USC Marshall

Should you trust that five-star rating on Airbnb? How to make sense of online customer reviews

According to research by Dana Mayzlin, marketing professor at Marshall, small independently owned hotels generated more fake positive reviews than major hotel brands, as cited in The Economist.

Unions, Immigration Advocates Lead Boycott Against Corporations Supporting ICE Raids - MyNewsLA.com Immigrant-rights advocates undertook a daylong “community stoppage” Tuesday with a 24-hour boycott of various businesses, plus rallies opposing federal immigration enforcement operations. The action, ...

Assistant Professor Ike Silver explains that while individual boycotts may not have a major effect on corporations' bottom lines, their accumulative effect could spark real change.

Where is Andrew Do? Convicted ex-Supervisor is a no show at OC taxpayer restitution hearing for corruption scheme Federal prosecutors have dubbed the former Orange County leader a "Robin Hood in reverse" for his misdeeds. So how much will he have to pay back?

Professor Ruben Davila explains how restitution is set and why it may be difficult to recover money that has already been spent in the bribery case of a previous Orange County supervisor who misdirected taxpayer funds.

Exclusive: Port of Oakland imports jump 31% as companies rush to beat Trump’s tariffs Major impacts of the tariffs on Bay Area consumers “has yet to be felt,” experts say, but could hit during the busy holiday shopping season this year.

As American companies brace for tariffs to hit, Professor Nick Vyas explains the short- and long-term consequences of the policy while also acknowledging that the supply chain did require restructuring.

Expert explains new trend of shopping that brings in AI as your personal assistant A USC professor studying consumer behavior said these AI shopping assistants are a more complex chatbot that's personalized to reflect your shopping habits.

Stephanie Tully, assistant professor of marketing explains in ABC News how and why more people are using AI as personal shopping assistants online.

Don’t Call It Market Timing. But These Are the Best Months to Invest. Why it pays to count the number of Fridays in each month.

Associate Professor Bobby Carnes’ research revealed that during five-Friday months, retail investors tend to contribute their extra paycheck to stock market investments.

Why Understanding AI Doesn’t Necessarily Lead People to Embrace It New research has uncovered a paradoxical relationship between AI literacy and receptivity: Individuals with lower AI literacy are more likely to embrace AI, despite perceiving it as less capable and m...

Stephanie Tully's research on the interest in using artificial intelligence finds that those with more knowledge of AI and its capabilities are less likely to embrace it.

Run for president? Start a podcast? Tackle AI? Kamala Harris' options are wide open At 60, Kamala Harris has a lot of opportunities ahead of her. Which will she pursue?

Associate Prof. Nathaneal Fast explains in the L.A. Times that if Kamala Harris can form a compelling narrative about her election loss, she'll be more likely to succeed in her next venture – whether it be another presidential run or tackling an important issue like AI.

Palmer Luckey's Anduril leads second-quarter surge for venture capital in greater L.A. Venture capital investments in the L.A. region totaled $5.8 billion in the second quarter, more than double the amount from a year ago, according to a report from research firm CB Insights. Costa Mesa...

Professor Dan Wadhwani explains to the L.A. Times why Los Angeles is a prime location for defense spending given its preexisting infrastructure that dates back to WW2.

The Problem With Rewards Credit Cards Their fees are getting higher—and their benefits are sometimes wildly complicated to redeem.

Associate Professor Stephanie Tully explains the psychology behind reward-based credit cards and how they reduce the so-called "pain of payment."

They returned used toilets and dirty rugs to Costco. Then came the backlash. One of Costco's most popular perks is its "risk-free 100% satisfaction guarantee" return policy. It's also one of its most controversial.

USC Marshall Marketing Professor Kristin Diehl explains that Costco’s generous return policy keeps members happy and even influences their approach to purchases.

Energy & Utilities Roundup: Market Talk Find insight on tanker shares, Dialog, Capital Power, and more in the latest Market Talks covering energy and utilities.

Shon Hiatt, director of the Business Energy Initiative, says the potential Shell acquisition of BP is a vote for oil and well-timed.

Deportations will impact the construction workforce, potentially leading to increased costs for insurance carriers and homeowners, says Prof. Kerry Fields.

With the passing of the Genius Act stablecoin bill, Nik Bhatia says the biggest winners will be the USC onshore dollar system and the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Why quitting a job you used to love is OK | Cornell Chronicle People who are passionate about their work, but then become less engaged in it, may stay at the job due to an exaggerated fear that others will judge them harshly for quitting, but new research has re...

A recent study by USC Marshall’s Zachariah Berry and co-authors indicates that people will often stay at a job they no longer enjoy for fear of judgment by others.

Issues That Matter: The Great Phone Debate Hear the latest Issues That Matter panel, presented by the Central Arkansas Library System, the League of Women Voters of Pulaski County and Little Rock Public Radio.

As policymakers consider restricting social media and phone use for young people, Ravi Iyer, managing director of USC Neely Center, joins a panel of experts to discuss digital policies that may improve youth mental health on a podcast.

Why is the price of bitcoin hitting a record high? Experts explain. Bitcoin surpassed $120,000 for the first time on Monday.

Bitcoin’s nearly 15% price surge over the past month can be partly linked to the introduction and growing adoption of Bitcoin ETFs, says adjunct professor Nik Bhatia.

How Paramount's $16-million Trump settlement came together — and could've fallen apart The high-stakes deal that came together this week resulted from months of back-and-forth among a constellation of power players with competing interests, including the president, the Larry Ellison fam...

Professor Kerry Fields says Paramount’s legal settlement was crucial for the studio’s survival in light of the Skydance acquisition.

NewsConference: The real story behind the high cost of gas Bad news for California drivers — gas prices are rising and may get a lot worse thanks to the closing of two refineries. Professor Micheal Mische of USC’s Marshall School of Business who gives us the real story behind the rising prices.

Professor Michael Mische discusses the various factors contributing to the rising gas prices in California in an interview with NBC 4.

Hollywood Executive Reflects on Trojan Network and New Media Landscape USC Marshall alumnus Brent Weinstein ’97 reflects on the value of his Marshall education, his road to CAA's senior leadership team, and the bright future of new media in Hollywood.

As a senior leader at CAA, Brent Weinstein '97 reflects on the value of his USC Marshall education and the Trojan Network’s interconnectedness and the positive impacts it had on his career journey.

Episode 33: Let’s Have an Adult Conversation About Energy Security Private Innovation in the Public Interest · Episode

Shion Hiatt, director of the Business of Energy Initiative at USC Marshall, talks about the true risks of clean energy implementation and how they can be managed and mitigated in a recent podcast.

Trump threatens new tariffs, moves deadline again. Will deals get done? President Trump is making new threats to U.S. trade partners. These partners may be refusing pressure, but also underestimating Mr. Trump’s need to win.

As new tariffs loom, Professor Peter Kim says other nations are exploring beyond the U.S. market to sell their goods.

Internal OC report finds COVID testing partner double billed — and uncovers missing $523K check The Orange County investigative findings corroborate and expand on many details LAist recently reported about 360 Clinic, which ran large county testing sites during the pandemic.

Accounting Professor Ruben Davila expresses skepticism about discrepancies around a missing check in a recent financial report by Orange County with one of their official COVID testing partners, 360 Clinic.

Louisiana is poised to hike its sports betting tax to help colleges pay their athletes Louisiana soon could raise taxes on sports betting to help finance the athletic departments at many of its public universities. Legislation pending before Gov.

Adjunct Professor David Carter explains that while new bills to fund college athletics intend to make states more appealing to student-athletes, they may deepen the perception of preferential treatment.

Tyrese Haliburton NBA postseason heroics renew debate. Does 'clutch' play exist? Tyrese Haliburton's heroics in the NBA playoffs has renewed a debate among researchers about whether "clutch'' play really exists.

Research co-authored by Assistant Professor Lorena Martin, contends repeated success in high-pressure moments, such as Tyrese Haliburton's dramatic performance in the 2025 NBA playoffs, shows evidence for clutch play.

US Tariff Turbulence Vexes Companies Disclosing Financial Risks Tariff policy turmoil has made disclosure of possible business impacts a moving target for top publicly traded companies.

Professor Kristen Jaconi says Trump's tariff policies have created complexity in company public reporting, as unpredictable fluctuations have been noted in quarterly reports from S&P companies.

Accounting Professor S. Mark Young sees sports broadcaster Stephen A. Smith’s political aspirations as likely not a serious political movement but rather a celebrity performance.

New Study Explores the Reluctance to Publicly Downplay Moral Transgressions Research by Professor Ike Silver and co-authors examines why people tend to escalate moral judgments when responding publicly to moral transgressions.

Associate Professor of Marketing Ike Silver explores the concept of "cancellation," and investigates how people's moral judgements are or are not related to the severity of the transgression in his latest research.

From 'Squid Game' to 'Frankenstein,' Netflix takes brand promotion to a new level at Tudum Netflix on Saturday held a large fan event in Inglewood, drawing thousands of people to pay homage and make announcements about its popular shows and movies.

Netflix takes brand promotion to a whole new caliber at its Tudum event. Professor Larry Vincent says the company’s expansion into live experiences surrounding their diverse content offerings will grow audience connection.

What Elmo, Netflix and HBO Max tell us about the state of streaming Netflix is welcoming “Sesame Street” to its block after HBO parent company Warner Bros. Discovery opted not to re-up its deal for new episodes, citing a shift in corporate priorities during a period o...

Professor of Marketing Larry Vincent tells the L.A. Times that Warner Bros. Discovery made a textbook branding blunder when it re-re-branded Max as HBO Max.