Sonya Hanna

Dr. Sonya Hanna is a Lecturer in Marketing at Bangor Business School, Bangor University. She holds a PhD in Strategic Place Brand Management (2011), an MBA in General Management, and an LLB (Hons) in Law. Her academic roles include Director of Postgraduate Marketing Programmes, Exam Board Chair, and membership in university committees like Athena SWAN. She developed the MA Management for Climate Change programme launching in 2025/2026.

Her research explores place branding through interdisciplinary lenses, focusing on:

• Sustainable tourism and climate change impacts on geographical entities
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites management
• Destination image perception and brand personality
• Digital-era place branding strategies

She serves on the management board of Bangor's 'Places of Climate Change' Research Centre and contributes to journal editorial boards.

Her publications demonstrate consistent focus on place branding evolution, with recent work emphasizing sustainability and climate communication. Research trends show progression from theoretical brand models (2011-2013) to applied sustainability contexts (2020-2025).

Awards & Recognition:

• Emerald Literati Outstanding Reviewer (2017)
• Best Paper in Track Award, Academy of Marketing (2012)
• Top downloaded article in European Management Review (2019-2022)
• CELT Associate Award (2016)
• Nominated for Teacher of the Year (2020)

Supervision & Projects: Supervised PhD candidate Surbhi Jain to completion. Leads £19,446 BU-IIA project on sustainable tourism development at UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Secured multiple grants including £10,000 for plastic pollution research and £3,000 for destination image studies.

Active in professional networks: Fellow of Higher Education Academy, Fellow of Academy of Marketing Science, and Scientific Committee member for International Place Branding Association.