Dr Rebecca Biggins

Teaching

I have taught at York St John University for over ten years and have taught on a wide variety of programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Some of my favourite modules over the years have been: Consumer Behaviour, Consumer Culture and Tourism, Destination Marketing, Cultural and Heritage Tourism and Marketing Communications, I also supervise undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations and supervise PhD students.

I teach on the Ba Hons Marketing, MSc Marketing, BA Hons International Tourism and Hospitality management but I manage all programmes at Ug and Pg in sports, marketing, digital, tourism, events, HR, entrepreneurship and fashion.

Research

My research interests are around social anthropological marketing. I am fascinated by generational cohort theory and how our experiences, attitudes and views impact our behaviour as consumers. I have previously completed consultancy reports helping businesses to understand the Millennial generation as a consumer group and have continued this in my academic work. I like to apply my understanding of generational cohorts and consumers in a range of different consumer areas that align to my programmes such as Tourism, Sports and Fashion.

Professional Activities

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

2022- Deans and Directors Development Programme, Chartered Association of Business Schools

2019- Aspiring Women Leaders- Chartered Association of Business Schools

CONSULTANCY WORK

2022-Yorkshire Archeological Trust- Diversity in staffing and visitation

2016- Hiscox insurance- marketing to millennials literature review project

2014- Visit York- York Pass Data Analysis and report

EXTERNAL POSITIONS

2022- Steering Board- Journal of Fashion Education, Teaching and Practice

2017-2021 Trustee, Kyra Women’s Foundation, York.

2017- Validation Panel- School of Creative and Cultural business Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.

2017- Validation Panel- Events and Business Programmes, National Consortium UK, Manchester.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

2018-2019 Member of the Academic Board, York St John University

2019- Programme Revalidation: BA (Hons) Tourism and Destination Management

2018-PhD Supervisor training, York St John University

2008- Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice York St. John University, York.

REVIEWS

Reviewer for the Journal of Cultural heritage Reviewer for Sage Publications.

Publications and conferences

Publications

Biggins, R and Ren, C, Millennial’s Need for Uniqueness Luxury Consumption, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management (under review)

Paddison, B and Biggins, R. (2017) Advocating Community Integrated Destination Marketing Planning in Heritage Destinations; The Case of York. Journal of Marketing Management (In press).

Berry, R, Biggins, R, Courtney, R and McCafferty, C. (2022) ‘The Role of Online Learning in a Post-Pandemic Business School’, The Chartered Association of Business Schools [Blog]. Available at: https://charteredabs.org/the-role-of-online-learning-in-a-post-pandemic-business-school/

Conference presentations

Berry, R, Biggins, R, Courtney, R and McCafferty, C. (2022) ‘The Role of Online Learning in a Post-Pandemic Business School’, The Chartered Association of Business Schools Dean and Directors Programme, Birmingham, UK.

Ren, C., Biggins, R. (2019). New Definition of Luxury? Understanding Luxury Purchases by Millennials in the UK through Application of Generational Cohort Theory. 7th Annual International Colloquium on Branding, Athens, Greece

Ren, C., Biggins, R. (2019). Millennial’s Need for Uniqueness Luxury Consumption, Academy of Marketing, Regents University Business School, Regents University, July 2019.

Biggins, R and Ren, C (2018) ‘Understanding Millennials consumption of luxury and fashion goods: applications of cohort theory’, York Business School Research Conference, York St John University, September 2018.

Biggins, R and Paddison, B (20170 ‘Marketing Heritage Tourism Destinations: A Working Paper on Community and Commercial Perceptions of Destination Image’, Academy of Marketing, Hull University Business School, University of Hull, July 2017.

Paddison, B and Biggins, R. (2016) ‘Advocating Community Integrated Destination Marketing Planning in Heritage Destinations: A Working Paper on the Case of York’, Academy of Marketing, Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University, July 2016. Best Paper Award.

Paddison, B and Biggins, R. (2014) An exploration of the challenges and opportunities of community engagement in the development of heritage tourism, DySES 2014 Universidad de Sevilla, September 2014.

Guest lectures

‘Representation of the historic city of York’, guest lecture at the Universidad de Huelva, 1st June, 2012.

‘Community destination and the challenges of the authorised heritage discourse’, guest lecture at Escuela, Universitaria De Estudios Empresariales, Universidad de Sevilla, 8th September, 2014.

‘Research Methods’, guest lecturer for one week at the Indian School of Management and Entrepreneurship (ISME), Mumbai, August 3rd-10th 2019.

Research funding

‘Applications of generational cohort theory: millennials and luxury brands’ -York St John Students as Researchers- £1300

‘New definitions of luxury- what luxury means to millennials’- York St John Students as Researchers- £1400

York Archaeological Trust- Diversity in staff and visitation- £10,000