Mark Gleim

Feature article written by Susana Jaramillo – Updated (09/08/2022) -.

AMA’s Retail and Pricing SIG would like to introduce the new VP of Communications, Dr. Mark Gleim, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Auburn University.

Although Mark’s undergraduate degree was in finance (a field he is still interested in), marketing has always fascinated him. For Mark, three specific characteristics of the discipline sparked his interest in researching and teaching marketing topics. First, its ubiquity: According to Mark, you can find marketing traces everywhere and in almost any transaction you complete. Second, its variety of functions: As Mark indicates, people have a very reductionist and usually myopic idea of what marketing is and does, but once you delve into and understand more about it, you realize the wide variety of activities associated with it. The third and final characteristic is its evolving nature: As Mark states, “Topics that may not have existed 5 years ago might be the hottest topic in business now.”

When it comes to choosing a research topic, Mark likes to find ideas that reflect businesses’ real struggles or that simply satisfy his curiosity. He has a steady interest in examining platform-based businesses (more commonly referred to as the sharing economy). Specifically, how digital platforms continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of consumers and how traditional retailers and service providers are embracing platform marketplaces. Additionally, the growth and prevalence of the gig economy, in particular the pricing of services by these independent contractors, is an area needed attention. He is interested in studying how blockchain technology and the metaverse impact businesses. For Mark, “the metaverse could be a transformational type of platform, but as it has been envisioned is still a couple of years away.”

When asked about meaningful accomplishments that had made him proud, Mark mentioned one particular publication he had worked on with a PhD student: “He was an undergraduate student of mine several years ago when I was working at a different university. It was his first publication, and I’m proud that I got to be a part of that experience with him.” When it is time to celebrate a well-done job, as the one accomplished with the PhD student, Mark likes to take a breath and enjoy the moment. He knows “the rejections are common, but the acceptances are few.”

Mark’s advice for finding research topics and being a successful scholar:

When it comes to finding research ideas, Mark recommends that young scholars find topics that interest them or make them curious. He believes people should research whatever they are passionate about. Personally, he looks for research topics “that [he] find[s] intellectually interesting and worthy of [his] time.” Another piece of advice by Mark is related to the people you will be working with:

“Find good coauthors. They can go a long way in helping you professionally and keeping you sane during those trying times (dealing with an irrational reviewer). No matter what though, this is the best job in the world…”

When Mark was asked about his non-academic interests, he mentioned…

•  “I have two kids in school, so they are my non-academic interests. Shuttling them to basketball or gymnastics is closer to a full-time job than a hobby sometimes.”
• “Watching college football in the fall and college basketball in the spring.”

Fun fact:

Mark’s first concert was The Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Mark can be reached at mark.gleim@auburn.edu.