![Rebecca Mardon BA (Hons), PhD, FHEA](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/10238?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Rebecca Mardon
(she/her)
BA (Hons), PhD, FHEA
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Teams and roles for Rebecca Mardon
Reader (Associate Professor) in Marketing
Overview
My research explores how digital technologies shape our lives as consumers, with implications for our identities, relationships, and well-being. My work examines ownership and sharing in a digital age, the evolving relationships between social media influencers and their followers, social dynamics within online consumer collectives, and AI-mediated consumption.
I have published on these topics in leading marketing journals, including the Journal of Consumer Research, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Business Research, Marketing Theory, and Journal of Marketing Management. I recently co-edited The Routledge Companion to Influencer Marketing and guest-edited a special issue of the Journal of Business Research on ‘Influencers & Influencer Marketing: Implications for Consumers & Society’.
My work has received coverage in outlets including The Guardian, The Independent, Forbes, and Business Insider. I also write regularly for The Conversation UK, sharing insights from my research with a wider audience.
I am an Associate Editor of the Journal of Marketing Management and the Journal of Business Research, and a member of the Marketing Theory editorial review board and the ESRC Peer Review College.
I teach digital marketing at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, combining the latest research insights with current industry best practice. Where possible, I work with SMEs on live student projects, giving students practical experience in digital marketing while providing businesses with fresh insights and recommendations. I am also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and serve as an External Examiner at the University of Bath. In 2026, I was nominated for the Most Outstanding Use of the Learning Environment award in Cardiff University's Enriching Student Life Awards.
Publication
2026
- Costello, J. , Cocker, H. and Mardon, R. eds. 2026. The Routledge Companion to Influencer Marketing. Routledge.
- Cocker, H. , Costello, J. and Mardon, R. 2026. Conclusion: influencer marketing: reflections and future research directions. In: Cocker, H. , Costello, J. and Mardon, R. eds. The Routledge Companion to Influencer Marketing. Routledge
- Cocker, H. , Mardon, R. and Daunt, K. 2026. Parasocial relationship theory and influencer marketing: a lifecycle perspective on parasocial relationships with influencers. In: Cocker, H. , Costello, J. and Mardon, R. eds. The Routledge Companion to Influencer Marketing. Routledge
- Mardon, R. et al. 2026. Spheres of influence: How influencers impact society. Journal of Business Research 215 116339. (10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116339)
- Knott, J. D. et al., 2026. How digital technology transforms consumption: a critical reflection on theoretical lenses and a research agenda. Journal of Marketing Management (10.1080/0267257x.2026.2729244)
2025
- Mardon, R. , Cocker, H. and Daunt, K. 2025. When fans become anti-fans: How to navigate negative influencer–follower relationships. NIM Marketing Intelligence Review 17 (1), pp.30-35. (10.2478/nimmir-2025-0005)
2024
- Mardon, R. , Cocker, H. and Daunt, K. 2024. When parasocial relationships turn sour: social media influencers, eroded and exploitative intimacies, and anti-fan communities. In: Gurrieri, L. , Drenten, J. and Abidin, C. eds. Influencer Marketing Interdisciplinary and Socio-Cultural Perspectives. London: Routledge(10.4324/9781003559412)
- Cocker, H. , Mardon, R. and Daunt, K. 2024. We’re not deviant, you are! How consumption communities neutralize accusations of deviance. Presented at: AM2024: Marketing: Fusing resilience and power for public value – igniting marketing’s social spirit Cardiff, UK 1 - 4 July 2024. Academy Of Marketing Conference 2024 Paper Proceedings. Academy of Marketing. , pp.254-255.
2023
- Mardon, R. , Cocker, H. and Daunt, K. 2023. How social media influencers impact consumer collectives: An embeddedness perspective. Journal of Consumer Research 50 (3), pp.617-644. (10.1093/jcr/ucad003)
- Mardon, R. , Denegri-Knott, J. and Molesworth, M. 2023. “Kind of Mine, Kind of Not”: Digital possessions and affordance misalignment. Journal of Consumer Research 50 (2), pp.255-281. (10.1093/jcr/ucac057)
- Mardon, R. , Cocker, H. and Daunt, K. 2023. When parasocial relationships turn sour: Social media influencers, eroded and exploitative intimacies, and anti-fan communities. Journal of Marketing Management 39 (11-12), pp.1132-1162. (10.1080/0267257X.2022.2149609)
- Mardon, R. , Maraj, V. and Bardhi, F. 2023. What’s mine isn’t necessarily yours: How digital technology affordances destabilise couples’ sharing practices. Presented at: Consumer Culture Theory Conference Lund, Sweden 27 – 30 June 2023.
- Molesworth, M. , Grigore, G. and Mardon, R. 2023. The psychosocial relational dynamics of rescuer platforms. Presented at: Consumer Culture Theory Conference Lund, Sweden 27 – 30 June 2023.
2022
- Alkaffary, B. et al. 2022. Psychological ownership in access-based services: The role of the virtual closet. Presented at: 12th SERVSIG Conference Glasgow, UK 16-18 June 2022.
- Mardon, R. , Maraj, V. and Bardhi, F. 2022. What’s mine isn’t necessarily yours: How digital object affordances destabilise couples’ sharing practices. Presented at: 11th Interpretive Consumer Research Workshop Liverpool, UK 9 – 10 June 2022.
2021
- Cocker, H. , Mardon, R. and Daunt, K. 2021. Social media influencers & transgressive celebrity endorsement in consumption community contexts. European Journal of Marketing 55 (7), pp.1841-1872. (10.1108/EJM-07-2019-0567)
2019
- Mardon, R. , Cocker, H. and Daunt, K. 2019. Community-embedded human brands and dysfunctional community role dynamics: A study of the YouTube beauty community. Presented at: Consumer Culture Theory Conference Montreal, QC, Canada 17-19 July 2019.
- Mardon, R. , Denegri-Knott, J. and Molesworth, M. 2019. Possessing digital objects: Affordances and agency in Possession. Presented at: Consumer Culture Theory Conference Montreal, QC, Canada 17-19 July 2019.
2018
- Mardon, R. and Belk, R. 2018. Materializing digital collecting: an extended view of digital materiality. Marketing Theory 18 (4), pp.543-570. (10.1177/1470593118767725)
- Mardon, R. , Molesworth, M. and Grigore, G. 2018. YouTube beauty gurus and the emotional labour of tribal entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Research 92 , pp.443-454. (10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.04.017)
- Mardon, R. , Cocker, H. and Daunt, K. 2018. Constructing and commodifying the tribal celebrity: A dramaturgical perspective. Presented at: Academy of Marketing Conference Stirling, Scotland 2-5 July 2018.
- Lindgreen, A. et al., 2018. Communicating corporate social responsibility in the digital era. Abingdon and New York: Routledge.
2017
- Watkins, R. , Denegri-Knott, J. and Molesworth, M. 2017. A relational ontology of objects & possession. Presented at: 9th Interpretivist Consumer Research Workshop (ICR) Stockholm, Sweden 26-29 April 2017.
- Watkins, R. , Molesworth, M. and Grigore, G. 2017. Selling without selling out: YouTube beauty gurus & the emotional labour of tribal entrepreneurship. Presented at: 9th Interpretivist Consumer Research Workshop (ICR) Stockholm, Sweden 26-29 April 2017.
2016
- Watkins, R. 2016. Actor-network theory, consumer-object relations and method assemblage: methodological reflections from a study of digital possessions. Presented at: Consumer Culture Theory Conference 2016 Lille, France 6-9 July 2016.
- Watkins, R. and Belk, R. 2016. Collections and collecting in a digital age. Presented at: Consumer Culture Theory Conference 2016 Lille, France 6-9 July 2016.
- Molesworth, M. and Watkins, R. 2016. Adult videogame consumption as individualised, episodic progress. Journal of Consumer Culture 16 (2), pp.510-530. (10.1177/1469540514528195)
- Molesworth, M. , Watkins, R. D. and Denegri-Knott, J. 2016. Possession work on hosted digital consumption objects as consumer ensnarement. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research 1 (2), pp.246-261. (10.1086/685474)
- Watkins, R. D. , Denegri-Knott, J. and Molesworth, M. 2016. The relationship between ownership and possession: observations from the context of digital virtual goods. Journal of Marketing Management 32 (1-2), pp.44-70. (10.1080/0267257X.2015.1089308)
- Grigore, G. , Molesworth, M. and Watkins, R. 2016. New corporate responsibilities in the digital economy. In: Corporate Social Responsibility in the Post-Financial Crisis Era. Palgrave. , pp.41-62.
- Watkins, R. 2016. Conceptualising the ontology of digital consumption objects. Presented at: Association for Consumer Research North American Conference 2015 New Orleans, LA 1-4 October 2015. Published in: Diehl, K. , Yoon, C. and Duluth, M. N. eds. Advances in Consumer Research – North American Conference Proceedings. Vol. 43.Association for Consumer Research. , pp.275-276.
2015
- Grigore, G. , Molesworth, M. and Watkins, R. 2015. Conceptualising digital corporate social responsibility. Presented at: 4th International Conference on Social Responsibility, Ethics and Sustainable Business Athens 8-9 October 2015.
- Watkins, R. , Sellen, A. and Lindley, S. E. 2015. Digital collections and digital collection practices. Presented at: SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Seoul, Republic of Korea 18 - 23 April, 2015. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. New York: ACM. , pp.3423-3432. (10.1145/2702123.2702380)
2014
- Watkins, R. 2014. Fragmented ownership and the fencing in of digital virtual possessions. Presented at: Connected Life Oxford 12 June 2014.
2013
- Watkins, R. and Molesworth, M. 2013. The biographies of digital goods. Presented at: Consumer Culture Theory Tucson, Az 13-16 June 2013.
- Watkins, R. and Molesworth, M. 2013. The ongoing exploitation of consumers' possession work via the permanent deferral of DVG ownership. Presented at: 7th Workshop on Interpretive Consumer Research Brussells 11 - 12 April 2013.
2012
- Denegri-Knott, J. , Watkins, R. and Wood, J. 2012. Transforming digital virtual goods into meaningful possessions. In: Molesworth, M. and Denegri Knott, J. eds. Digital Virtual Consumption. Routledge Studies in Innovation, Organization and Technology Vol. 23.Oxford: Routledge. , pp.76-91.
- Watkins, R. and Molesworth, M. 2012. Attachment to digital virtual possessions in videogames. In: Belk, R. W. , Scott, L. and Askegaard, S. eds. Research in Consumer Behaviour. Vol. 14, Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing. , pp.153-171.
- Watkins, R. and Molesworth, M. 2012. Attachment to digital virtual possessions in videogames. Presented at: Consumer Culture Theory Conference Oxford 16-19 August 2012.
Articles
- Mardon, R. et al. 2026. Spheres of influence: How influencers impact society. Journal of Business Research 215 116339. (10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116339)
- Knott, J. D. et al., 2026. How digital technology transforms consumption: a critical reflection on theoretical lenses and a research agenda. Journal of Marketing Management (10.1080/0267257x.2026.2729244)
- Mardon, R. , Cocker, H. and Daunt, K. 2025. When fans become anti-fans: How to navigate negative influencer–follower relationships. NIM Marketing Intelligence Review 17 (1), pp.30-35. (10.2478/nimmir-2025-0005)
- Mardon, R. , Cocker, H. and Daunt, K. 2023. How social media influencers impact consumer collectives: An embeddedness perspective. Journal of Consumer Research 50 (3), pp.617-644. (10.1093/jcr/ucad003)
- Mardon, R. , Denegri-Knott, J. and Molesworth, M. 2023. “Kind of Mine, Kind of Not”: Digital possessions and affordance misalignment. Journal of Consumer Research 50 (2), pp.255-281. (10.1093/jcr/ucac057)
- Mardon, R. , Cocker, H. and Daunt, K. 2023. When parasocial relationships turn sour: Social media influencers, eroded and exploitative intimacies, and anti-fan communities. Journal of Marketing Management 39 (11-12), pp.1132-1162. (10.1080/0267257X.2022.2149609)
- Cocker, H. , Mardon, R. and Daunt, K. 2021. Social media influencers & transgressive celebrity endorsement in consumption community contexts. European Journal of Marketing 55 (7), pp.1841-1872. (10.1108/EJM-07-2019-0567)
- Mardon, R. and Belk, R. 2018. Materializing digital collecting: an extended view of digital materiality. Marketing Theory 18 (4), pp.543-570. (10.1177/1470593118767725)
- Mardon, R. , Molesworth, M. and Grigore, G. 2018. YouTube beauty gurus and the emotional labour of tribal entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Research 92 , pp.443-454. (10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.04.017)
- Molesworth, M. and Watkins, R. 2016. Adult videogame consumption as individualised, episodic progress. Journal of Consumer Culture 16 (2), pp.510-530. (10.1177/1469540514528195)
- Molesworth, M. , Watkins, R. D. and Denegri-Knott, J. 2016. Possession work on hosted digital consumption objects as consumer ensnarement. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research 1 (2), pp.246-261. (10.1086/685474)
- Watkins, R. D. , Denegri-Knott, J. and Molesworth, M. 2016. The relationship between ownership and possession: observations from the context of digital virtual goods. Journal of Marketing Management 32 (1-2), pp.44-70. (10.1080/0267257X.2015.1089308)
Book sections
- Cocker, H. , Costello, J. and Mardon, R. 2026. Conclusion: influencer marketing: reflections and future research directions. In: Cocker, H. , Costello, J. and Mardon, R. eds. The Routledge Companion to Influencer Marketing. Routledge
- Cocker, H. , Mardon, R. and Daunt, K. 2026. Parasocial relationship theory and influencer marketing: a lifecycle perspective on parasocial relationships with influencers. In: Cocker, H. , Costello, J. and Mardon, R. eds. The Routledge Companion to Influencer Marketing. Routledge
- Mardon, R. , Cocker, H. and Daunt, K. 2024. When parasocial relationships turn sour: social media influencers, eroded and exploitative intimacies, and anti-fan communities. In: Gurrieri, L. , Drenten, J. and Abidin, C. eds. Influencer Marketing Interdisciplinary and Socio-Cultural Perspectives. London: Routledge(10.4324/9781003559412)
- Grigore, G. , Molesworth, M. and Watkins, R. 2016. New corporate responsibilities in the digital economy. In: Corporate Social Responsibility in the Post-Financial Crisis Era. Palgrave. , pp.41-62.
- Denegri-Knott, J. , Watkins, R. and Wood, J. 2012. Transforming digital virtual goods into meaningful possessions. In: Molesworth, M. and Denegri Knott, J. eds. Digital Virtual Consumption. Routledge Studies in Innovation, Organization and Technology Vol. 23.Oxford: Routledge. , pp.76-91.
- Watkins, R. and Molesworth, M. 2012. Attachment to digital virtual possessions in videogames. In: Belk, R. W. , Scott, L. and Askegaard, S. eds. Research in Consumer Behaviour. Vol. 14, Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing. , pp.153-171.
Books
- Costello, J. , Cocker, H. and Mardon, R. eds. 2026. The Routledge Companion to Influencer Marketing. Routledge.
- Lindgreen, A. et al., 2018. Communicating corporate social responsibility in the digital era. Abingdon and New York: Routledge.
Conferences
- Cocker, H. , Mardon, R. and Daunt, K. 2024. We’re not deviant, you are! How consumption communities neutralize accusations of deviance. Presented at: AM2024: Marketing: Fusing resilience and power for public value – igniting marketing’s social spirit Cardiff, UK 1 - 4 July 2024. Academy Of Marketing Conference 2024 Paper Proceedings. Academy of Marketing. , pp.254-255.
- Mardon, R. , Maraj, V. and Bardhi, F. 2023. What’s mine isn’t necessarily yours: How digital technology affordances destabilise couples’ sharing practices. Presented at: Consumer Culture Theory Conference Lund, Sweden 27 – 30 June 2023.
- Molesworth, M. , Grigore, G. and Mardon, R. 2023. The psychosocial relational dynamics of rescuer platforms. Presented at: Consumer Culture Theory Conference Lund, Sweden 27 – 30 June 2023.
- Alkaffary, B. et al. 2022. Psychological ownership in access-based services: The role of the virtual closet. Presented at: 12th SERVSIG Conference Glasgow, UK 16-18 June 2022.
- Mardon, R. , Maraj, V. and Bardhi, F. 2022. What’s mine isn’t necessarily yours: How digital object affordances destabilise couples’ sharing practices. Presented at: 11th Interpretive Consumer Research Workshop Liverpool, UK 9 – 10 June 2022.
- Mardon, R. , Cocker, H. and Daunt, K. 2019. Community-embedded human brands and dysfunctional community role dynamics: A study of the YouTube beauty community. Presented at: Consumer Culture Theory Conference Montreal, QC, Canada 17-19 July 2019.
- Mardon, R. , Denegri-Knott, J. and Molesworth, M. 2019. Possessing digital objects: Affordances and agency in Possession. Presented at: Consumer Culture Theory Conference Montreal, QC, Canada 17-19 July 2019.
- Mardon, R. , Cocker, H. and Daunt, K. 2018. Constructing and commodifying the tribal celebrity: A dramaturgical perspective. Presented at: Academy of Marketing Conference Stirling, Scotland 2-5 July 2018.
- Watkins, R. , Denegri-Knott, J. and Molesworth, M. 2017. A relational ontology of objects & possession. Presented at: 9th Interpretivist Consumer Research Workshop (ICR) Stockholm, Sweden 26-29 April 2017.
- Watkins, R. , Molesworth, M. and Grigore, G. 2017. Selling without selling out: YouTube beauty gurus & the emotional labour of tribal entrepreneurship. Presented at: 9th Interpretivist Consumer Research Workshop (ICR) Stockholm, Sweden 26-29 April 2017.
- Watkins, R. 2016. Actor-network theory, consumer-object relations and method assemblage: methodological reflections from a study of digital possessions. Presented at: Consumer Culture Theory Conference 2016 Lille, France 6-9 July 2016.
- Watkins, R. and Belk, R. 2016. Collections and collecting in a digital age. Presented at: Consumer Culture Theory Conference 2016 Lille, France 6-9 July 2016.
- Watkins, R. 2016. Conceptualising the ontology of digital consumption objects. Presented at: Association for Consumer Research North American Conference 2015 New Orleans, LA 1-4 October 2015. Published in: Diehl, K. , Yoon, C. and Duluth, M. N. eds. Advances in Consumer Research – North American Conference Proceedings. Vol. 43.Association for Consumer Research. , pp.275-276.
- Grigore, G. , Molesworth, M. and Watkins, R. 2015. Conceptualising digital corporate social responsibility. Presented at: 4th International Conference on Social Responsibility, Ethics and Sustainable Business Athens 8-9 October 2015.
- Watkins, R. , Sellen, A. and Lindley, S. E. 2015. Digital collections and digital collection practices. Presented at: SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Seoul, Republic of Korea 18 - 23 April, 2015. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. New York: ACM. , pp.3423-3432. (10.1145/2702123.2702380)
- Watkins, R. 2014. Fragmented ownership and the fencing in of digital virtual possessions. Presented at: Connected Life Oxford 12 June 2014.
- Watkins, R. and Molesworth, M. 2013. The biographies of digital goods. Presented at: Consumer Culture Theory Tucson, Az 13-16 June 2013.
- Watkins, R. and Molesworth, M. 2013. The ongoing exploitation of consumers' possession work via the permanent deferral of DVG ownership. Presented at: 7th Workshop on Interpretive Consumer Research Brussells 11 - 12 April 2013.
- Watkins, R. and Molesworth, M. 2012. Attachment to digital virtual possessions in videogames. Presented at: Consumer Culture Theory Conference Oxford 16-19 August 2012.
Research
Ownership and sharing in a digital age
My research examines what it means to own, collect, and share possessions as consumption becomes increasingly digital. I explore how people develop attachments to digital possessions, how platforms enable and constrain their control over those possessions, and how the distinctive qualities of digital technologies create tensions around sharing. This work considers how established expectations surrounding ownership and sharing translate into digital settings, and what happens when those expectations are disrupted.
Influencer-follower relationships
I study how relationships between social media influencers and their followers form, evolve and sometimes break down. My research examines the delicate balance of intimacy and commercial interests involved in these relationships, including how followers respond when they feel disappointed or exploited, and how fandom can turn into anti-fandom. This work helps explain both the appeal of influencer relationships and the tensions that can undermine them.
Social dynamics within online consumer collectives
My research explores how people form and sustain online collectives around shared consumption interests. I explore how collectives evolve when their members adopt new roles, why conflict can persist even when solutions to disagreements are offered, and how collectives sustain themselves when outsiders label them as deviant. Together, these projects help explain how online consumer collectives navigate challenges from within and beyond their boundaries.
AI-mediated consumption
My current research interests include how artificial intelligence is changing consumers’ everyday experiences. I am interested in how AI mediates consumption and what this means for consumers’ identities, relationships, and well-being.
Teaching
Modules taught currently:
- BS3012 Digital Marketing, BSc Business Management, Yr 3 (Module Leader)
- BST240 Digital Marketing, MSc Strategic Marketing
- BST356 Digital Marketing, MSc Marketing
I have previously taught a range of marketing modules at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as supervising undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations and postgraduate consultancy projects. I am a Fellow of Advance HE.
Biography
Qualifications
- Postgraduate Certificate in University Teaching & Learning, Cardiff University, 2019
- PhD in Marketing, University of Southampton, 2015
Honours and awards
- Sidney Levy Award Honourable Mention, 2024
- Editor's Choice, Journal of Consumer Research, 2023
- Research Award, Academy of Marketing, 2017
- Best Paper Award, Consumer Culture Theory Conference, 2016
- Editor's Choice, Journal of Marketing Management, 2016
- Best Paper Award, Consumer Culture Theory Conference, 2013
Professional memberships
- Member of the Association for Consumer Research
- Member of Consumer Culture Theory Consortium
- Member of the Academy of Marketing
- Fellow of Advance HE
Academic positions
- 2023 - present: Reader, Cardiff University
- 2019 - 2023: Senior Lecturer, Cardiff University
- 2014 - 2019: Lecturer, Cardiff University
- 2014: Researcher, Microsoft Research Cambridge
- 2012 - 2014: Lecturer (part-time), Bournemouth University
Committees and reviewing
- Member of the Cardiff Business School Shadow Management Board (2022 - present)
- Departmental representative, Cardiff Business School Research Ethics Committee (2018 - 2023)
- Admissions Tutor for MSc Strategic Marketing and MSc Marketing (2015 - 2023)
- School Representative, College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Academic Innovation Network (2019 – 2020)
Supervisions
I am interested in supervising PhD students who are exploring sociocultural aspects of consumer culture using qualitative research methods. I am particularly interested in supervising projects relating to the evolution of influencer-follower relationships, influencers as brands and entrepreneurs, and AI-mediated consumption.
Current supervision
Zoe Feng
Keyi Guo
Past projects
Wahura Kabutha, Cardiff University, 2026. The Evolution of Social Media Influencers’ (SMIs’) Commercial Roles: Motivations, Strategies and Experiences.
Bader Alkaffary, Cardiff University, 2022. The Role of Psychological Ownership in Access-Based-Consumption: Insights from the Fashion Industry.
James Davies, Cardiff University, 2021. Serendipity and the Silver Screen: Career Entryways and Worker Experiences in UK Television.
Contact Details
[email protected]
+44 29208 75195
Aberconway Building, Room T33, Colum Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF10 3EU
+44 29208 75195
Aberconway Building, Room T33, Colum Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF10 3EU
Research themes
Specialisms
- Digital Marketing
- Digital Consumption
- Influencer Marketing
- Consumer Culture
- Qualitative Research