research topics for phd in marketing

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.

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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.

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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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Curriculum & Coursework

Our programs are full-time degree programs which officially begin in August. Students are expected to complete their program in five years. Typically, the first two years are spent on coursework, at the end of which students take a field exam, and then another three years on dissertation research and writing.

The Marketing program draws on computer science, economics, behavioral science, and psychological methods to focus on marketing problems faced by the firm and its management. Through a combination of discipline- and field-based methods, the curriculum enables students to master concepts and research skills directly relevant to business problems. Candidates must come to understand the point of view of practicing managers and be able to bring theory and careful research to bear in illuminating important business problems.

The program requires a minimum of 13 semester-long doctoral courses. Students in the Marketing program are required to complete a year-long discipline sequence typically in microeconomics or psychology. They also complete courses in the areas of machine learning, computer science, statistics, research methods, academic field seminars, and two MBA elective curriculum courses. In addition to HBS courses, students often take courses at other Harvard Schools and MIT.

Research & Dissertation

Students in Marketing begin research in their first year typically by working with a faculty member. By their third and fourth years, most students are launched on a solid research and publication stream. The dissertation may take the form of three publishable papers or one longer dissertation.

Recent examples of doctoral thesis research include: The effects of brand extensions on the value of parent brands; Multi-method examination of the consumption of “knockoffs” of high status brands, and the counter-intuitive positive outcomes for consumer-brand relationships; Competitive analysis of pricing and quality decisions in industries with strictly complimentary products; The psychological effects of pricing, and how these affect consumers and firms; and "Choice amnesia," the motivated forgetting of difficult decisions.

Mengjie "Magie" Cheng

Ta-Wei "David" Huang

“ Finding an advisor who you really click with and who is willing to support your research interests is absolutely key. ”

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Current HBS Faculty & Students by Interest

Recent placement, emily prinsloo, 2023, ximena garcia-rada, 2021, serena hagerty, 2022, dafna goor, 2020, byungyeon kim, 2022, grant donnelly, 2018.

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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, with a total of about 18 marketing students in residence. Student-faculty relationships are close, both professionally and socially. 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 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, 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, when the one true faith trumps all: low religious diversity, religious intolerance, and science denial, express: using price promotions to drive children’s healthy choices in a developing economy, regulating privacy online: an economic evaluation of the gdpr, recent insights by stanford business, a little fun — and a discount — can steer kids to healthier foods, what people really think about search engine ads. (you might be surprised.), zoom in... or out why face-to-face meetings matter.

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At the Eli Broad College of Business, students in the marketing Ph.D. program have the opportunity to work and publish with some of the most prolific researchers in marketing. Faculty-student collaboration is a significant part of the doctoral experience, and it leads to results. Doctoral students work with faculty to research the most compelling issues facing businesses today, and Broad provides the resources to get it done.

Focused on marketing strategy, Broad’s faculty has developed four areas of research excellence:

• Marketing strategy
• Product and brand management
• Relationship marketing
• International marketing

Research Prestige

Research in marketing.

The available marketing doctoral coursework covers a broad range of topics, including marketing strategy, modeling marketing problems, consumer behavior and statistics. Ph.D. students are expected to be in residence on a full-time basis during the program. While in the coursework stage of the program, doctoral students are also assigned as teaching and/or research assistants. Upon completion of coursework, students are required to pass a comprehensive exam in marketing and then complete a dissertation that demonstrates their ability to conduct an original research project.

The program curriculum is designed with a focus on research mentorship and training and includes several writing requirements to ensure our students are prepared for the job market and ready to succeed as assistant professors. The Ph.D. handbook provides details on the program requirements, and the curriculum schedule is presented below.

Centers of Research Excellence

Marketing strategy.

The anchor for this focus is our strong reputation and core faculty studying marketing strategy. Among notable faculty in this center of research excellence are Tomas Hult, Roger Calantone, Ahmet Kirca and Irina Kozlenkova.

Product and Brand Management

The Eli Broad College of Business has long been recognized for its excellence in product and brand management. In a study by Pianpain Yang and Lei Tao, MSU ranked #3 among universities for innovation management and #1 in the Big Ten. Scholarship in this area has been a long-standing strength at Broad, and its faculty has won numerous awards in this center of research excellence.

As a doctoral student, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with renowned scholars in product and brand management. The Broad faculty continually works with doctoral students in this area. Among notable faculty in this center of research excellence is Roger Calantone, who has been ranked the world’s #2 scholar in innovation management and the tenth most-cited marketing researcher worldwide. In addition to these accomplishments, he is a University Distinguished Professor, has chaired many dissertations, and has published numerous articles with doctoral students. Calantone and other faculty in this area – such as Cornelia Droge, Ahmet Kirca and Hang Nguyen – enjoy working with doctoral students and providing tutelage on research.

Relationship Marketing and Sales

Relationship marketing and sales is one of the hottest areas of marketing research today. At Broad, you’ll have access to some of the top faculty in the field. With multiple publications in leading journals, the college’s relationship marketing and sales center of research excellence is becoming one of the best in the nation. Here is but a brief list of awards in this center of research excellence:

• AMA’s Emerging Service Scholar Award
• AMA Sales SIG Excellence in Research Award
• Winner of the 2011, 2012 and 2015 Industry Relevance Awards granted by the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research

Doctoral students who focus on relationship marketing and sales have access to some of the best faculty in the field. Among notable faculty in this center of research excellence is Douglas Hughes. Hughes is the incoming editor of the  Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management  and an area editor for the  Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science . His research focuses on sales force management issues and has appeared in the  Journal of Marketing , the  Journal of Marketing Research  and the  Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science . In addition, a number of other faculty work in this area, including Roger Calantone, Tomas Hult, Irina Kozlenkova and Stephanie Mangus.

International Marketing

The Broad College of Business has been ranked #1 in international business research. Doctoral students who choose to focus on international marketing will have access to resources such as MSU-CIBER and to faculty who are thought leaders in the field. The Broad faculty regularly collaborates with doctoral students in this area and have served as committee members and chairs of several dissertations.

Among notable faculty in this center of research excellence is Tomas Hult, director of the International Business Center (MSU-CIBER), former editor of the  Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science , and one of the 50 most cited researchers in marketing. During his time at MSU, Hult has co-authored several books on international business, has chaired multiple dissertation committees, and has collaborated with doctoral students on numerous publications. In addition, Roger Calantone, Ahmet Kirca and Irina Kozlenkova also conduct research in this area.

Publications

Recent publications in each of the four core areas of research are listed below.

Katsikeas, Constantine S., Neil A. Morgan, Leonidas C. Leonidou, and G. Tomas M. Hult (2016), “Assessing Performance Outcomes in Marketing,” Journal of Marketing , 80 (2), In Press. Bamiatzi, Vassiliki, Konstantinos Bozos, S. Tamer Cavusgil, and G. Tomas M. Hult (2016), “Revisiting the Firm, Industry and Country Effects on Profitability under Recessionary and Expansion Periods: A Multi-level Analysis,” Strategic Management Journal , In Press. Ozkaya, Erkan, Cornelia Droge, G. Tomas M. Hult, Roger Calantone , and Elif Ozkaya (2015), “Market Orientation, Knowledge Competence, and Innovation,” International Journal of Research in Marketing , 32 (3), 309-318. Arrfelt, Mathias, Robert M. Wiseman, Gerry McNamara, and G. Tomas M. Hult (2015), “Examining a Key Corporate Role: The Influence of Capital Allocation Competency on Business Unit Performance,” Strategic Management Journal , 36 (7), 1017-1034. Lee, J. –Y., Kozlenkova, I. V. , and Palmatier R. W., “Structural Marketing: Using Organizational Structure to Achieve Marketing Objectives,” (forthcoming),  Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.

Dean, Tereza, David A. Griffith, Roger J. Calantone , “New Product Creativity: Understanding Contract Specificity in New Product Introductions,”Forthcoming, Journal of Marketing. Sarangee, K., J. Schmidt, and R. J. Calantone (2015), “Does the Future Impact the Present during New Product Development?”  Journal of Product and Innovation Management . Vickery, S., Y. Bolumole, M. Castel, and R. J. Calantone (2015), “The Effects of Product Modularity on Launch Speed,”  International Journal of Production Research , Vol. 53, Iss. 17. Vickery, S., X. Koufteros, C. Dröge, and R. J. Calantone (2015), “Product Modularity, Process Modularity and New Product Introduction Performance: Does Complexity Matter?”  Production and Operations Management , p1-20. Bolumole, Y., R. Calantone , C. A. Di Benedetto, and S. A. Melnyk (2015), “New Product Development in New Ventures: The Quest for Resources,”  International Journal of Production Research , Vol. 53, Iss. 8, p2506-2523. Chauduri, M., R. Calantone , and P. Randhawa (2015), “New Wine from Old Grapes: Innovation in the Eco-Friendly B2C Space,”  Journal of International Consumer Marketing , Vol. 27, Iss. 2, p99-122. Ozkaya, H. E., C. Dröge, G. T. M. Hult, R. Calantone , and E. Ozkaya (2015), “Market Orientation, Knowledge Competence, and Innovation,”  International Journal of Research in Marketing .

Bolander, Willy, Cinthia Santornino, Douglas E. Hughes , and Gerald R. Ferris (2015), “Social Networks within Sales Organizations: Their Development and Importance for Salesperson Performance,”  Journal of Marketing . Kozlenkova, Irina, G. Tomas M. Hult, Donald Lund, Jeannette A. Mena, and Pinar Kekec (2015), “The Role of Marketing Channels in Supply Chain Management: A Review of the Literature and Takeaways for Future Research,”  Journal of Retailing , 91 (4), 586-609. Miao, C. Fred, Douglas E. Hughes , Keith A. Richards, and Frank Q. Fu (2015), “Understanding the Interactive Effects of Service Climate and Transactional Sales Climate on Service Quality and Sales Performance,”  Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science . Baldus, B., C. Voorhees, and R. J. Calantone (2015), “Online Brand Community Engagement: Scale Development and Validation,”  Journal of Business Research , Vol. 68, Iss. 5, p978-85.

Kostova, Tatiana and G. Tomas M. Hult (2016), “Meyer and Peng’s 2005 Article as a Foundation for an Expanded and Refined International Business Research Agenda: Context, Organizations, and Theories,”  Journal of International Business Studies , 47 (1), In Press.

Marketing @ Broad

From the conversation, featuring ayalla ruvio forrest morgeson, from ap news, featuring forrest morgeson, get connected with broad:.

• Business College Complex
• 632 Bogue St
• East Lansing, MI 48824

• Youth Program
• Wharton Online

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.

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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25 Marketing Management Dissertation Topics

Published by Owen Ingram at January 2nd, 2023 , Revised On August 18, 2023

Are you a marketing or management student looking for specific marketing management dissertation topics? If yes, your search is over because this article provides 25 highly focused marketing management dissertation ideas and examples for your consideration.

Marketing management refers to planning, organising, coordinating, and controlling marketing functions within a company. Sales, distribution, and customer service are all related to marketing management because they connect a brand with customers, suppliers, and other partners. Other areas of marketing management include public relations and direct advertising activities.

Furthermore, marketing management involves planning for the marketing mix, which is essential for promoting any business. It encompasses various responsibilities, from product development to pricing strategies and channel selection.

Marketing managers perform:

• Detailed market research
• Develop product and service branding strategies
• Develop strategies for targeting customers
• Identify the marketing activities to be undertaken within the budget.

Increased sales revenue and market share are the primary goals of marketing management. Therefore, improving product quality and service levels will improve customer satisfaction.

Also read Sports management dissertation topics , event management thesis ideas , operations management thesis ideas , management thesis topics , and asset management thesis topics .

Marketing Management Research Areas For Dissertation

Marketing management can be divided into four main types as categorized by the American Marketing Association (AMA):

• Customer relationship management (CRM)
• Product lifecycle management (PLM)
• Supply chain management (SCM)
• Market analytics.

These are briefly explained below.

Customer Relationship Management

Customers who have not engaged with a company for a long time can be won back through CRM strategies—providing personalized products, services, and communication to create a long-term relationship with the customer.

Product Lifecycle Management

The PLM process adds new features, services, and components to existing products over time to create more value. Maintaining consumer needs helps companies improve their margins.

Supply Chain Management

SCM uses technologies like supply chain software to manage inventory flows throughout their supply chain, which extends the company’s internal resources into all aspects of their external relationships with vendors, suppliers, distributors, and retailers.”

Market Analytics

Companies use market analytics to gather insights into consumer behaviour and preferences to make better business decisions. Business Intelligence: Business intelligence collects, analyses, and interprets data from multiple sources to understand how the business performs.

Furthermore, if you are studying business, you may also want to look at the list of business dissertation topics  and  finance dissertation topics .

Benefits of Marketing Management

There are various benefits of using Marketing Management. Some of them are as follows:

• It increases sales and profits.
• It improves customer satisfaction.
• It reduces costs
• It helps you to identify the problems in your business.
• It improves the quality of products and services.
• It builds a competitive advantage.
• It makes processes more efficient.
• It increases customer satisfaction.
• It improves sales
• It helps to identify new markets.

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List of Dissertation Topics for Marketing Management

Marketing management is a vast field, and it can be challenging to know where to start! Luckily, we’ve done the work for you. Here is a list of the latest marketing management dissertation topics to help you out.

• Using financial products in the UK retail banking sector
• A study of how service quality and customer satisfaction affect brand equity
• A study of the antecedents and consequences of a firm’s reputation
• Impact of social media marketing on consumer behaviour
• The role of internet advertising as a marketing tool
• A study of how supermarket retailers can use customer relationship management (CRM) data to identify consumers and predict buying behaviour
• The influence of reference groups on purchasing patterns among British consumers
• Factors that influence product packaging decisions
• An investigation into how organizational culture influences employee behaviour
• A preliminary study examined how sales assist the marketing role of security solutions.
• A thorough analysis of the literature on the term “Coopetition.”
• The function of marketing management in maintaining efficient supply chains
• Review of the literature on product innovation in multinational companies
• The psychology of consumers, how to evaluate it, and how it relates to digital marketing
• Several of the most prevalent errors are made today in email marketing.
• Correlation between marketing problem-solving techniques and marketing management support systems.
• A comparison of marketing management practices in industrialized and developing countries.
• A comprehensive review of the connection between management sciences and marketing management.
• Exploring the potential link between corporate financial success and corporate social responsibility
• A comparison of the regional strategic management of fashion apparel brands.
• Analysis of market segmentation’s effect on hotel industry customer loyalty.
• The analysis of the influence of social media on customer relationship management in the hotel industry.
• The analysis of supply chain management on operational efficiency in the hotel industry.
• The relationship between customer satisfaction, market share, and profitability
• An empirical study into the relationship between brand image and consumer perception.

Marketing management has a broad scope as it is not confined to one industry or market. It is necessary to effectively market goods and services in any economic sector. In marketing, strategic thinking, management practices, and techniques are used to develop and implement marketing programs that help businesses flourish and grow. We hope you can pick one from the aforementioned marketing management dissertation topics.

Alternatively, you may want to read about the dissertation proposal writing service and the full dissertation writing service to see how our services can ease your workload by completing your dissertation to the required criteria.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How to find dissertation topics about marketing management.

For dissertation topics in marketing management:

• Study recent marketing challenges.
• Explore consumer behavior trends.
• Analyze digital marketing innovations.
• Investigate branding strategies.
• Examine market segmentation.
• Consider ethical marketing issues.

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is the process of building machines, robots and software that are intelligent enough to act as humans.

Use and get inspired by our list of trending and unique neuropsychology dissertation topic ideas to get started with your dissertation.

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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

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

Student Profile Marketing (2019-2023)

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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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Digital Commons @ USF > Muma College of Business > Marketing > Theses and Dissertations

Marketing Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

How Feeling Like a Minority Affects Preferences for Autonomous Digital Interfaces , Ye Seul Kim

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Spillover Effects in Product Customization , Samuel Babu Sekar

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

External and Internal Factors of Sports Sponsorship Selling Cycles in North American Professional Sports , Dan Kaufmann

Increasing Personal and Product Influence Through Background Auditory and Visual Cues , Zhihao Yu

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

The Effects of Product Recalls on Competitors’ Market Value and Recalling Firm’s Reputation , Dong Liu

Corporate Brand Impact on Sales / Revenue Per Share , Brad A. Puckey

Competition in Upstream Humanitarian Supply Chain: Investigation of Food Banks , Iana Shaheen

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

How Digital versus Non-Digital Modes of Food Ordering Influence Menu Healthfulness Perceptions and Food Choices , Annika Abell

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

The Impact of Digital Marketing Decisions on Market Outcomes in Residential Real Estate , Denise Hunter Gravatt

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Hate is a Strong Word: The Influence of Hate-Acknowledging Advertising on Brand Outcomes , Lisa Monahan

The Effects of Loneliness on Consumers’ Digital Engagement with Social Media Ads , Yu Qin

Product Shadows and Ad Evaluations , Nazuk Sharma

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Understanding the Complexity of Product Returns Management: A Complex Adaptive Systems Theory Perspective , Jennifer Anne Espinosa

Branding Implications of Co-Created Social Responsibility , Alexander J. Kull

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

How You Categorize Influences How Helpful You Are: The Effect of Categorization Mindset on Consumers’ Social Decisions , Hsiao-Ching Kuo

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Taken for Granted or Taken with Gratitude? An Examination of the Differential Effects of Donations of Time and Money on Consumers' Evaluation of Corporate Philanthropy , Ryan Langan

Essays on Consumer's Psychological and Behavioral Responses toward Social Coupons , Chinintorn Nakhata

Muscling Consumers to Optimal Option Differentiation: The Influence of Incidental Muscular Sensations on Option Differentiation , Courtney Szocs

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Essays on Mental Accounting and Consumers' Decision Making , Ali Besharat

Perceived Firm Transparency: Scale and Model Development , Jennifer Dapko

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

Antecedents and Consequences of Channel Alienation: An Empirical Investigation within Franchised Channels of Distribution , Ivan Lapuka

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

An Empirical Examination of the Dark Side of Relationship Marketing within a Business to Business Context , Brent L. Baker

Developing the Nomological Network of Perceived Corporate Affinity for Technology: A Three Essay Dissertation , David Earl Fleming

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Self-Directed Learning: Measures and Models for Salesperson Training and Development , Stefanie Leigh Boyer

Emotional Exhaustion and Its Role in Service Sabotage among Boundary Spanners , Diane R. Edmondson

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

Essays on multiple identities and motivated consumption: Exploring the role of identity centrality on self-brand connections , Tracy R. Harmon

The impact of organizational climate variables of perceived organizational support, workplace isolation, and ethical climate on salesperson psychological and behavioral work outcomes , Robert J. Riggle

Theses/Dissertations from 2005 2005

The Effect of Perceived Entitativity on Implicit Image Transfer in Multiple Sponsorships , FrancoÌ?is Anthony Carrillat

Theses/Dissertations from 2004 2004

Relationship Advertising: Investigating the Strategic Appeal of Intimacy (Disclosure) in Services Marketing , Andrea Diahann Gaye Scott

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71+ Research Paper Topics & Ideas for Marketing Students  

As a marketing student, you probably have access to a plethora of resources such as your college library and of course, the internet, to come up with great research paper topics.

However, the thought of writing your research paper can be daunting, especially if you’re still brainstorming and don’t know what to write about.

Just like any other piece of writing, start by keeping your audience in mind. Then, make a list of research paper topics that are more relevant to your interests, or a new under-developed field (for example; augmented reality, or people sentiments towards Artificial Intelligence), or a unique research topic that intrigues your audience.

But if you’re still struggling to pin down one out of the many research paper topics for your program, we’ll suggest a number of them for you to either choose from; or for you to take inspiration from and come up with your own.

Table of Contents

How to Choose the Best Research Paper Topics

Before we dive into the details, you’ll have to familiarize yourself with the basics. For starters, pick up a pen and paper and brainstorm different topics that you’d like to write about.

While personal interest is definitely important, we also suggest you opt for a topic that will intrigue your readers.  Here are a couple of factors you ought to keep in mind while selecting a topic:

Keeping your personal interest in mind

You probably won’t be able to write a stellar research paper if you’re not interested in the topic. Sit down with your peers and advisors to discuss possible ideas. It will be easier for you to discuss different themes once you’ve written down all your ideas in one place. If you’ve decided on a specific keyword for instance “consumer behaviour”, you can look for similar research papers on the internet.

A research paper isn’t a descriptive essay which you can drag aimlessly. Your research paper needs to be based on factual data and that’s only possible if you’ve conducted thorough research. While jotting down points for your first draft, ensure your statements are supported with references or examples citing credible academicals and research work.

Don’t leave it till the last day

A lot of students tend to undermine the writing process and leave for the last few days. Bear in mind that you can’t possibly write your entire research paper overnight. In order to succeed, you’ll have to devote sufficient amount of time to research.

Also, be prepared to schedule meetings with your advisor on a regular basis as you’re bound to require help along the way. At this point, make sure you only rely on credible sources that will support your dissertation.

Examples & List of Research Paper Topics

If you’re still unable to decide a topic of your interest, here is a list of 70 unique marketing research topics that you can use as marketing project topics for your MBA, or any other marketing course:

• How do organizations use CSR ( corporate social responsibility ) to reinforce brand equity?
• What manipulation tactics do brands use to get more customers?
• How can brand image be communicated via social media marketing?
• How can social media impact the buying choices of shoppers?
• Are consumers equipped to shield themselves from direct marketing strategies?
• Determine and analyze consumer buying behavior for [product name]
• How does advertising impact consumer behaviour?
• How does family orientation impact marketing communications?
• What characteristics do buyers look for when purchasing a product online?
• How does global marketing incorporate standardization?
• What attributes do consumers look for when comparing products online?
• How do financial institutions differentiate their goods and services on the basis of social class?
• Is direct marketing really the most effective form of marketing?
• What internet marketing trends can be expected for the future?
• How to marketing strategies differ across different cultures?
• Can brand advertising impact political campaigns?
• How do brands exploit impulsive buying?
• How does loyalty cards encourage sales and boost customer loyalty?
• Can well-marketed brands get away with selling substandard quality products?
• How is globalization having on impact on consumer behaviour?
• Impact of brand image on customer loyalty
• Brand attributes that lead to an increase in customer loyalty
• Successful marketing approaches that helped break through strong market monopoly
• Impact of cause marketing on brand affinity with young mothers
• Effect of consumer promotions and discount offerings on brand equity
• The outcomes of advertising in a recession
• Influence on Social Media advertising on consumer behaviour
• Effect of TV advertising on top of mind awareness
• Understanding customer perceptions around event sponsorships
• Does corporate social responsibility translate into sales?
• Canadians perspective on being targeted with mobile ads based on their browser history
• Is direct marketing welcomed by people?
• Are customers able to differentiate between various mortgage offering by competing banks?
• Does social media influence buying behaviour
• Do people like being click baited into sponsored posts?
• Understanding the impact of celebrity endorsements on ROI for CPG brands
• Women’s sentiments around comparison advertising
• How effective is comparison advertising to build brand equity?
• Do consumers prefer purchasing routine grocery products online?
• Is earned media perceived to be as important as it appears to be?
• What makes people want to share content to their friends?
• Understanding why content goes viral
• Marketing challenges around the evolving family structures
• Are we losing the emotional value and significance of money being in a cashless society?
• Is centralized global marketing a good idea for brand health in local markets?
• How is augmented reality going to enhance marketing experiences?
• How will artificial intelligence support in making better marketing decisions?
• Is immersion marketing through virtual reality technology going to be accepted?
• What does the luxury auto buyer look for in a car?
• How to instill a desire to purchase for customers in the luxury category
• Harmful effects of advertising to kids
• Impact of in-store branding on brand salience
• Effect marketing strategies for restaurant businesses
• Habit formation and ways to integrate new products in consumer lifestyles
• Is display advertising going to die?
• Can Snapchat help small business grow?
• How do customers perceive the brand who advertise on Instagram?
• The impact of humour in advertising
• Do customers pay attention to nutrition labels?
• What triggers impulse buying behaviour
• Essentials to sky rocket a new brand to heights of awareness
• The factors that lead to customer satisfaction in young adults
• Elements that help build an emotional connection with your audience
• How do males and females differ in their buying behaviour of mobile phones
• Does language targeting help in ethnic advertising?
• Customer Perceptions: Are well known brands good in quality?
• Is radio still an effective method of advertising?
• Rural vs Urban marketing challenges to be mindful of
• Impact of internal branding on employee retention and turnover
• An in-depth analysis of political marketing in Canada

More Categories of Research Topics

Still in need of some inspiration? Here are a few research paper areas that you can explore:

• Distribution
• Consumer Behavior
• Relationship Marketing
• Brand Management
• Nonprofit Marketing
• Market Segmentation & Targeting
• Internet Marketing
• Marketing Planning & Forecasting
• Product Design & Positioning
• Direct Marketing
• Advertising
• Purchasing & Materials Management

Hopefully, these marketing thesis topics will help you come up with a few topics of your own. If you’re still confused about which area, you’d like to work with, we suggest you consult your advisor for some additional help. Good luck!

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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?

• 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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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.

• Presenting at a conference for the first time 5 must things to do
• How to choose your dissertation topic

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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• How we work
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• Research Paper Marketing

How to Write a Marketing Research Paper: A Comprehensive Overview

Research paper on marketing: definition.

A marketing research paper is a fairly large work that requires students to collect data on different aspects of the field. Typically, students undertaking their undergrad or postgrad studies, particularly those studying in management, are the ones who commonly write this type of paper.

A research paper on marketing combines qualitative and quantitative analysis to understand various targets and markets better. The research quality and findings are always evaluated by peer review. It makes potential objections and counterarguments an integral part of the paper.

This type of paper is a widely used method of sharing progress with the academic community. So, even if you do not plan to pursue a job in the field but aim for a career in academic research, learning to write such a type of paper is crucial. And that is exactly what we can assist you with!

Steps to Writing Marketing Research Papers

Not sure how to start or what to put in your research paper marketing? Do not worry! To give you a better sense of the process, we have listed the key steps below.

Step 1: Pick a good topic

The first step in writing almost any academic paper is to choose a topic that aligns with your interests. If you are unsure about your interests, a good idea is to explore the available options on the web. Next, write down at least 10 marketing research paper topics that you think fit. Lastly, narrow them down to an ideal option.

Step 2: Prepare a plan

Every research work requires a robust plan. That’s why, after you select a topic, the next step is to develop a solid research plan. Your strategy should detail each phase of the investigation, whether it is experimental or not. Once done, take the time to understand the design and type of study at this stage.

Step 3: Gather materials

Research papers differ significantly from essays and dissertations. You can’t simply express your opinions on the paper. Instead, you have to gather accurate and valid data from reliable sources. During the data collection stage, it is also crucial to cross-check it to ensure the data is factual and accurate. Also, use both quantitative (o-data) and qualitative (x-data) information.

Step 4: Analyze data

Just because you gathered data from various sources does not guarantee it is reliable. Some data may be irrelevant or inaccurate. So, the crucial next step is a thorough analysis. Some of the techniques you can use at this stage of your PhD marketing research process include:

• Factor analysis.
• Text analysis.
• Benchmarking.

Step 5: Writing and editing

Suppose you have completed all the preceding steps. The final step is to commence writing. In your digital marketing research paper, ensure meticulous citation of all data and proper structure:

• Title page.
• Thesis statement.
• Introduction.
• Conclusion.
• References.

Finish it before the deadline to allow time for a quality review. If you spot any errors in your paper, address them promptly.

If you aim for high grades, make sure not to skip any of the above steps. Each step is important and contributes to an effective paper.

Top 20 Marketing Research Paper Topics to Consider

To make topic selection easier for you, we have hand-picked 20 compelling marketing topics for research paper. Feel free to review our list and choose the one that best aligns with your interests. Also, make sure you can write a solid thesis on it.

• Impact of augmented reality on user experiences.
• Consumer purchase decision and the influence of e-marketing.
• Impact of implicit and explicit consumer knowledge on buying behavior.
• Integration of IoT and smart devices for automated customer service.
• Relationship between brand awareness and repeat purchases.
• Technologies to improve online decision-making processes.
• Role of ICT in supply chain management.
• Conventional business marketing techniques.
• Importance of Instagram Reels in new product promotion.
• Assessing the ROI of commonly used digital strategies.
• Benefits of smartphones in understanding customer thinking.
• Loyalty programs as effective tools.
• Impact of impulsive buying behavior on businesses.
• Pros and cons of SEO in digital marketing.
• Effective methods for user retention.
• Importance of product labels in capturing user attention.
• Effectiveness of Black Friday as a sales driver.
• In-depth analysis of Facebook’s application in the field.
• Relationship between influencer marketing and lifestyle branding.
• Application of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) in the field.

If you are still struggling, try to look for more topics for marketing research papers on the web. Another option is to consult your supervisor. Remember, trending topics change as fast as strategies do. So, dedicate enough time to the groundwork, and you will write a perfect paper!

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Ultimate Tips for Doing PhD Marketing Research

Writing a PhD-level paper requires a thorough approach. Here are some tips to guide you through the process:

Choose a specific niche that aligns with your interests. Make sure the selected topic has the potential to contribute to the existing knowledge.

Conduct an in-depth review of relevant literature. These are the key steps:

• Understand the current state of things.
• Identify gaps.
• Recognize key theories.

Develop a strong research question. It should be focused and capable of contributing new insights to the field.

Create a detailed proposal. It should outline the following:

• Your objectives.
• Research questions.
• Methodology.
• Potential contributions.

Ensure it aligns with the standards of your institution.

Choose the most suitable methodology. Whether quantitative, qualitative, or a mix of both, ensure it fits your objectives.

Clearly outline how you’ll collect data. This may involve the following:

• Interviews.
• Case studies.
• Experiments.
• A combination of methods.

Employ appropriate data analysis techniques. Clearly interpret your findings and relate them to your research questions. Be prepared to discuss the implications of your results.

Seek feedback from your supervisor. Regular meetings will help you receive guidance and stay on track.

When in doubt, always consult a style guide or request a marketing research paper example from a librarian. Also, you can ask your supervisor for help. If still in doubt, consider receiving professional assistance from qualified experts of our writing service. Individual approach, reasonable prices, and flawless work tailored to your needs are guaranteed!