Marketing Insight Research Unit (MIRU)

The Marketing Insight Research Unit (MIRU) is focused on the customer-firm interaction – whether this is direct and personal; indirect and mediated by the internet; in a dyad or in a network of stakeholders.

The definition and scope of marketing as an approach to research and practice is open for discussion and critique within our group.

Currently members of the group are engaged in practice, in teaching and in empirical and policy research.

Members use a range of methodologies in their work: the emphasis is currently on case-study, narrative and action research approaches.

The unit focuses on those priority areas selected as strategic by the Marketing Science Institute (a group of leading academics and blue chip companies in the States):

• Insight into people in their role as consumers
• Rethinking the journey to purchase and beyond
• Designing experiences
• Mobile platforms and their impact on how people live their lives and the operation of markets
• Trust between people and their institutions
• Big data
• Marketing organisations and capabilities

The focus within these priorities in the business sector is on both SMEs and the social enterprise/social business arena, and in not-for-profits is on the customer experience within Higher Education.

There is also a practice-based focus as members reflect and develop their pedagogic practice and some research and publish in this area too.

Launched in 2011 as part of the University's investment in research in marketing by appointing for the first time a Professor of Marketing, Professor Sue Halliday, it embraces a specialist group focused on 'understanding the experience' among stakeholders in the cultural context of tourism and events management.

Head of the unit

Professor Sue Halliday

Key unit members

Members of the Marketing and Enterprise Department with time allocated to research are:

• Readers in Marketing – Dr Ross Brennan; Dr Anna Watson
• Dr Nika Balomenou
• Dr Christopher Brown
• Dr Allan Jepson
• Dr Reda Lebcir
• Dr Mary Quek
• Dr Ariadne Kapetenaki
• Dr Kerrie Bertele
• Dr Peter Fraser

Early years researchers

Those with aspirations to develop their interests in researching and publishing in the broad area encompassed by the Research Unit include members of a number of reading/writing groups initially established during 2011/12:

PhD students

A number of PhD students have recently successfully completed their PhDs. Currently members of the Unit are studying for doctorates* or supervising doctorates as follows:

• Mir Baloch – social marketing applied to health promotion in Pakistan
• Alex Lee* – decision making for entering HE: Malaysian students choosing to study in the UK
• Diane Morrad* – branding and value in SMEs – comparing and contrasting two annual international events applying branding theory
• Jan Moorhouse* – sustainable food marketing issues with City University
• Marisabelle de Cortes – service design in peripheral housing communities in Barranquilla, Colombia
• Alexandra Astafyeva – marketing key museums in London
• Jennifer Ford – tourism marketing impacts on Vancouver Island
• Pfavai Nyajeka* – marketing for development in South Africa at Manchester Business School
• Andrew Francis* – leadership in education at Birmingham University
• Stuart Grierson – relationships for success in investment advisory services

Aims of the unit

The unit aims to:

• Produce critically informed marketing-oriented research of international standard
• Become a hub of expertise in understanding the whole context of value (co-) creation in customer/firm interactions, within networks of stakeholders, for the Eastern Region of England, providing research informed consultancy in the sectors and topic areas outlined above
• Work alongside other Schools and Research Centres to enhance the University's offer in the application of marketing insight
• Support the development and communication of this research through seminars, conferences and cross-disciplinary research

Current and recent consultancy/research assignments

Visiting Professors/Associates

• Professor Bernard Cova visited from the Euromed Management School, Marseille in March 2012
• Dr Lisa O'Malley visited from Limerick School of Management. Eire, June 2012 and March 2013
• Dr Bistra Vassileva, visited from The Technical University, Varna, Bulgaria, March 2013
• Professor David Smith
• Professor Peter Kellner
• Professor Owen Davies (History)
• Professor Jonathan Morris (History)

Indicative publications

• Download a list of indicative publications for the Marketing Insight Research Unit (MIRU). (PDF - 0.33 Mb)