Kent Grayson
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Kent Grayson

Associate Professor of Marketing; Bernice and Leonard Lavin Professorship

Kellogg Faculty Page →

We Prefer Authentic Products. But What Conveys “Authenticity”?

Invoking a company’s history can help—and research points to a new way of doing this.

Researchers: Chelsea Galoni, Brendan Strejcek and Kent Grayson

April 1, 2023

Marketing

Podcast: Thinking about Adopting a Contact-Tracing App for Your Company? Here’s What to Keep in Mind.

The technology can help reopen workplaces—but only if your employees trust it. On this special episode of The Insightful Leader, three experts discuss how to earn that trust.

Researchers: Kent Grayson, Heather Federman and Mathew Mytka

August 17, 2020

Leadership

You’ve Worked Hard to Earn Your Team’s Trust. What Happens If Layoffs Are Necessary?

Layoffs are brutal. But the news is easier to accept from leaders who consistently display honesty, competency, and concern for their employees.

Researchers: Kent Grayson and Sanjay Khosla

July 6, 2020

Leadership

Take 5: What You May Not Know about Advertising

Research reveals how ads can affect shopping behavior, elections, and even our health.

Researchers: Brett Gordon, Kent Grayson, Jörg L. Spenkuch and Amanda Starc

August 6, 2019

Take 5: How to Build Trust in the Workplace

Trust is a powerful motivator. Here’s how to foster it among employees in your organization.

Researchers: Harry M. Kraemer, Karen Cates, Paola Sapienza, Daniel Barron, Michael Powell, J. Keith Murnighan and Kent Grayson

February 12, 2019

Leadership

Take 5: Fine-Tuning Your Powers of Persuasion

From understanding power dynamics to telling a memorable story, here’s how to sell your ideas.

Researchers: Loran Nordgren, Derek D. Rucker, Mitchell A. Petersen and Kent Grayson

November 7, 2018

Leadership

How to Solve Healthcare’s Trust Deficit

Doctors, patients, and insurers are often skeptical of each other. Three experts discuss ways to counteract that.

Researchers: Kent Grayson, Lakshmi Halasyamani and Daniel Dahl

July 9, 2018

Healthcare

Take 5: What Science Says about Your Summer Vacation

Kellogg faculty explore the psychology and economics of common travel conundrums.

Researchers: Achal Bassamboo, Kent Grayson, Thomas N. Hubbard, Maryam Kouchaki, Martin Lariviere and Derek D. Rucker

July 3, 2018

Economics

Podcast: Why Do So Many People Distrust the News?

Plus, how to avoid being duped by fake news yourself.

Researchers: David Rapp, Rachel Davis Mersey and Kent Grayson

August 14, 2017

Video: How Trust Takes Us Out of Our Comfort Zone

The more trusting the relationship, the more you have to gain—or lose.

Researchers: Kent Grayson and Eli J. Finkel

August 4, 2017

Careers

Podcast: Why Are Rankings and Listicles So Popular?

From “Top 10 Beaches” to “Five Ways to Negotiate a Raise,” the psychology behind effective lists.

Researchers: Kent Grayson, David Rapp and Rachel Davis Mersey

July 10, 2017

Marketing

How to Make Ads That Even Savvy Customers Trust

People are more skeptical than ever about marketing—but that doesn’t mean they distrust all of it.

Researchers: Mathew S Isaac and Kent Grayson

April 13, 2017

Marketing

How Millennials Are Discovering Music

To woo listeners, music platforms should get personal.

Researchers: Kent Grayson and Libby Koerbel

November 2, 2016

Marketing

Video: How We Signal Trust in the Workplace

From innovating Oreos to scaling Everest, communicating trust can build your business.

Researchers: Kent Grayson and Sanjay Khosla

July 1, 2016

Organizations

Cultivating Trust Is Critical—and Surprisingly Complex

Don’t rely on intuition for something this important.

Researchers: Kent Grayson

March 7, 2016

Why No One Boasts About Being in the Top 9

Find the right way to tout your ranking.

Researchers: Mathew S Isaac, Aaron Brough and Kent Grayson

January 5, 2016

Marketing

The Risks of a Good Reputation

How reputation and trust function in commercial transactions and the sharing economy.

Researchers: Kent Grayson and Brayden King

June 2, 2015

We Trust Reputation. Should We?

The power of reputation might expose us to greater risk.

Researchers: Gulnur Tumbat and Kent Grayson

June 2, 2015

The Risks of a Good Reputation— Podcast Transcript

How reputation and trust function in commercial transactions and the sharing economy. A transcript of this month’s Insight In Person podcast.

Researchers: Kent Grayson and Brayden King

June 2, 2015

Marketing

To Bluff or Not to Bluff

Game theory says it’s pure mathematics. But human psychology matters, too.

Researchers: Ehud Kalai and Kent Grayson

March 2, 2015

Economics

Trust Required Here

Trust in both the seller and the marketplace is necessary for buyer confidence

Researchers: Kent Grayson, Devon Johnson and Der-Fa Chen

August 2, 2007