New PhD student at MGMT - Christopher Cunliffe

Hi everyone!

I’m Chris, a new PhD student in the Department of Management as of the beginning of February. I’m originally from Yorkshire, UK, though I’ve been studying and researching in between the snowy mountains in Salzburg for the past 3 years, before moving to Denmark.

My background varies from a marketing role in a destination management organization, conducting experimental research on transformational experience design, as well as leading a team at the Science Museum in England. Though at the heart of all my work and research is trying to uncover the psychological, sociological and design elements that can influence consumer behaviour.

That brings me to the VICIM project (The effect of Virtual Characters on Inclusion in the Market) where my PhD will aim to provide insights on how marketing communication with virtual characters (specifically focusing on majority vs. minority group representation) can shape a more inclusive market based on stronger identification. Later, the project aims to utilise Virtual Reality to uncover the potential of such tools in Metaverse scenarios.

Out of work, I like to keep active and enjoy the outdoors, I play tennis now and then, plus I’ll take any opportunity to have a weekend away in a new city.

Being new to Aarhus (and Denmark as a whole), I’m looking forward to discovering the quirks of living here, the Scandinavian lifestyle, as well as exploring more of the country. I’ve been given a warm welcome by everyone I have met so far, and I look forward to meeting more in the coming weeks.