market phd topics

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The marketing faculty embrace research traditions grounded in psychology and behavioral decision-making, economics and industrial organization, and statistics and management science.

These traditions support research inquiries into consumer behavior, firm behavior, the development of methods for improving the allocation of marketing resources, and understanding of how marketing works in a market setting.

A small number of students are accepted into the PhD Program in marketing each year. Students and faculty work together closely, and we have program-wide social gatherings throughout the year. This permits the tailoring of the program of study to fit the background and career goals of the individual.

A marketing student’s program of study usually includes several doctoral seminars taught by marketing faculty, some doctoral seminars taught by other Stanford GSB faculty, and a considerable number of graduate-level courses in related departments outside the business school, depending on a student’s particular area of investigation.

The field is often broken down into two broad subareas: behavioral marketing and quantitative marketing.

Behavioral Marketing

Behavioral marketing is the study of how individuals behave in consumer-relevant domains. This area of marketing draws from social psychology and behavioral decision theory and includes a wide variety of topics such as:

• Decision making
• Attitudes and persuasion
• Social influence
• Motivation and goals
• New technologies
• Consumer neuroscience
• Misinformation

Students in this track take classes in behaviorally oriented subjects within Stanford GSB and also in the Psychology Department . All students have the opportunity to interact with Stanford GSB faculty in every group and, indeed, across the Stanford campus.

Behavioral Interest Group

There is also a formal institutional link between the behavioral side of marketing and the micro side of organizational behavior , which is called the Behavioral Interest Group. The Stanford GSB Behavioral Lab links members of this group. This lab fosters collaborative work across field boundaries among those with behavioral interests.

The Behavioral Lab is an interdisciplinary social research laboratory open to all Stanford GSB faculty and PhD students. The lab’s research primarily spans the fields of organizational behavior and behavioral marketing, and covers a rich and diverse array of topics, including attitudes and preferences, consumer decision-making, group dynamics, leadership, morality, power, and prosocial behavior.

Preparation and Qualifications

A background in psychology (or behavioral science) and experience with experimental methods and data analysis provide optimal preparation for students pursuing the behavioral track, though students from a variety of backgrounds have performed well in the program.

Quantitative Marketing

The quantitative marketing faculty at Stanford emphasize theoretically grounded empirical analysis of applied marketing problems. This line of inquiry draws primarily on fundamentals in applied microeconomic theory, industrial organization, and econometrics and statistics.

Questions of interest include:

Investigating consumer choices and purchase behavior

Examining product, pricing, advertising, and promotion strategies of firms

Analyzing competition in a wide range of domains

Development and application of large-scale experimentation, high-dimensional statistics, applied econometrics and big-data methods to solve marketing problems

A common theme of research is the use of rigorous quantitative methods to study important, managerially relevant marketing questions.

Cross-Campus Collaboration

Students in this track take common classes in quantitatively oriented subjects with others at Stanford GSB, as well as the Economics and Statistics Departments. All Stanford GSB students have the opportunity to interact with Stanford GSB faculty in every group and, indeed, across the Stanford campus.

Solid training in economics and statistical methods, as well as programming skills, offers a distinct advantage for quantitative marketing students, but students from various backgrounds such as engineering, computer science, and physics have thrived in the program.

Faculty in Behavioral Marketing

Jennifer aaker, szu-chi huang, jonathan levav, zakary tormala, s. christian wheeler, faculty in quantitative marketing, kwabena baah donkor, samuel goldberg, wesley r. hartmann, sridhar narayanan, navdeep s. sahni, emeriti faculty, james m. lattin, david bruce montgomery, michael l. ray, itamar simonson, v. “seenu” srinivasan, recent publications in marketing, 50 years of context effects: merging the behavioral and quantitative perspectives, investigating complementarities in subscription software usage using advertising experiments, when the one true faith trumps all: low religious diversity, religious intolerance, and science denial, recent insights by stanford business, influencers want brands’ sponsorship, but not their rules, why advertisers pay more to reach viewers who watch less, your summer 2024 podcast playlist.

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Top 10 Best PhD in Marketing Programs in the US [2024]

How deep do you want to dive into the ever-growing marketing field? A marketing background is a lucrative education choice that brings you applicable expertise for any industry. These days, marketing managers  make upwards of $130,000 per year. A master’s in marketing  is a great start.

But a PhD in marketing takes your career to the highest levels, though not only for individual businesses. You can take that expertise and dive deeper into research or pursue a teaching career in academia.

What are the best marketing PhD programs, and where can you find them? We’ve put together a solid list that even includes online marketing PhD programs for you to choose from!

Table of Contents

Best Marketing PhD Programs and Schools

Arizona state university, w. p. carey school of business, phd in marketing.

ASU was ranked no. 1  by the US News and World Report on its list of the most innovative schools. In this PhD marketing program, you can choose between three tracks: consumer behavior, quantitative marketing models, and service strategy. There are also core courses shared by all streams, which cover research methods and marketing models.

• Duration: 5 years
• Tuition : $11,720 per year
• Acceptance rate: 88.4%
• Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Harvard University, Harvard Business School

Harvard University is a world-renowned Ivy League  university known for its strength in research. This program draws on various disciplines, such as research methods, statistics, computer science , machine learning, and field seminars. After the first two years, students can embark on their dissertation. Although the Harvard Business School offers this program, doctorate candidates can also collaborate with other Harvard schools and MIT.

• Courses: 13
• Tuition : $50,928
• Acceptance rate: 5%
• Location: Boston, Massachusetts

The University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin School of Business

The Wisconsin School of Business has a strong reputation for its excellent faculty and reasonable tuition. The school’s core research areas for their marketing PhD are quantitative modeling, marketing strategy, and consumer behavior. Interested in a research position at a university, or teaching a specialized course? You’ll find many network opportunities if you enroll in this prorgam.

• Tuition: Refer tuition page
• Acceptance rate: 57.2%
• Location: Madison, Wisconsin

Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business

Phd program in marketing.

Carnegie Mellon University is based in Pittsburgh but has campuses all over the world. Their marketing PhD program covers topics like brand-choice models, marketing/operations interface, and theories of consumer behavior. Students are supported by excellent faculty to pursue quality research in specialty areas like behavioral and experimental economics , high-tech marketing, and two-sided market pricing.

• Duration: 4 to 5 years
• Tuition : $47,000 per year
• Acceptance rate: 17.3%
• Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The University of Colorado Boulder, Leeds School of Business

The University of Colorado Boulder is the flagship institution of the University of Colorado system and has nine schools and colleges offering around 150 programs. Its PhD in marketing is an advanced degree covering experimental and statistical methods, predictive modeling, quantitative marketing, and theory building, with crucial courses built around consumer behavior and quantitative modeling.

• Tuition : $2,811 per credit
• Acceptance rate: 84.2%
• Location: Boulder, Colorado

The University of Missouri, Robert J. Trulaske Sr. College of Business

The University of Missouri is a public land-grant university that offers high-quality but affordable education. Its PhD program in marketing focuses on developing teaching and research skills and helps students prepare for careers in various research settings. The program offers small class sizes and promotes a collaborative environment.

• Semester hours: 72
• Tuition : $414.60 per credit hour
• Acceptance rate: 81.8%
• Location: Cornell Hall | Columbia, Missouri

Florida International University, College of Business

Phd in business administration (marketing).

FIU College of Business is a world-renowned institution that falls within the top 5% of elite business schools globally and has been ranked second  in the nation for international business programs. Its PhD in Business Administration with a focus on marketing equips students with the knowledge necessary to establish successful careers in academics and research. The program’s key courses include marketing research methodology, advanced data analysis, and statistical methods in consumer research.

• Duration: 4 years
• Tuition : $10,935.36 per year
• Location: Miami, Florida

Drexel University, LeBow College of Business

Drexel University is a well-known private research institution and center of higher learning that emphasizes experiential learning. Its PhD in marketing program covers both the macro and micro aspects of marketing, though with a greater focus on the microelements. You can also choose between electives in economics-oriented or behavior-oriented subjects. Economics-oriented courses include econometrics and advanced microeconomics, while behavior-oriented includes multivariate analysis, and behavioral science research.

• Tuition : $2,000 per credit hour
• Acceptance rate: 77.2%
• Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Liberty University

Online doctor of business administration (dba) – marketing.

Looking for online marketing doctoral programs? Liberty University offers various fully online programs flexible enough for working professionals. Its DBA program in marketing includes strategic marketing management, supply chain management, marketing research, and marketing promotions. As one of the only fully-online marketing PhD programs available, it is ideal for working professionals who want to keep a balance between work and study. The program also lets you transfer up to 50% of credits from previous degrees.

• Credit hours: 60
• Duration: 3 years (average)
• Tuition : $595 per hour
• Acceptance rate: 50.1%

Grand Canyon University, College of Doctoral Studies

Doctor of business administration (dba): marketing (quantitative research).

Grand Canyon University is the largest private Christian university with almost 100,000 students. Unlike a qualitative DBA, which attempts to analyze topics using insights into how and why people think and behave, this quantitative DBA focuses on analysis by interpreting numeric data. This online doctorate in marketing includes courses about quantitative data collection and analysis, the complexity of marketing, and digital technology (a PhD in digital marketing is a great specialty!) and consumer behavior.

• Credits: 60
• Tuition : $702 per credit
• Acceptance rate: 80.7%

Should I Get a Doctorate in Marketing?

With a doctorate in marketing, you’ll be eligible for various high-level roles in academia, business, and research. These positions can offer salaries anywhere from $55,000 to $155,000, making the degree a valuable qualification for your CV.

Of course, like any discipline or program, a marketing PhD has advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of Having a PhD in Marketing:

• Excellent career prospects:

A PhD in marketing will qualify you for roles at the highest levels of business management, which you otherwise might not access with a master’s alone. Alternatively, you use this degree to pursue a career in academia and research.

• Job opportunities in academia:

A PhD is a prerequisite if you want to teach marketing at a post-secondary level or pursue certain research career paths.

• Scope for innovation:

A PhD in marketing helps you contribute to advances in the field, especially in cutting-edge areas like artificial intelligence and natural language processing. In contrast, a master’s degree has a smaller scope for research.

Drawbacks of a PhD in Marketing:

• You have to wait to launch your career:

Studying a PhD is a serious time investment: it takes around five years to complete for most people. Of course, this is after you’ve already completed your bachelor’s and master’s degrees, so it will take you an average of 11 years before the degree brings you higher on the career ladder.

• It’s a balancing act:

By the time you start your PhD, you might have a family to take care of. As a result, managing your studies, research, and family could be a challenge.

How to Choose a Marketing Doctoral Program?

With so many options, you might have trouble picking from the top marketing PhD programs. Here are some essential factors to consider before deciding:

1. Your career goals

You might be able to build a worthwhile career in marketing with a master’s degree . But for heavy research and academic or teaching work, you’ll need a PhD. If you’re not interested in teaching or research, you might reconsider the time and financial commitment needed to complete a marketing PhD.

2. Accreditation

Check each school you’re considering for their regional accreditation. Some marketing programs may even have programmatic accreditation to look out for. This is an important factor in picking a reputable program that’s attractive to potential employers.

3. Mode of delivery

If you’re already a working professional, full-time, on-campus study might not be an option for you. In this case, you must look for a PhD in marketing online that offers remote learning and flexibility.

These are just a few ideas to keep in mind. Weigh all your options and listen to your gut feeling in the end.

Alternatives to a Marketing Major

Marketing is a specialized discipline with well-defined objectives, needing specific skillsets. However, in today’s interconnected world, various disciplines share many of the same concepts.

You can still build a high-level career in marketing with qualifications in different fields, like:

• Advertising
• Data analytics
• Strategic management
• Analytical management
• Production management

Careers with a PhD in Marketing

A PhD in marketing can open doors to various top-level roles.

Here are some of the most common roles for professionals with a marketing doctorate, with the median annual salaries for each:

• Marketing Manager ( $67,696 )
• Market Research Analyst ( $55,742 )
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) ( $156,413 )
• Professor (Marketing) ( $89,181 )

What Do You Need to Get into a Marketing Doctoral Program?

Every marketing PhD program has specific admission requirements. Always double-check by referring to the admission webpage or contacting a school representative. Usually, a master’s degree in a related field is required for admission.

Most programs will also require:

• A statement of purpose , research proposal, or both
• Letters of recommendation
• Academic resume
• GRE/GMAT scores may or may not be required

PhD Marketing vs. Master’s Degree: Which is Better?

A master’s degree in marketing is a career-oriented qualification that can propel you into a meaningful marketing career for a variety of corporations or small businesses. On other hand, marketing PhD programs are generally research-based and will give you more specialized knowledge that equips you for a career in the academic sphere.

PhDs also require a much more significant time and financial commitment.

PhD in Marketing FAQs

What can you do with a phd in marketing.

Popular career choices for marketing PhD grads include market research analysts, chief marketing officers, and marketing professors. This advanced degree will not only equip you for roles in senior management, but also the fields of research and academia.

How Many Years is a PhD in Marketing?

A PhD in marketing typically takes five years to complete. However, some universities allow you to earn your doctorate in as little as three years, though usually only if you have enough transfer credits. At the other end of the scale, your PhD may push out to up to seven years.

Is There a PhD in Marketing?

Yes. Many universities offer a PhD degree in marketing, as well as online marketing doctorate programs for working professionals. Some schools also offer a comparable DBA (Doctor of Business Administration)..

Can I Do a PhD in Marketing After an MBA?

Yes, you can do a PhD in marketing after completing an MBA. In fact, you might consider completing a DBA to be more in line with your studies.

Key Takeaways

You can access a wealth of career opportunities available with an MBA or another master’s degree . But if you want to open more doors in research and academia, a PhD in marketing is the way to go. With so many online study options, it’s easier now than ever to complete a remote degree while juggling work or a family.

If you want to explore more options for excellent advanced degrees, take a look at our guides for:

• Best online PhD in Psychology programs
• History PhD programs
• Best PhD programs in California

Lisa Marlin

Lisa is a full-time writer specializing in career advice, further education, and personal development. She works from all over the world, and when not writing you'll find her hiking, practicing yoga, or enjoying a glass of Malbec.

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• PhD in Accounting
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PhD in Marketing

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Develop your research skills in consumer behavior or economics/quantitative methods and prepare for a career at a leading research institution.

Our Marketing PhD Program gives you a strong theoretical foundation and builds your empirical skills.

You’ll have the flexibility to explore marketing through Chicago Booth while taking courses across the university in psychology , sociology , economics , computer science , and statistics . You’ll also have access to computer science courses at Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago (TTIC) .

The doctoral program defines marketing broadly as the study of the interface between firms, competitors, and consumers. This includes but is not limited to consumer preferences, consumer demand and decision-making, strategic interaction of firms, pricing, promotion, targeting, product design/positioning, and channel issues.

Our Distinguished Marketing Faculty

Chicago Booth’s marketing faculty serve as advisors, mentors, and collaborators to doctoral students.

Daniel Bartels

Leon Carroll Marshall Professor of Marketing

Pradeep K. Chintagunta

Joseph T. and Bernice S. Lewis Distinguished Service Professor of Marketing

Giovanni Compiani

Assistant Professor of Marketing

Sanjay K. Dhar

James M. Kilts, Jr. Professor of Marketing

Berkeley J. Dietvorst

Associate Professor of Marketing

Kristin Donnelly

Assistant Professor of Marketing and Stevens Junior Faculty Fellow

Jean-Pierre Dubé

James M. Kilts Distinguished Service Professor of Marketing and Charles E. Merrill Faculty Scholar

Ayelet Fishbach

Eric J. Gleacher Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing

Guenter J. Hitsch

Kilts Family Professor of Marketing

Andreas Kraft

Assistant Professor of Marketing and Asness Faculty Fellow

Ann L. McGill

Sears Roebuck Professor of General Management, Marketing and Behavioral Science

Sanjog Misra

Charles H. Kellstadt Distinguished Service Professor of Marketing and Applied AI

Bradley Shapiro

Professor of Marketing and True North Faculty Scholar

Stephanie Smith

Avner Strulov-Shlain

Assistant Professor of Marketing and Willard Graham Faculty Scholar

Abigail Sussman

Professor of Marketing and Beatrice Foods Co. Faculty Scholar

Oleg Urminsky

Theodore O. Yntema Professor of Marketing

Alumni Success

PhD alumni in marketing go on to successful careers at top institutions of higher education across the world. 

Akshina Banerjee, PhD '23

Assistant Professor of Marketing Ross School of Business, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Akshina studies linguistic influence on consumer decision-making, hierarchical choices, and mental accounting. Her interests are, thus, inherently interdisciplinary, with overlaps in marketing, linguistics, economics, and psychology. Her dissertation area is in behavioral marketing.

Olivia Natan, PhD ’21

Assistant Professor of Marketing Haas School of Business, University of California-Berkeley Olivia Natan studies how limited information affects consumer demand and firm behavior. Her empirical work focuses on settings with large product assortments. Her dissertation area is in marketing.

A Network of Support

At Booth, you’ll have access to the resources of several research centers that help to fund marketing PhD research, host innovative conferences and workshops, and serve as focal points for collaboration and innovation.

James M. Kilts Center for Marketing The Kilts Center facilitates faculty research, supports innovations in the marketing curriculum, funds scholarships for MBA students, and creates engaging programs aimed at enhancing the careers of students and alumni.

Center for Decision Research Devoted to the study of how individuals form judgments and make decisions, the CDR supports research that examines the processes by which intuition, reasoning, and social interaction produce beliefs, judgments, and choices.

Scholarly Journals

Chicago Booth is responsible for the creation and leadership of some of the most prestigious academic journals today. Quantitative Marketing and Economics , for example, which focuses on problems important to marketing using a quantitative approach, was founded in 2003 by Peter E. Rossi, MBA ’80, PhD ’84.

See the full list of academic journals at Booth .

Spotlight on Current Research

Our faculty and PhD students continually produce high-level research. The Chicago Booth Review frequently highlights their contributions in marketing.

'Thank You Can Be a Loaded Phrase'

Depending on where you are in the world, this call could be welcomed—or considered strange or even rude, suggests research by Chicago Booth PhD student Jiaqi Yu and Booth’s Shereen Chaudhry.

Your Spending Habits Are All in Your Head

Booth Professor Daniel Bartels and Booth PhD [grad] Lin Fei have been examining how mental representation and the categorization of expenses are crucial to to people’s budgeting approaches.

Walter Zhang's BFI Industrial Organization Initiative Award

The Becker Friedman Institute will fund Zhang's research project, "Targeted Bundling" (coauthor: Olivia Natan, Booth PhD grad). Their project studies the pricing of digital goods and the potential for increased price targeting in differentiated product markets.

Can a Fictional Ad Man Help Sell Real Cigarettes?

How do depictions of tobacco use affect sales off-screen? Chicago Booth’s Pradeep K. Chintagunta and Sanjay K. Dhar, along with their coauthors Ali Goli (Booth PhD grad) and Simha Mummalaneni (UWashington), brought together several datasets to examine this question.

The PhD Experience at Booth

Rima Toure-Tillery, PhD ’13, talks about the Booth faculty’s open-door approach to PhD students.

Video Transcript

Rima Toure-Tillery, ’13: 00:00 I am assistant professor at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management. And I am a motivation scholar. I study questions related to factors that influence people's motivation to persist in various types of goals.

Rima Toure-Tillery, ’13: 00:21 I think the PhD's very different from an MBA. You expect to be doing very different things when you're done. With a PhD most of us expect to conduct research, continue to ask deep questions, and just work on finding answers to those questions.

Rima Toure-Tillery, ’13: 00:35 Booth PhD Program is extremely rigorous. You're going to learn from the best. There's a good mix of letting you be in charge of your career and being independent, but also being extremely supportive. Most faculty have an open-door policy so you could just email someone, go to their office and start talking about a research idea. They're really going to help you develop the whole research approach, and thinking about ideas, and taking them from that really half-baked stage to something more advanced. Being able to approach whatever faculty I'm most interested in working with, I think that really permeated my whole time here.

Rima Toure-Tillery, ’13: 01:13 Being in the program really helped me see things in a different light. I really developed some new research interests as I learned more about what I didn't know. You can't solve problems that you don't even know existed. It's been a really amazing experience.

Meet Our Students

PhD students in marketing choose Chicago Booth because our multidisciplinary approach gives them the tools and training for a successful career. Recent dissertations have examined everything from customer retention and consumer purchasing decisions to the economics of retail food waste. Recent graduates have accepted positions at leading research institutions, including UCLA and Columbia University, and have gone on to data science careers in industry.

Current Students

Vanessa Alwan

Salman Arif Andrew Bai

Soaham Bharti

Samuel Borislow

Sara Drango

Fatemeh Gheshlaghpour

Nicholas Herzog

Stephanie Hong

Quoc Dang Hung Ho

Daniel Katz

Juan Mejalenko

Natalie Moore

Timothy Schwieg

Semyon Tabanakov Sophie (Jiarui) Wang

Ningyin (Ariel) Xu

Shuqiong (Lydia) Zhao Grace Zhang

Program Expectations and Requirements

The Stevens Doctoral Program at Chicago Booth is a full-time program. Students generally complete the majority of coursework and examination requirements within the first two years of studies and begin work on their dissertation during the third year. For details, see General Examination Requirements by Area in the Stevens Program Guidebook below.

Download the 2023-2024 Guidebook!

Research Topics & Ideas: Marketing

50+ Marketing Research Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

Finding and choosing a strong research topic is the critical first step when it comes to crafting a high-quality dissertation, thesis or research project. If you’ve landed on this post, chances are you’re looking for a marketing-related research topic , but aren’t sure where to start. If so, you’ve come to the right place.

Here, we’ll explore a variety of marketing-related research ideas and topic thought-starters, covering both traditional marketing (offline media) and digital marketing (including social media marketing, content marketing and the like). We’ll also look at actual dissertations and theses from marketing students to give you a view of what a well-defined research topic looks like.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps . In this post, we’ll kickstart the process by sharing some research topic ideas within the marketing domain. This is the starting point, but to develop a well-defined research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , along with a well-justified plan of action to fill that gap.

If you’re new to the oftentimes perplexing world of research, or if this is your first time undertaking a formal academic research project, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course. In it, we cover the process of writing a dissertation or thesis from start to end. Be sure to also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to find a high-quality research topic. 

Overview: Marketing-Related Topics

• How to find a research topic (video)
• Traditional (offline) marketing topics/ideas
• Digital (online) marketing topics/ideas
• Examples of actual dissertation topics
• Free Webinar : Topic Ideation 101
• Where to get extra help

How To Find A Research Topic

Before we look at specific research ideas and topics, it’s useful to first understand what the topic ideation process entails and how to go about finding and refining viable topic ideas. In the video below, we cover exactly that. So, if you’re a first-time researcher, be sure to watch this tutorial before jumping into the collection of marketing research topics we present below. 

Now that you’ve got a big-picture view of the topic ideation process, we can dive into a few research ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Please note that these research topic ideas are intentionally broad and generic, so you will need to refine them a fair deal using the techniques we discussed in the video above.

To make life a little easier for you, we’ve grouped the topic ideas based on two main categories – traditional marketing and digital / online marketing . For the latter, we’ve divided it up into a few subcategories, including social media marketing, content marketing and search marketing. That said, there is naturally some overlap between topics, so keep this in mind.

Research Ideas: Traditional Marketing

• The perceived effectiveness of different types of direct mail campaigns (e.g., postcards, catalogues, brochures) among small business owners in New York
• The perception and use of traditional marketing in creating and nurturing customer loyalty and retention among UK Financial Firms.
• The impact of demographic targeting on traditional marketing performance among green businesses
• The perception of different types of sales promotion (e.g., discounts, coupons, contests) among GenZ consumers
• The continued use of celebrity endorsements in traditional marketing campaigns, post-2020.
• Exploring factors related to outdoor advertising recall in India
• Measuring the ROI of traditional marketing efforts: a review of current methods
• Comparing the effectiveness of different traditional media channels (e.g., television, radio, print) in driving engagement and conversions among established brands
• The use of public relations in traditional marketing campaigns among large insurance companies
• The role of event marketing in building brand awareness and engagement: perceptions among marketing professionals in the UK

Research Ideas: Digital/Online Marketing

Social media marketing

• The use of artificial intelligence in social media marketing among online fashion companies in Sweden
• The impact of social media on public relations and media relations: a Case Study of Nandos
• The role of Twitter in crisis communication and reputation management: a discourse analysis
• The impact of social media influencer presence on brand loyalty and customer retention among Gen X.
• The use of social media for market research and consumer insights among SMEs in Kenya
• The impact of social media on consumer buying behaviour of fast food in Italy
• The challenges and opportunities of social media in global and multicultural marketing: perceptions of marketing departments in large corporations
• The relationship between social media engagement and website traffic: an analysis of fitness brands
• The effectiveness of influencer marketing on social media platforms for household cleaning products in the UK
• The perceptions and understanding of paid vs organic social media advertising among Gen Z consumers in San Francisco

Content marketing

• The use and understanding of micro-moments in creating personalized content experiences among content creators in the USA
• Comparing the effectiveness of methods of personalization of content marketing: an evaluation of best practice
• The experiences and use of SEO in content marketing strategy among small online businesses
• The use of social media influencers in content marketing campaigns: a Case Study of Hello Fresh
• Comparing different content distribution channels for different types of content: perceptions of best practices among content marketing experts
• The use of user-generated content in building brand trust and engagement among green companies in the UK
• Measuring the ROI of content marketing efforts among luxury brands
• The perception and use of Chat GPT in content creation among small online businesses
• The perceptions of interactive and immersive content formats (e.g., virtual reality, augmented reality) in marketing among consumers: an experimental study
• Comparing image and text-based content formats in driving engagement and conversions on social media: a multi-case study of NGOs

Search engine marketing

• The effectiveness of different ad formats (e.g., text ads, shopping ads, video ads) in Search Engine Marketing for tourist destinations
• The impact of search engine algorithm updates on Search Engine Marketing performance – who are the winners and losers?
• The perception and use of AI and machine learning in Search Engine Marketing strategy and bidding optimization within a UK marketing agency
• The use of voice search and its impact on Search Engine Marketing among food retailers in Switzerland
• The role of local SEO in driving brick-and-mortar sales: a case study of a local fashion outlet in France
• The impact of mobile optimization on Search Engine Marketing performance and conversion rates in Nigeria
• Comparing analytical tools for measuring ROI of Search Engine Marketing campaigns
• The effectiveness of different types of keywords and search queries in driving traffic towards restaurants in Italy
• The use of remarketing and retargeting in search engine marketing campaigns among marketers
• The understanding and use of schema markup and structured data in improving Search engine marketing performance among Start-Ups

Email marketing

• The perception and use of AI and machine learning in email marketing among NGOs: a focus on personalized content and dynamic segmentation
• The effectiveness of email subject line strategies in driving open and click-through rates: an experimental study
• Comparing A/B testing and multivariate testing in improving email marketing performance: a case study
• The use of personalization on email marketing performance among craft bloggers
• The impact of automated email marketing among local online retailers on customer loyalty and retention
• The use of automation and triggered emails in increasing engagement and conversion rates for online courses
• The perception and understanding of GDPR and other data privacy regulations on email marketing among SMEs
• The role of mobile optimization in email marketing targeting Gen Z consumers
• The challenges of measuring the ROI of email marketing campaigns: perceptions of SMEs
• The effectiveness of different email formats (e.g., text-based, HTML, interactive) in driving engagement: A/B testing for a small online retailer

Marketing-Related Dissertations & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding marketing-related research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various marketing-related degree programs to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• The Influences of Brand Personality, Culture, and Social Media on Iconic Brand Preferences (Whelan, 2021)
• Customer Success and the Transformation of Customer Relationships (Raines, 2022)
• The Effects of Online Incentivized Reviews on Organic Review Ratings (Jeong, 2020)
• Are You For Real? The Consumption-Driven Self-Authentication Process And Its Effects On Perceived Brand Authenticity (Kuchmaner, 2020)
• You Are What You Eat: How Food Texture And Packaging Influence Consumer Well-Being (Ning, 2020)
• Social Dialogic Listening: Connecting Marketing Activity To Strategy (Collins, 2020)
• Millennials’ Attitudes Towards Influencer Marketing And Purchase Intentions (Yu, 2019)
• Cannibalization between Two Mercedes-Benz Models and Consumer Behavior (Ma, 2020)
• Selling and Buying Aspects of Used Products That Are Brand Anthropomorphized (Kim, 2019)
• Global Identity: Conceptualization, Measurement, And Implications For Marketing Strategy (Yoruk, 2022)
• The Intersection of Organizational Frontline Marketing and a High-Tech World (Krotz, 2021)
• The Unexplored Impacts of Communication Elements in Marketing (Trinh, 2022)
• Founder Social Identity As A Predictor Of Customer And Competitor Orientation In Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises (Rutherford, 2021)

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are far more specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. This is an important thing to keep in mind as you develop your own research topic. That is to say, to create a top-notch research topic, you must be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

Fast-Track Your Research Topic

If you’re still feeling a bit unsure about how to find a research topic for your marketing dissertation or thesis, check out our 1-on-1 private coaching services below.

Do you have topic on insurance industery ? Specifially on the role of sale’s agents? Or some thing relates the AI rolls in insurance agents

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Marketing, PhD

The Wharton doctoral program offers students an unmatched interdisciplinary environment within which to generate creative ideas and hypotheses and to develop the analytic skills to evaluate them.

Faculty members are active in diverse research areas that connect to initiatives and centers both within Wharton more broadly, and other departments within the university.

For more information: https://marketing.wharton.upenn.edu/program-requirements/

For more information about the Joint Doctoral Degree in Marketing and Psychology :  https://marketing.wharton.upenn.edu/joint-doctoral-degree-in-marketing-and-psychology/

View the University’s Academic Rules for PhD Programs .

Required Courses 

The Ph.D. program in Marketing is based on the completion of the dissertation as well as a minimum of 15 graduate level course units.

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2024 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.

Sample Sequence Quantitative Track*

The exact sequence can vary from student to student. For example, students may select different economics and statistics sequences to best meet their personal needs. 

MKTG 9550 and MKTG 9570 are offered every other year. Students should take them when offered.

Sample Sequence Consumer Behavior Track*

The exact sequence can vary from student to student. For example, students may select different economics and statistics sequences to best meet their personal needs.

MKTG 9510 and MKTG 9530 are offered every other year. Students should take them when offered.  

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Wharton’s Marketing faculty, the most published and cited in the world, are leaders in developing new knowledge in marketing and related core disciplines.

The Wharton doctoral program offers students an unmatched interdisciplinary environment within which to generate creative ideas and hypotheses and to develop the analytic skills to evaluate them.

Faculty members are active in diverse research areas that connect to initiatives and centers both within Wharton more broadly, and other departments within the university. Recent research topics include such areas as: cognitive processes of consumers; consumer preference measurement; marketing decision support systems; design and adoption of new products and services; and social media and consumer inter-dependencies.

The Marketing Program requires students to have a basic knowledge of various business areas, computer programming, calculus, and matrix algebra.

For information on courses and sample plans of study, please visit the University Graduate Catalog .

For more information about the Joint Doctoral Degree in Marketing and Psychology:  https://marketing.wharton.upenn.edu/joint-doctoral-degree-in-marketing-and-psychology/

Get the Details.

Visit the Marketing website for details on program requirements and courses. Read faculty and student research and bios to see what you can do with a Marketing PhD.

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FAQ about the PhD in Marketing

Questions regarding a phd in marketing, what kind of research is done in marketing.

Marketing research is vast and varied, encompassing a wide range of topics and methodologies to understand how consumers and firms behave and interact in markets.

In terms of research interests, the list is long, but here’s a glimpse of broad areas of interest in our field:

• What makes businesses successful?
• How do individuals, families, or firms make decisions? 
• What makes products and marketing campaigns successful?
• How can firms better compete in markets?
• How do platforms operate and should be designed?
• How can we improve consumer welfare and well-being?

Below is also a small selection of recent research areas in our department:

• How does fake news affect decisions, and how do social media algorithms affect news and content consumption
• The impact of new technologies such as AI and LLMs on consumer behavior and firm competitiveness
• The design of digital platforms and marketing campaigns to encourage different outcomes such as fairness, equity and efficiency
• Development of new machine learning methods to tackle data sparsity issues and measure consumer heterogeneity in preferences
• Deployment and analysis of large scale field experiments to test behavioral nudges and improve social welfare

There is much more – we encourage you to visit the department’s website and look at the individual faculty pages, who showcase their recent research projects.

What is the typical academic background of a marketing researcher?

Because marketing draws from so many fields, the “typical” background is quite diverse. Our students and faculty have fundamental training in fields such as Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Statistics, Computer Science, Math, Physics, Engineering and more.

I don't have a background in marketing - should I apply?

You do not need prior background in marketing. Many of our faculty come from other diverse fields, such as Psychology, Sociology, Statistics, Computer Science, and Economics. Our program is designed to expose students to the field of marketing while capitalizing on their strong academic background, which is often in other fields.

Do I need to know what I want to research in order to apply?

No, you do not need to know what you want to research in order to apply. However, if you can share in your application the types of research ideas and topics you are interested in, we’ll be better able to determine if our program is a match for you.

Do I need someone to agree to advise me to be admitted?

You do not need to find an advisor prior to admission. We admit students centrally to the department, and students work on matching up with an advisor in their first two years.

Questions about Wharton

What makes the wharton marketing department unique.

Wharton’s Marketing Department is one of the largest (if not the largest) in the world, which allows us to have an unparalleled breadth of research areas and methods that faculty and students apply. We often say that if you work on something, and have a question, there is always someone close by who probably knows the answer.

Our department takes pride in focusing on relevant and applied research that creates impact both in academia and the business world. Many of our faculty and students also collaborate with companies and researchers in other fields to generate novel and exciting knowledge.

What makes the Wharton Marketing PhD Program unique?

As a PhD student at Wharton, you will belong to an elite group of students in one of the world’s top business schools. You will have access to vast research resources, learn from and work with amazing world-class faculty, and be a part of an exciting and active group of students.

Where do graduates of the program usually go?

Most of our graduates become faculty in top research universities. For example, recently our graduates took faculty positions at Northwestern, Stanford and Yale. You can see our recent placements here: https://marketing.wharton.upenn.edu/phd-recent-alumni/

What is life in Philadelphia like?

Philadelphia, founded in 1682, is a large modern international and multicultural city with strong historic roots. It has approximately 1.5M in population in the city proper and 6M population in the Metro area. The city is located in the northeast United States, between New York City (1:20 hours by train) and Washington DC (1:45 hours by train). 

As one of the largest cities in the US, and because of its historical roots as the original capital of the US, Philadelphia is extremely walkable, has a vibrant food and nightlife scene, and access to all amenities expected from a global city, including many parks, music venues, museums and other attractions. Philadelphia is also home to 3 large research universities and 5 medical schools, creating a vibrant student and research focused environment.

What are the housing options for students?

Most of our PhD students live in Center City (Downtown) or University City close to campus (West Philly) which are walking distance from campus. For more information see  https://gsc.upenn.edu/resources/wellness/living-philadelphia .

What is the cost of living in Philadelphia?

Philadelphia is considered as one of the most affordable large cities in the US. For  a sense of the cost, you can check out Numbeo .

Does the program support PhD students with children?

The PhD program supports students with children with extended funding time as well as additional resources made available by the university.

Questions about the program and its structure

Why does wharton’s program have a behavioral and a quantitative track.

Behavioral and quantitative approaches both offer useful insights and tools for theory building and research practice. We therefore encourage students to appreciate both. However, it is very difficult to become an expert in both areas within only 5 years. We therefore offer two tracks. This enables you to make deep contributions in your chosen area of expertise, while still developing a sufficiently broad perspective to become an active member of the marketing community as a whole and to leverage a wider and richer set of ideas.

What are the main differences between the behavioral and quantitative tracks?

The main difference between the tracks is in the type of methods used to answer research questions, and to some extent the focus of the research questions. 

Behavioral research mostly focuses on consumers and their decision making, and can be seen as part of applied psychology and behavioral economics research. The methods used in behavioral research often involve lab experiments with human subjects, or large field experiments. More recently, behavioral research also employs text analysis and other machine learning tools for analysis of non-structured data (like images, videos, or LLMs).

Quantitative research can focus on consumers, firms or their interaction. It applies tools from applied economics, computer science, applied statistics or computational social science. Much of the recent research would fall under the definition of data science.  The methods used in this research include analysis of large scale observational data using machine learning, statistical and econometric tools, game theory, or the design of experiments and analysis of their data, often gathered in large scale online experiments.

What is the joint program in Psychology and Marketing?

This program allows a student who was admitted to Penn’s PhD program in Psychology to also graduate with a joint PhD in Marketing, and vice-versa.

For more information about the program, please see: https://marketing.wharton.upenn.edu/joint-doctoral-degree-in-marketing-and-psychology/

How long does the program usually take?

Our program is designed as a five-year program.

Does everyone receive funding? For how long?

All students are fully funded for 5 years. Students receive a living stipend and health insurance. In addition, all tuition and school fees are fully covered. If needed, students can receive additional funding for a sixth year (assuming they are in good academic standing).

Is there a teaching requirement in the program?

There is no teaching requirement in the program. However, students often benefit from teaching experience and there are many teaching opportunities available for students. Teaching is compensated, in addition to students’ graduate stipend.

Can I complete the Phd part-time?

No. The Wharton PhD Program is a full-time program.

Is the PhD in Marketing classified as STEM?

The Wharton Marketing PhD is STEM. However, the rules about STEM degrees are not determined by us, so we recommend reaching out to the Wharton Doctoral Program or Penn ISSS for up to date information.

What prior coursework is required/recommended?

For the behavioral track, past work in psychology, sociology, consumer behavior and data analysis offers a strong basis for a PhD. For the quantitative track, a strong mathematical background, exposure to proof-based courses, as well as emphasis on Economics and data analysis is helpful.  Prior experience with computer programming (e.g., Python, R), preferably with emphasis on machine learning and econometrics is also recommended. Across both tracks, strong written and oral communication skills are necessary.

Questions about application and admissions

Can i receive feedback about my application before submitting it.

To ensure fairness and equity in out application process, we do not provide feedback on applications.

What do you look for in a successful application?

 We are looking for bright minds with a keen interest in research in marketing who are looking to make a positive change in the world through their scholarly endeavors and develop a successful career in the world’s top research universities.  Among the criteria we consider are evidence of strong academic training and prior research. We also look for a high level of motivation and demonstrated ability to collaborate, embrace challenges, and work independently.

Do I need prior research experience to be admitted?

Students with past research experience can begin to develop their own research faster. Indeed, most students admitted recently often have prior research experience, whether in industry, as a research assistant, or in another graduate degree program.

However, you do not need prior research experience to be admitted.

How many applications do you receive every year?

Approximately 100.

How many students start the program every year?

Between 2 and 5.

Can you waive my application fee?

All application fee waivers are decided centrally by the Wharton Doctoral Program Office. If you need one, please visit Wharton’s doctoral page here for more information:: https://doctoral.wharton.upenn.edu/faq/ .

What exams are required for admission?

A GRE or GMAT is needed for all applicants. In addition, international students who didn’t study in an English-speaking institution will need a TOEFL. You can find more details here: https://doctoral.wharton.upenn.edu/faq/

Is the deadline for recommendation letters the same as for the application?

• Doctoral Programs

Quantitative Marketing

The PhD degree in Marketing is a research degree that prepares students for academic positions at top research universities. Students can specialize in either the behavioral (psychology-based) or quantitative (economics, statistics and machine learning-based) approaches to marketing. Students interested in the psychological aspects of consumer behavior--how consumers make decisions, how they react to marketing stimuli--choose the consumer behavior track. Students with a quantitative background, who are interested in theoretical or empirical analysis of applied marketing problems choose the quantitative marketing track.

The marketing faculty at Yale is an ideal blend of junior and senior faculty whose research interests span both the quantitative and behavioral areas. They are all productive researchers who are highly regarded in the academic marketing community. Professor K. Sudhir is currently the Editor-in-Chief at Marketing Science.  All of the senior faculty-- Ravi Dhar Shane Frederick, Nathan Novemsky, Jiwoong Shin, and Gal Zauberman are in leadership positions as Associate Editors or members of the editorial boards of the leading marketing journals.  Each of the faculty members—both junior and senior-- works actively with doctoral students.

Apart from the faculty in the marketing area, a doctoral student can draw on the expertise of other faculty members at Yale. There are several faculty members both in the School of Management as well as in the Economics/Statistics/Computer Science and Psychology departments at Yale who are interested in marketing-related issues. Several of these faculty members have worked with marketing faculty and doctoral students either at Yale or at other universities. A selective list of such faculty members is provided on the faculty page.

The Yale Center for Customer Insights and the China India Insights program provide unparalleled access to companies within the United States and across emerging markets both as sources of data and sites for field experimentation. This has augmented the research opportunities for both quantitative and behavioral doctoral students.

The Ph.D. program is highly selective. We admit 1-2 of the most promising students annually in each of the behavioral and quantitative tracks from an impressive pool of applicants. The average percentile score on the GMAT for admitted students over the last five years is in the high nineties. We look for a combination of an excellent academic record and good oral and written communication skills in our students. The academic backgrounds of admitted students typically are in the behavioral sciences, business, economics, statistics, computer science, mathematics, engineering, or the liberal arts. We do not require graduate degrees for admission to the doctoral program.

While we are extremely selective at the time of admission, we are very supportive of our admitted students in order to maximize their potential to become successful researchers. Every admitted student is guaranteed full financial aid (subject to satisfactory performance in the program) for five years. By deliberately keeping the size of the program small, we are able to assure every student in the program ample opportunities to interact with multiple faculty members during their doctoral studies. The track record of our young doctoral program is short, but impressive. For more details, see Program Design and Recent Graduates and Students.

If you have further questions regarding the Ph.D. program in Marketing, please contact Professor Subrata Sen at [email protected] .

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PhD Coordinator: Debanjan Mitra [email protected]

The Marketing concentration focuses on two broad areas: consumer behavior and marketing science. Students in consumer behavior learn the fundamentals of cognitive and social psychology and experimental research to examine how social, cognitive, contextual, individual, and cultural factors affect consumer behavior. Students in marketing science learn the fundamentals of microeconomics, industrial organization, and econometrics to address topics involving the mathematical and statistical modeling of consumer and firm behavior. UConn faculty work closely with doctoral students to publish articles in the top marketing journals.

Learn More About the Marketing Department

Danielle Brick Assistant Professor, Marketing Ph.D., Duke University

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• Brands and branding
• Buyer-supplier relationships
• Consumer attitudes and inferences
• Cross-category and cross-media marketing
• Cross-cultural consumer behavior
• Consumer emotions
• Consumer judgment and decision making
• Consumer well-being
• Competitive marketing strategy
• Customer relationship management
• Digital and social media marketing and analytics
• Emerging markets
• Information search
• Marketing-Finance interface
• Online retailing and channel design
• Network effects
• Pricing dynamics
• Social interactions and peer effects

Graduates have accepted faculty positions at Georgia State University, New York Institute of Technology, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, University of North Carolina, Western University (Ivey), and Wright State University.

Marketing PhD Faculty

Weining Bao Assistant Professor PhD, Johns Hopkins University Research Interests: Digital Marketing, Information Asymmetry and Incentives, Competitive Marketing Strategies, Financial Services Markets, Education Markets, Emerging Markets, Empirical Industrial Organization, Applied Econometrics.

Danielle Brick Assistant Professor PhD, Duke University Research Interests: consumer relationships, consumer well-being, brand relationships

Robin Coulter Professor of Marketing & Marketing Department Head VOYA Financial Fellow PhD, University of Pittsburgh Research Interests: global and local citizenship and cross-cultural consumer behavior, brands and branding in developed and emerging markets, consumer-based marketing strategy

Jane Gu Associate Professor of Marketing PhD, New York University Research Interests: digital marketing and analytics, online retailing, social media, behavioral economics, competitive marketing strategies

Kelly Herd Assistant Professor of Marketing PhD, University of Colorado at Boulder Research Interests: product design, creativity, identity, emotions

Stefan Hock Assistant Professor PhD, Virginia Tech Research Interests: consumer decision-making and well-being, firm performance and marketing strategies

Christina Kan Assistant Professor of Marketing PhD, University of Colorado at Boulder Interests: Consumer financial decision making, budgeting, price perceptions, sales promotions

Nicholas Lurie Professor of Marketing  VOYA Financial Professor PhD, University of California at Berkeley Research Interests: digital marketing, consumer decision making, social media, information search

Debanjan Mitra Professor of Marketing & PhD Coordinator, Marketing Department VOYA Financial Chair PhD, New York University Research Interests: innovation, quality, customer satisfaction, new product development, brand management, marketing analytics, marketing-finance interface, marketing strategy

Vishal Narayan Associate Professor PhD, New York University Research Interests: social media, marketing in emerging markets, marketing analytics

Joseph Pancras Associate Professor of Marketing PhD, New York University Research Interests: mobile and digital marketing, retailing, customer relationship management, marketing analytics, marketing media, competitive marketing strategy

Narasimhan Srinivasan Associate Professor of Marketing PhD, State University of New York at Buffalo Research Interests: survey research, consumer research, cross-cultural research, global/international issues

Quick Facts Marketing

Program Entry

Length of Program

Number of Alumni

Percentage Women

Financial Support

100% (including tuition waiver, assistantships)

Subsidized health insurance, conference travel funding

Summer Support

Available (competitive)

Research Resources

Behavioral Laboratory, Experimental Subject Pool Availability, Research Seminar Series, Brown Bag Discussions, Writing Support, Econometrics Consultation

Student Profile Marketing (2019-2023)

Acceptance Rate

Average Graduate GPA

Average Undergraduate GPA

Apply Online

grad.business.uconn.edu/apply

Business PhD applications are open. For full consideration, and to allow time for competitive scholarship nomination, apply by December 15. If you need an extension, please inquire with the PhD Program at   [email protected]   .

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Effective solutions for complex business problems.

The Marketing PhD focuses on the demand and supply of products and services. Our students acquire a powerful skillset based in economics, econometrics, statistics, machine learning, and causal inference. These skills allow our students to answer substantive questions in marketing by applying or developing new empirical approaches. 

Our faculty engage with PhD students in a close mentoring relationship that allows students to develop both the technical and independent research skills needed for a successful academic career. Recent research by our faculty and PhD students studies broad areas including digital, online, retail competition, pricing, platform competition, word-of-mouth, and advertising.

• Meet Marketing Faculty

Prepare with Math Camp.

Program outline: marketing, the first year each.

PhD Marketing student's schedule of courses is customized to address his or her background and interests. Classes occur in the Simon Business School and also in closely related areas including the University of Rochester Economics Department and the Computer Science Department. First year students are required to pass Preliminary Requirements by demonstrating proficiency in specific courses. A research oriented first-year paper is due by October 15 of the second year.

The Second Year

In the second year, student participation in marketing seminars is required as well as continuation in courses. This training rounds out the toolkit and continues to deepen exposure to the literature and is chosen in consultation with faculty to ensure the courses provide the appropriate training. The Qualifying Exam consists of passing an examination of the second-year research paper. This paper is due by September 15 of the third year and should be an original contribution to the marketing literature. The paper will be presented in a Marketing Workshop the fall of the students third year.

The Third Year and Beyond

In the third year, students move from course work to active research. In addition, continued participation in all Marketing seminars is required.

Required Courses.

The Course Catalog contains degree requirements and course descriptions. Please refer the Simon Registrar's website for the current Course Catalog. Classes occur in the Simon Business School and also in closely related areas including the University of Rochester Economics Department and the Computer Science Department.

Simon Registrar

Course Catalog

PhD Marketing Courses

This class is intended to provide PhD students with an advanced treatment of causal inference as well as a gentle introduction to frontier machine learning techniques that are useful in economic applications. From the machine learning toolkit, we will cover Lasso and Random Forests in detail, along with recent approaches to inference with HD nuisance parameters. Deep Learning will be covered only briefly. R packages for implementation of Lasso and Forests will be introduced. We will then consider the three canonical approaches to causal inference: the Rubin framework, the Pearl framework and the Heckman synthesis. Randomized control trials and associated methods of inference (Fisher exact p-values and randomization inference) will be covered briefly. We will then consider recent approaches based on synthetic control and matrix completion. We next turn to methods based on selective choice, including Roy models and control functions. Finally, we will consider some issues related to IV approaches, including problems of weak or many instruments (and a Lasso-based solution) and the local/selected nature of resulting estimands (LATE and MTE).

This course introduces students to canonical modeling approaches for analyzing decision making by both firms and consumers, focusing on static environments. Central topics include demand estimation, models of strategic interaction, networks and platforms and auctions. Applications include firm pricing decisions, new product introductions, strategic entry and vertical relationships. The course generally includes coding assignments and student presentations, in addition to the weekly lectures on methods and applications.

This course examines consumer and firm behaviors that involve inter-temporal trade-offs and as a result involve dynamic optimization on the part of both consumers and firms. It begins with an overview of dynamic programming methods, in both single and multi-agent settings, emphasizing methods that link estimation with computation. Single agent topics include models of capital replacement, dynamic demand, inventory models and salesforce management. Multi-agent topics include strategic innovation, learning by doing, demand smoothing, and product repositioning. A strong emphasis is placed on recent methods and frontier topics. The course generally includes coding assignments and several student presentations, in addition to weekly lectures.

This workshop provides a forum for the presentation of research ideas and completed research by students. The course includes discussion of current job market papers and job market presentations, journal reviewing, and generating new research ideas. In addition, some topics are covered to illustrate current research areas of interest for the faculty. All marketing PhD students who are not on the job market are expected to participate actively.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor

This course is designed for first, second, and third year students to provide exposure to the literature related to core research methods used in quantitative marketing research and to build student appreciation of what goes into conducting research in quantitative marketing. The content of the course varies by year with similar core topics, but rotating papers, and some rotating topics. The core topics include choice models, aggregate demand models, Bayesian models, consumer heterogeneity, and state dependence. Rotating topics have included structural model identification, experimentation, causal inference, search, learning, advertising effects, and conjoint analysis, and rotate each year. In addition, the course provides exposures to other perspectives on quantitative research. Course evaluation includes coding assignments and homework’s, and the final exam has both coding and conceptual parts to it. In addition, students are expected to submit a paper and present their own research.

This course covers advanced topics in quantitative marketing research. The topics rotate each time offered and are selected based on current topical areas in the marketing, economics, and related fields as well as student and faculty research interests. Part of the evaluation in the course is to submit a paper and present their own research. All marketing PhD students who are not on the job market are expected to participate actively.

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PhD Programs

• Accounting & Management
• Business Economics
• Health Policy (Management)
• Organizational Behavior
• Technology & Operations Management

Students in our PhD programs are encouraged from day one to think of this experience as their first job in business academia—a training ground for a challenging and rewarding career generating rigorous, relevant research that influences practice.

Our doctoral students work with faculty and access resources throughout HBS and Harvard University. The PhD program curriculum requires coursework at HBS and other Harvard discipline departments, and with HBS and Harvard faculty on advisory committees. Faculty throughout Harvard guide the programs through their participation on advisory committees.

How do I know which program is right for me?

There are many paths, but we are one HBS. Our PhD students draw on diverse personal and professional backgrounds to pursue an ever-expanding range of research topics. Explore more here about each program’s requirements & curriculum, read student profiles for each discipline as well as student research , and placement information.

The PhD in Business Administration grounds students in the disciplinary theories and research methods that form the foundation of an academic career. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program has five areas of study: Accounting and Management , Management , Marketing , Strategy , and Technology and Operations Management . All areas of study involve roughly two years of coursework culminating in a field exam. The remaining years of the program are spent conducting independent research, working on co-authored publications, and writing the dissertation. Students join these programs from a wide range of backgrounds, from consulting to engineering. Many applicants possess liberal arts degrees, as there is not a requirement to possess a business degree before joining the program

The PhD in Business Economics provides students the opportunity to study in both Harvard’s world-class Economics Department and Harvard Business School. Throughout the program, coursework includes exploration of microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, probability and statistics, and econometrics. While some students join the Business Economics program directly from undergraduate or masters programs, others have worked in economic consulting firms or as research assistants at universities or intergovernmental organizations.

The PhD program in Health Policy (Management) is rooted in data-driven research on the managerial, operational, and strategic issues facing a wide range of organizations. Coursework includes the study of microeconomic theory, management, research methods, and statistics. The backgrounds of students in this program are quite varied, with some coming from public health or the healthcare industry, while others arrive at the program with a background in disciplinary research

The PhD program in Organizational Behavior offers two tracks: either a micro or macro approach. In the micro track, students focus on the study of interpersonal relationships within organizations and the effects that groups have on individuals. Students in the macro track use sociological methods to examine organizations, groups, and markets as a whole, including topics such as the influence of individuals on organizational change, or the relationship between social missions and financial objectives. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program includes core disciplinary training in sociology or psychology, as well as additional coursework in organizational behavior.

Accounting & Management  

Business economics  , health policy (management)  , marketing  , organizational behavior  , strategy  , technology & operations management  .

From admission to dissertation. Tips on making the PhD journey happy, productive and successful

PhD Research Topics In Marketing

New PhD aspirants are anxious about researching the best topics for their PhD program in Marketing. Here I am sharing with you Top 25 PhD Research Topics in Marketing. With one of the topics, you can confidently go ahead into your doctoral program in Marketing

• Thesis of Client Profitability in marketing.
• The Effectiveness of Distribution.
• Customer Retention and Retrieval in the Retail Sector.
• Modern Trends embracing marketing sector
• Fare Marketing analysis and Entry Strategy
• Organized Retailing and Demographic Effects.
• Reliance Services in view of telecom application.
• Cellular Companies and its Future Arena.
• Retail Marketing Analysis in terms of Consumer.
• Impact of Confectionary Products on Kids.
• Reliance Money Structure in Brokerage.
• Marketing Project of famous company Bisleri.
• Consumer Buying Behavioral levels of satisfaction.
• The Impact of  Customer Relationship Management(CRM)
• Loan Search Burdens in the present generation.
• Worldwide Marketing Implementation Strategies.
• E-Marketing Rules to improvise Marketing Economy.
• Marketing (Your Country) Worldwide.
• Publicizing Critical Problems in the current Economy
• Convenience Stores and Loyalty Programs.
• Channel Development through marketing.
• Nonconventional tactics of Distribution.
• Survey of Advertising Channel.
• Packaging drawbacks and effects on Consumer.
•  Effects of Branding and Quality on Consumer.

After bachelors, you think of higher study and want to be at the professional level, a professor and a doctoral title. For this, you should apply for the Ph.D. This is a great challenge for every master’s level student. You must need to write a research paper. If you have excellent research skill and writing skill, then you can proceed with it. One of the most widely recognized issues when composing a Ph.D. research paper is picking the phd research topics in marketing. Luckily, there are Ph.D. pape- composing services and methodologies that will make point determination simpler on your part. To guarantee quality subjects, ensure that you characterize the reason for your paper; this will enable you to create Ph.D. look into topics in promoting that will induce your group of spectators and clarify the significance of your writing reagarding topics of research in marketing. Your preferred research topic ought not just to present a great extent of your field yet additionally give a chance to further research.

For your business development and improvement, marketing is fundamental. Therefore marketing/advertising task compositions can help you in building up a dependable and powerful limited-time plan for your organization that can bolster your business objectives. Subsequently, an understudy must pick an intriguing research paper topic that can develop their advantage while doing the research paperwork and make your project look proficient and fantastic. To release all your pressure and surpass in your scholastic profession, you have to get help from a specialist writer and an informative site from where you can get an idea about phd research topics in marketing.

What Makes Good phd research topic in marketing ?

Commit an error toward the beginning of your doctoral research by picking the wrong Ph.D. to look into topics in marketing, and you could do a lot of diligent work and worry for yourself. You should invest enough energy and exertion to choose the correct research topics in marketing/advertising for Ph.D. papers with the goal that you can make sure you will almost certainly get your paper finished effectively. This implies you should completely comprehend what is average from your examination thoughts. They should be:

Attainable: Searching for research topics is attainable. While you may have a couple of years to embrace your exploration in marketing, you should even now have the option to finish it on schedule and with the majority of different assets that you have accessible to you.

One of a kind: for your Ph.D., you should most likely demonstrate that the task you have picked has not as of now been investigated entirely by another. 

Significant: If the primary individual that will need to have a solution to your exploration questions is you, then you might not have chosen something that will bear some significance with your field. It must positively affect your region to be appropriate. 

Fascinating: you likewise need to think about your enthusiasm for your exploration. If you are probably not going to have the option to keep up that plan, at that point you are going to battle to finish the work.

Method for choosing Research Topics in Marketing?

Finding those ideal research subjects in promoting for Ph.D. searches for some is a battle. Coming up next are a portion of the manners in which that you can locate the perfect topic for your exploration:

Proceed with past research: various understudies will need to keep on taking a shot at something that they have begun to explore some research topics in marketing already in their scholarly profession.

Peruse papers in the regions of promoting that intrigue you: most papers will feature zones for further research in marketing or even feature where research is powerless. These can be phenomenal wellsprings of motivation.

Glance back at work involvement: are there specific issues that you experienced that would make for a decent venture?

Think about your future profession: what would you like to be known for, and what would you like to have the option to do in your next job? What openings does this feature for research?

Hope so; the above PhD topics in marketing will help you to take off your stress about your professional career. So read these topics and choose the best one suited you.

Step by step instructions to write an Effective Marketing Ph.D. Research Paper

The accompanying tips will assist you with ensuring that you compose a paper that will most likely submit proudly:

Plan your Ph.D. arranging: a great arrangement that subtleties out the achievements that you should meet to finish your composition will assist you in keeping things on track. Guarantee that you leave time in your arrangement for making modifications and checking your work.

Structure your paper : a straightforward layout with clear notes in each area of your paper concerning what ought to be composed will make your writing significantly simpler. It will likewise guarantee that you stay away from intemperate revising during the procedure.

Have clear focuses on your composition: set yourself an objective for what number of words you will compose each day and stick to it. Try not to put an aim that will overstretch your capacities.

Update and edit your composition with consideration: the norms expected of your Ph.D. paper in marketing are out and out flawlessness.

Syam Prasad Reddy T

Hello, My name is Syam, Asst. Professor of English and Mentor for Ph.D. students worldwide. I have worked years to give you these amazing tips to complete your Ph.D. successfully. Having put a lot of efforts means to make your Ph.D. journey easier. Thank you for visiting my Ph.D. blog.

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PhD Programs in Marketing

The AMA helps potential doctoral students find the right program for them by maintaining a global list of PhD and DBA-granting institutions that offer the opportunity to specialize in marketing. If you would like your institution added to the list below, please email [email protected].

Current doctoral students may find helpful resources via the AMA DocSIG and PhD students who are going on the market should check out the AMA Transitions Guide or learn about Academic Placement at the Summer Academic Conference .

• ​Chinese University of Hong Kong  
• City University of Hong Kong 
• Hong Kong University of Science and Technology 
• Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
• JK Business School
• Lingnan University​​
• Management Development Institute  
• Nanyang Technological University ​
• National University of Singapore  
• Aston Business School
• Athens University of Economics & Business  
• Bilkent University 
• Bocconi University  
• Boğaziçi University
• Cardiff University  
• City, University London  
• Copenhagen Business School
• Cranfield University  
• Erasmus Research Institute of Management  
• ESSEC Business School
• Frankfurt School of Finance & Management  
• Goethe-Universitaet Frankfurt  
• Grenoble Ecole de Management  
• HEC Paris  
• Hanken School of Economics  
• INSEAD 
• ICTE Business School  
• Kingston University  
• Koc University  
• Lancaster University  
• Loughborough University 
• Lausanne University  
• London Busines s School  
• Maastricht University  
• Manchester Business School  
• Nottingham University  
• Tilburg University  
• Umea University  
• University of Bradford
• University College Dublin 
• University of Cologne​
• University of Exeter  
• University of Glasgow  
• University of Grenoble  
• University of Groningen
• University of Guelph  
• University of Liverpool  
• University of Mannheim
• University of Muenster
• University of Navarra, IESE  
• University of St. Gallen 
• University of Southern Denmark  
• University of Stirling​
• University of Strathclyde 
• University of Valencia  
• VU University Amsterdam 
• Wilfrid Laurier University 
• Warwick Business School 
• Yeditepe University
• Carleton University  
• Concordia University 
• HEC Montréal  
• Laval University  
• McGill University
• McMaster University  
• Queen’s University
• Simon Fraser University 
• University of Alberta 
• University of British Columbia 
• University of Calgary
• University of Manitoba​
• University of Toronto  
• Western University  
• York University ​

Australia and New Zealand

• Bond University 
• Deakin University
• Griffith University​ 
• La Trobe University  
• Macquarie Graduate School of Management 
• Melbourne Business School  
• Monash University 
• Queensland University of Technology 
• Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology 
• University of Adelaide 
• University of Ballarat 
• University of Canterbury​
• University of Melbourne 
• University of Newcastle 
• University of New South Wales  
• University of Otago 
• University of South Australia  
• University of Sydney 
• University of Technology, Sydney  
• University of Western Australia 
• University of Wollongong

United States of America

• Arizona State University  
• Bentley University  
• Boston University 
• Carnegie Mellon University 
• City University of New York (Baruch College) 
• Cleveland State University 
• Cornell University 
• Columbia University  
• Drexel University  
• Duke University  
• Emory University  
• Florida Atlantic University  
• Florida International University 
• Florida State University
• Fordham University  
• George Washington University 
• Georgia Institute of Technology  
• Georgia State University 
• Grand Canyon University  
• Harvard University  
• Indiana University  
• Iowa State University  
• Kennesaw University 
• Kent State University  
• Louisiana State University
• Louisiana Tech University  
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology  
• Michigan State University  
• Mississippi State University 
• Morgan State University 
• New Mexico State University 
• New York University  
• Northwestern University  
• The Ohio State University 
• Oklahoma State University  
• Old Dominion University
• Pace University  
• Pennsylvania State University  
• Purdue University  
• Rutgers University  
• Saint Louis University 
• Southern Illinois University  
• Stanford University  
• State University of New York, ​Binghamton  
• Syracuse University 
• Temple University  
• Texas A & M University  
• Texas Tech University 
• University of Alabama 
• University of Arizona  
• University of Arkansas 
• University at Buffalo  
• University of California, Berkeley  
• University of California, Irvine  
• University of California, Los Angeles
• University of California, Riverside
• University of California, San Diego  
• University of Central Florida 
• University of Chicago 
• University of Cincinnati 
• University of Colorado at Boulder  
• University of Connecticut  
• University of Florida  
• University of Georgia 
• University of Hawaii at Manoa  
• University of Houston  
• University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign 
• University of Illinois at Chicago 
• University of Iowa  
• University of Kansas 
• University of Kentucky 
• University of Maryland  
• University of Massachusetts – Amherst
• University of Massachusetts – Lowell  
• University of Memphis  
• University of Miami 
• University of Michigan  
• University of Minnesota  
• University of Mississippi  
• University of Missouri 
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln  
• University of North Carolina 
• University of North Texas 
• University of Oklahoma 
• University of Oregon  
• University of Pennsylvania  
• University of Pittsburgh 
• University of Rhode Island 
• University of Rochester  
• University of South Carolina  
• University of Southern California  
• University of South Florida  
• University of Tennessee 
• University of Texas – Arlington 
• University of Texas at Austin – Marketing 
• University of Texas – Dallas 
• University of Texas – El Paso​
• University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley  
• University of Texas – San Antonio 
• University of Utah  
• University of Virginia 
• University of Washington  
• University of Wisconsin-Madison 
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 
• University of Wyoming  
• Vanderbilt University 
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University  
• Washington State University  
• Washington University in St. Louis  
• West Virginia University 
• Yale University  
• Wayne State University  ​​​

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Marketing Dissertation Topics

Published by Jamie Walker at January 11th, 2023 , Revised On April 16, 2024

Marketing is a business-focused subject, so you’ll be exposed to much more than just creativity. You’ll learn how to set budgets, find new customers, enter international markets, and decide on prices or profits.

As a marketing student, you will be required to complete a marketing dissertation to complete your degree programme. Your dissertation topic can relate to branding, relationship marketing, online/digital marketing, marketing ethics, and any other field of marketing.

To help you get started with brainstorming for marketing topic ideas, we have developed a list of the latest topics that can be used for writing your marketing dissertation.

These topics have been developed by PhD-qualified writers of our team , so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

Review the step-by-step guide on how to write your dissertation here.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting  a brief research proposal  from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an  introduction  to the topic,  research question , aim and objectives,  literature review , and the proposed research methodology conducted.  Let us know  if you need any help in getting started.

Check our  dissertation example to get an idea of  how to structure your dissertation .

You can review step by step guide on how to write your dissertation here .

Review Our Best Dissertation Topics complete list.

2024 Marketing Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: assessing the role of communication strategies in fashion marketing- a case study of uk.

Research Aim: The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of communication strategies in the world of   UK fashion marketing. This will also give us an understanding of how new fashion remanufacturing should be communicated to the consumers. Focusing on how information and messages about the brands or products should be labelled to attract the audience.

Topic 2: How Influential are Retail Stores and Fast Fashion on each other? A case study of Zara

Research Aim: Fast fashion is an idea in which retailers target their business strategies, reducing the time it takes to get products into the store, using an in-season purchasing strategy to keep the products in the market updated during the season. This study aims to find the impact or influence of fast fashion and retail stores on each other, focusing on Zara as it is considered as the famous brand among consumers. It will look at what happens to fast fashion when it is delivered to retail outlets, as well as the adaption of fast fashion in the retail sector and how it is communicated to customers.

Topic 3: Assessing the Key Ethical Issues in the marketing of Pharmaceutical Products in the UK.

Research Aim: Pharmacists may occasionally be led to unethical behaviours during contact; that’s why it is important to understand these behaviours. Pharmaceutical products are sensitive to advertising, and minor misconduct can lead to loss of public trust in the industry. The current study will examine the challenges faced and the key ethical issues that occur during the marketing of pharmaceuticals products focusing on the UK pharmaceutical industry; through quantitative research analysis.

Topic 4: Brand Marketing to a Global World and its impact on local cultural beliefs and attitudes- A literature review.

Research Aim: Different cultures in different countries act as challenges to global marketing. The aim of this study is to develop an understanding of how brand marketing in a global world has a huge impact on the cultural beliefs and attitudes of people. It will provide an experience of international and local consumer cultures and their mutual influence on many consumer behaviours and their effect on their decision-making process.

Topic 5: E-sports marketing- Investigating purpose and scope in current times.

Research Aim: This study aims to find the emerging trend of esports marketing and its scope in current times. It will also explore the collaborative efforts of gaming companies, players and different online communities and how they play an important role in maintaining and enriching the value of Esports consumption.   of   It will provide a societal impact of esports and by applying different strategies

Marketing Dissertation Topics for 2023

Topic 1: impact of product packaging on organisational sales: a case study of the uk retail sector.

Research Aim: Due to intense competition in the UK retail sector, product packaging has gained significant importance concerning consumer purchase decisions. This research will focus on how product packaging (colour, shape, and other attributes) influences consumer purchase behaviour which in return increases or decreases the sales of the organisation.

Topic 2: Impact of E-marketing on consumer purchase decisions: Case of the UK luxury industry

Research Aim: The main purpose of the research is to analyze the impact of electronic marketing on consumer purchase decisions. Different modes of e-marketing will be assessed, and based on the results of each e-marketing channel, the dissertation will be concluded. The focus of this research will be the UK luxury industry.

Topic 3: Analysing the customer-centric marketing strategies in attaining competitive advantage for the firm and sustaining business success

Research Aim: In today’s competitive corporate world, organizations are formulating and implementing customer-centric marketing strategies. These strategies are devised, keeping in mind customer behaviour, customer pattern, customer preferences, customer trends, etc. Considering all these and many other customer-related aspects, companies assess what is successful for their business. This research will discuss the different characteristics of customers that should be studied and how formulating related strategies will help the company gain a competitive advantage and generate profits.

Topic 4: The role of information technology in revolutionizing marketers' approach towards manipulative advertisement

Research Aim: The digital media or the digital world has provided a very effective and large platform for marketers to market and advertise their products. However, this platform can also be used to manipulate customers through deceptive marketing techniques. The main purpose of the research is to analyse the role of information technology in revolutionizing marketers’ approach towards manipulative advertisements. In addition to this, the research will also talk about how marketers use digital media channels to deceive customers who also harm the company’s reputation.

Topic 5: Assessing the impact of integrated marketing communication on consumer impulsive buying behaviour

Research Aim: Consumer impulsive buying behaviour has become an important phenomenon in today’s global world. Companies have been able to acquire a high market share through the impulsive buying behaviour of the consumer. Therefore, this research focuses on analyzing the impact of integrated marketing communication on consumer impulsive buying behaviour.

Topic 6: The Impact of digital marketing on businesses throughout the world

Research Aim: Digital Marketing has changed the face of marketing in today’s world. More and more companies are now adopting this new technique to gain a competitive edge over traditional marketing methods. This research will address the impact of different digital marketing channels on businesses and how each channel can help companies earn more.

Topic 7: Traditional vs Digital Marketing: A comparative study of the last ten years

Research Aim: With the emergence of digital marketing in the global world today, more and more companies are abandoning traditional marketing techniques. This research will compare traditional and digital marketing methods and present data over the past ten years. Through this data, a conclusive analysis will be conducted to determine which marketing is more successful in today’s times.

Topic 8: Studying customers’ responses to automated interactions in the services industry: How does it impact the business?

Research Aim: Many companies have now completely automated their business operations. They have streamlined standard responses given to customers. This research will mainly assess the impact of automated responses on customers, whether or not they impact them in terms of generating and converting leads, and ultimately how it impacts the business overall.

Topic 9: Capturing and analyzing the Voice of Customer (VOC) through Artificial Intelligence: How effective is the technology?

Research Aim: Voice of Customer (VOC) is not a new concept. Companies have been working and collecting data on it for the past several years. It is a method to gather customers’ feedback about their expectations and experiences with respect to your product or service. This research will study how companies gather, assess, and analyse this data through artificial intelligence and how effective it is for businesses. The research will utilise quantitative analysis to conclude whether or not this new technology and strategy is successful.

Topic 10: Online search queries – Can businesses benefit from them and better market their products and services?

Research Aim: Keyword targeting, search engine optimization (SEO), click trend, search trend, etc., are all ways to find how consumers search for a particular product, brand or website online. With more business being done online and with companies focusing more on online marketing, understanding online search queries have become crucial for the business’s success. This research will focus on the different ways through which companies can assess online search queries and whether or not they can benefit from them. Data from past years will be fetched and included to conduct authentic research and conclude accurately.

Also read: Management Dissertation Topics

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Relationship Marketing Dissertation Topics

Relationship marketing is a form of marketing that focuses on long-term goals such as building customer loyalty and increasing customer retention. In relationship marketing, products are provided based on relationships and not traditional marketing. This type of marketing helps firms acquire more customers and build loyalty. The more loyal and satisfied a customer is, the more likely they are to make a purchase.

Under relationship marketing, the purchasing pattern, the contact details, and the entire profile of customers are maintained. Normally, firms assign executives to one or more major customers to maintain relationships and satisfy their needs. It is a very useful marketing tool and also an excellent topic to research on. You can choose a topic for your relationship marketing dissertation topic from any of the topics listed below:

Topic 11:Customer loyalty – Behaviour or an attitude? A mixed-method analysis

Research Aim: This research will analyse how customer loyalty is determined, whether it is an attitude or behaviour. A comparative analysis, comparing different elements of attitudes and behaviours, will be conducted.

Topic 12: The usefulness of relationship marketing in the UK fashion industry: To what extent have organisations incorporated club-style membership schemes for their customer and their impact on businesses?

Research Aim: This research will focus on one important aspect of relationship marketing – memberships. The research will revolve around the UK fashion industry, and the impact memberships have on customers and business organisations.

Topic 13: The impact of relationship marketing on customer loyalty: An analysis of Honda Motors

Research Aim: This dissertation will assess how customer loyalty is impacted by relationship marketing. The main focus of this study will be Honda Motors, how the company maintains customer relationships.

Topic 14: Loyalty schemes and customer satisfaction: Do they really have an impact?

Research Aim: This research will analyse whether or not loyalty schemes impact customer satisfaction. If yes, then the various means will be explored.

Topic 15: The interrelationship between switching costs and consumers' resistance to switching brands' loyalty

Research Aim: The relationship between costs and brand loyalty will be assessed in this research. This research will discuss circumstances under which customers decide to switch brand loyalty.

Topic 16:Loyalty schemes and their relationship with sales: An exploratory analysis of the UK retail industry.

Research Aim: This dissertation will conduct an exploratory analysis to conclude whether or not there is a relationship between loyalty schemes and sales of companies.

Topic 17:Maintaining customer relations through relationship marketing. A case of ASDA

Research Aim: The main focus of this research will be to study how ASDA maintains customer relations and whether they prove to be successful for the business or not.

Topic 18:Exploring the effectiveness of online marketing – Does digital marketing help companies build customer loyalty?

Research Aim: This dissertation will analyse how effective online marketing is for companies to help build and maintain customer loyalty. And whether online marketing can be used to build customer loyalty.

Topic 19: Assessing customer satisfaction in the UK tourism and hospitality industry

Research Aim: The UK tourism and hospitality industry will be assessed in this study for customer satisfaction. The dissertation will conclude to answer how the UK tourism and hospitality industry has maintained customer satisfaction.

Topic 20:Technology driven customer engagement – Does it lead to better customer satisfaction as compared to traditional engagement methods?

Research Aim: This dissertation will discuss how technology has impacted customer engagement. Furthermore, it will analyze how effective technology has been in driving customer engagement compared to traditional methods.

Branding Dissertation Topics

Branding involves creating a unique image and name for a product in the minds of the customers. This is done through creative advertising using a brand theme used consistently in all the advertisements. Branding also entails creating a unique logo and name for a distinguished product.

Some consumers compare prices before purchasing a product, but mostly a purchase is made by focusing on the quality of goods and brand loyalty. There is a misconception that branding is the same as marketing, but it can be distinguished based on the former being one of marketing strategy fundamentals.

For successful branding, there should be truthfulness and clarity in every phase through interaction with customers, which will help improve the value and brand perception of a company.

Branding provides companies with a competitive edge over other organizations and has become a very popular topic for research among undergraduate and postgraduate students. When looking to work on a branding related dissertation, you can choose from the dissertation topics below:

Topic 21:Maintaining brand equity through innovation: A case study of Apple Inc.

Research Aim: Innovation has a huge impact on brand equity. The same will be discussed in this research, with Apple Inc. as the main focus.

Topic 22:Building brand equity through celebrity endorsement: Analysis of the fashion industry

Research Aim: Celebrity endorsement is an excellent way to build brand equity. In this dissertation, the same will be discussed concerning the UK fashion industry or another country of your choice.

Topic 23:Brand attitudes and advertisements: Evidence from the past five years

Research Aim: This study will talk about how advertisements shape brand attitudes. Evidence from the past five years will be presented to conclude whether advertisements impact the brand attitude or not.

Topic 24: Packaging as a brand marketing strategy: Assessing its effectiveness in the retail sector

Research Aim: The success of a brand marketing strategy depends on several factors. This dissertation will assess how important packaging is in a brand marketing strategy.

Topic 25:Effect of branding on consumers of Coca Cola and Pepsi: A comparative analysis

Research Aim: Branding has a huge impact on consumers. Competitors utilise this strategy to build customer loyalty. This research will compare two big rivals – Coca-Cola and Pepsi concerning branding.

Topic 26:Branding strategies: Impact and application

Research Aim:  The different types of branding strategies and their implementation process will be discussed in this study.

Topic 27:Analysis of the consumer: Comparative analysis between good quality products and brand loyalty.

Research Aim: This study will discuss how good quality products impact consumers and how it helps companies build brand loyalty.

Topic 28:Building, retaining and maintaining the brand image in the market – Studying MNCs in the UK industry

Research Aim: Brand image and reputation are something that companies should pay close attention to. This research will talk about leading MNCs and how they should build and retain the brand image.

Topic 29:Importance of brand and reliability in the automotive industry – Case of Toyota Motors

Research Aim: Reliability is a huge factor in building a brand. With a specific focus on Toyota, this study will discuss how reliability impacts the brand.

Topic 30:Building brand awareness and equity through online marketing – Assessing its effectiveness

Research Aim: This research will assess the effectiveness of online marketing in building brand awareness and equity.

Topic 31:International brand building in the digital age: The role of digital marketing

Research Aim: Building a brand with the help of digital marketing will be discussed in this research.

Topic 32:Corporate social responsibility and brand management: A case of Nestle

Research Aim: Giving back to the community creates a positive image of the company. This research will discuss how fulfilling corporate social responsibility helps the company maintain its brand.

Also Read:   Chanel’s Brand Identity and Personality

Direct Marketing Dissertation Topics

Direct marketing is a marketing phenomenon that involves direct selling to customers. This includes telephone selling, email selling, direct mail selling, etc. No retailer is involved in the process. The product/service flow includes only two parties, the company and the consumer.

Direct marketing allows businesses and non-profit organizations to communicate with customers directly. It relies on advertisements on the internet, television, or radio.

There are different types and forms of direct marketing, with internet marketing being the most popular. Online marketing helps companies to interact directly with their customers without any middleman. In this manner, companies can gain insight into customers, expectations, and feedback on the product/service.

Below is a list of topics that you can base your dissertation on under the direct marketing theme.

Topic 33:Loyalty schemes and direct selling – Does it help businesses to market directly to customers?

Research Aim: Loyalty schemes are an old but extremely effective marketing tool. This research will discuss and analyze whether direct marketing can be done through these schemes or not.

Topic 34:How customers can protect themselves from deceitful direct marketing techniques?

Research Aim: This study will highlight the unlawful and unethical ways companies adapt through digital marketing and how customers can protect themselves.

Topic 35:Direct Marketing: Effects and implications

Research Aim: The main concept, theory, and framework of direct marketing will be discussed and analysed in this research. The effects and implications of direct marketing will be the main focus of this study.

Topic 36:Do customers respond differently to direct and digital marketing?

Research Aim: Direct and digital marketing will be compared and analysed in this research. Their responses will then be evaluated as to which one is the most effective.

Topic 37:The relationship between the duration of a voice message and the success of Tele-marketing? A case of mobile Industry.

Research Aim: Telemarketing is a successful marketing tool. This research will study the relationship between the duration of a voice message and its success for companies operating in the mobile industry.

Topic 38:Developing a marketing information system for direct marketing: Analysing its effectiveness

Research Aim: A marketing information system is extremely essential for companies today. This research will discuss how a marketing information system can be developed and how effective it is for direct marketing.

Topic 39:The role of business and artificial intelligence in direct marketing – How can companies gain advantage?

Research Aim: Artificial Intelligence is the big thing in the marketing industry these days. Incorporating it into your business for marketing will help you achieve a competitive advantage. The same will be studied and evaluated in this research.

Topic 40:Internet marketing as a direct marketing technique – Assessing its effectiveness and profitability

Research Aim: Internet marketing can be used a direct marketing technique. This research will assess how effective and profitable this technique can be for businesses.

Topic 41:Protecting consumer data and privacy in direct marketing techniques – Evaluating its importance.

Research Aim: Companies do not pay much attention to customer privacy. This research will discuss how direct marketing can help companies protect customer data and privacy.

Marketing Across Cultures Dissertation Topics

Every culture is different. Thus, what is acceptable in one, may not be acceptable in the other. This is why firms must adopt different techniques while operating in different cultures. Before introducing any product, companies need to analyse the cultural aspect of the market.

This has become a very important and deciding factor for the successful operation of a business. Cultures have a deep impact on consumer behaviour, and it plays a key role in shaping the buying behaviour and the attitude of the customer.

There is no doubt that this marketing aspect is worth some research. Some intriguing and current dissertation topics in the field of cultures and marketing are given below:

Topic 42:Impact of culture on the trading Market: A case of general motors through an analysis of the imports and exports.

Research Aim: Marketing is based on different cultures. This research will discuss the impact of culture on the trading market, focusing on general motors’ imports and exports.

Topic 43: Does language impact the identity of a brand? A case of Coca-Cola

Research Aim: Language is an important element of a culture. This study will research and analyze whether or not the language impacts a brand and will utilize Coca-Cola as its main focus.

Topic 44: Amalgamating and assessing the regional differences within the national culture of marketing

Research Aim: This research will study the various regional differences that exist in the marketing culture and how they impact businesses.

Topic 45: The impact of collectivism and individualism on purchasing smartphones

Research Aim: Different cultures have a different impact on society. This research will conduct a cross-cultural analysis to understand how culture impacts marketing strategies

Topic 46:Cross-cultural marketing and how it impacts a business – A specific focus on the FMCG sector

Research Aim: Cross-cultural marketing is utilised by companies operating in different cultures. This research will talk about how cross-cultural marketing is formulated, devised, and implemented in the FMCG Sector and whether it is successful for the company or not.

Topic 47:Belief, religion and values: Do they have an impact on businesses across the world

Research Aim: There can be many cultures in one market. Thus, it becomes challenging for companies to market their product according to cultures. This research will assess this issue by focusing on two different cultures.

Topic 48: Application of marketing mix in a culturally diverse society: Assessing two different cultures

Topic 49: same marketing tact in different markets: how it leads to business failures.

Research Aim: Companies cannot utilise similar marketing techniques for different cultures. This research will assess how this act can lead to the failure of businesses.

Topic 50:Cultural differences and the subsequent effect on supermarkets across the United Kingdom

Research Aim: This research will talk about how various cultural differences impact supermarkets operating in the United Kingdom.

Also Read :   Fashion and Culture Dissertation Topics

Online Marketing Dissertation Topics

When marketing evolved from traditional to online or digital marketing, it was observed that all the rules that traditional marketing followed were no longer useful. The needs and demands of the market had changed, thus online marketing emerged. Digital marketing has been a game-changer in the field of marketing.

New tools, new rules, and new methods have set the marketing game field. Every player entering the business world needs to be well versed with all these new aspects or else it can go out of business quickly.

Online marketing helps business organisations to understand and evaluate customers’ responses to a particular marketing strategy very efficiently. So businesses are now aware of their customer behaviour, trends, what they look for in a product, what are they interested in, etc.

However, while collecting and storing all this customer information, organisations need to ensure the privacy of their consumers to avoid losing their trust. Companies are now in an era where they can efficiently interact and engage their consumers.

Based on their responses, they can devise subsequent marketing strategies. Online marketing is now a powerful marketing tool as it allows organizations to develop specific strategies to suit the needs of their consumers.

The field of digital marketing is worth the research. You can spend hours learning about this facet of marketing, and still will be left with the urge to learn more. Some interesting topic suggestions are given below if you want to base your dissertation on online marketing.

Topic 51:How online marketing impacts the retail sector during the Covid-19 pandemic? - Entering the field of internet marketing

Research aim: This research will aim to discover the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the performance of the retail sector in any country of your choice. How did the retail stores move to online marketing to overcome the losses?

Topic 52: Organisations and their use of personalised products: How do companies decide who to market?

Research Aim: There are times when companies launch personalised services or products for a specific group of customers. To identify this need, traditional research is not useful. Customers do not want to give out this type of information. With online marketing and its various tools, companies can now gather this data. This research will delve deep into how that happens.

Visit our topics database to view 100s of dissertation topics in your research area.

Topic 53:The role of online marketing in driving sales: Studying the retail sector

Research Aim: The main focus of this research will be to understand how the retail sector is impacted through online marketing and its role.

Topic 54:Implications and application of online marketing

Research Aim: Online marketing tools are extremely powerful. Various tools will be discussed and analysed in this research to conclude how well they perform.

Topic 55:How can companies overcome the hate speech of unhappy customers?

Research Aim: With the ease of gathering data, online marketing and tools can also lead to hate speech from customers. This research will evaluate different ways through which companies can overcome this issue.

Topic 56:What attributes are preferred by customers for online search, purchasing and comparison?

Research Aim: The different types of research, search, purchasing, and comparing attributes undertaken by customers will be assessed in this study. Moreover, their impact on business will be studied.

Topic 57:The power of online marketing tools – Assessing their effectiveness with respect to sales

Research Aim: Different marketing tools will be analysed and studied in this research. They will be assessed based on their effectiveness concerning sales.

Topic 58:Analysis of change in behaviour of customers in offline and online marketing

Research Aim: Online and offline marketing are extremely different. This research will analyse how customers behave differently in an online marketing setting as compared to an offline marketing setting.

Topic 59:Impact of appearance and visual effects for the effectiveness of online marketing

Research Aim: Online marketing utilises different appearance and visual effects to attract customers. This research will analyze how effective these techniques are for the company.

Topic 60:Websites and E-commerce – Do they influence customer behaviour? A case study of the UK fashion industry

Research Aim: With online marketing, it is essential that you have a website and an online store if you’re selling products. The impact of both website and e-commerce on marketing in the UK fashion industry will be assessed.

The 4Ps (Price, Product, Promotion, Place) of Marketing Mix Dissertation Topics

Price, product, promotion, and place are also known as the four pillars of marketing. Referred to as the marketing mix, these four components help companies decide on a product and/or marketing strategy.

These four factors (4Ps) are the key ingredients of a successful marketing strategy since they allow for an in-depth analysis of the market and marketing strategies concerning any particular product. The companies analyse the culture, the product itself, and the pricing of other similar products to gain a competitive edge for their business and production processes.

To understand more about these components and how they impact businesses, you can research this area. Some relevant topics in this area of marketing are listed below for you to base your dissertation on:

Topic 61:Understanding the importance of location for customers Starbucks USA vs Starbucks UAE

Research Aim: Location has a great impact on the company’s sales and marketing efforts. This research will assess how impactful location is for customers by comparing Starbucks located in the US and the UAE.

Topic 62: Pricing war between competitors: Analysing the case of Coca-Cola and Pepsi

Research Aim: Companies usually price their product to competitors to stay relevant and to help their products succeed. This research will analyze how competitors price their products by assessing the pricing strategies of Coca-Cola and Pepsi.

Topic 63:Impact of point-of-purchase promotion on sales: A case study of ZARA

Research Aim: Promotions are an effective way of selling products. This research will study the point of purchase promotion and its impact by focusing on ZARA.

Topic 64: Product packaging and its impact on buying decision – An exploratory analysis

Research Aim: The packaging of a product has a huge impact on the buying and purchasing decisions of customers. This research will conduct an exploratory analysis to understand this impact.

Topic 65:International pricing strategies and their Impact on the brand image: A case study of iTunes

Research Aim: Pricing strategies may or may not differ in different locations. This research will analyze whether iTunes has gained or not by its pricing strategies in different locations.

Topic 66: Impact of price adjustment strategies in online and offline setting

Research Aim: Prices vary in different settings. This research will study the price strategy adjustment in online and offline marketing.

Topic 67:Should Online Reviews and Word of Mouth be a New Component in the Marketing Mix?

Research Aim: Word of mouth and online reviews have proved to be extremely effective marketing tools in recent times. These components concerning the marketing mix will be studied in this research.

Topic 68:Difference between Online and Offline Promotions – How do They Impact Brand Image

Research Aim: A variety of marketing promotion techniques exist. This research will talk about the different online and offline promotional tools and how they impact brand image.

Topic 69:Impact of Traditional Promotions vs Social Media Promotions – Analyzing Burberry’s Promotional Campaigns

Research Aim: Social media promotional campaigns gain a lot of traction. With a specific focus on Burberry’s promotional campaigns, this research will analyse traditional and social media campaigns.

Topic 70:Effect of Premium Pricing Strategies on Consumers. A case of Apple Products

Research Aim: Of different pricing strategies, premium pricing strategies are adopted for luxury products. The effect of this type of pricing strategy on luxury products (Apple products) will be analyzed in this study.

Topic 71:Impact of Cultural Values in Promotional Activities

Research Aim: Culture has a huge impact on the marketing efforts of a company. This research will talk about the various cultural values and how they impact the promotional activities of businesses.

Topic 72:Placing Products in a Central Location and Ease of Access: Assessing its Impact on Customers

Research Aim: Location affects the sales of products and services. This research will assess the impact of customers when products are placed in a central location and when they are offered ease of access.

Topic 73:Influence of celebrity endorsement on sale: A comparative analysis of Nike and Rebook

Research Aim: Celebrity endorsement is a highly effective way to increase sales. A comparative analysis between celebrity endorsement done by Nike and Reebok will be evaluated in this research.

Topic 74:Impact of promotions upon customer’s perception

Research Aim: Customers may or may not change their perception after marketing promotion efforts. This research will discuss whether promotions can change perceptions or not.

Topic 75: Analysing the impact of cartoon characters on children

Research Aim: Products marketed towards children are tricky to market. This research will study whether including a cartoon character to attract children helps businesses or not.

Marketing and Consumer Psychology Dissertation Topics

Marketing is fundamentally based on consumer behaviour. Studying consumer behaviour helps businesses understand the customer in a better manner. Not only this, but it also helps them improve their marketing strategies by understanding the problems of a consumer with a specific focus on their perception of products. It is very important to understand the psychology of consumers and the various influences that the environment may have on their psychology. Studying these behaviours and patterns helps companies know how they should target their customers and what aspects they should focus on.

Consumer psychology comes in very handy for online marketing. When marketing digitally, companies have little or no information regarding their consumers. Thus, understanding their way of thinking, behaviour, buying patterns, trends, etc., helps businesses understand what the customer expects.

The study of consumer behaviour is very interesting and therefore provides an ideal topic for dissertations.

Topic 76:An investigation of consumer psychology and perceptions and their impact on marketing fashion products

Research Aim: Consumer psychology and their perceptions will be evaluated in this research. These two factors concerning the marketing of fashion products will be assessed.

Topic 77:How does consumer knowledge affect the purchase of products and their buying decision

Research Aim: Consumer knowledge influences their buying or purchasing decision. This research will talk about how this knowledge and its impacts the marketing decisions of a company.

Topic 78:The impact of negative publicity on consumer behavior

Research Aim: Consumers cannot be tricked. They are aware of when companies utilize techniques or tools to create a negative image of other companies. This research will talk about such techniques and their impact on consumers.

Topic 79:Consumer attitude towards in-store shopping and online shopping in Wall-Mart

Research Aim: This research will investigate the attitude of customers shopping in-store (physical stores) versus customers shopping online (digital stores). Walmart’s customers will be the focus.

Topic 80:Understanding consumer psychology to devise effective marketing strategies

Research Aim: Customer psychology will first be discussed in this research. Then, the research will talk about how effective marketing strategies will be devised.

Topic 81:Assessing the consumer behaviour and perceptions in relation to luxury

Research Aim: This research will discuss consumer behaviour when customers opt for luxury products, i.e. what drives them to purchase high-priced products.

Topic 82:Measuring consumer response to new products launched by Nestle

Research Aim: Companies should always measure consumer response to assess their marketing activities. This research will discuss different ways through which customer response to new products launched by nestle is assessed.

Topic 83:Consumer perceptions related to discounts and promotions when purchasing products

Research Aim: Every customer likes to purchase products at discounted prices. This research will discuss consumer perceptions concerning discounts, sales, and promotions when purchasing products.

Topic 84:Creating profitable relationships with consumers

Research Aim: This research will analyse the various ways through which companies can create profitable relationships with customers.

Topic 85:Switching costs – Do consumers think about it when abandoning a brand?

Research Aim: There are different reasons for switching a brand or abandoning it completely. These reasons will be the main focus of this research, and customer perceptions will also be studied.

Marketing and Social Networks Dissertation Topics

Social networks (Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter) have played a decisive role in using the internet and purchasing online. Companies need to understand these social networks and tools from a marketing perspective in today’s business world. Businesses that do not make use of the different social media platforms are entirely out of the race.

This is the power of social networks in today’s corporate world. Not only is it competitive, but these networks also help companies interact with their customers and gain feedback in real-time.

This means that they can launch a product, post and market it on social networks, and assess customer reaction. Companies have done well by utilizing these platforms, and all businesses must have a social media presence and interact with customers.

However, it should be noted that organisations face various challenges using social media as a tool to market their products and services. Social media can make or break things for businesses.

If done right and if the accounts are handled appropriately, nothing can stop the business from achieving success. However, one small mistake can cause a lot of trouble for the company. The backlash on social media is extreme, and the company will have to spend months to bring back its reputation.

Thus, considering the challenging nature of these platforms, it is interesting to conduct researches and studies around various related topics. The following is a list of topics that can be undertaken as a part of social networks and marketing dissertation:

Topic 86:The role of Facebook as a marketing tool

Research Aim: The research will explore the various events in Indian film history that have allowed it to become a global sensation. The paper will analyse its market-driven triumph against Hollywood imports starting from the 1930s. The paper will also examine the nationalist social views of films produced in Bollywood during the 1950s.

Topic 87:Social media marketing vs. traditional marketing evaluating the success rate

Research Aim: Social media marketing is the new trend. But does it really reap results? This will be the main focus of this research, and the results of online marketing and traditional marketing methods will be compared.

Topic 88:Building relationships with customers through social media.

Research Aim: Social media not only helps in networking and connecting people but also enables companies to get in touch with their customers. This research will talk about companies use it as a medium to build relationships with their customers.

Topic 89:How social media influences consumers’ buying preferences

Research Aim: Social media trends are followed by everyone. This research will discuss how these trends are shaped and how it influences the buying and purchasing decision of customers.

Topic 90:How businesses gather Information from social media: A deep insight into customer privacy concerns

Research Aim: A lot is argued about the loss of privacy and data for online customers. This research will investigate the various ways data is collected online and whether or not there are data security breaches.

Topic 91:Consumer perception of social media marketing and its impact on brand image

Research Aim: Consumer perception regarding social media marketing will be assessed in this research. Moreover, the impact of this perception on the brand image will be evaluated.

Topic 92:Is Banner advertisement a good idea in social media marketing? A global comparative analysis

Research Aim: Online Banner advertisements are utilised by almost all companies in the market. This research will discuss various banner advertisement campaigns and their effectiveness.

Topic 93:The role of online stores in the traditional marketing mix

Research Aim: The traditional marketing mix does not take into consideration online marketing. This research will talk about the importance of online and social media marketing in the corporate world today and the role of online stores in the marketing mix.

Topic 94:Why is there more focus on the use of Facebook for marketing rather than other platforms for social media marketing?

Research Aim: Facebook advertising is considered the most powerful amongst all other social media marketing tools. There are various reasons due to which Facebook is considered a powerful tool. All these will be discussed, analyzed, and evaluated in this research.

Also Read:   How to Use Social Networks for your Dissertation

Marketing Ethics Dissertation Topics

Marketing Ethics Dissertation Topics Marketing ethics is a thought-provoking issue in the field of marketing. Where marketers are making efforts to run effective and profitable marketing campaigns for their companies, they should also consider marketing ethics.

The continuous evolution of customers’ attitudes customers over media has a significant impact on businesses worldwide. People nowadays are more concerned about the company’s ethical behaviour and the use of ethics employed by their marketing experts.

They are more concerned about their corporate social responsibility programs and the values of society. Companies must run various social corporate responsibility campaigns, through which they not only create a good reputation but also give back to the community.

These campaigns indeed help businesses to build a reputation and become a preferred brand for consumers. Acts such as animal cruelty and the use of prohibited products hit hard, and a company can lose its long-built strong reputation in a matter of minutes.

There are various ethical concerns that organisations must abide by to have a successful operating and marketing campaign. A dissertation on marketing ethics can be based on any of the following topics:

Topic 95:Ethics and consumer perception: What do consumers really expect from companies?

Research Aim: Corporate and marketing ethics are extremely important for companies. This research will talk about what customers expect from the company regarding ethics and how it shapes their perceptions.

Topic 96:Impact of unethical behaviour of an organisation on sales: Studying unsuccessful marketing campaigns

Research Aim: Unethical organizational behaviour leads to unsuccessful marketing campaigns. The main focus of this research will be the unethical behaviours undertaken by companies and how it adversely affects their sales.

Topic 97:How firms mislead people to enhance product sales and the effect this has on their business

Research Aim: A number of companies mislead their consumers only to enhance their sales. This research will discuss the different ways through which companies mislead people and the impact it has on their business.

Topic 98:How country laws shape business and marketing

Research Aim: When operating in a country, companies have to abide by the laws, rules, and regulations set out by the government. This research will talk about how these laws and regulations shape the business environment.

Topic 99:Ethical considerations and brand loyalty

Research Aim: This research will discuss whether or not ethical business operations have an impact on brand loyalty or do consumers continue to buy from companies who operate unethically.

Topic 100:Spam laws and online marketing – A critical analysis

Research Aim: Online marketing has its own rules. Companies have to abide by spam laws, or else they will be blacklisted. These rules and how companies should abide by them will be analyzed in this study.

Topic 101:Exploring the relationship between marketing ethics and corporate social responsibility

Research Aim: Companies have a responsibility to fulfill. They have to give back to the community, thus operate with corporate social responsibility. This research will discuss whether or not marketing ethics are directly related to corporate social responsibility.

Topic 102: Building company reputation and brand equity through various corporate social responsibility initiatives

Research Aim: The main focus of this research will be to explore whether or not corporate social responsibility initiatives build company reputation or brand equity.

Topic 103: Do cause-related marketing campaigns impact consumer purchase decisions?

Research Aim: This research will explore whether cause-related marketing has an impact on consumer purchase decisions or not.

Topic 104: Public relations and consumer boycotts: Learning lessons from Shell and Nestle

Research Aim: Consumers can boycott a company based on a variety of reasons. This research will discuss the different reasons why consumers boycott and how it impacts public relations, with a special focus on Shell and Nestle.

Important Notes:

As a student of marketing looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment on existing marketing theories – i.e., to add value and interest in the topic of your research.

The field of marketing is vast and interrelated to so many other academic disciplines like civil engineering ,  construction ,  law , engineering management , healthcare , mental health , artificial intelligence , tourism , physiotherapy , sociology , management , and nursing . That is why it is imperative to create a project management dissertation topic that is articular, sound, and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic; it is the basis of your entire research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your topic wrong; your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in  writing your dissertation  as you may end up in the cycle of rejection at the very initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

While developing a research topic, keeping our advice in mind will allow you to pick one of the best marketing dissertation topics that fulfill your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalizing your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and can also be practically implemented. Take a look at some of our sample marketing dissertation topics to get an idea for your own dissertation.

How to Structure your Marketing Dissertation

A well-structured   dissertation can help students   to achieve a high overall academic grade.

• A Title Page
• Acknowledgments
• Declaration
• Abstract: A summary of the research completed
• Table of Contents
• Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems to be addressed. An outline of the structure of a dissertation  can also be added to this chapter.
• Literature Review :  This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analysing published and unpublished literature available on the chosen research topic, in light of  research questions  to be addressed. The purpose is to highlight and discuss the relative weaknesses and strengths of the selected research area whilst identifying any research gaps. Break down of the topic, and key terms can have a positive impact on your dissertation and your tutor.
• Methodology:  The  data collection  and  analysis  methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter which usually includes  research design, research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods, and  data analysis strategy .
• Findings and Analysis:  Findings of the research are analysed in detail under the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include  graphs ,  charts, and  tables in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
• Discussion  and  Conclusion: The researcher presents his interpretation of results in this chapter, and states whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section of the paper is to draw a linkage between the results and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regards to implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
• References:  This should be completed in accordance with your University’s requirements
• Bibliography
• Appendices:  Any additional information, diagrams, graphs that were used to  complete the  dissertation  but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

About ResearchProspect Ltd

ResearchProspect is a  UK-based academic writing service that provides help with  Dissertation Proposal Writing ,  Ph.D. Proposal Writing ,  Dissertation Writing ,  Dissertation Editing and Improvement .

For further assistance with your dissertation, take a look at our full dissertation writing service .

Our team of writers is highly qualified. Our writers are experts in their respective fields. They have been working in the industry for a long time. Thus, they are aware of the issues and the trends of the industry they are working in.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How to find dissertation topics about marketing.

For marketing dissertation topics:

• Study recent industry trends.
• Explore consumer behavior shifts.
• Investigate digital marketing innovations.
• Analyze branding or market strategies.
• Consider social and ethical aspects.
• Select a topic resonating with your passion and research goals.

You May Also Like

Topics for maritime law dissertations include the legalities of ships and other issues in international waters. Due to the importance of global connections and links in this field, marine law.

Almost every discipline requires a dissertation as a prerequisite to research. Specifically, they state what the researcher hopes to accomplish with their study. Therefore, they must be as authentic as the originals.

Human civilization cannot continue to develop without environmental sustainability. A legal provision that protects the environment is called an “environmental law.” An academic study of environmental law provides a better understanding.

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• How It Works

• How to Choose a PhD Research Topic
• Finding a PhD

Introduction

Whilst there are plenty of resources available to help prospective PhD students find doctoral programmes, deciding on a research topic is a process students often find more difficult.

Some advertised PhD programmes have predefined titles, so the exact topic is decided already. Generally, these programmes exist mainly in STEM, though other fields also have them. Funded projects are more likely to have defined titles, and structured aims and objectives.

Self funded projects, and those in fields such as arts and humanities, are less likely to have defined titles. The flexibility of topic selection means more scope exists for applicants to propose research ideas and suit the topic of research to their interests.

A middle ground also exists where Universities advertise funded PhD programmes in subjects without a defined scope, for example: “PhD Studentship in Biomechanics”. The applicant can then liaise with the project supervisor to choose a particular title such as “A study of fatigue and impact resistance of biodegradable knee implants”.

If a predefined programme is not right for you, then you need to propose your own research topic. There are several factors to consider when choosing a good research topic, which will be outlined in this article.

How to Choose a Research Topic

Our first piece of advice is to PhD candidates is to stop thinking about ‘finding’ a research topic, as it is unlikely that you will. Instead, think about developing a research topic (from research and conversations with advisors).

Consider several ideas and critically appraise them:

• You must be able to explain to others why your chosen topic is worth studying.
• You must be genuinely interested in the subject area.
• You must be competent and equipped to answer the research question.
• You must set achievable and measurable aims and objectives.
• You need to be able to achieve your objectives within a given timeframe.
• Your research question must be original and contribute to the field of study.

We have outlined the key considerations you should use when developing possible topics. We explore these below:

Focus on your interests and career aspirations

It is important to choose a topic of research that you are genuinely interested in. The decision you make will shape the rest of your career. Remember, a full-time programme lasts 3-4 years, and there will be unforeseen challenges during this time. If you are not passionate about the study, you will struggle to find motivation during these difficult periods.

You should also look to your academic and professional background. If there are any modules you undertook as part of your Undergraduate/Master degree that you particularly enjoyed or excelled in? These could form part of your PhD research topic. Similarly, if you have professional work experience, this could lead to you asking questions which can only be answered through research.

When deciding on a PhD research topic you should always consider your long-term career aspirations. For example, as a physicist, if you wish to become an astrophysicist, a research project studying black holes would be more relevant to you than a research project studying nuclear fission.

Read dissertations and published journals

Reading dissertations and published journals is a great way to identify potential PhD topics. When reviewing existing research ask yourself:

• What has been done and what do existing results show?
• What did previous projects involve (e.g. lab-work or fieldwork)?
• How often are papers published in the field?
• Are your research ideas original?
• Is there value in your research question?
• Could I expand on or put my own spin on this research?

Reading dissertations will also give you an insight into the practical aspects of doctoral study, such as what methodology the author used, how much data analysis was required and how was information presented.

You can also think of this process as a miniature literature review . You are searching for gaps in knowledge and developing a PhD project to address them. Focus on recent publications (e.g. in the last five years). In particular, the literature review of recent publications will give an excellent summary of the state of existing knowledge, and what research questions remain unanswered.

If you have the opportunity to attend an academic conference, go for it! This is often an excellent way to find out current theories in the industry and the research direction. This knowledge could reveal a possible research idea or topic for further study.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

Discuss research topic ideas with a PhD supervisor

Discuss your research topic ideas with a supervisor. This could be your current undergraduate/masters supervisor, or potential supervisors of advertised PhD programmes at different institutions. Come to these meetings prepared with initial PhD topic ideas, and your findings from reading published journals. PhD supervisors will be more receptive to your ideas if you can demonstrate you have thought about them and are committed to your research.

You should discuss your research interests, what you have found through reading publications, and what you are proposing to research. Supervisors who have expertise in your chosen field will have insight into the gaps in knowledge that exist, what is being done to address them, and if there is any overlap between your proposed research ideas and ongoing research projects.

Talking to an expert in the field can shape your research topic to something more tangible, which has clear aims and objectives. It can also find potential shortfalls of your PhD ideas.

It is important to remember, however, that although it is good to develop your research topic based on feedback, you should not let the supervisor decide a topic for you. An interesting topic for a supervisor may not be interesting to you, and a supervisor is more likely to advise on a topic title which lends itself to a career in academia.

Another tip is to talk to a PhD student or researcher who is involved in a similar research project. Alternatively, you can usually find a relevant research group within your University to talk to. They can explain in more detail their experiences and suggest what your PhD programme could involve with respect to daily routines and challenges.

Look at advertised PhD Programmes

Use our Search tool , or look on University PhD listing pages to identify advertised PhD programmes for ideas.

• What kind of PhD research topics are available?
• Are these similar to your ideas?
• Are you interested in any of these topics?
• What do these programmes entail?

The popularity of similar PhD programmes to your proposed topic is a good indicator that universities see value in the research area. The final bullet point is perhaps the most valuable takeaway from looking at advertised listings. Review what similar programmes involve, and whether this is something you would like to do. If so, a similar research topic would allow you to do this.

Writing a Research Proposal

As part of the PhD application process , you may be asked to summarise your proposed research topic in a research proposal. This is a document which summarises your intended research and will include the title of your proposed project, an Abstract, Background and Rationale, Research Aims and Objectives, Research Methodology, Timetable, and a Bibliography. If you are required to submit this document then read our guidance on how to write a research proposal for your PhD application.

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PhD/ MPhil/ MSc Marketing (Research)

• Visit an Open Day
• Request a prospectus
• Course details
• Entry Requirements
• Teaching and assessment
• Employability

The PhD/MPhil/MSc (research) in Marketing programme offers a short taught component followed by a longer research phase. Taught modules allow you to broaden, as well as deepen, your knowledge of research methods whilst undertaking your own research and developing a set of transferable professional skills.

Doctoral researchers will be capable of analysing a range of data using a range of qualitative and quantitative techniques. They will be able to explain theories underlying different approaches to social science research. Doctoral researchers are expected to participate to the fullest possible extent in the life of the Department of Marketing and the Business School. This means attending seminars organised by the Department of Marketing and more widely in the Business School thereby helping expose doctoral researchers to new ideas emanating from outside their own area of specialisation. It also requires actively participating in PhD workshops and conferences organised by the Department of Marketing, the Business School and Graduate School as well as institutions outside the University of Birmingham.

Ultimately all doctoral researchers will have the ability to characterise and solve business and marketing problems using advanced research tools. They should be able to derive policy implications from their research and communicate these to policy makers, practitioners and other academics in a manner which is comprehensible. They will also be able to peer review others’ research and offer constructive criticism; and to extend the frontiers of the discipline through their own innovative research.

Doctoral researchers may choose to become academics, work in Government, businesses, supranational organisations or in the research arms of major financial institutions. They are expected to achieve a substantial understanding of contemporaneous marketing and business issues enabling them to take a lead in ongoing debates within society. They will be aware of and understand the function of related institutions at both a national and international level.

Fees 2024 - 2025

• Code 8164 - £4,778 (UK) MPhil Full time
• Code 8164 - £23,520 (International) MPhil Full time
• Code 8170 - £4,778 (UK) PhD Marketing  Full time
• Code 8180 - £2,389 (UK) PhD Marketing  Part time
• Code 8170 - £23,520(International) PhD Full time
• Code 8175 - £4,778 (UK) MSc (Research) Full time
• Code 8178 - £2,389 (UK) MSc (Research) Part time
• Code 8175 - £23,520 (International) MSc (Research) Full time

Learn more about fees and funding

Scholarships and studentships

A limited number of scholarships may be available to outstanding applicants. International students  can often gain funding through overseas research scholarships, Commonwealth scholarships or their home Government.

For further information contact the School directly or visit our helpdesk .

How To Apply

Our supervisory expertise includes a wide range of theoretical interests and methodological approaches. Applicants are urged to study the profiles of individual staff via their university profile pages and contact appropriate supervisors directly before they apply. When considering potential supervisors avoid generic emails to everyone in the department as such approaches seldom attract interest. It is better to email potential supervisors where you see a direct link to your proposed area of study and/or methods. Try to read some of the work written by potential supervisors and when you contact them, explain how your ideas fit with their existing research and/or stated areas of interest. When you submit your proposal, you should also consider how it relates to the broader research undertaken by the department and you might specifically discuss this in your application letter. You should also focus on the following questions in your proposal:

• What are you trying to find out?
• Why does this matter and to who?
• How will your work further or challenge existing thinking?
• What makes your proposed methods suitable to achieve all this?

If you have any questions about applying, please contact the department PhD lead, Dr Mike Molesworth ( [email protected] ). If you cannot find a suitable supervisor, you may still apply and the PGR lead will try to match you with a suitable supervisory team.

• How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate research programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online. We have put together some helpful information on the research programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page . Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

Our Standard Requirements

The Business School's entry requirement is a good honours degree (first or upper second class honours) awarded by a recognised University in an appropriate subject, and a merit in a relevant Master’s degree. We usually ask students for an average of 65 in the taught component of their Masters. All international students also need to show that they have adequate knowledge of written and spoken English.

Learn more about our entry requirements.

Writing your research proposal

Along with your academic record, your references and your curriculum vitae your research proposal plays a critical role in the evaluation of your application.

Your research proposal should illustrate your ability to plan an independent research study and the relevance of your topic to the research interests and expertise of Birmingham Business School.You need to demonstrate that you understand the field that you plan to research, identify an interesting and original research question, and develop a tentative plan of study. It is highly desirable that your research proposal is written to the guidelines specified below.

Guidelines for the Research Proposal

When clicking on the Apply Now button you will be directed to an application specifically designed for the programme you wish to apply for where you will create an account with the University application system and submit your application and supporting documents online. Further information regarding how to apply online can be found on the  how to apply  pages.

International Requirements

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 14/20 from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Argentinian university, with a promedio of at least 7.5, may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent

Applicants who hold a Masters degree will be considered for admission to PhD study.

Holders of a good four-year Diplomstudium/Magister or a Masters degree from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5 will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a good 5-year Specialist Diploma or 4-year Bachelor degree from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan, with a minimum GPA of 4/5 or 80% will be considered for entry to postgraduate taught programmes at the University of Birmingham.

For postgraduate research programmes applicants should have a good 5-year Specialist Diploma (completed after 1991), with a minimum grade point average of 4/5 or 80%, from a recognised higher education institution or a Masters or “Magistr Diplomu” or “Kandidat Nauk” from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 75% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a CGPA of 3.0-3.3/4.0 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students who hold a Masters degree from the University of Botswana with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (70%/B/'very good') will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Please note 4-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a Diploma of Higher Education. 5-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a British Bachelor (Ordinary) degree.

Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

A Licenciatura or Bacharelado degree from a recognised Brazilian university:

• A grade of 7.5/10 for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement
• A grade of 6.5/10for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement

Holders of a good Bachelors degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.  Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good post-2001 Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a minimum average of 14 out of 20 (or 70%) on a 4-year Licence, Bachelor degree or Diplôme d'Etudes Superieures de Commerce (DESC) or Diplôme d'Ingénieur or a Maîtrise will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Holders of a bachelor degree with honours from a recognised Canadian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A GPA of 3.0/4, 7.0/9 or 75% is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1.

Holders of the Licenciado or equivalent Professional Title from a recognised Chilean university will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD study will preferably hold a Magister degree or equivalent.

Students with a bachelor’s degree (4 years minimum) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. However please note that we will only consider students who meet the entry guidance below.  Please note: for the subject areas below we use the Shanghai Ranking 2022 (full table)  ,  Shanghai Ranking 2023 (full table) , and Shanghai Ranking of Chinese Art Universities 2023 .

需要具备学士学位（4年制）的申请人可申请研究生课程。请根据所申请的课程查看相应的入学要求。 请注意，中国院校名单参考 软科中国大学排名2022（总榜） ，  软科中国大学排名2023（总榜） ，以及 软科中国艺术类高校名单2023 。  

Business School    - MSc programmes (excluding MBA)  

商学院硕士课程（MBA除外）入学要求

School of Computer Science – all MSc programmes 计算机学院硕士课程入学要求

College of Social Sciences – courses listed below 社会科学 学院部分硕士课程入学要求 MA Education  (including all pathways) MSc TESOL Education MSc Public Management MA Global Public Policy MA Social Policy MA Sociology Department of Political Science and International Studies  全部硕士课程 International Development Department  全部硕士课程

  All other programmes (including MBA)   所有其他 硕士课程（包括 MBA）入学要求

Please note:

• Borderline cases: We may consider students with lower average score (within 5%) on a case-by-case basis if you have a relevant degree and very excellent grades in relevant subjects and/or relevant work experience. 如申请人均分低于相应录取要求（5%以内），但具有出色学术背景，优异的专业成绩，以及（或）相关的工作经验，部分课程将有可能单独酌情考虑。
• Please contact the China Recruitment Team for any questions on the above entry requirements. 如果您对录取要求有疑问，请联系伯明翰大学中国办公室   [email protected]

Holders of the Licenciado/Professional Title from a recognised Colombian university will be considered for our Postgraduate Diploma and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent.

Holders of a good bachelor degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.  Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Bacclaureus (Bachelors) from a recognised Croatian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 4.0 out of 5.0, vrlo dobar ‘very good’, or a Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a Bachelors degree(from the University of the West Indies or the University of Technology) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A Class II Upper Division degree is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1. For further details on particular institutions please refer to the list below.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Masters degree or Mphil from the University of the West Indies.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10, or a GPA of 3 out of 4, and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bakalár from a recognised Czech Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, velmi dobre ‘very good’ (post-2004) or 2, velmi dobre ‘good’ (pre-2004), or a good post-2002 Magistr (Masters), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum overall grade of 7-10 out of 12 (or 8 out of 13) or higher for 2:1 equivalence and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters/ Magisterkonfereus/Magister Artium degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Ecuadorian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 70% or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Magister/Masterado or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Licenciado with excellent grades can be considered.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 75% from a recognised institution. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bakalaurusekraad from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 4/5 or B, or a good one- or two-year Magistrikraad from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree with very good grades (grade B, 3.5/4 GPA or 85%) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. 

Holders of a good Kandidaatti / Kandidat (old system), a professional title such as Ekonomi, Diplomi-insinööri, Arkkitehti, Lisensiaatti (in Medicine, Dentistry and Vetinary Medicine), or a Maisteri / Magister (new system), Lisensiaatti / Licenciat, Oikeustieteen Kandidaatti / Juris Kandidat (new system) or Proviisori / Provisor from a recognised Finnish Higher Education institution, with a minimum overall grade of 2/3 or 4/5, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters/Maîtrise with a minimum overall grade of 13 out of 20, or a Magistère / Diplôme d'Etudes Approfondies / Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures Specialisées / Mastère Specialis, from a recognised French university or Grande École to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Magister Artium, a Diplom or an Erstes Staatsexamen from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5, or a good two-year Lizentiat / Aufbaustudium / Zweites Staatsexamen or a Masters degree from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good four-year Ptychio (Bachelor degree) with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10, from a recognised Greek university (AEI), and will usually be required to have completed a good Metaptychiako Diploma Eidikefsis (Masters degree) from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

4-year Licenciado is deemed equivalent to a UK bachelors degree. A score of 75 or higher from Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC) can be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 60 is comparable to a UK 2.2.  Private universities have a higher pass mark, so 80 or higher should be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 70 is comparable to a UK 2.2

The Hong Kong Bachelor degree is considered comparable to British Bachelor degree standard. Students with bachelor degrees awarded by universities in Hong Kong may be considered for entry to one of our postgraduate degree programmes.

Students with Masters degrees may be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good Alapfokozat / Alapképzés or Egyetemi Oklevel from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 3.5, or a good Mesterfokozat (Masters degree) or Egyetemi Doktor (university doctorate), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a 60% or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the 4 year Sarjana (S1) from a recognised Indonesian institution will be considered for postgraduate study. Entry requirements vary with a minimum requirement of a GPA of 2.8.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a score of 14/20 or 70% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution, with 100 out of 110 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students who hold the Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies, Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).

Students with a Bachelor degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for entry to a postgraduate Masters degree provided they achieve a sufficiently high overall score in their first (Bachelor) degree. A GPA of 3.0/4.0 or a B average from a good Japanese university is usually considered equivalent to a UK 2:1.

Students with a Masters degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for PhD study. A high overall grade will be necessary to be considered.

Students who have completed their Specialist Diploma Мамаң дипломы/Диплом специалиста) or "Magistr" (Магистр дипломы/Диплом магистра) degree (completed after 1991) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of 2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate Masters degrees and, occasionally, directly for PhD degrees.  Holders of a Bachelor "Bakalavr" degree (Бакалавр дипломы/Диплом бакалавра) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of  2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, may also be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/50

Holders of a good Postgraduate Diploma (professional programme) from a recognised university or institution of Higher Education, with a minimum overall grade of 7.5 out of 10, or a post-2000 Magistrs, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a score of 16/20 or 80% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Libya will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved score of 70% for 2:1 equivalency or 65% for 2:2 equivalency. Alternatively students will require a minimum of 3.0/4.0 or BB to be considered.

Holders of a good pre-2001 Magistras from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10, or a good post-2001 Magistras, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes

Holders of a good Bachelors degree from a recognised Luxembourgish Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20, or a Diplôme d'Études Supérieures Spécialisées (comparable to a UK PGDip) or Masters degree from a recognised Luxembourgish Higher Education institution will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (70-74% or A or Marginal Distinction from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 60-69% or B or Bare Distinction/Credit is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Malaysian institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum of 3.0) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a good Bachelors degree from the University of Malta with a minimum grade of 2:1 (Hons), and/or a Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree (Honours) from a recognised institution (including the University of Mauritius) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2:1).

Students who hold the Licenciado/Professional Titulo from a recognised Mexican university with a promedio of at least 8 will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Students who have completed a Maestria from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree, licence or Maîtrise and a Masters degree, with a score of 14/20 or 70% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students with a good four year honours degree from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. PhD applications will be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 60-74% or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Doctoraal from a recognised Dutch university with a minimum overall grade of 7 out of 10, and/or a good Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree (minimum 4 years and/or level 400) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum GPA of B/Very Good or 1.6-2.5 for a 2.1 equivalency, and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters, Mastergrad, Magister. Artium, Sivilingeniør, Candidatus realium or Candidatus philologiae degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a CGPA of 3.0/4 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in the Palestinian Territories will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3/4 or 80% for 2:1 equivalency or a GPA of 2.5/4 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.    

Holders of the Título de Licenciado /Título de (4-6 years) or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Paraguayan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 4/5 or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent.  The Título Intermedio is a 2-3 year degree and is equivalent to a HNC, it is not suitable for postgraduate entry but holders of this award could be considered for second year undergraduate entry or pre-Masters.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría / Magister or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Título/Grado de Licenciado/a with excellent grades can be considered.

Holders of the Bachiller, Licenciado, or Título Profesional with at least 13/20 may be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría or equivalent qualification.

Holders of a good pre-2001 Magister from a recognised Polish university with a minimum overall grade of 4 out of 5, dobry ‘good’, and/or a good Swiadectwo Ukonczenia Studiów Podyplomowych (Certificate of Postgraduate Study) or post-2001 Magister from a recognised Polish university with a minimum overall grade of 4.5/4+ out of 5, dobry plus 'better than good', will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Licenciado from a recognised university, or a Diploma de Estudos Superiores Especializados (DESE) from a recognised Polytechnic Institution, with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20, and/or a good Mestrado / Mestre (Masters) from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised Romanian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10, and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree/Diploma de Master/Diploma de Studii Academice Postuniversitare (Postgraduate Diploma - Academic Studies) or Diploma de Studii Postuniversitare de Specializare (Postgraduate Diploma - Specialised Studies) to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Диплом Специалиста (Specialist Diploma) or Диплом Магистра (Magistr) degree from recognised universities in Russia (minimum GPA of 4.0) will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes/PhD study.

Students who hold a 4-year Bachelor degree with at least 16/20 or 70% will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.   

Students who hold a Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies,Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. A score of 14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2

Students who hold a Bachelor (Honours) degree from a recognised institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (or a score of 60-69% or B+) from a well ranked institution will be considered for most our Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees with a 2:1 requirement.

Students holding a good Bachelors Honours degree will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a good three-year Bakalár or pre-2002 Magister from a recognised Slovakian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, Vel’mi dobrý ‘very good’, and/or a good Inžinier or a post-2002 Magister from a recognised Slovakian Higher Education institution will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Diploma o pridobljeni univerzitetni izobrazbi (Bachelors degree), Diplomant (Professionally oriented first degree), Univerzitetni diplomant (Academically oriented first degree) or Visoko Obrazovanja (until 1999) from a recognised Slovenian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8.0 out of 10, and/or a good Diploma specializacija (Postgraduate Diploma) or Magister (Masters) will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor Honours degree (also known as Baccalaureus Honores / Baccalaureus Cum Honoribus) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (70%) or a distinction (75%).

Holders of a Masters degree will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a Bachelor degree from a recognised South Korean institution (usually with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average 3.0/4.0 or 3.2/4.5) will be considered for Masters programmes.

Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 7 out of 10 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 60-74% or a CGPA 3.30/4.0 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Kandidatexamen (Bachelors degree) or Yrkesexamen (Professional Bachelors degree) from a recognised Swedish Higher Education institution with the majority of subjects with a grade of VG (Val godkänd), and/or a good Magisterexamen (Masters degree), International Masters degree or Licentiatexamen (comparable to a UK Mphil), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good "PostGraduate Certificate" or "PostGraduate Diploma" or a Masters degree from a recognised Swiss higher education institution (with a minimum GPA of 5/6 or 8/10 or 2/5 (gut-bien-bene/good) for a 2.1 equivalence) may be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0, 3.5/5 or 75% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bachelor degree (from 75% to 85% depending upon the university in Taiwan) from a recognised institution will be considered for postgraduate Masters study. Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for entry to our postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Masters degree or Mphil from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a Bachelors degree from the following universities may be considered for entry to postgraduate programmes:

• Ateneo de Manila University - Quezon City
• De La Salle University - Manila
• University of Santo Tomas
• University of the Philippines - Diliman

Students from all other institutions with a Bachelors and a Masters degree or relevant work experience may be considered for postgraduate programmes.

Grading Schemes

1-5 where 1 is the highest 2.1 = 1.75 2.2 = 2.25 

Out of 4.0 where 4 is the highest 2.1 = 3.0 2.2 = 2.5

Letter grades and percentages 2.1 = B / 3.00 / 83% 2.2 = C+ / 2.5 / 77%

Holders of a postdoctoral qualification from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.  Students may be considered for PhD study if they have a Masters from one of the above listed universities.

Holders of a Lisans Diplomasi with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0/4.0 from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a Yuksek Diplomasi from a recognised university will be considered for PhD study.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (2.1) or GPA of 3.5/5.0

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree / Диплом бакалавра (Dyplom Bakalavra), Диплом спеціаліста (Specialist Diploma) or a Dyplom Magistra from a recognised Ukrainian higher education institution with a minimum GPA of 4.0/5.0, 3.5/4, 8/12 or 80% or higher for 2:1 equivalence and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

The University will consider students who hold an Honours degree from a recognised institution in the USA with a GPA of:

• 2.8 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement 
• 3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement 

Please note that some subjects which are studied at postgraduate level in the USA, eg. Medicine and Law, are traditionally studied at undergraduate level in the UK.

Holders of the Magistr Diplomi (Master's degree) or Diplomi (Specialist Diploma), awarded by prestigious universities, who have attained high grades in their studies will be considered for postgraduate study.  Holders of the Fanlari Nomzodi (Candidate of Science), where appropriate, will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of the Licenciatura/Título or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Venezuelan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Scales of 1-5, 1-10 and 1-20 are used, an overall score of 70% or equivalent can be considered equivalent to a UK 2.1.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Maestria or equivalent qualification

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Vietnamese institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum GPA of 7.0 and above) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.  Holders of a Masters degree (thac si) will be considered for entry to PhD programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree with a minimum GPA of 3.5/5.0 or a mark of 2.0/2.5 (A) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.   

Students who hold a good Bachelor Honours degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. 

International Students

English requirements are IELTS 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in any band or equivalent.

The marketing department encourages PhD applications that align with one of the three research groups below.

Culture Research Group

Marketing innovations and consumer science research group, responsible and critical marketing research group.

Members of the Culture Research Group are interested in a range of topics drawing from the diverse field of the arts. Specific research areas include heritage, issues of culture and authenticity, art and artists as brands, the production and consumption of art, film production and reception, film distribution and exhibition, social responsibility in arts marketing, television, dark tourism, embodiment, visual arts and the market, the production and consumption of place, space and time, myth and marketplace, festivals, the intersection of arts and technology, how emerging artists use new technology, and sub-cultural and non-mainstream consumption.

• Alessandro Gerosa is happy to consider projects about taste, sociology of consumption, consumer cultures, and digital cultures, using qualitative or digital methods.
• Christina Goulding is interested in supervising qualitative project in cultural consumption, place, space and consumption, non-conformist or transgressive consumption, the arts meets technology, consumer identity projects, consumption and loss, the dark side of consumption, and consumption and resilience. 
• Chelsea Harfield’s research is into consumer behaviour, tourism, heritage, authenticity and narrative transportation. Her focus is qualitative methodologies.
• Scott Jones does research into marketplace cultures and consumer collectives, celebrity studies, fandom, responsible and ethical marketing, and alternative methods in qualitative research.
• Finola Kerrigan’s work is on the entertainment industries, cultural branding, and digital identity, and uses qualitative and visual approaches [not taking students for 2024 entry].
• Rohan Venkatraman is looking to support projects related to the intersection of marketplace hierarchies, especially gender and sexuality, and consumer culture, using qualitative and ethnographic methodologies.
• Julie Whiteman’s interests are in representation and consumption of gender, race, sexuality and class, using qualitative, intersectional research methods.

The marketing innovations and consumer science research group brings together researchers across the marketing field who are interested in innovative marketing practice, innovation itself, digital and technological innovations, as well as methodological innovations in marketing research. The group also has a focus on psychological theories as a means to understand consumers and their behaviour. Researchers in the group use a range of research methods but with some concentration on quantitative approaches to research problems.

• Raphaël Akamavi researches new product development processes, service innovation, consumption experiences, and social capital & organisational /industry performance using positivist approaches.
• Achilleas Boukis works on technology integration in physical interactions with customers, digital assets including NFTs, demanding consumers, branding cryptocurrencies and technology products, and brand equity using quantitative approaches.
• Fahad Ibrahim considers big data and technology in marketing, social networks and relationship marketing, using quantitative methods (specialised in structural equation modelling).
• Doga Istanbulluoglu’s areas of interest include online consumer behaviour, especially complaining, service recovery, and anti-consumption. She uses qualitative methods.  
• Grigorios Lamprinakos researches consumer psychology, cognitive and metacognitive processes, persuasion, sustainable consumption and socially responsible behaviour using experimental designs.
• Miriam McGowen’s research draws on consumer psychology perspectives to understand how social and situation factors impact consumer behaviour. She uses quantitative methods. 
• Amin Nazifi’s  research focuses on service failure and recovery, customer complaint management, customer satisfaction and loyalty, gamification, artificial intelligence, and consumer well-being using quantitative research methods and in particular experiments.
•   Eric Shiu  works on innovation in all aspects, as well as trust, agri-food and retailing, using experimental design, survey, interview, focus group, or a mix of these.
• Weiyue Wang is interested in employee – organisation relationships, employee cognition, ethics and ethical behaviour, services marketing and service performance using quantitative methods.

The Responsible and Critical Marketing Research Group aims to lead the academic development of knowledge of the subject, to contribute to the learning curriculum and reach out to those interested in improving marketing practices and standards. Research by members of the team covers areas of employee attitudes to responsibility, managerial and B2B ethics, responsible marketing and technology, consumer responsibility, marketing sustainability, base of the pyramid (BoP) marketing, market access and diversity, corporate social responsibility (CSR), marketing’s contribution to social and environmental elements of the ‘triple bottom line’ and responsible marketing education. The group are also interested in explicitly critical perspectives in marketing and consumer research.

• Robert Cluley researches contemporary marketing practice, how marketers work and think, and the role of technology in marketing. His methods include ethnography, action research, psychoanalytic interviews, content analysis and semiotics, and psychometrics.  
• Louise Hassan is interested in sustainability and health issues, including consumer decision-making or information processing from a consumer/social psychology perspective. Her methods focus on experimental approaches, but a wide range of methods acceptable.
• Sheena Leek is interested in information technology within business relationships, social capital and branding, consumer confusion in high tech areas, and convenience and healthy eating. She uses a range of qualitative approaches.
• Solon Magrizos  is interested in consumer happiness and wellbeing, responsible marketing, sustainable tourism, corporate social responsibility, ethical consumer behaviour, and responsible and irresponsible employees/employers. His research employs a wide range of qualitative/quantitative methods.
• Scott McCabe works on responsible and ethical tourism, including negative and positive emotions associated with responsible behaviour, social tourism, tourism as an experience, and new methods of assessing ethical, green sustainable tourist consumption.
• Mike Molesworth ’s research takes a critical approach to consumption and marketing, especially aspects of new technologies. He uses interpretivist techniques, including netnography.
• Fatos Ozkan Erciyas is interested in marketplace accessibility, inclusion and exclusion in marketing, and spaces and places of consumption, experiences of vulnerable/marginalized consumer groups.
• Mike Saren is interested in supervising projects in heritage and identity, consumer culture and relationships and marketing technology using qualitative approaches. 
• Emma Surman ‘s research is in the areas of ethics and sustainability of consumption, sociology of consumption, and decolonisation using qualitative and creative methodologies.
• Rohit Varman uses interpretive methodologies. His current inter-disciplinary research focuses on corporate violence, exploitation, modern slavery, and resistance to corporatization and marketization.

Doctoral researchers in Marketing are registered for a full time 3-year PhD or a part-time 6-year PhD. In the first year of the programme (first two years for those registered part-time) students are required to take 60 credits of core Research Methods modules from the MA Social Research programme. They are also recommended to take Advanced Training Modules from the MA Social Research Programme as appropriate to their research and training needs. Depending on their needs and accredited prior learning and subject to supervisory approval doctoral researchers can substitute 20 credits of the introductory MA Social research modules for Advanced Training Modules. By the end of their first year doctoral students will have completed an 8,000 word research proposal that they will present at the first annual review.  This forms the basis for supervised research over the remaining two years of the programme and the production of an 80,000 word thesis.

Applicants are urged to study the up-to-date profiles of individual staff members' research via their personal web pages. Each student will have two academic supervisors who will work with the students in their areas of expertise.  It is essential that students applying to the department recognise the expertise of their potential supervisor. It is possible to contact a potential supervisor to discuss the possibility of working with them and this communication would involve identifying the proposed research area and methods and identifying the link with the proposed supervisor’s work.  Current priority areas include:

Support and training

Birmingham Business School provides dedicated facilities, resources and support to postgraduate students and early career researchers which includes The Midlands Graduate School and Doctoral Training Centres and Programmes.  Find out more .

• Research at the Department of Marketing

Career prospects

The University of Birmingham has recently been ranked 9th in the UK and 55th in the world for post-qualification employability in a global survey of universities commissioned by the International Herald Tribune .

Recent PhD graduates from Birmingham Business School are working in central banks, Government departments, a variety of financial institutions, accountancy firms, supranational organisations and multinational corporations. Many of our PhD graduates also go on to forge successful academic careers in other top Universities.

Doctoral Research career assistance

The University of Birmingham has invested heavily in careers and employability support. The Careers Team have been praised for enhanced developments within their team and for adopting a model of integrated employability and internship support; something that has been rolled out and implemented across all Schools and Colleges at the University.

Doctoral researchers at Birmingham Business School benefit from its own well qualified dedicated Careers Team to support students with employment opportunities, work placements, internships and how to succeed at interview. In addition, a range of career management, personal development and employer events are run each year by the Careers in Business Team to help you make the most of the opportunities available.

The University also has dedicated careers advisors for international students  who run workshops and networking opportunities with potential employers. These are especially popular with international postgraduate researchers.

• Online chat events

Making your Research easy

Research topics in Marketing for PhD

If you are searching for good research topics for your PhD. in Marketing then this article will guide you to find the best Research topics in marketing for PhD

Research topics in marketing for PhD

Marketing management is one of the best-preferred topics for a Ph.D. in Management. Every year thousands of applicants want to peruse a Ph.D. in Marketing Management. Marketing is a topic that changes every time and it depends upon various aspect as geopolitical issues, new technology, consumer behavior, and consumer perception. production diversification etc.

In this article, we will discuss some of the trending topics for the Ph.D. in Marketing.

This will also make you understand the process to find some tips and tricks from someone who has a good amount of experience.

Here are some of the latest and trending topics.

List of research topics in Marketing Management

• Creation of a global luxury brand.
• Global versus local marketing strategy.
• Global customer management.
• The strategy of Neuromarketing.
• Effectiveness of business outsourcing.
• Measuring Customer satisfaction.
• Effective branding using social media and digital marketing.
• social media on customer purchasing choices.
• Emotions and consumer decision-making.
• Neuroscience and consumer emotions.
• Consumption-based affect regulation.
• Engineering of feelings and emotions in the marketplace.
• Emotion and consumption experiences.
• The emotional impact of the marketing mix (pricing, product, distribution, communication).
• Emotions and social media.
• The Emotions and branding.
• Emotions and marketing effectiveness.
• Emotions and consumer happiness and well-being.
• Big data of emotion in the marketplace.
• Consumer psychology and judgment and decision-making.
• Emotional and cognitive factors influence consumer judgments and decision-making.
• Cultural variations in judgment and decision behavior.
• Consumer adoption of technology products, and strategies for multi-sided platforms.
• long-term effects of marketing actions and optimal allocation of marketing budgets.
• Marketing and strategy problems in digital marketing and social media.

Many Ph.D. students appear to start their project with over-ambitious topics but the important thing is, to keep the topic to the point and resume to one central research question.

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Before taking the decision to finalize one topic one must start working on different topics and make sure that such a topic is new and no one else worked on it.

So here are some of the topics you can work on to find a good topic for your Ph.D.

Comment below if there are any current Research topics in marketing for Ph.D .

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After dark days for stocks, see where stock market and economy stand

When world markets fall with big red numbers like they did Monday, investors are shaken and 401(k)s are dented. Should that have us on edge about the direction of the economy? Several other numbers say probably not.

Following three days of losses, including Monday's sell-off, the three major U.S. indexes have been unsettled during the remainder of the week:

◾ Tuesday: Regained ground.

◾ Wednesday: Slid back after a strong start.

◾ Thursday: Jumped even higher into positive territory in early trading. The S&P 500 remains more than 4% below where it ended July.

These jitters may be a sign of a gap that's opened between the future investors see and the one economists see.

The economic news that changed the trajectory of investor confidence came last Friday when the Department of Labor reported the U.S. economy created fewer jobs in July than expected and the unemployment rate rose to 4.3%.

The unemployment rate has ticked up in every month of 2024 except February. Still, the economy created jobs in July and the jobless rate remains historically low.

Unemployment rate rises above 10-year median

The issues rippling through the world's stock markets in recent days are much more varied and complex than just a disappointing jobs report. Could Friday's jobs numbers raise the risk of a recession? Possibly. But other data points aren't trending that way.

"Fears over the health of the economy escalated drastically in recent days," Oxford Economics, an independent economic advisory firm, said in its Recession Monitor on Wednesday. "We think that is an overreaction to what has been a steady weakening in the incoming economic data."

The Oxford Economics index turned down in its July forecast, meaning the odds of a recession have risen. But the company said, "They are still below the historical recession threshold and still lower than they were a year ago."

'Don't panic': What to do when the stock market sinks like a stone

A new report released Tuesday by Zeta Global, an artificial intelligence-powered marketing cloud, also suggests the job market is softening but the overall economy appears strong.

Zeta Global monitors the anonymized online behaviors of 240 million Americans. Perhaps among the trillions of data points analyzed by the company’s AI system, prospective employees are lamenting the challenges of landing a job.

 “A slight decline in job market sentiment and a slowdown in particular sectors suggests that further economic expansion will be uneven,” Zeta Global CEO David A. Steinberg said. Even with the job sentiment decline in July, the company's overall measure of the economy's strength – the Zeta Economic Index – continues to rise.

The economy's health since 2020 based on the Zeta Economic Index

Other measures show us economy remains strong.

Zeta Global's findings square with more traditional economic measures:

◾ Gross domestic product surprises: The Commerce Department reported in late July that the value of goods and services produced in the U.S. during the second jumped 2.8%. That was double the first quarter's growth and almost a full percentage point stronger than forecasts.

◾ Consumer confidence rises: The Consumer Confidence Index remains well below its 10-year highs, but the index turned up a couple of points in July to 100. "Even though consumers remain relatively positive about the labor market, they still appear to be concerned about elevated prices and interest rates," Dana M. Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board wrote.

◾ Service industry grows: Service-based industries make up 70% of GDP . Those industries grew in July for the 47th time in 50 months, the Institute for Supply Management reported Monday .

Signs of continued economic growth in the future

Most traditional measures, though, tell us what's happened and don't necessarily signal what's ahead. Consumer confidence gives us a sense of what's on Americans' minds, which could affect their spending or employment plans.

"Compared to last month, consumers were somewhat less pessimistic about the future," Peterson wrote. "Expectations for future income improved slightly, but consumers remained generally negative about business and employment conditions ahead."

Consumers appear primed to buoy economy with their spending

Zeta Global's indexes rely on collecting and analyzing the online actions of consumers, who account for almost 70 cents of every dollar spent in the U.S. economy. The July data suggest that we plan to increase our purchases in the coming weeks while taking on more debt.

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Adonis Rubio and Christopher Barnes, PhD

Immunology student Adonis Rubio and his adviser, assistant professor of biology Christopher Barnes, have been named fellows of the 2024 cohort of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Gilliam Fellows Program. The program recognizes student-adviser pairs for their outstanding research as well as for their commitments to advancing equity and inclusion in science. The pair will receive $53,000 of annual funding for up to three years, to support Rubio’s dissertation research, which focuses on leveraging structural biology to profile protective human antibodies against infectious diseases, with the aim of engineering therapeutics and vaccines to improve human health.

About Stanford Medicine

Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit http://mednews.stanford.edu .