests of label clarity, track retention over 6–12 months, and apply survival analysis and segmentation to identify sensitive cohorts.

24. Micro-influencer voice‑biometric alignment and perceived authenticity in audio ads

We propose research questions: 1) Does matching micro-influencer vocal attributes (pitch, cadence, accent) to target-audience vocal norms increase perceived authenticity? 2) Does increased authenticity lead to higher ad effectiveness (clicks, conversions)? 3) Are there boundary conditions relating to product type?
We will produce audio ads that systematically vary vocal features, recruit experimental samples matched to target demographics, collect perceived authenticity and behavioral outcomes, and analyze with mixed-effects models and acoustic feature analysis.

25. Gamified CSR token economies and their effect on long-term brand loyalty

We propose research questions: 1) Do gamified token economies that reward consumer CSR actions (e.g., recycling, volunteering) increase long-term brand loyalty more than standard CSR messaging? 2) How quickly does engagement decay and which game mechanics sustain participation? 3) What are the effects on lifetime value?
We will design a pilot token-based CSR program within a brand app, run a controlled rollout, track engagement and purchase behavior over 12 months, and evaluate using difference-in-differences and retention curve analysis.

26. Dynamic nostalgia marketing via location-based historic triggers and conversion

We propose research questions: 1) Does delivering nostalgia-themed marketing content triggered by a consumer’s proximity to a relevant historic location increase engagement and conversion? 2) Which narrative framings (personal memory vs. collective history) perform better? 3) Are younger cohorts more responsive to location-triggered nostalgia?
We will develop a mobile campaign using GPS-triggered content variants, run randomized location-based pushes during an event window, measure engagement, redemption rates, and short-term purchases, and perform subgroup and content-text analyses.

27. Cross-cultural emoji semiotics in B2B email subject lines and open/response behavior

We propose research questions: 1) How do different emojis in B2B subject lines affect open and reply rates across cultures (e.g., Japan, Germany, Brazil)? 2) Which emojis harm perceived professionalism and response propensity in specific cultural contexts? 3) Does sector (finance vs. creative) moderate emoji effects?
We will run large-scale A/B email experiments with multinational B2B lists, collect opens and replies, and conduct follow-up surveys and semiotic coding to interpret cultural meanings; we will model interactions between emoji type, culture, sector, and outcomes.

28. Noise-adaptive podcast audio ads: effects on attention, recall, and ad avoidance

We propose research questions: 1) Do ads that adapt audio mix (volume, compression, speech clarity) to ambient noise detected on the listener’s device improve attention and brand recall? 2) Does adaptation reduce ad-skipping and negative ad attitudes? 3) Are privacy concerns about microphone use a barrier to effectiveness?
We will create noise-adaptive ad versions, deploy them in a controlled listening experiment that simulates ambient conditions and requests microphone permission, collect behavioral and recall measures, and analyze trade-offs including consent rates.

29. Blockchain-enabled verification of green claims and consumer willingness-to-pay

We propose research questions: 1) Does on-chain verification (traceable certificates linked to product batches) increase consumers’ willingness-to-pay for green products relative to standard eco-labels? 2) Do QR-driven proofs improve perceived credibility and reduce skepticism? 3) Which consumer segments value blockchain proofs most?
We will prototype verifiable product certificates on a permissioned blockchain, run conjoint and field experiments presenting products with/without on-chain proofs, measure WTP and credibility, and segment responses by environmental skepticism.

30. Emotional ownership in circular luxury rentals and triggers for membership defection

We propose research questions: 1) How does emotional ownership develop among members of luxury rental services and how does it affect retention? 2) What service failures or psychological triggers most strongly predict defection from circular luxury memberships? 3) Can recomposition strategies (personalization, co-creation) recover at-risk members?
We will conduct mixed-method research combining exit interviews with churned members, longitudinal surveys of active members, and experimental interventions (personalization vs. co-creation), and model predictors of defection using survival and structural equation models.

31. Impact of AI‑synthesized influencer personas on brand trust among Gen Z micro‑communities

We ask: How does exposure to AI‑synthesized influencer personas affect brand trust and purchase intent compared with human influencers?
We ask: How does explicit disclosure that a persona is synthetic moderate those effects?
We ask: How do micro‑community norms (e.g., niche fandoms) shape responses to synthetic personas?
We will run randomized online experiments with matched creative assets (synthetic vs human), deploy disclosure vs no‑disclosure arms, collect engagement and stated purchase intent, and supplement with qualitative focus groups in target micro‑communities; we will analyze heterogeneity by community type and use mixed‑effects models.

32. Gamified B2B procurement platforms: do game mechanics shorten enterprise sales cycles and improve supplier selection?

We ask: Do leaderboards, badges, and progress mechanics reduce time‑to‑decision in procurement contexts?
We ask: Do gamification elements affect perceived supplier credibility and final vendor choice quality?
We ask: What organizational contexts (e.g., procurement maturity) moderate gamification effects?
We will co‑design a gamified procurement pilot with a supplier and a corporate buyer, randomize procurement projects to gamified vs control workflows, instrument activity logs for cycle time and choice outcomes, and combine quantitative effect estimates with semi‑structured interviews of procurement officers.

33. Marketing for circular luxury: how transparency in repair and provenance histories affects willingness‑to‑pay for pre‑owned designer goods

We ask: Does providing granular repair and provenance histories increase WTP and reduce perceived risk for pre‑owned luxury items?
We ask: Which transparency elements (artisan repair notes, photo timelines, authenticity certificates) carry the most value?
We ask: How do trust signals interact with buyer demographics and brand heritage?
We will design a discrete‑choice experiment with manipulated listing attributes, run field A/B tests on a resale platform for sample listings, and perform price elasticity analysis on transaction data augmented with survey measures of perceived trust.

34. Voice commerce personalization: effect of synthetic voice prosody matching listener affect on conversion among older adults

We ask: Does matching voice prosody and affective tone to older adult users increase conversion and satisfaction in voice commerce flows?
We ask: How does personalization compare to neutral TTS with respect to perceived warmth, credibility, and privacy concerns?
We will develop multiple TTS variants differing in prosody and affect, recruit older adult participants for controlled smart‑speaker and phone‑based experiments, measure conversion, completion rates, and trust, and analyze tradeoffs with acceptability and disclosure preferences.

35. Neuro‑UX for short‑form ads: using low‑cost wearable EEG and eye‑tracking to predict ad recall and click behavior

We ask: Which low‑cost neuro and ocular markers best predict viewer recall and immediate click behavior for 6–15‑second ads?
We ask: Can a predictive model trained on wearable data generalize across ad formats (video, animated banner)?
We will run lab sessions with participants wearing consumer EEG headbands and eye‑trackers, present short‑form ads, capture neural and gaze features, measure recall and click outcomes, and build machine‑learning classifiers to assess predictive validity and creative optimization implications.

36. Blockchain‑enabled dynamic loyalty: does tokenizing customer service recovery change complaint escalation and long‑term retention?

We ask: Does offering blockchain‑tokenized compensation for service failures reduce complaint escalations compared with traditional vouchers?
We ask: Do tokens that encode redeemable experiences (not just discounts) affect perceived reparation sincerity and retention?
We will prototype a token issuance and redemption flow in partnership with a service firm, randomize affected customers to token vs voucher recovery, track escalation rates, redemption behavior, and 6‑month retention, and conduct interviews to understand perceived fairness.

37. Augmented reality try‑on for scent marketing: can visual and contextual AR cues increase perfume trial and purchase in online channels?

We ask: Can AR visualizations and contextual scene cues (e.g., floral garden, leather atelier) evoke olfactory expectations that increase sampling requests or purchases?
We ask: How do AR scent cues compare to sample mailings with respect to conversion and return rates?
We will build an AR prototype that layers contextually matched imagery and narrative copy on product pages, run randomized trials comparing AR, sample mailing, and control, collect purchase and return metrics, and use mediation analysis on expectation measures from post‑exposure surveys.

38. Micro‑moment segmentation with 5G telemetry: optimizing push notification timing and content for immediate conversion

We ask: Can real‑time 5G‑enabled contextual telemetry (location micro‑contexts, latency‑enabled interactions) improve micro‑moment segmentation and push notification effectiveness?
We ask: What privacy‑preserving feature engineering yields the best lift without increasing opt‑outs?
We will instrument a mobile app to collect high‑frequency contextual signals under strict consent, develop micro‑moment segmentation algorithms, run A/B tests for timing/content strategies, measure lift in immediate conversions and opt‑out behavior, and evaluate privacy tradeoffs.

39. AI‑driven condition scoring for second‑hand electronics: impact on buyer confidence, pricing, and dispute rates on resale platforms

We ask: Does publishing an automated AI condition score for used electronics increase sale price and reduce returns/disputes?
We ask: How do buyers interpret AI scores vs human seller descriptions, and does seller reputation interact with AI score effects?
We will train a computer‑vision and sensor‑based condition model using labeled device data, deploy scores on a resale platform in an RCT across listings, analyze price differentials, time‑to‑sale, and post‑purchase dispute rates, and run buyer interviews to interpret perceived credibility of AI scores.

40. Emotionally adaptive pricing in hospitality: testing short‑term offer personalization based on opt‑in wearable affect signals

We ask: Can short‑term adaptive pricing tied to guests’ opt‑in affective signals (stress, relaxation) increase incremental spend without harming satisfaction?
We ask: What ethical and regulatory boundaries shape acceptability and uptake of affect‑based offers?
We will partner with a boutique hotel to implement opt‑in wearable pilots that feed anonymized affect summaries to a pricing engine, randomize guests to adaptive offers vs standard offers, measure incremental revenue, satisfaction, and perceptions of fairness, and complement quantitative results with structured ethical impact assessment.

41. AI-driven Micro-Influencer Affinity Mapping for B2B Purchase Funnels

We ask: How can we use unsupervised AI to map micro-influencer affinity clusters that materially shorten B2B sales cycles? We ask: Which affinity signals (content themes, engagement micro-patterns, network ties) best predict deal acceleration across different B2B sectors? We will gather LinkedIn/Twitter/public content and CRM timeline data from partner firms, train clustering and graph-embedding models, and run A/B tests embedding mapped micro-influencers into outbound and inbound nurture sequences. We will measure funnel velocity, lead-to-opportunity conversion, and incremental revenue contribution using causal inference (difference-in-differences and propensity score matching). We will document feature importance and produce a deployable pipeline for practitioner replication.

42. Neuro-Responsive Sustainable Packaging: Impact on Purchase Intent and Waste Behavior

We ask: How do real-time neurophysiological responses to sustainable packaging cues predict immediate purchase intent and subsequent responsible disposal behavior? We ask: Which sensory-design elements (texture, color temperature, messaging hierarchy) evoke neuro-markers associated with pro-environmental action? We will run lab experiments combining EEG/facial EMG with eye-tracking while participants evaluate packaging prototypes, then track actual disposal via labeled-pack monitoring or photo diaries over four weeks. We will analyze neuro-behavioral correlations and build predictive models linking short-term neural signals to medium-term waste behavior, offering design guidelines for brands.

43. Gamified Mixed-Reality Loyalty Programs and Their Effect on Cross-Category Basket Expansion

We ask: To what extent does integrating scavenger-hunt-style mixed-reality gamification into loyalty programs drive cross-category basket expansion in omnichannel retailers? We ask: Which game mechanics (scarcity events, location-based rewards, collaborative quests) yield the strongest long-term retention and category spillover? We will co-design a pilot MR loyalty layer with a retail partner, instrument transactions and in-app interactions, and run randomized exposure across customer segments. We will use survival analysis for retention, hierarchical models for basket expansion, and qualitative interviews to understand motivational drivers.

44. Carbon-Labeling Price Elasticity: Differential Effects on Brand Trust Across Demographics

We ask: How does visible carbon-labeling on products affect price elasticity and brand trust for different demographic cohorts? We ask: Does quantified carbon information increase willingness-to-pay among high-CO2-knowledge consumers but depress it among low-knowledge cohorts, and how does label framing mitigate this? We will conduct discrete choice experiments with manipulated carbon-label formats and accompany the experiments with trust scales and cognitive-load measures. We will estimate mixed logit models to derive WTP distributions and interaction effects with trust indices, and propose labeling optimizations.

45. Subscription-Gifting as a Growth Lever: Effects on Acquisition Cost and Lifetime Value in Services

We ask: Can subscription-gifting programs reduce customer acquisition cost (CAC) and increase lifetime value (LTV) compared to referral discounts for service brands? We ask: Which gifting mechanics (recipient trial length, sender reward type, social verification) maximally convert gift recipients into long-term subscribers? We will run field experiments across subscription services, track join rates, churn, and downstream referrals, and build cohort-level LTV/CAC models. We will run sensitivity analyses to identify break-even gifting structures and propose operational playbooks.

46. Algorithmic Co-Creation Platforms and Their Impact on Brand Equity in Emerging Markets

We ask: How do algorithmic co-creation platforms (AI-assisted product customization) influence perceived brand equity among consumers in emerging markets with varying digital literacy? We ask: Which platform affordances (explainable AI suggestions, community voting, designer mediation) preserve brand authenticity while scaling personalization? We will deploy prototypes in two emerging-market contexts, collect perception surveys, engagement metrics, and sales outcomes, and use structural equation modeling to map pathways from platform interaction to brand equity components (perceived quality, authenticity, loyalty).

47. Voice-Commerce Persuasion Heuristics: Privacy Signals, Conversational Framing, and Purchase Conversion

We ask: Which conversational heuristics and privacy signals in voice-commerce interfaces most influence immediate conversion and future trust? We ask: How does explicit privacy reassurance during voice prompts trade off with persuasive urgency in different product categories? We will script voice-agent dialogs with factorial manipulations (privacy-first vs. urgency-first framing), run randomized controlled trials through smart speaker ecosystems, and analyze conversion rates, user satisfaction, and opt-out behavior. We will model interactions by product type and user privacy orientation.

48. Tokenized Brand Communities: Utility Tokens, Engagement Dynamics, and Long-Term Brand Value

We ask: How do utility-token incentives in tokenized brand communities change member engagement dynamics and contribute to measurable brand value? We ask: What token issuance and burn mechanics minimize speculative behavior while maximizing authentic participation and advocacy? We will study multiple tokenized community pilots, instrument on-chain and off-chain engagement, and use time-series causal models to link token events to off-chain metrics (sales lift, referral rates, NPS). We will provide token design templates that align community incentives with durable brand outcomes.

49. Predictive Personalization Ethics: Trade-offs Between Churn Reduction and Perceived Manipulation

We ask: What personalization intensities maximize churn reduction before they trigger perceived manipulation and reputational harm? We ask: How do transparency interventions (explainable recommendations, opt-in granularity) shift the inflection point? We will implement graded personalization treatments across digital channels, measure churn, satisfaction, perceived manipulativeness, and run moderated mediation analyses by customer vulnerability indicators. We will create a decision matrix for personalization intensity bounded by ethical and business KPIs.

50. Phygital Olfactory Branding: Using Scent Triggers to Link Online Campaigns with In-Store Purchase Uplift

We ask: Can synchronized online campaigns that cue specific scent triggers measurably increase in-store conversion when matched with phygital scent diffusion, and what timing/frequency schedule optimizes recall without scent fatigue? We ask: Which scent profiles pair best with digital creative to form durable brand-memory associations? We will orchestrate synchronized digital ads and in-store scent diffusion across pilot stores, use geo-fenced exposure tracking and POS uplift analysis, and apply memory-testing protocols to measure associative strength over time. We will recommend scent cadence and creative-scent pairings for retail rollouts.