Dr Andrea Tonner
Senior Lecturer
Marketing
Personal statement
I joined the University in 2008 after many years as a marketing practitioner in the fast moving consumer goods and energy markets and I am currently a lecturer in marketing.
My teaching concentrates on consumer behaviour, brand management and marketing communications and I endeavour to make strong links between these key tenets of marketing theory and their applications in marketing practice.
My research is focused within consumer culture theory where I have explored issues of identity and sociality within different contexts but I have an enduring interest in food and motherhood. Reflecting this interest I am currently co-convenor of the British Sociological Association Food Studies Group.
Area of Expertise
- Consumer Culture Theory
- Consumer Behaviour
- Food Culture
- Marketing Communications
- Brand Management
Prize And Awards
Qualifications
My undergraduate degree is in Scots Law at the University of Strathclyde ( LLB Hons Scots Law). On graduation I began my career in marketing within Blue Chip FMCG and service organisations. While still a marketing practitioner I completed my MBA part-time at Heriot Watt University before returning to Strathclyde University where I completed my Masters of Research (MRes Research Methodlogy in Business and Management) and my PhD exploring consumers' identity construction within food culture. I have been teaching across all levels of the department of marketing programmes since 2008.
Publications
Research Interests
I work mainly within interpretive consumer research. I am particularly interested in issues of consumer personal and social identity and explored there in different everyday material culture contexts.
MY PhD work focused upon consumers' understanding of food within their everyday lives and this most universal of consumer culture domains was employed to build identity and social relations such as family and friendship. I am also concerned with representations of food within consumer culture and have explored traditional and contemporary written forms such as cookbooks and food blogs. I also consider issues of identity and sociality within new motherhood and particularly research how services can be transformative in this transitional lifestage.
More recently I have undertaken work considering the food producer/ consumer interface and exploring the practices involved in consumer self-provisioning and among small agricultural producers. I also consider the role of food in health and wellbeing and explore community approaches to tackling health inequalities.
Professional Activities
Projects
Karen Anne Scott - Food Poverty - The research is to acquire knowledge within a community setting as to how food poverty influences eudiamonic wellbeing.
Afamafume Obi - Unpacking Structural Diversification in Family Farming Businesses
Katy Gordon - Understanding the impact of Food Social Enteprises
The projects have developed strong links with Scottish Government, NHS Scotland, individual social enterprises, and key disadvantaged communities. These links are critical in driving socially relevant research and in delivering both policy and behavioural change in the sector.
With colleagues I have been successful in securing 2 funded studentships under this work stream.
With Dr K Hamilton an ESRC studentship for Stephanie Anderson's doctoral project: Footsteps into the forgotten : consuming obsolescence. Complete.
With Dr P Hewer a Stratchlyde University Student Excellence award for the project Instafame? The branding, identity and consumption of food and well-being 'Igers'