Academic Marketing Research = Marketing. ESIC brings together 1,300 Marketing Researchers across Europe at the EMAC Spring Conference!

If you're a professional marketer wondering how academic research can shape and sharpen marketing practice—stay tuned. The European Marketing Academy Spring Conference 2025, hosted by ESIC University, brings together more than 1,300 marketing researchers from Europe and beyond, turning Pozuelo into the Spanish Capital of Marketing Knowledge during the coming week of May 25–30.

Over the course of the week, 237 sessions will showcase inspiring research projects and innovative discussions aimed at advancing marketing knowledge and professional development of the field. Under the theme “Human and Smart Marketing: Understanding and Enhancing Our Future,” the conference highlights how human-centered insights can blend with technological progress to better serve consumers and businesses alike.

🔍 Some of the key focus areas include:

• Sustainable Marketing Practices
  Have you ever wondered how to (co-)create more effective sustainability messages with (human or virtual) influencers? Or how minimalist or reusable packaging shapes consumer perception and encourages eco-friendly behavior? How to reduce food waste or overconsumption and create incentives for sustainable purchasing and positive societal change?
• AI & Digital Marketing (Technology)
  In which contexts do consumers trust AI more than humans? How can firms leverage AI-driven creativity in service delivery, branding, or content creation? How can generative AI enhance market research—from analyzing user-generated social media content to creating synthetic data? How can neuroscience improve our understanding of customers and predict their choices? And how do virtual environments generate emotions, create a sense of presence, and shape behavior and sales?
• Consumer Psychology & Emotions Behavioral Economics
  What incentives lead people to self-disclose private information or allow themselves to be tracked, as opposed to protecting their privacy? Have you ever considered using emotional framing to trigger sustainable attitudes and actions? How do avatars and smart technologies influence consumers’ well-being? Insights into values, emotional triggers, privacy, vulnerability, and the tensions that drive decision-making are front and center.
• Product return, Customer Retention & Churn
  Want to reduce returns or boost loyalty? Learn how pricing strategies can help minimize returns, and explore churn by segment and cohort to refine your retention strategies.

These are just a few of the motivation and questions addressed with scientific rigor and evidence-based insights—spanning topics from market research on consumer behaviour and service innovation to pricing, B2B sales, and digital strategies. The shared goal? To develop responsible, engaging, and future-ready marketing strategies aligned with today’s values-driven consumers.

At ESIC, we are especially proud to host EMAC 2025 in a landmark year: the 50th anniversary of the European Marketing Academy and the 60th anniversary of ESIC. This unique moment highlights our ongoing commitment to form leaders in Marketing, with special emphasis on bridging the gap between marketing practice and academia— with academic research being a crucial differentiator for staying relevant, informed, and competitive.

For detailed information check the EMAC conference website or go directly to the conference agenda to get inspired and connect with the authors to learn about their findings, that could translate into meaningful competitive advantages.