BLDE University


Ideas For Marketing Dissertations: Exploring Current Problems

Brainstorming ideas for a marketing dissertation can feel overwhelming and challenging. A dissertation must be innovative and contribute to the field. Therefore, you want to choose a topic that addresses a current problem or issue in the field. You don’t necessarily need to think of an idea that no one has ever addressed, but you do need to develop an original approach to the issue or a unique way of considering the problem and/or potential solutions.

There are numerous topics you could cover in your thesis. The following is a list that will act as a starting-off point for generating topics. These ideas are broader topics, so you will want to narrow your focus and determine what purpose you want to achieve in your research and writing on your chosen topic. You could narrow your subject in a number of ways, including but not limited to focusing on a specific company, concentrating on a particular type of business, comparing the practices of two competing corporations, or comparing the issue cross-culturally or internationally.

  1. Electronic Marketing
    • Internet
    • Mobile
  2. Social Networking
  3. Customer Acquisition and Loyalty
  4. Direct Marketing Strategies
  5. Company Branding
  6. Consumer Psychology and Behavior
  7. Cross-Cultural Marketing
  8. Ethical Marketing
  9. Peer to Peer Marketing
  10. Tactics: One Company, Different Countries

This is by no means a comprehensive list of possible avenues to take with your dissertation, but it should give you a good idea of some relevant, current issues you could address in an inventive way. Another great way to come up with ideas for your dissertation is to look at the specific needs of a particular company and research possible solutions to those problems or challenges.

At the end of the day, your research topic should address relevant current issues in the field in your dissertation. This isn’t to say you can’t look at an issue that has some history, but you do want to make it relevant to the field today. Make sure that you explain the applicability or significance of your subject—in other words, how you are contributing to the field. Ultimately, your dissertation is where you showcase your expertise and knowledge while demonstrating your ingenuity and critical thinking skills. Regardless of which topic you explore, you will want to research thoroughly and explain how your research could influence marketing practices.