By C.J. Harvey
For The University of Charleston
The University of Charleston is proud to share that a paper co-authored by President Marty Roth has received the 2026 Jan-Benedict E.M. Steenkamp Award for Long-Term Impact, presented by the European Marketing Academy (EMAC) and the International Journal of Research in Marketing (IJRM).
The paper, “The influence of social media interactions on consumer–brand relationships: A three-country study of brand perceptions and marketing behaviors,” was published in the International Journal of Research in Marketing (2016), just as brands were assessing the role of social media in customer relationships.
The study has become a foundational reference for understanding how consumers connect with brands online across cultures. Ten years later, the paper continues to shape how the field thinks about social media and brand relationships.
“We are humbled and flattered to receive this competitive and prestigious award,” shared Roth. “We sincerely appreciate the IJRB award committee and editorial review board’s consideration and ultimate selection of our article for the Steenkamp Award.
The award honors research that has shaped the field over the long run and is selected annually from papers published in IJRM 10 to 15 years earlier. Selected from among 272 eligible articles, the 2026 award was presented to the paper co-authored by Roth, Simon Hudwon, Li Huang, and Thomas Madden.
According to Luk Warlop, Professor of Marketing and Dean of Research at the Norwegian Business School and Chair of the 2026 Steenkamp Award Committee, “A long-term impact award invites a particular kind of reflection. When you look at this paper with ten years of hindsight, it is easy to forget that at the time – ten years ago – marketers were pouring enormous budgets into social media largely on faith, with very little theoretical grounding for why, or how, these interventions built brand relationships. This paper was one of the early papers to change that. Hudson and his colleagues combined a multi-country survey across France, the UK and the US with two carefully designed follow-up experiments. They showed that social media engagement strengthens brand relationship quality, that brand anthropomorphism amplifies the effect, and that culture — specifically uncertainty avoidance — meaningfully moderates the outcome. The paper has now accumulated over 1,400 citations and continues to be cited heavily today. It set the agenda for a decade of research on digital brand engagement, and it remains a reference point that marketing scholars return to.”
The award recognizes research that continues to influence the field years after publication, underscoring the lasting relevance of Roth’s scholarship and its contribution to understanding the evolving relationship between brands and consumers.
The research was conducted while Roth was Professor and Chair of the International Business Department at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business.
For questions or more information, please contact C.J. Harvey, UC Vice President for Marketing and Communications at [email protected] or 304-352-0014.
The University of Charleston is an independent, nationally recognized university located in West Virginia’s capital city, with an additional campus in Beckley. Named the Best College in West Virginia by Niche and recognized by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report, and Colleges of Distinction, UC offers more than 50 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. Known for small class sizes, a student-focused approach, and deep connections to the military community, UC serves nearly 3,000 students from more than 40 states and 50 countries, all united by a mission to prepare graduates for productive work, enlightened living, and community involvement.
