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. The program will be specified soon.