‘Companies should embrace consumer diversity’

Hecht belang aan consumentendiversiteit’

Stefano Puntoni, professor of marketing at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) will deliver his inaugural address Embracing Diversity on 13 March 2015. During his address, Professor Puntoni will call on companies to embrace and celebrate consumer diversity – for their own benefit and for the benefit of all consumers. Watch the video on RSM Discovery. 

Professor Stefano Puntoni will argue that societies are vastly more diverse today than they used to be. This is why it is key for many industries to develop theories and approaches that recognise and capitalise on this greater consumer diversity.

In business schools, diversity generally tends to be discussed only in relation to human resource management. But according to Puntoni, understanding the consequences of diversity is also important for marketing researchers. More generally, if pluralistic societies like ours wish to remain harmonious and prosperous, all groups within them must feel that they have something at stake. Marketplace inclusiveness is an important condition for that to happen.

Watch Stefano Puntoni share his views on marketing on RSM Discovery

Globalisation in marketing
Puntoni will also argue that a diversity perspective is helpful in making sense of social phenomena. He will do so by explaining the tensions associated with globalisation in terms of diversity. Puntoni will also review different approaches to conducting research on diversity, providing examples from his own work and highlighting areas for future research. He will conclude with observations about the implications of increasing globalisation and diversity for brand strategy and management practice more generally.

The inaugural address will take place on Friday, 13 March 2015 and is open to the public. The ceremony will start at 16:00 in the Senaatszaal of the Erasmus Building on Woudestein campus, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50 in Rotterdam. The reception will take place at 16:45 in the same building.

About the chair
Stefano Puntoni was appointed Professor of Marketing, focusing on globalisation in marketing and consumer behaviour, at RSM on 1 September 2014. Globalisation refers to the increasing interconnection of economic, social, and technological processes across countries and regions. In his research, Puntoni addresses issues related to globalisation to find out how this influences brand management, communication, marketing strategy and consumer behaviour.

More information

For more information on RSM or on this release, please contact Marianne Schouten, Media & Public Relations Manager for RSM, on +31 10 408 2877 or by email at mschouten@rsm.nl.

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