Dr. Van Ittersum conducts research to (1) improve consumer welfare and (2) increase new product introduction success rates. His research on consumer welfare examines behavioral biases that stimulate overconsumption of drinks, food, alcohol, and medicines and overspending of money. Based on this research, Dr. Van Ittersum formulates marketing strategies that offer win-win solutions for consumers and companies. To increase new product introduction success rates, Dr. Van Ittersum focuses on reducing Type I and Type II errors in the new product development and marketing process. As part of a longitudinal, multidisciplinary research collaboration with Georgia Tech’s School of Psychology and Deere & Company, he works to improve methods to predict the acceptance of new products and technologies. In collaboration with Unilever, he also takes a unique approach to measuring and influencing the importance of product attributes in consumer judgment and choice, a key determinant of new product success. In response to the growing practice by which companies introduce remanufactured products, Dr. Van Ittersum's most recent line of research examines whether, when, and how the introduction of remanufactured products may influence the marketing of new products.
Dr. Van Ittersum’s research has resulted in publications in leading journals in marketing (Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research), medicine (British Medical Journal, Annals of Internal Medicine), and agricultural economics (European Review of Agricultural Economics, Journal of Agricultural Economics). His work is widely cited in marketing, medicine, nutrition and dietetics, food science and technology, public, environmental, and occupation health, psychology, and economics and has drawn extensive media attention (e.g., The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, LA Times, Forbes, USA Today, Associated Press, ABC News, MSNBC, CBS News, BBC News, The Times of London, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Daily Telegraph (Australia), United Press International). Recently, his work on plate size and color suggestibility (Journal of Consumer Research) was featured on ABC News (Good Morning America), CNN, Forbes, The Huffington Post, and for instance NPR. Likewise, his latest paper that shows that fast food restaurant lighting and music can reduce calorie intake (Psychological Reports), received world-wide media attention (e.g., USA: Reuters, NY Times, FoxNews; Netherlands: Telegraaf, Quest; Spain: El Confidencial; South-Africa: IOL LifeStyle India: The Times of India; Malaysia: The Malaysian Insider; and New Zealand: Stuff). He has received over $1.3 million in research grants from national and international governments and businesses (e.g., Unilever, Deere & Company) as well as professional organizations (Marketing Science Institute, Association for Consumer Research).
Dr. Van Ittersum teaches Strategic Brand Management at the undergraduate, MBA, and Exec levels. He is a "2012 Hesburgh Award Teaching Fellow" and was recently elected "Outstanding Elective Professor of the Year" in the evening MBA program.
Van Ittersum was the Area Coordinator of the Marketing Area from Spring 2010 through May 2013. With one in four COM undergraduate students pursuing a marketing certificate, the Marketing Area is one of the two top concentrations in the Scheller College of Business. The Marketing Area currently consists of nine faculty members, four adjunct professors, and seven Ph.D. students.
Areas of Specialization
Consumer Welfare
• overconsumption
• overspending
New Product Introductions
• new product and technology acceptance
• intention measurement
• attribute importance measurement
• remanufacturing
Education
Ph.D. (Marketing and Consumer Behavior), Wageningen University (NL)
MS (Business Administration), Cum Laude, Wageningen University (NL)
BS (Business Administration), International Agricultural College Larenstein (NL)
Featured Publications and Papers
Wansink, Brian, and Koert van Ittersum (2012), "Fast Food Restaurant Lighting and Music Can Reduce Calorie Intake and Increase Satisfaction," Psychological Reports, 111 (1), 228-232.
Van Ittersum, Koert, and Joost M.E. Pennings (2012), "Attribute-value Functions as Global Interpretations of Attribute Importance," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 119, 89-102.
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Van Ittersum, Koert, and Brian Wansink (2012), “Plate Size and Color Suggestibility: The Delboeuf Illusion’s Bias on Serving and Eating Behavior,” Journal of Consumer Research, 39 (2), 215-228. [lead article]
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Van Ittersum, Koert (2012), “The Effect of Decision Makers’ Time Perspective on Intention-Behavior Consistency,” Marketing Letters, 23 (1), 263-277.
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Van Ittersum, Koert, and Fred Feinberg (2010), “Cumulative Timed Intent: A New Predictive Tool for Technology Adoption,” Journal of Marketing Research, XLVII (October), 808-822.
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Van Ittersum, Koert, and Nancy Wong (2010), “The Lexus or the Olive Tree? Globalization, Consumer Movement, and National Cultural Values,” International Journal of Research in Marketing, 27(2), 107-118.
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Van Ittersum, Koert, Joost M.E. Pennings, and Brian Wansink (2010), “Trying Harder and Doing Worse: How Grocery Shoppers Track In-Store Spending,” Journal of Marketing, 74(2), 90-104.
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Wansink, Brian, and Koert van Ittersum (2010), “Spoons Systematically Bias Dosing of Liquid Medicine,” Annals of Internal Medicine, 152(1), 66-67. (impact factor: 17.46)
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Wansink, Brian, and Koert van Ittersum (2007), “Portion Size Me: Downsizing Our Consumption Norms.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 107 (7), 1103-1106. (impact factor 3.24)
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Van Ittersum, Koert, and Brian Wansink (2007), “Do Children Really Prefer Large Portions? Visual Illusions Bias Their Estimates and Intake.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 107 (7), 1107-1110. (impact factor 3.24)
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Wansink, Brian, Koert van Ittersum, and James E. Painter (2006), “Ice Cream Illusions: Bowl, Spoons and Self-served Portion Sizes,” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 31(4), 240-243. (impact factor 4.11)
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Wansink, Brian, and Koert van Ittersum (2005), “Shape of Glass and Amount of Alcohol Poured: Comparative Study of Effect of Practice and Concentration,” British Medical Journal, 331 (24 December), 1512-1514. (impact factor: 12.83)
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Wansink, Brian, and Koert van Ittersum (2003), “Bottom’s Up! The Influence of Elongation on Pouring and Consumption Volume,” Journal of Consumer Research, 30 (3) (December), 455-463.
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Van der Lans, Ivo A., Koert van Ittersum, Antonella DeCicco, and Margaret Loseby (2001), "The Role of the Region of Origin and EU Certificates of Origin on Consumer Evaluation of Food Products, European Review of Agricultural Economics, 28(4), 451-47
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Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business is establishing the Center on Business Strategies for Sustainability, thanks to a three-year, $750,000 grant recently awarded by the Ray C. Anderson Foundation.
If you’re counting calories or looking to stay trim during the holidays, consider using the research findings of Koert van Ittersum, associate professor of marketing in Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business. He’s conducted several studies validating techniques that could help you eat less throughout the holiday season when you’re barraged by a seemingly endless parade of treats.
A new study from Georgia Tech and Cornell University shows that softer lighting and relaxing ambient music in a fast food restaurant affects the eating patterns of customers. The report shows that customers in fancier dining areas will eat up to 18 percent fewer calories than those in typical restaurant conditions.
With the holiday season upon us – and all the festive food it brings – people should know that the color contrast between dinnerware and what's placed on top can affect how much we serve ourselves and consume, according a Georgia Tech College of Management researcher.
