Title:
- Prof. Dr. Kim Willems (ES – BUSI – Marketing en Consumentengedrag), Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Specialisations:
- Consumer Behaviour
- Retailing and Consumer Services
- Marketing Strategy
Biography:
Prof. Dr. Kim Willems is Full Professor of Marketing at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, in the Faculty of Social Sciences & Solvay Business School. After graduating as MSc Business Engineer, she obtained her PhD on Retail Differentiation Strategies in collaboration with Hasselt University and Vrije Universiteit Belgium. She is affilated to the research groups VUB Imec-SMIT, VUB BruBotics, VUB HOST, VUB TAFS and Hasselt University (BEW-MARS).
Her research is dedicated to exploring the complex dynamics of consumer behavior. She investigates how to effectively inform, persuade and educate people about the benefits and applications of (digital) innovations to ultimately fully unlock their potential. Her work spans various areas including the impact of emotions such as pleasure and irritation on both online and offline consumer behavior. She examines the role mental imagery in shaping customer experiences within digital environments, as well as the potential of technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and touch interfaces to enhance these experiences. She also focuses on developing strategies to encourage consumers to make more sustainable choices.
Through her interdisciplinary approach, she aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of consumer behavior and its implications for businesses, policymakers, and society as a whole. Kim initiated several academic and policy-supporting research projects. An overview of these activities can be found at her VUB research portal (https://researchportal.vub.be/en/persons/kim-willems).
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