The Brierley Institute will be the first academic institute in the nation devoted to the study of customer engagement. Led by the Harold M. Brierley Endowed Professor, the Institute seeks to create a rich collaborative environment – an exchange of ideas, insights and practices – bringing together students, professors and business practitioners to advance knowledge and improve business practice, driven to understand how and why customers engage with brands and how engagement drives customer loyalty and value. The Institute will create innovative learning experiences for SMU Cox MBA students that lead to successful careers in marketing, business analytics and consulting. These students will learn to promote business practices that build customer relationships, leverage digital and traditional media, measure financial impact, and create customer experiences which engage customers and create loyalty and value. MBA scholarships and student research grants will be awarded. To advance knowledge and improve business practice, the Institute will feature an annual invitation-only conference focused on bringing scholars from top academic institutions and practitioners from well-known corporations together to develop faculty research agendas, influence curricula and solve current business challenges. In addition, the Institute will offer faculty research grants.