The Suarez Applied Marketing Research Laboratories, part of The University of Akron College of Business Administration, was established in 2008 with a major gift from Benjamin and Nancy Suarez. The Laboratories were created to develop new and improved techniques for marketing research and provide UA students with an opportunity to work on challenging marketing research problems. Students work in the labs work in cross-functional teams, on research projects and on research and development projects.

Currently, the lab is focused on research and development in four areas:

• Neuromarketing and Biometric Research with a specific focus on ad testing, new product concept evaluation and branding.
• Usability and Customer Experience (UX) research for product design evaluation, websites, software and digital communications.
• Online Marketing Research Methods using conjoint and discrete choice designs.
• Trend Spotting using business reports, transaction data, social media analysis and other online data.

Academic Research:The lab supports academic research with a variety or research environments, including two Neuromarketing Labs with dense-array EEG systems with integrated eye tracking and biometric measurement, and a Usability Lab with eye tracking, desktop monitoring, observation room and comprehensive video recording. If you are interested in use of the Lab for an academic research project, please contact Dr. Terry Daugherty, Academic Director, at terry.daugherty@uakron.edu

Conferences and Speakers: The Suarez Labs hosts a biannual neuromarketing conference that brings together thought leaders and researchers who are focused on advancing neuromarketing methods. In addition, Suarez Labs brings speakers and special programs about marketing research, business intelligence and consumer behavior forecasting to The University of Akron. All Suarez Labs programs are open to students, faculty and marketing professionals. If you are interested in receiving information about upcoming Suarez Labs events or speaking at UA, please contact Kathleen Kennedy, Research Labs Director, 330-972-1388 or email to K.Kennedy@uakron.edu

Sponsored Research Projects: The lab team takes on several sponsored research projects each year. Sponsored research projects are commissioned by business and non-profit organizations and are directed studies designed to answer key business questions. The projects selected by the lab are evaluated based upon the following criteria: 1. The study offers a quality educational opportunity for the students employed by the lab. 2. The study can employ some of the marketing research techniques developed by the Labs. 3. The project has to potential to support business development and job growth in Ohio. If you are interested in discussing a sponsored research project, please contact Kathleen Kennedy, Research Labs Director, 330-972-1388 or email to K.Kennedy@uakron.edu

Graduate Assistantships: Each year we award a number of graduate students attending UA a project assistantship. Selected students work 20 hours per week for either a semester or the academic year on their project assignment. Students generally work on a research project for either a faculty member on campus or for a company. If you are interested in applying for a Graduate Assistantship, please email Kathleen Kennedy, Research Labs Director at K.Kennedy@uakron.edu