Jamie Marsden

I’m an Associate Professor of Brand Communications, specialising in the connections between design expression, brand strategy and corporate communications. My research explores the interdisciplinary field of brand communications, an area concerned with the strategic framing of expressions and interactions between a brand and its audiences across different channels. My interest in this area draws heavily from my background in environmental graphic design and branding, alongside my knowledge of corporate communications. One particular interest of mine is how organisations attempt to define and articulate their identity through visual and verbal devices. Much of my work is concerned with the use of design as a mechanism for expression, which can be seen in my ongoing projects that explore the following themes: strategies of copycat packaging, the aesthetics of luxury brand packaging, the articulation and expression of corporate brand identity, examining stakeholder involvement in place branding cases, understanding the role of brand avatars in online platforms, the evolution of retail brand experience, and the use of language in leadership branding.

Given the nature of these topics, I typically involve external industry partners, which ensures that my research is firmly rooted in current practice. I particularly enjoy working with leading brand agencies to explore research themes that help to address the most pressing social and commercial issues. Recently my research has involved the input of experts from the following consultancies: Bloom, Brand Union, Design Bridge, Elmwood, FutureBrand, IDEO, Jones Knowles Ritchie, Landor Associates, Landor & Fitch, Lippincott, Pearlfisher, Pentagram, and Wolf Olins. I’m especially keen to collaborate with industry colleagues on research ideas, so if any of the above topics are of interest to you and your organisation, please get in touch.