Research area 2 - Understanding consumer behaviour

This area of research is coordinated by Véronique PLICHON, University Professor, and Joseph KASWENGI, Senior Lecturer, authorised to supervise research (HDR).
In involves 24 permanent researchers (4 university professors, 1 senior lecturer with the authorisation to supervise research (HDR), 9 senior lecturers, 10 PHD students from the University of Tours (IAE (business administration institute) of Tours Val de Loire, IUT (technical institute) of Tours) and the University of Orléans (IAE of Orléans, IUT of Orléans, IUT of Indre) and 4 visiting researchers.
The team’s work, some of which is supported by research projects, is regularly the subject of international communications and is promoted through numerous publications (scientific articles in national and international journals classified by the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and works labelled by the FNEGE).

Research workshops are organised each month based on presentations and discussion of articles in progress by experienced teachers and researchers or PHD students, in-depth theoretical points, methodological seminars on qualitative and quantitative methods, writing and international publication workshops etc. International researchers are also invited to present their work and discuss it with the team of researchers. Two research days are organised by the marketing centre every two years: the Price & Value Conference in Tours and the International Conference on Brand, Label, and Product Intelligence (COBLI) in Orléans. In addition, in 2017 the Vallorem laboratory organised the 33rd international congress of the French Marketing Association (AFM) (over 300 French and international researchers in marketing).

The work carried out at this research centre concerns the field of services (distribution, banking, tourism, health, sport, audiovisual, press etc.) and focuses on three additional areas of research.
A unifying research area concerning value and value creation strategies: nature of B2B and B2C value, innovation value, shopping value, value measurement, relationship between value and satisfaction, role of technology in enhancing value/experience, issues of image, brand equity, distance, proximity, commitment, immersion and artificial intelligence in value creation.
A distinctive research area concerning prices and new pricing practices: willingness to pay, price image, special offers/vouchers, crowdfunding, low cost /hard discount, pay what you want (PWYW).
An emerging research area concerning socially responsible marketing: healthcare marketing (adoption of therapeutic innovations, health service, patient empowerment, vaccine communications), diets, well-being/life satisfaction, organic label/quality, fair trade, responsible consumption, adoption of ICT and disability, deconsumption/overtourism, collaborative consumption, short food circuits, social and solidarity grocery shops, political consumerism, marketing and the working classes.