Publishing in Leading Journals and the Societal Relevance of Marketing Research: Insights from Bilkent Marketing Day

Written By Ceyda Sinağ, Post-Doc at Sabancı University, Türkiye

Graduate students and early-career marketing researchers know that publishing in top marketing journals is crucial to their academic careers. However, they also know that it is not easy to get published in these journals. So, what should be done to publish in leading journals, and how can marketing research become more societally relevant? At Bilkent Marketing Day, organized by Saurabh Shinde (Bilkent University), early-career researchers had the unique opportunity to learn the answers to those questions from distinguished marketing scholars: Anu Helkkula (Hanken School of Economics), Eric Arnould (Aalto University), Francesca Sotgiu (VU Amsterdam), and Tatiana Sokolova (Tilburg University).

At the very beginning of the session Eric and Francesca noted that the IJRM Newsletter is a valuable resource for young scholars, as it provides readers with the behind-the-scenes story of top research papers. Knowing how researchers come together and craft their papers, and their experiences handling reviews and working with editors and AEs, will benefit you as a early career market researcher. You may also consider sharing this article with fellow early-career scholars who may benefit scholars’ advice on publishing in top marketing journals.

Crafting a manuscript for a top journal and handling the review process

It was inspiring to learn how these scholars found and developed their research ideas. For instance, Francesca shared that the idea for her recent IJRM paper, “Navigating Toxic Playgrounds: Managing Reputational and Financial Brand Safety in Multiplayer Video Games,” emerged from a real-world experience: observing her sons play video games and becoming interested in the role of toxicity in these online environments. 

We often get very excited about the phenomenon we are studying; otherwise, we would not spend years researching it, right? However, apart from your enthusiasm for your research idea, do not forget to collect rigorous data on the phenomenon. As Tatiana mentioned, the data we collect on that phenomenon carries great weight in the paper's success.

“The cool part is not the idea; it's the data.”

 - Tatiana Sokolova

To get strong data, Eric advised using multiple data sets rather than relying on a single source. Importantly, if we aim for top journals, our sound data should yield a novel contribution to the field. Here, pay attention to how you communicate your contribution to the target audience; as Anu emphasized, compelling writing is crucial for academic success. She taught us, step by step, how to write academic articles as engaging stories.

“Write your abstract as a story that captures the editor's attention and highlights your original contribution early, giving editors a reason to say: 'I want to read more'”  

 - Anu Helkkula

In an earlier newsletter article Henri Weijo, AE at IJRM, emphasized the importance of knowing the literature very well (access the post here). Scholars at the Bilkent Marketing Day also highlighted this point and added that, when writing a literature review, scholars should refrain from merely summarizing previous work; rather, use the literature review to situate the phenomenon they are researching within an ongoing conversation. 

As a final takeaway, before submitting to a journal, get friendly reviews! To do so, present at conferences and seminars, and ask scholars from your own faculty for reviews. Francesca also underlined the importance of seeking input from scholars with different perspectives, as it enriches one's own perspective.

“Find your toughest critic. Their skepticism will help sharpen your idea, and if you can convince them, pay attention to what changed their mind."  

 - Francesca Sotgiu

The scholars also shared valuable insights on handling the review process and repositioning our papers for a specific journal. They emphasized the importance of respecting reviewers for their effort in reviewing our papers and for devoting their time; so, responding to them politely is crucial. We should write response letters clearly and in a structured manner. Also, Eric advised us to own our idea and try to negotiate with reviewers respectfully. 

The societal relevance of marketing research 

Scholars discussed the managerial and societal relevance of academic marketing research and highlighted how academia can benefit the business world and society. Eric highlighted the “Frames of consumer mobilization and modern slavery” article published in IJRM as an example of how researchers effectively shed light on the value chain problem in marketing, with implications for NGOs and public policy. 

“The welfare of consumers, rising overconsumption, and weak sustainability measures are pressing societal challenges that warrant greater scholarly attention”  

- Eric Arnould

Tatiana highlighted that simple ideas can shape government regulation and that the goal of marketing research is not only to offer managerial implications but also to inform policy, such as making sustainability labels mandatory. To do socially relevant research, Francesca advised asking the question of “What research idea would you like to discuss with students to inspire and shape future generations of researchers?” Anu mentioned that researchers should approach the issue from an ecosystem perspective, as academics are contributors to this ecosystem. She underlined that marketing does not inhabit an ivory tower but is an integral part of society. Accordingly, marketing research should consider its relevant contributions to the business world and society. Transformative consumer research, for instance, aims to increase people's well-being.

Overall, the Bilkent Marketing Day workshop offered an informative and highly enriching experience for graduate students and early-career researchers like me, and it was valuable to meet the scholars in person. Also, as workshop attendees, we had the opportunity to present our ongoing research to the mentors and received valuable feedback. 

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This article was written by

Ceyda Sinağ

Post-Doc at the Sabancı University, Türkiye