Q&A with Sprott’s Aron Darmody, Associate Professor, Marketing

Aron Darmody is an Associate Professor of Marketing. He joined Sprott in July 2021 from Suffolk University in Boston. He has a Bachelor of Commerce from University College Cork (Ireland), a Master of Marketing from Dublin City University (Ireland), and a PhD in Marketing from York University’s Schulich School of Business (Canada).

What attracted you to a career in higher education?

My Master’s degree was part professional, part thesis. Although I went back to work after graduation, the experience of doing the thesis was deeply rewarding and I’ve always felt most engaged in an academic setting. I liked the intellectual challenge of undertaking academic work. A career in higher education allows me to undertake more of this.

What are your current research interests and research agenda?

Broadly speaking, cultural studies of marketing practice. I try to look at the overlap of marketing strategy/the marketer and consumers. For example, I’m currently studying a phenomenon of consumer knowledge hiding. I’m also interested in corporate philanthropy. Looking at different ways organizations can be, or try to be, strategically philanthropic and in what ways they channel their resources and energies.

Is there a particular research project that you’re excited about?

I’m very interested in digital marketing and digital marketers. A project I’m working towards is trying to understand the concepts of marketing from the perspective of digital marketers. Marketing is changing, and the functions of many at the cutting edge of digital marketing is so different from what we typically associate with marketing. I would like to study and understand that change, but to do so primarily through the lens of those practitioners. How do they see marketing today and how do they understand their role in this change?

Which course or courses are you most looking forward to teaching?

I’m really excited to teach Consumer Culture Theory (BUSI 4209) this upcoming Winter term. It’s an undergraduate course at Sprott which is very uncommon as schools will usually have this as a small part of a wider Consumer Behaviour course, but not as a stand-alone one. In Consumer Culture Theory, we look to understand consumers from a socio-cultural perspective. It’s a very important way for students to understand people, consumption, and the world that we live in. We live in a hyper-commercialized world and it’s very interesting for the students to understand things like how it is that consumers form relationships with brands and integrate them into their lives, how through consumption they connect and communicate with one another. 

What drew you to join the Sprott School of Business?

The marketing area at Sprott is a small but diverse group. Amongst the faculty there is a diversity of research interests and ways of doing research. Sprott is a place that values academic freedom and to find a School that does this is great. I have a fairly wide set of research interests and I can pursue them here. There are also colleagues in other areas doing work of interest and it will be nice to pursue projects with them. Also, with the new Nicol Building, a strong strategic plan, there’s an energy; it is a school that wants to go places and that’s something that I wanted to be a part of.

Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your life outside of academia? Any hobbies or interests that you enjoy?

I like to get outdoors, go cycling and hiking. I do love movies, travel, good food and cooking. I like going to restaurants which I haven’t been able to take advantage of recently due to the pandemic but I’m looking forward to visiting in the future. Likewise, with travel. The only recent travel I’ve done is crossing the border to start my new position at Sprott.

Fun fact: Ahmed Doha [Associate Professor, Supply Chain Management] and I played on the same soccer team for a couple of years back when we were both PhD students at York University in Toronto!