Leah Watkins

Leah completed a cross-divisional PhD in Marketing and Japanese Studies at the University of Otago. Her doctoral research explored the influence of cultural values on tourism behaviour, and she continues to investigate how culture shapes consumption patterns, and the development of cross-cultural research methodologies.

Her current research interests lie in the critical role marketing plays in shaping society, including consumer values and lifestyles, ethical and sustainable consumption, advertising and materialism, and children’s consumer socialisation.

Leah is currently researching the links between voluntary simplicity and wellbeing, and the development of sustainable consumption literacy in young people. She is actively involved in the Kids’Cam Project, which investigates the consumption environment children are exposed to, and she leads the New Zealand Consumer Lifestyles Research Group.

Her work has been published in a number of leading journals, including The Lancet Planetary Health, The Journal of Macromarketing International Marketing Review, Journal of Cleaner Production, and the Journal of Consumer Affairs.

Leah also serves as the Associate Dean International for the Otago Business School, supporting international partnerships, student engagement, and global strategic initiatives.