Dr Marian Makkar's research interests are in market creation and evolution, consumer culture, space and place, luxury consumption, multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism, consumer resistance and activism, and the sharing economy.
Methodologically, she is a qualitative researcher and utilises qualitative interviews, ethnography, netnography, observations, and projective techniques in her research. Based on her diverse background, Marian's research interest span consumer culture, luxury consumption behaviours and luxury brand management, design for value co-creation and the use of technology to enhance consumer worlds. She has published in leading journals and presented her research at international academic conferences. She has received several academic awards and won university and nation-wide competitions for her research.
Prior to pursuing an academic career, Marian worked in luxury retail as Marketing Manager of Alfred Dunhill Limited in Dubai. Her career also saw her working in public relations handling FMCG brands, beauty products and luxury automotive brands that spanned the Middle East and Africa and across New Zealand. She is also an entrepreneur at heart – she previously co-founded a customer intelligence software startup and a research design and innovation consultancy and is a mentor to new startups.
When Marian is not conducting research or teaching, she spends time with her two boys and husband, Ramy, going to soccer and basketball games or taking off on new hiking adventures. She is a citizen of the world – of Egyptian descent, born and raised in Kuwait, worked in the United Arab Emirates and is a New Zealand citizen.
