Rob Aitken 2022 imageBA(Open Univ Britain) BEd(Hons)(Southampton) MPhil(Exeter) PhD(Otago)

Room 4.06 Otago Business School
Tel +64 3 479 5497
Email rob.aitken@otago.ac.nz

Robert joined the Department to teach advertising, branding, communications and media-related marketing issues after previously lecturing in Media and Cultural studies in the UK.

Robert's current research focuses on two major areas. The first is marketing to children and, in particular, the ways in which commercialisation and the promotion of materialistic values are influencing the nature and experience of childhood. His recently co – authored paper in the Lancet-Planetary Health, investigated the commercial brandscape of children and provided evidence of their commercially saturated environments. The second is in relation to sustainability and consumption and how areas such as corporate social responsibility and business ethics can reconcile the tensions between business imperatives to make profit and social concerns to protect resources. His papers on organic food labelling and envisioning, develop these ideas and suggest ways in which a sustainable consumption future can be achieved.

Other areas of research interest include branding, and, in particular, place branding and the ways in which ownership and the representation of meaning are negotiated. He is also interested in culture and identity, ideology and hegemony, audience theory, symbolic consumption, popular culture, not-for-profit business, social marketing and service dominant logic (SDL).

Robert was a prime mover, along with Associate Professor David Ballantyne, in establishing the Otago Forum. This international gathering of invited scholars discussed the implications for marketing of the newly emerged Service Dominant Logic (SDL). Papers from the first Forum are available in the Special Issue of Marketing Theory (v.6:3) for which Robert was lead editor.

Leading papers from the second Forum focusing on the practical implications of SDL are available in the journal, Industrial Marketing Management. Robert co-convened the third Otago Forum which considered SDL and its role in a complex, changing and chaotic world the best papers from which were published in a Special Issue of the Journal of Marketing Management for which Robert was lead editor.

Robert is the proud co-recipient of the Judges and the People's Award for Best Film at the 2009 European Association for Consumer Research Conference and is looking forward to his next videographic research project.

Robert is in his third term as Chair of Age Concern, Otago and as an Executive Board member of Age Concern, New Zealand where he is Chair of the Finance and Communications Committee. In this capacity, Robert is leading the re-branding of the organisation. Robert is also an Executive member of the Otago Third Age Trust. In 2020, Robert was elected to the Chair of Consumer.org. This appointment has provided the perfect opportunity for Robert to contribute his research expertise and social business commitment to championing the rights of consumers.

Robert has recently completed two terms as President of the Australia and New Zealand Marketing Academy (ANZMAC) – the leading academy of Marketing scholars from Australia and New Zealand.

When not at University, Robert likes to watch football, savour the occasional Guinness, listen to Van Morrison and follow the precarious struggle for survival of the New Zealand Falcon/Kārearea.

Teaching responsibilities

Supervision

  • Robert has supervised 11 PhD students
  • 19 Master students
  • Been an External PhD Examiner 11 times
  • Internal PhD Examiner 8 times
  • Convened 10 PhD Examinations

Office hours

Thursday 11am–12pm

Publications

Aitken, R. (2023). ANZMAC Executive: A personal perspective on how ANZMAC has evolved, and what role it ought to play in the future. Australasian Marketing Journal, 31(3), 193-195. doi: 10.1177/14413582221133850
Journal - Research Other
Edirisingha, P., Aitken, R., & Ferguson, S. (2022). Setting up home: The role of domestic materiality in extended family identity formation. Journal of Business Research, 147, 1-15. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.03.049
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Gage, R., Smith, M., McKerchar, C., Aitken, R., & Signal, L. (2022). An objective assessment of children's exposure to brand marketing in New Zealand (Kids'Cam): A cross-sectional study. Lancet Planetary Health, 6, e132-e138. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00290-4
Journal - Research Article
Aitken, R. (2021, June). To travel hopefully. University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. [Inaugural Professorial Lecture].
Other Research Output
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Robertson, K., Williams, J., & Thyne, M. (2021). New Zealand consumer lifestyles. Aotearoa New Zealand Journal of Social Issues, 1, 1-17.
Journal - Research Article
Finkler, W., & Aitken, R. (2021). Selling hope: Science marketing for sustainability. In F. Weder, L. Krainer & M. Karmasin (Eds.), The sustainability communication reader: A reflective compendium. (pp. 281-299). Wiesbaden, Germany: Springer VS. doi: 10.1007/978-3-658-31883-3_16
Chapter in Book - Research
Watkins, L., & Aitken, R. (2020). The role of young consumers in moving to a sustainable consumption future. In L. McNeill (Ed.), Transitioning to responsible consumption and production. (pp. 169-185). Basel, Switzerland: MDPI Books. doi: 10.3390/books978-3-03897-873-2-9
Chapter in Book - Research
Edirisingha, P., Aitken, R., & Ferguson, S. (2014). Adapting ethnography: An example of emerging relationships, building trust, and exploring complex consumer landscapes. In J. W. Schouten, D. M. Martin & R. Belk (Eds.), Consumer culture theory. (pp. 191-215). Bingley, UK: Emerald.
Chapter in Book - Research
Aitken, R. (2011). Shifting brands: Reception, resistance and revision. In M. D. Uncles (Ed.), Perspectives on brand management. (1st ed.) (pp. 291-305). Prahran, Australia: Tilde.
Chapter in Book - Research
Campelo, A., & Aitken, R. (2011). Travelling to the past: Narratives of place and national identity on the Chatham Islands. In E. Frew & L. White (Eds.), Tourism and national identities: An international perspective. (pp. 190-201). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Chapter in Book - Research
Edirisingha, P., Aitken, R., & Ferguson, S. (2022). Setting up home: The role of domestic materiality in extended family identity formation. Journal of Business Research, 147, 1-15. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.03.049
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Gage, R., Smith, M., McKerchar, C., Aitken, R., & Signal, L. (2022). An objective assessment of children's exposure to brand marketing in New Zealand (Kids'Cam): A cross-sectional study. Lancet Planetary Health, 6, e132-e138. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00290-4
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Robertson, K., Williams, J., & Thyne, M. (2021). New Zealand consumer lifestyles. Aotearoa New Zealand Journal of Social Issues, 1, 1-17.
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Robertson, K., & Aitken, R. (2021). Preschoolers' request behaviour and family conflict: The role of family communication and advertising mediation styles. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 20, 1326-1335. doi: 10.1002/cb.1938
Journal - Research Article
Aitken, R., Watkins, L., Williams, J., & Kean, A. (2020). The positive role of labelling on consumers’ perceived behavioural control and intention to purchase organic food. Journal of Cleaner Production, 255, 120334. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120334
Journal - Research Article
Aitken, R., Watkins, L., & Kemp, S. (2019). Envisioning a sustainable consumption future. Young Consumers, 20(4), 299-313. doi: 10.1108/YC-12-2018-0905
Journal - Research Article
Finkler, W., Higham, J. E. S., León, B., & Aitken, R. E. (2019). Bridging the void: Science communication videos for sustainable whale watching. International Journal of Science Education, Part B, 9(4), 312-326. doi: 10.1080/21548455.2019.1671636
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., & Ford, J. (2019). Measuring and enhancing children’s sustainable consumption and production literacy. Young Consumers, 20(4), 285-298. doi: 10.1108/YC-11-2018-0880
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Gage, R., Smith, M. B., Chambers, T. J., Barr, M., Stanley, J., & Signal, L. N. (2019). Capturing the commercial world of children: The feasibility of wearable cameras to assess marketing exposure. Journal of Consumer Affairs, Winter, 1396-1420.
Journal - Research Article
Edirisingha, P. A., Aitken, R., & Ferguson, S. (2018). Bridging family boundaries: Mediating postmodern complexity in urban Sinhalese Sri Lankan families. Consumption Markets & Culture, 21(4), 373-395. doi: 10.1080/10253866.2018.1462172
Journal - Research Article
Aitken, R., & Watkins, L. (2017). "Harm or good?": Consumer perceptions of corporate strategic giving in schools. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 51(2), 406-432. doi: 10.1111/joca.12124
Journal - Research Article
Boulanouar, A. W., Aitken, R., Boulanouar, Z., & Todd, S. J. (2017). Imperatives for research designs with Muslim women. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 35(1), 2-17. doi: 10.1108/MIP-01-2016-0019
Journal - Research Article
Edirisingha, P. A., Abarashi, J., Ferguson, S., & Aitken, R. (2017). From “participant” to “friend”: The role of Facebook engagement in ethnographic research. Qualitative Market Research, 20(4), 416-434. doi: 10.1108/QMR-02-2016-0019
Journal - Research Article
Knobloch, U., Robertson, K., & Aitken, R. (2017). Experience, emotion, and eudaimonia: A consideration of tourist experiences and well-being. Journal of Travel Research, 56(5), 651-662. doi: 10.1177/0047287516650937
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Thyne, M., Robertson, K., & Borzekowski, D. (2017). Environmental influences on pre-schooler’s understanding of brand symbolism. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 35(7), 907-922. doi: 10.1108/MIP-11-2016-0211
Journal - Research Article
Robertson, K. J., Aitken, R., Thyne, M., & Watkins, L. (2016). Correlates of parental mediation of pre-schooler’s advertising exposure. Young Consumers, 17(4), 337-349. doi: 10.1108/YC-04-2016-00597
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., & Mather, D. (2016). Conscientious consumers: A relationship between moral foundations, political orientation and sustainable consumption. Journal of Cleaner Production, 134, 137-146. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.06.009
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Robertson, K., & Thyne, M. (2016). Public and parental perceptions of and concerns with advertising to preschool children. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 40(5), 592-600. doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12304
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Robertson, K., Thyne, M., & Williams, J. (2016). Advertising's impact on pre-schoolers' brand knowledge and materialism. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 40(5), 583-591. doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12303
Journal - Research Article
Avis, M., & Aitken, R. (2015). Intertwined: Brand personification, brand personality and brand relationships in historical perspective. Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, 7(2), 208-231. doi: 10.1108/JHRM-01-2014-0004
Journal - Research Article
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