Leah Watkins

Leah Watkins serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Marketing at the Otago Business School, University of Otago. She holds dual leadership roles as Director for Masters' Programmes in Marketing and Associate Dean International for the Business School, overseeing global partnerships and strategic initiatives from her office in Room 4.40.

Her academic foundation includes a BA, PGDip (Japanese), DipGrad (Marketing), and cross-divisional PhD in Marketing and Japanese Studies from the University of Otago, where her doctoral research examined cultural influences on tourism behavior.

Dr. Watkins critically investigates marketing's societal impact through three interconnected research streams: ethical consumption (voluntary simplicity and well-being), child-focused consumer studies (Kids'Cam Project on real-world marketing exposure), and sustainable lifestyle development. Her work bridges cultural studies with consumer behavior, emphasizing how values shape consumption patterns and advocating for marketing literacy in youth.

Recent publications (2024-2025) reveal concentrated focus on children's commercial vulnerability across multiple contexts—in-school environments, real-time advertising exposure, and retail settings—while expanding into wellbeing correlations with sustainable consumption. Her Lancet Planetary Health publication demonstrates interdisciplinary reach beyond traditional marketing journals.

As research leader, she directs the New Zealand Consumer Lifestyles Research Group and contributes to the Kids'Cam Project's innovative methodology capturing children's first-person consumption experiences. Her teaching portfolio includes core courses MART 201 (Integrated Marketing Communications), MART 464 (Consumer Behaviour), MART 212 (Understanding Markets), and MART 210 (Consumer Behaviour), with regular Tuesday office hours.