Social Media:  As consumer usage of social media platforms has become ubiquitous, marketing managers have recognized these new channels (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram) as a vital tool to use to reach key consumer segments. This track seeks behavioral, empirical, or managerial work studying the marketing implications of social media from both a consumer and managerial perspective.

Possible topics for which submissions are welcome include:

• Marketing strategies for specific social media channels
• ROI of social media marketing
• Intersection of social media and mobile marketing
• Building online consumer communities
• Understanding and analyzing user-generated content
• Viral marketing
• Effects of social media activity on consumers’ offline behavior Facilitating consumer-brand connections and engagement using social media

Of particular interest is a panel titled Branding in a Social Media World that focuses on laying out a research agenda for understanding how brands can best build relationships with consumers using social media