Dr Jamie Marsden

Profile

I’m an Associate Professor of Brand Communications at the University of Leeds, with expertise in brand visual identity. My research sits at the intersection of brand strategy, design expression and corporate communications, exploring how organisations use visual identity to express brand meaning, support strategic objectives and shape stakeholder perceptions.

I joined the University of Leeds in 2004 and have since taught across the School of Design and Leeds University Business School. During this time, I have led the development of branding education within the School of Design, shaping its teaching across the interconnected areas of branding, strategy, communications and design. I publish and present my research internationally in the fields of branding and design, and regularly contribute to the wider academic community through peer review. I review for academic journals and leading international publishers, including Routledge, Sage, Bloomsbury and Edward Elgar. Alongside my research and teaching, I’ve held several academic leadership roles within the School of Design. Most recently, I served as Director of Postgraduate Research, having previously been Academic Lead for Examinations and Assessment.

My academic work is informed by extensive professional experience in brand identity, signage design and design management. Before entering academia, I worked with corporate and SME clients across a range of sectors, including Cadbury Schweppes, the Department for Education, General Electric, Inland Revenue, Lockheed Martin, the NHS, Nike, Northern Foods and Royal Mail.

Responsibilities

• Director of Postgraduate Research Studies (2019 – 2022)
• Academic Lead for Examinations and Assessment (2010 – 2013)

Research interests

My research explores how brands construct and communicate identity through visual and verbal expression. I am particularly interested in the strategic role of design in this process: how organisations use visual identity to articulate who they are, how these expressions are interpreted by stakeholders, and how they evolve across different contexts and channels. These interests inform research across a range of contexts, including corporate brand identity, packaging, place branding, retail environments and digital platforms. Current and recent projects have examined copycat packaging, the aesthetics of luxury brand packaging, stakeholder involvement in place branding, brand avatars, and the evolution of retail brand experience.

Engagement with industry is an important part of my research. I regularly work with external partners to ensure that my research is informed by contemporary professional practice and addresses relevant social and commercial challenges. This has included research involving experts from leading international brand and design consultancies, including Bloom, Brand Union, Design Bridge, Elmwood, FutureBrand, IDEO, Jones Knowles Ritchie, Landor, Lippincott, Pearlfisher, Pentagram and Wolff Olins. I welcome opportunities to collaborate with industry partners on research relating to brand identity, expression and communications.

I have supervised PhD researchers since 2012 and have supported nine doctoral students through to completion. I currently supervise PhD projects across a range of brand-related topics, including luxury brand packaging, place branding, brand avatars, virtual influencers and cultural heritage. I also have extensive experience of doctoral examination, both as a PhD examiner and examination chair.

I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD researchers interested in brand communications, particularly projects concerned with brand visual identity and expression. I’m especially interested in supervising research exploring copywriting and brand expression, leadership branding, misleading visual brand identities, and the typography of brand logos. If your proposed research connects with these or related areas, please get in touch.

Completed PhD students:
Dr Noora Al Siyabi
Dr Mariam Alghamdi
Dr Ahlam Abumughli
Dr Mian Wang
Dr Hoyoung Hyun
Dr Ezgi Oguz
Dr Ahmed Nasseraldin
Dr John Rooney
Dr Yu-Chun Huang

Qualifications

• PhD Corporate Communications
• MA Graphic Design
• PGCLTHE Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
• HND Design Communications
• FHEA Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Professional memberships

• Academy of Marketing
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Student education

My approach to education is centred on bringing together research, theory and professional practice. I aim to help students develop both the critical understanding and strategic thinking needed to address contemporary branding challenges, while connecting their learning to the realities of professional practice. Drawing on my research and industry experience, I have developed and delivered teaching across the School of Design and Leeds University Business School, bringing design and business perspectives together through brand strategy, brand design and brand management.

Current postgraduate researchers

• Mian Wang
• Ahlam Abumughli
• Mariam Alghamdi
• Noora Al Siyabi
• Yunhua Ye
• Xiaoyu Yao
• Morinta Rosandini
• Bowen Hu
• Shih-Ci Ou