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Staff Profile

Professor Andrew Lindridge

Professor of Marketing&Consumer Research

  • Email: andrew.lindridge@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: +44(0)191 208 1500
  • Address: Newcastle University Business School
    5 Barrack Rd,
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    NE1 4SE
    UK
Background

Andrew’s research interests focus on the marginalised consumer, i.e. consumers who feel unable or unwilling to identify with the consumer market, or who the market intentionally excludes owing to cultural, economic, political, religious, or social reasons. An interest that has led to researching marginalised consumers in Britain, China, France, India, and the United States on a variety of consumption topics ranging from: ethnic minorities and alcoholism, inter-generational rifts within ethnic minorities, and how David Bowie fans use his music to reimagine their own past. He is currently supervising five PhD students and has undertaken several management consultancy projects.

 

Andrew’s work has received numerous awards and his research has been funded by The British Academy and the ESRC. His research has appeared in a variety of refereed journals, including: the Journal of Marketing, Annals of Tourism, The European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Business Research, and Marketing Theory. He has presented his research at a variety of conferences, including: The Association of Consumer Research (ACR), European Marketing Association Conference (EMAC) and Consumer Culture Theory (CCT). 

 

Andrew is currently the Editor for Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, and previously an Associate Editor for The Journal of Marketing Management where he now serves on the editorial board.


Teaching is an important aspect of any academic’s work. Andrew has delivered through face to face teaching in Britain, France, Germany, Hong Kong, and Singapore, as well as long-distance learning for The Open University, and The University of Sunderland. He has previously taught at Manchester Business School and The Open University. He also holds or has held visiting academic position in Germany.

 

Andrew obtained his PhD from Warwick Business School.

Research

Andrew's research focuses on consumer diversity within the areas of consumer behaviour and social marketing, with a focus on those who do not conform to the dominant societal ideal. Diverse consumers exist in several areas, including: ethnicity, migration, religion, sexuality, social class, and socio-economic status. Consequently, diverse consumers may be unable or unwilling to identify with the consumer market, or who the market intentionally excludes owing to cultural, economic, political, religious, or social reasons.

 

Andrew's research has focussed on diverse consumers ranging from cultural and religious minorities (Nigerians, African-Caribbean’s, South Asia, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan), religion (Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs), socio-economic deprivation (Glaswegian parents and their children’s oral health) to celebrity branding (how marginalised consumers buy into the market created celebrity). Research interests that fall within consumer behaviour and social marketing themes, leading to over 100 publications focussing on three themes: (i) Culture and Religion, (ii) Socio-Economic and (iii) Reimagining One’s Diversity.


Teaching

I believe in creating creating a supportive learning environment that achieves three learning goals: (i) understanding and application, (ii) critical appraisal, and (iii) marketing ethics.

 

Understanding and application focusses on marketing concepts and encouraging students to consider the underpinning assumptions of the people / organisations who proposed them and their relevance. Typically, marketing students learn how to apply concepts with minimal understanding. My approach is to encourage students to consider marketing decisions within the wider socio-cultural context that will assist them in their future careers. Using historical marketing examples, students are encouraged to apply their marketing knowledge to the example and then reflect upon the consequences of the decisions made. An approach that stimulates both understanding and recognition of the difficulties in making marketing decisions.

 

Critical appraisal is an essential aspect of my teaching. In particular, students are encouraged through personal reflection, examples and statistical data to offer differing interpretations of the market. For example, the rise of neo-liberal economics and the unprecedented focus on consumption offers ample teaching opportunities. For example, the 1980s banking deregulation led to increased credit card usage, with statistics indicating that deprived socio-economic groups inherently hold credit card debt. Accompanying this deregulation was the emergence of exclusive brands. Students are encouraged to consider to the extent banking deregulation and the rise of the brand manipulate consumers’ self-esteem encouraging materialistic behaviours.

 

Marketing ethics encourages students’ to recognise marketing’s cultural, economic, political and social consequences. From a European perspective, marketing ethics is an important aspect of marketing. As future marketing managers, students should be able to articulate the consequences and rationale for their marketing decisions. In particular, marketing issues such as profit and market share versus public cost. One case study I encourage students to consider is The National Rifle Association of America (NRA). A pro-gun lobby who uses marketing to encourage children under 10 years old to become gun owners. (NRA achieves through marketing ‘pink’ coloured rifle for girls and for boys, a comic book with an animated talking gun).

Publications