Arizona Cardinals Stadium, a $355 million, multi-purpose, high tech athletic entertainment facility, is considered among the top ten in the world. When it officially opened on September 10 it sported all the bells and whistles, except one: a corporate name and a lucrative naming rights contract.

The passion of fans for their teams is the stuff of family lore and Hollywood scripts, and it's that emotional charge that makes the business of sports distinct. What other business can claim that its customers are in love with its product?

Social psychologists have long known that human beings often make choices about what to think, and what to do, based on the thoughts and actions of others. Simply stated: We like to follow the crowd.

A lot of companies focus on competition, innovation and cost-cutting to drive cash flow. But according to Ruth Bolton, marketing professor at the W. P. Carey School of Business, successful firms understand that cash flow is derived from customers.

IBM's Customer Obsession Program (COP) is focused on achieving a world-class client experience, service delivery that is consistently the best, and a passionate commitment to the customer.

Would your customers say that the services they received from your company are the services they expected to get? If not, then your company may suffer from a services quality gap.

In the digital age, more information is available to more people than ever before. But not all the information. Truly unique and rare information — a hot stock tip, for instance, or a warning of an impending market shift — remains a near-priceless commodity.

In the Super Bowl advertising arms race, companies spend millions on mere seconds. Is it worth it? Nancy Stephens, associate professor of marketing, says no.

People trust experts. In courtrooms, expert witnesses sway the views of jurors. On television, expert analysts shape public opinion on everything from politics to sports.