6 Dec 2016

Top 60 Marketing Profs who Tweet 2016

The 2019 List of Top 50 Marketing Profs on Twitter is now out.

This is the updated list of Marketing professors who tweet 2016. Some changes from the previous list in 2015. Most have gained new followers though a few have lost followers. Mark Schaefer from Rutgers University is on top with 147K followers.

One new entry at 24 is D. Steven White.

Not sure why, but there is a big gap between the 6th and 7th positions.

Again, Marketing Profs refer to academics in the area of marketing and related subjects in academic institutions of higher learning. These include some in Psychology and Public Relations. They are the "Gurus" and opinion leaders in the field of Marketing.

The ranking is based on the number of followers as of 7 December 2016.

I proudly represent Malaysia and India on the list at 17th

Note: Please let me know if you want to be added to/ removed from the list. 
  1. Mark Schaefer (@markwschaefer) - Rutgers University - 147K
  2. Dan Ariely (@danariely) - Duke University - 123K
  3. Nancy Richmond (@NancyRichmond) - Florida International University - 109K 
  4. Travis Langley (@Superherologist) - Henderson State University - 107K 
  5. Anthony Miyazaki (@AnthonyMiyazaki) - Florida International University - 90.5K
  6. Gary R. Schirr (@ProfessorGary) - Radford University - 75.6K
  7. Patrick Strother (@PatrickStrother) - University of Minnesota - 34K
  8. Jennifer Aaker (@aaker) - Stanford University - 25.5K
  9. David Gerzof Richard (@davidgerzof) - Emerson College - 22.5K
  10. Bang Nguyen (@ProfBangNguyen) - East China Univ. of Science and Technology - 17.1K
  11. Mike Johansson (@mikejny) - Rochester Institute of Technology - 16K
  12. Tracy Tuten (@brandacity) - East Carolina University - 13.3K
  13. David Aaker (@DavidAaker) - University of California - 12.9K
  14. Carol Phillips (@carol_phillips) - University of Notre Dame - 12.7K
  15. Kimberly Whitler (@KimWhitler) - University of Virginia - 12K
  16. Simon Chadwick (@Prof_Chadwick) - Salford University - 11.5K
  17. Dilip Mutum (@admutum) - The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus - 9859
  18. Lauri Harrison (@lharrison) - Columbia University - 9066
  19. Jim Joseph (@JimJosephExp) - New York University - 9347
  20. Markus Giesler (@DrGiesler) - York University - 7541
  21. Byron Sharp (@ProfByron) - University of South Australia - 7230
  22. Christophe Benavent (@Benavent) - Paris Ouest University - 7168
  23. Denny McCorkle (@DennyMcCorkle) - University of Northern Colorado - 6944
  24. D. Steven White (@dstevenwhite) - University of Massachusetts Dartmouth - 6185
  25. John Deighton (@HBSmktg) - Harvard University - 6013
  26. Karen Russell (@KarenRussell) - University of Georgia - 5237
  27. Richard Ladwein (@rladwein) - Université de Lille - 4876
  28. Barbara Kahn (@barbarakahn) - University of Pennsylvania - 4566
  29. Jaideep Prabhu (@JaideepPrabhu) - University of Cambridge - 3587
  30. Philip Kotler (@kotl) - Northwestern University - 3565
  31. Robert Kozinets (@Kozinets) - York University - 3272
  32. Eric Vernette (@VernetteE) -  Toulouse University - 3072
  33. T. Bettina Cornwell (@BettinaCornwell) - University of Oregon - 3062
  34. Miguel Guinalíu (@GUINALIU) - University of Zaragoza - 2934
  35. Steven H. Seggie (@Seggitorial) - Özyeğin University - 2527
  36. Tom van Laer (@tvanlaer) - City University London - 2147
  37. Dirk vom Lehn (@dirkvl) - King’s College London - 2117
  38. Aric Rindfleisch (@aricrindfleisch) - The Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - 2093
  39. Janet Ward (@DrJanet_A_Ward) - University of Sunderland - 2038
  40. Shari Worthington (@sharilee) - Worcester Polytechnic Institute - 1901
  41. Marie Taillard (@marietaillard) - ESCP Europe - 1779
  42. Sue Bridgewater (@SueBridgewater) - University of Liverpool - 1777
  43. Gemma Calvert (@DrGemmaCalvert) - Nanyang Technological University - 1578
  44. Michelle Weinberger (@consumerlife) - Northwestern University - 1436
  45. Steve Vargo (@SteveVargo) - The University of Hawai’i at Manoa - 1383
  46. Finola Kerrigan (@FinolaK) - University of Birmingham - 1273
  47. Laurence Dessart (@laurencedessart) - Kedge Business School - 1230
  48. Anthony Patterson (@TonyPatterson) - The University of Liverpool - 1180
  49. Spencer M Ross (@srossmktg) - McGill University - 1159
  50. Ana Isabel Canhoto (@canhoto) - Oxford Brookes University - 1159
  51. Vincent Balusseau (@vbalusseau) - Audencia Business School - 1149
  52. Stephen Dann (@stephendann- Australian National University - 1145
  53. Alexa Fox (@AlexaKaye3) - Ohio University - 1142
  54. Joan Ball (@joanpball) - St. John's University - 1104
  55. Hope Jensen Schau (@HopeJensenSchau) - University of Arizona - 1066
  56. Robert Lusch (@RobertLusch) - University of Arizona - 985
  57. Tracy Harwood (@tgharwood) -  De Montfort Univ. - 966
  58. Joonas Rokka (@jccnas) - EMLYON Business School - 963
  59. Ekant Veer (@VeerOffTrack) - University of Canterbury - 948
  60. Linda Tuncay Zayer (@dr_tea) - Loyola Univ. Chicago - 913
Some I missed out:
1. Mark Ritson (@markritson) - Melbourne Business School - 48K - Should be #7 on the list.

20 Sept 2016

New Services Marketing Cases Book

I am delighted to announce that our latest book 'Services Marketing Cases in Emerging Markets: An Asian Perspective' has now been published by Springer. I would like to thank all the contributors and my co-editors Sanjit Kumar Roy (The University of Western Australia) & Bang Nguyen (East China University of Science and Technology).



You can buy the book on the Springer site for 57.19 € (Hardcover) and as an eBook for 44.02 €.

It is also available on Amazon.com.

About the book:
This casebook provides students and academics in business management and marketing with a collection of case studies on services marketing and service operations in emerging economies. It explores current issues and practices in Asia, across different areas, countries, commercial and non-commercial sectors. This book is important and timely in providing a framework for instructors, researchers, and students to understand the service dynamics occurring in these countries. It serves as an invaluable resource for marketing and business management students requiring insights into the operationalization of services across different geographical areas in Asia. Students will find it interesting to compare and contrast different markets covering important aspects related to services.

Here are some reviews of the book:

“Services are the foundation of human civilizations. Every market has different needs that must be met with different service solutions. This case book provides an invaluable collection of service cases on emerging markets in Asia. These cases cover the very established topics of service experience, co-creation, branding and servicescapes, and add the very forward-thinking topic of transformative services. Services faculty and service students will be well served by this book.” (Professor Raymond P. Fisk, Department of Marketing, McCoy College of Business Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA)

“Asia has experienced tremendous growth of the service sector. This case book is timely to help educate tomorrow’s leaders in Asia on service marketing and management. If offers valuable insights and case examples on the management of three contemporary themes - service experience and co-creation, branding and servicescapes, and transformative services. Students, academics, and practitioners alike will find this book highly insightful.” (Professor Jochen Wirtz, Department of Marketing, NUS Business School, National University of Singapore, Singapore)

“This is a timely book. We need real world cases that make new concepts and theory come alive. Ideas and conceptual models are often difficult to grasp as they go against the mainstream. Service-Dominant (S-D) Logic and IBM's Service Science service are leading the way but I see them constantly being misinterpreted. More cases can cure this.” (Dr. Evert Gummesson, Emeritus Professor, Stockholm Business School, Stockholm University, Sweden)

“This book is a direct response to the emerging need for a quality case book on services marketing in Asia which has been witnessing tremendous growth in services arena in recent times. The cases have addressed the contemporary issues of services marketing, are relevant and well written. I am sure students and academics interested in services marketing will find the book to be useful.” (Professor Ali Quazi, School of Management, University of Canberra, ACT, Australia)

“Good, relevant and timely case studies are always in demand from business and management educators. And it is increasingly important that students are exposed to a diversity of business experiences when undertaking case work. Despite the rapid growth in in the service sector across much of Asia, good case studies have been in short supply. Until now! The authors are to be congratulated for bringing together an excellent collection of cases that are diverse in terms of sectors and countries but which together provide invaluable insights into contemporary service marketing practice.” (Professor Christine Ennew, Provost, Faculty of Social Siences, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Nottingham University Business School, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia)

“This book on services marketing is timely as businesses are grappling with the “what” and “how” of an effective strategy to win the competition in service industries. Lessons from case studies would provide the much needed learning for a richer class room experience for final year undergraduates and MBA students, giving them an early start on dealing with the complexities of managing service businesses.” (Professor Fon Sim Ong, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Nottingham University Business School, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia)

9 Sept 2016

Updated Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) Marketing Journals List 2016

Note: This is the old 2016 list. View the updated 2022 list here

This is the ABDC authorised 2016 list of Marketing journals. There are lots of new journals in this list. I personally feel that this a much more relevant and inclusive list as compared to the ABS list which is quite restricted.

Journals marked with * are new additions

A* Journals
European Journal of Marketing
Industrial Marketing Management
International Journal of Research in Marketing
Journal of Consumer Research
Journal of Marketing
Journal of Marketing Research
Journal of Retailing
Journal of Service Research
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
Marketing Science

A Journals
APPETITE*
Food Quality and Preference*
Health Promotion International*
International Journal of Consumer Studies
International Journal of Public Opinion Research*
International Marketing Review
Journal of Advertising
Journal of Advertising Research
Journal of Brand Management
Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing
Journal of Business Research
Journal of Consumer Affairs
Journal of Consumer Psychology
Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management
Journal of Interactive Marketing
Journal of International Marketing
Journal of Macromarketing
Journal of Marketing Management
Journal of Public Policy and Marketing*
Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services
Journal of Service Theory and Practice (formerly Managing Service Quality)*
Journal of Services Marketing
Journal of Strategic Marketing
Marketing Intelligence and Planning
Marketing Letters
Marketing Theory
Psychology and Marketing
Public Relations Review*
Quantitative Marketing and Economics

Journals which were previously in the A list, now missing from the list:
Electronic Markets - Not listed under marketing journals but under "806" ICT journals.
Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing
Journal of Vacation Marketing
Both listed under category "1506"

B Journals
Academy of Marketing Science Review
Advances in Consumer Research
Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics
Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal
Australasian Marketing Journal
Consumption, Markets and Culture
Corporate Communications: an international journal
Customer Needs and Solutions
Health Marketing Quarterly
International Journal of Advertising
International Journal of Bank Marketing
International Journal of Enterprise Network Management
International Journal of Market Research
International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing
International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management
International Journal of Sports Management and Marketing
International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship
International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research
Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing
Journal of Communication Management
Journal of Consumer Behaviour
Journal of Consumer Marketing
Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior
Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management
Journal of Financial Services Marketing
Journal of Interactive Advertising
Journal of Marketing Behaviour
Journal of Marketing Communications
Journal of Marketing Education
Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice
Journal of Nonprofit and Public Sector Marketing
Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management
Journal of Product and Brand Management
Journal of Promotion Management: innovations in planning and applied research
Journal of Public Affairs
Journal of Public Relations Research
Journal of Revenue & Pricing Management
Journal of Social Marketing
Prism
Qualitative Market Research: an international journal
Service Industries Journal
Services Marketing Quarterly
Sport Marketing Quarterly
Young Consumers

C Journals
Academy of Marketing Studies Journal
Advances in International Marketing
Advertising and Society Review
Arts and the Market (formerly Arts Marketing)
Asian Journal of Business Research
Asian Journal of Marketing (SING)
Canadian Journal of Marketing Research
International Journal of Electronic Customer Relationship Management
International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing
International Journal of Emerging Markets
International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising
International Journal of Quality and Services Science
International Journal of Sustainable Design
International Journal of Technology Management and Sustainable Development
International Journal of Technology Marketing
International Journal of Trade and Global Markets
International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing
Irish Marketing Review
Journal for Advancement of Marketing Education (JAME)
Journal of Advertising Education
Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising
Journal of Customer Behavior
Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management
Journal of Digital and Social Media Marketing
Journal of Empirical Generalisations in Marketing Science
Journal of Euromarketing
Journal of Food Distribution Research
Journal of Food Products Marketing
Journal of Global Fashion Marketing
Journal of Global Marketing
Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
Journal of Historical Research in Marketing
Journal of Hospitality Application and Research
Journal of International Consumer Marketing
Journal of International Food and Agribusiness Marketing
Journal of International Marketing and Exporting
Journal of International Marketing and Marketing Research
Journal of Islamic Marketing
Journal of Management and Marketing in Healthcare
Journal of Marketing & Social Research (formerly Market and Social Research (AMSRS Journal))
Journal of Marketing Channels
Journal of Marketing for Higher Education
Journal of Medical Marketing
Journal of Political Marketing
Journal of Relationship Marketing
Journal of Research for Consumers
Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing
Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship
Journal of Selling and Major Account Management
Journal of Services Research
Journal of Sponsorship
Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing
Marketing Bulletin
Marketing Education Review
Marketing Health Services
Public Relations Inquiry
Research in Consumer Behavior: a research annual
Review of Marketing Science
Revista Portuguesa de Marketing
Social Marketing Quarterly
The Marketing Review

The ABDC Master Journal List

21 Aug 2016

Are you a nowist

I recently received a complementary book titled simply "#Now" from prolific author and fellow WBS PhD alumni, Dr. Max McKeowen. This book was very different from his previous books, namely, Why they don't buy and The Strategy Book. To be honest I initially found it quite tough to review the book. I am generally skeptical of all the self help books out there but after reading the book realised that key concepts are indeed grounded in psychological theories.



There main and very interesting concept presented in the book is about what Max calls "Nowist" behaviour and hence the title of the book. By being a Nowist and being action oriented, Max contends that we can all be effective and happy.

While reading this book, I was reflecting about myself and people in my life. Even though I believe that we are all different and our personalities cannot be grouped into very distinct categories, I realised that I am more of a #thenist person, while my wife is clearly #nowist. I am more of a wait and see guy and not very spontaneous. However, there were times when I did become #nowist, after being persuaded or forced by my wife and took a leap of faith. And thinking back, those lead to some really amazing things - like getting accepted for a PhD at Warwick with a scholarship, getting a job at Coventry and now at Nottingham.

This is an amazing book and I would recommend everyone to read it. Move away from a waiting state of mind to the #Now.

14 Jun 2016

Workshop on Islamic Financial Management and Marketing Principles for SMEs

Helping create some buzz about a workshop:




Application of Islamic Financial Management and Marketing Principles: Preparing SMEs for International Business 


Two-day programme for start-up owners, venture capitalists, prospective entrepreneurs from both services and manufacturing sectors.

The primary focus of this training is to provide you with a comprehensive synopsis of the tools needed to manage financial functions efficiently, and to develop halal marketing strategies that are necessary for an internationally diversified small and medium enterprise (SME). The course will be delivered using presentations, discussions, case studies and role plays that will help the participants in fulfilling the financial and marketing objectives of their SMEs in a shari’ah compliant way. 

Financial management and marketing strategy to prepare SMEs for International Business 


Small businesses are essential ingredients of the high-growth Asian markets. Growth of SMEs, particularly that operate based on shari’ah, in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and in South Asia has been astonishing. As the local market is becoming too competitive, local SMEs are in need to expand their operation across border. Financial management deals with two major aspects: collecting funds and investing funds. A good financial manager should know the alternative methods of low cost shari’ah compliant fund collection in foreign lands. Similarly, one must know the criteria that make their investment shari’ah compliant. A good Islamic market strategy will help local SMEs in targeting their foreign customers and marketing their products in foreign lands in a halal way. 

Key financial and marketing management questions from an Islamic perspective:  

  • How to collect money for SMEs? 
  • Where to invest money? 
  • How to write a financial plan for loan application? 
  • How to do halal marketing? How it is different from conventional marketing? 
  • How to manage marketing challenge in foreign land? 
  • How to manage typical Islamic marketing challenge for SMEs? 


Learning outcomes


After completing the training, you will be able:
  • To develop an understanding of Islamic financial management for SMEs that includes an overview of the industy, opportunities and challenges.
  • To learn how to prepare a financial plan to apply for bank/venture capital loans. 
  • To learn how to prepare a halal branding strategy for your company/product. 
  • To analyse the opportunities and challenges for Islamic SMEs in other countries. 


Methods of training and assessment

  • Powerpoint presentations 
  • Case exercises 
  • Flipchart presentations for brainstorming
  • Presentation from participants 


Programme outline


Day One


Module one – Financial management of Islamic business 
  • Element of a financial plan
  • Forecasting financial variables
  • Applying for Islamic bank loans
  • Understanding shari'ah compliant investments

Module two – Alternative financing, operational management, and sustainability 
  • Understanding alternative financing available
  • Preparing cash budget and determining funds needs 
  • Influence of taxation (GST) and the way forward
  • Micro-equity funds and Micro-takaful insurance  


Day Two


Module three – Essentials of halal marketing
    

  • Elements of a halal branding strategy
  • Target markets and customer satisfaction in Islamic business 

Module four – Advertisement, branding and distribution of halal products  
  • Social image of shari'ah compliant advertising
  • Branding of Islamic business
  • Creating a sustainable brand value
  • Supply chain management of halal products 
  • Costing and profitability of the halal product   

Programme fee


Early bird price: RM2,500/person + GST of 6%
Normal price: RM2,600/person + GST of 6%
Group of three and above: RM2,200/person + GST of 6% (for more than three delegates attending from the same company/institution)

The programme fee covers tuition, case materials and tea breaks. 

About the programme leaders


Dr Mamunur Rashid is an Assistant Professor of Finance at Nottingham University Business School Malaysia. He has been teaching and conducting training on financial management and Islamic entrepreneurship for the last ten years. His area of expertise includes financial management, financing of small firms, Islamic business, and Islamic ethics. He worked on the “Malaysian Workforce Quality” (a Malaysian Human Resource Development Ministry project) and he trained senior officials of PVH Corp., on advance computer application in business in Bangladesh. Dr Mamunur is also the Deputy Director of the Centre for Islamic Business and Finance Research (CIBFR) at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. He has published on Islamic finance and business, business ethics and Islamic services marketing. Dr Mamunur is a Malaysian Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) certified trainer.

Dr Dilip Mutum is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Nottingham University Business School Malaysia. Prior to this, he was attached with the Coventry Business School, Coventry University, as a Lecturer in Marketing and Advertising. He has also taught at the Warwick Business School, University of Warwick and Universiti Utara Malaysia. Before joining academia, Dilip has worked with various organisations in different capacities. This includes a short stint as a sub-editor of a magazine and as the Communications Officer for Consumers International - Asia Pacific office. Dilip has published widely in journals and books, as well as presented at national and international conferences. His research interests include digital consumption, social networking, customer relationship management, and social marketing. His Twitter profile (@admutum) has over 8000 followers.   

To register, download the registration form

For more information, contact Nottingham University Business School Malaysia Executive Education at +6(03) 8924 8303 (Ms Judy Wong; email: Judy.Wong@nottingham.edu.my) or by email NUBS.EDP@nottingham.edu.my 

or visit our website at Executive Education.  

20 Apr 2016

Latest paper on online switching barriers and loyalty

Really delighted that our paper titled 'Constructing Online Switching Barriers: Examining the Effects of Switching Costs and Alternative Attractiveness on E-Store Loyalty in Online Pure-Play Retailers' (Yes, it is a really long title), has been published in 'Electronic Markets: - The International Journal on Networked Business'.

I co-wrote this paper with Ghazali, E., Nguyen, B. and Mohd Any, A. A.

It has been published online and should be is now out in print as well. Here is the abstract of the paper.

Abstract

Developing switching barriers to retain customers has become a critical marketing strategy for online retailers. However, research on the role of switching barriers in e-retailing is still limited. Recent trends show that when competitors are just one click away, it is questionable if customer loyalty can be achieved at all in online environments. This leads to the research question on whether switching barriers have any impact on e-loyalty in pure-play retailers. The paper examines the influence of switching barriers on customer retention (i.e., e-store loyalty) and further investigates the moderating effects of switching costs and alternative attractiveness. Data were gathered via a survey of 590 shoppers of online pure-play retailers in the UK. Findings show that customer satisfaction and the two dimensions of switching barriers (perceived switching costs and perceived attractiveness of alternatives) significantly influence customer loyalty. Contrary to findings in earlier studies, it was found that switching costs did not moderate the relationships between satisfaction and loyalty nor between perceived attractiveness of alternatives and loyalty. The paper makes imperative recommendations to develop switching barriers and to foster loyalty along with suggestions for future research.

Please let me know if you would like a soft copy of the paper: dilip.mutum@nottingham.edu.my

To cite:

Ghazali, E., Nguyen, B., Mutum, D. S. and Mohd Any, A. A. (2016). Constructing Online Switching Barriers: Examining the Effects of Switching Costs and Alternative Attractiveness on E-Store Loyalty in Online Pure-Play RetailersElectronic Markets: - The International Journal on Networked Business. 26(2), 157-171.
DOI: 10.1007/s12525-016-0218-1

10 Apr 2016

Power of advertising

What comes to your mind when anybody mentions Santa Claus- Father Christmas?

This image?


A jolly, portly old man with big white beard and wearing a red suit.

But Look closely at the image. What is he drinking?



"In 1931, Coca‑Cola commissioned Swedish-American artist Haddon Sundblom to paint Santa Claus for the company's Christmas adverts. Prior to this, Santa had been portrayed in a variety of ways throughout history: tall and gaunt; short and elfin; distinguished and intellectual; even downright frightening." - Source.



I always use this example to highlight the power of marketing (and advertising).

Santa was not created by Coca Cola, but the cultural icon we have come to associate with him was indeed created by Coca Cola. 

Also read: 5 Things You Never Knew About Santa Claus and Coca-Cola.

4 Mar 2016

Minority Report: My favourite Sci fi movie

I am a big sci-fi fan and among all the sci-fi movies, I think Minority Report (2002) is the best. Not Star Wars, Star Trek or even Blade Runner but Minority Report. The movie was directed by Steven Spielberg and had Tom Cruise playing the lead character. It was based on the story by famous sci-fi writer, Philip K. Dick.

Spolier alert

This is a movie that I use as an example in a number of marketing modules that I teach. It is amazing because so many of the things predicted in the story/ movie have actually come true.

1. Predicting crime before it happens

The Los Angeles and Santa Cruz police departments working along with academics (of course) and a company called PredPol used big data to predict crime. They adapted an algorithm that has been used to predict earthquakes and fed it past crime data. According to the reports, the software was able to predict where crimes are likely to occur down to 500 square feet. yes, that's right - 500 feet. The use of this software resulted in a 33% reduction in burglaries and 21% reduction in violent crimes in LA where the software was used.

2. Computers controlled by hand gestures

Though not as advanced as in the movie, the tech is already here - in fact, it is quite common and those who have a Microsoft Xbox One would be aware of the Kinect hand gesture navigation. However, this feature was dropped last year with their latest update.

3. Completely automated Factories

Toyota is already building automated car factories run completely by robots.

4. Product Placement in Movies

Tom Cruise's character escapes using a futuristic Lexus car. The Lexus 2054 concept car was developed specifically for the movie at the request of Steven Spielberg. Though not a typical product placement in a movie, it is a good example.

5. Autonomous cars

These driverless/ self-driving cars are no longer science fiction and several car companies, as well as Google, are in the process of testing out various prototypes on the road. See Wired: Autonomous vehicles and Popular science: autonomous cars.

6. Targeted ads

The movie features retinal recognition technologies which trigger targeted and personalised ads based on the customer's preferences and past shopping history. Can you recall where this happens? Though this is not a reality yet, researchers are already working on biometric retinal recognition. A number of websites including Amazon and Facebook now deliver targeted and personalized ads based on your surfing and shopping history.

Did you notice other predictions in the minority report that has come true?

What is your favourite sci-fi movie?

Events in January 2024

The first event of this year was an online seminar for staff and PG students at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Techn...