AI-driven branding for sustainable development: Integrating health, consumer behaviour, and ethical AI practices in digital innovation

We are offering a self-funded PhD position in marketing with the Brunel Business School. The project focuses on AI-driven branding for sustainable development.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

If you have any questions about the project or would like to arrange an informal discussion, please reach out to Dr Pantea Foroudi at pantea.foroudi@brunel.ac.uk.

The project

As artificial intelligence transforms industries, its role in branding offers an opportunity to advance sustainable practices, influence consumer behaviour, and even impact health and wellbeing.

This project will explore how AI-driven branding and marketing can support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to health, responsible consumption, and ethical practices.

The research will focus on several interrelated topics at the intersection of branding, AI, health, and sustainability:

1. Promoting health-conscious consumer behaviour: Investigate how AI can be used in branding to encourage health-conscious choices among consumers. This area will explore AI-driven personalisation strategies that suggest healthier product alternatives, monitor lifestyle choices, or provide insights into sustainable and health-focused brands. The student could examine the effectiveness of AI-driven nudges that promote choices aligned with both personal health and environmental goals.
2. AI and mental health in brand engagement: Examine the psychological effects of AI-driven branding and its influence on consumer wellbeing. This topic will consider how brands can use AI to foster positive mental health outcomes by creating supportive, inclusive brand communities, or minimising harmful digital interactions. This area may include research into how brands can avoid creating addictive engagement patterns and instead foster meaningful, balanced connections with consumers.
3. AI-powered health and wellness tracking: Explore the integration of AI with health data to create branded experiences focused on wellness and preventive health. For instance, wearable devices or apps that monitor fitness, nutrition, or stress levels can be linked to brands that encourage a healthier lifestyle. The student will analyse how this data can ethically and responsibly enhance brand loyalty while maintaining privacy.
4. Responsible AI in health and fitness marketing: Evaluate the ethical implications of AI in promoting health and fitness brands, focusing on data privacy, transparency, and the avoidance of manipulative tactics. This topic will investigate guidelines and best practices for using AI to influence health-related choices without compromising consumer autonomy or wellbeing.
5. AI, health literacy, and consumer education: Consider how AI can support health literacy by creating branded content that educates consumers on sustainable health practices, such as balanced diets, exercise routines, or eco-friendly wellness products. AI-driven content personalisation could make health information more accessible, addressing different demographics’ needs and promoting well-informed consumer decisions.
6. AI and public health campaigns for sustainable behaviour: Explore how AI-driven branding can collaborate with public health initiatives to promote sustainability-focused behaviour. This topic would analyse how brands can work with health organisations to create campaigns that encourage behaviours like reduced sugar intake, waste reduction, or choosing eco-friendly products, thereby supporting health and sustainability goals simultaneously.
7. AI-enhanced personalisation for sustainable health products: Assess how AI can personalise recommendations for sustainable health products, such as organic foods, non-toxic beauty products, or eco-friendly supplements. The student will study how AI can support brands that promote sustainable health products, understanding the factors that influence consumers’ choices in this area.
8. AI and wellness in workplace health programmes: Research how AI-driven branding and marketing can support brands that promote workplace health and wellbeing.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for the above PhD topic please follow the steps below:

1. Contact the supervisor by email or phone to discuss your interest and find out if you would be suitable. Supervisor details can be found on this topic page. The supervisor will guide you in developing the topic-specific research proposal, which will form part of your application.
2. Click on the 'Apply here' button on this page and you will be taken to the relevant PhD course page, where you can apply using an online application.
3. Complete the online application indicating your selected supervisor and include the research proposal for the topic you have selected.

Good luck!

This is a self funded topic

Brunel offers a number of funding options to research students that help cover the cost of their tuition fees, contribute to living expenses or both. See more information here: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/research/Research-degrees/Research-degree-funding. The UK Government is also offering Doctoral Student Loans for eligible students, and there is some funding available through the Research Councils. Many of our international students benefit from funding provided by their governments or employers. Brunel alumni enjoy tuition fee discounts of 15%.

Meet the Supervisor(s)

Pantea Foroudi - Pantea Foroudi (PhD, SFHEA, MSc (Honours), MA, BA (Honours)) is the business manager and solution architect at Foroudi Consultancy and is a member of the Marketing and Branding Department, Brunel Business School, London. Pantea has been working in the field of design, branding, and marketing since 1996, and she has experience as a creative innovator and practical problem-solver in visual identity, graphic design, and branding in different sectors. Her primary research interest has focused on consumer behaviour from a multidisciplinary approach based on two research streams: (i) Artificial Intelligence (AI), (ii) corporate brand design/visual and identity, and (iii) sustainable development goals (SDGs). Pantea has been published widely in international academic journals, such as the British Journal of Management, Journal of Business Research, European Journal of Marketing, International Journal of Hospitality Management, and others. She is the associate/senior editor of the International Journal of Hospitality Management, Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Hospitality Management, International Journal of Management Reviews, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, and European Journal of International Management (EJIM), among others.

Related Research Group(s)

Marketing and Corporate Brand Management - Our research-active faculty are engaged in cutting-edge applied scholarship across a broad spectrum of marketing areas.

Marketing and Corporate Brand Management - copy - Our research-active faculty are engaged in cutting-edge applied scholarship across a broad spectrum of marketing areas.