Marketing and advertising are changing all the time, and the skills of a marketer of today and those of tomorrow will not be the same.

Dr Alan Gilchrist joins Josi to talk about the evolving world of marketing, the skills you learn on a marketing degree that prepare you for an ever-changing market landscape, how they can be applied in many different fields, and how a Lancaster marketing degree can help students become resilient and adaptable.

Alan explains how his work around marketing strategy translates market research into actionable practice, and how students bring important insights into the next generations of customers.

Find out more about Alan and his work here: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lums/people/alan-gilchrist

Josi talks to Mary Hargreaves about her journey from a Lancaster University student, through the world of advertising and marketing, and into a role teaching the next generation of students on our programmes.

Mary brings a wealth of experience working in industry to her teaching, as well as contacts from years of teaching students who have gone on to successful careers. She tells us about all the things she has learned from operating in agencies and running her own business, where she has worked with everyone from small businesses up to Asda, and the benefits of bringing alumni back into the classroom.

Find out more about the BA Advertising and Marketing degree at Lancaster here: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/advertising-and-marketing-ba-hons-n501/2025/

Josi talks to Professor Maria Piacentini about her research into understanding why people buy what they buy.

This is translated into the Plastic Packaging in People’s Lives projects, where Maria and a team from across Lancaster University look at how consumers feel about plastics and plastic waste, and why this does not always translate into how they act. Her work considers moral issues around waste, but also the benefits of using plastics for food hygiene and preservation.

PPiPL works with organisations all through the supply chain – from packaging production to retailers to consumers – highlighting the importance of working with businesses and government and making a real-world impact with your work.

Find out more about Maria and her research here: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lums/people/maria-piacentini

Discover more about the PPiPL project here: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/ppipl/