AWE WORKSHOP 2024

Awe is an emotion we feel in the presence of things that are vast and transcend our current understanding of the world. The beauty and power of nature, the vastness of outer space, and engaging with art and music are experiences that commonly inspire awe.

Brands and products can inspire awe too, especially when they are innovative or promote the social good, but the science of how awe impacts consumer behavior is still in its early stages.

On September 25, Craig L. Anderson, HEC Paris Assistant Professor of Marketing and an expert on the emotion of awe, proposes a workshop to explore the effect of awe on behavior at the intersection of psychology and marketing.

The workshop directly precedes the main conference of the Association for Consumer Research on the Rive Gauche in Paris, which will be held from September 26 to 28, 2024. This largest academic conference on consumer behavior attracts many influential and well-known marketing academics.

The event begins with a private tour of Sainte-Chapelle. The soaring gothic arches and transcendent stained glass of Sainte-Chapelle will provide an encounter of awe-inspiring experiential learning that sets the stage for the subsequent scientific workshop at the nearby Maison du Barreau.

The goal of the proposed event is to bring together thought leaders (already planning to be in Paris) to dialogue about what is known about awe and consumer behavior and identify gaps in knowledge and future directions. This event would advance the science of awe and consumer behavior and raise the profile of HEC Paris as an institution that conducts such cutting-edge research.

Limitations of the venues restrict the number of participants, and so the event is currently invite-only. 
 

Workshop Program

8:00 AM: Meet at entrance to Sainte-Chapelle

8:15 AM – 9:00 AM: Private guided tour of Sainte-Chapelle 

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Walk to Maison du Barreau (5 minutes), coffee and French pastries

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Welcome and Intro to Awe: What we Know and Some New Directions
Craig L. Anderson, HEC Paris 

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Awe and Consumer Research presentation

The Pace of Awesome: How Fast and Slow Motion Make the Ordinary Awe-Inspiring
Anika Stuppy, Tilburg University

Awe-Inspired Choices: How Awe Reduces Exclusivity Preferences and Enhance Long-Term Brand Engagement
Ze Wang, University of Central Florida

Measuring Awe in Natural Language at Scale: How Human Speech in in Luxury Brand Advertising Can Backfire
Zitian Adam, University of Lausanne

11:00 AM – 11:15 AM: Coffee Break

11:15 AM – 12:30 AM: Industry perspectives and Round Table

Directions

Sainte-Chapelle is easily accessible from the Marriot Rive Gauche via Metro Line 4. 

1.     From the conference hotel, walk west to Denfert-Rochereau station.

2.    Follow signs for Line 4, in the direction of Porte de Clignancourt

3.     Ride 9 stops to Cité station

4.     After exiting the station, walk west 1 block. We will meet in front of the Palais de Justice complex on the Boulevard du Palais. 

Taxis and Ubers are plentiful in Paris and are also viable options, but are liable to take longer than the metro during the morning rush hour. It is advised to budget extra time if you opt for this route. 

The conference facilities at the Maison Du Barreau are a short five-minute walk from Sainte-Chapelle. See the map below.