Kardi Somerfield

Dr. Kardi Somerfield is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Northampton, Department of Marketing & Entrepreneurship. She serves as Deputy Subject Leader and teaches digital marketing, combining academic rigor with practical innovation.

• PhD in Marketing, University of Northampton (awarded 2024)
• MSc International Marketing Strategy, University of Northampton (awarded 2016)

Her research centers on digital marketing dynamics, especially user-generated content, motivation in social media engagement, and the integration of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality in marketing and education. She employs experiential teaching and mixed-methods research to explore how brands interact with audiences online.

Her recent research output highlights trends in social media behavior, particularly how major brands decide to retweet user content, with a focus on visual elements. This work bridges marketing theory and data-driven analysis, contributing to understanding digital brand strategies.

Dr. Somerfield actively engages in knowledge exchange through industry collaborations, public exhibitions, and media appearances. She contributes to academic and public discourse on technology, creativity, and ethics in digital spaces.

• Global Academic Advisory Panel, Digital Marketing Institute (since 2022)

She has led and contributed to research projects funded by charitable sources, such as the #UpForTheCup project addressing waste streams from paper cups. Her work often involves cross-sector partnerships with organizations like Northamptonshire Police, Channel 4, and local business districts.

Dr. Somerfield is involved in organizing academic events, delivering conference presentations, invited talks, webinars, and public exhibitions. She also runs FridgeStreet, a social enterprise promoting local SMEs through illustrated merchandise, demonstrating her commitment to community-based creative entrepreneurship.