Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing

I am a Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing and an advocate for a hands-on approach to marketing. I am also a marketing consultant and a researcher interested in new forms of branding, participatory approaches, brand co-creation and place branding. As a consultant, I am working with numerous SMEs to help develop and communicate their brands to local, national and international audiences. 

Currently, I am teaching undergraduates and I also supervise a series of marketing, digital marketing and international business PhD students. Before undertaking an academic career, I worked in the advertising and marketing communication industries, as a GUI, designer and marketer for a number of start-ups and medium-size businesses and freelancer projects.

Qualifications

• Executive Education - Digital Marketing: Disruptive Strategy Programme - Said Business School, University of Oxford
• PhD – University of Bedfordshire - ‘Investigating Residents and Municipality Processes of Co-creation in Branding Luton – A Place with a Negative Reputation’
• MSc Digital Marketing – University of Bedfordshire (Distinction)
• BA (Hons) Advertising Design – University of Bedfordshire

Research Interests

• Co-branding and Stakeholder involvement in branding activities
• Participatory practices
• Place Branding and Co-creation: residents’ involvement in branding activities
• Place Image and Reputation
• Marketing and Branding for non-profit organisations
• Digital Marketing strategies
• Pedagogy in HE

Teaching Expertise

• Marketing and Branding Strategies 
• Advertising
• Consumer Behaviour & Psychology
• Marketing Communication in the digital age
• Social media content creation
• Brand Communication and Reputation Management
• Global Marketing Strategies 
• Marketing for SMEs 
• Data analytics: Google Analytics
• Experiential Marketing
• Visual Branding
• Research Methods

Other References and External Roles

• Connect with me on Research gate
• Connect with me on LinkedIn

Publications

• Taecharungroj, V. and Stoica, I.S. (2023), "Assessing place experiences in Luton and Darlington on Twitter with topic modelling and AI-generated lexicons", Journal of Place Management and Development, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMD-04-2023-0041
• Stoica I. S., Kavaratzis M., Schwabenland C., Haag M. (2022) Place Brand Co-Creation through Storytelling: Benefits, Risks and Preconditions. Tourism and Hospitality3(1):15-30
• El Banna, A. and Stoica, I., S. (2021) 'From participation to transformation: 
  The multiple roles of residents in the place brand creation process', in Papadopoulos, N. and Cleveland, M. (eds.) Marketing Countries, Places, and Place-associated Brands: Identity and Image. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd,
• Stoica, I. S. (2020). ‘Book Review’. Review of Imaginative communities: Admired cities, regions and countries, by Robert Govers. Governance, 33 (3), pp. 726-727.
• Jankowska, M., Coleman, S., Rainford, J., Stoica, I., Pac, A., Christian, A., Syngouna, M. Tsoukala, A., Adewuyi, A. & Barker, D. ‘Bilingual Creative Writing Clubs: An ecology for cross-cultural learning’, Lifewide Magazine, 17, p 86-92.

Conferences and Presentations

• Stoica, I., S. (October 2023) 'Place Brand Storytelling: Theory vs Practice', Guest Talk for MA Place Branding at Middlesex University, London, UK
• Stoica, I. S. & Kavaratzis, M (October 2023) ‘Dimensions of Place Brand Co-creation with residents’ at The 7th Annual Conference of the International Place Branding Association, Helsingborg, Sweden
• Gonzalez, L., R; El Banna A. & Stoica I. S. (October 2023) ‘Making sense of the city through running: a residents’ perspective’ at the IPBA2023 Art Gallery, Helsingborg, Sweden
• Stoica I. S. (June 2023) Storytelling as a place brand co-creation tool: advantages and disadvantages’ Guest speker, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
• Stoica, I. S. & Kavaratzis, M. (June 2023) ‘Challenges and opportunities of co-creation through storytelling in places facing reputational difficulties’ at ICOT2023 -Annual Conference Innovative Sustainable Practices in Travel and Tourism Recovery and Resilience, Cyprus
• Stoica, I., S. (March 2023) ‘Creating growth through Marketing’ at SEMLEP Creating Growth Event, University of Bedfordshire, Bedford, Uk
• Stoica, I., S. (December 2022) ‘Social Marketing and Branding: Creating a Brand Identity; Key note speaker, MSA University, Egypt
• Stoica, I. S.; El-Banna, A., & Kavaratzis, M., (October 2022) 'The Drivers and Inhibitors of Residents’ Participatory Role in Place Branding', The 6th Annual Conference of the International Place Branding Association, Aix-Marseille University, Aix-en-Provence, France
• Scutaru, V. & Stoica I. S. (September 2022) ‘Practice-based learning: Marketing competitions created through Innovation and Enterprise projects’, Learning and Teaching Excellence Conference, University of Bedfordshire, Luton UK
• Stoica, I. S. & Kavaratzis, M. (June 2022) 'The co-creation of place brands and the role of residents', ICOT2022 - Back to the future: Reconfiguring the travel industry?, Rethymnon, Crete, Greece.
• Stoica, I. S.; Kavaratzis, M.; Schwabenland, C. & Haag, M. (October 2021) 'Exploring processes of co-creation between residents and municipality in the context of places with a negative reputation – a case study of Luton', The 5th Annual Conference of the International Place Branding Association, University of Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
• Stoica, I. S. (June 2020) 'Exploring processes of co-creation - Qualitative study and ethnographic approach', CIBAM- Centre for International Business and Marketing Event, University of Bedfordshire, Luton, UK
• Stoica, I. S. (January 2020) 'Re-branding places with negative reputation - A case study of Luton', CLI- Centre for Leadership Innovation Event, University of Bedfordshire, Luton, UK.
• Stoica, I. S. (January 2020) 'Exploring processes of co-creation between residents and municipality in the context of places with negative reputation in a case study of Luton', Business and Management Research Institute Annual Day, University of Bedfordshire, Luton, UK.
• Stoica, I. S.; El Banna, A., & Papadopoulos, N. (November 2019) 'An examination of place brand co-creation and its relationship with place reputation: the role of residents', The 4th Annual Conference of the International Place Branding Association, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece.
• Stoica, I. S. (May 2019) 'Re-branding Luton’s negative reputation using brand co-creation', Annual Research Conference - Global Challenges, University of Bedfordshire, Luton, UK.
• Stoica, I. S. (March 2019) 'Using social media tools and analytics, business training for young people', Youth Network, Dragon’s Den Training at University of Bedfordshire, Luton, UK.

Contact Details

E: ioana.stoica@beds.ac.uk