Department of Marketing and Information Systems

Dr. George Christodoulides conducts research on the brand equity of luxury brands from the point of view of various stakeholder groups such as consumers and employees. Other relevant projects involve the impact of the sharing economy and circular models on luxury. This interest has led to two recently funded projects. The first investigates new forms of luxury consumption in the sharing economy while the second focuses on consumer behavior vis-à-vis luxury product repairs. Dr. Christodoulides is also interested in the dark side of luxury consumption with his collaborative project on luxury addiction with the International University of Monaco. While he is interested in High-Net-Worth-Individuals (HNWIs) and their luxury consumption, Dr. Christodoulides is also interested in less exclusive forms of status consumption such as masstige and luxury in unconventional contexts (e.g., B2B). His work has been presented in leading international conferences and subsequently published in high-impact scholarly journals.

Dr. Prakash Chathoth and Dr. Sajid Khan are currently involved in a joint research project with Washington State University studying memorable experiences in the context of luxury brand management. The research team is particularly investigating internal (firm) and external (consumer) behaviors that impact the transition from actual experience to relatively stable memories, creating a longer impact for luxury service brands.

Dr. Rania Semaan’s current research interests focus on exploring the drivers of conspicuous consumption for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) consumer, particularly investigating how social gender roles influence the drivers for luxury consumption. Dr. Semaan is also interested in the conceptualization of luxury brand charisma and its perception and meaning across different cultures as well as its effect on luxury brand devotion.

Dr Jean Boisvert’s work on luxury brand extensions has been presented at leading international conferences including the European Marketing Association Conference and the Luxury Brands Conference. His work has appeared in leading international marketing journals including the International Marketing Review, Journal of Business Research, Psychology and Marketing as well as Journal of Product and Brand Management. Dr. Boisvert is currently working on a paper looking at the impact of generation Y & Z and gender on brand engagement toward masstige categories. A short-term project is about the dilution effect of luxury masstige extensions’ authenticity on PB purchase intentions and mediating effect of status signaling: a cross national study. A long-term project is also being developed on the impact of perceived masstige brand sustainability and ethical sensitivity on masstige value, brand passion and purchase intentions: an international cross-cultural comparison.

Dr. Mona Mrad specializes in studying various aspects of fashion and luxury consumption. With a background in fashion design and marketing, she recently collaborated with renowned marketing expert Professor Michael Solomon on a book titled Fashion and Luxury Marketing. Dr. Mrad's main research interest focuses on brand addiction, particularly in the realms of fashion and luxury. She has developed a huge interest in further exploring the field of luxury consumption within the framework of the circular economy, with her current research concentrating on the phenomenon of second-hand luxury consumption. As a fashion designer and a marketer, she has always been drawn to innovations. Consequently, she has also developed some research interest in the context of technology and innovation, with recent projects delving into marketing technology-based innovations such as wearables in the context of luxury and the use of virtual influencers.

Dr. Jeff Baker conducts research on the digital technologies used by luxury brands. His publication, “The Internet Dilemma: An Exploratory Study of Luxury Firms’ Usage of Internet-Based Technologies” recently appeared in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. The paper examines differences in website characteristics and functionality across different luxury sectors.  He is currently involved in the second phase of this research project, examining the use of digital influencers, NFTs, virtual reality and other metaverse technologies at luxury firms. He is also working on a separate project that studies the aspects of the luxury consumer experience in the hospitality industry.