Research Topic Title:

Exploring Marketing Communication Across Multiple Social Media Platforms

No. of Openings:

1

Description:

The Department of Communication and Marketing at CUT seeks a qualified candidate for a Ph.D. position focused on investigating marketing communication strategies across various social media platforms. This exciting opportunity offers an immersive journey into the dynamic landscape of digital marketing and communication, where the candidate will explore how social organizations or politicians leverage the power of multiple social media channels to engage audiences and achieve strategic objectives.

The research will delve into how politicians or social organizations utilize various social media platforms to disseminate messages, interact with constituents or followers, and influence public discourse. Through a comprehensive exploration, the study aims to uncover the effectiveness of marketing communication approaches in realizing organizational objectives, shaping public opinion, and catalyzing social change.

Interested candidates are required to submit the following:

1. A motivation letter (max. 500 words)
2. A Detailed CV: including academic background, relevant work experience, and any publications.
3. A research proposal (max 1000 words): a brief description of a research topic, research questions, a brief literature review, and research methodology
4. Academic Transcripts and Certificates: To be submitted at a later stage along with letters of recommendation.

Funding:

The Successful applicant can

• receive money allowance for conducting his/her research including partial coverage of conference expenses,
• receive funding as a teaching assistant,
• applying to competitive internal scholarships, or
• participating in funded research projects

Required Qualifications:

• A master’s degree in marketing, Business Studies, Communication, media, internet studies, Sociology, Political Science, or a related field, with a strong academic record.
• Demonstrated experience or a keen interest in social media analytics, digital marketing strategies, and consumer psychology.
• Strong methodological background in quantitative and/or experimental methods and/or qualitative techniques.
• Excellent analytical, research, and communication skills.
• The ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a research team.
• Proficiency in statistical analysis software (e.g., SPSS, SAS) and social media analytical tools.
• Experience in software development (Python, R), or deep learning libraries could be considered an advantage.

Research Advisor:

Name/Surname:

Nicolas Tsapatsoulis

Position:

Professor

Email:

nicolas.tsapatsoulis@cut.ac.cy

Research Topic Title:

Empirical Study of Image Content and Text Social Media Engagement via Threads

No. of Openings:

1

Description:

The Department of Communication and Marketing at CUT is seeking a qualified candidate to fill a Ph.D. position dedicated to investigating social media engagement dynamics, particularly emphasizing the nascent social medium, Threads.

As a new social medium, Threads offers brands a unique avenue for real-time interaction, fostering conversations, opinions, and trends. However, the intricate relationship between image content and textual discourse in shaping user engagement within Threads remains relatively unexplored territory. This Ph.D. opportunity presents an ideal platform to conduct empirical research, centering on sentiment analysis and topic modeling within the framework of this innovative social platform, with a specific emphasis on its implications for brand engagement and communication strategies.

Interested candidates are required to submit the following:

1. A motivation letter (max. 500 words)
2. A Detailed CV: including academic background, relevant work experience, and any publications.
3. A research proposal (max 1000 words): a brief description of a research topic, research questions, a brief literature review, and research methodology
4. Academic Transcripts and Certificates: To be submitted at a later stage along with letters of recommendation.

Funding:

The Successful applicant can

• receive money allowance for conducting his/her research including partial coverage of conference expenses,
• receive funding as a teaching assistant,
• applying to competitive internal scholarships, or
• participating in funded research projects

Required Qualifications:

• A master’s degree in marketing, Business Studies, Communication, media, internet studies, data science, or a related field, with a strong academic record.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, R, or Java, along with experience in relevant libraries and frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, scikit-learn, NLTK).
• Sound theoretical understanding of machine learning, natural language processing, and statistical analysis techniques, with a keen interest in applying these methodologies to brand-related social media data.
• Familiarity with image processing techniques, computer vision algorithms, and social media analytics platforms is advantageous.
• Demonstrated experience or a keen interest in social media analytics, digital marketing strategies, and consumer psychology.
• Excellent analytical, research, and communication skills.
• The ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a research team.

Research Advisor:

Name/Surname:

Nicolas Tsapatsoulis

Position:

Professor

Email:

nicolas.tsapatsoulis@cut.ac.cy

Research Topic Title:

"The contribution of Integrated Marketing Communications to the formation of perceptions concerning individuals, concepts or ideologies and organised belief systems."  

No. of Openings:

Description:

 The thesis concerns the investigation of the impact of IMC tools on public opinion about individuals (e.g. celebrities, heroes, leaders, influencers, villains) or concepts (e.g. sustainability, prosperity, individual freedoms) or ideologies and organized belief systems (e.g. political parties or religions). Applying theories from consumer behavior and/or perception management, persuasion and influence and/or social psychology the research will systematically record widely held perceptions and empirically investigate their influence on attitudes and behaviors. The aim of the research is to develop information management and evaluation tools that will strengthen user criticality and empower them against manipulation attempts. 

Funding:

Depending on their field of expertise and qualifications, candidates may be offered teaching or lab assistant positions in the department. Moreover, funding may be available through future research projects. The University also has a limited number of Scholarships of Excellence. 

Required Qualifications:

Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university in a relevant area, e.g. marketing, public relations, communication, media, internet studies, or psychology and a relevant master's degree with grades of at least Very Good / 2:1 Honours. They should have a strong methodological background in qualitative and/or quantitative and/or experimental methods and excellent knowledge of the English language (level C2). The following will be considered as additional qualifications: a) professional experience in marketing, public relations or media, b) experience in submitting research proposals and/or previous participation in research projects, c) academic publications. Applications are accepted only for full-time study and it is noted that the physical presence of candidates at the University is required. With their application, candidates should send a curriculum vitae, full transcripts of their degrees, any publications (1-2 representative), contact details of two people who can give letters of recommendation and a description of their research interests in English (up to 2 pages). 

Research Advisor:

Name/Surname:

Anna Zarkada,

Position:

Associate Professor 

Email:

anna.zarkada@cut.ac.cy

Research Topic Title: 

Examining Product Brand Influence and Loyalty on Social Media  

No. of Openings: 

1 

Description: 

The successful PhD candidate will research the evolving landscape of product branding strategies within Social Media Networks (SMNs). Research will aim to dissect and analyse how companies leverage social media platforms to fortify their brand identity, enhance customer engagement, and cultivate brand loyalty. By focusing on the interplay between social media promotional actions and consumer perception, the research should uncover insights that could significantly boost brand loyalty and influence. The research will encompass a comprehensive examination of various strategies employed by brands on social media, the effectiveness of these strategies in shaping consumer behaviour, and the potential for innovation in digital brand engagement. Target population will focus on GenZ or Gen Alpha. 

Research areas of interest include, but not limited to: 

- Analysis of social media branding strategies and their impact on consumer engagement and loyalty. 

- The role of influencer marketing in brand promotion and perception. 

- Consumer behaviour analysis on social media platforms in response to brand-related activities. 

- The effectiveness of targeted advertising and personalized content in fostering brand loyalty. 

- Cross-platform analysis of brand engagement strategies and their outcomes. 

Interested candidates are required to submit the following: 

1. A Detailed CV: including academic background, relevant work experience, and any publications. 

2. Research Proposal (max 2000 words): presenting a vision for analysing product brand influence and loyalty on social media. The proposal should outline potential research questions, proposed methodology, and how the research aims to contribute to the existing body of knowledge. 

3. Academic Transcripts and Certificates: To be submitted at a later stage along with letters of recommendation. 

Required Qualifications: 

- A Master’s degree in Marketing, Business Studies, Communication, or a related field, with a strong academic record. 

- Demonstrated experience or a keen interest in social media analytics, digital marketing strategies, and consumer psychology. 

- Proficiency in statistical analysis software (e.g., SPSS, SAS) and social media analytical tools. 

- Excellent analytical, research, and communication skills. 

- The ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a research team. 

Research Advisor: 

Name/Surname: 

Yioula Melanthiou

Position: 

Assistant Professor 

Email: 

Yioula.melanthiou@cut.ac.cy 

Research Topic Title: 

Augmented Reality and Customer Experiences 

No. of Openings: 

1 

Description: 

The successful PhD candidate will focus on exploring the transformative potential of Augmented Reality (AR) in enriching customer experiences (CX). This is aimed at developing innovative AR solutions that can redefine the way businesses interact with their customers, enhancing engagement, satisfaction, and value creation in various sectors. Research will focus on investigating the integration of AR technologies into customer experiences and will explore how AR can be leveraged to create immersive, interactive, and personalized customer journeys. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, AR in retail environments, virtual try-ons, interactive advertising, gamified experiences, and personalized content delivery. 

Interested candidates are required to submit the following: 

1. A Detailed CV: including academic background, relevant work experience, and any publications. 

2. A research proposal (max 2000 words): outlining your vision for how AR can enrich customer experiences, including potential research questions, proposed methodology, and how the research aims to contribute to the existing body of knowledge. 

3. Academic Transcripts and Certificates: To be submitted at a later stage along with letters of recommendation. 

Funding: 

Required Qualifications: 

- A Master’s degree in Marketing or a related field / or Computer Science (but preferably with an undergraduate degree in Social Sciences or Business Studies) or a related field, with a strong academic record. 

- Experience in AR technologies, including development platforms (e.g., ARKit, ARCore) and 3D modelling tools, and a proficiency in programming languages relevant to AR development (e.g., C#, Java, Python) will be considered an advantage. 

- Excellent analytical, research, and communication skills. 

- Ability to work independently and as part of a team. 

Research Advisor: 

Name/Surname: 

Yioula Melanthiou 

Position: 

Assistant Professor 

Email: 

Yioula.melanthiou@cut.ac.cy 

Research Topic Title: 

Behavioural Change and Sustainability  

No. of Openings: 

1 

Description: 

The department of Communications and Marketing at CUT wants to fill in a PhD position at the intersection of Behavioural Sciences and Marketing. The project aims at exploring behavioural interventions in the form of Nudges (Thaler and Sunstein, 2008) and their potential in reinforcing beneficial behaviours for consumers. Specifically, the project aims at assisting consumers in making better decisions for their own, and the wider societal, good with the areas of interest including, but not limited to, beneficial and green consumption, information divulgence and scam avoidance. The candidate will demonstrate a tracked record of quantitative skill development and will have knowledge of relevant statistical software. 

The Successful applicant will have money allowance for conducting his/her research including partial coverage of conference expenses. Additionally, he/she will have the ability to further enhance his/her analytical and communications skills through specialized PhD-level modules. Finally, paid opportunities to reinforce teaching skills will be offered subject to performance. 

Funding: 

Required Qualifications: 

- A Master’s degree in Psychology or Behavioural Science or Marketing or a relevant field. 

- An undergraduate degree in Psychology or Economics or Business or Marketing or a relevant field. 

- Experience in quantitative methods of analysis and proficiency with quantitative software (i.e. Stata, SPSS).  Knowledge of experimental design will be considered an advantage. 

- Excellent knowledge of the English Language 

- Excellent analytical, research, and communication skills. 

- Ability to work independently and as part of a team. 

Research Advisor: 

Name/Surname: 

Christos Themistocleous 

Position: 

Lecturer 

Email: 

c.themistocleous@cut.ac.cy 

Research Topic Title:

Examining Brand Building and Brand Management through the use of AI tools and models

No. of Openings

1

Description:

The successful PhD candidate will research the evolving landscape of corporate brand strategies within the framework of AI models and software. Research will dissect the intricate dynamics between brand strategies and AI models and analyse how companies leverage AI tools and software solutions to create new-age brand building and/or brand management as methods to increase brand equity. By focusing on the interplay between brand management and AI tools, the research should uncover insights that could significantly boost brand loyalty, brand equity and business scaling. The research will encompass a comprehensive examination of various strategies employed by brands through the use of AI models, the effectiveness of these strategies in influencing target audiences; the research should particularly focus on the potential for innovation in digital brand engagement. Target population will focus on Millennials and GenZ.

Research areas of interest include, but not limited to:

- Analysis of AI tools as innovative methods for brand building and new brand creation: creating a brand

- Brand management through AI: developing and managing a brand

- How innovative brand tools contribute to increased and sustainable brand equity.

-  The Role of Artificial Intelligence in brand management and how it affects Business Transformation

- The effectiveness of personalized content through AI content-generation tools in fostering brand loyalty.

- The assimilation of AI-based technological into branding strategies as pivotal in shaping the future of marketing strategies

Interested candidates are required to submit the following:

1. A Detailed CV: including academic background, relevant work experience, and any publications.

2. Research Proposal (max 2000 words): presenting a vision for analysing brand building and management through the use of AI tools and models. The proposal should outline potential research questions, proposed methodology, and how the research aims to contribute to the existing body of knowledge.

3. Academic Transcripts and Certificates: To be submitted at a later stage along with letters of recommendation.

Funding:

Required Qualifications:

- A Master’s degree in Marketing, Business Studies, Communication, or a related field, with a strong academic record.

- Demonstrated experience or a keen interest in social media analytics, digital marketing strategies, and consumer psychology.

- Proficiency in statistical analysis software (e.g., SPSS, SAS) and social media analytical tools.

- Excellent analytical, research, and communication skills.

- The ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a research team.

Research Advisor:

Name/Surname:

YIOULA MELANTHIOU

Position:

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

Email:

Yioula.melanthiou@cut.ac.cy