Theory That Works: When Academia and the Industry Collaborate

Written by Victoria Niehues Ph.D. Candidate at Erasmus School of Economics and Finn Ole Höner Ph.D. Candidate at Erasmus School of Economics

IJRM is well known for its mission to contribute high-quality, original research to the marketing discipline, ranging from AI in marketing strategy to new methods of measuring well-known phenomena like willingness to pay. The journal encourages research that demonstrates novelty and vision. However, a key question remains: how much of this knowledge reaches the boardroom? Academics are aware of the "ivory tower" critique—the idea that their work is disconnected from real-world challenges. The focus on theory, the slow pace of research, and limited exposure to industry realities may undermine the practical applicability of academic findings. But is this stereotype inevitable, and does it oversimplify the relationship between academia and industry?

To foster greater dialogue between the two, the Erasmus School of Economics’ Marketing Department partnered with the Dutch Marketing Institute (NIMA) to organize a large symposium entitled “Marketing Research meets Marketing Practice” in October 2024. NIMA, founded in 1966 by Dutch marketing professionals, works to set professional standards, provide education and certification, and strengthen marketing in the Netherlands. Originally intended for an intimate group of 30, the attendee list quickly expanded, bringing together over 100 professionals and academics to discuss recent academic findings and their practical applications.

"If we stay too “dusty” […] and “Do not step out of the ivory tower” as Prof. Christian Homburg told us during our PhD classes at the University of Mannheim, we risk becoming disconnected from where innovation and impact are happening.”

Andreas Bayerl

Michiel Van Crombrugge during his presentation on Platform Models

Four academics from Erasmus presented new research on diverse topics, followed by industry professionals who contextualized the findings for application. A glimpse of what was discussed:

Platform Models:

Michiel Van Crombrugge proposed a strategy for businesses to regain control of digital commerce by creating their own platforms, instead of relying on Amazon and Google. His research identifies two platform models: branded platforms focused on product sales and those centered on service and engagement. For platforms that sell, particularly for brands in expandable categories (where consumers are willing and able to buy more) and low brand-equity brands, value creation is higher. Platforms focused on engagement can drive customer interaction increased content volume and variety, or via subscription models. This presentation was well received, as the topic addressed a pressing challenge many practitioners face.

Influencer Marketing:

The session provided practical implications for influencer marketing strategy, showing how academic insights can inform more targeted and effective campaign design. Andreas Bayerl emphasized the superior engagement and conversations generated by micro-influencers compared to macro-influencers. He suggests firms combine macro-influencers to generate “buzz” and awareness, and micro-influencers to extend the effects. Practitioner Steven Lammertink supplemented this talk with compelling insights into his company’s platform for influencer marketing.

Customers’ Insights for Innovation: 

The session addressed practical challenges firms face when turning data into insights, especially in the context of innovation. Nuno Camacho identified three gaps hindering good customer insights for innovation: the disconnect between innovation and commercial teams, a lack of a structured approach to insight generation, and the lack of tools and approaches to optimally blend valuable managerial intuition with evidence. He then discussed several frameworks and tools that try to bridge these gaps, including a practical six-step framework to mix the right data and intuition to generate actionable insights. He also showed evidence that promising customer-centric insights approaches are often underused and discussed several specific examples like AI-powered market research and crowdsourcing. Henrike Reinhardt added a practitioner's perspective, noting challenges such as reservations and lack of habit of involving customers early in the innovation process.

Simulating Market Research Data Using Large Language Models (LLMs):

The discussion highlighted both the potential and limitations of AI tools in market research, stressing the need for academic rigor to ensure responsible use. Martijn de Jong explained how LLMs can enhance exploratory and descriptive research. For instance, in exploratory research, LLMs can identify key ideas, group them into themes, and summarize them, sometimes uncovering themes humans miss. However, he cautioned against overreliance, as LLMs may produce biased responses and often underperform compared to human-LLM collaborations.  Niels Schillewaert reinforced this by demonstrating how AI-driven tools within companies can bridge qualitative and quantitative methods, demonstrating how an AI can first be used to carry out well-rounded (job) interviews and afterward analyze them at scale.

The event highlighted the value of collaboration between research and practice. As former IJRM co-editor, Stefan Stremersch noted, “You can’t study companies if you never meet them.” It also demonstrated that the gap between research and practice in marketing is often smaller than assumed. Topics of interest to both practitioners and academics frequently overlap, though their methods differ.

Both rely on empirical data, but how deeply they analyze and interpret it can vary. One takeaway for practitioner Hilde Kars from Nuno Camacho’s presentation was the difference between having client data and producing actionable client insights. Using real-life examples, they showed how combining data analysis with intuition leads to deeper insights.

After the event, Steven Lammertink elaborated on this point, noting that practitioners gain access to emerging theories and data-driven insights, which can refine strategies and decision-making. For academics, engaging with industry leaders helps validate research in practical settings, uncover new research questions, and ensure theoretical advancement remains relevant to evolving business landscapes.

Bringing academia and practice closer can impact the classroom. Academic, NIMA member, and event organizer Arie Barendregt sees this event as a collaborative catalyst. By integrating real-life cases into academic teaching, students gain access to structured research insights that can help them understand emerging trends and refine business strategies.

Nevertheless, maintaining some academic-practitioner distinction is good. Stremersch suggests that this distance allows space for reflection and abstraction.

"Events like these are wonderful opportunities to bridge that gap and potentially bring theoretical knowledge into practical application. People from different companies, along with academics, engaging in listening and interaction create an opportunity for meaningful dialogue. My brain is triggered again.”

-Hilde Kars

While research ideas can emerge from practice, events like this symposium foster full-circle moments, where research can inspire practical innovation. Creating dialogue helps shrink the distance between theory and practice. Joining forces at times and extending the dialogue is a win-win, strengthening national-level competencies and fostering globally relevant theoretical insight.